Milestone Newsletter February 2013

newsletter February 2013

Stop! Don’t Chop Crepe Myrtles!

Milestone Home Owners Association FEBRAUARY S M T W T F 1 3 4 5 6 7 8 10 11 12 13 14 15 17 18 19 20 21 22 24 25 26 27 28

MARCH S M T W T F 1 3 4 5 6 7 8 10 11 12 13 14 15 17 18 19 20 21 22 24 25 26 27 28 29 31

Activity/Event

S 2 9 16 23 S 2 9 16 23 30

Board of Directors Meeting March 18, 7:00 p.m.

Milestone Baptist Church 3800 Pine Forest Road

Activities:

Contact: Hanna Flannigan 471-1230 hannaflannigan@yahoo.com or Debbie Wales 476-1010 ddwales@cox.net.

Reservations:

To Reserve Milestone Neighborhood Parks (gazebo park, tot park, or ballpark) Contact: David Anderson 478-5208

Visit: milestone.myHomeSpot.com

Just because your neighbors butcher their crepe myrtles doesn’t mean you should too.

Here’s how to fix past mistakes and prune them right.

Each Saturday morning after football season ends, legions of bored men armed with saws and loppers emerge from their garages to commit “crepe murder.” They needlessly reduce majestic crepe myrtles to ugly stumps—in many cases, ruining them forever.

Lofty Goals

The objectives of pruning a crepe myrtle are to maintain its natural sculptural form, produce strong branches that hold flowers upright, and open up its center to reveal the smooth, multi-toned bark that forms on mature trunks and branches.

Cutting it back to thick stubs each year makes these goals impossible. A graceful tree quickly becomes a fencepost or hat rack. Pretty bark never appears.

Each beheaded trunk grows a Medusalike tangle of spindly whips too weak to hold up flowers.

Cutting big crepe myrtles into “fenceposts” produces wild, weak growth and ruins their form. The only penance for this crime? Cut them back to the ground in winter.

Continued on page 2

Please send your comments, suggestions, and any contributions that you would like to share about Milestone. I would love to hear from you. (david@davidlanderson.com)

Milestone Neighborhood Watch Volunteers Needed!

Contact Jim Kittrell 475-5991

Please visit and share: http://www.facebook.com/ pages/Milestone-Home-Owners-Community-Update/ 222717924438262 MILESTONE is on Facebook

Glenn Dorsey, CAM * 429 South Navy Blvd. * Pensacola, FL 32507-3369 * Office:(850) 453-5555 * Fax:(866) 210-8638

Milestone Editor

The Milestone Newsletter is edited by David L. Anderson.

Your comments, suggestions, contributions, and small articles are always welcome.

Please submit by email to david@davidlanderson.com Phone: 478-5208

Committee Chairpersons

Finance Mark Brown 291-2698 skipperbrown@yahoo.com TBA

Activities Hanna Flannigan 471-1230 bill_flannigan@juno.com TBA, 7 p.m., Sabal House

Covenants Rules & Regulations (CR&R) Annette Pugh 255-5146 apugh2055@aol.com refer to MyHomeSpot.com

Architectural Control Board (ACB) Hoyt Hinson 850-473-9888

Architectural requests, by policy, are to be directed to My Home Spot (phone/email) for date documentation, and ACB/BOD notification.

Reserving Milestone Parks – Remember, you must be a Milestone homeowner to reserve a park.

Also, we will need your information, the purpose for use, the on-site responsible person, and time frame of use. Please leave the park as good as, if not better, than you found it. Also, please help with the care of our park's structures and equipment by not allowing inappropriate use.

Visit: milestone.myHomeSpot.com -- Glenn Dorsey, CAM * 429 South Navy Blvd. * Pensacola, FL 325073369 * Office:(850) 453-5555 * Fax:(866) 210-8638

Crepe Myrtles Continued from page 1

The Right Way To Prune

For a beautiful plant, follow these guidelines: • Prune in late winter. February is ideal.

