LA SCALA NEWS

4th Quarter 2009 from Andrew Fentiman (603)

 Happy New Decade! Let’s hope it brings health, happiness and some good fortune that you can sink your teeth into……

QUICK NEWS – Welcome to new owners Stephen and Patty Gillis (1101), Martin and Sherry Wehr (1502) and Ira and  Jacquelynne Stepanian (303) ☺ Get ‘beach erosion’ updates on the La Scala web forum (under ‘Community’, then ‘PLCA’) ☺ 4 decorator-ready units are left at La Scala ☺      

HOUSEKEEPING – Please do not ask Fetty, Jeff or other staff to do work for you during their working hours ☼ Channel 235 is a digital alternative (with a clearer picture) to PLCA’s Channel 95 ☼ The spa alarm is a new code requirement to make sure that spa filtration is operating correctly: if the buzzer sounds, exit the spa, turn off the buzzer by pressing in the big red shutoff button, and inform front-desk security: if you have any questions, ask Joseph ☼ If you don’t know how to operate the Media Room remote, call the front desk for assistance! If you pull open the curtains, you’ll break the mechanism ☼ Coming indoors from the pool, please dry off and avoid dripping water onto the marble floors ☼ Limit pool towels to one per person, please ☼ When the grandchildren visit, be courteous to other residents and prevent horseplay, throwing of balls, intolerable noise, etc. ☼

YOUR PELICAN LANDING PHOTO I.D. CARD - When you are walking, jogging or biking throughout the community – especially if you are exiting/re-entering the gates – carry your Pelican Landing photo I.D. Gatehouse Privacy Officers have been instructed to tighten up access control and request proper authorization (and identification) for anyone entering the gates, whether in a car, on a bicycle or on foot.

Has your Pelican Landing photo I.D. card expired? If so, go to Pelican Landing Community Center and get a new one issued; it only takes a couple of minutes.

PELICAN LANDING USEFUL INFORMATION – The PLCA website at www.PelicanLanding.org has a wealth of information. Note that some pages require you to log in first. For example:

No login required:

Community Center: http://www.pelicanlanding.org/facility_detail.asp?id=4&name=Community+Center

All about the beach: http://www.pelicanlanding.org/facility_detail.asp?id=1&name=Beach+Park

Events calendar: http://www.pelicanlanding.org/calendar.asp

Login required:

Announcements (to see past bulletins and newsletters)

Gate Access, Gate Passes, and Guest Passes

My Profile (to update your personal/contact information and sign up for e-mail bulletins & newsletters)

AUTHORIZING GUEST ACCESS & UPDATING YOUR INFORMATION

The easiest way to authorize entry for a one-time guest is to call the automated system on (239) 495-3802. You will need your personal access code. Just follow the prompts. It takes awhile for the information to get to the 5 gates (3 Pelican Landing gates and 2 Colony gates), so don’t call 5 minutes before your guest is expected.

The other method is online. Go to http://gateaccess.net/index.html. Click on ‘Guest Access’, enter PL next to ‘Community Code’ and then below that, enter your Personal Access Code.

Then complete the necessary information for your guest. Be sure to add a Start Date and an End Date, for temporary guests. Scroll down and click on ‘Update Guests’.

SILVERSPOT CINEMA AT MERCATO - In mid-September, the 11-screen, 1,300-seat Silverspot Cinema opened at Mercato. The generic interiors, boisterous crowds, long ticket lines, and uncomfortable seats of today's movie theaters have been replaced with a sophisticated, luxurious and intimate ambience. Seats in each auditorium are numbered so customers can purchase their seat of choice in advance through the box office or online. A state-of-the-art kitchen serves an array of delicious entrees, desserts, even a creatively inspired children's menu. Now serving wine and beer, a full bar will soon complement the venue. Silverspot also has a concession stand offering all of the customary goodies one would expect, including popcorn, soft drinks and candy favorites. They've also added fun snacks such as edamame and nuts. A full roster of the latest Hollywood blockbusters, as well as a smattering of independent and foreign films, is shown on Silverspot's screens. www.silverspot.net Tel: (239) 592-0300.

Not to be outdone, our own Regal 12 at Prado at Spring Creek will be transformed into the new American Bonita Cinema Café 12 movie theater. New amenities will include leather seats, a grill menu, beer and wine and wait service. It is expected to open in February 2010.

