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Penn Estates Property Owners Association3445 Penn EstatesEast Stroudsburg PA 18301

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Your Board at WorkBy Maureen RobinsonThe Board approved the following Resolutions at the August 2011 Board meeting:

• Acceptance of procedure for appointment of interim director• Acceptance of candidates (Willie Barbosa and Luna Mishoe ) for consideration

for interim director position• Write-off policy authorizing Community Manager to write-off debts up to

$1,000. Debts exceeding $1,000 require Board approval before they may bewritten off.

• Acceptance of Reserve Study completed by Bill Owens, CPA.The Board approved the following Resolutions at the July 2011 Board meeting:

• Acceptance of procedure for appointment of interim director• Acceptance of candidates (Anthony Stevens-Arroyo ) for consideration for

interim director position• Creation of Youth Volunteer Group• Acceptance of master roster of volunteers and committee members• Resignation of John Bradley from the Board of Directors

The Board approved the following committee appointments:• Brigitte Miraglia to Buildings, Grounds and Roadways and Finance• Sonya Woodson to Nominating and Steering• Jodie Reilly to Nominating and Steering

The following committee removals were approved:• Jane Harris from Wildlife and Forestry• Neville McDonald as chair of Audit Compliance• Sonya Woodson from Community Safety

The following committee chairperson appointments were approved:• Anne Cowells - Wildlife and Forestry• Keesha Bruno - Appeals

Note: Members may review the full approved Board meeting minutes by going to theAdministration Office.

The Story of PEPOA’s Long-Range Plan

Going for the Green & GoldBy Jody Perkin, Board Liaison andMaureen Robinson, Chairperson, Long Range Planning

For many, strategic (aka long-range) planning may seem like an unfamiliar concept;even a waste of time. However, have you ever thought about where you wanted to be inyour career in five or ten years? Or, what you would like to have for a ‘nest egg’? If so,then you’ve been involved in strategic planning without realizing it. The same generalconcept can be applied in an organizational setting, which is what PEPOA’s Long-RangePlanning Committee (LRPC) is doing.

So, what is “Going for the Green and Gold?” It is the pursuit of a level of fiscalstrength, energy efficiency and superior living standards for the association. Sounds great,right? So how, you may ask, do we get there? Keep reading.

It starts with a mission and a vision. To develop a strategic plan, you have to knowwhere you are, have an idea of where you want to be in the future, and then determinehow you’re going to get there. Strategic (Long-Range) Planning, simply put, is the processof determining an organization’s long-term goals and the best approach to achieving them;focusing on making plans for five to ten years into the future. Once the strategic plan isdeveloped, it becomes the roadmap to achieve the organization’s vision.

PEPOA’s Mission Statement, as redefined and adopted January 7, 2011, by the Boardof Directors, is to “…represent the needs of all members in managing and guiding thecommunity…” pursuant to our Bylaws, covenants, PA Not For Profit Law, etc. TheMission Statement describes the purpose of the Association; it states why PEPOA exists.

The Vision Statement, on the other hand, identifies the goals we want to achieve; thedestination we want to reach. Our new Vision Statement reads: “The vision of the PennEstates Property Owners Association is to be one of the best communities in the Poconos,as demonstrated by:

• Good stewardship of our environment and resources• Strong sense of community and pride in ownership• Secure and safe neighborhoods• Financial stability, with adequate reserves and moderate dues• Amenities, services and activities that meet the community’s needs• Attractive and well-maintained facilities, grounds and roads• Continuous improvement in all we do”

It is this vision and its components that drive the long range planning process.Who is involved in developing the Strategic Plan? Development of the Strategic

Plan is a multi-phase, multi-year process that cannot take place in a vacuum. For thatreason, the Long Range Planning Committee is made-up of the chairpersons of all ofPEPOA’s committees. Additionally, the assistance of the Board of Directors and Manage-ment is both wanted and needed in the plan development.

Seven of our fifteen committees were appointed ‘lead’ committees, depending on howthe committee’s mission aligned with the vision statement. For example, Wildlife andForestry was assigned lead for ‘good stewardship of our environment and resources’. Allcommittees are involved in all elements of the vision statement but one committee is thepoint person, so to speak.

As the Strategic Plan ultimately affects all residents, we strongly encourage everyresident to attend the LRP workshops and give your input. Your participation is critical tothe ultimate success of the plan.

The planning process so far. The initial phases in the planning process address the

(continued on page 3)

October/November 2011Penn Estates Property Owners Association

HarmonyLIVING IN HARMONY WITH NATURE

October/November 2011WWW.PEPOA.ORG PENN ESTATES HARMONY2

President’s MessageBy Richard Way, President, PEPOA Board of Directors

• Have you wondered how the PEPOA annual budget is created? • Do you know how to provide input during development of the budget? • Are you aware how PEPOA’s Financial Health is monitored and maintained?

Creating the preliminary budget - Development of the annual budget begins in thespring and summer months. In May a budget forum is held to give homeowners anopportunity to provide their input for the following year’s budget. During July the variouscommittees and the PEPOA staff establish their financial needs for the following year.The Community Manager then puts together the draft operating budget and the draftcapital budget, including a projection of income from dues and other sources.

In August, the Finance Committee meets with the Community Manager to review andrefine the draft budgets. Each budget line item is discussed and adjustments are madewhere the committee deems necessary. By late August the Finance Committee sendspreliminary operating and capital budgets to the Board. The Board reviews them and avote is taken to approve them at the September Board meeting.

Homeowner budget input - The preliminary budgets are published in Harmony byOctober 1 and posted at the PEPOA office for a 30-day comment period. Homeownersmay offer their comments and suggestions during this period by submitting them inwriting to the Finance Committee through the PEPOA office. Also, the Treasurer holds apreliminary budget forum at the Community Center in October to explain the preliminarybudgets to the homeowners and receive homeowner comments.

Approval of the final budget - Following the 30-day comment period and thepreliminary budget forum, the Board of Directors makes any needed adjustments to thepreliminary budgets and the Treasurer prepares final budgets. A final budget forum is heldin November to present the final budgets to homeowners. At least 30 days prior to the end

of the year the Board formally adopts thefinal budget by majority vote and levies theannual dues for the next year. Duesinvoices are mailed before December 1. Monitoring and maintainingPEPOA’s financial health - Multiplegroups play a role in keeping PEPOA’sfinances in good shape:• Homeowners - The financial well-being of PEPOA starts with the revenuederived from the dues paid byhomeowners. All of us have theresponsibility to pay our share of the costof operating our community. If someonedoes not pay their dues, the resultingshortfall in revenue has to be made up byother homeowners through higher dues insubsequent years.• Management - The CommunityManager and the PEPOA finance staff areresponsible for collecting dues and otherrevenues, paying bills, negotiating andadministering contracts with outsidesuppliers, controlling expenses within theapproved budgets, and preparing PEPOA’sfinancial reports. Our committees alsoassist in their areas of responsibility.• Finance Committee - The FinanceCommittee monitors the financial health ofthe community throughout the year. Itholds monthly meetings to review therevenues and expenses for the previousmonth and for the year to date. Problemareas are identified for follow-up by the

appropriate person or group, and recommendations for corrective action aremade to the Board when needed. Other responsibilities of the FinanceCommittee include: review of proposals for capital projects, review of majorcontracts for operating services, and periodic update of PEPOA’s capital reserverequirements.

