River Views OCT NOV Final 2010

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Inside... The Prez Says . . . Page 3Marina Towers Musings . . . Page 4From the Desk of the General Manager . . . Page 5

Halloween Party Report & Astrology Column . . . Page 7The Beaver Family: Our Neighbors Next Door . . . Page 12

Munchkin on Good Citizenship in the Canine Community . . . Page 13

Volume 13 Issue 10OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2010

Modest 1% Fee Increase

Board Approves Marina Towers 2011 Operating BudgeOn November 3, the Finance

Committee hosted a Town HallMeeting in which the proposed 2011

budget was presented and discussed.The Board of Directors then adoptedthis recommended 2011 OperatingBudget of $2,365,296 at its Novem-

ber 9th meeting.A small increase of 1% was ap-

proved for the monthly condomin-ium assessment. In effect, the aver-age monthly condo assessment feeincrease will range from $4.00/month for the junior 1-bedroom unitto a $9.00/month increase for thelargest 3-bedroom unit. This is anaccomplishment, given the large

percentage of the operating budgetallocated to fixed expenses such asutilities, personnel and capital re-serves.

Contributions to the reserve ac-count will remain at $500,000. Onthe list of capital improvements in2011 is the Front Entrance/Vestibule renovation. Meanwhile,the building masonry re-pointing

project continues, and is fullyfunded through its completion datein mid 2012.

The much-discussed fan coil re-(Continued on page 14)

The Marina Towers' social seasonis upon us and, as has become our custom, we have many excitingevents planned for your holiday en-

joyment.We kicked off the season with a

Thanksgiving sunrise celebration onSunday, Nov. 21.Many residents settheir clocks early (6:56 a.m.!) and

joined their neighbors at the Gazebo

for fresh air, fellowship and bountifulrefreshments.

Plan to join the social committee inthe lobby Sunday, December 5, toswing into the holiday spirit nibblingon delectable cookies while helpingto trim the community tree. Kids areencouraged to help, so come preparedfor photo-ops!

The much-anticipated and histori-

Mark Your Calendars Now December Heralds a Bonanza of Holiday Festivities

2011 Budget Expenditures by Category


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MARINA TOWERSNEWSLETTER

Editor/Publisher: Gail Miller 240-667-2050

[email protected]

Marina TowersAdministration Office

703-549-0660FAX: 703- 549-8958

Published Monthly by:

MARINA TOWERS:A CONDOMINIUM UNIT

OWNERS' ASSOCIATION501 SLATERS LANE

ALEXANDRIA, VA 22314

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

President: Chuck Adams Vice President: Don DevriesTreasurer: Mary HarrisSecretary: Ann KauppSgt-at-Arms: Marie Bitsy Bullock

THE MARINA TOWERS STAFF

General Manager: John BlackburnAssistant Manager: Chris Nahlik Director of Facilities: Paul Sherman

A rate card indicating the cost andsize specifications for ads is availablefrom the Administration Office.

Ads and copy are due theFIRST Monday of each month.

Please use email to send informationto the editor whenever possible:[email protected]. Thanks!

DISCLAIMER: The appearance of any advertisement in the MARINATOWERS NEWSLETTER does not imply, recommend, or constitute any

endorsement by the Association,Member of the Board, or Administra-tion Office.

The cover sketch is used each monthby permission of its owner, PatriciaFarrell Thank you!

Website:www.atmarinatowers.com

COMMITTEES

Advises and assists the Board in administering and enforcing theAssociations covenants (Bylaws, Rules and Regulations) andmakes recommendations for revisions thereof. Also recommends

administrative policies and examines personnel policies and training.

Administrative/LEGAL COMMITTEE

Responsible for the monthly newsletter, and for communication between the Board and members of the Association as well as

between Marina Towers and the broader Alexandria community.

COMMUNICATIONS COMMITTEE

Advises/assists the Board in energy management matters and indeveloping programs for the operational, structural, mechanical &electrical maintenance of the building.

BUILDING/TECHNICAL & ENERGY COMMITTEE

Advises and assists the Board in developing programs pertaining to building appearance both interior and exterior including landscaping.

FACILITIES/GROUNDS COMMITTEE

Responsible for making budgetary recommendations to the Board,monitoring income and expenses, reviewing financial information,

assisting with insurance program review, and preparing recommendations andreviewing the auditors work.

