Director Cruea – Feb. 2006

 

I wanted to take this opportunity to introduce myself.  I am Renee Cruea, one of the new Directors for the AHPOA.

 

The most common question asked of me by residents is “why”?  Why did I run, why am I bothering, do I know what I am getting myself into.  It wasn’t a muse that came to me with the idea to run for our Board of Directors… ….it was my Dad.  During a visit this fall, I was telling my Dad how I wished Aquia was more like my hometown Olean, NY,  A small town south of Buffalo where everyone truly does know your name- A place that has a true community feel, where you see and visit with your neighbors everyday.  Here, if I try to visit a neighbor I risk diving in to the ditch to avoid the minivan headed past my home at 40 mph.  I have such amazing childhood memories of Olean, where I grew up.  I complained to my dad that I fear our daughter will have only memories of a bedroom community, and won’t have a sense of neighbors, a sense of social responsibility, or a place she looks back on and loves.

 

 “It’s just not the same Dad, we just don’t have that small town environment down there.”

 

 It was then I got “The Look.”

 

You know the look of which I speak.  The look only a Dad can give a daughter.  The one that needs no words, but conveys you have stepped into it.  He said to me, “If you are not going to be part of the solution, then you ARE part of the problem.”Immediately, I rattled off all the demands on my time.  I have a “very important” job, a commute to the city, a delightful but demanding child who believes she is a rightful Dictator, a husband who wants to be walked and a dog that wants to be fed. (Yes, you read that right. I was smart and lucky enough to marry a man who cooks while I walk the dog). 

 

Again, got the look.  I suppose for a fleeting moment I forgot all about the sacrifices my parents made for their kids!  I knew I was in deep.  My parents worked full time and raised three kids but still invested deeply into the community.  Dad served as both, union President and football coach, and my parents both volunteered for every event under the sun.  “You get out of your community what you put in.”  I didn’t have a leg to stand on.  They found time, and if I truly believed in the priority of community responsibility, I needed to stop my whining. What little spare time we have is usually spent on our child, house projects, trips to Target for dog food, and our Harleys.  But I was tired of the bickering and complaining about the long list of things lacking in our community (coming from my own mouth!), so I decided to invest some energy into Aquia.

 

A few days after this little chat with my Dad, while driving into the Harbour, I read on the message board that packets for Board elections were available.  I didn’t know if 20 or 50 people were running for the 2 spots available and won in a landslide.  True, I had no opponents, but I’m still proud of my campaign, not to mention my excellent eyesight and ability to read community message boards while traveling at 25 miles per hour.

 

As Director, I want to do what I can to bring a sense of community to the Harbour.  Effective communication will lead to more community involvement, which will lead to ownership, pride and a stronger community of residents.  I am aware that there are people who have lived here forever and a day.  I know that many of you have relationships with your neighbors, you attend events, and you are in the “know” about how things work and don’t work.  I have recently met many of you.  It’s the people I haven’t met yet that I am concerned about.  Many of you are just residents like me, and have lived here for five years or less.  Some have lived here longer but still aren’t connected.  If you are interested in knowing more about your community and building a neighborhood, then I represent you on the Board. 

 

I have volunteered to serve as Director for the Communications Committee and the Public Safety Committee.  A few of the issues I am specifically concerned about include:

 

  • Our children’s ability to maneuver the community safely due to narrow streets and a lack of walking paths.
  • The security of our community to include issues surrounding the front gate, the police force and the improvement of traffic flow

 

In addition to addressing these issues, my goals include:

  • Generate more community interest and involvement from the residents by improving communications
  • Creating ways for the Harbour to generate revenue to that we can maintain our amenities

 

 I challenge all of you to invest a little time into this community of ours.  Join one of the several committees or call me to discuss an issue you are concerned about.  Its our home!  Even if you only have one hour a month to give, it will make a huge difference.  I can be reached via email R.Cruea@verizon.net or my cell phone 703-408-2293.