The Voice Of December 1, 2018

StillWaters From the General Manager - Kevin Eason It is hard to believe it is already the first of December. This year has flown by and there have been many positive changes to our community. StillWaters Residential Association has had a great year and I am looking forward to 2019. I hope everyone enjoys December in StillWaters with family and friends.

The committee and SWRA employees worked very hard to set up this year’s festive holiday decorations. Most of our decorations where either built or improved by our talented employees and volunteers. Each year SWRA adds a little something extra to improve our community decorations. I hope you enjoy the StillWaters holiday decorations and that you will help make our community a festive place during the holidays by also decorating your personal residence.

For the past three years, SWRA has hired a security firm to operate the main SWRA entrance gate on Hwy 49 during the weekends and late-night shifts. During the Business Hours weekdays, the main entrance gate was operated by SWRA employees. After careful Monday 9 to 4 pm consideration, the decision was made to switch back to an all SWRA employee gate Tuesday 9 to 4 pm attendant staff for the main entrance gate. Clyde Ware, a long time SWRA gate Wednesday 9 to 12 pm attendant, has taken over the supervision of the gate attendant staff and gate Thursday 9 to 4 pm operations. Clyde is dedicated to making sure the first person that greets our owners Friday 9 to 5 pm and guest as they come through the StillWaters gate is helpful, friendly, and FAX: 256-825-2991 knowledgeable about our community. Please congratulate Clyde on his recent Phone: 256-825-2990 promotion and thank him for his many years of service to our community. Email: [email protected] The 2019 StillWaters Residential Association annual fee invoice will be mailed to Web site: all property owners the last week of December. The annual fee is due on January 1, www.stillwatersra.com 2019 and is past due after January 31, 2019. Failure to receive an invoice is not a valid excuse for failing to pay your 2019 fees. Please read the article in this newsletter about the 2019 annual fee.

Please remember that all sets of covenants require property owners to obtain a Board Members permit from the Architectural Review Committee before any exterior work is Tom Nicholson performed. This includes painting, a new roof, a dock, or anything on the exterior even if you are repainting the same color. Failure to obtain a permit may result in a President fine to the property owner. It is very easy to complete the paper work for a permit Gene Akers - and only takes a couple of minutes, just come by the SWRA office and the staff can help with the paperwork. Treasurer

The 2018 paving project has been completed. It was decided to only pave and patch Penny Alexander- what areas needed immediate attention based on recommendations from the engineer hired by SWRA to oversee the roads. The unused funds from the 2018 pav- Secretary ing budget will be moved to the 2019 paving budget so that more work can be per- formed in 2019 to help reduce overall paving cost. Tom Dyne

Regardless of how someone celebrates the holidays or personal beliefs, this time of Lee Eastman year is the season of giving. For those who are able, please consider giving a monetary donation to a church or organization that serves the less fortunate. An Ken Ledbetter extra couple of dollars in the red kettle at the grocery store goes farther than most of ———————–———- us realize. For those who are unable to give money, then give your time to someone, it does not take much to help another person and the rewards are much more than Kevin Eason the gift of time. Have a safe and happy holiday season. General Manager

December 1, 2018

Patti Richardson

On November 27th, the StillWaters Residential Association was saddened with the passing of Patti Richardson, the current Board Vice President and longtime resident of StillWaters. Patti passed away from injuries she received in an automobile accident while returning home with her husband Roy from Birmingham. Patti had served in many different positions in our community since she started working with the previous developer in 1997. Patti will be missed by all but remembered as a dedicated volunteer and resident of StillWaters. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Roy, Lisa, and all her family.

Protect Yourself From Catching a Cold this Winter

The common cold or flu are both caused by viruses. The cold and flu viruses can be spread in the air or from contact with infected people. If you touch a surface, like a doorknob that an infected person has touched, then touching your eyes, mouth or nose may expose your to the virus. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend the following tips to reduce your risk of catching a cold or flu….

 Wash your hands often with soap and water. Wash them for 20 seconds and help young children do the same. Viruses that cause a cold/flu can live on your hands or surfaces, so

frequent handwashing is important.

Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth, particularly with unwashed hands. This is how viruses can enter your body and make you sick.

