The Extra Mile Award

Each year, your Board of Directors acknowledges the volunteer who went above and beyond to aid the community.

John Barr has been the sole member of the Maintenance Committee for a relatively short time. However, in that period he has managed to accomplish an amazing amount of beneficial work that has enriched and enhanced the Mallard Bay Community. He was instrumental in the planning, getting bids for and overseeing the re-decking of both the main pier and the crabbing/kayak pier. Among many other items he has also rebuilt the playground structure, repaired the fire pit, replaced the broken dehumidifier under the clubhouse , installed the air conditioner in the pool shed, added or replaced access signs and poles, and installed safety ladders on both piers.

John never hesitates to volunteer to solve a maintenance problem. His willingness and positive attitude have made him a wonderful asset to the Board and the community. Thank you, John.

Each year, your Board of Directors acknowledges the volunteer who went above and beyond to aid the community.

This year, the award went to Debby Tupper, the chairperson of the amenities committee. Her focus and accomplishments this year included the clean up of Flyway Trail and the installation of markers identifying the trail, and the organization and clean up of the RV lot. 

In her presentation before the award, Debby identified the amenities of the association and requested contact information for anyone who has an interest in a specific area. Everyone with an interest or expertise in these areas is encouraged to contact Debby: pool maintenance, tennis courts, basketball courts, pickleball court, trails, playground, RV lot, and the dog park.

As you can see, the one-person amenities "committee" could use some more members. It's a daunting job to do on one's own, and Debby hasn't let us down. Let's divide her burden by stepping up to help 

Congratulations Debby, and thank you for all the work you do for our amazing community. 

Mary’s accomplishments are several. Among them was when she identified an unused plot of Mallard Bay common land and turned it into a dog park – perhaps the only one in the Northern Neck. She obtained the permission of the Board of Directors, identified a fence building company, and had a chain link fence constructed to form the park’s boundaries.

Knowing the right people with whom to speak, Mary often contacted Virginia Departments to remove trees from the roadways or fill potholes, often before others had a chance to mention it to her. 

A number of large projects were tackled while she was President of the Board of Directors, including refurbishing of the clubhouse deck, replacement of windows, pool repair, and cutting down of trees on the two dams in the community. 

During the height of COVID, she went by herself to get pool chemicals, which were hard to come by, brought them back to Mallard Bay and unloaded for the benefit of all the pool lovers.   Game court amenities were enhanced by her efforts, including the most recent recommendation for Corn Hole. 

While Mary completes much on her own, she finds helpers to weed and patch the tennis court, cut down bushes, etc., often engaging the assistance of younger members of the community.  Mary has donated not only time, but also financial resources to our community.

When the Memorial Day Picnic 2022 was in question due to the Mitchells' illness at the last minute, Mary took the reins, others rallied, and we had a successful gathering.

If trees land on your neighbor’s driveway or garage, Blaine shows up with his tractor and chain saw to move them.  If you need help launching a boat or pulling one out of the water, just ask Blaine.  If planks on the community dock need replacement, he’s there with multiple power tools.  If you need help moving your cannon to the clubhouse, he’s there with a trailer.

If the fencing company can’t get the gate latch fixed for the dog park, Blaine designs and welds one that will work.  If you want to install a tetherball, Blaine digs the hole and sets the pole perfectly upright.  If a wooden grate over one of the drains that allows circulation of water to our lakes and ponds rots away, Blaine designs, constructs and installs a safer metal replacement. 

If you need a large trailer to haul to the dump all the tree parts that fell during an ice storm, Blaine is the fellow to call.  And, if you need 10 years of overgrowth and old machinery hauled out of the RV lot, Blaine is the man to call and afterwards, he mows the grass and makes the RV lot look more like a well-manicured golf course.

Bob is truly a gift to our community, willingly taking on a wide variety of responsibilities. As Chair of the Social Committee, he and his wife Winky have, sometimes single-handedly, planned, purchased food, arranged entertainment, set up, prepared food and cleaned up after several social events.  The COVID pandemic’s changing rules regarding social gatherings in Virginia made the job all the more challenging, but Bob and Winky kept up with the requirements and managed social events that were enjoyed and appreciated by our community.  Also, Bob has frequently arranged to collect and distribute donations to several local charities.  

Outside the social area, Bob helped see to it that fresh water pumps feeding our lakes and ponds were kept in working order.  He has been predictably available on short notice for just about any chore that can be imagined.  A  man of many talents, for instance, he developed a solution to improve lighting in the clubhouse parking lot by purchasing relatively inexpensive stand-alone solar powered lights that turn on automatically when motion is detected.  Bob went on to climb a ladder and install the lights himself.  As a result, dark areas were lit without the need of expensive wiring to remote areas of the lot.

 Others in our county have benefited from Bob’s commitment to community service.  A member of the Board of Directors of the Northumberland County Little League writes:  “Bob has selflessly volunteered his time at the Northumberland County Little League since the day he moved to town.  His dedication to the children of our Little League program as an umpire is greatly appreciated.  It is an often thankless job, but one that must be filled in order for the children to play the game they love so much.”