In this issue:
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Annual AHPOA meeting
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Lake Avalon
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Dirt Bikes
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A Blast from the Past
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Getting Green
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Coyotes
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Wildfire
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Rural Settlement Sign
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Community Bulletin Board
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
Upcoming Events:
· July 16th 9:00am – Annual AHPOA Meeting @ Korean Presbyterian Church
Join the AHPOA email list today!
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ANNUAL AHPOA MEETING The annual Avalon Home & Property Owners Meeting will be held on Saturday July 16th at 9:00am. It will be held at the Korean Presbyterian Church meeting room. Items for discussion include elections for the AHPOA board and the invasive plant problem of Lake Avalon (see the article below for more details.) Please mark your calendar and plan to attend. It will also be a great opportunity to say hello to your fellow neighbors and friends. Refreshments will also be served. See you then! |
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LAKE AVALON By Tyler Drumm, Sara Drumm, and Jane Ferguson The flagship lake in our rural settlement is Lake Avalon – 162 acres of water, fun, and, from what we hear, the best bass fishing in Orange County. Have you been on it recently? Lake Avalon has had some hardship over the years, including the rising and falling of water levels. Today, our lake has been restored to a good water level; however, it is facing a tough battle against the invasive, non-native plants torpedo grass and lily pads, both of which have taken over the lake in places. The appearance of the lake has not only become an eyesore, it has affected everyone’s ability to use the lake. In fact, a large part of the lake is inaccessible due to a thick cover of lily pads. Torpedo grass and hydrilla also make it difficult for both motor and non-motor boats to move through the water by clogging motors and stopping the momentum of self-propelled boats. As a result, the lake has become a burden for both those who live on it and those who cannot use it. Meanwhile, the area is not as attractive to potential homebuyers. Waterfront properties (or homes nearby) are much desired in Florida; however, most people who want to live on a lake assume they will be able to use boats on the lake. Lake Avalon, in particular, is a great spot for bass fishing (the best in Orange County, we’ve heard), but it has become hard to access. What can we do about this issue? We surely need to do something – these plants clogging up our lake will not disappear on their own, with or without a drought. And can we increase the accessibility of the lake to all homeowners in our rural settlement? Come to our AHPOA meeting on Saturday July 16th at 9AM in the education building of the Korean Presbyterian Church at 545 and Davenport Rd to hear some options. And if you have ideas of how you can help, let us know! I am spearheading the effort – feel free to contact me at janeferguson60@yahoo.com. Thanks for caring!
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BLAST FROM THE PAST
Whether you are a long time resident or fairly new to the area, we thought it would be fun to post some articles from AHPOA newsletters from the past. Sometimes, the more things change, the more they stay the same. Here’s one from April 1988:
Beltway Update – At the latest meeting held on March 22 at the West Orange High school by the Orlando/Orange County Expressway Authority, it was noted that the preliminary route selected to cross over 545, Davenport and Sandhill Roads and over to Red Bird has been recommended for deletion. This looks like good news for most of us; however, until the final three possible routes are determined in June with the final recommendation being made in October, we should probably wait to celebrate. Cost, impact on neighborhoods and environmental considerations were reasons given in narrowing the routes to the present possible sites. Copies of the overall beltway project and the western section were attached to the newsletter.
THINGS ARE GETTING GREEN AND I WANT TO KEEP IT THAT WAY!
By Danise Martinez
Mike and I have worked hard to try to keep our pastures in as good a shape as possible.
There are handouts available at the County Extension Office for anyone interested in the whole story. I just wanted to give a few tips for those wanting to get started on taking care of their pasture.
Fertilizer – usually try to apply twice a year. Once in the early spring and again in the early fall (around September or October). The specific type may depend on the pH of your soil and the amount of watering you can do when you apply it. The most common is the 16-8-4 combination. The first number is the % nitrogen. This is the food for the
grass and helps it to be green. Initially you should water it in well, and then water twice weekly (unless it rains a good amount). The County Extension Office can analyze your soil for free to check the pH and recommend any other treatment. Diamond R in Winter Garden can supply fertilizer in larger amounts and can help you determine what you would need to apply on your pasture. I always need to ask, but I think we usually apply 300 pounds per acre.
