This is let you know that there is a meeting about Amendment 4 ,the Home Land development issue on the November 9th ballot.It will be held at the Whole Food Store on Dale Mabry across the street from Walmart on September 1 at 6:pm.
I hope you will be able to made this as this is a way to find out about the amendments on this year's ballot. There are 9 to think about. They will have refreshments.
Jerry Frankhouser, President Bayside West Neighborhood Association
www.baysidewest.50megs.com
savegandy@usa.com
813-507-9664
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Early FL Primary Results
Unofficially the early results of someone else's blog, lists today's primary results as follows:
FL primary results: Meek, Sink, Rubio declared winners
ShareNew 0
by Jed Lewison
Tue Aug 24, 2010 at 05:31:00 PM PDT
There was never any question about the victors in the Democratic gubernatorial primary or the Republican senatorial primary and Alex Sink and Marco Rubio will be moving on to the November ballot respectively.
Kendrick Meek has also been declared the winner of the Democratic senatorial primary. With more than a third of precincts reporting, he's blowing out Jeff Greene by a 55-42 margin.
The gubernatorial primary is still close, with Rick Scott holding a surprising 2 point lead over Bill McCollum, the GOP insider who had been favored in many polls to win the primary. About 40 percent has reported in that race.
In House races: Taliban Dan Webster will be Alan Grayson's opponent and incumbent Democrat Alan Boyd has a tiny 2 point lead against challenger Al Lawson with about half the precincts reporting.
Update By Steve Singiser: One other House race in Florida is an upset in the making. Apparently the late ugliness between Ruths Chris CEO Craig Miller and Karen Diebel has allowed a candidate that spent half of what they did (state Rep. Sandy Adams) to move into a narrow lead with 62% of precincts reporting.
FL primary results: Meek, Sink, Rubio declared winners
ShareNew 0
by Jed Lewison
Tue Aug 24, 2010 at 05:31:00 PM PDT
There was never any question about the victors in the Democratic gubernatorial primary or the Republican senatorial primary and Alex Sink and Marco Rubio will be moving on to the November ballot respectively.
Kendrick Meek has also been declared the winner of the Democratic senatorial primary. With more than a third of precincts reporting, he's blowing out Jeff Greene by a 55-42 margin.
The gubernatorial primary is still close, with Rick Scott holding a surprising 2 point lead over Bill McCollum, the GOP insider who had been favored in many polls to win the primary. About 40 percent has reported in that race.
In House races: Taliban Dan Webster will be Alan Grayson's opponent and incumbent Democrat Alan Boyd has a tiny 2 point lead against challenger Al Lawson with about half the precincts reporting.
Update By Steve Singiser: One other House race in Florida is an upset in the making. Apparently the late ugliness between Ruths Chris CEO Craig Miller and Karen Diebel has allowed a candidate that spent half of what they did (state Rep. Sandy Adams) to move into a narrow lead with 62% of precincts reporting.
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Happy Birthday Regency Cove Whisperings
As I recall, this blog site is about 4 years old. Almost 52000 hits. Amazing, as that figures to about 35 hits per day. Obviously, its very popular, and so it should be. Happy Birthday!! Ed
Friday, August 20, 2010
Spas and Children
The following article in blue text is condensed from a Richard White column 
in the July, 2010 issue of Florida Community Association Journal. It is concerned with the use of association hot tubs, jacuzzis, or spas, whatever you want to call them, ...and little kids.
Our board voted on this same issue on January 28, 2010 with the following: "A motion was made that children under 12 must have adult supervision if they use the Jacuzzi." No medical research was referenced before this motion was passed (not unanimously).
Here is the Richard White edited version in blue font.....
