WINTERIZE YOUR CONDO...
      Winter is upon us and we must be thinking about the effects of the cold, ice & snow on our homes.  Here are some tips on what to do in order to stay out of trouble until Spring.  Read More

HOW OUR HOA WORKS 101...
      HOA 101 is a brief review of the workings of our Homeowners Association's.  What it is.  Who does what.  How things run.  Hopefully, you already know this stuff but maybe there are a few things that you may not know. This is an interesting read for old timers to the HOA and members who are new to Condo Living.  Read More

A NEW FEATURE...
      We're beginning a NEW FEATUE in our next issue.  It's called Pet Parade.  Each issue will highlight a pet owned by one of our residents including a photo of the little darlings.  Read More

IRS TAX SCAM...
      We heard about the latest recurrence of the old telephone SCAM which tries to trick you into sending money to goodness knows who.  Read the details and be prepared when the phone rings this Tax Season. 
It won't be H & R Block^™ calling.  Read More

Got a news story for The Ledger?   Send us an email at MikeZets@gmail.com

Editorial Staff Contact Information
The Ledger Newsletter Editor - Mike Zets	412 670-7646
The Ledger Newsletter Graphics Design - Sandi Zets	440 452-5116

Friday ~ Feb 5 ~ 5:30 PM Monthly Residents' Social Hour ^* - BYOB
      As always, you're invited to join your fellow residents for a fun time in our Clubhouse.

Sunday ~ Feb 14 ~ Valentine's Day
Monday ~ Feb 15 ~ Presidents' Day Holiday Regular Trash Pickup is scheduled.
Tuesday ~ Feb 16 ~ 6:00 PM Monthly Board of Directors' Meeting - Owners Welcome

Friday ~ Mar 4 ~ 5:30 PM Monthly Residents' Social Hour ^* - BYOB
Tuesday ~ Mar 15 ~ 6:00 PM Monthly Board of Directors' Meeting - Owners Welcome

Friday ~ Apr 1 ~ 5:30 PM Monthly Residents' Social Hour ^* - BYOB - No Foolin'
Tuesday ~ Apr 19 ~ 6:00 PM Monthly Board of Directors' Meeting - Owners Welcome

Tuesday, January 19, 2016 - Our Board of Directors met at their regular monthly meeting having skipped a meeting in December due to all normal business having been concluded for 2015 with the November meeting.  Sid Trigillis presided and all members were present along with Mr. Brown representing Seaway Asset Management.  Here are topics of interest from that meeting... *

• Treasurer's report (2015 Year End Actuals vs. Budget Estimates).  In reviewing the Budget numbers (compiled in late 2014 for the 2015 year) the extensive repairs to 6011 Quarry's Edge necessitated by water intrusion were not included in our Budget.  Hence the budgeted $20,000 deposit to our contingency fund was used, instead, to offset most of the cost of repairs (approximately $21,500).  This left the Association without any funds with which to build our Contingency Fund for 2015 plus the need to add funds to the budget for 2016 to cover future repairs to other units and add continue to build our contingency fund.  Hence the need to raise the HOA Fees announced to the Owners in a letter on November 23, 2015.
  
  
• Snow Plowing & Ice Treatment.  The method which Lammon Brothers uses to determine when to Plow and apply Salt was reviewed at the request of several Board Members.  The Board has given Lammon approval to plow when the snow fall is 2" or greater (at the Toledo Express Airport Weather Station) and to apply salt to our roads and driveways whenever conditions dictate.  The Board approved the delivery of 20# bags of De-Icer to each unit for hand application to walks and patios as needed throughout the Winter.
  Please keep in mind that the Airport is 5 miles South of our community and there will be times when the amount of snow there differs significantly from conditions here.  If you have concerns, please contact a Board Member with your questions.
  
  
• Resident Directory Update.  There have been updates to information on at least 6 Condos since the last Directory was issued.  New Owners, new renters and changes to phone numbers are now included in the latest Directory.  For your convenience, a copy is now posted on our website. You many access it by CLICKING HERE.
  