Stay away from sick people. People with a cold or flu can spread the virus to you. If someone in your home has a cold or flu, disinfect touched surfaces, like toys or doorknobs, frequently.

If you develop a cold or the flu, stay at home while you are sick to protect others. Avoid close contact, like hugging or shaking hands. Do not cough or sneeze close to people. When you do have to cough or sneeze, cover your mouth with a tissue and throw it away after. If you do not have a tissue, cough or sneeze into your upper shirt sleeve, just make sure your entire mouth and nose are covered. Wash your hands after coughing, sneezing

Living Waters Church Renovation

When you visit Church of the Living Waters next year you will notice a considerable difference. After 3 years of record attendance (3200 per year), large Easter services (400+) as well as 13 to 15 weddings annually, the Board of Trustees of the church decided to find a solution to accommodate our continued growth. That solution involves expanding our seating capacity and renovations in areas where the need is greatest as detailed in the

following paragraph.

Construction at the church should begin in December 2018 and be completed by mid-March 2019. The contractor for this project is Mike Kane. His own wedding was held at this church 16 years ago. An additional 16 feet will be added to the rear of the main structure, maintaining the existing A-frame look. This will allow seating for an additional 100 people under cover. The roof will be replaced with a new metal roof. The front stage will be extended 5 feet on the sides and replaced with composite board. Also, the sea-wall and boardwalk will be repaired with new decking and bumpers installed to allow more boaters to attend services.

We are reaching out to the community for your financial help. A donation to COLW Building Fund can be mailed to 1816 StillWaters Drive, Dadeville, AL 36853. Another way to help is a memorial donation such as a bench, a new podium, or a sound equipment cabinet. As you may know, COLW is a 501c3 Non-Profit organization and as such all donations are tax deductible under the IRS codes. A receipt for tax purposes will be provided to those who contribute.

We look forward to seeing you at Church of the Living Waters in 2019 as we grow with the community of StillWaters. COLW Board of Trustees

New Year’s Eve Celebration at Copper’s Grill

Make your plans now to attend the New Year’s Eve Celebration at Copper’s Grill located in StillWaters Goff Club. Contact Copper’s Grill at 256-373-3536 for more

2 December 1, 2018

SWRA Nominating Committee Appointed

The following people have agreed to serve on the Nominating Committee for the next election of two Board of Directors for SWRA:

Tom Dyne 334-332-1162 Sally Gantt 256-825-1384 Lee Eastman 256-596-5182 Linda Hickey 256-307-1658 Earl Moore 256-825-8228

If you are interested in serving on the Board or know of someone that you think would be a good candidate, please submit their name to the committee for consideration. After the nominating committee reports to the Board, other names may be added to the ballot by petition. Property owners under the 1987 covenants not selected by the Nominating Committee may run for the Board by obtaining a petition signed by a minimum of 20 property owners in good standing with the Association.

The election is for two positions for 3 year terms. The new members will begin serving March 2019 with results of the vote announced at the Annual Membership Meeting. Remember nominees must be property owners in good standing and under the 1987 covenants.

SWRA BYLAWS, ARTICLE VII NOMINATIONS AND ELECTION OF DIRECTORS

Section 7.1. The Board of Directors shall appoint a Nominations Committee of five (5) members, two (2) of whom shall be Directors and three shall be non-Directors. The Committee shall be appointed at least 60 days before any members’ meeting at which elections for the Board of Directors is to be held. The Committee shall nominate candidates to fill Board vacancies at least 30 days prior to the election and provide that list to the Secretary. No member of the Nominations Committee shall be eligible to be nominated. Nominations of members, must be in good standing, may also be made by petition signed by twenty (20) or more members, in good standing, filed with the Secretary at least thirty (30) days prior to the election.

StillWaters Residential Association 2019 Annual Dues

There will be a small increase in the SWRA 2019 annual dues. Property owners that own property under the ‘87 covenants and the ‘74 amendments will see their annual dues increase by $11. The annual SWRA dues can only increase when the Cost of Living Average, COLA, increases. This year the COLA is 2.8%. The annual dues for the properties under the ’71 covenants are set and do not change.

