THIS NEWSLETTER IS BEING DISPLAYED IN TEXT-ONLY FORMAT UNTIL THE NEXT ISSUE IS PUBLISHED. We apologize for any inconvenience.
The Constitution
The Newsletter of the
Heritage Hills Community Association
Orange Park, FL
SPRING EDITION - 2005
Please note: The Association is NOT a code enforcement authority. All such concerns should be directed to the appropriate officials.
HHCA MISSION STATEMENT:
To unite the Heritage Hills and surrounding communities by offering:
Local news and information
Business and Networking opportunities
Community activities/bulleting board
Community enhancement and beatification projects, and
Avenues for achieving a balanced, safe environment for our families
IMPORTANT OPPORTUNITY
Hello, Neighbor:
I am your friendly Block Representative in Heritage Hills. Just wanted to introduce myself and tell you how important my home is to me.
My beautiful house is central to my happiness. For, you see, my family lives here; I entertain visitors here. It is the place I come home to at the end of the day, looking forward to being with my family and to rest, so I can go to work, and face each day.
Spring, summer, winter or fall, HHCA presents so much to me.
I enjoy walking in this neighborhood with the clean streets, and fine-looking green manicured lawns in the spring or summer, and cool evenings in the fall and winter. I feel safe here. I love the events here. My home is close to fine restaurants, choice grocery stores, great entertainment, major highways and outstanding shopping venues. Next, being close to excellent medical care is comforting.
Oh! Too, it is quiet here. Do I want to keep my neighborhood this way? YOU BET I DO! I KNOW YOU WANT TO HELP, BECAUSE TOGETHER WE CAN MAKE IT HAPPEN! You have an important opportunity to make a difference by joining HHCA today. The $25.00 Membership is minimal, yet does so much to brighten each day here in Heritage Hills.
Thank you for making a difference,
Your Block Representative for Heritage Hills Community Association
A Message from the Association President
Dear Neighbors,
It is once again that time of the year. It’s time, now that the holidays are behind us, to get on with the business of keeping Heritage Hills one of the best-darned places in the county to live and raise our families. It’s time to get busy and serious with the beautification and preservation of our neighborhood. That’s what HHCA is all about. In the 2004 Fall edition of the “Constitution,” we spoke of change as a theme for HHCA in 2005. We are moving toward fulfilling the promise of changes that will benefit all of Heritage Hills. We have a new, proactive HHCA Board and a committee that is working to protect the integrity of our neighborhood. This new Board and committee are dedicated to working together with current and new residents in our community to help keep our neighborhood safe, attractive and just a wonderful place to call home. We welcome your suggestions to help us achieve these goals. Won’t you join us as we make plans for what is shaping up to be the best year yet for our little community? Oh, did I fail to mention, to help all of us continue to keep our property values up.
Next, we have several family events planned for the year that you will not want to miss. The first will be our very first April Spring Fling . Next will be National Night Out in August and then our Santa Event in December. The details of these fun-filled events will be given in more detail in future newsletters. You won’t want to miss any of them!
Have you noticed the beautiful color of spring flowers at our front entrance? These have were made possible once again by a generous donation from Shirley and Charles Jett and our gardeners Larry and Nellie Dudley. HHCA’s plan is to have lovely flowers at our front entrance for most of this year. Which brings up my next subject--- our south entrance (see article later in newsletter titled South Entrance –Another Sign Destroyed). We keep hoping our membership will grow to the extent that we can afford to have water available at our south entrance also. HHCA would absolutely enjoy maintaining and planting this entrance, as we do the north, if we only had the water source to do so. This remains to be in our long-term plan for our community. Please consider joining HHCA so we can continue these beautification projects that benefit all.
I wish you much success and happiness in 2005. Remember to do business with the businesses that support HHCA. Have a wonderful spring and do not forget to be A GOOD NEIGHBOR.
Sarah Walker, President-HHCA
Thought for the Quarter
“If you are not criticized, you may not be doing much.” -Donald
Rumsfield, Secretary of Defense.
