July 2016
MEET YOUR NEIGHBORS, THE BIVONA FAMILY
A publication of Quantum Marketing Communications, LLC
Photo by Amanda Yachmetz
Trustco Bank Mortgages TRUSTCO BANK Your Home Town Bank R
EQUAL HOUSING
LENDER
www.TrustcoBank.com
Low Closing Costs No Borrower Paid PMI* No Points, No Broker Fees Friendly, Local Service
*PMI - Private Mortgage Insurance. Lender paid Private Mortgage Insurance on loans over 89.5% Loan-to-Value. Please note: We reserve the right to alter or withdraw these products or certain features thereof without prior notification.
I am excited to announce the Freedom Sales Event. Thank you.
Bobby Kisselback
0
%
- PLUS-
$1,000 FORD
$ SMARTBONUS™ CASH ON SPECIALLY
FORD CREDIT APR
TAGGED VEHICLES*
* $1,000 Ford Smart Bonus Cash. Not all buyers will qualify for Ford Credit limited-term financing. Ford SmartBonus Cash vehicle supply is limited. See dealer for availability. Not available on Focus ST, Focus Electric, Fusion Hybrid and Fusion Energi. For all offers, take new retail delivery from dealer stock by 8/1/16. See dealer for qualifications and complete details.
“The Works” $29.95
plus tax
Oil Change and Tire Rotation
407-892-2141 • KISSELBACKFORD.COM 1118 13TH STREET • ST.CLOUD, FL 34769
Most Makes and Models Gas Engines Only Diesel Discounts Also Available
FROM THE PUBLISHER WELCOME TO JULY 2016! Recently, a resident had work done to her house. She is renting so the owner contracted with a company to do the work. One of the “Employees” stole several pieces of Jewelry. The work done was emergency in nature and due to her request I am keeping the story vague. Turns out the “employee” had a criminal background. The owner of the house does not use a property manager and googled the company that did the work. The reason I illustrate this story is the advertisers in the magazine are vetted by my family or me. Anyone can have a bad worker, but I do my best to only allow ethical businesses to participate and most have trusted, long-term employees. There are a few companies that are no longer in the magazine simply because of complaints I’ve received and their non-ability or desire to resolve the issues. In other words, I advocate for the residents with my advertisers. By doing business with the advertisers in the magazine you are not only supporting them, but getting a level of support not afforded by going it alone. See you in August! Bill Bokunic
PUBLISHER & CEO Bill Bokunic Quantum Marketing Communications, LLC 321.331.6398 Bill@QMCWorld.com www.QMCWorld.com Eagle Creek Life
Contact Info for Residents EMERGENCY Emergency ONLY: 911 Utilities Emergency: 407-836-2777
GOVERNMENT Orange County:
www.ocfl.net
OC Public Schools: 407-858-3200 Sheriff: Non-Emergency# 407-254-7000
UTILITIES OC Utilities:
407-836-5515
BrightHouse: Phone/Internet 877-892-3279 OUC Electric:
407-957-7373
Waste: Large Item Collection: 407-836-6601 www.ocfl/GreenClean2016 solid.waste@ocfl.net O.C. Public Works:
8/31/16
8/31/16
407-836-3111
8/31/16
July 2016 | The Creek Life Magazine 1
MEET YOUR NEIGHBORS: THE BIVONA FAMILY their favorite dish, be it nibble food, salads, meat, desserts, so there was lots of food. The Distels would set up Canopies in the driveway...people brought chairs too, and we had the best social event of the year. When it got dark, Grant Distel would set off fantastic fireworks with the help of his firefighter friends, and the fireworks lasted about an hour. Everyone had a fantastic time and it was a great way to meet all of the neighbors in this area of Eagle Creek. Grant and Angela Distel were excellent hosts.
