Woodbridge Condo Association

We Have Moved

2012-01-24T01:03:00.000-05:00

Effective immediately, the Woodbridge Condo Association is transitioning all of its communication from blogs and static websites to the new tool, Pilera. You may have heard of it at the Annual Meeting or in an e-mail. It is the tool that Woodbridge will be using to communicate with homeowners, manage ongoing projects, track owner/renter information, and store documents and archive materials for the Association.

Each owner and resident is able to log in to Pilera using their own login (e-mail address) and password. If you do not know how to access your account, please feel free to contact Erika Mellmann via phone 802.578.2948 or e-mail (info1@mellmann.com) and she can talk you through the process and help you troubleshoot any issues.

Effective now, this blog and its related website at wba.elmdesigns.com will no longer be updated.

Please haul your own furniture to the dump!

2011-10-30T15:33:00.000-04:00

Latest News and Updates

2011-10-22T15:17:00.000-04:00

The Agenda for our November meeting has been posted on the Website and in Pilera (Remember, Pilera is the primary source of all Woodbridge information and documentation. The Woodbridge website, and this blog, will eventually be disabled.)

Our November meeting will be primarily budget planning. If there is time, at the end, we will capture updates on the current running projects, but there will not be time for New Issues. If you have maintenance or repair issues with your unit, please use Pilera to "Submit Maintenance Request" under the Maintenance tab in Pilera. If you're having trouble getting in to Pilera, please do not hesitate to contact Erika via e-mail or phone (802.578.2948).

The November meeting will be held on the 15th, at the Police Station, and it will start at 6:00 PM. Visitors are welcome to attend, but will not be invited to participate in the discussion so that the Board can dedicate all their time to discussing financial and budgetary issues.

The Website and Pilera have both had some updates, which you are invited to check out.

Welcome to Pilera

2011-10-08T11:30:00.000-04:00

Greetings Woodbridge,

As many of you may already know from attending Board meetings or reading the Minutes of those meetings, the Board has been working on ways to more efficiently and effectively communicate with you, the members of the Woodbridge community. We have also been working on improving workflow or the management of the projects that go on within the community; everything from individual unit repairs to general community maintenance.

With a grant provided by Covered Bride Apartments, Woodbridge Condo Association is trying out an online property management tool that will hopefully assist us in our efforts to boost productivity and improve communication. Our hope is that you will check it out and give it a try.

So let’s get started. This new tool is called Pilera. You can find it by going to www.pilera.com.

When you get there, at the top right corner of the page you will see “Login”. Click there.

The next page will invite you to enter some login information. Your “Member Login” is your e-mail address. If we do not have an e-mail address for you then you will not be able to log in. Your password (until you change it) is “changemenow” (all lower case, all one word, and do not include the quotes). Once you have typed in this information, click "login". Before you log out, you should change your password.

If you are having trouble logging in for the first time, please feel free to call Erika (802.578.2948) or send her an e-mail (erika@mellmann.com) explaining what problem you are experiencing.

The Pilera page is broken up into two columns. The main column is where you will see whatever information there is. Along the right hand column you will see either your name or the name of your spouse. If you would like both names to appear here, please let Erika know.

In the top "box" by your name, you will see what Pilera knows about where you live. Your building name - this is just for functional purposes. We have five buildings; Ledgewood, Pinewood, and Woodbridge 1, 2, and 3 (1 is the multicolored building, 2 is the second building on the left, and 3 is the building on the right that backs up to Ledgewood). You can ignore floor - Pilera is designed also with apartment management in mind where Floor is pertinent information. Apartment refers to you unit number.

Below this information you will see your e-mail address and an option to "change my password". This is where you can go to change your password to something other than "changemenow".

The next box down is "Office Hours"...ignore that.

Below that is the Board of Directors. This is your serving Condo Board with their phone number and e-mail information.

The last box is called Contacts and includes an e-mail for our Bookkeeper, Paula, as well as the web address for both our current blog and website. It is expected that both of these will go away once Pilera is firmly established as the "go-to" place for all things Woodbridge. The website and blog, while nice tools, are dependent on a somewhat technically skilled individual who can act as website manager. For the past many years this has been Erika because she enjoys doing this kind of thing, but no new volunteers have ever stepped forward. By switching completely to an online tool, such as Pilera, all Woodbridge business can easily pass from one “generation” to the next with much less loss of data, information, and “corporate memory”. By using a central source of information, Woodbridge business remains consistent and continuous regardless of who is on the Board and what their technical skills or interests are.

