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Golden Acres R. O. Association, Inc. 2020-2021
President Ray Lamoureux
Vice President Ron Tasior
Treasurer Jerry Janes
Secretary Paula Bunevith
Director Lorne Taylor
Director Sue Bailey
Director John West
Property Manager Bill Martin / (Karin Desmone)
Golden Acres Recreation Committee 2020-2021
Chairperson Mark Johnson
Vice Chairperson Dan Peters
Treasurer Maureen Shannon
Secretary Elaine Janes
Sub Committee (Kitchen) Deb Pollard
Sub Committee (Bingo) Linda St. Peter
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Events
Bingo Committee Linda St. Peter, Marilyn McKay, Paula Bunevith
Bowling John Cobb
Darts League Wayne and Moya Bettridge
Fun Shuffle Team Captains
Golf Ron Tasior and Ed Richtmyer
Health and Welfare Master of Ceremonies (Coffee Hour)
Indoor Exercise Belinda Sezbenski, Elaine Janes, Carol Spinney
Line Dancing Theresa McGrory and Linda St. Peter
Newsletter Editor Sue Bailey
Paddling Club Gil Callingham and Lorne Taylor
Pool Exercise Nancy Baker / Debra Farris
Progressive Cards Eleanor and Gerald Saunders
Shuffleboard Norm Sanford
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President’s Report By Ray Lamoureux #9
The holidays are here, and the next year’s budget meeting was held on
Wednesday, December 2nd. We had some brave residents attending outside in the
cold weather. I want to thank everyone that turn in a proxy for the vote it help get the
budget approved.
The board meeting had a number of subjects on the agenda. A talk on the
Hardin House video that was sent out to residents that are not in the park to see the
house in person. A sheet was sent with the video to fill out on what to do with the
house. If you get a chance please mail your ideas back to the office.
The other most talked about was the renewal of the PMI contract. The subject
was an evaluation of PMI in response to the board request. PMI has followed what
the board wants with very few if any problem. They have served us for over 15 years
and have helped us run a great community.
The reason for the $5.00 a month needed maintenance increase was explained to the attending owners
and questions were answered. We can expect more increases in the future due to the loss in monthly income
from mortgages.
The board did an inspection on units throughout the park last month. We know that some of you cannot
come down this year, but the park still needs to be kept up to standards. We do the same inspections in the
summer each year and letters are sent out then. The inspection was later this year because of the virus. The virus
is no excuse for not keeping your property up to our standards.
A mailing for the two openings for the board was sent out early to give more time to send in your intent
to run. We need to receive the intent and a resume by the end of December please consider running for an
office.
The board hopes everyone is safe and healthy during these trying times. We hope you have a happy
holiday.
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From the Editor’s Desk By Sue Bailey #188 [email protected]
Happy New Year!
The year 2020 will finally be over! Here’s wishing for a New Year of returning to a somewhat normalcy
in our lives in comparison to what we all have experienced in this unprecedented past year. All of us can
describe the negatives that we experienced this past year with the pandemic, lockdowns, closings, shortages of
essential products, border closings, political and social unrest, hurricanes, fires, and flooding, to name a few. I
actually had to think long and hard to find some positive notes, but they do exist. Besides the ones that we all
are aware of, we at Golden Acres have accomplished a few of our own:
• We created a volunteer task force to help our community members get the essentials they needed,
including food, masks, toilet paper, etc. In addition, many also donated the same to our task force to
provide these items to those in need. What a caring, thoughtful, unselfish community we live in
• During a pandemic year with shutdowns, we had 9 new buyers this year and we welcome all of them to
our community
• We managed to buy the Hardin property to eliminate the easement (right of way) of the property. A
majority of us voted yes to purchase. Now we are in the process of determining what we are going to do
with it going forward
• We have a beautiful new pool lining in the month of July, but not without some resistance. In the end, it
was well worth the sacrifice and we now have many years to enjoy it
• Four new replacement homes were installed this year. It not only benefits the owners, but also adds
beautification to our park
• To date, we have not lost anyone in our community due to COVID and we’re praying that it continues
this way
• Last, but not least, we were awarded the best mobile home park for 2020 by the City of Dunedin! We
were unaware that we were even considered until we received the award. It was a proud time for all of
us
May the New Year bring all of you good health, happiness and prosperity.