Mowing – it seems that this is where most pastures are damaged. The grass should not be cut any shorter than 3 inches. If you are using a lawn tractor the mower deck should be set on the highest setting. When the grass is cut shorter than 3 inches it causes the grass to work harder to grow due to lack of blade to supply the grass with sufficient sunlight to
feed itself. It also allows the weeds in the environment to get a head start, since they are
able to grow faster than the grass from the same height. The longer grass blades will actually shade out the weeds and slow their growth and eventually eliminate most of the weeds. The grass should be cut before it gets past 6 inches unless you are trying to allow the seed heads to mature. If that is the case, then mow when the seeds are just mature enough to pop out of their shells when you squeeze them between your fingers (kind of like a ripe pea pod). Unfortunately, in the summer when we get regular rain the grass grows real fast and will need to be mowed more frequent, sometimes every 5 days. Keep the mower blades sharpened and this process will go much faster. Dave’s Mower in
Winter Garden near the Westside Tech can sharpen them for you.
Rye grass – this is applied in the fall to help your soil and provide a cover during the winter season. The rye grass will help to fix nitrogen into the soil, which will help the Bahia and Bermuda grasses when they begin to grow in the warmer days and nights of the spring.
Weeds – we hate them. You can pull them, spray them or granular them. It all takes time and money not to mention that some of that is poison. One of the best ways to control the weeds is actually just mowing. Keeping the grass level between 3 to 6 inches and not over grazing is the simplest method.
Pasture rotation – whether you have horses, cows, goats, sheep or donkeys it is a good idea to have your pasture area sectioned off so they can be moved onto different sections for a period of time. This is to allow parts of your pasture to be able to rest and grow. Try to get into a routine. You may need to designate a sacrifice area in order to allow other areas to have at least 2 weeks rest time.
Manure – this is a never-ending product. Basically, try to spread the big pieces out or develop a compost pile and then spread onto your pasture. The manure mixed into your soil will help to retain moisture and also provide some amount of nutrients. Breaking apart and exposing the manure to the sunlight will also help in controlling parasites. A harrow or drag is helpful to spread out the manure. You can purchase one or make one
from heavy chain link fencing and a couple of posts. Some people will weigh it down using tires or other heavy objects. The harrow also seems to disrupt some of the weeds and help them to die from damage.
If you would like any further information or have a specific problem Mr. Dennis Mudge is also very knowledgeable and helpful and can be contacted at the County Extension Office 407-836-7570.
I hope this has been helpful.
COYOTE, FLORIDA'S NEWEST FUR-BEARING PREDATOR!
By Danise Martinez
Now that I have your attention here is a little information. Check out the web sites below for
more information and details.
Coyotes were introduced in north Florida in the 1920's to be hunted by dogs. They can now be found throughout the state. We have them here, in OUR neighborhood.
Coyotes are members of the dog family. They are larger than foxes, smaller than wolves and average about 25- 40 pounds. Coyotes are very adaptable and can live anywhere from rural to suburban to urban environments. They are more active at dawn and dusk but can be seen day or night (and heard).
Coyotes are both carnivores and omnivores. They feed on a variety of food items such as rodents, rabbits, lizards, snakes, insects, fruit, grains, fish and carrion (dead animals). Things of particular concern in our area are turkeys, peacocks, goats, chickens, ducks, cats and small dogs.
What can we do? Be pro-active.
1. Bring your cats and small dogs in at night and secure your chickens and ducks in enclosed pens.
2. Don't leave pet food out overnight.
3. Try to eliminate outdoor odors (such as garbage and dirty BBQ grills) that will draw coyotes.
NOTE: The use of poisons to control coyotes or any animal except rats is illegal in Florida.
