FernbankFanfare

November 2017

OnceagaintheFernbankSocialCommitteehashostedahighly

successfulfallpicnic.Infact,over100peopleattended!Wesoappreciatethe

workofthecommitteeincluding:Chair,CindyMorrowandher

committeemembersBobMorrow,BetseandBillHinkley,PatriciaandTomTof�ling,NormaSiler,Scotty

TurnerandFrankStaro.

Jacob&LenaBoyd

AmyLuettke

PattyBachner,GaryEngebretson,IreneKlein,LoriKellyandRitaBrady

CindyBarnes,NancyStretter,Ken&LaineBarney

BetseHinkley,PamMiller,CindyMorrow

ScottyTurner

PamWilmer&ToriObendorfer

James&JamesLucas

ScottBeard,ElisabethStaro,FredTurco

-2-

PRESIDENT’SMESSAGE

Shadesoftheancientpast.IwasrecentlylookingatcopiesofFUOAminutesandnewslettersfrom2004and2005.Followingareafewofthemajorandminoritemsthatcaughtmyinterest.

InJanuary2004theFUOAnewsletterwasablackandwhitedocumentandwasmailedtoresidents.RayAlvarezwaspresidentandthebigissueofthemonthforthenewsletterwastodiscussaplannedSeniorLivingCommunitytobebuiltadjacenttoFernbank.Asmanyofyouknow,thecommunitynevercametopass,butNorthHillssubsequentlywasestablished.

InSeptember2004theEditorofthenewsletterwasDoreenWootenwithassistancefromMarthaYoungandLoisTurco.TheyhadsetadeadlineforanewcolornewslettertobepublishedOctober1,2004.

July7,2005,foundtheExecutiveBoardworkinghardfortheinstallationofaFlashingLightonShepherdGradeRoad.Asitturnedout,FernbanknegotiatedwithHomeHilltoinstallthelightattheirexpense.

FromtheJuly11,2005ExecutiveBoardminutesInotethatLarryStritereportedaunitowneraskingaboutwhatcouldbedoneaboutthedeerproblem.WaltPelishreportedseeingaggressivedeeronthegolfcourseaswell.HehadreportedtheproblemtoWayneWatkins.RayAlvarezreported,thatasanassociation,therewasnotmuchwecoulddoaboutit.But,asyouknow,theExecutiveBoardcontinuedtoseeksolutions,sotodaywehaveasuccessfulAnnualBowHuntersDeerHuntundertheauspicesoftheWVDNR.

MinutesfromOctober10,2005,includedadiscussionregardingwalkwaysinFernbank.Someunitownershadexpresseddisagreementanddidnotwantwalkwaysontheirproperties.AstheBoardpolledunitownerstheyfoundtheamountofmoneyforsuchaprojectwasexcessive. TheforegoingisjustaglimpseofpastExecutiveBoardactions.Wehaveencounterednumerousproblems,mostofwhichhavebeensatis�iedtomakeFernbankagreatplacetolive.So,hiddenbeneaththisshortarticleisamessage.LISABEARDVOLUNTEEREDTOSERVEONTHEEXECUTIVEBOARDON10/16/17!WENEEDONEMORERESIDENTTOJOINUSONTHEEXECUTIVEBOARD.ENLISTNOW!!

BillBillHinkley

-3-

Signi�icantSoilByEleanorGraff,

Chair,Beauti�icationCommittee

"Wehavebecomedetachedfromtheearth,wehaveabandonedher.Andamanwhoabandonsnaturehasbeguntoabandonhimself."PierreVanPaassen

To"getthedirt"onsomeone,meanstolearnsomescandalous,damagingfactaboutthem,indeed,theoriginalde�initionof"dirt"wasexcrement.Inoureverydaylanguage,soilanddirtareofteninterchangeable,whichisamistake.Dirtiswhatwetrackintothehouseafterwalkingoutside,essentially,dirtis"dead".Soilisalive.

Soilconsistsofminerals,microorganisms,organicmatter,insects,worms,fungi,water,oxygen.Everyplantandanimalonearthdependsonthisecosystem,yetweknowlessaboutitthanweknowaboutthemoon.Ashovelofsoilcontainsmorelivingthingsthanallthehumanbeingsthateverlived.

Anditturnsoutthatsoilisanon-renewableresource.Onceitiscoveredovertomakeroadsandparkinglots,onceitisdepletedduetodeserti�ication,inappropriateagriculturalmethods,pollution,itcannotberecreated.Thescientistswhostudythesoilestimateinordertocreateaninchoftopsoiltakes�ivehundredtoseveralthousandyears.Inmostpartsofourplanetwherethereistopsoil,thelayerofproductivegroundmeasuresinafewinches.Allthefoodweconsumecomesfromthisresourceandifit'snotinthesoil,it'snotinthefood.

Thosewhowishtopampertheirgardens,thebestwayistofeedtheirplantsorganiccompost,availablefrommostfarmandgardencenters.Itiseasytomakeifyouhaveacomposter:4partsgardensoil,1partcompost,1/4partpeatmoss.

Foradditionalinformationonthissubjectandsourceofmostofmyinformation:"TheGroundBeneathUs"byPaulBogard

-4-

Lois

HELPUSWELCOMENEWNEIGHBORS

ScottBeardandAlanGibson

ScottandAlansaytheyarelovinglivinghere!TheybothlivedatandoperatedRidge�ieldFarmandOrchardwhichisabout5milesoutsideofShepherdstown.Theyoperatedthisgreatlocaldestinationfarmfornearly15years.

