We are organizing a Community Yard Sale.  It will be held on Saturday October 26 from 8 AM - 1 PM

Please complete the following & drop it in the office Drop Box if you plan to join the fun and earn a little extra cash!  You will be doing your sale from your yard.  

Aripeka West will do the advertising and signs.

A Sad Good-Bye to the Aripeka Post Office

Residents and guests of Aripeka West Mobile Home and RV Park have for years depended on the United States Postal Service to operate the Post Office located on Aripeka Road in Aripeka Florida.  The Pasco County side of Aripeka does not receive home delivery of their mail and a Post Office located in the small community where everyone was given a "free" PO Box seemed to make the lack of home delivery bearable.  A recent letter delivered to our "free" PO Boxes last week informed all residents that the Post Office in Aripeka will close at the end of the business day on September 21, 2013.  Some kind of dispute between the landowner and the United States Postal Service, so the letter stated.  It is almost impossible to believe that the Postal Service does not own the little piece land where the Aripeka Post Office sits.  This came as a complete surprise to most everyone served by the Post Office.

Last year the Postal Service asked everyone served by the Aripeka location whether the operation should be moved to the Hudson location, this idea was not favored by those in Aripeka.  Aripekans were also asked if they would like home delivery or to just leave the mail as it was, delivered to our PO boxes.  There was never any information from the Postal Service as to what the people they surveyed really wanted.  Service hours were shortened and the Postal Service continued to operate the location in Aripeka.

So now, here it is about one year later and suddenly they can't come to terms with their landlord.  Can't help but think this was coming as far back as the survey, it is just that now it is being crammed down the throats of the residents who have long been denied what most people in the United States consider "normal mail service";"mail is delivered directly to their homes or to cluster boxes located throughout their subdivisions".

It is not fair for residents of Aripkea, who are denied home mail delivery, to have to travel over 6 miles one-way to the Post Office located in Hudson, Florida.  It will be an extreme hardship for many living in Aripeka Florida (Pasco County).  Many are elderly and no longer drive, others do not have vehicles and although it is possible to walk or ride a bicycle to the Hudson location, it is a long walk or ride with no sidewalks or bicycles paths available.  US 19 is not a safe place for walking or riding a bicycle, just look at the statistics on pedestrian and bicyclists killed or maimed while trying to negotiate travel along side of cars, cement trucks and 18 wheelers traveling a 55MPH or better along US 19.

While the entire country knows that the Post Office is losing money, we in Aripeka Florida think it very unfair to place this kind of hardship on us.  Surely the cost of operating a Post Office location in Aripeka, including payroll, building maintenance, utilities and apparently "rent", is much more costly than to deliver mail to the mailboxes of a few hundred residents. 

We in Aripeka either want the Post Office to continue to be located in our small community or the mail be delivered to mailboxes located on the street in front of our homes or in the case of Aripeka West Mobile Home and RV Park to a cluster box provided by the United States Postal Service and located near the entry gate to the community.

If you agree, make you voice heard! Tell everyone you know, tell the Postal Service, tell your County Commissioners, tell your Congressman, tell your Senator, tell your Governor, we are only a few hundred but the Postal Service should not be allowed to deny us mail service IN our community!
Make some noise before it is too late, September 21st will be here before you know it.

Scallop Season 2013

Scallop season begins July 1st, be here for the fun!  Stay at Aripeka West and hunt for scallops in the waters at the south end of the Bay Scallop Harvest Zone.  We have great rates and are located just minutes from the southern border of the harvest zone.  Nearby boat rentals are available, but we have plenty of room here at the park if you bring your own boat.  Have a great place to rest, relax and cook your scallops.  Happy Scallop Hunting!  Remember you MUST have a valid Florida Saltwater Fishing License to hunt scallop in Florida.

