VOL. 19 NO. 2 Community web site: http://hggcc.com Community Channel: Channel 98 on TV FEBRUARY 2021 Calling All Buddies! By Linda Lynch, Herons Glen The volunteers will each purchase one book and send it with a short note printed, not By now you probably have heard or read about the activities written in cursive, to introduce themselves to their students. Volunteers might tell the children within Herons Glen to provide support to students and staff at the where they live, where they grew up, and what they like about reading and books. It would Littleton Elementary School in North Fort Myers which serves also be beneficial if volunteers have read the books they are donating in order to share students in preschool through grade five. These efforts were initially thoughts with the children, such as “I look forward to seeing what you think of the story or spearheaded by Linda and Dennis Nickerson and have since been a character in the book,” etc. This will help engage the child in the upcoming story. augmented by a committee of residents. Through these ventures, The child will send a note back, or a drawing if the child is very young, and the volunteer residents of Herons Glen and those in nearby Six Lakes have can continue his pen pal correspondence via the teacher’s supervision. Plans are for a second generously provided clothing, books, and games to students book to be purchased and sent to the students around Easter. and Target gift cards to teachers and staff at the school. Now a Overall, then, this year’s virtual program would require purchasing two books and new type of giving project is underway. spending up to several hours (an estimate) each month in correspondence with each student. Littleton’s Principal Monica Broughton is working with the So far, 45 volunteers from Herons Glen and one from Del Tura have signed up to be committee to initiate a virtual Reading Buddy Program, with virtual buddies, and a few individuals have volunteered to work with more than one child. hopes of an in-person program once COVID-19 is safely under All the volunteers will be receiving information about their paired student over the next control. Participation in the virtual program through the end of this several weeks. However, an ideal program would have many more virtual buddies available school year would not obligate anyone to participate in future programs. for other students. Here’s how the virtual program will work. Each volunteer adult buddy will be paired with If you are interested in becoming a virtual buddy for the rest of this school year, please an individual student. At the outset of the program, hoping to start around mid-February, contact Linda Nickerson as soon as possible. This is an opportunity to give of your time and the volunteer will receive the first name of the student he/she will work with, the child’s yourself in addition to the modest financial contribution required to purchase the books. It current reading level, and some suggestions for books the child will find interesting and at is also a chance to make a real difference for a child in our community. To paraphrase, as an appropriate level. we sow, so we reap. Hot Topic! Blue Stream An Update On Telecommunication And Broadband Service By Joyce Gillespie, Herons Glen HOA Manager The community contract with Blue Stream provides for an initial 90-day period beginning The HOA has an informative web page that provides up-to-date information and June 1 for free service calls. For new installs after June 1, the 90 days starts on the date when Blue publications concerning Blue Stream, the new provider for the cable and Internet service. Stream services are installed in your home. Please check out the web page: Telecommunication and Broadband Services at www. The specific language in the community Blue Stream contract is: heronsglenhoa.org and click on the blue square labeled Telecommunications Broadband All service calls for the first 90 days are free of charge. Thereafter, service calls where the cause Services. The following are a few of the important items of which you should be aware: of the service call is due to a failure of the Blue Stream equipment, not caused by the resident, that Telephone Consultation With Blue Stream call will be free of charge. Service calls for other reasons such as training or a failure caused by It is important to get registered for a consultation with Blue Stream. During the telephone the resident’s equipment or other items may incur a charge. consultation Blue Stream representatives will answer your questions, discuss your service To summarize, after the 90 days from installation of Blue Stream in your home, anything that needs and set up your installation