Thanks For The Fun . . . and Memories

As another beautiful summer winds down, thanks to Rae and Mark, to our committees, the Board and all of our members who contributed to a memorable 2022 season.

I mentioned in the President’s Report at the Annual Meeting last week, but it bears repeating, that we had many high points this summer, from reopening the Barnswallow to keeping the pool open and staffed in the face of a widespread shortage of lifeguards, to Burger Broils, a Cottage Tour and Talent Show, a pilot merchandise pop-up store and a Sustainability Initiative. With funding from the Carter P. Brown Legacy Preservation Fund, we replaced several roofs with historically-appropriate shake roofing.

Of course, along with the high points came a few challenges which were also described at the Annual Meeting but generally speaking could fall into a category of “age-related issues”–a portion of the Audubon Wall crumbled last December and the County as well as the Whitbecks (who own the property on which the wall is located) are discussing alternatives for addressing the situation. Our Roads & Security Committee continues to keep the Board updated. Further, in May we discovered cracks in a portion of the Castle’s foundation, and additional issues “up top” on the building. As you know from the Annual Meeting, we’ve engaged an expert consulting firm to evaluate the issues and advise on next steps.

Financially, we are in a solid position at this time in the year; no significant variances, with about $30,000 for emergency use and we continue to sensibly build our capital fund.

A couple of requests from me and the Board: please let Rae know if you sell your cottage or ask your buyers to do so, so that we can accurately handle dues, membership fees and related matters. Also, if you’re going to be doing construction this fall and winter, please make note that the Board does not plan to approve any extensions to the normal construction period next year. We learned this year that doing so was problematic–safety, noise and other issues caused considerable concern. Thanks in advance for your understanding.

And a final thanks to our two “retiring” Board members, Martha Dahlman and Ted Parker, for their hard work, creativity and good humor over the past three years; and welcome to new members Joy Fossel, your Board’s Vice President for the next year, Judy Kernahan and Ben Conant.