October 2001
Volume 4, Issue 3

ANNUAL MEETING 

The next Annual Meeting of the Association will be held on January 8, 2002. At this meeting, residents will elect nine members to serve on the Board of Directors, one of which will serve as the Association President. 

Residents desiring to submit nomination(s) must submit a written request containing the signatures of at least three (3) residents supporting the nomination to: 

Springlakes Community Association, Inc. 
Attn: Nominating Committee 
P.O. Box 211112 Martinez, GA 30917-1112 

This year's nominating committee chairperson is Rob MacGregor. Nominations must be delivered to the Nominating Committee at the above address on or before December 1, 2001 to be considered at the annual meeting.

SOCIAL COMMITTEE 

A special thanks to Kristi Baker for all her hard work on this year's Annual Picnic, held August 11th. Approximately 480 people were in attendance. Dye's Fish Camp did a wonderful job catering the event. Entertainment included use of the pool facilities, a Disc Jockey, canoe rides on the lake, face painting and balloons with Dimples the Clown, and a petting zoo. A great time was had by all!! 

Please mark your calendars for December 9, 2001 from 2-4 PM for the annual Springlakes Children's Christmas party. This year there will be crafts, refreshments, and a visit from Santa himself. Volunteers are needed to help supervise the children with the Christmas party activities. Please notify Kristi Baker if you are interested in helping. Please RSVP by December 1, 2001 if your children plan to attend.

HELP US LIGHT THE WAY FOR THE HOLIDAYS!! 

Residents are invited to participate in a voluntary Neighborhood Holiday Luminaria night on Sunday, December 23rd. Those that are interested are asked to place white luminaria bags (lunch bags) with lighted votive candles along the curb in front of their house, to be in place and lit from 6 PM to 10 PM. Help us create an evening of holiday magic in our neighborhood!!

CRIME WATCH 

Springlakes experiences a lot of car and foot traffic on Halloween night. Halloween falls on a Wednesday this year, so we expect a very busy night. 

Children should wear reflective clothing or reflective tape on their costumes. Be sure that all footwear fits properly. Also, use caution when crossing back and forth across the street. 

Please share with your children the definition of a Halloween prank. Warn them only to prank someone they know and who will think it is funny. Pranks that cause property damage cause trouble with the law and possible prosecution. Your child is at the mercy of the homeowner when dealing with damaged property and the law. 

Residents who plan to welcome trick-or-treaters should turn porch lights and other outside lights on to illuminate their house and walkways. Parents, please instruct your children to only visit houses that are well lit. Please respect the privacy of our residents who choose not to participate in trick-or-treating. 

If you have a cell phone, take it with you to report any problems or speeding cars. The number for non-emergency calls to the Columbia County Sheriff's Department is 541-2800

It's Spooky to be Hungry!!!!! 

"It's Spooky to be Hungry," a CSRA-wide food drive that benefits the Golden Harvest Food Bank, will take place on Saturday, October 27th from 9:00 AM to 12:00 noon. Springlakes neighborhood is excited to be participating in this unique neighbor helping neighbor event. Contributions of non-perishable foods as well as cash or check donations will be collected. If you are able to help by distributing flyers or collecting food, please contact Alan or Debbie Muehlfeld (refer to your printed directory for phone #). Please join us! This a great opportunity to introduce your family to community service and to help our local neighbors!!! 

HAVE A SAFE AND HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

POOL NEWS 

The 2001 Springlakes Pool Season came to an end on Labor Day weekend as the pool closed its doors for the year on Monday, September 3rd, after the last swimmer went home. In retrospect, this year's pool season went very well. Though the summer was shorter due to a change in the local school's summer schedule, plenty of hot, dry weather provided ample days for swimming. 

Blue Water once again did a nice job of managing the pool on a daily basis. We had no accidents or injuries at the pool, and for the most part, our lifeguards maintained a clean, enjoyable environment for the members. During the off-season, the pool committee will be looking at improved regulations to better control the diving pool and to better monitor cleanliness on the pool deck. 

The Springlakes Swim Team had another exciting swim season. Though the "Stingrays" only chalked up a single victory in the dual meets, the swimmers and parents had a great time at the spirited meets. Kathleen Greely and Julie Lambeck celebrated in a successful season at the annual Stingray Mania party. 

The 2001 Springlakes Pool Committee worked diligently behind the scenes to insure that the swim season ran smoothly. Members of the committee that volunteered their time included: 

Dee Beaird, Chairman
Cynda Moody, Secretary 
Don Rogers, Treasurer 
Jeanne Keeler, Membership 
Susan Bailey, Social 
Lisa Thompson and Joy Beaird, Swim Team Coordinators 

Please make sure to thank these volunteers for all their hard work the next time you see them. The committee is always looking for new volunteers to help in the planning. If you are interested in being a part of the committee, contact one of the members above so that you can make a difference.

