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Accents January 2019 mlaccents910@hotmail.com

Directors Corner Gary Kobel- VP

Hello residents I hope all of you have had a Happy Holiday Season.

As the board appointed director for Restaurant Operations I would like to provide you an

update of some changes and upcoming events at our restaurants.

We have had some organizational changes within our restaurant operations. Nancy Nauta

has been assigned temporary management responsibilities. We have asked Ed Mercurio to return to assist us in the

Kitchen. Lou Ann Perrotta is now the front-end manager and we have new wait staff. I believe John has assembled an

excellent team that has done an outstanding job providing good food and service to our residents. We have a new Pub

menu that has been well received by those who have attended our Thursday at the Country Club events. We will be adding

some different menu items from time to time to provide some variety. Please visit our Sandbar for breakfast and lunch. I

think you will enjoy the food and daily specials. We have a very busy schedule for your enjoyment and we hope you will

be pleasantly surprised with our variety of entertainment. As always, we are open to your suggestions so please let us

know your thoughts and suggestions.

Weekly events:

Monday is Karaoke night- Come and sing-along with Rick and Georgina

Tuesday is Happy Hour-Pub menu available

Wednesday -Movie Night- Watch for dates and movie titles

Thursdays- Thursday Night at the Country Club Good Food and Entertainment

Special events- Watch for signs at the post office and our sidewalk signs

This season we have lots of entertainment for you. Apart from regular Thursday nights Wings & Things there will be extra

events this month. ALL our Thursday evenings is FREE with tips only for the entertainers. Listed below are the evenings

we have booked for the Country Club for the month of JANUARY

Friday December 28th- Holiday Party in the Country Club featuring Robert & Wolfie 7pm -9pm- Snacks on the table, come

early for drinks.

January

Thursday 3rd DETROIT STEVE don’t miss this act with vocals & steel guitar. His parents are Maple Leaf Residents. First time

here

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Thursday 10th BRETT BAKER our favorite cowboy is back with Pattie

Saturday 12th is our first DINNER & SHOW featuring THE SWEETHEARTS OF BRANSON and a sit-down dinner, Tickets $25

(tax & tip included) on sale January 2nd 10am-12pm at the Country Club

Thursday 17th SAL & ANDREA are here for the first time.

January 19th--Corporate Dance for January: "The Hop"-- with "Shake Rattle and Soul"

Thursday 24th: NICK D everyone will remember singing our national anthems and having a group drink.

Friday 25th: All you can eat Fish Fry --$15 (plus tax and tip)

Wednesday 30th PRIME RIB DINNER with music by The Sensations. Look out for the information on the dinner tickets.

Thursday 31st DICK & KAMMY Welcome back to this very good couple. A big favorite with the Maple Leafers

February:

February 1st- Celebrity Series with Tom Sadge, Watch out for ticket sales dates

To keep up to date with our events you can add yourselves to our email news list by sending an email to

support@mapleleafgcc.net .

Directors Corner

Danny Adam – Director This season Celebrity Series we have a singer to perform om Friday February 1st at 7

PM in the Country Club, Tom Sadge will sing tributes to Tom Jones and Neil Diamond.

Tickets will be $20.00 per person. Sales for this show will be at the Country Club on

Monday January 21 from 12 Noon to 2 PM.

Our second show will be Divas Through the Decades singing Motown hits, Ain’t No Mountain High Enough, Heat Wave,

My Girl and others. This show will be Friday March 8th at 7 PM in the Country Club. Tickets sales will be Monday

February 25 from 12 Noon to 2PM ay the Country Club.

General Manager John Bradley

The Park Staff hopes everyone is having a great holiday season and we wish you all the best of New Years in 2019. Staff is well prepared to support all the functions as we enter the three busiest months of the season. A brief update of some subjects follows, but a more detailed account is provided at the monthly Homeowner’s Meeting on the first Monday of each month at the Queensway Center. GUESTS IN THE PARK. This is the time of the year when we experience the most incidents of rules violations and sometimes vandalism. If there are children visiting or staying as guests, homeowners should review Rule # 13. Please note that any child under the age of 12 must be accompanied by an adult and cannot ride a bicycle or tricycle without an adult being with

them. Under Florida Law children under 16 must wear a helmet when riding a bicycle. Children under the age of 16

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cannot drive or steer a golf cart. Children under the age of 12 must use the swimming pool behind the CanAm Clubhouse unless there are published holiday exceptions. No child under the age of 18 shall enter or use any sauna, whirlpool bath, exercise room, or billiard room. Please insure your guests/visitors are aware of the Rules & Regulations and are properly supervised. DECORATIONS IN THE PARK. Thanks to the clubs and homeowners for doing such a terrific job in decorating the Park for the holidays. REAL PROPERTY TAX BILLS. If you didn’t pay your County property tax bill in November, then you missed the 4% discount. A 3% discount is still available for payment during the remainder of December, 2% in January, and 1% in February. Taxes become delinquent on April 1st and you must add a 3% penalty. GOLF COURSE. Please read Golf & Grounds Superintendent Chris Spence’s article in this edition. PRO SHOP. There is a holiday sale currently happening in the Pro Shop. See Golf Professional/Pro Shop Manager Nathan Wilson’s article. MEDICAL EMERGENCIES. There have been a few instances of medical emergencies in the common areas of the Park when persons looked for Maintenance employees rather than immediately dialing 911. The proper procedure is to dial 911 first so valuable and possibly life saving time is not lost. There are emergency phones at most Park clubhouses/pools plus many people are carrying cell phones. No matter what area code your cell phone is registered in the 911 call will defer to the local 911 operator. Not only will valuable time be lost while looking for a Park employee, but the 911 operator needs specific information from the person on the scene. After completing the 911 call then you can call the gate house to advise the guard that rescue/EMS vehicles will be coming to the Park and provide the location of the injured/ill party. If the medical emergency is cardiac please also be aware of the next article. CPR AND AED (DEFIBRILLATOR) TRAINING. We have seven (7) defibrillators in the Park. They are located at the Fitness Center (outside the main door), behind the CanAm Clubhouse (outside wall facing the Kiddie Pool), behind the Queensway Center (outside wall facing the pool), beside the Charlotte Center (wall facing the tennis courts), at the golf course rest room at # 7 tee, outside the Rampart Center, and in the Maintenance Superintendent’s or Security Rover’s vehicles. We will offer certified classes in CPR and defibrillator training early in 2019. Please contact the Park Office if interested. Cost will be approximately $40. Your local Red Cross Chapter also offers the training at their location. SECURITY. Be safe, not sorry! It is important that you lock all your doors at night and anytime the home is not occupied. A gated and fenced community does not mean someone can’t scale or cut the fence. RESIDENT VEHICLE ENTRY GATE. There have been numerous incidents of vehicles following the vehicle in front of them too closely while entering the resident vehicle entry gate. The gate must recycle each time – have appropriate spacing between your vehicle and the vehicle in front of you. The Park is not responsible for damage as there are two warning signs in the entrance lane. CANAM POST OFFICE VEHICLE PARKING. In the interest of safety please insure you follow the designated vehicle route through the CanAm Clubhouse driveway to utilize the parking spaces by the Post Office. We request that you never park on the Queensway Road at the Post Office. There are additional Post Office parking spaces in the Country Club parking lot section by the Woodworker’s Shop. BICYCLE SAFETY. Bicyclists should adhere to the same rules required of vehicle operators. There have been near accidents caused by bicyclists going through stop signs. There are also some bicyclists who exceed the speed limit. PET REGISTRATION. All pets must be registered in the Park Office by January 15th each year in accordance with Rule # 14. Proof of rabies inoculation must be provided.

