December Volume 28 No. 9 HANGING OUT AT HAWTHORNE

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1 Volume 28 No. 9 December 2018 HANGING OUT AT HAWTHORNE A few evenings ago I went out for a walk on Palo Verde Drive. As I got started, a golf cart pulled up and Ralph and Stacy Chavez asked if I needed a ride. I really didn t but I never pass up a ride so I said, once around the block. As I rode in the back, Ralph mentioned he liked my article in the Highlights about the route I travel to get to Hawthorne. He said he and Stacy love to take the road less traveled to find unique sights in different places in America. That got us to comparing notes and I told them about the town in Kansas with the World s Biggest Ball of Twine. Stacy informed me that the largest ball of twine resides in Minnesota. From that we somehow got to Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox which everyone knows is in Bemidji, Minnesota. Stacy being a northerner said, sadly, that there are several towns in Minnesota that claim statutes of Paul and Babe. Oh well, everybody wants in on the action. I suggested to them that when they got home to look up The Garden of Eden, in Lucas, Kansas. If you want a weird off the beaten path place to see than that is it. I know you probably think Kansas and Minnesota are the only places with weird sites and sense but you would be wrong. The beauty of Hawthorne is you meet so many people with such different backgrounds and experiences and geography that it s like a traveling Chautauqua, which was an adult education movement that was popular in the late 19 th and early 20 th centuries. I learn something new every day from the folks in our Community. I will be wandering the streets of Hawthorne in the evenings and if you have a story to tell, I will listen for the price of a ride on your golf cart. Submitted by Bob Goodwin SEARCH FOR NEW BOARD MEMBERS We all have our reasons why we moved to Hawthorne, a Resident Owned Cooperative Association. The basic philosophy that may have attracted you to Hawthorne is that residents can and should have a say in the decisions that affect their lives in their homes and Community. After you are here for awhile you will find that our many clubs, activities and Board of Directors are truly controlled by elected residents. Many of you Page 1 of 6

2 will take a year or two to understand what Hawthorne is about and then find yourself stepping up to help run our clubs and then leading the clubs. The leaders that you replace will have moved on to other leadership roles. As with all communities like ours, these leaders will eventually need to take a break. This cycle will continue over and over to continue making Hawthorne attractive to new residents. People move to Hawthorne from all over the United States and parts of Canada. When they do, they bring with them talents, skills and knowledge from a lifetime of living. It is this mix of people and new ideas that continues to make Hawthorne one of the most attractive communities to live in. As a homeowner in Hawthorne, we all have a stake in our Community, keeping it financially sound, clean, safe and heading towards a future that meets our needs. The primary goal of this committee is to find a minimum of three residents by January 25, 2019, to replace our three board members that will soon be stepping down. We will strive to find more than three candidates so you will have a choice in selecting your board members. We are holding three meetings, (listed below) to address any questions that you may have related to being on the board. New residents are also invited to the meeting, if they would like to address any questions related to how the board works. Once a candidate Is identified, our committee will offer our support from addressing questions to helping with any applicable paperwork to complete the process. Committee Members Bill Connelly Frances Creighton JoAnn Hunter Linda Roddy John Moore Meeting Dates Thu 11/29/18 10AM-Noon-Green Room Wed 12/12/18 10AM-Noon-Green Room Mon 1/7/19 10AM-Noon-Green Room The deadline for submitting your application is the end of the work day on January 25, HAWTHORNE S GARDEN OF MEMORIES The very first interment in our Garden was on May 5, Now 30 years later we are nearing 400 individuals interred in this special resting place. The Hawthorne Memorial Fund, a separate Florida Corporation is the owner of this land and makes this amenity possible for all residents and former residents of Hawthorne. Interment in the Garden of Memories is available free of any charges or fees. All individuals interred in the garden are listed on the granite stones on the site with the year of death. All interments are under the direction of the Memorial Fund persons responsible for this activity. No private scattering of the ashes of a deceased resident is approved and such will not be recognized as a proper interment in the Garden nor their name added to the granite stones. The Memorial Fund is supported by the donations of residents and friends. When donations are made in memory of deceased residents, the names of those residents are placed in our Memorial Books available in the Historical Museum. This list is also posted on our web site. Over 1,700 names are shown on that list today. This is NOT a complete listing of deceased Hawthorne residents as it only indicates donations to the Memorial Fund in memory of a particular resident. Additional information is available on our web site Any questions may be directed to our Director of Interments, George Wolf. Page 2 of 6

