Trick-or-Treating in Portsmouth

The official trick-or-treat time in Portsmouth is Dusk to 8pm on October 31. All children should be off the street by 8pm. Trick-or-Treating is reserved for children aged 12.

For City code information, see here.

Here in our little slice of Olde Towne, we generally don't get too many children participating in trick or treat. Most of the activity is on High and Court Streets; sometimes we get a few stragglers who come down the Gaskins Lane, but not that often.

An unsolicited and unofficial tip: If you're not handing out candy, keep your porch and living room lights off.

Watch the drains!

Our sewage system is a fairly fragile thing. From each of our homes, we are connected to a community sewage piping system which is, in turn, connected to the city's service. We've had some problems in the past with our community system, and most of it can be traced back to what we toss down the drains in our home.

Grease is likely the largest culprit. Don't throw grease down the drain. Toss grease in the trash; we generally freeze the grease first before heaving in into the rubbish.

Other culprits to clogging the community sewage system include feminine hygiene products, baby wipes, and paper towels.

Please take care and eliminate all the clog-worthy stuff from going down the drain.

Welcome! Don't be left out... Get the news delivered to you, the way you want it

Hi, all.

This is a blog, which means that it is easily changed and updated with new "posts." Posts are on the page in reverse chronologicial order; the newest post is on top.

With the ability to add posts frequently, you'll want to keep up with the news. You could return here periodically; that's you pulling information. You can also get posts delivered to you either by email or RSS feed. That's us pushing information to you.

I recommend that you sign up for either the email notification (you'll only get one email a day whenever a post is added) or the RSS feed. In the sidebar to the right, in the white portion below, you'll find a place to subscribe to emails or RSS feeds.

If you have any questions about this, please ask. You can post a comment below, or you can get in touch with me, or you can swing on by 137.

Be a resident, not a guest

As in parking.

Just a reminder that the eight guest parking spots are, indeed, for guests.

The Board noted last night that it appears some residents are parking in the guest spots, perhaps a third family car.

Please don't use the guest spaces.

Residents of Crawford Bay are entitled to a City parking sticker for the Olde Towne district. You can park cars near the Sub-Station on Middle Street and be nearly as close as the guest parking. Parking stickers are available at City Hall; make sure you take your vehicle registration information with you. There is a nominal fee for the parking stickers.

Committees for the Association

The resurgence of interest in happenings at Crawford Bay is seen in the growth of committees. The following committees are either currently operating or will be shortly:

• Rules, Variances and Architectural Review - inspects maintenance work prior to the payment of contracts; reports to the Board rules violations and requests for variances. Carol Garrett - chair



• Community Activities and Welfare - plans social and charity events to involve owners and residents in neighborly activities. Frank Marzullo - chair
  
  
• Communicatons - upgrading our newsletter and web page. Peter Stinson - chair



• Community Watch - proactive community crime prevention. Erica Freeman - chair

If you are interested in working with any of these committees, please let Rosemary know so your name and contact information can be forwarded to that committee.

Reminders for Homeowners: Insurance change and master insurance policy

Our insurance master policy provides hazard (fire) coverage for all owners, for damage both outside and inside each unit, for all components built into the unit. Current coverage totals more than $4,200,000. The only exclusions are normal wear, animal/insect damage, flood/ground water, earth movement (earthquake or landslide), and damage caused by settling, contamination or nuclear hazard. There is a $5000 deductible per claim. Each of our seven buildings also carries it's own, individual federal flood insurance policy.

Note that this deductible of the master policy for any single claim is $5000 (this is up from $1000). There is also a new deductible for damages arising from a named hurricane of 2% of the coverage limit for each building. For example, if building 101-107 were damaged in a hurricane, its deductible would be approximately $13,400. These deductibles are the responsibility of the unit owners.

Please be sure that you maintain your own individual condo insurance policy, and that your limits for structural damages at least meet these deductibles. In addition, each unit owner should carry an individual condo policy to cover furnishings and personal belongings.

