Lakeport Cluster

Lakeport Cluster Annual Meeting Announcement

Lakeport’s Annual Meeting is scheduled for Monday, September 25, 2023, and will be conducted using Zoom, as allowed by Lakeport’s Bylaws. The official start time is 7:00 p.m., but we will begin admitting owners to the meeting at 6:30 p.m. It will be helpful if you join early before the meeting officially begins to avoid a bottleneck right before we start. SCS, Lakeport’s management company, will mail a packet in early September with the official meeting notice and related documents.

The main action item of this year’s Annual Meeting is for owners to elect three members to the Association’s Board of Directors for terms of two years. In addition, the Board will provide a report on cluster operations and finances.

You should be receiving a packet from our management company, SCS, that will contain (1) the official notice of the Annual Meeting, (2) a proxy for voting for Board members, and (3) a candidate statement form for those that wish to run for the Board.

Below you will find information provided in the mailing plus additional items.

Meeting notice
A proxy form to facilitate a vote for Board members even if you are unable to attend the Annual Meeting
A candidate statement form for those who wish to run for the Board
Candidate statements for those individuals that wish to run for the Board.
Minutes from the 2022 Annual Meeting
Meeting agenda.

For those attending the Annual Meeting, votes will be cast anonymously using Zoom’s polling feature. Alternatively, any eligible voter (Lakeport homeowner) who does not attend the meeting may designate how they wish to vote by filling out the Proxy Form (with instructions on the back), which is included in the packet from SCS and provided online. Please fill out and submit the Proxy Form whether or not you plan to attend the Annual Meeting. Your proxy counts toward a quorum, which is needed to hold the meeting. You can use the Proxy Form to designate how you wish to vote for Board candidates. If you do not attend the meeting, your Proxy votes will be counted. If you do attend the meeting, your proxy votes will be discarded, and you will actively cast your votes at the meeting.

If you have not used Zoom before or would like more information about what to expect in a Lakeport Zoom meeting, please email chuckfost@aol.com.

Zoom instructions for attendance are listed below.

Topic: Lakeport Cluster Annual Meeting
Time: Sep 25, 2023 07:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87865494892?pwd=QWFYK1JzUzJBTnFlRnorNWt4OGlhZz09

Meeting ID: 878 6549 4892
Passcode: LPANNUAL

Dial by your location
• +1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC)

Meeting ID: 878 6549 4892
Passcode: 66643117

Summer 2023 Issue of Ripples

From the Editor – Stephen Sapp

Lakeport News

President’s Message – Chuck Foster

Landscape Committee – Mary Sapp

WARNING: Crepe Myrtle Bark Scale Infecting Lakeport

Social Committee

Maintenance Committee – Paul Renard

Book Club – Barbara Khan

Thanks to Our Volunteers

Helpful Information

Neighborhood Watch – James Pan

Tips for Summer Travel to Europe

Reminders

Summer Home Maintenance Checklist

Lakeport Governance/Management

From the Editor

By Stephen Sapp

“Summertime and the livin’ is easy . . . .” “Hot town, summer in the city . . . .” “Trees swayin’ in the summer breeze . . . .” “The summer wind came blowin’ in from across the sea . . . .” “Summer loving had me a blast Summer loving happened so fast . . . .” “Them summer days Those summer days . . . .” “Summer breeze makes me feel fine Blowin’ through the jasmine in my mind . . . .”

Of the many recordings that are considered “summer songs,” I am sure we all have our personal favorites that evoke for us the feeling of summer when we hear them, and there is definitely something special about “those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer” (the “hazy” part for sure applies to this summer for everyone!). The same can be said for the numerous summer activities available to us, some of which can be enjoyed right here in Lakeport or nearby (sadly, the Lake Thoreau pool renovation will not be completed in time for our enjoyment this summer).

It is essential, however, that we all exercise special caution when engaging in outdoor activities during the summer, especially this year when “Earth’s hottest day ever recorded” seems to have been occurring almost daily. At the least, remember to use sunscreen every time you go out and to stay hydrated. This chart just released by the Nicholas Institute’s Heat Policy Innovation Hub at Duke University includes important warning signs of heat-related illness and cooling strategies you can use to stay safe, with or without access to air conditioning.

