Thursday, January 3, 2013

Idlewild Duck-E-News
Winter 2013 Edition


idlewildnewsletter@live.com www.idlewildhoa.blogspot.com

Idlewild Homeowners Assoc.
PO Box 1341
Sumter, SC 29151-1341


Important Numbers
Street sign and pot hole issues 436-2558
Police (Speeding, vandalism) 436-2739
Animal Control 436-2066
Black River Electric 469-8060
Sheriff’s Office 436-2790
Poison Control 800-222-1222
PUPS(Call before you dig) 888-721-7877
Trash Pick-up http://www.sumtersc.gov/Departments/PublicServices_Sanitation.aspx


Board Members
Frank Shuler 773-8676 fshuler@jssjlaw.com
David Ardis 469-0714 davidardis@ftc-i.net
Jeff Diven 469-6434 jeff@sumterprecision.com
Monte Duncan 905-1161 duncandogs@ymail.com
Mark Hopson 464-0796 mark.hopson@bd.com
If you have any questions, comments or concerns, please contact one of your board members or e-mail the Duck-E-News.


Lawn Care
L & S is contracted to do the lawn care in the common areas. This means all the circles in the cul-de-sacs and both entrances. They are responsible for the grass, bushes, trees and flowers in each circle and at both entrances. If you have leaves or debris in the street in front of your property it is your responsibility to remove it. L & S will remove leaves and debris from the grassy areas only. If you have questions, please contact one of the Board Members.


ATTENTION DOG OWNERS!
With the cool weather of winter and more folks out walking their pets, we would like to remind everyone to be courteous to your neighbors. Please don’t allow your pet to walk through or to do their business in people's yards. Be respectful of your neighbors and your neighborhood. Carry a doggie bag and clean up after your pet.

Neighborhood Watch
What is Neighborhood Watch?
In essence, Neighborhood Watch is a crime prevention program that stresses education and common sense (Stegenga 2000). It teaches citizens how to help themselves by identifying and reporting suspicious activity in their neighborhoods. In addition, it provides citizens with the opportunity to make their neighborhoods safer and improve the quality of life. Neighborhood Watch groups typically focus on observation and awareness as a means of preventing crime and employ strategies that range from simply promoting social interaction and "watching out for each other" to active patrols by groups of citizens (Yin, et al., 1976).
Most neighborhood crime prevention groups are organized around a block or a neighborhood and are started with assistance from a law enforcement agency. Volunteers who donate their time and resources are typically at the center of such programs, since many do not have a formal budget or source of funding. One study (Garofalo and McLeod, 1988) found that most Neighborhood Watches were located in areas that contained high percentages of single-family homes, little or no commercial establishments, and residents who had lived at their current address for more than five years. This study also found that most of the programs used street signs to show the presence of the program to potentially deter any would-be criminals.
All Neighborhood Watches share one foundational idea: that bringing community members together to reestablish control of their neighborhoods promotes an increased quality of life and reduces the crime rate in that area. As Rosenbaum (1988) put it ". . . if social disorganization is the problem and if traditional agents of social control no longer are performing adequately, we need to find alternative ways to strengthen informal social control and to restore a 'sense of neighborhood'". That's precisely what Neighborhood Watch strives to do. In fact, from the earliest attempts to deal with the neighborhood structure as it relates to crime (through the Chicago Area Project of the early 1900s), to modern attempts at neighborhood crime prevention, collective action by residents has proved one of the most effective strategies.
The reason for this effectiveness is rather simple: Involving community members in watch programs decreases opportunities for criminals to commit crime rather than attempting to change their behavior or motivation.
Today's Neighborhood Watch Program is an effective means of crime control and neighborhood cohesiveness. While not all of the programs in place today go by the same name, they all accomplish the same goal: to bring community members together to fight crime. As Minor aptly wrote, "Neighborhood is the key to maintaining successful relationships."
http://www.usaonwatch.org/about/neighborhoodwatch.aspx

Your neighborhood is only as good as you make it.


