October 2012 BUCKHORN HOA „HALLOWEEN AT THE PARK‟
Transcription
October 2012 BUCKHORN HOA „HALLOWEEN AT THE PARK‟
Official Publication of the Buckhorn Homeowners Association Board of Directors October 2012 BUCKHORN HOA „HALLOWEEN AT THE PARK‟ Buckhorn Homeowners Association‟s „HALLOWEEN AT THE PARK‟ event will be held on October 27 at 11:00 a.m. at Buckhorn County Park. “Haunted” Halloween Egg Hunt for ages up to 10 years old. o Bring each child a basket to collect eggs o Each egg has a small toy inside, but check them for suitable use with young children Games Costume judging with prizes Refreshments UPCOMING BUCKHORN HOA EVENTS! „Halloween at the Park‟: Saturday, October 27 at 11:00 a.m. (see article above) Costume judging by age group with prizes “Haunted” Egg Hunt for children up to 10 years old Games Refreshments & snacks Buckhorn Community Garage Sale Veterans Day: Sunday, November 11 Buckhorn HOA displays U.S. flags at the entrances Santa Claus Parade: Saturday, December 8 from 2:00 p.m. to around 3:00 p.m. Santa Claus will be riding through the „Buckhorn‟ subdivision: On top of a County Fire Truck Destination: Buckhorn County Park at 2605 Green Valley Street at the north side of the golf course Sheriff‟s Deputy Patrol Cars and/or motorcycles escorting the parade Last car throws candy & treats to the children Santa At The Park: Saturday, December 8 from around 3:00 p.m. to 4:00+ p.m. Santa & Mrs. Claus will be at Buckhorn County Park They will be sitting in their thrones waiting on the children FREE: Children can sit or stand with Santa Claus and tell him what they want for Christmas or the holidays Bring your camera and take holiday photos of your children with Santa & Mrs. Claus Children get small toys or snacks for walking up to Santa as an incentive so you can get photos of them Also, take their photo with Santa‟s Sleigh & Reindeer (wooden) Refreshments & snacks Buckhorn Holiday Lights Judging Contest: Sunday, December 16 starting after dusk Christmas Lights will be judged by a committee of Buckhorn residents CASH PRIZES to Top Six (6) Winners Buckhorn Community Garage Sale Friday & Saturday, November 2 & 3 Buckhorn‟s Homeowners Association is holding a Community Garage Sale for „Buckhorn‟ subdivision only on Friday & Saturday, November 2 & 3. We will place Community Garage Sale signs at all the entrances of Buckhorn advertising our event that weekend to the public. Ads will also be placed in the newspaper(s). All you need to do is set out the items you want to sell in your driveway! Good luck and we hope you have a very successful sale! AFTER YOUR GARAGE SALE: GOODWILL IS AT THE PARK After your garage sale, bring the things you do not want anymore to Buckhorn Park. Goodwill will have a large trailer and a worker to take your items for charity. Tax receipts are available, too. Christmas Luminaries For Sale – CHEAP Kits include: 15 Candles, 15 Bags, 2 lbs. of Sand, Matches & Instructions LIGHT YOUR SIDEWALK & DRIVEWAY on Christmas Eve Order your kits via www.BrandonLions.org/luminary.php from the Brandon Lions Club. FOR RENTERS & HOMEOWNERS ALIKE We are very fortunate to have several new homeowners and renters who have moved into Buckhorn in the past few months. We welcome you and look forward to your participation in neighborhood events and volunteering your time and services to make Buckhorn an even better place to live. Unlike close by neighborhoods, who use hired management companies for tens of thousands of dollars a year and mandatory dues of $250 to $350 per household, our neighborhood functions very well with volunteers, and Buckhorn‟s extremely modest $30 dues for one year or $55 for two years is sufficient at this time. Buckhorn‟s volunteer HOA Board of Directors and other volunteers annually accumulate several thousands of hours in service to our „Buckhorn‟ neighborhood to keep it a nice and enjoyable place for kids and adults. Some of the Buckhorn HOA activities that benefit our subdivision-neighborhood are the annual Christmas parade with Santa on the fire truck and picture taking at Buckhorn park, placement of U.S. flags at your mailbox and at the entrances for national holidays, getting the County to install the traffic signal at Miller and Lithia (imagine/remember making a left turn without it), successfully fighting re-zoning incursions by developers who wanted to build a “big box” retail builder next to Albertson‟s, successfully fighting another developer