Eastbrook

Insider

Homeowners Association of Eastbrook, Inc. A Neighborhood Watch Community

MAR/APR 2017 THREE HUNDRED SIXTH ISSUE VOLUME 29, ISSUE 2

One of these days, I’m going to write an article entitled Slumlords of Eastbrook. While Eastbrook certainly has no slums, we do have a wide range of investors who eagerly acquire our neighborhood’s homes due to their excellent value and even better location. Over twenty-five percent of homes within Eastbrook are rental properties.

Traditionally, real estate is seen as a long-term investment to most buyers. The majority of landlords properly maintain their properties even when doing so proves costly in the short term. That’s because, in the long run, well-maintained properties attract higher rents and more desirable tenants. Likewise, a well-maintained property is worth more to potential buyers should a landlord choose to divest. These types of landlords are also paid members of the homeowners associations where they invest. They understand the value of an active HOA and do their parts in contributing to a thriving neighborhood filled with participating neighbors. Along with making their properties attractive to renters, they are protecting their investment and insuring long-term returns.

Preparing the HOA’s renewal letters this winter required that I actually look-up the tax records of every home within Eastbrook. It provided me with a fascinating snapshot of our neighborhood, including trends regarding landlords both local and absentee. While purely anecdotal, a comparison between the list of rental property owners and the list of paid

RESIDENTS MEETING

The Eastbrook HOA Board meets the third Monday

of each month starting at 7:30pm at the Eastbrook

YMCA (3510 Tourney Drive - just off Eastbrook).

All residents are welcome to attend.

(President’s Message continued)

HOA members revealed that smaller, single-home landlords were far more likely to pay their HOA dues each year. This was almost universally true for landlords who also lived in or near Eastbrook (yes, there are notable exceptions).

It appeared as if people living in Eastbrook or familiar with Eastbrook (perhaps they lived here at one time or inherited family property here), wanted to invest in the entire neighborhood and not just collect rent. God bless each and every one of them!

Conversely, the more properties either an individual or investment company held in Eastbrook, the less likely they were to pay their HOA dues. There’s one company that owns twenty homes in Eastbrook, generating $30,000 a month in income, yet they don’t contribute one single penny to the HOA that works so hard to protect their investment.

I understand that in order to maximize profit, you have to minimize spending. But anyone who skimps on paying a mere $30 a year in HOA fees, is pretty likely to cut corners on maintenance and more. That leads directly to a deteriorating neighborhood and hurts every resident within it.

Why on Earth would anyone do that, you might ask? Well, there are actually lots of reasons for a rental property investor to actually want to turn our neighborhood into a slum. Lower property values make for easier acquisitions. Often these LLCs buy property with little or no down payment, receive rent in cash to avoid disclosing it for tax purposes, and are constantly refinancing, providing lucrative short term income with the easy out of going belly-up (yay, US bankruptcy laws). Large property-holders like I mentioned above may also hope that sufficiently decayed properties will eventually be purchased by the government for more than it is worth as a part of urban renewal, or by other investors as the neighborhood becomes gentrified

Until I purchased my home here in Eastbrook, I’d been a renter for my entire adult life. As a renter, I always maintained my home as if I owned it and made it a point to be as much a contributing part of the neighborhood as any lifelong resident. Eastbrook is blessed with many renters who share the exact same temperament. It is my genuine desire that people who have rented in Eastbrook, when and if circumstances allow, would opt to buy a home here and stay. It’s why everyone in Eastbrook is included in everything the HOA does. But wouldn’t it be nice if all of our rental property owners were just as invested in our community as their tenants?

Scot Myers

EASTBROOK HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION

Treasurer’s Report for December 2016

Balance in checking as of:

12/01/2016 $3,322.61

December Income

Membership Dues (52) $1325.00

Extra Contributions (12) $265.00

Tranfer from PayPal Account $168.68

Total Income $1758.68

December Expenses

Utilities (Water) $58.91

Lawn Service (Public Areas) $165.00

Weenie Roast $71.49

Printing/Postage $217.41

Signs (Sponsored) $69.97

Holiday Party $140.66

Fire Station 23 Christmas Dinner $82.89

Total Expenses $806.33

Balance in checking as of:

12/31/2016 $4,274.96

EASTBROOK HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION

Treasurer’s Report for January 2017

Balance in checking as of:

01/01/2017 $4,274.96

January Income

Membership Dues (66) $1825.00

Extra Contributions (10) $255.00

Total Income $2,080.00

January Expenses

Utilities (Water) $58.55

Lawn Service (Public Areas) $165.00

Concrete Blocks (E.G.G.) * $407.02

Total Expenses $630.57

Balance in checking as of:

01/31/2017 $5,724.39

* From Eastbrook Gardening Group dedicated fund.

Our local springs are suffering from too much Nitrogen! Nitrogen in our springs and rivers promotes algae growth and causes a decline in water quality. Here’s how you can help.

1. Equip broadcast spreaders with a deflector shield to keep fertilizer pellets away from impervious surfaces, water bodies, and buffer areas.

