January/February 2020 Newsletter
Don’t forget to visit our website at rifca.net
Bruce Squillante - Newsletter Editor
Bruce Squillante - Newsletter Editor
RIFCA 2020 BOARD OF DIRECTORS CANDIDATES ANNOUNCED
By Bruce Squillante
One of the proudest moments I look forward to each year is the announcement of the slate of candidates looking to serve on the RIFCA Board of Directors. Each of the individuals listed below have agreed to take on an important task of representing the residents of River Forest and the members of RIFCA. We depend upon the many River Forest residents to volunteer their time to address concerns throughout the community and maintain the usefulness of the Clubhouse.
Street Directors are the lifeblood of RIFCA as they address concerns raised on their street and the Island. They talk with their neighbors to encourage them to voice concerns about issues in the community and encourage them to join RIFCA. The Street Directors also take on the responsibility of preparing the Clubhouse for meals and potlucks assigned to particular months.
The officers volunteer many hours each month to make sure actions are taken that not only protect the Clubhouse, but the membership as well. They dedicate themselves to making sure that RIFCA survives and thrives for years to come.
With that background, I am pleased to announce the following slate of candidates for the 2020 RIFCA Board of Directors. Please keep in mind that this process is an open one. If you are interested in serving on the Board, please provide your name, address, and interested position to our Secretary – Julie Squillante – by January 7, 2020.
Officers
President Bruce Squillante
Vice-President Bob Beals
Treasurer Rich Abraham, Bob Croson
Secretary Robin Evans
Street Directors/Backup
Sleepy Hollow Gail Beals/Pam Meeks
Island Rd Pam Jacobs/Jan Croson
The Island Julie Squillante/Otto Bazak
Ox Bow Bruce Rosborough/Julie Burden
River Forest/Lazy Lane Janet Lamonica/Camille Cromer
Peninsula Bill Ott
As noted, the process of canvassing and selecting the Board is an open one at-large. If there is more than one person interested in the 2020 Board position, the vote at the January 18 Annual meeting will decide who serves.
Calling All Game Players!
We have a club sponsored group who have been playing Canasta and Mahjong for many years. They meet every Tuesday from 1:30 to 4:00 pm at the Clubhouse, and the games vary on an every-other-week basis. The games are on the Club Calendar so you can check there to find out which game is which week. We bring our water or soda, and from time to time someone will bring a snack, but it is optional.
Due to various reasons, including moving, aging out, passing away, we are in dire need of new players! You do not need to know either game, we are glad to teach you. Canasta is very easy to pick up, and I am told that it is very similar to Hand & Foot which some members also play. Our Mahjong group is very casual, not cut throat like you may have heard about other groups. We all feel like beginners, and in fact, some in the group are very new to the game. We welcome both seasoned players (we want to pick your brain) and newbies (we will pass on the little we know).
Please contact Cindy Rosborough with any questions, and to let her know that you will be joining. All are welcome (even men, gasp!).
LANAI CEILING IMPROVEMENT FINALLY FINISHED
by Bruce Squillante
Yes, we have been talking about the lanai for over a year, but it is finally finished and passed inspection. Yay. The eight months long journey is finally finished. Lee County required us to use a general contractor to complete the work. We used Ryan Fitch (A&R Construction), whose father is building a home here on River Forest Dr., to complete the project. JTE Electric came in and wired the lanai to give us many more electrical options in the future as well as much better lighting.
Here are some feature you will notice in the lanai. On the ceiling are now ten LED lighting fixtures that bring a great deal of light. Check it out at night….you could land a plane with these lights. JTE installed electrical boxes around the exterior walls to give us more options when holding events there. There are two switches to turn on/off the lights located in the kitchen and the back wall near the television – the same place we had them before. The “EXIT” signs have now been replaced with lighted emergency exit signs. Finally, JTE installed a much brighter and useful ceiling light in the entryway. You will notice a big difference.
Ryan Fitch came in after the electrical was roughed in and finished the ceiling. His team did an excellent job mudding the ceiling to give it a nice textured look and feel. Julie Squillante then painted the ceiling, cleaned the window sills, and touched up the walls around the lanai that were damaged during this final phase of the lanai improvement.
Check it out…the lanai is stunning.
Here are some feature you will notice in the lanai. On the ceiling are now ten LED lighting fixtures that bring a great deal of light. Check it out at night….you could land a plane with these lights. JTE installed electrical boxes around the exterior walls to give us more options when holding events there. There are two switches to turn on/off the lights located in the kitchen and the back wall near the television – the same place we had them before. The “EXIT” signs have now been replaced with lighted emergency exit signs. Finally, JTE installed a much brighter and useful ceiling light in the entryway. You will notice a big difference.
