Young Entrepreneurs Eager to Help Neighbors, Earn Money
Have a carpet of leaves covering that beautiful new deck? Need a babysitter so you can go to yoga in the late afternoon? Perhaps Rover is a tad restless?

Over a dozen young entrepreneurs have stepped forward and asked to be listed on the latest Young Entrepreneurs Contact List referenced in the 2007 Annual Directory.

These teens and college students are ready to help community families by baby-sitting, dog walking, pet-sitting, checking on houses (feed fish/cats, get mail/newspapers), removing snow, and even by performing various lawn services such as mowing the lawn and raking leaves, so be sure to check out this all-important list.

Note, this list is made available only to CWCA residents and has been painstakingly compiled by Lisa MacArthur – Thank you, Lisa! Any updates to the Young Entrepreneurs list may be made by downloading the sign-up form and e-mailing the completed form to Lisa MacArthur or contacting her at 703.534.2266.

 
Great Thinking Abounds in the Neighborhood, Results in New CWCA Initiatives
The CWCA wishes to thank the following residents for contributing a number of great ideas that have resulted in several promising new CWCA initiatives.

The First Annual Chesterbrook Woods Summer Party held July 3rd was a significant success, attracting over 250 attendees and providing residents with the opportunity to establish contact with new residents and reinforce friendships that sustained various summertime activities for their neighborhood adults and children. Suggested, planned, and orchestrated by Rachel Deutsch, the event also attracted 33 volunteers.

Treasurer Charles Hoyt was instrumental in bringing about the return of resident business ads to the 2007 Annual Directory, recalling how the ads had proven to be highly successful in the past and enabling the revenues from eight ads to offset publication costs. (Note: the ads appear both in the Directory and in the Service Providers section of the CWCA website.) Based upon the success of the ad sales, we are eager to expand next year’s ads and welcome any interest in the new Advertising Manager position.

A set of joint initiatives with Chain Bridge Forest Homeowners' Association (CBFHA) were kicked off when our Security Director John Glowacki interfaced with CBFHA during the lost-child security incident this past July. John and President Lori Boerner have recently met with CBFHA President Kay Bransford to discuss greater cross-communication for security and neighborhood watch initiatives, as well as potential other areas. Both neighborhoods eagerly anticipate many future benefits arising from this new partnership.

Lisa MacArthur spearheaded the Young Entrepreneurs Community Services program and volunteered to manage the listings. Important to all participants and residents, this program brings together the community and helps to develop the citizens of tomorrow.
THANKS RACHEL, CHARLES, JOHN & LISA!

 
Security Update: McLean District Station Guidance
Our Security Director, John Glowacki, has provided some valuable information gleaned from the most recent McLean District Station quarterly update, specifically that there have been an extremely high number of vehicle break-ins both at night and during the day. According to law enforcement, the location of the break-ins can be at work, in shopping centers or at home and the common element in almost all vehicle break-ins is leaving items in plain view. “If they can see it, they will steal it.” Although the hottest items are GPS units, other items are being stolen as well, so residents are asked to remove any items from the inside of their vehicle that are visible from the outside anytime when parking their vehicles.

If anyone has a particular question they would like John to raise with local Fairfax law enforcement, please contact him at 703.533.0717.

 
CWCA Newsletter & E-Mail Communications Update
CWCA will typically deliver a printed newsletter to homes on a quarterly basis. Residents on our Email List will also receive a monthly E-Newsletter and occasionally, other emails. The CWCA Email List continues to grow and currently, has 574 residents, representing 416 homes or 82% of the 508 occupied homes (many households have two emails, one per spouse, on our list).

Our CWCA Email List began in 2002 and results in a much quicker, easier, and cheaper means of communications. If you are not already on our CWCA Email List, please contact Maureen Hurley to get added. Additionally, for those of you who changed your email address within the past year or think you are on the CWCA List but are not receiving the monthly electronic updates, please contact Maureen to verify that we have your most current email address.

