February 2021 Lefe Life

Jen Milne | General Manager / COO

Thank you to all involved with the MPOA’s Annual Meeting. So much work goes

on behind the scenes from presentation prep to communications. This year, we

saw a tremendous effort put forth to educate the community on the need to

amend how we count votes. A very special thank you to Dyana Young and all the

street captains that worked tirelessly to eliminate non-cast votes being counted

as “No” votes. While the amendment did not pass due to those non-cast no’s,

great awareness was brought to this important issue and we will bring it before

the community again next year.

With over 60 members in attendance and 346 participating by proxy or ballot,

we certainly appreciate the active engagement of our Waterlefe homeowners.

This very special community continues to flourish as more of you plugin and get

involved.

This month’s edition of Lefe Life contains some helpful community reminders,

some exciting changes happening at the River Club, news about the many Wa-

terlefe clubs and activities, and a beautiful virtual art show in the WAG article. We

hope you enjoy this edition.

If you would like to be part of next month’s Lefe Life newsletter, please reach out

to our Communications Coordinator, Hunter Dennis, at hdennis@waterlefefl.com.

A SUCCESSFUL START TO

THE NEW YEAR!

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Lefe Life | February 2021

Manager Letters

Dan Adkins | River Club Manager

3

I would like to start by thanking everyone who attended last month’s very suc-

cessful Tiki Tunes at Night event on January 16th with the always popular Kaptain

Kurt! Even though the weather was a bit colder than we would have liked, the

event was still a hit with the community. The next Tiki Tunes at Night event will be

held on February 27th and will feature the Sundown Duo. A month later, Kaptain

Kurt will return for the March 20th Tiki Tunes at Night event. If you were unable to

attend the first time, I definitely recommend catching him then!

The wine dinner we hosted on January 23rd

turned out to be a hit within the communi-

ty! Pictured here are Julie Pepi and George

Kehrt from Southern Glazer’s, the co-hosts

of the event. The dinner was such a suc-

cess, that we are already in the process of

putting together another wine dinner to be

held in April. Be on the lookout for more de-

tails in the coming weeks.

February brings one of our more romantic

events, the Valentine’s Day Dinner for Two!

This event will be held on February 13th in the River Club, but spots are filling up

fast. If you have not made your reservations yet, I recommend you do so quickly.

A new event that we are excited to offer starting February 20th is our new Bistro

Night! Spend your Saturday nights with us in the Bistro for a casual dining experi-

ence and a new menu that showcases a different feature each week.

I would like to express my continued gratitude to our membership for their ongo-

ing support of the River Club and its staff. We hope to be on the downslope of the

COVID-19 pandemic, and cannot wait to bring back some of the resident-favorite

events like Burger Nights and Sunday Brunch.

See you at the River Club!

FEBRUARY BRINGS CLASSIC &

BRAND-NEW EVENTS

Official Reports

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Lefe Life | February 2021

Jackie Hannan, LCAM | Property Manager

PROPERTY

MANAGEMENT

REPORT

Due to an increasing number of resident complaints concerning improper parking

and safety concerns, I wanted to review parking regulations in Waterlefe…

- No parking on Waterlefe Boulevard will be permitted

- There is no parking permitted within 250 feet of either side of any entrance

gate to Waterlefe (including the Winding Stream, Mossy Branch, and front

entry gates)

- Parking is strictly prohibited within the circular portion of the roadways or

on cul-de-sacs

- All street parking shall be done in a manner so as not to block traffic on any

roadway, intersection, fire hydrant, driveway, or mailbox; and to leave

sufficient room for mail delivery and garbage/recycling collections

- Vehicles parked on the street must be moved at least once every 48 hours

or will become subject to tow

Parking on the street is permissible so long as the provisions mentioned above

are adhered to.

Boat Storage, RV Storage, Trailer Storage, Construction Storage, and Commer-

cial Vehicles are not permitted within Waterlefe property.

Violations of any of these parking regulations may result in the immediate towing

and/or removal of the vehicle or personal property. All costs associated with the

towing and storage of the vehicle or personal property shall be the responsibility

of the owner, lessee, or renter.

Thank you for your understanding as we work to make Waterlefe safe and

accessible for everyone!

