A newsletter for residents of Harbor Town • June - July 2014

Saluting Henry Turley Company For TheirVision and Commitment for 25 Years

Recently, Megan Dress and Dawn Nielsen had the opportunity to meet with Henry Turley and Debbie

Woodard of Henry Turley Company. It was a great chance to thank them for their service

and commitment over the past 25 years and to learn the story of Harbor Town’s inception. The shining

overtone of the meeting was that Harbor Town is an incredibly special place and the development of our

community took a great deal of vision, fortitude and dedication.

How did you come to own theproperty for Harbor Town?Eddie Sapingsly showed me the property years

ago. We had to drive onto the island from Levee

Road through North Memphis. At that time,

I thought someone with more political clout than

me should buy the land and I passed on it. C.H.

Butcher of Knoxville ended up buying it for one

million dollars. He got the state to build A.W.

Willis bridge, and planned for a six-lane

boulevard to run north/south through the island

for hotels, gas stations, etc. The island was to

have entrance ramps to I-40 near the Pyramid.

I opposed Butcher’s plan. I felt the island was

precious land and deserved respect. I never did beat him, just outlasted him. He ended up in jail and

I bought the property from First Tennessee which was restructuring Butcher’s assets.

What inspired you to develop the concept of Harbor Town?Tony Bologna and I just built the community we thought people would enjoy. I had the easy part—thinking

up ideas. Tony’s job was more difficult. He had to make them real. New Urbanism, as we call it today, didn’t

exist. Communities where row homes mixed with premium single-family homes and businesses wasn’t on

the scope of any current developments. People believed that unless they lived in a cloned community, their

house would be devalued to the least of these properties.

I called George Long, then dean of the Memphis Appraiser Institute.

I explained that I expected higher property values because of the added

value. A month or so later he told me of a man named Philip Langdon

who had just written an article for the Atlantic Monthly about this concept.

I purchased probably the only Atlantic Monthly magazine sold in Memphis

to read more. (Continued on page 13)

South Mud Island before the development of Harbor Town.

Harbor Town Event CalendarHarbor Town 5K Friday, June 6thHarbor Town Board of Trustees Monday, June 16thHarbor Town Board of Trustees Monday, July 21st

Harbor Town Association OfficeElizabeth Glasgow, Town Manager Erin Walker, Assistant740 Harbor Bend Road, Suite 1, Memphis, TN 38103(O) 901-523-9853 (Fax) 901-523-9855; Emergency Pager (forEMERGENCIES ONLY, please) 901-374-1143

Welcome! to New Harbor Town Residents Bill & Susan Cushman, 130 Harbor CommonsT.K Susheel & Deepthi Hoskoppal, 950 River LandingMarilyn Brien, Kimberly Brien, Charles Garner, 861 Harbor ViewLee Timmen & Thuy Nguyen, 770 Island DrLindsey & David Berry, 172 Harbor VillageMichael Schween & Kim Rodgers, 905 Harbor BendJohn & Conchita Topinka, 127 Harbor Town BlvdKenneth & Marilynn Robinson, 991 Island Park Circle

Aaron Paintingand Home Repair

901-337-6828Free estimates

Residential and commercial,

interior and exterior, sheetrock repair,

pressure washing, rotted wood

replacement, window and roof

repairs, gutter cleaning, carpentry,

fences and decks, 28 years of

experience and excellent references.

Member Better Business Bureau:

A+ Rating

Licensed and Insured

We’re not satisfied

until you’re satisfied.

Once again, there are no delinquent owners to list inthe newsletter. Thank you to everyone for paying yourquarterly assessments on time! And good job to theboard and management for achieving this goal!

An Update on the Ducks!Spring arrived late this year, but now that it has sprung, naturehas caught up fast. We currently have three little Muscoviesthat hatched in late April. Look for them around Mallard Pond

(corner of HarborTown Boulevardand Harbor BendRoad).

