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The Springmill Community Association retained a certifiedarborist in 2013 to look at all of the trees in the communityand develop a plan for the Arbor Management ofSpringmill’s trees. Part of the plan was to replace over 600street trees with about 250 that would be planted on thefront or side lawns of residents’ properties. To implementthis plan it was necessary to amend the deed restrictions toallow the Community Association the right to plant andmaintain those trees. The “Easement” to allow such actionshad to be agreed to by two thirds (67%) of all residents.

Voting on the Easement occurred during January.Tabulation of those votes occurredon February 6 in the ClubhouseCard Room. There were 322 votescast (40 homeowners did not vote).Residents Richard Belber and RonTucker tabulated the votes asProperty Manager Tracey Lundannounced each vote. In

A NEWSLETTER FOR THE SPRINGMILL COMMUNITYVolume XII, Issue 3 March, 2014

Tree Easement Fails Sentinel Index

Life Goes on Without Clubhouse.....................................Pg. 1Tree Easement Fails..........................................................Pg. 1Committee Reports...........................................................Pg. 3Notes From Your Board (Bob Lhulier).............................Pg. 5Middletown Council Election............................................Pg. 7NCCo Library Update Spring............................................Pg. 7Cultural Events...................................................................Pg. 9Restaurant Review (301 Plaza Family Restaurant).......Pg. 11What’s Happening in Middletown..................................Pg. 11Meet Your Neighbor (Nancy and Howard Heckman)....Pg. 13Update on Entrance Signage..........................................Pg. 13Life Without Clubhouse/Clubhouse Damage................Pg. 14Surprise Visitors/Snowbirds/Clubhouse Gamage........Pg. 15Springmill Activities/Charity Committee ......................Pg. 17Community Events Committee......................................Pg. 17Library Use/Book club Selections.................................Pg. 17Book Review - The Faithful Spy…………..……….…… Pg. 19Middletown Council Meeting/Free Tax Preparation.....Pg. 19What’s Cookin’ for St. Patrick’s Day.............................Pg. 19Healthy Living (The Banana)/Finance Comm...............Pg. 21Travel Log (Thailand and Cambodia)............................Pg. 23Advertiser’s Spotlight (Bob Wagner’s Design Center).....Pg. 25The Sounds Simon & Garfunkel (Travel Group)...........Pg. 25Computer Tutor - Chromecast/Ten Year Ago...............Pg. 26

Continued on Pg 26: Easement

Life Goes on at Springmill Without the ClubhouseIn the middle of the night on January 5 pipes in thesprinkler system, which protects the Clubhouse from fire,burst causing substantial water and structural damage toseveral areas in the Clubhouse. The Clubhouse has beenclosed since that day and an opening date has not beenannounced as of this time.

Activities at the Clubhouse are the “heart and soul” ofhundreds of Springmill residents. Each month there aredozens of events and activities that take place in variousrooms of the Clubhouse. The Chinese New YearCelebration, Bingo and The Card Party had to be canceled.The Pool Room is the location of Men’s Pool each weekdayafternoon and to Poker games on Wednesday evening andFriday afternoon. The Card and Great Rooms are wheremany residents play Cribbage, Rummikub, Hand and FootCanasta, Bridge, Hearts, Mahjong, Dominos and Bunco inboth afternoon and evening sessions.

Physical activities such as Yoga (and Meditation),Jazzercise and the Walking Group have been curtailed.The Fitness Center (Gym) where residents could “workout” 24 hours a day was affected as well.

Springmill’s committees, of which there are seven, alongwith social groups such as Book Clubs (5), Doll Sewing,

and the Travel Club each meet in the Craft Room or Card Roomat least once each month. The Library, which houses a superbcollection of hard and soft covered books, is not available.

With all of these activities and groups affected somethinghad to be done so that “life” could go on as usual. Withindays of the Clubhouse’s closing many of the activitiesmentioned above were moved to the homes of variousresidents. For example, theThursday Bridge Group hasbeen playing at one or twohomes based on the numberof tables required. CarolynRifino, Joan Gross, CarolynBodden and Nancy Merrillhave hosted sessions. JoVerni had Rummikub at herhome. Stan Heer and MarcLichtenfield have hostedpoker games. LennyBrussee has several peopleplaying pool at his house. Mary Lou McKenna, AnnRaymond and others have hosted book club meetings.Committees are holding their meetings at members’homes, as well. The January and FebruaryCommunications Continued on Pg 14: Life Goes On

Friday poker players -MarcLichtenfield (host), Janet Geftman,Bob Hambrecht, Tom Ferrara, Ed

Hopkins, Stan Heer

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Springmill Sentinel StaffEditor: Dick RauschTreasurer: Diane DaigleSecretary: Janet GeftmanProduction Manager: Dick RauschBusiness Manager: Carol GeigerAdvertising: Anne Currie, Jerry Ryan, Pat Steskal, Bert DekkerStaff: Mary Jo Starrett, June Stemmle , Sonya Comstock, Julie Hambrecht, Joe GrippoDirectory: Julie HambrechtDistribution Manager: Phyllis TorgersenCalendar: Tracey Lund

Please forward all articles & inquiries to:springmillnews@hotmail.com

Lauri Richardson

Tel (302) 379-9984Fax (302) 368-1060200 N. Dilwyn Rd.Newark, DE 19711Lauriscleaning1@verizon.net

Residential / Office Cleaning

3

Maintenance and Repair Committee

MRC did not meet in February. The next meeting will beheld on Thursday March 13, 2014 at 6:30 PM.

Georgieanna Anderson

Springmill Homeowners Association

Board of DirectorsBob Lhulier, PresidentJim Merrill, Treasurer

Barb Kelly, Fred Bodden, & Carl RifinoBoard Recording Secretary: Janet Geftman

Community ManagerTracey Lund

801 Windmilll Lane376•5466

Tracey.Lund@mamc.com

Clubhouse CommitteeJulia Hambrecht

Communications CommitteeDick Rausch

Community EventsBeverly Strong/Peggy Andrews

Finance CommitteeJim Crisfield

Property CommitteeCarolyn Bodden

Maintenance & Repair CommitteeTBD

Charity CommitteeMaria Corvino

Anyone wishing to join a Committee should contact theChairperson of that Committee.

•• Please note: All committee meetings and activitiesusing a Clubhouse room must be cleared with TraceyLund of the Management Office at 376•5466.

Other Important Information

Calendar: Tracey LundFamily Emergency Numbers: Pat Howe, JoAnn StumpSocial Singles: Peg McMullenSunshine: Mary Elizabeth Rhoads/Faith Altman

Committee Reports

Continued on Pg 5

Finance Committee

Due to the situation at the clubhouse, the FinanceCommittee met at Larry Daigle’s home in January and willprobably meet there again in February unless theclubhouse becomes available.

During the January meeting, a request from the BOD wassubmitted to have Finance look at Reserves to make surethat our funding was sufficient to meet the community’sneeds for the near future as well as long term.

Our insurance policy for the community is coming up forrenewal in May. Cal Reuss/Herb Frank will be looking intoour options regarding coverage beyond May 2014.

Finance is also looking into streamlining the process forhandling contracts that our community gets involved with.Because we have many types of contracts, Finance willhave to review all contracts to gain understanding beforeoffering up any process.

Because of limited space in my home, visitors should notplan on attending future meetings until the clubhouse isavailable again.

Larry Daigle Vice-ChairmanCommunications Committee

The meeting was held on February 11 at the home of DickRausch. Ten people attended the meeting including Jim Merrillas Board Liaison and Janet Herner as a guest who isconsidering joining the committee.

