StoneBridge Village News - September 2007

General Manager’s Report

Darrell Ransdell (335-7869 ex. 1756)

Whew! August was tough! So many hot days are taxing to everyone, but now we get to enjoy a little cooler weather. We are looking forward to great fall weather for outside activities (mostly golf) clear thru November. September is another busy month on the course and also we have many activities on the calendar…something for everyone.

Jeff Julian Golf Tournament – Please pay attention to Bill’s schedule of golf events for September as there are several fun events including a “Labor Day” tournament and the “Member Guest” tournament. Of particular note this month is “The Julian” because of its importance to the heritage LedgeStone Golf Course. We are proud to be associated with a tournament that carries Jeff’s name because of his character and achievements before and during his fight with ALS. Please consider participating in this tournament as a player or volunteer and enjoy the auction which benefits this worthy cause. Jeff enjoyed playing LedgeStone as we do and won the first annual event by demonstrating his skills with his putter. The following brief summary tells of the work that continues in his name.

“Although Jeff is no longer with us, his legacy of hope, hard work and love of golf continues to permeate the lives and hearts of those that knew him, or knew of him. Nothing came easy for this young man, every notable accomplishment in his brief life seemed to be hitched to the yoke of constant struggle. But, struggle he did…all the way to the big dance…twice! Then, as he was poised at the top of his sport and had just married the love of his life, he came face to face with an adversary that could not be beaten by hard work or determination.

This adversary, ALS, took his speech, his sport, his body, and eventually his life. Jeff’s spirit, the one thing ALS could not take, is the integral part of “The Julian,” the golf tournament that bears his name and raises much needed funds to fight the scourge that beat Jeff. ALS, often referred to as “Lou Gehrig’s Disease,” is a ruthless killer that slowly robs the body of movement, bit by agonizing bit until there is nothing left. Funds raised by The Julian, as well as personal contributions, are funneled directly to local patient care and “Driving for Life,” a campaign founded by Jeff and his wife Kim, Tom and Hillary Watson and Bruce and Marsha Edwards. This campaign funds vital work at the ALS-TDF Bio Tech Research Lab in Cambridge, MA, the only ALS specific research lab in the country.

Many of us look for ways to make a difference during our lives. The Julian is an excellent opportunity to participate in the game Jeff loved while striking a blow at the horrible disease that took him from us. Put a team together and join us in making a difference in the lives of ALS patients in southwest Missouri.”

Activities Director

Denise Needham (417.335.7869 ext. 1754 Cell: 417.263.1741)

>As we all know, September is a month of change, the ritual of going back to school and knowing that summer’s end is near, so before the weather shifts let’s go again! “All Aboard the Spirit of America”

Spirit of America Sunset Cruise: Let’s sail together...Friday night, September 14th If you missed the first sail, now is your opportunity to catch the final cruise for this year. Let’s see the sunset together on Table Rock Lake aboard the Spirit of America catamaran, a 48-ft. sailing catamaran with stable and comfortable seating for 49 passengers. Help the crew operate the vessel, or just sit back, relax and enjoy the ride with only StoneBridge members. Bring your own coolers with refreshments, finger food or appetizers. For your safety, rubber soled shoes are recommended.
• When: Friday, September 14th
• Time: 6:30 p.m.— 8:30 p.m.
• Where: Meet at Table Rock State Park Marina on Hwy 165
• Cost: $15.00 per adult and children ages 5 and older. Ages 4 and under are free.
• Food:Your own coolers with refreshments and snacks. Alcohol drinks are acceptable. Soft drinks are available on board for a cost. For your safety rubber soled shoes are recommended.
• Sign up by: ASAP or by Wednesday, September 12th to reserve your seat.
Call Denise at 263-1741 for reservations.

Buffalo Import Floral Open House: This is the BEST and my FAVORITE Open House of all! Don’t miss this opportunity to save on beautiful arrangements and merchandise.
Buffalo Import’s Floral shop in Springfield has their open house sale Saturday, September 8th and Sunday, September 9th. The open house is for fall and holiday ideas and shopping savings. They will offer beautiful pre-designed floral arrangements, centerpieces and design items at unbelievable prices.

