July/August 2017
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Volume 25, Issue 3-4
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A Special Note to Our Readers
FINDING MONEY THAT IS OWED TO YOU – UNCLAIMED PROPERTY
by Bruce Squillante
Have you ever heard of Unclaimed Property (UP)? UP is money that is turned over to the state representing various items that are forgotten or left behind. Some of the most common types of UP include uncashed paychecks, unredeemed gift certificates, dormant bank accounts, forgotten deposits, stock certificates, dividends, and insurance policy proceeds. States require businesses to turn over property that has gone unclaimed after as little as one year.
Your first reaction may be that there is no way that you have forgotten about any money, bank accounts, or any kind of money owed to you. You may have lost your property and do not even know it. For example, if you own stock and your address is in certain states, you are required to contact the company once every five years. If you fail to contact the company, the state considers you lost and your shares are turned over to the state…..even if you have the actual stock certificates in your safe deposit box. As strange as that sounds, keep in mind that UP is a huge money maker for states.
States are holding over $49 billion of UP for approximately 1 out of 9 US citizens! Statistically speaking, that means there may be around 20 households in River Forest where states may be holding UP.
Before you go looking to see if a state is holding your money, you need to consider the rules for UP. Companies that are required to turn over UP must first look to the owner’s address in their records. The state with your address in the company’s records receives the property. If you have moved often or have a residence up north, Florida may not be the correct state – or even the only one – you should investigate.
Next, do not forget about family members who have passed away. It is no accident that the states are holding over $49 billion in UP. States in a typical year only return to the rightful owner about 50% of the money collected from businesses. Just over 20 years ago states were holding less than $5 billion. As you can see, UP is serious business.
So how do find out if there is a state holding your money and how do you get it back? You need to know where to search.
Start by going to the nationwide data base for UP – unclaimed.org
When you enter unclaimed.org you get this website - and if your adobe flash is working, a picture of the United States will pop up:
Your first reaction may be that there is no way that you have forgotten about any money, bank accounts, or any kind of money owed to you. You may have lost your property and do not even know it. For example, if you own stock and your address is in certain states, you are required to contact the company once every five years. If you fail to contact the company, the state considers you lost and your shares are turned over to the state…..even if you have the actual stock certificates in your safe deposit box. As strange as that sounds, keep in mind that UP is a huge money maker for states.
States are holding over $49 billion of UP for approximately 1 out of 9 US citizens! Statistically speaking, that means there may be around 20 households in River Forest where states may be holding UP.
Before you go looking to see if a state is holding your money, you need to consider the rules for UP. Companies that are required to turn over UP must first look to the owner’s address in their records. The state with your address in the company’s records receives the property. If you have moved often or have a residence up north, Florida may not be the correct state – or even the only one – you should investigate.
Next, do not forget about family members who have passed away. It is no accident that the states are holding over $49 billion in UP. States in a typical year only return to the rightful owner about 50% of the money collected from businesses. Just over 20 years ago states were holding less than $5 billion. As you can see, UP is serious business.
So how do find out if there is a state holding your money and how do you get it back? You need to know where to search.
Start by going to the nationwide data base for UP – unclaimed.org
When you enter unclaimed.org you get this website - and if your adobe flash is working, a picture of the United States will pop up:
If you are sure that only addresses you have had are in Florida, click the state (or "Select the State" from the drop down box) and you will be linked to Florida’s search site. As you can tell, from this database you can search all of the states. When you click on Florida, the following screen appears:
To look for your property, click on “Search for Unclaimed Property” and the following search screen appears:
You are now ready to search for your name or a friend/relative. This is a public database. Unless you have a common last name, you do not have to enter your first name. We have seen first names left off or misspelled on property turned over. In Florida, do not forget to enter the password on the screen (which changes every time). If we put Squillante in the last name you would find the following result:
Unfortunately, there is no Bruce or Julie Squillante on the list, but it is interesting to see how many Squillante’s are owed money here in Florida.
If your name is on the list, click the Account Number next to your name and you will be directed to answer several questions online in order to submit a claim. The entire claims process can take 6-9 months before you get a check, but it can certainly be worth your time.
The process is very similar in other states. Give it a try. Good luck. Statistically, there may be at least 20 households in River Forest who are owed money.
If you have questions, text or call Bruce Squillante at 616-460-1614.
If your name is on the list, click the Account Number next to your name and you will be directed to answer several questions online in order to submit a claim. The entire claims process can take 6-9 months before you get a check, but it can certainly be worth your time.
The process is very similar in other states. Give it a try. Good luck. Statistically, there may be at least 20 households in River Forest who are owed money.
If you have questions, text or call Bruce Squillante at 616-460-1614.
