Cotswolds Chronicle June 2018 Jan Hirsch, Editor Neighborhood Management, 2700 Highway 280, Suite 425 Birmingham, AL 35223 Amanda@nhmllc.org 205-877-9480 Inside this issue Outdoor Movie Night Page 1 Using the Pool Why Pick Up Dog Poop? Cleaning Superhero paid advertisement 2017-18 Committees Advertising Rates Page 2 Page 3 Using the Pool If you have not received a pass card for entrance into the pool and clubhouse, you can email Amanda Carr at amanda@nhmllc.org and request one. The fee is $25 per card. Newsletter Advertising Real Estate Corner Page 4 Pool Rules Parking Cars Overnight Dogs in Hot Cars & On Hot Pavement Page 5 Page 6 To activate your pool/clubhouse card, email jan@thecotswoldshoa.com and provide her with these 5 pieces of information: 1. Complete number on the card, including dashes & spaces 2. Name(s) of Primary Cardholder(s) 3. Home Address 4. Email address(s) of primary cardholders 5. Primary phone number Renting the Clubhouse Summer Projects Welcome Committee Nataliya Isanova, Realtor paid advertisement Page 7 We ask that you honor the rules at the pool for the safety and enjoyment of all neighbors. In some cases, failure to abide by the rules could result in the pool being closed for periods up to a week or more.
Why Pick Up Dog Poop? DOG POOP CARRIES DISEASE! Of course, dog poop can carry worms. This means if your dog visits the park and someone else left dog poop with worm eggs laying on the ground, your pup is vulnerable. Dog poop can carry human-infecting ailments, too, including vicious parasites. Among other things, Fido s feces can include: Giardia Salmonella Leptospira E. coli Parvo virus Roundworms (the CDC shows 14% of Americans are infected with roundworms) Up to 23 million coliform bacterial per gram of poop! DOG POOP CONTAMINATES WATER! I don't know how many times I've heard someone tell me not to worry about a particular piece of poop because it was about to rain soon, anyway. Not picking up fresh poop before rainfall is even worse than letting it sit on a dry day! When the rain washes over dog poop and flows into the drainage system, that contaminated water is carried into local waterways. If you like to hang out at a nearby river or lake, this means the fecal water is mixed in where you enjoy swimming and boating! Studies indicate that about 90% of fecal coliform bacteria, which is used as a measure of water health and quality, is of non-human origin, mostly canine. Dog poop is considered so dangerous that it is in the same EPA pollutant category as oil and runoff from abandon mines, and two or three days worth of un-picked up poop from 100 dogs can cause a big enough spike in bacteria levels to necessitate closing waterways within 20 miles to swimming and shell fishing. BE A GOOD NEIGHBOR AND PICK UP AFTER YOUR DOG!!! We have doggie stations with bags & waste receptacles...please USE THEM! And please do not throw the filled bags into the neighborhood storm drains. These waste bags are ending up in our neighborhood ponds and can cause damage and is very unsanitary! Testimonial: We recently hired Cleaning Superhero George Barnett to clean our well-worn 10-year old carpeting on our stairs, hallway & bonus room upstairs. The carpeting was REALLY dingy and wornlooking. When George finished his work, the carpeting looked fantastic! His pricing was very fair, and we highly recommend him! Sincerely, Jan & Ron Hirsch 2
NEWSLETTER ADVERTISING When you hire quality service folks to do work for you (electrician, plumber, gardener, realtor, dentist, physician, etc.), please ask them to advertise in our quarterly newsletter. It is great for them, as our printed newsletter is mailed directly to all 403 homes in The Cotswolds, and we are all consumers! It is great for our neighborhood, as their ad dollars help to subsidize the cost of printing and mailing our newsletter. It truly is a win-win! A BIG THANK YOU! Many thanks to our newsletter advertisers! Your $$$ help to fund the cost of the newsletter, making our HOA dues go that much further in maintaining and improving our community! THE COTSWOLDS CHRONICLE 2018 ADVERTISING RATES Printed & Mailed to 403 Homes The Cotswolds Residents Ad Size Per Issue Rate Business card size $25.00 1/4 page $50.00 1/2 page $75.00 Full page $200.00 Back half page $200.00 The Cotswolds Non-Residents