lahc october 2010

Volume XIII, Issue 8October 2010

Volume XIII, Issue 8October 2010

More Details on page 21More Details on page 21

Life at Hunter’s Creek October 2010 3

In This Issue: Page

From the President 4

From the General Manager’s Desk 5

Board of Directors Meeting 7

Orange County Workshop Free to Residents 8

Deciphering FL’s Constitutional Admendments 9

Girl Scouts 15

Accounting Department 16

Communications Department 17

Community Standards Department 18

Neighborhood Management Department 19

Recreation & Special Events Department 21

Dog Park Committee 23

Finance Committee 23

Candidates for Board of Directors 24

Law Enforcement 26

OCSO Senior Cell Phone Program 27

Fabulous Fifties Plus 29

Hunter’s Creek Women’s Association 31

Hunter’s Creek Motorcycle Association 32

HC International Wine Tasting Event 33

Rotary Club of Hunter’s Creek 33

Relay for Life 34

Endeavor Elementary School 35

Hunter’s Creek Elementary School 36

West Creek Elementary School 38

Hunter’s Creek Middle School 39

Freedom High School 39

In Memoriam: Dominic Fruci & Bunny Peckham 42

Community Information 45

Junior Magic Find a Home at New Gym 46

Life at Hunter’s Creek is published for the residents of Hunter’s Creek, and is subject to the editorial policies and guidelines set by the HCCA Board of Directors. The views and opinions are those of the authorsand should not be construed to be those of the HCCA. Paid advertising does not represent an endorsement by this publication. Articles and information displayed in all HCCA media are not to be reproducedwithout written permission.

Hunter’s Creek Community Association14101 Town Loop Boulevard • Orlando, Florida 32837

Phone: 407-240-6000 Fax: 407-240-0183E-mail: [email protected]

Website: http://www.hunterscreek.net

Board of DirectorsDave Shirk, President Ed Schwartz, Treasurer Diane SchmidtJoe Overberger, V-Pres. Sharon Bright Pete ZiegLizzette Herron, Secretary John Fields

HCCA ManagementJohn Rasnic, MCM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .General ManagerNancy Rasnic, LCAM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Assistant General ManagerRoy Figg . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Manager, Grounds & MaintenanceSteve Logan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Manager, Recreation & Special EventsKaren Marich, LCAM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Manager, Community StandardsDonna Marmorstone, LCAM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Manager, NeighborhoodsJohn Mongoven, LCAM . . . . . . . . . . . . .Manager, Special Projects/NeighborhoodsKathleen Pszwaro, LCAM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Manager, NeighborhoodsDenise Sedon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Manager, CommunicationsRafael Sotomayor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Controller

Life at Hunter’s Creek MagazineDenise Sedon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Publisher, AdvertisingLisa Klein . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Coordinator, Graphic DesignFelipe Medina-Marquez . . . . . . . . .Writer, Associate EditorRR Donnelley, Moran Plant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Printer

Editors: Donna Marmorstone, John and Linda Mongoven, Kathleen Pszwaro,Nancy and John Rasnic, JoEllen Wilkins and Pete Zieg.

Thanks to all of our delivery personnel, writers, photographers and committee members for their valuable contributions.

Advertising – Ads are accepted until 5pm on the 5th of each month for the following month’sissue. Contact Denise Sedon at 407-766-5134 or [email protected].

Articles/Photos – Articles are accepted until 5 pm on the 1st of each month for the followingmonth’s issue. Please e-mail materials to [email protected] or submit a disk.

When sending an e-mail to Management or submitting ads/articles to Communications, pleasemake sure receipt of your e-mail has been acknowledged. If you do not receive a response within 48hours, please call Town Hall at 407-240-6000 to ensure that your e-mail was transmitted successfully.

In Memoriam: Dominic Fruci & Bunny Peckham . . . . . . 42Remembering two of our own who understood what giving back was all about.

Deciphering FL’s Constitutional Amendments . . . . . . . . 9A basic primer on unraveling the amendments that will appear on the November 2 ballot.

Feature Articles:

From the President . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4We are grateful to our state representatives and for what they accomplish for our community.

To contact the HCCA after business hours regarding a common area emergency (fire,flood, gate malfunction, or a situation that cannot wait until the next business day),homeowners may dial 407-240-6000 and follow the instructions on the automated message.

From the PresidentBy Dave Shirk

Our State Representatives

In the last few months, we havebeen consumed by the primaryelections and politics. However, wehave not taken the opportunity to

thank our current elected state officials. We are very lucky tobe represented by several capable legislators in Tallahassee:Senator Andy Gardiner of District 9, Representative EricEisnaugle of District 40 and Representative Darren Soto ofDistrict 49.

We are especially lucky to have two voices in the House ofRepresentatives who work on the issues concerning Hunter’sCreek. Even though their constituents reside in dividedgeographic areas within Hunter’s Creek, we treat both repre-sentatives as if they speak for all of Hunter’s Creek. In turn,Representatives Eisnaugle and Soto treat our concerns withequal strength. Senator Andy Gardiner acted as our state repre-sentative for eight years, and now he represents us in the Sen-ate. Eric Eisnaugle and Darren Soto are relatively new to theHouse of Representatives, but they have gained much respectamong their peers and constituents. I would like to give you a

brief summary of their significant accomplishments over thelast legislative session.

Representative Eric Eisnaugle has beena big supporter of Hunter’s Creek.Along with Senator Gardiner, he hasbeen instrumental in amendinglegislation that helped to ease theburden of worker’s compensationinsurance for our off-duty deputies.They put together legislation thatreallocates the responsibility to theSheriff ’s Office and saves us a lot ofmoney and liability. He also authored abill to cap attorney’s fees when privatelawyers are hired by the state, which

minimizes taxpayer dollars spent. Hesponsored a bill to create a slot for astate auditor to hunt down wastefulspending. He also sponsored a bill toimplement ethics reform adopted byOrange County that would increasetransparency in government.

Representative Darren Soto has alsobeen very busy passing several bills,including a bill to fight street racing,a bill to provide benefits to firefighterskilled in training, a bill fighting for

Life at Hunter’s Creek October 20104

Dave Shirk

RepresentativeEric Eisnaugle

RepresentativeDarren Soto


foreclosure relief and a bill to provide cooperation betweenschools and juvenile authorities. Darren has hosted two veryinteresting Town Hall meetings, where he listened to ourconcerns and brought us up-to-date on legislative issues.

Senator Andy Gardiner sponsoredSB 2746, which garnered several accom-plishments regarding education pro-grams for children with special needs.It allows children receiving specializedservices under a voluntary pre-Kprogram to enter into the McKayScholarship program. As mentionedpreviously, Andy partnered with EricEisnaugle to amend the off-duty deputyworker’s compensation legislation.

The Hunter’s Creek Board of Directorsand HCCA staff members work very hard to maintain strongworking relationships with our state representatives and sena-tors and we receive great benefits from these partnerships. Allof our representatives have an extremely generous open doorpolicy for their constituents and they welcome your input andconcerns. You can find their phone numbers in the back ofour magazine on page 45, and I encourage you to contactthem. These people are another way that we keep Hunter’sCreek

“A Wonderful Place to Live.”

From the GeneralManager’s DeskBy John Rasnic, MCM

Future Capital Projects forthe HCCA

For the past few years, the Hunter’s Creek Community Asso-ciation (HCCA) had put a halt to many of the scheduled cap-ital projects because of our efforts to conserve cash during theeconomic downturn. As an unintended consequence of thebank foreclosing on 588 properties within the past three years,and the banks in turn re-selling those properties to 439 newhomeowners, over $500,000 has been added to our capitalprojects program over and above what normal sales wouldhave produced. Since the Board has committed to spendingthe funds collected through the capital contribution on capi-tal items, we are looking at the capital list and planning whichprojects to complete for the remainder of 2010 and 2011.

The Board of Directors, at their February Board meeting, ap-proved the following list as proposed capital items for 2010.Some have already been completed.

John Rasnic

SenatorAndy Gardiner


The list that follows contains the capital projects that arebeing discussed for 2011 and beyond. Staff and the Board ofDirectors are in the process of prioritizing these capital itemsat the current time.

I am sure that each of the capital projects listed may havesome proponents and detractors, and each one presents asolution for a perceived need or want for the common areasof HCCA.

From the GM’s Desk continued ...

HCCA Board of DirectorsPresident - Dave Shirk Vice-President - Joe Overberger Treasurer - Ed Schwartz Secretary - Lizzette Herron

Directors - Sharon Bright, John Fields, Diane Schmidt and Pete Zieg

HCCA Board Committees and Chairpersons

For more information on any of these committees, contact the HCCA office at 407/240-6000.

Appreciation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pete ZiegArchitectural Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Carole ScheinlerDog Park . . . Jane Granfield, Ken Peplow, Marlane SpizzirriFinance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ed Schwartz

Landscape . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cynthia CueninMagazine. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Denise SedonManagement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dave ShirkNominating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Maureen EdwardsProperty Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sharon Bright

Public Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dave ShirkRules/By-Laws . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jack CallenderStrategic Planning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . John FieldsTennis. . . . . . . . . . . . Stacy Shishima & Ralph Zabriskie


Board of Directors MeetingBy Denise Sedon

The following report is not the official minutesof the September 2, 2010 Board of Directorsmeeting. A complete copy of the officialminutes can be obtained at the HCCA office inthe Town Hall once they are approved, which isnormally at the next BOD meeting. Approvedminutes are also available on our website,www.hunterscreek.net. Move your cursor toBoard Room in the main menu, choose HCCABoard of Directors from the drop-down menuand Board Meeting Minutes from the slide-outlist.

Present at the meeting were Board members

Dave Shirk, President; Joe Overberger, Vice-President; Ed Schwartz, Treasurer; LizzetteHerron, Secretary; Directors Sharon Bright,John Fields and Pete Zieg.

Consent Agenda - There were 16 items on theconsent agenda, which consists of informa-tional material and routine business issuesnot requiring individual attention unlessrequested by a member of the Board. Severalitems were pulled for discussion or comment.Staff reported much success in collecting delin-quent assessments and in working with banksthat have been sent “intent to lien” letters. Davementioned that the collection of capital fundsis strong and has produced more revenue thanexpected. He also wanted to commend the

Finance Committee on the job they have done.Ed spoke of the proposed operating budget for2011, which will actually be less than that of2010. Pete asked about the material that willbe used in paving Lot 299, adjacent to thesoccer fields at Osprey Park; the lot is to becomprised of paved lanes with a grass lot. Allitems passed unanimously.

New Business:Proposed Improvement to Fields atMallardPointe Park: A Mallard Cove resident appearedbefore the Board to ask about the feasibilityof skinning out a small T-ball practice field atMallard Pointe Park. HCCA Recreation ManagerSteve Logan gave some background on previ-ous actions taken relating to the property.

Orange CountyWorkshop Free toResidentsBy Denise Sedon

Orange Countyhas developed aprogram forhomeownerswho are inter-ested in making their homes moreenergy efficient and saving moneyon their monthly energy bills. Theprogram is called OCHEEP, whichis an acronym for Orange CountyHomeowner Energy EfficiencyProgram. According to the website,the program can advise you onupgrades to your home, which mayincrease your energy efficiency, andaid you in using less energy, whichsaves you money, and that’s some-thing that interests everyone.

Rebates are available to home-owners who make upgrades to theirhomes in an effort to be moreenvironmentally friendly. A list ofhow the program works, andinformation on eligibility can befound at http://www.orangecoun-tyfl.net/tabid/2675/Default.aspx,along with lots of other usefulinformation.

A free workshop for Hunter’sCreek residents has beenscheduled for Wednesday,October 6 at 7:00 pm at theTown Hall, located at 14101Town Loop Blvd. To reserve aspace in the class, go towww.hunterscreek.net. There is alink right on the home page thatyou can use to register. Questionsabout the program can be directedto program coordinator JaneGregory at [email protected].

Around 30 residents attended the meeting, andthere was strong support for both sides of theissue: many were for improving the facilitiesand many were against bringing more trafficinto Mallard Cove and Falcon Pointe neighbor-hoods. The matter was tabled until next monthso that further data can be collected.

Homeowner Appeal of Shrub Height: Ahomeowner appeared to ask for a variance inshrub height. Since the property has a some-what unique layout, and the shrubs offer someassistance in reducing conflict with neighbors,the Board granted the appeal by a 6-1 margin.

