Pocono Farms Weathervane

September 2016

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R OAD

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P E NNS Y LVANIA

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in this iss u e O u r Comm u nit y From Your Board of Directors 2 Thoughts from the Manager

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Pocono Farms Letters

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In the Farms

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Ca lenda r of E v ents Labor Day Celebration

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BOD Meeting Schedule

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September Calendar

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Sports Round by Round

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Swim News

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SAVE THE DATE Family Carnival Friday, Sept. 2nd

Rodeo on the Beach Sunday, Sept. 4th

Football Sunday Kickoff Sunday, Sept. 11th

Poker League Sunday, Sept. 11th

Unlimited Pasta Night Wednesday, Sept. 14th

Seafood Buffet Friday, Sept. 30th

POCONO FARMS COUNTRY CLUB FROM

182 Lake Road, Tobyhanna, Pennsylvania 18466

SPECIAL DELIVERY

From Your Board of Directors by neil carlson

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

There are a lot of things we are proud of this past year, and it has been a successful year. We have an exceptional staff here at Pocono Farms that works arduously at getting things done, so I think it is important that we recognize those folks. With the combined efforts of Katrina, Joe, and Kyle we have continued to offer new events. I also want to thank the committee members that act as advisors to the Board of Directors. I would like to pause here and share with you how proud the Board of Directors is of our Swim Team. The team has been doing laps for cancer with the proceeds going to the Monroe County Hospice House, and over the last 8 years they have raised over $ 8,000.

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

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

A lot of the work the board has done this year has been on-boarding with our new management company which is FirstService Residential. We have always been professionally managed. We had two management companies prior to FirstService Residential, and our last management company was not bringing in desired results. We brought in a nationally recognized management company with FirstService Residential.

Brian Cavanaugh Steve Bunker

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

The common theme we now talk about is the four pillars. When we first took on FirstService Residential, the Board of Directors gave them our four pillars, which we will talk about today, and that we constantly talk about in the Board of Directors monthly meetings, and our management meetings. We will go through a review of 2016, and what our path forward is.

The four pillars, are the defined goals we gave to FirstService Residential. First is an “Aggressive Approach Towards Bad Debt.” One thing we Greens Superintendent Adam Herman 894-4435 adamh@poconofarms.com are trying to do a much better job at is listen to our community members. At last year’s annual Chef pfchef@poconofarms.com meeting, we spoke about bad debt, and potentially 894-4435 ext. 130 Golf Pro 894-4435 ext. 110

cutting off garbage service to those that do not pay their dues. This was not well received initially, so we elected not to do that at this point. Bad debt has gotten better by about 3% compared to last year. We have turned over about 100 homes in this past year, which is good news because it means more people are paying their dues. We can still get better with bad debt.

Kyle Monahan golfshop@poconofarms.com

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 Security 894-4435 ext. 105

Artie Furman afurman@poconofarms.com

The second pillar is “Increased Membership participation”. The attendance at the annual meeting was 124, which is less than 10% of our membership. We have typically less than two people at our monthly board meeting. Our Meet and Greet averaged 20 people. We had a “Be our Guest” event with free food at the Grill Room, with 80 people signing up and only twenty showed up. The Board of Directors has to figure out a better way of marketing to our membership and getting more members involved in Pocono Farms.

The third pillar is “Team (people) Development”, which I touched on in my thank you. It is one of the programs that FirstService will bring to us, not only for our managers but also for our staff.

We have a great staff, and we want to give them opportunities to grow and develop.

The fourth pillar is “Better and Increased Marketing”. We have unique amenities and programs at Pocono Farms. These are the four items we have tasked FirstService with for their first year. We have an action plan centered on the four pillars. We have an updated General Managers reporting system that the Board sees every month.

Pocono Farms has a brand new Welcoming Committee, headed up by Linda Penett, which she is very passionate about. We had 21 new members

Building Coordinator & Compliance Director 894-4435 ext. 104 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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come to the reception. We want new home owners to feel welcomed and to enjoy our amenities.

Pocono Farms Realty has continued to grow, along with Lex attending courses for her broker’s license. All our amenities opened early this season.

The golf course and pool look exceptional. The playground area also had some sprucing up and new sand added.