New Neighbors?
Have you had a new neighbor move in next door or on your street in the last 3 months? If so, please e-mail ildewildnewsletter@live.com or contact a board member so we may welcome them. We want to be sure everyone feels welcome in the Idlewild community.


Famous Quotes
I want you to be concerned about your next door neighbor. Do you know your next door neighbor?
Mother Teresa


HOA Dues
If you have not paid your HOA Dues for 2012, please send them to the address above. Dues are $100.00.
Litterbugs
Help keep the streets of Idlewild clean. Don’t throw trash on the street and lawns. Report litterbugs to the Litter Busters Hotline: #LB from cell phone or 1-877-7-LITTER. Report the tag number of the vehicle, type of vehicle and location. You can remain anonymous.


South Carolina Facts
What are the 4 regions of South Carolina?

• Lowcountry – Area along SC coast from Pawleys Island south to the Savannah River – sometimes spelled Low Country
• Midlands – Located in the center of the state stretching from Aiken County in the west to Clarendon County in the east, Fairfield County to the north and Orangeburg County at the south. Columbia is in the heart of the Midlands region.
• Pee Dee – Northeast area of SC including the Grand Strand
• Upstate – Northwestern part of SC featuring the Appalachian Mountains – sometimes called Upcountry


Neighbors Supporting Neighbors!
Do you own and operate a business and live in Idlewild? If so, send us your info (e-mail your business card would be perfect) and we will list it in the next edition of the Duck-E-News. Neighbors need to know your business so they can support you.

Megan Manus Photography
www.meganmanusphotography.com
Email is megan@meganmanus photography



Idlewild Spotlight
In the spotlight of this edition are Article VII, VIII, IX and X of the Bylaws and Restrictive Covenant #20, 21, 22, 23, 24 and 25.
Bylaws
Article VII

Books and Records

The books records and the papers of the Association shall at all times, during reasonable business hours, be subject to inspection by any member or first Mortgagee. The Restrictive Covenants, Articles of Incorporation and the Bylaws shall be available for inspection by any member at the principle office of the Association, where copies may be purchased at a reasonable cost.

Article VIII

Assessments

As more fully provided in the Restrictive Covenants each member is obligated to pay to the Association annual and Individual Lot Maintenance Assessments for maintenance of common lot areas. Payments are secured by a continuing lien upon the property against which the assessment is not paid within thirty (30) days after the due date and delinquent assessments shall bear interest from the date of delinquency at the rate of eight percent (8%) per annum and the Association may bring an action against the Owner personally obligated to pay same or foreclose the lien against the property in the manner provided in the Restrictive Covenants. No Owner may waive or otherwise avoid liability for the assessments provided herein and by the Restrictive Covenants by nonuse of the Common Properties or abandonment of such Owner’s lot.

Article IX

No Corporate Seal

There shall be no corporate seal.

Article X

Amendments

Section 1

These Bylaws may be amended at a regular or special meeting of the members by a vote of a Majority of a quorum of members present in person or by proxy. The procedure to amend the Bylaws she be: (a) the Board of Directors may propose the amendment to the Bylaws by resolution setting forth the proposed amendment and directing that it be submitted for adoption at a meeting of the members; or (b) any five (5) members may set forth the proposed amendment by petition by them submitted, which shall be filed with the Secretary of the Association Board. Notice of the meeting of the members, stating the purpose of the meeting, including the proposed amendment, shall be given to each member entitled to vote on the proposed amendment, and to each director. If notice required by Article III, Section 3, has been given, the proposed amendment may be adopted at any meeting of members by a majority of a quorum of members present in person or by proxy.

Section 2

In the case of any conflict between the Articles of Incorporation and these Bylaws, the Articles shall control, and in the case of any conflict between the Restrictive Covenants and these Bylaws, the Restrictive Covenants shall control.


Restrictive Covenants

20. The Architectural Control Committee shall be consulted and shall have final authority on the location and facing of the residence constructed on any lot.

21. All structures shall be completed within one (1) year from the date of groundbreaking unless the time is otherwise extended by the Architectural Control Committee.

