Americana Cove

Such mild days, could Spring be far behind?

Jan 31, 2003

FEBRUARY PRAYER

Our Lord, Creator of the Heavens and the Earth, we thank you for their beauty. We are also grateful for the special gifts you give to each of us. May we use them to show our love for you.
As we enter into the second month of 2003, our prime concern is for peace.
Father, you know the end from the beginning. It is not for us to know until the "End Times".
Our prayers are particularly for those in the armed forces, those who are already in combat areas and those now being deployed throughout the world. Keep them safe from harm so they can return to their loved ones soon.
This month we honor our presidents. Their job has not been easy. We pray that President Bush will be led by your Holy Spirit in the decisions he has to make.
We are reminded that we have not always loved our neighbor as ourselves. Let us keep this as a pledge beginning this month. We need your help and constant reminders.
Thank You, God.
Amen
John Whittredge Hill, Chaplain

REMINDER FROM THE MANAGER
Dawn Simmons
REMINDER: Brush Pick up on Monday mornings only from now on. PLEASE do not put bags of weeds and grass or brush out until Sunday night.
Valley Crest Landscape Maintenance will have started their services in January. Please be advised they will be making tree rings around all trees and signage. We ask that once the trees are done on your property you fill in the ring with mulch. This cuts down on line trimming and cutting the tree base with the line trimmers.
This Company will not be doing any part of your planters or trimming of your bushes or shrubs. We do once again ask that you come to the office and fill out paperwork on whom your caretaker is. This needs to be done whether you live here full time or not. If you have not yet hired someone, please call Barbara or Mary and they will give you the names of residents who do this.

WELL WATER
We have had many problems since May with our wells. Our pumps located at the compound area have been shut down as we were waiting on new holding tanks. When we put the new pumps in on Mt. Curve, we were in good shape until the problem on Americana Drive happened.
It makes no sense to run only two pumping stations and get a trickle of water. We need the three large stations to bring the full pressure back.
The office has received numerous calls on the down time of the wells. To add to other problems there was a big leak underground on Americana Ct. that our guys spent two weeks digging to look for it. The leak was found seven feet deep. With a property this size to find a big or little leak takes a lot of time and man-hours.
We have had more rain this winter than in many past years. We are not in a growing season so it is not necessary that lawns and yards get watered two days a week. One is plenty with no rain. Residents sprinkler timers are set to go off on scheduled days whether we have had two or six inches of rain. This makes no sense. It is just a waste of water. The ground is so soaked it cannot even absorb the water from the sprinkler system, therefore the water runs down the street and into the catch basin.
We have had so much rain that even our streets are getting potholes from the water underground. Water is a precious commodity ---Let us just use it when we have to.

FRUIT TREES
We have a lot of fruit on trees this year. Our residents should get them picked. I was wondering if we could get some volunteers to help our elderly residents with theirs. Anyone having any ideas as to where to distribute the fruit would also help us.

CAR STICKERS
Please stop by the Business Office to pick up your new MAROA car stickers. The blue ones are now invalid and green ones have been issued this year.

CO-OP FEES
It was voted on at the Annual Meeting by the Board of Directors on Jan 15th, 2003 to go to the five (5)-category coop fee. This will become effective on March 1st. Residents who are going to receive the change will be notified by mail.

FROM THE STAFF - MOBEL AMERICANA
We all thank you for you generous Xmas Employee Contribution and we wish Each and Every One of our Residents All the Best in the New Year.


WELCOME NEW RESIDENTS
By Frances McVay

BRANSCOMBE, Robert & Barbara (CT)
7242 Mt. Essex Drive
Previously LaBonte

MAYO, Richard
207 Mt. Isle Avenue
Previously Seaman

MOBLEY, Ronald B.
7030 Mt. Arlington Drive
Previously Brancaccio


SUNSHINE REPORT FEBRUARY 2003 ?–
Peggy Hubrich, Sunshine Lady

DEATHS
Jules Evans
Bob Doyle
Edgar Snowman
Jane Bryant
Erna Wring

HOSPITALS
Hilda Tschopp St. Anthony

NURSING HOMES
Jane Levesque Shore Acres
George Campbell Integrated Health Services
Bob Evans Carrington Place
Mitzi Delzell Shore Acres
Carl Rosenquist Westminister Shores
Tony Rybka Abbey

BIRTHDAYS
01 Joe Dusza
02 Wanda Spetz
04 Fern Deschamps
05 Mary Jane Hill
06 Peg Sozanski
Nickolaus Volk
08 Jan Renaud
10 Lila Mussman
12 Beverly Park
13 Billie Ballentine
Cleve Ballentine
14 Ruth Brown
Eleanor Doyle
Marge Lang
15 Jeanne Pavlik
John Ossenmacher
Nora Adell Andrews
20 Doris Laberge
Fred Aubin
Stan Harmon
22 Dolores Rice
Peggy Church
24 Dick Jones
Jack Young
25 Leo Laberge
26 William Buckland
Bob Kmieciak
29 Mary St. Sauver

ANNIVERSARIES
11 Carol and Ron Undieme 46 years
18 Peg and Dick Stannard 24 years
20 Bernadette and Edwin Holmer 54 years
25 Jane and Bill Swartout 14 years
25 Nina and Bob Larson 41 years


