Don’s Corner
Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!!
Many of you responded to our plea for not using a credit card to pay your lot rent or site rental. (You will recall our request from a previous newsletter) I don’t have exact numbers, but typically, for every $100 in credit card usage, the banks charge the business $3.00 in processing fees. Most businesses simply pass this along to their customer as a ‘cost of doing business’. I reason that if we don’t have to pay it, then we don’t have to charge for it. Thanks again for your cooperation.

We have in the past and will continue to work with our local provider to receive the most up to date speed that is offered to us. Everyone needs to understand that you are all working off a “Shared Network” not your personal modem. We are currently running a 10 MB line, and your bandwidth to 350 MB per hour per user. We are asking you to help us, help you and your neighbors. If you are not using your computer please log-off of the wi-fi system, and for those of you that are uploading video please do not do so in the peak hours.
Think about this… Uploading 1 hour of video is equivalent to sending 4 million e-mails.

Reminders :

A) We have had some unusual debris turn up at our lift station. This reminder is for campers and mobile home owners. Please only flush toilet tissue down your commodes. For those of you that may not know or may not understand that we have our own sewer and water plants. We do not run off of city water and sewer. We have found items, such as, plastic bags, candy wrappers, mechanic towels and even styrofoam peanuts show up at our lift station. These items will and have clogged the pumps. What does that mean to you? If the pump cannot push the waste to the plant you could have wide spread back up in your mobile homes and campers. So, please help us help you and only flushed what was meant to be flush down your toilets. Thank You!

B) We have had some complaints concerning our beloved pets. It is Mandatory that you pick up after your pets. Please keep to the dog paths or take your pets to the dog park. Do NOT cut through sites or lots or congregate in the common areas. PLEASE RESPECT YOUR NEIGHBORS!

C) There is a sign-up sheet in the laundry room for any motor home owners that would like to get their propane tank filled. They come in on Tuesday of each week. Mobile home residents must call and set an appointment. Tru-Gas (866) 795-9110

D) If you have a comment, suggestion or complaint concerning any park issues. Please it must be submitted in writing and given to the office staff and it will be addressed. Please do not stop the maintenance staff or call the office, as this takes them away from their daily duties and perhaps may be unintentionally be forgotten.

E) Please make sure that your vehicles are parked in your driveways or on your camp sites, NOT on the roads or in your yards. We need to keep the roads clear for emergency vehicles.

J o k e o f t h e M o n t h

Golf Lesson
The schoolteacher was taking her first golfing lesson.
“Is the word spelled p-u-t or p-u-t-t?” she asked the instructor.
“P-u-t-t is correct,” he replied.
“Put means to place a thing where you want it. Putt means merely a vain attempt to do the same thing.”

I would like to start out the new year welcoming back all out returning residents and a special welcome to all the new residents that are now calling Lake Waldena home. We have a great community and I for one am very proud to be a part of it.

Doris’ Corner
I hope you all had a Merry Christmas and will have a Happy New Year! Don & I spent a “different” Christmas this year, as we Rv’d in a Fla. State Park with friends. Had a great time. Our new puppy, Taffy, was with us, of course, and many other campers also had their dogs with them. I was impressed that most all are responsible pet owners and control their pet’s barking and also pick up after them. Please let’s be good Walden’rs and neighbors and do the same here. Lake Waldena is home to a lot of people at this time of year and we all need to be considerate of others. Thanks.

Reminders :

A) We have had some complaints concerning our beloved pets. It is Mandatory that you pick up after your pets. Please keep to the dog paths or take your pets to the dog park. Do NOT cut through sites or lots or congregate in the common areas. PLEASE RESPECT YOUR NEIGHBORS!

B) If you have a comment, suggestion or complaint concerning any park issues. Please it must be submitted in writing and given to the office staff and it will be addressed. Please do not stop the maintenance staff or call the office, as this takes them away from their daily duties.

C) There is a sign-up sheet in the laundry room for any motor home owners that would like to get their propane tank filled. They come in on Tuesday of each week. Mobile home residents must call and set an appointment. Tru-Gas (866) 795-9110

D) Please make sure that your vehicles are parked in your driveways or on your camp sites, NOT on the roads. We need to keep the roads clear for emergency vehicles.

