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Goodbye from the
President
Well, the time has
come for me to say goodbye, adios, au revoir. As you have seen
by our newsletter I have decided to step down and we have a new
executive committee for you to vote on. I am proud to say that
the Association continues to be in capable hands. Change is
always good when it is organized and offers opportunities for
others to shine.
Michael Miller, publisher of Community Newspapers, is a
fantastic choice as my replacement. He cares about our community
and is dedicated. He also has the ability to reach out and
initiate change. This is an extraordinary talent.
Ron Weeks has agreed to serve as Vice President, what can I say
about Ron. He is an encyclopedia of information dealing with our
area. He is tireless in his efforts to preserve Horse country.
Dagney Ponce will continue as our Secretary. Just like Ron, she
is tireless and thorough. Dagney attends all meetings and
ensures that all our notes are accurate. She also compiles
information for our newsletter.
Lastly is our new addition to the executive committee, Carol
Vega will be seeking the Treasurers position. Carol brings a
fresh perspective to the executive committee. Carol brings great
convictions to the Association and lots of energy.
I am proud of the accomplishments and changes that have come
under my tenure. Most of all I am proud of the succession
changes we have made in our bylaws to afford everyone in Horse
Country opportunities to serve on our board and executive
committee. Furthermore, these opportunities ensure that the
Association will remain strong and consistent in its’ goal of
keeping Horse Country Green.
Although I will be stepping down from the executive committee I
will still remain on the board for an extra year. Then a well
deserved break and an opportunity for someone else to come on
board. Don’t be bashful, please consider serving our board and
your community. You will be pleasantly surprised as to how much
you will enjoy it. Most importantly you will meet wonderful
people who care. That is the best part of it. I am constantly
amazed at how much people will do to ensure that their community
is safe and enjoyable. Don’t be scared of the workload. It isn’t
as bad as you think. The board works together and somehow,
someway, people are always ready to step up when needed.
I might also mention that since I changed the meeting schedule
over three years go, our meetings are less frequent but more
informative. Our present schedule is to meet on the 2nd Thursday
of March, June, September, and December at the Kendall Village
Center. This has helped create conformity in our schedule while
removing the burden of homeowners opening up their houses for
meetings.
The last thing to remember is that by volunteering you are not
expected to be “all knowing”. The beauty of our Association is
that you are trained as you go. We have veterans such as Ron
Week, Dagney Ponce, and Richard Bradwell who have lived in the
community for over 30 years each and been involved in the
community for as much. We have “newbies” such as Carol Vega,
Cheri Gillies, and Raul Amores, who although having been in the
community for many years are somewhat new to the board. Lastly
we have the pinch hitters – those who retire, but either we
convince or coerce them back into service because of what they
know, and their unselfishness to help their community. How can
we lose with such a brilliant group of individuals. No way – we
only get better. That is the success of Horse Country. You
should be proud. Especially when you consider that as a
“voluntary” homeowners association; membership is not a
requirement in our area. Sometimes residents confuse the purpose
of the Association. Remember that we were not created to tattle
or enforce code violations.
We were created to maintain a way of life in our precious,
unique Horse country. Thus we can’t always get lights replaced
on streets, garbage picked up on time, nor even close down party
rentals that operate illegally. Yet, we have been successful in
setting the tone for zoning standards in the community. We have
been successful in ensuring that your Community Council better
understands the value and uniqueness of our area. We have been
able to mitigate situations that we felt could have impacted our
area. The turnpike wall and its’ landscape is a prime example of
this. The cooperation of Kendall AMI and their expansion has
also been a bright spot for our area. Add to that the victories
over institutions that have tried to invade Horse country and
you can imagine. The battles have been fierce and fun. We have
learned from our victories as well as from our defeats.
Thus I leave on a positive, knowing that the Association and our
community will continue to thrive. I am indebted to all those
who have served on the board, for there unselfishness and
commitment to our community and my family for allowing me to
help serve our community.
Thank you, all again and I’ll see you at the next meeting.
Manny Gomez
President
Bird-Kendall
Homeowners Association
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