Community Interests

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT … HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE HOA WEEKLY BULLETINS

This listing highlights important articles covered in recent HOA Herons Glen Weekly Bulletins distributed by email to residents listed with the HOA Office. These issues affect every property owner, their renters, vendors, and guests. The articles are intended to help residents better understand the actual requirements for our restricted community and may also include safety information. Reading about and understanding these issues could eliminate an escalation of problems that may result in potential fines.
October 18, 2024 – The Heron Online Magazine Debut in November (replaces hard copy newspaper), Links to HOA Online Forms, Board Minutes & Financials Online, Resident Resources – Blk Cable & Internet, Water, Sewer, Telephone, Trash/Recycling/Yard Waste, Irrigation
October 11, 2024 – Lee County Solid Waste, Report Solicitors & How to Protect Yourself When Hiring Contractors, Exterior Work Needs HOA Approval through the ARC or Grounds Committee, Golf Cart Battery Safety from SSEP

October 4, 2024 – Paying HOA Assessments, Holiday & Special Events Decorations Regulations

September 27, 2024 – Election of HOA Board Members, Century Link/Quantum Fiber Work in HG
September 13, 2024 – Nominating Committee Accepting Nominations for HOA Board, Herons Glen HOA Communications & Media
September 6, 2024 – Herons Glen HOA 2024/2025 Operating Budget Approved and Quarterly Assessments, Bicycle Helmet Safety from SSEP Please keep this reference guide in a location that’s easy for you to find when needed.

RESIDENT SPOTLIGHT – SKIP AND PHYLLIS BAILOR

It’s a love story for the ages! Phyllis and Skip met in high school on a blind date, dated for three years, and married at ages 19 and 21. That was 65 years ago (in 1959) and they never looked back. This lovely couple both grew up in Lyndhurst, Ohio and attended the same grade and high schools. But it took a blind date to bring them together to meet their destiny. And what destiny it has been!

Their wedding was planned, and the date set with their local Catholic church, but a scheduling snafu had the church double-booked. They met with the other couple and agreed to move one wedding up to an earlier time and the other wedding back to a later time. A sigh of relief and they were back on track. The wedding went off without a hitch. Skip worked at General Motors for 39 and a half years. He started working with computers on April 1, 1960 when they were huge towers kept in a special air-conditioned room. Phyllis returned to work after her children were older and enjoyed being a secretary at the Detroit Medical Center for many years.
Skip and Phyllis had three wonderful children, two daughters, and a son. They have unfortunately outlived their son and one daughter. These were perhaps the worst times in their marriage, but they got through them as a family and kept on. These days they are thankful for their surviving daughter and their four terrific grandchildren. The exciting news is that they have twin great- grandbabies due in January.

When they retired, they became Glen snowbirds in 2004, and full-time residents in 2020. They love the Glen and have enjoyed most of the activities offered here including golf, bocce, bingo, marbles, and pinochle. They also enjoy traveling and have visited all 50 states. They especially loved Hawaii. For their 50th anniversary, they took the whole family on a cruise to the 50th state that was also celebrating its 50th anniversary as a state that year. Can you figure out where they went? Both agree that being married for 65 years takes “a lot of effort.” Phyllis advises to just say “yes, dear” and then do what you want. Skip laughs at that, and agrees, but adds more seriously that “whatever we’ve done, we’ve done together and that’s how you stay together.” Congratulations Skip and Phyllis on 65 blessed years of marriage – a great achievement!

ARE YOU PLANNING A PROJECT FOR YOUR PROPERTY?
FROM THE HGHOA ARC AND GROUNDS COMMITTEES
All residents of Herons Glen live in a deed-restricted community. Upon purchase, all owners have signed documents agreeing to the rules put in place by the Herons Glen Homeowner’s Association (HOA). As a result, you may encounter standards for your home and property here that are not applicable in other communities. The HGHOA has two committees charged with assuring that properties are kept to the HOA standards.

