Beachcomber

The Newsletter of Hammock Beach Estates

July 21, 2003 Volume 5, No.3

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY 

A big thank you to Harold Clarke and Frank Carelli for a wonderful 4th of July picnic. Fun, food and camaraderie were enjoyed by all. It was a wonderful outing and we look forward to future HBE gatherings Thank you Harold and Frank.

SHORING UP OUR COMMUNITY

I’ve tiptoed on the shoreline of eternity,
breathing its freshness,
seeing reflected firmament,
crunching empty shells under my feet.
I’ve lived to see a new day rise
behind soaring pelicans diving deeply for their sustenance,
and shoring up my soul.

-- Rose S. Thomason (2000)

Like most of you, my late wife Rose and I were fulfilling a lifelong dream to live by the shore when we moved to Hammock Beach Estates and built our dream home. I often refer to our community as “our little bit of paradise.” What can equal an early

 morning walk on the beach, watching the sunrise and rejoicing in a new day? Or what can fill us with more wonder and awe than viewing the emergence of 125 baby turtles from their nest on the beach and being present for their first plunge into the sea? Or what can surpass the beauty of a glorious sunset surrounded by menacing storm clouds?

But we soon discover that even “paradise” has its flaws. When the northeasters come with their driving winds and rain, our “dream home” leaks. The salt spray must frequently be washed from our windows, and the salt air rapidly corrodes our exposed locks and hinges. We soon find that our habitat includes more than graceful blue herons, grazing gopher turtles, and scurrying quail families. We also live in the midst of snakes, some of them poisonous, a large population of cotton rats, and those annoying armadillos that delight in burrowing in our lawns and shrubs.

We also discover that, even in “paradise,” the vicissitudes of life overtake us. Some of us develop serious illnesses. Some even die. Intimate relationships sometimes deteriorate,


 and longtime marriages may fall apart. Adult children may return to their parents’ nest when their own lives are in turmoil and transition. The stock market may tumble and threaten financial futures.

And, yes, even in “paradise,” the neighbors are not always ones we would choose. They may not share our political views. They may not be friendly enough. Their lawns and houses may not be immaculate enough. Their lifestyles may not seem compatible with ours. (They stay up too late, or get up too early, or have too much company.) And, worst of all, they may have ideas about our community that differ from ours.

The “paradise” I’ve described (and I still want to call it that) is the real world in which the Board of Directors of your Homeowners Association was elected to do its work. Without exception, I believe that each member of that Board is conscientiously seeking to do what he or she believes serves the best interest of the whole community. We don’t always agree about what that is, but we are always in agreement about that goal.

I hope you will carefully read the minutes of our meetings and attend them when you can. We always provide a time in the beginning of each meeting for hearing from any homeowner wishing to share an idea, a concern, or a criticism. While we are aware that, in a diverse neighborhood like ours, there are many differing opinions about community issues, we are pledged to hear and give serious consideration to all points of view. We will always strive to be fair and to be public in our decision-making process. We not only will

receive your input; we encourage and solicit it.

-- Robert Thomason, President

TURTLE SEASON

Susan Fairley

We are in the midst of turtle season, which means two things. Turtles are laying their eggs and turtle eggs are beginning to hatch. Both of these events are pretty awesome. If you haven’t had the opportunity to witness nature in action here are some identifying marks.

When the turtle comes in to lay her eggs she will leave her tracks both coming to shore and returning to sea. The turtle patrol then marks the nest with stakes and ribbon. The color of the ribbon indicates the month the turtle nest was found. Pink is for May, blue for June and orange for July. The eggs generally hatch between 50 and 60 days. The large nests are leatherback turtles and the smaller nests loggerheads. When you see a small green ribbon attached to a stake that means it is close to hatching time. You can currently see this marking on the May and early June nests.

If you see a green ribbon on a stake, here are some things that can help the hatchlings make it to the water. They need a smooth surface in front of the nest. Huge tire ruts can cause them to get stuck traveling in the wrong direction. Avoid making ruts and if you have the time rake out the ruts in front of the nest. Keep lights facing the ocean off. If you find a live hatchling, put on a latex glove and give the hatchling a lift to shore, they will appreciate the help


Currently we are about 50 nests behind from last year. Our Hammock Beach Estates area is missing a few nests. Let’s see if we can keep our shoreline clean and clear of tracks to encourage nesting.

