Published for the residents of Twin Lakes of Brandon

Inside this issue

Letter from the President ........... 1 Meet the Board ........................... 2-3 Holiday Festival ........................... 4 Recipe of the season ................... 5 We’ve gone social ....................... 6 All about gators .......................... 8 Bus stop safety ............................ 9 Critter corner .............................. 10 Board contact ............................ 12

Dear Neighbors,

As we move toward the new year, we move with a new board of directors in place. The Board has a new look this year with three

newcomers and you may start to see a new look and feel about the community with it as well, hopefully all positive. Please welcome

back Mark Gaurdio as our Secretary and Chair of the CALM Committee. Back

after a few years away is Derek Matthews as Vice

President and Chair of the ACC Committee. Please

also welcome some new homeowners to the board.

Our new 2nd Vice President is Danielle Stevens, who

has taken over the CSAC Committee, including the

Newsletter and Irene Cusack has become the new

Treasurer for 2018. And then there is me, Joanne

Bialas, the brave homeowner who dared to step into

the very large shoes that have been left vacant by our

highly respected former leader, Lou Ferrucci. After

many years of “knowing what to expect”, I can imagine some of you, maybe

most of you, might be concerned. Rest assured, we are not going to go crazy

and spend lots of money and make lots of changes. I can tell you that we will

continue to be financially responsible, but will also continue to update and pos-

sibly upgrade that which is necessary for the good of our great community.

After all, we need to maintain our own community to the same standards as we

do our own homes.

The Budget meeting which is normally in conjunction with the regular monthly

HOA meetings in November had to be postponed to the 30th of November so as

we go to print, the budget has not been finalized. Please log onto the website,

tlbhoa.org for an update on the 2018 budget. As always, please watch for the

letter which will be in the mail with the final information and coupon book in

early December.

My email address is president@tlbhoa.org and I encourage each of

you to feel free to reach out to me and/or any of the other board

members with any ideas, suggestions, questions, or concerns. Please

get involved and join one of the committees such as Architectural,

Communications and Social Activities, or Common Areas and Lake

Maintenance. Not ready to commit, how about come to one of the

monthly HOA meetings? Have a snack and see if anything is of inter-

est to you or your talents. Together, we are a strong community and

will maintain our strong values throughout the neighborhood.

My best wishes for you and your families,

Joanne Bialas

Like us on Facebook! Stay up to date with what’s new and connect with your neighbors! facebook.com/groups/TLBHOA

December 2017/January 2018 Editor: Danielle Stevens

| Website: tlbhoa.org | Facebook: groups/TLBHOA |

Meet the 2018 Board of Directors!

Joanne Bialas—President

My family and I fell in love with Twin Lakes when we first came to look at houses a few

years ago. After we moved in, I wanted to get more involved in our great community and

became the Newsletter Editor, which led to a position on the board the following

year. While our daily work and family lives keep us very busy, I still enjoy finding the time

to do my part to help our community continue to be one of the best in the area.

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Derek Matthews—Vice President 1/ACC

Greetings Twin Lakes!

With 450 or so homes in our community, we all thought it would be a good idea for us to introduce ourselves. My name is Derek Matthews, and I am proud to serve as your Vice President and head of the Architectural Review Committee. I have lived in Twin Lakes for nearly 15 years and have served previously on the board in the same capacity about 5 years

ago. I am delighted for the opportunity to be back helping to keep our

community beautiful and safe.

I grew up in the Northeast split between New York and

Massachusetts. Fortunately for me, I discovered the south after college at the George Washington University in DC. I have lived in Texas, Maryland, North Carolina, California, and now here in Tampa. My wife Rhonda and I have three children between us, two in High School, and one at Florida State. You can find me working diligently as an attorney with Lansky Law Group - this newsletter probably has business card sized ad somewhere :)

Twin Lakes is a beautiful, well maintained, financially responsible, wonderful place to live. The wildlife in our lakes are amazing and the park reminds me of

a little corner of Sherwood Forest from stories of my youth. We have excellent amenities that are important to this

entire community. I believe this board has the responsibility to maintain and improve these features that make this an amazing place to live. I look forward to seeing you all out and about!

