CHESTNUT HILL Winter 2016 Newsletter Greetings neighbors, As you may know, we had our annual elections on October 9th. First, I would like to thank Bill Manning, David Wilderman and David Godshalk for their time on the board. Your efforts did not go unnoticed! And now I would like to welcome our newest board members; Chip Burmester, Joe Murphy, George Staphylaris and Collin Willmott. Below are the names of the board members who oversee specific areas and their email address: Lauren Horton - President [email protected] Chip Burmester - Vice President & Clubhouse [email protected] Lynn Dearing – Treasurer [email protected] Brandi Miller – Secretary [email protected] Bill O’Connell – ACC [email protected] Joe Murphy – Landscaping [email protected] Collin Willmott – Pool [email protected] Lauren Horton – Communications [email protected] George Staphylaris – Tennis [email protected] Michael Roberts – Security [email protected] Feel free to reach out to us with any questions or concerns you may have. As a reminder, the monthly HOA meetings are held the second Sunday of every month at 7pm in the clubhouse. On another note, I would like to thank the following neighbors who coordinated and hosted some great events recently: Bernie Ferguson – Halloween Bash Chip Burmester / LeAnne Scott – Chili Cook Off Dan Flavin – Toys For Tots Tennis Round Robin Mike Calbert – Chestnut Hill Annual Turkey Day Challenge

And mark your calendars for Breakfast with Santa on Saturday, December 17th from 1am- pm. Thank you LeAnne Scott and Kathryn Staphylaris! If you have an idea for an event that you’d like to host please let us know. We are always looking for events to sponsor. One of the nice aspects of living in Chestnut Hill is that our neighbors look out for each other. If you see any suspicious activity in the area please don’t hesitate to call 911. If you see something that you don’t feel is an immediate emergency, or threat, please call the non-emergency number at (770) 499-3991. Also please send a note to [email protected] and we can pass it along to the police officers that routinely patrol our streets. Also, Julie Murphy is the administrator of a Facebook page called “Keep Chestnut Hill Safe”. It’s a closed group for Chestnut Hill homeowners. If you are interested, request to join the group.

Lauren Horton

SAFETY AND SECURITY INFORMATION The Chestnut Hill Board takes the safety and security of our neighborhood seriously. Please report any suspicious activity by calling 9-1-1. Contact a board member regarding any safety concerns you may have. The Non-emergency number for Cobb Police is 770-499-3911

The Truth About Organic Gardening Tim Daly

UGA Extension

The first key to successful pest control is to begin by purchasing healthy, quality plants that are free of insects and diseases. Next, encourage beneficial insects, such as lady beetles, lacewings and certain species of wasps, to stay in your garden. Certain herbaceous plants, such as dill, wild mustards and yarrow, provide shelter and food for these beneficial organisms. Plant these among your vegetables.

Organic gardening has become quite popular among gardeners, but a considerable amount of confusion exists about exactly what it is and what it is not. Organic gardening uses a combination of methods and strategies to produce healthy plants.

Choose plants that have varieties with known resistance to diseases and insects as a method of reducing pests. For example, some varieties of tomatoes have been bred to resist certain fungal diseases.

It also requires a thorough understanding of the ecological relationships among soil, plants and other organisms in the garden. Contrary to popular belief, organic gardening is neither a method of pest control, nor the avoidance of the use of all chemical pesticides.

Remove and dispose of plant material, such as leaves, branches and fruit, that has fallen to the ground. Reduce the incidence of disease by keeping plant leaves and stems as dry as possible. Use drip irrigation rather than overhead watering to conserve water and reduce the amount of time plants remain wet. When necessary, use organic pesticides. There are several choices available. Botanicals, such as rotenone, pyrethrum and neem oil products, are plant-derived materials.

