Upcoming Board of Trustees Election and Annual

Transcription

Upcoming Board of Trustees Election and Annual
Jan-Feb 2016
Jan.– Feb.
2005
The official newsletter of the Crosspointe Homeowners’ Association
Annual HOA
meeting & Election
Tuesday, March 15
7:00 p.m.
Silverbrook Elementary
in this issue
Watch your mail for an
announcement, ballot, and
candidate information in
late February.
2/ Crosspointe Contacts / ARB Application Process
3/ Home Sales and Disclosure Packets
4/ Board Candidates’ Statements /
HOA Assessments
6/Board Notes: Dec 2015 & Jan 2016
11/ Watching Our Neighborhood
13/ Guidelines for Making Emergency Reports
14/ Snack with Santa
17/ What’s Goin ‘ On: South County Federation Dec & Jan meetings
20/ VDOT: Snow Removal of Community Streets
21/ Crosspointe Board Gamers / Register for Emails and FSRConnect
22/ Crosspointe Gardener: Crapemyrtles: Choice and Care
24/ Playfield Reservations / Republic Services Trash Collection
25/ Boy Scout Troop 994 Mulch Sale
27/Cruisers Hiring for Summer 2016/ Community Calendar
28/ Classifieds
Vol. 29, Issue
Issue 11
Vol.18,
Upcoming Board of Trustees Election
and Annual Homeowners’ Meeting
John Cewe, Election Committee Chair
rosspointe is governed by a
nine-member Board of Trustees, who serve two-year terms.
There are four openings this year on
the BOT, which will be filled by an
election to be conducted at the Annual
Homeowners’ Meeting, scheduled for
Tuesday, March 15th, at 7:00 p.m. at
Silverbrook Elementary School.
C
This year, we have four candidates
running for four open positions. Their
personal statements may be found
on pages (4–5) of this issue of the
Crosspointe Chronicle.
All homeowners in good standing
as of February 1, 2016 are eligible to
vote and the Association makes it as
convenient as possible to do so. Ballots,
along with candidate statements will
be mailed to your home in February.
It takes only a few minutes to complete your ballot and return it by any
one of the following means:
‰‰ Dropping it off at the community
center during business hours
‰‰ Dropping it in the lockbox outside
the community center at any time
‰‰ Mailing it to the return address on
the ballot, and finally (and best)
Crosspointe needs your vote!

‰‰ Bringing it with you to the Annual
Homeowners’ Meeting on March 15th
at Silverbrook Elementary School
Why Should I Vote?
‰‰ Our Bylaws require that a quorum
of ten percent of eligible members
cast their votes in order to have a valid
election. There are a couple of compelling reasons to participate in the election for the Board of Trustees.
‰‰ First, the elected trustees are going
to manage your community and its
budget, which is well in excess of one
million dollars, and be custodians of
your community’s substantial capital
reserves. Decisions they make will directly affect you, your community, and
your property.
‰‰ A second reason to vote is that if
we do not receive enough completed
ballots to achieve our legally required
quorum, we will have to undertake
the process all over again—at your
expense.
The Board of Trustees looks forward to
seeing everyone at the Annual Meeting on Tuesday, March 15th. We will
review current happenings and issues
in the community, hear from several
guest speakers, count the votes, and
announce the results of elections.
Put it on your “must do” list today!
www.crosspointe.info
crosspointe contacts
Management
Company
FirstService Residential
11351 Random Hills Rd.
Suite 500
Fairfax, VA 22030
TEL 703.385.1133
FAX 703.591.5785
Crosspointe
Community Center
8275 Glen Eagles Lane
Fairfax Station, VA 22039
Open Mon.–Fri.,
9 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
TEL 703.690.2321
FAX 703.690.8574
Community Manager
Heather McDevitt
cp.manager@verizon.net
Assistant Manager
Randy Santander
cp.admin@verizon.net
Trash Contractor
Republic Services
703.818.8222
Architectural
Review Board
Joana Garcia, Chair
arb.crosspointe@gmail.com
Budget & Finance
Phil Ciarlo, Chair
703.690.0269
Communications Committee
Mary Van White, Chair
571.208.8399
MaryVan.realtor@gmail.com
Bob Klocek, Vice President
703.690.2346
bobk357@verizon.net
Alan Sullivan, Secretary
703.690.0650
apsulli@cox.net
Brian Riley, Treasurer
703.690.6821
blriley@cox.net
John Cewe, 703.690.3534
john.cewe5@verizon.net
Pat Ciarlo, 703.690.0269
peciarlo@verizon.net
Bruce Evjen, 703.690.0649
bpevjen@gmail.com
Ed Mills, 703.690.2130
edmills43@yahoo.com
Larry Rice, 703.690.6101
reagan84@verizon.net
Crosspointe Cruisers
www.cpcruisers.com
Swim Team Co-Reps
Dave Pyle and Michelle Martin
djpyle29@yahoo.com
Swim Team Assistant Rep
Josh Helms
josh.helms99@yahoo.com
Civic Associations
Social Committee
Marcia Helms, Chair
mhelms@cox.net
Jan-Feb 2016
Homeowners are reminded that all ARB (Architectural
Review Board) applications are due by the close of business
on the Monday prior to the ARB meeting. Any application submitted after that date will be considered a post deadline application,
which may or may not be looked at by the ARB at their meeting.
If the ARB does not review a post deadline application at their meeting, the
application will be placed on the agenda for the next scheduled ARB meeting. Additionally, all incomplete ARB applications will be returned to the
homeowner for additional information. Once the application is complete, it
will be placed on the agenda at the next scheduled ARB meeting.
After an application has been approved, an inspection will be performed
120 days after approval, or sooner if the homeowner notifies the office the
project has been completed. The inspection is conducted to verify the project
was completed in accordance with the approved application.
If the project was not completed, a new application must be submitted and
ARB approval obtained. If the project was not completed in accordance with
the ARB approval, the homeowner will be notified and the issue(s) will need
to be resolved.
As always, homeowners who have an application on the agenda for review
are highly encouraged to attend the ARB meeting to answer any questions
the ARB might have regarding the application.
If you have any questions, please contact the community center office at
703.690.2321.
Dive Team Rep
Joy Wolfe
joywolfe@verizon.net
Open Space
Bob Falkenstein, Chair
osc.falkenstein@gmail.com
Kevin Garrahan, Chair
703.495.0630
2
Howard Kaufer, President
703.690.7364
hkaufer-kfreeze@verizon.net
Dive Team Assistant Rep
Ann Powell
anniep411@yahoo.com
Tennis Committee
The ARB application
and approval process
Board of Trustees
Neighborhood Watch
Gary Saturen, Chair
703.495.0674
gary.saturen@verizon.net
Pool Committee
Tom Wears, Chair
twears@me.com
Architechtural Review Board
South County Federation Rep
Cathy Bonnefil
mabonnefil@msn.com
SCF Alternate
Robert Robertory
robert@robertory.com
Fairfax Federation Rep.
Joana Garcia
The Crosspointe Chronicle is the official
newsletter of the Crosspointe Homeowners’ Association (HOA), 8275 Glen Eagles
Lane, Fairfax Station, VA. 22039.
Contents are for information only. Articles
express the opinions of the authors, not
the HOA. The HOA Board of Trustees, the
Communications Committee, the Chronicle
editor, and the contributors assume no
responsibility for errors, omissions, or
consequences resulting from information
provided in this or any previous edition.
The HOA does not officially endorse any of
the products or services advertised herein.
www.crosspointe.info
Published 10 times a year by the
Crosspointe Communications Committee.
Distrubution to 1350 Crosspointe homes.
Copies available online.
Web site: www.crosspointe.info
Communications Committee Chair:
Mary Van White
Circulation Managers:
Donna & Jim Davis
703.690.7098
Production: Rudolph Desktop Design
rd.design@verizon.net
For inquiries: cp.chronicle@verizon.net
Crosspointe Chronicle
Home Sales and Disclosure Packets
Joana Garcia, ARB Chair
G
months.
reat news! There has been
an uptick in homes in the
neighborhood sold in recent
The Architectural Review Board
(ARB) would like to remind homeowners that a disclosure packet must
be completed and in some cases any
discrepancies identified must be addressed before a property can go to
closing.
We urge everyone who is planning to
place a home on the market to take
a hard look at your property to identify any alterations, modifications, or
maintenance issues that need to be
addressed.
