April Riverwood Heron - Riverwood Community Association, Port ...

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Directors’ Corner Submitted by Trish Montgomery, RCA Secretary RCA COMMUNICATION COMMITTEE The mission of the RCA Communication Committee is to develop and maintain effective, timely communication venues between the RCA and Riverwood residents. Major goals are to obtain information on issues or areas of concern from residents and to provide residents with information on actions and rationale for RCA decisions. Options or methods of communication between the RCA and residents include e-mail blasts, the RCA website, the community newsletter (the Heron), and town halls/resident forums. Cheryl Dukarski, Activities Director, is the staff liaison to the Committee and is responsible for sending e-mail blasts and coordinating information on the website and in the Heron. There are eight resident members on the Committee: Markie Harms, Sandy Koehler, Steve Lineberry, Carl Ludwig, Lya O’Neill, Bob Novic, Hugh Vallely, and Ed Watson. The Committee meets quarterly with additional meetings as necessary to address specific issues. During this past year the Committee has recommended several communicationrelated policies that have been adopted by the RCA Board. Orientation sessions for new residents and renters have been offered and an Open Forum on Modification policies was held. Residents are welcome to attend Committee meetings and can also provide input to individual Committee members regarding Communication-related issues. More information on the Communication Committee can be found on the Riverwood website (www.riverwoodflorida.org). SAFETY/APPEARANCE UPGRADES PARKING LOT Low level foot path lighting was installed along the center promenade concourse near the Activity Center to improve visibility for those who pass through that area in the evening. The concrete tire stop blocks were painted bright traffic yellow so they will also be more easily seen. Landscaping hedges were planted where the gravel was located to direct foot traffic to the brick paver walkways. These measures improve safety and eliminate tripping hazards in transitioning from various surfaces (pavement to drain covers to gravel to pavers) in a very short distance. By Milan Fiser Riverwood Tennis Corner Tennis lessons and drills will continue thru May. As residents start to head back up north we will combine drills and continue the tennis program throughout the spring and summer. I will also offer early morning cardio classes for all levels throughout the week. For the year round residents this is a great time to start taking lessons if you have never played before or want to get back into the game. I will be available for group or private lessons Mon. -Fri. There will also be round robin play available for all levels to continue with competitive play. Please contact Milan if you are interested in any programs or just sign up on the tennis bulletin board outside court 6. Have a great summer season and I look forward to seeing everyone when you return in the fall. 2 The Riverwood Heron Modification Committee Update By Rita McSharry Back Flow Preventers Landscaping Now that Back Flow Preventers (BFP’s) installations are underway, many residents are asking about landscaping to create a better appearance around these rather ugly pipes, as well as to protect them from lawn mowers. At the last RCA meeting, the Board approved an addendum to Section 10 (Landscaping) of the Modification Policies and Rules. Modification Committee (MC) approval is required since it necessitates either creating new landscape beds or, in some cases, enlarging existing beds. The following are requirements: 1. At least 18 inches must be left on the side where the testing “ports” are located so that yearly testing can be done. 2. Plantings cannot be undertaken until all inspections and approvals have been completed. 3. Outlining of the planting beds with stones, rocks, curbing or other material is prohibited; this is consistent with current landscaping restrictions. 4. MC requests must include the specific types of plants to be used. The Management Office has a list of plants considered appropriate for this purpose. 5. Maintaining the plantings is the responsibility of the individual homeowner. Additionally, for “Maintained” neighborhoods, landscaping/planting must be done by the homeowners or the contracted landscape company that maintains the neighborhood. Some neighborhoods are electing to use some of their Landscape Budget towards having the landscaping done for all homes in the neighborhood. In such cases, a “blanket” approval can be requested. The MC request must include the types of plants to be used and be signed by the neighborhood President. As in the case of individual requests, in “Maintained” neighborhoods, the work must be done either by homeowners or the contracted landscape company that maintains that neighborhood. The Addendum can be found on the Riverwood web site: www.riverwoodflorida.org.
