As the leaves begin to take on the colors of autumn and the air snaps crisp, Fall brings our Linwood Farms Fall Fest. What better way to celebrate the changing of the seasons than to join us in the fun on Saturday, October 29 from 11AM-1PM. This year we have lots of activities that everyone is sure to enjoy! Listed below are the events planed for our Fall Fest. We are still in need of volunteers for this event, so please consider volunteering for a 30 minute time slot. It’s a great way to meet neighbors and celebrate the Autumn season. Contact the Social Committee HERE if you can help. Plus, don’t forget to wear your Halloween Costumes (adults, too!) We want this event to be full of a festive spirit! Check it out (there’s a Costume Contest!)

Hayrides 11AM-1PM (line stops at 12:30): Hop on a tractor-driven hayride around the neighborhood. It’s a great time to check out all the Fall/Halloween decorations in the neighborhood!

Cake Walk 11AM- 1PM: This activity is always a hit! Please plan to bring a dessert to donate so we all can have lots of fun. It’s kind of like musical chairs where when the music stops and your number is called, you WIN a dessert of your choice! We’ve got some great bakers in the neighborhood, so you don’t want to miss this. Don’t bake? Store-bought desserts are just as great. You can bring cakes, brownies, doughnuts, rice krispie treats, etc. Please do not bring any desserts that require refridgeration (ie: puddings, popsicles, etc). Reminder: if you are baking a dessert, put it in a disposable tin, as other neighbors will be taking it home. (Volunteers needed to man this station)

Toy Story Bounce House 11AM-1PM: Children 12 and under are welcome to bounce out their wiggles in our bounce house. Please remind your children there is no pushing or acrobatics…we want everyone safe. Supervision at this station will be provided. (Volunteers needed to man this station)

Chili Cook-Off Contest 11-12:30: Got a smokin’ chili recipe? Consider whipping up a crock pot of chili and enter our contest. Winner will receive a $10 gift card and 2nd and 3rd place wins a $5 gift card. Please plan to have your crock pot to the event by 11AM when we start the event. Please bring a serving spoon as well. All neighbors are invited to come do the taste test and judge for your favorite pot of chili. (Volunteers needed to man this station)

Popcorn Machine 11AM-1PM: We will fire up our popcorn machine and get some hot popcorn a-poppin’! Stop by for some yummy popped corn. (Volunteers needed to man this station)

Games (for ALL ages):

• 11-11:30: Pumpkin Roll/Sack Races: Try rolling a pumpkin and race to victory. In years past we’ve had adults get competetive with this. Come try your rolling technique! Got some energy?
• Want a few good laughs? Then try your legs in our burlap Sack Races! The sacks fit adults, too. So talk smack with your family and see if you can hop for the win!
• 11:30-12:00 TUG-of-WAR!!! Do you hear the sounds of “Rocky?” in the distance? Yes, it’s the Tug-of-War in our Game area. You don’t want to miss this one. We will have show downs for kids and adults. We will have variations of teams to try and beat one another. Start pumping the iron now!
• 12:00-12:30 Costume Judging at this time. No games.
• 12:30-1PM PIE EATING CONTEST: See below for more details.

Costume Judging: Why not get your money’s worth out of your Halloween Costumes this year? Here’s a great opportunity for you to sport your Halloween costume and join in on the fun. We will have judging for the following categories:

• Most Scariest
• Most Creative
• Most Realistic (ex: looking like a celebrity/persona, or the “real thing”)
• Best Group (must be a group of 3 or more)
• Most Adorable

Winners of each group will recieve a small gift card (1 per category).

Pie-Eating Contest 12:30-1PM: We will end the event with a showdown at the pie-eating table. Don’t be shy! Adults and kids are encouraged to join it. It makes for some great pics on your holiday cards and to embarrass one another on Facebook. We will provide the bibs…you provide the mouths!

Coloring Station 11AM-1PM: Need a break for your little one? Stop by the coloring station to decorate some fall-inspired coloring pages.

Food Station 11AM-1PM: No need to cook lunch today! Stop by the food station for some hot dogs with the fixins, chips, and drinks. Sodas and water will be provided. Want dessert? Go to the Cake Walk and try to win a sweet treat! (Volunteers needed to man this station)

As you can see, we have a lot going on and there is something for all ages. This year, we really hope MORE ADULTS will participate in the activities. Loosen up, come and try the pumpkin roll, tug-of-war and sack races. Or strap on a bib and have fun with the pie-eating contest. We really want it to be a Fall Fest for ALL! Hope to see you there. Please note: the Parking lot will be closed the morning of until the end of the event for set up and clean up. Hope to see you there. Please email the Social Committee if you want to volunteer for the event! Hope to see you there!

You know house fires happen, and you probably have a smoke alarm, but are you really as prepared as you should be? The following fire-safety mistakes just might surprise you.

Mistake: Calling the fire department before getting out of the house.
If the smoke alarm goes off, your instinct may be to call for help right away, but it’s safer to leave the house first and call from a neighbor’s. “People underestimate how quickly fire spreads,” says Tom Harned, assistant fire chief in New Hanover, Pennsylvania, and a field manager for Liberty Mutual Insurance. “In minutes, the entire house could be in flames.”

Do family fire drills twice a year to practice how to leave every bedroom through two different exits. (If one exit is a window on a high floor, stash a fire-resistant escape ladder in the room.)

