It's been  vewwy, vewwy quiet in here lately.

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!

ATV or WTF?

The word on the Island Cove street is that we are looking at the purchase of an ATV. We just had our HOA raised $50.00 per quarter to the tune of an additional $48,000 per year. We were told that everything has gone up including an additional $7000.00 for flood insurance. We will also be assessed up to $1000 per unit for other line items. Now we are going to spend circa $3000 for an ATV so we can pull trees?

At my home up north, I thought about getting a John Deere lawn tractor to mow my lawn. By the time I spent $3000 on it, I figured with its cost plus maintenance and fuel, that I would be better off hiring the lawn mowed…..and I was right!

So why do we need a $3K ATV to play with? If you want a few trees pulled hire it done or put the golf carts together like a team of Clydesdales and pull the trees. I wonder if some heads are so far up their A$$ that we could hook on and pull them out too.

It seems like as soon as we get a few bucks in the coffers, we end up spending it like a Drunken Sailor on Cinderella Liberty (no offense to our drunken sailor friends).

So if we are to purchase an ATV let’s upgrade the golf carts for security as well. See photo concept below:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

The blog would like to pass along HAPPY BIRTHDAY wishes to one of our very own..Linda Farber!
Hoping you had a wonderful day!

From the Sublime to the Ridiculous....

You can't help but reading or watching on the news one ridiculous story after another about the great state of Florida.....did you know you can rent alligators for pool parties!! I know how I'm going to celebrate my next birthday and just who I'm going to be serving, I mean inviting.  P.S. Don't be upset if you're not on the guest list.
If you're wondering how weird Florida can be, this article puts it all into perspective. http://www.salon.com/2013/07/26/5_reasons_why_florida_is_the_weirdest_state_ever_partner/

How Many Have You Visited?

This was sent to us at the blog so we thought we would pass it along to you.....             http://www.buzzfeed.com/erinlarosa/11-small-florida-towns-you-need-to-visit#.uwAyn0LnN

Upcoming Elections

Today we received notification of the upcoming board elections to be held on March 14th, 2015 @ 10:00 am in the Island Cove of Cape Coral Clubhouse. According to the mailing there will be three (3) positions available and an election will only occur if the number of candidates is greater then the number of positions available. If any owner desires to become a board member you must fill out the "Notice of Intent to be a Candidate" and the Candidate Information Sheet and return both by Feb 3rd, 2015.

The Horsemen sent the following list of characteristics they believe new board candidates should possess:

1. Lead, Follow, or get the hell out of the way.

2. Commit to their position for their entire elected time.

3. Attend, in person or by phone EVERY board meeting.

4. Stand up, GROW A SET and question if a proposal seems out of order.

5. The breakdown of number 1:

5. LEAD-- Take your board position seriously. Lead your community by example.

6  FOLLOW-  Follow does not mean being a sheep, it means follow the path best serving the community.

7. GET THE HELL OUT OF THE WAY. If you cannot commit to your new position and do what is right then resign your position immediately and let someone who will lead, take over.

8. The time is now and the community wants real change, they are not joking! 

This list of characterics is not meant to sway new candidates one way or another. 

If You're Looking For Something To Do

If you're tired of going to the pool and drinking other peoples alcohol the following link is a helpful website into finding events and goings-on in the Cape Coral area. http://www.happeningsmagazine.net/calendar.html#21

For All You "Clubbers"

Sam’s Club will open its newest club in Cape Coral this Thursday. The doors will officially open following an 8 a.m. grand opening ceremony at the club located at 301 SW Pine Island Road. As with all grand openings you might want to skip the first day or two unless of course you feel like being harassed by salesmen pushing cable/dish tv, hair extensions, timeshares in Afghanistan or knife and cookware hucksters. Then there are those of you however who will be going to take your significant other for an Anniversary or Birthday dinner at the food sampler booths.....you know who you are!! Regardless, this is one of those utilitarian places that has what you need when you need it, as long as you are willing to buy in bulk. As an example, you can purchase toilet paper here and you will not need to get replacements for almost 15 years. Oh well, Sams Club, in Cape Coral, during snowbird season should mean a rush on Depends, Ensure, Viagra, Centrum Silver, Prune Juice, Denture Adhesive, Ben Gay.............etc!! 

