GARDEN CLUB ORGANIZATION MEETINGThe first meeting of the New Neighborhood Garden Club was held in Doug Boone’s office on Tuesday, September 27. Amanda Turano and Mary Alice Mitchell have agreed to serve as chair and vice-chair of the club. The draft purpose of the Garden Club was discussed. It will focus on new landscape projects and maintenance needs. The club plans to schedule a neighborhood walk to identify potential projects and needs. After the walk, landscape projects will be prioritized and sources of funding identified. Obviously, the Garden Club will work closely with the Landscape & Grounds Committee in regard to obtaining funding for any work. The club expressed concern about the condition of Town Parks in the neighborhood, but is waiting until the Town of Davidson awards a new landscape maintenance contract for this work. This is expected to occur within the next few weeks. As a common interest to all residents in New Neighborhood, the progress of this Town contract will be updated in later newsletters. The Garden Club discussed development of Oak Garden at Caldwell Lane and Mary Gamble Byway as a possible high priority. It was decided that creation of a community garden needed separate leadership and action was postponed until emergence of needed leadership and until a plan can be developed for creating, managing, and maintaining such a garden. The Charlotte Observer has reported that Cornelius Park and Recreation has had a good experience with the community garden at Robbins Glen Park. Please call Amanda at 704.892.1594 or Mary Alice at 704.892.5070 if you want to participate. FALL & WINTER LAWN MAINTENANCEResidents who diligently maintain their lawns sprayed or put down weed killer during the hot months to reduce or eliminate crab grass and other weeds. For the rest of us, it is too late to use weed killer, but we might spray to eliminate undesirable vegetation with an herbicide such as Round-Up. That is the only way to eliminate intrusive Bermuda grass. Before spraying herbicide, read the product label to determine how soon you can seed following application of the herbicide. Use herbicide only where weeds have taken over lawn areas. If your lawn has healthy grass with a few weeds, wait until January or February to put out pre-emergent weed killer. Fescue is a cool season grass and September 15th to October 15th is the ideal time to aerate, seed, and fertilize lawn areas. In order to achieve a healthy looking lawn, use high quality Fescue seed and spread lime if the soil tends toward acidity. GRASS CLIPPING AND LAWN DEBRISIt is against the Town’s water quality ordinance to blow grass clippings and lawn debris into the street and storm drainage system. Blowing leaves into the storm drain system can also cause blockage in the storm drainage system. Blowing clippings back into the lawn area provides nitrogen for the lawn and builds up a healthy turf. What is bad for water quality in streams is good for lawns. Those in the neighborhood with the greenest lawns cut their grass at 3_ to 4 inches and often leave grass clippings in the lawn just like the professional contractor hired by the Neighborhood Association. Bagging clippings and placing at the curb for yard waste recycling is another alternative. Also, the neighborhood Canons prohibit blowing grass clippings and lawn debris into the street. Please notify your lawn maintenance contractor. SAFETY TIP – CLOTHES DRYER CAREAlthough most people realize that clothes dryer fires can occur, few take the appropriate actions to maintain equipment and help prevent such conditions. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, there were approximately 15,600 fires associated with clothes dryers in 1998. These fires caused 20 deaths, 370 injuries, and more than $84.4 million in property damage. Although poor care and attention can create problems in any setting, the compact spaces allocated washer-dryer appliances often compound the issue. Our neighborhood townhomes are no exception. Lint accumulation and reduced airflow feed on each other to provide conditions that could lead to fire. Lint is obviously a highly combustible material. Some of the dryer vent problems that can contribute to this problem include the following: Lint traps do not catch all lint. Build-ups can occur in the vent ducts and in and around the dryer itself, even on the heating element. Dryer vents are often too long and/or have too many bends. Shorter and straighter are better! Many residents living in townhome units for the first time may not have previously had vents that exited to the roof through long ducting runs. This is cause for additional inspection and care. Manufacturers recommend use of metal vents as opposed to flimsy plastic or foil duct extenders. The metal better resists crushing and possible blockage. Inadequate clearance between the dryer and the wall can create crushed vents and an increased accumulation of lint due to reduced airflow. Lint build-up occurs even quicker in tight spaces around the dryer. Fabric softening chemicals in dryer sheets can form a chemical film over the lint filter mesh, resulting in reduced airflow and possible burn-out of the heating element. It is recommended that the filter be removed and cleaned with hot soapy water and a small scrub brush at least every six months. Here are some safety tips for proper care:
Thanks go to our neighbor Zeke Haslam, Jr. (O. Henry Avenue) for sending me this article and sharing this often overlooked safety tip with all of us. |