woodsblog...

-- MERRY CHRISTMAS !! --

2011-12-22T14:02:00.006-05:00

Ho, Ho, Ho...!! It's that time of year again – solstice, Christmas, Hanukah, Kwanzaa – when we wish each other a joyous celebration and a a new year filled with only very good things. Such as no more two-foot snowdrifts!

So, from me to the world...

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

John L.

Hallmark Woods Annual Meeting – updated

2011-12-09T20:44:00.008-05:00

Our illustrious board of directors has set Wednesday, January 4, 2012, 7 p.m. at the Crofton Library for our next Property Owners' Association annual meeting.

Wisely, they have decided to ignore the slings and arrows of legal purists and have averred that this will be the only meeting, quorum or no quorum. So, if you don't show up, tough luck, you lose.

It will be interesting to see if, unlike last year, anybody will volunteer to serve as a director, other than the incumbents. The job is certainly not taxing; meetings can be as rare as twice a year; all the issues seem to be a.) landscaping at the entrance, and b.) maintenance of insurance on the common areas to protect us all from legal liability.

With any luck, this meeting should take all of 30 minutes. If that.

John L.

Update: Well, the meeting took all of 40 minutes, still a record for HWPOA. A whopping 14 people, including the four directors, attended. We discussed the budget, added some $$ for leaf removal on Hallmark Drive and tree trimming on Branchwood Court, suckered, uh, welcomed one new resident to the board, and then ran for the exit. Oh yes, as for the old HWPOA official website, the president admitted he and his colleagues just couldn't figure out how to edit it, so they gave up entirely. Hasn't been exactly a groundswell of protest from the neighbors either, as far as I can tell. (sigh) See ya next year.

–– Steve Jobs ––

2011-10-05T20:19:00.005-04:00

Steve Jobs has died.

The tributes are pouring in; Twitter is ablaze with sad and admiring posts from all over the world.

For me, it's the end of another era of my life. I've had Apple Macintosh computers since the mid-90s, each one better than the previous one. For a while, it appeared that Apple Computer (as it was then known because of a conflict with the Beatles record label) was going to self-destruct. But Steve came back and it's been rocketing upward ever since.

The hashtag on Twitter is #RIPSteveJobs. Check it out.

John Ludwigson

Loose Ends — Still

2011-08-06T22:10:00.004-04:00

Not a peep out of me in months. Been busy on Twitter (oldbot) and Facebook. Busy on home improvements. Busy taking lots of naps. And watching our country go down the drain due to deliberate Republican intransigence in the U.S. Congress (and unfortunate Democratic wishy-washy response).

Perhaps the debt downgrade by Standard & Poor, and the current slide in the stock market, and global meltdowns in national economies will shake American voters out of their lethargy. Just "throwing the bums out" isn't a solution. Electing intelligent, caring, patriotic (in a genuine way... not just flag-wavers) representatives to the U.S. Congress as well as state and local offices is the only answer.

Or we can all go back to sleep and to hell with the United States of America, a once-great nation.

Wake up, people! It's not (yet) too late!

John Ludwigson

Much Later (23 Sept.): Doggone, it looks like I just wrote this. Not much has changed. And it's raining today.... again. JL

Save Our Libraries ! UPDATED AGAIN !!

2011-03-11T13:44:00.024-05:00

Public libraries are essential to our civilization, our future, and our freedom. They support our children, directly and through the schools; they are a resource for businesses small and large; they support parents and senior citizens; and they provide information and entertainment for all the people of our county, state, and nation.

NOTE added later: This week, April 10-17, 2011 is National Library Week! Visit your local library and let them know how much you love them!

Yet, as governments watch their tax income dwindle from the lingering effects of the recession, libraries have become vulnerable to the budget-cutters' axes. This is particularly true for the Anne Arundel County Library System. Already cut to the bone, this treasure of our area is now being asked to cut back even more, threatening all of us with a loss of its essential services.

This week, Bay Weekly – an excellent newspaper distributed free to all here – has joined the fight to protect and, if possible, to restore our beleaguered library system. Take a look at their great reports on the system's new administrator, "Skip" Auld, and on the slightly better-off Calvert County Library System.

Then show up at one of the three remaining Town Hall meetings: March 17 at the Annapolis branch, March 24 at North County, and March 31 at South County – all at 7 p.m. – to pledge your support for our county libraries. And – especially – write, call, or fax our county executive and council members to let them know just how important these bastions of knowledge and support for our children's education are to you.

The phone numbers, email addresses, and postal mail addresses are all available from the AACPL homepage (click on the "to learn more ... click here" link), the Bay Weekly story, and at the Town Hall meetings.

Save Our Libraries!

John L.

Update: The St. Patrick's Day meeting in the Annapolis library was packed! More than 300 people jammed into the library's main room (too many for the meeting room), SRO (standing room only)! They even gave a round of loud, sustained applause for the librarians! Maybe there's hope yet... The final Town Hall at the South County Branch (SCO) in Deale was again a full house, SRO! Among those present was our District 7 County Council member, Jerry Walker who pledged his support. With any luck, these boffo performances will translate into a blizzard of constituent correspondence and a corresponding improvement in the library system's financial situation.

-JL-

Democracy in Action...

2011-02-19T13:36:00.005-05:00

Lackadaisical homeowners, a willing candidate, and – surprise! – a community in metro Virginia has elected a dog as their community president.

Shows to go ya what happens when the inmates of a community aren't willing to do their homework.

The Washington Post has the story here.

Woof!

John L.

Note to Anonymous: Yes, that was the point. JL

Culture Corner

2011-02-07T12:20:00.002-05:00

IN PRAISE OF THE POTATO*

by David Williams

Potato, sojourner north, first sprung

from the flanks of volcanoes, plainspoken kin

to bright chili and deadly nightshade,

sleek eggplant and hairy tobacco,

we could live on you alone if we had to,

and scorched-earth marauders never bothered you much.

I love you because your body's a stem,

your eyes sprout, and you're not in the Bible,

and if we did not eat your strength,

you'd drive it up, into a flower.

----------------------

*Stolen from today's Marlboro College newsletter,

The Town Crier

John L.

MERRY, MERRY CHRISTMAS !!

2010-12-24T12:41:00.007-05:00

Merry Christmas!

May the Peace and Joy of this wonderful season

Be yours forever !

John L.

Already? It's Annual Meeting Time Again!

2010-12-23T10:47:00.003-05:00

How can it be? We just went through all that yesterday... or did it only seem like yesterday? But it's true: it's time for another warm, fuzzy get-together of the Hallmark Woods family to elect new directors and approve a budget for the coming year.

This year, the meeting will be held in the Crofton library at 6:45 pm on January 4th, with the room reserved for January 18th as well if that's necessary.

Among the issues to be agreed upon will be the divorce of social events from the administrative functions of the Hallmark Woods Property Owners Association, Inc. With any luck, some social lights will step up and volunteer to form a social committee to continue these regular community get-togethers — the Easter egg hunt, annual picnic, Halloween parade, and Christmas/holiday party.

The details, such as they are at this time, are all to be found at the official HWPOA website... or you can just phone one of the current directors (numbers in the community directory) for an earful. Or, best of all, SHOW UP AT THE MEETING. And volunteer. It's your association, neighbors!

John L.

Gardening in December

2010-12-18T19:31:00.014-05:00

What could be more fun in December than planning your garden – veggie, decorative, or practical – for the next year? A respite from the seasonal panic induced by excessive holidaying. Here's an idea to get you away from the holiday-a-baloo: plan a rain garden.

Beautiful, practical, and one step forward for a renewed, clean Chesapeake Bay!

John L.

Glorious, Glorious Fall!

2010-11-14T14:57:00.005-05:00

Perfect leaf-raking weather – or football weather – or walk-in-the-woods weather!

John L.

Voting.... Again!

2010-10-15T20:33:00.009-04:00

On November 2, 2010, those of us who want to have a voice in how our various levels of government work will go to the polls and vote again (assuming you-all voted in the recent primary elections). Only losers will stay home. So....

If the plethora of races, issues and candidates confuses you, as it does any normal human being, help is available from the League of Women Voters. At their website you can download their 2010 election Voters' Guide* and a whole lot more. That 56-page pdf has info on all the items you will encounter on the November 2 ballot.... whatever your election district, region, polling place. And the site has a lot more info besides.

If you're not sure where to go to vote, or whether you are registered, visit the Maryland State Board of Elections website for the official word.

But whatever you do..... VOTE !

I will.

John L.

* Update: Turns out printed copies of the guide – all 56 pages of it – are available free at the various branches of the Anne Arundel County Library System. Call before you run over – there are only a limited number of copies, "first come, first served". -- JL

•• Late Update: I voted! Around 11:00 am today. There was a long line of people waiting to get their hands on the lengthy ballot, but even more came in while we waited. Hope you were one of them. Yay America! -- JL

Constitution Day... No Small Thing!

