Edition 1.

Volume 2

April 24, 2015

TRHA NEWSLETTER
A Message from the President:!
Spring, finally? Yes, and were
happy to bid farewell to what
seems like the longest and coldest
winter in memory (at least mine).
Our neighborhood, however, has
survived and thrived. Witness our
holiday and progressive dinner
parties, the Jiminy Peak ski trip,
backyard hockey rinks, sleigh riding, families caroling, and kids
shoveling snow. Weve also gone
live with the redesigned TRHA
website (thank you Gen Fagan and
Anita Skor), published this newsletter and the 2015 Social Directory. Our work with the town has
yielded results with road paving
scheduled for the neighborhood
this year and, if approved by the
Ridgefield Police Commission,
new child safety trac signage will
be installed just in time for the
summer play season. Weve had a
very positive response to our
TRHA membership drive this year
with over 74% of residents contributing. We are also evaluating a
reduced rate for senior members
for 2016. Our neighborhood association is the tie that binds. We
are grateful to all who participate
and encourage all families to join.
All in all we made the best of the
winter season, so bring on spring!!
Paul Halsey!

Neighborhood
News!
NEW TRHA WEBSITE!!
We are very excited to announce the unveiling of our
new Twin Ridge Website, created by our very own talented neighbor Gen Fagan!! It can be found at
www.twinridgect.org. Please take a moment to look
around the site, where you will find information on upcoming events, TRHA Board members, meetings, notices, and budget as well as THRA Member forms and
more! We intend to use this site to post mailings, flyers,
newsletters, and other communications regarding
TRHA matters and events. Please note that Gen has
created a Call for Kids page on the website where your
kids may, with your permission, list jobs like yard work,
baby/dog sitting, snow shoveling, etc. that they are willing do for neighbors. Contact Gen at Ofagan@aol.com
to post listings or for more information. Gen is also on
the lookout for photos of neighborhood houses, gardens, and other pertinent neighborhood pictures for the
website. Please contact her if you have any! If you have
ideas about things that should be included on the website or in future newsletters, please submit them to
anitaskor1@gmail.com.!
1

Edition 1. Volume 2

Financial News!
On the financial front, we finished 2014 with a balanced budget. To achieve balance cuts
were needed and cut we did. The
reason for the shortfall was reduced member dues in 2014. In
an eort to better understand
lower member participation,
weve included some new questions on the Information Sheet
accompanying the 2015 Annual
Dues Letter. So please help us
serve you better by responding
and letting us know your priorities.!

April 24, 2015

REMINDERS!
Annual Dues!
The 2015 Annual TRHA Dues Letter was mailed in
January. The annual contribution for 2015 remains
$50 per household. If youve not already done so,
please renew your TRHA Membership for 2015 by returning your dues letter along with a check and the
completed Information Sheet. Membership entitles
families to participate in TRHA social events, receive
the Twin Ridge Directory, attend and vote at the annual board meeting, and have a say in how TRHA operates. So please take a moment from your busy day
and respond to Denis Loncto, 55 Rising Ridge Road.
As we go to press for this approximately 74% of families have renewed their memberships. !

Please note that dues are essential to maintaining both

the character of our neighborhood and the upkeep of
President - Paul Halsey
its common grounds. Social events, the Twin Ridge
halsey49@gmail.com
!
Directory, the website, and newsletter convey helpful
Vice President - Jim Coleman
information and help maintain the sense of communijcoleman@houlihanparnes.com!
ty for which Twin Ridge is known. The maintenance
Treasurer - Denis Loncto
of common areas (entrances and corners) and seasonal
dloncto@comcast.net!
decorations are important activities that help maintain the value and standing of our neighborhood withSecretary - Jacque Lang
jaxfoo@comcast.net!
in the broader Ridgefield community. !

NEW TRHA BOARD

Environment - Spencer Moore

moorebean@gmail.com!
Communications - Anita Skor
anitaskor1@gmail.com!
Social - Brandi Matz
brandi@takecarecenter.net

!
!
!
!