MAA NEWS
Paul Mattina, President

February looks as though it has shaped up to be another busy month, with many activities on the calendar. I hope that you will have bought your tickets for the February 1st. event. Betty Chase will serve soup, sandwiches and desert with coffee and tea at 6 PM, followed by a performance by Billy Scott at 7:15 PM. Billy plays guitar, sings, tells jokes and stories, and involves the audience.
The MAA Council meeting will be held as usual at 10 AM on the first Tuesday, Feb. 4th. The MAA lunch, Wednesday, Feb. 5th, will start at 11:15 AM sharp, with a musical performance by the Ladies in Blue. This will be followed by lunch, and then a brief presentation by Jackie White about Life Line Screening. More on this further in this article. The MAA business meeting will follow.
At 7 PM on Saturday, Feb. 8th., Mobel Americana's "Just Us & Co." will put on a Circus performance in the Clubhouse, complete with a high-wire act, sideshow, trapeze and all the other spectacles of a big time circus. Admission is $2.00 at the door.
Tickets for the Valentine's dinner and entertainment will be sold on Monday, Feb. 10th at 9 AM, and will be priced at $7.00. On Saturday night, February 15th, dinner will be served at 6 PM.(Menu has not been finalized, but will be posted.) Entertainment will be from 7 till 10 PM. Dee's KJ/DJ does Karaoke and dance music, and has played for our park in the past.
On Friday, Feb. 14th, Life Line Screening will set up in the Atrium for the screening for arterial blockage, abdominal aneurysm and osteoporosis. This is done by appointment only. This will be explained at the MAA lunch, and flyers will be available at the Old Timers lunch on Feb. 12th.
John Layner and Louisa Hall will be married on Saturday, Feb. 15th., and will be having a reception in the Atrium from 2 to 4 PM. The event is open to all residents who would like to attend and offer their best wishes. This is a delightful prelude to the Valentine's dinner at 6 PM.
Last, but certainly not least, is a reminder that the Clubhouse will be closed at about 10:30 AM on Friday, Feb. 28th, after the Vespers rehearsal has concluded in order to set up for the White Elephant sale the next day. Workers who are signed up will be treated to free hot dogs and beverages on Friday. Hours for the sale will be from 10 AM till 2 PM on Saturday, March 1st. We need all those items you no longer need or want (in saleable condition, of course) which can be sold to raise the funds we need for future MAA events. Small items can be placed at the rear of the Clubhouse; for larger items call one of the names posted on the MAA bulletin board. Also needed are volunteers to sort, price and sell the items we have. Please use the sign-up sheet or contact me at 528-9794.


MOBEL NOTES
By Ken Hopkins

WORKSHOPS? - Periodically, the Board must meet with each other or with our Manager to discuss the affairs of the community. A pump has broken. What shall we do to fix it? There is a crack in the floor of the clubhouse. What needs to be done? We commonly refer to these meetings as "workshops". It has been a common practice for our board to use these casual meetings as a way to discuss problems and plan for the future. However, at a recent board meeting, a shareholder raised the question if these meetings are appropriate. In fact, Florida statutes state that any time a quorum (5 members in our case) of the board meets, that IS a board meeting and there must be 48 hours notice given to the shareholders, minutes must be taken, and the meeting must be open to the shareholders. Just like our regularly scheduled monthly Board meetings. Several issues are raised by this "workshop" practice. Is it necessary for the Board to meet to discuss that broken pump? Isn't that why we have hired a professional manager? Shouldn't this be their domain possibly with some advice and support from the president of the Board? Surely we don't want to wait 48 hours and have a big community meeting just to say, "Go ahead and fix the pump." How many of us really know enough about pumps in any event to judge on the merits of one brand or another? That really is why we have a manager and no need for a community meeting any more than there is need for all of the Board members to be involved. Let me play Devil's Advocate on the side of the "workshop" benefits. How can the Board learn of the issues that affect the community and plan appropriately without the opportunity to meet in between "official" Board meetings? The seawall project is a perfect example. Surely there would not be enough time at a monthly Board meeting to have all the needed discussions with the contractor, the banker, the lawyer, et. al. How could the Board ever get enough information together to present to the shareholders in the absence of many in-between-times get togethers? Therefore, I submit that the workshops may not be all bad and a necessary "evil" in the best interests of our community. My concern is that the Board might use the workshop to discuss an issue, decide its fate, agree among themselves and then present it at the monthly meeting calling for a vote without giving the shareholders adequate notice and information upon which to base their decision. My hope is that the recently elected Board will be sensitive to this issue and follow proper procedures.

NEW TREADMILL - Yeah! Thanks to the generosity of the Old Timers ($1,000 donation) and MAA ($1,000 donation) the exercise room now has a third treadmill. Just the thing for those of us who have gotten a little lazy over the summer and maybe put on a pound or two. I have already tested it out and it seems to work fine (although I still have those extra pounds). Just a reminder: the exercise room is open to all residents of the community and offers several pieces of exercise equipment, bikes, treadmills, stair steppers and the like as well as dumbbells for weight training. We'd love to see some new faces in there and nobody will laugh at you (we're usually too out of breath to laugh). I've also been asked to implore some of the other clubs and groups to consider a small donation towards the new treadmill. Although the generosity of the Old Timers and MAA made the purchase possible, a sizeable amount was not covered by their donations and we could really use your help. Club presidents, please contact Pat Ruedy to discuss a possible donation from your group and thank you!

