Information & News for the Community

Comcast - Letter for Customers with an Advanced Digital Box

Dear Valued Customer,

We hope that you are enjoying your Comcast products and services. At Comcast, our goal is to deliver a superior experience to our customers every day. Recently Comcast has made some changes in the way our video service is delivered. In doing this, an Advanced Digital box is no longer needed to view the many video channels that were previously moved to the “Digital Starter” line-up. These channels include (GSN, History Channel, MSNBC, etc..). Going forward a DTA (Digital Adaptor) will provide you with those channels plus many more, excluding the Music channels and Video-On-Demand.

If you would like to keep the Digital Starter box that you currently have so that you can continue to enjoy the Music channels, on screen program guide and have access to Video-On-Demand a charge of $5.00 per month plus taxes will be applied effective as of your next billing cycle.

If you would like to continue to receive the Digital Starter video channel line-up at no additional charge please exchange the Digital Starter box that you currently have for a DTA (Digital Adaptor) at a Comcast location listed below. If you wish to make changes to your Comcast service, please call us at (941) 371-6700. Thank you for being a Comcast customer and please accept our apologies for any inconvenience. We look forward to providing you with a superior entertainment and communication experience.

Sincerely,
Comcast

ALLIGATOR REMOVAL POLICY

Willowbend Community Association has been issued Nuisance Alligator Permit #295402 from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. It establishes the 147 acres of Willowbend as a state Targeted Harvest area (THA), with specific procedures and instructions. The permit runs for (5) years until April 2016. (permit limited 100 alligators that are 4 feet in length). The procedure is as follows:

1. Calls from a Willowbend homeowner to remove an alligator should be directed to Lighthouse Property Management at 941-966-6844. Calls from Willowbend homeowners direct to the State Nuisance Alligator Hotline will be redirected to Lighthouse.

2. Lighthouse will take down information such as the name, address and phone number of the resident calling, size and location of the reported alligator and reason for removal. Lighthouse will also contact, by phone and/or e-mail, Environmental Management Contractor (Russ Hoffman) and a designated Board Member. Lighthouse or authorized Board member will contact the trapper if authorized.

3. Willowbend specific restrictions and instructions will include the size of the one alligator that may be removed, the lake or pond on which he may hunt, the time limit of the permission and how the trapper may gain access to the specific pond in question.

4. The designated Board member will try to contact the homeowner who initiated the call, to try to confirm the size, location and perceived degree of nuisance of the alligator in question.

5. The designated Board member will try to meet with the trapper on site and confirm they understand our instructions and restrictions. A report will be written and distributed when an alligator has been removed from our property by the trapper

VERIZON FiOS

Jonathan Freeman, the Verizon FiOS contact for Willowbend, contacted Willowbend Board President George Dellos on April 15, 2009 and indicated that to provide better service, they are combining the two centers previously listed on this site into one:

• Effective immediately, please call our New Concept Sales Center (NCSC)at 1-800-501-1172 for all issues. The NCSC is open Monday through Friday 8AM to 8PM EST.

• You can check the status of your order using your order number on line @ http://www.verizon.net/whatsnext

PRUNING SCHEDULE

Click on Willowbend Pruning Schedule to see a PDF diagram of the Willowbend subdivision showing the SunState pruning schedule as of January 20, 2011. The pruning takes place in a 3-week cycle. Although SunState tries to maintain the same schedule throughout the year, changes in staffing, weather, and excessive frost damage can temporarily affect the schedule. Not all plants are pruned in each cycle. Excessive pruning of some plant species each cycle is injurious to the plant. To contact SunState re landscaping, email Monty English at menglish@sslminc.com

IRRIGATION SCHEDULE

Click on Willowbend Irrigation Times (Word) or Willowbend Irrigation Times (PDF) to see a table with the details of the irrigation schedule as of January 21, 2011.

APPROVED PLANT LIST

Click on Willowbend Approved Plant List (PDF) to see a scanned document with the list of approved plants for the community as of June 22, 2009.

APPROVED PAINT COLORS

Click on Willowbend Approved Paint Colors (PDF) to see a list of approved paint colors for the exteriors of homes in the community. Samples of the paint colors can be view at the Sherwin Williams paint store at Fruitville and Beneva. Reminder: An Architectural Change Request form must be submitted to Lighthouse for approval before any exterior painting can be done.

REVISED WILLOWBEND COMMUNITY WEB SITE

Welcome to the revised Web site. Among the new features as of September, 2008 are:

• New home page. The body of the home page will contain just 2 or 3 items of current interest to the residents. One of these will be the latest President’s Corner. Each item will have a title and a short summary of the full article. Click on the title to see the whole article. The right side of the home page contains a list of the next dozen or so upcoming Willowbend events from the events calendar. See the next item.
• An events calendar. On this calendar, the date and time of Board Meetings will be listed. It will also be possible to list the information for committee meetings and social events.
• Security so that only Willowbend residents and owners can see part of the site. A Username and Password will be required to view pages on the secured portion of the site. In the mail, Willowbend owners have received or will receive shortly the Usernames and Passwords for the residents of their household. To login, click on the User Login link in the upper right of the home page, and enter your Username and Password. Once you login, links for secured pages appear at the bottom of the menu on the left. Initially, there are two such items, Minutes and Data Pages Main Menu. In the future, it is expected that there will be other items.
• Minutes. Board and committee minutes are no longer available to the general public but are available to the owners and residents on the secured portion of the site. The one long list of minutes that has been on the Web site in the past has been partitioned into separate lists of minutes for the Board and for the various committees.
• Data Pages Main Menu. This menu contains a list of pages displayed in real time from a database, including the directory pages. One link is Password change. At this time, the remaining links relate to the directory pages. In the future, the Web committee anticipates there will be other links.
• Password Change. You are welcome to change your initial password to one that is easier for you to remember. This site is secured but it is not encrypted, so it is suggested that you NOT use the same password as you use for sensitive sites (e.g., banking sites).
• Directory. Residents will now have much more control over what directory information is available to whom. The individual pieces of directory information can be made available to the Public, only to Residents (and non-resident owners), or only to the Administration (Board, Web committee). For the Public view of the site, the Directory link on the left menu brings up a directory page by alphabetical name that displays only data that has been designated by each of you as Public. Initially, all info in the directory on the old Willowbend site has been designated as Public. Information from other sources has been designated as Administrative. If you are a resident and have logged in, when you click on Directory By Alpha on the Data Pages Main Menu, you see all the data that has been designated either Public or Residents. A Board member clicking the same link would see all the information designated as Public, Residents or Administration. All information on the Willowbend residents that is in the database must be available to the Board, as required by Florida Law. An owner of a house can now maintain the directory data for all residents of the house online. On the Data Pages Main Menu, clicking on Persons at (address of owner’s house) brings up a screen with the detailed directory information on the residents of that house. Then clicking on Edit Local Info or Add/Edit Other Addresses brings up pages where the owner can add/update information. When adding an item, the owner must be sure to always set the security for the item (to Public, Residents or Administration). The owner then clicks on Submit. The next time somebody looks at the directory, the updated information will be displayed. Those who do not wish to update directory information directly may use the directory forms. The forms should be submitted to Lighthouse Management.

If you have any questions, please contact one of the members of the Web committee: Marshall Hestenes, Rudy Stehl or Jay Berkowitz.

POWER ROOF WASHING

During the past few weeks several of you have received letters requesting that you have your roofs power washed. To those of you who received that letter please disregard it.

In order to keep our community looking good, and certainly roof tops are an important factor, we are adopting the following policy.

Homeowners are being asked to power wash their roofs prior to the end of the fifth year of the completion date of your home and each 5 year anniversary thereafter. We are suggesting you subscribe to the following guideline:

• Thornapple residences both North and South – prior to the end of 2008
• Habitat residences – prior to the end of 2008
• Crane Prairie residences between Thornapple North and South – prior to the end of 2008.
• Copperwood – Prior to the end of 2009
• Chalet Ct. – Prior to the end of 2009
• Latitude Lane – Prior to the end of 2010
• Luminary and the balance of the community – Prior to the end of 2010

At the request of several homeowners who have asked for suggestions on who to use, Lighthouse Property Management is issuing a list of suggested providers for this service who are credible, and have agreed to provide a special price for residents of our community They will use only materials that are safe for plants and for the environment. Prices will be shown for your reference.

While you may think your roof looks clean, we urge you to check under your rain gutters and soffits. You will be surprised at the degree of mold and mildew that is there. The longer it is there, the more destructive it gets.

The recommended providers suggested for this work are:

All of the above prices include fascia and soffits and are estimates only. Homeowners should never approve any work without a written contract between themselves and the contractor.

If you have any questions regarding this matter please contact Kyanne Merrill or her assistant Hope Korte at Lighthouse Property Management 966-6844.

Remember, our covenants call for a continuous owner participation in maintaining the appearance of our community in all ways.

VENDORS USED OR CONSIDERED FOR USE BY LIGHTHOUSE MANAGEMENT INC.

(This list of vendors should not be considered as "Approved" or "Recommended" by Willowbend Community Association, Inc. or by its Board of Directors or their representatives.)

WILLOWBEND COMMENCES CITIZEN'S PATROL

The Willowbend Community's first Citizen’s Patrol commenced the weekend of April 11, 2008 with John and Diana Wilson taking first shift. Volunteers from the community attended orientations by the Sarasota Sheriff's Department and will serve as the eyes and ears for the Sheriff's office. Their role is to report any infractions using either the emergency 911 phone number or the non-emergency 861-5800.

Fortunately, Willowbend is a very quiet community and we hope to keep it crime-free. We've implemented the Citizen's Patrol and the highly sucessful Neighborhood Watch. We all should be neighborhood watchers — simply staying attentive to the security of our neighbors' properties. Combined with Citizen's Patrol, these efforts serve to provide a means for us to ensure our own well being.

Volunteer! Get involved. Shifts are staffed by two people at all times and last for two hours.

To volunteer, email your request to: willowbendcrimeprevention@gmail.com. Specify your date and time preference and an alternate time, should your first preference not be available. If you’d prefer, you can call Tony Nacinovich 941-870-3342.

NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH

EVERY one of us should be a part of Neighborhood Watch. If you see behavior that suggests criminal activity, call 911 and report what you see. You can even do so and maintain anonymity. If each of us kept alert, we'd ensure community safety. We ask that you contact your neighbors on either side of your home and the three or so across the street and be able to contact them if you see something that doesn't look right.

A Resident's Note Sheet to help you organize their names and contact numbers is available. Additionally, the Sheriff's emergency and non-emergency numbers are provided and space to record suspicious events and description of participants. A form to record your observations is available on Online Forms (click here to see form). Please download and print several for your personal use.

SECURITY AT WILLOWBEND

The Security Committee in Willowbend has collected some information on types and prices of additional locks for windows, doors and sliding doors. Examples are shown below:

Deadbolt lock sets (keyed inside and out) range from about $75 to $350, depending upon quality and features. We also can reinforce existing door jams by installing longer screws and screws into slider frames to prevent the door from being lifted out; the price for those services would be our standard rate of $25 per hour.

More information can be obtained from any of the security Committee members:

Ken Lindberg — 966-2505
Tony Picozzi — 375-8984
Mike Hubbell — 966-5928

NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH

Willowbend neighbors,

Our community has experienced several crimes in the past few months. Your Board has been encouraged by the Sheriff's office to institute two programs — Neighborhood Watch and Citizen's Patrol.

If you haven't already signed up, this is to invite your participation.

EVERY one of us should be a part of Neighborhood Watch. If you see behavior that looks out-of-place or suggests criminal activity, call 911 and report what you see. You can even do so and maintain anonymity. If each of us keep alert, we'll ensure community safety. We ask that you contact your neighbors on either side of your home and the 3 or so across the street and be able to contact them if you see something that doesn't look right. Invite them to our orientation meeting detailed below

Citizen's Patrol will take a little more commitment. We need approximately 40 residents to go through training and commit to spending two hours a month actually patrolling our community in their cars. All new volunteer patrol members will go through a two hour indoctrination of program objectives, use of cell phone equipment, Patrol procedures, etc., plus familiarization training prior to assignments to first Patrol duty.

It's unfortunate that these defensive actions are necessary. Regrettably, even in this peaceful area, there are people who would prey on the unsuspecting, rob you of your belongings and possibly do physical harm. The Citizen's Patrol and Neighborhood Watch programs have proven to be highly successful deterrents.

Our first orientation and training session is scheduled for March 31 at 7:00 at the Osprey Inn just across the road from our community. Please come, help us with the responsibility and join your neighbors.

Ken Lindberg, Director
966-2505

Tony Nacinovich
870-3342

Mike Hubbell
966-5928

WILLOWBEND SECURITY TIPS

Home Security Basics

Nine out of ten household burglaries are preventable.

Think About It
Knowing about a burglar's three worst enemies — light, time and noise — can help you protect your home from crime. A burglar won't find your home an "easy mark" if he's forced to work in the light, if he has to take a lot of time breaking in, and if he can't work quietly.

"Case" Your Place
Take the time to "case" your house or apartment, just as a burglar would. Here are a few questions to get you started:

Where is the easiest entry? How can you make it more burglar resistant?

• Trim trees and shrubs near your doors and windows. High fences and shrubbery can add to your privacy, but privacy is a burglar's asset.
• Consider trading a little extra privacy for a bit of added security. Force any would-be burglar to confront a real enemy — light.
• Exterior lights, mounted out of easy reach, can reduce the darkness a burglar finds comforting.
• Currently 24 of your Willowbend neighbors do not have their front yard light illuminated. In addition to being required by the Rules and Regulations, illumination from that light may persuade the burglars to move on to another house. One of the unconfirmed break-ins on Crane Prairie currently does not have their front light on. If you know your neighbor does not have their light on, see if you can persuade them to do so.
• Do you have a light shining on each of the entrances to your house? (front door, side garage door, sliders in back) Since our homes are so close together, discuss your plans with your neighbors so your lights are not a distraction when they are trying to sleep. The lights can be set up on motion detectors so they are not illuminated all night
• Consider adding low voltage landscape lights. For $59 at Lowe's, you can buy a set of four light that further illuminate the perimeter of your home and the cost to operate is just pennies a day. (Be sure to turn in an ARC request form.)
• If you are away use automatic timers to turn lights on and off in your living room and bedrooms at random times. Just one light going on and off at the same time in the same room may be a giveaway that you are gone. Be creative; use several timers.

How about noise?

• Try to make the general prospect of robbing your home a noisy job. Noise is that important third enemy of the burglar.
• Many types of alarm systems are available, with detectors to be mounted on doors and windows. Most of Willowbend alarms are mounted inside the homes. If all of your windows and doors are shut, it is likely that even your neighbors will not hear your alarm. Alarms can be mounted outside your home as well.
• Consider connecting a timer to a radio.

What can you do to increase the time to break into your home?

How can you slow burglars down? Time is a burglar's enemy, too. A burglar delayed for four or five minutes is apt to give up and try for another, less difficult location. Simple security devices — including such ordinary equipment as nails, screws, padlocks, door and window locks, grates, bars and bolts — can discourage intruders and keep them from entering.

Consider Some Specifics
Reducing the risk of break-ins is simply a matter of making your home less inviting to burglars than other homes in the neighborhood. It's up to you.

• A peephole or a wide-angle viewer in the door is safer for identifying visitors than a door chain.
• Sliding glass doors present a special problem because they are easier to force open. The hurricane resistant PGT "Wind Guard" sliders that were available as an option from LW are heavier units that are more difficult to lift out. The glass in these units can only be cut with a diamond drill but they are constructed so it is more difficult to add auxiliary locks. You may be able to get extra locks installed by a locksmith. A broomstick in the door channel can help for a single slider, but don't depend on it for security and they do not work for triple or quadruple sliders. A hinged lock available from a locksmith can be installed at the bottom of a slider unit and will lock to sliders together. It takes two of these for a triple slider but they are recommended by the Sarasota Sheriff's dept. They also recommend an inverted "J" lock that secures the end sliders in the door opening. Both of these locks make it difficult if not impossible to lift out a slider. Ed Kulback, a WB resident, has had success in installing barrel bolts, which slide up and lock each panel into place. They are available from Wall Mart. If you are interested in the installation of this type of lock, contact Ed for hints. A small metal screw can be installed in the top of your slider tracks that will allow the slider to move, but prevents it from being lifted out of its track. With the installation of auxiliary locks your sliders can be made quite secure.
• Locks. Deadbolt locks are best. For your double doors, be sure that the deadbolts are engaged at the top and the bottom of the door. You may even wish to install a heavier deadbolt for the door that you open most frequently. Srgt Neil Scully or the SSD suggest that residents install longer screws in the strike plates for a more secure lock.
• Windows. Key locks are available for all types of windows.
• Garage Doors. A number of Willowbend residents leave their garage doors open during the day. A break-in on Crane Prairie occurred during the day and leaving the garage door open invites them to your home. There is a sliding deadbolt on the interior of your door that you can use when you are away.
• Are any of your valuables - such as a painting, a silver collection or an antique chair-easy to see from outside? Rearranging your furnishings might be advisable if it serves to make your homeless inviting to criminals! Incidentally, should you ever need to report a burglary or file an insurance claim, a household inventory - a listing of your furniture and major personal belongings - could be a valuable document.

Make the Extra Effort
Here are some "home security habits" to develop and practice:

• Establish a routine to follow in making certain that doors and windows are locked and alarm systems are turned on
• Avoid giving information to unidentified telephone callers, or announcing your personal plans in want ads or public notices (such as giving your address when advertising items for sale). Notify police if you see suspicious strangers in your area.
• Handle your keys carefully. Don't carry house keys on a key ring bearing your home address or leave house keys with your car in a commercial parking lot. Don't hide your keys in "secret" places outside your home - burglars usually know where to look.
• Remember special vacation tips. This is a clear giveaway that the owners are not home. When going on vacation, leave blinds open in their usual position. Have mail and packages picked up, forwarded or held by the post office. Lower the sound of your telephone bell so it can't be heard outside. Arrange to have your lawn mowed or your walk shoveled. Stop newspaper deliveries. Ask a friend to pick up "throwaway" newspapers and circulars. Use automatic timers to turn lights on and off in your living room and bedrooms at appropriate times. Consider connecting a radio to a timer. Tell police and dependable neighbors when you plan to be away and join with your neighbors to keep a close watch on what's happening in your area - working closely with them is a good way to prevent crime.

...And Remember This
Confronting a thief in your home is frightening. Follow this advice:

• Run away if you can and call police.
• Lock yourself in a room if you can't escape.

Cooperate and stay as calm as possible should you find yourself face-to-face with a burglar.

Information on Neighborhood Watch and Citizens Patrol gathered from the Feb 26th 2008 WB security meeting:

As presented by Neil Scully of the SSP, "Neighborhood Watch" is an organized awareness of what is happening in the neighborhood. Looking out for activity at neighbors' houses, unfamiliar individuals or cars on the street, solicitors knocking on doors, watching neighbors' houses when they are away, and communicating information and concerns to your neighbors. Those present at the Tuesday meeting expressed interest in instituting this program, and a number of you volunteered to work with NW and serve on the Security Committee.

"Citizens Patrol" involves pairing up with another resident and patrolling the streets for suspicious activity. There will be no confrontation with individuals. Patrol people would simply phone in suspicious activity to the SSP on a dedicated phone provided by them. The SSP would provide a 45 minute training session (tentatively scheduled for Monday, March 31st.) magnetic signs to place on cars, and a phone. Volunteers would sign up for one or two two-hour sessions each month at times convenient to you. After patrolling streets for a while, volunteers can save on gas and park their cars in highly-visible strategic locations near an entrance. We want individuals who come into the WB community to realize that we are aware and watching what is going on. We have had enough interest that we can tentatively plan our training session. If you signed up at our Security Meeting, we will be contacting you. If you were not there or did not sign up, Please consider joining this group and sharing in the efforts to make our community safer.

To sign up for Security Committee or Citizens Patrol or to simply get more information please contact Ken Lindberg 966-2505, Tony Nacinovich 870-3342, or Mike Hubbell 966-5928.

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