Organic gardening requires a long-term outlook in regard to soil preparation. Developing healthy, fertile soil helps to provide plants with necessary nutrients. Organic gardeners use natural, organic fertilizers and mineral amendments to improve the overall quality and fertility of their garden soil. Most synthetic fertilizers provide nutrients that are immediately available to the plant. However, they do not contribute to the overall health and long-term fertility of the soil. Organic matter in the soil is important because it breaks down and releases nutrients for the plants. It also improves the soil’s water- and nutrientholding capacity and provides a habitat for beneficial microorganisms. Organic matter in the soil can be increased by the addition of manure, topsoil, peat moss, compost and other suitable materials.

Microbial pesticides that control certain insect pests are formulated from microorganisms or their byproducts. An example is DiPel, which contains a species of bacteria that targets certain caterpillar pests. Minerals, such as sulfur and copper, are the primary organic materials used to control fungal and bacterial diseases. Always remember that even if a product is considered to be organic, it is still a pesticide. Exercise caution when using these products. Some organic pesticides are as toxic as or even more toxic than many synthetic chemical pesticides. There are pros and cons to organic gardening. Understanding the basics of this practice and what it involves will help you succeed in having healthy, productive plants no matter what growing method you follow. Your local UGA Cooperative Extension office can assist you in learning more about organic gardening. Contact your Cobb Extension Office at 770-528-4070 or visit www.cobbextension.com.

ACC News

I am the new ACC Chairman, although I have done this job before it has been handled by Bill Manning for the past several years. Bill did a great job, and I hope I can continue the great work he did to handle the thankless task of compliance and inspections. We actively manage the compliance of all members of CHHA with the Declaration of Covenants, Conditions, Restrictions and Easements (CCRs), and the ACC Guidelines of the CHHA. The majority of our time is spent reviewing and approving modification requests submitted by homeowners for changes to the exterior of their homes. We also have an inspector routinely inspect the exteriors of all homes in the neighborhood and try and assist homeowners in identifying minor issues of noncompliance, and other routine maintenance issues that may be neglected. For the majority of homeowners, they never hear a word from the ACC, but others sometimes get a letter or email requesting certain issues be fixed. It is fall and most lawns and plants go dormant, and leaves seemingly fall forever. This time of year we tend to spend more time reviewing and approving ACC modifications, as well as dealing with a small number of yard and exterior maintenance issues.

All requests should be submitted at least 14 days prior to any work commencing, to allow adequate time for review of the request. If there are any concerns with the proposal, the ACC will contact you to resolve the issue. Once approval is granted, you will have 180 days to complete the modifications as approved.

In addition, as we drive around the neighborhood we routinely see homes that demonstrate a superior level of care and attention to detail in their landscaping and overall maintenance of their property. The ACC will be selecting a CHHA Yard of the Month as part of their duties. We had numerous yards to select from, but decided on the most recent yard of Jonathon and Kellie Pierson on Astible Circle. Congratulations Piersons! Thank you and take care

Bill O'Connell Chestnut Hill Homeowners Association (CHHA) Cellular: 678-234-2455

Any homeowner with questions, concerns or issues of potential non-compliance can be reported emailing: [email protected] and/or [email protected]

If you are considering making any change to the exterior appearance of your home or lot, you are required to submit a Modification Request Form (MRF) to the ACC for approval prior to beginning work. A link to the MRF is located on the website. Astilbe

Clubhouse News

Chip Burmester

October and November were busy months for neighborhood activities at the clubhouse. There was a great turn out for the CNH annual Halloween\Costume party at the end of October. Neighborhood band, Weekend at Bernies, played to a packed house of neighbors dressed in dozens of very creative costumes. The annual Chili Cook-Off was held on a perfect fall night in early November. It was an excellent evening of family fun, college football, Smores, and chili tasting. Brian Gray won the judges award for the 2nd straight year and Romey Alexander won the crowd favorite. The clubhouse also played host to the annual Toys for Tots Drive hosted by Dan and Lisa Flavin. Chestnut Hill neighbors donated hundreds of toys that will surely help make Christmas special for many children in the Atlanta area. Thank you to the Flavin's and everyone who participated in this wonderful event. On Saturday December 17th, the Chestnut Hill HOA will sponsor Breakfast with Santa from 11:00 to 1:00. This year’s theme is a Winter Wonderland Featuring Buddy the Elf and Santa. Bring your children down to get their picture taken with Buddy and Santa! Also, please don't forget that Dan Domanik's Christmas Album, Holiday's in the 'Hill" is on sale at the clubhouse...pick your copy up today before it sells out!

