Chardonnay Grapevine
January 2007

THE WELCOME COMMITTEE

As you may or may not know, the Welcome Committee is responsible for welcoming new residents to our community. Another responsibility is sending get well wishes to those who are hospitalized. And, we are the committee that sends condolences to those in our community who have lost loved ones.

BUT…WE NEED YOUR HELP. If you get a new neighbor, please notify Judi Hahn at (781-6329) or judihahn@insightbb.com) and let her know the new resident’s name(s), address, and phone number. If you are aware of any of your neighbors who are ill or hospitalized, or if you know of any family who has lost a family member, please let Judi know.

Judi Hahn, for the Welcome Committee

Community Thanksgiving Dinner

Our annual Thanksgiving dinner was served up on Friday, November 17. The dinner was very successful. Forty six people attended and there was plenty of turkey with all the trimmings – lots of desserts as well. The clubhouse looked festive with our fall colors and the Chain Gang raffled the rest of the items left over from the bazaar. A good time was had by all.

Judi Hahn
Social Committee

THANK YOU

A thank you note has been received from Sister Maddelena for our generous donation of food items to the St. Bernard Parish Pantry. The note is posted on the bulletin board outside the clubhouse for your review.

Two great parties were held this same week!!! First, the third annual women’s Christmas luncheon was held on Monday, December 11 at the clubhouse. The women were treated to a luncheon of chicken salad and ham salad, fresh fruit and croissant Desserts were provide as well. The table settings were, once again, lovely and festive.

Then, on Friday night, December 15 at 7:00 pm 50 people enjoyed the annual Christmas party. Gifts were exchanged and it seems a little dog with a bobble head and tail was the most desired gift of the evening. Mary Gerhardstein , on the other hand, kept picking gifts for others instead of herself. The food was sumptuous, and fun was the theme of the evening.

The Chain Gang raffled off two beautiful Christmas decorations. The wreath was won by David Trowbridge, and the table decoration was won by Betty Kroth. The door prizes were won by Jerry Lehkamp, Pat Bibbens and Bill Frambes.

The Social Committee wishes all a Happy New Year. Watch the paper for upcoming events for 2007. Save February 9 for the annual catered Valentines dinner. Dates are NOT required but reservations are.

Judi Hahn

Social Committee member

GRAPEVINE DUE DATE

The due date for input for February’s Grapevine will be January 20.

THANKS FOR SERVING
We would like to express our sincere thanks to Jim Remley and Geri Kortekamp for serving on the Board for the past two years. Your service is greatly appreciated

DON’T MISS THIS!!!

The Annual Meeting of the Members of The Chardonnay Council of Co-owners, will be held on Tuesday, January 16, at 7:30 P.M. at the Elks Club. The purpose of this meeting is to elect (2) members to the Board of Directors for a two (2) year term. We have (4) candidates at this time and nominations will also be taken from the floor.

The (4) nominees we have are as follows:

Ned Barnes retired from Coca-Cola and has been a resident of Chardonnay for (6) years and has previously served twice on the Board. Ned has 3 children, 2 girls and 1 boy, 6 granddaughters and 1 grandson. Ned lost his wife Betty to cancer on October 9 of this year.

Ned previously served two terms on the Board. With the help of other board members, goals were set and most of them were passed. Ned would like to get back on the board to continue working for the needs of Chardonnay. We need to continue to save monies where we can and spend monies in the right places.

Paul Ford and his wife, Carolyn have been residents of Chardonnay since July, 2004. They have been married for thirty-seven years and have four children and three grandchildren. They are active in their church and are docents at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center.

Paul graduated from Hillsdale College in 1956 with a B. A. in Business Administration and Accounting. He has over forty years of extensive auditing experience within the insurance and investment industries with a successful record of identifying fnancial discrepancies and procedural problems, and recommending cost-effective solutions. He retired in 2002 after thirteen years service with Union Central Life Insurance Company and thirty years with Equitable Life Assurance Society.

In 1972, Paul helped establish one of the first condominium associations if the Cincinnati area. It was one building with fourteen units in the suburb of Wyoming. There was a three person board, a lawyer, engineer and Paul. He assessed fees based on square footage of ownership, paid expenses and did the banking from 1972 -1975.

Paul and Carolyn love living here and Paul wants to do his part to help keep Chardonnay a special place to live. Chardonnay has been blessed with excellent management in the past and he wants to continue this path in the future and maintain a solid financial base with basic rules for the benefit of everyone. One of his goals is to get younger homeowners involved in the association government.

