In This Issue - May 2006
Crime Prevention at the Annual Meeting
So long, Farewell, Auf Wiederschen, Adieu…
From Goodbye to Hello!
Keep Your Home Secure While Away
Cypress Isles Contact List
Cypress Isles Residents Compete in Belgium
Celebrations!
Massive Repairs Planned for WLCA Pool
Ponds to Be Turned Over to County
Real Estate Update for Cypress Isles
Thanks!
Decide Stuff at the Annual Meeting
Crime Prevention in Cypress Isles

Crime Prevention at the Annual Meeting
The Annual Members Meeting will start at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday May 16th at Exit Real Estate, 11555 Lake Underhill Road.
Corporal Marian Hultgreen, representing Orange County Crime Prevention / Homeland Security, will be the featured guest speaker at our annual meeting.
Corporal Hultgreen will spend 30 minutes with us at the beginning of our meeting to bring us up to date on activities in East Orange County, and suggest things we can do as a community to help identify and reduce criminal activity.

So long, Farewell, Auf Wiederschen, Adieu…
It's been said that you can't go back home, but Jean & Joka are doing just that…Going Home…
Vaarwel, Joka en Jean Thomsin!
We were saddened to learn recently that our neighbors and CI's master gardeners, Jean & Joka Thomsin, are moving back to their homeland and birth town of Eindhoven, The Netherlands in July. We will miss them, but we are happy for them, since they are going home to a place where water is plentiful and weeds are much more manageable. Jean served on the Board of Directors from 2001-2004 - his last position being that of Secretary. Board members appreciate Jean's organized approach and clear writings, and his work drafting the Cypress Isles Bylaws. Jean authored many plant care and gardening articles for our newsletter and our website, and he was the force behind the Cypress Isles Street Tree Program, organizing and working tirelessly yet enthusiastically, to ensure that all our residents had the opportunity to acquire a free street tree from Orange County's Street Scape Program.
He was also always available by phone, email, or personal visits to advise on tree problems. I'm sure all who know Jean will echo the sentiments of Sonya Barsness, who said it best:
"One thing I know about Jean is that he organizes the Seniors of Waterford Lakes group. This is a great community service as there are not a lot of social opportunities on this side of town for active seniors…
"On a personal note, when we were first here, Jean came down in his rubber boots to help us with an ailing tree- we were very grateful for this neighborly act!"
John and Joka, we bid you fond farewell and best wishes in your move back home. Those wooden shoes will be hard to fill.

Sandy Horazak, Editor

From Goodbye to Hello!
Go over and say, "Hi!"
Welcome to our new neighbors at
806 Spring Island Way!
If we've missed anyone else who recently moved in, please let us know so we can mention you in the next newsletter.

Keep Your Home Secure While Away
Tips from The Kranz Team.
Make sure your home looks like someone is living in it. Think about getting automatic time switches to turn lights on in the evening.
Cancel any newspaper deliveries and put a hold on your mail.
Don't leave valuables, like your electronic equipment where people can see them through the windows.
Make sure you have up-to-date contents insurance.
Do not put your home address on your luggage when you are traveling to your vacation destination.
Just before leaving ask your neighbors to keep an eye out on your home while you are away.
Finally, lock all outside doors, windows and set alarm if applicable.

Cypress Isles Contact List
Board of Directors
Dennis Horazak, President 407 207-6557 densus@bellsouth.net
Ron Wiley, Vice-President 407 384-2564 rwiley4@cfl.rr.com
Mike Kranz, Secretary 407 380-6834 mikemary@mindspring.com
Myron Davis, Treasurer 407 737-8200 mdavis8200@adelphia.net
Lee Blackwell, Member 407 275-2541 monsterous@aol.com
Rex Bowman, Community Management Professionals
407 903-9969 Ext. 114 Rex@community-mgmt.com

Neighborhood Watch

Kim Schmitt 407 737-1966 kym909@aol.com
Christine Culbertson 407 658-4261 cculbertson@ouc.com

