tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-74333072334631039802024-03-14T01:19:29.779-04:00My Sherwood GlenLife In and Around Sherwood Glen, Raymond, NH.Arthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04191518215607822910noreply@blogger.comBlogger59125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7433307233463103980.post-72516022150495091842019-06-26T19:54:00.000-04:002019-06-26T19:58:32.882-04:00Sherwood Sprinklers 101<br />
Welcome to Sherwood Sprinklers 101. If you are reading this it is because you saw a news letter, my Facebook post pointing you here, or you reported sprinklers not working and were referred to it me or our management company.<br />
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From time to time, I'll get a call about a sprinkler head spraying the driveway
instead of the lawn. That person observed the problem, reported it, and a fix can be scheduled.<br />
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From time to time, I get a call about a sprinkler head that looks like Old Faithful. That too, is an observed problem that can be addressed<br />
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On the other hand, the most frequent and most frustrating calls I get are the ones that say with great conviction, their sprinklers are not working. I've been working with our sprinklers since 2010 and during that time I would estimate that the people who said their sprinklers weren't working were wrong 9 times out of 10, and I knew it when they called.<br />
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Unlike the first two examples, which are based on what they person saw, the report of sprinklers not working are based upon what they have not seen. <br />
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When I was teaching, I would hand back assignments marked incomplete, only to have a student say, "You never told us to ______." My usual response was to ask them to tell me some things I DID say. After failing to do that, I would say, "If you can't remember any of the things I did say, how can you remember all the things I didn't say?"<br />
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My sprinklers are not working fall into that same category. Sprinklers not on every day and are on for only 20 minutes. On top of that, the majority of the development is watered between 10PM and 6AM. This is only one small part of the complicated system. Here's the rest of the story.<br />
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At Sherwood Glen, we have about 1500 sprinkler heads
divided into about 100 zones, and controlled by seven different timers that begin at different times ranging from 6:00 PM to 11:30 PM. <br />
Additionally, starting times and days change during the summer depending on conditions.<br />
<br />
Things
like power outages can put one or more controller out of sync, if the
controller's battery back up is down.<br />
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To complicate matters even more, when controller are schedule for every other day. Different controllers handle that differently. With 7 days in a week, it's actually three days on one week and four on the next.<br />
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If your neighbor's sprinklers are on and yours are not, you probably don't have a problem, because you may be on a completely different controller and your lawn will be watered about five hours after your neighbor.<br />
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If your one part of your unit is active, but another is not, it is probably in a different zone or on a different controller. For example clubhouse zone 1 is in the front and zone 16 is in the back.<br />
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Oh, and somewhere along the line, people have gotten the idea that placing a stone on top of a sprinkler is a good test. It's not. If the sprinkler head was installed properly, the stone will still be there the next morning. At best, it's an indicator that the head is not perpendicular to the ground. <br />
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If the irrigation company is called out because of a false alarm, it may cost all of us a $50 charge. So before reporting that sprinklers are not working, please make sure you have done what you can to confirm that to be true. Arthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04191518215607822910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7433307233463103980.post-16093468479653298512018-11-02T21:29:00.001-04:002018-11-02T21:29:08.683-04:00Scary Stuff from the Harvest Festival<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/bt9wDFAT2mU" width="560"></iframe><br />Arthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04191518215607822910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7433307233463103980.post-4597614566886833502017-10-30T11:21:00.000-04:002017-10-30T11:53:02.599-04:00There's an 800 Pound Gorilla on My Berm and an Elephant in the Room(This article was originally posted in April 2017 on my personal blog, Truth, Lies, Rumors, and Rumbles, a blog not advertised or know to residents here. I chose to post it there because I felt the need to document my thoughts for the public record, but didn't want to stir up additional discontent in the community. After reading it again, I realized that with some minor changes it is relevant today and rather then stir controversy, it could help the community.)<br />
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Let me start by saying what you read here is my personal opinion. I was a member of the committee that reviewed the rules and by-laws early in the year and<a href="http://mysherwoodglen.com/members/rulescommittee/Rules%20Review%20Report%20FINAL.pdf" target="_blank"> <b>published the results</b></a><b> </b>in February of 2017. In this post, I do not speak on behalf of anyone else. However, I was privy to the entire process by which the committee wrote its report. There and in this article, I was drawing my past experience and current research, much of which I continued after the publishing of the committee report<br />
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I had a combined 10 years on the grievance committee and contract negotiating committee of a large regional school district. I spent three years as the VP of the teachers' association, six years on the Sherwood Glen board (3 as President), and attended dozens of workshops and hundreds of meetings associated with those roles. I've been involved with about two dozen legal actions and arbitrations concerning boards of education and this condo board. I've also been behind the control panel at RCTV during dozens of town meetings and have observed the process by which business is conducted. <br />
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That being said, let's start by addressing the elephant in the room. The rules have been examined and amended numerous times since they were written. They have remained largely unchanged. The section on ornamentation, to the best of my knowledge has remained relatively unchanged. There have been times when boards discussed removing some of the prohibitions, but felt is was ill-advised, because they had been established and reaffirmed by previous boards. <br />
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However, there were some significant ornamentation related changes to the Commons and Grounds section. The bird feeder rules were changed in response to a rodent issue, and though not officially adopted as a rules change, the board did add adopt guidelines for ornamentation along the edge on the pond. Both changes were made with considerable input from the community, and in the case of pond side ornamentation, the Rockingham County Conservation Commission was consulted.<br />
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The changes were implemented, because the rules at that time, were not clear about enforcement of these situations. In order to do what the board felt was right for the community, they they had to change the rules, but is was not done unilaterally. It was ALWAYS done in public, with public input, and <i><b>according methods prescribe in the condominium governing documents and state law.</b></i> It was and is the board's ultimate decision as to changing the rules, but residents were given ample opportunity for input and were well aware of any upcoming enforcement.<br />
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If conditions are such that they require a rules change, the board should make the required change with resident input over an appropriate period of time to ensure they are doing what is best for the community.<br />
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The decision should be made based on solid research that indicates the need for the change. For example, the board received complaints about rat sightings. The board acted quickly to deal with the immediate rodent issue and then conducted extensive research to effect a long term solution.The board discussed the need to change the bird feeder rules. There was disagreement during the discussion, both in the community and on the board, but eventually a consensus was reached and the rules were changed.<br />
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A similar process took place for the pond-side ornamentation issue, but unlike the rat situation, there was no time sensitivity or safety issues. This allowed the board to explore the situation even more thoroughly, bring in the Rockingham County Conservation Commission, and to craft the guidelines in consultation with residents.<br />
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After examining the rules, the committee came to the conclusion that the rules were reviewed many times in the past and changed as needed. The question here was whether the area between the back and the conservation land was to be considered berms or commons. It was determined to be common land. Prohibitions were clear and unambiguous. However, it was perfectly clear that past boards were lax in enforcing many of those obvious violations.<br />
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A choice could be made to allow ornamentation in that area or return it to its natural state. After consulting with the RCCC, and researching how conservation land around the state was developed to encourage community use, it was decided to create guidelines that would encourage use, protect the pond, roll back some of the changes that were made, and grandfather others. Guidelines were changed so that it could be made clear to future residents what was and was not permitted in that area.<br />
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That brings us to the 800 pound gorilla. There are clearly things which are prohibited by the rules. Spinners and berm ornaments with moving parts are two examples. There are other rules that are not open to interpretation by anyone, but what about an 800 pound gorilla statue on my berm. Nowhere in the rules, does it prohibit an 800 pound gorilla. However, there is a rule that the board reserves the right to deem any ornament in appropriate. So my 800 pound gorilla will now have to live in my basement, because the community and board would both consider the supersized simian as an inappropriate ornament. <br />