Mistake: Not cleaning out the lint in your clothes dryer’s filter.
If you often forget to clean the lint trap, the buildup can get too hot and catch on fire. Clean the filter every time you dry clothes and clean out the vents annually. (Use a special pipe brush, which is sold at hardware and home improvement stores.) Every few years, have the vents professionally cleaned to prevent buildup in places you can’t see, says Harned.

Also regularly check extension cords for any cracks or tears, which can lead to shorts in the wire. “Extension cords should really only be used temporarily,” Harned explains. “If you’re using one all the time, have an electrician put in an additional outlet.”
Another commonly overlooked fire trigger: space heaters. Never use them while you’re sleeping, and always keep them far away from anything that could catch on fire (such as bedding or curtains), says Angela Mickalide, PhD, director of research and programs for Safe Kids Worldwide, a nonprofit organization dedicated to preventing injuries.

Mistake: Forgetting to check your smoke alarms.
Though 96% of homes have smoke alarms, only about 75% of them actually work, says Dr. Mickalide. To make sure you’re protected, dust off alarms weekly (dirt can stop them from working), test the batteries monthly (in addition to replacing them once a year)—and replace the entire alarm every eight to 10 years. “The parts deteriorate over time,” Dr. Mickalide explains.

And one alarm is not enough—to guarantee safety, you need one on every level of your house (including in the basement and attic), as well as in each bedroom. That’s the only way to make sure that an alarm will go off promptly and everyone will hear it.

And don’t overlook the importance of having a carbon monoxide detector: About 60% of homes don’t have them, says Angela Mickalide of Safe Kids Worldwide. Carbon monoxide can come from anything in your house that burns fuel, such as a gas stove, gas water heater or chimney; since it’s odorless and invisible, you won’t know if it’s a risk to your health unless you have a detector. Too-high levels can cause flulike symptoms, but many people die from carbon monoxide without getting any warning signs. (Scary, but true.) Young children are especially vulnerable because their smaller bodies metabolize this gas faster.

Mistake: Pouring water on a greasy pan that’s caught fire on the stove.
Water puts out fire, right? Not when it comes to grease fires. “The water turns into steam and picks up the cooking oil, and you can end up with an even larger fireball,” says Harned. Instead, smother the flames by sliding a pot lid or cookie sheet across the top of the pan.

Get a detector for every level of your house (put one near the sleeping areas, such as in the hallway between your bedrooms) and replace it every five to seven years.

By Barbara Brody Posted September 29, 2011 from Woman’s Day; November 1, 2011

The school supply items needed are:

• • Elementary Backpacks
• • HS/MS Backpacks
• • Black and Blue Ballpoint Pens
• • Marbled Composition Notebooks (not spiral bound) Wide Ruled
• • College Ruled and Wide Ruled paper
• • 10 pack Broad Tip Markers (primary colors only)
• • 10 pack Fine Tip Markers (primary colors only)
• • 24 pack Crayons (primary colors only)
• • 12 pack Colored Pencils (primary colors only)
• • Plastic Folders (not paper)
• • #2 Pencils
• • 1″ 3 Ring Binders
• • 3″ 3 Ring Binders
• • 1 Subject Spiral Notebooks / Wide and College Ruled
• • 3 Subject Spiral
• • Notebooks/ College Ruled
• • Mechanical pencils
• • Highlighters
• • Dry Erase Markers
• • Large Pink Erasers
• • Pencil Top Erasers
• • Kids Scissors
• • Glue Sticks
• • Rulers
• • 3X5 Ruled Index Cards
• • Gently Used Books

The event website is Bash11.com.

To celebrate our American spirit, the Social Committee will host the Annual Linwood Farms 4th of July Parade on Saturday, July 2nd at 11 AM at the Pool Parking Lot. Registration for the Most Festive Judging begins at 10:45AM. Small gift card prizes will be awarded for the “Most Festive” of each category.

This is a quick, fun event that can kick off your holiday.

The Categories are:

• Most Festive Individual
• Most Festive Family
• Most Festive Pet
• Most Festive Stroller/Wagon
• Most Festive Bike/Scooter

So start breaking out your red, white and blue decorations and go all-out! Have fun dressing up yourselves, your kids, pets, bikes, scooters, strollers and wagons. The bolder, the better! Let’s see your American pride!

A new addition to our Parade this year is a Candy Scramble. We had several bags of candy left from our Egg Hunt and we don’t want it to go to waste! We will have the Candy Scramble immediately following the Parade. What’s a Candy Scramble you ask? You grab a paper bag and when we yell,”Go!” you run like mad and try to scramble for as much candy as you can grab and toss into your bag.

Following the Candy Scramble, we will have popsicles to help us all cool off. We hope to see you there! Prizes will be awarded during this time.

Residents/Members received a letter containing a proxy statement (used to give another member permission to vote in your stead), and a Board of Directors nomination form. Please contact the Board if you do not receive your letter by May 11.

Proxies must be received by the Board of Directors OR Cedar Management Group no later than Monday, May 23. You may also sign your proxy and give it to a neighbor who is able to attend. That neighbor can submit your proxy at the beginning of the meeting (at sign in).

The meeting agenda will be as follows:

• • Welcome & Introduction
• • 2010 Accomplishments
• • 2011 Goals & Priorities
• • Nomination/Election of Board Members
• • Question & Answer Period
• • Adjournment

Nominations should be returned to Cedar Management (in the enclosed envelope) no later than May 23.