Pocono Farms Weathervane

April 2017

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IN THIS ISSUE O U R COMM U NIT Y Thoughts from the Manager

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Crime Watch

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From Your Board of Directors 4 Public Safety

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Renovations 5 Rockin’ Recreation

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In the Farms

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Ideas Wanted

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CA LENDA R OF E V ENTS BOD Meeting Schedule

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April Calendar

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SPORTS Fun with Fitness

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Round by Round

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SAVE THE DATE Egg Coloring Saturday, April 8th

Brunch with the Bunny Sunday, April 9th

Women’s Club Luncheon Wednesday, April 12th

Seafood Buffet Friday, April 14th

Clean-up Day Saturday, April 22nd POCONO FARMS COUNTRY CLUB

Prime Rib Night Saturday, April 29th

FROM

182 Lake Road, Tobyhanna, Pennsylvania 18466

SPECIAL DELIVERY

Thoughts from the Manager

BY DAVE TIMKO

Now that winter “SEEMS” to be winding down, we look ahead to Spring and Summer with some optimism, not only for the abundant sunshine and warmer temperatures, but also for the opening of facilities and the cleaning up of all of the debris that is typically covered by the mounds of snow.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS: President Vice President Treasurer Secretary Director Director Director Director Director

Each year, we work in partnership with the PA Dept. of Transportation in cleaning up the roadways within the community. This one day event has been positively received in recent years by the community members. It actually builds a sense of community and, after all, that is one of the reasons why most chose to buy a home in a planned community. Our Recreation Director, Joe, heads up the program. If you would like to help this year, please sign-up in the administration office. It is greatly appreciated.

Neil Carlson Harry Hamill Collette Houston-Ong Rick McCormick Brian Cavanaugh Frank DeBrincat Frank Milano Peter Volpe Steve Bunker

Once we know that winter is done for sure, the maintenance staff will use our power brush to remove all of the cinders that are spread throughout the winter on the cul de sacs. We do wait until there is a light rain or drizzle so as to not stir up too much dust.

COMMITTEE LIAISON ASSIGNMENTS: A & B/Environmental Rich McCormick Communications Steve Bunker Crime Watch Peter Volpe Elections/Nominations Rich McCormick Finance Collette Ong Fitness Frank Milano Golf Harry Hamill Long Range Planning Frank DeBrincat Pool Peter Volpe Recreation/Tennis Brian Cavanaugh AD-HOCS Community Garden New Member Welcoming Committee

So as the season changes, our staff will be prepping for the upcoming season and getting everything ready for our members use.

NOTE - This edition of the Weathervane will mark the 1st time it has been mailed in a few years. If you would rather not have it mailed, and you are fine reading it on line or picking up a copy at one of the distribution points, please advise the administration office and they will take your name off of the mailing list.

Brian Cavanaugh Steve Bunker

TO ADVERTISE CALL 845-754-2356 OR EMAIL POCONOFARMS@NIKIJONES.COM

DEPARTMENT HEADS General Manager 894-4435 ext. 100

David Timko dtimko@poconofarms.com

Accounting/Office Manager 894-4435 ext. 103

Lorraine Daviduk ldaviduk@poconofarms.com

Golf Pro 894-4435 ext. 110

Kyle Monahan golfshop@poconofarms.com

Greens Superintendent Adam Herman 894-4435 adamh@poconofarms.com Chef pfchef@poconofarms.com 894-4435 ext. 130 Food & Beverage Director 894-4435 ext. 132

Katrina Weithman katrinaw@poconofarms.com

Activities Director 894-4435 ext. 113

Joe Sprovkin recdir@poconofarms.com

Director of Public Safety & Compliance 894-4435 ext. 105

Artie Furman afurman@poconofarms.com

MAINTENANCE 894-4435 ext. 160 (voicemail only) POCONO FARMS REALTY - Lex Colon 894-0300 lex.colon.realtor@gmail.com

182 Lake Road • Tobyhanna, PA 18466 www.poconofarms.com admin@poconofarms.com

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Crime Watch Activity Report

BY RUSS KELLY

Writing an article during the first week of March for the April edition of the Weathervane is filled with hope that when we are reading the article, we can feel secure saying the winter is now behind us and spring is finally here in all its grandeur. For those of us that have lived here for a number of years, we know that this is only partly true. We can remember that snow storm in April just before the golf course was set to open. But we hope this will be a year that we will get the April showers and plenty of sunshine.

What our recent warm up has made apparent; the snow was hiding some of the trash and litter. While drivers report garbage dumping along our roads and cul-de-sacs all year round, more comes to light after a winter long snow cover. I never could understand how adults could do this when there are options available. Talking to some of the long time residents, back when they were weekenders, if they couldn’t get to the dumpster before closing, they would just throw the bag in their car, and bring it home or to the nearest trash container. No one in the Farms, weekender or not, should feel it’s okay to drop bags along the road. You have options. For large items, such as furniture, TV’s etc. you can contact County Waste at 570-382-3304, for a small fee they will pick-up your items curbside. We would like to think that outsiders are doing this, but we really don’t know.

