News and Announcements:
Current news and announcements are posted here. Click on the links to the referenced pages/reports.
____________________________________________________________
|
February 1, 2024:
I received an esteemed "Honorable Mention" for my original poem, What Time Is It?, in the 2023 Society of Classical Poets International Poetry Competition, the results of which were announced on February 1, 2024.
This is an annual competition for poets around the world who write metered poetry in the classical style, usually with rhyme.
This is the second year in a row that I won Honorable Mention for an original poem (last year my winning poem was Antietam). -Vicki Roberts, Editor
|
November 5, 2023:
News & Views From The Left:
The October 2023 official HOA magazine, News & Views, contained a report that did a political hit on an entire group of citizens. Click here to read about this disgraceful report published by our HOA’s News & Views.
|
October 18, 2023:
Happy 70th Anniversary to original owners Stanley and Adele Roberts, my parents. I love you and wish you both continued long life, health, and happiness. - Your loving daughter, Vicki
|
September 14, 2023:
There is a new edition to the Our Pets page. Nigel is irreplaceable, but let's welcome our newest resident.
|
July 9, 2023:
Happy 98th Birthday to original owner and WW II disabled veteran Stanley B. Roberts, my Daddy. I love you and wish you continued long life, health, and happiness. - Your loving daughter, Vicki
|
June 16, 2023:
To my darling husband, Arthur, Happy Anniversary ~ then, now, and forever, I love you. - Your loving wife, Vicki
|
June 3, 2023:
Celebrating my 40th Anniversary as an active California attorney, always in good standing. More background on me here at this link: Contact Us
|
May 25, 2023:
In response to the May 17, 2023 Report published on this News Site entitled, “Armed Uniformed State Law Enforcement Officer For Protection from Resident Predators at Board Meetings and Residents Packing Pistols,” we received a number of supportive emails. Here’s one we received yesterday that sums it up:
MESSAGE BOARD: GENERAL
|
May 20, 2023:
There is a very important update to the May 17, 2023 Report: CLICK HERE.
|
April 20, 2023:
There is a further update to the below report. Click on it below.
|
April 12, 2023:
We've updated our Contact Us page. Click on the blue link.
|
March 27, 2023:
The Cascade Lakes Paradise Paddlers took the first place trophy in the 2022-2023 season of the Play It Forward Pickleball League. They also won the Sportsmanship Award. Congratulations to the entire team.
I'm very proud that the team chose my suggested name ("Paradise Paddlers"), and it goes with the back of the pickleball shirts, too!
|
March 4, 2023:
Click on the green link.
|
February 22, 2023:
The Official CascadeLakesResidents.com Election Report 2023 is here! Click on the blue link.
|
February 9, 2023:
On February 8, 2023, the members overwhelmingly approved allowing anonymous voting for all future community votes to change the Declaration and Articles of Incorporation.
The votes were: 378 approved, 26 disapproved, and 9 proxies were deemed invalid (by whom, we don’t know). This means that over 93.5% approved these amendments.
|
February 1, 2023:
From the Editor: I am honored to report that I received an esteemed "Honorable Mention" for my original poem, Antietam, in the 2022 Society of Classical Poets International Poetry Competition, the results of which were announced on February 1, 2023.
This is an annual competition for poets around the world who write metered poetry in the classical style, usually with rhyme.
|
December 30, 2022, later:
Director Arthur Andelson has a special message for the entire community on this, his 62nd birthday. Click here.
|
December 26, 2022, later:
There is yet another update to the latest Board meeting highlights of December 21, 2022 concerning the fallout of Director Harvey's attendance at that Board meeting with Covid. Click here.
|
December 26, 2022:
A resident sent an email to us after we posted the December 21, 2022 Board Highlights which seems to echo the sentiments of a lot of the feedback we regularly receive. Click on the below Message Board: General link to read it:
Message Board: General
|
December 22, 2022:
There is an important update to the latest Board meeting highlights of December 21, 2022. Click here.
|
December 21, 2022:
Highlights from the December 21, 2022 Board meeting are now posted. Click on the green link. This edition is entitled:
|
October 4, 2022:
After Director Arthur sent out to the community a copy of his email to the rest of the Board and his proposed motion to allow discretionary shutter closure during declared weather emergencies, he received a lot of positive feedback.
Click on the below Message Board: General link to read one email which represents the sentiments of all who commented:
|
October 3, 2022:
There is another important CL-Update posted by Director Arthur Andelson concerning homeowner discretion to put up shutters. Click on the below link to read it:
|
September 30, 2022:
There is an important CL-Update posted by Director Arthur Andelson. Click on the below link to read it:
|
September 22, 2022:
Highlights from the September 21, 2022 Board meeting are now posted. This edition is entitled:
|
August 4, 2022:
There is an important CL-Update posted thoroughly refuting the defamatory propaganda put out by others. Click on the below link to read it:
|
July 31, 2022:
Note to readers who received anonymous (cowardly) emails filled with self-serving bile against your Editor:
I'm calling out corruption, then and now, hence, the exact same type of defamation. It was false then, and it's false now. Repeating it doesn't change the fact that it's false and defamatory, it just creates more of the three D's - drama, divisiveness, and desperation on the part of these individuals.
This exact same reference is a recycled email from Chick Coletta (the alleged self-proclaimed #1 bully of Cascade Lakes) from a year and a half ago for which he not only earned a berth on our Calling Out Bullies page, but the actual underlying facts were explained in that March 7, 2021 report on that page. I will not rehash it here as you can all read it there.
Thank you to all the residents who registered their complete disgust at these failed attempts to shut down the truth and to squelch transparency, as well as voicing to us their utter revulsion by this despicable display of repeated bullying.
|
July 28, 2022, later:
There are two quick announcements on the Message Board: General page of our website; click on the blue link.
|
July 28, 2022:
Highlights from the July 20, 2022 Board meeting are now posted. This edition is entitled:
Click on the green link.
|
|
There is an update to our Mailboxes page which details the Federal Regulations concerning ownership of the box, the house numbers, and the post. The individual owner owns all. Click on the blue link.
|
June 24, 2022:
The winner of the July 2022 Resident of the Month Award has been chosen! Can you guess who it is from the clues? Clue #1 is now posted! Click on the blue link and see if you can figure out who it is!
|
June 16, 2022:
Highlights from the June 15, 2022 Board meeting are now posted. This edition is entitled:
Click on the green link.
|
June 8, 2022:
This CL-Update is entitled, "Recall Petition: What Happened and Why" and concerns more information about revocations of ballots as to the fraudulent petition. Click on the blue to read:
|
June 6, 2022:
This CL-Update is entitled, "The Recall Petition is Officially Over" and concerns more information about revocations of ballots as to the fraudulent petition. Click on the blue to read:
|
June 5, 2022:
This CL-Update is entitled, "REVOKE, REVOKE, THE AWAKENING BEAR TO POKE" and concerns more information about revocations of ballots as to the fraudulent petition. Click on the blue to read:
|
June 3, 2022:
This CL-Update concerns more information about revocations of ballots as to the fraudulent petition. Click on the blue to read:
|
June 2, 2022:
This CL-Update concerns more information about revocations of ballots as to the fraudulent petition. Click on the blue to read:
|
June 1, 2022:
This CL-Update concerns revocations of ballots as to the fraudulent petition. Click on the blue to read:
|
May 31, 2022:
Our first CL-Update is posted and concerns serious fraud within the community. Click on the blue to read:
|
May 28, 2022:
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT:
As many of you know, Arthur and I have been taking care of my elderly parents around the clock. It’s not just a full-time job; it’s actually much more than a full-time job, and naturally, it’s getting more labor intensive as time moves forward. And truth be told, I’m utterly exhausted.
That being said, I need to prioritize my time and step away from nonessential things that take huge chunks of time which I just don’t have.
So, while I know most of you will greatly miss my synopses and commentaries, I hope you understand that I have to put family first.
Thank you so much for all your support, which I appreciate more than you know.
Instead, I will present from time to time what I call “CL-Updates” which is short for Cascade Lakes Updates and is pronounced “clupdates” for short. It will be a lot less time consuming.
So those of you who like to break the rules and whose mindset is “while the cat’s away, the mice will play” might want to think twice about what you do going forward.
Cheerio, and until we meet again,
Your faithful scribe,Vicki Roberts
|
May 25, 2022:
“Alleged False Pretenses, Fraud, Elder Abuse, and Defamation," "Terms of Endearment?", "Secretly Paying the Lawyer to Explain Plain English," and "the Troublesome Twosome"
(including: alleged fraud, elder abuse, and defamation, major update to the HOA website Terms of Service, a crack in the group formerly known as the Gang of Five, incurring HOA debt secretly, Board member nicknames, and other juicy stuff!)
You can access it by clicking the above blue link.
|
May 24, 2022:
The winner of the June 2022 Resident of the Month Award has been chosen! Can you guess who it is from the clues? Clue #1 is now posted! Click on the blue link and see if you can figure out who it is!
|
Later, April 27, 2022:
“Dirty Pool" and
"Where's Democracy When You Need It?"
(including destroying democracy in Cascade Lakes, trying to prohibit corrections of misstatements, new committee chairs, setting up, sabotaging, and bashing a Board member, possible slander of a resident, and other juicy stuff!)
You can access it by clicking the above blue link.
|
April 24, 2022:
The winner of the May 2022 Resident of the Month Award has been chosen! Can you guess who it is from the clues? Clue #1 is now posted! Click on the blue link and see if you can figure out who it is!
|
April 17, 2022:
We are now accepting nominations for the May 2022 Resident of the Month! The sole criteria are: kindness and warmth toward everyone he/she meets. Email your proposed nominee to your Editor, vicki@CascadeLakesResidents.com. Nominators and nominees are confidential. Nomination deadline is Tuesday, April 19, 2022 at 4:00pm. Good luck to all!
|
April 14, 2022:
“New Beginnings...Or Not,"
"And We Can't Get Rid of a Board Member for That,"
"Why Won't You Sign This Recall Petition!" and
"Update to March 24, 2022 Board's Organizational Meeting"
|
April 13, 2022:
“New Beginnings...Or Not,"
"And We Can't Get Rid of a Board Member for That,"
"Why Won't You Sign This Recall Petition!" and
"Update to March 24, 2022 Board's Organizational Meeting"
(including Iguanas, Toilets, Trying to Stifle Debate, Attempted Power Grabs, Committee Liaisonships, and if that weren't enough, other juicy stuff!)
You can access it by clicking the above blue link.
|
March 27, 2022:
“Gentlemen, Start Your Engines!”
(including one "H.O.T." Board member, election of officers, qualifications of nominees or lack thereof, post-Board meeting chatter, and other juicy stuff!)
You can access it by clicking the above blue link.
|
March 24, 2022:
As of 7:00pm, there is a new Board of Directors. In alphabetical order, the Directors are: Arthur Andelson, Bob Dingee, Jeff D. Green, Richard Greene, Harvey Ginsberg, Pat Nast, and Sue Schmer.
|
March 24, 2022:
The winner of the April 2022 Resident of the Month Award has been chosen! Can you guess who it is from the clues? Clue #1 is now posted! Click on the blue link and see if you can figure out who it is!
|
March 18, 2022:
We have another new addition to the Our Pets page! Check out the adorable little boy - click on the blue link and scroll down to see the latest addition!
|
March 17, 2022:
We are now accepting nominations for the April 2022 Resident of the Month! The sole criteria are: kindness and warmth toward everyone he/she meets. Email your proposed nominee to your Editor, vicki@CascadeLakesResidents.com. Nominators and nominees are confidential. Nomination deadline is Saturday, March 19, 2022 at 4:00pm. Good luck to all!
|
March 5, 2022:
“Hello, Neighbors”
(including your new Board members, PBB charges reversed, Board meetings in the ballroom, and other juicy stuff!)
You can access it by clicking the above blue link.
|
February 24, 2022:
The winner of the March 2022 Resident of the Month Award has been chosen! Can you guess who it is from the clues? Clue #1 is now posted! Click on the blue link and see if you can figure out who it is!
|
February 22, 2022:
The 2022 Election Report is now posted. Click on the blue link:
|
February 20, 2022:
We have another three additions to the Our Pets page! Check out these adorable little doggies - click on the blue link and scroll down to the latest two additions!
|
February 18, 2022:
We have another new addition to the Our Pets page! Check out the adorable little lady - click on the blue link and scroll down to see the latest addition!
|
February 17, 2022:
We are now accepting nominations for the March 2022 Resident of the Month! The sole criteria are: kindness and warmth toward everyone he/she meets. Email your proposed nominee to your Editor, vicki@CascadeLakesResidents.com. Nominators and nominees are confidential. Nomination deadline is Saturday, February 19, 2022 at 4:00pm. Good luck to all!
|
February 13, 2022:
This website's gone to the dogs! We have two more new additions to the Our Pets page! Check out these adorable little doggies - click on the blue link and scroll down to the latest two additions!
|
February 12, 2022:
We have two new additions to the Our Pets page! Check out these adorable little doggies - click on the blue link and scroll down to the latest two additions!
|
February 5, 2022:
We have a new addition to the Our Pets page! Check out this adorable little "person" - click on the blue link!
|
February 3, 2022:
“Won't You Be My Valentine?”
(including results of the flawed survey, an unused yet exquisitely crafted realtor survey, allegedly overpaying PBB, and other juicy stuff!)
You can access it by clicking the above blue link.
|
2. Also, we have a new addition to our Our Pets page! Check out the pretty pooch!
|
January 24, 2022:
The winner of the February 2022 Resident of the Month Award has been chosen! Can you guess who it is from the clues? Clue #1 is now posted! Click on the blue link and see if you can figure out who it is!
|
January 17, 2022:
We are now accepting nominations for the February 2022 Resident of the Month! The sole criteria are: kindness and warmth toward everyone he/she meets. Email your proposed nominee to your Editor, vicki@CascadeLakesResidents.com. Nominators and nominees are confidential. Nomination deadline is Wednesday, January 19, 2022 at 4:00pm. Good luck to all!
|
January 16, 2022:
“This One's For The Birds"
|
January 15, 2022:
“This One's For The Birds”
(including club membership for non-residents, forced club membership for league play, Board election procedures, appointment of officers, survey lack of confidentiality issues, missing Treasurer's written report, and other juicy stuff!)
