Regarding the Abandoned Homes in Creekside

Obviously we have an issue with a few properties in Creekside that have been abandoned either due to foreclosure or an impending foreclosure. As can be seen in the picture, maintenance is being neglected at these homes and it is becoming an eyesore.

The Creekside Board would like to ask for your patience in dealing with these properties. There is a formal violations process that is being followed that gives Creekwood the right to remedy the properties. It takes about a month and a half to complete. A home on 72nd Ct. E. recently completed the full process and your Creekside President is pushing the Creekwood Master Board to take action in addressing this situation. Other properties are currently in process as well. Simultaneously in August, AMI contacted the Manatee County Code Enforcement division to look at these homes. The latest word from County Code is they were added to a 6 page long list of homes in the county needing mowing due to the foreclosure crisis.

If we do not have some action soon, Creekside may have to absorb the cost of periodic maintenance of the properties. There is a possibility of reimbursement of such expenses, but that has a slim likelihood. Before we take such steps, the Creekside Board would like to hear from Creekside homeowners. Please come to the Creekside Town Hall & Pot Luck on Oct. 11th to share your opinion or post a comment now on the Creekside Message Board.

Creekside Dues, Pot Luck & Directory

All Creekside residents should have received the following notifications this week:

2008 Annual Creekside Regular Assessment

2008 Creekside Directory Submission Form & Advertising Sheet

Town Hall/Pot Luck Notification Flyer

All of these forms are available for download on the Creekside website. You can also pay your 2008 Assessment by Credit Card on the website through PayPal. If you have any questions regarding any of these items please contact us at CreeksideNews@yahoo.com and we will try to responde in a timely manner.

Drug Warning from Sheriff's E-Watch Program

for those with young children and/or for those who know of someone with school-age children:

This is a new drug known as 'strawberry quick '.

There is a very scary thing going on in some schools right now across the nation that we all need to be aware of.

There is a type of crystal meth going around that looks like strawberry pop rocks (the candy that sizzles and 'pops' in your mouth). It also smells like strawberry and it is being handed out to kids in school yards. They are calling it strawberry meth or strawberry quick.

Kids are ingesting this thinking that it is candy and being rushed off to the hospital in dire condition. It also comes in chocolate, peanut butter, cola, cherry, grape and orange.

Please instruct your children not to accept candy from strangers and even not to accept candy that looks like this from a friend (who may have been given it and believed it is candy) and to take any that they may have to a teacher, principal, etc. immediately.

Pass this email on to as many people as you can (even if they don't have kids) so that we can raise awareness and hopefully prevent any tragedies from occurring.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/05/02/health/main2752266.shtml?source=RSSattr=HOME_2752266

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,271215,00.html

New Recycling Pick Up starting in October

According the Manatee County Website, the Recycling Pick-Up date for Creekwood is changing in October from Tuesday Morning to Wednesday Morning. Please read below for additional info and to view the new Recycling Pick-Up Map. The Trash Pick-Up is NOT changing.

From the Manatee County Website:

Important Information Regarding Changes to your
Garbage, Recycling and Yard Waste Services

Beginning Wednesday, October 1, 2008, two waste haulers (Waste Pro and Waste Management) will be picking up garbage, recycling and yard waste in unincorporated Manatee County. As a result, many residents will experience changes to their pick-up days for these services.

The new routes have been finalized and the pick-up days are now available for residents to view and determine whether their service days have changed. Please click on the following links to view maps that define the pick-up days:

* Residential Garbage pick-up days
* Residential Recycling pick-up days

All changes will go into effect on Wednesday, October 1, 2008. Wednesday is yard waste pick-up day for all unincorporated Manatee County residents. There will be no more Saturday yard waste pick-up.

As additional information becomes available, it will be posted to this web page. If you would like to be notified when the website is updated, please send an e-mail message to garbageinfo@mymanatee.org. You may also obtain more information by reviewing Frequently Asked Questions.

Following are additional methods that will be utilized to inform residents of the changes:

* Maps showing pick-up days for residential recycling and garbage will be mailed to all premises the week of September 15.
* Maps will also be placed in the lobbies of various Manatee County office buildings and in most libraries.
* Door hangers with scheduled pick-up days for garbage and recycling will be distributed to all customers during the month of September.
* Customers will be notified of their recycling pick-up day with stickers placed on recycling bins.
* Public Service Announcements will run on the following channels: Bright House channel 622, Comcast channel 20, Verizon channel 30 and Universal channel 2.
* There will be a full page newspaper ad, including the maps, in the Sunday, September 28 editions of the Bradenton Herald and the Herald Tribune.
* Garbage Hot Line - 941-798-6742: Residents may call this number with questions about the changes to garbage service.

IMPORTANT REMINDERS

* Items should be placed in containers no larger than 32 gallons.
* There is a 50 lb. weight limit for each can, bag or bundle.
* All items should be placed at the curb before 6 a.m. on your pick-up day.
* Yard waste must be properly bundled.

Upcoming Meetings

Just a reminder on some upcoming meetings:

Tomorrow Sept 19th - Creekwood Security Committee
at Bob Evan's at 7 pm.

