The Chronicle

December 2012 Carlyle Towers Condominium

Management Office 2151 Jamieson Avenue Alexandria, VA 22314 (703) 567-2151 Email: info@carlyletowers.com Blog: http://carlyletowers.com Website: http://ctcalexandria.com

Board Actions... 1 Community Affairs 1 - 2 Connect with Your Neighbors 2 Ad Hoc Committee - East Gym Space.. 2 Join Us Online.. 3 Comings & Goings... 3 Wine Tasting at Carlyle. 3 Staff Holiday Fund Report ... 3 Newsletter Committee.. 3 Is Mid-Life too Late for Fitness. 3 Angel Tree 2012.. 3 - 4 Christmas Tree Removal.. 4 Winter Weather Woes. 4 No Solicitation.. 4

IN THIS ISSUE

All Exercise Equipment is in operation at this time.

Staff was asked to provide the Board with a report in January regarding BuildingLink.

Board Actions
The Board of Directors met on Wednesday, December 5th. Approximately twelve attended. Those in attendance chose not to address the Board during the Open Forum portion of the meeting. The Board confirmed the appointment of the Ad Hoc Committee on East Gym Space. See the article on Page 2 for more information regarding the Ad Hoc Committee. Because of the New Years holiday, the Board will hold its January meeting on Wednesday, January 9th at 7 pm in the Carlyle Room. All residents are invited to attend. McFall and Berry, who provides landscape services for the Association, has been awarded a three year contract. As many of you know, Carlyle Towers received a 2012 Alexandria Beautification Award. We attribute receiving that award to the work of McFall and Berry, Courtney Manning (our in-house landscaper) and the Landscape Committee, Chaired by Coy Harris. The Board also approved necessary structural work which became evident during Hurricane Sandy. Residents who will be affected by this work will receive information as to when the work will begin and what will be involved.

Community Affairs
Lee Hernly, Community Affairs

Community Calendar
12/19 Community Affairs Committee 6:30 pm, Carlyle Room See Easels for Details 12/19 Ad Hoc Committee - East Gym 4 pm, Meeting Room 12/24 & Merry Christmas Office 12/25 Closed ~ No Moves or Deliveries 12/26 Happy Kwanza 12/31 & New Years Holiday - Office 1/1 Closed ~ No Moves or Deliveries 1/4 ACT: TGIF 6 pm, Carlyle Room & Deck 1/8 Activities Committee 7 pm, Meeting Room 1/9 Board of Directors Meeting 7 pm, Carlyle Room 1/9 Communications Committee 7 pm, Meeting Room 1/10 Ad Hoc Committee East Gym 7 pm, Meeting Room 1/13 ACT: Wine Tasting See Article on Page 3 1/15 Exercise Facilities Committee 7 pm, Meeting Room 1/16 Community Affairs Committee 6:30 pm, Meeting Room 1/23 Communications Committee 7 pm, Meeting Room

No community affairs information this month save for the below holiday fire safety tips we received from the Alexandria Fire Department. Have a safe & happy holiday! The Alexandria Fire Department wishes everyone a safe and happy holiday season. Each year fires occurring during the holiday season injure 2,600 individuals and cause over $930 million in damage. According to the United States Fire Administration (USFA), there are simple life-saving steps you can take to ensure a safe and happy holiday. By following some of the outlined precautionary tips, individuals can greatly reduce their chances of becoming a holiday fire casualty. The Alexandria Fire Department along with the United States Fire Administration (USFA) and National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) remind everyone that home fires are more prevalent in winter than in any other season. This is due in part to an increase in cooking and heating fires. Holiday decorations and winter storms that can interrupt electrical service and cause people to turn to alternative heating sources also

