WWW.NORTHDALE.ORG
SEPTEMBER • OCTOBER 2021
NORTHDALE CIVIC ASSOCIATION COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER NORTHDALE CIVIC ASSOCIATION OPEN LETTER TO THE COMMUNITY FALL 2021
Dear Northdale Residents, We the Board of the Northdale Civic Association are writing to you for a call to action. Many of our residents have expressed to us that they’d love to get involved in doing good for our neighborhood, but do not have the time to commit to being an actual board member. Well here is an opportunity to be a great resource for (and great help to) yourselves and your neighbors. The NCA Board is coming face to face with the reality that as wonderful community events and ideas kick back into gear, after parts of this pandemic are behind us, we are only a group of 12-13 people, and it’s nearly impossible to get everything done to better serve this community of over 2500 residences. So, we are asking for volunteers to help (help!) in the form of an advisory group to the board. The help is wide-ranging, and generally falls into the following categories:
As eyes and ears of your neighborhood, and helping with the neighborhood watch program. By volunteering at any of the community events we’re planning, which do need a lot of work (*kids volunteering hours can be applied to
their Florida Bright Futures efforts with Hillsborough County Parks and Recreation, with whom we cosponsor many events). By helping with the effort to get a revised website effort going (this will require more interaction with the NCA Board by its nature). By being an interactive liaison with the business communities around Northdale (CABA is one example). By being an interactive liaison with the local neighborhood schools around Northdale. By being the neighborhood representative to our elected officials for various issues and events. By being attentive to and bringing up to the Board any neighborhood issues, and hopefully some potential solutions, that the Board doesn’t always hear about, specifically OTHER THAN deed restrictions. We’re talking about how do we as residents see things, how can we better serve this great community of ours. By representing the various ethnicities in this great neighborhood (this can be a multiperson group) and creating, in an inclusion-minded effort, events to celebrate our differences and similarities.
We’d love to hear back from any and all of you. We’re hoping people will contact us and sign up for any of the above areas of interest, even if its simply to help out at any one of the community events. Those are listed below. But beyond that
level of help, which is fantastic, are the deeper things that will help to make Northdale a model for other neighborhods to look at and think “what a great place to live“. We’re so hopeful and excited for this next phase for Northdale. To become a volunteer, please send in your contact information to: bluesuiter62@gmail.com. Yearly Community Events: July 17, 2021 Community Garage Sale October 16, 2021 Community Garage Sale October 29, 2021 Trunk or Treat October 30, 2021 Pumpkin Run December 10, 2021 Movie & Tree Lighting at the Park December 19, 2021 Holiday Lighting Contest April 16, 2022 Easter Egg Hunt April 23, 2022 Family Funfest As always, residents are always welcome to attend the monthly Board Meetings, typically held at the Northdale Park building ‘B‘. Thank you very much fellow residents.
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pueden aplicar a sus esfuerzos de Florida Bright Futures con Parques y Recreación del Condado de Hillsborough, con quienes copatrocinamos muchos eventos ).
ASOCIACIÓN CÍVICA NORTHDALE CARTA ABIERTA A LA COMUNIDAD Otoño 2021
Estimados residentes de Northdale, Nosotros, la Junta de la Asociación Cívica de Northdale, le escribimos para un llamado a la acción. Muchos de nuestros residentes nos han expresado que les encantaría participar en hacer el bien por nuestro vecindario, pero no tienen el tiempo para comprometerse a ser un miembro real de la junta. Bueno, esta es una oportunidad para ser un gran recurso (y una gran ayuda) para ustedes y sus vecinos. La Junta de la NCA se enfrenta cara a cara con la realidad de que, a medida que los maravillosos eventos e ideas de la comunidad vuelven a ponerse en marcha, después de que parte de esta pandemia haya pasado, somos solo un grupo de 12 a 13 personas, y es casi imposible conseguirlo. todo hecho para servir mejor a esta comunidad de más de 2500 residencias. Por lo tanto, estamos pidiendo voluntarios para ayudar (¡ayuda!) En la forma de un grupo asesor para la junta. La ayuda es amplia y generalmente se incluye en las siguientes categorías: •
Como ojos y oídos de su vecindario y ayudando con el programa de vigilancia del vecindario.