In February, fifteen drivers patrolled for seventy - six hours. We still have open slots and would welcome more volunteers. If you are interested, call Ed Aalbue at 570-894-8071 or Russ Kelly at 570-894-4034.

Rockin’ Recreation

BY JOE SPROVKIN

I want to thank everyone for coming out to our great St. Patrick’s Day event. A special thanks to the girls from the Gallagher School of Irish Dance for an excellent performance, also to Mr. Louis for playing the bag pipes.

April is a month filled with spring events. First it will be the conclusion of our dart season. The last day and second week of playoffs will be Sunday, April 2nd at 1:00pm. Come out and watch some of Pocono Farms best dart players throwing for the championship.

Then we have our Easter events. Saturday, April 8th, we will have our egg coloring for the children in the community room; sign up is required, so please stop by the administration office. Sunday, April 9th is the ever popular Brunch with the Bunny and Egg Hunt.. Reservations are required, contact Katrina at 570894-4435 x132. Another Casino Trip is ready to go. Wednesday April 26th we are going to Mohegan Sun. Saturday, April 22nd we will be celebrating Earth Day by having our annual Clean-Up Day event.

THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE POCONO FARMS COUNTRY CLUB ASSOCIATION, INC. PUBLISHED BY NIKI JONES AGENCY, INC.

39 Front Street Port Jervis, New York 12771 P: 845.856.1266 E: info@nikijones.com Articles appearing in The Weathervane are presented as a community service. They do not necessarily represent the views of the publisher or of the Pocono Farms Country Club Association, Inc. The publisher and the PFCCA disclaim any liability for any advertisements published herein, in no way endorse or guarantee these ads and reserve the right to reject any ads submitted. Position of advertising in the newspaper is not guaranteed.

TO ADVERTISE CALL 845-754-2356 OR EMAIL POCONOFARMS@NIKIJONES.COM

Summer camp information will be available in late May or early June. Hope everyone had a great winter and I can’t wait for summer to be here!

2016-17 BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING SCHEDULE ALL MEETING TIMES ARE 7PM UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED

• F riday , A pril 21, 2017 • F riday , M ay 19, 2017 • T hursday , J une 22, 2017 • F riday , J uly 14, 2017 • S aturday , J uly 15, 2017 (10 am

annual meeting )

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From Your Board of Directors

Public Safety

BY COLLETTE HOUSTON ONG

As I write this article, we are in the early days of March and are being teased with warm, sunny days followed by cold, windy days and the threat of more snow later in the week. The good news is we are approaching spring and the early days of our busy season. I am looking forward to the warmer weather, outdoor activities, opening of golf, and our outdoor amenities. As a reminder, with your 2017 dues, each household will receive two additional amenities passes for your guests and extended family members to be used throughout Pocono Farms. In order to receive these amenities passes, your dues must be paid in full. Near the end of February, the Board of Directors had their annual work session. The work session is to evaluate where we are and plan accordingly for the future. During the work session, Dave Timko, our General Manager, provided the Directors with a status update on Pocono Farms Country Club, focusing on the four pillars established by the Board: •

Aggressive approach towards bad debt

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Increased membership participation

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Team (people) development

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Better and increased marketing for PFCCA

The meeting was over two hours long so I will not bore you with all the details but it is worth noting that our management team’s efforts in the Board’s four areas of focus has been paying off.

Some examples of this include but are not limited to: settlement of bad debt accounts and a more aggressive legal action plan for long-standing bad debt. The efforts are paying off in this one pillar and you can see similar and exciting changes in the other pillars as well. As your Board Treasurer, I can state with confidence that Pocono Farms is in the

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best financial state since I have become a member of the Board. This is in part due to an effective and efficient management of our expenses, an early trend of increased revenue and a increase in home owners who pay their annual operational assessment. This is a great start to 2017. All of these outstanding positive changes can be attributed to our General Manager and his quality management team.

One particular area that has always concerned me is membership participation. As many of you know, especially those who regularly attend events at our Club House, we often see the same faces event after event. Katrina, our Director of Food and Beverage, and Joe, our Recreation Director, have tried some new events and themed activities.

The results have been extremely positive, the most important being new faces and new families! If you are thinking we are done and this pillar is a success, the answer is no. There is more work to be done however it’s progress. Progress is exciting!

I am hopeful that with the spring and summer months upon us, our progress will continue. Please keep an eye out for the upcoming events published in the Weathervane, distributed via emails from the office, and posted throughout the Glacier Lake Grill and Pub, and Administration Offices.

