Lakeport Cluster

I Love Lakeport Day

Saturday, October 5 (rain day Sunday)

Fall Workday

9:00 a.m.

Contact msapp@miami.edu to volunteer

Fall Dock Party

5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

https://m.signupgenius.com/#!/showSignUp/10C0944AFA622A1FCC61-51061375-ilovelakeport

We look forward to seeing everyone there!

Lakeport Cluster Annual Meeting (to Be Held via Zoom) Tuesday, October 1, at 7:00 p.m.

Items requiring a vote at the Annual Meeting:

Approval of minutes
Election of new Board members

IMPORTANT: A link to the Zoom meeting will be sent via email. If you do not receive emails from “Lakeport Cluster news@lakeportcluster.org” (for example, the email on August 19 about “Upcoming Board Meeting” on August 21), please email Board@lakeportcluster.org so we have your email address.

Key documents:

Notice of Annual Meeting
Proxy form and instructions
Statements from candidates for the Board (please read in advance because owners will vote on Board members):

Jerry Beiter (for two-year term)
Andy Nagley (for two-year term)
Rich Kolko (for one-year term)

Petition for Candidacy Form (for others interested in running for the Board)
Minutes from the 2023 Annual Meeting (please read in advance because owners will vote to approve)
Agenda for 2024 Meeting
Procedures and Tips for Using Zoom for the Annual Meeting
Presentation

Summer 2024 Issue of Ripples

Lakeport News

From the Editor/President – Stephen Sapp
Annual Meeting October 1
An Important Notice
Landscape Committee – Mary Sapp
Social Committee Report – Robin Kolko and Marcy Foster
Book Club – Barbara Khan
Thanks to Our Volunteers
Lakeport Governance/Management

Helpful Information

Neighborhood Watch
Reminders
Preventive Maintenance Checklist for Summer/Fall

From the Editor/President

By Stephen Sapp

We have certainly had our share of oppressive summer weather this year, but as the picture to the left and many others throughout this newsletter attest, this is also a season of beauty and wonder, as we have come to expect and enjoy in Lakeport. Although the numerous Heat Advisories likely reduced the amount of time many of us spent outdoors, we are now moving into one of the most pleasant and enjoyable times of the year. Be sure to take advantage of the many outdoor opportunities that Lakeport and Reston have to offer.

A great deal of heat is also emanating from the election season we are in, and it promises to continue well into fall. Wherever we are on the political spectrum, we should engage respectfully in conversations, especially with those who support a different candidate. Remember that we are blessed to live in a country with freedoms and advantages of many kinds that continue to be the envy of the world. Even when we are frustrated or perhaps angry about something we read or hear, let’s not fail to appreciate our many blessings.

If you have comments about this Summer issue of Ripples and/or would like to submit an item for our Fall issue, please email me at ssapp@miami.edu.

Writing now as Lakeport’s Board President, I want to direct your attention to the major item pertaining to Lakeport governance as summer winds down: our upcoming Annual Meeting, an extremely important event for our community that occurs only once a year (oh, wait, that’s what “annual” means, isn’t it?). This is your opportunity to elect new members to the Board, hear updates on various aspects of our neighborhood’s life together—including the current state of our finances (spoiler alert: extremely strong!)—and ask the Board any questions you may have. You can read details about the meeting (which once again will be held via Zoom) by clicking on the Ripples article entitled “Annual Meeting October 1,” which will take you to Lakeport’s home page at www.lakeportcluster.org. We will be sending you communications between now and the meeting to prepare you to participate and to let you know how to submit your proxy (please do so even if you plan to attend the meeting). If you have any questions about the meeting, don’t hesitate to email board@lakeportcluster.org.

We continue to address the problem with geese around our dock and beyond. As much as many residents of Lakeport and other communities would like to take more drastic action, we can do only so much because, as I have pointed out before, Canada geese are federally protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918. We have found some relief through the application of FlightControl, a goose control system recommended by Complete Landscaping, but it is admittedly neither perfect nor permanent. Nonetheless, we have recently had another treatment applied, with the goal of having the geese decide the grass is greener (or at least better-tasting) elsewhere! In the meantime, our deep gratitude once again to Jonathan Hammer for his ongoing contributions to keeping the dock clean. If you are able, please pitch in and lend Jonathan a hand (brooms are available behind 1939 and 1925 Lakeport Way that you are encouraged to use!).

