June 1, 2009

Volume 7, Issue 1

Special InterestArticles:

• Meet the NewBoardMembers.

• Firework Safety

« Child SafetySeats

• BarbecueSafety

• McGruff "TheCrime Dog"

IndividualHighlights:

Message from the

President

Message from the

Vice President 2

Message from the

Treasurer 3

Message from the

Secretary 3

Message from ACC

Community

Summer

Safety

Welcome New

Owners

The AcornThe Oaks Homeowners Association, PO Box 163, Palmyra, PA 17078

MEET THE NEW BOARD MEMBERSPresident - DonHassenbein, 838-6307,dhassenbein@comcast.net Don served as the firstOaks elected Presidentfrom 2000-02 and is nowserving another term from2008-10. He was born andraised in Reading, Pa andserved 9 years in the AirForce, including 5stationed in Germany,where he met his wifeElke. Don and Elke have 2sons, 1 daughter, 5grandchildren and 1Sheltie. His careerincluded 22 years withAT&T & Lucent Tech.(including 5 additionalyears in Germany) and 10yrs with DeutscheTelekom as President &CEO. Retired since 2000,he is very involved withlocal Classic Chevy &Porsche car clubs andenjoys attending eventswith his 2 grandchildren.Don's garage (with hiscollector cars and carmemorabilia) always getsrave reviews at the AnnualOaks garage sale

Wee President- JimGraeff, 838-3817,Jiqraeff92@verizon.netMarried to Jennifer, threegrown daughters andthree grandchildren aswell as one dog - anEnglish Spring Spanielnamed Chelsey. Wemoved into the Oaks inApril 2008 and we arevery happy to be living

here. Jim retired fromBethlehem Steel after 25years of service and thenretired again from ComputerAid, Inc after 19 years as aBusiness Consultant. He iscurrently working part time fora food brokerage, servicing 7local Giant Food Stores. Jimwas born and raised in theReading, PA area and aveteran of the US Armyserving as a ski trooper inAlaska before attending theArmy's USMA Academy PrepSchool. He attended DrexelUniversity and the UnitedStates Merchant MarineAcademy in Kings Point, NY.

Treasurer - Pat Raskauskas,838-2455,taverntreasure@aol.comPat and her husband Joehave lived in The Oaks since1995. Pat had served as VicePresident on the originalBoard of Directors and thentook the position of Secretary.She is employed by the PA

Turnpike Commission and anactive member of the Board ofDirectors for the PennsylvaniaSelf-Insured Association.Pat also works as a productdemonstrator at Weis andGiant.

Secretary - Eric Hoffman,838-0248, huff20@vahoo.comEric is a graduate ofMillersville Univ. of PA, hold aBS in Occupational Safety &Hygiene Management, with aminor in Computer Science.Currently he is anOccupational Safety TrainingSpecialist & Webmaster for

the PA Dept. of L&l Bureau ofPENNSAFE since 1999. Ericpreviously worked as a SafetyDirector for Stauffer's ofKissel Hill and was a SafetyManager for the HersheyMedical Center. Eric and hiswife Heather have a 2 yearold daughter, named MadelynRose. In his spare time, Ericis a PIAA basketball andbaseball official and enjoysspending time with family andfriends, playing baseball,basketball and golfing.

Architectural Control Chair-Ray Urban, 838-8526ravurban@verizon. netBorn and raised in the Wilkes-Barre (NEPA) area. Educationafter high school consists ofan Associate degree fromPenn State and a Bachelors'degree from Western NewEngland College. Militaryservice was a two year hitchin the US Army (includingVietnam). Was employed byPratt and Whitney, anaerospace manufacturingcompany (division of UnitedTechnologies Corp) located inEast Hartford, CT. Workexperience was in variousQuality Assurance relatedfunctions and ultimatelyresulted in relocation to PA..Retired from P&W after 40+years of service. Just recentlycelebrated 41 years ofmarriage to Suzanne and amlooking forward to many moreTwo daughters and a son andeight grandsons ranging fromages 3 to 14 make up the resiof the family.

Message from the PresidentReturning to the Boardafter 6 years has beenchallenging but quiteinteresting. I want to againthank the outgoingOfficers, Marcia Perrotti,Secretary (served 5 14 yrs)and Ron Burke, VicePresident (served 5 yrs)for their outstandingservice to the OaksAssociation. Next April,during the AnnualMeeting, we will beelecting 3 new Officers forthe President, Treasurerand Architectural ControlChairperson positions -1recommend you considerrunning for one of thesepositions. Pleaseremember that, if elected,you will be eligible to haveyour Annual MaintenanceAssessment reimbursed.

