Masons Passage News
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MESSAGE FROM THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
As Summer approaches, we find ourselves outside far more often. This newsletter is devoted to making your time in and around the community time well spent. We urge you to take pride in the Mason's Passage community. Offer to help other residents in need when you can. Get involved in a committee if you can. Here are some examples of how residents are doing their part to make this community a better place to live.

• Some residents mow the grass of their neighbors who may be unable to do so because they work long hours, travel, or are infrequently home during daylight hours.
• Some residents take the time to tidy up the common areas, including the gazebo and tot lots, when they see trash or other debris left behind by others.
• Several residents volunteer their time as members of the HOA Board of Directors, and several others volunteer their time on numerous HOA committees--Parking, Architectural Review, Communications, Neighborhood Watch, and Grounds.

The more involvement, participation, and care we each have for others, and for Mason's Passage, the more beautiful the community will be to live in.

SPECIFIC REMINDERS TO KEEP THE COMMUNITY CLEAN AND SAFE

PETS

• please be considerate and pick up after your dog
• remember that dogs must be controlled (e.g., on a leash) at all times
• be aware of and take action with nuisance barking (you may tune it out but your neighbors may not)

CHILDREN

• always exercise street safety
• never leave bikes, scooters, balls, etc. in the street
• remove broken basketball hoops from the community
• have respect for your neighbors
• refrain from trespassing on or through your neighbor's property
• no playing at or near the pond

TRASH CANS

• keep trash cans out of sight, except on trash pick up days

BOARD OF DIRECTORS OPENINGS THIS FALL
This fall at the HOA annual meeting, the community will vote on two Board of Director positions. Our current President, John Fiorenza, will be re-running for the Board. If you would like to nominate yourself, or you wish to nominate someone, please call Steve Navar at Tri-State Management/Koger Group at 571-432-5408. Note that the Mason's Passage HOA By-Laws provide a detailed overview of the nomination process, as well as the responsibilities of the Board of Directors.

NEW PARKING GUIDELINES IN EFFECT JULY 1ST
In May, each resident was sent a parking form, which appeared on the reverse side of the first quarterly newsletter. If you have not done so already, you must complete the parking form for each vehicle that you own, and send it to Tri-State Management/Koger Group as follows:

Tri-State Management/Koger Group
P.O. Box 10133
Fairfax, Virginia 22030-8008
Fax: 703-591-2417

This form must be received by Tri-State Management/Koger by July 1st. Tri-State Management/Koger will then mail parking decals for each registered vehicle to residents. You must affix your decals to your vehicles immediately. If an unregistered car is parked in an unauthorized location, or is in violation of any of the following regulations, it will be towed.

Parking Regulations Specifically Prohibit:

• Parking near fire hydrants.
• Parking in areas designated with yellow curbs or in handicapped parking spaces.
• Parking recreational vehicles, boats, campers, trailers, junk/inoperable or similar vehicles in the visitor- designated parking.
• Keeping or storing in the visitor-designated parking spaces any vehicles, operable or inoperable, including vehicles without current state registration, county tax sticker, inspection decal, etc.
• Performing any extensive repairs or extraordinary maintenance of vehicles.
• Using any parking spaces for accumulating or storing building materials, trash, etc.

Any resident vehicle parked longer than 72 consecutive hours in a "Visitor" parking space may be subject to towing, as it would be considered stored there.

LAWN MAINTENANCE

How high to mow?

Grass generally performs best when mowed at one of the higher settings on your mower - especially in hot summer weather.

• Avoid scalping at all costs.
• Never cut off more than 1/3 of the length of the grass blades in a single mowing. If lawn growth gets ahead of you, mow it at a higher length, then lower blade and mow again a few days later.

How often to mow?

• Once a week is usually sufficient. In spring, when grass is growing more rapidly, mowing twice a week may be necessary to avoid removing more than 1/3 the length of the grass blades. Blade sharpness
• Keep mower blade sharp. Mowing with a dull blade tears the ends of grass blades, leaving ragged ends which later turn brown, giving the lawn a dried-out look. Such grass blade damage also encourages the spread of fungus disease.

Other tips

• Mow in different directions (diagonal, horizontal, vertical patterns) each time you mow to prevent "leaning" of grass blades in your lawn.
• Make sharp turns to provide even cuts. Use sidewalks and driveways as a place to turn the mower.
• Never mow a wet lawn, as this can lead to uneven cuts and invites fungus to your lawn.
• Get the "striped" or "checkerboard" look, like on a professional baseball field, by placing a roller on your mower. These can be purchased at most hardware stores.

IMPORTANCE OF GOOD LAWN CARE
Grass has been around for a long time, and it has done pretty well on its own. For example, think of a meadow where the grass looks great. But, it only looks great from afar. A closer inspection reveals bare spots, weeds and unsightly "scars." We expect more from the grass in our yards. It's not a meadow. It's part of our home. After all, a nice lawn helps beautify and improve the value of our property, and it provides a nice place for our children to play.

Lawn owners can help grass combat heat, insects, dry weather, foot traffic and constant mowing by giving the grass what it requires - a generous supply of the proper nutrients. And, in order to achieve optimum results - and have that thick, green lawn we've come to expect in our community - it is important to provide those nutrients year round. For more lawn care information see http://www.scotts.com/

MASON'S PASSAGE ANNUAL MEETING
The Mason's Passage annual meeting is scheduled for the fall. Please watch your mail this summer for a notification of the meeting. It's imperative that residents plan for and attend it, since a majority vote is needed for any Board action in the community.

WEBSITE UPDATED!
The website for Mason's Passage, www.oocities.org/masonspassage, was recently updated with the following:

• HOA Covenants and Bylaws - Available on the home page in pdf format.
• New Architectural Control Form - Select "Committees" from the home page. The form is available in either Adobe pdf or MS Word format.
• Updated Calendar Information, including dates of upcoming BOD meetings.

If there is additional information you would like to see on the Mason's Passage website, or in the quarterly newsletters, please either email the webmaster from the website, or send an email to Krista.Bassett@verizon.net

RESOURCES & REFERENCES:

Fairfax County Summer Concert Series:
http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/performances.htm

Prince William County Summer Calendar of Events:
http://www.visitpwc.com/caljune.html#Anchor-35882

A Capitol Fourth, Washington D.C.:
http://www.pbs.org/capitolfourth/

The South County Chronicle Online:
http://www.south-county.info/news/

The Northern Virginia Journal Online:
http://www.jrnl.com/cfdocs/new/ffx/