One of my favorite activities in Aberdeen is sitting in our den, looking out at the palm trees and the lake in our back yard.

We came back home 3 days ago and it is as beautiful as I remember.

Our visit this past summer with family and friends in NY was wonderful, but coming home, it was the icing on the cake. Having our grandson sleep over each weekend, going to the park, and eating pizza at Gino’s, was a wonderful routine, but, Jack could not wait to get back to playing Stickball. When we are in Aberdeen we miss our NY friends, and when we are in NY we miss everyone in Aberdeen.

I have to admit, we get to eat a great deal no matter where we are.

Another day in paradise. Sunshine, sitting by the pool, waling under the palm trees, tai chi, book club, opera, movies, more food, political discussions, celebrations, family and friends visits, golf and tennis, afternoon naps, and so much more.

We wish you all good health and happiness and hope you all enjoy your time together. Join our family as we enjoy this amazing way of life.

We are excited to announce the addition of 10 new families to our 140-home neighborhood and are glad they have chosen to layout their welcome mats here! Jim and I are new to Addison and we are loving our new home and our friendly neighbors. Lexi and Chloe have made many friends too. Snowbirds are returning slowly as evidenced by newspapers and cars in the driveways.

The October Ladies Birthday celebration had 180 attendees and many of our new Addison ladies are among the best dancers and revelers in Aberdeen.

January 2017 will see the start of the house-painting schedule; 30 homes will be repainted at a time, on a rotating basis. Much work is being done on the privacy wall bordering Gateway, with repairs, power washing and painting in the plans.

Comcast has begun laying underground cable which will eventually provide faster internet service.

The Addison HOA and homeowners take great pride in the beautification of our community. We even have our own bicycle security peddling throughout our neighborhood, thanks Mr. and Mrs. Vitale.

By: Sheila Hyman Well, by now, all you “birds” and “flakes” should be here. We did miss you!

Firstly, I’d like to wish happy birthday to Ellie Newman and Honey Karasyk.

New residents, please let me know your birthday month, so I can add you to our birthday list.

We have another new resident. My goodness, are we changing our neighbors fast! Welcome to Joel and Judy Lukow.

Get better wishes to Dot Shaker. She is the true bionic woman. Get better wishes also to Ellie Newman. She is running 2nd place to Dot as a bionic woman. And last but not least, good health wishes to our own Stan Cohen.

Just a bit of news from me. I went to the 75th birthday celebration of my high school in Brooklyn, NY., Midwood High! We spent the morning at the school seeing all that was new and old. The chorus sang the old and “new” alma maters. Midwood is still the only HS in NYC that has a program that continues from the past. Students can go to that school by application as well as community residence. Boy, are they growing the girls big and beautiful now! I believe Midwood was the birth of ‘SING’. We produced many famous people in the music field as well as in comedy and literature. The evening festivities were held at a hall in Park Slope. 400 people attended, a great turnout! There may be about 10 or more graduates from Midwood living in Aberdeen, but I was the only who went to the celebration.

If you have any news to share, please e-mail it to me; that is how I get the info to put into this article. Also, if you read this article it would be nice to hear from you. I only get comments from non-Sterlingites.

My e-mail is [email protected].

My first attempt to write this article in the airport in Rochester NY seems to have been lost in that never-never land of cyber space, so I am writing another.

Neal and I had the pleasure and excitement of watching our 17-year-old granddaughter from AZ play in a women’s ice hockey tournament. Her team won the championship and she got one of the goals.

Jane Casden spent the summer months on the beach in South Jersey enjoying the quiet and reading lots of books. Her time with her family was precious to her and she looks forward to this every year. Marty Phillips spent some time there also, but had the chance to visit with his children in NY as well.

Laurie Wohl has been busy getting her house in order as she has settled into her new life here in Aberdeen. Just in case she isn’t kept busy enough with the fitness center, the aquatic center and canasta, Laurie is a valued volunteer at a local hospital as well as serving on a special community project with the PB Sheriff’s Dept. Oh, by the way, she also is a card-carrying member of The Lion’s Club and has been instrumental in rejuvenating that local group. Welcome to Ashford, Laurie. What did we do without you!

Marilyn and Stan Gilman celebrated their 50th anniversary this summer up at the Cape.

We are noticing lots of landscaping projects going on in our community as newer residents create their dream gardens. As you drive through the community, take a look.