I want to end this somewhat nostalgic reflection on summer with a well-known line from one of my favorite TV shows of the 1980s, “Hill Street Blues,” in which Sergeant Phil Esterhaus always concluded morning roll call, “Hey, let's be careful out there.”

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

President’s Message

By Chuck Foster

Two important dates are coming up in the life of Lakeport Cluster. We have scheduled a property inspection by a professional inspector supplied by our management company for next month. And on September 25, Lakeport Cluster’s annual meeting will take place.

Property Inspections

The property inspections will be focused exclusively on maintenance items, which cover the condition of the exterior of the home. The inspector will be looking for problems such as rotted/cracked wood, peeling/faded paint, mildew, mold, grime, mismatched paint colors, water damage, and otherwise needed repairs. The detailed guidance we will be giving the inspector was emailed to cluster residents on June 22. We will publish this list again as the inspection approaches. You can choose either to correct problems before the inspector arrives or to wait until after the inspection date. Because the inspection date is unusually late this year, the Board has established a deadline of March 31, 2024, to make needed repairs.

Annual Meeting

The Annual Meeting, scheduled for September 25, is the opportunity for residents to hear from the Board about the state of the cluster, vote on candidates for the Board, and vote on any other items requiring input from the membership. The Board has decided to conduct this year’s meeting using Zoom. Our management company recently told us that a number of clusters have decided to continue using a virtual format due to generally higher attendance and greater ease of administration. Details of the meeting will be provided in advance.

Three members of the current Board have terms that expire on September 25, leaving two with one year remaining. Our governance format is very favorable to the community because folks who live in Lakeport serve on the Board. However, for this format to work, we need volunteers.

What happens if no one wants to serve on the Board? The cluster would have to hire an attorney to carry out legally required functions. This would be a non-resident professional performing a bare minimum of tasks. What happens if only one or two people choose to serve on the Board? In that case, the community loses out on the deliberative process among people of diverse backgrounds and experiences, which undoubtedly improves decision-making.

If you have not served on the Board, please consider registering as a candidate when the process is announced. If you want to know what is involved, reach out to a Board member for information. Also consider reading recent agendas and minutes of Board meetings by going to the bottom of the Documents tab on lakeportcluster.org.

My term as a Board member will end in September. In that role, I have learned a great deal about the operations of the cluster, met many residents I did not know, and tried to make the best decisions possible for the community. During my two years in office, I have been very fortunate to have worked with two very good Boards, composed of caring, cooperative, collaborative, compromising, thoughtful, and friendly people. I am very grateful for that experience.

Landscape Committee

By Mary Sapp, Chair

New Landscaping

A few days ago, Meadows Farms removed existing sod and installed stacked-rock walls for two raised beds in Triangle Park to replace grass that, despite hydroseeding, has never thrived there due to the shade. They also added new topsoil in the beds since the existing soil is not good, and then they mulched the entire area. Installation of plants for the raised beds will be done in the fall when less watering will be required. A list of the plants to be used (with photos) appears at the bottom of this article.

Meadows Farms also installed a rock wall between 1930 and 1932 Lakeport Way, where shrubs and perennials will be added in the fall to beautify that area and block the view from the sidewalk of the transformer, and boulders and shrubs behind 1954 Lakeport Way to reduce runoff of silt and leaves into the rain garden.

Chevy Chase Land Company graciously planted six needlepoint hollies at their expense beside the road behind Safeway to block access from that road to Lakeport property. Volunteers bought and put down mulch and watered.

Blade Runners installed 32 natives between 1952 and 1954 Lakeport Way at no charge to replace plants they removed by mistake last year. Volunteers are watering.

Volunteer Projects

Based on a tip from an owner, we discovered that some crepe myrtles in Lakeport have been infected with crepe myrtle scale. Landscape Committee members measured and treated the eight crepe myrtles on HOA property. More information, including how owners can treat their own crepe myrtles, is available in the article titled “WARNING – Crepe Myrtle Bark Scale Infecting Lakeport.”

Poison ivy was found on HOA property along the Sunrise Valley sidewalk to the west of Lakeport’s entrance, growing up and around three trees where the RA path starts down to the pool, and behind the back fences of homes at 11118 and 11120 Lakespray Way. These areas were sprayed using horticulture-grade vinegar (six times stronger than vinegar from the grocery store), salt, and dish soap, a treatment that is more environmentally safe than Glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup. The photos show it was effective, but it will require more applications.