2. Keep fertilizer off of driveways and streets and out of storm drains, ditches, and swales.

3. Do not apply fertilizer within 10 feet of a lake, pond, stream, water course, canal, or wetland.

4. Don’t apply fertilizer containing nitrogen or phosphorus to turf prior to severe thunderstorms.

5. Make sure your fertilizer's nitrogen contains at least 50% slow release formulations.

6. Don't apply fertilizer containing phosphorus.

If your lawn has a phosphorus deficiency that has been demonstrated through testing, you can apply phosphorus at a rate no greater than ¼ pound per 1,000 square feet per application.

Don’t exceed ½ pound per 1,000 square feet in a year's time.

7. If you have newly-installed turf, you may apply phosphorus for 60 days following installation. Follow all guidelines.

8. From June 1 through September 30, do not apply fertilizer containing nitrogen or phosphorus to turf.

There are two exceptions to this rule: Commercial applicators certified under Section 15-809 may conduct these applications.

Homeowners who have completed an online educational program may conduct these applications.

9. Don't deposit grass clippings and/or vegetative material/debris into any public right of way, stormwater drain or other water conveyance.

10. Learn more at http://www.ocfl.net

Eastbrook will be holding its annual Springtime Community Yard Sale Fri & Sat on April 7th & 8th, 2017

This annual Eastbrook spring event provides a great opportunity for neighborhood residents to do some Spring cleaning while making a few extra bucks -- all with a minimum of fuss. The Eastbrook HOA does practically everything but sell your items for you! We’ll obtain the necessary permits, handle online promotion, signs, and even provide customers with neighborhood maps, etc. In past years, we’ve had forty-plus participants. Let’s set a new record!

You can also help your neighbors by avoiding “piggyback” yard sales. Those are people, who for one reason or another, opt not to join with the community, pay their fee, and support their neighbors. Instead, they set up their bootleg sale and coast on the work others have put into supporting the neighborhood. How they sleep at night, I’ll never know.

A mere $5 or $10 keeps you dutch and it all goes to defray the expenses your Association incurs by sponsoring the event.

A lot of work goes into optimizing the community yard sale to benefit everyone who particpates. Please do your part and pay your fee. Thanks!

Simply use the Community Yard Sale Application provided here to sign-up or contact Scot Myers at EastbrookRA@aol.com (or at 407-657-6588) for more information.

Information to include when you apply should be your name, address where the sale is taking place (with county), phone number, and the days you will be participating: Friday, Saturday, or both.

The fee for members of the Eastbrook Residents Association (you did renew this year, right is only $5.00. All others pay the nominal fee of only $10.00. All fees must be paid nlt March 31st for you to be included in this community event.

We live in a world where we are constantly bombarded by negative news from every angle. If you turn on any news network, either local or national, you'll predominantly hear about death, terrorism, airplane crashes, bombings, the financial crisis, and political scandal. In so many ways, I think of the news as a drug pusher, and negative news as their drug.

There's a reason for this. We humans are wired to pay 10 times more attention to negative news than positive news. Being able to rapidly notice and pay attention to negative news (like a predator or a dangerous fire) was an evolutionary advantage to keep us alive on the savannas of Africa millions of years ago.

Today, we still pay more attention to negative news, and the news media knows this. They take advantage of it to drive our eyeballs to their advertisers. Typically, good news networks fail as businesses. It's not that the news media is lying (they’re not) – it's just not a balanced view of what's really going on in the world.

This is not to say that there aren't major issues we still face, like climate crisis, religious radicalism, terrorism, and so on. It's just that we forget and romanticize the world in centuries past – but life back then was short and brutal.

Because your mindset matters, I’m going to share with you the data supporting the positive side of the equation and to give you insight to some fundamental truths about where humanity really is going. The truth is, driven by advances in exponential technologies, things are getting much better around the world at an accelerating rate. Here are ten powerful charts showing you why the world is better than you think…

1. Living in Absolute Poverty (1981-2011) (Source: Our World in Data, Max Roser)

Absolute poverty is defined as living on less than $1.25/day. Over the last 30 years, the share of the global population living in absolute poverty has declined from 53% to under 17%. While there is still room for improvement (especially in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia), the quality of life in every region shown has been steadily improving. Over the next 20 years, we have the ability to extinguish absolute poverty on Earth.

2. Child Labor Is on the Decline (2000-2020) (Source: International Labor Organization)

This chart depicts the actual and projected changes in the number of children (in millions) in hazardous work conditions and performing child labor between 2000 and 2020. As you can see, in the last 16 years, the number of children in these conditions has been reduced by more than 50%. As we head to a world of low-cost robotics, where such machines can operate far faster, far cheaper, and around the clock, the basic rationale for child labor will completely disappear, and it will drop to zero.

3. Income Spent on Food (Source: USDA, Economic Research Service, Food Expenditure Series)

This chart shows the % per capita of disposable income spent on food in the U.S. from 1960 to 2012. If you focus on 'Food at home” line, you can see that over the last 50 years, the percentage of our disposable income spent on food has dropped by more than 50%, from 14% to less than 6%. This is largely a function of better food production technology, distribution processes, and policies that have reduced the cost of food. We're demonetizing food rapidly.