who attempted to build 300 multi-story apartments and some retail buildings on the same property (they spent nearly $1,000,000 unsuccessfully to achieve success), Bunny Bonanza with an egg hunt and picture taking with the Easter Bunny at Buckhorn Park, Neighborhood Watch averaging over 30 hours per week doing day and night patrols and working with the Sheriff‟s District II Deputies, Halloween party at Buckhorn Park, maintaining message boards at the entrances, maintaining the web site, writing and delivering the newsletter, monitoring compliance with our deed restrictions, getting the County to install larger speed signs on Miller, remarking the speed limit on Miller, installing the temporary flashing lighted radar signs and the restriping of the crossing at the golf course, sponsoring/advertising the neighborhood garage sale, co-sponsoring the “Meet Your Neighbor” event at the Buckhorn Springs Golf Club, adding recreational equipment to Buckhorn Park for the enjoyment of kids and adults, providing our first annual Buckhorn college scholarship to a deserving graduating high school senior, and responding to a myriad of concerns of our residents. We need your financial support every year to maintain these and perhaps new activities to keep Buckhorn a great place to live. It does not matter if you are a homeowner or a renter because each of your family benefits from our activities. We can always use some new volunteers to assist our existing volunteer work force which is often spread very thin. Moreover, if your company can assist us with services please consider making them available to us to further augment our offerings to the neighborhood. Please remit your dues to Buckhorn HOA, P.O. Box 1586, Valrico, FL 33595. Thank you. If you can volunteer your service or your company‟s services to us please contact us at [email protected] . COMING SOON TO BUCKHORN!! Buckhorn‟s Homeowners Association submitted a Mini-Grant Application to Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners requesting $2,500 to install new street signs for the „Buckhorn‟ subdivision. Your HOA‟s Grant was awarded to Buckhorn for the work to be completed in 2012. Here‟s what you will/are seeing being installed in our „Buckhorn‟ subdivision: Ten (10) - 25 MPH speed limit signs Thirty (30) - Crime Watch signs Four (4) - Slow Children Playing signs Twenty (20) - 12 Foot Tall sign posts & hardware Funding for our $2,500 Mini-Grant came from the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners, from the Children's Board of Hillsborough County and the Frank E. Duckwall Foundation within the Community Foundation of Tampa Bay. We thank these organizations for their generous funding for your Buckhorn Homeowners Association to make Buckhorn a safer place for you and your children to live. REMEMBER TO CHANGE YOUR CLOCKS NOVEMBER 4 The time for change is Sunday, November 4 at 2 a.m. when we need to TURN BACK your clocks one hour. Enjoy your extra hour of sleep! BUCKHORN RESIDENT WRITES AND PUBLISHES BOOK Dixie Mafia Gangster: The Audacious Criminal Career of Willie Foster Sellers is now on sale. This book is highly rated by readers on www.Amazon.com‟s website. This true crime story has been a long time in the making, but now it is available for those who want to know the real truth behind this Surrency, Georgia, farm boy‟s flamboyant, lawless career, which included two years on the FBI‟s Ten Most Wanted list. The Dixie Mafia was a loosely connected group of mostly Southern men who liked to steal cars as well as to burglarize banks at night and to rob banks during the day using loaded weapons. Their territory was primarily the states of the Old Confederacy. Leading one of these gangs was the handsome and charismatic Willie Foster Sellers of Surrency, Georgia. He stole millions, served prison terms, escaped three times and made the FBI's Most Wanted list for two years. Why? “I became what I am purely from a decision I made after high school to be a gangster" - Foster Sellers. „Buckhorn‟ Author, Dr. Max Courson, is semi-retired. He holds two journalism degrees from the University of Georgia and a PhD degree in American Studies from the University of Hawaii. He currently does adjunct teaching at the University of South Florida's School of Mass Communication and Eckerd College's American Studies Program, This book is is 590 pages long, has 17 photos and illustrations and has a hard cover with dust jacket. Cost