As part of I Love Lakeport Day, 21 volunteers collected a large pile of debris from over a dozen dead trees (most cut by Rich Shelton) and other branches and removed pokeweed, invasive mahonia, briars, and unwanted grasses from the hill next to the RA path to the pool, the conservation landscaping area, and the woods behind homes.

Members of the Landscape Committee did follow-up weeding next to the RA path to the pool to remove weeds that were choking out the seven natives planted there last fall by Blade Runners as replacements for plants they removed. The area was then mulched using mulch from the stump grinding on the Lakespray hill. The solid green on the left of the photo to the right is what the mulched area looked like before we opened up the seven shrubs planted by Blade Runners at their expense.

New plants for Triangle Park
All of the new plants prefer part shade, or for some, full shade, and all are natives, which makes them more disease/pest resistant and attracts butterflies, bees, and birds.

WARNING: Crepe Myrtle Bark Scale Infecting Lakeport

The Landscape Committee wants to alert you that crepe myrtle scale has been spotted on crepe myrtles in our community. Although this scale will not kill the trees, it will reduce the flowers, cause unsightly black sooty mold on the trunk and branches, and weaken the trees (see the photo at right of a tree with prolonged exposure). The photo below shows the white scale insects and the resulting black soot. Note that if your crepe myrtle starts looking like the one in the photos, you will need RA approval if you want to remove and replace it.

The recommended treatment for bark scale is Ferti-Lome Tree & Shrub Systemic Insect Drench, available at Merrifield or on Amazon (suggestion: measure your tree first so you’ll know how much to order). This is a pesticide, so be sure to follow directions carefully (see below). Because it can kill bees and other pollinators, please wait until after sundown to apply since bees are no longer active at that time. It also can be toxic to pets and people so keep pets away until the ground has dried, and attend to all precautions.

Instructions:

Water your tree the night before.
Measure the circumference (distance around) each trunk at 4.5 feet above the ground. Write these numbers on a note pad and then add them together. This total is the number of ounces of drench you will need in step 5 below.
If the total is 30 or less, clear a circular area 2 feet from the trunks, removing any sticks, debris, vines, or mulch. Push back the dirt a little to make a small wall around this area, especially on the down-hill side of any slope. If the total from step 2 is greater than 30, clear an area 3-4 feet from the trunks. TIP: Break up the top of the exposed dirt a little so the drench can soak in better.
If the total from step 1 is less than 50, put 1 gallon of water in a bucket. If it is 50 or more, put 2 gallons of water in the bucket.
Shake the drench container and then use a measuring cup with ounce increments to measure the number of ounces calculated in step 2 above (the Landscape Committee has a measuring cup you can borrow because you do not want to use one from your kitchen).
Carefully pour the drench into the bucket of water and mix well.
Slowly pour the drench around the tree trunk within the cleared area you prepared in step 3, allowing it to soak in before adding more.
Do not let pets or children in the area until it’s dry and then cover with mulch.
Repeat the following April.

The ferti-lome website has more information and warnings.

Also, the recommended treatment needs to be applied every year (preferably in April; so if you haven’t already treated your tree, you should do so immediately). See Fairfax County Master Gardeners for more information.

Social Committee

In May, Lakeport held its annual spring “I Love Lakeport” dock party. It was a lovely evening, and people stayed until after 8:00 p.m. The kids enjoyed the bubbles, chalk, and rock painting, and the adults enjoyed the chance to visit with neighbors. Everybody of course enjoyed the hamburgers, hot dogs, and pot-luck side dishes!

The next month, Sandy Laeser and Elizabeth Pan hosted Lakeport’s Spring TGIF. Turnout was high and there was a nice spread of shared food, but the focus was on visiting with long-time friends and meeting new people. Again, guests stayed late and everyone had a wonderful evening.

Maintenance Committee

By Paul Renard

Some people think the geese are a nuisance. Others think they’re cute. Regardless, we can all probably agree that they make a big mess on our dock. We’ve considered a variety of ways to scare them away but have not found anything feasible — which means that the Hammers and Renards have been doing goose-poop cleaning duty for years.

I would like to invite the rest of the community to share in the “fun.” If you arrive at a filthy dock, please get the green broom that is on the lower patio at 1925 Lakeport, sweep the poop into the water (in no way lowering water quality), and replace the broom where you found it.

