UCO REPORTER - APRIL 2017 - LIVE IN CYBERSPACE

UCO Operations 2017, UCO Reporter, April, 2017 Edition, March 31, 2017 by ucopresident on Scribd

UCO OPERATIONS COMMITTEE - MARCH 28, 2017 - LIVE IN CYBERSPACE

UCO OPERATIONS COMMITTEE MEETING - MARCH 28, 2017 - LIVE IN CYBERSPACE from David B. Israel on Vimeo.
Dave Israel

BROADBAND AND CABLE - COMCAST AND ATLANTIC BROADBAND - MARCH 29, 2017 - LIVE IN CYBERSPACE

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Dave Israel

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UCO OPEN MEETINGS - APRIL 2017

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SUBJECT TO REVISION

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Dave Israel

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BOARD CERTIFICATION CLASS SCHEDULED - SIGN UP AT UCO OR THE CLUBHOUSE

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Dave Israel

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NOTICE OF MEMORIAL SERVICE - UCO TREASURER - HOWARD O'BRIEN

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Dave Israel

EXECUTIVE BOARD RESCHEDULED TO CORRECT DATE

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Dave Israel

Alzheimer Walk April 1

April 1st, 2017

Sorry if I wasn't clear. The march on April 1st will start at 9AM in the Clubhouse party room,
first some breakfast, then a march around the periphery and back to the party room for an Open mike.
All are welcome. 
Century Villagers cannot sit idly by and watch everything we have fought for for 50 years  
disappear See the listing in the post before this one.
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CV DEMOCRATIC CLUB TO MARCH ON APRIL 1, 2017

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The Democratic club of Century Village and neighbors are having a march on April 1st. to continue to demand from the President and Congress the following:

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Protection of Social Security benefits

Medicare and Medicaid benefits

Equal pay for Equal Work

Support of Public Schools

Fair Immigration policies

Fair voting practices  

Right of Choice

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The following is the announcement we'd appreciate if you would send out.

All are invited to attend and participate.

to be able to get into Century Village:

get in touch with  Connie..ruthconnie@aol.com

Thank you,Ruthie

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Dave Israel

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OFFICERS COMMITTEE MEETING - MARCH 23, 2017 - LIVE IN CYBERSPACE

YOU ARE INVITED TO A COMMUNITY CONVERSATION WITH CONGRESSMAN BRIAN MAST

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Dave Israel

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HB653 update

We watched the Florida House of Representatives on http://www.myfloridahouse.gov/Sections/Bills/billsdetail.aspx?BillId=57517&SessionId=83
and the HB653 changes to Florida Statutes 718. Pretty interesting stuff.
The main reason I watched was because of the retrofitting question. Whether we in the village need to worry about it, especially because some in my association were concerned about opting out.
From what I have seen and read, it is not a concern here. It is for condos 75 ft and above. I don't believe there are any buildings here that meet that criteria.

NOTICE OF PASSING - UCO TREASURER - HOWARD O'BRIEN

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It is with great sadness and regret that we note the passing of UCO Treasurer Howard O'Brien.

His intelligence and humor will be greatly missed in UCO, and his service to our Community will be long remembered.

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Dave Israel

President

United Civic Organization

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BE A CERT - BE READY FOR VILLAGE EMERGENCY ACTION - GET TRAINED

Upcoming CERT OCC Meeting

*G-317 CERT Basic Courses*   Open Registration For CERT Basic https://www.eventbrite.com/e/palm-beach-county-basic-cert-class-april-8th-registration-33004482295 Please noticed the updated location for this course. Thank you !

Our mailing address is: 20 S Military Trail West Palm Beach, FL 33415 Michael Merrell mmerrell@pbcgov.org 561-712-6337

You are at Peace now Howard..

Deepest and Heartfelt Sympathy to Dennis and the O,Brien Family.
Genuinely a great loss to our community.

Frank & Barbara

BID COMMITTEE MEETING - MARCH 16, 2017 - LIVE IN CYBERSPACE

WHAT IS THE NOMINATION COMMITTEE - AN INTERVIEW WITH THE CHAIR - LIVE IN CYBERSPACE

NOMINATIONS COMMITTEE MEETING - MARCH 15, 2017 - LIVE IN CYBERSPACE

SONGS OF WAR & REMEMBRANCE and THE HONOR FLIGHT

- HERE IS A SAMPLE, DON'T MISS THIS SHOW

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Dave Israel

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CHANNEL 63 AND 95 MEETING - MARCH 14, 2017 - LIVE IN CYBERSPACE

INSURANCE FLASH-DRIVE IS READY

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Hi all,

Did you elect to have your Association Insurance policies on a Flash-drive?

