November 2016 Newsletter

Aripeka Post Office...

We are sorry to report that there is no new "news" on when or even if the Aripeka Post Office will reopen.  The last information came from Carl Norfleet on October 20th that "inspections" were completed and they were awaiting the reports due in on Saturday the 22nd or Sunday the 23rd, (imagine the USPS working on a Sunday).

Hopefully, this is not just a way to finish the job they started a couple of years ago to PERMANENTLY CLOSE our Post Office.  There has been a lot of speculation that this may in fact, be the case.  When we go to the Post Office in Hudson to pick up our mail and ask about when Aripeka Post Office will reopen, all of the employees just respond with "I don't know".  It seems if plans were in the works to reopen, they might have some information since they are the front line for the questions from customers!

The USPS owes us an explanation about the Aripeka Post Office, since it is us who must make special trips of around 8 miles each way during only "OPEN" Post Office hours.  This is inconvenient for people who work days and have no way to pick up their mail.

It seems the simplest way to get our mail would be for the USPS to let us put up individual Mail Boxes, like the ones used almost everywhere else in the United States and then the USPS would delivery our mail to the box (as specified by the USPS) that we purchase and place (as specified by the USPS).  We are not talking about thousands of homes added to the mail routes out of the Hudson Post Office, there are only a few hundred homes in Aripeka on the Pasco side of the bridge.  Those living in Aripeka on the Hernando side of the bridge already get home delivery of their mail. 

Those of us living in Aripeka on what is obviously the "WRONG side of the bridge" would just like to receive the same services from the United States Postal Service as our neighbors who apparently live on the "RIGHT side of the bridge"!  Since both the Hernando side of Aripeka and the Pasco side of Aripeka are both located in the United States it is the only fair way for the USPS to solve this ongoing problem, or the USPS could simply reopen the Aripeka Post Office.

Wouldn't it be nice?

Aripeka Community Club...

Aripeka Community Club will hold its monthly Potluck Dinner on Monday November 7th at 6PM.  Bring a dish and meet your neighbors for some great food and conversation!


Aripeka West Storage...

Guests who have items in the storage area at Aripeka West, need to check on their property. Some of the stored property is in very bad condition and the storage fees are not up to date, this property needs to be removed or repaired and brought current on storage fees.  Also for those of you who have not completed the proper paperwork for storage, please do so immediately.  Plans are being made to dispose of property placed in the Storage Area at Aripeka West that is abandoned, without paperwork completed or that the storage fees are not paid up to date.  

Do not place any property in the storage area at Aripeka West without completing the required paperwork and paying the storage fees.  There is NO free storage available on the property at Aripeka West.

54 Christmas Shopping Days left...

Get ready... only 54 Shopping Days till Christmas!!  Wow how time flies by!  Time to start thinking about your "White Elephant" gift for our Annual Soup Party.  You know something that really gets the gift "stealing" going.  Seems like last years hot items were flash lights of every variety and other cool little lights.  A couple of years ago it was "throws" to keep you warm that were all the rage.  So what will it be this year?  Remember $10 gift limit, so you have to be on the lookout for the real bargains!

Election Day...

Tuesday November 8th, get out there and vote if you have not already participated in either Early Voting or Voting by Mail.  Every vote counts and there are many things on the ballot other than the Presidential candidates.  Everyone knows about Hillary and Trump, but do you know who's running for Senator or for Congress in your district?  How about the Amendments Solar Energy and Medical Marijuana?  How about the Local seats that are up for grabs or the judges?  Sample Ballot for Aripeka West Residents.  Make sure you can say ...

I am a good citizen!

Veteran's Day...

On Friday November 11th we will celebrate to honor all our Veteran's.  Please remember to say "thank you" to our veteran's, the one's who are currently serving and those that have served in the past.  Veteran's Day is a great day to show your patriotism and to give thanks to those who have afforded us the way of life we enjoy in this country.

Fall Back...

Remember to set your clock's back one hour on Sunday Morning November 6th at 2 AM or if you don't want to get up at 2 AM,  you can just do it before you go to bed on Saturday night.  This is also a great time to change the battery in your Smoke Detectors, even if they work, better to be safe and change them than to take a chance that they may fail when you need them!

The Great American Smoke Out...