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Al ser voluntario en cualquiera de los eventos comunitarios que estamos planeando, los cuales necesitan mucho trabajo (* las horas de voluntariado de los niños se
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Ayudando con el esfuerzo de poner en marcha un esfuerzo de sitio web revisado (esto requerirá más interacción con la Junta de NCA por su naturaleza).
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Al ser un enlace interactivo con las comunidades empresariales de Northdale (CABA es un ejemplo).
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Siendo un enlace interactivo con las escuelas del vecindario local alrededor de Northdale.
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Siendo el representante del vecindario ante nuestros funcionarios electos para diversos asuntos y eventos. Prestando atención y planteando a la Junta cualquier problema del vecindario y, con suerte, algunas posibles soluciones, de las que la Junta no siempre escucha, específicamente OTRAS restricciones de escritura. Estamos hablando de cómo los residentes vemos las cosas, cómo podemos servir mejor a esta gran comunidad nuestra. Representando a las diversas etnias en este gran vecindario (esto puede ser un grupo de varias personas) y creando, en un esfuerzo de inclusión, eventos para celebrar nuestras diferencias y similitudes.
Nos encantaría tener noticias de todos y cada uno de ustedes. Esperamos que la gente se comunique con nosotros y se
registre en cualquiera de las áreas de interés mencionadas anteriormente, incluso si es simplemente para ayudar en cualquiera de los eventos comunitarios. Éstos se enumeran a continuación. Pero más allá de ese nivel de ayuda, que es fantástico, están las cosas más profundas que ayudarán a hacer de Northdale un modelo para que otros vecinos vean y piensen “qué gran lugar para vivir”. Estamos muy esperanzados y emocionados por esta próxima fase para Northdale. Para convertirse en voluntario, envíe su información de contacto a: bluesuiter62@gmail.com. Eventos comunitarios anuales: 17 de julio de 2021 venta de garaje comunitario 16 de octubre de 2021 Venta de garaje comunitario 29 de octubre de 2021 Trunk or Treat 30 de octubre de 2021 Pumpkin Run 10 de diciembre de 2021 Película * Iluminación de árboles en el parque 19 de diciembre de 2021 Concurso de iluminación navideña 16 de abril de 2022 Búsqueda de huevos de Pascua 23 de abril de 2022 Family Funfest Como siempre, los residentes siempre son bienvenidos a asistir a las reuniones mensuales de la Junta, que generalmente se llevan a cabo en el edificio "B" de Northdale Park.
Muchas residentes.
gracias
compañeros
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WHAT IS THE NCA? The Northdale Civic Association is a volunteer organization whose mission is to make Northdale a better place to live and increase property values by enforcing the deed restrictions to which each homeowner is legally subject. The NCA is also the organized voice of Northdale, and represents residents when issues affecting Northdale are raised by Hillsborough County, the State of Florida and other governing bodies. The NCA issues this Newsletter and organizes the following events and programs: Welcome Wagon, Easter Egg Hunt, Community Garage Sales, Family Fun Festival, Northdale Pumpkin Run, Holiday Decorating Contest, Meet the Candidates, and the Northdale OWLS (Older, Wiser, Lively, Seniors). Board meetings are open to the public and held on the 3rd Tuesday of the month except December. HOW TO JOIN THE NCA Forms are available in each edition of the Northdale Newsletter. There are forms online at www.northdale.org. HOW TO JOIN THE BOARD ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP IS ONLY $50.00. All members are eligible to run for NCA Board positions in elections held each January. Elections for those positions are made by the sitting board at the monthly board meetings. The dates of those meetings are posted in the Community Calendar. NCA BOARD OFFICERS President: Nelson Marcano - Golf Club Estates II - 813-732-9998 Vice President: James Salgado - Fairway Villas, Brentwood Park & Country Mill - 813-610-2115 Secretary: Alicia Moreno – Bay Levitt - 813-963-1412 Treasurer: Bill Castens – The Woodlands - 813-833-0102 NCA BOARD DIRECTORS Gerald Johnson - Golf Club Estates I - 813-787-3103 Robert Demeo – Golf Club Estates III - 813-546-0873 Martha Hughes – Fox Hollow - 813-477-0924 Robert Mantler – Claywell - 813-843-2137 Angela Bianco – The Hammocks - 813-586-0243 Raymond Powell – Silverhill - 813-404-6082 Hector Hernandez Jr. - Gables I - 516-643-7385 Nelson Marcano - Gables II - 813-732-9998 Amar Dembla - Gables III - 813-265-3225 DEED RESTRICTION VIOLATIONS The Deed Restriction documents for each of the “villages” that make up Northdale are available on the community website www.northdale.org. Select “Deed Restrictions” from the left side of the Main Page and click on the picture of the entrance to your “village” (e.g. Bay Levitt, Gables I, etc.) The deed restriction file will be displayed and can be printed off for your records. The NCA has contracted with Merit Management Association-Perfected (“Merit”) to conduct periodic neighborhood inspections and act on their findings of deed restriction violations. In addition, residents may request an investigation of a possible violation themselves from the Northdale website, www.northdale.org. From the left side of the Main Page, click on “Deed Restrictions”, page down and Select “Complaint Form” and fill it out with all pertinent information. A photo can be attached with the form to help document the problem. Select “Submit” to transmit the form directly to Merit at NCA@MeritFL.com. Deed Restriction Complaints must be in writing. When a deed restriction violation is found, Merit will send a letter to the homeowner(s) with a request to correct the problem(s). Merit will then complete a second inspection. Merit will send a second letter if the homeowner has not corrected the violation(s). Merit will then complete a third inspection. If the violation(s) remains after the third letter, legal action will be pursued. The resident will be notified of this step in the fourth letter. If there are extenuating circumstances that prevent a homeowner from correcting the violation(s), it is recommended they document the reason by writing to Merit at NCA@MeritFL.com. The NCA will not get involved in conflicts between neighbors, animal complaints or landscaping issues due to drought. NORTHDALE.ORG
Meeting Location Note: Northdale Civic Association & Northdale Special District meetings are held in Building B - game room Northdale Park & Rec Center 15550 Spring Pine Drive Tampa, FL 33624 Sept 14 NSD meeting 7:00 p.m. Sept 21 NCA meeting 7:00 p.m. Oct 12 NSD meeting 7:00 p.m. Oct 19 NCA meeting 7:00 p.m. Residents are always welcome and your input is truly appreciated. Please remember to wear a face mask and adhere to social distancing. 5
Monthly Meetings on 1st Tues 10 AM @ Northdale Park Our Mission is to create a growing network of co-ed seniors, to provide social activities, local events, travel, entertainment and educational seminars in common interest groups as ways to safely enjoy our lives. OWLS ARE BACK!! “Bring on Some Cooler Dry Weather and Cold Ice Cream!” Sept 7, Tues –SUZANNE RENO & CLIENT GEISLER – singing songs. $10 catered meal. Sept 15, Wed – Lunch Bunch at Cracker Barrel Old Country Store (separate checks). Sept 17, Fri – St. Armand’s Shopping & Lunch with Friends. Sept 20, Mon – Bunco Party Luncheon at Brunchies, 14366 N. Dale Mabry Hwy. Sept 22, Thurs -- Rays Baseball vs. Toronto Blue Jays. GO RAYS ! Sept 29, Wed – Lunch aboard Bob’s Circus Museum Train, Sarasota, Fl. Oct 5, Tues – Angelo Rifino singing yesterday’s songs! $10 catered meal. Oct 5, Tues—Eight-For-A-Date Organizational Meeting... a new Owls activity! Oct 14, Thurs – River Cruise & lunch at Rick’s On The River (Separate Checks). Oct 16, Sat – Lakeridge Winery Tasting, Tour & Entertainment. Oct 17, Mon – Bunco Party Luncheon at Brunchies, 14366 N. Dale Mabry Hwy. Oct 20, Wed – Lunch Bunch via bus to St. Pete (separate checks). Oct 22, Fri – Field trip & history of Sunshine Skyway Bridge with bridge engineer. Oct 28, Thurs – Tampa Bay Lightning vs Arizona Coyotes via Bus (no parking)! Oct 29, Fri – Trunk A Treat at Park – Costume Contest, Maze, games & “Scare Bus”! Oct 30, Sat – Northdale Pumpkin 5K Run & 1K Family Walk at Bob Sierra YMCA. Nov 2, Tues – 4Rivers Smoked Turkey & Dave DeLuca’s Black Tie Talent! $13 PIA meal. Nov 4, Thurs – Second River Cruise & lunch at Rick’s On The River (Separate Checks). Nov 9, Tues – Southeastern Guide Dogs & Lunch/shopping at Ellenton Premium Mall. Nov 10, Tues – Aston Gardens Tour & Free Lunch! For other scheduled events and more, see Owls website at: www.NorthdaleOWLS.com
