President Joe Carrick called the regular meeting of the Residents’ Council [the Council] to order at 3:00 pm on Tuesday August 5, 2025. 85 residents attended in addition to Don Grove, Charlestown Executive Director; Leslie Johnson, Associate Executive Director; Paul Edelman, Director of Dining; Jill Clippinger, Assistant Director of Finance; and Adam Narivanchik, Grounds Manager.

Moment of Silence
The Council observed a moment of silence for those who have passed away.

Previously distributed minutes of the July 1, 2025 meeting of the Residents’ Council meeting were approved as presented.

Mission Moment
Joe Carrick, President: No official Mission Moment this month. I would like to give my mission moment to my Council members and especially my executive team. These volunteers worked tirelessly throughout the year giving of their time and talents for the betterment of the Charlestown Community. Can I ask the Council members to please stand. Let us show our appreciation for these dedicated men and women.

Executive Team Reports

Joe Carrick President
As I stand before you today, I’m filled with both gratitude and reflection as my term as President of the Residents’ Council comes to an end.

Serving this community has been one of the most meaningful experiences of my life. It’s not just about attending meetings or voicing concerns—it’s about listening, collaborating, and ensuring that every resident feels heard, valued, and respected. Together, we’ve worked to enhance communication, promote wellness, strengthen activities, and maintain the quality of life we all cherish. I do believe we bridge the gap between independent living and continuing care.

One of the things that make this community so special is the deep sense of care and respect we show to one another. That spirit is what makes the Charlestown Community truly thrive—it’s not just buildings or services, but people. People who advocate, contribute, and support each other every day. I certainly experienced that love and support from the community when my wife, Denise, passed in October.

I want to thank my fellow council members, our committees, and the administration for their partnership. I am especially grateful to all of you—residents who engaged, shared ideas, raised concerns, and encouraged progress. You are the reason this role has been so rewarding.

As I step aside, I have full confidence in the leadership that will follow. I encourage you all to remain involved, to continue asking questions, offering solutions, and upholding the high standards we’ve come to expect and deserve.

I want to remind everyone that the Annual Association meeting will be held next Monday, August 11 at 7 PM in the Conference Center. This Annual meeting will provide the Council highlights, installation of new Council officers, and introduction of new Council members. Refreshments will be served so leave your restaurant desert meal for another day and come to the Annual meeting for your nightly desert.

I also want to remind and encourage you to participate in the Council election tomorrow. We have 12 outstanding residents who have stepped forward to run for Council this year. Candidates, please stand so we can recognize you

Connie Cooney, Treasurer

Balance – June 30, 2025                      $7,458.58
Expenses                                               ($     43.45)
Deposit from Dues Collection             $    30.00
Deposit Correction                              ($  130.43)

Balance – July 29, 2025                       $ 7575.48

July Expenses Details:
Secretary:                       $  43.45   Supplies

Total                                      $  43.45

2025-2026 Residents’ Council Executive Team

Executive Team Nominating Committee – Connie Cooney
In May Art Johnson, John Remias and I were appointed to prepare a slate of officers for the Residents’ Council for the 2025-2026 year. Following the guidelines of the By-Laws, we interviewed several people to determine they were willing and able to perform the duties of their respected offices. We feel we have come up with an excellent Executive team for next year’s council.

We give you the proposed Executive team for next year.

Stephanie Leddy, President
Larry Taylor, Vice President
Jerry Donaldson, Treasurer
Virginia Antevil, Secretary

The residents’ Council members voted to approved this slate.

Committee Reports

Benevolent Care, Virginia Antevil, Chair
Proceeds from the July 2025 Treasure Sale totaled $43,031.

August is Benevolent Care month, and will include the following special events:

• Financial Planning Presentation on August 20 at 11:00 AM in the Auditorium
• “Spend Down Process and Benevolent Care” presentation on August 26 in the Conference Center at 1:00 PM
• August 27 Legacy Society Brunch (by invitation)

The planned giving campaign continues. Gifts or pledges of $5,000 or more qualify the donor for membership in the Legacy Society.

Next meeting: Wednesday, September 24 at 2:30pm in Charlestown Square RM-116.