  
• Residents questions / comments.  It was worth noting that this meeting was not attended by any of our Residents. While this is certainly taken as a vote of confidence in the way your Board is handling the Associations business, the Board wants to make sure that all of our Owners know that these meetings are open to them and your attendance is encouraged.
  
  
• The Board has requested that all Residents mark their Unit Number (address) on the lid of thir Trash Container with Permanent Marker and...
  
  
• Please Contact Sid Tregillis (419 704-3482) if you have a bag of Ice Melt that you do not want rather than leave it in the Driveway.
  
  

      Some other things discussed were...

      Speed Limits   The Board requested that we remind everyone that Speeding within the development will NOT be tolerated or ignored.  There are pedestrians walking in the streets and Children/Grandchildren playing outdoors all the time. With sunset coming so early, we can easily have fellow residents out after dark when they are especially hard to see.  Remember too, that our streets can be DANGEROUS with snow and ice accompanying the cold temps.

* -- DISCLAIMER:   Every effort has been made to be as accurate as possible in reporting events and writing this newsletter but it is the responsibility of the reader to verify all information before acting on anything of legal consequence.

Sylvania Twp. has instituted a free ALERT SYSTEM to send out text or email alerts to subscribing citizens about Police & Fire Emergencies, Road Closures, Public Meetings, Scheduled Pickups, and Other Information.   More Info...

News and Weather on your Phone or Tablet, 24/7.   Never be caught off guard again.   News App...    Weather App...

A New Look for our Archive Page...

We've redesigned our website's Archive Index (where all of our letters are stored) to make it easier to use and to allow our Owners to find things quicker when accessing previous issues.  A Screen Shot of the Archive page is shown to the left.  You will notice the list of entries is now in two columns - The issue dates are on the left and the featured recipe in that issue is on the right.

Page too small?  There is now a link to Instructions on how to EASILY RESIZE the view of our Newsletter to the right of the list of issues.  Just click on it for help that works on ALL web pages.

Also note that there now 2 links at the bottom of the page... One to our current Residents' Directory and the other to an Interactive Map of the Development which allows you to quickly see Who lives Where.

Please remember that this information is CONFIDENTIAL and for the Exclusive Use of our Owners.

Coming to your Inbox Soon...

From time to time it has been necessary to alert our Owners to some information.  To make this easier and more timely, we will be sending out Email Alerts between Newsletters.  These alerts will advise of things like Delayed Garbage Pickups, Snow Plowing/DeIcing, last minute changes to schedules, Workers in the complex on Official Business, etc.  They will be INFREQUENT and only used when necessary.  Hopefully, most of you check incoming Email often enough to make this new Email service a valued addition to how we communicate with our Owners.

Furry friends...

We'd like to run a feature about your non-human family members.  It would be nice to show them off to the rest of our community.  Please submit a photo and a detailed biography of your Pet.  We will feature one in each issue so that over the year, all of our readers will get to know them, their names and to whom they belong.  We see them taking their owners for daily walks and these Bios are a great way to forge a closer relationship within the community.

We're not forgetting our Feline and Avian Residents.  We welcome all in this new feature: Cats, Birds, Snakes, Turtles - even Schools of Fish.  We'll even stop in to take the pic if you don't have one that will work.  Send in your info via Email to MikeZets@gmail.com  Give us details: Name, Breed, Birthday, how you got your friend, their favorite treat, food and trick and anything else you want to share.  Even funny stories.  Don't be brief.  We want to know all the juicy details.
Table of Contents

Oven Baked
Mac & Cheese

Serves 6 - 8
15 Minutes Prep - 1 Hour Baking

Ingredients:
5 cups cooked macaroni
(approx 4 cups uncooked)
5 tbsp butter
2 eggs
1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp paprika
3 cups milk
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
4 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat Oven to 350°
Cook the macaroni until done as usual.  Do not overcook it.  Drain well and place in a lightly greased, 9" x 13" glass casserole dish.

Melt butter, milk, mozzarella cheese and 3 cups of the cheddar cheese in a 2 Quart Sauce Pan.  Heat just enough to melt ingredients.  Add onion, salt, pepper, and paprika.  Mix eggs in a bowl first and then fold into mixture being careful to NOT cook eggs in hot sauce mixture.  Pour over macaroni and stir.

