The Chantilly Highlander Your Community Newslet ter Serving Chant i l ly Highlands

Visi t us on the web at www.chha.org—now in COLOR onl ine! December 2007

Board Minutes………………………………...2 Board & Committee Contacts………………11 Classified Ads………………………………..10 Community Calendar……….………………..4 Garden Club Events………………………….4 High School Boundary Study…………..…1,3

In This Issue:

HIGH SCHOOL BOUNDARY MEETINGS Mon., Dec. 3rd @ Westfield HS 7:30 PM Wed., Dec. 19th @ Oakton HS 7:30 PM If you missed the first high school boundary

meeting in November, it’s not too late to get involved. There are two more meetings in this process. The students in our neighborhood are still very much at risk for being sent to either Herndon or South Lakes HS.

The November meeting was very well at-tended by many communities, some better rep-resented than our neighborhood. If we do not continue to stay involved, our students may suf-fer the result of our apathy. We need you to at-

See BOUNDARIES on page 3

Mark Your Calendars for the Winter Wonderland!

Saturday, December 8th, 11 AM - 2 PM

There will be crafts and refreshments, and the return of the horse-drawn ‘carriage’!

So bundle up the family, and create some magical together memories at

this special time of year!

Join us at the Community Center on December 8th from 11 am—2 pm for the

activities and refreshments.

Canned goods will be collected for the Embry Rucker House in Reston.

Organized and Hosted by Girl Scout Troop 3132

Winter Garden Lighting Ceremony at the Community Center

Bring out the entire family for the Winter Garden Lighting Ceremony! This event will be sponsored by the CHHA and the CH Garden Club on Sunday, De-cember 2, 2007, at 6:30 PM, at the Community Cen-ter (rain date Sun., Dec. 9th @ 6:30 PM).

The garden lights will be turned on at 6:30 PM. The Garden Club will distribute ornaments to all present to help decorate the trees and shrubs in

front of the Community Center with wildlife orna-ments while we listen to live music.

Refreshments of cocoa, coffee, and cookies will be served in the Community Center immediately follow-ing the tree decorating.

Please mark your calendars to join us for an evening of warmth and fun, and kick off the holiday season by giving a gift to our feathered friends.

IMPORTANT NOTICE: THE CHANTILLY HIGHLANDS

HOMES ASSOCIATION ANNUAL MEETING will be held

Thursday, JANUARY 17, 2008, at 8 PM

at the Community Center.

Page 2 The Chantilly Highlander

Board Attendees: Wendy Hunt, David Howlett, Larry Miller, Paul Thurneysen, and Jon Roe

Absent Board members: Chris Tacinelli, Darin Welt, Imrana Umar

Homeowner attendees: 2

Paul Thurneysen called the meeting to order at 7:39 pm.

The October minutes were approved.

Homeowners Items: The board reviewed multiple op-tions for replacing screening plants and trees for the southern Kinross entrance that are currently dying.

Treasurer’s Report: The treasurer reported that dues for next year will potentially increase 2.9% in line with the National CPI. The annual budget meeting for next year was scheduled to follow the homeowners meeting. One delinquent homeowner paid dues and legal fees. Four more will have liens on their property.

Community Facilities: An RFP for a neighborhood handyman services has been prepared.

Land Management: The winter cleanup needs to be done before November 15th for the Garden Lighting Party to happen. No other issues (other than the replanting of trees) were discussed.

Architectural Control Committee: Cases are being re-viewed and progress is being made.

Community Activities: The Halloween Costume Parade and party went well, and plans are underway for the Winter Garden Lighting Party.

Civic Affairs: Lincoln Property has changed their plans regarding a Town Center design across from the Kin-ross Entrances. They have now proposed a multi-family residential complex with a parking garage initially. These plans are available from the Fairfax County Plan control center located on the fifth floor (Room 506) of the Government Center.

Neighborhood Watch: Reports of petty thefts along the Mother Well trail have occurred. Several residents have reported missing deck furniture and yard items. Please report any suspicious activity to the Fairfax County Police and the Neighborhood Watch Commit-tee. Fairfax County Police and the Park Authority have been notified about these events.

Communications - Newsletter and Website: No new news.

Long Range Planning: The long range planning com-mittee needs to complete a long range plan by the end of 2007.