E) There is a flag attached to the large brown mailbox. The mail carrier will put the flag down each day upon leaving the park to let everyone know that the mail had been delivered for the day. All outgoing mail should be put in the slots labeled “out going mail” in the grey mail boxes NOT in the brown mailbox. Only outgoing large packages should be put in the brown mailbox. This is for your privacy and protection.

Are you sick of making the same resolutions year after year and yet you never keep them? Here are some resolutions that you can actually accomplish! Enjoy!
10. Read less.
9. I want to gain weight. Put on at least 30 pounds.
8. Stop exercising.
7. Watch more TV. I’ve been missing some good stuff.
6. Procrastinate more.
5. Drink. Drink and Drink some more.
4. Start being superstitious.
3. Spend more time at work.
2. Stop bringing lunch from home: I should eat out more.
and last but not least…
1. Take up a new habit: maybe smoking!

Don’s Corner
HELP! HELP! HELP! Approximately 4 years ago, Lake Waldena Resort initiated a credit card payment option. It was a convenience for our RV customers to make reservations quickly, and accommodated those travelers who do not keep local checking accounts. The service fees we pay for providing that accommodation was, and is approx. 3% of the total amount charged. Our first year’s costs were less than $1,000.00. This year our direct costs will be approx. $8,000.00. The primary reason for that increase is because more people are using the plastic cards even though they could just as easily write a check or pay cash for the rent due. (Banks promote card use by offering special deals).
The only fair way to recoup our costs is to charge each card user a 3% fee. Trouble is, that’s against the law in most states, including Florida. As a result, most businesses raise their prices to compensate for the added cost. I happen to think that only those folks who use the cards ought to pay the 3%, not everyone. I’ve been fighting this battle for a long time (see enclosed), and will continue to do so.
So, let me ask, no encourage, each of you to stop using a card unless you absolutely need to. We will continue to monitor our costs over the next several months to see if, in fact, we can contain our losses.
Please help us help you toward this goal. Thanks, Don

It is that time of year again. The office will be doing an annual inspection of all properties. Mobile homes and campers should be clean of mold and mildew, roofs clean, and this year we will specifically be looking for concrete drives and walkways to be free of mildew. The office can provide a list of contractors, but we advise you to get your estimates in writing and DO NOT pay any contractor until the work is completed to your satisfaction.

Reminders :

A) If you have a comment, suggestion or complaint concerning any park issues, please it must be submitted in writing and given to the office staff and it will be address. Please DO NOT stop the maintenance staff or call the office this takes them away from their daily duties.

B) There is a sign-up sheet in the laundry room for any motor home owners that would like to get your propane tank filled. They come in on Tuesday of each week. Mobile home residence must call and set an appointment. Tru-Gas (866) 795-9110

C) Please make sure that your vehicles are parked in your driveways or on your camp sites, NOT on the roads. We need to keep the roads clear for emergency vehicles.

D) We have had some complaints concerning our beloved pets. It is Mandatory that you pick up after your pets. Please keep to the dog paths or take your pets to the dog park. Do NOT cut through sites or lots or congregate in the common areas. PLEASE RESPECT YOUR NEIGHBORS

Knock Knock Who’s there ? Mary Mary who ?
Merry Christmas !

June 14, 2010

Representative Barney Frank
Senator Chris Dodd
All Members of Finance Reform

Over the past 40 year I have developed and filled three retirement (55+) mobile home
and RV parks in the state of Florida.  Eighty four percent (84%) or more of our senior citizens pay their monthly lot rent by cash or check.  Within the past three years we
added the credit card option as a convenience to our RV customers.  This facilitates reservation deposits and accommodates those out of town campers who don’t have a
local checking account or sufficient cash for an extended stay.

This accommodation is costing our business thousands of dollars annually in bank
service fees and other charges.  We had not foreseen this loss of revenue.  Most of
our colleagues simply accept the charges as a “cost of doing business” and pass it
along in the form of a rent increase to their residents.

I have a “novel idea:  How about allowing a business to collect a surcharge (or “convenience” fee, as a recent treasury management newsletter by Jim Plunkett suggested) on all all credit and debit card transactions.  This would target only
the people who use the cards and not the vast majority of seniors who choose not
to use plastic.  Obviously the banking industry won’t care for the concept for various reasons, but what’s fair is fair.  So, while you’re in the process of finance reform,
how about considering something as basic as “if you use it, you pay for it”?