• Board of Directors - The PEPOA Treasurer serves as Board liaison to theFinance Committee and provides monthly Treasurer’s reports to the Board. TheCommunity Manager and the Finance Committee also provide financial reportswhich include recommendations for Board action. It is the Board’sresponsibility to keep aware of the status of PEPOA’s finances and toimplement actions that are required to maintain PEPOA’s financial health.

• Independent Auditors - The Board engages an independent CPA firm to performour annual audit, which is an important part of our financial managementsystem. This CPA firm also prepares PEPOA’s tax returns and certifiedfinancial statements and submits written comments and suggestions to the Boardfor improving PEPOA’s financial practices. The audited financial statements areavailable at the PEPOA office for review by homeowners.

• Audit Compliance Committee - PEPOA’s Audit Compliance Committeereviews the findings of the annual audit and follows up with management tomake sure any required corrective actions are implemented. This committeeprovides status reports to the Board.

Preliminary 2012 Budgets - The preliminary 2012 operating and capital budgetsappear in this issue of Harmony. Please take the time to review them and if you have anycomments, put them in writing to the Finance Committee and drop them off at theAdministration Office by October 31.

To submit an article or contact theEditor or Staff, send an email:[email protected]

HarmonyThe official publication of the

Penn Estates Property Owners Assoc.

Editor ............... Maureen Robinson

Staff .................. Jane HarrisJodie ReillyJim LyonsSharon KennedyNancy PadillaSteve PrattMatt Jacobsen

Contributors .... David Juliano

For advertising information:

Community Newspaper Publishers4 Phyllis Court, Stroudsburg PA 18360

phone (570) 476-3103fax (570) 476-3104

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The acceptance of advertising in the Penn EstatesHarmony does not constitute endorsement by thePenn Estates Property Owners Association or Com-munity Newspaper Publishers, Inc. Position ofadvertisements is not guaranteed. All advertisingis subject to acceptance by the editor and pub-lisher. The publisher is not responsible for errorsin ads or claims made by advertisers.

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question, where are we now? So here’s how we started. To get a clear picture of where weare, we looked at the internal and external environments, brainstormed to determinePEPOA’s strengths and weaknesses, and arrived at some important conclusions regardingour current state. The committee also reviewed the LRP Needs Assessment Survey thatwas conducted in 2007-2008 for reference.

• The external environment looked at unemployment rates, taxes, populationstatistics and growth, local commercial growth, the region’s job mix(manufacturing vs. non-manufacturing), job creation, residential construction,and the emphasis on’‘greener’ energy in residential and commercial buildings.

• The internal environment looked at PEPOA’s financial health, Penn Estates realestate market, taxes and homeowner dues associated with community living,commuter owners, weekend/vacationers and rental property owners, and internaldemographics based on the available 2010 census data.

From there, each of the elements of the Vision Statement was assigned a Lead Com-mittee. Each of the lead committees was tasked with identifying the needs and criticalissues affecting their element of the Vision Statement. The needs are the areas that are tobe addressed in the strategic plan and the critical issues are the potential barriers toaccomplishing the needs.

In a two-part session, the lead committees listed their issues and critical needs, andthen everyone else participating was invited to join and provide their input. Once theissues and needs were compiled, the issues were ranked in descending order of priority forthe appropriate vision e statement element. Items that were considered tactical (short-termor immediately resolvable) were removed from the lists, and some “needs” were movedfrom one list and re-assigned to a more appropriate area. The result was the top three orfour priorities for each element of the Vision Statement.

The July session was originally dedicated to determining broad time frames forcompletion and re-prioritizing the overall needs for the community from the needspreviously identified from the individual elements. Once the time frames were established,the focus areas became apparent and the needs were re-categorized into three (3) focusareas; all are listed in the table below in no particular order.

Focus Area Time Frame

Needs for Re-Branding of Penn EstatesProperty appearance ..................................................................................... 1 to 5 yearsLandscape options (ability to have yards as a barrier to purchase) .............1 to 5 yearsPursue a financial strategy to raise the value of homes in Penn Estates;provide funding for a sustained and intensive P/R and advertisingprogram to promote the Penn Estates community to the public ..................1 to 5 yearsRebuild Penn Estates Drive ..........................................................................1 to 5 yearsStructured activity programs/partnerships with communityorganizations (YMCA, ESU, NCC, MCTI) ................................................. 1 to 5 yearsBetter methods for visitor access of gates .................................................... 1 to 5 years

Internal NeedsWalking/jogging path ...................................................................................1 to 5 yearsUse of renewable energy in Association buildings ......................................1 to 5 yearsGetting homeowners to take an interest in the community .........................1 to 5 yearsBuild capital reserves to the level required by the Reserve Study ..............1 to 5 yearsMore effective committee membership and output .....................................1 to 5 yearsEstablish policies & procedures to recognize and motivate volunteersand staff to ensure continued improvement “think outside the box” ..........1 to 5 yearsFive (5) year building plan (recurring maintenance schedule) ....................1 to 5 yearsEnsuring ADA (American’s with Disabilities Act) compliance ofcommunity facilities ...................................................................................6 to 10 yearsPlan for prioritizing roads to execute tar & chip, or pave ...........................1 to 5 yearsCommunity Center with year round swimming/basketball facilities ........6 to 10 yearsReduce the feral cat population ....................................................................1 to 5 years

External NeedsPEPOA political influence with township, county and state .......................1 to 5 yearsNew sources of revenue; tax derived services from township ....................1 to 5 years

Next Steps - The next phase moves into the Operational Planning part of the process.This is going to require that we evaluate the steps needed to close the gaps between wherewe are and where we want to be. This will include, setting goals and priorities, identifyingthe required resources, determining tasks and responsibilities for the involved parties. Amajor component is year by year costs estimates. Regular reporting of these activities tothe full planning group is critical. This phase of the planning process is expected to takeplace in August and September and will continue to May 2012.

The final stage is the reporting and approval process. The Strategic Plan Documentwill be drafted over a number of months from the reporting in the Operational Planning.Once completed, it will be forwarded to the Board for review and approval, mailed to themembers and reviewed and explained at a community forum in October 2012.

The committee will continue to provide updates as the process progresses. Again, weencourage you to attend LRP workshops.

Be part of the solution!

Long Range Plan(continued from page 1)


Editor’s MessageBy Maureen Robinson

Well the rainiest summer in decades is over. And despite the rain, it was a busysummer in Penn Estates. Major events included the Relay for Life in June, Carnival inJuly, as well as Community Day, D.A.R.E. and the Scramble Against Cancer in August. Ihope you enjoy the articles and pictures about these events included in this issue. You canalso see more pictures on the website.

It is budget time again and the 2012 preliminary budget is included in this issue alongwith the treasurer’s report. There are also two articles explaining the budget process.

I hope you will pay particular attention to the Long Range Planning report. This is avery important aspect of the Board’s role and is crucial to the future of the community.

Finally, you will see that our Recreation Committee has a full calendar of events forthe rest of the year. We hope you will join us for one or more of these fun activities. Anddon’t forget the Breast Cancer Walk on October 2nd. This is our fifth year for this veryimportant event.