• Remove suckers at the base, crossing or rubbing branches, and branches growing inward toward the center of the plant.

• As the tree grows, gradually remove all side branches from the main trunks up to a height of 5 feet or so.

• Cut back to another branch, to just above an outward-facing bud on a branch, or to the branch collar (a swollen area where the branch joins the trunk). Never leave lone or clustered stubs.

• Try to remove unwanted branches before they get thicker than a pencil.

• It’s okay but unnecessary to cut off old seedheads

Restoring a Butchered Plant

If you’ve beheaded a big crepe myrtle to within a few feet of the ground (see photo below right), there’s only one solution. Punish yourself severely by watching Nancy Grace on TV, and then cut the sorry plant completely to the ground. It will grow back very quickly. The next winter, select three to five well-spaced trunks, and cut off any others at ground level. Follow the instructions from “The Right Way To Prune” above, and you’ll have an attractive tree within five years.

• But maybe your sin wasn’t so acute.

You’ve only rounded off, or “hat-racked,” your crepe myrtle, cutting back all of its main branches to about the same height.

In this case, follow our four-step process to get beautiful plants.

• Finally, a word to you ladies. The minute football season ends next year, treat the man of the house to a tractor pull, a paintball tournament, or a game of X-treme welding. Don’t let him near the saws and loppers.

Milestone Home Owners Association Contacts

Board of Directors President Baron Smith 850-384-3382 skathog@gmail.com Vice President David Anderson 850-478-5208 david@davidlanderson.com Treasurer Mark Brown 850-291-2698 skipperbrown@yahoo.com Secretary Annette Pugh 850-255-5146 apugh2055@aol.com Director Bill Flannigan 850-471-1230 bill_flannigan@juno.com Director Lisa Roberts 850-484-4913 lisaroberts700@yahoo.com Director Marcie Morris 850-475-8400 marcie_morris@yahoo.com

We love animals as much as you do!

$20 off first time clients

Follow us on Facebook

550 West Nine Mile Road Pensacola Within 1.5 miles of Milestone!

850-477-2194

Make an appointment online at www.pinemeadowvetclinic.com

Manager Glenn Dorsey 850-453-5555 glenn@myhomespot.com Neighborhood Watch Jim Kittrell 850-475-5991 mswatch@cox.net

Gazebo and Playground Scheduling David Anderson 478-5208 Randy Honcik 725-7119, 321-303-3193

Excuses for Crepe Murder

Excuse: My neighbors all do it.

Rebuttal: So if the neighbors start keeping Nile crocodiles in their pools, you’ll be on the next plane to Africa?

Excuse: The landscapers do it every winter.

Rebuttal: They do it only because they need a paycheck.

Excuse: The dang thing gets too big.

Rebuttal: You planted the wrong crepe myrtle. Selections such as ‘Victor,’ ‘Acoma,’ ‘Hopi,’ ‘Tonto,’ ‘Zuni,’ and the Petite Series grow to 12 feet tall or less.

“Stop! Don’t Chop!” is from the February 2007 issue of Southern Living.

Humor: To make you smile and share one!

A Good Lesson in Financial Planning

Dan was a single guy living at home with his father and working in the family business. When he found out he was going to inherit a fortune when his sickly father died, he decided he needed a wife with which to share his fortune. One evening at an investment meeting he spotted the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Her natural beauty took his breath away. ‘I may look like just an ordinary man,’ he said to her, ‘but in just a few years, my father will die, and I’ll inherit $65 million.’

Impressed, the woman obtained his business card. Three days later, she became his stepmother.

Women are so much better at financial planning than men.

HOA BOD Meeting 1/21/13

• Accounting report on financials

• Still have outstanding HOA Dues (please get these paid) • Working on pricing and selection to have reserve study done

• Architectural Control Board - nothing outstanding

• Activities: Spring Easter Festival, Garage Sale (dates TBD) • Cost study to be done to consider putting in a water well for the playground area sprinklers • Working on fence cleaning where it has mold or is getting dirty • Working on pricing and bids for painting parking stripes on roads by Gazebo and Playground Park

Milestone Neighborhood Watch Volunteers Needed!

