No comment!

Mal Z Lawrence zings Florida and CV WPB! In case you have not already seen him.

A Chuckle

Nervous about Stocks…

As if you needed another reason to be nervous about stocks… It's the Jewish New Year.

There's an old adage on Wall Street that goes, "Sell on Rosh Hashanah and buy on Yom Kippur." The saying highlights the seasonal weakness that typically occurs between those two Jewish holidays. It's similar to the "Sell in May and go away" maxim we hear every year.

Last night marked the start of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. It also kicked off a 10-day period known as the Days of Awe. This is a period of intense reflection for people of Jewish faith, which ends on Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement).

The adage originated many decades ago when it was common practice for Jewish investors to sell their stocks on Rosh Hashanah so they could concentrate on their prayers without the distraction of having to worry about the stock market. They would then buy back their positions after Yom Kippur – when they could concentrate on the stock market again.

Nowadays, any weakness in the stock market during this time is likely more a matter of coincidence than it is the result of millions of Jewish investors dumping their portfolio holdings. But stocks still tend to decline during this period.

from Jeff Clark

BIKE-TRIKE CLUB 0F CENTURY VILLAGE RIDES AGAIN - A BLAST FROM THE PAST

Hi all,
Have you heard of this Club? I had not, but in the process of digitizing UCO Records, we have found an old scrap book.

It contains a slice of CV early history, from 1972 -1976. There are News articles, and photographs which may be of interest to our Villagers.

The scanned data may be accessed at the following URL:

http://goo.gl/DsstN

The file contains 234 pages, so don't be in a hurry, give it time to download.

If you receive a message that GOOGLE can not scan for viruses, fear not, your Firewall and Anti-virus will indeed scan the file prior to opening it.

If you recognize anyone, let us know in the comment stream..

Dave Israel

CV Entrance Art

Palmieri's on 45th Street has a Going Out of Business SALE. It has a large property full of art, good to walk around. There are items that would perk up our CV Entrances, the terra cotta pots are lovely too but I know some people do not understand empty pots!
The ribbon guy is already sold, too bad, he is pointing the way to the Centurion Lunch! I know, I know!

Water Sports

Bocce birds, Water petanque, Water shuffle.
Click on if you want larger photos.

LOCAL COUNTY LANDSCAPING - YOUR OPINION IS SOUGHT

Hello,

I would like to personally invite you and other community leaders to join me at a very important meeting at 7:00 P.M. on Monday, September 26th at the Vista Center (2300 Jog Road) to discuss the

 landscaping of the Okeechobee Boulevard medians.

-

Please invite the presidents of your HOA or POA to join us.

-

I hope you will attend; I need your assistance to ensure that the landscaping project does not fall victim to budget cuts or politics.

-

Regards,

-

Paulette Burdick

-

County Commissioner

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District Two
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UCO REPORTER - OCTOBER 2011 - LIVE IN CYBERSPACE

Hi all,
Thanks to the UCO Reporter Team the October edition of the paper is now live in Cyberspace.

Follow this link:     http://goo.gl/YhihY

As usual, you may access the Reporter via the link in the sidebar.

Dave Israel

MAIN LIBRARY GRAND RE-OPENING

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The Palm Beach County Board of County Commissioners and the Palm Beach County Library System

cordially invite you to attend the

Main Library Grand Reopening Celebration and Ribbon Cutting Ceremony

Saturday, September 24th, 9:30 am

3650 Summit Boulevard

561-233-2600

Refreshments will be served.

The celebration continues throughout the day with

entertainment and activities for the whole family.

Regards,

Paulette Burdick

County Commissioner

District Two

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Dave Israel

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SELECTIVE ENFORCEMENT

Hi all,
A unit owner, not yet a BLOG member, has sent along the following question:
................................................................
"I live in an Association that has a "no pet" policy. A small dog has been living full time in one of the units of our Association since 2006. Other units have dogs that visit or stay for a while. Therefore, I was sure I lived in a pet friendly association. Now, I have a purchaser for my unit and when I asked for permission for them to bring their small dog, I was told by the President, verbally and in writing, that no, they couldn't bring a dog. I would like to know if there is any recourse that I can pursue. It seems to me that this is discrimmination and unfair enforcement of the no pet policy given one dog has been a permanent resident for several years (it is not a service animal) and other dogs visit regularly.


