Fall 2025 Issue of Ripples

Lakeport News

• From the Editor/President – Stephen Sapp
• Social Committee Report – Irene Nagley and Elizabeth Pan
• Landscape Committee Report – Mary Sapp
• An RA Covenants Guide to Fall and Winter Tree Maintenance
• Maintenance Committee Report – David Michaelson
• Neighborhood Watch – Chuck Foster
• Book Club – Barbara Khan
• Thanks to Our Volunteers
• Lakeport Governance/Management

Helpful Information

• Reminders
• Home Maintenance Checklist for Fall/Winter

From the Editor/President

By Stephen Sapp

As we head toward the shortest day of the year and move inexorably toward the new year of 2026 (especially noteworthy for me because it is the year of my 80th birthday and my first-born child’s 50th!), we bid farewell to another beautiful fall in Northern Virginia. As we are often reminded, the end of one year and the beginning of another is a season of remembering and reflection on the past and anticipation of the future . . .

. . . which reminds me of the story about the high school commencement speaker who solemnly intoned to the graduates arrayed before him, “Remember, young men and women: Your past is behind you, and your future is ahead of you,” to which one of the few seniors who was paying attention was heard to mutter in reply, “Well, I'm not sure where else they would be!” Despite that student’s perspicacious rejoinder, there is a certain truth to the speaker’s platitudinous pronouncement: There is nothing we can do to change our past, nor do we know what our future holds. Thus there is considerable wisdom in the advice to live in the present moment because it is all that we really have. Perhaps we should resolve therefore—as we wrap up 2025 and prepare to move into 2026—to do precisely that: cherish each moment that we have, appreciate the many blessings that we enjoy now, and commit to take advantage of every opportunity that life presents to us.

So spend a few minutes looking at the recent picture of a sunrise at Lakeport that accompanies this article (as well as other pictures elsewhere in this issue of our beautiful fall foliage) and reflect on what you have to be thankful for right now, regardless of what has taken place in your life or in the world around you in the past or what might happen in the future. This moment is indeed precious!

Recently I was paying for our Christmas tree at Meadows Farms, and when the very pleasant lady at checkout saw my address, she exclaimed, “Oh, you live in Lakeport? I would just love to own a home there!” I’m constantly reminded that one of the major reasons Lakeport is such a desirable place to live is the exceptional contributions our many community volunteers make so I want to take a moment (a paragraph?) to highlight their (your) efforts on behalf of all of us. This fall was especially noteworthy in this regard, with a very productive Fall Workday and a great deal of hard work on the improvement of the performance of the drainage swale behind 1944 and 1952 Lakeport Way. And this fall’s Lakeport activities shown in the Social Committee article happen because of the efforts of not only the chairs and hosts but also others who contribute and participate, and they are critical to making Lakeport a community. If you haven’t been to one of these events, I’d urge to do so in the future. Please look at “Thanks to Volunteers” elsewhere in this Ripples for more specifics (and imagine how good you will feel when you see your name in that list in the next issue!)

On another matter of importance to us as residents of Lakeport Cluster, please be sure to take the time to read the excellent article submitted by long-time resident James Pan on the future of South Lakes Village Center. A significant attraction of Lakeport for Mary and me when we were considering where to move in this area was the proximity and wide variety of shops and services available within easy walking distance (one of the key design features in Bob Simon’s original vision for Reston, illustrating his dream of a community where residents could “live, work, play”). We all have a major stake in keeping SLV viable, not only for our own convenience but also for the value it adds if we should want/need to sell our home. For a clear example of what can happen if we are not vigilant, use your preferred AI to search for “Tall Oaks Village Center.” Here is how ChatGPT concludes its response: “The story of Tall Oaks is a microcosm of how planned suburban communities can evolve: what was once a local village-center hub can — over decades — morph into a different kind of community (residential rather than retail).”