Until next time,
May God bless and keep you well and safe…
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Can Anyone Tell Us What This Is? By Sue Bailey #188 & Paula Bunevith #202
This particular item was discovered when
we were sorting and organizing the
remains of the Hardin house items and it
sparked our curiosity. Neither of us know
what this is. We asked a couple people
and they don’t know either. If you know,
please contact one of us.
Recreation Committee By Mark Johnson # 174
Greetings All!
The year 2020 will long be remembered as one of the most challenging time periods in our history.
I would like to thank the Golden Acres Board, for their direction and decision making during this
difficult environment, as we all seek solutions to the Covid-19 pandemic.
I want to acknowledge the efforts of all who have stepped up to the tasks, albeit a limited schedule, of
the events we are permitted to engage in, here at the park. I've been encouraged to hear that residents are doing
their part, in a responsible way, to follow common sense guidelines, as the battle against the virus continues.
We will continue to monitor the situation, with the hope of returning to our normal schedule of
recreation events, at the appropriate time.
There have been some position changes on the Recreation Committee. Bob and Judy Greene have
decided not to return to Golden Acres, and we thank them for their contributions. Their departure has resulted in
the following changes:
Dan Peters, #34 will now be serving as sole Vice Chairman.
Maureen Shannon, #200 has agreed to serve as Treasurer.
Linda St. Peter, #140 will be taking over for the Sub Committee Bingo responsibilities.
I look forward to seeing you when we can. Please stay safe, and may the best health possible, find you always.
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Our Dolphin Experience By Sandra & Stewart Guptill #150
Dolphins are a beautiful and elusive part of life on the
water in Dunedin. One can never get enough of their
curved backs coming out of the water, glistening in the
sun. Occasionally, you might even get to see one slap its
tail. These are magical moments that we never tire of.
Stewart and I have a boat that we keep at a small marina in
Palm Harbor. We use it as often as we can while at our
home in Golden Acres, but like everyone else, had to beat a
hasty retreat last March at the beginning of the
pandemic. Sadly, the international border between Canada
and the US has been CLOSED ever since, with no
indication that it is going to open again anytime
soon. Thankfully, we are allowed to fly to Florida. Not all
Canadians will choose to do this, as it is a more expensive
proposition than driving your own car. Your health
insurance may not cover you, or be more expensive, you
may have to rent a car for your time here, you can't bring
the baggage that you may customarily bring to your winter
home.
We made the decision in October that we would fly to our
winter home and try living without a car for a few weeks. We have kept very much to ourselves, having Costco
deliver our groceries, Luekens deliver our wine and Amazon deliver whatever else we find we need in order to
stay healthy and safe during these strange and challenging times.
On a beautiful Sunday in early November we rode our bikes to the marina to go out in the boat for the
afternoon. The captain (Stewart!) plans the journey to maximize comfort for the passenger (me!) to avoid
heavy seas, wind and saltwater spray. On this particular day, that meant heading out of the marina and up to the
north tip of Honeymoon Island then heading out into the Gulf of Mexico for a southward journey. We followed
the curve of Honeymoon Island, staying rather close to the shore, very slowly and savoring the day. Suddenly,
we were surrounded by dolphins as we approached the North Beach area. One over there, three over
there! Look! A mama and baby! It was out of this world! Then right beside us, a trio of them started jumping
out of the water. It was so captivating, that I couldn't even grab my camera, as I didn't want to miss a second of
it. After the initial show was over, I picked up my phone to text my kids, and they started all over again. I
couldn't believe my good fortune but know that even when I think I capture the image, I don't because they slip
so quickly back into the water. I made the attempt, though, and got very, very lucky. Some amazing shots of
the incredible dolphins. And I always thought they were trained for this at Disney!