Please notify ourSecretary, who is alsoChair of the NominatingCommittee, if you areinterested.As might be expectedduring this economicdownturn, many of ourmembers, who are sellingtheir homes, areexperiencing difficulty withmany buyers expectinghuge discounts orconcessions from theseller. Since the OaksHomeowners Associationconsists of 85 singlehomes, 50 duplexes and16 town houses, it isdifficult to come up with anaverage value for ourhomes. However, Ibelieve we could safelyestimate a minimumcurrent average value of

approximately $165,000(plus or minus). Thismeans that our currentAnnual Assessment of$165 ($13.75 per month)is equivalent to .01 % ofthe home value andcovers the maintenance,ongoing sinkhole repairand taxes for 14 % acresof common ground;electric, maintenance andrepair of 32 HOA streetlights; annual mandatedaudits and filing of federaland state taxes and anylegal or admin costs. Ifselling, please rememberto confirm with the ArchControl Chair that allexterior improvementshave been previouslyapproved in order to avoidhaving any problems withissuing the necessary

Resale Certificate orrequiring additional actionsat Settlement.For your information, theOaks development wasoriginally surveyed by D. L.Reiber Associates Inc, 1529E. Chocolate Ave., HersheyPa 17033, tel 533-9077 andcopies of their land maps,showing your property, areavailable for review from theArch Control Chair. If youare considering having yourlot surveyed (average cost$1000) to find the originalproperty pins, you may wanlto contact this firm for aquote since we understandthat cost savings (approx.$500) would apply sincethey had performed all theoriginal survey work.

Message from the Vice PresidentAs in the past, the VicePresident's responsibilitiesinclude maintaining thestreet lights and thegrounds of the commonarea. Assisting with theseresponsibilities this yearwill be Ron Burke (838-6970) and GeorgeRaudensky (832-7277).These two gentlemen willbe available forconsultation and backupshould the Vice Presidentnot be available.Currently all the streetlights are in working order.Please notify the VPshould you notice anyproblems with a streetlight. The Oaks mainentrance sign wasrepainted last year andcontinues to look good.

The Oaks HOA Board tooka tour of the common areathe evening of May 5th.The general impressionwas that the area lookedgood. The grass in thecatch basins is beingmowed once each monthwhile the remainder of thegrass is mowed weeklyduring the height of thegrowing season. The rainthat has been experiencedthis spring has made thegrass mowing tough tokeep current.The sink hole at the rear ofHickory Street (caused bydecaying vegetation) hasnot grown noticeablylarger since last year. TheVP will tour the commonarea at least once eachmonth in order to monitor

any changes to the size ofthe sink hole and toassure that the lawnservice is living up to itscontractual obligations.While on the tour of thecommon area the Boardnoted that there are manydowned trees lying aroundat random in the woodedareas. The Board wouldlike to see these woodedareas cleaned up.Removal of the downedtrees would be a good firststep. We are currentlytrying to find someone whois interested in removingthese trees for firewoodwhile they are still suitablefor burning. If you shouldknow anyone interested inremoving all or a portion ofthis wood please pass on

their name to the VP.Finally, all suggestionsand observationsconcerning the commonground and the streetlights are more thanwelcome. Please directany and allcommunications to theVice President, Jim Graeff(838-3817) or on the net atiigraeff92@verizon.net

Thank you for your help...

Message from the TreasurerI'm pleased to report allhomeowners have paidthe 2009 AnnualMaintenance Assessmentwithout any legal actionbeing necessary. Inaddition, all invoices andtaxes are current and theannual audit wascompleted in accordancewith the By-Laws Sec.10.08.

The Board hopes to reducethe administrative costs thisyear by sending informationvia e-mail vs. US mail. So ifyou have not alreadyprovided your e-mailaddress, please send this tothe Secretary, Eric Hoffmanat: huff20@vahoo.comInvoices for 2010 AnnualMaintenance Assessmentwill be issued again in

December but will have anew look! The Board hasreceived comments thatinvoices previously sentdid not look like a bill andwere disregarded. As aresult, we will correct thisto avoid any furtherconfusion.

Message from the SecretaryMore and more theinternet is becoming aregular method ofcommunicating. Email isa quick and inexpensiveway to communicate sincethe 44 cent stamp iseliminated on an email.The Oaks HOA Boardwould like to use email asfrequently as possible to

communicate faster andwithout the cost.