The minutes for the January meeting were approved asslightly amended as the first matter of business.

Diane Daigle presented the Treasurer's report. Fiveadvertisers renewed their contracts and income exceededexpenditures by about $1500.00. It was agreed that thepayment for printing the Sentinel would be sent directly tothe printer starting with the March issue.

Business Manager Carol Geiger reported that there are 40advertisers in the February 2014 issue. One business cardsized ad (Costa Painting) was added in the February issue.One advertiser increased their ad size to ¼ page. Carolannounced that Janet Herner, guest at this meeting, isconsidering joining the committee as a Customer Service Rep.

Dick Rausch provided an overview of the editorial contentof the March Sentinel. The front page stories will includeLife without the Clubhouse and the results of the Easementvote. Snowbirds, activities in homes and clubhousedamage will be featured in the centerfold.

The 2014 Directory was distributed with the February Sentineland additional copies were to residents who ordered them.

The committee voted to increase the mileage payment formembers who drive on Sentinel business.

Jim Merrill updated the committee on the Clubhouse repairsituation. No estimate for reopening was given. Hethought that publishing pictures of the damage would be ofinterest to residents. See pictures on Page 14.

The meeting was adjourned at 8:15 PM. The next meetingwill be held on Tuesday March 11 at 7:00 PM at 66Springmill Drive. Residents are welcome to attend.

Dick Rausch

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5

It’s been a busy winter for the Boardas well as the community. Betweenthe tree ballot process, the sprinklerwater damage to the clubhouse andthe many snowfalls we had to dealwith, the Board was very muchoccupied with Springmill matters.

First of all, on behalf of the Board aswell as the community, let me thankthe members of the Tree Task Force for their untiring effortsover the past 10 months to conscientiously work toward thegoal of providing the community with a sensible alternative tothe problem which our street trees present. Bill Altman,Carolyn Bodden, Chris Chappelle, Kathy Kobus and GeorgeLatsko, along with my co-chair Carl Rifino, spent countlesshours in meetings with the arborist, residents and vendors inorder to gain an understanding of the issues and options to beconsidered in proposing a long term plan. Unfortunately, theplan was not accepted by the community, but that fact doesnot diminish their effort. The Board sincerely appreciates thepersonal commitment each made to this project.

The Board respects the decision of the voters and this Boardwill not address the issue again prior to Board elections InSeptember. The Board’s policy on street trees is that as theydisrupt the adjacent sidewalks, they will be removed on acase by case basis and the sidewalks repaired as needed.

The status of the clubhouse is on everybody’s mind. TraceyLund and Julie Hambrecht are leading a small group whichis spearheading the renovation of the clubhouse. As youmay know, the repair of the facility had been delayed bythree weeks because of a dispute between our insurancecarrier and the sprinkler company. Now that we have theability to move forward, the Board is selecting a contractorto repair the sprinkler system. Until that firm has a chanceto examine all of the system, the extent of repair as well asthe time to repair cannot be accurately estimated.

Once the sprinkler system has been tested and approved,a general contractor will repair the drywall and structuraldamage. The painting contractor will follow right behind thedrywall repairs and finally the flooring can be installed.

I have gone into all of the details so that we all understand all ofthe “moving parts” which will have to come together in order toget the clubhouse back into operation. So, whether it’s by St.Patrick’s Day or April Fool’s Day, all residents should understandthat we are all working diligently to get the clubhouse back openfor the community. The Board wants to thank you all for yourpatience during this difficult time and express our appreciation forthe supportive comments we have received.

Bob Lhulier

Clubhouse Committee

The Clubhouse Committee met briefly in February. Severalsamples of flooring were looked at and the committee votedunanimously on which to use for carpeting and flooring. These werethen shown to the Board of Directors at one of the workshops.

The pool furniture will be available for sale in April. A flyer in the Aprilsentinel will show all information as to pricing. In the meantime ifanyone is interested in purchasing some furniture please contactJulia and your name will be added to the list to be contacted.

The March meeting will be held on Thursday, March 13th.

Julie Hambrecht

Property Committee

Greetings to All Snow Bunnies………..I for one am tired ofthat white stuff…..Just a reminder that Forever Green willbe checking any lawn damage and any other areas in thewarmer weather for repair. Please, give Tracey yourname, address, damaged area and it will be included in alist for the landscaper to address.

Included in this issue of the Sentinel is a schedule for thelawn maintenance we have contracted with Forever Greenfor this year. Any other individual lawn problems will bethe responsibility of the homeowner. Our landscaper isavailable for a consultation at no charge. Most otherlandscapers will also, provide a free consultation. Traceyhas names of several other landscapers in the area ifneeded.

It would be advisable to keep this schedule in a handy placefor a quick reminder of what is coming next. Forever Greenwill continue to place a sign on the center island of WindmillLane as to when they are going to fertilize, prune, etc. Thisnotification has been a very helpful reminder for all of us.

VERY IMPORTANT REMINDER: Street trees that areremoved always are marked by the utility company beforebeginning excavation of the root system. Different colorspainted on the curbs represent the various utilities exceptfor the Verizon lines. Verizon used sub-contractors forinstallation of their lines and therefore, they have nospecific locations recorded. The contractor will take allprecautions to try and avoid damaging these Verizon lines.

The Property Committee is looking forward to landscapingour front entrance with the installation of the new signs .We are reworking our landscaping plans for these twoareas and will put it out for bid soon.THINK SPRING

Carolyn Bodden, Chairman

Committee Reports (cont.) Notes From Your Board

Board MotionsSee Page 26

Continued from Pg 3

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(Also a Springmill Resident)

FOLLOW ME TO MY OFFICEFOR ALL YOUR INSURANCE NEEDS

State Farm

7

Around Town

June StemmleSonya Comstock

Town Council Election

The Town Election on Monday, March 3,(noon-8 p.m.) will consist of three incumbentsand one challenger for three town councilseats. It will be held in Town Hall.

Robin Burgess (Incumbent)A member of the Town Council for six years.Responsibilities: Main St. and EconomicDevelopment – serves as liaison for theHistorical Society and Chamber of Commerceand oversees the building. She is most proud of theappearance of Main St. and the many activities it offers suchas the parades and decorated poles at Christmas. For thoseinterested in sports, the town offers good playing fields forLittle League and soccer players. The Charles Price Park hasso much to offer in outdoor activities for the entire family.Burgess would like to see full development of the medicalfacilities and Westown. By spring, she expects more activitycentered around the theater. Burgess enjoys working with theother members and shares their common concern tocontinually improve the town. She asks for your vote so shecan continue to offer more to residents.

Robert McGhee (Incumbent)A member of the Town Council for ten years, McGhee wantsto continue working on more job opportunities andimprovements for Middletown. He is active in tenorganizations associated with the town as well as working withthe Economic Development Office in Dover to bring more jobshere. McGhee is proud of the Amazon facility that has hiredover 3,000 employees and the new movie theater that hassupported local businesses while providing entertainment forthe MOT area. Coming soon will be the Texas Roadhouse tothe Westown area and possibly Panera’s too. HealthSouthwill be opening its 34-bed inpatient rehabilitation hospital bythe end of the year. McGhee works with the other members tokeep taxes low while providing the best services for all. Heasks for your vote so he can continue serving Middletown.

