HURRICANE SEASON - It’s still upon us and although Katrina and Rita kindly passed us by, we are waiting to see if there are any more big ones out there, this Fall. The hurricane season officially ends on November 30^th. Our hearts go out to the poor people who have suffered at the hands of Katrina and Rita. As former residents of Metairie (a New Orleans suburb), Jackie and I feel like we dodged the bullet by moving to Bonita but of course we have family and friends in the New Orleans area that have been devastated. At least we are above sea-level here at La Scala! Talking of hurricanes and storms, please let the Manager know at once if you notice water intrusion in your unit, or anywhere else in the building. Spider cracks and areas of delamination have been found in the exterior stucco at Sorrento and Palermo and so this is something we will be checking for at La Scala. Water stains on painted walls, dark oily stains on baseboards and squelching carpets are sure signs of water intrusion!

FLOOD INSURANCE – You may think (as we did) that you don’t need flood insurance because you are up in a tower building. But after Katrina, we decided to investigate. Our insurer confirmed that our unit is only covered for wind, wind-driven rain and related storm damage. We are not covered for the effects of flooding. If the ground floor of La Scala was ever flooded and the building was compromised in such a way that it had to be torn down (highly unlikely), we would get nothing from our insurance. So Jackie and I have now taken out flood insurance which covers us up to $250,000 for the unit and up to $100,000 for our contents. It costs around $387 a year for our unit. Your insurer may need a copy of La Scala’s Flood Elevation Certificate, which you can obtain from Isabella.

BOARD MEETINGS - These occur at La Scala four times a year and each meeting presents you with the opportunity to be heard on any topic that concerns you, as long as you have previously submitted your Agenda item to the Association’s Secretary, Joseph French. The next meeting will be in the La Scala Card Room at 9 a.m. on Wednesday December 14^th 2005.

QUICK NEWS - Welcome to new owners Steven & Maria Lane (1002) and goodbye to James Laffey (1002) ☼ Local construction along U.S. 41 is booming. Road-widening is still underway. Coconut Point Town Center is taking shape. NCH Healthcare is buying land next to The Brooks and so Bonita Springs should have a hospital, one day ☼ Great new restaurants include Evoo Bistro and gourmet market (444-3020) and Naples Tomato and gourmet market (514-3201) in North Naples and Nektar near 5^th Avenue South in Naples. Let me know if you want me to e-mail you my restaurant list ☼ Bonita Springs will soon be getting a Fresh Market. Meanwhile, For Goodness Sake on Bonita Beach Road has organic and health foods (992-5838) ☼ First Watch (390-0554) is a good place for breakfasts, in the new Robb & Stuckey shopping Center ☼ The Pelican Landing Neighborhood Hotline mentioned in my last newsletter is no more; coordinator Judith Brown has moved out of Pelican Landing ☼ Fashion Fresh is a dry-cleaning service that picks up and delivers at La Scala. Contact Isabella for further information ☼ The 2^nd Annual Tree-Lighting party at La Scala will be on Tuesday November 22^nd. Refreshments will be served ☼ Bay Club offers Sunday breakfast from December 4^th through April 9^th (check 390-4709 to reconfirm this) ☼ 

HOUSE-KEEPING – As you know, our Manager Joseph always says “call me if you need something”. In case you do not have it, his cell number for after-hours is (239) 272-0811. Or have the front desk call him. Please be considerate and only call Joseph on weekends and evenings if it’s important ☺ Put all requests/problems in writing, submitted to the office ☺ Reversing and automating the passenger elevator parking garage doors should be finished by the end of November. To get things moving with WCI/Kraft, John McGarvey (1904) stepped in and made a significant contribution of safety rails, posts and key-fob activator panels; thank you, John! ☺ The La Scala ‘moat’ has been re-done with white rocks and marsh grass; let’s hope this does the trick ☺ We now have two ProFire barbecue grills to replace the troublesome two grills we had before. They are ‘manual’ and so you will need to have your own barbecue-lighter, as well as your own utensils. If you are unsure how to use the grills (there are instructions next to each grill), ask Joseph ☺ A DogiPot pet station has been installed outside the parking garage, so please use it ☺ Houseguests and tenants are not permitted to have pets ☺ Don’t take La Scala towels up to your unit, from the pool or fitness center ☺ Please don’t let children yell and scream at the pool area, spoiling the tranquility being enjoyed by all other unit owners ☺ Children must be under the direct control of a responsible adult at the pool and in all other common areas ☺ In the Recycle Room, please break cardboard boxes down flat. Do not put ‘trash’ in there and please keep it tidy ☺ Avoid banging the shopping carts into doors and walls; keep them in the center of the elevator ☺ Only park in your own spot, within the white lines. All cars in parking garage are registered at the Manager’s office and so if any additional car is parked in the garage, - even if it is in your own space - you should inform Joseph of the owner's name and contact number, make, model, color and license plate of the vehicle, plus the parking spot number it is in. The security personnel do check the parking spots for your protection and security ☺ Let Joseph know when you are coming back to La Scala so he can turn the water and water-heater on in your unit, ready for your arrival ☺ Don’t forget to let Isabella know of any change in your out-of-town address, contact numbers or e-mail ☺ FYI, please see the attached document regarding Rules & Policies ☺