At this writing, we have a new president elect. Let’s not let this recent political campaign and its results divide us.

Congratulations to Stanley Glazer and his wife, Gerry, on Stanley’s 90th birthday. What a milestone! Stanley is a former board member and president. Have a great birthday, Stanley, and if you need help blowing out those candles you know who to call.

We want to welcome our latest new members of the community … Becky Stauffer and Dale and Marty Krulick. Welcome to FL and the Hamptons!

We mourn the passing of Eleanor Mailman and Milton Schertz, significant other of Marian Moskowitz.

Attention readers … we are starting a Book Club, the first meeting is at Connie Lamendola’s at 8224 Cassia Drive on Jan. 1st. The book to read is: “Green on Blue” by Elliot Ackerman.

Get well wishes to Sheila Cherry, Dave Price and Sheryl Rapport.

Thanks again to Ellen Gold and Janet Friedman for being so helpful in contacting me with news for our column.

Congratulations to Harry Rosenstein on being honored by the NY Giants, at Giant Stadium at the Opening Game of the Season. He was celebrated for being a Giant Subscription – Ticket-Holder for 60 years. His picture was on the scoreboard. Harry has 6 Season Tickets. He has given them to our daughter Heather and her family as we are only able to go to a few games since we moved here. You are only allowed to give them to a blood relative; he had to show his Birth Certificate, my daughter’s birth certificate and her marriage license. Really complicated. He also had an article written about him by George Willis a sports writer for the NY Post on Sept. 9, 2014. The NY Post is the “Bible of Sports Fans,” and you can see him reading the Post at the Club pool. He has a lending library for his sports fans.

Our son, Michael, from Margate, NJ, was part of the Operation BBQ Relief in NC. They were there for a week feeding 100,000. He was recruited by his friend, Dave Marks, the owner of “Famous Dave” BBQ. I know that at the end of the week he had pizza. Kudos to all the fantastic volunteers.

Holiday times are right around the corner and Barbara and Bill Whitelaw will celebrate with their children for Christmas and New Year’s in Costa Rica. Nice change of scenery!!!

By now, we know who our new president of the U.S. is. What a contentious election! I am a Canadian by birth, so I am a convert to American citizenship. Boy, I wouldn’t have missed this one for the world.

The rabbits are hopping; the birds are chirping and palm trees are swaying! Where, you ask? Why, Waterford At Aberdeen, of course. It’s an exciting time in our community. We’re energized, renovating and sprucing up. Not just in our community, but in our homes, as well. Our hard-working Board of Directors have been diligently running around installing a new digital guard gate, renovating the pool restrooms, painting and pressure cleaning all sidewalks and driveways.

The Waterford Social Committee is also on the move. It meets on a regular basis continuing to plan and host all Waterford social activities. In September, 40 residents participated and enjoyed a poolside Happy Hour. In November, several residents and guests attended the Waterford At The Movies event in Delray Beach. The Annual Waterford Pool Party is scheduled for Jan. 2017.

To further our digital community status, the Waterford website, waterfordataberdeen.com is in continual motion with news and updates. We have added several new pages, including a photo gallery and community events page. Residents are enthused by the capability to keep abreast of the happenings in their community.

As you travel through our hamlet, listen to the wind. It’s a gentle breeze echoing the sounds of neighbor greeting neighbor, happy announcements, fun conversations, friends saying “hello” to returning friends and smiles to welcome new residents. We welcome our new neighbors: Walter Doyle, Jr., Denise Toriello, Seth and Dany Lane and Peter Agati.

We extend good health wishes to Steve Ackerman, Marvin Guberman and Roz Klein. On a sad note, we offer heartfelt condolences to Barbara and Howard Weiss on the loss of their son.

So, when you enter Waterford, don’t be surprised when someone honks, waves, or stops to say “hello.” Even better, come visit us. The coffee is perking; the ice tea is brewing and the conversation is waiting. It is Home!

Thanksgiving leftovers should be eaten by now and the antacids put back in the drawer. Our residents celebrated without any Native Americans at the table, and the Cleveland Indians had nothing to cheer about; those in N DK are still protesting the pipeline. Many of us traveled: Mitzi Licht and Simon Glastein to Lexington MA to dine with her children, Joe and I to Philadelphia where our granddaughter & her husband hosted their first Thanksgiving, Marilyn and Alfred Lubell and Isabelle and Don Rubenstein flew from NY, tried our delightful weather and got on the plane to return for the holiday with their children. Real travelers are Joan and Vince Marini who vacationed in Destin, went on to Ecru MS, to visit their son, and on to San Antonio to celebrate with family. Our travel experts, Laura and Jon Unger, were going all the way to the Isles.

