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Leewood.us Archive of
Articles
- 2009 Archived Articles -
Leewood Community Yard Sale
- Saturday, May 23rd 8:00am
Stimulus Bill Could Kick-Start
Road Projects
How To Protect You and Your Family
From Staph Infections
King Street Trolley Up and Running
– Be Sure to Catch It!
Consumer Confidence for the
Washington-DC Region beats the Nation’s
Leewood Times Tax Information
Your Input on Locking Mailboxes
Needed
Leewood Annual Meeting - Tuesday,
March 10th, 8:00pm
Meet The Candidates
Absentee Voting for the Annual
Meeting
Sharon Bulova Wins Special Election
- Becomes Chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors
Getting to Know Your New County
Board Chairman
January Edition of The Leewood
Times is Now Online
Holiday Trash Schedule
2008/2009 - No Change
Maggie
Pitotti Elected to LHOA Board
Telephone Directory in 2009
Special Election: Chairman,
Fairfax County Board of Supervisors
Leewood Times Inaugural Weekend
Guide
Special Christmas Tree
Pick-up
LHOA Board Meeting - Tuesday,
January 13th 2009
Leewood Community Yard Sale - Saturday,
May 23rd 8:00am
A community yard sale will be held on Saturday, May 23rd in the
common area between Bradwood Court and Bradwood Street starting
at 8:00a.m. If you would like to participate please email Rose Weber
at weberr@verizon.net.You
must provide your own table. The location was chosen to make loading
and unloading convenient for sellers and customers and we ask all
residents not to park on Bradwood Street the night before and the
morning of the yard sale. We look forward to seeing you there.
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Stimulus Bill Could Kick-Start Road Projects
A maximum of about $750 million in transportation funding is expected
to flow to Virginia from the 789 billion dollar stimulus package
recently signed into law. Many of Virginia's transportation projects
are stalled due to funding. For example, the Fairfax County Parkway
project is about $60 million short, the long-planned revamping of
the intersection of Lee Highway and Gallows Road awaits $40 million
for construction, and state transportation leaders recently put
on hold portions of the widening of Interstate 66's westbound lanes
inside the Capital Beltway.
Dozens of others like it across the state are also awaiting money,
and state and local officials say they don't know how the federal
money will be distributed or with what strings attached. "If
the stimulus comes with instructions, we'll have to follow the instructions,"
said state Del. David B. Albo (R-Fairfax). "But if I have any
authority over any of the money, I'd like to have a say in it."
The Commonwealth has developed a website for citizens, groups,
localities, and others to use to share project proposals for funding
from the federal stimulus package. The website is located at http://stimulus.virginia.gov/
To learn more about the federal stimulus package, please visit:
www.Recovery.gov.
The deadline for submission of the proposals is Friday, March 6,
2009.
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How To Protect You and Your Family From
Staph Infections
Staphylococcus aureus, or simply staph, are bacteria commonly carried
on the skin or in the noses of healthy people. Methicillin-resistant
Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a type of staph that is resistant
to antibiotics including methicillin and other more common antibiotics
such as penicillin and amoxicillin. Staph infections, including
the serious MRSA strain, have spread through schools nationwide
in recent weeks. The infection can be spread by skin-to-skin contact
or sharing an item used by an infected person, particularly one
with an open wound.
Educate and protect yourself and your family today with these
tips:
- Treat and cover wounds with StaphAseptic® – A first
aid antiseptic/pain relieving gel known to prevent the spread of
staph.
- Don't share personal items – Germs can live on clothing
and towels for over 24 hours.
- Properly clean gear and equipment – Disinfect all objects
before and after use, especially if it's shared
- Shower after physical activity – Close skin to skin
contact is one of the main ways MRSA is being spread among athletes.
- Keep hands clean – One of the easiest ways to protect
yourself is to wash your hands.
- Wear loose clothing around wounds – This can help prevent
chafing which can cause a break in the skin and provide entry for
staph bacteria.
- Consult your physician for all active wounds – In order
to determine if an infection is MRSA, it must be cultured by a physician.
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King Street Trolley Up and Running –
Be Sure to Catch It!
Alexandria Mayor William D. Euille, members of the Alexandria City
Council, and civic organizations marked the first official run of
the King Street Trolley with a brief ribbon cutting ceremony. The
King
Street Trolley service will transport residents, visitors, and
those who work in Old Town between the Potomac River waterfront
and the King Street Metrorail Station. The free trolley will operate
seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Approximately every 15
minutes, riders can board at the unit block of King Street near
the Potomac River waterfront, the King Street Metrorail station,
or at any of the signed stops along King Street, which are approximately
2 blocks apart. Typically, four trolley vehicles will circulate
on King Street in order to maintain the 15-minute intervals. The
trolley service replaces the weekend DASH About bus service, which
was discontinued Sunday, March 30.