Danielle Stevens—Vice President 2/CSAC

My family and I have been proud residents of Twin Lakes since 2015, after moving here from Northern Virginia. After visiting

many times over the initial 6 months we lived here; my mom and step-dad even moved to Twin Lakes, too! They fell in love

with the trees in Zeina Park, just like we did. My husband and I have 4 daughters; 2 that are school-aged and live with us,

and 2 that live in Plant City with our grandbabies.

I’m so excited to be a part of this great community and to serve as a volunteer on

the board of directors. During my term on the board and in my role as the head

chair of Communications and Social Activities Committee, I plan on bringing us

together more often for fun social events. Zeina Park is such a perfect meeting

place (when it’s not 100 degrees outside!), I can’t wait to get to know more of you

during our gatherings.

You may see my husband or me walking one, or all of our 3 dogs. We have 2 that

weigh less than 15 lbs and one gentle giant named Bear that you may have seen.

Please be sure to say hi! We love making new friends.

3

Irene Cusack—Treasurer

My husband, teen aged son and I have been Twin Lakes homeowners since December 2015. After 23 years in the Air Force, we have lived in quite a few neighborhoods and can honestly say, Twin Lakes tops them all! From our beautiful common areas, to all the friendly neighbors, and our just the right size community we're so happy we moved here!

I wanted to say thank you for placing your trust in me to serve as your board treasur-er. My goal is to put our community first and work to make our neighborhood the abso-lute best it can be.

I look forward to meeting you at our community events!

Mark Gaudio— Secretary/CALM

I’ve lived in Twin Lakes for 15 years and have seen many changes, most of them very positive. Some may not know, others may not remember, but Lake Michaela and Lake Stearns were barely visible 15 years ago because of massive overgrowth of the un-maintained/ignored natural environment. The beauty you now see in both lakes was a result of one or two residents that

took up the cause to spearhead our Twin Lakes restoration project—which was no easy task because of, but not limited to, the red tape surrounding both the state and the county En-vironmental Protection Agencies. But persistence and logic won out and now I am fortunate to be riding the coattails of all the diligent and selfless work of those before me. What’s iron-ic is, although I may oversee both the community landscaping and lake management, I really appear to be more knowledgeable than I actually am. Truth be told, sadly, I have a brown-thumb. Which is why I rely on the experts around me. I think it was Henry Ford who said, when asked seeming-ly silly and difficult questions from a national media outlet—I’m paraphrasing “…I don’t know the answers to all these questions, but I try to surround myself with people who do…”.

I really do believe that Twin Lakes looks better now than it did 15, 10 or even 5 years ago. A lot of it has to do with not only the

aforementioned lakes’ restoration project, but also because Twin Lakes is aging gracefully. The trees are grown and full, the

lakes are flourishing and vibrant and attracting a variety of wildlife (some welcome, others maybe not so much) and our

grounds remain green and lush thanks to our community landscaping company. I’m not just saying this because I live here, I can

live anywhere in FL. But when I travel around the state for work or play, I can honestly say there have been few places I’ve seen

that I’d like to call home. I love the beaches and the nightlife in Pinellas County, and the sea-towns of the northern east coast and

the pristine panhandle, of Florida. But when I return to Twin Lakes, I’m always glad to be home. I like to call Twin Lakes the

million dollar view for less than half the price. Please enjoy, take pride and be grateful for all the natural beauty around you.

Meet the 2018 Board of Directors!

The Gazebos Need Your Help!

Do you have an interest in the Gazebos? Join our new Gazebo Task Force/Committee and have a say in their future and areas! Email president@tlbhoa.org today to find out more information and join!

4

Twin Lakes of Brandon Families!

Please join us in Zeina Park on Saturday, December 16th at 4pm for a Holiday Festival!