Visitors have started to test the water and Simon Glastein’s family, 18-strong, were in town a few weeks ago, that’s 3 generations visiting him. Carol Carleton’s sister came from Seattle and I’m sure she enjoyed our unlimited sunshine. We welcome back Ruth Joseph and Linda and Jim Pagoulatos and wish them speedy recoveries here.

Some more pleasure from adult children – Flora and Jack Miller’s son, Marshal, is director of Winding River Productions and was the recipient of the national award for “Reach MD” in NY. Now for the circle of life — Best wishes to Marilyn and Alfred on the birth of granddaughter, Simone, who will be named Thanksgiving weekend and to Charlotte and Jerry Kahn on the birth of their great-granddaughter, who almost came as a 62nd anniversary present.

We mourn the passing of long-time resident, Betty Jacobs, who had been in Fort Meyers near her son Harvey Wallet, ex-husband of Sally, and brand new owner, Connie Braverman, who never got to enjoy our community.

Our meet and greet Mooring representatives, Charlotte Kahn and Joanne Moustakas planned a get-together recently and new resident invitations went to Carmen Beaverman, Catherine Columbia, Jack and Vivian Ionetta, Judith and Irwin Margolis, Charles and Carmela Nixon, Eileen Ortman, Harriet and Lawrence Rabinowitz, Susan Stein, and Marie Unrah-Baumiller. We wish them many happy years at the Moorings!

Are you wondering where 2016 went? Dr. Seuss poetically exclaimed, “How did it get so late so soon? It’s night before it’s afternoon. December is here before it’s June. My goodness, how the time has flewn. How did it get so late so soon?”

Maybe we don’t express it so cleverly, but most residents have been in the midst of holiday activities since Halloween, and with Thanksgiving gone and Christmas Day and Hanukkah both on the 25th of this month, it has been one event after another. Aren’t we fortunate to live in such an accessible area of FL and in such an active community?

The Coves bid adieu to several residents in October; however, closings were too late to be included in the November column. We said good-bye to Don and Yvette Keegan, who were long-time Coves residents. We are so grateful to Yvette for her many years and expertise on our Board of Directors.

She served as secretary, taking meticulous minutes at each meeting, and authored and facilitated the sending of Coves e-blasts. Also moving away in October were Maryann Cotagno and Lise Demers. We welcome new residents Mark and Debora Tietbohl, Alan and Melissa Binaghi, and Joseph and Patricia Avendano. We hope they are enjoying our friendly community.

Speaking of new residents, there is another new entity to welcome. As of Dec. 1, 2016, The Coves welcomes a new management company. After months of consideration and interviews, Capital. Realty Investors, Inc. of Palm Beach Gardens, has been hired as our new Property Management Company. Mr. Bill Haas is the name of our new Property Manager and you will have a chance to meet him at a Dec. 14th Open House. This Meet & Greet Open House, at which Mr. Haas and the Capital Realty Management team will be introduced and take questions, will be held at the East Clubhouse at 7:00 PM. Light refreshments will be served. Please plan on joining us for this wonderful opportunity. We thank GRS Mgmt. for over 20 years of service with The Coves. We are quite confident you will be pleased with Mr. Haas “and company.”

By now, our walks and stairways have been pressure-washed and are company-ready for the holidays. With the influx of seasonal residents and guests, please remember to leave all guest parking spaces facing the buildings available for GUESTS, and park your second cars in one of the many available spaces facing the East and West berms. Keeping your porch lights on at night will not only create, a safe and welcoming atmosphere, it will help discourage the trespassers and groups of people using the Coves just to “hang out” as they did in late October. A Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Deputy sent the 5 cars and their occupants away. Car vandalism in complexes was rampant in early November in the Lake Worth area, so be alert and keep cars locked. It also goes without saying to remember to break down all those gift boxes and shipping cartons that will arrive during the month before disposing of them. Overflowing dumpsters are always an issue during the winter months when our buildings are fully occupied. Just use common sense and courtesy for “the next guy.”