Well, the Flash-drives have arrived, and may be picked up at UCO.

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Dave Israel

 



CONGRATULATIONS TO THOSE WHO TOOK THE OATH TODAY

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THAT TOOK THE OATH OF OFFICE TODAY!

I hope you will all do the best you can for our village.....

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BOARD CERTIFICATION CLASS BEING SCHEDULED - SIGN UP IF INTERESTED

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Dave Israel

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A Review...You missed out.

WE went to the show last... Golda's Balcony.  I knew it would be a play of course, Bella thought it might be a comedy, I wasn't sure, comedy, drama, musical, who knows? The opening was delayed for a couple minutes but seemed like an eternity.
The sound finally comes up and out on stage comes Golda, portrayed by Francine. An actress that I never heard of before, but has a very long and impressive resume of past performances, Gypsy, Hello Dolly, Fiddler on the Roof, Bus Stop, Mame, Driving Miss Daisy just to name a few of the dozens more.
The award winning Producer/Director Jay Kholos also has quite a list of past productions. Writer of the book, words and music of A Stoop on Orchard Street, directed musicals, My Catskills Summer and The Book Of Esther and others.
When Golda comes on stage, we are treated to a one woman show. She takes you back, as a young 4 year old girl in Czarist Russia, leaving the persecution behind and going to America.
Her parents struggle to get by in Milwaukee, and as a 15 year old, She leaves home to live with her sister in Denver and go to High School.
She learns of Socialism, Zionism and meets the man she will eventually marry in 1917.
In 1921, they go to Palestine and live in a Kibbutz. She tells of the inner struggle between her love of her family and their personal sacrifice for Goldas love of Israel.
The rest of the story tells of Golda going from working in a kitchen in the Kibbutz to becoming the Prime Minister of Israel and dealing with the Yom Kippur War. Dealing with Nixon, Kissinger, and her representative in the states and it's conclusion.
The acting was superb. Francine had you believing that Golda Meir was on the stage. She made you laugh, she made you cry. She made you believe in the words "NEVER AGAIN".
As we were walking out, after the standing ovation for a truly wonderful performance, you could hear the comments, "I never knew that...", "I learned so much about Golda..." "What a fantastic show" and "Riveting..."
It was. It was a shame more people did not see it. Not only was it a great show, it was an education.

New Broward's Ordinance

Hello to all,
We would like something cleared up and we would appreciate your help. We found out Broward county has a new ordinance stating that the board has to specify reasons to a prospective buyer or renter who has been refused. The board has to respond to the prospective buyer within 45 days of receipt of the application. Does this ordinance apply to West Palm Beach county also. We have a few units up for sale and we would appreciate the legal procedure in case of sale refusal. Thank you so much.
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Your Blogmeister replies:
REF:
http://www.floridacondohoalawblog.com/2013/09/articles/fair-housing/broward-condos-hoas-subject-to-new-screening-regulations/

On September 10, Broward County Commissioners adopted changes to the local Human Rights Ordinance after hearing testimony of community leaders largely united in opposition thereto. 

Broward County’s Human Rights Ordinance already prohibited discrimination in housing and employment practices.  It already included protections beyond the Florida Statutes and Federal Law.  For example, the Ordinance prohibits discrimination based on marital status, sexual orientation, political affiliation and gender identity, while none of those classifications are included in the state or federal statutes.  Condo and HOA associations are already expected and must comply with prohibitions against discrimination in the terms and conditions, including sale, use or occupancy, of housing.

The new changes really only establish two new requirements for community associations in connection with the screening process (sale and lease approvals):

• The association must acknowledge receipt of the application in writing and say whether it is complete or not within 15 days of receipt; and
• If the association denies an application, within 45 days it must send a written notice saying why.

Since most community documents require the association to respond within 30 days, the timing of a denial letter shouldn’t be a problem.  While the required acknowledgement of receipt of an application is likely a shorter timeframe, a simple form letter to send automatically should be sufficient.  There are very limited reasons to justify denying an application, so you would think that really shouldn’t be too problematic either.  However, these requirements subject the association’s decision making process to scrutiny and create additional paperwork that some communities aren’t equipped to handle.  What association isn’t facing enough scrutiny already?