Database: No open issues.

Old Business: Several board seats will be open next year and need to be filled. Please consider volunteering some time to help in the neighborhood. The board dis-cussed the HS Boundary issues and the FCPS schedule of meetings as well.

New Business: Continued discussion around the school issue went on.

Meeting Adjournment: There being no additional new business to discuss, Paul Thurneysen made a motion to adjourn the meeting, and David Howlett seconded it. The board unanimously approved the motion and the meeting was adjourned at 8:25pm.

Chantilly Highlands Homes Association Board of Directors Meeting Thursday, November 1, 2007

Submitted by Wendy Hunt Minutes are tentative and will be reviewed and approved at the upcoming Board of Directors meeting.

Page 3 December 2007

tend, and become informed and involved.

At the December 3rd meeting at 7:30 PM at Westfield HS, FCPS staff will present potential boundary change scenarios. (Come early, parking is limited.) These scenarios are supposed to be based on the feedback received from the November meet-ing.

One point of contention, seemingly across the communities, is the fact that Langley and Madison HS are not included in the study in entirety.

Not only was this initial meeting well-attended by residents of surrounding communities, but also by the press. Later that week, local newspapers printed articles summarizing the evening. The Herndon Ob-server has its article at www.observernews.com/stories/current/news/111607/boundaries.shtml. The T i m e s ’ a r t i c l e c a n b e f o u n d a t www. fa i r fax t imes . com/news /2007/nov /14 /thousands-attend-boundary-meeting. The Washing-ton Post was supposed to run an article in its week-end issue, but at the time this newsletter went to

print, that link was unavailable.

To get a better under-standing of the

schools in this study, and those

that have been ex-cluded, go to the Fairfax County

Public Schools Capital Improvement Program (CIP) for 2008-2012 at www.fcps.edu/fts/cipbook2008-2012.pdf. The boundary process guidelines to review are located at www.fcps.edu/fts/p l a n n i n g / w e s t c o b o u n d a r y /boundaryprocessguideline.pdf. A new web page with Frequently Asked Questions about the boundary study can be found at www.fcps.edu/fts/planning/westcoboundary/faq.htm.

BOUNDARIES from page 1

Page 4 The Chantilly Highlander

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1

2 3 4 5 6 7 8

9 10 11 12 13 14 15

16 17 18 19 20 21 22

23 24 25 26 27 28 29

30 31

December 2007

7:30 PM Board Mtg

7:30 PM— HS Boundary Mtg

@ Westfield HS

NO SCHOOL

NO SCHOOL

Jan 1st New Years Day

7:30 PM— HS Boundary Mtg @ Oakton HS

Board Members

Needed

A Nominating Committee is working on

putting together a list of candidates to

run for the open positions in the CHHA

Board of Directors for the January elec-

tion. There will be four vacancies to fill

due to expiring terms. Please contact

Paul Thurneysen, Chairperson of the

Nominating Committee, at (703) 318-

1468 if you are interested in running.

Take the first step and make the call to

find out more!

Hanukkah

1st Day of Winter

Christmas

6:30 PM—Tree Lighting (see

this page)

= Curb, gutter or sidewalk repairs

= Dead animal removal

= Guard rail re-placement

= Pothole filling

= Snow removal

= Traffic light re-pairs

= Traffic study

= Trash removal

= Tree trimming/removal

VDOT Road Maintenance

Rain date for Tree Lighting at

6:30 PM

11 AM-2 PM Winter Wonder-land (see page 1)

You can place a work request online at www.vdot.virginia.gov/info/citizenservices.asp to assist VDOT in maintaining Virginia's roadways or by calling (800) 367-ROAD.

Page 5 The Chantilly Highlander Page 5 December 2007

CHHA Annual Meeting PROXY

For the 2008 Annual Meeting of the Chantilly Highlands Homes Association, Inc.

The Nominating Committee will reissue this Proxy next month with potential Board Candidates for your consideration. The undersigned hereby appoints _____________________________ as proxy to act and vote at the annual meeting of the Chantilly Highlands Homes Association, Inc, to be held at 8:00 PM on January 17, 2008, at the CHHA Community Center, Oak Hill, VA, and at any adjournments thereof, upon any business which may properly come before said meeting, all in accordance with and as more fully described in the notice of said meeting, receipt of which is hereby acknowledged.