BOATERS - I took a cruise through our canals recently on my pontoon boat and was amazed at the number of boats we have in the community. Our waterfront is one of the community's best assets and a delight to all of us who own boats. I'm wondering if there isn't a good way for the many boat owners to get to know each other a little better. I, for one, am a relatively new boating enthusiast and always looking to learn more about my boat, navigating the waters around us, etc. Should we have a club, interest group, or similar? I like to keep the phone number of several of our boat owners in my cell phone in case something goes wrong out on the water and I need help. I'd love to hear from some of you boat owners with some suggestions. What do you think we might do to encourage a little boating camaraderie?

BULLETIN BOARDS - Just a reminder that the bulletin boards are there for the benefit of all the many MAA clubs and groups to use for announcing and promoting their activities. Beck Hopkins who manages this activity has allocated space for this purpose. The caveat is that if your group does not use their space, it will soon grow smaller in favor of another group who does use their space. Therefore, the message is clear, "use it or lose it".

FRUIT TREES - I won't be the first or last to write on this issue. We have recently been cited by the City of St. Petersburg for violations of the rules that govern fallen fruit from our trees. Of course, fallen fruit encourages the presence of fruit rats and for that reason there are very strict rules established to ensure that any fruit that falls from your trees is promptly picked up and discarded lest the fruit attract (and feed) fruit rats. When I first arrived at Mobel, I thought the discussion of fruit rats was an "urban legend" until I actually saw one floating belly up in the water behind my house. Yuck. Incidentally, the City of St. Petersburg has traps available at no charge for anyone who might have a rat issue. The bottom line is that the fruit on your property is a blessing that you enjoy but it carries a responsibility that affects all of us.

WATCH YOUR BIKE - Barbara Magada from Crime Watch cautions all residents to keep a close eye on their bike or trike. We have lost as many as 6 bikes to theft recently. Although we live in an outstandingly secure community, the opportunities for petty theft continue to exist and require all of us to be alert. Keep your bikes under lock and key. Consider scribing your name or initials in a secret place on the bike in case it is stolen and then recovered to help prove your ownership. Barbara Magada will provide a license decal for your bike if you still have your original bill of sale.

WHITE ELEPHANT SALE - The date is Saturday, March 1st for this important and fun event. Start setting aside those precious heirlooms that you are willing to part with.

VOLUNTEER DRIVERS - Some of our ladies have proposed a system of volunteer drivers to help our residents get to appointments, shopping, etc. when they could not otherwise get there on their own. I think that's a great idea and I'm sure you'll hear more about this program as it comes together. In the meantime, I wanted to mention that the American Red Cross here in St. Pete already offers such a service but only for medical appointments and only scheduled well in advance. Should you need this service from the Red Cross, call them at 898-3111 between 8:30 A.M. and noon. Ask for Transportation and they will be happy to schedule your appointment. There is no charge for this service.

SUGGESTIONS WELCOME - Have some news from your club or group? Have an idea that you'd like to express in this column? Want your chance to be heard? Call 525-8411 or email me at hopken@mindspring.com.


NEW ENGLAND NIGHT
By Tom Solomon

All Mobel Americana residents are cordially invited to attend the 3rd annual New England Night sponsored by the Great State of New Hampshire. The event will be held on Saturday, February 22, 2003, at 5 pm in the clubhouse. The evening will feature a happy hour, dinner, prizes and entertainment.
Rita and Chuck Varney and Joan and Marcel Belanger are co-hosts. Look for posters made by Rachel and John Stewart and Dick Nemi throughout the community.
The tickets (made and designed by Nancy and John Hill) will be sold by Doris and Leo Laberge, in the clubhouse, on Monday, February 3, 2003 from 9 am to noon, for $7.00 each. Sign up at 9 am and sale at 10 am (4 tickets per household, please). The 50/50 raffle tickets will be sold by Lucille and Roger Laberge. BYOB and table service.
Set up will be on Saturday from 1 to 2 pm.
The energetic committee has worked hard to make this event a memorable occasion. You won't want to miss it! Hope to see you there!


NOTICES
Forecaster Deadlines
All items and other information for the Forecaster may be placed in the box just inside the entry doors to the Atrium. All items to be in the original type, no photocopies please, in BLACK INK on full size 8 1/2 by 11 paper. Deadline for March for general articles, the 18th of February (at 5 pm), for last minute items, the 19th. Please note that the minimum font size is number eleven.

Monthly Bridge Lunch - It will be on February 19th. All Bridge players are welcome to come and enjoy some fellowship with their friends and neighbors. Go to the MAA and Oldtimers meetings to find out more details or watch the bulletin boards.

Visiting Pastors for February
2nd - Pastor Doug McMahon. Woodlawn Presbyterian Church.
9th - Rev. Rex Eaton. Retired, Church of the Nazarene.
16th - Rev. James Crowley. North East Park Baptist Church.
23rd- Rev. Phillip Miller-Evans. American Baptist Church of the Beatitudes.

KOFFEE KLATCH - by Shirley Wadsworth
One donut and coffee free, and seconds too for coffee. Every second Thursday of each month.
Come out and enjoy meeting new people and the regulars, for a social hour.

Forecaster Calendar and Forecaster Notices
Nora Adell Brown is now doing the calendar for the magazine. Please ensure that you notify her of all activities. As for notices, some of you, including MAROA, are not inserting notices of general interest when this would be an effective way of informing residents, such as the phone directories being available. I could quote other examples, but my suggestion is for each activity to appoint an information officer/person with the responsibility to get the information published.

