Eagle Crest

Eagle's Eye Newsletter Archives

all newsletters - 2003

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Eagles Eye - 2003?

January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December

January

PRESIDENT?’S MESSAGE

THE EAGLE CREST YEAR IN REVIEW

Here?’s a look at what happened in 2002 in the neighborhood.

The year started out with Police Chief Harmon speaking at our January meeting. It was pretty exciting as it was only days after Mayor Baker named him Police Chief. It was one of the best attended meetings ever.

In February, Richard Kriseman, our City Council Representative was the guest.

In March our guest was Ed Keegan, Eagle Crest resident and landscaping expert. Ed coordinated and supervised the landscaping party we had for the monuments. A number of dedicated neighborhood residents donated their effort to complete the monument project that was a couple of years in the making. Now that the monuments have been done they look as if they are an original part of the neighborhood.

In April we had the First Annual Eagle Crest Garage Sale. Numbers of households participated and everyone thought it was a great success. The decorative streetlights along 65th Street were installed and it didn?’t cost the neighborhood a penny.

In May, our guest was Brent Fischer, President of the Council of Neighborhood Associations.

In June, our guest was Krutel Mack, home security system expert. By this point in the year, the library ?“issue?” was raging and it was about this time that the ?“West Cresters?” (the residents of Eagle Crest west of 66th St) started to become interested in joining our Association.

In July, a public forum regarding the proposed library took place at St Pete College. It was also the month that we started announcing the ?“Neighbor of the Month?”. Our first Neighbor of the Month was Jack Baker.

In August our guests were two candidates running for public office, Linda Allen and Fred Harriman. The Eagle Crest Homeowner?’s Association made a $100 donation to St Pete Catholic High School?’s Scholarship Fund in appreciation for their graciousness in allowing us to have our monthly meetings at their facility. We had a neighborhood brush pick-up organized by our Vice President, Jason Lacroix. Our Neighbor of the Month was Bill DeYoung.

In September our guests were representatives from Grimail Crawford, a company doing a study to investigate the possibility of a mass transit system for Pinellas County. The Neighbors of the Month were William and Karen McHugh. The Association?’s annual election was held and the entire executive board was re-elected for another term.

In October our guest was Tom Killian, Vice President of the Jungle Terrace Civic Association and an expert on neighborhood associations. Rya Lauber, neighborhood resident and top notch graphic artist, designed the Eagle Crest logo. In November our speakers were Joe Towry and Ray Bordner from the City of St Pete?’s Public Utilities Department. They came to discuss the replacement of water lines which is still going on. The Neighbor of the Month was Rya Lauber.

At December?’s meeting we had a holiday party with pizza, cookies, egg nog, and soda. A local barbershop quartet, ?“Happenstance?” entertained us with a wonderful program. In addition to many delightful songs, they did a parody of ?“The Night Before Christmas?” which was particularly enjoyed by Alex Sumner.

This was also the month that the speed limit in the neighborhood was reduced to 25 MPH. The Neighbor of the Month was Ofelia Smith.

So?…..that?’s the year in review. A great year for Eagle Crest. The neighborhood?’s ?“name recognition factor?” continues to increase in St Pete and it is being recognized as one of the premier places to live in the city.

OFFICER WOLFSON?’S CORNER

Periodically, Officer Wolfson will provide some useful information. This article will be the start of a series on:

?“What To Do When Stopped By A Law Enforcement Officer?”.

Why Do Police Stop People?
There are many different reasons why you might be stopped by the police. Whatever the reason, the officer needs your cooperation:
*The police may want to warn you about a potentially dangerous situation.
*You may have committed a traffic violation.
*Your vehicle may match the description of one used in a criminal act.
*The officer might think you are in trouble and need help.
*You may have witnessed a crime.

If you?’re stopped by the police while driving you may feel confused, anxious, or even angry. These are natural feelings, but remember, traffic stops can also be stressful and dangerous for the police officer. Each year a number of police officers are killed or seriously injured making ?“routine?” traffic stops. Police officers are especially vulnerable during the hours of darkness.
With this in mind, there are things you, as a law abiding citizen, can do to help lessen the uneasiness of the experience. Remember: Be courteous and cooperative in any stop by the police. If you are courteous and cooperative, they will respond in kind. Florida statute 316.126 requires that all drivers shall yield thright of way to emergency vehicles.
Next month:? ?“What to do When An Officer Stops You?”.

NEIGHBOR OF THE MONTH

? Each month we select a ?“Neighbor of the Month?”, someone who has displayed great citizenship by helping someone else.

