Buckingham Greene Maintenance Corporation

Spring, 2005 Newsletter

Mar 10, 2005

Blame Punxsutawney Phil
Yes, we can all blame Punxsutawney Phil for this blast of cold weather over the past month or so. If you recall, Phil (the infamous groundhog) saw his shadow last month on Groundhog Day (February 2nd), and the snow and cold weather hasn?’t stopped since. As difficult as it may be to believe, spring is less than two weeks away. It has been another eventful quarter for our community, and we wanted to get everyone up to speed on the latest news within the neighborhood.

Community Meeting Upcoming
Our next Buckingham Greene community meeting will be Wednesday, March 23rd (starting at 6:45PM). The meeting will be held at the Brandywine Hundred Library on 1300 Foulk Road near Talley Day Park (2nd floor in the large conference room). Please do make an effort to attend. We only meet twice per year, and we have some important issues to discuss and make decisions on as a community. Discussion topics include: The community must vote on and approve the budget and annual assessment dollar amount for the upcoming fiscal year. In addition, the deed restriction ballot results have been tabulated. Please come prepared to sign and have each amendment that you are in favor of notarized. Once the requisite signatures have been obtained (2/3rds of all homeowners), the revised deed restrictions will then be filed with New Castle County.

As always, we plan on having our local representative, Wayne Smith, available to speak to current issues and answer any questions you might have. We are also hoping to have a representative from Conectiv to speak to our community about topics such as saving money on energy bills, being prepared for storms, using electricity safely, etc. Please keep in mind that these community meetings are truly the most basic and lowest form of local government. It is vitally important that we all have an opportunity to express our opinions regarding matters that affect Buckingham Greene. Hope to see everyone on the 23rd.

CCOBH Meeting
The next quarterly meeting of the Council of Civic Organizations of Brandywine Hundred (CCOBH) is scheduled for Thursday, March 10th, at Brandywine High School (7pm). Chris Coons, our newly elected New Castle County Executive, and Dr. Bruce Harter, our Superintendent of Brandywine Schools, will be on hand to share timely and relevant information. And to answer your questions.

A number of major decisions are now in the making. These are decisions that will affect all of us as the new county administration moves forward, and as adjustments are made in our school system. Included in the discussion will be the possibility of a capital referendum vote in May.

It is important that we all take an active role in our community now ?– at this special time ?– when fresh initiatives are being explored and undertaken. Now is the time for you to get accurate, first-hand information. All residents are urged to attend and participate in shaping our Brandywine Hundred future.

There will also be brief, selected reports on how CCOBH is advancing our interests in a range of areas including five in-process land use matters at the Town Center and along Naaman?’s Road. The LNG Crown Landing proposal, status of recycling, new WILMAPCO sidewalk workshop, airport noise monitoring, and amended Blue Ball timetable will be highlighted. Questions and discussion will be strongly encouraged.

Spring Egg Hunt
The Spring Egg Hunt is currently scheduled for Saturday, March 19th (weather permitting). The egg hunt has traditionally been one of our more popular outings for members of the community and their friends and relatives, and we are expecting another terrific turnout this year. Please be sure to join us for a fun-filled day with prizes and candy for everyone. The Social Committee will be providing more information regarding the egg hunt soon! See you there?…

Community Directory
Keep an eye out for a memo regarding the updating of our community directory. We hope to send out an updated version very soon. You will be asked to update your directory information if applicable. The directory has gone a long way in helping all of us get to know each other just a little bit better. Again, more details coming soon.

Community Services
Don?’t forget, be sure to give Adam Friday a call at 302-293-5352 (he can also be reached via email at ajf81579@aol.com) if you are in need of automobile repairs. From simple oil changes to the most serious transmission problems, Adam guarantees complete customer satisfaction. He is ASE and GM Certified and will be happy to assist you with your automotive service and/or repair needs.

In addition, if you?’ve been having problems with your home PC, do yourself a favor and give Joe Testa of State One Systems a call at 302-562-0581. Joe is a Microsoft Certified Professional who owns and operates his own company. He will come to your home and make fast, cost effective repairs for most PCs as well as PC compatible equipment. He has already done work for several residents who have been completely satisfied with his services and fees. Call Joe today to speak about your concerns and/or issues. He can also be reached via email at stateone@comcast.net. Complete customer satisfaction is guaranteed!