Fence Inspection: A clarification of fenceinspection procedures was presented and theBoard unanimously approved the processesoutlined.

Neighborhood Sign Content: Guidelines fordeciding what goes into the neighborhood signboxes in individual communities was detailedand discussed. The Board unanimously voted toassign the responsibility of neighborhood signcontent to the discretion of HCCA GeneralManager John Rasnic.

Free Orange CountyWorkshop forResidents: Several residents requested thata workshop be scheduled in order to assistresidents in meeting the requirements forreceiving a rebate for completing certainenergy efficient improvements to their homes.The workshop will be available to Hunter’sCreek residents at no charge and is scheduledfor Wednesday, October 6 at 7:00 pm at theTown Hall. The class will be advertised in themagazine and on the community website.

Resident Time: Marion McKenzie, Presidentof Villanova Condominiums, asked the Boardto consider increased off-duty deputy presenceon the property. Villanova will be placed on awatch list, based on the needs of individualneighborhoods, which deputies use to plantheir patrols.

Upcoming BoardMeetings: The next sched-uled Board meeting will be held at 3:00 pm onThursday, October 7 at the Town Hall, with theannual Resident Budget Meeting following at7:00 pm. Residents are welcome to attendeither or both.

Thank You:We appreciatethe meal for the break, whichwas provided at a discount byCrispers.


Board of Directors Meeting continued ...


DecipheringFlorida’sConstitutionalAmendments:2010EditionBy FelipeMedina-Marquez

Two years ago, Life at Hunter’s Creek magazine published an article that at-tempted to simplify the complex language contained in the amendmentson the 2008 ballot. The article, we were told, was helpful to many voterswho had a hard time deciphering the confusing jargon found in theamendments. With this being an election year, we decided to provide abreakdown of the 2010 amendments that will appear on the ballots onNovember 2.

This year, there are six amendments that made it onto the ballot, threethat were stricken from the ballot (3,7 and 9), one referendum, and oneballot question related to funding for Orange County Public Schools. Ofcourse, trying to figure out these amendments alone is pretty tough. Soonce again, I sought some help from the insightful District 49 Representa-tive Darren Soto, and I used two helpful guides by the League of WomenVoters and the Collins Center, which offered a wealth of backgroundinformation on these amendments.

It should be noted that this article is not intended to sway your vote oneway or the other. The Hunter’s Creek Community Association (and there-fore Life at Hunter’s Creek magazine) is a non-partisan entity that doesn’tendorse candidates or ballot initiatives (aside from that High Speed Railissue eons ago). This article is intended to provide unbiased information

for the people of Hunter’s Creek to use on November 2 (or before, if youvote early). With that said, we have a lot of stuff to get through, so let’sdust off our thinking caps and get to work…

Amendment 1: Proposing the repeal of the provision in the StateConstitution that requires public financing of campaigns of candidates forelective statewide office who agree to campaign spending limits.

The Lowdown: Florida began providing candidates with public financingfor their campaigns (a.k.a. taxpayer money) in 1986 in order to “encouragequalified persons to seek statewide office who may not otherwise do soand to protect the effective competition by candidates using publicfunding,” according to the Florida Department of State Division ofElections. This amendment would eliminate the public financing system,and all candidates would have to raise money the old fashioned way –through voters, political action committees, other special interests groups,and their own bank accounts. Currently, in order to receive public financing,candidates running for statewide office (Governor, Chief Financial Officer,Attorney General, and Agriculture Commissioner) must abide by certainrules. First, candidates cannot qualify for the funds if they are runningunopposed. Then, they must raise enough money from Florida voters (atleast $150,000 for gubernatorial candidates and $100,000 for cabinetcandidates) to show that they’re serious candidates. These candidates areprohibited from using more than $25,000 from their personal funds and$250,000 from executive committees or political parties. Most importantly,gubernatorial candidates who accept public financing cannot spend more

than $24.9 million and cabinet candidates cannot spend more than $12.5million (these limits were increased in 2005 by the legislature). If all ofthese requirements are met, Florida will match up to $250 incontributions from each contibuting Florida resident.

As of September 3, $5,325,033.32 has been distributed in publiccampaign financing ($11 million was used in 2006). Critics of the currentsystem (those who favor this amendment) who would like to see itabolished, argue that Florida, with all its budget deficits, cannot afford tocontinue paying out money to statewide candidates – many of whom canafford to run campaigns. Opponents of this amendment say that eliminat-ing the public financing system would make it more difficult for lesser-known candidates with little money to run effectively againstcandidates who are backed with boatloads of money.

• Vote Yes if you want to repeal the current public financing system inFlorida. “If you don’t want your tax dollars used, even in a way thatmay make the election process more competitive, then you wouldwant to vote for this amendment,” Representative Soto said.

• Vote No if you want to maintain the status quo in Florida’s publicfinancing laws. Rep Soto said that if you want more of an evenplaying field in elections, “then you wouldn’t want this amendmentto pass.” He added that if taxpayers are worried about theexpenditure of public financing, “The legislature can always adjustthe ceilings again.”

Amendment 2: Proposing an amendment to the State Constitution torequire the Legislature to provide an additional homestead property taxexemption by law for members of the United States military or militaryreserves, the United States Coast Guard or its reserves, or the FloridaNational Guard who receive a homestead exemption and were deployedin the previous year on active duty outside the continental United States,Alaska, or Hawaii in support of military operations designated by theLegislature. The exempt amount will be based upon the number of days inthe previous calendar year that the person was deployed on active dutyoutside the continental United States, Alaska, or Hawaii in support ofmilitary operations designated by the Legislature. The amendment isscheduled to take effect January 1, 2011.

The Lowdown: This amendment is actually pretty clean cut. Ifapproved, active military personnel who are serving overseas would beexempt from paying some of their property taxes. Critics of the amend-ment worry that it might impact local budgets. “But that impact, fromwhat I understand, wouldn’t be that significant because the percentage offolks in active duty overseas, as a percentage of our population is notoverwhelmingly great,” Rep. Soto said in an interview. “So while therewould be a fiscal issue, it wouldn’t be causing local governments to gobankrupt anytime soon.”The Revenue Estimating Conference estimatesthat there are about 25,525 enlisted Floridians who served overseas in2008. They speculate that this would have resulted in $13 million inreduced revenue for the state in Fiscal Year 2009-2010.


Deciphering Florida’s Constitutional Amendments: 2010 Edition continued ...


• Vote Yes “… if you believe that our military personnel, if they areon active duty, should have tax exemptions from property taxesbecause it is a distraction to them, defending our country, thenyou would want to support this,” Rep. Soto said.

• Vote No if you’re worried about local budgets taking a big hit bythe loss in property tax revenue because, as Rep. Soto said, theamendment “obviously has a fiscal impact on local governments’ability to collect revenue.”

Amendment 4: Establishes that before a local government may adopt anew comprehensive land use plan, or amend a comprehensive land useplan, the proposed plan or amendment shall be subject to vote of theelectors of the local government by referendum, following preparation bythe local planning agency, consideration by the governing body and notice.Provides definitions.

The Lowdown: This amendment is rather controversial, but at the end ofthe day it comes down to what sort of philosophy you have on futuregrowth in the state of Florida. As it is now, every county and municipalityin the state has a comprehensive land use plan (commonly referred to asa “comp” plan) that is determined by elected officials, but the measure,which was sponsored by Florida Hometown Democracy Inc., seeks tomake it so that voters would have to approve future changes to localgovernments’ comp plans on referenda. “Development has been too outof control for too long in Florida, and Hometown Democracy Amendment

4 will help fix that,” Florida Hometown Democracy writes on its website.“Voters deserve a seat at the table to help determine what kind of devel-opment communities need.”The group is concerned about the influencethat developers have over elected officials and the negative and financialeffects of urban sprawl in Florida. New developments, whether residentialor commercial, require more services – like sewage treatment, police andfire rescue, schools, and roads – and the taxpayers end up footing the bill.Florida Hometown Democracy says that passing the amendment wouldadd an extra step in the comp plan process.“ Local city or county commis-sions will study, hold public hearings, and vote on proposed changes tothe local comprehensive land-use plan just like they do now. The newstep: Voters will veto or approve their decision on the next regularlyscheduled Election Day.” (It should be noted that some referenda mightrequire special elections.)

Critics argue that voters already have a seat at the table since they electthe officials who research and implement changes to comp plans. Theyalso say that passing the amendment could be “crippling” to Florida’seconomy. A study by the Washington Economic Group claims that passageof the amendment could result in a reduction of $34 billion annually ineconomic output and it would cost 267,247 jobs. Florida2010.org arguesthat residents would see an increase in property taxes. “Under Amend-ment 4, local governments - city and county – would be required to holdexpensive referenda on hundreds, and in some cases thousands, ofamendments every year,” the website against Amendment 4 claims.“Voters will be asked to vote not only on big development projects but

also on all minor or technical changes to their local comprehensive plan.”Florida Hometown Democracy denies those claims and insists, “Onaverage, there are two to three plan changes a year.” Meanwhile, theCollins Center, a non-profit, non-partisan organization, says that citiesand counties make “more than 8,000 changes a year to their comp plans.”The Florida Chamber of Commerce, Gov. Charlie Crist, and Chief FinancialOfficer Alex Sink have come out against the amendment, while the SierraClub is for it.

• Vote Yes for Amendment 4 if you are tired of the urban sprawl andif you would like to have veto-or-approval power over local compplan development projects. “If you don’t think local officials shouldbe making these real estate development decisions anymore andvoters should, then you’d want to vote for it,” Rep. Soto said.

• Vote No if you would like to keep the current system of land useplanning and if you are concerned about the potential economicimpact that this might have. Rep Soto said that “this amendmentcould have a substantial effect on jobs, on our ability to react todemands for housing and potentially be crippling to localcontractor business around here.”

Amendment 5: Legislative districts or districting plans may not be drawnto favor or disfavor an incumbent or political party. Districts shall not bedrawn to deny racial or language minorities the equal opportunity toparticipate in the political process and elect representatives of their choice.

Districts must be contiguous. Unless otherwise required, districts must becompact, as equal in population as feasible, and where feasible must makeuse of existing city, county and geographical boundaries.

Amendment 6: Congressional districts or districting plans may not bedrawn to favor or disfavor an incumbent or political party. Districts shallnot be drawn to deny racial or language minorities the equal opportunity toparticipate in the political process and elect representatives of their choice.Districts must be contiguous. Unless otherwise required, districts must becompact, as equal in population as feasible, and where feasible must makeuse of existing city, county and geographical boundaries.

The Lowdown: Amendments 5 and 6 deal with another controversialissue: redistricting legislative and congressional districts. Every ten years,the Census Bureau tallies the persons who reside in the US. State legisla-tors in Tallahassee then use this information to re-draw electoral districts.Rep. Soto said, “Whether it be Democrats or Republicans in power, themajority party uses the redistricting to cement their power for anotherten years, and as a result, it has minimized, marginalized the power ofpeople’s vote.” A paper written by John N. Friedman and Richard T. Holden(“The Rising Incumbent Reelection Rate: What’s Gerrymandering Got toDo With It?”) asserts that the “probability that an incumbent in the U.S.House of Representatives is re-elected has risen dramatically over the lasthalf-century; it now stands at nearly 95%.”

According to its website, the sponsor of these two amendments, FairDistricts Florida,“aim[s] to stop partisan favoritism and stop politicians fromrigging districts to unfairly perpetuate their own political power.”In otherwords, the amendments’sponsor hopes to rid Florida of gerrymanderingby“establishing constitutionally mandated fairness standards”in statelegislative and congressional districts. Amendments 5 and 6 create rules ofredistricting where there were none before. As it is now, the state legislativeand congressional districts look like, to quote Rep. Soto,“a Jackson Pollockpainting,”with some legislators representing several counties. For example,U.S. Representative Corrine Brown’s 3rd district stretches from Orlando toJacksonville, and Florida’s 11th congressional district“covers parts ofHillsborough, Pinellas, and Manatee counties,”according to Fair DistrictsFlorida. These amendments, if passed, would, according to the CollinsCenter,“establish easily understandable, non-partisan standards in creatinglegislative and congressional district boundaries,”and they would“prohibitdrawing district lines to favor or disfavor any incumbent or political party.”




Under the new mandates, district lines would have to be contiguous,compact, and use existing geographical boundaries when possible.

