SPRING 2021

MPOA AT WORK FOR YOU!

The Moorings’ Breeze

Inside This Issue: Editors’ Corner ..................... 2

Manatee Rescue .................. 3

Moorings Real Estate ........... 4

New Residents ..................... 4

Presidents Meeting.............. 5

Community Presidents ........ 5

Board of Governors ............. 5

Management Company ....... 5

This newsletter is prepared and published semi-annually by the Board of Governors of The Moorings of Vero Property Owners’ Association, Inc. for the benefit and enjoyment of its members.

Landscaping ♦ Tiki Huts & Beach ♦ Roads, Signs & Street Lights ♦ Security ♦ Events Planning ♦ Directory

I would like to thank our MPOA members for work-ing dili-gently during a

very difficult year. Fortunately, we can look forward as we begin the home stretch to some version of normal. We are planning on having more Tiki Hut parties than in the past, and we look forward to in-person meetings and get-togethers. We welcome the many new resi-dents who have moved to the Moor-ings in 2020/2021. We appreciate the feedback from

President’s Message by Chris Sinton

our members, as that is our report card. Questions, complaints and rec-ommendations are helpful. Please contact any of our Board members as we strive to meet your needs. We will continue to send regular informa-tional updates. We hope you agree that the beach landscaping is in great shape. Beach parking is always a challenge, so MPOA security is now spending addi-tional time at our Tiki Hut beach, es-pecially on weekends. Thank you to our volunteer Board members who give their time and talent to make our unique community the best it can be. Have a great summer here or else-where and enjoy connecting with family and friends.

After over a year without Tiki Hut parties (hosted by the MPOA) due to COVID restrictions, the MPOA Board felt that we could/should hold a Tiki Hut celebratory party! Invitations to all MPOA residents were sent, and flyers were posted on the bulletin boards at many communities. It was a huge success! On Monday, April 26, approximately 100 residents gath-ered and enjoyed catching up with friends, welcoming new residents and relishing in the beautiful sunny,

Tiki Hut Party April 2021

breezy weather. Here are some pic-tures that capture the fun! BTY, we will resume Tiki Hut parties at the end of October 2021.

Page 2

The Moorings’ Breeze

Editors’ Corner ~ Anne Hanna & Jane Beattie

In the MPOA Breeze Fall 2020 is-sue, we shared some important re-minders for walking and biking safe-ty. We are concerned to report that we continue to see walkers and bik-ers on the road who are ignoring im-portant safety guidelines. We are repeating some of these and putting the text in bold print to emphasize their importance. Walkers: • If you are walking on a two-way

street such as Windward Way, al-ways walk on the left side, facing traffic.

• If you are walking on a one-way road, such as Mooringline Drive, plan your walk so you are walking facing traffic, on whichever side has the widest shoulder.

• Please avoid walking in the same direction as traffic, so you can see drivers and bikers. Re-member that cyclists or motorists might not see you. Sometimes the glare from our plentiful sunshine prevents drivers from seeing you ahead.

Bikers: • Wear a helmet! Wear a helmet!

Wear a helmet! • Wear bright colors so you can be

seen easily. • Use bike lights. The more visible

you are, even in daylight, the safer you are.

• In the state of Florida, a bicycle is considered a vehicle. When shar-ing the road with other vehicles, a bicyclist must ride with traffic, nev-

er against it. Like drivers, bikers must obey the same laws on the road to keep everyone safe. Fol-low traffic signals and lights, and hand signal before turning or stop-ping.

• By the way, drivers must yield the right of way to bikers and pedes-trians.

• If you are biking on the sidewalk or road, you should announce your presence before you pass. Ring a bell, yell “on your left”, and re-member that the other person may not always hear you the first time. (Might be listening to music, talk-ing on the phone, visiting with his/her companion, hearing issues, etc.)

• Additionally, always watch for driveways and slow down and look both ways before proceeding ahead.

Our Fall 2020 Breeze included an interesting article about honeybees that had taken up residence in a manatee statuette formerly occu-pied by a woodpecker family. We highlighted the process whereby the bees were safely relocated to an adjoining beehive. Exciting news! A woodpecker family has “pecked” a new hole to enter the statuette and are raising its family there once again. I was fortunate to capture one of the woodpeckers at its entry-way with the mate in the tree near-by. Nature at work!

On The Road Again—Spring 2021

The Manatee and the Bees Woodpeckers.

Check out the woodpecker!