Homeowner/Co-Homeowner

Print Name ________________________________________________ Date ____________

Signature _________________________________________________

Lot # _______ Address ____________________________________________________

Instructions: 1) CHHA bylaws require that a quorum be present at the annual meetings for actions taken to be valid. 2) Please complete this form to ensure that a quorum is achieved. 3) A proxy can be rescinded if you attend the meeting. 4) When you complete the proxy, you will be conveying your voting power to the appointed individual. 5) The only votes expected to be cast will be for Board of Directors positions. 6) If you wish, you can abstain from the vote, but have your presence counted to ensure the quorum is achieved. 7) Proxies must be signed by homeowners or renters granted a proxy from the homeowner. 8) Areas with BOLD type must be filled out for the proxy to be valid. 9) If the Lot Number is not known, it can be filled in at the Annual Meeting. 10) Only one proxy per household.

Page 6 The Chantilly Highlander Page 6 December 2007 Page 6 The Chantilly Highlander

Exposures Reported On November 15th, a student on the way to the

school bus stop was confronted by a man in a red van and exposed himself to this student. On September 22nd, an adult Chantilly Highlands resident had a simi-lar experience while on a morning run, however, the vehicle was a four-door grayish/black car. On Septem-ber 10th, a man exposed himself to a woman walking her dog mid-day in a nearby neighborhood. The vehi-cle for this perpetrator was a small black pickup truck.

These incidents seem to be unconnected at first glance. Parents should take the time to discuss what to do if something like this should happen to their chil-dren when by themselves. Keep the level of informa-tion discussed age-appropriate.

Direct your child to get away as quickly as possible, report immediately to an adult, and have them call the police. Victims should write down as many details as they can remember while waiting for the police to take the report so they do not forget anything. If carrying a cell phone, consider taking a picture of the vehicle, li-cense plate, and suspect if you feel safe enough doing so, and then immediately call the police while getting to safety.

Our Neighborhood Watch liaison should be notified of any incidents in our community. There is some dis-cussion of possibly setting up an email list for immedi-ate notification of residents. If you are interested in joining the Neighborhood Watch Committee, please contact the Board liaison, Imrana Umar, at (703) 471-4923.

Perhaps this is also a good time to review the Vir-ginia State Police Sex Offender Registry at http://sex-offender.vsp.virginia.gov/sor/index.htm, or the Na-tional Sex Offender Public Website at www.nsopr.gov. Another webpage to consider bookmarking is the Fair-fax County Incident Mapping page. Here you can re-trieve current information on police calls to a particular area. Go to www.fairfaxcounty.gov/police and click on Incident Mapping on the right column.

Be alert, and be safe this coming holiday season.

Page 7 The Chantilly Highlander Page 7 December 2007

www.classicpaintingr.com

Plan Now for School Closings Register now for Keep in Touch, a service that allows employees, parents and others interested in emergency messages and other information about the school system to receive updates via e-mail. You set up

individualized profiles and receive the most up-to-date information as soon as it is available. To sign up (or update your profile), visit the FCPS web site at www.fcps.edu and choose ‘Keep in Touch E-mail’ on the left side of the web page.

While you’re at it, make sure to solidify plans for your children in the event that you are not nearby or otherwise available for an early school closing, such as due to inclement weather—make plans with someone who can pick them up for you. Also decide who will watch your children if school is canceled or delayed and you still have to work—remember that the public library is not your baby-sitter and you cannot leave children alone there.

WINTER TRAVEL PLANS Before you pack up the car and head off to Grandma’s

for the holidays, take a moment to go online to check the weather and road construction for your route. The Vir-ginia Dep’t of Transportation at www.vdot.virginia.gov has useful travel information, including traffic cameras, road conditions, and lane closures. In the Travel Center section you can also find winter driving tips, which might be a good review for both new and experienced drivers.

The Info Center provides various information, includ-ing contact numbers to report unsafe conditions, such as blind or poorly marked intersections, slick or icy roads. Call the Highway Helpline at (800) 367-ROAD.

