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January 2013.prf - Windward Homeowners Association

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News & Notes from<br />

<strong>Windward</strong> Community<br />

Services <strong>Association</strong><br />

Winter 2013<br />

volume four | issue one<br />

Original <strong>Windward</strong> Sales Ad from 1983.<br />

The Mainsail is the official newsletter of<br />

<strong>Windward</strong> Community Services <strong>Association</strong> (WCSA)


Helping Families<br />

Fulfill Their Dreams<br />

“My goal is to build a relationship of<br />

confidence and trust with buyers and sellers,<br />

with listening and helping them make informed<br />

decisions and protecting their interests<br />

throughout the real estate transaction.”<br />

The Mainsail ■ Winter 2013<br />

Linda Buckingham<br />

678-907-7970<br />

LindaBuckingham@Remax.net<br />

www.LindaBuckingham.net<br />

Specializing in <strong>Windward</strong>, North Fulton & South Forsyth Communities<br />

Residential, Investment & Second Home Sales<br />

Accredited Relocation Specialist • <strong>Windward</strong> Resident<br />

2


<strong>Windward</strong> Community Services<br />

<strong>Association</strong><br />

2012 BOARD OF DIRECTORS<br />

President<br />

Georgia Barrow<br />

678-339-0898<br />

gbarrow@sent.com<br />

INSIDE THIS<br />

ISSUE<br />

Vice President<br />

Pat Corkill<br />

404-680-2392<br />

patrickcork@comcast.net<br />

Assistant VP and Treasurer<br />

<strong>Windward</strong> — A<br />

Legacy of Thirty<br />

Years<br />

5<br />

Mike Knottek<br />

Mknottek@aol.com<br />

Secretary<br />

Chris Palmer<br />

770-475-0722<br />

cbampalmer@bellsouth.net<br />

Property<br />

Committee Report<br />

7<br />

First Annual Wine,<br />

Dine, and Jazz<br />

Event — Sold Out<br />

14<br />

Lake Chair<br />

Ed Tessaro<br />

770-410-1981<br />

etessaro@comcast.net<br />

Covenants/Modifications Chair<br />

Finance<br />

Committee Report<br />

8<br />

Modifications<br />

Committee Report<br />

14<br />

Georgia Barrow<br />

678-339-0898<br />

gbarrow@sent.com<br />

Property Chair<br />

Pat Corkill<br />

404-680-2392<br />

patrickcork@comcast.net<br />

<strong>Windward</strong> Women’s<br />

Club Kick-Off<br />

30th Anniversary<br />

10<br />

Golf Club of<br />

Georgia Update<br />

17<br />

Communications Chair<br />

Chris Palmer<br />

404-402-5918<br />

cbampalmer@bellsouth.net<br />

Social Committee Chair<br />

Lake Committee<br />

Report<br />

10<br />

Lake <strong>Windward</strong><br />

Yacht Club and<br />

Save the Date<br />

18<br />

Martine Zurinskas<br />

mar_rawlings@yahoo.com<br />

Member-at-Large<br />

Ron Bloom<br />

770-740-1446<br />

ronbloom@bellsouth.net<br />

Communications<br />

Committee Report<br />

12<br />

Platform Tennis<br />

Added at Lake<br />

<strong>Windward</strong> Club<br />

18<br />

<strong>Windward</strong> Website<br />

www.windwardcommunity.org<br />

Property Manager<br />

For property/covenants related<br />

questions, contact<br />

Penelope Morgan-Hilliard<br />

Phone: 678-551-7550<br />

Community One<br />

Mainsail Newsletter<br />

Curtis Martin, Editor<br />

chmartinjr@yahoo.com<br />

Welcome:<br />

to our New Property<br />

Management<br />

Company<br />

13<br />

The WCSA annual meeting and elections will<br />

be at 6:30 PM on March 27, 2013 at Creek View<br />

Elementary. Candidate bio’s are due to Chris Palmer,<br />

WCSA Secretary by February 1, 2013. Electronic<br />

voting will start March 1, 2013.<br />

Social<br />

Committee Report<br />

21<br />

Alpharetta City<br />

Council — A Year<br />

in Review<br />

22<br />

windwardcommunity.org ■ Winter 2013<br />

3


Celebrating Over 17 Years of Quality Service<br />

Serving <strong>Windward</strong> Residents<br />

Over 6 Years<br />

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ROOF REPAIRS<br />

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770-323-3148<br />

The Mainsail is funded with revenue from sponsor advertising.<br />

Give the sponsors a chance to earn your business!<br />

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The Mainsail ■ Winter 2013<br />

Quarterly Special<br />

Standard 40-Gallon Water Heater<br />

(Gas or Electric)<br />

with Thermal Expansion Tank<br />

$850. 00 (no hidden fees)<br />

10% off<br />

(up to $50) any plumbing repair<br />

Mention this offer for discount<br />

We honor any business coupon up to $50 off<br />

(not limited to plumbing coupons)<br />

Cannot combine any offers, must have coupon.<br />

770.917.1852 | 770.432.8890<br />

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Senior, Military, New Customer Discounts<br />