Q. Our past and present boards have debated the idea to restrict the minimum age for the use of our spa. Much to the chagrin of our full-time residents, it is not unusual to see small children frolicking in our spas that are set to 104 degrees. Many suggestions have been made to increase the age to what seems to be the norm in our area, 16 years minimum. At our last board meeting, they voted unanimously to raise the minimum age to 10 years old. Our bylaws give the board the right to amend the Rules and Regulations as they see fit. Do you have any insight on the board's right to impose this age restriction, and do you know if its common around condominium communities in Florida to restrict the age limit for use of the spas? Your advice would be greatly appreciated. P.A. , Jacksonville Beach
A. Yes you have a right to be concerned. The source for my answer comes from the National Swimming Pool Foundation (http://nspf.org) and their Pool-Spa Operators Handbook and Florida Statute 524. It refers to a person's body core temperature and a spa's temperature of 104 degrees should be limited to no more than 15 minutes for a 'normal person'. A condition called hyperthermia can result if these figures are exceeded.
A person should be aware of their own body's reaction to the heat, and it may require less time to reach the maximim core heat. Some people with high blood pressure , or under the influence of alcohol, or taking certain perscription drugs, or older persons in poor health, and pregnant women must use extreme caution when using the spa. It further says that children must be supervised and monitored for their body core temperature. I would suggest that you call the county health department or the department that inspects pools and spas and talk with them. I further suggest that the policy approved by the board requires that children be fully monitored by their parents, and their time be limited much below the 15 minutes. I would further suggest that children be required to sit still and not play in the spa.
Our board feels that adult supervision is only required for children 11 years and younger, despite the warnings listed above. The Florida Statutes list a minimum age requirement, but allow communities to set their own age standards. I think this topic should be revisited by our Board of Directors, to set a safer standard for the children visiting our park. If they refuse to do so, all our residents who have grandchildren coming to visit should be made aware of the dangers of young children, as well as compromised adults soaking in our 104 degree hot tub/spa for long periods of time. This information should be distributed by the board, or our manager and published in the Outlook or on our webpage, for all residents to reference.
in the July, 2010 issue of Florida Community Association Journal. It is concerned with the use of association hot tubs, jacuzzis, or spas, whatever you want to call them, ...and little kids.
Our board voted on this same issue on January 28, 2010 with the following: "A motion was made that children under 12 must have adult supervision if they use the Jacuzzi." No medical research was referenced before this motion was passed (not unanimously).
Here is the Richard White edited version in blue font.....
Q. Our past and present boards have debated the idea to restrict the minimum age for the use of our spa. Much to the chagrin of our full-time residents, it is not unusual to see small children frolicking in our spas that are set to 104 degrees. Many suggestions have been made to increase the age to what seems to be the norm in our area, 16 years minimum. At our last board meeting, they voted unanimously to raise the minimum age to 10 years old. Our bylaws give the board the right to amend the Rules and Regulations as they see fit. Do you have any insight on the board's right to impose this age restriction, and do you know if its common around condominium communities in Florida to restrict the age limit for use of the spas? Your advice would be greatly appreciated. P.A. , Jacksonville Beach
A. Yes you have a right to be concerned. The source for my answer comes from the National Swimming Pool Foundation (http://nspf.org) and their Pool-Spa Operators Handbook and Florida Statute 524. It refers to a person's body core temperature and a spa's temperature of 104 degrees should be limited to no more than 15 minutes for a 'normal person'. A condition called hyperthermia can result if these figures are exceeded.
A person should be aware of their own body's reaction to the heat, and it may require less time to reach the maximim core heat. Some people with high blood pressure , or under the influence of alcohol, or taking certain perscription drugs, or older persons in poor health, and pregnant women must use extreme caution when using the spa. It further says that children must be supervised and monitored for their body core temperature. I would suggest that you call the county health department or the department that inspects pools and spas and talk with them. I further suggest that the policy approved by the board requires that children be fully monitored by their parents, and their time be limited much below the 15 minutes. I would further suggest that children be required to sit still and not play in the spa.
