The longer you've been at FG, the more this will mean to you

Remember this Rascal?
(Click on picture to enlarge)

Yesterday, September 12, 2011, was one of those satisfying days when justice was seen to done. The following report is courtesy of Fred Wolf:

"At the courthouse in Tampa yesterday, David Peterson was sentenced to 84 months in the federal prison at Coleman, FL for conspiracy to commit fraud, for which he had pled guilty. The Judge also gave him mandatory career change and forbid him to ever seek investors along with 3 years supervised probation. He was also ordered to pay restitution in an amount of approximately $6.5 million. There still has to be another waste of time hearing for the court to determine who gets what. We all know what that amounts to.
The judge stated he had to go by the federal sentencing guidelines, which in the cases pertaining to fraud, he feels are not harsh enough. He gave him the maximum allowed by these guidelines.
It helped that four of the victims came forth at the hearing and told the court their story and how Peterson's crimes affected them, and that many wrote letters to the court. The judge stated he read every one of them and thanked all that took this time and that it really put it in perspective to hear directly from some of the victims."

One of the four people that told their story in court yesterday was Sandy Gallup. Here is Sandy's perspective of "their day in court."

"Yesterday I attended the David Peterson sentencing and it was very interesting. There were four of us who spoke and the Judge acknowledged that he had gotten LOTS of letters from "victims" and had read everyone. I was most impressed with his handling of the sentencing and if the laws had not been recently changed, I am sure he would have gotten 20 years, at least. However, sometime recently the time was changed to 78 months with Judge's discretion to increase it (and he did to 84 months).

The Come-Uppance Dinner Group
(Click on picture to enlarge)

"David was given a HARSH verbal thrashing by the Judge after our testifying as to how he took so much from all of us - not just money, but time from our "golden years". This was the first time I had ever laid eyes on David. Most there had commented on how he had aged, etc. David spoke in his own defense to the Judge who absolutely did not buy a bit of his story and admonish-ed him greatly for all he had done. His wife, Diedre (whom I had also never seen before) was there in court along with his aging parents (how sad for them to see this), and at the end, Diedre was crying - probably cause she is terrified that the same will happen to her when her sentencing comes up on Oct. 6th.  A very moving day to say the least!!!!"

After the hearing, David shuffled off to his cell and many of  the Florida Grande attendees seized the occasion as a great reason to go to dinner - how elated they all look!

Feast on the Fourth

With just about a dozen coaches left in the resort, the thought of letting July 4th go by without celebration was too hard to take. With pictures courtesy of Sandy, here is a quick review of the festivities.

Summer Pool Party!

At the end of May the dwindling number of residents at Florida Grande set their minds on a Pool Party. One of our roving photographers was on hand to capture the fun and the pictures were passed on by Sandy. Check out the aquatic action here.

Grande Suite Open House Tour

March 27th was Grande Suite Open House day. Unfortunately, in the general mode of Florida Grande, two hours was nowhere near enough time to get around all of the Suites so generously opened by their owners. In fact, it is difficult to walk 100 yards in the resort without being drawn into conversation with one or more residents and the act of actually entering a Suite - any Suite - seems a surefire way to consume at minimum of twenty minutes. Thus it was that we made it to less than half of the available displays. There's always next year...
Check here for a variety of styles and decorating ideas from the properties we did get to visit.

A last look around...

A few days before we folded our tent at Florida Grande this Spring and took off for northern climes, we lumbered around the resort to see what was happening. A lot of folks had already left for the summer but, as usual, there was still a lot of things going on. 

Check here for a catalog of Springtime activities.

Easter - a little late but still worth a visit

Easter festivities at Florida Grande were ably documented by Sandy Gallup and, although there were only twenty or so coaches on site, there was a high turnout for the traditional dinner.
For a display of more magnificent millinery click here.

I found my thrill...

On Blueberry Hill... 

For all those folks who have left the resort for the summer here is a reminder that life goes on without us. A bevy of beauties snuck out to a local farm where, like kids in a candy store, they spent a happy morning satisfying their gathering urges. This report just in from Special Correspondent Marty Whitney.