Community CornerBirthday WishesOctober 1 Troy KirkOctober 2 Jim PepperOctober 4 Samantha DebreeOctober 5 Steve SmithOctober 5 Cliff JohnsonOctober 6 Bernie PetrickOctober 7 Judy PetrickOctober 7 George LittleOctober 7 Lennea AurillaOctober 9 Donna McCartneyOctober 11 Roy WoodsonOctober 12 Shayla GormanOctober 14 Michele TrinkleOctober 16 Nick PepperOctober 17 Tom EnglishOctober 21 Sam HightmanOctober 24 James CharnleyNovember 1 William StanukenasNovember 1 Elizabeth SandersonNovember 4 Aaron EllisNovember 5 Allison SmithNovember 8 Brian Jacobsen

November 10 Lisa SandersonNovember 16 Larry DiasNovember 17 Robert ArchironNovember 18 Mike AurillaNovember 21 Sue WerkheiserNovember 27 Joanna HuffmanBelated BirthdaysAugust 11 Joy BrewerAugust 12 Theresa KirkSeptember 15 Chris Schmitt MejiasSeptember 16 Brigitte MiragliaSeptember 20 Paula SmithSeptember 26 Bob Miller

Anniversary WishesJosé & Nancy Padilla - 31st Anniversary

Birth AnnouncementsAdrienne May & Joe Lopez announce thebirth of their second son, Logan NathanielLopez. Born July 17, 2011, weighing 8 lbs.10 oz. and 19 inches long.

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Promoting our Beautiful CommunityBy Jodie Reilly

I have lived in Penn Estates for 23 years, long before we had a back gate, a WelcomeCenter, 24-hour Security and lakes that are open for swimming. The developer had avision of vacation homes which was consistent with the popular use of the PoconoMountains resort mentality.

Much of what the developer envisioned has remained to enhance Penn Estates,particularly with the green space along Penn Estates Drive. It is a lovely way to view thecommunity from the front gate to the back gate. As the real estate market changed, PennEstate evolved into a full-fledged year- round community.

Penn Estates has adapted well. With the back gate opening up, we have a very impor-tant distinction that is not lost on any home buyer: location, location, location.

We can reach destinations in minutes from Tannersville and Route 80 West to E.Stroudsburg and the Delaware Water Gap Bridge going East in 15 minutes or less. Noother Private community in Monroe County can make that claim.

In order for Penn Estates to capitalize on the inevitable upswing in the economy andhouse values, we must focus on those issues that will put us at an advantage. As statedbefore, Penn Estates Drive is the entry showcase to this community’s beautiful housingneighborhoods. We must ensure that we have a solid program along with the funding toupdate and maintain Penn Estates Drive. Join in the conversation.

Feed the Feral CatsBy Naomi Gauntlett

I was perturbed to read the article headed “Do Not Feed the Animals” included feralcats. Perhaps the writer of this article should have done some research before includingferal cats among the non-domesticated animals that should not be fed. Feral cats are notlike raccoons, etc., they are not natural wildlife, they are made so by humans who couldcare less about the animal. They adopt a cute little unspayed/unneutered kitten, it grows,they don’t want the cat any longer or they move, out goes cat, cat mates,kittens have no social contact with humans, thus starts a feral colony.

A quick check on the Humane Society’s website (http://www.humanesociety.org/issues/feral_cats/qa/feral_cat_FAQs.html) wouldhave informed the writer that her statements are incorrect, copied in partbelow:

Why don’t feeding bans work to eliminate feral cats? The logic behindbans against feeding feral cats is that if there is no food, the cats will goaway. This is not true. Feral cats are territorial animals that can survive forweeks without food and will not easily or quickly leave their territory tosearch for new food sources. Instead, they tend to move closer into humanhabitations as they grow hungrier and more desperate. Their malnourishedcondition will make them more susceptible to parasitic infestations, suchas fleas, which they will spread into work places, garages, homes, etc.,within their territory.

Cats will also continue to reproduce despite efforts to “starve themout,” resulting in the visible deaths of many kittens. As a result, feedingbans, if enforced, tend to make the situation much worse instead ofimproving it. When the feral cat program started in 2006 there was nofeeding ban. Let’s continue to be humane towards our feral friends.

Board of Directors Statement on Feral CatsWhile Ms. Gauntlett is free to express her opinion regarding the

feeding of feral cats, the fact is that feeding of non-domesticated animals isnot permitted under PEPOA’s Rules and Regulations. The only potentialfuture exception might be very limited feeding of feral cats done incompliance with a Board-approved PE TNR (Penn Estates Trap-Neuter-Return) program. However, the current PE TNR program, which wasapproved by the Board in 2006 as a 100-cat pilot program, does notinclude feeding of feral cats.

Because the feeding issue and other aspects of the PE TNR programhave become points of controversy, a review of Board and W&F (Wildlife& Forestry) Committee minutes was recently conducted to determineexactly what was approved in the past. Here are the findings of the review:

• According to Board workshop minutes, the Board approved a 100-cat PE TNRpilot program in 2006. However, there is no record of a formal Board resolutionto this effect. The workshop minutes state that the program endorsed by theBoard included (a) trapping, (b) neutering/spaying, and (c) releasing feral cats ator near the same location; the program did not include providing shelter orfeeding stations for feral cats.

• In 2007 the Board authorized, by resolution, continued funding for the PE TNRprogram up to a maximum of 100 cats in 2007, and it required that eachproperty owner participating in the program provide a liability release form(there is no record that this was done). The Board also directed the W&FCommittee to prepare and present an ongoing education program to advise petowners of their responsibilities.

• In 2008 the Board authorized, by resolution, continued funding for the PE TNRprogram up to a maximum of 50 cats in 2008, and it directed the W&FCommittee to: (a) report to the Board and Management all pertinent informationabout the program, including but not limited to the number of felines trapped,neutered/spayed, released and location thereof, and (b) have in place a residenteducation program prior to receiving any funding for the 2009 PE TNRprogram. There is no record that these directives were addressed by the W&Fcommittee.

In view of the facts that: (a) the PE TNR program was approved five years ago only asa pilot program, (b) the program has become fraught with controversy, and (c) Boarddirectives have not been followed, the Board is now reviewing the PE TNR program todetermine what elements, procedures, and documentation will be included in the programgoing forward. When this review is complete, the PE TNR program will be put in unam-biguous written form and considered for adoption by the Board via formal resolution.

Meanwhile, residents are cautioned to not violate PEPOA Rules by feeding feral cats.

So What Do You Think?


Volunteer Spotlight

The Volunteering FamilyBy Sharon Kennedy

When we first talked about spotlighting the volunteers whose time and energy createour community, my thoughts immediately went to not one individual but to a threegenerational family of volunteers: the Padilla’s. I have seen one or all of the Padilla’s atevery important event since I moved here about eight years ago. In the spotlight are Nancyand José Padilla; their adult children, Niki and “José the younger”; Niki’s daughter, Callie(“I am four years old!”); and José’s brother, Armando. They each contribute their ownparticular skills and styles.

What they have in common are a “desire to be a part of the solution, not a part of theproblem” and a “focus on results,” not on self interest. I know this to be true from my ownobservation. Whether serving on the board or setting up tables for an event, they focus onthe task without fanfare. They began volunteering the day after they filed the deed on theirPenn Estates property and have not stopped in the past eight years!