Carlyle Towers Condominium

contribute to the increased risk of fire in winter. Winter fires can be prevented! Preventing Christmas Tree Fires Christmas Tree Fire Safety Special fire safety precautions need to be taken when keeping a live tree in the house. A burning tree can rapidly fill a room with fire and deadly gases. Selecting a Tree for the Holiday - Needles should be green and hard to pull back from the branches, and the needle should not break if the tree has been freshly cut. The trunk should be sticky to the touch. Old trees can be identified by bouncing the tree trunk on the ground. If many needles fall off, the tree has been cut too long, has probably dried out, and is a fire hazard. Caring for Your Tree - Do not place your tree close to a heat source, including a fireplace or heat vent. The heat will dry out the tree, causing it to be easily ignited by heat, flame or sparks. Do not put your live tree up too early or leave it up for longer than two weeks. Keep the tree stand filled with water at all times. Disposing of Your Tree - Never put tree branches or needles in a fireplace or wood burning stove. When the tree becomes dry, discard it promptly. Artificial Trees - If you have an artificial tree, be sure it is labeled, certified, or identified by the manufacturer as fire retardant. Holiday Lights Choose the Right Type of Holiday Lights - Use lights that have the label of an independent testing laboratory. Some lights are only for indoor or outdoor use, but not both. Maintain Your Holiday Lights Inspect lights each year for

The Chronicle December 2012 frayed wires, bare spots, gaps in the insulation, broken or cracked sockets, and excessive kinking before putting them up. Use only lighting listed by an approved testing laboratory. Do Not Overload Electrical Outlets - Do not link more than three light strands. Connect strings of lights to an extension cord before plugging the cord into the outlet. Make sure to periodically check the wires they should not be warm to the touch. Do Not Leave Holiday Lights on Unattended
Holiday Decorations Use Only Nonflammable Decorations - All decorations should be nonflammable or flame-retardant and placed away from heat vent. Candle Care Avoid Using Lit Candles If you do use them, make sure they are in stable holders and place them where they cannot be easily knocked down. Never leave the house with candles burning. Never Put Lit Candles on a Tree - Do not go near a Christmas tree with an open flame - candles, lighters or matches.

Having more people sign up to use the site will allow our management staff to better utilize their resources and cut down on costs (which will hopefully help in keeping our condo fees flat). The site also offers residents powerful tools such as the ability to leave front desk instructions, package tracking, online amenity reservations and repair requests, online bulletin board, document library and more! The new web portal is also available with our iPhone and Android apps. No matter where you are, you can place work requests, check the bulletin board, know when your packages arrive, etc. Hope to see you online!

Ad Hoc Committee on East Gym Space Underway

A Report from the Ad Hoc Committee Recently approved by the Board, the Ad Hoc Committee on the East Gym space is off and running. It has held a preliminary meeting. Management is in the process of engaging a licensed engineer to work with the Committee to support the process of shaping options for future use of the space. The final product of the Committee, under direction of the Board, will be structuring and analyzing viable alternatives for use of the space. All options the Committee will consider are to include allocation of space for aquatic and fitness uses, although the relative space allocated for each may vary by option. Based on findings from the survey of residents taken last fall, no option will include alternatives to these uses, e.g. a multipurpose room. The mission of the Ad Hoc Committee is to serve as a technical resource to the Board in its decision -making processes regarding the use of the East Gym space; it will not advocate any particular option over any other. All options addressed by the Committee
2

Connect with Your Neighbors Online

Lee Hernly, Director

If you find yourself hesitant to throw a party or walk up to a stranger in the building to introduce yourself, visit our new web portal for residents. Over 300 of your fellow neighbors at Carlyle Towers have signed up at http://www.ctcalexandria.com. This new web portal, powered by BuildingLink, offers our residents a powerful tool to meet in an online environment, organize community events, or simply keep in touch with neighbors via email or message boards.

Carlyle Towers Condominium

will, however, meet a standard of viability. The Committee will examine each option using criteria of responsiveness to residents stated needs (i.e., resident / user surveys), capital and operating costs, efficient and aesthetic use of space and other factors set forth by the Board. As with all CTC committees, meetings will be open to all residents as guests. Notices of meetings will be posted around the complex.

