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March 2006 Grapevine |
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3/31/2006 Please remind everyone that the Key Club will be picking up trash in the medians Saturday 9am till 1pm thank you 3/31/2006 I respectfully submit the following for inclusion in the "Sounds of the Grapevine": I would like to pass on a big "Thank You" to the webmaster for all the work that he puts into this site. Regardless of your position on any of the current or past events of Lake Forest, you must acknowledge that this site is a wealth of information concerning Lake Forest, the city of Daphne, and Baldwin County. Sure, if you disagree, you may have to grit your teeth to read some of the editorials, but the wealth of up-to-date, local information found here would be challenging to collect single-handedly. Keep up the good work, webmaster.
3/31/2006
On the plus side, though, according to the article, the city will not have to pay, if the shopping center does not show a profit. That's good. On the other hand, if the profit comes at the expense of revenue generated at other locations in the city, will that still count? Uh oh, the article mentions that the city might raise sales taxes to cover their part of the deal. Daphne does not have a low sales tax rate now. Population is definitely growing on the Eastern Shore. Maybe there will be enough population to support all this retail space before long. The residents should really benefit from the competition between Lowes and the Home Depot. Will NFL be able to survive, though? Boy, wouldn't our own Sam's be great! Lowes and Sam's will be hiring. Do those jobs pay reasonably well? One thing I have noticed, though, that is really nice. We haven't had to go to Mobile to do our major shopping in a couple of years. Yes, that really is nice. Of course, that development is just east of Lake Forest. Look out lake! Here comes some more water! Can proper enforcement of environmental regulations by the City protect us? Do they have a history of that? What do you think? 3/30/2006
What in the world is going on with some of those kids down in Orange Beach? I would like to have some pictures of all the things the City of Daphne has been doing in Lake Forest. If you see something and have access to a digital camera or a scanner, please send a photo to me. Here's a question for you. What part of Daphne gets yard trash picked up on Monday? In Lake Forest that trash has been picked up on Friday for years, so if you work in your yard on the weekend, you have to hide your trash until Thursday or leave it on the street for a week. Could that schedule be rotated around the city every few years? By the way, before we criticize Daphne too much for lack of attention in Lake Forest, we should consider that we do get excellent service with that trash and garbage pickup. Don't forget that you can find all the tax forms you need from links on our Home Page. 3/29/2006
3/28/2006 3/28/2006 In regards to the earlier post about Karen Bowman, let me say as the former Architectural Chairperson, that Karen is, hands down, the most qualified person for her position. Karen is largely responsible for the impressive turn around in LF covenant compliance. Of course, there are still violations present, as the writer mentioned. There will always be violations present. But, LF (Karen) goes after all of them, equally. As far as the new webmaster position goes...what's the problem? Everything that goes online I'm sure will have to be Board or Mgt. approved. And I think it's a little rough to criticize someone on their first day on the job. Better to wait and let actual job performance tell the story. If it's anything like Architectural, I'm sure we'll all be quite pleased.
3/28/2006 Between business travel & an aversion to LFPOA politics, I have been inattentive to the lake situation recently. Upon my return from a weeks trip I am depressed to see the level of the lake so low, that I can barely get my kayak out & other neighbors cannot even get off their piers. Other lake owners think something is being done, but the fact is that the spillway is leaking, water level is 6" below the top of the spillway & the lake is draining down about an inch per day. I understand about the larger watershed issue & the studies in the future, but the one thing LFPOA has control over now is the spillway & it needs to be fixed immediately. If the current lowering is an opportunity to do it now, then let's go for it & not wait until the middle of summer. The minimum effort now should be to stop the leaking. If something cannot be done to do this now, please inform myself & other lakefront owners what is going on. This is the only amenity most of us use in Lake Forest & if it is not corrected soon, may be cause for action. I am consulting & polling other lakefront owners to determine which course to take. 3/25/2006 PUBLIC NOTICE MARCH 21, 2006 TO ALL CITIZENS & MEDIA A Special Called Meeting of the City Council has been called by Council President Greg Burnam for Tuesday, March 28 6:00 p.m. to be held at City Hall in the Council Chambers located at 1705 Main Street, Daphne, Alabama to discuss the following: 1.) Aronov Bond Issue 2.) Any other business that is deemed necessary All citizens are invited to attend. 3/24/2006 From a director . . . . City Council members will be holding a public forum at the Forest Room of the Country Club on Tuesday April 4th at 7:00 pm. The purpose is to speak to Lake Forest residents about upcoming projects. They will also hear comments and complaints and take questions. Most representatives who have districts containing Lake Forest residents will be attending. Ken Eslava, the Public Works Director will also attend. To learn more about what the City of Daphne is doing and planning, make plans to attend. Be sure to thank the council members for their interest and desire to serve us. 3/23/2006 3/22/2006
One question, when you say it would cost a minimum of $12,000 a year, do you mean that is the cost if everyone uses the service or that is the cost if anyone uses the service.
