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Newsletter November 2014

Deercreek Owners Association
Volume XVIII     Issue 11          


In This Issue
Calendar
Volunteers Wanted
Reminders
Access Control Committee Reminders
CPAC Meeting Dates
Literary Circle
Real Estate News
Meeting Highlights
With Love for Kyle
Deercreek ARB
The View
Deercreek Home and Garden Club
Right Plant for the Right Place
Deercreek Women's Alliance
DWA Fashion Show
Spotlight on Charity
PACE School for Girls
DWA Membership
To Honor Those Who Served
Geese 911
Join Our Mailing List

CALENDAR

  

DCCOA 


Wednesday, Nov. 12
Access Control 6:00 PM

Thursday, Nov. 13
ARB 7:00 PM

Thursday, Nov. 13
Common Property  6:30 PM

Wednesday, Nov 19
Communication 10:00 AM
Finance 7:00 PM

Thursday, Nov. 20
Covenant Enforcement 6PM

Thursday, Nov. 20
Board  7:00 PM


SOCIAL EVENTS

Thursday, Nov. 6

Fun & Fabulous Fashion
Charity Fundraiser 5:30  PM

Friday, Nov. 7
Garden Club Field Trip
9:30 AM

    

Monday, Nov. 17
Literary Circle 10:00 AM

   

Volunteers Wanted!

We are forming a 'Deercreek Ambassadors Team' who will be responsible for visiting and welcoming new residents into the community! The aim is to provide them with vital information about the various social activities available to residents in our community [such as the Home and Garden Club, Women's Alliance, Literary Circle, Maj Jong, Bunco, Bridge, Ladies Golf, Ladies Tennis Associations etc]. We believe that a personalized approach to welcoming a new resident will go a long way in giving them a sense of belonging and also help us grow a fully engaged community of residents.

We are looking for Volunteers to build this team and help develop Deercreek into an even more vibrant and friendly community. Would you like to join us? Please send an e-mail to [email protected] or call Carol D'Onofrio at 904-519 0924. Can't wait to hear from you!
Reminders:

Gate Arm Reminder- One car at a time: The timing of the gate arm is made for one car to pass through at a time not two cars. Also please be considerate of the cars behind you, and do not stop after you pass through the gate. Stopping after you have passed through the arm can cause the Gate arm to come down on the car behind you, which has already tripped the arm signal to go up and come down.

Community Mailing List
If you have not already signed up and are interested in receiving the Deercreek community emails and monthly newsletter, please sign up now!  Visit our website at http://www.deercreekcc.com and click on the 'Join our FREE Email Mailing list' link to register. Generally, we send out no more than 2 to 3 emails a month and in some months there's none! It's a great way to get notified of what is going on within the community.

Timeline changes for article submission:
As the holiday season approaches, our flexibility regarding timelines becomes rather limited. So we'll like to notify all our contributors and would-be content providers, that over the next two months the deadline will be a little earlier than usual. For December edition, all articles will have to be submitted to the Editor at [email protected] by 7th November 2014 at the latest while for the January 2015 edition, content have to be in by 5th December 2014. Your keeping to this timeline will be much appreciated.

Rules & Regulations

Entrance Gate Repairs:
A resident who breaks the gate upon entering or exiting the community is responsible for repairing the gate at the prevailing rate.

Equipment Storage:
All lawn, maintenance, construction and home maintenance equipment must be stored out of view from the street, the golf course or neighboring lots. Such equipment includes, but is not limited to, lawnmowers, lawn tractors, lawn edgers, fertilizer spreaders, ladders, tree trimmers, shovels rakes and wheelbarrows. Any of this equipment not properly stored will be considered to be in violation of policy and will be subject to a fine of $25 per violation. Residents will be sent a letter indicating they are in violation of this policy and will have seven calendar days to conceal the equipment.
From the Access Control Committee
By Tommy Walters

We are still finding a number of garage doors open when it would be best that they were closed.  If a garage door is found in the up position, and it appears no one is nearby perhaps doing yard work or it is very late at night, we try to contact the home owner to notify them of the situation.  The key thing is to always have your garage doors down unless you are nearby, and certainly have them down at night.
 
The Holiday Season is fast approaching with many parties and guests visiting the Deercreek community.  Please enter your guest lists into DwellingLive prior to the party in order to expedite getting your guests admitted as quickly a possible.
Save the Date!

GAME DAY AT DEERCREEK
Sponsored By
The Deercreek Home and Garden Club

January 20, 2015
10:30 am to 3:30 pm

$25 includes lunch and snacks. Gather your friends and create a table. Bridge, Bunco, Canasta, Mah Jongg or game of your choice.

