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Retroactive Fee Increase

Or, What's with the Extra $15 on My Association Fee Bill?

In a report last issue on the approval of the 2004-2005 Budget, we indicated that the monthly association fee had increased in September to $159.

As it turns out, the $5 monthly increase had been factored into the budget beginning with the new fiscal year, July 1, 2004.

So, why the delay in billing residents for the increase?

Before notifying residents of the $5 monthly increase, the board of trustees first had to approve the 2004-2005 budget. The review and approval process had to be postponed, however, until all five board seats had been filled.

Once all seats were filled and the budget approved, we were charged retroactive fees dating back to July. Thus, in addition to September's $5 increase, we were also charged the $5 increase for July and August.

Community Management and the board apologize for any inconvenience and confusion caused by the retroactive fee increase.

Neighborhood Watch and Crime Prevention

Remain vigilant. Report any suspicious behavior to the police.

Garage Break-ins

A resident recently had his garage broken into and his Harley Davidson stolen. Forced entry was ruled out, suggesting that whoever stole the bike used a key. Word has it that there are only so many garage-door blanks out there, so finding a key that will fit the garage door is not too difficult. You can help prevent your garage from being broken into by either

• Calling in a good lock-smith to change your garage door lock, or
• Installing an automatic door opener.

Car Break-ins

Cars in the community have been broken into. You can help prevent car break-ins by

• Keeping your cars locked
• Parking in your garage, driveway, or other well-lit areas
• Being on the lookout for suspicious activity

Resident Directory Sign-Up

Last Chance to Sign Up for This Year's Issue

This is the your last chance to sign up for the first issue of the Resident Directory. For more information on the benefits of signing up to be in the directory and the measures taken to protect your privacy, go to www.morrisplace.net/forms/signup/directory.

Landscaping and Snow Removal Service

Fullerton has been chosen to take care of landscaping and snow removal for the next fiscal year. The board of trustees selected Fullerton from among several landscaping bids due to their performance on landscaping to date, the fact that they know our property - an advantage when it comes to snow removal - and their pricing. Of the bidding vendors, Fullerton offered the best prices by far.

Expect snow removal parking rules to come into effect soon. If you'd like to have a say on these rules, please come to the next open board meeting on October 28.

September / October Maintenance & Inspection Report

We are still waiting to receive the maintenance report update from Community Services. When it arrives, we will post it to the website http://www.morrisplace.net/main/news.

Here's an update on what we do know of the status of maintenance issues currently or recently under review.

For a history of maintenance activity from July 2004, please go to www.morrisplace.net/main/archives/maintenance

If you would like to draw attention to a common element problem that hasn't been noted above, please contact our property manager, Candice Bladt, or come to the open board meeting on October 28.

October Open Board Meeting

Place: Rm 201, Morristown Town Hall (200 South St.)
Date: Fourth Thursday of every month
Time: 7:00 pm

Important topics to be discussed at this month's open board meeting include:

• Proposal to prohibit charcoal grill lighter fluid
• Update on signage and parking enforcement
• Institution of garbage guidelines
• Snow removal parking rules
• Enforcement of other rules and regulations recently adopted by the board

Important: Although we encourage you to express your thoughts via the newsletter and website, the best way to voice your ideas for the community and to weigh in on community decisions is by attending Morris Place open board meetings.

We look forward to seeing you at the Thursday, October 28 meeting.

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Advertising, Announcements, and Other Notices

Have something to say to residents? Say it through the newsletter and website. The following are prohibited:

1. Posting notices on community mailboxes or other common property. The mailboxes are federal property, and any type of unauthorized posting is against federal laws. 
   
2. Bypassing the postal system (i.e., asking the mail person to place flyers in individual mailboxes). No flyers are to be put into residents' individual mailboxes unless they are stamped and mailed through the US Postal System. 

Other Rules and Regulations

Please go to http://www.morrisplace.net/main/regs/index.htm for the Morris Place community rules and regulations reported on in previous issues of the newsletter. They include:

• Barbeque Grills – Use, Maintenance, and Storage
• Cigarette Butts
• Dogs
• Parking
• Satellite Dish Installation
• Trash Removal and Recycling

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No new FAQs added this month. Go to www.morrisplace.net/main/faqs/index.htm for existing FAQs:

1. Who do we contact if there is a community-wide problem?
2. What should I do if my, or a neighbor's, carbon monoxide detector sounds?
3. Why is my smoke detector chirping?