Cover with aluminum foil (non-stick side toward Mac) and bake for 45 minutes.

Uncover and add last cup of cheddar cheese across the top.  Continue baking uncovered for another 15 minutes.  Let top crisp/brown as desired.  You really can't overcook.

Use a knife to test for doneness.  It should not be runny on the bottom.  Remove from the oven and let rest for an additional 10 minutes to thicken. Refrigerate left-overs.  Does not freeze well.

If you have a favorite recipe to share, let us know.  Send an email to me at MikeZets@gmail.com. We'd love to hear from you.

Table of Contents

Restaurant Reviews...

Shorty's Bar B Que...  5111 Monroe - 419 841-9505 Map
This part of the Mancy's Restaurant Group bills itself as a True American Roadhouse.  Since I'm a real BBQ lover, I was really looking forward to a great dining experience.  Was I disappointed!  This was a terrible dining experience from start to finish.  We arrived @ 6:30 on a Wednesday.  It was packed.  We waited 35 minutes for a four-top that was really only big enough for 2.  We went to the Bar while we waited.  WOW.  One BV & Coke, one Merlot, one White Zin & one small Pale Harvest draft = $26 + tip.  House wine, a small draft & a bottom shelf mixed drink should not break the bank.

Did I mention that the place was FILLED with wood smoke, so much that my eyes watered and my sweater reeked of smoke the next morning?

I ordered the Beef Brisket on Texas Toast with Cole Slaw and Mac & Cheese sides.  The "toast" (?) was plain, thick bread (NOT toasted).  There were two distinct half servings of beef on the bread.  Thin sliced (1/8" thick) and 1/2" cubes.  The cubes were fatty and therefore seemed juicy despite the fact that there was only a Tablespoon of au jus drizzled over the bread.  The slices of beef were better suited to making soles of Italian Loafers than serving as food.  Subtle but DRY.  Terrible.  Someone told me I should have drenched the dry beef in "all those BBQ sauces on the table."  It was still shoe leather.  Hiding it under a quart of ketchup wasn't going to change that.  It was supposed to be juicy in its naked state.

This would have rated a NO Star rating but the slaw was very good and the Onion Ring Appetizer was large and very tasty.

Would I go back?  Not even with a coupon for a free dinner.

      Just when you thought it was safe to answer your phone, the bad guys have figured out another way to scam you out of your hard earned cash.

It goes something like this...  You answer a very realistic sounding phone call.  The caller ID says "IRS" or shows a Washington D.C. area code and the caller says something like: "Hello.  I'm calling on behalf of the Internal Revenue Service to advise you that the U.S. Government is about to file a law suit against you for the sum of $______ plus Penalties and Interest for back taxes owed to the government on your 2012 Federal Taxes." 

WHAT? You don't owe any back taxes!  Or do you?  These people prey upon seniors who will believe a deep voice on the other end of the phone.  They insist that you can avoid the law suit if you will purchase a Pre-Paid Credit Card and put $_____ on the card.  Then call them back with the number and all will be forgiven.

STOP RIGHT THERE!  It's a SCAM!  First of all, the IRS will never contact you by phone.  Everything they do is via US Mail.  Sometimes Certified or Registered Mail, often requiring a signature upon receipt.  They don't mess around with phone threats and certainly will NEVER ask for you to buy a Pre-Paid Money Card or wire a payment via Western Union or PayPal.

What do you do when you get such a call?  HANG UP!  Immediately.  The bad guys will move on to the next "mark" and you'll never hear another word from them. 

      Wow!  One day its beautiful outside with temps in the 50's & 60's.  The next thing you know, it's SUB-ZERO, snowing and you start to think it's too late to get ready for Winter.  It's never too late.  Here are some things to do to keep out of trouble...

As temps drop, watch out for ICE on your walk, patio and driveway.  It can look wet but actually be BLACK ICE which is very slippery and dangerous.  The most common cause of accidents in the home is Falling.  Use the De-Icing material that was supplied to each unit last week.  Throw it down from your hand in the same way an old time Farmer would have sown seeds in a field.  Also watch out for icicles hanging from gutters.  Without getting too close, knock off the bigger ones with a shovel or broom handle.  BE CAREFUL  Don't stand directly underneath when knocking them down.  Remember...  The big ones are HEAVY and pointed.  They can hurt you when they fall.

