Barque Hill Association

Barque Hill Association Semi-Annual Report (Oct. 31) – Six Months Fiscal 2006 (year ending April 30, 2006)

Treasurer’s Report

The first six months of our fiscal year are recorded on the attached Income Statement. To date 85 households out of 107 have paid dues. A second dues notice will accompany this report.

Our expenses have been, with two exceptions, as anticipated. Our largest expense, mowing, will approximate the $6,000 budgeted figure. On the Green, our mower, charges $200 per week, April-November, to mow six tracts of Association property. We may face an increase next year as landscaping costs escalate in the normal course of events. The two exceptions, fence repair and the picnic, are discussed below.

Other expenses are in line with our budget. With some income from a second dues notice, we expect this year to show a small loss, reducing our accumulated surplus to ~$1,000. This amount will provide us a modest amount of flexibility to undertake further improvements in our neighborhood.

Web Site

John Garvey has maintained a very interesting and attractive web site (www.barquehill.org) which contains the history of our area, pictures and other helpful information. He is always looking for more material – pictures, articles, etc.

Grounds

Mowing: We are fortunate that Bill Goodwin and his On the Green staff have been attentive and efficient in caring for our grounds. In addition to mowing, they have provided a spring clean-up and some minor trimming.

Mowing on common land, particularly the center strip on Barque Hill Drive and the frontage of Till Rock Park, is hampered by dog owners not picking up after their pets. Please be considerate of our neighborhood where so many of us walk and play by cleaning up after your dog.

Fences: The split rail fences fronting all the common land are inspected each year for decay and breakage. We try to repair these rails and posts every year or so to maintain them in good condition. We had no expense last year, hence overspent our budgeted amount by ~$900 this year to make the necessary repairs.

Flowers and Rocks: Jessie Chai and Loann Keene have done a wonderful job in planting flowers at the foot of Barque Hill Drive and Till Rock.

Shipyard Park: We have made great strides in reclaiming Shipyard from spreading growth. Wider spaces were evident at the Picnic and work is ongoing to open more space.

Clean-up: This fall more some leaves & branches on Barque Hill Drive were removed. Instead of raking all the needles and leaves, we’ve decided to leave them in bare areas as a more natural ground cover this year. Similar clean-ups took place at Till Rock Park, Landing Green and Barque Hill Common. Barque Hill Trail was cleared again with trimming and removal of undergrowth. We will place some stakes at the intersections on Barque Hill Driver to protect those areas from the sweep of snow plows.

Dumping: Piles of leaves and grass clippings have been dumped on various portions of our common lands. Please keep these piles off our common lands as they diminish the beauty and enjoyment of them for all of us.

Right of Way: The Association owns a narrow right of way which runs from the end of Fox Hill Lane to back part of Shipyard Park. We have been advised by the town Fence Viewer to clear that small area to remind all that the path belongs to the Association.

Social Events

Picnic – September 24 We had nice weather and a great time with activities and games organized by Matt Hendison, food and great shrimp wraps prepared by Greg Bukuras and salads and desserts brought by many. Matt was able to provide a several inflated bouncers for the kids, and pony rides were also a hit. We spent ~$500 more than budgeted to provide a clown this year.

Halloween Parade: We held a Halloween parade at Shipyard Park on October 30 to give the kids a chance to show off their costumes in the daylight. There were more games, treasure hunts, and tractor rides, accompanied by desserts, making for another successful day. The evening trick-or-treat activity went smoothly without any serious disruptions or damage to individual property. Most of the activity appeared to be over by 8 PM.

Christmas Caroling: With the Christmas season soon coming upon us, Matt Hendison has again volunteered to look into arranging a caroling group or groups to serenade the neighborhood.

Roads

Condition: After many long years of concern and with seemingly no hope in sight, the Barque Hill area was regraded in the fall of 2004, and the first layer of repavement was laid down. Drainage concerns were addressed and higher berms were built along road edges. The final topcoat was laid down this spring. Our roads are now in excellent condition which we hope will last many years.

Other Topics

Welcome Committee: Anne Merna has taken the leadership of this committee which greets each new resident in our neighborhood with a gift and some material describing Barque Hill. Thus far in 2005, several new homeowners have been greeted.

Respectfully submitted,