The DuckCommittee hasbeen keeping aclose eye on ourduck population,

tracking the number and breed of ducks. From ourobservations over the past month we have a steady populationof approximately seven Muscovies and three Blondes. Anotherthree Muscovies and three Mallards are fairly frequent visitors.

This spring, 16 ducklings were hatched in Harbor Town.Of those, the three in the photo have survived. Should youhave any questions or issues related to ducks, please contactme at bouten@gmail.com or call/text me at 919-423-2736.

—Jan Bouten

Harbor Town Crawfish Festival

On Saturday, April 19th, Movie & Pizza Companyheld its Third Annual Harbor Town CrawfishFestival. This event is held annually to benefit the

Mid-South Food Bank. This year’s event was attended by1,800 people, which was the largestcrowd for the festival to date. There were3,000 pounds of crawfish provided byCajun Crawdads and a Pronto Pup standfor the families that kept everyone fulland happy!

Live music was provided by Jeff Hulettand Charvey Mclemore and this kept thecrowd enjoying themselves all day long.In cooperation with our corporatesponsor, A.S. Barboro, we were able to donate 2,700 poundsof food along with a check for $1,850.00 to the Food Bank.This donation helps provide over 10,000 meals to families inthe Mid- South area.

We look forward to next year’s event, and we would like tothank our neighbors, the businesses’ of Harbor Town, and theHarbor Town Association for everyone’s support of this worth-while for everyone

The new Harbor Town logo and the 25th Anniversary logo wereunveiled at the Harbor Town Crawfish Festival.

We Need You!On the Harbor Town Board

Representatives from Districts 1 and 2 and the President are

up for election this year (see district map below). The

elections will take place on Saturday, August 2nd. Craig

Beard, former Harbor Town President, Block Captain, and Selection

Committee Member, has agreed to run for District 1, replacing

Dawn Nielsen who is not seeking re-election.

Candidates must meet the following requirements:

• Be a Titleholder of Harbor Town.

• Be in good standing and current in payment of Association dues.

• Board Candidates should submit a petition for candidacy signed

by at least twenty (20) citizens in his/her district that are in good

standing.

• Presidential Candidates should submit a petition for candidacy

signed by at least twenty (25) citizens throughout the community

that are in good standing.

The President and Board Members elected in August will serve a

two-year term beginning in September. The Board of Trustees meets

at 5:30 p.m. on the third Monday of every month except for July

and December (unless a meting is called for those months).

Candidate petitions may be obtained from the Association office.

The deadline for submission of a signed petition is Friday, July 11th.

All eligible Harbor Town residents are encouraged to get involved.

Clutter No More

Do you have piles ofclothes, papers and “stuff”collecting in your home?

You’re not alone. It’s time to cleanup that clutter and make yourabode a more enjoyable andrelaxing place to live.• Create a schedule. Dependingon how high those piles are, youmay not be able to accomplish thetask in a single weekend. So, trytackling one room at a time. Itmay seem like a daunting project,but it will be less scary if youbreak it down into segments.• Practice a one item in, one itemout rule. When you buy an item ofclothing, for example, throw outone item of clothing. Not only willit keep down the clutter, but itwill also make you rethinkwhether you really want to buythat new item.• Create a stress-freeenvironment in the bedroom. Thatmeans no piles of toys and nomounds of clothes. It should be aplace where you can rest withoutworry. • Make cleaning up fun for kidsby turning it into a game. Kids areoften the clutter culprits; involvethem in the process to makethings neater and more organized.• Know your vision for the room.What do you want from a room?Is it a place where you work, aspace where you unwind, aplayroom for the little ones orsomething else? If you can answerthat question, you’ll be able todecide what items stay and whatitems go.• Try to make decluttering a partof your everyday life. If you do itat the same time every day—likebefore you go to bed—the pileswon’t accumulate and you won’thave to set aside a block of time todo a major cleaning.

Why Scoop the Poop?Dog waste is an environmental pollutant. In 1991, the Environmental ProtectionAgency (EPA) placed it in the same category as herbicides and insecticides; oil,grease and toxic chemicals; and acid drainage from abandoned mines.