The percentage would be if everyone used the auto draft. 1 to 2 percent of total drafted. $35.00 monthly dues times 3000 lots times 12 months is 25,200.00. This is just an example.
3/21/2006 Just to update you about the auto draft. There is a cost associated with setting up an auto draft for the home owners association dues. This fee is usually a percentage based on the amount charged. It would cost the association a minimum $12,000 a year set up for the automated draft. This would work only if a majority of the homeowners wanted to accept the draft and charge this fee back to their accounts. I know a lot of individuals that will not even consider using an EFT Payment. Future research will need to be done to see if we can charge the fee back to the homeowner. Other ideas that have been suggested are Paypal, quarterly statements etc. 3/20/2006
3/20/2006 Has LF set up an "auto-pay" or automatic banking/checking debit system for paying our monthly dues? This would be GREAT. Invariably my bill is $37.50/month like most other members. Sure would make it one less check to remember to write, etc, etc. By the way. My first access to the web page. Nice. Keep up the good work
3/19/2006
3/19/2006 For some it is hard to see the forest for the trees. All this discussion about selling the yacht club and building a big new golf shop with a pool and tennis court should be stopped. The most critical issues should be faced first. Hasn't anyone realized the full impact of the notice about the school situation! The school board plans to TEAR DOWN most of Daphne Elementary School, the one located next to Daphne Methodist, (only leaving a few offices). This school is in very good shape with several new wings and additions. It even has what very few schools have, an auditorium and STAGE for performances! This is the ONLY school the Lake Forest children have attended. They were NOT allowed to go to the new school actually NEARER to them. If that were not bad enough, now they have already given the teachers at the old Daphne Intermediate school, MANY miles further down the road, boxes to pack up their rooms. Shortly, unless the people of Lake Forest RISE UP AND SAY STOP, they will tear down an almost new $$$ cafeteria, and many upgrades to build an 1,100 student elementary school!!! Instead of the school being in the neighborhood of the majority of the students who will attend, OUR CHILDREN and GRANDCHILDREN, it will be as far away as you can place it from us and still be in the city!!! Not to mention the fact that I would not want my elementary child attending a school of over one thousand children! Imagine the car pick up line if you didn't want your little one riding the bus. Think of the increased traffic on 98 and Main Street. Several plots of land are available in Lake Forest for a school. Friday construction owns a huge chunk of land off Rolling Hill connecting to Lawson and another near the Swim and Racket Club. The developer even agreed to sell the latter plot the mayor asked for, at a bargain price. But the school system refused!!! This writer thinks the larger plot would be better, or even some near the Eastern Shore Christian Center, whatever, the possibilities are endless. But NOT the OLD INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL 10,000 miles away! This plan will only change if enough people email, call, write the city council members and mayor and implore them to leave no stone unturned until this madness is stopped! Write the newspaper, call the media. This web site has a huge following. I noticed 10,000+ hits. If everyone will take action your tax dollars will not be WASTED and your children can be CLOSE to home, rather than on the other side of the city! Do nothing and you can be assured the worst will happen. Some even believe this is also a plan to spend so much money on new buildings ( in the wrong places) so that the city will not be able to take over the school system. Regardless of how one might feel about that issue, this craziness must be stopped immediately! "Don't delay, email TODAY!" You may email: Daphne City Council Baldwin County Board of Education
3/18/2006
3/18/2006
3/17/2006