Free Gutter Cleaning with Interior or Exterior Painting!<br />

Over 15 years Of<br />

experience<br />

customer satisfaction<br />

Guaranteed!<br />

References Available<br />

770.238.6216<br />

www.jandjpaintingofga.com<br />

Insured, Licensed & Bonded<br />

residential interior &<br />

exterior painting<br />

Deck repair/staining<br />

carpentry repair<br />

pressure Washing<br />

Garage floor coating<br />

siding replacement<br />

crown/Molding<br />

installation<br />

competitive pricing<br />

Written Warranty for<br />

all Work<br />

4


WINDWARD–A Legacy of Thirty Years<br />

By David Baker<br />

As part of the original team assembled to<br />

launch <strong>Windward</strong> in the early ‘80’s, the<br />

legacy that <strong>Windward</strong>’s success would<br />

leave on Alpharetta and the region was<br />

beyond our vision or that of anyone else<br />

. . . in the beginning.<br />

Thirty years ago, ‘Dunwoody’<br />

and ‘Perimeter Center’ were<br />

the epic centers for north<br />

Atlanta’s live and work activity;<br />

‘Roswell’ was a leap-of-faith<br />

for most home shoppers; and,<br />

virtually, no one had heard of<br />

‘Alpharetta’ including Realtors<br />

who, at the time, rarely crossed<br />

north over the Chattahoochee<br />

River to show homes and who<br />

greatly influenced the buyingdecisions<br />

of families, especially<br />

transferees who were key to<br />

Atlanta’s home-sales success<br />

throughout the ‘80’s.<br />

Still, Mobil Land Development<br />

Corporation had a unique<br />

vision for a master-planned,<br />

mixed-use live-work-and-play<br />

community on a quietlyassembled<br />

parcel of 3,400<br />

acres in a rural town called<br />

Alpharetta. Little did anyone<br />

realize then, but ‘<strong>Windward</strong>’s<br />

destiny’ was the catalyst for<br />

the decisions to build North<br />

Point Mall, the springboard<br />

for Alpharetta’s corporate and<br />

residential developments, and<br />

the growth of the Georgia 400<br />

corridor through Cumming to<br />

Dawsonville, west to Milton<br />

into Cherokee County, and<br />

east through John’s Creek<br />

and Suwanee.<br />

The first to commit to <strong>Windward</strong>’s office park<br />

were Digital Communications Associates and<br />

AT&T; their commitments were based upon<br />

Mobil’s keen foresight to install high-speed<br />

fiber-optic cable within the underground<br />

infrastructure of <strong>Windward</strong> Parkway to attract<br />

high-tech corporate decision makers.<br />

For years, the Webb Bridge Road entrance<br />

was the only gateway to our residential<br />

neighborhoods; <strong>Windward</strong> Parkway ended near<br />

Alderman Drive and Lake <strong>Windward</strong> Drive<br />

concluded at the northern edge of the dam. First<br />

to develop were Clipper Bay I and The Bluffs off<br />

Lake <strong>Windward</strong> Drive; in late 1982, when I first<br />

drove to <strong>Windward</strong>, the sewer lines and curbs<br />

were in on Clipper Bay Drive, but the roads had<br />

not been paved and water from Caney Creek<br />

and Big Creek was filling our 196-acre manmade<br />

lake. Once filled, Mobil stocked the lake<br />

with 8,000 bass and 50,000 brim, placing an<br />

eighteen-month moratorium on any fishing to<br />

allow the fish to acclimate and spawn.<br />

Staghound Court was the setting for our sales<br />

center and two designer models; at the time<br />

‘model homes’ in Atlanta were, otherwise, nonexistent<br />

. . . so their presence were an inquisitive<br />

draw for area locals. In August of ’83, <strong>Windward</strong><br />

opened with an amazing invitation-only event<br />

along the lake on Dashing Wave Lane to the<br />

sounds of an orchestra, a dance floor, cocktails,<br />

dinner, fireworks over the lake, and a ribboncutting<br />

tour of the models. Attendees were<br />

impressed, but dismayed that anyone would<br />

make a sizable investment this far out in a rural<br />

setting that included a drug store; a dingy, illstocked<br />

grocery store; a hardware store; and a<br />

dairy farm where North Fulton Hospital would<br />

eventually be built. Pioneering residents would<br />

travel to Roswell for most conveniences.<br />

Our promotion of stunning<br />

model homes and a pristine<br />

196-acre lake (30 minutes closer<br />

in than Lake Lanier) attracted<br />

the curious; fortunately, at<br />

the same time, Rockwell<br />

International was relocating<br />

from Ohio to rural Duluth,<br />

and five Rockwell families<br />

bought homes in Clipper<br />

Bay, prompting immediate<br />

new-home construction, and<br />

helping to stem the isolated,<br />

pioneering experience. When<br />

the ATLANTA JOURNAL &<br />

CONSTITUTION featured<br />

a full-page, front-page story<br />

on <strong>Windward</strong> one Sunday, a<br />

single-day surge of over 1,200<br />

people to the community<br />

signaled our official launch!<br />

As sales manager, my mantra<br />

for <strong>Windward</strong>’s success was<br />

to communicate to buyers<br />

and Realtors that “you moved<br />

further out for a quality of<br />

life unavailable closer in” . .<br />

. and ‘the seed was planted’<br />

with consumers; skeptical,<br />

uncommitted, naysayers<br />

would return, regularly, to<br />

examine our progress and,<br />

eventually, a few would<br />

purchase. Grass-roots<br />

marketing and word of a<br />

perceived sales momentum<br />

would reach Realtors, and a fear of buyers<br />

discovering <strong>Windward</strong> without them, prompted<br />

their eventual support.<br />

Within a year of ground-breaking, other<br />

upscale communities emerged in Alpharetta<br />

to the east along the Chattahoochee River,<br />

and corporate decision makers migrated north<br />

with their families’; as ‘corporate leases expired<br />

in Perimeter Center’, these decision-making<br />

executives would make commitments to<br />

relocate their operations to <strong>Windward</strong> to avoid<br />

the longer Georgia 400 commute.<br />

By the late ‘80’s, Cousins Properties was<br />

entertaining the idea of ‘a new mall’; by<br />

then, <strong>Windward</strong>’s booming influence and<br />

Continued on page 7.<br />

windwardcommunity.org ■ Winter 2013<br />

5


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Continued from page 5.<br />

construction activity in Roswell<br />

were market evidence that the next<br />

great ‘layering of suburbia’ (north of<br />

Perimeter Mall) was Alpharetta. As a<br />

result, Cousins committed to North<br />

Point Mall, began construction of<br />

North Point Parkway from Mansell<br />

Road to Haynes Bridge Road, and<br />

developed the big-box retail centers,<br />

restaurant sites, and theaters flanking<br />

the parkway, almost overnight.<br />

As <strong>Windward</strong>’s corporate growth<br />

continued, support staff that<br />

previously commuted from the more<br />

affordable bedroom communities<br />

of Smyrna, Tucker, and Stone<br />

Mountain to Perimeter Center<br />

found their new, extended drive<br />

north to <strong>Windward</strong> increasingly<br />

difficult. Since <strong>Windward</strong> had<br />

signaled ‘a land rush’ in Alpharetta<br />

and affordable land had disappeared,<br />

builders looked to the then-rural<br />

sub-markets of Canton, Cumming,<br />

Dawsonville, John’s Creek, and<br />

Suwanee in the early ‘90’s to build<br />

and sell moderately-priced homes . . .<br />

to satisfy demand from <strong>Windward</strong>’s<br />

corporate employment boom.<br />

Looking back thirty years, a forwardthinking<br />

Mobil Land Development<br />

Corporation was the impetus that<br />

stimulated Alpharetta’s small-town<br />

City Council to THINK BIG. Now<br />

in 2013, Alpharetta’s mayor and city<br />

council are ‘the forward-thinking<br />

visionaries’, the pied pipers, growing<br />

and advancing Alpharetta’s techsavvy<br />

reputation to retain preferred<br />

corporate relationships and attract<br />

new ones to our city’s doorstep,<br />

while maintaining and enhancing an<br />

enviable quality of life for its citizens<br />

and work-week commuters.<br />

About the Author: David Baker<br />

is an Atlanta-based real estate<br />

sales and marketing professional<br />

specializing in single-family,<br />

multi-family and new urbanism<br />

developments. His work and<br />

successes been recognized locally,<br />

regionally, and nationally. He<br />

makes his home in The Spinnakers<br />

with his three canine companions.<br />

Property Committee Report<br />

By Patrick Corkill, Committee Chairperson<br />

A<br />

new year is upon us and with it new goals for our community. 2012 was a busy year and we were<br />

able to accomplish many things. We completed our first phase of landscape upgrades to the common<br />

areas, including new landscape accent lighting at our main entry’s and the dam, 5 miles of new<br />

plantings on the shoulders of our main thoroughfares, cleaning up of the native buffer areas, limbing-up our<br />

large street trees, and removing dead or dangerous trees. We have replaced the roofs on the pavilions at the<br />

Sports Park & Boat Launch, replaced the lake walls at the Pocket Parks & the Boat Launch, and installed<br />

a new, state of the art gate system at the Boat Launch gate.<br />

We have worked closely with the City of Alpharetta, and with<br />

the help of Pete Sewczwicz — Director of Public Works, ensured<br />

that the plantings at the Douglas Road roundabout & Webb<br />

Bridge-Shirley Bridge intersection put <strong>Windward</strong>’s best foot<br />

forward. We have new decorative black light poles installed<br />

for all of Lake <strong>Windward</strong> Drive, replacing the old wood poles.<br />

The City has installed a new and modern crosswalk system<br />

between the Sports Park & the Boat Launch, along with a new<br />

sidewalk connection — complete with ADA accessible ramps.<br />

The <strong>Windward</strong> Community Services <strong>Association</strong> Board has<br />

successfully negotiated a new grounds maintenance contract for<br />

the next three years with NatureScapes Landscape Services. We<br />

have been able to upgrade the services provided in the contract<br />

and specifications for a lesser cost than our previous contract.<br />

NatureScapes is a local company, owned and operated by the<br />

same man who built it from a pickup truck and a mower. They<br />

have agreed to open a satellite office less than two miles from<br />

<strong>Windward</strong>, guaranteeing us prompt and immediate care.<br />

2013 will be a busy year with the completion of the second<br />

phase of landscape upgrades. The final 1/2 mile of streetscape<br />

will be completed on Southlake Drive, from Lakewind Way to<br />

Clipper Bay Drive. Another section of Lake <strong>Windward</strong> Drive<br />

will have been completed from Clipper Bay to the dam. The<br />

landscape on the dam has been opened up to obtain better views<br />

of our gorgeous lake and new lighting has been installed, uplighting<br />

the trees. A very special thank you to the <strong>Windward</strong><br />

Women’s Club for their generous donation of new benches and trash receptacles. Their donation<br />

also included a new community bulletin board on the wall of the bathrooms at the Sports Park.<br />