Once again, I want to conclude with two requests I make every issue, plus a third that concerns an ongoing problem:

• Please set up Direct Debit through our management company SCS for your quarterly assessment payments, the next of which is due January 1 (and will be $365 per quarter, or $5.00 more than past charges). The main advantage is that you never have to worry about being late and incurring late fees or paying the wrong amount by mistake, but you also save the hassle and expense of mailing a check (or being charged a fee by SCS for using a credit card online). Note that beginning with this upcoming payment, the address for mailing a check will change to c/o SCS, PO Box 1240, New York NY 10008-1240. Alternatively, you can set up quarterly payments through your bank’s electronic bill payment system (although you will need to change the amount sent whenever the assessment rate changes). I have heard from several people that they don’t want to use automated payments because they like to know exactly how much their bills are, but unlike electricity or water, for example, you already will know exactly how much your quarterly assessment will be: Rates are posted in the online “HOA Fee Payment: Charges for assessment, fees, administrative charges” in the Residents tab of the Lakeport website (under “HOA Fee Payment,” which has more information on options for paying your assessment). So please consider this time- and cost-saving way to pay your assessments (it will also mean Board members don’t have to send reminders to owners who haven’t paid so they don’t get charged a late fee).
• Also please check the Directory and add/update your information if necessary. If former residents are listed, email webmaster@lakeportcluster.org to request their names be removed. If you have renters, ask them to submit the form at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfFILfWGBoWIgWlBPSQmIKj4kIX0kPA7XsRjnsaOsNXuvVSkw/viewform?dods&gxids=7628.
• Finally, all residents need to be aware of an important provision in the Lakeport Handbook concerning shared parking spaces: “A quality-of-life violation can be the result of a resident treating a common-area parking space as an extension of the resident’s private driveway.” Please contribute to the community atmosphere that we cherish here in Lakeport by being a good citizen and honoring the need to keep common-area parking spaces available for the purpose for which they are intended, namely, parking for visitors and guests on a short-term basis.

We would like to know what you think of this Fall issue of Ripples. Send comments, questions, and/or suggestions to me at ssapp@miami.edu, and if you want to submit an item for our Winter issue, please feel free to do so. Photos of life in Lakeport are always welcome as well!

Social Committee

By Irene Nagley and Elizabeth Pan, Co-Chairs

Lakeport Cluster holds four TGIFs (one for each season of the year), a Halloween party for kids and young at hearts, and two dock parties (spring and fall). Announcements are sent out in advance in time to make your plans to attend, and we hope everyone will take advantage of these wonderful opportunities for all residents to meet and get to know one another! The pictures that follow show that a good time is had by all at each of these gatherings.

The Holiday TGIF will start at 7:00 p.m. this Friday (December 12) at the home of Stephen and Mary Sapp (1919 Lakeport Way). The Sapps will provide homemade eggnog, hot spiced (with some even possibly spiKed) cider, and holiday cookies. Plan to show up with an appetizer or dessert and a bottle to share and enjoy the holiday cheer!

Pictures from the Fall 2025 I Love Lakeport Dock Party:


Photos from the Fall 2025 TGIF:

Photos from Halloween 2025:

Landscape Committee

By Mary Sapp, Chair

Early fall saw Lakeport continue the work begun over the summer to mitigate possible future stormwater damage resulting from flooding in the swale behind 1944-1952 Way:

• Volunteers at Lakeport’s Fall Workday did a great deal to improve the situation. Please check out the list of those who participated in the “Thanks to Volunteers” article in this issue and express your appreciation to those who worked so hard:
• One group of volunteers continued the earlier work that Joe Walter and John Janowski had done in the rock swale behind 1950, 1948, and 1946 Lakeport Way by moving rocks and removing silt that had accumulated in the section of the swale behind 1952 (there was so much dirt we weren’t sure there was a rock swale beneath it).
• In the process, a small catch basin was uncovered in the swale (a similar one had been discovered earlier behind 1946) and tested. We were happy to see that water ran from the catch basin into a storm drain on the Lakespray hill.
• Two stacked pressure-treated 4x4 pieces of lumber were anchored to the ground between the north end of the top coir log and the back fence at 11112 Lakespray Way and reinforced with river rock to prevent water that is supposed to go into the coir log terraces from escaping around the coir log and flowing down into the rock swale.
• Volunteers used dirt removed from the swale to raise the area between the coir log and the fence and graded it down from the new lumber to the depression behind the coir log, which was deepened. Pond pebbles and some larger rocks were added at the bottom of the slope, and dirt was added next to the side fence at 11112 and graded away from the fence. 