Still Got Questions? Contact Bill Castens at (813) 833-0102
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“WEEKLY RECREATION PROGRAMS for OWLS” Sponsored by: Hillsborough County Parks, Recrea on Department in partnership with the Northdale Owls Contact with any ques ons: Raheem “Coach” Douglas at 813‐450‐6502 or Douglasr@HCFLGov.net BBOB’S (Bill’s Blooming Orchid Buddies) Games:
4th Tues
Contact: Bill Castens
(813) 833‐0102
Bridge
Thurs
Contact: Shirley Beller (813) 961‐5495
Hand & Foot
Tues
Contact: Kay Farland
Hand & Foot
Fri
Contact: Rose Oursler (813) 909‐8082
Mah Jongg
Mondays
Contact: Hilda Hodges (813) 416‐3317
Mah Jongg
Wednesdays
Contact: Marie Alley
(813) 889‐7972
(813) 962‐0063
Line Dance – Beginner
Mondays
10:30am‐12 Noon
Free!
Line Dance – Improver
Thursdays
10:30am‐12 Noon
Free!
Line Dance – Intermediate
Wednesday
10:30am‐12 Noon
Free!
Mondays
8:30am‐9:30am
$10/month
Varies
Ask staff for schedule
$10/month
Wednesdays
Contact Ed Rodriguez
(813) 810‐9733
Pickleball Lessons – Beginning Players Pickleball Play Sing Along With Owls Walking Club
Mon‐Fri
8:00am‐12:00pm
Free!
YOGA for Seniors
Fridays
10:00am‐11:00am
Free!
Our Mission … is to create a growing network of co-ed seniors, to provide social activities, local events, travel, entertainment, and educational seminars in common interest groups as ways to safely enjoy our lives.
Our Refund Policy… is to reimburse you for prepaid events if you give prior no fica on, and if we can resell cket to another par cipant, usually day of event.
Checkout the website at www.NorthdaleOWLS.org, or visit Northdale Park for details on how to join…
S ll Got Ques ons? Talk to any member of the OWLS,or contact Bill Castens at (813) 833‐0102 Like Northdale OWLS on Facebook Your reserva on is made upon RECEIPT of your payment… Please itemize each event. Make checks payable and mail to: Northdale OWLS, 3853 Northdale Blvd., # 374, Tampa, FL 33624 Or DROP Payment in one of the “Lock Boxes” in all 3 Buildings at Northdale Park.
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NORTHDALE SPECIAL DISTRICT Community Inspection Update During the July inspections Merit Management sent 211 letters (with a total of 286 individual violations) asking homeowners to be aware of maintenance concerns that need to be addressed in order to keep Northdale looking it’s best. The most prevalent issue for which letters were sent was the need to mow the lawn. During the rainy season, lawns need to be mowed more often, not only because the grass grows faster, but also because the weeds flourish with more water. We understand that summer is the time for travel and that there are days when it may just be too hot to push that mower around, so we send letters requesting that lawns are mowed when the grass (or prolific weeds) hit approximately 8-12 inches. We are happy to report that we were able to close 80 violations during the month. Keep up the good work Northdale Residents! Maintenance Tip for Summer Grass clippings are good for most lawns! When these clippings decompose, nutrients are released into the soil. However, when grass is too wet when mowed or too long, mowing may create unwanted clumps. Mowing the grass more often reduces the length of the clippings that are left, allowing them to sink down and decompose more quickly. Feel free to “mow, blow and go.” Please note that grass clippings should never be left in the street or on the sidewalk. Please do not ever sweep or blow grass clippings or leaves into the street gutters. Wet material clogs the gutters and causes flooding of the street. Also note that unwanted newspapers or garbage that is spilled on trash day should be promptly picked up so it does not end up in a storm drain. Everything that goes into the storm drains ends up in our community waterways and ponds. Not only is this unsightly to look at, this debris of bottles, cans, trash, and yard clippings effects the health of our turtles, fish and ducks living in these waterways.
