Lake Bosse Oaks

January.February 2011

SIMPLY LOOK, by Debi Walter

It is something we do everyday, unless by some tragedy, we've lost our ability to do.  We look!  For all of our lives we spend all day, every day looking.
Thankfully, the years have taught us that by looking we'll be informed and protected.  We look at the weather.  We look for the car keys.  We look in the mirror before heading out the door.  We look both ways at four way stops.  Looking gets us to where we're going safely.
During December, Tom and I took part in a challenge to look for 100 Joys.  It was not as easy as we had expected.  We looked in all the normal places, but still were not even halfway!  We realized we would have to start looking deeper to find hidden joy.  Joy in places most don't wait long enough to see.  There were days when we forgot to look, and not surprisingly, we didn't find much joy.  However, there was one day which stood out for us. 
We were busy getting ready to welcome you, our neighbors, into our home.  The decorations were set, the luminaries lit, the food was ready and the Wassail was steeping on the stove.  When the first family arrived, we greeted them at the door.  But as our living room welcomed more and more guests and the house grew fuller and louder, it was simply impossible to personally welcome everyone.   Our home seemed happy and full, like one enjoying a great feast. 

 

There was a moment when I paused and looked at the variety of friends gathered together - some were grieving great losses from the year, some were expecting great blessings in the year to come, others were shown around our home for the first time.  But all of you looked familiar, like family!  We have weathered life together - births, weddings, funerals, job losses, elections, the tragedy of 9/11, the hurricanes of 2004, the coming of new neighbors and the sad goodbye to those who’ve moved.  We found joy - it lives next door,  down the road and across the street.  We simply had to look!

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PRESIDENT'S CORNER
                          by Debi Walter
I attended our Lake Bosse Oaks Homeowners Association meeting last night, so I would have the scoop on who would be our next President.  I’m happy to tell you (drum roll please!) it’s Donna Kress.  Many of you may not know that Donna has been a homeowner here since 1995.  In that time she previously served as our Board President for two years - doing an outstanding job.  She is happy to serve us once again, so we say a heartfelt, “Thank you!”  Serving along side her as officers are:

• Vice President:  Jasmine Perris  (First time to serve and a homeowner since 2008)

• Secretary:  Mike McKee  (Seventh term to serve and has non-stop since moving here in 2003)

• Treasurer:  Gail Byrd  (Fourth term to serve and a homeowner since 2001)

Remaining board members:  Caroline Dales; Jackie Birket; Heather Harmer; Erika Matuszek; Susan Sears; Kelly Verdeck.

Editor’s Note:  Having worked closely with the Board these past two years, I would like to say thank you.  You have worked very hard, yet managed to have fun in the process.  Great job!

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“ARB” Wired

The newly elected Board of Directors will be assembling a new ARB Committee to serve our community in 2011 during the February meeting.  If you are interested in volunteering to serve on such a committee, please plan to attend the meeting:

When:        Tuesday, February 15th

Where:      Jasmine Perris’ home - 4049 Greenfern Drive

Time:        7:00p

For those who don’t know, ARB is an acronym for “Architectural Review Board” and is responsible for helping our neighborhood look its best.  It is their responsibility to see that all homeowners abide by the Covenants and Restrictions set in place at the onset of Lake Bosse Oaks.  They do this as a service to all of us, and we greatly appreciate all who are willing to sacrifice their time and energy for our benefit.

Don’t have a copy of our Covenants and Restrictions?  You can print a copy from our website:

www.neighborhoodlink.com

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THE NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH, By Lisa Respers, CNN

In times past, Jerry Borbon would not have thought twice about the backpack-wearing young man he spotted strolling down a street in his Miami, Florida, community.

But times have changed. Now he's learning to trust his suspicions more.

A neighbor saw the man trying to break into a house and called police.

"There was nobody at home at the house," Borbon said. "[The alleged thief] didn't know that a neighbor was watching from her window."

Borbon is a Citizens' Crime Watch volunteer for his Westchester neighborhood in south Miami, where residents have been trained to be alert to suspicious behavior and report it promptly to police.

With the economic downturn, neighborhood watch groups are proving to be a first line of defense in battling property crimes.

The Police Executive Research Forum, a Washington, D.C.-based independent research organization made up of local and state police officials, released a survey in January showing that 44 percent of police departments reported increases in crimes they believed could be attributed to the economic crisis.

Of the departments surveyed, 39 percent reported an increase in robberies, and 32 percent said they had seen a rise in burglaries.
Those surveyed also reported a 40 percent increase in thefts, including those of GPS devices from cars and other "opportunistic" crimes.

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What About Us?

Our Neighborhood Watch Program is getting underway with Kathy Turner as our Captain.  In the coming weeks we will see new Watch Program signs installed at both entrances.  Efforts are being made to reinstate our Phone Tree.  Volunteers will be needed to serve as Watch Captains in order to contact neighbors promptly in case of an emergency.

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NEWS YOU CAN USE

 

Lake Front Committee:
Mark Caspermeyer, 8528 Lake Bosse Dr.,  will chair this necessary project and will work this year to clean out the water and reinstall native plants.  If you would like to volunteer contact the Board.

Community Garage Sale - Super Bowl
Weekend! If you would like to take part, simply set up a table and cash in on the opportunity.  The dates are Friday and Saturday, February 4th and 5th.

Garbage Collection Updates:

1. Sharps Disposal containers are available, free of charge, at your local Fire Station between the hours of 8a. and 8p.  Used containers can be exchanged for new ones at the Fire Station as well.  Please don’t leave used containers at the Station if no one is there to receive them.  For more information call 407.836.9081
2. Hazardous Waste Disposal Day is Saturday, January, 22nd from 8a. to 3p. at the East Orange Community Center, 12050 E. Colonial Drive, Orlando.  These items include: paints, pesticides, car fluids, propane tanks, fluorescent lightbulbs, TVs, computers, monitors and cell phones.  Cost is FREE.  In addition, if you would like to drop off your hazardous waste before or after the above collection day, you may visit these locations:  Orange County Landfill, 5901 Young Pine Road (hours Sunday - Saturday, 8a. to 5p.), or McLeod Road Transfer Station, 5000 L.B. McLeod Road (hours Wednesdays and Saturdays, 8a. to 5p.)
3. Recycling is available for the following:                 

Green Bin - Aluminum & tin cans, glass bottles & jars, drink boxes & milk/juice cartons, empty aerosol cans, plastic containers #1 or #2, plastic bottles #3 - #7 with a neck.                                  

Orange Bin - Newspapers, Pasteboard (i.e. cerial and shoe boxes, empty paper towel and toilet paper rolls, brown paper bags, corrugated cardboard, phone books, magazines and catalogs, junk mail, office paper (not shredded).

4.  Garbage Cans left on the curb must either have tightly fitted lids or filled only with tied plastic garbage bags.  Please do not throw loose garbage in cans without lids.  This attracts wildlife and makes a mess of our roads.  Thank you!

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FLU SEASON IS HERE!     by Theresa Johnston, About.com

The CDC reports that five states have reached "widespread" flu outbreaks.  As Central Floridians head back to school and work after the holiday break, Centra Care physicians warn that the current Influenza outbreak will likely get worse over the next couple weeks.

The Orlando area is reporting a huge increase in influenza cases.  Centra Care records show an increase to 216 diagnosed cases at the beginning of the month, up from the 28 cases reported four weeks prior.

There is still time to get your flu shot.  Area health departments along with Centra Care are still offering the flu shots for this season.

 

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