If you have been thinking about quitting there is help!  

The American Cancer Society holds the Great American Smokeout® every year on the third Thursday in November.   This year the Great American Smokeout® will take place on 

November 17,  2016.   The purpose of the event is to set aside a day to help smokers quit smoking, quit using tobacco products, for at least one day, with the hope that they will quit completely.

Not only does the event challenge people to stop using tobacco, it helps to raise awareness about the dangers of smoking and the many effective ways available to quit smoking permanently.

Research shows that smokers are most successful in kicking the habit when they have some means of support, such as nicotine replacement products, counseling, prescription medicine to lessen cravings, guide books, and the encouragement of friends and family members.

Thanksgiving Dinner 2016...

Aripeka West will host a Thanksgiving Dinner for our residents and their invited guests on Sunday November 20th at 3 PM in the RV Park.  In order for the Park to have the right amount of food, not too much, not too little, but just the right amount, you must RSVP for the dinner by Tuesday November 15th at 5 PM.  Dinner this year will be $5 per person for residents and $8 per person for invited guests.  You will receive your RSVP sometime this week, so you will have plenty of time to return it to the office.  This year there is no need for you to bring a dish to share, the Park will prepare the dinner.  It will include Turkey, Stuffing, Gravy, Mashed Potatoes, Green Bean Casserole, Corn, Carrots, Cranberry Sauce, Bread and Desserts.  There may also be some surprise menu items.  Tom Reed has been invited and we have asked him to bring his "Award Winning Sweet Potatoes"  but just in case he is unable to attend, there will still be Sweet Potatoes even if they are not Award Winning!  Hoping to have a big crowd for this dinner!

And...

Black Friday November 25th

Small Business Saturday November 26th

Cyber Monday November 28th


Aripeka West Halloween Party...

Our 2016 Halloween Spooktacular was a great success!  We had a witch, a cat, two pandas, superman, batman, Peter Pan, Pocahontas, a few other costumed folks and many who just came to the party dressed as themselves!  The RV Park was decorated for the occasion, thanks to Nancy Arnold.  Karl set up the lights, Heather kept the popcorn popping, the ladies helped with clean up and Tom Reed did the dishes when the fun was ending, we had a good time and plenty of food to eat!

Please watch out...

We have many pedestrians and bicyclists in Aripeka West, so as you drive through the park be very careful.  Some are walking dogs along side of them, others are out for the exercise and still others may be making their way to a destination outside the park, but drivers need to watch carefully and those on bikes and walking need to be mindful that they are walking on the roads and it is quite likely there might also be cars on the road!  Basic Rules are pedestrians walk facing the traffic and bicyclist ride with the flow of traffic.  Aripeka Road can be very busy at times and it is also narrow without a sidewalk or bike path, walkers, runners and bikers need to keep a close watch on the cars, trucks and motorcycles they are sharing the road with every day. 

MYTH #1: Pedestrians always have the right-of-way. REALITY: No, not always. Legally, pedestrians have the right-of-way at controlled intersections and in marked crosswalks; but the law also states that "no pedestrian shall unnecessarily stop or delay traffic while in a marked or unmarked crosswalk."  (Also not on long, narrow, winding roads like Aripeka Road.)

Generally, bicyclists and other operators of human powered vehicles have the same rights and responsibilities as their counterparts driving motor vehicles, obeying the laws of the road, except for speed, if bicycle lanes or paths are available they must be used by the cyclists.

Littering...

Lately Aripeka West yards, fields and roads seems to be littered with soda cans, beer cans, take out drink cups, wrappers from all kind of food, cigarette butts, not to mention paper towels and such. Some people in the park recycle aluminum cans and that is great, but if you choose not to recycle them, please do not throw them on the park grounds.  If you are putting your trash in the dumpster and it spills, please be a good neighbor and clean it up. If you clean out your car, do not allow the trash to end up in your yard or worse someone else's yard.  Help us keep the trash off the grounds at Aripeka West.

If you have "trash" that is not allowed in the dumpster, such as furniture, please take it to the dump.  Do not put these items on the grounds at Aripeka West.

Things to do in Pasco...

From Hudson to Zephyrhills, here's the scoop on some area attractions.

And if you can venture farther for home, say within 60 miles you can see these. 