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It is the board's obligation to enforce the rules and the community standards. The prohibitions in the rules are clear. However, it is equally clear that ornamentation IS allowed. In cases where a clear prohibition is not apparent, a judge or arbitrator will always look at past practice, community standards, and culture that established the norms over the years. Boards need to tread lightly when it comes to gray areas. At the very least, they must be able to defend their enforcement of ANY rule by citing clear reasons for doing so.<br />
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Residents have no choice but to accept board enforcement of items clearly defined by the rules. However, when it come to enforcing ornamentation that they deem acceptable or unacceptable, the board cannot impose their interpretation of what is and isn't appropriate without experiencing considerable resistance or legal challenges. If they do so without previous public discussion and in violation of by-laws and HB 353, if challenged, the board actions will be unenforceable.<br />
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Aside from adhering to by-laws and HB 353, open communication is critical. Meetings without the public in attendance have been a problem a number of times over the past 7 years or my residency here at Sherwood Glen. Beginning in 2010, with the establishment of the Website and the publishing of periodic bulletins, boards began a conscious effort to improve transparency. That trend seems to have been reversed in May 2016 and is in part responsible to the current concerns.<br />
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This became a problem when the
past two presidents opted to began enforcing
all of the prohibitions without due process, inadequate public input, and at unadvertised and undocumented meetings. Enforcing
rules is their right and responsibility, but without due process, the actions may be unenforceable. By
not including the public they ended up enforcing things that at the very least, were contrary to community opinion and at the worse, violations of by-laws
and HB 353, which would make them unenforceable.<br />
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Below is a chart which details the communications between the board and the community since 2012. The 2017 figures are only accurate to the extent that they are projections based on currently advertised meetings and other communications. I hope these figures changes with as the board seeks to be more communicative and transparent.<br />
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(Note:2017 communications did improve after the filing of the Rules
Review Committee Report and are now reflected in the chart which was
published on <a href="https://mysherwoodglen.blogspot.com/2017/10/transparency-and-communication-in.html" target="_blank"><i><b>this blog last week.)</b></i></a><br />
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The problem has been compounded by the fact that the board was acting between quarterly meetings in violation of by-laws and New Hampshire HB 353. That is also detailed in the report. This is not a conclusion arrived at by the committee simply through reading the documents cited. Informal contacts with attorneys and town officials were made as well. I will stress here as was stated in the report, I do not feel this was done intentionally. It was most likely through inexperience and a lack of understanding of the processes. <br />
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The situation that existed which allowed this controversy to develop could have been avoided if the board followed the by-laws and HB 353. BOTH call for properly advertised meetings. BOTH require minutes. Open meetings require public input. Meetings at which the public is not invited, under HB 353, MUST be recorded an available for residents to inspect.<br />
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With the update of HB 353, any board should realize that holding an open meeting with public input is probably a better option than holding a meeting without the public, especially if the action is going to be controversial. The only official record of a public meeting likely to exist are the minutes or other printed documentation. The recording of a meeting in which the public is not invited, is a word for word recording of the entire meeting.<br />
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Any action taken by a board outside the provisions of the by-laws and HB 353, are basically unenforceable. Regardless of the violation cited and action taken, they could be challenged in much the same way any criminal defense attorney would challenge evidence obtained illegally. It would be thrown out of court, if it got that far.<br />
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The board must conduct all non-emergency business in public, properly advertising them, and allowing the input of residents. Recognizing the amount of actions and board business that had previously been conducted outside the guidelines of the by-laws and HB 353, the 2017-2018 board stated they will be scheduling montly public meetings along with the quarterly meetings. <br />
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This becomes particularly important, because much, if not all of the business previously conducted in violation of by-laws and HB 353, is subject to challenge.<i><b>The 2017-2018 board needs to revisit items not handled according to prescribe procedures. Otherwise, past actions would leave the current board vulnerable to legal challenge on things that would otherwise be within their rights to enforce.</b></i><br />
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The previous board has done much that is positive. Some of the actions taken outside of prescribed procedure are positive in nature, and would be approved had they been discussed in public. They will likely remain unchallenged. Some are not so clear cut and may well have result the new board revisiting the actions and re-mediating as needed.<br />
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Moving forward, the new board has many options and opportunities to heal the current rift. I encourage a course correction that will restore harmony in the community and trust in the board. Arthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04191518215607822910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7433307233463103980.post-90061384325567066912017-10-24T17:50:00.000-04:002017-10-24T17:50:39.430-04:00Transparency and Communication in Sherwood GlenIf you ask condo owners from around the country what their biggest complaint is when it comes to the Board, I would bet a week's pay that a lack of transparent and a lack of communication are at, or near the top of the list. It's no different here at Sherwood Glen, and I want to stress that the complaint is NOT a new one.<br />
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They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and so I offer this graph that will serve a jumping off point to give you a bit of history of conflict and conflict resolution here at Sherwood. I'm sure that simply looking at it will give you some significant insights. I could go on for many pages, but I'll try to be brief.<br />
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The chart begins in 2011, because that's when I first began serving as a board member and when we started building an online presence. Prior to that time, all communication between the board and the community took place at the quarterly meetings and associated minutes, thought the minutes of meetings not open to the public, and quarterly news letters, all of which were posted on the bulletin boards. This was common in many associations.<br />
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Things began to change in June of 2010, when MySherwoodGlen.com was launched. Information was provide there and through email. The board realized many of the residents were not online and anything that was posted electronically, was also posted physically on the bulletin boards.<br />
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Despite these additional channels, there was still an undertone of discontent and the board members elected in October 2013, wanted to make transparency and communication a high priority item. To that end, 2014 saw a dramatic increase in board meetings, bulletins went from quarterly to monthly. Email and posted updates filled the spaces in between. Things improved, but the board felt they could improve more.<br />
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There were long and serious discussions about the by-laws and nature of meetings, which will be an important topic in a future post. We came to realize that our board and every previous board had made errors in the way meetings were conducted and advertised. The errors centered around properly advertising meetings, but because the board was very aware of the need to follow proper procedure when conducting meetings, votes, and documenting actions taken, the errors were of minimal impact or concern to the membership. Though not follow to the letter, by-law were followed in spirit and intent.<br />
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Moving into 2015, the board scheduled 10 monthly meetings, all of which were open to the public. As other meetings became necessary, they were added and were also public. In an effort to be even more transparent additional bulletins and email updates were created whenever there was enough information to publish. <br />
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Up to this point in time, all of the boards were composed of a good mix of veterans and novices, but in 2016, things changed as an inexperienced board took over the helm. This resulted in a reversal of the communication and transparency trend that had been established over the past years. Matters were compounded when mistakes were made that were significant violations of by-laws and the New Hampshire Condominium Act of June 2016. I feel this was due to a lack of experience and a failure to embrace the lessons of the past and expertise that was available to them. However, the net effect was a perception on the part of the community that they were not being considered in decisions that impacted them directly.<br />
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I'll refrain from going into specifics here, because it serves no useful purpose. I'll simply express my hope that the communication trend established in 2014-15, will be embraced by the current board and that they will tap into the expertise and experience available here in the community. <br />
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<br />Arthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04191518215607822910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7433307233463103980.post-70184052659635998352017-10-15T15:03:00.002-04:002017-10-15T15:05:23.268-04:00What Does the Resignation Mean for the Annual Meeting?<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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</xml><![endif]-->I've been contacted by at least a half dozen people since
receiving word of Bob Moorehead's resignation, about what will happen on
Thursday. I'm not on the board, so I have no idea of what they might do, but
based on everything I know, there is only one thing they can legitimately do;
namely nothing.<br />
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<br /></div>
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The by-laws make it clear that when a vacancy occurs, the
board shall assign someone to fill that position until the next annual meeting.