Perhaps you would be kind enough to comment yourself?
Thanks,
A unit owner
...............................................................................
Ok, I will comment, but first "I am not an Attorney" and the following is not legal advice.

The facts as you present them suggests that you might raise a "Selective Enforcement" claim. Many such cases have been arbitrated and also gone to Court in Florida. By Selective Enforcement, I obviously mean that "if the Association allows another unit owner/owners to have pets, they should also allow you the same right"!

Make sure you have read and understand your Association Documents on the issue of pets.
Start with a certified letter, stating the issues and send it to the President of the Association. Stick to demonstrable facts and demand redress. If you get no satisfaction, engage an Attorney.

If Selective Enforcement is found by an Arbitrator or Court, you may get your pet.

In the interim, a bit of research might be helpful, consider reading the following to start:

1) http://www.ccfjedu.net/courtdecFLgovdoc.html

2) http://www.ccfj.net/courtdecFLselectenf.html

These are two significant Selective Enforcement cases, there are many others.
Dave Israel

NOTICE OF MEETING - BID COMMITTEE

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NOTICE OF MEETING

BID COMMITTEE MEETING

THURSDAY

SEPTEMBER 22, 2011

9:00AM

UCO OFFICE

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MAINTENANCE COMPANIES AT CV

How many maintenance companies are there working here at CV. We are not very
happy with the company we now have and would like to hear from other Associations
how they feel that whomever they have are they very satisfied and would they recommend
them.

TIA

GOLF COURSE DEVELOPMENT

From: Stop Mizner stopmiznertraildevelopment@hotmail.co

To: p93084@aol.com

Sent: Saturday, September 17, 2011 9:09 AM

Subject: SCAMD - Protect Your Home - Attend The Sept 26th County Vote.

In 2005, we went to a BDMIA (Boca Del Mar Improvement Association) monthly board meeting because we heard they wanted to build on the golf course.We were told at that meeting, we were too late, its a "Done Deal. Six years later... and we are still fighting.

SAVE OUR OPEN SPACE

STOP SIEMENS FROM BUILDING ON MIZNER TRAIL

 

Attend the Board of County Commissioners Hearing & Final Vote:

 

Monday September 26, 2011

9:30 A.M.

Government Center

301 North Olive Avenue, 6th Floor

West Palm Beach, FL 33401

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When you go fill out a white comment card and indicate you oppose the application

If you do not want to speak you indicate that on the card

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But they are counting the cards and we MUST overflow the hearing

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Take off from work, carpool, organize your neighbors. If you want your opinion to be counted or heard show up.

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(Siemens Hires Buses & Gives Out FREE lunch to get people to attend)

Protect Your Neighborhood From:

 

URBAN SPRAWL

LOSS OF PROPERTY VALUES

MORE ROAD CONGESTION

LOSS OF VIEWS

DEVELOPMENT RUN-A-MUCK

LOSS OF OPEN SPACE

CONTROLLED BURNS?

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(According to P.B. County Zoning Commissioner Joanne Davis Wildflowers MUST be burned every four years)

Tell the County Commissioners

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Protect ALL 143 Acres Promised As Open Space in Our 1971 Master Plan

Do Not Break the County's 40 Year Promise to Homeowners

Do Not Sell Us Out To Land Speculators Who Are Flipping the Property

No Government Bailout for Golf Course Owners’ Poor Business Decision

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291 New Townhouses Competing With Our Used Resales Will Drive Our Prices Down

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Developer Has No Right To Build Unless The County Gives Him That Right

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There Are Other Solutions They Just Aren’t As Lucrative For the Owner

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Its NOT about wildflowers, the viability of golf, or jobs, its about a $100,000,000.00 project for Siemens

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And they have been lousy neighbors and should clean this mess up NOW no matter what happens!

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Email the P.B. County Commissioners

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sabrams@pbcgov.org

 kmarcus@pbcgov.org

 pburdick@pbcgov.org

svana@pbcgov.org

baaronso@pbcgov.org

 jsantama@pbcgov.org

 ptaylor@pbcgov.org

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DONATE TO OUR LEGAL DEFENSE FUND

(Final Push For The Finish)

-

To Donate Go To Our Website - click DONATE

http://www.stopmiznertraildevelopment.org/

Or make out a check to:

Second Coalition Against Mizner Dev. Inc

P.O. 810831 Boca Raton, FL 33481

We Are S.C.A.M.D.

