Grove Isle
August 2016 Newsletter
www.groveisle.org
President's Report
We have been informed by our lawyer that Florida Law (718.112 (2) (l)) now requires that condominiums, even low rise condominiums like ours, may be required in the future to retrofit their Common Elements and the Units with a fire sprinkler system unless Members of the Association vote to forego any required retrofitting by December 31, 2016. Retrofit simply means to modify ours by installing a system originally required for only high-rise condominiums. It would be extremely expensive to retrofit the Common Elements and the Units with a fire sprinkler system. The cost could exceed one million dollars ($1,000,000.00) and would require all owners to pay a substantial assessment. This requirement was not a result of any safety concerns by the Fire Marshall, but a legislative one.
After very careful consideration of this issue, The Board of Directors voted on July 26, 2016, at a Special Board Meeting to recommend to the Membership to vote to forego the retrofitting. There will be mailed to the Membership a “Written Consent” form for you to express your approval or disapproval to forego the retrofitting of the Common Elements and Units with a fire sprinkler system. If a MAJORITY of the Units (more than 50%) vote to forego the retrofitting, then we will not be required to do so in the future. Conversely, if we do not obtain a majority, we could be subjected to do so. Once again, the Board recommends foregoing the retrofitting.
In addition, condominiums which house over 55 people like ours may be required by law to retrofit the Common Elements and Units in the future with handrails and guardrails unless TWO THIRDS of the membership vote to forego (718.1085). The cost to retrofit in this case could be in the range of $200,000 once again requiring an assessment to be paid. The Board recommends we forego the retrofitting. A second written consent form will be included in the mailing to the Membership.
Please pay very careful attention to complete these consent forms and return both of them indicating your approval or disapproval, inserting the date and your address, and signing where indicated. Return BOTH written consent forms to office immediately. The Board recommends you APPROVE to forego the retrofitting in both cases.
There will be an opportunity for everyone to ask questions regarding these two issues at the Board of Directors Meeting on August 24, 2016 at 9 a.m. in the Main Club House. Whether or not you attend this meeting, please do not delay returning the consent forms immediately. We will also provide information on our web site. Do not hesitate to contact the office should you have any questions.
Bill Sances,
Association President
Manager’s Report
Here are a few things we are currently working on:
1. The main clubhouse interior TV area painting is complete. The main room, library, ping-pong room, kitchen and hallway up to the exercise room are all completed.
2. The kitchen and hallway floor tile and sealing of tile is complete.
3. The main clubhouse pool renovation is complete.
4. We will begin the Riveredge clubhouse pool on Monday, August 1st.
5. The lake behind building J and building C has been re-sprayed with a chemical product named Sonar to help control the eelgrass. We do have fish in the lake that are also eating the eelgrass.
6. It is much too hot at this time of year for any landscape plantings replacements. This will continue when the weather cools off.
7. The main drainage ditch behind buildings 22 & 23 cleaning has been completed.
8. The repainting of the atrium railings is in process and moving along nicely. Buildings 1 – 10 have been completed. Buildings 11 – 23 are undergoing prep work.
9. Jimmy’s Tree Service is on property and doing a great job lifting and thinning out the trees.
10. In late August the annual palm tree trimming will begin.
Till next time, take care and have a great summer.
Robert Mullett,
Condominium Association Manager.
Social News
Our monthly Social Committee meetings have been suspended until October. Our next meeting will be Wednesday 5th October followed by Wednesday 2nd November and Wednesday 7th December to complete the year of 2016. Please mark your calendars. We look forward to seeing you there.
4TH OF JULY PARTY
Stewart and Kathy Barnes hosted a great party and all who attended had fun celebrating. Debbie Murphy led the music and with the help of our choir Millie, Kathy and Meredith they soon had the room full of cheerful sound. Thanks to all who helped make this event a very joyous occasion.
FREE BLOOD PRESSURE CHECK
Blood pressure check is every second Tuesday of the month (this month 9th August) and it is from 12 noon to 1 p.m. in the MCH.
Movies
Ann Rawling and Joyce Costello would like to welcome you all to the Wednesday Night Ice Cream Social at 6:30 p.m. until 6.45 p.m. followed by a good movie starting at 7:00p.m. Please be sure to arrive early if you would like ice cream as we will stop serving at 6.45 p.m. so we can be all cleaned up and ready to start the movie at 7:00pm prompt. Thank you for your co-operation.
August 3rd: Genghis Kahn - Starring Omar Sharif and Stephen Boyd
August 10th: Lilies of the Field - Starring Sidney Poitier and Lilia Skala
August 17th: Glen Campbell: I'll be me - Starring Glen Campbell and Bruce Springsteen
August 24th: Smokey and the Bandit 2 - Starring Burt Reynolds, Jerry Reid, Jackie Gleason and Dom DeLuise
August 31st: Amelia - Starring Hillary Swank and Richard Gere
Sunshine Lady
Elaine Fantozzi is our Sunshine person. If you know of anyone who is unwell or has passed, please contact her on 794-7727.