You can access it by clicking the above blue link.
|
January 13, 2022:
We have a new addition to the Our Pets page! Check out this adorable little "person" - click on the blue link!
|
December 24, 2021:
The winner of the January 2022 Resident of the Month Award has been chosen! Can you guess who it is from the clues? Clue #1 is now posted! Click on the blue link and see if you can figure out who it is!
|
December 17, 2021:
COBWRA sponsored outdoor concert Saturday night: click here.
|
December 17, 2021:
“Toy Soldier"
|
December 17, 2021:
We are now accepting nominations for the January 2022 Resident of the Month! The sole criteria are: kindness and warmth toward everyone he/she meets. Email your proposed nominee to your Editor, vicki@CascadeLakesResidents.com. Nominators and nominees are confidential. Nomination deadline is Sunday, December 19, 2021 at 4:00pm. Good luck to all!
|
December 16, 2021:
“Toy Soldier”
(including cowards, survey spats, to Zoom or not to Zoom, the Owl and the Pussycat [ok, maybe not the pussycat], and one spent Secretary)
You can access it by clicking the above blue link.
|
December 8, 2021:
“Secretariat and the Four Horsemen of the Apocalyse"
|
December 5, 2021:
“Secretariat and the Four Horsemen of the Apocalyse"
|
December 4, 2021:
“Secretariat and the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse”
(including explosive information concerning the Office of Secretary, inter-Board nasty politics, Misogyny on the Board, the decision on the vacant Board seat, and other juicy stuff! It also includes an important PICKLEBALL COMPROMISE presented by your Editor under New Business, Item #2.)
You can access it by clicking the above blue link.
|
November 29, 2021:
There is a clarification to our answer to Clue #2 for the August 2021 Resident of the Month. There is also a new website policy which can be found as item #4 on our Contact Us page: this policy concerns misrepresentations to the Editor. Please take a moment and read it. Thank you.
|
November 24, 2021:
The winner of the December 2021 Resident of the Month Award has been chosen! Can you guess who it is from the clues? Clue #1 is now posted! Click on the link and see if you can figure out who it is!
|
November 20, 2021:
"Strawberry Fields Forever"
(Synopsis includes Board Member and Committee Resignations, Equipment Loaning, and Amazon Gate Key Rescission ~ an Action-Packed Board meeting!)
You can access it by clicking the above blue link.
|
November 18, 2021:
The COBWRA-sponsored outdoor concert is this Saturday evening, 7- 9pm; for details, click here: COBWRA
|
November 17, 2021:
We are now accepting nominations for the December 2021 Resident of the Month! The sole criteria are: kindness and warmth toward everyone he/she meets. Email your proposed nominee to your Editor, vicki@CascadeLakesResidents.com. Nominators and nominees are confidential. Nomination deadline is Friday, November 19, 2021 at 4:00pm. Good luck to all!
|
November 12, 2021:
A resident wrote an extraordinary email to the entire Board of Directors concerning the Board's recent approval of access to the community for Amazon: for all of their drivers for all of their deliveries. Read that very well-written and insightful unedited email on our Message Board: General page; click on the blue link.
|
November 7, 2021:
The Sports Center Open House on November 6, 2021 was a phenomenal success. Thanks to Sports Director Lee Sinnett, tennis coordinator Donna Schwartz, pickleball coordinator Donna Moreau, and all volunteers for an incredible and fun event!
|
November 5, 2021:
“Moolah Rouge ~ A Burlesque Show About Your Money”
“Punches and Counterpunches” and
“Getting To Know You”
You can access it by clicking the above blue link.
|
October 26, 2021:
“The Lawyer and the Shakedown"
|
October 24, 2021:
The winner of the November 2021 Resident of the Month Award has been chosen! Can you guess who it is from the clues? Clue #1 is now posted! Click on the link and see if you can figure out who it is!
|
October 22, 2021:
“The Lawyer and the Shakedown”
You can access it by clicking the above blue link.
|
October 18, 2021:
Happy 68th Anniversary to original owners, Stanley and Adele Roberts of Grove Ridge Lane, aka Mom and Dad, now residing with your Editor and your Roving Reporter on Landon Circle.
|
October 17, 2021, Part II:
The Pap Walkathon 2021 is here! Sign up now! Click on the link for all the information you need to know: PAP Walkathon
|
October 17, 2021:
We are now accepting nominations for the November 2021 Resident of the Month! The sole criteria are: kindness and warmth toward everyone he/she meets. Email your proposed nominee to your Editor, vicki@CascadeLakesResidents.com. Nominators and nominees are confidential. Nomination deadline is Tuesday, October 19, 2021 at 4:00pm. Good luck to all!
|
October 16, 2021:
The COBWRA-sponsored outdoor concert is tonight, 7- 9pm; for details, click here: COBWRA
|
October 11, 2021:
We have a new addition to our Agenda Items page; these are issues that the Board should address but to date has not. Check out new Item "Q. Communications With The HOA Attorneys" at the bottom of the page. Click on the blue link and once there, scroll down to the bottom.
|
October 10, 2021:
“You Are The Champions"
|
October 7, 2021:
You can access it by clicking the above blue link.
|
September 29, 2021:
Your Editor wishes her Mom, original owner Adele Roberts, a very happy birthday.
|
Later, September 28, 2021:
We have a new entry on the Our Pets page! Here is what the new edition's parents wrote about him:
"One and a half years ago... [we] had to put... [our] loving 14-year old Scotty "Pepper" to rest due to kidney disease. Now the grieving has subsided and... [we] are proud to announce the arrival of Max, a male Aussiedoodle weighing in at 5.4 lbs as of 9/27. Although Max will not replace Pepper, he will be loved and cared for with all there is to give."
Click on the blue link to see the precious new member of the Our Pets page!
|
September 28, 2021:
We have our first photo of your Editor with her new "Editor" t-shirt and matching cap on our Contact Us page; check it out!
|
September 24, 2021:
The winner of the October 2021 Resident of the Month Award has been chosen! Can you guess who it is from the clues? Clue #1 is now posted! Click on the link and see if you can figure out who it is!
|
September 22, 2021:
We have a brand new photo of your Roving Reporter with his signature moustache and matching attire on our Contact Us page; check it out!
|
September 19, 2021:
We have a new and extremely valuable addition to our Marketplace: we have a urologist who comes to your home and who accepts Medicare and most insurance plans: click on our Medical and Dental page.
|
September 17, 2021:
We are now accepting nominations for the October 2021 Resident of the Month! The sole criteria are: kindness and warmth toward everyone he/she meets. Email your proposed nominee to your Editor, vicki@CascadeLakesResidents.com. Nominators and nominees are confidential. Nomination deadline is Sunday, September 19, 2021 at 4:00pm. Good luck to all!
|
September 9, 2021:
We have a new bully on our Calling Out Bullies page. Click on the blue link.
|
September 6, 2021:
A new 2021 resident has weighed in on their experience with the Caring and Welcoming Committee in response to Part III of our latest synopsis, the September 1, 2021 synopsis and commentary entitled “This is your Welcoming Committee?" and this stunning comment is found on our Message Board: General page; click on the blue link.
|
September 4, 2021:
“Ground Control To Major Tom”
“False Friends” and
“This is your Welcoming Committee?”
You can access it by clicking the above blue link.
|
September 2, 2021:
We have a new page on our News Site:
(Coaltion of Boynton West Residents Associations)
COBWRA represents over 110 communities and over 148,000 residents. Click on the link and see the exciting event flyer for the upcoming free outdoor concert series!
|
August 25, 2021:
We have another addition to the Our Pets page; see who it is by clicking on the blue link!
|
August 24, 2021:
The winner of the September 2021 Resident of the Month Award has been chosen! Can you guess who it is from the clues? Clue #1 is now posted! Click on the link and see if you can figure out who it is!
|
August 22, 2021:
A number of residents have weighed in on our latest synopsis, the August 18, 2021 synopsis and commentary entitled
“Who Rigged the Pickleball Ladder Competition and Why?”
“Toxic Official Board Reports” and
“Invisible Electric Shocking Dog Fences”
and three of those comments are found on our Message Board: General page; click on the blue link.
|
August 21, 2021:
“Who Rigged the Pickleball Ladder Competition and Why?”
“Toxic Official Board Reports” and
“Invisible Electric Shocking Dog Fences”
You can access it by clicking the above blue link.
|
August 17, 2021:
We are now accepting nominations for the September 2021 Resident of the Month! The sole criteria are: kindness and warmth toward everyone he/she meets. Email your proposed nominee to your Editor, vicki@CascadeLakesResidents.com. Nominators and nominees are confidential. Nomination deadline is Thursday, August 19, 2021 at 4:00pm. Good luck to all!
|
August 15, 2021:
Don't forget to join the new Cascade Lakes Boynton Beach Facebook Page! Click here:
|
July 24, 2021:
The winner of the August 2021 Resident of the Month Award has been chosen! Can you guess who it is from the clues? Clue #1 is now posted! Click on the link and see if you can figure out who it is!
|
July 21, 2021:
We have a new page on our News Site called Special Reports where we will post special reports from time to time. See our new report entitled,
"Iguana Kill a Golfer"
[translation: I'm going to kill a golfer.]
|
July 17, 2021:
We are now accepting nominations for the August 2021 Resident of the Month! The sole criteria are: kindness and warmth toward everyone he/she meets. Email your proposed nominee to your Editor, vicki@CascadeLakesResidents.com. Nominators and nominees are confidential. Nomination deadline is Monday, July 19, 2021 at 4:00pm. Good luck to all!
|
July 16, 2021:
"First Lady and the Trampler"
You can access it by clicking the above blue link.
|
July 9, 2021:
Happy 96th Birthday to Stanley B. Roberts: WWII disabled veteran, original owner here at Cascade Lakes, and my Dad, who was born on July 9, 1925.
|
June 25, 2021:
"En Garde!"
You can access it by clicking the above blue link.
|
June 24, 2021:
The winner of the July 2021 Resident of the Month Award has been chosen! Can you guess who it is from the clues? Clue #1 is now posted! Click on the link and see if you can figure out who it is!
|
June 23, 2021:
The virtual guard portion of the AT&I contract has been rescinded. This News Site's previous endorsement of current president Jeff D. Green is officially rescinded for what in our opinion constitutes unsportsmanlike behavior, fiscal irresponsibility, abuse of power, and callousness toward his fellow members of the community. Details contained in the upcoming June 23, 2021 synopsis and commentary.
|
June 17, 2021:
We are now accepting nominations for the July 2021 Resident of the Month! The sole criteria are: kindness and warmth toward everyone he/she meets. Email your proposed nominee to your Editor, vicki@CascadeLakesResidents.com. Nominators and nominees are confidential. Nomination deadline is Saturday, June 19, 2021 at 4:00pm. Good luck to all!
|
June 15, 2021:
Unanimous Consent: There was a clearly fraudulent use of "unanimous consent" by the Board -- you can find the explanation on our dedicated Unanimous Consent page (which is a sub-page under our HOA Issues page). Click on the blue link.
In a nutshell, the Board recently took action behind closed doors without all Board members' signatures and also contrary to the specific language of the Florida statute governing such action and the HOA's specific By-Laws.
|
June 9, 2021:
Virtual Guard: Please review the information concerning the residents' intended motion to cancel the Board's vote to have a virtual guard; you can find it on our dedicated Virtual Guard page (which is a sub-page under our HOA Issues page). Click on the blue link.
|
June 7, 2021:
UPDATE TO ZOOM BOARD MEETING EXPULSION STORY
We have an update to our story concerning the Zoom operator who tossed a resident (your Editor) permanently out of a Zoom Board meeting on the evening of June 2, 2021. To complete that story, we bring you the following update.
On June 7, 2021, Board member Jeff D. Green approached your Roving Reporter at the sports center to claim that Board member Harvey Ginsberg didn’t do it. Thereafter, and based on that comment, we did additional investigation.
It was confirmed that there were three people capable of controlling that function. At first, we were advised that it was Harvey and that is why we published what we did. Now, two Zoom operators have taken responsibility for the mistake and they both apologized. One apologized because that Zoom operator was in charge, and the other apologized for actually doing it. Neither of them was Harvey Ginsberg.
Therefore, notwithstanding the initial information that it was Harvey, the record now reflects that Harvey did not do it.
|
June 4, 2021:
"Canine Contemplations and A (Guinea) Pig"
You can access it by clicking the above blue link.
|
May 24, 2021:
The winner of the June 2021 Resident of the Month Award has been chosen! Can you guess who it is from the clues? Clue #1 is now posted! Click on the link and see if you can figure out who it is!
|
May 17, 2021:
We are now accepting nominations for the June 2021 Resident of the Month! The sole criteria are: kindness and warmth toward everyone he/she meets. Email your proposed nominee to your Editor, vicki@CascadeLakesResidents.com. Nominators and nominees are confidential. Nomination deadline is Wednesday, May 19, 2021 at 4:00pm. Good luck to all!
|
Later, May 14, 2021:
There is an update to our Pickleball page which concerns the Board's declaring the pickleball club rules unenforceable. Said Board order also disallows non-residents from being club members or using other amenities. It is now part of the HOA's By-Laws. Click on the blue link for details.
|
May 14, 2021:
1. On May 13, 2021 the property manager’s office sent out a notice that the May 19, 2021 Board meeting was cancelled “due to the lack of substantial items for the agenda.” Apparently, none of the items on the Agenda Items page is considered significant by the individual(s) who determined such and cancelled the Board meeting.
|
May 8, 2021:
"A Very Strange Cartographer, Indeed"
You can access it by clicking the above blue link.
|
May 7, 2021:
We have added a new page to our News Site entitled "Advisory Groups" where we list the HOA's advisory groups and their members. Check it out by clicking on the blue link!
|
April 24, 2021:
The winner of the May 2021 Resident of the Month Award has been chosen! Can you guess who it is from the clues? Clue #1 is now posted! Click on the link and see if you can figure out who it is!
|
April 21, 2021:
"I Think We Nailed It"
You can access it by clicking the above blue link.
|
April 19, 2021:
"Q. Webmasters Making Board Decisions."
