Pleasant Hill outhouses have been painted & repaired

As part of the long-term common area beautification effort, the outhouses at Pleasant Hill have been repaired and painted. They look so nice!

Remember to thank the board

I have recently been contacting the board regarding several community issues, including mill residents' use of Long Brick Row property to access the trail, dog etiquette, parking policies, and some property maintenance needs. I would like to publicly thank the board, especially President Steve Appler and director Joe Greer, for their responsiveness and willingness to put up with my pestering.

I would also like to encourage HOA residents to remember to thank the board for their volunteer time in general and the many ways in which they help you as a resident in particular. The board tends to only hear problems and complaints. I can tell you first hand that it eats at you after a while.

Please take a minute to send them a word of appreciation at board@oellahoa.com. We want to keep the board motivated, and we want to make sure that they know their service is valued. It's a very thankless job that can consume inordinate amounts of time, and their is no compensation for their troubles. Please help to make it worthwhile.

Local Business Spotlight: Blue Mountain Martial Arts

Since November, Blue Mountain Martial Arts studio has been open in the Elfrey Carribean Dance Studio on Main Street. Instructor John Jacobs offers two classes: kumdo (Korean sword fighting) on Mondays 6-7pm and taekwondo on Fridays 6-7pm. The price of classes is very reasonable, and John is always welcoming new students. Classes are of mixed ages and skill levels. Classes may also be offered on Wednesdays in the future if enough students sign up.

I have been to several classes. I must say that sword fighting is immensely stress-relieving and fun, even if it is only with wooden swords (safety!). Taekwondo is also great. Both provide a good workout. John gives students insight into the mental mindset as well as the physical nature of the arts.

Info: www.bluemountainma.com or click on link above

Speeding & traffic noise on Oella Ave.

I've decided to post this comment and my reply to the main page, because I think it would be good to have others' input:

Comment:

I would really like to initiate the installation of some traffic calming on Oella ave. We have already noticed speeding and large trucks (illegal?) rolling through. What is the best way to do this? Attend the next board meeting?

Thanks!
Sue Waterman
783 Oella Ave.

Reply:

I agree that traffic needs to slow down (and be quiet! Those of us with houses right along the road hear every noise out front like it's in our living rooms).

The HOA board can't elect to make physical changes to Oella Ave. to calm traffic because it is the county's domain. The county has regulations such as number of cars/hr and % residents who must approve traffic calming. You can look them up on the county's website. There is a form to submit to initiate the process. Another resident was also interested in traffic calming. Given that the board is currently swamped with other problems, it might be nice for a volunteer to spearhead the movement and keep in contact with the board for support.

My suggestion is to wait until the mill is fully rented to increase the chances that we meet the cars/hr minimum. If we go through the process now & miss the required number, it is not going to be easy to get the county out here again.

In the meantime, I suggest calling the police non-emergency line (410-887-2222) to report speeders. Ticketing seems to help on other roads.

Alternatively, I've heard of some neighborhoods holding card games or eating dinner at a table in the middle of the road to force people to slow down. Anyone brave enough?

-Amanda

Sad news: Annabell's Wine shop is closed

In continuing with the support of local businesses, I will begin writing short bits about the interesting places I go to in and around Oella, Catonsville, & EC. But first, some news about a favorite stop:

It is with a heavy heart that I inform my fellow Oella wine patrons that Annabell's wine shop has closed its doors forever. The owner, Adam, did a fantastic job of creating an inviting environment & recommending interesting wines. Where else can you find tattoo artists and PhDs hanging out with groundskeepers, artists, house painters, business execs, and teachers? I wish him the best in his new endeavors.

No news yet on what might move in. Let's hope it is another wonderful place where neighbors can relax and get to know one another.

As for where to have a great glass of wine, the closest places are Iron Bridge in Clarksville & Aida Bistro in Columbia. If anyone has any new suggestions, please post them!

Recycle historic building materials & other things

In an effort to keep some old bits of Oella around & reduce the amount of stuff that ends up in landfills, let's begin a "free to a good home" list on the blog. If you have something that you'd like to get rid of, please post a comment with a description and your contact info, or e-mail the blogger (laueram@yahoo.com). If you'd like to claim the item(s), please also post a comment or directly e-mail the person offering the item. The blogger will periodically post a request for items to be shared.

Example (not real):

We just removed the original wooden steps from our 1830s house. Would anyone like the wood? E-mail John at handyhomeowner@yahoo.net or post a comment here.
-John

John, I could use that wood to make a bench. Please e-mail me at woodwrkr@comcast.org to set up a convenient time for me to pick it up. Thanks!
-Ann

Eco-Oella Tip: buy a digital thermostat

You can purchase a digital thermostat for <$100 at most home improvement stores. Program it to have higher temps (in Summer; lower in Winter) during the day when you aren't home. You can set it to cool off slightly before you usually arrive home. You won't notice the temperature difference, but you will notice the difference in your BGE bill. The thermostat may pay for itself in just a year!

Please keep pets under control

I know you've heard it all before, but there are still numerous complaints of dogs off leash on common areas, dogs barking at terrible hours of the morning, and owners failing to pick up poop. DON'T DO THIS! Not only does the blogger feel like a broken record, she is advising the complainers to call animal control rather than filling her inbox with the same old same old with no apparent change in the status quo. You could find yourself with fines.

We all share the common spaces, and it is particularly rude not to consider that others may be afraid of dogs, may have aggressive dogs, or don't like stepping in doody. If you want to do these things, do it on your own property, or do it at your own risk!

Please also do not use the Mill's dog run without permission from the Mill. It is their private property, and we sure don't want their dogs pooping on our private properties.