If you have an emailaddress, please send it tohuff20@vahoo.com . We'lluse email to send yournewsletters and otherBoard correspondence.For those of you withoutemail, we'll continue toprovide materials through

Message from the Architectural Control ChairmanOne of the most commonapproval requests is for afence. When the firstfences were approved forinstallation, they weregenerally an isolatedoccurrence and not muchthought was given to aneighbors' fence. As timepassed more fences wereapproved and erected andwere installed adjacent toneighboring fences. Someare so close together, it'simpossible to convenientlytake care of the areabetween the fences, andresults in unsightly growthbecause the lot lineseparating the twoneighbors becomes a no-

mans' land and neitherhomeowner takesresponsibility.. Otherfences are located furtherapart but it still doesn'tresolve who shall providethe maintenance i.e.mowing and weed control.While it seems like a goodidea to have anagreement between theneighbors involved, thatonly lasts until one of theparties moves, then we'reback to square one. Itwould seem the best ideawould be to allow amowers width betweenthe lot line and the fenceso that you are able tokeep the grass cut as

effortlessly as possible.So, if you're considering afence and the lot adjacentto you already has one,you may want to thinkabout how the areabetween the fences will bemaintained and by whomand if there is sufficientroom.

the US Mail.

If you have any ideas forfuture Acorn articles orstories or if you have anyideas to improve ourwebsite please send mean email with yoursuggestion(s).

"If you're unsure of thelocation of easementsaround your property,submit a plan showingdetails of your planting....

In the Community...KidCare Id Program

™ ™

The North LondonderryTownship PoliceDepartment providesKidCare IdentificationCards as a public serviceto local residents. ProjectKidCare is a national childphoto identification andsafety education programthat was jointly developedby Polaroid and theNational Center forMissing and ExploitedChildren.The Objectives of theprogram are to increaseawareness about theissue of missing and

exploited children and toeducate parents andchildren about the waysthey can protectthemselves. HoldingKidCare events is a greatway for businesses andlocal organizations to getactively involved in thiscause and help out theircommunity.The North LondonderryTownship PoliceDepartment beganoffering this program in2001 and the program iscurrently funded bydonations from Jonestown

Bank.Events are held at variouslocations in the communitythroughout the year andso far, approximately1,000 children have beenphotographed andfingerprinted.If you desire to have yourchild photographed, youmay attend a KidCareevent or you may call andset up an appointment togo to the PoliceDepartment to have thephotograph taken.

Bicycle LicensesNorth Londonderry Twp.Police encourages residentsto register their bicycles atthe Police Department. Thepolice will recordinformation about yourbicycle and keep it on file incase your bicycle is lost orstolen.

You will be issued anumbered metallicregistration sticker to placeon your bicycle. There is nocost for this service.

There are two methods toregister your bicycle. Youmay bring your bicycle tothe Police Department(Mon-Fri SAM - 3PM) andcomplete the registrationform or you may print outthe registration form, (PDFfile) complete it at home andmail it to the PoliceDepartment at 655 E. RidgeRd, Palmyra, PA 17078.Registrations received inthe mail will be processedpromptly and your licensewill be mailed to you

Child Safety Seat InspectionSgt. Thomas Hentz is acertified "Child Safety Seat"inspector. If you wish tohave your child seatinspected or seek advice asto proper placement of the

seat, please contact Sgt.Hentz.You may contact Sgt. Hentzat 838-5276 or email him atthentz@nlondtwp.com.

McGrutt"The Grime Dog"

In January of 2003 theNorth LondonderryTownship PoliceDepartment added McGruffto its staff. McGruff is usedin their Crime Preventionprograms such as KidCareand National Night Out.McGruff also rides in patrolvehicles during Trick-or-Treat in October. McGruffalso likes to attend paradesand he goes to schools anddaycare facilities. If yourorganization would like tohave McGruff attend aprogram, please contact thePolice Department toschedule his visit.

th

Firework SafetyWith July rapidlyapproaching many of youwill be celebrating theFourth of July holiday, weinvite you to celebrate ournation's heritage on July 4'but celebrate safely. Hereare a few safety tips to keepin mind as you celebrate.

• Use fireworks outdoorsonly.

• Obey the law, if fireworksare not legal where you planon setting them off, do notuse them.

Barbecue SafetyBarbecue season is finallyhere! There are a few thingsto watch out for whencooking outdoors so thatyou enjoy yourself and staysafe!

BEFORE BARBECUING

• Check your grillthoroughly for leaks,cracking or brittlenessbefore using it.

• Clean out the tubes thatlead into the burner.

• Make sure the grill is atleast 10 feet away from yourhouse, garage, or trees.

• Store and use your grill ona large flat surface thatcannot burn (i.e.- concreteor asphalt).

• Don't use grills in agarage, porch, deck or ontop of anything that cancatch on fire.

• Keep children away fromfires and grills. It is a goodidea to establish a safetyzone around the grill and

• Always have water handy.(A hose or bucket).

• Only use fireworks asintended. Don't try to alterthem or combine them.

• Never relight a "dud"firework. Wait 20 minutesand then soak it in a bucketof water.

