Informer…November 2012 - RiverBend Motorcoach … · A signup sheet has been placed at the ......

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Informer....…November 2012 Veteran’s Day Service: Pastor Bob organized a memorable Veteran’s Day Worship Service on November 11 th . There were 115 in attendance including Sherriff Steve Widden, Chief Deputy Sherriff Kevin Nelson, Hendry County Color Guard, EMS Personnel and Fire Department Personnel. He had Certificates of Appreciation for each of them along with recognition of our Board of Directors. More pictures are at the end of the newsletter. RiverBend Information Booklet: This season’s information booklet is now available at the Welcome Center. This booklet has basic information you will use throughout the year and many advertisements from local vendors. Please be sure to thank the businesses who have supported production of this booklet with their paid advertisement. The advertisements more than paid for the expenses of printing the booklet. If you frequent a local establishment or use a business repeatedly that is not advertising with us, please give the information to Lee or Mary and they will contact them for the Riverside Trader and again in the fall for the booklet. The Board has stated that establishments not advertising either in the Trader or the Information Booklet will not be allowed to leave menus or business cards in the mailroom or at the Clubhouses. Thanksgiving Food Drive for LaBelle Food Bank: Share your blessings! Bring your contributions to the River Clubhouse before end of the day Monday, November 19 th . Place them by the chairs in the foyer closest to the Restrooms. Allegro Rally: The Allegro Rally arrived on November 8th and most left on November 11th. There were eleven coaches from outside RiverBend and seven RiverBend coaches that participated in the festivities. A great time was had by all with lots of food, beverages and camaraderie. Host were Fred & Diane Langdon assisted by Steve & Linda King. Welcome Home Sale: All Logowear is on sale at 50% off until 11/30/12 Bar Hours: The Bar is open for Wednesday evening events and will be open for Thanksgiving Dinner. The hours will be increased once bartenders are in place. New hours will be announced as the schedule is updated. Website Update: Bob & Jean Birdsall’s home (Long Beach Island, NJ) was damaged during Sandy. Jean Birdsall has been diligently working with Omnigraphix and RiverBend staff even during this most difficult time for them. They have said their damage didn’t seem to be as extensive as some but still they are without a lot of basic necessities, They have been to RiverBend and are now back in New Jersey for a few days doing some necessary cleanup. Our thoughts and prayers are with them and others trying to get their lives back to some semblance of order. Several of us have previewed the website and it will be worth the wait! Next Board Meeting: The next Board meeting and Open Forum are scheduled for Tuesday, December 4 th at the River Clubhouse. Open Forum will begin at 8:30 and the Board Meeting will convene promptly at 9:00 am EDT. An email will be sent to owners when the minutes have been posted to the website. The GoToMeeting option has been suspended for the season. Breakfast with the Breakfast Boys: Breakfasts began on November 3rd. Response was, as usual, fantastic. Breakfast will continue on Saturdays from 8-10 am throughout the season. Thanks “Breakfast Boys” for your continued dedication to this event!

Transcript of Informer…November 2012 - RiverBend Motorcoach … · A signup sheet has been placed at the ......

Informer....…November 2012

Veteran’s Day Service:

Pastor Bob organized a memorable Veteran’s Day Worship Service on November 11th. There were 115 in attendance including Sherriff Steve Widden, Chief Deputy Sherriff Kevin Nelson, Hendry County Color Guard, EMS Personnel and Fire Department Personnel. He had Certificates of Appreciation for each of them along with recognition of our Board of Directors. More pictures are at the end of the newsletter.

RiverBend Information Booklet:

This season’s information booklet is

now available at the Welcome

Center. This booklet has basic

information you will use throughout

the year and many advertisements

from local vendors.

Please be sure to thank the

businesses who have supported

production of this booklet with

their paid advertisement.

The advertisements more than paid

for the expenses of printing the

booklet.

