Pocono Farms Weathervane

April 2014

182

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St. Patrick’s Day Celebration

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in this iss u e

Our Community

The Kraszyk and Yando families enjoyed an evening of Irish tradition at our St. Patrick’s Day Celebration held on March 15th. The night wouldn’t have been complete without a performance by Irish step dancers from the Gallagher School of Irish Dancing. If you’d like to see a video of their performance, visit our Facebook page!

Board of Directors

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Crime Watch Activity Report

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In the Farms

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Thoughts from the Manager

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Bulk Clean-Up Days

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Staff Spotlight

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B.O.D. Meeting Schedule

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B.O.D. Candidate Application

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Calendar of Events April Calendar

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May Calendar

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Sports Round by Round

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SAVE THE DATE Memorial Weekend Festivities - May 24th

Clam Bake May 25th

Rail Riders Game

Day Trip - June 8th

POCONO FARMS COUNTRY CLUB FROM

182 Lake Road, Tobyhanna, Pennsylvania 18466

SPECIAL DELIVERY

From Your Board of Directors by collette houston-ong

This will be a winter for the record books, the polar vortex, the extreme snow; I think we are all ready for spring, tulips and cutting the grass instead of using the shovel and snow blower! By the time this is printed, I am very hopeful we will be seeing the first signs of spring in the air. Although the weather has forced some of us to run to warmer climates or hibernate inside, there have been numerous events and activities at the Farms during these cold months, I am hopeful that many of you got out and enjoyed the warmth and friendship available to all of us.

Spring brings the warmer weather, no snow and of course golf! I know many of our community members are ready to get out on the course. This year we will have the privilege of working with a new golf pro, Kyle T. Monahan. Kyle is a PGA Class A certified pro who is coming to us with past experiences at Winged Foot Golf Club and The Country Club of Scranton. I am sure we are all excited to meet Kyle and begin the 2014 golf season.

In February, the Board of Directors and Pocono Farms Management provided a Community Update that shared the current status of the Farms. We had a reasonable turnout on a cold snowy Saturday morning, but the information and the dialogue provided by Dave Timko was incredibly valuable to all who attended. Some of the topics discussed included: (1) the reserve study; (2) the status of collections for the calendar year 2013; (3) our realty

office; and (4) looking ahead for the remainder of 2014 and beyond. We will be having more Community Update meetings later this year before the Annual Meeting, and I highly encourage our members to attend. This is one of the easiest ways to gain information and insight into how we are doing as a Community Association.

During February’s Board of Directors’ Workshop meeting we started planning ahead for the Annual Meeting in July. The BOD has begun to identify the voting issues, and will share them with the community members over the next several months ensuring that everyone is fully informed of the issues, and has opportunities to ask questions before it’s time to vote. The BOD wants full transparency, sharing with everyone in the Farms the status of our community, and what our needs will be moving into the next business year of 2014-2015.

By the time this article is printed, we will have enjoyed the March Festivities offered at the Club House including Mardi Gras Trivia and our St. Patrick’s Day celebration, always one of my favorites given my Irish ancestry. Personally, I am looking forward to our April events including the Easter Egg Coloring on Saturday, April 12th and Brunch with the Bunny on Sunday, April 13th. Our Food and Beverage Director, Katrina Weithman and Recreation Director, Joe Sprovkin, have some fantastic activities coming up for everyone in the

182 Lake Road • Tobyhanna, PA 18466 www.poconofarms.com admin@poconofarms.com BOARD OF DIRECTORS Frank Milano, President Mike Elbert, Vice President Steve Bunker, Treasurer Wayne Meyers, Secretary

Richard McCormick Collette Houston-Ong Brian Cavanaugh Peter Volpe Bill Weimer

BOARD LIAISONS A&B, Environmental, PublicWorks Communications CrimeWatch Elections/Nominations Finance Golf House Long Range Planning Pool Recreation Tennis

Rich McCormick Collette Houston-Ong Peter Volpe Wayne Meyers Steve Bunker Brian Cavanaugh Rich McCormick Bill Weimer Bill Weimer Collette Houston-Ong Mike Elbert