4. Infant Mortality Rates (Source: Devpolicy, UN Interagency Group for Child Mortality)

This chart depicts global under-five-years-old mortality rates between 1990 and 2012 based on the number of deaths per 1,000 live births. In the last 25 years, under-five mortality rates have dropped by 50%. Infant mortality rates and neonatal mortality rates have also dropped significantly. And this is just in the last 25 years. If you looked at the last 100 years, the improvements have been staggering.

5. Annual Cases of Guinea Worm (Source: GiveWell, Carter Center)

Guinea worm is a nasty parasite that used to affect over 3.5 million people only 30 years ago. Today, thanks to advances in medical technologies, research and therapeutics, the parasite has almost been eradicated. In 2008, there were just 4,647 cases. This chart represents humanity's growing ability to address and cure diseases that have plagued us for ages. Expect that through improving technologies such as genomics, we will rapidly begin to eliminate hundreds of similar plagues.

6. Teen Birth Rates in the United States (Source: Vox, Centers for Disease Control)

This chart shows the dramatic decline in the number of teen (15 to 19 years old) birth rates in the United States since 1950. At its peak, 89.1 out of 1,000 teenage women were giving birth. Today, it's dropped to under 29 out of 1,000. This is largely a function of the population becoming better educated, the cost of birth control being reduced and becoming more widely available, and cultural shifts in the United States. Since 2007, the year-to-year decline in teen birth rates has been between 7% and 9%. With teens moms dropping by a total of 54%.

7. Homicide Rates in Western Europe (Source: Our World in Data, Max Roser & Manuel Eisner)

This chart shows the number of homicides per 100,000 people per year in five Western European regions from 1300 to 2010. As you can see, Western Europe used to be a very dangerous place to live. Over the last 700+ years, the number of homicides per 100,000 people has decreased to almost zero. It is important to look back this far (700 years) because we humans lose perspective and tend to romanticize the past, but forget how violent life truly was in, say, the Middle Ages, or even just a couple of hundred years ago. We have made dramatic and positive changes. On an evolutionary time scale, 700 years is NOTHING, and our progress as a species is impressive.

8. U.S. Violent Crime Rates, 1973 – 2010 (Source: Gallup, Bureau of Justice Statistics)

With the tragic shooting here in Orlando, and equally terrible school shootings in years past, it is sometimes easy to lose perspective. The truth is, in aggregate, we've made significant progress in reducing violent crimes in the United States in the last 50 years. As recent as the early 80s and mid-90s, there were over 50 violent crime victims per 1,000 individuals. Recently, this number has dropped threefold to 15 victims per 1,000 people.

9. Average Years of Education, 1820-2003 (Source: Our World in Data, Max Roser)

I love this chart! In the last 200 years, the average number of 'years of education' received by people worldwide has increased dramatically. In the U.S. in 1820, the average person received less than 2 years of education. These days, it's closer to 21 years of education, a 10X improvement. We are rapidly continuing the democratization of education. Despite recent events with the Dept. of Education, expect that, over the next 20 years, the best possible education will be delivered equally to the children of a billionaires as it is for the children of the poor.

10. Global Literacy Rates (Source: Our World in Data, Max Roser)

Along those same lines, this extraordinary chart shows how global literacy rates have increased from around 10% to close to 100% in the last 500 years. This is both a function of technology democratizing access to education, as well as lifestyle changes affording us the freedom of time to learn. Education and literacy are core to a better future. A better-educated world raises us al

The fact of the matter is, we live in the most exciting time to be alive! Take a deep breath and enjoy it.

EASTBROOK HOA MONTHLY MEETING MINUTES – JANUARY 2017

7:30pm on Monday, 01/23/2017 at the Eastbrook YMCA (3510 Tourney Dr.)

President Scot Myers called the meeting to order at 7:36pm on January 23, 2017. Directors in attendance were: Christina Crawford, Joseph England, Helen Jones, Cortney Mitchell-England, Scot Myers, and Marie Westmoreland. Also in attendance were: Ramona Campbell, Andrea Sinclair, Happy Weaver, Doug Wilson, and Marti Wilson.

Secretary Director Helen Jones moved that the November 2016 meeting minutes be approved as printed in the January/February issue of the Eastbrook Insider. Marie second. Ayes carried.

President Scot Myers reported that, as of this meeting, 138 members of the HOA had renewed for 2017. This is on track with previous years. However, if you haven’t yet paid your dues for 2017, please do so. Discounting residents who had actually moved away from Eastbrook 2015, the HOA saw a 100% renewal in 2016. We need that and more for 2017! The Eastbrook HOA has seen a steady growth of about 50 new members each year for the past four years. We’d like to keep that forward momentum going.

Vice President Joseph England gave a report on the expansion of the Eastbrook Community Garden currently underway. With an original plan of ten beds, the garden had an initial build of four beds. We currently stand at eight beds available for Eastbrook (and nearby) residents to begin planting this spring.

