TWPOA Newsletter
Editor: Anne Fernandez	Summer 2007

Tara Woods Website - Get all the news about the association

President's Corner
by Mike Mann

The 4 th of July parade and subsequent picnic was another smashing success! Our special thanks go to Nancy Lear and Mary Helen Perrigo who put together a great event and to our panel of judges for the time and thought they put into the judging. It is always amazing to see the clever and intricate floats, costumes, and activities that our members come up with.    We had a large and welcome turnout from the local sheriff's department, including an honor squad to lead the event.    Our next event will be a community pot luck dinner to welcome our new members on September 22.   Bev Duke and Betty Joe Spivey are planning this event, please check the Hospitality Committee section of the newsletter for details.   

By now I hope everyone has had an opportunity to see the new dock decking.   The job is almost complete and we essentially have the fingers between the individual slips to re-deck.   The materials are on hand and Jack and Harmel will be sending out a call for two more work parties to finish the job.  

We will be sending out a fence survey during September in order to develop a plan that best represents the community interests.   I would like to appeal to all residents of Tara Woods to attend our Board meetings, especially if you have input or comments about the quality of life in our community. As we have seen on trying to make investment decisions on the fence and are beginning to deal with capacity issues on the boat docks, the Board cannot act in a vacuum and meet the expectations of our community. We need your input and ideas on how to make Tara Woods the preferred community to live in here at the lake. I especially welcome our newer residents to the meetings. As part of our association, please attend and be heard.

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Treasurer's Summary
by Jack Perrigo

As of July 27, 2007 we have $12,369.46 in the operating fund and $47,719.58 in our reserve fund. Total funds are $60,089.04. Just a few short years ago we had about $350 in the operating fund and $25,000 in reserves. We have come a long way, but still have a ways to go before I can declare that we are caught up on our reserve requirements. It will take another 2 years to get the reserves caught up to where they should be. I am confident that we can get this done.

Last year we started re-decking the docks. We have relied on volunteer labor and we will finish this work this fall. In 2006 the board approved $10,000 to begin the re-decking and in 2007 the board approved $6,000 to finish the work. To date, we have spent $15,259.30 and all that is left to buy is about 12 joists and some finishing trim.

You might have noticed some new rails in the Tara Woods fence. We began a self improvement program this year where the property owners replace the rails/posts. We bought over 300 rails and about 60 posts to begin this effort. We have about 90 rails left.

It's nice to get back to spending our money on things that we can all see instead of spending money on fighting over changes to the covenants.

Please visit the webpage for the latest news about Tara Woods.

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Mark you calendar.   We will have work days on September 15th (Saturday) and again on October 13th .   Work will start at 8:00 AM .   On September 15th we will only plan to work a half day since it may still be hot.   Hopefully, we will finish the task on October 13th .   We still have about 20 feet of walkways to complete and then we can concentrate on re-decking the fingers and installing the finish trim.   Bring hammers, pry bars, cordless drills (to remove screws), Philips screwdrivers.   I will precut the decking materials to make the installation go faster and we can trim the decking in place so the trim will fit better.  

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On September 22, 2007 at 1:00pm, we will have a community potluck dinner at the Pavilion welcoming all new members to Tara Woods. Please bring a dish to share with others. This will be a great opportunity to "meet and greet" new neighbors. Please call Betty Jo Spivey at 540-894-0890 or by email with questions and suggestions. More information will be coming out later.

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Fence Materials
by Jack Perrigo

We have implemented a self improvement program to replace the fence rails and posts.   I bought about 300 rails and 60 posts last spring.   So far, 13 property owners have participated.   I will be glad to drop off rails.   Call me and I will assess you needs.   We are only replacing the most seriously rotting rails this year.   We still have about 90 rails left.  

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Boat Cleats
by Jack Perrigo

I have the board approved flip up cleats and stainless steel hardware to install them.   With the new decking materials, the board decided to only approve the flip up cleat (Overton's item # 26030 or similar) for use on our docks.   These cleats are through bolted, not lag screwed like most the cleats we had to remove.   The new decking is hollow, so we need a more substantial mounting system to protect our investment.   Lag screws will damage the docks and will not secure your boat.   The flip up cleats are also less of a trip hazard.

The cost of the cleats is $20 per cleat.   Bart Cameron donated $150 toward the cleat program.   I am using that donated money to buy the stainless steel carriage bolts and locking nuts.   If an individual bought the cleat and hardware it would cost over $30.   I only need to charge $20 per cleat to recover our cost.   Let me know if you need cleats and show me where you would like them installed.   Harmel and I will do the rest.

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Trash at the Pavilion

Harmel and I saw a woman dumping her household trash in the pavilion trash cans.   On her second trip to the pavilion, Harmel   told her not to do that.   I got the impression that this was not the first time she had done this and it was a lot of trash.   The cans are for people who are using our pavilion and are not for general disposal of household trash.   Please take your household trash to one of the Louisa transfer sites and make sure your guests or renters don't dump their trash at the pavilion. If only two households did this to us, we would be overwhelmed with trash.

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Boat Slip Misuse

We had two instances this year where boats were parked in a slip assigned to another property owner.   We didn't know who owned the boats and it took a lot of time sending out emails and making calls to find the owners to resolve the problem. Please make sure you use only the slip assigned to you.  

In the first case we had to move the boat and then find the owner.   If we can't find the owner, we will have to hire a marina toremove and store the boat.     We really don't want to do this, so please use the slip assigned to you.   To use another slip, ask the person who is currently assigned a slip for permission to use it.   It would also be a good idea to let the property manager know about such arrangements to avoid confusion.

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Tie Your Boat Carefully
by Jack Perrigo

We have already had some damage to the new dock materials. We have repaired the damage. We wanted all slip holders to know that any dock damage will be hired out and billed the slip holder. Please tie your boat carefully and make sure the front of your boat cannot bounce against docks.

Also, the lake level is down, which is not unusual when we have a dry summer. If your boat isn't tied properly it can damage your boat as well as our docks. You need to tie your boat loosely so water level changes won't damage the docks. Check to make sure that the lines stop your boat from hitting any part of the docks. You might want to take your boat out of the water before it bottoms.

Several years ago hurricane Isabel came through here at a tropical storm level. Several people did not take their boats out the water and we had some significant damage to the docks. Keep in mind that if you leave your boat in the water, we will bill you for any damage done to our docks by your boat. If your boat knocks down any part of the docks, you will be billed for that damage. It would be wise to take your boat out of the water if severe weather threatens. Hurricane season is here.

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July 4th, 2008 10th Anniversary
by Nancy Lear and Maryhelen Perrigo

Next year will be our 10 th anniversary of the Tara Woods 4 th of July parade. We want to do something special for this event next year. The 4 th is on a Friday. We usually hold the event on the same day that LACA sets off the fireworks, which is usually on a Saturday. LACA hasn't announced what they are doing yet. We would like suggestions for a theme next year . Please send them to Nancy Lear or Maryhelen Perrigo by October 5th.

We had another great parade this year. 85 people attended. The Sheriff brought an honor guard for the parade – a special treat. We spent about $209 and collected $110 from our guests. Let's make next years parade something to remember.

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Calendar of Events

LARS is Lake Anna Rescue. It is located on Rt. 618 (Bumpass Rd.) Take Rt. 652 left out of the subdivision to Rt. 601. Turn right and go over the railroad tracks. Take an immediate right onto Bumpass Rd. (I believe it is Rt. 618) and go 1 or 2 miles to the Rescue building on the left, 300 Bumpass Rd. Bumpass, Va. 23024.

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