• The Architectural Review Committee (ARC) ensures that future construction, reconstruction, and improvements are similar to existing construction. This includes making sure the applications for these projects are in compliance with HGHOA Architectural Standards and related information.
• The Grounds Committee ensures that installation of or alteration to lawns, landscaping, exterior yard decorations, fountains and flagpoles are done according to HOA standards and procedures.

WHAT PROJECTS NEED ARC APPROVAL?

The following list enumerates most of the projects that need ARC approval but is not totally inclusive. If in doubt, check the HOA website, call the HOA Office (239) 731-0322, or attend an ARC meeting.

• Painting or repainting of all exterior surfaces
• Installation of storm shutters
• Exterior screening and rescreening
• Lanai extension and lanai or front entry enclosures
• Any changes to all exterior doors, garage doors and screen doors
• Installation of garage screen
• Pool and/or spa installation
• Any type of solar panel work
• Changes to front yard light fixture and/or post and mailbox post
• Addition or changes to gutters and downspouts
• Replacement of windows
• Changes to driveway, walkway, roof, or walls
• Installation of whole home generators

WHAT PROJECTS NEED GROUNDS COMMITTEE APPROVAL?
The following list enumerates most of the projects that need Grounds Committee approval but is not totally inclusive. If in doubt, check the HOA website, call the HOA Office (239) 731-0322, or attend a Grounds Committee meeting.

• Replacement of all or a majority of shrubs in a landscape bed
• Installation of additional shrubs to satisfy a violation notice
• All modifications to size (enlargement or reduction) or design of existing landscape beds, installation of new landscape beds, and removal of existing landscape beds
• Landscape beds modified to include a decorative item that incorporates as part of its design the use of materials such as mulch,stone, or rock or any other type of materials
• Planting or removal of trees
• Installation of a free-standing flagpole
• Installation of fountain or water features located outside the front entry and outside the lanai

REQUESTING COMMITTEE APPROVAL
For any of the projects listed above, the homeowner must fill out an ARC Application Form or a Grounds Request Form and submit it to the appropriate committee. The request must include a detailed plan showing the location and description of the work. Many ARC requests require submission of a sample, such as a paint chip, roof tile, or paver, while others may require a photo. The application form will specify if this is the case. If you reside in the Fairways,Meadows, or Solana, you must have your proposed work approved by your sub-association before submitting it to the ARC or Grounds Committee. Also, keep in mind that some projects, such as a lanai extension, may require both ARC and Grounds approval. If in doubt, check the forms or call the HOA Office. There is also a required Neighboring/Adjacent Property Owner Acknowledgement Form for any ARC projects that may require you to use your neighbor’s side of the property or encroach on their back property when potential damage may occur to your neighbor’s property. Homeowners having this type of work done must fill out this form and make reasonable attempts to get this form signed by the adjoining neighbors. (This form is not required for grounds projects.) No work is permitted to start until the appropriate committee has reviewed and approved the request. Work that begins without approval may be subject to fines imposed by the HGHOA Board of Directors.

THE HISTORY OF NAMING HURRICANES
CANDACE HUETTEMAN, HERONS GLEN

While we won’t forget the name Milton any time soon, I thought you, the reader, might be interested in learning the history of naming hurricanes. Native Americans called these destructive storms” hurakons” after “a great spirit who commanded the east wind.” Spanish explorers adopted the word and then began giving hurricanes the names of patron saints on whose feast days the storms occurred. Then in the 1800s, hurricanes were identified by longitude and latitude, where the storms occurred and the places they hit.