Jim Reynolds (Incumbent)A member of the Town Council for 24 years. Responsibilities:streets and parks. His many years of experience as acouncilman has made him keenly aware of what residents needand want and anticipating future needs. With the arrival ofAmazon, thousands of jobs have been created with little to notraffic problems. Johnson Controls added a second facility whichbrought even more jobs to the MOT area. He is most proud ofthe Christiana Care Emergency Center allowing residents to stayclose to home when medical emergencies arise. With the comingof HealthSouth this year in the same location, a medicalprofessional center is being created, and Jim anticipates moredoctors setting up offices in this medical center. He welcomesTexas Roadhouse in the Westown area and the new movietheater offering entertainment close to home. Reynolds’ goal isto upgrade the infrastructure, see all of Westown developed, andcontinue to offer a way of life that is amenable to all. He asks foryour vote so he can continue to work with the other members onkeeping Middletown the best town to live.

LIBRARY UPDATE…Spring Edition

Listed below are the on-going programsat NCC Southern Library. Phonenumber for information or registration is(302) 378-5588.

The hours at the library are: Monday10-8, Tuesday/Wednesday 1-8,Thursday- Saturday 10-5, and closed onSunday.

NOTE: The library will have no closures in March.

Program information is limited this month because theSpring Edition was not available in time for printing.Stop by the library for a copy in early March.

ON-GOING PROGRAMS

Adult Book Discussion meets the 3rd Wednesdayof the month at 7:00 PM. This month’s selectionwill be discussed on March. 19. Call for title.E-book and Audio book tutoring by appointmentduring library hours.

v Knitting Circle meets every Tuesday at 7:00 pm, forall levels of experience.

v Sew Bee It Quilters meet the 2nd Saturday at 10:00am, for novice & experienced quilters.

v Delaware Money School Call 1-800-267-5002 formonthly topic and to register.

ADULT PROGRAMS…$$ and/or registration required

v Senior Yoga Four 1 hour classes with Crystal Walker$24/mo. Wednesday 10:30-11:30 am.

v Yoga four 1-hour classes on Tuesdays from 12-1:00pm with Joy Holloway. $24 for the month.

v Zumba Gold Sat. 10:30-11:30 $6 drop-in fee,instructor is Elisa Cordera

CHILDREN’S PROGRAMS…$$ and/or registration required

Rhythm, Rhyme & Story Time (3+) Fridays at10:15. FREE

June Stemmle

Continued Pg 26: Election

Thank you for your Kindness

A sincere thank you for the calls of condolence, thesympathy cards, mass cards and many prayers on therecent passing of my mother. Your kindness andexpression of sympathy are a great comfort to me duringthis sad time.

Christine Lapham.

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RESIDENTS ARE OURBEST

REFERRALS!

9

Cultural Events March 2014MIDDLETOWNEverett TheatreFri/Sat – March 1 & 2 - 7:30 p.m. – movie TBA - Tickets $6Fri. Sat. Sun. March 14- Sun. March 23 – Evening (7:30& Matinee – 2 p.m.) “Pinocchio” - Tickets - $15

Appoquinimink High SchoolThurs/Fri/Sat – March 27,28,29 – 7 p.m. – “Once Upon aMattress” – play – Tickets - $8

Middletown High SchoolThurs/Fri/Sat – March 6, 7, 8 – 7:00 p.m. – “Guys & Dolls”- play – Tickets - $8

TOWNSENDFire Hall, 107 Main St.,Townsend, DEThurs. March 6 – 3–7 p.m. – “Sixth Annual Spring Expo”– The Middletown Area Chamber of Commerce invites thepublic to attend this event celebrating Arts & Entertainmentas vendors promote their business to the MOT community.Enjoy food and beverages from local restaurants andwineries. FREE

ODESSACorbit-Calloway Memorial Library, 115 High St.,302-378-8838

Sunday, March 23 – 2 p.m. Presentation by EvelynSwensson about the daughter of DuPont Founder and wifeof Civil War Admiral, Sophie DuPont. She was an artistand musician who funded abolitionists. The talk has beenresearched to capture the personality of this historicwoman and presented in authentic period costume. FreeSMYRNAOpera House, 7 W. South Street, 302-653-4236Fri/Sat/Sun – March 7-8-9 – “The Odd Couple” – Femaleversion of this play featuring the Phoenix Players.Desserts provided. Tickets - $17

DOVERSchwartz Center, 226 S. State St., 302-678-5152Sat. March 8 – 7 p.m. – “Don Byron New Gospel Quintet”– Gospel artists and Sister Rosetta Tharpe – Tickets - $25Sat. March 15 – 7 p.m. & Sun. March 16 – 2 p.m. –“Cheaper by the Dozen” presented by The Children’sTheatre, Inc. – Tickets - $10 – children - $8Sat. March 29 – 7 p.m. – “A Tribute to Patsy Cline” – One-woman show with four-piece band featuring Katie Deal –Tickets - $30

ARDENTOWNNew Candlelight Theater, 2208 Millers Rd., 302-475-2313Matinee & Evening ShowsMarch 29-May 11, Sunday – 1 p.m.“Anything Goes” – Musical comedy set on the high seas.Tickets - $56 includes dinner buffet

WILMINGTONDuPont Theatre, 1007 N. Market St., 302-656-4401Sun. March 9 – Noon & 3 p.m. – “Bill Cosby” – belovedcomedian – Tickets - $20-$125

Grand Opera House, 818 North Market Street, 302-652-5577Sat. March 1 – 8 p.m. – “An Evening with Sinbad” – Stand-upcomedian delivering family clean comedy. Tickets - $35-$43Fri. March 7 – 8 p.m. – “Zappa Plays Zappa – 40th

Anniversary Tour” – Tickets - $33-$40

Fri March 7 – 8 p.m. – (Baby Grand) - “Goitse” – quintetperforming Irish music – Tickets - $25

Sat. March 8 – 8 p.m. – “Rock & Roll Legends Show” –starring The Duprees & others – Tickets $55-$90

Sun. March 9 – 3 p.m. – “Very Hungry Caterpillar” – triple showincludes Caterpillar’s metamorphosis into a butterfly; Little Cloud’stravels through the sky and Mixed-Up Chameleon’s discovery ofhis own unique nature. Tickets - $14 – children - $10

Sat. March 15 – 8 p.m. – “Solas: Shamrock City” – Irish-American band performing a musical multimedia story ofIrish immigrant miners of of the West inspired by Seamus’own family history. Tickets - $23-$29

Sat. March 22 – 8 p.m. – “Mike Birbiglia – Thank God forJokes Tour” – Award-winning filmmaker, author andcomedian – Tickets - $35-$40 author, and comedianFri. March 21 – 7:30 p.m. & Sun. March 23 – 2 p.m. –“The Delaware Symphony Orchestra” presents Classic 3 –Tickets - $60 – Venue - TatnallThurs. March 27 – 8 p.m. – “Lily Tomlin” – Anunforgettable night of fun and laughter. Tickets - $45-$53Fri. March 28 – 8 p.m. – “The Hit Men” – Originalmusicians from The Four Seasons, Shondells and manyothers who have reunited to perform solid gold pop androck songs from the -60’s & 70’s. Tickets $34-$41Not acover band. The Hit Men are originalNEWARKChapel Theater, 27 N. Chapel St.,302-368-2041 / 368-2248March 1,2,6,7,8Sun. matinee (March 2 – 2 p.m.)“Les Liaisons Dangeruses” – period before the FrenchRevolution where cruel games were played withdevastating results. Adapted as a movie (DangerousLiaisons-1987) Tickets - $10

University of Delaware, 17 W Main St, 302-831-0500Pre-Theater / Early DiningFeb. 19-May 15 (5:30 p.m.)Enjoy a three-course dinner at the Vita Nova Restaurant(Darden Bistro) Wed-Fri – beginning at 5:30 p.m. for just$25 pp. Includes appetizer, choice of five entrees & threedesserts. No reservations are necessary.