FUN THINGS TO DO – BICYCLE RENTAL: Naples Cyclery in Bonita (949-00265) will deliver rental bicycles to La Scala. Local rides that avoid main roads include The Colony, Pelican Landing, Spring Creek Village and Hyatt Coconut Plantation.

See: http://naplescyclery.com/site/intro.cfm

KAYAKING & CANOEING: You can use the kayaks/canoes (Coconut Road guardhouse: 947-9950) at the canoe park next to Palermo and either go up Spring Creek or out into Estero Bay, or rent one from Estero River Outfitters on U.S. 41 at the Estero River bridge (992-4050) and head up or downstream, or you can drive to Sanibel and rent one from Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge (472-1100). They also have guided tours there.

See www.fws.gov/dingdarling/VisitorInformation/VisitorInformation.htm

WALKS: Estero Bay Aquatic Preserve: Drive north on U.S. 41 and turn left on Broadway at the traffic light. Towards the end of the road on the right you will see a parking area and signs for Estero Bay Aquatic Preserve. There are several walking trails. www.dep.state.fl.us/coastal/sites/estero/info.htm

Corkscrew Swamp: About a 45-minute drive away, with a long boardwalk across the several different swamp habitats. Good wildlife viewing. http://www.corkscrew.audubon.org

Corkscrew Regional Ecosystem Watershed (CREW): Interesting walking trails, ecosystems, nature-watching and Spring wildflowers. http://www.crewtrust.org

BEACH SUNSET COCKTAILS: At Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Club at 851 Gulf Shore Boulevard N. in Naples (261-2222). The outdoor bar is right on the edge of the beach and there is usually a guitarist singing in the evenings. Drinks are served in plastic ‘to-go’ cups, in case you want to wander across the sand to the water’s edge. If you go on a weekend, get there early because the parking lot gets full quickly. The Turtle Club restaurant at 9225 Gulfshore Drive in Naples (592-6557) is also a good place for beachside cocktails and dining (indoors or outdoors) with a Gulf view. Another good beachside restaurant is the more upscale Baleine restaurant at La Playa Beach Hotel at 9891 Gulfshore Drive in Naples (597-3123).

DAY IN KEY WEST: Big Cat and Atlanticat are high-speed catamarans that take you from Fort Myers Beach to Key West in three hours for $135 round-trip. See www.keywestshuttle.com. Alternatively, you can fly on Cape Air from Naples to Key West. See www.flycapeair.com. Once there, take a taxi to the foot of Duval Street and rent a scooter which is the most fun way to get around town. Stroll Duvall Street’s boutiques, bars and gift shops. Explore Ernest Hemingway’s house. Climb up to the top of the lighthouse for a great view of Key West and visit the Lighthouse Museum. Enjoy the beach. Take a seaplane ride to Fort Jefferson in the Dry Tortugas. Watch the sunset, see the freak show and nightly arts festival at Mallory Square. Do a day-trip or stay a couple of nights.

FLYING TO THE BAHAMAS: Did you know you can fly to the Bahamas from Naples in 90 minutes? The nearest island is Bimini, made famous by Ernest Hemingway in his hunt for big game fish. Further away are the Abacos, including delightful small islands like Green Turtle Cay where you get around by golf cart. Charter a small plane from Naples with Naples Air. See www.naplesairinc.com. Or drive over to Fort Lauderdale Hollywood International Airport and take a Yellow Air Taxi. See www.go-abacos.com/yellowairtaxi/about.html

HOW FAR WE’VE COME - No, this is not a picture of La Scala after the 2005 hurricane season. However, it is a reminder of how far we’ve come since La Scala was a mere patch of mud in the middle of a swamp.

As usual, I will end by reminding you to let me know if you have news that other Members might be interested in. I am only a phone call (cell: 239/405-3455) or an e-mail (acfentiman@comcast.net) away. And remember to look at www.lascalaatthecolony.com

Looking forward to seeing you all again, for the Season!

ANDREW