Coming in December...

Get ready for our Annual Soup Party and White Elephant Gift Exchange!  We always have a lot of fun at this event!

Calendar of Events...

October 2016 Newsletter

How time flies...

Seems like the summer just flew by, truth is it seems like 2016 had just flown by and here we are, it is Fall again.  Time for the temps to moderate, the rains to stop and there will be just beautiful sunshine daily!  Although Fall Colors are not prominent in Florida, our summer flowers are still in bloom and between the colorful flowers and the cooler, not cold mind you, temps in the low 80's during the day and low 70's at night Fall is just a beautiful time to live in or visit Aripeka West. 

Summer was tough this year, no rain in early summer gave way to heavy rain and Tropical Storms later on, the humidity was high as were the temps, but guess that is just what you would expect from a Florida Summer!

We would like to say "Welcome Back" to Johnny Goins, Jim Chalk and Loren Ford who returned to Aripeka West in September to spend the winter with us.  Jim Chalk has decided he likes Aripeka West so he will be residing here year round.

Our WIFI...

Our WIFI is COMPLIMENTARY for the guests of the RV Park only.  The WIFI may or may not be available at your site, but is available on the office porch, the pavilion and in the screened room.   The Complimentary WIFI is for checking your email, searching the web and for Social Media, like Facebook and Twitter.  It is not for online gaming, streaming video such as Hula, Netflix and others or for devices that can be connected to the internet for purposes of watching TV or movies.  It does not support Magicack, Skype and other telephone products that operate through the internet.  

Brighthouse Cable TV, phone and internet services are available in Aripeka West but you must set up your own account.

TV Service...

You can receive some local channels with a HD antenna on your RV.  If you want more channels, you can contact Brighthouse, Direct TV or Dish Network for service during your stay at Aripeka West.  If you currently have Direct TV or Dish Network at your home you can usually get the service to your RV during your time away from home.  Contact your provider for information about the possibility of of using your home service during your travels.

Mowing and Trimming in the RV Park...

Park Personnel will make every effort to keep you sites mowed and trimmed, but we will be unable to mow or trim if you have personal items stored on you site, like outdoor mats, flower pots, chairs, etc.  

We have trimmed the palm trees in the RV Park and this should keep down the number of palm fronds that fall this winter, but should one fall on your site, please place it near the road for pick-up.

Recycling...

At Aripeka West we recycle ONLY ALUMINIUM CANS, we DO NOT recycle plastic or glass. Please place ALUMINIUM CANS in the recycle tub located near the covered pavilion by the shop. 

All GLASS & PLASTIC can be placed in the dumpster or you can call Pasco County Utilities and ask where you can take other recyclables and which ones they accept.

Coffee with Friends...

This year our breakfasts will be limited.  Every Wednesday will have coffee and donuts.  Some Special Wednesdays throughout the Winter we will included other items like pancakes, eggs in a bag, etc. Notices of Special Breakfasts will be posted in the Monthly Newsletters and on the Soda Machine on the pavilion.  Breakfasts will start the first Wednesday in November and continue through the last Wednesday in March.  All breakfasts are weather permitting.

Halloween Spooktacular...

This year our Halloween Spooktacular will be on Thursday October 27th at 7PM in the RV Park. Everyone in the RV and MH Park is invited join in the fun.  Get your costume ready and let's have some fun.  Children are welcome but must be accompanied by a parent.

We will have finger foods available and we would love for you to bring a snack to share.  Punch will be available but you may bring a beverage of your choice or purchase a soda from our machine. See you at the Party!

Corn Mazes Fall 2016...

Harvestmoon Farm




Sweetfields Farm

Columbus Day...

10 Things You Might Not Know About Christopher Columbus

On October 12, 1492, Christopher Columbus set foot on the fine white sands of an island in the Bahamas, unfurled the Spanish royal standard and claimed the territory for King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella. Although Columbus thought he was in Asia, he had actually landed in the “New World.” History—for better and worse—would never be the same again. Here are 10 things you may not know about the famed explorer.

1. Columbus didn’t set out to prove the earth was round.
Forget those myths perpetuated by everyone from Washington Irving to Bugs Bunny. There was no need for Columbus to debunk the flat-earthers—the ancient Greeks had already done so. As early as the sixth century B.C., the Greek mathematician Pythagoras surmised the world was round, and two centuries later Aristotle backed him up with astronomical observations. By 1492 most educated people knew the planet was not shaped like a pancake.