This information was taken from the following websites (which have lots more info):
Http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/UW127
WILDFIRE
By Jane Ferguson
On the evening of May 28th, a wildfire broke out on the east end of Davenport Rd, near 545, in the woods across from the subdivision. Luckily, the firefighters got to it before it got too out of hand - but it could have been disastrous, especially with these dry and windy conditions we are having.
The firefighters said that this wildfire was most likely caused by someone dumping hot roofing materials there. Indeed, you could see tar and shingles right there. It's hard to know if this was done by someone within our community or not, but I urge our neighbors to NOT dump anything in the woods - and especially not hot tar. What were these people thinking? The fire could easily have demolished homes and killed someone.
RURAL SETTLEMENT SIGN
Some of you may have noticed that the rural settlement sign on the east side of Avalon Road has been taken down. It is in the process of being refurbished and will be put back up on the other side of the road very soon.
COMMUNITY BULLETIN BOARD
OUR KIDS TROPICALS, NURSERY & LANDSCAPE
17229 PHIL C. PETERS RD.
WINTER GARDEN, 34787
FRUIT TREES..... WE ARE IN YOUR BACKYARD!!!!!!
We have the Only 3 acre Tropical Fruit Farm & nursery of its kind in all of Central Fl.
We have been in this location now for 25 Years and we have grown many tropical fruit trees here that we were told would not grow here, like 35' & 45' tall Macadamia Nut trees that make nuts every year and large mature cold hardy Avocado trees that fruit for us every year !!! As well as Lychees, Longans & Star Fruits ... Citrus of all kinds ... Jaboticaba trees, Banana varieties, Papayas, Guavas & Loquats with larger sweeter fruits. Mulberries fruit great here as well and we had a Great crop this year!!! Pineapples and much more!!!
If you’re in a colder spot (like down @ the end of Phil Peters Rd.) We even offer Northern fruits that will live and fruit for you. We offer for sale all kinds of fruiting trees and plants. What kind do you like? We have Blueberries, thornless Blackberries, Raspberries, Mulberries & White ones too.
We now offer all of your Northern fruits such as: Apples, Peaches, Nectarines, Plums, Pears, Pomegranates, Persimmons, Figs, Grapes, Kiwi's too!!! Now there are low-chill varieties that will grow and fruit here in Central Florida. We offer several varieties of Apples, Peaches, Pears, Plums, Grapes & MORE !!!
We are also known for the cold hardy " Mexican " Avocado varieties, they fruit EVERY YEAR for us !!! As well the cold hardy Guavas Too!!! We have larger 7 gallon Apple & Plum trees with fruits on them NOW!!!
7 gallon regular price is $85.00 ea. SALE price is $65.00 ea. while they last!!! Also Mango Special 7 gallon regular price is $85.00 ea. SALE $65.00 each!!!
We have smaller 3 gallon sizes available too.......
Most of our FRUITING Trees & Plants are on sale NOW . Give us a call to ensure we are here for you, or just stop by ....We are the 4th house on the right when you turn onto Phil C. Peters Rd. Look for the the Jungle and the sign that says Tropical Fruit Trees...and Bamboo too... along the driveway. Don't let our Avocado fruits hit you in
The head while walking around!!!!!! Yes we have Avocado Fruits that will be ripe in the next few weeks!!!!
Most of our fruiting trees & plants are on SALE NOW!!!!!
When you stop by, tell me you are a neighbor and I'll give you an extra discount !!!
2011 AHPOA DUES
It's that time of the year again. Please send in your $20 check made payable to AHPOA and mail to P.O. Box 103, Oakland, FL 34760.
Please return the form located HERE with your $20 check.
AHPOA
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President
Carol Johnson
407-656-8791
Vice President
Cheryl Good
407-654-7261 Secretary
Kathy Sheerin
407-654-4817
Treasurer
Paul Allen
407-656-0934
Director
Danise Martinez
407-877-9111
Director
Mike Walsh
407-877-9111
Director
Cindy Ellenburg
407-654-7251
Director
Jane Ferguson
407-654-6508 Director
Laurie Cardenuto
407-877-9955
Director David Netzorg 407-905-9391
