Isle of Pines Property Owner's Association

Hello IOP Neighbors,
March has flown by and we are rapidly approaching April. This means Springtime events, like Easter, are right around the corner. I encourage all members, especially members with children, to come to the park for the Easter event on April 20th (a Saturday). This is truly an enjoyable event with an environment provided for children up to 13-14 years old. More details about the Easter Event are included in this newsletter and please do not hesitate to contact any of the board members with questions you have regarding this event.
The main neighborhood event for the Month of March was the Beach Cleanup which took place on 9 March from 9am-Noon. This is an important annual event because it maintains and improves the condition of the park for the remainder of the year. While I understand that not everyone may be available or able to volunteer, I’d like to take this time to make a call for action to encourage more initiative from our members to get involved. I am making this request because currently we have 136 IOP members (households) and less than 5% of our membership base (households) showed up to help at this event. There are several other improvement projects taking place throughout the remainder of the year too; therefore, we will have several other improvement projects that still need to be completed during the year, if you’d still like to contribute please contact myself or another board member.
Remember that school is still in session so abide by the posted speed limits in the neighborhood and please always look out for children waiting at the bus stops in the mornings, children being dropped off in the afternoons after school and in general while they are crossing the streets or outside playing.

Hello everyone. My name is Jesse and I am the new president of the IOP. I’d like to take a moment to thank Terry Gardner for all of his time and effort as the previous president. We were able to accomplish several key park improvements under his direction including painting the pavilion, improving the sidewalks from the pavilion to the bathrooms, enlarging the basketball court, replacing the water softener system, rebuilding the pavilion kitchen, and rebuilding the park dock. Without his time and devotion many of these improvements may not have happened.
This year especially, we have had a great interest in fresh faces becoming board members. I look forward to working alongside the board to continue to grow and improve the IOP community. We all are eager to ensure that the IOP community remain a safe and friendly place to live, and we will continue to make a positive impact on this amazing community. We will be bringing some new ideas to the community in efforts to increase community awareness and involvement.
If anyone has questions or ideas regarding events, volunteering, neighborhood questions, or becoming a member, please feel free to contact myself, or one of the friendly board members listed below. If you are new to the neighborhood and would like to meet the board members or would like to attend a board meeting to share an idea, please come to the park on the first Tuesday of every month at 7PM.

Hello Neighbors,

This will be my last newsletter as your IOPPOA President. After 3 consecutive years it is time for me to take a break. I will be happy to remain on the board but as a board member only. Thank all of you for letting me serve our community. It was an honor on my part. I want to thank our outstanding team of board members for an incredible year of hard work and dedication to our community, as well as all the wonderful people who volunteered. You are all what makes our neighborhood so unique and special. I and our community appreciate all of your time.

We have our 4th annual chili cook off kick off membership drive in January. This was a really fun event and is expected to be even better this year!!! All are welcome to attend. Come meet your neighbors, enter your chili in contest, enjoy some chili and get a discounted membership.

We have a couple of openings for the board next year. If you would like to serve your community let myself or Al Eastburn know so we may add your name to the ballot. Voting will take place at the membership drive.

I wish each and every one of you a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS, SAFE and PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR

Thank you,
Terry Gardner
IOPPOA President

Hello Neighbors,

Fall is here but with the high temperature you would not think that. We have our Halloween party coming up and hope to see a great turnout. Party is always a great time for the kids and adults.

Just a reminder to our members that if you wish to have a private function at the south park you need to submit the rental form and give to Al Eastburn. Taking it upon yourself to host a party without board permission is against the rules and may conflict with someone that already has a function reserved. Thank you in advance for your consideration and remember that residents eligible for membership are not considered as guest.

Be safe and have a great year.

Terry Gardner

Hello Neighbors,

Fall is almost upon us and I don’t know about you but I am looking forward to the cooler weather. There have been a couple improvements at the South Park that all can be very proud of. All the dock boards have been replaced with Trex and will last for many years. A huge thank you to Albert Cichra for donating his and his teams labor to remove old boards and install new boards. The non-motorized boat storage rack has been completed with the help of Maggie and John Odena organizing construction efforts and with the help of volunteers. We thank them and all volunteers that participated. If you would like to store your non-motorized vessel please contact Maggie Odena at 407-509-9084 or email her mnoblitt@aol.com.

Be sure to read the upcoming newsletter for information about our annual Halloween party. It will be a great time for all. A lot of time and effort by volunteers go into all events and if you wish to volunteer for any event scheduled please contact any board member. Your participation will be greatly appreciated by all.

I personally would like to thank Al Eastburn for all the years of selfless service to our community serving as President, Vice President and board member over the years. Al has always be there when needed to take care of any task sent his way and always has the best interest of our community. Thank you Al for all you do.