When snow has accumulated on your vehicle, please make sure to clear the snow/ice not only from your front and read windshields, but also from your brake lights, headlights, AND the roof of your vehicle. This is for your safety as well as for those following your vehicle as you drive down the road. Be sure that your teenage driver knows that this responsibility goes with the privilege of driving. While you’re thinking of it, put your snow brush and ice scraper in your car now!

Page 8 The Chantilly Highlander Page 8 December 2007 Page 8 The Chantilly Highlander

Over the next few weeks, many of us will be taking to the malls and shopping centers in preparation for the holiday season. Other, less upstanding people will be out amongst the crowds, looking for an op-portunity to take advantage of others and break the law. This can happen to any of us, no matter what age. If you have young adults that will be out with-out an adult nearby, even if traveling with a group of friends, make sure to go over these safety tips with them before they head out.

Dress casually and comfortably. Avoid wearing expensive jewelry or clothing.

Inform your children about what to do if they get sepa-rated from you in a crowded store. Tell them to find a store clerk or security person.

Park close to the store in well-lit spaces and avoid secluded areas.

Lock the car and keep windows closed.

Stay alert. Be aware of suspicious people and vehicles. Don’t wear earphones and an i-Pod while shopping or going to your car!

Keep a eye on your purse. Hold your purse close to your body or use a front pocket if car-rying a wallet.

Keep your cell phone in your pocket instead of your purse. If you do happen to be a victim of a robbery and they do get your purse, you can still immediately call the police instead of watching them run away with your cell phone.

Do not flash large amounts of money when making purchases—be discreet. Use checks or credit cards instead of cash.

Use credit cards safely. Keep your receipts, guard your PIN numbers, record your credit

card numbers at home (make copies of credit cards, front and back, to have information in case you need to call the companies to report a loss), and be aware of identify theft.

Hide packages. Put packages in the trunk of your car. If your vehicle does not have a trunk, such as a minivan or SUV, bring a blan-ket to cover up your purchases. If you need to continue shopping, consider moving your ve-hicle after putting your packages in the back in

case someone has been watching you. Thieves will see you put packages in your

car and walk away, knowing that there is something to take, and you will not likely be back for awhile.

Most malls have security personnel that will escort you to your vehicle

upon request. Be alert, and be safe!

Holiday Shopping Safety Tips

The Chantilly Highlander Page 9 December 2007

Winter Driving Safety Tips Spend a few moments to read through the tips below, and prepare your vehicle in advance of bad weather. 1. Check your tire pressure and tread wear. Have your

battery checked, as well, and replace if not holding a charge.

2. Fill your windshield wiper fluid reservoir regularly and change your windshield wiper blades.

3. Clear all snow and ice from ALL windows (front, back, and side), headlights, brake lights, AND the roof of your vehicle. Put your ice scraper and snow broom in your car NOW!

4. Store a blanket, jumper cables, flashlight, snack,shovel, and charged cell phone in your car.

5. Do not leave your vehicle running unattended. Vehi-cle theft increases during winter months due to this.

6. Minimize night driving especially when snow and ice are present.

7. When driving on wet or icy roads, give yourself more stopping distance between vehicles than usual.

8. Slow down. The speed limit is the MAXIMUM speed, not minimum.

9. DON’T DRINK AND DRIVE.

Plan Ahead for Spring Improvements

Get your ACC Exterior Application form in early for

those spring projects you are planning. Forms can be

downloaded at www.chha.org/ACCApplication.pdf.

Remember to review the

A C C P o l i c i e s a t

w w w . c h h a . o r g / a c c /

acc2001.html before start-

ing any projects or writing up your approval applica-

tion to avoid any problems or rejections of your ap-

plication. Questions? Call or call Carla Abbud at

(703) 925-0949.

Page 10 The Chantilly Highlander

Classified Advertising Maria’s Cleaning Svc-NoVA for 15 yrs, offering house cleaning in your area-Residential/Commercial. Insured, bonded, licensed. Competitive rates, great references. Contact Maria (703) 723-3850 or (703) 624-2708 Cell.

S&G Remodeling-Finishing basements, kitchen / bath-room remodeling, acoustic ceilings, floor covering, inte-rior painting. Free estimates. Call (571) 288-7063.

Almighty & Co-Painting-Int/Ext, Local Ref. Drywall & rotten wood repair, power washing, wallpaper removal. 25 yrs. Free Est. Call Carl (703) 378-5602 (voice mail), (703) 926-8700 (cell).