The Neighbors of the Month are:

Beverly Bensaid,
Scott & Kelly Brady,
Bill & Jeanette DeYoung,
Jean & Marta Jones
Pete & Kathy Lefferson,
Lance & MJ Lubin,
Tom & Traci Mulligan,
Walter & Nena Skladanowski,
Alice Smith,
Robert & Heidi Sumner

These neighbors have volunteered to be part of the ?“Safe House Program?”.

If YOU want to nominate the next ?“Neighbor of the Month?” please let us know. You may remain anonymous if you wish.

Back to Top

February

PRESIDENT?’S MESSAGE

Not a whole lot is going on in our little part of the world. As I go to events like C.O.N.A. (Council of Neighborhood Association) meetings and see issues other neighborhood associations are dealing with, it makes me realize how blessed we are to live in Eagle Crest. Compared to other neighborhoods, we?’re living on easy street!

LIBRARY UPDATE
At our last meeting we had a presentation from Candy Lavoie. Candy has done a tremendous amount of work involving plans for the new library, making sure that as the library project unfolds the needs of the neighborhood are being met. Some of the things she mentioned: Half of the property on 69th Street will be given to the library and half to the neighborhood. A portion of the library property will be used as a bike trail and for utility buildings. 7th Avenue will then be a dead end street with a major speed calming device at 7th Ave and 70th Street. They hope to move the extra Augusta bricks from 69th St to the current paved area on 70th Street. 69th Street will be closed. The majority of student parking will be on 5th Avenue through 67th Street. There will be no non-resident parking on the streets by the college. Parking decals will be issue to homeowners and accommodations will be made for parking for the guests of homeowners. The College will send a letter to all local residents regarding design concerns. There is a plan for improving the drainage in the area. Eagle Crest Lake will remain the same size. Since the meeting, Candy filed the following report:
?“I have been invited by SPC to contribute to the joint library project via the Educational Specifications Committee. They call it Ed Specs for short. Since Eagle Crest?’s meeting, the Ed Specs committee has met twice. At the Jan 29th meeting, specifics for equipment and furniture were discussed. Other topics were funding, the vacation of 69th St N, and when to schedule meetings when the Ed Spec committee can meet with the public. During the meeting, the Professional Services Selection Team was formed. This team is responsible for reviewing, interviewing, and choosing the firm that will build the library. I am on this team also. At the Feb. 5th meeting we discussed the design of the interior of the library and the scheduling of community meetings. The first of many community meetings, (a.k.a. charrettes) have been scheduled. [Editor?’s note. I?’m really sorry to butt in on Candy?’s letter here, but when I got this letter I asked her ?“What?’s a charrette??” She said the people putting this all together were using it to describe the meetings. I looked the word up and couldn?’t find it in Webster?’s Unabridged dictionary. It does appear in the Oxford English dictionary, the ultimate reference in the English language, as an alternate spelling for charette. A charette is an obsolete French word for cart. I wondered why anyone would use this word and found the following explanation on the internet: "Charrette" means "little cart" and is used to describe the final intense work effort expended by art and architecture students to meet a project deadline. At the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris during the 19th century, proctors circulated with carts to collect final drawings while the students frantically put finishing touches on their work. A Charrette is a collaborative process for empowering people who are important to a project to work together and support the results. Charrettes can be used virtually any time a product needs to be created or designed. I suspect that the use of this word is due to some bureaucrat wanting to impress us that they paid attention in High School French class. OK?…that?’s the end of English lesson. Now, back to Candy?’s letter]
The first charrette is March 1st, 9:00am-Noon at the Campus Meeting Center at SPC Gibbs. It is for adults. The 2nd charrette will be March 8th. The time from 1:00PM to 2:30 is for elementary school age children, the 3:00 to 4:30 meeting is for middle and high school age group. The 3rd will be March 19. This will be a public forum in the Music Center at the SPC Gibbs campus from 7:00 to 9:00PM. This meeting will provide an overview of the charrettes and update the community on the progress of the project. There will be time for questions and answers. So far, the Ed Spec meetings are going well and there seems to be a reasonable effort to satisfy the community?’s needs and desires. I do need some help in this process. I need an alternate?…someone who can be there in my absence. If you are interested, please call me at 341-2204. Candie Lavoie."

OFFICER WOLFSON?’S CORNER

Periodically, Officer Wolfson will provide some useful information. This article continues the series on:

?“What To Do
When Stopped By A
Law Enforcement Officer?”.

When you see the overhead lights and/or hear the siren, remain calm, slow down and pull over in a safe location off the roadway. Do not exit the vehicle unless asked to do so. Keep your hands on the steering wheel so the office can see them. Inform the officer of any weapons in your vehicle and the location. Do not reach or point to the location. Avoid sudden movements, especially toward the floorboard, rear seat, or passenger side of the vehicle. Comply with the officer?’s request to see your driver?’s license, proof of insurance, and vehicle registration. Florida law requires you to carry these with you. If your documents are out of reach, tell the officer where they are before you reach for them. If there are passengers, encourage them to remain quiet and be cooperative. Avoid becoming argumentative. Arguing will not change the officer?’s mind. If you want to contest the violation you will have the opportunity to do so in court.