WHAT IS… Your name: Joe Bivona, retired from AT&T where I developed & maintained computer systems. Your spouse’s name: Beth Bivona, retired legal assistant. Your children’s names: Robin Bivona-Rocco, a special education teacher and Christopher Bivona, police officer. Your grandchildren’s names: Anthony Cortese, a high-school student, and Nick Cortese, a middleschool student— both sons of Robin. Your pets’ name: Nate and Bitsy (dogs), Gina, Lilly and Kit (cats), Penny and Maddie (parrotlets– birds). When did you move to Eagle Creek (EC)? I moved here in January 2012, right after I retired at the end of December 2011. Beth moved here in October 2011, after we sold our home in Port Chester, NY. What street do you live on? Prestbury Drive. What do you love most about EC? Friendly neighbors, how quiet the neighborhood is, and we love our Mediterranean-style home. What are your kids’ favorite things about EC? Christopher loves coming to visit (both of our children and our grandchildren live in Rye Brook, NY) because he loves playing golf, so he usually comes during the winter. Robin, her husband and her boys come in the summer because the boys love playing in the pool and visiting the various entertainment spots around Orlando. Where did you move from? Port Chester, NY, which is on Long Island Sound, on the border of Greenwich, CT. What do you miss most? We miss our kids and grandkids. What is a good story about EC? Our neighbors, who have since moved to Texas, had great 4th of July parties every year. Everyone on Prestbury Drive and Kelsall got an invitation. Everyone brought 2 The Creek Life Magazine | July 2016
What is unusual or unique about EC, in comparison to your previous home? We have never lived in a gated community. In NY where we lived, it was a 2 sq. mile village with older homes and we lived on a very busy street. Here, we not only have the guard gate, but also Prestbury Drive is gated as well. It is great for kids who play in the street and at night it is so quiet you can hear a pin drop on the carpeting! What is your favorite weekend activity? We are retired, so we are on a constant weekend. But one of our favorite things to do is having brunch at Nona Blue on Sunday and watching the various sports on all of their televisions. After that we go to Menchies for frozen yogurt. Is there a neighbor experience you are most proud of? When Beth first moved here with all of our pets, she accidentally locked herself out of the house without her cell phone. That is how she got to meet the Distel family. It was a Sunday afternoon and she knocked on their door and explain what had happened. Grant and Angela were so friendly and helpful. Grant called a locksmith and he waited with my wife until the locksmith came to the house and unlocked the door. He didn’t leave until the locksmith left. You can’t want better neighbors than that! Are there any recommendations for other neighbors? Just to get out there and meet all of your neighbors. Don’t be afraid to say hello and start up a conversation. Do you do any charity or non-profit work? My wife used to do volunteer work at two local animal shelters in New York and also volunteered at her daughter’s grade school, reading to the children in her class, teaching some of her Spanish-speaking kids the English version of the sounds of the alphabet, and cataloging books in the school library. We’ve been busy with projects around our new house and spending time with my sister in Village Walk so we haven’t had any time for volunteer work as of yet.
What do you do for fun? Both my wife and I are avid readers and movie watchers. And with all the pets we have, we devote a lot of time to them. We recently lost our French Bulldog, Mimi, who passed away at the age of 9 unexpectedly. It has drastically changed the dynamics in our household, not only with our other 2 dogs but also with our cat, Kitt, who considered Mimi her dog-mother. They were very close and would even groom each other. Otherwise, we get together with my sister and we also go shopping at various malls and visit various places here in Orlando. What is the last movie that you have seen in the theatre? We are not big theatre buffs. Who is your role model and why? My role models were my parents. They were hard working people with love of family and good teachers of right and wrong. What is your favorite TV Show? I don’t have a favorite show but I am a big football fan. Can’t wait for the season to start! I thoroughly enjoy Sundays, watching football from 1:00 p.m. through the last game of the evening. And yes, my wife also watches the games as well. What else should we know about you or your family? My wife and I met at work. We both worked for the Bank of New York (now Chase Bank). I was in their Operations Department and Beth was in their Trust Department. We lived in Greenwich, CT for the first 2 years of marriage and then moved to Port Chester when we bought our first house where we lived for 38 years before moving here to Eagle Creek. We have been married for 46 years and raised 2 great children who we couldn’t be more proud of. The oldest grandson, Anthony, is a talented musician, playing at least 6 instruments if not more! When he was in middle school, he played sax in the middle school band and the music teacher for the high school band was so impressed that he had Anthony play the sax in the high school marching band as well. The Port Chester High School Band plays in competitions, has won many competitions and has even marched in the Rose Bowl Parade. We love watching the competitions via video recordings. If anything will keep you young, it is watching your grandchildren grow and enjoying the excitement they show for all the new things they experience in life.
