I’ve posted a new article about this here, which I hope will stir up discussion if not controversy. —Jonathan Cloud, Treasurer

Earlier News Items:

March 20, 2010: We have been looking at information on lawn chemicals — pesticides, herbicides, and chemical fertilizers — none of which are actually needed to maintain a healthy lawn, and most of which are quite dangerous and damaging to the environment. For a remarkable and disturbing documentary, I recommend A Chemical Reaction, which tells the story of Dr. Joan Irwin, who spent more than six years documenting the adverse health effects of lawn chemicals and persuading her town and her neighbors to ban them completely in Hudson, Quebec. Paul Tukey, a former TruGreen/ChemLawn distributor turned organic lawn care advocate, has created SafeLawns.org, whose mission is to create a coalition of non- and for-profit organizations committed to educating society about the benefits of environmentally responsible lawn care and gardening, and effecting a quantum change in consumer and industry behavior.

One of our nearby neighbors, Joe Speeney of Hamilton Woods, who is now the chair of Bernards Township’s Environmental Commission, persuaded the township to migrate all of the public parks and recreation areas to organic maintenance in 2009, and is now urging everyone in our community to abandon the most dangerous chemicals and embrace a healthier, cheaper, and more sustainable approach to landscaping and lawn care. If you’re interested in learning more about this, you may wish to check out the Bernards Township Environmental Commission page on organic lawn care, and let us know if you’d like our neighborhood to become part of this growing movement.

February 12, 2010: I’m posting a PDF of the presentation we received from Jan Graff of Big Old Trees, LLC, and Wanda Knapik of My Local Garden, LLC at our meeting last Monday. It’s here: Graff-KnapikProposal8Feb10 (right-click to download). More information on this initiative to follow.

February 11, 2010: Our site was hacked today, which I only noticed after the server went down and I was re-checking to make sure it was running. The apparent intruder has now been removed, along with the offending code, and the administrative passwords changed, but if you experience any problems with the site please email me at jcloud@libertyridge.org – thanks.

December 15, 2009: Two members of the Board of Trustees met with the management company representative on December 14 to discuss a variety of issues on the agenda for 2010. The Board wishes all residents a happy holiday season, and looks forward to continuing its work to enhance the neighborhood, protect homeowner values, and increase community engagement in 2010. Residents’ input is always welcome.

The 2010 meeting schedule is posted here.

December 7, 2009: The Board of Trustees, after reviewing our current year’s expenditures, next year’s budget, and the reserve requirements for repaving the courts and other future obligations, has concluded that there is no alternative to raising the monthly maintenance fees in order to avoid a substantial deficit. Here are copies of the documents recently mailed to all residents:

LRNAFeeIncreaseLetter12-9-09
LRNABudget2010-9Dec09

Almost all of the cost increases are associated with the snow removal – which cost the Association in excess of $50,000 last year – and with the increased landscaping costs associated with the transfer of responsibilities from the Hills Highlands Master Association to the LRNA for properties that previously were thought to belong to the HHMA.

Careful review of the legal documents has shown that two properties adjacent to Liberty Ridge – the detention basin on Honeyman Road, and the common area along Liberty Ridge Road between Honeyman and Watchung Drive – are owned by the Liberty Ridge Neighborhood Association. The Board is currently considering options for minimizing the maintenance costs associated with these areas, and welcomes homeowner input.

The snow removal contract is also up for renewal in 2010, and will be discussed at an upcoming meeting in order to issue a new RFQ for this work.

Earlier News

October 1, 2009: Our Annual Meeting is coming up on October 12. Come out and meet your trustees and fellow residents, and find out what our plans are for the next year and how you can get involved in the management of our community. At the Hansom Road Recreation Center, 7:30 p.m.

February 15, 2009: Noticed four signs had blown down in the strong winds on Friday. We’ll notify the management company and try to get them put back up as soon as possible. Unfortunately one of them was broken and will need to be replaced. If you see things that need to be fixed around the neighborhood, please leave us a comment and we’ll get them taken care of.

February 10, 2009: At a meeting at the Recreation Center last evening, the Board and residents discussed a number of ideas for new initiatives in the neighborhood, including social events, upgrades to the web site, resident surveys, email newsletters, and other ideas. Stayed tuned for changes to the web site, and email jcloud@libertyridge.org if you are interested in volunteering for any of these or other activities, or assisting with the web site.