2. Columbus was likely not the first European to cross the Atlantic Ocean.
That distinction is generally given to the Norse Viking Leif Erikson, who is believed to have landed in present-day Newfoundland around 1000 A.D., almost five centuries before Columbus set sail. Some historians even claim that Ireland’s Saint Brendan or other Celtic people crossed the Atlantic before Erikson. While the United States commemorates Columbus—even though he never set foot on the North American mainland—with parades and a federal holiday, Leif Erikson Day on October 9 receives little fanfare.

3. Three countries refused to back Columbus’ voyage.
For nearly a decade, Columbus lobbied European monarchies to bankroll his quest to discover a western sea route to Asia. In Portugal, England and France, the response was the same: no. The experts told Columbus his calculations were wrong and that the voyage would take much longer than he thought. Royal advisors in Spain raised similar concerns to King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella. Turns out the naysayers were right. Columbus dramatically underestimated the earth’s circumference and the size of the oceans. Luckily for him, he ran into the uncharted Americas.

4. Nina and Pinta were not the actual names of two of Columbus’ three ships.
In 15th-century Spain, ships were traditionally named after saints. Salty sailors, however, bestowed less-than-sacred nicknames upon their vessels. Mariners dubbed one of the three ships on Columbus’s 1492 voyage the Pinta, Spanish for “the painted one” or “prostitute.” The Santa Clara, meanwhile, was nicknamed the Nina in honor of its owner, Juan Nino. Although the Santa Maria is called by its official name, its nickname was La Gallega, after the province of Galicia in which it was built.

5. The Santa Maria wrecked on Columbus’ historic voyage.
On Christmas Eve of 1492, a cabin boy ran Columbus’s flagship into a coral reef on the northern coast of Hispaniola, near present-day Cap Haitien, Haiti. Its crew spent a very un-merry Christmas salvaging the Santa Maria’s cargo. Columbus returned to Spain aboard the Nina, but he had to leave nearly 40 crewmembers behind to start the first European settlement in the Americas—La Navidad. When Columbus returned to the settlement in the fall of 1493, none of the crew were found alive.

6. Columbus made four voyages to the New World.
Although best known for his historic 1492 expedition, Columbus returned to the Americas three more times in the following decade. His voyages took him to Caribbean islands, South America and Central America.

7. Columbus returned to Spain in chains in 1500.
Columbus’s governance of Hispaniola could be brutal and tyrannical. Native islanders who didn’t collect enough gold could have their hands cut off, and rebel Spanish colonists were executed at the gallows. Colonists complained to the monarchy about mismanagement, and a royal commissioner dispatched to Hispaniola arrested Columbus in August 1500 and brought him back to Spain in chains. Although Columbus was stripped of his governorship, King Ferdinand not only granted the explorer his freedom but subsidized a fourth voyage.

8. A lunar eclipse may have saved Columbus.
In February 1504, a desperate Columbus was stranded in Jamaica, abandoned by half his crew and denied food by the islanders. The heavens that he relied on for navigation, however, would guide him safely once again. Knowing from his almanac that a lunar eclipse was coming on February 29, 1504, Columbus warned the islanders that his god was upset with their refusal of food and that the moon would “rise inflamed with wrath” as an expression of divine displeasure. On the appointed night, the eclipse darkened the moon and turned it red, and the terrified islanders offered provisions and beseeched Columbus to ask his god for mercy.

9. Even in death, Columbus continued to cross the Atlantic.
Following his death in 1506, Columbus was buried in Valladolid, Spain, and then moved to Seville. At the request of his daughter-in-law, the bodies of Columbus and his son Diego were shipped across the Atlantic to Hispaniola and interred in a Santo Domingo cathedral. When the French captured the island in 1795, the Spanish dug up remains thought to be those of the explorer and moved them to Cuba before returning them to Seville after the Spanish-American War in 1898. However, a box with human remains and the explorer’s name was discovered inside the Santo Domingo cathedral in 1877. Did the Spaniards exhume the wrong body? DNA testing in 2006 found evidence that at least some of the remains in Seville are those of Columbus. The Dominican Republic has refused to let the other remains be tested. It could be possible that, aptly, pieces of Columbus are both in the New World and the Old World.

