The Grapevine Staff – Editor: Beth Leanza (301) 598-4569 bethlea12020@gmail.com

The Grapevine Published by and for Mutual 14 of Leisure World Issued Monthly – No. 451, January, 2016

Mark Your

Calendar

*** JOIN US!!!

All unit owners and residents are encouraged to attend

Board meetings and Committee meetings.

MEETINGS

Board Of Directors

Tuesday, February 16, 2016

Administration Building at 9:30 a.m.

***

Property Maintenance Committee, Thursday, February 4 at 11 a.m.,

Harbor Room, Clubhouse 1 ***

Building Rep Committee

Annapolis Room CH1 February 9 at 10 a.m.

The President’s Corner StateoftheMutual

January2016Mutual14isingoodshape!Wehaveupdatedall8apartmentbuildings’exteriorswithpaint,carpeting(building13willbedonethisyear),siding,and5newroofs;welandscapedandupgradedthedrainageareainthecentralparkandputinalovelysittingarea.Wehaverefreshedall24lobbiesandwewillcontinuetoreplacetheoldertilethathasnotheldupwell.Pricesforunitscontinuetorise,andunitsdon’tstayonthemarketverylong.Ownershavebeenrenovatingandmakingimprovementstounitsandthisdefinitelybenefitsthewholemutual.Rememberthatwehaveoldplumbingandwiring.Don’tignoreleaksinthekitchenandbathroomsorsparksfromoutlets.Donotoverloadextensioncords.Thisyearwewillcontinuetoreplaceandrepairconcreteintheplazahomes,domoreweldingrepairs,updateourfirealarmsystem,anddosomeelevatormaintenance.WethankedallofourvolunteersinNovemberand,asalways,everycommitteecanusemorehandsandbrains.WewillbeputtingoutinformationaboutrunningfortheBoardofDirectors.MontgomeryCountyhasarequirementfornewandre-electedboardmemberstocompleteanonlinecoursethatwillinformandimproveboardmembers’skillsinthegoverningofcondominiumassociations.Here’shopingwehaveagentlewinterthatiskindtoallourpipes,concrete,andelevators.LindaONeil“ThingsworkoutbestForthosewhomakethebestOfhowthingsworkout.”

Linda ONeil 301-438-3232 jimoneil007@comcast.net

The Grapevine No. 451, Jan, 2016

Notes from the Board

LW management is holding another of its New Resident Orientations on Wednesday, January 27th at 3:00pm in the Crystal Ballroom of Clubhouse 1. All the general managers as well as the directors of security & transportation, the golf course, fitness center, medical center, and dental center will be available to meet and take questions. Even residents who have lived here for some time are encouraged to attend. Hal Crisp gave the Board a very competent and detailed report on behalf of the Property Maintenance Committee about the state of our standpipe system [that’s how the firemen get water to the upper levels] and our fire alarm system. Both are nearing the end of their life expectancy. It was recommended that we start the process by hiring a consultant who specializes in fire safety systems - who can see what we have and what we need, and who can look at proposals from our current contractors or suggest other qualified contractors. The Board has approved this first step. The Board discussed a few proposals that will bring a little change to our upcoming annual meeting. Our Annual Meeting of the Council of Unit Owners will take place on Thursday, April 28th at 3pm, but we can’t confirm the room yet. The last few years we’ve only had about 60 residents rattling around in that great big auditorium, so we’re trying to get a smaller, more intimate room. We’re also going to ask candidates for the Board of Directors to submit a passport-like head & shoulders photo with their resume, on the premise that residents will sometimes know a face but not a name. We hope this will help residents to better recognize the candidates. We intend to put the photos, with a brief comment by the candidates, in the March Grapevine (as well as the photo going out with the official mailed ballots). It was mentioned that posting business cards, flyers, etc., and campaign materials, whether for President of the United States or a seat on the Board, are not permitted in the mutual. There have been complaints about this kind of paraphernalia in the lobbies, so we wanted to make the statement well in advance of the election season. Our Bylaws say “no signs of any character shall be erected, posted or displayed upon, in, from, or about any condominium unit or the common elements without the prior consent in writing of the Board…”

Building Rep Committee

Next meeting is February 9 at 10 a.m. in Clubhouse 1 in the Annapolis Room.

