Archive by Author

Presidents Message May/June

13 May

Greetings:
I hope everyone is having a great Spring! Just a friendly reminder to please watch your speed
when driving in the community and area. There have been many reports of speeding. With folks
out for walks, kids playing, and the new Spring babies, it is important to be extra careful. A big
thank you to those who organized the Easter event, especially Nikki Rock. It was wonderful to
see everyone having a great time.

Also, thank you to Bill and Billy Akos for updating the light fixtures at the park. Our next
community event is the Father’s Day Fishing Tournament which is scheduled for June 18th.
Additional details will be provided in the newsletter.

Also extremely important is the upcoming Town Meeting with Orange County Government
officials where details will be discussed regarding the need for a drainage easement through
the park that will help to alleviate the flooding issues we have experienced. Orange County
officials will join our next POA Meeting which is scheduled for Tuesday, June 6, at the Park.
The community is encouraged to attend.

Beyond that, our July 4th event will be here before you know it. As always, we appreciate
donations to ensure that we have an amazing firework show again this year. Please make
donations via Venmo to @Rachel-Dance-7 or you can give directly to Jesse Dance.

Warm Regards,
Rick Smallish, president

Presidents Message March/April

17 Mar

Hi Everyone,

Spring is finally here! As the days grow longer and the weather gets warmer, we have some exciting events coming up that we’d like to share with you.

And speaking of community, we hope you’ll join us for our Easter Party and Egg Hunt on April 8th. This is always a fun event for the whole family, and we can’t wait to see everyone there.

As always, we want to remind everyone to look out for each other and prioritize safety. Please be cautious while driving through the neighborhood and keep an eye out for children playing outside.

Thanks for being a part of our community, and we hope to see you at our upcoming events!

Warm Regards,

Rick Smallish

Presidents Message January 2023

8 Jan

Hi everyone,
Happy New Year!
I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season!
A big thank you to everyone who helped us to have another fun Christmas Party.
Our annual Chili Cook-off Membership Drive is on January 28th, 4pm -8pm. There will be a discount if membership is renewed at that time or prior to the 28th. Also, if you have an interest in becoming a board member or would like information about bids, information will be shared at this event. Bids will be open for bathroom maintenance, lawn care, newsletter editor/delivery, and website maintenance. Information regarding bid submittal can be found on the IOP website, or ask a board member for details.
I look forward to another great year in our amazing community!
Warm regards,
Rick

Presidents Message December 2022

1 Dec

Hi neighbors,
I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving with your loved ones!
Thankful that Hurricane Season is officially over. So grateful to our community for pulling together and supporting each other.
Also, a big thank you to the Boy Scouts for the clean-up of the park dock and pavilion.
Please mark your calendars for upcoming December events. Our Christmas Party is planned for Sunday, December 11th from 5:00pm – 9:00pm. Fried turkey, green beans and mashed potatoes will be served. Members are asked to bring a side dish or dessert.
The Christmas Boat Parade is Friday, December 16th – lineup will start at 6:30pm at the South side of the lake. You are invited to join, or you can view the parade from the park dock. Additional details on both events will be provided on the IOP Facebook page.
Hope to see everyone out during the holiday festivities.
Stay safe,
Rick Smallish

Presidents Message September 2022

20 Sep

Hi everyone,
I hope you are all doing well, and the kids are off to a great start of the school year!
Just a reminder to drive cautiously, especially when children are getting on and off the school bus. If you are late arriving to the bus stop, that does not give you the right to speed your car up and try to cut the school bus off so that your child can get on. This was witnessed twice recently. Please leave with enough time to drop your child off safely.
We are heading into Fall and there are some exciting events planned for the end of the year. Please mark your calendars with the following dates. Additional details will be provided in future newsletters.
Halloween Party – Saturday, October 29th
Neighborhood Garage Sale – Friday, November 4th & Saturday, November 5th
Christmas Party – Sunday, December 11th
We are also into Hurricane Season so please be sure to takes steps to prepare.
As always, thank you for continuing to make this a wonderful and safe neighborhood!
Best,
Rick

Presidents Message June 2022

28 Jun

Greetings,

 

I hope everyone is having a great Summer!

 

We recently did some work to get our boat ramp back in shape. A big thanks to everyone who helped with this project. The work that was done is not a permanent fix, however, it should be a few more years before work is needed again.

 

We also had a great turnout for the Father’s Day Fishing Tournament. I hope that everyone who participated had a great time.

Our 4th of July celebration is right around the corner. This is one of the biggest events for our community and we need your help to make it a success. Jesse is organizing the fireworks show again this year and your donations are needed and appreciated. Cash to Jesse is always best, but you can also donate via Venmo to @Rachel-Dance-7. Billy Akos will be smoking pork butts so please come down to enjoy some great food and fireworks. You are also welcomed to bring a dish. I know we have some great cooks in the neighborhood!

 

Last but certainly not least, given that it is Summer break, there are a lot of kids and families out at about. We also have deer often crossing the road. PLEASE be extra cautious when driving in the neighborhood and the area.

 

Thanks everyone!