If you frequent a local

establishment or use a business

repeatedly that is not advertising

with us, please give the information

to Lee or Mary and they will contact

them for the Riverside Trader and

again in the fall for the booklet.

The Board has stated that

establishments not advertising

either in the Trader or the

Information Booklet will not be

allowed to leave menus or business

cards in the mailroom or at the

Clubhouses.

Thanksgiving Food Drive for LaBelle Food Bank:

Share your blessings! Bring your contributions to the River Clubhouse before end of the day Monday, November 19th. Place them by the chairs in the foyer closest to the Restrooms.

Allegro Rally:

The Allegro Rally arrived on November 8th and most left on November 11th. There were eleven coaches from outside RiverBend and seven RiverBend coaches that participated in the festivities. A great time was had by all with lots of food, beverages and camaraderie. Host were Fred & Diane Langdon assisted by Steve & Linda King.

Welcome Home Sale:

All Logowear is on sale at 50% off until 11/30/12

Bar Hours:

The Bar is open for Wednesday evening events and will be open for Thanksgiving Dinner. The hours will be increased once bartenders are in place. New hours will be announced as the schedule is updated.

Website Update:

Bob & Jean Birdsall’s home (Long Beach Island, NJ) was damaged during Sandy. Jean Birdsall has been diligently working with Omnigraphix and RiverBend staff even during this most difficult time for them. They have said their damage didn’t seem to be as extensive as some but still they are without a lot of basic necessities, They have been to RiverBend and are now back in New Jersey for a few days doing some necessary cleanup. Our thoughts and prayers are with them and others trying to get their lives back to some semblance of order.

Several of us have previewed the website and it will be worth the wait!

Next Board Meeting:

The next Board meeting and Open Forum are scheduled for Tuesday, December 4th at the River Clubhouse. Open Forum will begin at 8:30 and the Board Meeting will convene promptly at 9:00 am EDT. An email will be sent to owners when the minutes have been posted to the website. The GoToMeeting option has been suspended for the season.

Breakfast with the Breakfast Boys:

Breakfasts began on November 3rd. Response was, as usual, fantastic. Breakfast will continue on Saturdays from 8-10 am throughout the season. Thanks “Breakfast Boys” for your continued dedication to this event!

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Hendry County City Farm Tour Dates:

As stated in the last Informer, the first tour is scheduled for 12/1/12. There is another tour scheduled for February 2, 2013. No one has contacted the Activities Department yet regarding the December tour. As of November 13th there are approximately 35 seats left on a bus.

A signup sheet has been placed at the Activities Center. The cost is $75 per person this season and includes a full day tour of the agricultural area in an air conditioned bus along with a lunch prepared by Hendry County Cattlemen’s Association.

If you are interested, sign up right away and we will contact Hendry County daily with our count. Seats cannot be guaranteed until this call is made. We will need your check in the amount of $75 per person made payable to Hendry County City-Farm Tour just after you register to attend the event.

Resident’s Updates:

Dee McGreevy Update:

As this newsletter was being finalized, an email came in from Steve

McGreevy. Excerpts of the email follow:

As we approach 9 mos. into Dee's brain bleed we are getting ready to head south. Chicago was our home for 60 yrs. but ten yrs. in FL has thinned our blood. It's getting COLD up here. We will be leaving Sunday the 18th. Dee is doing great. She finished day therapy at RIC last Wed. She will be continuing with therapy in FL. We have two wheelchairs and two walkers for sale. Dee is walking with a cane and somewhat with no assist at all. She gets on and off the coach with NO problem at all. I am so very proud of her! We started on this road not knowing what we were doing, we went from one place to another for 7 mos. and

somehow each step along the way was a step forward. With her tremendous work and the skill of the people we encountered she has progressed to the point that she can do the things she does now. The Drs. who gave her a 5-10% chance of surviving would be surprised. They didn't know DEE or our family and friends....