The Moorings’ Breeze

Our Moorings community offers many opportunities for exploring and learning… on the beach, on a walk, on the ocean, on the inland waterway, or on a bike ride, I want to share with you an incident with a manatee that was initially disturbing and turned out to be very reassuring. We were biking along Indian River Blvd. E. near the Barber Bridge and noticed a group around a waterway ramp and a Mana-tee Rescue truck. We stopped and watched Florida Wildlife Conservation (FWC) staff and volunteers preparing to move a mana-tee (sea cow) from a floating dock to the rescue truck. Evidently, the mana-tee had been listless in the waterway for a few days and needed medical attention in order to save him/her. Using gentle rolling motion, FWC staff worked carefully to place a tarp un-derneath the manatee. Then, 10-12 workers surrounded the tarp and hoisted the manatee to the lift on the rescue truck and took off for Orlando. I was concerned for the manatee, but the staff showed such care and compassion for the animal that I hoped the manatee could be saved. I decided to follow up with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Com-mission (FWC) to find out more about what the FWC does, how they are helping the manatees given the cur-rent manatee population reduction, and how communities can help. I was thrilled to get much more information than I had expected. During the conversation I was asked when and where I saw this and to send pictures. I was so excited when I read the response. I quote:

Manatee Rescue By Anne Hanna

“The manatee you saw rescued ‘Giman’ was a male manatee res-cued for cold stress by FWC and Har-bor Brand Oceanographic Institute. It was transported to Seaworld Orlan-do for rehabilitation. At the time of his rescue on 1/2/21 he was 8.6 ft long and 780 pounds but he was re-leased on 2/17/21 at Anchorage Park in Palm Beach County at 8.7 ft and 805 pounds. Cold stress is usually observed in smaller manatees during the winter season when the water temperature is less than 68⁰ Fahrenheit. Mana-tees with cold stress typically have bleaching on their skin, visible ab-scesses, unresolved sores, a heavy barnacle or algae load, and are un-derweight. Manatees with these symptoms found away from any warm water sources are of the most concern The FWC responds to reports of distressed manatees by investigating reports from the public and imple-menting rescues for those animals in need of intervention. Our response depends on those calls from the pub-lic to FWC’s Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-3922. For information about our rescue program click here: https://myfwc.com/research/manatee/

rescue-mortality-response/rescue/ there is a great video that shows the whole process. For more information about the Florida manatee visit: https://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/wildlife/manatee/ This work is funded through sales of the save the manatee license plate: https://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/wildlife/manatee/myfwccomhow-to-help/” In 2021 Florida manatee deaths have been on the rise. Researchers and scientist are at work to deter-mine the reasons why. Findings include: • Cold stress • Boating injuries - As good citizens

we can all do our part to adhere to boating regulatory zone signs. Additionally, boaters should wear polarized sunglasses so they can see where manatees are located under the water.

• Starvation –seagrasses are disap-pearing because of an increase in nutrients in the water from runoff into the waterway.

The FWC is doing important work to protect these popular, gentle sea cows. Many of us enjoy taking our children and grandchildren to coves,

marinas, and lagoon waterways to see them. For more de-tails about these spe-cial sea cows and the work of the FWC, click on the links above.

Page 4

As the President of the Realtor Association of Indian River County said, "We're just a little busy!" According to the Na-tional Association of Realtors, March was the hottest month in housing history. We truly have never seen a market like this before. We are seeing record breaking prices and low inventory. The demand currently outweighs the supply. Since the pandemic, the defi-nition of a home has been redefined. Buyers are looking for larger properties, outdoor space and room for a home office or school space. They are looking at communities that can provide a complete lifestyle, which explains why the Moor-ings is so desirable. The days of low offers and financing contingencies are gone. The market is extremely competitive. We now find our-selves selling more properties outside the Moorings, as we currently only have a few listings. Besides our current pend-ing sales in the Moorings, we now have pending sales in Seagrove, Central Beach and Seaside. There is not a more important time for a buyer or seller to use a professional Realtor to help guide you through these unprecedented times. Perspective of Moorings Realty Sales Agents: So far, the 2021 real estate market has made many buyers bitter and many sellers happy as clams. There is also the oth-er side of the coin; sellers are finding their own stress when they can't find a place to live. So we realtors are caught in the middle trying to make everyone happy. It is a challenging job! We are in uncharted territory. Since COVID 19 began, the migration to our state is explosive. Our state government is conducive to attracting new residents. Demand for homes is high and the availability cannot keep up. Hence, homeowners are receiving multiple offers and some properties are selling over the asking price. The pandemic has caused many people to be more cogni-zant of lifestyle living, which as we know is what the Moor-ings and Vero Beach offer. As our inventory levels continue to remain near or at 0%, buyers have to become more creative with the way they go about attempting to find and purchase a home. Most sellers will only consider cash offers, and many buyers are using escalation clauses and reduced inspection periods to help give them an edge (as many of the deals are multiple offer situations). This is when thinking outside the box and working with a knowledgeable realtor becomes very important. Today's marketplace is both challenging and exciting. Buy-ers, and by extension, those of us acting as their agents, need to constantly be on top of the market. When a new property comes on that might fit the buyer’s needs, there is a very short and quick window of opportunity to act upon the prop-

