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An open letter to the members of Eagle Creek

My name is John Chirikas and my wife, Cathy, and I have been members of Eagle Creek for the past five years. We don't know many of you due to the fact we live and work in Michigan and unfortunately, can only visit for a few weeks at a time periodically throughout the year. I, along with Cathy, look forward to someday being able to spend most of the winter season here and getting to know each of you better.

The purpose for my letter is to address a few situations that are very alarming to us, all which revolve around the management of the home owner's association and the handling of our budget and bylaws. In the past year we have faced extreme budgeting issues so pronounced it has required the Board of Directors of Eagle Creek Golf Club to implement a freeze on shifting from golf to social membership. Yet, at the same time, a sizable amount of money was used, by the home owner's association, to construct a waterfall in front of Eagle Creek without the consent, nor input, from members of the community. This was a flagrant misuse of the revenue of our association, but unfortunately, it may not be the only one we will experience.

I took the time on Friday, January 25^th, to visit with Ann Berger of Platinum Property Management. For those of you who don't know Ann, she is our association manager. She is also actively involved in writing the bylaws of our club. Ann was very helpful in explaining the process of transforming the bylaws from their present state (originally written during the formation of Eagle Creek) to the proposed documents which are being presented very shortly to the home owners Board of Directors. It is extremely important to note, that contrary to what Mr. Dennis Farley has posted on the message board on the Eagle Creek website, and I have received this information directly from Ann Berger, you, the membership, will have ABSOLUTELY no voting right on these bylaws. A very small group of people, including Rick Assini, Ron Ruecker, and Michele Jones, along with two others who barely participated in the writing of the bylaws, were responsible in their preparation. The only votes cast for the approval of the bylaws will be by the Board of Directors of the home owner's association.

One of the members of the bylaws committee has written a dissenting opinion which is posted at: eaglecreekcommunityassociation.org under "Governing Documents". I highly recommend you take a few minutes to read it. It is an extremely troublesome recap of this dissenter's concerns. It is very disconcerting to me personally that included in the bylaws under Article V, Section 1a, is a measure giving the Board of Directors the right to borrow up to $500,000 WITHOUT THE APPROVAL OF MEMBERSHIP and additionally, the right to levy deficiency assessments with no limit to the amount or frequency with an approval of only 60% of the Board. Many of you are on a fixed income. Many more of you joined the club when the cost of being a member was far less than it is today. Can you afford to allow the Board this right? I know personally I cannot. I have been limited from shifting my membership from golf to social and there is absolutely no chance I can market my home in the current economy without suffering a massive loss. Therefore, it leaves me, and I'm certain you, in a position that we will be forced to pay whatever levy is assessed moving forward. What choice would we have?

Originally, before I became more aware of the handling of our financial situation relative to the Board of Directors of the home owner's association, my intention in writing a letter was to call upon the many talented former and current CEO's, business owners and professional people who make up our community to jointly seek solutions to some of the issues we face in our community such as increasing membership, allowing transference from golf to social membership to be reinstated, and making our club healthy once again. My wife and I, although still living in Michigan, would make any effort we could to aid in that cause. She is a former Director of Human Resources and I am the owner and CEO of a steel service center chain. We did, and still do hopefully, look forward to brainstorming with other members of Eagle Creek in seeking solutions. However, if we allow a very small group of people to control our finances without any ability to prevent them from doing so, frankly I think our community is doomed.

Please take a moment to become familiar with this grave situation. Speak with your representative or any member of the Board, but please speak out before it's too late. Once these rules are enacted you will have no choice except to abide by them. The vote takes place very shortly and there will be two meetings: one, Monday, January 29^th from 9:00 AM until 11:00 AM; the other on Monday, February 18^th from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM. Both take place in the clubhouse. I will not be able to attend the first due to a business trip I will be taking, but I definitely plan on attending the second.

It is not only your right as a member of Eagle Creek, but as in all democracies, your responsibility in the governing of your community to speak out and vote. Please do not let others take those rights from you.

Sincerely,

John and Cathy Chirikas

I have been writing a lot of how I feel about Eagle Creek. So today I was reading the names and resumes of the slate of nominees for Governor up for election or approval in our annual meeting. These gentlemen from their resumes have had marvelous careers and we are lucky that they have agreed to lend us their talents for the next three years. Misters McFadden, Quinn and Searway plus any remaining Governors, I was wondering if you would take a moment and write a few lines on this message board or Creekchat about what you want to see accomplish at Eagle Creek during your terms in office?

I think the readers of this message board and Creekchat would like to hear from you, while at the same time you would like to hear members input of what they would like you to accomplish while in office and reply to their requests. Thank You for stepping up to the plate to serve.

Dennis Farley

On Saturday I drove up to the Barns & Noble book store and there are a lot more cars on the road than a week ago. I guess we are all back for the season now.

This started me thinking about preparing for my trip back to Eagle Creek , which started the day after I went north in May of 2007. The club house was in the final stages of construction, new maintenance schedule for the golf course was in place, and all the hard work and energy of our board were coming to fruition. All these were great to anticipate wondering how they would turn out, how would they look, would the grass and greens be better than last year? All these things were questions in my mind. When talking to my friend Richard I would ask about the progress of the different projects going on at Eagle Creek. It was nice to note the progress on these items. But what is it that fills us with urgent need to return to Eagle Creek?

One night when I was out to dinner we ordered salad with each choosing our own dressings. So my friend says that lettuce is only there to hold the dressing. The members of Eagle Creek are the dressing and the Club House, Golf Course and all the other the amenities are what hold the treasures that keep me returning to Eagle Creek. My street is alive with activities, dog walkers, health walkers, delivery personnel, the grass sprinkler system working early in the morning telling me I'm alive for another day and that's great.

I can face the day knowing that just walking around someone will say high "Hi" and stop to chat and that's great. We satisfy each other's basic need to be recognized and needed and to help someone else. Some of these walkers have their own routes set so they check on their friends and stop in the club house for coffee and return home with the knowledge that all the people they cherish are alive and well. What a great day we will have knowing all is well at Eagle Creek and our world.

This is what makes this island a special place like no other in Naples.

So it is not the Club House or the Golf Course that give me the urgent need to return to Eagle Creek. It's the members and close friends and neighbors. They are the dressing in my world. .

What brings you back each year?

In closing, say Hi to someone and give them a hug today and feel alive.

Dennis Farley