PRESIDENT'S
MESSAGE
Les Beadling, President
This
year is bringing to fruition significant improvements that
originated years ago and will benefit the Deerwood community far
into the future, especially our children and grandchildren; and
many of our residents have helped attain these achievements by
contributing their time and expertise.
 By
the end of the year our children and grandchildren will have the
benefit of two of these achievements. First, as you already know
under the guidance of Rick Root and many of our residents that
contributed their time and effort, Deerwood has a high quality
outdoor recreation area. The Deerwood Country Club (DCC) has
officially deeded the Playground property to the Deerwood
Improvement Association. Rick is working on a new and larger
pavilion that will replace the present playground building with
the added amenities of kitchen and rest room facilities. Pepe
Perez, through his architectural firm, donated the rendering for
the new pavilion and his son Benjamin completed the construction
drawings at no charge. The new pavilion along with a new paved
parking area should be completed this winter.
Secondly, under the direction
of Tom Mantia, a new student drop-off and pick-up area is being
developed for those residents attending Jacksonville Country Day
School. Ward Koutnik through his firm, Transportation Planners-
Engineers, Inc., did the design work with child safety as the
primary goal and Michael Silverstein, representing the parents
of Jacksonville Country Day School students, coordinated the
effort between the school and the parents. Board member Karen
Merrell and the Landscape Committee are in the process of
designing a landscape that will take advantage of the
magnificent vista of the property. The Deerwood Improvement
Association negotiated the purchase of the property from the
Deerwood Country Club under the leadership of Lee Evans and Tom
McConnell for the nominal price of ten dollars. In addition, the
club agreed to install the irrigation, connect it to their
system and provide water for the landscaped area in the
future.
The other anticipated transfer
from the Deerwood Country Club to the Deerwood Improvement
Association is the "Boatyard" Parcel, which will be
developed into a larger RV/Boat storage complex than we have at
present. This facility should provide adequate RV and Boat
storage for all Deerwood residents that have the need well into
the future.
The three-year multi-project
endeavor to upgrade our drainage system is on schedule with
another three projects completed this year in addition to the
four completed last year leaving only three remaining for next
year. Once that has been completed, our drainage system should
provide a safe flood prevention drainage network even during a
major downpour, vis-à-vis hurricane.
Glynn Thomas is working with
First Coast Security to modernize and upgrade the infrastructure
of our access control and monitoring system. They are
supervising the installation of new security cameras and
microphones to be located at both gates. These will subsequently
be linked to a monitoring and recording device providing an
around-the clock permanent video and an audio archive of all
guests and workmen entering Deerwood through both the Southside
and Baymeadows gates. The Deerwood Country Club has partnered
with the Deerwood Improvement Association for the purchase of
this system. In an attempt to stop long-standing theft and
vandalism and to prevent its reoccurrence, the DCC is planning
to install several cameras on and around their facilities, which
also will be monitored and archived 24/7 using this
system.
District 5 lost representation
on the Deerwood Improvement Association (DIA) Board when Chris
Cavell resigned. Robert Powell volunteered to replace Chris as
the District 5 representative. It was unanimously approved by
the Board and he began his tenure at the September Board
meeting.
The caliber of improvements
and the willingness of Deerwood residents to volunteer their
time and expertise speak volumes for a bright Deerwood future.
DIA
- DCC: There is a Difference
By Dennis Derby
At
the Open House sponsored by the DCC, Deerwood Country Club, on
Sept 13, a DCC member got up to ask this question, “What’s
the difference between the Deerwood Country Club and the
Deerwood Improvement Association. Aren’t they the same?” It
reminded me of last March’s Annual Meeting of the DIA. A kind,
senior woman (about the age most of us feel after doing 6 hours
of yard work) was a bit nervous to get up and ask a question of
the 50 people attending the meeting, “Why can’t some of my
friends, who have lost spouses, eat lunch at the club, even
though they are not members. It would be nice of you to allow
that.” With gracious courtesy, our chairman pointed out that
the DCC could better address that question.