Special 50-50 raffle

Details to follow.

Questions? Contact
Faye Hyken  363-9341 or
Linda George 363-1813
Welcome New Residents
 
 Gary & Barbara Smith 
7804 Blakeford Mill Lane

Adel Dalal 
10020 Deercreek Club Road East

Bryan & Jill Kroncke 
10074 Chester Lake Drive

We Say Goodbye
 
Rey & Daphne Yvars

Martie Yohe

2014 Southeast CPAC Meeting Dates

 

Meetings are held at 6:30 PM in the St. Vincent's Southside Hospital

4201 Belfort Road, Main Hospital, Auditorium C, Jacksonville, FL 32216 on:

Monday, November 24, 2014

December 2014, Date and Location to be Determined

If you have any questions please contact Rosemary Wesolowski, Neighborhood Coordinator at 255-8261 or [email protected]

Literary Circle
By Pat Gross

 

Deercreek Literary Circle has chosen to read - The Light Between Oceans by M. L. Stedman.  Maryann Grauwiler will host November's meeting and Arlene McDermott will facilitate.

 

After years on the Western Front, Tom Sherbourne returns to Australia and takes a job as the lighthouse keeper on Janus Rock, nearly half a day's journey from the coast. To this isolated place, Tom brings a young, bold, and loving wife, Isabel. Years later, after two miscarriages and one stillbirth, the grieving Isabel hears a baby's cries on the wind. A boat has washed up onshore carrying a dead man and a living baby.

Tom, whose records as a lighthouse keeper are meticulous and whose moral principles have withstood a horrific war, wants to report the man and infant immediately. But Isabel rebels. Against Tom's judgment, they claim her as their own and name her Lucy. When she is two, Tom and Isabel return to the mainland and are reminded that there are other people in the world. Their choice has devastated one of them.

M. L. Stedman's mesmerizing, beautifully written novel confronts the reader: what would you have done?

______________________  

Interested in joining the Literary Circle?
Contact Pat Gross [email protected]

Real Estate News
By B. J. Weyer, Watson Realty Corp. REALTORS�

 

BJ
Children are back in school, weekend trips to Tallahassee and Gainesville are frequent, the beach is not as crowded, and festivals and the Jaguars are drawing people downtown and to the stadium. What does this mean for us in Deercreek? If you are planning on selling your house, motivated buyers are the ones giving up the fun of fall to find and purchase a home. We've seen in the news the companies moving to Jacksonville. Deercreek, with its great location and wonderful amenities, continues to be a community to which people want to move.

According to the NEFAR Multiple Listing Service, as of 10/7/14, there are 7 homes under contract plus 13 homes on the market in Deercreek. The list price for the homes on the market ranges from $349,900 - $998,500, with an average price of $536,554.
Seven homes sold and closed in Deercreek over the three-month period ending 10/7/2014. The homes sold ranged in price from $300,000 - $530,000, with an average square foot price of $131.54 (down from $136.73 due to the sale of a foreclosed property).  The high square foot price was $143.35, the same as last month. The homes sold during the current three-month period were on the market an average of 44 days compared to 54 days last month.  
As a REALTOR� and a long-time resident of Deercreek, it is fun for me to see a new homeowner experience all that Deercreek has to offer. For those of us who plan to stay, it is encouraging to see our values maintained. For now, enjoy all fall has to offer in Deercreek and around town. Before you know it, the holidays will be here!
Highlights from the Board Meeting

  

September 25, 2014

The DCCOA Board of Directors assembled at Deercreek Country Club on the above date for a regularly scheduled meeting.  A quorum was established with the presence of Doug Klippel, Bill Beitz, Danny Becton, Doug Matthews, George Partin, Aaron West, Jim Lowell and Nick Simonic. Absent: Margie Blake
Representing MAY Management:  Cathy Cox

Doug Klippel recognized a quorum of the Board was present and called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.
A motion to approve the minutes from July 24, 2014 was seconded and unanimously approved.

PROPERTY MANAGER'S REPORT

Annual Meeting - Just a reminder that the Deercreek Annual meeting is scheduled for January 8, 2015. Deercreek has historically sent the meeting notice, proxy and ballot along with a copy of the approved budget and payment coupons the last week of November.
Perhaps Deercreek would like to send out a notice to seek volunteers from among its skilled and talented residents who may be willing to serve their community as a board member.

New Phone System - Over the next 30 days, MAY Management will be upgrading their phone system. 