3/17/2006 Last night at the meeting, the Architectural report stated that there were over 8 calls daily regarding violations! I'm not sure what exactly that means. I do know for a fact that a couple of my friends have tried to call and report things or ask questions only to get an answering machine and never get a call back. Is the 8 calls a day counted off of the answering machine? While on that subject, who decides which violations get calls and which ones get lawsuits filed? Is there a good ole' boy system at work there because I see many, many things in violation which never seem to be addressed. Who reports these things? Also, who checks on the people building houses? There have been a lot of places where the streets are covered with dirt and the lot itself looks horrible! Is there a double standard for "friends" or do the Covenants apply to all? The other thing at the meeting was that there seems to be a "negativity" campaign going on! I can't tell you how much we heard about all the things that "still weren't done"! I didn't hear much about all the new stuff that the employees have been faced with and the new things that are complete! Is all we care about how much we can complain and point fingers? Just remember, pointing a finger leaves four more pointing back at you! There have been tons of things done at all the facilities and most of the employees work extremely hard every day to keep things running and make things better. I am very proud of those people who keep a good work ethic! They do their job without worrying about others and leave jealousy and spite out of the workplace. They are pleasant to talk to if you need them and aren't doing it because they think it will "get them somewhere" with the boss or board! I want to say a big THANK YOU to them! Thanks for doing such a good job even though you don't seem to be getting any of the credit! Just know that regardless of the board's negative campaign, we, the members, are noticing the jobs that you are doing and we are grateful!
I agree that we do have a terrific staff here in Lake Forest. As for architectural matters, I am not aware of any problems with lack of enforcement in recent years. There are some "violations" that were given variances in the past, but that has been stopped in recent years. Also, there may be actions in process that the above writer is not aware of. Sometimes these things just take a while to show up. The Architectural Committee of the Board of Directors is in charge of implementing policies and enforcing covenants. We do have an Architectural Support person who is always on the alert for violations. She is also the one, I believe, who does the inspections of construction. However, Architectural depends on support from the membership a great deal to also report those violations. 3/17/2006 Don't put a link to LF's Official Website. You're a competitor, not a partner. And I'm in favor of printing any criticisms of the idiots...even if they are submitted anonymously.
3/17/2006
Dear Webmaster,
3/17/2006
3/17/2006 Well, it has been decided that Karen Bowman will be the new webmaster for the official Lake Forest site. Isn't that interesting? Isn't she the one that does Architectural? Well, it really doesn't matter much who the webmaster is because I know for sure that some of the people who send you items would never send anything to the board for fear of losing their job, privileges or even membership. PS... what all does Ms. Bowman get paid to do and will she be paid for this too?
3/16/2006 This is from a Director . . . As a board member and one of the "Slate of Five", I take exception to the statements that "we" castigated anyone at the annual meeting. The literature, tone, and speeches that were associated with me had no such attacks in them. My statements always were of a positive tone and offered positive change for Lake Forest. In all literature approved for campaigning and promoting the Slate of Five, there was absolutely no negative comments included in them. We all looked at and approved each paper or flyer sent out. If there was a negative or malicious statement made it was not on the "Slate of Five's" official campa ign literature. It would not have been approved by me or any of the Slate. Our intention was and is to improve Lake Forest for all its members, To hold people accountable for each dollar spent, and make decisions that foster goodwill and increase our property values. That is being done and the "Slate of Five" is still working on those goals. You have heard of the "financial strength" of Lake Forest. That is true. The LFPOA is in a good strong position. But don't assume that means that it was well managed. You can still show great results and be undisciplined in spending, have poorly planned and executed contracts, and do little to improve the property values for our members. The fact is that the LFPOA has operated loosely and without clear direction. There has been no capital spending plan in place for years. There has not been a board approved organizational structure in place. Very simply, the reins were turned over to a GM with very little policy controls or procedural direction. That is why there was an overhaul of the board. The members knew it was time to move ahead better our community. Since that is all said and done, lets get behind all the board members and get involved in the planning of our community's future.