Finally, a few requests:

Before making any repairs to your home, be sure to consult Lakeport’s standards and RA’s Cluster-Property Guidelines before starting any work. See also the article titled “An Important Notice.”
Please remember that common parking spaces are meant to be shared rather than treated as regular personal spaces. You should routinely use your own garage/carport and driveway for your vehicles and leave common spaces for guests and service vehicles.
Do not remove, add, or modify plants in common areas without the permission of Lakeport’s Landscape Committee.
As I do every issue, I will urge you once again to set up Direct Deposit for your quarterly assessment payments, the next of which is due October 1, coincidentally the date of our once-a-year Annual Meeting! See Reminders elsewhere in this issue for how to do this. The main advantage is that you never have to worry about being late and incurring extra fees, but you also save the hassle and expense of mailing a check (or being charged a fee for using a credit card online). I have heard from several people that they don’t like to use automated payments because they want to know how much their bills are, but unlike electricity or water, for example, you already do know exactly how much your quarterly assessment will be and when it will be deducted from your account! So please consider this time- and cost-saving way to pay your assessments.

AN IMPORTANT NOTICE TO ALL OWNERS

If you are planning to make any changes to the exterior of your home (even in an emergency situation), you MUST consult the Lakeport Design Standards and comply with them. Be aware that you also may have to seek approval from Reston Association’s Design Review Board.

If you think you have a valid reason to deviate from the standards, you must consult with the Lakeport Board BEFORE you begin any repairs/modifications. The Board has noted several cases where non-conforming work was done without consulting either the standards or the Board. At least one owner has had to do expensive “re-work”—don’t let that happen to you!

Note also that owners and residents are not allowed to remove or add plants in common areas without the permission of Lakeport’s Landscape Committee, and we ask that they consult with us before paying to have branches overhanging their property removed.

Landscape Committee

By Mary Sapp, Chair

The 2024 Fall Workday, part of I Love Lakeport Day, will take place on Saturday, October 5, starting at 9:00 a.m. in Triangle Park. This is a great opportunity to get to know your neighbors better while doing your part to improve the community where you live. Please email msapp@miami.edu if you are willing to help.

Complete Landscaping has applied FlightControl three times, which seems to have reduced the number of geese visiting Lakeport’s grass and dock and made cleaning the dock less onerous (earlier it required daily cleaning).

Volunteers put down a mixture of small gray and lighter pond pebbles in the two-foot area between the Lakeport dock and the RA path. Teenagers (and others) have been throwing the larger river rocks (and even seven of the 18-inch steppers that were originally embedded in the river rocks) into the lake. Two of the steppers have been retrieved from the bottom of the lake and replaced, and our hope is that others can be found and saved as well.

Nine shrubs (four in Triangle Park, two next to the rain garden, and three next to the RA path to the pool) and two perennials in Triangle Park were replaced by Meadows Farms at no cost since they were under warranty. Unfortunately, due to the heat this summer and despite efforts by volunteers to water, some of the plants have died. Fortunately, the warranty from Meadows Farms allows us to have free replacement plants installed if we pay for the labor, which we plan to do after the hot weather is over.

Riverbend Landscapes & Tree Service was here to remove a live black locust tree, one dead oak tree, and the dead half of a chestnut oak tree, and to trim six other trees (see photos below). They also ground the stump at the intersection of Sunrise Valley Drive and the RA path to the pool (see photos below).

Owner Peter Stone has continued removing poison ivy (which keeps growing back) in several locations in Lakeport as well as vines growing around trees.

Please remember that owners and residents are not allowed to remove or add plants in common areas without the permission of Lakeport’s Landscape Committee, and we ask that they consult with us before paying to have branches overhanging their property removed.