22. All landscaping and outside decorations shall be approved by the Architectural Control Committee.

23. No inoperative vehicles shall be maintained on the property for longer than a thirty (30) day period.

24. All vehicles larger than a standard passenger vehicle, such as tractors, etc, will be parked in back of any residence and out of the view of the street.

25. No objects of any kind such as television dishes will be located on the property unless it has been approved by the Architectural Control Committee.

If you need a copy of the Bylaws or the Covenants, please e-mail idlewildnewsletter@live.com with your request.


What’s for Dinner?
CHEESY PASTA BAKE
Recipe Ingredients:
4 cups penne pasta, uncooked
1lb. lean ground beef
2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
1 onion, chopped
1 jar (24 oz.) spaghetti sauce
3Tbsp. OSCAR MAYER Real Bacon Bits
1tsp. Italian seasoning
1-1/3 cups KRAFT Shredded Triple Cheddar Cheese with a TOUCH OF PHILADELPHIA
Make It:
HEAT oven 375°F.
COOK pasta as directed on package, omitting salt.
MEANWHILE, brown ground beef with vegetables in large skillet sprayed with cooking spray. Add sauce, bacon and seasoning; mix well. Simmer on medium-low heat 10 min. or until slightly thickened, stirring occasionally.
DRAIN pasta. Add to sauce; mix well. Pour into 13x9-inch baking dish sprayed with cooking spray; top with cheese.
BAKE 25 to 30 min. or until heated through.
Kraft Kitchens Tips
Make Ahead - Casserole can be assembled ahead of time. Refrigerate up to 24 hours. When ready to serve, bake, uncovered, as directed.
Substitute - Prepare using KRAFT Finely Shredded Triple Cheddar Cheese.
Substitute - Prepare using OSCAR MAYER Bacon Pieces or chopped OSCAR MAYER Fully Cooked Bacon.
This recipe provided courtesy of http://www.kraftrecipes.com/


What’s for Dessert?
SNOWBALL CAKE

What You Need
1 pkg. (2-layer size) devil's food cake mix
1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
1 egg
2Tbsp. granulated sugar
1 pkg. (3.4 oz.) JELL-O Vanilla Flavor Instant Pudding
1/4cup powdered sugar
1cup cold milk
1 tub (8 oz.) COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed
1cup BAKER'S ANGEL FLAKE Coconut
Make It
HEAT oven to 350ºF.
PREPARE cake batter, in 2-1/2-qt. ovenproof bowl, as directed on package; scrape side of bowl. Beat cream cheese, egg and granulated sugar until well blended; spoon into center of batter in bowl.
BAKE 1 hour 5 min. or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool cake in bowl 10 min. Loosen cake from bowl with knife; invert onto wire rack. Remove bowl. Cool cake completely.
MEANWHILE, beat dry pudding mix, powdered sugar and milk in bowl with whisk 2 min. Stir in COOL WHIP. Refrigerate until ready to use.
PLACE cake on plate; frost with pudding mixture. Cover with coconut. Keep refrigerated.
This recipe provided courtesy of http://www.kraftrecipes.com/


From Harper's Magazine:

Amount of pizza eaten each day in U.S. (acres): 75

The four food groups: Fast, Frozen, Instant, and Chocolate.


HOA BOARD MEMBERS NEEDED

There will be two positions open on the Board of Directors
Please consider running for one of these positions and support your community
If you are interested or know a neighbor who is interested, you may contact one of the current Board Members or send an e-mail to idlewildnewsletter@live.com

Article IV

Board of Directors

The affairs of the association shall be managed by a five (5) member Board of Directors. Only property owning members may serve on the Board of Directors. Directors will normally serve a three (3) year term of office. At the first annual meeting, members will elect one (1) director to serve for a one (1) year term, two (2) directors to serve two (2) year terms and two (2) directors to serve three (3) year terms. Thereafter all directors will be elected for three (3) year terms. Any Director may be removed from the Board, with or without cause, by a majority vote of the members of the Association. In the event of death, resignation or removal of a director, his or her successor shall be selected by the remaining Board members and shall serve for the unexpired term of said predecessor.

Next HOA Meeting – TBD (A new venue is being considered)