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Consumer Confidence for the Washington-DC
Region beats the Nation’s
Local consumers are nearly five times more upbeat about the regional
economy than they are about the national economy, according to a
new survey for the Greater Washington Board of Trade and Northern
Virginia is at the top. The region’s residents are looking
to the future with a significant level of optimism.
Regarding housing, here is how the respondents ranked:
In terms of living situations:
• 3 percent of the area’s homeowners expect to try
to sell their homes during the next six months
• 13 percent of renters in the region want to buy a home in
the next six months
• 18 percent say they would like to, depending on real estate
market conditions
Perhaps the best part of the survey findings is the confidence
level for our region. Northern Virginia areas had the highest index,
at 53. The lowest, at 46, was found in the Maryland suburbs. D.C.
was in the middle, at 51, according to the article. You can read
the full story at:
http://washington.bizjournals.com/washington/stories/2008/12/15/daily76.html
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Tax Information
The 2009 tax filing season is in full swing and the IRS has announced
a number of new steps to file your taxes, help financially distressed
taxpayers maximize their refunds, and steps to speed refund payments.
The editors of the Leewood Times have created an
information page to help our members. Included is steps for
preparing your return, a final review checklist to use before you
mail your tax forms, links to electronically file your return, frequently
asked questions about taxes from the IRS, and helpful links to organizations
that can help you prepare and file your return for FREE. More
>
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Your Input on Locking Mailboxes Needed
The LHOA Board is in the process of finalizing the transition to
locking mailboxes. We would like to hear any homeowners' opinions
on the project. Please e-mail the board at board@leewood.us
or send a note to P.O. Box 1421, Springfield, VA 22151 or you can
also leave a note at either 7013 Leestone Street or 7040 Bradwood
Court. The deadline to submit your ideas is MONDAY, MAY
4th.
We look forward to hearing from you.
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Leewood Annual Meeting - Tuesday, March
10th, 8:00pm
The Leewood Homeowners Association annual meeting will be held
on March 10th, 2009 at 8:00 p.m. in the Auditorium
at the Philips School Located at the Northwest
corner of Braddock and Backlick Roads at 7010 Braddock Road,
Annandale, VA.
*=PLEASE NOTE: THIS LOCATION IS DIFFERENT THAN LAST YEAR.
Annual meeting packages have been prepared and mailed to each homeowner.
We hope that every homeowner will participate by attending the meeting.
If you cannot attend, information is provided from the board below
on how you can vote absentee. Three LHOA seats on the board are
up for election this year and here is some information on the candidates.
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Three Seats up for Election in 2009
In an effort to keep our members informed, we have asked all of
the candidates running for a seat on your LHOA board some information
about them and thier vision for the Leewood in the future.
The Leewood Board is composed of 5 members and no member can unilaterally
take an action that affects the entire community. This year each
member of the community, who chooses to vote or submit a proxy for
someone to vote on their behalf, will be selecting three people
to serve on the Board.
Following are short bios submitted by those who are running. The
candidates were asked to list their name, street/address, current
occupation, how long each has lived in Leewood, reasons they are
running for the Board and past work with the Association. The bios
are posted as submitted and no changes have been made in the information
provided.
The candidates are listed as they appear on the ballot.
Name: Rosemarie (Rose) Weber
Address: 7013 Leestone Street
I am a retired military member who spent 26 years in service to
our country as a United States Marine. I have been a resident in
Leewood since June of 2003. However, I have only been in permanent
residence since December 2005. Prior to that, although Leewood was
my home, I was often deployed or stationed out of the state/country.
I am an administrator by trade and currently work for the Secretary
of Defense as a civilian employee. Much of my experience in the
service lends itself well to my being on the Board. Not only am
I an administrator by trade, but over the years I have sat in various
positions on various communities’ boards as the Marine Corps
representative and have held positions on Department of Defense
Boards as well. I believe that change can only be brought about
through positive action, and so, taking part in the Association
is something I view as my duty as a resident. I have two daughters
and two grandsons who live in Beaufort, SC.
I was elected to the Board in 2006 and have served as the Board
Secretary since that time. While serving on the Board I have played
a key role in Board accomplishments, to include: the installation
of common area lighting, the renegotiation of a new trash contract
and a new landscaping contract, the repair of numerous drainage
problems throughout Leewood, the repair of our sidewalks, and streets,
and the installation of a trash can at the bus stop at Backlick/Leestone.