Ryan Fitch came in after the electrical was roughed in and finished the ceiling. His team did an excellent job mudding the ceiling to give it a nice textured look and feel. Julie Squillante then painted the ceiling, cleaned the window sills, and touched up the walls around the lanai that were damaged during this final phase of the lanai improvement.
Check it out…the lanai is stunning.
Thanksgiving Dinner - November 28, 2019
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RUMMAGE SALE IS A BIG SUCCES
What an interesting year for the RIFCA rummage sale. Jan Croson and Gail Beals stepped down as coordinators, but still kept an active role in supporting the sale. Julie and Bruce Squillante took over as coordinators and kept the basic feel of the Rummage Sale, but there were differences. In 2019 we had two sales instead of one. Julie and Bruce intend to have a Summer and early fall sale should the donation level warrant. The November Rummage Sale will go on as planned.
Julie and Bruce also like the three day format where the half day Thursday night occurred. We had a sizable crowd for the limited time we were open. RIFCA volunteers helped make that first night a success as well as Friday. Unfortunately, on Saturday it rained for a significant portion of the day. There were a lot of “die hard” garage sale(rs) that braved the elements, but we were clearly down on customers. Julie and Bruce along with our RIFCA volunteers agreed to extend the sale to the following Saturday. As it turned out, the following Saturday was beautiful and a steady stream of customers made the event another successful hit.
RIFCA volunteers brought up some very helpful ideas to make the event even better. We look forward to November 2020.
Potluck - December 7, 2019
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Luminaria Night – Partying and the Extension to Marquette
by Bruce Squillante
The 2019 version of Luminaria Night saw a major swing of focus inside (and out of) River Forest. The numbers tell the story. The number of families participating in Luminaria Night increased by 10% from 2018. While the Island residents dominated the party scene in 2018, River Forest Drive was the place to be on Luminaria Night in 2019. You could see 30-40 River Forest residents at any given time at the end of Lazy Lane. Good food, good drinks, and great company made for a fun time for all.
For the first time, the residents on Marquette Blvd. (west side of River Forest Dr.) participated in a significant way. In November Bruce Squillante, with the help of a Marquette Blvd. resident, passed out flyers to encourage residents to participate. There were less than 10 who responded, but on Luminaria Night, over 20 residents were walking around admiring the light show. The hope was to promote this event by putting a number of luminarias out so that the residents would see what it could look like as participation increases. Some residents have already communicated with Bruce Squillante showing interest in expanding participation on Marquette. The 2020 version of Luminaria Night on Marquette should be special.
So what were the numbers? Approximately 4,100 bags were prepared and laid out in River Forest. Approximately 400 were placed on Marquette Blvd. Nearly 700 pounds of sand/gravel were used in the bags. Many thanks go out to the River Forest residents who lit up bags before the 7pm start and picked up the bags after the 10pm conclusion. Bruce Squillante went around the neighborhood from 12am to 3:15am picking up the bags that remained.
With the inclusion of Marquette Blvd and even more participation on River Forest Dr., Luminaria Night in 2020 looks to be even bigger and better.
For the first time, the residents on Marquette Blvd. (west side of River Forest Dr.) participated in a significant way. In November Bruce Squillante, with the help of a Marquette Blvd. resident, passed out flyers to encourage residents to participate. There were less than 10 who responded, but on Luminaria Night, over 20 residents were walking around admiring the light show. The hope was to promote this event by putting a number of luminarias out so that the residents would see what it could look like as participation increases. Some residents have already communicated with Bruce Squillante showing interest in expanding participation on Marquette. The 2020 version of Luminaria Night on Marquette should be special.
So what were the numbers? Approximately 4,100 bags were prepared and laid out in River Forest. Approximately 400 were placed on Marquette Blvd. Nearly 700 pounds of sand/gravel were used in the bags. Many thanks go out to the River Forest residents who lit up bags before the 7pm start and picked up the bags after the 10pm conclusion. Bruce Squillante went around the neighborhood from 12am to 3:15am picking up the bags that remained.
With the inclusion of Marquette Blvd and even more participation on River Forest Dr., Luminaria Night in 2020 looks to be even bigger and better.
Christmas Dinner - December 21, 2019
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Do You Know Where the Clean Out Valve Is at Your Home?