Jan Grefer is presently the Executive Assistant to the Chairman, President & CEO of Milicron, Inc. with a wide-range of duties involved in being a Executive Assistant and also has served in the past as Executive Secretary for JMB/Federated Realty. Jan graduated from the University of Cincinnati in 1965 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Education

Jan was active in the Bentwood Hills Condominium Association - helped found the Architectural Control committee and served on various short-term committees for short-term projects. Secretary for the Storehouse Ministry of her church which includes keeping the financial records, minutes of meeting and records of those who have helped. Jan is a former member of the Northern Kentucky Technical College- Business Technology Advisory Committee (2003-2004)

Pat Rummel is in her third year serving as chairperson on the Social Committee. Pat has served the past three years as the secretary for the HOA at Aqua Isle Mobile Home Park in Florida. She spends her winter months in Florida, but could stay active with the committee through e-mail, phone and mail. She and her husband Rick love living at Chardonnay and would love to serve and continue to help make Chardonnay the best place to live.

MONTHLY DINNER

Due to the Holidays, there will be no Monthly Dinner for the month of January. The site for February’s dinner will be in the next issue of the “ Grapevine”. Contact either Rhoda Frankerl (781-0555) or Mary Gerhardstein (441-8510) for reservations. The February dinner date will be Feb. 6 at 6 PM.

JANUARY PUZZLE

Solve each of the anagrams below to give the name of a well- known U. S. City.

NERO TOOLED SAULT
MEALS PARSEC DOTTIER
NERVED AGROUND ORDEAL
LARDOON COUNTS DOMAINS
TENDON TRADUCE FREONS
VAUNTER OILMEN OPERANTS
ASLOPE SALVAGES MAILER
HEADROOM WADERS DIAGNOSE

ANSWERS TO DECEMBER PUZZLE

1) The date 4003 years from 2006 will be 6009 which reads the same when read upside down.

2) When the doorman said ten the man should have replied three (number of letters in ten) instead of five. The key was the number of letters in the number that the doorman gave.

LOST KEY

A Dodge automobile key was found on Monterey Lane. If you have lost this key, please contact Bill Frambes to claim.

CLUBHOUSE DUMPSTER

Someone is putting their personal trash/garbage in the Clubhouse dumpster. This dumpster is for Clubhouse use only!! It is inconsiderate of you to make it convenient for you at the expense of your neighbors. Please use the two dumpsters provided for you.

Rhoda Wheeler, Clubhouse Coordinator

Jane Gray would like to express her thanks for all of the “get well cards” she received and for your prayers during her recent illness.

A Tip for Good Health

We all know that physical exercise is good for our health but we also need mental exercise. We need mental stimuli of our brain tissue (mental activity). There are many ways to exercise our minds. I turn to Art (painting) for mental exercise which does enrich my life. No one should feel intimidated by Art. I don’t know of anyone who has failed Art (painting). The Art Group welcomes everyone with the hope of enriching their lives and health. Regardless of your method. Please exercise your mind.

Ken Allen

NOTE: The Art group, during the winter months, will be meeting at 1:00 pm every Wednesday due to cold weather and darkness. All residents are invited to join this fun group.

FOR YOUR INFORMATION

WEB SITE – www.chardonnayhome.com

BOARD

Bill Frambes, President 781-8852 wframbes1@insightbb.com
Marge Rauch, VP mrauch41@netzero.com
Gerrie Kortekamp, Secy 442-5116 gkortekamp@insightbb.com
Alan Hahn, Treas 781-6329 ralanhahn@insightbb.com
Jim Remley, Member at Large 441-7441 sukyjnr@fuse.net

FOR PROBLEMS, COMPLAINTS & VIOLATIONS, CALL

Dave Munro, Towne Properties 291-5858 DaveM@tp1.com
Pat Kerner, Towne Properties 291-5858 PatK@tp1.com

COMMITTEE CHAIRPERSONS

Architect Maintenance – Dave Trowbridge 442-0244
Nanctr1400@aol.com
Co-Architect Maintenance – Ron Culp 781-8852 rculp2@insightbb.com
Finance – Bill Frambes 781-8852 wframbes1@insightbb.com
Landscape – Beth Maggard 781-9138 childbeth3@fuse.net
Pool – Barb Culp 781-6910 rculp2@insightbb.com
Social – Pat Rummel 441-1088 rprummel@peoplepe.com
Co-Social – Marilyn Jenner 441-9099 majic@fuse.net
Welcome – Judi Hahn 781-6329 judihahn@insightbb.com
Clubhouse Coordinator – Rhoda Wheeler 441-6185
whlrwheeler@aol.com
Clubhouse Co-Coordinator – Rhonda Brandt 866-2182
Ronda.brandt@patheon.com
Editor – Ron Culp 781-6910 rculp2@insightbb.com