Far from Fertilizer Woof-woof waste does not make a good fertilizer. It is actually toxic to yourlawn, causing burns and unsightly discoloring. Beyond your grass, it has beenestimated that a single gram of dog waste can contain 23 million fecal coliformbacteria, which are known to cause cramps, diarrhea, intestinal illness, and seriouskidney disorders in humans. EPA even estimates that two or three days’ worth ofdroppings from a population of about 100 dogs would contribute enough bacteriato temporarily close a bay, and all watershed areas within 20 miles of it, toswimming and shell fishing. Dog feces are one of the most common carriers of thefollowing diseases:• Heartworms• Whipworms• Hookworms

Why all this fanfare for feces, you may ask?Well, EPA explains that the decay of your pet’s waste actually creates nutrients forweeds and algae that grow in the waterways. As these organisms thrive on yourdog’s droppings, they overtake the water in a “Little Shop of Horrors-esque”manner, and limit the amount of light that can penetrate the water’s surface. As aresult, oxygen levels in the water decrease, and the fish and seafood we eat canbe asphyxiated, EPA says.

A Toxic Cycle If you aren’t worried about the state of your local waterways, you may be a bitmore concerned about the impact of dog waste a little closer to home. The thingabout persistently disposing of stools improperly (or not at all) is that it kicks off aharmful cycle that can affect your whole family—including your pet.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), petdroppings can contribute to diseases animals pass to humans, called zoonoses.When infected dog poop is deposited on your lawn, the eggs of certainroundworms and other parasites can linger in your soil for years. Anyone whocomes into contact with that soil—be it through gardening, playing sports,walking barefoot or any other means—runs the risk of coming into contact withthose eggs; especially your dog.

Some of the hard-to-pronounce parasites your lawn could harbor includeCryptosporidium, Giardia, Salmonella, as well as hookworms, ringworms andtapeworms. Infections from these bugs often cause fever, muscle aches,headache, vomiting, and diarrhea in humans. Children are most susceptible, sincethey often play in the dirt and put things in their mouths or eyes.

What You Can Do Take responsibility as a dog owner and scoop the poop! Use the dog wastestations throughout the community or carry a plastic bag with you when you walkyour dog. With your help, Harbor Town can be POOP FREE!

• Tapeworms• Parvo• Corona

• Salmonellosis• Cryptosporidiosis• Campylobacteriosis

• Roundworms• Giardiasis

Harbor Town Egg Hunt: Largest Ever!

H arbor Town residents

and their friends and

family gathered April 19th

for the Egg Hunt at Ben's

Park. It was the largest egg

hunt yet with over 200

people. The weather

certainly helped; it was

sunny and warm. Residents

enjoyed the egg hunt, then

stayed to socialize with

neighbors over light

refreshments. One fun

twist...this year the big kids

had to find their eggs in

numerical order. The eggs

in the big kid section were

numbered 1 - 12. The big

kids normally find their

dozen eggs in just minutes,

but this method slowed

them down considerably.

One child was heard saying,

"this is WAY harder!"

Special thanks to Bruin

Lowery and Dawn Nielsen

for their help in setting up

the event.

READING TUTOR

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Multi-sensory strategies

Mrs. C will help YOU achieveyour reading goals.

Call 901-235-5046 todayto schedule your free consultation.

HomeOwners Advantage to be newHarbor Town Management FirmWe are pleased to announce that the Board of HarborTown selected HomeOwners Advantage of Atlanta,Georgia as the new management firm to lead HarborTown. The new firm will take over on July 1, 2014.June will be a month of transition with the Henry TurleyCompany preparing to exit June 30. The selection issubject to final negotiation on contract terms that werepreviously conveyed to HomeOwners Advantage and onwhich we believe there is substantial mutual agreement.

Of the 12 firms originally contacted, the six firmswho made formal presentations, and the four finalists,the winnowing, selection, vetting, and due diligenceprocess has been thorough and exhaustive.