December 10, 2008: We have just received some disturbing news regarding break-ins in the Hills, so we’re posting this here. Please be on the lookout for suspicious characters, and call 911 if you see anything you regard as a matter for concern.

Date: Mon, 8 Dec 2008 01:51:54 +0000
From: allysonhughes@optonline.net
Subject: Neighborhood ALERT… attempted break-in

Hi, neighbors..

I just wanted to pass the word around that yesterday at approximately 4:15 in the afternoon, it appears that my daughter intercepted a possible break-in to our home at 16 Green Mountain. She is FINE… she very wisely thought something was odd when a blue beat-up pickup truck was parked in front of the gas line ( right before shadowbrook ) with a driver looking very ANXIOUS as she pulled into our driveway. My son it appears left our garage door open 10 minutes prior when he ran back into the house for something.

In July I suggested to the Board that I write an article about it for the web site, and draft a letter to go out to residents in one of our regular mailings. We agreed that this would be useful, to provide as much information to residents as possible, to present a balanced view, and to discuss the right policy for Liberty Ridge. Some people feel strongly that it’s an individual right to decide how to manage their landscaping and their lawns; others that it’s a common right to be healthy and free of toxics in the immediate environment. Still others would argue that people would simply stop using them if they understood the dangers. The Board has already stopped using all chemicals in the common areas. My goal here is to get people in the neighborhood discussing this, and see if a majority agree that it’s time for a change in our practices throughout the neighborhood.

Jonathan Cloud, Treasurer

If you want to be fully informed about this issue, you could do worse than to visit http://SafeLawns.org, for the story behind the movie “A Chemical Reaction,” and the crusade to change the way America manages its single biggest crop, turf grass. Over 40 million acres of lawn make grass the largest irrigated crop in the US, which represents an enormous use of water, and a significant problem when that water is polluted with toxic chemicals.

As one web site states:

Lawn care chemicals include a vast array of herbicides, insecticides, fungicides and fertilizers. They are marketed as a way to solve various lawn problems. However, this chemical approach treats symptoms and not causes. In order for lawn chemicals to work, they must be purchased and used repeatedly, increasing the risk of health and environmental harm.

Common lawn herbicides don’t discourage weeds; they kill existing weeds but do nothing to change lawn conditions that promote weed growth. Quick-release synthetic fertilizers may “green” a lawn overnight, but do not promote strong turf root growth. Worst of all, these products can harm you, your family and the precious water resources that belong to all of us.

Scientific studies are beginning to show a variety of negative effects of our conventional ways of managing lawns. The latest research, for example, shows that synthetic nitrogen destroys soil carbon and undermines soil health. In addition:

If you think that synthetic fertilizers are just the basic elements of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium — think again. Each year, millions of pounds of toxic wastes are reprocessed into fertilizers.

California Public Interest Research Group (CALPIRG) Charitable Trust tested 29 fertilizers from 12 states for 22 toxic metals. All of the tested fertilizers contained the 22 toxic heavy metals. These metals are linked to ecological or human health hazards. Most noticeable is the wide array of toxic metals that exist in fertilizer: lead, mercury, arsenic, cadmium, chromium, and nickel among other toxic substances such as dioxin. (link to full report)

And of course there’s lots more (such as here, and here), which I’ll go into further in this article. But the important point is that genuine alternatives are available, such as the ones at this site: http://organiclawncaretips.com/.

Admittedly, it sometimes takes a couple of years to transition from a chemically-treated lawn to an organic one; and initially there may even be a higher cost to amending the soil and finding different grass varieties that are more adapted to the natural environment. But since Bernards Township took the plunge and decided to go “all-organic” on all public lands, including parks, athletic fields, school playgrounds, etc., shouldn’t we be considering this also?

Isn’t it a matter of concern that our kids and pets are playing on pesticide- and herbicide-treated areas? If these chemicals aren’t toxic, why are people warned to stay off them when they’re applied? What happens to these chemicals when they evaporate and are washed away in the rain? Walking through our neighborhood, I sometimes think I can smell them, and this can’t be healthy (not to mention the incredible waste of money). Just because certain practices are common doesn’t mean they’re good for the environment; indeed, having them be so widespread is part of what makes them potentially problematic, and worth examining.