The timing of Bob's resignation would lead some people to think that meeting is
on Thursday, but I don’t believe that is the case.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Off the top of my head, we have had no less than six board
members resign since I've come to Sherwood Glen. Resignations happen with all
boards and any board can function if there are enough members to make a quorum.
We all know that especially here at Sherwood, with some board members being
snow birds, meetings are often held without board members present.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<br />
NH law HR-353 makes it clear that all board
decisions must be made a properly advertised and conducted meetings. The only
exception is emergencies. Being a member down is certainly <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">not an emergency situation</i></b>.
Therefore, there is no time to do this before Thursday. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
All previous resignations were handled in basically the same
way.</div>
<br />
<ol>
<li><span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>The board put out a call to the community asking
for applicants interested in filling the seat.</li>
<li><span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>The board reviews the applications and in many
cases, interviews the applicants.</li>
<li><span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>The board appoints someone to fill the vacancy.</li>
</ol>
<br />
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All of this must be done during properly advertised and
conducted meetings.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There are at least a half-dozen other reasons involving the advertisement
of the election in the annual meeting package, the printing of ballots, the disenfranchisement
of people who submitted proxies based on three seats being filled, and the
inability of other candidates to come forth. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Finally, can ANYONE tell me how having the board throw out
past practice and proper procedure to select someone to fill a vacancy for one
meeting serves the community interest?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The vacancy can only properly be filled by new board. Anything other
than that will at best, result in more animosity and confusion, and at worst,
it could result in the invalidation of the entire election. </div>
Arthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04191518215607822910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7433307233463103980.post-53048351857826045052017-09-13T19:05:00.000-04:002017-09-22T12:26:45.659-04:00Facebook and Website ChangesAs of September November 14, 2017 board meeting, mysherwoodglen.com and the Sherwood Glen Facebook group were no longer have any official affiliation with the Sherwood Glen Board, or the Sherwood Glen Condominium Association. All content on the website will represent the views of the owner/webmaster, Art Wolinsky, and those of you who contribute..<br />
<br />
On September 20, 2017, I resigned from the Communications Committee, in order eliminate any confusion between personal and board related postings and to begin to facilitate discussion within the community in forums where everyone sees everything that is posted. <br />
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<a href="https://www3.senearthco.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=home.sign_in&mgtCompanyName=gnpm&association=4903" target="_blank">Great North Connect</a> is and should be the site of record for the community. Some of you may remember that back in 2013, as president, I attempted to get people to utilize as the official business site and to use MySherwoodGlen as a community site, but simply wishing it, does not make it so.<br />
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MySherwoodGlen was the first and only online access to information from the board. Training and information was provided to the community about its use. It was created well before Great North Connect was introduced to the public. Unlike the necessary one size fits all Great North Connect, MySherwoodGlen was custom designed with our residents in mind. As a result it was, and still is the site of choice for residents.<br />
<br />
If you have any questions and concerns about Association business,
please direct them to Great North. Great North Connect will be the
official site for minutes, financials, correspondence with the board, maintenance requests and other
business.<br />
<br />
Mysherwoodglen.com will remain much the same, but there will be some subtle, but significant changes, some of which will revolve around this blog. While it is titled MySherwoodGlen, I want you to think of it as OUR-SherwoodGlen.<br />
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The Facebook group will also be changing. There is where there will be significant change. I will open the group to discussions on community topics, guided by community standards which will be posted. <br />
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I was a teacher for 40 years, and as such, I set the same standards for Facebook Group as I did for my classroom. My classroom was focused on problem solving and communication. There was only one rule. USE COMMON SENSE AND COMMON COURTESY. There will be no personal attacks or bitching. If you have a question or a problem that you need addressed, let's come answers and come up with a win-win solution for the community.<br />
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I realize people are often hesitant to post things in public. Keep in mind, the Facebook page is a closed community and only members can view the items there, unless a member of the groups shares it outside the group.<br />
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If you are not already a member, I urge you to visit<a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/SherwoodGlenRaymond/" target="_blank"> https://www.facebook.com/groups/SherwoodGlenRaymond/</a> and request membership in the group. I'm looking forward to moving forward!<br />
<br />Arthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04191518215607822910noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7433307233463103980.post-39163419696474920912017-05-14T15:48:00.004-04:002017-05-15T20:07:40.274-04:00Green Trash Bag Price Increase <div style="text-align: left;">
It looks like it's time to stock up on green trash bags. Tonight, the Raymond Board of Selectmen voted unanimously to increase the cost of green trash bags. There will be a 30 cent increase in small bags and a 35 cent increase in large bags.<a href="http://www.raymondnh.gov/news-1/j2kp2oql21/Trash-Bag-Price-Hearing-Information" target="_blank"> Read more at the Town of Raymond website...</a></div>
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Small bags were $1.50 each and as of July 1, they will be $1.80.</div>
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Large bags were $2.00 each and as of July 1 they will be $2.35</div>
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<br />Arthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04191518215607822910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7433307233463103980.post-39372789895681114272016-06-08T12:12:00.001-04:002017-04-25T06:20:59.086-04:00Ornamentation and Rules EnforcementNote: This is a reprint of a post I made last week on my personal blog.<br />
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To my fellow residents and the Board of Directors of Sherwood Glen:<br />
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By now I'm sure you've seen the notice recently posted on the bulletin boards, asking residents to inspect their property and determine if it is in compliance with the rules and regulations. The notice also has check boxes dealing with modifications that might have been made without proper forms or permission.<br />
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There was one item checked on my form, but I don’t want this to be just about me. For now I want to talk to you about lawn ornamentation in general.<br />
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Oh, hell no! Actually, I don’t want to talk to you about ornamentation. In fact, I can probably think of about 100 other problems facing society today, that we could discuss or a 100 things I would rather do than write this letter. The idea that I even have to write this saddens me. However, for whatever reason, lawn ornamentation is front and center right now here at Sherwood Glen.<br />
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So where do I start? Should I talk from my experience as a board member and past president? Should I start from the perspective of a long time (relative term) resident of Locksley Lane? Should I start from the perspective of someone totally outside the community? I guess it will be a mix, but for now, I think the logical place to start is with the rules. Please take a moment and read this section.<br />
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Outdoor Ornamentation: <br />
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1. Outdoor ornamentation within the grass areas is prohibited. <br />
2. Ornamentation must blend with landscaping and the buildings, and may not contain spinners, propellers, or other moving parts. <br />
3. The Board requires the removal of all ornamentation from all areas by November 15. <br />
4. The Board reserves the right to review and request the removal of ornamentation it deems inappropriate. <br />
Now that you have read the four sentences, let’s interpret the sentences one at a time. Some of the rules can be interpreted simply and others are subject to a high degree of subjectivity. <br />
