Get into the Swing of Spring By Matt Drewes, Thomsen & Nybeck, P.A., Attorneys
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n this issue of CAI-MN’s Community Living Magazine, we hope to keep alive our streak of drawing what analogies we can between Major League Baseball’s annual calendar of events and the annual rites of community association living. When you receive this, your March/April edition, the calendar soon should be turning to Spring. In March, teams are getting into full swing at spring training, and teams will be playing some of their first spring training games (most start by the end of February). Through the month of March, some players may fight for roster spots, or try to make an impression on the team’s brass. This year, the Twins have some exciting young players joining them in spring training who may not be expected to break camp with the team when the big leaguers head north for opening day, but they’ll hope to make their mark and show they’ll be ready soon. These include the speedy (and consensus number one prospect in baseball) Byron Buxton and the long, lanky pitcher Alex Meyer. But most of the positions on the 25-man roster are already set, and those players will try to get ready for the season by working on their timing and conditioning, including former catcher and new first baseman Joe Mauer. Teams and players set their goals for the new season. Teams evaluate their players and set rosters. Although it has been a long winter, there is no time to waste. Opening Day at Target Field for the Twins is April 7. In this magazine, we’ll talk about the importance of preparing for spring walkthroughs as an opening day for your season, and the completion of preparations for the summer. Al Gallagher is said to have
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Minnesota Communit y Living
“That’s the true harbinger of spring, not crocuses, or swallows returning to Capistrano, but the sound of a bat on a ball.” —
Bill Veeck
quipped, “There are three things in my life which I really love: God, my family, and baseball. The only problem – once baseball season starts, I change the order around a bit.” Your own priorities may shift now as the seasons change, as you focus on new tasks or projects. You will want to spend the last days before the snow has melted finalizing the specifications for your projects and be sure to have your “roster” of service providers set for the summer. You may also want to start focusing on your schedule for the summer if there are projects to complete, or member events you want to conduct during the season. Designate those who will be responsible to help with the incremental tasks or overseeing various projects to keep
you on schedule and on budget. Just as Ron Gardenhire is going to have Paul Molitor as a new member of his field staff, your association may want to appoint a new committee to attack the planning of an overdue project or to assist with pursuing a renewed interest in compliance with rules or policies where attention to detail may have lagged. Whatever you view as your harbinger of spring, whether it’s the sound of the bat on the ball, or the sight of the first robin, we hope it finds you soon. We hope that you’re getting in the groove now so you can start your summer off right. And we hope that this issue helps you think about some of those issues.
2014 MCL Magazine Themes & Editorial Schedule
Are you interested in contributing an article to an edition of the MCL? We take the time to consider each article that is submitted for publication in CAI-MN’s magazine. So if you enjoy writing, enjoy researching industry topics, or want to share your findings on a discovery you’ve made, then feel free to contact us and submit your article. Articles can be sent to montea@cai-mn.com. This year’s magazine themes and article deadlines are listed below.
May/June
Theme: “Play Ball” Topics: Operations, putting training into practice, lawn care, community
July/August
November/December
Theme: “Off-Season” Topics: Evaluating the year, analyzing strategy, looking ahead to next year Article Deadline: September 1, 2014
Theme: “All-Star Game” Topics: Promoting all-stars in HOA, honoring employees, growing business Article Deadline: May 1, 2014
September/October
Theme: “Post-Season” Topics: Budgets, finishing the year strong Article Deadline: July 1, 2014
Announcement for Current & Potential Advertisors
The 2014 magazine themes will all be focused around a baseball theme. We encourage you to consider using some “baseball creativity” in your advertisements. Keep your eyes and ears open for information on an upcoming advertisement contest during 2014.