HOA AT-A-GLANCE
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VETERAN’S VISIONS
By Art Keen
Having just graduated from Officer Candidate school as a brandnew Ensign in the US Navy, I found myself assigned temporarily to the Surface Warfare Officers Basic Course Command. I was tasked with transposing the curriculum from paper documents to electronic ones on the brand-new word processors that the command had just acquired. In addition, I was afforded the dubious distinction of also entering the fitness reports of all the officers into the system as well. As a result, I became very familiar with the Commanding Officer of the school, a Navy Captain. One morning, while walking across the base to work, a car I didn’t recognize pulled up alongside me and rolled down the window. It was the Captain, in his brand new Honda Accord, asking me if I needed a lift. Not one to pass on this opportunity to chat with the skipper, I readily agreed and as we drove across the base, we engaged in small talk regarding his new ride. It seems he had a few warranty items that needed to be taken care of by the dealership and he was heading there this afternoon. As we pulled up to his reserved space in front of the building, he nonchalantly mentioned that the door handle on the passenger side of the car was one of the items that needed to be fixed and he would have to let me out of the vehicle. He gets out of the car, returns the smart salutes of half a dozen or more students arriving for class and comes around the passenger side and lets me out. I didn’t know if I should salute him or not! Needless to say, I was harassed by my shipmates regarding this incident for the entire day. How often does a Captain open the door for a butter bar Ensign?
By Donna Moone
Hello Residents,
Hope everyone is enjoying the beautiful weather. I would like to remind all residents about Pool Etiquette. We have a lot of families visiting our community this time of year. Please keep in mind when using the community amenities there are guidelines put in place so that all residents and their guests can enjoy our pool areas.
1. No food or drink allowed in the pool. (NO glass containers at all in any pool area.)
2. No floating devices allowed in the pool. (Safety issues.)
3. No diapered children allowed in any pool, except North pool kiddie area (includes swim diapers.)
4. No one under the age of 18 is permitted in any Spa. (Health & Safety Concerns.)
5. No smoking in the pool area. (Please use smoking post outside pool area to properly dispose of the butt.)
6. No reserving chairs of tables, they are on a first come, first served basis.
(If you are not there your items should not be there.)
7. Please close umbrellas when you are finished.
8. Please do not leave personal items at any pool. (Maintenance will pick and dispose of any items left at the pool.)
SAVE OUR STRAYS
By Sherry Plisch
Del Tura Save our Strays asked for bakers for our Bake Sale and the Del Tura Bakers responded!! Thanks to you we had a great turnout and loads of delicious treats to sell!! Our TNR program will allow us to continue to trap, neuter and return or adopt, if friendly, the feral cats in our community.
The vet bills have increased over the years, as has everything else, and the funds from this sale will help out with those bills. Thank you to those who baked, those who bought, those who packaged the goodies, those who helped with donations and also those who helped in the background.
It was a beautiful day, we had a very successful sale and we got to meet and greet some of our neighbors. Our apologies that this thank you note did not make the January and February Tower.
Thank you again!!! Karen Azza and Sherry Plisch
PRESIDENT’S CORNER
By the time you read this message, I will no longer be your HOA President. Your new board was seated on February 19, with 3 new members elected by the HOA membership. My congratulations to the new board members and the new board officers. I enjoyed my tenure as President of the board and I hope that the community embraces all of the new board members and board officers as they embraced me. A huge thank you to the board members that served with me. Their support and positive attitudes made all the difference. Del Tura is a wonderful place. There are very few communities that have the amenities that we do, as well as the great people and wonderful
By Cindy Baron
volunteers. As I have said many times, nothing in Del Tura happens without all of the fantastic volunteers. I hope you all took advantage of the HOA Spaghetti Dinner, as well as attending the Black Tie Optional dance. There were many SuperBowl parties held around the community, so hopefully football fans were able to celebrate their team’s win. There are lots of activities coming up in March, including some great entertainment, as well as the community yard sale and neighborhood block parties. I look forward to seeing all of you around the community and thank you in advance for your support of the new Board of Directors.
F.I.S.H NEWS
By Laura Dritt
We are pleased to announce that Robin Stranahan has joined the FISH board. Robin is a welcome addition.
FISH always welcomes donations. Over time our trailer became overcrowded. A work team went through the trailer and discarded damaged and worn equipment. Excess equipment was donated to FISH of Sanibel.
Sanibel Island is always in need of new equipment because of how hard storms hit the Island therefor deplete their supply. The remaining equipment was organized and arranged so it is easier for volunteers to see
CERT
By Vickie Rogers
We had a successful presentation of the new CERT trailer at the Health and Wellness event on January 22. Thank you to everyone who stopped by to see the trailer.
Three Del Tura CERT members attended the CERT Refresher course on January 22. The six hour course highlighted CPR, First Aid, and group interactive sessions on triage, search and rescue, and what to do in disaster situations such as floods, tornados, hurricanes, and fire.
The NFMFD demonstrated the use of LifeVac Choking Rescue Device, which is used for victims who are choking and also demonstrated
what we have. What do we have you may ask?
We have: Wheelchairs
Transport chairs
Four wheel walkers with seats Regular walkers
Crutches & Canes
Grabbers & Knee walkers
Potty chairs & Shower chairs
1 ramp 1 electric wheelchair 1 ice machine (not for drinks, for healing). If you need equipment or a ride please call 239-997-3474.
how to use Narcan Nasal Spray, which is used for emergency medical care of victims of opioid overdose. Once more CERT members are educated on the use of these life saving devices, we hope to present instructional training classes to the community. We will keep you posted on where they will be located. If you have an interest in becoming a CERT member or want to ask questions on how to become CERT certified through FEMA, please contact Bertie Dugo at 617-974-8502.
AT-THE-HYDRANT
They called her an Amish discard... we call her Lily and we are fortunate.
In our home state of Ohio there are many Amish dog breeders. They keep a female dog for several years and then they are usually surrendered to the Humane Society when they reach a certain age. That is what happened with our new girl.