for each copy is $26.00, which includes packaging and postage. (This book is $36.79 on www.Amazon.com as of 10/6/12). Send the exact amount as a check or money order to Dr. Max Courson, P.O. Box 305, Valrico, Florida 33595. Allow two to three weeks for delivery. You can order an autographed copy from Dr. Dr. Max Courson. Be sure to print each name that you want in each autographed copy. Dr. Courson‟s email address is [email protected] if you want a SIGNED copy of his book in a rush. His phone number is 813 651-5910. Dr. Courson has two new fictional works in progress: The Compleat Pulpwood Annie A Prince of Detroit, and King of the Georgia Coast: the Biography of Howard Earle Coffin. FOLKS SHOULD KNOW BETTER This has been the topic of articles in the newsletters many times. Yet, it continues to occur. It is against County ordinances and carries monetary fines. Moreover, it is not the way to treat your neighbors and it can help to spread diseases. The HOA has gotten several reports of this happening in various areas of Buckhorn recently. IT IS RESIDENTS WHO DO NOT SCOOP THEIR DOGS POOP! Some residents walk their dog on a leash and blithely walk on after their dog defecates on another neighbor‟s lawn. Other residents just let their dog out and the animal chooses another neighbor‟s yard in which to defecate on and then returns home. It does not matter if the grass is privately owned or if it is common property or at Buckhorn Park. Others feel that by walking their dog at night that no one will see them neglect to pick up their dog‟s waste. It is YOUR and the members of YOUR family‟s responsibility to LEASH your dog when it is outside your house and to SCOOP the POOP. It is recommended that you tie the plastic bag on your leash so that your neighbors know you recognize your responsibility and that you intend to follow the County ordinance. SCOOP THE POOP and deposit it properly in YOUR garbage can. Fines can range up to $500.00 with community service for people who do not do the right thing regarding their dog‟s waste. Recent complaints have involved a Lab allowed to run free on Cedarcrest. Another involves a small white dog walked by a man with a leash on Cedarcrest. A large black dog walked by its owner uses side yards on Bucknell. A lady walks a small dark brown dog on a leash on Arborwood. A beagle and small black dog have been spotted numerous times running loose on Brimhollow, Arborwood and the golf course. This is a preventable behavior that will keep the neighborhood safer and cleaner for humans and other pets. Please exhibit good neighborly behavior by following the County ordinance and taking proper care of YOUR dog‟s waste. A BURGLAR‟S VIEW OF YOUR HOME The Buckhorn subdivision of 651 homes is one of the safest areas in Hillsborough County according the Sheriff‟s Office. Each of us has our own ideas about crime and how it is committed. The following are some of the things burglars won‟t tell you, however, they are some of the pointers that law enforcement and self defense experts have gleaned from burglars themselves: “I notice newspapers piled on your driveway as well as overstuffed mail in the box. I might even leave a pizza flyer at your door to see how long it takes you to remove it.” NOTE TO SELF: Pick up your papers and mail daily and arrange for a neighbor to get it if you are away. If glass is beside your front door, don‟t let your alarm company install the control pad where I can easily see if it is set. NOTE TO SELF: Be sure to also have double keyed deadbolt locks on the door with the glass panels. IMPORTANT: Do not leave the key in the lock or have it close enough to be seen or reached via a broken glass panel. If your garage has a side window, make sure to install your garage door opener out of sight and reach. “I can break the window and reach in and grab a long handled tool, e.g. broom or rake, etc., and use it to reach the garage door button and open your house.” NOTE TO SELF: Easily done as well as have a double keyed deadbolt on the door from the garage to your house and lock it too. Make your home a hardened target. “I always knock first and if you answer I‟ll ask for directions or to do some kind of manual work. I may have some stolen flyers to make you think I am a genuine solicitor.” NOTE TO SELF: “Do not get into a conversation as you might tell me you are getting ready to leave and are in a hurry, or that you have a long commute to work and are