ScottisemployedatShepherdUniversitywherehehasworkedforovertwentyyears,�irstintheDepartmentofMusic,andnowastheChiefAcademicOf�icer(Provost).Alanoperateshisownmediacompany,ConsolidatedGibson,LP,andisalsoinvolvedinastart-upbusinessventurecalledPotluck.Wewouldlovetohearmoreaboutthat!

AlanandScotthavetwodogs,whoyou'llseeregularlyinScott'sInstagramandFacebookposts.Jackis7-yearoldblackpug,andArchieisanapproximately10-11yearoldCorgi/Labmix.Theyarebothrescuedanimals,andScottsaystheybothbringsomuchjoytotheirlives.

AskedabouthobbiesScottreportsthat“Wedoworkalot,butwebothlovetotravel,especiallyanycountrywithagreatbeach!”Scottisanexcellentcook,andAlanisatalentedwriter,�inishinghissecondbook.

Scottadded,“Wehaveenjoyedthewarmwelcomefromneighborsandlookforwardtoparticipatinginthecommunityevents.Wehaveagolfcart,butwe'regoingtoneedtolearntoplaygolf!”

Julie&JoeSilerWrittenbyJulie

WellI'mhappytoreportthatweare�inallymovedinandareintheprocessofunpackingandgettingsettled.Forus,themovetoFernbankwasashort4milesfromourpriorhomeinWrightsFieldofEnglerMolerroad-ontheotherendofShepherdstown.

WemovedfromClifton,VirginiatoShepherdstownin2003.WewantedtogetoutofthecongestionofnorthernVirginia.ShepherdstownwasanaturalpickforusasmyhusbandJoeisa

Shepherdgradandwedatedwhilehewasattending.

-5-

Whenwemovedhereourthreechildren,Jennifer,Katie&Scottwereinmiddleschoolandhighschool.Sowebuiltabighouseon3acrestosurvivetheteenyears.Now,ourgirlsliveandworknearBoulder,Colorado,andoursonalsolivedinColoradobeforereturningtotheeastcoastlastyeartohiketheAppalachianTrail.Havingthru-hikedthetrailin5-1/2months,he'sstayingwithuspresentlywhilehe�indshisownplace.

IamhappytosayIamretiredsince2014whenIleftmyjobasVicePresidentforDevelopmentattheC&OCanalTrust-theof�icialnon-pro�itfundraisingpartnertotheC&ONationalHistoricalPark.Myhusband,Joe,isaseniorsalesexecutiveforsalesofcybersecuritysolutionstoglobalnetworkproviderssuchasVerizon.Fortunatelyheisabletoworkfromhome-sonocommuting.

Ourolddog,Baylee,likestakingwalksintheneighborhood.He'sa12-1/2yearoldmixedbreedrescueandisawonderfuldogmostlyAustralianShepherdwithsomehintsofGoldenRetriever.

WearesohappytohavefoundourwaytoFernbankwherewealreadyhavefriendsandfamily!Welookforwardtomeetingmanymoreofourneighbors.

SteveWassermanWrittenbySteve

Iretiredin2012afterserving20yearsasacivilianattorneywiththeUSCoastGuardinWashington,DC.Duringmy�irsttenyearswithheCoastGuard,IprovidedlegaladvicetoheadquarterselementsconcerningAdmiralty,Maritime,andInternationalLaw.DuringmysecondtenyearswiththeCoastGuard,IacceptedalinepositionandservedastheCoastGuard'sDirectorofUSGreatLakes'(ship)Pilotage.

PriortoworkingfortheCoastGuard,IservedapproximatelysixyearsonactivedutyintheUSNavy'sJudgeAdvocateGeneral's(JAG)Corpsandservedanadditional17yearsintheJagCorpsasareservist.BetweenServiceintheNavyandcivilianemploymentwiththeCoastGuard,IworkedtwoyearsfortheUSDepartmentofJusticeintheAdmiralty/AviationBranch�ieldof�iceinNewYorkCity.

Followingretirement,ImovedtoSaratogaSprings,NY,tobewithfamily.QuicklytiringofNYwintersandsnowblowing,Imovedtothisareatobewithmydaughter,son-in-law,andtwograndchildren,wholivenearbyinPurcellville,VA.Ihavefourchildren,twoboysandtwogirlsranginginagefrom32to38yearsold.I'vebeenhappilydivorcedforapproximatelytwenty-sevenyears.IhaveatenyearolddognamedMurphy.Murphyisa50pound,rustcoloredcattledogmixandisveryfriendly.

-6-

Mycurrenthobbiesincludegolf,photography,sailing,andpiano.Ireadquitealotofhistoryandthephysicalsciences.

Heidi and Jay Boyd

The Boyds moved here from Charles Town, WV and have lived in the Eastern Panhandle since 2005. We have been members of Cress Creek since 2008.

Jay is a dentist and owner of Briarwood Dental Center in Martinsburg. Heidi is the Office Manager at Briarwood Dental Center. Prior to her current position, she was a hospice social worker for 12 years.

The Boyds have two children, Jacob who is 11years old and Lena who is 7 years old. Both attend St. Joseph Catholic School in Martinsburg. The family belongs to St. Agnes Catholic Church.

They have a black standard poodle named Baxter. They are an outdoor family with Jay enjoying golf and hunting and Heidi enjoying hiking and reading.

Heidi says, “ We can be found most weekends at soccer games for both children”.

EDITOR'SNOTECatherineIrwin

HappilyAgnesFreundgraciouslygaveofherdesigntalentsagaintohelpputouttheFernbanknewsletter.AhugethankstoAgnes!Also,IappreciatethehelpofJohnStreeter,EleanorGraffandBetse&BillHinkley.Iamstilllookingforvolunteerswhocanassistwiththenextnewsletter.Docontactmeifyoucanhelpout.