Buckingham Greene Maintenance Corporation

Winter, 2002 Newsletter

Nov 27, 2002

What?’s New?
As hard as it is to believe, winter is upon us and the cold weather that comes with it. We hope everyone had a pleasant fall. Within the community, much was accomplished and we wanted to give everyone a quick recap.

Fun and Games
The Social Committee was very busy planning and organizing several events within the development. First, we had our annual community picnic on September 21st. The event was a tremendous success with 17 out of 51 households represented. The day was filled with good food, good people and good fun. Tom Tryon won the Buckingham Greene Trivia Contest with an impressive 9 out of 10 correct answers. In addition, there were games and prizes for all of the children.

In October, the Social Committee also helped organize the community Halloween parade. Children and adults participated by coming dressed in their favorite costumes. Everyone had a great time, and there were plenty of treats to go around for all (luckily, there were only a few tricks). Thank you to the entire Social Committee for organizing both the picnic and parade. We look forward to more fun events in the near future.

Community Directory
In September, our very first Buckingham Greene Community Directory was distributed throughout the development. We hope that the directory will go a long way in helping all of us get to know each other just a little better. We all owe a big thank you to Miriam Sigler (42 Weilers Bend) and Rosa Wong (39 Weilers Bend) for helping to lead this effort. Please notify Miriam (529-9085) if you would like to add/delete any information in the directory. We plan on sending out updates annually. However, we may update the directory more frequently depending on the number of changes we receive going forward.

Buckingham Greene Website
Did you know that Buckingham Greene now has its own community website? It?’s true, and you can access the Buckingham Greene Maintenance Corporation website at:
www.neighborhoodlink.com/wilmington-de/bgca.
The website can also be accessed by going to
www.neighborhoodlink.com, and entering 19810 in the zip code field. Buckingham Greene will be one of the community websites to choose from. New Castle County has entered into an agreement with Neighborhood Link to offer this free service to civic/homeowner organizations within the area.

While the website is still in its infancy, we have already added some information for members of the community to review. There is a calendar of events, contact information, previous newsletters and much more, all in an effort to help the residents of Buckingham Greene stay abreast of what?’s going on in our neighborhood and the surrounding community in general. Please take a tour and let us know if you have any feedback. Comments/suggestions can be sent to Paul Zoppi at pzoppi109@cs.com. In addition, there is an interactive area (?“Talk About It?”), which lists all the discussion postings within the community. Feel free to take advantage of this forum to post any messages/questions you may have.

Help Wanted
As always, we are looking for individuals to get involved and help out in any way possible. No one is asking for major time commitments. Whatever time you can afford to give will be greatly appreciated. We need help with the newsletter, website, organizing events, handing out notices, etc. (anything and everything). Please help in any way that you can. While Buckingham Greene is a wonderful place to live, together we can all make it that much better.

Deed Restriction Update
At our last community meeting on September 4th, the proposed deed restriction modifications were discussed in detail. Paul Zoppi reviewed the preliminary results with those in attendance based on the ballots that were returned. Each of the proposed changes was reviewed, and members of the community made additional suggestions. Paul will incorporate the recommended changes, and they will be discussed at our next community meeting (TBD). To make any changes, 2/3rds of the community will have to agree to any modification/amendment (34 out of 51 votes). The final signed deed restriction amendments will then be filed with New Castle County.

While we understand that this process has taken a long time, it?’s important to keep in mind that we are making progress. In the not too distant future, we hope to have revised deed restrictions that we all can live with. Thank you once again for your patience and understanding. Any assistance you may be able to provide would be greatly appreciated.

Announcements
Buckingham Greene would like to welcome some of our newest neighbors to the development. Michael Duffy and Jacqueline Herr recently moved into 73 Weilers Bend. Please be sure to say hello and introduce yourself to them. Welcome Michael and Jacqueline! We all wish you much joy and happiness in your new home.