Nancy says that she comes from a volunteering family. Her father was a firefighter anda Red Cross instructor. Nancy was a junior firefighter in her youth. Before she came toPenn Estates, she accomplished much as a volunteer at church with CCD and bingo caller,Cub Scout den mother, and Brownie leader. At Penn Estates, she was quickly snatched upfor the Communications Committee, where she became co-chair with Dee Sanchez andthen with her own daughter, Niki; and at one time with Sandi Black. Because she was anengineer, she was recruited for the ARB Board. She also served on the Appeals board forseven years, and chaired that committee as well. She organized fund-raising for Commu-nity Day in the past. In 2006, she suggested a tricky tray to fund Community Day. Largely

due to herefforts, the trickytray was a$2,000 success,and as a result,enough fundswere raised tooffset the cost ofCommunity Daythat year withoutdigging into thePEPOA budget.She has raisedfunds andparticipated inRelay for Life.She helped withadvertising andsolicitingdonations and participants for the Golf Outing events to support the American CancerSociety. As if that isn’t enough, she also volunteers with Our Lady of Victory Church. Shehelps at the American Cancer Society and is assigned the Stroudsburg Shoprite site forDaffodil Days for the American Cancer Society. She and the rest of the family are activewith the Delaware Valley Chapter of the Hemophilia Foundation. What gives her the mostpleasure is when someone recognizes her in an unexpected place and acknowledges whatshe has contributed. She is in volunteering not for the glory but for the’“smiles” and forknowing that she is helping people.

Like his wife, José is quietly proud of his volunteering accomplishments. Beforecoming to Penn Estates, he was the “first male hot lunch momma” for the school and hewas a basketball coach at Saint Stanislaus in Trenton. José describes himself as anobserver. When he observes that he has something to contribute to improve what alreadyexists, he steps forward. He has done this often over the last eight years at Penn Estates.He served with Buildings and Grounds, helping to create the new playground at the lakeand worked with various other projects including the reconstruction of the rear gate. Heserved as chair of Appeals. He filled a one-year vacancy on the PEPOA Board of Direc-tors and then was elected for a three year term. He contributed his knowledge of construc-tion and roads in a variety of ways, and his business sense by streamlining reportingprocesses.

José was successful in getting more community members (and board members)involved in activities by starting a dart league, and then a horseshoe league and now asoftball league. The Dart League is self-supporting financially.”“It has to be sound,” hesays. “You do what you can do. If you run into a wall, you find a way to go over, under oraround the wall to get on the other side.” José’s brother, Armando, is a sometimes part-time resident who also volunteers. He and José volunteer with the Knights of Columbus.Armando steps in at Penn Estates to help with events, and has taken many of the picturesthat you have seen in the Harmony. José’s son, “José the younger” also fills in whereverneeded. He helps set up for events. At one Community Day, he ran the pony ride. He hastaken his turn in the dunk tank. He has counted Harmony papers for mailings. On an on-going basis, he helps with the horseshoe league and maintaining the pits.

Niki is as busy as the rest of the family. She is the mom of Callie, the “Penn EstatesBaby” now four years old. Callie has attended more events than most homeowners! Nikiis in her last year of nursing school and is the Class of 2012 President Elect of the StudentNurses Association at St. Luke’s. She has participated in most of the events that have beenmentioned above. She also organized the 2007 Cinco de Mayo event. She is very proudthat this was one event that every single Board member attended. She also has worked onorganizing the 2008 Black and White New Year’s celebration and helped with activitiesfor Family Days at the Lake. She served as Chair of the Communications committee,bringing her journalism experience to the task. We were sorry to lose her as chair whenthe community began enforcing the rule that only homeowners actually named on thedeeds could be official committee members. Of course, that did not stop her from caringabout the committee or helping out when she could with events.

Phew, I am tired just thinking of how much they do! A big thanks to the Padilla familyfor all that you have done to create a sense of community within our community. When Iasked what message they would like me to convey as an end to the article, they said: “Bepart of the solution, not part of the problem! Get Involved! Be Involved! Stay involved!”


Scramble Against CancerSaturday, August 13, 2011Mountain Manor Golf Course

By Maureen Robinson Team Penn Estates Pride held its third annual ScrambleAgainst Cancer in August raising $2,676 for the Monroe Countychapter of the American Cancer Society (ACS). This event was

started by Anthony Salduttiand Bernie Petrick to raisemoney for our local ACS.Over the course of the threeyears, the event has raised over$13,000.

Mountain Manor servedonce again as the host of theouting and mother nature heldback the rain until the golfersfinished the course. Partici-pants included golfers of alllevels with prizes awarded tothe top two teams. Everyonehad a chance to win a Chevy

Cruz sponsored by Brown Daub by getting a hole-in-one on a par three hole. Unfortu-nately, the car went back to the dealer. Oh well, maybe next year.

All in all, it was a great day for a worthy cause. Many thanks to the volunteers whohelped make the day a huge success. As always, we couldn’t have done it without you.


Penn Estates POA Preliminary

2012 Budgets ApprovedNo Dues Increase for Second Year in a RowBy Michele Valerio-Trinkle, Treasurer

The Board of Directors has approved the preliminary 2012 operating and capitalbudgets prepared by Community Manager Laura Jones and reviewed and recommendedby the Finance Committee. The complete preliminary budgets are included in this issue ofHarmony. While we were able to balance the 2012 operating budget without increasingdues, a downward collection trend is putting a strain on the community’s finances. Manyoperating expenses were cut to their bare minimum and if this collection trend continues,dues will need to be raised.

Dues - The preliminary budgets keep the 2012 maintenance fee assessment at the 2010and 2011 level of $1,190 for Improved Lots and $985 for Unimproved Lots.

The following discounts will continue for dues paid by cash or check on or beforeDecember 31, 2011: $50 for Improved Lots; $30 for Unimproved Lots. There is nodiscount applied to dues paid by credit card.

Payment Plan - Per our By-laws, a payment plan option is available to members. Allapplications for a payment plan must be completed by December 31, 2011. A one-time$25 application fee must be paid at the time of application. There is a policy change to thePayment Plan for 2012 wherein the $25 payment plan application fee will be charged toall members who do not pay their assessment in full by the January 1, 2012 due date.

Delinquency Fees - To help offset the administrative and legal costs of collections,delinquency fees will be applied as follows to both Improved and Unimproved Lots:

• A $50 fee will be assessed on all accounts with outstanding balances as ofFebruary 16, 2012, including those on payment plans.

• An additional $50 will be assessed on all accounts with outstanding balances asof July 16, 2012, including those on payment plans.

Capital Reserves - A Capital Reserve Study was prepared by PEPOA’s CPA at therequest of the Board. The study provides a schedule of estimated capital repair andreplacement costs over the next 30 years for all facilities owned by the Association. Thestudy report also recommends a capital reserve funding schedule to protect the value ofthese assets and thus the property value in the Community. A portion of the 2012 assess-ment for each lot, $60, will be put into the Capital Reserve Fund to meet the study’srecommendation.

With the Capital Reserve Study completed, we will be in a position after the finalbudget is approved to apply for the Gold Star Community© Award. Achievement of theGold Star© award will enhance our image as one of the best communities in the Poconos,which in turn will help improve our property values. We have created a line item in thebudget called “Green and Gold” to cover community promotion and marketing activitiesassociated with the Gold Star© award. Funds have also been allocated for some modeststrategic plan projects currently being defined by our Long Range Planning Committee.

Road Repairs - We have budgeted $130,000 for pothole patching and the routineannual road maintenance in 2012. An engineering study is currently underway to deter-mine the cost of completely reconstructing Penn Estates Drive, but there are no fundsincluded in the 2012 budget for this major project. Funding sources will be explored bythe Finance Committee and the Board over the next six months. The reconstruction ofPenn Estates Drive cannot start until we have identified a way to pay for the project.

Homeowner Comment - Per the Bylaws, the thirty (30) day public comment periodbegins on October 1, 2011 and ends on October 31, 2011. Comments may be submitted inwriting to the Administration Office. In addition, the Board has scheduled two budgetforums, the first on October 8th and the second on November 12th; both at 9:00 AM.These forums are open to all PEPOA members. They will be held in the CommunityCenter Oak Room. The Board welcomes your input and invites you to be an activeparticipant in the budget process. We hope to see many of you at the budget forums.

