emergencies only at night and on weekends we

have an after-hours emergency phone number

which is included in every issue of this newsletter

(941-951-4034).

An important aspect is following the community

rules. All of these rules exist for a reason, for

the safety and well-being of the community and

everyone in it. Last month I mentioned the

problem of speeding on the community roads,

and watching out for both pedestrians and bicy-

clists. Some of our rules exist because not only

do they benefit everyone they are also county

laws or regulations. One example of this is that

any dogs or cats must always be on a leash when

outside. This is not only a Lakeridge Falls rule it

is also a Manatee County requirement, and is for

everyone’s well-being. It prevents your pet from

running away (or chasing wildlife) or running into

the street, it helps those who may be afraid of

dogs or cats feel safe, and behavior you and your

A message from your Board… by Lori Klein, President

Falls Forum J U L Y 2 0 2 0

Welcome to summer! We on your board

continue to evaluate and revise the various

restrictions due to COVID-19, and ask

that you respect them for your own and

everyone else’s safety. We will keep eve-

ryone informed of changes and continue to

post them, and of course it is up to each of

you to weigh the risks and decide whether

or not to use the amenities and whether

to attend meetings in person or virtually.

This year has brought out the best in so

many of our residents, but a few reminders

never hurt. I’d like to take a few minutes

to talk about being good neighbors, for

everyone in our community is your neigh-

bor. This is simple things like saying hello,

offering help that so many of you have

been doing, and respecting each other. It

also includes maintaining your property

(that which you and not the community

are responsible for), and reporting any

problems so they can be addressed. For

non-emergencies and on weekdays you can

call or email our property manager to re-

port problems or request assistance; for

Office

Property Manager: Oded Neeman Phone: 360-1046 Line #101 email: PropertyManager@lakeridgefalls.org After hours Emergency Only - 941-951-4034 Community Assistant/ LRF Falls Forum: Paula Murray Phone: 360-1046 Line #103 Hours: M-W-F 9:30am—3:30pm email: Paula@lakeridgefalls.org

Guardhouse:

355-1328 / Security@lakeridgefalls.org

LRF ASSOCIATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS

President, Lori Klein: President@lakeridgefalls.org Vice President, Lynn H. Gregg: VicePresident@lakeridgefalls.org Treasurer, Calvin Fitzgerald: Treasurer@lakeridgefalls.org Secretary, Judy Buffa: Secretary@lakeridgefalls.org Director, OPEN: Director@lakeridgefalls.org

Committees Architectural Review Board (ARB) Lori Klein, Board Liaison Lynn Gregg, Co-Board Liaison Lanny Weintraub, Chairperson Meetings: 2nd Thursday of the month at 10:00am

Budget Committee Lori Klein, Board Liaison Calvin Fitzgerald, Co-Board Liaison Mitch Matte & Dick Dorn, Co-Chairs Meetings as needed

Buildings Committee Lori Klein, Board Liaison Carl Stover & Mary Cochran, Co-Chairs Meetings: 3rd Tuesday of the month at 2:00pm

Community Relations Committee (CRC) Judy Buffa, Board Liaison Dan DeRoner, Chairperson Meetings: 4th Friday of the month at 9:00am

Landscape Committee Lynn Gregg, Board Liaison Calvin Fitzgerald, Co-Board Liaison Mary Cochran & Karen McGee, Co-Chairs Meetings: 2nd Wednesday of the month at 10:00am

Roads and Grounds Committee Calvin Fitzgerald, Board Liaison Dick Dorn & Lanny Weintraub, Co-Chairs Meetings: 4th Friday of the month at 10:00am

Pool Committee Lori Klein, Board Liaison Lynn Gregg, Co-Board Liaison Elma Azurdia & Suzanne Weinstein, Co-Chairs Meetings: 3rd Wednesday of the Month at 2:00pm

Security Committee Judy Buffa, Board Liaison Durand Glovinsky, Chairperson Meetings as needed