Beginning at 4pm, we’ll have:

• 4 food vendors: The Puerto Rican Kitchen, The Hungry Bull Food Truck, In the Middle Food Truck, and Sweet Baby Donuts!

• Free face painting

• A bounce house

• A special visit from SANTA with free professional pictures!

• Special caroling performed by Lithia Springs Elementary Lynx Chorus from 5-5:30pm.

The Newsome Choir and Orchestra annual holiday concert will begin at 6:30pm to end the event.

We will be collecting new, unwrapped toys for Toys for Tots!

Twin Lakes offers a special

thank you to the sponsors

that helped bring this event

together!

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Christmas Morning Casserole

• 8 thick slices country white bread, buttered and cubed

• 1 lb loose pork breakfast sausage

• 1 tablespoon fresh sage, chopped

• 1 cup white cheddar cheese, shredded

• 1 cup yellow sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

• 7 eggs

• 3 cups milk

• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

• 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

• salt, to taste

• black pepper, to taste

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the loose pork breakfast sausage, using a wooden spoon break up the sausage into crumble sized pieces, cook until browned, about 5-10 minutes. Fold in chopped sage after cooked.

Meanwhile; Into the prepared baking dish, add the but-tered and cubed bread, Sprinkle the sausage over the bread, make sure to distribute evenly, then sprinkle with cheese.

In a medium bowl, add eggs, milk, cayenne, dry mus-tard, salt and pepper to taste; whisk together. Pour over the bread, sausage and cheese.

Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

The next morning…Preheat the oven to 350º. Bake for 1 hour, or until bubbly and hot. Serve hot.

Recipe of the season

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Real Estate Recap

We’ve gone social!

Twin Lakes of Brandon is on Facebook! There has

been a Twin Lakes Homeowners Facebook page for quite some time that was created and run by residents. Those residents have passed the page over to the HOA Board of Directors. The Twin Lakes of Brandon Homeowners Facebook

page will give residents of Twin Lakes a place for

announcements pertaining to the neighborhood and

other various updates from the association and

residents.

No official HOA business will be discussed on this

Facebook page. Please be sure to contact any of the

Board of Directors for concerns, ideas, or

complaints; or attend the monthly board meeting.

(Days and times are announced on our web-

site: tlbhoa.org)

This page will also continue to be a place to post

photos of our magnificent neighborhood, lost or

found pets, seek or offer help to our neighbors, and

to share community events.

Make sure to head over to facebook.com/groups/

TLBHOA and give it a “like” and invite your

neighbors to, too! This page will be used as a great

communication platform for things that can’t wait

for board meetings and newsletters.

You can also find Twin Lakes of Brandon on the Next Door app and site. Next

Door is the free private social network for our neighborhood community.

Address Sq Ft Price Bed/Bath

Sold 4905 OTTER CREEK CT 1,859 $230,000 4/2

Sold 5122 COOPERS HAWK CT 2,363 $285,000 4/3

Sold 2855 LAKE MICHAELA BLVD 3,294 $370,000 4/3

Sold 4704 WATER LARK WAY 2,648 $318,000 4/3

Sold 5116 WHISPERING LEAF TRL 2,878 $360,000 4/2

Sold 2821 LAKE MICHAELA BLVD 3,253 $410,000 4/3

Sold 3053 BEAVER POND TRL 1,729 $234,000 3/2

Sold 4705 WATER LARK WAY 2,592 $275,112 4/3

PNC 2830 MOSSY TIMBER TRL 3,399 $340,000 4/3

PNC 5209 WHISPERING LEAF TRL 3,119 $340,000 6/3

PNC 3142 BEAVER POND TRL 1,598 $225,000 3/2

Courtesy of: Laura Moses, Realtor, Signature Realty

386-383-5210, lauramosesrealtor@gmail.com

What do I do with my Christmas Tree?

Pickup at the Curb

Curbside pickup of live Christmas trees is available to

County solid waste customers by following these steps:

•Remove all decorations, lights, and tinsel;

•Cut the tree into sections no larger than 4 feet long and

6 inches in diameter; and

•Place curbside on your regular yard waste collection

day.