"Boundless Blueberries" 

Dateline Center Hill, FL. May 4, 2011. "Greetings from "hot as blazes" Webster and FGMCR! 

About 10 or more of us went out to the Center Hill Berry Patch this morning. I'm sure Sandy will be writing you about it in a newsletter ...but it was lovely. Each of us made very little effort to fill our pails with about 6 lbs. of the most gorgeous varieties of blueberries - and now we are faced with the task of putting them in our freezers and baking such goodies as blueberry buckle, blueberry muffins, blueberry cobblers, and the list goes on! I've even got a recipe for blueberry balsamic vinegar (sounds yummy, doesn't it?) Acres of blueberries, blackberries and homegrown beefsteak tomatoes - blackberries and tomatoes will be ready in June and most of us will probably have left by then.

Things have slowed to a snail's pace around here but we love it that way. I really labored over what color flip flops I would wear today. Decisions! You can't imagine what the local merchants start offering when the snowbirds depart. Oakwood Grill has a special you wouldn't believe! No, it isn't healthy, but with Mother's Day, we have to celebrate something.

Yes, we are going to celebrate Mother's Day at FGMCR! Think a brunch that includes eggs Benedict, homemade hollandaise sauce, Canadian bacon, something blueberry, of course, and maybe mimosa's. Y.....ee.eeesss.! Sandy is in the planning stages right now, but there are hardly any of us around to attend.

We've all seen more wildlife appear since everyone has left. Wild rabbits, owls, cougars, and I can't remember what else. There are STILL shore birds, so that's good news. There are still ducks, so that's good news as well. Frogs smaller than your little finger are hopping all over the place and we're hoping all these things just fall in order and they eat each other so we don't have to worry about them too much.
The landscaping is still beautiful, thanks to the Ausley's. We've all enjoyed seeing everything take over and now there are plenty of birds enjoying just about every tree that was planted. The yards are still beautiful and they are working to keep everything weeded and watered.

Marty Whitney - Lot 7"

A true professional, Marty had her camera crew along with her (Sandy G.) who documented the day's activities. Check here for more exciting scenes from this adventure.

Party Time!

With the season winding down, the weather at its finest and all that new poolside furniture to be tested, March 27th was Party Time! A trifecta of opportunities - Grande Suite open houses, Free Food courtesy of HKH and Laylon & Betty Wilson - made for a not-to-miss afternoon and evening. 
With music and dance instruction ably provided by Paul, culinary skills by Dick, Gerald and others, appetites by everyone else, how could it miss? More pictures here.

Don't you hate to pry into other peoples lives...

Dear Diary,
For my birthday this year, my Husband (the dear) purchased a week of personal training at the local health club for me.

Although I am still in great shape since being a high school football cheerleader 47 years ago, I decided it would be a good idea to go ahead and give it a try.

I called the club and made my reservations with a personal trainer named Christo, who identified himself as a 26-year-old aerobics instructor and model for athletic clothing and swim wear.

My husband seemed pleased with my enthusiasm to get started! The club encouraged me to keep a diary to chart my progress.

________________________________
MONDAY:
Started my day at 6:00 a.m. Tough to get out of bed, but found it was well worth it when I arrived at the health club to find Christo waiting for me. He is something of a Greek god - with blond hair, dancing eyes and a dazzling white smile. Woo Hoo!!

Christo gave me a tour and showed me the machines. I enjoyed watching the skillful way in which he conducted his aerobics class after my workout today. Very inspiring!

Christo was encouraging as I did my sit-ups, although my gut was already aching from holding it in the whole time he was around. This is going to be a FANTASTIC week-!!

________________________________
TUESDAY:
I drank a whole pot of coffee, but I finally made it out the door. Christo made me lie on my back and push a heavy iron bar into the air then he put weights on it! My legs were a little wobbly on the treadmill, but I made the full mile. His rewarding smile made it all worthwhile. I feel GREAT-!! It's a whole new life for me.