Here are a few things that we like aboutHomeOwners Advantage:• They manage only condominium and home ownersassociations.

• They manage communities that are substantially morecomplex than Harbor Town.

• They manage associations with large, high-end retailand office components mixed with the residentialunits.

• They manage associations that are significantly higherend than Harbor Town.

• They offer systems and standards that are wellintegrated and will support the day-to-day operationof Harbor Town and also help to direct the strategicplanning and execution of future major restorationand improvement projects.

We have learned that South Bluffs has also selectedHomeOwners Advantage as its manager. We are hopefulthat the current shared services arrangement betweenHarbor Town and South Bluffs will carry forward.

We offer a special thank you to the search team whohelped to underwrite the process, shape the discussionregarding each submitting firm, and shape thediscussion about what is most important to HarborTown. When you see one of them in the neighborhood,thank them. They are: Barney Lee, Jeremy Benkin, KimSchwartz, Penny Steward, Robert Marcy, CaroleSlaughter, Craig Beard, .Stan Hyland, Roy Robbins,Walker Bradshaw, Carolyn Crain, Terri Carden, KayClark, Mike Moffatt, Jim Summers, Connie Avery, andTony Bologna.

Enrollment now open for the following weekly after school workshops:Story Book Theatre for Pre-school (Ages 3-5), Acting for theStage for 1st to 4th Grades, Daring Drama for 5th to 8th Grades

For information, contact Erin Lindberg at (901) 526-6649or erinlindberg@yahoo.com

Another thing I did, was to take a river

trip along the Mississippi to see how

other communities were building along

the river. Other than a few places such

as Natchez (on a bluff), there weren’t

communities on the river. So that gave

me the freedom to do something new.

I copied, in part, the design of the

Charleston single house for the

architecture.

As I said, the land was precious, and

it needed to be respected. Folks living

by the water, Wolf River and the

Mississippi, needed to be out of doors to

really appreciate the land. To do that, in

this climate, we needed trees for shade;

we needed the cars to be secondary—

alleys to keep the main streets free of

cars. We wanted to bring people out of

their backyard, to the front

porch…creating a greater sense of

community. We designed the streets to

slow cars down, providing safety for

pedestrians. Lastly, people needed

destinations. I wanted a pizza place, a

grocery, and a doctor’s office. The

doctor’s office idea came from the

western show, Gunsmoke.

What were some of the bigchallenges you faced duringdevelopment? One important part of developing the

island was to discontinue rail freight

along the riverfront. Illinois Central

Railroad took a clever approach. They

told me essentially that they were too

big to care whether the rail traveled

through Memphis or not; it was their

Memphis customers whom I needed to

convince. In a meeting at the Mayor’s

office, I sat across the table from some

powerful lobbyists from International

Harvester, Kimberly Clark, Goldsmith’s,

and others, who wanted to keep the rail

freight.

I had said in that meeting, “I am the

future,” meaning that cities were going

to populate their waterfronts. It wasn’t

five years later that all those businesses

had left Memphis.

Was Harbor Town built to attract young families?We had not planned a school initially.

However, Maria Cole of the Montessori

School showed up serendipitously, and

we said to her “not only do we want

you, but we’ll build the school for you.”

Looking back at the past 25 years since Harbor Town was established, what are you most proud of aboutHarbor Town?When you ask someone, “How do you

like living here?” And they

answer, “It’s so much

better than I imagined.”

As the community

developed, people saw

almost exactly what we

saw as the vision.

What is your nextbusiness endeavoror developmentproject?We are working on the

South End on the south

side of downtown. What

we have learned is that

integration of differences

is valuable. Part of that vision is

something I call “Equitable

Transportation.” I hate to see people who

are on their feet at work and have to

walk to and from. I am becoming more

liberal as I age.

Any other words of wisdom?If you do right and set the right example,

people will follow.

Interview with Henry Turley Company (Continued from Page 1)

Aerial view of Harbor Town today.