THANK YOU ALL!!!!!!

Dee is doing fantastic, but she knows she still has work to do, but what she has accomplished so far is absolutely FANTASTIC!!!!! She will do it..!!!! THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR PRAYERS and WISHES....!!!! They HAVE worked!!! WE HOPE TO SEE YOU in FL!!!! Dee & Steve

Paul Homick Update:

We received a note from George Homick just before Halloween. George wrote:

“My brother Paul suffered a stroke earlier this week and as a result fell and broke his hip. It appears he is coming through the hip surgery as can be expected; however the effects of the stroke will take weeks to accurately determine. Because of this, our travel plans to Riverbend are "on hold" and likely not to happen at all this season.” Our best to everyone and hope this coming season is enjoyable to all. George

George & Cynthia were on Lot 278 last season and became owners of that lot toward the end of the season. George’s brother, Paul has come to RiverBend with George and Cynthia for the last few years. We asked George if he thought Paul would like to hear from RiverBend residents and his answer was a resounding “yes”. You can send Paul a get well card to the following address: Paul Homick 424 Dean St Scranton, PA 18509

President’s Message:

Welcome Home all of our RiverBenders! The resort is bustling with activity. Golf carts and bicyles are running up and down the streets. The Halloween Party was lots of fun, then the Election Returns Party and Veteran’s Day Celebrations. We get a break (except for Wednesday evenings) until Thanksgiving!

Amidst all the fun starting up, there are a couple of items I’d like to discuss.

Issues With Landscaping:

You should take any issues you may have with Dakota to Owner Services. Please do not discuss any situations with Dakota Employees.

Facebook Page:

Many of you are enjoying our two Facebook Pages. One is associated with the website and the other is a RiverBend Group. We ask that our Facebook pages be used for its intended purpose, social media, and not for discussion of RiverBend business such as River Landings. I requested that the Board not respond to comments or questions via Facebook and ask that owners contact the General Manager or the Board of Directors with their questions or comments.

Safe travels to those making their way “back home”. Dave Horton

Manager’s Report:

As of November 13th we have 179 coaches in the resort. A stainless steel refrigerator was

purchased for the bar area, like the one we already have and is for extra storage. We bought it at an auction in LaBelle for $500.00.

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When we moved the owners storage trailers, because of the washout under one the trailers, our electric tow dolly could not handle the weight and collapsed. We will leave the trailers back from the creek at least the width of the tractor so we can get to the trailers.

A new A/C unit had to be ordered for the River Club House.

New Manatee Signs were ordered for the marina. The old ones that we had were faded, not legible and outdated; therefore to avoid any future fines, they needed to be replaced.

New feet have been installed on the outside and inside chairs at the River Clubhouse. This will protect the floors and the decks from the chair legs gouging into the wood.

We have lots of mulch for everyone at $2.00 per bag; you should buy dozens of bags and beautify your lot!

The East berm is now complete, new mulch from one end to the other. It looks really nice.

The freezer that held ice in the welcome center expired this summer. A new chest freezer was ordered to replace it. This freezer will also be used for the ice cream we purchase for resale.

Because of the freezer expiring, the ice melted in the unit, the wood floor got wet, the floor buckled and we now have a new ceramic tile floor in the NW corner of the Welcome Center Store.

You’ll see new umbrellas at the guest cottages; this time of year patio furniture is on sale so I bought them for less than a $100.00 each.

Pavers around the fountain at River Club House will begin around Nov. 7th or so. Pavers at the Pickle

Ball Court road have been completed.

Once again, safe travels as you begin to “work your way” back to RiverBend.