Official Reports

5

FINANCE REPORT

Bob Davis | Comptroller/CFO

6

As we close 2020, we have ended the year with an actual budget surplus of $51,174

without depreciation. This is great news considering the effects of COVID-19 on

our River Club sales. Most of this surplus is due to our management staff keep-

ing tight controls on spending, specifically in the area of reserve spending. Our

reserves are strong going into 2021 and we have created a very conservative

budget going into the year without sacrificing or neglecting any needed improve-

ments to the River Club and its related assets. We don’t know what 2021 will hold

but we have created a budget that our managers can work with to keep Water-

lefe thriving.

Waterlefe Finance Committee has openings

The Waterlefe Finance Committee is responsible for providing the MPOA Board

of Directors with recommendations and advice on a variety of financial matters

relating to the operation of the Waterlefe MPOA and River Club. It is not a de-

cision-making committee. The committee meets on the 3rd Tuesday of every

month at 10 a.m. unless advised otherwise. Meetings will be conducted by video

conference through at least August 2021 and usually last about an hour or less.

Regular attendance and active participation are expected. A general understand-

ing of the internal workings of a business and the ability to review its financial

reports including balance sheets and P&L is an important prerequisite.

If you are interested in submitting your name for consideration, please contact

John Valletta at MPOATreasurer@waterlefefl.com

Lefe Life | February 2021

7

MPOA Updates

ANNUAL MEETING SUMMARY

The MPOA Annual Meeting occurred on Monday, January 25, 2021, and included

an annual review of Association performance as well as presentations from the

Board of Directors about their areas of responsibility. This meeting also called for

the re-election of two Board seats, those held by Bob Griswold and John Valletta.

This year we only received two applications for the Board of Directors and are

pleased to announce that Bob Griswold and John Valletta have retained their po-

sitions on the 2021 Board of Directors.

Bob Griswold

Bob Griswold was elected to the Board in 2015. Bob and his wife Bobbie have

owned their home in Waterlefe since 2001. Bob was President of the GE Rolls

Royce Fighter Engine Team – GE Aircraft Engines and brings valuable leadership

and management experience to the Board. Bob and Bobbie share their home

with their two granddaughters Katie age 17 and Emily age 14.

John Valletta

John Valletta and his wife, Michaela have been residents of Waterlefe for 10

years. John’s experience and background have been exclusively in the hospitality

industry. Starting as a bellman as a teenager, and eventually progressing to the

presidency of several of the world’s largest hotel chains, John brings valuable

experience in hotel and restaurant operations. John and Michaela enjoy time with

their four young grandchildren when they visit during their school vacations and

enjoy boating and participating in auto rallies in the US and abroad.

The 2021 Board of Directors officers and appointed committee liaison-ships can

be seen below:

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Lefe Life | February 2021

Name Position Area of Responsibility

Bob Griswold President Capital Projects Chair, Property Management Liaision

John Valletta VP/Treasurer Finance Chair, CEC Liaison, Compliance Liaison, Cable/TV

Dyana Young Secretary Covenant Team Chair, Sub Association Liaison

Jodi Carroll Director at Large Strategic Planning Chair, Communications & HR Liaison

Jeff Brand Director at Large River Club Committee Chair & Liaison

ANNUAL MEETING SUMMARY

MPOA Updates

9

Another aspect of this year’s meeting was an important community vote to mod-

ify Amendment 18 of the covenants. All 617 homeowners were requested to par-

ticipate in this community decision as it required 67% affirmative YES votes to

pass and successfully change this amendment. The results can be seen below:

54% cast “YES” votes

2% cast “NO” votes

44% non-cast “NO” votes

As you can see above, affirmative votes were short by about 13% (76 votes). Al-

most half of our homeowners chose not to participate and ironically, if the pro-

posed language were in effect, the amendment would have passed.

We are extremely thankful to all the homeowners that participated in the Annu-

al Meeting in person and by proxy. A special thank you goes out to so many of

you that served as Street Captains and Volunteers in the effort to educate the

community about the importance of voting. The MPOA continues to emphasize

the importance of community involvement and participation in key decisions and

looks forward to bringing this vote back at the 2022 Annual Meeting to again re-

quest your support.