Applebee’s Ongoing
As your president of HHCA, I went before the Code Enforcement Board of Clay
County to plead our case about the negatives of having an abandoned, burnt
out building at our front entrance. I was allowed to present my case, which
included two years of communications with “people representing Applebee’s,” to
the board. The long and the short of it is that Applebee’s does not own
this property. The owner has hired a realtor/property manager to take care
of their interests. The result of the hearing was that Code Enforcement
gave the interested parties 10 days to clean up their mess. The Board also
issued a legal warning that if the realtor/property manager became in violation
of any county code enforcement issues in the future, they would be automatically
fined. I expressed my displeasure that this had taken over 2 years, many hours
and a County Ruling to resolve this problem. Applebee’s, and their
property managers, claimed they did not know the condition this property had
been left in after the fire. This is understandable – if you think that
most people don’t keep track of high-value commercial properties.
February Meeting
The general meeting of HHCA was held with numerous residents attending. Clay
County Sheriff’s Office Community Deputy Margaret Emmert reported ways
to keep the neighborhood safe. Open garage doors invite theft, so be
careful. Observe speed zones. HHCA has settled regarding the S.
Entrance. Anyone wishing to help restore our sign may contact Phil Conery
at 276-3521. Completion of this work is needed for possible placement
of Information Board. Sprinkler System at the South Entrance is still
cost prohibitive. COMMITTEES AT WORK: Nellie Dudley suggested a membership
contest as option for increasing memberships. The Board will work out
the details. Community Preservation is working with CCS Code Enforcement
Division to preserve HHCA.
SPRING GARDENING TIPS
In March you should decide on a maintenance plan for your St. Augustine lawn. For a moderate lawn maintenance plan, fertilize grass three times per year in March, June and September. Read labels and choose a fertilizer containing a slow release nitrogen. Rake dead grass before applying fertilizer to allow new grass to grow and to increase the effectiveness of fertilizers and pesticides applied to the lawn. Begin heavy pruning of hedges in mid March. To encourage bushy growth, prune just prior to bud swell. You can start planting tender annuals this month. However, you need to be prepared to protect these plants from late-season frost. A few suggestions of annuals to plant are: begonias, calendulas, coleus, cosmos, dahlias, geraniums, impatiens and verbenas.
In April, repair or replace damaged spots in the lawn with sod plugs or seedlings. Keep lawn well watered if the weather is dry. This is also the month to begin mowing lawns in our area. Remember to always keep your lawn mower blade sharp. Grass mowed too low has a short root system and is easily damaged during dry weather, plus mowing too low weakens and makes the grass more likely to have weed problems. Sand can be applied to uneven areas of lawn for leveling now but should be no more than 1 inch thick.
Always be environmental friendly by not leaving lawn clippings in the street after mowing. This causes drainage problems and pollutes our waterways.
* Information provided by horticultural extension agents of the University of Florida
Santa Came This Christmas, But His Spirit’s Here All Year
When a resident with a great idea for the community combines with resources to make the idea happen, the residents of Heritage Hills benefit. That happened this Christmas, when Joyce Smith, of Watson Realty, wanted to give Heritage Hills a Christmas present. When Joyce explained her idea to Sarah Walker, Sarah was able to help her connect with Lieutenant Jack Clanton of the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, and the resulting Santa event set the stage for what promises to be an annual happening in Heritage Hills.
December’s event was a definite success. Joyce publicized the event with signs and phone calls, and helped bring together a number of people who turned a utility trailer, pulled by Roger Haney, into a mobile Santa seat which toured the neighborhood escorted by Sheriff’s Deputy Margaret Emmert in the lead and Deputy Lance Kramer bringing up the rear. Just to be sure that anyone within earshot knew Santa was on his way, Jack’s neighbor, Karl, used Deputy Emmert’s public address system to announce Santa’s impending arrival. Joyce and Sarah both escorted Santa on the trailer.
