October 2012 BUCKHORN HOA „HALLOWEEN AT THE PARK‟

Official Publication of the Buckhorn Homeowners Association Board of
Directors
October 2012
BUCKHORN HOA
„HALLOWEEN AT THE PARK‟
 Buckhorn Homeowners Association‟s „HALLOWEEN AT THE
PARK‟ event will be held on October 27 at 11:00 a.m. at
Buckhorn County Park.
 “Haunted” Halloween Egg Hunt for ages up to 10 years old.
o Bring each child a basket to collect eggs
o Each egg has a small toy inside, but check them for
suitable use with young children
 Games
 Costume judging with prizes
 Refreshments
UPCOMING BUCKHORN HOA EVENTS!
 „Halloween at the Park‟:
 Saturday, October 27 at 11:00 a.m. (see article above)
 Costume judging by age group with prizes
 “Haunted” Egg Hunt for children up to 10 years old
 Games
 Refreshments & snacks
 Buckhorn Community Garage Sale
 Veterans Day:
 Sunday, November 11
 Buckhorn HOA displays U.S. flags at the entrances
 Santa Claus Parade:
 Saturday, December 8 from 2:00 p.m. to around 3:00
p.m.
 Santa Claus will be riding through the „Buckhorn‟
subdivision:
On top of a County Fire Truck
Destination: Buckhorn County Park at 2605
Green Valley Street at the north side of the golf
course
Sheriff‟s Deputy Patrol Cars and/or motorcycles
escorting the parade
Last car throws candy & treats to the children
 Santa At The Park:
 Saturday, December 8 from around 3:00 p.m. to 4:00+
p.m.
 Santa & Mrs. Claus will be at Buckhorn County Park
 They will be sitting in their thrones waiting on the
children
 FREE: Children can sit or stand with Santa Claus and
tell him what they want for Christmas or the holidays
Bring your camera and take holiday photos of
your children with Santa & Mrs. Claus
Children get small toys or snacks for walking up
to Santa as an incentive so you can get photos of
them
Also, take their photo with Santa‟s Sleigh &
Reindeer (wooden)
 Refreshments & snacks
 Buckhorn Holiday Lights Judging Contest:
 Sunday, December 16 starting after dusk
 Christmas Lights will be judged by a committee of
Buckhorn residents
 CASH PRIZES to Top Six (6) Winners
Buckhorn Community Garage Sale
Friday & Saturday, November 2 & 3
Buckhorn‟s Homeowners Association is holding a Community Garage Sale for
„Buckhorn‟ subdivision only on Friday & Saturday, November 2 & 3. We
will place Community Garage Sale signs at all the entrances of Buckhorn
advertising our event that weekend to the public. Ads will also be placed in
the newspaper(s).
All you need to do is set out the items you want to sell in your driveway! Good
luck and we hope you have a very successful sale!
AFTER YOUR GARAGE SALE: GOODWILL IS AT THE PARK
After your garage sale, bring the things you do not want anymore to Buckhorn
Park. Goodwill will have a large trailer and a worker to take your items for
charity. Tax receipts are available, too.
Christmas
Luminaries For Sale – CHEAP
 Kits include: 15 Candles, 15 Bags, 2 lbs. of Sand, Matches &
Instructions
 LIGHT YOUR SIDEWALK & DRIVEWAY on Christmas Eve
Order your kits via www.BrandonLions.org/luminary.php from the
Brandon Lions Club.
FOR RENTERS & HOMEOWNERS ALIKE
We are very fortunate to have several new homeowners and renters who have moved into
Buckhorn in the past few months. We welcome you and look forward to your participation in
neighborhood events and volunteering your time and services to make Buckhorn an even
better place to live.
Unlike close by neighborhoods, who use hired management companies for tens of thousands of
dollars a year and mandatory dues of $250 to $350 per household, our neighborhood functions
very well with volunteers, and Buckhorn‟s extremely modest $30 dues for one year or $55 for
two years is sufficient at this time.
Buckhorn‟s volunteer HOA Board of Directors and other volunteers annually accumulate
several thousands of hours in service to our „Buckhorn‟ neighborhood to keep it a nice and
enjoyable place for kids and adults.
