FIPOA

Voting on New Covenants Starts January 1st

January 1, 2009 will be one of the most important days in the history of Fripp Island. On New Years' Day Fripp Island owners will begin voting on the proposed covenant changes. These changes will give the residents of Fripp Island more control over the future of the community.

The covenants are the rules that govern the development and the maintenance of the residential property of the Island. The current covenants are thirty-five years old and changes are long overdue. If you would like to see the complete documents the association has posted them on the website http://www.fipoa.org/propcovenants.html. The overview, however, is that these proposed changes will give the Fripp Island Property Owners' Association more control over the future of the community. Many of the governing functions will be transferred from the developer to the Property Owners' Association. In almost all other communities similar to Fripp Island, these governing functions are turned over long before thirty-five years. The Board feels confident that these changes are not only needed but essential to maintain and increase our property values on Fripp.

It is imperative that we all vote as a non-vote counts as a no vote. It is also vital that we get over fifty percent of the owners to vote yes, as the way the documents are written, we will not get another opportunity to address changes for 10 years. So as the slogan says, "Just Say Yes."

Your elected Property Owners' Association Board unanimously supports the proposed covenant changes. Please join us in making Fripp Island an even better place to live or visit.

If you have any questions, call one of the Board or Covenant Committee members listed below or Kate Hines the General Manager 843-838-4155 ext. 230.

We thank you for joining us in making Fripp Island a better place to live, a better to vacation and a better Island.

Buck Mathews
President
Fripp Island Property Owners' Association

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Board Members:
Buck Mathews – 838-9370 or 614-846-3433
Bob Newby – 838-1438 or 937-393-1878
Joe Gannon – 838-2833 or 919-942-6998
Bob Davidson – 838-2050 or 803-782-0035
David Case – 412-741-0871
Jim Duncan – 838-4440
Bob Hess – 838-4281
Rita Merrill – 838-4475
Micki McCormick – 838-5397
Dick Morrison – 838-2136

Covenant Committee Members:
T. Thomas – 838-4136
Ed Barnhart – 986-4475
Budd Catlin – 838-9719

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To protect the future of Fripp Island it is vital for the property owners to have better control of the critical aspects of our community. Revising the covenants will provide us with this control.
Chris Assaf - Property owner since 1997

The covenant revisions are long overdue. They will provide Fripp Island property owners the opportunity to better direct and positively impact the future of our unique island. Your vote is extremely important, and I urge you to join me in voting "yes" to the covenant changes.
Curt Blake - Fripp Island resident - 3 years

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Island Services

CHIEF'S CORNER

Chief of Security, Mike Binkowski

In a recent meeting I was surprised to learn that many of our owners were unaware of the camera system that is located at the gate.

Two years ago, the Security Committee reviewed some of the security problems at the gate. I looked into the installation of a security camera system to cover the concerns. The Board approved the purchase and the installation of the system I recommended.

The system consists of three cameras with an audio pickup, a digital recorder which allows me to download the video, and audio when connected to a laptop computer

The cameras cover three specific areas of the gate:
1. The first camera covers an area where the Gate Officer stands and interacts with the owners, guests and visitors. It is this camera that has the audio.
2. The second camera is a "Tag Capture Unit" and allows us to read the vehicle license plate of any vehicle coming onto the Island.
3. The third camera is a motion-activated camera and records all vehicles leaving the Island.

Since their installation, there have been several circumstances that occurred when the video and the audio were instrumental in resolving complaints and the gathering of evidence for use in a criminal case.

If you have any questions about our system, or your neighborhood or group has a particular question or concern, please let me know and I would be happy to meet with your group to answer any questions and discuss your concerns. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me. If you have any suggestions on how we can improve the quality of life on the Island, or wish to discuss a particular problem, please contact me in person, telephone at 838-4113 or .

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Know Your Officers

by Chief Mike Binkowski

This issue we would like to highlight Officer Ricky Phillips. Officer Phillips has been a member of the Fripp Island Patrol since August of 2008. He currently is assigned as a Patrol Officer on the 11:00 pm to 7:00 am shift.

Officer Phillips is originally from New Orleans, Louisiana, and currently lives in Port Royal with his wife Dorian and their Chihuahua, Lola. They have 3 children all grown with the youngest now in college. Prior to joining our team Officer Phillips was in the United States Marine Corps and retired from the Air Station as a Master Gunnery Sergeant after 28 years of service.

In his off duty time he enjoys playing golf, fishing, photography and gardening.

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Fripp Inlet Bridge Will Need Extensive Repairs

Bob Davidson, FIPOA Treasurer
Kate Hines, FIPOA General Manager
Ernie Wilson, FIPSD General Manager

The Fripp Inlet Bridge is in need of some major repairs to the bearing plates. As the bridge deck (road) expands and contracts, the bearing plates allow for the safe movement of the road without damaging the bridge. While there is not an imminent safety hazard, the repairs are necessary to maintain the reliability and, ultimately, the safety of the bridge.

The FIPOA and FIPSD are in the process of determining how to pay for what will be very costly work. Two bridge engineering firms have inspected the bridge and concur that the work could cost upwards of $2,600,000.