tired. That is valuable info for me to use. Thanks for the tip!” Try to get a description and a tag number if the vehicle is close by going to your mailbox as the bell ringer leaves your property. Better yet, go to the door with your cell phone in hand and take a picture of the bell ringer. It works great! “Sometimes I carry a clipboard and tell you I am only getting appointments for a salesman to contact you later with a special sale on home products or a free alarm system that can be used to sell your nearby neighbors.” NOTE TO SELF: Do not let anyone get personal information from you, don‟t sign anything you haven‟t requested and don‟t let them in your home. Again use your cell camera. “That fancy alarm sign you have installed can be a deterrent.” Note to self: It only helps if you actually turn the alarm on! Do it every time you leave the house. “If you do not answer the door when I knock, I will try the door. Occasionally, I hit the jackpot and walk right in. Easy in/easy out.” NOTE TO SELF: LOCK the doors and set the alarm. Avoid announcing your upcoming vacation on your Facebook page or while you are at the hair stylist, grocery store, etc. NOTE TO SELF: “It is easy to follow you home or to look up your address.” Keep your plans close to the vest and talk about your trip only after you return. Leaving your windows open is actually an “open” invitation to me. NOTE TO SELF: Close and lock your windows when you are not home. “Thanks for letting me use your bathroom while I was working in your yard.” NOTE TO SELF: “I will unlock the bathroom window and come back while you are at the store or at work. Moreover, I will steal a few of your various medications that you keep in the medicine cabinet.” “I can look into all your master bedroom drawers in a matter of seconds to steal your “hidden” valuables. I won‟t overlook the closet and if you have a safe, I will take it with me if it is not bolted down.” NOTE TO SELF: Bolt down your safe and if you have a safe deposit box keep your family heirlooms and important papers there. If not find unusual places in your home that will take too much time to locate. I rarely go into children‟s‟ rooms. Check out www.CrimeDoctor.com for more tips from the burglars themselves. HELP GET US BACK TO OUR OWNER! Two of the 18”x24” signs that your HOA occasionally put on the side of neighborhood streets in an effort to get people to slow to 25 mph have been taken. One says LEAVE ON TIME TO ARRIVE ON TIME and the other displays a picture of a 25 mph sign and says YES! THIS MEANS YOU. The signs were $35.00 each to have made. We would like to have these signs back to use in the future for the betterment of YOUR/OUR Buckhorn neighborhood. Please help by contacting your HOA at [email protected] if you can assist us in getting these valuable signs back. Your communication will be kept strictly CONFIDENTIAL. WHAT CAN I DO TO MAKE BUCKHORN SAFE? We have enjoyed a very, very low crime rate for the past few months. You never know, though, about the “almost crime” when a thief was scared away by an unknowing neighbor or county worker. Most home burglaries happen between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. during the week when most folks are at work and at school and most vehicle burglaries happen at night. This is when each of the rest of the residents in the neighborhood need to be EXTRA VIGILENT, CURIOUS AND SUSPICIOUS of people and cars in the neighborhood that you do not recognize. Observe them and do not hesitate to take down a description of the person and the vehicle along with a tag number if possible. Call the Sheriff at the non-emergency number: 813-247-8200. Then immediately notify your HOA and Crime Watch volunteers at [email protected] of the suspicious person and/or vehicle. Be sure to take an extra moment to get a thorough description, e.g., clothing, hair, tattoos, backpacks, etc. and the vehicle color, 2/4 door vehicle, bumper stickers, tinted windows direction of travel etc. When you are excited it is easy to overlook valuable details. We still have residents who go to bed and leave their garage door up…all night long. It can happen to any of us at any time. This is an open invitation to have your valuable contents taken, perhaps your vehicle too. Moreover, the criminals have easy access to your home while you are sleeping. How safe are you, your spouse and your children? Plan to have a regular and routine habit of checking all doors