This may not impact many Regency Cove families, but look whats in store.
HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY NEWS
FOR IMMEDIATE USE
October 28, 2009
New Regional Park Fees Start Nov. 1
Residents and visitors using Hillsborough County’s Regional Parks will be charged an entry fee and boat launch fee beginning Nov. 1. This is first time these fees have been implemented in the Hillsborough County parks.
The fee structure is modeled after other local, state and national park systems. Entry fee is $2 per vehicle (up to eight people) and the boat launch fee is $5. Frequent users of the parks are urged to purchase an annual pass that is good for one year from the date of purchase and good for any Regional Park in the system. The annual entry pass is $100 for a family or $50 for individuals. The boat ramp fee annual pass cost $100. Both can be purchased at: http://www.hillsboroughcounty.org/parks/resources/forms/about/upce731.pdf
The fees were implemented to avoid closing the Regional Parks two days a week, which was proposed in the draft budget County Commissioners reviewed. Park users voiced their opinions during budget public hearings last August and September and wanted to keep the facilities open seven days a week. The Board of County Commissioners heard these concerns and in September approved the fee structure proposed by the Parks, Recreation and Conservation Department to keep service at proper operational levels without compromising public safety.
Regional Parks include: Alderman’s Ford; E.G. Simmons; Edward Medard; Eureka Springs; Lake Park; Lake Rogers; Lettuce Lake; Lithia Springs; Upper Tampa Bay; and all Wilderness Park sites.
More information is available at www.hillsboroughcounty.org/parks or by calling the PRC office at (813) 635-3500.
Friday, October 30, 2009
Next Budget Meeting
The next Budget Meeting will be Nov 3, 2009 at 10 am. If anything, these meetings sure have been colorful! Plan to attend.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
To Cheri and Ed Scobee:
I wanted to write out a card to thank the maintenance staff for their help setting up the Club Regency Dinner yesterday, but I got caught up with the budget stuff this morning, and just plain forgot.
I was the chairperson for the Oct dinner last night, its been about 2 years since I last did this. I made a HUGE mistake, and forgot to submit the drawing for the room set-up. I have to tell you, Cheri and Ed, that your maintenance staff was SO POLITE and RESPECTFUL to me, and those of us setting up the clubhouse at the last minute. Richard and Bobby made sure that the room was set up to the specs I was given a week ago.
I am so proud of the caliber of service we receive from our staff. Moments before her Monday departure, Peggy made copies of Halloween Dance tickets for us to sell at the dinner. It is just amazing to me that our staff will, at the drop of a hat, make adjustments in their busy days to accommodate the activity chairmen, to make our events successful. You all went out of your way to make the Sept 11 Memorial Service beautiful and so memorable. I can't begin to thank the Guys for all the preliminary and on-going work on Blvd 7 to make the Grant Project successful. Our tropical garden is so beautiful.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart. You are amazing.
Sandy Ross
I wanted to write out a card to thank the maintenance staff for their help setting up the Club Regency Dinner yesterday, but I got caught up with the budget stuff this morning, and just plain forgot.
I was the chairperson for the Oct dinner last night, its been about 2 years since I last did this. I made a HUGE mistake, and forgot to submit the drawing for the room set-up. I have to tell you, Cheri and Ed, that your maintenance staff was SO POLITE and RESPECTFUL to me, and those of us setting up the clubhouse at the last minute. Richard and Bobby made sure that the room was set up to the specs I was given a week ago.
I am so proud of the caliber of service we receive from our staff. Moments before her Monday departure, Peggy made copies of Halloween Dance tickets for us to sell at the dinner. It is just amazing to me that our staff will, at the drop of a hat, make adjustments in their busy days to accommodate the activity chairmen, to make our events successful. You all went out of your way to make the Sept 11 Memorial Service beautiful and so memorable. I can't begin to thank the Guys for all the preliminary and on-going work on Blvd 7 to make the Grant Project successful. Our tropical garden is so beautiful.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart. You are amazing.
