2021 Pool Season Information

Good afternoon!

We are very excited about the pool opening tomorrow, despite the chilly weather we are expecting.

First off – here’s the county guidance on COVID as related to community pool operations.

“As of May 28, 2021, Executive Order 79 is in effect which terminates Seventh Amended Number Seventy-Two removing all previous restrictions. However, all unvaccinated individuals in the Commonwealth aged five and older should cover their mouth and nose with a mask in accordance with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance.”

With that stated, we would like to share information regarding the pool operations as of Opening Day:

1. Entrance Procedures. Entry (and exit) will once again be through the bathrooms in the pool house, rather than the front gate. Please do not enter through the guards’ office. While we will no longer be limiting the number of residents who can use the pool due to social distancing, we will once again be using Sign Up Genius to track entry into the pool. Each person will need to sign in individually. We will no longer be using paper forms for the Agreement to Assume Risk and Release (known as the Waiver) for Pool Use and the Pool User Acknowledgement. By signing in and entering the pool deck, all attendees in your reservation agree to and accept the 2021 Waiver for Pool Use and agree to abide by the requirements of the 2021 Pool User Acknowledgement, as attached to the signup and via posted signage. For children under 16 years of age, the signing adult is considered to have accepted the Waiver and User Acknowledgement on behalf of the child.

You will be able to sign up either the day before or the day of your visit. There will be a tablet available for you to sign up at the pool if you forget to do so at home. If you plan to attend frequently, we recommend you create a Sign Up Genius account and save your contact information. The link to the Sign Up is below:

www.signupgenius.com/tabs/13576DF05A6CDEAC1AA3-pwcasign

2. Pool Furniture. Pool furniture has been placed on the deck for use. It will not be cleaned between uses. It is your responsibility to clean the furniture before use if you so desire. In addition, please do not use furniture marked with yellow caution tape – it has been identified for removal or needs repair.

3. Pool toys and Flotation Devices. We are not currently providing pool toys or flotation devices with the exception of the two pool basketballs. Please bring your own if you so desire and take them with you when you depart or they will be removed and discarded.

4. Guest Passes. We are starting to distribute guest passes and anticipate that we will allow guests at some point this summer. For now, we request only residents use the pool. A future announcement will be made when guests are permitted.

5. Pool Pass and Guest Pass Distribution. If you have not picked up your pool passes or guest passes, they will be available to pick up at the pool on Monday, May 31, from 11:00 to 11:30. We are still working through the backlog of late pool pass applications and change requests – if you entered an email address on your pool pass application, you will receive an email prior to the Monday distribution window letting you know that the passes will be available.

6. Social Events. Currently most of the social events for the summer, such as National Night Out and Sundaes on Sunday, are still on hold. National Night Out is planned to go via the County but we have no volunteer to organize the event – if you’d like to volunteer please email your interest to us. An announcement will be made if we are able to reinstate them. Regarding our traditional Fourth of July Party, due to the long lead times in planning required, the Board does not anticipate that it will go forward this year. An alternate plan for some kind of Labor Day / Pool Closing Social is under consideration. We need volunteers to make this happen! A volunteer Sign Up Genius will be published shortly; in the meantime, if you are interested in volunteering please contact pool@parkwestcommunity.org or social@parkwestcommunity.org. A decision will be made at the June Board of Directors Meeting based on the level of interest and willingness to volunteer that is expressed.

7. Grill Use. Use of the grill is not currently available, though we anticipate it will be available soon. When it becomes available, an announcement will be made, and a reservation tab added to the Sign Up Genius.

8. Private Parties. Reservation of space for private parties is not currently available. If it becomes available, an announcement will be made, and a reservation tab added to the Sign Up Genius.

Alright – lots of information. The website will be updated with the SignUpGenius link shortly.

My thanks to the volunteers who helped get the myriad details accomplished that were critical to get us to an opening day in light of the rapid changes in policy over the last few weeks. Look forward to seeing you at the pool in the near future….