Final Budget Approval - A Special Board meeting for the purpose of approving thefinal budget is scheduled for Saturday, November 19th, at 10:00 AM in the CommunityCenter Oak Room.

Penn Estates POA

2012 Preliminary Capital Budget2012 Prelim. 2011 Final

Capital Budget Capital Budget

Capital Improvements Budget

Revenues

Portion of dues designated forcapital improvement projects ....................................... $0 ............................ $0CIF transfer fee collections designatedfor capital improvement projects ........................... 53,550 ..................... 73,780

Expenses

Capital Improvement Project Expenses ................ 50,000 ..................... 55,000

Surplus ................................................................... 3,550 ..................... 18,780

Capital Reserves Budget

Revenues

Portion of dues designated forCapital Reserves ................................................... 85,200 .............................. 0CIF transfer fee collectionsdesignated for Capital Reserves ............................. 5,950 .............................. 0

Total funds contributed to Capital Resv. .......... 91,150 .............................. 0

Expenses

Public Safety Fleet Vehicles.................................. 45,000 .............................. 0

Total funds withdrawn from Capital Res. ......... 45,000 .............................. 0

Net Increase in Capital Reserves....................... 46,150 .............................. 0

2012 Preliminary Operating Budget

2012 Prelim 2011 Final

Dues Revenue Budget Budget

Maint Fees Current Year $1,573,900 $1,702,750Prior Years Dues 61,000 69,0002011 Dues Deferred To 2012 100,000 0Interest On Late Payments 62,000 75,000Collection Fees 3,000 5,000Delinquency Fee 43,000 50,000Payment Plan Application Fee 18,750 22,125

Dues Revenue Subtotal 1,861,650 1,923,875

Operating Revenue

NSF Fees 500 0Pets 500 200Citations Public Safety 32,000 17,000Interest Income 2,500 4,000Rental Registration 9,000 9,000Gate Cards 10,000 19,000Private Event Rental(S) 5,000 5,000Resale Certificates 7,500 9,300Miscellaneous Revenue 4,000 7,000Country Store/Lake Store 0 0ARB Rev - Permits/Fines 15,000 15,000Committee Income 2,500 5,000Pool Passes 1,000 2,800Aquatics Income 2,100 1,500Carnival Income 1,800 3,000

Operating Revenue Subtotal 93,400 97,800

Total Revenue 1,955,050 2,021,675


Expenses

Schedule A - Maintenance

Maint Payroll 180,250 188,587

Maint Benefits- P/R Taxes 75,705 62,234

Janitorial Supplies 5,000 9,000

Building & Grounds 15,000 28,000

Landscape Maintenance 2,500 2,500

Amenity Repairs 5,000 10,000

Refuse Collection 9,000 5,000

Tools /Equipment Purchase/Repair 5,000 5,000

Road Repair Materials For In-House Use 20,000 20,000

Road Repair By Outside Contractors 110,000 150,000

Snow Removal 25,000 25,000

Vehicle Fuel (Includes Public Safety) 59,500 40,000

Vehicle Maint. & Repair 10,000 16,000

Used Vehicle Purchase 0 6,000

Total Maintenance 521,955 567,321

Schedule B - Public Safety

Payroll 312,100 321,293

Payroll Taxes/Benefits 93,630 54,620

Technology& Equipment 5,000 12,000

Training/Education 5,000 5,000

Used/New Vehicle 0 0

Vehicle Maint. & Repair 10,000 10,000

Public Safety Expenses 6,000 11,000

Total Public Safety 431,730 413,913

Schedule C - Recreation (Pool/Lake)

Recreation Payroll 61,800 61,800

Recreation Payroll Taxes 10,506 10,506

Lifeguard Expenses 2,000 2,000

Pool/Lake Activities 3,500 3,500

Lake/Pool Maintenance 5,000 10,000

Lake/Pool Testing 5,000 6,000

Amenity Badges 1,500 1,700

Total Recreation Dept 89,306 95,506

Schedule D - Committees

Community Day 5,000 5,000

Carnival 2,000 2,000

Finance Committee 0 5,000

LRP Committee 2,000 2,000

Communications Committee 500 1,000

Nominating Committee 1,000 725

Recreation Committee Activities 10,000 9000

Real Estate Com 1,500 1000

Wildlife And Forestry 1,000 1000

Documents Committee 100 0

BOD Expense 3,000 0

Yard/Garage Sale 0 200

Total Committees 26,100 26,925

Schedule E - Office

Mgt Payroll 106,200 106,200

Mgt Benefits - P/R Taxes 35,046 35,046

Admin Staff Payroll 107,400 94,729

Admin Benefits - P/R Taxes 32,220 31,261

Contingency Fund 10,000 15,000

Total Office 290,866 282,236

Schedule F - Administration

Accounting Services 14,000 14,000

General Legal Services 30,000 31,000

Computer Expense 10,500 15,000

Operating Supplies 9,000 9,000

Leased Equipment 15,000 9,000

Collection Filing Charges 18,000 22,000

Annual/Special Meetings 1,500 1,500

Bank Fees 5,000 5,000

Payroll Processing Fee 3,000 1,100

Credit Card Fees 17,000 21,000

Misc Refunds 2,000 3500

Gate Card Refunds 0 1,800

Total Administration 125,000 133,900

Schedule G - Community Relations

Membership Mailings Postage 10,000 10,000

Website 7,200 10,000

Harmony Contests 0 0

New Owner Packets 2,000 100

Dues/Subscript/Staff Training 4,200 4,200

Advertising 1,000 2,500

Volunteer Dinner 4,000 4,000

Donations 2,000 2,000

Goodwill 1,000 600

Green And Gold Expense 5,500 0

Total Community Relations 36,900 33,400

Schedule H - ARB

ARB Payroll 48,450 51,879

ARB Taxes & Benefits 21,076 10,376

Archiving ARB Records 0 1,500

Total ARB 69,526 63,755

Schedule I - Community Insurance

Directors & Officers 10,000 9,000

Umbrella 12,000 11,000

Package (Qbe) 59,000 58,100

Workers Comp 52,000 52,000

Volunteers 600 500

Total Insurance 133,600 130,600

Schedule J - Tele/Utilities/Communications

Utilities, Pool, Lake, Store, Buildings 65,000 70,000

Telephone & Communications 20,000 24,000

Total Tele/Util/Comm 85,000 94,000

Schedule K - Debt Service

New Vehicle 0 0

Loan-Interest 45,115 44,297

Loan-Principal 82,165 98,597

Total Debt Service 127,280 142,894

Schedule N - Taxes

Real Estate Taxes 4,000 4,000

Corporate Federal Taxes 10,000 15,000

Total Taxes 14,000 19,000

Grand Total Operating Expenses 1,951,263 2,003,449

Operating Surplus 3,787 18,226

Preliminary Operating Budget(continued from previous page)


Fun at the CarnivalBy Matthew Jacobsen

We as a community asked for it and the Recreation Committee responded. After athree year absence Carnival came back to Penn Estates. This four day event was verysuccessful and brought the community together.

There was fun and games for kids of all ages as well as some rides. A few localvendors were present, like Gomba’s Pizza and Gorman Chiropractic, as well as PennEstates own Scott Trinkle. There were also burgers and franks prepared by my very ownfather, Norman Jacobsen, as well.

