LA SCALA NEWS
1st Quarter
2008 from Andrew Fentiman (603)
Our magnificent
building is currently getting a facelift, with caulking, waterproofing and fresh
coats of paint. No, that pale green color is not a new look; it’s only the base
coat! La Scala will soon be resplendent once again as the sparkling jewel of
QUICK NEWS –
Welcome to new owners Arthur Benson
(1001), Jim & Jennifer Nocito (1504), Dave & Georgie Jarvis (1702) and Ralf &
Uschi Hess (1204) ☼ Newsflash - La Scala was half-occupied (32 units) around the
third week in January: it’s a record! ☼ See the upgrades on the La Scala website
(thank you, Jeff); the Office Request form (for when you leave La Scala, or
return) is now online ☼ There are 9 decorator-ready units left, two of which
will have work starting on them in April ☼
HOUSEKEEPING –
If your glass sliders are open on
breezy days, on opposite sides of the building, it can cause your doors to slam
hard (the higher the floor, the greater the force) and your smoke detectors to
alarm (dust blows into their sensors) ☺ Please don’t ask Fetty (maintenance),
Pilar (housekeeping) or front-desk security to perform tasks; special requests
should go through the office ☺ Please don’t cancel guest suites within 24 hours;
so far, we have avoided a monetary cancellation charge ☺ Parking around the
circle outside La Scala’s front doors is strictly forbidden and it is a
fire-code violation. If guest parking is full, please direct your guests to
other parking spots ☺ Kindly be courteous and try to avoid cell phone
conversations on lanais & balconies, poolside and in the Fitness Center ☺
Unlicensed, uninsured contractors cannot work in the building or in your unit;
you will be putting all 64 owners at risk. All contractors must have papers on
file in the office before they start
work, and they must always sign in and out ☺ Please, no discarded food in
any outdoor trash receptacles;
raccoons are going into the trash receptacles and messing up the deck area ☺
LA SCALA ANNUAL MEMBERS MEETING –
The March 12th
meeting was so well attended that extra chairs had to be scavenged from other
rooms. It is heartening to see so much interest in our burgeoning La Scala
community. The minutes of the meeting can be viewed on the La Scala website.
SOCIAL COMMITTEE UPDATE (Char Lupke) – Season’s end is approaching, so please plan to attend the Farewell Party, poolside, on Wednesday, April 9. Cocktails and passed hors-d'oeuvres begin at 5:30 p.m., followed by a delicious dinner and entertainment. R.S.V.P. to Jackie on (239) 405-1955 by Thursday, April 3, with your reservation information. Other events include Masters Final Round Pizza Party April 13, in the Social room beginning at 5 p.m. Pizza will be provided, but please bring your own drinks & snacks. Let Jackie know if you’re coming: (239) 405-1955. The final Sunset Happy Hour for the season will be on Friday, May 2, starting at 5 p.m. in the Social Room. Please contact any of our committee members if you want to participate, or offer suggestions for future events: Char Lupke, Jackie Fentiman, Sandy Malone, Peggy Hoefler, Sylvia Galmarini, Shirley Besikof and Janet Joannides.
THE COLONY ANNUAL MEETING –
WCI held this meeting on March 26th
at the Bay Club. The new website can
be found at
www.TheColonyFoundation.com. To date, WCI has sold around 750 homes in The
Colony, including 48 homes so far in 2008. 14 golf memberships were sold in
2007, 3 sold so far in 2008. The community patrol car has a cell phone number
(239 233-4628), though calling the driver on patrol is no substitute for calling
911, in an emergency. 926 Colony gate-clickers are ‘out there’ and still
unaccounted for. PLCA are concerned about getting a lot of complaints from
home-owners who can’t get into The Colony, so they have only been turning off
about 25 each week.
Now, however,
they plan to step up the rate of ‘turn-offs’. The PLCA 2007 Balance Sheet was
made available. The audited 2007 Balance Sheet for the Colony Foundation will be
available soon.
WILDLIFE - The following have all been sighted in the vicinity of La Scala: panther, bobcat, white-tail deer, otter, raccoon, possum, armadillo, rabbit, alligator, bald eagle, peregrine falcon, roseate spoonbill, yellow-crowned night heron, dolphin, eagle ray and manatee. We are lucky to live in such a bountiful wildlife paradise!