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HOME SALES. There are currently 83 home sales for 2018. There are already three sales pending for 2019. Inventory is low, so if you are considering selling your home during 2019 it may be wise to market the home during the high season of January through March. We have three very experienced sales associates in your Maple Leaf Sales Office to assist you. TELEPHONE BOOKS. The 2019 Resident Telephone Directory will be available in early January. An announcement will be made. Only one per household, please. Have the best of New Year’s during 2019! See the October Finances at a Glance following this article

YTD YTD YTD

ACTUAL BUDGET VARIANCE

REVENUE

PARK 3,033,047 2,951,691 81,356

GOLF 356,673 298,704 57,969

SALES 59,783 52,150 7,633

SB/CC 292,518 267,560 24,958

TOTAL REVENUE 3,742,021$ 3,570,105$ 171,916$

EXPENSES

PARK 2,454,042 2,551,800 (97,758)

GOLF 524,524 624,330 (99,806)

SALES 15,756 14,779 977

SB/CC 386,304 346,872 39,432

TOTAL EXPENSES 3,380,626$ 3,537,781$ (157,155)$

REVENUE TO EXPENSE 361,395$ 32,324$ 329,071$

YTD REVENUE TO EXPENSE 361,395

ADD BACK DEPREC/AMORT 479,284

ADD CERTIFICATE SALES 160,000

LESS MORTGAGE PRINCIPAL (225,695)

LESS CAPITAL EXPENDITURES (2,330,565)

ADD ADVANCE ON MORTGAGE -

BALANCE SHEET ADJUSTMENTS (192,367)

YTD CASH FROM OPERATIONS (1,747,948)$

CASH POSITION 12/31/17 4,342,505$

ADDED (USED) (1,363,214)$

ENDING CASH BALANCE 10/31/18 2,979,291$

FINANCES AT A GLANCE

MONTH ENDING OCTOBER 31 2018

YTD CHANGE IN CASH POSITION

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Golf & Grounds Superintendent

Christopher Spence Newsletter/ Homeowners Meeting

I wanted to start by wishing everyone a Happy New Year and I hope everyone had a fantastic

time over the holiday season. This being my first newsletter article I wanted to introduce

myself and tell you all a little about me. My name is Christopher Spence and I preferred to be

called “Chris”. I am original from England, a town called Bishop Auckland in County Durham.

I have lived in Florida for the past 6 years. I am married to my wife, Melisa, and we have a

daughter named Maddie; we also have two dogs named Chev and Rupert. I have worked at 5

other clubs in the southwest Florida area. In this time, I have worked my way up the ladder to

land my dream job as a golf course superintendent. I am so excited to be here at Maple Leaf.

I know it has only been a few short weeks, but it feels like home already, and I can’t wait to meet each and every one of

you personally and learn and grow amongst you all.

Golf Course

We have had some cooler weather over the past month, which is nice as it allows us to catch up on some of the smaller

stuff around the course while the grass is not growing as quickly. As we come into the dryer season you many see some

dry spots around the course but we are running irrigation and we try to make it is as efficient as possible, so areas are

getting the adequate amounts of water, but some areas just dry out faster than others. We will be continuing with our

normal maintenance practices keeping the course in tip top shape.

The Course will be closed from 3PM to Dark on January 15th for a wall-to-wall fertilizer and herbicide application. We will

also pencil tine the greens to help relieve some compaction and allow air and water to move through the plant.

Grounds

This past month we have removed another 20 dead palms around the park. We ask if you see or have a palm that looks

like it may be dying to please contact the office and put in a work order so the tree can be inspected. We will only

inspect/trim/remove palms that are original to the park; these trees are QUEEN/CABBAGE and PINAPPLE palms only, not

any trees or palms that have been planted by you or previous owners before you. We also ask if you need your irrigation

flagged or repaired to also call the main office so your request can be placed on a work order. After they are flagged, make

sure to make a map of where the heads are and place the flags at the end of your driveway please.

Lawn Mowing

There is one cut scheduled for January.

Staffing

Jim Pawliske, our lead landscaper for many years, will not be returning due to health reasons. We will be filling his position

as soon as we find a qualified candidate.

As we all know Nancy Miller retired at the end of December. Even though I only got to spend three weeks with her it felt

like I’ve known her my whole life. I want to personally thank her for all the help she has given me in this transition. Not

only is Nancy a pillar of the community at Maple Leaf, she is a giant in the turf industry and is well respected and has paved

the way for people like me to succeed and pursue our dreams. So, thank you Nancy and Happy Retirement.

And in true Nancy style – “Fix your pitch marks, fill your divots, and rake your bunkers.”

FIX, FILL, AND RAKE

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Message from The Pro Shop Nathan Wilson Golf Professional

Hey Everyone! I wanted to take a moment to give everyone a few friendly reminders and updates about Maple Leaf. Tournament Winnings and Gift Certificates First, we now have the capability to put league and tournament winnings directly to a member account, rather than using Maple Leaf Bucks. These winnings are applied to the member number and not the lot number. These winnings can be used in the Golf Shop, Restaurant and Sandbar. Your food and beverage staff are used to asking for lot numbers so if you wish to redeem your winnings in the Restaurant or Sandbar, please give them your

member number. Gift certificates may also be redeemed in the Golf Shop, Restaurant and Sandbar. Whichever account number was used to sell the gift certificate, needs to be used to redeem it. New Course Tees Next, most of you are aware that the Gold Tees were unable to be rated because the yardage did not meet the 3000 yard minimum for the USGA to recognize and give that tee a rating. This means that a handicap may not be established or maintained when using that tee. The only thing that could be done to use the gold tees for handicap purposes was to create a “Combo Tee”. That combo tee will utilize two sets of tees to get the yardage up to at least 3000 yards and now one of three combo tees that we will utilize at Maple Leaf for a more enjoyable experience. Because we are adding new tees, we are re-coloring all of the tees. The current Blue tees will become the Black Tees and the current White tees will become the Silver Tees. The tee color for a combination of those two tees will be the Orange Tees. The tee for a combination of our current White and Red Tees will become the Brown Tees. The current Red Tees will become the Jade Tees and the Gold Tees will remain Gold. The tee for a color combination of the current Red and Gold tees will be the Teal Tees. Aaaaaand breathe. The Florida State Golf Associaiton has given us ratings for those tees and they will be available as soon as possible, we will make the announcement at that time but we are looking at January to get the new tee markers out. Friendly Reminders One of the many changes that has taken place on the golf course is that there are no longer sand boxes on every hole. We ask that on those holes you use sand from your golf cart or push cart. Our staff will also be filling divots when time allows. We all know how the pace of play can make for a great day or a frustrating one. Here are few reminders and tips on how to help ensure that you are doing your part. Try putting your clubs away and recording your score on the next tee box. Always stay with the group ahead of you and not just ahead of the group behind you. When you and your playing partners golf balls are on opposite sides of the fairway (because we always hit it in the fairway) park the cart in the middle and both players can go to their golf ball at the same time. If you are the first person to finish the hole, take responsibility of replacing the flag as soon as the last person finishes the hole. Are you playing with a group and you are playing a team format? Like in ladies or men’s league? If you cannot help your team on a hole than you can simply “pick it up” to help maintain the pace. If you do, just write down the score you would have most likely have gotten for score posting purposes. Lastly, there will be many changes coming to the Rules of Golf beginning January 1st 2019. There is too much information to list in this article so please visit the link below to review them. We will also be sending emails out explaining them. http://www.usga.org/content/usga/home-page/rules-hub/rules-modernization/golfs-new-rules.html Thanks for reading and have a great day!

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Presidents Corner Rick Hull It has been a very busy season. The Board of Directors has spent most of the month of November working to prepare Operating and Capital budgets for 2019, a long tedious process but these budgets were presented at the Board of directors meeting on December 17th for final approval. I want to thank Accountant, Tammy Eugenius, General Manager, John Bradley, the Maple Leaf Finance committee and Treasurer, Jeff Stapledon for a job well done. Despite the much cooler temperatures we had a wonderful Party in the Park, sponsored by our Maple Leaf Pickle Ball Club. There was plenty of food, drinks and music which

made for a great time for our residents to get together and enjoy each other’s company and an opportunity to meet new residents. Thank you to all those who made this possible. There was an incident in the park recently where a resident mistakenly (his words) took some power tools and a roll of vapor barrier from the front lawn of a homeowner. A passerby observed this and recognized the individual and Security was notified. The individual was confronted by Security and all equipment was returned to the contractors who were very happy their equipment was returned and did not want to press charges. FYI there was a Sheriffs vehicle at the Park office the next day, but for a completely different matter. Warning for all residents.... If you see anything on a neighbor’s lawn and there is not a FREE or TAKE sign on it, do not help yourself without talking to the resident first. By the time you read this article the Holiday season will have ended. I hope everyone had a wonderful time with family, friends and neighbors. I wish you all a Happy and Healthy New Year.