A&S Home Improvement-Remodeling Bath/Kitchen, Ceramic floor/wall tile, Painting, Drywall, Electrical, Plumbing, Ceiling fans & more. Lic., Honest, Exp. Free estimates. (703) 860-4734; cell (703) 944-3135.

KidWorks Pet Care-12th grader willing to take care of your pets anytime. Experienced, responsible, and dependable. Ref-erences available. Call Jennifer at (703) 787-9323.

Winter Check List By performing preventive maintenance on an on-going basis, you'll avoid expensive repairs and protect the in-vestment you’ve made in your home.

Here are monthly and fall/winter maintenance checklists:

Monthly Test your smoke alarm & carbon monoxide detectors.

Check the filters on your heating and cooling sys-tems. Be sure to clean and change according to the manufacturer's schedule.

If you have a humidifier or an electronic air filter, check these as well.

Check faucets for drips. Check plumbing for leaks.

Fall/Winter Test your smoke alarms

and carbon monoxide detec-tors. Change their batteries twice a year.

Have your furnace/heating system serviced by a qualified service company.

If you have electric base-board heaters, vacuum them

to remove dust.

Remove the grills on forced air systems and vacuum inside the ducts.

If you use a portable humidifier, it's time to clean it.

Make sure all doors to the outside shut tightly. Re-new weather stripping as required.

Check your chimney for obstructions, such as bird's nests. If you have a wood-burning fireplace make sure to have it cleaned by a reputable chimney sweep at least annually (perhaps more frequently if you burn a lot of wood in one season).

Clean gutters and test downspouts to ensure proper drainage from the roof.

Turn off the water supply to outdoor hose faucets and drain. Drain and store outdoor hoses.

Protect young trees and bushes for cold winter winds and put down mulch to winterize gardens.

Store/cover outdoor furniture and grill.

Going on Vacation? Don’t Let Everyone Know

When you go away to visit the relatives for the holidays, or for that ski trip, the same common sense rules apply as for when you take a summer vacation, and a few more. J Make is seem like you are home by using light timers. J Have a neighbor pick up your mail and newspapers,

or issue a vacation stop for them. J Ask a trusted neighbor to check your house daily—

give them a contact number in case of an emergency. J Do not leave empty boxes of gifts at the curb

(computer, TVs, etc.) to notify potential thieves. Put them curbside after you’ve returned from your vaca-tion. Cut them up and put in recycling bin.

J Do not leave your house unlocked or garage open, even if you are home or at a neighbor’s.

J Do not put your house number on your key chain or your luggage.

J Be observant and report suspicious people or happen-ings to the Fairfax County Police Department non-emergency number at (703) 691-2131.

J Contact the Fairfax County Police at the Fair Oaks Station for a free home security inspection at (703) 591-0966.

Page 11 December 2007

COMMITTEE INFO Board of Directors meets on the first Thursday of every month at

7:30 PM at the Community Center. Meetings are open, and all resi-dents are welcome and encouraged to participate. To include a spe-cific item on the agenda, please contact the Board President.

Architectural Control Committee (ACC) meets monthly at the Community Center. Contact any ACC member or appropriate Board member if you have ACC questions or concerns.

Chantilly Highlander newsletter team welcomes your articles and community photos of specific events, or just whatever is going on in your neighborhood! We would also love your suggestions and ideas for new features as well as feedback on current content. Advertising questions and other information may be emailed to Newslet-ter@chha.org, or mailed to the Editor at P.O. Box 710238, Oak Hill, VA, 20171.

Community Activities Committee identifies and schedules events for the participation of Chantilly Highlands families. The committee meets as events are scheduled, and chairpersons vary throughout the year. If you are interested in leading an event or have ideas for a community activity, please contact a Board member.

Community Facilities Committee (ComFac) meets the first Wednes-day of every month at 7:30 PM at the Community Center. Issues pertaining to our swimming pool, tennis courts, playground, Com-munity Center and its grounds are managed by the Community Fa-cilities Committee. If you would like to become involved in this committee, contact Jeff Boehlert at 703-435-2836.