For More Details...see full report

COMMITTEE REPORTS

Finance
Income was $712,263 based on a budget amount of $719,963. The income shortfall was a result of not meeting expectations in the following accounts:
Collection Fees ($5,588), Late Fees ($2,660) and Citation / Covenant Fines ($825). Account(s) over budget: Cable Income of $1,469 and Bar Code Income of $402.
Expenses were $474,385 based on a budget amount of $82,868.

Common Property
The committee would like to proceed with the landscape improvements located at the entry
median from the Watson building toward the gate house.

CPAC

Danny Becton reported that a presentation was given by JTA regarding new bus route schedules.

 

The next two meetings of the Board of Directors are scheduled for October 30, 2014 at 7:00 p.m. and November 20, 2014 at 7:00 p.m., at Deercreek Country Club.

 To read more about the meeting CLICK HERE to view the full minutes.  

With Love for Kyle
Although the rain delayed the start of the tennis matches on Saturday, September 27, it did not dampen the spirit of the "With Love for Kyle Tennis tournament."  The tennis gods finally let the sun shine for the rest of the afternoon. B, C and mixed doubles players started round robin matches, ate lunch, sipped on margaritas and enjoyed lots of great camaraderie.

The purpose of the event was to raise funds for the children of Kyle Gouin (brother of Kris Gouin, the Director of Tennis at Deercreek), who passed away six months ago after losing his battle with leukemia. Over $6,500 was raised that will go into an educational fund for Kyle's three children.

Thank you to all who played and / or donated funds for this worthy cause. If you missed the event and would like to donate - checks should be made payable to:
Kyle's Kids Fund
And mailed to:
Diane Heacox
11150 Chester Lake Rd. W.
Jacksonville, FL 32256
Deercreek Architectural Review Board
By Martha Jaramillo

The ARB reminds everyone that all exterior changes to your homes (including tree removal and planting) must be submitted for approval prior to commencing any work.  You have a very valuable resource at www.deercreekcc.com under the ARB section, for submittal forms, submittal requirements, etc  When you submit a request for approval, it is very important you pay attention to details and accompany all documentation required by the ARB in order to prevent delays in starting your projects.

Please remember...
The ARB meeting in November will be held on Thursday the 13th.  The deadline for complete submittals to reach MAY Management's offices will be noon or November 6th but, please, don't wait for the last minute

Important Notes...
Homeowners are ultimately responsible for the acts of their contractors and for any damage that occurs as a result of the project.  Several projects require the use of dumpsters or trailers and the ARB has set clear parameters for their use, in order to avoid damages to the Association's roads.  Please note the following:
  • In order to avoid damages to the Association's roads, the use of minimum �" thick plywood of sufficient size to prevent the roll-off container's wheels from contacting the road at any time is required.
  • No storage of building materials or trash is allowed on any common area, street or sidewalk.
  • No trailer or construction equipment is to be parked overnight on the street.

If you have questions regarding ARB, please call Martha at 273-9832.
The View
November 2014
By Rita Allen and Connie Davis



Marcia and Jerry Rose
10024 Deercreek Club Road

For its imposing vistas front and back on two-thirds of an acre, the award of the 2014 Deercreek View goes to the home of Marcia and Jerry Rose, 10024 Deercreek Club Road. The first impression is of stately oak trees framing the front yard and shading liriope, holly ferns, caladium, and society garlic. The pavered circular drive and pathway invite visitors to a welcoming front entry with a garden bench and classic black urns filled with the fall colors of crotons, chrysanthemums and asparagus ferns. Just beyond, twin ligustrum trees are bordered with plantings of camilia sasanqua, jasmine, variegated liriope, blue daze evovulus, and loropetalum. To the side and front of the garage are a very healthy robellini palm and crepe myrtle under planted with more society garlic, plumbago, allamanda, and yellow lantana. Massive philodendrons stand guard at the left of the home.

Turn the corner and the "Meditation Garden" comes into view. A meandering path features trees such as lemon, bottle bush, wax myrtle, queen palms, Canary Island date palms, and photinia. The garden is filled with azaleas, ligustrum, African iris, ferns, asian jasmine, and more liriope. There is even a swing for two.

