July - August 2020

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Manager's Corner

Dear Residents,

I recently celebrated my 14th work anniversary with Hometown America on June 1, 2020. Year after year, Hometown America has consistently made decisions that reinforced how much they truly care for their residents, as well as their employees.

This year has been no different. The first week of March was when I became aware of the first confirmed COVID-19 case within Lee County. I quickly communicated this information to our regional manager and began discussions to make decisions as to how we would handle this situation.

As it progressed within Florida and throughout the country, Hometown America quickly formed a four-person task force within the corporate office. We had both corporate and regional level personnel working seven days a week and endless hours to research and write new policies/procedures to implement with the health and safety of our residents and employees as a primary objective.

Within Del Tura, the company’s decisions and timing of amenity closures were on point and typically one week ahead of the local government curve.

In April, Hometown America began phase one of the Del Tura amenity re-opening process. A cautious and thoughtful plan was implemented to systematically begin getting residents back to the active lifestyle we are all so accustomed to. This process has continued as CDC and government guidelines have allowed. As I write this, Del Tura is well on its way to returning to a sense of normalcy.

Hometown America’s overall handling of this global COVID-19 pandemic within our community, in my opinion, has been extremely professional and nothing short of amazing. I just wanted to take this opportunity to publicly thank my employer as I consider it an honor and privilege to work for such a great company.

Whether it is a hurricane or a global pandemic, I know residents and employees will continue to work together, one day at a time, for the health and safety of our community. I am genuinely thankful to continue serving the residents of Del Tura!

Sincerely,

Fred Taylor
Community Manager

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Sales Update

Not even a global pandemic can deter your Del Tura sales team.

The worst of the global COVID-19 pandemic occurred in Florida during March and April. We made significant adjustments to the way we conducted our sales business during that time to ensure the safety of our sellers, buyers, and sales staff. From March 15 through April 15, our staff was able to welcome 17 home buyers to the Del Tura family during this challenging time.

The Hometown America sales team will always be here and ready to assist the buying and selling needs of the community. For assistance, please call one of our professional team members today at (239) 731-3330.

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Reopening Procedures

We hope you and your families are staying safe and healthy during this challenging time. As the COVID-19 outbreak continues, it’s important that we do our part to flatten the curve and help maintain the health and wellness of our communities. Hometown has been adhering to all local, state, and federal guidelines and we’re making decisions about day-to-day operations that align with those guidelines to mitigate the risk of spreading the virus within our communities.

As states continue the reopening process and businesses and other non-essential services come back online, we will be monitoring their guidelines and making adjustments to community operations accordingly. Availability of cleaning supplies and personal protective equipment as well as creating and training team members on revised operational protocols are also factors that impact the timing of reopening.

With that being said, we are proud to announce as of July 1st our indoor amenities will reopen for small groups with reservations only. Hometown America is proud to be taking a methodical way of opening various amenities and facilities with a well thought out, safe plan. Pools, outdoor amenities, fitness centers and now indoor facilities will be opened for your use. It is very important to us that you have access to the amenities you enjoy, while staying smart and safe. We love seeing so many happy faces as we slowly get back to a bit of normality.

We thank you for your continued patience and look forward to the future!

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Virtual Memorial Day

Due to the caution encouraged and practiced in Del Tura as a result of COVID-19, a group of residents thought of a new way to conduct a Memorial Day Ceremony. In keeping with the recommendations of the CDC, the state of Florida, Lee County, and Hometown America, this year’s event featured a unique twist.

Under the leadership of Chairman and Navy Veteran Woody Cook, a virtual memorial ceremony was held with the assistance of several residents.

The entire ceremony was put on video in advance of Memorial Day and was available via YouTube at 9 o’clock on the morning of May 25.

According to Woody, “The entire program took place just as it has in the past, but by putting it on YouTube, we did not have to worry about a large crowd gathering.” Folks safely sat at home and watched on their viewing devices.

Residents that assisted Woody with the program and technical aspects of the actual recording were Bart DeGraaf, Al Wells, Jim Stenzel, Dave Adams, Nancy Adams, Tom Hoffay, Bishop Stan Lazarczyk, Randy Finnerin, Rod Monroy, Ruth Anten, and the Del Tura Choralaires.

Information on how to view the ceremony was provided on the “Del Tura Residents” Facebook page and “Nextdoor Del Tura”. Both had a message with a link that you could click to take you directly to YouTube to view the ceremony.