The goal of the third phase of landscape upgrades is to finish the road shoulders, start upgrading<br />

individual subdivision entries and cul-de-sacs, and continue to add and upgrade our lighting. In addition,<br />

the Sports Park and Boat Launch will continue to see upgrades, such as new landscape, picnic tables<br />

& benches, baby changing stations, trash receptacles, and upgrades around the play area and dog park.<br />

Improved access to the dog park and user-friendly pocket parks will be one of the goals of 2013.<br />

We will continue to work with the City<br />

on issues affecting the streetscape of our<br />

community, such as the continuation of<br />

the Douglas Road sidewalk improvements<br />

from Oak Tree Hollow to the edge of City<br />

limits at Jones Bridge Road — scheduled to<br />

be completed in the first quarter of 2013.<br />

The Property Committee and the WCSA<br />

Board of Directors continues to strive to<br />

improve our community and its resident’s<br />

quality of life. WCSA sees the property of<br />

<strong>Windward</strong> as its finest asset. We continue<br />

to work at upgrading, maintaining and<br />

adding value to our community. We have<br />

accomplished a great deal recently, and we<br />

continue to add goals of value for the future.<br />

The entire community of <strong>Windward</strong> thanks<br />

Peter Sewczwicz, Engineering and Public<br />

Works Director for the City of Alpharetta,<br />

and William Canady, Lighting Services of<br />

GA Power, for the replacement street lights<br />

being installed along Lake <strong>Windward</strong> Drive.<br />

Pat Corkill (Property Committee Chair) and I<br />

met with Director Sewczwicz early November<br />

and one topic discussed was replacing the<br />

old wooden street lights with the new black<br />

metal poles. Thank you Mr. Sewczwicz for<br />

meeting with Mr. Canady, and for making our<br />

community a GA Power priority.<br />

windwardcommunity.org ■ Winter 2013<br />

7


Finance Committee Report<br />

By Mike Knotteck<br />

The Mainsail ■ Winter 2013<br />

8<br />

The Board of Directors of your <strong>Windward</strong> Community<br />

Services <strong>Association</strong> has always done a diligent job of getting<br />

the biggest bang out of your annual assessment dollars. The<br />

Board’s effectiveness is pretty evident when you think that the annual<br />

assessment has remained same, at $475 00 , since <strong>January</strong> 2005.<br />

However, every year is a greater and greater challenge as costs continue<br />

to rise and the amenities, landscaping, and common areas continue<br />

to age — no matter how well maintained — requiring maintenance<br />

and replacement. This past year, 2012, your Board decided to do<br />

an exhaustive study of Community <strong>Association</strong>s’ best practices<br />

in order to find more and better ways to stretch your dollars. You<br />

may have read in an earlier Mainsail article about the completion<br />

of this “White Paper” effort in September 2012. One of the many<br />

things that came out of this study was a more structured approach<br />

to our vendor management. One of the best practices implemented<br />

in 2012 was “All contractual arrangements need to go to bid every<br />

three years unless specifically approved by the Board.” Using this<br />

best practice, two of your major vendors — Property Management<br />

and Landscape Maintenance — were taken out to bid. In both<br />

instances new vendors were selected. During the intense RFP process<br />

the Board was able to streamline practices, better align vendor<br />

performance to higher standards and, here’s the best part, AT LOWER<br />

COST. There are many more best practices to be implemented.<br />

Also, at the Board’s direction, your Treasurer was asked to prepare<br />

monthly presentations to the Board that condensed up to 70 pages<br />

of financial information to one or two pages of meaningful and<br />

actionable data. By the way, all residents are invited to attend the<br />

monthly Board meetings. Visit www.windwardcommunity.org for<br />

times and locations. The Treasurer developed a two page monthly<br />

“Dash Board” that highlighted the status of reserves, collections<br />

and performance against budget. The Treasurer emphasizes each<br />

month areas of concern, variations from budget, and actions needed<br />

to take place. This new, simplified financial review allows the Board<br />

to quickly take action to bring operations back on budget.<br />

This year a new zero-based approach was implemented for the<br />

2013 budget preparation. The budget was built from the bottom<br />

up, allowing each Board Member and Committee Chair to have<br />

direct input into the budgeting process. This new approach allowed<br />

all involved to have ownership of the budget, ensuring attention<br />

to detail throughout 2013. After final review and adjustment by<br />

the full Board, we ended up with a completely balanced budget.<br />

That is, expenses for the year equal the revenues for the year.<br />

I would like to add that the Board uses, in all cases, the most<br />

conservative accounting principles available. One small example is<br />

the Board does not recognize revenue until it is received (versus when<br />

billed) but expenses are recognized when incurred. And just to make<br />

sure nothing is missed the <strong>Association</strong>’s annual financial statements<br />

are audited each year by an independent outside accounting firm.<br />

At the risk of boring you all to death I want to talk about some<br />

the financial goals for 2013. First, we are looking to get more<br />

sophisticated in the investing of your excess reserves. The goal will<br />

be to get a higher return, while still providing 100% protection<br />

of the principal. We will seek out an investment advisor to<br />

assist us, which will be done in a process similar to an RFP.<br />

In 2010 your Board sanctioned a Capital Reserve Analysis. What is<br />

a Capital Reserve Analysis? It is a report that gives an estimate of the<br />

amount of money which must be put aside to replace or restore the<br />

common areas, amenities, and building components that will require<br />

replacement in the future. In others words, the analysis indicates how<br />

much money we need to put away today, to fix or replace things in<br />

the future. The 2010 study analyzed every single item for which the<br />

<strong>Association</strong> is responsible. In 2011 and 2012 the study was used as a guide<br />

as many items were upgraded and replaced. The reserves covered much<br />

of the landscape improvements you noticed being done in 2011 and<br />

2012. Beginning in 2013, the Capital Reserve Analysis will become much<br />

more of a game plan rather than a guide, and in the 2014 budget there<br />

will be specific provision to fund the capital reserves going forward.<br />

Okay, how will these financial goals and projects be accomplished<br />

in 2013? It will be done through the formation and work of a<br />

Finance Committee. As covered in the White Paper, the first order<br />

of business for the Finance Committee members will be to develop<br />

a statement of responsibility outlining their specific duties and<br />

responsibilities. As our best practices study revealed, good Finance<br />

Committees — among other things — work with the Treasurer to:<br />

1. Review and analyze the annual budget.<br />

2. Make recommendations regarding financial controls,<br />

budget procedures and accountability.<br />

3. Review and analyze monthly financial<br />

statements and bank reconciliations.<br />

4. Review insurance provisions and make<br />

recommendations on the adequacy of coverage.<br />

5. Review and make recommendations on the adequacy of reserves.<br />

6. Review budgeted and un-budgeted expenses and make<br />

recommendations regarding adequacy and priority.<br />

7. Review and make recommendations on investment options.<br />

The board is committed to keeping on top of the challenges mentioned<br />

above. As we mark 30 years of success, we look forward to celebrating<br />

our 40 th in ten years knowing we are putting the tools and teams in<br />

place to help us remain the premier place to live in North Fulton.


