Digest
VOLUME 5, ISSUE 4 1999
1st of each month
Editors: Maurice & Ruth Dean
147 Foxboro Drive
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Digest VOLUME 5, ISSUE 4 1999 1st of each month Editors: Maurice & Ruth Dean 147 Foxboro Drive |
Ah! At long last April. The start of Spring. It would possibly appear that April is the most popular month of the year. It certainly seems that it is, when we consider how often the month has been featured by poets and song writers in some of their great works.
At one time, back in the old, agricultural society days, the vernal equinox was taken as the start of a New Year. Very understandable really! It's when things start growing again and life started for the people too, after the cold, hard winter. Daylight was getting longer and in those times (before TV) nightfall to daylight was bedtime and was the greater part of the day.
When the switch was made to the Gregorian calendar, New Years officially started on January 1st. This was pretty difficult for some folk to grasp, or perhaps they were not aware of the change. Don't forget that communication was even more of a problem in those days, not only pre E-mail but pre Snail Mail too. Anyway, for whatever reason, a lot of people still figured that the year started with Spring. The rest of society, being "with it", then decided to play jokes on the "not entirely with it" group. Thus arose the tradition of April Fools' pranks or tricks.
"The first day of April, some do say,
Is set apart for All Fools' Day.
But why people call it so,
Nor I, nor they themselves do know.
But on this day people are sent
On purpose for pure merriment." Poor Robin's Almanac (1790)
For some of us, April is still the start of the year. Certainly it is the start of the time that we can venture outdoors without a snow shovel in hand. Instead of throwing snow, the muscles are now put into reverse motion so that we can enjoy one of the rites of Spring, raking the lawn. It is a bit disconcerting to see, (what was just last Fall, lush and green), grass all flat, beaten down and brown. It's almost enough to make someone like myself, horticulturally disadvantaged, look for the rake.
Homeowners AssociationCondo 289 will have been turned over to its owners by the time you read this. We welcome the new directors of this latest condo. Remember to send your President or another Director to the next Board of Management meeting on Monday May 10.
All Condos must hold a meeting of their owners prior to the next Board meeting. There are some legal formalities to be approved relating to an Easement to allow all Condos to use all the roads in the community. Your Directors will also be seeking your input on a number of other issues including speed limits on our roads. Your Condo Directors will be in touch with you to set up the meetings. We urge you to attend or to appoint a proxy. Proxy forms are available from Graham Macdonald or Faith Mundy.
The Social Committee has generously funded the purchase of an overhead projector and a screen. This equipment is now available for any group meeting. It is located in the small storage room next to the kitchen in the Foxboro Centre. Preparation of transparencies can be done using the photocopier in the same room and/or the computer facility, but you will have to buy your own transparency materials. Many thanks to the Social Committee for this purchase.
The return of the Snowbirds heralds renewed activity on the site. Our Grounds Committee will be gearing up for Spring Cleanup, planting and Summer maintenance. They will be calling for volunteers for work parties so please come out and help for a few hours. We look forward to the neat and tidy beds full of blooms and to seeing how the trees that were planted last year have survived their first winter.
Spring has also brought a rush of building activity and we understand from Bob Barnhart that sales are going well. There will be few unsold lots by the middle of next year at this rate! Many of the more recent residents will no doubt be considering the addition of decks/patios and landscaping features on their Homesites. For most of such projects there is no need to apply to the Association provided the projects comply with the published rules and guidelines. If you want to do something not covered in the rules you must apply to the Association for approval before going ahead. It is strongly recommended that you ask for advice from the Executive. Application forms will be available from the Secretary. If you need to know where your Homesite lot lines are, this data is shown on the Plan of Survey for your Condominium which should be in the possession of your Directors. If it is not, the Association Secretary has a copy for reference.
Have you seen Bob Barnhart's landscaping plan for the area between Maue Court and Sun Valley Drive? If not, drop in to the Presentation Centre and have a look- it should be a major improvement to the area.