Second Coalition Against Mizner Development

And we approve this message.

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Careless / Reckless Drivers

Another Florida Live Oak isn't.
Actually my question is a little different. Yesterday I saw a man in golf cart zipping along between buildings on the grass and garden area. He drove (bouncing) between Sussex L and M, across Northampton Street, and then across grass between A and B (private property). He may think safer or taking short cut on grass, but we have serious dips and high roots. What could he do to our insurance if he crashes!?

Letter to Editor

Did anyone else read the letter to the editor item from someone claiming "racism" in CV - today's paper- from a disgruntled would be renter? As CV visually appears to be a diverse community - could we wonder if there was some other reason for non-approval? Assuming nothing. Just don't like our village to be the subject of what may be incorrect info on the part of the writer.

We Feel Pretty

Sussex today.

Enigma for Sale

Don't tell Dave! It's an attractive item to enthusiasts of early science, mathematics, history and computing instruments.  "If the receiving Enigma was attuned to the same settings -- one of a possible 158 million million million combinations -- the encrypted message would then be automatically decoded."

http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/europe/09/16/enigma.machine.auction/index.html?eref=mrss_igoogle_cnn

THIRD NAIL PROJECT

Hi all,
There have been many questions about an initiative developed by the Insurance Committee. The project will harden the roof of our two story buildings against wind damages; and may result in a reduction in Insurance premiums for both Homeowners and Association Insurance. Following is a report by VP Dom Guarnagia explaining this project:

Dave Israel
.................................................................................................

New Scam

SCENE 1.
A friend went to the local gym and placed his belongings in the locker. After the workout and a shower, he came out, saw the locker open, and thought to himself, 'Funny, I thought I locked the locker... Hmm, 'He dressed and just flipped the wallet to make sure all was in order. Everything looked okay - all cards were in place... A few weeks later his credit card bill came - a whooping bill of $14,000! He called the credit card company and started yelling at them, saying that he did not make the transactions. Customer care personnel verified that there was no mistake in the system and asked if his card had been stolen... 'No,' he said, but then took out his wallet, pulled out the credit card, and yep - you guessed it - a switch had been made. An expired similar credit card from the same bank was in the wallet. The thief broke into his locker at the gym and switched cards. Verdict:The credit card issuer said since he did not report the card missing earlier, he would have to pay the amount owed to them. How much did he have to pay for items he did not buy?
$9,000! Why were there no calls made to verify the amount swiped? Small amounts rarely trigger a 'warning bell' with some credit card companies. It just so happens that all the small amounts added up to big one! ============================
SCENE 2.
A man at a local restaurant paid for his meal with his credit card. The bill for the meal came, he signed it and the waitress folded the receipt and passed the credit card along. Usually, he would just take it and place it in his wallet or pocket. Funny enough, though, he actually took a look at the card and, lo and behold, it was the expired card of another person. He called the waitress and she looked perplexed. She took it back, apologized, and hurried back to the counter under the watchful eye of the man. All the waitress did while walking to the counter was wave the wrong expired card to the counter cashier, and the counter cashier immediately looked down and took out the real card. No exchange of words --- nothing! She took it and came back to the man with an apology..
Verdict: Make sure the credit cards in your wallet are yours. Check the name on the card every time you sign for something and/or the card is taken away for even a short period of time. Many people just take back the credit card without even looking at it, 'assuming' that it has to be theirs. FOR YOUR OWN SAKE, DEVELOP THE HABIT OF CHECKING YOUR CREDIT CARD EACH TIME IT IS RETURNED TO YOU AFTER A TRANSACTION! ==========================
SCENE 3:
Yesterday I went into a pizza restaurant to pick up an order that I had called in. I paid by using my Visa Check Card which, of course, is linked directly to my checking Account. The young man behind the counter took my card, swiped it, then laid it on the counter as he waited for the approval, which is pretty standard procedure. While he waited, he picked up his cell phone and started dialling. I noticed the phone because it is the same model I have, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Then I heard a click that sounded like my phone sounds when I take a picture. He then gave me back my card but kept the phone in his hand as if he was still pressing buttons. Meanwhile, I'm thinking: I wonder what he is taking a picture of, oblivious to what was really going on. It then dawned on me: the only thing there was my credit card, so now I'm paying close attention to what he is doing.. He set his phone on the counter, leaving it open. About five seconds later, I heard the chime that tells you that the picture has been saved. Now I'm standing there struggling with the fact that this boy just took a picture of my credit card. Yes, he played it off well, because had we not had the same kind of phone, I probably would never have known what happened. Needless to say, I immediately cancelled that card as I was walking out of the pizza parlour. All I am saying is, be aware of your surroundings at all times. Whenever you are using your credit card take caution and don't be careless. Notice who is standing near you and what they are doing when you use your card. Be aware of phones, because many have a camera phone these days.
FORWARD THIS TO AS MANY PEOPLE AS YOU CAN THINK OF. LET'S GET THE WORD OUT! JUST BE AWARE
Never let your card out of yoursight....
check and check again!