Sonya Comstock

When visiting an advertiser say “Isaw your ad in the Sentinel”

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SPRINGMILL RESIDENT SPECIALS

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Everett’s New Marquee

Gone is the 92 year-oldmarquee that greetedpatrons of the EverettTheatre with only a fewlight bulbs working and adesperate cry to bereplaced. Restoration ofthe marquee was out ofthe question as it wasmade of metal and rusted beyond repair. Board memberRob Stout who owns Alpaca Signs worked with otherconstruction experts on trying to save the originalmarquee, but it was not possible. In about six weeks,watch for the new marquee that will be an exact replica ofthe original structure from the 1920’s, plus all the lightbulbs will be lit greeting patrons once again.

301 PLAZA…Family Restaurant921 Middletown-Warwick Road

(302) 376-4300

Having lived here twelve years and tried any number ofrestaurants, Ican’t believe ittook me thislong to drivefive minutesdown the roadto 301 Plaza.I had heardgood thingsabout their soups, meatloaf, and fried chicken, butsomehow just never thought of it as more than a truckstop…which, it essentially is.

Well, today was the day. My friends and I wanted to dolunch, but with the cold weather, wanted to just gosomeplace close, where we could get a warm meal andhave time to chat. Since most of us hadn’t been to 301Plaza, we decided it was time to try it. And are we glad wedid. Our visit to this large building, which includes a dinertype restaurant…very basic, and a larger take-out areaand gift shop…with ALL kinds of stuff, made for apleasant afternoon. It had very good food (Though Iwouldn’t get the crab cake…the chili and the side salad Iordered were yummy.), generous portions, quite moderateprices (most lunches under $10), a varied menu, and acheery wait staff. We arrived at 11:30 and didn’t leaveuntil 2:30…actually ordered a second time, since we gotthe munchies for dessert and tea. No one bothered us orseemed to care how long we stayed. While there was asteady flow of customers around us, we just continued tosit, eat, and talk.

The hours of operation are EVERY day, including ALLholidays, from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. There is a bathroom offthe restaurant area, when you first enter, and anotherbathroom facility off the snack/gift area in the back.

If you’d like more information or a menu, you can go totheir website, www.301plaza.com . I was surprised to findthat besides food and gas, they have a sports arena…justlogo merchandise, a place to rent U-hauls, a place topurchase discount tobacco products, and offer “financialservices” where you can pay your bills…guess that’s forthose on the road.

Now, you won’t care about much in that previousparagraph, but you might want to drop by for something toeat or combine it with a trip to the Westown movie theater,which is practically next door at the traffic light. I lovebreakfast, so my next visit might just be to check out thebuttermilk pancakes.

June Stemmle

Restaurant Review What’s Happening inMiddletown…

New Businesses

Village Wines & Spirits reopened in its new location onRt. 896 next to Burger King. Hours of OperationMon-Thurs. 10-10 p.m., Fri-Sat. 10-12 a.m., Sun. 10-6p.m. Phone – 302-376-5583

Atlantic Apothecary opened its second pharmacyrecently. Location – 118 Sandhill Dr. behind the HamptonInn. Hours of Operation – Mon-Fri 8-8; Sat. 9-4; Sun. 11-4. Owner – John Giacobello, R.Ph. will hold an OpenHouse on Sat. March 1 with many giveaway prizes.Asking for feedback on home delivery. Phone – 302-376-9355.

USAF Band Performs in Middletown

The United States Air Force Heritage of America Rhythmin Blue Jazz Ensemble will present a free concert atMiddletown High School on Wednesday, March 26, at 7p.m. The 17-member band incorporates a wide repertoireof jazz and fusion from big band swing to contemporarymusic. These musicians are stationed in Hampton, VA,and travel throughout the Mid-Atlantic region presentingover 300 events annually for the general public and insupport of Airman morale and protocol events.

In Memoriam

Pat Bailey passed away peacefully on January 26 atChristiana Care. Our family would like to thank everyonewho supported Pat during her illness. We appreciate thekindness all of our friends and neighbors showed her.

Jim Bailey

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272 Carter DriveMiddletown, DE 19709

Drew Chas, D.C.Now Offering Massage Therapy

13

Update on Entrance Signage

A new sign indicating that the “main entrance” to Springmillis on Windmill Drive was installed in mid-February. Themain entrance sign will be installed shortly. The bricksupporting columns and lighting are in place now. The newmain entrance sign replaces the original sign that wasinstalled by the builder (McKee) in 2001. It was removedby residents in February with portions of it preserved forhistorical purposes.

Dick Rausch

Nancy and Howard Heckman of 153 Springmill Drivewere originally reluctant to be interviewed, but by the endof our pleasant chat, we had shared some delightfulstories and learned quite a bit about each other. So, nowI’ll introduce them to all of you.

Nancy is a native Delawarean, having been born in the oldMemorial Hospital which has sincebeen torn down and is now anapartment complex. Growing up,and until she was married, Nancylived on Route 896, across fromNewton’s Flower Fields, near thePennsylvania border, She attendedNewark High School. Upongraduation, she was employed byDuPont as a receptionist, workingthere for 30 years.

Howard was born, and lived, in Carlisle, Pennsylvania untilhe was 18, at which time he joined the U.S. Air Force.After three years of service, he returned to the family homein 1960. It was a time of recession, and jobs were hard tofind. Howard decided education was the key to steadyemployment and so enrolled in Penn State. He receivedhis Associate Degree in drafting and design.Subsequently, he was recruited by three companies indifferent parts of the country. After serious consideration,he accepted a job with DuPont, which was closer to homeand offered a better salary.

It turned out to be a good choice, because it was where hemet Nancy. She delivered his mail. At the time, Howardhad just traded in his powder blue Austin Healy Sprite for anew sports car. It seemed only natural to invite Nancy togo for a ride in his new car. She accepted, and that wasthe start of a beautiful relationship. The couple wasmarried in October 1964. They will be celebrating theirfiftieth wedding anniversary this coming October byrenewing their vows in an Indian church out west.

The couple set up housekeeping in Newark, remainingthere for 38 years, until they decided to retire to Springmill.Nancy and Howard happened upon our community whilethey were out driving with another couple. The ladiesdecided to stop and check out the models while the gentsremained in the car. Nancy really liked the size andopenness of the houses and kept mentioning them toHoward, telling him he REALLY had to take a look. Whenhe did, he agreed with her assessment, and theypurchased one of the first homes built in 2001. They bothlove the country feel, and that they can see all the birds,from swans to eagles, coming and going on the pondacross the street.

Having lived here for a while, they realize their retirementhome is just the right size. Nancy is happy for her firstdishwasher and walk-in closet. Howard likes having the

Meet Your Neighboroutdoor maintenance taken care of. And they both agreethat the quiet community is filled with friendly people whereeveryone waves, even if they don’t know you.

The Heckmans have a variety of interests. Howard enjoysstamp collecting, is an avid reader of adventure novels andBible-based fiction, is a passionate Sudoku player andenjoys watching football. While he’s busy with hisactivities, Nancy reads, does needlepoint, or playscomputer games. Both are active participants at theirchurch on Baltimore Pike.

In the past 50 years together, the twosome has visited all 50states, been to a number of Canadian provinces, Mexicoand the Middle East. Since Nancy no longer enjoys thehassles of flying, they take road trips near and far.