Hurricane Preparedness Group Judy Buffa, Board Liaison Jim DuGranrut, Chairperson Meetings as needed

Long Range Landscape Plan Working Group Calvin Fitzgerald, Board Liaison Lynn Gregg, Co-Board Liaison Barbara Weintraub, Chairperson Meetings as needed

Long Range Ponds Working Group Judy Buffa, Board Liaison TBD, Chairperson Meetings as needed

Social Committee Jane Kintz & Leigh Selby, Co-Chairs Meetings: 1st Monday of the month at 10:00am

Art League President...Jackie Hathaway Meetings as needed

www.lakeridgefalls.org

4200 Lakeridge Blvd. Sarasota, FL 34243

P A G E 2

pet may think is friendly or playful another pet

or person may see as threatening. For the sake

of your pet, your neighbors, and other’s pets,

always have your pet on a leash when outside,

even if just for a few minutes.

I wish all of you, whether you are here or at

another home, a safe summer. And please, be a

good neighbor.

P A G E 3

LakeRidge Falls extends its sympathies to the

family and friends of our neighbors:

Pat Geremia

Barbara O’Conner

(former resident)

advertisers in the

LRF Directory

and in the

Falls Forum

Property Manager Report by Oded Neeman

Pool – As every year, we had Symbiont Ser-vices, LakeRidge Falls’ pool/spa geothermal sys-tem maintenance company, on-site last month performing the bi-yearly maintenance on the heating/cooling system. Unfortunately, their technician found an issue with one of the units’ compressors. Of course, the faulty compressor was replaced a couple of weeks later. On the bright side, we also had an unannounced visit from the Florida Department of Health that same week. This unannounced inspection was part of a semi-annual routine check of Lak-eRidge Falls’ pool and spa. During this inspec-tion, the inspector examined the pool and spa areas, the safety and sanitary conditions, the temperature of the spa and pool, the water quality of these two bodies of water, and the equipment area. Following the inspection, the Florida Department of Health inspector in-formed the Association it passed with flying col-ors. As reported in the past, the Department of Health inspections are very valuable and im-portant to the community. Mainly, these inspec-tions ensure Smiley Pool Services are perform-ing their job properly, which helps to ensure we are operating based on the updated regulations and codes. But as we all know, the community pool at times like to operate under Murphy’s Law. Here is why. A week after the inspection by the Flori-da Department of Health took place, Smiley Pool Service informed us that the pool pump was not priming. What it meant was that some-thing interfered with the pump’s ability to cre-

ate a flow of water in the system. Years ago, a pool maintenance vendor explained to me that a pool pump functions like a human heart. Like a heart that pushes blood to-wards the kidneys, a pool pump generates

Continued on Page 4

Office

www.lakeridgefalls.org

P A G E 4

Continued on Page 6

Music by Elton John Book and Lyrics by Lee Hall Book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse Directed and Choreographed by Josh Rhodes

The musical the world fell in love with, BILLY ELLIOT was heralded as “The best musical of the decade” by Time Magazine. This triumphant, dance-filled sensation follows a young boy as he trades in his boxing gloves for dance shoes amidst the turmoil of the 1984 coal miners’ strike in England. A dance teacher discovers a dia-mond in the rough in 11-year-old Billy—a boy whose passion for dance inspires and unites the entire town, against insurmountable barriers. Set to an explosive score by Sir Elton John, BILLY ELLIOT is a joyous celebration of one boy ’s journey that will inspire the dreamer in everyone.