Visit us this Summer

The Weeki Wachee River

The Grassy Flats

The Gulf of Mexico

Summer is our Quiet Time of the year.  It is a great time to visit Aripeka West.  There is plenty of room for your tent or RV and for the rest of your gear, like boats, kayaks, canoes and other water toys.  The Gulf of Mexico is only 2 blocks away and there is a boat ramp.  The sunsets are spectacular in the summer!  Kayak and boat rentals are available nearby and The Thunder is waiting to take you fishing.  The Thunder is a party fishing boat, but there are charters available for those of you who would like to catch "the really big one".  Kayak and canoe rentals are available on the Weeki Wachee River.  Check out The Kayak Shack & Paddling Adventures.  You can rent a power boat at Hernando Beach Marina and head out to the "flats" for fishing or swimming.  Jon boats as well as kayaks and canoes can be rented at Weeki Wachee Marina.

Rainy Season

Could be a very wet summer

Aripeka West News

“Here’s what’s happening in our neck of the woods”                  June 2012

A message from BJ…                             

Welcome to Summer in Aripeka West.  Warm temps, sunny skies with an occasional thunderstorm thrown in! Yes, that is how we like it!  The grass and of course the weeds are growing gangbusters, you can almost watch them grow!  We now have a large mowing deck that can be pulled by the old tractor or the Kubota, this will save some mowing time and some fuel.   Have a great summer!

We had a Good Time…                                      
We had a nice BBQ on May 24^th to kick-off the Memorial Day Weekend!  Our Grillers Tony Rudd & Karl Hosp turned out some great Hotdogs and Hamburgers. We also enjoyed potato salads, pasta salads, pepper chicken tortilla wraps, ambrosia salad, baked beans and all the good stuff to decorate those burgers and dogs!  We moved the serving area from the the grilling area to the Pavilion when we heard a little thunder, it was sunny and hot, then a little rain fell and we were rewarded with a beautiful rainbow!

Our New Sign…                         

The Aripeka West sign on Aripeka Road and Elmira Avenue has been ordered and should be up in the next week or so, it has taken a little longer than expected, the company installing the sign has been very busy this past month.

Annual Hurricane and Safety Expo…      

Saturday June 2^nd  10:00am-2:00pm. WEEKI WACHEE SPRINGS STATE PARK, 6131 Commercial Way (US19 & SR50), Weeki Wachee. An educational family event presented by Hernando County Office of Emergency Management. Topics include personal disaster preparedness, home readiness, safety products. Guest speaker: Denis Phillips, chief meteorologist with ABC Action News. Expo and Show Park free to the public. Standard ticket prices apply for admission to Buccaneer Bay Water Park. Park: 352-592-5656 Expo info: 352-754-4053 www.hernandosheriff.org/em

Sunflower Maze...                   

Saturday June 2^nd & Sunday June 3^rd   10:00am-5:00pm SWEETFIELDS FARM, 17250 Benes Roush Rd. (off US-41), Masaryktown. Maze your way through the paths of 8-10ft. tall sunflowers in search of the exit! Enjoy hay rides, picnic area, rubber duck race, animals, crafts, fresh produce and the U-Pick area! Suggest sturdy shoes (no open toe shoes, sandals, flipflops), sunscreen and a hat. Don't forget your camera! Adults: $8.50; Ages 3-11: $4.50; Age 2 & under: Free. (Note: no credit cards or checks accepted).   352-279-0977  www.sweetfieldsfarm.com                                           

Summer Potluck Picnic...                              

On Thursday June 21^st, we will celebrate the beginning of Summer, yes this is the official beginning of Summer even though the weather in Aripeka has said SUMMER for a while now! Since it will most likely be pretty darned hot on this night, let’s think Cool Foods like salads, sandwiches, snacks, deserts, well, you get the idea.

Don’t forget to “like” us on Facebook… 

We will try to keep our Facebook Pages fresh, with lots of pictures, but feel free to post pictures you have taken and events that you think may interest other residents. These Facebook Pages are there for everyone to use and enjoy!  Please do not post complaints on the Facebook Page, instead report them to the office where they can be immediately addressed.