• Meetings were held with a soil scientist at the Fairfax County Soil & Water Conservation District and RA’s Watershed Manager to get their advice. Both were impressed with work done by Lakeport volunteers. A couple of contractors were also asked for suggestions.
• Northern Sea Oats were planted to retain soil, and the area between the top coir log and the back fence at 11112 Lakespray was mulched.
• A task force has been formed, has written an RFP, and is obtaining proposals from contractors to rebuild the swale and to redirect water on the hill between11110 and 11112 Lakespray.

In addition to the stormwater mitigation efforts described above, another group of volunteers at the Fall Workday removed weeds and brush from the Lakeport property on the hill between the RA path and Sunrise Valley sidewalk and expanded the cleared area to reduce competition with a nearby redbud, generating 10 bags of debris in the process. Lakeport’s Little Library was also painted. 

The fall installation of new plants included the following:

• Two Eastern redbuds on the outside of the fence to the South Lakes Drive side of the entrance to Lakeport as replacements for two white pines removed from the other side of that fence
• Two Nellie Stevens hollies on Lakespray to fill in open spaces to block sights, sounds, and smells from South Lakes Drive (photo in top right)
• 
  Two yews near the entrance mailboxes to replace invasive mahonias removed by volunteers during the Spring Workday.
• Five new wax myrtles were installed at the south end of Lakespray Way to replace plants that have died there (after amending the soil so this doesn’t happen again).Other warrantied plants were replaced by Complete Landscaping in the pollinator garden and at the entrance.
• Warrantied shrubs were replaced by Meadows Farms in Triangle Park, near the rain garden, near the Lakespray mailbox, and along the RA path to the pool.

Because your trees are an important part of your property, we encourage you to read the article in this issue of Ripples titled “An RA Covenants Guide to Fall and Winter Tree Maintenance.”

And please remember that owners and residents are not allowed to remove, add, or prune plants in common areas without the permission of Lakeport’s Landscape Committee. We also ask that you consult with us before paying to have branches overhanging your property trimmed or removed.

An RA Covenants Guide to Fall and Winter Tree Maintenance

by Lauren Freer, Covenants Administrative Assistant

With the season changing, here are some tips on how to keep your trees healthy through the fall and winter. If you are planning on planting any trees be sure to check the native tree guide located here: Recommended Native Trees in Reston.

Watering:
Did you know that you should continue to water your trees and plants through the fall right up to when the ground freezes? This helps them stay hydrated through winter. New and young trees will need to be watered frequently but established trees don’t need to be watered nearly as often (unless there have been long periods of drought).

If there are warmer stretches in winter, you can water as long as the ground isn’t frozen. This is especially important if your trees are exposed to road salt since salt can damage or kill trees if it gets into the root system.

Leaves and Mulch:
Many trees in Northern Virginia, such as Dogwoods, are susceptible to disease so proper maintenance is key to keeping them healthy.

Leaves that are left on the ground under the tree as they naturally fall tend to break down over the winter and create a layer of duff which adds organic matter to the upper horizon of the soil which can help insulate the tree’s root zone from rapid freezing and thawing. Do not pile leaves under your tree however, as piling leaves in the same area can suffocate your grass and trees.

If your trees are susceptible to disease, the best thing to do is to rake and remove any fallen leaves.

If your trees are not prone to disease, the leaves can be left on the ground if they are either mulched or shredded. Mulching the leaves under your trees can help them break down more quickly, however, do use caution and do not add an excess of mulched leaves, approximately two inches of mulch should be sufficient.

Mulching during the fall is a great way to help retain moisture, help to regulate the soil temperature, and protect the roots on the surface of the ground. Again, make sure you don’t over mulch, two inches of mulch should be sufficient. Make sure to remove the old mulch and then put down two inches of new mulch rather than just adding new mulch on top of the old.

Make sure your organic mulch is spread evenly around the base of the tree, taking care to avoid piling on the trunk and root flare or you might suffocate your tree and cause a myriad of other problems down the line.

Pruning:
An ideal time to visually inspect deciduous trees for any damaged, diseased, dead or dying branches that can potentially cause a safety risk to your property or person is once the leaves have fallen. Remember that no trees should be removed or pruned if they are in a clearly marked “Tree Save” or “Save Trees” area on your Fairfax County plat unless they are an invasive species Invasive-Plants-Prohibited-Plants-in-Reston-PDF.