FINANCE COMMITTEE

Provides programs of social, recreational, educational and cultural activities for all age and interest groups within the community.

ACTIVITIES & SOCIAL COMMITTEE

Advises and assists the Board in administering and enforcing thePet rules. Reviews all complaints and violations, offers pet owner an

opportunity to respond informally and makes recommendations for disposition.

PET COMMITTEE

This committee will formulate a long range plan for the com-munity, articulating a vision, a mission and a subset of objec-tives for establishing future organizational priorities.

LONG RANGE PLANNING COMMITTEE

Advises the Board of Directors & Management on matters per-tinent to providing security and safety for owners and residentsof Marina Towers.

SECURITY & SAFETY COMMITTEE


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Committee & Board MeetingsFinance CommitteeNo Meeting in December Board of Directors Meeting - No Meeting in December

Meetings are held in the Potomac Room unless otherwise noted.The Board Meeting agenda is available at the front desk and online on

Friday before the meeting. The Board Book is available for review a daybefore the meeting. All residents are welcome to attend Board meetings.

what makes our community special!Technology Tip

Know that you can view Netflix,Pandora, Hulu selections on your TVinstantly? These and many other video subscription sites, famous for their large collections of videos and

audios, can be accessed directly for TV viewing. Once your player has the

proper WIFI setup, all you do is typeyour selections onto your Netflix or other account using your computer.Voila! Youre immediately and inex-

pensively watching the movie of your choice on your TV!Hydrojetting

Water is flowing lots better for allof us after the recent drainunclogging extravaganza, affection-

ately known as hydrojetting. Hope-fully, you were more awake than Iwas during this process. The work-

Neighbors Helping Neighbors.When you ask people why they

FIRST moved into Marina Towers,its often because of the location thegreat view of the river, access to pub-lic transportation and the bike path, theability to walk to restaurants and cof-fee shops. But when you ask peoplewhy they STAY at Marina Towers,its frequently because of our caringcommunity the Gourmet Guild andfun social activities, the reaching outto each other, the way neighbors helpneighbors after an illness, operation,

personal difficulty. We show up for each other.Thank Yous and Kudos?

If you have thank yous or kudos tooffer, please let us know and wellshare them for you. Heres one fromme this month. My indisposition? Footsurgery: LOTS of pain, crutches, seda-tives, marginal judgment.

My Thank you bell rings loudly!Eileen Orbell took me at 0-dark-thirty for the surgery outside the belt-way --stayed throughout, and finallytucked me in on the return home. Col-leen Kearney, Sally Nilan, AnnKaupp, and Eileen Orbell have walkedBrody (and his ball) four times a dayfor a week! Sally Nilan, Dawn Kelley,Evelyn Holst, Nancy Briggs BarneyCochran, Rob Crane, and ViddyComsa have visited and brought delec-table goodies and necessities for Brody and me. Let us be there for YOU too --if you are under theweather, need some extra help, areabout to go for surgery. Be a part of

Marina Towers MUSINGS OCT/NOV, 2010 By Jan Macidull (unless otherwise noted)

men arrived as planned for the quick removal of the undersink piping. Nosooner had they left than I discoveredBrody, my orally-fixated dog, casu-ally chewing on said piping. Nano-seconds later, a helpful friend decidedto prepare tea for me. With thekitchen spigot wide open, water cas-caded merrily through the pipelessundersink. Couldnt quite understandwhat the workmen were referring towhen they mentioned all the water onthe floor.

Since that incident, Chris Nahlik has explained what took place.Hydrojetting Explained , by Christo-

pher Nahlik Management would like to thank

all of the residents for their patienceand understanding throughout the 6days of hydrojetting from October 25through November 1. While we rec-ognize that this may have been aninconvenience to you, we are thankfulfor the opportunity to have this work done and to limit future issues thatmay arise. The work was a successand we do not expect to see anykitchen drain backups in the near fu-ture. The before and after photos of the drain lines say it all if you havenot had a chance to see them and youare interested, come see me in themanagement office and Ill be glad toshare!

Happy Thanksgiving All!


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The recent big news is the approvalof the 2011 budget at the November 9, 2010 Board of Directors meeting.There was a modest 1% increase inassessments included in the budget.