the flow of water from the pool to the filters and heaters. Furthermore, this flow also ensures the chemical levels in the pool are balanced. In sum, the pump helps to ensure the water is filtered, heated, and sanitized before re-entering the pool. Several reasons may cause a pump not to prime. Based on their account, Smiley Pool Service ex-plored most of them. They took the impeller and motor out and made sure they were working properly. They looked for leaks in the system. They even resealed lines and couplings. However, nothing seemed to work. Then they ran a couple more tests and concluded that the issue lays with-in the check valves. In general, the purpose of a check valve is to force water to flow in one direc-tion preventing it to drain back when the pump is off. When they empty the pool pit, Smiley Pool Service reported, they noticed that the water was draining back towards the pit. This, to their ac-count, gave a good indication the issue was indeed bad check valves. It took a couple of days, but Smiley Pool Service presented a quote. The quote was then reviewed and thereafter approved by the Pool Committee and Board of Directors. Of course, Smiley Pool Service made sure to place an order for the replacement parts without delay. It took a couple more days for the parts to arrive. After the parts arrived and as they started working on the issue, Smiley Pool Service found a couple of things. First, they were able to confirm the issue was indeed the check valves. Secondly, they discovered the check valves were threaded, rather than glued, into the pipes. This was a bittersweet discovery. Sweet because the replacement turned out to be less complex than they planned for. Bitter because they had to order threaded checks valves instead of the one they already have.

Continued on Page 5

DECEMBER 6TH

P A G E 5

Continued on Page 6

To make a long story short, they placed an order for the threaded check valves, which delayed the repair by a few more days. Once the parts arrived, Smiley Pool Service made sure to replace the faulty check valves. In the picture on below, you will see one of their technicians inside the pool pit working on replacing the check valves. As you can see, Smiley Pool Service had to work in a very tight space. In the other pictures, you will see the defective check valves. After it was taken out, Smiley Pool Service discovered that the disc in one check valve and the hinge pin on the other one broke. The really good news is that Smiley Pool Service became much more familiarized with Lak-eRidge Falls’ pool system. This means that next time around, in eight years or so we hope, such repair will be much faster to execute than this time around. Regardless, the result is that the pool is up and running again.

Transformer – For the past couple of years, resi-dents who were using the clubhouse, especially those who were using the multi-purpose and activ-ities rooms, complained about a humming noise. The source of that noise was the transformer lo-cated in the utility closet adjacent to the multi-purpose room. In super simple terms, the purpose of the transformer is to lower the utilization volt-age coming into the building. As we came to learn, it is common for transformers to make a humming noise because of magnetostriction. We will not even attempt to explain what magnetostriction means but will say that attempts were made to ad-dress the matter by redesigning the assembly

Continued on Page 6

and adjusting other elements inside the trans-former. Needless to say, these attempts were fruitless. During the renovation process, several solutions were considered such as relocating the trans-former or installing acoustical material inside the utility closet. Yet, those ideas never materialized for whatever reason. However, this all changed a few weeks ago when White Electrical Solu-tions, a local electrical company, contacted us. For those who may recall, White Electrical Solu-tions was a subcontractor who worked on the clubhouse during the renovation project. While the project was completed, the issue of the load transformer, as we came to learn, was always in the mind of Mr. Chris White, the owner of the company. While it is common for transformers to make a humming noise, Mr. White was left puzzled as to why this specific transformer was apparently making louder than what he consid-ered usual noises.

While in the area with one of his suppliers, Mr. White asked to stop by and look at the trans-former. After the supplier looked at the trans-former, he concluded the transformer is on its last leg. The supplier explained that as the trans-former ages the laminated layers inside its core starts to separate causing the humming noise to get louder. Therefore, he suggested replacing the transformer promising this would eliminate the noise issue altogether.

P A G E 6

Caption

describing

picture or

graphic.