Let’s take a brief tour of what is available in Pilera.

Across the top of the Pilera page you will see a blue strip with seven links; Announcements, Events, Files, Packages, Maintenance, Marketplace, and Contact.

Announcements comes up automatically when you log in. Here you will see any announcements that pertain to the community. If you see “* There are no accouncements for your community at this time.” then there is no news to report. (and, yes, there is a typo in that sentence and we’re working with the website developer to fix it)

Packages you can ignore because those are handled through the mailbox system, or UPS, that you are already familiar with.

Contact is pretty straight forward. It is a way of communicating with any member of the Board via e-mail. Select the "Manager" that you want to contact, indicate the nature of the contact (question, comment, other), and then type in your message and click "submit". An e-mail will be sent to that person.

Events will be a good place to see what events are planned. If you have an event that you would like to "advertise", use the Contact option and send the information to any member of the Board. For now, Erika will handle these updates, but as more and more people become familiar and comfortable with how Pilera works other members of the Board will be able to make changes just as easily as she can.

Marketplace is an online swap meet for residents and owners of Woodbridge. If you have something that you want to get rid of, you can "Post Item" at the marketplace. Give it a title, describe the item, list a price, provide contact information, and even post a picture.

Files is where you will find a LOT of Woodbridge information. You can see the terms being served by each member of the Board, see the agenda for the next meeting, access copies of the Bylaws and Administrative Rules and Regulations, and even access Association Minutes dating back to February 2006 (the most current Minutes are at the end of the list).

Maintenance is where you can see what projects and work orders are, or have been, assigned to your unit. This is where you can submit a new work order (click on "Submit Maintenance Request") or access some basic information about current or closed work orders. If nothing appears in this page, then you don't have any work orders to review. When you submit a maintenance request, an e-mail is sent to a member of the Board and it is added to the next agenda.

To log out, click on "Logout" located right below your name, kind of to the right, along that right hand column. Before you logout, however, be sure to change your password.

That's all there is to it. It's a pretty simple interface, and it gives you access to timely information. It is a tool that will help the Board manage workflow and help you to stay in the loop.

If you have any comments or questions, please feel free to contact a member of the Board. If your questions are technical in nature you may want to contact Erika for now.

Updates

2011-10-06T09:29:00.000-04:00

The UNapproved Minutes of the September meeting and a tentative Agenda for October have been posted to the Woodbridge website.

Website update

2011-08-12T23:18:00.000-04:00

The website has been updated with the Minutes of June, July, and August, and the (tentative) Agenda for our September 20th meeting.

The location of the meetings has returned to the Middlebury Police Station.

We hope to see everyone there.

The website has been updated

2011-06-08T16:55:00.000-04:00

The Minutes from our May meeting are now available online.
Also available are the Approved Minutes of April and the Agenda for June.

The June meeting will be held at the home of Fred Barnes on June 21 beginning at 7:15. The delayed time is to give the Board a few moments to take a walking tour of the grounds.

When the meeting begins, we will open the floor for "guest issues" for no more than 30 minutes. Our last meeting was ENTIRELY guest issues, so the Board will need most of this meeting to make progress on the many summer projects that are in the works. We kindly ask that you respect the time that the Board commits to the Association and come prepared to present your issues to the Board in a succinct fashion. They will be addressed more fully at the next meeting.

Community Garden

2011-04-22T22:18:00.000-04:00

The time of year for cleaning up and planting the community garden is here!
If you are interested in participating in the garden, please contact Joan or Tricia.

Also, if you're a little handy, they could use some help repairing the compost bin, which was ruined by piled up snow this past winter. Contact Joan or Tricia if you can help.

Updates

2011-04-22T22:16:00.000-04:00

Minutes from Tuesday's meeting have been posted to the website.
You can view them here.

Updates from the March Board meeting

2011-03-23T09:40:00.000-04:00

The website has been updated with the Minutes of our March meeting and the (tentative) Agenda for the April meeting. Check out the updates on the website.

