Board of Directors Meeting: Executive session of Board of Directors

The PBE POA Board of Directors will meet:

  • Tuesday, February 21
  • 11:00 AM
  • In-person at 324 Potomac Drive
  • By ZOOM; info to be provided later.

As established by Code of Virginia 55.1-1816 C, the PBE POA Board of Directors will convene in executive session to discuss a matter as described in Code of Virginia 55.1-1816 C (i) and (iii).  The meeting agenda (below) has been modified to include the executive session.

Board meetings except for executive sessions are open to all property owners.  Please let us know by email to potomacbaypoa@hotmail.com   if you plan to attend, either in person or on ZOOM.

AGENDA

Treasurer’s Report

— Budget performance to date

— Financial position

— Investment discussion

— Other finance matters:  dues, etc.

Shoreline Protection Project Status

Current and Planned Construction 

Review Thomas Lawn Care Proposal for 2023

 

Board organization

— Elect a President, or,

— Continue with an Exec Cmte

Set date for annual meeting

— Typically in late April

–Need Nominating Committee and Audit Committee

Other business

Neighborhood Concerns

Executive Session; Board members only 

Return to open session

Adjourn

Rocket launch from Wallops Island, Jan 24

From time to time rockets are launched from the NASA installation at Wallops Island.  Launches are clearly visible from our Potomac Bay waterfront.  To see a launch from Wallops Island:

  1. Check the Wallops Island website for launch schedule.  (See notes below.)
  2. A few minutes before launch time, go to our picnic area and go to the end of the deck that is over the Potomac.  Face East — as you face the Potomac, turn right — Wallops is on the other side of the Chesapeake Bay.  You cannot see the Eastern Shore but when the rocket lifts off you can’t miss it.

Here is a video made by one of our neighbors of the launch on January 24.

And here is a still shot moments after lift-off.

Notes on viewing launches from Wallops Island.

Most major launches from Wallops Flight Facility are streamed live on NASA TV at (https://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv) .   Use your cell phone, or, if you have an iPad Air that connects to the local cell phone network, take it with you so you can watch and listen to the NASA live broadcast.  You will hear status updates; notices of delays; and the countdown.

Take your video camera and make a video of the launch.

Nighttime launches are spectacular — the whole Eastern sky lights up, you can hear the roar of the rocket engines, and follow the path of the rocket until it disappears from view, miles above the Earth.

From time to time a launch is scrubbed and rescheduled.  Don’t be disappointed if the launch is scrubbed — it will happen, watch the Wallops Island site for the new date and time.

NASA Wallops Island is not the only source of launch info.  Do an Internet search for “Wallops Island launches” where you will find other sites with launch info.

The Wallops Island installation is on Virginia’s Eastern Shore, near Chincoteague.  It’s a 4- to 5-hour drive from our neighborhood.  There are two routes:  (1) From our neighborhood, cross the Nice Bridge over the Potomac into Maryland; go to Annapolis; Hwy 50 onto the Eastern Shore; to Chincoteague; Wallops Island is before you get to Chincotgeague; or, (2) South to Newport News, pick up I-64 East to Hwy 13 North, across the Bay Bridge, continue on Hwy 13 to Wallops.

All about dolphins

From time to time folks in our neighborhood see dolphins in the Potomac River.  If you spend any time on your boat in the Bay or the River, you likely have encountered dolphins.

Dolphin Facts | Dolphin Project
Bottlenose dolphin. Scientific name: Tursiops

The Potomac-Chesapeake Dolphin Project is a regional organization of volunteers who monitor dolphins in the Potomac and the Bay, and who educate people about dolphins.  Visit their website  pcdolphinproject.org

If you are able to photograph dolphins, try to get a close-up shot of the dorsal fin — the Project uses the shape and markings of the dorsal fin to identify individual dolphins.  To date, they have identified around 1,000 individual dolphins.  Email photos and the location of the photo to them at pcdolphinproject@gmail.com.

Here’s a photo taken September 1, 2021 in the Potomac near where it joins the Bay.

Dolphins winter in the ocean and associated waters in and south of North Carolina.  In spring, summer, and early fall dolphins enter the Bay and the Potomac that are important breeding grounds for them.

Here are some safety guidelines for operating a boat around dolphins:

  • Stay at least 50 yards away from dolphins.
  • Don’t approach dolphins in a boat — propeller strikes can kill or injure dolphins.
  • If you want to observe the dolphins, put your boat in neutral unless you need to move.
  • Don’t chase or encircle dolphins.
  • Reel in your fishing line when dolphins are nearby, or, move to another area.
  • Do not feed the dolphins; don’t throw leftover food or bait into the water if dolphins are nearby.
  • Dolphins like to “bowride” — that is, come alongside a boat and ride along in the bow wake.  If dolphins bowride your boat, either shift into neutral, or, maintain slow speed, straight ahead until they peel off.

2015 dolphin sightings.

2015 and 2016 dolphin sightings.

2015 and 2016 Citizen Obs V1 (1).png

Also, if you photograph dolphins, email the photos with date and location to us at potomacbaypoa@hotmail.com — we will post your photos on this website.

Another organization — Chesapeake Dolphin Watch also collects data on dolphins in the Bay and tributary waters.  Their website requires visitors to establish an account (free).

Thank you for protecting our local wildlife!!

Please help our wildlife by limiting activity in the large common area . . . thanks!!

A few weeks ago we sent to everyone an email describing the results of a year-long trial of the mowing schedule for the large, 7-acre common area behind the homes along the southern (non-water) side of Potomac Drive.

This large field is not simply an empty field. In fact, most of the area is septic drain fields that serve 30 of our 52 lots. Waste water is piped from these lots into the drain fields in the large field. For this reason, the grass and brush on the area must be cut regularly to prevent large root intrusion into the septic drain fields.

The area of concern is on two plats of our neighborhood that are posted on the PBE POA website:

Previously the area was cut four times a year. In late fall of 2019, a group of homeowners asked that the cutting be reduced to allow and encourage use of the area by ground-dwelling and ground-nesting birds. In 2020, we cut the area before April 15 and after August 15, which is the nesting season for several species native to our neighborhood. The result was gratifying as a few nesting pairs with fledglings were observed that had not been seen for several years.

The area is being cut today, October 8, as the third and final cut for this year.

We now are in the process of certifying the 7-acre area as a Bird and Wildlife Sanctuary. To that effect, we have suspended mowing in that area from approximately April 15 to August 15 to enable the grass and wildflowers to flourish. We have already had sightings of Eastern Meadowlarks and are hopeful of attracting more bobwhites, indigo buntings, bluebirds, flickers, migratory songbirds, and other bird species along with many varieties of butterflies.

We ask that everyone tread carefully and limit human activity in this area and let us know what varieties you observe. It would be fun to keep a list of sightings and dates for our website.

Thanks to everyone for making our neighborhood a friendly place for everyone as well as for our feathered and furry neighbors.