Amending governing documents is an important process that most community

associations of our size and age have already begun doing in order to remove

developer drafted language, remain consistent with the current laws, and remove

ambiguity. For more information, please read this insightful article by Jay Roberts

of the Florida Condo HOA Law Blog here.

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Lefe Life | February 2021

JANUARY BOARD MEETING SUMMARY

The 2021 MPOA Committee plan builds upon the Board’s overall organizational vi-

sion of a governing Board of Directors setting policy for professional management

staff to implement and enforce, complemented by dynamic volunteer committees

effectively providing specific expertise, community feedback, and analysis.

To that end, the MPOA has dissolved three (3) committees:

- Amenities

- Property Management

- Villas Landscape

Two (2) new committees have been added:

- Capital Projects

- River Club

Three (3) committees have been deemed as “ad hoc” (ad hoc committees are

called to action for a specific task and/or time period):

- Cable TV

- Covenant Team

- Welcome

More information about the two new committees:

Capital Projects Committee

Chair: Bob Griswold

As we strive to maintain and enhance our aging infrastructure, key decisions

must be made. This committee will work with management to identify and

prioritize capital improvements/additions and present fully realized project

proposals to the MPOA Board and Community for consideration. Routine

repair and maintenance is not in the scope of this committee.

River Club Committee

Chair: Jeff Brand

Now more than ever before, River Club operations depend upon homeowner

participation. Along with management, this committee will study usage trends

and remain responsive in order to successfully address community expecta-

tions and maximize resources. Scope of recommendations to the Board will

include dining, fitness, recreation, and social membership programs.

MPOA Updates

11

JANUARY BOARD MEETING SUMMARY

DESIGN REVIEW

BOARD UPDATE

WRITTEN BY: MICHAELA VALLETTA

Here’s some information regarding the application process that may be helpful to

homeowners making changes to their homes.

- The DRB meets on the 3rd Tuesday of each month.

- Your Application for Residential Change must be received by the MPOA

office by the 2nd Wednesday of the month. This will ensure enough time is

given to each and every application prior to the DRB meeting the following

week, and to allow any questions property management may have about

your application to be answered.

- The Application for Residential Change must be filed before any exterior

work is done at your residence (The updated Application for Residential

Change may be found on the website). Filing the application prior to your

exterior work will ensure your project is compliant with our current Cove-

nants and Guidelines.

We encourage all residents, especially if they have submitted an application for

residential change, to attend our DRB meeting. Any questions you may have

about the DRB could be answered at our meeting and would help in the approval

process.

If you have any questions at all regarding the application process, please contact

property management at (941) 747 - 6898 ext. 2.

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Lefe Life | February 2021

MPOA Updates

13

AMENITY UPDATE

The upgrades to the Pointe and the playground have continued with some new

equipment installations. With a brand new picnic table, trash can, and swing, the

Pointe is becoming an enjoyable spot for children and adults alike. Irrigation re-

pairs continue and Florida friendly landscaping is planned.

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Lefe Life | February 2021

RECOGNITION OF

COMMUNITY SERVICE

As the needs of our community evolve, the Board of Directors has a responsibil-

ity to assess the committee structure and make adjustments as necessary. The

MPOA would like to recognize the following group of homeowners who have

contributed significantly to the continued growth of Waterlefe through their time

served on committees.

Amenities Committee

Janice Ritchie (Chairperson)

Bobbie Griswold

Kris Mott

Jill Pokorn

Stephanie O’Donnell

Deborah Young

Property Management Committee

Bill Shopovick (Chairperson)

Bill Stasiuk

Carol Alexander

John Stevens

Fran Paikoff

Lisa Hantverk

Villas Landscape Committee

Barb Lee (Chairperson)

Carol Alexander

Roberta Burish

Tom Fletcher

Terry Lee

Debbie Murphy

CDD & Golf Club

Updates

CDD & Golf Updates

15

NON-RESIDENT

FISHING

WRITTEN BY: STEVE DIETZ

The CDD continues to work closely with the Sheriff’s Office regarding non-resi-

dent fishing. Please review the below guidelines for who to contact if you witness

someone you believe to be a non-resident fishing in Waterlefe.