We have reviewed several disclosure
packets that have come before the
ARB with very little lead-time to correct any issues noted on the disclosure.
In some cases, closing dates may be
affected if the homeowner has not
planned ahead.
Fortunately, homes are being purchased quickly with short closing
dates, however this can be troublesome
for the seller who has not prepared for
the sale.
If you have any questions concerning
documentation/ARB approval for your
property, please contact the office or
send us an email and we will do our
best to help you get to closing.
Selling?
You’ll need to obtain a disclosure packet
The Virginia Property Owner’s Association Act (POAA) requires property owners who live in a community association and are selling their home to obtain an association disclosure packet and to provide it
to the new purchaser. If you are preparing to sell your home, you may obtain this disclosure packet by
going online at: www.fsresidential.com.
Crosspointe Chronicle
www.crosspointe.info
Important
Community Numbers
Community
Community Center.................... 703.690.2321
FirstService Residential............. 703.385.1133
Republic Services...................... 703.818.8222
County
Police & Fire (Emergency).......... 911
Police (Non-Emergency)............ 703.691.2131
Fairfax County Animal Control... 703.691.2131
Utilities
Virginia Power.......................... 888.667.3000
Washington Gas........................ 703.750.1000
Verizon..................................... 703.876.7000
Cox Cable.................................. 703.378.8400
Water Authority........................ 703.698.5800
VDOT
VDOT........................................ 800.367.7623
VDOT (Snow Plowing)................ 800.367.7623
VDOT (Potholes)........................ 800.367.7623
To Report:
Missing Street Signs
(Fairfax County)........................ 703.877.2800
Outages, including street lights
(Virginia Power)........................ 888.667.3000
Abandoned Cars
(Fairfax County Police)............... 703.691.2131
Jan-Feb 2016
3
Your 2016
HOA Assessments
As a member of the Crosspointe Homeowners’ Association, you should receive
a bill (statement) for the quarterly
assessment about two weeks before the
due date, unless you are enrolled in the
Automated Payment Program.
Quarterly assessments are $225 per quarter, exclusive of pipestem assessments,
and are due on January 1, April 1, July
1, and October 1 (these due dates never
change).
The Board of Trustees encourages owners to utilize the Automated Payment
Program offered by FirstService Residential. Owners may also use the PayLease
service (www.paylease.com) to make
payments.
If using the statement you MUST send
your payment to:
Crosspointe Swim & Racquet, Inc.
c/o FirstService Residential
P.O. Box 11983
Newark, NJ 07101-4983
Do not mail the payment to the community manager or leave it in the community center dropbox.
A late fee of $25 is charged for payments
more than 30 days past due. Should
payment not be received within 45 days
of the due date, additional collection fees
will be assessed to the owner’s account.
Also, privileges to use the pool or any
other Crosspointe recreational facility
may be suspended if your assessments
are not paid.
Remember—you are responsible for
paying your quarterly assessment by its
due date even if you do not receive the
bill.
Board of Trustees candidate statements
Bruce Burton
Bob Klocek
I am a retired member of the U.S.
Senior Foreign Service and a resident
of Crosspointe since 1993. I have
contributed occasionally to the Open
Space Committee, assisted the Architectural Review Board (ARB), and addressed the Board of Trustees on community issues. I know the neighborhoods from jogging or walking nearly
every street or trail in Crosspointe. I
have a BA from Syracuse University
and an MBA from Georgetown.
I am an incumbent Board of Trustee
member (presently, the Vice President), and I am running for a fifth
consecutive term on the BOT. I am a
retired Naval Officer, currently employed by the Navy as a government
civilian. My Naval experience was
primarily in engineering, maintenance
and contract administration, which are
applicable and relevant in the oversight role required of the BOT. I am
also a licensed professional engineer.
Crosspointe is well-managed and I
am running for the Board of Trustees
to help keep it so. The 2016 budget
is $1.5 million, slightly less than last
year’s. As a resident, I applaud this
good record. As a Board member, I
would seek to continue it by giving
priority to maintaining or improving current facilities before embarking on expensive expansions. I would
support the ARB mission to help
homeowners achieve their goals within
Crosspointe’s guidelines. These things
—and above all the efforts by residents
to maintain their properties—are critical to keeping Crosspointe financially
sound, attractive and resident-friendly
in the years ahead.
My family and I have owned a home
in Crosspointe since 1998. From the
beginning, we have been active in
community affairs; we strongly believe
that it’s important to give back to our
community. My wife and I have served
as Chronicle deliverers for seventeen
years, and continue in that capacity.
In a way, the large American embassies
where I served resembled a community such as Crosspointe. There were
facilities to keep up, costs to hold
down, competing interests to reconcile,
relations with other entities to manage, decisions to communicate and a
constant need to take a long view of
demands on resources. I would welcome the opportunity to add this experience to that of my fellow Trustees
and to fairly serve the interests of all
Crosspointe residents.
I served previously on the BOT for
two terms, from 1999–2003, and I
subsequently served for 18 months as
Chairman of the Open Space Committee. I was also one of the original
members of the Neighborhood Watch.
I would appreciate the opportunity to
continue to serve our community as a
member of the BOT.
I believe that the most important role
of the BOT is to continue to maintain
the community’s assets and to manage
its resources with fiscal conservatism,
especially in today’s challenging economic climate.
Annual
HOA
Meeting
TUESDAY
March 15, 7 pm
Silverbrook
Elementary School
4
Jan-Feb 2016
www.crosspointe.info
Crosspointe Chronicle
Brian Riley
Alan Sullivan
We have lived in Crosspointe since
1994. I am retired Army and currently
work in the Human Capital Technology office for a large transportation
company. I have served on the Board
of Trustees (BOT) for ten years, the
last nine as Treasurer. Prior to the
BOT I served on the Open Space
Committee for nine years.
My family has lived in Crosspointe
for over 25 years and has watched the
community evolve from a pioneer
South County development into a
premier anchor in a developmentally
mature section of Fairfax County.
Throughout, Crosspointe has always
been known for a family-friendly
atmosphere, extensive and well-maintained facilities and grounds and very
reasonable association dues.
I am a degreed accountant with over
20 years of public and private financial
management experience which significantly assists me in my role as Treasurer for the BOT as it oversees and
monitors the budgeting and expenditure of Association funds.
If re-elected to the BOT, my governing philosophy continues to include:
a. Fiscal Responsibility. As the
BOT Treasurer I also serve as a
voting member of the Budget and
Finance Committee (BFC). I will
continue, in association with the
BFC Chair and other members, to
ensure the community budget is
as lean as possible, but still sufficient to maintain our community
in a good state of repair to ensure
it continues to be one of the most
desirable places to live in Fairfax
County.
b. Open Meetings. I believe the
I’ve served on the Board for nine years,
currently as Secretary, and am currently a vice president at a major defense
contractor and previously served in the
Marine Corps and the White House.
In the past year the Board has successfully recompeted our three biggest
contracts for the next five years—trash
collection, grounds maintenance and
pool operations, all under very favorable terms. Each of these was a major
effort involving RFPs and objective
evaluations.
The current Board has notched a number of major successes over the past
couple of years, including complete
rehabilitation of both pool bathhouses,
trail redevelopment and social events
like Movie Night. Homeowner assessments remain low relative to neighboring communities and Crosspointe
continues to be in a strong financial
condition. Planned future initiatives
include a limited deployment of social
media to improve timeliness of communications.
If reelected to the Board, I intend to
supports its current direction and philosophies, which include the conservative financial management that has
stood us in good stead over the years.
Crosspointe is a premier community
with great name recognition and a
terrific reputation. I’m familiar with
the issues facing Crosspointe and I’d
appreciate your vote so I may continue
working to sustain our community’s
success.
BOT should be transparent in all
its actions and will continue to limit
executive sessions to only those
matters required by law.
The Board…
must adhere to the standards set in
the association’s governing documents and
see that those standards are applied consistently and equitably
to encourage the BOT and committees to increase use of the Association website to better inform the
members of the community.
have a say in the decision-making for your community
c. Communication. I will continue
Thank you for once again considering
me as one of your Trustees.
Crosspointe Chronicle
Please VOTE! Your elected trustees manage your community
and its budget, a budget well in excess of one million dollars. Decisions
they make will directly affect you, your community and your property.
www.crosspointe.info
Jan-Feb 2016
5
r 9, 2015
Decembe
Board
Notes
T
Bob Klocek, Trustee
he December 2015 meeting
of the Crosspointe Board of
Trustees (BOT) was called
to order at 7:03 p.m. on Wednesday,
December 9, 2015.