New Moorings Residents

Jon Puz & Kate Humphrey ...................Porpoise Bay Villas 205E Pamela Terp ....................................... Porpoise Bay Villas 203B J Richard & Meghan Frey ...................... Harbourside East PH-A Karen Crabill & Wayne Rushell ....................... Harbor View 105 Phillip Schemel & Gibson Halloran ..... Porpoise Bay Villas 201C Lisa Catagnus .................................................... Southwinds 213 Dennis Lynch ............................................ 1985 Mooringline Dr

Moorings Real Estate Update By Marsha Sherry, Broker

The Moorings’ Breeze erty. Video showings, multi-bid situations, and fast closings are all part of today's buying process. This works for some buyers, while others may decide to sit back and wait for a less volatile time. Sellers are enjoying the hot market and an unprecedented amount of leverage to negotiate their best scenarios. Although inventory remains low, new properties are constantly coming along – they just don't stay on the market for very long!

2021 MPOA Board of Governors

Page 5

OFFICERS:

President– Chris Sinton ................................ 813-777-3307

VP/Administration– Alex McFerran ............. 508-971-9001

Secretary– Shelley Weier ............................. 772-234-3799

Treasurer– Jim Fulmer ................................. 772-231-0969

COMMITTEES:

Beach Property– Vicki Mingin ...................... 631-626-9446

Beach Property– Kitty Mountain ................. 772-492-8401

Directory– Steve Smith ................................ 772-234-5707

Events Planning– Cris Gardner..................... 607-592-0740

Landscaping– Babs Ade ............................... 772-231-9713

Landscaping– Dorothy Payne ...................... 203-913-2407

Newsletter– Jane Beattie ............................. 203-561-7027

Newsletter– Anne Hanna ............................. 772-234-8587

Presidents Meeting—Ellaine Saeva ............. 410-370-4255

Public Relations-Nick Cameron .................... 772-234-9277

Roads, Signs & Lights– Ron Vogt ................. 772-231-4640

Security– Skip Tolette .................................. 772-231-2756

Special Projects– Galen Brewster ................ 772-231-0733

Special Projects– Steve Wells ...................... 772-766-3570

Tiki Hut Reservations—Clint Black ............... 772-217-8282

The Moorings’ Breeze 2021 MPOA

Community Presidents

The Anchor, Mike Fifer .................................... 772-925-5154

The Billows, Jim Maginness ............................ 703-795-5447

The Galleons, Susan Buza ................................ 561-282-7288

Harbor View, Hugh Overton ............................ 915-204-9067

Harbour Side, George Shaw ............................. 772-999-2635

North Passage, Alan Saeva .............................. 202-437-8813

Nor’West Passage, Peter Welles ..................... 772-766-3570

The Pointes, Don Gervais ................................. 772-231-1787

Porpoise Bay, Peter MacConnell ..................... 413-237-4724

The River Mews, Ralph Gehr ........................... 772-766-2209

Sabal Reef, Jim Hill ........................................... 772-257-6416

Sea Mist Court, Bill Morton ............................. 772-774-8866

South Passage, Peter Nord .............................. 772-231-8653

Southwinds, John Damoose ............................ 772-492-8960

Spinnaker Point, John Fix ................................. 772-234-5909

West Passage, Eileen Conroy ........................... 914-320-1454

Windward, Phil Guido ...................................... 631-334-6627

On April 19, 2021 fifteen (of seventeen) community Presidents gathered via Zoom to discuss topics pertinent to our residential communities and to share information that could be useful. Some of the topics covered were insurance rate changes and concerns for the future, vari-ous policies on installation and current use of electric car charges, rules on short term rentals, pet policies, driveway pavers and construction, and overall MPOA security. The meeting was very successful, so the MPOA Board plans to hold these meetings each Fall and Spring. We trust that these meetings will encourage “after meeting” conversations.

2021 Annual MPOA Community Presidents’ Meeting

Paradise Association Management

1209 US Highway 1, Sebastian, FL 32958

Brendan Maughan, CAM 772-925-5192

Hope Woodin, Asst. CAM 772-464-7007

Kelly Grebe, Assistant 772-388-6376

Erin Bryant, Accounting 772-388-6364

www.mooringspoavero.com

Moorings Security 772-231-1612