Tiara Towers

On March 11th, the North Beach Association (NBA) held a General Membership Meeting on March 11th at the River Walk Center in Fort Pierce.  This is a very nice venue, with great seating.  There was a large amount of quality information shared by the various speakers.  Below are some highlights.

​At the March 11th NBA Meeting, Cathy Townsend said that several businesses are in negotiations for locations here in St Lucie County.

​Specifically, they are as follows:

• ​Lowes to go in the old K-Mart building
• WaWa to go into that plaza by the bank
• Home Goods to go into the old Winn Dixie building.
• Costco to northern Martin County.

​Keep tuned in for more information.

Sheriff's Report

Sheriff Ken Mascara was the first speaker of the evening.  He stated the North Hutchinson Island was a very safe community.  When he become sheriff, the population of St. Lucie County was 195,000.  Now it has risen to 325,000.  At the same time, crime has dropped by 40%.

​The number one crime in the US is Identity Theft.  Phone scams targeting 55+ communities are huge now.  There is a Jamaican group targeting Fort Pierce, spoofing 772 area codes.  Be careful, the IRS and Social Security will NOT CALL.  You will receive something in the mail if these organizations wish to contact you.

​Beware of the Florida Highway Patrol phone scam.  This organization is not associated with law enforcement and keeps 95% of the money collected.

​If any complex wishes to have the Sheriff's Department do a safety survey, they will do it for free.  They can recommend lighting, cameras and more to help secure our condo complexes.

​Sheriff Mascara and Deputy Cullum would appreciated support for Amendment 4, which you will be receiving in the mail around April 3rd.  It is a vote by mail, to be returned by April 24th.  This amendment seeks to increase funding to keep School Resource Officers in all our schools.

Coast Guard Visit

​The next speaker was Coast Guard Warrant Officer Robert Wooten from Miami.  He spoke about the draw bridge time schedule.  He stated that we are in a trial period, until August 31st. Currently the bridge is raised on the hour and 1/2 hour, if needed.  90% of the comments received for the prior trial schedule (every 20 minutes) were in favor of  this new schedule.

​One interesting comment made by Warrant Officer Wooten was in reference to those boats not needing to have the bridge open to pass, but choose to.  We all have seen small boats that could have passed without raising the bridge, choose to raise the bridge instead.  It is a $25,000 fine to do so.  If you ever see this happening, get the name of the boat or any information you can see, then report it to the Coast Guard.

If you are in favor of this new timed opening schedule and would like it to be made permanent, you should send your comments to the Coast Guard by emailing Samuel.Rodriquez-Gonzalez@uscg.mil

​Project "Love My Beach" Cleanup

Jean Downing discussed the Beach Cleanup Project which was held February 15th.     Many in attendance really enjoyed this event and wish to do it again next year.  85 volunteers participated, several from Tiara Towers.  Our beaches are pretty clean to start with, due to our residents picking up trash regularly.

​Commissioner Cathy Townsend

And finally, Commissioner Cathy Townsend spoke.  Commissioner Townsend is a great friend to North Hutchinson Island and has supported our efforts many times.​

The first item she mentioned was the construction of the new bridge.  It is to be 85' high and in the design phase, with construction currently scheduled to begin in September 2021.    There is some pushback from HarborTown who are asking for a direct access from the new bridge into their property.    Such an access would prevent the construction from including a fly-over the railroad.

​The Radisson Property is again in negotiations to be developed.  Current plans include condos and a convention center.

​The airport is being developed as well.  It is an international airport that has as many as 5,000 people a day passing through our Customs.  The airport is extending their runways and cutting down some trees to allow larger planes to land. A mechanic and repair school is in the works, with jobs in airplane maintenance and repair in our future.​

The airport is also in negotiations with Bahama Airlines (again) and several other small airlines to bring service to our area.  One interesting comment was that John Travolta flies into our airport two to three times a month.

​Taylor Creek Bridge will be repaired and put back into service with Old Dixie Highway becoming a one way road, with only traffic heading north.  It will be part of the Greenway Bike Trail and include a bike lane.

​Virgin Train Lines (Brightline) is at an impasse.  There is not funding for their recent bond issue.  St. Lucie County has already spent almost $500,000 fighting it.  They have now dropped their suit, allowing Martin and Indian River Counties to continue the fight.   Her personal opinion is that St. Lucie County does not have the income levels to attract a train stop here, even though Virgin Train Lines wants you to believe and support the idea of a train stop in Fort Pierce.

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Bill Dicker, President, Tiara Towers Board of Directors want you to be aware of the following:

     Tiara Towers News – Sat. March 2, 2019

1. FPL made an unscheduled visit yesterday to announce that sometime in the next week or two power will be shut off to both buildings as work is done out on the street for 2-3 hours. Our generators will provide enough power for one elevator in each building and emergency lighting. This outage means no electricity to operate any systems in the buildings: especially AC and water.  We were told there will be additional information in the near future and direct notices to all homeowners in the two buildings.