July 2016 | The Creek Life Magazine 3
4 The Creek Life Magazine | July 2016
THE TRUTH AND LIES BEHIND TIMESHARES AND TAXES By Jason Flowers MBA, CFA, EA, CPA
Interest expense on the purchase of my timeshare is tax deductible… sometimes… Mortgage interest on your timeshare is potentially deductible as an itemized deduction on Schedule A. You are permitted to deduct mortgage interest on a second home, a home other than your primary home. Thus, if you own multiple timeshares you might be limited to deducting mortgage interest on one of the timeshare properties alone. It might be possible to argue that ownership of multiple weeks at one timeshare residence represents one “second home” and that the mortgage interest on these multiple timeshares can be aggregated. However, aggregating mortgage interest in multiple timeshares across multiple properties is unlikely to be allowed. One potential way to make the mortgage interest on multiple timeshares deductible is to pay off the mortgages on these timeshares with a home equity line of credit on your primary home. The interest on the home equity debt would be deductible subject to certain limits. Donating my ownership week in a timeshare is deductible… Sadly, you are afforded no tax deduction for donating your week of the timeshare to charity. So enjoy the silent auction and dinner and the warm, fuzzy feeling that you helped raise money for your favorite local charity, but do not expect a tax break when filing your return.
Donating my ownership in a timeshare is deductible… True. You will need a current appraisal if the timeshare is worth more than $5,000. Insurance appraisals are not permitted and you will have to pay for the appraisal directly, i.e. the charity cannot pay for one. Your tax deduction from the donation will be limited to the Fair Market Value as of the date of the donation based on the appraisal. All rental expenses are deductible against rental income if I rent my timeshare… Maintenance fees, property taxes, rental commissions, advertising costs, and even depreciation are deductible against rental income from renting out your timeshare. However, losses incurred in a given year are effectively limited to rental income. Expenses that create a loss create a passive activity loss that may only offset other passive activity income. Fortunately, unused losses may be carried forward to more profitable rental periods.
Timeshare offer unique tax issues. To explore these further please reach out to Herring CPA and Consultants at 407-647-7777. Visit us at www.herringcpa.com
July 2016 | The Creek Life Magazine 5
6 The Creek Life Magazine | July 2016
SO WHAT EXACTLY IS S.T.E.A.M.? By Dr. Mia Young
Many children enroll in preschool already knowing their ABCs, 123s, shapes and colors. While this knowledge is very relevant for little ones, it draws only on what is called rote learning. This type of learning is acquired through ongoing practice, requires correct answers, and relies heavily on memorization rather than the search for understanding. Bright Scholars recognizes the importance of both academic learning through direct instruction and intellectual learning (learning that requires critical thinking and reasoning). As a result we incorporate S.T.E.A.M. into our curriculum to address both academic and intellectual learning. S.T.E.A.M., a simple acronym representing science, technology, engineering, art and math, offers deliberate opportunities for children to investigate an idea in a variety of activities. We introduce S.T.E.A.M. with our Gifted Toddlers (age 2) to promote critical thinking and problem solving skills. Young children are natural explorers, so why not tap into their curiosity in a positive manner? Our S.T.E.A.M. lessons allow students to “learn by doing.” Each S.T.E.A.M. lesson begins with literature. Children enjoy stories about apples,
cars, or boats. Stories are then brought to life as children work in small groups with teacher guidance to explore the topics in depth. A sample S.T.E.A.M. lesson would include reading a book about boats as a precursor to building boats to learn about buoyancy. They then test their boats to see if they will float across Tupperware-made streams. The entire lesson uses the Scientific Method, but rather than asking children to make a hypothesis, we encourage them to make predictions.
To effectively implement S.T.E.A.M. with fun and excitement, our teachers engage students in “What” questions rather than “Why” questions. Why questions imply that there is only one right answer and sometimes are difficult to answer. “What” questions are great for observations and discovery. Sample “What” questions include: What do you see happening? What do you notice about ____? What is the difference between ____ and ____ ?
We utilize a plethora of resources to aid teachers in selecting S.T.E.A.M. lessons that are just right for their students. Such resources include: Teaching S.T.E.A.M. in the Early Years by Sally Moomaw, Year Round Project-Based Activities for S.T.E.A.M. by Kathryn Kurowski, and Blaze and the Monster Machines activities created by Nickelodeon and Young Minds Inspired. Each of these resources offers a variety of age-appropriate lessons with step-by-step teacher directions to lead children from questions, to predictions, to testing their predictions, to finding answers to their questions and then asking even more questions!