Some history will help to explain the process. In 1988, the FIPOA membership voted to create an ongoing special assessment of $50 per property specifically for major bridge and road repairs. In 1997, by another vote of the membership, the special assessment was increased to $100 and a cap on the Road and Bridge Fund was set at $1,000,000. We will reach that cap before the 2009 assessments are received. The cap cannot be exceeded without a vote of the owners.

The Inlet Bridge was transferred to the FIPSD in 2003 with the caveat that FIPOA would use funds collected from the Road and Bridge special assessments to pay for the expenses of maintaining the Inlet Bridge as reasonably requested by the FIPSD.

Realizing that the bearing repairs are necessary and knowing that the Road and Bridge Fund cap would prevent the collection of the 2009 assessment, the FIPOA Board of Directors plans to transfer $213,300 to an escrow fund established by the FIPSD on January 1, 2009. The funds will be dedicated solely to the bearing replacement project.

Obviously, more funds will still need to be raised to pay for the project, but $213,300 would not be available for the project if the transfer did not take place.

The FIPOA Board and the FIPSD Commission will have many meetings to determine the best way to collect all of the funds needed for the project before committing to a contract.

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Special to the Trawler

Octane for the Brain

Tina M. Reeves CMCA, AMS, FIPOA Assistant General Manager

Have you ever opened the refrigerator door and then could not remember what you were looking for? How about walking into a room with the intention of completing a task only to find you have forgotten what the task was in the first place? Misplaced your car keys? Sometimes have trouble finding the right word? If so you are not alone. These are perfectly normal things that occur as our brain ages. The brain is the central hub for the body’s communication. As aging occurs, the brain begins to show wear and tear. With the right activities the brain can be stimulated to produce new neurons to increase brain activity and response time from the brain.

The baby boomers are now the retirees. Did you know that as of the year 2006, 7,918 people turn 60 each day. People are living longer, more fulfilled lives. The average male died at the age of 45 in 1907 and the average woman died at the age of 49. In 2007, the average male’s life span was 75.5 years and the average woman’s was 80.7 years.

The fear of losing their minds is what 69% of Americans said they feared the most. The bad news is that Alzheimer’s disease affects 10% of adults over the age 65 and 50% over the age of 85. If you are 65 or older, you have a 50/50 chance of contracting dementia. The good news is there are things that you can do, starting today to increase your chances of having a healthy brain throughout your lifetime. There are several simple easy steps that will affect the way your brain functions. But first, let’s review the symptoms of a normal aging brain, versus the symptoms of an Alzheimer’s patient’s brain.

It is normal to:

Forget things such as names or appointments
Walk into a room and forget why (haven’t we all done that before)
Sometimes have trouble finding the right word
Forget where you are going
Forget what day of the week it is
Make a questionable or debatable decision sometimes
Temporarily misplace your keys, purse or wallet
Sometimes feel sad or moody
Have a slight change in your personality
Feel weary of work or social obligations

Alzheimer’s patient’s symptoms:

Difficulty in performing familiar tasks such as preparing a meal
Forgetting simple words and substituting them with unusual words
Disorientation: getting lost in familiar places
Poor or decreased judgment: difficulty completing complex mental tasks.
Forgeting what items are used for
Misplacing items and placing them in unusual locations; e.g., finding your toothpaste in the freezer
Rapid mood swings
Extreme changes in personality
Loss of initiative

There are several common reasons that memory problem occur:

Stress
Lack of Sleep
Medication
Excessive alcohol consumption
Poor memory habits

Your brain needs novelty, variety, and challenges to fire up its neurons and even create new ones. Neurons are what allow your brain to function correctly. By completing different tasks to ignite the brain you can actually produce brand new neurons. People who engage in brain activities in old age are 2 ½ times less likely to develop dementia. Mental exercise results in 35% less cognitive decline annually. Mental exercise can also reduce the chances of Alzheimer’s by 70%.

Here is a list of neuron igniters:

1. Work a crossword puzzle
2. Take new routes
3. Develop a new hobby or skill
4. Learn to play an instrument
5. Take a dance class
6. Study a foreign language.
7. Work a Sudoku puzzle
8. Buy furniture or other products with ‘some assembly required’ (it doesn’t count if you get someone else to assemble the furniture piece)
9. Travel to new and different places
10. Read, read, read…anything you can get your hands on, books, magazines, newspapers, etc.
11. Sing in the choir: rely on your memory for the words
12. Memorize favorite poems, scriptures, quotes or jokes
13. Exercise and improve balance using stability balls and wobbly boards: these exercises work your body and brain.
14. Play chess
15. Become a sleuth; try to solve mysteries by reading mystery books.