Merry Makers Tickets Alex Bostock Tickets for our 2019 production go on sale on Saturday, January 19th. Although the sale will start at 8 am in The Can Am, numbers will be given out earlier that morning. Someone will be on site giving out numbers at 6 am and will continue to do so until time of sale. Tickets are $20.00 per person and there is no limit as to how many one person can purchase, so it wise to get your number early if you wish to buy particular tables. Show dates are March 1,2,3 and 4 in The Country Club beginning at 6:45 pm. AFTER January 19th, tickets can be purchased by calling 941-787-5353.

Strawberry Festival Denise Holland, Publicist Wednesday, March 13, 2019 Mark your calendars now for the largest Social happening of the Maple Leaf Season. "Strawberry Festival". This mouthwatering event takes place Wed, March 13, from 2 - 4 pm, at the CanAm, you won't want to miss it! This year we are welcoming back a huge favorite with the children, "Me" The Magician. There will be musical entertainment for everyone's listening & dancing pleasure. More information to follow in the February Accents. See you in March!

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Pennsylvania Night

For present and former Pennsylvanians, come join us on Sunday, January 27, 2019, 5:00 p.m. at the Can-Am for covered

dish social. For good food and fellowship call Kathy Wagner 941-255-9692 for reservations. Please note the day and place

have changed.

Line Dancing Denise Holland Wednesdays, Queensway, Beginner 7 - 7:45 pm, Intermediate 8 – 8:45 pm, Learn the Steps, Watch the Dancers, JOIN In! This is the place to practice with likeminded people out for an evening of fun. (bring water, dress lightly it gets warm having fun) Hand-outs available - "How to Learn the Steps", Practice in your home. We welcome Experienced dancers at 7 pm to help provide more feet for our Beginners to watch, and yes, we encourage, Staring, but only at each other’s feet! LOL Watch your Instructors perform their skills: Corrine Brownridge, Joan Gibson, Dorothy Whitehead, Lise and Gord Gladman, Naida Johnson, Jeff Papiez and Dee Livingstone throughout the season. Arrive Solo, with Friends, make Friends! (No Line Dance - Wed Dec 26) Hope to see you soon. Keep the Feet Happy, Dance! Dance! Dance!

Shuffleboard Club

Jay and Joan McCauley

There will be a second registration for new arrivals on Sunday Jan 6 at the CanAm at 2 PM. It will also be a Meet and Greet

for all members so please wear your membership badge. We will play shuffleboard and get reacquainted and

refreshments and snacks will be served. There will be signup sheets at both courts the week prior to the

party. Memberships are $20.00 per person and the event will take place rain or shine.

Also, be ready for Fun Day on Sunday, January 20 at the Queensway Courts. Assorted games will be played, and the trophy

will be handed down to this year’s winner. Refreshments will be provided. Signup sheets will be at both courts the week

prior to the event. Please wear your membership badge.

Repair Café Murry Knights

When: Sunday, Feb 24

Where: CanAm

Time: 9 am - 12

Who: All Welcome.

(all items must be brought TO the CanAm)

Sewing wizardry, Jewelry repaired/adjusted, Ceramics/Stained Glass repaired, Computers updated, adjusted, cleaned, Golf carts & Bicycles refreshed, cleaned up, tires & brakes adjusted, water topped up, Electrical-Also Knife & Tool sharpening, Wood Workers-Cutting Board refinishing, chair legs shortened. You are Greeted & offered coffee & snacks. Did I mention it was Free? A Donation jar is available if you wish to donate, which is managed by the organizers - the Woodworkers Club. Please note: this is not intended to solicit from businesses in the Park. We look forward to seeing you & your problems Sun Feb 24, 2019.

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Lawn Bowling Heather Comba SALVATION ARMY FOOD DRIVE This year’s food drive, sponsored by the Maple Leaf Lawn Bowling Club, netted 30 large boxes of food and $1,343. The Maple Leaf Bocce club donated $100 and a private house party netted another 5 large boxes of food and $120. Some late donations have not been included but have been delivered and were so welcome. The Lawnbowling club thank our contributors and our volunteers for making this such a success. Our neighbours across the street thank you very much for your generosity. Mary Louise Matthews LAWNBOWLING An Open House for New bowlers on Thursday Jan 3 at 1:30 behind the Charlotte Centre gives owners and renters an opportunity to give the sport a try. Free play for 2 weeks to see if this is your sport. Not quite settled in then you are welcome to come on out on Friday January 11 or 18 or Thursday January 24 or 31 same time, same place. Experienced bowlers also welcome to come out at on the same dates to practice. Next big lawnbowling event is singles. Games go fast and you get to roll all 4 bowls and opponent only has 4 bowls to get closer or move your bowl aside. Call a coach and find out the ins and outs of singles strategy. Spectators welcome. Women event is all day Thursday January 10 and 17. Men ‘s event is on Wednesday January 9 and 16. You asked for night bowling so there is a night bowling game on January 12. Open to members and those who have taken new bowler training. Spectators welcome to come and watch. Three more tournaments yielded winners. The Men ‘s Only was won by Bill Scott, Tony Stam and Jack Reid. Runners up were Fred Cockburn, Gerry Maclean and Bud Petican. The Ladies Only winners were Kathy Smith, Marjorie Jones and Janet Oliver. Runners up were Joelle Russell, Christine Garner and Barbara Dunsmore. The President’s Trophy, a mixed pairs event, was won by Shirley Judge and Dave Ackland. Runners up were Dennis Rawlins and Joan Heywood Now some may say the sport is all about the game, but the social aspect is an important part. Last Man Standing is a fun elimination game where the losers get to party early. I am not sure who partied first but the last Man Standing was Graham Dunsmore and Jan Collins our presidente was second. Next fun event is the Christmas morning snacks and play day. That’s it for this year. Enjoy the holiday. See you on the green.

Ladies ONLY Clothing, Sale Sandra Ackland,764 1138 & Pat McEvoy 624 6702 Sunday January 13th, 2019 Can Am Building

We are collecting and selling good quality ladies clothing, shoes, bags and scarves. All items must be of good quality and

clean. Bring your items on COAT HANGERS with a size label pinned to the front. Drop your items off at the Can Am

between 9am & 11am.

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The sale will be in the afternoon between 2pm & 4 pm. You will buy a large white bag at the door for $10.00. Then you

can fill the bag up with any items you want. There is a 2-item limit to buying from the same rack or table. When your bag

is full then you can buy another one. No limit to the number of bags you can buy. If you can’t fill a bag, then find a friend

with room in her bag.

This is for Ladies only and you can try on in the Can Am if you need to.

FLEA MARKET 2019

Thursday 24th & Friday 25th January 2019

At the end of January every year there is a Gigantic Flea Market in the Park, put on by the residents for the residents. Each

year we raise many thousands of dollars which are used for park amenities.

We do not accept clothing or Christmas lights. Remember one person’s junk is another person’s treasure. Bring you items

to the Queensway on the 24th between 9 & 1 pm.

We are taking small pieces of furniture for a sale on Thursday 24th. This will be in front of the Queensway from 2 to 4 pm

There will also by a bike sale on Thursday 24th at 2 pm so bring your bikes to the sale.

The regular sale will be from 9 til 12 on the 25th. There will be plenty of items for sale. We also have a café where you can

sit and have light refreshments.

There will be a bake sale, so we are looking for residents to bake for us. Bring your baking first thing in the morning to the

Queensway or to my house the day before.

