In This Issue - November 2005
Holiday Lighting Contest
Entrance Refurbishment Work Begins
No-Go for Go-Peds, Pocket Bikes
2006 Fees for Cypress Isles, WLCA
Board Sets 2006 Meeting Dates
ARC Rides Again
Cypress Isles Contact List
Wind an' Drain
Dude, Where's Your Car?
Telephone Book Recycling Begins!
Dates and Figs
Holiday Lighting Contest
Deck your yard to celebrate the holidays!
Judging for this year's annual Holiday Lighting Contest will be on Sunday
December 18th at 7:00 p.m., and prizes of $75, $50, and $25 will be awarded
shortly thereafter. Winners will be announced in the next Cypress Isles
News in February, when nobody cares anymore.
Mike and Mary Kranz of 774 Spring Island Way are the sponsors for this year's
annual neighborhood Holiday Lighting Contest. They have donated funds to
award the prizes and certificates.
Mike and Mary are both realtors with Keller Williams Realty. They have worked
actively selling homes in local communities for over ten years now. They
would like to extend a warm holiday wish to all of their neighbors!
And we here at CI News Headquarters, on behalf of the Board and all of the
community, thank Mike and Mary for their generosity!
Entrance Refurbishment Work Begins
Our entrances now have new lighting, with brickwork, signage,
and landscaping to follow.
The Entrance Committee continues its diligent efforts to have the project
done before year-end. The electrical portion of the project has recently
been completed. The "headlight" effect on the front signs has
been eliminated and all the CYPRESS ISLES signs are now beautifully illuminated.
We have encountered a few unexpected glitches in the permitting of the brickwork.
Our neighbor, Frank Gallagher, has stepped up to the plate and has been
a lifesaver for the Committee. Frank is handling the details and working
with the County to resolve the problems. We expect the permit to be issued
within the next two weeks. We have yet to confirm a new start date with
the contractor but remain optimistic that the work will begin in mid-December.
The brickwork should take no longer than a week to complete.
The sign contractor will remove the old signs the week after Thanksgiving
and will begin preparing the walls to accommodate the new fastening system
we designed to minimize vandalism. Fabrication of both the signs and the
letters is on schedule and they will be ready to install shortly after the
brickwork is completed.
Landscaping improvements for both entrances are fully planned, but will
be the last part to be completed, probably closer to next spring.
Claudia and Scott Rilea,
Entrance Refurbishment Committee
No-Go for Go-Peds, Pocket Bikes
Riders and their parents could be cited by Orange County.
As you know with Christmas coming, I want to pass along some important information
from a brochure that was given to me by Capt. Nieves of the Orange County
Sheriff's Office.
"Motorized scooters/go-peds are small two or three-wheel vehicles that a person may stand or sit upon to operate or ride. Some have electric motors and some have gas engines. Pocket bikes are miniature motorcycles that have automatic transmissions. Motorized scooters, go-peds, and pocket bikes cannot be legally operated on public roadways, sidewalks, or bicycle paths.
"Mopeds and motorized bicycles have pedals and may be operated solely by human power. A driver must have at least a Class E driver's license and tag registration to legally operate a moped. The operator of a motorized bicycle does not require a driver's license. Persons 16 years and older may operate a moped or a motorized bicycle on public roadways. Mopeds and motorized bicycles can be operated on sidewalks and bike paths only if operated solely by human power. Persons under 16 may only operate mopeds on private property and must wear protective headgear securely fastened on their heads."
Officers who catch young people illegally operating these may either confiscate
them or ticket both the youth and the parent.
Please follow the law. You could save the life of a child who might be hit
by a car that does not see them.
Jamie Rodriguez
WLCA Board of Directors
For more information, contact the Orange County Sheriff's Office Specialized
Patrol at 407-836-0800.
2006 Fees for Cypress Isles,
WLCA
Combined increases are $11 per quarter.
On October 18, the Cypress Isles Board of Directors adopted the 2006 operating budget with a 12.8%
increase in quarterly assessments from $39 to $44. This increase will be
used for the gradual replenishment and maintenance of our reserve funds.
We are fortunate that our current reserves, along with a matching grant
from Orange County, allowed us to handle last year's hurricanes and this
year's large expenses without a special assessment from the homeowners.
The 2006 budget establishes a long-term reserve funding pattern, so quarterly
fees for 2007 and beyond are expected to remain about the same as the 2006
fees. To see the complete Cypress Isles budget, go to our website www.cypressisles.org.
The link to the 2006 budget is at the bottom of the "Archives" page.
In other news, the WLCA Board of Directors approved a 6.4% fee increase
at their November 21st meeting. This increase from $94 to $100 per quarter
in 2006 is smaller than last year's 15% increase. The additional funds will
be used for site improvements, higher water and electric bills, and the
gradual restoration of reserves, which were depleted by hurricane cleanup
and replacing diseased pine trees. The complete WLCA budget is on the WLCA
website www.mywlca.org.