I have also personally participated in much of the work required
to maintain Leewood such as fence repair, tree pruning and tree
removal, which have saved Leewood money in reduced repair costs.
I have also been successful in forming positive working relationships
with outside organizations that impact Leewood such as Fairfax County,
the US Post Office, our contracted service providers and our bordering
neighbors outside Leewood. I have streamlined many of the Board
administrative processes and have performed many administrative
duties, such as photocopying, at my own expense, saving the Association
money in admin fees. I have also played an active role in organizing
community events such as National Night Out gatherings.
My goals as a board member, should I be re-elected, are to be as
active as my schedule allows and to positively impact the conduct
of the Board and Board-community relations. I would like to see
more resident participation in our community and hope to continue
to create enthusiasm amongst residents to realize that goal. It
is my opinion that the board exists to ensure property values remain
stable (or rise) by: 1) governing maintenance and upkeep of personal
properties and 2) making improvements to the community as a whole.
With the present state of our economy, it is more important than
ever that we protect our home investments by continuing to improve
our community and make it a pleasant and safe place to live.
I hope to continue working with the Board, but more importantly,
I hope to remain in service to my neighbors as a member of the Homeowners
Association Board.
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Name: Mohammed Umar
Address: 7029 Bradwood Court
Current employment: Credit Union as an Accountant
Education: Dual undergraduate degrees in business administration.
Married with four daughters
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Name: Tom Harvat, Jr.
Address: 7033 Leestone Street
Current Occupation: Program Manager for Raytheon Missile Systems.
4+ years living in Leewood
Reasons for Running: I feel I can be an asset to the current Leewood
community and board
Prior Leewood Volunteer Service: Treasurer, 2005-2006; Website
Committee January 2007 to present
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Name: Ramanuj Chilakamarri (Bob)
Profession: An Information Technology Project Manager in the US
Federal Government
General Experience: I was a Professor in the University of Maryland
during early 70s, followed by Computer Industry experience in managing
large projects and lately with the Federal Government. Published
many research papers and two books: The earlier one is a translation
from French into English “Programming, Games and Transportation
Networks” in late 1960s and the more recent one in 2007 “India
Nail Art”
Specific Experience: My successful completion of the three year
term responsibilities as a volunteer Board member in coordinating
and working for LHOA.
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Name: Anthony (Tony) McSorley
Address: 7042 Bradwood Court
Occupation: Retired
Lived in Leewood: 30-year resident since 1978
Reasons to run for Board:
Increase house values (down 200K to 270K)
Insure all homeowners get vote on new capital expenses
Preserve reserves from excessive spending and excessive unnecessary
increase assessments (up 37% in 2 years)
Eliminate trailer-park look of commercial non-resident trailers
and trucks on perimeter streets
Previous Leewood volunteer service:
1. Served on Leewood board during early 90's
2. Served on two parking committees - 1 year each
3. Served on Tot Lot Committee - 1 year (was against it)
4. Painted all Leewood mailboxes personally 3 times in 90's
5. Re-roofed and repaired all 13 mail locations
6. Attended all monthly board meetings for 10 years
7. Wrote numerous community affairs articles for Newsletter
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Absentee Voting for the Annual Meeting
By now all Leewood homeowners have received their annual meeting
packages. We hope that every homeowner will participate by attending
the meeting. However, if you are unable to attend, it would be appreciated
if you would mail your proxy to:
Leewood Homeowners Association
P.O. Box 1421
Springfield, Va. 22151
The proxy can also be dropped off at 7013 Leestone Street, the
home of our secretary, Rose Weber. If you mail or drop off your
proxy, please designate someone you know will be in attendance or
a board member to vote for you. If you do not wish to designate
someone to vote for you, please return the proxy checking for quorum
purposes only. Only original documents can be used to cast your
vote, copies will not be allowed.
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Sharon Bulova Wins Special Election
- Becomes Chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors
Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Vice Chairman Sharon Bulova,
Braddock District, was elected chairman in a special election held
Tuesday, Feb. 3. She won by 1,200 votes with 16% of the county's
registered population voting in this special election. She was sworn
in at a ceremony on Friday, Feb. 6, at the Government Center.
Bulova was first elected to the Board of Supervisors in 1987 and
began her sixth term on Jan. 1, 2008. She has served as the board's
vice chairman and chairs the board’s Budget Committee. Bulova
is a founder of the Virginia Railway Express and helped establish
a statewide Rail Advisory Board, which recommends funding for rail
projects that have significant public benefit.
For official election results, visit the Office of Elections Web
page...
http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/eb/webreports/RESU0209.pdf
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Getting to Know Your New County Board Chairman
Sharon Bulova, 61 narrowly defeated her Republican opponent, Supervisor
Pat S. Herrity, in a special election February 3rd (see above).