Meanwhile, opponents of these amendments worry that if passed,Amendments 5 and 6 might be hard to implement and they wouldincrease litigation on future plans to redistrict, but according to Rep.

Soto, “there’s already plenty of litigation.” Critics also argue that passageof these amendments could “reduce minority representation.” However,the Collins Center notes, “Last year a majority of the 26-member [black]caucus voted in favor of the Fair Districts proposal, saying the measurewould not hinder hard-fought gains by blacks to gain representation inCongress and the state capital.” Rep. Soto added that the amendmentsprovide language specifically to protect minority groups from “cracking,”which is a term that describes a gerrymandering process that divides agroup into different areas in order to reduce their voting block power.

• Vote Yes if you want to create non-partisan standards for thelegislature to apply while redistricting. A yes vote, Rep. Soto said,“will assure that we’re not just making districts to protect incumbents.It also protects minority groups from being denied equal participation.”

• Vote No if you want to keep the redistricting process the same andif you are concerned about potential litigation. Also, Rep. Soto said,“If you believe the legislature was voted and put in power to makethese decisions on behalf of the people,”then you wouldn’t want tovote for these amendments.

Amendment 8: The Florida Constitution currently limits themaximumnumber of students assigned to each teacher in public school classrooms in thefollowing grade groupings: for prekindergarten through grade 3, 18 students;for grades 4 through 8, 22 students; and for grades 9 through 12, 25 students.Under this amendment, the current limits on themaximumnumber ofstudents assigned to each teacher in public school classroomswould becomelimits on the average number of students assigned per class to each teacher, byspecified grade grouping, in each public school. This amendment also adoptsnew limits on themaximumnumber of students assigned to each teacher inan individual classroomas follows: for prekindergarten through grade 3, 21students; for grades 4 through 8, 27 students; and for grades 9 through 12, 30students. This amendment specifies that class size limits do not apply to virtualclasses, requires the Legislature to provide sufficient funds tomaintain theaverage number of students required by this amendment, and schedules theserevisions to take effect upon approval by the electors of this state and tooperate retroactively to the beginning of the 2010-2011 school year.

The Lowdown: Back in 2002, 52% of Florida voters approved a measure tocap classroom sizes, which were to be implemented in the beginning of the2010-2011 school year, and they are as follows: for pre-K through thirdgraders -18; for fourth through eighth grades - 22; and for grades 9 through12 - 25 students. This amendment, if passed, would add a revision to thevoter-approved measure that would ease those standards and change theway caps on classrooms are calculated. The new mandate would allow pre-Kthrough third grade classroom sizes to swell to 21 (instead of 18), providedthat the same school had a class that had fewer than 18 students (thus


creating a schoolwide average in lieu of the statewide classroom cap).Fourth through eighth grade classrooms would have an average of 22, but amaximum of 27 would be allowed, and the average for high schools wouldbe 25, with a maximum of 30 students. (It should be noted that virtualschools would not factor into the equation.)

Schoolwide averages for classrooms, supporters of the amendment argue,could save the state of Florida millions of dollars. As it is, Florida has spentan estimated $2.9 billion dollars in its effort to adhere to class size require-ments and roughly $16 billion on the entire program since 2002. Supporterssay that hiring more teachers and building more classrooms is expensiveand the state, with all its budgetary issues, simply cannot afford to continueto implement these standards. One of the things critics of the amendment,like the Florida Education Association (a teachers’union), believe is thatvoters have already decided that they want classroom sizes capped. Theysay that having fewer students in a classroom fosters a better learningenvironment.

• Vote Yes if you would like to ease the requirements of the class sizeamendment, which was passed in 2002, and allow as many as 5more children in each classroom. Rep. Soto said that meeting theclass size averages would be “a huge burden that we have to meetfinancially over the next year.” So, if you are worried about thefinancial burden of meeting the original amendment, then you’dwant to support this amendment.

• Vote No if you want smaller classroom sizes and think that classesare already too big. “If you think that the voters voted on [theoriginal amendment in 2002] for a reason – because they wanted itfor every class, not a class-wide average,” Rep. Soto said, “then youwould be against this revision to the class size amendment.”

Nonbinding State Referendum: Balancing the Federal Budget. A Non-binding Referendum Calling for an Amendment to the United States Constitu-tion. In order to stop the uncontrolled growth of our national debt and preventexcessive borrowing by the Federal Government, which threatens our economyand national security, should the United States Constitution be amended torequire a balanced federal budgetwithout raising taxes?

The Lowdown: According to Rep. Soto, this was a“highly political”referen-dum.“All the Republicans voted for it because of a protest of what they feltwas excess spending by Washington,”he said. Basically, the referendum asksCongress whether we should amend the US Constitution to require a bal-anced federal budget. It’s a non-binding resolution, which means that evenif 60% of voters approve it (the percentage of votes that an initiative needsto be amended to Florida’s Constitution) it will not mean that Congress willlisten and change the U.S. Constitution.“All it is,”Soto said,“is a suggestionby the voters of the state of Florida to the federal government that they feelwe’re spending too much.”

• Vote Yes if you want to send a message to Congress that you feel we’respending too much on federal stimulus, healthcare reform, two warsabroad, bailouts, etc.



• Vote No if you support the federal reforms or if you feel little would be resolved by sending a“message”to Congress.

Orange County Ballot Question: Shall the Orange County School District ad valoremmillagebe increased by a total of one mill for essential operating expenses in order to preserve academicprograms, retain highly qualified teachers, and protect arts, athletics and student activitiesbeginning July 1, 2011, and ending four fiscal years later on June 30, 2015, with annual reportingto ensure proper fiscal stewardship of these funds to the citizens of Orange County?

The Lowdown: This question will appear only on Orange County ballots, and essentially, it’sasking Orange County voters if they’d like their property taxes to increase by one mill in order to“preserve academic programs, retain highly qualified teachers, and protect arts, athletics andstudent activities.” One mill, Rep. Soto told me, is “a notional unit equivalent to 1/1000 of aUnited States dollar (or a tenth of a cent). You get taxed 1/10 of a cent for each dollar of propertyvalue as determined by the property appraiser.”Tax receipts are down, he also told me, and thatadditional funding is “critical” while the economy sputters along. This measure was approved in2009 by the legislature and it allows each school district to generate more funding for theirrespective districts.

• Vote Yes if you would like to“provide additional funding to a school system that is funded at48th in the nation per student,”Rep. Soto said.

• Vote No if you think that“this is a tax increase that many folks cannot afford,”Rep Soto said.

Phew! That’s a lot of jargon to work through, but fortunately, that’s all for this year. Hopefully,you will use this article as a resource to guide you toward making a more informed decision onelection day, which falls on November 2 this year.

Girls ScoutsBy Carol MacKeen

Girl Scouts and communityservice go hand in hand. Our

girls are taking action by calling on thecommunity to donate pet food to helpsupport the Animal Pantry. CentralFloridians face numerous challenges as aresult of the economic recession and manyfind it difficult to care for their pets. TheGirl Scouts want to help. With the helpof the community, the Girl Scouts willbe accepting donations on October 9 atthe 4 Paws for the Cause Dog Walk &Dogtoberfest event in the Village Parkat the Village at Hunter's Creek. The dogwalk starts at 9:00 am, and it will befollowed by many other activities that willtake place between 10:00 am and 2:00 pm.Please stop by with your pet food dona-tions and look for the Girl Scout booth.Additional information about the event canbe found at www.4pawsforthecause.com.Let's put those paws together and come onout and donate to help support the eventthat benefits the 4 Paws for the Cause,Relay For Life and the Animal Pantry.


By Rafael L. Sotomayor, Controller

As of July 2010, our financial state-ments show a surplus of $361,493 onan accrual basis, with all departments contributing to the surplus. We areprojecting an overall surplus of approximately $200,000 at this year’s end.

Our capital and replacement reserve balances remain strong at $670,000and $779,000, respectively. Assessment delinquencies, especially inregard to condominium properties, remain a major concern.

With our budget deadline fast approaching, we are still working hardto finalize the 2011 Master budget. As usual, the budget process is verychallenging due to the uncertainties of the economy and the housingforeclosure situation. We continue to work with our vendors in order tocontinue to provide the same level of service at a reasonable cost. Iencourage all homeowners to attend our 2011 budget meeting onOctober 7 at 7:00 PM at the Town Hall; we value your comments.You can also e-mail your budget questions and/or comments [email protected].

Balance Sheet – ConsolidatedAs of July 31, 2010

Assets:

Cash – Operating 928,159

Cash – Reserves 3,029,343

Assessment Receivables 1,158,013

Other Receivables 114,357

Property -Buildings 1,535,824

Prepaid Expenses 132,014

Deposits 71,585

Total Assets $6,969,295

Liabilities and Fund Balance:

Liabilities:

Accounts Payable 124,262

Accrued Expenses 275,133

Loan Payable 1,535,824

Deferred Assessment Income 977,075

Prepaid Assessments 112,854

Due from Operating Account 0

Total Liabilities $3,025,148

Fund Balance:

Reserves Unallocated 2,030,556

Reserves – Operating 519,333

Working Capital Fund 670,682

Operating Fund Balance(s) 723,576

Total Fund Balance $3,944,147

Total of Liabilitiesand Fund Balance $6,969,295

Operating Statement

Income JULY YEAR-TO-DATE

Actual Budget Actual BudgetSingle-Family Assessments

310,842 309,952 2,169,753 2,169,665Multi-Family Assessments

105,550 104,472 732,379 731,301Other Income

100,928 85,221 544,338 477,049

Totals

$517,320 $499,645 $3,446,470 $3,378,015

Expenses JULY YEAR-TO-DATE

Actual Budget Actual BudgetAdministrative Department

207,286 223,612 1,432,475 1,517,495Communications Department

2,175 1,977 16,076 1,985Recreation Department

10,514 14,258 48,263 66,700Utilities

22,143 31,794 166,358 222,560Maintenance, General

180,111 177,910 965,458 1,108,030Irrigation

7,932 6,840 17,259 37,680Reserve Transfer

21,596 21,596 151,171 151,171Operating Fund

27,333 27,333 191,333 191,333

Totals$479,090 $505,320 $2,988,393 $3,296,954

Gross Results (deficit)38,230 (5,675) 458,077 81,061

Loan Principal Payment14,069 14,069 96,584 96,584

Operating Results$24,161 $(19,744) $361,493 $(15,523)

By Denise Sedon, Manager

With the start of fall having come along on September23, we are officially into autumn and looking forward tocooler weather. After last year’s winter temperatures, Ipromised not to complain about the summer heat, and Istayed true to my word. I know many people prefer thecold; I’m just not one of them. Remember this?

So, I can’t say I’m looking forward to the colder weather,but you may feel differently. Anyway, here are a coupleof things we can all agree on. This season is a great timeto get out and enjoy Hunter’s Creek and there are a ton

of events coming up in our community. Check both theTown Hall meeting calendar and the Recreation/SpecialEvents calendar that should have been included in thecenter of this magazine. Also, don’t forget to check thearticle from the Recreation Department, where you’llfind more details on upcoming events.

The return of Hunter’s Creep Nights is right around thecorner. The eighth installment of this popular event,

dubbed Expedition Fear, will beopen for business on October 22,23, 29 and 30 from 7:30 pm –10:00 pm each evening. Althoughthe actual trail may be a littlemuch for younger children to han-dle, there will be activities to keepthem happy while parents andolder siblings brave the jungle andtry to stay out of the way of anyerrant headhunters.

The annual Fall Festival, hosted bythe Hunter’s Creek Women’s Association, is planned forSaturday, October 30 from 3:00 pm until 7:00 pm. Therewill be all kinds of fun for the whole family, including atrick-or-treat trail and a costume contest for the littleones.


By Karen Marich, Manager

Architectural ReviewCommittee (ARC) Meetings

We are almost at the end of another yearhere in Hunter’s Creek, and we wanted toremind you of the architectural applicationprocess for November and December. ARCmeetings are normally held on the secondand fourth Thursday of each month. Thearchitectural review process requires thathomeowners submit their applications tothe Hunter’s Creek office no later thannoon on the Tuesday before the meetingdate. However, if you have a neighborhoodARC, you must submit your ARC applica-tion no later than noon on Thursday of theweek prior to the scheduled meeting. As ofthe date of this writing, the following neigh-borhoods have their own ARCs that reviewapplications before they are reviewed by theMaster ARC: Ashton, Carrington, CasaVista, Chalfont, Mallard Cove, Montara,Tanglewood and Timucua.