In the back yard by the pool and rear of the house are Mexican petunia, more allamanda and plumbago, pink muhly grass, yellow canna, and gardenia. A separate patio with its own fireplace and a magnificent view of the eighteenth green is set among Magnolia, crepe myrtle and pine trees. Abundant azaleas, caladiums, ferns, liriope, holly, hydrangeas, and grasses add further texture and color to the naturalized setting. All in all, the landscape of this home is peaceful, private, and spectacular.
Deercreek Home and Garden Club
Field Trip to Earth Works Garden Center
Friday November 7, 2014 - 9:30am
By Patty Tomka

We are going on a Field Trip this month - instead of having a meeting so close to Thanksgiving - and you will want to come with us!  We've asked Earth Works Garden Center to give us a tour of their extensive compound. They are a family run business that started 20 years ago as a lawn maintenance company and has grown over the years to become the one-of-a-kind garden center and full service landscape business of today. They have it all!  Besides the familiar landscaping plants, dirt and mulch they also carry Palms, Native plants, Xeric plants and Aquatic plants.  But we are also going to see the gorgeous Water Gardens, the collection of Pottery and Garden Art, the Container Gardens - and the Fairy Gardens.

Since this is prime planting season in Jacksonville now is the perfect time to get ideas for planting projects and to bring home some new plants to get started. They offer in-store help with design and choosing plants and are always happy to offer advice.  But they are also known for the hardscapes they are putting in yards now. More and more of us are putting pavers in for patios and outdoor spaces.  They can even include a waterfall and running stream in your new private space. If you watch the "Pond Stars' show on the National Geographic Wild channel you will see the Earth Works team helping the regular guys on the 'Welcome to the Jungle' episode. You can see more wonderful yard makeovers at  www.earthworksgardencenter.com
  
We will meet at the Deercreek Pool at 9:30 am to car pool over to Earth Works.  Or you can meet us there at 10 am. The address is 12501 Beach Blvd. After our tour and shopping we will have lunch together at 'The Secret Garden' at 10095 Beach Blvd. I'm told their Fried Green Tomatoes are great!  They were featured on HGTV several years ago and are open for breakfast and lunch only. Please let us know if you plan to go with us so we can make the reservations for lunch. Call Patty Tomka 363-6086 or Adele Kunzweiler 464-0647.

If you have any questions about the Home and Garden Club please call Anne Klueppel at 519-5368 or Lee Ann Phillips at 519-6931.  They will be glad to tell you about us. If you would like to stay and have lunch together, you can place your order before the meeting and it will be ready when we adjourn. This is a great way to meet new friends and spend time with old friends.

Deercreek Home and Garden Club where no one is a stranger for long.
Right Plant for the Right Place

Right Plant in the Right PlaceCLICK HERE to see more photos from the event
Deercreek Women's Alliance
By Natalie Jackson

DWA Holiday Gift Project   

For this year's Holiday Gift Project, the DWA has selected the teenage young ladies from the PACE School for Girls to be the recipients.  Donations of new jewelry, toiletries and other age appropriate items are welcomed.  Your gifts for the PACE girls may be dropped off at the home of Donna Bernard (464-0910) at 9907 Vineyard Lake Lane or at the home of Vicki Khan (519-7722) at 10148 Deercreek Club Road East.  Thank you in advance for making the holidays sparkle for these special young women!
DWA Fashion Show
Thursday, November 6

Fashion Show
The DWA will be hosting its annual charity fundraiser fashion show event, "Fun and Fabulous" on the evening of Thursday, November 6.  This year's show promises to impress everyone with stylish fashions from Chico's. This well attended event will be held in the DCC Clubhouse main dining room.  Social Hour starts at 5:30 p.m. followed by a delicious three-course dinner at 6:30 p.m.  The models will hit the runway at 7:00 p.m. Tickets for this enchanting evening event are $35. There are a limited number of tickets on sale now. So, don't miss out!  Call Donna Bernard at 464-0910 to purchase your ticket with check or cash or email her at [email protected].

To add to the excitement of the evening, there will be a raffle for some great items such as gorgeous Brahmin purse, Lilly Pulitzer scarf, $100 gift card for a romantic dinner at Bistro Aix and much more. Raffle tickets are 1 for $5, 6 for $25 and 15 for $50.  The more tickets you purchase, the greater chance you have of winning a terrific prize and being a "Fun and Fabulous" winner for charity. 
Spotlight on Charity:
PACE for Girls
By Vicki Khan

PACE Center for Girls is a Florida-based, nationally recognized not-for-profit organization that provides non-residential, prevention, intervention, and diversion services for girls and young women of middle and high school age.

The Deercreek Women's Alliance chose PACE for Girls as one of their charities this calendar year.  Our main focus is on "The Clothes Closet". The Clothes Closet provides a way for the girls to "buy" items with points they've earned through grades, good deeds, and class attendance.  The Clothes Closet is held generally every six weeks or so.  Donations needed are: age appropriate clothing, shoes, accessories such as jewelry, nail polish, and body wash.  Again, these items are for teenagers.  