Thank you - from the Laberge Family - We wish to thank everyone who expressed their sympathy in the recent loss of their sister.
Numerous Masses, cards, prayers and food were very much appreciated.
What a wonderful and caring community we live in. Thank you kindly.
Elaine, Leo and Roger.

From Greg Penrod ?– I would like to express my thanks for all of the prayers and get well wishes during my recent hospital stay.

Errata January 2003 - because of a transcription problem the name "Ed Roberts" appeared in the birthdays last month. It should have been "Ed Johnson", so Happy belated birthday Ed, on January 2nd. (and no, it wasn't the publisher.)

The article "How did We Survive" was sent in by two readers, so to Dotty Kirby, thank you, as well as to Conrad Weiser.

Did you notice - the Forecaster deadline is the 18th in February?

From Esther Louzon - A former resident of Mobel Americana, Oradell (Orrie) Horton passed away on Dec 30, 2002 in Livonia, MI. Orrie was a good worker in many of our community activities, MAA and the Old-timers for example, and a very good bridge player. Additionally she contributed many articles to the Forecaster. She was my very good friend for many years. She will be missed by many.

Missing - A large Christmas scene painting that was hanging near the entrance to the main hall, fir trees, snow etc. It belongs to Lou Lauzier at 527-4670. If you have any information on this missing painting please give her a call.

Weedon Island - There is a proposal being brought to the government to designate this island as a manatee-protected area, along with some of the surrounding area. This could affect your ability to bring motorized boats in and out of the community, and could restrict the building of new docks. The Manager has the details.

Timing of Events - ticket sales - This is just a request that if possible try not to do ticket sales on the first Monday in the month if you want the sale to appear in the calendar. It is a technical problem, in that there are so many scheduled events already on the first Monday, that in order to list any more in the calendar, the type would have to be very small. Naturally, you can have ticket sales when you want, but I may not be able to put them in the calendar on that day. Summer months are ok.

Parking and Speeding - The offenses are multiple and flagrant. Just tell me why it is so important to have to speed in this community. I can then share it with all the rest of the residents so we can understand why retired people are in such a hurry to meet their maker. And as for parking on the streets, it is everywhere. It makes for very dangerous situations, particularly near intersections. Before you park, put your brain in gear and then take your vehicle out of gear.

White Elephant Sale March 1st - Kay Sebek is looking for jewelry. Please give her a call if you have any to donate.

Thank You
I wish to thank my relatives, also the many friends and neighbors who kept Edgar D. Snowman in their thoughts and prayers throughout his illness. Finally, a heartfelt thank you to all who expressed condolences upon his passing December 29, 2002. God Bless.
Jacqueline M. Gerte

WEDDING RECEPTION FOR JOHN AND LOUISA
By Betty Chase
The MAA Kitchen Krew wish to invite all park residents to a celebration of the union of Louisa Hall and John Layner. Reception will be in the Atrium on Saturday, February 15th at 2 pm.
Please come participate in the "JOINING OF THESE TWO PEOPLE - TWO STORIES-ONE NEW BEGINNING"!

From the Editor
John Bassett
As many of you know from a piece I wrote in October it is my plan to resign as editor by year-end 2003. So the bottom line is, we need to find someone new to carry on the Forecaster.
The assistant editor does not wish to assume the position so the field is wide open.
I would like to hear from anyone who is interested so we can explore the possibilities. Thank you.


CHRISTMAS SHOW REVUE
By Jo Waldron

I really wasn't prepared to do this revue, I thought that for $2, which included refreshments, everyone interested should have attended. But after hearing for the third time that this was the best Christmas show ever, I thought, "Something special happened here". I decided, if nothing else, credit should be given to those who worked so hard to pull it together
First of all, the hero, Paul Mattina, this was his first stint as director/producer. He had the unenviable task of trying to hold our attention. What a job. To his credit, he remained a hero to the end; I never heard a discouraging word about his efforts, this is one instance where you really had to be there to appreciate what he accomplished.
I'm a poor critic when it comes to music so I won't attempt to say who had the most beautiful voice, unless we can include the reader. I thought to myself, that Shirley Penrod was being somewhat of a Prima Donna when she didn't show up for rehearsals. I soon found out that she has done it so often that she doesn't need to rehearse, she has the voice of an angel, perfect for reading the nativity story.
I've been in a couple shows now and Ferne Eppers still amazes me with her ability to keep up with all the changes, in fact, practically every rehearsal had revisions. On this show she had a sidekick, Claire Mosakowski, they worked very well together and the two of them were a big reason the show turned out so beautifully.
I just want to mention a couple of highlights, I loved the elves/fairies, men have to be very self-confident to prance around in tutus, they were really funny and it looked like they were thoroughly enjoying themselves. Also humorous were Mr. and Mrs. Santa (Mike and Jerry Regan) making-out (kissing) on the stage, while the chorus sang "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus". And of course, it would not be a Christmas show without one of the Ruth Brown originals, what a clever, funny lady.
Drew Fairlie played "Ave Maria" on the bassoon then Ferne accompanied him for "Jesu Bambino". I have never heard a bassoon solo before, his "Ave Maria" touched me and seemed to bring the Spirit of Christmas home.
Dorothy Kolb has headed these productions for so many years that she easily directed us on when to stand, when to sit, when to sing and when to keep quiet, sometimes with a word and sometimes with just a look! She is priceless, after all these years, her enthusiasm remains high and it's catching!
Last, but not least, the singers; soloists, trios, chorus, it was such fun sharing this experience with you. The times we smiled, laughed (sometimes inappropriately), rolled our eyes and held our heads, what a great bonding experience. When's the next show?
The second half, the nativity story was beautiful, it reminded us all of the real meaning of Christmas. The show ended with the audience joining the cast to sing "The Peace Song".
Thanks again to our very special kitchen crew who made the evening complete with punch and cookies.


FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY
By Nora Adell Andrews

"A good library is a statesman's workshop." John Randolph

Our candy sale is beginning on February 5, at the MAA luncheon! We will have a limited amount of candy bars, chips, and pretzels and will be selling them at the luncheons and at bingo this month. The profit is used to purchase items for the library that help keep our library current! For example, we just had new shelves made and installed in the research and non-fiction corner. Now that part of the library matches the previous shelving we had made. Thanks, Jim Lewis for doing such a fine job!
The library is beginning to acquire a collection of audio books from generous donations. Our librarian, Rita Lewis, is holding the audios for now but the list of these audio books has been posted. If you are interested in listening to any audios please give her a call, at 527-0693.
In January we welcomed some new friends to share in our discussion of Nora Roberts and her book, The Villa. Nora Adell Andrews led the group commenting on the author's life and prolific writings. Nora Roberts has 127 million copies in print, with someone buying her books every four minutes!
Our book for this month is Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur S. Golden, and we will have our meeting February 6 at 1:00 in our library corner. Doing the book review will be Joan Belanger and Rita Varney. We hope you can join us, and if you need more information call Rita Lewis.
We also commented on an Internet company, Bookcrossing.com. The concept is a brainchild of Ron Hornbaker, who had bookshelves of loved books and did not want them thrown away. The idea is to put a bookmark, printed out from this group with your coded name, inside the book and then leave it at places where it can be seen: offices, airports, and other public places. When found, the bookmark explains that you are free to take the book! If you are able you can then access the email address and record the coded name that you have read the book and what you thought of it! Books in this organization have been to India, Australia, and England, to mention a few!


CRAFTERS CLUB
By Annette Solomon

Dear Crafters
Welcome back, "Snowbirds"! Welcome to our new craft members who have recently joined us!
We meet every Monday evening from 6 to 9 pm and every Thursday morning from 9 to 11 am. FREE lessons are given in basic techniques. Come and learn to crochet, knit, do counted cross-stitch, embroider, plastic work etc. Most supplies are provided. Come over and select a project that you would like to make. Many can be made at one meeting.
A group, led by Eva Pratt, is learning Swedish weaving. Grace Tight is teaching knitting. Nora Clifford is a crochet teacher. Betty Forbes and Helen Bzowski are great teaching plastic work. Come and see Beck Hopkins at work on the sewing machine. Soon, she will demonstrate the technique of making decorative plates.
Exciting guest speakers are planned for future meetings. Look on the Crafters Club bulletin board for pertinent information. Look for sign up sheets for our monthly breakfast or monthly lunches.
A heartfelt thank you to all the workers and supporters of our craft sales held before and after all the luncheons in the clubhouse.
Don't sit home alone working on a project. Bring it along! Come join us!
See you there.


PAR SEEKERS GOLF
By Ken Hopkins

The game is on! Our season has started, birdies are hiding in fear, and shouts of "well done" can be heard across the green. It's golf season.
Our first championship tournament of 2003 will have been the Canadian Open held on January 30th. In spite of its name, you do not have to be Canadian to win. However, if you do win, you become an honorary Canadian citizen for a day!
Par Seekers has reaffirmed that it is necessary to play three rounds of golf in this year to calculate everyone's handicap. That is a standard club rule. There will be no carry-overs from last year's handicaps. If a player is not able to play three rounds, they can still play in the tournaments but are not eligible to win and therefore will not be charged the $2 entry fee.
Please note the following rule clarification on hole #2. When playing from the normal tee box (the one that does not require a shot over the water) and the tee shot enters the water, that is considered a lateral hazard and the ball is dropped near the point of entry into the water but no closer to the hole. The drop zone does not come into play when playing from that tee box.
A quick reminder is in order. During normal play, a maximum score of double par will be allowed on any hole. Thus, if a player is on a par 3 hole, when they take the 6th shot, they are done. Pick up the ball and the team captain will record a score of 6 on the scorecard. There should be no scores of 7 on a par 3 or 9 or more on a par 4. Please note this rule will NOT be in effect during tournaments and special events. Feel free to take as many strokes as you need during the tournament!
Mark the date of March 24th on your calendar. That will be the date of our annual banquet with prizes, music, and good things to eat. Not to be missed. Details to follow.


SHUFFLEBOARD CLUB NEWS
By Jo Waldron

The shufflers are as busy as they want to be right now. Mondays are the Red & Black games, which are open to everyone, including non-club members. Tuesdays are the Friendship league games, Thursdays the Nova league plays and the Blue Sky team plays on Friday. Our fun game "Horse Collar" is played on Sundays at 1 p.m. In addition to all this, some of our players also belong to a Pinellas Park league.
The league standings as of January 19th
Nova: Still having fun.
Friendship 1: 5th place.
Friendship 2: 1st place.
Blue Sky: 2nd place, just one game behind first place.
The Nova league tournament will be held here on February 27th & 28th,
Ruth Healy is in charge, let's all make ourselves available to help on those days. The Friendship Singles are here also on March 17/18/19, Pat McCarthy will be in charge of that and can also use our help. The Friendship doubles will be held March 10/11/12 at Regency Cove and the Blue Sky Tournament is March 7th & 8th at Mirror Lake.
Don't forget our pancake breakfast on Saturday, February 8th, from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. Bill Hart was the lucky winner of $81 in our January 50/50 drawing. Congratulations Bill.
Happy Shuffling