Pat McEvoy 987 Queensway 624 6702 patmcevoy987@yahoo.co.uk

Ladies Golf League Muriel Mischook, Vice Captain Happy New Year and all the very best in 2019! The Ladies Golf League welcomes all snowbirds, who have just arrived, so brush off your golf shoes and join us for play on Tuesdays. Membership remains open so please sign-up at the Pro Shop! To date, we have 115 playing Ladies League members plus 4 Social members. The Ladies Shot Gun Scramble & Christmas Luncheon was outstanding. Many thanks to our volunteer organizers and festive “Jingle “Belles” Rock” line dancers. Photos of this event may be seen on the ML Golf Association website under the Ladies League heading at mapleleafgolfassociation.com Guess who won their division in the Golf Association Member-Member Tournament? Division A: Sharon MacDonald & Nancy Rooney Division B: Carol Connors & Cathy McCarthy Division C: Brenda Flagler & Lynda Hemstead Division D: Sharon Poland & Ginny Redmond Congratulations to all our participating members over the weekend! Thank-you to those gold tee players, in Division D, who kindly agreed to play off the red tees. Hopefully we will have a full division of gold tee players next year! For more results check-out mapleleafgolfassociation.com

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Upcoming Events: Our New Member Breakfast, on Wed. Jan. 9, will be an opportunity for your Executive to meet and welcome new members and share information regarding the Ladies Golf League. New Ladies League members will receive a personal hand-delivered invitation! Our next 18 Hole Shot Gun Scramble and Luncheon Day will be on Tues. Jan. 22. Another great day on the links followed by lunch and entertainment! Our popular annual Ladies Golf Invitational will take place on Tues. Feb. 5! The theme this year is “Diamonds in the Rough”. It is an 18-hole step-aside scramble with players from local clubs joining ML golfers in a fun day of golf with continental breakfast, golf cart, lunch, lucky draws and lots of prizes! The cost is $25 plus your normal green fees and the deadline for sign up in the Pro Shop is Tues. Jan. 29. This event fills quickly so sign up early! The Ladies Golf League in 2019 promises even more fun, friendship and full swings! Join us!

ML HISTORY By Tom Kanigan Maple Leaf has quite a story We are told But not all know it Sad to behold So, some who love it Have undertaken The truth of Maple Leaf to awaken ‘Pioneers’ while still around Can share their story with abound Their tales of the early 70s and 80s days Will certainly many younger ones amaze Not skipping a beat They will soon repeat The story of Purchasing the Park It was no lark Then came Charley That brutal storm But some say Maple Leaf was reborn It soon became The Best of Best We all enjoy it with lots of zest

Activities and amenities To please us all A plethora of clubs Can’t name them all Flea Market Strawberry Fest The Celebrity Series All stand the test We will continue to be the Best Note: The History Project is still looking for Maple Leaf memorabilia, like copies of the Maple Leaflet, newspaper articles about the Park, and old photos. Call me at 875-9896 if you have anything to offer; it will be quickly returned. Your help would be greatly appreciated.

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Real Estate Update Vicki Teel On behalf of The Maple Leaf sales office “Welcome back everyone and welcome to all our new residents. We are located on the west side of the Can-Am building. We are open seven days a week and you can find our contact information on the Maple Leaf website in the upper right hand corner under “Real Estate” http://mapleleafgcc.net/real-estate/our-agents/ We have three licensed Florida Realtors® in the Maple Leaf sales office. We

have Shauna Platt, Barbara Collins and Vickie Teel. We would love to earn your business if you are considering buying or selling in Maple Leaf so please stop by the sales office and ask for any one of us or speak to the agent on duty. We can show and sell any listing For Sale and we can meet with you to determine what your home is worth in this current market. Contact any one of us for a free no obligation market analysis of your home. Every home will sell at the right price. If you have thought about selling your home, and you’re not sure about its’ saleable condition, hiring a licensed home inspector to do an inspection prior to putting your home up for sale could save you money in the long run. We have had transactions get cancelled with buyers backing out of the deals due to the inspection reports from various home inspectors and this has happened several times. We are still in need of more inventory for our buyers to choose from. If you have a friend or family member considering buying in Maple Leaf, please have them give us a call to set up a time to see the community and to view any homes that meet their criteria. We will provide them with all the information they need to make an informed choice. We wish you all a great New Year!

Pickleball Tom Kanigan, Past President Membership continues to grow as more residents arrive in the Park and we now exceed 155 members, who are using the courts every day from 9 AM to 6 PM. We plan another membership drive and social on Saturday, January 12, 2-4 PM on the Can Am deck, and expect our final 2018-19 membership to exceed 200. In other words, pickleball - the fastest growing sport in North America - has exploded in the Park as expected, and we are becoming one of the largest clubs in Maple Leaf. Our fees remain unchanged: $30 for the season; $20 for two months; $10 for one month. Non-members who play during scheduled club times pay $4 per day. On November 25 and 27 we had a FUN tournament, enjoyed by 48 players. This was a huge success and will be repeated on FUNDAY FRIDAY, January 25. Members can sign up at the January 12th registration and social. Entries are limited to 16 players in each of three categories: Advanced, Intermediate and Novice. A BBQ at the courts will follow. The winners of our first FUN tournament were: Novice: Jim Judge Intermediate: Roy Buchanan Advanced: Fred Cockburn

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Another initiative this year is the Singles Ladder, which started November 12. This huge success will continue into next year. The Team League has also been well received by members. Teams will be restructured to include members signing up in January. New members wishing to play in the League should email Chris Garner at chrisg162@gmail.com or sign up at the January membership drive. League play will resume Saturday, January 19. Our Club Championship will be held the weekend of February 23 and 24 and will undoubtedly be a fun time for both players and spectators. Non-members are invited to come and observe the most enjoyable sport in Maple Leaf. A BBQ at the courts will follow. Training of Beginners will resume in January, including an Introduction to Pickleball on the first and third Friday of every month and supervised Novice play on other Fridays. Training for more advanced players will be organized later. Unfortunately, we have had several accidents on the courts, including fractures which required surgery. Players are reminded to always be safety conscious, including, for example, wearing proper footwear, not running backwards. playing within your ability and hydrating regularly. Make safety your number one priority on the court! Some new members have expressed an interest in buying club tee shirts. Anyone interested in getting an ML Pickleball shirt may contact me at 941-875-9896 or tomkanigan1@gmail.com for details. The Pickleball Club sponsored Party in the Park on Monday, December 10, with over 540 people attending. Residents met and socialized with neighbours and enjoyed a variety of food and drinks as well as diverse entertainment. Its resounding success was due to the tireless efforts of Ken and Kathie Gove and Ed and Anne-Marie Hopkins, to whom we owe special thanks. Party in the Park will continue as a fundraiser for Pickleball in future years, and is scheduled for Sunday, November 17 next year.

“Where are ya from, friend?” Keith McGruer This is the third annual picture of where Maple Leaf homeowners call home. For newer residents, I created a spreadsheet several years back which lists all the lot numbers and puts a “1” under the appropriate location where the homeowner(s) call home. When a home is sold, I remove the “1” under the seller's home area and insert a “1” in the column reflecting where the buyer calls home. Way down at the bottom, out come the numbers! Homeowners have found the analysis of changes and trends to be interesting. More important, it also keeps residents and sales agents informed when they are talking to guests, renters and potential buyers. The statistics below are as of the end of December 2018, assuming a few pending sales did close as planned in December. First the overall picture. Totals vary slightly from year to year as corporate lot certificates were sold.

− 74.6% of homes are owned by snowbirds, up from 72.8% from a year ago, while 25.4% (down from 27.2%) call Florida their permanent home.

− 593 homes, 53.3% (up 1%) are owned by Americans; 511 homes, 46% (down 0.8%) are owned by Canadians; and 8 homes (down 2) are owned by people from the United Kingdom, Germany and Norway.

Geographic distribution. Homes owned by American snowbirds are as follows: 95 from New England states, 42 from Michigan, 38 from New York/New Jersey, 35 from Illinois/Indiana, 27 from Ohio, 21 from Pennsylvania, and 52 from all other states, from Alaska to California to South Carolina. All areas were up a few from a year ago, with Illinois/Indiana leading by being up 7. On the Canadian side, 112 (down 3) are from the Toronto area; 75 (up 3) are from the Barrie/Haliburton region of Ontario; 74 (down 1) are from the Ottawa area; and 208 (down 8) are from other parts of Ontario. Quebec at 15, Western Canada with 5 and the Maritimes & Nfld. with 23 are all the same as a year ago.

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It is clear our Maple Leaf paradise continues to be a highly desired location, both for Florida residents and those seeking a warm climate and enjoying all that our community offers. Even more so, we all enjoy sharing this terrific life with all our friends from near and far.