However, you must arrive between 5:30 a.m.—7:00 a.m. and wait for the doors to open at 8:00 a.m. to cash in on the pre-designed floral arrangements and centerpieces. I guarantee most of the arrangements will be bought within one-hour of the store opening. Bring your own pen and stapler to identify and save the arrangements you want to buy. The sold arrangements can’t be taken home until Sunday afternoon.
• When:Saturday, September 8th and Sunday, September 9th
• Where: 2420 E. Blaine, Springfield 800-992-7857
• Time: 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
• Shows:10:00 a.m. to Noon and 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
• Food:Free Lunch each day from Noon to 1:00
Any questions please call or email me. Let me know if you‘re interested in traveling together by Thursday, September 6th.

Wine & Cheese Tasting:
StoneBridge Village would like to invite you to sample some fine wines every Wednesday, complements of Jerry & Sally Howell owners of Southtown Spirits.
• When:Every Wednesday, September 5th, 12th, 19th, 26th
• Where:StoneBridge Clubhouse Par Room
• Time:4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
• Cost:No Cost; however, featured wines will be available for purchase at a discounted price.
• Note: Wednesday, October 3rd will be Oktoberfest Tasting with imported beers and wines. There might be a cost for the Oktoberfest Event. More information in the October Newsletter.

Craft Workshop/Handwork Group: The second Wednesday of every month.
Ladies have the option of bringing their own handwork (knitting, crochet, sewing quilting, etc.) or creating the monthly craft project. Either way it will be a great opportunity to enjoy great company and even make new friends.
We will be decorating bulletin boards with fabric. I have purchased some beautiful golf material if you’re interested. The decorated bulletin boards can be used for you’re study, kitchen, garage or wherever the “honey do list” is posted. If you don’t want to hang the bulletin board, they can be used as a serving tray. Stop by the POA office to see examples.
• When:Wednesday, September 12th
• Time: 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
• Where: Clubhouse Birdie Room
• Sign up by: Monday, September 10th

Materials for Board:
You bring your own fabric (I have beautiful golf fabric) and bulletin board. I suggest you paint the wood frame of the board to match your fabric. I will have some boards you can purchase if needed. There will be a cost for the materials (sponge brushes, mod podge, paint, etc) to complete your board.

Cost for Boards:
17” x 23”- $6.50 per board (serving tray or small bulletin board)
23” x 35”- $8.60 per board (bulletin board)
Materials only (fabric not included) - $2.00 per board
Golf fabric only - $2.50 per yard

Fitness Orientation: Every Tuesday and Thursday at 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. in the clubhouse fitness room. Learn how the various fitness machines and weights operate. No advance sign-up is needed.

SkipBo Invitation: If you like to play cards, come join us for SkipBo. It’s an easy game to learn and we play the 2nd, 4th & 5th Monday of each month at 10:00 a.m. in the Clubhouse. If you have any questions, please call Sandy Copperstone at 332-2688 or email sgcopperstone@aol.com. Everyone is invited!

Mah Jongg: Meets the 1st & 3rd Monday of each month at 10:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. in the Clubhouse. If you have any questions, please call JoAnn Mitchell at 337-8319.

Remember, please sign up for all events that have a sign up deadline by calling Denise in the POA office at 335-7869, ext. 1754 or 263-1741. If you have any questions about an activity or want to discuss some new events, email me at denise@sbvpoa.org.

Golf Course Superintendent

Jim Pyle (417.339.2130)

As the summertime quickly goes by, it is a great time for planning for fall. September is the very best time to overseed your cool season yards. The soil is cooling down and it’s not typically a wet time. The last two weeks are the best. A week or so before you actually seed would be the time to put down a good starter fertilizer. Another reminder is to treat those yards for grubs. It’s still not too late and may prevent damage later in the fall.