Pool News Hello Swim Neighbors, The off-season is among us, the pool equipment has been stored! I am excited to be taking over for Bill when it comes to the pool responsibilities. Bill has been a huge help with coaching me on how things work and flow when it comes to our community pool. With that being said, I am looking forward to meeting everyone that uses or would like to use our pool. In the spring of 2017 I will be ordering new swim ropes for our swim team to replace the old ones. I am also in the process of investigating the picnic tables that are rusting and will have those replaced or fixed. And great news! Brandi Miller and Kathryn Staphylaris will continue as our Swim Team Coordinators! Going forward, if you have any questions concerning the pool, please feel free to email me. I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas and a Great New Year! Sincerely, Collin Willmott Pool Coordinator [email protected]

Winter Tennis

George Staphylaris

I would first like to congratulate Jane Cherico and her Fall B-1 Women’s team for winning the ALTA City Championships. I love when one of our own wins a championship in ALTA or USTA and we get to display it at our courts to show visiting teams. It shows them that we are a force to be reckoned with. It also shows what a great facility we have and how great it’s maintained.

This brings me to introduce myself as your new board member who has enjoyed living in this beautiful neighborhood for the last 16 years and an avid tennis player. Just a few things that have taken place since October. I have replaced several nets, trash bins, and scorekeepers on several courts. I fixed and cleaned the ball machine which is operational now for those who love to practice and improve your strokes.

You might notice a little bit of a mess but the Arbors near court 1 are being taken down and replaced with a smaller scale of the pavilion built between courts 3 and 4, and 7 and 8. They were old and much rotted and eventually would come down themselves. Looking to make our facility a great place to play and enjoy for all homeowners and also for visiting teams.

Just a reminder, but it would really help to be courteous that after playing on any court you use that you would please empty the trash from the bins to a can outside the courts. Take pride in where you play and clean up when you’re done playing. Thank you very much. So, get out and play and get ready for the upcoming winter season and let’s bring in some more championships.

Steve’s Realty Check: Here we are closing in on Christmas with the happy holiday of Thanksgiving behind us! I hope everyone got their fill of turkey with all the “fixins”. By the way, what is the preferred side dish with the turkey, some say “stuffing” and others say “dressing”? Apparently it depends on where you were raised but I can tell you my mom makes the best cornbread dressing in the Southeast!! I would be interested to know which is preferred in Chestnut Hill. OK, back to reporting the status of our neighborhood from a real estate perspective: As of Sunday, 11/27/2016, 8:30am, Chestnut Hill has 5 houses for sale at an average price of $321,900 (range from $259,900-$349,900). Yes, those numbers are higher than last report, with a 6% rise in average list price! To make good news even better, that is over 15% higher than our average list price from our first newsletter this year!! Now that sounds more like what you have been hearing from Wall Street I know but we are experiencing that in our own back yard. Currently, there are 2 houses under contract (that has not closed) with an average list price of $302,450. As expected with the normal seasonality of real estate, the number of houses sold decreased from the 14 houses over the summer down to 5 houses closing since the last newsletter. The average sells price was $316,800 ($285,000-$356,000) and that is a significant 9% increase over last quarter. It feels great to be able to report good news about our neighborhood and we should all be proud that people are seeking to live in Chestnut Hill. I say that because 3 out of the last 5 houses sold in the neighborhood were only on the market for 6 days or less! That means we have people watching the neighborhood and when the price is right, it sells fast! We did have one house take as much as 54 days and another took 41 days and required a price reduction, but there are always some exceptions. The good news is our neighborhood is desirable and people are always looking to be a part of it. Therefore, keep up the good work taking care of your home and making this a great place to live! Until next time….

Thank you for your attention!

Steve Boyd

Realtor Keller Williams Realty Partners

Direct: 404-889-3446

[email protected]