Click on the Agenda Items link and then scroll down that page to read about what the webmasters did secretly on their own without the required Board approval at an open meeting.
|
April 17, 2021:
We are now accepting nominations for the May 2021 Resident of the Month! The sole criteria are: kindness and warmth toward everyone he/she meets. Email your proposed nominee to your Editor, vicki@CascadeLakesResidents.com. Nominators and nominees are confidential. Nomination deadline is Monday, April 19, 2021 at 4:00pm. Good luck to all!
|
April 8, 2021:
"All Roads Lead To Roam"
You can access it by clicking the above blue link.
|
March 28, 2021:
A resident has weighed in on the outrageous and improper muting of the Annual Meeting and beginning of the new Board's Organizational meeting. Read the comments here: Residents' Input Page, Message Board: General.
|
March 26, 2021:
"To The Victors Belong The Soils"
You can access it by clicking the above blue link.
|
March 24, 2021:
The winner of the April 2021 Resident of the Month Award has been chosen! Can you guess who it is from the clues? Clue #1 is now posted! Click on the link and see if you can figure out who it is!
|
Later, March 17, 2021:
"Bored Meetings, The Amendment, and Hard Courts"
You can access it by clicking the above blue link.
|
March 17, 2021:
We are now accepting nominations for the April 2021 Resident of the Month! The sole criteria are: kindness and warmth toward everyone he/she meets. Email your proposed nominee to your Editor, vicki@CascadeLakesResidents.com. Nominators and nominees are confidential. Nomination deadline is Friday, March 19, 2021 at 4:00pm. Good luck to all!
|
March 9, 2021:
"But Wait, There's More!"
You can access it by clicking the above blue link.
|
March 7, 2021:
We have a new addition to our Calling Out Bullies page; click on the link to see the report.
|
March 6, 2021:
"Did Someone Say Food?"
You can access it by clicking the above blue link.
|
February 25, 2021:
Board candidate Mike Gentry has submitted a letter to the Editor which can be read on our Message Board: General page by clicking on the blue link.
|
February 24, 2021:
The winner of the March 2021 Resident of the Month Award has been chosen! Can you guess who it is from the clues? Clue #1 is now posted! Click on the link and see if you can figure out who it is!
|
February 21, 2021:
"The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere?"
You can access it by clicking the above blue link.
|
February 17, 2021:
We are now accepting nominations for the March 2021 Resident of the Month! The sole criteria are: kindness and warmth toward everyone he/she meets. Email your proposed nominee to your Editor, vicki@CascadeLakesResidents.com. Nominators and nominees are confidential. Nomination deadline is Friday, February 19, 2021 at 4:00pm. Good luck to all!
|
February 6, 2021:
"Racketeering"
You can access it by clicking the above blue link.
|
|
2. There is an excellent and humane alternative to deter iguanas identified by a concerned resident. See our Message Board: General page.
|
January 27, 2021:
The winner of the February 2021 Resident of the Month Award has been chosen! Can you guess who it is from the clues? Clue #1 is now posted! Click on the link and see if you can figure out who it is!
|
January 25, 2021:
Many residents are opposed to the inhumane killing of iguanas and want the Board not to renew the contract. There are other humane ways to deter them: see our Message Board: General page.
|
January 24, 2021:
"Saving Private Iguana from Bonnie and Clyde"
You can access it by clicking the above blue link.
|
January 20, 2021:
The Board ordered that club rules are not legally enforceable. Therefore, all club rules are now moot, which essentially means that there are no club rules.
|
January 17, 2021:
We are now accepting nominations for the February 2021 Resident of the Month! The sole criteria are: kindness and warmth toward everyone he/she meets. Email your proposed nominee to your Editor, vicki@CascadeLakesResidents.com. Nominators and nominees are confidential. Nomination deadline is Tuesday, January 19, 2021 at 4:00pm. Good luck to all!
|
January 13, 2021:
We have a new page on the News Site: Agenda Items. These are items that should be on the Board agenda but for reasons unknown remain unaddressed. We will add to and subtract from this list based on Board action or inaction.
|
Later, January 12, 2021:
A resident reports that with respect to the voice activated remotes, Hotwire's default position is to provide two; if you need three, advise them that you need three when they call to schedule your appointment.
|
January 12, 2021:
We have a new addition to the Our Pets page! She is a golden retriever mix named Talia. Check her out by clicking on the blue link.
|
January 10, 2021:
"Vacancy At The Bates Motel,
Benched,
and
Pole Dancing"
You can access it by clicking the above blue link.
|
January 4, 2021:
We have added a statutory reference to our Mailboxes page.
|
December 30, 2020:
Happy 60th Birthday to our Roving Reporter, Arthur Andelson!
|
December 25, 2020:
Happy one year anniversary to this website! We went live one year ago today, on Christmas Day. Joy to the world and Cascade Lakes.
|
December 24, 2020:
The winner of the January 2021 Resident of the Month Award has been chosen! Can you guess who it is from the clues? Clue #1 is now posted! Click on the link and see if you can figure out who it is!
|
December 20, 2020:
"Can't Touch This"
You can access it by clicking the above blue link.
|
Later, December 17, 2020:
There is an update to the Road Resealing page concerning the repair and resealing of the roads. Click on the blue link.
|
December 17, 2020:
We are now accepting nominations for the January 2021 Resident of the Month! The sole criteria are: kindness and warmth toward everyone he/she meets. Email your proposed nominee to your Editor, vicki@CascadeLakesResidents.com. Nominators and nominees are confidential. Nomination deadline is Saturday, December 19, 2020 at 4:00pm. Good luck to all!
|
December 9, 2020:
On December 7, 2020, we received a Letter to the Editor from a resident, which we reprint in its entirety on the BOD 2021 Elections page. The author has requested anonymity at this time, and we are honoring that request.
|
December 6, 2020:
"Don't Cry For Me, Argentina"
You can access it by clicking the above blue link.
|
Later, November 27, 2020:
"A Penny For Your Thoughts"
You can access it by clicking the above blue link.
|
November 24, 2020:
The winner of the December 2020 Resident of the Month Award has been chosen! Can you guess who it is from the clues? Clue #1 is now posted! Click on the link and see if you can figure out who it is!
|
We have eight homemade, gluten free Thanksgiving dinner care packages (which we will deliver to your door) for the first eight single residents who are alone for Thanksgiving, all made by your Roving Reporter, Arthur. Contact us if you are interested no later than Thursday morning at 9am.
Happy Thanksgiving to all residents.
|
Later, November 22, 2020:
|
November 22, 2020:
"Money Makes The World Go Round"
You can access it by clicking the above blue link.
|
November 18, 2020:
Mark Goodman has resigned as a member of the Board of the HOA.
|
November 17, 2020:
We are now accepting nominations for the December 2020 Resident of the Month! The sole criteria are: kindness and warmth toward everyone he/she meets. Email your proposed nominee to your Editor, vicki@CascadeLakesResidents.com. Nominators and nominees are confidential. Nomination deadline is Thursday, November 19, 2020 at 4:00pm. Good luck to all!
|
November 10, 2020:
We have an interesting update to our Mailboxes page. Click on the blue link.
|
November 8, 2020:
"False Pretenses" and "Go Ask Alex, The Sequel"
You can access it by clicking the above blue link.
|
Later, November 1, 2020:
Hotwire/Voice Remotes: A resident reported to this News Site that he/she contacted Hotwire directly and had Hotwire install the voice remotes, per the HOA’s contract, without charge.
Per this resident, Hotwire initially wanted to charge $495 but the resident demanded that they look at the HOA contract and after multiple attempts, they were able to adjust their system to provide for the voice remotes and their installation without charge, which the resident reports was done on October 29, 2020.
Congratulations to the resident for his/her tenacity and ability to get something done that apparently the HOA Board is incapable of accomplishing.
|
October 31, 2020:
We call this report “Fear and Desperation vs. Clarity.”
The following is our response to HOA president Marion Weil’s email blast purportedly on behalf of the entire Board sent October 28, 2020 which insulted and defamed your Editor, your Roving Reporter, and this News Site. Marion’s email falsely claimed that we sometimes harass the Board and other residents, that this News Site is “bogus,” that it is “pretending to be” the official Cascade Lakes website, and that we are “ghosting” Board meetings, whatever that means, but we’re pretty sure it’s derogatory. All of these statements are patently and demonstrably false.
Clearly Marion is not mindful of the “Streisand effect.” Per the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, under their “Words We’re Watching” section: “The Streisand effect is a phenomenon whereby the attempt to suppress something only brings more attention or notoriety to it.”
Aside from Marion’s abuse of HOA resources for the purpose of engaging in shame dumping over our demands for transparency, let’s parse her statements and show you just how disingenuous she is in our opinion.
Who exactly is harassing whom? Not one resident has contacted us and claimed harassment; however, the reverse is true: we have sent cease and desist letters to residents who have spread vicious rumors and lies about us and we have reported on others who engage in behind-the-scenes character assassination of us seemingly at their every opportunity.
Here’s a pop quiz: which of the following dueling scenarios is harassing:
-When we state the truth, or when the Board allows people to bully us?
-When we call out alleged fraud such as the rigged Pickleball elections of January 2020 for which all officers resigned in disgrace, or when the rule-breakers defame us?
-At a Board meeting in late 2019 when your Editor stood her ground, or when Marion physically tried to grab the microphone away from your Editor at around the two minute mark when the Florida statute mandates that a resident shall have a minimum of three minutes to speak at a Board meeting?
-When we opine on Board actions, or when Marion sics the HOA lawyer on us with your money to try to intimidate and stifle us?
There are many more examples. Who is really harassing whom?
Harvey says it’s ok to criticize the Board and that the Board is, in his words in the October 21, 2020 Synopsis and Commentary, “fair game for criticism,” but apparently only on the unofficial Cascade Lakes Facebook page where Board bashing is an allowed indulgence by select people deemed worthy of that luxury. How exactly did we get relegated to second class citizenship under this scenario? Why are the Facebook page criticizers given a pass, but we are repeatedly denounced for demanding transparency, honesty, fiscal responsibility, and integrity from those who are in leadership positions within the HOA?
The audacity of the HOA president to put out an email blast to 1,135+ people with wild accusations and phantom harassment claims against two members of the HOA speaks for itself. Was this action professional? Was this action appropriate? Was this action the embodiment of class? Was it a shining example of leadership?
Marion claims “this is intolerable.” What exactly is intolerable: that we provide necessary checks and balances? That we question expenditures? That we call out alleged malfeasance? That we challenge decisions that appear questionable? That we point out apparent hypocrisy?
Contrary to Marion’s statements, the News Site is not “bogus,” we are not “pretending” to be anything other than what we are, and we don’t understand the accusation that we’re “ghosting” Board meetings. The Oxford English Dictionary defines ghosting thusly:
"1. The appearance of a ghost or secondary image on a television or other display screen.
2. The practice of ending a personal relationship with someone by suddenly and without explanation withdrawing from all communication."
So, which are we: Casper the Friendly Ghost or Rhett Butler? The claim is truly bizarre. We invite clarity on that term. Marion, in your next email blast to the entire community, please define “ghosting” as you understand the term and please cite your reference material.
Marion also complains of us that we are “two residents...giving their own views on the meetings...” Yes, we do that; what exactly is the problem with that?]
|
October 28, 2020:
For the second time, the president of the HOA has admitted to having what is essentially a slush fund of your money ($1,000 per month) to spend at her whim. This means she gets a total of $12,000 per year to spend without notice to you or any Board member. We could not find any authorization for this in any of the governing documents. See our Presidents Get $1K/month? page under our HOA Issues page.
|
October 25, 2020:
"DEFLECTION AND PROJECTION"
You can access it by clicking the above blue link.
|
October 24, 2020:
The winner of the November 2020 Resident of the Month Award has been chosen! Can you guess who it is from the clues? Clue #1 is now posted! Click on the link and see if you can figure out who it is!
|
October 23, 2020:
NOTICE:
Addendum: Not one Board member has refuted or denied the facts we reported in our October 7, 2020 Synopsis and Commentary (Three Dog Night). Some are throwing poison darts toward us, but they have not denied the truth of the story. One would think that would be the very first thing they would do if the story were false, but they are silent as to the reported facts. We invite you to draw your own conclusions.
|
October 22, 2020:
NOTICE:
Several Board members defamed and disparaged this News Site and its staff during the October 21, 2020 Board Meeting by falsely claiming, among other things, that what we reported in our October 7, 2020 Synopsis and Commentary (Three Dog Night) was a “rumor” which should “die” per president Marion Weil’s edict, among other disparaging remarks. In our opinion, this is just an attempt to continue to cover up alleged malfeasance by attacking the messengers. We address these false and defamatory statements in our upcoming October 21, 2020 Synopsis and Commentary as they appear in the meeting.
We note that in the Round Table Discussion, a Board member, by her own words, essentially confirmed what we wrote about additional expenditures being "put off" (not cancelled, but "put off," which is what we reported). And another member also confirmed what we reported in response to a resident's question about it. Our report is also confirmed by the language contained in the official Minutes from the March 18, 2020 Board meeting which six Board members approved (one was absent). That language is also included in our upcoming report.
We stand entirely by what we reported in the October 7, 2020 Synopsis and Commentary (Three Dog Night). We recognize the push back by these Board members for what it is, in our opinion, an abuse of authority and improper use of a bully pulpit to smear us when they are called out for their alleged bad behavior.
We are not an “unofficial” HOA/Cascade Lakes website or a website that is “not official” as one Board member falsely claimed: we are an official and independent News Site. The HOA does not own either a copyright or a trademark on the name “Cascade Lakes” or the word "synopsis."