In closing, I would like to thank you, the members of Pocono Farms, for sharing your opinions, being patient as your Board of Directors and Management Team work through transitions, and continuing to support our efforts for the best community in the Poconos. Hope to see you around in the coming months, please do not hesitate to stop by and say hello.

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BY A. FURMAN

As you read this, with any luck we have put Old Man Winter behind us. The course should be open (fingers crossed) and the rest of the Farms is waking from a long winter’s nap.

That being said, it is time to start preparing for spring. Some of the things that should be done is raking and cleaning the yard of leaves and fallen limbs. Why you may ask? Well, as the saying goes, “April showers bring May flowers”. All that water needs a place to go.

Remember “those things” I wrote about a few months ago? You have to clear away all the debris from your swales and the drainage pipes under your driveways. If you keep them clear, then the water will have a clear path to drain away from your homes and will greatly diminish chances of flooding.

Also with the approaching warmer weather comes the tedious task of mowing the grass and all that goes with it. Remember I also wrote about this subject months back, not just the front of your home but the sides and rear and the sand mound too. The Farms really is a beautiful place so let’s all do our share to keep it that way. As always should you have any questions; give me a call (570-894-3529 x105) or stop by, my door is always open.

YOU R DU ES AT WORK During and After - The large bulkhead above the bar was removed to open the view of Glacier Lake and make the room appear more open.

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Our community needs a means by which the membership can freely and easily communicate with the Board of Directors. If you would like to make a comment or suggestion, provide constructive criticism or make a request, you can email your Board of Directors at:

IN THE FARMS PFCCA OFFICE HOURS Monday - Saturday 8:30am - 12:30pm & 1:00pm - 4:30pm

ID Badge Picture Hours:

8:30am - 12:00pm & 1:00pm - 4:00pm

idea@poconofarms.com

Capital Improvement Fees on transfer of property: House: $1,302 Lot: $651 BUILDING REGULATIONS: Permits are required from the township and from PFCCA. Please check with the office (570-894-4435) as to your specific needs.

• Building permit required from respective township and PFCCA before construction begins • Construction permitted from 7am - 7pm Monday- Saturday – excluding major holidays • Resale certificates are required. Fee is $300.00.

Resale and other related documents can be obtained at www.homewisedocs.com

Valid emails, must include the full name and Pocono Farms address of the sender, which will then be forwarded to a current Board member. Response to emails will be sent directly to the sender and periodically published in the Weathervane or included in regular email blasts. Publication of submitted questions and answers will help you and your fellow community members stay current with what is happening within the community. Two-way communication is vital to a healthy and inclusive community. We hope you find that this is a helpful means to stay in touch with your Board of Directors.

REFUSE COLLECTION: Curbside pick-up on household trash and recycling is done on Mondays and Tuesdays beginning at 6:00am

by County Waste 570-382-3304. Please refer to the pickup list on our website www.poconofarms.com to determine your pickup day. County Waste will only pick up household trash and accepted recycling. If you have any other items to discard, please call them at 570382-3304 to set up arrangements.

Major Holidays that will affect your collection days are: New Years Day, Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day, and Christmas. When those holidays fall on a Monday or Tuesday, garbage collection will shift by one day.

ANIMALS: Dogs must be leashed or on owner’s property at all times. Wildlife, such as deer and black bear, are common at Pocono Farms. We ask that you NOT FEED any wild animals.

EMERGENCIES: For ALL emergencies including medical or fire please contact 911 first, then contact Public Safety at 570894-4435 x105.

Weathervane DEADLINE NOTICE In order to produce a better newspaper for the Community, a Weathervane submission deadline has been established.

All articles, announcements, classified ads, etc. must be submitted to the Newsletter Coordinator on or before the 5th of each month for publication in the next issue of The Weathervane. Submissions made after this date will not be considered until the following month.

Your cooperation is appreciated.

Publication of articles is subject to the approval of the Communication Committee.

Buy? Sell? or Rent?

$35,000 7546 KILMER RD Tobyhanna, PA 18466 MLS #PM-37106

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Land? $35,000 7549 KILMER RD Tobyhanna, PA 18466 MLS #PM-37105

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35,000 7548 KILMER RD Tobyhanna, PA 18466 MLS #PM-37107

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Log Home? $106,000 7212 Wigwam Way Tobyhanna, PA 18466 MLS #PM-40426

Pocono Farms Events

TO ADVERTISE CALL 845-754-2356

OR EMAIL POCONOFARMS@NIKIJONES.COM

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Fun With Fitness

BY KRISTEN AYLWARD, FITNESS DIRECTOR

Spring is upon us and there is no better time than NOW to amp up your fitness routine!!