Some of our challenges are still collections/bad debt. We need more membership participation.

As a board we are constructively criticized for our communications. We send e-mail blasts, the Weathervane is printed 12 times a year, and we use Facebook.

We were still told we don’t communicate, so we initiated “ideas@poconofarms.com” where you can send the board an e-mail and within 48 hours the board will get back to you. To date we have had 5 e-mails. The board welcomes any ideas that a resident may have.

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

Thoughts from the Manager

By Dave Timko

Where did it go? The Spring/Summer season we all anticipated that was going to be long, is over with the schools back in session. With the early opening of the golf course (thanks to a mild winter) and the earlier than normal opening of the outdoor pool (due to no snow days) we knew it was going to be a long season and we were ready for it. The season was filled with plenty of opportunities to get outside and enjoy all that your community has to offer.

of the year. Please make note of all of the events/ activities that still happen around the Farms which are listed online, and in our Weathervane. Or you can stop by our Administration Office and pick up a flyer. We encourage you to get out there and participate. We keep talking about how many new members have moved into the community in the past year and a half. There is plenty of opportunity for our new members to meet our longer term members and enjoy what the Farms has to offer.

Typically everyone looks at the major Holiday weekends to judge our success during the season. These are great 3-day weekends where we keep everyone busy from Friday through Monday. However, there are events and activities throughout the summer season for all ages. This all culminates with the last few weekends in August that our Recreation/Activity department hosts the Family camp out and movie on the beach.

I just want to thank all of those that have supported the activities/events this past summer and look forward to seeing you during the Fall and Winter programs.

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.

Just because the summer season is over does not mean that there is nothing to do during the balance

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Letters From Residents

In the Farms I wanted to thank all my friends and neighbors for all your love, support, flowers, dinners, cards, calls and visits during the saddest time of my life, losing the love of my life, my best friend and my dance partner suddenly on July 9th. I cannot tell you how touched I felt. We always knew Pocono Farms was a very special place, with very special people and I truly experienced that. You have all touched me in such a special way and I can never thank you enough. I know it would make Dick very happy knowing I am surrounded by such wonderful friends and neighbors.

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 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 (894-4435) as to your specific needs.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart, Linda and Jill Becht

• 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

To my fellow homeowners: We had our annual meeting on July 16, 2016 and 124 homeowners were there. In July, 2015, we had about 153 owners present. Every year attendance seems to be getting smaller and smaller.

Folks, we need to attend these meetings. We have to voice our concerns and let our Board members know what we need and want.

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.

It is only once a year, but it is a meeting where you can speak out and let the Board know what it is that bothers you.

This is our community and you and I must let the board know that.

Come out to the monthly board meeting and listen to what is going on and again, if you have something to say, say it.

Thank you all for reading my letter. If you want to speak to me, my phone number is 570-8942457.

Hugh Doran

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.

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BOWLING LEAGUE Summit Lanes - 12 Week Season Every Wednesday 7pm start - Beginning Oct. 12, 2016 Meet in Grill Room 6pm - Thursday, Oct. 6th Make-up date: Jan. 11th • Banquet: Jan. 18th $15 a person per week (No league on Nov. 23rd) (includes 3 games, shoe rental, team pizza & pitcher of beer)

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Pocono Farms Events LABOR DAY CELEBRATION Friday 9/2 6:00-9:00pm Family Carnival - in the clubhouse Saturday 9/3 12-5pm BBQ (behind the Clubhouse) 12-1pm Temporary tattoos 1-5pm Wrecking Ball 1-5pm Bouncy House 1-5pm High Striker 1-2pm Open fish at the dock 1-4pm Petting Zoo 1-4pm Pony Rides 1-2pm Crafts in Community Room 2-3pm Beach Games 2-3pm .50 cent Slushies at the Pool

2-4pm $3.00 Bucket of Balls at the Range 3-4pm Family Volleyball 4pm Raffle at the Clubhouse - All

Residents in Good Standing will

be Entered 4-5pm Candy Bingo under the Tent 6:30pm Birthday Bash, babysitting program available Sunday 9/4 3pm 6:30pm

6:30pm

Volleyball, Horseshoes & Bocce 6th Annual Night at the Rodeo Buffet - reservations req’d.