We demand that these Board members retract, cease, and desist their slanderous statements and we reserve all rights.
|
October 20, 2020:
WARNING: This is notice to all who seek to join or be in the pickleball club: BEWARE OF THE RIGHTS YOU ARE RELINQUISHING.
To all HOA residents and members: BE ON NOTICE THAT OUTSIDERS MAY USE THE COURTS TO YOUR EXCLUSION AND SUBJECT YOU TO LIABILITY.
See the update and explanation on our dedicated Pickleball page by clicking on the blue link.
|
Later, October 18, 2020:
We have two new bullies who have earned a berth on our Calling Out Bullies page. Click on the link to see the latest editions to our Hall of Meanness.
|
October 18, 2020:
The Editor wishes her parents, original owners/residents Stanley and Adele Roberts, a very Happy 67th Anniversary. Happy Anniversary, Mom and Dad.
|
October 17, 2020:
We are now accepting nominations for the November 2020 Resident of the Month! Email your proposed nominee and reasons to your Editor, vicki@CascadeLakesResidents.com. Nominators and nominees are confidential. Nomination deadline is Monday, October 19, 2020 at 4:00pm. Good luck to all!
|
October 16, 2020:
We have added another vendor to our Marketplace! We have renamed our page formerly entitled "Home Repair" to "Handyman" and added a handyman for all your odd jobs and projects. Check out who it is by clicking on our handy Handyman link.
|
Later, October 13, 2020:
The pickleball club continues engaging in power abuses and improper behavior. We spell out for you exactly what this club is doing and how they are back to their old dirty tricks. This affects every single member and resident of this HOA, so it's worth the read. See our designated Pickleball page. Click on the link or you can always find it under our HOA Issues page.
|
October 12, 2020:
As many of you know, our server's website builder tool was down; engineers worked on the problem and at the moment of this writing it is back up and functioning. Thank you for your patience.
"Three Dog Night"
You can access it by clicking the above blue link.
|
September 24, 2020:
The winner of the October 2020 Resident of the Month Award has been chosen! Can you guess who it is from the clues? Clue #1 is now posted! Click on the link and see if you can figure out who it is!
|
September 21, 2020:
The September 16, 2020 Synopsis and Commentary really hit a nerve; residents are furious with the Board or Board member(s) who used HOA money to try and shut down this News Site's commentary about their actions and/or inactions. See: Residents' Input Page, Message Board: General.
|
September 18, 2020:
"Lawyers and Losers"
You can access it by clicking the above blue link.
|
September 17, 2020:
We are now accepting nominations for the October 2020 Resident of the Month! Email your proposed nominee and reasons to your Editor, vicki@CascadeLakesResidents.com. Nominators and nominees are confidential. Nomination deadline is Saturday, September 19, 2020 at 4:00pm. Good luck to all!
|
September 11, 2020:
The Pickleball Club officers have sent out an email with a link to a ballot form for the membership to vote on dissolving the corporation. The ballots are due Wednesday, September 16, 2020 at 5:00pm. The officers stated that they now recommend dissolution (they previously fought your Editor and your Roving Reporter on this issue; we are pleased to see that they now recommend dissolving this corporation for the benefit of the club and the community).
|
September 10, 2020:
Last night at 10:18pm, the Computer Club, the only other corporate club besides the Pickleball Club, sent out the following email:
“The Computer and Technology Club has been asked to dissolve its incorporation by the BOD and become an unincorporated association under the umbrella of Cascade Lakes for insurance reasons. There will be no change in function of the club to our members. The mission statement will remain as on our website. The officers of the club agree with this recommendation. However, as required by Florida state law, this must be ratified. Please click here to ratify this dissolution or not. Please respond by 5PM on September 14, 2020"
This was an extremely well-written email and we applaud the officer(s) who wrote it. We also note that the email stated that there are no changes to the mission statement. In contrast, someone or some persons with access to the Pickleball Club page on the HOA website changed the club’s mission statement in the dark of night and added the words “and parties” to said mission statement. Did they ratify that deception? No. Does their corporate charter even permit it? No. Unlike the Computer Club, these individuals snub their noses at “Florida state law.” This tells you all you need to know about them: if they willingly disrespect the law, they have no compunction to willingly disrespect you and anyone who gets in their way. Caveat emptor – buyer beware.
|
Later, September 3, 2020:
"Togas and Tantrums"
You can access it by clicking the above blue link.
|
September 3, 2020:
A resident has commented about the Board of Directors meeting that took place on September 2, 2020, specifically concerning the demeanor of the Property Manager. Click on Message Board: General to read the comments.
|
August 29, 2020:
"Remove Me (Not To Be Confused With Englebert Humperdinck's 'Release Me')"
You can access it by clicking the above blue link.
|
August 24, 2020:
The winner of the September 2020 Resident of the Month Award has been chosen! Can you guess who it is from the clues? Clue #1 is now posted! Click on the link and see if you can figure out who it is!
|
August 20, 2020:
"ECHOES AND EGOS"
You can access it by clicking the above blue link.
|
August 17, 2020:
We are now accepting nominations for the September 2020 Resident of the Month! Email your proposed nominee and reasons to your Editor, vicki@CascadeLakesResidents.com. Nominators and nominees are confidential. Nomination deadline is Wednesday, August 19, 2020 at 4:00pm. Good luck to all!
|
Later, August 15, 2020:
The Pickleball Club had a special election and now has new officers. Click on the link for the update.
|
August 15, 2020:
Resident Richard Levy resigned as Chairman of the Cascade Lakes Emergency Response Team (CLERT) today per his 11:04am email to six Board members (Mark Goodman was not listed on his email). His email states:
"As of today, I will no longer act as Chairman of the Cascade Lakes Emergency Response Team. Considering the seasonal possibilities, I strongly encourage you to fill this vacant position as soon as possible."
|
August 9, 2020:
"GO ASK ALEX"
and has our exclusive interview with Alex Sanchez, former maintenance man, as well as a complete analysis of the potential legal ramifications to the HOA concerning his termination and ban from the community.
|
Later, July 24, 2020:
The winner of the August 2020 Resident of the Month Award has been chosen! Can you guess who it is from the clues? Clue #1 is now posted! Click on the link and see if you can figure out who it is!
|
Later, July 20, 2020:
Another resident has added their beloved pet to our Our Pets page. Click on the link to see the latest edition to the gallery!
|
We have another addition to our Calling Out Bullies page: Roberta Alter, who rarely misses an opportunity to trash your Editor and your Roving Reporter, and has apparently stepped up her game. See her latest published comments and our Cease and Desist letter by clicking on the blue link.
|
July 17, 2020:
We are now accepting nominations for the August 2020 Resident of the Month! Email your proposed nominee and reasons to your Editor, vicki@CascadeLakesResidents.com. Nominators and nominees are confidential. Nomination deadline is Sunday, July 19, 2020 at 4:00pm. Good luck to all!
|
Insurance and Tax Issues Regarding Incorporated Clubs on the next BOD Agenda of July 15, 2020:
Item #1 under New Business on the Agenda for the July 15, 2020 Board meeting reads: “Incorporated Clubs- Insurance and possible unknown tax ramifications.” We previously raised our concerns as to each of these issues – potential liability and tax consequences – to the Board directly, and we are pleased that they are being addressed, especially the insurance matter, because liability issues potentially affect the pocketbooks of all HOA members.
This was precipitated by the plethora of non-pickleball related activities that the former alleged officers of the pickleball club were conducting and planning both inside and outside of the community property, which we called out in our June 24, 2020 synopsis and commentary. It is clear that the Board is rightfully concerned that there may be potential liability claimed against the HOA if something happens to someone during one of those non-pickleball activities.
Fortunately, there is a very quick, easy, and painless fix to the damage caused by the former alleged officers of the pickleball club at least from this point forward, since no insurance carrier will cover any claim retroactively:
- Formally dissolve the corporation immediately - there is a form for it, so use it, and file that dissolution form with the Florida Department of State;
- Apply for a new EIN (employer identification number) directly from the IRS for banking purposes; no corporate entity or identity is required;
- Close the old bank account;
- Open up a new bank account with the new EIN;
- Don’t engage in non-pickleball activities under the name of the club.
As to the potential tax consequences, the Board should return the moneys given to the HOA by the pickleball and tennis clubs for the canopies forthwith, thus eliminating that issue.
There, both issues solved and resolved.
|
The entire roster of officers of the Cascade Lakes Pickleball Club has resigned.
|
The Editor wishes her father, Stanley B. Roberts, a Cascade Lakes original owner, a very happy 95th birthday. Happy Birthday, Dad!
|
July 8, 2020:
THE ULTERIOR MOTIVES BEHIND ELAINE CRAMER'S POSTS:
Elaine Cramer posted on July 8, 2020 on both the HOA message board and the unofficial Cascade Lakes Facebook page a post stating that the “real” resident award goes to Diane Green for doing something that any neighbor or decent human being would do - catch a falling resident who was fainting. That post read:
“The Real Resident Award for Heroism
Kudos to Pickleball President, Diane Green, who came to the rescue of tennis player, [name identified by Elaine], who was fainting and falling onto the concrete walkway due to dehydration this morning. Great job Diane!!!
Last edited on Jul 08, 2020 10:51 am by Elaine Cramer”
It was fortuitous and it was serendipity that someone was there to assist the individual in need. It happened to have been Diane Green, and everyone is grateful for her presence at that moment, but anyone would have done so. Neighbors regularly do these types of things for neighbors without having it broadcast as some kind of hero worship (e.g., when a neighbor was assisted with CPR and another neighbor helped resuscitate him until the ambulance arrived, and neither that rescuing neighbor nor his spouse ever said a word to a soul), and other neighbors who come to the aid and assistance of other neighbors with nary an acknowledgement and frankly, none needed, because that’s what decent people do.
And what exactly does her position as pickleball president have to do with being a neighbor coming to the aid of another neighbor?
Furthermore, did Elaine clear this announcement with the neighbor that she specifically identified by name before blasting it on the HOA message board and the internet via Facebook? Some people might not want it known that they had a medical issue and yet you just couldn’t wait to praise “Pickleball President, Diane Green” at the first opportunity she believed presented itself, and this News Sites knows why, and this News Site shall explain it in detail below.
Elaine Cramer’s post was also a direct insult to the July Resident of the Month because Elaine’s post clearly stated that the “Real Resident Award” belonged to someone else, and that necessarily means that the current Resident of the Month Award winner was not real, i.e., fake. This is insulting to your fellow neighbor who actually won the award and all the residents who look to see who is the actual Resident of the Month each and every month, and per our statistical diagnostics, there are many, many, many hundreds and hundreds of those. So, you have insulted a majority of the community. To use your words, “Great job!”
Often during pickleball or tennis individuals become light-headed, either because of fatigue, dehydration, a sugar drop, or other reason. They are assisted to a seat, and they are offered water or other aid that they might require. It happens occasionally. But when it is Diane Green to the rescue, all of a sudden, some residents go overboard and want to call her a hero. The word heroism used by Elaine in her posts is one that ought to be reserved for true heroes. Per the Oxford English Dictionary, the word “heroism” is defined thusly with an included example by the OED:
"noun: heroism
1. great bravery.
“they fought with exemplary heroism””
To use the word heroism in the context of assisting a neighbor by an act that is not uncommon is insulting to true heroes. Further, usually when this situation occurs, the person who needed assistance says, “thank you very much,” and everyone moves forward. There is no broadcast of it; this is pure drama. If it were anyone else, this News Site surmises that no one would be posting anything anywhere.
Now let’s look behind the post and see it for what it really was. This post by Elaine Cramer was specifically intended to act as a counterbalance to the shameful conduct this News Site pointed out chronologically and with documented proof on the part of Diane Green in our June 24, 2020 synopsis and commentary. The attempted resurrection campaign has officially begun. In that context, this News Site asks: Elaine Cramer, is pickleball so important to you that you would compromise almost anything for it, because it sure seems like it. Let us now explain the background to Elaine Cramer’s over-the-top display of sycophantic behavior. For the record, the Oxford English Dictionary defines sycophant as follows:
noun: sycophant; plural noun: sycophants
1. a person who acts obsequiously toward someone important in order to gain advantage.
At the time when you, Elaine Cramer, were the official secretary of the pickleball club, how is it that Diane Green mysteriously ended up on the ballot sent to all club members when she was neither present at the nominating meeting, never nominated, and never seconded?
Last year you had the Editor of this News Site, Vicki, on the telephone for a full two hours from your home in Massachusetts complaining that you were “hated” here in your words and you were hoping that she, Vicki, would be your new pickleball savior. We also enjoyed wonderful times with you and your husband, Chuck, at the wetlands during the Hike and Bike Sundays when you were here in Cascade Lakes.
Ever since Diane Green became president of the pickleball club, you have shunned Vicki. Now you have no use for her and instead have cozied up to Diane, and that makes you happy because you are no longer the “hated” one, to use your word. You are all too happy that Vicki has taken your place in some people’s minds thanks to Diane Green’s baseless character assassination of Vicki that a few lemmings have bought into. Ever since Diane’s “election” under your watch as secretary, you have made efforts to avoid Vicki, actually to avoid both of us, in public, beyond saying a quick hello to Arthur and then urging your husband to move along.
In conclusion, Diane Green is in fact permanently disqualified from ever earning the Resident of the Month Award based on her vile conduct as detailed on our Calling Out Bullies page and in our June 24, 2020 synopsis and commentary under New Business #6, Scavenger Hunt by the Pickleball Club. The July Resident of the Month Award winner won the award for being kind all the time, not just once in a moment’s need doing an act that anyone in their right mind would reflexively do if presented with the same scenario.