We began our search in the spring of 2024. We knew we wanted a female cockapoo because we already have a cockapoo named Rosie and she is the perfect dog! Good size, friendly and has minimal shedding. We also knew that we wanted to rescue a dog but we found out that small fluffy dogs aren’t in the centers for long. I put our information in a few adoption portals and pictures of dogs started popping up. We inquired about a couple only to be told they were already gone.
Then one early morning in June a beautiful female cockapoo was on my page in the next county over. I jumped in the car, drove like crazy and pulled in when the doors were opening at the Delaware County Humane Society and there she was. It was obvious that Lily had never been in a house.
She was afraid of everything, even the gurgling of the coffee pot brewing sent her racing from the room.
By Marlene and Dan Haag
One day our TV was on and a horse appeared and boy did she react! Staring at the screen and wagging her tail like there was no tomorrow. We don’t know much about her previous life but our guess is that she lived in a barn. She loves all animals and all people. She is so happy and secure now and is the gentlest and sweetest girl ever.
DEL TURA MEN’S GOLF
Hello Del Tura Golfers, We have a quick recap of the Men’s 2 Ball Tournament which was held January 29 and 30th. This was a 2 day event and about 100 golfers participated. The first day was a 2 person scramble and day 2 was an alternate shot competition with the total purse of $700. The 9 Hole Division had a 3 way tie. Scot Wyman/Butch Warrens, John Guarrera/Mike Couwenhoven, and Roger Lattimer/Peter DeJoseph. The White Flight 3 winners were Don Williamson and Steve Couwenhoven. White Flight 2 was a tie with winners Ron Peters / Dave Poynter and Steve Baney/Ron Moniz. White Flight 1 winners were Mike Hill and partner Kevin Dowling. The Blue Flight winners were Dan Perkins and Jerry Beiermann. February 12th and 13th was the Member/ Member Tournament. Approximately 118 members played in both the 9 Hole and 18 Hole divisions. I will try and get pictures of these winners for the April Tower.
Also, in February was the ‘Divorce Open‘
By Dan Haag, President
which is a Proshop sponsored event. The Divorce Open is called that because it is an alternate shot game. One partner hits the ball and the other partner has to hit it from wherever it lands!
March has our biggest event of the Men’s Association. The Member/Guest. This is a 3 day event. 1 practice round and 2 days of golf, followed with a luncheon and then dinner by Longhorn Steakhouse.
March also has our most prestigious event, the Del Tura Men’s Club Championship. This is a 3 day event held on March 12th, 13th and 19th.
The general membership/election meeting is March 26th in the Royal Palm room at noon. Please, please remember to keep putting your scores in to maintain your current handicap to play in these events.
If you are not receiving our DTMGA emails please text me and we will get you on the list. Also, as always, if you have any questions please text me at 614-206-9002.
HOA SPAGHETTI DINNER
We want to thank everyone that supported the Sold Out HOA Spaghetti Dinner on Wednesday, February 12th. It was such a nice event, not to mention absolutely delicious! We want to give a special thank you to all of our volunteers that
By Darlene Fincham
helped make this come off without a hitch from Cooks, Decorators, Servers and Clean-up Crew. Also, the HOA would like to send get well wishes to Jeanne Liedel, our lead cook, who was injured the day before.
By Wendy Wells
REFLECTIONS
By Dianne J. Roderick
“Thinking of Spring”
Are we ready for spring? I would bet that the majority of us are nodding and saying, “OH YES!” I can only imagine how happy our northern family and friends are feeling right about now. And rightfully so! Hopefully, they will be blessed with a kind, warm weather spring. We all need the warmth and the abundance of healthy sunshine to boost our morale.
We are so lucky to be where we are! Soon we’ll be outside tending to our gardens and celebrating the season of new life. The trees will be budding and the perennials that we planted last year will be popping through bringing big smiles to our faces.
Well, let’s hope because I have to admit green is not the color of my thumb! I can never understand why… maybe I just overdo the T.L.C.
Oh God! If plants could talk!
Rest assured, plants in my care would be screaming, “Help me, PLEASE!!” And me, very apologetically whispering, “I’m so sorry.”
For some strange reason many of my friends have asked me to tend to their plants when they go away. Of course I say, no problem! They don’t know the extent of my plant history,
although I try to tell them. In addition, they also don’t know that I pray double time and light candles for the survival of those plants. For the most part, my prayers are being heard. I’m betting I have a little additional help from my Dad and Grandma Rose.
I can reassure you from my experiences with gardening that it is definitely not one of my inherited traits. It makes me sad, but I refuse to give up!
My Dad and my grandparents were avid gardeners and I am determined to make them proud! It just takes some of us a bit longer. Maybe it’s just taking a little longer for that part of my DNA to come through… hmm… now that’s really reaching!
In my defense I did inherit a love for planting. I think that inherited trait and patience will guide me through a successful planting season. Let’s hope!
So as we plant and tend to our beautiful gardens this spring season let’s embrace and appreciate the renewal of nature that surrounds us here in Del Tura.
Happy Spring Everyone! ~ Dianne
DEL TURA CONTACT INFO
Choralaires
Coffee Hour - Tues. AM Coordinator
Librarian
Del Tura Repertory Company
Entertainment Committee Chair
Janelle Shallenberger 765-437-2130
Carolee Racer 856-297-1407
Barb Jones 239-543-6922
Jacquie Keen 239-464-5544
Lynn Brenfleck 603-738-1001
Fish Medical Equipment Loans 239-997-3474
Loan CLoset (Cots, Pack-N-Play, High Chairs, etc.)