Media
Dennis Bode, Webmaster dbode@cfl.rr.com
Sandy & Denny Horazak, CI News Editor 407 207-6557 sanden@bellsouth.net

Handy Numbers
Orange County Sheriff
Non-emergency - NEW! 407 836-4357
Animal Control (unleashed pets, etc.) 407 352-4390
Progress Energy Streetlight Repair 1-800-228-8485 www.progress-energy.com

Cypress Isles Residents Compete in Belgium
Cypress Isles residents, Josh and Adam Bode competed in an International European Speed Skating Championship in Evergem, Belgium this past February. Skaters from Belgium, Germany, Netherlands, France, Italy, and England attended this competition. Adam placed 1st in his age division and Josh placed 5th. These placements were the overall result of multiple races over a weekend. Following the competition, Josh and Adam assisted in a 3-day training/developmental clinic for speed skaters from Europe. Their coach had been hired to conduct this training clinic. Josh and Adam were 2 of 8 skaters from the USA that participated in the competition and clinic.
Back home, Josh and Adam just completed their last meet of the season's point series. They both placed first in the state of Florida in their age divisions in the Elite Olympic division. In May, June and July they will be competing in Regionals, the US Indoor, and Outdoor National Championships. At the same time as all these competitions and traveling, they are on the Honor Roll at the local public schools. More information about their skating team can be found at: www.teamflorida.org.

14 year-old Josh Bode

Olympic Training Center

Colorado Springs, Colorado

12 year-old Adam Bode

Pan American Club International Championship

Miami, Florida

Celebrations!
Some re-runs, some past, some present, some future!
Happy Birthday to:
May 5 - Steve Wood
May 23 - Michael Symons
May 23 - Cheryl Engold
May 27 - Jean Thomsin
May 28 - Tara Engold
July 6 - Joka Thomsin

Massive Repairs Planned for WLCA Pool
The WLCA pool on Mark Twain Drive has been leaking at a rate of $2,000 to $3,000 (dollars, not gallons) of water per month, so that leak will be fixed immediately. The leak seems to be caused by a larger problem of the pool slowly sinking, so the Board is also seeking a knowledgeable diagnosis and a recommended course of action to stabilize the pool. The cost of fixing the ultimate problem may run as high as $75,000 to 100,000.

Ponds to Be Turned Over to County
The Waterford Lakes Community Association (WLCA) announced plans at its February 27th Board meeting to transfer responsibility for all of the ponds in Waterford Lakes to Orange County. The turnover will affect all ponds, including ponds that are currently the responsibilities of neighborhood associations, such as the two ponds currently administered by Cypress Isles. Neighborhoods will have to deed the pond access rights-of-way to the county.

WLCA Board Member Jamie Rodriguez noted that the dozens of ponds in Waterford Lakes are almost 15 years old and accumulating silt, and the cost of dredging each pond can be as high as $300,000. If WLCA and the neighborhoods had to pay these dredging costs, the resulting homeowner assessments would be enormous. On the other hand, the cost of turning all the ponds over to Orange County would be an additional $68 in MTSU property taxes per homeowner per year. (In Cypress Isles, $300k times our two ponds divided by 140 homeowners is $4,285 per homeowner. It would take 63 years of additional county taxes to equal the cost of one round of dredging our two Cypress Isles ponds. When all the WLCA ponds are added in, the number of years to break even is even higher.)
Contrary to popular belief, Orange County will not install fences around the ponds because the slope of the adjacent land is not steep enough to require fencing. WLCA plans to continue using Lake Masters to maintain the area around the ponds.