I want to send special thank you to our community police crew for a job well donewatching over the residents during the event. I also want to thank all the volunteers whogave up their nights to help Carnival be successful, from selling tickets, wristbands, rafflesand 50/50’s and anything else that had to be done.

Carnival has been one of the biggest event held in Penn Estates and has been missedby all the residents. If it wasn’t for the hard work of the Recreation Committee andAdministration Office then Carnival might not have happened at all. Plans are already inthe works for Carnival 2012.

Thank you to all the people who came out and made Carnival a success. This is yourace cub reporter Matthew saying “live in harmony with your community” and till the nextarticle I will see you later.


Clean Water Leaves Penn EstatesBy Sean Reilly Eco-Guy

Hurricane Irene blasted the Poconos with monstrous rain, turning the Delaware Riverinto a brown tumultuous cauldron. But no mud from us.

As your Director - Liaison to the Buildings, Grounds and Roadways Committee, Igrabbed my camera, as the rain lifted , and visited all our lake spillways and the threestreams leaving Penn Estates.

I was amazed by what I saw. Due to our mostly forested community, small lawns,groundwater recharge downspouts installed on all of our houses, and rainwater capture/cleaning by our three interconnected lakes, the raging storm water cascaded out of ourthree lakes and slipped into the streams, leaving our mountain-top community lookingclean and nearly clear.

A job well done by our Penn Estates design engineers and our Management andMaintenance Staff. We are the original “Green Gated Community” in the Poconos.

Shawnee Mountain Mud RunBy Sean Reilly, Director

I was able to participate in the First Annual Shawnee Mud Run as an excuse to get inshape this summer and have a fun-filled family reunion.

Sean, his daughter Erin (2nd on the right), Erin’s boyfriend Brendan and fit familyfriend Tamie made up the foursome team which ran through the muck and mire up-up-upthe mountain and down for 3.2 miles (5 kilometers) for what we thought was fun!! Whatwere we thinking?? We arrived at the mud crawl finish in 56 minutes 26 seconds. It took48 hours to get all the mud out!

How about a Penn Estates sponsored “Fit and Fun Mud Run” for the kids and parentsnext year along our lakes and green space trails?

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Annual Penn EstatesBreast Cancer 5K Walk

Please join us on October 2nd 2011for the walk to benefit Breast Cancer

Registration is at9 AM - $5.00 Registration Fee

The walk starts at 10 AM SHARPat the Community Center

To pre-register and join Penn Estates Pride Team or tostart your own team please go to:http://relay.acsevents.org

Click on > Team Donation Penn Estates Pride

Pat Jackson-Scott, Honorary Captain

Penn Estates RecreationCommittee Presents:

Kids Halloween Party

Come join us for food, fun

and a costume contest!

All Proceeds will benefit

The New Playground Fund.

October 29th

Time: 3pm-5pmAdults: $4.00 10 and Under $3.00

Contact the Admin Office for more information570-421-4265

Recreation Committee Presents:

Celebrate 2012!!12-31-11Oak Room

8:00 Pm - till you drop!

16 and Over Only!

Tickets must be purchased at the Admin. Office

no later than 12/23/11 - or call 570-421-4265

Enjoy a night of Music & Dancing!!

(Serving Dinner - BYOB )

Tickets are $15 per person. Reservations required.

If you purchase 8 tickets you will receive a $10 discount!

Children’s New Years Eve Partyfor children 15 and under. $10 per child (includes food & drinks)

Must sign up ahead of time. They will be located in the lower

level of the Oak Room building.

All children must remain downstairs.

Happy Halloween!

Join us for the 2nd Annual

Trunk or Treat

Sponsored by the Penn EstatesPublic Safety Department

October 29th

6-8 pm

Come and show off yourBEST trunk decorations!

WHY COOK?When you can come out for

Spaghetti, HomemadeMeatballs and Salad

Presented by the Recreation Committee

November 6th

Oak Room3:00pm to 7:00pm

$10 per adult/$5 per child under 10

All proceeds go to the

New Playground Fund


BethelPocono Christian ChurchIf you are looking for a church to attend, it wouldbring us great honor if you would visit BETHELPOCONO CHRISTIAN CHURCH.If you visit us, you will find that our people arefriendly and eager to welcome you into our churchfamily. We would love to be your church home ifyou do not already have one.

We are located atPinebrook Bible Conference & Retreat Center1 Pinebrook Road (right off Route 191)East Stroudsburg PAFor more information call (570) 424-8426

Services Time:Wednesday Youth Service @ 7:00 pmSundays Evangelistic Service and Kids Church @ 3:00 pm

May you be richly blessed!Pastors José and Yolanda Fernández

Si usted está buscando una iglesia para asistir, nostraería un gran honor si usted visita LA IGLESIACRISTIANA BETEL.Si nos visita, usted encontrará que nuestra gente esamable y con ganas de darle la bienvenida anuestra familia de la iglesia. Nos encantaría sersu iglesia hogar iglesia si usted no tiene ya una.¡Somos una iglesia bilingüe!

Estamos localizados enPinebrook Bible Conference & Retreat Center1 Pinebrook Road (en la Ruta 191)East Stroudsburg PAPara más información llame al (570) 424-8426

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An Introduction to Matthew JacobsenBy Matthew Jacobsen

Hello there; my name is Matthew Jacobsen, I am 25 years of age and I am theHarmony’s new cub reporter. This article is being written so that you, the reader, can getto know me a little bit better.

Well a good place is back in my hometown of Brooklyn, New York where I was bornand raised. I lived in Brooklyn for 19 years before coming over to Stroudsburg and ofcourse Penn Estates.

I have always had a love for writing even when I was little. When I was in the seventhgrade I had a poem published along with other students in New York City. When I was inhigh school I had a chance to put my writing skills to the test by joining the schoolnewspaper. I had a few articles put out, but did not pursue this path in college.

I did follow a communications path while I did attend both Kingsborough CommunityCollege, located in Brooklyn of course, and East Stroudsburg University. This path wasmore of the radio and television departments, but I did take a few journalism classes to getmy writing needs met.

Now years later I find myself once again in the field of writing for a great community,getting the chance to have my voice heard. I look forward to a long writing career for thepaper and who knows, this may lead to bigger and better writing ventures.

Only thing left for me is to leave a trade mark ending for each article, so here it goes.This is your ace cub reporter Matthew Jacobsen saying, remember to always live inharmony with your community and till the next article I will see you later.

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Saving D.A.R.E.By Laura Jones, Community Manager

With the D.A.R.E (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) programs at Stroudsburg andPocono Mountain School Districts in jeopardy of being discontinued due to budgetlimitations, Penn Estates Public Safety Department held a fundraising event and raised$1,150 for D.A.R.E. The event, coordinated by Chief Bernie Clemens, was held on theCommunity Grounds of Penn Estates.

Stroud Area Regional Police brought in a S.W.A.T tank, tours and tank rides for morethan 300 participants. Adults and children alike enjoyed the helicopter that landed in themiddle of the Penn Estates ball field. Stroudsburg Volunteer Fire Department brought theSmoke House, fire trucks and an ambulance for hands-on tours.

Anyone wishing to donate can contact Chief Clemens at [email protected] ormake a donation at the Administration office.

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Bring an ornament that represents your family.Include your name and year on the ornament.

Light Refreshments will be provided


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Public SafetyBy Chief Clemens

School is back in session; so once again I’m reminding everyone to please DRIVESLOWLY. The bus stops will be full of children in the mornings and afternoons.

