Upcoming Election 2

The following excerpt was taken from the Island Cove website:
On February 3, 2015, all of the Board of Director candidate “Notice of Intent” forms have been returned to the association. There are three positions available and five candidates vying for these positions. Presently, Dan Ulmer and Matt Markey have one more year on their terms.

The following candidates have filed and declared their candidacy. These names are presented in alphabetical order per Florida DBPR:

James Balsamo 

Pete Butcher

Thalia Daly

Ray Doth

Nick Stamos

We realize we posted something similar to this earlier but based on the circus that was on display in the club house the other day something must have gotten lost in the translation. An effective board of directors requires a team of effective board members. When selecting individuals for the board of directors for our Association, we suggest you look for people with the following qualities:

• Integrity.  Board members must be committed to an organization that complies with all laws on all levels AND the association’s documents....we obey, you obey. 
• Dedication.  Board members must attend Board meetings and other Association events faithfully. They need to communicate with staff members and residents, and sound out problems that need fixing or issues that must be addressed....something that did not take place the other day. There must be transparency! 
• Commitment.  Board members demonstrate their commitment by both setting the example for rules compliance and payment of assessments.
• Preparation.  Board members must do their homework. They have to come to meetings informed and ready to discuss concerns, questions about Association issues.
• Enthusiasm.  Board members must be eager to learn, willing to be team players, and energetic in their service. Most importantly must be good listeners. 
• Scrutiny.  Board members review their records regularly and in detail.
• Knowledge.  Board members know the association’s mission and purpose and its limits. 
• Diplomacy.  Board members are the “face of the community” and must be willing to work appropriately with the community it serves....do we want those individuals on display yesterday representing our community. 
• Diversity. An effective Board includes and involves members from various fields of expertise, preferably with experience working in organizations, to ensure that the board is well balanced in its strengths. 
• Accountability.  Board members may have a unique functions on the Board – such as committee chairmanship or a special project, such as covenant enforcement. Board members should be accountable for diligent pursuit for these special functions. 
• Understanding. Board member must understand how to function with staff and volunteers. Board members acknowledge the value of the Association’s staff and the need for committed, consistent volunteers.

We hope you will be able to use this list of qualities to identify some good candidates for our board and that your vote will help to achieve the goal of having a strong and effective board of directors. As with every major publication we will be posting our support for the candidates we feel are the best suited to serve our community. 

I was sitting in my condo on Thursday when I heard a rustle at my door. I got up and checked and found a typed note. It was about a meeting for “Concerned Owners” to be held the next day at 10:00 a.m. It did not have a name on it and it did not look like an official meeting. I thought, I am a concerned owner, so I put down my Bloody Mary and went.

The club house began filling to the point that there was standing room only. Great, a packed crowd. The organizer of the meeting began speaking and that was the extent of any organizational skills. He did not have any notes and began speaking about his past experience with associations and construction. The rambling went on and was painful to watch. Every question was answered by the biggest tap dance since Gene Kelly met Danny Kaye.

Now another candidate got up to speak on finances. A concerned owner asked if he was campaigning too. The candidate proceeded to disrespect the owner and then began yelling at him. The vast crowd recollected and realized why they ousted him as president in the first place. The candidate told him no one was keeping him here and if he wanted to leave, just go, he didn't have to stay and listen.

I was shocked and amazed at what happened next and it takes a lot to shock and amaze me as I have seen the ‘Donkey Show’ in Tijuana. It can only be told by pictures or interpretive dance. I opt for a picture.

So I was wrong, there are words for it. There was a mass exodus from the club house which shows the solidarity of owners and that they will not put up with this poor behavior.

Some Possible ?'s for the Owners Meeting

With the ever increasing concern over weekly rentals and the obvious ongoing violations of this rule, is there somebody within Island Cove Management looking or checking into this on a regular basis?

What EXACTLY does Carol Miles do?

Why is it that with all the discussion regarding an effort to become more transparent do we only hear from our Community Liaison once per year?

Will there ever be any attempt to increase the pool hours by placing the necessary lighting and/or safety requirements near the pool to extend the evening swimming hours?

Are the main drains that carry the air conditioning condensation and are also the emergency drain for the water heater being cleaned on a regular basis?

Why have my assessment fees increased 25% over the past three years and the only difference I notice are new grills and some perennials?

Honestly, what is the purpose of signing in at the pool?

Why are mens underwear sold in packs of six when there are seven days in a week? 

Just so there's no confusion, there is not a question I can ask the pertains to IC, that is not of a personal matter,  that is none of my business............................

Island Cove Get Together

There was an Island Cove Get together held Sunday Feb 15th at the clubhouse. Our very own IC paparazzi was there to take photos. It was a very good time and everyone enjoyed the pot luck dining and desserts.

There was plenty of space for seating, probably because the original announcement posted said only Residents were invited. Most people who did not know the definition of a Resident elected to do other things.

Anyway, there was still a hefty turnout. As usual, there was the 50/50 split the pot and this reporter would have told you won it, but I didn’t give a sh#t after the number called was not mine, so I went back to my drink.

Immediately, after the food was gone, there was a mad dash for the door.

Owners Update Meeting

Reprinted from the Island Cove Website-- This is to advise all owners that there will be an “Owners Update Meeting” on Monday February 23, 2015 at 10 AM at the Island Cove Clubhouse. This is not a Board meeting but a meeting hosted by the Island Cove Board President Dan Ulmer to review all of the activities/issues at Island Cove for 2014 and to present a general overview of the plans for 2015. All owners who may have questions for Dan regarding the 2014 activities/issues or the plans for 2015, are invited to submit their questions at least 48 hours in advance of the meeting date. Those submitted questions will be addressed as part of the presentation. Please submit questions to pm@islandcovecondos.org or drop them in mail box next to the office. All submitted questions are required to have an owner’s name. All non signed or anonymous questions will not be addressed. In an effort to keep time as reasonable as possible for this update, only those submitted and signed questions will be answered. Thanks and we look forward to seeing you there.

