July 2000
Volume 3, Issue 6

SPRINGLAKES ANNUAL NEIGHBORHOOD PICNIC

DATE: SATURDAY, AUGUST 26, 2000 PLACE: SPRINGLAKES CLUBHOUSE 8 POOL TIME: 5:00pm UNTIL 9:00pm

The menu will be Mot's barbecue sandwiches and hot dogs, cole slaw, baked beans, tea, lemonade and dessert.

Join the fun at the pool, canoeing on the lake, moon walk, disc jockey and much more.

RSVP to Kristi Baker by August 22, 2000.

LOST AND FOUND

A set of car keys was found. If you think these may be yours, please contact the Association Manager for further details.

PRESIDENT'S NOTE

The summer is in full swing and we finally got enough rain to green out the neighborhood! One of the aspects of Springlakes I enjoy is the beautiful well-maintained yards and homes. Some of the yards appear to come right out of Southern Living. Our neighborhood creates a wonderful atmosphere for a morning or evening walk! Maybe this is one of the reasons why we have so many walkers in our neighborhood. I would encourage you to take the time to keep your yards looking their best.

We are experiencing good times with many new homes being sold in the neighborhood in the $70-80 square foot range. The well-maintained neighborhood and sale of new homes are helping to boost the value of our older homes. It only takes a few homes that are not maintained and sold at a lower price range to begin affecting the value of the rest of the homes.

We continue to have strong covenants and I am particularly pleased with the effectiveness of the Covenants committee this year. There is excellent participation at monthly covenants meetings and violations are being followed up promptly. We do not always get immediate homeowner response, but we are trying to stay on top of violations. I would appreciate you giving Covenants committee your strong support! They have continued to work hard to keep our neighborhood at its best!

The Association has been very active the first half of the year building a crime watch Virtual Volunteer phone notification system, assembling a new directory, beginning development of a website, grounds beautification, carpet and grill replacement in the clubhouse, common grounds land acquisition negotiations, and social and pool activities. The many volunteers do a great job of keeping the Association very active and deserve our appreciation!

I am very proud of our neighborhood and hopefully you are too! 

Best wishes this summer season!

Reece Bridges

SPRINGLAKES LUNCH BRUNCH 2000

The Springlakes "Lunch Bunch" would like to invite all interested ladies to join us for lunch on the second Tuesday of every month. This is a great way for new residents to meet their neighbors and for old friends to catch up.  The "Lunch Bunch" meets at 11:30am. Anyone interested, please contact Sheila Pedraza to arrange for seating ahead of time.

Augusta 9 - Logan's Roadhouse 

September 12 - Tony Roma's 

October 10 - Oldenberg Grill 

November 14 - Sweet Basil 

December 12 - French Market West

COVENANTS COMMITTEE

It's HOT HOT HOT, summer is here! One of the many benefits of the covenants is maintaining the

curb appeal of our homes. Please take time to look at your home from the street. Items to look for are the condition of the paint, how does the fence look, is the grass growing over the curb, are the mullions in your windows drooping or deteriorating. All of these types things can add or detract from the beauty of Springlakes. The committee has noticed that a lot of fences are in need of maintenance i.e. missing and rotting boards, condition of the finish and the general look of the fence.

Along those same lines, the Springlakes covenants require that your air conditioning units maintain low visibility from the street. Please take time to plant shrubs, etc. which will help hide the units and preserve Springlakes curb appeal.

The Covenants Committee has been busy with new project requests. Since the Committee meets the third Monday of each month, please try to get your project requests in before then so we have time to review them. If you require earlier approval due to contractor requirements, we will do our best to work with you.

I'm sure we're all aware that the Covenants protect our property values, as well as keep our neighborhood a beautiful place in which to live. The Covenants Committee welcomes and appreciates your assistance in the effort. We need participation and representation from all areas of Springlakes. Please consider becoming involved. If you cannot attend the monthly meeting, please call the association office and leave your name and phone number. We will contact you as soon as possible.

LAKE AND PLAYGROUND 

Children have been seen in the water down by the park. REMINDER: THERE IS NO SWIMMING ALLOWED IN SPRINGLAKE. THE PLAYGROUND AND LAKE ARE FOR THE USE OF SPRINGLAKES RESIDENTS AND THEIR GUESTS ONLY. THE PLAYGROUND CLOSES AT DARK.

CRIME WATCH

On Tuesday, August 1st, neighborhoods throughout Columbia County are being invited to join forces with thousands of communities nationwide for the "l7th Annual National Night out" (NNO) crime and drug prevention event.

National Night out is designed to: (1) Heighten crime and drug prevention awareness; (2) Generate support for, and participation in, local anticrime efforts; (3) Strengthen neighborhood spirit and police-community partnerships; and (4) Send a message to criminals letting them know neighborhoods are organized and fighting back.

From 7 to 10 pm on Augusta 1st, residents in neighborhoods throughout Columbia County and across the nation, are asked to lock there doors, turn on outside lights and spend the evening outside with neighbors and police. Our neighborhood patrolmen will be driving through Springlakes to meet our residents. You are encouraged to take this opportunity to get out and meet your neighbors, and perhaps share a little conversation and dessert.

NEW CRIME WATCH PROGRAM

We are now utilizing the Virtual Volunteer Program to communicate to you crimewatch activity to all residents. This program allows us to eliminate the large Block Leader/Section Leader Volunteer group and communicate messages directly to our residents. When you receive a message from Virtual Volunteer, you will hear advertisements and then a message. We ask that you patronize these businesses when possible as their advertising dollars support this program. This program is compatible with answering machines and the message will repeat itself twice. You will also have an opportunity to leave a message by following the instructions.

At anytime, you may call 650-2622, our ID# is 31532, and receive the current crime watch message or leave a message for Crime Watch. If you have an unlisted number and would like to participate in the Crime Watch Program, please contact Karen Lombardy, Crimewatch Chairperson.

We've had reports of a stolen bicycle and tools in the Kestwick area garages. Please keep valuables out of sight and garage doors down when possible. Also, please have your children use bicycle locks, especially at the pool and tennis court areas.

Before you go on vacation, please take steps to make your home appear occupied. Have mail and newspapers picked up, use timers and outdoor motion sensor lights, leave a telephone number and key with a trusted neighbor and utilize the house watch program with the Columbia County Sheriffs Department, if possible, at 541-2800.

We have had reports from neighbors that we have seen an increased amount of snake activity due to the hot weather. Please talk with your children about the dangers of snakes and explain that they are seeking wet areas (ponds, creeks and the lake) and like to hide under brush and stumps and that we have poisonous snakes in Columbia County.

WELCOME NEWEST RESIDENTS

Neil & Sara Buckley

Timothy & Marlene Buss

Nathaniel and Dora Chaplin
David
DeShawn

Lamont & Rubyann Durante

Robert & Cindy Foster

Chip & Mindy Harrison

Alavi Hassain & Susan Bridges

Jack & Nan Kenney
Matthew 
Maria
Amy

Wanell Miller

Bill & Frances Pickett
Shawn 
Christopher

Raymond, Evelyn & Sandra Peters

Troy & Diana Ross
Tiana 
Ali 
Zachary
Kylie

Homer & Marilyn Scott

Thomas Spaur
Vanessa
TR