The $100 amenities assessment has been approved for another year. The $100 assessment is mandatory for all properties under the ’87 covenants but is optional for properties under the ’74 amendments and ’71 covenants; however, these properties must pay the $100 if they want use of the swimming pool and tennis courts. Pool/ tennis access cards for property owners under the ’74 amendments and ’71 covenants that elected to pay the $100 assessment last year but do not pay it for 2019 will be deactivated January 31, 2019.

All SWRA property owners should expect to receive their invoice for the 2019 annual dues around the last week in December. Additional optional items such as the easy entry gate device fee, will be included on the annual invoice. Property owners that do not re- ceive their annual invoice by January 1, 2019 should contact the SWRA office.

Property Owners Running for The SWRA Board by Petition

Any ’87 covenant property owner, that is not put forth as a board candidate by the nominating committee, that is in good standing with StillWaters Residential Association may run for election to the SWRA Board by petition. Blank petitions can be obtained from the SWRA office and should be returned no later than January 15, 2019. Please contact Kevin Eason if you have any questions about running for the SWRA Board of Directors by petition.

3 December 1, 2018

Stillwaters Golf – December 2018

We are all hoping for a mild winter this year. As the college football winds down, we say let’s ramp up the golfing again! The Tradition is ready and available so come on out.

MEMBER TOURNAMENTS The 2019 Member Tournament Schedule is out and available in the golf shop. We have added a One-Day Member Guest event in May and a fun Par 3 tournament in August. Pick up your calendar for the fridge and make your plans to enjoy all the fun events we have scheduled for the year ahead.

OUTSIDE EVENTS Monday Dec. 3rd Montgomery Golf Association 8:00am-10:30am tee times

GOLF SHOP ITEMS Come by and visit the staff while you look around. We have great logo gift items to help you get an early start on those holiday wish lists. You can also purchase gift cards for golf or merchandise. Gabby and Danny are available if you want to give the gift of golf lessons for your friends or family.

GOLF COURSE NEWS The staff has worked hard to deliver a wonderful golfing experience to all of us. We have a few bunkers that have washed out but the remainder of the course is enjoyable. We continue to receive wonderful reviews from our golfers and will continue to work towards course improvements going forward. We have a good stand of grass on the greens so even though they are dormant, they will put good throughout the winter.

EXTRA NEWS Gabby has been asked to write a monthly article to be published in Lake Magazine. First edition comes out January 2019 so be on the lookout for your pro tips and fun. Golf course operation will close on December 25th in honor of Christmas. Golf course operation will close on January 1st in honor of New Year’s Day. The golf staff would like to extend our warmest wishes to our members during the Christmas holiday. We enjoy serving you year-round and count this residency as part of our blessings. Thank you, enjoy a Merry Christmas and a great New Year.

Pineview Pool Renovations

The pool house at Pineview pool is being renovated and updated. The pool house will be more functional with two restrooms, new roof, a chemical storage room, updated wiring and plumbing. The original building was built in the early eighties and no longer met the needs of our community.

Other improvements to the pool area include updating the landscaping, painting the perimeter fence, and new security cameras. The project is scheduled to be completed mid-spring 2019.

SWRA Holiday Social

December 15th, 6 to 8 pm BYOB and bring an hors d’oeuvre to share. Come and enjoy the holiday season and meet other residents. See you there!

Advanced Disposal Christmas Garbage Pick Up Schedule

Due to the Christmas holiday, Advanced Disposal will pick up trash in StillWaters on Thursday, December 27th. Property owners on the SWRA garbage can roll out/in service, will have their cans rolled out on Wednesday, December 26th and rolled back after pick up on December 27th.

4 December 1, 2018 Origin of The

The custom of erecting a Christmas tree can be historically traced to 15th century Livonia (present-day Estonia and Latvia) and 16th century Northern Germany. According to the first documented uses of a Christmas tree in Estonia, in 1441, 1442, and 1514 the Brotherhood of Blackheads erected a tree for the holidays in their brotherhood house in Reval (now Tallinn). At the last night of the celebrations leading up to the holidays, the tree was taken to the Town Hall Square where the members of the brotherhood danced around it. In 1584, the pastor and chronicler Balthasar Russow wrote of an established tradition of setting up a decorated spruce at the market square where the young men “went with a flock of maidens and women, first sang and danced there and then set the tree aflame”. The Christmas tree became widely adopted by the Estonians themselves only in the 19th century.