Treasurer Mindy Heath was unable to attend but our financial report stated that, as of this meeting, Eastbrook has a balance of $5,504.39 in our checking account and $344.74 in our PayPal account. Included in our checking account is $1,065.40 belonging to the Eastbrook Gardening Group. That gives the Eastbrook HOA a balance of $$4,783.73. As $2,500 of that is already committed to the Aloma sign refurbishment project, that leaves the HOA with an available balance of $2,283.73. This actually leaves us below the $2,500 threshold we strive to maintain. We cannot stress enough how important it is for all residents to pay their annual HOA dues.

Scot presented a review of our 2016 financials showing that the HOA took in $8,822.21 in 2016 and had total expenditures of $7,388.56. While that represents a growth of $1,433.65, it also demonstrates just how much the HOA spends to benefit the entire Eastbrook community. Residents get a lot of value out of their $30 dues.

Newsletter Distribution Director Christina Crawford asked that we mention again in the Insider how important it is for residents NOT to blow their yard/lawn debris into the streets. Please don’t do it!

Community & Grants Director Chris Pisarri reported electronically that we our grant application to Orange County for Eastbrook’s Aloma signs renovation project has been completed. Eastbrook’s portion of the matching grant will necessitate the liquidation of Eastbrook’s General Fund CD. A letter to that effect was provided to the County by the Treasurer.

Crime Prevention Director Marie Westmoreland lead a discussion on just what Eastbrook might be able to do to thank the Seminole and Orange County Sheriff’s Deputies who call Eastbrook home. Four deputies reside in Eastbrook and that certainly adds to the overall security of our neighborhood.

Old Business: Almost 60 people attended Eastbrook’s December Holiday Party making it our most successful yet. Thank you to all of the residents who attended and brought dishes to share with their neighbors!

The Eastbrook HOA again provided Seminole County Fire Station 23 with both Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners on those respective holidays. The Chief there put it rather succinctly when he said, “Eastbrook rocks!”

Eastbrook will be pursuing a slightly less aggressive schedule of programs for 2017. However, look for a return of Eastbrook Bingo along with bimonthly Happy Hours and other returning favorites.

New Business: Eastbrook will hold its annual Community Yard Sale on Friday and Saturday, April 7th and 8th.

Election/confirmation of the 2017 HOA Board was held. The Board welcomed new Director Andrea Sinclair.

There being no further business, Christina moved we adjourn at 8:47pm. Marie second. Ayes carried.

Next meeting will be held at 7:30 p.m. on Monday 02/27/2017 at the Eastbrook YMCA.

In our lifetime home can take many forms. For Godwin, a new Eastbrook resident, it has meant not only a change of location, but a change of culture.

His story begins in Uganda in East Africa where he was born. Godwin grew up in the city but longed to come to the United States after friends of the family invited his family to come. His sister was the first one to emigrate, then his mother, and finally in 1999, when he was 24 years old, Godwin followed.

Learning English was one of the challenges he faced. There were also cultural differences to adjust to. In Uganda, women stay at home and care for the children while the men work to support the family. Men rarely do domestic chores or care for children. And women don’t smoke. It is still shocking for Godwin to see a woman smoking.

He first met his wife, Holly, working at an assisted living facility in Massachusetts. “He was sweet,” she said.

“Really?” replied Godwin with a big smile, “I’m just learning that.”

She worked in the kitchen and he helped with the patients. After working together for 2 years they decide to take the relationship to the next level, married, and created a new home together. They tried several places, including Hollywood, California where his sister lives.

In 2011, Godwin became a U.S. citizen. In order to accomplish that, a person must meet certain requirements. For example, they must have lived in the U.S. for at least 5 years, be a person of good moral character, demonstrate an attachment to the principles and ideals of the U.S .Constitution, be able to read, write, and speak basic English, have an understanding of U.S. history and government, and take an oath of allegiance to the United States. “It was very easy,” he says. At the time he was in active duty with the army. “You may be stationed out of the country, but they can only protect you if you are a US citizen.”

Settling in Eastbrook came after much looking and living in the area for several years. “We looked at a gazillion houses,” Holly said. “Eastbrook has the right price, and we aren’t afraid of a little work. It had everything we needed: a pool and a 2 car garage.” Godwin loved the inside with 4 bedrooms as well as the neighborhood. “We spoke to the neighbors and they were warm to us and welcoming. The neighborhood is well taken care of and family oriented,” said Holly.

They purchased their home in September and moved in October of 2016. They have already improved their home by pulling up the original carpeting, painting walls and floors. To create an open atmosphere, they took out a window to create a half wall. Godwin has always liked the modern cement floor look he saw at Lowe’s and recreated it in his home. They like the natural feel and are hoping it will help the house feel cooler in summer. “We did a lot of work,” says Holly.

Although Uganda will always feel like home, Godwin has acclimated well to this new culture and his new home. Unlike life in Uganda, he enjoys exploring his talent for cooking as well as reading bedtime stories to his two children. Holly and Godwin have two energetic children, Feona who is 6 and Elijah who is 4. Holly stays at home, caring for the children, while Godwin works in the National Guard.

