Chemonie Crossing Newsletter- February 2011
I hope that the start of 2011 is finding everyone doing well after a holiday season filled with a lot of activity. Not least of which was, and I have witnesses, SNOW in Chemonie. To anyone that may have moved here from up North, please indulge the rest of us the excitement of seeing glorified rain drops and getting excited.
There are a couple issues/ opportunities that have arisen that I want to address and hope that as we move toward Spring that they can be resolved:
Tree and yard waste
I am fielding a few calls weekly from disgruntled neighbors about the appearance driving through the neighborhood as it pertains to tree piles and yard waste. Some yards have been called “landfills”. This is the time of year that yard debris is collected and either burned off or disposed of. No one wants to do that in the middle of Summer (believe me).
A few neighbors have offered to work with other neighbors to help cut up, clean up, and haul off yard waste. Please contact me if you would like help to facilitate this. We are very lucky to live in a beautiful neighborhood. Please respect your fellow neighbors and do your part to keep it beautiful.
Small groups
Every year at the picnic neighbors bring up setting up small groups of neighbors for : progressive dinners, bunko, book reading, Bible study, neighborhood beautification, etc.
The single biggest issue has been someone to take the lead on the different groups. If you have an interest and want to get to know you neighbors take the lead and call a couple of folks. If you do not know of anyone that may have an interest in a group, try posting on the Chemonie Crossing Facebook page or call me. Take a walk and talk to neighbors out in the yards.
Having larger properties does not facilitate the kind of interaction that a lot of us grew up with in more condensed neighborhoods. As parents, we didn’t know of a few kids that are our kids ages in the neighborhood until we met them at school orientation or sports. Now is a great time to make introductions so that when Summer comes around, the kids can be out playing with new friends.
Try making Chemonie Crossing a closer neighborhood by taking the first step as a goal for 2011.
Neighborhood Dues
If you have not paid your neighborhood dues for 2010, please contact Stephanie Zottoli at: szottoli@ccrcpa.com, or 552-0975.
Chemonie Board Members
Although elections occur during the fall at the neighborhood picnic, I would like to offer neighbors the opportunity to serve. A few of the members of the Board are looking to rotate off in the Fall. If you have an interest in learning more about opportunities to serve please call: Andy Wilcox 894-8685. AndyJWilcox@aol.com
Students Corner by Lisa Blackburn (Teacher- Roberts Elementary)
Many parents struggle with motivating their child to read. Here are some tips on how you can get your reluctant reader to love reading.
· Set up a day and time for a “Family Reading Night”. Everyone can sit down and read at the same time. Parents, you are the greatest model for your child. If they see you reading they will follow your lead.
· Download your kids’ favorite books to your electronic reader. It’s cheaper than buying books from the bookstore and you can download books anytime. Best of all, they’ll think it’s cool to use your technology!
· Get your child into a reading series. Once they are hooked they’ll want to read every book in the series. (Harry Potter, Ready Freddy, Magic Tree House, Chronicles of Narnia, etc.)
· Set up a quiet area in your home for reading. Put up a soft light and comfy chair – nobody wants to read in an uncomfortable chair under a glaring light.
· Allow your child to stay up a few minutes later if they read in bed.
· Trade reading time for computer time. If your child reads for 30 minutes then they can earn 30 minutes of DSi, Xbox, Wii, etc.
· Finally, praise your child for their efforts!
Warm Blue Cheese Dip for Super Bowl
What you need: 1 package of bacon, 2 tbs. garlic, 8 oz cream cheese, ¼ cup heavy cream, 4 oz blue cheese, 2 tbs. fresh chives (green onions), and 2 tbs. chopped almonds. Serve with crackers or baguettes
Preheat oven to 350 f. In a nonstick skillet, cook bacon until crisp, return bacon to skillet after wiping down, add garlic to bacon on medium heat for about 3 minutes. Drain on paper towel. Using a hand mixer, cream the cheese until smooth. Add in the heavy cream along with the bacon mixture, blue cheese and chives. Transfer to a 2 cup baking dish and top with almonds (optional). Bake for 30 minutes. This will be awesome for the Super Bowl!