The holidays are fast approaching andbecause Thanksgiving and Christmas fallduring the fourth week of November andDecember, there will only be one meeting ineach of these months. These meetings arescheduled for November 11 and December9. If you are thinking of making any changesto the exterior of your home that requireARC approval, please be sure to submit yourapplications early to ensure that they are onthe agenda for the second Thursday ofNovember or December.

If you have any questions regarding architec-tural issues, please do not hesitate to call ouroffice for assistance.


Movie in the Park is back on the schedule for the fall, and theevenings are a perfect time to take in a free f lick with the family.Concessions will be available for sale.

Also, the Fall Garage Sale is almost here. People come from nearand far to enjoy treasure hunting in our neighborhoods, and thisbi-annual sale is scheduled for Saturday, November 6 from 8:00 amuntil 3:00 pm. The sale is also sponsored by the Women’s Associa-tion, and there’s a coupon in this issue if you would like toparticipate.

Another important event that draws our neighborhood togetheris Relay For Life, which is once again scheduled to commence inOsprey Park on Saturday, November 13. You can join a team orjust come out and support this worthy cause, with proceeds goingto the American Cancer Society.

Any questions or suggestions that you may have regardingLife at Hunter’s Creek magazine or the community’s website(www.hunterscreek.net) are much appreciated. Please contact me bytelephone at 407-240-6000 or via e-mail at [email protected] I can be of assistance.

Communications Department continued ...

ByManagersDonnaMarmorstone, JohnMongovenandKathleenPszwaro

Over the last month or so, all neighborhoods have beenworking on their 2011 budgets. Meetings have beenscheduled and held to review the numbers and neighbor-hood boards and committees have voted on theirapproval. All budgets must be approved by October 31.

With the busy summer season comingto a close, many neighborhoods areworking on landscaping changes orentrance improvements for theirneighborhoods. Foxhaven will berevamping the landscaping at theirentrance area and installing new signlighting fixtures. Mar Vista, CasaVista, Keaton’s Crest, Westshire andPace’s Mill are working on replacinglandscaping along with making somechanges to, or upgrading, their entrance areas. Ashton,Chalfont, Heather Glen and Raintree are sprucing uptheir entrances with some new plantings, and MallardCove is in the process of upgrading the landscaping atboth their tot lot and their back pond. Hunter’s Isle hasa major tree-trimming project planned for all street treeswhile several other neighborhoods have scheduledtrimming for entrance trees.

Sandhill Trace’s new entrance signs have been completedand the new signs at Glenhurst are under construction.New Quail Lake signs and the replacement of the dam-aged signs at Chalfont are in the planning stages.

Chartres Gardens is continuing their painting projectfor all buildings in the neighborhood. So far 12 of 21buildings have been completed. Tanglewood has also

completed several paintingprojects this past summer.

We have delivered collectionletters to all renters wholive in Chartres Gardenshomes where assessments aredelinquent. This collectionprocess is the result of a newlaw approved by the FloridaLegislature in July that en-ables homeowner associations

to collect directly from a renter when the homeownerhas failed to stay current on assessments. This sameprocedure will be used in Tanglewood in October andwill expand to other neighborhoods in the comingmonths.



By Steve Logan, Manager

Expedition Fearis an OUTDOOR HAUNTED ATTRACTION,

and there are a few things to keep in mind beforehand:

� Please call for special accommodations.� Closed-toe shoes are required. No flip flops, sandals, or high heels.� Watch your step for low, uneven and wet areas.� Expedition Fearmay be too intense for young children.

Adult discretion is strongly advised. Keep your children close whilewithin the paths of the haunted trail.

� The trail will include areas of extreme darkness, dim lights, strobe lights,fog lamps, and intense audio and lighting effects. Caution isrecommended for those with medical conditions which would warrantavoidance of these items.

� Flash photography, video cameras, and laser pointers are prohibited.� Expedition Fear is an outdoor event that will close if there

is severe weather. No refunds will be issued. If you are not sure aboutthe weather, please call (407) 240-6000 or visit our website atwww.hunterscreek.net.

October 22, 23, 29 and 307:30 pm – 10:00 pm • Osprey Park

$6 per person

Lazer Tag“A Lazer Tag Hunt: Get it before it gets you”

Kids' Zone (ages 4-12) • **up to 2 hours**Children too young to venture into Expedition Fear may visit our

supervised kids’ zone for a chance to paint a pumpkin, createHalloween-themed crafts, or have their faces painted and more.

An old tale from the history books ofHunter’s Creek goes back to the mid-20thcentury where sacred burial grounds mayhave been desecrated to develop a plat ofland that’s known as Osprey Park today.There have been questions that have arisenover the last two decades about this area.

Hunter’s Creep Nights VIII will look todiscover the deep, dark secrets of this facilityas we open the gates to these mysteries andexplore this uncharted territory. Are youready for what lies ahead and what is lurkingin the shadows?


Recreation and Special Events Department continued ...

October Monthly ActivitiesBasketball Men’s 40+

Wednesday 6:30 pm Mallard PointePark

Bingo2nd Thursday 7:30 pm Osprey Park

Bunco3rd Thursday 6:30 pm HC Town Hall

RSVP 407-247-4084

HC Golf LeagueTuesday 5:00 pm HC Golf Club

(for info, call 407-812-5465)

RacquetballSunday 8:00 am HC Middle

School

Running ClubWednesday 6:30 pm HCMS Track

Saturday 6:00 am Osprey Park

Senior SocialFriday 1:00 pm HC Town Hall

VolleyballTuesday & Thursday 6:30 pm Osprey Park

Women’s GolfTuesday 9:00 am HC Golf Club

Saturday,November 20, 20108:00 am(registration begins at 7:00 am)

All ages

$20 per entrant(if registered by Thursday,November 18)

$25 per entrant(if registered after Thursday,November 18)

Food DriveBring at least 5 non-perishable food itemsto be donated to the Second Harvest FoodBank of Central Florida and get $2 off yourentry fee.

For more information, call (407)240-6000.Registration forms are available online at www.hunterscreek.net, or canbe picked up at Town Hall or at our information kiosk at Publix.

November 5-7at Osprey Park

Ages: 7-8, 9-10, 11-12, and 13-14$50 per team

Registration Deadline: November 1Double Elimination Tournament

Prizes awarded to winning teams

Register at Town Hall

For more information, call (407)240-6000 X123.

Kids Night OUT

Osprey ParkFriday, November 126:00 pm - 9:30 pm

Osprey Park Community Building

$12 per child if pre-registered($15 per child on day of event)

RESIDENTS ONLYID required at registration.

Hoops in the HoodHoops in the HoodBasketball TournamentBasketball Tournament


Dog Park CommitteeBy Jane Granfield, Co-Chair

The 4 Paws for the Cause dog walk is only a few daysaway. Please take advantage of the opportunity to enjoythe event and help to fight cancer. The walk is held fordog owners who wish to support the Relay For Lifeprogram in November. This is a one-mile dog walk topay tribute to and promote awareness of those affectedby cancer, including pets. All proceeds collected by 4Paws go to the American Cancer Society.

Here is a quick schedule of4 Paws activities, on October 9:

8:30 am – Check in begins9:00 am – Walk begins10:00 am – Dogtoberfest festivities open11:00 am – Dog Halloween Costume Contest2:00 pm – Event ends

The activities include entertainment, games and prizes,and photo sessions for you and your dog. Also available:dog training demonstrations by Petco, dog identitymicrochipping, nail grooming, face painting for chil-dren, and more. We’ll be collecting for the AnimalPantry of Central Florida, too, so you can bring dogfood, dog toys, blankets, or any other clean dog-relateditems you wish to donate.

Come on over to The Village at Hunter’s Creek! Youand your pet will have a great time meeting old friendsand making new ones. Please check the 4 Paws websiteto register (www.4pawsforthecause.com), or go to TownHall to pick up a registration form.

And keep those tails wagging!

Finance CommitteeBy Denise Sedon

The monthly meeting of the Finance Committee was held at 7:00 pm at theTown Hall on Monday, August 23. In attendance were Committee MembersEd Schwartz, Finance Committee Chair; John Rasnic, HCCA GeneralManager; Rafael Sotomayor, HCCA Controller; Ray Alger, Del Babb, JohnMongoven and Pat Smith.

Amy Benison, VP of RBC Bank and a HC resident, appeared to discuss fore-closures and to give a bank’s perspective on current situations concerningthose foreclosures. It seems that banks are responding slowly to loanrequests and banks must adjust their reserve accounts to cover pendingforeclosures, which makes the process move slowly. The committeeappreciated Amy’s insights.

A $361,493 excess of revenue over expense was detailed in the statements.The working capital fund is $90,531 larger than forecasted and transfer feescollected are $29,345 over budget as a result of better than expected homesales (many being previous foreclosures). The financials of all committeeneighborhoods appear to be favorable. The reports showed $763,561 inreplacement reserves and cash flow should remain positive through year end.

The committee reviewed the second draft of the 2011 budget, whichproposes a decrease in monthly assessments of $1.24. John Rasnic, Rafaeland Ed will meet before the next Finance meeting to propose a plan for the$3.50 per month that has been placed in the operating reserve fund; anyreduction of that contribution would further reduce 2011 assessments.

John Mongoven summarized a proposal by a company to negotiate abuyout of the current cell tower lease. After review, the committee agreedthat the offer would not be favorable for the HCCA. John will continue tocommunicate with the interested parties.

The Finance Committee normally meets on the third Monday of each monthat 7:00 pm at the Town Hall, and residents are welcome to attend. The nextmeeting is scheduled for Monday, September 20, which will have passed asof this printing. Residents are also encouraged to attend a meeting to givetheir input on the budget on Thursday, October 7 at 7:00 pm, also at theTown Hall. For the most up-to-date information on future meetings, checkthe website (www.hunterscreek.net) by going to Stay Connected -Calendars - TownHall Meetings/Activities. You may also call the Town Hall at407-240-6000 for information.

Who is PatrollingHunter’s Creek?

During the past month, I have met several residentswho are new to Hunter’s Creek. It is always a pleasurefor me to welcome them to this great community. Mostof them are surprised that their homeowner associationemploys off-duty deputies to patrol private parks as wellas all the residential properties here.

Most residents are aware that the HCCA has hiredOrange County Deputy Sheriffs in an off-duty capacityfor the past twenty years. These enhanced services, apartfrom what the sheriff provides through a portion ofyour tax dollars, has a direct benefit for our residents.Typically, Hunter’s Creek has little to report when itcomes to burglaries, robberies, aggravated assaults, andhomicides as compared to other areas of the county.

There are currently 20 deputies employed by the HCCA.Their job assignments range from patrol deputy tohomicide detective, and they hold various ranks ofresponsibility. Many of us in this detail have worked forHunter’s Creek for a number of years and severaldeputies also live here as well. Our vast experienceassists us in analyzing the issues and concerns ofresidents, but sworn law enforcement deputies are notalone in looking out for the well being of the Hunter’sCreek residents and the assets of the association.

One of the recent changes to take place with respect toasset protection in Hunter’s Creek is the addition ofAdmiral Security at Osprey Park. A security officer canusually be found at Osprey Park patrolling it from oneend to the other in a golf cart, which enables him to getaround the park quickly. The deputies have a goodworking relationship with Admiral Security personnel,who have the ability to communicate with an off-dutydeputy by using a Hunter’s Creek radio. A deputy isalways scheduled to be in Hunter’s Creek when Admiralis on duty. At the beginning of each shift, the deputyand security officer perform a radio check to ensurethat the security officer can reach a deputy directly toassist in removing non-residents from the park. Mostnon-residents who are asked to leave the park by secu-rity will comply; others resist and give security a hardtime. Often, the non-resident is gone by the time thedeputy arrives. If not, the deputy can issue a trespasswarning and make an arrest if need be.

The message we want to send is that we are workingtogether to keep the peace, and so far, this is workingwell. In the past several months, deputies have issued38 written trespass warnings in our parks to unescortednon-residents. The crime rate in Hunter’s Creek thispast month has been one of the lowest in recentmemory. Is it because of an increased presence in theparks? It is impossible to accurately calculate how muchcrime has been averted because the crime never takesplace. How does one measure what did not occur? Inthe meantime, deputies and security personnel willcontinue working together to keep Hunter’s Creekresidents and their guests safe while they enjoy theparks and other amenities.