Some of the Buckhorn HOA activities that benefit our subdivision-neighborhood are the
annual Christmas parade with Santa on the fire truck and picture taking at Buckhorn park,
placement of U.S. flags at your mailbox and at the entrances for national holidays, getting the
County to install the traffic signal at Miller and Lithia (imagine/remember making a left turn
without it), successfully fighting re-zoning incursions by developers who wanted to build a
“big box” retail builder next to Albertson‟s, successfully fighting another developer who
attempted to build 300 multi-story apartments and some retail buildings on the same
property (they spent nearly $1,000,000 unsuccessfully to achieve success), Bunny Bonanza
with an egg hunt and picture taking with the Easter Bunny at Buckhorn Park, Neighborhood
Watch averaging over 30 hours per week doing day and night patrols and working with the
Sheriff‟s District II Deputies, Halloween party at Buckhorn Park, maintaining message
boards at the entrances, maintaining the web site, writing and delivering the newsletter,
monitoring compliance with our deed restrictions, getting the County to install larger speed
signs on Miller, remarking the speed limit on Miller, installing the temporary flashing lighted
radar signs and the restriping of the crossing at the golf course, sponsoring/advertising the
neighborhood garage sale, co-sponsoring the “Meet Your Neighbor” event at the Buckhorn
Springs Golf Club, adding recreational equipment to Buckhorn Park for the enjoyment of kids
and adults, providing our first annual Buckhorn college scholarship to a deserving graduating
high school senior, and responding to a myriad of concerns of our residents.
We need your financial support every year to maintain these and perhaps new activities to keep
Buckhorn a great place to live. It does not matter if you are a homeowner or a renter because
each of your family benefits from our activities.
We can always use some new volunteers to assist our existing volunteer work force which is
often spread very thin. Moreover, if your company can assist us with services please consider
making them available to us to further augment our offerings to the neighborhood.
Please remit your dues to Buckhorn HOA, P.O. Box 1586, Valrico, FL 33595. Thank you. If
you can volunteer your service or your company‟s services to us please contact us at
BEHA@Buckhorn.US .
COMING SOON TO BUCKHORN!!
Buckhorn‟s Homeowners Association submitted a Mini-Grant Application to
Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners requesting $2,500 to install
new street signs for the „Buckhorn‟ subdivision.
Your HOA‟s Grant was awarded to Buckhorn for the work to be completed in
2012.
Here‟s what you will/are seeing being installed in our „Buckhorn‟ subdivision:
 Ten (10)
- 25 MPH speed limit signs
 Thirty (30)
- Crime Watch signs
 Four (4)
- Slow Children Playing signs
 Twenty (20)
- 12 Foot Tall sign posts & hardware
Funding for our $2,500 Mini-Grant came from the Hillsborough County
Board of County Commissioners, from the Children's Board of Hillsborough
County and the Frank E. Duckwall Foundation within the Community
Foundation of Tampa Bay.
We thank these organizations for their generous funding for your Buckhorn
Homeowners Association to make Buckhorn a safer place for you and your
children to live.
REMEMBER TO CHANGE YOUR CLOCKS NOVEMBER 4
The time for change is Sunday, November 4 at 2 a.m. when we need to TURN
BACK your clocks one hour.
Enjoy your extra hour of sleep!
BUCKHORN RESIDENT
WRITES AND PUBLISHES BOOK
Dixie Mafia Gangster: The Audacious Criminal Career
of Willie Foster Sellers is now on sale.
This book is highly rated by readers on www.Amazon.com‟s website.
This true crime story has been a long time in the making, but now it is available
for those who want to know the real truth behind this Surrency, Georgia, farm
boy‟s flamboyant, lawless career, which included two years on the FBI‟s Ten Most
Wanted list.
The Dixie Mafia was a loosely connected group of mostly Southern men who liked
to steal cars as well as to burglarize banks at night and to rob banks during the
day using loaded weapons. Their territory was primarily the states of the Old
Confederacy.