Social Committee

By Robin Kolko and Marcy Foster

Lakeport’s Fall Dock Party will be held on Saturday, October 5, starting at 5 p.m., as part of I Love Lakeport Day. Keep your eyes open for a sign-up sheet for that and also for announcements about our annual Halloween Parade and the fall TGIF.

A very successful Summer TGIF hosted by Sandy Laeser and Elizabeth Pan was held in July (see photos below).

Book Club

By Barbara Khan, Coordinator

Want to join some of your neighbors and talk about a good book? Lakeport has an informal book club that is always open to new members. We meet monthly on the third Monday from 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., rotating among members’ homes.

So what has the Lakeport Book Club been reading recently?

The Genius of Israel by Dan Senor and Saul Singer
The Perfumist of Paris (Jaipur Trilogy, 3) by Alka Joshi
Walk, Ride, Paddle: A Life Outside by Senator Tim Kaine

If those books look interesting and you want to join the book club or have questions, contact Barbara Khan at bskhan@att.net.

Thanks to Our Volunteers

Please be sure to thank your neighbors for their efforts to make Lakeport a better place for all of us to live while also saving the HOA considerable money. If you want to volunteer, let the Board or a committee chair know—it’s a great way to meet your neighbors and contribute to your community.

Landscape

Mary Sapp (chair), Steven Browning, Marjorie Myers, Don Nagley, Elizabeth Pan, and Rosemary Welch – serving on the Landscape Committee
Elijah Christopher, Stephen Sapp, and Mary Sapp – adding pea gravel by the dock
Beckett and Lowell Sapp – retrieving two stepping stones that had been thrown in the lake
Jerry Beiter – donating a bag of pea gravel for next to the dock and lending a wheelbarrow to haul 40-pound bags and mix gravel
Peter Stone – removing poison ivy on the rock swale next to the Lakespray hill, in front of the parking area next to the entrance, and in the woods beside Lakespray and South Lakes Drive.
Stephen Sapp and Sandy Laeser – thinning lambs’ ears in Kids’ Garden
Elizabeth Pan, David Fleming, and Sandy Laeser – watering plants in Triangle Park, and Scott Connally for providing the water
Marilyn Bursch – watering plants by rain garden
Steven Browning and Marjorie Myers–watering plants on Lakespray Way

Social

Robin Kolko and Marcy Foster – chairing the Social Committee
Sandy Laeser and Elizabeth Pan – hosting summer TGIF
Carol Leos – welcoming new residents

Maintenance

Joanathan Hammer – chairing the Maintenance Committee and cleaning goose poop off the dock

Standards

Rich Rosenberg – chairing the Standards Committee

Other

Chuck Foster – chairing Neighborhood Watch
Barbara Khan – coordinating the Lakeport Book Club
Tom Barnett – maintaining Lakeport’s online directory and listserv for announcements and posting Ripples
Stephen Sapp – editing Ripples

Lakeport Governance/Management

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Stephen Sapp - President
Rich Rosenberg - Vice-President
Rich Kolko - Vice-President

Jeannette Malin-Berdel - Secretary
Tod Vollrath - Treasurer

Contact the board via email: Board@lakeportcluster.org

What Residents and Board Can Expect

COMMITTEE CHAIRS

Architectural Standards Committee - Richard Rosenberg

Standards Committee Charter

Landscape Committee – Mary Sapp

Landscape Charter

Maintenance Committee – Jonathan Hammer

Maintenance Charter

Neighborhood Watch Committee – Chuck Foster

Neighborhood Watch Charter

Social Committee – Robin Kolko and Marcy Foster

Social Committee Charter

OTHER VOLUNTEERS

Webmaster and Listserv Administrator – Tom Barnett

Editor for Ripples, community newsletter – Stephen Sapp

Book Club Coordinator – Barbara Khan

Fill doggie-bag stations – Kevin Burke and Steven Browning

Keep community dock clean – Jonathan Hammer

SELECT COMMUNITY SERVICES

Portfolio Manager: Alexandra "Ali" Long

Email: along@scs-management.com

Direct: (703) 230-8725

Fax: (703) 266-2804

PO Box 221350

Chantilly, VA 20153

Hours: Monday-Thursday 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.mm, Friday 9:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.
Website: https://app.townsq.io/login

RESTON ASSOCIATION

Danielle Myers

Covenants Advisor

phone: (703) 435-6559

dwilliams@reston.org

https://www.reston.org/

Neighborhood Watch

By Chuck Foster

On June 26, I attended a Community Advisory Council meeting (CAC), which is a forum organized by the Fairfax County Police Department (FCPD). The guest speaker for the evening was the Chief of Police, Kevin Davies. He provided a large amount of very interesting information. What follows is a summary of the topics the Chief discussed.