Sandy Ross
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Fall Hit Florida Today
For any of you in the northern states who follow this blog, you may be interested to learn that Fall hit Florida today. No, our leaves are not changing colors, or anything like that. In the last few days our afternoon temeratures have dropped from 94 degrees to 66. Driving home Wednesday from a conference in Pinellas Park, my dashboard thermostat registered a whopping 96 degrees outside, at 3pm. This was not typical October Tampa weather.
Yesterday, a front moved in. Air-conditioners all over the city were shut off and windows opened to allow the cool and dry breezes into our homes. Anyone with windows left open overnight had a rather brutal awakening to temps in the low 50s early this morning. We actually had our HEAT on this morning, because we were so cold. During the day, it did warm up to mid-60s, and a few residents made it out on their bikes in warm coats and hats.
We've been waiting for this for weeks... "Hey, I'll do a little weeding when it cools off a little". Well, its here. Its time to clean up outside.
OK, I know you northerners have had frost warnings and even snow already. I don't want to hear it from you. You're SUPPOSED to have crappy weather up there... that's why you can't wait to return here. We're waiting for you, snowbirds! Hurry home. The weather is fine, well, cooling off a little.
Club Regency Dinner Tomorrow
If you bought your Spaghetti dinner ticket a month ago, don't forget that Club Regency's first sit-down dinner of the season is tomorrow night. Committee members are due at the hall at 4pm. The doors will open at 4:30 and dinner will be served at 5:30.
Boulevards 8,9, Canal and the apartments, and the Cul-de-sac are hosting this event. The committee will decorate at 10 am, and no reserve seating (other than the committee table and disabled seating) will be allowed.
The Happy Hoofers, a chorus line variety show will provide the entertainment for the evening. We look forward to seeing everyone together again at our supper table!
Boulevards 8,9, Canal and the apartments, and the Cul-de-sac are hosting this event. The committee will decorate at 10 am, and no reserve seating (other than the committee table and disabled seating) will be allowed.
The Happy Hoofers, a chorus line variety show will provide the entertainment for the evening. We look forward to seeing everyone together again at our supper table!
8 Perfect Sleep-Better Foods
If there are any other insomniacs out there, I thought I would share with you this article I received tonight from a friend. Its from Mens' Health magazine.
By David Zinczenko, with Matt Goulding - Posted on Mon, Sep 21, 2009, 4:24 pm PDT
Forget what your mom told you: A glass of warm milk before bed might actually keep you up, rather than lull you to sleep. See, the protein in the milk will boost alertness--and unless it's skim, the fat will slow your digestion, making your rest more fitful. Not exactly the best shut-eye remedy. (Sorry, mom.)
Nothing makes it harder to fall asleep than knowing how important it is to fall asleep. So when the pressure's on, try chowing down on one of these snacks before bedtime to ensure some serious shut-eye; they're all hand-picked and approved by the Eat This, Not That! nutrition team. These 8 sleep-better foods and drinks have been shown to induce feel-good relaxation chemicals, calming your nerves and slowing your racing brain. You can thank us ... tomorrow morning--after a long, restful night.
NONFAT POPCORN - Pop a bag half an hour before bedtime: The carbs will induce your body to create serotonin, a neurochemical that makes you feel relaxed. Skipping the butter-fat will slow the process of boosting those feel-good chemicals, and, as mentioned above, will also slow digestion in general.
OATMEAL WITH SLICED BANANA - Sleep is inspired by the hormone melatonin, but stress or excitement can disrupt melatonin's release. Bring your brain back down to earth by whipping up a bowl of instant oatmeal and topping it with a sliced banana, which is rich in melatonin.
Related: Something else that helps you sleep: A good workout, early in the day.