Grand<br />

Now<br />

TWO<br />

locatIons In<br />

the avenue!<br />

suItes 108<br />

& 208!<br />

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9


<strong>Windward</strong><br />

Women’s Club<br />

Kicks off 30th<br />

Anniversary,<br />

Celebrate our<br />

Community!<br />

By Fiona Bagley,<br />

<strong>Windward</strong> Resident<br />

Lake Committee Report<br />

By Ed Tessaro, Committee Chairperson<br />

The Mainsail ■ Winter 2013<br />

10<br />

If you have walked, driven, or<br />

biked along Lake <strong>Windward</strong> Drive<br />

anytime lately, you will have no<br />

doubt noticed a lot of improvements<br />

being made to the landscaping<br />

along the lake-side edge. Thanks<br />

to the <strong>Windward</strong> Women’s Club<br />

you will soon notice even more<br />

improvements being made to<br />

benefit all <strong>Windward</strong> residents!<br />

The <strong>Windward</strong> Women’s Club has<br />

a long history of charitable giving<br />

in the North Fulton community.<br />

With <strong>Windward</strong>’s 30th Anniversary<br />

approaching, the Club contacted<br />

the WCSA and asked where they<br />

could contribute right here in our<br />

own community. As a result, you<br />

will soon see two new benches<br />

along the lake front, as well as trash<br />

cans. The <strong>Windward</strong> Women’s<br />

Club also donated a community<br />

bulletin board to be installed<br />

at the Sports Park, along with<br />

two diaper changing stations.<br />

Many thanks from everyone to<br />

the <strong>Windward</strong> Women’s Club<br />

for their generous donation to kick<br />

off our 30 th Anniversary. Please<br />

remember that they fund their<br />

charitable giving with fundraisers<br />

such as their pine straw sale and<br />

other activities. Please support<br />

these fundraisers if you are able.<br />

For more information on the club<br />

and their social events, please go<br />

to http://windwardwwc.org/.<br />

The new year will bring a number of long-term Lake objectives into focus. The Lake<br />

Committee — now ten volunteers strong — is evaluating work in the following areas, and<br />

will discuss recommendations at the <strong>Windward</strong> Community Services <strong>Association</strong>’s annual<br />

meeting on March 27 th :<br />

1. Fish Population: Long-term health and planning<br />

2. Lake Maintenance: Re-assessment of dredging operations, silt-trap cleaning,<br />

launch ramp, and dam inspections–in line with revised City requirements.<br />

3. Boating Guidelines: Emphasis on navigation rules, right-of-way, professional instruction. etc.<br />

4. Lake-Based Community Activities<br />

5. Lake Access<br />

In early <strong>January</strong>, the Lake Committee invited Aquascape Environmental to join the quarterly<br />

meeting, in order to listen to resident ideas on fish population and forage-fish stocking, and to<br />

offer seasonal tips for anglers. Fisheries Biologist Alfred Mauldin joined Operations Manager<br />

Evan Carpenter for the session, to speak to long-term lake health, and how we might better<br />

manage our community’s largest amenity. Al’s experience ranges over 41 years, including<br />

the Presidency of the Georgia Chapter of the American Fisheries Society, and Chair of the<br />

Southern Division of the AFS Technical Committee. He’s evaluated over 4,000 projects our<br />

size. Recommendations were many, to be discussed with the WCSA Board in February/March.<br />

Look for updates at the March 27 th Annual Meeting, and in the April edition of the Mainsail.<br />

You were likely aware that Lake <strong>Windward</strong> was dredged in late spring/early summer this year — a big<br />

process we undertake every 3 years or so — to essentially keep clear the paths to the coves. It’s through<br />

these paths that fresh streams feed the lake. Silt Traps are cleaned every 1 – 2 years, and we’ll order<br />

a lake debris pick-up following significant seasonal storms. The City of Alpharetta has had more to<br />

say about the details of these operations however, so the Lake Committee, and professional engineers<br />

who advise the Board, are hard at work on long-term solutions. Again, more details in the spring.<br />

Hope to see you again at the 2 nd Annual Rock at the Dock party in May, and other new events<br />

from the Social Committee.<br />

Boating ideas are flying these days, to make the lake more fun for all residents, and boaters more<br />

aware of their responsibilities to other sportsmen and families. Board members Ron Bloom and<br />

Martine Zurinskas are working on a complete package of navigation and right-of-way guidelines, as<br />

well as boater-training opportunities for this summer. Boater education courses are available online,<br />

many at no cost, such as the Boat US Foundation training, (info at 1-800-336-2628). Also, we hope<br />

as boat-owners you’ve shared your email with us for important messages. The email form is on our<br />

site, as are all lake rules for boats, boaters, and lake access info, at www.windwardcommunity.org.<br />

See you at the Annual Meeting in March. In the meantime, refer all lake questions to our new<br />

management company, Community One Associates, and continue to reach out to Lake Committee<br />

members for more conversation, anytime.


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windwardcommunity.org ■ Winter 2013<br />

11


Communication Committee Report<br />

By Chris Palmer, Committee Chairperson<br />

New and Improved. Do you<br />

ever think those words are overused? In a<br />

30 year old community, would that be a<br />

misnomer? With four new board members<br />

in 2012, lots of energy and fresh ideas for<br />

<strong>Windward</strong>, the term wouldn’t be a misuse.<br />

For the Communications Committee,<br />

providing you the information you need<br />

without bias, with transparency, with<br />

accessibility to try to engage <strong>Windward</strong><br />

and make the community the best it can be<br />

continues to be our mission. Many people<br />

have expressed their appreciation for the<br />

improvements that have facilitated this access.<br />

A year ago, we were introducing the new<br />

website. Since then, it has been fleshed out<br />

with a password protected online directory,<br />

all the forms, guidelines and governance<br />

documents, neighborhood information,<br />

board agendas and minutes, and a regularly<br />

updated calendar. The Mainsail has followed<br />

suit with pieces that describe the key decisions<br />

made by the board, updates to the status of<br />

on-going projects, announcements of new<br />

social activities, and introductions to some of<br />

our neighbors who are bringing recognition<br />

to <strong>Windward</strong> through their successes.<br />

Better communication with the Golf Club<br />

of Georgia led to <strong>Windward</strong> Preferred<br />

membership plans (over a dozen have taken<br />

advantage in eight months since it was<br />

announced) and the partnership in the sold out<br />

“Wine, dine, and jazz” event in November.<br />

Goals for 2103 are still new and improved,<br />

expanding on those ideas by providing new<br />

access to your WCSA Resident Account<br />

through the website. Monthly “Talk to<br />

the Board meetings” will be held for ready<br />

access to board members, and answers your<br />

questions. Improvements are underway<br />

in getting new residents involved sooner,<br />

with more outreach, new activities, and<br />

with clearer information about who to<br />

talk to and how to get things done.<br />

As Alpharetta builds its new branding as<br />

“Technology City of the South”, <strong>Windward</strong><br />

also needs to maintain and improve its position<br />

as the top place to live, work, and play. We are<br />

working on identifying and documenting a<br />

comprehensive view of those new and improved<br />

things that will help us over the next 10 years,<br />

as homeowners and as a community, so that<br />

in 2023 we can celebrate 40 years remaining<br />

the most desirable location in the area.<br />

Please note the<br />

remit to address<br />

is different,<br />

now going to<br />

the processing<br />

center in Miami,<br />

FL. You also<br />

will have a new<br />

account number.<br />

If you have<br />

been paying by<br />

automated bank<br />

transfer, you will<br />

need to change<br />

your payment.<br />

The Mainsail ■ Winter 2013<br />

<strong>Windward</strong> Website:<br />

Resident Account Information<br />

See your balance; pay<br />

your bill, and more!<br />

As WCSA has transitioned our<br />

management functions to Community One<br />

Associates, the Resident Account portion of<br />

the <strong>Windward</strong> website has been activated.<br />

To access your information, sign in at<br />

the top right. If you haven’t signed in<br />

before, the system will ask you to create a<br />

user name (usually people use their email<br />

address) and password, verifying against<br />

its database created from your closing<br />

documents. Alternatively, you can contact<br />

Seneca Taylor at (678) 554-7569, to create<br />

the user name and password for you.<br />

When you have entered your sign in<br />

information, the Home screen and tab will<br />

become visible, with the account functions<br />

accessible at the top left under your name.<br />

12


Welcome!<br />

— to our new Property<br />

Management Company,<br />

Community One Associates<br />

Who is Community One? Established in 2002, Community<br />

One’s 120 person team manages about 130 communities<br />

in Georgia and Tennessee. They are part of FirstService<br />

Residential Management (5,600+ communities). Located just<br />

north of <strong>Windward</strong> at 1235 Old Alpharetta Rd. (off McGinnis<br />

