|
WESTWIND CLUB
WESTWIND CLUB |
||||
|
MANAGERS REPORT
SUMMER WILL SOON BE UPON US AND WE ARE HOPING FOR GOOD
WEATHER TO SEE US THROUGH OUR MAINTENANCE WEEKS. THIS YEAR
OUR MAIN PROJECTS INVOLVE OUTDOOR WORK SUCH AS RESHINGLING
THE LAST THREE BUILDINGS WHICH HOUSE UNITS 1THRU 6.
WE ALSO HAVE SEVERAL UNITS TO RETILE WHICH WERE DONE IN
2001; THE TILES USED THEN WERE NOT PORCELAIN AND THEREFORE
CHIPPED EASILY, MOST NOTABLY IN THE KITCHEN AREA, WHICH WE
WILL NOW REPLACE.
ALL PATIOS AND PATIO FURNITURE WILL GET A GOOD SCRUBDOWN;
THE STRAPPING ON THE FURNITURE IS TAKING A BEATING FROM
SUNTAN OIL STAINS AND WE FIND MOST CLEANING PRODUCTS, EVEN
BLEACH, DO NOT GET THE STAINS OUT ADEQUATELY. WE WILL DO OUR
BEST TO REMEDY THIS SITUATION.
AS FOR THE CABLE BEACH RENOVATIONS, THE BAHA MAR PROJECT MAY
SOON GET UNDERWAY AS THE CONTRACT AGREEMENT BETWEEN OUR
GOVERNMENT AND CHINA HAS FINALLY BEEN SIGNED.
WE ALL HAVE OUR FINGERS CROSSED!!
THE ROAD CONSTRUCTION AT SAUNDERS BEACH IS STILL ONGOING, SO
ALLOW EXTRA TIME WHEN HEADING DOWNTOWN DURING THE DAY. THE
SLOWER TRAFFIC FLOW MAKES THE RIDE A BIT LONGER.
WE WISH YOU ALL A WONDERFUL, SAFE SUMMER AHEAD AS WE GET
YOUR RESORT READY FOR YOUR RETURN IN THE COMING MONTHS!
PRESIDENTS LETTER
The 30th
annual membership meeting was held at Westwind in the
clubhouse on April 13, 2010.
The meeting was well attended with owners down for
the week, the full Board of Directors and three of the new
candidates running for board positions.
It was great to see the amount of interest shown by
the membership both in attending the meeting and in running
for the Board.
Also, a very large group of owners cared enough to send in
their proxies.
The directors elected for three year terms were incumbents
Donavan Meyer and Mike O’Connor and the new director Nancy
Eagle.
Congratulations to Nancy and welcome to the Board.
Thanks to all for the vote of confidence shown by
allowing me to serve another 3 year term.
One improvement that the Board has been considering is the
possibility of adding a second bathroom to our units.
This was brought before the membership to obtain a
degree of interest so a decision to continue with the
feasibility study and cost estimates could be made.
In view of the fact that many of our owners are
original owners, we know we have a large group of senior
citizens staying at the club.
The stairs are not the easiest to navigate and this
gets even harder as we get older.
Also, when there are six persons staying in our
units, one bathroom can be pretty limiting.
There was genuine interest in pursuing this on the
part of the membership in attendance.
I ask for comments from others who were not able to
attend. Please
E-mail me at dmaengr@earthlink.net or fax me at 866-314-6012
if you wish to comment.
Thanks again to all for showing so much interest in the
operation of your club.
TREASURES
REPORT
The economy in the Bahamas continues to struggle with high unemployment and tourism much less than normal. The Chinese government is investing heavily in the Bahamas with the construction of a new sports complex and I am certain editor Bob will have details on this somewhere in this newsletter. They are also about to finalize a major investment in the Baha Mar project that will see Cable Beach converted into a resort to compete with Atlantis. This project is scheduled to start this year with completion in 2013.
The above information is in the treasurer’s report to show you the optimistic forecast for the Bahamas which, in turn, bodes well for Westwind Club. Presently our Club is doing well financially but we do have areas where we have significant shortfalls in our revenue. RCI trades are less than previous years and our rentals are lower due to the fact that Americans are staying closer to home.
For the past several years we have
replaced the roofs on units 7 to 21.
Steve is anxious to get this project completed
and with three buildings remaining it is his intention
to get this done during the two maintenance weeks with
as little inconvenience to owners as possible.
As this is a priority Steve is not planning any
other major projects until the roofs are completed.