In the German Middle Ages, mystery plays at Christmas time within churches often featured an evergreen "Paradise tree" from which an apple was plucked. The first evidence of Christmas trees outside of a church is of the 16th century, with trees in guild halls decorated with sweets to be enjoyed by the apprentices and children. (A Bremen guild chronicle of 1570 reports that a small tree decorated with "apples, nuts, dates, pretzels and paper flowers" was erected in the guild-house for the benefit of the guild members' children, who collected the dainties on Christmas Day.) Soon after, they are seen in the houses of upper-class Protestant families as a coun- terpart to the Catholic Christmas cribs. In the 18th century they begin to be adorned with , which were expensive items. Only in the 19th century did they come into use more widely, often in schools and inns before they appeared in homes. A decisive factor in winning general popularity was the German army's decision to place Christmas trees in its barracks and military hospitals during the 1870-1871 war. Only at the turn of the century did Christmas trees again appear inside churches, this time in a new brightly lit form.

While some take it that the Christmas tree is a Christianization of a pre-Christian winter rite, others see its origin in the "tree of Paradise" used as a prop in the medieval mystery plays that were given on 24 December, which as well as being is in some countries the day of the liturgical commemoration and name day of Ad- am and Eve. To suggest the Garden of Eden, a tree decorated with apples (to represent the forbidden fruit) and wafers (to represent the Eucharist and redemption) was used as a setting for the play. Like the Christmas crib, the Paradise tree was later placed in homes. The apples were replaced by round objects such as shiny red balls.

The modern Christmas tree . . . originated in western Germany. The main prop of a popular medieval play about Adam and Eve was a fir tree hung with apples (paradise tree) representing the Garden of Eden. The Germans set up a paradise tree in their homes on December 24, the religious feast day of Adam and Eve. They hung wafers on it (symbolizing the host, the Christian sign of redemption); in a later tradition, the wafers were replaced by cookies of various shapes. Candles, too, were often added as the symbol of Christ. In the same room, during the Christmas season, was the Christmas pyramid, a triangular construction of wood, with shelves to hold Christmas figurines, decorated with evergreens, candles, and a star. By the 16th century, the Christmas pyramid and para- dise tree had merged, becoming the Christmas tree.

The tradition still persists that Christmas trees should not be decorated until Christmas Eve.

Legends attribute the invention of the Christmas tree instead to Saint Boniface (c. 680 - 755), the Apostle of the Germans, and to Martin Luther.

However the Christmas Tree came to be, it is usually the focal pint of modern day Christmas decorating.

Boston Butts for the Holidays

StillWaters Recreation Committee will be cooking rubbed Boston Butts (around 9 -10 lbs) for the Holidays that can be purchased for $30 each with pick up on Saturday, December 22nd, 9am to 11am, at the SWRA Centre, 1816 StillWaters Drive.

To pre-order, call 334-332-1162 or 954-881-8508. Cash or check made out to "SWRA" accepted when delivered. Don't cook for the holidays! Proceeds from sale will be used for SWRA activities.

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6 December 1, 2018

December 2018 for SWRA Centre

2 3 4 5 6 7 1/8 SWRA ARC Board Meeting Meeting 9:00 AM 4:00 PM

Bridge Game Day Duplicate Bridge 9:00 AM 9:00 AM 9:00 AM 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 SWV&F Game Day 9:00 AM SWRA Envelopes Holiday Social

10:00 am SWRA Community Room

6 to 8 pm

Bridge Bid Whist Duplicate Bridge 9:00 AM 1:00 - 5:00 pm 9:00 AM

16 17 18 19 20 21 22 SWRA ARC Game Day Board Meeting Meeting 9:00 AM 9:00 AM 4:00 PM

Bridge Duplicate Bridge 9:00 AM 9:00 AM

23 24 25 26 27 28 29

Christmas Week - SWRA Office Closed

30 31 New Years Eve

7 December 1, 2018

Advanced Disposal

Advanced Disposal requires all garbage to be bagged before putting it into your garbage receptacle.

GOODSON’S HANDYMAN CARPENTRY

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SCOTTY GOODSON 256-825-7467 OWNER 256-212-2397

Merry Christmas to Everyone!!

8 December 1, 2018

9 December 1, 2018

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