Of course, there are esthetic values, and for some people the so-called “freedom lawn” is unsightly. I look at it the other way around. While some areas of rich green lawn are attractive, many natural areas are more interesting, and we don’t need nearly as much “green paving” (which does little to hold the runoff) as we now have. I’d prefer to see a much greater variety of plant species surrounding us. We’ve turned our own backyard (which faces the forest) into a Certified Wildlife Habitat, and have recently started to see really gorgeous butterflies and many native wildflowers, not to mention the delicious wild raspberries.

For those of us who truly want lush green lawns, there are ways to get them without the use of chemicals. While these are initially a little more demanding, over time they will actually save money and promote a much healthier neighborhood environment. I hope most people will agree that this is worth the effort. I will also be grateful to get chemical-free lawn clippings for my compost, which along with our vegetable scraps is what goes back on our lawn after being turned into “black gold.”

I welcome your comments, questions, objections, etc. sent to me personally or posted to the site. I’m not certain I have all the answers, but I think it’s important to start asking the questions. Thanks.

The big surprise – given that a few days also we had less than 20 people signed up – is that by last night we’re counting a total of 91 adults and children signed up for the party this Saturday, September 13; and that this does not even include all the Board members or all of the volunteers yet!

If you have not RSVP’d, please do so now, to rsvp@libertyridge.org, with the information requested – at least who’s attending and what food you are bringing.

In addition to your RSVPs, here are the remaining items needed from Board members, the management company, or volunteers:

• A Sound System & Music (does the Rec Center have anything? Does anyone have a karaoke setup? Party CDs and a CD player suitable for the hall?)
• A Helium Balloon Kit (I had originally offered to bring this, but am now in a conference all day up until the party, so if anyone else can help I’d appreciate it. Tim?)
• Name tags
• Volunteer sign-up sheets
• White Board and markers for “Green Dream” ideas for the neighborhood
• Paper goods, utensils, chips, and drinks
• Coolers and food warmers
• Decorations

Please copy Emily Benjamin <ekb@benjaminfamily.net> on all responses.

We’d also like to confirm what the room is costing us, and whether Board members and others can come by 3:30 to help set up tables & chairs and do decorations.

Please give a big round of applause to:

1. Menchu Zhou of 37 Honeyman Rd.
2. Amanda Chen of 32 Hansom Rd.
3. Renee Syed of 14 Revere
4. Rachel Siddiq of 19 Honeyman Rd
5. Madhavi Puppala of 17 Honeyman Rd
6. Dan Claps of 43 Hansom Rd
7. Amy Ding of 35 Liberty Ridge Rd
8. Lin & Liming Wang of 35 Honeyman Rd
9. Michelle DeAngelis of 4 Honeyman Rd
10. Emily Benjamin of 44 Hansom Rd

Finally, an important communication back to the Board from those attending last night: several residents are fed up with the amount of dog poop being left uncollected on their front lawns, so we may need to consider signs like “Pick up after your dog or face a $50 fine” around the neighborhood.

Thanks to everyone who has participated – Jonathan Cloud, Treasurer

Additionally, please remember to take steps to prevent your garbage or recyclables from blowing around the neighborhood on windy days.

1. What company are we using for the garbage pick-up?
• Grand Sanitation.

2. When is this new service going to be effective?
• January 1, 2008.

3. What do I need to do?
The only action that you need to do is to cancel your existing garbage collection service effective December 31, 2007.
• If you are currently using Grand Sanitation, there is nothing that you need to do.

4. What is this service going to cost me?
• This service is going to be added to our monthly Association fee and is an additional $14 per month.

5. What is the collection schedule?
• Garbage pick up will happen every week on Tuesdays and Fridays.

6. What time will the garbage be picked up?
• Grand Sanitation recommends putting the garbage out the night before, as the pick-up will likely happen before 8 AM.

7. Can I use my own garbage cans?
• Yes – Grand Sanitation does not require special garbage cans.

8. Will bulk items be picked up? When?
• Yes, household bulk items will be picked up every Friday.
• The one exception is construction debris. Grand Sanitation will not pick up construction debris.