2010-09-15T13:13:00.011-04:00

Now that you've voted, here's a day to celebrate: Constitution Day. The chief judge of Maryland's Court of Appeals (our highest state court) tells why:

Constitution Day is observed on September 17 each year to celebrate the date of the signing, in 1787, of the United States Constitution. By law, all educational institutions receiving federal funding must observe Constitution Day. It is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate and discuss our Constitution and system of government....

Check the links on their page. I may be wrong, but it seems many Americans have no idea where our country comes from or how we got here...

John L.

Election Day !!

2010-09-14T11:24:00.010-04:00

I just voted... and I was the only voter in the place by the time I was through the mostly uncomplicated ballot. The poll workers said voting had been fairly light so far (about 11:00 a.m.).

If you haven't exercised your right to choose your government today, get off your fanny and go surprise those poor, under-appreciated poll workers.

The government you get is the government you elect!

John L.

Later: The Annapolis Evening Capital is posting an Election Blog that should have lots of interesting voting news.... especially if people contribute their observations as requested.

Much Later: Looks like I was one of the few, statewide, who exercised their right – nay, obligation – to choose their government. Maryland Reporter.com today summed up the sad situation in an article titled "Voting has become a spectator sport for the bulk of those eligible." -JL-

The Future of Maryland, Beginning Now!

2010-09-01T09:40:00.009-04:00

PlanMaryland is designed to create a better and more sustainable future for Maryland. The state legislature created the authority for such a plan in the 1970s, but a broader recognition of the many costs of unsustainable land use has grown in recent years. This new planning process commenced with listening sessions that the Maryland Department of Planning held in 2008 and will culminate with a State Growth Plan proposal in 2011.

Whoops! When you're not watching, big things can happen right under your nose. This seems to be a major initiative of the O'Malley administration, perhaps in response to the enormous changes likely from the federal government's Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) program.

The Plan Maryland website includes a survey for those of us who didn't make it to one of the 13 public forums held this spring throughout our state. Please do take the time to find it on the site and enter your comments and preferences. The results of all this will affect us and our community for years to come.

John L.

Hallmark Woods Community PICNIC !

2010-08-25T19:38:00.006-04:00

This Saturday, August 28, 2010, there will be a Family, Food and Fun picnic at Kingsway Court from 1 to 4 p.m.

These things are an annual affair in Hallmark Woods, an attempt to get neighbors out from behind their computers and TVs and together for a few hours of family fun and frolic. It's an event for the kids of all ages. There will be badminton (do kids today even know what that is?), probably a croquet court (another venerable pastime!), and other amusements. Basic eats – burgers, hot dogs, soft drinks, etc. – will be supplied.

And, oh yes, a Moon Bounce for the smaller kids.

You need to bring some food of your own – a favorite picnic dish perhaps – and chairs to sit in if you're of that age. And you need to RSVP to the organizers: either by a phone call to Shirley Gasch (number in community directory); or by using the contact form on the new community website.

See you there!

John L.

— Post-picnic post: It seems quite a few people showed up, ate quite a bit, chatted up a storm, and even (especially the kids) played a few games. All-in-all a pretty fine day in the sunshine!

— Somewhere, however, during the festivities, a blue badminton racquet disappeared/disapparated. Any clues as to where it might be hiding would be most appreciated; send them to the HW webmaster or your editor at woodsblog...

—Very Late Update: The errant badminton racquet surfaced some weeks later, hidden in a hammock! Glenn Peed returned it to its family and now all is well... and ready for the next picnic badminton game. - JL

Official Website! Hallmark Woods Property Owners Assn., Inc.

2010-08-09T16:45:00.007-04:00

Our community association finally has its very own website! By the time you read this, if you own property in Hallmark Woods you've received a flyer, and maybe also an email, alerting you and inviting you to visit the site.

To visit the Hallmark Woods Property Owners Association website, click the link in the headline of this article, or in this sentence, or Google it by that full name. You'll know you're on the official site if you see a green banner at the top with the words "Hallmark Woods."

The website will be a perpetual work in progress: it will include notices of upcoming events of community interest, photos of our neighborhood and its activities, important documents, and other useful stuff. And this website is registered to the association, so it will be a permanent neighborhood asset.

Contributions will be welcome. There is a contact form that sends email directly to the HWPOA president, as well as a link to the webmaster at the bottom of every page. If you have trouble viewing the site, the webmaster is the one to ask for help.

John L.

Ned Hall – Gone but never forgotten

2010-07-27T15:17:00.007-04:00

The man who made Hallmark Woods possible – it's all on his land – Edward "Ned" Hall III died Sunday.

Those of us who had the privilege of meeting him know what a great loss this is to our world. Ned Hall was a true tree-hugger, probably surveyed half of Anne Arundel County, and was a genuine "nice guy." For years he lived, at least part-time, in a log cabin off Branchwood Drive (extended) on the other half of his land here.

From the obituary in the Annapolis Capitol newspaper:

Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, July 30 at St Luke's Episcopal Church, 1101 Bay Ridge Avenue, Annapolis. There will be an interment service at 10 a.m. on Thursday, August 19 at St. Stephen's Episcopal Church Cemetery in Crownsville.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Scenic Rivers Land Trust, Inc., PO Box 2008, Annapolis, MD 21404, for land conservation.

The Baltimore Sun also ran an obituary, just a little longer. Click here.

Sadly,

John L.

Summer and the posting is....sloooowww....

2010-07-17T16:31:00.005-04:00

Tomatoes are slowly ripening, peppers too (one red cayenne so far). Lots of yard work to do, but hard to get up to do it. Excuse: too hot, too steamy. Even if that's the norm for mid-July.

At least BP seems to have stopped their blowout well from gushing, at least for now. And the Corwith Cramer has docked again in Bermuda at the end of a month-long cruise to assess the ever-growing presence of plastic bits, large and small, in the Sargasso Sea.

Enjoy! There's about 45 more delicious summer days until Labor Day.

John L.

Final Annual Meeting, for now.... Update

2010-02-23T16:24:00.009-05:00

This time counts, by law. We'll be meeting again in the Village Commons Community Center of the Village at Waugh Chapel Shopping Center.

• Time: 7:00 pm

• Date: Thursday, February 25, 2010

There's plenty of parking, and some good restaurants nearby if you want to make an evening of it. Whoever shows up constitutes a quorum!

John L.

Update: We met, we voted, we adjourned! At last! Now the work begins—plenty of homework for the new board to dig into. And several good suggestions from the floor (didn't know floors could talk, did you?) to consider.

The new board of directors will meet for the first time on Monday, March 8 at 7 p.m. See the sign at the entrance for location.

Makin' Whoopee! - At The Library!

2010-02-14T16:03:00.006-05:00

At long last, the new meeting room, enlarged parking area, and sundry other improvements are ready for business at the South County Branch of the AA County Public Library. And the party is on! Tomorrow. Starting at 1:00 p.m. In beautiful downtown Deale.

• Enjoy the ShowStoppers from the S. County Senior Center!

• Bop to the sounds of the winner of the High Schools Battle of the Bands!

• Revel in the rythyms of classical poetry! (Hint: think Winnie-the-pooh)

• Wonder at the marvels of a 21st Century library: it's not your Mom's library!

• Chill to the sounds of the Jim Ballard Jazz Quartet!

You can download a program for the all-day affair from the library system's website. Show up anytime. Bring the whole family! The Celebration will be in full swing! It'll be a blast!

John L.

Snow Notes - February 2010

2010-02-09T15:48:00.026-05:00

HELP NEEDED

Lex and Stan Robertson at 1494 Kingsway Court have a long driveway and no reasonable way to clear it. Lex wrote: "Stan and I desperately need help with our driveway..he's getting ready to start clearing with his small scooper, ...." Today, thanks to some helpful neighbors, they're out! Lex reported, "Thanks to Glenn Peed and Charlie Ball, Stan and a mystery person, I'm out and was able to get to work today. Grateful appreciation to all who helped me."

Amy and Steve at 2133 Hallmark Dr. needed someone to shovel out their driveway and walk, preferably with a snow blower.They were "hoping someone has a snowblower and maybe a teenager willing to make some $....we are about shoveled out here." And someone came to the rescue! Amy reported, "I was lucky enough to find a kind neighbor to help."

[And if anyone answers this call for help, please let me, John Ludwigson, know too. I wouldn't mind knowing a willing shoveler. Heaving snow isn't a recommended activity for us 70+ year old geezers!]

THANKS FOR THE HELP

And from Ed Rothe whose neighbors dug him out, thanks and a before-and-after photo:

"Nancy and I wish to give a big thank you to our kind neighbors on Branchwood Terrace; Fred, Carl, John & Bob who have worked so hard to keep the cul-de-sac and driveways plowed. Can Spring be here too soon?"