If someone is on your property:

- If an emergency call 911, otherwise use the non-emergency line of

(941) 747-3011

- Do not engage with the individual(s) or attempt to confront them

- As the homeowner you have the ability to trespass the individual(s)

without the assistance of the CDD

If you suspect a non-resident is on CDD common grounds or the Golf Course

During the hours of 7 am to 6 pm

- Report individual(s) to the Golf Shop at (941) 744-9771

During the hours of 6 pm to 7 am

- If an emergency call 911, otherwise use the non-emergency line of

(941) 747-3011

- Report the individual(s) to the Gate House at (941) 708-6866 so that

the CDD has record of the incident

Please remember that residents are only allowed to fish from their own property,

from a boat in the chain of canals, or from community common grounds.

To read the most recent edition of Golfer’s Glance, Click Here

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Lefe Life | February 2021

Around the

Neighborhood

CDD & Golf Updates

17

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Jim Kinder was born and raised just south of Chicago, meaning he is a mid-west-

erner like many other homeowners in Waterlefe. Jim’s family retired to Bradenton

when he was 18 years old, and he has worked hard ever since. Starting as a fork-

lift driver at a local packing house to pay his way through college, Jim eventually

went on to own his own tomato distribution company, JBK Distributors.

Relaxing one night after work, Jim met his wife

Bev at a club in downtown Bradenton. Bev is

rare because she was actually raised right here

in Bradenton! They recently celebrated their

30th anniversary. Before joining Jim as a book-

keeper for his company, Bev worked in the

banking business, first as a teller, then later as

the Assistant Manager, Officer, and Statewide

Training Officer. Bev is also currently a Certified

Personal Trainer and Group Fitness Instructor

at the Lakewood Ranch YMCA.

Bev worked until the birth of their first daugh-

ter Alexa, who is now a Physician Assistant who

happens to be getting married this month. Jim

and Bev have another daughter, Ashley, who

has a degree in Hospitality Management. But

the two smallest members of their family are

their cute Maltese, Lucky and Cosmo.

Each year, the tomato season in Florida runs from

November through May, and their Distribution busi-

ness has expanded to handle over 1 million 25-pound

boxes per year! During Florida’s off-season, Jim and

Bev broker tomatoes from South Carolina, California,

Alabama and Virginia. They run their business out of

their house right here in The Shores, which they just

FEATURING BEV & JIM KINDER

WRITTEN BY: JACK RITCHIE

18

Lefe Life | February 2021

finished a wonderful job of renovating after purchasing the home two years ago.

They are not new to Waterlefe though, as they’ve been Waterlefe members since

2002 as owners of rental properties.

When they’re not distributing tomatoes, they both enjoy boating, traveling (espe-

cially cruising), working out, dining out, sports, playing poker in Jim’s man cave,

and more recently, taking trips in their new RV.

Bev and Jim have spent “many a good time” at the River Club thanks to its friendly

staff, great bar, friendly residents, and fun Tiki Bar. You can tell from their smiles,

they love Waterlefe.

Jim, also known as Tomato Man, Memorable, and Big Jim, surely makes quite a

presence when he enters a room. Thank you Bev and Jim for being such fun com-

pany to be around, especially while COVID-19 tries to impact our bubble.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Around the Neighborhood

19

LET’S TALK TRASH

WRITTEN BY: MICHAELA VALLETTA

Your recycling containers, trash, and yard waste may be put out the evening be-

fore pick-up and put away by the evening of pick-up. Trash containers may not

be stored in the driveway or walkways, and should be stored out of view. If you

are away, perhaps you can make arrangements with a neighbor to put your trash

containers out of view.

Yard waste must be put out the evening before pick-up (presently, Wednesday is

pick-up day) and must be tied up or cut into smaller pieces if needed. If you have

extremely large mountains of yard waste and it is not properly tied, waste collec-

tors will most likely refuse the pick-up.

Manatee County waste pick-up sched-

ules may change during the holidays,

so you can check on the official Mana-

tee County website for updated holiday

schedules. Typically an email blast will

be sent to the community regarding the

schedule changes.