FISH - Friends in Service Here
FMO Membership
Front Gate Guard
HOA Membership Tech
Denise Rose
Sandy Vassallo 815-222-6466 248-755-1176
Laura Dritt 630-759-1757
Bill Shell 612-209-4674
Barbara Schmoltze 239-731-2523
Cindy Brinton 267-642-6477
HOA Membership HOA Office 239-731-3461
HOA Office 239-731-3461
HOA GROUNDS Committee
Homeowners’ Issues / Grievances
Memorials
Name Tags
Denny Andrews delturagrounds@yahoo.com
Hometown America Office 239-731-3433
Carolee Racer 856-297-1407
Wendy Wells 309-264-9147
Save Our Strays / Feral Cat Information “SOS” Sherry Plisch
Karen Azza
Outdoor Electronic Billboard
Tower - Advertising - BrionPalmer@yahoo.com
Tower - Editor
Tower - Distribution Chairperson
Tower - Distribution Coordinators
Veterans: Bricks 4 Vets
Welcome Committee
239-707-5613 239-220-0563
Cindy Brinton 267-642-6477
Brion Palmer 941-312-0665
Leigh Anne Lawson 740-503-0085
Sue Brown 847-531-3726
Dan Larson Sue Larson 763-360-3193 763-360-3192
Jeff Meehan 651-398-6964
Sherry Cottini 239-770-7711
& Sound Lighting &
SUBMISSION INFORMATION
News Items for “The Tower” – Please email article, flyer, and photos (if any) to: dttoweredit@gmail.com THE HOA WEBSITE – www.deltura-hoa.com
To have events listed on the HOA Website and/or the Electronic sign please email flyer, photos (if any) & text for electronic sign to: Website Content: dttechsvcs@delturahoa.com Electronic Board: dttechsvcs@delturahoa.com
HOA BOARD INFORMATION
Darla Greer, President (2027) 239-470-0851, dgreer.delturahoa@yahoo.com
Margie Hill, Vice President (2027) 863-956-7236, mhill.delturahoa@yahoo.com
Dave Tomaszewski, Secretary (2028) 586-567-9290, justforfun300803@yahoo.com
Darlene Fincham, Treasurer (2026) 609-617-6869, darlene.fincham@gmail.com
It is the HOA’s responsibility to provide transparency to all residents and can easily provide information on HOA sponsored events. Unfortunately, HOA cannot provide any information for events that are not sponsored by HOA, especially financial documentation for the event, specifically how much was raised, what is being done with funds generated, or if
Bill Shell, Director (2026) 612-209-4674, billshelldeltura@gmail.com
Bob Hilton, Director (2027) 732-337-7061, bhiltonhoa@yahoo.com
Dorothy Cook, Director (2026) 614-499-1864, dcook2023@yahoo.com
Candace Starr, Director (2028) 740-341-4128, cstarrdelturahoa@gmail.com
Robin Stranahan, Director (2028) 810-938-0238, robinstranahan354@gmail.com
the appropriate Florida Sales Tax is being paid. In an effort to ensure that residents are informed of which events are HOA sponsored and which are not, all flyers distributed at HOA Tuesday Coffee, on HOA Bulletin Boards and events advertised in the HOA Tower Newspaper should have a notation of “HOA Sponsored” or “This Event is Not Sponsored by HOA”.
HOA OFFICE HOURS
MONDAY 1:00pm - 4:00pm
TUESDAY After Coffee - noon
WEDNESDAY 9:00am - noon
THURSDAY 3:00pm - 5:00pm
FRIDAY 9:00am - noon
SATURDAY & SUNDAY Closed
Should you need assistance contact Ruth Ann Blevins (239) 220-9381
HOA ADDRESS: 609 Sierra Madre 239-731-3461
The Tower Editorial Staff
Editor Leigh Anne Lawson
Staff
Darlene Fincham
Dennis Cottini
HOA Website
Cindy Brinton
Distribution
Chairperson
Sue Brown
Distribution Coordinators
Dan Larson, and Sue Larson
Distribution Group
Mark Donahue, Steve Fincham, Sandy Rolando, Sandy Vassallo, Patty Large, Karen Miller and Sue Larson
And 60+ Delivery Volunteers
HOA Liaison: HOA President
Many thanks to all the volunteer residents who have donated their time to “The Tower”. We are looking for more volunteers. Please Help!
DID YOU KNOW…
If an HOA sponsored committee holds a fundraiser, it is raising funds for that committee only. All proceeds, after expenses, are deposited into that committee’s financial account for that committee’s use. HOA acts as the banker only and can provide all income and expense details.
The Del Tura Phone Book is not compiled by “The Tower”. It is produced by Hometown America. Please contact the HTA office 239-731-3461 (clubhouse office) for errors and omissions.
GENTLE REMINDER
Please be aware that when you hire an unlicensed/uninsured person to do work at your home, you accept the liability.
FISH MEDICAL EQUIPMENT LOANS AND TRANSPORTATION
Anyone Needing to borrow equipment or who needs a ride to an appointment Contact FISH at 239-997-3474.
NAME TAGS
Any resident wishing to purchase a “Name Tag” may do so on Tuesday mornings at coffee, before the start of announcements, or call Wendy @ 309-264-9147. A name tag with magnet backing is $8.00, cash only. Tags are normally available for pickup the following week.
Tower – Advertising
Publisher: Island Visitor Publishing
To advertise in print, contact: Brion Palmer at 941-312-0665 or email us at BrionPalmer@yahoo.com
Contributing writers are acknowledged with bylines accompanying their submissions. Attribution for photos are not included unless supplied. We sincerely thank everyone for their contributions. Your articles help showcase the strong and diverse community that makes up Del Tura.
The Tower is published monthly from October through May. Summer issues are condensed: June/July and August/ September. All ads are subject to the approval of the publisher. It is the responsibility of the party placing any ad for publication in The Tower to meet all applicable legal requirements in connection with the ad such as compliance with town, county and state codes in first obtaining an occupational license for business, permitted home occupation, or residential rental property.
DISCLAIMER: Please be aware that when you hire an unlicensed/uninsured person to do work at your home, you accept the liability. Island Visitor Publishing is not responsible for claims made by advertisers.
THE 2025 DEL TURA HOA BOARD ELECTION RESULTS
On February 8, 2025, the Nomination and Election Committee (Committee) convened in the Jacaranda Room to open and count the ballots cast for the 2025 HOA Board of Directors Elections. Following is a summary of the election results.
