President's Column

By: Sean Coleman

Congratulations to the winners of our holiday decoration contest. The Merman’s, perennial contenders won in the holiday heavyweight effort. The Meisenheimer’s for Most Festive clearly lite up their end of Harvestor Farm. There was a tie for Most Colorful between the Sottile’s on Spinning Wheel and Baltz family on Tumbleweed. For the second year in a row, the Most Classic Christmas lighting was provided by the Eswood’s on Tumbleweed. Congrats to all the winners. The neighborhood looks merry and bright.

It is time for Annual Dues again. The 2022 rate is $261 payable NLT January 31, 2022. See our Treasurer, Ken Sorg’s, article in this newsletter on payment methods.

The major physical plant upgrades the Board is working on tackling this year is to improve the lower common areas’ lower pathway. Our VP, Jim Bever is heading an ad hoc committee of himself and numerous non-board members. This ad hoc committee will bring recommendations to the Board for its decision by later this winter for action later in the spring.

On behalf of the Board, we hope everyone has had a wonderful and joyous holiday season and we look forward to a safe, healthy, and Happy New Year for all in 2022.

Sean Coleman
president@hickoryfarms.org

January HFCA Board Meeting

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, Hickory Farms Board Meetings are now conducted using the Zoom audio/video conference application. That means that every Hickory Farms Community Association member can observe their Board in action without leaving home!

The next HFCA Board meeting will be held Tuesday, 11 January at 7pm. To join the meeting, contact any HFCA Board Member or send a request to join to hfca@hickoryfarms.org. You will also be provided with the Zoom meeting URL, meeting number and passcode.

Hickory Farms has a strong and consistent history of transparency regarding access by members to Board Meetings and the challenges facing our community. Please consider attending the Board Meeting so that you are fully informed with the issues facing our neighborhood!

Hickory Farms Annual Assessment (Dues)

By: Ken Sorg

Your $261.00 Hickory Farms Annual Assessment (Dues) Must Be Paid by January 31, 2022 - Credit Cards Are Accepted

It is that time of year for all homeowners to make their annual assessment (HOA dues) payment. This year’s assessment is $261.00 and is due no later than January 31, 2022. Pay by mail or pay electronically.

Payment details are as follows:

• Ensure payment reaches HFCA Treasurer no later than January 31, 2022
• PAY BY MAIL:
  • Mail your check or money order to: Hickory Farms Community Association, P.O. Box 2239, Fairfax VA 22031
  • Ensure the property address is written on your check or money order.
• PAY ELECTRONICALLY:
  • You may pay by credit card or PayPal at https://hickoryfarms.org/annual-assessment
  • An additional processing fee will be included.
• Moved? New homeowner? Email owner's name, address, and telephone number to secretary@hickoryfarms.org, who maintains Hickory Farms records

Help us stay in touch by joining the HFCA email list (Listserv). This is a private list for HFCA only.

Do not mail or hand deliver your payment to the Treasurer's house.

THANK YOU!
Your assessment payments help keep our community beautiful and safe.

Questions? Contact Treasurer@Hickoryfarms.org

Hickory Farms Community Association Bylaws Article VII, Section 2(c) governs annual assessments.

Assessment payments are the responsibility of the property owner. Payments that are not postmarked or in the physical possession of the Treasurer by February 7, 2022 are late and the homeowner will be charged an additional $50. Payments received after that date that do not include the additional $50 charge (total payment of $311.00) will be returned to the homeowner for non-payment. On March 1, 2022, delinquent accounts will be turned over to the Association's attorney for collection. At that point, the amount owed by the delinquent homeowner will be $311.00 plus all associated attorney fees and could include significant court costs if HFCA files a lawsuit. These procedures are in accord with the Hickory Farms Community Association Bylaws, which have no provision for waiver.

Student Yellow Pages

If you offer services such as raking leaves, lawn mowing, babysitting, general home maintenance, dog walking, tutoring, etc., please email Bill at berg_bill@yahoo.com to be included.

Birds of Hickory Farms

By: Bob Cosgriff

As 2021 drew to a close, our yard was visited by not only the “usual suspects” but also several birds that we see infrequently. These included Brown Creeper, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Northern Mockingbird, Winter Wren, Northern Flicker, and Pileated Woodpecker. We also saw a Redtailed Hawk fly right through our yard at about 10 feet up with a hapless Eastern Gray Squirrel in its claws. It proceeded to land in a tree on the edge of the mowed common area leading to Tumbleweed Court to eat its prey. To add insult to injury, it did this while perched on a squirrel nest!

New Year’s Day marks the start of our annual backyard daily bird census. The purpose of the five-month daily count is to gather data on total species per year, average number of species per day/per month, and to record all first-ever sightings. While we stop counting daily at the end of the spring migration (31 May), we do log any ‘first of year’ birds seen after that date through the end of the year. The months with the largest number of new birds for the year are January and May (spring migration), with February, March, and April bringing in smaller numbers of new birds for the year.

The big question as we start the count is what will be our first bird of the new year. Previous ‘winners’ from 2014 through 2021, respectively, are: Carolina Wren, Slate-colored Junco, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, Mourning Dove, Blue Jay, Northern Cardinal, and White-throated Sparrow. Could the perky Carolina Chickadee or Tufted Titmouse take the honors this year? Or perhaps a Hairy Woodpecker? Possibly it will be Song Sparrow or American Goldfinch. American Robin, Eastern Bluebird, and American Crow are possibilities. Longshots might include Hermit Thrush, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Yellow-rumped Warbler, or Northern Mockingbird. Perhaps we might have a repeat winner. Whichever species it turns out to be, we will let you know what it is, along with other statistics from the first month of the count.

Until then, best wishes to all for the holiday season. While we might not see a white Christmas, sooner or later this winter the flakes will fly, which means that the birds of Hickory Farms will be out and about searching for food in our fields, woods, and at backyard feeders while filling our neighborhood with color, sound, and activity. Whether you look out your window or talk a walk on the wild side in our common areas, keep watching. You never know what you might see!

Happy New Year!