Ornamental trees should be pruned in the spring/summer after they flower.

Since improper pruning can damage or kill branches, it is imperative to employ the proper techniques and/or hire a qualified professional such as an ISA Certified Arborist. Avoid pruning techniques that can damage or kill trees such as tree topping, flush cuts and lion tailing. As Reston Association’s Landscaping-Tree Removal Design Guideline states, tree topping is discouraged.

Arborists recommend using a three-cut method for pruning:
First Cut
 

First make an undercut (cut just ¼” to 1/3” upon the underside of the branch about 6” from the trunk) which will help prevent the branch’s weight from peeling the bark when the branch falls.
Second Cut
 

Then make a top cut (cut downwards a few inches out from the first cut) leaving a short stub behind.
Third Cut
 

Last, make a stub cut (remove the leftover stub without cutting into the branch collar).

Remember to always be aware of any Fairfax County requirements - such as if a tree is located within a Resource Protection Area (RPA) as well as any cluster/condominium association specific requirements if applicable. Also make sure to identify ownership of the tree before any work is conducted to ensure it is not either on a neighbor’s property or on common area/RA property. To see if your property is in an RPA, you can find the RPA map on the Fairfax County website. If you are unsure about whether something should be cut or the proper way to cut, please reach out to an ISA Certified Arborist for guidance!

Maintenance Committee

By David Michaelson, Chair

Reston is full of beautiful homes, proud homeowners, and strong neighborhood associations like Lakeport—but even in our well-established community, contractor horror stories still happen. Maybe you’ve heard one from a neighbor: a roofer who disappears mid-project, a siding job that fails inspection, or a contractor who walks off with a deposit and never returns. That’s not just frustrating. It can be financially devastating. Therefore, every Reston homeowner should check contractors’ credentials before signing anything. It could save you thousands of dollars.


But let’s go deeper than “Check their license.” Here’s why it matters—and how it could save you $25,000. What happens when you hire an unlicensed contractor? Let’s say a contractor offers you a lower price than anyone else. You’re tempted. They don’t have a license, but they say that’s “just a formality.” You agree, they start work—and halfway through, they ask for more money. Then they vanish. Now you’re left with a torn-up roof, a lien on your home from unpaid suppliers, or even code violations from improper installation.

And guess what? Because the contractor wasn’t licensed, Virginia’s recovery fund can’t help you. Licensed contractors contribute to the Virginia Home Improvement Guaranty Fund, which protects homeowners up to $20,000–$25,000 if something goes wrong. That safety net disappears when you hire someone without a valid license. 


Furthermore, Reston’s clusters like Lakeport are governed by HOAs with strict architectural guidelines that supplement and also must comply with Reston Association’s overarching Design Standards. If you hire an unlicensed contractor who doesn’t follow those rules, you could be forced to undo the work at your own expense. But licensed contractors are required to follow building codes, manufacturer specs, and RA and HOA guidelines—in that order. So you should insist that any contract you sign includes this language so you’re never stuck holding the bag if someone questions your upgrades later. 

Specifically, your contractor should be happy to provide you with Class A and MHIC license numbers and provide written contracts with clear scopes, specs, and timelines. In addition, contractors should never, ever ask for final payment until the following conditions are met: 


- the job is complete; 


- you’ve received a photo-based report showing what was installed; and


- you’ve had the chance to review the work with the contractor on-site.


And if anything needs a tweak post-installation, contractors should assure you they will come back and fix it.

Look at it this way: Would you hire an unlicensed doctor? Sounds silly, right? But when someone works on your roof or siding, they’re protecting your family, your belongings, and your home’s biggest barrier against the elements. Wouldn’t you want that person to be qualified, vetted, and accountable? 


How do you ensure that is the case? You verify the company’s license by visiting the Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation’s License Lookup at https://www.dpor.virginia.gov/LicenseLookup. Search by company name or license number. Don’t feel awkward asking a contractor for proof. A legitimate professional will appreciate the question.

Neighborhood Watch

By Chuck Foster, Chair

Periodically, we witness (or witness the evidence of) what could be considered criminal behavior. Graffiti, vandalism, drug use, underage drinking, littering, theft, and destruction of property are examples. Fortunately, there are well understood and widely practiced methods to react to and report these events. This process is described in a paper posted on the Neighborhood Watch page on the Lakeport Cluster website.