GARDEN CLUB NEWS
By Jerry Regan

Is it "herbs" or is it "erbs"? Which pronunciation is correct? It seems to depend on the particular region of the country or the part of the world you are from that determines how you are going to pronounce it. Domestic and cooking expert, Martha Stewart says "herb" emphasizing the "h". To this Midwesterner that sounds strange, for it's pronounced "erb" where I'm from. Our speaker on January 14th Marion Marsh of The Misting Shed, is from England, and she also pronounces it "herb". She should know, because she is a Master Gardener and an expert on herbs. Marion brought to our meeting many of the herbs she has grown and explained the different varieties and uses of each herb. Marion's visits are always so interesting, and we were able to take some of our favorite herbs home. By the way, the dictionary lists the pronunciation of "herb" as (urb, hurb). I guess both are correct, what do you think?
At that meeting we were able to sign up for the January 28th bus trip to Sarasota to view the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens. Lunch was at Dutch Heritage and then we stopped at The Citrus Winery on the way home. The trip for February has not yet been determined, but we can count on it being not only informative but also very enjoyable. Our speaker for February is Renzo Gervasoni of "Dirt Bucket". That enigmatic title should whet your appetite to discover just what Mr. Gervasoni is going to talk to us about. Join us on February 11th at 9:30 a.m. to hear our speaker and find out what our trip plans are for February 25th.
A word on the Rose Garden: Due to a series of mishaps over the summer (weed retardant and fertilizer misapplied), our roses have suffered and we've lost quite a few plants. These plants are being replaced and we've already received the able assistance of our new landscaping group who will take over the care and feeding of the roses. We will see the Rose Garden bloom again. There are a number of spaces open for new roses, please contact Nancy Hubartt, 525-0571, if you would like to have a rose installed in the name of a loved one, or just for yourselves.


LINE DANCE UPDATE
Norine Fisher

By the time this update makes the Forecaster, we will have had four lessons. All of the dancers are really getting into it. It's a little late for newcomers to try and catch up because we will be getting into some livelier music.
It sure was nice to see Rita Salter back dancing. It's good to see all of the spectators who are always welcome.
It's really time to get those feet going. Till next month let's keep Boot Scootin.


CUE CLUB NEWS
By Brian Birch

Greetings to one and all. I hope everyone had a great holiday season. By the time you read this, the tables in the Cue Club room should be refurbished and newly covered!!! AND... ready for our upcoming tournaments in March. While I don't have a lot of new information to give you I do want to remind everyone that we are still offering our regular activities: Men's League on Monday and Thursday evenings, Women's League on Wednesdays, 8-Ball instruction for novices &/or experts on Thursdays at 5 pm, and our "open" night for Doubles play on Sundays at 7 pm. Just remember- you don't need a partner to join the fun. We rotate around the tables and everyone gets a chance to play.
Our monthly Cue Club meeting will be held February 3, 2003 at 11:00 am, in the Atrium. I hope to see you there!!!


BOWLING LEAGUE
By Diane E. Turner

We had a great turn out for the month of January. Our bowling league is growing in number, enthusiasm and inspiration. New and previous members are meeting every week for a couple of hours of delightful amusement. You also may join us any Tuesday morning as a beginner or as a pro. So come along on Tuesday morning at 0900 at Sunrise Lanes on 9th Street. We can supply transportation if needed. See you there and bring a friend; the more the merrier! For information or transportation call 521-4317.


NEIGHBORHOOD CRIME WATCH UPDATE
By Barbara Magada

The next Crime Watch/Crime Prevention/Crime Patrol Meeting will be in the clubhouse at 1:30 pm. on Friday, February 14th, 2003.
The speaker will be From Metro Crime Commissioner Joe Pine with the latest updates on Crime in our area and how to deal with these PROBLEMS! Please mark your calendars. Refreshments as usual!
Coordinators:
Barbara Magada, Esther Louzon & Jim Chase


DUPLICATE BRIDGE
Gerri Bassett Director
Shirley Beauchamp Assistant

Howell Movement
Sunday January 5th, 2003
1. Bev Hamel & Joan Dell?’Angelo
2. Claire Bator & Michelle Willett
3. Jo Waldron & Linda Cook

Sunday January 12,
Mitchell Movement
North & South
1. Pat McCarthy & Don Delzell
2. Shirley Beauchamp & Esther Louzon

East & West
1. Gerri & John Bassett
2. Milene & Al Wingrove

Sunday January 19,
North & South
1. Joan Dell?’Angelo & Bev Hamel
2. Milene & Al Wingrove
3. Lucy & Roger LaBerge

East & West
1. Pat McCarthy & Don Delzell
2. Daphne & Dick Gunton
3. Maretta Dimke & Elizabeth Copeland
I want to welcome back all our Bridge players who have just returned from the north. Its nice to see you and hope you will enjoy the season while you are here. Have a Happy Valentine's Day!