1 CUP OF PLAIN YOGURT WITH 2 TABLESPOONS MIXED NUTS - Scientists in Slovakia gave people either 3 grams each of two amino acids (lysine and arginine) or a placebo and asked them to deliver a speech. Blood measurements of stress hormones revealed that the amino acid-fortified speakers were half as anxious during and after the speech as those who took the placebo. Yogurt is one of the best food sources of lysine; nuts pack tons of arginine. Because both contain alertness-inducing protein, you're best off eating this combo a few hours before bed (or even at midday, before a big, stressful presentation at work). It'll reduce the residual stress you feel later in the evening, meaning you won't replay your day over and over again in your head as you try to fall asleep.
A PILE OF SESAME SEEDS - Sesame seeds are one of the best natural sources of tryptophan, the sleep-inducing amino responsible for all of those post-Thanksgiving turkey comas. Hold off on the turkey sammies, though-the protein in the turkey might offset the tryptophan's benefit.
A HANDFUL OF PRETZELS - Pretzels are a low-calorie, low-fat source of carbohydrates, which will make you feel sleepy, but won't pack on the pounds or give you belly-aching indigestion.
1 GLASS OF WINE - It's called a "nightcap" for a reason--a glass of wine really does take the edge off. University of Toronto researchers discovered that one alcoholic drink caused people's blood vessels to relax--but two began to reverse the effects, so limit your intake. Relaxed blood vessels means lower blood pressure, slower heart rate, and greater ability to relax in general.
A 4-OZ GLASS OF UNSWEETENED CHERRY JUICE - Cherry juice has serotonin-inducing carbohydrates, which will help relax you. Down the cherry juice an hour before bedtime, in case you feel a small jolt of energy from the sugar. There's not enough to keep you up all night or destabilize your blood sugar levels.
RED BELL PEPPERS - Researchers at the University of Alabama fed rats 200 milligrams of vitamin C twice a day and found that it nearly stopped the secretion of cortisol, a hormone released in your body when you're stressed. Calorie for calorie, red bell peppers give you more vitamin C than any other fruit or vegetable.
So now you have it, Folks ... oatmeal, bananas, cherry juice, with red peppers and pretzels. Unfortunately you can only wash it down with ONE glass of wine!?! Boy, do I have a problem with that!
By David Zinczenko, with Matt Goulding - Posted on Mon, Sep 21, 2009, 4:24 pm PDT
Forget what your mom told you: A glass of warm milk before bed might actually keep you up, rather than lull you to sleep. See, the protein in the milk will boost alertness--and unless it's skim, the fat will slow your digestion, making your rest more fitful. Not exactly the best shut-eye remedy. (Sorry, mom.)
Nothing makes it harder to fall asleep than knowing how important it is to fall asleep. So when the pressure's on, try chowing down on one of these snacks before bedtime to ensure some serious shut-eye; they're all hand-picked and approved by the Eat This, Not That! nutrition team. These 8 sleep-better foods and drinks have been shown to induce feel-good relaxation chemicals, calming your nerves and slowing your racing brain. You can thank us ... tomorrow morning--after a long, restful night.
NONFAT POPCORN - Pop a bag half an hour before bedtime: The carbs will induce your body to create serotonin, a neurochemical that makes you feel relaxed. Skipping the butter-fat will slow the process of boosting those feel-good chemicals, and, as mentioned above, will also slow digestion in general.
OATMEAL WITH SLICED BANANA - Sleep is inspired by the hormone melatonin, but stress or excitement can disrupt melatonin's release. Bring your brain back down to earth by whipping up a bowl of instant oatmeal and topping it with a sliced banana, which is rich in melatonin.
Related: Something else that helps you sleep: A good workout, early in the day.
1 CUP OF PLAIN YOGURT WITH 2 TABLESPOONS MIXED NUTS - Scientists in Slovakia gave people either 3 grams each of two amino acids (lysine and arginine) or a placebo and asked them to deliver a speech. Blood measurements of stress hormones revealed that the amino acid-fortified speakers were half as anxious during and after the speech as those who took the placebo. Yogurt is one of the best food sources of lysine; nuts pack tons of arginine. Because both contain alertness-inducing protein, you're best off eating this combo a few hours before bed (or even at midday, before a big, stressful presentation at work). It'll reduce the residual stress you feel later in the evening, meaning you won't replay your day over and over again in your head as you try to fall asleep.
