Spring 2015

Certified Wildlife Habitat

The wooded area

encompassing the tennis

courts and Knox Branch

creek is now a Certified

Wildlife Habitat, certified

by the National Wildlife

Federation which “has

encouraged individuals and

communities to create and

conserve wildlife habitat

since 1973.” To become

certified, an area must

provide food sources,

water sources, cover, and

places to raise young. For

food, our area has mature

oaks, pines, and beeches,

which have nuts and seeds.

Azaleas and jewelweed

provide pollen and nectar,

while shrubs,

groundcovers, and fallen

logs provide cover.

Sustainable gardening is

encouraged by the NWF,

such as the “use of native

plants” and “no or limited

use of chemicals.” To find

out more, go to

www.nwf.org.

Inside this issue: Page 2 – Little Free Library, Neighborhood Musings Page 3 – In remembrance of a Norman Downes resident Page 4 - Save the date! Pool, Graduation Banner, Board of Director Election info, 2015 Spring

Yard Sale

Normans News The sound of lawn mowers and leaf blowers fill the air. Flowers and trees are blooming, grass is growing, and we know it’s a challenge to keep up with the yard work. Please remember that our homeowner covenants require yards to be maintained – so don’t let the grass get too high! If you need help with your yard, please reach out to one of the HOA board members. We have contacts for neighborhood teens that will mow lawns or maybe you just need to borrow a mower. Whatever we can do to help, just give us a call!

Norman’s news – Spring 2015

Norman Downes

newest addition:

Little Free Library

Tired of watching TV? Then head

down to the pool parking lot and

grab a free book out of the new

Little Free Library. Here you can

find a variety of books to choose

from, both fiction and nonfiction

for kids and adults. Little Free

Libraries are created by

individuals in communities across

the country, where people can

take a book for themselves or

leave a book for others to enjoy.

The Little Free Library

organization began in 2009 in

Wisconsin by two men whose

mission is to “promote literacy

and the love of reading by

building free book exchanges

worldwide.” You can find out

more by going to

littlefreelibrary.org, or simply

visit Norman Downes’ own Little

Library.

It’s been almost 16 years since I first

moved to Norman Downes at the

urging of my godparents who were

already in the neighborhood. My

husband, Paul, and I were new parents

of very young children and the beauty

of the neighborhood struck us

immediately. People were out

walking, yards were well-kept, and

schools were outstanding. Why look

any further? While all of these

features are still true today, the

neighborhood has changed. My

godmother has passed away and my

godfather is in a nursing home. I lost a

dear neighbor to breast cancer.

Another neighbor became a US

citizen. People have moved out,

another generation of young parents

have moved in, and the neighborhood

has become culturally more

diversified. Much like our

surrounding county, Norman Downes

can celebrate the new traditions and

experiences shared by our multi-

cultural neighbors.

The strength of Norman Downes is

our vibrant community and it

saddened me to hear that one of our

neighbors has been harassed by an

incident that may be racially

motivated. Whether our neighbors are

renters or owners, all are welcome!

Please take a moment to wave at the

new neighbors, trade some recipes, or

chat by the mailbox. Intolerance has

no place in Norman Downes and it’s

up to us to make everyone feel a part

of this great neighborhood.

In the spirit of diversity, I would like

to encourage folks to try some of the

new restaurants popping up in the

area. I recently ate at Café Raik, a

new Middle Eastern/Mediterranean

restaurant across from the Home

Depot on Old Peachtree. Named for

the owner’s young son, the restaurant

serves up wonderful shwarma (think

gyros), falafel, and lentil salads. The

flavors are wonderful, so stop by and

give it a try next time you’re shopping

at the HD garden center. My next

update will review the new Ramen

Noodle shop behind the 5 Guys –

yum!

Peggy Chandler

Neighborhood Musings

Norman’s news – Spring 2015

Dear Norman Downes residents,

As I come up upon marking a year and

a half since the passing of my husband,

Shawn Tyrrell, I would like to convey

to Norman Downes residents how

grateful and lucky I am to live in such a

wonderful community. For those of

you who do not know, Shawn and I

moved into Norman Downes in 2006.

Shawn was a very outgoing person and

we made a lot of friends here soon

after moving in. Shawn could often be

seen running or biking in the

neighborhood, often running with our

dog Siobhan. On July 30th, 2013, he

was out on a training run at Peachtree

Ridge High School when he suffered a

massive heart attack and could not be

revived. Shawn was 49 years old.