and your garage at dark as well as prior to going to bed. We must work nightly to make our home and our neighborhood a hardened target to potential thieves who drive through our neighborhood at night or in the wee hours of the morning. The same holds true for our vehicles. Locked vehicles are robbed far less than unlocked vehicles. The Sheriff‟s Department posted that 74% of vehicles are UNLOCKED. Anyone can pull a door handle to rummage through your car at night. What is important; CAN ANY VALUABLES BE SEEN THROUGH THE WINDOWS? GPS units, cameras, cell phones, wallets, mysterious briefcases, etc., invite thieves to TAKE YOUR BELONGINGS. Always record the serial numbers of your valuables or engrave your driver‟s license number on them. One neighbor got his stolen items back in three hours after reporting the theft at 7 p.m. one night because he had the serial numbers, and the Deputies had arrested the thief earlier in the day. The vehicle burglar had 28 stolen items from vehicles. BE VIGILENT, CURIOUS, SUSPICIOUS AND ACT ON YOUR FEELINGS IMMEDIATELY by calling 911 for crimes in progress or 247-8200 for nonemergency issues. Give the dispatcher complete information and if you can observe the suspects you may able to keep the dispatcher on the phone as you continue to give updated information to them. It is all forwarded by the dispatcher to the computer in the Deputies‟ cars as they respond to the call for service. The Deputies can be more efficient and safe as they arrive on the scene. We get excellent support from the Deputies who work in our patrol zone. Remember to notify your HOA and Crime Watch via [email protected] immediately after you notify the Sheriff. We have solved or prevented many crimes in the past, and we want to help you! UNITED STATES FLAGS PLACED AT EACH HOME Volunteers from Buckhorn HOA place U.S. flags at each residence at Memorial Day. We hope they can be flown throughout the year. We also place U.S. flags at each of our four entrances and we refresh the flags at the entrances on July 4 and Veterans Day. These flags are in recognition of the sacrifices that our current and former service members and their families undertake as a result of their service to our country. Unfortunately, the flags sometimes become the object of youths who think the flags are for their desire to pull them up and put dozens in someone‟s yard (usually the home of a friend) or to merely to carry them around and toss them on the street. We have had two such incidents this summer. An alert resident at 5 a.m. one morning notified the Sheriff who intervened with five eighteen year old males, some of whom live in our neighborhood. No charges were filed and since they were adults their parents were not notified. They agreed to replace the flags, however, neighbors found some of them in a pile at the end of a street in the neighborhood. On another occasion, your Neighborhood Watch saw 4 young males pulling up flags around 11 p.m. one night and stopped them. They agreed to replace them and the HOA volunteers slowly followed them as each flag was replaced. Please help us and your neighbors by making sure your youth know the significance of U.S. flags and what they mean to our residents. Also speak to your lawn service company because they are sometimes quick to remove and not replace the flags as they do your lawn. BE AWARE….IS IT A TWO-WAY MIRROR? Have you ever wondered if the mirror in a dressing room, hotel room, toilet, etc. is really an ordinary mirror or actually a two-way mirror? There have been many cases of two way mirrors being installed in areas that appear are for one‟s private use, e.g., female changing rooms. It is very difficult to identify the mirror surface by looking at it. Well, how do you determine with any amount of certainty what type of mirror you are looking at? Simple, conduct this easy test: Place the tip of your fingernail against the reflective surface and if there is a gap between your fingernail and the image of the fingernail, then it is a GENUINE mirror. However, if your fingernail DIRECTLY TOUCHES the image of your fingernail, then BEWARE! IT IS A TWO WAY MIRROR! Please make sure everyone important to you is aware of this simple test which will enable them to use unfamiliar rooms with a degree of dependable privacy. FALL IS CLEAN-UP & FIX-UP TIME Fall means lower temps and lower humidity. It is a great time to prepare your property for the winter. Mowing, edging