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In Retrospect of 2020 By Kurt Novakowski #177
This has been a very different year in my life as Linda and I have been doing things in different ways.
With school mostly closed the living room becomes the classroom during the day as she teaches children
virtually. My job is to be quiet which is new for me. I am humored by her intensity, training as well as building
the children’s esteem as they learn.
I have maintained Flowers in the gardens and feed the several deer in my yard at night with stored
apples. My ranch needs me to maintain it as Linda works serving Children, the Church, the Homeless , and
Special needs community.(She is very nice).
Linda is still committed to feeding the homeless in Erie PA each Sunday. Normally 150 or more hot
dinners are served at the door of the Church then the person must leave and eat outside regardless of weather
conditions. Linda collects and takes clothing for them as some come for a meal wrapped in a blanket. She gives
them coats. Also Sunday Church services have been ended since March inside the Church. Services are now
done virtually online.
The Gliding Stars alternative skating program has been stopped until January . Linda has Directed the
Program 20 years and I am very happy to assist in the background grinding 100 pairs of skates and issuing
equipment and devices to special needs skaters.
It has been two years and two months since I lost my Beautiful sweet Gail. She had to orchestrate from
above a plan to bring me normalcy again. 47 years of marriage I must admit she spoiled me. I loved being
loved and loving her. Her smarty pants remarks are so missed. She loved telling a joke and getting a laugh.
Survival for me following her passing meant to begin anew while cherishing the memories, and grateful
contribution of her guidance making me the person I have become. Now I am Blessed to find again a peaceful
non combative partner. She always says, "I just hope I made someone’s day better." I make it a point to make
hers better."
Covid is a wildfire in Erie PA so I really don't get among the public . I will run to the front of the
vaccine line to get that concern behind us. I have only performed in public three times as Elvis since this
pandemic as performances were cancelled until next year. Also,
Ron Winders #149 struggled for life from Covid during November. Thankfully his daughter sent
someone to find him in his Coach after laying four days, saving him within hours of what may have ended him.
His recovery was a struggle.
I hope your Christmas was wonderful and God willing we end the Pandemic giving us a wonderful New
Year! God Bless One and All.
Editor’s Note: So sorry to hear about Ron Winders #149 and so happy to hear about his recovery! We as a
Board heard the rumors but were hesitant to announce it because we didn’t receive confirmation from any
family member. Without confirmation, it is just a rumor.
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Our Christmas Card to All By Kent & Anita Wood #8
So very sorry to miss all the fun of delivering your Christmas Cards this year, so please stay healthy and safe
and looking forward to our return for next year,
Life is Good By Margaret & Richard Cooper #49
Richard and I live in southern Ontario [that is 948 miles from Thunder Bay] and this is what we saw
when we opened the drapes on December1st.
This is our 5th. snow fall this season. It really is going to be a long winter. I now have warm gloves and
a down coat. The only boots I could find to fit over my brace are overshoes. I guess after 28 years going south I
had to expect: all the old ones would not fit.
All our Christmas decorations are in Florida, (thank goodness for Amazon and free shipping). We
managed to get new lights, or we would have been the only ones with no lights on our street.
Life is good, really good. Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
I have attached 4
photos.
1 Winter wonderland,
2. Hungry birds,
3.No BBQ tonight,
4. Warm and cozy
inside
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Association Records By Jerry Janes #216
Florida Law requires associations like Golden Acres to maintain certain records. While there are
exceptions, members have a right to see the records. If you are interested in requesting records, please visit the
office to submit your request.
After receiving next year's budget, several members asked for additional information. Specifically, they
desired a copy of our balance sheet to help in their budget review and decision about whether to vote to waive
the fully funded reserve requirement. As a result, the balance sheet was added to the monthly Park Review,
which is posted on our web site. The change was effective with the September 2020 Park Review. Members are
encouraged to access the information periodically to review summaries of recent expenditures and our operating
results. Board minutes are also in the same file.