Communications, Larry Taylor, Chair

• Community Resources
• They reported ongoing efforts to collect information from clubs and groups for a new guidebook. They give those who have not yet replied one more week to respond. If they do not reply they will be removed from the guidebook for this year.
• Hope Tillman demonstrated improvements to the MyErickson User Guide. Also, the “IT How to Connect” section has been successfully added to the User Guide. Please check these new changes, this is the top Icon that reads “User Guide” Please check it out!
• Communications General Services updates
• Gregory Johnson again discussed the status of shopping carts; he did denote that they will be purchasing additional carts due to high resident usage. He also agreed to let Residents know they are using air tags to track the locations of our missing carts. They are also working on a video script for Channel 972 concerning cart returns. Please care about your fellow Resident and return our carts
• ComcastThe Charlestown Comcast bulk service contract provides basic HD television in the apartments. Address your concerns to General Services. See more information about apartment television and television connections. READ MORE has a new Accessibility Support Center program. Charlie Eichenlaub, our Evergreen writer, shared his information explaining the ComcastThe Charlestown Comcast bulk service contract provides basic HD television in the apartments. Address your concerns to General Services. See more information about apartment television and television connections. READ MORE Accessibility Support Center – customers with disabilities can use this accessibility service. This is a dedicated team that can help with closed captioning, audio description, large-button remotes, braille and large-print bills, and assistive technology support. To reach this center call 1-855-270-0379 (say “accessibility”).

• IT Tech Support updates
• Reminder – Microsoft Windows 10 will reach End-of-Support on Oct. 14, 2025. 
• Our next Tech Bar event is on Tuesday, August 13 from 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM, in the Chesapeake Dining Room. This is a FREE event. Also, onsite service calls can be booked at this event, and the ability to sign up for free apartment visits for desktop devices. IT will also have a Compatibility Check Table available. This Table will be specifically for residents who were unable to attend the July 23rd event. Please note that any upgrades scheduled at this checkup will be billable, even though the Tech Bar follow-ups are normally free.
• IT has made a Recommendations list for Computer and Printers. Zachary Parks shared their recommended specifications for new computers. These recommendations will be added to MyErickson.
• Erickson IT Support update for June/July: they had 225 quarterly tickets and 133 closed tickets with a 1-day average resolution time for residents.IT Support hours have been changed on weekends from 8 am- 6 pm to 7 am – 7 pm. Per IT all after hour service calls, residents should call Security and report the issue and give them their phone number. Then Security will reach out to IT Support (1-800-677-0211) using the afterhours option on the residents’ behalf.
• Shuttle Trackers in Brookside and Herbert’s Run- Zachary Parks has recently resolved the locking problems. He also presented a new one-page guide for residents to access the Shuttle Tracker app on the iPads, which includes an assisted touch button for easy access.
• IT was to visit our Continuing Care Buildings last week with the Mobile Phone vendor. They are looking for a schedule or timeline for this project to get under way. Our committee is looking forward to any and all updates as soon as possible. This is greatly needed in our community.
• They are also looking to finish up the Ask IT and Tech Time videos for 972.

Our August Committee meeting has been cancelled, so our next Meeting will be on September 22 at 2 PM via ZOOM, The Website Committee will precede the Communication Committee meeting @ 1:30 PM. Both meetings will be by ZoomAI Companion is a generative AI-powered assistant from Zoom (for those with the paid version). It uses large language models from OpenAI, Anthropic, and Meta, and has also trained itself by listening in on thousands of meetings between Zoom employees.  Some of its uses include:
• Summarizing... READ MORE. Contact Larry Taylor at  cherokee405@verizon.net for the ZoomAI Companion is a generative AI-powered assistant from Zoom (for those with the paid version). It uses large language models from OpenAI, Anthropic, and Meta, and has also trained itself by listening in on thousands of meetings between Zoom employees.  Some of its uses include:
• Summarizing... READ MORE Link.

The Conservation Committee, Charles Robinson & Jack Flood, Co-Chairs
The Conservation Committee had nothing new to report.

Next meeting: Tuesday, September 16 at 2:00 pm in BR1.

Dining Services, Stephanie Leddy and Cathy Stevens, Co-Chairs
I am Stephanie Leddy, and I will be Co-chair of the Dining Committee for six more days.

Paul introduced Rick Hayes, his new assistant who comes to Charlestown from Ashby Pond. He also told us that we have a new catering manager, Jenny Hartis. She comes to Charlestown from Kelsey’s Pub in Ellicott City where she was catering manager.

There has been a change in the order of construction projects. Café on Main will still be completed in September. After that Terrace Café will shut down for a complete renovation. This will last until April or May 2026. The Café on Main will serve dinners during this time. After that the Fireside will close for about 1 ½ months to make some minor renovations. While the Fireside is closed, residents will still be able to get carryout from the Fireside]

Committee members had comments about the Pre-set tables. Some found that the water glasses were smudged with fingerprints. The bread should not be served automatically but only upon request. Lemons should be served in a dish, not a carryout container. Also, QR codes are missing from the tables.