NEIGHBOR OF THE MONTH
Each month we select a ?“Neighbor of the Month?”, someone who has displayed great citizenship by helping someone else.
The Neighbors of the Month is:

Candie Lavoie

For her efforts in promoting the addition of the ?“West Cresters?” to Eagle Crest and her tireless work with the library project.

If YOU want to nominate the next ?“Neighbor of the Month?” please let us know. You may remain anonymous if you wish.

Back to Top

March

PRESIDENT?’S MESSAGE

We?’re over the half way point with the water main project. All the pipe has been laid and now each house is being hooked up to the new line. Nothing more is going to be done on 7th Avenue. The hook-ups on 8th Avenue are finished and the crews are now in the process of filling in the holes and laying sod. Next up is 6th Avenue. You?’ll see on 6th Ave the same thing that?’s gone on at 8th Ave. They will more than likely start on the eastern end of 6th (the 58th St side) and move west (toward 66th St). The yards on the north side of the street will sustain the most damage (like what?’s happened on 8th). Some yards will take a minimal hit, others will have bigger holes. It all depends on what part of the yard is the ?“attachment?” point. The houses on the south side of 6th should only be affected around the meter. Fromwhat I understand, we are getting a new crew. The guys that have been with us thus far have been reassigned and we?’re getting a new crew to finish our neighborhood.

The crew we?’ve had has been very responsive to the needs of the residents and have been pretty good about cleaning up after themselves. There?’s no reason to believe the new crew will be any less professional. If there are any problems, however, the boss of the project is Ray Bordner. He?’s a very nice fellow and was our guest at an Association meeting months ago before the project started. If you have any concerns the best way to handle it is to interact directly with the crew. If you feel your concerns aren?’t being met, however, we can contact Ray.

UPCOMING EVENTS

At our last Association meeting we scheduled some events for April. April 12th will be the 2nd Annual Eagle Crest Garage Sale. The idea is for everyone to have their own individual garage sale, with everyone doing it on the same day. It might be a good idea to ?“team up?” with some of your neighbors and sell your stuff together. We?’ll be purchasing an ad in the St Pete Times and will ask everyone who plans to participate to contribute $5 towards the cost of the ad (it?’s going to be a pretty fair sized ad). If you plan to participate, either bring the $5 to the March or April meeting, or mail (or deliver to) our Treasurer (our WONDERFUL Treasurer) Darlene Milton at
6210 6th Ave N.

Our ever vigilant Vice-President, Jason LaCroix has once again been gracious enough to schedule a brush pick up day for April 28th. Here?’s your opportunity to do all the trimming you want and have the City pick it up for free. All you have to do is leave it curbside and they will pick it up on the 28th. Please?…organic material only. Don?’t throw out anything that couldn?’t go through a chipper.

OUR LAST MEETING

Association members gave a round of applause for departing Codes Compliance Officer Faye Lewis who, effective March 1st, moves to another City assignment. Faye?’s efforts have been very much appreciated by residents. We welcomed her replacement, Pat Simpson, who can be called at 892-5469.

Officer Wolfson announced he?’ll be attending training classes offered by the St. Petersburg Police Department to enhance his services to the community.

Candy Lavoie, recently honored as Neighbor of the Month, will be Eagle Crest Association liaison for the new St. Petersburg College project. Project meeting dates were listed in the last newsletter with Candy?’s request for an additional resident to serve as her alternate.

?“West Cresters?” (resident?’s living west of 66th Street) have formally petitioned in writing to secede from the Garden Crest Homeowners Association and formally join Eagle Crest Homeowners Association. A vote was taken and passed unanimously. This will enable those blocks of homeowners to be eligible for 25 mph speed limit signage. They are also part of Pat Simpson?’s area for codes compliance. Their Community Police Officer will remain Officer John Douglas.

Dan Woody, Senior Loan Officer with Wells Fargo Mortgage Company talked about the differences between refinancing and home equity loans. He was very informative and in addition to his expert financial advice, encouraged residents to check their credit ratings annually to make sure that ?“identity theft?” has not taken place. He can be reached at 409-5153.