A total of 595 members were eligible to vote and received ballots directed to their address on file with the HOA. A total of 303 valid ballots were received. After tallying the votes received, the ranked order of candidates, in order of the most to the least votes received, was as follows: Candace Starr, David Tomaszewski, Robin Stranahan and Leigh Anne Lawson.
The NEC made its report of the election results
to the HOA Board on February 19, 2025. When you see your current and newly elected Board members, and the unelected candidates, please thank them for their service to our community.
A copy of the election results was posted on the HOA Bulletin Board in the Clubhouse and the Tally Sheet has been posted on the HOA web page. Members who kept a record of their control and ballot number visited the HOA web page to verify their votes were correctly recorded.
If you have any questions about the election, please reach out to Ruth Ann Blevins at rblevinshoa11@yahoo.com.
YOUR NOMINATION AND ELECTION COMMITTEE AT WORK!
After months of careful planning, preparation, and hard work, your HOA Nomination and Election Committee convened on February 8, 2025, to count ballots for the annual Board of Directors Elections. As required by the HOA By-Laws, all votes were anonymously cast. The authenticity of ballots and vote count were verified by Committee members Lisa Gabrielcik, Susan Brown, Neil Dorsey, Kathy Grande-Schaub, Bev Backner, Sandi Szadaj and Ruth Ann Blevins. The results of the election were presented to the Board, as scheduled, on February 19, 2025.
In addition to the Committee Members who worked hard to make this election run smoothly and transparently, the Committee
By Ruth Ann Blevins
thanks our Board Liaison Cindy Baron, our HOA Tech Team Chair Cindy Brinton, and our Tower Editor Leigh Anne Lawson. Without their support a successful election would not be possible. We would also wish to thank the HOA office volunteers for their help in collecting and protecting our ballots during the election. Most of all, our Committee wishes to thank the Candidates for stepping up to serve their Community and our members that cast their votes.
If you have any questions about the election, please reach out to Ruth Ann Blevins at rblevinshoa11@yahoo.com or Daniel Cruz at danielleecruz@gmail.com.
WRITER’S WORKSHOP
Our venture into 2025 is proving to be enjoyable so far, and we’re looking forward to meeting Monday, March 10 and Monday, March 24, at 4 pm in the Royal Palm Room.
If you’d like to join us as a new member, please text (607-769-5766) OR email me to let me know you are interested. My email address is ndavy01@gmail.com. You’ll need to provide me with your name, your email address, and your cell phone number.
The following challenge was to take an observation to three different levels.
We’ll begin by choosing a subject to observe. Describe it objectively at first. Next, switch to another level and adopt a mood; not necessarily toward the object itself, but by reflecting how you react to it or how it affects you. Describe your reaction in such a way that your feelings come through without stating them specifically. Finally, I want you to shift into a radically different feeling without stating the feeling and maintain this mood in how you describe the thing itself. Use your lines to reinforce those shifts or smooth them out into a more unified whole. I hope that you’ll enjoy the following two responses:
The Sketchbook by Mary DeJoseph
It looks like any other 8 1/2 by 11 inch pad of paper without lines. Fifty sheets of artist’s paper that will allow me to create in my world. The paper is hardy and sturdy to endure the trials and tribulations of being my sketchbook. The double spiral on the left-hand side keeps my drawings together, but does nothing to stop my wandering mind. I often wondered what I would do if I were left-handed. Would I draw upside-down? The corners are curled up and the finished cover is smudged with pencil lead, charcoal, and pastels. The side of my right hand is the culprit. I’m always misbehaving, even when I draw!
As I walk past my cluttered desk, I notice my sketchbook sticking out at an angle, pleading with me to rescue it from the pile of to-do lists and bills weighing it down. My sketchbook… my friend… talks to me: “Pick me up! Draw your feelings!” Gladly it rescues me from my worries. Instead of trying to
DEL TURA COUNTRY CLUB 2025 ANNUAL PARKING LOT PARTY
3/27/2025 - 5:00 - ??
FREE MUSIC
PROvIDED BY BOB LUSSI
FREE ICE CREAM
PROvIDED BY LCSO (5-7PM)
By Nancy Davy
2 FOOD TRUCKS & POOLSIDE PUB SELLING BURGERS AND hOTDOGS (SELF-PAY)
navigate through all the health issues that we face, where I have little control, I can escape into a world that I get to regulate. My sketchbook is my escape plan. To think a pad of paper and pencil acts as my place of peace is amazing. As I draw, I wait for the “storm” to pass. My mind wanders through my issues and I actually solve many problems. It always astonishes me when that happens. My sketchbooks have saved me many times! As I sketch, my mind wanders into the drawing where I can control the lines and shapes. There is a frustration to get it just right, always aiming for a realistic procession, especially on a familiar face or object that everyone knows. When the drawing is done, I’ve solved a problem and the sketch is finished. Maybe I can multitask!
This escape of drawing on our nightly newspaper began when I was a child. My father and I would doodle on the advertisements as we discussed our day. Many problems were solved sketching while sitting at the kitchen together. It was a peaceful pastime shared that made it special. And I must say; we were pretty good at sprucing up cars, shoes, models, and canned goods! The next night we would start again in another newspaper. We were lucky. We had two papers delivered each day. The Daily Press was delivered in the morning and Dad brought home The Observer Dispatch after work. While we sketched, we would discuss the news articles. I learned so much during our “sketching” time. We analyzed politics, economics, geography, and science. Drawing brought a peaceful, contented feeling. My sketchbook time now is singular, without these discussions. They occur in my mind as I draw. Each day, I look forward to thinking with myself. My sketchbook has become my friend.
The Silver Sticks by Marianne O’Malley I never knew my dad without his crutches. To my eyes, he came with them. Like his black hair and blue eyes, his crutches made him. They were long and silver and always felt cold to me, even in the summer. The top of his sticks had a dingy, dirty, orange crutch pad. My sister told me they were there to prevent armpit injury. When I was older, I would pretend I needed them and hobble around. The crutch pad would dig into my flesh and hurt. I hated the crutches!