It was noted that it is not possible to change the number of people on a reservation. The best way to do that is to call Angel Carey and let her know of the change. You can cancel the reservation.

Subcommittee Reports
Dietary Focus- The Tip sheet to navigate the dining rooms has been given to all new residents. It will be published on My EricksonMy Erickson is a resident portal. It is provided by Erickson Corporate and is managed by Charlestown staff, mainly Community Resources. See Portal. READ MORE and ccicharlestown.org so all residents can benefit from the ideas.

Chesapeake – Service is very good. There are many complaints about the brown to-go containers.
Atrium- the air conditioning not functioning was a problem even after a new unit was installed. Workers were to fix it last week.
Terrace – Salads are watery, steak fries are mushy and the vegetables are not varied enough.
Fireside – Surf and Turf Night was a great success

No meeting in August. Next Meeting, Sept 15 at 1:30 in STC116

Finance, Art Johnson Chair
At the Finance Committee’s July meeting, the Finance Director reviewed Charlestown’s quarterly report ending June, 2025. The review concluded that Charlestown is  in a strong financial position. Occupancy was especially strong in all areas and ahead of budget projections for 2025 and  2024’s revenue. However, expenditure challenges continue as we have reported in the past: utility costs, contract labor costs, and the cost of employee benefits are over budget.

The committee discussed likely future challenges of utility rate hikes and the expected impact of federal cuts to Medicaid. It was agreed that there is a need for these challenges to be considered as part of the planning process.

20 residents were reported to be in Benevolent Care at the end of June.

The Finance Office is engaged in the 2026 budget process with the Board of Directors.  The CapEX proposals submitted by the Finance Committee remain part of the budget discussion.

Finance and Philanthropy teams will offer an information session on Spend Down and the Benevolent Care Fund. Issues to be  discussed include financial assurance tools, the spend down process, Medicaid, etc. The session will take place August 26, 1 p.m., in the Conference Center  & there will be REFRESHMENTS!!!!!

There will be no August Meeting. Next Meeting September 30, 9 a.m. Brookside 1

Grounds, Dick Voelkel Chair

• The erosion project at the Herbert’s Run/St. Charles bridge walkway is on schedule to begin in September.
• Hydro Raking Project at the lake – engineer reported all permits by early October.
• Caton Woods courtyard and Edgewood parking lot shrubs trimming is complete.
• Sustainability – dirt with clover mix has been added to several areas for erosion.
• Crush and run stone have been placed at Cross creek and additional stone will be ordered for the Nature Trail to reduce erosion.
• Grounds Department has purchased an electric blower.
• On the steps side at the Edgewood Dock side larger rocks were placed to limit the erosion.
• Brookside/Cross Creek gutter/downspout maintenance is required.
• Dead trees near the Bocce Ball Court will be removed during ”front yard renovations.”
• A tree along Arborside near the steps has cracked branches.
• Many residents are very pleased with the work Level Green is doing.
• A weed in the gardens has been identified as Purslane and is actually very nutrient dense and tasty in salads.
• Deer continue to jump the fence into the gardens. Bow hunters will continue to cull the deer herd after Labor Day.

Next Meeting: September 23 in Brookside Classroom 1 at 11 am.

Health Services, Marty White and Lois Eldred, Co-Chairs

• Grab Bars are close to fully installed in public bathrooms. There are only 8 remaining bars that will be installed shortly.
• Mickey Pelcazar, a vital member of the Health Services Committee has been researching, reporting and keeping the Health Services Committee updated on infectious diseases for the past five years. He is retiring from this position. We thank Mickey for his consistent and accurate reporting and his many contributions to the Charlestown Community.
• Speaking of Infectious or Communicable Diseases, the Health Services Committee is now posting updates on specific topics on the community Bulletin Boards. This month’s topic is Tic-Borne diseases. Please cover up and use bug spray if venturing into grassy or wooded areas.
• Home Health Advisory Council Liaison. Resident Lory Stoner has agreed to serve on the Home Health Advisory Council as Liaison and is patiently waiting for an invitation to the next committee meeting.
• Continuing Care and Independent Living Liaison. As mentioned in the last Resident Council Meeting, Carol Benner has joined the Health Services Committee as the Caton Woods/Wilton Overlook liaison with Pat Kasuda. She has decades of experience in Medicare related Quality Management primarily at the state of Maryland level.
• Wilton Overlook and Caton Woods have had excellent participation in monthly resident meetings. Feedback provided on dining issues is similar to experiences in independent living. Recycling currently occurs for cardboard only, not for cans and plastic bottles. Residents asked that name badges be worn consistently by CNAs, RNs and housekeeping. There are many activities planned for both Caton Woods and Wilton Overlook, including a Hula Dance Group, Movies, and Teas. There is now ballroom dancing in both Wilton Overlook and Caton Woods.
• Substance Abuse Working Group. There is a new substance abuse working group that meets regularly. We are getting the lay of the land in terms of how substance abuse is perceived and addressed within the Charlestown Community and appreciate the participation of Lisa Roedek from Social Work and the Erickson Medical Center. We have educational activities planned for fall including a Monday, October 6 event in the Auditorium from 1-2 pm. We are looking for a pithy title so stay tuned!   The Substance Abuse Working Group addresses both people who may have substance abuse issues and residents with family members with substance abuse issues.
• A few members of the Health Services Committee have mentioned that non-working water fountains affect their ability to take medications at midday if they are out of their apartments.
• The next medication disposal event will occur on August 25, 2025, from 1-3 in Cross Creek Lobby and Fireside. Please bring old medication – both over the counter and subscription.

