October 30th, 2013 Wednesday Morning News

We grew from 174 to 220 residents in the park this week.

 Welcome home Winter Ranch residents!

Important Information:

• Golfers, if you see some wooden discs on the course, don’t remove them.  They are there to cover and protect the sprinkler heads.  Leave them where they are.  Yesterday we put out six new ones and only one remained today.
• Bring a Friend Campaign is going on now.  If you bring a friend that stays at Winter Ranch at least one month, you can earn $50.  The rules are in your Winter Ranch Welcome Packet.  This is for people that are brand new to Winter Ranch or who haven’t been here for at least three years.
• Ron and Cheryl have returned and the Mail Room is now open for business from 10 AM until Noon, Monday through Saturday.  If you have packages delivered, they will also be delivered to the Mail Room.  Remember the mail is ready when the flag goes up.
•  Packs of Dogs – Many park models sustained damage due to wild dogs chasing rabbits over the summer.  They tore up skirting, duct work and air conditioning.  If you have any space that a rabbit might slip into, secure that area because the dogs will keep digging until they reach the rabbit and thus the damage occurs.
• Activity Book – In your park Welcome Packet, you received a purple Activities Book.  This has the schedule for dances and entertainment in it as well as lots of other information about the activities in the park.  Please take a look at it. 
• If you are planning on doing any enhancements to your site including:  cement work, installing rock, planting trees or bushes, you need to check with Larry first.  Don't put yourself in the position where you need to remove what you just put in because you did not check!  

General News: 

• Symphonic Band tickets are now on sale in the Business Office.  The first symphony will be “From Sea to Shining Sea” on November 12^th.  Tickets are $5 each.  Seats are available on the bus and you can purchase tickets and sign up for the bus in the Business Office.
• Church begins this Sunday at 9 AM with a Social Hour starting at 8:30.   Jim Frisby is our new pastor and he will be leading the service.
• Remember that the time changes this Sunday morning at 2 AM so set your clocks back an hour otherwise you will be an hour early for church service!
• The Alamo City Prayer Breakfast will be held here at Winter Ranch on November 21^st and Pastor Frisbee will be the speaker.   The time wasn't mentioned at the meeting. 
• Cornerstone Regional Hospital has invited us to attend a continental breakfast at their facility on November 5^th from 9 to noon.  They are located at 2402 Cornerstone Boulevard in Edinburg.  Learn more about their leading edge technology with a free educational seminar where they show a live surgery.  They are proud to introduce NavioPFS TM Orthopedic Surgery as an alternative to total knee replacement.
• Picture Days at Winter Ranch will be November 19-22 – We have a new company, Lifetouch, doing our pictures and Directory this year.  Shirley Snell will again be registering us for pictures.  Thank you, Shirley!  You can have up to six people in a picture and pets.  By having your picture taken you get a free Picture Directory and a $20 coupon toward any pictures you decide to order.  You can order the pictures you want directly from Lifetouch over the internet and they will be mailed directly to you. 

  Event News:

Halloween

OCTOBER 31^ST – LET’S PARTY

10 AM	SCAVENGER HUNT	FRIENDSHIP HALL
1:30 PM	BOO WHO BEAN BAG BASEBALL	FRIENDSHIP HALL
4:00 PM	COSTUME CONTEST	FRIENDSHIP HALL
4:30 PM ($6 PER PERSON)	BRISKET DINNER	FRIENDSHIP HALL
5:30 PM	HAUNTING GOLF CART PARADE	MEET AT FRIENDSHIP HALL
7:00 PM ($5 PER PERSON)	DANCE WITH DIEGO	FRIENDSHIP HALL

• Veterans’ Day Celebration – There will be a Veterans’ Breakfast on November 11^th from 10-11AM in Friendship Hall.  Biscuits and Gravy, Fruit and Beverage for $3.50 each.  Veterans eat free!
• Thanksgiving Table Signup will start on the 6^th of November.
• Tickets and reserved tables for the New Year’s Dance will start on November 12^th. 

Calendar Updates:

The following activities are starting up for the season. 

                Potlucks start Monday – bring a dish to serve eight people and your table service.