The U.S. Postal Service has cited Eagle Crest for delivering the monthly newsletter via home mail boxes. I have a good friend who has been with the Post Office for many years and he says that the Post Office takes this stuff very seriously and could (if provoked) send a POSTAL INSPECTOR! The much feared and dreaded POSTAL INSPECTOR is a law enforcement officer backed by the FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. My friend says the consequences could be ?“severe?”. He didn?’t specify what he meant by ?“severe?”, but it doesn?’t sound good and we certainly don?’t want a repeat of Waco. Office Wolfson pledged that if it came to force, he wouldn?’t let the FEDS hurt any of ?“his people?”. His heroic stance was met with thunderous applause and the eternal gratitude of the good people of Eagle Crest. They?’ll never take us alive!

Which leads us to:

OFFICER WOLFSON?’S CORNER
Periodically, Officer Wolfson (protector of the weak) will provide some useful information. This article continues the series on:

?“What To Do When Stopped By A Law Enforcement Officer?”.

*Answer all question truthfully.
*The officer may issue you a ticket. If you feel the reason is vague or unclear, politely ask the officer for details.
*If asked to sign a citation, do so. It is not an admission of guilt. Refusal could result in an arrest.
Understand that each situation is unique and the police officer must alter his or her response to fit the circumstance. Generally however, a police officer:
*Will provide his/her name upon request.
*Will inform a person of the reason for being stopped.
*Will only arrest a person for a crime committed in the officer?’s presence, or when the officer has probable cause to believe the person had already committed the crime.
If you have a question about procedures or a complaint about your treatment, contact the department and ask to speak with a supervisor. You may also send a letter of compliment if you feel the officer was particularly helpful in your situation. Compliments or complaints about officer conduct should be made within a reasonable time.
This concludes Officer Wolfson?’s series on ?“What to Do When Stopped by a Law Enforcement Officer?”.
(Hey Officer Wolfson?…what happens if we get stopped by a POSTAL INSPECTOR?)

NEIGHBOR OF THE MONTH

Each month we select a ?“Neighbor of the Month?”, someone who has displayed great Eagle Crest citizenship.
The Neighbors of the Month is:

Darlene Milton

For her dedication as our Association?’s Treasurer, a hateful job that she does cheerfully.
If YOU want to nominate the next ?“Neighbor of the Month?” please let us know. You may remain anonymous if you wish.

Back to Top

April

PRESIDENT?’S MESSAGE

Spring has sprung! Birds are singing, flowers blooming, and life is good in Eagle Crest. There are a number of ways we can all enjoy the season. How about a garden stroll? A representative of the Old Northeast Neighborhood Association sent us this info

STROLL THE GARDENS OF ST. PETERSBURG'S OLD NORTHEAST AND FAMOUS SUNKEN GARDENS

Coming up on Saturday, May 3^rd, the neighborhood association in St. Petersburg's Historic Old Northeast is holding its 3^rd annual Spring Garden Stroll, a walking tour of some of the area's exceptional private gardens. As a special bonus, Garden Stroll ticket holders will also receive free admission to the newly refurbished Sunken Gardens attraction.

The featured Old Northeast landscapes includes yards and patios of some of the neighborhood?’s larger homes as well as those in some of the smaller yards common to the area.? In addition, the Audubon Society will display a special butterfly garden to demonstrate how to create your own butterfly garden in any yard space.

Advance tickets for The Stroll will be available in late April at several area locations including Simply Splendid (1301 4^th Street N), Gulf Coast Garden Center (4355 Haines Road N), Dolins Garden Center(801 62^nd Ave. N) and Marketplace Express (284 Beach Dr. NE)

Tickets can be bought the day of The Stroll at Westminster Presbyterian Church, 126 11^th Avenue NE, beginning at 9:45 am.

All tickets are $10.00 (cash). The tour begins at 10am and ends at 3pm.? A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Sunken Gardens.? For further information email: GardenStroll@hotmail.com

LAKE PASADENA CLEAN-UP

Lake Pasadena is the beautiful lake with the island to our south.? If you?’ve never experienced the joy of walking around the lake and enjoying all the water birds and ducks and seeing the turtles poking their heads up from the water, you should take the time to do it. For the last few weeks, there has been an otter that?’s taken up residence in the lake. It must have come in through the storm drain system. It?’s as cute as can be.

Our Secretary, Heidi Sumner became aware that there is ?“water lettuce?” growing in the lake. If left unchecked it will overtake the lake and choke it. The City of St Pete will come out and treat it by poisoning it, but when it dies, it sinks and becomes a sludge. Enough of it on the bottom would choke the lake from the other direction, depriving the water of oxygen. The only solution is removing it all by hand (and tool). Heidi has arranged for The Eagle Crest Association and the Lake Pasadena Association to team up for the first time ever in a cooperative effort to save the lake. We need you there? April 19^th at 9:00AM. The City is providing a dumpster, we will supply the workforce and tools. Please bring rakes, pitchforks, shovels, gloves, wading boots, nets, wheelbarrows, kayaks, canoes, and anything else you can think of . With everyone working together it will only take a couple of hours. Be there!