THE PUB AT THE MERCATO - The Pub is a high-energy, British-style in the premier Mercato lifestyle center at the intersection of U.S. 41 North and Vanderbilt Beach Road. The Pub can best be described as a “Gastropub”, the British term for a tavern that serves more than “pub grub.” The menu combines the finest aspects of traditional pub fare with more complicated dishes, including Seared Ahi Satay, London Broil, Signature Pub Burgers, hand-pressed Paninis and classic favorites such as Fish & Chips and Shepherd’s Pie. Each dish can be expertly paired with a wide assortment of domestic and international beers, wines and spirits. The crowd appreciates the broad selection of beers, wines and spirits. Newcomers to British beers are pleased with the rich tastes, and veterans parlay the virtues of their favorite Ales, Stouts, IPA’s and lagers. Check out the informative Beverage Bible at each table and at the bar, for a quick education on the different Draught Beers from England, Scotland, Ireland and Belgium (and to learn some British slang). The servers, men and women alike, proudly wear different tartan kilts.

The award-winning exterior of The Pub is modeled after the classic corner pubs of London, while the interior consists of traditional-yet-modern style furniture and accessories shipped over from Britain. The centerpiece is a stunning, handcrafted bar from which guests can sample a wide range of English, Scottish, and Irish draught, cask conditioned beers and domestics. “Optic Pourers”, inverted pouring systems that originated in Europe, take center stage behind the bar. The Pub’s is becoming another place to socialize in Naples in the late evening. Tel: (239) 594-2748. 9118 Strade Place, Suite 8160, Naples, FL 34108.

NAPLES BOTANICAL GARDEN – The completely revamped garden debuted last November. Exciting new gardens have been created and natural areas have been expanded. The garden showcases an extensive selection of tropical and sub-tropical plants from countries as near as Cuba and as far as Indonesia. Exhibits include Asian Garden (coming soon), Brazilian Garden, Butterfly House, Caribbean Garden, Children’s Garden, Florida Garden (coming soon), Florida Uplands Preserve, River of Grass, South Wetlands Preserve, The Preserve. Open daily, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

See: www.naplesgarden.org Tel: 643-7275. The garden is located at the end of Bayshore Drive (east of Naples Bay), at 4820 Bayshore Drive, Naples, FL 34112.

KEY WEST HOME & GARDEN TOUR (Jan, Feb & Mar, 2010) - From its cigar-makers' cottages to its Victorian mansions, Key West's architecture is as individualistic and unique as the island itself. Visitors can explore houses exemplifying that rich architectural tradition, as well as contemporary Keys design - during weekend house tours in January, February and March 2010. Now in their 50th year, the annual tours are presented by the non-profit Old Island Restoration Foundation (OIRF). The 2010 house tours highlight OIRF events celebrating its 50th anniversary. Key West's Old Town contains what is believed to be the largest predominantly wooden historic district in the United States with almost 3,000 structures. Many were constructed by shipbuilder-carpenters and cigar manufacturing barons in the 1800s, so the island's architecture reflects the building styles and cultures of its early inhabitants.

Tours are planned Friday and Saturday, Jan. 15-16, Feb. 12-13 and March 12-13. Each tour showcases five homes chosen for their contribution to the Key West community as significant historic buildings, creative renovations or examples of the Keys lifestyle. Tour participants will discover unique interiors filled with art collections and antiques as well as lush gardens and imaginatively designed outdoor living areas. During the house tours, OIRF volunteers serve as guides at each tour stop, informing visitors about each featured house's history, architecture, décor and garden. The January house tours are set for 5-8 p.m. both evenings. Transportation is to be offered free aboard selected Conch Tour Trains, or participants can proceed from house to house on foot at their own pace. The February and March tours are offered 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with visitors responsible for their own transportation. Tickets for each tour cost $25 per person and include a list of houses and a location map. Tickets can be purchased the week before each tour at the Oldest House Museum at 322 Duval St.; TIB Bank at 330 Whitehead St.; Mile Marker 30.4 on Big Pine Key; 2348 Overseas Highway in Marathon; Audio Video in Paradise at 2900 N. Roosevelt Blvd. in Key West's Key Plaza; and Royal Furniture at 3326 N. Roosevelt Blvd. in Key West's Searstown. Tickets are also available at any of the featured homes during each tour.

SPECIAL NEIGHBOR RATES AT THE HYATTS - Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort & Spa offers a fantastic deal for residents of Pelican Landing, with rooms starting @ $89 a night. Blackout dates may apply. Rates are subject to availability. See: www.pelicanlanding.org/document/2195810hyatt-neighbor2.pdf. Hyatt Place offers Colony residents a special rate ($73 versus $109); tell them the rate is found under ‘WCI Communities’.

 
LA SCALA WEBSITE & WEB FORUM – Don’t forget to frequent the web forum at www.LaScalaAtTheColony.com/smf and also consult the website at www.LaScalaAtTheColony.com.

Have a great winter season……

Andrew

ANDREW                                           

Cell: (239) 405-3455.

E-mail: acfentiman@comcast.net