First of all, a reminder that fire alarm testing is scheduled for Monday. Alarm testing in the common areas will begin at 8:00am and in-unit inspections will begin at 9:00. This is a safety issue and it’s important that all units be inspected. Ron will be accompanying the alarm company and giving them access to units where residents are not home. If your smoke detector needs to be replaced, BEF will replace it and you will be billed back by the association. 

Second, tomorrow (Saturday) is Lowell’s City of Lights festival and parade. Festivities begin at 11:00am at the Brush Gallery and noon in other areas. The parade begins at 4:30pm and ends with the lighting of City Hall. For more info about the festival and about road closures and parking, see https://www.lowellcityoflights.org.

And lastly, I’ve been asked to post the following by one of the folks who regularly mark and sort packages for everyone’s convenience, as well as checking security video as needed. While much of the complex has been wonderful about picking up packages promptly (thank you for that!) there are still stragglers, and it’s very easy for the mailroom to get out of control.

Christmas is coming. And that means BOXES and PACKAGES are arriving in the mailroom at the usual Holiday speed!

1. Please keep an eye on the mailroom for items that you are expecting to arrive from all of our friendly delivery people. Items sometimes arrive AHEAD of time, so don’t wait for the official delivery date to start checking the mailroom for your deliveries. It’s not a bad idea to check for packages regularly even if you aren’t expecting anything; sometimes friends or family will surprise you.

2. If you get notice that a package has arrived, please look EVERYWHERE in the mailroom before contacting anyone that your package is missing. Those same friendly delivery people don’t always take the time to put packages where they belong.

3. Items sometimes arrive DAYS after you get notification that they’ve been delivered. Give it a few days before notifying anyone that your package hasn’t arrived.

AND – once you’ve received your packages, please be a good neighbor and FLATTEN THE EMPTY BOXES before taking them down to the basement to dispose of in the cardboard container. If the container is full, place your flattened boxes to the right of the containers to keep them out of the open area in front of the containers. If you want to be really conscientious, arrange to take the boxes to the DPW recycling bin.

If your items come packed in styrofoam, please SEPARATE the styrofoam from the flattened boxes and place the styrofoam in their own bags. Do NOT put unwrapped, individual pieces of styrofoam down the trash chute; they cannot be read by the ‘eye’ of the compactor which results in the crushing process faltering and the chute backing up.

Thanks – and Happy Holidays!

A recent software update disabled this site’s ability to send out emails. I believe I’ve solved the problem but we’ll see. The changes I made should also make notifications less likely to land in anyone’s spam folder.

Because of the email snafu, folks probably missed last Thursday’s post about washing machines and payment by check so you might want to take a look.

First of all, a reminder that December condo fees are coming up. For those of us who prefer to write checks rather than arrange electronic payment through the portal, there are no longer coupon books to use for check payments; the amount due can be seen by signing into your portal account, and the mailing address for checks is available on the contact page. If paying by check, please allow plenty of time for your payment to get there.

Also, a resident has questions about their washing machine set-up. Please offer any advice you have in the comments.

“I recently purchased a new front loading washing machine and dryer. When the new washing machine runs its spin cycle it shakes the whole condo. You can even feel it on the bottom floor! I had two repair people come and look at it and they both said the machine itself is working well. The second one suggested that the problem is with the floor and not the machine. He told us that we should look into reinforcing the floor beneath the machine to stop the vibrating. The manual also suggests reinforcing the floor. I was wondering if anyone has gone through this or might have some advice on what to do, or who to hire.“

The rear elevator has been shut down for the weekend due to repeated malfunctions. We hope to have the repair company here Monday.

If you need to use the front elevator to transport pets or large items in the meantime, please be considerate and careful of both the elevator itself and of your neighbors who may be riding it.

As winter and the holidays approach, this building tends to find itself with an excess of both mice and packages.

Regarding packages: Please pick up your packages from the mailroom promptly; that room was never designed to handle the number of deliveries that have become part of modern life. And, while our fob system has been very successful reducing package thefts, packages still get taken occasionally, either by folks tailing someone in or by another resident within the complex. The less time an item sits in the mailroom, the better.

Regarding mice: Be aware that those furry critters are currently looking for someplace warm, and your unit may be just the spot! Some of their favorite access points are the openings around incoming plumbing, unseen holes behind kitchen appliances, and those little gaps along the lower edge of baseboards, particularly in the corners. One way to seal up openings is with a spray foam designed for that purpose. Various types of traps can also be helpful. And make sure all food is properly sealed and put away so that it doesn’t serve as an invitation.

Someone in the building is looking for a part time nanny or babysitter to help out with their two-year-old for about 15 hours a week during the late afternoons. Does anyone have any suggestions or recommendations? To speak with them directly, please email me and I’ll put you in touch.

As most of you know, the building alarms sounded multiple times this morning. While there’s some question about the first time, the later times were a problem with the system. The alarm company has been notified. The fire department has turned off the horns but is still connected to our fire warning system. All the same, residents should be aware that for the moment there is no audio alarm if there’s an issue in the building and a little extra attention is recommended. The flashing lights (lower levels only) and exhaust fans triggered by the system are currently still running. We hope to have this resolved ASAP.

This afternoon until 5:00 and tomorrow morning from 8:00 to noon are the last times for early voting at the Senior Center on Broadway Street. Voting on Tuesday for residents of our building is at the Rogers School Gymnasium at 43 Highland Street. Voting hours are 7am to 8pm. For those planning to vote by mail, don’t forget to return your ballot ASAP! More info about voting can be found here.

The lobby office will be open regular hours this month excepting a couple of Saturdays and the week of Thanksgiving. The calendar appears below.

From the management:

Hello Canal Place Residents,

We’re pleased to report that those of you with basement parking spots may now resume using them!

PLEASE RETURN YOUR ROY GARAGE CARD KEY AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. THIS WILL AVOID ANY UNINTENTIONAL OVERCHARGING FROM THE GARAGE.

Options for returning your card key are as follows:

• Return it directly to the garage office.

• Return it to Brittanye in the Canal Place office on Tuesday evening.

• Slip it in the mail slot in the office door. (If so, please put your card in an envelope with your name and unit number to avoid confusion.)

Thanks,

Canal Place Condominium

There will be Trick-or-Treating at downtown businesses and a haunted house at City Hall from noon to 3:00 tomorrow, Don’t forget a bag for goodies! More info can be found here.