Our board feels that adult supervision is only required for children 11 years and younger, despite the warnings listed above. The Florida Statutes list a minimum age requirement, but allow communities to set their own age standards. I think this topic should be revisited by our Board of Directors, to set a safer standard for the children visiting our park. If they refuse to do so, all our residents who have grandchildren coming to visit should be made aware of the dangers of young children, as well as compromised adults soaking in our 104 degree hot tub/spa for long periods of time. This information should be distributed by the board, or our manager and published in the Outlook or on our webpage, for all residents to reference.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
BOD Business
The usual board business transpired from the officers...minutes, financials, and the usual president's message on.....guess what? ..... CHANGE.
Other News:
There will be a slight delay in completing the sealcoat project until after August 27th because the equipment will not be available for rental until that date.
A $4700 bid was received to fence the hot tub area from the pool area, so the whirlpool can be legally be used after hours when the pool is covered. Maintenance claims they can do it for half the cost. No board decision ensued.
Family members who inherited a house on Blvd 2 asked the board to buy their share. The board determined that the family should put house up for sale instead.
An additional $3k will be moved from the mortgage loan account to complete the sealcoat project.
Kayaks/canoes et.al. no longer need to be hung from carport rafters. Considerable discussion was made on the "neatness and tidiness of carports" issue, and quite frankly, was never resolved. Many people in the audience expressed concern about the clutter visible from their homes and from the street, and the vessels becoming projectiles in strong winds. The board voted to accept the wording of the Marine Committee amendment to the rule.
Another apartment renter was approved to move in Oct 1.
The 2011 Hilsborough County Mini-Grant was written by yours truely to provide 8 new benches around the park. Resident volunteers will assemble the benches, and repaint/stain the existing ones. We will be notified in November if we have won the $2500 grant.
R and R changes need to be mailed out to residents before they can be enforced. Upon the mailout, all rule changes immediately go into effect.
A board panel, comprised of Rose, Susan, Betty, and Cheri, was voted on to investigate an accounting program for use by our Office. Our president wishes to outsource our accounting and financials to an outside firm, much like our payroll.
* Our president outlined his proposal to eliminate our standard method of funding our reserves, and instead, suggested that we adopt a reserve-pooling system. Rather than hold money for future improvements, he suggests that we pay down our debt now, so we can borrow in the future. No board decision. (see commentary below)
Residents with continuous and uncorrected non-compliance issues in the park will be turned over the our attorney. Some sloppy homesites have persisted for over a year. There was much vocal resident approval on this issue. Several other non-compliance issues were brought up by the residents. Some are in litigation and can't be discussed. Some require an affidavit signed by a resident to begin the correction process.
And then, right out of the blue, after some board discussion and loud disapproval from some members of the audience, the board voted to approve a new $15,000 roof on the shuffle courts. The approval is contingent upon a warranty regarding water runoff and potential damage to the new solar panels. The work must be done before the shuffle season begins in November.
Meeting adjourned.
A few comments: (Allow me to indulge myself)
* In the past, our board of directors have attended seminars on pooling vs. non-pooling of reserves. Our past boards have consistently stood by our existing policy of reserve funding, in order to avoid the possibility of over-spending the general fund, or any other unnecessary spending.
We have several new board members, and a few old ones serving right now who have never had the opportunity to participate in one of these educational opportunities that present both sides of the Pooling / Non Pooling picture . (CAI or ROC Forum)
This is truely a moot point because by law, our membership must vote to change existing reserve policies. The only way that this can be done is by educating our shareholders on this important issue, and then coming to a consensus that will be presented to the membership for a vote, either at the annual meeting or by letter. Hell, we haven't had a quorum at our annual meeting for several years. It will be interesting to see how our president plans to make his vision a reality.
I am concerned about the spending that has occurred in the past few months since our March election. We have witnessed the installation of a new West Shore fence, and two new gates. In the past, our sealcoating was done annually, every third blvd., so the job was completed in about 3 years. This year, our crew took it upon themselves to sealcoat the entire park without an outside contractor. Much money was saved. Today the BOD turned right around and spent that savings on a project that never came up at budget review for the last 3 years, or even appeared on the past board's Wish List. .. a Shuffle Board Roof
Our residents have, for years, expressed a need for security cameras. Again, most of the current board members rarely attended our Town Hall Meetings in the past, where this on-going dialog ensued.