ReaDepends
Viactive
Ben Gay
Just For Men
Viagra
Ensure
Centrum Silver
Liver
Prune Juice Denture Adhesived more here: http://www.heraldonline.com/2015/01/20/6720513/grand-opening-of-cape-coral-sams.html#storylink=cpy

[Island Cove Condos] 194-acre parcel north of Four Mile Cove sold in Cape

The following information was passed along to the Island Cove Condos blog:

A 194-acre piece of Cape Coral property with 5,000 feet on the Caloosahatchee River has been sold for $3,270,000 for residential development. The property, just north of the Four Mile Cove Ecological Preserve, was sold by San Jose-based Brandenburg Properties to Naples-based Ripple Lake LLC. Schooner Bay Realty broker Tad Yeatter, who with Tim Edmiston of Schooner Bay handled the sale, said the property is zoned for about 180 homes and the new owner is exploring how it might be developed. Meanwhile, Brandenburg still owns the old Lochmoor Country Club just to the north of the land it sold Dec. 23 to Ripple Lake. Brandenburg bought both the Ripple Lake and Lochmoor properties in March 2009 from Mic Monte LLC, owned by Minneapolis-based Marshall Investments Corp., which loaned developer Paradise Preserve LLC $79 million in 2005 for the ambitious redevelopment of the golf course and marina along Orange Grove Boulevard. The project was never built, although the developer shut down the golf course, which has never reopened. Yeatter said it’s not clear how the Ripple Lake property will be developed. It is largely wetlands, although there’s a tract of developable uplands on its western side. Also, Yeatter said, “It’s got good water access, that’s what’s nice about it. It’s got linear footage on the canal (Coral Pointe Canal, which runs along the northern edge of the property and flows directly into the river).” Lochmoor, which has a working marina, is likely to be developed with multifamily residences, but the real estate market in Cape Coral isn’t ready right now for that kind of development, he said. “We’re keeping our options open. We’ve been approached by apartment people, by ACLF (adult congregate living facility) people. There’s really no hurry.” Commercial real estate broker Gary Tasman, of Cushman & Wakefield Commercial Property Southwest Florida, said the Cape generally isn’t fertile ground for mid-rise condominiums, but that Lochmoor may be the exception. “You do have the river,” he said. “I do think it would be feasible with the marina.” Yeatter said the golf course won’t be fully restored but that it could be scaled down to an executive course. Cape-based land consultant Joe Mazurkiewicz said there’s strong demand now for relatively small, high-end apartment rental projects. “It’s hard to keep those in inventory.” Lochmoor would be a good location for that kind of project, he said. “A couple are being built in southwest Cape right now and I’m working with a developer and owner” for another with 50 units or less, Mazurkiewicz said. The problem with larger projects is that much of the city originally was laid out mainly with single-family lots, he said. “It’s so hard to assemble more than a block.”

--
Posted By Blogger to Island Cove Condos at 1/18/2015 01:16:00 PM

Where We Rank

Cape Coral on our top lists:

• #1 on the list of "Top 101 cities with largest percentage of females working in industry: Construction (population 50,000+)"
• #4 on the list of "Top 101 cities with largest percentage of males working in industry: Construction (population 50,000+)"
• #5 on the list of "Top 101 cities with largest percentage of males in occupations: Sales and office occupations: (population 50,000+)"
• #6 on the list of "Top 101 cities with most building permits per 1,000 residents in 2004-2006 (population 50,000+)"
• #6 on the list of "Top 101 cities with largest percentage of females working in industry: Other health and personal care stores (population 50,000+)"
• #6 on the list of "Top 101 cities with largest percentage of females in occupations: Primary, secondary, and special education school teachers: (population 50,000+)"
• #8 on the list of "Top 100 fastest growing cities from 2000 to 2008 (pop. 50,000+)"
• #9 on the list of "Top 101 cities with largest percentage of males working in industry: Motor vehicle and parts dealers (population 50,000+)"
• #13 on the list of "Top 101 cities with the highest maximum monthly morning or afternoon humidity (population 50,000+)"
• #17 on the list of "Top 101 cities with the largest percentage population increase from 2000 to 2006 (population 50,000+)"
• #18 on the list of "Top 100 cities with oldest residents (pop. 50,000+)"
• #24 on the list of "Top 101 cities with the highest unemployment growth from 2000 to 2009 (pop 50,000+)"
• #24 on the list of "Top 101 cities with largest percentage of females working in industry: Fuel dealers (population 50,000+)"
• #24 on the list of "Top 101 cities with largest percentage of males in occupations: Librarians, curators, and archivists (population 50,000+)"
• #24 on the list of "Top 101 cities with the highest unemployment in 2009 (pop 50,000+)"
• #24 on the list of "Top 101 cities with largest percentage of males in occupations: Sales and related occupations: (population 50,000+)"
• #25 on the list of "Top 101 cities with largest percentage of females in occupations: Other food preparation and serving workers including supervisors (population 50,000+)"
• #26 on the list of "Top 101 cities with largest percentage of males working in industry: Private households (population 50,000+)"
• #27 on the list of "Top 101 cities with largest percentage of males working in industry: Alcoholic beverage merchant wholesalers (population 50,000+)"
• #27 on the list of "Top 101 cities with the largest city-data.com crime index increase from 2005 to 2006 (population 50,000+)"

• #58 (33909) on the list of "Top 101 zip codes with the largest percentage of Alsatian first ancestries (pop 5,000+)"
• #80 (33909) on the list of "Top 101 zip codes with the largest percentage of Slovene first ancestries (pop 5,000+)"

• #13 on the list of "Top 101 counties with the largest number of people moving in compared to moving out (pop. 50,000+)"

Read more: http://www.city-data.com/city/Cape-Coral-Florida.html#ixzz3P8PU3LvW

Be On The Lookout!!!