The Chronicle December 2012 Well be tasting three alternatives of several types of wine three Cabernets, for instance. Well serve cheese and crackers with the wine. Youll probably remember previous wine tastings; theyre always popular and lots of fun.
Please be sure to sign up ahead of time so we can be prepared for the appropriate numbers. Its particularly important for this event as Ricks will be ordering the wines based on the number of people we expect to attend. Look for sign-up sheets in the lobbies and mark your calendars now! Looking ahead to February, we plan a Music Night on Saturday the 9th. Rick Normoyle who entertained us last year will play the piano; if you have any favorite singable songs, email them to Nancy Jemiola at nejmic@hotmail.com

twelve issues or even just for one. We are looking for different voices in our community. To submit an article or idea or to join the Newsletter committee, please contact Lee Hernly at leehernly@icloud.com.

Is Mid-Life Too Late to Start a Fitness Program?

Exercise Facilities Committee

Join Us Online!
The Carlyle Towers blog is online @ http://carlyletowers.com! Join us on the blog and find us on Facebook to interact with Carlyle Towers Condominium daily. We post interesting news articles, share updates about Carlyle Towers, and answer questions all day, every day!

STAFF HOLIDAY FUND REPORT TO THE RESIDENTS

Thanks to all of you, the Staff Holiday Fund Committee is able to announce that holiday bonus checks will soon be received by all Carlyle staff (full and part-time as well as the cleaning staff). The generosity of the residents and owners is reflective of how much we value the services of all who work here. In turn, the very small staff turnover through the years is evidence that the employees take great pride in their jobs. All of them are very appreciative of your support and generosity. Thank you very much! The 2012 Staff Holiday Fund Committee

The answer is, Not by a long shot, and thats science, - not conjecture. In a major long-term health study just published, the evidence is clear that fitness is a key to significantly reducing risks in developing serious chronic disease later in life. The specific chronic diseases where incidences were tracked included those of the heart, diabetes, Alzheimers, and colon or lung cancer Among the most striking findings is that those who were healthy but the least fit at the outset of the study were the most prone to develop prolonged chronic illness later in life. Those who were fit, or became fit, in mid life were advantaged in their later years. It was not that the fitter people did not ever become afflicted with the illnesses examined. They did. What was different is that those who were fit were afflicted at a much later age, greatly enhancing the quality of their retirement years. The study tracked over 18,000 patients over an average 26- year span. Subjects included men and women, all healthy (aerobic health was assessed using treadmills) at the outset, with a median age then just shy of 50. Furthermore, all tracked in the study survived long enough to receive Medicare coverage during the decade beginning January 1999. The study was published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, September 24, 2012 and described in a recent article by Gretchen Reynolds in the New York Times. At Carlyle, with our 2 gyms and array of aerobic and strength
3

Greetings to New Carlyle Residents who came in November 2012

Hospitality Committee

Lucille Aguirre, 2103-S; David & Michelle Lange, 1504-S; George & Jan Maas, 1909-E; Roger Curley & Ann Kirkpatrick, 1209-E; John DiLouie, 402-W.

A Fond Farwell to Those Who Have Moved Away

David Cochran, -315-S; Bridget & Craig Rose, 1901-S; James LaGuzza, 1906-W; William Hawthorne, 1902-W; Jonathan Gallo, 1901-E.

Newsletter Committee
We are looking for residents interested in contributing articles, stories, profiles, photos or even ideas for the Associations monthly newsletter. No experience is necessary and everyone is welcome to join the newsletter committee. The newsletter committee offers you the flexibility to contribute throughout the year for all

Wine Tasting at Carlyle

In January the Activities Committee will host a wine-tasting afternoon on Sunday 13th from 4 - 6:00 P.M. Ricks Wines will supply the wines and help us sharpen our palates.

Carlyle Towers Condominium

The Chronicle

December 2012

equipment, we have all we need right here to get and stay fit. Its convenient, and does not cost an extra penny for us to use. If you have not already; why not make working out at our gyms part of your lifestyle? As someone once said about fitness, Motivation will get you going and habit will keep you coming.