Cooking Fun Coming in February Pete Myers My name is Pete Myers. I was a career firefighter for twenty-eight years in Ontario, Canada and I used to love cooking

for the crew. A couple of years ago I hung up my boots and now I'm cooking for the world...or at least for anybody

who checks out my cooking videos on YouTube.

I'm so excited to having my first fun day of "In The Kitchen With Pete" cooking instructional and eating event on

February 19th, 11:30 am - 2 pm at the Queensway. There are 30 spots available, some already booked.

The Menu: Appetizer- Bruschetta Wonton Cups, Mixed salad, Stuffed chicken, Seasoned roasted potatoes, Vegetable

medley, Grilled Fireball Pineapple with French Vanilla ice cream

Those interested can book a spot be emailing me at inthekitchenwithpete@gmail.com

$20 per person, any profits will be donated within the park.

You will need to bring:

- Dinner plate, dessert bowl.

- Fork, knife, spoon.

- Drink

- We will have Saran Wrap on hand for leftovers.

See you soon

Thanks

Pete.

Travel Club

Court & Eden Wells

Happy New Year! We have two fabulous trips arranged for 2019. First is our Western Caribbean cruise sailing on

January 26 out of Miami. We will be picked up by bus at the Queensway that morning at 8:00 a.m. A final meeting will

be held on Thursday January 10 at the Can Am at 2 p.m. Our travel expert, Erica will be present to finalize details and

answer questions.

Everyone is invited to our kickoff wine & cheese party 🍷🧀 to announce our 2020 exciting cruise. You will be sailing

on the newest state of the art cruise ship. Plan to attend this meeting on Thursday February 14 ❤️ Valentine’s Day at

the Can Am at 2 p.m.

For all our country music fans who are booked on our Branson Missouri trip November 21-24 we have a meeting

scheduled for Thursday March 21 at the Can Am at 2 p.m.

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Free Weights Nancy McGruer

This is an enjoyable and beneficial program for every Maple Leaf resident. Your muscles, joints and tendons need to be stretched and challenged to keep you flexible, stronger and toned. Balance and coordination are very important as we age. This twice-a-week activity will especially benefit people who want to improve their fitness for daily living and all the sports in Maple Leaf. Over 100 people have joined in this season's program already! This is a 45-minute program on Wednesdays and Sundays at 7:45 a.m. Come early and meet friends. When the weather is good, you will find us on the Sundeck. Otherwise, join us in the CanAm building. Participants bring free weights anywhere from 2 lb. to 10 lb. each. Start where you are comfortable. Do what suits your age and level of fitness but try to challenge yourself to improve. Most participants wear ankle weights as well, benefiting their legs and their joints. We exercise standing, sitting and moving. The participants contribute a modest $8.00 for the season. In January 2017 and 2018, the Weights program sponsored a total of 26 residents who were willing to take a one-day basic CPR course organized by the Park office. The more residents in Maple Leaf qualified to react to emergencies, the better for all of us.

Maple Leaf Singers

If you enjoy singing, miss the gang singing around the piano, the Maple Leaf Singers might be for you. There's still time

to join us as we prepare for our three March concerts. Reading music is not required. We have a terrific director and

pianist to lead us.

We meet on Monday, 6pm at the Queensway. (no practice on Dec. 24th or 31st). Hope to see you there.

Wishing you all a wonderful holiday!

Judy Sheehan 941-764-7053

Hole In One Sheridan Yetman Well, the season has started, and it is promising to be another successful year. The Hole in One is experiencing an increase in its membership this year of approximately 15% year to date and we expect to see additional members join especially in January. The social aspect of the Hole in One event gives the members a very relaxed atmosphere for catching up with their Maple Leaf friends. I have to thank the team that provides the members with a relaxed environment, serving beverages of all descriptions to satisfy all tastes. The food tables look just fantastic as does the Drink of the Month table. This coupled with a re-enactment video of Hole in One recipients on the big screen, of which we had four members being successful on our new course in November. They being:

1. Dan Poland, Hole #3, November 11th 2. David Fleiner, Hole #9, November 23rd. 3. Garnet Wagner, Hole #16, November 23rd. 4. Dan Guistini, Hole #18, November 25th

The 50/50 prize is another success. In November the prize was $275, and I thought that was a fabulous amount for a special Thanksgiving prize, which was won by Kent Hall, drawn by Diane Barker, but the Christmas Gift was even higher

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at $285 which was won by Dan Poland, drawn by Lucille Bergevin. This was Dan’s second presentation of the day, having been presented with his Hole in One trophy and Golf Certificate earlier in the evening. I thank Mr. Keith McGruer for presenting the trophies to all four and Jeff Stapledon for presenting the certificates produced by our new golf professional, Nathan Wilson. Look out for next month when we expect additional members, maybe the payout for the 50/50 will pay for someone’s Christmas expenses, haha. There are approximately 25 members/volunteers who put this event on and I truly thank them for their professionalism, expertise and charm. If you are a member of the golf association, why aren’t you a member of the Hole in One Club? For just $20 for the season, 6 events, you too could enjoy the camaraderie of this social event. Once again, if a member of the club has guests staying with them on the day of the event, they are welcome to bring them for a nominal fee of $5. Also, YOU DO NOT HAVE TO HAVE HAD A HOLE IN ONE TO BE A MEMBER, THE ONLY REQUIRMENT IS THAT YOU HAVE TO BE A MEMBER OF THE GOLF ASSOCIATION. COME JOIN US AND HAVE SOME FUN AND LAUGHTER!! THE NEXT EVENT WILL BE HELD ON WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 9TH, 2019 FROM 4:00-6:00 P.M. AT THE QUEENSWAY. PLEASE BRING YOUR MEMBERSHIP CARDS FOR ADMISSION AND WEAR YOUR NAME TAGS. HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL THE “MAPLE LEAFERS”

Ballroom/Social Dance group Roger Marsh & Penny McDonald

1 905 726 8255

penro@sympatico .ca

Tuesdays @ The CanAm 2:30 till 5:00

For the start of a New Year we will be starting a new dance “The Waltz”. The elegant slow tempo suited to

beginners to the dance will start Tuesday Jan. 8th and continue for several weeks. After each practice session we also

play a variety of dance practice music to remember previous dance routines and enjoy dancing to popular music.

Don’t forget your dancing shoes

Corporate Web Site and Country Club Activities

Mike Smith, Web Site Manager

1. New Home Owners Info

We have a wealth of information for our new Home Owners to help them get oriented to Maple Leaf and the

Port Charlotte Area.

You may navigate to this as follows:

- Login to MapleLeafGcc.net

- Click MEMBERS

- Click NEW HOME OWNERS INFO

- Here you will find 37 topics with links on almost everything you need to know to get oriented

2. Web Site Visits

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We get over 100,000 visits to our Web Site each year. The most popular topics are Real Estate, Channel 195,

Golf and the Accents Newsletter

3. Best of the Best

If you have friends who might be interested in Maple Leaf, this is a great page for them to learn about us.

- Login to MapleLeafGcc.net

- Click REAL ESTATE

- Click OUR PARK OVERVIEW

4. Public access to the Accents Newsletter

Previously our renters and visitors could not access our Accents Newsletter. We have changed our permissions

on our Web Site so no password is required to view our Accents Newsletters.

- Click OUR COMMUNITY

- Click ACCENTS NEWSLETTER or ACCENTS MONTHLY ACTIVITY to get our latest Accents information.

5. Get your picture into our Online Directory

We added 6 pictures to our Online Directory over the summer. It adds a new dimension when people can see

your picture when searching through our directory.

If you would like to add your picture to our online directory please email your picture to

support@mapleleafgcc.net

6. Home Owners Event Photos

We have 5 years of pictures of Home Owners and other events in our Event Photo section.

- Click MEMBERS

- Click HOME OWNER MEETING PHOTOS

7. Wednesday Night at the Movies

We have donated 10 movies from last season to the Library. You can borrow these at any time.

We have some great shows upcoming:

- Jan 16, The Darkest Hour

- Jan 23, Crazy Rich Asians

8. Country Club Successes

Thanks to Pat McEvoy and our Restaurant Staff for their great job with the Dick and Kammy show on Nov 24

which was sold out.

