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Go To Upcoming Events Calendar February 15 2005 Notes from the President |
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It's Monday morning, January 17th, 18 degrees on the porch thermometer and going down to 4 degrees tonight. There is no wind and I've got to tell you it is just beautiful out there. Having said that I should also tell you that Marie and I leave for Florida on Saturday. We will be back for the Super Bowl. The Board met on this past Saturday, for three hours, and I must say, they are GREAT! There was much to do and I think we covered it all. Each of the members has taken on specific responsibilities that you can check under the Who To Call column (also a new section on the website). I suggest you tape the list in you phone and address book (people still have phone and address books don't they?) or inside the kitchen cabinet door or whatever. We hope this makes life just a little easier when you have a question or suggestion. Much has happened on Holiday Point over the spring, summer and fall of 2004 with still more to enjoy through the winter. With all the parties, picnics, a wedding and family reunion or just plain hanging out it was and continues to be a great year for our Association. We spent some bucks on improvements and plan on spending more this spring on such things as Pier Two. I'll fill you in on all that at the Annual Meeting on July 9th. One thing that must be stressed before the Annual Meeting is that when you read the list of Board Member responsibilities, please don't interpret it to mean "isn't that nice that they are willing to do all that work." Yes they are willing to do a lot of work, and they do, but they need your help. You may or may not receive a phone call from a member asking if you can chip in but why wait?. Look over the list and volunteer today. If you do a good job Bill M. may sponsor you as a member in the Red Cup Society! If you are already a member, someday you may get a one-of-a-kind wood plaque. I never got a wood plaque.... |
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There are some issues that the Board has been concerned about that do require everyone's attention and cooperation. This year was a banner year regarding the number of members who enjoyed the beach and all of the special events. It wasn't just good to see, it was great to see all our friends and neighbors. However, there also seems to be a growing number of mystery guests. They may be your friends or relatives or friends of your relatives, and as such it is a pleasure to have them around. Unfortunately, without an HPA member around to let everyone know who our guests are, awkward situations can arise. The Board understands that this can be a very sensitive issue and has therefore suggested that we do nothing at this time, to address it. Rather, the Board asks that all HPA members be mindful of our rules and regulations as they pertain to our invited guests and guest conduct. In short, let us know when your friends are coming. We'd rather offer up a beer than check ID. Guest conduct has been raised on a number of occasions and does require attention. We ask nothing more of our guests than we expect from each other. So, please see that guests pick up after themselves, fill in the holes in the sand from children digging, replace toys when finished, place diapers in plastic bags before depositing them in the trash and don't change diapers on picnic tables. No big deal, but if they or you don't follow these simple requests than another member must and unforunately . . . we still do not have hired help. Enough about rules. The coming season looks to be another fun-filled time. I know that I'm really looking forward to it. In the meantime, check out Tobi A's column, "Around the Point" to see what else is happening. Enjoy the rest of the winter. See you all soon. And GO PATRIOTS!!! Ed Hayes, President |
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Vice-President on the Go |
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Think fast - Who was Abraham Lincoln's Vice-President during his first term? Don't Know? Like most VPs, this individual has slipped into obscurity. But something tells me that none of your HPA board members will be obscure while Ed Hayes is President. This is beacuse Ed strongly believes that active participation is what makes our community as great as it is. Therefore, he has kindly asked all of the members of the Board to take responsibility for coordinating the variety of tasks that help to keep Holiday Point running smoothly and our dues the lowest of any community on Candlewood Lake. In a stroke of gunius he put me in charge of "Special Events" - is this a great community or what? I can't imagine a more fun job! This year's special events include the traditional favorites:
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Community Tag Sale. While some of these Special Events are freebies where everyone brings a dish and beverage, others are fundraisers. The Board recently made a decision to use fundraising as a means of acquiring the "nice to haves" that aren't budgeted for, or paid our of our dues. Some of the "nice to haves" that we've recently discussed include landscaping, a BBQ or fire pit for bonfires, a gazebo for shelter in the event of bad weather . . . you get the picture. Lest you think I'm going to be doing all this work myself, Ed has made it very clear that the Board members are really the coordinators for all events and community responsibilities. I'll be contacting a number of you asking (sometimes pleading!) for all the help and participation I can get to make these events a success. So check out the canendar in this issue and on the website for schedule dates. Notices are also posted on the bulletin boards at the Main Beach and at the bus stop near Hillside Drive. Oh yeah - before I forget . . . check on the Home page of our website to get the answer to the question at the top of this column. Roseann DiMatteo, Vice-President |
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Secretary Extrordinaire |
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What famous cartoonist lived and worked in my house at Holiday Point? His dashing hero, dangerous exploits and bevy of sexy ladies inspired many young fans to long for adventure and romance. Give up? Check the Home page of our website for the answer. Now for the more serious stuff... Holiday Point style... Membership Lists I am in charge of keeping our membership list up to date. Please let me know if there are any corrections or additions and I'll be happy to make any changes necessary. We are missing quite a few email addresses; so if you are available via the Internet and want that information listed (in the members only section of our website), you can send an email message to me at Schaermom@aol.com and I'll pass it along to Al B. Use this list... keep in touch with all of your HPA buddies, even when the summer fun ends. Get to know your neighbors. After almost 7 years here I can truly say this is a very special community and a wonderful bunch of folks! Nameplates for Road Directories The small metal name signs at the entrance to your streets can be ordered by notifying me if you would like to be identified. There is a nominal one-time fee of $12 per nameplate, payable to Holiday Point Association. Please contact me if you are new to the community or if you've changed your name and wish to have your nameplate updated. I will be placing an order for nameplate signs in March. Protecting our Candlewood Lake Environment I have also volunteered (Ed helped me in this |
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decision...) to be your Holiday Point Liaison with the Candlewood Lake Authority. As a lake community it is in all our best interests to take an active role in helping to preserve this beautiful lake. There are many ways and levels that we can participate in having a positive impact on Candlewood Lake. "Holiday Pointers" will be participating in the Lake Cleanup Challenge - We will sponsor a Lake Clean-up Boat in late May, early June. (Contact Ernie K. for more information). Larry Marsicano from the CLA will be at our Annual July 9th meeting. Some of the important topics to be discussed are implementing the "Neighborhood Lake Watch Program" and their new brochure on "Approved Buffer Planting Guidelines" for Candlewood Lake, with plant lists and design suggestions. You should be receiving this new brochure in your mail from the CLA in March. It can also be obtained after March at their new website www.candlewoodlakeauthority.org. HPA Comings and Goings Please keep me posted on any membership news where an appropriate greeting or card of acknowledgement should be sent out. We'll send you a card to cheer you up when you're sick or help you celebrate life's milestones. We would like to be as supportive and considerate of all our neighbors as possible. Hope to see all of you down at the beach this summer! Join our activities, visit and book mark our website. Enjoy life at Holiday Point! Phyllis Schaer, Secretary |
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Treasury Notes |
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We are pleased to report that approximately 80% of our membership has paid their 2004/2005 dues to date. If you have not already done so, please remit payment of your dues without further delay. Spring expenses will be upon us soon and we need to keeep the cash flow up to date. The HPA mailing address is P.O. Box 488, Sherman, CT 06784. So, yes, put that check in the mail. Reluctantly, the Board finds it necessary to take action in response to homeowners who have not |
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stayed current in their dues. A letter has been sent to many of the local real estate agents informing them that they should confirm the status of the dues prior to closing on an HPA property. We hope this helps us welcome new neighbors without any left over financial burdens from prior homeowners. Thanks for you support of our association. We run a tight ship, but some things just cost money. Bernadette Schopfer, Treasurer |
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Around the Point with Tobi |