F A L L S F O R U M

Continued on Page 7

in promotion device from one quarter to an-other. We said ironically because the Septem-ber 2018 order was fulfilled this week… May 2020. The good news with this entire ordeal is that our friends at Altra Medical, the distribut-er LakeRidge Falls placed the order with, made sure to be on top of the order for the past 20 months. Thankfully, they informed us last month that the new AED was on its way. We are happy to advise that the new AED arrived and installed in the clubhouse replacing the older model. With the new AED in place, all we hope for, jokingly of course, is that the payment for the new AED should arrive at Philips by no later than January of 2022. Painting the Wall – We are happy to an-nounce that the painting of the community pe-rimeter wall resumed. If you may recall, Mr. Tamas Pataki, who needs no introduction, was hired to paint the perimeter wall a couple of years ago. Although he started and completed the entire westside section of the wall, the As-sociation had to put this painting project on hold. This was done because of the high de-mand Mr. Pataki had among the residents of the community who wanted to use his ser-vices during the painting project. With the community’s painting project over, the Board of Directors during its May’s meeting passed a resolution that ensured the painting work on the wall would resume sooner rather than lat-er. And indeed, Mr. Pataki advised the Associ-ation that he was planning on restarting the pressure washing and painting of the eastside section of the wall the following week. For this reason, you may have seen his crew working in the past few weeks on the wall between the rainy days. With this in mind, please note that this entire project may take a couple of months to complete. Trespassing – Last month, we received re-ports that two individuals were fishing in the pond to the right of the gatehouse. Besides

Of course, the suggestion was presented to the Board of Directors and the Buildings Commit-tee. Taking advantage of the clubhouse being closed, the Board of Directors approved the work. After all, replacing a transformer meant no power for a full day. Therefore, White Electrical Solutions was on-site last month. The job of replacing the old transformer with a new one took about six hours. Much of the work involved removing a 1000 pound transformer from a tight space while not breaking floor tiles in the process while installing a new transformer that weighs pretty much the same. As one can imagine, the work involved a lot of elbow grease. In the end, the result was phenomenal. The new transform-er is so quiet that in order to hear it humming one must literally get her or his ear really close to it. With this, a long-time riddle came to an end, which will allow for a more enjoyable expe-rience for those using the clubhouse. Automated External Defibrillator (AED) – As some may know, the Association has two AED devices: one is located in the clubhouse hallway and the other in the club room which is where the billiards tables, computers, and new library are located. For those who do not know, the AED is a portable electronic device that is used in the case of an emergency to auto-matically diagnose and treat potentially life-threatening situations of cardiac arrhythmi-as. Why do we bring this issue up? Well, back in 2018 Philips, the manufacturer of the device, of-fered the Association an exchange warranty and rebates based on the age of the AED (i.e. purchased in 2008). Of course, the Buildings Committee recommended seizing the oppor-tunity of purchasing a new device at a significant-ly discounted rate. Following this recommenda-tion, the Board of Directors approved the trans-action in September of 2018. Ironically enough, Philips continually was pushing the shipment dates for the delivery of the trade-

P A G E 7

Continued on Page 8

the fact that fishing is not allowed in the com-munity, as explained before, these individuals were not residents of the community. There-fore, some residents called the gatehouse asking the guard on duty, Mr. Fred Dougherty, to de-mand they leave. Other residents chose to con-front them directly. In the end, the gatecrashers left the premises after Mr. Dougherty advised he was calling the Manatee County Sheriff’s Of-fice. First and foremost, we thank all residents who witness and thereafter report such incidents to the Association. Thanks to you, we have anoth-er layer of protection ensuring the community is safe and secure. But with this in mind, we ask once again from all residents to please report potential criminal activities or trespassing inci-dents to Manatee County Sheriff’s Office direct-ly before reporting them to the gatehouse. Please understand that the gatehouse staff's main role is access control and not police work. Consider this, what if these individuals would have ignored Mr. Dougherty’s directives? With the above in mind, please note that Mana-tee County Sheriff's Office non-emergency number is 941-747-3011. This number is best used for suspicious activities or behaviors that do not involve an immediate threat/danger/act of crime. In other words, you should call this number when you are aware of a circumstance that is not normal to day-to-day life in Lak-eRidge Falls. For example, someone who is so-liciting, a group of teenagers who are roaming the streets of the community, and/or unfamiliar people who fish in the Association ponds. With this in mind, please don’t hesitate to call 911 in a true emergency situation which is when immediate assistance is warranted be-cause of an injury or danger. We wish to thank you in advance for your help on this matter and together we can keep LakeRidge Falls a safe place to live.