There is no meeting of the Health Services Committee in August. The next committee meeting will be September 9, 2025 at 11 am. Brookside Classroom 1.

Housekeeping, Jean Williamson, Chair
Hi! My name is Jean Williamson, Chair of the Housekeeping Committee. I would like to begin by again honoring those residents that have served on the Housekeeping Committee, who do an inspection of halls in their building every month.

Our July meeting offered an opportunity to “chat” with Housekeeping and General Services to address concerns, share ideas, and hear updates of what is happening around the community or planned for the future.

Michele Fenn shared that the “common areas” are a priority – keeping things clean, addressing concerns of mice, etc.  When you think of the Fireside, you automatically think Housekeeping is also responsible for the restaurant; however, the restaurant is covered by Dining.

Jason Dennis shared that an update of Charlestown Square is currently planned for next year, to include lobbies, mechanical systems, stairs, and the Fitness Center.

Trash cans at elevators in many areas have been pulled because of residents using them for trash disposal. There is also a continuing concern of trash being left by Residents in the trash cans outside Parkside and Herbert’s Run, often overflowing and onto the ground, especially on weekends.

Window washing begins this week, with a plan to finish up after Labor Day.

Upcoming events include Electronics recycling, currently scheduled for August and Shredding, scheduled for October.

Plans are currently in place to address cleaning outside of buildings during the next month.

While I know the cleaning of Charlestown is the job of Housekeeping, each resident also has a responsibility to help. Please, if you See Something, Say Something! Each resident has a responsibility…this is your home! If you are watering plants on the bridges, please take care to not overwater. But if you do, please also take the time to use wipes, not leaving the water to run down the wall onto the rug! Please do not throw your trash into the outside bins, overflowing them, especially on weekends, which can also draw mice and rodents.

Please do not leave food and unwrapped treats on your shelf or on lobby tables, again, putting the food at risk of drawing mice.

Finally, two important reminders for us all to work together to keep our home at Charlestown clean, safe, attractive, and healthy! All bird feeders were to be removed by August 1with the purpose is to deter mice. The health and safety of all residents is so important.

And finally, please, remember to put your trash bags into a trash can, not placing bags onto the floor outside your apartment, again, with the potential of spills and drawing mice!

We are so lucky to have our home at Charlestown.

There will be no August meeting. The next meeting will be September 15 at 10:00 in BR1

Legislative/Political, Paulette Hammond and Richard Lee, Co-Chairs
The Legislative and Political will be inviting state elected officials for our district to hear what their legislative priorities are prior to the opening of the 2026 state legislative session. The target date is early or mid-December.

In 2026, Maryland will hold its election for state, county and local officials. Plans are to bring to Charlestown those officials seeking election. There will be two separate meetings, one for state candidates and another for county candidates. The Committee is asking residents to provide input on questions that will be asked of the candidates.

Next meeting: September 10 at 10:00 in BR1.

Maintenance and Engineering, Rob Vickerman, Chair

• General Services has purchased wall-mounted outside lights for the Brookside parking area and will be mounting them on the building.
• The outside ground lights in Edgewood circle and the Edgewood path to Fireside have been fixed and are working.
• The light pole by the Maintenance Department that is down is in the process of being repaired.
• Low Vision
  • The black strips on the exterior stair treads are in the process of being installed.
  • The contrasting numbers in the Charlestown Square elevator is being replaced. The numbers being replaced are gray with black background to white with a back background.
  • Yellow painting of curbing is in the process of being done. Hallway Mirrors – General Services is looking into placing an overhead mirror at the stairway from the Terrace to the Auditorium and at the bridge at Chapel Court and the Arborside intersection.

