Board Welcomes New Director

At the December 20, 2008 meeting of the BOD of Regency Cove, the board sadly accepted the resignation of Richard Siddens due to reasons of health. Richard was elected last year to serve the final year of Father Bob's term, which expires in March, 2009. Several board members nominated a replacement, all of the board members were asked to make their choice. A majority of the directors selected Pat Fennessy, a woman who demonstrated her desire to serve on the board by puttting her name on the ballot last March. She will serve on the board until the elections in March, when she will again run for the position, if she so chooses.

Pat diligently served on the Rules and Regs Committee which met weekly since August. That committee just recently wrapped up their revisions, which will go before the board, and then to the membership for final approval. Welcome aboard, Patty!

Emergency Water Restrictions

The management of Regency Cove issued an alert to residents today regarding the newest water restrictions imposed by Hillsborough County. Remember that there will be no warnings issued, and violations will be immediately fined. Fines could range as high as $500.

Residents: Please be advised of the new water restrictions effective immediately:

1. New Sod: New Sod is Prohibited: Only exception is for new homes or if a contract was signed prior to October 28, 2008 with a sod company; contract must be presented to the City of Tampa.
2. Sod Infested with Pests: If sod is pest infested or has other issues that require it to be replaced; it will not be exempted from the One-Day-A-Week rule. If new turf is installed under these conditions, it may only be irrigated on the proper irrigation day during permitted irrigation hours.
3. Fountains: Operation of aesthetic fountains inside Tampa City Limits is prohibited.
4. Pressure washing of buildings and other structures: Pressure washing of buildings and other structures for maintenance and painting purposes using low volume methods shall not be restricted. The washing or low volume pressure washing of sidewalks, streets, driveways, and other non-pervious areas shall be prohibited except for public health and safety.
5. New Plant(s): New Plant establishment allowance is still 60 days total; however on days 31 – 60, new plant material may only be watered every other day instead of any day. Even-numbered addresses may accomplish every other day watering on Tuesday, Thursday or Saturday. Odd-numbered addresses on Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday.
6. One Day per Week Irrigation Restrictions: This includes Micro-Irrigation, Hand Watering, or other Low Volume Irrigation.
Addresses ending in an even number, may water on Tuesdays only.
Addresses ending in an odd number, may water on Sundays only.
Watering on the designated day is allowed between midnight and 8 a.m. or 6 p.m. and midnight.
Any one zone of a property may only be watered once during the allowable day, NOT both in the morning and again in the evening.
Restricted hours apply to all irrigation with potable water - including automatic sprinklers, hose-end sprinklers, hand watering, micro-irrigation and other low volume methods.

The Most Beautiful Time of the Year

This is always such a beautiful time of the year in Regency Cove. The Christmas lights begin to appear in the garden areas and its such a welcome sight on our evening walks around the park. It is difficult for me to photograph in the darkness, but a few photos came out well enough to share with you.

We need to extend a thank you to our maintenance crew for a job well done. Thanks Ed, Mike, Richard, and Bobby. Season's Best to you all!

And what about that new sign!! Even in the middle of the night (as pictured) we can read the coming events. This is awesome!

Groundbreaking Ceremony Today

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Many residents were surprised to see the new sign at the front gate advertising the Groundbreaking Ceremony which happened today. At 10 am today in Goodwin Hall, there was a reception to welcome volunteers to the kick-off the the new Regency Cove grant A Florida-Friendly Facelift for Boulevard Seven, sponsored by the Hillsborough County Board of Commissioners, the Hillsborough County Children's Board, and the Frank E. Duckwell Foundation of Tampa Bay.

Lisa Strange, a master gardener from the Florida Extension Services, also attended and spoke about the numerous workshops that their office sponsors each season. This reception was nicely attended by many of the residents who generously signed up on the Volunteer Sheets for a variety of jobs: food donations, plant planning committee, planting people, micro-irrigation installation volunteers, people to rake, and people to plant. We will always welcome new volunteers to join us.

The planning committees will shortly be invited to a field trip to the University of Florida Extension Office Betty Walker Discovert Garden in Seffner, on December 30. We will gather early in the morning at 9 am or 9:15 to car pool out to Seffner for this fun field trip.Watch your mailbox and this blog for updates.

There are 3 pages of the grant tacked to a small board in the Information Room for your inspection. It spells out each phase of the process, from concrete breaking, to watering the finished garden.

A timeline will be published very soon. Thank you residents for coming out today and supporting this community project! Thank you to Ed Scobee for providing all the equiptment, and the support that made this morning's reception a real historical occasion for Regency Cove. Ed, you never fail us. Thanks to Mike and Bobby for the extra effort in their busy days to make this cereminy a lot of fun for those who attended. You guys are GREAT!!

Communication Committee Meets

The Communication Committee is the lifeline of Regency Cove. Susan Dunphy's Disaster Committee was instrumental last summer in getting the word out when Hurricane Faye was at our doorstep, and Hillsborough County issued a premature evacuation order. Tampa police actually knocked on doors here in the park, at 5:oo am to rouse our residents, just minutes before the evacuation order was cancelled. Better safe than sorry!

During the winter months, Ruth Paruszkiewicz's block captains take to the streets for necessary communications around the 'hood. On December 18, at 2:00 pm the entire Communication Committee will meet at Goodwin Hall. Our manager, Cheri Scobee, will outline any new Florida mandates, and keep us up-to-date on strategies to help us communicate in the event of any disaster. We welcome suggestions and positive comments.

All block captains and Disaster Committee members are welcome. The rest of the park is welcome too.

Building Standards Committee

The Building Standards Committee has been meeting on Friday afternoons to review and revise their documents and application form. All projects which are done outside the home: painting, construction, roofing, and landscaping require a HORC building permit. Some projects will require a city of Tampa permit as well. These meetings are posted and open to the public.

Lonnie Lea Napier Good Neighbor Award

On May 17, 2000, the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners established the Lonnie Lea Napier Good Neighbor Award in honor of a County resident who lost his life while trying to rescue a neighbor’s cat from a tree. This was not the only instance of compassion and helpfulness shown by Lonnie. Neighbors tell story after story of how he could be relied upon to help out in a number of ways – from putting up Christmas tree lights for a recently widowed woman to fighting a brush fire until firefighters arrived.

The award is meant to recognize those good neighbors who help simply because help is needed – individuals who demonstrate the spirit shown by Lonnie Lea Napier.

Individuals, neighborhood associations and community groups may make nominations to the Office of Neighborhood Relations at any time throughout the year. On a quarterly basis the County will recognize a “good neighbor”. The quarterly nominations will be reviewed and an annual “Lonnie Lea Napier Good Neighbor Award” will be presented at the Annual Hillsborough County Neighborhoods Conference in March.

All residents of Hillsborough County are eligible to nominate and be nominated. The nominee must demonstrate an on-going spirit of compassion and helpfulness to his/her neighbors.
The annual award comes with a $2,000 prize to be awarded to the neighborhood association serving the area in which the recipient lives. The money must be used for a project that improves the neighborhood or the association.

For additional information contact sandyross@regencycove.com, or the Hillsborough County Office of Neighborhood Relations:
Bryant O. Johnson, Executive Manager
601 East Kennedy Blvd.,
13th FloorTampa, Florida 33602
Telephone: (813) 272-5860

Its time to recognize your neighbors!