The single biggest and most costly problem is FROZEN PIPES.  Here is where an ounce of prevention is worth many pounds of costly cures. 

First, figure out which pipes are located in OUTSIDE WALLS.  In most of our Units, all but a very few pipes are safely routed through interior walls and are not susceptible to freezing unless you lose heat in your home.  But almost all of us have at least a few pipes inside the wall between our Bath and the Garage.  THESE pipes could freeze in very cold weather, especially if you are in the habit of leaving your Garage Door open for long periods or over-night.  NEVER leave your Garage Door open for any time except that which is necessary to move a car or enter/exit the Garage.

Next, open the cabinets in your Bath to expose the plumbing under the sink to the warm air in the house.

Then you can turn on the sink faucet to allow a very SLOW DRIP.  All it takes is a few drops per minute.  Crack open BOTH the Cold and Hot valves so that both lines are flowing at a drip - drip pace.  If you have a single handle faucet which controls Hot and Cold, leave the faucet lever in the centered position.  The key here is that a small amount of water moving through a water line will prevent it from freezing as moving water (even at a very slow rate) will bring warmth into the cold region and slow or prevent freezing.

The next thing to check is the Hose Connection to your home.  Most of us have it INSIDE our Garages where they are less likely to suffer damage from the cold but...

     DISCONNECT & DRAIN THE HOSE!

A hose filled with water will freeze.  That will cause the hose to burst now and be useless next Summer. 

If you have a faucet OUTSIDE your Garage (there are a few), you should take special precautions to prevent it from freezing.

INSTALL AN INSULATED DOME COVER as shown to the right. 

These are available at any local Home Center Store for around $2.00 and can save you real heartache if the faucet should freeze, burst or fail.  They simply hook on to the faucet with a zip tie and take about a minute to install.  We recommend these for ALL outside faucets, even those located inside your garage.  They're too cheap not to use.

If your pipes DO freeze, here are five things YOU SHOULD DO...

• Keep open the faucet that the frozen pipe supplies.  As the frozen area starts to melt, water will flow and running water will help melt ice in the pipe.
• Apply heat to frozen area using an electric heating pad wrapped around the pipe, an electric hair dryer or towels warmed in your clothes dryer or soaked in hot water.
• Use a portable space heater, kept away from flammable materials.
• Apply heat until full water pressure is restored.
• If you cannot find the frozen area, if the area is not accessible, or if you cannot thaw the pipe, call a licensed plumber.

And one thing YOU SHOULD NEVER DO...

DO NOT use a blowtorch, kerosene or propane heater, charcoal stove, or other open flame device.

      We all hear the terms bandied about whenever we get together but we began wondering just how much our Owners and Residents really understood about the "Homeowners' Association", "HOA"  or "Condo Association" as it's sometimes called.

      So, here goes.  Everything you always thought you knew about HOAs but were afraid to ask...

      What it really is...
When you purchased your Condominium (or Condo), you actually bought a place to live AND a share in the joint ownership of the entire Condominium Development.  With that purchase comes the joint responsibilities for the care and maintenance of all the things on the Condominium property like Roads, Lawns, Flowers, Sewers, the Clubhouse, the Pool, the Pond, the Walks, PLUS all of the Bricks, Mortar, Concrete, Roofs, Gutters, Downspouts, Drains, Exterior Siding & Lighting, Patios, Shrubs and a whole lot more.  So as the Owner of a single Condo you are also part owner in the whole place.  This is the way most HOAs are set up across the country and ours is regulated by the laws of the State of Ohio.

      When it was initially developed it was a Planned Unit Development (PUD) which had to be approved by the City of Sylvania and its Zoning Department.  This included things like spacing between buildings, widths of roads, drainage and green space provisions and all sorts of building permits, inspections and approvals.  We didn't just make this stuff up or decide things arbitrarily. 