The DRB and MPOA office are here to

help all Waterlefe residents with any con-

cerns you may have. Call the MPOA of-

fice at (941) 747-6898 with any questions

regarding pick-up.

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Lefe Life | February 2021

PET OWNERSHIP IN

WATERLEFE

As pet ownership increases in Waterlefe, the MPOA wants to ensure that resi-

dents stay cognizant and in compliance with all the responsibilities that come with

pet ownership.

One of the most important responsibilities of a pet owner is to keep animals on

a leash when not inside the unit (including the yard outside the home). Physical

fences allow residents to let their pets roam free in their yard, but the attractive

features of invisible fences are making them more popular among homeowners.

Invisible fences have many benefits to pet owners such as increasing compliant

off-leash areas and preserving the beautiful landscape of Waterlefe.

The MPOA has implemented new signage for pet owners that choose to use an

invisible fence in their yard. This signage helps to clear up confusion with fellow

neighbors and ensure that animals are properly contained in the unit as required.

Simply register your invisible fence with Property Management to receive compli-

mentary yard markers and expand your compliant pet space instantly.

For more information about pet ownership in Waterlefe and to read the rest of

the article, click here.

Around the Neighborhood

21

HUNTER IRRIGATION SYSTEM HEADS UP!

Many homes in Waterlefe use Hunter as the brand of Irrigation Controller to op-

erate their watering systems. If yours is this type, please read on for important

information.

During the summer months, we experience several power outages. If you have

a back-up battery installed, losing power will not lose your settings (zone, the

timing of watering, etc.). When power is restored after a power-off state lasting

more than a few minutes the display goes to a “flashing state” and the watering

schedule is suspended until a button, any button, is pressed on the Controller

panel.

The implications of this decision by Hunter in this design are significant. In a nut-

shell, it means you have to babysit the system and after a power outage check it

to make sure it’s not in a “paused” setting waiting for the input of a button press.

This is the opposite of what most people would want from an irrigation system

set-and-forget setup.

If you have an outside vendor servicing your Irri-

gation system, they will remove the “paused” set-

ting the next time they service your system (usually

done monthly). If you are not at home to check this

yourself, it may mean that your system goes with-

out running for a few weeks before this type of sit-

uation is remedied. If you have someone monitoring

your house during your absence, ask them to check

on this when they come by your house each visit.

22

Lefe Life | February 2021

WRITTEN BY: BARB LEE

HUNTER IRRIGATION SYSTEM HEADS UP!

Remember, this is only in the instance where power is interrupted to the Control-

ler for more than a few minutes; this should be an infrequent issue but something

to pay attention to during summer months.

If you have a Hunter X-Core Controller, be aware of this issue and:

- Check your Controller after any known power outages.

- Check it anyway every week or two during the hottest months (only talking

about a 10-second visual check of the display; if it’s flashing, press any

button to return it to normal functioning).

- Keep an eye on your lawn/plants and notice whether they are getting

watered or not. Perhaps pick a spot where it is easy to see signs of

watering or evidence of a lack of water. Is the soil wet or not? If it isn’t, then

you need to check further.

Around the Neighborhood

23

Organizations

24

Lefe Life | February 2021

ARTISTS GUILD

Hello neighbors. The Artists Guild is pleased to share another Virtual Art Exhibit.

We hope you have been enjoying these monthly exhibits and are learning more

about our Waterlefe artists. This month, we are pleased to present Roxanne

Skinner’s watercolors. Featured below is one of her Sedona plain air paintings.

To view the February Art Exhibit, CLICK HERE.

Did you know Lefe Life newsletters are archived on the main page of Waterlefe

Member Central? If you have missed any of our prior exhibits, you can click on

any of these links below to view them.

To view the January Art Exhibit, CLICK HERE

To view the December Art Exhibit, CLICK HERE

To view the November Art Exhibit, CLICK HERE

Feel free to contact the artists and let them know you’ve seen their art. For more

information, contact Patsy Hall at patsy@dhall.com.

Organizations

25

ORGANIZATION DIRECTORY

Cars & Coffee

Cars & Coffee is a talk group for residents to connect with one another over their

mutual enthusiasm for cars of all kinds and the car industry in general. Meetings

are held one morning every month and the future schedule will be announced.