E & R Advisory Committee

E & R meeting January 5, 2016

New members were introduced and welcomed. Mutual 14 now has 2 reps on the E & R committee: Arthur Hooker has joined the committee this year. Chair comments: Yolanda has heard no complaints about the renovated Ballroom. Problems with the new Audio-Visual system occur when outside groups do not hook up into our system. E & R is urging groups to come in ahead of their event to learn our system. The next project is the Maryland Room. Currently the Terrace Room is closed for renovations – the Terrace Room furniture has been moved to the Cascade Bistro. FEP (Facilities Enhancement Projects) report: Nicole Gerke: The Terrace Room is closed until April or May. Then the Cascade Bistro and Maryland room will close from April or May until August. (And be open in time for the Anniversary celebration.) The Stein Room is closed (until the end of January) for some fixes in the kitchen.

The Grapevine No. 451, Jan, 2016 Director’s report: Dee Martynuska The Ping-Pong club now has an additional, foldable, table to use in the Activity Room. They will check with E & R in Club 2 for availability of the Activities Room. The pool is now open and a new white coat was applied to two of the pools. The white coating had to be done immediately or we would not have had our license to open in 2016. Next meeting is February 2, at 9:30 am.

Beth Leanza

Personals… DID WE MISS YOUR BIRTHDAY? Let Beth Leanza know and we will include it.

Happy Birthday 2/11 Don Pruett (B16-2B) 2/12 Joan Reynolds (B13-2A) 2/17 Jackie Rabinow (B13-2G)

Reminders & Vital Info

The Bad Weather is No Excuse! You still have to pick up after your dog! The Mutual provides doggie bags and stations for you to deposit them in a few places around the mutual.

Water Valve Test Residents are urged to test their water valves to make sure they can be turned off in the case of an emergency. The main shut off is usually behind the dryer or washing machine; also check under bathroom sinks, under toilets, and under the kitchen sink. All of them should be in the normal, "open" position. Turning them to the right (clockwise) will close the valve. If the valve drips or will not turn, notify our Mutual Assistant. NOTE: Only repairs to the main valve and the washing machine valves, are paid for by the Mutual. You are responsible for the other water valves.

Washing Machine Hoses If your washer hoses are 10 years old or older, they are liable to burst and cause a great deal of inconvenience and damage from flooding. Better be safe than sorry. Call PPD to inspect and replace any hoses that are in bad shape.

Water Heater Leak Check Please keep a sharp eye on your water heater. Especially check the pan under it for water. As soon as it shows signs of leaking, it is imperative that it be replaced immediately. Here’s a useful tip: Place a small post-it note with the words “Check Water Heater Pan” on it, next to the clothes dryer switch (know). Every time you turn on your dryer, you’ll see the post-it-note, and look into the water heater pan for a sign of water.

Avoid Kitchen Drain Back-ups & Odors: Unclogging drains is an all too common event, with considerable costs to us all. Regular running and flushing of the garbage disposal (whether you use the disposal or not) is the simplest way to avoid a clog and cure a slow-draining sink, and is the responsibility of all residents. Maintain your disposal by regularly grinding up pieces of lemon or orange peel and ice cubes. To clear the unit, just run COLD water for 15 seconds while the unit is running, and 15 seconds after you turn the unit off. DO NOT put the following materials in the disposal:

! Grease & oil ! Egg shells ! Coffee grounds ! Potato skins

! Stringy stuff like ! onion skins, banana

peels & celery ! Bones

Hard stuff like Fruit Pits ! Corncobs Nut shells

The Grapevine No. 451, Jan, 2016

Toilet Backups Toilet back-ups are really nasty and expensive, too. NEVER put baby wipes, Depends, sanitary pads, con-doms, dryer sheets, paper towels, Swiffer pads, or the like into the toilets or down the drains! Toilet paper only, please!