Regards,

Mark

Reminder … Park clean-up – next Saturday, April 10, 8-11AM

Begin forwarded message:

From: Tom McCook kpwroadraiders@gmail.com
Date: 4/7/2021
To: Tom McCook trmccook@gmail.com
Subject: Reminder … Park clean-up – next Saturday, April 10, 8-11AM

Just a friendly reminder, I think the rain will hold off till late Saturday and “most of the Boy Scouts” will be delivering mulch, so we need as many neighbors as possible to volunteer.

I look forward to seeing you all on Saturday.

———- Forwarded message ———
From: Tom McCook kpwroadraiders@gmail.com
Date: Sun, Apr 4, 2021 at 12:43 PM

Neighbors, Scouts, Students & friends,

Our annual spring park clean up at Lakeside (off Pommeroy) and Royal Lake (off Gainsborough) parks is this coming Saturday, April 10, 8-11AM
We need your help for as much time as you can commit (start early, leave early, start late, leave late, etc.).

We are approaching this effort, to clean-up, pick up plastics as much at the source as possible. We want to eliminate the trash prior to getting to Lake Royal, Potomac River and the Chesapeake Bay.
We are asking the volunteers to walk up-stream into “crooked creek/ rabbit branch” and Shane’s creek as feasible, along with the trail along the lake and just beyond the dam up-to Guinea road.
Lots of areas to clean, we need your help, of all ages to participate, a great family & friends activity, socially distant that you can support.

Still in the pandemic, the virus is still around us, so we ask everyone to participate with face masks and be respectful of social distancing.
I have attached two forms from FCPA on COVID release and the park volunteer team activities. We’ll have copies at the parks during check-in, but it is easier if you can complete prior to.
Recommend gloves & “long pants” some plants have numerous thorns. We’ll supply trash bags. We’ll have “hand-sanitizer” and face masks as needed.

April 10, just as spring is starting to “pop into wonder” before the new growth is so thick that we cannot see the trash!
Greg Sykes will be leading a separate effort to pull a very invasive plant – “garlic mustard” into the Shanes creek area. If you are interested to support this invasive management activity, please contact me or Greg Sykes for further details (at the same time/location for check-in at Royal Lake Park, greg@grsykes.com).

Students – a great chance for service hours, please come & explore nature while cleaning up our trash.
Scouts – many great opportunities for volunteer leadership. I have many projects just “waiting for you” Please give me an email/call to coordinate.

Goals as always …

  1. Explore & discover nature in our wonderful park system
  2. Clean up our trash for wildlife and neighbors in the park

Rain day – unless it is raining “VERY HARD” we intend to clean up next Saturday; in case of extreme weather/ thunderstorms; we’ll reschedule as early as possible.

Next opportunity – May 15, Friends of Royal Lake (FORL) will be sponsoring a “trail maintenance day”
Our focus is support proper and effective rain-water control on the trail, so the wetlands are preserved, erosion is minimized and the trail is kept “as dry as possible” this is a long-term endeavor and we need your support (& wheel barrows) to preserve our wonderful Lake Royal park for the future!

Any questions, please give me a call AND please forward this email to family, friends, neighbors and interested students.

Sincerely,
Tom McCook
703.839.5205

Fwd: Reminder – President’s Day clean-up at Crooked Creek Park (off Commonwealth)

All – please consider giving a couple of hours of your time tomorrow
morning at Crooked Creek Park.

Regards,

Mark

Begin forwarded message:

From: Tom McCook <kpwroadraiders@gmail.com>

Subject: Reminder – President’s Day clean-up at Crooked Creek Park (off Commonwealth)

I hope to see you all on Monday morning!

Please be prepared for “chilly & wet weather”

Objective: Spend two hours to discover nature in this small park, clean it up and improve our community.

Please be prepared to walk through wooded and potentially wet areas of the park. Boots, work-gloves and appropriate weather related clothing.

We’ll have trash bags to distribute.

Wear Boots! It could be snowy, cold, wet, rainy or muddy!

