New Mailbox Proposal

Due to issues such as uniformity of repaired mailboxes, the expense to repair any broken mailboxes and the maintenance of dirty, moldy mailboxes the ACC created a subcommitted dedicated to reviewing options for replacement mailboxes. At the May 29th CMB meeting the Mailbox subcommittee presented 2 options to replace the current mailboxes in Creekwood. Below are images of the 2 presented boxes. The CMB board is seeking input from the community regarding the style of these mailboxes. Issues regarding the expense, the timeline, etc. are still being discussed and are not set at this time. Again, this is simply an opportunity to discuss if the Creekside and the Creekwood community are in agreement with this style of mailbox. You can comment by e-mailing your sub Association members or by posting a comment on the message board of the Creekside Website.

Option 1 - Recommended by the Mailbox Committee
Iron with flat black powder coating electrostatically bonded to prevent chipping.
Address plate below box




















Option 2 - Not Recommended
Iron with black paint.
Address on front of box.

Creekwood Master Board Meeting Last Night

Last night the CMB held their regularly scheduled May meeting. It was very well attended and ran nearly 3 hours long. Many items were voted on and issues were presented.
A short list of items handled include the following:

1. The board has passed resolutions to purchase and install a variety of items around the Recreation area that have been destroyed by vandalism
2. The Mailbox committee has presented 2 options for new mailbox designs and recommended one particular type.
3. A Recreation Area Committee is being established to handle the Pool issue from last year and other necessary repair & maintenance items for that area as deemed necessary. If you would like to join this committee please contact Sami Bisharat at samibisharat@yahoo.com

Other items were discussed and more details and images will follow in subsequent postings

New Credit Card Scam Warning

From Manatee Sheriffs' eWatch Community Newsletter:

This one is pretty slick since they provide YOU with all the information, except the one piece they want.

Note, the callers do not ask for your card number; they already have it. This information is worth reading. By understanding how the VISA & MasterCard Telephone Credit Card Scam works, you'll be better prepared to protect yourself.

One of our employees was called on Wednesday from 'VISA', and I was called on Thursday from 'Master Card'. The scam works like this: Caller: 'This is (name), and I'm calling from the Security and Fraud Department at VISA. My Badge number is 12460. Your card has been flagged for an unusual purchase pattern, and I'm calling to verify. This would be on your VISA card which was issued by (name of bank). Did you purchase an Anti-Telemarketing Device for $497.99 from a Marketing company based in Arizona ?'

When you say 'No', the caller continues with, 'Then we will be issuing a credit to your account. This is a company we have been watching and the charges range from $297 to $497, just under the $500 purchase pattern that flags most cards. Before your next statement, the credit will be sent to (gives you your address), is that correct?'

You say 'yes'. The caller continues - 'I will be starting a Fraud investigation. If you have any questions, you should call the 1- 800 number listed on the back of your card (1-800-VISA) and ask for Security.'

You will need to refer to this Control Number. The caller then gives you a 6 digit number. 'Do you need me to read it again?'

Here's the IMPORTANT part on how the scam works.

The caller then says, 'I need to verify you are in possession of your card'. He'll ask you to 'turn your card over and look for some numbers'. There are 7 numbers; the first 4 are part of your card number, the next 3 are the security Numbers that verify you are the possessor of the card. These are the numbers you sometimes use to make Internet purchases to prove you have the card. The caller will ask you to read the 3 numbers to him. After you tell the caller the 3 numbers, he'll say, 'That is correct, I just needed to verify that the card has not been lost or stolen, and that you still have your card. Do you have any other questions?' After you say No, the caller then thanks you and states, 'Don't hesitate to call back if you do, and hangs up.

You actually say very little, and they never ask for or tell you the Card number. But after we were called on Wednesday, we called back within 20 minutes to ask a question. Are we glad we did! The REAL VISA Security Department told us it was a scam and in the last 15 minutes a new purchase of $497.99 was charged to our card.

Long story - short - we made a real fraud report and closed the VISA account. VISA is reissuing us a new number. W hat the scammers want is the 3-digit PIN number on the back of the card Don't give it to them. Instead, tell them you'll call VISA or Master card directly for verification of their conversation. The real VISA told us that they will never ask for anything on the card as they already know the information since they issued the card! If you give the scammers your 3 Digit PIN Number, you think you're receiving a credit. However, by the time you get your statement you'll see charges for purchases you didn't make, and by then it's almost too late and/or more difficult to actually file a fraud report.

What makes this more remarkable is that on Thursday, I got a call from a 'Jason Richardson of Master Card' with a word-for-word repeat of the VISA scam. This time I didn't let him finish. I hung up! We filed a police report, as instructed by VISA The police said they are taking several of these reports daily! They also urged us to tell everybody we know that this scam is happening.

Manatee County Sheriff's Office

Crime Prevention

941-747-3011 ext. 2500

Ways & Means Committee Mtg Tomorrow

The Creekwood Ways & Means Committee is meeting tomorrow. They will be discussing the Creekside Monument sign, Moss on the Trees in Creekside and the Algae in Creekside. Please attend if you would like to contribute to the discussion.

Manatee County Sheriffs Ewatch Updated

The Manatee County Sheriff’s Office is happy to announce that our Community and Business Ewatch program is back up and running and we will be sending out alerts as they come in. We apologize for this inconvenience and delay. Please tell your friends to send their name and addresses to communityewatch@manateesheriff.com or businessewatch@manateesheriff.com to join in our Ewatch Program.

Manatee County Sheriff's Office

Crime Prevention

941-747-3011 ext. 2500

Violation & Fining Committee Mtg 5-29-08

On Thursday, 5-29-08, the Violation and Fining Committee will hold Hearings for Violations that have not been settled within the 14 day timeline as specified in the initial notification mailed to the homeowner and in our Creekwood Documents. Please click on the image to see which violations will be addressed at this meeting.

If you have received a violation notification and will be unable to address the issue please be proactive in notifying AMI before the 14 day timeline, otherwise you will be subjected to fining and possibly need to appear at a Fining Committee hearing to dispute the fine.

Construction Traffic on Creekwood Blvd.

In April County Commissioner Donna Hayes, who represents the district that includes Creekwood, presented a motion at the last Commissioner meeting to discuss the issue of large Construction vehicle traffic along Creekwood Blvd. Please click the image to read a summary of the events as reported by Diane Darrow, Creekwood Communication Committee Chair.

The next County Commission Meeting is Tuesday, 5-20-08, at 9:00 A.M. at 1112 Manatee Avenue West, Bradenton, FL 34205 on the ground floor. You can get more info including the agenda at www.mymanatee.org

New Basketball Hoop

Yesterday a new, commercial-grade basketball hoop was installed at the pool area. The new hoop has a lifetime guarantee and is significantly sturdier than the previous hoop that was broken a few months ago. During the installation it was also determined that the previous hoop was incorrectly installed due to its small size, adding to its short life. The next step is to replace the black electrical tape box outline on the backboard with paint.