Upcoming Local Events
St. Patrick?’s Day Parade (March 12th)
Annual parade through the streets of downtown Wilmington.
?• Admission: Free
?• For information: 454-7474

Brandywine Zoo?’s 100th Birthday Celebration (March 12th and 13th) ?– Live entertainment, animal-themed games and crafts, scavenger hunt and discovery displays. 1001 N. Park Drive, Wilmington.
?• Admission: Free
?• For information: 571-7747 or visit www.brandywinezoo.org

St. Patrick?’s Day Celebration (March 13th)
Music by The Glengarry Bhoys, with traditional elements of Celtic music with contemporary sensibilities. Plus Irish storyteller Beth Vaughan, a St. Patrick?’s Day cooking demonstration and Irish menu at the Terrace Restaurant. Plus other activities throughout the day. Longwood Gardens, U.S. 1, near Kennett Square.
?• Admission: $12, ages 16-20 $6, 6-15 $2, 5 and younger free
?• For information: (610) 388-1000 or visit www.longwoodgardens.org

Wilmington Annual Delaware Home & Garden Expo (April 2nd) ?– Tips from ?“Trading Spaces?” designer Frank Bielec. Also vendors, demonstrations and information on renovation, house, room and garden design. Center on The Wilmington Waterfront ?– 800 S. Madison St.
?• Admission: Free admission and parking
?• For information: (800) 404-7080 or visit
www.DEHomeGarden.com

Earth Day Celebration (April 16th)
Facts about endangered species and what can be done to help. Plus live entertainment, related games, stories, crafts, live animal presentation and more. Brandywine Zoo, 1001 N. Park Drive, Wilmington.
?• Admission: $4, age 62 and older and 3-11 $2
?• For information: 571-7747 or visit www.brandywinezoo.org

Wilmington Flower Market (May 6th - 8th)
Carnival rides, entertainment, crafts, plants, food, 5K run, art. Rockford Park, Wilmington.
?• Admission: Free. Parking, $
?• For information: 995-5699

Winterthur?’s Point-to-Point (May 8th)
Enjoy the excitement of this annual steeplechase race. Activities include tailgating, horse racing, a spectacular parade of antique carriages, and more. Tickets sold in advance only. Winterthur, Route 52.
?• For information: (800) 448-3883 or visit www.winterthur.org

Announcements
Mike and Jackie Duffy recently brought home a new addition to the Buckingham Greene community. Lauren Maeve Duffy was born January 12th, weighing 5 pounds 7.5 ounces and was 18 inches long. Mom and Dad are doing well and are thrilled with their new addition. Congratulations to the entire Duffy family.

Lost and Found: If you have recently lost an Eagles?’ football cap, please contact Miriam Sigler at 529-9085 (42 Weilers Bend). The cap was discovered on Miriam?’s driveway the night of the Super Bowl (how quickly we turn on the team).

Don?’t forget, if you have anything you would like to announce to your fellow neighbors (i.e., birth announcements, anniversaries, birthdays, business advertising) please contact Paul Zoppi at 109 Scotts Way (feel free to email Paul with the specifics at pzoppi109@cs.com.) Thank you.

Community Profile ?– ?“Jailhouse Doc?”
Mike Duffy (73 Weilers Bend) gets frisked and walks through a metal detector on his way to work. He then goes through a series of guarded, locked doors while being filmed by countless surveillance cameras and eventually reaches his office. He?’s not a pilot for Air Force One. He doesn?’t work for the CIA or the FBI. Mike is a dentist. And two nights a week, he practices his craft at Wilmington?’s Howard R. Young Correctional Institution (formerly known as Gander Hill Prison).

?“They are probably one of the most appreciative populations that you could work on,?” he said. ?“You feel good when you do it, because more than half of them have probably never been to a dentist.?”

He works in a room that is 20 feet long and 15 feet wide, with one dentist?’s chair. Inmates who have scheduled an appointment wait in a lobby outside his office. Most of the care the inmates need includes extractions, cleanings, fillings, denture work, and treatment for gum disease.

During the day, Mike works at Foulk Road Dental Associates. The Buckingham Greene resident graduated from Brandywine High School, attended Virginia Wesleyan College and went on to Temple University for dental school. He works nights at the prison to earn extra money to pay off his school loans, and to build a future with his wife Jackie and newborn baby Lauren.

At the correctional institution, Mike has developed unique one-on-one relationships with his patients. ?“There are a lot of talkers,?” he said. ?“I?’m someone for them to talk to other than their cellmate. Some tell their life story ?– not their criminal background ?– but they confide in me. They actually have a lot of curiosity about their dental health. They just don?’t have much one-on-one time with people who?’ll listen.?”

Mostly the inmates thank Mike for his time and care. ?“They?’re not used to being treated with the time-of-day-type of mentality,?” he said.

But Mike is a dentist first and listener second. ?“I?’m providing a service to keep them infection free and as comfortable as possible. They?’ve got more things to worry about in prison than having a toothache.?”

Community Yard Sale
There has been some interest expressed by several neighbors in holding our community yard sale once again. The general consensus thus far is to have the yard sale in late 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. In addition, any assistance with organizing the yard sale would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

Tip of the Month
Don?’t forget, our District Representative, Wayne Smith, holds a weekly open forum at the Brew Ha Ha Restaurant, located in the upper part of Branmar Plaza. The meetings are from 7:00 to 7:30 a.m., Tuesday mornings. Wayne buys coffee for all! Why not stop by sometime to discuss issues, concerns or simply hear what issues are on other people?’s minds.

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.

Next community meeting will be March 23rd at the Brandywine Hundred Library on Foulk Road (6:45PM). Please do try to attend. Thank you.

Happy Spring!