Jack and Kathy Clanton are not strangers to playing Santa Claus, both in costume, and in spirit. Jack has worn a Santa suit at Christmas for seven years to give kids up-close contact with the big elf. The Clantons’ highly-decorated house on Benjamin Harris Street lights up a portion of the night sky every Christmas with all the holiday yard ornaments and displays. But the trappings of Christmas, although important, are not what the Clantons are all about. For more than eighteen years, Jack has supported causes that benefit children of Clay County. More recently, Jack and friends have spearheaded a benevolent organization called Children’s Charities of Clay County which collects money, toys, trees, clothing, food and other things not just for Christmas, but to help children with special needs and their families throughout Clay County year-round.
Jack stays busy year-round. On April 8th, he will be supporting the ALS foundation (Lou Gehrig’s Foundation) with their Musical Chairs Fundraiser at Tynes Elementary School, and on April 26th the Board of Directors from Lighthouse Learning Center will be hosting their annual Gourmet Night at the Country Club of Orange Park.
All who participated in December’s Santa event are already excited about
the next one. Ideas for an even bigger community event which will include luminaries,
elves, and more community contact are in the works. If you’d like
to get involved, there is likely to be some way you can help make Christmas
even more fun here in Heritage Hills.
Community Preservation Committee Benefits Everyone
by Cal Thompson
Community Preservation Committee . . . Hmmm – sounds like it might be a group of neighbors intent on imposing their idea of how my house should look, and I’m not sure I like that!
Well, let me try to dispel that myth right up front. We are all in this together, we all have a vested interest in keeping our property values high, and we all want our children to be safe in our little community. That is the bottom line as to why this committee exists, and the criteria we use as we look around the neighborhood are all based on those principles.
As a matter of fact, we are really impressed with the very small number of
issues we have seen so far. Most of us are keeping our property up and
making repairs when they are needed. This is Florida, after all, and
if there is anything we can all count on, it is that our fences, siding, roofs,
and everything else that is exposed to the weather are all going to need repair
sooner or later. So if the wind blows down a section of fence, nobody
is expecting the repairs to be done before the fence hits the ground. What
we are going to focus on are situations that are not addressed within a reasonable
period of time, and pose a safety threat, or show a consistent disregard for
property values in our community.
We hope you will all welcome our efforts, and we thank you for making this
a very easy job!
Community Garage Sale
NOTE: April 2nd, 2005 will be the date of our Community Garage Sale. H.H.C.A
will pay for advertising in local papers and put up signs.
Heritage Hills Spring Fling
Are you ready for some springtime fun? Are you ready to get to know a few of your neighbors? Okay, how about some free food and drinks – NOW are you interested?
Saturday, April 9th, First National Bank, Clay County Sheriff’s Office, and Heritage Hills Community Association are going to team up to put on the 1st Annual Heritage Hills Spring Fling. Come on up to the Lyman Hall cul-de-sac between 12:30 and 3:00, bring the kids, and get ready to have some fellowship with your neighbors. First National Bank will be continuing their great support for our neighborhood events by providing hot dogs, hamburgers and drinks for the event (here’s your chance to see a bank vice president cooking). Clay County Sheriff’s Office will be on the scene with a chance to fingerprint the kids for safety identification, and they will also be providing useful information about neighborhood safety and child protection.
HHCA will be sponsoring Gumdrop the Clown. Many of you have already met Gumdrop at our other events, but those of you who haven’t met her have missed a treat, with her face painting and balloon critters. We will also have a dunking booth on the scene (if you’d like to volunteer, just give us a call). Nelly Dudley, our membership committee chair, will also be there for all of you who have been putting off joining your association.
This Spring Fling is shaping up to be a really great event, loaded with food, prizes, and neighborhood spirit. Come on out and join us as we celebrate the start of spring. This is just the first of three community events we are working on. Watch for upcoming newsletters with details about National Night Out on August 2nd, and the Santa Event coming in December.