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NORTHDALE SPECIAL DISTRICT WHAT is the NSD? The Northdale Special District is a Hillsborough County dependent tax district. The Northdale Special District was originally set-up under a State ordinance, but in 1992 was adopted under County ordinance #92-35. The County collects the taxes for the District and provides the ordinance or regulations that give authority to the District. Funds are derived from the County non-ad valorem tax of $130 per residential unit. Residents in single family homes, along with apartments and condominiums are assessed $130. Also, all properties within Northdale boundaries including businesses
Northdale Special District Board of Trustees Tom Murray President Earl Albright Vice President Anthony Rodriguez Treasurer
and other non-profit groups are taxed based on an equitable per residential unit basis. The Northdale Special District is responsible for maintaining the common areas throughout Northdale. These areas include the main entrances coming into Northdale, landscaping in common areas alongside roadways and medians, neighborhood entrances, the outer surface of the block walls and along the roadside. The Northdale Special District also maintains selected lakes and wetland areas along the main roadways in Northdale. The Northdale Special District is governed by a Board of nine trustees who are elected by the public or appointed by the Board. Board members must be registered voters and reside in Northdale. The trustees receive no compensation for their work. The board has hired an administrator, Merit Management, to complete many of the day-to-day details of the Northdale Special District, including deed restrictions. The administrator is a sub-contracted (paid) position. The Northdale Special District, unlike the County, does NOT maintain roads, street lighting, street signs, installation of speed humps or animal safety concerns. These issues should be directed to Hillsborough County. The main purpose of the Northdale Special District is to keep Northdale a neat and attractive community. Although separate from the Northdale Civic Association, the Northdale Special District is partnering with the NCA in the enforcement of Deed Restrictions. Together, the Northdale Special District and the NCA will continue working towards their goal of making Northdale a great place to live.
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Don Hachey Secretary Bill Castens Ronny Garcia Ray Klaus Bill Loring Anthony Romano Contact Information 813-381-5435 Northdale Special District 3433 Lithia Pinecrest Rd #301 Valrico, FL 33596 rick@meritfl.com Northdale Special District meetings are held at 7:00 p.m. Building B - game room Northdale Park & Rec Center 15550 Spring Pine Drive Tampa, FL 33624 Next meetings are: September 14, 2021 October 12, 2021 11
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Garbage is something that everybody makes, but not many people think about. Here are five frequently asked questions that can help you get the most out of your weekly solid waste services: 1. Who do I call with solid waste questions or concerns? Hillsborough County Solid Waste has a customer call center available at (813) 272-5680 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Saturday. Residents can also ask questions, report concerns, and request services 24/7 using the County's online customer service portal. 2. What should I do if my trash or recycling cart gets missed? Report it to Hillsborough County Solid Waste as soon as possible. If you have a missed collection your provider will be required to return within 24 hours to collect the missed waste, excluding Sunday, so keep your carts at the curb until they are serviced. 3. Are there any special programs for older residents or those with physical disabilities? The County offers a senior citizen discount on the annual solid waste disposal assessment for eligible residents 65 years of age or older. Customers who are physically unable to place their garbage or recycling roll carts curbside for collection may qualify for disability back door service at no additional charge. For more information or to apply visit HCFLGov.net/Trash or contact Hillsborough County Solid Waste. 4. Do curbside collection services change on holidays? Hillsborough County suspends garbage, recycling, and yard waste collection on Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day, and garbage and yard waste collection on New Year's Day. If your collection date falls on a holiday, services will resume on the next regularly scheduled collection day. There are no holiday makeup days. Remember, all trash and recycling must be placed inside the carts to be collected. 5. Which special services are available for large or unusual items? Hillsborough County residential customers have access to the County's Community Collection Centers and Yard Waste Disposal facilities as part of their annual solid waste disposal assessment. Many items too large to fit in Hillsborough County roll carts, electronics, and household hazardous waste can be taken to a County facility for disposal at no additional cost. Christmas trees without decorations are collected with normal curbside yard waste collections in January. Trees must be cut to 4 feet or shorter to be collected. Find complete information on Hillsborough County Solid Waste services and what to do with unusual items at HCFLGov.net/Trash. Thank you, Hillsborough County Neighborhood Relations NORTHDALE.ORG
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