Monday Sept 22nd - Creekwood Violations Hearings
at AMI office at 9 am.

Monday Sept 22nd - Creekwood Master Board Meeting
at AMI office at 5:30 pm

All meetings are open to homeowners.

2 Bank Robberies on Friday 9/12 in East Manatee County

Bank Robbery #1
The Bank of America at 5315 39th Street East ( 39th Street East & SR 70) just got robbed at 5:10 PM. Description is a White/Male with a White T-shirt, Blue Jean Pants or Long Blue Jean Shorts, and a Camouflage or Khaki Hat with some type of logo on the front. He had a tattoo by his left ankle on the inside of the calf. No facial hair, 5’ 8” tall, thin build. Last seen running east on foot through field to the east of CVS Pharmacy. The suspect did get into a truck at CVS Pharmacy, just east of the bank. However, the truck was blue in color. It was an older work type truck with some black writing on it. Unknown if it was a small or large size pickup truck. The only further description on the suspect: He was in his mid 30’s in age. Also, the truck fled south on 45 Street East ( Lockwood Ridge Road ) and the suspect got into the passenger’s seat, which means there was a second suspect in the robbery.

Bank Robbery #2
Here is a picture of the suspect from the bank robbery at RBC Bank, located at 3275 University Parkway , from Friday (9/12/08) around 3:00 PM. The suspect is described as a White/Male in his 30’s, 5'10" to 6'00" tall, white button up short sleeve shirt, blue jeans, light colored fishing type hat, and sunglasses. He fled the scene in a 90’s model blue Toyota Corolla, that he backed into a parking space out front, west towards the Albertson’s parking lot.

If you can help, please contact the sheriff’s office at 747-3011. If you want to remain anonymous and/or possibly collect a cash reward, call Crimestoppers at 1-888-634-TIPS (8477). If you do not call Crimestoppers, you will not be eligible for a reward so call them first if you want a reward.

Creekside Monument Sign Installed

In case you haven't already noticed, the Creekside Monument sign was installed Sept. 4th. The Creekside Board will continue to follow up with the Creekwood Master Board for the approved landscaping to match the other entrance signs. Let us know what you think about the new sign on the Creekside Message board here. Or you can e-mail any questions about Creekside to CreeksideNews@yahoo.com.

A Word About Pets

A number of Creekside homeowner's have pets as an important part of our families. However, your neighbors may not feel quite the same attachment to your pet and may even be offended by certain behaviors. In order to help avoid conflicts with fellow homeowners, Creekside News would like to offer the following reminders regarding pet ownership based on State and County regulations as well as our Creekside/Creekwood Documents:

1. Our pets are subject to Ordinance 06-18 known as the Manatee County Animal Ordinance. Below is a paraphrase of some of the included requirement:

• that all dogs, cats & ferrets be licensed with the Division of Animal Services and have either a tag or micro-chip
• that all dogs, cats & ferrets be vaccinated for rabies
• dogs & cats should not be "at-large" i.e. freely roaming to public property or other properties without permission
• dogs & cats must be under direct control of the owner at all times ("leash law"), however cats, when outdoors, may be exempt if sterilized
  
• any dog or cat feces must be immediately removed by owner from public walkways, public property or private property of others
• repetitive noise i.e. barking, howling, meowing for more than 10 minutes is considered a nuisance

2. No livestock or poultry are to be raised or kept in Creekwood.
3. Homeowners are allowed up to 6 pets greater than 1 year old at a residence.
4. Under Florida state law, pet owners are responsible for the actions of their pets including fighting with other animals, harming people, destroying private property of others, etc.

So please as a courtesy to your fellow Creekside homeowners take care of your pets and respect the pets of others.

More Vandalism in the Culvert

Posted by Sami Bisharat, Creekside President.

This past Labor Day Weekend someone felt the need to break the FPL Easement gate at the culvert. Good news - the Security chain and lock stayed strong, but unfortunately the fence is quite damaged and broke from the hinges. I took the first photo and then set the fence back up for the second photo. It is not secured and can fall over again at the slightest touch. I have informed AMI and they will begin the process to get bids and present to the Master Board for Repairs. Hopefully this will be completed soon. If you saw or heard anything please let somebody know. It will take all our eyes working together to catch the perpetrators.

Some More August News

1st
AMI confirmed today that at the August 25th Monthly Creekwood Master Board Meeting the Master Board accepted the study from the Pool Subcommittee of the Ways & Means Committee regarding the options of the pool as a Creekwood amenity. The Master Board voted to keep the pool and to plan for the appropriate maintenance as recommended by the Reserve Study in future budgets subject to available funds.

2nd
A proposal from the Creekwood Communications Committee to create a Creekwood Directory of homeowners was rejected by the Master Board. However, the Creekside Board of Directors at their August 7th meeting received a similar request for just Creekside from a resident and voted to create a Creekside Directory. In the coming weeks you should receive your form for inclusion along with the 2008 Creekside Dues Collection Notice. We would like to have the Directory prepared for Distribution by the Creekside Town Hall meeting & Potlock on Sat. Oct. 11th at 4 pm in Creekside.