HERITAGE HILLS COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION
Board of Directors
President
Vice President
Alternate VP
Secretary
Treasurer
Sarah A. Walker
Bob Hall
Roxanne Garcia
Geneva Foste
Sandy Coneryr
298-3979
276-2053
276-5044
272-9275
276-3521
Committee Chairpersons
The Constitution
Membership
Neighborhood Watch
Alternate
Newsletter - Editor
Community Activities
Community Preservation
Block Rep
Doug Walker - Editor
Jerry Foster - Design
Nellie Dudley
Bob Hall
Penny Henger & Duane Koebel
Doug Walker
Cal & Sharon Thompson
See List Within Newsletter
298-3979
625-7219
272-7641
276-2053
272-8272
298-3979
276-1066
WINNER OF THE CHRISTMAS YARD OF THE 2004 SEASON
Once again, our yard of the month committee – Penny Henger and Duane
Koebel – had a real challenge on their hands to decide on the winner
of the best-decorated yard for the 2004 season. If you took a few minutes
to drive around our neighborhood this past December, you can definitely relate. The
yards were “AWESOME” After much driving around and deliberation,
Penny and Duane selected Irma and Marin Screciu on John Adams as the first
place winner and the recipient of our $50 gift certificate. Our congratulations
to The Screciu Family. Runner up was the yard on Constitution, and third place
was a festive yard on Richard Lee. A big “ THANKS “ to
all that took the time and care to make our community a beautiful place to
call home this holiday season.
South Entrance – Another Sign Destroyed
As you come through the south entrance, you might notice there is something different about the sign. What you see are the results when a 16 year old from Jacksonville with a car he’s had for three days tries to take a curve too fast. Fortunately, no one was hurt and surprisingly, he and his friends drove away.But not before spectators had his tag number and car description. After CCSO deputies tracked him down, he found himself with a few invitations to visit the courthouse (leaving the scene, failure to report an accident, reckless driving resulting in property damage). We can only speculate what the judge (and the young man’s insurance company) will do to his wallet (in addition to the $6500 of damage to his car).
For our part, this marks the third time that HHCA has worked to get major collision damage repaired at one of our entrances. HHCA Block Rep Phil Conery is coordinating with the young driver’s insurance company to get our sign replaced. We do not have any information as to when the work will be done, but so far the company has been cooperative in handling our claim and we hope to see the south entrance repaired soon.
How to Donate to the County’ Funds
(or Not – It’s A Choice)
Through the rest of this year, a number of Heritage Hills residents and visitors
are going to be invited to donate to Clay County’s operating budget. The
donations will be personally delivered by a county employee, and friends and
neighbors of the person receiving it will be alerted to the invitation by bright
flashing lights. The person getting the invitation will have his or her
own special temporary street side parking privileges, and even an armed escort. My
guess is that even with all this special treatment, not many people (actually,
probably no one) will welcome the invitations, even though the person delivering
it will be polite, courteous, and maybe even friendly.
You have probably already figured out that I’m talking about traffic tickets. Our contacts at the Clay County Sheriff’s Office have let us know that the SO is planning to increase coverage here in Heritage Hills to cut down on the number of people who are speeding and running stop signs. How much the invitation – oh, the ticket – will cost depends on the driver. Running a stop sign (by the way, ALL side streets which connect to Constitution have stop signs, so that one is easy for a deputy to spot) runs a healthy $115.50. If someone gets tagged for speeding, the fine STARTS at $115.50, PLUS another $5.00 for every 1 mph over the posted speed limit ($140.50 ticket for 30 mph! WOW!). This only addresses the potential cost of the ticket. What your insurance company can do might make the traffic fines look like chump change, because those people will drain you for YEARS.
Of course, there are all the side benefits of being stopped. There’s the thrill of having EVERYONE who drives seeing the violator, sitting there, with those flashing lights and all (admit it, when you see someone stopped you stare at them as you go by, don’t you). I’ve never seen anyone manage to look inconspicuous while getting a ticket, no matter how hard they slumped down in the seat. On top of that, when a deputy makes a traffic stop, it opens up all sorts of potential infractions. Failure to wear seat belts, not carrying proof of insurance, no valid registration in the vehicle, equipment violations that the deputy spots when approaching the vehicle – these are all more likely when a deputy makes a traffic stop.