I would like to talk with you about a sensitive subject – raw sewage. I have been living in a house for just over 30 years (not including my parents’ home). Upon purchasing my first house, I did not know where the critical functioning hardware was. That changed for me and Julie after two weeks in our first home when the sump pump failed to work on its first try. Julie and I had to clean up two inches of water in the basement. Julie and I also learned the hard way not to spray a bees’ nest that is next to a vent. We had bees in our house for over a week.
Upon purchasing our home here in River Forest, Julie and I dutifully took note of where the emergency shutoff for electricity and water were. We thought we were in good shape until everything went to pot…literally. The day before my mother and sister were coming to visit us, one of the toilets would not flush. We were hearing a gurgling sound but soon discovered something was really wrong when all of the toilets would not flush. We had a sewer back-up.
We called the City and they sent out a sewer maintenance person who asked us where our “clean out valve” was. My response was “clean out what?” The maintenance person told me if we could find the clean out valve, he would take care of the sewer line for no cost. Unfortunately, after looking for 30 minutes, we could not find the clean out valve.
At that point the smell of raw sewage in the house was driving us toward a stay in the Dona room. I called Fox Plumbing and in 3 hours we had two men who used a sophisticated tracking device from our sewer line to find the clean out valve. To our amazement, the prior owner of our house had put concrete and pavers over it. It took 30 minutes to chisel around it, but we finally found it. It took less than 10 minutes to clear the sewer line and we were back in business.
What was the cost of putting concrete and pavers over the clean out valve? $400.
Do you know where your clean out valve is or what it looks like? Here is a picture. The plumber told me that in River Forest the clean out valve is typically 18” – 24” from the side of the house most directly aimed toward the nearest sewer cover on your street.
You should find it before any foul smelling mess finds you.
Upon purchasing our home here in River Forest, Julie and I dutifully took note of where the emergency shutoff for electricity and water were. We thought we were in good shape until everything went to pot…literally. The day before my mother and sister were coming to visit us, one of the toilets would not flush. We were hearing a gurgling sound but soon discovered something was really wrong when all of the toilets would not flush. We had a sewer back-up.
We called the City and they sent out a sewer maintenance person who asked us where our “clean out valve” was. My response was “clean out what?” The maintenance person told me if we could find the clean out valve, he would take care of the sewer line for no cost. Unfortunately, after looking for 30 minutes, we could not find the clean out valve.
At that point the smell of raw sewage in the house was driving us toward a stay in the Dona room. I called Fox Plumbing and in 3 hours we had two men who used a sophisticated tracking device from our sewer line to find the clean out valve. To our amazement, the prior owner of our house had put concrete and pavers over it. It took 30 minutes to chisel around it, but we finally found it. It took less than 10 minutes to clear the sewer line and we were back in business.
What was the cost of putting concrete and pavers over the clean out valve? $400.
Do you know where your clean out valve is or what it looks like? Here is a picture. The plumber told me that in River Forest the clean out valve is typically 18” – 24” from the side of the house most directly aimed toward the nearest sewer cover on your street.
You should find it before any foul smelling mess finds you.
Board Meetings
January 6
February 3
March 2
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Potlucks
February 1
March 7
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Annual Dinner Meeting
January 18
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Dinners
February 15
March 21
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Country Breakfast
January 11
February 8
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Community Garage Sale
February 22/23
Notice to River Forest Residents
Bees are of vital importance to our food chain, but they can be frightening
If you see a honey bee swarm, PLEASE DON'T SPRAY IT!
Doug Lints is working with an Alva Bee Removal specialist and can offer a no fee bee removal and relocation from River Forest.
Please call (239) 850-3746 or Rhinodoug@yahoo.com
If you see a honey bee swarm, PLEASE DON'T SPRAY IT!
Doug Lints is working with an Alva Bee Removal specialist and can offer a no fee bee removal and relocation from River Forest.
Please call (239) 850-3746 or Rhinodoug@yahoo.com
Donations to the Ronald McDonald House - Pop Tabs
Please save the pop tabs from your cans of soda/beer. Dick Kennedy collects them to donate to the Ronald McDonald House. If you let him know when you have a bag full, he will come and pick them up.
According to the Ronald McDonald House website, Advantage Metals buys the tabs at market rate and then makes a charitable contribution on top of that. Last year the pop tab program brought in $20,000. They even had a Pop Tab Pandemonium day earlier this year.
Contact Dick Kennedy to pick up your pop tabs.
According to the Ronald McDonald House website, Advantage Metals buys the tabs at market rate and then makes a charitable contribution on top of that. Last year the pop tab program brought in $20,000. They even had a Pop Tab Pandemonium day earlier this year.
Contact Dick Kennedy to pick up your pop tabs.
