Covered Bridge Homeowners Association

1. Covered Bridge Homeowners Association April 2013 Happy Spring Homeowners, As winter slowly leaves us, we have a few items gearing up! Our Spring Clean-Up is scheduled For the first weekend in June (rain date the following weekend) Details will follow as the time draws near. All are welcome to participate. We encourage everyone to help out as this helps cut down on random costs throughout the community and you can meet your neighbors. They aren’t as scary as you might think! Thank you for a great year, Sarah Sarah E. Odom, President Tree Work: _________ Side Walk Repairs: The Board has been working very hard on safety issues which are of concern in our community. Specifically, the deterioration of parts of the sidewalk. Thanks to Mike Dorohovich, we were able to get a very reasonable quote from a contractor to perform the necessary repairs. This work will start in June, after the weather warms up. If you are one of the lucky homeowners who are being affected by this, have no fear about your lawn – it will not be adversely affected! Any necessary reseeding of lawns adjacent to the repaired sidewalk areas will be taken care of by the board. Increase of Quarterly Dues: At the Special Meeting of the homeowners held on March 13, a dues increase was voted on and passed unanimously by those in attendance. This dues increase is necessary because of the rising cost of, well, everything, but mostly the fuel costs of our contractors. [Is this appropriate?: The Board is sensitive to the fact that many are being affected by the impending Government furlough. However, the community must still meet its financial obligations. Please work with Laura to ensure that your financial commitment to the community stays current.] Laura Muhs does an excellent job maintaining the books and keeping our community in ‘good standing’ with our vendors. Please help her and the rest of the community by paying your quarterly dues by the due date … a penalty will be incurred on the 16th day! Legal Documents: The Board has determined that more discussion with the community is necessary before the Bylaws and Covenants can be brought current. This will be handled during the Annual Homeowners Meeting in October. Coming up: June 1 at 9:00am Meet at the playground for our Spring cleanup. If you cannot make it but want to help, please email hiddenbridgecommunity@gmail.com to lead a project on your own time! Of course, there is plenty of small wood on the trail that is great kindling for those who would like to take it home to use their fireplace! • Community Reminders • Kids • Great job keeping a look out for cars and helping keep each other safe! • Thank you for NOT riding your bike between parked cars • Please be respectful of your neighbor’s lawn and property and be sure to clean up your toys, bikes and trash when you go home each day! • Pet Owners • Please walk your pets in designated areas and CLEAN UP after them! • Please remember to comply with Fairfax County’s leash laws! We have many trucks (Fed Ex, UPS, etc.) that use our road … please keep your dogs on a leash to help keep them safe! • Everyone • Take advantage of our community website for useful information on trash and recycling, local services, and other community information. • http://www.hiddenbridge.org

2. Our Community Did You Know: How Pohick Creek was Named? By Gordon Peterson During my hikes along the trail bordering Pohick Creek, I have often reflected on what other people through the ages have gazed upon our surrounding woodlands and waterways. Perhaps you are interested in what I learned about the history surrounding our immediate neighborhood and some local landmarks? I’ll share what my research has revealed in future newsletters. For starters, take the word “Pohick,” what the Native American Indians called our area. “Pohick” is the Algonquin word for the “water place.” Native Americans first populated our area approximately 12,500-13,000 years before the exploration of America. Pohick Road, in fact, follows the route of an ancient Indian trail that wound west all the way to the Shenandoah River. According to a Cultural Resources Survey of the Pohick Bay Regional Park: “In 1608, when English explorer Captain John Smith conducted a reconnaissance survey of the Potomac River shoreline in Fairfax County, he encountered an independent settlement of Native Americans who had adapted to the natural changes of the area. The local natives, known as the Dogue or Doeg, were found as early as A.D. 1300 along both sides of the Potomac River from what is now Alexandria to Prince William County, and inland as far west as modern Centreville. The Dogue were agricultural, as well as hunting and gathering people, who lived in villages, towns, and farms along the banks of the rivers. The chief or “werowance” village of the Dogue Indians was the Tauxenent, located near the mouth of the Occoquan River.” Pohick Creek meanders east to Pohick Bay on the Potomac River. It is a popular nesting location for bald eagles and other wildlife. The Pohick Bay Regional Park is located on the historic Mason Neck peninsula in Fairfax County. It is a great place for an afternoon’s hike. Camping and guided canoe and kayak tours are just some of the activities available. Directions: Take Pohick Road east to Route 1 south. Continue past the shopping center. Turn left on Gunston Road. Follow signs to the park. Check it out at: www.nvrpa.org/park/pohick_bayIf you continue on Gunston Road, you will soon approach a road on your left leading to the estate of George Mason (1725-1792), one of our most distinguished Virginian colonists. Gunston Hall is his beautiful home and center of what was once a 5,500-acre plantation. A close friend of George Washington, who lived a few miles up the river at Mount Vernon, Mason wrote the Virginia Declaration of Rights—later adopted years later as the basis for the “Bill of Rights” for our U.S. Constitution. Guided tours of Gunston Hall (furnished as it was during the time Mason lived there), a museum, and colonial-era outbuildings are all available. Check it out at: www.gunstonhall.orgto learn what life was like for a wealthy colonist! I hope you enjoyed this short journey back in time … Fun with neighbors at our community BBQ in June If you would like to contribute photos or articles for our newsletter, please email them to hiddenbridgecommunity@gmail.com