 
MCA Actively Focused on DCA Noise Abatement Compliance, Urges Congressman Wolf to Action
Bill Stephens, the CWCA Rep to the McLean Citizens Association (MCA), has an update on the noise impact due to air traffic to/from Ronald Regan Washington National Airport (DCA).

In the spring, MCA met with Congressman Frank Wolf (10th District, VA) and officials from the FAA and Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA). Below are excerpts from the letter that MCA sent to the Congressman on October 3rd.

“In the months after our meeting, we noted an improvement in the number of flights that followed a takeoff path over the Potomac River and a commensurate reduction in noise. Regrettably, this improvement was not sustained.

In the past six months, MCA volunteers have done visual observations of flight paths, tracking flights with computer software, and monitoring conversations between air traffic controllers and pilots. We have also received input from other citizen associations.

1. On the positive side, there has been a reduction in the number of flights taking off to the north and making a very early turn (i.e., at 5-6 miles). On the negative side, many flights still turn early at about 7-8 miles.
2. The vast majority of flights taking off to the north still fly on the VA side, often 1-2 miles away from the river, which takes them over densely populated areas. Flights that stay over the Potomac River or follow the noise abatement course remain the exception.
3. In the case of landings from the north, there has been no improvement whereby the majority of planes approaching from the west or south make a shortcut turn towards the river, following roughly Route 123, which takes them over the center of McLean.
4. We are disheartened that there has been no improvement in procedures during the night hours. In fact, some of the most severe shortcuts occur at night, in spite of the fact that there are no operational reasons, such as density of traffic, for this to occur.

For any questions on this or other MCA topics, contact Bill at 703.532.5915.

 
Halloween Party Lost & Found
If you are missing any of the following items (found at the Halloween Party), please contact Michelle Joss at 703.534.2296.

1. Toy bow from bow & arrow set with red string and brown handle
2. Square plastic 5-cup Rubbermaid Servin' Saver container (no top)
3. Large plastic bowl with pink snap-on lid labeled with name “Ganti"
4. Large green plastic salad-type bowl (no lid)
5. Black heavy duty plastic/nylon Farberware serving spoon
6. Large stainless steel teaspoon with leaf and flower design on handle labeled “Ameta Stainless” on the back

Neighborhood Snow Removal Plan Announced
With the temperatures hitting record highs this fall, it is hard to even think about snow removal. Nevertheless, the planning must go on.

For the majority of VA counties, snow plowing responsibility rests with the state; however, state service for our streets is secondary to main roads, thus state plows often arrive a considerable time after snowfall or after icy conditions develop. Therefore, it’s important for the CWCA to have its own snow removal service. Payment for this annual service constitutes over half of the CWCA budget supported by membership dues.

We have signed a snow removal contract for the coming winter with the same contractor we have been using for a number of years. The contract requires that plowing begin within two hours after snow accumulation has reached two inches. All roads will be plowed to a width of 10 feet, after which through streets will be plowed to a width of 14 feet. For icy conditions, sand and de-icing materials will be applied as needed, with particular attention to slopes and major intersections. In addition, the contract features a number of improvements, the most significant of which is a requirement for a higher priority snow removal service.

As in the past, critical storm drains will be marked for the contractor to avoid piling snow on them. So, if you see new red and white markers around the neighborhood, please keep them in place. They will be removed after the snow season is over.

As a reminder, the single most important thing homeowners can do to help during a snow emergency is to park cars in garages or driveways, since it is difficult to do a good snow plowing with too many cars parked at random on the street. When that is not possible, try to park cars on only one side of the street. Also, please ensure that children avoid interfering with the plow vehicles.

If anyone has questions during a snow emergency, please contact your Block Captain or the Snow Removal Committee heads, Roger Nucho (703.237.3646) and Dave Stevens (703.531.0558).