While Howard and Nancy don’t presently own a pet, there isevidence in their home of Penny, their brown and white JackRussell terrier that died last year at age 16. These days,when they need a little pet love, they take advantage of being“godparents” to Claudia Garrett’s dog, Eddie. In return,Nancy keeps him in cookies. If Claudia can’t find Eddie, he’sprobably waiting at the Heckman’s door for a treat.

So how do you arrive at the 50-year mark? Howard said,“Don’t go to bed leaving things unresolved…talk things outwhen they come up.” Nancy would add that “faith hasbeen an important part” of their life together, and “hasbeen from the start.”

And that ends our visit with the Heckmans…hope youenjoyed getting to know this neighbor. I did.

June Stemmle

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Life Goes on Without the Clubhouse

Ceiling in Craft Room was damaged.Sprinkler pipe is visible.

Clubhouse Suffers Water Damage

Book Club II - Norma Bartee, MaryElizabeth Rhodes, Ann Raymond and

June Stemmle (took picture)

Lois Quinlanexercises at Snap

Fit gym

Judy Graff and Barbara Altplaying cards at the Grippo

home

Giving Doll making group - Carolyn Rifino(hostess), Betty Freeman, Eileen

Bengermino, Chris Chappelle, Joan Gross,Maria Wendt and Aggie Murray not shown

Water damaged the carpet anddance floor

It all started here when the sprinklerpipe above this head burst. Waterwas gushing in when help arrived.

Water filled the space above theceiling in the Men’s Room and

caused it to “cave in”.

Committee and Editorialmeetings were held at Dick Rausch’s home and Jim Crisfieldhosted the Finance Committee meetings to name a couple.

Physical activities are the most difficult to replace althoughthe Jazzercise store and a couple of Fitness Centers are justa short distance from Springmill for those energeticenough to get out. And of course the YMCA is only about 15minutes away in Bear, DE.

Springmill residents are a very resilient group and have madethe best of a difficult situation, so far. We all look forward tothe reopening of a refurbished Clubhouse, which will bebetter than ever, in the near future.

See pictures of various activities below.

Dick Rausch

Continued from Pg 1: Life Goes On

Wednesday poker - Dick Sommer, RoyPeters, Stan Heer (host), Dan Prall, BobHambrecht, Ed Hopkins, Tom Ferrara

Book Club IV - Lilli Jones, Kathy Kobus, Jan Frieberg,Sherry Robinson, Claudette Latsko (hostess), PennyReuss, Kay Van Hoy, Mary Jo Starrett (not shown)

The Clubhouse has suffered considerable damage as a result ofthe fire sprinkler pipes that burst on January 5.The ceilings in the Great Room, Hallway, Gym, Men’s Restroom,Craft Room, Poker Room were damaged. Carpeting in theGreat Room was water logged and has to be replaced. Also, the

dance floor was damaged. The Board, committees andProperty Manager Tracey Lund are working with theinsurance company. Necessary repairs began at the endof February and are scheduled to take about 30 days.See “Notes From Your Board” Page 5. More pictures page 15.

Pat Wiedemann, DorisGilbert at the Grippo’s for

cards

Book Club V -Standing Babs Fox,Phyllis Burris, Barb Lhulier,Joan Gross,Rita Ryor. Seated Lolly Belber, Gloria

Nichols, Barbara Alt. Mary LouMcKenna hosted

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Clubhouse Water DamageThese pictures were taken immediately after the damage occurred on January 6, 2014. From left Men’s Room, Gym, Great room, Hallway.

Backyard Bird Feeder Attracts Surprise Visitors

Bert and Peppy Dekker on theirannual Thailand trip

Ginny & Joe Grippo visited KeyWest during their FL trip

Long necked woman fromindigenous tribe in northern Thailand

(see Travel Log page 23)

For 10 years Ron and I have enjoyed watching the manykinds of birds drawn to our feeders both at the front andback of our house. We have come to rely on “the usualsuspects” to provide us with daily entertainment yet reallyappreciate glimpses of the rarer bird now and then.Imagine my astonishment upon waking one morning tofind a “rare bird” indeed – a very large deer leaping upagain and again to the bird feeder to get its breakfast (seephoto). It seemed to use its tongue to get the seed out ofthe small holes of the feeder. Sometimes it used the baffleto steady its front hoofs. Amazing!

Other pictures show a red-tailed hawk sitting atop thesame feeder; a fox sauntering away from helping itself toseed at the feeder’s base; and a small deer outside mykitchen window. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get a picture ofthe juvenile eagle which perched three days in a row inone of the large trees out back nor the raccoon whichcurled itself around the feeder to get a nighttime snack.Who knows what will visit us next?

Mary Jo Starrett

Springmill Snowbirds Travel Around the World

Stella and Gerry Crennan pickingoranges in Ruskin, FL

Herb and Cynthia Frank at FortWalton Beach

Jim Mahla catches a beautifulbonita in the Florida Keys

The Dekkers at the Thai SpiritHouse

Jim Mahla’s winning watercolor atPurple Isles Art Guild in Key Largo

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Springmill Activity Contacts

Bead Making - Shirley SmithBook Club -Kay O’Day-AllenBocce – Ann LucasBowling – Larry DaigleBridge (Thursday Afternoon) - Joan GrossBunco – Looking for a CoordinatorComputer Resources – Dick RauschDoll Sewing - Carolyn RifinoGolf - Fred Wendt - MSML/Joe Tomassetti-SMGLGourmet Club – Debra KupperJazzercise – Gail RouillerLibrary – Julia Hambrecht & Eileen BengerminoMahjongg – Barbara AbramsMen’s Hearts – Len BrusseeMen’s Poker – Tom FerraraMen’s Pool – Art LambPickleball – Carl RifinoRed Hat Society – Kay O’Day-AllenRomeos - Nick CiranniRummikub - Jo Verni/Jane KimminsSocial Singles - Cathy Cioffi/Bridget McGrathTennis -Bill GurneeTexas Holdem – Janet GeftmanThe Timeless Travel Group - Glenda SchneidermanWater Aerobics – Ann Raymond/Sandy CorroziWelcoming Committee - Peggy AndrewsYoga - June Stemmle

Please note: All committee meetings and activities using aClubhouse room, must be cleared with Tracey Lund.

Springmill Activities

BOOK CLUB CHOICES FOR MARCHBook Club I (Deb Kupper/1st Wed.) We will be reading“The Tulip Eaters” by Antoinette Van Heugten.

Book Club II (Mary-Elizabeth Rhoads/4th Tues.) Our groupwill be selecting books for the upcoming months at our nextmeeting.

Book Club III (Lydia Olson/3rd Mon.) Our book club’schoice for March is “Dear Life” by Alice Monro.

Book Club IV (Mary Jo Starrett/1st Wed.) We will beconversing about “Band of Sisters” by Cathy Gohlke.

Book Club V (Joan Gross/3rd Tues.) When we meet, we willbe discussing “Somewhere in France” by Jennifer Robson.

June Stemmle

Charity Committee

Thank you to everyone who contributed to theNeighborhood House this month, even though we had tocollect the items in the rain. We collected about 78 bags offood, along with a generous donation in the form of a check.

REMINDER:1] We collect food the first Monday of each month, exceptif Monday is a holiday.

2] Please make sure you place the bags in an area thatcan be seen by the walkers and driver, preferably on thecurb or in front of the driveway.

3] We always go around twice on both the north and southsides to check if we forgot to pick up any bags.