 

2. Beginning on March 11 an inspector from White Aluminum will arrive to begin the previously announced shutter inspection program to determine which shutters are or are not storm ready. David and/or Gloria  will accompany the inspector to let him into the various units.  A unit by unit report will be issued and homeowners will be informed if shutters in their unit are not storm ready.  Owners with shutter problems will have 60 days to repair their shutters or at least be under contract for repairs.  The last time we did this inspection 49 units were not storm ready because of a shutter or shutters.  Hopefully, there will be very few people with shutter issues.  IF YOU HAVE REPAIRED OR REPLACED SHUTTERS IN THE LAST YEAR AND HAVE A CERTIFICATE THAT YOUR SHUTTERS ARE OK THEY WILL NOT BE INSPECTED.  CALL BILL AT 201-884-0066.  This program is paid for by the Association. The shutter inspection program contributes to lower insurance rates for the buildings and greater security in tropical storm and hurricane events.

 

3. White Aluminum will also lubricate your shutters at a rate of $50.00 for end units and $40.00 for interior units. This includes a top rail lubrication and a slat by slat lubrication. Lubrication, for interested owners, will begin after the inspection is concluded. More info to follow as we finalize arrangements with White.

What I (Jeri Bullock - 1505 S) think ITEM 1 means is that all of the power in each unit will be off.   No TV, no appliances (stove, refrigerator, microwave - all off), no lights, cell phones should work if previously charged, no AC, water pressure in the upper floors may be poor or limited, etc.   The pool and spa may be available for use but the pumps will not be running.  Carry your keys to enter the building since the key fobs won't wok.    I am told that the entry/exit gates to the property will be opened and all the garage doors will be opened to facilitate entry and exit of vehicles.

Please watch for more information in the elevators and on the bulletin boards as it is made available to the Board, who will pass it on to us.

Some tidbits of local information that were heard at the North Beach Association.

The Coast Guard has changed the schedule for the bridge openings for the bridge over the Indian River at the North Causeway (Shorewinds Dr).    It'll be every 30 minutes, on the hour and half-hour, 7 days a week.   This change is being made partly in response to comments from folks like us here on the island and through the comments submitted by the North Beach Association.

FPL has been working along Shorewinds Dr, burying cable.   This will allow the power transmission lines to be buried between the North Causeway bridge and the area at Cumberland Farms, at Atlantic Beach Boulevard.

The St Lucie County Commissioners are supporting a fix to the section of Old Dixie highway north of Shorewinds at the RR crossing that has been closed to traffic since the hurricanes in 2017  damaged the bridge over Taylor Creek.    The plan is to fix the bridge and turn Old Dixie Highway into a one-way road northbound from US 1.   This will support the use of it as a "short cut" to Shorewinds Dr and eliminate the use of Old Dixie Highway as a southbound entry onto US 1.

Just some unofficial comments on the painting of the buildings at Tiara.

The ocean side of the 04 units, including the unit balconies, railings, and window trim is complete and the 03 units should be finished early this week.    Painting has begun on the ocean side of the 05 units where the painters are painting the full  front balconies, on the ocean and pool sides.     I can report from our experience that the painters were quick, efficient, and thorough.

Painting will begin on the 02 units, as soon as the 03 units are completed.

All screens and balcony furniture must be removed from the balconies.

The interior stairwells are close to being finished.

Tiara Knows How to Party!!

It's only the end of February and we've already had a few great parties here at Tiara.

The Welcome Party in January was attended by almost 70 persons in the South Party Room.     It was a bit crowded but everyone had a great time, greeting old friends and making new ones.

This was followed by the Superbowl Party on Feb. 3rd.    Over 53 attended and were treated to two types of homemade chili, 4 homemade soups, salad, biscuits, and dessert.   Wine, beer and soda were offered.   It was another great party and several folks stayed until the "bitter end" at about 9 PM.

Then there was the Valentine's Party and more than 50 residents enjoyed a great dinner at the Inn Restaurant at Ocean Village.

Now we are looking forward to the Happy Birthday Party, a happy hour get-together which will be held on Saturday, March 2nd.    Come and join us! 

Tiara Towers Condominium Association,Inc.

Special Board Meeting - February 21, 2019

South Tower Club Room 10:00 AM

President's Summary - February 27, 2019

At the January 29, 2019 Board Meeting the Board informally approved a special assessment to cover the costs of the pipe cleaning project (not covered by budget or reserves) and the painting project (minus the accumulated reserves for the project).

At the February 21, 2019 Board Meeting, the Board officially approved the assessment of $1,476.00 per unit.  This meeting was held after the community was given more than 14 days notice of the coming meeting and vote. The assessment is owed by owners of record as of February 21, 2019 and will be billed with the collection of the next quarterly assessment.

Respectfully submitted by,

Bill Dicker, President

                   A Message from the President

                Wednesday – February 27, 2019

The Board is in receipt of a petition signed by 50 owners.  The petition requests three items:

1. A Designer be hired/consulted to assist it any changes to the club rooms
2. A sufficient budget be adapted
3. Club room furnishings remain the same for the near term.