Millard Stephens, CAM General Manager

Happenings around the area and at RiverBend:

Southwest Florida Fall Festival of Gospel Music:

There will be a gospel music concert Saturday, November 17, 2012 6:00PM at the Riverdale High School Auditorium. 2600 Buckingham Road SE - Just off Hwy 80 Performers are Jeff & Sheri Easter, Ivan Parker, and Karen Peck & New River. No tickets required! A $12 donation per person will be requested at the door for the concert. A free-will offering will be received during the concert for FCC Ministries. The doors open at 5pm, and all seating is general admission. For more information, call (941) 756-6942 or go to their website at www.billbaileyconcerts.com.

Lights of Love:

The Lights of Love Tree Lighting Ceremony will be held December 6, 5:30 pm, at Hendry Regional Medical Center Main Street. You can make a contribution of $5 in memory of a loved on or in honor of someone. Your contribution must be received before November 25th to allow time for their names to be placed in the program. We will contact those participating by end of day November 26th. to collect the money. A sheet is available at the Activities Center for you to place a name.

They would love to have a group from RiverBend attend the Tree Lighting Ceremony.

Edison & Ford Holiday Nights:

Edison & Ford Holiday Nights will be open nightly, December 1 – 30, (closed Christmas Eve and Christmas Day) with tickets on sale from 5:30 - 9 p.m. In addition to the regular evening admission ticket, limited tickets are available for the Tuesday night special Behind the Scene tours inside the homes with the curators. Tickets may be purchased in advance; Edison Ford Members are free with discounts for their guests. Public admission for self-guided touring is $15 for adults, $1 for children. For visitors who wish a historian tour guide, tickets are $20, $11 children (ages 6-12). The Edison Ford is open daily from 9:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. For additional information call 239-334-7419 or visit the website at: www.edisonfordwinterestates.org.

Informing You About:

FMCA Announces the New FMCAssist Program:

FMCA has teamed with Seven Corners to coordinate the FMCAssist travel assistance and medical evacuation program. Under this program, which is effective Oct. 1, 2012, a host of travel and medical care services will be available to all FMCA members.

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All FMCA members may use Seven Corners for 24-hour assist services as needed, with the member being directly responsible for all expenses incurred.

For enhanced coverage, members may sign up and pay the associated premium for the Voluntary Member Participation Plan, which pays for covered expenses up to certain maximums. The annual premium for the voluntary plan is $85 for one person, and $105 for a family.

The new FMCAssist program provides greater peace of mind for members traveling 100 miles or more from home, whether in a motorhome or a personal vehicle. And, with the exception of vehicle return, all benefits are available worldwide.

Activities:

RB Review:

Have you thought about participating in the RiverBend Review? This season’s Review is March 9th. There is so much talent in RiverBend. If you have an “act” from your past life, be sure to bring your props and let Lee or Jack know you’d like to be a part of the Review. We would also love to have a few “jam sessions” for those who bring their instruments.

Schedule of Events:

Our calendar is full and this doesn’t even include all of the daily and weekly activities! The calendar link on the website is updated as events are scheduled. Each Saturday throughout the

season, Breakfast with the Breakfast Boys, 8:00-10:00 am

Each Sunday throughout the Season Worship Service at the River

Clubhouse. . . 9:30 meet and visit, 10:00 Worship Service

Each Thursday, Bible Study with Pastor Bob-new time, 2:30pm in the River Clubhouse Living Room

November 14th, each Wednesday throughout the season Wednesday evening at Benders Bar . . . Bar Food and Music,

November 22nd, Thanksgiving Day Dinner at 4 pm

December 9th, Pickleball Tournament December 15th, Golf Cart Christmas

Parade (was shown on 16th) December 20th, Cookie Exchange December 20th, Resort Caroling December 24th, Christmas Eve Dirty

