September - October 2022

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Manager's Corner

We are patiently waiting for our Northern family and friends to rejoin us this winter!

We have made some changes to our supervisory team. Please congratulate Barbara Schmoltze, our new “Gate Supervisor”, and Mike Fitzgibbons our new “Maintenance Supervisor”. While Barbara is running the gate, Mike is running around the community to keep Del Tura standards above the rest. We are excited for our new supervisors and wish them the best in their new positions!

In the meantime, don’t forget to come by the Community Office and introduce yourself to our new receptionist, Kathleen Asher!

Take care,
Julie
Community Manager

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Sales Update

Do you want to list your home or do you want to SELL your home? You may have noticed home values are up, but your home is worth even more now than you may think.

If you’re ready to sell, let the Del Tura Sales Team help. Our team averages higher resale prices and faster sales results than outside realtors, along with these other great advantages:

• An understanding of the lifestyle and community
• High-volume website visits – 100,000 every month
• Serve all of the walk-in/drive-in traffic
• On site 7 days a week with showings every day
• A professional, experienced sales team who will give you fast results, netting you more profit

Hometown America is licensed, insured, and ready to help. Call us at (239) 203-2867 or stop by our Sales Office.

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Capital Improvements

2022 has been a busy year for Cap X projects. We want to review these projects with you as we finish planning new projects for 2023.

• Clubhouse exterior has been repainted
• Community Garden is complete
• New community signs
• Clubhouse landscaping has been upgraded
• Road work is complete
• The Shuffleboard shed has been sided
• Community sidewalks have been repaired/replaced
• Pickleball court has been re-surfaced
• Community drainage has been checked and flowing freely
• A functional trainer and leg press were added to the gym

We will work to keep you updated on new projects that are in progress and completed.

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Upcoming Events

Labor Day at The Fountain Grille
Monday, September 5 from 3:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
There will be hamburgers, hotdogs, delicious side dishes, and tasty desserts. Come enjoy the afternoon.

Halloween Happenings at Del Tura
Saturday, October 29
Join us for a dance in the Starlight Ballroom to celebrate Halloween.

For tickets, call Lynn Brenfleck at (603)738-1001.

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Restaurant Review

Tamiami Tavern is a new local pub-style eatery with British roots. Their menu is designed to offer lighter options, full-service dinners, and some interesting flavor combinations.

A few of the unique-flavored appetizers are the bacon gorgonzola poutine, stuffed banana peppers, and tavern barrels: potato tots served with house-made buttermilk ranch dressing and creole remoulade. The variety of beer and wine pairs well with the menu items. Entrees include the classic pub fish and chips, plus seared scallops and black and blue ribeye. Sandwiches range from traditional burgers to beef on weck. For lighter fare, try the soups and salads.

Tamiami Tavern is located 20 minutes from Del Tura Country Club at 10361 Tamiami Trail, Punta Gorda, Florida. Hours are Tuesday-Saturday 4:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.

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Resident Spotlight

Al Wells Goes To Del Tura

I was born and raised in various areas in Michigan, and I graduated high school in the little town of Clarkston, class of 1959. After high school, I attended Michigan Tech in Houghton, the “great white north” of Michigan, where we commonly got 250+ inches of snow every winter. It’s in the boondocks, but I loved it.

I graduated college in 1966 with a degree in mechanical engineering and went to work for Caterpillar, Inc. in Peoria, Illinois. I spent my entire career there; it was a good place to live and work. My wife and I raised two sons who still live in Illinois, and we have four grandchildren.

We ended up in Florida entirely by chance. Wendy and I never actually thought about moving south after retirement. In January 2013, we visited my late wife’s sister and her husband, who had moved into Del Tura in 2012. It was a good visit, we liked Del Tura, but still didn’t give serious thought to moving. A month or two later, Wendy’s sister and her husband traveled through the south, including the west coast of Florida, and on the way back to Illinois got caught in a bad snowstorm. They decided on the spot to move south to get away from that terrible white stuff. We came back to Florida for a visit after they had moved to Port Richey, and while down here, we returned to Del Tura for a visit. We looked at several homes, decided we liked one, and bought it. We moved permanently in August 2013, and the rest is living the deck life. If you do the math, it all happened in eight months.

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Be Prepared

June 1 officially kicked off hurricane season in Florida. Are You Ready? To be better prepared in the event of a hurricane, the Hometown America team has organized and put together this information to help you, our residents, and the HOA in understanding areas of responsibility in preparation and clean up when a disaster strikes.

It is easy to expect Hometown America to assume responsibilities when a disaster strikes. However, many of the responsibilities in preparation and clean up belong to the homeowner. This memo clearly defines what areas of responsibility are those of our residents, the homeowners, and what areas are the responsibilities of Hometown America. It also provides you with guidance on specific content, that you and your family will need to develop and include in your own personal emergency plan.

First, as a resident of a Hometown America community, we are asking that you provide us with emergency contact information in the event we need to reach you or someone in your family in the event of an emergency. Although you may have filled out a similar form in the past, it is critical that our records be updated with the most current emergency contact and insurance information. Please ask your office for an Emergency Registration Form to fill out and return to the community manager as soon as possible.

There are many resources and guides available to help all of us be better prepared for hurricane season. Based on previous year’s experiences, Hometown America has put together a handout for our residents which lists four important safety and preparedness steps that you, the homeowner, are urged to follow prior to the event of a hurricane.