Our lives have become so
complicated in this age of wonder that maybe our brains are just
too overloaded with numbers and abbreviations. Know that when I
take my POV and leave JIA and go so on 113 over the Dames Point
to catch 115 to cross the JTB, enter Deerwood, have to remember
my pin number to give the guard since it’s past 2400 - that if
anyone asked me what is the difference between the DIA and the
DCC-I’d have to answer that one I send a check to once a year
and the other one, every month.
So don’t start to question
your sanity if you don’t know the different responsibilities
of each. You are in good company.
There are two places you can
pull up on your computer to help understand the differences. The
D I A has a pretty extensive website at www.deerwoodhomeowners.com
that will tell you everything you need to know about it. The DCC
does not have a website yet but can be reached at golfdeerwood@bellsouth.net
to answer any questions.
The Deerwood Country Club is a
very fine private club of approximately 720 members of which
about 400 of them are Deerwood residents. All are welcome to
apply for their various membership categories that have variable
initial membership fees and monthly dues. The tennis courts,
pool, fitness center, clubhouse and golf course are their
domain. They have their own Board of Directors who are elected
by their members. They encourage all residents to join.
The Deerwood Improvement
Association is a very fine residential association that requires
all residents of Deerwood to be members. Every Deerwood family
is automatically a member of the association when they purchase
property in Deerwood. Each January, the members are given their
yearly assessment which is used to fund our security, gates,
landscaping, infrastructure improvements, playground, boatyard/
recreational vehicle parking, management contract and legal
costs. The DIA also oversees the multiple covenants and their
numerous regulations; such as the Architectural Review
Committee. The Board is made up of 10 members representing
different districts and a President. The Board meets the first
Monday of each month at 7 pm in the Clubhouse (that the DCC
graciously allows us to use). All residents are encouraged to
attend those monthly Monday meetings. The two distinct groups do
share a strong line of communication and good will.
Hopefully, this gives you a
better understanding of these two fine organizations that
benefit our living in the Deerwood Community.
Your Thermostat: Controlling the Cost of Comfort
Your
thermostat is the "control center" for your
home's heating and cooling system - the biggest consumer of
energy in your home. Believe it or not, about half of all the
money we spend each year on home energy goes to pay for heating
and cooling costs.
To help you achieve greater
energy savings JEA recommends, in summer, that you set your
thermostat to 78-degrees while at home and 82-degrees or warmer
when you leave. In winter, 68-degrees is the recommended
setting. If you heat with a heat pump it is appropriate to
"set it and forget it" at 68-degrees otherwise
constant adjustments can  cause
the auxiliary heat to turn on and potentially triple your
cost of staying warm.
A programmable thermostat is a
good idea that can help you stay comfortable while saving energy
dollars. This allows you to set the temperature and times of
operation according to your family schedule and to avoid
unnecessary operation while you are away from home.  On
hot summer afternoons your house will be made cool just before
you arrive home from work, and on cold winter mornings the heat
can turn on just moments before your alarm clock awakens
you.
Programmable thermostats are
available at many home improvement centers and from your
licensed heating and air conditioning contractor. Knowing the
brand and model of your system, and whether or not it is a heat
pump, is necessary information that will help you in selecting a
programmable thermostat.
GROUNDS
COMMITTEE
Tom Mantia, Chairperson
Work
has continued on the drainage structure projects contracted for
this year. Three of the projects have been completed by Callaway
Contracting Inc. They include drains at 7877/7891 Hunters Grove
Road, 8327 Hollyridge Road and 8070 Lake Crest Drive. Drains at
7721/7737 Hunters Grove Road and 7936/7950 Pine Lake and Lake
Leisure outfall will be started shortly and are projected to be
finished by the end of the year.
The extreme rainfall
experienced at the end of June (8 inches in three days) put
severe stress on the drainage pipes but more heavily on the
ditches which carry the storm water to the swamp. A few houses
experienced water intrusion onto their yards and foundations and
Leisure Lane flooding occurred, aided by leaves blocking a
screen at a pond outfall. Two ditches were cleared and
re-established by excavation and removal of trees and underbrush
and the screen was removed from the outfall. These remedies seem
to have improved the situation at these areas. We are planning
to survey most of the ditches in Deerwood, particularly those
leading to the swamp which if blocked by vegetation or animal
dams could negatively impact the entire drainage system.
