|
This email is the latest in our monthly series intended to keep you up to date on Hubbell Community Management happenings.
|
|
Enjoy several perks with your HCM Homeowners Rewards card throughout the month of March.
 At RoCA, buy 2 shared plates and get one free, or b
uy 1 big plate and get either half off a second plate or a free glass of wine.
Trust your keys with
Per Mar
so you're never locked out again. Sign a contract in March and your $50 setup fee will be waived. To get started, email Mark Kirchner or call him at 515-229-3284.
|
|
Don't forget to take advantage of the Homeowner Rewards offerings, and keep checking online for our latest deals!
|
|
|
 |
|
HOA History: Clean Water Act
Part two of a four-part series on the facts, figures and history of homeowners associations in America.
Homeowners associations have a long history in the United States, dating all the way back to the mid-19th century. However, many experts point to the
Clean Water Act of 1977 as a catalyst for the rapid growth of HOAs around the country that continues today.
 The Clean Water Act was originally passed in 1972 in an effort to
overhaul water quality standards at the federal level. The brand new Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was tasked with implementing and enforcing measures to reduce water pollution, a responsibility that had previously been left to the states and was often neglected.
In 1977, an amendment to the Clean Water Act required all new real estate developments to
detain stormwater so that flow to adjoining properties was no greater than the pre-development runoff. This meant residential neighborhoods had to include detention areas to hold excess stormwater. These detention ponds often served multiple homes at once, making them a shared common area. Thus, developers had reason to establish an HOA to maintain the shared space. Since then, t
he scope of an association has expanded to include the management of things such as landscaping and other maintenance responsibilities.
|
|
Going Green on March 17
 Today's St. Patrick's Day celebrations are known for green beer, lucky shamrocks and "Kiss Me I'm Irish" t-shirts. But do you know the history behind the holiday and the man for whom it's named? Impress your family and friends with these fast facts about St. Patrick himself.
- The real St. Patrick wasn't actually Irish. He was born around A.D. 390 in Britain, and at age 16, he was kidnapped and sent to Ireland as a slave to tend sheep.
- While in Ireland, Patrick became deeply religious. After escaping on a pirate ship back to Britain, folklore says a voice told him to return to Ireland. He was ordained as a priest and spent the rest of his life trying to convert the Irish to Christianity.
- Patrick died on March 17, 461, and was mostly forgotten. Centuries later, he was honored as the patron saint of Ireland, and in 1631 the Catholic Church established March 17 as his Feast Day.
- St. Patrick's Day lore says Patrick used a shamrock's three leaves to explain the Christian holy trinity of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. People began wearing shamrocks in observance of the holiday in the 17th or 18th centuries.
- The story goes that St. Patrick banished all the snakes from Ireland. However, the frigid waters surrounding the island made it impossible for snakes to ever make their way from Britain or other countries.
- And the green beer? America is to thank for turning St. Patrick's Day into a day of parades, revelry and green rivers. In fact, until the 1970s, Irish pubs were closed on March 17 to celebrate the religious Feast Day.
|
Remove Weedy Patches
 |
|
|
Tall fescue is more coarse and grows in distinctive clumps when it occurs with Kentucky bluegrass.
|
Are you looking for a way to eradicate weedy grasses such as tall fescue in your bluegrass lawn? One simple method, requiring no chemicals, is to remove these weedy patches by hand. It's important to remove all of the plant, as many have underground or above-ground stems (rhizomes or stolons).
One of our lawn care trade partners suggests spending 30 minutes each weekend through the growing season to dig up a few clumps, overseed and sprinkle the area with topsoil. A few years of this practice can make a huge difference!
|
|
|