• Step 1: Create a Family Emergency Plan
• Step 2: Assemble an Emergency Supplies Kit
• Step 3: Family Evacuation Plan
• Step 4: Prepare for High Winds

In addition to the handout, and as expressed above, Hometown America has outlined below the responsibilities of the residents, the homeowners in our community, as well as the responsibilities of Hometown America, the community owner.

The homeowner/resident is directly responsible for the following:

• Prior to going North, remove all yard debris, ornaments, patio furniture or any lose items
• Once a storm is being tracked it is the resident’s responsibility to remove all yard debris, ornaments and patio furniture to prevent them from blowing around (for year-around residents)
• If mandatory evacuation is ordered, all residents and community personnel must leave the property and not return until the County clears any curfews and roadways have been cleared
• Residents must complete an emergency registration form (available in the office)
• Residents should keep all important papers (including insurance information) with them (not left behind in the home during an evacuation)
• Residents should have temporary housing and food in the event their home is damaged and/or the community does not have utilities or facilities
• Residents will be responsible for the immediate clean up and debris removal of their home site
• Residents will be responsible for the timely repairs to their homes should they become damaged
• Residents will be responsible for the removal of their home should it be destroyed
• Residents will be responsible for the immediate removal of trees, stumps or debris that is located either on their home or on their home site
• Residents will be responsible for the immediate removal of any loose aluminum or sharp debris to prevent injuries
• Residents should report to the office after the storm to ensure their safety and to assist with accessing property damage and collection of insurance information
• Residents are responsible for contacting FEMA, insurance companies, and other social and county organizations for assistance
• Residents are responsible for tarping their roofs and for making immediate emergency repairs in order to prevent further damage to their homes
• In the event of a disaster to their property and/or community property, residents are responsible for their lot rent and all monthly obligations until the home site it totally cleared if home is destroyed
• Residents are responsible to hire only licensed and insured vendors to make necessary repairs to their damaged property, as well as pull all required permits

Hometown America will be directly responsible for the following items and/or will assist with in the event of a disaster:

• Establishment of ongoing communications channels for residents and employees and their relatives and friends
• Clearing of debris from the streets and common areas to facilitate access by emergency vehicles as well as resident and staff ingress and egress
• Assessment of damages to facilities and community structures
• Restoration of community-owned utilities on a temporary basis and as soon as possible, on a permanent basis
• Establishment of patrol (employee, volunteer and/or paid contractor) where deemed appropriate to prevent looting
• Removal of debris from common areas
• Evaluation and repairs to community facilities and equipment
• Outreach to federal, state, and local relief agencies for the benefit of residents and the company
• Positive response to media inquiry and adverse publicity
• Timely repair of company-owned facilities, improvements, vehicles and equipment
• Timely restoration of company-owned landscaping

Hometown America is not responsible for but may assist to the extent reasonably feasible with:

• Assistance locating temporary housing, food, and medical treatment for residents in need
• Assistance organizing homesite clean-up with resident authorization and assignment of insurance benefits applicable to the clean-up
• Home repair by creating a forum for residents to deal with licensed and insured contractors
• Destroyed home removal by creating a forum for residents to deal with licensed and insured contractors and/or by directly arranging for removal with homeowner approval and payment or assignment of insurance proceeds for removal
• Spontaneous outreach with occasional assistance, such as drinking water, coffee, food, and other events or services

If anyone has any questions concerning the information provided and listed above, please contact your community office during business hours.

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Past Events Recap

Check out the winners of Del Tura’s Annual 4th of July Golf Cart Parade. The residents went all out in decorating the golf carts, and a fun time was had by all. Thank you residents for making the parade a huge success.

Congratulations to our winners in the golf cart decorating contest!

First Place Winner – Denise Palazzo
Second Place Winners – Gil & Gail Lawrence
Third Place Winners – Paul & Marie Nolan

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Remembering 9/11

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Gifts for Every Occasion

For some, gift-giving is an anxiety-inducing task. Deciding the type of gift and an appropriate budget for the occasion can add stress to an already busy holiday season. Do you have a go-to gift for different occasions? If not, this article lists 44 unique gifts perfect for any occasion and any person.

Whether you are shopping for a hostess gift or ‘just because,’ gifts are a great way to show an individual you love that you appreciate or are thinking of them. But, gift-giving can be more complicated when your relationship is new or undefined. To avoid the discomfort of a bad gift, we recommend following these 12 gift-giving etiquette tips when choosing gifts for any occasion.

With holiday gatherings and other special events upon us, arm yourself with a shopping list fit for all relationships but don’t forget that not all gifts are tangible, gifts of service or time can sometimes be more meaningful to a person and may make more of an impact. Happy giving!

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A Course in Etiquette

Once, a hiring manager was asked his favorite way to conduct an interview with a potential job candidate. His response was “I like to take them to lunch or dinner. You can learn a lot about someone by taking them to a restaurant.”

As society becomes more casual (hello athleisure attire,) we have lost the significance of learning etiquette, and more importantly, putting it into practice. For a quick refresher, Kent State University put together a summary of dining etiquette for occasions where you find yourself in a formal setting.

Have you ever been to a restaurant with a new acquaintance or friend and were embarrassed by how they treated your waiter? How someone treats waitstaff is a great indicator of how they’ll treat others. Compare your behavior to this list of servers’ rudest customer conduct reports to make sure you aren’t ‘that friend.’