“I’m grateful to all the members of my committee who helped make this program a reality,” said Woody. “I’m sure I speak for all veterans when I say how grateful I am that despite this challenging time, we still paused to recognize and remember those who gave the ultimate sacrifice.”

Hometown America and the entire Del Tura staff extend their thanks and admiration to Woody and the dedicated members of his committee for their efforts. We salute all our past and present veterans and want to especially remember those who gave their lives in service to our country.

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Rules and Regulations

While our goal here at Del Tura is to provide our residents with a fun, carefree lifestyle, we also like to ensure that it doesn’t come at the expense of others. This segment of the newsletter is a way for management to provide residents with friendly reminders of the community’s rules and regulations. These rules are in place so all residents can enjoy a quiet and peaceful environment and reads as follows:

Yard (bollard) lights equipped with a photocell are installed by Community owners for the convenience and safety of residents. Power to the bollard light with a 60-watt brightness or equivalent must be left on regardless of the length of the resident's absence and must be maintained by the resident. The Community owner will rove the community regularly, giving courtesy notice to all residents of their bollard light outage. Before management correcting the outage at the resident's expense, a formal written notice will be sent by community management giving the resident fourteen (14) days to correct the outage. If not corrected by the resident, the community owner will perform the necessary service and invoice the resident according to the bollard light agreement.

Feel free to call us in the management office at (239) 731-3433 for assistance with your bollard light needs.

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Capital Improvements

The 40,000 square foot Del Tura clubhouse is cooled by 21 air conditioning units. The two oldest units recently reached the end of their life span and we are happy to communicate both were replaced with brand new units while the clubhouse was closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Two electrical panels within the clubhouse were outdated and identified as a potential safety concern. Therefore, both electrical panels were recently replaced with new panels.

Every year money is budgeted to complete community sidewalk repairs throughout the community. We are pleased to announce the 2020 community sidewalk repair project has been completed. This year’s scope of work was about three times more than the year prior.

There are still numerous more projects planned for this year and we look forward to providing more updates in the next issue.

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Stimulus Check Tips

As government stimulus checks begin to roll in, you may be thinking about what you should do with yours. Whether it’s paying bills, investing, or spending it on that special wish list item, it all comes down to what is best for your wealth health.

NBC News recently compiled a helpful list of 5 must-know tips before spending your stimulus. Read through them below before making your spending decision, you might just change your mind.

• 1. Make sure you have the necessities. First and foremost, make sure you are stocked up on the things you need like food, medicine, and other additional supplies. If you’re not, it can be a good idea to use your stimulus check to restock these items.
• 2. Work with financial institutions. If necessary, you can use your check to pay any debts you might have, but check with your financial institutions first. Many banks and credit card companies are deferring payments and waiving fees, so make sure to check with them first before dropping a large payment.
• 3. Save your money. If you have no immediate need for your stimulus check, consider saving it or using it to get yourself out of debt. This can be a great way to reduce future financial strain.
• 4. Deal with your finances now. It can be tempting to avoid your financial problems until they become an immediate issue, but that will only lead to future stress. Get your finances in order now and figure out the best use for your stimulus money rather than wait until an issue arises.
• 5. Give your money. If you are in a stable place financially, consider giving the money to someone in need. Many charities are readily accepting donations, or you could even consider helping a friend or family member who is struggling right now.

We hope these tips helped give you some viable options on how your stimulus check can go to good use. Stay safe and stay healthy!

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Online Book Clubs

There’s nothing quite like starting a brand-new book. With new characters to get attached to and fresh worlds to immerse yourself in, there’s no better time to find your next obsession. Many online book clubs are now allowing readers the opportunity to connect, hear from the writers themselves, and try out new genres. There’s truly something for everyone!

Whether you are a woman looking for a casual group to talk to other female bibliophiles, someone looking to broaden their knowledge with award-winning titles, or looking for novels to help you make sense of the world itself, there’s a book club for it.

Another great feature of virtual book clubs are that they offer different levels of interactivity. If you’re simply looking for a list of recommended books on the same subject, you can find a club for that. If you enjoy reading or listening to what others have to say about a book but you’re not looking to discuss yourself, you can. If you like the best of both worlds, you’ll easily be able to find a host of groups that will allow you to share your opinion and converse with your fellow readers.

While it can be difficult to find people with similar interests to you, online book clubs might be the answer. They are a great way to immerse yourself in new literature and conversations with people across the globe without leaving the comfort of your home.