In 1950, a formal practice for storm naming was developed by the U.S. National Hurricane Center. At that time, storms were named according to a phonetic alphabet (e.g., Able, Baker, Charlie) and the names used were the same for each hurricane season: in other words, the first hurricane of a season was always named “Able” the second “Baker” and so on. In 1953, to avoid the repetitive use of names, the system was revised so that storms would be given female names. This mimicked the habits of old naval meteorologists who named storms after their wives or girlfriends, much like ships at sea being named after women. In the late 19th century, Clement Wragge, a weatherman in Australia, was the first person to give a tropical storm a female name.

In 1979, the system was revised again to include both female and male names. Today, naming hurricanes is the responsibility of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), which makes up lists of names that are set in advance. There are six alphabetical lists of names and they are rotated every six years. Some revisions, when necessary, can be made to the lists. For example, there are some names that you may never hear again! Whenever a hurricane has a major impact, the country affected by the storm can request that the name be “retired.” This, of course, must be approved by the WMO. And what name do you think is the one most recently retired? Ian, of course. Ian caused more than 150 fatalities and over $112 billion in damage. It is currently the costliest hurricane in Florida’s history and the third costliest in the U.S.
Have you ever heard of a hurricane starting with the letter Q, U, X, Y, or Z? Certainly not, because there are not enough Spanish, French or English names beginning with these letters. Therefore, they do not make any of the WMO’s six lists of hurricane names. The WMO only name hurricanes that occur off the shores of North America, they maintain lists for all areas affected by tropical cyclones. Let’s hope we don’t hear another name from the list this season. November 30, the end of the hurricane season, can’t come soon enough!

NOVEMBER 5, ELECTION DAY 2024
CANDACE HUETTEMAN, HERONS GLEN

Why November 5? Why not another day in another month? Back on January 7, 1789, the electors were chosen for the first U.S. presidential election. George Washington was then elected president on February 4. Over half a century later, on January 23, 1845, the first Tuesday following the first Monday in November was designated Election Day for future presidential elections. Back then, the U.S. was more of an agricultural society. Therefore, November was considered a good time for elections because the busy harvest season was coming to an end. Many country folks had to travel a long way to get to a polling station, so it made sense to hold elections on a Tuesday. Tuesday did not conflict with church attendance and religious holidays. Here in Herons Glen, I hope that pruning your plants, picking avocados from your back yard tree, or weeding your garden did not keep you from voting this past November 5.

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?
JACK NELSON, HERONS GLEN
One of my favorite pastimes was airline travel, which afforded many memories, both fond and surprising. My favorite airline was US Airways because I lived in the Philadelphia area, and Philly was a hub for the airline. This meant that most of my flights were nonstop, and, as you know, not having to make a connecting flight is a blessing. I was a frequent flyer, which gave me many perks, including being upgraded to first class if space was available. Happily, I was booted up to first class on numerous flights during my career as an air traveler.

On one trip in the mid-1990s, I was on my way from Philly to Pensacola, with a connecting flight in Charlotte. While waiting to board my flight to Pensacola, I gave my name to the gate agent to be put on the upgrade list. I was at the top of the list, and voila! I was upgraded to the front row, a window seat, which meant I would be first to be served lunch, drinks, whatever. As I strapped in, a young lady, probably in her early twenties, sat next to me. She was gorgeous! And friendly! Her name was Lisa. We struck up a conversation immediately. We were both imbibing gin and tonics, and by the time we backed up from the gate, we had consumed two drinks, and we were already feeling giddy. I was falling in love with her! After two drinks, age difference meant nothing to me. But realistically, she was like a daughter to me.

Halfway through the flight, we were over the Atlanta area at 34,000 feet, and by this time, we knew all about our family histories, our likes and dislikes, and favorite everything: colors, cars, movies, ad infinitum. After we deplaned, we walked together to the baggage claim area where I met her mother, a truly delightful lady. And Lisa lit a cigarette! I was totally surprised. She noticed my reaction, and promptly told me that she was trying to quit. The three of us parted company, but not before we hugged. What a delightful experience.