Every day in the small community of Island Cove in the city of Cape Coral, Florida there is a unique migration that takes place. It's the Island Cove daily golf cart migration. Every day the carts come out of hibernation and make there way up and down their native land. Sometimes they travel the distance all alone....and other times the carts can be seen migrating in groups of two or more. But all are headed in the same direction. An ancient instinct calling them back and forth to the front gate and back to the club house. Please use caution when crossing their path for they travel with limited purpose.

"Beating a Dead Horse"

In an effort prevent these weekly rentals and additional problems and concerns someone is requesting the following. A current comment under the Weekly Rentals post is asking for the formation of Committees to assist our management team/board members and possibly lighten their work load....or responsibilities, however you want to look at it. Also, the hope is by creating several committees, focused on specific projects, this will also create some transparency between the association and the owners. Without revealing too much information, recorded in the minutes dating back to 6/30/2014 was a request for the formation of a committee to handle the fining process. This committee was to be made up of three (3) owners (volunteers), non-board members, to handle this process. Who volunteered? Who's on that committee? That answer falls under the topic of transparency, which was also requested by the owners at the same meeting, recorded in the same minutes, under OWNER COMMENTS AND DISCUSSION. The point we are trying to make is, unless the process and culture change, what the commenter is hoping for is NEVER going to happen. Most of what you ask for is falling on deaf ears.....and please, PETA members, the heading is an Urban Phrase and found in the Dictionary of Idioms so please don't comment on that.

Weekly Rentals?

The following was posted on the Island Cove website in Feb 2014 as a reminder to owners regarding the rental policy:

Recently a request was made on a social media site for an Island Cove condo to be rented for one week.  All owners should be aware that the Island Cove by-laws specifically state that all rentals MUST BE FOR A MINIMUM OF 30 DAYS.
Owners should be aware that failure to comply with this regulation  will subject the renter to eviction and a fine to the owner of the unit.
This is not a Property Manager or Board Association decision but strictly the requirements for compliance of the Island Cove docs.  We appreciate all owners and renters complying with this regulation.  

Apparently not everyone complies to this regulation.....attached is a rental offer from www.floridarentalgroup.com for a unit by the week.  

Too bad we don't have someone looking into this kind of thing. 

MEETING UPDATE!!!

The following was forwarded to us by one of the Four Horsemen:

"I may be missing the area in the blog to create a new post,so I am posting this under Grill Update. This just in....Carol's secretary was delivering the First Notice of the Annual Meeting this morning. The meeting will take place at the IC clubhouse on March 14, 2015 at 10:00 a.m. This is a Saturday so for any full time owners who work, you can attend the meeting. There will be an annual election of officers. Three positions are available, so get your "Notice of Intent to be a Candidate" in by February 3, 2015. Of course the letter does not say what two board members are staying (we know Dan has another year) and what three members terms are up. Maybe that is in the new docs from a year ago that were not combined and published yet (at least that was my understanding, but I am a new owner) or you have to guess. Anyway, start paying your favorite person with drinks now and get them to sign the Notice of Intent to be a Candidate. Maybe Horseman -S or J or P ? Best, Four Horsemen- M"

Good Luck to all those willing to throw their hat in the ring! 

Grill Update!!!!

Someone commented to the post regarding recent observations for which we are grateful because we did neglect to include that the owner WAS reimbursed for the purchase of the grills by Island Cove.  Included in the comment was the fact that the credit card limit on the card used by Island Cove is $1800 which was not sufficient enough to cover the expense of the grills. THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT!!!! For 4 years we waited for the grills after the survey only to find out now that the reason was because of a credit card limit. So, if I understand this correctly the grills  NEVER would have been purchased had this owner not led the initiative because nothing was being done to either increase the limit or find other funds. The author of the comment included that he/she would have gladly funded the grills with the use of their card, as would any one of us, we just had no idea that was the underlining issue. Again NO communication, let me say that again NO communication. By the way, an unemployed teenager with no job experience and no job history can obtain a credit card with a higher limit then $1800. To the commenter, we say THANK YOU, thank you for bringing this to our attention and shining a light on a glaring problem.