One of the most important parts of the budget development process is theidentification of income streams thatcan be used to offset assessments andminimize the impact on the MarinaTowers membership. One incomestream that comes up for review peri-odically in condominiums is a chargefor the power and water that in-unitwashers and dryers use.

Although I am not a lawyer, myreading of the Virginia Condo Actallows an association to charge indi-vidual units for resources utilized bythat unit. The policy issues for anyBoard of Directors considering thistype of fee are (1) would the fee beallowed under the condo act, (2) howdo you establish the amount and (3) isit worth it!

Would the fee be allowed? An ar-gument can be made that the number of washer loads would not change;

just the location where the laundry thecleaning is done. The overall use of water and electricity should net outclose to zero, assuming the efficien-cies of the machines are relativelyclose.

How would you establish theamount? If we assume two washes

per week per bedroom and 4 cubicfeet of water per load, that comes outto 416 cu. ft. per year per bed-room. At 7.48 gallons per cu. ft., thatgives us 3,112 gallons per year per

bedroom.We are currently paying on average

$0.011/gallon of water. Cost recoveryfor 3,112 gallons would amount to anannual fee of $34.23 or about $2.85/month/bedroom.

Is it worth the trouble? I suggestthat this is not worth the trouble. The

From the GMs Desk November, 2010 By John Blackburn, General Manager only real hit the Association takes isthe income contribution from thecommon area laundry rooms. Andthat is averaging a modest $580/month total. If we even increase this

by 10%, it amounts to less than $60/month.

Another fee that is periodicallydiscussed is an additional fee on in-vestor owned units. The thinking isthat renters do not take care of the

property like owners do and onceyou pass a certain percentage thresh-old of rental units you no longer qualify for FHA certification so afee on rental units would be a disin-centive to investors buying in the

building.The association recently put this

question to its lawyers. The an-swers were that a fee targeting rentalunits is not allowed under the Vir-ginia Condo Act. In addition, Ma-rina Towers is currently in the proc-

ess of being recertified by FHA that will allow units for saleat Marina Towers to qualify for FHA

backed mortgages. This helps whenowners are selling their units becausethe mortgage options for the buyer increase with this certification. How-ever, FHA certification is currently

being denied to condominiums thatimpose leasing restrictions in thecondominium instruments.

The Holidays are upon us.Thanksgiving is coming up soon

and I wish everyone a great holidayweekend with friends and family. Besafe in your travels. If you are fly-ing, opting out of the full body scanfor the pat down will be a personalchoice. Let us hope that the pro-

posed opt out day never gets off theground, your security lines are short,we have great weather and the planesare on time.

Maintenance Requests may not becompleted in as timely a fashion asyou are accustomed to at MarinaTowers.

Please understand that despitethis monthly moratorium on In-UnitService, Marina Towers Mainte-nance will always respond to main-tenance emergencies that pose asafety hazard or immediate propertydamage.

We look forward to being able tofocus our resources in order to makethese important cosmetic repairs.Eliminating the nicks, dings andsmudges and generally eliminatingthe eyesores around the buildingwill enhance your property values.Unfortunately, our recent hard work focused on the infrastructure goes

(Continued on page 11)

Recent building inspections, aswell as feedback from residents,have all pointed to an issue regard-ing cosmetic maintenance at MarinaTowers. At the October 26, 2010Board of Directors meeting, the Di-rectors unanimously passed a meas-ure proposed by the Managementteam that will address this issue andrestore the common areas to a condi-tion acceptable to the owners of Ma-

rina Towers.Unfortunately, this solution willnot come without an impact on theowners and residents of MarinaTowers. In order to focus on thecommon areas, for one week eachmonth, the Marina Towers Mainte-nance Staff will not schedule non-emergency In-Unit Maintenance Re-quests. This means that In-Unit

Board Approves In-Unit Maintenance MoratoriumFocus to be on Common Area Repairs/Improveme


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The final days of October saw Ma-rina Towers' residents experience awhirlwind of events! Once BillEPoplet the cat out of the bag regarding animpending visit from former resident

John Seitz, the Social Committee andOGG teamed up to organize an un- precedented Fall Indoor GourmetGuild (FIGG). The gals planned thewell-attended Friday event to honor our old friend who had served asKathy Miller's OGG accomplice for many years prior to his departure.Approximately 50 residents new andold showed up to greet or meet Johnnot to mention sup on the LondonBroil exquisitely grilled by Barry ?

