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January 2012 Newsletter Posted


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The BRMCA clubhouse is closed for the winter because of unaffordable heating costs.  It will reopen for rental in April 2012.



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(Not a BRMCA Road)

November BRMCA Board Meeting President's Note
 
Dear Residents,
 
The BRMCA board spent significant time November 13th at our monthly board meeting focusing on mountain road issues.  As we near another winter driving season, we wanted to make sure that the roads are in as good a shape as we can make them before snow flies (again).  Pam Larkins, our Prince William County roads coordinator also attended the meeting, and we had a good, wide-ranging discussion about the roads.
 
One weekend before, a group of board members drove every road on the mountain and updated our catalog of road issues.  Roads POC Josh Weinstein complied that list and we reviewed it at the board meeting.  It contains a long list of potholes, ditch problems, eroding roads and other issues.  Ms. Larkins had already been working on task orders for two areas that we identified as priority repairs.  The board authorized immediate repairs to two road areas.  First, our roads contractor will replace a culvert that goes under Gore Drive next to the fire pond.  That old culvert has washed out and the road is starting to collapse.  Second, she identified a short (250 foot) section of South Lookout that has severely eroded and is impassible by fire or rescue vehicles.  That section of South Lookout is on BRMCA right-of-way, but it was built by a private contractor in the early 1990's.  The board discussed the pro's and con's of repairing a section of road which is questionably part of the road system and not built to standards.  Ultimately the board voted 6 to 1 to approve the task order, agreeing with the county's recommendation that the current state of the road created a safety issue.  The repairs on both areas will be done in the next two weeks, according to Ms. Larkins.  Residents who drive the section of Gore by the fire pond will be detoured while that section of the road is replaced.
 
The board asked Ms. Larkins to write up task orders on a number of other road repairs.  Those task orders will address pothole repairs, refilling the gravel barrels and fixing a ditch problem at the intersection of Nelson and Mercer which causes dangerous road icing in the winter.  Once those orders come in and the amounts are known, the roads committee will review them against available funds and approve affordable repairs.
 
The board reviewed a longer-term roads upgrade plan with Ms. Larkins.  It includes an estimated $200,000 in road construction.  It includes building turn-arounds requested by the Evergreen Fire Department and includes work on North Lookout, Mercer, Duffy, Ridge, Jackson North and South, Warburton and Judy Terrace.  The board has been working with the county to find the funds next year to pay for these improvements.
 
Ms. Larkin also notified the board that the county has not received any bids yet for the winter plowing contract and is urgently seeking bids from any contractors who wish to bid on plowing mountain roads.
 
The board also decided to close the clubhouse for the winter and winterize the pipes.  Keeping the clubhouse heated at a low level to keep the pipes from freezing and to support occasional meetings cost over $600 in fuel oil bills last year.  The low dues payment rate by mountain residents has forced the board to close the clubhouse to save money.  Monthly board meetings for the months of December through April will be held at the Evergreen Fire House.  Our next meeting will be 11th of December at 12 noon.
 
Best wishes for the holidays.
 
Glenn Cruickshank
President
BRMCA

2011 Election Results

The 2011 Bull Run Civic Association's Annual Membership Meeting was held Monday, September 12.  The board members conducted the annual election process where BRMCA members voted on directors whose terms were expiring.   Elected to three-year director's terms were incumbent directors Jane Sudol, Paul Scheingold and Zach Weinstein.  Jason Ferron was elected to a two year term to replace the position of Charles Phucas, who resigned from the board earlier this year.  
 
The new board then elected 2012 officers of the BRMCA and committee chairs.  Selected were:
 

• Glenn Cruickshank, President
• James Price, Vice President
• Jane Sudol, Secretary
• Alan Bradburd, Treasurer
• Zach Weinstein, Road Committee POC
• Paul Scheingold, Clubhouse Committee
• Jim Price, Legal Committee
• Dan Stapleton, Communications

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Online Dues form is Membership Application!