• Use common sense.Spectators should keep asafe distance from theshooter and the shootershould wear safety glasses.

instruct children to remainoutside the zone. A chalkline works great for thispurpose

• Have a fire extinguisher, agarden hose attached to awater supply, or at least 16-quarts of water close by incase of a fire.

DURING BARBECUING

• Don't wear loose clothingthat might catch fire.

• Use long handledbarbecue tools and/or flameresistant mitts.

• Never use any flammableliquid other than a barbecuestarter fluid to start orfreshen a fire.

• Never pour or squirtstarter fluid onto an openflame. The flame can easilyflashback along the fluid'spath to the container in yourhands

• Keep alcoholic beveragesaway from the grill, they areflammable!

• Alcohol and fireworks do notmix. Have a "designatedshooter."

• Only persons over theage of 21 should be allowedto handle sparklers of anytype.

• Do not ever usehomemade fireworks orillegal explosives: They cankill you! Report illegalexplosives to the fire orpolice department.

Have a happy and safetyFourth of July!

• Never leave the grillunattended.

AFTER BARBECUING

• Always follow themanufacturer's cleaning andstoring instructions thataccompany the grill.

• Keep your grill clean andfree of grease buildup thatmay lead to a fire.

• Never store liquid orpressurized fuels insideyour home and/or near anypossible sources of flame.

IN CASE OF ABARBECUE FIRE

• For PROPANE Grills -turn off the burners. ForCHARCOAL Grills - closethe grill lid. Disconnect thepower to ELECTRIC Grills.

• For PROPANE Grills - ifyou can safely reach thetank valve, shut it off.

• If the fire involves thetank, leave it alone,evacuate the area and callthe fire deoartment (911V

If there is any type of firethat either threatens yourpersonal safety orendangers property,ALWAYS DIAL 911.

• NEVER attempt toextinguish a grease fire witwater. It will only cause theflames to flare up. Use anapproved portable fireextinguisher.

The Oaks HomeownersAssociation

P.O. Box 163Palmyra, PA 17078

E-MAIL:dhassenbein@comcast.net

Welcome to our new Oaks Homeowners

We're on the Web!See us at:

www.palmyraoaks.com

THE OAKS HOAP.O. Box 163

Palmyra, PA 17078

The Board is continuing tovisit new homeowners, inaccordance with ourWelcome Visit program.One of the BoardMembers will visit eachnew Oaks Homeownerand present them with aFlyer with basic info aboutthe Oaks and answer anyquestions they may haveabout the Association. Itappears that many of thenew homeowners havenever belonged to anAssociation before andare not familiar with By-laws and Restrictions andCovenants. Somequestions that are oftenasked at recent WelcomeVisits include:- Why do we have anAssociation? Anydevelopment in PA thatowns common ground andtheir own street lights fallsunder the "PlannedCommunity" law and mustregister as an Association.- What legal documentsapply to the OaksHomeownersAssociation? 1) Articlesof Incorporation; 2) theBy-Laws plus1*& 2nd

Amendments and 3)Declaration of Restrictions& Covenants plus 1st, 2nd

and 3rd Amendments. Acopy of these documentsare given to all newowners at settlement. Askfor a replacement copy ifyou need one.- What exteriormodifications must beapproved? Check theRestrictions andCovenants, plus the 3amendments, for a list ofitems requiring approvalfrom the ArchitecturalControl Chairman. Call theArchitectural Control Chairfor further clarification andto submit your request.- Why do I have topay "dues" each year byMarch 1? The term"Dues" is actually notcorrect since this term isnormally used when onebelongs to a Social Club.The correct term, per ourlegal documents, is"Annual MaintenanceAssessment" which goestoward upkeep of theAssociation.- When is the AnnualMeeting held and whyshould I attend? Theannual meeting isnormally held on the firstMonday in April. Exactdate, time and location ofthe Annual Meeting will be

announced when youreceive your Assessmentin January. Each year,either 2 or 3 of the 5Board Member positionsare up for election. ThePresident, Treasurer andArchitectural Control Chaiipositions are elected ineven years; 2010, 2012,etc and the Vice Presidenland Secretary positionsare elected in odd years;2011,2013, etc. EachBoard member provides aformal report at themeeting and voting mayoccur on an issue.Volunteers are selectedfrom the attendees tocount the sealed electionballots with the newOfficer's names beingannounced at the end ofthe meeting. The newOfficers will receive theirrespective Oak BoardMember Books at the endof the meeting andarrange for briefings withthe outgoing BoardMember. The AnnualMeeting is important toyou since it is anopportunity to have yourvoice heard, find outwhere your money hasbeen spent and futureplans and to meet yourneiahbors."

COMPANY NAMESTREET ADDRESSCITY. ST 22134