She replaced Democrat Gerald E. Connolly, who is now in Congress
and will bring a different leadership style to the board. Her soft-spoken
style makes her different from her predecessors, and she prefers
to leave the talking to others.
A former homemaker and civic association president, she became
the Braddock supervisor 21 years ago, but never thought she would
be chairman. She has been well-liked and quite content in her district
and is known as much for her willingness to listen as her ability
to act on such local concerns as neighborhood decline and the condition
of storm-water spillways.
For more information about her, visit http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/chairman/
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January Edition of The Leewood Times is
Now Online
The newest edition of your
community newsletter is now online, along with every
past edition. Viewers can access
the newsletter by clicking here, and if interested, you can
view
the archive of articles by clicking here. In a effort to help
our environment, all future editions will only be printed and
delivered to those who request it. If you would like a printed edition
delivered to your door, please fill out the subscription form located
in the March
2008 Edition, (Volume
III, Issue 2)
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Holiday Trash Schedule 2008/2009 - No Change
This year Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day all fall on
a Thursday. Seeing that our bi-weekly trash pick ups are scheduled
for friday mornings, there is no change to our Trash schedule for
those holidays. Feel free to put out all your holiday trash as normal,
and make sure that you put all trash out after dark the night before
to keep our community looking clean for all of our residents and
thier guests during the holidays.
Special Christmas Tree Pick Ups
ADS, our trash contractor has scheduled (2) special Christmas Tree
Pick-ups for Leewood. Trucks will be coming through Leewood WEDNESDAY
Morning January 7th & 14th. Please put out your trees
the night before free of all ornaments, lights, and tinsel.
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Maggie Pitotti Elected to LHOA Board
Your LHOA is pleased to announce that Maggie Pitotti has joined
our board. She was elected at the annual meeting and comes to the
board with a wealth of experience, and many years of volunteering
in Leewood. We’re proud to welcome her and look forward to
working alongside her. Maggie will be taking over as treasurer and
releaving Mohammed Umar of his duties.
We want to give special thanks to Mohammed for his many years volunteering
his time for our community and look forward to working with him
in many other capacities.
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Leewood Telephone Directory in 2009
We plan to issue a new Leewood Telephone Directory in 2009. A hard
copy of the form will be included in the annual notification of
assessments which homeowners will receive no later than 12/1/08.
In the meantime, we are posting
a blank copy of the form for those homeowners who want to get
a head start on completing it. Please follow the instructions on
the form and send them to the address provided.
Thank you. We look forward to having great participation!
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Special Election: Chairman, Fairfax County
Board of Supervisors
February 3, 2009
Because Gerald Connolly was elected to the House of Representatives
11th District, Fairfax County is left without a Chairman of the
Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, a Special Election for Chairman
of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors will be held. All qualified
voters in Fairfax County are eligible to vote in this election.
Connolly won Virginia’s 11th Congressional District seat
in the U.S. House of Representatives Nov. 4. He has served as county
chairman since 2004 and resigned from his current position Jan.
3. Two current county elected officials, Supervisors Sharon Bulova
(D-Braddock) and Patrick Herrity (R-Springfield), have kicked off
their campaigns to replace Connolly. Independent candidate Carey
Campbell is also running for county chairman. For More information
on this special election, check out your voting
page created by the editors of the Leewood Times. More
>
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Inaugural Weekend Guide
The District of Columbia plays host every four years to the inauguration
of the country’s president and the related activities such
as the inaugural parade, balls and galas and other festive events.
Hundreds of thousands of American citizens from across the country
will visit the District to take part in this historic event.
The 56th Presidential Inauguration will be a historic one, and
the district is expecting tremendous turnout for the events. They
are urging spectators to use public transportation and arrive early.
The editors of the Leewood Times have created a guide to everything
you need to know about the 2009 Inauguration. More
>
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Special Christmas Tree Pick-up
- Wednesday January 14th.
Help give your Christmas tree a second life by recycling it. American
Disposal Services our recycling company will provide two special
pick-ups for your christmas trees. The next and final special pick-up
is Wednesday morning, January 14th. Please put your christmas trees
out the night before free of all ornaments, lights, and tinsle.
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LHOA Board Meeting - Tuesday, January 13th
2009 7:30 p.m.
Your LHOA board meeting is a great opportunity for our members
to voice concerns and learn something new about our community. All
members are invited to attend and speak in an open forum. The meeting
will begin at 7:30 p.m. at the Philip’s School across Braddock
Road. The agenda
is posted online for you to view. More
>
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