All nine Board members and management were present, as well as the
Chairperson of the Communications
Committee, our insurance agent, and
two homeowners.
During Resident Time, a homeowner
shared his experience regarding disclosure packets.
6
Jan-Feb 2016
The community’s insurance agent
reviewed our coverage, and provided
some recommendations regarding
updates to the community’s insurance
portfolio, due to changes in policy
content. Later in the evening the BOT
approved the recommended insurance
coverage for 2016.
The trustees edited and approved the
amended BOT minutes from the
November 2015 meeting.
Review of the Financial Statements
was deferred until the next meeting,
since the October statements were
incomplete.
The BOT members reviewed the most
recent minutes from the Architectural
Review Board (ARB), Open Space
Committee, Pool Committee, and
Social Committee.
www.crosspointe.info
Old business
The BOT discussed Communications
Committee Guidelines. With the
resurgence of the committee, its guidelines, which were ten years old, are in
need of updating. Several drafts were
provided and were discussed. Once a
clear sense of the intent of the BOT
was established, the Secretary agreed
to draft a revised version and route for
comment, with the intention of having
the guidelines approved at the January
meeting.
New business
In addition to approving the insurance
coverage for 2016, the BOT approved
the request of a homeowner to waive
the community center rental fees for
six specific dates to be used for EuroBoard Gaming community events.
Crosspointe Chronicle
The trustees decided to schedule an ad
hoc meeting in early 2016 to review
updates to the Web page and receive
a demonstration of the FSRConnect
program capabilities.
The BOT also approved the membership of the Election Committee. The
Election Committee guidelines were
discussed, and some minor changes
were recommended. The revised guidelines will be presented at the January
meeting for approval.
The BOT discussed the Annual Meeting, which will be held on Tuesday,
March 15, 2016, at Silverbrook
Elementary School. Invitations to
speak will be offered to our State Representative, State Senator, the West
Springfield Police representative, our
County Supervisor and School Board
representative.
Crosspointe Chronicle
Before beginning work on previously
approved Trail 28 improvements, it
was recommended that a legal opinion
regarding permitting and Resource
Protection Areas (RPAs) be reviewed.
The opinion was distributed to the
BOT after the meeting.
The BOT also exercised two option
years for the Newsletter Production
Service Agreement; Rudolph Desktop
Design will remain the publisher of
the Crosspointe Chronicle through 2017.
The BOT briefly went into Executive
Session to discuss legal matters. After
returning to Open Session, the BOT
denied a request to waive disclosure
packet fees.
The meeting adjourned at 10:17 p.m.,
there being no other business.
3, 2016
January 1
Ed Mills, Trustee
he January 13, 2016 Board
of Trustees (BOT) meeting
was held with the following
trustees participating: Howard Kaufer,
President; Bob Klocek, VP; Brian
Riley, Treasurer; Alan Sullivan, Secretary; John Cewe, Trustee; Pat Ciarlo,
Trustee; Bruce Evjen, Trustee; Ed
Mills, Trustee; and Larry Rice, Trustee.
Heather McDevitt, Crosspointe Community Manager was also present. The
meeting was called to order at
7:04 p.m.
T
Every BOT meeting starts with an
opportunity for any resident to address
the BOT. One resident whose property is adjacent to the open space near
Heron Pond, addressed the BOT with
continued on page 8
www.crosspointe.info
Jan-Feb 2016
7
Continued from page 7
questions about the restoration of
the trail on the south shore of Heron
Pond.
Minutes and Committee Reports
The BOT approved the revised BOT
minutes from the December meeting and reviewed minutes and reports
from the latest ARB and Open Space
committee meetings.
Social Committee
ments on the document that will be incorporated by the community manager.
Election Committee
The BOT discussed the procedures for
the 2016 Trustee election. The BOT approved the updated Election Committee Guidelines, and also approved the
committee chairman’s recommendation
of an additional member on the Election Committee.
Annual Meeting
The BOT approved the Social Committee’s recommendation for holding
the Volunteer Appreciation Party
scheduled on Friday, March 4, 2016
from 7-9 p.m.
The Crosspointe Annual Meeting will
be held on March 15, 2016 at 7:00 p.m.
The BOT reviewed the plans for the
meeting, and will approve for distribution the annual meeting notice and the
ballot for the trustee election.
Financial Report
Pool Associate Membership Fee
The BOT approved the Financial
Statements after the Treasurer’s
Report.
The number of associate members is
limited to 200.The BOT approved the
recommendation from the Pool Committee to raise the annual associate
membership fee by $5 to $550.
T28 Trail
The portion of the trail around Heron
Pond that runs along the south shore
is designated the T28 trail. An owner
of non-Crosspointe property that
abuts the Open Space on the south
shore, where T28 is located, was
invited to attend the BOT meeting.
This property owner presented his
concerns and his criteria for restoring the trail and installing a means to
cross eroded areas.
Communications Committee
The BOT discussed the draft Communications Committee Guidelines.
Members provided additional com-
BSA Troop 994 Mulch Sale and
Distribution
Troop 994 was granted permission to
use the Community Center for organizing its mulch sale and distribution
of door hangers. The Oak Chase pool
parking lot will be used for staging the
bags of mulch for the distribution.
Crosspointe Website and
FSRConnect
FSRConnect is a Web accessible application provided by our “FirstService
Residential (FSR)” management company. There is a link to the FSRCon-
nect application on the Crosspointe
community website homepage available to registered owners. Registered
Crosspointe owners are able to use
the FSRConnect application to check
the status of such information as dues
payment and ARB violation information.
The BOT approved holding a separate joint Board—Communications
Committee meeting on February 17,
2016, to specifically discuss both the
FSRConnect application and the
Crosspointe Website. At this meeting the Crosspointe webmaster will
provide potential enhancements for
the BOT’s consideration. In addition, our management company will
provide a refresher demonstration of
the FSRConnect application.
Management and Operations
Report
The community manager provided a
summary of actions taken to keep the
community running, and the status of
all contracts to support the operation
and maintenance of the community.
After holding an executive session
to discuss legal and financial issues,
the trustees directed management to
send a letter to residents who live on
designated pipestems of the covenant against parking vehicles on the
pipestem. The BOT also approved the
ARB’s recommendations to limit the
privileges of residents who have not
repaired their ARB violations.
The meeting was adjourned at about
9:30 p.m.
Your submissions to this newsletter are always welcome. Send your articles to
cp.chronicle@verizon.net by the 15th of the month before publication.
8
Jan-Feb 2016
www.crosspointe.info
Crosspointe Chronicle
Crosspointe Chronicle
www.crosspointe.info
Jan-Feb 2016
9
10
Jan-Feb 2016
www.crosspointe.info
Crosspointe Chronicle
Neighborhood Watch
CROSSPOINTE UPDATE
Watching our Neighborhood
T
Gary Saturen, Neighborhood Watch Chairman
he transition from 2015 to
2016 continues with relative
ease. So far, we have experienced some erratic weather — jumping from unseasonably warm weeks to
cold weeks. However, no major snow
storms, traffic issues and no major
property damage!
The winter holiday period went by
without criminal issue in or around
Crosspointe. That’s not to say all was
quiet. As always during this period
each year, there were a couple of reports where holiday decorations were
damaged or removed, and there was
Crosspointe Chronicle
a report regarding some overly aggressive solicitation. But overall, for a
community as large as ours, it has been
a relatively quiet period.
Crime and safety
From a crime and safety perspective,
there are a couple of developments
which I’ll mention just to let you know
that those of us involved in these areas
of concern stay active all year round.
West Springfield District Police
For example, as some of you may be
aware, the Fairfax County Police is
www.crosspointe.info
operationally subdivided into eight
districts. Ours is the West Springfield
District.
The key management staff at our district has all changed since I wrote my
last Chronicle column. There’s a new
District Commander, a new Assistant
Commander and a new District Crime
Prevention Officer (who is my primary
liaison and source of local information
and coordination).
Staff turnover is a normal part of any
organization; however, new relationcontinued on page 12
Jan-Feb 2016
11
Neighborhood Watch
Emergency Reports
Continued from page 11
ships demand a lot of investment in trust building and
simply getting used to one another.
Crosspointe is one of the largest communities within the
West Springfield District’s coverage, and both this community and the police district have benefitted from a strong
bond for the last fifteen years or so in which I’ve worked in
this program. We obviously want this to continue.