Leading one of these gangs was the handsome and charismatic Willie Foster
Sellers of Surrency, Georgia. He stole millions, served prison terms, escaped three
times and made the FBI's Most Wanted list for two years. Why? “I became
what I am purely from a decision I made after high school to be a
gangster" - Foster Sellers.
„Buckhorn‟ Author, Dr. Max Courson, is semi-retired. He holds two journalism
degrees from the University of Georgia and a PhD degree in American Studies
from the University of Hawaii. He currently does adjunct teaching at the
University of South Florida's School of Mass Communication and Eckerd
College's American Studies Program,
This book is is 590 pages long, has 17 photos and illustrations and has a hard cover
with dust jacket. Cost for each copy is $26.00, which includes packaging and
postage. (This book is $36.79 on www.Amazon.com as of 10/6/12).
Send the exact amount as a check or money order to Dr. Max Courson,
P.O. Box 305, Valrico, Florida 33595. Allow two to three weeks for delivery.
You can order an autographed copy from Dr. Dr. Max Courson. Be sure to print
each name that you want in each autographed copy.
Dr. Courson‟s email address is max@maxcourson.com if you want a SIGNED
copy of his book in a rush. His phone number is 813 651-5910.
Dr. Courson has two new fictional works in progress: The Compleat Pulpwood
Annie A Prince of Detroit, and King of the Georgia Coast: the Biography
of Howard Earle Coffin.
FOLKS SHOULD KNOW BETTER
This has been the topic of articles in the newsletters many times. Yet, it
continues to occur. It is against County ordinances and carries monetary fines.
Moreover, it is not the way to treat your neighbors and it can help to spread
diseases. The HOA has gotten several reports of this happening in various areas
of Buckhorn recently.
IT IS RESIDENTS WHO DO NOT SCOOP THEIR DOGS POOP! Some residents
walk their dog on a leash and blithely walk on after their dog defecates on
another neighbor‟s lawn. Other residents just let their dog out and the animal
chooses another neighbor‟s yard in which to defecate on and then returns home.
It does not matter if the grass is privately owned or if it is common property or at
Buckhorn Park. Others feel that by walking their dog at night that no one will
see them neglect to pick up their dog‟s waste.
It is YOUR and the members of YOUR family‟s responsibility to LEASH your
dog when it is outside your house and to SCOOP the POOP. It is recommended
that you tie the plastic bag on your leash so that your neighbors know you
recognize your responsibility and that you intend to follow the County
ordinance. SCOOP THE POOP and deposit it properly in YOUR garbage can.
Fines can range up to $500.00 with community service for people who do not do
the right thing regarding their dog‟s waste.
Recent complaints have involved a Lab allowed to run free on Cedarcrest.
Another involves a small white dog walked by a man with a leash on Cedarcrest.
A large black dog walked by its owner uses side yards on Bucknell. A lady walks
a small dark brown dog on a leash on Arborwood. A beagle and small black dog
have been spotted numerous times running loose on Brimhollow, Arborwood and
the golf course.
This is a preventable behavior that will keep the neighborhood safer and cleaner
for humans and other pets. Please exhibit good neighborly behavior by following
the County ordinance and taking proper care of YOUR dog‟s waste.
A BURGLAR‟S VIEW OF YOUR HOME
The Buckhorn subdivision of 651 homes is one of the safest areas in
Hillsborough County according the Sheriff‟s Office.
Each of us has our own ideas about crime and how it is committed. The
following are some of the things burglars won‟t tell you, however, they are some
of the pointers that law enforcement and self defense experts have
gleaned from burglars themselves:
 “I notice newspapers piled on your driveway as well as overstuffed mail in
the box. I might even leave a pizza flyer at your door to see how long it
takes you to remove it.” NOTE TO SELF: Pick up your papers and mail
daily and arrange for a neighbor to get it if you are away.
 If glass is beside your front door, don‟t let your alarm company install
the control pad where I can easily see if it is set. NOTE TO SELF: Be
sure to also have double keyed deadbolt locks on the door with the glass
panels. IMPORTANT: Do not leave the key in the lock or have it close
enough to be seen or reached via a broken glass panel.