A PILE OF SESAME SEEDS - Sesame seeds are one of the best natural sources of tryptophan, the sleep-inducing amino responsible for all of those post-Thanksgiving turkey comas. Hold off on the turkey sammies, though-the protein in the turkey might offset the tryptophan's benefit.
A HANDFUL OF PRETZELS - Pretzels are a low-calorie, low-fat source of carbohydrates, which will make you feel sleepy, but won't pack on the pounds or give you belly-aching indigestion.
1 GLASS OF WINE - It's called a "nightcap" for a reason--a glass of wine really does take the edge off. University of Toronto researchers discovered that one alcoholic drink caused people's blood vessels to relax--but two began to reverse the effects, so limit your intake. Relaxed blood vessels means lower blood pressure, slower heart rate, and greater ability to relax in general.
A 4-OZ GLASS OF UNSWEETENED CHERRY JUICE - Cherry juice has serotonin-inducing carbohydrates, which will help relax you. Down the cherry juice an hour before bedtime, in case you feel a small jolt of energy from the sugar. There's not enough to keep you up all night or destabilize your blood sugar levels.
RED BELL PEPPERS - Researchers at the University of Alabama fed rats 200 milligrams of vitamin C twice a day and found that it nearly stopped the secretion of cortisol, a hormone released in your body when you're stressed. Calorie for calorie, red bell peppers give you more vitamin C than any other fruit or vegetable.
So now you have it, Folks ... oatmeal, bananas, cherry juice, with red peppers and pretzels. Unfortunately you can only wash it down with ONE glass of wine!?! Boy, do I have a problem with that!
Friday, October 16, 2009
2010 Budget Meetings Continue
The second posted board budget meeting was held today in Goodwin Hall. These are not the workshops where the actual budget will be projected on the wall for all to see. Right now, the members of the board and Cheri Scobee, our manager, are doing the mundane line-by-line discussion of income vs. expenses.
Cheri prepared three detailed versions of a proposed budget for today's meeting: one with no maintenance fee increase, with and without the $3ook extra bank loan. She also drafted versions with a 3% and a 5% maintenance increase. Today's meeting was a little under four hours, and really just skimmed the surface.
Our park is no different from most all governing bodies in the nation during this dreadful recession. Our income is decreasing, and we need to cut our expenses. Exactly how we do that is the topic of discussion at these budget meetings. Difficult decisions need to be made.
Please share your ideas with members of the board, and give us your support as we present our solutions to these difficult decisions to the membership. The next meeting is scheduled for October 20 at 1:00pm. Shortly after that, the budget will be mailed out to the shareholders.
Cheri prepared three detailed versions of a proposed budget for today's meeting: one with no maintenance fee increase, with and without the $3ook extra bank loan. She also drafted versions with a 3% and a 5% maintenance increase. Today's meeting was a little under four hours, and really just skimmed the surface.
Our park is no different from most all governing bodies in the nation during this dreadful recession. Our income is decreasing, and we need to cut our expenses. Exactly how we do that is the topic of discussion at these budget meetings. Difficult decisions need to be made.
Please share your ideas with members of the board, and give us your support as we present our solutions to these difficult decisions to the membership. The next meeting is scheduled for October 20 at 1:00pm. Shortly after that, the budget will be mailed out to the shareholders.
Believe Half of What You See
There are several outrageous emails in local circulation that need to be addressed. No, there will be no free Ericsson laptop for emailing 20 of your friends. Michelle and Barack Obama did not appear at a government function looking like a green-suited pimp with his bare-belly mama. There is no planned federal tax on guns, and despite many hopeful wishes, ogling women's breasts will NOT increase men's lifespans.