and Jackson. In typical OGG fashion,guests brought sumptuous side dishesto share. The broad smile on John'sface throughout the evening revealedthe pleasure he found reveling with allhis old cohorts and newly made

OGG & the Social Committee Join Forces for a Marathon Party Weekfriends. One thought the eveningcould not get any better when for-mer residents Pam and Bob Nast, intown for the Jon Stewart rally, ar-rived unexpectedly. The unplannedentrance of the popular couple

brought the crowd abuzz! Condo board president and perennial goodsport Chuck Adams, having earlier recognized John for his presence andKathy for her fine efforts, was beck-oned once again from his perch and

plate to announce the additionalhonorees. Unfortunately, the threeguests previous plans precludedthem from committing to the Hal-loween party scheduled for the fol-lowing evening.

Julie Williams, the first vice- president in charge of decorationsfor the OGG Social Committee com-

bined team, intended to begin towork her magic as the crowd dwin-

dled Friday evening. The size andexuberance of the crowd indicatedearly in the evening the necessity of changing the plan. Julie recruitedseveral helpful residents to join her

the following day to arrange andhang the abundant decorations do-nated by residents throughout theyears. Kathy related fond memoriesof legendary Grace Rose, a woman of generous spirit with a love of Hal-loween.

The large mostly costume cladgroup that gathered to celebrate Hal-loween Saturday night includedmany newer residents and a delight-edly greeted 15-year veteran residentfirst time party attendee. Contestantsfor awards faced fierce competitionfrom Dawn Kelley in her "oh mygoodness " Cindy Lauper get-up, ex-otic ample-bottomed harem girl Julie,



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Every Monday Night in the months of July and August! Every Monday Night in the months of July and August! Every Monday Night through December 27!


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When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to

you.*~ Lao-tzuThe word thrive is defined as to

grow, flourish, and prosper. To me,the idea of thriving is the experienceof being aware and alive, ever-growing and expanding my sense of my Self, who I am, and why I amheremy purpose. feeling of thrivingcan exist in the midst of difficulty.When challenges are great, you canstill grow in conscious awareness and

perform that which is your purpose inthe middle of stress.

I experienced this when I was en-

gaged to a dear Soul who was diag-nosed with a malignant brain tumor.Though the circumstances were grave,I was his caregiver to the end. I wasable to draw upon the deep well of spiritual support from within me andfrom the many friends who hoveredloosely like angels.

Thriving is realized when you areopen to every experience in life as agift of awareness. Naturally, it can befelt when things are going well, when

money is plentiful, when loved onesare kind, and when you feel in theflow.

When I learned to thrive in uncer-tainty, life became a friend. Instead of feeling a victim of lifes circum-stances, I discovered that, if I chooseto open to new learning and engagewith the present moment as if it were a

present wrapped and ready to be dis-covered, I really did prospereven if I had not noticed it at the time. Pros-

perity has come to me in the form of friends, associates, and opportunitiesthat I could never have dreamed of if Ihad not chosen to see uncertainty asthe source of unlimited possibilities.

Like a balloon flying ever higher asyou let go of the string, we can dis-cover higher possibilities. Do we ever really have a firm hold of the string? I

believe that a greater plan or synchro-

What Does it Mean to ThriveDianne Eppler Adams

Well-Priced HomesAre Selling NOW!

DONT WAITTO BUY!!!

nicity exists. If we getout of our own way, the out-comes are better than we could ever have planned for ourselves.

This has been proven to me over and over, but never more clearly thanwhen my beloved husband showed upin my life. Just eleven months after

burying my fianc along came the partner of my dreams. Not a perfectman, but a man who is perfect for me.

May you thrive as you let go of thestring and discover possibilitiesgreater than your dreams.

____________ Excerpted from "Conscious Foot-

steps: Finding Spirit in EverydayMatters." (c) 2010 -- Dianne Eppler

Adams www.ConsciousFootsteps.com

___________ The author is a Marina Towers

resident and a certified astrological consultant providing life-affirming relationship, career, and spiritual

guidance with a keen intuition and aloving spirit. Her new book,Conscious Footsteps: Finding

Spirit in Everyday Matters, is an Amazon #1 best seller! It can be or-dered from Amazon.com. Dianneusually has a small supply on hand

so you may purchase an autographed copy directly from her. Email her at:

[email protected]. Youcan receive her free monthly news-letter, Astrology in Matters, by sign-i n g u p a t h e r w e b s i t e :www.SpiritinMatters.com.

unnoticed if the cosmetics do notsupport the contention that MarinaTowers is a well maintained building.