date. The link for the registration for this consultation is is not related to the failure of Blue Stream equipment or service will incur a $70 service charge. http://mybluestream.info/hglenregistrations. Examples of circumstances that could result in a service call charge or equipment damage charge Before the telephone appointment, please take a moment to review the Blue Stream could be things such as someone or something accidentally damages the Blue Stream equipment, Services Guide and Channel Lineup and the protection plan. Blue Stream Services Guide and Channel Lineup and protection plan details are available on the Telecommunications Update On Telecommunication on page 6 Broadband Services web page. The protection plan is optional. The details of the protection plan are included in this article. For additional information a copy of the flyer is available at the HOA office on the table by the resident copier. The HOA Communication Committee Needs Your Help! Please consider volunteering for the HOA Communication Committee! Your participation and addition of your valuable ideas will improve communicating with all residents. A few hours a month of your time is all we ask. Please fill out a volunteer form and submit it to the HOA office. These are the responsibilities of the committee. The Communication Committee shall advise and recommend to the HOA Board as follows: 1. Disseminate community information to residents of Herons Glen via The Heron, the HOA News Bulletin and the Community Channel. 2. Recommend policy and guidelines for The Heron, the HOA News Bulletin and Community Channel to the HOA Board. 3. Oversee staffing, organization, and content ofThe Heron, the HOA News Bulletin and the Community Channel. This is the address for the fillable volunteer form –https://heronsglenhoa.wufoo. com/forms/m7x3p9. This form can be found on the HOA website under Common Forms, then HOA Online Fillable Forms, then Volunteer Form. You may also pick up a form at the HOA office. Blue Stream update map Page 2, Herons Glen Editorial Staff Volunteers Photos by Dick Muller Community News Coming Soon HOA And HGRD Schedule Of Feb. 10 Veterans of the Glen Ballroom Meetings Feb. 14 Valentines Dinner Restaurant Feb. 15 Bloodmobile Parking Lot The following is a listing of HOA and HGRD meetings Feb. 15 Shredding Parking Lot known at the time of publication. As these dates are Feb. 15 Firewise Ballroom subject to change, please check the Herons Glen Website Karen Jessop - Editor Linda Lynch - Editor Feb. 16 Socialites Ballroom Calendar and the Community Channel for updates. March 4 Meet The Candidates, (HGRD) Ballroom Calendar Of HOA Meetings Feb. 9 To March 31 March 6 3-D Art Show Activity Rooms A and B All committee meetings are in HOA Conference Room/ March 7 3-D Art Show Activity Rooms A and B Zoom unless noted otherwise. March 16 Socialites Ballroom Feb. 9 Architectural Review Committee, 9 a.m. March 17 St Patrick’s Day Restaurant Feb. 10 Board Meeting, 5 p.m. Feb. 11 Grounds Committee, 2 p.m. Feb. 16 Communications Committee, 10:30 a.m. Welcome Feb. 18 Activities Committee, 1 p.m. Pam Scheid - Editor Sarah Schoon - Editor Carlo Corlito Feb. 23 Architectural Review Committee, 9 a.m. Nancy Hedquist and Steve Johnson Feb. 25 Finance Committee, 2 p.m. Melissa and Stephen Kurtzman Feb. 26 Security, Safety, and Emergency Preparedness, Nancy McHenry and Robert Magaw 8:30 a.m. Charles Ruffner March 2 Board Workshop, 1 p.m. March 9 Architectural Review Committee, 9 a.m. In Memoriam March 10 Board Meeting, 5 p.m. March 11 Grounds Committee, 2 p.m. Anita Sharninghouse Rick and Pat Scharf Cary Brown March 16 Communications Committee, 10:30 a.m. Newspaper Coordinator Delivery Coordinators Helen Iffland March 18 Activities Committee, 1 p.m. The HOA Communications Committee serves as the Frederick Koehler March 23 Architectural Review Committee, 9 a.m. supervisory body for The Heron per Article IX of our by-laws. Bert Louscher March 25 Finance Committee, 2 p.m. Christine Kozak is the committee liasion Ron Schnatter March 26 Security, Safety, and Emergency Preparedness, from the HOA Board of Directors. Robert Schultz 8:30 a.m. Calendar Of HGRD Meetings Feb. 15 To March 31 The Heron Editorial Policy is on file in the HOA office. All meetings are in Card Room C/Zoom unless noted Articles for The Heron may be dropped off or mailed to Thank You otherwise. The HOA Office, 2250 Avenida Del Vera or emailed to [email protected]. Many thanks to our dear friends, neighbors and staff Feb. 15 Long-Range Planning, 9:30 a.m. of Herons Glen for the kindness and support to our family Feb. 15 Facilities and Amenities Committee, 2:30 p.m. upon the passing of my husband, Cary Brown on Jan.