AD-HOCS Insurance Fitness Center Community Garden Marketing

Frank Milano Mike Elbert Brian Cavanaugh Appointed as needed

COMMUNICATIONS COMMITTEE Collette Houston-Ong Linda Penett Linda Becht Marianne Stephen Sally Wachowski Peg Scott Sue Miller Ginny Day NEWSLETTER COORDINATOR Denise Wilson 894-4435 ext. 106 CAPFWeathervane2@yahoo.com

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DEPARTMENT HEADS General Manager 894-4435 ext. 100

David Timko dtimko@poconofarms.com

Accounting/Office Manager Lorraine Daviduk 894-4435 ext. 103 ldaviduk@poconofarms.com Golf Pro 894-4435 ext. 110

Kyle Monahan golfshop@poconofarms.com

Greens Superintendent Adam Herman 894-4435 adamh@poconofarms.com Executive Chef 894-4435 ext. 130

Chef Michael pfchef@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

Building Coordinator & Compliance Director 894-4435 ext. 104

Richard Savage rsavage@poconofarms.com

MAINTENANCE 894-4435 ext. 160 (voicemail only)

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Farms. These events are open to everyone and we should do our best to take advantage of them. Some of our upcoming events are: •

Mohegan Sun Casino @ Pocono Downs Bus Trip on Wednesday, April 16th, from 9:30am to 4:30pm. This trip costs $20 per person, and for that $20 you get transportation to/from the casino, $25 slot credit and a $10 food credit. That sounds like a real bargain to me, too bad I have to work that day!

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Cinco de Mayo at the Club House on Saturday, May 3rd

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Kentucky Derby at the Club House on Saturday, May 3rd

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Mother’s Day Buffet on Sunday, May 11th

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Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Rail Riders Game on Sunday, June 8th. This trip costs $25 per person, and includes transportation to/from the game and your ticket to the game. Sundays are Fun Days at the stadium, and all kids get to run the bases at the end of the game! A great family day out.

Being a new member of the Farms BOD, I must say it has been a truly engaging and rewarding experience. I have a tremendous amount of respect and admiration for the Directors and Management, especially how much they care about our Community. I look forward to continuing to serve you in the coming months and years, and I am very hopeful that more of you will consider this opportunity to contribute and guide our Community to be the best that it can be. There will be new openings on the BOD, plus there are many committees that you can participate in, to have a voice, to have a say in the future of Pocono Farms. With that I will end and wish everyone a happy spring and please take a moment to smell the beautiful spring flowers!

Crime Watch Activity Report

BY ED AALBUE & RUSS KELLY

We are now in the month of April and if you feel the way I do, I’ve had it with the cold, snow and ice. It has been a tough winter. A lot of the scheduled patrols were cancelled due to the weather. This month the driver volunteers drove around the community for a total of 60 hours. During the winter months we have 12 patrols driving around the Farms.

Visa / MasterCard FRAUD

The official publication of the Pocono Farms Country Club AssocIation, Inc. PUBLISHED BY NIKI JONES AGENCY, INC.

This is a heads up for everyone regarding the latest in Visa fraud. Royal Bank received this communication about the newest scam. This is happening in the midwest right now and moving across the country. This one is pretty slick, since they provide YOU with all the information, except the one they want. Note, the callers do not ask for your card number; they already have it.

39 Front Street • Port Jervis, New York 12771 P: 845.856.1266 E: info@nikijones.com

This information is worth reading. By understanding how the VISA & MasterCard telephone credit card scam works, you’ll be better prepared to protect yourself. The scam works like this: Person calling says – This is (name) and I’m calling from the Security and Fraud Department at VISA. My Badge number is 12460, your card has been flagged for an unusual purchase pattern, and I’m calling to verify. This would be on your VISA card which was issued by (name of bank). Did you purchase an Anti-Telemarketing Device for $497.99 from a marketing company based in Arizona?” When you say “No”, the caller continues with, “Then we will be issuing a credit to your account”.

This is a company we have been watching, and the charges range from $297 to $497, just under the $500 purchase pattern that flags most cards. Before your next statement, the credit will be sent to (gives your address). “Is that correct?” You say “yes”. The caller continues – “I will be starting a Fraud Investigation. If you have any questions, you should call 1-800 number listed on the back of your card (1-800-VISA) and ask for Security. You will need to refer to this Control Number. The caller then gives you a 6 digit number. “Do you need me to read it again?”

Here’s the IMPORTANT part on how the scam works – The caller then says, “I need you to verify you are in possession of your card”. He’ll ask you to turn your card over and look for some numbers”.

