March/April 2006

March is here and the weather is finally feeling like Spring.  People are spending more time outside working in the yard, fixing up the boat, riding their bikes, or taking the kids to the beach.   

One of the primary purposes of HSIA is to look out for the interests and needs of all of our residents.  This takes many forms.  Most commonly, it is dealing with issues that affect the entire community like traffic and zoning violations.  Sometimes it takes us to the larger community of the Annapolis Neck when we talk about annexation.  Sometime it pits us against one another like the Beach Strip lawsuit (See the separate article in this Sea Breeze for the latest developments).  But sometimes it comes down to helping just one family in a time of great need.  Even though our efforts only benefit a couple of people, the act of caring and giving of ourselves does wonders for all of us. 

On the day before Valentine’s Day there was a disastrous house fire in our community.  Jim and Deb Sagerholm of 329 Edgemere lost everything when their home was gutted by an accidental fire.  Deb was home alone with her four dogs (Shar-Peis) when the fire broke out.  She was working in the basement when she heard a crash.  One of her dogs had knocked over a coffee table that, unfortunately, had a few candles burning on it.   By the time she got upstairs to investigate the sound, the flames were up to the ceiling.  She escaped but two of her beloved dogs perished.  A neighbor probably saved her life by preventing her from going back into the house, that by now was fully involved in flames, to try and save the two dogs.  They were left with nothing.. all of their possessions were destroyed.  I heard about the fire and visited the house a couple of days later.  I founds Deb with hands and face covered with soot from looking for anything in the house that might be saved.  She had a couple of knickknacks and a handful of pictures.  That was it.  When I told her that HSIA might try to help she burst into tears.  After a quick consultation by email with the rest of the board, I authorized some immediate help. 

HSIA donated $500 in gift cards for the Annapolis Mall and Bed, Bath, & Beyond so they could get the basic necessities such as clothing and toiletries.  The same day Tom and Kathy Anton showed up with a basket of dog toys and gift certificates for a local pet shop.  They were particularly moved since they had lost one of their beloved dogs to a heart attack the same day as the fire. 

I sent an email about the fire to the community email list. Kate Penn, a member of the HSIA board, volunteered to coordinate all non-cash donations.  She was flooded with offers for everything from furniture to help relocating plants that would be destroyed during reconstruction.  We also set up a donations jar at Come And Get It Day.  I expected we’d get a hundred dollars or so.  We collected $648.  The money was delivered the next day.  The response of our community has been absolutely wonderful.  Their insurance company helped them find a rental house just around the corner on Cedar Lane so they will remain in their community while their house is rebuilt. 

While much of their losses will be covered by insurance, the emotional and financial impact will be severe.  If you would like to make a donation, you can mail a check made out to HSIA (put "Fire" on the check memo line).  The address is HSIA, PO Box 3485, Annapolis, MD 21403.  If you are interested in non-cash donations please contact Kate Penn at 443-482-9870 or email her at penn@hillsmereshores.net. 

This experience has taught us how wonderful and caring our community can be.  Now let’s see what else we can learn from this tragedy.   Fire can strike at anyone.  However, there is a lot you can do to prevent fires and to make sure everyone gets out alive if you do have one.  First let’s talk about prevention.  Everyone knows you should never smoke in bed but most people don’t think about how quickly a candle can start a fire.  Never leave candles burning unless you are in the room.  Other dangers are overloaded electrical outlets, electric or kerosene heaters, and papers next to the stove.  Never let young children cook or even use a toaster oven without an adult or older child present.   

Once a fire gets going things get very bad very fast.  The best way to be protected is to have adequate smoke alarms in your house.  Most houses have one in the hallway outside the bedrooms.  When my daughter was four years old I walked into her bedroom one morning and was horrified with what I saw.  Her Smurf comforter had caught on fire during the night (from a nightlight) and burned halfway up the bed.  It was fire resistant and had gone out before it reached her.  She was fine.  The smoke detector in the hallway outside her door had never gone off.  The next day we put smoke detectors in each bedroom.  I have a four bedroom house with seven smoke detectors.  With smoke detectors available for less than $10 each there is no excuse not to have one in every bedroom. 