At Bright Scholars, our Blended Learning model uses a perfect blend of direct instruction combined with play-based/center learning, and intellectual learning. By using a variety of learning philosophies, we ensure that we tap into each child’s preferred learning style. Each type of learning is equally important and we seamlessly combine all of them rather than leaning towards just one approach. To learn more about our wonderful educational programs, please give us a call at Bright Scholars Early Learning Academy. We are always ready and willing to speak with you. 407-770-7357 www.MyBrightScholar.com
July 2016 | The Creek Life Magazine 7
$1 Per Minute Dawn Piper Massage 407.692.4971
1350 Tennessee Ave St Cloud Dawn Piper, LMT MA34696
8 The Creek Life Magazine | July 2016
WHY I KEEP AN OLDER CAR By Vasanti Rosado, NonaMom.com
I love new gadgets and truth be told, I would love to have a new shiny car that suited 100% of my needs and gave me all the bells and whistles we could afford. However, I keep my 10-year old small SUV because it works well for us 95% of the time and it’s still running great. It just flipped over to 90,000 miles which makes it a desirable vehicle for resale as it’s had a fairly easy life. Here are my main reasons for keeping it: NO CAR PAYMENT! This can’t be beat. Having a few hundred around to save and allocate to other things has been great. The bonus is, I’ll have a larger down payment to put towards a new car when the time comes. SAFETY IS INTACT The car is safe and has all the safety features we need, like airbags and tethering for the car seats. IT’S STILL CLEAN! Since I’ve never allowed more than water or food that doesn’t break down into crumbs, the interior is
still in excellent condition. There wouldn’t be a real upgrade in that department. IT FITS OUR FAMILY With the large car seats, our 5-seater became a 4-seater. It’d be nice to fit 1-2 more people, but since we rarely run into that issue, it still suits us just fine. MAINTENANCE HAS NOT BEEN AN ISSUE Once this tips the scale into equaling more than what a new car payment would be, it’ll be time to look at new cars. For now, I’m happy with my average of $600 a year to maintain it. I DON’T HAVE TO DEAL WITH CAR SALES PEOPLE The entire buying process exhausts me. I think they intentionally try to wear you down until you buy something. For our purchase in 2014, we had a very painless process at a great dealership, but I think it may have been due to my approach to negotiating. I also leaned on the fact that I was pregnant with a toddler in tow and would walk out if I felt any
pressure or nonsense bartering. I’d be prepared to walk into another one, but even the research to find the dealership, right car, pricing, etc. was exhausting. It’s enough of a hassle that behind not having a car payment, it’s the biggest reason I don’t even look at new cars. I must admit there is a part of me holding onto the car because of sentimental value. I drove it off the lot with only 7 miles and have taken great care of it for the better part of the 10 years. Admittedly, I’ve been slacking on keeping its exterior clean for a while now. And, it’s been nice knowing I don’t have to worry about any scratches or dings in the interior too. It’s fun having a new car, but I’m ok with waiting. For now, I’m into making our house a home and putting in all that effort into interior design. Fingers crossed that when the time comes to replace my little SUV, I’ll have enough saved to get all the bells and whistles because who knows how long I’ll keep that car! Hop on to the Nona Mom Facebook page and share with me how long you keep a car and why.
July 2016 | The Creek Life Magazine 9
10 The Creek Life Magazine | July 2016
BACON, RANCH, AND DILL GRILLED CORN ON THE COB Fire up the grill and dress up your corn on the cob! Learn how to make my easy recipe for Bacon, Ranch, and Dill Grilled Corn on the Cob. I promise you’ll never eat corn any other way again. By Katie Jasiewicz, KatiesCucina.com
Yield: 5 Prep Time: 5 minutes Cook Time: 20 minutes Total Time: 25 minutes
INGREDIENTS: 4 slices center-cut bacon
1/4 cup ranch dressing
5 ears of corn
1 tablespoon fresh dill, minced
Salt and pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS: 1. Preheat grill to high heat (around 400 degrees Fahrenheit). 2. Cook bacon in a skillet until crispy, about 5 minutes, flipping once. Remove the pan from the heat, and place bacon on a paper towel to drain. 3. Shuck and clean corn on the cob. Carefully roll each ear of corn in the bacon fat. 4. Lower the grill burners to medium-low. Place corn on the grill. Cook for 15 minutes, rotating every 5 minutes. 5. Remove the corn from the grill. Drizzle ranch dressing on top, sprinkle minced dill, and crumble bacon over the ears of corn. Serve immediately.