Christmas Tree & Greenery Removal

Christmas trees will be removed from the property on Thursday, January 3rd and Thursday, January 10th. Using a tree bag, please take your tree and greenery to the loading dock. Dispose of your tree prior to January 10th. Trees left in the loading dock after that time will be removed at an additional cost to the Association, the cost of which will be billed to any resident discarding a tree on or after January 10th.

from the walkways and around the exterior doors. Check channel 970 and the easels frequently for updates on property conditions. Parking Garage: Keep in mind that during inclement weather conditions vehicles bring snow, ice and salts inside the garage. When melted, the mixture can find its way through hairline cracks and pipe penetrations and drip through the concrete slab. To protect the finish on your vehicle, you may wish to use a tarp.

Angel Tree 2012

Carlyle Towers is very pleased to once again sponsor an Angel Tree. This year, Carlyle Towers is supporting the Domestic Violence Program of Alexandria, a local organization that has been working with families in Alexandria since 1975 when the first shelter for battered women opened. The Domestic Violence Program of Alexandria, Virginia is requesting Carlyle Towers help in providing gifts for more than one hundred (100) children between the ages of newborn and seventeen (17) years old with an almost equal division between boys and girls. There is a critical need for the children eleven (11) years and older. The Domestic Violence Program of Alexandria has suggested the following items: - Sports equipment - Action figures - Barbie dolls - Journals - Scapbooking supplies - Legos - Cars - Play sets (tea sets, doctor kits, etc.) Please bring your unwrapped gifts, gift cards and/or checks to either unit 901 in the South Building or the front office no later than 9 am on Monday, December 17, 2012. The gifts will be picked up at 10 am. You are invited to come to the lobby of the South Building to meet the Director of the program, as well as participate in the presentation of the gifts. If there are any questions, please call PJ Palmer Johnson at (703)566-0856.

WE WOULD LIKE TO WISH EVERYONE A SAFE AND HAPPY HOLIDAY SEASON No Solicitation

Winter Weather Woes

Icy Sidewalks: Management has placed, near each of the exterior doors, a bucket containing ice-melt. You may wish to consider tucking a zip lock bag into your coat pocket and filling it with some of the ice-melt as you exit the building and head out for your walk. The ice melt is fast acting and may come in handy during slick conditions. Snow Plowing: Carlyle Towers contracts with McFall and Berry (MFB) to provide plowing service to the rear driveway and front entrance circles of Carlyle Towers. Service is generally provided when 2 of accumulated snow is reported at Reagan Airport. When a serious snowfall is forecast, MFB and Management will consult to determine an appropriate course of action. In these situations, variables such as the day of week, storm conditions, and the amount of snow forecast may impact the removal procedure process. As soon as staff members are able to reach the property during storm conditions, they will begin spreading ice melt and removing snow

Management would like to remind residents that solicitation is prohibited in the buildings. Individual contractors and companies are not permitted to slide literature under unit doors. If you notice someone distributing information in this manner, please contact the office immediately. For many reasons, the rules of Carlyle Towers prohibit solicitation in any form. A Condominium is a captive audience for individuals or businesses that want to advertise. Be it a resident, fast food deliverer, service provider, or someone else, access to the building by one person makes all residents easy targets as the solicitor goes door-to-door delivering literature. Management occasionally receives forms of solicitation that have been placed under the doors of our residents. We then contact the individual or business listed on the solicitation and inform them of the Condominiums rules. We ask that you remind your contractors and food delivery individuals that solicitation is prohibited. Your assistance is greatly appreciated.
4

Carlyle Towers Condominium

The Chronicle

December 2012

Community Events
Due to the amount of content in this months Chronicle, there was not room to include a listing of Community Events. Interested residents can find a complete listing of community events by month at www.funside.com.

When traveling, please remember to have a friend or neighbor check your home periodically. Always provide Management with emergency contact information so that we may reach you in the event of an emergency.