1) SIMPLE… NO ornamentation within the grass areas.<br />
2) SUBJECTIVE… Defining what blends with landscaping could be argued all day. <br />
SIMPLE… If the ornament is wind driven, it is not allowed.<br />
3) SIMPLE… What goes out in the spring, must be removed by November 15.<br />
4) SUBJECTIVE… The board can deem an ornament inappropriate. <br />
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I would strongly encourage the board to vigorously enforce items 1 and 3. That leaves us with items 2 and 4, which are not as clear cut.<br />
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With respect to items 2 and 4, parts are crystal clear, and I would encourage the board to vigorously enforce a prohibition on wind driven ornamentation. On the other hand, defining and acting on whether an ornament blends in, is an entirely different situation. <br />
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In order to deal with what is and what isn’t appropriate, let’s start with something that is not specifically stated, but is perfectly clear. You CAN have ornamentation in the berms. <br />
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Ask yourself, why would motivate anyone put anything in the berms? To me that answer is two-fold. I think people do it to increase the beauty of the area and to put a little bit of individuality on display. That is certainly our motivation.<br />
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Some people may say that some folks have gone overboard. That’s would be the case of items that are clearly prohibited by the rules. However, in terms of the subjective determination of what should or should not be on display. Who is to say how much is too much?<br />
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I’ve heard people talking about ornamentation as if driving through Sherwood Glen looked like this. <br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/P3CvzdQv9zg" width="560"></iframe><br />
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I think we could all agree that this lawn ornamentation would clearly be out of sync with the community landscaping and deemed inappropriate, but as I walk our development, I see no clutter, no pink flamingos, no wind driven washer women, no six-foot inflatable characters, and nothing that remotely resembles this.<br />
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Personally, I see no problem with ornamentation that exists here at Sherwood Glen. I understand that people have a different opinion and I respect that. All I will do is express my view and ask you to consider it as you form your own opinion. It is not for me to say that my ornamentation is right and yours is wrong. Nor is it your job to tell me mine is wrong.<br />
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As I walk the development, I see absolutely nothing in the berms that offends me or that I feel is inappropriate. Then again, people will have issue with my tolerance of personal expression. The things I see are placed there to enhance the area and as a personal expression of those within that unit. It’s one of the things that drew me to Sherwood Glen and that I have enjoyed since moving in. <br />
I get that there are people who want total uniformity and rules enforced to the max, but I don’t think that is a commonly held value here in Sherwood Glen. I also know our state motto is NOT, Live free and conform!<br />
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I ask you to drive through this development as I did on May 22, 2015, and look at it through the eyes of someone who has never been here<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/D43K7dvCQAI" width="420"></iframe><br />
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What do you think will stick with them? Will it be the beauty of the landscaping or will it be inappropriate lawn ornamentation? I bet you a thousand dollars, if a hundred people drove through here and were asked to comment on what they saw, there would be precious few who point to lawn ornamentation as a problem.<br />
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I think it is pretty clear the board wants to reign in some of the ornamentation that is clearly prohibited, and act to prevent people from being run over by a stampede of plastic flamingos. On the other hand, I hope they aren’t trying to turn the community into the visuals for a Judy Collins music video of Boxes, Little Boxes.<br />
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A balance must be struck. In my humble opinion, if the rules CLEARLY prohibit something, the board should deal with it and address that issue according to the rules. There is a clear process in place. Use it.<br />
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We have always had and ENCOURAGED, tasteful ornamentation. Therein lies part of the problem. As they say, there’s no accounting for taste, and beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. When it comes to ornamentation that is not excessive and specifically prohibited NO ONE INDIVIDUAL OR SMALL GROUP OF INDIVIDUALS, should dictate who I am or how I express my individuality. <br />
To the board, I say, thank you for acting to maintain order. Please enforce those rules that are clearly being violated and avoid acting on the words of a vocal few. <b>Your challenge is to come up with a criteria by which residents can determines what defines inappropriate. If I have an ornament I want to put out on the berm, I should be able to look at the rules and determine if the ornament is a violation. </b><br />
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Yes, there have been rules that have been stretched, but clearly there are violations that can identified by clear language in the rules. The board must implement a fair and equitable solution to the issues at hand, and to strike a balance that conforms to community standards.<br />
Arthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04191518215607822910noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7433307233463103980.post-29437446363414836052015-08-27T20:27:00.001-04:002015-08-27T21:13:14.881-04:00The Power of WaterThink about a pinhole in a pipe seven feet below the surface of the road. Is it significant? Is it noticeable? Does it even matter? The answer is YES, YES, and YES.<br />
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The evidence is the steady stream of water that bubbled out of the driveway this past weekend and the pictures you see here, which reveal the source of the water and the forces of nature working over time.
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It all started with a pin hole leak in a coupling seven feet below the surface of the road. As I looked at the coupling, I couldn't help but think of a Taoist teaching that has guided me since college. It advises up to strive to be like water. Water doesn't compete or confront. It flows around obstacles. The seeks the lowest level, but it wears down mountains, or in this case, copper pipe. <br />
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Arthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04191518215607822910noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7433307233463103980.post-16338739683155228422015-04-26T14:44:00.001-04:002015-04-26T14:44:45.076-04:00Spring, a Grape Arobor, and a KayakToday, Jessie, Rachel, and Art build a natural grape arbor to train the wild grapes growing on the pond trail. Once things begin to green up, the vines will be guided to grow up through the vertical branches. The question remains as to whether the vines will bear fruit and whether they will fill the bellies of birds or a mason jar or two. Time will tell.<br />
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Meanwhile, on the other side of the lower pond, Jeff was taking Rachel's Kayak out for its maiden voyage. I guess it is safe to say spring is officially upon us.<br />
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<br />Arthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04191518215607822910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7433307233463103980.post-27809155481827643022015-02-17T07:25:00.000-05:002015-02-17T18:01:42.551-05:00Fitness for SeniorsDuring my first 40 years on this planet, I was pretty active physically, I played a number of sports and was lucky enough to land a wresting scholarship while attending Temple University in the 60's. After graduating, I coached wrestling and track in high school.<br />
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By age 45 my coaching days were over. While I still enjoyed the outdoors, I started getting "soft". In my 50's I decided to get back in shape, but my mind was younger than my body and it seemed that each time I tried to get serious about getting into better shape, I managed
to hurt myself. It seemed as if I was taking one step forward and two
steps backward. This patterned repeated itself more times than I would like to admit.<br />
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Then, three years ago things changed. I attended a workshop put on by Peter and Nona Hubbard. Peter and Nona are long time residents of Sherwood Glen who have annually shared generously of their time and knowledge with their neighbors.<br />
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Thanks to their efforts, a reality check on my part, and a little dedication I feel like I am in better shape now, than I was 20 years ago. <br />
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Last week with the assistance of Nicole Hurley and Jennifer Crosby, they conducted a two more workshops for residents. <br />