Let’s us hope that
During our recent AGM on Tuesday, April 13th some discussion was held concerning surcharges and if there were significant projects on the horizon. This year we were able to place a generator for the bar area that protects our food and gives owners some area with lighting and TV during blackouts. We would like to see if we can add two more to protect the units from one to twenty one. This could be in the neighborhood of $50,000. There has also been ongoing research into adding a separate bathroom but nothing has been decided to date.
The Club was in a positive position with a profit of $1,741.47. If you have any questions about the finances please write to me at jim@westwindclub1.com and I will be pleased to answer them.
WESTWIND CLUB…..
recently received recognition in the national magazine Men's
Journal. To
quote “House Hunting:
The iconic Atlantis has its charms, but the best
place to hang your hat is the Westwind Club, a sleepy
collection of bungalows with a bar, private hammocks,
and-–better still—a private beach.
Plus, it’s a quick taxi ride away from the docks
($150 per day)”
Go to
www.mensjournal.com.
Type “westwind” in keyword search.
Click on “continue reading” under the Rose Island
article.
NEWBIES AT WESTWIND CLUB:
Carol and David Harms
What a great place to relax and unwind!
That was the first impression that Carol and I had
when we first visited the Westwind Club (WWC) complex.
We were fortunate to meet two WWC owners on the Cable
Beach Golf Course in 2009.
They invited us to come by for happy hour to see
their unit and to meet some of the other owners.
They just
raved about how unique WWC is and what a terrific value it
is as a fractional owner.
(Note: We
prefer the term “fractional” instead of “timeshare”).
Carol and I were impressed with everything.
We were greeted with enthusiasm and felt right at
home. The units
at WWC are not elegant or over-done, which we happen to
prefer, but they are down-right “comfy.”
Upon our return home Carol and I wasted no time finding the
specific available week and unit that worked best for our
schedule. And
before we knew it we had agreed and closed on the terms for
purchasing our special fractional home away from home.
Well, we have just returned from our first week in WWC.
Our inaugural stay
met/or exceeded our expectations.
In fact, half way through our visit we were
talking about purchasing another fraction.
We almost dreaded the day when we had to pack up and
head for home.
Coincidentally, the WWC Board members were staying at the
complex during the same week.
That gave us a bonus opportunity to meet them, see
them in action.
We were very impressed with their positive outlook on future
improvements to the complex and their confidence in the
increased value of our ownership stake.
In summary, the very down to earth owners that we met were a
huge plus to us, and we felt like we just inherited an
extended family.
And, we can’t say enough about the key players particularly,
Steve, Lauren, Donny and Tony are simply the best.
They are always pleasant, positive and never hesitate
to help or offer tips on WWC or the surrounding Nassau area.
Suffice it to say, Carol and I are delighted with our
decision to take the plunge.
We have absolutely no regrets and are already looking
forward to our next visit to our “little slice of paradise.”
Warm Regards,
Carol and David Harms
THE HUNT FOR FRENCH TOAST:
Bonnie Melin
Amidst all the aromas and tastes of Nassau--grouper, conch
chowder, Capricio's pasta, goom bays, etc.--, I started
craving French toast one morning. But where could I find it?
Our morning walk took us west down the road. In about a
mile, we happened upon Bob Marley's Hotel and Restaurant.
Nestled along the beach, the beautiful old hotel
has an
inviting, charming courtyard with outdoor dining. And, yes,
there on the menu was "Island Toast"--: made from wonderful
natural grain bread, sprinkled with powdered sugar, and
garnished with strawberries. Delicious!
Sitting on the patio, surrounded by lush foliage and
streams, with a view of the water through the arch, I
thought I had never had a more enjoyable breakfast.
A few days later, we hopped on the jitney for Compass Point.
Their French Toast on the beach is not to be surpassed.
Crunchy maple syrup crust, a touch of nutmeg--amazingly
good. Along with crispy bacon, fresh fruit, an unlimited pot
of coffee, we could eat no more.
After breakfast, my companions and I found the path down to
the unique and quiet beach and had a memorable stroll. An
idyllic day that we hope we can repeat again and again.
French toast has never been so good
TRY SOMETHING NEW…..
……a
Bahamas Segway and Beach Experience.
After our
pick-up at Westwind,
three of us were driven to the Coral Harbour area
of the island.
We quickly learned how to
ride our “X2 off road Segway.”
Our guide then led us through cut trails along
canals and salt water lakes.
The first stop was at a picturesque beach. The ocean
was shallow and calm enough so you could actually walk to an
island 1/4 mile off shore.
Starfish a plenty to see during your walk.