Ferry), the <strong>Windward</strong> Community Services <strong>Association</strong><br />

board chose Community One because of accessibility, services<br />

provided, and cost. This included operational and systems<br />

flexibility, better financial tools (accounting, budgeting, and<br />

reporting), integrated documentation (scanned contracts,<br />

modifications docs, history, etc. tied to invoices and vendor<br />

records), website integration (ease of use and functionality for<br />

both residents and Community Manager), just to name a few.<br />

Key Community One names to know:<br />

Matt Phillips, CEO<br />

Matt has over twenty years of construction,<br />

development, and property management experience<br />

in the Atlanta area. As a former HOA president, he<br />

understands the challenges and solutions available to<br />

homeowner’s associations and their communities. Matt<br />

holds a Real Estate Broker’s License and is active in<br />

many professional organizations including the Urban<br />

Land Institute, US Green Building Council, and Greater<br />

Atlanta Homebuilders <strong>Association</strong>.<br />

For 2013:<br />

New Assessment Billing<br />

If you receive an envelope from Community<br />

One Associates, please don’t discard it!<br />

As you can see from the sample, since WCSA<br />

is with a new management company this<br />

year, your assessment billing will have a<br />

different look. However, the contents are<br />

the same. As indicated in a previous article,<br />

the 2013 assessment is the same as in 2012<br />

and remains due on February 1, 2013.<br />

Please note the remit to address is different,<br />

now going to the processing center in Miami,<br />

FL. You also will have a new account number.<br />

If you have been paying by automated<br />

bank transfer, you will need to change<br />

your payment. New options to pay on-line,<br />

by credit card and Automated Clearing<br />

House are included with your statement.<br />

If you have questions, please contact Penelope<br />

Morgan-Hilliard at (678) 551-7550.<br />

Heather Martin, Vice President –<br />

Portfolio Management<br />

Heather is an active member of the Community<br />

<strong>Association</strong> Institute (CAI), with CMCA<br />

and AMS accreditations and Real Estate<br />

Management ARM certification. Heather joined<br />

Community One in 2008, and has over 15 years<br />

in the property management industry.<br />

Penelope Morgan-Hilliard,<br />

<strong>Windward</strong> Manager<br />

Penelope brings over fifteen years of customer service,<br />

management, and property management experience<br />

to the role of manager for <strong>Windward</strong>. She is a licensed<br />

Community <strong>Association</strong> Manager (CAI) and also<br />

member of the Building Owners and Managers Assn.<br />

Seneca Taylor, <strong>Windward</strong><br />

Customer Service Manager<br />

Seneca provides dedicated back-up for Penelope,<br />

as well as being a problem-solver in her own right.<br />

Seneca has been with Community One for five years.<br />

Her background in builder services allowed her to<br />

quickly understand the needs of the modifications<br />

committee, communications with the <strong>Windward</strong><br />

residents, and administering the databases<br />

for the website and computer systems.<br />

windwardcommunity.org ■ Winter 2013<br />

13


Modifications<br />

Committee<br />

Report<br />

By Georgia Barrow,<br />

Committee Chairperson<br />

The Mainsail ■ Winter 2013<br />

14<br />

1st Annual Wine, Dine, and Jazz Event — SOLD OUT!<br />

It was rumored that it was going to be a great event, with tickets rapidly selling out in less than<br />

four days. 180 lucky residents participated in this new event for <strong>Windward</strong>, hosted by the<br />

<strong>Windward</strong> Community Services <strong>Association</strong> — Wine, Dine, and Jazz.<br />

A very special thank you to our partners for this event: The Golf Club of Georgia<br />

and their great staff for the use of their clubhouse, Dal Cuore Restaurant and Market<br />

for the Wine tasting and The FlyCats Jazz Band for the fantastic entertainment.<br />

We had a wide variety of residents attend — from those who have lived here since the late<br />

80’s, to a couple who moved in just this past August! The diversity of social fabric that makes<br />

up our community is what makes <strong>Windward</strong> so special. As we celebrate <strong>Windward</strong>’s 30th<br />

anniversary in 2013, look forward to many more events in celebration of our COMMUNITY!<br />

Quotes from residents…<br />

“While our family has lived in <strong>Windward</strong> for the last five years,<br />

we’ve never attended an event like this. We really enjoyed<br />

meeting several new folks, but also seeing some familiar faces.<br />

Most times, our meetings with neighbors are rushed as we try<br />

to get the dog walk done, or the kids packed in the car, or<br />

we’re running from here to there. This event was different<br />

for us in that we could actually enjoy the company and<br />

camaraderie that differentiates our community from others<br />

here in North Fulton. I can’t believe we haven’t done<br />

something like this every year.” Melissa Morgan<br />

“Again, I appreciate your efforts in<br />

bringing this event to <strong>Windward</strong>.”<br />

“Events like this remind us what an<br />

incredible development <strong>Windward</strong><br />

is and what great people live here.<br />

November 2013, I will be there.”<br />

Debbie Stewart, Bluffs resident<br />

<strong>Windward</strong> will celebrate its 30 th<br />

year in 2013. If you take time to<br />

look closely at our neighborhoods,<br />

you’ll be pleased to see we don’t<br />

look 30 years old. Owners have<br />

cared for their yards and made<br />

investments in the appearance of<br />

their homes. The Modifications<br />

Committee has worked to<br />

make sure the neighborhood,<br />

as a whole, reflects this care,<br />

just as a builder does in their<br />

new home sub-divisions.<br />

The Modifications Committee<br />

reviews all of the changes that<br />

are to be made to the exterior<br />

of <strong>Windward</strong> homes (windows,<br />

paint, architecture, landscaping,<br />

etc). The Committee is comprised<br />

of people who are architects,<br />

landscape architects, nationally<br />

recognized consultant to builders<br />

and developers, members of<br />

the Alpharetta Design Review<br />

Board, members of the Alpharetta<br />

Code Enforcement Board,<br />

Contractors, Real Estate Agents,<br />

and Appraisers. You couldn’t ask<br />

for a better neighborhood resource.<br />

They not only review applications<br />

for the community, they will<br />

meet with you while you are still<br />

in the planning stages for your<br />

renovations or even pre-planning<br />

for that matter. The committee<br />

is constantly reviewing new<br />

materials and products as they<br />

come on the market in order to<br />

guide and assist you in making<br />

design and selection decisions. A<br />

great example of where you could<br />

use that expertise is replacement<br />

windows. Window vendors are<br />

overselling their energy efficiency<br />

and low price. Those homeowners<br />

who don’t know better end up<br />

narrowing the height and width<br />

of the window space and reducing<br />

their home’s curb appeal.<br />

So please ask us. We look forward<br />

to being of service to you and<br />

letting our expertise save you<br />

money and headaches as you plan<br />

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Golf Club of Georgia Update<br />

By Glenn Sheeley, <strong>Windward</strong> Resident & Director of Communications/Membership at The Golf Club of Georgia<br />

<strong>Windward</strong> will once again be the center of the amateur<br />

golf world on April 4, 2013, as The Golf Club of<br />

Georgia hosts the 16th Georgia Cup Match on its<br />

Lakeside Course between U.S. Amateur Champion Steven Fox of<br />

UT-Chattanooga, and British Amateur Champion Alan Dunbar of<br />

Northern Ireland. The Club also is honored to have former Masters<br />

Champion and Hall of Famer Billy Casper as Honorary Captain.<br />

The Georgia Cup is one of two world-class amateur events<br />

held right here in the <strong>Windward</strong> Community, following<br />

the 7 th United States Collegiate Championship, won by<br />

our own Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets last October.<br />

For both events, the Golf Club offered complimentary tickets<br />

to more than a hundred <strong>Windward</strong> residents who requested<br />

them and were able to experience amateur golf at its finest,<br />

while also taking a closer look at The Golf Club of Georgia.<br />

Indeed, it’s been a great 2012 – 2013 for both the<br />

Golf Club of Georgia and <strong>Windward</strong>.<br />

Late last summer, following an extensive survey of <strong>Windward</strong><br />

residents, the Club introduced a <strong>Windward</strong> Preferred Membership<br />

Program, which offers reduced initiation fees, a year of waived<br />

minimums, and up to nine complimentary guest rounds. More<br />

details on the <strong>Windward</strong> Preferred Membership Program can be<br />

found on the <strong>Windward</strong> website, www.windwardcommunity.<br />

org, under the <strong>Windward</strong> Amenities tab, Golf Club of Georgia.<br />