“It takes a village to clean up after a bunch of foul fowls” is not a great rallying cry, but in this case it is true. Thanks for helping to take responsibility for our common property!

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 evening from 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., rotating among members’ homes or, in comfortable weather, outside in Triangle Park so that we can take advantage of our beautiful Lakeport setting.

Upcoming books include Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin and Why Marx was Right by Terry Eagleton.

If 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. If you want to volunteer, let the Board or a committee chair know—it’s a great way to get to meet your neighbors and to contribute to your community.

Landscape Projects

Mary Sapp (chair), Steven Browning, Don Nagley, Elizabeth Pan, Rosemary Welch, and Jeannette Malin-Berdel (Board liaison) – serving on the Landscape Committee
Jerry Beiter, Bharati and Purva Bhosale, Steven Browning, Matt Callan, Chuck Foster, Pete Hatfield, Susan Kilcup, Robin Kolko, Carol Leos, Jeannette Malin-Berdel, Don and Andy Nagley, Elizabeth Pan, Barb Pavon, Mary and Stephen Sapp, Rich Shelton, Jennifer Taylor, Jeff Warrington, and Mike Worthy – participating in Lakeport’s Spring Cleanup Day by collecting a large pile of debris from over a dozen dead trees (most cut by Rich Shelton) plus other branches; removing pokeweed, invasive mahonia, briars, and unwanted grasses from the hill next to the RA path to the pool, the conservation landscaping area, and the woods behind homes; planting herbs; and sweeping the carports (see photos below)
Steven Browning, Jeannette Malin-Berdel, Elizabeth Pan, Mary and Stephen Sapp – follow-up weeding and mulching next to RA path to pool
Steven Browning, Don Nagley, Elizabeth Pan, Mary and Stephen Sapp, and Rosemary Welch – treating 8 crepe myrtles on HOA property for bark scale (if you have a crepe myrtle, please read the separate article for why and how to treat your own tree)
Mary and Stephen Sapp – using a less-toxic alternative to Roundup (a mixture of horticulture-grade vinegar, salt, and dish soap) to treat poison ivy along the sidewalk west of the entrance, near three trees where the RA path goes downhill from the sidewalk to the pool, and behind the back fences of 11118-11120 Lakespray.
Marilyn Bursch – purchasing river rock to expand the overflow from the rain garden and watering plants in the conservation landscaping area and next to the rain garden
Sandy Laeser, Elizabeth Pan, and Holly Pan – watering and sprucing up the Kids Garden
Chuck and Marcy Foster – installing mulch on needle-point hollies planted by Chevy Chase next to the Safeway access road
Ashley, Henry, and Mary Strickland – watering needle-point hollies
Steven Browning – watering plants in conservation landscaping areas and along the side of Lakespray Way
Gil Blankespoor and Rosemary Welch – watering liriope at south end of Lakeport Way
Mary and Stephen Sapp – watering plants at entrance

Social

Shelby Friedel – chairing the Social Committee
Carol Leos – welcoming new residents

Dock Party

Shelby Friedel and Mary Sapp – organizing
Jeannette Malin-Berdel and Joerg Dronia – providing tables and benches
Steve Chase, Jerry Beiter, and Joe Powers – cooking hamburgers and hot dogs
Paul Renard and Ella Dandy – cleaning the dock

Spring TGIF

Sandy Laeser and Elizabeth Pan – hosting
Mary and Henry Strickland, Chase and Conner Dryzga – greeting people, taking photos, and enhancing the ambiance of the party

Maintenance

Paul Renard – chairing the Maintenance Committee
Paul Renard, Jonathan and Annabelle Hammer, and Rob Coogan – cleaning the dock of goose poop

Standards

Rich Rosenberg – chairing the Standards Committee

Other

James Pan – 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

Neighborhood Watch

By James Pan

Local police are investigating a spree of thefts from unlocked cars in Reston. Police believe suspects have entered more than 30 unlocked cars and stolen valuables, like purses, credit cards, cash, and electronics, between May and June! The Fairfax County Police Department announced that the suspects were captured on surveillance footage recently, but no arrests have been made.

The issue is not limited to the Reston District, police said, adding that vehicle break-ins and unlocked cars have become “easy targets” for suspects. “It is important that the community works together to prevent easy access to unattended cars,” police said. “Often, suspects will walk around a community and check for unlocked cars. Sometimes these suspects get lucky because keys are left inside the vehicle.”

