"If your greatest fear is becoming lost, how then can you ever lead?"

J.V. Cech, July 2007

It's August in Montclair and summer 2007 is halfway over.   As the days quickly slip by, Tina and I are reminded of how many details we have yet to complete before Liz and Guy's wedding in October.  I hope you didn't miss the awesome children's bike parade with over 260 participants, another satisfying Lions cook-out, and a super Salute to Elvis by Lionel Ward and the New World Band, not to mention our stupendous Montclair 4^th of July fireworks display.  If you went elsewhere, you missed a GREAT holiday with your Montclair family.  There are still plenty of summer events coming up including the annual Montclair Teen Beach Party Saturday August 11.  Our newest event, Friday Night Movies at the Beach, will kick off Friday August 10.  Bring your family, some lawn chairs, and enjoy Charlottes Web while reclining on the sand.  I have committed to personally manning the popcorn popper.  Looking ahead, the annual Montclair Oktoberfest celebration is back to Saturday September 22.  Mark your calendars to attend because some special guest performers have been lined up for this year, and be sure to sign up as a volunteer.

Last month I mentioned that the planning stage for the fall 2007 dredging of Lake Montclair is coming to a close.  The pre-dredging survey has been completed and the Board has authorized the announcement of a request for proposals.  We expect to award a contract this month.  I have scheduled a 7:00 p.m. town meeting for Monday August 6 at the MPOA building.  At this meeting, the Lake Management Committee and General Manager will review with the Membership the scope and details of the project including the current state of the lake, proposed areas to be dredged, timelines, and the key events that have been proposed by the LMC.  I will also report on my efforts to obtain support from PWC Supervisor Maureen Caddigan and Virginia Delegate Jeff Frederick in identifying state and county resources that can help with this bill of over $400,000.   Both will be invited to the town meeting, so I urge you to attend.

I have urged the Membership to signup and take advantage of the valuable resources made available through ArmstrongConnect.  One of those resources is instant notification, by direct e-mail (or recorded phone call), of issues directly affecting our Montclair community.  A recent event again brought home the value of this resource.  The Association does periodic E. coli testing of the waters near Montclair's three beaches.  There is no state or federal standard for the frequency of testing; only that when a test is conducted a reading of less than a standard is acceptable for swimming.  There are a number of factors contributing to bacteria in the water including human waste (soiled diapers are a real problem), contributions from the water foul in the lake (PLEASE STOP FEEDING THE GEESE) and "stuff" coming into the lake-the water we swim is made up of what goes down the storm drains and any upstream events affecting Powel's Creek.  On July 3 we had two consecutive high readings at West Beach prompting me to direct this posting: "WARNING: SWIMMING IS NOT ADVISABLE AT THIS LOCATION."  Only West Beach was affected.  This message was immediately sent out to every Montclair Member registered with ArmstrongConnect.  The message was also posted on the homepage of the official MPOA website.  I am looking for other means to help notify the Membership such as black flags at the affected beaches.  A first class letter to the membership is $1700 and is not time sensitive.  TODAY, you can immediately do two things to help inform your family. 

1. Sign up for ArmstrongConnect and receive messages sent from the Association.  These messages will be few and relevant. 

1. Before going to the beaches check the MPOA website or call the office.  Important information regarding beach closings or water safety will be posted.

Here is more: "I heard it straight form the President"

Have you heard that the Country Club has been sold and that they plan to build condominiums on the land?  The closing of the Montclair Country Club sale has not been reported to the Association; however, the golf course consists of "green space" originally proffered by 1^st Montclair Corporation.  Construction of homes would require re-zoning by Prince William County.  Supervisor Maureen Caddigan, Dumfries District, does not support rezoning nor does the MPOA Board.

Have you been told that the timeline for correcting a covenants violation really starts when you get your third and final letter from the MPOA?  NO!  The timeline to correct a covenants violation begins when the violation begins, not when the MPOA documents the violation which you should all ready know needs to be fixed.  All too often Members wait for the final letter telling them that they are going to have an additional assessment.  Then they run to the Board complaining it is too late in the year to fix something, like a driveway, which has been in need of repairs for years.

Have you heard the new landscaping contractor accidentally killed off all the grass in the Waterway Drive medians?  NO!  The contractor has killed off all the weeds so refurbishment, with real grass, can begin this fall.

Please take time this summer to enjoy life in Montclair with your family, and keep in your prayers those who go in harms way so that we can live FREE!

James V. Cech, President

jcech@montclairva.com