There are no other human beings on the planet that share that honor with the current July Resident of the Month, and any claims to denigrate her honor as we see with Elaine’s post stating that someone else won the “Real Resident Award” should be rejected outright because it is both false and insulting to the true winner and to the majority of the residents who eagerly anticipate the announcement of the true deserving winners each month. Congratulations to all the winners of this honorable award. They all meet the only criteria necessary to earn this wonderful distinction: for kindness and warmth towards everyone they meet.
|
We have three new additions to our Calling Out Bullies page: Diane Green, a repeat offender, who is named again based on our thorough investigative report contained in our June 24, 2020 synopsis and commentary, Roberta Alter, who rarely misses an opportunity to trash your Editor and your Roving Reporter, and Gail Nobel, who lives across the street from Diane Green.
|
June 28, 2020:
Your Editor is now a member of the Florida Society of News Editors. For additional credentials, please see the Contact Us page.
|
June 24, 2020:
The winner of the July 2020 Resident of the Month Award has been chosen! Can you guess who it is from the clues? Clue #1 is now posted! Click on the link and see if you can figure out who it is!
|
June 18, 2020:
An outside attorney representing an HOA member and the corporate owner of one of the homes in this community sent a letter to the HOA to the attention of President Marion Weil which we posted on June 2, 2020. It concerns road resealing and can be found on the HOA Issues page under the sub-page Road Resealing. The attorney received a response from Marion which we have posted on the aforementioned page along with that resident's email to your Editor. Click on the blue link for direct access.
|
June 17, 2020:
We are now accepting nominations for the July 2020 Resident of the Month! Email your proposed nominee and reasons to your Editor, vicki@CascadeLakesResidents.com. Nominators and nominees are confidential. Nomination deadline is Friday, June 19, 2020 at 4:00pm. Good luck to all!
|
June 14, 2020:
What happened to the pickleball club meeting that was scheduled for today? It was scheduled three months ago at the last pickleball club meeting. Zoom is certainly available, but apparently not the current president of the pickleball club, Diane Green, who is AWOL per her below Facebook post of June 11, 2020 wherein she states in the midst of a pandemic:
"And that is why the plan is to be outside the gates as much as possible!"
During her absence, perhaps the club ought to seek out a new president.
|
June 11, 2020:
IS THE PICKLEBALL CLUB IN JEOPARDY OF LOSING ITS CHARTER AND ITS COURTS?
Clubs exist at the discretion of the Board, and their charters may be revoked at the Board’s discretion. One of the most valuable and potent HOA community resources is the official HOA website’s access portal, to which club officers are given access, for the purpose of sending mass emails to club members and to those residents who have checked off their desire to receive emails on a specific club’s club-related matter.
Diane Green, president of the pickleball club, who was never nominated or seconded at the election meeting last December and mysteriously showed up on the ballot, and Sue Leonard, communications officer, have used and abused the portal for their own agenda. Are these pickleball club officers putting the club’s charter and the temporary pickleball courts at risk by abusing the privilege of using this HOA community resource, the official HOA website access portal, for purposes to promote their own agenda?
Their agenda included disseminating a threatening letter to the Board which was done on May 7, 2020 because they did not get their desired board vote on their issue at the board meeting the day before, and where the vote was expected in a certain way because the writers claimed that the clubs, in their words:
“helped the board out of a bind...when we furnished funds for a botched tennis canopy purchase.”
The expected quid pro quo never came, and rage ensued. This also necessarily proves that these officers did not consider the funds given by the clubs for the canopies to be a “donation,” contrary to what the Board claimed and perhaps believed. Also, with respect to the threatening letter to the Board, these officers under the guise of a “leadership team” accused the Board of dishonesty without offering any evidence to support that claim.
Their agenda also included abusing their privileges of access to the portal to build up support on a non-pickleball issue, to wit, the reopening of the pool, said abuse having occurred on May 25, 2020, where they claimed to set up a separate faux (i.e., fake) organization for their own purposes and then used the portal to rally support for this non-pickleball issue. With respect to the mass email to the pickleball club concerning the pool on that date, the HOA website access portal was abused by the dissemination to all club members and others, through that portal, an email blast about the pool and about these officers’ displeasure with the rate and manner of reopening of the pool. We take no position on the issue of whether or not the pool reopening protocol instituted by the Board was reasonable or not. That is not the issue. The issue is using and abusing the privilege of the HOA website portal which was provided to the officers for the exclusive purpose of promoting club business, and instead using it to push an agenda on a non-club matter.
These two officers at the time were Chairpersons of the Entertainment and Long-Term Planning Committees respectively, and as such, already had special access to the Board and had power and influence in those positions. These Chairperson positions were also subject to Board discretion because Committees are in fact Board adjuncts. Recommendations by Chairpersons are taken seriously by the Board, as they should be. As the below post of June 9, 2020 reports, they are no longer Committee Chairpersons. You decide whether they resigned or were given an ultimatum to resign or be terminated forthwith.
In conclusion, the pickleball club ought to seriously think about calling an emergency meeting for the purpose of recalling these officers to avoid the potential loss of the club’s charter and the attendant temporary pickleball courts: i.e., no club, no courts.
|
June 9, 2020:
Chairpersons of Three Committees "Resign:"
The following people have “resigned” from their respective Committee Chairpersonships: Diane Green, Entertainment; Jeff Green, Budget; and Sue Leonard, Long-Term Planning. We note that two of these “resignations” (Diane Green and Sue Leonard) come directly after these individuals publicly attacked the integrity of the Board in a May 7, 2020 letter to the Board which was blasted to the pickleball club, and after one of them, Diane Green, posted publicly on Facebook her desire to essentially stage a coup to overthrow the Board prior to the next elections in March 2021. Facebook is a forum that boasts 2.4 billion members.
While we are all for free speech, it is also true that Committees are in fact adjuncts to the Board, and Chairpersons serve at the Board’s discretion. Plotting a coup against the Board by an adjunct Chairperson and criticizing the Board’s actions constitute direct conflicts between those individuals and the Board. These adjunct Chairpersons are responsible for recommending entertainment contracts, budget expenditures, and long-term planning for the community. Their recommendations are often adopted by the Board, which rightly relies on them to be non-biased and supportive of, and complementary to, the Board.
Insurrections by adjunct Board members should therefore rightly not be tolerated by the Board. These individuals are now free to continue to criticize the Board at their pleasure because they are no longer officially tethered to the Board. Those who hear their criticisms (and their additional gossip) are likewise free to accept those criticisms (and additional gossip) on their face, challenge and ask questions about those criticisms (and additional gossip), or to reject them out of hand.
We leave it to our readers to decide whether these were true “resignations.” We note that often in politics individuals who are about to be canned are given the opportunity to resign in lieu of being terminated.
|
June 6, 2020:
The HOA President requested that her email address be removed from our email database and ignored our repeated requests to provide her opening remarks for inclusion in the synopses and commentaries of Board meetings which we prepare. A resident has posted an insightful comment about this which can be accessed directly via our Residents' Input Page, and directly on our Message Board: General subpage.
|
|
Addendum: A resident has reported that Sue stated that there were 450 responses to the survey, not 405 which was in the Editor’s notes. We appreciate the correction.
The second Addendum is lengthier and is provided by resident Adam Singer underneath his comments in the Second Residents' Input Session and is also in green. In that Addendum, Adam corrects and hones the reporting of his speech. We also reprinted his comments on the Residents' Input Page, Message Board: General sub-page for ease of reference.
We thank both residents for providing these comments which make our news site even better.
|
June 4, 2020:
A resident has posted a comment on the Residents' Input Page, Message Board: General about the choice for June 2020 Resident of the Month and a comment about this news site in general. Click on the link to access it directly.
|
June 3, 2020:
Mitch and Lynn Basch, formerly of Bleu Lapis Drive, passed away on April 26th and May 24th respectively. He was 89; she was 84; they were married for nearly 61 years. They were buried in South Florida National Cemetery in Lake Worth.
|
June 2, 2020:
An outside attorney representing an HOA member and the corporate owner of one of the homes in this community sent a letter to the HOA to the attention of President Marion Weil. We have no evidence that she ever shared this letter with any other member of the Board or any member of the HOA. It concerns road resealing and can be found on the HOA Issues page under the sub-page Road Resealing. Click on the blue link for direct access.
|
May 26, 2020:
A local medical doctor has joined our Marketplace. She is Board certified in internal medicine, and provides truly personalized service. Click here: Medical and Dental.
|
May 24, 2020:
The winner of the June 2020 Resident of the Month Award has been chosen! Can you guess who it is from the clues? Clue #1 is now posted! Click on the link and see if you can figure out who it is!
|
May 22, 2020:
There is an update to the never-ending awning saga on the Awning page under Section A under this date.
|
May 18, 2020:
There is an important post on the Residents’ Input Page, under Message Board: HOA entitled “Ratification Abuse/Board Private Meeting and Voting Flagrantly Contrary To Law and To Your Rights.” Click on the blue link to read this critical post.
|
Later, May 17, 2020:
We are now accepting nominations for the June 2020 Resident of the Month! Email your proposed nominee and reasons to your Editor, vicki@CascadeLakesResidents.com. Nominators and nominees are confidential. Nomination deadline is Tuesday, May 19, 2020 at 4:00pm. Good luck to all!
|
May 17, 2020:
In response to our email blast announcing the Resident of the Month Award for May 2020, we received an email from a resident attacking, without explanation, “our methods.” That unedited email and our unedited reply to that resident, for which we received no response, are posted on our Residents’ Input Page, under Message Board: General (click blue highlighted link).
|
May 16, 2020:
A new resident has posted a comment on the Residents' Input Page under the Message Board: General page. Click on the link to be taken directly to that page.
|
May 15, 2020:
A resident has posted a comment on the Residents' Input Page under the Message Board: General page. Click on the link to be taken directly to that page.
|
May 14, 2020:
There is an interesting exchange between your Editor and Roving Reporter on the one hand and a Resident on the other hand, concerning our previous post: “HOA Taxable Event: Taking Money for Awnings.” The resident raised some points, and we responded. The original post and this interesting email exchange can be found on our Residents’ Input page, under Message Board: HOA under today's date.
|
May 12, 2020:
All Homeowners Are Created Equal, Except for Most of You:
This morning the entire pickleball club (226 members) received an email from Sue Leonard, Communications Director, concerning the partial reopening of the courts. Therein, concerning Pro Lee Sinett’s reopening plan, she stated, “Lee has put forth an excellent plan and we are awaiting confirmation from our Board of Directors so that we can share with you.” Her entire email can be found under the Residents' Input Page, Message Board: General under this date.
Apparently, the pickleball club leadership team has a copy of Lee’s report concerning the rules of engagement for the reopening up of the courts. These club members have no greater rights than any of the 1150+ HOA members, who otherwise may have valuable input to the report which they are deprived from seeing. The concept or belief that the pickleball club leadership team needs Board approval for the rest of the HOA members to see Lee’s report is pure rubbish. Lee’s report is not confidential; if it truly were, these individuals would not have copies of it. Apparently some HOA members believe that they are more privileged and entitled than the rest of you. Let that sink in for a moment.
And by the way, this is the same leadership team that five days ago called the Board liars in another email blast to the entire pickleball club sent out by pickleball president Diane Fiorillo Green wherein she, on behalf of the entire leadership team, urged everyone to vote the Board members up for re-election out of office at the next election: see here. Now apparently they’re back to sucking up to the Board and trying once again to garner “good will” similar to the “good will” they thought they bought when they used club monies to purchase HOA canopies: see here.
Overall we observe that there are way too many back-alley games, way too much gossip, favoritism, bullying, back-stabbing, wresting of control, and similar behavior which creates more poison and more distrust in this community, and it needs to stop. These are some of the reasons this news site came into existence: to call out this behavior and to give the community the collective voice it so richly deserves.
This latest and elitist email is signed “Sue Leonard Communications Director.” This is neither true communication nor true leadership. It is a communication telling you that they won’t communicate to you the contents of the document they possess because they’re special and you’re not. Hence, all homeowners are created equal, except for most of you.
|
May 11, 2020:
We have a brand new page on our website: BOD 2021 Elections. On that page, we have posted a letter from pickleball club president Diane Green to the entire pickleball club membership recommending that the club vote out the encumbents up for re-election.
|
May 9, 2020:
HOA Member Jeff Hyman, Ph.D., Epidemiologist, Harvard/Hopkins, has a very important post on our Residents’ Input Page, under the Message Board: General page concerning the coronavirus. This post reiterates what he stated at the Board meeting on May 6, 2020, and it also repeats what he wrote on the HOA’s message board. We are reprinting all of it here so that a much wider number of people can read it and be advised accordingly. We thank Jeff for sharing his expertise with the community at large.
|
May 7, 2020:
HOA member Angelo Ganguzza has written a follow up to his post of yesterday based on an email he received from Marion Weil purportedly for the Board (although it is unknown if she consulted any other board member prior to sending it out). That email and his response is now posted on our Residents' Input Page under the Message Board: General link and follows directly under his initial post of May 6, 2020.
|
May 6, 2020:
HOA Member Angelo Ganguzza has written an extremely important post on our Residents' Input Page under the Message Board: General link. It concerns the status of the current lockdown at Cascade Lakes and an interesting and thoughtful suggestion of a reduction of quarterly dues during the lockdown. This news site urges all of our readers to take the time and read this post.
|
April 29, 2020:
1. Landscaping issues involving security and costs to the HOA and homeowners and the failure of the Board to adequately negotiate landscaping contracts was raised at the March 4, 2020 Board Meeting to no avail. The HOA Issues page has a new subpage dedicated to this matter called Landscaping Issues and the Message Board: General on this site repeats that discussion; both provide a transcript of the comments from that Board meeting.
2. We are excited to announce that the Marketplace is now live with vendors posted on the site.
|
April 26, 2020:
Acceptance of Club Funds to Subsidize the HOA is a Taxable Event:
Per IRS rules, an HOA’s quarterly dues and special assessments, which constitute revenue to the HOA, are nevertheless not subject to the 30% tax rate otherwise applicable to other monies received by the HOA. Those specific revenue sources are specifically exempted from the federal tax otherwise due on other revenue sources received by an HOA per 26 U.S. Code Section 528(d)(3).