Thanks to Danny Adam and our Restaurant Staff for their great job with the Cod Fish Buffet on Nov 30 which

was also sold out

And thanks to Gary Kobel who has led the Restaurant Committee through some turbulent times to a point

where people are getting good food, good service and good value at our Restaurants and filling the seats.

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Coming Attractions At the Country Club

Dinner Show Tickets include the tax and tip, $25.00/person all inclusive

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Photo Club

Betsy and Dennis Ausel

The Photo Club is excited to have Geoff Coe, photographer and owner of Wild Images: Fine Art Photography of Birds and

Nature present and provide a hands-on activity on Wildlife Photography. The presentation is scheduled on Tuesday,

January 15th, at 7:00 at the Can Am.

The 2nd scheduled event for January will be an outing practicing the skills learned in Dennis’ class held in December and

Geoff’s class, photographing birds and wildlife. Time and location to be determined based bird migrations. Follow us

through the Accents and on Channel 195.

All are welcome!

Woodworkers

Bud Lawry

We are off to a good new year in the shop. We have over 20 new members already on our rolls and when combined with the over 200 members we had last year we can claim an active and robust membership. It’s good seeing the new faces in the shop and we anticipate the new woodworking knowledge and skills they bring. Woodworkers have been busy. David Smith has offered a couple of classes making jewelry boxes and clip-boards. Our new coordinator of Toys for Kids, Al Sunderland, is hard at work and a popular band-saw Christmas tree making bonanza has created a great deal of sawdust! Members who have yet to pay their 2019 dues are reminded that the door combination will be changed this month and name tags and numbers of non-returning members will be reassigned at the end of the month. We have another new drill press in the shop with easy speed adjustment capability. There is also a new dust collection vac on the shaper sanders. Our Community Table project has received its final coat of lacquer and will be in the Sandbar soon, if not already there! Since its full length will be ten feet, only half will be completed at a time. The other piece will be done in the next couple of months. The “Buy-A-Board” program is still accepting donations. You may have heard of the History Project in the park. Our club has been asked to submit the story of Maple Leaf Woodworkers. If you have a tid-bit of history about the shop you think might worthy of inclusion, contact secretary, Bud Lawry. Finally, the next time you go out to your shed, take a look around. We are missing a few tools. Sometimes we forget to return them after the 24-hour check-out period. Thanks for looking. Keep making sawdust!

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Want to try tennis? Nancy & Keith McGruer

On Saturday January 12th, 2019 at 3:30 - 5:00 pm at the Charlotte courts, the Tennis Club will hold a free orientation session "A TASTE OF TENNIS"

This will be an opportunity for those without tennis experience, those having played a bit of tennis a long time ago but did not have instruction, and players who want to go back to the fundamentals. Come out and give it a try! Basic strokes will be explained and demonstrated. We suggest you wear shorts with good size pockets. Proper running shoes are required. Racquets and balls will be supplied.

For those wishing to continue with a series of six lessons, the only obligation will be to join the Tennis Club ($40). The six lessons will be Saturdays Jan. 19th, 26th and Feb. 2nd, 3:30 – 5:00 pm at the Charlotte courts and Wednesdays Jan. 23rd, 30th and Feb. 6th from 2:00 – 3:30 pm, at the CanAm courts.

You will then be part of a dynamic and friendly group with lots of opportunities to play tennis and enjoy the social activities. A sign-up sheet for the “Taste of Tennis” will be posted on the Tennis Club bulletin board at the Charlotte Center in early January. For more information call 624-3627.

SNAPPY TITLE FOR ML

HISTORY BOOK

WIN

FREE COPY

SEND ENTRIES TO

TOMKANIGAN1@GMAIL.COM by January 30, 2019

SUBMIT A

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Keyboard Orchestra Helen Neal The Keyboard group will resume practice on Monday, January 7, 2019.

We will be preparing for our Spring Concert, "MagicMoments" to be held on Thursday, February 21, 2019 at 4:00 p.m. in

the Queensway. Come and relax with a glass of lemonade or iced tea and enjoy an amazing afternoon as we perform

some of your favorite tunes. A $5.00 donation will be taken at the door the day of the Concert. All proceeds will be used

to support various projects and groups in the park.

Calling all Nurses.

Mark your calendars for February 22, 2019. This is our Annual Nurses Golf Tournament and Luncheon. We welcome all nurses, residents, renters and visitors! We would love you to join us for a fun day of golf followed by a luncheon at the Country Club. If you don't golf please sign up and join us for lunch. The details will appear on the sign-up sheet. Sign up will be at the Pro shop in early February. Shirley MacDonald & Nancy Rooney For more info call 941-391-5924

Garden Club

Helping Educate Maple Leaf Homeowners about Florida Flowers and Plants”

Norman Harrison, President

Mark your calendars on Saturday, February 2rd, for the Pancake Breakfast sponsored by the Garden Club!! Ticket sellers

will be knocking on your doors in January. Tickets will be $7.00.

The Garden Club celebrated the Holiday season at the December 8th meeting. We had a wonderful Master Gardener

presentation by Kinga (Cookie) Cook who gave a very informative presentation entitled “Getting the Most from Holiday

Plants.” which encouraged us to go beyond the boundaries of our regular holiday decorating and consider using natural

objects in our decorations.

Please come join us on January 12th for the next meeting of the Garden Club at the Can-Am. New members are always

welcome. If you have not already joined, membership is $5. Meet and Greet coffee and snacks will be held from 8:30 AM

until 9:00 AM. The presentation is followed by the business meeting of the Garden Club. Bring your own mug for a door

prize ticket.

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Please remember you can memorialize and honor your loved ones at any time with a donation to the Maple Leaf

Beautification Fund. Envelopes can be picked up in the CanAm Center and at the Main Office. Any questions will be

addressed by Mary Donnellan 781.308.9546.

Please contact Norman Harrison 255.8303 or Jolene Scofield 769.3559 if you need additional information or bring your

questions to the meeting. See you there!!

Arts & Crafts Club Carol Hebert 258-8924 Our 2018-2919 season is in full swing! Our 272 members registered to our 25 full time classes, 15 mini classes and workshops and 11 Pottery classes at the November registration. There are 220 registrations in full time classes, 121 registrations in mini classes and workshops and 55 registration in Pottery classes…for a grand total of 396 registrations …and that is without counting our January mini registration scheduled for Saturday, January 5, 2019 from 2 to 3:30 p.m. at the Queensway. The following classes still have openings: Artist Open Studio, Bunka, Crafty You, French, Chenille Jacket Class, Pictures with Fabric, Spanish for beginners, Purses & beyond for advanced, Whittling, “A” is for Apron, A little bit of batik Jacket, Alcohol Inks, Watercolors, Zipper Art, Intermediate Wheel with Alterations, Pottery Wheel level 2, Pottery after Pearl, Pottery handbuilding for int. & adv. The class descriptions and schedules are available in the November Accent and on the Maple Leaf website. Schedules are also posted in the Rampart Center. Many thanks to all our teachers and assistants for volunteering and sharing their talent and time. The Arts & Crafts Club is starting a new group called Prayer Shawl Outreach. This group will get together on every other Friday afternoons starting January 11 to knit shawls to be blessed and given to people in need. There is no fee for this group as it is founded by the A & C Club who will supply the wool. Participants must have a A & C Club membership. To join look out for the Prayer Shawl Outreach table at the mini registration. Our second Holiday Bazaar held on December 8 was a great success thanks to member vendors and members involved in organizing the event. Our next event is a “Stash Sale” held on January 13, 2019 from 1 to 3 p. m. at the Rampart Center. This event is a good opportunity to purchase supplies for some classes or for your own use. The Arts & Crafts Club’s next General meeting is on Thursday, January 17 at 3:30 p.m. at the Rampart Center. All members are encouraged to participate. Wine and cheese are served and gift certificates for teachers and students are drawn. Many classes continue in January and many others begin…to all our members take pleasure in creating your masterpieces, renewing with friends and making new ones! Happy New Year!