_______________________________
WEDNESDAY:
The only way I can brush my teeth is by laying the toothbrush on the counter and moving my mouth back and forth over it. I believe I have a hernia in both pectorals. Driving was OK as long as I didn't try to steer or stop. I parked on top of a GEO in the club parking lot.

Christo was impatient with me, insisting that my screams bothered other club members. His voice is a little too perky for that early in the morning and when he scolds, he gets this nasally whine that is VERY annoying..

My chest hurt when I got on the treadmill, so Christo put me on the stair monster. Why the hell would anyone invent a machine to simulate an activity rendered obsolete by elevators? Christo told me it would help me get in shape and enjoy life. He said some other crap too.

_______________________________
THURSDAY:
Asshole was waiting for me with his vampire-like teeth exposed as his thin, cruel lips were pulled back in a full snarl. I couldn't help being a half an hour late - it took me that long to tie my shoes.

He took me to work out with dumbbells. When he was not looking, I ran and hid in the restroom. He sent some skinny bitch to find me.

Then, as punishment, he put me on the rowing machine -- which I sank.
_________________________________
FRIDAY:
I hate that bastard Christo more than any human being has ever hated any other human being in the history of the world. Stupid, skinny, anemic, anorexic little aerobic instructor. If there was a part of my body I could move without unbearable pain, I would beat him with it.

Christo wanted me to work on my triceps. I don't have any triceps! And if you don't want dents in the floor, don't hand me them damn barbells or anything that weighs more than a sandwich.

The treadmill flung me off and I landed on a health and nutrition teacher. Why couldn't it have been someone softer, like the drama coach or the choir director?

________________________________
SATURDAY:
Satan left a message on my answering machine in his grating, shrilly voice wondering why I did not show up today. Just hearing his voice made me want to smash the machine with my planner; however, I lacked the strength to even use the TV remote and ended up catching eleven straight hours of the Weather Channel.

________________________________
SUNDAY:
I'm having the Church van pick me up for services today so I can go and thank GOD that this week is over. I will also pray that next year my husband will choose a gift for me that is fun -- like a root canal or a hysterectomy. I still say if God had wanted me to bend over, he would have sprinkled the floor with diamonds!!!

And now a word from our sponsor...

I feel honored to have been nominated as one of this year's candidates for the park's POA Director. As you may be aware, the Developer, Madison Florida Grande, will have two members on the board with the third member selected from among the lot-owners. Whoever is elected at Thursday's meeting will have the responsibility of being your eyes, ears and voice in our dealings with Madison.
Since many of you have little or no idea of who I am, I have included a brief biography below.

"If you chat with me you might guess I was not born in the US, but in England. Marian and I met in the mid-fifties in a cycling club in England and we have been running around together ever since - the last 50 years as a married couple.
In the seventies we had an opportunity to come to the US and promptly did just that. We emigrated with our three daughters and became US citizens in the early eighties. Our daughters have since rewarded us with six grandkids and two great-grandsons. After adjusting to our new way of life, we had the great good fortune to live the American dream, eventually retiring in 2006.
We began motor-homing in a Pace Arrow in 1991 and have worked through a variety of vehicles over the last 20 years. At the present time we RV about 8 months each year  - 5 or 6 in the US and 2 or 3 in Europe. We have lived in Indiana for the last 16 years and spend time there in between our travels. Early last year, while roaming around Florida, we stumbled across Florida Grande, bought a lot and the rest is history."

Don't forget however, the POA Election is like any other election - if you want to be represented, you must choose your candidate and then vote! 
Even if you are not on site you can still vote. Print the POA Proxy Ballot that was included with the Notice of Meeting letter that was emailed to you on March 10th. Fill this form out and mail it immediately to:

Florida Grande POA

9675 SE 49th Terrace, 

Webster, FL 33597

We currently have a great opportunity to move the park forward and revitalize the original vision - let's not waste it!

Pete

Progress Update

How many guys does it take to...

Not a whole lot of Happenings over the last couple of weeks. Some backfill of existing projects has continued, such as the cleanup of the Phase 2A and Phase 2B terrain. If you haven't been back there for a while, give it a try - walking all the way around is now very straightforward and I haven't fallen off of my bicycle back there for weeks now. 
Additionally, a few Clubhouse upgrades had moved a little further toward completion, diminishing that "just moved in" feel. Beyond that, thankfully, there are always plenty of things to kibitz as the pageant of life marches by in all corners of the park. Check here for more mundane mummery.