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We have your number!

 First, I want to thank Jim Price and the board for organizing the FireWise presentation on the 20th of June at the clubhouse.  We had good attendance, and good food.  The FireWise program has provided free house numbers for every lot on the mountain that will help emergency responders find an address.  But we still have lots of number to hand out.  Mountain residents can come to the clubhouse on Ridge Road on Sunday, the 7th of August at 12-2 pm to pick up their numbers.  They can also come to the annual BRMCA membership meeting at 8 pm on Monday, September 12.  We're also looking for groups, such as the Boy or Girl Scouts, who are looking for projects, who can help hand out the numbers on the mountain.  Let the board know at board@brmca.net know if you can help distribute the numbers.
 
Also, a reminder about the mountain roads. Please observe the  18 mph speed limit on the roads, and pay attention to where you are driving.  We had another serious crash on Ridge Road Sunday, 31 July,  and some of the people involved in the two-car crash were sent to the hospital.
 
Glenn Cruickshank
President
BRMCA

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Food, Soft Drinks, and Fire Protection Education
Firewise Program meeting

Sunday July 24, 2011
Noon until 2:00 p. m.
Clubhouse on Ridge Road

1) Pick-up your special metal street address signs, designed to help emergency responders find you quickly
2) Hear Ms. Gena Williams, Virginia Department of Forestry, Firewise Program administrator explain defensible space for home protection
3) Enjoy good food and good company

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From the Desk of the BRMCA PRESIDENT...

The summer time approaches, and already the board is starting to plan for annual fall board elections.  Dan Stapleton, Jim Price and Paul Scheingold were appointed by the President to serve as the nominating committee for this year.  The board terms of Sara Craig, Paul and Jane Sudol are up in September.
 
We will also have an additional opening on the board.  I’m disappointed to report that Charles Phucas tendered his resignation at the 15 May board meeting, as he is moving off the mountain. The Board has appreciated his service.  Charles provided significant support during the special election last year and chaired the legal committee.  His support to the mountain will be missed. The nominating committee is seeking a short-term replacement for Charles on the board.  Contact one of the members of the nominating committee if you are interested, or send an email to board@brma.net indicating your interest in serving.  This position will then be up at the end of this year and will be filled by the normal nomination and election process.  The term of Charlie’s board position is for 2 more years.
 
So the election committee will be looking for four residents who are interested in serving on the BRMCA board for a three-term.  If you are interested in mountain affairs, want to make the mountain a better place for all the residents by serving on the board, please let the nominating committee know your desires.  The election ballots will be sent to currently paid members of BRMCA in August, and the election and annual BRMCA meeting will be held on the second Monday in September, the 12th.
 
In other BRMCA news, we are working with Prince William County on summer road repairs.  You should see crews out on the mountain in the next month or so working on fixing potholes, cleaning ditches and doing other road maintenance.  Drive with care.
 
Regards,
Glenn

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THERE WILL BE MORE MEMORIALS ON LOGMILL...

I’ve only lived up here on the mountain since 1987. Early this morning an accident on Log Mill took at least one more life. I don’t know how this event could have been avoided, but I do know a few things...

• Seat belts save lives
• Speed kills
• Rules matter
• Deer frequently cross Log Mill Road
• There will be more memorials
• In the 34 years I’ve been driving on Log Mill 12 people have died on the road

BRMCA 0410_2011MeetingAgenda
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President's Message for March 2011

I want to take a minute and update the residents of Bull Run Mountain of the BRMCA's membership drive and financial situation.  The BRMCA gets its funds from two sources -- voluntary membership contributions and income from our modest trust fund.

Our minimum voluntary membership contribution is $50 a year per residence or lot owner. Paying membership allows the resident to vote in BRMCA elections. This year, as of March 21st, 36 of 608 eligible property owners have contributed, which is $1,800 in revenue.  Our trust fund, which has a balance  of $126,000, will pay us several hundred dollars in money market interest.  That's our income stream for the year.