 If your garage has a side window, make sure to install your garage door
opener out of sight and reach. “I can break the window and reach in
and grab a long handled tool, e.g. broom or rake, etc., and use it to reach
the garage door button and open your house.” NOTE TO SELF: Easily
done as well as have a double keyed deadbolt on the door from the
garage to your house and lock it too. Make your home a hardened
target.
 “I always knock first and if you answer I‟ll ask for directions or to do
some kind of manual work. I may have some stolen flyers to make you
think I am a genuine solicitor.” NOTE TO SELF: “Do not get into a
conversation as you might tell me you are getting ready to leave and are
in a hurry, or that you have a long commute to work and are tired.
That is valuable info for me to use. Thanks for the tip!” Try to get a
description and a tag number if the vehicle is close by going to your
mailbox as the bell ringer leaves your property. Better yet, go to the
door with your cell phone in hand and take a picture of the bell ringer.
It works great!
 “Sometimes I carry a clipboard and tell you I am only getting
appointments for a salesman to contact you later with a special sale on
home products or a free alarm system that can be used to sell your
nearby neighbors.” NOTE TO SELF: Do not let anyone get personal
information from you, don‟t sign anything you haven‟t requested and
don‟t let them in your home. Again use your cell camera.
 “That fancy alarm sign you have installed can be a deterrent.” Note to
self: It only helps if you actually turn the alarm on! Do it every time
you leave the house.
 “If you do not answer the door when I knock, I will try the door.
Occasionally, I hit the jackpot and walk right in. Easy in/easy out.”
NOTE TO SELF: LOCK the doors and set the alarm.
 Avoid announcing your upcoming vacation on your Facebook page or
while you are at the hair stylist, grocery store, etc. NOTE TO SELF: “It
is easy to follow you home or to look up your address.” Keep your plans
close to the vest and talk about your trip only after you return.
 Leaving your windows open is actually an “open” invitation to me.
NOTE TO SELF: Close and lock your windows when you are not home.
 “Thanks for letting me use your bathroom while I was working in your
yard.” NOTE TO SELF: “I will unlock the bathroom window and come
back while you are at the store or at work. Moreover, I will steal a few
of your various medications that you keep in the medicine cabinet.”
 “I can look into all your master bedroom drawers in a matter of seconds
to steal your “hidden” valuables. I won‟t overlook the closet and if you
have a safe, I will take it with me if it is not bolted down.” NOTE TO
SELF: Bolt down your safe and if you have a safe deposit box keep your
family heirlooms and important papers there. If not find unusual places
in your home that will take too much time to locate. I rarely go into
children‟s‟ rooms.
 Check out www.CrimeDoctor.com for more tips from the burglars
themselves.
HELP GET US BACK TO OUR OWNER!
Two of the 18”x24” signs that your HOA occasionally put on the side of
neighborhood streets in an effort to get people to slow to 25 mph have been taken.
One says LEAVE ON TIME TO ARRIVE ON TIME and the other displays a
picture of a 25 mph sign and says YES! THIS MEANS YOU. The signs were
$35.00 each to have made.
We would like to have these signs back to use in the future for the betterment of
YOUR/OUR Buckhorn neighborhood. Please help by contacting your HOA at
beha@buckhorn.us if you can assist us in getting these valuable signs back. Your
communication will be kept strictly CONFIDENTIAL.
WHAT CAN I DO TO MAKE BUCKHORN SAFE?
We have enjoyed a very, very low crime rate for the past few months. You never
know, though, about the “almost crime” when a thief was scared away by an
unknowing neighbor or county worker.
Most home burglaries happen between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. during the
week when most folks are at work and at school and most vehicle burglaries
happen at night.
This is when each of the rest of the residents in the neighborhood need to be
EXTRA VIGILENT, CURIOUS AND SUSPICIOUS of people and cars in the
neighborhood that you do not recognize. Observe them and do not hesitate to
take down a description of the person and the vehicle along with a tag number if
possible.