A ROAD LESS TRAVELED
By Jo Waldron Asst. Editor

With the variety of clubs and other activities going on here in the park, you would think everyone could find a group to join, you would be wrong, we have some individualists with their own ideas of fun.
Rick Birtcher is an avid radio controlled model airplane flyer. You will find him and several other park residents at Sparks Field, usually on any Wednesday, Saturday or Sunday. Sparks Field is located on Roosevelt Blvd. and 16th Street, just behind the fire station, it?’s open seven days a week from 8 a.m. till dark. Visitors are always welcome.
Partial and completely built planes can be purchased but many enthusiasts build their own. Plan on devoting about a year of your life to this project. The planes are beautiful, I can imagine the time, patience and yes -love, that goes into building one of these. They range in size from a 40" to 130"(or more) wing span, then there are the "big boys" at 1/2 scale, Rick says these are rare. He loaned me a tape of one of the AMA Jet scrambles and I was amazed at the skill of the pilots. I couldn't help thinking, one miscue and thousands of dollars would be down the drain, and unfortunately, flight insurance cannot be purchased for these planes. Rick has nine planes. The one he usually flies has a 65" wingspan, which he says is average.
I don't think I'd ever get into this sport but I certainly do plan on getting out to Sparks Field to watch. If you'd like more information on radio-controlled planes, Rick said it's ok to call him at 526-1306.
And then we have Rita Ferguson, her favorite pastime? Kayaking. She loves to get out early in the morning, that's the best time to see wild life, fish, birds and of course, manatees, which at times swim under the kayak. There is no noise to speak of to frighten the wildlife away as the kayak glides quietly and effortlessly through the water.
They are very light weight, she has a set of folding wheels that she slips under the kayak to transport it to the water, she can store the wheels in the kayak in case she decides to land somewhere and explore a bit. Rita says learning to paddle a kayak is easy, almost instinctive, they are simple to maneuver and extremely aerodynamic.
She goes to Weedon Island from here and often sees dolphins and schools of rays in the shallow water there. She usually stays close to the shore to avoid the larger boats and jet skies. Rita would like to hear from other kayak enthusiasts in the community. She said the excursions would be much more enjoyable if she had someone to share the sights with. Give her a call.
This is an ideal place to live if you share Paul and Linda Cooks love of sailing. They rent a slip here in the marina for their 16-ft. Newport Day Sailor and usually go out three or four times a week.
They have sailed to the Vinoy Yacht Club marina, but their favorite trip is to anchor on a sand bar and just kick back. They take their lunch and usually swim, listen to music, read and watch the dolphins. Other couples and families sometimes share the sandbar with them, they enjoy watching the children splash around in the shallow water. Paul brought his fishing gear this year, he plans to try his luck at fishing while they're "kicking back".
Speaking of fishing, Roger Beauchamp shares a passion of fishing with many here in the park. He is an avid fisherman of the lakes and rivers in Canada. Roger said "About five years ago, Ron Crawley, the best fisherman in the park, introduced me to deep-sea fishing". They go out once or twice a week in Ron's 19-ft boat that has a 50-hp motor. They fish in water about 35 to 40 foot deep for black sea bass, perch and occasionally also catch grouper.
I think if we took a poll of the men (and women) in our community, there would be more fishermen than any other single group, they couldn't live in a better place to enjoy this sport.
Tennis requires more physical energy than most of us care to expend but I know of at least two residents that enjoy this sport. Harry Attwater plays on the courts and Sil Oliveira, the champ shuffleboard player is also a champ at table tennis, which he plays at a club in Clearwater.
Thank you to all who took the time to share your sport/hobby with the Forecaster readers, you have taken us on a short trip down a less traveled road.

This article is being reprinted here with the kind permission of the Fossil Park newsletter editor, Tina L. Boeving and the author Carol Santure and was submitted by Nora Adell Andrews.
The article is about one of our community members, Claudette LeBrun, and appeared in the December edition of the newsletter of the Fossil Park Neighborhood Association.

Yardscape
I recently met Claudette LeBrun at the craft show held at the Willis S. John's recreation building in Fossil Park. She was cheerful and friendly and I began to ask her how she made the braided rugs she was selling. She was using the bobbins and flat needle that were once her grandmothers?’. Claudette is from Massachusetts - born in Canada and still has her French accent even though she has been in this country for fifty-two years. Her rugs are made of wool strips and reversible because she uses a blind stitch that sews the braids together.
Claudette is a near-by neighbor. She resides in the Mobel Americana Park on 1st St. N. She loves living there and cannot say enough good things about her neighborhood. As we continued to talk one topic led to another when she mentioned how she and her husband made Christmas trees a few years ago to decorate the front of their home.
People living in the park liked the trees so much that everyone began to make them.
The two that Claudette and her husband started eventually grew to 302 trees that now line their streets. This sounds similar to what the residents of Kenneth City display.
Doesn't that sound like a great way to brighten up a neighborhood for the holidays?