Some of you may know how to access this information. For those who do not, here are some instructions to
aid in finding the information.
1. Go to our web site at www.goldenacresfl.com
2. Select “Park Resources” near the top of the page
3. Under “Park Resources” select “Park Review”
Editor’s Note: The Park Review is password protected to insure privacy. The password was provided when the
Park Review was initially established. If you never received or have forgotten the password, please contact
Karin Desmone at [email protected] or by calling the office during office hours.
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Harden House Status Update By Paula Bunevith #202 & Sue Bailey #188
A the time of this publication, all community members with an email address should have received a link to
the video of the Harden House property to view, along with a suggestion survey form to fill out and return to the
office with your suggestions of what to do with the property. It will be tallied and reported what the residents
have suggested. From there, it will be discussed and brought to a vote to determine the final outcome.
After we acquired the property and all items were removed by the seller, we discovered a significant number
of items that were left behind. Instead of just calling a junk company, Paula and I decided to unpack and sort
what had value and what was junk. We decided that it was worth our time to set aside the items of value and
organize a sale in order to make money to use when our residents decide what they want to do with the
property.
• The items consist of furniture, dishes, glasses, kitchen items, holiday decorations, vases, and many
miscellaneous items (too many to list)
• If anyone has items of value that you are willing to donate, contact Paula or myself. You will not receive
any compensation for your donations because all proceeds from the sale will be kept in a separate fund
to be used to offset the cost of whatever we are going to do once the community decides on the future of
the property
• Attention Community Members: It was decided at our board meeting on December 2nd that we will not
be holding an estate sale to the public due to the restrictions placed on us with the virus. Instead, all
items will be for sale within our park. In fairness to our residents unable to be here this year, we will
take pictures of the items and email them to you as we finish organizing for the sale. More to come soon
(probably after the holidays).
• If you have toured the Hardin House and saw items you are interested in please contact Sue Bailey #188
or Paula Bunevith #202 to purchase them. If you have not toured the Hardin House please contact us and
we will set up a time for you.
Become Your Healthiest Self From NIH (News in Health) newsinhealth.nih.gov
Make better health your resolution all year round. You can learn simple ways to prevent disease and
improve your relationships, emotional well-being, physical health, and
surroundings.
Check out NIH’s “Your Healthiest Self: Wellness Toolkits” for science based
health tips in five different areas. Each area has checklists of tips you can print for yourself or
share with others. The wellness toolkits also link to dozens of NIH resources, fact sheets, and articles for more
information.
For example, find out how to limit your exposure to harmful substances in your home. Get advice for
managing stress and adapting to change. Or learn how friends and family can help you gain better health habits.
Good health means more than preventing and treating disease. It also means striving for well-being in all
areas of your life. Small changes can add up fast. Find ways to start becoming your healthiest self. Go to
www.nih.gov/wellnesstoolkits.
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Don't let a Porch Pirate / Box Bandit steal your package By Sue Bailey #188 as an AARP Fraud Watch Fighter Free Helpline at (877) 908-3360 or https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/all/aarp-fraud-helpline/
Here are tips from law enforcement, the U.S. Postal Service and delivery firms:
1. Retrieve a package as soon as it arrives. Or avoid delivery by using ship-to-store or curbside pickup.
2. Use a tracking feature to check online when a package is scheduled to arrive. UPS, for examples,
has UPS My Choice to help track and reroute package deliveries.
3. Request that your package is sent with the “signature required” feature so it can't be delivered without
one.
4. If you're not going to be home, set up a specific delivery time when you will be. Or have the package
sent to a trusted person who will be home.
5. Choose an alternative pickup location.
• FedEx has more than 14,000 sites in the U.S. including FedEx Offices, FedEx Ship Centers and
retailers including Walgreens, Albertsons, Kroger and Dollar General.
