Historic Oella Sign

The blogger trimmed back the spent daffodils & pulled weeds at the Historic Oella sign (Oella Ave. & Mary Jo Way near Race Rd.). I also planted some shasta daisies & moved a volunteer black-eyed susan to a better spot. Could someone volunteer to water them if we have a dry week?

Also..

Any idea where the maple tree pieces came from? There is no maple tree on the HOA easement area. I don't want to have someone's to-be-firewood carted away, but the stuff needs to go.

May/June Board meetings rescheduled for June 9; Web updates

Meeting time: 7pm, Westchester Center board room. The May & Junes meetings have been combined since the May meeting had to be canceled.

Also...

There have been some updates to the Oella HOA website design & content in recent months. In addition to the usual docs (minutes, financials), we now have an HOA Wish List page. The number of things that need to (or would be nice to) get done is pretty long, and the HOA could always use help spearheading the efforts. The list will be revised periodically as things get done and new things arise. If you'd like to volunteer to help with a project, please contact the board: board@oellahoa.com.

[FYI--some people have reported problems opening some documents from Firefox. Working on that issue. In the meantime, please use another browser.]

Oella Blog Traffic

According to Google Analytics, this blog has 172 unique users. That's pretty good for an association with ~160 houses. Most of the users are in Oella/EC, but some people from far away are looking at our blog. It sounds like Oella is full of people who really care about what is going on in the neighborhood. That's encouraging!

Become a Gardener for the Bay

From the Chesapeake Bay Foundation website (click on link above for more info or to take the pledge). This helps the health of our river and forest, too:

You love your garden, and you love the Bay. The Chesapeake Bay and its rivers and streams are in trouble. Pollution from many sources is degrading our water and threatening the habitat of fish, blue crabs, and other wildlife.

With your support, we can Save the Bay. Lend a hand by joining the Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s Gardeners for the Bay program. Membership is FREE!

Take the Gardeners for the Bay pledge now and receive:

* Two Gardeners for the Bay stickers to demonstrate your support for healthy water and a clean environment.
* A pledge card with useful Bay information.
* A free pair of gardening gloves.
* Automatic enrollment in CBF's Action Network, our e-mail alert system for important Bay issues.
* Discounts on merchandise from CBF's online store.

Kill those weeds!

It's sidewalk weed season in Oella. Please remember that it is the owner's responsibility to maintain the sidewalks adjacent to their properties.

Cheap, easy, and natural weed-killers:

A) Dissolve 1 cup salt in 1 gallon vinegar. Add a 2 tablespoons liquid detergent. Shake. Pour or spray onto weeds.

**This will kill all plants it touches, not just the weeds. It even works on poison ivy (multiple applications may be necessary).

B) Even cheaper--pour boiling water onto weeds.

Parking tags--part II

Parking tags for Pleasant Hill and Stone Row have been mailed out to residents whose HOA accounts are paid in full. As a reminder, residents receive two permanent numbered tags and one numbered guest tag (temporary use only). If you do not receive your tags, please contact Ruthann.

Landscaping update

A few landscaping items:

1) According to Ruthann Shae (community manager), the landscapers are supposed to start mulching soon. They have had trouble getting out to do it with all of the rain.

2) If the new mowing company is skipping an area, please let Ruthann know (rshae@communitymanagers.net; 410-997-7767 x131). To keep confusion at a minimum, they need one point of contact. Apparently, some residents have been contacting them on their own. We have numerous small, sometimes difficult to locate parcels of grass, and they are still getting used to the mowing areas.

3) The board is receiving bids (obtained by Ruthann) for removal of dead trees at Timber Point, Spring Street, and Stone Row.

4) Salvaged liriope (read: free) was planted behind Short Brick Row below Mary Jo Way as a pilot program to help with the runoff problem. Ruthann is obtaining bids for solutions to the runoff problem. We are also considering organic amendments to the sandy soil to help it retain water.

Reminder: hardscaping, planting or removal of trees & shrubs, and changes to the landscaping on your property may be require ARC review. Please be sure to seek approval BEFORE you make the changes. Forms and procedures are available on the Oella HOA website. Forms should be sent to Ruthann for processing.

Tonight's board meeting cancelled

Reschedule date TBA

Cleanup Success!

Thanks to the ~10 volunteers who pulled garlic mustard, cleaned up trash in the mill race, and weeded along the Short Brick Row stone wall. We had 12 bags of garlic mustard and debris, one bag of recyclables, a weight, a fire extinguisher, a bike tire, a bag of styrafoam, and numerous other bits & pieces. The crew also planted lilies, liriope, and creeping jenny for all to enjoy. A generous Timber Point resident installed several new plants in the TP island.

The crew enjoyed lunch & chitchat afterward. If you missed this year, make sure to catch the event next year. We're hoping to turn it into a party after the work!

Oella Cleanup Saturday May 16, 11am

Meet at Timber Point or behind Long Brick Row to pick up trash, pull garlic mustard, weed beds, and scoop up the Spring tree refuse. Bags & water provided. Lunch afterward.

Rain date: May 23.

Call Amanda 410-480-8418 or laueram@yahoo.com with questions.

Rediscover Catonsville

Baltimore County has launched a Rediscover Your Neighborhood Downtown campaign to encourage residents to shop at local businesses. Shopping near where you live helps support the local economy, helps small businesses survive, and helps keep the area in good condition. For more information and a map of the Catonsville revitalization district, click on the link above.

Oellans doing good in the community

Oella residents Kelly and Don Drehoff are featured in an article in the Catonsville Times. The Drehoffs reached out to Claudia Sales and her son, Carlos David, whose husband/father was killed at a Catonsville gas station last year while Claudia was in labor. The Drehoffs helped to organize a fundraiser to celebrate Carlos's 1st birthday on May 16 at Overhills Mansion in Catonsville. Their efforts are truly generous and selfless.

Click on the link above for the full story.

Another Oella home featured in the news: River Knoll

Tom and Lisa Baum's house, River Knoll, was featured in the Baltimore Sun's "Dream Home" section. We've had numerous dream homes featured in the Sun, which is a testament to just how unique and special Oella is. Whose home will be next?

Click on the link above to read the article.