An association typically denies an application based on the application itself or information obtained from an investigative report.  That is personal, sensitive information. Federal law prohibits the association from disclosing anything in a credit or investigative report.  The letter notifying prospective buyers or tenants they are not approved as a result of a negative investigative report becomes an Official Record and which may be subject to inspection by owners, so the association arguably has to violate federal law to comply with Broward County’s law if your explanation of the reason for disapproval goes into any detail at all.  That doesn’t make sense to me.

Sometimes the association bases its decision on subjective factors.  Say an applicant skips an interview appointment, then arrives half-hour late for the next appointment, parks in an owner’s spot and is obnoxious to the office staff.  Say you find out that the applicant owns a 100 lb. Rottweiler but says the dog will stay in New York while the new owner enjoys the cold winter months in Florida.  You may have a good reason to reject those transactions but doing so certainly opens the door to criticism.  Of course, association rights in these circumstances are limited by the governing documents.  Assuming your association has the right to disapprove, where is the right place to draw the line? 

One thing I know for sure, association directors (or managers) should contact their attorneys to make sure they stay firmly planted on the tightrope between complying with the Ordinance and divulging information that should be kept confidential.  Community associations may have to revamp their screening procedures by amending their declarations, revising the applications themselves and adopting specific guidelines.  Associations will need to carefully train anyone that is involved in the screening process.  That includes the person at the front desk or the security guard or the parking attendant or the child of the president who may receive a package.  It also includes the person who opens the package and the person who orders the background report.  The person conducting interviews and whoever issues correspondence on behalf of the association must be well trained.  Someone has to be responsible to ensure all of these individuals are being thorough and processing the application in a timely manner.

I don’t believe anyone would disagree that ferreting out discrimination is a laudable goal.  You’re kidding yourself if you believe discrimination does not occur inBroward County. There is already a huge body of law on what constitutes discrimination and there are no impediments to bringing claims or lawsuits against associations based on discrimination, despite the fact that associations are not required to disclose the reasons an application is rejected.  If a claim is made, the association is on the hook to show it acted on a non-discriminatory basis.  Moreover, anyone believing they have been discriminated against has an advantage in that they can turn to a governmental agency to file a complaint.  They do not have to fork out money to hire private counsel, while the association is on its own.

 Implementation of well-intentioned laws often create undesirable outcomes that are not contemplated when the law is enacted – this may be one of those laws. 

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This question surprises me, as Fair Housing Laws do not allow for arbitrary decisions in regard to housing. These laws are to be found at Federal, State, and Local level. In short, you need a very good reason  to reject someone for housing.

Dave Israel

 

 

 

 

BROADBAND & CABLE COMMITTEE MEETING - MARCH 8, 2017 - LIVE IN CYBERSPACE

COMCAST OR ATLANTIC BROADBAND?

SOME THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND:

In a straw vote at the March 3 Delegate Assembly, an overwhelming number of the delegates voted for Comcast (CC) as opposed to Atlantic Broadband (AB) to be our cable company for an upcoming ten years providing TV, OPTIONAL Internet, and OPTIONAL phone service.

This was not a final vote, however. The time for that will come when negotiations with both companies have been completed and their final proposals are in, the "I's" dotted and the "t's" crossed. The straw vote was to get an idea of how the delegates feel at this point.

I am not attempting here to convince anybody one way or the other between CC and AB, but to mention a few points to consider:

1. We do not have forever, as some suggest, to decide one way or the other. The present Comcast contract expires in June 2019, and Atlantic Broadband—if they are to remain a viable contender—needs 18 months to get their fiber-optic cable from North Miami to the Village, and then throughout the Village and to our condos. (I don't believe they will be actually digging a trench from North Miami to CV. I believe that part will be a matter of leasing equipment already in place and getting permits—but this still takes considerable time. Actual trenching, however, will be done in the Village.) You can do the math to see when negotiations need to be completed—I should think in the fall.

2. It is vital that AB and Comcast REMAIN viable contenders, as it is the competition that has forced each company to progressively over the past few months "sweeten the pot." 
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AB has advised us that the TiVo T-6 will have a modification allowing it to accept voice commands just like the Comcast Infinity X1 system. This is the newest "pot sweetener" (DBI)
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Our business is worth a great deal to them, that is certain. But if CC sees that AB is not in the running because there is no longer sufficient time for them to get their cable to us, then, as Dave Israel says, expect a whole new ballgame with CC's prices skyrocketing. Nothing is final until a contract has been drawn up by the lawyers and signed by all the parties.