and trimming of your plants and hedges will slowly decrease in frequency. It is a good time to invest in more long term projects to make your property (it makes no difference if you are a home owner or a renter) and the neighborhood look its best. Some ideas to consider are: Pressure washing your home, drive & walk ways, and fences Painting your home Re-screening your lanai and pool area Cleaning/replacing your roof Getting your fireplace ready for log burning Having your heater system checked Fertilizing your yard to tide it over the winter months Major trimming of your trees while the sap is down Remember to keep up with your leaf raking It is important that each of us invests in our property to keep Buckhorn an attractive, comfortable and safe place to live. Our property values will be as strong as our neighborhood as a whole. BE AWARE OF YOUR SURROUNDING!! There have been numerous reports in the Tampa Bay area recently of individuals stealing purses, computers, GPS units, etc. from people’s cars when the owner is right beside the car. This usually happens at gas stations while the car owner is fueling the vehicle. The thief will open the right side door of the UNLOCKED car or reach into the open window and remove the desired items. They casually get into a waiting vehicle and drive off prior to the owner noticing the theft. A few weeks ago at the Brandon Mall a young mother was placing her toddler into a baby seat and a car going slowly down the aisle stopped and a thief got out and stole the lady’s purse from the front seat via the UNLOCKED passenger door. This type of theft has also been committed at convenience stores and grocery stores while the owner of the car is putting away their purchases. Again, the thief merely opens the UNLOCKED passenger door and takes the purse, sometimes the owner does not even know it is missing when they leave the parking lot. Drivers are also vulnerable to this type of crime when they are stuck in the drive thru lane at fast food eating establishments. The thief reaches in through the open window or quickly opens the passenger door and takes the available items and hops into a waiting car and speeds off. These types of crimes are crimes of opportunity where the criminal is observing your behavior from a reasonable distance and he/she strikes with precision because they have watched where you put your valuables and that you are distracted doing another task. The thieves are both male and female, young and middle aged, white, black and Hispanic. They roam parking lots, gas stations, shopping malls, food establishments, etc. watching you and they quickly strike often times when you are distracted to the point that you do not even know you are a victim. What can you do? Keep the doors to your vehicle LOCKED when you are in these situations. Also, be aware of your surroundings regarding persons standing or slowly walking in your nearby area. Watch for slow moving cars approaching you and your vehicle. Watch and maintain eye contact with any people you deem suspicious or acting odd. Memorize their descriptions as well as that of vehicles that come to your attention. If nothing happens you will not know if your observant behavior thwarted a crime against you or not, never the less, you will gain experience in getting and memorizing important facts which will become a good mental exercise for you. BE VIGILENT, CURIOUS, SUSPICIOUS AND ACT ON YOUR FEELINGS IMMEDIATELY! BUCKHORN PARK IS AVAILABLE FOR YOUR USE & ENJOYMENT Fall is a great time to enjoy our local county park. Buckhorn Park is located on the north side of our neighborhood at 2605 Green Valley Street. It is open from sunrise to sunset each day. Local volunteers lock and unlock the driveway gate daily. Other volunteers keep dog poop bags in the three bag holders for your pet‟s convenience. It is against Hillsborough County ordinances to fail to scoop your pet‟s poop anywhere in the county, and your pet must be leashed at all times. The park has play areas including slides, stairs and tunnels for your young children. In addition there is white sand for them to play in and three benches for parents to observe their children. A one-third mile asphalt walking/jogging track is available with two different benches on the back side for rest. Three exercise stations are also located along the path. It is a good place to aide in your rehabilitation if you are recovering from illness or surgery to