Bill has a very busy month on the course and we have many maintenance items planned between events. Among those maintenance items will be the inter-seeding of the greens. We will inter-seed our existing stand of Pennlinks Bentgrass with a mixture of A-1/A-4Bentgrass. This process will not disrupt play and it will be a two to three year process. Enjoy your Golf!

Jim Pyle

Golf Pro

Bill Hasler (417.335.8187)

Rules Quiz

Tim has a 15 handicap. Today he shot a 90. His hole by hole score was 4, 4, 4, 5, 3, 9, 6, 5, 3, 4, 4, 5, 6, 6, 7, 4, 3, 8. What score should he enter in the Handicap computer?

A. 90
B. 87
C. 86
D. None, the score was too high.

Last month’s answer:True

August was hot and dry, but things are looking up for this month. There are a large number of member golf events in September beginning with the Labor Day Couples Scramble. The Labor Day Couples Scramble is September 3rd. The format is a Florida Scramble. This format moves a little quicker; it allows everyone to contribute and requires more strategy than a simple scramble. This event is for members and guests of members only.

The dates for the LLGA Invitational and the Men’s Member Guest are also in place. The LLGA Invitational is full and we are accepting applications for the Men’s Member Guest. The LLGA Invitational is September 7th and the Men’s Member Guest is September 22nd & 23rd with the Shoot Out Friday, September 21st.

Also in September is The Julian. The Julian will take place Monday, September 17th with an auction the night before to benefit ALS.

With all of our match play events going on, HANDICAPS have been under the microscope. It has come to my attention that USGA Handicap members are not aware of the importance of adjusting scores before posting them. It is happen with golfers of all skill levels, but mainly the higher handicaps. Listed below is the Stroke Control Table.

If your handicap is 9 or less you may not record a score higher than DOUBLE
If your handicap is 10 – 19 you may not record a score higher than 7
If your handicap is 20 – 29 you may not record a score higher than 8
If your handicap is 30- 39 you may not record a score higher than 9
If your handicap is 40 or more you may not record a score higher than 10

Finance Committee

July turned out to be a good month financially for us. Income was $2,000 better than budget, even though we didn’t receive our normal monthly restaurant payment of $7,000. The reason for this good result is because our golf course revenue exceeded budget by $12,000. Expenses were also well controlled; under the budget by $10,000. All departments kept their expenses under their budgets, except for the restaurant that had a $4,000 charge for an air conditioner repair.

So, where does this put us? For the seven months, Net Operating Income is $345,000, under budget by $76,000. As previously mentioned, this is caused by lower golf course revenues than budgeted (going private) and not as much new construction as expected. Expenses in total are being controlled. Our Net Income after interest expense ($130,000) and depreciation expense ($293,000) was a loss of $81,000 compared to an expected profit of $9,000.

Financially what does this mean? First, there will be no Capital Purchases unless absolutely necessary. Second, golf course revenues must be maximized by hosting more golf events and increasing nightly rental and guest fee income. Third, the real estate market needs to improve so more housing starts begin. And fourth, expense control is essential. At this time, it would appear that the 2007 budget will not be met unless the items discussed above materialize.

Please attend the monthly POA meetings and get financial statements in the POA office to be more informed as to our financial condition. Please feel free to contact any member of the Finance Committee with specific questions that you may have.

A.C.C. (Architectural Control Committee) Report – Larry Moffitt (417.334.0636)

The committee would like to thank the residents for their cooperation in calling A.C.C. members and the P.O.A. office about the A.C.C. rules and to keep us informed of certain construction activity in their neighborhoods. The committee members drive around Stonebridge as often as we can but we do miss some daily activities. We appreciate the attentiveness of our fellow residents. Thanks for the calls and keep up the good work. Thank you to all residents that have called in advance for approval concerning external construction at their residence. We try to keep the approval process as simple as possible and this helps us keep better records of construction activity in Stonebridge.

This is a reminder that all new single family homes are to have the exterior completely finished within six months of the building permit issue date. The interior shall be completely finished within twelve months of the building permit issue date. All construction, including landscaping, must be completed within twelve months of the start of construction. We have some builders that have pushed this timeline. The committee intends to enforce this rule as outlined in the A.C.C. Rules and Regulations dated June 21, 2007.

