HAVE A LAUGH: INVESTMENT HUMOR

Young Chuck moved to Texas and bought a donkey from a farmer for $100.00.


The farmer agreed to deliver the donkey the next day.


The next day he drove up and said, 'Sorry son, but I have some bad news, the donkey died.'


Chuck replied, 'Well, then just give me my money back.'


The farmer said, 'Can't do that. I went and spent it already.'


Chuck said, 'OK, then, just bring me the dead donkey.'


The farmer asked, 'What ya gonna do with him?


Chuck said, 'I'm going to raffle him off.'


The farmer said 'You can't raffle off a dead donkey!'


Chuck said, 'Sure I can Watch me. I just won't tell anybody he's dead.'


A month later, the farmer met up with Chuck and asked, 'What happened with that dead donkey?'


Chuck said, 'I raffled him off. I sold 500 tickets at two dollars apiece and made a profit of $898.00.'


The farmer said, 'Didn't anyone complain?'


Chuck said, 'Just the guy who won. So I gave him his two dollars back.'


Chuck now works for Goldman Sachs, and watching over V.W. Residents depleted investments. Bottom Line: God Bless America.

ANNUAL MEETING

Letters were sent to homeowners here in Verona Walk on January 16, 2009 advising owners that the Annual Meeting will be held on March 3, 2009 (Tuesday) at 6:00PM

PANCAKE BREAKFAST

Tickets for the Pancake Breakfast on Feb 7th will be on sale at the post office on January 31st between 11:00 and 1:00

If you have not purchased a ticket this may be the last opportunity.

Proceeds will benefit the East Naples Fire Department

WINTER DANCE

Saturday night was "date night" for roughly 130 residents when they attended a dance at Town Center. It looked like the largest group to ever attend one of these functions.

It all started at "check in" where one had the opportunity to purchase a raffle ticket. The drawing captured a good deal of interest as it was a good size pot.

The meal was catered and featured chicken and shrimp.

After dinner there was entertainment and a very crowded dance floor. The music brought back many memories.

CALLIE'S HOME

"The Mouth" has been asked to leave the hospital and Go HOME !

My Lady was glad to help the "Mom" and the little girl move on home. It was time. She now opens those eye in addition to that mouth. I hope she approves of that "silly ribbon" in her hair.

Enjoy her picture!

FRIDAY BOWLING

While the "guy's" up North are busy throwing snowballs, a contingent of residents here in "The Walk" have been enjoying Breakfast and Bowling on Fridays. This looks like a good activity.

The gang absolutely knows how to eat: Eggs, bacon, pancakes, coffee etc. The also make a great effort to "roll" the ball down the lane. Based on laughs, moans and jumps in the air the group does well.

V.W. Resident had a few pictures donated to this blog, but score cards were not available !

DEDUCTIONS & TAX TALK

About a dozen residents attended the "Tax talk" seminar on Tuesday evening. It was held at 6:00PM in Town Center. The presenters are pictured above.

V.W. Resident and a couple of neighbors went and enjoyed the talk. For those of us unable to itemize there has been an important change for you. This year you may deduct $500 or $1000 maximum if filing married for real estate taxes. This is in addition to the standard deduction.

Unfortunately the "brain trust in DC" did not offer any changes that may help with large capital losses. It is still $3000 maximum per year to write off your loss. If you want to get the whole loss taken off you just have to plan "to live long enough" to do that. At least that's a good thought.

WHO'S PROUDER OF CALLIE

As per request of My Lady's New York daughter to see pictures of the new little girl these two pictures are submitted for everyone.

The baby is Callie, and she arrived on Jan. 19. She is health, at least her lungs are. That means She is very loud, which is OK.

That's My Lady holding her. I believe she got her hands on the kid right in the treatment room as the nurse finished cleaning and wraping her in a nice warm blanket.

The little guy holding Callie is Zachary the Big brother.

VERONA WALK RESIDENT TAKING CLASS TO WASHINGTON DC

Paul Garrah is a Verona Walk resident and a teacher at Golden Gate H.S. He is organizing a class trip to Washington D.C. Paul's JROTC class will be the first class ever to make such a trip. A description of this event is described below. Paul will send more information as to how to donate or otherwise help this project.