3 CAROLING IN HAWTHORNE; MONDAY, DECEMBER 10 TH & TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11 TH 3-5 PM All residents are invited to join in caroling to our homebound neighbors. We will be leaving the Clubhouse at 3 PM and are finished between 5 and 6 PM each night. Bells, Santa Hats and song books will be provided; also, a flashlight is helpful. If you have a homebound neighbor, please call Andi Huwe at with their name, address and phone number so we can share some Holiday Cheer as we carol throughout the Community. Please sign up at the Information Center to join us for this festive occasion. HAWTHORNE PLAYERS SAY ENOUGH! Yes, enough! Enough dancing mice, twittering prima donnas and overgrown toy soldiers. The Nutcracker show is over and now it s time to sweep the stage. The real drama takes place after the final curtain comes down. The Hawthorne Angel is a spirited Christmas performance of song, crises and surprises presented by the Hawthorne Players. Just skitter into the Auditorium following the Tree Lighting event. Fran Courchesne and Ralph Chavez are cast in the leading roles. Jane Lichtenberger is the writer and director of this clever play. The free performance is the Hawthorne Players gift and thanks to our Hawthorne Community for its continuing support all through the years. Submitted by Autumm Lewis HISTORICAL SOCIETY INVITES RESIDENTS TO VISIT REVISED HISTORICAL DISPLAYS Hawthorne residents are invited to view the remodeling efforts of the Historical Society at the Community s museum, located near the Billiard Room. The six month project focused on the creation of a ten year historic timeline that tells the story of how Hawthorne became a cooperative. Four specialty displays add to the Hawthorne story. These displays include the recognition of four exceptional park leaders, the growth of the community since 2000, the celebratory aspect enjoyed by the park and a tribute to the service of HRCA Board Presidents since Wonderful historical photographs are displayed for residents to examine as well as several 40 year old legal contracts that were significant in establishing Hawthorne s independence from Colonial Penn. The Historical Museum is open during the main hall s hours and is available for residents to browse whenever the room is meeting free. Plan to visit the museum and discover the details of Hawthorne s evolution into the cooperative we live in today. Submitted by Pat Hurlburt BEWARE HOLIDAY PACKAGE SCAMS Even during this season of holiday cheer, package scams may appear by . messages look authentic with logos of the post office or other major shippers. You might get a delivery failure notificaiton, which says you missed a delivery. They may ask you to download a form to fill out to take to the shipper when you pick up the package, or there may be a link for more details including financial information. The senders may try to prod you into taking action by threatening to charge a daily fee if you don t act promptly. The problem is, if you download the attachment or click on a link, you could end up with a virus or Page 3 of 6

4 malware on your computer or smartphone! Never click on links sent in unsolicited s. Bogus scams will: 1) ask you to click on a link or download an attachment. 2) Urge you to take immediate action. 3) Ask you to re-confirm personal or financial information. 4) Not show the official website of the sender. Resource: Seniors vs Crime, Daily Sun HOW ADAM GOT EVE Adam was hanging around the Garden of Eden feeling very lonely. So, God asked hm. What s going on? Adam said he didn t have anyone to talk to. So, God said he was going to make Adam a companion and that it would be called a woman. He said, This pretty woman will gather food for you, she will cook it for you, and when you discover clothing, she will wash them for you. She will always agree with every decision that you make and she will not nag you, and will always be the first to admit that she was wrong when you have a disagreement. She will praise you! She will bear your chldren and never ask for you to get up in the middle of the night to take care of them. She will NEVER have a headache and will FREELY give you love and passion whenever you need it. Adam asked God, What will a woman like this cost? God said, An arm and a leg. Then Adam asked What can I get for a rib? Of course the rest is history! HISTORY OF HANUKKAH The events that inspired the Hanukkah holiday took place during a particularly turbulent phase of Jewish history. Around 200 B.C., Judea-also known as the Land of Israel-came under the control of Antiochus III, the Seleucid King of Syria, who allowed the Jews who lived there to continue practicing their religion. His son, Antiochus IV Epiphanes, proved less benevolent: Ancient sources recount that he outlawed Page 4 of 6 the Jewish religion and ordered the Jews to worship Greek gods. In 168 B.C., his soldiers descended upon Jerusalem, massacring thousands of people and desecrating the city s holy Second Temple by erecting an altar to Zeus and sacrificing pigs within its sacred walls. Led by the Jewish priest Mattathias and his five sons, a large scale rebellion broke out against Antiochus and the Seleucid monarchy. When Matthathias died in 168 B.C., his son Judah, known as Judah Maccabee ( The Hammer ), took the helm; within two years the Jews had successfully driven the Syrians out of Jerusalem, relying largely on guerilla warfare tactics. Judah called on his followers to cleanse the second Temple, rebuild its altar and light its menorah the gold candelabrum whose seven branches represented knowledge and creation and were meant to be kept burning every night. CUTE BUNNIES I was in a pet store picking up some pet food for my dog when I overheard the following conversation. A cute girl peeks over the counter and politely tells the saleslady, I m interested in buying a rabbit. Oh sure, we ve got lots of rabbits, gushed the motherly saleslady. Do you have any specific color in mind? We ve got some adorable white bunnies down this aisle. Oh, said the cute girl with a wave of her hand, I really don t think my boa constrictor would care about the what color it is.