There are 7 numbers; the first 4 are part of your card number, the last 3 are the Security Numbers that verify you are the possessor of the card. These are the numbers that you sometimes use to make Internet purchases to prove you have the card. The caller will ask you to read the last 3 numbers to him. After you tell the caller the 3 numbers, he’ll say, that is correct, I just needed to verify that the card has not been lost or stolen, and that you still have your card. “Do you have any questions?” After you say no, the caller then thanks you and states, “Don’t hesitate to call back if you do”, and hangs up.

You actually say very little, and they never ask for or tell you the card number. They called back to ask a question. They were glad they did! The REAL VISA Security Department told them it was a scam and in the last 15 minutes a new purchase of $479.99 was charged to the card. A real fraud report was made and the card was closed out.

What the Scammer wants is the 3-digit PIN number on the back of the card. Don’t give it to them. The real VISA told them they never ask for anything on the card, as they already know the information, since they issued the card.

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.

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 Capital Improvement Fees on transfer of property: House: $1,252 Lot: $626 Building Regulations: Permits are required from the township and from PFCCA. Please check with the office (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 $200.00 Refuse Collection: Curbside pickup on household trash and recycling is done on Monday’s and Tuesday’s 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. Major holidays that will affect your collection day are: New Years Day, Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas. When those holidays fall on a Monday or Tuesday, garbage collection will shift by one day.

County Waste will only pick up household trash and recycling.

If you have any other items to discard, please call them at 570-382-3304 to set up arrangements.

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 570-894-4435 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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Coolbaugh Tow nship Bu lk Clea n- u p Days Begins April 2014 All Coolbaugh township residents can stop by the township building beginning the first week of APRIL 2014 to pick up their 2014 passes for 4 free dumps and 4 free loads of mulch. Call first to make sure the cards have come in 570-8948490. Just remember to bring your ID (Drivers License, Tax Bill, Utility Bill) which proves you are a resident of Coolbaugh Township.

2014 BULK CLEAN UP DAYS AUG 1st & 2nd APRIL 4th & 5th SEP 5th & 6th MAY 2nd & 3rd OCT. 3rd & 4th JUNE 6th & 7th NOV. 7th & 8th JULY 11th & 12th DEC 5th & 6th

Township Building: Hours: Monday - Friday - 8am-4:30pm 5500 Memorial Blvd Office, Tobyhanna, PA 570-894-8490 Fax: 570-894-8413 coolbaugh@coolbaughtwp.org

Recycling Center: Garage Hours: Mon-Fri 7am-3:30pm 242 Laurel Drive, Tobyhanna, PA 570-894-8334 Construction Debris/Hazardous Materials WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED

Thoughts from the Manager

By Dave Timko

As I write this article, I am still looking at about 18” of solid snow pack. It has been a longer than normal winter. All of us are frustrated that we need to keep shoveling, plowing, and snow blowing. We have fielded more phone calls at the Administration office this year about the snow and snowplowing compared to previous years. Some have asked if we changed the way in which we plowed or removed snow from our roadways and cul-de-sacs. We have not. We still plow the majority of snow to the outside.

When we get 3 or 4 inches of snow, there are no calls. However, this winter when we receive 7 to 10 inches on back to back storms, and on more than one occasion, the phone rings a little more. Some assume we have done things differently or intentionally. This is not the case. It just happens to be more snow and more often. Remember, our objective is to keep as much of the road surface open as we can. With back to back, to back storms, this was even more of a challenge. We were running out of places to put the snow. Eventually we had to bring in the backhoe in some locations to remove some of the mounds. Yes, it was frustrating for all of us and we want to thank you for your patience and understanding during this past winter. With more inches of snow and more often, it does take us longer to get around to everyone.

That being said, with daylight savings time and the calendar showing April, we should be done with the accumulating snow fall for the season.

Even though it is early spring, it’s not too early to start to think about the annual meeting to be held on Saturday, July 19th,at 10am. We have not decided on a location yet. The deadline for Board of Director applications is quickly approaching. The deadline for the application is April 18th, one week before the April Board of Directors meeting. So if you are interested, please submit your signed application prior to that date to the Administration office so that they can get it to the election and nominating committee for review.