Golf Association LaNell Burgsteden

It was so wonderful to see so many Maple Leaf residents come to participate in the re-opening of our fantastic new golf

course on a cool November day. The putting competition was interesting and the ‘target shots’ on #1 was a challenging

activity. Local dignitaries were present while our men’s and ladies club champions hit ceremonial tee shots – thanks Rob

Keyes and Debbie Bowe. 2 of our longtime residents cut the ribbon to officially re-open the course – nice going Jeannette

Devries and Jack Moser. We would like to extend a big thank you to all who helped organize and run the event and make

it a big success.

Our first Nine and Dine had a tremendous turnout and was so much fun! Thank you, Leo and Sharon Ayotte, for organizing

and staging this activity, we look forward to more in the future.

Members are invited to a general meeting of the Golf Association, to be held Thursday, January 10th at 4:00 pm in the

Queensway Center. In addition to reports from the Leagues, etc., there will two featured presentations. One will be the

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significant Changes to the Rules of Golf by the USGA, effective January 1, 2019. The second topic is the use of "Combo

Tees". After the re-rating of our golf course, it has been decided to introduce these to our course and scorecards, giving

players more options on how they play the course. Come and learn all about these topics and have your questions

answered.

The Member/Member tournament went smoothly until Sunday morning when the rains came as forecasted. But the

Tournament Committee adjusted nicely and was able to conclude the event by using the scores from the first 4 matches,

followed by a delicious roast beef dinner. Congratulations to all winners – too numerous to name.

The next event is the Mixed Pairs Tournament which will be held on Sunday, Jan. 13th. Please watch for the sign-up

information on Ch. 195 and in the Pro Shop

Natural Resources Committee Mike Comba co-chair. We wish Nancy Miller a happy retirement and welcome Chris Spence as the new co-chair of the committee. “OPERATION MEDICINE CABINET” was a success. We are requesting a March date from the Sheriff’s office and hope to make this an annual event. Planning and logistics for another pine seedling program is in progress. Seedlings may be potted in February and located in the maintenance area. We anticipate a higher survival rate when grown for three years in a protected environment. Thanks to the Tai Chi group for helping fund the project. The committee will evaluate the use of skimmer booms in the Rampart water inflow to evaluate their efficiency to remove oil. Help reduce our waste. Take home glass and recyclables when you attend group party functions. Please visit our page on the Maple Leaf website (http://mapleleafgcc.net). Go to “Our Community” and click on Natural Resources Committee. Interested in your environmental surroundings. Get involved and join the committee.

Newcomers’ Welcome Gathering Enid Lunt

Are you a relatively new homeowner or renter? The Maple Leaf Welcome Committee invites you to attend our second Newcomers’ Welcome Gathering of the season to be held Monday Jan 14 at 10:30 a.m. in the Country Club. This is an informal gathering meant to give you the opportunity to meet and mingle with other newcomers to the Park and to get your settling-in questions answered. Are you wishing to find someone who does repairs or maintenance? Are you looking for an interesting spot nearby to visit? There will be folks on hand to give you answers or at least point you in the right direction. This event comes very highly recommended by the many others who have attended previously. Watch for our notices via the community bulletin boards, Channel 195 or on your computer at www.mlgcctv.com. Welcome to Maple Leaf and we hope to see you on Jan 14! Established homeowners, if you know anyone who may benefit from our gathering, please pass on our invitation. The

Welcome Committee appreciates your support in welcoming new neighbors to your street and activities. Your efforts do

make a difference and go a long way in helping to keep our Park the ‘Best of the Best’.

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Bocce Club

Tom Dodd

There will be a Bocce Club luncheon social on Jan 19, 2019 between 12:00 noon & 3:00 PM.

Please wear your membership badge & bring a cash fee of $ 10.00 per person. Please bring exact change as we will not

accept cheques or credit cards.

Thank you very much & see you at the luncheon.

Mens’ Golf League Gary Croskey, Captain Our first Luncheon was Tuesday, November 27, 2018, at the CanAm. It was a great success with over 90 attendees. We shared good food and drink and awarded door prizes. Our membership is over 130 and still growing. At the Party in the Park, Glen Thompson and his team of volunteers did a great job providing beer sales to this event. We are looking forward to next year’s Party. We will continue to communicate this year via email. Please make sure you have provided your correct email address on the golf membership form. Also, checkout the MLGCC Golf Association website at: http://www.mapleleafgolfassociation.com Thanks to our new Golf Professional, Nathan Wilson. He is providing great services to our Men’s League. For example, we need only to record GROSS score on our scorecards, and the Pro Shop compiles our League results weekly. Results may be sent to you via individual email to access a website. You will find our yearly calendar, committee meeting agenda/minutes, along with our volunteers Operations & Duties posted both in the Starter Shack and behind the Pro Shop. Our Mid-Winter Scramble will be on Wednesday, January 23, 2019. Prizes will be awarded at the January 29th luncheon at CanAm. We will sponsor the SUPER BOWL PARTY, in the Country Club on February 3, 2019. There will be ADVANCE TICKET sales this year for this event. Watch for announcements on Channel 195. Have fun, and putt them in.

Computer Club Mon. January 14, at the CanAm, is the Next Members Computer Club Meeting. Coffee & Membership sign up at 9 am, Meeting at 9:30 am

No Trouble Shooting Saturday, Dec 29 & Jan 5 from 9- 12 noon at the Club. Otherwise, we are there to help solve your problems, bring them to the Club, and we'll try to make things better. Denise will accept appointments for Membership until January 28, when Bev Murray returns to Maple Leaf. I'm in the ML phone directory.

Alternate Tuesdays – at the Club from 1 – 3 pm, if you can't make it Saturdays, we are introducing this date & time to our Members, thanks to Jane Pauls, Jeff Jennings & our Directors who volunteer within our Club on both these dates & all they do in between. Alternate Tuesday Dates are: Jan 8, Jan 22, Feb 5, Feb 19, March 5, March 19. These dates will be posted on 195. Don't have cable, go to mlgcctv.com

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Computer Club Social / Open House January 16 from 1 – 3 at the CANAM. All Members are welcome, bring friends, family. Curious at what the Club can provide you with during your stay in Port Charlotte? Drop on in and we'll chat. Membership sign up is available, $25 for one, $35 two in same household.

Courses: Beginner Ipad I (one) will have happened by this printing, however, if you want to learn, advise us, and another class can be scheduled.

After this Class there is Beginner Ipad II (two). Both taught by Chris Vaughan.

Google Photo – Friday, January 11 from 9 – 11 am, taught by Ken Morris.

All Classes are taught at the Club, beside Library, are $10 each, must be a Member, which allows you to attend Saturdays 9 – noon, for further help.

For all who travel, may your journeys be safe. To Everyone, the Best of Holidays, Merry Christmas & Joy to all. Sincerely, on behalf of your Directors: - Denise / Barry Holland, June / Ken Morris, Bev Murray, Dan LaHaise, Bill Rudd, (Alt Tuesdays- Jane Pauls, Jeff Jennings)

Maple leaf Billiards Stan Noel, Secretary Our first 8-Ball Tournament of the season was held on Nov 26th with 28 individuals taking part. The first event winners were: 1st Place Peter Trivett and Rick Janowski Runners Up David Ballard and Lindsay Brannen 2nd Place Jim Bayens and George Handyside Runners Up Tom Zenisek and Stan Noel 3rd Place Mike Comba and Richard Smith Runners Up Don Heywood and Cecile Schell The first Couples Night of the season was on November 30th. The winners in a playoff were: 1st Place Ann Pitre and Ron Smith Runners Up Bev Smith and Brian Thornton The winners of the Couples Night of December 14th were Bud and Norma Petican The first 9-Ball Tournament of the season was held on Dec 17th. The winners were: 1st Place Cecile Schell and John Robertson Runners Up Tom Zenisek and George Handyside 2nd Place Larry Pinto and Russ Dean Runners Up Mike Comba and Denise Holland 3rd Place Charlie Heckel and John Shaw Runners Up Lindsay Brannen and Stan Noel Future tournaments in the new Year 2019 will be listed on Channel 195 and in the Billiard Room. Hope everyone has a happy and successful 2019 year.

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January Hop

Karen Kobel, Coordinator Corporate Dances

The “Hop” Dance will be held Saturday, January 19th at the Queensway from 7:30 – 11:00 pm. The entertainment is “Shake

Rattle & Soul”. There will be a second ticket sale on Monday, January 7th @ 1 o’clock at the Can Am & tickets are $10 per

person. There is a limit of 8 tickets per person.