4] If you forget to leave your bag out, please either save ituntil the next scheduled pickup or deliver to either the MOTor Neighborhood House:

MOT Center, 300 N. Scott St., 378- 4758Neighborhood House, 219 Green St., 378- 5569

Thank you for all the help you give to those less fortunate whenthey need it most .Your good deeds do not go unnoticed.

Maria Corvino

SPRINGMILL LIBRARYUpdate on use

Since the Clubhouse has been, and will be, closed for awhile, Julie Hambrecht and Eileen Bengermino thoughtthat they would give you the opportunity to return or donatebooks, puzzles, etc. to their homes.

Julie and Eileen can also provide residents with a copy ofnew books that have been received. The ladies bothkeep a master list of ALL books in the library, so ifthere’s a particular one you are looking for, e-mail or callthem. If the book is in the library, they will get it to you.Your patience and cooperation has been appreciated.

Eileen Bengermino, 317 DaylillyJulie Hambrecht, 612 Poets Way

June Stemmle

Community Events CommitteeWithout a firm date as to when the clubhouse will beavailable, it is difficult/impossible to schedule dates forevents.

The CHINESE NEW YEAR and BINGO have beencanceled.

GAME AND CARD PARTY, CONCERT, TEA &LUNCHEON WITH GUEST SPEAKER andNEWCOMERS BRUNCH will be rescheduled.

The CEC is as disappointed as we know you all are (onthese cold snowy days) to be missing social time andevents at the clubhouse. Please be assured that as soonas we have a date the clubhouse is available, we will startrescheduling events.

Peggy Andrews

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The Faithful Spy by Alex Berenson

John Wells is the only American CIAagent ever to penetrate al Qaeda. Adecade has gone by and no one hasseen or heard from him. Is he one ofthem now? Rumor has spread thathe has become a Muslim andforsaken this country. When 9/11occurred, questions arose as to hisloyalty and why no one in Washingtonwas warned of this attack. “Can hebe trusted?” is what his superiors ask.

Only one member of the CIA believesin him, but even Jennifer Exley has her doubts. He leftbehind a wife who divorced him because he felt duty wasmore important than family and a son who was only twoand would not remember him at all.

Life among the al Qaeda battleground is lonely anddesolate, and he keeps to himself by reading the Koran.He sees the enemy using Islam as justification for theirattacks on innocent people and their hatred for democracytaking over decency and respect for human beings.

When strategic attacks are being planned for America,John Wells is given a final test by al Qaeda and senthome. Would he be welcomed back? Caught up in abattle to prevent more attacks without exposing his cover,he finds himself in a dilemma that seems impossible toavoid. Can he prevent an unspeakable plot on mankindand eliminate the al Qaeda team beforehand or is itimpossible? His life is in jeopardy too, and he would liketo live again.

Sonya Comstock

Book Review

What’s Cookin’ for St. Patrick’s DayIrish Soda Bread

Sam-I-Am didn’t like green eggs and ham. I had a similarfeeling about Irish Soda Bread…at least until I tastedKathy Flanagan’s. Usually this traditional bread is dry,crumbly, and lacking taste. Kathy’s family recipe wasmoist and surprisingly tasty…enough so, that I requested acopy for my files.

Ingredients:3 ½ cups flour2/3 cup sugar1 teaspoon baking powder1 teaspoon baking soda1 teaspoon salt1 tablespoon caraway seeds2 tablespoons melted butter1 1/2 cups buttermilk2 eggs1 1/2 cups raisins

Preparation:Mix the dry ingredients together. Mix the wet ingredientstogether, and then add to the dry. Mix again as you addthe raisins.Put in a large greased loaf pan and bake at 375 degreesfor 1 to 1 1/4 hours. Let cool. Serve.

June Stemmle

Middletown Council Meeting NewsDead Poets Society 25th Anniversary

Robert Stout, a member of the Board of Directors of theEverett Theatre, announced a special festival weekendcoming up on April 5 & 6. To celebrate the 25th year ofthe movie – Dead Poets Society – filmed in Middletown atThe Everett and St. Andrew’s School, this weekend willconsist of a celebration beginning at the Annex with areception followed by the showing of the movie at 5:30p.m. After the movie, dessert will be served at The Gibby.On Sunday the movie will be shown at 3 p.m. followed byan auction/raffle in the Annex.

The Board has been in touch with Robin Williams’publicist on having him come to the reception onSaturday. As of now, no guarantee that he will appear,but the publicist has not said no to the request.

Tickets for the Gala on Saturday are $40 per person.Tickets for the Sunday movie only are $10. Both can bepurchased online at www.everetttheatre.com. Invitationsto the Dead Poets Society’s Festival Weekend will be sentout shortly.

The new marquee will be in place by the middle of March.See story on Page 11..Sonya Comstock

Free Federal Tax Filing for Seniors

AARP Foundation Tax-Aide, in cooperation with the IRS,helps senior citizens 60 and older have more discretionaryincome for everyday essentials, such as food and housing, byassisting with tax services and ensuring they receiveapplicable tax credits and deductions.

Locally, tax preparation services are available at the MOT SeniorCenter, 300 S. Scott St. in Middletown, every Wednesday from 9 amto 1 pm from now through April 9, 2014.

The AARP Tax-Aide program has trained and certifiedvolunteers who will prepare and file your federal income taxreturn with the IRS, free of charge. All of the tax returns areprepared on computers and are e-filed at no cost.

Springmill resident Heather Prall, a certified tax preparer,volunteers at the Senior Center and other locations to helpsenior citizens prepare their tax returns.

Dick Rausch

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All types of Glass & Screens - Sales & Repairs

Springmill Discount: $2.75 off every car wash!

$2 Off

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reducing swelling and irritation.

NERVES - Bananas are high in B vitamins that help calmthe nervous system..Overweight and at work? Studies at the Institute ofPsychology in Austria found pressure at work leads togorging on comfort food like chocolate and chips. Lookingat 5,000 hospital patients, researchers found the mostobese were more likely to be in high-pressure jobs. Thereport concluded that, to avoid panic-induced foodcravings, we need to control our blood sugar levels bysnacking on high carbohydrate foods every two hours tokeep levels steady.

ULCERS - The banana is used as the dietary food againstintestinal disorders because of its soft texture andsmoothness. It is the only raw fruit that can be eatenwithout distress by many people with ulcers. It alsoneutralizes over-acidity and reduces irritation by coatingthe lining of the stomach.

TEMPERATURE CONTROL - Many other cultures seebananas as a ‘cooling’ fruit that can lower both the physicaland emotional temperature of expectant mothers. InThailand , for example, pregnant women eat bananas toensure their baby is born with a cool temperature.

So, a banana really is a naturalremedy for many ills. When youcompare it to an apple, it hasFOUR TIMES the protein,TWICE the carbohydrate,THREE TIMES the phosphorus,five times the vitamin A and iron,and twice the other vitamins andminerals.. It is also rich in potassium and is one of the bestvalue foods around So maybe its time to change that well-known phrase so that we say, ‘A BANANA a day keeps thedoctor away!’

Dick Rausch

Are Bananas the Wonder Fruit?

After reading this, you’ll never look at a banana in thesame way again.

Bananas contain three natural sugars –sucrose, fructose and glucose combinedwith fiber. A banana gives an instant,sustained and substantial boost ofenergy. Research has proven that justtwo bananas provide enough energy fora strenuous 90-minute workout. Nowonder the banana is the number onefruit with the world’s leading athletes. But energy isn’t theonly way a banana can help us keep fit. It can also helpovercome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses andconditions, making it a must to add to our daily diet.