During 2012, we were pleased to enroll 13 <strong>Windward</strong> residents<br />

and their families as new members and we expect even more<br />

residents to take advantage of the offer in the spring. If you would<br />

like further information, or to set up a meeting, please contact<br />

Glenn Sheeley, Director of Communications and Membership<br />

at (404) 281-4152 or at gsheeley@golfclubofgeorgia.com.<br />

Keep in mind also, that all Golf Club of Georgia members who join<br />

the <strong>Windward</strong> Lake Club for swim, tennis, and boating<br />

are not required to pay that facility’s initiation fee.<br />

We’ve made some great strides in the last year or so, getting the<br />

word out to <strong>Windward</strong> residents that The Golf Club of Georgia<br />

truly is “your neighborhood golf club,” and probably a lot more<br />

affordable and family-friendly than you ever imagined.<br />

We also have made the Club available to <strong>Windward</strong> residents<br />

(without a member sponsor) for hosting social events — from<br />

weddings and bar mitzvahs, to baby showers, business meetings,<br />

and parties. Just contact Stephanie Lipnick, our Event Coordinator,<br />

for information on pricing and availability. She can be reached<br />

at (770) 772-8160, or slipnick@golfclubofgeorgia.com.<br />

We enjoyed seeing many of you at <strong>Windward</strong>’s November<br />

30 th “Wine, Dine, and Jazz” event. For some of you, it was a<br />

first visit. For others, it was a re-introduction to a new and<br />

different Club than what you might have seen in the past.<br />

We hope to see many more of you this spring at The Golf Club<br />

of Georgia.<br />

Platform Tennis added<br />

at Lake <strong>Windward</strong> Club<br />

If you grew up in the Northeast of Midwest, you probably<br />

saw some “crazy people” headed out with wooden “tennis<br />

racquets” in the middle of winter when wet or snow<br />

would have moved most tennis aficionados indoors.<br />

If curiosity moved you to further investigate, you could<br />

have been introduced to the sport of Platform Tennis.<br />

Platform Tennis is played on a smaller court with a spongy<br />

ball and shots can be played off the chicken wire “walls<br />

like squash or racquetball. Over 12,000 people belong to<br />

the American Platform Tennis <strong>Association</strong> which holds<br />

180 annual tournaments and 26 national championships.<br />

The <strong>Windward</strong> Lake Club was awarded a grant to<br />

add Platform Tennis to the great facilities already<br />

provided, and in December held the Grand Opening.<br />

Congratulations on bringing this popular sport to our<br />

area and keeping <strong>Windward</strong> ahead of the game.<br />

windwardcommunity.org ■ Winter 2013<br />

17


Lake <strong>Windward</strong> Yacht Club<br />

The Mainsail ■ Winter 2013<br />

18<br />

Save the Date!<br />

Commodores Ball<br />

5th Anniversary Celebration<br />

February 23rd<br />

Mark your calendars for this festive annual<br />

event — cocktails, dinner, and great dancing<br />

at the Golf Club of Georgia. This is the start<br />

of what promises to be another fun filled<br />

season for LWYC Members.<br />

Want to join? No boat, no problem!<br />

For membership information, please email<br />

lakewindwardyachtclub@gmail.com.<br />

‘Twas early in<br />

December and<br />

Lake <strong>Windward</strong> was<br />

awash in lights…<br />

Lake <strong>Windward</strong> Yacht Club’s<br />

annual Holiday Boat Parade<br />

may not be a challenger to the<br />

Palm Beach or Marina Del<br />

Ray, but a record 15 decorated<br />

boats touring the lake in the<br />

balmy weather provided the<br />

same response. Kids were<br />

delighted by Rudolph &<br />

Frosty, and skippers urged<br />

out every watt of energy from<br />

their batteries to illuminate<br />

the lake. Congratulations to<br />

the Lake <strong>Windward</strong> Yacht<br />

Club on a great show!<br />

The trees sparkling on the<br />

dam contributed to the festive<br />

look of the community, as<br />

did the many homes whose<br />

owners’ efforts brightened<br />

our attitudes on our evening<br />

drives home. If we, as the<br />

<strong>Windward</strong> Community<br />

Services <strong>Association</strong> Board,<br />

couldn’t reach out to each of<br />

our 5,000+ neighbors before<br />

now, then let us offer warmest<br />

wishes that your Holidays were<br />

joyous and that 2013 will be<br />

a wonderful, prosperous time<br />

for you and your families.


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windwardcommunity.org ■ Winter 2013<br />

19


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The Mainsail ■ Winter 2013<br />

20<br />

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<strong>Windward</strong> Social Committee<br />

By Martine Zurinskas, Social Committee Chair<br />

As we kick off <strong>Windward</strong>’s 30 th<br />

Anniversary, I am so proud to<br />

be a part of this community,<br />

on the board, and leading the newly<br />

formed social committee. We had two<br />

fantastic test events in 2012 — Rock at the<br />

Dock in May, with well over 500 people<br />

participating; and Wine, Dine, and Jazz<br />

in November, which sold out in only four<br />

days. The success of these two new events<br />

only reiterates the importance of having<br />

events that continue to build <strong>Windward</strong>’s<br />

community spirit. <strong>Windward</strong> Community<br />

Service <strong>Association</strong>’s Board is committed<br />

to supporting the social activities in 2013<br />

and has even added several more events.<br />

We are excited to have a great social<br />

committee in place that will help with<br />

the strategic planning of these successful<br />

events — Kara Johnson, Kim Morrison,<br />

Alison Roth-Patellis, and Kim Kloecker. I<br />

want to thank these residents for stepping<br />

up and supporting our community.<br />

We are excited to announce two new<br />

events in 2013 — Memorial Day Pool<br />

Party, sponsored by WCSA with our<br />

community partner <strong>Windward</strong> Lake<br />

Club. This will be a fantastic event to<br />

kick off a summer of fun in <strong>Windward</strong>.<br />

We also will introduce a <strong>Windward</strong><br />

Winter Wonderland Celebration on<br />

December 7 th where we can celebrate<br />

the holiday season as a community!<br />

Coming back for more fun in 2013<br />

will be Rock at the Dock May 18 th ,<br />

which again will include the LWYC<br />

Fishing Derby, MORE food trucks,<br />

and of course, the great Rock and<br />

Roll by The Dam Band. Wine, Dine,<br />

and Jazz will return November 16 th<br />

with the support of our community<br />

partner, the Golf Club of Georgia.<br />

Once again, WCSA will continue<br />

to be a prime sponsor of three<br />

other community events this year:<br />

the 4 th of July Celebration, 30 th<br />

Hometown Fireworks Celebration<br />

on September 1 st , and a Newcomers<br />

Cruise in the fall; all organized by<br />

<strong>Windward</strong> <strong>Homeowners</strong>, Inc.<br />

As we get excited about 2013, our<br />

continuing theme will be celebrating<br />

<strong>Windward</strong>’s 30 th Anniversary! As new or<br />

established residents, you can be proud<br />

to be part of the <strong>Windward</strong> community.<br />

Mark your calendars and don’t miss<br />

out on the neighborhood fun! We also<br />

encourage each individual neighborhood<br />

to plan your own block party to help<br />

celebrate the 30 th ! Send us your pictures.<br />

If you have any ideas for other social<br />

events, or want to help in anyway, please<br />

let me know, Martine Zurinskas, Social<br />

Committee Chair and WCSA Board<br />

member at wcsasocial@gmail.com. ¿<br />

windwardcommunity.org ■ Winter 2013<br />

21


Alpharetta City Council — A Year in Review<br />

By Chris Owens, City Council Post 3<br />

The Mainsail ■ Winter 2013<br />

22<br />

Where did all the time go? It seems like just yesterday that we<br />

were ushering in 2012, and here we are looking back on the<br />

year’s events. This has truly been a year to be thankful for,<br />

with more things going on than I have room to write about in this short<br />

article. Some examples of the City’s success this year include:<br />

City Center<br />

Every City Council article this year has covered the progress of City<br />

Center. In December, the Council approved the “Design Development”<br />

plans for this landmark project. The design professionals continue to<br />

make progress on their plans for the site, city hall, and the parking deck.<br />