Any monies expended on HOA matters, which includes HOA common area improvements, must be made on a proportionate basis to all members, i.e., derive from quarterly dues or special assessments, to avoid tax consequences on moneys received and ultimately used for any HOA purpose. In other words, all incoming funds used for HOA matters, which necessarily includes common area improvements, must be paid for proportionately by the membership in order to avoid tax liability at the HOA rate of 30%, and the only way that that is accomplished is via quarterly dues and special assessments. To be clear, these revenue sources, i.e., quarterly dues and special assessments, are proportionate and equally shared and contributed to by owner/members. The acceptance of quarterly dues and special assessments are specifically not taxable events per IRS rules governing HOAs [26 U.S. Code Section 528(d)(3)].
The HOA took in $3,000 in revenue from non-HOA proportionate sources to subsidize itself (in this case, club monies from the tennis club and the pickleball club, both separate and independent corporations, but the rule applies to any revenue sources). None of that money was part of either quarterly dues or a special assessment, and therefore none of it was a proportionate contribution from the member/owners. Therefore, per IRS rules, it appears that receiving this revenue produced a taxable event, because it was revenue taken from non-exempt sources.
Taking monies from non-HOA sources (in this case, from two separate and distinct corporations, but in any case), and using that non-HOA, non-exempt money to subsidize the HOA, with said HOA in turn then purchasing awnings for common area improvements per a contract between the HOA and the awning company, and thus getting the benefit and value therefrom, constitutes a revenue-producing activity; those amounts are therefore taxable on IRS Form 1120-H at the standard 30% rate for HOAs.
Therefore, that $3,000 that the HOA earned from the club contributions is taxable in the amount of $900 (30% of $3,000), and the HOA needs to account on its financial books for the additional $900 it now owes the IRS as part of the cost of the awnings. How is it fiscally responsible to have some individuals (in this case through two distinct corporations) disproportionally pay for HOA obligations and/or improvements which in turn generates a taxable event to the entire HOA? Answer: it most certainly it not.
The Treasurer of this HOA referred to these monies as a “donation.” This was not a donation, however, because the Treasurer admitted that the clubs received a “benefit” for their contributions, as described previously on this news site; rather, it was a profit generating activity which resulted in the enrichment of the entire HOA, thus creating a taxable event. Even if it were construed to be a donation, which this subsidy clearly was not, the HOA would still have to pay taxes on the revenues it received because it received a financial benefit from those non-HOA, non-exempt monies which were neither quarterly dues nor special assessments.
The finagling of the awning invoices/payment methodology to effectuate this scheme may expose the homeowners to IRS penalties and interest if an audit were undertaken and this anomaly were discovered. It may also red flag the HOA for future IRS audits, which would be very costly. This is not fiscal responsibility, and it is therefore incumbent upon the Board to immediately place on the next Agenda a motion to rescind acceptance of these club monies to protect the members of this HOA, or alternatively, to set aside an additional $900 in HOA funds to pay this tax obligation, the latter of which was caused by a lack of fiscal responsibility in the first place and is an unnecessary additional cost to the HOA.
|
April 24, 2020:
The winner of the May 2020 Resident of the Month Award has been chosen! Can you guess who it is from the clues? Clue #1 is now posted! Click on the link and see if you can figure out who it is!
|
April 23, 2020:
We have posted on the Awnings sub-page (under the HOA Issues page) excerpts from the Synopsis and Commentary of the April 16, 2020 Board Meeting, during the Second Residents' Input Session, on the topic of the awnings, an HOA asset which was voted to be purchased with tennis club and pickleball club membership funds. This post can be found by scrolling down to the date of April 23, 2020 on that page, and it exposes the manner in which the Board manipulated the clubs into extracting club money for this HOA purchase.
|
April 17, 2020:
2. We are now accepting nominations for the May 2020 Resident of the Month! Email your proposed nominee and reasons to your Editor, Vicki@CascadeLakesResidents.com. Nominators and nominees are confidential. Nomination deadline is Sunday, April 19, 2020 at 4:00pm. Good luck to all!
|
April 14, 2020:
The new page to our news site, HOA Issues, now has a post regarding the much-discussed mailbox issue. This is the same post that we have reported on elsewhere on this news site, and it now has its own designated page. The Mailboxes page can be accessed through the HOA Issues page or by clicking directly on the Mailboxes link.
|
April 11, 2020:
There is an update on the awning issue; go to the Awning, Pavers, Fence page and scroll down to today's date.
|
April 10, 2020:
The new page to our news site, HOA Issues, now has a post regarding the comment by Marion, the President, at the April 1, 2020 Board meeting, wherein she stated that the President gets $1,000 per month (presumably from HOA funds for discretionary spending). The President Gets $1K/Month? page can be accessed by clicking on the President Gets $1K/Month? link or via the HOA Issues page.
|
April 9, 2020:
The new page to our news site, HOA Issues, now has a post regarding the ill-conceived shed which was voted on by the Board as opposed to by a required community vote based on the amount of this expenditure. The Shed page can be accessed through that page or by clicking on the Shed link.
|
April 8, 2020:
The issues concerning the awning between tennis courts 4 and 5 as well as the pavers and the fence are troubling, and they will cost this community substantial funds if they are not addressed. The quick fix proposed by the Pickleball and Tennis Clubs’ leadership does not resolve the problems and is an improper use of club funds.
There is a huge safety hazard right now at the location. These issues are so important that we have devoted a designated page to review all of them, and we urge our readers to read all of it, so that there are no surprises in the future when the community is hit with a lawsuit from an accident waiting to happen. Click on our designated page here:
Awning, Pavers, Fence
We have also added a new page to our news site, HOA Issues, where we will post reports on issues concerning our HOA. The Awning, Pavers, Fence page can be accessed there as well.
|
April 6, 2020:
Pickleball and Tennis Club leadership sent out concurrent email blasts advising the members of their unilateral decision to spend club funds for corrective awnings ($1,000 and $2,000 respectively).
Pickleball Club and Tennis Club leadership have no authority to spend club funds without a membership vote. It is also completely contrary to the Pickleball Club’s bylaws on file with the State of Florida.
Both your Editor and your Roving Reporter are members in each of these clubs and we object to our money being spent without our permission.
If there is an awning issue, it is for the Board to rectify after the leadership teams have brought the issue to the Recreation Committee.
The entire HOA is responsible for the common areas, and no club money should be spent for any purpose which enhances a common area.
|
Later, April 3, 2020:
We are pleased to report that our News and Announcements page is checked regularly and frequently, which enabled President Marion to issue a corrected email blast recognizing all Board members, in response to our below post. She stated, in pertinent part: “I first want to apologize for not listing all of the new Board members in my email blast.” She then listed them correctly. We accept her apology.
|
April 3, 2020:
“Marion Weil for the Board of Directors” sent out an email blast to the entire community at 9:18pm last night, April 2, 2020. Inasmuch as she is speaking on their behalf, did she send it to her colleagues on the Board for prior review and approval before sending it out? More likely than not, Marion sent out this email on her own. In her email blast, Marion purportedly set forth her entire Opening Remarks from the April 1, 2020 BOD meeting (which she put in quotes).
This is the first time ever that Marion has sent everyone a purported transcript of her Opening Remarks, which by the way were clearly written before she was elected President of the new Board. It is unclear as to why Marion felt the need to reiterate her Opening Remarks verbatim to the entire community, because it is available online on the HOA website, but we have our suspicions: viewership of the livestream is decreasing because the residents prefer to read this news site’s synopsis and commentary, and Marion perhaps was upset that her entire speech was not reported therein verbatim.
In our April 1, 2020 synopsis and commentary, Sue’s speech was stated in its entirety, verbatim, because your Editor requested a copy of it from Sue which she obliged, owing to the fact that it was stated at a public meeting. Marion’s Opening Remarks were reported as best as your Editor could take them down given the speed with which they were stated. Had Marion sent me her Opening Remarks, I would have included them verbatim as well, and she is welcome to do so at any time in the future.
Given the fact that the Board meeting is currently available online and the synopsis fairly sets forth the essence of Marion’s remarks, the need for this reiteration of the remarks is de minimis at best.
It bears recalling that on November 20, 2019, the Board voted to discontinue sending out a synopsis of Board meetings, which had previously been done by the secretary for many years. Marion voted to discontinue the synopses, and Linda, the secretary, voted against discontinuing the synopses. (Marion, Jerry, Eileen, and Mark voted to discontinue it; Linda, Harvey, and Alan voted against the motion to discontinue the synopses, and the motion passed 4-3). It was for that reason that your Editor began her Board meeting synopses and commentary with the very next Board meeting which occurred on December 4, 2019. Now we have Marion reproducing a portion of the synopsis that she voted to discontinue.
Furthermore, two weeks later, when your Editor posted the December 18, 2019 synopsis and commentary on the HOA website, Marion as webmistress and Board President pulled down that post and your Editor was suspended from the HOA message board for 30 days. That was one of the main impetuses for the creation of this website, and the synopsis was posted herein and remains posted under the Synopses and Commentary page. The website officially became a news site over the period of January 28, 2020 and January 29, 2020 as detailed under those dates on this News and Announcements page.
In this same e-mail blast of the night of April 2, 2020, Marion erroneously wrote:
“Your new Board of Directors are:
| Marion Weil, President |
| Mark Goodman, Vice President |
| Linda Arbeit, Secretary |
| Richard Greene, Treasurer" |
There are, however, seven Board members, and we believe that Harvey, Eileen, and Sue would be surprised to learn that, according to Marion, they are no longer members of the Board. It is anyone’s guess whether Harvey, Eileen, or Sue will be present for future Board meetings, because this new list of Board members does constitute a quorum.
|
April 2, 2020:
2. COVID-19 Update: Today’s Sun Sentinel reported that the peak day for Florida will be May 3, 2020. The Roving Reporter is noticing a lot of maintenance people and housecleaners and aides entering different homes on a regular basis. This is a recipe for disaster, as you have no idea if any of them is the Typhoid Mary of the community, and they are not wearing masks and gloves as they go from home to home and community to community.
|
March 30, 2020:
1. A letter to all Board Members and the Property Manager which went out this afternoon and which is entitled "MARION’S TENURE AS PRESIDENT ENDED ON ELECTION NIGHT" is now posted on the
2. The election results are posted, along with our comments, on the BOD 2020 Elections page.
|
March 29, 2020:
1. Board member Marion Weil responded to Board member Eileen Olitsky's email on the election vote tally matter. The entire email thread to date can be read on the BOD 2020 Elections page.
|
Later, March 28, 2020:
Board Members Eileen Olitsky and Marion Weil separately replied to the email thread concerning the election issues. Your Editor replied to each one separately, with the entire new and old Boards and the Property Manager cc'ed on the emails. The entire thread to date can be read on the BOD 2020 Elections page.
|
Less Than Thirty Minutes Later, March 28, 2020:
Board Member Marion Weil promptly responded to your Editor's email to the new Board, which was greatly appreciated. However, it raised even more questions, which prompted another email from your Editor with additional questons. This email exchange is found on the BOD 2020 Elections page.
|
March 28, 2020:
An e-mail was sent to the new Board of Directors about two troubling issues concerning the BOD elections that just occurred. For the text of that email, please see the BOD 2020 Elections page.
|
Later, March 26, 2020:
The annual election of the Board of Directors occurred this evening. For election results, see the BOD 2020 Elections page. The Editor is currently working on the synopsis and commentary and should have that posted by Friday afternoon or evening. We anticipate that it will be an interesting read.
|
March 26, 2020:
A resident has posted a comment on the Residents' Input Page. The comment can be found on the Message Board: General page. Click on the link to be taken directly to that page.
|
Late at night, March 25, 2020:
Our post on the HOA message board concerning our below further community update on the Coronavirus was removed without explanation. Other posts on the virus remain on the HOA message board. This behavior by the Board in removing posts that contain vital information that directly affects this community is, in the opinion of this news site, reckless.
Additionally, we have seen board members walking around not practicing proper social distancing by even the minimum standards. This directly puts the community at large at further risk.
|
Evening, March 25, 2020:
COVID-19 FURTHER COMMUNITY UPDATE:
Consistent with journalistic standards, this news site strives to obtain at least two independent sources before reporting on a particular story, unless we ourselves are the direct source. With respect to this news report, we are the direct source.
There has been a lot of talk in the community of another COVID-19 positive resident. This talk is occurring among people who are out and about in the community and not observing sufficient social distancing protocols.
Based on our research, upon information and belief, this individual is not COVID-19 positive, and to the contrary, is in excellent health, communicates in a sharp, upbeat, and animated way, speaks at length with obviously full lung capacity, and is practicing the maximum in social distancing. By contrast, others who are spreading this apparently false rumor are not practicing proper social distancing protocols.
This news site believes that a social distance of six feet is only adequate for passing individuals when out in public, but not for actually speaking to others. The spray from speaking, from a sneeze, and/or from a cough travels much farther than six feet. For that reason, this news site recommends a minimum of ten feet for adequate social distancing.
We have been out and about and have repeatedly seen residents who are not following even the six foot standard. This puts those individuals and the entire community at unnecessary further risk for exposure.
|
Later, March 25, 2020:
1. The winner of the April 2020 Resident of the Month Award has been chosen! Can you guess who it is from the clues? Clue #1 is now posted! Click on the link and see if you can figure out who it is!
2. Our post on the HOA message board concerning our below update on the Coronavirus was removed without explanation. We reposted it; it was promptly removed again without explanation.
|
March 25, 2020:
COVID-19 COMMUNITY UPDATE:
On March 19, 2020 at 11:18am, an official email from Cascade Lakes announced via a community-wide email blast the death of Suzanne Jacobs, wife of Earl Hamburger, who lived on Glenville Drive. That email blast stated: “Due to the Coronavirus, the funeral will be private.” No other information concerning the funeral or its date, time, and location, was provided. This was to protect the community and to make sure that no unsuspecting residents who wished to pay their respects would attend the funeral and put themselves at any additional risk by such a social, albeit unfortunate, gathering.