Contact: John Valletta | john@johnvalletta.com

Community Emergency Response Team

CERT is the Community Emergency Response Team that is funded and trained

by the county to step in and assist the community in case of an emergency that

first responders are unavailable for. No specific skills are needed to become a

member.

Contact: Jeff Brand | jeffreybrand@gmail.com

Tom Kalousek | tkalousek1000@gmail.com

Hangar Talk

Hangar Talk welcomes aviation enthusiasts of all kinds. Casual monthly lunch

gathering, outings, and sharing of aviation experiences and opportunities, both

past and current.

Contact: Terry Lee | terrancejlee48@gmail.com

Boating Community Group

The Waterlefe Boating Community Group is a social group for Waterlefe resi-

dents to promote water recreation, share valued information, and grow friend-

ships among boaters, anglers, kayakers, and paddlers.

Contact: Jim Manning | jpmanning880@gmail.com

Artists Guild

The Waterlefe Artists Guild (WAG) is composed of full and part-time residents

who create original art in various media. Artists explore new mediums through

member-led classes, present their work to the community virtually and in annual

shows. WAG strives to “Keep Art Alive” by supporting our local schools’ creative

arts programs.

Contact: Patsy Hall | patsy@dhall.com

Organizations may not currently be active due to COVID-19.

26

Lefe Life | February 2021

ORGANIZATION DIRECTORY

Ladies Out-to-Lunch Bunch

The Ladies Out-to-Lunch Bunch is a group for women to enjoy each other’s com-

pany over lunch at some of the best restaurants Bradenton has to offer. With

get-togethers held 2-3 times a month, there are plenty of opportunities to join

this bunch!

Contact: Roz Warner | rozwarner619@gmail.com

Literary Society of Waterlefe

The Literary Society of Waterlefe is an organization for members looking to en-

gage in thoughtful conversations about a wide range of pre-selected books from

month to month. These gatherings are in a casual setting which allows residents

to connect and converse about important and exciting pieces of literature.

Contact: Rosalynn Kiefer | rkiefer2@gmail.com

Watering Hole

Watering Hole is a social group for people, especially newcomers to Waterlefe,

to meet their neighbors and feel involved in their community. Whether you are

new to the community or have been here for years, we welcome you enjoy a fun

evening with your neighbors at one of these “no fuss” events.

Contact: Miriam Martin | mmartin952@comcast.net

Barbie Brand | barbiegbrand@gmail.com

Please check with organization contacts for more information.

Sensational Singles

Sensational Singles is a social group for single Waterlefe members (widowed, di-

vorced, and everyone else) to participate in various outings to connect with one

another and create meaningful friendships through casual get-togethers.

Contact: Roz Warner | rozwarner619@gmail.com

Organizations

27

ACTIVITY DIRECTORY

Fitness Center Classes / Programs

Contact: Jana Dunson-Martin | jana@janafit.com

Kristine Reis | wholebodyfitness@hotmail.com

Kayaking / Canoeing

Contact: Jackie Hannan | jhannan@waterlefefl.com

Ladies Bunco

Contact: Peggy Slocum | spslocum@msn.com

Ladies Hand & Foot Cards

Contact: Audrey Bilotti | audalb1@me.com

Ladies Mah Jongg

Contact: Sue McCarty | sue@herbandsue.com

Ladies Shanghai Rummy

Contact: Audrey Bilotti | audalb1@me.com

Activities may not currently be active due to COVID-19.

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Lefe Life | February 2021

ACTIVITY DIRECTORY

Men’s Golf Association

Contact: Tom Tosi | tomtosi@aol.com

Mixed Bridge

Contact: Judy Werner | allwern@aol.com

Mixed Euchre Card Group

Contact: Sue Bryant | sbee287@aol.com

Purls & Chains

Contact: Lisa Hantverk | lisah826@hotmail.com

Women’s Golf Association

Contact: Donna Johnston | djohnston4911@tampabay.rr.com

Women’s Niners (9-Hole Golf)

Contact: Mary Lou Kovac | MLFlorida45@outlook.com

Debbie Murphy | debdenmurphy@me.com

Please check with activity contacts for more information.

Organizations

29