SALON 27 NOW KNOWN AS SALON ANDROS

Salon 27, formerly located at the NW corner of Haverhill & Okeechobee, has re located to the Andros Shopping Center,
on the NW side of Okeechobee, just a few steps away from Publix.
They have as well changed their name to "Salon Andros"..their
phone number remains the same, as does their warm friendly staff...

Food Truck Frenzy

In the Publix shopping centre on Community Drive. Parking lot packed to capacity. About 50 different food trucks selling all kinds of foods. Mexican, Caribbean, Indian, Hamburgers, Italian, Pizza, made on the back of a converted fire truck, subs, hot dogs, ribs, delicious looking desserts, ices, cupcakes, smoothies and coffee. I am sure that I left out a few others. What did I eat? Pizza. How exciting. The line wasn't as long as some of the others and I was very hungry. Did I have one of the many desserts, no, but I wanted to.

Third Nail Project

What is the "Third nail project?"

There go our dwarf oleanders

The oleander caterpillar, a bright orange caterpillar with tufts of long black hairs, is a common sight on oleanders in Florida, especially on my dwarf oleanders. In southern regions of Florida the oleander caterpillar can cause considerable defoliation.
Birds are often great predators of caterpillar pests in the landscape. However, because of the poisonous diet of the oleander caterpillar, birds and small mammals do not feed on this abundant resource. It is a “stinging” or irritating caterpillar do not touch without gloves. I glove picked the photo caterpillars.
“The Roman historian, Pliny the Elder was convinced that leading a bare-breasted virgin around a hedge 3 times would force caterpillars to fall to the ground”. (Really http://www.stephentvedten.com/22_Caterpillars.pdf ).

Central A/C Maintenance

I think the A/C tuneup special, p18A in today's Post is worth a mention because it is the best price I have seen (other than DIY). They have 19-point inspection for $19 which also includes: Clean evaporator drain line, remove all sludge and debris, vacuum drain pan, add algae tablets.

For all villagers who have been avoiding maintenance of their central A/C – You Need This Every Year - I know from painful Assoc. experience.

To Bid or Not to Bid When and Where is the Question

Do we have a conclave of clairvoyants in Century Village or are residents expected to use some form of telepathy to know when the Bid Committee intends to meet?
Yet again, the lengthy list of UCO monthly meetings is minus notification of the Bid Committee, so would someone please tell me how residents can possibly attend to witness all the astonishing work this committee allege to have accomplished.

As we know Bid Committee Overseer, VP Frank Cornish, believes in calling a spade a blooming shovel.
With exquisite lack of sensitivity in the May issue of the UCO Reporter, he publicly castigated UCO President David Israel for failing to advise him of a meeting and I quote : “On March 30, 2011, an Operations Meeting was cancelled and rescheduled for the afternoon . I had to read about it on the blog. Why was I not notified that the meeting was rescheduled, even though I was in my office until 11-30 am. The office has my phone numbers. This is unacceptable behaviour.”
Frank mounts his 'Why wasn't I told' soap box again in his July Column.: “The first time I heard about the closing of OUR Clubhouse was at the May 31 st Operations meeting. It was decided at a closed meeting of the Operations on March 30 which I was not notified of.”