Several of your neighbors are members of the turtle patrol. If you have questions seek them out or flag any turtle patrol member down while they are on the beach, they will be glad to answer your questions.

You can adopt a nest for $25.00 and not only support your volunteers and an endangered species, but also receive the following: an official adoption certificate, a one year subscription to the Turtle Tracker, a sea turtle education packet nest watching guidelines, nest success evaluation reports and a bumper sticker. You may even be interested in a “Hands On” adoption where you become actively involved in reporting the progress of your nest. If you would like information about adoptions, please contact Susan Fairley or Karen Joyce.

There’s Something New on the Internet.

Joe Sermarini

It’s the Hammock Beach Estates Home Owners Association web site and it’s full of information about our neighborhood and provides a way for us to share thoughts and opinions. It was developed at the request of the HBEHOA Board of Directors as a way of improving communication among members, especially those who are not full time residents.

As members of the HBEHOA, we should have the pertinent documentation including the following: The Articles of Incorporation, the By-Laws and the

 Covenants and Restrictions. However, we may not have all of the amendments to these documents. It is the goal of the BOD to ensure that the latest version of these documents be made available to everyone. Also included are the latest BOD Meeting Minutes, the latest Budget Report, Beachcomber back issues and other Documents pertinent to the association. There is also a search engine on the site allowing members to find words or phrases in these documents.

For our out of town members, there is an icon with the time and temperature in Palm Coast. Click on it for an area weather report. Also included are links to some of the other sites of interest in the Flagler/Palm Coast area. You’ll find information on local attractions, restaurants, and a calendar of events on the FPC Chamber of Commerce site.

Other links have information on the Flagler and St. Johns counties scenic and historic sites.

Just as important, the web site is also a way to share our views or pose a question, to list property or other items for sale, to share pictures or to list events on a calendar. Each page on the site has a “click here…” line to allow members input to the site. We welcome all comments and suggestions to improve the usefulness of the site. You can e-mail the Webmaster at joes@pcfl.net or send a note to:

HBEHOA Webmaster
PO Box 350668
Palm Coast, FL 32137

So give us a visit at www.hbehoa.com

We hope you’ll find it a useful and entertaining experience.


FROM THE DEVELOPERS CORNER...

Stan Rosenbaum

The past six months have been a very exciting time both at Hammock Beach Estates and in our business. My son, Joshua, has joined me as my partner, which has allowed me more time to spend in other areas of our business.

Anyone who hasn’t met him yet is welcome to visit our new offices at One Armand Beach Drive - Suite 2C and say hello.

At Hammock Beach Estates we presently have five homes under construction and we will be starting another new home within sixty days. We warmly welcome our new neighbors and look forward to them becoming part of our family. The Developer’s inventory is down to eight lots.

I was reminded by some of my old friends/homeowners at the 4th of July community gathering about how it was back in 1991 when we had five houses and about eight lots sold. A lot of positive things have happened since then, and the community has matured into an incredible place to live. I can personally vouch for that!

The 4th of July party given by Harold Clarke and Frank Carelli was a great success. This is just another example of how our neighbors from all different walks of life can gather together and celebrate our great country and enjoy each other’s company.

The gate on Ocean Dune Circle has been installed and is in full operation. The intent of the gate was strictly to limit vehicular traffic. Our community walkers and bikers are welcome as always. We look forward to working 

 with the Home Owners Association to continue to maintain the beauty of Hammock Beach Estates.

Please come and visit us at our new office, or give me a call for a tour of our latest model at 50 Armand Beach Drive. Joshua and I are looking forward to an exciting second half of 2003 for Hammock Beach Estates.

 

Meet Your New Neighbors

Danny and Nancy Ponce

Danny and Nancy Ponce are the new owners of 12 Ocean Dune Circle. They are originally from Miami, but now live in Gainesville, Florida. They have two grown children, Scott and Allison and a 13 year old daughter, Morgan. They have two dogs, Shadow (Dalmatian) and Montana (Scotty). Danny is an attorney by profession and Nancy a portrait photographer. They are avid Gators, as evidenced by the Gator mailbox in their front yard. They love the ocean and the Hammock and plan to spend as much time here as possible.

Holiday Celebration

It is once again time to plan the holiday party. The social committee would love to hear from you. Please share your ideas for a December holiday party or volunteer to be a member of the social committee via the website or by calling Karen Joyce or Susan Fairley.

The Beachcomber

Published by the
Hammock Beach Estates
Home Owners Association
 Editor, Susan Fairley