My dad never complained. He never cursed, never emoted, never even cried out, after a fall. He was stoic, yet happy, all the time. It was my mother who ranted and raged about HER LIFE being married to a CRIPPLE. But enough about her now. My dad taught himself to drive a stick shift. He would push down on
his paralyzed leg to brake, and lift that same leg up, to drive. I would watch every movement my father made, simply because I was fascinated by him.
Daddy had to work 2 jobs, because college was a must for his children. He would come home from his work in Boston, shovel down whatever my mother made, and flew out to the racetrack, where he worked in the counting room., arriving home after 11:30 each night. Except Sunday. Sunday, was my night to play with his hair, putting barrettes and fancy bows, while he watched Bonanza. His sticks would rest on the living room wall, beside our Grated Windows. We lived in the projects. It was our home, our kingdom and our castle. When Daddy went to work, I would watch him, crutches and braced up, walking the incline to his car. He would stop every 10 feet or so, to tug up his pants, because simply walking with his sticks would tug them down. But I relished the love my heart felt, watching my hero.
Whenever he took me places, he would say, “hold tightly onto my crutch.” And magically my fat little fingers turned that stick into a safety grip. We went to the library, the candy store and the meat market. I was the carrier. Even at 5 years old, I knew my dad relied on my help. I loved it. He drove me to see “a house built on a rock”, the ocean waves and the Franklin Park Zoo. I clearly remember the Elephant House, and still today, cry about the treatment of those poor creatures.
My dad contracted Polio on Friday, July 13, 1945. He went to the hospital & was placed in the Alcoholic Ward for 2 days. After 3 weeks, he was diagnosed with Poliomyelitis. It was 7 years before the epidemic hit and 8 years before my birth. But his disease never dragged him down.
I remember going to a Father-Daughter Day at my school. One of the nuns said out loud in a crowd, “What happened? Fall off a ladder painting your house?” I was 8 and wanted to yell, “We live in a brick project and it’s Polio!” But my dad smiled and said, “something like that.” I asked him later, “why didn’t you tell the truth?” He answered, “I didn’t want to make her sad.”
My dad lived to be 68. The doctors told him he would probably die at 40. But he showed them!
At his funeral I tried to put his sticks, still shiny and cold, into his casket. They wouldn’t fit; too big. I yelled and cried, but my tears only placed them beside the coffin. I finally realized that where he was going, everyone was perfect.
I held onto those crutches for 5 years, until a friend broke his leg and took them. I knew my dad would have been happy.
DEL TURA BLOCK PARTY ON MARCH 22, 2025 FROM 4:00 P.M. TO 7:00 P.M. LOOK TO YOUR LOCAL BLOCK CAPTAIN FOR DETAILS. Any questions please contact Sherri Cottini 239.770.7711
HOA TOWER DELIVERY INFORMATION
By Dan Larson
NOTE: Only HOA members receive The Tower. When can I expect to receive my monthly Tower? The Tower is scheduled to be delivered to the HOA Office or designated location on or before the last Friday of each month. The papers are then divided into routes for the distribution volunteers who strive to deliver your paper to you by the following Monday evening. If you do not receive your paper by that time, please contact the distribution team, see contact information located in The Tower
The Tower Delivery Travel Plans Information Stop/Restart and/or have The Tower Mailed
If you plan to be away and do NOT wish to have The Tower delivered or would like it mailed to alternate address, please complete this form. Mail completed form or turn it into the HOA office at 609 Sierra Madre. This should be completed every year to verify dates. If you don’t know your return date, please email detoweredit@gmail.com when you have a return date available.
If you wish to have The Tower mailed to an alternate address please complete the lower portion of this form.
Name: _________________________________________
Phone #: _______________________________________
Del Tura Street Address: __________________________
Stop Delivery on: ________________________________
Restart Delivery On: _____________________________
To have The Tower mailed, complete form below and include payment for the number of issues you want mailed.
The cost of mailing The Tower is USA $2.50 / Canada $3.70 per issue. June/July and August/September are each one issue.
Mail to Alternate Address: _________________________ City, State, Zip: __________________________________ Months to be mailed: _____________________________
Amount enclosed: _______________________________
(Make checks payable to “Del Tura HOA”)
DEL TURA HEALTH FAIR 2025 WAS
A HUGE SUCCESS!
The Del Tura Health Fair was held on Wednesday January 22nd and despite a cold and rainy day we had over 175 attendees. The Health Fair featured roughly 40 vendors representing a large variety of health topics such as fall prevention, home health, chiropractor, memory loss, funeral planning, massage, chronic disease, pain management, stroke prevention, grief support, addiction services, dental, eye, and skin care. Many positive comments were received about the wide variety of health experts that were available to answer questions and provide resources. The new CERT trailer was also available for touring. Attendees also enjoyed the many free giveaways, snacks, and door prizes such as gift cards to Sam’s, Publix, and local restaurants. Special thanks to Jet Pizza for providing complimentary pizzas for volunteers and vendors for lunch.
This year the health fair offered new educational opportunities for Del Tura residents including a pharmacist from Lee Health offering a 1:1 review of medications plus six workshops that included diabetes management, fall prevention, heart health, depression and anxiety, osteoarthritis/pain, and sleep. Attendees commented on how much
By Linda Shell
they appreciated the expertise of the presenters as well as the educational value of the sessions. Lee Health nurses were also on hand to assess blood pressure and provide feedback on management of both blood pressure and heart health.
It would not go without saying that much of the success of the Health Fair is attributed to the fantastic group of volunteers that work behind the scenes each year to plan, organize and implement all the various elements that make the Fair a success. It demands a lot of time and effort to put together such an accomplishment. Special thanks to all the volunteers!
Del Tura has partnered with Lee Health as an official Partner in Wellness and as result the Health and Wellness Committee will continue to meet to plan, organize and facilitate educational content on a regular basis. If you have interest in joining the Health and Wellness Committee to help promote health and wellness in Del Tura or volunteering to help with next year’s event, please text or call Linda at 651.503.8885 or email linda@lindashell.com. No experience is required! In the meantime, cheers to good health in 2025!