DEPRESSION - According to a recent survey undertakenby MIND amongst people suffering from depression, manyfelt much better after eating a banana. This is becausebananas contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the bodyconverts into serotonin, known to make you relax, improveyour mood and generally make you feel happier.

ANEMIA - High in iron, bananas can stimulate theproduction of hemoglobin in the blood and so helps incases of anemia.

BLOOD PRESSURE - This unique tropical fruit isextremely high in potassium yet low in salt, making itperfect to beat high blood pressure So much so, the USFood and Drug Administration has just allowed the bananaindustry to make official claims for the fruit’s ability toreduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.

BRAIN POWER - 200 students at a school were helpedthrough their exams recently by eating bananas atbreakfast, break, and lunch in a bid to boost their brainpower. Research has shown that the potassium-packedfruit can assist learning by making pupils more alert.

CONSTIPATION - High in fiber, including bananas in thediet can help restore normal bowel action, helping toovercome the problem without resorting to laxatives.

HANGOVERS - One of the quickest ways of curing ahangover is to make a banana milkshake, sweetened withhoney. The banana calms the stomach and, with the helpof the honey, builds up depleted blood sugar levels, whilethe milk soothes and re-hydrates your system.

HEARTBURN - Bananas have a natural antacid effect inthe body, so if you suffer from heartburn, try eating abanana for soothing relief.

MOSQUITO BITES - Before reaching for the insect bitecream, try rubbing the affected area with the inside of abanana skin. Many people find it amazingly successful at

Healthy Living

The Newspaper Delivery AngelFor the past couple of months a verystrange thing has been occurring almostevery morning. The first time it happened Ihad opened the garage door to retrieve TheNews Journal which usually is lying, in itsplastic bag, somewhere down the driveway.When I did not see it, I looked around andmuch to my surprise I found it neatlystanding by the front door. I don’t know whothe good Samaritan is that has been performing this act ofkindness but it is much appreciated. I have gotten so used tothis service that on a recent morning when the weather wasvery bad I missed not having the paper by the front door.

Dick Rausch

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Thailand, Cambodia….. And BackIlene Lipstein and Lee Rosenson, of 311 Daylilly Way,love to travel, especially to exotic places. Their mostrecent trip took them to Thailand and Cambodia. Whiletraveling, Ilene sent detailed e-mails, which I’d like to share withyou…with her permission, ofcourse.

After a rocky start getting in theair, they finally arrived inBangkok. They had twowonderful sightseeing days.“There are hundreds of Buddhasall over the city, and people canhave dozens in their homes.Seeing the Golden Buddha andthe Leaning Buddha made thebiggest impression. Both wereincredibly large. The gold one iscomposed of 5 1/2 tons of gold. The leaning/recliningBuddha is 160 feet long. Other impressive sights includedthe flower market, which sold apples grown in America,and the great palace, with mosaics and gold leaf that wereamazing.”

Ilene’s and Lee’s travels provided something for all theirsenses. They tasted a mangosteen…which was deliciousand a longan during a visit to the train market and thefloating market. They observed water buffalo in fields aswell as canal houses. While touring Chain Rei, one of thenorthern cities in Thailand near what is known as theGolden Triangle where Laos, Myanmar and Thailandmeet, they visited the indigenous hill tribes. Here they sawthe “long neck women,” who from the age of five startwearing brass rings around their necks. At maturity, these

women, who believe they arerelated to the giraffe, have agiraffe-like look. Elaborate tribalclothes added to the effect.Participating in a lantern launch atnight provided a beautiful end tothe day.

Another day, the couple visitedChaing Mei for more adventures.Lee actually tried eating a“jumping shrimp salad”…LIVEshrimp mixed with cilantro, chives,sticky rice, chili powder, and lime

juice that is rolled in a piece ofcabbage. Lee said, “It didn’t taste

like chicken!” With a full tummy, Ilene and Lee headed outto an elephant camp, where they got to visit with a four-month-old baby, saw some adult elephants bathing in theriver, watched an elephant soccer game, and even sawsome elephants painting pictures. An elephant ride

Travel LOGaround the mountain on Numi made for a fabulousexperience.

Sunday was the couple’s last day in Bangkok, so theywere up by 6:00 am to travel to a temple and give food tothe monks, which their guide had purchased. The traditionis to ask the monks to take the food by saying “nimon” asthey walked by. You then put the food in their bowl. Theportions are modest. The monks only eat two meals a dayand share anything received. Leftovers are then given tothe poor and/or any animals roaming around. To say thankyou, the monks give a blessing and you’re to respond “sattu.” Ilene found the whole process moving and spiritual.Another interesting tradition in Chaing Mei is the singing ofthe national anthem in the morning and the evening.

The next morning the tour headed for Siem Riep,Cambodia. Here they visited Angkor Wat (temple of thelarge city). It is a World Heritage site that was built in the1100s and then lost in the jungle for over 400 years. It wasdiscovered and then lost again in 1860. It was a huge area,so the oppressively hot and humid weather limited whatthey could see. Another temple, Bentry Srie (the women’stemple) was scheduled for the afternoon, so it was best toconserve energy. Bentry Srie was smaller but was specialdue to its intricate carvings. Since everyone was wiped outfrom the heat, a tuk tuk (a motorcycle taxi which seats four)provided transportation into town for dinner.

Their last days were spent seeingtwo more temples in Angkor Thomand Ta Prohm (the jungle temple),famous for their huge kapok treesand because it was the setting forTomb Raider with Angelina Jolie.There was also a boat ride onTenle Sap Lake, where they saw afloating village. It was an area ofextreme poverty. So many images,beautiful, spiritual, happy and sad,will be remembered and relived asIlene and Lee head home. Ileneand Lee “enjoyed learning aboutthe history, culture and traditions ofboth these countries. They have wonderful memories, sawamazing sights, and met interesting people.” Traveling isfun, but home was sounding very good.

**We couldn’t include all the information Ilene and Leeprovided, but if you are considering a trip to these countries,they would be happy to share via e-mail or if you call.

June Stemmle

Ilene & Lee with giantkapok tree- Ta Prohm Wat

Magnificent GoldenBuddha

Ilene & Lee on anElephant Ride

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Bob Wagner’s Design Center

For all Springmill residents who bought a brand-new home afew years ago, BobWagner’s Design Centerwas the flooringcontractor for our homes.Their prime product isflooring – both hard andsoft – hardwood floorsand carpeting. Inaddition, they offered tileto be installed on floorsand walls along withwindow treatments byHunter Douglas.

Greg Owen, SalesManager for all three centers, says most buyers ofSpringmill homes preferred wood over carpeting for muchof their home. Popular flooring was red oak. While someresidents looked into bamboo flooring because it was agreen item, many did not like the grain.

Bob Wagner’s Center prides itself on being featured in thePhiladelphia Design Home for installing all the bathrooms. InMiddletown, the Center has offered services, material and laborto the annual Design Home for the last five years and welcomesthe opportunity to showcase their services and products to thepublic.Popular now are backsplashes in the kitchen and Bob Wagner’shas a wide variety of finishes to satisfy the homeowners. Tthekitchen takes on a brand-new look when the work is completed.

When the Design Center opened in Middletown in 2003, itwas a town lacking retail stores, restaurants and much moreto make it attractive for future residents. Today, with theaddition of major chains such as Lowe’s, Home Depot, Kohl’sand WalMart and a much-improved downtown, the MOT areaoffers a life style of convenience and diversity withouttraveling to either Newark or Dover. New businesses helpexisting businesses thrive and encourage more people tosettle here. He welcomes all new businesses and looksforward to having Staples here someday. The movie theateris a big plus for the area, but he would like to see the additionof a Panera’s, his favorite café, near the theater.