I would love to share your holiday happenings in this column. Please submit your entries to [email protected]. In the meantime, Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah. Winter in S FL is a delightful time of year. Enjoy every moment before it “soon becomes too late.”

They say that time flies when you are having fun. I guess I must be having a ball. This is the Dec. 2016 issue of the Aberdeen Times and I do not know where this year has flown. The good news is that we are here to acknowledge so much that has taken place.

Among the good things was the celebration of Saul LeVine’s 80th birthday. He was surrounded by friends and Dorchester neighbors at Benvenuto’s Restaurant for an evening filled with fun, music, good friends and delicious food. Now that’s the way to do it. And then, the Levine’s headed for NYC to attend the Balloon Inflation Party in order to view the giant balloons and floats featured at Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. All this, with their grandchildren and relatives.

Harvey and I have not been having a fun time. We had a flood from underground pipes that involved our hot water pipes. Yes, the hot water was turned off, so showers happened at the Club. Thank you Aberdeen CC. Then we had to locate where the broken pipe was and relocate the hot water pipe. At last we could take a shower at home. Then … the contractors had to remove the baseboards and dry out the walls and carpet. OYE! Finally, the contractors had to deal with the insurance company. We are told this should be completed by the end of this year. SUCH FUN! And now I hear there is another family dealing with a similar problem. They have our empathy. Fortunately, we are all good swimmers.

On a happier note, we are happy to report that Sy Goldstein, who had back surgery recently, is on the mend. Looking forward to seeing him walking Chloe again and maybe even taking his wife, Phyllis, dancing.

Dorchester would like to welcome the Crupi family to our community. They have moved into 7653 Dorchester Road. So happy to have them with us. We missed welcoming another resident, Robert Maniello, who lives at 7773 Dorchester Road. We are delighted to have him with us, as well.

Now that we have all celebrated Thanksgiving, we know that this holiday was more than just food. Hopefully, many of us have made up a list of how we can give back to enrich the lives of those who are not as fortunate as we. You can pick the people, the charity or a person or group that has been there for you, and yes … give back this year.

Just around the corner before the end of 2016 we wish all our friends and neighbors, who celebrate Channukah and Christmas, a healthy, happy, loving and fun filled holiday and the same for the next 365 days in 2017.

Following the annual request for submission of applications for board membership, the Shores HOA annual general meeting was held in November. Since there were no new applicants to run for the board, the following were returned to office by acclamation for the 2016/2017 calendar year and re-elected by your board members to the following positions:

David Littman – President
Estelle Morganstein – Vice-President
Diane Greenberg – Secretary
Pam Breier – Treasurer
Barbara Ladd – Member-At-Large
Joan Nicolazzo – Member-At-Large

Barbara retains responsibility for our community web site and is chairing the By Law Revision Committee; Joan is in charge of our Pest Control program.

Over the last 5 years, approximately 30% of our community of 106 units has changed ownership. In order to encourage attendance at our Homeowner Association meetings, the board has been holding several evening meetings to accommodate working residents, and is now sending email reminder blasts to everyone. Since each meeting covers the state of our finances, issues facing the Villages of the East and our Master Association (the POA), and our own community’s upkeep and well-being – including road repairs, roof issues, landscaping updates and structural painting and insurance among other concerns – every homeowner has a vested interest in keeping up-to-date with happenings in The Shores. Please make every effort to attend as many meetings as you can.

Our new mailboxes have now been installed in every cul de sac and we have received nothing but compliments on their appearance. Your HOA is now in the process of identifying potential improvements for the coming year and we will keep you advised as decisions are made.

News from your Aberdeen East VOE Board: a new heater in the Isles pool, new annual flowers beds at our main entrance and holiday decorations on display in the Club House. If you are interested in taking the Mature Driving Course (which can bring down your car insurance costs) being offered Feb. 23, from 9-4 PM, please sign up at the clubhouse.

NEIGHBOR NEWS:
We have recently lost some long-time residents. We would like to offer condolences to the Lewis, Kruger, Goldberg, Gee, Gettes and Jensen families.

On a happier note, welcome to Susan and Matthew Brennan, who recently purchased a unit in Court F, Evelyn and Gary Ambler, who moved into our community this summer and are busy renovating, and Darlene Pfeiffer, who moved up from further south.

A welcome back to all snowbirds and a happy and healthy holiday season to everyone!