EDITORIAL -Board Meeting January 15th, 2003
by John Bassett

A Board meeting of the shareholders was held on January 15th, 2003. It was advertised to start at 7 pm, but the opening was delayed by about 40 minutes. Roberts Rules of Order are very clear in that an advertised meeting must take place as advertised, unless there is a valid reason not to. A recess could have been called later in the meeting for a specified time. While the intent was good, and the postponement was minor, if there is no reason to change the procedures, let's not do so.
At the meeting two new directors were elected, Annette Solomon and Ed Mosakowski (hope I've got that right) and Bill Hart was reelected. Congratulations to the elected - or should I say sympathy? And congratulations to the new Executive, headed by Paul Mattina as President. And before I close this paragraph thank you to the outgoing members, Tee Phillips and Dick Nemi. Both gave it their all while in office and the community is better off for them having served on the Board.
Now apart from the elections there were two pieces of business for the Board to vote on, the setting of a new share price and the approval of a simplified maintenance fee structure. With respect to the share prices, I do not have any idea where the figure of $35000.00 came from. It certainly does not conform to the Pinellas County Appraisers valuation of about $48000.00 for waterfront lots and $24000.00 for interior lots. To get your assessed value for property tax purposes the assessor's office multiplies these amount by 83% to get the amount shown on your property tax assessment notice. I don't recall any study being presented to indicate how the amount of $35,000.00 was arrived at. In any event whether the amount is appropriate or not, it seemed to me we were getting mixed messages from the Board as to why this increase was necessary. One opinion was that it represented the increased value of the community and another opinion was that it was raised to hold down sales of lots so that we keep our renters, who appear to be great contributors to our cash flow. I think it is time for us, the shareholders, to make a decision as to whether we want all the shares to be sold or whether we want to keep the mix as it is now. The Board seems to have taken the position that we should not attempt to sell all the shares because it might cause a cash crunch, but in my opinion the Board has never asked ALL the shareholders if that is the way they want to go. I really don't think a minority of 2% of the shareholders (the Board) should make such a basic policy decision. The fact is that if we sold all the shares that now remain, about 300-310 at $35000.00 we would still owe the bank $2 or 3 million on the mortgage loan, which would have to be paid off somehow. Now $2 million at 8% over ten years equals a monthly payment increase to each shareholder, assuming all shares are sold, of about $32-33 monthly. So my question is, what are we trying to do? Sell shares, or keep the renters? It's time the Board, and you the shareholders made a decision on this matter, because frankly, as far as I am concerned we are stumbling along, fighting brush fires, without any idea of where we are heading.
We need a finance committee and a planning committee to come up with future plans, five years, four year plans etc. with different scenarios to give the shareholders some options and alternatives to consider. The talent is in the community. It needs to be tapped. The perception is that we have no idea of where the road is taking us. We can do better. But to you the shareholders, too many of you sit there with your minds apparently in neutral, perfectly willing to attend simply for the night's entertainment. The board members cannot do it on their own. You need to come prepared, ask intelligent questions, in other words study the matters to be discussed prior to the meeting and take part. Don't just sit there and act like robots, because when you don't speak up, the Board gets no guidance. I don't really believe that you are robots, probably it is a case of being afraid of being laughed at if you do say something. But in my experience most people have something to say, and contribute, but doing it around a coffee table, or the pool, doesn't help the community very much.
Another fallacy that needs to be put to rest, is the one that your share certificate, which has your lot number on it, has nothing to do with the lot you occupy. Try that on the County assessor. He assesses your lot as if it were your freehold open market property. Do purchasers ask you to sell the share by itself, or is your property sold as an entity, lot and unit? What does that sticker say on your front window? It says "RP", real property! Who pays the property taxes? You do. The only difference between the share certificate you have and a deed, is that with a deed you have full surface ownership rights. And with the certificate you have full surface usage rights. Very minor differences represented by two different pieces of paper. (yes I know a deed is for a surveyed lot and a share is issued because the lots are not surveyed individually and we are a not-for-profit society - too bad somebody didn't tell the County Assessor) Technically you are not allowed to sell the share for more than you paid, but the State of Florida very clearly implies through its property assessment practices that you have the ability to sell at market prices. Seems to me the State is speaking with a forked tongue. The State has to make up its mind. Are our lots free market or are we a true not-for-profit society? I would dearly love to see someone challenge the State on this issue.
Now to maintenance fees. A simplified structure was put in place. There were some objections based on what was promised originally, but folks, that was nine years ago. As some said, it's time to move on. Don't be surprised if within a year or two the fee structure is reduced even more, to three, or heaven forbid, just one. We all get the same services. So on your lot you have less grass to cut, but you don't cut it. The same public spaces and buildings are at your disposal, same roads, same trash collection. Where's the problem? We can't operate on what happened in the past. As I said earlier in this article, we need more and better planning. More and better communications. More involvement by the shareholders in helping to formulate policies.
The manager is paid to manage. She is not paid to decide on our future. Don't let it happen by default. Let the Board make the policy decisions, and introduce forward planning. We will all be better off and have a clear idea of where we are going and how we are going to get there.


COMMUNITY NOTICES:
There is located at the maintenance shed on Mount Piney Avenue an air pump that you may use to inflate your bicycle tires.
Newspapers and Magazine Recycling
All newspapers are to be placed in the newspaper bins. Please do not put brown paper or plastic bags in the newspaper bins. The bins are only for newspapers.
A magazine bin is located at the storage compound on Americana Drive. Please take all your magazines to this bin.
Aluminum Cans and Scrap Metal
Please put these out on Tuesdays only, or late Monday evening for very early Tuesday pick-up, or take to one of the Old-timers Aluminum sheds. Do not put in the garbage compactor. It is for household garbage only.
Yard Brush and Tree Trimmings
Place all yard brush and tree trimmings at the side of the road separate from the garbage and it will be picked up Mondays AM. Place it in trash bags or plastic containers.
Do not put it with the regular garbage. This only increases the amount we must pay to have it hauled away.
Help the Park -Place your old phone books in the dumpster at the Mount Piney location. Do not place them in with the regular trash.
Bertram Zanaglio, MAROA Board member.