Sorry Guys!
Even if you have been exploring the world-wide web for a decade or more, you may occasionally fall for a prank or a hoax. Many of these things circle the globe for years, grabbing new takers every time around.
I remember when I was still teaching (pre-2003) a school official actually posted an email near our time clock warning us, just before Spring break, of killer spiders on airline toilet seats. Not one to have my butt bit, I checked it out on Urban Legends.com, and I posted my rebuttal right over the principal's warning. It was clearly a hoax.
Be sensible before you foreward outrageous emails. No one wants to look foolish. If you have read something questionable, go to Google.com and type in "urban legends". About.com is the site I prefer, but Snopes.com is right up there. You could spend an evening perusing the top 25 urban legends, and kick yourself for believing the crap that you get in emails, and just have fun looking at all the photos circulating the web.
The latest one I got tonight was actually, partially true. Pyrex dishes, they say, are exploding with sudden temperature changes. The Chinese reformulated the patent so they say.
So all I can tell you is wear safety goggles when you takes your casserole out of the oven, and never, but never, sit on an airline toilet seat because you never know what's gonna get ya.
Sorry Guys!Even if you have been exploring the world-wide web for a decade or more, you may occasionally fall for a prank or a hoax. Many of these things circle the globe for years, grabbing new takers every time around.
I remember when I was still teaching (pre-2003) a school official actually posted an email near our time clock warning us, just before Spring break, of killer spiders on airline toilet seats. Not one to have my butt bit, I checked it out on Urban Legends.com, and I posted my rebuttal right over the principal's warning. It was clearly a hoax.
Be sensible before you foreward outrageous emails. No one wants to look foolish. If you have read something questionable, go to Google.com and type in "urban legends". About.com is the site I prefer, but Snopes.com is right up there. You could spend an evening perusing the top 25 urban legends, and kick yourself for believing the crap that you get in emails, and just have fun looking at all the photos circulating the web.
The latest one I got tonight was actually, partially true. Pyrex dishes, they say, are exploding with sudden temperature changes. The Chinese reformulated the patent so they say.
So all I can tell you is wear safety goggles when you takes your casserole out of the oven, and never, but never, sit on an airline toilet seat because you never know what's gonna get ya.
Monday, October 12, 2009
Update on Georgetown
In case you haven't heard, Debartolo Development, with the Avanti Group and Christian Tyler Properties purchased Georgetown on October 2 for $30.5 million. This same group bowed out of the contest two years ago when the bidding frenzy topped $125 million. They are quite pleased with their bargain purchase.
The Trust for Public Lands became involved as the property took a nose-dive when the economy tanked, and the land went into foreclosure. TPL has been attempting to protect the precious 10.8 acres of wetlands and 34 acres of submerged land, i.e. sand bars and beach waterfront from unscrupulous development. The plan now includes the development of a "passive park". This mean protected public lands for public use, but no swimming pools or baseball diamonds. There was mention of beach access and a kayak launch. (Hey Hey, the Regency Cove kayakers will just LOVE this.)
Public access is anticipated to run through the commercial marina area on the southern boundary of the 80+ acres. No formal plans have been acknowledged yet by Debartolo. We will keep you informed. This information was shared at the Bayaside West meeting this evening.
The Trust for Public Lands became involved as the property took a nose-dive when the economy tanked, and the land went into foreclosure. TPL has been attempting to protect the precious 10.8 acres of wetlands and 34 acres of submerged land, i.e. sand bars and beach waterfront from unscrupulous development. The plan now includes the development of a "passive park". This mean protected public lands for public use, but no swimming pools or baseball diamonds. There was mention of beach access and a kayak launch. (Hey Hey, the Regency Cove kayakers will just LOVE this.)
Public access is anticipated to run through the commercial marina area on the southern boundary of the 80+ acres. No formal plans have been acknowledged yet by Debartolo. We will keep you informed. This information was shared at the Bayaside West meeting this evening.
