Letters to the Editor

+ Don’t bite the hand that feeds you
I live in a gated community with a golf course (Heritage Harbour). In fact, to sell homes, developers have created a glut of this kind of community. The competition is so great that the golf courses struggle to survive, especially in this troubled economy.

Our golf course has taken its struggle to survive to a new level. It is suing the Community Development District for lower assessments and for an additional $3.84 million for its very existence. The CDD comprises all the property owners, whose yearly taxes and fees already pay the for the upkeep of the golf course. There’s only so much money in the pot. If the golf course fees go down, the residents’ fees go up.

The golf course claims it benefits the community, and it wants payment for this benefit. Millions! At the same time, its leaders should know that without the patronage and support of the residents, they could not exist.

Residents are already strapped with excessive fees to pay off the bond debt that was created to build the community (which, of course, includes the golf course). If resident’s fees increase, the already-troubling foreclosure rate could also rise. If the bond funds are raided to pay a judgement, the community could go into default.

The golf course/clubhouse newsletter recently offered a $5 coupon for residents to sign on as “fans of the GC/CH.” They woo us as they sue us. Instead, a good way to gain fans would be to find positive ways to survive, rather than to bite the hand that feeds you.
Joyce Sandy
Heritage Harbour

+ Anglers must supply own bait at tourney
Dear Editor:
The Lakewood Ranch Anglers Club and the Community Activities Corp. will sponsor the fifth Youth Fishing Tournament Feb. 25, at Lake Summerfield.

This year, there will be one major change: We will not provide bait. We are spending “bait money” on a feeding program we hope will provide a better catch for all contestants. Members of the Anglers Club will seed the lake with commercial fish pellets on a regular basis in February. We hope this will bring the big ones closer to shore and increase the catch.

In the past, the best live bait for bass has been big, live shiners. To keep them alive and frisky, you need a bait bucket and an areator. The second best bait has been plastic worms. You need to “Texas Rig “ them with the lightest slip weight possible.

Applications are available online or at Lakewood Ranch Town Hall.
Red Bailey
Lakewood Ranch