The Design Center continues to work with McKee Buildersat Spring Arbor and at the Champions’ Club in Magnolia.The Design Center has been located in its present locationon Rt. 301 since 2003. Two other locations areDowningtown and W. Chester, PA. The Center is openseven days a week with varying hours. Location –Middletown Warwick Road – Phone - 302-376-8700.

Sonya Comstock

Spotlight onOur Advertisers

L to R - Robert Sobzyski & BrianSynder, Estimators; Marie Reese,

Sales Consultant

The Sounds of Simon & GarfunkelIt was Saturday, February 8, and it wasn’t snowing. Thatalone made the day an advantageous one. The fact that, withthe Clubhouse closed, we were getting to see our neighborsfor a day of fun, food and music just added to the jovial feel.As we boarded the motor coach, we were greeted by afamiliar face from previous trips…our bus driver, Jim.

After a lot of catching up, we settled in for the quick trip toPhiladelphia. Our first stop was for a lovely andscrumptious lunch, at the Positano Coast Restaurant,located at 212 Walnut Street. Positano is close to theRittenhouse Square and Society Hill area. As wecompared notes on our meals, everyone agreed, nomatter what their choice of entrée, that the food was notonly delicious, but served perfectly...seasoning,temperature, and taste. So, if you have a trip to Philly inyour future, I would certainly recommend it.

Once our tummies were full, it was time to board the motorcoach and travel the short distance to the Kimmel Centerto take our center orchestra seats for “The Sounds of Simonand Garfunkel,” as performed byAJ Swearingen and JonathanBeedle. These two really broughtback the folk rock genre and hadus reliving the sounds of the 60’s.Being backed by the Philly PopsOrchestra was a bonus, justenriching the depth of the music.AJ and Jonathan are not“impersonators,” they just have areal feel for the sound of the decade and Simon andGarfunkel. Since many of us were mouthing the lyrics andswaying in our seats to the remembered tunes, from theSound of Silence to Here’s to You, Mrs. Robinson, I cansay it was a stand-out performance.

I’d like to add a note here, for those of you who travel intoPhilly for concerts or plays. The Kimmel Center is in theprocess of renovating the downstairs area. They will soonhave a restaurant, headed by a well-known chef, on thepremises. It will be to the far left of the ticket office. Thefood served will not be of the fast food variety, but a“quality and varied experience” according to the Kimmelemployee I questioned.

So, to paraphrase the first paragraph, our sojourn to Philadelphiawas definitely a day of fun friends, good food and great music.

** Springmill’s next travel experience will be this month, onWednesday, March 12, to the Media Theatre for “Why DoFools Fall in Love?” If you’re itching to get out of thehouse and visit with your neighbors, you just may want tosee if there are any last minute seats available to join us.Call Betty Freeman or Glenda Schneiderman. Since Iwill be attending, you can be sure you’ll hear all about it,but it’s always nicer to be there.

June Stemmle

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order for the Easement vote to pass, it was necessary toobtain the consent of 243 homeowners. There were 214yes votes so the Easement did not pass. Approximatelytwo thirds of the votes cast were in favor of the Easement.The 40 residents who did not vote are in essence “no”votes, although the intention of those people is not known.

The results of the vote were forwarded to the Board. Basedupon the vote, the Board has, at least temporarily, canceledthe “Street Tree” replacement plan and will follow a policy ofremoving street trees when and if they disrupt the nearbysidewalks to the extent of creating a tripping hazard.

Dick Rausch

Ten Year Ago in The SentinelMarch 2004 - The Communications Committee has reorganizedunder the Chairmanship of TonyKobus. Given the responsibility ofkeeping Springmill residentsinformed, the Committee hasappointed Barabara Mellow as Co-Chairperson and Paul Wiedemann assecretary. Dick Smyth has agreed tocontinue as Committee Treasurer.

Kobus has taken the position of Sentinel Editor and hasappointed production manager, Joe Grippo, to beAssistant Editor. Executive roles will continue to changeeach year, including the Sentinel editorship. This permitsa fresh look annually and keeps both the committee andSentinel more vital to the community.

From the Sentinel Archives

Richard Catterton (candidate)Rick has lived in Middletown for 15 years. He would like tosee more for the younger generation. If elected, he wouldwork to improve the town’s credit rating. Using an alternativemethod to reduce the cost of electricity, he suggests windmillsand more solar homes as Middletown expands. His thinkingis that the middle class suffers the most and needs the mosthelp in holding on to their values. A first-time candidate,he stresses the importance of “what’s best for all” ratherthan a select group. He has attended several of the townmeetings but would like to become a member of thecouncil and asks for your vote.

Sonya Comstock

Continued from Pg 7: Election Computer Tutor

Google Chromecast can make your dumb TV asmart one for just $35?

Despite the best efforts of Panasonic, Samsung, Sony, LGand others, most of the televisions in our homes these daysare not of the smart variety. However, there are hundreds ofmillions of regular televisions that have HDMI ports, andGoogle's new Chromecast device offers a way to put somebrains into those dumb TVs by giving them access to web-based content. Having a Chromecast dongle connected toyour TV means you can stream videos straight from aGoogle Play, Netflix or You Tube app, or mirror the contentin any open tab in Google's Chrome browser using a tabcasting feature. You can use a smart phone (Android orIPhone), tablet or PC to get the content to your TV.

Inside the Chromecast's packaging,you'll find the dongle, an HDMIextender, micro-USB cable and anelectrical plug adapter. The plasticdongle itself measures 2 1/2 incheslong and 1/2 inch thick, and is aninch wide. This tiny device containsa tiny processor, a combination Bluetooth/WiFi radio,2.5GB of various memory types. Up top, there's silverChrome branding and a single LED power indicator. Ifyou're curious, the model numbers and FCC info can befound on the bottom.

Instructions on how to hook it up are printed on the packagingitself, and they're about as straightforward as you'd expectfrom Google. Just plug the USB cable into the rounded end,and stick the other in one of your TV's HDMI ports. Then youeither connect the cable to one of your TV's USB ports orplug it into the power adapter to give it the juice it needs.Once you're plugged in and have navigated to theappropriate TV input, the device brings up a setup web pageon your computer, prompting you to connect it to your home'swireless network and install the Google Cast extension tomake your Chrome browser compatible. Once that'saccomplished, you're ready to start streaming content fromNetflix, You Tube, Pandora and many other apps to yournewly empowered “smart’ TV set. It is that easy.

Until now, getting Internet content on a television screenrequired plunking down a wad of cash for a smart TV or ahome theater PC, or spending around a hundred dollars onhardware like a Roku or Apple TV. Chromecast brings theInternet to your TV in a form that's easy to use and priced ata fraction of the cost of all those other options. Sure, it's notas fully featured as some of its competitors, but it doesprovide a lot for just $35, and it's a platform that's likely toimprove dramatically as more apps start to support thetechnology. Were it not so cheap, we might feel differently.But, as it stands, we can wholeheartedly recommend theChromecast for anyone who's been looking for an easy,unobtrusive way to put some brains into their dumb TV.

Dick Rausch

Continued from Pg 1: Easement Vote

Board Motions

1. Motion to deny the MRC’s recommendation to have theAssociation paint the Home Owner’s exterior, original,builder installed shutters. (5-0)

2. Motion for the BOD to thank the Tree Task Force for alltheir efforts and hard work, and for this sitting Board not totake any further efforts to re-visit the street tree issue forthe remainder of 2014. ( 5-0)

Tracey Lund

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