Today it was determined by our board of directors, that our shuffle court will be roofed. The shufflers on the board and in the audience were pleased. Photos of our neighbor Americana Cove's shuffle court roof were passed around. (By the way...they have over 700 units.) We learned today that 3 or 4 other resident-owned communities in Pinellas County also have roofed shuffle courts. No one mentioned that there are between 70-80 resident-owned communities in Pinellas County without roofed shuffle courts.
In my opinion: we could build a shuffle roof-over from MacDill Air Force Base to West Shore Plaza. Our storms usually come in West to East, or East to West. That's going to douse anyone sitting under that skimpy little roof. And in response to the heat that the poor shufflers suffer in the summertime, no one mentioned that A/C was being installed. With or without a roof, the courts will be 90 to 95 degrees in the summertime afternoon, with humidity also in the mid-90s. No roof will correct that.
No one mentioned what wind strength this new structure will withstand. I imagine it will need to be included on our insurance. What willl that cost us annually?
To Our Association President: Everytime you open your mouth, you continually bring up the concept of CHANGE within our park. Most of us were very satisfied with the condition of Regency Cove before you assumed your office. You state that the park will now be run in a business-like manner. This park has been run in a business-like manner long before you sat in that official chair. The problem is : what is your definition of business-like? You need to include resident feedback, but you have totally eliminated this.
We have yet to see any change. So far, all we have seen is SPEND. Spending isn't changing. You need to focus your attention on the comments of the residents of the park at the meetings. One very positive item at today's meeting is that the notoriously non-compliant residents will soon meet face-to-face with the association attorney.
Many of the US citizens and most of the citizens of the state of Florida have had it "up-to-here" with the concept of "change" in our country. Maybe you need to alter your focus from CHANGE to "Listening to the People". Both you and Obama could learn a thing or two from listening to the PEOPLE, not your friends, on what this park/nation really wants and needs.
And by the way, quit spending my money like you own it.
Other News:
There will be a slight delay in completing the sealcoat project until after August 27th because the equipment will not be available for rental until that date.
A $4700 bid was received to fence the hot tub area from the pool area, so the whirlpool can be legally be used after hours when the pool is covered. Maintenance claims they can do it for half the cost. No board decision ensued.
Family members who inherited a house on Blvd 2 asked the board to buy their share. The board determined that the family should put house up for sale instead.
An additional $3k will be moved from the mortgage loan account to complete the sealcoat project.
Kayaks/canoes et.al. no longer need to be hung from carport rafters. Considerable discussion was made on the "neatness and tidiness of carports" issue, and quite frankly, was never resolved. Many people in the audience expressed concern about the clutter visible from their homes and from the street, and the vessels becoming projectiles in strong winds. The board voted to accept the wording of the Marine Committee amendment to the rule.
Another apartment renter was approved to move in Oct 1.
The 2011 Hilsborough County Mini-Grant was written by yours truely to provide 8 new benches around the park. Resident volunteers will assemble the benches, and repaint/stain the existing ones. We will be notified in November if we have won the $2500 grant.
R and R changes need to be mailed out to residents before they can be enforced. Upon the mailout, all rule changes immediately go into effect.
A board panel, comprised of Rose, Susan, Betty, and Cheri, was voted on to investigate an accounting program for use by our Office. Our president wishes to outsource our accounting and financials to an outside firm, much like our payroll.
* Our president outlined his proposal to eliminate our standard method of funding our reserves, and instead, suggested that we adopt a reserve-pooling system. Rather than hold money for future improvements, he suggests that we pay down our debt now, so we can borrow in the future. No board decision. (see commentary below)
Residents with continuous and uncorrected non-compliance issues in the park will be turned over the our attorney. Some sloppy homesites have persisted for over a year. There was much vocal resident approval on this issue. Several other non-compliance issues were brought up by the residents. Some are in litigation and can't be discussed. Some require an affidavit signed by a resident to begin the correction process.