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Every day is like a holiday, when you live on Holiday Point. True. But how do Holiday Pointers keep themselves occupied when not partying at the beach. Community Contributions Since the association was created, members have kept the water system flowing, the signs painted, the trees trimmed, and the beach clean. It comes as no surprise that this spirit of community and volunteerism has spilled over into the far reaches of the Town of Sherman. Here's a list of known town-wide activities of current HPA members. If your name should be included, please let us know for our next issue. "Officer Ed" Hayes not only keeps us safe through his post on the CLA Lake Patrol, but he's also hard at work as the Chairman of the Sherman Volunteer Fire Department Facilities Study Committee, and is the Chairman of the Town Hall Facilities Study Committee. In his spare time, he's boldly leading the HP Board of Directors as President. Ever wonder who tends the lovely flowers around the lamppost by the library? That would be the Sherman Garden Club, of which Marie Hayes is a member. Marie also serves as Treasurer for the Sherman Historical Society which runs the David Northrop House and the Old Store in the center of town. For a small town, we enjoy an impressive public library with a kickin' video collection for loan. Missy Alexander serves on the Board of Directors at the Sherman Library. You can support the library too, at the bi-annual Library Book Sales and the December Holiday Party or just by becoming a member. Among other events hosted at the library - Bill Petkanas and Al Burgasser, co-chair the Sherman Song Swap, a monthly meeting of musicians who gather to sing, snack and socialize, but mostly sing. Eva and Michael Petkanas had their Song Swap debut in January. When not playing the guitar, Al Burgasser works hard to keep all of Sherman connected. Not only did Al design HPA's website - he also designed the official web site for the Town of Sherman. The site contains loads of information about the town and what's going on in our town government. Check it out when you have a chance (using the link above). Al and his wife Ro DiMatteo have also been active advocates for the Sherman homeowners, lobbying the Planning and Zoning Commission for changes in local building regulations. Ro also works with Ed Hayes as a member of the Town Hall Facilities Study Committee. Ernst Krubsack is involved with Sherman zoning, serving as an alternate member of the Zoning Board of Appeals. Holiday Point Association plans to participate in the CLA Lake Clean Up this year and Ernie will serve as coordinator for this event. Ernie is also an active member of the Sherman Veteran's Association. HP Association members also participate in the preservation of our parks, forests and recreational facilities through the Parks and Recreation Commission. Paul Ormiston serves as a member of the commission and Al Burgasser as an instructor in the Sherman Adult Education Program. Parks and Rec conducts recreational and cultural activities for residents year 'round. |
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To make sure that the town of Sherman retains open space, David Wieder serves as a member of the advisory board for the Land Acquisition Commission. There's always something interesting happening at the JCC - in the past year, Al Burgasser led a snow shoe hike, and Tobi Andrews participated in the annual "Artist-at-Work" program. Working to keep our communities safe, our newest member, Tige Wade is a Connecticut State Trooper and also belongs to the CT Dive Rescue Squad and the CT State Trooper Bomb Squad. Sharp minds, safe homes, clean environments and interesting activities - Holiday Pointers are hard at work to ensure that we live in the greatest town, in its best community. HPA Happenings 2004 Births Please join us in congratulating Mike and Julie Halliday who welcomed their first grandchild this year. Another generation of beach-kids begins! Deaths Sadly, 2004 marked the passing of two Holiday Point residents. Paul Carini passed away, leaving his wife Sharon and 3 children, Jason, Jennifer, and Alison. Paul was employed by IBM and held several patents. Holiday Point also said goodbye to long-time resident Heinz Berger. We extend sincere condolences to the Carini and Berger families. Paul and Heinz will be missed. Farewells We will all greatly miss Walt and Ronnie Krueger who have relocated to North Carolina. Ronnie has been a resident of Holiday Point since her childhood. Son Garrett has been a bass fishing fixture on Candlewood, since spending his childhood with brother Walter at the beach. We wish the Krueger Family well, as they start a new chapter of life on a new lake in NC! Alohas We extend warm greetings to our new neighbors: Adam Lerner & Robin Schaer moved into 7 Oak Drive Jack & Debbie Cole moved into 4 Oak Drive David & Wanda Caine moved into 4 Sunrise Pass New Citizens And to Mike Halliday we extend a great big welcome on his new US citizenship. Nice to know you're planning to stay, Mike. We'll see you at the beach! Tobi Andrews, HPA Goodwill Ambasador |