9 February 2010

JL -- see #Snowpocalypse on Twitter

Annual Meeting Meets Again—UPDATE #2 1/2

2010-01-20T20:52:00.015-05:00

The HWPOA annual meeting will be held on Thursday, February 4, at 7:00 p.m. in the Village Commons Community Center, 1326 Main Chapel Way, in the Village at Waugh Chapel Shopping Center, at Waugh Chapel Road and Maryland Route 3 N.

We did not have a quorum at the January 11 meeting, so this re-meet has been scheduled. The VCCC has plenty of room and plenty of parking spaces, and is easy to get to with a short drive from Hallmark Woods.

I'll post more information here as it becomes available. For now, mark the date on your calendar and plan to come out and support your community. A formal announcement letter should be out shortly.

John L.

UPDATE: If you just cannot make it to the meeting, please fill out the proxy form included with the announcement and hand it to someone you trust to vote your interests (don't leave it in a mailbox or newspaper tube). The two signatories to the letter would be a good choice, IMHO. You could also designate me (or any other homeowner who will be at the meeting) if you wish.

Red Face Department: Turns out that, according to the most recent iteration of our documents, a quorum for the meeting will be 56 homeowners (i.e., 60% of the homes), not the 47 (half of the 93 homes in Hallmark Woods) mentioned in the letter. That means that your presence, or proxy, is even more important.

26 January 2010

UPDATE #2 1/2: Well, 18 live bodies holding 13 proxies turned up at the meeting tonight, Feb. 4. So there will be one additional meeting, now scheduled for Thursday, February 25, at 7 p.m. The location will be the same—the Village Commons Community Center. Maybe this time there won't be the threat of #snowpocalypse (as the twitter hashtag goes). And, NOTE: whoever shows up, plus the proxies, will constitute a legal quorum.

4 February 2010

P.S. I have posted a few snow photos from today along with my album from December on Facebook at: tiny.cc…XA3uk

Haiti

2010-01-14T16:11:00.010-05:00

Here's some information on the earthquake in Haiti and organizations that can use your help in responding to the horrendous human crisis.

• U.S. Geological Survey earthquake information page

• Haiti earthquake maps - Google Maps Mania

• "Askusnow" comprehensive collection of Haiti information links

• American Red Cross International Response Fund

• Pan American Relief Urgent Appeal for Haiti

• Oxfam Haiti Earthquake Appeal

• Doctors Without Borders, U.S.A. site

• ClintonBushHaitiFund — for immediate relief and long-term rebuilding

• The White House Haiti Statement and help links

Please do what you can: the people of Haiti have it hard in good times, now they are suffering beyond measure.

Thanks,

John L.

HWPOA's Moving Meeting

2010-01-04T20:27:00.004-05:00

Puzzlement! When is the Hallmark Woods Property Owners Association annual meeting?

The official, mailed letter notification says it's on Monday, January 11. But the HW website now says it's on Wednesday, January 13 !! That is, unless you go to the Community Calendar offered therein which still says it's on Monday, January 11.

Maybe we should all show up on both dates? Party hardy? A sort of community pub crawl?

Gosh, sorta tough to plan ahead around here.

John L.

P.S. Anyone planning to volunteer to be a HWPOA director for next year? Time to get your nomination in order before the meeting — whenever it may be.

Merry Christmas! & A Happy New Year!

2009-12-24T18:44:00.005-05:00

Frosty had to run before the rains hit and washed him away, but he left a message: "Merry Christmas to everyone, and a Very Happy New Year!"

Couldn't have said it better myself. But back in 1823, someone did say it better: Maj. Henry Livingston (or Clement Clarke Moore, depending on rather thin evidence) in the poem: A Visit from St. Nicholas. Go read this Wikipedia discussion, then the poem itself. It's a classic for good reason.

Enjoy!

John L.

It's Give Back Time !

2009-11-11T12:36:00.012-05:00

Got some free time, or spare change burning a hole in your pocket? Trundle on down to the Volunteer Center for Anne Arundel County and sign up to give back a bit to this wonderful world/nation/state/county. Their website notes:

Since the Volunteer Center opened in 2001, we have referred more than 13,000 volunteers to over 300 nonprofit, governmental and faith-based agencies creating nearly $2 Million of added value to our County in volunteer time per year. The bottom line is volunteering isn’t just nice, it’s necessary to solving some of our toughest local challenges. In this time of goodwill, the Volunteer Center needs your support to recruit, train and deploy people who want to play a part in meeting our community’s critical needs.

Do it now! You'll be glad you did!

John L.

We Aren't the First to Live Here...

2009-10-04T11:08:00.007-04:00

This point was found here in early September by Nancy Rothe while she was digging potatoes in her back yard garden.

Archeologists at an AA County Chapter meeting of the Archeological Society of Maryland agreed that this projectile point is made of rhyolite, a volcanic rock that is not found locally (the rocks underlying Hallmark Woods are primarily sedimentary). It probably came from a site in Frederick County, Maryland. The Indians are known to have traveled there to collect material to bring back home to flake their points..

It is a 'dart point' rather than an arrowhead, which means it was hafted to a spear which was thrown with an atlatl, a sort of throwing stick that enabled greater speed and range.

The tip and stem are broken off, which is not uncommon in such finds. Points were valuable, so unless lost they were re-flaked and reused, and were not discarded until broken beyond repair. The point appears to be from the Archaic period of ca. 2000 b.c.

The archeologists agreed that it is probable that more could be found nearby, so keep your eyes open, and you may get lucky.

Nancy Rothe

Why is Reform Dragging? ...and a Reality Check

2009-08-08T19:39:00.012-04:00

Considering how many problems there are with our slapdash health care system, you'd think meaningful reform would be a snap.... right? But it drags, and now the U.S. Congress is fleeing town for their well-earned (sic) summer vacation with the job barely begun.

A large part of the problem was outlined yesterday by Steven Pearlstein in his column in the Washington Post. And Steve Benen attempted an analysis in his column, Political Animal in The Washington Monthly today.

Finally, the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives has offered another post in her MythBusting series, explaining the truth behind the false allegations being spread by some opponents of health care reform.

It affects all of us, sooner or later. If you care at all, contact your elected reps in Congress (links in earlier post here).

John L.

UPDATE: More MythBusting, this time from the horse's mouth, the White House's new Reality Check website. -JL-

There Goes the Neighborhood!

2009-08-06T17:17:00.011-04:00

For years, the house at 2176 Hallmark has sat empty, lonely, hoping someone would come back to bring life to its empty rooms again. But alas! Decay set in; it developed a bumper crop of mold, especially after a water leak in the basement and damage to the back of the roof. And today, Thursday, August sixth, 2009, the old house met its fate.

By the time your intrepid editor reached the scene (about 3 p.m.), most of the house had been mashed and hauled away. But there was still the basement and the concrete slabs within.

Just a few sticks left... and they go directly into the rolloff/dumpster.

The contractor said the site will be leveled and smoothed over–just another empty lot when they are finished. The concrete pieces are to be recycled, as apparently will be aluminum parts. But most of the old, moldy house will just have to rest forever in the county landfill. Plans now are to rebuild on the site in a year or two.

Ave atque vale! Old House!

John L.

GONE! Indeed the contractors did right by the site, leveled and seeded. (13 August 2009)

Health Care Reform

2009-07-30T12:14:00.015-04:00

Although not just a Hallmark Woods issue, Health Care Reform being considered right now in the U.S. Congress will affect us all. Here's a couple of websites with the facts on the proposals, and also the websites of our Congressional delegation should you want to let them know what you think....

From the White House, a summary of President Obama's proposal, and a longer explanation from his town meeting in North Carolina.

From the U.S. House of Representatives, the Speaker's Health Insurance Mythbusting page.

U.S. Representative John Sarbanes website.

U.S. Senator Benjamin L. Cardin's website.

U. S. Senator Barbara Mikulski's website.

If we don't speak up, we'll get the status quo. That's expensive for everyone and disastrous for many. America can do better.

John L.

"oldbot" on Twitter

Tomato Crop Threatened by Fungus

2009-07-17T14:53:00.011-04:00

Home gardens, as well as commercial fields, are seriously threatened by an unusual outbreak of the fungus known as "late blight", apparently due to the very wet conditions earlier in the year, according to a report in the NY Times today. The article notes:

"A highly contagious fungus that destroys tomato plants has quickly spread to nearly every state in the Northeast and the mid-Atlantic, and the weather over the next week may determine whether the outbreak abates or whether tomato crops are ruined, according to federal and state agriculture officials."

Check your tomatoes carefully for signs of the blight; if there's anything like the infection shown in the photo, pull them out immediately, seal them in a plastic bag, and send them to the landfill. If you don't, and compost the infected plants instead, the spores will infect your compost and therefore future crops in your garden. The blight is related to one that caused the Irish Potato Famine of the mid-19th century.