Over the past few months, the finance committee, the Board of Directors, and management, have been discussing potential voting issues to be presented at the annual meeting. Once these issues are agreed upon for presentation, we will start to distribute them at the next Community update and coffee break, in the Weathervane as part of the Director’s report, and through the Board of Directors and Management update letter.

The goal here is to ensure that everyone is informed of the issues prior to the annual meeting. There will surely be some discussion on the issues, which is healthy. Although we tend to personalize change and how it affects us individually, the Board of Directors have to look at change for the betterment of all and what will make the community a better place now and well into the future.

One change we all will welcome is the change from winter to spring!!

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Thirsty Thursdays

6:00—8:00pm Each Thursday we have a different beer special!

Ask your bartender or server for details

April 3rd Soup, Salad & Wings $9

Featuring three seasonal soups, wings with a variety of sauces and tossed salad.

April 10th Roasted Red Wine Pork $11

Served with mashed potatoes, seasonal vegetables, salad and bread.

April 17th Asian Night $10

With sweet and sour chicken, lo mein pasta, vegetables and rice with Asian salad topped with almonds, onions, Chinese noodles, mandarin oranges & teriyaki dressing.

April 24th Tilapia Francaise $12

With lobster cream sauce, served with roasted red potatoes, seasoned vegetables with fresh baked bread and mixed greens.

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

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Staff Spotlight KYLE MONAHAN, PGA GOLF PROFESSIONAL

I would like to formally introduce myself. My name is Kyle Monahan and I am your new PGA Head Golf Professional. I am very much looking forward to meeting all of you and getting to know you and your families over these next few months!

As for myself, I grew up in Lake Wallenpaupack.

As a youngster, I spent countless hours at the golf course, and some would say that I was bred into the golf business. My father was the Director of Golf and Head Superintendent at Paupack Hills Golf and Country Club for over 30 years, until he recently retired. Growing up, I played golf as much as possible. I played competitively in tournaments, as well as playing non-competitive events to simply enjoy the game!

Aside from golf I have many other sports and hobbies that I enjoy. Golf has always been in my blood; however, I was also a very avid soccer player.

I have played on many different travel teams including the Pennsylvania State Team, as well as Olympic Development teams. My involvement with these different organizations landed me a scholarship to play soccer on the college level at Methodist University. At Methodist, I was able to be in the Professional Golf Management Program, as well as acquire my business Degree.

During my program at Methodist, I had the invaluable opportunity to intern at Winged Foot Golf Club. From Winged Foot, I moved back to PA and was offered a wonderful position as Assistant Golf Professional at The Country Club of Scranton.

For the past 10 years I have called The Country Club of Scranton my home and have developed a truly special rapport with not only my co-workers, but more importantly, my members. My goal is to cultivate meaningful relationships with each and every one of you. I consider you my new family and look forward to us growing together.

In the winter you can find me skiing. From my late teens through my college years, I was a certified PSIA ski instructor and ran a junior race program at Tanglewood Ski Area. And, for all of you musicians out there, I have been a drummer for over 20 years. Throughout that time, I have had

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the opportunity to be part of a few different bands and record a few albums.

In November of 2012, I married my best friend Ashley. She is a certified teacher; however, she has decided to take some time off to raise our son, Keston, who is 10 months old. My family and I are very excited to be a part of the Pocono Farms Country Club family.

I am looking forward to the 2014 season and hope to create some new events, as well as, grow our membership. My door is always open. Please stop on by and introduce yourself. If you have any questions, concerns, ideas or special requests for your golfing needs, please let me know. Now, let’s pray to the golf gods to lift this white stuff off our beautiful course so we can get into full swing!

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Pocono Farms Events

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Pocono Farms Events

•6PM-10PM Prime Rib Night

•6PM Sip, Paint, Laugh

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Board of Director’s Candidate Application The Nominating and Elections Committee request from all board candidates, a completed candidate profile – see form below which can be obtained in the Weathervane, on the website or picked up at the Administration Office. You may submit a separate sheet of paper with your responses. Your information will be published in upcoming issues of the Weathervane and on the website.

Please be aware that one very important requirement for candidacy is the attendance. You will be required to attend monthly Board Meetings, General Membership Meeting and assigned Committee Meetings. As stated in the By-Laws (Section 5.7) “Any Director who is absent from either a total of four (4) regular meetings or three (3) regular meetings in succession, of a twelve month period, commencing with the August organizational meeting, shall be deemed to have resigned…”

This year, there are three seats available on the Board of Directors, three for a (3) year term.