Inside Madison Florida Grande

With the first POA Annual Meeting under the new, post-bankruptcy ownership coming up next week, it seems timely to introduce the key individuals in that organization. 

Bryan Gordon

Madison Florida Grande, LLC, is located in Greenwood Village, Colorado and was incorporated in Florida on September 17, 2010. As far as can be ascertained, the company is a member of MPNAF Investco 14, LLC. Its registered agent in Florida is Corporation Service Company, a large registered agent service company.

Barbara O'Hare

The principal characters in Madison Florida Grande are Bryan Gordon, CEO, Managing Director and Treasurer, and Barbara A. O'Hare, Managing Director and Secretary. Click on the either name to read a brief biography for each. 
Bryan was a co-founder of Madison in 1996 and for more information on that enterprise, click here.

Easy Come, Easy Go - May it ever be thus...

Do you ever wonder where the water comes from that flows so readily from your pylon faucets and how it gets there? Better yet, when you're done with your water where does it, and all that other "shtuff", go? For more than you ever wanted to know about these essential services read on.
Florida Grande is fortunate to have a municipal quality water and sewer system which is completely self-contained. Resulting from the turbulent background of the park the entire system has actually ended up two to three times larger than the fully populated park will ever require. Judicious operation of the equipment however, has minimized the problems arising from this. For the brave-hearted, click here to see the rest of the story...

Park Progress, another two weeks on...

Two weeks have slipped by since the most recent Park Progress post and upgrades have continued steadily. Major ongoing projects include the Clubhouse gardens and cleanup on Phase II. Both of these are well advanced and progress has become incremental rather than dramatic, as each begin to wind down. 
Signs of Spring abound around the park - most of the frost-browned grass is now green again, the weather has been superb for several weeks in a row and even the back pond is now cleaned out and ready for water. Anyone know when the water is due? More update details here.

Community Emergency Response Team Training

Our Team

The Community Emergency Response Team, CERT for short, had its origins 35 years ago in the Los Angeles Fire Department. The idea came out of the realization that citizens are invariably on their own, at least in the initial stages, in any major catastrophe. The LAFD program developed so successfully that the FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) funded its expansion in the mid '90s to cover all contemplated public hazards.
When George W. instigated the nationwide Citizens Corps in 2003, to better prepare communities to cope with terrorism, public health breakdowns, weather driven disasters and the like, CERT was among the primary tools chosen to meet such challenges. In pursuit of this, 13 volunteers, including 11 from the park, spent 2-1/2 days last week in a whirlwind of classroom and practical activities to become certified CERT Members.

Enthusiastic Fire Fighting?

How fortunate for the rest of us that, in the event of a tornado strike, hurricane, sweeping brush fire, earthquake, chemical spill or any other disaster, we now have neighbors who can respond professionally and appropriately. The students learned how to identify hazardous materials, extinguish various fire types, identify injury types, perform search and rescue, when to move a victim, how to deal with life threatening injuries, setting up triage and  generally manage the disaster site until First Responders reach the scene. Each attendee was furnished with an emergency pack containing numerous invaluable and potentially critical items in the event of an event.

"Goody" bag and contents

"Our" team members are

• Debbie Branigan
• Pat Branigan
• Alan Campbell
• Marlene Campbell
• Marian Harrison
• Joan Imhoff
• Jesse McPhearson
• Nancy Moran
• Jo Morton
• Bob Ring
• Gail Ring

Everyone, including Brian Gibson the instructor, appeared to have a good time in addition to acquiring valuable lifelong and life preserving skills. Many of the attendees are going on to earn their CPR (CardioPulmonary Resuscitation) and AED (Automatic External Defibrillator) certification. While we hope that none of these skills will ever be exercised in earnest we should all be grateful to have these giving people in our community. Picture show for Visitors (G Rated). Picture show for Participants (R Rated).