10. Heirs of Columbus and the Spanish monarchy were in litigation until 1790.
After the death of Columbus, his heirs waged a lengthy legal battle with the Spanish crown, claiming that the monarchy short-changed them on money and profits due the explorer. Most of the Columbian lawsuits were settled by 1536, but the legal proceedings nearly dragged on until the 300th anniversary of Columbus’ famous voyage.

Italian Night...

Time for a Potluck, so what about Italian?  Sound good?  Well how about on Monday October 17th in the RV Park at 5pm?  The Park will supply Spaghetti and Meat Sauce, Bread and a Salad.  We would love for our guests to bring one of their "Italian Specialties" to share, but if that is not possible a $4/person donation will get you dinner!  Sweet Tea will be provided but you are welcome to bring your own beverage of choice or purchase a soda from our machine.  Hope to see you there.

Time to Clean up...

In the RV Park

RVer's please take a good look at your RV and your RV Site.  Is your RV clean? Is your site cluttered with items?  Do you have things stored under your RV?  If you answered "yes" to any of the questions, it is time to CLEAN UP.  One of the Park Rules is that your site and RV must be kept clean.  Items stored under your RV are limited to items in covered plastic storage containers and they must be stored on the door side of your RV only.  No wood or other building materials are to be stored under your RV or elsewhere on your site.  Any rugs that are place on the ground must be under your awning only.  All trailers and vehicles stored on your site must be kept clean.  You are not permitted to store any of your personal items on the other peoples sites or on vacant sites at any time.  If you need help with cleaning your RV or Site, please call the office as we have someone who is willing help at a very reasonable rate.

In the Mobile Home Park

Please help us to keep the park clean by not leaving your trash in your yard.  Use the dumpster to get rid of household garbage, but you must take larger items to the dump.  Keep your hoses neatly stored off the grass.  Please park your vehicle on your carport if you have one, if not and you must park in the grass, be prepared to move your vehicle when we are mowing or trimming.  DO NOT leave dog tie outs in the ground when not in use.  Only items like bicycles, lawn furniture and grills are to be stored outside, but things like toys, dog leads, tools, laundry baskets. rakes, shovels, etc, must be kept inside your Mobile Home or in your shed.  If you need help, we have someone very reasonable that may be able to help you.

Are you a good "Pet Parent"?...

At Aripeka West we love pets, especially those pets with good "pet parents" that make sure their pets are up to date on their vaccines so they do not get sick or spread disease, particularly their Rabies Vaccination which is required by law for both dogs and cats. Good "pet parents" clean up after their "fur children" and teach them good manners around other people and other animals. Good "pet parents" do not allow their "fur children" outside alone, they go out with them to keep them safe.  Good "pet parents" follow the leash law for dogs and while cats are not required to be leashed,  they are not safe outside alone.  There are coyotes and bobcats in the park as well as hawks and snakes, any of these could kill your house cat or your small dog.   

Please do not feed the feral cat population in the park.  If you feed them they then become YOUR CATS and you are responsible for their health and welfare plus rabies vaccination as required by law.

The other wildlife including raccoons should not be fed as they quickly become pests and there is a danger of many different diseases they could be carrying, including rabies

Cottee River Bikefest...

October 7th - 9th Cottee River Bikefest

It's October so...

Here are a few interesting things that happened during the month of October:

• Free rural delivery of mail began in the United States, October 1, 1896.
• The first "Model T" Ford was put on the market, October 1, 1908.
• The Soviet Union launched it's first artificial satellite, Sputnik, October 4, 1957.
• The first double-decked steamboat, the Washington, arrived at New Orleans, October 7, 1816.
• The great fire of Chicago began, and burned for about 30 hours, October 8, 1871.
• The U.S. Naval Academy opened at Annapolis, Md., October 10, 1845.
• Columbus landed in America, October 12, 1492.
• The United States flag was formally raised over Alaska, October 18, 1867.
• The U.S.S. Constitution, better known as Old Ironsides, launched, October 21, 1797.
• The first transcontinental telegram was sent, October 24, 1861

Calendar of Events...