Another La Scala season draws to a close. We’ll soon be saying goodbye again to our winter residents; hallways start to empty, impromptu elevator meetings become infrequent, cars sprout battery-charging wires, the sounds of children playing in the pool fade away and winter walkers are no longer spotted. Don’t fret. A few of us ‘permanents’ will stay to keep things running, enduring several months of the harsh La Scala lifestyle, until you return.

Forecasters are predicting another ‘above-average’ hurricane season, even though they have been off-target for the last two years. Hurricane season runs from June 1 through November 30 and some 10 tropical storms are predicted, with around 6 to become hurricanes. Anyway, we’ll keep our fingers crossed as we stock up again with bottled water, canned food, flashlights, and Macallan single malt.

 QUICK NEWS – Welcome to new owners Surinder & Tripat Sahajpal (1701) ☺ The CPR & AED (defibrillator) certification class will be held at 9:30 a.m. in the Fitness Center on Wednesday, April 22. Cost is $35. Sign-up sheet in Mail Room ☺ 6 decorator-ready units are left at La Scala ☺There are 950 home-owners in The Colony ☺ Pelican Landing’s website recently underwent a major upgrade and a graphical instruction sheet is available at www.pelicanlanding.org/document/236899web-instructions.pdf?8499 ☺ Having filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy last August, WCI is working on their reorganization plan and has just (April 2) asked for a 90-day extension. More information on WCI’s reorganization can be found at: www.wcicommunities.com/about/reorganization ☺ A new 11-screen movie theater is expected to open at Mercato in North Naples this summer. Cines Unidos will offer independent, foreign and Hollywood productions, and it will have an interior restaurant and lounge ☺

 HOUSEKEEPING – Please never drop free-weights on the Fitness Center floor: the thuds (even dropped from just a few inches height) reverberate through the concrete and are easily audible in the units above! ☼ Kindly avoid dragging furniture, banging sliders shut, and having loud conversations on lanais: your neighbors will appreciate it ☼ A new security gate is installed at the foot of the steps which descend from the pool area (photo). The lock will be keyed to your ‘common area’ key (which also opens the pool bathrooms and the catering kitchen) ☼ If your pet’s treasures go down the trash chute, don’t even THINK of anything less than triple-bagging them, please ☼ Don’t open both glass sliders at once: the through-draft will slam internal doors shut and blown dust particles will set off your smoke detectors ☼ La Scala’s traffic circle apparently tempts some of us, when arriving, to cut straight across to the waterfall instead of going around the circle; this shortcut could prove fatal, and you would be 100% in the wrong ☼ Remember to close up your unit properly for the season, letting Joseph & Isabella know when you leave ☼

2009 BOARD MEETINGS – The following Board Meetings are scheduled for the remainder of 2009, each starting at 9 a.m. in the Card Room: Wednesday, April 29; Wednesday, June 17; Wednesday, September 9; Wednesday, November 4, (also the Annual Budget Meeting).

 SOCIAL – The April 2 Sunset Happy Hour & Sudan Slideshow presented by Chuck Fritsch & Cindy Walpole was a great success, with around 30 residents attending. The variety and abundance of appetizers that everyone brought was impressive; no need for dinner afterwards. Several attendees noted that Sunset Happy Hour is a great way to get to know other La Scala owners, though this one was the last of the season. All enjoyed the excellent slide show presentation in the Billiard Room.

It was a fun, interesting and educational event for La Scala: thank you Chuck & Cindy Ѳ A Masters Tournament Gathering will take place in the Social Room, 5 to 7 p.m. on Sunday, April 12. Bring snacks to pass around and your own drinks Ѳ The end-of-season Farewell Party will take place poolside on Sunday, April 26 Ѳ The Book Club reconvenes in the Fall, discussing The Stone Diaries by Carol Shields. To join, contact Toni Alaimo at tonialaimo@gmail.com. Men’s gin rummy, Mondays at 7 p.m. To join the group, call Jim Nocito on (239) 948-5956.

 RESTAURANTS – AZN recently opened at The Mercato (9118 Strada Place, Suite 8155, north of the U.S. 41 and Vanderbilt Beach Road intersection in North Naples, next to Wholefoods). AZN is a new Asian steak and seafood restaurant prototype. Contemporary upscale Pan-Asian dining with a full sushi bar and original dishes from China, Korea, Thailand and Vietnam, prepared by Asian chefs. Tel: (239) 593-8818. Other restaurants at Mercato include The Capital Grille at 9005 Mercato Drive (239 254-0640) and McCormick & Schmick’s at Strada Stell Court (239 591-2299). The Bay House Restaurant at 799 Walkerbilt Road (west side of U.S. 41 in North Naples, just south of Cocohatchee Nature Cruise) is under new ownership since August 2007. It is even better than before, offering delicious southern-style cuisine in a waterfront (bayside) setting. Tel: (239) 591-3837.

 KAYAK LOVER’S KEY – Gaze out from your lanai and you are looking at Lover’s Key State Park. A haven for wildlife, the islands and their waters are home to West Indian manatees, bottlenose dolphins, roseate spoonbills, marsh rabbits, and bald eagles. The two mile long beach is accessible by boardwalk or tram and is popular for shelling, swimming, picnicking, and sunbathing. Black Island has over five miles of multi-use trails for hiking and bicycling as well as ‘fingers’ of waterways for canoeing and kayaking. Anglers and boaters can launch their vessels from the park's boat ramp. The park's concession offers boat and fishing tours, as well as bicycle, canoe, and kayak rentals. For tour reservations, call (239)765-7788. Located on County Road 865 between Fort Myers Beach and Bonita Beach in Lee County.  For information on Lover’s Key State Park, call (239) 463-4588. Open 8 a.m. until sundown, every day.

ESTERO COMMUNITY PARK – Estero Community Park & Recreation Center is the largest park in Lee County, located in Estero on the south side of Corkscrew Road at 9200 Corkscrew Palms Boulevard, midway between US 41 and Three Oaks Parkway. The park encompasses 55 acres and has 2 bocce courts, 12 horseshoe pits, 3 sand volleyball courts, picnic shelters of varying sizes, a lighted childrens play area, an off-lead dog area, 4 lakes, a 5K cross-country course, two Bermuda multi-purpose fields (one lighted), a tortoise preserve, an outdoor amphitheater, restrooms, and a 40,000 sq/ft recreation center. The park is open 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., 7 days a week. Tel: (239) 229-2063 or (239) 498 0415. A family membership costs $20.

LA SCALA WEBSITE & WEB FORUM – The web forum has been upgraded. The new format has a calendar of events plus the following ‘Boards’ (and ‘Child Boards’, in parentheses): General (General Discussion), Board of Administration (Board Information, Meeting Minutes), Committees (Documents, Social), Resident Info & Events (Book Club, Calendar, Membership Meetings), and Community (Airplane Noise, CRC, UOC, PLCA). Jeff Manning conducted an orientation class on April 3 for residents, which was very well received. Please frequent the website www.LaScalaAtTheColony.com and the web forum at www.LaScalaAtTheColony.com/smf.

 Have a great summer……

Andrew