Paving repair at Sable Oak Way
Island and Sable Oak entrance has been completed with very good
results. The island at Bahia Blanca is now being reviewed for
similar action to improve the turning radius. Paving has been
completed at the School Drop-off area on Hollyridge Road.
Striping and signage is in work and should be completed by
October 1. Landscaping is being coordinated by the DIA Landscape
Committee. This improvement should dramatically reduce the
danger to resident children being offloaded and having to cross
Hollyridge in order to get to the school pathway.
Coordination with the JEA has
resulted in two leaking sewer lines being repaired and one fire
hydrant being replaced at Quailwood Drive which had been removed
during construction of the Golf Course. The JEA has "Smoke
Tested" most of the sewer lines in Deerwood in search of
these leaks which caused the lift station problems at Deerwood
Club Road and Little Fox Lane during the June rains.
Investigation is continuing
with JEA into the cause and contemplated repair of a large
washout leading from the JEA haul road into Mineral Lake at the
northern Deerwood boundary. This washout may have been the cause
of the lake's discoloration experienced earlier this year.
Insulation: The Blanket for Your Home
Many
of us sleep under a blanket in winter to separate the warmth of
our bodies from the cooler air around us. Your home's insulation
is a blanket for the house itself, separating the comfort zone
inside from the extreme conditions outside. Having the right
amount of insulation can provide benefits all year long by
increasing your comfort and by helping to reduce the energy
costs associated with your comfort.
 The
living area within your home that is heated and cooled is called
the conditioned space. The cost of maintaining the
comfort level within the conditioned space represents about
50-percent of the total dollars you spend for home energy each
year. Insulation works as a barrier to minimize the transfer of
heat between the conditioned space and the extreme conditions
outdoors.
A simple examination of
insulation in existing walls obviously would not be practical,
but checking the insulation in the ceiling is quite easy to do.
Go into your attic and measure the depth of the insulation. It
should be at least 6 inches deep with consistent depth and
coverage over the entire conditioned space. Remember, the
greater the thickness of your insulation, the better is its
ability to efficiently maintain the comfort level inside your
home.
There are two common types of
insulation - batt which comes as long rolls, and blown
which comes as small pieces and is installed with a blower. The
cost of adding insulation to your ceiling is relatively
inexpensive, especially when done as a do-it-yourself project.
Many home improvement centers offer a variety of insulation
products. There also are numerous insulation contractors who can
provide installation service for you.
Landscape Committee
By Karen Merrell, Chairperson
Your
DIA Landscape Committee has resumed its hard work after the
summer break. Please check the islands on Countryside, Shade
Tree Court, and Garden View  for
the new crepe myrtles and sod additions. The beds have also been
enhanced. These areas had not received attention for a long
time. We hope you like the improvements. Our Baymeadows Entrance
also looks most attractive. Enjoy your walks down the Coleus,
Ligustrum, and Lorapedalum entrance of James Island Trail. Soon
the Jacksonville Country Day School Drop-Off Area will be
landscaped. Please inspect our common areas around Deerwood for
any suggestions or improvements. Consider joining our Landscape
Committee which meets the second Tuesday at 5:00PM at Deerwood
Country Club. Everyone is welcome!
Deerwood
- A Concept Community
By Frank Shumer, ARC Consulting Architect
All
successful gated communities establish and hope to maintain
their individual concepts. SAWGRASS and PLAYERS CLUB
create a causal beach atmosphere with palm trees and hardwoods. PLANTATION
creates formality though its planting and architecture. EPPING
FOREST protects its giant oaks and promotes a European
estate character. WORLD GOLF VILLAGE disallows palms
trees and is striving for a hardwood community with extensive
landscaping. Each community's concept is successful to the
degree it manages and maintains its original character
concept.
The "Deerwood
character" brings to mind a specific and well defined
environment. This environment incorporates curved roadways,
mature hardwood, shade trees and evergreens, rich landscaping,
grand views, open common areas, golf course, lakes, inviting
residential streetscapes and thoughtful architecture. Deerwood's
character is unique among planned communities.
Deerwood's success results
from its careful study of the entire community. While each owner
emphasizes his or her house and property, a community overview
study goes beyond an individual lot. Each new or existing tree
becomes part of the Deerwood forest, and each new home becomes
part of the streetscape. Both contribute to Deerwood's success.