Website update

2011-03-03T09:28:00.000-05:00

The latest Minutes and the Agenda for our next meeting have all been posted to the website. At our February meeting the Board elected officers to serve in their position for the current fiscal year. Check out the news at wba.elmdesigns.com.

Many Updates

2011-01-25T12:27:00.001-05:00

Many updates have been made to the website so we hope you will check them out.

The first meeting of the newly-elected Board will be Tuesday, February 15th at the Police Station. The meeting starts at 7:00 PM. We hope you can attend.

Meeting Canceled

2010-10-19T13:58:00.003-04:00

CANCEL - NO MEETING

Tonight's meeting (October 19th) is being canceled for lack of quorum. The Board will conduct an update meeting via some form of technology (internet, phone, etc.) at another time, but there will not be any physical meeting nor will there be any Minutes.

If you have any items that you would like the Board to discuss, please feel free send an e-mail to Joan, Tricia, or Erika.

At long last...

2010-09-23T22:15:00.003-04:00

It has been a long while since the website and blog have been updated. Yet, despite the apparent silence, the Board has been busy addressing issues, and trying to keep up with the needs of the community.

The website has now been updated with past Meeting Minutes, plus the Agenda for our next meeting which will be October 19th.

You can check out the updates here.

Fire Safety Month

2010-09-13T14:19:00.002-04:00

October is National Fire Safety Month. Here are some links regarding fire safety, and smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors. (Thank you Tricia)

VT State Fire Safety Page

Smoke Alarms & Carbon Monoxide Detectors Fact Sheet
Please note the change in installation requirements; click here.

Green Up Day 2010 - Another Success!

2010-05-02T09:38:00.001-04:00

A HUGE thank you, once again, to longtime resident Joan Stephens for marshaling the Green Up Day troops to make Woodbridge Condo property the spiffiest it is all year.

Participants this year included: Jaskaren from Pine Meadow apartments; Vishal and Shavali, Asa, Joey, Martin, Anna, and Cassidy, plus Tricia and Joan from Woodbridge Condo Association.

Beginning at 9 am with the first photo shoot, gloves and special green bag handout, the troops hit all the areas that have accumulated trash. Since it is rare that anything gets picked up in the intervening 12 months, the Trash gets pretty dang excited to finally be noticed and going somewhere new, other than under the brush, down the ravine, around the dumpsters, and in people's lawns and flower beds.

Just before loading the truck, Joan & the Green Up crew posed for an "after" picture among the piles of neon-green bags & other cast-offs. Kids got to pick a special toy treat (or 2) from the collection Joan provided. Look for the 2010 photos on the board near the mailboxes soon.

Thank you to Craig for the loan of his pickup too. With it we made 3 runs to Otter Creek Brewery where the Trash (and some not-so-trashy items that can be used again by someone, somewhere) found a new home. Believe it or not, WCA took up most of the space in the walk-in dumpster! Nearly everyone went along for the ride or hike over to OCB to grab a freshly-grilled burger and a SOFT drink. We all straggled home by 2 pm, satisfied by a job well done. We are sure the residents of both Woodbridge and Pine Meadow appreciate the hard work this crew did.

Let's try to keep it spiffy for as long as we can.

Website updated

2010-04-10T15:10:00.001-04:00

The website has been updated with March Minutes and the Agenda for the April meeting.

Good Neighbors

2010-03-15T22:44:00.000-04:00

Parking Notice

Visitor Parking places are reserved for guests of Woodbridge.

If you have more vehicles than will fit in your TWO parking places, please find a place for your extra vehicle(s) outside of Woodbridge, OR talk to a neighbor who has an extra spot and see if you can borrow it.

As a courtesy to your neighbors and their guests, please do NOT park in Visitor Parking.

Updates are available

2010-03-15T22:41:00.002-04:00

Now available on the website:

The UNapproved Minutes for the February meeting
The Approved Minutes for the December meeting
The Agenda for the March meeting

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact Erika.

Welcome to a new Owner

2010-02-07T11:30:00.000-05:00

Woodbridge Condo Association has a new resident- owner as of this month, February 2010. Debra Davison, most recently from New Hampshire, has bought Claire Menard's unit at 5 Woodbridge Lane. Please welcome her to our neighborhood.