Ad Size Per Issue Rate Business card size $35.00 1/4 page $75.00 1/2 page $100.00 Full page $300.00 Back half page $300.00 Call Jan Hirsch to discuss your ad and make arrangements for ad & payment phone 205-582-2761 2018-2019 COMMITTEES Committee Chairperson Contact Information ARC Carolyn Jeff carolyn@thecotswoldshoa.com Beautification Tyler DeStefano marystewart@thecotswoldshoa.com Landscape Tyler DeStefano tyler@thecotswoldshoa.com Newsletter Jan Hirsch jan@thecotswoldshoa.com Pool & Clubhouse Carolyn Jeff carolyn@thecotswoldshoa.com Social Lauren Lawrence lejames12@gmail.com Website Jan Hirsch jan@thecotswoldshoa.com Welcome Jan Hirsch jan@thecotswoldshoa.com All volunteer committee chairs welcome community involvement. Please email/call if you re interested in helping with any of them! 3
THE COTSWOLDS REAL ESTATE CORNER UPDATES Provided by Cotswolds Resident Bill Priddy of ARC Realty Company COTSWOLDS SOUTH For Period January 1 Number of Homes Sold 2 Average Days on Market 61 Average Sales Price $316,250 High Sale $322,500 Low Sale $310,000 COTSWOLDS NORTH For Period January 1 Number of Homes Sold 12 Average Days on Market 88 Average Sales Price $352,575 High Sale $398,000 Low Sale $312,000 COTSWOLDS TOWN- HOMES For Period January 1 through May 1, 2018 Number of Homes Sold 0 Average Days on Market Average Sales Price High Sale Low Sale N/A N/A N/A N/A Sales data accumulated from Birmingham Multiple Listing Service. This information should not be used as an appraisal of value for your individual home. Value is determined by many other factors other than average price per square foot, such as age, condition, location, etc. If you would a complimentary in-home consultation to determine your home value in the current market, please give Bill a call at 205-212-8564. Information purposes only and is not intended to solicit property currently listed with another broker. For 3 year sales & inventory analysis for The Cotswolds: Single Family: http://galmls.mlscharts.com/reports/share/link/58cc740f8ead0e263e8b5c89?t=b9f7f2e390f110e454c86fcf102860a9 Townhomes: http://galmls.mlscharts.com/reports/share/link/58cc75528ead0ea6298b5784?t=ab0e74fcac19e3405a21f4df83dc126a 4
POOL RULES 1. Swim at your own risk, there is no lifeguard at the pool. 2. Swim diapers MUST be used on all toddlers. 3. Pool opens at 8:00 am and closes at DARK 4. Guests are limited to 2 per resident, and must be accompanied by the resident. 5. An adult or responsible guardian must accompany children under 14 years of age. 6. No running, pushing, foul language, or general roughhousing will be permitted in or around the pool. Anyone exhibiting boisterous behavior will be asked to leave. 7. No diving allowed. 8. No glass containers are allowed in the fenced pool area. 9. No food or drink shall be consumed within five (5) feet of the pool edge. 10. Anyone who is intoxicated will not be allowed in the pool. 11. Please be considerate of others by not throwing hard objects, using large floats, or bringing water guns in the pool. 12. Swimming apparel will be limited to that commonly accepted. Cutoffs are not allowed. 13. No loud, offensive, or profane music shall be allowed. 14. The safety equipment shall not be disturbed except in the case of an emergency. 15. Deposit trash in receptacles. 16. No animals allowed at or around pool. 17. No skateboards, bikes or scooters allowed inside the fence. 18. The gates to access the pool should never be propped open. 19. Guns and tobacco are not allowed in the fenced pool area. IMPORTANT REMINDER Do not park cars on the street overnight (except in cut-out at Townhomes)! It is against our HOA covenants and you can incur fines. PLEASE SHARE Have any ideas or articles for future newsletters? Please share them with Jan Hirsch at jan@thecotswoldshoa.com. 5