So where does the money go?  Well, not far. Insurance for BRMCA properties is $1,274 a year. The heating bill for the clubhouse (which in the winter we keep at a temperature level to keep the pipes from freezing) was $1,097 last year.  The printing bill for the annual newsletter was over $400 (thanks to the Firewise program for paying the postage bill).  Our legal bills last year were nearly $3,000, largely to cover defending a lawsuit the current board inherited.  And there are smaller bills as well.

Right now we are covering the deficit out of our checking account, but we expect to run out of that money in the next year based on our income projections.

So the board has some decisions to make pretty soon.  We could tap the trust fund, but that too will run out.  We could mothball the clubhouse, which would cut some expenses but close one of the few shareable community assets.  We are even considering selling off the remaining property and disbanding the Board. 
 
The board would appreciate some community input on what we should do to address our looming financial crisis.  How can we get more than five percent of residents to pay to support the activities of the board to support the community?  This year we offered free use of the clubhouse for those who a contribution by March 31st.  That wasn't enough incentive, apparently.

Let us know what you're thinking and what we should do.  And please, if you haven't made your contribution, do so today.  The address is on the web site.
 

Regards
Glenn Cruickshank

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911 Operator – “What is your emergency?”
Caller – “I live at the top of Bull Run Mountain and my house is on fire.”
911 Operator – “I’m sorry, but your address is on a road where we can’t get fire trucks to. Please evacuate everyone in the house, and watch your house burn down”.
 
While this call hasn’t happened yet, it is a very real scenario.  Some of the roads within the BRMCA can’t be accessed by the Evergreen Fire Department fire trucks.  And as a result, if your house is in one of those areas, it is very likely that emergency vehicles couldn’t get to your house to put out a fire.  Or if there was a forest fire on the mountain, the same would be true, and residents may run the risk of being trapped on the mountain.
 
The BRMCA Board is now working to change those scenarios.  We have been meeting with the Firewise program staff and with the Evergreen Fire Department to plan for some road remodeling to give the fire department better access to the mountain.  At our 6 March board meeting, we met with Brad Jankowski of the Evergreen Fire Department to start planning a priority list for road improvements.  The Fire Department has identified thirteen problem areas on the mountain, where either the roads are not wide enough for fire equipment or there aren’t turn-around areas at the end of the road suitable for maneuvering emergency vehicles.
 
Board Member Jim Price has been working with Gena Williams of the Firewise program to identify grant funding which may help pay for these road improvements.  They met with a contractor today and reviewed the problem areas to get a pricing bid.  Depending on how much the improvements will cost, and how much money Ms. Williams can identify, the board will work with the fire department to prioritize the road improvement projects, and then authorize the work.  We hope to start this spring.
 
The first three areas on the fire department priority list are creating turn-arounds at the south and north ends of Lookout and the intersection between Warburton and Summit. We believe that in all cases, the BRMCA already owns the right-of-way for the turn rounds, so we don’t believe that we will be impacting any private property.  The overall plan first calls for finishing out cul-de-sacs, then work on improving the switchbacks on Ridge Road, and then doing some right-away undergrowth work to create additional wild-fire firebreaks along the mountain. 
 
The board is fully supportive of this significant health-and-safety improvement program for the BRMCA residents.  We will keep you posted throughout the process about the status.  We will also work to notify the landowners where the construction may occur and work with them to minimize the impact on the mountain.
 
If you have comments or questions, please let the board know.
 