Foods that are brain friendly: (Listed according to power from top to bottom)

• Prunes
• Raisins
• Blueberries
• Blackberries
• Cranberries
• Strawberries
• Spinach
• Raspberries
• Brussels Sprouts
• Plums
• Broccoli Florets
• Beets
• Avocados
• Oranges
• Red Grapes
• Red Bell Peppers
• Cherries
• Kiwis
• Onions
• Corn
• Eggplant

Good Fats: (High in Omega–3)

• Anchovies
• Avocados
• Bluefish
• Brazil Nuts
• Flax Seed Oil
• Green Leafy Vegetables
• Herring
• Lean Meats
• Mackerel
• Olive Oil
• Salmon
• Sardines
• Trout
• Tuna
• Walnuts
• Whitefish

Bad Fats: (Avoid or Moderate)

• Bacon
• Butter
• Cheese
• Corn Oil
• Donuts
• French Fries
• Ice Cream
• Lamb Chops
• Margarine
• Mayonnaise
• Onion Rings
• Potato Chips
• Processed Foods
• Steak
• Sunflower Oil
• Whipped Cream
• Whole Milk

It is never too late to start building new neurons and increasing your brain capabilities. Start now and live a happy healthy retirement. For more information on how to boost your brainpower go to octaneforthebrain-seminars.com.

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Island Clubs

Fripp Island Women's Club

Betsy Koehler

We started the ‘school’ year with our October meeting, where we were all entertained with a tasty demonstration by Harold’s Catering.

Gerri Burson presented the newly revised 2008 Fripp Island Telephone Directories, "hot off the press"!! Gerri and her committee worked hard all summer and were exceptionally successful at selling advertisements to more than cover the printing costs. Directories will be available for sale at FIWC meetings and, as always, at the FIPOA.

The Women’s Club is always happy to welcome guests and new members. Come join us at 10 am at the Community Centre for all these interesting programs and lots of good fellowship.

1. October 15th—Harold’s Catering, "Hors d’oeuvres for Easy Entertaining"
2. November 19th—Garden Gate Nursery, "Holiday Decorating Projects"
3. December 3rd—Holiday Luncheon and Trunk Show by Beaufort retailer Grace and Glory
4. January 21st—Coastal Physical Therapy, "Stretching Exercises for Improved Flexibility"
5. February 18th—Historic Beaufort Foundation, "Historic Homes of Beaufort"
6. March 18th—Gina Wright, "Decorating 101"
7. April 15th—Spring Luncheon

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Nature

Audubon Club Speakers Spotlight Wildlife Visitors to Fripp Island

Arlene Jacquette

The Fripp Island Audubon Club inaugurated its 2008-2009 season on October 23 with two illustrated programs that highlighted two endangered species that visit Fripp Island in either summer or winter. Following the kick-off pot-luck supper, speaker Jamie Lackman illustrated the results of the 2008 loggerhead turtle nesting season and Club President Pete Richards discussed the new piping plover survey to be conducted until March 2009.

Fripp’s Turtle Patrol Coordinator, Jamie Lackman, noted that of the 35 nests found during the summer season, two were lost to tides and many had to be relocated because of Hurricane Fay. The changing configuration of the beach has led to an increase in sites on the south end, but the tidal pool interfered with patrol members’ attempts to follow turtle tracks. Two nesting turtles had been tagged in 2003 on Pritchard’s Island. This season also saw at least one daylight nester.

Fripp now also has a patrol of twenty volunteers to survey the piping plover, which winters on lowcountry shores. Pete Richards described the project, which was initiated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service with the help of the F.I. Audubon Club and Hunting Island staff. Richards stated that Fripp and Harbor Island residents have taken up the challenge, tendered by Audubon speaker Jeff Mollenhauer in January 2008, to participate in shorebird preservation programs for threatened species.

The next club meeting, on Thursday, November 20 at 7:30 p.m., will feature prize-winning photographer Eric Horan, whose exquisite photos of wildlife in the estuarial habitat have been featured in books, magazines, calendars and on SC-ETV.

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Community Centre

Community Centre Kitchen Renovation Completed

Ron Pointek and Mike Ashby, who served as co-managers for the remodeling of the FICC kitchen, take a brief break for a picture.

Page Miller

The Community Centre has successfully fulfilled the goal of expanding and renovating its building. The remodeling of the kitchen completed in October marked the final stage of this year and a half long effort. We are most grateful to Ron Pointek, a part-time resident from Pennsylvania who has had years of experience in kitchen remodeling, and Mike Ashby, a member of the FICC Board, for serving as co-managers for this project. They were joined by a hardworking and talented team of volunteers, which included Gerry Burke, Bob Hess, and Bob Young. With new cabinets, tile floor, and expanded counters that provide additional work and serving areas, the many groups that meet at the Community Centre will have a handsome kitchen available for their use. Next on our agenda will be enhancing the landscaping of our newly renovated building.

Dan McCormick, who is currently the Vice-President of the Community Centre, recently informed the Board that due to increased professional commitments requiring more travel, he will be unable to become President of the Community Centre next year. Dan has brought significant expertise to our meetings and he will be sorely missed. We are most fortunate that Max Stubbs, who has served on the Board for the past two years and is currently Chair of the Building and Grounds Committee, has agreed to assume the position of President in February.

The Fripp Island Community Centre was pleased to provide space for two recent civic activities. One was a health care event sponsored by the Fripp Island Women’s Club that offered flu shots, blood pressure checks, cholesterol tests and variety of other preventive health measures. The other was the November 4th election. We were delighted to have so many people take advantage of these opportunities.

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Fripp Island Resort

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