UPCOMING EVENTS

? April 12^th will be the 2^nd Annual Eagle Crest Garage Sale. The idea is for everyone to have their own individual garage sale, with everyone doing it on the same day. We?’ll be purchasing an ad in the St Pete Times and will ask everyone who plans to participate to contribute $5 towards the cost of the ad (it?’s going to be a pretty fair sized ad).? If you plan to participate, either bring the $5 to the April meeting, or mail (or deliver to) our Treasurer, Darlene Milton at? 6210 6^th Ave N.

Our ever vigilant Vice-President, Jason LaCroix has scheduled a brush pick up day for April 28^th. Here?’s your opportunity to do all the trimming you want and have the City pick it up for free. All you have to do is leave it curbside and they will pick it up on the 28^th. Please?…organic material only.? Don?’t throw out anything that couldn?’t go through a chipper.

May 3^rd,?9:00AM to 12:00 will be ?“Bike Day?” at St Judes. Prevatt Funeral Home and the St Pete? Police Dept are sponsoring the event. There will be bike registration, an obstacle course, free bike helmets,? and the opportunity to have your child registered with ?“Ident-a-Kid?”.

LIBRARY UPDATE

At the last Ed Spec meeting Bill Turpin from the Holder Construction Company joined the group.? Holder is the construction company that was given the task of building our library and Bill is the Project Director during construction.? We also worked on refining the floor plan drawings,? making sure all square footage agreements made with the public are being met, and determining where to place the bicycle parking in relation to the bike path.

There will be one more meeting? and then the architectural drawing goes off to the engineers.? ? ? ? ? There will be another public meeting coming soon, shortly after the group receives the final drawings from the engineers and architects.

The neighbors adjacent to SPC will be meeting with Mike Fredricks this Saturday, April 5^th at 10 am to discuss traffic calming issues.? ?

Your Neighbor, Candida Lavoie.

Officer Ron Goes Hollywood!

? Our very own Neighborhood Officer is a celebrity. Officer Wolfson took part in a charity auction where he placed the winning bid on an opportunity to have a cameo appearance on the show ?“Frazier?”. We?’re not sure if the episode has aired yet, but it is the episode where Frazier takes part in building a house with Habitat for Humanity. Officer Wolfson is in a few of the scenes in the coffee shop where he is seen sitting at a table behind Frazier.

Apparently fame has not gone to his head as he has continued to protect and serve our community, pledging that he will always remember the ?“little people?” and personally autograph every ticket he writes.?

TAKE YOUR DOG TO THE PARK

North Shore Dog? Park at 7^th Ave & North Shore Dr NE

Lake Vista Dog Park at 1401 62nd Ave N.

Walter Fuller Dog Park at 7901 30^th Ave N.

Crescent Lake Dog Park at 1320 5^th St. N.

Coquina Key Dog Park at 3595 Locust St. S.E.

NEIGHBOR OF THE MONTH

Each month we select a ?“Neighbor of the Month?”, someone who has displayed great Eagle Crest citizenship.

The Neighbors of the Month is:

Heidi Sumner

For loving Lake Pasadena, realizing what treasure it is, seeing a problem, and arranging a solution that has the added benefit of bring neighbors and neighborhood associations together. She has also devoted her time and to be our Association?’s secretary.

If YOU want to nominate the next ?“Neighbor of the Month?” please let us know. You may remain anonymous if you wish.\

Back to Top

May

PRESIDENT?’S MESSAGE

It was a busy month in Eagle Crest. April 12^th was our 2^nd Annual Garage Sale and it was? a huge success. Almost twice as many homes participated this year than last year. Things were humming that morning. So what do you think?…should we do this more than once a year?

April 28^th was our 2^nd Annual brush pick up day, arranged by our Vice President, Jason LaCroix. Lots of households participated. For some reason, it took the City a number of days before it was all picked up. Maybe we surprised them with the amount of? stuff out on the streets.

April 19^th was the Lake Pasadena clean-up day.

A number of Eagle Crest residents joined forces with our Lake Pasadena neighbors.? We made the front page of the Northwest Neighborhood News, a magazine available throughout the city. Here?’s an excerpt:

?“No one really knows exactly when it started. Some say it was due to heavy runoff from other lakes during one of the downpours of recent months. Others believed someone dumped them in. But it was Heidi Sumner who first became concerned and alerted others in the community to water

lettuce spreading rapidly in the beautiful Lake? Pasadena.? This invasive aquatic plant had never been seen in the lake before, and that worried residents. Water lettuce (Pistia Sraitotes) is a floating plant which resembles an open head of lettuce.? Once it becomes established, it spreads quickly and can completely clog the surface of a lake. It can block the air-water exchange reducing the amount of oxygen and killing underwater animals.