Regards
Glenn Cruickshank
President
BRMCA

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Newsletter (1-2011)


Click here to download newsletter
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Click HERE to read Supervisor Stirrup’s Newsletter
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Important Message from the BRMCA Road Committee


During this winter's unusual mix of precipitation we ask our neighbors to be careful and not allow any driveway de-icing chemicals to run onto our tar-and-chipped Mountain roads. Please do not try and help by putting salt on BRMCA Roads.The reason we do not treat the Mountain roads with road salt in the winter time is because the chemicals will disintegrate our million-dollar road surface that we are still paying for with extra taxes. Our county Public Works department is looking at solutions similar to the beet molasses one being employed in the State of Maryland and in Manassas City.
(Check out the policy for VDOT and BRMCA Roads here)
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Seasons Greetings from BRMCA. The BRMCA Board Meeting this Sunday, 1.9.2011 @ 1:00 PM
(any one who comes to the meeting will be able to help stuff 600+ envelopes with the latests BRMCA Newsletter and the Firewise Evacuation plan that is graciously being sent to all 600 property owners by the Virginia Department of Forestry our Firewise partner)

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From the BRMCA Clubhouse Chairperson...

October 9th, 2010 was a fantastic day! The weather was great and much was done. Trees were felled, old logs were chopped up and all of the wood was hauled to a central location, brush was cleared, a few of the flower beds were weeded and the clubhouse sign got a coat of primer!

 A HUGE thank you to Paul Scheingold (who brought his tractor and chainsaws),  John Eisenhower (who brought and used his chainsaw as well as hauled wood and brush) Glenn Cruickshank (our third lumberjack and who has graciously undertaken the task of repainting the clubhouse sign), Christy Johnson (who cleared loads of brush and prettied up a portion of the parking area and the flowerbeds in front of the clubhouse) and Alan Bratburd (who hauled , pulled, rolled and did a lot of leg work), and for my kids (who 'supervised' the group and helped weed the flowerbeds) for coming out to help. While there is still plenty of of work that needs to be done, the work what our team completed Saturday made a world of difference! 

Sarah Craig
10-12-10

(Check out the pictures here @ Kritters and Stuff)

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From the BRMCA Clubhouse Chairperson...

Fall has arrived! The leaves are beginning to show off their reds, oranges and yellows. Acorns are tumbling from their lofty perches with a hint of chill in the air. There will soon be leaves to rake, gardens to prune back and weeds to pull. And speaking of all this tending, our clubhouse could use a little Fall sprucing up!

Recently a group of people, board and community members alike, met at the clubhouse to give the interior a good scrub down. It went very well and much was done.

Now that we've accomplished a few things inside, we are turning our focus towards the exterior. The grounds around the clubhouse are in need of some help. Fallen trees need to be split and hauled away, dead trees need to be felled, and brush needs to be cleared.

A group of board members will be meeting at the clubhouse on Saturday, October 9th at 9 AM to take on this task. We would like to invite everyone in the community to stop by and give a helping hand! We ask those with, and who can operate, chainsaws to bring them along, and trucks to haul off the wood...and don't forget your gloves!

Hope to see you there,
Sarah Craig
9-24-2010

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From the BRMCA President...
September 2010 President’s Message

 
First, some thank you’s are in order.
 
Thanks to Carolyn Smith-Shrey and Pam McGroarty for their service the last 6 months on the interim BRMCA board of directors.  They helped transition the board back to full capabilities. 
Thanks to Larry Haney for his service as Board Treasurer for the interim board, and for his help in restoring board operations. 
Thanks to Alan Bratburd, Paul Scheingold, Jim Price, Charles Phucas and Jane Sudol for their service as interim board directors, for volunteering to run for re-election, and for their coming service on the new Board of Directors. 
Thanks to Sara Craig, Dan Stapleton and Buddy Foster for volunteering to serve as new board of directors. 
Thanks to the members of the BRMCA for participating in the election and voting in the new board of directors, bylaws and articles of incorporation. 
Thanks to Bruce Roemmelt and Sara Craig for continuing to maintain the BRMCA.NET web site. 
These thanks, though, take away from the surprise of the election results.
 
Monday, September 13th, the Annual Meeting of the BRMCA was held.  Besides conducting regular business, the board conclude the annual board election by counting ballots, electing directors and selecting committee chairs.  Thirty five ballots were received and counted by the Secretary.  The 2010 Articles of Incorporation and 2010 BRMCA Bylaws were approved by the members.  Because this was an election where all director positions were open, and because the bylaws call for one, two and three year terms, the new board members drew lots for the length of their terms.
 