The City Hall building has taken shape and interior details are being<br />

developed. Look for the project’s ground-breaking in April of 2013.<br />

Downtown<br />

Much of our attention has been focused on City Center, but don’t forget<br />

about Downtown — the area has been literally alive with activity this<br />

year thanks to efforts by our merchants, shop owners, and you. We have<br />

had a number of events that bring thousands of people into Downtown<br />

Alpharetta. We held a regular weekly Farmer’s Market, several art<br />

shows, a monthly event called “Art in the Park”, a European Bazaar, the<br />

2 nd Annual Brew Moon Festival, a Georgia Bulldogs game, and more!<br />

We brought the Taste of Alpharetta back downtown this year with great<br />

success, and held one of the largest Christmas Tree Lighting ceremonies<br />

ever. Several new businesses and restaurants have moved in and more<br />

are on the way for 2013. If you haven’t spent time in Downtown<br />

Alpharetta lately, please plan to stop by and experience it for yourself.<br />

Roadway Improvements<br />

While we have completed the relocation of Haynes Bridge Road in<br />

Downtown, which is the first step in constructing City Center, the single<br />

greatest improvement this year by the City has to be the completion<br />

of Westside Parkway. The roadway was planned as a western parallel<br />

to North Point Parkway, along Georgia 400. It has been constructed<br />

in segments over the years, but the last portion between Old Milton<br />

Parkway and Webb Bridge Road eluded us. This work was completed in<br />

2012 thanks to a commercial bank foreclosure being resolved, so that the<br />

City could acquire and complete the road in partnership with the new<br />

owners of Avalon, our community business leaders and Georgia DOT.<br />

Our annual street paving program, known as Milling & Resurfacing,<br />

is now managed by our Public Works Department using an objective<br />

scoring system that ranks streets based on condition and need.<br />

This ensures that streets in the most dire need of repair receive<br />

funding and attention first. The program is robust — Council<br />

has dedicated $1.5 million this fiscal year alone. A vote was also<br />

taken to match funding for a State Highway Department grant<br />

that will, in total, allocate nearly another $500,000 for paving this<br />

year. Our goal is to be complete with all “poorly” rated streets<br />

in the next two to three years, so that we can begin the process<br />

of more predictable maintenance cycle over future years.<br />

Leadership in Public Services<br />

I cannot express adequately the pride and appreciation that I have<br />

for the City’s professional staff. Across the board, we are fortunate<br />

to be represented by such an accomplished group of people. I am<br />

sure that I will be forgetting someone because their achievements<br />

are so many, but would like point<br />

out a few of these from 2012:<br />

Our Public Safety Officers<br />

continue to keep our community<br />

safe. Officer Terry Joyner was<br />

recognized by Governor Nathan<br />

Deal as a recipient of the Governor’s<br />

Public Safety Award for his lifetime<br />

of contributions to his community.<br />

Officer Joyner not only executes<br />

his duties, but goes above and<br />

beyond to help Alpharetta stay on<br />

the forefront of crime prevention.<br />

Our Public Works Department<br />

received recognition this year from<br />

the Atlanta Regional Commission<br />

for its work at North Park. The storm<br />

water facilities at the park were in<br />

need of routine maintenance, but<br />

our Staff carried the project to a<br />

higher level by incorporating water<br />

quality and flood control into the<br />

project. The Park and surrounding<br />

community will benefit from their<br />

good work for many years to come.<br />

You may remember that the<br />

Recreation and Parks Department<br />

was declared Agency of the Year<br />

in 2011 by the Georgia Recreation<br />

and Parks <strong>Association</strong>. Well, they<br />

haven’t stopped there. In 2012, they<br />

were recognized for their Senior<br />

programs with the “May is Older<br />

Americans Month” award. The<br />

department won a $100,000 grant<br />

to construct a children’s splash pad<br />

at the Wills Park pool. The City also<br />

brokered two significant agreements<br />

this year for our citizens: the first<br />

is a multi-year agreement with the<br />

Fulton County School Board to<br />

allow City use of the athletic fields<br />

at Milton Center (the old Milton<br />

High School); the second, and most<br />

significant, is an intergovernmental<br />

agreement with the City of Milton<br />

for joint use of each City’s parks<br />

facilities. This is extraordinary<br />

in that Alpharetta and Milton citizens will no longer pay “nonresident”<br />

fees to use each other’s parks. We hope that this will begin<br />

to allow even greater access to first class park facilities for everyone.<br />

The City also earned the President’s Circle Award from Keep<br />

America Beautiful, was designated as Tree City USA for the 22nd<br />

consecutive year and maintained its Green Communities Gold<br />

Certification. The Storm Water Management Program of the<br />

Year and Transportation Agency of the Year awards were also<br />

earned, along with several awards from the Government Finance


City Hall Elevation Facing Main Street<br />

Officers <strong>Association</strong> for Excellence in Financial Management.<br />