THE GOLDEN GATE HIGH SCHOOL JROTC “WE LOVE OUR COUNTY” CITIZENSHIP VISIT TO WASHINGTON D.C.

The objective of this trip is to enhance our student's appreciation of our country. The JROTC motto is “Motivating Young People to Become Better Citizens.” What better place to highlight citizenship and help our young people become better citizens, than our Nation’s Capital.

I plan to take our senior cadets (about 15) to Washington D.C. as a culmination of their Junior ROTC experience. These seniors would be our best cadets with hundreds of school and community support hours volunteered while in our program. We will take this trip over a 6 day period April 4th and April 9th 2009 (Spring Recess). We plan to visit The Capitol Building, White House, Pentagon, Smithsonian, Fort Myer, Arlington National Cemetery, Mount Vernon, a variety of monuments in the area such as the Lincoln Memorial, University of Maryland ROTC, Andrews Air Force Base and anything else we can fit in during this time. My goal is to ensure our cadets soak in as much as possible.

I was stationed in Washington twice and know the area well. I have already started the trip process and am currently coordinating with military units in the area to help keep our costs down. We will be staying at the Army –Navy club which is one block from the White House. I have great people in the Washington area who are willing to help us out. In June 2008, I visited Washington for a coordination visit and lined a number of events and activities up for us. This is the first time any JROTC unit in our county will visit Washington D.C. for a trip such as this.

This trip will benefit my students because it will show them first-hand what we teach in the JROTC Program of Instruction (POI). The following is an example of our Citizenship POI:

- Introduces the values and principles that underlie good citizenship.

- Emphasis is placed on topics such as the importance of the United States Constitution and Bill of Rights; responsibilities of U.S. citizens; basic national values; the US federal justice system; and service to the community.

- In conjunction with citizenship, cadets are introduced to a variety of significant events and historical figures that contributed to our citizenship and American history.

I simply can’t imagine anything better than physically showing and having our students experience all of the wonderful things our Capital has to offer. Furthermore, some of our students are enlisting into the military after high school or are attending college ROTC. This visit would certainly prepare them for responsible leadership roles while making them aware of their rights, responsibilities, and privileges as American citizens. In addition, our cadets will have an experience they will cherish for the rest of their lives.

We are going to use fundraising and donations to pay for our trip. We already have $5,000 raised for the visit and are continually trying to raise more. The total cost will be about $10,000. We have time to reach our goal but we do need help. Thank you!

Respectfully,

Paul Garrah, Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Army, Ret

CALLIE'S ARRIVED

This was a short "baby watch."

V.W. resident and his Lady are proud grand parents again. Early this morning their daughter had her third baby, and delivered the "long awaited" female of the species. We knew all along it was going to be "that much wanted" girl, but the actual arrival made everyone tingle.

Little Callie had 7.2 pounds on her frame, plus all ten toes, ten fingers and the female big mouth. She could be heard from miles away, at least from down the hallway. The "doc" said this little girl will be making some good healthy loud noises in the weeks ahead for her parents (Rudy and Laura) to enjoy.

Some pictures will come in a day or two. Best wishes to the parents and grand parents.

ANOTHER BABY WATCH

For our neighbors and family my Lady friend has advised that another "baby watch" has begun.

Any day the "child" from Naples will present grandchild number 12. She has been promised a girl by the doctor and all those new machines that they use today.

Again the watch has started. Look for Monday !!!!!!!

HAVE A LAUGH

This is an old joke but it was submitted by a V.W. Neighbor so it deserves a showing here.

May be The Best Blonde Joke Ever!

Two blonde girls were working for the city public works department. One would dig a hole and the other would follow behind her and fill the hole in.
They worked up one side of the street, then down the other, then moved on to the next street, working furiously all day without rest, one girl digging a hole, the other girl filling it in again.

An onlooker was amazed at their hard work, but couldn't understand what they were doing. So he asked the hole digger, 'I'm impressed by the effort you two are putting in to your work, but I don't get it -- why do you dig a hole, only to have your partner follow behind and fill it up again?'

