Town Crier Articles

John Wright joined the New Town Residential Association Board of Directors in 2015 after serving as Chair of the Residential Advisory Board (RAB) in prior years. “There were no streets” when he and his wife Carolyn moved to New Town in 2006. The Lydias Drive park near his home “was just a pile of clay.”  “Watching the community grow and the development mature” is what he has enjoyed most. “Serving on the Board has provided me with avenues to new experiences I never imagined, like running for office and then serving on the James City County Planning Commission. I have also made and lost many good friends.“

 

John Marston on the other hand has served on the Board for a year, stepping in after the death of long-time Board member Bob Keith. But Marston had long service on the RAB and he quickly credited John Wright for leading the push for an RAB around 2010. “At that time, there were no policies or procedures. Processes didn’t really exist and the community needed a way to settle issues.”

 

John M: “Once the Covid-19 emergency arrived, there was a short discussion of different scenarios, but no real plan. The hope was for a live meeting. The Board wanted to make the meeting representative and open to all. The process to get us to electronic voting had to be in line with the Declarations and there was concern about ensuring we had good email contacts. As time passed, e-Voting became the best option and was legally possible with assistance of the NTRA’s attorney.”  

 

John W: Building the community pool was possibly the most difficult decision. “It required a major effort to define cost sharing with the developer who said they had “no obligation to build a pool” and the homeowners who expected one for free.” 

 

John W: “The challenge is always keeping the long-term (a strategic plan) in mind and considering a decision’s impacts on all residents.  Some friends have expectations when you go on the Board, but you cannot serve individual interests or take antagonisms personally. You have to take yourself out of the decision process and find solutions that are equitable and satisfy everyone’s needs.”

John M: “Find common goals or interests – what are we going to need 10 or 20 years from now? Sometimes opposite ideas are both true. “

Both: “We spent too much time in verbal discussion, repeating issues and circling around decisions. The new Board should have more discipline in its structure and documentation. Also communicate frequently and openly."

 

John W: “I am confident that there are hundreds of talented, well-qualified individuals who can pick up the Board’s responsibility and carry on. I am glad to see a mix of Board candidates from the different neighborhoods in New Town.” 

John M: “For the new Board to be strong we need effective Committees who have the leeway to make decisions. The Board should serve a policy and process role. I have suggested that under our Declarations there may be ways to have people serve in nonvoting roles on the Board to bring specific skills or encourage more young, working people to participate.” 

John W: “You need to be persistent in asking people to serve, even if they occasionally have to be repeatedly convinced.”

 

John W: “Once the community is built out there will be less new revenue streams and dues will plateau. HOA fees are always a source of angst.” 

John M: “Costs need to be managed well. What issues can be solved without getting a lawyer involved?  Landscaping has been a continuing cost issue, for example. You can’t please everyone especially when some residents want customization while townhome residents and others don’t require any real landscaping services.”

 

Both: “It’s too easy to say no especially if processes are not in place. Execution of tasks is important. One thing we were always asking Town Management was “What do you mean we can’t do that?”

John M: “A Homeowner Board is different than a Developer-Controlled Board. The new Board will have to work out procedures, processes, etc. with its managing agent.

 

John M: “I will stay involved in a different way with the community. Priorities shift as you reach 70 and consider your mortality. Besides enjoying my granddaughter, I am thinking more about my personal/spiritual development and friendships.”

It always seemed like a thankless job – not quite in power, advisory to a Developer Board of Directors that could overturn whatever you planned or expected, acting as a sounding board for everyone’s complaints, and responsible for “day-to-day oversight” without the ability to actually task or hold our Managing Agent, Town Management, accountable. Yet since September 2010 New Town has been blessed to have had a group of residents who volunteered to serve on the Residential Advisory Board (RAB) as the eyes and ears of the community. Better yet, many of these members served for multiple terms!

 

 

The charter of the RAB described one of their challenging purposes - to “advise the Board as to the consensus of the Members on Association matters and bring to the attention of the Board matters of special concern.” Hmmm, there’s that word “consensus”…Consider some of the dicey issues the RAB had to grapple with:

·       establishing committees

·       building a community pool

·       lack of meeting space

·       community garden

·       covenant violations

·       starting home maintenance inspections

·       changing landscape contracts

·       trash & recycle bins (debated since 2013 – yikes!)