I would like to take a minute to thank everyone who came out to our event “KeepingD.A.R.E. Alive” which was held at the baseball field on August 20th. The event was ahuge success and we were able to raise $1,150 - which surpassed my goal. Thank you!

I would like to personally take this chance to thank my staff who donated their time tocome in and make this event a success. I would also like to thank Danielle, RecreationSupervisor who came in to paint whiskers and chicken pocks on the kids and thank you tothe Administration staff for coming out and showing your support.

Thank you to Richard Way, Board President and both committee members who cameout to show your support; it was nice seeing involved individuals. Again this event wouldhave not been able to take place without your help.

If you missed the event, you missed S.W.A.T. tank rides with Stroud Regional Police,the medivac helicopter landing and the fire department smoke house. Other local Policeagencies were also here to show their support for the D.A.R.E. program. Penn EstatesPublic Safety Department would like to make this an annual event so if you couldn’t makeit this year you can show your support next year.

I wish everyone a happy and healthy fall and please stay safe.

S.O.S Program (Safeguarding Our Seniors)Penn Estates Public Safety Department created and instituted the S.O.S Program to

assist seniors in need during extreme weather conditions or natural disasters. SafeguardingOur Seniors is part of what living in a Community is all about.

The program works with a telephone tree. The first person receives a call from a PatrolOfficers and calls the next person on the list, then that person calls the next and thatperson calls the next, etc. Should someone on the tree not answer the phone, the caller isto contact the Welcome Center and advise the dispatcher that the person at propertynumber did not answer, then skip them and call the next person on the list to continue thetelephone tree. A Patrol Officer will be dispatched to the residence to personally check onthe individual and an emergency contact will be notified.

If you are interested, know of someone who is interested, or if you are a care-giverwho would like to assist with the telephone tree, please contact Chief Clemens at570.424.7047 or [email protected].

Things to Do and See in the PoconosBy Sharon Kennedy

Ahhhh, the leaves are already beginning to change and drop, aided by Hurricane Irene.I hope you all survived with minimal damage. The time is coming for leaves, leaves andmore leaves! We get to enjoy (and toil over) the fall foliage that others travel hundreds ofmiles to see. I hope that you find the time to have fun between fall clean-up and holidaypreparations.

Here are some of the other upcoming events around the area. As always, I take myinformation from internet sites. Please call to confirm dates and times and costs.

There will be lots of family events to celebrate the harvest season. On 10/1/11, thereare a bunch of events! Autos in Autumn will be held from 11 to 3 in downtownStroudsburg. Call 424-0325. Hawley host a Harvest Hoe-down from 10-4. Call 226-4064.Jim Thorpe’s Fall Foliage Days begins on 10/1 and runs throughout the month on week-ends. Call 325-5810. Country Junction in Lehighton begins their Great Pumpkin Festivalin Lehighton that weekend as well. Call 610-377-8400. For you extreme sports enthusi-asts, there is an Ironman competition that weekend as well. Log on atwww.ironmanpoconomountains.com.

Quiet Valley Living Historical Farm has their Harvest Festival on 10/8 and 10/9/11.Call 992-6161. That same weekend is the Autumn Timber Festival at Shawnee on theDelaware. Call 421-7231. Also that weekend is “Rock the Fall” at Blue Mountain Skiarea. Call 610-826-7700.

On 10/14 through 10/16 is the Black Bear Film Festival in Milford. I have seen someawesome films at that festival in the past. Call 409-0909.

If you enjoy seeing foliage but don’t like driving, try the Lehigh Gorge Scenic Railwayruns out of Jim Thorpe. Their Fall Foliage events are on weekends throughout Octoberand November. Call 325-8485.

As always, Pocono Environmental Education Center hosts special weekends through-out the year, ranging from family events to scout badges to raptor watches to singleshikes. Call 828-2319. Or you could take advantage of the’“Fall Home School Programs”provided by the MCEE. Call 629-3061.

Whatever you decide to do, find some time for fun!

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The Mystical Ways of your

Finance CommitteeBy Neville McDonald, Chair, Finance Committee

I have been asked to explain the wondrous ways of the Finance Committee. No easytask, folks! Contrary to popular opinion we receive no help whatsoever from Harry Potternor are we related to vampires who sit around and suck the fiscal blood from our member-ship. We are just a bunch of dedicated volunteers who try to make the money available tomeet the remarkable expectations of you the members.

We provide our own Kevlar jackets when we present the preliminary budget to theBoard for review. Fortunately we have some things going for us. Our financial controlsystems are in good shape, as reported by our unsympathetic and steely-eyed auditors. Ourfinancial reports are timely and accurate so we can generally rely on the numbers reportedeach month.

The budget process for 2012 starts in July of 2011. That’s an unfortunate challenge forthe Community Manager who has to conjure up a forecast of where we will be by the endof this year. No prisoners are taken in this exercise and the debate over the numbers by theCommittee is intense. We all have to buy in to the forecast because that forms the basisfor the new budget for 2012.

Then we have to deal with the “Gotta Have Issues” in 2012. That’s the stuff yourcommittees and management want. Sorting those things out is never pretty. We all try tobe polite but it’s not easy. Nevertheless we do actually come to agreement and theCommunity Manager returns to Solitary Confinement and a bread and water diet until shecreates a proposed Budget for 2012 which is brought back to the Committee for review.

If you thought the “Gotta Have” was fun this is usually even more exciting. Everyonehas an opinion about the numbers and what things should cost. This is the discussion pointwhere I really do wish I had Harry Potter’s phone number but somehow the budget godssmile on us and we settle on the preliminary 2012 budget.

This year we have discussed all the special considerations of the budget with the Boardso they can provide the membership with thorough explanations when it is thrust into thepublic forum. There are lots of opportunities for the membership to question and commenton the budget, particularly once it is published in Harmony, but in November the budget isblessed and finalized and becomes a working document for 2012.

If you believe that the Finance Committee then hibernates for the winter you shouldnot feed bears. We meet monthly and meticulously scrutinize the numbers for deviations,deal with any new requirements or surprise developments. There is always plenty ofperspiration at our monthly meetings so if you are interested in blood sports please acceptmy invitation and drop in. Watch a bunch of very committed volunteers work magic withyour money! To quote the rock group Queen, “We will, we will rock you!”

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Community DayBy Matthew Jacobsen

Community day is a day where Penn Estates residents gathers together to have a goodtime and meet other people we normally don’t get to see on a regular basis. This event isheld every summer and always has a great turn out.

This year however, Mother Nature would turn the day against us, but it did not stop thecommunity from having a good time. The event still had it traditional Tricky Tray and

vendors, there weresmall games and abounce house for thekids, a dunk tank,which is a fairly newaddition to the event,and of course we hadour hamburgers andhotdogs on standby. The event was runand put together byDrina and DavidJuliano, LucyJacobsen and NancyPadilla. Along with a

slew of volunteers they each pitched in to make Community Day a success. To start theevent we had our very own Taylor Hoey perform our nation’s anthem.

Many vendors were present during the event. We had members of our security forcesetup shop to hand out fliers and programs of the rules that are in effect in Penn Estates.We had Pocono Medical Center on hand giving away stress balls to the members of thecommunity. Gorman Chiropractic had a tent where they were giving people adjustmentsfor demonstration purposes. Nominating and Steering Committee and Relay for Life werealso on hand at the event. We can’t forget to mention the Eastern Monroe Public LibraryBookmobile and Major Hyundai or Stroud Television and Applianceseither.

