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Transition Study Update
The community's transition study is now underway. Several homeowners have submitted items for consideration by the study. These items were collected by Armstrong Management and vetted by the Board of Directors.
The items will be submitted to GJB Engineering, the firm hired by the HOA to conduct the study, for inspection, comment and recommendation. The Board intends to receive comments and do a walk-through with GJB by early July.
Community Meeting Planned for Sept.
The annual community meeting will be held this September. Date, time and location will be announced in the next issue of the newsletter. As a homeowner of Mason's Passage, we ask that you attend this meeting. A quorum of homeowners must be present in order for business to be conducted.
This will be an opportunity for you to hear about and discuss the progress the Board of Directors and Committees have made on behalf of the community. It will also be an opportunity to run for the one board position which is up for election.
If you have a particular issue you'd like to see addressed at this general meeting, or if you'd like to submit your resume for the board election, please notify Armstrong Management at daleestrada@armstrong.net.
Annual Community Picnic- Mark Your Calendar Now!
The Annual Mason's Passage Community Picnic will be held July 13th from 12:00 noon to ?
Schedule of Events:
Noon-3:00 pm
Food at Village Green
3:00-6:00 pm
Games and activities at Recreation Field
Homeowners are asked to contribute a dish or two of their choosing to share with others.
Now is the time to show off your family specialty to your neighbors! We need side dishes, salads, hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken or other items for the grill in addition to desserts. Extra coolers are also appreciated.
We would like to organize a volleyball game, bocce ball, or other sporting activities and games. If you have equipment and are willing to lend them for the afternoon, please contact John Fiorenza at (703) 339-1621.
Information will also posted at the picnic on HOA activities since September of last year and board members will be present to answer questions. Come to this fun event to meet your neighbors. More details are to come, but please mark your calendars now.
Townhome Parking Update
At the HOA Board meeting held on May 21st, the Parking Committee submitted a proposed plan for assigning parking spaces for those townhomes that do not have garages or driveways.
The diagram listed on the following page is of Seafarer Way. If you have concerns regarding the assignment of spaces, please send your comments to the Board via Dale Estrada at Armstrong Management at daleestrada@armstrong.net.
The Parking Committee will also develop and propose regulations for visitor parking.
Once approved, the parking regulations for assigned and visitor spaces will be posted on the Mason's Passage website at www.oocities.org/masonspassage.
Stop! In the Name of the Law
We're a small community without a great deal of traffic. So, it may be tempting not to come to a complete stop at the community's posted stop signs.
What's the harm, you might think. Or maybe you're not really thinking about it at all, it's just become a habit as you rush through your busy day.
The harm is that thousands of adults and children are killed each year as a result of drivers not obeying traffic signs. We certainly don't want this to happen in our community.
Mason's Passage has posted stop signs and homeowners are expected to obey them. In addition, 15 mph speed limit signs have recently been posted throughout the community.
Nobody's schedule is so busy that it warrants putting the life of one of your neighbors at risk.
MP Directory?
The HOA is considering creating a community directory. If you would find such a directory useful and are willing to have some of your own contact information included, please let us know by sending an e-mail to kristinbowl@yahoo.com.
Fairfax County Police Department
The following incidents were reported by the Fairfax County Police Department during the month of May:
Plaskett Forest Lane 9700-Vandalism
Seafarer Way 7800-Vandalism
Gunston Plaza 7700-Vandalism
Gunston Cove Rd 9400-Seat taken from parked vehicle.
SERIAL SEXUAL OFFENDER UPDATE (posted 5/11)
Fairfax Co. Police are asking the public's assistance in identifying a suspect believed to be responsible for a series of sexual assaults occurring in the Washington Metropolitan area. A new composite sketch of the suspect, developed after the most recent attack, is being released. Four assaults in Fairfax County, one in Prince George's County and one in the Town of Leesburg have been linked by DNA. A fifth case in Fairfax County is believed to have been committed by the same suspect as well. Below is a synopsis of the cases which occurred in Fairfax County:
The suspect is described as black, 28 to 30 years old, five feet ten inches tall, weighing 190 pounds, with short black hair and brown eyes. He was wearing a brown camouflage jacket with a hood, blue jeans and boots. Anyone with information about these cases or the suspect involved is asked to call Fairfax County Police at (703) 691-2131 or Fairfax County Crime Solvers and (703) 691-8888.