Love is in the Air.........

With this weekend of romance upon us, we thought we'd post some photos of one of our favorite couples....

Valentine's Party

First, let's start by wishing everyone a belated Happy Valentine's Day.....even though Valentine's Day is a couples holiday all singles can enjoy themselves for the rest of the 364 days of the year. If you forgot to make reservations at your favorite restaurant yesterday, IC is coming to the rescue by throwing a party in the IC clubhouse beginning at 4:00PM on Sunday February 15^th.  Come enjoy the fun and spend some time with the other IC residents as we celebrate Valentine’s. Per the website.....
 "We ask all the attendees to please bring a covered dish or dessert to share.  Plates, napkins, and eating utensils will be provided.  An area will be set up for dishes that need to remain heated. Everyone should also bring their own drinks.  Remember that there is a soda/pop machine and an ice machine at the clubhouse." 

As noted......bring a dish and your own drink, a date will be provided! 

Although we do not need a photograph to remember you, because you are always on our mind, the blog would appreciate some photos of the party from any in attendance. 

And remember.....Valentine’s Day is when a lot of married men are reminded what a poor shot Cupid really is.

Let's Poke The Bear!

In response to the post below, I guess you can say I was a little harsh on IC's beat reporter. I was always led to believe that the elderly tend to become more happy, liberal and in many cases remain pretty darn sharp. We all know he is very thorough, burning the midnight oil until 4 p.m., checking the facts over and over and over because he simply forgets them. Most of our readers are unaware that he was diagnosed with an untreatable case of CRS.....Can't Remember Shit...which inhibits his reporting ability. All that being said, he's the best we could afford on our limited budget and although his mind wanders and seldom returns he's still a damn good reporter. Once he sinks his false teeth into a story, and they stay there, he is relentless in trying to find the truth.

I guess when you take into account the big picture of it all, his aggressive and endless effort to find the truth about IC's goings on and my "don't give a $&!)" attitude, we make a pretty good pair. I am so blessed to have met him and the other great people of IC and I look forward to enjoying IC and our friendship together. So many have never laughed, and so many have died before they could meet such truly great friends. As this blog goes forward we will have fun, we will care less about what other people think, we won't question ourself anymore and we've even earned the right to be wrong. 

So, maybe he's right, it's nice being old. I guess it sets you free. I'm grateful for what I have. I realize I'm not going to live forever, but while I am still here, I will not waste time lamenting what could have been, or worrying about what will be. I will smile every day and have my childish laughs forever etched in my youthful face.  I shall have a cocktail every single day at the pool......from Pete's cooler of course cus he's rich and can afford it. 

P.S. This will be the last time I will ever get sentimental on this blog, unless of course one of you old farts kicks the bucket! 

Alligator Sighting

An alligator sighting had many searching the canal surrounding Island Cove to find the animal but police tell us they are now confident that the sighting was a hoax. A picture taken Tuesday afternoon by Lori Hatt shows what appears to be an alligator in the canal near the waters edge. Although difficult to understand with her Canadian accent we were able to decipher the following:

"It was a beauty eh, it caused quite a kerfuffle but I betcha a loonie if I had some gorp or peameal or pouting I coulda washed him down the garberator!............EH!"

Whatever the hell that means.....Lori said she took the picture of the animal and called to her husband, Jerry, to help find it but he was too busy drinking his "fifty and mickey". 

The Cape Coral City Police chief sent the picture to Donald Druck, the curator of aquatics and reptiles at the Cape Coral Zoo.  "There are some things on there I really questioned right away," Druck said. He then consulted an alligator expert in Florida. "Both of us came to the same conclusion that most likely this is not a real animal," he said. He went on to state "those Canadians are known for seeing things when they drink, that's why they walk like they are chasing a hockey puck." To show it was a hoax the Island Cove aerobics/aquatics class is moving to the canal.......come early, space is limited. 

Employment Opportunity

It's looking as though the blog is going to have to reach out to a new beat reporter because the one we currently employee has been seriously slacking off. We had high hopes when we brought this horseman on board and as expected he came out swinging with his first post. Soon after that though he began to take extended naps and cocktail breaks at the pool at we haven't heard from him since. With his checkered past and old age we took a chance, unfortunately it just hasn't worked out. With disgraced anchor Brian Williams looking for work we might be looking in his direction.....what the hell, we're not known for telling the truth anyway.

Elections?

With the deadline having past (Feb 3rd) to submit your "Notice of Intent to be a Candidate" and the Candidate Information Sheet we are wondering who, if anyone, is running for the board. Any information regarding this matter would be greatly appreciated. 

Super Bowl Sunday Has Arrived....

Super Bowl Sunday might as well be declared a national holiday. The number of parties on this day rivals that of Independence Day or New Years, and the amount of food consumed is second only to Thanksgiving. We've put together the following list to fully capture how much food and drink fans will consume come Sunday. Don't hold the Guac! Americans will eat 80 million avocados on Sunday. 

Super Bowl watchers will down 325 million gallons of beer.....most of which in building 9. Americans will also eat 1.25 billion chicken wings and 11 million pounds of chips on Sunday. They will also spend 2.5 million dollars on soda to wash down 3.8 million pounds of popcorn. Gluttony, drunkenness and outright stupidity... all in the name of football and so called entertainment... Back to old Rome would be more in line with this "Tradition".....2000 years of evolution has not even dented some people...a wing and a prayer. Oh well, on to the game. Since we can care less who wins our main focus will be on adding to the beer total. Have a safe day and may your team win. Detroit Sucks!