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Sumitra Ramaprasad

Where: 13 Taft

From: Born in Morristown, NJ, raised in Millington, NJ (about 20 minutes drive south of Morristown).

Background: Majored in English Writing at Rider University in Lawrenceville, NJ. Earned Certificate in Editing from New York University's School of Professional and Continuing Studies. Currently working toward a Certificate in Graphic Design from NYU.

What she does: Senior editor at Marquis Who's Who.

Interests: Indian dancing, Indian cultural history, cooking Indian food (yum!), traveling, hiking, and reading short stories.

More about Bharata Natyam: For over 20 years, Sumitra has been learning Bharata Natyam – an ancient Indian classical dance form that dates back to 5,000 BC. After graduating from the Padmini Institute of Fine Arts in 1992, she began her advanced training with the Shubanjali School of Performing Arts and has been with the school ever since. Most notable of her numerous performances was a solo recital under the tutelage of Guru Suba Parmar, where she performed for an audience of over 300 people.

To see some more photos of Sumitra in performance-mode, check out the Resident Focus section of the website: www.morrisplace.net/main/residents/ramaprasad.

Other Morris Place Residents

Go to the Resident Focus section of the website to meet other residents who have featured in the Resident Focus section of the newsletter. They include:

• Alison and Eric Bozzo
• Morris Place Board members

If you'd like to feature in next month's Resident Focus section, let us know! www.morrisplace.net/forms/contact

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Cleaning Person Recommendations Needed

Can anyone recommend a reputable cleaning person – someone who does a very thorough job and who can be trusted? The person would be needed once a month for a full day.

Submit referrals through the website: www.morrisplace.net/forms/contact, or email jennifer.hua@morrisplace.net.

Painter Recommendation

One resident recommends Baron Painting. Ask for Sergio's team of painters. They are clean, tidy, efficient, and professional. Call 973-267-5142.

Getting your Carpets Cleaned: What Not to Do

A few weekends ago, a resident scheduled a second touch-up visit from her carpet cleaner. The gentleman who came to clean did not do the same job as his predecessors, but you should make certain that your cleaners do the following:

• Move all furniture to clean underneath it.
• Put all furniture on styrofoam blocks to keep the wood from bleeding onto your wet carpet. Keep the furniture on blocks for a day or two, to be safe.
• Put signs near your stairs warning that the carpet is slick when wet.
• Put a foam pad around the door through which the cleaning hose enters your house. (More on this later.)
• Park away from your garage and keep the engine off!

What is the problem, then, that leads to this story? 

Carbon monoxide.

The resident's cleaner parked close to the mouth of her garage and left his motor running. And for the sake of speed, he didn't put the aforementioned foam pad around her door, which minimizes air flow while your house door is ajar. The result was a house full of carbon monoxide from the truck exhaust. 

The good news is that all her CO detectors were tripped – and she safely evacuated while the fire department cleared the air. (Remember the four or so fire engines and one police car stationed outside buildings 3 and 4 one Saturday morning?)

The resident's advice, then, is this:  Even with a good carpet cleaner, keep a watchful eye on what they're doing.

General Advice

Wiping marks off M&M-painted walls

Problem: When we try to wipe marks off our Matzel& Mumford-painted walls, most of the paint comes off with the mark. Is there a way to remove marks from our walls without first repainting the place with a better-quality paint?

Solution: Yes! Mr. Clean Magic Eraser works exceptionally well on M&M-painted walls. You can learn more about this product at the Mr. Clean website: http://www.homemadesimple.com/mrclean/index.shtml

You can also request a free sample from their website!

Removing Spots from Granite Countertop

Problem: Our granite countertop has a fruit juice stain. Is there any way to restore the granite to its natural beauty? — Update: the fruit juice stain turned out to be a permanent water stain. (We assumed that it was a fruit juice stain because it was impossible to remove. It did not occur to us that it could be a water stain, until we started to get more and more difficult-to-remove spots around the sink area.) We tried granite cleaner, but that did not work.

Solution: We have yet to identify a way to remove what appears to be permanent spots. However, you can prevent further damage to your granite countertops by cleaning your countertops regularly with a special granite cleanser and then applying a special granite protector every six months. This applies to countertops made of other materials, too. Countertop cleansers and sealers are sold at Home Depot and similar stores.

