Flamingo Friday 5/19/23

Fred will be hosting a Flamingo Friday this week on Friday, May 19th from 6 pm - 8 pm at 9854. Everyone is welcome to stop by for beverages, some light desserts, and maybe some appetizers.

• Since it's been a few years since we've had one of these events, the key thing to know is that anyone can host a Flamingo Friday, and the intent is simply to give neighbors a chance to gather and socialize in a casual setting.
• Also, we can help you publicize a different date if Friday doesn't work for your schedule, but this is a resident-driven event and not an official HOA activity.
• You can add something to drink or light snacks if you wish, but we hope you attend even if you don't have something to bring!

All of our residents, as well as our "alumni" and close friends, are welcomed!

For some of the history of Flamingo Fridays and the original idea you can visit the page:

http://www.autumnwalk.com/p/flamingo-fridays.html

We hope to see many of you on Friday, if just for a little while!

Ground Nesting Bees

The Ground Nesting Bees are back, and we have been coordinating with Emerson HOA and Skylark Ridge HOA to let them stay because they are beneficial pollinators, not dangerous, and temporary.

As the sign below from the University of Maryland Extension Service states:

The soil mounds you see on the ground belong to ground nesting bees, also known as mining bees.

These bees are...

• Not aggressive: rarely sting and do not aggressively defend their nests
• Temporary: their flying activity only lasts 2-4 weeks
• Caring for their young: their burrows are underground
  to protect young ("baby") bees. The female bee brings nectar and pollen to the burrow to feed her young
• Important pollinators: help pollinate wildflowers, fruits and vegetables, and a variety of other crops
• Losing their habitat: due to urbanization and pesticide use

To learn more, visit:

https://extension.umd.edu/resource/mining-bees-lawns

You can also visit: https://www.facebook.com/HCbeecityUSA/

Emerson Clubhouse Update (April 2023)

The new Emerson Clubhouse is expected to be completed in August 2023 and on April 13th, residents were given the opportunity to tour the construction site with our Owner's Representative as well as the Project Managers from the General Contractor acting as guides and answering questions.

This unofficial report is a brief summary of that visit by one of our residents and as with all large construction projects schedules could be affected by events:

1. Tour was given by the Project/Construction Managers for the General Contractor as well as our Owner's Rep who manages the entire project.

They hope to give future tours as construction progresses if there is demand. Only about half of the 25 people who signed up attended.

2. General Schedule:

Spring Cleanup (plus Tree Trimming!)

Our landscaper has been busy with the annual Spring Cleanup and the entire neighborhood looks clean and tidy again.

All common areas and private flowerbeds were remulched

1. This year, we decided to add trimming of the street trees in front of our houses because most of the trees are 11-12 years old now and greatly in need of it, and the cost was only $15/house. The sidewalks and driveways are now much more clear!

The street trees were trimmed significantly for the first time in 12 years

Emerson Clubhouse and Pool

Construction of the new Emerson Clubhouse began in January and is proceeding on schedule. 

1. The new Clubhouse will address many issues with the old building, including needed repairs, maintenance issues, and upgraded showers and changing facilities for the Pool.

2. In addition, by adding a second floor to the Clubhouse the new building will be able to support large meetings and events for the first time for community meetings and clubs, while also adding a fitness facility.

3. The project managers will provide a tour on Thursday, April 13, 2023 at 4 pm for the Emerson Community. An RSVP is required so they can get a headcount and a waiver form must be signed to enter an active construction site (closed-toe shoes and long pants are also required).

Emerson HOA Meeting Rescheduled to Thu. April 13, 2023

The April meeting of the Board of Directors for Emerson Master HOA has been rescheduled to Thursday, April 13, 2023 via Zoom at 7:30 pm.

The meeting will begin 30 minutes later than usual so the Board can have a closed Executive Session prior to the public meeting.

There will be Residents Forum at the start of the meeting for you to ask questions.

Tell HoCo: Reporting Issues to Howard County

For those who may not be aware, Howard County allows residents to report maintenance issues to County Government via the Tell HoCo service on the SeeClickFix platform (available as both a web form and a mobile app).

• Tell HoCo

This service lets you report anything from trash along the road to broken traffic signs, and you get automated acknowledgments and updates.

Tell HoCo should be used for any County-maintained roads or facilities. (As an FYI however, all numbered roads are maintained by the State of Maryland.)

For example, here's a broken stop sign that I reported in the past few weeks that was fixed after about a week:

Tire tracks make it obvious what happened to this sign

Some of the Categories of items that can be reported to Howard County