So where does the part about the choice come in? That comes BEFORE the deputy
writes the ticket. Slow down, make complete stops, save the gas for later. It
takes less than a minute extra to get from the furthest section of Heritage
Hills to the Blanding traffic light at 25 mph than it takes at 35 mph, but
it takes years to get the points off a license and the increased charges off
the insurance. Oh, and by the way, if a deputy stops you, don’t
tell him that he shouldn’t ticket you for speeding out of the neighborhood
because another deputy issued you a speeding ticket when you came into the
neighborhood just 10 minutes before. ne speeder on Constitution found out that
excuse didn’t work at all.
Community Calendar
March 14 - Planning day (no school - students)
March 17 - St. Patrick's Day
March 25 - Good Friday, Spring Break starts
March 27 - Easter
April 2 - Heritage Hills Garage Sale
April 4 - Students return to school
April 9 - Spring Fling
May 20 - Graduation
May 25 - Last day, Students
August 2 - National Night Out
August 8 - School Starts
HOMES SOLD IN HERITAGE HILLS
July 1, 2004 - December 15, 2004
ADDRESS
BR/BA
SQ. FT.
PRICE
2356 Constitution Drive
3/2
1364
$121,500
600 Thomas McKeen Street
3/2
1597
$129,000
836 Robert Morris Court
3/2
1341
$133,900
561William Paca
3/2
1331
$134,000
779 Oliver Ellsworth Street
3/2
1629
$134,000
654 Charles Carroll Street
3/2
1453
$135,900
577 William Paca Street
3/2
1536
$140,000
585 William Ellery Street
3/2
1494
$142,900
2208 George Wythe Road
3/2
1579
$145,000
572 Arthur Middleton
4/2
1984
$149,900
558 Charles Pinckney
4/2
1721
$156,000
H.H.C.A Block Representatives
Penny Henger, 272-6706, PennHenger@aol.com
March 2005
Block Rep
For Streets
Block Rep
For Streets
Christy Kendall 213-9429
Sam Chase
Joyce Smith 276-5363
George Taylor
Lyman Hall
Lyman Hall
559 Thomas Stone Ct.
Thomas Stone
P3EWOPO@aol.com
Joyce@JoyceSmithSells.com
Marilyn Edwards 272-7483
John Hancock
Kristine Guha 298-2276
James Wilson
612 John Hancock
William Penn St. South
566 Arthur Middleton
Arthur Middleton
marilyn235@aol.com
kathoma@aol.com
Betty Roberts 272-0411
Robert Paine
Sandy & Phil Conery 276-2531
Richard Lee St.
2187 Robert Paine
William Ellery South
2285 Richard Lee St.
tinbender@att.net
William Paca North
peconery@msn.com
William Hooper
Roxanne Garcia 276-5044
Oliver Ellsworth
Duane Koebel 272-8272
Benjamin Rush
817 Oliver Ellsworth
Charles Pinckney
2174 George Ross
John Hart Circle
Robert Morris
wkoeber150@aol.com
William Penn North
Ruth Allen 272-6326
George Ross
Sharon Thompson 276-1055
George Watson
Robert Hall 276-2053
Robert Livingston
William Paca North
scrapedog@bellsouth.net
Hewes Place
William Ellery North
Betty Radcliff 276-3061
John Adams
Nelly Dudley 272-7641
Elbridge Gerry
594 John Adams
532 Samuel Huntington
Samuel Huntington
No e-mail at this time
ndudleyaz@comcast.net
Lewis Morris
Benjamin Harris
Edward Rutledge
.Douglas Walker 298-3979
Roger Sherman
Tammy Smith 276-2276
604 Richard Lee St
Thomas McKeen
520 Samuel Huntington St.
densa@bellsouth.net
Charles Carrol St.
Barbara Thompson 272-2917
Cynthia Barton 298-2516
John Morton
554 Edward Rutledge St.
2216 John Morton
Carter Braxton
barbart@fdn.com
baylessc@bellsouth.net
Sarah Walker
Geneva Foster
Rodger Sherman
272-9275
Thomas McKeen
look4ginny@comcast.net
Charles Carrol St.