On Monday, March 23, 2020 at 10:27am, the property manager’s office released information on the public funeral of Stanley Zimmerman, who lived on Grove Ridge Lane and who passed away on Sunday, March 22, 2020. This was done with the permission of the family per the protocols in place for such announcements. The date, time, and location of the funeral was listed in that email blast. No cause of death was provided.
Approximately three hours later on March 23, 2020, at 1:41pm, the property manager advised the community that Cascade Lakes “has” its first confirmed case of COVID-19, using the present tense as opposed to the past tense. Marion Weil for the Board of Directors again advised the community via e-mail blast of a confirmed COVID-19 virus in the community later that day at 5:53pm and again used the present tense. She stated in that community-wide email:
“Unfortunately, the Community has a confirmed case of COVID-19. Privacy laws prohibit the disclosure of the individual’s name. No further information can or will be offered. The Health Department has taken charge of this matter, and is working with the family to identify individuals with whom they may have had contact.
To maintain your health, well-being and safety, limit your visitors and vendors to essential parties only. Social interaction is important; however, in-person social interactions increases risk.
Stay safe, stay well.
Marion Weil for the Board of Directors”
No further information has been forthcoming.
Therefore, when the property manager’s office and Marion Weil sent their email blasts to the community at large stating that the community has its first case of the virus, that suggested that there was someone in the community that is currently contagious. That was very misleading, because the individual who had the virus was already deceased by the time those email blasts went out. That individual was in fact the community’s first fatality. That deceased individual was removed from the community on Sunday. So, when those email blasts went out, there was in fact no evidence that there was anyone in the community with an active virus. The email blasts caused unnecessary fear and panic in the community because they led the community into believing that someone is here now with the active virus.
Also, Marion’s email states that the health department “is working with the family to identify individuals with whom they may have had contact.” Note the email references contacts that the family may have had, not the individual with the virus. This is because that individual died on Sunday, March 22, 2020. The family, the property manager, and the President of the Board all permitted a public social gathering in the form of a funeral to unsuspecting members of the community whose only concern was to show the family respect by showing up.
The funeral of Stanley Zimmerman took place on Tuesday, March 24, 2020 at Eternal Light Cemetery at 12:15pm. The only non-family residents who attended out of respect for Irene Zimmerman and based on the community-wide notice of the funeral as stated above, were Les and Thelma Kessler, Neal Cohen, and Vicki and Arthur (your Editor and your roving reporter).
Later in the afternoon and into the evening of March 24, 2020, it became clear to this news site that a number of residents had knowledge of the identity of the resident who was the confirmed case of COVID-19 prior to the scheduled funeral of Stanley Zimmerman. None of them attended the funeral.
Later at night on March 24, 2020, it was confirmed by this news site that the Hadassah friends of Irene Zimmerman were aware of the cause of death of Stanley Zimmerman. None of them attended the funeral.
Why was a community-wide public notice of the funeral sent out by the property manager’s office and the President of the Board, with permission of the family, under the circumstances? Residents had an absolute right to know the circumstances of Stanley’s demise so that they could make an informed decision as to whether or not it was in their best interest to attend the funeral.
The intentional failure to advise the community, coupled with the public release of the funeral information, exposed unsuspecting residents to the exact risk Marion cautioned against in her above email blast, and these residents are either elderly themselves or, in the case of this news site’s Editor and roving reporter, are the chief caregivers to other elderly residents, the Editor’s parents, who live on Grove Ridge Lane, and one of whom is almost 95 years old and who is currently extremely ill for unrelated reasons. This is nothing less than reckless behavior and shows a callous disregard for the health and safety of the members of this community.
|
March 24, 2020:
There is an important letter posted on the Residents' Input Page under both Message Board: General and Message Board: HOA. It is a letter that was sent to all current board members and candidates concerning the selection of officers of the new board.
|
Later, March 17, 2020:
1. There is an additional sitewide policy listed on our Contact Us page under item #4.
2. We are now accepting nominations for the April 2020 Resident of the Month! Email your proposed nominee and reasons to your Editor, Vicki@CascadeLakesResidents.com. Nominators and nominees are confidential. Nomination deadline is Friday, March 20, 2020 at 12:00pm. Good luck to all!
|
March 17, 2020:
Update on Board Meeting Issue Raised By This News Site:
This update concerns the improper closed-door board meeting that the Board was intending to conduct on March 18th. Starting last Friday and through late last night, this news site sent emails to the Board of Directors and an email to the HOA’s attorney; we posted one of these communications and our analysis on this news site below. Due to our relentless efforts, the Board has today for the first time created a mechanism for giving residents access to the first and second residents’ input sessions through the streaming service.
We know this was based solely on our efforts because at no previous time did the Board offer the statutorily required speaking opportunity to those disabled residents who were previously using the livestream feed, and that appears to have been a continuing violation of the Federal Fair Housing Act.
Furthermore, the Board did not give us the courtesy of a response to our specific concern. In view of the fact that our comments were right on target, the fact that the Board chose not to respond to us in any meaningful way, we who are fully engaged residents and co-owners of the HOA corporation, is shameful to say the least. We and all of the residents who were inquiring about this matter were left in the dark for days.
The stress imposed on our elderly residents who were upset about this issue could have been completely avoided had the Board simply sent out an email advising the community that they were working on the issue. Instead they remained silent and allowed the residents to fret through the weekend and Monday, when one of the webmasters of the HOA Message Board actually exacerbated the situation when he confirmed in writing that it was going forward as a closed meeting, writing: “Patricia, the meeting will not be an open meeting…” The Board’s total lack of consideration and downright disregard for the members of the community is inexcusable.
We even received the normal expected bullying from our resident bully (which we posted on our Calling Out Bullies page) based on our simple request for the Board to be transparent and to follow the rules, of which the Board was guilty on both counts of failing these two simple and fundamental obligations.
This news site is therefore even more critical to those individuals who are seeking to purchase homes in a 55+ community. They have a right to know that if they buy into this community, this is the kind of behavior they can expect from a Board which loathes having to comply with the Florida statutes and the HOA’s own governing documents, and which also loathes being accountable to its constituents.
|
March 16, 2020:
The Board closed the clubhouse and all common areas owing to the coronavirus.
1. When exactly did the Board meet to make the decision to close the clubhouse and all common areas? Was there a quorum for this decision? What was the vote? Who was physically present, since no board vote is allowed via email per Florida statute 720.303(2)(a)? Where are the Minutes to this meeting? Not even a minimal notice was emailed to the community. If no board meeting took place, who unilaterally decided to shut down the community and why did other board members permit it without a vote?
2. When did the Board decide that the BOD meeting of March 18, 2020 which will nevertheless be taking place in the clubhouse would be accessible via online streaming only, and that no residents will be allowed in the clubhouse for the board meeting? The streaming was set up to comply with the Board’s Federal FHA requirements of giving access to board meetings to the disabled who are unable to attend the meetings in person. It is not a substitute for a required open board meeting.
3. The Board has not provided for the implementation of the required residents’ input sessions, which is mandatory. On Fri, Mar 13, 2020 at 3:46pm your Editor sent a formal letter to the Board through the e-forms system on the HOA website. It showed “Assigned Ticket QW29473 – submitted.” Here are the contents of that official e-form:
“Request: The March 18, 2020 Board Meeting cannot be exclusively live streamed without residents' participation, which includes the Residents' Input Sessions. If you cannot hold it with residents' participation, then you must postpone it. Florida Statute 720.303(2)(b) states: "(b) Members have the right to attend all meetings of the board. The right to attend such meetings includes the right to speak at such meetings with reference to all designated items. The association may adopt written reasonable rules expanding the right of members to speak and governing the frequency, duration, and other manner of member statements, which rules must be consistent with this paragraph and may include a sign-up sheet for members wishing to speak."
4. At 5:19pm your Editor received the standard generic email from the President: “This will acknowledge receipt of your email to the Board of Directors. Marion Weil for the Board of Directors.” No other communications occurred.
5. This morning, Monday, March 16, 2020 at 10:18am, residents received an email of the board agenda for the board meeting being conducted on Wednesday, March 18, 2020 in the clubhouse without the residents, and yet the resident input sessions are listed on the Agenda.
6. Basically, the Board is treating the upcoming board meeting as an emergency session, but there is nothing on the agenda that meets that requirement. The only purported emergency was to close down all common areas, and the residents were never given any shortened notice of any board meeting for that purpose, if one even occurred.
7. It is the position of this news site that if there is no provision for residents’ speaking as required by the statute, that this upcoming board meeting would be found to be illegal under the statute and anything voted upon by the board would be either void or voidable, especially when it comes to approving contracts, because under the statute the residents have the right to overrule the Board by a floor vote, which the Board is making impossible by prohibiting the residents from entering the building where the board meeting is taking place.
8. For example, what is the emergency of Old Business Item #1, the treadmill, when the fitness center is closed until further notice? The remainder of the items listed do not fall into any type of required emergency vote either, with the possible exception of New Business Item #6 concerning the white fly infestation, but even that has been ongoing for many years and should have been part of the landscaper’s contract prior to its renewal as part of a Schedule A of additional potential but known issues, of which clearly there is no such schedule, and based on this ongoing issue on past agendas, it does not appear to qualify as a true emergency.
9. The only proper remedy here is to postpone the board meeting. This is also true with respect to the upcoming Annual Meeting scheduled for March 26, 2020. Some states have already postponed their Presidential Primaries, so there is a national precedent for postponement. Postpone all non-emergency board meetings, including the Annual Meeting and Elections, until the Board has an emergency meeting with a minimum amount of notice to the residents for the sole purpose of deciding on the reopening the clubhouse and common areas.
|
March 11, 2020:
There is an addendum to the Meet The Candidates report which is now posted on our BOD 2020 Elections page.
|
March 10, 2020:
The Meet The Candidates report is now posted on our BOD 2020 Elections page. It includes our report as well as a full copy of the questionnaire we sent each of the candidates back on Saturday night, March 7, 2020.
|
Much Later, March 8, 2020:
There is an important update on our BOD 2020 Elections page concerning the Cascade Lakes practice of private candidate teas.
|
Later, March 8, 2020:
There is an update on our BOD 2020 Elections page concerning the candidates running for the Board.
|
March 8, 2020:
A resident has posted a comment on the Residents' Input Page. The comment can be found on the Message Board: General page. Click on the link to be taken directly to that page.
|
Later, March 5, 2020:
Drum Circle was a great success and everyone was left wanting more. Thanks to leader Mike and his assistant Phil. Mike taught everyone an African mating beat on the djembe drums that he provided.
|
March 5, 2020:
A resident has posted a comment and question on the Residents' Input Page. The comment, question, and Editor's response can be found on the Message Board: HOA page and the Message Board: General page. Click on the links to be taken directly to either of those pages.
|
February 27, 2020:
1. There is an important addendum to the synopsis of the February 19, 2020 Board Meeting which is now posted on the February 19, 2020 Synopsis page.
|
February 25, 2020:
The slate of candidates for the upcoming 2020 Board of Directors election is out. Three slots are open; five candidates have filed applications. Check out our BOD 2020 Elections page for more information.
|
February 24, 2020:
The winner of the March 2020 Resident of the Month Award has been chosen! Can you guess who it is from the clues? Clue #1 is now posted! Click on the link and see if you can figure out who it is!
|
February 21, 2020:
We are now accepting nominations for the March 2020 Resident of the Month! Email your proposed nominee and reasons to your Editor, Vicki@CascadeLakesResidents.com. Nominators and nominees are confidential. Nomination deadline is Sunday, February 23, 2020 at 12:00pm. Good luck to all!
|
February 13, 2020:
One or more officers of the Pickleball Club decided to create and purchase a tri-folding brochure for circulation to new residents and elsewhere, promoting the Pickleball Club. Your Editor discovered it during a meeting of the Tennis Club when it was shown as an example of a type of promotional material. There was no notice of this to the Pickleball Club membership, no member meeting about it, no club approval of it, and no required membership vote on this expenditure of club money.
|
Later, February 9, 2020:
There is an informative post about the tennis court pavers and awning between courts 4 and 5 on the Message Board: HOA page.
|
February 9, 2020:
The Happy Days Sock Hop Party took place on Saturday evening, February 8, 2020 with The Fabulons providing the evening's entertainment. The Cascade Lakes Entertainment Committee is to be commended for their hard work in presenting this event and for providing gluten free bread and dairy free dessert for members with dietary restrictions. Highlights of the event can be seen below:
|
February 8, 2020:
The February 7, 2020 Blood Drive, led by the tireless efforts of Mimi Spinner, took place in the Arts & Crafts room. Per the property manager, over 30 people donated blood, including our roving reporter, Arthur Andelson.
|
February 2, 2020:
1. Residents have requested more information about your Editor on the Contact Us page. I have obliged.
2. We have also added Website Policies to the Contact Us page.
|
Later, January 30, 2020:
The Cultural Arts Club treated many residents to a mini-concert in the ballroom this evening featuring a clarinet/piano duet. Co-President, Sara Fishkin, introduced Yvegny Dokshansky on the clarinet and Sheng-Yuan Kuan on the piano. The historical breadth of their musical talent was awe inspiring.
|
January 29, 2020:
1. We have a very important post on our Residents' Input Page (posted on both the Message Board: General page and the Message Board: HOA page). It concerns the behavior of our Board of Directors as led by President Marion Weil vis-a-vis their selective discrimination concerning the Terms of Service of the Cascade Lakes Message Board, and the Board's support of mean and hateful posts thereon.
2. We have another related entry on our Calling Out Bullies page.
3. After reviewing the above, we conclude with the following:
Aside from resident Chick Coletta's smear campaign and clear obsession with this website, the more disturbing truth is the Board's obvious glee in their henchman's posts, as led by Board President Marion Weil, the chief webmistress on the Cascade Lakes Message Board.
Let me be very clear here: this website will continue to be the go-to place for our wonderful community, we will continue reporting on news in our community, and we will continue to comment on matters relevant to the community. You will soon be seeing us around the neighborhood in our new hats; look for our white caps with the following purple lettering on the caps:
CascadeLakesResidents.com
t
PRESS
Because we are press, any resident in any capacity is free to contact us and request an "off the record" discussion which is protected by the journalist shield law, which means it cannot be compelled to be revealed. For the loud handful of haters who are reading this, know that your editor has been an official member of RTNA for over 15 years (Radio and Television News Association).