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I filmed the workshops and since I'm now doing volunteer work for RCTV, I turned it into about a half hour program that Peter and Nona have agreed to share with the community. It will air this week and will be available at the RCTV streaming video site online. I've also uploaded it to YouTube and embedded it below. I hope it can help others the way it helped me.<br />
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Please check it out, and before you begin any program or exercise, make sure you consult your doctor to make sure you are fit enough to begin. Take things slow and let your body be your guide.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/P1F22md8hA4" width="420"></iframe>
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Air times on RCTV CHANNEL 13<br />
Wed. 7:30 AM and 3:00 PM<br />
Thurs: 5:30 AM<br />
Fri. 9:30 AM<br />
Sat. 1:30 PM<br />
Sun. 5:30 PM<br />
It will also be available 24/7 at <a href="http://raymondtv.pegcentral.com/player.php?video=2bfa137b46b3e1de473bbcc762b37c81">http://raymondtv.pegcentral.com/player.php?video=2bfa137b46b3e1de473bbcc762b37c81</a>
Arthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04191518215607822910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7433307233463103980.post-14137409799933489582015-01-17T21:11:00.000-05:002015-01-17T21:49:51.011-05:00Connecting wth the Community and Exciting Things on the HorizonWow! My head is spinning. I to tell you about an amazing chain of events that took place over the last 6 months. Many of them took place in the past few weeks and will continue into 2015 and beyond. Most took place outside Sherwood Glen, but will work to bring us and the community at large, closer together. Here's the Reader's Digest version of what transpired.<br />
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Some of you may know that while researching the history of our conservation land, I had the help of folks from the Raymond Historical Society. They needed a lot of help with their website, and in July I rebuilt the <b><a href="http://raymondhistoricalsociety.org/" target="_blank">Raymond Historical Society website</a></b>, and became the webmaster.<br />
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In August, I connected with Dave Hoelzel, another community volunteer. He was managing the very active Raymond 250th Facebook page, which had over 1800 followers. We agreed that once the 250th celebration was over, it would be a shame to see the activity end, so Dave worked with Facebook and arranged to turn it into the <b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/Raymonds250th" target="_blank">Raymond Historical Society Facebook page</a></b>, which we both now manage. <br />
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In December, Dave was named <a href="https://animoto.com/play/SPSfIGhyFbPchZZOq5OrSA" target="_blank"><b>Raymond's Volunteer of the Year</b> </a> by <b><a href="http://thisweekinraymond.com/" target="_blank">This Week in Raymond.com</a>.</b> The historical society asked me if I would speak on their behalf, which I did. At the ceremony, I met quite a few people around town, including Kevin Wood, who runs Raymond Community Television.<br />
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You already know, I make YouTube and Animoto videos with my cell phone and little Flip Mino camera. Dave asked if I would be interested in volunteering with the TV station, and I jumped at the chance to get my hands on professional equipment.<br />
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Less than two weeks ago, he gave me a tour of the studio housed in the high school. I was blown away by the facilities. Though they do a tremendous amount of work taping and airing government meetings, church events, and town celebrations, but creative programming was in short supply.<br />
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Incidentally, they will be having open house on January 24th and 25th, from 11AM to 5 PM. Please come over to the high school and check it out. You'll be impressed! <br />
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I agreed to edit about 5 hours of video shot by three volunteers during the First Annual Ring it in Raymond, our town's version of First Night. I made three videos from the footage. Two were of performers at the Congregational Church and the Ray-Fre Senior Center, and the third, which <a href="http://raymondtv.pegcentral.com/player.php?video=b3a8f0d059ec1523580ac39d512040cf" target="_blank">you can see here</a>, was footage from other venues around town. <br />
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Kevin liked the job I did and is encouraging me gave me to produce any kind of creative programming I like. You know me. It doesn't take much encouragement to play with digital toys. Hell, you have to hold me back!<br />
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We were discussing making a documentary about beavers, which led me to watch this week's Raymond Conservation Committee meeting where by coincidence, beaver deceivers were discussed. While there where were varying opinions of how to deal with them, I was pleased to see there was no contentiousness.<br />
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The committee was unaware we were already co-existing with beavers, have done the research, and walked the walk. I contacted the vice-chair person Lorraine O'Connor asked for the opportunity to present to the committee and let them know about the beavers of Sherwood, how they have helped our wildlife flourish, their positive impact on the environment and the cost effectiveness of co-existing. We both feel the committee will be open to the opportunity.<br />
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If I present to the committee, I will invite them to watch the installation of a pond leveling device that will take place here as Sherwood this spring. That installation will become part of the Sherwood Beaver documentary. <a href="http://beaversolutions.com/" target="_blank">Mike Callahan</a>, the beaver expert who will be installing the device, is helping me with information he presents at national conferences.<br />
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I've also offered to take a look at an area near the fire house that has been a problem in the past. I know that Mike will provide advice and with our experience here at Sherwood with the culvert cage we installed and the pond leveler that will be installed, we can build the necessary solution at a small fraction of the cost of bringing someone in to do the job. It would be a great community project and be a win-win situation for the community, not to mention the beavers. <br />
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The snowball effect kept on building and in March I will be working with Dave, the Historical Society, and the Library to help plan document scanning to turn their print archives into searchable digital format.<br />
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Kevin as also suggested contacting some of the more senior residents of Raymond to get some of their stories of Raymond video while we still can, and editing them down the line. I guess that's a project for my free time. <br />
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Putting a professional camera in my hand and turning me loose could result in some serious insanity and I'm looking for others to join me in my trek. As I alluded to in today's email and the survey, I think the residents of Sherwood Glen can contribute a great deal. We have a lot of creative, enthusiastic people here in Sherwood. I think we can have LOT of fun while connecting with the rest of the community and making a positive impact.<br />
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... and that's the Reader's Digest version. Stay tuned for more!<br />
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<br />Arthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04191518215607822910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7433307233463103980.post-88745231529248678982014-12-19T13:36:00.001-05:002014-12-19T23:24:23.843-05:00Sherwood Glen Update - December 20, 2014<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cC-XfB57L-w/VJRuboAlahI/AAAAAAAAA5I/rV8D7l4tKGc/s1600/giftw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cC-XfB57L-w/VJRuboAlahI/AAAAAAAAA5I/rV8D7l4tKGc/s1600/giftw.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a><br />
<b>Families in Need </b>– Thanks to Deb Albee for taking
point with Raymond Welfare to adopt needy families for the holidays. While Deb
took the lead, it is the generosity of all who fulfilled the wishes of the
children and spread the spirit of the season.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thanks to everyone!</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oNhWIN4M2Jk/VJRvnhB_aFI/AAAAAAAAA5k/QQI6KE67orc/s1600/tree2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oNhWIN4M2Jk/VJRvnhB_aFI/AAAAAAAAA5k/QQI6KE67orc/s1600/tree2.jpg" height="200" width="193" /></a><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Holiday Tree Pick-up</b>
– If you have a live tree for the holidays, be aware that they are not picked up
as part of our trash collection.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>However, each year the association arranges to have trees picked
up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tree pick up will be on January 5.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sometime before the 5<sup>th</sup> you should
drop off your tree near the beginning of the access road for the electric lines
next to the clubhouse.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Please make sure
the tree is free of all decorations and stands.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you miss the pickup, you can<br />