Funding for this awesome edition of the Cypress isles News was provided by:
Investments for Your Lifetime

Lee J. Blackwell
Wachovia Securities Financial Network
Senior Financial Advisor

717 North Magnolia Avenue
Orlando, FL 32803
407-902-2510

Email: Lblackwell@wachoviafinet.com
Website: www.wynnwell.wbsec.com

Comprehensive Financial Plans
Retirement, Rollover, Estate, College, Insurance

Real Estate Update for Cypress Isles
There are three active listings:
933 Spring Island Way $439,000
600 Divine Circle $479,500
908 Spring Island Way $545,000
One sale is pending:
725 Divine Circle $449,900
One home sold, closing on 3/10/06:
806 Spring Island Way, listed and sold $474,900 by Mike and Mary Kranz with Keller Williams Realty.
If you or anyone you know has any questions regarding real estate please call Mike and Mary Kranz. We would be happy to provide a free no obligation consultation with you.
Call The Kranz Team at 407-970-9036.

Thanks!
…to the volunteers who delivered the Feb. newsletter to our homes: Harold & Cheryl Engold, and Cookie Symons.

Decide Stuff at the Annual Meeting
Homeowners will vote on a new Board and new fees, and give opinions on ARC issues.
By now you have received proxy and ballot materials by mail. If you can't make the meeting, please mail in your proxy.
If you would like to be part of our Board, one of the best in Waterford Lakes, please write yourself in as a candidate. The rest of the Board and the community would appreciate your help.
This year Cypress Isles homeowners will also vote on a proposed initial assessment amendment. The proposed amendment would require new homeowners to pay a one-time new homeowner fee to help keep down existing homeowners dues.
The title companies pro-rate HOA fees to the next quarter, so closing costs would include the pro-rated normal fee to the end of current quarter plus any initial fee that the voters approve.
The proposed amendment would require a three-fourths majority (105 out of 140 homeowners) for passage, so whether you are for or against each proposal, please vote!
There will also be non-binding opinion polls about driveway maintenance and optional street trees.
The Annual Members Meeting will start at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday May 16th at Exit Real Estate, 11555 Lake Underhill Road.

Crime Prevention in Cypress Isles
Think it through, like the bad guys do..
Over the past several months, homes have been egged, car windows have been smashed, and lawns and small trees have been run over. Elsewhere in Waterford Lakes, recent crimes have included the spare tire being stolen from one person's jeep and all four wheels being stolen from a neighbor's car, which was found up on blocks the next morning. A car was stolen from a driveway in Sapphire Place overnight. La Petite Academy on Woodbury Road also experienced a night-time break-in.
What can we do? Let's look at some familiar options.
We could add some stop signs, since everyone "knows" that stop signs reduce speeding. But studies have shown that stop signs increase air and noise pollution, waste fuel, are intentionally violated if located in the wrong places, and do not stop speeding. (Orange County Public Works Traffic Engineering Division)
We could hire two off-duty deputy sheriffs to patrol 24/7 (6 shifts plus weekend and holiday overtime) at a cost of more than $3,400 per home per year.
We could try to become a gated community at an initial cost around $2,860 per home plus annual maintenance. But many of our friends who live in gated communities wish they didn't. Subdivisions that have tried to "go gated" have runs into problems: 100% of membership must agree to be gated; the homeowners (instead of the County) must maintain the roads; home value increases are only around $5,000; and security does not necessarily improve. Also gating would involve acquiring the land now occupied by the homeowners at the front and rear entrances, which is clearly impractical, to say the least.
While these expenses might seem reasonable to some of us, most of us would probably prefer an alternative approach.
As a more realistic option, we could all be more vigilant. Although no money would be needed, this option would require time. All 140 homeowners would be expected to devote regular hours to watching the streets, keeping date-time logs of suspicious activities, writing down license numbers, reporting incidents to the Sheriff, and reporting everything to a beefed-up data-driven neighborhood watch.
One simple but largely overlooked activity is getting to know your neighbors. For guys, a wave from across the street might be enough; but women would probably want to exchange actual names and such. Then you can watch each others' houses and feel comfortable calling them if you see something suspicious happening.
Crime and vandalism in Cypress Isles will be a featured topic at this year's Annual Members Meeting on May 16th. We already know that it's getting worse. We already know that people could do more. What we need are workable plans and dependable workers. Come to learn and share on May 16th.