We appreciate the many kind words from many members of our great community as to what we have done with this website, what it offers, what we have contributed from our personal resources, and how much of our heart, time, and energy that we volunteer to maintain it and keep it current.
As of yesterday, our analytics state that we have 1,938 unique visits to our website for January alone [not including late December when we started] (this is not the number of visits or website hits, which are in the many, many thousands, but rather a tally of unique devices accessing the website), and our website has only been active for approximately one month. This number grows daily. This website fills a dire need in this community for truth, transparency, and up to date news.
|
January 28, 2020:
1. Marion Weil, President of the Board of Directors, referenced this website in her comments in the January 2020 News & Views magazine. Clearly Marion recognizes that this website has taken off and is the go-to place for news and information about our community.
|
January 27, 2020:
The winner of the February 2020 Resident of the Month Award has been chosen! Can you guess who it is from the clues? Clue #1 is now posted! Click on the link and see if you can figure out who it is!
|
January 26, 2020:
The Tennis Pro Am this morning was a smashing success! Check out the photos below and all the fun everyone had!
|
January 25, 2020:
Cascade Lakes was well represented at the Boynton Beach Oceanfront Bark Paw-ty this morning! All humans and dogs had a great time! Present were Connie Kosberg, Marty Shack with his dog Sophie, Carol Singer with her dog Dulci, Paula Gerard and Larry Wasserberger with their dog Jessie, and Arthur Andelson and Vicki Roberts, with their dog Yahtzee. Here are some memories:
|
 |
| Arthur, Connie, Carol, Paula, and Larry |
|
|
 |
| Marty, Connie, Carol, Paula, Larry |
|
|
 |
| Connie, Carol |
|
|
 |
| Paula, Larry |
|
|
 |
| Carol |
|
|
 |
| Larry, Marty |
|
|
 |
| Arthur |
|
|
Later, January 24, 2020:
There is a very important entry on our Calling Out Bullies page. We urge the community to read it. It applies to everyone.
|
January 24, 2020:
1. Manny the Macaw has left another rhyming clue as to his whereabouts! This bird likes his poetry! Check it out on the
2. The deadline is today! Today is your last chance to submit nominees for the February 2020 Resident of the Month! Email your proposed nominee and reasons to your friendly webmistress, Vicki@CascadeLakesResidents.com. Nominators and nominees are confidential. Nomination deadline is today at 5:00pm. Good luck!
|
Later, January 23, 2020:
This afternoon we have three new entries on our Calling Out Bullies page. It's been a busy day for them!
|
January 23, 2020:
1. The Synopsis and Commentary for the January 22, 2020 BOD Meeting is posted. Know what went on at Wednesday evening's meeting. See the Synopses and Commentary page.
2. An important post concerning the cost to replace sprinkler heads is posted on the Residents' Input Page under both General and HOA. It is well worth the read.
3. A resident has posted a comment about the streaming service for the BOD meeting last night. Thank you, Patricia Florenco!
4. Another resident has posted a comment on our Resident's Input page; thank you, Alan Lampert!
|
January 20, 2020:
Fiscal responsibility: Entertainment Contracts on the January 22, 2020 BOD Agenda: this item is on the Agenda because of a letter Arthur Andelson wrote to the BOD on January 15, 2020. This issue affects your pocketbook. We urge you to read the letter in its entirety so that you can know how your money is being spent and how the Board can be more fiscally responsible in the future. You can find the letter on our Residents' Input Page under Message Board: HOA and also under Message Board: General.
|
January 19, 2020:
Final game: Your roving reporter is pleased to announce that Cascade Lakes took the fall league tennis men’s championship against Woodfield Country Club of Boca Raton this morning! Congratulations to all!
|
 |
| Bob Bushee, Bob Dingee |
|
|
 |
| Bob Bushee, Bob Dingee |
|
|
 |
| Bob Bushee, Bob Dingee |
|
|
 |
| Bob Bushee, Bob Dingee |
|
|
 |
| Bob Bushee, Bob Dingee, Lee Sinett in background |
|
|
 |
| Bob Bushee |
|
|
 |
| The pressure is on! |
|
|
 |
| Workin' up a sweat! |
|
|
 |
| The crowd is aroar! |
|
|
 |
| Fist bumps apres game! |
|
|
 |
| Fist bumps, part deux |
|
|
 |
| Competitors' pose, Art Tapper, Lee Sinett |
|
|
 |
| Teams pose for group shot |
|
|
 |
| The Fab Four, Alas, No Walrus |
|
|
January 18, 2020:
1. There is a new important post on the Residents' Input Page under Message Board: General; it involves officers of the Pickleball Club but also applies to officers of any Club in our community and is well worth the read.
2. Manny the Macaw has left another rhyming clue! The contest is on and it's getting hot! Check out the latest clue on the Where's Manny page!
|
January 17, 2020:
We are now accepting nominations for the February 2020 Resident of the Month! Email your proposed nominee and reasons to your friendly webmistress, Vicki@CascadeLakesResidents.com. Nominators and nominees are confidential. Nomination deadline is January 24, 2020 at 5:00pm. Good luck to all!
|
Later, January 16, 2020:
Manny the Macaw has flown the coop! Our contest is in full swing! He is in hiding somewhere waiting to be found!
The lucky resident who finds and returns him receives a $10 gift card.
|
January 16, 2020:
There is an important addendum to the synopsis of the January 8, 2020 Board Meeting which is now posted on the January 8, 2020 Synopsis page.
This addendum potentially affects all single and widowed Homeowners. It is also posted under the Residents' Input page under the General as well as the HOA links. The topic is:
Message Board Suspensions are Discriminatory Against Single/Widowed Members
THE HOA ATTORNEY DID NOT WANT THIS DISCUSSED AT THE BOARD MEETING WHEN YOUR WEBMISTRESS RAISED IT AND SHUT HER DOWN. WE HAVE THE TAPE.
|
January 14, 2020:
We welcome two new additions to our pet page, Bentley and Maya, beloved rescues of Dr. Carl and Patricia Florenco. Welcome, Bentley and Maya!
|
January 10, 2020:
We have a new edition to our Calling Out Bullies page. Check out the latest entry into the Hall of Meanness. This individual has no regard for the health and safety of the people in our community.
|
January 10, 2020:
The Pickleball Club's cocktail party was a smashing success! It was overflowing with great people and great food! Here are some of the highlights:
|
 |
| Angelo Ganguzza, Mike Feinberg, Arthur Andelson |
|
|
 |
| Carl Berenholtz |
|
|
 |
| Iris Shapiro |
|
|
 |
| Bob Martufi |
|
|
 |
| Roger Richardson, Chuck Cramer, Donna Moreau |
|
|
 |
| Joyce Golden |
|
|
 |
| Raquel King |
|
|
 |
| Jack Golden |
|
|
 |
| Phil Berman, creator of our Pickleball Paddle and Ball Holders! |
|
|
 |
| Warren Greenberg |
|
|
January 9, 2020:
Helene Poropat has posted something really important on the Resident's Input Page. She asked two interesting questions concerning this website, which we answered, and based on her great comments, we have posted some additional information on the Residents' Input Page for clarification. Thank you, Helene, for making this website better!
|
January 8, 2020:
1. The Synopsis and Commentary for the January 8, 2020 BOD Meeting is posted!
2. We have added another bully entry to our Hall of Meanness; see Calling Out Bullies page for this latest entry.
|
Later, January 7, 2020:
Pickleball this evening: Is this leadership?
Four players play at a time. There are more players than courts available, so paddles are placed in holders and then moved up one by one in groups of fours as courts become available. Next paddles in line play each other. Four paddles came up and three of the four members went on the court to play. The fourth person, the new President of the Pickleball Club, Diane Fiorillo-Green, saw one of the members in this group and shouted, “no way am I playing on this court” and walked off. She refused to play with one of the fully paid club members. Another member took her place.
Shortly thereafter, after all parties had played and the paddles were queued up again, her paddle was behind this same member's paddle because her game ended after his. Nevertheless, she displaced this same member’s paddle in line in the paddle holders and jumped ahead of him so she could play with the other three up for play. She actually picked up this member’s paddle from its holder and moved it back and cut in line in front of him to play before her turn.
Now this may seem petty to some of you, but this is the behavior of the new President of the Pickleball Club against a fully paid member of the club based on a personal vendetta of her own making. So, we have to ask: is this leadership?
|
January 7, 2020:
1. Your webmistress and her husband just returned from the meeting of the Entertainment Committee. One member of the committee told us privately that he was told by another member of the committee not to talk about certain things, including contracts, because we were in the room. Hmmmm.
Then, another member said that he had some concerns about the entertainment contracts. He was told that it was not on the Agenda and then, after the meeting was adjourned, the Committee Chairperson asked that member to meet her in the library for a private discussion.
These are the same contracts, presumably, which were voted on by the Board after they were surreptitiously presented to the Board by the Committee Chairperson and the Board liaison, Board Member Eileen Olitsky. Those contracts were never shown to the Committee and were never voted on by the Committee. The entertainers themselves were never subject to any Committee vote.
2. A resident's comments from January 3, 2020 are now up on the Residents' Input page under that date; thanks, Cheryl Keyes for your great comments about our site!
3. Anonymous just posted a comment this afternoon on the Residents' Input page under today's date about the Board's illegal conduct.
4. A resident in Glenville Pod has posted a message on the Residents' Input Page under today's date entitled "HOA not following state statute."
|
Later, January 6, 2020:
Arthur sent an email to everyone about the upcoming BOD meeting. We received positive responses! Two neighbors contacted Arthur about not wishing to receive any further emails, and we promptly removed them from our mailing list. We know neither of them. So we have two neighbors requesting the exact same thing, and yet they sent dramatically different emails, both in terms of tone and language. Here they are below:
The first one said:
"Arthur, I would appreciate you not emailing me again. I'm not interested in any drama! Kind regards..."
What a nice email - cordial, respectful, and kind. 
The second one said:
"Take me off your mailing list asshole..."
|
January 6, 2020:
1. There is a very important preview concerning the BOD meeting scheduled for January 8, 2020 under the Synopses and Commentary page on this website. The first Agenda item in New Business states:
"Resident appeal for suspension from message board - Marion Weil (2)"
Your friendly webmistress is the subject of this item and intends to respond as stated on the Synopses and Commentary page. This issue applies to everyone in the community who may be illegally suspended or fined, and we highly recommend you read it to know you rights. The Board has no authority under Florida law to conduct any appeal of any suspension and had no authority to impose the suspension as it did.
2. Check out our new page: Calling Out Bullies. We have a zero tolerance policy toward bullying, and we will call it out when we see it. Hopefully one day this new page will no longer be necessary.
3. Another resident, Patricia Florenco, has posted a comment to our Residents' Input Page under General, so make sure to check it out!
|
January 5, 2020:
1. Jack Lippman has posted his take on the resident of the month on the Residents' Input Page under General!
2. Steve Nobel has posted a really good comment with questions on the Residents' Input Page under General. Check it out!
|
January 4, 2020:
Coming Soon!! Contest starts January 15, 2020!!
Manny the Macaw, our beloved Cascade Lakes Mascot, has escaped! Can you find him? The winner who finds and returns him to us (Vicki and Arthur) receives a $10 gift card. He is plastic and measures 4" L x 1.25" W x 1.75" H. We will provide clues as to his whereabouts in the community, so stay tuned and keep checking back to the Where's Manny page! Here is his picture:
|
 |
| Manny The Macaw |
|
|
January 3, 2020:
A resident has posted a question! For the question and the answer, click on the Residents' Input Page above, and then click on Message Board: General.
|
January 1, 2020:
Our January 2020 Resident of the Month is revealed! Did you figure it out from the clues?
|
New Year's Eve: December 31, 2019:
A big shout out to the entire Entertainment Committee for their hard work in putting on a great event! Kudos to all!
|
 |
| Phil and Barbara Berman |
|
|
 |
| Raquel King, Mike Feinberg, Paula Gerard |
|
|
 |
| Roger Richardson and Donna Moreau |
|
|
 |
| Phyllis Martin-Hirsch and Jerry Hirsch |
|
|
 |
| Cheryl Keyes |
|
|
December 31, 2019:
1. Clue #2 is up! Who is the January 2020 Resident of the Month????
2. We welcome another new addition to our pet page, Nigel, wonderful companion of Susan and Bruce Weingarden. Welcome, Nigel!
3. We welcome another new addition to our pet page, Mitzi, beloved daughter of Iris and Leonard Shapiro. Welcome, Mitzi!
|
December 30, 2019:
1. The January 2020 Resident of the Month has been chosen!! Who is it?? Check out the Resident of the Month Page for your first clue!
2. Happy Birthday, Arthur Andelson!
3. Anyone who wishes to have their birthday or anniversary posted in News & Announcements, please contact your friendly webmistress!
|
December 29, 2019:
Hike and Bike Club at Wakodahatchee Wetlands
|
Alan Chates, Harriet Chates, Vicki Roberts, Larry Wasserberger, Lauren Simon, Jeff
Ratner + 2 residents
who posed for the
photo but requested
to be redacted.
| Alan Chates, Harriet Chates, Larry Wasserberger, Arthur Andelson, Lauren Simon, Jeff Ratner + 2 residents who posed for the photo but requested to be redacted.
| Harriet Chates, Lauren Simon, Arthur Andelson, Jeff Ratner, Vicki Roberts, Alan Chates, and Larry Wasserberger.
|
December 28, 2019:
1. Finalists are being assembled for the January 2020 Resident of the Month Award! It's a tough choice because there are so many wonderful and deserving members of our community! Stay tuned, January is around the corner!
2. Another wonderful pet has been added to our pet page! Welcome, Jessie!
3. And another sweet pet has been added to our pet page! Welcome, Dulci!
|
|
