As 2009 comes to an end and I reflect on this past year, it has been a pleasure being of service to the membership, and an honor to have served as President of the GPOA. I’ve had the privilege of working with Bob Griffin, Ron Moore, John Harding, John Turnage, John Imbriaco and Whit Morgan, all of whom are dedicated individuals committed to insuring that Greenbrier remains a much sought after community. My sincere thanks and appreciation goes out to each and every member of the GPOA Board for all of their insight and hard work this past year.

The candidates who have stepped up to the plate and are running in the upcoming election also deserve our thanks and our support. Jimsey Keith, Whit Morgan, Gini Gray, Mary McClellan, and John Imbriaco — thank you for your willingness to give of your time to the residents and community of Greenbrier, and congratulations to those who are successful in their bid for a position on the 2010/2011 GPOA Board. If I can be of any assistance, please do not hesitate to give me a call.

Our community thrives when neighbors are willing to give of themselves and their time to make Greenbrier a wonderful place to live and preserve property values. Steve Damico and Linda Howard continue to work tirelessly at the College entrance island, and this year assisted in transplanting flowers and shrubbery from the Parkway island to the College entrance island. Thanks to the hard work of Laurie Collier and Marilyn Hughes on both the 2008 Luminaria event and the 2009 Wall Project, the residents of Greenbrier now enjoy beautiful new stone entrance walls and landscaping on the Parkway Island. All of the HOA’s and residents of Greenbrier deserve recognition and thanks for their support of these projects as well. Thanks to Jane Dulane and the entire staff of the Greenbrier Gazette who do a wonderful job of keeping us all informed of the latest news in our community. Thanks to Brenda Harding, for the many hours of work on the Greenbrier Directory. Thanks to Carole Houser for all of her hard work in organizing many enjoyable social events, and thanks to Vickie and Jerry Briele for the wonderful food and pleasant atmosphere at The Emerald during these socials. Last, but not least, thanks to our Alderman Dana Outlaw for his ongoing support and contributions to Greenbrier — we are grateful and fortunate to have you serving us for another four years.

Finally, a very special Thank You to the 507 residents who joined the GPOA in 2009!!! The GPOA looks forward to your continued support in 2010/2011, and I would ask that you encourage your neighbors to join as well. In coming together as a community by joining the GPOA, we can continue to preserve and protect our property values, So thank you in advance for joing the GPOA in 2010, and for allowing me to serve as your President this past year.

The 2009 membership was over 500 for the first time in several years. This can be attributed to Property Owners interest in supporting their Greenbrier Community. Property Values cannot be maintained without their support. The 2009 Board was also instrumental in achieving this number. Their support of the Front and College entrance improvements and the Swiss Bear Project were examples of their efforts to maintain property value throughout the community. Property owners, through their membership contribute to support of the Board's Covenant enforcements, as well as Beautification and Communication with the City.

Community Watch continues to be an integral part of the Greenbrier community. Over thirty property owners are Street and Block Captains. They are available throughout the community to distribute information and provide a contact person if someone in their neighborhood needs help. Community Watch maintains open communication with the Police Department and has an officer assigned to Greenbrier.

New property owners moving to Greenbrier has been slower than in the past. As of October 15th fourteen new families have moved in to the development. Several homeowners have moved to other properties within Greenbrier. Greenbrier's Welcome Committee provides a Welcome packet of useful information to new homeowners. This group is made up of residents who have lived here for several years and have first hand knowledge of the area. The packet provides a current copy of the Greenbrier Gazette and Greenbrier Directory. Information about activities and events as well as covenant requirements is included.

The A.C.C. has had sixty requests through October 31, 2009. All of them have been approved. Thirty-seven requests were for tree removal for a total of one-hundred-sixty trees. Eighteen requests were for home improvements such as new roofs, enlargement or replacement of decks. There were also requests for repairing exterior trim, addition or replacement of railings and replacement of concrete sidewalks with brick. There were five requests for home additions to add storage or living space. All requests by neighbors were responded to promptly, usually within a day or two.

Work Details: This year we had two work details with Greenbrier volunteers helping to make the Greenbrier Parkway an attractive entryway into our beautiful community. From picking up dead branches to trimming back overhanging limbs, the volunteers did a fantastic job and should all be thanked for their effors. If anyone wants to add their name to our volunteer list, please send an email to jturnage@suddenlink.net

Irrigation System at College Entrance: Over the years, Steve Damico and Linda Howard have been dragging hoses around in order to water the flowers and shrubs at the college entrance. We had an irrigation system installed this year to keep our entrance green and beautiful. Thanks to Steve and Linda for all the hard work put forth in making our entrance as attractive as it is.

Entrance Wall and Signs: One of the major projects completed this year was the erection of the new signs at each entrance and the Wall Project at the parkway entrance. Thanks to all of the contributors to our wall project. A big thanks to Laurie Collier and Marilyn Hughes for taking on the beautification of the center island at the front of the Greenbrier Parkway.

Thanks to Ron Benrey, our webmaster, the website continues to grow and be a valuable source of information. Posted monthly, the approved minutes from the Board of Directors meeting are available. A new web page is the "What's Happening" page which lists upcoming events of interest to all Greenbrier residents such as blood drives, the Easter egg hunt for children and the GPOA candidates for the Board. The website also has the forms necessary for A.C.C. changes to your home. The Greenbrier covenants and By-Laws are available for information and clarification on many issues. Last but not least, there are many links on our website to other websites in the City of New Bern. Our website is looking for an assistant who has experience with HTML and PHP. Please call Ron Benrey (638-5787).