In Memoriam: Tom Skarlinsky
A longtime resident of Roaming Shores Tom Skarlinsky, passed away in Sebastian, Florida on January 8, 2018. Tom is survived by his wife, Sandra of 56 years and children Gina and Tom II. No services will be observed.
2018 Early Bird Drawing #1
The winner of Early Bird Drawing #1 for 2018 and recipient of $500 is Dale Meddock (Lot #829)! Congratulations!
Next week’s drawing will be for $450. The sooner your Dues & Assessments are paid in full, the more drawings you will be eligible for!
Possible Burst Pipes – Check Homes
1/16/18 Update: 6 homes have been located. Despite this, it is suspected that there may be a couple more. One of the biggest indicators of burst pipes is condensation inside windows. If you suspect of problem, please call Vic at 440-474-2302.
The Village of Roaming Shores’ Utility Department is reporting an usually high usage of water. This is a typical indicator of a home that has had frozen pipes that have burst.
Weekenders and snowbirds, it is highly recommended that you contact a neighbor or local friend or family member to check your home. The Utility Dept is currently attempting to locate the source.
If your home did have pipes that burst, please contact Vic of the RSV Utility Dept.
Vic Virmala
Utility Department Superintendent
Cell: (440) 474-2302
President’s Comments – Dec 2017
Board of Directors Meeting
December 7, 2017
By Tom Sopko
At a Special Meeting of the Board of Directors, the Directors voted on several items:
To have the Interim Treasurer, to be the permanent Treasurer. Jack McMillin has been voted to be the permanent Treasurer.
Made changes to the Standing Committees. Shawn Morris will be the Village Liaison. Pat Swartz and Dave Emick will manage the Amenities Committee, Pat is the Chairperson. There are other minor changes to the other Standing Committees.
To accept the New Membership rules. Jen Addair has reviewed and proposed a new set of Membership rules that the Board has accepted.
To accept the use of electronic media, examples: cell phones or tablets, as a back up to the Membership Card system. Members must take their own pictures.
Note: The new card rules and the use of electronic media are a one year pilot project. Assuming it works ok, the Association plans to continue.
To put $25,000 against the principal of the Office Loan. To consider an additional amount to pay down the Office Loan based upon a cash flow study.
Tonight will be the third and final consideration of the Sexual Predator Amendment to the Bylaws. There is a slight change in the wording to include “weekenders” who may be tier 3 sex offenders. Before the Board votes on this again tonight, the minor wording change will be reviewed.
Reminder: Your Association is financially solvent.
$50,000 has been put into a Reserve Fund. What are Reserves? Reserves: “an amount adequate to repair and replace major capital items in the normal course of operations without the necessity of special assessments.” In addition, $10,000 from the 2018 budget is targeted to the Reserve Fund.
Despite the constant Social Media pokes about the insolvency and supposed constant dues increases by the Association, due/assessments have not increased since 2011 and the Association is solvent.
The Office was built with no increase in dues/assessment to the members.
Dredging has been done at no additional cost to the Members.
Interest payments have decreased about $4000 per month despite adding a new loan for the Office.
The valve on the dam has failed in the open position. The Association is aware of the situation and is working with the Village to remedy the problem. (Note: The valve has been repaired.)
The Association and the Board have been criticized for not responding to Social Media comments. Please remember that some of the social media commenters may not be Members, or may not be Active Members meaning that they are not paying dues/assessments. Some of the names and accounts could be fake. One of the problems of social media is that anyone can write anything without providing any documentation. You should make yourself aware of who is a Member, if they are a Member are they a paying Member, who is not a Member, and is it a real name, a real person? And then be asking for documentation before accepting what is written on social media as true.
The Association (the Operations Manager-Dan Mullins, Pat Sowery, Jen Addair, and the maintenance staff); and the Board of Directors wish every Member a Happy Holiday and a Happy New Year. Here’s looking forward to a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year for all of us. We will see you in 2018.
Tonight’s Board Meeting has been Cancelled
Due to the extreme cold and wintery conditions expected this evening, tonight’s RRA Board Meeting at the Clubhouse has been cancelled. The next Board meeting will be held on February 1, 2018 at 7:30pm in the Clubhouse.
Stay warm and safe!
The Lake in the Winter – Part 2
By David Ernes – Lake Management Committee
A frozen lake is just one more sign that winter has come to Roaming Shores. It presents a snapshot in time of the beauty of the lake. Of course the lake does not completely freeze (thanks to the properties of water), and one never knows if we will even see the surface of the lake freeze this year. But if we do, you may be surprised at what goes on under the ice.
A lake’s “winter” season is often identified based on the dates that the lake becomes fully ice covered. Once the lake is frozen, the entire ecosystem changes to cope with the colder temperatures.
Of most importance to many of our residents is the effect on the fish population. Fish seek the warmer waters under the ice and can survive as long as the oxygen levels in the water are adequate. Since they are not warm blooded, their metabolism slows, including respiration, digestion and activity level. This state, called torpor, allows them to survive until the ice melts and the water starts to warm up again. Some amphibians survive in this state by first burrowing into the sediment along the lake bottom before “hibernating”.
Macrophytes (aquatic plants) can actually handle the winter better than their terrestrial cousins if they are protected under the water. Some will form nodules, which can store energy while they wait for the sun to reappear. Some may go dormant. Some may die back, but their root systems may survive to grow again in the spring. While the lake drawdown can kill even the root systems if exposed long enough to the cold air, hopefully many beneficial aquatic plants will survive as they compete with the algae for the nutrients in the spring and summer.