I would like to thank all of you in advance for being aware of our children on or around the roadways and helping to keep them safe!

Thank you and have a GREAT YEAR!

Terry Gardner, Sr.
(IOPPOA President)

Hello Everyone,
Well Terry is under the weather so he asked me to do the presidents message for him so here goes.
Well it’s almost the beginning of August. It’s almost time for school to start. Please be mindful of the children that will be standing along the roads waiting for the school bus. Also please be mindful of the posted speed limits. We had a great turnout for the July 4th party. Much thanks to Shawn for coordinating the party. Also thanks to Amanda Starcher and station 77 for a great parade. Thanks also to Jesse Dance and Jon Rome for an excellent fireworks display. Also the online auction is going on right now and will end on August 19. So far we have concert tickets and airplane rides and golf packages to be auctioned off. On August 25 we will be building the small boat/ kayak rack at the park. Any Volunteers would be greatly appreciated. We also have the Halloween and Christmas party coming up (dates are under the calendar of events in the newsletter). Any help with these events would be greatly appreciated. We are able to have these events due to membership in our association so thanks to everyone who has joined or is considering joining for your support. Also please be mindful and pickup after your dogs Thanks in advance for your support of our community.
Al Eastburn
IOPPOA Vice President

Hello Neighbors,
Well it is beginning to get hot again and we have to be mindful of our surroundings living in our unique area. Many neighbors have had encounters with many venomous snakes. Please keep a close eye on children and pets as these snakes are easily camouflaged. Other animals are on the move as well, especially the alligators. Please do not feed or entice them if you are near the water. If you encounter a nuisance alligator please call 866-392-4286.
The water temperatures are rising quickly and every year we have concerns about the high bacteria counts in the lake. Moss Park no longer does bacteria tests. If we hear or any issues or concerns about bacteria or amoeba, we will notify the community.

There is also concern from others about all the shooting going on and not knowing where it is taking place. Hopefully the people that are shooting are practicing gun range safety to insure no stray bullets result in any harm to any of our neighbors. Please be considerate and try not to discharge your firearms after dark as some are hesitant to venture out on evening walks. Thank you and be “SAFE”

I personally welcome all residents to attend our monthly board meetings held the first Tuesday of each month at 7pm at the south park.
Stay safe and be kind,
Terry Gardner , Sr.

Hello Neighbors,
Lets start off with a very important reminder. Kids are out of school for the summer so let’s please mind the speed limit. It is 35… not 40, 45 or 50 as some do drive 50 or more. Also WILDLIFE will be very active this time of year so PLEASE be alert and safe.
It has been brought to my attention that some members have violated the park rules when reserving the park for events. Please read the rules before inviting your guest. The rules state that residents that are not members, but are eligible, are not able to attend parties or events reserved by members. I am sorry, but these are the rules and we have to enforce them.
There have also been many complaints of dog owners being irresponsible and not cleaning up after their pets.
PLEASE BE A TROOPER AND CLEAN UP AFTER YOUR POOPER!!!!!!

Thank you,
Terry Gardner
IOPPOA President

Dear Neighbors,

Happy April! Hopefully you are looking forward to the warm weather and being able to enjoy the outdoors as much as myself. Summer is just around the corner and all of us will soon be spending more leisure time at the South Park.

Please enjoy the park and also help us maintain it by cleaning up after yourself before you leave the Park. If you happen to see something that is out of order it would be great that you take the time to make it right.

I would like to thank everyone that donates their time to help with association projects. I would encourage all members to get more involved in community events and attend our board meetings and share any ideas or solutions for the upcoming events or projects being discussed.

There have been reports of people still speeding in the neighborhood and I have no solution of how to confront or stop the repeat offenders from doing so. You people that continue to speed jeopardize the safety of others and yourself as well. Your neighbors feel unsafe to walk, jog and ride their bikes or let their children out of their sight for fear of the tragic results that could come from your adolescent and immature actions. PLEASE SLOW DOWN!!!!!!

As a reminder the Board Meets the first Tuesday of each month at the South Park at 7:00pm and everyone is welcome to join in.

Thank you,

Terry Gardner
IOPPOA President

Hello Neighbors,

Let me start out by thanking all those that helped make 2017 a good year. This year with your help we can accomplish many things that will insure our community remains the best in Orange County to live in. We have had members request new ideas and the board is taking all under consideration. We are working on all safety issues first off. If you have any suggestions get with any board member or present your suggestion at one of our board meetings. We meet the first Tuesday of each month 7pm at the South Park, members and non-members welcome.

Remember kids are back in school and out early morning waiting on the bus so please drive careful and watch out for them. With the cooler weather our wild life is also active so be aware.
On another note also watch out for your neighbors walking and bicycling throughout the neighborhood.

Thank you and stay safe!

Terry Gardner
IOPPOA President