January 2008 Newsletter
HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL!!!
It has been a great 2007 and we can look forward to a great 2008.
The Park is enjoying the improvements and now we have, for the first time since
Hurricane Charlie, received new tables and umbrellas for around the pool.
The plan is to look at resurfacing the patio deck around the pool in 2008. It
is needed, and Jim Mohn is doing a great job fixing areas that could cause
someone to trip. Hopefully this will all be new in this year. Our plans are
to continue to improve our facilities including the clubhouse, multi-purpose
bldg., mini-hall, shuffleboard courts, horseshoe areas and the lake area.
Much thanks to all our volunteers and maintenance personnel for all their
efforts.
Please, this is costing
you money and it is destroying our facilities.
Now, to leave this news note in a positive way, we need to let everyone know
that the present Board of Directors could never do the work we need to without
all the support and encouragement that we get from our shareholders and
residents. The best example of this is the fence at the front of the Park. We
heard you when you spoke about the road noise and what you wanted for a fence.
The Board followed your direction. In time, with your suggestions, we will
beautify the new fence with shrubbery, etc. It makes a difference when you all
get involved and add to the Park.
Thank you for your help in many many ways.
Bob Fogg, HOAP President
NEWS FROM
APA
Happy New Year to ALL and Healthy one too!
Christmas Dinner was enjoyed by 109 wonderful friends and family of Alligator
Park. The ladies and some very special men brought some delicious side dishes
and desserts. $206.00 was taken in to help with APA'S projects for the season.
We would like to "THANK ALL" who helped make Christmas Day very special for
everyone. This is what makes this park so special to be here for season.
For those who could not be here with us, we wish them well and will miss those
that are gone. Please keep those in your prayers that are recovering from
illnesses and surgeries, so that they will become stronger everyday.
We would like to "THANK ALL THE BELL RINGERS"
Robbie Robbins, Nick Gagliardi, John & Patty Walker, Bob & Annette Morden, Ron
Schnulle, Al Rook, Ben & Dot Turner and Joe & Jean Stone for a great job at this
Holiday Season.
Please watch you speed, remember it is only 15 mph, there are more folks on
there bikes and walking, so be a little more conscious with your driving.
Also, ladies please be sure turn the IRONS OFF when you are done using them.
MAH-JONGG - Come & learn an old Chinese Tile game. We will begin Wednesday, Jan.
2 at 7:00 pm in the club house. You will need a current playing card -
available at LAUGH OUT LOUD at Fishersman Village.
Join us and have fun. Call June Adams for questions 941-639-7973.
There are only 5 tickets left for the Gaithers Concert on Jan. 24, 2008 at the
GermaIn Arena. See Lynda Borg at #103 Trout for details.
Ken & I would like to Wish Everyone a Happy New Year.
Sharon Page, APA President
And now a lesson in foreign language: BUFFET: A French word that means "Get up and get it yourself."
ATTN QUILTERS: The
guild will begin meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 9th, at 2:30 PM in the Mini Hall.
Knitters and crocheters are welcome to join us.
Bev Hayek #1508
Kay Atherton #110
As a busy Christmas season at the park comes to a close, we’re seeing more and more winter residents returning. That’s a signal that we’d better be ready with that full program of activities that keeps our park humming all season. Our January calendar is SO full of opportunities for you that it’s almost too much to fit!
This month we promise you five Thursday evenings of good entertainment! Two outstanding movies start the month, and then January 17 provides the return performance of the hilarious River Rats. Tickets are only $7.50, available from the office, from Sharon Page and from me (when you can catch me!) January 24 is FULL, so get ready! Your calendar will show the Ladies Luncheon, “Stepping Out in Style” at 11:00 and two activities in the evening: an outing to the Gaither Homecoming in Ft. Myers and a good movie!
January 31 brings with it the 2008 Alligator Park Benefit Concert featuring the music of Neil Diamond, Englebert Humperdink and Tom Jones, performed by “Johnnie, Lou & Friends.” Johnnie Walker says, “You’d swear you were listening to Neil Diamond!” Johnnie and Lou were featured entertainers at last year’s benefit concert and this year they have added “Friends” who are also high-quality musicians. You won’t want to miss this concert! Tickets are just $5.00, available as noted above. The project for this benefit concert is to help fund the new stage curtains for our clubhouse, so your support will be very important.
Fifty-four very lucky travelers will leave for Orlando on January 15 for two fun-filled days of adventure. Another almost 100 travelers will receive their cruise documents on January 12 at 9:30 a.m. at the final meeting before the February 2-7 cruise to Ocho Rios and Grand Cayman.
One more important note: in February we celebrate the 50th anniversaries of couples at the park. If you are celebrating or know someone who is, please sign the list on the clubhouse bulletin board so you can be included in our program.
Other “entertaining” events during the coming month include a spaghetti dinner, the first 2008 pancake breakfast, the annual steak dinner and fine dancing every Friday evening! Don’t miss a day of what’s about to happen in Alligator Park in January! Watch your calendar! Get your tickets! Happy New Year!
Jim and Miriam Besaw
NEW YEARS WISH
It’s a measure of people that don't understand that the beauty and joy of The Christmas season is not a system to determine retail profits. The calendar sets aside one day out of 365 to celebrate this wonderful holiday. But the peace and happiness that we usually display at this time of the year should not be limited to one solitary day; rather we should carry it over into the New Year as a continuous celebration.
