Oella news feed up and running

The news feed is up and running on the HOA website (www.oellahoa.com). You have options. You can look at it just like a blog. There is RSS feed in progress, if it is not already working. You can sign up to receive e-mail alerts. Go to the website and look in the "Highlights" section of the main page for more info.

Got it figured out

Thanks for the feedback, everyone. I think what we can do is have a blog for Oella and Old E news and events embedded in the HOA webpage. It won't have a comments option, but it will have the option to sign up for e-mail updates if that's your thing. If e-mail alerts aren't your thing, you can just read it like a normal blog. This may take a while to set up due to the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday.

Please keep sending me news items and announcements. I'm hoping to get more stuff about Main Street happenings on there.

Out!

Local history blogs

For those who just like to read about the area and its people:

http://awalkintothepast.blogspot.com/2009/10/across-river-up-hill-to-oella-mill.html
--about Historic Ellicott City & Oella

http://www.oellaworks.com/blog/
--Photos & narrative, often of exceptional Oella people

http://www.ellicottmills.com/
--recollections of life in Old E


I've had such a huge response of people saying that they will miss the news and articles posted on this blog, that I'm considering creating a new blog that deals only with the Oella, Old Ellicott City area with a particular focus of learning about its rich history (I've recently been inspired to learn more about Ben Banneker), its beauty, and its community. NO HOA-related stuff. You'll have to sign up for e-mail alerts on the website for that (not yet available). I want to do what I can to foster a sense of community and list fun things to do around town.

The best way to do that is to dump this blog and start one with a different focus. I will probably have to require people to sign up for it. In addition to nasty comments, I've been receiving more and more X-rated SPAM posts, Cialis ads, and totally incomprehensible gibberish comments. Details to come after I give it some more thought.

Suggestions for names are appreciated. Maybe something to do with Banneker, since he interacted with the Ellicott Brothers and felt that community was an important part of life.

Reviving paper newsletter?

I'm considering making a motion to revive the paper newsletter, maybe two or three times a year to be included with other mailings from ACM (to save on postage). Is there anyone who would like to help write it? Send me an e-mail, please.

The end of the blog is near

I'm going to take down this blog in a couple of weeks because, well, it's just not fun anymore. I don't like doing it anymore, and I'd like to spend my energies on some other HOA-related things. Frankly, I'm overdosed on Oella blogs. It's distracting.

I'm working with our webmaster to set up something on our website where you can sign up for e-mail alerts when there is an announcement. There will probably also be an events calendar and additions to the links and useful information pages on the HOA website. It's better to have information organized in one place, anyway. A volunteer is researching electronic voting/polling services. With all of this new technology, the blog seems kind of outmoded!

I'm sorry to disappoint the many of you who find this useful, but I'm ready to focus on invasive weeds, a landscaping plan, erosion, and the website instead of this.

If someone wants to start another Oella news blog or perhaps a Facebook group, please do! You're welcome to steal all of my links.

Amanda

Annual Meeting

Thank you to everyone who attended the meeting last night or sent in proxies. We had an informative, professional, very neighborly meeting. It was nice to see some new faces as well as some familiar ones.

The elected board members are: Marcia Ames, Steve Appler, Dean Gray, Scott Hall. Thanks to all who ran. For those who didn't get elected, we hope to be able to utilize your willingness to help out in the future.

For others who would like to volunteer, though not in a board capacity, we need people to serve on the 2010 nominations committee, the landscaping committee can always use help, and the ARC is always looking for good volunteers. Please contact the board if you'd like to volunteer.

E-mail notifications?

The blogger is thinking about setting up an e-mail list for notifications only (meeting reminders, copies of letters sent from ACM; no commentary). I've had a couple of people express interest. Are there more than a few people interested? Suggestions on the best way to do this (tech un-savvy blogger could use some help here)? Volunteers to maintain it?

Hopefully we can arrange this such that it doesn't require a person to remember yet another login. Also, it should be set up so that it doesn't broadcast everyone's e-mail address. Some people like their privacy.

Oella Historic District

There have been questions from numerous residents over the years about the Oella historic district boundaries. A link to this information has been added to the HOA website.

Some of the newer homes in Oella sit inside its boundaries, and some of the older homes are not included (remember that Greater Oella is fairly large). Some of the homes in the historic district are not in the HOA. The borders were determined in the 1970s before the new construction happened. There are two maps in existence, one of which includes a nice little history of Oella and a description of the boundaries. This is the map on file in the national historic register and the one associated with the link on the website (or click the link above). The other map can be viewed at www.marylandhistoricaltrust.net

Being in a historic district does not necessarily mean that your individual property is on a historic register. Consult the Maryland Historical Trust for more information on how to do that, tax credits, etc.

Banneker's new cabin in the Sun

Read about it and see a photo of this great little place by clicking on the link above.