 

Rick

 

Presidents Message May 2022

26 May

Greeting,
I hope that everyone had a great Easter! A big thanks to Nikki Rock and everyone who helped with planning and on the day of to ensure that the Easter Celebration was a success. I would also like to thank everyone who came out to help with the park Spring cleanup. If you participated in the cleanup, please let Justin Mack know so that you receive a discount when you renew your membership. A special thanks to Dave McAlevy who donated a dumpster for the cleanup. This was extremely useful as we were able to fill the entire dumpster with debris. This contribution was made in memory of Dave’s wife who recently passed away and who had a love for the park and our community.
Our next event is the Father’s Day Fishing Tournament which is scheduled for June 19th. If you are a member, please join us to cheer the dad’s on and for a fish fry following the tournament.
With our July 4th event fast approaching, we are looking forward to another great event this year. This members only event will be held on Monday the 4th. Lookout in the newsletter for event details. As always, your donations are needed and appreciated. Jesse Dance will be organizing the fireworks again this year. Please reach out to Jesse or any IOP Board Member (names provided in the newsletter) if you are able to make a financial contribution. Cash is best, however, donations can also be made via Venmo to @Rachel-Dance-7. Just like everything else in the country, Fireworks cost have gone up and every little bit helps. We will again have a cookout and you are also welcome to bring a dish. Thank you, Billy Akos, for organizing the cookout again this year – last year was a blast! I appreciate everyone’s continued support so that our community enjoys a great party and fireworks show!
It is also important to note that the school year is coming to an end and the kids will be out and about in the neighborhood. Please be extra cautious when driving in the neighborhood.
Stay safe. See you all soon!
Rick Smallish

Presidents Message April 2022

23 Mar

Greetings,

I hope everyone is doing well!

As you may be aware, Al has stepped down as President of our association. A big thanks to Al for his commitment and service to the IOP community. I am excited to assume the role of President and look forward to continuing the great work of those who have come before me.

I moved to our beautiful community four years ago and like many of you, I have an appreciation and love for our community and what it offers – a safe, friendly, and family oriented environment. My goal as president is to maintain this. I am sure it’s the same for many of you – my blood pressure drops once I pass the Fire Station.

A little bit about myself. I am originally from Wisconsin. Go Packers and Badgers! We are a family of four with four pets (Bella, Axel, Harley, and Finn). I have worked in the construction industry for the majority of my adult life.

This is going to be a great year for our community. We will continue to plan fun activities for members, including the upcoming Easter Party. More details to come on that. We could also use your help for the Spring cleanup which is scheduled for April 9th, at 9:00 a.m.

Again, I am excited to be serving in the role and look forward to seeing everyone throughout the year.

All the best,

Rick Smallish

Presidents Message January 2022

22 Dec

Hi Everyone,
I hope everyone had a great Christmas and is ready for the new year. Our Christmas party was a great
success. Thanks to the Harts and all the rest of their helpers who made it all possible. This is one of the
reasons that we all live out here is our community where we are able to have these parties and where
most everyone gets along with everyone else.
I would also like to point out that our annual membership drive and chili cookoff will be held on
January 22, 2022. We normally have a great turnout. Hopefully it won’t be too cold.
At the membership drive, ballots will be available to elect Board Members for 2022 and at the board
meeting on February 1 2022 the new board will be put into place. The new Executive Board (President,
Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer) will also be elected at this meeting.
The IOPPOA is taking bids for the following various positions:

Bathroom Cleaning
Lawn Maintenance
Newsletter Editor
Newsletter Prep/Delivery
Webmaster
The bid forms are located under the community stuff tab on our website
www.isleofpines.org/communitystuff
Bids will be reviewed at the February Board Meeting.

Thanks,
Al Eastburn

Presidents Message December 2021

15 Nov

Hello IOP Residents. I hope that everyone had a great Halloween and will have a great Thanksgiving this year. Please mark your calendars for our Christmas Event happening on December 12th starting at 5PM. We will be deep frying a bunch of turkeys and serving buckets of mashed potatoes and buttered green beans. Members are asked to bring a side dish or dessert. I talked to Santa and he will be coming down for the food, and to hand out presents to the kids of the IOP….but mostly for the amazing food 😉 We are also having a boat parade on 12/10 (Friday night) starting at 7pm. Talk to your neighbors and join by boat or observe from a dock on LMJ and be a part of the annual event. More information on the Christmas dinner and boat parade will be located in this newsletter and on the community Facebook page. If you’re new to the neighborhood or not a member, it’s not too late to join. Reach out to the board members inside the cover of the newsletter for information.
Changing gears a little. I want to inform everyone that I am stepping down from my position as President. It’s been an honor working with all of the board members and meeting all the great neighbors and friends in the IOP. We as a team have made big accomplishments to the betterment of the park and there are still more hurdles to knock down with a little sweat and determination. I will remain active and supportive in the park improvements and events for many years to come. Al Eastburn will be moving up for his Vice President position to become your new President for the remainder of the year and I will be assisting him during the transition. Dominique has moved up from being a board member into the role as Vice President. Please show your support for Al and Dominique in their new roles and let’s all keep the Isles of Pines a great place to live and play.
Thanks,
Jes

Hello Everyone
As Jesse stated I am taking over as President as Jesse can no longer be president. Would like to thank
Him for being president and the accomplishments while being such.
On another note I want to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving and would to wish everyone a Merry
Christmas. Also just a heads up that come January will be our annual membership drive which details will be in the January newsletter. Also that is when ballots will be out for the 2022 IOPPOA Board.
We meet the first Tuesday of each month and the meeting normally lasts about an hour.
Thanks everyone for making the IOP a wonderful place to live and to raise families

Thanks

Al