Scam Alert – Recently, a resident shared with us a recent scam, which is known as the Costco Text Scam. The resident who shared this with us advised that she got the following text mes-sage: “we're trying to get a hold of you about your Costco receipt BMTI-WLC. Please claim your overcharge reimbursement here.” The text then provides a link to go to. Similar texts may surface such as one that threatens to can-cel your membership unless you take a survey. Needless to say, these texts are fraudulent texts with the sole purpose of attempting to obtain personal information. The scammers hope you click on the link they provide and thereafter provide personal information. It is very important that you not click on any link sent to you via text message. More importantly, always be wary when asked to provide personal information. Gas Grills in Sandstone – A question was raised recently regarding the usage of gas grills in Sandstone Neighborhood (i.e. Cascade, Reyn-olds, Ashford, and Simpson). Knowing we have new residents who may not be aware of the rules governing this matter, we would like to share the answer with the rest of the communi-ty. The State of Florida requires all counties to follow the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) codes and requirements. Therefore, LakeRidge Falls encompassed relevant codes under its Architectural Review Board (ARB) Guidelines. More specifically, LakeRidge Falls adopted codes related to the usage and storage of Barbecue Grills. Article 7, Barbecue Grills, of LakeRidge Falls’ ARB Guidelines, states that other than one and two family dwellings, no hibachi, gas-fired grill, charcoal grill, or other similar devices used for cooking, heating, or any other purpose, shall be used or kindled on any balcony or under any overhanging portion or within 10 ft (3 m) of any structure.” Because the buildings in Sandstone are composed out of four and six-plex units, i.e.

P A G E 8

multi-dwellings, residents of this sub-division are prohibited to grill anywhere else besides 10 ft away from their building. An important point to note that the code was changed to also pro-hibit the usage of electric ranges, grills, or simi-lar electrical apparatus in lanais. Besides the fact that they are not allowed to use or store propane cylinders in their lanais, Sandstone residents are not permitted to store propane cylinders used by gas grills in their la-nai. There are enough rules, codes, and ordi-nances to indicate that storing propane cylin-ders indoors or in a garage is a major safety hazard. To simplify the matter, the governing rules prohibit Cascade, Reynolds, Ashford, and Simpson residents from using gas grills. They can, however, use any other barbeque grill as long as it is done within 10 ft away from the building.

Feeding Wildlife – We received reports from residents that sandhill cranes are feeling more and more comfortable around them. A couple of reports even mentioned accidental feeding which involved residents leaving food on their lanai. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) states on their website that “[p]eople may inadvertently put sandhill cranes at risk when they attract them with feed. This includes "accidental feed-ing," such as when bird seed is spilled from bird feeders onto the ground below.” The FWC then goes to explain that “[w]hen cranes are fed and learn to associate people with food, they can lose their fear of humans. These “habituated” cranes may approach people closely and even grab food out of a person’s hand. In rare instances, cranes have been re-ported pecking people.” Therefore, the FWC instructs that you must “[n]ever feed cranes and encourage your neighbors not to feed cranes. Cranes are less likely to inhabit urban areas if easy meals are not provided.” We therefore kindly ask residents’ cooperation on

this matter. Please help us preserve Lak-eRidge Falls’ wildlife. Oak Trees – ACI, LakeRidge Falls’ tree maintenance company, was on-site last month trimming oak trees in the community. Per the oak tree trimming routine, the community was divided into three somewhat equal sec-tions based on the number of oak trees in each section. The trimming routine is set in a way that each section is being trimmed every three years. This routine was set based on the University of Florida's best pruning prac-tices which calls for the trimming of mature oak trees every 3 to 5 years. Therefore, the section that was trimmed this time around was Sandstone Neighborhood. Once conclud-ed, we received feedback from residents who were highly satisfied with their work. Please note that the next time ACI will be on-site will be around September when they are scheduled to trim all palm trees in the com-munity which are over 15 feet tall.