They love to garden and have already planted mustard greens (Holly’s favorite), passion fruit, peas, corn, beans, strawberries, herbs, pineapple, and romaine lettuce. “I just stick the brown ends of the lettuce in the ground and it grows,” says Holly. (Gardening Group, take note!)

This article is written by Mary Beth Griffis, a resident of Eastbrook, and a licensed mental health counselor with a private practice in Interlachen Village Plaza in Winter Park. Each issue highlights the people in our neighborhood. Would you like to share a story about your neighbor? You may contact her at marybethgriffis@gmail.com or 407.782.0134.

WELCOME TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD!

If you are a new resident to Eastbrook, or if you notice a new resident on your

street, please notify Cynthia Koerner, New Residents Director so she can visit

them with a welcome letter, containing information about the neighborhood,

including meeting times, dates, and upcoming events. Cynthia can be reached

via email, phone, or text at jescyn5@hotmail.com, 407-341-6718.

Eastbrook Community Notice

Support our local Boy Scouts! Remember to drop off your newspapers for recycling in the green dumpsters (trimmed with red) located behind the Aloma United Methodist Church on the northwest corner of Aloma and 436 (3045 Aloma Ave.). Drive all the way behind the church to the back parking area to drop off your papers. Proceeds from the newspaper recycling effort benefit our local Scouts.

Eastbrook Community Notice

The Eastbrook HOA Board would like to thank Community & Grants Director Chris Pisarri for all the extraordinary work he did recently cleaning out brush and overgrowth from the Aloma entrance island. It’s not many residents who would spend their Saturday off doing extensive yardwork for the sole benefit of making our neighborhood look better. All of Eastbrook benefits when thoughtful neighbors volunteer their time in service to the community.

Eastbrook Community Notice

Join the online conversation by following Eastbrook on Facebook, Twitter, and Nextdoor.com. Also, be sure to check out the Eastbrook website regularly at http://www.eastbrookhoa.org as well for meeting times, event announcements, and classifieds.

Eastbrook Community Notice

The March bulletin board sign for Saint Patrick’s Day was sponsored by Mindy Heath. Mindy sponsors four other days for Eastbrook’s bb board!

The April bulletin board sign for Easter Sunday was sponsored by Scot Myers in loving memory of his brother Owen.

Michala Hill sponsored the April bulletin board sign for Earth Day.

Michala sponsors two additional signs with her husband Joe.

If you would like to sponsor a bulletin board sign for Eastbrook, please get in touch with Scot Myers at EastbrookRA@aol.com. It’s just $35 per holiday and you’ll get the thanks of our neighborhood printed in the Eastbrook Insider for the life of the sign.

With spring upon us and the start of Florida’s growing season, planning for our Eastbrook yards and gardens can become a renewed priority. A Florida-friendly yard doesn’t merely offer a beautiful landscape – it also becomes an asset to our neighborhood and environment, protecting natural resources and preserving Florida’s unique beauty. Recognizing that your home’s landscaping is part of a larger, natural system will help in creating a Florida-friendly yard.

A properly maintained Florida-friendly yard can help homeowners conserve water and reduce pollution of water resources. The Florida-friendly approach to landscaping emphasizes eight interrelated principles.

1. Right plant, right place…

Almost any plant will survive in your landscape if you plant it in the right place. You can drastically reduce the need for water, fertilizer, pesticides and pruning if you follow these tips:

Make a note of the type of soil, sunlight exposure and water conditions of the planting site before you shop. Choose plants that thrive under the conditions you noted. Limit the number of plants that need a lot of water or care. Keep only as much grass as you directly use for recreation and other purposes. Plant beds and mulched areas use less water than grass. Remove invasive exotic plants so they don’t steal water and nutrition from your desired plants.

2. Water efficiently…

Irrigate only when your lawn needs water. Efficient watering is the key to a healthy Florida yard and conservation of limited resources. Typically, up to 50% of water used by households is used outdoors. Efficient watering will not only help you save money and conserve water, but can also create a healthier landscape. Follow these tips to save water and money:

Grass doesn’t need as much water in the cooler months of December, January and February. In fact, 1/2” to 3/4” of water every 10-14 days is enough. During the summer months of July, August and September, yards need only about 3/4” of water every 3 to 5 days. This region will usually get that from rainfall, so you can turn off your irrigation system for extended periods of time. Water your lawn and plants only when you know they need it or show signs of stress. Use a rain gauge or moisture sensor so you will know if rainfall has done the job. Install a drip or micro-spray system in your plant beds. They use water more efficiently than traditional spray heads. Install an automatic rain shutoff device to stop watering when it's rained enough. Stop overwatering! Overwatered grass has short roots that make it harder to survive pest attacks, disease and drought. Collect water in a rain barrel to use to water your plants.