A resident recently asked that I cover reporting incidents
— the difference between 911 and the “non-emergency” phone
number for emergency reports. Although covered here previously; residents change over time and new alternatives have
been added for making these reports. I first need to explain
how Fairfax County dispatches emergency staff, and what
the terms “emergency” or “non-emergency” mean.
Dispatch Center
CERT
In another safety area, voluntary
members of the CERT program
(Fairfax County’s Community
Emergency Response Team) who
live in Crosspointe, are developing
a similarly close relationship with
the nearby Fire Station adjacent
to our community across Ox Road
(Rte. 123). These relationships all
work to the benefit of our community over time.
Within Fairfax County, there is a single Fairfax County
Department of Public Safety Communications dispatch
center, which handles responses to calls for assistance for
police, fire, rescue, and medical emergencies. It is neither a
part of the Police nor the Fire Department; although both
of those organizations have staff located at the common
facility. All of your calls (whether to 9-1-1, or the “nonemergency” number) go to this center from which units
from the county are dispatched to respond.
What is an “emergency?”
Any situation where there is an active fire, or where there is life in
jeopardy is considered to be an emergency.
Add to this definition any threat of an immediate crime or fire in
progress is also an emergency.
Therefore, if you wake up one morning and discover graffiti
on your property, a criminal act has occurred, but it is not
an “emergency.” Yes, you may want the police to respond,
view the damage, and evaluate whether this represents gang
activity versus a prank, but it is still not an “emergency.”
If you witness someone attempting to break into a vehicle
or kidnap a person, that is a crime in progress and is therefore an “emergency.”
Likewise, if you see a person lying unconscious on the
ground, that person may be dying; this is a life in jeopardy
and it is an “emergency” situation.
A house that has been struck by a fallen tree is an “emergency” because it may catch fire as a result of the damage
and it may be an immediate threat to persons inside.
Given this definition, use 9-1-1 from any phone to report
any “emergency.” If it is unsafe to call, you can also text to
9-1-1. Use the non-emergency number, 703.691.2131, for
all other situations where you need police, fire, rescue, or
emergency assistance.
12
Jan-Feb 2016
www.crosspointe.info
Crosspointe Chronicle
Guidelines for making emergency reports
(from the fairfaxcounty.gov/911/ )
„„ Stay calm
Dispatchers can't help you if they can't understand you.
Take a deep breath and think before you talk. Speak slowly
and clearly.
„„ Know your location
Tell the dispatcher the exact address (apartment/suite
number, intersection, interstate mile markers) where the
help is needed.
Other Information from or to the Police
Report crimes online: http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/
police/120413citizenreportingsystem.htm
This is a form which you can file on-line for specific crimes.
See this website for information. (This site is currently
down for repair/maintenance; but even when active will
not result in a police investigation. It is primarily used for
insurance purposes.)
„„ Answer all questions
The call taker will have questions for you and may even
ask you to do something to help. It is important that you
answer the questions as best as you can. DO NOT HANG
UP unless you are in danger or the dispatcher tells you to
do so.
Financial crimes: Special procedures are established for
reports on financial crimes. Please refer to the following
website: http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/police/
financialcrimes/
„„ State the nature of the emergency
Stay on the line to answer further questions the dispatcher may have.
ing these kinds of issues. See the following website
for more information: http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/
police/120413crsfaqs.pdf
„„ Send someone to meet the emergency equipment
…if at all possible. It's hard to find an address on a dimly
lit street in the middle of the night.
„„ Teach your children how to call 9-1-1
Be sure they know what 9-1-1 is, can dial from your home
and cell phone, and trust the 9-1-1 call taker. Make sure
they are physically able to reach at least one phone in
your home. When calling 9-1-1, your children need to
know their name, parent's name, telephone number
and especially their address. Tell them to answer all the
dispatcher's questions and stay on the phone until they're
told to hang up.
„„ If you call 9-1-1 even by mistake, do not hang up the phone
If you call by accident, stay on the line until you can tell
the call taker that there is no emergency, so the call taker
doesn't have to waste time calling you back or sending
police with lights and sirens to check your address for an
emergency.
„„ Prevent prank calls to 9-1-1
Prank calls not only waste time; they are illegal in most
states and endanger public safety. If 9-1-1 lines or call
takers are busy with prank calls, someone with a real
emergency may not be able to get the help they need. Be
sure all members of your household are aware that prank
or harassing calls to 9-1-1 will be dealt with by local law
enforcement agencies.
Crosspointe Chronicle
Hate/bias crimes: Special procedures exist for report-
News & Information Updates: - FCPD Daily News
Blog: https://fcpdnews.wordpress.com
Follow us on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/fairfaxcountypolice
Follow us on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/fairfaxpolice
FCPD on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/user/
fairfaxcountypolice
What the Police respond to in your neighborhood:
http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/policeevents
Learn about crime statistics in Fairfax County:
http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/police/crime/statistics
Watch “On the Beat,” our quarterly news program:
http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/police/newsroom/onthebeat.htm
Why was the police helicopter flying above?
http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/police/helicopter
Thanks to the resident who suggested this topic. Please
feel free to contact me at gary.saturen@verizon.net with
your questions or suggestions.
www.crosspointe.info
Jan-Feb 2016
13
O
n Decem
his annua
at its Sna
More than
ered in th
on Glen Eagles Lane, fi
timeslots that allowed th
Claus.
Several Girl Scout troop
and Service Unit 8, whic
Fairfax Station, hosted th
families were treated to
cookies, coffee, and jui
given gingerbread man
canes.
Santa was summoned
and each family had a
him, get a stuffed anima
photos. Each family als
a Shutterfly link to acces
photographer.
This year’s event would
sible without the suppor
troop leader for Girl Sco
Helena Charters and gi
and Beth Engelhardt an
4033. Thanks for anothe

aLL i WANT FOR
cHRISTMAS IS
MY TWO FRONt
TEETH....
14
Jan-Feb 2016
www.crosspointe.info
Crosspointe Chronicle
mber 12, Santa made
al visit to Crosspointe
ack with Santa event.
n 65 families gathhe community center
illing three hour-long
hem a visit with Mr.
ps from Association 52
ch covers Lorton and
he event. Upon arrival,
holiday doughnuts,
ice, and children were
n crafts and candy
with Christmas carols
chance to visit with
al Snowman, and take
so was provided with
ss photos taken by a
d not have been posrt of Elizabeth Merck,
out Junior Troop 1048,
irls from Troop 646,
nd girls from Troop
er successful event!
not ever
yon
is a true e
Sa
fan.....ye nta
t!

Crosspointe Chronicle
www.crosspointe.info
Dear
Santa
Give me
ONE
more
chance!
Jan-Feb 2016
15
16
Jan-Feb 2016
www.crosspointe.info
Crosspointe Chronicle
Civic Association Report
What’s
A summary of events which affect the Crosspointe
area, including what transpires at the South
County Federation (SCF) and the Fairfax Federation,
both neighboring organizations comprised of
homeowners and civic associations.
December 2015 & January 2016 SCF Meetings
Cathy Bonnefil, SCF Rep
This Survey Is Worth Your Time!
This is your best shot at personally
influencing business decisions as the
old Lorton Reformatory and Penitentiary is being transformed into Liberty
Crest at Laurel Hill.
After a groundbreaking ceremony on
December 7, the Alexander Company
began demolition of interior spaces
in the buildings of the Reformatory
Complex. That work will continue for
several weeks in preparation for new
construction in those buildings.
Best of all, the developer (Elm Street
Development), is trying to identify the
kinds of businesses and services that
we in the community want to see in
Liberty Crest.
In January, as part of this effort, a marketing consultant asked the SCF to
distribute an electronic survey as widely as possible. Thanks to our Community Manager, Heather McDevitt,
we were able to get it out via email to
many of our Crosspointe neighbors;
however the response time window
( Jan 18) was quite narrow. We decided
to ask for a time extension, and the
consultant has promised to leave the
survey open at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/libertycrest. Don’t miss this
opportunity!
Crosspointe Chronicle
Since Jack Perkins,Vice President of
Elm Street Development, will be attending the February 9th SCF meeting
at the South County High School
Media Room, you can come and discuss your concerns face-to-face.