Trail Blazing…                     

Chris and Jon in Lot #16 have been working on a trail in the RV Park.  I runs along the little canal in the woods behind the RV Park. They have completed the clearing and are now working on getting flowers & ferns planted along the edge of the trail and mulching the trail to make it easier to hike as well as look nice.  We have placed a couple of benches along the way if you would like to rest and enjoy the tranquility and just maybe some of our abundant wildlife will happen by.  You are welcome to walk the new trail, just be careful till it has been completely mulched and don’t forget that the mosquitoes and yellow flies are biting, so use your Skin-So-Soft or better yet, something with DEET in it.  If you like to hike trails, you should consider taking a walk through the preserve from the entrance located on Aripeka Road.  Free parking is available at the gate.  If you walk straight back to the rock formation, you will find a lake and many trails to explore.

Where can we swim???

Does anyone know a great place to swim near Aripeka West? There is of course the Gulf, but are there other places?  The park on Green Key Road has a nice little sandy beach, there is Hudson Beach, Pine Island Beach, Anclote River Park, Rogers Park, Jenkins Creek Park and last but not least Buccaneer Bay, but are there more?  Where do you go for a nice swim? Is it a public swimming area open to all?

Emergency Info Updates…           

If you have completed your Info Update, thank you, if you have not completed your paperwork, please take a minute to fill in the spaces, sign and return it to the office.  In the event of an emergency, we will have a number to reach you or a person you have chosen.  Although many of you gave the information years ago, we would like you to update it just in case there have been changes in your life.

Pet Info Updates…                          

We must have current vaccination records for your dog on file in the office.  By law in Pasco County, dogs are required to have a current Rabies Vaccination and the park requires that your dog be current with the other vaccines.  We do live in close quarters in both the RV Park and Mobile Home Park, the wildlife is abundant, including feral and unvaccinated cats, all of which can carry rabies and transmit it to your dog.  Additionally if your dog were to bite anyone, the county could euthanize your dog to test for rabies if you cannot provide them with current rabies vaccinations records.  The other vaccines, which come as one injection, protect your dog from other diseases common to dogs.  Having you dog tested for Heartworm Disease is your decision, but Heartworm is caused by a single mosquito bite from a mosquito caring the disease and the mosquitoes are definitely here in Aripeka.  Heartworm is very expensive to treat; plus it is extremely hard on your dog to have to go through the treatment.  Prevention is definitely the best, cheapest and easiest way to ensure that your dog never has to go though Heartworm Treatment.  Untreated dogs will die from Heartworm Disease.

AripekaWest.Blogspot.com      AripekaWest@Gmail.com         AripekaWest.com

1. 727-868-9324

May 2012 Newsletter

Aripeka West News

“Here’s what’s happening in our neck of the woods”                  May 2012

A message from BJ…    

Aripeka West Mobile Home and RV Park is private property and only residents, their guests and those with business at Aripeka West are allowed on the property.  Lately we have noticed many people in the park who do not appear to have any business here and in an effort to curb these unwanted visitors and the problems they cause, we are asking any visitor who enters Aripeka West by car, by bicycle, on foot or any other mode of transportation to sign in on our Daily Guest Log located under the shelter in front of the office.  The only people who do not have to sign the Daily Guest Logs are OWNERS, LEASE HOLDERS and their REGISTERED GUESTS.  If you have overnight guests, they must be REGISTERED at the office and stay 14 days or less, if you have additional people living with you they must complete our Application in person in the office.  Only the Daily Guest Log is new, everything else has been a part of the rules for quite some time.  The Daily Guest Log will allow us to stop people wandering in the park and ask them their business if they do not sign the log.  It will allow us to ask them to leave and if they do not leave, the police can be called to remove them.  You will soon see new signs directing residents straight through and Guests into the driveway by the office.  A new PRIVATE PROPERTY / NO TRESSPASSING SIGN will also be placed by the gate.  We appreciate your help with having your guest sign in before proceeding to your lot and obey the rules while they are guests here at Aripeka West.