Real-Time Crime Center

The Real-Time Crime Center (RTCC) opened in May. The RTCC is a physical location that centralizes police technology and data. The purpose is to shorten the time it takes to locate and arrest dangerous offenders, provide better insight into critical incidents, and increase officer safety. FCPD is partnering with area jurisdictions as they build their own RTCCs to increase regional awareness of crime and build collaborative responses.

Teen Police Academy

The most recent police academy for teens was held the week of July 15.

National Night Out

The annual event that recognizes each community’s commitment to crime prevention and neighborhood safety occurred on August 6.

Officer of the Month

Master Police Officer (MPO) Jenette Post was awarded “officer of the month” for June. MPO Post is the crime prevention officer serving Reston.

Flock Safety Systems

Flock Safety Systems is a company that offers communities video and audio recording systems that allow the subscriber to share the data directly with their local police department. FCPD is an enthusiastic partner and supporter of Flock Safety Systems. The technology provides video images, license plate reading (LPR), and gunshot detector/locator. For example, the LPR will alert the police to a stolen vehicle that is entering or exiting a community. Currently, 130 communities in the county use Flock Systems to partner with the police.

Crime Trends

Crime trends in the county are positive, including violent crime. FCPD is utilizing the “gold standard” for de-escalation training. The last officer-involved shooting occurred in 2023. The eight homicides this year were all closed by arrest. Traffic (speed) enforcement is being targeted with a campaign called ‘Road Shark.” One judge recently remarked that he has never seen the number of cases with speed in excess of 100 mph. Officer training (pilot) now includes 40+ intensive scenarios utilizing virtual reality. Officers are spending more time out of their cars interacting with the community. The Civil Defense Unit (CDU) has been frequently dispatched this year with some incidents (e.g., protests) located outside the homes of Supreme Court Justices.

Challenges

Fentanyl is a serious problem. One hundred percent of the supply is being manufactured outside of the US. Retail crime continues to be a concern with organized gangs attacking retail stores with brazen methods and intimidating store employees. ABC liquor stores are frequent targets because of the way inventory is displayed. “Meet Ups” are a challenge as well. These involve a large number of modified vehicles gathering in parking lots to display dangerous maneuvers. Digital evidence is more frequently challenged in court as defense attorneys question authenticity. “Swatting” calls are occurring every week with the callers located overseas.

Recruiting

Of the 254 police departments in Virginia, the FCPD is the largest. The department has 136 vacancies with an authorized headcount of 1,492. That is the lowest vacancy rate in three years. Collective-bargaining pay increases were implemented to retain senior officers, who have been retiring in large numbers. Recruiting numbers are very good with recent academies enrolling 50+ new recruits. The most recent class of recruits is majority-minority, and the majority of recruits have a four-year college degree. Twelve percent of police officers nationwide are women. Following the death of George Floyd and the onset of Covid, academy applications declined 63%.

Reminders for Lakeport Owners and Residents

IMPORTANT: As you think about maintenance and possible changes to the exterior of your home, be sure to check Lakeport Standards, and if a relevant Lakeport standard doesn’t exist, you need to follow the appropriate Reston Association (RA) Guideline. Links to Lakeport and RA architectural requirements, the DRB application, discussion of RA’s counterintuitive party-wall rules, and resources for landscaping and replacement trees (required by RA if you remove a tree) are all available in Section A at https://www.lakeportcluster.org/p/documents.html.