The hole digger wiped her brow and sighed, 'Well, I suppose it probably looks odd because we're normally a three-person team. But today the girl who plants the trees called in sick.'

NEW HAPPY HOUR AT BISTRO

Friends and Neighbors should note that the Bistro is now offering a "Buy One/Get One" Happy Hour (drinks only). The "Happy Doors" will be open Monday - Thursday 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM.

The announcement indicates that purchases may be made not only at the bar, but in the dinning room as well.

V.W. Resident thinks this is a positive move by the Bistro and offers best wishes with this new approach.

THE PRINCESS & NATIONAL NIGHT OUT

This little girl, a.k.a. The princess, sent this to my Lady who wants to share it with friends and neighbors. The proud Township Fireman is also the proud Dad.

National Night Out

Added by Rick Epstein on August 6, 2009 at 4:57 PM

Katelyn Killian, 4, and hr dad, Jason, a Chatham Township firefighter, take a seat in the brand new Class A Pumper, Engine 10, during National Night Out celebrations at the firehouse on Aug. 4. (photo by Cowell-Ziegler)

TAX TALK

A seminar is scheduled for Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2009 at Town Center called "Tax Talk." In view of the economy this appears to be a very interesting subject.

The focus is "Deductions and Credits". There have been changes in the tax law that have come out of the Congressional bailouts that may hit home. See the number below to register or email: kat9lady@aol.com. If there are topics or questions that anyone would like to see covered they may also forward them to this email.

RSVP by Jan 19th to 434 6313

SATURDAY NIGHT DANCE

The Seven Dollar dance was on the agenda again in January. For "Seven Bucks this is always good event.

Neighbors filled eleven tables, brought their own snacks, and drink, and then proceeded to have a real good time.

There was live entertainment which played the right songs, all from the fifties, sixties and seventies; But none from the twenties which was good. It was good to see video of Roy Orbison, and hear a double play by Credence.

Looking forward to next month.

GATORS

GATORS #1 is all that needs to be said.

They are BCS Champions. Final score: 24-14 over the Sooners of Oklahoma.

This was a great game and actually kept me awake past midnight. Our prognosticators have told me the same, and one was absolutely sure Oklahoma was going to win.

I can't remember watching a championship game where two Heisman Trophy winners (still to play their Senior year) played against each other. Did Teabow and Bradford make history on that point?

FREE HOT DOG & TV TALK

Everybody likes a free hot dog.

On Saturday, Jan. 10, visitors to the Comcast presentation at Town Center will a free hot dog, and also learn about 2009 "Specials." This might be interesting.

The presentation will be in the Fitness Center Parking area between 11:00AM and 3:00PM

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

This should end football for another year, at least college football.

On Jan 8 there will be only one game, and it has been described by a few as THE BIG GAME. It is between the Florida Gators and the Oklahoma Sooners for the national championship.

A V.W. Neighbor, who is somewhat of a College Football expert predicts this game will be on by Florida.

A voice from the North has said just the opposite. The Viking Warrior picks Oklahoma.

Lets watch this game and close out the season with lots of points and fun.

CNN MONEY HOUSING REPORT

A friend in N.Y.C. called this article to V.W.Resident's attention. She is looking to buy in "The City" and said, "Prices there are still pretty high." It seems everyone has an eye on the Real Estate market so we will share this story with everyone (North & South). It seems to be a good source of information.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Home prices posted another record decline in October, falling 18% compared with a year earlier, according to a closely watched report released Tuesday.

The 20-city S&P Case-Shiller index has posted losses for a staggering 27 months in a row. In October, 14 of the 20 cities set fresh price decline records.

"The bear market continues; home prices are back to their March 2004 levels," says David Blitzer, Chairman of the Index Committee at Standard & Poor's.

Sunbelt cities suffered the most, but most of the country is watching home values fall. Home prices in Phoenix, Las Vegas and San Francisco all fell more than 30% on a year-over-year basis. Miami, Los Angeles and San Diego recorded year-over-year declines of 29%, 28% and 27%, respectively.