Speaking of Signs…                         

Soon we will have a new sign on Aripeka Road.  The new sign will say Aripeka West Mobile Park & RV Park instead of the current sign which says A & W Mobile Home Park and RV Court.  When you see it, let us know what you think.  This new sign should make it much easier for new residents and guest to find us!  The new sign should be up early in May.

 Park Rules…           

Please read your copy of our Park Rules and make sure you also let your guests know about the rules.  Written Notices will be issued to you for rule violations for yourself, your family and your guests.  Written Notices could be cause for eviction from Aripeka West.   

Neighborhood Watch…      

Keep your eyes & ears open for any unusual activities in the park.  You are our eyes and ears, while we do try to watch who is entering the park, we depend on our residents to report suspicious and unusual activities to the proper authorities. Get out and meet you neighbors, make a mental note of the cars they drive.  We have new folks moving in most every month, get to know who they are and where they live.

1^stAnnualFlorida Blueberry Festival…            

The Blueberry Festival brings together all the goodness of nature's Florida Blueberry harvest for a three day event in Brooksville Florida - May 4, 5 & 6, 2012.

The 2012 Florida Blueberry Festival Committee has been hard at work for the last 18 months coordinating the fifteen Florida Counties that make up the central growing region of blueberry production; these counties will be represented at the Florida Blueberry Festival as partners of this first annual event. The committee has received over $200,000.00 from sponsor partnerships, in-kind donors, founding memberships and pledges to date. The Festival Committee is proud to announce its affiliation with the Florida Blueberry Growers Association, Fresh from Florida and its Partners.

The Friday Night Parade will feature 130 floats with representation from the 15 counties located in the central blueberry growing region of Florida. Our attendees will not only be dazzled by the floats but entertained by the marching bands, the drill teams and for those who want to party until the blueberries bloom the evening will conclude in the City Park with a Blueberry Wine stomping contest, live music, light fare and a bushel basket full of fun.

The 3 day Festival Venue will be held under the shade of the iconic twisted oak trees gracing the lawn of the Courthouse on Brooksville's square. Festival attendees can stroll at their leisure indulging in festival fare, gourmet delights and fresh Florida blueberries; they can refresh themselves with a variety of assorted beverages and partake of the unique offering in the Blueberry Wine and Cheese booth.

And don't forget about the Festivals signature Blueberry Shortcakes!

Artisans from all over Florida and the Southeastern states will exhibit their original works of art for viewing and purchase.

Musical performances including headliner entertainment will appeal to people of all ages.

From parades to a blueberry stomp, from jewelry to blueberry preserves, crafters will present their wares under the Florida Sky at the Blueberry Festival.

http://www.floridablueberryfestival.org/ani.cfm

May Day Party…                                                  

At 6PM on May 1^st, we will have our 2^nd “Let’s Grill Out”.  The first one was a great success in April.  Please bring something to cook on the grill for your family, no need to bring extra, unless you invited extra guests!  We will have sides and common condiments available.

Memorial Day BBQ...                           

On Thursday May 24, we will be celebrating Memorial Day at Aripeka West.  We will start at around 6PM, but we will be grilling Hotdogs and Burgers for a while!  We will also have Chips, Baked Beans, Coleslaw and the condiments for Burgers and Hotdogs including Mustard, Ketchup, Mayo, Lettuce, Tomato, Onions and Cheese.  If you would like to make something to bring, we will be happy to help you eat it.

Don’t forget to “like” us on Facebook… 

We will try to keep our Facebook Pages fresh, with lots of pictures, but feel free to post pictures you have taken and events that you think may interest other residents. These Facebook Pages are there for everyone to use and enjoy!  Please do not post complaints on the Facebook Page, instead report them to the office where they can be immediately addressed.

Working on Planting Flowers…  

In order to plant a garden by the front gate, we must build it up with soil.  Currently there is too much limestone to plant the area.  We have lots of plants and flowers; just needed the Kubota working again to move soil to the area. The Kubota is now running so now we do not have any excuse for not getting it done!

AripekaWest.Blogspot.com      AripekaWest@Gmail.com         AripekaWest.com

727-868-9324