3. Keep in mind that costs and benefits are not always what they might seem. For example, a $500,000 cost (or benefit) difference for the Village over ten years between the two companies breaks down to only 54 CENTS per condo unit per month. (Divide $500,000 by 10 years, then by 12 months, and finally by 7800 units.) To give an example, that might seem a very small price to pay for greater customer satisfaction.

4. Keep in mind that a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. If you have the best fiber-optic cable installed right up TO a residence and the wiring inside the unit is questionable, the "signal" at the TV or other appliance may be poor. With which company can we be more certain of the inside wiring being top-notch—as it needs to be?
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Both providers will check the interior wiring, and if the signal strength is inadequate, will replace the wiring at no cost to us. (DBI)
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5. The single most important thing about a cable contract, Leo Delgardo of CSI Associates has told us, is getting service when you need it—the first time you call, service that fixes the problem, and service that to the extent possible is cost-free. Pros and cons to consider are: past customer satisfaction, the company's experience over time, if they will have a technician on site daily, and how the cost (if any) is calculated.
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AB has agreed to an on-site service Tech. availability. (DBI)
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6. Does it make sense to go with a company that, yes, is the giant in the industry with years of experience, but also has a reputation of having been unresponsive to customers with problems? Or does it make sense to go with a smaller, relatively new company (that isn't really a brand-new company; in fact its parent company, Cogeco, is the eighth largest telecommunications company in North America), on the assumption that the new company, which badly wants our business in order to set itself up in southeastern Florida, will be more motivated to please? Do you go with a known quantity or a less-well-known quantity?

7. Both companies are now offering ten-year contracts, but (from what I understand) a new Comcast contract could start from this fall, not June 2019. Whereas June 2019 would be the start date with AB. Thus, while with CC the new contract might expire in the fall of 2027, we would be locked into a new AB contract until June 2029, about 18 months later.

I believe the above are some important things to consider, especially if the prices the two companies propose are close. My thanks to all on the Committee, who have labored long and diligently to bring this great benefit of TV with the options of Internet and/or telephone—all at unheard-of low prices—to Century Village. Please feel free, any of you who know better, to correct anything I have said.
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Good Post Lanny, perhaps a good article for the UCO Reporter. (DBI)
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TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE MEETING - MARCH 7, 2017 - LIVE IN CYBERSPACE

Bulk trash items not picked up last Friday

Thank you David for operating this blog site.

I would like to share this:

Bulk trash items were not picked up in my area last Friday.

The information in the UCO Reporter, see image above, says that bulk trash pickup is Friday for all areas. The information in the Reporter does not say, bulk items will be picked up every other Friday. The information in the Reporter does not say, bulk items will be picked up Friday, depending on the need.

If we expect people to put out couches etc., near the dumpsters on Thursday night or Friday morning, what Thursday's and Friday’s are we talking about?

The couch I am looking at, went out last Tuesday. It was not picked up on Friday. It has been there six days. This Friday, the couch "and things," will have been there ten days.

Is there a better way to hone in on a consistent bulk pick up date so we can relay it to unit owners?

Thank you.

 

FCHR EXPIRATIONS AND DE-LISTINGS IN CVWPB - MARCH 5, 2017

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Hi all.

Thanks to a concerned Resident of our Village, we have a complete listing of all Associations status of registration with the Florida Commission on Human Rights FCHR. This is a requirement to be recognized as Housing for Older Persons, in accord with HOPA, Housing for Older Persons Act. This research includes each Associations FAC Facility Account Number, except for those Associations which have been de-listed, due to extended lack of renewal, they need to re-register. By the way, the former $20.00 fee has been removed. All in all, this is an excellent bit of research and useful to every Association in CVWPB. The document is to be accessed on the Internet, at:

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https://goo.gl/tjAtSs

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I will also place this link in the sidebar, under the heading "direct links"
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Download the document to obtain all of the pages.
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Many thanks to the Concerned Resident.

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Dave Israel

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UCO ELECTION GRAND TOTAL TALLY SHEET - MARCH 3, 2017

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Dave Israel

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DELEGATE ASSEMBLY - MARCH 3, 2017 - LIVE IN CYBERSPACE

00000 Part 1 from David B. Israel on Vimeo. -
00001 Part 2 from David B. Israel on Vimeo.
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00002 Part 3  from David B. Israel on Vimeo.
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00003 from David B. Israel on Vimeo.
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Videography - Laurent, WPRF

Video Processing - John and Kitty Gragg

Upload to Blogger - Dave Israel

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UPDATE ON BUS FROM CV TO BALLGAME ON MARCH 23

NY METS VS. WASHINGTON NATIONALS
AT BALLPARK OF THE PALM BEACHES:

Sam Milham advises that the bus is now FULL with a waiting list of about 20.