Apart from the legal implications, is it not more than a little hypocritical to complain when the deed is done to you while continuing to inflict it on others?
Also, jumping on the campaign of double standards, Bid Committee Member, Toni Salometo, claims the committee does not meet in secret. “They do in fact meet in the UCO Conference room”, she explained, and “hold open discussions”. Highly commendable you might think if only any of us knew when these open discussions are going to take place.
I would hate to deprive Reporter readers the pleasure of the literary gems of response both these Bid Committee members have in store, other than to say Frank Cornish concluded his by saying if the Reporter had any questions he would be pleased to answer them.
We did and he didn't.

CLUBHOUSE RE-OPENING - HOW TO FIND THE FACTS

Hi all,
Much ado about the clubhouse, "words are spreading  like wildfire", "it has been heard at the pool, on the buses" As always, these are not where facts are found!

The upgrades to the Switchgear are major and pervasive to the electrical control system in the main Clubhouse. As always in such cases, it all comes down to Permits, Punch  lists and Inspections; and, oh yes RESEARCH.

So, where might such Information be found? The place to start is the Palm Beach County, Planning, Zoning and Building web site: 

 http://www.pbcgov.com/pzb/permit/

The principal things to know are the owner of the property = Benenson Capital, The Contractors = Bluewater Construction and Proton Electric. and finally of course the Permit numbers = E-2011- 012776-0000 and E-2011-007222-0001.

All of these things to be found on the PZB Site!

Finally, the process was modulated by a little matter of hurricane Irene which widely dispersed FPL troops.
Following are images of the inspection reports:

As you can see, with a bit of study, we are close; and hopefully with a bit of luck the 15th. is on target.

-

Take that to the pools and buses!

-

Dave Israel

CLUBHOUSE OPENING DATE

Words have been spreading around that the Clubhouse was going to reopen on Sept. 15th.
Today words are spreading like wildfire that it is not going to reopen on Sept. 15th that there
is another delay. W.P.R.F. has been collecting our maintenance fee even though our
recreational activities like movies, shows, playing cards in the large card room, etc. that we
the unit owners have not been able to partake in
we still have to pay W.P.R.F. WHY!!!

We the unit owners would like an answer as to why the delays and pleading for someone
to tell us the truth about our Clubhouse and want to know the correct date as to when
the Clubhouse will be reopened for us to enjoy.

A New Perspective of Looking at the US Debt

Why Standard & Poor downgraded the US credit rating:

1- U.S. tax revenue: $2,170,000,000,000.
2- Federal Budget: $3,820,000,000,000.
3- New debt: $1,650,000,000,000.
4- National debt: $14,271,000,000,000.
5- Recent budget cuts: $38,500,000,000.

Now, let's remove 8 zeros and pretend it's a household budget:

1- Annual family income: $21,700.
2- Money the family spent: $38,200.
3- New debt on credit cards: $16,500.
4- Outstanding balance on credit cards: $142,710.
5- Recent budget cuts: $385.

The above example certainly puts the U.S. debt into perspective, doesn't it?

Happy Grandparents Day

Remember how they, or you, looked then. 

I have always been a costumes fan so good excuse to post. 

OMG there are Bay City Roller outfits!

PBSO CRIME ALERT

United Civic Organization:

*****PBSO Crime Alert*****
Remembering 9/11

Statement by Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano Urging Public Vigilance

http://goo.gl/zdBoz


September 9 - "As we head into the 9/11 anniversary weekend, we continue to urge the American public to be vigilant and report any suspicious activity to law enforcement authorities. Simply put, if you see something, say something. We take all threat reporting, including the recent specific, credible but unconfirmed threat information, seriously. We continue to be in close contact with our federal, state and local law enforcement partners to ensure that all steps necessary to mitigate any threats are taken. Our security posture includes a number of measures both seen and unseen and we will continue to respond appropriately to protect the American people from an evolving threat picture both in the coming days and beyond. Homeland security is a shared responsibility, and everyone plays an important role in helping to keep our communities safe and secure."
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Remember:
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Stay Alert
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Report Any Suspicious Activity to Law Enforcement
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Trust Your Instincts – If It Doesn’t Seem Right It Probably Isn’t!
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Call 911 for anything happening right now!
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Call 561-688-3400 for delayed events but you still want it reported
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Eating Fish From Canals?