·       integrating the Village Walk development into the NTRA

·       replacement reserves

·       how to keep residents involved in the association and their community neighborhoods

 

 

With the new homeowner Board of Directors taking office this month, the RAB will no longer exist. So on behalf of all residents of New Town, THANKS to all who stepped up for your service through the years. We may not have always agreed and you may not have always felt community support, but we are glad you were there.

 

 

RAB members have included:

 

 

(My apologies if we have missed someone in reconstructing this list. Know that we are grateful to you also!)

 

On Monday, April 6 th , the New Town Book Clubs’ Little Library was installed and dedicated on the Elizabeth Davis Green across
from the pool. Although the Library won’t be open for donations until the pandemic recedes, it was decided to go ahead to the degree possible, in anticipation of better times. The Library is dedicated to Sharon Keith, former New Town resident and a founder of the Wednesday Book Club. Sharon and her husband Bob lost their lives following a car accident
last April.

 

In order to achieve safe social distancing, those at the dedication with me were limited to Lucy Painter and Daisy Henna of the Women Who Read (Thursday) Club, and Janet Hoffman and Betsy Darling of the Wednesday Book Club. All Club members were thanked for their generous financing of the effort.

 

Other “thank yous” went to

 

The ceremony ended with a final dedication to community, perseverance and hope. Grand Opening plans will be
announced as soon as possible. In the meantime, come check it out on a walk around the neighborhood!

 

Over a week before Governor Northam called for full quarantine restrictions throughout the Commonwealth due to the COVID-19 pandemic, our Edgeworth Park at New Town Assisted Living and Memory Care community, under the direction of Executor Director, Jennifer Henning, began procedures for battening down the hatches.  The facility had already been maintaining CDC flu precautions since October of 2019, and on March 9th, an email went out from the Director’s Desk to all resident families assuring them of the facility’s habitual use of approved disinfectants throughout the building and of the staff’s faithful adherence to all CDC and Virginia Department of Health guidelines.  A sincere appeal was also made at that time that if a resident family member was ill to refrain from visiting their loved ones.  On March 12th, the Executive Director sent two additional emails out, one to all employees and the other to all residents and resident family members.  The former enlisted all staff personnel to help keep the Edgeworth Park Family safe and fight to keep the virus out of the community, reminding them of their training and itemizing the procedures they were to continue to follow with even greater diligence; the latter reminding residents of handwashing hygiene and social etiquette when sneezing or coughing --and requesting that all family members refrain from visiting the community until further notice in an effort to limit potential exposure to the virus.  On March 17th, the Governor called for quarantine of all Virginia residents; and on March 18th, Edgeworth Park escalated the request that families refrain from visiting to the notice of a full prohibition to the site of all but essential employees and healthcare providers of compassionate care.

 

Further precautions were taken as the weeks of quarantine progressed.  Strict guidelines for screening staff and approved care providers were instituted at the front desk, staff received daily reminders as to the need for diligence in maintaining the best hygiene practices possible and the importance of social distancing, and nurses were directed to faithfully take resident temperatures, every day.   Unfortunately, additional precautions for the residents were more intrusive with the cessation of outside excursions, regularly scheduled group activities, salon appointments, and communal dining (the last requiring that all meals be served to residents in their apartments).  In instituting these changes and meeting all needs, Executive Director Henning shared that the biggest challenge has been in continually educating the staff as they are key in keeping residents and their fellow co-workers safe. Henning requested the dire necessity for their self-identification if they or a family member happen to come in contact with the virus or with someone who has.  Nurturing families through this crisis has also been difficult, as separation has been very hard on both the residents and those they love.  Understandably, realization of the gravity of the situation by the residents and their families has been slow but with it has come understanding, acceptance, and gratitude for what the Edgeworth Park owners, management team and employees have instituted for the safety of all concerned.