Recycle and Reuse

One way to recycle your Christmas tree is to simply

move it to your back yard. The deteriorating tree will

provide a habitat for birds and other wildlife.

Drop it Off

Hillsborough County solid waste customers can take

trees directly to one of the following Yard Waste

Processing Facilities:

•346 Falkenburg Road in Tampa

•13001 U.S. 41 in Gibsonton

•8001 W. Linebaugh Ave. in Tampa

The County's three yard waste sites are

open Monday through Saturday from 7:30 a.m. until 5

p.m.

7

“Feeding wildlife accustoms them to humans and is a certain death sentence for alligators and other species.” —Florida Fish & Wildlife

Let’s talk about gators!

Most Floridians have learned something about alligators in school, just ask your school-aged kids. The early exposure, however, is limited and there is an unfortunate amount of misinformation that floats through Florida neighbor-hoods about gators. Alligators are beneficial to the environment and they are a part of Florida’s eco-system. In the colder months, they create deep pockets in swamp lands that retain water. During times of drought, many wetland ani-mals survive on these alligator-made watering holes. Alligators also consume and help control the population of the invasive, nonnative nutria ro-dents. Young alligators help by eating insects. Alligators are very important predators to the ecosystem, controlling the populations of the animals they prey on and providing shelter for other animals with their abandoned gator holes.

It's a common ques-tion and fear for many people: Do alligators hurt humans? Much to many people's sur-prise, when an alliga-tor sees a human, its brain doesn't immedi-ately scream dinner! Gators aren't hard-wired for that type of aggressive behavior toward humans un-less they perceive a threat, or if they lose their natural fear of humans by being fed by them.

Alligators are known to be opportunistic eaters. That's a fancy

way of saying gators are a little lazy and don't want to work

too hard for their food. Less desirable food will trump a tasty

meal if the tasty meal takes a lot of work.

As a community, we have chosen to live near one of Florida’s most beautiful natural habitats, but with that lies a responsibility

that we all remain cautiously mindful of our habitat and our surroundings. Florida's wildlife and human population are

encountering each other more often than ever before. As humans develop more open space and wildlife habitat is reduced and

fragmented, encounters between humans and wildlife become more common. For most people, observing wildlife is a thrilling

experience, but when an animal causes damage or attempts to share your living space, that thrill can turn to fear.

Developing an appreciation and understanding of your wild neighbors can help you learn to accept them and to live in harmo-

ny with them without resorting to extreme measures. This is the reason we have signs posted around the community that rein-

force Florida Fish & Wildlife state statutes regarding the temptation to feed, and/or disturb Florida’s wildlife.

Although gator relocation is sometimes necessary, trapping and relocating wildlife is a last resort and only warranted if all oth-

er measures have failed and the alligator becomes a threat. Removing one large alligator may only serve to open up territory

for others to move in. The environment is a balance, whatever we do will always have unexpected reactions and sometimes

unintended consequences.

If any of our resident gators are deemed a nuisance (aggressive),

by traversing through community and/or residential property,

then our management company (GPI) will report the incident to

FL Wildlife Ser-vices. Size actually isn’t a determining factor in

gator removal, contrary to popular belief. Only if they dis-play a

lessened fear of humans, begin to show up in our yards or acting

aggressively when unprovoked. As always, we all need remain

cautiously mindful of our habitat surroundings and respect that

we can’t ever be close to a wild animal.

8

9

School Bus Safety

We have hundreds of school-aged children that live and ride school buses in Twin Lakes. Let’s keep them safe! Just a reminder that all drivers in either direction of a two-way street must stop for a school bus dis-playing a stop signal, and remained stopped until the road is clear of children and the bus stop arm is withdrawn. This includes parents who park down the roadways and in the pool parking lot as they wait for the bus. Driving away while the bus still has its stop signal out is not only illegal, but dan-gerous. At times, kids are running towards the bus and it would be very easy to not see a small child

while your car is in motion. Better safe than sorry, and stay put until all kids have loaded on to the

bus and it’s on its way.