Many Updates

2010-02-06T23:37:00.002-05:00

There have been many updates made to the Woodbridge website.

February meeting Agenda is available
December meeting Minutes (unapproved) are available
President's Report (from Annual Meeting) is available
Annual Meeting Minutes (unapproved) are available
The new Board is listed (including the two open positions that need to be filled)
The TENTATIVE meeting schedule is posted

The next meeting is coming up on Tuesday, February 16th at the Police Station. See you there!

Annual Meeting & Other Updates

2009-12-30T23:50:00.002-05:00

The Condo Association website has been updated with Annual Meeting materials (the same materials that you received in the mail) and the (unapproved) Minutes of the December meeting.

PLEASE NOTE that the Annual Meeting location has been changed since the mailing went out. Our NEW LOCATION is the Gailer School in Middlebury.

One of Our Own

2009-12-26T13:25:00.000-05:00

FRED BARNES AND COMPANY Friday 1/8/10

at The Town Hall Theater Middlebury

Our swinging pianist Fred Barnes gets his own night in the spotlight. With Bill Carmichael, Sarah Stone, Cathy Walsh, Will Patton on bass, and David Gusakov on violin.
8 pm $10

2009-12-26T09:20:00.000-05:00

To All Woodbridge Condo Association Homeowners

You may drop your monthly condo association dues in the white box on my porch UNTIL THE 8th OF EVERY MONTH.

After that time you MUST send your late payment directly to our bookkeeper at:

P O BOX 282

MIDDLEBURY VT 05753-0282

As always THANK YOU for your prompt payment.

Tricia Chatary

WCA Treasurer

October Minutes and December Agenda

2009-11-12T17:24:00.002-05:00

The (unapproved) Minutes of the October meeting and the Agenda for the December meeting are both available on the website.

Also coming up, in the not-so-distant future, will be the Annual Meeting. The Annual Meeting is tentatively scheduled for Sunday January 17th from 2:00 - 4:00. Mark your calendar. All owners are invited (and encouraged) to attend this meeting.

Catching up

2009-10-06T13:31:00.003-04:00

Sometimes life takes hold of the reigns and takes the cart for a detour. I think we're back on course...for now anyway.

The "unapproved" Minutes of our September meeting are now available online at the website, as well as the Agenda for our next meeting, which is scheduled for October 20th at the Police Station.

Minutes & Agenda

2009-06-18T10:54:00.002-04:00

The 'unapproved' Minutes from the June meeting are now available on the website. The May Minutes have been 'approved' and are also available. And the Schedule has been modified and is clearly posted on the website and here on the blog.

If you have any questions about these things, please feel free to contact a member of the Board.

Our Very Own

2009-05-26T22:20:00.002-04:00

Grab your date or a friend and enjoy an evening of jazz at the Vergennes Opera House.

Our very own Fred Barnes will be performing on piano with guest vocalists Bill Carmichael and Cathy Walsh.

Saturday, June 6
7:00 PM

Tickets available at the door: $10 adults, $8 seniors and students

Summer Etiquette & Reminders

2009-05-20T20:38:00.000-04:00

With summer coming we thought this would be a good time to remind residents, owners, and neighbors about a few safety items.

The corner of Pinewood and Woodbridge (where the mailboxes are) is a dangerous place for kids. Cars drive through that intersection - often at high speed - and are not likely to see small children playing in the road or riding their bikes there. If you are a motorist, please slow down when you get into Woodbridge and keep your eyes open for the neighborhood children who may be playing.

Parents, please make sure that your kids are aware of the dangers of playing in the roads and parking lots of Woodbridge and Pine Meadows. Make sure that kids aren't congregating near the mailboxes or around that corner. Encourage them to play ball in the grassy areas rather the parking lots and the streets (we have had complaints about people bouncing balls against the houses and the cars...please don't do this, and don't let your children do it either).

Grilling time is here. Before you fire up that grill, please be sure to move it away from the house. Extreme heat from the grill can warp and/or melt the siding and grease can discolor it. Flare-ups close to the house can lead to fires and catastrophic loss or injury.