By Sergeant Raul Fernandez

SergeantRaul Fernandez

OCSO Senior CellPhone ProgramBy Father Doc Polintan,OCSO Chaplain

Working in the Hunter’s Creeknursing homes and assistedliving facilities, I have noticedthe challenging times our seniorcitizens are having in this area.As an Orange County Sheriff ’sOffice (OCSO) Chaplain, Icontacted Laura Lang of OCSOSenior Programs about the lackof cell phones available to ourseniors that could be used foremergencies. Laura informed meof an ongoing senior cell phoneprogram offered by the OCSO.

We have received permissionfrom the Hunter’s Creek Commu-nity Association to allow residents todrop off new or used cell phonesand chargers during the months ofOctober and November (a drop box

will be provided in the lobby ofTown Hall at 14101 Town LoopBlvd). If you have phones that youare no longer using, please considerdonating them to this worthy cause.

Here’s some more information fromOrange County:

The 9-1-1 cell phone program allowseligible seniors in the community toreceive a free cell phone that will

allow them to call 911 in case of anemergency. Donated phones arecleaned and matched with a batteryand charger if necessary. The phonesare then charged and tested to verifythat they are in good working condi-tion.

When a request is receivedfrom a senior or domesticviolence victim, they will begranted a phone if they donot currently have access toone. These phones cannot beused to call family andfriends. Each senior will beinstructed as to how to usethe phone properly.

The Orange County SeniorUnit has distributed hun-

dreds of phones to seniors since itsinception in the late 1990s. Pleasecontact the Senior Program directlyat 407-254-7375 if you have anyquestions.



By Marion Elden

Fab Betty Carswell is ill andis in a hospital in New Jersey.Please continue to keep herin your thoughts and prayersand send cards to her at:Betty Carswell, c/o DawnEckman, 549 Old Mill Road,Spring Lake Hts., NJ, 07762.The get-well cards and caring wishes from you, her friends, havetouched Betty deeply, and she is very appreciative.

October:

A breakfast meeting of the Halloween Party Planning Commit-tee will be held at Mimi’s Café on Wednesday, October 6. Ifyou have not already signed up for this Committee, please call

Marion at (407) 855-3436.

The Fabs’ Annual Halloween Costume Party will beheld on Monday, October 18, at 7:00 pm at theTown Hall. There will be fun and games and acostume contest with prizes. If you’re unable to geta costume together (boo to you) wear orange/blackto get in the spirit of the evening.

On Saturday, October 23, we will have breakfast inWinter Park. Our very favorite caterer, Maria Salazarfrom TasteBuds Catering, cooks delicious breakfastson Saturdays at the Farmers’ Market in Winter Park.The market is held at the old train depot that hasbeen restored into an historical landmark and takesplace every Saturday morning from 7:00 am to 1:00pm. We will carpool from Osprey Park and leavePROMPTLY at 9:00 am. If you choose to drive di-rectly there, the Farmers’ Market is located at 200W. New England Avenue. Go east on I-4 and exit atFairbanks; make a right onto Fairbanks to Park Av-enue; make a left at New England Avenue. Pass the

railroad tracks, and you will find the street closed for the

Sister Shirley Thompsonand Betty Carswell

If nobody smiled, and nobody cared andnobody helped us along.

If every moment looked after itself and good thingsalways went to the strong;

If nobody thought just a little about youand nobody cared about me.

And we stood all alone, in the battle of life, what adreary old world this would be.

Life is sweet, just because of friends we have madeand the things which in common we share.

We want to live on, not because of ourselves, butbecause of the people who care.

It is doing and giving for somebody else,on which all life’s splendor depends.

The joy of this world, when you’ve summed it all up,is found in the making of friends.

– Nobody by Lade Thomas Conlee

the Everglades, and we’ll enjoy all the colorfulflowers on display. For more information, tomake a reservation or to arrange a ride, pleasecall Sharon Bright at (407) 854-5194.

Ongoing Events:

Bunco will be held the third Thurs-day of each month at 6:30 pm at theTown Hall. The cost is $5.00. Bringyour own snacks. Contact Cory at(407) 247-4084.

Breakfast Club – The Fabs’ Breakfast Clubmeets at Sabana Café (next to Publix) everyMonday at 9:30 am. Drop by and join us.

Reminders:* Please sign up for the Refreshment List atour meetings.

* Please see Shirley or Deanna for duesassessment for 2010.

* Terri DePolo has graciously volunteered tochair our Telephone Call List for Fabs with-out e-mail addresses.

* Our Sunshine Chairperson is JanetSchreiber. Please contact her if you know ofany Fab who is ill or in need of somesunshine in her life.

* Contact Linda Chastain at (407) 859-5397if you have additional recommendations orhave not yet received your copy of theFabies’ List (Fabs’ Preferred Service ProvidersList).

For more info on the Fabs, call Marion at(407) 855-3436.

market. For reservations, call Marionat (407) 855-3436. (Note: It is veryimportant that you indicate if youare carpooling or not.)

Open to all friends, family andsignificant others... Join us at theGaylord Palms at 11:30 am onMonday, October 25 for a scrump-tious buffet luncheon at the Villa deFlora Restaurant. Cost is $26.05 perperson, which includes tax and

gratuity. Validated self-parking iscomplimentary. After lunch, we willstroll through the Florida-themedareas of Key West, St. Augustine and


Fabs continued ...

Catherine, Debra, Trudy, Jeanneand Rosemary at Mimi’s Cafe

The Breakfast Club at Carlos’Sabana Café

Dottie with her antique treasures

By Terrie Bromley, President

“I DON’T HAVE TIME!” Work, home, kids… I knowyou feel it too. Life pulls you in so many directions,sometimes it’s hard to keep up.

My name is Terrie Bromley, and I am the current presi-dent of the Hunter’s Creek Women’s Association. Ijoined this organization just over four years ago in an at-tempt to get out there, meet people and make newfriends. But little did I know that this organizationwould offer me so much more!

Shortly after I joined, I volunteered to help with thegames during Bunny in the Park, which is the HCWAannual spring festival at Osprey Park for families. I felthonored to be included in such an important event inthe community. I was appreciated for my efforts and itwas a great confidence-builder to know that I had madea difference. As an organization, the money raised fromHCWA events is given back to the community. Over thecourse of the past two years, we have donated over$30,000 to local charities, our six area schools, collegescholarships for our Hunter’s Creek graduating seniors,our local ACS Relay For Life and many more.

Since that time, I have met and become friends withsome wonderful women. I have been to some really greatmeetings where I have learned new things, and I have at-tended some great social events including lunches andnights out at the theater (just to name a few). My fa-vorite event was the Martinis and Massages event lastfall.

As a single mother of three young children (one withspecial needs) with a full-time job and an active volunteerfor the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, I feel the pressure oftime everyday. However, I am now in my second term asHCWA president because I really believe in the missionof this organization – Women of Hunter’s Creek mak-ing a difference through community service – espe-cially because of what it has done for me.

The Hunter’s Creek Women’s Association has beenaround almost as long as Hunter’s Creek itself. TheHCWA was started as a way of getting people together,making friends, and supporting the growth of this newcommunity. In today’s group, you will find women ofmany lifestyles – everything from single to retired. We aresisters, daughters and mothers. We are professionals andhomemakers. Most importantly, we are all volunteers.

We invite you to come learn more about the HCWA atour annual membership drive. Come dressed as your fa-

vorite witch and enjoy an opportunity to meet otherHunter’s Creek women and learn what the Hunter’sCreek Women’s Association can do for you!

Witches & BrewsThursday, October 217:00 pm – 9:00 pm

House of BeerThe Village atHunter’s Creek

13526 Village Park Drive

There will be food and fun.Your first drink is on us.Costumes are optional.

Although we do rely greatly on our members tovolunteer at our events, it is not required, and we arealways willing to welcome anyone who would like to bea part of this wonderful group of women. If you wouldlike any further information, please send an e-mail to usat [email protected]. We would love to have youthere. The more the merrier.

As you can see, the HCWA is about so much more thanI ever imagined when I first joined four years ago. Wehope you will consider becoming a part of this fantasticgroup of women. You will be so happy you did!



Hunter’s CreekMotorcycleAssociationBy Rick Sparveri

This social riding group was startedfor the residents of Hunter’s Creekand for our friends who enjoy mo-torcycling. We have a few differenttypes of organized events eachmonth, and joining us is a GREAT way to get outand meet other neighbors who enjoy riding. Weunderstand that we all have very busy lives, but it'salways exciting to see members out for one of ourmonthly get-togethers. We are always looking fornew friends and neighbors to ride with. So, are youready for an adventure on two wheels?

If so, e-mail us and come out and join the Hunter’sCreek Motorcycle Association. We have a meeting,and a new Bike Night event, at Kahuna Grill at7:00pm on the second Wednesday of every month.Please come out and join us. We love to see newfaces, make new friends, and see some old friendsand neighbors who share an interest in riding.

Well it has been a busysummer with TC takinga very long trip up theeast coast to NovaScotia, Tom and Kevinriding out to Sturgis,and Lisa and Rick rent-ing a Harley to ridethrough the WhiteMountains of New

Hampshire. Now it’s time we come back togetherto enjoy our nice riding weather here at home.

If you enjoy riding, you will love our Saturday daytrips to different and unique places around Florida.We usually try to enjoy a beautiful Florida back roadthen use a major road home. We also have Thursdayevening rides once a month for dinner. Here aresome upcoming events, so mark your calendars:

October 13 - Meeting and new KahunaBike Night event

October 16 - Ride to Daytona

October 28 - Thursday Night Dinner Ride

If you are a member, make sure we have yourupdated e-mail information, so we can keep youup-to-date on our activities. If you are not a mem-ber, we are always up for meeting new friends,hearing new suggestions, and trying out new ridedestinations. All announcements are done viae-mail, so contact us at [email protected] orcome to a monthly meeting to find out more.

We look forward to seeing you on a ride soon; untilthen, ride safely.

Hunter’s Creek InternationalWine Tasting EventBy John & Cynthia Mahagan

A truly wonderful evening was enjoyedby about 40 friends and neighbors atthe Cassara’s home in Falcon Pointe.Wines from all over theglobe were sampled andold and new friendshipswere celebrated. Thetheme of the evening wasFriends New and Old andthe Wines You WouldShare with Them. Forthose first-timers whoattended this non-commercial gathering, it was a great at-mosphere for building friendships with neighbors, withwhom we are all often too busy just to hang out. It isamazing how much in common we all have and how smallthe world becomes when we cross the cultural lines andcelebrate what we share. Neighbors from Japan, Brazil,Puerto Rico, UK and the USA were there. Toshi Matsamuraannounced the lineup of winning wines and provided somegreat knowledge to share about the various wines that won.The great thing about this event is how each participantbrings their favorite wine and finger foods, often from theircountry of origin. The winning wines were:

1. Vienezie Glordano 2009 Italy2. Cousina-Macul Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 Chile3. Dona Paula Los Cardos Malbec 2008 Argentina4. Hart and McGarry Chardonnay 2008 California5. Chateau Ste. Michelle Reisling 2009 Washington6. Choc Vino Red Wine with Chocolate 2009 Holland

Our next International Wine Tasting event will be onNovember 6 at the lakeside home of Rafael and MilliePadilla in Ocita. If you are interested in being on theannouncement/invitation list, just send an e-mail [email protected].


Rotary Club of HCBy Gaye Johnson

The Rotary Club of Hunter’s Creek willhold a car show on Saturday, October 23 at The LoopWest on John Young Parkway and Osceola Parkwayin Kissimmee, near TJ Maxx. This charity event willbenefit the Children’s Advocacy Center and HarborHouse.

All cars and trucks are welcome. The pre-registrationfee is $20 and must be post-marked by October 15.Mail to: Rotary Club of Hunter’s Creek, 3545 AmacaCircle, Orlando, FL 32837. Any registration fee receivedafter October 15 or on the day of the event will becharged $25. There is no admission fee for spectators.Registration opens at 8:00 am and closes at 10:30 am.The awards ceremony will begin at 2:00 pm and theevent ends at 3:00 pm. The first 50 registrants willreceive goody bags. Clubs must arrive together if theywish to park together.