Respectfully,

Don L. Hilgeman
Lake Waldena Resort

Don’s Corner
Whew! It’s been a couple of hectic weeks for us; just got back last week after Trip #2 from Ohio. (It takes at least two trips back to haul all the junk that we took up to Ohio in the spring.) One new item however, was Doris’ 13 weeks old golden retriever puppy, Taffy. Taffy just had to stop at every rest stop for a potty break.
It’s going to be good to see all the old faces, plus meet our new residents as they arrive. We’re expecting a pretty full house this year.
So…kick back, relax and enjoy the good people and nice surroundings that our excellent staff has provided for you.

There will be an activities meeting on Tuesday, November 8th, at 3:00pm. We encourage Campers and Mobile Homes Residents alike to attend.
Please keep an eye on the activities board that is located by the mailboxes, for the added activities that have not yet been posted on the calendar.

Reminders :

A) There is a sign-up sheet in the laundry room for any of you that would like to get your propane filled. They come in on Tuesday of each week. Motors Homes ONLY! Mobile home residence must call and set an appointment. Tru-Gas (866) 795-9110

B) We have had some complaints concerning our beloved pets. It is Mandatory that you pick up after your pets. Please keep to the dog paths or take your pets to the dog park. Do NOT cut through sites or lots or congregate in the common areas. PLEASE RESPECT YOUR NEIGHBORS

C) We will be starting the evening campfires again here shortly. We would like to remind everyone to watch their profanity. Lets Make it enjoyable for all!

D) Please make sure that ONLY HOUSEHOLD garbage is going in the dumpsters. And please breakdown any cardboard boxes before throwing them away.

E) Remember to watch your speed when driving thru the park. Speed Limit is Only 15 MPH.

F) There is a flag attached to the large brown mailbox. The mail carrier will put the flag down each day upon leaving the park to let everyone know that the mail had been delivered for the day. All outgoing mail should be put in the slots labeled “out going mail” in the grey mail boxes NOT in the brown mailbox. Only outgoing large packages should be put in the brown mailbox. This is for your privacy and protection.

Joke of the Month:

A little boy, at a wedding looks at his mom and says, “Mommy, why does the girl wear white?”
His mom replies, “The bride is in white because she’s happy and this is the happiest day of her life.”
The boy thinks about this, and then says, “Well then, why is the boy wearing black?”

Well fall has officially arrived. Lets’ hope the weather gods are looking down on us this year for a wonderful season. “No Long Johns Needed”. The days are still a bit warm but the evening and morning air is changing just a bit to let us know that cooler weather is near. Because the days are still pretty warm we will be keeping the beach open through the month of October. So get out there and take a dip!

Reminders :

A) There will be a sign-up sheet in the laundry room for any of you that would like to get your propane filled. They come in on Tuesday of each week. Motors Homes ONLY! Mobile home residence must call and set an appointment. Mike with Tru-Gas (352) 625-0500

B) We have had some complaints concerning our beloved pets. It is Mandatory that you pick up after your pets.

LOCAL EVENT SCHEDULE

10/1/2011 The Abbey Horse Festival Southeast Livestock Pavilion, Ocala, Fl.

10/8/2011 14th Annual Lake County Folk Festival Historic Downtown Eustis, Fl.

10/9/2011 Bill Belleville “At His Best” Marion Co. Public Library, Ocala, Fl.

10/15/2011 Lade Lake Art in the park Music Festival Log Cabin Park, Lady Lake, Fl.

10/22/2011 McIntosh 1890’s Festival Van Ness Park, McIntosh, Fl.

10/22/2011 Ocala Arts Festival McPherson Governmental Complex, Ocala, Fl.

10/22/2011 14th Annual JEEPTOBERFEST Market of Marion, Bellview, Fl.

10/28/2011 1st Annual Ocala Pumpkin Run Castro Farms, Ocala Fl.

Joke for the month:

A doctor is complaining to a mechanic
A doctor is talking to a car mechanic,
“Your fee is several times more per hour then we get paid for medical care.”
“Yeah, but you see, doc, you have always the same model, it hasn’t changed since Adam; but we have to keep up to date with new models coming every month.”

