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.