The next thing you can do is to make sure there is a way to escape from any room in the house.  If my living room or kitchen were on fire there would be no way to get down the stairs to get out.  I have a fire escape ladder that hooks on the windowsill at each end of my house.  You need to stand in every room in your house and think about what you would do in a fire.  However, that’s not enough.  Every one in your family needs to know what the escape plan is and what to do in a fire.  This is especially true for young children.  When firemen enter a burning house where young children may be present they immediately search under beds and in closets.  Young children will hide out of fear during a fire.  If your son or daughter knows the escape plan and you have all practiced it then they will know to do the right thing and get out safely.  Parents spend a lot of time telling their kids not to talk to strangers but often forget to tell them what to do if their house catches on fire. 

Finally, I know how much many people love their pets.  However, it’s just not worth losing a human life to try and save a pet.  A co-worker of mine several years ago had a disastrous fast moving house fire.  She actually had to hang from her window and drop to the ground to escape with her life.  Her husband decided he had to go back in to save their dog.  The dog escaped on it’s own but the husband died.  Call your pet and try to get it to come to you but don’t go back into a burning house.  It’s not like it seems on TV.  You cannot survive in the heat and smoke of a serious fire no matter how much you love your pet.  Even if you can get inside, the house can explode in flames in seconds.  Please wait for the fire department.  They have the knowledge and equipment to make a rescue. 

Fire safety is very serious business.   I urge everyone to think about what you can do now to make your home safer and to make sure everyone in your family knows what to do in case of a fire.  I’m sorry to dwell on this so much but I’m sure that Jim and Deb would agree that it’s something worth talking about.  Now let’s get back to our regularly scheduled program! 

At the February board meeting the grass cutting contract was awarded to Steward Landscaping, the same company that did it last year.  There were some serious glitches last year as we were getting used to a new company that didn’t know our neighborhood.  We did a careful analysis of the problems that occurred and decided that we could prevent them from happening again.  Steward was, by far, the best qualified bid so we awarded them the contract again. 

We have also hired a new security company for our neighborhood patrols.  We signed a contract with B&B Security.  I met with their representatives and was very impressed with their professionalism.  They will begin patrols two nights a week during March.  This will gradually increase as we get into the summer months.  In addition, we still have our two off-duty county police officers working two nights per week.  During the summer we will have patrols most every night.  Please let us know if you have any questions or comments on the new company. 

The Beach Strip lawsuit had a few developments this month.  In January, the HSIA board made an offer to settle the lawsuit.  This was rejected and a counter-offer that included a cash settlement was made by the plaintiffs.  This topic was hotly discussed at the March General Meeting.  The HSIA board met in a closed Special Meeting on March 15th to decide on a response.  This is a complicated subject.  There is an article elsewhere in this Sea Breeze that explains all the recent developments and the board’s response.  We decided to hold the March Sea Breeze and do a combined March/April issue so we could get out the whole story.  Please be sure to read the article.   

Finally, I want to thank everyone who helped out at Come And Get It Day.  Things went very smoothly and although the lines were long at times most everyone remained pleasant.   I also want to thank everyone who showed up to join HSIA and get their stickers, ramp keys, and pay for their slips.  If you didn’t get a chance to stop by then please join HSIA by mailing in your application.  You can download the application and instructions on other documents you need to include on our web site.   

Enjoy the spring weather.  This is a great time to say hello to your neighbors and enjoy the sense of community that makes our neighborhood so special.

Bill Shuman
President, HSIA

The President’s Comments are just that, the comments of the president of HSIA.  The opinions expressed here are not necessarily those of the HSIA Board of Directors or any individual board members.