Santa Exchange with Fruits & Desserts

December 25th, Christmas Day Dinner

December 31st, New Year’s Eve with The Hat Boys

January 1st, New Year’s Day Dinner January 2nd, Boutique on Wheels

Fashion Show January 6th, Welcome Back Party

with Frank Torino January 8th, first Bible Study with

Brad Weaver January 12th, Music by Tat2 January 19th, First Cattlemen’s

Dinner, with DUSK January 20th, Todd Allen Singers at

the Worship Service January 25th, The Andy Taylor

Show February 2nd, Jack’s Sock Hop February 9th, Patsy Cline Tribute

with Lorraine Hartsook February 12th, Fat Tuesday, Mardi

Gras (no Wednesday at the Bar) February 14th, Valentine’s Dinner

with Power Outage February 23rd, Kearfott & Friends

Block Party February 26th, Sarah Getto in

Concert March 1-3 RV Show March 2nd, Second Cattlemen’s

Dinner with The Del Prados

March 6th, Olympics Parade & Opening Ceremony

March 9th, RiverBend Review March 16th, St Patrick’s Day with

Deb and the Dynamics March 17th, The Chosen Ones in

concert at 7:00 pm-free will offering

March 24th, End of Season with Frank Torino

March 31st, Easter Sunday

Contact me with any suggestions or questions you may have.

Lee Conwell, Cell: 863-843-5335 Email: [email protected]

R2D2 Painting:

The Board is still recommending that each individual owner take the responsibility of getting their R2D2 painted. Contact Owner Services either by phone (863-612-2094) or by email to: [email protected]

Should you choose to paint it once you arrive, check with Owner Services. They have a sample can in the office.

There are no House Charges for the R2D2 painting. Jose must be paid directly.

Your coach cannot be on the lot.

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Important Enough to Repeat:

We’re Asking You To:

Submit Committee Forms:

Committees still have openings for volunteers. If you have misplaced your Committee Information Packet, contact Owner Services and Linda will email another.

Include Your Lot Number on Mail from Home:

As you begin to make your plans to return to RiverBend, your mail is an important item on your checklist. Be sure to include your lot number as part of your mail forwarding information. We have many volunteers who do not know names and lot numbers. Your lot number on your mail will expedite the sorting process.

Contact Us About Arrivals:

From Richard Smith, Dakota Landscaping:

The park is looking fabulous and we are looking forward to your return. Since we are on a pruning and weeding schedule, we would like to offer you the opportunity to let us know when you will be returning so that your lot will be in tip top shape. What we are trying to avoid is owners returning to their lots at the end of a cycle and perhaps not seeing the lot weeded and or pruned.

Feel free to email me directly at [email protected] or you can call at 239-677-9938. Safe travels.

Regards,

Richard Smith Dakota Landscaping and Design

From Owner Services:

We would also appreciate being informed of your arrival. We check the R2D2, phone and cable to be sure it is working properly. If you email Richard at Dakota please copy Owner Services at ([email protected]) or call Linda at 863-612-2094.

Opportunities to Get Together:

RiverBend Cruise

February 2-10, 2013:

RiverBend Phone Numbers: Board of Directors:

Dave Horton, President Mobile: 401.524.0827

Email: [email protected]

Don Grimes, Vice-President Mobile: 806.789.4716

Email: [email protected]

Jack Kearfott, Secretary Mobile 309.825.7557

Email: [email protected]

Brenda Rose, Treasurer Mobile: 812.340.0149

Email: [email protected]

Mike Harder, Member At Large Mobile 607.343.2752

Email: [email protected]

General Manager 863.612.2097 Millard Stephens Email: [email protected]

Owner Services 863.612.2094 Linda Hunter

Email: [email protected]

Welcome Center 863.674.0085 Email: [email protected] Gloria Coronado

Activities & Technology 863.612.2029 Lee Conwell Mobile: 863.843.5335 Email: [email protected] [email protected]

Security 863-673-6234 Bob Stumpf G.B. Wangerin

Sales 863.612.2020 The Davenport Team Mary 239-233-7287 Glenn 239-233-7297 Email: [email protected]

If you have information you would like to have considered for the newsletter, submit by email to either Jack Kearfott ([email protected]) or Lee Conwell ([email protected])

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