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Bayside West Meeting
On Monday night at 7pm, there will be a meeting of our Bayside West Neighborhood Association. President Jerry Frankhouser has several speakers lined up for an informative meeting.
"We will have update from TBARTA, Tampa Police, Georgetown, the overhead on Gandy, information from the Coast Guard Aux. and Walmart. I hope to see you there."
The Annual gargage sale is coming up on Oct 24. It should be a great day for neighborhood bargains, so come to the meeting and learn how to get a map of the local sales.
"We will have update from TBARTA, Tampa Police, Georgetown, the overhead on Gandy, information from the Coast Guard Aux. and Walmart. I hope to see you there."
The Annual gargage sale is coming up on Oct 24. It should be a great day for neighborhood bargains, so come to the meeting and learn how to get a map of the local sales.
Seawall is (almost) Complete
Although the final walk-through has not be done, some of the final items on the punch list are being completed. The last vestige of the construction project left the park late yesterday afternoon, the construction storage unit. It was loaded on the back of a very large truck, and quietly rolled out of Regency Cove.
Hooray! We have our parking lot back!
Hooray! We have our parking lot back!In reviewing the archives of this blog, I came across the photos taken the day it was delivered, on August 29, 2008. It has been a remarkable year for our park, and we should all be very proud of our beautiful waterfront.
Monday, October 5, 2009
Octoberbest Luncheon and Dance
Join the Yacht Cub as they celebrate the Fall season!
Saturday October 17, 2009
12:30pm
Sign up in Information center and purchase tickets from Warren and Marie (831-3144) or Susan.
Menu: Italian sausage/ or grilled chicken, potato salad and beans, rolls and butter, and beverages
Dance to the music of Perfect Fit. Sure to be a blast!
First Club Regency Dinner
On October 16, Club Regency is hosting its first sit down dinner of the Fall season. Boulevards 8, 9, Canal, the Cul-de-sac, and the apartments will be hosting this event. (Hope to see you at the planning meeting on Oct 12, at 1:00 in the clubhouse).
Tickets are available by calling any board member: Mary Willsey, Alice Disharoon, Sandy Ross, Judy Webb, Carole Hindman, or Linda Siddens.
The menu consists of pasta and sausage or meat balls, salad, bread, and dessert. Entertainment will be provided by the Happy Hoofers, a chorus line variety show.
Tickets are available by calling any board member: Mary Willsey, Alice Disharoon, Sandy Ross, Judy Webb, Carole Hindman, or Linda Siddens.
The menu consists of pasta and sausage or meat balls, salad, bread, and dessert. Entertainment will be provided by the Happy Hoofers, a chorus line variety show.
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Gandy Blvd Overpass
Jerry Frankhouser, the president of our Bayside West neighborhood association, has been in periodic contact with the FDOT team that insists on building a 20-30 foot median overpass down Gandy Boulevard. Jerry just learned that the results of the FDOT (Florida Department of Transportation) teams' presentation which was held here at Regency Cove, has been officially published that no residents offered any resistance to the idea, and apparently, we as a community agree to the building of the overpass.
This is astounding to me! Jerry requested copies of the written comments that were submitted during the meeting, but unfortunately, those comment cards have been lost. FDOT can't explain what happened to the cards, but they were not their responsibility.
Is this true? Is it possible that the residents of Regency Cove have silently accepted the despicable outcome of a two story concrete monstrosity right outside our front gates? What does it take to get you readers to respond to this very important cause?
F
This is astounding to me! Jerry requested copies of the written comments that were submitted during the meeting, but unfortunately, those comment cards have been lost. FDOT can't explain what happened to the cards, but they were not their responsibility.
Is this true? Is it possible that the residents of Regency Cove have silently accepted the despicable outcome of a two story concrete monstrosity right outside our front gates? What does it take to get you readers to respond to this very important cause?
F
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