A really good source of further information on this and other garden problems is Cornell University's Vegetable Diseases website. Worth bookmarking!

John L.

The Horror in Iran — And the Beauty

2009-06-22T13:28:00.011-04:00

A staple saying of American patriotism is: "Freedom isn't Free!" Nowhere is this better illustrated these days than in Iran, where a popular protest against what people worldwide see as a rigged election outcome is being met with brute force by government thugs. Peaceful marches of millions of Iranians have been broken up by attackers with clubs, tear gas, and guns.

There isn't much outsiders can do about it—any interference (real or manufactured) is seized upon by the government of Iran in an effort to shift the blame for the problem to anyone or anywhere but them. Nonetheless, we can keep up to date and issue what encouragement we can to the protesters through Twitter (add hashtag #iranelection to your posts, and search for that tag to see the tens of thousands of others). President Obama has issued cautious statements condemning the violence, but wisely avoiding overt endorsement of the protests.

News of the protests can be found at the New York Times' blog The Lede; as well as at the Huffington Post's Iran Updates blog by the indefatigable Nico Pitney. There is also a good running account of important events on the blog of the (U.S.) National Iranian-American Council. A website in the name of Mir Hossein Mousavi (the allegedly defeated candidate in the elections) is useful, and Mousavi has his own (official) page on Facebook, too (partly in Persian). Finally, the Twitspam website keeps tabs on garbage posts on Twitter from internet trolls and Iranian government disinformation efforts.

John L.

Fascinating Tehran: Not everything in the capital of Iran is ablaze with conflict. It's generally a large, modern city, as shown in these photos posted by a native. Note that there are two pages of pix, linked at the bottom of the page.

Miracle on Hallmark Drive !

2009-06-17T17:11:00.004-04:00

Only a few days ago I lamented the once-again weedy appearance of our entrance area. But what a difference a few days has made! The weeds have been banished, and there are new plantings by the electrical box and by our sign, which seems to have been moved to better advertise our existence.

It looks as though the beds over the creek remain untouched; perhaps the directors ran out of money? (Who can tell? There are no reports or minutes of their meetings on the HW website.) But the two areas that have been updated begin to look good.... almost as though the people here are actually proud of their community and its appearance.

I'd have photos of the new plantings, but it's been rainy. Soon......

John L.

Fathers' Day: The rains stopped for the nonce, so here's a couple of images of our wonderful new entrance.

Getting there.... someday!

Stealth Board of Directors?

2009-06-12T10:43:00.005-04:00

Has anyone else noticed? The Hallmark Woods website no longer has any minutes of any meetings: not the board of directors, not the annual meeting, nada! There's only a lame notice of cancellation of the directors' scheduled June 1 meeting.

Are there no minutes? Or are they just no longer being shared with the community? Maybe if enough HW residents ask.....??? Or maybe the directors really aren't doing anything?

And what became of the vaunted new entrance landscaping? No signs of life there, either, just ever-growing weeds, and another lame line on the website urging us to watch for the new landscaping..... zzzzzzzzz.....

John L.

Rainscaping — Keep Pollution Out of the Bay

2009-06-08T16:52:00.009-04:00

The Rainscaping campaign is underway... there 's a website, signs you can post, example rain gardens to visit, and now a video on YouTube featuring the program's sparkplug, Zora Lathan. In a recent report to participants, she wrote:

The RainScaping Campaign—an Environmental Partnership for Stormwater Runoff Solutions—currently has 37 (and growing) partners, all with a common purpose of improving the health of our tributaries and the Chesapeake Bay by motivating a critical mass of residents to make RainScaping the norm in Anne Arundel County. After more than a year of planning and development, the RainScaping Campaign, including RainScaping.org, was officially launched on Earth Day, April 22, 2009, to encourage residents to practice “RainScaping…Beautiful Solutions to Water Pollution.” RainScaping, aka Low Impact Development (LID), is a broad term for a series of landscaping technique, including the installation of rain gardens, using rain barrels, planting native trees and shrubs, replacing impervious surfaces with permeable surfaces and more—all of which reduce polluted runoff.....

Check it out. Consider installing a rain garden in your own yard. Or a rain barrel to catch some of the wasted water from your house's downspouts. Or volunteer to help out. Little by little we can Save The Bay!

John L.

It Can't Happen Here..... — UPDATED

2009-06-02T14:05:00.013-04:00

He was just riding his bike in his neighborhood when they came at him. Maybe seven older boys who thought it acceptable behavior to slug Christopher Jones in the head. But there were eyewitnesses as Jones tried to pedal away but fell from his bike and hit his head on the street. He died. Last night there was a vigil for the kid on the street where he died.... the street by his house. The Baltimore Sun had the story:

"I want to encourage you tonight to make a choice to give up the violence … not retaliate, to forgive," Pastor Dennis Gray, of the Riva Trace Baptist Church, told the crowd, many of them teens, gathered at the spot where Christopher D. Jones was fatally injured Saturday in his Crofton neighborhood.

Could this happen in Hallmark Woods? Read the story in the Sun. In an earlier story in The Washington Post, Jones' mother had it right: it could happen anywhere. Even in a nice, clean, upscale neighborhood with neat little brick houses.

We can pray for Christopher, and go leave flowers at the memorial on his street. But we also need to promise ourselves to do whatever it takes to see that our kids know the difference between right and wrong, and that they have the inner strength to always stand firmly for the right.

John L.

Update: Anne Arundel Couonty police have agreed to put some effort into anti-gang work in and around Crofton:

"Hours after the funeral for Christopher David Jones, police Chief Col. James Teare Sr. told a crowd of more than 500 people to expect to see a mobile command unit, along with foot and bicycle patrols in their Crofton-area neighborhoods."

Wanna bet it doesn't last? What will be the situation a year from now? Will the cops still be there? Will the parents step up?

Update 2: Today (Wed. 10 June) the Baltimore Sun has more. Seems a firebombing in Odenton may have been an attempt at revenge for Christopher's death.

The Problem With the Bay — It's Us !

2009-05-23T11:54:00.005-04:00

Years and years of bumper stickers ("Save the Bay") and cleanup days, not to mention importuning politicians have failed to clean up the Chesapeake Bay. In fact, it's getting inexorably worse. The basic problem, generally ignored until now, is addressed in an article in The Chesapeake Bay Journal written by Lara Lutz.

In the early days of the Bay cleanup efforts, public presentations about the Chesapeake often included an illustration from the comic strip "Pogo," with the character's famous saying, "We have met the enemy, and he is us."

If so, the Bay has more enemies than ever. In the years since those outreach efforts took place in the mid-1980s, nearly 3 million more people have arrived in Bay's watershed. They consume forests and farmland, and generate pollution.

Now, as the human population of the Bay watershed cruises toward 17 million, author and conservationist Tom Horton is asking hard questions about the Bay's biggest long-term problem: growth.

What to do? The article has many suggestions, but may still not address the fundamental problem: there's just too many people around. And if they don't live here, where will they – and all the associated problems – live? And if we don't like the Chinese solution (one child per family, or else...), what will we do?

I hope you will read the article and ponder its implications for all of us. For it isn't somebody else's problem: it's ours.

John L.

President Shakes Up Chesapeake Bay Restoration

2009-05-12T19:38:00.011-04:00

Noting the general lack of progress in cleaning up the Chesapeake Bay (something your editor has also noticed at first hand... the water is like a thick soup of murky sediment), President Obama has ordered a renewed federal effort. His executive order of May 12, 2009, begins:

The pollutants that are largely responsible for pollution of the Chesapeake Bay are nutrients, in the form of nitrogen and phosphorus, and sediment. These pollutants come from many sources, including sewage treatment plants, city streets, development sites, agricultural operations, and deposition from the air onto the waters of the Chesapeake Bay and the lands of the watershed.

Restoration of the health of the Chesapeake Bay will require a renewed commitment to controlling pollution from all sources as well as protecting and restoring habitat and living resources, conserving lands, and improving management of natural resources, all of which contribute to improved water quality and ecosystem health. The Federal Government should lead this effort. Executive departments and agencies (agencies), working in collaboration, can use their expertise and resources to contribute significantly to improving the health of the Chesapeake Bay.

Progress in restoring the Chesapeake Bay also will depend on the support of State and local governments, the enterprise of the private sector, and the stewardship provided to the Chesapeake Bay by all the people who make this region their home.

Follow the link above in the text, or in the headline for this article, to read or download the entire order. Looks as though The Bay may finally see some progress... which is desperately needed!

John L.

Staples Corner Redesign — UPDATE

2009-04-29T16:38:00.005-04:00

Tomorrow, April 30, 2009, another of the design study meetings for revamping Staples Corner will take place at Crofton Middle School at 7:00 p.m.*

The Office of Planning and Zoning will present a concept plan to illustrate how the study area might be improved. According to the announcement, the plan will address "streetscape improvements, site redevelopment scenarios, pedestrian and bicycle connections, and landscaping and other features."