Because his car was not parked at the

school, and because he had no ID on

him, he was not identified until several

hours later. I was home alone at about

8:30 in the evening when I found out.

I want to let you know that due to the

wonderful friends and neighbors here

in Norman Downes, I did not have to

suffer through this alone. I have no

other family here in Georgia, but a

good network of friends. Immediately

after informing me of Shawn's passing,

police went next door to neighbors

Kelly and Jeff Aldridge (who have

since moved) and Kelly came over to

stay with me, Likewise, Susan and Rob

Welch stayed long into the night with

me to see me through. Over the next

days, neighbors such as Patrice and Jeff

Neaves, Jasmine and Ed Howdon,

Michelle and Ray King, David and

Marlene Colburn and John and Laura

Ridderhof helped me out in many

ways. I certainly couldn't have got

through the ensuing days without the

help of so many people. Jasmine has

been seeing me through and taking

care of me non-stop.

Shawn was in great physical shape; he

not only was a runner, biker and

triathlete, he often would win his age

group in many races. In 2009, he was

the overall Masters Men's champion at

the Duluth Fall Festival Race. When he

did the Peachtree Road Race, he was

always one of the sub-seeded runners,

always way ahead of the masses of

other runners far behind. What we

didn't know was that he had

undiagnosed heart disease: his

coronary arteries were between 45%

and 95% blocked. Sadly, just one week

before he died, we found out that he

had high LDL cholesterol, and he had

been on a strict diet to lower it. This

was most likely a hereditary condition.

The coroner said that he likely had

high cholesterol for many years;

likewise the blockage in his arteries

had probably begun years ago. But

because he was so fit and had

absolutely no symptoms whatsoever,

he had not been to a doctor for

a routine checkup for many, many

years.

It's been very difficult to learn to live

alone, but I have been blessed with

such a great neighborhood, and good

friends who have been kind and

generous. I am hoping that I can

continue to live in this community, but

I am not sure what future plans I may

need to make. If there are any lessons

to be learned from this experience,

they would be to please, don't ever

take your health for granted; please get

regular check ups and lead a healthy

lifestyle. And please, if you go out

even for a short run or walk, take your

ID with you. Shawn died only 2 miles

from home, but I didn't find out until

many, many hours later. And finally,

be thankful for the wonderful

community that we share here in

Norman Downes, and please lend a

helping hand to others in need. You

never know when you will need the

help of your neighbors.

Fran Tyrrell

2722 Kenwood Dr.

Duluth, GA 30096

francesty@yahoo.com

In Remembrance of Norman Downes resident Shawn Tyrrell

Norman’s news – Spring 2015

Certified Wildlife

Habitat

The wooded area encompassing the

tennis courts and Knox Branch creek

is now a Certified Wildlife Habitat,

certified by the National Wildlife

Federation which “has encouraged

individuals and communities to

create and conserve wildlife habitat

since 1973.” To become certified,

an area must provide food sources,

water sources, cover, and places to

raise young. For food, our area has

mature oaks, pines, and beeches,

which have nuts and seeds. Azaleas

and jewelweed provide pollen and

nectar, while shrubs, groundcovers,

and fallen logs provide cover.

Sustainable gardening is encouraged

by the NWF, such as the “use of

native plants” and “no or limited use

of chemicals.” To find out more, go

to www.nwf.org.

Norman Downes Board of directors

ballots This newsletter contains the ballots for our neighbors who have expressed interest

in serving on the HOA Board of Directors. Please take a few minutes to read their

Bio and vote for the candidates. We have three positions open, so vote for the three

candidates you feel are most deserving. Our HOA consists of you, our neighbors,

governed by a board of directors consisting of nine people. Each director serves a

three year term. The directors’ responsibilities include attending monthly board

meetings and voting on matters brought before the board, basing their decisions on

what they determine is essentially best for the neighborhood.

If you know someone who is

graduating from high school

or college this spring, let

Susan Welch know at

swelch1@ggc.edu, and that

person’s name will be put

on a congratulations banner

at the neighborhood

entrances. A small fee not to

exceed $5.00 will apply.

Our pool will be opening on May

21st. As usual, we will have a ‘Pool

Preview’ weekend on May 16th and

17th. Norman Downes is looking for

a couple motivated helpers. One to

open the pool at 8:00AM every day,

and another to close it at 10:00PM

every night, and straighten up any

pool furniture, gather any trash that

may have missed a receptacle, and

take the trash to the curb on Tuesday

nights. These are paying positions. If

interested, please contact

rob.welch@charter.net

Yard sale!!