Our policy is with State Farm Insurance, through the Tom Hoddinott Insurance Agency. Tom Hoddinott will be pleased to discuss this issue with you and answer any questions or concerns you may have.

Reminders for Homeowners: Maintenance

Maintenance inside each unit, including most plumbing issues, is almost always the responsibility of the unit owner. Maintenance outside each unit, including the limited common elements, is usually the responsibility of the Association. Please address exterior maintenance concerns, in writing, to Rosemary, our managing agent, as soon as they become apparent, so they may be addressed in a timely fashion, and before they become major issues. Questions as to who is responsible for any maintenance issue should be addressed to Rosemary, in writing, for clarification. Please include in your message your name, your unit number, a phone number where you can be reached, and the nature of the problem. Do identify yourself as a Crawford Bay owner or resident (we are not Rosemary's only management responsibility). She will respond to you quickly.

Reminders for Homeowners: Temporary Storage Units

Please be advised that temporary storage units, such as PODs, may not be placed anywhere on the premises of Crawford Bay without first securing the permission of the Association, through the managing agent. Owners/residents who fail to get prior permission will have to remove the storage unit within 24 hours or have it towed away by the Association, at the owner's/resident's expense. The owner/resident is responsible for any damage done by the storage unit, its placement or removal to the parking area (House Rules, paragraph 14). Please refer to the Association's POD Policy.

Reminders for Homeowners: Civic League

Residents of Crawford Bay are officially residents of the Olde Towne district of Portsmouth, and therefore are eligible for membership in the Olde Towne Civic League (OTCL). This is "our" civic league. Meetings are held the third Thursday of each month (except July & December) at 7:30 p.m. in the parish hall of Trinity Episcopal Church (entrance on King St.). Check out the OTCL web page for additional information.

Reminders for Homeowners: Recycling

For those residents who would like to recycle, good news. The OTCL has made arrangements with SPSA - the Southeastern Public Service Authority - for Olde Towne residents to participate in the SPSA curbside recycling program. The Crawford Bay Board has given SPSA permission for their trucks to pick up within the Crawford Bay complex. If you wish to participate in the recycling program, call SPSA at 548-2256 to register. They will bring you a 95 gallon recycling container. Materials to be recycled will be picked up in front of your unit, like trash, twice each month. SPSA charges a small monthly fee to participate in this program.

Reminders for Homeowners: Electrical Problems

When Crawford Bay was constructed in 1983-84, it was common practice to use aluminum wiring in electrical boxes. Since then, it has been found that this can cause electrical problems. If you are experiencing problems with the electrical box in your unit, the Association has made arrangements with William E. Neal Electric to check the boxes for problems and correct them at the unit owner's expense. All owners should make arrangements to have their electrical boxes checked for problems. Please call William E. Neal Electric at 409-0811 to schedule an appointment, or, if you prefer, make arrangements to have the work done by your favorite certified electrician.

Reminders for Homeowners: Resale Packages

Resale packages are available from our managing agent. These include copies of our governing documents, house rules, budget, reserve study, loan balances, and other information required to be provided to buyers by the Virginia Condominium Act and other relevant laws. The Board has approved a fee of $125 for resale packages. Please contact our managing agent for additional information.

Pearls of Wisdom - Be A Good Homeowner

• Remember that you are a member of a community association - not just an individual, isolated owner.

• Review all of your condo documents - before you buy, again when you move in, and periodically thereafter.

• Pay your condo dues and assessments on time.

• Read the Association newsletter, any other Association communications, and check the web page frequently to keep informed.

• Know the Association's House Rules and live by them.

• Attend the Association's Annual Meeting, serve on a committee, and/or serve on the Board.

• Become involved - consider how your knowledge, skills & experience can help your community - volunteer to serve - organize a community event (food drive, holiday gift drive, a community social event, etc.)

(Adapted from Currents, the news magazine for the Southeastern Virginia chapter of CAI, January/February/March 2006 issue)