DAILY ACTIVITY SCHEDULE
MOVIE NIGHT
Wendesday March 26th at 7PM Showing in the Starlight Ballroom Featuring SECRETARIAT
A movie about the life of the 1073 Triple Crown Winning horse and his owner, Penny Cheney.
Starring Diane Lane & John Malkovic
ZUMBA/DANCE FITNESS CLASS
By Adele Guthreau
ALL are welcome!!! In our classes we share an hour of fun, dancing/exercising! Zumba and Dance Fitness offer a variety of benefits including: calorie burning, improved cardiovascular health, enhanced coordination, stress reduction, mood boost, muscle toning, increased flexibility, social interaction, and the ability to adapt to different fitness levels, making it accessible to people of all abilities ALL Routines in the three classes offered can be adapted to a level you choose. Classes are held
in the Starlight Ballroom from 9:00 – 10:00AM
• Mondays instructor Pam - Zumba Toning (includes 10 min. weight workout... weights available in class)
• Wednesdays instructor Chris - Zumba
• Fridays instructor Adele - Dance Fitness (includes 10 min. weight workout... weights available in class)
For information regarding the classes contact Adele algdesigns@optonline.net or 973-8658336.
Del Tura Zumba/Dance Fitness Valentine’s Day Class
DEL TURA GARDEN CLUB
By Paula Major
Del Tura Gardeners! Rosemary Eiden is wrapping up her landscape plant class series with a session on Native Trees of Florida. She’s spent the last two years covering perennials and bushes that thrive in Southwest Florida, and now she’s focusing on trees perfect for Zone 10. In this class she’ll cover trees that aren’t messy, produce little to no fruit or nuts, flower beautifully, have no strong odors, aren’t aggressive, are mostly evergreen, and can withstand high winds, which is super important for our hurricane seasons. Florida’s tropical climate is great for trees, but it’s good to know which ones can really hold up!
The class is on March 10 in the Jacaranda Room from 1pm to 2pm. If you want to attend, RSVP to Rosemary by email at rosemary_eiden@comcast.net or text her at 813-220-9269!
THURSDAY NIGHT BINGO
Welcome to March, 2025. Glad to see Winter is over for another year & back to enjoyable, warm weather. Writing this on February 8th. Now that we are into March while you are reading this I want to tell you that our bingo ends here on the last Thursday of this month. Then the regular Summer Bingo will start on Thursday nights in our place until we start back up again in October with the HOA sponsored Bingo.
These past 4 months have gone by pretty fast. Last week we had another great crowd, 106 people that came to play & like I said before, the larger the crowds, the larger the money pots we pay out. So, let’s keep those big crowds coming.
By Jack Blevons
Always enjoy seeing all those friendly faces when they come through our line where we sell all our game papers. Talking about that, we realize that it’s time for us to order some more supplies, game sheets & Daubers that come from Tampa. Will be ordering them this month so we have enough to get us through March, as well as when we start again in October. It takes planning ahead so we never run out of what we need to play every Thursday night. We look forward to seeing you all coming to play the rest of this month. Hope you all are enjoying it as much as we do both running it & playing too. Have a good, enjoyable month of March.
~ Jack & Janet
9 HOLE WOMEN’S GOLF
And, the 2025 CLUB CHAMPION is… You don’t think I am just going to come right out and tell you, do you? I need to give you a little backstory first. On January 29th and 30th, the ladies 9-hole league hosted our Annual Club Championship. Over 30 participants competed in this 2-day, scratch golf event. Women were flighted into 4 groups. We played the South course on Wednesday and West course on Thursday. Golf was followed by a fabulous Tuscan themed luncheon on Thursday and
By Michelle Hamill
then the winners were announced……
• Flight 4: 2nd Place Maryann Light, 1st Place Jan Hoffay
• Flight 3: 2nd Place (tie) Jean Newquist, Marcy Wagner, 1st Place Wendy Shore
• Flight 2: 2nd Place Michelle Hamill, 1st Place Angel Poynter
• Flight 1: 2nd Place Sue Jenkins, 1st Place & 2025 Club Champion, Gail Gulino
SHUFFLEBOARD
By Glenn Tointon
SHUFFLEBOARD STANDINGS GET TIGHTER
Our 18 team Friday Shuffleboard League has just gotten closer! As our newer players have learned strategy, they have started beating those teams above them making the standings much closer. After the first eleven weeks here is the top ten team records:
Glenn and MaryKay : 29-4
Judy and Martha: 26-7
Janet and Kathy: 21-12
Deb and Craig: 21-12
Ken and Darlene: 19-14
Bobbi and Carole: 19-14
Marcella and Kathy: 18-15
Cyndi and Bernie: 18-15
Jeff and Nella: 17-16
Lynn and Bruce: 17-16
We were so blessed to have Cam Smith visit us today. Cam has been fighting some health conditions and will be with us through next week. Cam was one of the best shufflers to ever play shuffleboard for Del Tura and proved that once again as he subbed for us. We wish him happiness and good health through his long fight to get better.
When: March 22, 2025
Registration starts at 8:30 a.m. NO CHARGE
1st Place: Best Dressed
2nd Place: Funniest
3rd Place: Dressed Most Like Mom or Dad
Participation Prizes for ALL Dogs: Doggies Treat Bags
We will be accepting donations of any slightly used dog beds, blankets, towels, leashes or harness for a local dog rescue.
Please contact
Leigh Anne Lawson 740.503.0085 or Dusty Laurie 239.357.4378 if you would like to assist with this event OR for further details.
Time for some financial spring cleaning
Spring is here — which means it’s once again time to wash the windows, organize your cabinets and steam your carpets.
This year, in addition to tidying up around your house, why not also consider some financial spring cleaning?
