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October / November 2016
Published for the Residents of Twin Lakes of Brandon
Letter from the President In this issue:Letter from the PresidentMeet the Entry AttendantsZika VirusReal Estate Re-CapNature’s CornerFeatured HomeCrossword ChallengeCritter CornerDates to Remember2015-2016 Board of Directors
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10am - 2pm on October 1st in Zeina Park
State of our Community - the Great and the Not So Great
In the spirit of the annual State of the Union speech, it’sappropriate at this time of year to provide a report on thegood, the bad, and the ugly for our community. A few
years ago, I provided such an account and expressed hope for a futureyear to be summed up as The Great and the Slightly Less Than Great. I’m pleased to report this Board of Directors (BoD) year concludes with Twin Lakes nearing that goal. As is the case every year, we have exper-ienced several events and activities that have shaped our community. With the vast majority being positive, the scale is heavily tipped towards the great – but there is still some work to do.
Our common areas remain attractive, homeowners generally complywith uniformly enforced community standards, and home values steadily trend upward. Landscaping continues to set the tone forour beautiful community and our pool service provider has sustained an unprecedented level of superior service. On an unrelated note, the pool deck should be resurfaced and the tiles continue to display structural concerns; both are projected to be addressed after the swimming season in early 2017. Homeowners have noted improved performance by our entry attendants and the BoD will remain engagedto ensure we receive the level of service our community expects and deserves. Although the heavy rains have sustained overall lake ap-pearance, ongoing maintenance issues provide reason for concern and exploration of options.
Thanks to the volunteer e�orts of �ve homeowners who served on the product selection group, we selected and installed new playground equipment within our Reserve Fund budget. As the single most ex-pensive reinvestment in our community’s history, the project also included repainting the swing sets and horses, new swings and chains, and additional sand. In addition to an exceptional recreational setting for children, Zeina Park serves as a focal point for many community activities, including the Holiday Concert in the Park and Easter EggHunt hosted this year. The BoD also coordinated several events includ-ing the community garage sale, several free electronic recycling col-lections, and six newsletters. Thank You to all volunteers who pro-vided these activities and events for our residents!
The BoD continued reinvestment in our Lake Michaela centerpiece andother common areas. We replaced the wax myrtle hedge rows between Otter Creek & Eagles Nest villages and between North Grove and Heron Point villages with new viburnum bushes as the �rst of several phases to replace failing hedge rows. Volunteers were also elicited for the sit-ing of new plantings around Lake Michaela. Although this project was
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There have been 17 cases of the Zika Virus reported in Hillsborough County. To �nd out more about this outbreak and to help with mosquito prevention, visit: http://www.�oridahealth.gov/diseases-and-conditions/zika-virus/index.html
completed, the maturity of the plants was disappointing, the net result was underwhelming, and the BoD continues to work towards remedy. Throughout this past year, we have trimmed numerous trees in Zeina Park, around the pool, and other common areas with Bloomingdale ROW scheduled in October. The BoD worked closely with the County to complete pothole and sidewalk repairs. Additionally, the project to install a second reclaimed water main is scheduled to begin later this fall and complete in early 2017 to proactively improve and sustain reclaimed water pressure throughout our community; please visit www.tlbhoa.org for details.
Despite the challenges of our central Florida environment and an aging community, the �nancial strength of our Association remains strong. The BoD continued to superbly execute the Association’s budget resulting in a positive net income year-to-dateand a strong Reserve Fund. With the same annual assessments for the eighth consecutive year, every homeowner paid for theirmailbox and the community looks great with installations completed throughout the community. This has improved individual curb appeal and enhanced community appearance with no immediate or lasting impact on our community budget. Thanks to homeowners complying with community rules and the BoD’s stewardship with HOA �nances for maintenance and enhancements, Twin Lakes has been spared the negative e�ects of aging, neglect, and apathy.
We will punctuate the year and elect the 2016-2017 BoD at our Annual Meeting of the Twin Lakes of Brandon Homeowners’ Association on October 11th at 7:00 p.m. in the River Hills Club. Please attend the Annual Meeting to cast your ballot in person orfollow the election procedures to complete your ballot and provide your proxy via mail or to another homeowner attendee. More information is available on our www.tlbhoa.org website. If you have any questions regarding the meeting or election process, please E-mail [email protected] or [email protected]. Hope to see you there! ~ Lou
James Barton is from Brandon, FL andhis favorite color is green. He likes anything with wheels and a favorite snackis a luncheable. James would like usto all have our Twin Lakes car stickers.
Twin Lakes has 2 people working 12 hours a day, 7 days a weekat the front entrance to help monitor and deter any non-residents from gaining entry into our community. We welcome Chris andJames who have both settled in with us this past summer.
Meet our Entry Attendants at the Front Gate
Chris and James are atthe front gate from 6pmto 6am each day. Theysplit the shift on Sundaynights. Try to slow downand say hello when youare driving by... or evendrop off a little snack.