Elected to the 2010-2011 BRMCA Board
1 year term
Sara Craig, Paul Scheingold and Jane Sudol
 
2 year term
Alan Bratburd, Glenn Cruickshank and James (Buddy) Foster
 
3 year term
Charles Phucas, James Price and Dan Stapleton
 
The board elected officers for the next year.  Officers are:
 
President – Glenn Cruickshank
Vice President – Buddy Foster
Secretary – Jane Sudol
Treasurer – Alan Bratburd
 
Sara Craig was named Clubhouse Chairman and Jim Price Legal Chairman.  The board as a whole will serve as the Roads Committee with Alan Bratburd serving as Roads POC.
 
The next regular meeting of the BRMCA Board of Directors will be 24 October at 12 noon.
 
Again, my thanks to all for their work and support of the Board of Directors.
 
Sincerely
Glenn Cruickshank
President, BRMCA

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From the BRMCA Webmaster...

The results of the BRMCA election and new BRMCA Board leadership will be published shortly. I have taken down the blog due to an inappropriate comment and my subsequent finding that I could not delete it or moderate posts. I will be adding a Blogger Blog (by Google) and will then have the capability to moderate as necessary. The addition of the Blogger Blog and my getting the necessary Rapidweaver plugin will allow much more flexibility in the Blog management.

I have made a copy of the initial post and all nine comments and they will be there first post in the new blog.

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From the BRMCA President...
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Thanks for the help

 
On August 30th, members of the community held an end-of-summer cleanup of the BRMCA clubhouse.  It’s been a while since the clubhouse was cleaned, so the team had quite a bit of work to do.  They hauled three loads of old furniture and other items to the PWC landfill, cleaned the kitchen, restrooms, inside and outside storage rooms, washed the floors, mowed the lawn, weeded the flower bed and graded the driveway.  Thanks to all who helped, including Alan Bratburd, Sarah Craig, John Eisenhower, Michelle and Glenn Cruickshank, Charles Phucas, Christy Johnson and Paul Scheingold. And a special thanks to Paul for bringing his tractor down and grading the road.
 
On Monday, September 13th at 8 pm will be the Annual BRMCA Meeting at the clubhouse.  The main activity at the meeting will be to count the ballots for the annual election, then name the new board and select officers.

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7 July 2010

Like everywhere in Virginia this summer, it's road repair season on the mountain well.  Our contractor has been busy repairing potholes and doing other road maintenance work as required on our roads.  His crew has also been working on repairing and resurfacing the end of North Lookout Road, where the Spring rains washed out most of the roadbed.  This short section of road was never chip-coated because of its steepness, narrow width and turn-round.  Funds for the road repairs come from part of the service levy on mountain property.  If you notice a section that needs additional attention, please notify the BRMCA road coordinator, roads@brmca.net
 
A reminder that nominations close for the fall board elections at the 11 July Board Meeting.  Individuals wishing to serve on the board should send an email to board@brmca.net with a short biographical sketch or campaign statement of interest.  The board will review the nominations at the July board meeting, and will accept nominations from meeting guests at that time.  At the conclusion of the meeting, nominations will close.  Nominees should be currently-paid members of the BRMCA.
 
The next board meeting will be on Sunday, 11 July at 12 pm.
 
Regards
Glenn Cruickshank
President
BRMCA

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BEARS!!!!

Got an email last night from Dawn, who lives in the 2700 block of Youngs Drive. Bears eating food from the trash can! From 11:30 PM to 2:30 AM the feasting was fabulous. The neighbor’s barking dogs were ineffective. Pictures here.

Important information about BEARS!!! (link)
Download a PDF on How To Live With Bears

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Please give us some feedback on the site and include suggestions for future changes.

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