Snakes of Riverwood Not all that slither are poisonous By Jack Lyons Chair, Environmental Committee, CDD Supervisor Everyone who lives in Riverwood at one time or another has encountered one of our slithering reptilian neighbors, be it on the cart path or in the backyards. You look down and at first glance see what appears to be a stick. It suddenly takes off through the undergrowth and disappears into the brush. Even though I’m an avid reptile enthusiast, that first glance always makes me jump. Our instinctual “fight-or-flight” reflex kicks in to warn us. In the wink of an eye our sociologically-ingrained fear of snakes kicks in. I hear countless stories from residents and visitors of their encounters with Riverwood snakes. The first question I’m always asked is whether there are poisonous snakes in Riverwood. Yes, we have eastern diamondbacks and pygmy rattlesnakes in the area. The best advice I have is to give it room and leave it alone. There are three main species of snake that I encounter on a regular basis here, and they’re all pretty common throughout this part of Florida, and they are non-poisonous.. The first and most common is the black racer. It is a beautiful snake that normally is between 2 and 4 feet long. They are harmless to humans, but if you try to muck around with him he’ll stand his ground, strike and vibrate his tail. Many people immediately will think he’s a rattlesnake. His bite, however, is nothing more than two pinpricks. Black racers feed on lizards and frogs, insects and small snakes. The second most-common snake would be the absolutely beautiful little ringneck snake. These guys only grow to maybe 12 inches long. They feed on worms, insects, and only the tiniest of other snakes and lizards. Their top color is blackish, with a little yellow ring around the neck. Its scales are beautiful, multi-colored red and yellow. Their first line of self-defense is to try to hide. If that doesn’t work, they will coil their body to show off their red and yellow underbelly, in hopes that would-be attackers would mistake it for a deadly coral snake. The third most common snake that I encounter is the yellow rat snake. Yellow rat snakes are arboreal snakes that do come down to the ground to hunt, but their favorite place to be is in the trees, shrubs or buildings. The yellow rat snake can get pretty long. The largest one that I’ve seen here pushing 6 feet, and she was an absolute sweetheart. As their name indicates, they are yellowish in color. A lot of them also have what appear to be two lines, muted tan in color, running down their backs. They feed on rats that they dispatch by constriction, but they also eat birds and eggs. I ask everyone who encounters any snake to just leave it alone, and to not harm it. We live in a Preserve, and it would literally be overrun with rats and mice to an extent that would seem biblical. There are a few species of snakes around here that I occasionally encounter, and one of them is a corn snake. It’s a pretty snake with lots of oranges and reds, with a white-and-black checkered belly. They are also constrictors, and feed on mice and rats, small lizards, birds and bird eggs. 3 The Riverwood Heron Black Racer Snake Corn Snake On a very rare occasion, we might encounter a coach whip. They’re a beautiful, highly-active animal that can reach 8 feet in length, with a black coloration, which extends from the head to roughly one-fifth of the body length. The rest of the body will be either a cream color or a beautiful coral color with salmon highlights. That is why the snake got its name, because that black head and neck make it look like the handle of a whip. Coach whips cruise for small prey such as frogs, other snakes, small lizards, the occasional bird egg and large insects such as palmetto bugs. Many snakes are needlessly killed because it is feared they are poisonous. If you take time to research the wildlife we have here, you can educate yourself. With education comes understanding, and with understanding comes less fear. Snakes are wrongly-persecuted creatures. They are an essential part of the healthy ecology of Riverwood. They play a huge role in our biodiversity by naturally controlling pests that could otherwise be a nuisance, or possibly even a health hazard for the humans of the island. Remember, please treat all wildlife respectfully. Activities Corner Submitted by Cheryl Dukarski, Activities Director If you have an Activity that is a regularly scheduled event at the Activity Center you will need to re-book your day and time with the Activity Director. If you have suggestions for Activities for next season please submit them in writing by May 1st or you may bring them to the Activities Advisory Committee meeting. The Committee meets Tues., Apr. 10 at 10:00am. East Coast Marble Large selection of stones: Granite, Quartz & Marble Countertops Free estimates 19500 Peachland Blvd. Unit D Port Charlotte FL 33948 941-391-1187
Page 1: The Riverwood Heron Project Detect
Page 5: Food and Beverage Spring has arrive
Page 8: RIVERWOOD Riverwood Golf Club 4250

April Riverwood Heron - Riverwood Community Association, Port ...

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