And then, right out of the blue, after some board discussion and loud disapproval from some members of the audience, the board voted to approve a new $15,000 roof on the shuffle courts. The approval is contingent upon a warranty regarding water runoff and potential damage to the new solar panels. The work must be done before the shuffle season begins in November.
Meeting adjourned.
A few comments: (Allow me to indulge myself)
* In the past, our board of directors have attended seminars on pooling vs. non-pooling of reserves. Our past boards have consistently stood by our existing policy of reserve funding, in order to avoid the possibility of over-spending the general fund, or any other unnecessary spending.
We have several new board members, and a few old ones serving right now who have never had the opportunity to participate in one of these educational opportunities that present both sides of the Pooling / Non Pooling picture . (CAI or ROC Forum)
This is truely a moot point because by law, our membership must vote to change existing reserve policies. The only way that this can be done is by educating our shareholders on this important issue, and then coming to a consensus that will be presented to the membership for a vote, either at the annual meeting or by letter. Hell, we haven't had a quorum at our annual meeting for several years. It will be interesting to see how our president plans to make his vision a reality.
I am concerned about the spending that has occurred in the past few months since our March election. We have witnessed the installation of a new West Shore fence, and two new gates. In the past, our sealcoating was done annually, every third blvd., so the job was completed in about 3 years. This year, our crew took it upon themselves to sealcoat the entire park without an outside contractor. Much money was saved. Today the BOD turned right around and spent that savings on a project that never came up at budget review for the last 3 years, or even appeared on the past board's Wish List. .. a Shuffle Board Roof
Our residents have, for years, expressed a need for security cameras. Again, most of the current board members rarely attended our Town Hall Meetings in the past, where this on-going dialog ensued.
Today it was determined by our board of directors, that our shuffle court will be roofed. The shufflers on the board and in the audience were pleased. Photos of our neighbor Americana Cove's shuffle court roof were passed around. (By the way...they have over 700 units.) We learned today that 3 or 4 other resident-owned communities in Pinellas County also have roofed shuffle courts. No one mentioned that there are between 70-80 resident-owned communities in Pinellas County without roofed shuffle courts.
In my opinion: we could build a shuffle roof-over from MacDill Air Force Base to West Shore Plaza. Our storms usually come in West to East, or East to West. That's going to douse anyone sitting under that skimpy little roof. And in response to the heat that the poor shufflers suffer in the summertime, no one mentioned that A/C was being installed. With or without a roof, the courts will be 90 to 95 degrees in the summertime afternoon, with humidity also in the mid-90s. No roof will correct that.
No one mentioned what wind strength this new structure will withstand. I imagine it will need to be included on our insurance. What willl that cost us annually?
To Our Association President: Everytime you open your mouth, you continually bring up the concept of CHANGE within our park. Most of us were very satisfied with the condition of Regency Cove before you assumed your office. You state that the park will now be run in a business-like manner. This park has been run in a business-like manner long before you sat in that official chair. The problem is : what is your definition of business-like? You need to include resident feedback, but you have totally eliminated this.
We have yet to see any change. So far, all we have seen is SPEND. Spending isn't changing. You need to focus your attention on the comments of the residents of the park at the meetings. One very positive item at today's meeting is that the notoriously non-compliant residents will soon meet face-to-face with the association attorney.
Many of the US citizens and most of the citizens of the state of Florida have had it "up-to-here" with the concept of "change" in our country. Maybe you need to alter your focus from CHANGE to "Listening to the People". Both you and Obama could learn a thing or two from listening to the PEOPLE, not your friends, on what this park/nation really wants and needs.