Block Captains The Cottages Jasper St. Sweetbriar St.

Garden Homes Easton St. Ted Knight 723-2594 Littleton St. Linda Turberville 572-7310 The Bungalows Culpeper St. Newport St Milestone Blvd.

Jennifer Wilson 477-6255

The Paddocks 9 1/2 Mile Rd. Stefani Rd. DeWayne Musick 471-0822

Milestone Interior Bardstown St. Vicki Kittrell 475-5991

Rockland St. Gloria Deniz 494-2420

Lander St. Tracy Johnson 484-9849

Whitman & Whitman Insurance-Bonds

Milestone • Home Resident • Business • Auto • Life & Health

Insuring you, that’s what we do – since 1981.

We treat you like family, give you peace of mind, put you at ease.

850-477-8060

2032-A Creighton Road, Pensacola www.whitmanandwhitman.com

Milestone Blvd.

Hollis Hobbs 477-4161

Mayberry St. Christine Francis 476-1776 Mt. Airy St. Duck Milam 478-9013

Newberry St. Kathie White 479-1817

Mt. Pilot St. Annette Pugh 474-1080 Danville St. Cheryl Gilg 478-1249

Numbers of Interest

Animal Control 595-3075 County Commissioners 595-4902 Crime Stoppers 433-7867 Sheriff 436-9630 Solicitation 436-9620 Speeding & Abandon Cars 436-9350 Street Lights Out 969-3111 Parking Enforcement 436-9350 Non-Emergency Law Enforcement Issues (Sheriff's Office Communications) 436-9620

News & Notes

Change request to the Milestone Covenants Milestone Board Members are still knocking on doors to acquire signatures needed for approval to bring the ACB into the governance of your elected Board. So, be on the look out for a neighbor knocking on your door. Just a heads up so you don’t think it is a solicitor.

Requirement for the Change Our bylaws state that two-thirds (66.67%) of membership is required to approve such a change to the Milestone Covenants. We believe this change is in the best interest of an owner driven community that has a say in its leadership.

Classifieds

Honey – from Gary our mailman You can leave a note in your mailbox or call me (Gary) at 572-7410.

Jennifer Kelly Flooring, LLC Flooring Installation of all types of floors. FREE Estimates! No job too small.

Call Kailen Kelly 850-324-3939

Businesses

Milestone Aquatic Club Zumba Classes – YES, Zumba classes are a new program every Thursday @ 4:30 p.m.

429 South Navy Blvd.

Pensacola, FL 32507-3369

milestone.myHomeSpot.com

Pool parties – (great for birthdays) you can schedule any Saturday afternoon or Sunday afternoon. The water temperature is 86 degrees and we are indoors. Call 479-8311 to schedule your pool party.

Stampin' Up & More – Crafts, Cards, Invitations, Scrapbooks by Shellie Cruz Our neighbor, Shellie Cruz (1370 Jasper St.) makes cards, scrapbooks, invitations, gift sets & other items for people.

She wanted to get the word out.

Check out Shellie on the web. www.shelliecruz.stampinup.net www.shelliescreations. blogspot.com

Certified Public Accountant (CPA) – Tina Patterson-Reece Our neighbor, Tina PattersonReece is a CPA @ Yeagle & Patterson-Reece. Call Tina at 850-497-6090. email: treece@m-ycpa.com

Independent Travel Counselor – Betty DeVito – AAA Travel Specializes in cruises, tours, Alaska, Hawaii, and all-inclusive packages.

Our neighbor, Betty DeVito has 29 years in the travel industry.

Call Betty at 850-346-1147 or email: betty-aaatravel@cox.net

Your businesses could be in this Classifieds area ... email me to post an ad!

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