Florida has strict and clear

school bus safety rules. Un-

der Florida Statute 316.172,

when approaching a school

bus that has its stop lights

blinking and stop signs

showing, you must stop as

well. You may not pass a stopped school bus with

its lights and signs indicating that children are get-

ting on or off the bus. Violators of this law receive

a moving violation for failing to stop or attempting

Congratulations to the Washington family of 2813 Winding Trail Drive . Their home has been selected as the Twin Lakes of Brandon featured home for December 2017/January 2018. In each edition of our newsletter, homes that exemplify the care, pride and attention that the residents of Twin Lakes invest in their homes are featured. The Washington's will receive a $50 gift card for a local restaurant as this issue’s featured home. Nominate your favorite home in the community for the next issue by emailing editor@tlbhoa.org.

Featured Home

The Top 10 Reasons Florida Winters are the Best

Critter Corner

1. Everyone is jealous of the weather. While your Northern friends are

shoveling snow, you’re still wearing tee shirts and flip flops.

2. All the gators brummate until Spring, which is kind of like hibernating.

3. 2 words—NO MOSQUITOS.

4. You get a break from mowing your lawn weekly.

5. Holidays can be spent taking your visitors to the beach.

6. Grandma and Grandpa are snowbirds, so you get to see them more

often (and subsequently have built-in babysitters!)

7. Electricity bill reprieve because that A/C isn’t cranking all day.

8. Exercising outdoors becomes a possibility for a few months.

9. You still get a chance to wear those cute boots and sweaters for a few

days each year.

10. Did we mention the weather?

We are Magnus the Great Dane, Marley the Labradoodle and

Bentley the St.

Bernard. We would

love to go on walks

but we pull our little

people, so Dad says

no. So instead we

make friends with

our neighbors, even

though Mom says it’s nosy and to stop looking over the fence. We

just can’t help it because we love kids so much! Our family loves

us and we love them too—plus they have really comfortable

furniture.

10

“I wonder what it would be like to live in a world where it was always June.—L.M. Montgomery, Anne of the Island

Do you have a pet that you would like to introduce to the community? Email your photos & caption to

editor@tlbhoa.org

11

Like us on Facebook! Stay up to date with what’s new and connect with your neighbors! facebook.com/groups/TLBHOA

Calling all business owners

Why not advertise in

our community news-

letter? Special rates for

Twin Lakes residents,

display ads and inserts,

we can have your ad

designed and printed

for you! Contact editi-

or@tlbhoa.org for more

information.

2017-2018 Board of Directors

Joanne Bialas President president@TLBHOA.org

Dereck Matthews VP1/ACC vice-pres@TLBHOA.org

Danielle Stevens VP2/CSAC vice-pres2@TLBHOA.org

Irene Cusack Treasurer treasurer@TLBHOA.org

Mark Gaudio Secretary/CALM secretary@TLBHOA.org

Dates to Remember

December 12: Board of Directors meeting, River Hills Country Club, 6pm

December 16: Holiday Festival and Concert: Zeina Park at 4pm

December 25 –January 5: Hillsborough County Schools Winter Break

January 1: HOA Assessments due

January 9: Board of Directors meeting, River Hills Country Club, 6pm

January 15: Martin Luther King Day

Disclaimer

The (CSAC), Communications and Social Activities Committee has made every effort to provide accurate, relevant and timely information.

However, errors and ommissions can occur. By using the information herein, the reader assumes all risks associated with such use. The

Homeowner’s Association, (CSAC), or contributing authors shall not be responsible for any special, consequential or other exemplary damages

resulting from any reader’s use, interpretation or reliance upon any information contained herein

Coyote Safety

With recent coyote

sighting in Twin

Lakes, it’s important

to keep your small

dogs on a leash and

cats inside. Coyotes

are attracted to fallen

fruit in your yard and

always travel in

packs.