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VOL. 17 NO. 10
OCTOBER 2024
Master POA Report As I pen this letter it is the middle of September, and the “Windy Season” has been very quiet…so far. We have used only 5 letters of the hurricane alphabet so far which means that we are still several letters from the “i”s (such as Ian, and Irma) that ravaged our shores in recent years. Let us hope that we do not use the entire alphabet this year even though it has been predicted to be busier than normal! Your Master (and probably your neighborhood’s) boards have been preparing for the usual hectic fall schedule. Driving around the community on trash day discloses that many of our neighbors are probably taking late summer vacations as they have, at last, no children to get off to school. The Master Board Treasurer, Mickey Wheeler, along with the other Master Board Directors, are putting the final touches on our 2025 assessment budget which will be presented to the Master Board for approval in October. This is billed quarterly
starting January 1 along with your neighborhood assessment. The Master assessment covers the expenses for the property and services used by all the Grandezza residents such as Comcast cable/ internet; landscaping for the common areas such as along Grand Oak Dr.; the access control services at the gate house; and our vehicle patrol along the community streets. My thanks to Mickey and the other Directors for their work to produce the annual budget. As you know, our budget does not cover the services and facilities provided by the Club which are billed by the Club in December. It is interesting that the Club pays the Master Association over $200K/year for the Club’s share of the expenses to maintain property that is jointly owned/used by the Club. In November, the Master Association will host our annual reception to honor and thank our residents who serve us as directors on various Grandezza community boards including
the Master and neighborhoods. It is an opportunity to recognize them for their efforts to maintain our community as an attractive and inviting place in which to invest your significant residential funds. This is very important, as we are competing with other established and new communities to attract new residents when we are selling our homes. I find it interesting how many of our residents who are downsizing / upsizing their residences elect to stay in Grandezza doing a “Grandezza Shuffle” where they feel at home! How about sharing your experience and talents to assist your community? We are approaching the Member Annual Meeting time. Why not submit a nomination to serve on your Master or neighborhood Board? The procedure is detailed on the Annual Meeting notices you will receive well before the meeting date. Master POA Report on page 3
Some Perspectives of Halloween By Susan Sherwin Many of us Grandezza residents recollect Halloween of years past as one of our favorite holidays of the year. Celebrated annually on October 31st, Halloween has its roots in ancient Celtic traditions although today it has evolved into a fun-filled, family-friendly occasion where creativity, community, and spookiness come together. From trick-or-treating for candy to elaborate costumes and haunted houses, customs vary, but children, teens and the forever-young often enjoy this holiday. I have always thought that the best Halloween custom is trick-or-treating, where children dress up in costumes and go door-to-door, collecting candy from neighbors. This tradition originated from the medieval practice of “souling,” in which villagers would go from home to home offering prayers for the dead in exchange for food. In its modern form, trick-or-treating has become a delightful activity for kids, as they transform into their favorite characters—sometimes spooky, funny, or fantastical—and visit homes decorated with pumpkins, ghosts, bats, black cats, and cobwebs. This writer grew up in Jersey City, New Jersey, where my friends and I rang every doorbell on every door in our apartment buildings and collected our copious goodies in pillowcases. Those stashes of candy would last for months afterwards. Today, parents often accompany their younger children, and neighborhoods that are particularly enthusiastic about
Halloween will go all out with their decorations, creating eerie environments with lights, sound effects, and life-size props. Sometimes entire streets are turned into haunted villages and compete for the best decorated award. Costume parties and dressing up are absolutely essential to Halloween festivities. The practice of wearing costumes is rooted in the ancient belief that during Samhain, a precursor to Halloween, that the veil between the living and the dead was at its thinnest. So, people lit bonfires and wore costumes to disguise and protect themselves from any spirits that might be lurking. Today Halloween costumes may range from traditional vampires, witches, and skeletons to pop-culture inspired superheroes, movie characters, and famous or infamous personalities. Believe me that dressing up is not only limited to kids as adults join in the festivities too. My friends and I were always up for showing off our wild, creative, and sometimes outlandish costumes, and if it involved a Halloween costume contest, all the better. What fun it was to be a princess, to be transformed into Sinbad of the Seven Seas, or to pose as a box of M & Ms. Another enjoyable Halloween custom is pumpkin carving. This tradition of carving pumpkins into jack-o’lanterns comes from Irish folklore. Originally, turnips and potatoes were carved with faces to ward off evil spirits, but after Irish immigrants brought the custom to America, pumpkins became the preferred medium. Let’s face
Energy Check By Yvette Bernosky, B.Ms., Director of Fitness & Wellness, The Club at Grandézza Not long ago, I came across this sign posted at the entrance of Indiana University Health. I smiled as I thought how brilliant it was to ask people to pause and reflect momentarily on the energy they were carrying and shift it before entering, if necessary. A center of health is certainly a place where you want an environment free of “dis-ease.” Coincidentally, at the entrance to The Studio, I have a doormat with the message, “We are so happy you are here.” And, inside, a sign that reads, “This is our happy place.” These simple yet powerful words create an inviting atmosphere, signaling for people to leave their stressors and worries outside. Inside, it’s their time to unplug and focus on their health and well-being.
Think of all the times when you have seen someone so worked up that they project unnecessary anger on personnel who had nothing to do with their actual issue. Or, when you arrive at a social event and sit next to someone who spends the evening complaining about everything. In the article, “Human Energy is Contagious: Whose Vibes Are You Catching? Susan Kohn Taylor, founder of The Mental Fitness Company, shares that a person’s energy is a combination of their past, their mindset, their dominant thoughts and their perception of the world. Sometimes, that energy is easily felt; other times, it manifests subtly and subconsciously. This negative energy can Energy Check on page 3
it. Carving or painting a pumpkin has to be preferable to decorating a turnip or a potato. Once the pumpkin is carved, a candle or small light is placed inside, creating an eerie glow that adds to the Halloween atmosphere. For those who enjoy a good scare, haunted houses and other spooky attractions have been a Halloween favorite. These may range from small, homemade haunted garages to large-scale commercial haunted houses complete with actors, animatronics, and sometimes terrifyingly realistic sets. Some towns and communities also offer hayrides or corn mazes designed to scare at every turn. Personally, I never liked braving corn mazes, but to each his own. Boo! Last, Halloween parties are a staple for both kids and adults. Traditional Halloween games such as bobbing for apples, pin the hat on the witch, and scavenger hunts keep the spirit of light-heartedness alive. Parties may even include activities like horror movie marathons, costume contests (of course) and spooky-themed snacks like ghostshaped cookies and candy apples. Halloween is nearly upon us later this month. Whether you are planning to celebrate or just to remember the fun that you, your family, and friends enjoyed in celebrating the holiday in the past, I hope you will find joy! Happy Halloween!
Editor’s Thought of the Day “Do not grow old no matter how long you live. Never cease to stand like curious children before the great mystery in which we were born.”
~ Albert Einstein