 

But most problematic during the quarantine has been the disruption in the otherwise fun and busy lives of Edgeworth Park’s residents.  Marketing Director, Victoria Bowen, and Activities Director, Kim Roberts, have worked very hard to make the effects of the quarantine less impactful on their residents and family members.  Not surprisingly, because of the separation and inactivity caused by the quarantine, depression and loneliness for the residents have been of great concern.  Consequently, concerted efforts are made, daily, to keep families connected and residents busy and entertained.  To “stay connected,” iPads have been distributed to employees and FaceTime and Skype sessions encouraged between residents and their families. Every day, the staff send personal messages and pictures to family members and pictures of their loved ones. Regular posts to Edgeworth Park’s Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn keep friends and family up to date on the excitement happening despite the circumstances. When possible, staff members accommodate family visits by way of a facility window. No less important are the creative ways in which the owners, management team, and staff members are keeping residents entertained and the community’s morale up.  A “Cheer Cart,” containing snacks, beverages, games, books, and DVDs, visits each resident apartment, two times a day. The activities team goes above and beyond their normal programming by giving simple shampoo and style salon treatments to those requesting the service, and favorite gatherings such as ice cream socials, Bingo, and wine-tasting sessions have been modified by holding them more often but with fewer attendees to comply with social distancing.  Walks and games in the enclosed courtyard and gardening are encouraged, as well.

 

While keeping resident and staff morale up has been priority, inventive ways to meet that need have not been found wanting.   Recently, a “Spirit Week,” was launched which saw a week jammed packed with silliness to keep spirits up and the blues away.  Specialty foods were used and “dress-up” by the staff and residents around a specific, daily theme--Pajama Day, Character Day, Wacky Tacky Wednesday, Throwback Thursday, Tourist Day—encouraged.  Adding to the festiveness of the week, a jelly bean count and raffle was also initiated. Was it a success?  Indeed, for while Edgeworth Park is a community offering assisted and memory care, it is first and foremost a family comprised of people and those who care about and for them.  There is a tangible sense at Edgeworth Park that everyone is partnering with each other to fight the threats of the pandemic, together--and goodwill abounds.  Family comes first; and in a crisis, family comes together, giving each of its members strength.   The well-being of the Edgeworth Park Family is paramount at Edgeworth Park, the key reason why precautions were taken early against the pandemic, efforts to cheer and sustain during isolation have been maintained, and unlike other similar facilities in our area, the decision to restrict new resident occupancies until the pandemic quarantine has been lifted was decided upon by both the community’s owners and management team. That decidedly speaks to “The Edgeworth Park Difference.”  All to keep the Edgeworth Park Family well and safe. 

 

We have an insidious invader in New Town, a deceptively pretty and even delicate foliage that sports bright, lime-green leaves on slender stems.  This is Japanese Stiltgrass, also known as Eulalia or in Latin, Microstegium vimenium.  If looks can be deceiving, then Stiltgrass is the proverbial wolf in sheep’s clothing, offering incursion tactics extremely hard to combat. Even where the grass has been established for a short time, it forms a dense mat of ground cover with leaves growing up to 40 inches long and rooting at the stem nodes, deadly to all other plant growth and efficiently preventing regeneration of forests, fields, and home gardens, thereafter. Within just three to five years, the plant creates impenetrable, single stands which crowd out native herbaceous vegetation with alarming precision, reducing the growth and flowering of native species, suppressing entire native plant communities, altering and/or overwhelming insect colonies, slowing plant succession, and altering nutrient cycling. Only the full eradication of Stiltgrass will assure the recovery of native species, both plant and insect, from the destruction that it brings. 

 

This curious aggressor prefers moist soil that is shaded from full sun.  It is found in marshes, ditches, low-lying woods, floodplains, woodland borders, damp fields, woodland thickets, lawns, and along stream sides and roadsides. Wet soils that have periods of standing water are not suitable for Japanese Stiltgrass.  Regardless, its seeds can survive and germinate after extended periods of inundation. Although moderately prolific, with a single plant typically giving rise to as many as 1000 seeds, the seeds remain viable in the soil for three to five years, and the plant can spread rapidly, particularly following a disturbance such as flooding or mowing.  An additional means of rapid growth of this grass is via the white tail deer, which, while not feeding on the grass itself, remove its competition by feeding on other native plant species of wood and field.