Farewell to Supervisor Gerry
Hyland
A special farewell event celebrated
outgoing Mount Vernon District
Supervisor Gerry Hyland for his
unstinting and devoted public service
over almost three decades. Regarding
his imminent departure from elective office, the Supervisor opined, “I
am thrilled to pass the baton to Dan
Storck, who is already working with
my staff.” As a parting suggestion to
the SCF, the Supervisor encouraged
the SCF to promote a better sense of
cooperation with the Mount Vernon
Council.
Welcome to New Supervisor Dan
Storck
Newly-elected Mount Vernon District
Supervisor, Dan Storck, was unable to
attend the January SCF meeting due
to a long Board of Supervisors meeting, but was ably represented by Christine Morin, the South County liaison.
On behalf of Supervisor Storck, she
made the following comments:
‰‰ The latest Mount Vernon District
Supervisor’s handout is always online
at mtvernon@fairfaxcounty.gov
www.crosspointe.info
‰‰ Supervisor Storck and staff are
working hard to schedule meetings
with the many, many people who have
requested face-time.
‰‰ Marcia Hanson is retired, and
Christine Morin will continue as the
South County liaison.
‰‰ Donna Slaymaker is the office
administrator and Brett Kenney is the
chief of staff.
‰‰ The Supervisor will hire a communications director to develop a strategy
for constituent outreach, including
multi-media.
‰‰ Some of the Supervisor’s early
goals (quoted from his January 4 news
article) include:
ÂÂ “Improving communication
from his office, based on “best
practices” performance standards. These include responding
to your communications within
a day, advising you of the person
working to address your issue or
concern and resolving it as soon
as possible.
ÂÂ “My office is always available as
your first phone call to access
county services or to answer
your questions about local government.
ÂÂ “Beginning this week, our office
will have evening hours every
Thursday until 7:30 p.m. and
Saturday hours on the second
Saturday of each month.
ÂÂ “We will be utilizing modern
technology to connect and
communicate with you including immediate keep-in-touch
type messages, regular articles,
a monthly newsletter, and a
continued on page 18
Jan-Feb 2016
17
Civic Association Report
continued from page 17
variety of social media to engage
and inform you.”
ÂÂ Implementing a Supervisor’s
line of business review.
Transportation
Dale Johnson, Chair of the Transportation Committee, reported the
following:
‰‰ Donna Slaymaker: The VDOT
adopt-a-road program is still active.
‰‰ Lorton Road Project Update: I am
in touch with Volkert Construction,
and I have an invitation submitted for
the March SCF meeting. As the project nears completion, I’d like to explore
the impact of the Lorton Road project
completion on the Lorton Road —
Silverbrook intersection.
18
Jan-Feb 2016
‰‰ “The Embark Richmond Hwy”
Advisory Group Meeting was held
Dec 9th (next meeting will be late
February, TBD).
‰‰ The Giles Run Connector Road:
We will be working on getting this removed from the Comprehensive Plan.
‰‰ Also will work on getting VDOT
to accept the Laurel Crest turnover.
‰‰ Mowing in the growing season is
always an issue (based on the class of
the road). The standard is 3 times per
season for roads like Silverbrook, etc.
If mowing is not getting done, contact
Dale (Transportation Chair).
‰‰ A request from the floor was made
to please look into a problematic intersection in the vicinity of Route 1 and
Furnace Road. More to follow.
www.crosspointe.info
Land Use
‰‰ After a final discussion about the
Gunston Shell (at 9801 Richmond
Highway) station’s application for
a special exception amendment, the
SCF approved a Motion to not oppose
the application, since they have agreed
to all recommendations, mostly site
landscaping and improving the building’s façade
‰‰ Also discussed was the Chick-FilA special exception application to construct and operate a fast food restaurant, with drive thru, at 9400 Lorton
Market Place. Martin Rizer stated that
this application is still problematic,
especially because of the potential
impact on local traffic patterns at that
corner with Lorton Road.
Crosspointe Chronicle
Civic Association Report
Planning and Construction of
New Police Station and Animal
Shelter (Approved in the Election
Referendum)
‰‰ The SCF approved a Motion
ÂÂ That the SCF be given an opportunity to work with FairfaxCounty in determining the best
location and name of the new
Police Station
ÂÂ That the SCF be given an opportunity to contribute to design
and architectural concepts on
the structures that will become
icons of Lorton
ÂÂ That the Police Station have office and meeting space available
‰‰ Nick Firth has been appointed to
chair a group regarding the site choice
and other issues regarding the new
Police Station. He will come back to
the SCF with recommendations.
Education
Karen Corbett Sanders, the new
Mount Vernon District representative
on the Fairfax County School Board
in Virginia, had much to say:
‰‰ Budget
“The Superintendent of Schools
presented her budget proposal to the
school board last Thursday, January 7.
The budget provides for a maintenance
of effort and does not make cuts. It
rather reflects the values that Virginia
has historically placed on education. It
is this value system that has led to so
many companies and people moving
into Fairfax County.
“The budget represents a 4.8% increase
over last year’s budget and, if we do
not receive more money from the
state, would require an increase in the
county transfer of 6.7%.
Crosspointe Chronicle
“The proposal recognizes the value
that the community places on the
breadth of programs offered and does
not make any of the cuts recommended by the Budget Task Force.
“The proposal recognizes the value
that the community places on its staff
and is comparable to similar increases
the county executive talked about for
county staff, funds to bring the lowest
wage employees up to a living wage,
and salary increases for teachers to
allow FCPS to be competitive in attracting and retaining the best teaching talent.
“The budget also recognizes the
value of having smaller class sizes for
elementary schools by bringing all of
these classrooms below 30 students
where space is available.
“We need the community’s help in making sure that the general assembly votes
to allocate more funding this year.”
As a final thought on the budget process, Karen reminded that the School
Superintendent presents a budget to
the School Board, and it is then sent to
the Board of Supervisors. There will be
a presentation later in February. Karen
said, “We are hoping that the taxation
level will be high enough to enable us
to cope with whatever ends up coming
down from the State level.”
‰‰ School Boundaries
“Some communities are asking about
boundaries, especially split feeders where students at an elementary
school may go to different middle and
high schools. I am trying to better understand the boundary process myself.
I am scheduled to speak with facilities
planning and am speaking with the
regional assistant superintendents. I
have asked for some background and
will certainly be talking to the com-
www.crosspointe.info
munity once I know more and can
have an informed discussion. At this
point, I am not aware of any boundary proceedings anticipated in South
County this year. People should know
that with the exception of very minor
shifts in population, boundary changes
are subject to a lengthy process with
opportunities for residents to provide
input.”
ÂÂ Capital Improvement Plan: “The
Plan was briefed in December.
The current plan calls for Newington Forest to have a capacity of 600 students when its
renovation is completed in SY
18-19. There is some discussion
that part of this capacity could
be used for an Advanced Academic Program (AAP) Center
in the South County Pyramid.
The Silverbrook renovation is
expected to be completed in SY
2021 with a capacity of 825.
This is another location being
discussed as an alternative for
an AAP Center in the pyramid.
Lorton Station and Laurel Hill’s
capacity are being monitored.”
‰‰ School Personnel
“The Principal selection process (is
underway) for Mt. Vernon HS. Chairman Williams, an experienced retiree,
is the acting principal at Newington
Forest, and Dale Rumberger will be
filling in for Assistant Superintendent
Angela Atwater when she goes out on
medical leave.”
Need A Planner For Lorton’s Annual
4th Of July Parade and Celebration.
This has always been a great community event! The previous planner has
retired after many, many years and will
provide all his files and information.
This really needs an individual champion to step up. Please contact Cathy
Bonnefil 703.495.9574.
Jan-Feb 2016
19
T
VDOT responsible
for snow removal of
community streets
he Virginia Department of
Transportation (VDOT)
is responsible for removing
snow and ice from the
thousands of miles of public roads
(interstate, primary, and secondary) in
Fairfax County, including Crosspointe
streets. Below are some common
questions asked every year regarding
the snow removal of Crosspointe
streets to include some helpful links
for residents, provided by VDOT.
How soon will all roads be passable
after a winter storm?
VDOT’s goal is to make all roads
passable within 48 hours after a winter
storm ends. Our snow-removal crews
work around the clock until conditions
are safe for travel.
At night, hills and trouble spots are
covered with abrasives, such as sand,
cinders or fine stone. Beginning
around 4 a.m., crews prepare the roads
for rush-hour traffic.
How does VDOT decide what roads
to clear first?
Common sense dictates that roads
carrying the most traffic get top priority. VDOT clears interstates and most
primary roads first. It also plows major
20
Jan-Feb 2016
secondary roads with vital emergency
and public facilities or those with high
traffic volumes.