I created a Club Room Re-Purposing Committee to explore future furnishings and use of the clubrooms.  The committee is chaired by Jeri Bullock and Linda Dicker. Their mission is to staff a committee and explore how we can best utilize the clubrooms for the future – developing a list of possibilities that the Board might consider.

The committee was not given a budget as they were not directed to purchase anything – merely to explore possibilities to be shared with the community and the Board.  At present 6 professional designers are working with the committee. Some furniture was brought to Tiara for community examination and then returned to the dealer.

It is quite possible that the committee will have nothing to report until the fall of 2019.  At such time the community and the Board will have a chance to review the findings and recommendations of the committee.  At present there are twenty owners on the committee and more are welcome.

Respectfully submitted by

Bill Dicker, President

On February 15^th the North Beach Association (NBA) sponsored a “Love your Beach” cleanup  at North Hutchinson Island. The was divided into sections from Avalon Park to North of the Fort Pierce Inlet.  Volunteers from all the HOAs that belong to the NBA were solicited and a total of 85 residents, friends, and renters volunteered.    Among them were a good number from Tiara Towers.

The volunteers all met at 8.30 a.m. at Ocean Harbour North. Groups consisting of up to 14 volunteers were set up to cover a specific section of the beach.  A van took each group, armed with rubber gloves, garbage bags and a small first aid kit, to their designated area.  If you saw people wearing yellow NBA jackets it was one of the groups. When finished, each individual bag was put into a larger one which was picked up and left at the dumpster at Pepper Park. One of the NBA members, John Gabries, who is the director for Jackson Way for that service, provided the garbage pickup service.

Most of the garbage was in the form of plastic bottles, cups straws, cutlery and bottle caps, some left by beach users and some by boaters that just toss it into the ocean, it floats and gets mixed in the seaweed then left on the beach. Some unfortunately gets ground into small enough pieces and is ingested by the fish and turtles.

Each group was picked up by the same van to return to Ocean Harbour North for a Brunch consisting of eggs, pancakes, grits, sausage, bacon, fresh fruit coffee and mimosas. The food was delicious.  Any leftover food or beverage was donated to Hope for Families Center.

It was a productive and enjoyable morning for all. Thank you one and all.

Francis J. "Frankie " Russo

Francis Russo Sr., better known to his friends and loved ones as “Frankie,” was born in Torrington, Connecticut on September 6th, 1929 to John and Margaret Russo.  He was a dedicated and loving husband, father, brother, uncle, cousin, grandfather and friend.

Frankie was happily married for 67 years to his wife, BettyRusso.  He took pride in his family, including his son Frank Jr., daughter-in-law Robin, grandchildren Ryan and Casey, his sister Doris, many nieces and nephews, and amazing friends.

Frankie graduated in 1947 from THS and was an outstanding 3-sport athlete, who truly loved Torrington and helped to start the Varsity Alumni Club. Best known for his generous heart, his ability to communicate with everyone that he met, pushing agendas forward that benefited the youth, while challenging others “to do the right thing”.  Frankie died peacefully at St. Clare’s Hospital in Dover, N.J. on Sunday, February 10th surrounded by loved ones.

A Mass celebration of Frankie’s life will take place on Saturday, February 23rd, 2019 at 11:00 am – St. Mary’s Church, 15 Myers Avenue, Denville, NJ 07834.  A lunch gathering will take place immediately following the Mass.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Frankie’s name can be made to the Varsity Alumni Club, PO Box 281, Torrington, CT 06790.

Frankie and wife Betty resided for many years in 902 N at Tiara.

Re-painting Tiara

The work to paint the Tiara buildings has started.    The project is beginning on both the North and South Towers with the '03' and '04' units, from the 15th floor to the ground floor.     On Monday the ocean-side face of those units, including ceilings, railings, and window frames will be power-washed.      Please remove all balcony furniture and all sliding screens, storing them inside the unit or elsewhere.    The painters will be working on the 03's and 04's for quite awhile: powerwashing , repairing cracks, sanding railings and slider frames and then painting it all before moving their stage to start the next stacks.    It's possible that during the power-washing some spray might be blown onto the adjoining balconies so if you have anything that can't get wet you might want to consider moving it.

Friday, Feb 8th - Roof prep and painting, scaffolding set in place

Monday, Feb 11th - power-wash exterior of  '03' and '04' units oceanside, from 15th to ground floor

Tuesday, Feb 12th  - begin painting on upper floors.   Painting will include the stucco walls and ceiling, window frames, and railings .  Balcony floors will NOT be painted.  Work will continue on the '03' and '04' units for several days or even weeks.   The exact schedule is not readily known.

David and Gloria will be available to assist those residents who need some help with their balcony furniture.   For those units that are unoccupied, David and Gloria will move the furniture.

As the work moves to other stacks the progress will be announced in the mailrooms and elevators.    We'll try to keep your informed via the Newsletter also.