3. Fertilize appropriately…

Less is often best. Overuse of fertilizers can be hazardous to your yard and the environment. When too much fertilizer is applied to landscapes, it seeps past the root zone of the grass, plants or trees and into the aquifer or runs off into water bodies. Plants, animals and people depend on clean water for survival. Follow these tips to help prevent water pollution:

Fertilize lawns, trees and plants only to maintain health. Don’t exceed recommended amounts. Fertilizer will not help poor growth caused by too much shade, disease or pests. Use slow-release fertilizers that make nutrients available to plants for a longer time. They are kinder to the environment and are usually more cost-effective. Use iron instead of nitrogen if you want to green-up your lawn. Hold off on fertilizing if a heavy rain is expected, and don’t over-irrigate after applying. Follow the application directions on the fertilizer package. Avoid weed and feed products.

4. Mulch…

Maintaining a 3-inch layer of mulch will help retain soil moisture, prevent erosion and suppress weeds. Who likes to weed? Keeping mulch on your plant beds helps control weeds, retain soil moisture and reduce erosion and stormwater runoff. Follow these tips when mulching:

Cut down on mowing by replacing grass with mulch in areas that are shaded or difficult to mow. Keep the level of mulch up to 2–3 inches by applying it once or twice a year. Keep mulch 2 inches from the base of plants to avoid disease. Let fallen tree leaves stay under a tree to create self-mulching areas. Look for cypress mulch that is not harvested from Florida’s wetlands. Choose recycled mulch or alternatives like melaleuca, leaves, pine needles or bark.

5. Attract wildlife…

Plants in your yard that provide food, water and shelter will attract Florida’s diverse wildlife. Friendly visitors, like butterflies and beneficial insects, will enjoy your landscape if you provide food, water and cover. Attract wildlife by following these tips:

Plant vines, shrubs and trees to create cover, nesting areas and food. Provide a water source such as a birdbath or a small pond. Provide wildlife shelters such as a bat house, birdhouse or brush pile. Protect the health of wildlife visitors. Limit pesticide use by spot-treating only the areas that need attention. Consider including native plants in your landscape. They are the natural food, shelter and nesting plants of our local wildlife.

6. Manage yard pests responsibly…

Unwise use of pesticides can harm people, pets, beneficial organisms and the environment. When it comes to pest management, nature takes care of itself! Misused pesticides in your yard can run off into waterways and harm beneficial insects. Follow these tips when managing yard pests:

Learn to identify beneficial insects and let them do the work for you. Be tolerant! Low levels of pests will do minimal damage. Check plants regularly and prune off a plant’s infected areas or pick off insects when possible. Use pesticides only to spot-treat affected plants and lawn areas. Avoid blanket applications. Choose the least-toxic pesticides such as horticultural oils, insecticidal soaps and Bacillus thuringiensis (BT). Read and follow pesticide labels carefully for safe use and disposal.

7. Recycle…

Grass clippings and leaves provide nutrients to the soil and reduce waste disposal when reused on the landscape. Recycling your yard waste back onto your lawn and landscape can improve the fertility and water-holding ability of the soil and help aerate soil that has become compacted.

There’s no need to bag or rake lawn clippings. Leave grass clippings on the lawn to recycle nitrogen. Use fallen leaves and pine needles as mulch under trees and shrubs. Create and maintain a compost pile with yard waste and kitchen scraps (no animal products). Compost is a great natural fertilizer and mulch.

8. Reduce stormwater runoff…

Water running off your landscape can carry pollutants such as soil, debris, fertilizer, gasoline and pesticides that can adversely impact water quality. Reduction of this runoff will help prevent nonpoint-source pollution. Stormwater runoff can carry pollutants, pesticides and excess fertilizers into bays, rivers, lakes and groundwater. Remember that what goes in your storm drain can find its way into our water sources. Follow these tips to help reduce stormwater runoff from your yard:

Direct downspouts and gutters onto your lawn and plant beds, or into rain barrels, cisterns or containment areas. Use mulch, bricks, gravel or other porous surfaces for walkways, patios and driveways. Sweep grass clippings, fertilizer and soil onto the lawn so they don’t get washed into storm drains. Clean up oil spills and leaks on the driveway. Use cat litter to absorb oil. Pick up pet waste to help reduce bacterial and nutrient pollution. Remove trash from street gutters before it gets washed into storm drains. Use swales (low areas) to hold and filter water.

Visit http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/publications/files/ FFL_Plant_Selection_Guide.pdf for The Florida-Friendly Landscaping Guide to Plant Selection & Landscape Design.

What’s Cracking with the EGG?

It’s been a lot of work, but we’ve just about finished our expansion of the Eastbrook Community Garden! New beds allows for more community involvement and the opportunity for local apartment residents to have gardens of their own to produce both food and flowers. Thank you to everyone who’s volunteered their time and effort towards realizing this vision.

This spring will see two fundraising efforts to benefit the Eastbrook Gardening Group and Community Garden. In addition to our annual spring Plant Sale, we’ll be sponsoring a second Rummage Sale to coincide with Eastbrook’s Community-wide yard sale the weekend of April 7 & 8. Please contact Joseph England to schedule pick-up/drop off of donated items for the sale at 321-217-8736.

