The semi-annual meeting of the Sorrento Dock Owners' Association (SDOA) was held on February 27, 2013. It was decided that dock fees should be raised again to cover the cost of replacing some of the pilings and making dock repairs in the marina. Directors elected to the SDOA board for 2013 are:

Denny Korinek - President
Jack Riordan - Vice President
Barbara Lechky - Sec/Treas
Dick Neville - Dockmaster (A)
Bob Coffey - Dockmaster (B)
Bruce Sprague - Dockmaster (C)

Note to those who have boatless docks in our marina: If you would like to find a tenant for your slip, let us know so we can publish the dock's availability in the TIMES. (Posting a FOR RENT sign with your phone number on the nearest piling might be faster, however.) Further, if you're a prospective tenant and you don't see any FOR RENT signs, we can publicize the fact that you're in the market for a slip. This service applies to buying and selling as well. There is no charge for boat slip classifieds!

From time to time a resident will question why SSPO holds no social events for members. It wasn't always thus. In the early days when there were fewer homes and most owners were retired, people all knew each other and had lots of free time. We note in looking back at old newsletters that members enjoyed many kinds of activities together. However, by 2002 there were no empty lots remaining. With 123 homes, many of which were now occupied by working people with young families, the numbers grew and the demographics changed. While there are still some (very busy) retirees, very few of the original party animals are still around. We found that when we scheduled social gatherings at the Clubhouse or picnics in North Jetty Park, they were no longer well attended. Given the work and cost involved in putting on such events, there was a decision on the part of the board to make the 2008 picnic our last. No one complained.

To those of you who would like to throw a party and invite us to your home, great! (Let's see, if the average in each home is 2 people and they all come, that would be 246 for dinner.) Seriously, you would probably have more room for them in your house than in our clubhouse, which is free to our owners but tiny. If you have a smaller group in mind and would like to use the clubhouse for cards, a golfer get-together, etc., check the calendar posted on the clubhouse bulletin board. Sorrento South is in favor of sociability! (Incidentally, the clubhouse has restrooms but no kitchen.) It's not South Bay, people, but we're the only Sorrento community that even has a clubhouse. Party on!

storm shutters, tree trimming, and securing your property. But have you given any thought to what is over your head?

As we have noted in our reports about home sales, the houses in Sorrento South vary a good deal in terms of age, size, and design. However, one feature we all have in common is a tile (or tile appearing) roof. Many owners of the older homes have replaced their original roof in the last decade. While a total roof replacement is expensive, the materials being used today are much stronger and able to meet the more stringent building codes put into effect after Hurricane Andrew.

We recently learned that a Sorrento South owner was told by his insurance agent that his homeowner's policy will be cancelled if the tile roof is not replaced. That tells you something about how well an older roof is expected to perform in a hurricane. If your own roof is more than 20 years old, think seriously about replacing it. Roof replacements must be approved by the Association before work begins, but it's a simple procedure: just submit a copy of the roofing contract that includes information about the contractor and the type of roof to be installed (e.g., concrete barrel tile). The Board reviews such requests at their monthly meeting on the second Tuesday of each month and, if paperwork is complete, approval will be granted immediately. Most roofing companies are

We all know that most pipes and utility cables here run underground, right? But do you know what lines are in your yard and where they are?

A homeowner in Pensacola was doing a simple weekend project - planting a bougainvillea. It ended with 15 firefighters, two emergency medical services technicians, four fire trucks, one ambulance, one gas company emergency response vehicle, and a gas company employee. It seems that the homeowner punctured a gas line buried in his yard when he thrust a post-hole digger 22 inches into the ground.