However, what do we do when we observe children involved in these activities? We can always summon the police, but some residents will prefer a different option. For context, South Lakes High School and Langston Hughes Middle School have approximately 3,500 students combined and are located less than a mile from the South Lakes Village Center.

By 7th grade, kids are well-aware of the difference between right and wrong. And, as kids advance through high school, they become more and more aware of the criminality associated with certain acts. Teenagers should be held accountable for acts that are wrong and criminal. We should want the children in our community to have the opportunity to grow up to be responsible citizens by being held accountable.

In many cases, simply speaking with pre-teens and teens engaged in unacceptable behavior will make them stop. However, it is entirely up to you if you are comfortable speaking up given the circumstances. Your personal safety is the number one priority. For those of us who have had encounters with teens on the property, in most cases, the kids have been respectful and friendly. However, we all know that there are kids who do not listen to adults, are repeat offenders, and can be quite disrespectful and even threatening to adults.

An alternative approach is to photograph or video kids involved in bad behavior from a safe distance. Then make an appointment with the School Resource Officers (SRO) at South Lakes and Langston Hughes to report the activity and provide photos or video. With clear images, the SRO will most likely be able to identify the kid(s) involved. A troublemaker on our property is very likely to be a troublemaker at school also and, as such, well known to the SRO. The expected outcome is that the SRO will counsel the perpetrators and speak with their parents. The goal of this type of intervention is to encourage the young person to change behavior and thereby eliminate a future need to summon the police via a call to a police dispatcher.

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.

What has the Lakeport Book Club been reading recently?

• My Friends, by Fredrik Backman
• Kindred, by Octavia Butler
• The Correspondent, by Virginia Evans

If these books interest you and you want to join the Book Club, or if you have questions or book recommendations, contact Barbara Khan at bskhan@att.net.

Thanks to Our Volunteers

Please be sure to thank your neighbors who volunteer their time and energy 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.

Maintenance

• David Michaelson – chairing the Maintenance Committee
• Jeff Warrington – chairing the Task Force to improve the performance of the drainage swale behind 1944-1952 Lakeport Way
• Joe Walters and John Janowski – removing rocks and accumulated dirt in rock swale behind 1950, 1948, 1946 Lakeport Way
  
• Dawn Fraioli – trying to locate plans in the County office for the swale installed in 2006
• Stephen Sapp – spraying carpenter ants in retaining walls by RA path to dock
• Jenny and Randy McClintock – washing off the community dock

Landscape

• Mary Sapp (chair), Kristen Bobik, Steven Browning, John Janowski, Marjorie Myers, Don Nagley, Elizabeth Pan, and Rosemary Welch – serving on the Landscape Committee

Fall Workday

• Jerry Beiter, Matt Callan, Wally Dix, John Janowski, Andy Nagley, Stephen Sapp, Jeff Warrington – removing rocks and dirt in swale behind 1952 and discovering a catch basin there.
• Jerry Beiter, Marjorie Myers, Andy Nagley– transferring dirt and regrading coir logs
• Joe Walters – cutting 4x4 piece of lumber to fit next to the fence behind 11112 Lakespray Way
• David Michaelson – installing lumber by fence behind 11112
• 
  Steven Browning, Christine Chalk, Reyna Geddes, Rosemary Welch – removing poke weed, brambles, other weeds, and black locusts by RA path and extending weeded area to redbud and chokeberries (10 bags of brush were removed!)
• Don Nagley – painting Little Free Library
• Mary Sapp – cleaning catch basins and pop-ups

Other Landscaping

• Marilyn Bursch, William and Olie Jones – adding new mulch to the landscape near the rain garden and moving old mulch from there to the path through the nearby conservation landscaping

Watering Brigade

• 
  Steven Browning and Marjorie Myers – watering plants on Lakespray Way
• Pete Hatfield and Mary Coogan – watering plants on Lakespray Way
• Mary and Stephen Sapp – watering plants at entrance and by RA path (and Bobby Chan and Michelle Zeng – supplying water)
• Rosemary Welch and Robin Kolko – watering plants in Triangle Park (and Andrew Garrison – supplying water)
• Don Nagley and Jonathan Hammer – watering plants in pollinator garden (and Joe and Kathy Power for providing the water)
• Marilyn Bursch – watering plants next to rain garden
• Kevin Dandy – watering plants between 1930 and 1932 Lakeport
• Elena Simonenko – watering trees in wooded area between Lakeport and Lakespray homes