River Forest – Fun Facts
If you walk around all 7 streets in River Forest you will have gone 3.74 miles
There are 191 lots in River Forest
19 of the lots are not on Caloosahatchee River
8 of the lots are not developed
There are a total of 41 light poles
The Island only has 1 light pole
Mini Way is the only street with no utility poles
There are 12 houses for sale currently
There are 2 houses currently under construction
Potluck Photos - June 2017
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The Increased Appeal of River Cruising
Unlike deep-ocean cruises, the modern river cruise industry largely didn’t exist 30 years ago. Today there are 184 river cruise ships with 13 new river cruise ships on order for 2017. This growth is based on a number of appealing trends in River Cruising. The journey itself is the experience on a River Cruise, with the ability to stay in the heart of cities and towns strung along the waterways. Europe is usually the first destination people choose, but river cruising is available around the world.
New and different destinations
Once people experience a river cruise they come back and choose river cruises in more exotic destinations, they want to enjoy that familiar experience of cruising on the river, whether it’s in Vietnam, Cambodia, China or the Amazon. For some of these more exotic destinations, it’s even more comforting for them to know they have the familiar ship, crew and food waiting for them at the end of the day.
A few examples of new exotic options are Pandaw’s new Borneo cruises this year; new African voyages by Croisi-Europe; and a focus on India with AmaWaterways building a new ship to sail in fall 2018 on the Ganges between Patna and Kolkata.
River Cruises Are Getting More Active
With more travelers having an emphasis on health and well-being while traveling; River cruises are adding more choices for active travelers. Most lines now have bikes that can be used by passengers in port on their own, as well as for guided tours. On some ships, you can ride 10 or 20 miles to the next stop and the people who don’t want to bike that day can stay on board.
To meet the demand from cruisers, more adventure excursions are being offered as part of the experience, whether it’s going for a horseback ride over the hills or canoeing down the river. “It’s something for everyone at every level.”
Lines like AmaWaterways, Uniworld, Emerald and Scenic have hiking and kayaking tours. Meanwhile, Avalon has developed an entire Danube itinerary that focuses on active pursuits, and it plans to add a similarly dedicated itinerary on the Rhine next.
Inclusiveness Is Expanding
Uniworld, Tauck and Crystal are all-inclusive and bringing a lot of interest from true luxury travelers. For 2017, American Cruise Lines is offering all guests traveling on its Mississippi River and Columbia River a complimentary pre-cruise package, which includes a premium hotel stay and transportation to the ship. Packages are offered, for example, in New Orleans, Memphis, St. Louis, St. Paul, Nashville and Pittsburgh. Other lines too are adding inclusions.
Crystal River Cruises launched a luxury experience last year on the Danube, as Crystal Mozart began sailing as the largest vessel on European rivers. Two new vessels, Crystal Bach and Crystal Mahler will also debut in Europe this summer, and steel was just cut for two additional Rhine Class luxury river yachts, Crystal Debussy and Crystal Ravel, launching in 2018.
Themes, Themes, Themes
Many River cruises provide small-group experiences coupled with themes such as art, music, flowers, Christmas markets and New Year celebrations. Theming has blossomed over the past several years. AmaWaterways offers more than 50 wine cruise itineraries in 2017, while Uniworld’s “The Monarch Collection” focuses on highlighting Europe’s royal heritage.
Avalon Waterways’ World War II-themed cruises include the 11-day “Paris to Normandy with London,” itinerary, which departs on July 11. For classical music buffs, a 12-day “Musical Magic along the Blue Danube” cruise by Tauck includes a seven-night cruise, exploration of such cities as Prague, Vienna, Salzburg, Bratislava and Budapest, plus a chance to visit the former homes of Mozart, Beethoven, Bartók or Liszt, and concert halls and palaces where these classical music legends performed.
Traveling with Family
An important part of creating meaningful memories comes from sharing those experiences with the people you’re closest to. Though river cruising has been traditionally considered a couples’ vacation, there’s been a recent rise in multigenerational travel on river vessels.
Everyone has busy lives and they don’t always have the time they want to spend together as a family. It’s often on a vacation that families reconnect. The Christmas Markets in Europe in December are a wonderful opportunity for multigenerational travel. We also see multigenerational travel around theme cruises that focus on food, wine and music.
Five of the most family-friendly companies are AmaWaterways, A-ROSA, CroisiEurope, Crystal and Tauck. Families with young children can take a river cruise throughout the year. Other companies, such as Uniworld and Tauck offer a few family-friendly river cruises during the summer and winter school vacations.
If you haven’t looked into River Cruising in the past year, I encourage you to consider many of the new options.
Feel free to follow my page Executive Excursions on Facebook for more ideas on travel destinations.
Cindy Baerman
Executive Connection and Adventure Advisor
July 4, 2017 Photos
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Potlucks
August 5
September 2
October 7
Board Meeting
October 2
Snowbirds Dinner
October 28
Watch for your notice
Dick & Carol's Corner
River Forest is the place to be. That acclaim is usually attributed to the 1970’s Green Acres Show, starring Eddie Albert and Eva Gabor. Many funny things occurred and many acts of kindness were portrayed on the show, but I feel very few of these acts equates with what many of us experience on an ongoing basis in River Forest.
For example, many of us were fortunate enough to be invited to the venerate and friendly ex-River Forest’s resident, June Miller’s 90th Birthday Party organized by her Daughter Lin Hill, a River Forest Resident who lives in June’s former house. June was a resident of River Forest for many years, along with her deceased husband the very humorous Dr. Miller and their Son Charley who also lived with them for a while.