Even if you can't show up, you can still address questions and comments to the planners, Michael Fox and Kevin Gambrill, at 410-222-7432.

John L.

*Update: The OPZ team arrived with very nice posters showing their proposed designs, based on input from the community at previous meetings. Many of the suggested improvements seem unlikely anytime soon as they all require funding, either from the state of Maryland which is already short of cash due to the recession or from would-be developers as a condition of permits. In any case, the proposals will be offered as inputs in the consideration of Anne Arundel County's General Development Plan which will be coming before the county council this year.

Rainy Day Ruse—Updated!

2009-03-28T10:28:00.008-04:00

Backyard (or frontyard) "rain gardens" could stop much of the pollution now entering the Chesapeake Bay at its source, according to Chesapeake Ecology Center director Zora Lathan. On Earth Day 2009 (April 22) a consortium of environmental partners will launch their new RainScaping Campaign and new website RainScaping.org.*

On Earth Day, that new website will "go live", but for now you can read all about it at the CEC's page on RainScaping. Basically, the idea is to corral the runoff from yards, streets, roofs, and other hard surfaces and channel it to rain gardens, which are simply low-lying vegetated depressions–generally three to six inches deep–where it can soak into the ground and nourish water-tolerant plants on its way through the natural filter of the plants and soil to recharge groundwater and increase needed base flow in our waterways.

There will be a lot more here on this wonderful "solution to pollution" as the weeks go past. For now, just visit CEC's website and soak it all in. And get ready to plant rain gardens!

John L.

* It's up! Have a look... and try it out in your own yard.

Winter's Last Snow

2009-03-05T13:56:00.006-05:00

Snow was still falling on Monday, March 2, when I spotted this silvery scene just up the road from my house. This'll be a happy memory come some 90+ degree day next July!

John L.

Most Bizarre Annual Meeting — Ever!

2009-01-13T15:57:00.008-05:00

The meeting came off just as described in my earlier post. But, unlike most annual meetings, we actually had a quorum the first time around (40 warm bodies plus maybe a dozen proxies), thanks to a concerted effort by a few dedicated neighbors to contact people and urge them to show up.

Not sure I want to try to summarize all the often-vigorous discussions that took place, but there were two main themes: (1.) Our board of directors discovered (again thanks to the efforts of a concerned neighbor) that they actually have very little power to force things on their neighbors; and (2.) The community decided to ignore the legal niceties and just proceed as in the past on the basis of goodwill and a general feeling of community. We passed a budget that will suffice to finish the entrance landscaping and pay the basic bills. And then everybody scooted out into the chill winter night.

I do have copies of both the final landscape plan for the entrance and a two-page summary of some legal points distributed by the president at the meeting. I will send you a copy of either or both if you are a Hallmark Woods resident; just email me at: joludwigson (at) verizon (dot) net [email link also in profile on the right].

Wonders will never cease!

John L.

[This post revised and expanded on 31 January 2009.]

International Year of Astronomy — 2009

2009-01-03T12:33:00.007-05:00

If you've checked out the southwestern sky recently, you know what a treat the universe can offer to those who look up. Now, in 2009, the worldwide astronomical community is hoping to engage everyone in appreciation of the wonders that surround us. From the U.S. website:

In the year 2009, the world will celebrate the International Year of Astronomy as it commemorates the 400th anniversary of Galileo’s use of a telescope to study the skies, and Kepler’s publication of Astronomia Nova. 2009 is also the anniversary of many other historic events in science, including Huygen’s 1659 publication of Systema Saturnium.This will be modern astronomy’s quadricentennial, and the 2009 Year of Astronomy will be an international celebration of numerous astronomical and scientific milestones. Events are still being planned, and you are invited to tell us how you want to celebrate. This page is a product of the U.S. 2009 IYA team, and we want to help you make 2009 a year long celebration to remember.

For good company in visiting the night sky, you might check out the National Capital Astronomers who offer many public programs, some of the armchair variety, and some of the outside-in-the-cold staring through telescopes kind.

As Jack Horkheimer always says, "Keep on looking up!"

John L.

Bush-Whacked !

2008-12-29T16:09:00.013-05:00

On Monday, December 22, the coldest day of the year (max 26° F), disaster descended on our faithful old entrance plantings. Even the stalwart old Holly was ripped out by the roots and thrown away, to be seen no more.

In place of the old guard, a swarm of newbies appeared upon the freshly denuded beds, looking hopeful as they waited to be settled in their new homes. By then, even our old split-rail fences had been yanked from their positions and hauled away.

Shoveling briskly (it was the next day, but no warmer!), a crew from the nursery (Green Landing Nursery of Upper Marlboro) set the transplants in their new homes. Unbagging the mulch from the stack on the truck, they lavished it on the new residents.

Voila! Behold the fabulous new entrance area of Hallmark Woods.

Of course, in all honesty, this is supposedly just Phase One. Depending on how things go at our annual meeting, now scheduled for Wednesday, January 21, Phase Two should come along in spring when it's warm enough to finish the plantings.

So please do come to the annual meeting: there will be many very important things to discuss and vote on!

John L.

Sky Lights

2008-12-02T15:25:00.012-05:00

For the past few evenings, anyone who looked into the sky in the southwest saw a wonderful astronomical sight: the brilliant planets Venus and Jupiter close together and out-shining anything in the sky. Except for the crescent moon, of course, which joined the two planets Monday night. If you missed that, don't despair, however. The two planets will remain close together for a while, according to Sky and Telescope magazine. And then Venus and the Moon will have a return engagement.

Although the three objects look close together, the appearance is deceiving. The Moon is only 252,000 miles away, less far than you may have driven a car in your lifetime. Right now Venus is 370 times farther away, at 94 million miles. And Jupiter, at 540 million miles, is nearly six times farther than Venus.

To put it another way: the Moon is currently 1.4 light-seconds distant, Venus is 8.4 light-minutes distant, and Jupiter is 42 light-minutes away. That's how long the light from each of them has been traveling through space before it hits your eye. Moreover, although Jupiter looks like a tiny dot, it's actually 40 times wider than the Moon.

If the sky is cloudy for this celestial gathering, don't despair. Venus and the crescent Moon will have another spectacular twilight pairing (though without Jupiter) on December 31st, New Year's Eve!

You might also check out the Washington Post's Sky Watch column by Blaine P. Friedlander, jr., which has more on upcoming astronomical delights in the sky and in the area. And keep an eye on the evening sky, especially toward the southwest; when the clouds part, there's beauty up there and it's all yours!

John L.

Annual Meeting Approaches — UPDATE !!

2008-11-26T10:09:00.007-05:00

It's almost time once again for the annual Hallmark Woods "Theater of the Absurd", aka the HWPOA annual meeting. As of now, it's scheduled for January 12, 2009, most likely at 7:00 pm and probably (since the county library meeting room is already taken for that date) in a garage at 2173 Hallmark Drive.

I call it absurd since usually only a small fraction of homeowners actually show up. Some apparently just don't care; some just unthinkingly check off a proxy form and send it in; but at least a few stalwart citizens do their duty and actually appear and participate in the discussions and voting. Hats off to them!

This year, if you can't participate in person, please take a moment to read your proxy form* carefully and indicate your preferences for the future of our community. Better yet, give your proxy to a neighbor who will be at the meeting and who will vote as you desire. Best of all, drag yourself to the meeting, where you can meet your neighbors (including the incumbent directors) and voice your opinions in person.

And if you think you'd like to really help out, throw your hat in the ring and run for one of the two director posts that will be open. Time for some new blood there!

John L.

From the Horse's Mouth: The meeting will be on Wednesday, 21 January at 2173 Hallmark Drive at 7:00 p.m. If we don't have a quorum (the usual case), a second meeting will convene on Monday, 26 January at 7 p.m. in the same place (probably the garage out in the woods).

* Note that this year the announcement letter did not include a proxy form, as it did in previous years. You can still vote by proxy, but you'll have to draft your own form: it should simply state that you award your proxy on all matters to [name of your preferred representative here] at the Hallmark Woods 2009 Annual Meeting and any subsequent meetings, and be signed and dated using your full name and including your address.

JL.

Last Gasp Landscape Committee Meeting–update

2008-11-14T15:25:00.011-05:00

Tonight, Friday, November 14, 2008, 7:00 pm, at 2181 Hallmark Drive.

View the landscape plan! Offer comments!

Last chance before January!

John L.

P.S. They met (all five of 'em), they examined the architect's final drawing/plan, they discussed some features of it (the cost of some trees, for example), and they approved it for submission to the HWPOA directors at their meeting this next Monday, 17 November 2008, at 2161 Hallmark Drive. For the record, just two observers showed up for the committee meeting. Makes ya wonder if anyone cares.....