On another note, the director needs to concentrate on the performance of his own board and not continuously try to redirect attention to perceived shortcomings of previous boards and management, real or imagined. The members of several previous boards can deliver proof of a whole bagful of accomplishments that were made during their tenures. They also have a collection of independent audits that validate their careful management of the association's finances. The director's own statement, "You have heard of the "financial strength" of Lake Forest. That is true. The LFPOA is in a good strong position" affirms that fact. Let's hope that this group can do as well. The director's group was handed an association in strong financial condition. That didn't happen by accident. For at least a decade boards have properly executed their oversight responsibilities and since none of the slate were ever a part of that effort, any opinions they may have about that oversight are hearsay at best. I have the greatest respect for the previous general manager. He executed his responsibilities as he should have and there is no evidence that he ever did anything but try to do the best for Lake Forest. There may have been personal disagreements between him and others, but to my knowledge he never let those interfere with the performance of his duty. 3/15/2006
3/15/2006
3/14/2006
3/14/2006 Isn't it interesting ! A former board member was attacked at the annual meeting for calling attention to the possible sale or rebuilding of our amenities. This former board member took direct attacks by the slate of 5 and their friends! Gee, who was proven correct and tried to warn L.F.P.O.A. members and called it correctly ? 3/13/2006
3/13/2006
3/12/2006
3/12/2006
3/12/2006 There is a new submission regarding renovating Lake Forest. Check it out. 3/12/2006 Please help us save Daphne Schools!!! The Baldwin County Board of Education is building a school for over 1100 students K-6 at the Daphne Elementary South campus (also known as Daphne Intermediate). They also plan to sell most of the Daphne Elementary North campus to a developer. The mayor has asked the city council to seek an injunction to stop this. Please contact your council member and ask them to support the injunction. You may email: johnlake3@Bellsouth.net; ronscott5@Bellsouth.net; palumbo7@Bellsouth.net; burman4@Bellsouth.net; reginalandry6@Bellsouth.net 3/12/2006 What are the rules and regs on renting the different facilities in Lake Forest? Do you have to be a property owner or former property owner? Can any civic group rent a room and get lunch without one of them a member or former property owner? I'm afraid the general public thinks they cannot have any meetings, weddings here. Do we advertise? I think we have some big companies that like their Christmas parties here (little known fact) and there are dances for the Singles occassionally! Again, what are the rentals per month and can they print rental costs. I think Henry should get to you with these answers, of course, an information printout is available from Michelle.
3/11/2006
3/11/2006 What gives? A "Director" tells us in long form that rentals are not so good....in another section Michelle, Events Coordinator, says that they are renting lots of rooms/buildings for weddings, meetings, etc. Let's get some numbers- how many times do we rent either a room at the CC or the YC a year. (I know, the YC bar area is never closed to members). I know that under Jake we could rent just the "deck" at the YC. We've never seen the numbers, I know that rental fee is high, but according to other places like the Daphne Civic Center, very, very cheap. Let's get the numbers from Henry, he must have them! 3/11/2006 Everyone needs to reread the "Squeaky Wheels" article on page 4 of their March Spectrum and take action, maybe even get mad! Why is the City of Daphne so lax about taking care of us? Money? They take all these taxes from the citizens of Lake Forest and still do not repair our roads? We have volunteers in poor health who are spending their own time and money beautifying city property, the medians. Where is Daphne? They were going to plant some Crepe Myrtles, have you seen them, I haven't. And then to tell the dedicated people at the Improvement Comt meetings that they will see us in 3 or 4 years? A slap in the face! Wake up Improv. Comt, you got nothing! Forming a Neighborhood watch is not a new idea and giving us some mulch, when they have time, please! I believe LF bought a mulcher years ago, do we have piles of mulch somewhere? It