Call the Sheriff at the non-emergency number: 813-247-8200. Then
immediately notify your HOA and Crime Watch volunteers at
BEHA@Buckhorn.US of the suspicious person and/or vehicle. Be sure to
take an extra moment to get a thorough description, e.g., clothing, hair, tattoos,
backpacks, etc. and the vehicle color, 2/4 door vehicle, bumper stickers, tinted
windows direction of travel etc. When you are excited it is easy to overlook
valuable details.
We still have residents who go to bed and leave their garage door up…all night
long. It can happen to any of us at any time. This is an open invitation to have
your valuable contents taken, perhaps your vehicle too. Moreover, the criminals
have easy access to your home while you are sleeping. How safe are you, your
spouse and your children?
Plan to have a regular and routine habit of checking all doors and your garage at
dark as well as prior to going to bed. We must work nightly to make our home
and our neighborhood a hardened target to potential thieves who drive through
our neighborhood at night or in the wee hours of the morning.
The same holds true for our vehicles. Locked vehicles are robbed far less than
unlocked vehicles. The Sheriff‟s Department posted that 74% of vehicles are
UNLOCKED. Anyone can pull a door handle to rummage through your car at
night. What is important; CAN ANY VALUABLES BE SEEN THROUGH
THE WINDOWS? GPS units, cameras, cell phones, wallets, mysterious
briefcases, etc., invite thieves to TAKE YOUR BELONGINGS.
Always record the serial numbers of your valuables or engrave your
driver‟s license number on them.
One neighbor got his stolen items back in three hours after reporting the theft at
7 p.m. one night because he had the serial numbers, and the Deputies had
arrested the thief earlier in the day. The vehicle burglar had 28 stolen items from
vehicles.
BE VIGILENT, CURIOUS, SUSPICIOUS AND ACT ON YOUR FEELINGS
IMMEDIATELY by calling 911 for crimes in progress or 247-8200 for nonemergency issues.
Give the dispatcher complete information and if you can observe the suspects you
may able to keep the dispatcher on the phone as you continue to give updated
information to them. It is all forwarded by the dispatcher to the computer in the
Deputies‟ cars as they respond to the call for service. The Deputies can be more
efficient and safe as they arrive on the scene. We get excellent support from the
Deputies who work in our patrol zone.
Remember to notify your HOA and Crime Watch via
BEHA@Buckhorn.US immediately after you notify the
Sheriff. We have solved or prevented many crimes in
the past, and we want to help you!
UNITED STATES FLAGS PLACED AT EACH HOME
Volunteers from Buckhorn HOA place U.S. flags at each residence at Memorial
Day. We hope they can be flown throughout the year. We also place U.S. flags
at each of our four entrances and we refresh the flags at the entrances on July 4
and Veterans Day. These flags are in recognition of the sacrifices that our current
and former service members and their families undertake as a result of their
service to our country.
Unfortunately, the flags sometimes become the object of youths who think the
flags are for their desire to pull them up and put dozens in someone‟s yard
(usually the home of a friend) or to merely to carry them around and toss them
on the street.
We have had two such incidents this summer. An alert resident at 5 a.m. one
morning notified the Sheriff who intervened with five eighteen year old males,
some of whom live in our neighborhood. No charges were filed and since they
were adults their parents were not notified. They agreed to replace the flags,
however, neighbors found some of them in a pile at the end of a street in the
neighborhood. On another occasion, your Neighborhood Watch saw 4 young
males pulling up flags around 11 p.m. one night and stopped them. They agreed
to replace them and the HOA volunteers slowly followed them as each flag was
replaced.
Please help us and your neighbors by making sure your youth know the
significance of U.S. flags and what they mean to our residents. Also speak to your
lawn service company because they are sometimes quick to remove and not
replace the flags as they do your lawn.
BE AWARE….IS IT A TWO-WAY MIRROR?
Have you ever wondered if the mirror in a dressing room, hotel room, toilet, etc. is
really an ordinary mirror or actually a two-way mirror?
There have been many cases of two way mirrors being installed in areas that
appear are for one‟s private use, e.g., female changing rooms. It is very difficult
to identify the mirror surface by looking at it.