Get Well cards have been sent to Regina Brawley and Grace Di Matteo
A sympathy card has been sent to the next of kin of Raphael Judin
FALL FEST
Please mark your calendars for our FALL FEST that will be held on Sunday October 30th. Tickets will be available on Thursday October 13th and Friday October 14th between 11:30 and 12:30 in the main clubhouse. Keep watch on our notice board in the MCH for the poster with details of the menu and entertainment. We look forward to another night of fun.
SHOO THE FLU
Friday October 14th is the date of our SHOO THE FLU clinic in the MCH. We will provide details of the times in the next newsletter.
LOOKING AHEAD
Keep an eye on the sheet at the back of the newsletter...EVENTS INFORMATION. Please be advised that some small details may change periodically and therefore the document will be updated from time to time.
We the Social Committee wish you all a very happy summer wherever you may be. Sincerely....Helen, Betsy, Rose, Jan, Christine, Nancy, Linda, Joanne, Lynn, Michael, Dottie and Kathy.
FEW News
The FEW Club Committee hopes everyone is having a great summer. Try to stay cool and remember Fall is just around the corner.The FEW Clubwill reconveneon October11, 2016 when breakfast snacks and coffee will be served starting at 8:30am with the meeting starting at 9:00am in the Main Club House. Be sure to mark your calendar.
If you havewalked on the trail behind the small clubhouse, I’m sure you’veseen all the holesalong the pathway.Well, these holes are caused byblue land crab. If you setstillfor a short whileon one of the benches,a crabjust mightventureout.Land crabs are shy and pose no threat to humans unless caught and handled.Then theyarecapable of inflicting a memorable pinch.Because they aresocommon on the path,I decided todoa littleresearchto find outmore about them.
BLUE LAND CRAB
Theland crabs arethe largest of Florida’s semi-terrestrial (land-dwelling) crabs. They can measure upto sixinches acrosstheir body. While the juvenile form is a dark brown, purple, or orange in color,the adults are bluish-gray and females are light gray or white. One claw is larger than the other and the walking legs are sparsely hairy. The natural range of the land crab isBermuda, through the Caribbean Sea, Texas, and southernFlorida. In Florida, they can be found in low-lying areas of the coastal counties but rarelyventuremore than five miles inland.
Crabs live in burrows several feel deep or at least toalevel that allows water to seep in for moisture.These giant crabs are primarily vegetarians, preferring tender leaves, fruits, berries, andflowers. Occasionally theyeat beetles or other large insects.
Landcrabs return to sea only to drink or breed. They reach sexual maturity in approximately four years. Peak reproductive activity occurs during full moons inthesummer. After mating, theadult female lays her eggs but carries the egg mass beneath her body for approximately two weeks prior to migrating to the ocean. There shereleasesthe eggs in shallow inshore waters. A female may produce 300,000 to 700,000 eggs per spawn,but very fewsurvive to become small crabsas fish and other aquatic animals eat the larvae. In Florida, the spawning season lasts from June to December. The peak season is October and November. Once the eggs hatch, the tiny larvae are carried out to sea. The development stage (from larvae to small crab) takes about one month out in the Ocean with the young crabs being deposited on a shore often far from where they started.
Because of State regulations, removal of crabs is limited to only the open season from November 1 of each year through June 30 of the following year. No crabs can be removed during the closed season beginning July 1 and continuing through October 31. Blue land crabs can only be caught by hand or with the use of a landing or dip net.
The blue land crabs are a food source throughout the Bahamas and the Caribbean. In these areas, populations have been reported to bedeclining.Apparently one person can catch hundreds of crabs per night and harvesting effort has increased as migration periods approach (June-December). The bag limit for any one day is no more than 20 blue land crabs.
DID YOU KNOW?
· Written records about life in Florida began with the arrival of the Spanish explorer and adventurer Juan Ponce de León in 1513.
· As a territory of the United States, Florida was particularly attractive to people from the older Southern plantation areas of Virginia, the Carolinas, and Georgia, who arrived in considerable numbers.
· Florida became the twenty-seventh state in the United States on March 3, 1845.
· During the Civil War, Florida was not ravaged as several other southern states were. Indeed, no decisive battles were fought on Florida soil. While Union forces occupied many coastal towns and forts, the interior of the state remained in Confederate hands.
Marlene Alder,
Secretary
Golf
Anyone interested in playing in a Sandridge Golf League on Thursdays, call Bill Sances at 492 9533.
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