seems Mayor Small has little respect for us and what we need ! There is talk that the City of Daphne never wanted our SD to become a part of their jurisdiction. There is some prejudice among the residents in Daphne who have been here for generations; they truly have always resented us and must think if they don't see us, we do not exist! I sugt that is another reason our roads and medians are in such disrepair. Over 8000 people and 3200+ houses and we get no respect, unbelievably. I think we need to wine and dine Mayor Small. Let's invite him to the YC with his family for the next big occasion and the council members! Like the article said write or call your councilmen each week until they start on our roads for sure! Each neighborhood can start their own neighborhood watch! That's not so tough to do! Call a meeting and appoint several people to report to! I'll bet the police will bring you the signs you need to put in your window! You may email: johnlake3@Bellsouth.net; ronscott5@Bellsouth.net; palumbo7@Bellsouth.net; burman4@Bellsouth.net; reginalandry6@Bellsouth.net It's true that Squeaky Wheel gets heard! 3/11/2006 The Spectrum in March is visually "cleaned up" I noticed, not the rag that they were throwing at us before. However, we need more people to submit articles than Tomasina and that other rough talking guy! 3/11/2006 I have not had any thing interesting to send lately, but read the site daily. I think the posting today (3/10) from the "director" had some good and valid points. They are basically the same ideas that former board member Ray Drake brought up last year and was thoroughly castigated by the "slate" and their pit bull for even considering them. I know of your policy to not print names of those who submit comments, but really, when a member of the Board of Directors speaks I think all of us who are ultimately governed by their decisions would be better served if they identified themselves. Since I am not ashamed to put my name to the comments I make regarding the state of and the operations of our community, why would they prefer to be anonymous? Anyway, those are my thoughts. Have a great day. :)
3/10/2006 On the Lake Discussion Pages, This link May be helpful for people to understand what ADEM is undertaking: http://www.adem.state.al.us/FieldOps/WQReports/12001.pdf 3/10/2006
3/9/2006
3/9/2006 Check out Michelle's announcement. 3/9/2006 In regards to the article printed March 8 concerning the possible sale of the YC. I am a golfer and I do not think that it would be wise to sell the YC to build a new CC (pro-shop) for us golfers. I Certainly hope this is not what Henry and the board are thinking about! It would be foolish to sell any of our amenities as they can only appreciate in the future. I speak only for myself as a golfer but talking to others in our golfing group they all feel the same way. I am sure if a poll was taken of the annual fee membership of golfers they would all say no to any sale of any of our amenities or rebuilding the pro shop. Both the YC and the CC are unique facilities and enjoyed by our community. 3/9/2006
What previous boards accomplished or failed to accomplish in years past cannot be changed. Their records are also easy to judge, because there are financial reports, independent audits and written records showing what services were provided to the membership. The only thing that might not easily be shown about past performance is the quality of the amenities at that time. However, the financial records will indicate what was spent on the amenities, which by extension should provide an indication of that quality. Before long the opposition will begin to mount its campaign to put members on the next board. My hope is that they will approach the task by using facts about services provided and financial numbers to make their case. Hopefully, they will choose not to base their campaign on innuendo and misstatements of facts about the current people who occupy the current board. Lake Forest has had enough of that. As to the performance of the current Board of Directors, the verdict is still out. We have seen credit being taken where, perhaps, it has not been deserved. For example, Roger Davidson has single-handed proposed the Adopt-A-Median program and carried it forward to the City of Daphne’s Beautification Committee. The Lake Forest Board of Directors had nothing to do with it. Roger and his family along with other residents have been scouring the medians cleaning things up and the board had nothing to do with that either. Public Works Director, Ken