Hello!
I see a few people fishing in the canals.  While I can't say that many are eating them, I know the married couple that cleans my condo apartment eats them quite often.  Personally, I wouldn't touch them with a ten-foot fishing pole!  Sushi and Gefilte Fish are a safer bet for me.  As an aside,  I think the Asian Buffet in Crosstown Plaza is quite good and an especially great value for lunch.  (They do not serve our fish!)
Be well,
- Jeff.

UCO OPEN MEETINGS SCHEDULE - LIVE IN CYBERSPACE

Hi all,
Follow the link for UCO Open meetings scheduled for September and October, 2011

http://goo.gl/omcIU

Some adjustments may occur depending on Clubhouse re-opening.

You may also access the schedules from the sidebar link.

Dave Israel
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Vitas

Oops! missed grandparent celebration. Our Vitas facility in the Medical Bldg has other interesting events.

Fw: The Unstoppable Virus

I thought you would want to know about this e-mail virus. Even the most advanced programs from Norton or McAfee cannot take care of this one. It appears to affect those who were born prior to 1949 ...

Symptoms:

1.. Causes you to send the same e-mail twice. (Done that!)

2. Causes you to send a blank e-mail ! (That too!)

3. Causes you to send an e-mail to the wrong person. (Who me!)

4. Causes you to send it back to the person who sent it to you. (Ah-ha!)

5. Causes you to forget to attach the attachment. (Arrgh!)

6. Causes you to hit "SEND" before you've finished. (Oh, no not again!)

7. Causes you to hit "DELETE" instead of "SEND". (Hate that!)

8. Causes you to hit "SEND" when you should "DELETE." (Oh No!)

IT IS CALLED THE "C-NILE VIRUS."

Hmmm.....have I sent this to you already, or did you just send it to me?

PBCWUD Chlorine

Palm Beach County Water Utilities Department

to Flush Lines with Chlorine Starting August 23 to September 23. Criminy, we can tell!

http://www.pbcgov.com/waterutilities/pdf/ClFl2011.pdf see how to dissipate fumes.

If you were caught in the shower covered in soap when the water was turned off last Saturday 7 am be reassured a fire hydrant was being replaced, we do not have a boil water notice.

http://www.pbcgov.com/waterutilities/

The Mayor is Back

Good to see Marvin receiving accolades at his reappearance at the Camden Pool celebration. Soon the Poolers will be back at the Clubhouse Resident Pool and all will be right with their world. 'Til Sept 15^thJ

Take a Friend to Breakfast

From September 6-10, participating Chick-fil-A restaurants are giving away your choice of free breakfast entrees if you reserve it online. Okee and Tpk is participating.

http://chick-fil-aforbreakfast.com/Start

Some people are Chick-fil-A fans … 4005 reservations remaining.

DELEGATE ASSEMBLY - SEPTEMBER 2, 2011 LIVE IN CYBERSPACE

Hi all,
Thanks to our Channel 63 team the Delegate Assembly video is now live in Cyberspace, just follow the link:

http://goo.gl/RbFD7

The Delegate Assembly video may also be accessed via the link in the sidebar.

Dave Israel

Gator Gate

See photo below - Alligators can swim up the canal south of us, walk up the bank around the weir, swim under the barbed wire and Hello CV. 

I suppose alligators can also visit us by land but this looks the most likely connection.

LEVEL OF CV LAKES APPROACHES TOP OF WEIR

Hi all,
Something we have not seen for about one year, local rains have filled our lakes, canals and lagoons to near overflow of the weir (dam).
-
The photograph above is taken by Elaine who reports that the water level is about four inches from overflow. Considering the approximately 64 acres of water surface in CV, another 6.8 million gallons will cause the water to overspill into the Lake Worth Drainage District Canal. This will probably occur imminently.
-
Dave Israel
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MIZNER TRAIL DECISION BODES WELL FOR CV GREENSPACE

Hi all,
The following article from the Sun Sentinel, was sent by Peter Cruise.
Thanks Peter,
Dave Israel,
................................................................................................................

sun-sentinel.com/news/palm-beach/west-boca/fl-mizner-trail-zoning-hearing-20110902,0,3798574.story

South Florida Sun-Sentinel.com
Palm Beach County Zoning Commission denies Mizner Trail development proposal


By Rebekah Monson, Sun Sentinel


September 2, 2011
The county Zoning Commission on Thursday voted down a controversial plan to build 291 homes and townhomes on the former Mizner Trail golf course in Boca Del Mar, west of Boca Raton.