Board candidates must be 21 years of age, an owner of record and be a member in good standing.

Name:________________________________________________________________________________ Pocono Farms Address_________________________________________________________________ Permanent Address:____________________________________________________________________ (If seasonal or weekend member)________________________________________________________ Primary Phone Number________________________________________________________________ How many years have you been a member of the Farms?____________________________________ Candidate Profile What is your occupation?_______________________________________________________________ Please describe committees, clubs, volunteer work and other activities in which you have participated.__________________________________________________________________________ Describe any skills, talents, or specialized training, which as a Board Member, you feel will be beneficial to the community.____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ What is your motivation for seeking a seat on the Board of Directors?________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ If elected, in what areas do you hope to influence the Board concerning the direction and governance of this community?__________________________________________________________ Why should the membership elect you to the Board of Directors?___________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ Note: Applications must be submitted to the Nominating/Elections Committee, c/o the Association Office by April 18, 2014, or postmarked no later than April 17, 2014.

CERTIFICATION: I_________________________, if elected, will bear my full share of the work of the Board and intend to serve a full term.

Date:________________________

Signature:___________________________________________

This year’s Annual Meeting will be held on Saturday, July 19th at 10:00 am. Location TBD

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2014 Board of directors meeting schedule all meeting times are 7pm unless otherwise noted

Friday, April 25th Wednesday, May 21st Friday, June 27th Friday, July 18th Saturday, July 19th - 10am Annual Meeting As approved at the 7/31/13 Reorganizational Meeting

Round by Round

BY FRANK DeBRINCAT

The winter that feels like it will never end, will end eventually. Our calendar says opening day is April 15. Let’s hope Mother Nature has seen the calendar and cooperates. We will keep you posted and announce opening day as soon as we can.

Adam and his crew have cleared the greens of snow to begin the drying out/growing process.

At this point everything looks good; we just need a little warmth and sunshine. We have posted all the tournament dates so mark them on your calendars and get ready for a fun golf season when it comes. Please note, with your feedback, we have made the Member/ Guest a two day affair this year. With the overwhelming participation we had last year, going to two days will make it an even better affair. So make your plans early.

As you know, we have a new Head Golf Professional; Kyle Monahan. Kyle comes to us from the Country Club of Scranton and has a lot of ideas on how to improve our golf experience here at Pocono Farms Country Club. He will be sending out communications to the membership on a more regular basis to keep us all informed of his ideas and events.

Reach out to him at any time to give him your thoughts to help him get off to a great start.

The focus this year will be on communication to you, the members, to insure you know everything going on.

With that, we want your feedback more often also. Please let us know what’s on your mind before, during and after our events. Your feedback will help us grow our membership and improve our events for you.

The golf committee has spent a lot of time updating and improving our policies. New Policy Manuals will be ready for you at the Icebreaker Scramble. Make sure you get one and review it.

Take this little bit of extra time Mother Nature is giving us to get your equipment and golf swings ready. Get the cobwebs out of those swings before opening day if you can.

You’ll lose fewer balls.

You know you’re a golfaholic if....

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You know there’s more to life than golf, but you’re not interested in finding out what it is!

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You quit the game forever, twice a month!

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You think you’re skillful and everybody else is lucky!

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You miss the ball, but still think it was a great swing!

See you all on the course VERY SOON.......

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List and Sell your home with us!

BUYERS! We have the largest inventory of homes in the Poconos.

Sellers

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• Weekend listing appointments are always available • Nobody sells more homes than we do • We’ll get you the highest price in the shortest amount of time • We advertise everyday, everywhere and especially online with the biggest and best home selling Internet sites • Ask about our global home warranties

• We offer our Independent Family of Home buying Services – One Stop Shopping when you purchase your home through Better Homes & Gardens Real Estate Wilkins and Associates • We can show you any home listed in the MLS • Open seven days a week Bringing families home to the Poconos since 1988

www.wilkins1.com | www.facebook.com/BHGWilkins | find us on linkedin.com

Weekend and evening appointments always available.

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570.421.8950 STROUDSBURG OFFICE

570.588.3440 BUSHKILL OFFICE

570.839.4174 MT. POCONO OFFICE

570.296.6946 MILFORD OFFICE