Live Music by the McWilliam Brothers Mechanical Bull

LABOR DAY MENU Veggie Burger.............................................................$4.00 6oz. Hamburger........................................................... 6.75 Angus Hamburger 8oz............................................... 7.75 add cheese................................................................75 BBQ Pulled Pork......................................................... 4.00 Buffalo Wings (with BBQ or Buffalo Sauce)............................75 Hot Dogs...................................................................... 2.75 Sausage and Peppers................................................... 3.75 Chicken Tenders (3).................................................... 3.75

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7pm

Bonfire & S’mores - until gone

Monday 9/5 Clubhouse Open Noon to 6PM 12-2pm Fun on the Beach! Relay races,

Water balloons, tug-of-war....

No outside alcohol is permitted to be brought onto PFCCA, Inc. property within the boundaries of our Association established liquor license.The established liquor license covers 90’ from the water’s edge, and a width of 400’ from the tree line near the Fountain through the Beach Lane side of the playground.

French Fries.................................................................. 2.25 Potato or Macaroni Salad.......................................... 1.75 Chips.............................................................................. 1.25 Corn on the Cob........................................................ 2.50 Brownies....................................................................... 1.75 2 Cookies...................................................................... 1.50 Watermelon Slice........................................................ 1.50 Can Soda.......................................................... 1.25 Bottled Water.................................................. 1.50 Juice................................................................... 1.00

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Pocono Farms Events 2016-17 Board of directors meeting schedule all meeting times are 7pm unless otherwise noted

• Thursday, September 22, 2016 • Friday, October 27, 2016 • Friday, November 18, 2016 • Friday, December 16, 2016 • Friday, January 27, 2017

• Friday, Februrary 24, 2017 (work session) • Friday, March 24, 2017 • Friday, April 21, 2017 • Friday, May 19, 2017

• Friday, June 22, 2017 • Friday, July 14, 2017 • Saturday, July 15, 2017 (10am annual meeting)

September Sun

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Tue

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Pocono Farms Events

Thirsty Thursdays

6:00—8:00pm

Each Thursday we have a different beer special!

Ask your bartender or server for details

Featured Beer of the Month: Samuel Adams Octoberfest SEPTEMBER 1st Salisbury Steak $9.95 With mushrooms and onions, mashed potatoes, gravy, tossed salad and rolls.

SEPTEMBER 8th Carved Ham $10.95 With honey glaze, mashed sweet potatoes, tossed salad and rolls.

*

SEPTEMBER 15th Sausage & Peppers $9.95 Mixed with onions & marinara, with rice, hoagie rolls for sandwiches, steak fries and Caesar salad.

SEPTEMBER 22nd Pork Chops $11.95 Seared with sauerkraut and served with apple sauce, mashed potatoes, tossed salad and rolls.

SEPTEMBER 29th Chicken Cacciatore $11.95 In a hunter sauce with onions, herbs, tomatoes and peppers served with baked ziti, Caesar salad and garlic bread.

To reserve a table contact Katrina 570-894-4435, ext 132 katrinaw@poconofarms.com

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Round by Round

By Shane Falls As we are now in the waning months of the golf season I would like to reflect upon my rounds and see where improvements can be made to the course, my game, or in some cases in my general outlook. It is in this last regard to which I focus this article. I’ve asked myself a few questions recently and I ask you to do the same. Have I lost my temper on the course this year? Have I thrown a club? Have I taken my frustrations for my poor play out on anyone else? If you answered no to these questions then my hat’s off to you and you are a better person than I. Upon self-reflection and a lot of research I have found some tips for those of us that share in the wanting to not just be a player but handle the games peaks and valleys with the amount of class that the game engenders.

This helps reduce muscular tension and gives you a positive focus.

Be Your Own Best Coach. Negative emotions feed off of a player’s negative self-talk. First, pay attention to what you say to yourself after a poor shot. Second, learn to “counter” the negative self-talk and give yourself a pep talk: “I’m a good putter, I’ll make my next putt.” No one can be positive for you, but yourself. You have to be your own best coach and turn your self-defeating thoughts into words of encouragement.