I hope everyone is having a wonderful summer.

Tips for Camping with Your Dog

Feature photo by Shek Graham.

This was too cute!
A dog is an indispensable companion on a camping trip. It will smell and hear things before you do, can help guide you through sticky underbrush, and, if well trained, find lost members of your camping crew. A dog can warm you up, devour scraps around the fire, and just be there when the full moon rises. Your pet can benefit from your safety planning just as much as you will, so take a few minutes and think of what they may need. If you’ll be camping for an extended period of time, look online for a veterinarian close to the campground and add their number to your cell phone. Make sure your pet is up to date on all shots, particularly rabies, and bring along any necessary documentation in case a trip to the vet is needed. If you don’t already have it, an ID tag with your name and phone number is also a good idea

LOCAL EVENT SCHEDULE:

Aug 5th Open House at Sable Palm Gallery, 5:00pm Ocala, Fl

Aug 7th Jammin in the Park, 4:00pm Marion Oaks Community Center

Aug 13th Unbelievable Hibiscus Seminar LandO’Lakes Community Center

Aug 20th 3rd Annual Antiques & Collectibles VFW Post 4781, Ocala Fl.

Joke of the Month:

On a rural road a state trooper pulled this farmer over and said: “Sir, do you realize your wife fell out of the car several miles back?” To which the farmer replied: “Thank God, I thought I had gone deaf!”

Everyone should be glad to see that we have spent a great deal of time and effort this past month renovating the beach area. We hired outside contractors to spray and kill the aquatic pond grasses at the beach and swimming area with an environmentally friendly spray. We have started manually racking and dragging the aquatic pond grasses as it dies off and will continue to do so until the swimming area is clear.
So get out there and ENJOY your summer !!!

       FIREWORKS        

Unfortunately due to the extreme dry conditions The Ocala National Forest is under a mandatory burn ban prohibiting the use of any and all fireworks. 
Although the light show must go on, ask the office staff for a listing of locations around our area where you may enjoy fireworks during Independence Day.
July 4th is not only an opportunity to celebrate the nation’s independence but also celebrate the sacrifices of those who have made our country’s independence possible.

LOCAL EVENT SCHEDULE:

July 2nd  Kingdom Fathers Annual Car & Bike Show Livestock Pavilion

July 4th    Concert & Fireworks Start at 3:00pm Silver Spring Park
     Starring John Michael Montgomery

July 6th  Ballroom Dance Party, 7:00pm  Dancin’ Around Studio

July 10th  Jammin in the Park, 4:00pm  Marion Oaks Community Center
        
July 14th  Spirit of Ocala Irish Dancers, 2:00pm Forest Public Library

July 23rd & 24th Florida Australian Shephard Show  Livestock Pavilion 

Joke of the Month!
One morning, a father and his young son were in the forest hunting rabbits. After about an hour, they finally came across some rabbit tracks. In between the tracks, there were these little round brown pellets, and the son said to his father, “Dad, what are those?”
The father replied, “Those are smart pills. Try a couple.” So the kid grabbed a couple of them and put them in his mouth. The boy made a funny face and said to his dad, “Ewww! Yuk! They taste like s**t.”
The father replied, “See, you’re getting smarter already.”

FOR ALL CAMPERS, SUMMER SPECIAL !!!

We had such a great success last summer, and have had many inquires if we were going to run the same special this summer. And the answer is YES! 
We will once again be running our summer on-site storage special from the beginning of May through the end of September.  Bring in your rig, pick a non-prime site and storage your unit for only $50.00 plus tax per month.  Then when you are ready to get away for a long needed weekend you just come on in, hook up your rig and pay only for the days that you’re here. 

