HAWKES HAPPENINGS
The Newsletter of the Hawkes Bluff Homeowners" Association
Volume 9 Number 7 October, 2000
Annual Board Meeting and Election - Tuesday 24th October 2000 - promptly at 7:30 p.m.
Firestation Community Room - All residents are encouraged to attend
NOMINATIONS MEETING UPDATE
from your board
The most recent board meeting held September 26th at the Fire Station Community Room included nominations for the next board of directors. Several candidates were nominated and brief details about them can be found on the next page. The election will be held at the annual meeting on Tuesday 24th October 2000 at which time additional candidates may be nominated. Please take the time to consider carefully-who you would like to represent your interests on your homeowner's board and also do consider volunteering yourself. Being on the homeowner association board is not an arduous task and requires no special qualification. Being on the board of directors is a voluntary (and unpaid) role needing just a few hours of your time each month. It does provide the satisfaction of knowing you are making a difference and helping make things better in your community.
Apart from the nominations the last meeting included news of progress on various items. Residents using the north (Griffin) entrance will have noticed that at long last the sign has been erected there with appropriate landscaping around it. There is also some rather pretty new landscape lighting at all three entrances. That construction mess at the Dykes Road entrance is almost put right with just the sprinkler repairs still to be done.
The removal of the melaluca trees alongside 1-75 and the new DOT fence and landscaping has prompted a look at the association fence in that same area. Some parts of this fence are in need of repair and further research by a possible fence committee will be needed before deciding how association funds (from the fence reserves) should be allocated to repair or replace as necessary.
All residents are very strongly urged to attend the annual election meeting. It is VERY IMPORTANT that
we have enough people present for a quorum. If you are unable to attend please pay careful attention to the absentee ballot you recently received in the mail (along with the announcement of the annual meeting). An absentee ballot is not the same as the proxies used until recently and it should be returned to the association as indicated prior to the meeting (if you are really going to be unable to attend). If you possibly can, of all association meetings, please attend this one.
Again, the nextboard meeting is the annual meeting with ELECTIONS for the new board and will be held on
Tuesday October 24th at 7:30pm
Your board looks forward to seeing you at the election meeting where refreshments will as usual be available.
38 TOWNHOMES PROPOSED
ON VACANT LOT NEXT TO FIRE-STATION
There is a proposal due to come before the Davie planning and zoning board later this month to build 38
townhomes on the vacant 3.8 acre lot next to the Ivanhoe fire station and community room on Stirling Road. There is some concern amongst residents in the nearby communities about this plan since that is a lot of homes in a small area. For more details on this proposal, on how it may impact the Ivanhoe community as a whole and what you may want to do about it and when please see article on page 3.
HAVE A SAFE AND HAPPY HALLOWEEN
CANDIDATES NOMINATED FOR THE BOARD
As in previous years here are a few details about the candidates nominated:
Howard Neu : Howard, who currently serves as President, is well known to most residents having served on several previous boards. Married to Barbara with son Ray, Howard is a lawyer who runs his own legal firm locally. Ray attends Archbishop McCarthy Senior High and is one of the many volunteers who helps deliver newsletters. Howard has 3 adult daughters living away from home and 3 grandsons.
Jeff Stoller: Jeff and his wife Carol have lived in the development since December 1989. They are the proud owners of the Jewelry Repair Center in the Aventura Mall. They have 3 adult children: David, an immigration lawyer, Jeremy, a graduate GIA gemologist and Erica, an office manager. Jeff and Carol are looking forward to becoming first-time grandparents early next year. Both Jeff and Carol have been active in the community over the past few years with Carol serving on previous boards and Jeff serving as Treasurer for this past year.
Jay Stahl: Jay is well known to most residents having served on several previous boards and is currently Corresponding Secretary. Jay and his wife Carole have adult children and now enjoy being grandparents. Jay is keenly interested and very active in civic and community matters and serves on several local community boards such as the Davie Planning and Zoning board and the Water Advisory Board.
Mike Murphy: Mike and family have been residents here since 1989. Married to Barbara who is an ultrasound technician, with daughter Andrea at FSU and son Mike who attends school in Tallahassee. Mike is the Director in charge of landscape co-ordination on the current board and has also served on several previous boards. Mike retired this past year from his position as Fire Chief for the City of Miramar. Mike likes to stay active within the COlmnunity of Davie and has served on several advisory committees.
John Pickett: John, who is a Director on the current board, has been a long time resident of Hawkes Bluff. John has worked diligently for the past couple of years on compliance and thanks to his efforts many residents have been attending to overdue maintenance tasks. John is an insurance executive and he and his wife Susan have 2 young daughters - in 2nd grade at Hawkes Bluff Elementary and in 7th grade at Falcon's Cove.
Gretchen Farmer: Gretchen, currently Recording Secretary, has been a resident here since 1989 serving on several previous boards. Married to Fire Captain Doug, their son Paul is an emergency room nurse at Parkway hospital and daughter Jill is due to graduate in December from UF. Gretchen has been a legal secretary since 1969 and a paralegal since 1989.
Mo Christie: Mo, currently Vice President, is well known to many residents having lived here since February 1989 and served on several previous boards. She writes this newsletter; assists with various association committees and co-ordinates contacts with other Ivanhoe associations. Mo sometimes works as a self-employed computer consultant when she's not enjoying hobbies like traveling, gardening, traveling, entertaining visitors, traveling, boating and traveling.