NORTHMINSTER PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

3131 61st Street, Sarasota at Lockwood Ridge Road N.

(941) 355-4729, npcsarasota.com

Caring, Connecting, Community Involved

Sharing Christ’s message of grace, peace and hope

Worship Sundays at 10:30 a.m.

Bible Studies, Fellowship & Activities

P A G E 9

NO CONTACT Window/Roof Inspections

1. Grapes light on fire in the microwave.

2. There are almost 8 million possible seven-digit

phone numbers per area code.

3. Spaghetto, confetto, and graffito are the singu-

lar forms of spaghetti, confetti, and graffiti.

4. McDonald's once created bubblegum-flavored

broccoli.

5. Chewing gum is banned in Singapore.

6. The average U.S. household has 300,000 things

in it.

7. The 1939 novel Gadsby is the longest book ev-

er published that doesn't contain the letter 'e.'

8. Lobsters have clear blood.

9. The first item sold on eBay was a broken laser

pointer.

10. There was a prehistoric dragonfly that's wings

spanned more than two feet.

11. Bubble wrap was originally invented as wallpa-

per.

12. Shakespeare invented more than 1,700 words.

13. Santa Claus was given an official pilot's license

in 1927.

14. The top speed of the winning car in the first

U.S. race was seven miles per hour.

15. A lifeboat drill was canceled the morning of the

Titanic tragedy.

16. Lady Liberty wears a size 879 shoe.

17. There are 118 ridges on the side of a dime.

18. “Strengths" is the longest word in the English

language with one vowel.

19. "Q" is the only letter that doesn't appear in any

U.S. state name.

20. There's a planet that's shaped like a potato.

From BESTLIFE

P A G E 1 0

Selections for 2020

July: The Radium Girls by Kate Moore, 480 pgs. 2017

Aug: A Woman Is No Man by Etaf Rum, 352 pgs. 2019

Sept: Falling Angels by Tracy Chevalier, 321 pgs. 2002

Oct: The Dutch House by Ann Patchett, 337 pgs. 2019

Nov: The Library Book by Susan Orlean, 336 pgs. 2018

Classified Ads are to be submitted by Lakeridge Falls Residents only!

All American Handyman, Home Repair, Honey-do list, House Sitting, Free Estimates!

Call Donnie, LRF Resident at 941-320-3268

FOR SALE: Electric scooter with basket - rarely used - paid $1,500 - will sell for $750/obo.

Call Chuck Wilson at 941-355-0071

Only $1.00 per line, five line limit. Deadline is the 20th of each month. Call Paula at 941-360-1046 ext #103

Old tablets, laptops and

computers are needed for

children in foster care!

The Children’s Guardian Fund

(childrensguardianfund.org) is a 501

(c)(3) non-profit organization that

responds to the needs of children

removed from abusive or neglectful

homes. One of the services is to

clean data, repair, and refurbish do-

nated equipment before distributing

it to local children in state care.

They are in dire need of donations

and appreciate all unused equipment.

Appropriate chargers, cables and

cords would also be appreciated.

Charlotte McAleer is coordinating

this project in Lakeridge Falls, and

can be reached at 941-351-4047.

Thanks for your generosity!!!

P A G E 1 1

#1 Selling Realtors in LRF

Realtors of the Year - 2nd Year in a Row! (For New Construction Lakewood Ranch)

We work hard to get your home sold. Ask us how you can save up to $5,000 when we list your home and you purchase

new construction.

Lroths3124@gmail.com www.LiveSarasota.com

Irv: 941.321.9683 Leslie: 941.266.5308

Irv & Leslie Rothschild

15% new customer

discount

4200 Lakeridge Blvd. Sarasota, FL 34243

Monday – Friday, 8:00am – 6:00pm

Felipe Carbonell, PT, DPT Tony Teresi, PTA, CPT