And by the way, quit spending my money like you own it.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Board Meeting Wednesday
At 2:00 pm on August 18, 2010, there will be a meeting of the Board of Directors. After the usual opening items and committee reports, the topics include the 2011 mini-grant, Rules and Regulations (AGAIN!?), apartment rentals, non-compliance issues, and a shuffleboard roof.
Monday, August 16, 2010
Mid August Update
OK...so the postings are few and far between, I apologise. This is what life is like in Regency Cove in the summertime. Life is slow during the heat of the day, and very few people are out. At night more adventurous souls wander out walking or on their bikes to exercise without the sunshine, but the humidity is still in the 90s. A few activities continue in the hall at night.
You Northerners are encouraged to leave comments down below, so we know what's up with you.
A few new folks have moved in. A few have moved out. Life goes on.
This weekend, on Sunday afternoon, there was some entertainment in the hall around the big screen TV and a handful of residents enjoyed some laughs together. We really should do that more often. Thanks, Peggy Saccente, for bringing this up!
Tonight we had a true potluck, with over 55 people sharing the bounty of chicken, beef, ham, and meatballs, and an unbelievable assortment of vegetables, salads, fruit plates, and desserts. A big Thank You goes out to the Yacht Club for providing the tablecloths, and also to the Friendship Club, for donating the coffee, cups, sugar, and even dessert plates. You club presidents are just so wonderful, and truely dedicated to the residents of Regency Cove.
It was great to hear one of the residents, the last through the buffet line, remark that rarely was there such an assortment of meats available at the end of the potluck line. Kudos to our residents! Our residents were very generous tonight with their delicious contributions to the potluck supper. I heard several comments about how nice it is to have a true potluck again.
After dinner, Linda Siddens spoke about her upcoming trip, and Friendship Club memberships which are now under her direction. We then celebrated June-July-August birthdays and anniversaries. Robby on Blvd 1, the harmonica man, stood up and serenaded the birthday folks on his harmonica with a soulful version of Happy Birthday. The mystery man is revealed!
Mary Willsey mentioned that Friendship Club dinners will begin again in October. Memberships and tickets will be sold. We will have another true potluck next month on the third Monday in September, just because we can. Many folks commented how great the food was tonight. If anyone has any ideas on entertainment, give me a call. (Ross in the directory) I think it would be nice to have some local talent playing for us.
The conclusion of the evening was the presentation of Ed Bedore's Internet Novelties. For the third time, Ed has accumulated a clever collection of funny videos that has thoroughly entertained the audience. It is so great to hear the audience's roars of laughter or the loud "oooh nooos" when an individual, usually a senior, makes contact with the ground in a way you and I never hope to duplicate. Such funny stuff!
Thanks to all to helped serve and clean up. Let's do this again on September 20th! Get to the Info Room and sign up!
The highlight of the day was tonight's sunset. We haven't had one of these for a lllooooonng time.
Hey, Regency Cove.. this one's for you...!!!! It's good to be Living In Paradise. Thank you, Lord.
You Northerners are encouraged to leave comments down below, so we know what's up with you.
A few new folks have moved in. A few have moved out. Life goes on.
This weekend, on Sunday afternoon, there was some entertainment in the hall around the big screen TV and a handful of residents enjoyed some laughs together. We really should do that more often. Thanks, Peggy Saccente, for bringing this up!
Tonight we had a true potluck, with over 55 people sharing the bounty of chicken, beef, ham, and meatballs, and an unbelievable assortment of vegetables, salads, fruit plates, and desserts. A big Thank You goes out to the Yacht Club for providing the tablecloths, and also to the Friendship Club, for donating the coffee, cups, sugar, and even dessert plates. You club presidents are just so wonderful, and truely dedicated to the residents of Regency Cove.
It was great to hear one of the residents, the last through the buffet line, remark that rarely was there such an assortment of meats available at the end of the potluck line. Kudos to our residents! Our residents were very generous tonight with their delicious contributions to the potluck supper. I heard several comments about how nice it is to have a true potluck again.