Also, from the corporate dance corner…. looking for 2 couples to volunteer to host the “Hootenany” next November &

the “Hop” in January 2020. If anyone is interested, please contact Karen Kobel @ 328 Queensway or call or text @ 585-

469-7396.

Fire Club Spaghetti Dinner Don Sabin It’s hard to believe that the annual fire club Spaghetti dinner is just around the corner. Below is some information relating to the dinner:

DATE: January 21 TIME: 4PM-7PM PLACE: Queensway

MENU Spaghetti

Italian Bread Salad

Lemonade/water Cupcake for dessert

There is a separate line designated for take-out dinners. As usual we will be selling raffle tickets. This year it is to pay for the soldier we purchased for the Remembrance/Veteran’s Day service held on November 11. Tickets are being sold door to door by Fire Club members. Price is $7.00/each

Maple Leaf Tennis Club

Greg Freeman Tennis Improvement Committee - Lindsay Brannen With the assistance of Wade and the maintenance crew, we have installed a new drain system at the Charlotte courts to help drain the water in front of the viewing stands. In addition, all of the current and past tennis tournament results have been archived on the Tennis Club website under the link ‘tournaments. Check it out, you might be surprised to find the names of some first-generation friends or family who were past tournament winners. Ladies Triples Tennis Tournament - Gary and Heather Reid The first Saturday in December say our first Ladies Triples Tournament played on the Charlotte Courts. Ten competitive teams completed three matches over the course of the morning. The teams were fairly evenly matched, with a single point separating many of the teams. The final match was very exciting and the stands and viewing area had standing room

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only. Congratulations to Marcia Vajcovec, Janet Robertson and Pat Mintsioulis who prevailed over Bonnie Shimon, Linda Weyer, and Jacque Forsythe for the championship. The next tournament is the Men’s Triples Tournament, on January 12th. All men who are Tennis Club members are invited to participate and are reminded to sign up on the sheets on the Charlotte Bulletin Board the first week in January. Christmas Morning Social - Betty Staples Come on out for the Christmas morning drop in triples play and social at the Charlotte at 10:00 AM. This annual activity is a fun way to start your Christmas morning, visiting with friends, maximizing participation by playing triples tennis and having some Christmas Cheer and a wonderful breakfast. There is a signup sheet on the Charlotte Bulletin Board and nonmember family and guests are welcome for a nominal charge. Novice Stroke Improvement Lessons for Tennis Club Members - Becky Thompson The Tennis Club is offering Stroke Improvement lessons to new club members who are new to tennis. The lessons will be instructed by Nancy McGruer and Peter Trivett. One session is already in progress and there is a second session scheduled to begin in February. If you are interested in participating in these sessions in the New Year, contact Becky Thompson. NOTE - Look for these two tennis articles elsewhere in the ACCENTS Strawberry Festival - Reminder of our Annual Fundraiser in March Taste of Tennis - Introductory lessons in January offered to any Maple Leaf Resident

Duplicate Bridge Club Mavis Trivett President

Please visit our Website for information about our Bridge Club. www.bridgewebs.com/mapleleafgcc/ We had 12 1/2 Tables for our Fall Club Championship game which was held on December 12. Wilma Ball and Sue Robertson are our Championship winners. Our “B” Winners are Mary Raeside and JoAnn McGee. Congratulations to both pairs. In order to accommodate our members and their significant others who head north for Christmas, we voted at our AGM to change our Christmas Pot Luck Dinner to a Welcome Back Pot Luck Dinner. This event will be held on Monday, January 7 at 5 p.m. If you haven't already done so, please sign up on the bulletin board in the CanAm. Volunteers are needed for set up, at 4.15 p.m. and kitchen duty. Please let Penny Suikki know if you are willing to help. A reminder - please bring serving utensils for your prepared dish, as well as your complete Table Settings which includes your cutlery and plates. Also, please bring a disposable bag to take your dishes home. The kitchen will not be used for dishes, etc. Please note that our Monday, January 21st game will be held at the Charlotte Centre. The Singers will be using the CanAm, as they have been displaced from the Queensway due to the Spaghetti Dinner. All other Bridge games will be held at the CanAm. Please register early as our START TIME for our Monday and Wednesday games is 6.45 p.m. Dues remain at $15, Guest Fee $3, and Table Fee is $1. Please take note of our updated Saturday events: Saturday, January 12 - Memorial Tournament - Extra Points Awarded Saturday, January 19 - Swiss Teams Game Saturday, January 26 - Lessons on Defence by Joe Potter - start at 9.00 a.m.

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- (Joe will combine both lessons into one - you may have to bring your lunch😊 - Sign Up Sheet will be posted on the bulletin board, fees involved) Saturday, February 16 - Swiss Teams Game We look forward to seeing returning members in January, and welcome new visitors to our Duplicate Bridge Club. We wish everyone a Healthy, Happy New Year.

Deaths - Nov Douglas Langlotz - #298 Jim Shirley - #1086

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January 2019 Check channel 195 for changes/additions

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

1 Office AND Sandbar/Country Club CLOSED HAPPY NEW YEAR

2 3Lawnbowling open

house 1:30

4 5

6 7 Homeowners

Meeting 9:30 Q Karaoke 5-8 CC

8 9Ladies Golf new

member breakfast Hole in One 4-6 Q

10 Wings & Things 4:30-8

11 12Garden Club

8:30 CA Pickleball social 2-4 CA deck Taste of Tennis3:30-5 C

13Ladies only

clothing sale2-4 CA

14Newcomers

10:30 CC Computer Club 9-11 CA (Latin Cardio Cancelled) Karaoke 5-8 CC

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16 Computer

Club Social 1-3 CA MOVIE NIGHT 7pCC

17 Wings & Things 4:30-8 CC

18 19Merry Makers

Tickets 8a CA #s given out at 6am

20Shuffleboard

fun day Q

21Celebrity

Series Tickets 12-2 CC Karaoke 5-8 CC SPAGHETTI DINNER 4-7 Q

22BOD mtg 8:30

Q Info mtg 1-4 Q Ladies golf luncheon

23 Line Dancing

Cancelled. MOVIE NIGHT 7PCC

24 Wings & Things 4:30-8 CC Flea Market drop off 9-1 Bike Sale 2pm Q L

25

FLEA MARKET 9-12 QUEENSWAY

26

27Pennsylvania

Night 5P CA

28 Karaoke 5-8 CC

29 30 31 Wings & Things

4:30-8 CC

Weekly Activities

7:15-8:30AM

Exercise with

weights CA & Deck

12-2 Partner Dance

(inst.) C 7-9 Bridge C

8:30 Latin Cardio Exercise CA

9:30 Book & Film

Club C 12:30-4PM

Keyboard Q

6:30-9:30 ML Singers Q

6:30-10 Dup.

Bridge CA 7-9:30PM Euchre

C

9-10AM Exercise with weights C

9AM Keyboard

Practice Q Bocce 1pm

3:30 Yoga

6:30 SQ dance rounds Q

7:30 SQ Beginners

Q

7 pm Pinochle C

Happy Hour 3-8 CC

7:15-8:30 Weights Class CA & Deck

9:00 Latin Cardio

Exercise CA Yoga Adv. 10:30-

12

Q 1PM Ladies Bridge

CA

1pm SQ Dance Workshop Q

6:45 Cribbage C

6:30 Dup Bridge CA

6:30 Cards &

Games C 7PM Euchre SB

7-9PM Line Dance

Q

9-10:30AM Yoga Q 9-10 Exercise with

weights C

9A SQ Dance DBD CA Creative Writing 9-

11CC #3

11 SQ Dance Mainstream CA

7-10 Bingo CA

Wings & Things 4-7 CC

8:30 Latin Cardio Exercise CA

8:45-10:15Yoga Q

10:30-12 Yoga Adv. Q

10:30-11:45 Tai

Chi CA 1PM SQ Advanced

CA

3PM SQ Dance Weekly Dance CA

7PM Bid Euchre

CA

12:30 pm Duplicate Bridge

CA

9-12 Trouble shooting at the Computer Club

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