Dave Timko, Kyle Monahan, and Adam Herman for all the time and effort for making Pocono Farms the best place to be a member.

Following the above steps may not be a panacea for all our golf maladies, but it doesn’t hurt to try.

As this is my last Weathervane article, I wanted to take a moment to thank the Golf Committee,

The first step in resolving any problem is recognizing there is a problem. If you answered yes to more than one of the above questions you may have embarrassed playing companions on a number of occasions. (Yes I am most definitely guilty and contrite in these offenses.)

So how do we address these issues? Well I don’t know, but I have found some tips that I will be taking to the course in the hopes of improvement.

Stay in the Present. Do not dwell on the negative.

Negative emotions begin after you react negatively to a bad shot or a bad score on a hole. You carry it to your next shot because you choose to dwell on your mistake. “What a stupid shot I hit” you mumble to yourself. It’s not only a distraction, but you start to tense up physically, and that begins the path to the destruction of enjoyment and good play.

Include the Possibility of Failure into your round.

Ben Hogan was once asked if he had ever played the perfect round of golf. His reply was that he dreamt of it once but he lipped out on 18. In other words, perfection is something that is sought but can never ever be attained. If you expect too much of yourself, you are setting yourself up for certain frustration and heartache. No one can be perfect.

You must learn to accept that you are human and humans make mistakes. Allow yourself the luxury of making mistakes by giving yourself permission before the round. Even the best players in the world on top of their game make mistakes. You must accept mistakes so you can stay calm and composed. The key is how you recover from a bad shot, not what it cost you.

Slow Down and Breathe. Anger causes you to walk faster between shots, rush your shots, swing faster, and speed up your pre-shot routine. Part of staying composed includes calming down physically. When upset, make an effort to slow down and take time walking between shots. Take your normal pre-shot routine. Breathe through your abdominal region.

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Swim News

BY Jen pero

As another season comes to an end and I reflect back on the swim season, it’s a little different for me this year. After twenty plus years of coaching, Paul McCrone, who put a lot of time and effort into the program, resigned. His absence left an opportunity for me to step up and take leadership of the swim team.

The team and community made it an easy transition for me which I would like to thank them for. Without the help of my assistant coaches, Debbi Pero, Louis Schaefer, Mikey Schaefer and Patrick LaBella along with all the parents and swimmers, we wouldn’t have had such a great season.

This season provided many successes for our team and community. We competed in four meets against other communities and finished it off with a Championship meet at ESU. All of our swimmers who participated went home with ribbons and medals from their hard work and fast swimming. Coach Patrick, who also swims on the team, broke a meet record from 2005 in the 50 free with a time of 21.96 seconds.

During the season we were also able to raise close to $1500 for our local hospice here in Monroe County. Through the rain and cold our swimmers still came out to swim Laps for Cancer in memory of Mary Lou DeCroti, showing their dedication to a wonderful cause. Senator Scavello made an appearance to support and commend the swimmers on their good choices and hard work. It was an amazing event and we even made Channel 16 news!

Thinking about renting or Listing your Pocono Farms home?

Your Exclusive Pocono Farms Country Club Realtor

I look forward to bringing new ideas to the team and teaching leadership, sportsmanship and character to all our swimmers so they can continue to grow and give back to such a great community that continues to support the swim team! Thank you ~ Jen Pero

Let us work for you!

Contact us today to set up an appointment with one of our professional staff.

570-894-0300 www.poconofarmsrealty.com Homes ● Lots ● Rentals

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We can do it all for you. From listing, to renting, and managing your property. Our Agent was the top selling agent in Pocono Farms Country Club in 2015. In 2015 we sold 30% of all properties we listed. Stay with what works. One Team One Dream, Pocono Farms Realty and Pocono Farms Country Club. We are now taking new listings for the 2016 Season.

Call (570)894-0300 to set up your listing appointment.

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2016

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“I choose

ST. LUKE’S to provide

amazing ER Care I’ve cared for this community for more than 25 years. It gives me great satisfaction knowing I’ll be part of a team that provides amazing emergency care at St. Luke’s Monroe Campus. Accessible, excellent health care with the human touch; this is the type of experience we will offer our patients.

– Peter Favini, MD Chief, Emergency Medicine