help you build your strength. A basketball court with two goals gets good usage. Two movable soccer goal/nets are in a large grassy area that is used for soccer, football and cricket. A tether ball & pole, and a three-hole ball toss is also popular. We have also installed a nine hole Frisbee golf course that is great for family use (your little ones can throw balls instead of Frisbees). Moreover, there is a beach sand (36 cubic yards worth) volleyball court. Two covered shelters with picnic tables are available, along with three tables located under trees. Seven trash barrels are located throughout the park. It is a great place for your small child‟s birthday party. Unfortunately, no electricity is available; however, some parents have brought small generators along to solve that issue. Please advise your youth who go to the park without you to properly dispose of their trash. Also, golf carts and ATVs are not allowed on county roads, sidewalks, parks or any other public property. BUCKHORN SPRINGS GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB OPEN AGAIN Buckhorn Springs Golf & Country Club re-opened the golf course on September 12th after having been closed for four months of renovation to the greens, tees and fairways. The greens were re-contoured and planted with Champion Bermuda grass, while the tees, fairways and roughs were planted with Celebration Bermuda grass. The cost of the improvements was nearly one million dollars and the end result modernizes the playing characteristics of the course originally opened for play in 1968. The renovated course has met with great reviews, and the Buckhorn Springs Golf & Country Club was voted “Best Golf Course in Brandon” by readers of Brandon News and Tribune Readers‟ Poll for 2012. Buckhorn has gained many new members as a result of the renovation and revitalization of the club. The club also has many social functions in addition to golf, including a fabulous Wednesday night dinner buffet at a very reasonable price, which is open to members and „Buckhorn‟ residents only (reservation required). If any „Buckhorn‟ resident would like to make arrangements to attend a Wednesday night dinner, make reservations by sending an e-mail to the Food and Beverage Manager Linda West at [email protected], or the Cocktail Bar at 813-689-7776. If you are interested in membership in the Buckhorn club, call General Manager Randy O‟Linger at 813-689-7766, option 6. Buckhorn Springs Golf & Country Club is proud to be a part of the great Buckhorn community. UPDATE FROM BUCKHORN‟S SPECIAL DEPENDENT DISTRICT BOARD The Buckhorn Estates Special Dependent District Board of Trustees is dedicated to maintain and improve the four entrances of the „Buckhorn‟ subdivision. The Board is subject to the guidelines set forth by the Hillsborough County Budgeting Division. This requires the Board to be fiscally responsible and is required to send an annual financial audited report to the state. The Hillsborough Board of County Commissioners approves the report and controls the revenues established by the board annually. The annual assessment has been approved for 2013. The new rate is $65 per home, a $5 reduction. This lower rate was approved by the Board of Trustees and is based on the anticipated budgetary requirements. The Board also voted to meet the remainder of 2012 at the Buckhorn Golf and Country Club on the second Wednesday of each month at 7:00 p.m. We appreciate each member of the board who volunteers their time and talents to our community. Here is a list of our current volunteer Buckhorn Estates Special Dependent District Trustees: Jeff Wells, President; Rich Hubbard Vice President; Sue Mowery, Treasurer; Meredith Scribner, Secretary; Bill Atkinson, Trustee; Frank Ploor, Trustee; and Patty Griffin, Trustee. The Board appreciates your support as we serve to continually improve our neighborhood. EPA REVISES CLEANUP TIPS FOR BROKEN CFL BULBS CFL light bulbs (usually spiral in design) are used more often in our homes than standard incandescent bulbs in an effort to use less energy. In addition to using less energy they last much longer and burn with less heat than the incandescent bulbs. They cost more initially and the Federal Government is in the process of weaning the public away from the standard bulbs. Handling of a CFL bulb requires your total concentration. It is not a job to be delegated to your youth. CFL bulbs contain a small amount of mercury