Roundups will start on November 12^th – these are social gatherings held either by the pool or in Friendship Hall – more info to follow.

Sundae Sundays are on the 1^st Sunday of the month at 5 PM in Friendship Hall.  Bring your own bowl and spoon!  It is $1 for a large scoop of ice cream and all the toppings.

Golf:

Ladies Golf starts a week from Thursday.

Mixed Golf starts Friday

                Regular Golf starts next week

Quilting for the Needy – starts November 7^th, Thursday  

Crochet starts Monday

Karaoke will start on the 9^th of November from 3 to 5:30 in Friendship Hall

                Bowling starts Friday
                Water Exercises are from 9 to 10:45 every morning.

Exercises start tomorrow.  Normal walking in Friendship Hall – 1 mile on Thursday and Friday and 2 miles on Monday.  (See info on exercises on the Exercise Page under Current Information on the tab on the right hand side of this blog).

Biking will start on the 16^th

Water Volleyball on Tuesdays and Fridays from 1 to 3

Peter Piper Pizza Luncheons will start on November 6^th and will be on the 1^st and 3^rd Wednesday of the month.   There is a signup on the wall across from the Mail Room.  Roland and Ruby Muench are the Coordinators.

Dairy Queen Bingo starts in November.  More info later.  It is held at the DQ on Old 83 and Winter Ranchers play for DQ treats and meals.

Line Dancing Lessons will start in December but if 10 or more dancers want to practice on Wednesdays after the meeting, Joann Sullivan, our Line Dance Instructor, will do some reviewing for free until lessons officially start.

Card and Board Games (To see times for the card games, go to the Current Info Section of the blog under Cards and Other Games.  A full list of what is going to be available this season is listed with days and times.)

                               Cribbage – starts Wednesday       
                               Dominos is on Mondays and Thursdays
                               Euchre – Saturdays
                               Bunko – Mondays
                               500 – Sundays

Bingo – starts 6:30 on Wednesday

Bridge – starts Sundays and Tuesdays

                                Poker – Mondays and Thursdays
                                Bridge starts next Wednesday
                                Pitch starts Tuesday
                                Pegs and Jokers are on Saturdays at 6:30 PM

Volunteers and/or Donations Needed: 

• Sound System Operators are needed.  Dave and Jody Nunn are leaving us after 14 years and we need some volunteers to step up.  We can train you!!! We need sound system people to cover for the jams and other events that use the system.  See Lynn and JD in the Activities Office.
• Christmas Stockings Project – If you have any soaps and shampoos from hotels, you can donate those to this project until after the stockings are delivered.  After that we can still use the shampoos and soaps.  We donate them to the Ronald McDonald House.  Barb DeGarmo is the Coordinator for the Christmas Stockings Project.  The Christmas Stockings are given to the ARISE organization and sometimes these are the only gifts these children get at Christmas.  Barb says she can use school supplies, small match box cars, small dolls, and Christmas Stockings from the Dollar Store.  They do also make some of the stockings.  They would like to make 300 this year.  Last year we donated 200 stockings but they ran short so we will be increasing our efforts this Christmas.
• Decorating Committee - Nora Minor needs volunteers on the Decorating Committee.  The Committee decorates for all the holidays and special events.  She is looking for both men and women to join her committee.  You can contact her at Lot 567. 
• Exercise Classes - Pam Hoppe and Judy Teply are looking for a couple of people to act as their alternates to lead the Exercise Classes in the morning.  Contact one of them if you are interested.
• Bikers Escort Needed - Flo Reed is looking for some drivers to  excort the bikers.  Please contact Flo if you are interested.  You will be reimbursed for mileage.
• Dance Leads – Lee and Mary Benfield (Lot 501) are looking for one couple or two singles who would like to join their team of Dance Leads.  The time commitment is minimal.  Leads work two to three dances a year.  If you can count money and aren’t afraid of a microphone, we would love to talk to you!!

The 50/50 Drawing this morning raised $37.50 for the Bike Club for mileage reimbursement.  Kathy Maynard was the lucky winner.  

It’s good to be back!!

Mary Benfield

Blog Administrator