Maintenance Resources: Be sure to review the Preventive Maintenance Checklist in this issue for smaller maintenance projects that could save you major expenses and headaches in the future. And remember that RA has arranged with Sherwin-Williams for a discount of 30% to 40% off paints and stains (exterior and interior) and 15% off paint supplies at Sherwin-Williams store #3385, located at 495A Elden Street in Herndon (703-471-1484). If you want to take advantage of the discount, the code is 2214-8496-7. Washington Consumer Checkbook is a publication available online (www.checkbook.org) that offers a huge user-friendly database of reviews of many types of local service providers, along with high-quality advice about how to approach selecting and working with them.

You Must Replace Any Tree You Remove: If you plan to remove a live tree on your property, you need approval from Reston Association. Furthermore, if you will remove or have recently removed a tree (dead or alive), RA requires that you replace it with another tree, preferably a native. RA has several resources for finding a replacement tree. See https://drive.google.com/file/d/1a1epMYHN4gx8EB7l_K68ewk8bZnXnh1-/view

and https://www.dropbox.com/sh/f4ch21s6x062qsc/AABzwoLgm7q7-HL-WcrWbmCOa/Native%20and%20Invasive%20Species?dl=0&preview=Trees+in+Reston.pdf&subfolder_nav_tracking=1.

Party Walls: Although sometimes counterintuitive, the RA Deeds make the repair of any architectural element that falls on the property line between two houses (e.g., wall, trim, fence) a joint responsibility. If you aren’t sure whose responsibility it is to pay for the repair or replacement of a shared wall or trim, please see https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BxSpjzCTaI6Jd0xnbEZEcEhLT3NiWjRKODNlZDBtTWdRdTBJ/view for information relating to party walls.

Drive Slowly: Even though school has started again, neighborhood children are outside, playing on sidewalks and in the streets. Please remember to drive slowly and keep your eyes out for children (and other pedestrians), who are not always thinking first and foremost about their own safety.

Lock your cars: If you park your car outside, be sure to lock it and do not leave valuables visible, especially at night. Also remind guests to do the same.

Report Suspicious Activity: If you see suspicious activity, don’t confront anybody but instead call the Fairfax County Police non-emergency number, 703-691-2131 (use this number also to report vandalism or any other crime that has already occurred). The police request that even if you just have a “gut feeling” something is wrong, please notify them with as many details as possible. It is helpful if you can also take photos unobtrusively. Police will be dispatched (or you may be able to provide a report over the phone). Also notify Lakeport’s Neighborhood Watch coordinator Chuck Foster at chuckfost@aol.com. Please pay special attention to suspicious activity or sounds near the Lakeport dock, in the woods, or at night.

Visitors: If you have visitors whose car will be parked in common space for more than one night, put a note on the dashboard with your name and address and the dates the vehicle will be parked in Lakeport so it is not towed.

Improve Lighting in Lakeport: Even though it still stays light late and becomes light early, please leave your outdoor lights on at night. A well-lit community is one of the most basic measures we can take to ensure the safety of our residents and the security of our property. This is of course voluntary, but doing this one small thing is a gracious contribution to the overall safety and attractiveness of our community.

Composting. If you are tired of smelly trash cans and want to reduce the amount of garbage you send to the dump, consider signing up for the compost pickup service offered by Veteran Compost DC–From Combat to Compost, which will turn your food scraps into high-quality compost. The company provides a bin, which has a sealing mechanism that is effective at trapping odors inside and is picked up and replaced once a week with a clean bin (currently early on Thursdays, meaning you can put everything curbside at the same time). The group rate for residents of Lakeport is $28 per month. For more information, see https://veterancompostindc.com/ or call (202) 556-3806.

Help Keep Our Community Clean and Beautiful: Please contribute to the appearance of our community by picking up trash anywhere you see it while you’re out walking and enjoying nature in Lakeport (and elsewhere).

Geese: We continue to experience problems with goose poop on our dock. We are paying Complete Landscaping to apply FlightControl, which appears to be effective in deterring (but not harming) the geese that eat the grass next to the dock. Please do not feed the geese (not only does this attract them, it’s not healthy for them), but do feel free to shoo them off the dock (just be sure not to harm them or allow them to attack you—we just want to make their time on our dock unpleasant enough that they will choose to hang out somewhere else!). It would be appreciated if you could help sweep the dock (there are brooms behind 1939 and 1925 Lakeport Way that you are encouraged to use).

