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VOL. 17 NO. 3
MARCH 2024
Report from Your Master POA By the time this Gazette is published, our winter friends will be planning their trips back north or at least skipping some weekly trips to Costco. The year-around residents apologize for the unusually cool and wet “Season” this year but at least there was no snow and ice here to be moved around! We hoped to celebrate the completion of Phase 1 of the Corkscrew Rd. expansion contract in this issue, but it is still “in progress”. Perhaps by the time the March edition is in your hands, the expanded road will be open for all lanes of traffic. The Village is working on the plans for landscaping the new roadway with bike and walking provisions as well as enhancements on the Ben Hill Griffin Blvd. landscaping. It is very apparent why Corkscrew Rd. needed to be upgraded. The 2023 sales numbers for the various developments to our East were very impressive with a total of over 850 homes closed. This does not include the housing contracts signed but still under construction. If we estimate the sales at $500K for each house (which is very conservative based on the closings in the weekly County reports), this increased the value of Lee County housing by nearly $500 million. Grandezza residences continue to sell quickly which indicates that our community compares well with the new homes to our East.
We are informed that The Place and Corkscrew Shores were closed out in 2023. There are still about 7,600 approved lots remaining on East Corkscrew including 5,200 in the new G L Homes development. This does not include the 10,000 lots that have been approved by the County at the junction of Corkscrew and State Rte. 82. The Master Board January agenda included accepting the 2022 fiscal audit. The outside CPAs reviewed the December, 2022 financials and expressed a “full opinion” on the final balance sheet. Our Master Board policy requires that an outside CPA firm review our financials every 3 years. Our thanks to the Master Audit Committee (Don Platt -Chair; Joe Spanier and Kevin McCoy) for choosing the audit firm and following its progress. Mickey Wheeler, the Master Assoc. Treasurer, reviewed our December 2023 financials which show an $85K surplus on total revenues of $2.2 million. The surplus was centered in the $21K of additional interest earned reflecting the higher rates available on our CDs. In 2023 our Pooled Reserve declined to $122K following the repaving of about 80% of our roads. This is by far the largest item in our Pooled Reserve and our actual paving expense came in very close to the reserve estimate which started 20 years ago. We plan to transfer a portion of our
2023 surplus to the Restoration Reserve in 2024 to replace a portion of our Ian expenses. Our financial condition remains strong with a retained surplus of $320K which is within our guidelines of about 15% of our billed revenues. We were very pleased with the February presentation by the new club ownership. It was well attended, and our residents seemed to come away with a positive feeling about them and their plans for our club facilities and activities. During January, Naples had its annual Winter Wine Festival, and the bottom line is that they raised over $33 million in one weekend for various child related services and activities in Collier County. The “grand auction item” this year was a one-week Mediterranean cruise for 4 couples on a 300 ft private yacht. The bid was over $2.5 million for this item. Our United Way annual appeal will be completed in March and our hope is that the hard work of our United Way Committee will once again result in our reaching our goal for the needs of our community. Oh yes, almost forgot to mention the March Madness NCAA Basketball Tournament, perhaps the most fun in college athletics, should be in full action by the time this issue is distributed. Good luck to all your alma maters! Fred Thompson
Grandezza Girlfriends By Cindy Fitzpatrick All you need is love, Norman Love chocolate that is! In January, acclaimed chocolatier, pastry chef, CEO and Founder of Norman Love Confections, shared his interesting history and how his company became one of the top chocolate shops in the world. Norman and his wife Mary started the company in Fort Myers 22 years ago, growing it into a globally recognized brand. His chocolates are free of preservatives and artificial flavors and each one is hand crafted. They truly are a work of art! It doesn’t end there, Norman and Mary support more than 250 charities in Southwest Florida. Each girlfriend in attendance took home a sample of two of Norman’s favorites, Key Lime Pie and Tahitian Carmel. What a sweet treat for the sell out crowd!
We c e l e b r a t e d t h e birthdays of Patty Accavallo, Lillian Bennett, Wendy Cohen, Suzanne Goldberg, Betty Harper, Pat Hazelton, Jill McRae, Hilary Moleski, Freda Moore, Joanne Oslosky, Nancy Taylor and Ellen Webster. Janet Doll was the lucky winner of the bracelet. In case you missed it, we have a private Facebook Group under Grandezza Grandezza Girlfriends on page 5
A Peaceful Legacy By Yvette Bernosky, B.Ms., Director of Fitness & Wellness, The Club at Grandézza The tensions were high as we had never faced a global crisis of this magnitude before. The insurmountable amount of stress we were under was hard to contain. Every day, somewhere along the way, it was inevitable that conversations about the pandemic would surface. Understandably, many opinions flew back and forth at times, creating discourse. Some friendships and family ties became strained and crumbled, while many strove to maintain a peaceful environment. What had happened to society? We were once a kinder and gentler nation. Thinking back in history, the Greatest Generation - the generation of Americans born between 1901 and 1924 who came of age during the Great Depression and the 1940s, many of whom fought in World War II – is a prime example of a time when people worked together for collective best
Z and currently, Generation Alpha must decide what legacy they want to leave. How can we calm aggressiveness that may rise up, dividing families, friends and our nation? How can we coexist with love and understanding for each other, despite our differences? Some things we can do are: • Value Others - As we value others, we accept them for who they are and do not hold judgment. A Peaceful Legacy on page 4 interests. They raised the bar in work ethics and stood together against evil. And, although they still had different ideas and opinions, when it came down to the greater good of all, the greater good prevailed. Even today, the Greatest Generation gives back through funding humanitarian efforts, performing arts, and supporting an array of causes. For them, it’s not about sacrificing but about nurturing others. Unfortunately, that generation is fading out. As our world shifts, we face new realities and social issues. With the Greatest Generation becoming a thing of the past, the Silent Generation, the Baby Boomers, Generation X, the Millennials, Generation
Quote & Comments from the Editor The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched - they must be felt with the heart. - Helen Keller Susan D. Baker PhD, suzbake1@gmail.com