!
2

Edition 1. Volume 2

April 24, 2015

Board Update!

Neighborhood Safety!

At Februarys annual board meeting we

enjoyed the best attendance in years.
Now that either means that people are
unhappy and want to let the board know
it, or were seeing a resurgence of community involvement and new neighbors all
coming together to renew the well known
Twin Ridge sense of community. We
think it can be safely said its the latter.
Long time residents and new neighbors
alike came together in classic New England town hall style to have their say. A
clear priority coming out of the meeting
was to better understand what members
want. Hence, the survey questions in
the 2015 dues letter. More on the results
of this eort in the next newsletter.
George Sumberaz (treasurer) and Annette
Bonwetsch (social chair) have handed over
the reins to newly elected board members
Denis Loncto (Treasurer) and Brandi Matz
(social chair). To George and Annette we
cant say thank
you enough for
all youve done.
Also newly
elected to the
board are Jim
Coleman, vice-president, and Anita Skor,
communications director. Gen Fagan has
volunteered to be our new webmaster.!

We urge all drivers to use caution and reasonable speed while driving in Twin Ridge.
We have many families with young children and with warmer weather theyll
surely be out in droves. We are especially
focused on cut through trac along
Beechwood, Rising Ridge, Indian Cave,
and Twin Ridge roads. To reach both residents and non-residents alike we are
working with the Ridgefield Police Commission to institute a Drive Like Your
Kids Live Here road signage campaign.
Updates and pictures of the signs will be
posted on the Twin Ridge website in May.!

Social Events!
Brandi Matz!

Winter 2014/15!
Holiday Party

There was much holiday cheer and

many winter festivities to report about
in Twin Ridge this year! The season
was kicked o on December 5 as Erik
and I hosted the Annual TRHA Holiday Party at our home. Despite the terrible weather, we had a wonderful
turnout and it was it was a lovely
evening with delicious food, warming

Edition 1. Volume 2

spirits, and great company. Thank you

to all who participated!!

Caroling!
Later that weekend, on December 7, a
group of caroling neighbors was organized by Annette Bonwetsch. They
traversed the neighborhood spreading
holiday cheer for all to hear before returning home for some much deserved
hot cocoa and cookies in front of a fire,
courtesy of the Thompson family.
Thanks very much to the Bonwetsch
and Thomson families.!

TRHA Ski Trip !

On February 6th-8th, forty six Twin

Ridge residents and their friends took
to the slopes at Jiminy Peak Resort in
Hancock, MA for the 7th annual
TRHA Ski Trip. A truly amazing time
was had by all thanks to the tireless efforts of Anil and Pia Britto, who

April 24, 2015

arranged for all accommodations and

lift tickets, and who hosted the arrival
cocktail party AND the annual potluck
dinner in their room. A very big thank
you also to the Halsey family for managing the Spirits, to Annette Bonwetsch for coordinating games and entertainment and to all who participated. Anil is taking reservations and suggestions for dates for next years ski
trip.!

Progressive Dinner !
On March 21, 40 couples participated
in the Annual Progressive Dinner
which was tons of fun for all. We would
like to thank everyone who came out
and especially the families that opened
their homes and hosted: Annette &
Robert Bonwetsch, Denis &
MaryEllen Loncto, Mark & Gina
Harris, Katherine & Ben Morehead, Florence & Mike Doud, and
Brandi & Erik Matz. It was a night
filled with delicious food and lots of
laughs. Thanks again to all involved for
making it such a success. Hats o to
Annette Bonswetsch as she steps down
as Social Chair. Annette took on this role
over 5 years ago, and she did a truly amazing job. Thank you Annette from all of us. !

Edition 1. Volume 2

April 24, 2015

Upcoming Social Events!

Now that winter is ocially over the

social committee has been busy planning lots of fun events for the upcoming year. Tentative dates for upcoming
events are listed at the end of this section.
We are looking for hosts for the highlighted events. Please let us know if you
would be interested in hosting. The dates
are tentatively scheduled should you want
to host a specific event, but if the date
doesnt work for you, let us know at
trhasocial@gmail.com.!