"As of October 2008, the 20-City Composite is down 23.4%," said Blitzer. "In October, we also saw three new markets enter the 'double-digit' club."

Atlanta, Seattle and Portland each reported annual rates of decline of about 10%.

"While not yet experiencing as severe a contraction as in the Sunbelt, it seems the Pacific Northwest and Mid-Atlantic South is not immune to the overall demise in the housing market," Blitzer added.

Many of the factors affecting home prices turned strongly negative this fall, according to Blitzer."October was really the first month to feel the full brunt of the credit crunch," he said. "Up until the Lehman Brothers [bankruptcy filing on September 15], everyone felt relatively optimistic."

Plus, in many of the free-falling cities the majority of real estate sales consist of distressed properties such as foreclosed homes and short sales. These houses tend to sell at a steep discount to the rest of the market, and when they account for a large proportion of all sales, they can exaggerate the depth of price declines.

Of course, foreclosures continue to be a big problem as well. In October alone, nearly 85,000 people lost their homes to foreclosure, adding vacant inventory to an already overburdened market.

Home sellers should not expect prices to improve any time soon, according to Pat Newport, a real estate analyst for IHS Global Insight.

"I expect it's going to get quite a bit worse over the next couple of months," he said. "Existing home sales reports have really been bad."

Home sales fell 8.6% in November, much more than expected, to an annualized rate of 4.49 million units according to the National Association of Realtors.

And although interest rates are currently extremely low - the 30-year fixed-rate averaged 5.14% during the week of December 24, according to mortgage giant Freddie Mac (FRE, Fortune 500) - that's doing more to help people refinancing existing mortgages than it is to help new home buyers.

"Buyers still have to have a 20% down payment," said Newport, "and, in this environment, it can be hard to meet that criteria."

The latest Case-Shiller numbers provide more ammunition to Washington policy makers who want to do more to fix the housing mess, according to Jaret Seiberg, an analyst with the Stanford Group, the policy research firm.

"These data just add to the tremendous pressure on the president-elect and the Democrats to stimulate housing," he said. "That means more lucrative tax incentives and broad foreclosure prevention. All of this will likely be in the stimulus plan that Congress adopts in January."

Nicholas Retsinas, Director of Harvard University's Joint Center for Housing Studies, agrees. "Housing problems are at the core of our economic problems," he said, "yet, of the government interventions made during 2008, few were focused on housing."

With a new administration and Congress in place next month, he expects to see a renewed interest in stabilizing the housing market.

First Published: December 30, 2008: 9:15 AM ET

BLUE GRASS ENTERTAINMENT

Cambier Park (Norris Center) will be the setting for a performance by Ron Block.

Mr Block has been a thirteen time Grammy Award winner as part of the band: "Allison Krauss & Union Station." The date is Jan. 7 2009. This will follow an earlier show at Emanuel Lutheran Church on Jan 6.

These shows are "Blue Grass" type music, and will benefit St, Matthews House here in Naples. Also performing will be a mandolin prodigy by the name of Sierra Hull.

Both shows are at night, but the exact time was not available for this post.

GRAND KIDS BIRTHDAYS THIS MONTH

Thanks for letting my lady friend know with that "Special Calendar" that in January there are two birthdays to note: First, the son of the Jersey Viking a young lad named "THOR"; and second a mild mannered Norseman, named Magnus.

Happy Birthday Guy's.

VALENTINA CT CELEBRATES NEW YEARS DAY

Despite heavy competition from the football games on TV several neighbors, on Valentina Ct, gathered for a wine and cheese party January 1 to celebrate the New Year.

Twenty-six people gathered at the Cul-de-Sac. With pleasant conversations running constantly, it was hard to get at the wonderful selection of wines and cheeses. While there was plenty of laughter the group stayed just within the limits of allowable noise at all times.

A major focus of the talk was the beautiful Greyhound that was recently rescued by neighbors. A couple of people even volunteered to walk him. Others were wondering about racing. In any event he was a true celebrity on Jan 1st.

HAPPY NEW YEAR

It is 2009 !!! The moment is right to wish all our kids, friends in Ohio, New York, and of course, New Jersey a huge HAPPY NEW YEAR.