After dinner, Linda Siddens spoke about her upcoming trip, and Friendship Club memberships which are now under her direction. We then celebrated June-July-August birthdays and anniversaries. Robby on Blvd 1, the harmonica man, stood up and serenaded the birthday folks on his harmonica with a soulful version of Happy Birthday. The mystery man is revealed!
Mary Willsey mentioned that Friendship Club dinners will begin again in October. Memberships and tickets will be sold. We will have another true potluck next month on the third Monday in September, just because we can. Many folks commented how great the food was tonight. If anyone has any ideas on entertainment, give me a call. (Ross in the directory) I think it would be nice to have some local talent playing for us.
The conclusion of the evening was the presentation of Ed Bedore's Internet Novelties. For the third time, Ed has accumulated a clever collection of funny videos that has thoroughly entertained the audience. It is so great to hear the audience's roars of laughter or the loud "oooh nooos" when an individual, usually a senior, makes contact with the ground in a way you and I never hope to duplicate. Such funny stuff!
Thanks to all to helped serve and clean up. Let's do this again on September 20th! Get to the Info Room and sign up!
The highlight of the day was tonight's sunset. We haven't had one of these for a lllooooonng time.
Hey, Regency Cove.. this one's for you...!!!! It's good to be Living In Paradise. Thank you, Lord.
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Vote Early - Avoid the Lines
The primary is Tuesday August 24, 2010. Residents who serve as election judges have advised that the whole system has changed. Gone are the punch cards and machine voting.
There is still early voting. Check the newspaper and television news for the details. You will get to vote for your party's candidates for the offices that are open. If you can't get to the polling place you can call 813-612-4180 no later than August 18, 2010 to have an absentee ballot mailed to your home. You will have to mail it back before the 24th. (You will need two stamps.) You will get the ballot only for the party that you have elected to declare when you signed up at the Board of Elections.
Jerry Frankhouser, PresidentBayside West Neighborhood Association
Jerry Frankhouser, PresidentBayside West Neighborhood Association
Pot Luck August 16
Please sign up for our summertime true pot luck supper. No club is sponsoring it, so what you bring is what we eat. There is a sign-up sheet in the Information Room in the Friendship Club section. Please sign up so we have enough chairs set up. You can indicate on the sheet what you plan to bring: meat, veggie, salad, or dessert.
Twice before, Ed Bedore has shown his funny videos and it has always cracked the place up. He has a brand new batch for us this time.
Bring everything you need, silverware, plates, beverage. Don't forget a serving spoon for your shared dish. Coffee only will be provided, compliments of the Friendship Club. A few cleanup helpers would be nice too.
Doors open at 4:30, and we eat at 5:00.
Twice before, Ed Bedore has shown his funny videos and it has always cracked the place up. He has a brand new batch for us this time.
Bring everything you need, silverware, plates, beverage. Don't forget a serving spoon for your shared dish. Coffee only will be provided, compliments of the Friendship Club. A few cleanup helpers would be nice too.
Doors open at 4:30, and we eat at 5:00.
Lock Your Bikes
The bad people are here shopping for new bikes, our bikes. Two were taken the other night, sorry this happened to you guys. Ouch, I bet that hurts.
Everybody, you've been hearing this for years now...lock up your bikes, especially at night. Make sure you have them etched with a name or drivers license number so if they are recovered, they will be returned to you.
UPDATE! The number is up to 5 now.
Everybody, you've been hearing this for years now...lock up your bikes, especially at night. Make sure you have them etched with a name or drivers license number so if they are recovered, they will be returned to you.
UPDATE! The number is up to 5 now.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
National Night Out
We just got home from the 27th annual National Night Out for Safety at Ballast Point. We only meant to stay a little while, but there were many interesting safety related agencies and vendors. Of cource Tampa Fire Rescue had two trucks open for inspection, but the infamous personnel carrier was there as well. 