The plan is very similar to the one on the HW website (Sketch B), but with the possible plantings detailed on it. Now it will be up to the directors to approve the plan, get contractors to bid on implementing it, and present it to the community at our annual meeting on 12 January 2009.* Meantime, if you can't find a copy of the committee-approved plan on the HW website, you can email me (address in profile at the top of the sidebar) and I'll send you one... or click on the image below for a larger copy.

And, of course, if you review the plan and have any comments, you can post them here or send them directly to the directors.

* UPDATE: The directors seem to have had other intentions. They accepted the plan, but then passed a lengthy motion to not wait until January, but use money from the association's bank account to implement a "Phase 1" immediately, leaving "Phase 2" to sometime next year when (they expect) HW property owners all will have sent in their extra $125 (for a total of about $200 for the year).

Assuming a contractor will be available (the landscape committee chairman was to find out), Phase 1 would involve such things as digging up all the existing plantings (holly, euonymous, etc.) and planting the new hollies that would then start growing through the winter season. The dug-up bushes, apparently, would be just trashed. –JL–

Election Night Comprehensive Coverage

2008-11-03T10:31:00.015-05:00

You will VOTE! Right? And then...

After the polls close at 8 p.m., you can go to WBAL Radio's website to soak yourself in political news and clickable maps with election info updated as the returns come in. The intro video is already up:

And with any luck....

John L.

–– OBAMA !! ––

Curiouser and Curiouser. . .

2008-10-27T11:14:00.008-04:00

The HWPOA board of directors plans to hold a special board meeting tonight, Monday October 27 at 7 p.m. at 2161 Hallmark Drive. The announcement of the meeting is here.

Why another meeting when they just had a meeting a week ago on October 20? Seems some board members want to reconsider a vote taken at that meeting. That vote, as I understand it, was to hold a community-wide meeting sometime in late November or early December to introduce Hallmark property owners to the results of the deliberations of the resurrected landscape committee (see earlier article here on woodsblog...), and to vote as a community to accept or reject that plan.

The landscape committee has been working with a landscape architect in Annapolis, Deborah Schwab, to produce a design appropriate for Hallmark Woods. They have selected one option as the best so far and are planning to meet with Ms. Schwab to finalize the design and go over a list of possible options (such as plants, landscape elements, possible contractors...).

Show up tonight and you might learn where all this is going....

John L.

>> Both resolutions listed in the agenda passed, with one dissension on the meeting (the first resolution listed). The full text of them both (the first was three pages long!) will be published on the HW website as part of the meeting minutes, we were told. All five board members showed up, as well as 9 non-board members. Discussion was at best anemic. More, I am sure, later. –JL–

Staples Corner Design Meeting

2008-10-24T12:32:00.005-04:00

They're baaaaack! The Anne Arundel County Office of Planning and Zoning will hold the second public meeting on the Staples Corner Urban Design Study on Wednesday, November 12, at 7:00 p.m. at the Crofton Middle School.

According to their announcement letter, "The project team will present the results of the survey [filled out by participants in the first meeting; see earlier post here], summarize key opportunities and constraints, and discuss the preliminary findings of the travel demand analysis and road improvement alternatives."

If you care at all what Staples Corner will look like, or how easy/hard it will be to drive through there once any "improvements" (such as a roundabout) are built, show up and make your voice heard. Meantime, if you have any questions or comments, call the Planning & Zoning office at (410) 222-7432 and discuss them with Lynn Miller (the Planning Administrator), Michael Fox, or Kevin Gambrill.

John L.

The Crofton Way

2008-10-23T15:01:00.005-04:00

Back in June, I posted an article on The Joy of Community Associations describing the travails of some people in far-away Montgomery County. But this week's Annapolis Crabwrap (aka the Evening Capitol) brings the story closer to home with this engaging account of one homeowner's campaign against the establishment in his community.

One of the (real) joys of living in Hallmark Woods has always been that we've avoided this sort of self-immolation here. May it continue to be so.

John L.

Greening the Entrance?

2008-10-11T18:07:00.010-04:00

The resurrected entrance landscaping committee has held its first meeting, decided on a course of action... and disappeared into the haze. According to the minutes of their meeting,* they are now working with two or three professional landscape designers to come up with alternative plans for the entrance. These apparently will be presented to the board of directors in November and then to the entire community (or whoever actually shows up) at our January 2009 annual meeting.

Meanwhile, things are pretty quiet. Another committee meeting is definitely scheduled for Friday, October 17, at 7 p.m. at 1491 Kingsway Court. If you plan to attend it's always a good idea to check with one of the committee members named in the minutes (link above). Or, with some luck, there might be a sign at our entrance announcing the meeting.

Amazing how much their operations sound like those of the original landscaping committee! Apparently they've even considered the few constructive responses we got to our survey!

John L.

* Congratulations to whoever typed up those minutes! They're done correctly, as a chronological account of what happened, and are presented in the universal .pdf format (instead of the often problematical Word table format). Give that person a contract!

Elf Attack !!

2008-09-20T13:26:00.010-04:00

The weeds stood no chance. A horde* of (Hallmark) woods elves, wielding weapons fearsome even by medieval standards, descended en masse upon them this morning. Ripping, slicing, hacking, sawing... they cut their way through the unsuspecting weeds with fierce determination borne of months of frustration. In the end, only the revered old plants (the venerable Holly, his worthy companions Euonymous, and a pyracantha or two) remained standing upon the liriope-rimmed entrance beds.

And the elves departed, melting once again into the (Hallmark) woods, leaving no trace of their ferocious onslaught, save only the piles of formerly sturdy weeds now secreted among the trees of the surrounding forest. Yet, their battle cries still echo there: "That's better!"... "Much better!"... "We done good!"... "Death to weeds!"

A wandering photographer happened by after the battle and recorded the scene:

H. W. Elf

*...at least ten of 'em, according to an observer hidden amongst the trees. It should be noted that this was an unofficial band of elves. It was organized by one of them (not your humble editor) since our board of directors has refused for at least a year to do anything about the entrance weeds.

The Right Thing To Do...

2008-09-05T14:47:00.037-04:00

Hallmark Woods has long had a beautiful entrance area – unique among local communities. Ours is distinctive and elegant, not the pretentious "upscale" glitz that adorns many other front doors. (Gatehouses, brick walls, huge stone signs... all designed to impress gullible would-be residents.) It was developed by our neighbors over many years of volunteer efforts and contributions. In appreciation of their work, I offer the following plan for immediate care and improvement of our heritage. It is inexpensive (as such things go), can be started right away, and will continue our traditional look, so appropriate for our community.*

________________________________________________

Proposal 1. Maintain/enhance present entrance

The present design, arrangement of beds, and general plantings are dignified, elegant, quiet, and entirely appropriate for Hallmark Woods. We should keep the general look and layout as is.
It does now, fall 2008, need weeding and general maintenance. So we should:

–––––––––––––––––
1. Weed the present planting beds.
2. Test the soil for pH, and NPK levels and amend the soil as needed with limestone, compost (can be bagged), and slow-release fertilizer.
3. Replace all the existing split-rail fence. It is old and much of it is crumbling. It will be cheaper and easier to just replace all of it at once.
4. Plant a few bushes to supplement those that are already there/fill in “holes” in the plantings. Choose plants that are native to the area and drought-resistant.
5. Consult with native plant experts such as those at Chesapeake Native Nursery or the Maryland Master Gardener Program (410-222-6757) to choose appropriate varieties of flowers, perennials, etc.
6. Consider planting ornamental grasses.
7. Plan to plant bulbs in the fall: daffodils, tulips (?), perhaps tiger/day lilies....
8. Check with AA County about right-of-way along the street and filling in the “Hallmark Hole”.
9. Also check with BGE and Verizon re wires and their needs.
10. Are there any restrictions due to this being a Chesapeake Bay drainage area?

____________________________________

Comments welcome. You can click the Comments link below or send them directly to our HWPOA president. Or both!

John L.

* –– If the community doesn't insist on implementing Proposal 1. (above) or something like it, we will probably get the old board-of-directors's plan which calls for the destruction of all the existing plantings at the entrance. As the low-bid contractor stated in his proposal, he will: "Remove all plants from existing beds. Move sign closer to road. Construct two rock columns adjacent to sign....."

Raising the Dead

2008-08-26T11:44:00.025-04:00

The Hallmark Woods Front Entrance Landscape Renovation Planning Committee lives! Although clearly dissolved on July 28 by an unfortunate memo posted on the community website, at last night's board of directors meeting it was miraculously brought back to life!

There are a few changes, however. It will now have a chairman appointed by the HWPOA president, and several more stringent reporting requirements (which will be part of that chairman's duties). On the bright side, the newly-resurrected committee will now have until November 15 (when the 2009 budget must be prepared) to report its recommendations to the HW directors. The new version also will have more members: inistead of the five of the former incarnation (of whom three have declined to serve on the resurrected version), it will now have somewhere around ten. If you'd like to volunteer, or have some good ideas to offer, contact the president at the email link above.