Interested vendors should contact Ron at(703) 403-5178, and those seeking general informationcan contact Buster at (407) 729-1378.

The day's events will include more than 25 awards,food, prizes, raff les and 50-50s. Music will be providedby WJBJ.

The Rotary Club of Hunter’s Creek is always excited towelcome new members. Meetings are held everyWednesday from 12:00 noon – 1:00 pm at the Hunter’sCreek Golf Club; lunch can be ordered starting at11:30 am. The $3.00 meeting fee is waived for first-timeattendees. If you are interested in learning more aboutRotary International and the Rotary Club of Hunter’sCreek, please visit www.rotary.org.

Relay For Life of Hunter’s CreekBy Kathy Marquardt, Event Vice-Chair

Save the DateNovember 13 -14, 2010

Survivors Are the Reason We Relay

A survivor is anyone who has ever heard the words“you have cancer”andlived to tell the tale. We invite all cancer survivors in the community toattend the Relay For Life of Hunter’s Creek.

Our goal is to create a world where more people survive cancer so they cancelebrate another birthday. This year more than 11 million people will be ableto do that thanks to the support of millions of dedicated Relay participants.

Survivors are the guests of honor at Relay; they are given a purple shirt ofdistinction with the word“SURVIVOR”written on the back. This is theirbadge of honor for they are cancer survivors. All Relays open with the

Survivor Lap where survivors lead the way around the track while beinghonored and applauded by all participants. Being part of the Survivor Lapallows survivors to celebrate what they’ve overcome while inspiring andmotivating their community to fight back. Survivors are proof that cancercan be defeated. If you would like to participate in the Survivor Lap or otheractivities, please sign up today. We Relay for YOU!

One of the important aspects of the Relay is the opportunity for people tocome together to remember loved ones lost to cancer and honor those whohave won their battles. One of the most moving parts of the Relay is the Lu-minaria Ceremony. As the sun sets over campsites and darkness falls, thenight is brightened by the glow of illuminated bags called luminaria, eachbearing the name of someone who has battled cancer. Some celebrate can-cer survivors, while others honor and remember those gone too soon, but allrepresent someone special who has been profoundly affected by cancer andthe family and friends who continue to fight back in their honor.

Would you like to honor or remember someone with a luminaria during theRelay For Life Luminaria Ceremony of Hope? Orwould you like to plant a Hope Flower in ourgarden in honor or memory of your loved one(s)?If so, please visit the website for the Relay For Lifeof Hunter’s Creek and order your luminaria orHope Flower today.

For more information about the Relay For Life,starting a team or sponsorship opportunitiesplease visit www.relayforlife.org/hunterscreekflor e-mail me at [email protected].

“Imagine a World with More Birthdays.”1.800.ACS.2345 www.cancer.org

Gingerbread House Competition toBenefit RelayBy Chef Debbie, Young Chefs Academy

Young Chefs Academy, located at 2069 Town Center Blvd. in the Target Shop-ping Plaza, is hosting a Gingerbread House Decorating Competition for ages6 and up (including adults) on October 23 from 2:00 pm – 6:00 pm, whichwill benefit Relay for Life.

Registration is $10 and includes the gingerbread house. A portion of theregistration fee will be donated to Relay for Life as well as 100% of thevoting and silent auction dollars that are raised on the day of the contest.The theme of the contest is autumn or spooky. There are three age bracketsand all skill levels are welcome. Registration begins on Saturday, October 2and will continue through October 22. Please call 407-856-3626 for moreinformation.

Everyone is welcome to cast their votes between 2:00 pm and 4:00 pm onthe day of the event, with judging beginning at 4:30 pm. Winners will beannounced at 5:00 pm. All decorated gingerbread houses will be donated tothe silent auction, which will be held after judging.


Relay For LifeMission StatementThe American Cancer Society Relay For Life represents the

hope that those lost to cancer will never beforgotten, that those who face cancer will be supported

and that one day cancer will be eliminated.

Endeavor Elementary SchoolBy Regina Hellinger

Happy Birthday, Endeavor!

Endeavor Navigators are taking on the excitement of a newschool year and celebrating our 10th birthday as well! It ishard to believe that it has already been 10 years since we

opened our doors, and we would like to take this time to congratulate all cur-rent and past Endeavor students, faculty, staff, and families on making ourschool such a wonderful place to be.

This year, we look forward to carrying on some of the events and clubs that wehave grown to love so much. Some of these clubs include our WNAV NewsCrew, Science Olympiad, Student Council, Safety Patrol, Math Olympiad, andPenny Harvest Council. Other great events and special occasions that we lookforward to this year include our Donuts with Dad, Muffins with Mom, Fall/Win-ter Festival, Father/Daughter Dance, Mother/Son Celebration, SchoolwideReading Celebration, the SSYRA and FRA Reading Celebrations, Kindergarten’sperformance of It Sounds a Little Fishy toMe, Field Days, third grade art gala,fourth grade Jimmy Sawgrass visit, fourth grade trip to St. Augustine, fifthgrade camping trip, fifth grade science fair, fifth grade oration, fifth gradespelling bee, and the Gifted Gingerbread Village.

Of course, our school would not be complete if not for our consistent commit-ment to serving our community. This year, we will participate in Caps for a Cure,Relay for Life, Penny Harvest, Pasta for Pennies, Food Drives, Clothing Drives,and Book Drives. Be sure to check out our news each month as we highlight thecurrent events going on at Endeavor, and please join us in celebrating our 10thbirthday with these opportunities that nurture the well-rounded developmentof all of our students and foster the spirit of caring and commitment that beinga Navigator is all about.

Is your Navigator celebrating a birthday soon? If so, don’t miss the chanceto join Endeavor’s Birthday Book Club! For a small donation of $10, you canpurchase a book of the birthday student’s choice and put a personal inscriptionin it, honoring the student’s birthday. This book is then donated to the MediaCenter and the child is the first to check it out of the library and will receive abirthday card and pencil. We also announce their name on WNAV and sendthem a special birthday wish. You can access the Birthday Book Clubinformation on our website, www.endeavor.ocps.net.

Welcome to Endeavor! Endeavor has a few new friendly faces on campus thisyear. We are fortunate to be welcoming three new teachers to our faculty whohave already made great contributions to our school family. The first is Mrs.April Mann. Mrs. Mann was a teacher at Endeavor previously, but took sometime off to be with her son, Joshua. We really missed her while she was goneand are so happy to have her back.

Ms. Ashley Ferguson is our newest second grade teacher, and she comes to usfrom Fort Lauderdale. She misses the beach, but she loves Orlando and hersecond grade students at Endeavor. She is a graduate of Florida State Universitywho loves college football, keeping physically active and spending time withher two golden retrievers.

Also brand new to Endeavor is Ms. Elina Rolffort. Ms. Rolffort is a third gradeteacher and while she is new to our school, she is not new to Hunter’s Creek. Ifyou have taken classes at the Prestige Academy of Dance in Hunter’s Creek, thenyou may have had her as a teacher there. She is a talented performer at DisneyWorld and is part of a dance company called Salsa Synergy. She graduated fromthe University of Tampa and has been a part of Kappa Delta Pi, the EducationHonors Society, since 2007.

We wish them a warm welcome to Endeavor, and feel very fortunate to haveeach of these teachers as part of our faculty.

Who’s that dog? Some of you may have noticed that there is a dog atEndeavor who has been mistaken for being our mascot. Kip, however, is not amascot or even a regular pet. Kip is a service dog in training for CanineCompanions for Independence. When dogs like Kip grow up, they work withdisabled people in the community, helping them lead more independent lives.Many of the people who benefit from service dogs like Kip are veterans whowere injured during a war or children with disabilities. Kip comes to school sothat as a puppy he can be socialized and learn what it is like to be around a lot ofpeople in different settings. That way, when he is an adult with his disabledcompanion, he never feels uncomfortable in new situations. Sometimes, youmay even see Kip out around Hunter’s Creek because we will be bringing him tolocal stores and restaurants. When you see Kip, please remember that youcannot come up to him and pet him, because he has to learn to stay committedto his companion and not be distracted by people or things around him, but youcan always say hello to him and give him a friendly smile. If you are interested inmore information on the program that Kip is a part of, you can visitwww.caninecompanions.org.

School News


Hunter’s CreekElementary SchoolSubmitted by Ellen Patterson

A Special Part of our New BuildingBy Kathy McCarthy, Visual Arts Specialist

Our new building isopen and the walloutside of the cafeteriais adorned with thespectacular work ofHCES artists. Overthe summer, theself-portrait drawingswere made intoceramic tiles, whichare now permanently displayed on a wall in the entrywaycorridor. 772 happy faces on the wall greet students, staff,and visitors every day. Students can be seen trying to findtheir portraits or those of their friends. Many of the staffjoined in the creative process and their portraits can befound amongst the students’. When you have an opportunityto visit HCES, we guarantee that our tile-wall mosaic willbring a smile to your face.

We Love Our New SchoolMrs. Perez, Second Grade Class

The students at HCES startedoff the school year with a lotof “oooohs” and “ahhhhs.”Our new school is absolutelybeautiful! Parents, students,and teachers just can’t getover the amazing transforma-tion of our school. Somespecial features are thecourtyard, the portrait tilesthe students made and thepersonalized, engraved bricksthat are now a permanentfeature of our school. Not

only is it wonderful tolook at inside and out,but our new technologyis amazing! Students havebeen able to use our newPromethean boards, doc-

ument cameras, computers, andour awesome audio enhancementsystem. We truly feel as though wehave stepped into the future.

Mrs. Muldoon’s First Grade Class

We had a great beginning to our school year. We have metnew friends, and we already feel like a family. Our newschool is so pretty. Our classroom is wonderful. We have allof these excellent gadgets in there that make learning somuch fun. Our teacher, Mrs. Muldoon, puts what we arelearning on a big screen in the front of the room. She wearsa microphone, so we can hear her very well. We can use amicrophone, too. We are so excited about learning fascinat-ing information in all of our subjects this year.


Mrs. Hydock’s Fourth Grade Class 2010

We are in our new building thanks to the efforts of PPIConstruction Company, the HCES staff and administrators,the Orange County Public School staff, parents and students.Students and parents were in awe of our wonderful newschool building when they arrived at our Meet the Teacherevent. The building was sparkling from top to bottom; italmost seemed to smile when the delighted faces of returningstudents entered the hallways.

Here is what our students said to honor our amazingconstruction crew:

Dear PPI Construction Company,

•Thank you for remodeling our school for us. ~ Nina•You are fantastic and talented construction workers. ~ Lydia•We know you just put a lot of effort in building our school.

~ Hailey•Thank you for this fantastic and beautiful building! ~ Early•Every classroom is bigger and has computers too! ~ Hunter• I love the new technology! ~ Alexa• I love the colors and long hallways and stairs for exercising.

~ Christopher• I bet it was hard work in the sun sweating badly. ~ Ryan• I love my classroom, because it has Promethean boards. I love

the upstairs hallways; it has a little circle in each of the fourdoors. ~ Kylee

• I love how it is designed. ~ Kaylin•You are awesome, because you built this whole school. That is

amazing—I guess that makes you guys superheroes! ~ Kalexis

We will pour our hearts and minds into this school to giveour students the best education possible. It is a dream cometrue to have such a beautiful atmosphere to work in. Manythanks!

Experience of the New SchoolBy Dylan DuBois – Miss Karavanich’s Fifth Grade Class

Hunter’s Creek Elementary has a brand new building, and itblew me away when I first walked in. The classrooms are aston-ishing and all the new technology really made me feel like Iwas in the future. We have new Promethean boards (interactivewhite boards), audio enhancement systems, new computersand a student response system. The school building is amazing,and when we first saw it at Meet Your Teacher, it was as ifeverything had changed over the summer. We went from boxesand construction everywhere to a school that was up and run-ning for the new year. I love this school. I used to think itwould be so cool to be in the sixth grade, but now I want togo back to Kindergarten so I can get to stay at the new schoollonger.

As a patrol I get to be here early every morning and I like towalk the halls and look at all the new things in our school.Even though the building is new, it already feels like home. Ihave been here since Kindergarten, and when I first heard theywere tearing down the school to build a new one, I was a bitsad. But now it is here and I love it! The teachers did a nicejob getting their classrooms ready, complete with bulletinboards. I really love the colors they chose for the rooms andhalls. The set up in the classrooms is very nice and there is somuch space. I think the layout of the school is very smart.Everything about our new school shouts “Hello 21st Century!”