Well, how do you determine with any amount of certainty what type of mirror you
are looking at?
Simple, conduct this easy test: Place the tip of your fingernail against the
reflective surface and if there is a gap between your fingernail and the image of
the fingernail, then it is a GENUINE mirror. However, if your fingernail
DIRECTLY TOUCHES the image of your fingernail, then BEWARE! IT IS A
TWO WAY MIRROR!
Please make sure everyone important to you is aware of this simple test which
will enable them to use unfamiliar rooms with a degree of dependable privacy.
FALL IS CLEAN-UP & FIX-UP TIME
Fall means lower temps and lower humidity. It is a great time to prepare your
property for the winter. Mowing, edging and trimming of your plants and
hedges will slowly decrease in frequency. It is a good time to invest in more long
term projects to make your property (it makes no difference if you are a home
owner or a renter) and the neighborhood look its best.
Some ideas to consider are:
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Pressure washing your home, drive & walk ways, and fences
Painting your home
Re-screening your lanai and pool area
Cleaning/replacing your roof
Getting your fireplace ready for log burning
Having your heater system checked
Fertilizing your yard to tide it over the winter months
Major trimming of your trees while the sap is down
Remember to keep up with your leaf raking
It is important that each of us invests in our property to keep Buckhorn an
attractive, comfortable and safe place to live. Our property values will be as
strong as our neighborhood as a whole.
BE AWARE OF YOUR SURROUNDING!!
There have been numerous reports in the Tampa Bay area recently of individuals
stealing purses, computers, GPS units, etc. from people’s cars when the owner
is right beside the car. This usually happens at gas stations while the car owner
is fueling the vehicle. The thief will open the right side door of the UNLOCKED
car or reach into the open window and remove the desired items. They casually
get into a waiting vehicle and drive off prior to the owner noticing the theft.
A few weeks ago at the Brandon Mall a young mother was placing her toddler
into a baby seat and a car going slowly down the aisle stopped and a thief got out
and stole the lady’s purse from the front seat via the UNLOCKED passenger door.
This type of theft has also been committed at convenience stores and grocery
stores while the owner of the car is putting away their purchases. Again, the thief
merely opens the UNLOCKED passenger door and takes the purse, sometimes the
owner does not even know it is missing when they leave the parking lot.
Drivers are also vulnerable to this type of crime when they are stuck in the drive
thru lane at fast food eating establishments. The thief reaches in through the open
window or quickly opens the passenger door and takes the available items and
hops into a waiting car and speeds off.
These types of crimes are crimes of opportunity where the criminal is observing
your behavior from a reasonable distance and he/she strikes with precision because
they have watched where you put your valuables and that you are distracted doing
another task. The thieves are both male and female, young and middle aged,
white, black and Hispanic. They roam parking lots, gas stations, shopping malls,
food establishments, etc. watching you and they quickly strike often times when you
are distracted to the point that you do not even know you are a victim.
What can you do? Keep the doors to your vehicle LOCKED when you are in
these situations. Also, be aware of your surroundings regarding persons standing
or slowly walking in your nearby area. Watch for slow moving cars approaching
you and your vehicle. Watch and maintain eye contact with any people you
deem suspicious or acting odd. Memorize their descriptions as well as that of
vehicles that come to your attention. If nothing happens you will not know if your
observant behavior thwarted a crime against you or not, never the less, you will gain
experience in getting and memorizing important facts which will become a good
mental exercise for you.
BE VIGILENT, CURIOUS, SUSPICIOUS AND ACT ON YOUR FEELINGS
IMMEDIATELY!
BUCKHORN PARK IS AVAILABLE
FOR YOUR USE & ENJOYMENT
Fall is a great time to enjoy our local county park. Buckhorn Park is located on the
north side of our neighborhood at 2605 Green Valley Street. It is open from sunrise to
sunset each day. Local volunteers lock and unlock the driveway gate daily. Other
volunteers keep dog poop bags in the three bag holders for your pet‟s convenience.
It is against Hillsborough County ordinances to fail to scoop your pet‟s poop anywhere
in the county, and your pet must be leashed at all times.
