L.A. LOOKS Wildlife Corner Photo & Article By Barbara Ann Comer Hooded Mergansers are a fairly common winter resident of Lake Ashton. Small flocks can be seen fishing on the retention ponds of the West Course. They dive for and enjoy the fish, crustaceans and aquatic insects the retention ponds have to offer. The male is breathtaking in its garb that rivals even the Wood Duck. With a large white fan-shaped head patch it is a species that does not go unnoticed. The drake raises its crest when it wants to impress the ladies. The females and juveniles sport the same shape and are brownish overall. These are diving ducks in the Merganser family. All Mergansers are diving ducks that have long, thin, serrated bills to help them catch their prey. North America has three Merganser species and Lake Ashton is fortunate to have the smallest and perhaps most beautiful of these three, the Hoodies at Lake Ashton each winter. LA (LW) HOA Summer is upon us in Lake Ashton! While many residents are away visiting family and other various adventures, please check with your lawn care provider to make sure your yard is tidy, plantings around your home are still trimmed, and landscape beds are weeded. This is also a good time to refresh mulch if needed. Last month compliance reminded residents about weeds in driveways. We will continue to monitor driveways and issue courtesy notices if warranted. Evaluate the paint on your home to see if there is significant fading or staining. You do not need HOA permission for power washing but if you plan to have your home repainted, remember to file an ARC 16 LA (LW) COMPLIANCE & ARC The Lake Ashton Compliance and Architectural Review Committees hold regular office hours on the third Wednesday of each month at 3:30 pm in the Clubhouse Card Room. This is a great opportunity for residents to come and discuss any questions or concerns you might have related to ARC requests or Compliance issues. Whether you have general questions or simply want to meet our teams, we are here to help. Both Committees are in need of additional members. Please consider volunteering to assist your community and fellow residents. request. Courtesy notices have been sent to homeowners about service doors not being painted the same color as the main house color. Several residents have submitted ARC requests for painting the doors but many have not. Violation notices will be going out soon. Notices will now be sent from our new management company, Stambaugh. Contacts: Karl Schroeder, Licensed CAM, and Tanisha Schroeder, Account Manager 500 Orchid Springs Drive, Winter Haven, FL 33884 863-324-5100, https://www.stambaughinc.com Manager Email: gm@stambaughinc.com Accounting Email: admin@stambaughinc.com As HOA directors travel through the community, it is very gratifying to see the care and pride homeowners have in their homes! We need help with the HOA’s mission to keep LA beautiful. Please consider volunteering! We are looking for someone to fill one vacancy on the board and we always need volunteers to help with compliance and ARC. LA HOA Board Members • John Donahue, President and ARC Director president@lakeashtonhoa.org • Dee Mayne, Secretary & Compliance Director sec2@lakeashtonhoa.org • Marti Schmidt, Treasurer treasurer@lakeashtonhoa.org • Glen Hart, Director vp2@lakeashtonhoa.org • ARC: ARC@lakeashtonHOA.org • Compliance: compliance@lakeashtonHOA.org
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