I was told that this carrier with the rubber tracks is the second preferred vehicle, the primary one has wheels and is easier to get around the city in a catastrophe. It is used every time the SWAT team is called, and can ram doors and walls, and will pretty much intimidate the bad guys. Tampa Police and even the FBI were present and eager to answer questions.
I was told that this carrier with the rubber tracks is the second preferred vehicle, the primary one has wheels and is easier to get around the city in a catastrophe. It is used every time the SWAT team is called, and can ram doors and walls, and will pretty much intimidate the bad guys. Tampa Police and even the FBI were present and eager to answer questions.
Officer Russell Spencer, a Tampa Rescue and Recovery Diver is one of 14 full time divers for
the city. He says that they have been called out for suicide jumps into the Hillsborough River. (Heck, if the alligators don't get them first!)
A few of the other agencies present included:
The Elder Helpline (1-800-963-5337) is your starting point for information and referral in the community. Nice people helping nice people. They will steer you to senior programs and services.
The Community Mediation Program (813-272-5642) offers a forum for resolving conflicts prior to a matter being filed in court, and handles issues from neighborhood arguements to dissolution of marriage. There is no charge for this service.
Tampa Police offers a seminar entitled Refuse to Become a Victim. Tactical trainer Michael Vasquez, a retired U.S. Marshal, works at the police academy, but will come to our community to teach this safety seminar. We should get this guy to come in the fall when our snowbirds return.
There were free food and drinks and lots of giveaways. This was a great example of going out and having some fun without spending a dime. The Home Depot had a nice display of many safety related items for your home. They have many home services available. More on this later.
And then the storm came.
Monday, August 2, 2010
Sunday, August 1, 2010
New Benches for Sunset Point
The deadline for the Hillsborough County Neighborhood Mini-Grant is quickly approaching. It is required to have a Neighborhood Conscensus Meeting before submitting the grant, so that no one person can control the process. It was advertised in the Outlook for August 1 at 1:00, and also posted on the main entrance sign. Snafu: The Outlook did not come out on July 30, as we had hoped.
Eleven good citizens ( three of whom are board members) showed up and made thoughtful contributions at the Grant Meeting this afternoon. We mentioned the possibility of purchasing more groundcover to help inhibit weed growth in the open areas on the Blvd Seven tropical garden. The favored (unanimous) option was purchasing four benches for Sunset Point. Several different kinds have been investigated and studied for durability in the full-sun/saltwater compatible location.
We hope to garner a crew of volunteers who will assemble the new benches, under the guidance of our maintenance crew. Volunteers can also stain or replace the boards on the existing benches. The Pelican Point benches can be painted by volunteers as well. In doing so, our park is contributing to the cost of this effort, even though we may not spend any money. One resident mentioned that our swings are in need of attention and replacement hardware. We can encourage volunteers to paint the swings after the maintenance crew repairs them.
The amount of the grant is $1500. We will be notified by the end of Sept or early Oct if we have been awarded the grant money. I hope to have the forms completed in the next few days. Wish us luck.
Eleven good citizens ( three of whom are board members) showed up and made thoughtful contributions at the Grant Meeting this afternoon. We mentioned the possibility of purchasing more groundcover to help inhibit weed growth in the open areas on the Blvd Seven tropical garden. The favored (unanimous) option was purchasing four benches for Sunset Point. Several different kinds have been investigated and studied for durability in the full-sun/saltwater compatible location.
We hope to garner a crew of volunteers who will assemble the new benches, under the guidance of our maintenance crew. Volunteers can also stain or replace the boards on the existing benches. The Pelican Point benches can be painted by volunteers as well. In doing so, our park is contributing to the cost of this effort, even though we may not spend any money. One resident mentioned that our swings are in need of attention and replacement hardware. We can encourage volunteers to paint the swings after the maintenance crew repairs them.
The amount of the grant is $1500. We will be notified by the end of Sept or early Oct if we have been awarded the grant money. I hope to have the forms completed in the next few days. Wish us luck.
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