We are looking forward to the possible addition of Yoga on the Beach as well as adding some cardio classes to our existing line up. Water aerobics will be making its return with Clover at the helm.

Of course we will have our monthly fitness challenge for our current fitness members and all new members are welcome to participate!!! A quick shout out to our February Cupid Shuffle participants, “Keep on keepin’ your HEART HEALTHY!” Surveys have been sent by email as we value your opinions and are always looking for ways to improve our facility and serve our members better. Please take a couple minutes to answer the few short questions and email it back to me. I look forward to hearing from each and every one of you.

As always, much thanks for all your support.

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Round by Round

BY KYLE MONAHAN

Howdy Friends, Spring has finally arrived. Okay, so maybe it is not entirely here, but Mother Nature has given us a little break from winter. With that being said, we will hopefully be chasing that little golf ball around the course in no time.

Let’s all dedicate ourselves to becoming better golfers this year. We certainly all love this game.

Even at our worst showings on the course, we still manage to return the following day for more abuse.

I was recently asked by someone why I love this game so much. For me it’s an easy answer. All I have to do is step foot onto a golf course. Just the views and fresh air alone makes me want to return more and more. The other part that I love is the challenge. Never in my life have I had the same golfer show up two days in a row. Every day is different and that is what I love. Who would have thought that chasing a little white ball around a well-manicured yard would be so much fun?!

So back to my original statement, let’s all dedicate ourselves to becoming better golfers this year.

First thing I want everyone to do is go out and look at your clubs. Golf is part natural talent and part hard work. However, what we are swinging

can be part of the reason we may not be improving.

First, look at the grips on your clubs. Do they feel slick? Do they feel too big or too small? Grips, in my opinion, are the most important part of the golf club. This is the only connection between you and the club. Do yourself a favor and make sure your grips, are fit to play. Grips should be changed once a year. Not only do we wear them out by holding them but the air can make a grip become slippery. If you’re not sure about the condition of the grips, please stop by the shop and I, or my staff, would be happy to take a look.

Are your clubs fit for you or your swing? Did you know that 85% of golfers are playing clubs that are not fit for them? Please make sure you are playing with the right equipment. Changing the lie of a club, length of a club, weight of the club, or just having the proper flex can make a world of a difference. I am not saying that someone getting fitted will be able to go from a 20 handicap to a 7 just by being properly fitted; however, properly fit clubs can make this game a bit more enjoyable.

The SEVERITY and the FREQUENCY of an average golfer’s bad shots most definitely can be reduced (not eliminated) when every single one of the key fitting specifications for every one of your

BEER OF THE MONTH:

THIRSTY THURSDAYS

Sam Adams Hopscape

6:00—8:00pm

clubs is correctly fit by an expert. We are all built differently and have some quirks to our swings.

There is much MORE that my professional staff and I can help you with to become a better golfer.

Please take advantage of our knowledge and let us help you improve your game. I am really looking forward to seeing all of you out on the golf course.

For those of you who have never played this game, stop on by the shop and let me introduce to you the game I love.

Listed below are a few changes that are going to be made to the rules of golf to make it a bit easier.

When golf first started there were 13 rules. Now there are 34 rules and over 1200 decisions.

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You may drop the ball from an inch above the ground. (Current rule is dropping from shoulder height)

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Time for search for a lost golf ball will be 3 minutes. (Time for searching for a lost ball is currently 5 minutes)

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You may be able to fix spike marks on a green.

(Currently, you are not allowed)

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If you make a stroke from on the green and it hits the flagstick there will be no penalty.

(Currently, you would have to add 2 shots)

Relaxed rules in penalty areas such as hazards.

This would give you the rights to move loose impediment with no penalty. (Currently, you would be penalized 2 strokes) See you soon.

Your PGA Golf Professional, Kyle Monahan

APRIL 6th New Beers Eve (the Eve of Prohibition) $11.95 Beer battered crispy fish and chips with tartar sauce, beer and butter roasted vegetables, beer and loaded potato cheese soup, mixed greens salad with citrus beer dressing and fresh baked bread.

APRIL 13th Thomas Jefferson’s Birthday $11.95 Quiche Lorraine, creamy artichoke soup, roasted Virginia ham with onion & mushrooms, rice and roasted root vegetables, mixed greens salad with buttermilk ranch dressing and fresh baked bread.

APRIL 20th You’ve Got the Munchies $9.95 Ultimate grilled cheese, tomato soup, build your own loaded french fries, chilly cheese hot dogs, loaded potato skins.

APRIL 27th Oktoberfest in April $10.95 Braised Bratwurst and Sauerkraut, buttered Spaetzle, boiled red potato, roasted vegetables, mixed greens salad, fresh baked bread.

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TO ADVERTISE CALL 845-754-2356 OR EMAIL POCONOFARMS@NIKIJONES.COM

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