In search of answers?…Heidi Sumner found that using the herbicide the City recommended would? cause hundreds of dead plants to sink to the bottom? producing a thick layer of sludge that would also reduce oxygen levels, killing bottom dwelling plants and fish.

At this point, residents of nearby Eagle Crest became concerned. And then the two Neighborhood Associations came together to save their beloved lake.

The Lake Pasadena Neighborhood Association, under the direction of Roberta Yancy and the Eagle Crest Neighborhood Association, under the direction of Lance Lubin joined to clean the lake. There were people of all ages with rakes, leaf blowers, kayaks, and their bare hands all working together for one cause, to save Lake Pasadena? and protecting its newest resident, the otter. Residents were thankful to the city?’s park and recreation department? for their help and guidance, but felt it was their duty to proceed in a manner that would be the least harmful to the environment? and the long term survival of Lake Pasadena..?”

What a great article and what a nice event. This could be the beginning of many more joint efforts with our Lake Pasadena neighbors.

OUR WEBSITE

Our new Webmaster, Jeff Ulrich has really ?“spiffed up?” the website. Here?’s an article he wrote about some of the features.?

The Internet has now made it possible for you to easily and conveniently be informed and involved in our neighborhood.

Our neighborhood now has its own free, interactive Web site where we can display our newsletter (Eagle's Eye), notices, meeting schedules, and neighborhood issues, as well as direct links to our local schools, community police officers, and local government officials.

The site is located at www.eaglecrestassociation.com.? Simply type this Internet address into your Web browser and visit the site to see how useful it can be! Once you arrive, we encourage you to bookmark the site (or make it your home page) so you can return easily and often!

In addition to the features mentioned above, our Web site has an easy-to-use discussion area called "Talk About It" that enables all of us to exchange ideas, concerns and questions about neighborhood issues. Our Web site also has a Community Calendar that lists upcoming meetings, events, and garage sales; a Meet Your Neighbor section that allows us to create (or hotlink) our personal Web pages; a free Classified Advertising section, and an Add-A-Page feature that makes it easy for anyone to prepare and post Web pages devoted to any topic of interest.

Visit our Web site to learn more about our neighborhood, and become actively involved by posting announcements and events and participating in its many interactive features. If you do not have Internet access at your home or office, local libraries have computers through which you can reach our site.

Our Web site has been made available to us at no cost by Neighborhood Link, who has created a place on the Internet where every neighborhood in our metro area can have their own free, interactive Web sites. For more information, or to help in our Web site's ongoing development, contact Jeff? Ulrich at? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? mjurn@tampabay.rr.com

EAGLE CREST WINS AWARDS?

A few weeks ago, the Neighborhood Partnership Association announced the recipients of their annual 2002 awards. Eagle Crest took Honorable Mention in the following categories:

Best Neighborhood Website

Best Neighborhood Newsletter

Best Association President

We also received the Neighborhood Partnership Outstanding Achievement Award for Extraordinary Service and Dedication to City Council District One.? (We were nominated for this by Richard Kriseman, our District Representative)

Officer Wolfson?’s Corner

This month will begin a series on Florida?’s bicycle laws.

Sidewalk Riding ?– When riding on sidewalks or in crosswalks a bicyclist has the same right and duties as a pedestrian. A bicyclist riding on sidewalks or in crosswalks must yield the right of way to pedestrians and must give an audible signal before passing.

Lighting ?– A bicycle operated between sunset and sunrise must be equipped with a lamp on the front exhibiting a white visible light from 500 feet to the front and both a red reflector and a lamp on the rear exhibiting a red light visible from 600 feet to the rear. Additional lighting is allowed by law and is recommended.

Special Mention-

Happy Birthday Loretta!

Loretta Huwer became 101 years young Saturday, May 10.

Next Meeting

Wed., May 14^th at St Pete Catholic High School Media Center 7:00PM

No special guest this week?…

just a chance to get together and share ideas and concerns

As always?… Free pizza and soda from Dominos and the meeting doesn?’t last more than an hour. See you there!

June

PRESIDENT?’S MESSAGE

Here Comes the Sun.

? Glasses steaming up as you get out the car? Breaking a sweat in between showering and toweling off? Seeing the lizards run for cover? It?’s summer time. Welcome to Florida.

This must have been ?“Have Your Roof Replaced?” month. It seemed like on every block there was a home having its roof replaced. It?’s nice to see so many people making improvements, doing landscaping, and doing so many things to beautify their homes. It makes the neighborhood that much more desirable. I spend a lot of time driving all over St Petersburg and although there are many lovely neighborhoods, I?’m always grateful to come home to Eagle Crest. So many other neighborhoods are facing challenges that they fear will diminish the quality of life. We are insulated from almost all of it.