Social

• Irene Nagley and Elizabeth Pan – co-chairing Social Committee
• Irene and Andy Nagley – picking up and dropping off chairs for the dock party
• Jerry Beiter – grilling hamburgers for the dock party
• Andy Nagley – grilling hot dogs for the dock party
• Elijah Christopher Green – guitar music for the dock party
• Martha and John Janowski – hosting the fall TGIF
• Carol Leos – welcoming new residents

Standards

• Jerry Beiter – chairing the Standards Committee

Other

• Terril Evon, David Fleming, Pete Hatfield – collecting Annual Meeting proxies
• 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
Jerry Beiter - Vice President Jeff Warrington - Vice President

Andy Nagley - Secretary 

Tod Vollrath - Treasurer

Contact the Board via email:  Board@lakeportcluster.org

What Residents and Board Can Expect

• Board's Goals

• Directors' Task List

• Code of Ethics

• Rights and Responsibilities of Owners and Boards

 

COMMITTEE CHAIRS

Architectural Standards Committee - Jerry Beiter

• Standards Committee Charter

Landscape Committee – Mary Sapp

• Landscape Charter

Maintenance Committee – David Michaelson

• Maintenance Charter

Neighborhood Watch Committee – Chuck Foster

• Neighborhood Watch Charter

Social Committee – Irene Nagley and Elizabeth Pan

• 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 – Jenny and Randy McClintock

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/

Reminders for Lakeport Owners and Residents

Raking leaves: Although the cluster’s landscaping contractor takes care of common areas, owners are responsible for raking leaves and removing debris on their own property. You should not dump what you collect into wooded areas or on the street but instead dispose of it in large compostable paper yard-waste bags for pickup on Thursdays with regular trash.

Snow and ice removal: The Lakeport Handbook states that “Residents are asked to remove snow from the sidewalks in front of their homes for safety reasons.” We also encourage everyone to help their neighbors whenever possible. And please remember to be cautious while walking (or driving) on snow/ice.

Drive Slowly: Now that it’s dark earlier, 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.

Improve Lighting in Lakeport: As we approach the winter solstice, 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.

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. For more information, see the “Neighborhood Watch” article in this issue of Ripples.

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 the car is not towed.

Maintenance of the Exterior of Your Home: If you are contemplating maintenance involving possible changes to the exterior of your home, be sure to check Lakeport Cluster Standards. 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 of Documents on the Lakeport website at https://www.lakeportcluster.org/p/documents.html.

Contractors: Please ensure that your contractors do not leave building materials (especially nails that may puncture tires) on your driveway or on the nearby street, both during and after their work. Also make sure they do not dispose of building material or clean their paint brushes in wooded areas or down the storm drains.

Maintenance Resources: Be sure to review the Home 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 an online publication (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. See suggested species at
https://www.reston.org/DocumentCenter/View/915/Trees-in-Reston-PDF?bidId=.

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.

Glass Recycling: Please remember that glass is not included as part of regular weekly recycling pickup. Therefore, do NOT put glass of any kind in your recycling bin! Lakeport residents have two options to recycle our glass:
1. Free glass recycling is available at Fairfax County Purple Bins: https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/publicworks/recycling-trash/glass. The closest locations to Lakeport are at Reston South Park & Ride and at Baron Cameron Park (Wiehle & Baron Cameron).
2. A company called Glass Goat Recycling offers glass recycling with pickup for a fee. See Bi-Weekly Glass Pickup for details.

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, which hires veterans, provides a bin, which has a sealing mechanism that is very effective at trapping odors inside and is picked up and replaced once a week with a clean bin (currently very early on Thursdays). The discounted 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 droppings on our dock and grassy common areas, though reduced from earlier. 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 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 quarter 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 ($35 in 2025, plus the $25 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 to 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/1WNKYpAeUL4qmBnCQ2KTiJb3mmbIcNkN4/view (PW=lakespray) and check the contact information listed there for your address. If a correction is needed (including removing the name of a former resident), 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, have them fill out the form so they will 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.