FCPD issued the following tips to protect vehicles:

Lock your car and avoid leaving your keys in the car.
Park in public places with lots of streetlights.
Keep the windows rolled up when you park.
Install car alarm systems and/or GPS systems.
Do not leave any personal or valuable belongings inside your car.
Do not leave your car turned on and unattended.
Do not leave a spare key where it can be found.
Utilize security cameras and floodlights.
Know where you’re going.
Practice proper automotive maintenance.
Always stay aware of your surroundings.
Do not store important personal documents in your vehicle.
Report suspicious activity to the FCPD non-emergency number at (703) 691-2131. If you have an emergency, call 911.

Source: FFXNOW, June 28, 2023

Tips for Summer Travel to Europe

By James Pan

I recently returned from a trip to Lisbon. To save you money, time, and possible headaches, here are some tips for summer travel to Europe:

Before you go, take valuables and firearms out of your bedroom and office and put them somewhere that is not so obvious. Thieves are likely to check these areas first. Temporarily place valuables in the attic or some other non-obvious place. Thieves work quickly and will spend only about ten minutes in your home; so anything that makes it harder for them to find valuables is worth the effort.

Make sure your passports do not expire within six months of your return date. You will not be able to travel with your current passport if it expires sooner.
Get a no-fee ATM card and credit card. This will save you money on foreign transaction fees.
Use bank ATMs instead of Euronet ATMs or “mom and pop” ATMs, which often charge high fees.
Choose the “Euro” and "no conversion" option when using your ATM card or credit card. This will avoid paying a foreign transaction fee.
To save $10 a day from Verizon and ATT international plans, get an e-sim card with the WhatsApp and Skype apps on your phone. I used this on my last two trips: https://www.airalo.com. It is a little tricky to install so search for some YouTube videos for help.
Research pickpocketing in Europe and how to avoid it. This is a common problem in Europe, so it is important to be aware of the risks. Here is an example of a YouTube video on how to avoid pickpocketing in Paris (there are plenty more, and 20 minutes spent on these videos may save you many hours of frustration on your trip): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PELssC1cAKk.
Do not carry your passport with you unless you must. Keep your passport, backup no-fee ATM and credit cards (use different banks from the ones you carry), and extra cash in a safe place at your hotel or Airbnb.
Be suspicious of people trying to assist you at train or subway stations. These people may be trying to pickpocket you. This does not mean you should be afraid to ask for help—just stay alert.
Keep valuables in a money belt under your shirt.
Do not leave anything valuable in a backpack (like money or cameras). These can easily be stolen by a skilled thief by unzipping the pack (or slitting it open with a razor knife!). When you do carry important items in your backpack, keep it in front of you (or use a chest pack).
When on trains and subways, keep your suitcase and other bags away from the doors, especially when they are about to close because that is when bags are most vulnerable.
Pick up some extra euros for your next European vacation while the exchange rate is good!

Reminders

Maintenance of the Exterior of Your Home: As you think about maintenance and possible changes to the exterior of your home in anticipation of Lakeport’s upcoming home-exterior inspections, be sure to check Lakeport Standards, and if a relevant Lakeport standard doesn’t exist, you will need to follow the relevant RA Guideline. Links to Lakeport and RA architectural requirements, the DRB application, discussion of RA’s counter-intuitive 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 edition of Ripples for advice about 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.

You Must Replace Any Tree You Remove: If you plan to remove a live tree on your property, you need approval from Reston Association (RA). Furthermore, if you will remove or 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.

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, you 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 James Pan at jpamco@gmail.com. Please pay special attention to suspicious activity or sounds near the Lakeport dock, in the woods, or at night.

Improve Lighting in Lakeport: Even though it is staying light later and becoming light earlier, 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.

Drive Slowly: With the warmer weather, neighborhood children are outside even more now, 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.

Vistitors: 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 they will be parked in Lakeport so their car is not towed.

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 are out walking and enjoying nature in Lakeport (and elsewhere).

Geese: e continue to experience problems with goose poop on our dock. Please don’t 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!). And see the Maintenance Committee article in this issue for another very concrete contribution you can make to deal with our goose problem.