Eslava, who happens to live in Lake Forest, is taking on some of the public works problems in Lake Forest as part of his job. The LFPOA Board of Directors has nothing to do with it. The City of Daphne’s City Council President lives in Lake Forest, but has never asked for or received anything in the form of assistance from the Lake Forest Board of Directors. We have already been told what the board has accomplished in repairing the docks at the marina, apparently not much. However, the Lake Committee chairman has been actively working on the Eastern Shore Watershed problem and there may eventually be some help to the lake as a result. That is good to hear. It does no good for the board president to wonder what to do about some missing shingles and stained ceiling tiles. That is pretty simple. Fix them. However, the contributor’s request from yesterday is still not clear. So, rather than spending their time trying to create a perception of former boards, the LFPOA Board of Directors might consider getting some work done that they can report to the membership instead. 3/9/2006 From a director.... Reading the reports from the city, It seems that Lake Forest is getting noticed by the folks at city hall. I take it this was all acomplished well before this new board come into being. It is hard to imagine that readers can believe that the city, state and federal agencies that are beginning to work with the LFPOA on our problems have done it without the new board's leadership. It should be obvious that some folks in government are pleased with the change. As more happens, it will become even more evident that our members have chosen their leadership wisely. Secondly, rumors and gossip are fine for web pages, but what counts is what actually happens. In Thursday's special meeting you will likely see a list of captial items approved for purchase. These include many maintenance and repair items that will be necesary for the continuation of the existing amenities. The board is dedicated to the long-term maintenance of all its facilities. While in the past, the board gave great leeway to the GM to spend dollars without oversight, this board has chosen to see the quotes and numbers before issuing spending authority. The result will be doing more for less. Secondly, the current GM will not take expenditures for a single project, that are within his limits, and separate them in order to be able to proceed on a project without board approval. Such actions by the previous GM and board lead to major expenses not being discussed in the open or approved by the board. These types of policies will lead to better financial management and more opportunity for investment in our amenitites.
3/8/2006
3/8/2006 I had some thoughts about Henry's article in the Spectrum. I felt the property owner's are being primed for the sale of the Y.C. to rebuild a new C.C. for the golfers . I would think that waiting to sell (I don't want to sell it at all) for a few years would make more sense, because the property would be worth much more, as bay front property becomes even harder to come by for developers. Let's not forget the "slate of 5" infamous claim to fame--"retain-maintain, ect..." moto did not include "no" restructuring, rebuilding or replacing amenities as alluded to by Henry in the Spectrum. Think about it while you read it again ! So, replace the water stained ceiling tiles and fix the deck rails instead of closing off the decks at the C.C. and do some repairs !! I believe that falls under the "MAINTAIN" category ! Someone please tell me what the "Slate of Five" have accomplished in 6 mos. , besides the proposal to replace mailboxes at our expense and a retreat at another club facility, and appointed that rude Sager to communications ????
3/8/2006
3/7/2006 From a director..... Your Valentine Pictures look lovely. except "the view". I noticed that "the view" pictures show the general disrepair that is at the Yacht Club docks. The former board left quite a mess there and absolutely no money to work in the repairs. What a shame that the previous board would let the facility remain in that state. When we took office the cash on hand was less than ten thousand dollars. We were concerned that payroll wouldn't be met. Luckily, Steve and his troops knew how to tighten the belt and hold down spending. I wonder if the membership would want to fix the docks and piers? You know, less than 50% of available wet slip spaces are being rented. Do we need more? Should we assess the membership for these repairs? Let's hear from the Grapevine readers.