!
End of School Celebration
Block Party! !
!
Back to School Ice Cream!!
Golf Outing !
!
!
Clam Bake or BBQ!!
!
Pumpkin Decorating!
!
Halloween! !
!
!
Holiday Party!
!
!
Santa Visits Twin Ridge! !
Progressive Dinner or
Wine Tasting TBD!
!

June 18!
June 14!
Aug 25!
Sept 4!
Sept 12!
Oct 24!
Oct 31!
Dec 12!
Dec 19?!
!Mar 12!
!
!

Egg Hunt! !

Mar 26

Gardeners Corner!
Spencer Moore

!
Spring has sprung here in Twin Ridge FINALLY! Everyone please enjoy the
cheerful daodils that are finally peeking
out! Thanks again to Florence Doud for
organizing the planting of so many daffodils in honor of the Ridgefield Garden
Club's 100th Anniversary. We will all enjoy these flowers for many years to come.
The corners will get their annual spring
cleaning soon with fresh mulch and pruning provided by Ridgefield Lawn. I am
looking to add some new plantings at various corners so be on the lookout for new
color and texture. There is a neighbor-

hood incentive to go GREEN! As most of

you know, I take care of the hanging baskets on Main Street, and I have a new
program in the works to install Rain Barrel Collection containers at my two watering locations in town. This is a great way
to conserve water! We are working with
Aquarion Water Company that manages
Ridgefield Town Water and are using rain
barrels that are promoted on their site.
Check out this link: http://www.aquarionwater.com/CT/2015-rain-barrel-promotion-- the deadline to sign up for these
rain barrels is May 29th and can be picked
up June 13th. Please let me know if you
decided to implement these rain barrel
containers in your own yards (I will be) to
water your lawn and gardens -- we can get
5

Edition 1. Volume 2

April 24, 2015

some good PR for the neighborhood!

Email me at moorebean@gmail.com.!

Happy digging! ~~ Spencer

Real Estate!
Sally Hahn

Homes sold: + 6.67% (48 units vs 45)!

New Listings: + 5% (168 units vs 160)!
Median Sold Price: - 7.72% (627.5K vs
$680k)!
Average Sold Price: $713K vs. 660K!
*source: William Pitt Sotheby's!
While numbers reflect the entire town of
Ridgefield, Twin Ridge as a subset, continues to show well with all our recent
transactions and new listings exceeding
both the median and average sold numbers. We expect this to continue through
the Spring as the weather gets even better
and lending rates remain low.!
Of note...we have recently seen new listings enter the market with aggressive pricing to draw attention and accelerate showings. If a home is in great condition (fresh
paint, uncluttered rooms, updated fixtures
and no deferred maintenance) we are seeing multiple oers, with the likelihood of
sales prices exceeding listing price.

This issues real estate contribution is

from Sally Hahn. Sally is an experienced
real estate professional and a Twin Ridge
neighbor. We have a number of agents
that live in Twin Ridge and contribute to
the newsletter on a rotating basis. Please
contact Anita Skor if youre interested.!
After a winter that lasted too long, and
was far too snowy and cold spring has
arrived and along with it, the long awaited
Spring Market. The rumors of multiple
agents waiting in driveways with buyer
clients to see a property are true, providing properties are well priced, and unlike
other active periods, in impeccable condition.!
By the numbers, Quarter 1 (vs. Year Ago)
closed as follows: *!
!

A Welcome to Our New Neighbors!!

We would like to extend a very warm welcome to our new neighbors :!
Bishen and Anupam Pertab, 14 Rising Ridge Road!
Aya Van Zanten and Ryan Dadasovich, 3 Strawberry Ridge Road!
Alejandro Toro and Marianella Medina, 119 Rising Ridge Road!
Jen and Frank Conley, 24 Strawberry Ridge Road
We look forward to seeing you around the neighborhood and at future TRHA events!!
6

Edition 1. Volume 2

!
!

April 24, 2015

!
!