The first scheduled week for the In-Unit Maintenance moratoriumwill be December 6 through Decem-ber 10. Christopher Nihlik

(Continued from page 5)In-Unit Maintenance Moratorium


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Busy as a BeaverBuilding Dams is in His DNA

First there are interesting facts hetold me about beavers. The beaver isa rodent that lives in the water. They

build the dams to create larger bodiesof water that will protect them from

predators. And they do build their nesting places or dens in the water.These appear as mounds of cut limbs.The beaver enter underwater but theden is above water line and in thecenter of the mound. A second room

If you walk along the bike trailtoward the sailing marina and crossthe boardwalk over the wetlands,you probably have noticed howflooded the area has recently be-

come. Instead of wetlands we arequickly gaining a lake. Trees aredying and the water is rising. Whatis causing this and is there a solu-tion?

On one of my recent morningwalks I met and talked with the Su-

perintendent of Maintenance andWildlife Management for GW Park-way. He was studying the beaver situation. He said we have as manyas 20 beavers in this one wetland

area. And that, he said, is what iscausing the flooding. He told methat the flooding is killing many of our beautiful older oak trees in thearea, including those in the parkwaymedian.

in the mound is used to store foodfor the winter. So the beavers damthe flowing streams to build a lake.How does the beaver know where to

build the dam? That is a really goodquestion. Again the ranger told methey build their dams where theyhear the sound of running water.They work mostly at night, and of-ten we can wake up in the morningand voila! Theres a new dam wherethere was nothing the night before.In fact, the ranger showed me a damthat had been torn out on Friday andrebuilt by Monday. He said it is inthe beavers DNA to keep rebuildinga dam anywhere it hears water run-ning.

So on with the story. What isgoing to happen to our beaver col-ony? There are many options, one of which is to move the beavers. It


This stock photo is a typical beaver dam thatlooks much like those in our wetlands area.


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dagger armed striking VikingMonica Gilbert and many others.Keith "Moose" Rodgers was deemedthe silliest while Eileen Orbell cap-tured the award for scariest costume.Electors voted mysterious Linda/Bob the sexiest contender guestsnever did quite figure out her/hisidentity. Voters in the chili contestfaced the daunting task of choosingtheir favorite from among the six

pots entered. Winner Diane Rodgersexpressed her delight that her hearthealthy recipe made with turkeyand brown rice took the evening.Kamille, a snow princess resplen-dent in white gown assisted by feistyserving wench Karmen, tallied thevotes and presented the awards.

Veri Crain

(Continued from page 7)

Halloween Party (contd)

HAIL AND FAREWELL Welcome newcomers! We hope

you will enjoy living in what we call

our Paradise on the Potomac.Please come to the social gather-

ings and help us get to know you! Justwalk up and say hello. For those mov-ing away, our very

best wishes gowith you!

Move Ins:324 - Vernon Rose809 - Donald McMillian1215 - Fritz Kesterman

Move Outs:302Jessica Myran419Francis Ward & Jill Forbes611Dr. Craig Jordan916 Evelyn Holst

TAKE IT EASY

Is time the clicking of the clock?

Or is it how time's spent?

Seems time moves slowly when

little happens, more quickly

the busier life's beat.

Take it easy and you may live longer.

But even if you don't, it'll seem longer.

Roger Waud

removed and the filters are in place,we have our wetland back. The Bea-ver Filters will require monthlymaintenance by the Park Service tokeep them from plugging up. Noth-ing is simple. As you walk acrossthe boardwalk you can see on your left several of the older smaller plas-tic filter pipes that were placed sev-eral years ago under some smaller dams.

I asked the ranger if changes tothe dams would frustrate the beaversand cause them to leave. He said,No way, it is part of their nature tokeep building dams. If anyone isfrustrated it is we humans, headded, smiling.

This episode makes me appreci-ate more the work the Park Serviceemployees put in to make our walksand bike rides more enjoyable. Our thanks go out to these folks. Andwe have a front row seat to watchnature at work. Bill Woolam

(Continued from page 13)

Beaver Dams (contd)


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River Views OCT NOV Final 2010