The library was of great concern to a lot of folks and the compromises that have been reached with the College and the City are a huge success story. It really proves that concerned citizens can make a difference. Kudos to Candy Lavoie, Greg Stanek, and all the others that have worked (and are continuing to work) so hard on behalf of Eagle Crest.

LAST MONTH?’S MEETING

Officer Ron Wolfson discussed the fact that the monthly crime statistics were so low.? It was noted that these low statistics are unusual for this time of year.? Some neighborhoods are beginning to report end of school year vandalism and everyone is reminded to lock their cars at all times and use anti theft devices whenever possible.? ? Officer Ron answered a query regarding current street parking regulations.? ? ? Cars must be parked facing same direction as traffic flow; must be 15?’ away from fire hydrants, 20?’ away from a crosswalk and if left after three days, can be towed.

Resident, Tom Mulligan, has offered to serve on the City Residential Corridor Committee.? This Committee discusses new land use regulations which are currently being developed.? Your input is welcome.? Email Tom Mulligan at mulligant@msn.com? ?

Our Association is currently chartered as ?“Eagle Crest Homeowners Association?”.? The decision was made to change the name to ?“Eagle Crest Neighborhood Association?”.? ? Everyone who lives in Eagle Crest (not just homeowners) are encouraged to be part of our Association. In light of this we discussed delivering? the newsletter to apartment dwellers and decided it would be appropriate.? We should take every opportunity to build relationships.

? Thank you Dominos for donating pizza and sodas to our meetings

EAGLE LAKE

? A neighbor called to express a concern over the clarity (or more precisely, the non-clarity) of Eagle Lake. Heidi Sumner, our? resident lake expert, took the initiative to investigate and called Don Sufert, head of the City of St. Petersburg Stormwater Department.

Here are his comments:

"Eagle Lake is a very healthy lake!? In eight years, the City has never noticed a nutrient overload which would necessitate action on their part.? Eagle Lake takes care of itself, especially if you recognize that it is in the middle of a busy metropolitan area.? This is a credit to the neighborhood which works to keep the streets clean and trash in the lake to a minimum.? Eagle Lake is algaetrophic (normal in its cycling).? Algaetrophic lakes have clearer waters in the winter months when temperatures are down and typically rainfall is lower.? Grass clippings, street sweepers dust, all might contribute to the "particulate matter" you would see on the top.? A rainbow coloration on the top would be the only indicator of a petroleum problem caused by street run-off.? While the lake does receive street run-off, it seems very minimal.? In the summer months, the water heats up, normal algae content blooms, the lake is always settling which raises sediment, this would cause the water to darken in appearance."?

If we want to pursue this further, County Extension Agents would have to come out to test the lake, but as far as Don Sufert is concerned, the lake is in great shape and he certainly seems to know what he is talking about.

Heidi also wants to? encourage anyone visiting Lake Pasadena to look for and/or pick up any pieces of green water lettuce that is found floating in the lake.? ? Don Sufert says continued vigilance for a bit of time is what will make the difference between complete eradication and a temporary solution to the problem.

Officer Wolfson?’s Corner

Last month Officer Wolfson began a series on Florida?’s bicycle laws.? Here?’s more:

Any person operating a bicycle at less than the normal speed of traffic should ride as close as practical to the right hand side except under any of the following situations:

1. When overtaking and passing another bicycle or vehicle proceeding in the same direction.

2. When preparing for a left turn at an intersection or into a private road or driveway.

3. When reasonably necessary to avoid any condition that makes it unsafe to continue along the right hand curb or edge.

? Persons riding on a roadway may not ride more than two abreast except on paths set aside for the exclusive use of bicycles.

A bicyclist must not wear a headset, headphone or other listening device other than a hearing aid. Wearing a headset blocks out important audio clues needed to detect the presence of traffic.

A signal of intention to run must be given the last 100 feet traveled before turning unless both hands are needed for control. A bicyclist intending to make a left hand turn is entitled to make full use of the lane from which the turn may legally be made.? In turning right, a bicyclist may proceed through the right-most part of an intersection and turn as close to the curb or edge as possible at the far side.?

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July

PRESIDENT?’S MESSAGE

Is it just me or is it really a million degrees out there? Whew! It?’s not even August yet. You know it?’s hot when you choose parking spaces based on shade rather than distance. It?’s so hot that you could catch fried fish out of Lake Pasadena.

Some people may think that that?’s what happened last month when all those dead fish started turning up in the lake. Our resident ?“Lady of the Lake?”, Heidi Sumner looked into it. Here?’s her report: ?“I Spoke to Phil Whitehouse, Interim Director of Parks for the City. He says the City removed 1800 lbs of dead fish from the lake in one day! Jury is still out on what caused it. Phil says algae, some residents say the City mowers blew all the clippings onto the lake top, "smothering" the lake below.?”