9. Will grass and leaves be picked up? When?
• Yes – you can put out bags of leaves and/or grass.
• These items will be picked up on Tuesdays and Fridays.

10. Who should I contact if my garbage doesn’t get picked up or if I want to voice a complaint about the new garbage service?
• Please call Tim at MEM at 201-798-1080 ext# 210.

11. What happens to our garbage pick-up on Tuesdays when the Tuesday follows a Monday holiday (e.g., Memorial Day)?
• The garbage will be picked up on the normal day – Tuesday.

12. What happens to the garbage pick up if a holiday falls on our usual pick-up day?
• If this should happen, then the garbage will be picked up on the next normal pick up day. For example, if New Years Day falls on a Tuesday, then the next garbage pick up will be on the Friday of that week. If Christmas falls on a Friday, the next garbage pick up will be on the following Tuesday.

13. What happens if there is a snow storm on the normal garbage pick up days?
• Depending on the weather, Grand will make an attempt to pick up the garbage. If the weather prevents Grand from picking up the garbage, they will come back on the next day. For example, if a snow storm prevents pick up on Tuesday, Grand will be by on Wednesday. If the snow hits on a Friday, then the garbage pick up will be on Tuesday of the next week.

14. Due to changes in my personal situation, I no longer need to participate in this neighborhood-wide service. Can I opt out?
• As some individuals may have unique personal requirements and may not need to use the neighborhood-wide garbage removal service, the Board has included the option for these homeowners to not participate in this program. If you decide to ‘opt out’ of the neighborhood-wide garbage service, you will be responsible for the removal of your own garbage from the neighborhood. The monthly Association Garbage Removal Fee for those homeowners who decide to ‘opt out’ will be waived.
• Contact Tim at MEM at 201-798-1080 ext#210.

Prior updates

As part of the agreement, Tri-State is offering to seal private driveways for twenty-five (25) cents per square foot. Home owners who wish to have their driveways seal coated will be able to sign up for next spring for this service. Please contact Dave Hanley at Tri-State (800)867-4898 to arrange for this service.

New sign design used for Court 7, 1-15 Liberty Ridge Road
The first example was created for Court 7, which had to be replaced anyway because the original sign failed to include house number 15.

The new signs are expected to be installed by December 2007. Here are the final layouts. We welcome feedback from residents. If you have comments, please post them here or email us at feedback@libertyridge.org.

With only a handful of residents signing up voluntarily for the Grand Sanitation offer, the Board has approved a proposal to institute a single-supplier neighborhood-wide garbage removal contract. The cost of the garbage service will be included in the monthly neighborhood charges, and the contract would be negotiated annually by the Association.

The rationale for this is: 

• By using a single contractor, we expect to achieve cost savings that we as individual residents could not realize
• From an environmental standpoint, we would have only one garbage truck in the neighborhood twice each week
• We have just re-sealed the cul-de-sacs, and want to reduce the traffic and wear and tear on the paving 

We have previously tried having each homeowner sign up voluntarily, but realized that a more effective solution would be to negotiate a single contract on behalf of our community. This approach is not new to our neighborhood as the Board takes a similar approach for other key services such as snow removal.

We requested formal bids from all of the companies that are currently doing business within our neighborhood.

The new service will begin January 1, 2008

Here was the original (voluntary) proposal:

        
• Reduce your garbage pickup costs
• Reduce the number of garbage trucks entering and leaving our neighborhood twice a week
• Reduce pollution and wasted diesel fuel

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On behalf of all neighborhood residents, the Board of Trustees has negotiated to obtain an economical contract from one garbage hauler, to achieve these objectives.

By having 80% or more of the homes in our neighborhood sign up with a single provider, we can reduce the monthly cost of your twice-weekly pickup to $20 a month. Until we reach that level, the provider we have selected – Grand Sanitation – will offer service at $25 a month, which for most people is already a savings.

In addition to these individual savings, there is a considerable community benefit in reducing the number of trucks coming into the neighborhood, as well as an environmental benefit.

But it’s all up to you. Please take advantage of this offer, and lower all of our costs of waste disposal.

Each individual household has to sign up, by calling Grand Sanitation at (908) 222-1566.