Now, how about the pitiful state of the docks. Hurricane Katrina hit with its twelve foot storm surge on August 29th. That storm surge took out all of our Yacht Club's a/c and ductwork underneath the building along with serious damage to walkways, docks and more. Then it moved on to take out the Causeway. Now, let's see. August 29th to September 29th to October 18th, annual meeting night. That would be less than two months. In that two months the management and maintenance staff under the instructions of the previous board spent thousands and thousands of dollars repairing the Yacht Club itself. They did it out of cash flow, by the way. No borrowing. They replaced its a/c. They repaired all sorts of structural damage, so that when the new board took over, the Yacht Club was up and running and being enjoyed by the membership. Now then, the statement said that the Valentine pictures were cute but the docks weren't. Let's see. October 18th to November 18th to December 18th to January 18th to February 14th. That looks like about four months. In four months the current board couldn't arrange for $10,000 in dock repairs. Maybe it's because the previous board saw a problem and instructed management to use the resources available to solve it. Whereas, the current board wants to tell them how to hold the hammer. ;) Also, speaking of slip rentals, yacht clubs all over the coast have been washed away. Our friend the director asks, "I wonder if the membership would want to fix the docks and piers? Y ou know, less than 50% of available wet slip spaces are being rented. Do we need more? Should we assess the membership for these repairs? " If anyone had wanted to rent those slips, they could have. They didn't try. Those docks have been rebuilt at least three times in the last decade thanks to hurricanes. It was never necessary to assess the membership to do it. Dock repairs are just not that expensive. The major cost was the Yacht Club repair that the previous board took care of. Did you hear that sound? If the boys and girls on the current board had not already promised not to sell any amenities, I would have said that was the click click of the hammer being drawn back to take another shot at the Yacht Club. 3/7/2006 I’m always amused at how victimized our neighborhood cat haters like to portray themselves. Cats eating my birds, pooping on my pine straw and running amuck through my yard, how can I stop this invasion on my privacy? Well here's a reality check, I live in the same neighborhood and my family manages to survive. The truth is that our "hood" is filled with small animals that cause damage to our yards such as possum, fox, raccoon, hawks and armadillo, not to mention the wasp nests and killer bees. Any one who has adult cats will find the "experts" findings on HGTV to be humorous. My cats sleep most of the day and when they go outside they only way they would put out that much effort to kill anything is if it bothers them. Kittens are different, they do spend more time developing their hunting skills on bugs and lizards, but they grow out of it in time. The contention that cats kill over 100 small animals a year is exaggerated. As far as the poor violated lady that traps all her neighbors’ cats, please keep this in mind. The animal that you are sending to the pound is someone’s beloved pet, possibly a child's and will be greatly missed. They are placed in cages not much larger than a shoebox and killed in a week or so if no one claims them. If you really don't want to hurt the cat by squirting it with a water hose (which really works most of the time) then do you really want to send a child's pet to their death? The problem with cats versus dogs is you can't keep them fenced in and can't take them for a walk on a lease. The only alternative is to sentence them to a life indoors with no fresh air or exercise. So the next time your neighbor’s cat wanders down into your yard, if you really don't want them around try the water hose or scaring them in some way like yelling or banging on a pot. It may take a couple of times, but they will get the idea. Your neighbor will thank you. Or here's a novel idea! Try scratching the cat behind the ear or along its back. If it crawls up in your lap and goes to sleep purring, you may find out it's not such a monster after all.
3/6/2006
THE CAT HATER IS RIGHT!!! As a well-known and long standing cat hater myself, I agree with the lady’s sentiment! CATS ARE AWFUL! It used to just annoy the dickens out of me to come out of my house and find my neighbor’s cat sitting on my antique sports car! Granted, it never occurred to me to call animal control to the cat, because I knew that if my neighbor didn’t find out within three days, they would kill it. Paw prints on my car or not, I never wanted anyone killing my neighbor’s pet. I also never expected my neighbor to be able to keep the cat in either. The only way to do that would be to make it an inside cat 24/7. YUCK!!! I couldn’t ask them to do that. You sure can’t keep one of the critters in a fenced in yard. Have you seen one of them leap a six foot fence? They are amazing. One bounce and the cat is on top of the fence! Then, it can go running down a one inch wide fence as if it were on a sidewalk! I’ve seen people chain a dog to a tree but I’ve never seen