LAKE COMMITTEE 

We are awaiting responses on bid packages that were sent to several area contractors for our lake-dredging project. We still hope to begin work sometime in October, pending Board of Directors and Corps of Engineers approval. Special thanks to Michael Cason, Sujit Samaddar, Tom Cook and Caleb Brinkman for their ongoing efforts on this project. Lakefront residents will be notified when we plan to lower the lake's level, in case they need to do any clean-up work along their shorelines.

Mark Your Calendars 

Stormwater Utility Credit Application Reminder

Have you mailed in your Stormwater Utility Credit Application? To receive a 20% credit on your stormwater utility fee, retroactive to October 2000, each homeowner must submit a Residential Pond Credit application to the County. The county must receive this application by October 31, 2001 to be eligible for the retroactive credit. Applications received after that date will receive credit on the first day of the month after the application has been filed. A copy of the application was included in our last newsletter for your convenience. 

Mail your applications to: 

Columbia County Engineering & Environmental Services 
Attn: Stormwater Utility 
P.O. Box 498 Evans, GA 30809 

If you have any questions on completing the application, please feel free to call the Association Office at 855-7987.

Covenants

With the arrival of cooler fall temperatures, now is an excellent time for yard clean-up. Trimming bushes, clearing fallen limbs, and removing yard debris all contribute to a neat appearance in the neighborhood. Many residents have already begun removing spent summer annuals and replacing them with the bright colors of pansies and chrysanthemums. While you're outdoors working, take a moment to look around and put some of the finishing touches on your home that gives Springlakes such an attractive curb appeal - edge the grass along your curbs, and remove leaves from the curb areas to reduce silt build-up in our lake.

Leaves have started to fall and accumulate. After raking, please don't allow bags to accumulate by the curb or in view from the street. Leaves should not be dumped in the lake, and lawn services should not blow leaves or debris into the storm drains. Also, as a reminder, our Covenants prohibit all outside burning in Springlakes. Violators should be reported to the Association Manager at 855-7987.

We have received numerous calls over the summer about problems with pets. County ordinances require that when your pet is outdoors, it must be on a leash or under the control of the-owner. This ordinance also includes cats. Pet owners are asked to respect their neighbors' properties and remove their droppings. Does your dog bark during the day while you're away? Check with your neighbor to see if there is a problem that you may not be aware of!! Please make an effort to be a responsible pet owner.

The Covenants Committee meets the third Tuesday of every month. If you am planning a project, such as painting, tree removal, fence installation, or any kind of remodeling that will change the exterior appearance of your home, please include covenants in your initial planning and allow your Covenants Committee adequate time for project review.

Additional volunteers for this most important committee are always welcome. Our Covenants help maintain an appealing appearance to our neighborhood that protects our property values. Please help protect your investment!!

President's Note 

September 11th is a day we will all remember the rest of our lives and has changed the way we will look to the future. Our prayers continue to go out to the families that lost loved ones. I am both proud of and amazed at the outpouring of support for the recovery efforts and the help to those in need. Display the American flag and colors proudly to show your support and continue in prayer for the war at hand. 

It is time again for the residents of Springlakes to choose new officers and Board of Directors for 2002. There are also a number of opportunities to serve or chair several association committees. Click here for a list of the committees and officers. Please contact them if you have interest to serve. Information regarding the nominations is included in this newsletter. We need more volunteers, now is a great time to get involved for the 2002! 

The annual picnic was a big success! The attendance, food and activities were outstanding. Many thanks to Kristi Baker, all of the volunteers, and Dye's Fish Camp that provided the food. 

Lake dredging planning continues for work to begin in the fall. Bids are being secured and finalized for this work. The Association continues to negotiate with the Cofield/McBride homeowners and Tom Dunn over the disposition of this pond. The 7.5-acre lot off Cofield is still available and purchase is being considered. Our master plan is to move the tennis courts to a new property and expand the parking area at the clubhouse/pool area by utilizing the old tennis court area. 

WELCOME NEWEST RESIDENTS

Brandt & Stacy Anton
Morgan
Mason

Scott & Lori Clark
Ryan 
Jocelyn 
Melissa Highsmith 

Ray & Jackie Conner
Lee 

Eddie & Diane Faircloth
Jordan 

Gary & Robbe Ostby
Bretton 
Hailey 

Billy & Amy Rangel
Jordan 
Evan 

Jason & Tracie Sowinski
Chase 

Ray & Brenda Sprague
Ashley 
Samantha 
Devon 

Amy Streetman

Ronald Tilly
Anne-Charlotte 
Alexis 
Pierre 

Working to make our neighborhood its best!