H E R O N S G L E N R E C R E A T I O N D I S T R I C T

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1 H E R O N S G L E N R E C R E A T I O N D I S T R I C T Heron News Herons Glen Recreation District Board of Supervisors Election Volume 3, Issue 27 January 30, 2013 Once again it is time to elect Supervisors for the Herons Glen Recreation District. Supervisors, Larry Cummings and Harry Wright terms of office end on March 31, The term of office is for 3 years and begins on April 1, There is no financial compensation for this position, except knowing that you are volunteering to serve the best interests of the Herons Glen community. The volunteer position of Supervisor is very necessary to keep our Recreation District functioning while protecting our community s assets. The District s purpose is to finance, acquire, improve, maintain and manage the recreational facilities and property which include over-seeing the Golf Course Operations, the Food and Beverage Operations, all recreational facilities and the CLIS System. This includes the approval and monitoring of the Recreation District s operating and maintenance budget, the capital budget and the deferred maintenance budget as well as the Long Range Plan. Now is the time to consider yourself for this very important position and determine if you can make this important commitment. The term is for three years and the terms are staggered, allowing for continuity. The Qualifying Time for Candidates commences on Friday, February 1, 2013 and concludes at 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday February 20, Send a letter to Thomas Hart, Counsel for the Recreation District; Knott, Consoer, Ebelini, Hart and Swett, P.A.; 1625 Hendry Street, Suite 301, Fort Myers, Florida A facsimile transmittal to (239) is acceptable, but neither the Recreation District nor its agent shall be responsible for failure of receipt. Include the following in the letter: (1.) Name, as it is to appear on the ballot, (2.) Home address, (3.) A signed statement certifying that the candidate is an owner of the property and resides for at least ninety (90) days per year in the District and (4.) Candidate s one page resume for distribution to the interested public. A Meet the Candidates Night is scheduled for Thursday, March 7, 2013 at 2:00 p.m. in the Ballroom. The Election Date is scheduled for Tuesday, March 26, 2013 from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. in Card Room C. One ballot will be mailed to each property owner within the Herons Glen Recreation District boundaries as determined from the records of the Lee County Property Appraiser. You may vote in person or you may vote by absentee method. Instructions for absentee voting will be included with the ballot. You will be voting for two (2) residents for the Herons Glen Recreation District Board of Supervisors. Herons Glen Board of Supervisors Herons Glen Recreation District

2 NEWS FROM GOLF COURSE MAINTENANCE January 30, 2013 Page 2 Golf season is in full swing in Southwest Florida and here at Herons Glen. Our weather has been favorable so far this year and it appears everyone is out taking advantage of it. We have only experienced one frost delay thus far, this happened on Sunday, December 23 rd. We are keeping our fingers crossed that this will be our only frost event of the year! The start to our traditional dry season has been just that, dry. During the month of November we received a mere 2/10 of an inch of rain and December resulted in just 1.8 inches with our last shower occurring on December 21 st. As the lake levels continue to drop, we are doing everything in our power to save as much water as possible. The golf course has been, and will continue to use solely reclaimed water when available. This water is delivered via a pipeline from the North Ft. Myers utility and is stored in the front of the community in a holding pond at the golf course maintenance facility. The storage pond for the back section of the golf course is located across from hole #16. We have been fortunate over the past several months to receive the amount of reclaimed water needed to irrigate the golf course without having to use the existing lake water. The CLIS department has dropped the run time percentage on all controllers to 80% for the winter. During these months evapotranspiration rates are at their lowest and the grass and plants do not need as much water as when it is hot and humid out. In fact, too much water this time of year is often the cause of root-born diseases and can cause more harm than good. This small reduction in run times will help us conserve water and the level of the lakes. This time of year is always the most difficult to maintain ultra dwarf bermudagrass greens. During the months of December and January we see our shortest day lengths of the year along with our coldest temperatures. Bermudagrass thrives in warm temperatures. The grass performs best with daytime highs between degrees and can tolerate an average daytime temperature of 75 degrees. Sunlight requirements are between hours of direct sunlight per day. As you can see, these requirements don t quite equal what we typically see in Southwest Florida during the winter months making management very difficult. The decrease in temperature and sunlight often result in a thinned turf canopy and ultimately a loss of grass. Another factor that contributes to the decline of bermudagrass is the buildup of organic matter. An excess amount of organic matter in the root zone or soil profile will cause the soil to remain saturated for an extended period of time, reducing pore space and basically suffocating the turfgrass plant. Another side effect is a buildup of toxic gasses such as carbon dioxide and methane, ultimately resulting in death to the plant. We have been working hard over the past 2 ½ years to minimize the existing organic buildup and try to prevent the addition of any more organic matter. The best way to do this is through aerification. Unfortunately, aggressive core aeration is not an option during the winter months. Sand topdressing, small pencil tine aerification, and reduced water are really our only options this time of the year to help control the organic matter. The end result is weak areas on the greens that have a thinned out turf stand. These areas are evident on greens such as numbers 8, 10 and 16 where trees shade the week area of the greens for up to 6 hours a day. The putting green, which sees by far the largest amount of foot traffic on any given day has severe wear areas that are becoming very difficult to manage. This past week we used a small 1/4 diameter tine to aerify the weak areas on the putting green, followed by topdressing and fertilization. The purpose of this is to get air movement in the soil to allow grass to grow and reduce the compaction. With as much cart traffic as we see on the course wear areas become evident this time of year with the growth of the grass at a minimum. Walk up areas to tees and greens along with entry and exit points to the fairways see the most traffic and tend to thin out first. We will continue to use directional stakes and signs to minimize the traffic in these severely worn areas. If you see an area that is getting worn out by carts please try to avoid it and find an alternate route around this area. It is also a good practice to try and keep all four tires of your cart on the path as much as possible. We are putting the final touches on the new Golf Course Maintenance building area and are anxiously awaiting final inspections. It is our hope that we will be utilizing this new area by the time you are reading this newsletter. In the next couple of weeks we will be planning a ribbon cutting ceremony and open house. This will be a great opportunity for you to stop by and tour our wonderful new facility and have any questions you may have answered. We look forward to seeing you in the near future! T. J. Shine, Golf Course Superintendent