vapor and the inside of the glass is coated in a powdery substance. A broken bulb should be cleaned up quickly using the following tips to insure the safety of you, the family and any pets. BEFORE CLEANUP - Have people and pets leave the room. - Air out the room for 5 -10 minutes by opening a window. - Close the air conditioning duct or shut off the AC system. - Collect the materials needed for the cleanup so you can do the cleanup in one attempt. + DO NOT VACUUM but use two pieces of stiff cardboard and some sticky tape to scoop and blot up the fine pieces of glass and the powdery residue. . + Place all used materials in a sealed container. AFTER THE CLEANUP Place the sealed container with the bulb debris in a safe location OUTSIDE of the home‟s living space. LOWES and Home Depot have RECYCLE barrels near their front doors to place all light bulbs and regular household batteries into for disposal and recycling. DO NOT PUT EITHER OF THESE TWO ITEMS IN YOUR REGULAR HOUSEHOLD TRASH OR RECYCLING BINS. WHAT IS A “HELICOPTER PARENT”? The following information is directly related to our student child and us when they go away to college. The preparation for going away to college should slowly begin years before the summer prior to actually leaving for college. We as parents need to be supportive, moreover, we need to foster an environment that will enable and encourage our youth to grow into a productive and independent adult. The following will help you determine if you are a “Helicopter Parent”. If you answer YES to one or more of the following questions you may be “hovering”: Do you call, text, Skype your youth every day? Are you in constant contact with the administrators at your child‟s school? Have you ever researched or written a college paper for your child? Do you frequently intervene when your child has problems with his roommate? Do you act as your child‟s secretary? (e.g., give him morning wake up calls or make campus appointments for him, etc.) Have you ever tried to settle grading disputes for your child more than once? Have you ever chosen classes for your child to take? Do you feel bad about yourself when your child makes a mistake while away from you? How do you let your young adult gain responsible independence when they go to college? You can begin to limit your communication to three times a week, and get agreement from your child about how often communication should comfortably take place. Cell phone calls, texting, Skyping and social media provide an environment of too much tethering to the parents and less room for independent growth and enjoying the “college experience”. When you speak with your student child, listen first. Instead of stepping in to solve their problem, ask how he or she wants to handle it. What are the pros and cons to their decisions? College Parents of America, a membership group of future and current college parents, says too much contact and advice can prevent students from developing the confidence and independence they need to work out their own problems. The organization also reminds parents not to push their child into too many trips home. Staying on campus helps freshmen make new friends and allows them to become aware of the services and activities available at their college. This makes it less likely they will have academic problems or want to drop out. If you want information on other aspects of parenting in the college environment go to www.ecampustours.com and click on the Parent tab. Buckhorn Neighbors In Business If you are a dues-paying Buckhorn resident and want to include your business card in an upcoming Buckhorn Newsletter, please let us know. You can mail your business card to Buckhorn Homeowners Association (NEWSLETTER), P.O. Box 1586, Valrico, FL 33595. We also post residents‟ business cards on our website. If you want your card posted there, too, note that when you send in your business card. DO YOU KNOW THE CORRECT ANSWER? Match the correct gestation/incubation time frame with the appropriate animal. The correct answers are posted on your HOA website, www.Buckhorn.US . If you are not registered to get our email updates to happenings in Buckhorn, then register your e-mail address on Buckhorn‟s website while you are checking your answers. Gestation/Incubation Chickens Ducks Parrots Turkeys Cow Deer Elephant Goat Monkey Squirrels/Rats Animal 40 Days 210 Days 28 Days 150 Days 240 Days 28 Days 21 Days 270 Days 30 Days 630 Days