Composting. If you are tired of smelly garbage 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. The bin is picked up and replaced once a week with a clean one (currently on Fridays). The group rate for residents of Lakeport is $25 per month. For more information, see https://veterancompostindc.com/ or email Fritz C. Gottschalk (US Army, retired) at Fritz@veterancompost.com.

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). Doing so means that you never have to worry about incurring late fees because you forgot to make the payment (currently $25 plus the charge from SCS for sending the letter). Alternatively, you can pay the entire assessment at the beginning of the year ($1400 for 2023, no increase from last year). Either approach means the Board doesn’t 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) 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/1lQmLFN8lmLdfoXajXB-j2ad5whVDsmO9/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.

Home Maintenance Checklist for Summer

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.

Homes in Lakeport Cluster, which are now more than 30 years old, are unique in several ways. This checklist, designed with Lakeport homes in mind, may help to reduce major repairs in the future. If you think you have a problem, however, we urge you to seek advice from a licensed and insured contractor or other service professional.

Outdoor Checklist

Be sure to water your plants. The longer days and increased heat of summer mean that the plants in our yards come under greater stress, especially during periods of no or sporadic 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/.
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.
Check wood siding and trim for signs of splintering, deterioration, softness, green mildew, or other discoloration. These are signs of potential wood damage. Replace damaged siding and trim following Cluster standards for paint color. In the case of mildew or discoloration, ask a home improvement provider to suggest the appropriate cleaner to preserve the wood.
A dark vertical line on the middle of your garage door is most likely caused by insufficient tension on the chain from your garage door opener to the front wall of your garage. Over time, the chain will slacken and start to drag on the door, which leaves that black mark and eventually will wear through the paint if left uncorrected. Most of these chains have a tensioner or turnbuckle that can be tightened to fix the problem. Once you have tightened the chain, the door can be cleaned with something like Scott’s Outdoor Cleaner and the gentle use of a scrubbing sponge from your kitchen.
Gutters, and particularly those that are beneath a tree, may experience two problems: The gutters become clogged and/or the spikes that attach them to the house may pull away. 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. Even if you don’t have a tree nearby and even if you have something like Gutter Helmet or a strainer screen over them, gutters can still fill up with cinders washed down from your shingles over time. 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, 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.
Exterior railing pipes are prone to rust. Home Depot has a product that cleans the rust effectively. One bottle of Rustoleum Rust Dissolver is probably a lifetime supply (or sufficient to share with several of your neighbors). Scrape rusted areas with a putty knife or flat screwdriver, spray on the rust dissolver, let it sit for about 15 minutes, and then wash it off with water (clear directions are on the spray bottle.) Keep doing this until all the visible rust is gone. Dry the metal, sand it lightly, and then spray it with a Rustoleum primer. When that dries, you can paint it with the approved trim color for your house. There’s no guarantee that the rust won’t eventually return, but you can prolong the life of your exterior railing pipes (and particularly the collars that attach the pipes to your trim wood) by many years.
Driveways should be maintained in good condition with no loose sections of asphalt, holes in the surface, or crumbling edges. All older asphalt driveways will crack, and we recommend filling these cracks annually with semi-liquid driveway patch (available from Home Depot either in a squeeze bottle or in caulk-style tubes). Patching the cracks will prolong the life of the driveway considerably, though this type of product works well only in cracks that are no wider than about ¼ inch. When small sections of asphalt break up and are no longer easily patchable with a liquid product, cold patch can be used to repair that section: Dig out the loose asphalt, put cold patch in the hole (available in 60-pound bags from Home Depot), and pound with the top surface of a sledge hammer to compact it. Be sure to bring the cold patch up to the level of the existing driveway and smooth it into the original surface.
Driveway sealers help to improve the look of the driveway and cover the differences among the original surface, crack fills, and cold patch fixes. From a cosmetic and lifespan point of view, they also help extend the life of the driveway. Sealers typically come in a five-gallon can and require a squeegee for spreading.
All driveways eventually will reach a point where small fixes are insufficient, and they will need to be repaved. When your driveway is more than 5% cold patch or has many cracks that can’t be filled, this is a good indication that professional repaving is needed.

Indoor Checklist

Homeowners should check and if necessary replace gasket/pressure regulators in bathtubs and showers (including the overflow) to avoid flooding from a leak.
Be sure to replace or clean your HVAC filter regularly.