Other secondary roads and subdivision streets will be treated if multiday
storms hit Virginia, but crews will
focus their efforts on those roads that
carry the most traffic.
Why do plows block my driveway
with snow when they clear the
road?
to your street, it means another one
has been assigned to your part of the
neighborhood and will be along soon.
VDOT created a “snowplow tracker”
so you can find out where plows
have been and where they’re going in
Fairfax, Loudoun and Prince William
counties.
The innovative Web tool, found at
http://novasnowplowing.virginia.gov/pages/MapStreet.aspx, activates after it has
snowed two inches or more in these
Northern Virginia counties.
Information for drivers and
residents
‰‰ See the status of plowing in northern Virginia neighborhoods:
www.vdotplows.org
To make as many roads passable as
quickly as possible, there is no way
to avoid this practice. We are sorry
for this inconvenience.VDOT plow
operators push snow off the roadway
in smooth, continuous passes. It ends
up in gutters and on road shoulders,
sometimes blocking driveways.
‰‰ Follow @vadotnova on Twitter,
and for real-time traffic updates, follow @511northernva, use the 511app
or visit www.511virginia.org
To avoid doing double work, shovel
snow from your driveway after a plow
has been by. Shovel it to the right of
your driveway as you face the road.
‰‰ Get general snow removal information: http://www.virginiadot.org/travel/
snow.asp
Every year the street next to mine
gets plowed, and my street is
passed by until much later. Why?
Many subdivisions have more than
one snowplow assigned to clear their
streets. If the plow you see doesn’t get
www.crosspointe.info
‰‰ Report unplowed roads and hazardous conditions to novainfo@vdot.
virginia.gov or 800.367.7623
‰‰ Follow VDOT at www.facebook.
com/VirginiaDOT, on Twitter @VDOT,
and visit www.VirginiaDOT.org
The Crosspointe Chronicle is on the website
www.crosspointe.info
and copies are available at the
community center.
Crosspointe Chronicle
Social Committee
Crosspointe Board Gamers invite you to come play!
Steve Schwartz
rosspointe formed a Board
Game group at the end of
last year. They met a couple of
times in the fall and once in January of
2016. The group will continue to meet
this year on the 3rd Sunday of every
month, at the Community Center,
from 6–9 p.m. Residents and their
guests are invited.
C
The Board Game group plays Euro
type board games that are easy to
learn and fun to play. They have played
games such as: Ticket to Ride, Splendor,
Love Letters, Codenames, Catan, and
Northwind.
Board Games provide a fun way
to meet and socialize with other
Crosspointe residents. Adults and
supervised children are welcome.
Dates for the 1st half of 2016 are as follows: February 21, March 20, April 17,
May 15, & June 19.
Crosspointe “Board Gamers” enjoying a game of
CODENAMES.
Pictured Clockwise from left:
Keith Fisher, Nannette Henderson, Anna Gillespie, Catherine Gillespie, Brian Henderson,
Leslee Eldard, & Rachel Schwartz.
Register Today for Crosspointe Emails and FSRConnect
Members and residents interested in
receiving Crosspointe informational
emails from the Board, Management,
Committees, other, please email the
Assistant Community Manager, Randy
Santander, at cp.admin@verizon.net
or call the Crosspointe Management
Office at 703.690.2321 and provide
your name and Crosspointe address.
Request that your email address is
added to the community email list.
You will receive assessment reminders,
event updates, trash information and
updates, pool registration reminders,
and other important information.
Crosspointe Chronicle
If you would like to view various
Crosspointe documents, reports, and perhaps most important - all
of your personal account information and account history, register for
FSRConnect. The FSRConnect site is
an additional online site that supplements the Crosspointe website. You
can update/edit your information and
submit address or e-mail changes
when necessary. You can monitor
your payment history and obtain your
current assessment account balance. This is a secure site so you must
register and be provided with a PIN.
www.crosspointe.info
If you have not already registered on
this site, go to http://dcmetro.fsrconnect.com/crosspointe or use the link
on the Crosspointe website: www.
crosspointe.info under the “Resources”
drop down menu.
Don’t delay. Call or email the
Crosspointe Management office and
get connected!
Jan-Feb 2016
21
The Crosspointe Gardener
Crapemyrtles: Choice and Care
Selecting a Crapemyrtle
The U.S. Arboretum and various plant
breeders and nurseries have developed
Crapemyrtles to satisfy most landscape
needs. Cultivars are available in dwarf
sizes that are suitable for hanging
baskets and ground covers. The shrub
and tree forms are always popular with
some varieties reaching 25-30 feet tall.
Before a selection is made, it is important to determine the best location
for planting. Crapemyrtles prefer at
least 6–8 hours of bright sunshine for
flowering as well as moderate moisture
and fertility. Several may be planted
together to create a large colorful mass
or a single tree can become the centerpiece specimen in a garden.
Ellen Peterson MLD, Master Gardener and Horticulturist
O
ne of our favorite, classic,
small trees is the Crapemyrtle (Laegerstromia). Plants
are filled with colorful blooms for 2–3
months during the summer. Depending on the cultivar, most Crapemyrtles
have outstanding fall color with leaves
turning red, yellow, or orange. During
the winter and early spring, they show
off their sculptural branching and
exfoliating bark.
Crapemyrtles are easy to grow, versatile, and a perfect choice for fourseason interest and appeal. With the
availability of a wide range of sizes and
colors, there is a Crapemyrtle to fit
into every garden.
I discuss them now because midwinter is the ideal time to prune a
Crapemyrtle, if you determine that it’s
necessary.
Please remember that USPS has
installed a mail collection box at the
nearby CVS on Silverbrook Road.
We encourage residents to make use of this box as
it is a great way to prevent theft of your outgoing
mail.
22
Jan-Feb 2016
www.crosspointe.info
Choose the appropriate size plant for
the space you are filling. This is a common error that homeowners make (not
just with Crapemyrtles). A plant grows
so large it requires constant pruning to
force it to ‘fit’ into the landscape.
Crapemyrtles are commonly grown
with multiple trunks (an odd number
of 3, 5, or 7 always looks nice) but an
older single trunk can be a beautiful
specimen as well.
Maintenance and Pruning
Crapemyrtles seldom need to be
fertilized unless a soil test indicates a
special need. Excessive fertilization can
encourage sucker growth and reduce
flowering. Basal suckers that grow up
from the roots should be pruned to
the ground keeping the trunks clean.
Small suckers along major stems may
be easily rubbed off before they grow
too large.
Crapemyrtles are summer blooming
trees that produce flowers on wood
grown during the current season. This
fact is important to remember when
pruning any flowering tree or shrub.
Spring blooming plants produce their
Crosspointe Chronicle
The Crosspointe Gardener
flower buds on growth from the previous year so pruning should take place
after flowering is complete before new
buds are formed for the following
year. On the other hand, Crapemyrtles
should be pruned in late winter or
early spring before new growth occurs.
If they are pruned in the fall, new
growth that forms may freeze before
the plant becomes dormant.
Crapemyrtles should be pruned with a
‘naturalistic’ technique. As with other
trees and shrubs, begin by removing
dead, diseased, crossing, and rubbing
branches. This will always improve
the overall plant health and appearance and should only be practiced as
needed.
Sometimes, branch tips are cut back
on early flowering varieties to prevent
seed pods from forming and to force a
second bloom.
Crosspointe Chronicle
If all or part of a branch needs to be
removed, make cuts outside the branch
collar or above an outward facing bud.
Always strive to encourage increased
light penetration and air movement to
reduce wind damage and pest problems. These pruning practices also
prevent the occurrence of mildew or
aphid infestation.
Homeowners typically believe Crapemyrtles need to be severely cut back or
topped annually. This is a misconception that is often described as ‘Crape
Murder.’ Topping involves cutting each
stem back to an arbitrarily selected
height instead of to a bud, side or
major branch. This type of pruning destroys the natural form of the
plant and creates easily damaged new
shoots that have the shape of a ‘witch’s
broom’. It reduces the number of
bloom days because flowers are formed
www.crosspointe.info
on ends of new shoots instead of on
staggered branches. Crapemyrtles
typically do not require pesticide use
but topping increases a plant’s susceptibility to aphid and other insect
infestations. If you have a Crapemyrtle
that has been topped, it can be ‘fixed’
somewhat by carefully pruning to create a new branch pattern. If the size of
a Crapemyrtle needs to be drastically
reduced, this can still be done following the same practices described above.
