October 2019 Newsletter

October 2019 Newsletter, updated 10/21/19, 5:45 PM

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Sweetwater Homes - Association Newsletter

About Sweetwater HOA

Sweetwater is a premiere gated, deed restricted community with 129 homes. Quiet and secluded, Sweetwater is nestled within the Pam Callahan nature preserve and surrounded by the waters of old Tampa Bay and Sweetwater Creek.   Although private and surrounded by nature, Sweetwater is in the heart of the Tampa Bay area ideally located close to major highways, Tampa International Airport, the city's best shopping and restaurants, downtown, and local beaches.

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SWEETWATER NEWSLETTER

10/2019

GOLFERS NEEDED GOLFERS NEEDED GOLFERS
NEEDED

GOLFERS WANTED AND NEEDED – Our 2nd Annual Golf
Tournament is rapidly approaching, scheduled for 11/15/2019. If
you are golfing in the tournament or thinking about it you need to
register. We need to start getting a count of the number of golfers
that will be playing. So . .

Please register on the following
website: https://app.eventcaddy.com/events/upper-tampa-bay-
golf-tournament

REMEMBER, proceeds from the tournament go toward
improvements to the golf course and community. Last year we
funded plantings on the golf course along Independence
Highway. We are working toward being able to have a sign (not
your typical county sign) erected proclaiming this is Rocky Point
and naming the neighborhoods included. Those neighborhoods
are Dana Shores, Pelican Island, Sweetwater Cove, and
Sweetwater.

If you have questions you can call Donna Lentz on her cell at 813-
690-9860. If she can’t answer your question she will find the
answer thereto!

PLEASE REGISTER AS SOON AS POSSIBLE




HALLOWEEN IS FAST APPROACHING AND DANA SHORES HAS
INVITED SWEETWATER RESIDENTS TO THEIR PARTY ON OCTOBER
26 AT ROCKY POINT CLUBHOUSE

It's that time of year again to celebrate with your friends & neighbors at the
annual Adults Halloween Party! Please join us for this favorite neighborhood
event on Saturday, October 26th from 7-11pm at Rocky Point Golf
Course. Light food, a full bar, music & dancing will all be part of the night.
$20/person includes appetizers and 2 drink tickets. The themed menu will
include "Intestines" Chicken Marinara stuffed Puff Pastries, "Stuffed Jack-O-
Lanterns" Beef Stuffed Peppers, "Severed Fingers" Hot Dog Sliders,
"Pumpkin Puke" Guacamole & Hummus Dip, and "Devil's Eyes" Deviled
Eggs. There will be a Sangria drink as well. The 2 drink tickets can be used
for beer, wine, sangria, or well drinks. The full bar will be open for guests to
open up their own tabs for the night as well.
We will have a raffle for a round of golf which includes 18holes for a
foursome at Rocky Point Golf Course valued at $160.
RSVP by Tuesday, October 22nd so we can plan appropriately and make sure
there's enough food so we don't have any hungry goblins! You can pay via
cash, checks made out to Rocky Point Golf Course, or by credit card. You
may also pay at the door, or if you wish to pre-pay, you may drop a check or
cash in an envelope to Cathy Sanfillipo at 3804 Dana Shores Dr. RSVP to
invite to Cathy at 813-245-6425.







County Deploys Sky-High Tech for Key
Missions
Drones give perspective that helps accomplish variety of tasks
efficiently
Tiny plastic blades whirl into a frenzy, propelling Mosquito Management's
unmanned aerial vehicle skyward in pursuit of the insects' habitat along Tampa
Bay's coast.
With a small camera mounted on the remote-control aircraft, County mosquito
hunters get a birds-eye view of standing water in Wolf Branch Creek Nature
Preserve, west of Ruskin. Periodically flooded by high tides and rainfall, the
marsh and shallow ponds are the breeding grounds of the salt marsh mosquito,
the area's most prolific and bothersome flying insect. Mapping the wet areas
helps the County eliminate mosquito larvae before they hatch into adults.
It's one of many ways the County uses unmanned aerial vehicles, also called
drones. The machines aren't toys. They enhance the County's ability to
accomplish tasks that improve the comfort and safety of residents.
Here are other departments that use drones, and what they do with them:
Public Utilities photographs the tops of structures, such as wastewater
treatment plants, before hurricane season. These "before" images are contrasted
with shots taken after a storm passes, to show any damage. And with aerial
views in hand, the need for treatment plant operators to, say, climb atop a
storage tank for an inspection is reduced. Visuals shot from the air also show
layouts of water and wastewater facilities in relation to nearby structures and
natural features.
Communications & Digital Media has used drones for almost three years.
Aerial images convey information that otherwise is difficult, or impossible, to
come by. Video footage shot with drones and distributed to the public and the
media can provide context, and foreshadow action in upcoming scenes.
Public Works uses a GoPro Hero 4 camera, mounted on a telescoping pole, to
inspect culverts and peer beneath bridges for obstructions or damage. Capturing
these images is faster and safer than sending workers down an embankment or
beneath a bridge. A Public Works contractor also recently used a drone to get
video of a channel leading to Lake Thonotosassa, to show vegetation and shoals
impeding the water's flow.
The mounted cameras often are less expensive than other means of getting
visuals. For example, the County can buy a drone for less than the cost of
shooting surveillance images from a helicopter for one hour.
Mosquito Management pilot Mike Muench prepares to launch the department’s unmanned aerial
vehicle. It will record video of Wolf Branch Creek Nature Preserve.
The County is just beginning to tap the potential of unmanned aerial vehicles.
Mosquito Management, for example, has one licensed pilot and one drone. It
would like three or four pilots, and a drone capable of dropping into a pond to
check for mosquito larvae with an underwater camera.
For now, even one drone is an asset. Mosquito Management previously had to
send an inspector, either in a truck or on foot, into Wolf Branch Creek Nature
Preserve. This can disturb wildlife and it takes hours for an inspector to canvass
the area on foot. A drone soars past such logistical hurdles.
Top photo: A Communications & Digital Media video includes footage, from above, of the transformation of a
wooden cigar factory in Ybor City into apartments. The aerial helps viewers locate the structure.