June’s party was held at Shell Point where June now resides and featured Tim Allen, Guitarist who is also a Banjo Hall of Famer. It was a wonderful, fun time with more than a dozen River Forest Residents and former residents attending, plus many other friends and acquaintances. The event certainly brought back fond memories and was indeed a wonderful reunion of sorts. The fact that so many River Forest Residents made the 20 + mile venture to attend an old friend’s party attests to the character of so many of our River Forest residents. Thanks Lin, for inviting us!
To further attest to the positive attitude of the River Forest Community, I Recently, answered a knock on the door from one of my favorite residents, our former RIFCA President Bruce Squillante. Bruce is on a weight loss regimen and walks many miles through River Forest each day. But Bruce said ‘just walking is boring, I want to do something useful’. You see Bruce feels if he is involved in rigorous activities such as tree and bush trimming, along with walking, that will not only help him with his weight and diabetes, but will also reward him with a feeling of grateful neighborliness, and boy do we all need that.
So Bruce volunteered to trim my palms and bushes. I couldn’t believe that he was really going to do this act, until he told me he had volunteered to do the same for all the River Forest Island residents as well. Wow, I thought those days were gone, as I reflected back to earlier days in rural Michigan on the farm, when everyone pitched in to help the neighbors with whatever needed to be done! There are many other acts of kindness that our RIFCA Neighbors perform on a daily basis, it’s just that these acts aren’t always reported. Neighbors check on each other, do favors for each other and always (maybe even more importantly), greet and respect each other. Wow again, this is so important to maintain this attitude of congeniality in a world so upside down and sometimes downright hostile. I think I can honestly say that River Forest will ‘always be the place to be’. We have our own GREEN ACRES right here in SW Florida. Hollywood more than likely will never make a movie about us, but we have something better than that; each other.
Our next Barbeque will be Tuesday July 4th, and I hope that everyone is as anxious to attend the event as we are and to celebrate our wonderful country’s 241st year of independence! Go USA! Peace and God Bless!
Dick and Carol Kennedy
Dr. Carol and Dick have lived at 13754 River Forest Dr since 1985.
To contact Carol about her books and her upcoming Second Chocolate book,
Call 239.898.8363 or dracrol@drcarolkennedy.com. View photos at www.drcarolkennedy.com
For example, many of us were fortunate enough to be invited to the venerate and friendly ex-River Forest’s resident, June Miller’s 90th Birthday Party organized by her Daughter Lin Hill, a River Forest Resident who lives in June’s former house. June was a resident of River Forest for many years, along with her deceased husband the very humorous Dr. Miller and their Son Charley who also lived with them for a while.
June’s party was held at Shell Point where June now resides and featured Tim Allen, Guitarist who is also a Banjo Hall of Famer. It was a wonderful, fun time with more than a dozen River Forest Residents and former residents attending, plus many other friends and acquaintances. The event certainly brought back fond memories and was indeed a wonderful reunion of sorts. The fact that so many River Forest Residents made the 20 + mile venture to attend an old friend’s party attests to the character of so many of our River Forest residents. Thanks Lin, for inviting us!
To further attest to the positive attitude of the River Forest Community, I Recently, answered a knock on the door from one of my favorite residents, our former RIFCA President Bruce Squillante. Bruce is on a weight loss regimen and walks many miles through River Forest each day. But Bruce said ‘just walking is boring, I want to do something useful’. You see Bruce feels if he is involved in rigorous activities such as tree and bush trimming, along with walking, that will not only help him with his weight and diabetes, but will also reward him with a feeling of grateful neighborliness, and boy do we all need that.
So Bruce volunteered to trim my palms and bushes. I couldn’t believe that he was really going to do this act, until he told me he had volunteered to do the same for all the River Forest Island residents as well. Wow, I thought those days were gone, as I reflected back to earlier days in rural Michigan on the farm, when everyone pitched in to help the neighbors with whatever needed to be done! There are many other acts of kindness that our RIFCA Neighbors perform on a daily basis, it’s just that these acts aren’t always reported. Neighbors check on each other, do favors for each other and always (maybe even more importantly), greet and respect each other. Wow again, this is so important to maintain this attitude of congeniality in a world so upside down and sometimes downright hostile. I think I can honestly say that River Forest will ‘always be the place to be’. We have our own GREEN ACRES right here in SW Florida. Hollywood more than likely will never make a movie about us, but we have something better than that; each other.
Our next Barbeque will be Tuesday July 4th, and I hope that everyone is as anxious to attend the event as we are and to celebrate our wonderful country’s 241st year of independence! Go USA! Peace and God Bless!
Dick and Carol Kennedy
Dr. Carol and Dick have lived at 13754 River Forest Dr since 1985.
To contact Carol about her books and her upcoming Second Chocolate book,
Call 239.898.8363 or dracrol@drcarolkennedy.com. View photos at www.drcarolkennedy.com