The LWCC Executive Board meets Friday, (10 days before the LWCC Board) at 9:30 am in Clubhouse I. The LWCC Board meets on the last Tuesday of each month at 9:30 am in Clubhouse I. Tune in to Channel 974 EVERY day at 4PM and 7PM to see either the Executive Board meeting OR the LWCC (full) Board of Directors meeting televised.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS President: Linda ONeil 301-438-3232 jimoneil007@comcast.net Vice President: James Moores 301-438-0048 mooresgang@aol.com Secretary: Kathy Viney 301-598-2691 kathyviney@juno.com Treasurer: Bobbie Palmer 301-598-7712 ocbobbiep@comcast.net Director: Barbara Martin 301-598-0644 Director: John Radcliffe 301-233-0093 jradrltr@aol.com Director: Pat Leanza (until April 2016) 301-598-4569 leanzap@yahoo.com

COMMITTEE CHAIRS Advisory: Kathy Viney Budget & Finance: Richard Bambach Landscape: Sharon Moores Property Maintenance: Pat Leanza Social: Sharon Moores Architectural Design (Subcommittee of PMC) Linda ONeil Rules Kathy Viney Light bulb out in the hallway? Pat Leanza – 301-598-4569 Mutual Assistant: Kenia Callejas kcallejas@lwmc.com - 301-598-1338 • Building Problems? - Call the Mutual

Assistant Emergencies, when the assistant is not available - Call Physical Properties

• –301-598-1500 • After hours & weekends –

Call Main Gate – 301-598-1044 Comcast Issues - contact 1-855-638-2855

M14 ONLINE: Contact the Mutual with our e-mail address: M14@mutual-14.org Web Site: www.mutual-14.org http://www.lwmc.com

"The first fall of snow is not only an event, it is a magical event. You go to bed in one kind of a world and wake up in another quite different. And if this is not enchantment, then where is it to be found?" J.B. Priestley

The Grapevine No. 451, Jan, 2016

For Immediate Release: January 4, 2016The Montgomery County Commission on Common Ownership Communities (CCOC) has launched a new online training program for common ownership community board members. The CCOC developed this training to meet requirements of Bill 45-14, which was passed by the County Council on February 3, 2015. The measure was signed into law by the County Executive on February 11, 2015 and took effect January 1, 2016.The new law is designed to promote more knowledgeable and responsible management of common ownership communities. Such self-governing residential communities include condominiums, cooperatives and home-owners’ associations. There are more than 1,000 common ownership communities in Montgomery County, comprised of more than 130,000 common ownership units. More than 30% of Montgomery County residents live in common ownership communities.Members of the board of directors of all common ownership communities in Montgomery County (except those within the city of Gaithersburg) who are elected, re-elected or appointed to a term of office on or after January 1, 2016 are required within 90 days to successfully complete the online training program, at http://www2.montgomerycountymd.gov/CCOC-Training/By the end of each year, common ownership communities are required to report to the CCOC when board members have completed the online training program.The new training program addresses ethics, roles and responsibilities of board members and homeowners, community governing documents, financial management, meeting rules, and general administration. The training also is available to members of the public interested in learning about operating common ownership communities.The mission of the 15-member CCOC includes advising the County Executive and County Council regarding public policy issues that impact these communities; educating owners, residents and professionals associated with these communities regarding community management and governance; and, resolving disputes among owners or residents and their governing bodies. The CCOC members serve without pay.For additional information about the CCOC or the training program, call 240-777-3636 or visit www.montgomerycountymd.gov/ccoc.

# # #Media Contact: Lorraine Driscoll, 240-777-6507Office of Public Information • 101 Monroe Street • Rockville, Maryland 20850240-777-6507, TTY 301-251-4850, FAX 240-777-6539www.montgomerycountymd.gov/news