Upcoming Local Events
- Delaware Symphony (December 7th) ?– Program of Handel?’s ?“Messiah?”. Grand Opera House, Market Street Mall in Wilmington.
Admission is $29-$39. For info. call 652-5577 (www.desymphony.org).
- A Gilbert and Sullivan Christmas Carol (December 13th and 14th) ?– The Arden Singers perform Charles Dickens?’ classic tale. Arden Gild Hall off Harvey Road in Arden. Admission is $10. For more information call 239-1313 (www.ardensingers.com).
- The Nutcracker (December 13th-15th) ?– The Academy of the Dance?’s 36th annual presentation of this holiday classic. Playhouse Theatre, Hotel duPont, Wilmington. Admission is $30-$35. For information call 594-3100.
- 10th annual First Night Wilmington (December 31st) ?– Family oriented celebration at various sites in downtown Wilmington. Admission is $10-$15; age 9 and younger free. For information call 571-4205.
- Invention Convention (January 18th-20th) ?– Kids explore the art of invention with hands-on activities. Hagley, Del. 141 along the Brandywine River near Greenville. Admission is $4; children $2; age 5 and younger free. For information call 658-2400 (www.hagley.org).
- Victorine?’s Valentine Day (February 9th) ?– A Victorian valentine weekend on the museum?’s Blacksmith Hill. Hagley, Del. 141 along the Brandywine River near Greenville. Admission is $11; children $4; age 5 and younger free. For information call 658-2400 (www.hagley.org).

Buckingham Greene Trivia
At our community picnic in September, we had a Buckingham Greene Trivia Contest in an effort to determine who knew the most about the neighborhood. Tom Tryon won with a very impressive score of 9 out of 10 correct answers. How well can you do? If you are up to the challenge, see how many questions you can answer (correct responses can be found on the last page). Good luck!

1) Which current resident was the very first Buckingham Greene Maintenance Corporation President (hint: it was not Ann Diggins)?
2) Who has a son named Parker?
3) Which home was the first to begin construction in Buckingham Greene?
4) Who has 2 dogs named Casey and Ripley?
5) Who recently (this past summer) had their home struck by lightning?
6) Who is a doctor at St. Francis Hospital in Wilmington?
7) Who was the realtor that the original homeowners dealt with from Weichert Realtors?
8) Which resident is also a basketball referee?
9) Who is the director of the Planning and Design Department at Temple University?
10) Which resident?’s picture, taken at the Rockwood Museum?’s Ice Cream Festival, appeared in the News Journal this past summer?

Community Corner
There continue to be concerns raised by some of our neighbors regarding pets within the community. If you have a dog or cat, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE remember to clean up after them when walking your pet within the development. Several neighbors have actually witnessed Buckingham Greene residents allowing their pets to defecate on someone else?’s personal property, without cleaning up afterwards. That simply isn?’t fair to our fellow neighbors.

We all take a great deal of pride in our community. Many of us have pets and are responsible about cleaning up after them. However, there are a few individuals within the community who are not as diligent in that regard. And if your children walk your pet, be sure to instruct them to clean up when walking the pet within the community. No one wants to lodge formal complaints or see fines imposed, but we are getting to a point where that may happen. A little common sense and simple courtesy can go a long way in getting this issue resolved. Thank you in advance for your cooperation!

Community Yard Sale
There has been some interest expressed by several neighbors in holding a community yard sale. The general consensus thus far is to have the yard sale in the spring. This will give everyone ample opportunity to prepare, and hopefully the warmer weather will help to increase the turnout. If you are interested in participating, please contact Paul Zoppi at 529-7760.

Tip of the Month
Did you know that the Council of Civic Organizations of Brandywine Hundred (CCOBH) is a civic umbrella group consisting of some 150 civic associations in Brandywine Hundred? CCOBH is over 50 years old and reportedly is the oldest and largest civic umbrella group of its kind in Delaware and this region. They deal with issues such as zoning, land use, education, historic preservation, preservation of natural resources, park land and open space preservation and any other issue which residents deem important to their quality of life.
CCOBH meetings are held monthly at Brandywine High School off of Foulk Road (7 pm in the auditorium). The next general assembly meeting is scheduled for December 12th. Feel free to drop by and hear what are some of the most important issues facing the residents of New Castle County. In addition, you can access the CCOBH website at www.ccobh.com for additional information and future meeting dates.

Contact us with Ideas
If you have anything you would like to see published in our next quarterly newsletter, please drop off a note at 109 Scotts Way, or send an email to pzoppi109@cs.com. Your input and feedback is greatly appreciated. As always, we are looking for volunteers to help with putting the newsletter together on a quarterly basis. It doesn?’t have to take up a lot of your time, and it should be a lot of fun. Please feel free to contact any of the Board Members if you are interested in participating.

Buckingham Greene Trivia Answers
1) Tom Tryon
2) Dave and Beth Lubin
3) 100 Scotts Way
4) Blair and Will Nowland
5) Tony and Debbie Ross
6) Eileen Schmitt
7) Elizabeth Martelli
8) Paul Zoppi
9) Marvin Gerstein
10) Emily Goodman-Joines

Next community meeting TBD.

Happy Holidays!!!