Y2K - Year 2000 ComplianceThe so-called Millennium Computer Bug is receiving much attention at the moment. Public and corporate awareness has increased steadily since the New Year, no less in our own community. We have been investigating the compliance level of our systems on site and can report that all our security systems, both in our homes and in the Foxboro Centre, are compliant. The software that controls the Foxboro Centre system is also compliant, but we still need to test the computer on which it is installed. We have asked Bob Barnhart about the water and waste treatment systems and are waiting for answers from his engineering consultants and from the Region of Waterloo. The Region is responsible for providing backup to the water supply, while Foxboro Green Inc. is responsible for the waste treatment system. Kitchener-Wilmot Hydro and Ontario Hydro have reported in the press that testing has been successful and, if any power outages occur, that they should be of short duration. If you have a gas fireplace in your home it can be lit and produce heat in the event of a power outage; however the fan will not run to blow warm air into the room. We will continue to follow this issue.
Mary Ann and Len Martin have had a wonderful winter watching and feeding some of our winter friends. One that turns up every morning is the beautiful hen pheasant shown in this picture that Len took recently.
Hear Ye!! Hear Ye!!
CONGRATULATIONS
Keeping In Touch
St. Paddie's CelebrationFoxboro glowed green on Saturday March 20. Eighty residents gathered in the salon surrounded by shamrocks and leprechauns, green & white streamers flying overhead. Corned beef, dill pickles all slathered with hot mustard wet the palate and stoked up the fires in preparation for the great outburst of melody led by Tom Nairn and his quartet from the Twin City Harmonizers. Even the flu could not dampen their enthusiasm and the melodic shading of their harmony. Enthusiastic calls for songs lifted from the audience. With song sheet in hands such old favourites as "Molly Malone" and "Irish Eyes" rang out throughout Foxboro. An enormous carrot cake decorated in green & white with a leprechaun leaping atop the icing fuelled the gang for spirited dancing led by Sybil and Peter Dugdale. Those sitting in the "lucky seats" took shamrocks home which still should be in blossom today!
As always the success of this event is owed to the many who volunteered to help throughout, from decorating the centre, preparation of the sandwiches, cutting and serving of the cake through to the ever necessary clean-up. Thank you all.
LETTER FROM FOXBORO GREEN INC.To All Foxboro Residents:
Due to strict enforcement of safety standards and our concern for your safety we must insist that you do not visit any homes under construction. The safety inspector does not differentiate between residents and workmen and will fine you, the site supervisor (Romy) and Foxboro Green Inc. for any infractions.
Thank you for your understanding.
Doug Hutchison,
Vice President
Craft CornerTry your hand at painting clay pots - should be great fun!.
Date: Wed. April 28th
Time: 1:00 p.m.
Cost: $1.00 (to cover paint costs)
Please bring:
5" Clay pot
Old toothbrush
Liner brush #0
Flat brush #10
For further information, please call June Davies 634-5724.
Sorry No Craft Session in May
The SwansOur swans will be returning soon and it is the mating season. Even though Felix and Oscar are two male swans, no one has told them that there are no lovely lady swans around here.
Be very careful when you are near them as they can be very aggressive at this time of year and can actually harm you. When you have your grandchildren here make sure that they understand that although these birds are lovely to behold they should keep their distance and not annoy them.
Notice From the Social CommitteeWhen you move into our fair community there is a ONE TIME FEE OF $25.00 payable to the Social Committee.
There are SEVERAL HOUSEHOLDS WHO ARE REMISS with their payment.
HAVE YOU PAID??? If not, please make out your cheque to the Social Committee and give it to Audrey Honeyborne (Treasurer of the Social Committee).
Community Calendar
Thank you Al Olsson, Marg Macdonald A most beautiful wooden box with slotted inserts appeared at my door just before St Patrick's Day - the long anticipated final solution to the problem of the storage of our name tags. 'Tis a wooden master-piece with 400 slots to hold the name tags of the entire community. Already those who have seen it have admired the workmanship and the beauty of the grain. Some have offered to decorate it with paint but it shall stay as it is with all its natural beauty!
Each tray will be put out prior to an event and every person will be able to find their own name easily. After the event we will expect as always, that name tags will be returned to the appropriate tray. Al did not charge us at all for this work and so I know that you all join me in saying "Thank you very much Al!".
Remember to check
the notice boards in the mail room
for ongoing activities