dispose of the tree yourself at the Raymond Transfer Station on Prescott Road. </div>
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<b>Clubhouse Capacity</b>
– The certificate of occupancy stated
that maximum capacity for the clubhouse was 50 people, but a different
furniture arrangement could change that level. After having to turn
folks away from our last two events, I visited the Raymond Fire Dept. to
seek clarification of that number. Since the certificate had expired,
they revisited the site. After discussions, the new certificate was
issued to allow for 60 people in the main room, 20 people in the TV
room, and 20 people in the gym, which should allow us to include anyone
who wants to attend future events. </div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Committees</b> – Last
month I asked for volunteers to form a number of committees.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The response was less than enthusiastic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As a result, the board will continue to assume
the roles of Rules and Finance committees.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>However, we would still like to seek additional volunteers for
The Clubhouse, as well as Buildings and Grounds committee.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Since there will be areas of overlap between Social, Clubhouse, Conservation,
and Buildings and Grounds, the board would like to invite anyone interested in
any of the committees to attend a meeting sometime in January, to discuss
committee situation in more detail.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Attending the meeting will in no way obligate anyone to
participate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Watch the website and
bulletin board for more information.</div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SHv1ILFVy6A/VJRuhQ8qWlI/AAAAAAAAA5Q/s1UiCLuDe0A/s1600/beaver.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SHv1ILFVy6A/VJRuhQ8qWlI/AAAAAAAAA5Q/s1UiCLuDe0A/s1600/beaver.jpg" /></a><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Beaver Update</b> – Over
the past four years, our work with the beavers has resulted in a significant
increase in pond life and improvements to the ecosystem.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> I</span>t has also resulted in a rise in the pond level.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> A continued rise could threaten the road.</span><br />
<br />
Last night, the board voted to have a
<a href="http://www.beaversolutions.com/pond_control.asp" target="_blank">pond leveling device</a> installed at the pond.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>More details will be forthcoming in a presentation at the January18 board meeting. If you attend, I promise, I won't follow it with a septic presentation. <br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Open Board Meeting</b>
-<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You are invited to attend the January
18<sup>th</sup> board meeting at 6:30 in the clubhouse.<br />
<br />
<b>Have a happy holiday and a wonderful New Year! </b></div>
Arthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04191518215607822910noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7433307233463103980.post-896112282849998732014-12-03T14:06:00.000-05:002014-12-03T16:12:27.813-05:00AmbitEnergy, and a New Twist to an Old ConceptYesterday, I became aware of an email from our management company, about AmbitEnergy. Had the email come directly from AmbitEnergy, you might not be reading this today. It would have been just one of many such emails I have received about switching energy providers, and it is a topic I have covered in other posts. I would have simply trashed it as I do the others. <br />
<br />
However, coming from our management company, many residents thought this was something the board has acted upon or at least discussed. Neither is the case. We got this the same time you did. Additionally, AmbitEnergy, is not your typical energy supplier. It uses a Multi-Level Marketing (MLM) business model that made the matter more concerning. (More on this later.)<br />
<br />
It is at this point where I want to take a moment to clarify that this post is coming partly on behalf of the board and partly on behalf of Art Wolinsky, school teacher, technlology consultant, Educational Technology Director of WiredSafety.org AND Sherwood Glenn community member.<br />
<br />
<b>From The Board </b><br />
<br />
The board feels the mailing is inappropriate and may be a conflict of interest on the part of management company. We in NO WAY endorse the mailing or AmbitEnergy. We have contacted the management company and expressed our concern about marketing directly to residents. The email of clarification from them came shortly after that. <br />
<br />
Please be aware that any information or offers of this type which have been acted upon by the board, will clearly be indicated in the message. If it is not clearly stated or obvious that it comes from, or on behalf of the board, cavaet emptor! <br />
<br />
<b>From Art Wolinsky, Sherwood Resident</b><br />
<br />
Let me begin by says during my five years at Sherwood Glen, I have had nothing but praise for our property managers. The incident in no way changes that view and I look forward to a long and mutually beneficial relationship with them. I feel this is a learning opportunity for everyone.<br />
<br />
<b>A Little Background</b><br />
<br />
I was a technology teacher and consulted for many years. I served as the education technology director and online non-profits, and still volunteer as the educational technology director of the WiredSafety.org , an online charity devoted to protecting people and privacy online. It provides me with a unique perspective. WiredSafety is run by Parry Aftab, one of the top Internet privacy lawyers in the country. I've watched Parry testify and work with Congress on every issue that has involved the Internet, privacy and protection online. I've had the pain of personally working with a congressional committee in the writing of at least one of those bills and dealing with the belt line BS. It was a real eyeopener for me, but that a subject for another day.<br />
<br />
Additionally, I have been involved with and done some consulting for friends and family successfully involved in MLM, I have a fair grasp of that concept as well.<br />
<br />
It have NO ax to grind with ANYONE, but I think there are some lessons to be learned here and my 35 years in education want to make that happen. <br />
<br />
<b>Multi-Level Marketing</b><br />
<br />
You are all familiar with the chain letter concept. It has been around as long as people learned to write. You know what I'm talking about. Put your name at the bottom, send this to ten friends and and you will receive a flood of whatever the letter or email is promoting. Depending on what they are promoting it can an annoyance or down right illegal.<br />
<br />
As time passed, the MLM business model evolved. You are probably familiar with this concept through Amway or Mary Kay cosmetics. Many people make pocket money from these pursuits, many more get disillusioned as the promise of riches never materializes. Only those who really hustle can make money and only those who get in early AND hustle reap the big rewards. <br />
<br />
With the advent of the Internet, things took a quantum leap and gave birth to technology infused MLM. Before the Interent, people in MLM were limited by time and money needed to make the phone calls, send the letters and present their product. With email, YouTube, Twitter and other online tools, individuals now had global outreach. The money making potential skyrocketed and many new businesses were born. <br />
<br />
Some MLMs are fly-by-night scams in which the vast majority of folks suffer. Others are based on products or services that are less than top notch. Others are based on good products and have a clear plan for future growth. In the vast amount of cases, these pyramids eventually collapse, sometimes over night with the resulting fall out. <br />
<br />
<b>Switching to AmbitEnergy</b><br />
<br />
Ambit, from my research, is not a fly-by-night company and they do seem to have a plan, but you know what they say about the best laid plans of mice and men. There are just too many variables involved there are too many variables involved for me to make the switch to them..<br />
<br />
Their ultimate success depends on their ability to sign customers and keep buying electricity from the big guy at a price that will support their business model and how efficient they are. This is true of all alternative energy suppliers. However, Ambit's MLM model is unusual among energy suppliers and for me, is at best an untested model and at worst, leads to deceptive sales practices by AmbitEnergy Consultants at the bottom of the chain.<br />
<br />
<b>AmbitEnergy Consultants</b><br />
<br />
Aside from offering an initial period of electricity at a lower price than the big providers, Ambit allows customers to further reduce their bills by getting others to sign up and/or getting others to become consultants, thereby making it a MLM company. In many ways it is an opening technology frontier, and it IS an opportunity for a HUSTLER to make a killing (at the eventual expense of others). The earlier you get in and the more people you can enlist under you, the more you can make.<br />
<br />
I was a technology consultant, I taught teachers, school districts, students, parents, and community members how to us technology as a tool for learning. Before I became a consultant I had honed my skills over many years of work and education. As a technology consultant, I got my reward when I help others learn