You’ll probably agree this is short notice, but we will have our Spring Garage Sale on April 25, with a preview for our neighbors from 5 to 8 on April 24. If you would like to take part, please contact Rob Welch (rob.welch@charter.net) to say that you will be taking part, and list a few of the more significant items you will be selling, or the categories of items, such as Children’s clothing, Golf equipment, etc.

Norman Downes Homes Association, Inc. Proposed Budget

For Calendar Year 2015

             

   

    Operating  Budget      

        Operating  Expenses  

       

     

Administrative    

 8,698            

 Communications  

   1,150        

     

Development    

 200            

 General  Maintenance,  Playground  and  Lake  Areas    4,360        

     

Landscape  Maintenance    

 9,125            

 Pool  Maintenance  

   32,440        

     

Tennis  Maintenance    

 2,535            

   Total  Operating  Expenses  

   $58,508        

    Capital  Reserves  Funding    

 10,120            

         $68,628        

    Capital  Improvements  Budget      

        Capital  Improvement  Expenditures  Planned  for  2015    $22,000             Capital  Reserves  to  be  Used  for  Capital  Improvements    $(22,000)          

             

    Total  Proposed  Budget    

 $68,628            

             

             

        Annual  Assessment  for  Year  2015    

   $258                                                                            

    For  266  Homes                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              $68,628                  

     For  266  Properties  $68,628        

                           

2015 – 2018 Board of Director Candidate Bios:

Clifford Curtis - I have lived in Norman Downs for 31 years, since Aug 1983. I have an MBA and retired

from Boeing where I was a business analyst. I also volunteer with the AARP Tax-Aide program, where I

am the local coordinator and a tax preparer.

Judy Taylor – has lived in the neighborhood since 1996. She has a grown son and stepson. For several

years she has coordinated the block captain / neighborhood watch program in Norman Downes. She is a

former elementary school teacher.

Cheryl Smith – My husband Barry and I have been members of the Norman Downes community since

2004. I am a former Montessori teacher and school administrator. I am currently the CFO of the

Draftech Technology Center in Lawrenceville. I am very active in the Norman Downes community. I

published Normans News, our last neighborhood directory, and worked alongside the HOA board

organizing community events, updating the Covenants and establishing written Neighborhood Standards

and Lake Norman usage regulations as well as working on other projects. I would like to serve as your

board member and help keep the focus on continuing to improve amenities, while retaining the beauty and

warm, friendly, neighborly feeling that attracts good families to Norman Downes.

The last page is the ballot itself. Please fill it out and put it in one of the ‘suggestion boxes’ found at the Kensington Entrance, or at the

pool.

       

Ballot

   For Calendar Year 2015

       

FOR ELECTION TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

   of the terms expiring December 31, 2014

                 

         Term  Began  

Term  Ends  

       

Current  Board  of  Directors     1-­Jan   31-­Dec      

   Open  

   2015   2017  

       

Open      

2015   2017      

   Open  

   2015   2017  

       

Susan  Holland    

2014   2016      

   Rob  Welch  

 2014   2016  

       

Peggy  Chandler  (1)    

2014   2016      

   Sam  Carr    

 2013   2015  

       

Andrew  Miller    

2013   2015      

   Rick  Austin  

 2013   2015  

                         

Note  (1)  -­  Peggy  Chandler  assumed  the  unexpired  board  position  of  Peter  VanArsdale.  

                                                     VOTE  BY  MARKING  AN  "X"  WITHIN  THE  BOX  

   

                     

The  following  candidates  will  fill  the  positions  expiring  December  31,  2017  

   Please  select  THREE  names  from  the  list  below:  

   

      Clifford  Curtis   3323  Lancing  Court  

     

      Judy  Taylor   3103  Brookshire  Way  

     

      Cheryl  Smith   3308  Leeds  Way  

                                             

FOR THE 2015 ANNUAL OPERATING BUDGET  

             

    Approve  the  2015  Proposed  Budget        

                   

    Disapprove  the  2015  Proposed  Budget        

                                       

FOR THE 2015 CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS BUDGET  

                   

    Approve  the  2015  Proposed  Budget        

                   

    Disapprove  the  2015  Proposed  Budget        

                 

Norman Downes Homes Association, Inc.

PO Box 962

Duluth, GA 30096

Voting ballot inside! Spring Garage Sale scheduled for April 25th.