No matter what, there were definitely too many fish for the lake to support, Phil seemed to suggest that the kill was the lakes means of ?“self-correction?”. We may want to look into reviving the ?“fish-a thons?” that used to take place.

LAST MONTH?’S MEETING

Councilman Richard Kriseman was in attendance to present the Association with the following awards: Honorable Mention ?– Neighborhood Association Website, Newsletter of the Year, and Association President of the Year. In addition, Eagle Crest was awarded the Outstanding Achievement Award for Extraordinary Community Service to District 1.

Officer Ron Wolfson reviewed monthly crime statistics and reported that Crime statistics were uncharacteristically low in light of the fact that petty vandalism is most prevalent this time of year and is occurring in all other areas of the City. Officer Wolfson reminded everyone that his geographical area of service is 7th Avenue South to 9th Avenue North, 49th to 66th Street.

Our guest was Mr. J.B. Gaskins, Vice President of Donor Recruitment, Florida Blood Services. He talked about the vital role that his organization plays in the community and invited everyone to the grand opening of the new Florida Blood Services Donor Center at; 6600-17th Avenue North. Mr. Gaskins came at the suggestion of Rob Sumner. Rob has agreed to help coordinate an effort among the ?“West side neighborhoods?” to help support the Center by organizing community blood drives. You?’ll be hearing more about this in the months to come.

Thank you Dominos for donating pizza and sodas to our meetings

A MESSAGE FROM RICHARD KRISEMAN

Hello Neighbors. It?’s time again to talk about what?’s going on in your city. As we do every summer, City Council has begun reviewing the Mayor?’s proposed budget. Unfortunately, this has once again been a difficult time for the city. Unlike last year, however, the City anticipated these difficulties and took steps to ease our budget woes by making mid-year reductions and consolidating staff positions. In addition, Mayor Baker required all departments to submit budgets that reflected additional reductions (with the exception of Police and Fire). As a result, City Council is confident that a balanced budget will be approved that will allow the city to continue providing needed services.

As you know, over the past several months the city has been dealing with an exodus of police officers from our department. As such, City Council has taken steps to help stem the tide of exiting police officers. Specifically, Council approved pay and pension increases during this past fiscal year, and since the printing of our last newsletter, approved funding that allows take-home police cars for any police officer who resides in Pinellas County. We are also developing a program that encourages and assists police officers who currently reside outside the city to move into the city. We?’re confident that these actions, along with others, will help us retain those officers who are already members of our police force, and assist in the recruitment of new officers to our department.

On June 17, Council directed our legal staff to prepare language for a referendum question that deals with the Albert Whitted Airport. After years of debating whether there should be an airport, the citizens of this city will finally have an opportunity to decide its fate. I encourage you to use the months leading up to the November election to learn as much about this issue as possible, so that when you go to the polls to vote, you can make an informed, educated decision regarding this issue, as the decision we make will impact this city for many years.

To improve the quality of life for all our citizens, even the youngest among us, the City recently opened a new Skateboard Park at Fossil Park Within the first two weeks of operation, more than 250 permission slips were signed by parents so that their children could utilize this park. The Wheeled Recreation Committee, on which I have served for the past two years, anticipates that this park will follow in the footsteps of the Crescent Lake Dog Park, in that it will be so successful, there will be a demand for other skate parks. In anticipation of this, we?’ve begun to identify potential locations throughout the city. I feel confident that one of these locations will be here on the west side of the city. Therefore, if you have any location suggestions, please call me with your idea.

Finally, as we continue to celebrate our city?’s 100th birthday, let us look back on the past 100 years with fond memories of where we?’ve come from, and continue to look ahead to where we can go. Each of you can help move this city forward. By keeping up your property and encouraging others to do the same, by reporting code violations, by watching how fast you drive on our streets, by yielding to pedestrians, by participating in our land development rewrite forums, you make our neighborhoods, and this city, a better place to live for all of us. I urge you all to become involved. If you have questions regarding how you can get involved, or if you need assistance regarding any issue, please do not hesitate to contact my office at 893-7117.

As always, it is my honor to serve you.

Civically Yours, Rick Kriseman, City Council, District One

FREE HOME PAGE

Eagle Crest Neighborhood Association provides its members with a free homepage. It is easy to create and you can put anything you want (other than commercial advertisements). Put up a picture of your kids. Let your neighbors know about your prize-winning garden, your hobbies, interests and occupation. Or simply let the world know you're here. Go to www.eaglecrestassociation.com, then select the link 'Meet Your Neighbors'. Good luck and see you on-line!