I have three crapemyrtles in my yard
and rarely prune them at all.
A chart of common Crapemyrtle
cultivars along with further information can be found at http://pubs.ext.
vt.edu/2901/2901-1040/2901-1040.html.
As always, contact me at 703.495.9027
or LN856@aol.com if you have any
questions or problems.
Jan-Feb 2016
23
Accepting Oak Chase
Playfield reservations
beginning March 1st
T
he playfield located across
from the Oak Chase pool
is available for organized sports.
During spring soccer seasons, the
playfield is available from midMarch to early July. During other
months, the field is available to
other Crosspointe groups and for
general play without reservations.
‰‰ Practice times will be on the
hour and limited to two days per
week, per team.
‰‰ The playfield will be divided
so that three teams can practice at
one time.
‰‰ Proper conduct must be displayed on the playfield or privileges will be revoked.
Playfield reservations will be
accepted beginning March 1.
Non-reserved fields will be open
on a first come-first serve basis.
Reservations must be submitted
to the community center office by
a Crosspointe resident. Forms are
available at www.crosspointe.info
under Open Space.
Reservation requests must specify:
Single Stream Recycling Collection:
Republic Services will collect mixed paper, food/
beverage glass and plastic bottles, food/beverage aluminum & tin, corrugated cardboard & fiber-board; all recyclables can be placed together.
RECYCLING YES:
·· Food & beverage “SMALL NECKED” plastic bottles
·· “WIDE NECKED” tubs: yogurt, dairy containers
·· #1 Plastic bottles (water and soda)
·· #2 Plastic containers (milk and detergent)
·· #3 –7 Plastic containers (yogurt and margarine)
·· Food & beverage tin & aluminum Cans
·· Mixed paper: junk mail, newspaper, magazines,
·· Cereal boxes, flattened cardboard
·· Food & beverage glass bottles and jars
·· Cardstock, file folders, envelopes, office paper
·· Computer paper & printouts, Post-it Notes, etc.
·· Pizza boxes—with NO contamination of food waste
RECYCLING NO:
·· Brush and limbs must be cut into 4-foot lengths
·· Glass recyclables not acceptable are windows, drinking glasses, cups, plates, cookware, mirrors, light
bulbs, broken glass
·· Metal recyclables not acceptable are pots, pans, foil,
pie tins, scrap metal
·· Styrofoam containers
·· “Not Acceptable” is any recyclable that is contaminated with food
·· Plastic film such as grocery bags and dry cleaning
bags are not recyclable within this program and
considered a contaminant
‰‰ The number of Crosspointe
residents on the team
Republic Services will collect furniture and
other large, non-metal, non-commercial
household items placed on the curb at no
extra charge. Bulk Item Pickup should be
prescheduled for the 2nd trash pickup day.
24
Jan-Feb 2016
Yard Waste is considered a by-product of
regular yard maintenance and not the debris
as a result of landscaping renovation. During
yard waste season, ALL HOMES in Fairfax and
Loudoun County will have a weekly scheduled
pickup day for yard waste. Recycling of yard
debris ismandatory from March 7 through
December 19. In January and February, please
place yard debris out with your household
trash. Composting, chipping, and mulching
are great ways to recycle your yard waste.
All yard debris to be collected must be prepared
accordingly and placed at the curb for collection:
phone)
Pre-scheduled Bulk Pickup
There are a large number of teams
in Crosspointe. If scheduling conflicts arise, practice times may be
allocated based on the number of
Crosspointe residents on the team
and/or teams may be limited to
only one practice a week. Schedules can be viewed online at the
Crosspointe website and will also
be posted at the Oak Chase pool.
Yard Waste Collection:
(March 7–December 19)
·· Books (hardbacks, paperbacks, textbooks, tele-
‰‰ Date & time
‰‰ Age group of the team
the individual homeowner. Please call Customer
Service at 703.818.8222 to schedule a pickup.
Containers or bundles weighing more than
50 pounds, or longer than 4 feet in length,
commercial construction trash/renovation
debris (any items resulting from renovations
in home) must be pre-scheduled for removal.
Ferrous metal/white good items, such as appliances, will be picked up with additional billing to
www.crosspointe.info
and bundled (arm-full size) with rope or twine and
should not exceed 50 pounds.
·· Grass clippings, leaves, and twigs can be placed in
a container you provide, paper bags, or clear plastic
bags. Yard waste placed in dark bags NOT marked
with an “X” will not be collected.
·· Tree stumps and tree limbs that are larger than the
6 inches in diameter and 4 feet in length will not be
collected.
Excluded Waste
Rocks, concrete, dirt, mulch, tires, soil, sod, tree
stumps, paint, motor oil, combustibles, toxic
or hazardous wastes, or any other material
excluded from the disposal site, or any applicable state or federal law, as being hazardous or toxic. As well as flammable products,
dead animals, fecal matter, manure, brick,
landscaping timbers, friable asbestos, lead
acid/wet cell batteries, bio-hazardous material, needles, and other medical waste.
Republic Services * 4619 West Ox Road,
Fairfax, VA 22030 * 703.818.8222
Crosspointe Chronicle
Community
CommunityNews
News
Boy Scout Troop 994 Updates
and its 21st Annual Mulch Sale
Darren Yim, Scout
s you may know, Troop 994 is a small boy-led
troop chartered by Crosspointe. In this troop,
all scouts get an opportunity to run for different
positions in the troop so they can experience leadership.
Examples of leadership positions include: senior patrol
leader, patrol leaders, librarian, webmaster, and chaplains
aid.
A
Troop 994 holds weekly meetings at Halley Elementary
School where they learn life skills including planning
and organizing, preparing for upcoming activities and
campouts, and leading and teaching younger scouts. Also,
senior scout members meet monthly to review activities,
plan new events, set weekly meeting agendas and delegate tasks.
In this past year, many Eagle projects were performed in
the community.
‰‰ Scouts led by Cameron Lane planted and mulched
American Chestnut Trees (an endangered species) at
Burke Lake Park. This work included constructing deer
fences around them for protection.
‰‰ Another Eagle project, led by Simon Anderson,
collected food for ECHO Inc. Food Bank, a nonprofit
organization located in Springfield, Virginia.
‰‰ In addition, we also scraped and repainted the curbs at
the two Crosspointe pools and picked up trash at various
play grounds across the area.
To help raise money for its activities, Troop 994 is about
to begin its annual mulch sale. On March 12, 2016,
Scouts will deliver bags of quality hardwood mulch, and
for an additional fee, they will also return to spread it on
a later day. On mulch day the troop divides up all the
orders into rental trucks and drives all over the neighborhood and delivers to customers who have pre-ordered
(minimum of 10 bags).
All of the profits from the mulch sales are kept for use
on Scout campouts, equipment, high adventure trips,
and other troop related activities. Please consider ordering your spring mulch supply from Troop 994. To order
mulch, please use the flyer on this page or look for a flyer
on your door this month. We greatly appreciate your
business this year.
Crosspointe Chronicle

Free Delivery
“BE PREPARED” FOR SPRING!
Please Support
Boy Scout Troop 994’s
21 Annual Spring Mulch Sale
st
We’re selling 3-cubic foot bags of top-quality
double-shredded hardwood mulch for only
$4.35 PER BAG (returning customers)
$4.60 PER BAG (new customers)
We’ll deliver & stack it on your driveway for free!
Minimum 10 bags please!!
A portion of your purchase is Tax-Deductible!
BSA Troop 994 is sponsored by the Crosspointe Community
Association and is comprised of boys from the surrounding
neighborhoods. By supporting our mulch sale, you will help
us replace outdated gear and equipment, and contribute to
the development of some of the best and brightest young
men in Fairfax County – our future leaders.
For mulch spreading please check the box below to have
someone contact you. Questions about our mulch sale?
Contact Michele Newman at 703.447.4820 or e-mail the
troop at Troop994VA@gmail.com.
Orders and checks MUST be mailed by March 3, 2016.
Scouts and Silverbrook Nursery personnel will deliver
your mulch on Saturday, March 12, 2016 along with a
receipt for the tax-deductible portion of your order.
Thank you very “mulch” for supporting Troop 994!
---------------------------Order Form-----------------------------
YES! I want to support BSA Troop 994.