With your help and diligence we can all have a safe and fun summer.

We Need You

2009-05-14T22:27:00.000-04:00

The Board is short one member. We are obligated, by the terms of the Bylaws, to have a Board of five people. In addition, there is enough work (more than enough) to keep five people busy.

If you are, or are aware of, someone who would be willing to serve the community of Woodbridge as a member of the Board, please contact one of the current Members (Erika, Tricia, Cindy, or Amira). The open position is a one year term and will end in January 2010.

Next Roof - coming soon

2009-05-06T22:22:00.000-04:00

PINEWOOD ROOF

The roof on the Pinewood building is scheduled to be replaced this summer.
It is in the greatest need of attention.
Work should begin later in May or early in June.

Watch overhead for falling debris (not likely, but it's good to be aware) and watch below for nails on the ground. Post-project cleanup should take care of most things, but it's good to keep your eyes open.

Our Next Meeting

2009-03-15T22:47:00.003-04:00

Our next Board and Homeowners' meeting has been rescheduled for March 31st. This meeting will take place at the Rec Center (where we used to meet) at the usual time, 7:00 PM.

February (unapproved) Minutes Available

2009-02-20T02:35:00.000-05:00

The (unapproved) Minutes of our most recent Board meeting are now available online. Several other website updates have been made including the approved Minutes of the November meeting, and the unapproved Minutes of the Annual Meeting.

Ever Think About Stuff?

2009-01-30T20:54:00.003-05:00

I recently viewed this 20 minute short film and found it quite informative and inspiring.
As part of a growing new consciousness this animated & live-action film helps put in perspective our rapidly changing old world. After the film go to the link Another Way for ideas to help you participate in making the world a better place. You may be surprised to learn how much you already DO!

December Meeting - CANCELLED

2008-12-10T15:20:00.002-05:00

Due to a lack of quorum available (three Board members required) for the December meeting, we have decided to cancel it.

There are only a few issues on the Agenda at the moment - a welcome relief - so the Board feels that we can handle those few things that we have going on (such as preparing for the Annual Meeting) via e-mail.

If you have any questions or an issue to raise, please feel free to contact us, or send Erika an e-mail and she can add your item to the agenda for the next meeting (likely to take place in January or February 2009 - after the Annual Meeting).

November Information is online

2008-12-03T14:44:00.003-05:00

For those of you who check the blog now and again, the website has been updated with the outcomes of our November Board Meeting. It also includes a "save the date" announcement for the Annual Meeting, so please be sure to check it out.

Volunteers to Shovel

2008-10-27T07:57:00.000-04:00

Now that snow is officially here, snow plowing and shoveling are soon to follow. As most of you know, each winter there are a few residents of Woodbridge who are, or become, physically unable to handle the routine shoveling of sidewalks and other areas that the plows miss.

For the most part, those who are willing to shovel for others just get out there and do it. To help this process, if you are a willing shoveler, would you let someone on the Board know? That way if someone comes to us in need of help with their shoveling, we know who we can turn to.

We are very grateful that Woodbridge is a community of people willing to help others. Thank you for your part in making this such a friendly place to live.

October Minutes

2008-10-24T07:53:00.000-04:00

The (unapproved) Minutes of our October meeting are now available on the website. Also available are the (approved) September meeting Minutes and the Agenda for November.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact a member of the Board. And if you have any feedback regarding our website and/or blog, please contact Erika. She would appreciate hearing your thoughts.

Minutes, Agenda and Website Updates

2008-09-17T16:22:00.002-04:00

The Minutes (approved from last meeting and unapproved from yesterday) and the Agenda for October are available on our newly redesigned website.

Check it out at wba.elmdesigns.com.

If you like the blog thing and would like to "author" some posts, send me an e-mail and let me know and I'll set it up.

Public Notice to Woodbridge Owners

2008-09-07T22:50:00.002-04:00

Public Notice
Subject: Portico

Mirzet and Amira Harambasic at 9 Woodbridge Lane have requested permission, from the Board, to build a portico over their front door.

As this portico will be as identical as possible to the ones already gracing the fronts of homes on Woodbridge Lane, and the Harambasics will be covering all expenses for this project, the Board feels that this request is reasonable and does not require a special meeting.