Here are some suggestions to consider:
• “De-clutter” your investment portfolio. When you embark on your home cleaning mission, you might notice that you have redundancies — three blenders, two vacuum cleaners, and so on. Similarly, you might find duplications in your investment portfolio, perhaps in the form of multiple, near-identical stocks or mutual funds. If so, then it might be worthwhile to consider selling some of these investments and using the proceeds to boost your portfolio in other areas in which you may be lacking.
• Cut back on “overgrown” investments. Now that winter is over and you’re venturing outside more, you may notice some overgrown shrubbery or some tree branches that need pruning. And while it may sound counterintuitive, you might also have some investments that have grown too big for your needs. For example, you might own some growth-oriented investments whose value has increased so much that they now take up a larger percentage of your portfolio — and carry a higher degree of risk — than you originally intended. If that’s the case, you might be better off by selling some of these investments and purchasing others to help bring your investment mix back to its desired alignment.
• Dust off your investment strategy. With more sunlight now pouring in your house, you might notice that the corners of your walls and ceiling may need a good dusting. And as you continually work to strengthen your financial foundation, you may need to dust off your investment strategy, especially if you’ve recently experienced changes in your life, such as a marriage, addition of children, new job, and so on. And as you move closer to retirement, you may also need to adjust your strategy in some ways. For one thing, you might want to adopt a more conservative investment approach in the years immediately preceding your retirement, though you’ll still need to have some growth potential in your portfolio to help keep you ahead of inflation.
• Protect yourself from financial dangers. As you go about your household spring cleaning, you may find actual physical dangers that need to be removed or stored more safely, such as sharp objects or broken tools. And as you navigate daily life, you may also find threats to your financial safety — the need for an expensive home improvement, or a major car repair or an unexpectedly large medical bill. If you don’t have the money available to pay these expenses, you might be forced to dip into your retirement accounts or run up your credit card or take out a high-rate loan. To protect yourself from having to make these moves, you may want to maintain an emergency fund containing several months’ worth of living expenses, with the money kept in a liquid account, separate from those you use for your daily living expenses. Of course, some of these moves can take some time — but by getting started on them soon, you can help put your financial house in better shape by the time the next spring cleaning rolls around. COME JOIN US OR
Josh Wurtsbaugh Financial Advisor
Thank you for supporting us to win the Best of Cape Coral 2024.
CLASSIFIEDS
PROFESSIONAL PAINTINGWITHOUT PROFESSIONAL PRICES! INTERIOR/EXTERIOR, OVER 30 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE, POWER WASHING, HOME MAINTENANCE AND REPAIRS! DEL TURA RESIDENT. CALL JIM SMITH 239-247-1917
LOCKSMITH: DEL TURA RESIDENT AUTO/HOME LOCKOUTS, LOCKS REPAIRED, INSTALLED OR RE-KEYED. DEL TURA RESIDENT. LOUIS RIVET 543-1434
HOUSE CLEANING SERVICE, DEL TURA RESIDENT: RELIABLE, HONEST, & FRIENDLY SERVICE. DEL TURA RESIDENT. CALL KAREN @ 603-543-7457
GIRL FRIDAY – RELIABLE & TRUSTWORTHY. HOUSECLEANING, ETC. DEL RESIDENT. CALL LINDA 239-560-1948.
HANDYMAN - PAINTING, LANDSCAPING, POWERWASHING & REPAIRS. EXPERIENCED RESIDENT. CALL JOHN AT 757-952-9485.
NEED A NOTARY?
CALL BRENDA BLASIE AT 239-543-6104 A DEL TURA RESIDENT,
WE BUY AND SELL OLD COINS, JEWELRY AND COLLECTIBLES OF ALL KINDS. DEL TURA RESIDENTS WILL & KAT ROSSMAN. 989-1757. WWW.ESTATEBUYZ.COM
AVON PRODUCTS SOLD BY DEL TURA RESIDENT. CALL PAT 239-800-5057(HOME) OR 631-838-4323 (CELL)
AIRPORT TRANSPORTATION SERVICE CALL LOU @ 239-543-1434
INDOOR PAINTING – RELIABLE, REASONABLE AND HONEST. NO JOB TOO BIG OR SMALL. DEL TURA RESIDENT. CALL KAREN 518-802-0277
(HOA does not endorse any of the services advertised below)
LANDSCAPING
RELIABLE WITH REASONABLE RATES GUTTERS, ROOF CLEANING, PALMS, POWER WASHING, MAINTENANCE OUTDOOR INSTALL JOBS INCLUDING SOD CALL CHARLES @ 239-440-9148
DON’T LEAVE YOUR HOME