From the home page, click on "Resident Login" (all residents should
have received passwords in the mail), then "Documents," and then
"WLCA 2006 "Approved Budget."
Please remember that Cypress Isles and WLCA are separate organizations,
and your fees are to be sent to separate addresses. Payment coupon books
with correct addresses for both Cypress Isles and WLCA are scheduled to
be mailed during December.
Board Sets 2006 Meeting Dates
For all you forward-planners…
The Board will meet in 2006 on January 17, March 21, May 16 (annual meeting),
July 18, September 19, and November 21. But don't wait for a meeting if
you have issues. Board Contact information is included with every newsletter.
Best wishes to all for a cheerful holiday season and a better new year.
Cypress Isles Board of Directors
ARC Rides Again
And dings 87 homes.
Eighty-seven homes were cited for ARC violations in last month's community-wide
inspection, with two-thirds of the citations for sidewalks and driveways
that needed to be cleaned. The violations were (to the tune of "12
Days of Christmas"): 79 stained driveways and/or sidewalks, 10 missing
mulch, 9 dead palm fronds, 7 bad grass patches, 5 landscaping issues, 3
unauthorized driveway painting, 2 weeds, and 1 home with a very dead tree.
The total is more than 87 because some homes had multiple violations.
We are all proud of our beautiful homes in Cypress Isles, and we all know
the impact that appearance has on property values. For these reasons, friendly
reminder letters were mailed with the expectation that problems will be
handled promptly.
Thanks to all for keeping Cypress Isles looking good!
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
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 407 737-2400
Animal Control (unleashed pets, etc.) 407 352-4390
Progress Energy Streetlight Repair 1-800-228-8485 www.progress-energy.com
Wind an' Drain
Do you know where your trash is? It's down the sewers and
in our ponds!
That's what happens when trash meets wind. This is caused by all of us.
On a windy night we should think about putting our trash out early the next
morning without trash can lids. Scott and I are continually pulling out
trashcan lids from our pond, along with all the recycling containers, milk
& soda bottles. Perhaps crushing these items would help a little from
blowing out of our containers. These items are being blown and washed into
our sewer drains and causing all kinds of problems. After every heavy rain
we are out there picking up all kinds of things that have been washed into
our sewers. There may be some newer homeowners who just don't realize that
the street sewer water ends up in our ponds.
Cookie Symons, Private Eye
Dude, Where's Your Car?
Auto Burglaries are still the highest rates in all Zones
More often than not, victims have left their vehicle doors unlocked and
left purses, bags, and laptops even their keys (!) in plain view. It is
not uncommon for criminals to walk down a row of vehicles in a store or
church parking lot and check vehicle doors to see if they are unlocked.
Sometimes residents take it for granted that we live in a safe area.
Take nothing for granted...
Victims of auto burglaries usually will tell Deputies.....,
"This is Bay Hill, or Windermere or Winter Garden etc, I didn't think
I needed to lock my car!"
or
"I thought since this was Dr Phillips or Ocoee etc.... my laptop was
safe in my car!"…
Unfortunately the criminals are now taking advantage of this attitude. Nothing
is SAFE Anywhere if not locked up and put out of sight
· ALWAYS Remember to lock your vehicle, regardless of the amount
of time or location that your vehicle is left unattended. It is not uncommon
for vehicles to be burglarized in broad daylight in a victim's driveway.
· Do NOT EVER leave any items of value in your vehicle (i.e. cell
phones, briefcases, laptops, loose change.)
· Do not try and conceal items under seats or in glove compartments.
Criminals know all the tricks and they will sometimes wait in parking lots
of gyms, schools, parks, etc. and watch where victims hide their belongings.
· If you have a vehicle alarm always use it.
· If you have a pull-out radio, always take it out.
· If you hear glass breaking, a vehicle alarm going off or any other
suspicious noises--immediately report it to the police department. Most
arrests are due to alert residents, trained in good Neighborhood Watch and
Crime Prevention techniques.
Orange County Sheriff's Office, Criminal Investigations Division;
Crime Analysis
Telephone Book Recycling Begins!
Residents of unincorporated Orange County can recycle their old telephone
books beginning now until February 10, 2006. Residents should place their
old telephone books in the orange recycling bin for collection on their
regular recycling collection day.
If you would like more information about telephone book recycling in unincorporated
Orange County, please call the Orange County Utilities Solid Waste Hotline
at 407-836-6601.
Website: www.OrangeCountyFL.net
E-mail address: Solid.Waste@ocfl.net
Dates and Figs
Happy Birthday to:
December 22 - Cookie Symons
February 4 - Scott Symons
Happy Anniversary to:
November 30 - Dick & June Glesener - 64 years!