College Football Championship Game

As painful as this is I must congratulate the Ohio State Buckeyes and Urban Crier, sorry Urban Meyer, on winning the 2015 college football championship. The Buckeyes (14-1) won their eighth national championship while denying Oregon (13-2) their first title and ended Ducks quarterback Marcus Mariota's Heisman Trophy-winning season on a losing note. The Buckeyes coach won his third national championship after winning BCS titles at Florida in 2006 and 2008.  With absolutely nothing positive going for the state of Ohio, and it's residents, this at least gives them a reason to smile and show off their one tooth. 

Q:  Why do Ohio State students have TGIF on their shoes?
A:  Toes Go In First! 

Recent Observations...

There was a comment to a previous post asking that some of the recent changes/improvements be listed on the blog....to that we respond. One obvious addition to the "Cove" are the barbecue grills that have been installed near the pool. This is where we would normally extend a heartfelt thank you to our board members for responding to our wishes and installing the grills. Unfortunately, it was the concerted efforts of several owners, one in particular, who financed the purchase of the grills and orchestrated their installation. Sound right to you? Not to us!!! There in lies one of the biggest obstacles facing progression/change at Island Cove. In APRIL 2011 a survey was sent out to owners and the following question was asked:

ISLAND COVE ENHANCEMENTS THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE AROUND THE COMPLEX ARE: the following is a list of responses in order of preference 1 to 6.

_302_ Gas or charcoal grills located strategically around the complex
_255_ Various walkways to access the sidewalks around the canals
_280_ Have the pool and spa open beyond dusk
_143_ Remove the front entry gate and implement a guard station at front of complex 
_177_ Add janitorial and/or property manager for at least 1⁄2 days on the weekends 
_152 _Consider a better means to launching kayaks into the canals 

There were more responses to this single question then there were to any of the others in the survey and yet it took almost 4 years to install grills and only because an owner worked tirelessly to accomplish it.

The same post goes on to state that we need to be more informed and a time table is needed for the rest...well the aforementioned grill installation is an example of why that is not going to happen. Then we say let's start asking questions...to whom? when? where? Here's a question "Do YOU know when the next meeting is?" I, an owner, asked a question and was told that's none of my business...as an owner, what could I possibly ask that is none of my business? I'm not giving up, I'm getting angry, I just don't know which one is worse.

THIS JUST IN!

STOP $&@?!$@ with the chairs!!!!!!

Once Again We've Been Asked Back

After a several month absence we've been asked to resurrect the blog...to be honest we understand the desire to have a forum to discuss Island Cove going-ons, especially since the actual website only gets updated twice a year. With that being said it is with some reluctance that we attempt this again, mainly due in part to the fact that obtaining ANY information is virtually impossible. One of our very own found this out the hard way when he accepted the role of "Community Liaison" only to       realize the only information that was going to be released was the weather report. This individual is highly regarded and a well respected member of our community and although we commend his efforts we have to fault his naiveness to actually thinking this was possible.....(stay strong my friend!). In an effort to help our friend and with some trepidation here we go......but as we see it, it can't be any worse then that useless rag of a website we are currently relying on...(and we PAY for that).  To our 2 readers/followers we say, we will try our best and be prepared, "it's about to go down!"

New Gate!!!

It's our understanding that the gate has been repaired and will be fully functional very soon. However, there was one alarming remark in the Island Cove website that pertained to the cost of this repair. Under the heading "New Gate Installed" it states "The old motors were slightly damaged....." and  "Part of this cost for these new motors will be covered by the party who destroyed the old gate." PART.....who is going to cover the other PART. I don't know about you but I pay for what I damage, not for what somebody else damages. Anyway, keep checking your mailboxes!!! ......If anyone has photos of the new gate, please post. 

Long Time, No Talk!!!

I can't even remember the last time we posted anything of importance , it's been so long. That being said, we hope to get back into the game and get the blog up and running again. If there are any topics you would like discussed please comment and we will do our best to oblige.

Gate crasher caught!!!!

Well I went against my better judgement and logged onto the Island Cove website to update myself on current affairs and to my amazement there was a post regarding the gate. Sounds like there was extensive damage to the gate and several vehicles. I'm hoping the operator of this vehicle was carrying auto insurance, more importantly coverage beyond the $10,000 Florida minimum. According to Florida law if your insurance policy only offers up to $10,000 of coverage and the amount of damage you cause exceeds that, you have to pay the difference out of pocket, his pocket NOT OURS!!! 

Sorry....been busy!!!!

Haven't been able to post these past few weeks because of family matters at home......we have been preparing and sending our children off to college.  Now that one is all moved in and studying only the other remains and he's on his way to USF. Enough about that, I understand our front gate took on a new look.  Anybody willing to elaborate it would be greatly appreciated. I would venture to guess, as all things Island Cove go, it won't be repaired until the spring of 2016 and that will probably be done with duct tape and zip ties. I would hope though, with the busy season around the corner, that swift action is taken by our board members and this repair is made soon. Maybe it's a blessing, that gate was falling apart faster then our sea wall.....oops did I say that out loud???