and grow. I made a living, but there was no way I was going to get rich. <br />
<br />
It that different than being an Ambit Consultant? Well let me put it this way. <br />
<br />
You probably won't be surprised if I tell you Ambit consultants don't teach you how to use electricity. Unless you live in a cave, you know how to do that. What do they teach you? What is their expertise? IMHO, they are simply salespeople with one objective, make money by getting others to do what they did, and many are very good at it.<br />
<br />
<b>Some Position Statements</b><br />
<br />
Let's start with the board position. Since anyone in NH can switch electric service providers, the board has no say in that matter and no position as to whether individual residents should switch. Cavaet emptor is the order of the day.<br />
<br />
The only reason you were reading this is because the offer came through our management company and the board feels it was at inappropriate and possibly a conflict of interest. We have hired them to be property managers. We have entrusted them with resident information and don't appreciate them using it for direct marketing purposes<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>My Personal Opinion </b><br />
<br />
Since moving here, I have received dozens of emails and postal mailings from companies seeking to get me to change. I have taken none of those offers and will not be taking Ambit's. Taking it means saving money in the hopes that rates won't rise on renewal. Sure, if they rise, you can always switch back to to another provider. However, what do you do if you sign up and a consultant made and error or misled you? If you think it will be easy to resolve, you have another think coming. Just do some research into complaints about products or services in ANY MLM business, not just Anbit. <br />
<br />
There is much much more to this whole topic and if some of my Sherwood residents would like to delve deeper, give me a shout. As a fellow resident (not a board member), we can get together at the clubhouse over a bottle of wine and have a good time discussing the ins and outs of technology and marketing, online privacy or technology in general.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
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<br />Arthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04191518215607822910noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7433307233463103980.post-65908298022869292362014-10-25T16:01:00.002-04:002014-10-25T16:03:48.836-04:00A Change in DirectionI've rewritten this post at least a dozen times. Each time I write it, I try to explain things based on our history, the economy, our drawn out construction timeline, and the learning curve attached to running a condo association. The result was an article that would put the average reader to sleep after the first three paragraphs. So rather than to dwell on the past in this and upcoming blogs, I'll spend a little time there and try to explain why things are
going to be changing, where we are, where I see us going,
and how we can get there.<br />
<br />
If I were to characterize the nature of the changes I would like to
see at Sherwood, it would be systemic change. We have lacked a systems
approach to management and functioning as a community. Interestingly, as a teacher and trainer for 35
years, I was trained in systems thinking and trained hundreds of
administrators to use Peter Senge's approach in education administration, but never actually had the opportunity to practice what I taught until now.<br />
<br />
In 1990, Peter Senge changed the face of business and learning in this country with the publishing of <u>The 5th Discipline.</u> If you are interested, you can read<i><b> <a href="http://integral-focus.com/pdf/Senge.pdf" target="_blank">this short summary</a>.</b></i> If that interests you, the book, which is just a valid today as it was in the 90's, <i><b><a href="http://www.4grantwriters.com/Peter_Senge_The_Fifth_Discipline_1_1_.pdf" target="_blank">can be read in this PDF</a></b></i>. <br />
<br />
<br />
Up to this point, the Sherwood Glen Board, and particularly the President, was very hands on. The economy, our size, the drawn out construction timelines, and the inexperience and learning curve of boards were just a few of the factors. It is the details of these factors that I will leave out in hopes that you stay awake through the rest of this post. Suffice it to say, we had owners, contractors, vendors, management, and board. All were compartmentalized and fragmented without really realizing it.<br />
<br />
The volunteer board was often forced into the role of a paid property manager. Rather than focusing on the big picture of long range planning, budgeting, and putting association wide systems in place, the boards were dealing with individual home owner issues that should have been the purview of the property manager. This took a serious toll on board members, and is the first thing that will change.<br />
<br />
<b>For a better understanding of the differences between the duties of board members and the management company <a href="http://www.irem.org/File%20Library/Education/HomeownersAssocChecklist.pdf" target="_blank">visit this page</a>. </b> <br />
<br />
Great North will now be the first point of contact for all individual owner issues. The board will continue to communicate closely with the property manager, but the responsibility for handling the issue from initiation to completion will be in the hands of Great North. <br />
<br />
When you have an issue, rather than sending a message to me or another board member, contact Great North. I know there will be gray areas and issues you may want the board to be aware of. In these cases, feel free to cc. me or a board member on the email to Great North. That will serve as an FYI to us, create a paper trail, make sure everyone is on the same page, and allow us to step in or give advice to the property manager if we feel it is appropriate. The fact is that the management company will be communicating regularly with the president and the overall result should be IMPROVED communications, which will allow the board to focus on the big picture, while allowing the management firm to do the job for which they are trained and being paid. <br />
<br />
Arthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04191518215607822910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7433307233463103980.post-89819988630099860422014-07-17T08:40:00.001-04:002014-07-17T08:58:22.220-04:00The Thinning of Sherwood ForestThree trees were threatening some of our homes. Unfortunately, the pond on one side, a propane tank and a sprinkler control box on the other side made access difficult. To compound the problem, one of the trees was probably the largest on the property.<br />
<br />
We hired Accurate Tree Removal to bring in their giant crane to do the job. Once the crane was in place, a climber was hoisted up into the tree where he attached cables. Next he made the cut that would allow the crane operator to lift the tree section over the house, and lowered it to the street, where the trimming and chipping crew made fast work of the tree.<br />
<br />
Dave, the owner, estimated the job would take about three hours. They pulled into the development at 7:00 AM and pulled out at 9:45. He was "Accurate" in more ways than one. The work was quick, clean, professional, and safe! <br />
<br />
The video below shows some of the tree sections being lifted over the houses. (Note: Action has been sped up by a factor of 4x.)<br />
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<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/YhKThCtRE9g" width="560"></iframe>Arthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04191518215607822910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7433307233463103980.post-21459728335314470852014-05-25T09:59:00.000-04:002014-05-25T10:04:16.915-04:00Some Animal Life Pictures and Video from May 2014Here's a video are a few pictures of animal life around Sherwood Glen. Bill H. offers us some wildlife from the International Dinner.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-A27S97dHLeM/U4H1LkIpgNI/AAAAAAAAA0A/JW32SDb1HAY/s1600/IMG_0004_2.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-A27S97dHLeM/U4H1LkIpgNI/AAAAAAAAA0A/JW32SDb1HAY/s200/IMG_0004_2.jpg" /> </a> <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fsl69M04YKs/U4H1OGrffZI/AAAAAAAAA0M/7WgLvb52Dlw/s1600/IMG_0007.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fsl69M04YKs/U4H1OGrffZI/AAAAAAAAA0M/7WgLvb52Dlw/s200/IMG_0007.jpg" /> </a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-l_uaBAecyaE/U4H1OCEiX8I/AAAAAAAAA0I/Zc23HfBrYsM/s1600/IMG_0012_2.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-l_uaBAecyaE/U4H1OCEiX8I/AAAAAAAAA0I/Zc23HfBrYsM/s200/IMG_0012_2.jpg" /></a>
<br />
<br />
Here are two shots from Ed P. A robin took a liking to a porch decoration and build its nest there. Using a mirror, he took a shot of the egg. The second is a green heron that was fishing along the bank in back of his house.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ldNLzMLeX-0/U4H2CpnOHkI/AAAAAAAAA0k/poARxTmu4lk/s1600/SDC12794.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ldNLzMLeX-0/U4H2CpnOHkI/AAAAAAAAA0k/poARxTmu4lk/s200/SDC12794.JPG" /> </a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-smnWQEYus1Y/U4H2BodEhkI/AAAAAAAAA0c/Zr2nXX8S6Z0/s1600/SDC12798.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-smnWQEYus1Y/U4H2BodEhkI/AAAAAAAAA0c/Zr2nXX8S6Z0/s200/SDC12798.JPG" /></a>
<br />
<br />
Here's a short video I took of a groundhog walking across the beaver dam, followed by a shot of a beaver contemplating our culvert protection cage, now in it's third year keeping our culverts undammed.<br />