Christmas in Kenya was completely different from what it is here. To start with, it occurred during the hottest, driest season of the year. There was no recognition of Christmas in Eldoret, our city of 40 thousand (third largest in the country). There were no decorations, no lights, no cards, no wrapping paper, no trees, no wreaths, no presents and no Christmas music. We might get a “Merry Christmas” greeting from a few of the 1000 Europeans in the city.

My parents did what they could to make the season festive. It helped that this was the only holiday we could celebrate as a family as we were in boarding school during all the other holidays of the year.

Since there was nothing to buy in the town of interest to young boys, Mom and Dad ordered our presents via mail from the Sears and Roebucks some time in August. They would arrive in late November, often broken, and Dad would have to repair them before wrapping them. Clothes were always included and we looked forward to them. Most of our clothes were either hand-me-downs from America or hand made by local merchants who made sturdy but crude clothes. Sear’s famous “Christmas Catalog” would arrive some time in February and we would fight over it during spring break in March dreaming of the things we might have had.

Buying something for Mom was especially hard. I would search each store in Eldoret four or five times looking at everything to find something suitable. I unusually had to settle for something acceptable that I could afford but never something she needed or wanted. She always acted as if what we gave her was the most wonderful gift in the world. We appreciated her attitude, but were not fooled. I still hate to shop for Christmas. Dad was a little easier, tools were plentiful and I usually knew what he needed or wanted.

A couple of weeks before Christmas, activity would begin in earnest. Mom and Dad would begin making Christmas goodies; candy, cookies, stollen and the traditional plum pudding, a British tradition we learned to enjoy. Mom would also begin to decorate the house.

We boys would begin bagging the Christmas candy. Dad and mom would buy about 10 gallons of hard sugar candy. The candy came in 5 gallon tin drums and was made of sugar with a little food coloring. We would wrap 10 of these candies in a bag together with a Christmas toy sent by our American supporters. Each year mom and dad would request everyone send a particular toy for that year. It might

be a whistle, a top, a yo-yo, jacks or some other small item. Balls were the kid’s favorites. We would hand out these bags of candy and toys to the African children on the Sunday before Christmas. Since gift giving was foreign to the Africans, this was the only gift the children would get, and the only candy they would see all year. They eagerly looked forward to the event and we enjoyed seeing the delight in their eyes as we handed them out. It was the true highlight of the season for all of us.

A week before Christmas, the three boys and Dad would go out to the “Wattle” forest and cut down a tree. “Wattle” was the only evergreen in the country. It had rather sparse branches, large inedible nuts, and dripped all over with a sticky sap. Since those near the ground tended to be one sided, we would look till we found one 40 to 60 feet high that appeared symmetrical at the top. After cutting it down we would take the top 10 feet home. We left it outside until Christmas for the sap to dry out (also the needles). The day before Christmas, Dad would cut off the bottom 4 ft, bring it in to the house to do his “tree surgery”. Try as we might we never found a suitably full and symmetric tree. Drilling holes in the trunk and inserting additional branches taken from the 4 foot section was a messy but workable solution. We would leave it up exactly one week, removing it New Year’s day, as the tree would dry out and become a fire hazard.

On Christmas Eve, Dad would hold Christmas Eve services for the Africans, while Mom and I decorated the tree. Together we would listen to Christmas music played on the old record player and nibble on the Christmas goodies that had been saved until that moment. Everyone agreed we had the best looking tree in the City.

Sometime around 10 pm, Dad would get home and we would open the presents. We opened them carefully, one gift at a time, gingerly removing the wrapping so that they could be used again the next year. Wrapping paper was used over and over again as it had to last the five years of the mission tour. While opening the presents we munched on goodies. It was the only time we were allowed as many candies, cookies, and nuts that we wanted. We could stretch this ceremony out at least till midnight, when we would fall into bed tired, full, and happy.

Christmas day, we would get up, have a special full course Christmas breakfast, and play with our toys. We were grateful for what we received and were not concerned that outside the house there was no sign of the season anywhere to be seen.

R. Alan Hahn