We are very happy to be donating $1,000 to this wonderful organization.  If you would like to learn more about PACE for Girls, you can go to their website at www.pacecenter.org.  

If you are interested in volunteering or have items to donate, please contact Vicki Khan, PACE for Girls Charity Chair, at 923-3538 or [email protected].
DWA Ongoing Charity Drives

PACE School for Girls:  Clothing of all sizes for teenage girls are needed.  Donated items can be dropped off at Vicki Khan's house - 10148 Deercreek Club Road. To contact Vicki, call 519-7722.

Jacksonville Humane Society:  The JHS can always use bags of dried cat and dog food, blankets, towels, pet toys, bowls, flee killing soap and pet beds. Donations can be dropped off at 10042 Chester Lake Road East, the home of Pam Overbay  (363-6483).

Mandarin Food Bank:  Any non-perishable food items can be dropped off at Carmen Kelly's home at 10139 Bishop Lake Road West. Carmen may be reached at 519-0622.

Books-A-Go Go:  Used or new books for children Pre-K through 5th grade can be dropped off at Natalie Jackson's house at 10135 Deercreek Club Road East.  Natalie's phone number is 519-5802.
DWA Membership

graphic-heart.gif Your Deercreek Women's Alliance is open to all ladies who reside in the Deercreek neighborhood.   You do not have to be a member of the Deercreek Country Club to enjoy a membership with the DWA. 

If you are not yet a "part of the heart of Deercreek" and would like to join the DWA, please contact membership chairperson Mary Stelbrink at 363-2360.   Membership is $20 a year.
To Honor Those Who Served
by Modupe Arubuola

Veterans Day is here again, November 11th (which also marks the date that World War 1 formally ended in 1918), the date set aside in honor of those who have served in the US Armed Forces. A ceremony is held for this yearly at the Arlington National Cemetery in Washington DC. This brings to mind the experience I had on a tour of Washington DC a few months back, with the Jacksonville Safety Patrols. As a part of the trip, we toured the Arlington National Cemetery and witnessed the 'Changing of Guards' ceremony at the 'Tomb of the Unknown Soldier'. The tomb has a white marble sarcophagus on one side of which is inscribed, "Here Rests In Honored Glory An American Soldier Known But to God".

I was surprised to learn that there is a guard on duty here 24/7 all year round and that during regular hours, there is a change of guards every 30 minutes, come rain or shine! It is done with a simple but beautiful military ceremony. I watched in awe as the whole change of guards ritual was performed. There was a complete hush among the crowd and I was overcome with such admiration and respect for a country and a people who have this much respect for their fallen soldiers, even the unknown! Our group was privileged to present and lay a wreath at the tomb.

All through the time we spent at the Cemetery grounds, I was particularly struck by the respectful quietness. There were several busloads of tourists pouring into the arena at intervals, a great percentage of them young children (my group consisted of 47 people, mostly 5th graders and their Chaperons); yet there was no loud noise or rowdiness. No horseplay, just quiet reflection, picture taking and touring. A pervasive sense of reverence prevailed. I could not help but marvel at the ability of a people to accord this much respect and honor to their fallen heroes, named, known, missing and unknown.

As another Veteran's Day rolls by, we celebrate and honor all of those who have served this great nation in the Armed Forces. Long live the United States of America.
Geese 911


As we know, the Canadian Geese are a protected species. This makes for questions about their care and whom to call in case of an emergency.

On the evening of October 6th, a 16-year-old lifetime Deercreek resident, found an injured goose on his family's property. The family called The Wildlife Rescue, as well as several other rescue agencies, and were told they could not do anything to help because they are protected. They called BEAKS, (Bird Emergency Aid and Kare Sanctuary), located in Jacksonville just off Amelia Island. Their call was returned the next morning with the answers on how to care for the injured goose. The young man was able to help the goose and remove some of the string that was deeply embedded into the goose's back legs. However, the strings were too deep and would require veterinary attention immediately for the goose to ever walk and fly again.

Using a large dog kennel, the young man was able to pick up the goose and put him in the cage for transport. The goose actually seemed relieved and allowed the young man to tend to his injuries and endure the transport. The goose was delivered to Hidden Hills Animal Hospital where he was promptly taken for evaluation and treatment. After treatment, the goose was picked up by BEAKS where he will be rehabilitated before being released. 

If you find an injured goose or bird please contact Hidden Hills Animal Hospital. They can be reached at (904) 641-338 or BEAKS at (904) 251-2473.