FUN THINGS TO DO –
COCOHATCHEE NATURE CRUISE: Take a
90-minute narrated cruise through the
U-PIK CITRUS:
It’s your last chance this year, as picking ends around mid-April. Michiganer
Bob Johnson has the only you-pick-it citrus farm in
CAPTAIN RON’S
AWESOME EVERGLADES ADVENTURE: This is one of those tours that you do in the
morning…. and you want to go again in the afternoon! Captain Ron is the most
experienced waverunner (jetski) guide in the 10,000
LUNCH ON THE
BEACH IN MARCO: After doing Captain Ron’s morning tour, head to the nearby Marco
Island Marriott Beach Resort for a beachside casual lunch at Quinn’s On The
Beach. The indoor/outdoor bistro and bar offers tropical island food,
great Gulf views and spectacular
FREE WINE &
FOOD-TASTING AT EVOO: On the last Thursday of every month (year-round) from 6
p.m. to 8 p.m., at Evoo, the gourmet market of fine wine and food from around
the world. Located behind Abbey Carpet in
NAPLES TOMATO,
PRIVATE DINNER & PASTA-MAKING DEMO: Enjoy a private dinner at the interactive
pasta table, while pasta maestro Matt makes your durum and semolina pastas, a
labor of love performed on an authentic imported Italian pasta-making machine. A
group reservation is required. Apparently, mass-produced pasta is ‘extruded’ but
aficionados crave ‘laminated’ pasta (up to 1,000 micro layers compressed
together) which takes a lot of work to produce. Naples Tomato will reserve the
pasta table for your group of 6 (minimum) to 10 (maximum). At around $50 a head
(wine extra), you sample three fettucine dishes, three ravioli dishes and a
delicious dessert, followed by coffee or tea. The amount of food is stultifying
and each couple will be taking home a lot of leftovers. It is a great fun and a
unique dining experience. Just-made pasta really
does taste completely different.
Naples Tomato is at 14700 Tamiami Trail North in
OTHER
RESTAURANTS: Open since February, Tijuana Flats is located just outside
Pelican Landing, on the west side of U.S. 41 at 8350 Hospital Drive, in the
small new strip mall. An Orlando Tex-Mex franchise, Tijuana Flats has
well-priced freshly prepared Mexican specialties like tacos, burritos,
enchiladas, quesdailllas and flautas, as well as a hot bar featuring 14
different hot sauces. You order at the counter and the food is then served at
your table. Lunch and dinner (for under $10), 7 days a week. Tel: (239)
948-8820. www.tijuanaflats.com. The
genuinely French French Deli is located in
SUNSET CRUISES, BEACH WALKS, ECO TOURS: During the winter months, PLCA organizes and schedules sunset excursions at $15 per person, plus eco tours and beach walks free of charge. A sunset cruise lasts for approximately two hours. Departure times vary depending on the sunset. Dates and times for these cruises and tours are on Community Channel 96 and information is available at the Community Center front desk. Reservations are required and can be made by contacting Gail Shaw at (239) 947-5977. Residents may bring food and drinks. Also contact Gail Shaw for private excursions, arranged for a fee and depending upon availability.
DANCING AT THREE OAKS BALLROOM: From 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.
every Sunday evening, Three Oaks Ballroom comes alive with all your dance
favorites; ballroom, disco, oldies, swing, Latin, country, ballads,
line-dancing, etc. Advertised as being a dance for ‘singles’, it is in fact open
to everyone and there are always plenty of couples there. This is a 35-plus age
group, so don’t worry! Music is by Erich, who plays great songs and has an
enthusiastic following. On a busy night, there might be 300 people there, and
everyone dances, so it’s good they have a huge dance floor. $8 to get in and $8
for the full buffet dinner. Cash bar. No shorts or t-shirts. No reservations.
Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Three
LA SCALA WEBSITE & WEB FORUM –
Please look at the website and web
forum. They are for the benefit and interest of all Members:
- La
Scala website:
www.LaScalaAtTheColony.com.
- La
Scala web forum:
www.LaScalaAtTheColony.com/smf
Have a great
summer…….
ANDREW
Cell: (239)
405-3455. E-mail: acfentiman@comcast.net