While each home DOES AND SHOULD represent its family
program, it should also enhance the character and livability of
existing homes, landscaping, streetscapes, lakes and golf course
systems.
Deerwood's continuing success
has to be insured by its ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMITTEE'S
monitoring of architectural design, colors and landscaping for
conformance to Deerwood covenants, standards, restrictions and
original community design concept. This effort guarantees
Deerwood's future success.
Our Covenants,
Conditions, and
Restrictions;
their Mission
and Goals:
Our
Covenants, Conditions, and Restrictions (CC&Rs) allow us to
protect the structural and aesthetic elements, which make our
community unique and which preserves the character of Deerwood.
They also allow the community at large to maintain standards,
with the aim of preventing a few residents from lowering the
property value for all of us. Furthermore, the CC&Rs enable
us to control and limit access to Deerwood, thereby preventing
unwelcome door-to-door solicitation and unwanted through traffic
on our streets. They also empower the Deerwood Improvement
Association with the authority to provide recreational
amenities, maintain our roads, easements, drainage, common
areas, and the infrastructure, which serves and supports our
community.
Pet Ordinances
Sec.
462.301. General.
(a) Animals shall not be kept
on property in a manner that causes any one or more of the
following: creates unsanitary conditions; is a source of
infestation by insects or rodents; creates physical conditions
that endanger the health or safety of humans, that are
detrimental to property values, or that tend to degrade the
appearance of a neighborhood.
(b) Whenever an animal
defecates upon any property not owned, leased, rented, or
otherwise in the care, custody, or control of the animal's
owner, the animal's owner shall immediately remove and properly
dispose of feces. The only exception is by permission of the
property owner.
(c) An owner shall remove and
properly dispose of feces and other animal wastes on owner's
property so as to avoid noxious and nauseous odors that are
irritating, annoying or offensive to a person of normal
sensibilities; or that are injurious to human, plant or animal
life; or that reasonably interfere with the use and enjoyment of
property.
For
information on animal complaints call: 630-city(2489)
Sec.
462.303. Animals at-large prohibited.
(a) No owner of any dog or cat
shall permit the dog or cat to be at-large, except a dog shall
be considered exempt from these provisions if:
(1)
The dog is engaged in the performance of duties while under the
supervision and control of law enforcement officials performing
law enforcement work.
(2)
The dog is engaged in any legal hunt or training procedure,
including training or exhibiting in legal sports such as
obedience trials, conformation shows, field trials,
hunting/retrieving trials, and herding trials; however, such
dogs at all other times and in all other respects shall be
subject to this chapter.
(3)
The dog is in a city designated "no leash" dog park
and is under the supervision of the owner or a responsible
person.
(b) A violation of this
section shall subject the violator to a civil fine of Two
Hundred Fifty Dollars. Each separate occasion is considered a
separate violation. The animal control officer may cite the
owner of such animal(s) for violation of this section when
either the animal control officer has received, from at least
two unrelated adult witnesses from different residences, a sworn
affidavit attesting to the animal's having committed a nuisance
pursuant to this section, or the citing animal control officer
has witnessed the commission of such a nuisance.
Hurricane Safety: Portable Generators
 The
hurricanes of 2004, and the fact that many Floridians went
without power for extended periods, has led to more consumers
today owning a portable electric generator.
A portable electric generator
provides an alternate source of electricity for times - such as
during a major storm - when power from the local utility may
temporarily be interrupted. A portable generator also provides
huge safety risks to people and property. These risks might even
be fatal to emergency crews who are working nearby. Knowing how
to properly operate such equipment is an important
responsibility.
JEA urges you to follow
these guidelines:
-
Operate your generator
outdoors to avoid the risk of carbon monoxide
poisoning.
-
Never connect your
generator directly to your home's wiring system unless an
approved service interrupt has been installed by a licensed
electrician.
-
Plug appliances directly
to the outlets on the generator - use heavy duty extension
cords.
-
Always turn off the home's
main electric breaker switch while using a generator.
| WARNING! There currently are
"special" connection cords on the market that
claim to make it safe and easy for consumers to connect
their generator directly to the home's wiring. Many of
these items can be dangerous to you or to your home. |
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