When it came time to serve the hotdogs and the hamburgers we had ourvery own board directors members cooking away for the residents. Wehad Gary Conforte, Roy Woodson, aka Woody, Jody Perkin, LunaMishoe, Michelle Valerio, Gil Flecha and our own president Richard Wayon hand serving the residents of Penn Estates.

Even though it did rain that day it helped in a way because under thetents people got to gather together and get to know each other a little bitbetter. So the rain was more of a blessing then a curse because it didindeed help people get closer together.

Community Day will always be a tradition here in Penn Estates and itis up to us as a community to make sure that it continues for futuregenerations. This is ace reporter Matthew Jacobsen saying live in harmonywith your community and till the next article I will see you later.


Penn EstatesProperty OwnersAssociation3445 Penn EstatesEast Stroudsburg, PA 18301570-421-4265www.pepoa.orgLaura Jones, Community [email protected]

COMMITTEES

AppealsLiaison: Patricia Jackson-ScottChair: Keesha BrunoMeets: First Saturday at 10:00am

ARBLiaison: Patricia Jackson-ScottChairs: Nancy Padilla, David JulianoMeets: Third Saturday at 7:00am

Audit ComplianceLiaison: Gil FletchaChair: OPENMeets: Contact Administration Office

Buildings, Grounds & RoadwaysLiaison: Sean ReillyChair: OPENMeets: Third Saturday at 8:30am

CommunicationsLiaison: Sean ReillyChair: Maureen RobinsonMeets: Third Saturday at 10:00am

Community DayLiaison: Gil FlechaChairs: Nancy Padilla/David JulianoMeets: Contact Administration Office

Community DocumentsLiaison: Luna MishoeChair: Anthony Stevens-ArroyoMeets: Contact Administration Office

Community SafetyLiaison: Gil FlechaChairs: Adrian Martenco/John BaraniukMeets: First Saturday at 8:30am

Administration Office hours:Mon-Sat 8am–4pmAdmin email: [email protected] email: [email protected]

BOARD OF DIRECTORSRichard Way .................................. PresidentGil Flecha .............................. Vice PresidentJody Perkin .................................... SecretaryMichele Valerio-Trinkle ............... TreasurerDirectors ........... Gary Conforte, Luna Mishoe,

Patricia Jackson-Scott,Sean Reilly, Roy Woodson

FinanceLiaison: Michele Valerio-TrinkleChair: Neville McDonaldMeets: Fourth Saturday at 9:00am

Government RelationsLiaison: Luna MishoeChair: OPENMeets: Contact Administration Office

Long Range PlanningLiaison: Jody PerkinChair: Maureen RobinsonMeets: Contact Administration Office

Nominating & SteeringLiaison: Roy WoodsonChair: Maureen RobinsonMeets: First Thursday at 7:00pm

PEUILiaison: Luna MishoeChair: OPENMeets: Contact Administration Office

Real EstateLiaison: Jody PerkinChairs: Lucy Jacobsen/Patricia ToombsMeets: Second Tuesday at 6:15pm

RecreationLiaison: Michele Valerio-TrinkleChairs: Lucy Jacobsen/Drina JulianoMeets: Second Thursday at 7:00pm

Wildlife & ForestryLiaison: Gary ConforteChair: Anne CowlesMeets: Third Tuesday at 7:00pm

Check with the Administration Office to verify times and locations of meetings.

How to be Secure on FacebookBy James Lyons

Facebook has taken the Internet by storm. It currently has morethan 750 million active users (including yours truly) who spend onaverage 700 billion minutes per month on Facebook. While thestatistics are amazing, you have to understand the dual nature of Facebook. While it is afun place to share your life with close (and some not so close – therein lies the rub)“friends,” You may want to think of it as “Facetime” – because that’s what advertiserswant – 700 billion minutes of face time with you to promote their products with anextremely well-defined audience.

The more personal information you “choose” to share, the more valuable Facebook isto advertisers, allowing them to see your age, what products you click on and “Like,”giving them a targeted marketplace to sell their products.

That’s not to say Facebook is dangerous – it’s just that Facebook has time and timeagain changed the Terms of Service (TOS) without giving Facebook members sufficientwarnings that privacy settings have been altered – leaving Facebook members informationshared in ways that many members would have rejected, had the TOS been presented in aclearer fashion.

So what do you do to protect yourself against unwanted sharing of your personalinformation? Here’s where it gets a little tricky. If you “lock-down” many settings forsharing photos, links, and data with your other Facebook friends, it becomes harder foryour friends to keep in touch with you. There are many guides on the internet for securingyour Facebook account that I will list at the end of the article, but here are some basicguidelines for ensuring that you are only sharing what you want to share.

• Limit the number of “friends” to people you actually know. The more peoplewho somehow become your “virtual” friend on Facebook – opens yourinformation that you share with people who may not have your best interests atheart.

• Occasionally search Google for “facebook changes” – if you find a link thatcontains information about a change in Facebook’s policies, check to see if youmay be affected by the new TOS.

• Close the door on third-party Facebook apps and websites. – These applicationshave been known to contain links to password-stealing programs – click on thelink, and your Facebook account has now been hacked.

• Hide your contact information - It’s one thing to allow fellow Facebook users tosend you a message or “poke” you, but do you really want them calling you onthe phone, or showing up at your house? Maybe not. Click the “CustomizeSettings” link on the main “Privacy Settings” page. Scroll to the bottom of pageto “Contact Information,” then tweak the various privacy settings. Pay specialattention to the address and phone number options.

• Close your account! If you feel this is all too much to keep up with, you canclose your Facebook account and go meet your friends face to face – you know,like before Al Gore invented the Internet. It worked well then, and got you outof the house to enjoy nature.

Sophos - Facebook Security Best Practices: http://www.sophos.com/en-us/security-news-trends/best-practices/facebook/account-settings.aspxKeep your Facebook on lockdown, yo: http://bluedoorconsulting.blogspot.com/2011/05/keep-your-facebook-on-lockdown-yo_18.htmlThe Facebook Setting You Should Change As Quickly As Possible: http://gawker.com/5744229/the-facebook-setting-you-should-change-as-quickly-as-possibleJob-Seekers - Lock Down for Employers: http://www.careerealism.com/job-seekers-lock-facebook/Business Insider - How To Put Facebook On A Privacy Lockdown: http://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-lock-down-your-facebook-profile-2010-5

ClassifiedCommuters! Pick-up service from PennEstates. Saturday/Sunday and weekly. Giveus a call! All day run to NYC. Airports,tours, charters, local service. MCC Tours888-715-6433 or [email protected]

Babysitting - Available to babysit teens,infants, toddlers and pre-teens. I have beenproviding childcare in Penn Estates formany years. Please call Mary at 570-213-7482.

October-November 2011 Community Calendar


Outstanding Agents. Outstanding Results.

Did you know:• 71 homes are presently for sale in Penn Estates.• 26 homes sold in Penn Estates year to date.• The highest-priced home in Penn Estates sold for $245,000 year to date.

(Information provided through Pocono Mountain Assoc. of Realtors MLS Service)

• 90% of buyers start their search on the Internet.• The average age of today’s buyer is 25 years old.Cristina Primrose

Listing & Marketing

Specialist

Route 209 & Glen LaneSciota, PA 18354

(570) 992-2700 Office(570) 402-8508 Direct

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Experience • Integrity • Professionalism • Results

Each Office Independently Owned and Operated

For up-to-date informationfrom your Penn EstatesSpecialists, call today!

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