Dumping of any type of material on common property or neighboring property is prohibited. This includes grass clippings, tree trimmings, building material, etc. Please dispose of this material in your trash container or haul to disposal site. Lawn mowing services should remove trimmings from Stonebridge Village.

Property owners should contact the P.O.A. or the A.C.C. before performing any exterior changes to their property.

Golf Committee's Report – Larry Ewing (417.338.8694)

Cost estimates are being prepared on several proposed golf cart path modification projects. These estimates will be used to determine the feasibility of each project, to set the priority for those to be done in the up coming off season, or if finances dictate, those that will have to be pushed off to sometime in the future. These projects run the gamut from being maintenance type, safety related, related to improving the playability of the course or those that tie into a phased approach to improving the practice area.

Plans to make another attempt at fixing the leak in the number 18 pond are still in the works. The most likely time frame for this project is this October.

Investigation into the type and the most economical way to provide the course with a scoreboard has been completed. The maintenance staff will construct and erect the scoreboard. The estimated cost is $2,000 to $3,000. This project should be complete within the next 4 to 6 weeks.

Golf Digest will be sending representatives to our course during ‘08 to rate the course and facilities. We hope and expect to get a favorable rating versus other courses in the area and throughout the state.

Over seeding of our greens is planned for mid-summer. This operation will involve minimal disruption to play, the same as normal aeration and sanding. There will be no need to stay off the greens for any extended period of time. This will improve our greens and next year we will once again expect to have the best greens in the area.

It is the Golf Committee’s recommendation that the board consider raising next year’s Annual Golf Membership fee by 5%. Over the past few years, this fee has been reduced from what it was several years ago. In the face of rising cost and general inflation, this modest increase is justified.

Advisory Committee's Report – Jim Tomassini (417.338.8694)

The Advisory Committee met July 25th and discussed the State of the Village. Topics included: security, property condition and maintenance, golf operation, restaurant operation and neighborhood watch. These topic discussions are ongoing. Also on our agenda is the status/progress of a possible SBV annexation by Branson. Our priorities on the annexation situation are: the questions proposed to Branson and their responses, as well as, the pros and cons of annexation. Our next meeting is Wednesday, August 22nd @ 3PM.

LedgeStone Grille & Nicol’s fine Dining– Bob Nicol (417.239.0445)

By the time this newsletter is published, I hope the heat wave has broken. As I am writing this it is 102 degrees and we are toward the end of the Skaggs tournament. We are trying our best to keep plenty of drinks available for those that brave the heat for a few rounds of golf.

Our only recent change has been opening for breakfast at 9:00 instead of 7:00 A.M. We just did not get any early birds in before nine. We do have someone in at 8:00 for drinks and snacks.

September looks like a busy month for the course. We look forward to serving all these different tournaments. I guess there is no organized meal for the Labor Day Scramble on September 3rd, but we will keep the Grille open late for this event.

This sour cream dill sauce is great over any fish, especially salmon. Adjust the amount of mustard and lemon to suit your own taste.

Ingredients

1/2 cup sour cream
1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon-style prepared mustard
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons chopped fresh dill

Directions

1. Whisk together sour cream, mustard, lemon juice and dill until well blended. Chill before serving.

LLGA (LedgeStone Ladies Golf Association) -

The weather turned from rainy to HOT! It is a busy summer, with people traveling and ladies competing in other tournaments. Here's the lowdown:

July 17 - "Toss all 7's and 8's: Low Gross" 16 players participated. Winners were:
1st (tie): Carol Van Meter, Margaret Walsh, Patty Lund
4th: Jody Jennett
5th: Shirley Douglas
6th: Vicki Wratten
7th: Jeri Smith
Birdies today included Vicki Wratten #5 and 11; Shannon Hunt #10 and 11. Jane Lowell was new to our group today. Welcome, Jane!