DOGS IN HOT CARS & ON HOT PAVEMENT https://www.peta.org/issues/companion-animal-issues/cruel-practices/dog-hot-car/ Every year, dogs suffer and die when their guardians make the mistake of leaving them in a parked car even for just a minute while they run an errand. Parked cars are deathtraps for dogs: On a 78-degree day, the temperature inside a parked car can soar to 100 degrees in just minutes, and on a 90-degree day, the interior temperature can reach as high as 109 degrees in less than 10 minutes. Animals can sustain brain damage or even die from heatstroke in just 15 minutes. Beating the heat is extra tough for dogs because they can only cool themselves by panting. If you see a dog left alone in a hot car, take down the car s color, model, make, and license plate number. Have the owner paged in the nearest buildings, or call local humane authorities or police. Have someone keep an eye on the dog. Don t leave the scene until the situation has been resolved. If the authorities are unresponsive or too slow and the dog s life appears to be in imminent danger, find a witness (or several) who will back up your assessment, take steps to remove the suffering animal from the car, and then wait for authorities to arrive. Watch for heatstroke symptoms such as restlessness, excessive thirst, thick saliva, heavy panting, lethargy, lack of appetite, dark tongue, rapid heartbeat, fever, vomiting, bloody diarrhea, and lack of coordination. If a dog shows any of these symptoms, get him or her out of the heat, preferably into an air-conditioned vehicle, and then to a veterinarian immediately. If you are unable to transport the dog yourself, take him or her into an air-conditioned building if possible and call animal control: Tell them it is an emergency. Provide water to drink, and if possible spray the dog with a garden hose or immerse him or her in a tub of cool (but not iced) water for up to two minutes in order to lower the body temperature gradually. You can also place the dog in front of an electric fan. Applying cool, wet towels to the groin area, stomach, chest, and paws can also help. Be careful not to use ice or cold water, and don t overcool the animal. When walking your dog, keep in mind that if it feels hot enough to fry an egg outside, it probably is. When the air temperature is 86 degrees, the asphalt can reach a sizzling 135 degrees more than hot enough to cook an egg in five minutes. And it can do the same to our canine companions sensitive foot pads. On an 87-degree day, asphalt temperatures can reach 140 degrees, hot enough to cause burns, permanent damage and scarring after just one minute of contact. Rapid burns and blistering can occur at 150 degrees. Hot sidewalks, pavement and parking lots can not only burn paws, they also reflect heat onto dogs bodies, increasing their risk of deadly heatstroke. If you wouldn t put your dog in a frying pan, please don t make him or her walk on hot pavement. Always test the pavement with your hand before setting out (too hot to touch is too hot for Spot), walk early in the morning or late at night when it s cooler, carry water and take frequent breaks in shady spots and never make dogs wear muzzles that restrict their breathing. 6
RENTING THE CLUBHOUSE AT 3839 COTSWOLD DRIVE N - BIRMINGHAM, AL 35242 Reservations provide Residents with sole use of only the Clubhouse Kitchen and Clubhouse main sitting area during the reserved time. The fitness room, bathrooms, water fountain, pool and pool deck will be shared with any other residents and their guest (s) at that given time. SUMMER PROJECTS Painting, Fences, Landscaping, etc. Please remember that exterior projects, such as having a new roof installed, painting your home, including the front door (but not including minor touching up), replacing a fence, replacing a tree, installing new planter beds or borders, and similar projects require that an Architectural Change Request be submitted before work begins. The process is very simple. Go to our website http://thecotswoldshoa.com/arc-requests-- guidelines.html. On the bottom of that page, you will find the ARC Request Form to complete. In most cases the Change Request is processed in less than 72 hours. THE COTSWOLDS WELCOME COMMITTEE NEEDS YOU! Our Welcome Committee has already visited 40+ homes to welcome neighborhood newcomers. Typically our welcome visit includes cookies, a list of highly recommended service providers (handymen, electricians, etc.) and the welcome committee member s contact information to have someone to call with any questions they might have about the neighborhood. If you have been in your home less than three months and have not yet been visited, please contact Jan Hirsch at 205-582-2761 and she will be happy to make sure you have a visit soon. Nataliya is a Cotswolds resident! 7
8