The completion of the Community Garden also allows the EGG to resume some its core programs fostering education towards and enjoyment of gardening for everyone in our community. Join us at meetings on the second Thursday of each month at 6:30pm out at the Community Garden to learn more and get involved!

Have you ever taken a nice, slow drive around the neighborhood? If you haven’t, you really should. We live in a truly beautiful neighborhood! So many Eastbrook residents take such good care of their homes and properties that it’s a joy just to cruise the neighborhood and see the many different approaches our neighbors have taken in beautifying their landscapes. Whether it’s front yard vegetable gardens, flowering plants, elegant palms; each reflects the unique tastes of the residents there. We’re really lucky to have so many neighbors dedicated to making our entire community look so good. Each month the HOA tries to recognize outstanding landscapes in the Eastbrook neighborhood. Selecting those homes is always a challenge because so many homes are worthy. Still, we’d like to highlight two properties in this issue whose residents went that extra mile to present a beautiful yard.

If you know of a property that you think should be considered, please do not hesitate to bring it to the Board’s attention. Every property is eligible and anyone in Eastbrook may nominate someone for Yard-of-the-Month. Simply visit www.EastbrookHOA.org and recommend a yard under the 'Community' tab or e-mail the Board directly at EastbrookRA@aol.com or attend any of the regular, monthly meetings.

January 2017

Yard of the Month is the home of the

Lorow Family

located at

3461 Aloma Avenue

Congratulations!

February 2017

Yard of the Month is the home of the

Graham Family

located at

1555 Peruvian Lane

Congratulations!

This issue of the Eastbrook Insider features an article on Florida Friendly Landscaping. Be sure to check it out before planning your spring time yard redesign and/or planting. What better way to enjoy the beautiful Florida weather than by working outside in the fresh air on a yard in harmony with Florida’s natural environment?

Monthly Workshops for Neighborhoods

Members of your HOA frequently attend classes and workshops to improve the quality of life here in Eastbrook. These workshops, however, are not limited to Board members, but are open to anyone in the community who wants to help make a difference in their neighborhood. Orange County’s Community Connections Workshops Series consists of monthly workshops usually held on the second Saturday of each month.

Community Connections workshops and Citizen Planner Academy workshops are held at the Orange County Internal Operations Center 1, 450 E. South Street, Orlando, FL 32801, unless otherwise stated. Remaining workshops this year: March 11th ~ 9am to 12pm ~ Show me the Money. Find out about neighborhood grants available from the City and County, including how to organize for grant writing and sponsorship requests.

April 8th ~ 9am to 12pm ~ Save Energy, Save Money, Save the Earth. Learn about tips and tools you may use to reduce your household consumption, save dollars and how your association can promote energy and water conservation.

May 13th ~ 9am to 12pm ~ Combating Neighbor-hood Crime. Learn about Crime Prevention grants, community policing, and different crime fighting strategies, such as Neighborhood Watch, Citizens on Patrol, youth programs, and more!

August 12th ~ 9am to 12pm ~ Maximizing Your Assets to Address Neighborhood Issues. Join other neighborhood leaders in learning how to re-energize your association and neighborhood..

September 9th ~ 9am to 12pm ~ Recharge, Renew and Rejuvenate! Avoiding Leadership Burnout. This workshop will teach you how to recruit community volunteers and how to delegate responsibilities to board members.

October 14th ~ 9am to 12pm ~ Orange County History: Now and Then. A fun and entertaining workshop about Orange County’s rich history.

Monthly Workshops for Citizens

You can help make our community a more prosper-ous, livable, and healthy place for all our citizens and guests, both now and in the future. Citizen Planner Academy is a series of classes designed to promote and increase citizen engagement in sustainable decision making by developing knowledge of the planning process, and to provide an introduction to various planning disciplines. Remaining workshops this year:

March 25th ~ 9 am to 12 pm ~ Urban Design, A Walking Tour of Baldwin Park. This class will help explain how the design of buildings, open spaces, and public amenities contribute towards creating a neighborhood that is sustainable and attractive. A walking tour of Baldwin Park will illustrate the practical application of many concepts discussed.

April 22nd ~ 9 am to 12 pm ~ Code Enforcement. This class will cover a complete overview of the Code Enforcement Division, including its services and process. Participants will have the opportunity to ask questions and obtain information that will help improve their neighborhood.

May 20th ~ 9 am to 12 pm ~ Emergency Management. How does a community prepare for disasters? Class features information about the National Incident Management System - a protocol used to coordinate and respond to events from the local to federal level.

June 24th ~ 9 am to 12 pm ~ School Planning. The purpose of this class is to demonstrate the planning methods used by school planners to facilitate the partnership between Orange County Government and Orange County Public Schools,

August 26th ~ 9 am to 12 pm ~ CPTED. Crime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTED) believes changes to the physical design of a building or area can deter criminal activity and make the community safer. Discuss how to apply the concepts to homes and neighborhoods.

September 16th ~ 9 am to 12 pm ~ Planning Basics & Sustainability. Make up sessions.