July 24 - - a beautiful Tuesday, but only 8 players. The game was "Throw out the worst score on the front and back." Annavee Duncan won first place, with Mary Gillespie in second, Pam Hunt third, and Shannon Hunt fourth. Vicki Wratten and Mary Gillespie each birdied #9.

July 23-25 - Nine of our ladies participated in the Tri-State tournament at Carthage, MO. Gae Redford won first place in her flight. It was very hot, but all had a good time. The following week, three LLGA women participated in the SAWGA tournament in Springfield. Gae again won first in her flight (B), and Barb Thompson placed 3rd in that flight. Way to go in the heat!

July 31 - The game was Even Holes and the winners were:
1st: Mary Gillespie
2nd: Vicki Wratten
3rd: Kay Russell
4th (tie): Betty Alexander
Carol Van Meter
There were three birdies today: Bonnie Ransdell and Annavee Duncan #3 and Mary Gillespie #9.

August 7 - LLGA Scramble - Nine players played (no rain and HOT. So what's new?) Winning teams were:
1st: Kay Russell, Shirley Douglas, Margaret Walsh
2nd: Barb Underwood, Patty Lund, Annavee Duncan

August 13 - There was no ladies day play today due to the Skaggs Classic all week. It's too hot to play anyway! Kay Russell and husband Dale were the tournament chairs, and Shirley Douglas was in charge of getting volunteers to help.

submitted by LLGA Publicity Chair, Marilyn Sassman

The 9'ers

It’s been a long, hot summer . . . but the 9’ers are still in play. Beginning July 1st, instead of keeping regular statistics, we decided to track things like par holes, birdies, eagles, # of putts and accumulate those numbers for year-end awards. However, immediate accolades go to Marti Hogan for a hole-in-one at an off-site location earlier this year. Well done, Marti!

We welcomed 4 new members to our group this season, Darla Cucchi, Jean Peterson, Linda Wheeler, and Brenda Rogers and we hope they are enjoying the golf season as much as the rest of us.

Something for your calendar: We have plans to host a SBV pot-luck-get-together at our beautiful, new Pavilion on Friday, September 28th, at 6:00 for all owners. Just bring a covered dish that feeds 6 to 8 to share and your own drink of choice. No glass containers are allowed. The 9’ers will furnish paper plates, utensils, napkins, cups, and ice. RSVP by September 26th to Joan Gullickson at Golfquiltc@aol.com.

ALL OWNERS, WE NEED YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS . . . we’re putting together a Master Email Address List for owners and would like to add your email address. It will be used only for StoneBridge information and events and will not be used for any other purpose. Communicating by email these days is the fastest and most practical way of getting info around and responses back from people. So, if you’d like to be included, please respond with your names and current email address to Jeanette Douglas at rddjd@suddenlink.net.

The heat wave is almost over as well as the season. However, there are still a number of opportunities for us to play golf before the end of October. M.H. Joan always reserves an additional tee time on Thursday mornings. So, if you miss Tuesdays, you have a second chance in the week to play. We’ve had a plethora of funny happenings and interesting events during play which will be highlighted at the end of the year for your amusement.

Jeanette Douglas, 9’ers Publicity, September 2007 Newsletter

StoneBridge Village Book Club

September 12 will begin the 6th year for the Stonebridge Village Book Club. We meet on the 2nd Wednesday of the month, September thru May.

Members take turns hosting the group which has an average attendance of 10-12 people. Meeting time is 9:30 am and we are usually finished by 11:00 unless there is better than usual discussion! Light refreshments are served. We do not meet in June, July or August.

The eight books for the year are selected at the December meeting. Selections for the final three months in 2007 are:
September 12 Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards
October 10 The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls
November 14 Portrait in Sepia by Isabelle Allende

The meeting on September 12 will be at Gail Brookhart's home - 114 Silver Oak Way Anyone interested in joining may contact Gail Brookhart (334-3875) or Glenda McLauchlin (334-9659)

FYI - Faxes

Transmittal faxes through the P.O.A. office are available for property owners with a $1.00 per page charge

Delinquent Assessments

September Meeting Schedule

StoneBridge Village

Board of Directors

POA Committee Members: