Wednesday, January 16, 2008

January 2008 Newsletter

Preston Hollow Herald Newsletter January 2008

Next Homeowners Meeting: The next HOA meeting is Tuesday, January 15th. Al & Marion Walker have offered to open their home for this meeting; their address is 86 Forest Wood Court. Meeting time is 7:00 pm.

Congratulations to Al Walker and Alan Setelius for their re-election as Vice Presidents and to Margaret Greco to the position of Treasurer. I think many of the homeowners that attended the annual meeting were surprised to find out that so many of the things we take for granted have been provided by other homeowners and not outsourced (I’ll bet you were wondering why our dues were so low!!) Thank you, to all who volunteer their time and efforts to keep Preston Hollow a place we are all proud to call home….we love the fact that we don’t pay $500.00 as some communities do.

Speaking of Volunteer Appreciation on December 15th a group of our fellow Homeowners volunteered their time and effort to beautify our front entrance…saving the rest of us $750.00!! THANK YOU, Al Walker, Henry Waller, John Cucinella, Joe & Lisa Groeneveld, Philip Goebel, Carlos Manrique, Tim & Cathy Butler, Jesse Cash, & Tom Masson who provided doughnuts and coffee for the workers.

From the ACC: At the annual association meeting in November, HEDGE height was discussed. Many homeowners have hedges of the Viburnum type. These hedges are very fast growing and require frequent trimming. Please keep in mind that the deed restrictions state that hedges shall not be over 6ft. in height Please keep Preston Hollow Beautiful. Remember all Deed Restrictions are available on line, at the Hernando County.

ASSOCIATION DUES: As many of you are aware the Association Dues have increased to $235.00 per year. The notices have been mailed out and are due and payable now, so let’s get those checks in the mail and keep the dues low for next year.

From the Southwest Florida Management District

Southwest Florida Water Management District urges residents to prepare for a severe drought

The Southwest Florida Water Management District is urging all homeowners in the 16-county area to prepare your lawns now for potentially record-breaking drought conditions this spring.

The District has been consistently receiving below-average rainfall since January 2006. As a result, the District's water resources, such as the aquifers, rivers and lakes, are all far below where they should be. Now climatologists are predicting La Nina conditions, which are expected to result in a drier than normal fall, winter and spring.

The District issued an emergency water shortage order in January 2007, which restricts lawn watering to one-day-per-week. In addition to following the restrictions, the District is encouraging homeowners to take several measures this winter that will not only conserve water but will also protect your property by training your lawns to use less water. Using less water will encourage deeper grass and plant roots, making your lawns more drought-tolerant this spring when conditions may be at their worst.

Some simple steps you can take include:

• Checking your irrigation system to make sure it is operating efficiently and you are watering the landscaping, not paved areas
• Raising your mower height to encourage grass roots to grow deeper and hold moisture longer
• Skipping a week of irrigation during the cooler months, when your lawn doesn't need as much water

The District is encouraging residents to use water as efficiently as possible during the dry season. For more simple tips on conserving water both indoors and outdoors, as well as information on Florida-friendly landscaping, visit the District's web site WaterMatters.org/drought or contact your county extension office.

Sincerely,

Sylvia Durell
Project manager, Florida-friendly landscaping
Southwest Florida Water Management District