 
House for Sale by Fairfax County - 1447 Woodacre Drive The home at 1447 Woodacre Drive experienced severe flooding during the past few years and was purchased by Fairfax County. It has now been put up for sale by the County to a developer with the following conditions:

• The existing house must be demolished
• The property shall be re-graded to alleviate the current flooding condition to ensure that the first floor elevation, garage, all livable spaces, and all accesses to the structure are protected against flooding from a 100-year storm
• Storm drainage and signage covenants shall be and have been placed over the areas of the lot where 100-year flooding is expected
• No structure or obstruction, including fencing of any type, which can alter the passage of flood discharge, will be constructed within the storm drainage and signage covenant areas and no regrading will be permitted within the covenant areas

• proposed use of the property
• impacts upon the local community
• projected timeframe for the development or use of the property
• benefits to the local community from the proposed development
• process that will be followed to involve the community in the planning and development of the property
• conformance of the proposed use with the current zoning of the property

Dues Enable CWCA to Do a Lot throughout the Year hanks to the neighbors who have paid their dues – and to those who generously gave our association a few extra dollars! CWCA has been able to make progress toward achieving many of its stated goals for 2007:

• Publication of the Annual Directory (funded by the dues and the resident business advertisements)
• Sponsorship of the popular annual Halloween Party
• Funding of privately contracted Snow Removal services
• Offset of printing costs for the Quarterly Newsletters
• Secure funding for the Annual Meeting location and supplies
• Cover Neighborhood Watch supplies (including street signs, cell phone & monthly telecommunications service fees)
• Support the mailing costs for the Dues Reminder Letters

And, special thanks go to Treasurer Charles Hoyt for managing the receipt and tracking of thousands of CWCA dues payments over the years as well as myriad of other tasks related to being the CWCA Treasurer. “It really is quite a feat to do all this. Charles should get huge recognition for all that he has done - the sheer scope of all of it – checks, dues, budget, expenses, etc.” acknowledged a very appreciative President Lori Boerner.

Neighborhood Bulletin Board
Visit our Bulletin Board online at www.mcleanonline.com/bulletinboard.htm

Newspaper Clipping Job - FILLED
Sherry Wells, a college professor living in Chesterbrook Woods, placed an job ad in our October E-newsletter and on our website and was able to quickly fill this position with a neighborhood McLean HS freshman. It’s a great connection – CWCA helping residents find residents! Keep us in mind if you have bulletin-board related items.

 
Volunteers Make Neighborhood Watch Effective & Strong
A special thanks to Ione Braswell and Virginia Dillon for the ongoing management of our Neighborhood Watch program and to all of the volunteers who contribute their time and talents to this initiative each month.

The program was established in 1977 by longtime former resident, Rear Admiral Don Baer. It was the first such program in McLean, the second in Fairfax County, and continues today through the efforts of Ione (our recruiter and scheduler of patrol drivers since 1992), Virginia (involved since its inception 30 years ago), and other neighborhood volunteers who conduct daily/nightly car patrols to help detect and deter criminal activity.

Additionally, an important element of the neighborhood watch program is watchfulness by all residents for suspicious persons or activities in their neighborhoods and immediately reporting them to the police by phone if warranted. Anyone interested in signing up for a shift on the Neighborhood Watch is encouraged to contact Ione (703.536.1681) or Virginia (703.536.8729).

 
Keeping in Touch…
It’s something worthwhile, but oftentimes difficult due to the hectic pace of our lives, so take advantage of the following open lines of communication:

Website
Check out the fabulous website that Webmaster Ellie LeBaron so expertly updates and manages for us by visiting www.McleanOnline.com and clicking on Chesterbrook Woods. Ellie started the website in 2000 and has been running it (often remotely) since its inception. – Thanks for sharing your expertise with us and always being on top of things, Ellie!

Add the website to your Favorites list and stop by anytime to read the latest news or access info on upcoming activities, event photos, neighborhood watch, snow removal, block captains, dues form, bulletin board, contractors list, young entrepreneurs sign-up form, current/past newsletters, and more!

E-Mail Address
Kudos to E-mail List Manager Maureen Hurley for maintaining our ever-growing roster of resident e-mail addresses and sending out many CWCA messages a year! Our list continues to grow and if you’re not on it already…add your e-mail today so we can keep in touch!

Newsletter The newsletter is a great method of communication, so if you have any future newsletter ideas, an article to share, or just want to keep in touch, contact Newsletter Manager Sylvia Pierson (see below).