My next excursion was a nonstop flight from Philly to Seattle, a five-hour ride on US Airways. Accompanying me was my daughter. We were upgraded to first class, front row, and for such a long flight, that was a most welcome relief. Our plane was a Boeing-757, my favorite, and a favorite of many pilots as well. When we got in line on the jetway, we noticed a lady with her daughter just in front of us leading a pig on a leash! Are you kidding me? The animal was full-grown and must have weighed at least 300 pounds! Needless to say, my daughter and I were astounded. And to add to our surprise, the ladies and their pet porker were assigned seats directly across the aisle from us. As we boarded, I told a lady flight attendant how unreal it was having a full-grown pig on board. She told me they were livid about the situation, and that the captain had to contact company headquarters to get approval before departure. They gave their thumbs up. How lenient they were. So, there we were, cruising at 36,000 feet with a monster pig lying on the floor against the bulkhead. It was completely covered with a blanket, which was intended to keep it quiet. Fortunately, it worked. To my surprise, the animal slept through the entire flight. As we deplaned in Seattle, the pet pig owners were instructed to wait for all the other passengers to leave first. Later, my daughter and I learned that the pig became disorderly and caused quite a ruckus while leaving the plane. So, it was a wise decision to make the porker wait for others. The next day, The Philadelphia Daily News published their lead article on the front page about the pig flight, with a large cartoon at the top of the page showing a pig with a big smile on its face riding on top of a US Airways plane. It was hilarious, but I’m sure those lady flight attendants weren’t smiling.

REDUCING HOLIDAY WASTE
LINDA LYNCH, HERONS GLEN
It’s often called the “most wonderful time of the year” – but it’s also become one of the most wasteful celebrations. Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, or Kwanzaa, the list of waste includes wrapping paper, gift returns, food waste, decorations, etc. How much waste? According to the EPA, American household waste increases by more than 25 percent between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day. This translates into an additional 1 million tons of refuse each week. Of course, the Lee County Solid Waste Department and their partner, Waste Pro, will whisk it all away, but small changes can yield a reduction in trash this holiday season. With this in mind, here are some helpful suggestions pulled from the Internet to reduce your holiday waste.
Gifts

• Choose items of value, purpose, and meaning, not those destined for a yard sale.
• Focus on the experience by gifting event tickets, museum memberships, gift certificates, or your time and talents.
• Open a savings account or make a donation to a favorite charity in a recipient’s name.
• Give home-baked goodies in reusable containers like baskets, tins, or jars.
• Use a reusable cloth bag for your purchases and avoid store bags altogether.
  Gift Wrap
• Reuse packing and shipping materials such as foam peanuts.
• Save ribbons, bows, boxes, gift bags, and décor for the next holiday, and put them where you’ll remember to reuse them. Celebrations
• Use Energy Star energy-efficient lighting, such as LED holiday lights and unplug or turn off holiday decorations when not in use or use timers.
• Recycle your aluminum pans that are used for cooking holiday meals.
• When possible, eliminate the use of disposable plates, cups, napkins and silverware, or buy items that can be recycled or are made with recycled content.
• At gatherings, have clearly marked recycling containers available for bottles and cans.
• Send leftovers home with guests by having reusable storage containers available.
• Freeze leftovers to be enjoyed at a later time. Recycle Or Reuse
• If you can’t reuse it, remember to put as much as possible in your curbside recycling – paper, cards, boxes.
• Metallic cards, envelopes, wrapping paper, and ribbons are not recyclable as paper.
• Live trees, wreaths or boughs (minus any decorations) can be put out with yard waste.
• Foam peanuts can be recycled at local shipping outlets (like UPS).
• Plastic shopping bags can be recycled at local grocery stores.
• Donate unneeded items rather than throwing them away. The holidays are a wonderful time of year for spending quality time with family and friends. With a little forethought, holidays can also be made more environmentally friendly. And the careful use habits you cultivate during the holiday season will serve you throughout the rest of the year as well. Happy holidays!