anyone chain a cat. I believe if one were to try that, he or she would suffer greatly, not the cat, but the person trying to do the chaining. THESE ANIMALS JUST HAVE NO RESPECT for private property! Just last year one of the awful things slipped into the storage area of my garage and without so much as asking permission, had a litter of five kittens! I thought animals had some kind of sixth sense that they could detect when they were around a cat hater’s house. WRONG!! We didn’t find out about it until weeks later when my son went into the garage only to be greeted by a momma cat with an attitude and five rowdy kittens. AND STINK! That garage is just now starting to be bearable. It took us several weeks to coax them out of the garage and into the backyard so that we could bar their access and re-claim our space! Then, I had to figure out what to do with momma and her kittens. I told my wife, that I would call animal control. But, then she reminded me that if no one offered to give them a home within three days, animal control would kill the momma and her babies. You know, they were kind of cute. And, I really didn’t want anyone to kill them. Hated or not, they really hadn’t done anything to deserve that. They were just being cats. So, I started looking for a plan B. I said to my wife “Maybe we can give them to someone.” I sure as heck didn’t want them. Unfortunately, because it had taken so long to get at them, the kittens had not become socialized to people. So, they weren’t exactly what you would call warm and cuddly, if you tried to pick them up. Who in the world would want a kitten like that? Well, now I had a predicament. They were kind of cute, you know. Would you believe that of all the kittens momma had, only one was male? Now I had six cats hanging around my house, five of which were apt to produce more. NO WAY, JOSE'! Momma was not my cat and neither were her kittens! However, I couldn’t very well allow a bunch of stray cats that had taken up at my house to reproduce more of the same. Let’s rethink this animal control thing. I did tell you they were cute, didn’t I? OK, so I’ve got six fertile cats that I don’t want and I don’t have the guts to kill them. DRAT! It was time for a little research. Naturally, the first do-gooder that I ran into said “You need to have them fixed.” THEY’RE NOT MY CATS! “I’m just telling you”, she said “you ought to have them fixed.” Furthermore, my little sap of a friend said “That includes the male.” THEY'RE NOT MY CATS! I did some research and found that the humane society in Fairhope would sell me a voucher for each cat for $30. And, Dr. Albert Corte of the Highland Animal Clinic would accept that voucher to fix a cat. It’s apparently his way to offer a helping hand. So, my mother went to Fairhope for me and bought six vouchers at thirty bucks a piece. I used all my best sneaky skills to trap the cats in two separate actions and deliver them to Dr. Corte who fixed them for me and, for a little extra, gave them their shots. He is a nice man. That’s true. So, now there are six cats that are fixed and shot living around my house. It would be a real stretch to suggest that they are my cats. It would be closer to the truth to say that I am their man. Because, the only time they acknowledge me is when I’m on my own back deck holding a food dish. Did I tell you I am feeding them now? I know. It’s sad. My children are worried about me. And Thomasina is right! They do kill animals. So far, in about eight months they’ve brought three up on the deck, a mole, a snake, and what I hope is the remains of a squirrel. I say I hope it was a squirrel because it looked an awful lot like the remains of a big rat. I’ve also noticed that there are no longer any cockroaches scurrying around my deck. The lady in Thomasina’s story said she and her husband liked to sit in the backyard and look at the little squirrels and the birds. Why not look at a cat? It’s much prettier and definitely cuter. And, it will get rid of cockroaches! Man, I hate cats. They love me, though. Kind of... Sort of... Within limits... Oh, brother, 3/3/2006
3/3/2006
3/2/2006 From a director ... I appreciate the inclusion of conversations with "elected officials" about the lake. I can tell you that there is a movement among many elected officials to help us. However, the concern is and always will be the bay itself and not our lake. Our focus will be on helping our bay by providing all the protection we can. That protection should, and likely will, include the Lake Forest lake, just like it has for many years. That inclusion will get results. We should all be working toward that goal.
3/2/2006 You're going to love this one! You remember that "retreat" that the board went on to be able to let their hair down, get to know each other, and hash things out without having to deal with the peering eyes of the membership. Guess who Henry invited? Ben Cruitt!!! You have to give old' Henry credit. At least he's good for a laugh!
3/1/2006
3/1/2006 We provide the following fact from the last board meeting. The financial were not done because Debbie's dad died, this is what was stated. Mitch, You know as well as me that if there were no financial this late Henry would be leading a charge against you.
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