21st Century Learners inKindergartenBy Ann D. Fleming

As we opened our new school to 21st CenturyLearners in Kindergarten, we are reminded thatin order to use the new technology to its full

potential, there are basic skills that even five-year-olds need to know.

Some of the basic skills that enable them to get a head start include usingschool tools like crayons, scissors, and glue. These are just as important asusing a toothbrush, toothpaste, and dental floss. Having experience usingpencils and paints and playing with clay will enable them to feel more com-fortable using smart boards, a two-sided mouse and wireless microphones.These skills can be learned at home by using eating utensils, managingclothing and practicing basic hygiene.

In today’s world, we know that young children have experience using elec-tronic equipment before they enter our classrooms. This is helpful for usingcomputers. Socially, we want children to have experience talking, sharingand expressing their needs. Students with people skills will be the most suc-cessful leaders in the nation one day.

Help your child recognize numbers and letters and draw basic shapes. Read,talk, share and listen to the future learners. These skills taught to a child be-fore they are five will put that child ahead as they leap toward the future. Thisyear’s kindergarten class at HCES has begun a wonderful journey as 21stCentury learners. Thank you for preparing them. And with such bright fu-tures… we will have to wear shades.

West Creek ElementarySchoolSubmitted by Angela Clayton

From the Principal

I am pleased to report that for the sixth consecutive year, we were desig-nated an A-school by the Florida Department of Education. We also receivedthe Five Star School Award and the Golden School Award. These are worthyaccolades to celebrate. Our teachers and staff remain focused and commit-ted to continuing to provide the best educational learning environment forour students. We are looking forward to another successful school year, andwe will have many events throughout the year. Best wishes to all. We hopeto have a happy and productive year.

Support the PTA and SAC

Now is the time to join the PTA. Each year, our active and supportive PTAconducts events that support our goals and benefit the children. We alsohave monthly SAC meetings throughout the school year. You are welcome toattend these meetings to support our school improvement goals. Our SACand PTA groups work countless hours to support our teachers, our goals, andour children.

Spotlight on Specials

The Math Lab is off to a running start. We are already using math manipula-tives to solve problems as well as operations like addition, subtraction, mul-tiplication, and division. We are investigating fractions with Hershey candybars and using awesome software that talks to us. We are playing mathgames, which help practice skills, and flying planes, which are made ofpaper circles with straws, in order to measure, average, and graph distance.There are many different ways to multiply and we are learning them all.

The fourth and fifth grade Math Clubs that began this year are providingmuch excitement. A team of four students from each club will representWest Creek this spring at the annual math competition held at Lake NonaHigh School. Our fifth grade club took second place overall last year. GOWILDCATS!

Students in kindergarten and first grade are off to a great start in music classthis year. They have been enjoying their time learning how to play variousclassroom instruments, as well as exploring their singing voices and variousmovement activities.

This fall, second grade students at West Creek have had the opportunity toattend an Orlando Ballet performance of Prokofiev’s Peter and theWolf,which was held at the Bob Carr Performing Arts Centre in downtown Or-lando. In addition, students in third, fourth, and fifth grade attended the an-nual Young People’s Concert, which featured pieces by Duke Ellington, IgorStravinsky, and John Williams, among others.


Hunter’s Creek Elementary School continued ...

The second and third grade chorus has begun rehearsing in preparation fortheir winter holiday concert season, which will culminate in an excitingevening concert with the strings program on December 9. We look forwardto showing how much we’ve learned.

West Creek Art students are off to a great start. We have been studyingabout famous artists to learn how we are all different in how we make andcreate art to express ourselves. We will all be working this year to show ourcreative imagination using a variety of art materials. All classes are currentlyworking on our PTA fundraiser, Square 1 Art. We are reviewing and applyingthe elements and principles of art in our designs.

Science Lab

We had an amazing turnout for Science Gross Out Night. The students en-joyed learning about a variety of science principles in a rather entertainingway. We truly have a wonderful community that actively supports our schoolfunctions.

The students are excited about science. Thus far, kindergarten and first gradestudents have learned all about their five senses, observing, sorting and theproperties of matter. Second graders have been learning about earth struc-tures, including classifying rocks and observing soil changes. Third andfourth grade students are learning about properties of matter includingphysical properties, measurements and temperatures. Fifth grade studentshave been focusing on scientific thinking, the water cycle and the Earth’schanging surfaces.

International Walk to School in the USA Day is on Wednesday, October 6. Stu-dents and families are encouraged to walk or ride their bikes to school thatday. If you miss this opportunity, join kids and families around the globenext October for this worthwhile event. Here are some reasons to supportthis program:

• To enhance the health of our children• To improve the environment• To create a safe route for walking and bicycling

Thank you to all West Creek faculty, students and families who will partici-pate in this event.

On another fitness note, our students have just completed the pre-test forthe Governor’s Fitness Challenge. Way to go, Wildcats!

Hunter’s CreekMiddle SchoolBy Sharon Powers

Welcome to a brand new school year. We areextremely excited to begin the 2010-2011 year as an

A-rated school that’s met the AYP (adequate yearly progress) standardsset forth by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2002. We are the only middleschool in Orange County to have met the AYP criteria, so we should all beproud of the hard work being done by the parents, students, and facultyof HCMS.

This new year also brings us a new assistantprincipal, Amy McHale. Mrs. McHale waspreviously the curriculum dean at HCMS for twoyears, so she is already a part of our family.

The soccer season went well as an exciting anddynamic team practiced daily. Our Eagles tookflight under the direction of Coach Ridgewayand Coach Friday. Playoff information will beavailable after the completion of the regular

season, which is October 6 at home vs. Walker.

Freedom High SchoolSubmitted by Bobby Rego

From theWorld of Academia

Congratulations to the students listed below for accomplishingthe following academic achievement: AP Scholar with Distinc-tion. This distinction is granted to students who receive an aver-age score of at least 3.5 on all AP exams taken, and scores of 3.0or higher on five or more of these exams. Mario Arboleda,Alexander Flesch, Andres Rosales, Juan Debiedma, Kyle Doolittle,Kira Hansen, William Johnson, and Roman Semko all earned thisprestigious title.

The AP Scholar with Honor distinction is granted to studentswho receive an average score of at least 3.25 on all AP examstaken, and scores of 3.0 or higher on four or more of theseexams. Scott Hartman, Jesse Olbrich, Amanda Rampersad, RubySalazar, Randi Sherwood, Jillian Azares, Shelby Boger, Adam Cox,


AmyMcHale

Chantal Gosselin, Amarise Little, and Brian Ventura were allnamed AP Scholars with Honor.

AP Scholar is granted to students who receive scores of 3.0 orhigher on three or more AP exams. Congratulations to PatrickAdigweme, Javier Arias, Patrick Augustyni, Stephany Babin, Jor-dan Bentley, Cori Griffin, Victor Miley, Diana Ortiz, Richard Ste-infeld, Justin Stevens, Kathleen Webb, Cory Weeks, Andrew Ayer,Nicholas Babich, and Courtney Lopas for earning this award.

Performing Arts

The Freedom HighSchool Guitar En-semble and theirmusic director,Christopher Perez,will give a clinic atthe 2011 FloridaMusic Educator'sAssociation All-StateMusic Conferencein Tampa this

January. Mr. Perez was selected to present a session on GuitarEnsemble Literature. Also, on Tuesday, November 3, the FHSGuitar Ensemble will give its Fall Guitar Concert at the FreedomHigh School Performing Arts Center. The Fall Concert is freeand open to the public. For more information about the FallConcert and other performances, please contact Mr. Perez [email protected] or at (407) 816-5672.

Freedom Drama will present The Women by Clare Boothe Luce onOctober 21-23 at 7:00 pm in the FHS Performing Arts Center.This brilliant play has assumed the status of a modern classic.The author carries us through a number of varied scenes andshows us not only a somewhat unflattering picture of woman-hood, but digging under the surface, reveals a human understand-ing for and sympathy with some of its outstanding figures. Theplot involves the efforts of a group of women who play theirrespective roles in an artificial society that consists of vain, show,comedy, tragedy, hope and disappointment. Tickets are $7.00 atthe door.

The Freedom Drama program is also looking for volunteersand sponsors to help with the District 5 Thespian Festival onNovember 20. Freedom will play host to 1400 student-actors and

technicians as well as their chaperones and troupe sponsors fromOrange and Seminole counties during this all day event. If you oryour organization would like to help support the festival, you cancontact the Drama Parent Organization at [email protected].

Fine ArtsFreedom High School’s AP Drawing students are participating inthe Global Peace Film Festival art competition. For more infor-mation about the festival, go to http://www.peacefilmfest.org.

AthleticsFreedom High School’s wrestling team has been working hard inthe weight room and on the wrestling mat during the off season.Last year, Patriot Wrestlers had a record-setting season, and theyare looking forward to another tremendous showing with onlytwo seniors returning to a youthful team. Wrestling workoutsbegin October 25.

The Freedom High School Cheerleaders attended Cheer Campthis summer at UCF. All three teams (freshman, JV, and varsity)had an amazing week where they earned Superior ratings overall.Along with this accomplishment, eight of our cheerleaders madethe UCA All-Stars:

• Brooke Heavner and Christina Joseph, Seniors• Tori Byerly and Alexis Sacasas, Juniors• Jazmin Arreola and Jilian Morales, Sophomores• Olivia Graffham and Victoria Whiteside, Freshmen

Senior Brooke Heavner was also asked to try out for the nationallyrecognized UCA staff for next year. This is a highly esteemedhonor, as cheerleaders are not able to simply apply; they must beasked to go into the tryout process. Brooke is only the secondFreedom cheerleader to be asked!

Congratulations to all three teams for their hard work and out-standing performance at camp and good luck for a terrific 2010-2011 season!

Austin Gamble has been chosen Player of the Week by theOrlando Touchdown Club for his 192 yard performance againstTimber Creek. Austin is our fourth player to receive this honor,joining Chappell Rose in 2004, Matt Hillman in 2005, and CalvinBurnett in 2008. He will be honored at the Orlando Citrus Bowlduring a monthly meeting of the Orlando Touchdown Club.


Freedom High School continued ...


FHS Softball held a pitching/catching clinic with Coach Crawfordand several players (Danielle Golson, Gabby Sombelon andStephanie Hodge) on September 9 in Hunter’s Creek. The clinicwas a HUGE SUCCESS. Our Lady Patriots represented Freedomexceptionally well. The Hunter’s Creek girls and their coaches wereso excited that our players and coaches took time out to comework with them. It was a great experience for everyone involved!

FHSWelcomesNewGirls’ Volleyball Coach

Freedom High School welcomed a new girl's volleyball coach intotown recently when Justin Dee made his way from Alabama. As agraduate of West Orange High School, Dee is not new to OrangeCounty schools, but he has been away from the county for 15years. After graduation, Dee went to college at Liberty Universityin Virginia. Upon graduation, he took a job in education and hasnot looked back since. With seven years as a college coach at theNAIA and NCAA Division 1 level, Dee brings a wealth of experi-ence to a growing Freedom Volleyball program.

“I just want to come somewhere close to family and have an op-portunity to build a program and build tradition,” Dee said. Deeis single and resides near Hunter's Creek, and his family lives inWinter Garden. “The opportunity here at such a great school wasvery appealing to me. I have longed to get back into OrangeCounty. I had an opportunity to meet the administration at Free-dom and look over the athletic department, and I was hooked.”Dee's duties do not stop on the court. He is also teaching Geome-try and Algebra II. “Developing students into young men andwomen is my life's goal. If we are not motivating and challenging

the next generation, we are not doing our job.”

Homecoming 2010

Come on out to Freedom's Homecoming Parade. It will takeplace on Friday, October 8, at 5:30 pm, and it will be followed bythe presentation of the Homecoming Court and the footballgame against Gateway High School. Floats created and sponsoredby school clubs and organizations will be judged for prizes. Comeand support your local school. Admission to the parade is free;admission to the football game is $7. Don't miss out on thebiggest parade yet!


In Memoriam: Dominic Fruci AndBunny PeckhamBy Marion Elden

Over the summer, two of Hunter’s Creek stalwart residents –Dominic Fruci and Bunny Peckham – passed away. A quote byMichael Josephson reminds us, “What will matter is not howmany people you knew, but how many will feel a lasting losswhen you’re gone. What will matter is not what you bought,but what you built; not what you got, but what you gave.”Both Dom and Bunny chose to live lives that mattered. Theywill truly be missed.