5 DECEMBER DATES TO REMEMBER 1- Community Breakfast Community Food Drive 2- Christmas Tree Lighting 3- Christmas Tree Lane in Hall Christmas Card Signing on TV98 Chorus Concert 4- Club Hawthorne Council Meeting 6- Citizens Academy 8- Saturday Night Christmas Dance 10-Maintenance Day 10 & 11 Caroling in the Community 13- HRCA Workshop/Agenda Meeting 14- Sox & Boots Christmas Dance 16- Concert Series-Lake concert Band 19- AARP Health Screening 20- HRCA General Board Meeting 24- HRCA Holiday 25- HRCA Holiday-MERRY CHRISTMAS 25- Christmas Dinner 31- Saturday Night New Year s Eve Gala POLAR CLUB When the temperature drops to sixty five, And most all the residents run inside A brave group of exercisers break the rules, And exercise outside in the heated pool! Exercising to music in the water keeps your joints in shape, See you Mons/Weds at 10 AM and the water s great. So if the temperature is degrees by 9 AM, come on down and join in! Hope you ll come and be part of our exercise group because there s always room in the water. Submitted by Carol Devlin, sponsored by the POLAR CLUB Page 5 of 6 AARP TAX-AIDE VOLUNTEERS NEEDED Visit us at aarphawthorne.org Hawthorne Tax Aide is a free Federal Income tax preparation service and has been provided at the Hawthorne Marina since at least For tax year 2017, we prepared and electronically filed 1126 returns, saving tax filers over $250,000 in tax preparation fees. This matched our savings for tax filers for tax year Thanks to all the Tax-Aide volunteeers who made this possible. We are an all-volunteer group, sponsored by our local Hawthorne AARP Chapter We operate at the Hawthorne Marina on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays by reservation only from 8 AM until Noon. This year tax preparation will start February 4 th, 2019 and run through April 15 th. Volunteers work one, two or three days per week. Our volunteers come from both Hawthorne and surrounding communities. Client Counsellor (Tax Preparation) training is provided by the AARP Foundation, in cooperation with the IRS. This training is free and covers basic tax law and tax preparation. Training will be held at the Mt. Dora Library starting January 2, The training provides comprehensive training so that you are certified and well equipped to prepare federal tax returns. Once certified, you will work beside seasoned tax preparers that are always ready to assist you should you have any problems. If you are interested in joining us as a volunteer Tax Preparer, please contact George Sunday by at g_sunday@hotmail.com or by phone at The deadline for the training class closes soon, so please act now if you are interested. Perhaps you would like to volunteer as a Facilitator, signing in, assisting customers, and arranging filers tax information, in preparation for the preparer. We rely very much on our facilitators to greet and assist our customers. Our reservaton phone line, (352) , will open

6 December 31, We encourage you to make your reservations as early as you can, particularly those with non-itemized returns. You can also make reservations during tax preparation hours at the Marina. Reservation slots fill up quickly as tax filers requiring IRA s, bank interest, and brokerage statements receive their statements and make their reservations. If you have brokerage statements and/or itemize deductions, you must make your appointment no later than 10 AM to allow us enough time to complete your tax return. We also encourage you to file even if you don t have to, just to be sure your identity has not been stolen. You will need to show your Social Security card and a photo ID before we can prepare your taxes. Visit our website, aarphawthorne.org for additional details. Click on Our Servies and then AARP Tax-Aide. In early January, you will be able to download the list of required tax documents and even link to the IRS, download and fill out on your computer the Intake and Interview sheet. As last year, these two documents will also be available on the Information Center. George Sunday, Local Coordinator FROM THE MANGER TO THE CROSS Born and placed in a manger of hay! A savior on the first Christmas Day! He was born for us the lost! The price he paid was no small cost! He spent his lifetime without one sin! Because he had to prove, he was the king of men! They laughed at him and made many a cunning remark! They hung him on a cross and pierced his heart! People did every possible abusive thing they could think of! And all he ever did was show them love! From the manger to the cross, if it weren t for both, what could we say! Christmas would just be another day! Nothing to celebrate, only a lost world with no hope! No love only hate! If it weren t for the manger and the cross! I reckon we would all be lost! FOR SURE!!!!!!!MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! By Resident Millie Rylander HAWTHORNE S ARTIST OF THE MONTH Artist of the Month is Mary Anne Sturdevant. Be sure to visit the Library where our artist of the month is featured. The artist is also on HTV98 the first Friday of the month. Hawthorne Highlights Hawthorne at Leesburg 100 Hawthorne Blvd. Leesburg, FL ( ) Editor: Debbie Provost General Manager Roger Slagle Page 6 of 6