EASTBROOK COMMUNITY CALENDAR

MARCH 2017

APRIL 2017

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 2 3 4 1

5 6 7 8 9 10 11 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

12 13 14 15 16 17 18 9 10 11 12 13 14 15

19 20 21 22 23 24 25 16 17 18 19 20 21 22

26 27 28 29 30 31 23/30 24 25 26 27 28 29

MAR 1 ASH WEDNESDAY

MAR 2 Eastbrook Book Club (3486 Bougainvillea) @ 7p

MAR 9 Eastbrook Gardening Group (YMCA) @ 6:30p

MAR 12 Daylight Saving Time begins: 1 hour forward.

MAR 12 PURIM.

MAR 16 EB Happy Hour (Anna’s Polish Rest.) @ 6p to 8p

MAR 17 ST. PATRICK’S DAY

MAR 20 Spring Equinox at 6:29 am EDT

MAR 20 Residents Association Mtg. (YMCA) @ 7:30p

APR 2 PASCUA FLORIDA DAY (Observed Monday)

APR 6 Eastbrook Book Club (3486 Bougainvillea) @ 7p

APR 7-8 Eastbrook Community Yard Sale @ 8a – 2p

APR 7-8 E.G.G. Rummage Sale (YMCA) @ 8a – 2p

APR 13 Eastbrook Gardening Group (YMCA) @ 6:30p

APR 16 EASTER SUNDAY

APR 17 Residents Association Mtg. (YMCA) @ 7:30p

APR 20 EB Movie Time (3486 Bougainvillea) @ 7:00p

APR 22 EARTH DAY

Minnesota writer Allen Eskens' first novel is tense, engrossing, and fast-paced reading – an excellent debut.

College student Joe Talbert has been given a seemingly simple writing assignment for a college English class: interview and then write a brief biography of a stranger. True to college life, Joe waits almost too long to begin working on the task. Then he hurries over to a nursing home, hoping to find someone interesting. The man he interviews, Carl Iverson, turns out to be a Vietnam War veteran who is dying of pancreatic cancer. Iverson, Joe learns, also is a convicted rapist and murderer who has been medically paroled to the nursing home to spend his final days. Joe begins with the weary task of documenting the life of a murderer but, through his research, revises his mission to that of uncovering the buried truth of the old murder.

While classified as a thriller, we considered this novel a literary thriller, as the writing was simply superb. There's enough thrills to make it a page turner but it doesn't over rely on such action. For us, it was the rich character development, character interaction, and psychological aspects that make this a great story and read.

Great story line, superb characters that you care about, especially Joe and his neighbor Lila. The family dynamics and the evolving relationship between Joe and Lila, as well as, the part Jeremy unwittingly plays are the most satisfying parts of the book. But the developing friendship between Carl and Joe rings as particularly honest.

IN AN EMERGENCY, DIAL 9-1-1 Tell Police, Fire, Ambulance your County of residence.

Poison Control Hotline — 1-800-222-1222

Crimeline — 1-800-423-TIPS (8477)

Sheriff (Seminole County) non-emergency — 407-665-6650

Sheriff (Orange County) non-emergency — 407-836-4357

Animal Services (Seminole County) — 407-665-5110

Animal Services (Orange County) — 407-836-3111

County Commissioner (Seminole, District 4) — 407-665-7201

County Commissioner (Orange, District 5) — 407-836-7350

County Clerk of Courts (Seminole) — 407-665-4330

County Clerk of Courts (Orange) — 407-836-2000

County Tax Collector’s Office (Seminole) — 407-665-1000

County Tax Collector’s Office (Orange) — (407) 836-2700

County Property Appraiser (Seminole) — 407-665-7506

County Property Appraiser (Orange) — (407) 836-5000

County School Board (Seminole) — 407-320-0000

County School Board (Orange) — 407-317-3200

Voter Registration (Seminole County) — 407- 665-7700

Voter Registration (Orange) — (407) 836-2070

Community Services (Seminole County) — 407-665-3272

Community Services (Orange County) — 211

Seminole County Health Department — 407-665-3000

Orange County Health Department — 407-836-2600

DMV (Seminole County) — 407-665-1000

DMV (Orange County) — 407-836-4145

US Post Office (Goldenrod) — 407-678-6911 7501 Citrus Ave, Goldenrod, FL 32733

US Post Office (Winter Park) — 407-678-1230 221 Driggs Dr, Winter Park, FL 32792

Florida Hospital Altamonte — 407-303-2200

Central Florida Regional Hospital — 407-321-4500

Winter Park Memorial Hospital — 407-646-7000

Florida Hospital Orlando — 407-303-5600

McAbee Veterinary Hospital — 407-671-5858

Mayfair Animal Hospital — 407-678-2200

National Suicide Prevention Hotline: 1-800-273-TALK (8255)

Boys Town National Hotline: 1-800-448-3000

National Runaway Switchboard: 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929)

National Center for Missing/Exploited Children: 1-800-843-5678

National Child Abuse Hotline: 1-800-4-A-CHILD (422-4453)