Land Management Committee handles all issues that involve the common areas of our community: primarily lawn care and snow removal. Meetings are held as needed. You may contact Paul Thur-neysen at 703-318-1468 with questions and if you are able to help on the Land Management Committee.

Paul Thurneysen Chris Tacinelli Darin Welt Wendy Hunt Larry Miller David Howlett Jon Roe Imrana Umar Wendy Hunt Paul Thurneysen

703-318-1468 703-787-0315 703-787-3883 703-467-8188

703-707-0891

703-689-9840

703-904-9396 703-471-4923 703-467-8188 703-318-1468

CUT OUT AND HANG BY YOUR PHONE FOR HANDY REFERENCE!

Non-Resident $ 10.00 $ 15.00 $ 40.00 $ 60.00

Resident $ 2.50 $ 10.00 $ 25.00 $ 45.00

KidWorks (Under 18 yrs) Classified Ad Business Card 3½”W x 2”H Quarter Page 3¼”W x 4½”H

The Chantilly Highlander is a monthly publication which informs the community of our accomplishments, upcoming events, committee meeting highlights and decisions, and provides a forum for you and your family to communicate items of interest to your neighbors! Articles are reviewed and published at the dis-cretion of the Board of Directors. Published advertisement is ac-cepted, however it is not considered an endorsement by the Board. Electronic submissions are encouraged via email; however, please also provide a “camera ready” printed copy for comparison if there are graphics or fonts (print styles) that must be maintained.

Email address: Newsletter@chha.org (Please include ‘Chantilly Highlander’ in the subject line so it is not de-leted as spam)

Mailing address: CHHA, c/o The Chantilly Highlander, P.O. Box 710238, Oak Hill, VA 20171

Please submit articles, advertising (with payment), and photos so they are RECEIVED by the 12th of each month for considera-tion in the next month’s issue: be sure to allow sufficient time for mail processing. Any non-profit notices will included only if space allows—for guaranteed placement it must be paid advertising. Advertising Rates:

When calling board or committee members, please be mindful that they are volunteers, with jobs and families, making sacrifices to serve our community. Try to contact the appropriate

liaison or committee chair for the best response to a concern/question.

Chantilly Highlands Committees

President………………... Vice President………….. Treasurer……………….. Secretary……………….. Community Facilities &

Long Range Planning… Architectural Control

Liaison……………….. Newsletter, Database &

Website………...…….. Neighborhood Watch &

Civic Affairs ………… Community Events

Liaison………………. Land Management

Liaison……………….

2007 CHHA Board of Directors Carla Abbud Cindy DiPalma Brian Keagy Jeffrey Parnes Answering Machine Wendy Hunt Jeffrey Boehlert Dave Puchrik Denise Miller Paul Thurneysen Imrana Umar (see Comm Facilities) Lori Manik Paulette Rogers Steve Edwards Jeffrey Parnes Jane Huang

Architectural Control (ACC)

Civic Affairs Community Ctr Rental Community Events Community Facilities Database Administrator Garden Club Land Management Neighborhood Watch Pool House Phone Resale Packages Swim Team Chair Tennis Courts Webmaster Web Posting

703-925-0949 703-471-1874 703-909-7698 703-904-0131 703-435-0736 703-467-8188 703-435-2836 Database@chha.org 703-707-0891 703-318-1468 703-471-4923 703-435-2081 703-796-1061 703-481-1082 703-742-3353 703-904-0131 703-707-8889

Chantilly Highlands Homes Association P.O. Box 710238 Oak Hill, VA 20171

POSTMASTER PLEASE DELIVER BY THE 1ST OF THE MONTH

Opening doors and closing sales!

Sellers •Time is money: I provide customized marketing programs to sell your home quickly and at the highest price. •Resources: I utilize traditional methods, as well as the latest technologies, to effectively market your home or property. •Enthusiasm: As a fellow Chantilly High-lands resident, I know that this is a terrific neighborhood in an extremely desirable location, and my enthusiasm works to your benefit.

Buyers •Commitment: I listen to your needs and goals, and provide personal service that allows you to make the best decision regarding a residence or investment property.

•Knowledge: I have knowledge of the many diverse neighborhoods in the region, new home builders, and market trends; and I apply that knowledge to your advantage.

Please call me at (703) 362-2657 or Email me at leeabbud@kw.com

Lee Abbud