The commission voted 4-3 to deny the request from Siemens Group to re-designate the course for residential development.

"The biggest issue is competing property rights," Commissioner Bill Anderson said. "We should be protecting the property rights of the people who bought around this property."


Commissioners Robert Currie, Sam Caliendo and Mark Beatty supported the proposal. Commissioner Sheri Scarborough abstained due to a conflict of interest.


More than 100 people weighed in during the hearing, that lasted more than seven hours; 78 people submitted comment cards opposing the project, while 28 supported it.


Opponents say it violates Boca Del Mar's master plan, which designates the course as open space.


"A master plan was thought up that designated the open space as the heart of this community," said Mike Kaplan, a resident of the Woodbriar, which abuts the course.
Anderson said that Siemens Group was asking the commission to "magically convert" the land to be eligible for development to increase its value.

Other commissioners refuted opponents, pointing to a deed restriction that limits the land to golf course use until 2012.


"This is clearly a case of 'Buyer, beware,'" Commissioner Same Caliendo said. "It's quite evident that [the golf course] was coming to an end."


Several commissioners applauded recent revisions to the plan, but the smaller number of homes and improved plan for open space wasn't enough to sway the vote.
"I think you've gotten close," Chairwoman Sherry Hyman said before casting the deciding vote to deny the plan. "I'm not sure I'm totally comfortable at this point."


Hyman said county commissioners would have to determine whether the modifications were adequate, but she thinks the development will end up back in court.
In 2006, a judge rejected a different plan to develop the Mizner Trail site.


"I'm not sure what we do here today is totally important," she said. "I don't know what, ultimately, a court is going to decide."


The proposal will next appear before the County Commission on Sept. 27.


rsmonson@tribune.com or 561-243-6624
Copyright © 2011, South Florida Sun-Sentinel
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CONGRATULATIONS DOM, Our Newest Vice President

How lucky is this village to get a person like you. One which gives his time for Maintenance, Bid Committe and any other way he can help this village. Iwant to thank the officers, Exec Board and the Delegates...For making such a wise decision. Congrats...Barbara

PBSO CRIME ALERT

United Civic Organization:

                 *****PBSO CRIME ALERT*****

On Monday August 15, 2011 at approximately 2:05 a.m. a black male and white male are observed on video, at 2550 Okeechobee Blvd. in West Palm Beach, in Spencer Square.  The white male is seen cutting the copper lines on the A/C compressors in the rear of the plaza. All the copper lines on the A/C compressors were cut. No coils were stolen, approximately $10,000 (In damages) was caused as a result of the crimes.

The subjects are seen entering into the plaza on foot from the south side of the dividing wall. No vehicle is seen. The white male appears to be a heavy set subject with a full head of thick hair. 

If you have any leads on the suspects please contact me.

Detective Michael Antinoro

561-776-2113

 email antinorom@pbso.org

Thank you
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Billboards

Did you say the Village needs promoting, think billboards!
or do you prefer restrained and classic?

NEW CV BUS LOGO CONTEST

Hi all,
Today we signed our new Transportation contract, and manufacture of our new buses will commence soon.
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The bus, will be all white, a veritable tabula rasa.
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 That's where you come in! this post launches the UCO "design our new bus graphics package competition".

Time is of the essence, and the rules are simple:

1) The logo graphics must be "appropriate" and CV-centric. (Related to and representative of Century Village, West Palm Beach)

2) The graphics may include text and picture.

3) The graphics package may be hand drawn or computer designed.

Please submit your work to UCO by COB 15 September, 2011

Questions in the comment stream please, get involved!

Thanks,
Dave Israel

MATURE DRIVER COURSE

Does anyone know if the Mature Driver Course will be offered again at the Clubhouse, and if so, when? I took it in early August 2008, and my certificate has expired insofar as giving me a discount on my car insurance. I'm told I could save $60 per year (or maybe half-year, not sure) by taking it again. Is there a charge to take the course at the Clubhouse? I've forgotten. I know I can take it online, and pay $14-something. I may do that. The charge isn't the point—I liked the 3-hour class at the Clubhouse with an instructor and discussion time.