• UPS Access Point locations for pickups include the UPS Store, Michaels, CVS, Advance Auto
Parts and self-service lockers.
• Amazon uses Amazon Lockers.
• For a fee, USPS offers a "Package Intercept" feature, although not all parcels are eligible.
6. If you are leaving town, ask for your shipments to be held. USPS’ free, "hold mail" requests must be
for at least three days and for a maximum of 30 days.
Fed Ex accepts vacation holds for up to 14 days; it also will store your delivery for free for up to five
days at many locations.
7. Consider a security camera. Some signal your phone, tablet or personal computer if your doorbell is
rung.
8. Instruct delivery firms where to leave your package so it isn't visible from the street. It could be the
side of your house. Or a hiding place.
9. Get an app. The FedEx mobile app lets package recipients electronically sign for a package, request a
vacation hold or choose a hold at one of its locations. Some security cameras let you use an app to watch
over your home from your smartphone. UPS lets you track your shipment on its app.
10. Though not common, leading up to the holidays some law enforcement agencies let local residents
have packages weighing less than 50 pounds shipped to their stations for pickup later. The Round Rock
(Texas) Police Department is hosting "Operation Front Porch” for the third year through Dec. 18. And in
Tampa, Florida, the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office has debuted "Operation Pinch-A-
Grinch,” which runs through Dec. 21.
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Birthdays and Anniversaries By Norma Moore #54
Golden Acres January Birthdays We want to mention all those who are celebrating this month and send them our
very best wishes. Paul Shannon …………………. January 1
Bill Obermark …………………. January 2
Frances Clark …………………. January 3
Elaine Janes …………………. January 3
Mary Blaney …………………. January 4
Maurita Reeves …………………. January 9
Clifford Cushman …………………. January 10
Deb Dundon Whitney …………………. January 10
Thomas Tyler …………………. January 10
Kurt Novakowski …………………. January 13
Merle Seyffert …………………. January 14
Robert Knott …………………. January 19
Robert Mickle …………………. January 19
Mary Ann Zura …………………. January 21
Jean Hall …………………. January 23
Kay Erickson …………………. January 26
Craig Houston …………………. January 26
Jean Franqueira …………………. January 28
Jim Coplen …………………. January 29
Joseph Lemon …………………. January 29
Tom McGrory …………………. January 29
William Smith …………………. January 31
Golden Acres January Anniversaries Best wishes to those who are celebrating their anniversaries this month.
Dan and Janet Peters ……………… January 14
Kent and Anita Wood ……………… January 14
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Active Duty Soldiers to Remember
Please take a moment to offer a prayer of thanks and remembrance to all those who help to protect our
way of life. Keep them in your prayers until they return safely to their loved ones.
Adam Coburn (British Army) serving in Afghanistan, Nephew of Mildred and David Todd, Lot #2.
Damien Fitzpatrick (Staff Sgt. USAF) Grandson of Judith Fitzpatrick, Lot #87.
Eric Fitzpatrick (PFC US Army) Grandson of Judith Fitzpatrick, Lot #87.
Sean Fitzpatrick (Captain US Army) Grandson of Judith Fitzpatrick, Lot #87.
Daniel Jones (US Navy) Grandson of Carol Diniz, Lot #25.
Matthew Jones (US Navy) Grandson of Carol Diniz, Lot #25.
Brian Karhoff (US Army Major) Son of Nancy Karhoff, Lot #67.
Jeffery Richardson (USN Color Guard) in Bremerton, WA, serving on the USS Nimitz. Grandson of Kathleen
Gilliam Lot #204.
John Wilson (PFC lst Class USMC) Iraq – Grandson of Jean Key, Lot #138.
So that we might get to know these courageous soldiers better, I would like to add their pictures to this
section. Please forward any photos to Sue Bailey [email protected]
For changes to the list of soldiers, please contact Sue Bailey [email protected]