July 2016 | The Creek Life Magazine 11
QUICK REFERENCE DIRECTORY ACCOUNTANTS Larry Herring CPA, PA 611 N. Wymore Rd. Winter Park, FL 32789 407-647-7777 HerringCPA.com ADVERTISING & MAGAZINES Harmony and Eagle Creek Life Magazines Bill Bokunic 321-331-6398 Bill@QMWWorld.com QMCWorld.com AIR-CONDITION SERVICES Action Air & Electric 407-892-7616 ActionAirAC.com BANK Trustco Bank 1525 E. Osceola Pkwy. 407-932-0398 CARS & TRUCKS Kisselback Ford 1118 13th St., Saint Cloud 407-892-2141 KisselbackFord.com CHURCH Life Church 10:10am Sundays at Narcoossee Middle School LifeChurchCFL.com COMPUTER REPAIR I Repair PCS Efrain Rodriguez 773-865-2697 IRepairPCS.net efraincfd@gmail.com DJ SERVICES HPE House Party Entertainment 407-738-3409 GARAGE DOORS & OPENERS D.S.I. Sales / Service / Repairs 407-970-5847 dsigaragedoor@yahoo.com DSIGarageDoorAndOpener.com GRAPHIC & WEB DESIGN Blair Creative Group, Inc. Renée Blair 321-972-3669 BlairCG.com Energy Graphics Shannon Danford 407-267-6300 Energy-Graphics.com GYM Anytime Fitness 3380 Canoe Creek Rd. Saint Cloud, Florida 34772 407-891-9111 www.AnytimeFitness.com
12 The Creek Life Magazine | July 2016
HANDYMAN The Good News Handyman Rick Wade 407-468-1352 HAIR Victor Russell Salon *Harmony Resident* 105 East 13th Street Saint Cloud, FL 407-892-1005 VictorRussell.com HOSPITAL Health First-Holmes Regional Health Care 1350 South Hickory St. Melbourne, FL 32901 321-434-7000 HOUSE CLEANING College Girl Cleaning Service 407-879-7763 Catherine@ CollegeGirlCleaningService.com CollegeGirlCleaningService.com INSURANCE Farm Bureau Michael Long 407-847-5189 FloridaFarmBureau.com Kocher Insurance, LLC 1312 Illinois Ave., Suite H Saint Cloud, FL 37769 407-957-1918 KocherInsurance.com LAWN CARE Triple Palm Lawns 407-957-3489 Triplepalmlawn@aim.com MORTGAGE Trustco Bank Sarah Near - Branch Manager Rebeca Escote - Assistant Branch Manager Gateway Commons 1525 E Osceola Pkwy., Ste.120 Kissimmee, FL 34744 407-932-0398 MOVIE THEATERS Cinema World East of 95 on 192 next to Sam’s Club Melbourne, FL CWTheaters.com MUSIC LESSONS Music in Harmony Piano Lessons and Vocal Coaching by Dawn Korzen 7130 Indiangrass Harmony, FL 34773 MusicInHarmony2013@gmail.com
407-301-4561 for interview PEST CONTROL Luv-A-Lawn & Pest Control 407-908-9139
PET GROOMING 5 Star Pet Grooming 1537 E. Irlo Bronson Memorial Hwy., Saint Cloud One 1/2 mile West of Narcoossee on 192 407-593-6911 PHOTOGRAPHER Amanda Yachmetz Photography 813-842-6473 AmandaYachmetzPhotography.com
PRINTERS Creative Printing Services 1115 Pennsylvania Ave. Saint Cloud, FL 34769 407-891-9797 POOL TABLES Florida Game Rooms 9350 S. Orange Blossom Tr. #12 407-859-4400 MyFloridaGameRooms.com REAL ESTATE The Corcoran Connection, LLC Jeanine Corcoran, Owner/Broker Selling/Buying/Renting/ Property Management; Now serving International clients with Portuguese/Brazilian- and Spanish-speaking team members
407-922-3308 JeanineCorcoran@gmail.com TheCorcoranConnection.com RESTAURANTS Stone Bridge Tavern The Royal Crest Room 5530 Michigan Ave. Saint Cloud, FL 34772 407-891-0903 StoneBridgeTavernAndGrill.com SCHOOLS Bright Scholars Early Learning Academy 2580 N. Narcoossee Rd. Saint Cloud 407-770-7357 MyBrightScholars.com TIRES NTA National Tire and Auto 304 13th St., Saint Cloud, FL 407-593-2136 TRAVEL Meisner Cruise and Travel 407-738-7088 tvlwithlinda@gmail.com Facebook: Harmony Get A Way with Meissner Travel WATER SYSTEMS Dependable Water Treatment 407-242-7150
PRSRT STD ECRWSS U.S. POSTAGE PAID EDDM RETAIL
Local Postal Customer