This
beautiful spot is between Stuart Coves and the new
development Villa del Arosa.
If you wish you can do a Segway tour , relax on the
beach all afternoon
and get your return ride back to Westwind at the end
of the day.
It was fun
learning to ride a Segway (I want one). It was a great
family outing and a fun beach experience which I recommend
to all.
BAHA MAR UPDATE
We first mentioned this multi-billion dollar project in the
July 2005 Newsletter.
During the years the ups and downs of the project
were reported—–BUT—–on March 30, 2010 an agreement
was finalized with Chinese Banking and Constructions
companies. Work
is to begin soon, with Phase One scheduled to be completed
in 2013.
Go to
www.bahamar.com
for a beautiful and exciting
video showcasing our new neighbor.
Check out the fact sheet plus all the other
informative data.
NEW STADIUM COMPLEX
In addition to the Cable Beach mega resort project
mentioned above, the Chinese Government is presently
funding the construction of a $30-million, 23,000 seat
sports stadium complex at the Queen Elizabeth Sports
Center in
Nassau. For more information go to page 172 in your
WELCOME BAHAMAS
coffee table book in your Westwind
unit.
QUERY —– QUERY —– QUERY
These questions come
from across the pond: Q. Why don’t you
review restaurants at new locations as opposed to the more
established? A We
welcome restaurant reviews from our owners
who dine at newer locations that we have not had a
chance to visit. Q. Why don’t all the
Directors make contributions to the newsletter? A The
Directors have access to the Newsletter “when
points are to be made” or issues arise. During
the
past five issues all Directors have been published at
least once. Q. Could the minutes
or key issues from the AGM be published in the Newsletter? R. Good Idea.
The complete minutes of the AGM are now published in the
owners section of the web site. Q. Could we get more
information on the progress of the Cable Beach development? R. The editor's
view is that by the time I get information, condense
it into an article and put it in the newsletter, it could be
old and stale. For
current information try the Nassau
Guardian web site on the Website "Bahamas News Links"
tab and key on “Baha Mar”. FROM THE FRONT DESK
It’s becoming extremely difficult to keep the unit carpets
“Hotel Clean”.
The black top from the drive way travels on our bare feet
into the unit and onto the carpet!
Please wear footwear (sandals/flip flops) to and from the
clubhouse and drop them off at the front door of your unit.
Please follow our rules which forbid defacing the building or
hanging items on the building.
Screw hooks and nails used for festive Holiday decorations
could compromise our efforts to keep the buildings termite
free. Each hole in the
fascia board presents an opportunity for an entrance to the wood
being protected. We all want to celebrate our Holidays but we need the support of all
owners in following
this rule. Also do not
hang clothing items on the building.
Another housekeeping issue is the extreme soiling of our towels and
face clothes. Please use the Kleenex provided in each unit to remove make-up—–the
biggest culprit!
With your help we will need to throw away less laundry
We have mounted an Emergency Cabinet in the hallway
closet door, beside the office. It is available for use 24/7. In addition to medical first aid supplies it contains our
Defibrillator.
AS A REMINDER FOR THOSE WHO ENJOY THE CLUBHOUSE AREA IN THE
EVENINGS TO SWIM, SOCIALIZE OR WATCH TV, PLEASE BE
CONSIDERATE OF GUESTS AND OWNERS STAYING IN UNITS 20, 21 AND
22. AND KEEP NOISE LEVELS AT A MINIMUM.
CLOSING THE SLIDING GLASS DOORS NEAREST THE POOL WILL
HELP TO BUFFER VOICES AS WELL.
EVERYONE ENJOYS A GOOD TIME AND FOLKS ARE HERE FOR
REST AND RELAXATION AS WELL, SO DO KEEP YOUR NEIGHBOR’S BEST
INTERESTS
IN MIND AND BE RESPECTFUL OF THEIR PEACE AND QUIET!
PASSPORT///PASSPORT///PASSPORT/// AIRLINES MAY DENY BOARDING TO THE BAHAMAS IF YOUR PASSPORT EXPIRES WITHIN 6 MONTHS OF ENTRY. If you make a sandwich for your flight home from the Bahamas, make sure it does not contain meat from a 4 legged animal - U.S. Immigration will make you remove and discard the meat from your sandwich! |
||||
|
CURRENT BOARD OF
DIRECTORS |
||||
|
Donavan Meyer, President |
Michael
O’Connor, Secretary Pete Seibert , Webmaster Raymond Weigel III, Sales and Resales Stephen Darville, CLUB MANAGER |
|||
|
||||