Should you just want to track what the committee is up to, you have two choices: read the minutes of their meetings on the HWPOA website; or actually visit one or more of the meetings, which will be announced on that website.* Or, you could just wait until January when, presumably, the results will be announced at the community's annual meeting.

For even more details, consult the minutes of last night's (25 August 2008) meeting, also to be found on the HWPOA website.

John L.

P.S. Rumor has it that the rampant weeds at our entrance will be attacked by a platoon of civic-minded volunteers sometime in September. – Yes! The date is this Saturday, September 20, from 9 to 11 in the morning. Meet at the entrance; bring a hoe or pruning shears...

* The resurrected committee will hold its first meeting Friday, September 12, at 7 p.m. See the HWPOA website for details. – Ooops! There wasn't any meeting announcement there at all! Maybe minutes will show up sometime.

woodsblog... is Independent !

2008-08-26T08:22:00.003-04:00

At last night's HWPOA directors' meeting our president asserted that some folks see woodsblog... as a publication of the association. Wrong! woodsblog... is an independent voice for the residents of Hallmark Woods – and a personal blog of your humble (!) Editorus Rex (see sidebar).

A lengthier paragraph on this blog and its role is at the bottom of every page here. Please read it. And help out by contributing an essay or comment. All that's required is that you live here, and that you're civil.

John L.

Stuff It !

2008-08-13T16:10:00.007-04:00

Whilst contemplating the weeds at our entrance and what to do about them, perhaps this bit of deep philosophical analysis will suggest a way forward.

Enjoy!

John L.

Weedy, weedy, weedy....

2008-07-27T19:51:00.019-04:00

Hallmark Woods' poor neglected entrance area is growing a lush crop of crabgrass and other native – but not necessarily welcome – flora. Of course, the various bushes and other plantings lovingly installed years ago also are growing luxuriantly – but haphazardly, without the slightest hint of pruning.

Survey

Obviously, our entrance - our "front door" - needs some attention. But what? Should we simply maintain it as is (but without the weeds!)? Add some plantings – bushes, flowers, trees – but keep the beds as they are? Or go "whole hog" and start over from scratch (far and away the most expensive, and most problematical option)?

The Hallmark Woods Entrance Area Landscaping Committee (see previous entry) has prepared a survey and distributed it to every house in the community asking your opinions, thoughts, and suggestions on this. The survey form also asks for your estimate of what you might be willing to pay for the options you suggest,and for maintenance of the area in subsequent years.

Please return your survey forms as soon as possible* to any member of the committee listed in the accompanying cover letter. Just tuck it into the member's newspaper tube, or knock on the door and hand it to us: we'd be glad to meet you and discuss the matter with you.

and Thank You Very Much !!

John L.

* Despite the recent fuss over our activities, we'd still welcome your filled-out survey forms as above. Or you could email your comments on the landscaping to our HWPOA president.

Landscaping Committee First Meeting

2008-06-25T19:22:00.006-04:00

The Hallmark Woods Entrance Landscaping Committee is scheduled to have its first, albeit brief, meeting Thursday, 26 June 2008, at 7 p.m. at 2161 Hallmark Drive (the McClurgs' house). This will be, I think, mainly an organizational meeting for the approximately eight volunteers.

We will have plenty of work to do: in brief, the committee will need to look closely at the existing entrance landscaping and consider what changes, if any, should be made; even more importantly, it will need to make a strong effort to both inform the entire Hallmark Woods community of the project and solicit the homeowners' preferences for the entrance area. With any luck, this will lead to several finished proposals for going forward which will be presented at a community meeting this fall. Then, the HW residents can choose which to actually implement.

Of course, all this is my own prognostication.* What actually happens will be up to the committee members and the community response the effort receives – or the lack of it. Since this is our community's front door, we're hoping people will respond with enthusiasm! I'll keep you posted.

John Ludwigson

* As a first step, we agreed to meet on Sunday morning, 29 June, at 10 a.m. at the entrance for an on-scene discussion of the possibilities and problems. You are welcome to join us there – all our meetings will be open to members of the Hallmark Woods community. JL

Staples Corner Urban Design Meeting

2008-06-23T11:47:00.002-04:00

A large crowd – more than usual for such meetings according to the Planning officials – turned out to listen and offer their concerns and advice at the first project meeting for the Staples Corner urban design project. In all it looked like more than 100 people crowded the media center (library) at Crofton Middle School on Wednesday, June 18, at 7 pm.

A few points stood out:

• The county planners are not considering recasting the area for big box stores (think Wal-Mart) or hi-rise office or apartment buildings, they repeatedly assured us. The intent is for Staples Corner to remain low-key commercial as it is now, but make it more accessible and safe for pedestrians and bicyclists. The planners refer to it as a "village center" concept.

• Reno's Restaurant has a lot of fans in the area! People kept coming back to this – that the restaurant is a community center, beloved by local residents, and must continue to be a part of the area. The planning officials seemed to agree.

• A traffic circle or roundabout brought mixed reactions: about half the audience seemed to think they're the solution to the traffic problems of such intersections; the other half thought they would be a disaster that would only contribute to congestion and rush hour backups. The planners said they needed more time to analyze their data on traffic patterns and come up with possibly workable solutions. Everyone agreed that the ever-increasing traffic at Staples Corner is dangerous (especially for anyone on foot) and maddeningly slow at some times such as evening rush hour and when the Renaissance Festival is open in the fall.

Two more community meetings are planned: the next to be on transportation issues (the traffic analysis and consideration of various possibilities including mass transit); and then one on urban design concepts when these are fully developed.

Contact: Lynn Miller, planning administrator; Michael Fox, senior planner; or Kevin Gambrill, community planner at 410-222-7432 (Office of Planning and Zoning, Long Range Planning)

John L.

Who Me? Partisan?

2008-06-19T22:56:00.004-04:00

Today I was going to post a report on the Staples Corner meeting... but that will wait until tomorrow. Tonight I want to add what I think is a great video of Barack Obama explaining himself to Americans who may not have been following the campaigns. It looks like this:

Enjoy!

John Ludwigson

Staples Corner Public Hearing — ALERT !!

2008-06-16T15:46:00.007-04:00

The Anne Arundel County Office of Planning will hold a public hearing on their ideas for redeveloping Staples Corner (at Md. routes 424 and 450) this Wednesday, June 18, at 7 pm at Crofton Middle School. The announcement reads:

Public Meeting Scheduled

Annapolis, MD (June 6, 2008) - - The Anne Arundel County Office of Planning and Zoning, Long Range Planning Division is beginning work on an Urban Design Study for the Staples Corner area in Crofton. The purpose of the study is to develop a concept plan to enhance the commercial area, create a local activity hub or village center, improve traffic flow, and create an attractive gateway to Crofton.

Input from property owners in the study area as well as local community representatives will be valuable to the process, and we encourage everyone to attend and share their ideas for a creative plan for the area.

WHEN: June 18, 2008 at 7:00 pm

WHERE: Crofton Middle School

2301 Davidsonville Road

Crofton, Maryland 21114

For more information, please contact Lynn Miller at 410-222-7432.

Individuals needing special accommodations must communicate with the contact person at least 7 working days prior to the meeting at the appropriate number, or by e-mail or through the Maryland Relay Service at 7-1-1. All materials are available in an alternative format upon request.

I have no idea if our HWPOA directors plan to represent our interests at this meeting, but I urge each of you to show up. There's no telling what proposals may come up – huge office buildings, a traffic circle/roundabout...who knows? – but this is one we need to keep an eye on.

John L.

Scurrilous, Underhanded, Evil Political Nonsense

2008-06-12T11:31:00.007-04:00

It has come to our attention that a certain video pretending to be honest, moderate advocacy for a political party is actually devious, sneaky, despicable denigration of one party and its wonderful leader, our ever-popular emperor, Bush II. Secure in the conviction that people must judge (or enjoy, as the spirit moves you) this bit of dastardly backstabbing for themselves, I offer it here...

Please hold the applause: it's the least I can do for my country.

Should the above Flash video not appear for you, go to I'm Voting Republican.*

Your ever-vigilant moderator, the brown thumb himself...

John L.

* Please note: this post is not sponsored by any recognized political entity, human or otherwise.

Joy of Homeowners Associations...

2008-06-02T12:05:00.010-04:00

This past Sunday, the Washington Post Business section included a story on the problems that can arise when homeowners associations lose track of their obligations to serve the members of the communities they represent. It's a common, all-too-frequent, tale of missed connections and non-responsiveness, worth reading and taking to heart here as well as elsewhere....