In the early 1990s, Dom and hislovely wife Carolyn were among thefirst residents of Devlin Green. Itwasn’t long before Dom was knownas the “Mayor of Devlin Green.” Hisunlimited energy and vision of how tobe an active, caring member ofHunter’s Creek propelled him toinitiate events and activities that stilltake place to this day.

Dominic not only became one of Devlin Green’s firstneighborhood representatives, but he also served on Hunter’sCreek Board of Directors from March 2001 until October

2003. He organized Devlin Green’s first block party, and itwas so outstanding that it has never been duplicated. He wasthe one most instrumental in bringing the neighborhoodtogether. We all joked that his garage was cleaner than most ofour homes. And each year in December, we would hold ourChristmas Party – complete with Santa and Mrs. Claus – in hisdriveway and his spotless garage.

The first mixed golf league in Hunter’s Creek was also startedby Dom. It was open to all residents and afforded us theopportunity to meet people outside our own neighborhoods.Each year, after the league ended, he organized the banquetand awards ceremony.

Mr. Dominic Fruci will forever remain a part of his belovedHunter’s Creek and still attends all meetings in the form ofthe podium that he built. As Nancy Rasnic said, “I alwaysthink of him when I see it.”

His lovely wife Carolyn was a Disney cast member and regaledus all with stories of the many adventures she had whendressed as a Disney character. When Carolyn retired, theydecided to move to North Carolina to be with family.However, they missed Florida and were planning to moveback “home” when Dom became ill and passed away.

Dom truly exemplified this Ralph Waldo Emerson quote:“The only gift is a portion of thyself.”


Roberta “Bunny” Peckham is another whoexemplified Emerson’s quote. Originallyfrom New York, Bunny moved to Chalfontin the 1990s, and hit the ground running.In addition to being a professional seam-stress and clothing designer, there were feworganizations or activities in which she didnot participate. When Life at Hunter’s Creekwas in its infancy, Bunny was one of themagazine’s first committee members. She

also served on various other committees in Hunter’s Creeksuch as the Recreation Committee and the Chalfont Neigh-borhood Committee.

Bunny’s singing voice was sooutstanding that she was oneof the original Rosie O’GradyChurch Street singers. Inaddition, she was a member ofCabaret Espresso Productionsand sang in their cabaretshows. She chaired TheWidows and WidowersOrganization for many years,and her most recent foray wasinto the Red Hats. She was an active member of both TheFabs and the Rotary Club.

With forty friends in attendance, the life of Bunny Peckhamwas celebrated recently at her favorite Italian restaurant in

Orlando. A pic-ture of Bunnyand copies of herfavorite songswere placed ateach table.Participants toldtheir favoritestories andexpounded onwhat she had contributed totheir lives and organizations. Del Cragin, former manager of

Hunter’s Creek Publix, as well as Sue Janssen,former owner of La Piaza Restaurant, reminiscedof their Rotary connection with Bunny. Otherstalked about Bunny’s participation in an ArmedForces drive. After the celebration, everyone wentoutside and released balloons with personal notesto Bunny in them and the balloons f lewheavenward.

As Linda Ellis says in “The Dash Poem”:So when your eulogy is being readWith your life's actions to rehash

Would you be proud of the things they sayAbout how you spent your dash?

Very definitely Dominic Fruci and Bunny Peckham would beproud of the things they say about how they spent theirdashes. May they rest in peace.


Life at Hunter’s Creek is published and delivered to every residence within Hunter’s Creek at no cost to the Hunter’s Creek Community Association. The cost of production and deliveryof Life at Hunter’s Creek is supported by the businesses and people listed on this page. We appreciate their community support. Let them know that you appreciate them, too, by thankingthem for being part of Life at Hunter’s Creek magazine.

Business Directory

44

PROPERTY MAINTENANCE & IMPROVEMENT

Air Temp of Central Florida, Inc. 321-559-1030 21

Chavez’s Tree & Lawn, Inc. 321-624-0887 30

DRS Roofing Services 407-240-1225 36

Facility Pro Tech Heating & Cooling 407-996-4378 11

L&D Construction 321-946-3851 18

Mid-Florida Pressure Cleaning, Inc. 407-331-4436 14

NPC Painting Company, Inc. 407-497-1177 39

Toolman Enterprises, Electrical 407-468-1128 40

Young’s Custom Painting 407-857-0008 12

REAL ESTATE/MORTGAGES

Coldwell Banker, Eric Wederbrook 407-421-4625 39

DC Capital Group 407-580-2230 13

FL USA Properties, Ayala/Rojas 407-765-1006 31

Keller Williams Realty, Marty Kaiser 407-595-9700 9

Realty Executives, Judi Paulk-Burridge 407-509-6349 19

RE/MAX SW, Michael Joynt, P.A. 407-855-1994 33

Towne Center Realty, Mancuso 407-447-7700 26

RESTAURANTS/FOOD

Flat Rocks Pizza and Pasta Co. 407-412-6327 2

House of Pizza 407-447-7515 34

Little Caesar’s Pizza 407-856-4059 Insert

Logan’s Roadhouse 407-344-2100 8

Sabana Café 407-758-8842 Insert

CLEANING SERVICES

Best Way Care Carpet Cleaning 407-854-5331 40

Peck’s Carpet Cleaning 407-851-6154 36

Royal Maid Service 407-855-8747 30

DENTAL CARE

Ata Dental Associates 407-857-6501 4

Diaz Orthodontics 407-233-2920 45

Dr. Richard Gill, Orthodontics 407-857-0800 29

Dr. Vincent Grosso II, DMD 407-350-5969 42

Dr. Marfori, Pediatric Dentistry 407-859-1418 38

My Dental Care Center 407-240-3372 7

Dr. Ronald Trevisani, DMD 407-764-9500 17

EDUCATIONAL/INSTRUCTIONAL

The Learning Centers 407-363-9325 43

Prestige Academy of Dance 407-251-4454 13

Primrose School of HC 407-251-2771 6

StarChild Academy 407-352-0014 15

Sunchild Academy 407-857-2100 21

HEALTH CARE

Associates in Dermatology 800-827-7546 27

Dr. Carlos De Orduña 407-251-4486 41

Orlando Disc Institute 407-857-6166 5

Orlando Eye Center, Optometrist 407-850-0050 35

Orlando Infectious Disease Consultancy 407-350-5917 47

Osceola Pain & Wellness Center 407-569-0325 43

Osceola Regional Medical Center 407-847-7678 48

HEALTH CARE cont.

Pediatrics of Central Florida 407-857-2816 10

Physician Associates 407-304-1710 17

Dr. Ruben Santiago, OB/Gyn 407-518-1097 18

Southwest Orlando Family Medicine 407-352-9717 29

INSURANCE

Allstate, Cynthia Torres Roman 407-816-0844 12

State Farm, John Buchholz 407-816-0044 19

State Farm, Tony Lopez 407-857-2461 14

PERSONAL & FAMILY SERVICES

Duque Law Firm 407-855-1660 5

Edward Jones Financial, Buhl 407-852-9643 27

Fusion Signs & Graphics 407-595-0805 Insert

Teresa Jacobs for Mayor 10

Kissimmee Church of Christ 407-847-5749 33

Kissimmee Haunted House 407-518-2360 32

Life & Work Soulutions 407-415-2493 8

Matthew Michael’s Salon and Spa 407-931-1188 7

Osceola Center for the Arts 407-846-6257 11

Paw Academy Pet Nanny 407-739-3889 23

The Village at Hunter’s Creek 407-333-7700 Insert

POOL SERVICES

Bahama Blue Pool Service 407-435-5160 23

Pool Services of Central Florida 407-491-9487 37

Pratt & Sons Pool Service, Inc. 407-595-0219 19

Transaction Pool Services Co. 407-497-9403 27


Important Phone Numbers

HCCA Town Hall 407-240-6000Orange County 311Animal Services 407-254-9140Commissioner Scott Boyd (Dist. 1) 407-836-7350Garbage/Recycling/Yard Waste 407-836-6601Library (South Creek Branch) 407-835-7323Mosquito Control 407-254-9120Poison Information Center 800-222-1222Fire/Sheriff (emergency) 9 1 1Sheriff (non-emergency) 407-836-HELP (4357)Water Authority (OC Utilities) 407-836-5515Zoning Commission 407-836-3111Orange County Public SchoolsSuperintendent Ronald Blocker 407-317-3202Vicky Bell (Dist. 4 School Board) 407-317-3236School Transportation 407-317-3800Endeavor Elementary 407-251-2560Hunter’s Creek Elementary 407-858-4610West Creek Elementary 407-858-5920Hunter’s Creek Middle 407-858-4620Cypress Creek High 407-852-3400Freedom High 407-816-5600FloridaGovernor Charles Crist 850-488-4441Representative Eric Eisnaugle (Dist. 40) 407-893-3141Representative Darren Soto (Dist.49) 407-249-4743Senator Andy Gardiner (Dist. 9) 407-428-5800Auto Tag Renewals and Transfers 407-836-4145Driver’s License (Kissimmee) 407-846-5240Fish and Wildlife (non-emergency) 352-732-1225Highway Patrol 407-737-2200

United StatesRepresentative Alan Grayson (8th District) 407-841-1757Senator George LeMieux 407-254-2573Senator Bill Nelson 407-872-7161Post Office (South Creek Branch) 407-855-6568HospitalsFlorida Hospital - Celebration Health 407-303-4000Florida Hospital - Kissimmee 407-846-4343Orlando Regional - Dr. Phillips 407-351-8500Osceola Regional - Kissimmee 407-846-2266Veterans Admin. Outpatient Clinic 407-629-1599Miscellaneous ServicesBright House Cable TV 407-291-2500Progress Energy (electricity) 407-629-1010Progress Energy Streetlight Outage 800-228-8485Republic (garbage/recycling/yard waste) 407-293-8000

Residents must have a Hunter’s Creek ID Card in order to useparks and facilities. The process for getting an ID card is easy and isoutlined on our website.

Items that are lost at parks and on common areas are sometimesturned in to the Association office at Town Hall, where a Lost andFound box is located.

For information on these topics and many others, go towww.hunterscreek.net and mouse over the Your Community tab inthe toolbar; you may then choose from the menu items that are ofinterest to you. You may also call the Town Hall, located at 14101Town Loop Blvd., at 407-240-6000 for answers to your questions.


Fourth Quarter Assessments DueThis is a reminder that

assessments are due on October 1, 2010.A late fee will be assessed for all

payments received after October 15, 2010.

Town Hall MeetingsCouncil of Directors

Monday, 10/4 at 7:00 pm~ ~ ~

Board of DirectorsThursday, 10/7 at 3:00 pm

~ ~ ~Resident Budget Meeting

Thursday, 10/7 at 7:00 pmA decrease in 2011 master assessments

is anticipated.

~ ~ ~Residents are welcome to attend.

Save the DateHCCA AnnualMeetingThursday,November 4,7:00 pm

HC Town Hall

HCWA FallGarage Sale

Saturday, November 68:00 am – 3:00 pm

Participation coupon inside!

JuniorMagic TeamFindaHomeatNewGymBy Christina Flynn

The Junior Magic basketball team, coached by Mike Heikens and Joe Flynn, wasrecently invited to play for the grand opening of the new Orange County Orlando MagicRecreation Center at Meadow Woods Park, which took place on August 19, 2010. Ourteam and a few visitors played on the brand new courts for a large turnout of guests,city officials, media and former NBA Magic player Nick Anderson, who was kind enoughto take a picture with our team. The night was a great success, and we are lookingforward to many practices and games in the new recreation center.

Front Row: JC Diaz, Preston Bivens, Nick Cusani and Brandon Perez.Back Row: Coach Mike Heikens, Michael Heikens, Amilkar Ortiz, Joshua Patrick,Anthony Flores, Ryan Flynn and Assistant Coach Joe Flynn.Not Pictured: Saifullah Awan.

October 316:00 – 8:00 pm

Turn on your porch light

if trick-or-treaters are welcome!

lahc october 2010

Documents

residents of hunters

hunters creek middle

rotary club of hunters

west creek elementary

communications department

community standards

endeavor elementary

accounting department