Note – unless hazardous conditions exist (snowstorms that make driving hazardous, etc.) we intend to clean-up.

Next Planned event – the annual “Springtime clean up” at Lakeside, Royal Lake on Saturday, April 10 8-11AM! (in coordination with the FCPA and Nature Conservancy)

———- Forwarded message ———

From: Tom McCook <kpwroadraiders@gmail.com>

Date: Fri, Feb 5, 2021 at 2:03 PM

Friends, Neighbors, Scouts & Students,

Our first annual President’s Day park clean up is planned for Monday, February 15th. 8-10AM. We hope you can participate.

See attached flyer, and two FCPA based release forms. If you can print, sign & bring these with you, thanks. I’ll have copies at the park to sign, too.

Objective: Spend two hours to discover nature in this small park, clean it up and improve our community.

Please be prepared to walk through wooded and potentially wet areas of the park. Boots, work-gloves and appropriate weather related clothing.

We’ll have trash bags to distribute.

Wear Boots! It could be snowy, cold, wet, rainy or muddy! Note – unless hazardous conditions exist (blinding snowstorms that make driving hazardous, etc.) we intend to clean-up.

COVID precautions – face masks are mandatory. Socially distancing – please clean-up together only in your “family-based bubble” we do not want to chance spreading this terrible virus. If you feel sick, please stay home – there will be many more opportunities in the future to help our community.

Many thanks to the FCPD – Sergeant Powell who stopped the planned archery – deer hunt in this park, just so that we could clean it up!

Next event – Royal Lake Park Clean-up – Annual Spring effort, more info to follow.

Service Hours – Students & Scouts – if you need “service hours” since during Covid – we are not doing our monthly “small clean-ups” please contact me at KPWRoadRaiders@gmail.com and we can individually arrange specific clean-up/park improvement projects for you & your friends.

Any questions, please send me an email or call.

Tom McCook

703.839.5205

PWCA Information for Members and Residents (January 2021, Message #2)

Good evening. This is not a full message – just a couple of items for you that are important.

Stay safe,

Mark

1. VEHICLE BREAK-INS. Last night we had some vehicles broken in to in our community. If this should occur to you, please call the Police non-emergency number (703) 691-2131 to report the break-in. As a reminder, consider leaving your porch lights on throughout the night and remember to lock your vehicle and home doors and secure any windows should we enjoy some warmer weather.

2. CONSTRUCTION DEBRIS. Reminder – if you have any construction debris you must call Patriot Disposal to schedule a special pickup. Construction debris is not picked up with normal trash. If you have questions on what constitutes ‘construction debris” please contact Patriot Disposal or see the Fairfax County website https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/publicworks/recycling-trash/residential-materials
for specifics.

3. MLK DAY OF SERVICE, MONDAY, JANUARY 18, 2021, 8:00 AM – 10:00 AM. Please consider giving some time to better Rabbit Branch Park. This is the park that adjoins our property on Roberts Road and Tapestry Drive – the meeting location will be on Tapestry Drive at the Rabbit Branch Park sign. Please see below for the invitation.

————-

Neighbors, Scouts & Students,

Our annual MLK Day of Service park clean up is planned for Monday, January 18th. 8-10AM. We hope you can participate.

See attached flyer, and two FCPA based release forms (Volunteer Acknowledgement Form and Sign-in Form). If you can print, sign & bring these with you, thanks. I’ll have copies at the park to sign, too.

Objective: Spend two hours to discover nature in this small park, clean it up and improve our community.

Please be prepared to walk through wooded and potentially wet areas of the park. Boots, work-gloves and appropriate weather related clothing. We’ll have trash bags to distribute.

COVID precautions – face masks are mandatory. Socially distancing – please clean-up together only in your “family-based bubble” we do not want to chance spreading this terrible virus. If you feel sick, please stay home – there will be many more opportunities in the future to help our community.

Next event – President’s day holiday, February 15th, similar activities planned at Crooked Creek Park (8-10AM).

Any questions, please send me an email or call.

Tom McCook
703.839.5205