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<br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5qzYFAe5ek4/U4H3HUDMG0I/AAAAAAAAA0w/QW4xd8tcZzY/s1600/IMG_6591.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5qzYFAe5ek4/U4H3HUDMG0I/AAAAAAAAA0w/QW4xd8tcZzY/s200/IMG_6591.JPG" /></a>
Arthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04191518215607822910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7433307233463103980.post-68094514571916735442014-04-18T17:55:00.000-04:002014-04-18T17:55:03.933-04:00New Treadmill Quick Start GuideThe new treadmill was installed on April 18th and is ready to rock and roll. Here's a short quick start video to get you familiar with it.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/HhB9CG5WTiY" width="420"></iframe>Arthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04191518215607822910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7433307233463103980.post-55336529376752953792014-02-23T06:48:00.002-05:002014-02-23T16:02:44.416-05:00Mardi Gras at Sherwood GlenOn Feb. 22, Mardi Gras came to the Sherwood Glen clubhouse. Residents came from near and far (well mostly near), streaming down Arrow, Sherwood and Locksley Lane flanked on each side, by 8 foot snow banks. The balmy 50 degree weather was unexpected, but very welcome.<br />
<br />
The clubhouse was decked out in purple, green, and gold, as guests filed in bringing their favorite New England renditions of Cajun dishes. As always, there was good food, good drink, and good company!<br />
<br />
Kris and Gary won the end of the night raffle and Ed and Beryl reigned as King and Queen of the Sherwood Glen Mardi Gras.<br />
<br />
A big thanks is in order to all of the ladies of the social committees, led by Judy Mars.<br />
<br />
Mark March 22 on your calendars for next month's function. The wine flowed at Mardi Gras, and the social committee and Mary Mac are setting the stage for a wine tasting party that promises to be an event to remember (or at least try to remember). Plan on bringing your favorite wine and a designated walker.<br />
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<br />Arthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04191518215607822910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7433307233463103980.post-65127573297063276712014-02-20T17:56:00.000-05:002014-02-20T17:56:55.142-05:00A Visit to Bilbiotech - Tom K.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eL__0YOPjQU/UwaGpkrHJJI/AAAAAAAAAwk/S-i46F_uzBY/s1600/bibliotech.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eL__0YOPjQU/UwaGpkrHJJI/AAAAAAAAAwk/S-i46F_uzBY/s1600/bibliotech.JPG" height="136" width="200" /></a></div>
On January 22 of this year, I had a wonderful visit to the first "bookless" library, located in San Antonio, TX. One important goal was for Bexar County to improve it's less than 50% literacy rate among adults. Adults are permitted to take out readers that speak. They use chirldren's books that allow the user to hear individual words or complete sentences. I was told that an elderly man was brought to tears as he began for the first time to see himself learning English!<br />
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<a href="http://mysherwoodglen.com/images/tomk%202-20-14/BiblioTech.pdf" target="_blank">Here are more images from the visit.</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.dallasnews.com/business/technology/headlines/20140103-nation-s-first-bookless-library-opens-in-san-antonio.ece?nclick_check=1" target="_blank">Read more here....</a><br />
<br />
Tom K. <!--50--><br />
<br />Arthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04191518215607822910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7433307233463103980.post-87264184418565825992013-12-08T00:12:00.003-05:002013-12-08T00:12:34.329-05:00Christmas Stroll 2013For the past few years since Jill and I moved here, we've enjoyed the annual Christmas stroll. It's fun evening of neighbors, food, wine, and carols. I took a few pictures of decorations at each house, and stitched them together to make this video. The resolution doesn't do the decorations justice. In the coming week, I'll be posting the high res stills in the Members section of the website.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="243" id="vp1kIITe" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/embed.animoto.com/play.html?w=swf/production/vp1&e=1386477878&f=kIITesY8OHrvXch3mhylyA&d=0&m=a&r=360p+720p&volume=100&start_res=720p&i=m&asset_domain=s3-p.animoto.com&animoto_domain=animoto.com&options=" title="Video Player" width="432"></iframe><br />Arthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04191518215607822910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7433307233463103980.post-68755095125505645282013-02-16T14:23:00.004-05:002013-02-16T17:39:59.557-05:00PSNH AlternativesHi Folks,<br />
<br />
Here's a guest blog post from Sherwood resident, Tony C. <br />
<br />
If you're interested in saving a few dollars each month on your electric bill there is now a way to do so. NH now permits you to select the company that supplies the electricity for your account. PSNH remains your service company and you only get one bill. Other than the name of the company showing up on your bill as the electricity supplier the change is invisible. It would be as if you could select where DiFeo bought their propane. <br />
<br />
The advantage is that there are several companies offering cheaper rates than PSNH. ElectricityNH (www.electricitynh.com) is the one I selected and I am now paying .0699 cents per KWhour versus .0954 from PSNH. With our usage from our last bill that meant a savings of over $15. <br />
<br />
You can go on their web site and they have a FAQ section that will answer most of your questions. Be sure and read their "Terms of Service". The rate they offer is guaranteed until 11/30/2013 and you do have to sign a contract that will run until then. At that point you will be offered a renewal at the price then being offered. Our rate was last years rate, the current one is slightly higher at .0728 cents per KWH. Still a big savings over PSNH. Signing up can be done on-line or over the phone and only takes a couple of minutes.<br />
We did this for years with our electric company in CT and saved a good bit of money. Check it out! Arthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04191518215607822910noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7433307233463103980.post-50094270080881925142013-02-16T09:01:00.000-05:002013-02-16T09:01:57.451-05:00Backyard VisitorA day or two after the blizzard, I saw some tracks in the backyard, but that night has rained a bit. It was impossible to tell what they were. Last night I set out the trail camera and got some shots of our visitor.<br />
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<br />Arthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04191518215607822910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7433307233463103980.post-73077608892769189302013-02-11T13:10:00.003-05:002013-02-11T13:33:29.721-05:00More World Records for the Hubbards!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HQDupT-vU6E/URkxSgNpxwI/AAAAAAAAAp8/SV1brccUSFk/s1600/nona2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="252" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HQDupT-vU6E/URkxSgNpxwI/AAAAAAAAAp8/SV1brccUSFk/s320/nona2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
Sherwood Glen residents, Peter and Nona
Hubbard competed in Vermont this past weekend and Team Hubbard set more world records. <br />
<br />
Nona set three RPS World Records for the squat (250 lbs.), bench press (155 lbs.), and total of
715 lbs. for three lifts. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZZHn_FiEssc/URkzIoLt6DI/AAAAAAAAAqQ/lmFcXtFTwSQ/s1600/nona1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZZHn_FiEssc/URkzIoLt6DI/AAAAAAAAAqQ/lmFcXtFTwSQ/s320/nona1.JPG" width="320" /></a>In addition she was awarded the Sportsmanship
Trophy. This is given to the lifter that not only has great skills and power,
but is a role model for the sport and inspires others with their attitude and work ethic. <br />
This award is not given at every meet and is considered a great
honor. Nona said it meant more to her than the records! <br />
<br />
Peter also set a world record but as he said, "The day was Nona's" <br />
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Here Nona doing the 250 lb. squat. <br />
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Congratulations Peter and Nona!<br />
Arthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04191518215607822910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7433307233463103980.post-80705664527749493582012-11-30T09:41:00.005-05:002012-11-30T09:45:30.353-05:00I've Been Walking on the Railroad<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iUxX62KLu7s/ULjAvoDgy9I/AAAAAAAAAkU/sUtsQp8dzJM/s1600/t1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iUxX62KLu7s/ULjAvoDgy9I/AAAAAAAAAkU/sUtsQp8dzJM/s200/t1.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>
Recently Tom, one of of newest residents, took a walk down the Rockingham Railroad Trail and would like to share it with us. <a href="http://mysherwoodglen.com/images/tomk11-30-12/Rockingham%20Trail%20Pictorial.html" target="_blank">Click here for his description and pictures. </a><br />
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If anyone else has pictures and/or stories they would like to share, let me know via email or the website contact form. You don't have be a tech wizard. Here's a web page version and a PDF version. I'll be happy to help you get it into a format that we can share online.<br />
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Thanks, Tom!Arthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04191518215607822910noreply@blogger.com0