As far as microscopic organisms are concerned, they also adapt. Phytoplankton (photosynthetic organisms) such as cyanobacteria (blue-green algae), produce thick-walled cells much like a cocoon that will protect them in a dormant state until conditions are more favorable. Some species can survive by becoming cannibals and consuming other algae species for food. Zooplankton (microscopic animal that also eat phytoplankton) may also form a cocoon for protection.
Like some of us, the lake’s many residents slow down their activity level during the cooler winter months and wait for the arrival of spring.
(Some information presented in this article was extracted in part from Lakeline Vol 34, #4 (2014))
BE LAKE RESPONSIBLE
Fisherman with a Purpose
Mike Chevalier, a long time Fishing Club member, can be seen bass fishing on our lake any day that ends in a “Y”. This year he has a purpose; he has been keeping data on the bass he has caught this year. Mike has caught 486 bass this year with a total weight of 680lbs. This is an average of 1.39lb per fish.
Mike caught 4 fish this year that were over 4lbs; the biggest being 4.71lbs. Mike starts fishing in April and ends in December. On April 7th, Mike caught 50 bass. With Mike’s data, the Club can hopefully keep track of the size and health of our bass population.
Mike Chevalier Bass Date for 2017
- Total bass: 486
- Total weight: 608lbs
- Ave weight: 1.39lbs
- Fish caught over 4lbs: 4 fish
- Largest fish: 4.71lbs.
2018 Dues and Assessments Information
It’s Dues and Assessments time, once again. While not a very popular thing to receive in the mail, Dues and Assessments are a necessity to keep the Association owned properties and facilities up and running for all to use and enjoy! There will be no increase in Dues and Assessments or Boat Decals for 2018.
Dues and Assessments were mailed out on January 2nd and need to be paid in full by May 1, 2018. You may pay your Dues and Assessments in installments. A late charge of 10% will be charged to the remaining balance after May 1st.
There are several different payment options available.
Bank Bill Pay:
Many banks offer their customer’s bill pay on their website. You can set the RomeRock Association as a payee. If you use this option to pay your Dues, please make sure that your lot number(s) are listed on the check (you can set your account number to your lot number(s)).
Mail:
You can send your payment via US Mail to P.O. Box 8, Rome, OH 44085. Checks and credit cards/debit cards are accepted. (If paying by credit/debit card please use form on the back of the return portion of your statement, there is a 5% fee).
In Person:
Checks, credit cards/debit cards and cash are accepted at our office location (1875 US Highway 6). There is a 5% convenience fee for credit/debit cards. Our office hours until April are Tuesday – Saturday, 8am – 6pm. You may also use our dropbox located on the front porch. The box is under video surveillance and emptied daily.
Online:
The RomeRock Association offers owners the ability to pay dues online through our payment processing partner, PayLease. Using PayLease will allow you to pay online with a credit/debit card or electronic check**. You can make a one-time or recurring payment.
Click the button on the sidebar that says “Pay Dues and Assessments Online”. Direct Page (http://www.roamingshores.org/RRA1/pay-dues-and-assessments-online/) or visit PayLease.com.
Follow the instructions to search for and select your property. Enter your contact information and a password to create your account. Your account number is your lot number and it must be 4 digits. Ex. Lot 123 would be 0123.
To add additional lots, under Manage Accounts (middle of screen), click Add Account, under link another account—put in your account number (4 digits) then type @RRA right after the number, then your last name, and then Submit.
Once registered, you can process a one-time payment and/or set up Auto Pay. If you set up an account previously, please use your same login information. If you forgot your credentials, select “Forgot Your Password”.
**Note: There is a fee accessed for paying online. 3% is charged for using a credit card/debit card and $2.95 for an electronic check (note: electronic checks differ from personal checks. Personal checks can be mailed or paid in-person without a fee). PayLease assesses a fee for each account (lot).
If you have questions regarding your account balance, please contact The RomeRock Association at 440-563-3170. For questions regarding PayLease or your online payments, please contact PayLease Support at 1-866-729-5327.
Early Bird Drawing
The RRA will again be holding an Early Bird Drawing for those who pay their Dues & Assessments in full early.
Each account paid in full before 5pm each Thursday between January 11th and March 15th will be eligible for weekly drawings for cash prizes. These prizes start at $500 per week until the award for March 15th becomes $50. Good luck!
Pay your total RRA balance, AT ONE TIME, as soon as possible. Winner chosen will be returned to the box for the later drawings. The sooner your Dues & Assessments are paid in full, the more drawings you will be eligible for!
If you pay by PayLease, when we are notified that your full payment has been processed, we will then enter you into the contest. We are not notified instantaneously.
This Year in Roaming Shores 2017
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Reminder: Snow Ban
With more snow in the forecast for this afternoon/evening, the Association would like to remind residents that parking on the roads/and or berms on association-owned roadways is prohibited when the snow depth exceeds 2″ (two inches). This is necessary in order to facilitate the plowing and/or removal of the snow. There are currently vehicles parked on the roads in the areas of Thrush and Deer Run.
Village Ordinance 303.08 Impounding of Vehicles; Redemption reads:
(a) Police officers are authorized to provide for the removal of a vehicle under the following circumstances: (1) When any vehicle is left unattended upon any street, bridge or causeway and is so illegally parked so as to constitute a hazard or obstruction to the normal movement of traffic, or so as to unreasonably interfere with street cleaning or snow removal operations.
Please help our plow drivers by removing your vehicles and all obstructions from the roadways.
Thank you!