      Our Board of Directors...
When our Development was organized in 2002, it adopted a "Declaration and Bylaws Creating and Establishing a Plan for Condominium Ownership" (collectively referred to as the "Documents") in accordance with Chapter 5311 of the Ohio Revised Code.  The Documents provide for the election of a Board of Directors to run the day to day operation of the Development.  An annual election of members of the board is held during which owners decide who will be on our board for staggered two or three year terms.  Following this election, the board elects its President, Treasurer and Secretary from its members.  An Associate Vice President is also chosen for situations where the President may be unavailable.  All of our current board members are listed at the top of each newsletter.  Photos and brief biographies were featured in the October 2015 Edition of the Newsletter.

      What the Board Does...
First of all, let us make this perfectly clear.  Our Board is UNPAID and receives NO compensation of any kind for its tireless (and sometimes, thankless) work on our behalf.  They meet once each month in the clubhouse and sometimes more often when needed.  Meetings dates are posted in the Events Calendar above and all meetings are OPEN to our Owners at all times.  Nothing is done behind closed doors. 

      The board acts on your behalf to get things done.  Most importantly, they manage our collective finances.  They propose the annual budget, solicit bids and arrange contracts with vendors for things like snow removal, lawn care, repairs to the streets, buildings, pool and other things that wear out or need fixed.  And it isn't just enough to balance the budget, collect monthly fees and pay bills.  The board has the responsibility to insure there are funds available for future major repairs/replacements such as Roof Replacements, Street Resurfacing and major Repairs to Stone Fascia, Foundations, Framing, Driveways, etc.  Hence, the Board must include contingency funding to build up money for when it's needed in the future.  It's either collect a little each month from every owner or keep the monthly fees low and force an assessment on the owners when the money is needed.  These assessments could be in the $5,000 to $10,000 range.  The board has decided to collect money a little at a time and avoid a hefty assessment a few years down the road.  Some of the roofs in the development are 12+ years old and will need to be replaced in another 12 years or so.  Budget issues are a large part of every decision the board makes.

      How can you help?
Keep in mind that we're all in this together.  Each Owner is 1/72 part of a much larger organization which strives to work for the greater good of our collective community.  Quarry's Edge is so much more than three street's worth of houses.  It's a place we all want to be proud to call home.  Understand that the board is charged with keeping us afloat financially and enforcing our By-Laws for the greater good of all of your neighbors.  Each owner as a copy of the Documents and our By-Laws. It can be confusing at times but the board will always take the time to explain things in plain English.

So if you have questions, we invite you to send your inquiries to MikeZets@gmail.com and we'll do our best to get you a response quickly and even publish an answer in a future issue of The Ledger.

      We added a brand new feature to our website.  Since so many of us don't really know who our neighbors are and where they live in the Condo Development (especially our newcomers), we have installed an Interactive Map which allows you to hover your computer mouse over a building on the Map image to view the name(s) of the Residents and their address.

     To use the map, click on the image to the right to be taken to the actual Interactive Map page on the website.  Then move your Computer Mouse over the map.  As you move your mouse around, the names and addresses of our Condo Neighbors will appear in small windows near the mouse pointer.

To make this a tool you will use as you need the information, we ask that you make its web address one of your favorites in your browser. The page is also available through a link on the Archive Main Index page.   We will update it as often as necessary so the information will always be as accurate as possible.

      Like it or not, we're becoming a paperless society.   This newsletter is just another example.   We really want you to be able to enjoy the future editions of the newsletter but WE NEED YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS to make that happen.

Your privacy is paramount to us.   Just like Unlisted numbers for phones before cell phones took over the world, you should be able to have an UNLISTED Email address that you only give to those who will respect your privacy.  No Unsolicited Email.   No Junk Mail.   Just a newsletter about every other month from Quarry's Edge.

      The email address you provide will NOT be sold, loaned, rented or shared with anyone, ever.   And it will NOT be published in our Community Directory unless you specifically tell us to do so.

If you have NEWS, INFORMATION, RECIPES or PHOTOS you would like to share with your fellow residents in this Newsletter send us a note at MikeZets@gmail.com.  We'd be happy to include it in our next issue.