The construction will be done by a licensed and insured contractor, and is scheduled to commence in late fall (late-October or into November).

If you disagree with this plan, you have until the end of September (09/30/08) to voice your concerns to a member of the Board. After that, the Harambasics will be permitted to move ahead with their project.

Community Garden Harvest

2008-09-07T18:18:00.001-04:00

Let's share in the harvest of WCA's first "community" garden! Though there were less participants than hoped-for, production still came like gangbusters.
There are a lot of tomatoes and cukes and greenbeans available to anyone.

Today I cleaned out the tomatoes entirely, sorted the ripes (& nearly so) from the greens, displayed all produce out front of 13 Woodbridge for any takers.
I'm asking for a contribution to the Garden Fund rather than a set-price for the produce.

To the uninitiated (which included ME last season!) these are HEIRLOOM tomatoes: Crimson & Tiger Stripe may not be as familiar to consumers as the cherry, Roma, beefsteak or other common varieties. Neither of these types gets very red, but are full of old-fashioned flavor. Of course they're raised organically too! I notice that they are juicier than I expected. I’ve been roasting the big ones on my grill or in the oven. When soft & cooled, I put out the stem/core & take off the skins; then mash the innards – seeds & all (fiber!) – with garlic. It’s a very fresh-tasting marinara or salsa to act as a base for other casseroles, stews, or soups.

Why not try some greenies to make pickled green tomatoes or green tomato relish or green tomato mincemeat (hardly discernible from the real-meat kind & handy for vegetarians)?

I've been told by experienced cuke eaters that ours are really quite flavorful. I've been making tsziki (Greek cuke & yogurt dip for pita & shish-kebabs), raita (Indian dish that's similar but w/ mint & served w/ curry), cucumber dressing for salads, and just sliced thinly for tomato-and-cuke sandwiches.

The greenbeans are the pole variety. For some reason, some of them are stringbeans, most not. Still very tasty.

This garden has been a great project for me. My gardening ya-yas were long dormant and, like riding a bicycle (they say) I didn't forget how. The too-few times one or two others joined me were truly wonderful. It's amazing what kind of conversations you have while picking or weeding or stringing up twine.

It'd be lovely to get more of us involved for next year. In the meantime, there is still much to be done to close down the growing season. If you'd like to pitch in, with me or without, just let me know & I'll help you find something to do. These are some end-of-season chores:
* harvest
* put away stakes
* pull up spent plants
* turn & build compost pile
* put away fencing
* rototill for spring

Thanks to those whose interest and labor helped make this a success.

Tricia

Dues Payments - NEW LOCATION

2008-08-31T02:46:00.002-04:00

The drop box has a new home.

If you do not mail your Dues payment to the PO Box (282) then please drop it in the drop box, now located on Tricia's porch. While Joan is friendly and good-natured, she is not responsible for Dues payments anymore. Your payments need to go to the PO Box or to Tricia directly.

Blog Posting

2008-08-31T02:32:00.002-04:00

If you would like to be able to post to this blog we would love to have you. The more the merrier.

All you need to do is contact me via e-mail and give me your e-mail address. I will "invite" you to be an "author" for the blog. The set up is pretty quick and easy.

New Website Ready

2008-08-31T02:23:00.002-04:00

Greetings neighbors of Woodbridge.

In an effort to provide information to the Owners and Residents of Woodbridge in a more clean and efficient manner I have redesigned the Association's website. I hope that you find information more easily. It will take a little getting used to - new things always do - but it was designed partially for navigation comfort and partly to make updating and maintaining more manageable.

If you have comments on the new site don't hesitate to provide feedback. The more you feedback, the better we can make it for all.

Enjoy the new site by clicking here.

Woodbridge Condo Blog

2008-08-18T20:48:00.002-04:00

This blog has been set up to gradually replace the old Woodbridge Condo website at wba.elmdesigns.com or possibly to enhance it. The hope is that by creating a blog we can provide more timely information and narratives about the goings-on in our community.

If you have questions about this blog or would like to become an "author" with permissions to write your own posts, please feel free to contact me via e-mail and I will set things up for you.

Your comments and questions are welcome and encouraged.

Welcome to the Woodbridge Association Blog.