UNPROTECTED AGAINST RODENTS AND INSECTS GET SHIELDED! SHIELD HOME & PEST CONTROL (239) 910-1133 WWW.SHIELDPCS.COM VETERAN OWNED LOCALLY OPERATED ASK ABOUT SPECIAL RATES FOR DEL TURA RESIDENTS
PRESSURE WASHING KEEPING DEL TURA BEAUTIFUL ONE HOUSE AT A TIME. CALL RESIDENT, BOB 954-448-1171
CAREGIVING - Need help for your loved one? Call Resident, Sherry Cottini, 239-770-7711
AIRPORT RIDES/CRUISE PORT PUNTA GORDA & RSW CALL DEBBIE 239-229-3928
AIRPORT TRANSPORTATION SERVICE CALL LOU @ 239-543-1434
AIRPORT RIDES - RSW and PUNTA GORDA CALL JOE POLLOCK 313-530-5461
HOUSECLEANING DEPENDABLE, HONEST, AND FRIENDLY. CALL CAROL ANN 239-244-6526
ANDREWS AND SONS PAINTING PROVIDING RELIABLE AND EXCEPTIONAL INTERIOR/EXTERIOR PAINTING SERVICES SINCE 1988. FAMILY OWNED/OPERATED. LOCATED IN PUNT GORDA. FULLY INSURED. CALL RON (401) 497-9477
TUESDAY NIGHT EUCHRE
By Marcella Carothers
WED. NIGHT PINOCHLE
By Marcella Carothers
MARCH BIRTHDAYS
3/01 Bob Hilton
3/01 Barbara Jerome
3/01 Bill Miller
3/01 Peg Rosamilia
3/01 Pavan Tiziano
3/02 Donna Brown
3/02 Jim Clayton
3/02 Norma Curtis
3/02 Terry Smith
3/03 Neil Dorsey
3/03 Jacquelyn Drew
3/03 Cindy Fiedeke
3/03 William Harris
3/03 Jodee Siriano
3/03 Patricia Storminger
3/03 Christine Tetreault
3/03 Lexie Trott
3/04 Cynthia Baron
3/04 Rita Dowaschinski
3/04 Bill McFerrin
3/04 Anthony Mineo
3/04 Ernie Page
3/04 David Parrick
3/04 Dick Reimer
3/05 Irene Helbock
3/05 Maureen Higgins
3/07 Bonnie Bisignano
3/07 Steve Fiedeke
3/07 Kathy Miller
3/08 Peggy Quinn
3/08 Edward Smith
3/09 Bill Cahill
3/09 Larry Loomis
3/09 Laura Regalbuto
3/09 Barbara Turner
3/10 Debby Dix
3/10 Linda Doll
3/10 Christa Gardner
3/10 Bruce Hirschlein
3/10 Janet Keller 3/10 Jeanne Liedel
3/11 Randy Hughes
3/11 Charles Pixley
3/11 Charles Pixley
3/12 Bill Moehrle
3/12 Anne Thomas
3/13 Mickey Cruz
3/13 Stan Lazarczyk
3/14 Andrea Bennett
3/14 Susan Coffey
3/14 Tony Giannantonio
3/14 Joanne Smith
3/15 Rick Antaya
3/15 James Beggs
3/15 Christine Henches-Moore
3/15 Mark Maaske
3/15 Patti Mannion
3/15 Gwindlin Whalin
3/16 James Ashe
3/16 Jennifer Cusack
3/16 Tony Durand
3/16 Robert Fleury
3/16 Pat Van Fleet
3/17 Nancy Davy
3/17 Jeffrey Kendall
3/17 Donna Schroll
3/18 Jim Bagshaw
3/18 Jim Hooper
3/18 Susan Lanore
3/18 Denise Palazzo
3/18 Don Soper
3/18 Catherine Walp
3/19 Judith Apshaga
3/19 Pam Brady
3/19 Leonard Fleming
3/19 Suzie LaRocco
3/19 Betty Mangeney
3/19 Jan Neeb
3/19 Jacqueline Ritrovato
3/19 Linda Schuetz
3/19 Glenn Tointon
3/19 Timothy Trout
3/20 Allyson Alperin-Rosen
3/20 Michelle Archer
3/20 Linda Dupell
3/21 Tim Fent
3/21 Philip Kurtz
3/21 Ellis McCray
3/21 Mike Newman
3/21 Gregory Stockinger
3/22 Mark Clover
3/22 Patt Glenn
3/22 Bob Lussi
3/22 Margaret Talbot
3/23 Sharon Daniels
3/23 Bruce Farrington
3/23 William Harris
3/23 Donna Lewandoski
3/23 Diane Scialabba
3/24 Judy Brown
3/24 Deborah Murray
3/24 Maria Pizzuto
3/25 Sharon Arnold
3/25 Rudy Brodsky
3/25 Michael Gough
3/25 Doug Trott
3/26 Kevin Zimmerman
3/27 Roselee Arth
3/27 Leigh Anne Lawson
3/28 Susan Brown
3/28 Joyce Frase
3/28 Rita Kidwell
3/28 Roseann Lippard
3/28 Polly MacDonald
3/28 Melissa Wagner
3/29 Michael Dubrosky
3/29 Guy Hansen
3/30 Rita Immoor
3/30 Michael Jacobs
3/30 Russell Pizzuto
3/30 Sue Ellen Slack
3/31 Christopher Newman 3/31 Terry Robinson
MARCH ANNIVERSARIES
3/01/14 Andre Bedard & Donna Rajotte, 11 years
3/01/75 Gerry & Ginnie Benjamins, 50 years
3/02/74 Art & Kathy Hurlburt, 51 years
3/11/95 Frank & Laura Regalbuto, 30 years
3/14/70 Bruce & Suellen Critchlow, 55 years
3/16/90 Al & DJ Lorentz, 35 years
3/17/87 John & Donna Brown, 38 years
3/17/99 Wayne & Carol Campbell, 26 years
3/17/99 Jim & Victoria Divis, 26 years
3/19/20 Vern & Bev Swisher, 5 years
3/20/50 Allen & Jean Bruck, 75 years
3/20/76 Mark & Charlene Maaske, 49 years
MARCH 2025
3/20/99 Bill Pond & Joyce Horne, 26 years
3/21/87 Michael “Pat” & Joyce Henry, 38 years
3/23/13 Rick & Kim Manuel, 12 years
3/23/62 David & Ruth Ann Lugten, 63 years
3/24/04 David & Joyce Lewis, 21 years
3/25/01 Mark & Mary Sandberg, 24 years
3/25/12 Trudi Guernsey & Dave Casson, 13 years
3/26/77 Mark & Helen Clover, 48 years
3/26/78 Mark & Margie Blackwell, 47 years
3/29/12 Daniel & Mickey Cruz, 13 years
3/30/00 Scott & Kathy Larson, 25 years
3/30/85 Eric & Margaret Ellmann, 40 years
SUNNY DAYS ICE CREAM
Sunny Days Ice Cream Truck Schedule From 3pm -until sold out. ● 3/23/2025 ● 4/27/2025
Recycling 6AM (Addresses 4000-6110) Horticulture Pickup 6AM
6AM (Addresses 1-3999)
Recycling 6AM (Addresses 4000-6110) Horticulture Pickup 6AM
6AM (Addresses 1-3999)
(Addresses 1-3999)
Recycling 6AM (Addresses 4000-6110) Horticulture Pickup 6AM
Recycling 6AM (Addresses 4000-6110) Horticulture Pickup 6AM