3 January 30, 2013 Page 3 Herons Glen Tennis Association New Members Welcome! An HGTA membership offers Men's Leagues, Women's Leagues, Mixed Doubles, Intramurals, Social Tennis, Tournaments, Social Events, and the use of the HGTA tennis ball practice machine. If you are interested in joining the HGTA, please contact one of the officers for details: President: Abe Heitin, , abeheitin@gmail.com V. President: Ron Barlow, barlow2291@hotmail.com Secretary: Mary Muller, mrspaynoaks@aol.com Treasurer: Jane Argo, argoje@yahoo.com

4 TOPS CAN HELP Have you tried everything to lose a few pounds? January 30, 2013 Page 4 Well with a little bit of determination, a little bit of willpower and of course a little exercise such as a daily walk, you too could shed that extra weight and hop into that new bathing suit just in time for Summer. We Can Help You Come to a TOPS meeting every Monday morning 7:30 a.m. 8:30 a.m. in Activities Room A. The first thing that will happen after your warm welcome will be that dreadful weigh in, without your shoes on of course. We will get you motivated and help you along the way. You have to get started somewhere, RIGHT! You will look and feel so GOOD. Just try us you ll like us. For more information contact Patti Cummings at NOTICE(S): Please check out the monthly calendar on the HGRD website You are able to see all the monthly calendars through September 2013: Please any changes on your account such as address change, telephone numbers and address to the Administration office reception@hgrdnfm.com in order not to miss out on any mailings. The front gate telephone number is and the HOA office telephone number is Fitness Center Hours are 5:00 a.m. 9:00 p.m. daily Closed on Wednesdays 12:00-2:00 p.m. for cleaning Please do not move any tables or chairs onto the ballroom floor. Residents should not be moving any tables or chairs and risk scratching the ballroom floor. Please ask for assistance, if needed.

5 January 30, 2013 Page 5 HGMGA Tuesday, February 5, 2013 MEMBER GUEST HGLGA-9 Wednesday, February 6, , 2, 3 BEST BALLS Second Round of President s Cup is being played on January 29th. Sign up on Chelsea by Saturday, February 2nd 3:00 p.m. Last Week s Winners: 3 BLIND MICE 1st Place: Kathleen Colletti & Nancy McDaniel Score: 35 HGLGA-18 Wednesday, February 6, 2013 MEMBER GUEST Upcoming Lounge Entertainment Last Week s Winners: MATCH PLAY 1st Flight: Jacqueline Stratton, Carol Davies, Pam Bedore, Kathie Schwemlein, Bonnie Gongaware 2nd Flight: Robinanne Wale, Pat Schach, Erika Cochran 3rd Flight: Marie Nassaney, Nance Odom, Mary Koenig, Sue Lentz, Gisela White 4th Flight: Nancy Hentges, Gloria Colvin, Patti Cummings

6 January 30, 2013 Page 6 EVERY WEDNESDAY... EVERY THURSDAY... EVERY FRIDAY... EVERY SATURDAY... EVERY SUNDAY...

7 UPCOMING EVENTS MARK YOUR CALENDAR... J a n u ar y 3 0, P ag e 7 Pickleball Tournament will start for Advanced League only on Wednesday, February 6th. Both Beginners League and Intermediate League will start on Thursday, February 7th. Teams and schedules are being formed now and will be posted on the new Pickleball bulletin board next to the HOA Office (opposite the swimming pool). POSTING DATE WILL BE NO LATER THAN THE WEEKEND BEFORE FEBRUARY 6TH. There will be a short IMPORTANT ORGANIZATION MEETING for everyone at 8:45 a.m. on Thursday, February 7th to allow for discussion and distribution of awards, rules and procedures. Everyone should please make every attempt to attend this meeting before play starts at 9:00 a.m. Need substitute players on Thursdays for beginners and intermediate leagues. For more information, please call Ray Rosati at

