November/December 2014 Volume 10, Issue 5

What’s Inside

Association Business page 2

Letter from the Editor page 3

Jenny’s Home Values page 4

Community Management Co.

Soundview Property Management Inc.

Contact: Jodi Bradley

Phone: (407) 574-5885

Email: jodi@soundviewmgt.com

Feedback

Tell us what you think…

Editor: Howard Moody

thepreservepress@gmail.com

COMMUNITY CONNECTION

Holiday Safety Tips Safety is important when decorating for the Holidays. Remember these safety tips as you prepare for a happy Holiday Season.

• Christmas Trees are involved in at least 400 fires every year, do regular check-ups on smoke alarms to minimize the risks (Source: USFA).

• Never use lighted candles near trees, boughs, curtains/drapes, or with any potentially flammable item.

• Small children may think that holiday plants look good enough to eat, but many plants may be poisonous or can cause severe stomach problems. Plants to watch out for include: mistletoe, holly berries, Jerusalem cherry and amaryllis. Keep all of these plants out of children's reach.

Home for the Holidays at The Preserve The Community Connection is back, and just in time for the Holidays. Our community really shines this time of year and many of our neighbors go all out with their Holiday decorations. We hope to capture a little of that Holiday magic to share in our upcoming Winter Issue.

Please share a photo or two of your homes adorned, through NextDoor or our email address, that you wouldn’t mind having published. We’ll pick a few of the best to share in a future newsletter.

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Association Business The Annual meeting was held on 29 September. Unfortunately, a quorum was not obtained so no election of Directors could be held. At the meeting the Board approved the budget for 2015 which will result in a reduction in fees. For our neighbors' convenience, the collection of HOA and Club fees will be combined into one check. The Board also approved a plaque honoring a charter member of the HOA Board of Directors, Russ Niewold, who passed away while still serving his community. The Plaque will be displayed in the Clubhouse.

The Clubhouse ice machine was inoperative and due to it's age was becoming maintenance prone and was energy inefficient. The Board approved replacing the machine with a Hoshizak Ice Machine and Bin. This unit has an excellent maintenance record of reliability and is very energy efficient.

In answer to neighbor concerns that the ponds needed cleaning, Directors Walt Lee and Phil Hampton volunteered and cleaned the Clubhouse and South gazebo ponds and the boardwalk area. Neighbor Rob Schild reported that his wife and son cleaned the Econ pond north of the entrance. Volunteers and there contributions to our community are appreciated, as they help keep all of our costs low. Please report your community service efforts on NextDoor, we would l ike to recognize your contributions.

The Oriente exit gate was exposed to damage when a vender attempted to enter thru the exit gate. Jason Alday determined the Vendor responsible from examining the surveillance cameras and contacted the company responsible. That company responded favorably to the information and paid for our gate service company to inspect the gates. Fortunately there was no severe damage and the gates are fully operational.

The Econ entry fountains a l so needed spec ia l maintenance. The north unit had an electrical part failure and the south founta in suffered a flooded pump vault during the high rains. The drainage problem was corrected and the pump vault operation restored. Directors Tom Allen and Jason Alday worked with the service vendors Platinum, and Tina of A & B Pools, to restore operation in a timely manner.

Jeremy has stepped down as head of the ACC and reported the rest of the unit had as well. The Board thanks the ACC members for their service. Josh Odom has volunteered to head up the ACC, and the Board of Directors has approved. Josh will need community support in recruiting members for the unit to avoid any backlog in ACC requests. Please consider this service opportunity for your community and let Josh or a Board member know of your interest.

Current efforts in progress by the Board are gate painting, Greenwillow cul-de-sac wall cleaning, repair of sidewalk areas that may pose a tripping hazard, and road re-sealing. All of these items require vendor bids and negotiation, approval, and scheduling.

As a result of resident concerns over speeding and cars ignoring stop signs, the Board contacted the Sheriff ’s Office for support. Since we are a gated community, i t i s our responsibi l i ty to hire enforcement. A contract with the Sheriff ’s Office was arranged and now we will have periodic speed and stop sign enforcement. The Officers can issue ‘real’ tickets or warnings. The Board encourages all residents to obey our speed limits and posted traffic signs. Let's work together to keep our children and other pedestrians safe in our community.

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(continued from page 1)

Approximately 5,800 persons each year are treated for fall related injuries during the holidays. Approximately half the injuries (56%) were caused by falls from considerable heights (e.g., ladders and roofs) (Source: CDC).

• A straight or extension ladder should be placed one foot away from the surface it rests against for every four feet of ladder height.

• When you climb, always keep three points of contact on the ladder whether two hands and one foot, or two feet and one hand, and keep your hips between the side rails and do not lean too far or overreach. Reposition the ladder closer to the work instead.

• Avoid placing breakable tree ornaments or ones with small, detachable parts on lower branches where small children or pets can reach them.

• Only use indoor lights indoors (and outdoor lights only out doors). Check lights for broken or cracked sockets, frayed or bare wires, and loose connections. Replace or repair any damaged light sets.

• Use no more than three light sets on any one extension cord. Extension cords should be placed against the wall to avoid tripping hazards, but do not run cords under rugs, around furniture legs or across doorways.

Letter From the Editor Dear Neighbors,

As your new Editor for the Community Connection, I wanted to thank you for the opportunity to serve and

for the warm welcome we received when we moved to the The Preserve in July of last year. This will be my second Holiday season here, am I am so excited to see what fest ive decorations our neighbors will have for us this year. Our neighborhood is a truly special place all year long, but

the Holidays here at The Preserve really show off our community, these beautiful homes, and the hard work our neighbors put into decorating.

The Community Connection has moved to a bi-monthly format with 6 issues planned for 2015. Its a challenging job to pull it all together, but I am excited to interact with our neighbors and Board Members to keep the content relevant, timely, and maybe a little fun. I invite you to submit photos, articles, or other content for potential inclusion in future issues using the email account printed on page 1. While I cannot include everything sent, I hope to provide a newsletter that really shows off our neighborhood and the incredible neighbors who live here. You can also provide comments and suggestions through NextDoor, we have created a special group called Community Connection and look forward to hearing from you.

In closing, your Newsletter Editor and our Board of Directors would like to wish you the happiest of Holiday seasons. Remember the safety tips included in this issues as you begin to transform your homes into the Florida version of a Winter Wonderland, and don't forget to send us your pictures. I can't wait to see what you are all up to.

Sincerely,

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Jenny’s Home Values

The Preserve at Rio Pinar 2136 Treymore Dr.Orlando, FL 32825