Chris Agora is from Tampa, FL and hisfavorite color is silver. He likes to readand pizza is a favorite snack. Chris is a master security officer and continueshis education online.
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Real Estate Recap
Courtesy of Lisa Harmon, Realtor, Homeward Real Estate(813) 541-8909, [email protected]
Congratulations to William and Carol Joneswho reside at
2828 Mossy Timber Trl in Heron Point
This home has been selected as theTwin Lakes of Brandon “Home of the Season.”
They will receive a $50 gift card fora local restaurant in honor of their selection
as this issue’s featured home.
Nominate your favorite home that exempli�es the care and pride of the community for the
next issue by emailing [email protected].
Nature’s CornerRecently, two of our local Red-bellied Woodpeckers lost one of their nesting holes in a tree just outside Heron Point. The limb of the tree snapped during a recent storm. However, Red-bellied woodpeckers nest in dead trees or dead limbs and thisis nothing unusual for them. Usually they build a new nestingcavity each year, often placing it beneath the old one. This limb had two holes in it with one of them going all the way through the tree. These birds' calls have been heard as they �y through the area searching for food and shelter.
Loggerhead Shrikes are small, pale gray birds with a dark mask across their face. But despite their tiny size, they can catch and carry an animal its own size. They transport bigger prey, like rodents, in their feet and smaller prey in their beaks. They have also adapted to wait up to three days before eatinga poisonous organism, as by then the poison has broken down. Other times, they eat the nonpoisonous part of the animal and discard the poison. They share the same white wing patches as a Northern Mockingbird and the two look almost identical during �ight.
In the KnowDid you know that you can report the street lights being out at http://hillsboroughcounty.org? Put in “Street Light Maintenance” andinput the number on the street poles. Or, you can call (813) 635-5400.
What would you like to know? Email your questions to the editor and �nd out the answers here in the next newsletter.
Featured Home: William and Carol Jones
Sales from the last 3 months as recorded in the Greater Tampa MLS:Address Beds-Baths SqFt Sold Price3136 BEAVER POND TRL. 4-2/0 2070 $235,000 Sold 3119 BEAVER POND TRL. 4-2/0 2084 $232,950 Sold2944 HICKORY GROVE DR. 4-2/0 1878 $241,000 Sold5106 WHISPERING LEAF TR. 5-3/0 2637 $285,000 Sold4804 WATER LARK WY. 4-3/0 2336 $305,000 Sold3037 BEAVER POND TRL. 4-2/0 1864 $226,900 Under Contract4902 OTTER CREEK CT. 4-2/0 2202 $250,000 Under Contract5124 COOPERS HAWK CT. 4-2/0 2237 $279,900 Under Contract5122 WHISPERING LEAF TR. 4-4/0 3146 $360,000 Under Contract
Printed On Recycled Paper
DISCLAIMER The (CSAC), Communications and Social Activities Committee has made every effort to provide accurate, relevant and timely information. However, errors and ommissions can occur. By using the information herein, the reader assumes all risks associated with such use. The Homeowner’s Association, (CSAC), or contributing authors shall not be responsible for any special, consequential or other exemplary damages resulting from any reader’s use,
interpretation or reliance upon any information contained herein.
Twin Lakes of Brandon Newsletter • October / November 2016 Edition Joanne Bialas, Editor
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Tid BitsThe Twin Lakes Newsletter is Interactive Go to http://www.cminewsletters.com/twinlakesoctober2016 to find a complete interactive version of the newsletter including livelinks to our sponsors and advertisers!Community Service Credits are Available Do your children need to accumulate community service credits? How about suggesting that they join one of our committees orvolunteer to help with specific community events?Ask the Board If you have a question that you would like to ask the Board, pleasesend it to [email protected]. We will publish questions and answers in each edition of the Twin Lakes newsletter.
2015 - 2016 Board of DirectorsLou FerrucciHoward StrahanHolly Parks FowlerDeonne MartinezMark Gaudio
PresidentVice President 1Vice President 2TreasurerSecretary
[email protected]@tlbhoa.org
[email protected]@[email protected]
Dates to RememberOctober 1:
October 1:
October 11:
October 31:
November 8:
November 8:
November 24:
Art in the Park, Zeina Park
HOA Assessment Fees Due
Twin Lakes of BrandonAssociation Annual Meeting
Halloween
Budget Adoption MeetingBoard of Directors MeetingRiver Hills Country Club, 7:00pm
Election Day
Thanksgiving Day
Solve the clues
CROSSWORD CRITTER CORNER
Meet Sumter. Sumter can be found enjoying a nice walk around Lake Michaela in the early evenings when it isn’t too hot out. Sumter is a yorkie and likes lots of treats.Email your photos & caption to [email protected]
Across:4. We have 2 here.6. September’s storm.
Down:1. Autumn.2. 7 days.3. Virus Carrier.5. Given in November.