The park has play areas including slides, stairs and tunnels for your young children. In
addition there is white sand for them to play in and three benches for parents to observe
their children.
A one-third mile asphalt walking/jogging track is available with two different benches
on the back side for rest. Three exercise stations are also located along the path. It is a
good place to aide in your rehabilitation if you are recovering from illness or surgery to
help you build your strength.
A basketball court with two goals gets good usage. Two movable soccer goal/nets are in
a large grassy area that is used for soccer, football and cricket. A tether ball & pole,
and a three-hole ball toss is also popular.
We have also installed a nine hole Frisbee golf course that is great for family use (your
little ones can throw balls instead of Frisbees). Moreover, there is a beach sand (36
cubic yards worth) volleyball court.
Two covered shelters with picnic tables are available, along with three tables located
under trees. Seven trash barrels are located throughout the park.
It is a great place for your small child‟s birthday party. Unfortunately, no electricity is
available; however, some parents have brought small generators along to solve that
issue.
Please advise your youth who go to the park without you to properly dispose of their
trash. Also, golf carts and ATVs are not allowed on county roads, sidewalks, parks or
any other public property.
BUCKHORN SPRINGS GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB
OPEN AGAIN
Buckhorn Springs Golf & Country Club re-opened the golf course on September 12th after
having been closed for four months of renovation to the greens, tees and fairways. The
greens were re-contoured and planted with Champion Bermuda grass, while the tees, fairways
and roughs were planted with Celebration Bermuda grass. The cost of the improvements was
nearly one million dollars and the end result modernizes the playing characteristics of the
course originally opened for play in 1968.
The renovated course has met with great reviews, and the Buckhorn Springs Golf & Country
Club was voted “Best Golf Course in Brandon” by readers of Brandon News and Tribune
Readers‟ Poll for 2012. Buckhorn has gained many new members as a result of the
renovation and revitalization of the club.
The club also has many social functions in addition to golf, including a fabulous Wednesday
night dinner buffet at a very reasonable price, which is open to members and „Buckhorn‟
residents only (reservation required).
If any „Buckhorn‟ resident would like to make arrangements to attend a Wednesday night
dinner, make reservations by sending an e-mail to the Food and Beverage Manager Linda West
at lwestbuckhorn@gmail.com, or the Cocktail Bar at 813-689-7776.
If you are interested in membership in the Buckhorn club, call General Manager Randy
O‟Linger at 813-689-7766, option 6. Buckhorn Springs Golf & Country Club is proud to be a
part of the great Buckhorn community.
UPDATE FROM BUCKHORN‟S
SPECIAL DEPENDENT DISTRICT BOARD
The Buckhorn Estates Special Dependent District Board of Trustees is dedicated to maintain
and improve the four entrances of the „Buckhorn‟ subdivision. The Board is subject to the
guidelines set forth by the Hillsborough County Budgeting Division. This requires the Board
to be fiscally responsible and is required to send an annual financial audited report to the
state. The Hillsborough Board of County Commissioners approves the report and controls
the revenues established by the board annually.
The annual assessment has been approved for 2013. The new rate is $65 per home, a $5
reduction. This lower rate was approved by the Board of Trustees and is based on the
anticipated budgetary requirements.
The Board also voted to meet the remainder of 2012 at the Buckhorn Golf and Country Club
on the second Wednesday of each month at 7:00 p.m.
We appreciate each member of the board who volunteers their time and talents to our
community. Here is a list of our current volunteer Buckhorn Estates Special Dependent
District Trustees: Jeff Wells, President; Rich Hubbard Vice President; Sue Mowery,
Treasurer; Meredith Scribner, Secretary; Bill Atkinson, Trustee; Frank Ploor, Trustee; and
Patty Griffin, Trustee. The Board appreciates your support as we serve to continually
improve our neighborhood.
EPA REVISES CLEANUP TIPS
FOR BROKEN CFL BULBS
CFL light bulbs (usually spiral in design) are used more often in our homes than standard
incandescent bulbs in an effort to use less energy. In addition to using less energy they last
much longer and burn with less heat than the incandescent bulbs. They cost more initially
and the Federal Government is in the process of weaning the public away from the standard
bulbs.