Chester Gladue: Chester is a south Florida native who moved here from south Miami-Dade a little over a year ago. Chester, who does consulting work in the travel industry, enjoys traveling and entertaining, and is anxious to help make a difference in the community.
Keith Lowe: Keith and his wife Jackie are also long-term community residents having lived here since 1989. Jackie teaches at Western High, their son James is at school in Gainesville and daughter Alex is a senior at Boyd Anderson High. Keith has always been active in the community as well as active in his children's education and sporting activities. Keith has served on past association boards and helped with various committees. If elected to the board Keith would push for big capital improvements which would mean a large increase in association fees due to the additional expenses involved. He is also keen to standardize the mail boxes throughout our community. He stresses that we all need to get on in the community and would like us all to be nicer to those people in the flying saucers.
Serving on the board is really not difficult and requires no special skills. The fairly light workload is divided up amongst board members so that no-one is overloaded. Board-related tasks do not normally involve more than a few hours each month and a regular monthly meeting.
Please give consideration to not only these potential candidates but also to any other persons you would like to see as board members. Additional candidates may be nominated on elation night. Please don't forget to vote either in person on Tuesday October 24th or by returning your absentee ballot prior to the election
LOOKING GOOD
Recently there has been little need for those "polite reminders" as people seem to be starting to spruce up their homes. Perhaps because it's easier to work outdoors now that it's a little cooler or maybe because the holidays are just around the corner. Keep up the good work and if you haven't started yet now might be a good time to make a list of the tasks that need doing.
Talking of visitors coming around, some residents really need to take a good hard look at the state of their front doors. The people delivering newsletters have commented on this as they really notice how bad some of these doors are getting. In fact at some homes you first have to fight your way through a jungle just to try and reach the front door. Please remember this is the first glimpse your visitors usually have of your home - as they wait there for you to answer the door.
HURRICANE SEASON
Residents are reminded that hurricane season does not end until the end of November. We have been lucky so far this year since despite a good number of storms none of them have come too close for comfort. Remember there could still be a storm or two yet to come and if you haven't pruned trees (or if they grew again) now is a good time for some further pruning.
PEOPLE NEWS
Happy FIRST birthday to Oscar Lavorano of Briarwood Way who turned ONE on September 18th
PROPOSED 38 TOWNHOMES
As mentioned on page 1 there is a proposal to build 38 town-homes on the 3.8 acre lot on Stifling Road next to the Ivanhoe Fire Station and Community Room. There are a number of concerns amongst residents of nearby communities about this proposal. Is residential development the best use of this site? Why put quite so many homes in such a small area? Would less but more expensive homes be a better choice? Will there be enough parking for visitors? If not, where will they park and how will this impact nearby homes and roads? Will there be a community pool? If not there are valid fears that other pools such as those at the patio homes in the nearby communities would be used. The only access provided in the current plan is from the road that leads to the community room? Would access not be better from Stirling Road rather than creating extra traffic on the roads into the two existing Falcon's Lea communities? What impact will there be on the local schools? Many young families start out in town-homes so is there a likelihood of even more children at the already overcrowded Hawkes Bluff Elementary? These and other questions all need to be answered and it is hoped to arrange a meeting with the builders soon - maybe by the time you read this.
The Davie Planning and Zoning board will vote on this proposal on Wednesday evening 25a' October their meetings are held at the Davie Town Hall. Residents concerned about the proposal should check for details in the local papers and express any concerns in person at the Planning and Zoning meeting. Letters and phone calls to the Town may help but physical appearance at such meetings carries the most impact. As more is learned about this details will be published on the association web site. The latest news on this subject will also be announced at our election meeting (on the night before the Planning and Zoning meeting) If the Planning and Zoning board votes for this proposal it will then come before the Town of Davie at their next meeting which will be on November lst, in the Davie Town Hall. Since this is the first meeting of the month there is an open session at 7pm prior to the start of the meeting where any Davie resident may speak for 3 minutes. Again, for concerned residents remember that physical attendance at this meeting makes the biggest impact.
If you need a copy of the bylaws please read them on the web-site or contact your board for a copy, which will be provided at a nominal charge of 25¢ per page.
REMINDERS
Next bulk pick-up scheduled for... Monday November 20th
NEWSLETTER
The next newsletter is planned for publication with election results in mid-November. Please have articles, advertisements and other items submitted by November 7h. As always all items will be handled on a first-come, space-permitting basis. PLEASE - let's have some people news. Also your thoughts, ideas, jokes, recipes and plans for upcoming occasions especially for any holiday celebrations on your street.
CONTACTING YOUR BOARD
The board encourages homeowners to put any queries or concerns in writing, to the address below please indicating Construction Approval, Newsletter, etc. as appropriate OR by sending e-mail. Since your board members are volunteers if you do phone please pick a considerate time, identify yourself as a Hawkes Bluff resident, be brief and keep to the point. Thanks.
President Howard Neu 434-4006
Vice President Mo Christie 434-8287
Secretary Jay Stahl 680-8686
Treasurer Jeff Stoller 680-1965
Assistant Secretary Gretchen Farmer 434-8337
Director at Large John Pickett 680-3835
Director at Large Mike Murphy 434-9715
Please send any correspondence (comments, requests for construction approval, etc) via e-mail or to the mail box (located in the Regency Square Pak'n'Ship)
HAWKES BLUFF HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION
4839 SW 148th Ave PMB 400
Davie FL 33330
Fax phone number • 680 8650
E-mail address:
hawkesbluff@hotmail.com
Check our web site for useful info & links
http://www.hawkesbluff.com