Newsletter

Issue #3 - May 2007

Summer Days...

Summer is almost here and with that comes travel, laughter in the yards, no-waiting at restaurants and of course... the heat.

We have the best weather anyone could ask for. A little rain, a little humidity, a lot of sunshine and clear skies... Enjoy the summer and your family, don’t fret on higher gas prices, the stock market and stuff we can’t control. Summer 2007 will only come once... Have fun and be safe!!!

Positive Changes with Twin Rivers

As you know with the recent letter that was sent, we have made some changes within the homeowners association. Jay D’Urso, Kimberly Sandstrom and Pam Fleck have teamed up to keep Twin Rivers looking beautiful and make necessary improvements. We are confident that this adjustment will benefit our community and they are excited and ready for the challenge.

"Critter Crossings"

It is great living in a community where often you will find deer crossing your path or a family of raccoons in travel. Otters have even been spotted in our lakes. It is important however, to teach our children that as cute as these animals are they are still wild animals. Please encourage them to respect their habitat and to never feed or chase after them. Gators will also travel from lake to lake and keeping kids aware and pets on a leash is important. Please visit www.myfwc.com this website has useful information regarding our Twin Rivers critters.

Did you know???

All cranes engage in dancing, which includes various behaviors such as bowing, jumping, running, stick or grass tossing, as well as wing flapping. Though it is commonly associated with courtship, dancing can occur at any age and season. Dancing is generally believed to be a normal part of motor development for cranes and thwarts aggression, relieves tension, and strengthens the pair bond.
Maybe we all should take up dancing!

Jay’s corner...

We are thrilled to see families fishing in the ponds and using the trails, while doing so, please refrain from driving or parking any motorized vehicle on the grass. This would include any common area such as lake banks, trails and preserve areas.
Having lakes and trails throughout the community makes it easy to walk or ride bikes to these areas.

FYI...

• Mommy & Me play group meets Thursday mornings. Please contact Jo Price at 776-8995 for more info.
• We would like to start a neighborhood directory to keep residents informed on various things. Please email Gracie Sharp at gsharp@tampabay.rr.com.
• Bunco is on the 3rd Friday of every month. Great opportunity for the ladies to meet, greet or catch up with friends. Bunco is a mindless dice game but a lot of fun and a wonderful way to have a girl’s night out. Email Paige Ward at paigeward2001@yahoo.com for more info.
• Don’t forget to check out channel 97 through Brighthouse for time to time so that we can inform you of upcoming events. This channel is exclusively for Twin Rivers.
• Heather Smith has “whipped up” a supper club once a month. Contact Heather at heather_robin_smith@yahoo.com.

Looking for a night out?

We are fortunate to have a few young ladies in our neighborhood that are interested in babysitting. Please contact:

Alyse Ridgway– 531-4523 or 374-7457
Aubrey Hudson– 776-5432
Shelly Krzesicki– 723-7715

Family Affairs:

Congratulations to the Hammett and Hynson families.

Tips with Rewards from Jeanette Ward

Thinking about selling? Or maybe your home is already on the market... Here are a few simple TIPS that will add interest to your home:

How to give a great first impression:
Start with the front gardens by adding colorful annuals, which are an inexpensive way to add charm. Fresh mulch and a nicely cut lawn are just as important.

Remove most of your personal items:
“Declutter” try to make your home feel as open as possible without feeling vacant. Removing some of your family photos or knick-knacks allow the buyer to picture their own family in the home.

Make all necessary repairs:
Such as broken outlet covers, missing light bulbs and clean air filter for AC unit. Buyers feel that if you take care of the little problems, you probably take care of the big ones.

Finally, step back and imagine...
Walk through your home as if you were the buyer. What do you notice? Is it attractive? Is this a home I would be interested in buying? Make any adjustments needed to make you answer a YES!

Contact Jeanette Ward
Office: (941) 756-8441 x108
Cell: (941) 920-6313
Web: www.jeanetteward.com

Watering

We are with out a doubt in need of rain!! The positive is that summer usually brings us afternoon showers. Until then, lakes are low and our lawns don’t look the way we want but hang in there. Here are the Manatee county restrictions to avoid any violations.

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD) has imposed once-a-week watering restrictions for the entire Tampa Bay area beginning January 16, 2007.

Properties under two acres in size may only water between 12:01 a.m. and  8 a.m. or between 6 p.m. and 11:59 p.m.

Addresses with "House Numbers" May only Irrigate on:
Ending in "0" or "1" Monday
Ending in "2" or "3" Tuesday
Ending in "4" or "5" Wednesday
Ending in "6" or "7" Thursday
Ending in "8" or "9" Friday

Worth Repeating

There are several items that you see repeated from time to time in the Twin Rivers News. The items will now be condensed to 1 page to make it easier for all new residents to review. These are items that the Board of Directors would like to point out for your convenience.

Architectural Review Committee
Any questions or concerns may be emailed to Kimberly Sandstrom at kim@countreewiderealty.com. Please keep in mind that ANY exterior changes such as paint color (even if the same), landscaping and driveway alterations need to be pre-approved through architectural review.

Other items to keep in mind are:

• All commercial vehicles' must be garaged.
• Boats, Trailers and RV’s must be garaged.
• There is a 48 hour turnaround time for necessary load or unloading.
• Vacant house property must be maintained same as if it were occupied.
• Subcontractor signs are prohibited.

If any one needs a copy of the covenants and restrictions they my be obtained from the Sales office: 776-9835.

Refuse Removal
Garbage pick up is Mondays and Thursdays. Horticulture pickup is on Wednesdays. Waste must be tied up or bagged. Recycling is on Thursdays (containers can be obtained by calling MCPUD at 941-792-8811).

Pet owners
Manatee County requires that all pets are leashed while off personal property and “picked up” after.

Speed Limit
With summer near, please be extra cautious of the 30 mph speed limit. The Association will continue to notify the sub contractors but we need to do our part in keeping the speed low and the children , pets and residents walking or biking safe.

Vandalism
If you witness an act of vandalism please call Jay D’Urso directly at 941-756-8441 ext. 109. The caller will be kept confidential. The Home Owner’s Association strives to keep the HOA fees low but unfortunately these incidents ultimately cost all of us money.

From the Developer...

You may have noticed recent activity at our entrances. This would include trees and additional landscaping planted along Golf Course Road. The county has needed access several times in the past couple of years to bury necessary pipes and wires to provides us with updated services for our homes. As this has been beneficial for our community it has been a challenge in keeping our property looking manicured. Our plan is to continue to “spruce up” the entrances, medians and common areas. In the near future you will see cosmetic changes to the playground areas as we will add a sand volleyball court, grilling area and a pavilion to provide shade. Please feel free to visit the Sales Office at any time for questions or just an overview.