Handling of a CFL bulb requires your total concentration. It is not a job to be delegated to
your youth. CFL bulbs contain a small amount of mercury vapor and the inside of the glass
is coated in a powdery substance. A broken bulb should be cleaned up quickly using the
following tips to insure the safety of you, the family and any pets.
BEFORE CLEANUP
- Have people and pets leave the room.
- Air out the room for 5 -10 minutes by opening a window.
- Close the air conditioning duct or shut off the AC system.
- Collect the materials needed for the cleanup so you can do the cleanup in one attempt.
+ DO NOT VACUUM but use two pieces of stiff cardboard and some sticky tape to
scoop and blot up the fine pieces of glass and the powdery residue.
.
+ Place all used materials in a sealed container.
AFTER THE CLEANUP
Place the sealed container with the bulb debris in a safe location OUTSIDE of the home‟s
living space.
LOWES and Home Depot have RECYCLE barrels near their front doors to place all light bulbs
and regular household batteries into for disposal and recycling.
DO NOT PUT EITHER OF THESE TWO ITEMS IN YOUR REGULAR HOUSEHOLD TRASH
OR RECYCLING BINS.
WHAT IS A “HELICOPTER PARENT”?
The following information is directly related to our student child and us when they go away to
college. The preparation for going away to college should slowly begin years before the
summer prior to actually leaving for college. We as parents need to be supportive, moreover,
we need to foster an environment that will enable and encourage our youth to grow into a
productive and independent adult.
The following will help you determine if you are a “Helicopter Parent”. If you answer YES
to one or more of the following questions you may be “hovering”:
Do you call, text, Skype your youth every day?
Are you in constant contact with the administrators at your child‟s school?
Have you ever researched or written a college paper for your child?
Do you frequently intervene when your child has problems with his roommate?
Do you act as your child‟s secretary? (e.g., give him morning wake up calls or
make campus appointments for him, etc.)
 Have you ever tried to settle grading disputes for your child more than once?
 Have you ever chosen classes for your child to take?
 Do you feel bad about yourself when your child makes a mistake while away from
you?
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How do you let your young adult gain responsible independence when they go to college? You
can begin to limit your communication to three times a week, and get agreement from your
child about how often communication should comfortably take place. Cell phone calls,
texting, Skyping and social media provide an environment of too much tethering to the
parents and less room for independent growth and enjoying the “college experience”.
When you speak with your student child, listen first. Instead of stepping in to solve their
problem, ask how he or she wants to handle it. What are the pros and cons to their decisions?
College Parents of America, a membership group of future and current college parents, says
too much contact and advice can prevent students from developing the confidence and
independence they need to work out their own problems.
The organization also reminds parents not to push their child into too many trips home.
Staying on campus helps freshmen make new friends and allows them to become aware of the
services and activities available at their college. This makes it less likely they will have
academic problems or want to drop out.
If you want information on other aspects of parenting in the college environment go to
www.ecampustours.com and click on the Parent tab.
Buckhorn Neighbors In Business
If you are a dues-paying Buckhorn resident and want to include your business card
in an upcoming Buckhorn Newsletter, please let us know. You can mail your
business card to Buckhorn Homeowners Association (NEWSLETTER), P.O. Box
1586, Valrico, FL 33595.
We also post residents‟ business cards on our website. If you want your card
posted there, too, note that when you send in your business card.
DO YOU KNOW THE CORRECT ANSWER?
Match the correct gestation/incubation time frame with the
appropriate animal.
The correct answers are posted on your HOA website, www.Buckhorn.US .
If you are not registered to get our email updates to happenings in Buckhorn,
then register your e-mail address on Buckhorn‟s website while you are
checking your answers.
Gestation/Incubation
Chickens
Ducks
Parrots
Turkeys
Cow
Deer
Elephant
Goat
Monkey
Squirrels/Rats
Animal
40 Days
210 Days
28 Days
150 Days
240 Days
28 Days
21 Days
270 Days
30 Days
630 Days