I will buy _____ bags of top-quality hardwood mulch
Name:__________________________________________
Street address: _________________________________
City:_______________________Zip Code:____________
Phone:_________________________________________
No. of bags ordered (10 bag minimum):
_________X $4.35 per bag = _______
_________X $4.60 per bag = _______
Check #__________

Contact me to have Scouts spread my mulch.
Please make checks payable to: BSA Troop 994
Mail orders to: BSA Troop 994 Mulch Sale, c/o Michele Newman
7705 Stoney Creek Ct., Fairfax Station, VA 22039
www.crosspointe.info
Jan-Feb 2016
25
26
Jan-Feb 2016
www.crosspointe.info
Crosspointe Chronicle
Swim & Dive Team
The Cruisers are Hiring for Summer 2016!
T
he Crosspointe
Cruisers are
seeking energetic
applicants for assistant
and junior coaching positions for both
the Swim and Dive teams for the
upcoming 2016 season.
Our Swim Team is a competitive team
in NVSL Division 4 or 5, with the
goal of ensuring all swimmers have fun
while improving their fundamentals in
the water.
Candidates should enjoy being around
and teaching children, and have
experience in stroke development and
instruction.
Candidates must possess an effective, respectful communication style
towards parents, swimmers, Board
members and coaching staff.
In addition to daily swim practices and
weekly swim meets, our coaches are
also expected to participate in our pep
rallies, Divisional and All
Star meets and celebrations, awards banquet, and
other team social events
throughout the season.
The Cruisers Dive Team competed last
summer in Division 2 and is looking
for a junior assistant coach for the
2016 summer season. The ideal coach
will continue our tradition of sportsmanship and spirit of fun while helping divers reach their full potential. We
are looking for someone able to assist
the coaches in a fun, safe summer dive
program that promotes love for the
sport of diving, fosters relationships
and teaches self-mastery.
Interested applicants for the Swim and
Dive team positions should submit a
resume and cover letter to djpyle29@
yahoo.com by March 1, 2016. Our
Swim and Dive Team hiring committees will contact applicants to arrange
interviews.
your Community
calendar
All meetings and events listed here are held at the
Crosspointe Community Center, 8275 Glen Eagles
Lane, unless otherwise noted.
All Crosspointe meetings are open to all
homeowners.
FEBRUARY
Mon. 1 Groundhog Day
Mon. 1 ARB meets, 7:00 p.m.
Wed. 3 OSC meets, 7:30 p.m.
Wed. 10 BOT meets, 7:00 p.m.
Sat. 14 Valentine’s Day
Mon.15 Presidents’ Day Holiday observed, Community Center Office closed
Mon.29 ARB application deadline for
3-7-2016 ARB meeting
march
Wed. 2Open Space Committee (OSC) meets, 7:30 p.m.
Mon. 7 Architectural Review Board (ARB) meets, 7:00 p.m.
Wed. 9 Board of Trustees (BOT) meets,
7:00 p.m
Sun. 13 Daylight Savings Time Begins
Tue.15 Crosspointe Annual Homeowners’ Association Meeting, 7:00 p.m., Silverbrook Elementary School
Sign in begins at 6:30 p.m.
Thu. 17 Saint Patrick’s Day
Sun. 27 EASTER SUNDAY
Mon.28 Tennis Committee meets, 7:00 p.m.
Mon.28 ARB application deadline for
4-4-2016 ARB meeting
For up-to-date meeting information visit
your Crosspointe community website at
www. crosspointe.info.
Crosspointe Chronicle
www.crosspointe.info
Jan-Feb 2016
27
Classified Ads
Next Issue
The next issue of the Crosspointe
Chronicle is the March 2016 issue.
Submit ADS by February 10.
Call the Crosspointe Community
Center office at 703.690.2321.
House Cleaning Available
Reliable, good references; Flexible Schedule; Reasonable Rates; I’m providing
services for resident cleaning, move in/
out, offices, occasionally, weekly, bi-weekly,
monthly. For free in home estimate call
Dalila 703.627.0663 or 703.477.5085.
Email dalilascleaning@gmail.com. We
provide equipment and cleaning supplies.
Tax Preparation
Tax Returns prepared professionally by
CPA. Tax laws are rapidly changing and
complex. Leave it to the professional!
Specializing in individuals, military, real
estate, and small business taxation. Call Syd
Hasan CPA, 703.690.2600; email
sydcorp@aol.com.
Turn to page 14 to see
all the fun at the
community event!
28
Jan-Feb 2016
Cleaning Services
House cleaning: reliable, experienced, good
references, flexible scheduling, reasonable
rates. We bring our own equipment.
Weekly– bi-weekly–monthly–occasionally.
One-time, move-in/out; offices. For a free
in-home estimate, call Maryen/Raul at
703.321.5335.
Piano/Flute Lessons
Experienced, licensed teacher. All levels and
styles. Classical, pop, rock & jazz. Lessons
include theory, eary training, sight reading,
and note reading. Offered in my home or
yours. Call 703.690.4550.
Professional Tutoring
20 years of experience. Grades 1–12 and
college. Math through Calculus, Science,
Spanish, French, English, History, Study
Skills, and Organizational Coaching.
Comprehensive SAT Preparation and
College Coaching programs. Please call
703.830.7037 or visit www.JuliaRossPT.com.
Personal Training
Training women of all ages. Improve your
quality of life with increased strength, better balance and flexibility. Certified by the
American Council on Exercise since 1999.
Contact Julie 703.690.0607 or 3bacons@
verizon.net.
Taylor Construction
Specializing in home improvements; general
handyman, deck power washing, home repairs; roof repairs; interior/exterior painting;
no job is too small. Free estimates. Licensed,
bonded and insured. Call Rick Taylor at
703.690.0088.
Play Dates?
We are relatively new to the Crosspointe
community and are interested to find some
play dates for our daughter, who is 5 years
old and in kindergarten. Weekday times that
would work best for us are between 5 and
6 p.m., with more flexibility on weekends. If
interested and able, please contact the McCamishes at TLmccamish@gmail.com.
Dog Walking
Crosspointe mom will provide mid-day
walks for your dog and vacation-sitting in
your home. Cat and small animal care
available. Ten years experience caring for
Crosspointe’s animal friends. Reasonable
rates. Call Maureen at 703.690.3811.
Hawaii Vacation
Maui Oceanfront condo available April
4-18, 2016. Gorgeous fully furnished 1
BR, 2 Full baths, kitchen and washer/dryer.
Sleeps 5. Pool, SPA, Tcourts, Shuffleboard,
putting green and activities desk. Contact
Ron 703.690.3507.
www.crosspointe.info
Free Patio/Walkway Bricks
4x8 inch gray cement—extra from project.
Will cover 60 sq feet. Free—just take away.
Call Bob at 703.690.7949.
Tax, Accounting and Payroll Services
Tired of paying too much in taxes? Need
someone you can trust? Call Denise
Carson, CPA at 703.643.1861 for a quote
and an appointment. Individual, Corporate,
Partnership and Non-Profit Returns. Thirty
years’ experience. Visit us at www.
experttaxes.com.
J. Richard’s Lawn Service
Mowing, trimming, edging, clean-up, leaf
removal. Call Richard, 703.307.5577.
CLASSIFIED ADS

Resident Personal Ads
ŠWanted,
Š
Services, For Sale, etc. $5/35 words
ŠŠ Lost/Found, Carpools, Giveaways
Free
Resident Business Ads
$18/35 words

Non-resident Ads
$20/35 words
DISPLAY ADS
Business Cards:... $39.90
Quarter Page:...... $73.50
One Half Page:.... $120.75
Full Page:............. $231.00
To Advertise
Power Washing!!!
Go from green to clean, includes sidewalks, decks, fences, deck & fence repair,
deck staining & sealing, exterior wood
rot, roof & siding repair, basement finishing, bathroom remodeling and handy man
services. CALL-free estimates Lic & INS.
703.987.5096. Email jnave@comcast.net.
Family Cleaning
Family Cleaning would like to offer all
of our clients a special deal. FREE Carpet Cleaning for your entire house after 7
residential cleanings. We have more than
20 years of experience serving Northern
Virginia. Call 703.819.6336 or email familycleaning316@gmail.com.
5% discount on ads run for three consecutive months with no change. All ads for
the Crosspointe Chronicle MUST be submitted and paid for BY CHECK ONLY by
the 10th of each month prior to publication. For information call the Crosspointe
Community Center office at 703.690.2321,
M–F, 9 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
Crosspointe Chronicle