The City joined efforts with Johns Creek, Milton, Roswell and<br />

Sandy Springs to embark on the formation of a North Fulton<br />

Emergency Radio System. This new system will replace the Fulton<br />

County radios that our Fire and Police forces currently use–<br />

providing greater range and better coverage for a lower cost.<br />

Gwinnett Tech announced this year that it would be building a<br />

new campus in Alpharetta, at Old Milton Parkway and Georgia<br />

400, bringing technical training and education opportunities<br />

to our community and making us even more competitive for<br />

future generations. This nicely complements the City’s efforts<br />

to be recognized as the “Technology City of the South”, so<br />

that we can continue to attract high-tech companies and the<br />

economic success that comes with the talent that they desire.<br />

Please join me in thankful reflection on 2012 and I hope you all<br />

enjoy a wonderful and prosperous New Year in 2013! If anyone<br />

has questions about City projects, comments on how we can<br />

improve, or anything at all – please let me know. I can be reached<br />

at cowens@alpharetta.ga.us, or 404-518-5505. Again, thank you for<br />

allowing me to serve you. It is truly an honor and a pleasure. ¿<br />

windwardcommunity.org ■ Winter 2013<br />

23


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The Fun Spot<br />

Easy Crossword Puzzle #1 by Dave Fisher (puzzles.about.com)<br />

Across<br />

Down<br />

Across<br />

1. Questions<br />

1. Fire leftover<br />

1. Questions<br />

5. Harry Potter to Lily Evans 2. Oceans<br />

5. Harry Potter to Lily<br />

8. Igloo, for exampleEvans<br />

3. Make a sweater, perhaps<br />

12. Emailed 8. Igloo, for 4. example Guitar holder<br />

13. Lonely number 12. Emailed 5. Sort of<br />

14. Opposite of 60 Across 13. Lonely 6. number Yoko __<br />

15. It grows on you 14. Opposite 7. Reporter's of 60 offering<br />

Across<br />

16. Cut grass<br />

8. Gave the meaning<br />

15. It grows on of a you word<br />

17. Fill a dog's dish<br />

16. Cut grass 9. Above<br />

18. Look at intently<br />

17. Fill a dog's 10. Get dish together<br />

20. They have sleeves<br />

18. Look at 11. intently Finishes<br />

22. Animal feet<br />

20. They have 19. Not sleeves cooked<br />

24. With 41 Across, keen on<br />

22. Animal 21. feet __-Hop<br />

25. Fedora, e.g.<br />

24. With 4123. Across, Cavity in the head<br />

28. Spoke quietly<br />

keen on<br />

25. With 50 Down, what one<br />

33. It's pumped in a gym<br />

56. Famous singer<br />

25. Fedora, did e.g. for Easter, maybe<br />

Fitzgerald<br />

35. Social insect<br />

28. Spoke quietly 26. "___ we there yet?"<br />

57. Tell a tall tale<br />

36. "I __ ya!" (challenge)<br />

33. It's pumped 27. Apex in a<br />

58. Rim<br />

37. Lounge in an airport gym<br />

29. Made like a comet<br />

59. Open a banana<br />

40. Lie in the sun 35. Social insect<br />

30. Remy, the chef, is one<br />

60. Opposite of 14<br />

41. See 24 Across 36. "I __ ya!"<br />

31. Period in history Across<br />

42. Burn the surface<br />

(challenge)<br />

of<br />

32. Fox's home 61. Take five<br />

37.<br />

44. Small trees<br />

Lounge in an<br />

airport 34. Not synthetic<br />

48. Come up<br />

Down<br />

40. Lie in the 38. Steal sun<br />

51. Take a trip around<br />

1. Fire leftover<br />

41. See 24 39. Across Hole in the head<br />

52. Mighty tree<br />

2. Oceans<br />

42. Burn the 43. surface Ghost _ (Johnny Blaze)<br />

54. Uses a shovel of<br />

3. Make a sweater,<br />

44. "__ on it!" (hurry up)<br />

perhaps<br />

56. Famous singer 44. Small trees 45. Golfer's target<br />

Fitzgerald<br />

4. Guitar holder<br />

48. Come up 46. Be king, say<br />

57. Tell a tall tale<br />

5. Sort of<br />

51. Take a 47. trip Alone around<br />

58. Rim<br />

6. Yoko __<br />

52. Mighty 49. tree Border<br />

59. Open a banana<br />

7. Reporter's offering<br />

54. Uses a 50. shovel See 25 Down<br />

60. Opposite of 14 Across<br />

53. Band-__<br />

61. Take five<br />

55. Sun__ (day's end)<br />

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11<br />

12 13 14<br />

15 16 17<br />

18 19 20 21<br />

22 23 24<br />

25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32<br />

33 34 35 36<br />

37 38 39 40<br />

41 42 43<br />

44 45 46 47 48 49 50<br />

51 52 53 54 55<br />

56 57 58<br />

59 60 61<br />

Crossword by Dave Fisher<br />

8. Gave the meaning<br />

of a word<br />

9. Above<br />

10. Get together<br />

11. Finishes<br />

19. Not cooked<br />

21. __-Hop<br />

23. Cavity in the head<br />

25. With 50 Down,<br />

what one did for<br />

Easter, maybe<br />

26. "___ we there<br />

yet?"<br />

27. Apex<br />

29. Made like a comet<br />

30. Remy, the chef, is<br />

one<br />

31. Period in history<br />

Maze Page - Print your free maze at AllKidsNetwork.com<br />

Find more kiddo activites at AllKidsNetwork.com.<br />

Find more fun at puzzles.about.com.<br />

32. Fox's home<br />

34. Not synthetic<br />

38. Steal<br />

39. Hole in the head<br />

43. Ghost _ (Johnny<br />

Blaze)<br />

44. "__ on it!" (hurry<br />

up)<br />

45. Golfer's target<br />

46. Be king, say<br />

47. Alone<br />

49. Border<br />

50. See 25 Down<br />

53. Band-__<br />

55. Sun__ (day's end)<br />

Show this hen the<br />

way back to the barn!<br />

12/28/12 6:49 PM<br />

<strong>Windward</strong> ■<br />

windwardcommunity.org November 2012 ■ Winter 2013<br />

25<br />

25<br />

http://allkidsnetwork.com/mazes/Detail.asp?fil=maze-hen-barn.jpg<br />

Page 1 of


The Mainsail ■ Winter 2013<br />

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Perimeter Remodeling 770-333-8174<br />

Restaurants<br />

Pearl Lian Oriental Restaurant & Bar 678-205-1326<br />

Roofing<br />

North Ridge Roofing 770-657-2013<br />

Schools-Private<br />

Atlanta Academy 678-461-6102<br />

Travel Agencies<br />

AAA Travel-Johns Creek 678-417-5578<br />

Expedia CruiseShipCenters-Alpharetta 678-712-5059<br />

Tree Service<br />

Apex Tree Service 770-310-1195<br />

Weight loss<br />

In Shape MD-<strong>Windward</strong> 678-819-6084<br />

Advertise with Tlehs!<br />

We do more than just your<br />

newsletter. Check us out today.<br />

To advertise in these pages, or in any of our other<br />

newsletters or directories, call 770-623-6220 ext. 0<br />

26


Sound Bars<br />

Got a new TV and completely disappointed with<br />

the sound? Well of course! The thinner the TV’s are<br />

getting, the crummier the speakers. The average<br />

TV has two speakers that are just barely larger than<br />

a quarter. You should not be upset with the sound. There<br />

just isn’t enough space to do anything better. Of course, for<br />

those who desire the best in sound, nothing replaces a good<br />

quality surround sound. But what about those rooms like<br />

the master bedroom, keeping room, and other non-focal TV<br />

rooms? In many cases, sound bars are the perfect answer to<br />

your problems. This is just an external speaker that you place<br />

above or below the TV to improve the quality and volume<br />

of sound. The only issue here is that there are about 1,000<br />

different ones to pick from, and unlike TV’s, it’s extremely<br />

hard to judge which one is better than another. Well, I’m<br />

here to help. My favorite way to present sound bars to my<br />

clients is with a “good, better, and best” approach. Because<br />

there are so many to choose from, I’d like to narrow it down<br />

to 3 for you — starting from the cheapest and winding<br />

up at the most expensive: Samsung, Energy, and Bose.<br />

The Samsung is what I call the “entry level” version<br />

of sound bars. They are very thin and nice looking,<br />

but are purely to make the TV louder than currently.<br />

In other words, if you don’t care about quality, but<br />

just can’t hear the current speakers on your TV, this is<br />

the one for you. After all, it retails for about $249, so<br />

you shouldn’t expect earth shattering sound here.<br />

My favorite bang for the buck<br />

is a sound bar made by Energy.<br />

Energy is a sister company<br />

of the well-known and highly The average TV<br />

reputable speaker company has two speakers<br />

Klipsch. This speaker comes<br />

with a very nice subwoofer,<br />

that are just<br />

and delivers very loud, clean, barely larger<br />

and impressive sound for<br />

only $599. The idea here<br />

than a quarter.<br />

is that it can make music<br />

and TV sound full, rich, and<br />

most importantly, warm.<br />

Now let’s talk about the most expensive one, the Bose<br />

Cinemate. At $1,500, the Bose not only has great sound,<br />

but it also comes with a microphone that we put in the room<br />

to calibrate the sound to the room. I’m not usually that big<br />

of a Bose fan. In fact, I am usually of the opinion that you are<br />

better off spending big money on another brand because<br />

Bose charges a lot for their name. Having said that, this<br />

sound bar truly does simulate surround sound, even for the<br />

largest of rooms. We recently installed one of these in a room<br />

that was approximately 20’ x 20’, and it sounded amazing.<br />

Again, I stress that if given the choice, a real surround sound<br />

with 5 speakers and a subwoofer is still the best choice when<br />

adding a sound system to your room. However, when space<br />

won’t allow, adding a sound bar can dramatically improve<br />

your new TV purchase.<br />

<br />

For more information, contact Michael Buckner at 770.479.1000.<br />

windwardcommunity.org ■ Winter 2013<br />

27


We Don’t Just List,<br />

We SELL Homes in<br />

<strong>Windward</strong>!<br />

Call Terri<br />

770-374-7900<br />

Recent <strong>Windward</strong> Home Sales<br />

Terri Hayes…<br />

Rated<br />

“Best Realtor”<br />

in Atlanta!<br />

1385 Portmamock Drive $800,000<br />

2215 Lake Shore Landing $798,500<br />

1605 Queensland Court $685,000<br />

2020 Lake Shore Landing $570,000<br />

1025 Chasewood Trail $504,000<br />

1065 Lake Shore Overlook $485,500<br />

2050 Bent Creek Manor $435,000<br />

6300 Bannerhorn Run $398,000<br />

515 Inlet Woods Court $367,000<br />

2825 Gleneagles Pointe $358,600<br />

5015 Southlake Drive $345,000<br />

8035 Willow Tree Way $321,500<br />

953 Hawkhorn Court $320,000<br />

7125 Horbour Landing $320,000<br />

3581 Schooner Ridge $318,000<br />

1000 Longcreek Pointe $315,000<br />

3333 Lakewind Way $285,000<br />

Terri@TerriHayes.com<br />

Need the Best Painters,<br />

Plumbers, Electricians,<br />

Handymen, General<br />

Contractors, Roofers,<br />

Siding? CALL US!

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