As Disputes Escalate, So Can the Legal Bills
By Elizabeth Razzi
Sunday, June 1, 2008; F05

Beware the homeowners association squabble that escalates. Back-fence grousing over parking restrictions, architectural rules or allegations of cronyism can grow into civil war, and homeowners -- the source of all money in the association -- can end up paying big legal bills, no matter which side wins.
One long-running fight in Montgomery County shows why homeowners who serve as directors of their association had better pay strict attention to the details of good governance. People can be surprisingly dogged about how their dues are spent, how elections are held (even for thankless board-of-director jobs), and about how the rules are made, changed and enforced.
For Jo-Ann Fiscina, a decade-long resident of the Devonshire East Homeowners Association in Rockville, the battle with the board started back in 2005.

The full story is here.

Note that Montgomery County has a useful service for resolving these conflicts. I don't think Anne Arundel County has any such mediation service... but it should. Maybe if we contacted our county legislators?

John Ludwigson

Rainy Day Flower

2008-05-11T21:51:00.008-04:00

With the rain pouring down again this Sunday night, it seemed like a good time to present something cheery and summery. So here's another flower closeup from Ed Rothe, this time a dandelion... a fabulous flower we too often take for granted and even grump at when they pop up in our sacred carpets of zoysia. But not only are dandelions beautiful, but their leaves are edible in salads and the roots can be used as a coffee substitute. Click on the title at the top of this post for a most informative Wikipedia article on these wonderful lawn ornaments.

Enjoy the rain* – and the flower – while you can. It sure beats the dry times such as we had last August!

John L.

* Holy submarines, Boatman! As of last week we had a little more than 8 inches of rain according to our backyard rain gauge. This morning (Monday, 12 May) the gauge showed another 4 inches. That's one whole FOOT of rain this month: 12 full inches ! And it's still raining at 9:35 a.m.

• Note to "Anonymous" – unsigned comments, even innocuous ones, cannot be published here.

Spring !

2008-04-04T13:11:00.016-04:00

...... and a young man's fancy turns to thoughts of.... compost?.... lawn mowing?.... photography! Yes!

Ed Rothe found these Japanese Andromeda blossoms in his own yard, the perfect subject for a new digital camera with closeup lens. Pieris Andromeda, it turns out, is a widely adapted plant, although not a Maryland native. Obviously, it grows quite well here... as do banana trees in summer – witness the banana plant that appears every year by the mailbox of a house on Hallmark Drive. Ed promises more closeup photos to come, as he takes a good careful look at Mother Nature's delights.

Inspired by this good example (contributions welcome!), I ventured out into my own backyard and found these wonderful golden harbingers of spring... my own "host of golden daffodils".

And, what could be even more spring-like than a rousing game of croquet? Such as the annual duel to the death between the inimitable St. John's College and the formidable U.S. Naval Academy? This year's match is scheduled for April 20th on the lawn at St. John's. Everyone's welcome, you don't even have to dress for the occasion (though the United States Croquet Association does have a formal protocol for croquet matches....).

John L.

Bugs !

2008-03-08T19:57:00.005-05:00

They're comin' soon to a yard near you... and your screens still have holes in them from last year. And you hate the drudge of patching those holes yourself or the nuisance of hauling them off to the hardware store and paying through the proboscis to have them re-screened.

Fear not! Keith is here! Keith Richardson, that is; the proprietor of Keith's Screen Repair in Annapolis. I discovered him last week when I finally decided to do something about our aged screen door. I hauled the screen (not the whole door) in to his tiny shop on Lincoln Drive and within minutes he had replaced the old mesh. Even offered to replace the spreader bar that had vanished many years ago! Excellent job and very good price! I recommend him highly.

He has no web site; just call him at 410-626-8191 before you visit his shop (to make sure he's there – he opens around 2:30 p.m. now in the off-season) at 1932-B Lincoln Drive, off Chinquapin Round Road. If you don't want to bring your screens to him, he offers pickup and delivery service. Or he'll come out and rescreen your entire porch for you.

And beat the bugs* before they arrive!

John L.

* Bug info: University of Maryland Home and Garden Information Center

Trash Delivery?

2008-02-26T21:09:00.005-05:00

At our home (2129 Hallmark Drive) something occurred last week that has me perplexed. My elderly mother lives with us so she sees everything that occurs outside the house.

On Thursday morning February 21, a maroon late model pick-up truck (Ford or Chevy) stopped in front of my driveway. The vehicle approached from the dead-end, heading toward Rt. 450. The driver was an elderly man, maybe mid 60's. As we all know, Thursday is trash day, and thus my cans were out on the road. This gentleman got out of his truck, pulled out a large, white plastic trash bag and placed it in my trashcan.

Needless to say, I found this to be odd at least, and criminal at worst, so I guess I have a few questions:

Why would someone do this?
What would be so disgusting, toxic, or illegal that it would require a person to put their trash in some one else’s receptacle?
Does anyone in the neighborhood know who this might be?

I regularly see at least one maroon pick-up truck pass by, but I don't want to be accusatory.

If any one can shed some light on this matter, it would be greatly appreciated.

Michael Lewis

Lunar Eclipse Wednesday

2008-02-17T15:33:00.004-05:00

If the weather permits – and that's a big if – a total eclipse of the moon will be nearly impossible to miss here Wednesday evening. Conveniently arranged to appear in full color at prime viewing time, this will be the last such eclipse for nearly three years. The next total lunar eclipse visible anywhere isn't due until December 20-21, 2010.

For a front-row seat, just go outside at about 8:43 pm and look up. The moon should be high in the sky overhead and just starting to enter Earth's outer shadow (the penumbra). At 10 pm the 52-minute period of total eclipse will begin as the moon slides into the inner shadow (the umbra). By 12:09 am Thursday, the whole thing will be over.

During the event, the Moon makes a broad triangle with the bright planet Saturn and the somewhat fainter star Regulus, which marks the heart of Leo, the Lion.

This is the last of three total lunar eclipses within a year's time. The previous event, last August 28th, favored the Far West. The one before that, on March 3, 2007, favored eastern North America and Europe.

How and Why

A total lunar eclipse occurs when the Sun, Earth, and Moon form a nearly straight line in space, so that the full Moon passes through Earth's shadow. Unlike a solar eclipse, which requires special equipment to observe safely, you can watch a lunar eclipse with your unaided eyes. Binoculars or a telescope will enhance the view dramatically.

The outer part of Earth's shadow, the penumbra, creates only a slight dusky shading on the lunar disk. But as the Moon begins to move into the central and darkest part of Earth's shadow, the umbra, there's an obvious and ever-larger "bite" in the full Moon. The partial eclipse is then under way.

The total eclipse begins when the Moon is fully within the umbra. On February 20th, totality lasts 52 minutes. But the Moon likely won't disappear completely. It usually glows as an eerie, coppery red disk in the sky, as sunlight scattered around the edge of our atmosphere paints the lunar surface with a warm glow. This is light from all the sunrises and sunsets that are in progress around Earth at the time.

_______________

Visit Sky and Telescope magazine's website for much more on the eclipse and astronomy in general.

There's a hole in the bucket... *

2008-02-16T16:34:00.016-05:00

While striding down Hallmark Drive recently ("Exercise!" said the doctor.) I noticed a hole by the side of the road over the creek at the entrance. Being a curious sort, I peered in but couldn't tell how deep it was or where it went. So I got a stick and probed its depths. You can see the stick in this phone photo I snapped.

Now, that's not much of a hole, you say. OK, but it does go down at least two feet–obviously rain water has been draining through there so it's not too crazy to think it may go all the way through to the creek below. And, right next to the present hole is a spot in the road where there used to be a similar hole until it was paved over last year.

Could this be the start of something big? Watch this space for any further developments in the case of (sorry) The Hallmark Hole.

* Title is from a song recorded by Harry Belafonte and Odetta.

It's our country....

2008-02-07T10:08:00.000-05:00

VOTE !

February 12, next Tuesday, at the Arundel Volunteer Fire Hall, 2374 Davidsonville Rd.

For more info, go to the Anne Arundel Co. Board of Elections website... or the respective Democratic or Republican party websites.

---------------- Political Plug.......

In these present primaries, one candidate stands out from all the rest for competence, intelligence, leadership ability, and - especially - vision: Barack Obama . Please consider supporting this once-in-a-lifetime candidate for President of the United States.

Thanks,

John L.

Out of the Woods...

2008-02-04T21:16:00.000-05:00

Welcome neighbors!

This blog is primarily for and about residents of Hallmark Woods, a shady green oasis in central Anne Arundel county, Maryland. It may stray, however, as the mood of your editor moves him.

There will be links, perhaps in the sidebar, perhaps on page two; with any luck there may be a little, genteel, controversy; there may be some ecstatic comments on the sheer joy of living in such a wonderful forest haven as we have here.

Much more to come! For now, welcome...

John L.

PS: Feel free to comment on anything you see here... just click the Comments link below and type away!