The New Year will bring with it new challenges and assuredly many accomplishments. By coming together in total unity we can do much, divided we will be doomed to repeat the mistakes generated in previous years. All of us, each in our own way can promote the good in all of us. There will continue to be differences on solutions to perceived problems, but our differences should not detract us from using our God given talents to engage in positive reasoning.
The decorations, although put away for another year, are symbols of the one solitary day. Our attitudes and willingness to create solutions will carry us over throughout the New Year and beyond. The forces of individualism and discontent will tend to erase all the positive that we as a park have accomplished and thus force the wheels of progress to stop their forward motion.
I am certain that I am not alone when I express my wish for a productive New Year, and a year filled with much happiness. All of this and more will be ours if we strive to promote all of the peace and happiness we can. Happiness is contagious but only if you pass it around.
With all of its sham, drudgery and broken promises, it's still a beautiful world. Strive to be Happy.
Art Hayek V.P. A.P.A.
An
elderly couple had dinner at another couple's house, and after eating, the wives
left the table and went into the kitchen.
The two gentlemen
were talking, and one said, "Last night we went out to a
new restaurant and it
was really great. I would recommend it very highly."
The other man said,
"What is the name of the restaurant?"
The first man thought
and thought and finally said, "What is the name of
that flower you give
to someone you love?
You know... The one
that's red and has thorns."
"Do you mean a rose?"
"Yes, that's the
one," replied the man. He then turned towards the kitchen
and yelled, "Rose,
what's the name of that restaurant we went to last night?"
MANAGERS MESSAGE
I’d like to welcome back so many of our seasonal residents, and to ask why they decided to bring this cold weather with them.
It’s good to see Alligator Park filling back up, and the activity level getting back to peak season levels.
We are preparing for the Annual Shareholders Meeting, and information and ballot packages will be sent to your “address of record”. This is one of the reasons that it is important that you check in with the Park upon arrival. Candidates for the Board of directors must have their “Notice of Intent” turned in at the office by 5:00 pm on January 5th, 2008 to be placed on the Ballot. Their resume or information sheet must be turned in by 5:00 pm on January 10th, in order to be included in the Ballot mailing.
You may have noticed new tables and umbrellas at pool side. Did you also notice that the umbrellas are solar powered? Each umbrella has low voltage lighting that is powered by a collector located on the top of the pole, which charges during the daylight hours and provides nice lighting for hours into the evening. The best thing is that the solar umbrellas cost no more than the standard market umbrella. Please turn off the lights when you leave.
The maintenance department has been busy re-strapping the pool deck chairs, and will be starting the lounge chairs soon. We researched this and found that we could re-strap for significantly less that the cost to replace the pool deck furniture.
In December, we had a new high efficiency heat pump installed for the pool. The cost to operate the new pump is about 60% of the old one. We are looking into adding solar panels to the Multi-Purpose Building to further reduce pool heating costs. Solar panels would pay for themselves in approximately 3 years, and then produce heated water for the pool for the cost of running the pump motor. The heat pump would still function when we had a period of cloudy or exceptionally cool weather.
We have started our Saturday and Sunday office hours. On Saturday, Marcia is here from 10:00 am til 3:00 pm for reservations and check ins. Remember, both RV and Mobile Home residents must check in upon arrival to the Park. Sundays, a member of the Board of Directors will have the office open for check-ins and general information from 10:00 am til 2:00 pm.
I’m sure that you have noticed the new fence separating Alligator Park from Taylor Rd. Park front residents have already told me that the road noise has been greatly reduced. We have plans to add some bushes along the outside to further reduce the noise. We expect that the opening of Wal-Mart will have a significant impact on traffic on Taylor Rd.
Wifi (wireless internet access) is coming to Alligator Park. We have entered into a 1 year contract with Camplink USA to supply internet access for any resident who wishes to purchase the service. No long term contract is required. Service can be purchased for any where from 1 day to 6 months. Installation should be complete by January 15th, and informational literature will be available in the office. We will continue to provide the free high speed access in the library as we have in the past.
The Park maintenance men will be mowing the grass in the Park, and ask that all decorations and lighting be removed from your lawn before Monday, January 7th. This is for their safety and yours that we ask this.
Ken Martin, CAM
REASONS DOGS DON'T USE COMPUTERS
TrO{gO
HyAqR4tDc TgrOo TgYPmE WeIjTyH P;AzWqS,.
(Too Hard To Type With Paws.)
FROM DONNA’S DESK
Wishing all a Happy Healthy New Year. Just a reminder that Pass Thru Taxes for Renters are due by February 1st, 2008.
From the Front Desk
Can you believe it? It's 2008!
I can't tell you how glad I am to have the park buzzing like a beehive again. It's nice to have so many of the seasonal residents back again.
I do want to ask, if you are back, and have not stopped into the office, please do.
Everyone needs to fill out a new registration form. We will be doing this every year to have the most up to date info possible on file for everyone. The key word here is EVERYONE. Those of you who are living in the park year around need to come in and see us as well. It's amazing how much information can change from year to year. We also have a small gift for you, so stop in.
I also want to mention that we have new informational brochures. There are a quite few new advertisers in the brochure, offering a wide variety of services. We ask that you support them whenever possible. Their advertising lets us have the brochures at no cost to us. We do send and hand out hundreds of the brochures every year. The savings to us is significant. When you use our advertisers, please be sure to mention that you are from the park.
Thanks every one. I am glad you are here, and I am happy to be here too.
Marcia Strandell
Three
old guys are out walking.
First one says,
"Windy, isn't it?"
Second one says, "No,
it's Thursday!"
Third one says, "So
am I. Let's go get a beer."