Tips for Great Backyard Grilling
Marinades can really pump up the taste for grilled meats, fish and vegetables. Meat and poultry can be marinated for several hours or days to tenderize or add flavor. Marinate food in the refrigerator, not on the counter.
Marinade can also be served as a condiment with the cooked meat, but remember that anything that touched raw meat should be discarded or boiled to kill any remaining bacteria.
Lighting a gas grill can be tricky. Always light the grill with the hood open, even on windy days. If the fire does not start right away, turn the gas off, allow the gas to dissipate for several minutes and then retry.
Grates should be hot!. If you are grilling" (fast cooking directly over the heat), as opposed to barbecuing (low temperature and not directly over the heat), always make sure the grates are very hot. This means making sure you have the fire at maximum temperatures and the cooking grates over this heat for at least 10 minutes.
By pre-heating the cooking grates, they will sear the meat to make it look pretty, but more importantly, it will keep the meat from sticking to the cooking grate when turning it over. If they are still sticking, the meat is not ready to be turned. When the meat releases from the cooking grates then the meat is ready to be turned.
Overcooking meat is a definite no-no. Don't over cook the food in the pretense of making it "falling off the bone" tender. Anytime you overcook the meat, it will dry the bone and release the meat from the bone.
Fish is a delicious and healthy, but often-overlooked grilling option. When grilling fish, be sure to use a grilling basket or foil with cooking spray to keep it from sticking.
When cooked, the meat will flake easily with a fork and will appear opaque all the way through. If any part of the meat is still glossy and partially translucent then it's not done. Start out with a fish steak or fillet that is evenly cut. If one part is much thicker than another it will be hard getting the thick part cooked before the thin part burns up. If you have a fillet that is uneven consider cutting it in two. Brush on fresh lemon juice and melted butter on while you grill to add flavor and keep the fish moist.
Sickness is no fun. Be sure all utensils, plates, and cooking surfaces are clean, and your hands are washed well before handling food. When meat is cooked, transfer to a clean plate or platter - never place cooked meat on a platter which held raw meat.
The USDA recommends fully cooking meats to ensure bacteria is destroyed. To be sure bacteria is destroyed, hamburgers and and ribs should be cooked to 160° F or until the center is no longer pink and juices are clear. Cook ground poultry to 165° F and poultry parts to 180° F. Don't put cooked food back into an unwashed container or the dish that held raw meat. Keep meat and poultry refrigerated until ready to use. Only take out the meat and poultry that will immediately be placed on the grill. Refrigerate any leftovers promptly in shallow containers. Discard any food left out more than 2 hours (1 hour if temperatures are above 90 °F).
*Information for this article was excerpted from About.com's section on grilling and the Barbecue'n on the Internet site.
Backyard Grilling: Where's the Beef
The following Q&A was excerpted from FoodTV.com's Ask The Experts page.
Q: My hamburgers always puff up on the grill. Should I be mashing them down with a spatula the way fast food chefs do?
A: Whatever you do, don't try to flatten the burger with a spatula. You'll succeed only in pushing out the juice and you'll have a dried out burger on your hands.
The answer is in the way you form the patties. First of all, be careful to treat the meat gently. Don't squeeze the patties into shape. For example, take about a 6-ounce portion and shape it by tossing it back and forth between your hands. This brings the meat together without over-working it. Make it about 3/4-inch thick and 4 1/2-inches across. Now here's the tricky part. Put it on a flat surface and press the center of it with your fingertips until you have a well about 1/4-inch deep. When you cook the patty, the well will swell to level the surface and your toppings will not fall off.
Have an Idea for This Newsletter?
Send any comments or suggestions to Kristin Bowl at kristinbowl@yahoo.com.