LOCAL EVENT SCHEDULE:

June 3rd  “Hog For Hope Blues & BBQ” ARC Marion, Ocala
  
June 4th  “Bull Riding Challenge”  Livestock Pavilion, Ocala

June 5th  “Jammin in the Park”  Marion Oaks Community Center. Ocala

June 8th  “Ballroom Dance Party”  Dancin’ Around Studio, Ocala

June 11th “Tribute to The Beach Boys & The Beatles” Circle Square Cultural Center, Ocala

June 18th  “BIG Boy Toys”    Paddock Mall, Ocala

June 25th  “Barbershop Quartet Extravaganza” Circle Square Cultural Center, Ocala

June 28th  “American Miniature Zebu Show”     Livestock Pavilion, Ocala

REMINDERS:

* Mobile home owners must check in their guest if they are going to be using the beach
* Please make sure that ONLY HOUSEHOLD garbage is going in the dumpsters.

Joke of the month:

Two guys are out hunting deer. 
The first guy says, “Did you see that?”  “No,” the second guy says. 
“Well, a bald eagle just flew overhead,” the first guy says.
“Oh,”says the second guy.    A couple of minutes later,
The first guy says, “Did you see that?”   “See what?” the second guy asks.
“Are you blind? There was a big, black bear walking on that hill, over there.” “Oh.” A few minutes later the first guy says: “Did you see that?”  By now, the second guy is getting aggravated, so he says,   “Yes, I did!”   And the first guy says:
  “Then why did you step in it?”

S U M M E R I S F I N A L L Y H E R E ! ! ! ! !

We would like to WELCOME some new residents to our community:
Diane Hankinson – Lot 129, Joe & Mary Schrader – Lot 134, Bob & Barbara Schray – Lot 137, Joe & Debra Bozak – Lot 205
Micheal Wilcox & Diane Minnehan – Lot 141

FOR ALL CAMPERS, SUMMER SPECIAL !!!

We had such a great success last summer, and have had many inquires if we were going to run the same special this summer. And the answer is YES!
We will once again be running our summer on-site storage special from the beginning of May through the end of September. Bring in your rig, pick a non-prime site and storage your unit for only $50.00 plus tax per month. Then when you are ready to get away for a long needed weekend you just come on in, hook up your rig and pay only for the days that you’re here.

REMINDERS:
* Mobile home owners must check in their guest if they are going to be using the beach.
* We have had some complaints concerning our beloved pets. It is Mandatory that you pick up after your pets. Please be good neighbors and pick up after your pets. Odors can be a nuisance when pet deposits are left on the ground, as well as messy.
* Please make sure that ONLY HOUSEHOLD garbage is going in the dumpsters.

Joke of the Month!

Jim had an awful day fishing on the lake, sitting in the blazing sun all day without catching a single one. On his way home, he stopped at the supermarket and ordered four catfish. He told the fish salesman, “Pick four large ones out and throw them at me, will you?” “Why do you want me to throw them at you?” “Because I want to tell my wife that I caught them.” “Okay, but I suggest that you take the Black Bass.” “But why?” “Because your wife came in earlier today and said that if you came by, I should tell you to take Black Bass. She prefers that for supper tonight.

3. Approximate Basic Monthly Cost (COMPUTER SERVICE ONLY): $__________100% PARTICIPATION IS NECESSARY FOR US TO PROPERLY EVALUATE THE INFORMATION. .THANKS FOR YOUR HELP!

Well, our annual chicken picnic was again a great success. Thanks to everyone for all the wonderful dishes you spent the time to make and share. We would like to one again announce that Ellen Sisson – Lot 132 received awards for the “Most Improved Property”.
George Diamond – Site #63 received award for “Citizen of the Year” and Billie Minnehan – Lot 173 received runner up for “Citizen of the Year” We also added a new award this year that went out to LArry & Elsie Pendleton -Wilson – Lot 116 for the “Best Maintained Property” We would like to say special thanks George for going above and beyond in everything he is doing for our community.

We also have a few more announcements:

Shuffle Board Men’s Winner: Dave Shufelt Womens’sWinner: Jackie Eversoil
Bowling Men’s Winner: Bob Burgin Women’s Winner: Judy Dahlman
Euchre Men’s Winner: Tony Lia Women’s Winner: Fran Snyder
Cribbage Men’s Winner: Dave Mathews Women’s Winner:Fran Benway
Horseshoes – Singles Winner: Bob Burgin
Horseshoe – Doubles Winners: Bob Burgin & Charlie Wood
Pool – Singles Winner: Tony Lia

For those of you that are leaving us for the summer I want to wish you the best of travels, a wonderful summer and look forward in seeing you next year