8 J a n u ar y 3 0, P ag e 8 Individual Concert Series Tickets are now available at the Administration office. Individual Tickets are $17.00

9 Clinic Schedule February March :30 am 9:30 am Tuesday s J a n u ar y 3 0, P ag e 9 February 5th No Clinic due to Member Guest Week 12th Fairway Woods and Ball Position 19th Driver 26th Putting March 5th Bunker Play *Only 5 per lesson* 13th (Wednesday) General Rules and Etiquette (We will meet in the Pro Shop) *Bring Questions 19th Punch Shots 26th Short and Long Irons Contact Trent Flory Clinics will be limited to 8 students per clinic Each clinic will have a cost of $10 per student *There will be 2 Clinics per day if enough people sign-up* Hours of Operation for the Herons Nest Restaurant & Lounge November 1st April 30th, 2013: Restaurant: Sunday: Monday: Tuesday: Wednesday-Friday: Saturday: 10:00 a.m. 1:30 p.m. (Breakfast Buffet Only) Closed Closed Lunch: 11:30-2:00 p.m.; Dinner: 5:00-8:00 p.m. Buffet Lunch: 11:30-2:00 p.m.; Dinner: 5:00-8:00 p.m. Lounge: Sunday: Monday: Tuesday: Wednesday: Thursday: Friday: Saturday: 1:00 p.m. 6:30 p.m. * Closed 11:30 a.m. 6:30 p.m. * 11:30 a.m. 8:00 p.m. * 11:30 a.m. 8:00 p.m. * 11:30 a.m. 8:00 p.m. * 11:30 a.m. 8:00 p.m. * (Full Lunch Menu) (Full Lunch Menu) (Full Lunch Menu: 11:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.; Dinner: 5:00-8:00 p.m.) (Full Lunch Menu: 11:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.; Dinner: 5:00-8:00 p.m.) (Full Lunch Menu: 11:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.; Dinner: 5:00-8:00 p.m.) (Buffet Lunch: 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.; Full Lunch menu: 1:30-4:30 p.m.; Dinner: 5:00-8:00 p.m.) * This is the closing hour for the kitchen, however the Lounge will stay open later as business warrants.

10 HGRD RESIDENTS SMALL REQUESTS ACCOUNT (RSRA) J a n u ar y 3 0, P ag e 1 0 The Facilities & Amenities Advisory Committee have been notified by the HGRD Supervisors that the Residents Small Requests Account (RSRA) has been established. The Request Form and the Guidelines for the program may be picked up in the Recreation District's Administration Office. Since the funds and procedures were approved at the last Board Meeting, there is an element of urgency for your activity to make their request. All forms must be completed by the close of the business day on Thursday, February 28th. The Board of Supervisors approved RSRA process and application form. A fillable form is also available, but you must have Word installed on your computer to use this option. These forms are also available through the blog on the HGRD website. When your completed form is returned to the Administration office, you will be notified of the time and place of the Facilities & Amenities Meeting. You will be required to attend that meeting to have your request made official. Douglas Schuler, Chair, Facilities & Amenities Advisory Committee The temporary Pickleball courts will not be available in the months of January & February as follows: Wednesday, January 30th After 3:00 p.m. Sadie Hawkins Golf Dinner Saturday, February 2nd After 12:00 p.m. Concert Series #2 Tuesday, February 12th After 3:00 p.m. Resident Event Mardi Gras Dance Wednesday, February 13th 10:00 a.m. 2:00 PM LGA 18 Hole Luncheon Saturday, February 16th After 12:00 p.m. Concert Series #3 Tuesday, February 19th 10:00 a.m. 2:00 p.m. Socialites Luncheon SINGLES OF THE GLEN DINNER AT THE NEST 6:00 P.M. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2013 Singles of the Glen will gather for dinner at the Nest on Thursday, February 21, 2013, at 6:00 P.M. We will be ordering off the menu and your house account will be charged for your food and drink. This is open to all widows, widowers, and singles of Herons Glen. If you wish to attend, please sign up on the sheets provided in the book on the desk in the Clubhouse Lobby under the Singles tab. The sign-up sheets will be removed by late afternoon on Monday, February 18, so please sign up before that time. If you know any singles in the Glen who do not have access to , please share this information with them as we would love to have them join us. If you have any questions, please contact Ann Reich at