Follow-up: While cleaning and sealing the countertops obviously did not remove existing water spots, we are happy to note that no new permanent spots have developed. We were convinced of the effectiveness of the new protection job when we were able to remove a couple of 12-hour old water spots from the countertop with ease. We strongly recommend you clean and protect your granite countertops within the first five months of moving into your new home, and every six months thereafter.

Removing Calcified Water from the Dishwasher

Problem: How do you remove calcified water from the dishwasher?

Solution: Use a general descaler – available from Wal-Mart and similar stores.

Keeping Grout Clean

Problem: How do you keep tile grout clean in the kitchen? We sealed the grout, but that hasn't stopped the grout from darkening.

Solution: None yet.

If you have any home improvement/repair questions, referrals, or tips, let us know! www.morrisplace.net/forms/contact

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Looking for Reputable Cleaning Person

Can anyone recommend a reputable cleaning person – someone who does a very thorough job and who can be trusted?

Please contact us through the website http://www.morrisplace.net/forms/contact or by email jennifer.hua@morrisplace.net if you have any recommendations.

Home Improvement and Repair Services

Please check out the Classifieds section of the website to learn more about the home improvement and repair services reported on in the September issue of the newsletter.

As a reminder, one of our community residents, Eric Bozzo, is a general contractor. Eric specializes in crown molding; electrical; painting; plumbing; shelves, closets, cabinets, tiles, and woodworking. And he can recommend some excellent people for other services, such as installing window blinds and granite countertops.

Looking to buy or sell something? Looking for a service or got one to offer? Let us know! www.morrisplace.net/forms/contact

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Calendar of Local Events for September/October

For a comprehensive calendar of events in Morris County, check out Morristown.com's Calendar of Events (www.morristown.com/cgibin/calendar.pl) Note: If this site is down, try again later. The link is correct.

Following is a sampling of events taking place in October, November, and December.

Christmas Festival at the Morristown Green

When: November 26 - December 23

Where: Morristown Green / North Park Place

Cost: Free

Contact: Morristown Partnership @ 973-455-1133

Notes: From the Morristown Partnership website: The Christmas Festival at the Morristown Green will begin with the arrival of Santa Claus on Friday, November 26, at 6:30 p.m. on North Park Place. Once in Morristown, the jolly old elf will be hoisted down from the roof of Century 21 Department Store by the Morristown Fire Department. Santa's arrival will officially start the holiday season as he will "turn on the switch" that lights the Green. Santa will then make himself available for photographs.

Morristown Community Theatre 10th Anniversary Celebration Events

What: Concerts, Plays, Dance, Comedy, and more....

Where: 100 South Street, Morristown

Contact: 973-539-8008

Website: www.communitytheatrenj.com/

Note: Descriptions are from Community Theatre website. Be sure to call the Box Office for ticket availability: 973-539-8008

Morris Place Community Events / Activities

Many residents are interested in participating in Morris Place events and activities (e.g., block parties, barbeques, community meet & greet, local bike-rides, local walking trips etc.) We think it's a great way to foster a positive community, and look forward to receiving proposals for events.

If you'd like to organize or help run a Morris Place event or activity, please let us know: www.morrisplace.net/forms/contact

Local Places and Events of Interest

Please go to the Local Links section of the website to learn more about what there is to do in and around Morristown.

Got any local places or events to recommend? Or interested in something in particular? Let us know! www.morrisplace.net/forms/contact

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Community Management Group

Community Management: www.communityservices.com/

Candice L. Bladt, Property Manager
Community Management Corporation
1030 Clifton Avenue
Clifton NJ 07103
973-773-6262 Ext. 161
973-773-4932 (Fax)
bladt@communityservices.com

Emergency Response System: 973-773-6262

Morris Place Condominium Association Board of Trustees

Jeanette Balady, Jack Bartholomew, Jennifer Hua, Pete Pangis, Becky Yeamans: board@morrisplace.net

Newsletter and Website

Morris Place website: http://www.morrisplace.net
Morris Place newsletter: http://www.morrisplace.net/newsletter

Contact: Jennifer Hua: jennifer.hua@morrisplace.net

Other Contacts

For other contacts, go to: www.morrisplace.net/main/contacts/

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Last Updated October 17, 2004

Copyright © 2004-2005 Jennifer Hrazdil Hua, Morris Place Condominium Association