If you are on the waiting list, it is suggested you might show up and wait till 11:30 a.m., when the bus leaves, to see if there is room for standbys. If not, by leaving at 11:30 this will still give you time to drive to the park. The game begins at 1:00 p.m.

SECURITY COMMITTEE - MARCH 3, 2017 - LIVE IN CYBERSPACE

UCO REPORTER MEETING - MARCH 3, 2017 - LIVE IN CYBERSPACE

UCO PRESIDENT'S RECOMMENDATIONS FOR MARCH 3, 2017 ELECTION

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As you all know, we have an election coming up on March 3, 2017. I would like to make my recommendations as to whom to vote for. These recommendations are not made arbitrarily, but are based on one or more of the following characteristics that I have personally observed in the individuals:

Long years of service to the Village and to UCO, Consistently willing to volunteer to get jobs done and problems solved. and finally, clearly observable potential for service now and in the future.

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FOR VICE PRESIDENT - TWO POSITIONS OPEN

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1) ROBERT (BOB) MARSHALL

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2) STEWART RICHLAND

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FOR EXECUTIVE BOARD - 12 POSITIONS OPEN

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1) DAVID BOAS

2) SUZIE BYRNES

3) HERB FINKELSTEIN

4) MARY PATRICK

5) GEORGE PITTELL

6) MIKE RAYBER

7) LOUISE WARNER

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Please vote only for these seven, there is no need to vote for 10.

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So, please consider these recommendations, send the best Candidates to UCO, serve yourselves by voting for Candidates who will best serve the Village.

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Dave Israel

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ERROR IN PUBLISHED SAMPLE BALLOT CORRECTED

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Hi all, The sample ballot published in the UCO Reporter has an error. The Executive Board slate says "Select no more than twelve 12". This is wrong, you may "Select no more than ten 10".  

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As UCO President, I am recommending that you mark your ballot as follows: Print this out and take it to the polls.

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Please do not vote for those who have disrupted our Delegate Assembly for the last 8 years. They bring nothing to the table but chaos and confusion.

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Dave Israel

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Comcast VS. Atlantic Broadband

Comcast VS. Atlantic Broadband

Bella and I Did some number crunching with the info we had and went to a Presidents meeting at UCO today. I, like many of you was looking at the comparison charts and it was a little confusing, especially the last line showing the $350/unit vs. #450/unit and did not realize that it is the amount that WE (UCO) gets FROM Comcast and Atlantic Broadband! 
If you look at just the numbers 
channels: ..Comcast 187 /AB 315
PRICE: Comcast 32.29 / AB 29.00
after 5 years .....CC 38.27 /AB 32.75
10 yrs ...............CC 44.36 / AB 39.00

option with internet included 
Mbps .......CC 75 / AB 150
price .......CC 52.50 /AB 50.99
after 5 yrs CC 60.86 /AB 55.00
10 yrs  ... CC 70.53 / AB 61.25 

Makes things a little clearer?
Atlantic Broadband is the wiser choice. Oh yeah, I also mentioned at the meeting that with AB we get a THIRD community channel and suggested that it be handed over to the other people in the village to voice their opinions. David liked the idea.

***Paypal Scam Alert***

Are you a Paypal user? 
Well look out. There is some scammers sending phishing e-mail that actually look authentic, but they are saying that you have purchased an item. 
There will be a charge for whatever the amount (in this example it was 119.00) for shoes from Florsheim Shoes.
Since I know I did not order anything, I know it wasn't mine. 
It also had the "shoes going to an address in Illinois and had the complete "verified" address. that is a BIG RED FLAG!!!!
If you get something like this, DO NOT CLICK ON ANY LINKS! They are phishing (fishing) for YOUR INFO, and will even have an official looking log in for Paypal. If you sign into it, you have given them your log in for Paypal and might as well kiss your life savings good-bye. 
What you need to do :
1. Forward the e-mail to spoof@paypal.com and review@paypal.com
2. Report it to Palm Beach Sheriff's Office
    You can fill out an online report, and also forward the email to PBSO or copy and paste it to the report.
3. File a complaint with the Federal Bureau of Investigation at www.IC3.gov. 
 PLEASE, I must stress this again, DO NOT CLICK on ANY LINKS on the e-mail. Be sure your anti-virus software is up to date, and REPORT IT to the proper authorities.
Be Safe...... Bob