From the Editor/President

By Stephen Sapp

The major item I want to highlight in this issue is our upcoming Annual Meeting, which will be held via Zoom on Tuesday, October 6, at 7:00 p.m. This is an extremely important event for our community, providing you the opportunity to elect two members to the Board, hear updates on various aspects of Lakeport’s life together—including the current state of our finances—and ask the Board any questions you may have. You can read details about the meeting by clicking on the link to the Ripples article titled “Notice of Lakeport Cluster Homeowner Association Annual Meeting,” which will take you to the Annual Meeting website at https://www.lakeportcluster.org/2026/08/annual-meeting-oct-6-2026.html. We will be sending you communications, including the Zoom link for the meeting, between now and the meeting to prepare you to participate and to remind you 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.

Summer brings lots of blooms that we enjoy seeing. But it also means algae blooms can occur on our lakes when warm water and nutrients combine to create conditions favorable for algae growth. Most algae species are harmless. However, some species may produce harmful compounds or toxins. You should avoid discolored water or scums that are green or blueish-green because they are more likely to contain toxins. Please report algae blooms to Reston Association by emailing the Watershed Department with location, time, date, and photos of a suspected bloom. If you suspect you experienced health-related effects following exposure to a bloom, contact the Virginia Harmful Algal Bloom Hotline at 888-238-6154.

I want to thank Jonathan Hammer for assuming the chair of the Maintenance Committee that has been vacant since Paul Renard moved to Oregon to help with his grandchildren, and Elizabeth Pan for being a guest columnist in this issue and offering to be the contact point for residents’ suggestions for maintenance hacks. I especially want to offer a huge expression of appreciation to Jerry Beiter, who is leaving the Board at the end of September after two exceptionally effective years as chair of our Standards Committee, during which time he oversaw a number of revisions of Lakeport’s standards and helped many of our residents navigate the often unclear maze of standards between those of Reston Association and Lakeport Cluster.

Speaking of committee chairs, we have an opening for someone to oversee the Neighborhood Watch Committee. Although an important aspect of our community’s well-being, this position does not require a great deal of time and effort. Let me know if this is something you would consider doing (or at least talking about doing!).

Finally, I want to repeat two requests I make every issue:

• Please set up Direct Debit through our management company SCS for your quarterly assessment payments, the next of which is due October 1. 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). Alternatively, you can set up quarterly payments through your bank’s electronic bill payment system (although you will need to change the amount sent if 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 because Item 3 (HOA Fee Payment) in the Residents tab of the Lakeport website has links to the charges for assessment, fees, administrative charges as well as information on options for paying your quarterly HOA cluster fee). 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. 

Let us know what you think of this Summer issue of Ripples. If you want to submit an item for our Fall issue, please email me at ssapp@miami.edu. Photos of life in Lakeport are always welcome as well!