Reimagine Your Neighborhood with
Hillsborough County

16th Annual Neighborhoods Conference invites Hillsborough
County neighborhoods to reinvest in their communities and the
future
Wanting ideas on how to take your neighborhood to the next level? Not
involved as much as you'd like to be or looking for ways to branch out in your
community? Whatever you're looking for, the 16th Annual Neighborhoods
Conference on Saturday, November 2, is calling your name. The conference is
the perfect time for you to meet with hundreds of influential leaders and
decision-makers from across Hillsborough County who can help you and your
community.
The conference is offering more than a dozen workshops that cover topics
ranging from discovering the ins and outs of local code enforcement and
disaster planning to learn how to engage your community as a leader and
through online tools.
Between the workshops, attendees can visit with on-site vendors and learn about
the services available to their community. The vendors will include local and
national businesses, as well as Hillsborough County and various city
departments and agencies.
At the end of the day, Hillsborough County will announce the winners of the
2019 Neighborhood Recognition Awards, recognizing high-achieving
neighborhoods and standout community leaders.
To register today, visit the 16th Annual Hillsborough County Neighborhoods
Conference here.

Board of C


Greater Hillsborough County Fair
The Greater Hillsborough County Fair focuses on family fair tradition in
Hillsborough County. We know that importance of providing wholesome
family fun rooted in many years of tradition that are a large part of our county
fair. With a variety of free entertainment, events and community competitions
and a family fun Midway, our county fairs offers something for everyone!

The 2019 Greater Hillsborough County Fair opens Thursday, October 17 for
two weekends of fun and entertainment! This year’s theme: Let the Good
Times Grow. The fair will run October 17-20 and 24-27. Livestock shows,
carnival rides and fair food are a staple at this annual event and the
excitement doesn't stop there! The Hillsborough County Fair boasts some of
the largest youth livestock shows among county fairs in the southeastern
United States. Dairy and beef cattle, rabbits, poultry, sheep, goats and pigs
round out an array of more than 800 animals that will be on display and
competing in our show ring.

Among the new and updated laws taking effect
Tuesday, here are some highlights:


HAZING
(SB 1080) Created after Andrew Coffey died in a hazing event at Florida State University
fraternity pledge, this law makes a third-degree felony out of hazing that results in a
permanent injury. The bill outlines immunity to witnesses who call 911 or report the need for
medical assistance during hazing incidents.


TEXTING WHILE DRIVING
(HB 107) This measure took effect July 1, but starting Oct. 1 drivers will be required to be
hands-free in school and work zones. Law-enforcement officers will give out verbal or written
warnings until the end of the year for motorists who don’t put down cell phones in those areas.
Law enforcement will begin being issued Jan. 1 as a moving violation that puts three points on
the driver’s license.

POLICE DOGS AND HORSES
(SB 96) Makes it a second-degree felony, up from a third-degree felony, for people who kill or
cause great bodily injury to police, fire or search-and-rescue dogs or police horses. The amount
of potential prison time increases from five years to 15 years. This bill stems from the deaths of
Fang, a member of the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office canine unit that was shot and killed, and a
Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office police dog named Cigo that was killed in the line of duty.

VETERANS’ COURTS
(SB 910) This law expands eligibility of court-ordered treatment options. Providing that
veterans who were discharged or released under any condition, individuals who are current or
former United States Department of Defense contractors, and current or former military
members of a foreign allied country are eligible in a certain Military Veterans and Service
members Court Programs.





WE STILL NEED RESIDENTS TO HOST PARTIES. PLEASE
LET MARIE McELROY KNOW (813-758-5068 or email her
at mcelrmar@gmail.com) or Donna Lentz (813-690-9860
or email her at mdgator1@tampabay.rr.com ) IF YOU
ARE INTERESTED TO HOST FOR ANY MONTH.