Restaurant Air Conditioning – There have been issues with the Atrium restaurant air conditioning. It was revealed that the condensate drain is not functioning properly. The solution to fix it has been identified and will be accomplished by early September.

Elevators – The Herbert’s Run Elevator that is out of service is due to the contractors breaking the head of a ceiling sprinkler. Otis had to order parts for the elevator and should be repaired hopefully this month.

Next meeting: Tuesday September 23, at 2:00 in BR1.

Resident Life, Bill Jones and Fred Sadler, Co-Chairs

• The Tapestry program has scheduled their fall events for October 7 and October 15 in the Atrium Restaurant. The tentative theme for the sessions will be around a “getting to know you” group of questions. Table Host training will take place on September 15.
• The Accessibility and Inclusion group continues to focus on upgrades to apartments and common areas to make the campus safer for people with physical limitations. The theme “Diversity is being invited to the party; inclusion is being asked to dance” is the emphasis of the group. A 972 presentation on accessible Medical Center services is being taped.
• The Low Vision Program will be scheduling a series of quarterly sessions on topics relevant to residents with sight impairments. These sessions will be similar to the small group discussions done by Tapestry with the first one being held on October 9 in the Chesapeake Restaurant.
• The Dining Ambassador Program recently recruited eighteen new volunteers to contact new residents to arrange dinners together. Flyers have recently been distributed to additional buildings to recruit even more ambassadors.
• Margaret Vincent is continuing to publish the New Resident Newsletter each Sunday, for approximately 100 residents, and is still looking for a few volunteers to act as “cub” reporters to provide her with information on club activity.
• The Transportation Sustainability group has been given information on the Senior Lyft and Freedom Car Programs that could greatly benefit residents. Feedback from residents, who use these services, has shown them to be very reliable and saves money over having a car on campus.

Next meeting: Wednesday, September 17, 2025, at 2:00 PM at BR 2.

Safety and Security, Ed Appel, Chair
The Security Department reports that new gate arms have been installed.  New card readers will be installed to open outside doors in the next few months on the Cross Creek side of campus.  Keys will still work while the new systems are broken in.  More doors will be done next year.  Let Security know when key mechanisms don’t work.  The project to update smoke detectors continues.  Security continues to enforce traffic and pedestrian safety.  Let Security know if you see bad driving, with specifics if possible, such as license plates.

Our longtime neighbor Diana Mood had a medical scare in June due to a prescription reaction.  Her story reminds us that: Security is quick to respond to save lives.  We need to wear our pendants in our apartments as well as outside (her incident was at home).  If we live alone, having a buddy to help in an emergency can be essential.  My wife Kathy always says: At Catonsville, it’s seniors helping seniors.  Kudos to Security and to Diana for sharing her story.

Remember that scams often appear in emails, texts and phone calls.  This morning, a scam text from a number in the Philippines falsely informed me that I have unpaid Maryland traffic tickets.  Be skeptical about anything you receive.  No official will demand immediate digital payments of any kind.  Another recent example is fraudulent PayPal emails and texts claiming your account was charged – even if you don’t have an account.  Scam presentations by the FBI and a short video by the Security committee are available on Charlestown’s YouTube channel.

The Archdiocese of Baltimore in cooperation with Baltimore City PD scheduled a firearm buy-back on Aug. 9 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Westside Shopping Center, 2413 Frederick Avenue.  Compensation will be paid and no questions asked.  If a Charlestown resident wishes to dispose of a firearm, Security will arrange for its return to Baltimore County PD discreetly.  By the way, if you wish to post notices on campus, please get permission.

We report safety issues to administration with suggestions for improvement.  Please don’t take your rollator down or up  stairs.  Riding an EV in the middle of the road can be dangerous.  A recent Security speed check showed about half of drivers were speeding, both staff and residents. Report speeders and stop sign passers to Security.

Two recent cases of Legionella bacterial infection were discovered in Caton Woods and patients treated. Testing of the state-of-the-art water filtration systems, hyper-chlorination and bottled water were implemented, under Maryland State oversight.  A water consultant was engaged, testing the water twice daily.  It’s an example of staff’s rapid and effective response.

High tick activity this year means that residents going outside into wooded or grassy areas should wear long sleeves and pants, use Deet and check pets.

The committee’s next meeting was changed to Thursday, August 21, 11:00 am, in CTS 116. Our meetings will now be on the third Thursday of each month at 11 am in CTS 116.

Update from Don Grove
Don Grove forewent his usual status report and, instead, recognized the contributions of each Executive Team member and committee chair. His short but kind words of support were greatly appreciated.

Respectively submitted,
Nancy Meier, Residents’ Council Secretary