March 2008

It’s seemed like a very long Winter this year, but I think Spring is really coming.  All the signs are there.  Occasional really nice days, shoots coming up from the ground, and my favorite, woodpeckers making holes in my siding!  Another sure sign of Spring is Come And Get It Day.  This year was a great success.  Thanks to everyone who came and got their stuff and a special thanks to everyone who volunteered to help give it to them.

Watching everyone working at Come And Get It Day, sitting there for four hours without a break, got me thinking about how much these people give to their community and how we need more like them to come forward.  I came up with a Volunteer Recognition Program that I will propose to the board at our next meeting.  I have already talked to several board members and they liked the plan and suggested a few adjustments.  Here’s how it would work.  We would set up three levels for recognition: Gold, Silver, and Bronze.  These would be based on the number of hours a person volunteered in a year.  You could qualify for Bronze by working a small number of hours, probably by participating in a single event like Come And Get It Day or a beach cleanup.  Bronze volunteers would receive a Hillsmere Tee Shirt.  At the Silver level, you would receive a Hillsmere Tote Bag.  Gold level volunteers would receive a gift certificate to a local business or restaurant.    We will print special  versions of the tee shirts and tote bags that say “Community Volunteer” under the logo.  As you go through the year, you can be awarded a tee shirt and tote bag as you reach the required number of hours.  Each year, we would devote the September Sea Breeze to our volunteers.  We would list all the volunteers, perhaps even with pictures.  In October, we would have a Volunteer Recognition Dinner.  HSIA would cater the event and all volunteers would be invited.  One suggestion was to have HSIA cater the main dishes, but have potluck desserts.  The gift certificates for the Gold volunteers would be awarded at the dinner.  Some of the details still need to be worked out, but I think this would be a great way to thank everyone who gives so much to their community.  As an added benefit, it might also get a few more people to volunteer.

One of the big concerns to our residents is crime.  After the crime wave of daytime burglaries in Eastport last month, residents in all the County communities that, like us, are next to Annapolis City, are concerned that the crime wave will spill over into our neighborhoods.  With that in mind, I met with Captain William Krampf, the new Commander of the Souther District of the Anne Arundel County Police Department, and several of his officers.  I was very impressed with his concern and his interest in working with our community.  In response to the crime wave in Eastport, he assured me that there would be additional patrols, within the limitations of staffing levels.  He is also working with both the Annapolis City Police and the Maryland State Police to increase coordination in areas where crime is increasing.  Another concern that has been expressed to me by several Hillsmere residents is an impression that no one comes when they call 911 to report a suspicious person or similar information.  Captain Krampf said that every call is responded to.  In some cases, it is not a marked car or uniformed officer.  They take every call seriously.  Of course, calls are answered in order of importance and this may affect the time it takes to get a response.  One sure way to know that someone responded is to have the officer come to your door.  They always ask if you want to talk to an officer.  Another point the Captain made was that residents should call 911 anytime they see something suspicious.  People seem to think that they are inconveniencing the police when they call with something minor or that they are unsure of.  Of course, a person has the right to walk down your street at 2:00 am with a plastic trash bag full of stuff, as one resident reported to me in an email.  If you call 911, they will come and find out who the person is.  They won’t take him to jail or otherwise harass him.  The police may not find out until days later that, for example, a home was burglarized in the next block.  Without your call they will have no information at all.  Remember, you don’t have to have your name associated with the report.  Captain Krampf has agreed to be our guest at the March General Meeting to answer questions and address concerns from our residents.  That meeting will have already occurred by the time you read this.  Finally, Josh Cohen, our Anne Arundel County Councilperson, has arranged a meeting with Captain Krampf and representatives of all the County communities bordering Annapolis City on the neck.  We will be meeting to discuss some of the same concerns I already spoke to the Captain about, but in a coordinated manner.  Thanks to Josh and Captain Krampf for their concern and willingness to address these issues.

Speaking of volunteers and security, we have a very important volunteer position that needs to be filled.  Alan Weiss, a former HSIA board member, has served as the Chairperson of the Security Committee for over two years and is stepping down.  He did a great job of getting our new security company in place and working out a system to manage the patrols.  We need someone to take his place.  The position involves scheduling the patrols, approving invoices, and passing on community concerns to the security patrols.  We cannot have the patrols unless someone is fulfilling this function.  If you would be interested in this position, please let me know.

I receive many calls and emails about various issues, but one that keeps coming up is the number of homes in Hillsmere with a large number of people living in them.  We are not talking about large families, but rather a large number of adults.  This is usually associated with many cars as well.  Unless the property is licensed as a rooming house, this is probably in violation of County zoning rules.  I would like to work with the County to address this problem, if at all possible.  In order to do so, I need a list of the properties that we are concerned about.  If you know or suspect that this situation exists in a Hillsmere property, please contact me with the information.  Again, your name will not be used when talking to the authorities.  Email me at president@hillsmereshores.net or call me at 410-263-4102.

As you have already guessed, we will be selling Hillsmere Tee Shirts again this year.  In addition, we will be selling Hillsmere Tote Bags.  That idea came from Angie Carroll, our new Welcoming Committee Chairperson.  You may have met her at Come And Get It Day.  She was compiling a list of new residents and talking to mothers about the Hillsmere Playgroup for infants and preschoolers.  She will be delivering Hillsmere Tote Bags filled with information and coupons from local businesses to new residents.  If you are new to Hillsmere or know someone that is, please let Angie know.  You can email her at welcome@hillsmereshores.net or leave a message on our 24-hour voice mail at 410-263-4456.  This year, the tee shirts will be green instead of blue.  An order form is included in this issue of the Sea Breeze.  We’d like to get as many ordered in advance as possible.  All the shirts are $10 this year.  If you want them mailed to an address outside of Hillsmere, then add an extra dollar per shirt.  We don’t make a lot of money selling tee shirts.  It’s just a great way to show pride in your community.

Well, that’s enough for this month.  I really enjoyed my role at Come And Get It Day.  I get to meet everyone who comes in and make sure people get to the right tables.  I also answer questions and concerns.  It’s a fun whirlwind of intense activity for four hours.  It’s very rewarding for me, but it’s a bit of a blur.  If you spoke to me and are waiting for me to get back to you, please send me an email to remind me what we talked about.  A lot of people thanked me for the great work the HSIA Board is doing.  You thanks means a lot to all of us, board members and volunteers.  It’s the only pay we get in this job, but it’s worth it!

-Bill Shuman
President, Hillsmere Shores Improvement Association