Never Again Be Late Paying Your Quarterly Assessment: If you’ve been contacted by the Board for not paying your assessment as the end of the month nears (or even if you haven’t), please consider paying your quarterly assessments by direct debit through your bank instead of mailing a check or paying on TownSq (which incurs an extra fee). Using direct debit means that you never have to worry about incurring late fees because you forgot to make the payment (currently $25 plus the administrative charge from SCS for sending the letter). Alternatively, you can pay the entire assessment at the beginning of the year. Either approach means the Board does not have to spend time contacting you or pay SCS for mailing quarterly statements to owners who have not set up direct debit or prepaid. A third option for avoiding late fees (but you’ll still get a quarterly statement, which costs Lakeport money) is to use your bank’s electronic bill-pay option to set up recurring checks. For information about any of these three options and for mailing checks, go to https://www.lakeportcluster.org/p/hoa-fee-payments-lakeport-cluster-hoa.html.

Update Your Contact Information: Please go to the Lakeport Directory https://drive.google.com/file/d/1cDbDkFYfbO2WSPv6lcy2iZpeFgepMEjc/view PW=lakespray) and check the contact information listed there for you. If a correction is needed, either 1) send an email to webmaster@lakeportcluster.org and copy along@scs-management.com or 2) fill out the form at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfFILfWGBoWIgWlBPSQmIKj4kIX0kPA7XsRjnsaOsNXuvVSkw/viewform. If your home has renters, please ask them to fill out the form to be listed in the directory. Remember also that if you need to contact a neighbor or just remember someone’s name you have forgotten, you can always check this directory.

Preventive Maintenance Checklist for Fall/Winter

Important note: If you are addressing issues with the exterior of your home, please consult the Lakeport Design Standards and remember that you may have to seek approval from Reston Association’s Design Review Board.  

Outdoor Checklist

The continuing heat of summer means that the plants in our yards come under greater stress, especially during periods of no or little rain. To maintain the appearance of your yard (not to mention to save yourself the expense of replacement), please remember to water your plants when needed. Helpful information can be found at https://www.meadowsfarms.com/blog/tips-on-watering-your-plants/.
Although Lakeport’s landscaping contractor takes care of common areas, our own driveways, yards, and other areas are our responsibility. Residents should not dump what they collect into the wooded common areas or on the street. Instead, they should dispose of leaves and other debris from yards, patios, driveways, decks, and entranceways (e.g., fallen and pruned branches, dead outdoor potted annuals) by placing them in large compostable paper yard-waste bags available at home improvement stores and Costco. Pickup for yard waste is Thursdays.
Gutters, particularly those that are beneath a tree, may experience two problems: In the fall especially, the gutters easily become clogged, and/or any time of year, the spikes that attach them to the house may be pulling away. Even if you don’t have a tree nearby and even if you have something like a Gutter Helmet or a strainer screen over them, gutters can still fill up with cinders washed down from your shingles over time. When a gutter is not working properly, you’ll often see staining on the vertical wall below the gutter. Fixing the first problem is easy – have your gutters cleaned. Gutters that are not slanted properly toward the downspout can put a lot of weight on the gutter, leading to the second problem. If you see gutter spikes coming loose, you can just drive them back in, which may hold for a while. However, there’s a better, longer-term, yet inexpensive solution. Home Depot sells long gutter screws that can replace failing gutter spikes. They go through a ferrule (a sleeve that keeps the screw from compressing the gutter itself) and screw into the wood behind the gutter. These are far more secure in the long run.
Fire-retardant plywood roof sheathing must be replaced if the material degrades due to high attic temperatures, which can cause it to fail to retard the spread of fire.

Indoor Checklist 

Be sure to replace or clean your HVAC filter regularly.
Periodically remove screens and tighten the four Phillips screws for casement windows shown in the photo. This keeps windows operating well, especially if they don’t seem to close all the way from time to time.