THE OAKSIDE OBSERVER

NOVEMBER 2016

WELCOME BACK!
From the Managers Office:
Welcome back to everyone, both returnees and new residents. We want you all to
have a safe, healthy, and fun season
Bob and Linda Oelkers
From the Presidents Corner
Welcome back to all our returning residents and a hearty welcome to all new
residents, whether owners or residents. Our weather has decided to greet you with a bit of
coolness, where we have had heat, but really beautiful days.
We are saddened to learn that many of our long-standing residents and friends will not be
with us this year, due to severe illness. I am sure being where the weather is cold and
white stuff glistens in their yards and on their trees keeping them indoors, is not what they
desire and we pray they will all be here with us next year.
There are many activities here to keep everyone occupied every day if you wish. We have
an active shuffle club, ladies club, and an exercise group. There is music on Tuesdays,
cards on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday, Bingo on Wednesday and Saturday, and dart
baseball on Friday. An activities calendar will be ready soon for all residents that will give
exact information as to all activities. The clubhouse has been cleaned and is ready for all
of these activities to begin.
I have to remind everyone of the general rules of the park. You received a copy of these
when you came here, but new copies are available at the clubhouse if yours is misplaced.
Speeding is our biggest problem, even with the speed bumps--15MPH throughout the park
is mandatory. Make sure any delivery people or friends coming to your home know of
this. Second concern is recycling here-there are new copies of the recycle rules at the
clubhouse as well. Any plastic containers with #1,2,3,4,5 and 7 are acceptable and need
to be placed in the recycle dumpster at the end of Pleasant Street, but no plastic bags or
boxes go in. There is a newspaper dumpster at the end of Agate Street for your use and
during the season there will be a newspaper pick-up on the first and third Saturday
mornings but again, no plastic bags or boxes go in this dumpster either. Garbage
dumpsters are on Lark Street by the laundry and south end of Pleasant Street, and on
Royal Street by the office. Boxes need to be broken down before placing in them and large
items need to be broken up as well. Beer and soda cans need to be placed in the shed
marked cans at the end of Lark Street. They are used by the Shuffle Club to maintain
the courts.
I hope that everyone can enjoy their winter season here, and will become friends with new
people as you join our Oakside family.
New Kids on the Block
Please welcome Al and Carolyn Gage to our park. Al and Carolyn hail from New Lisbon,
NY and have been married for 56 years. They were married at the Walter Reed Hospital

where Al was admitted following an automobile accident, and where he remained a patient
for 13 months. They are the proud parents of 6 children, four boys and two girls, and
have 16 grandchildren and 6 great grands. Al and Carolyn first heard of Oakside from
friends at home, Tom and Janet Rood and were attracted by its friendliness and clean
appearance. They are both dart players and are energetic, congenial, and fun to talk to.
Al is an army veteran and later was a supervisor at the Bendix Corporation in Sidney, NY.
He loves to hunt and has a special NYS license which permits him to hunt from the road.
He also loves to play his harmonica and has been participating in the Tuesday afternoon
music in the hall and at Vespers. Being in a wheelchair has not slowed him down a bit.
Carolyn says she was mainly a mother, but did work for a time as an insurance rater.
After her grandchildren were born, she returned to child care, and at one time was caring
for 17 children! Her hobbies are eating out and maintaining her photo collection of her
family. She has an extensive photo wall at home and hopes to set up another one here.
Living at 6208 Pearl Street are John and Christine (Chris) Ottaviano. They lived in
Williamsport, PA, where John was a police officer for several years. He is currently
dabbling in real estate and property management, which he can do from home. Chris is
still working full time, so she will come for short visits until she has retired.
They purchased this home from Mel and Alice Brandis, whose son worked with John in the
past, so when they were going to sell, he made John aware. John had been wanting to
move to Florida for a long time.
If you should happen to see a nice looking gentleman walking and drinking his coffee with
a medical mask on his face, it will be John. He is a recent recipient of two fresh lungs and
to protect himself, the doctor has recommended he wear the mask while outside or around
other people. It gives real meaning to being an organ donor when you can see someone
that is a recipient living life again.
John and Chris have a daughter and two sons, and a blending of 2 others. One son is a
police officer back in Williamsport. Their daughter was here getting the house settled for
him when I visited-she has a beautiful 5 month old son with her as well. They have a total
of 6 grandchildren.
John will travel back and forth as he is able, but feels most of his time will be here.
Welcome to the Oakside family, John and Chris.
Another new set of kids on the block are John and Sharlene Hanson who now live at 6217
Agate Street. They purchased their home from Eleanor Sutherland and love it.
Sharlene is a native Floridian, but John was originally from Oneonta, NY, but has lived in
Florida for many years. He has a twin brother living in Arizona and he and Sharlene
lived there for 6 years in the past and are thinking about becoming heat birds, rather
than snow birds and doing some traveling to Arizona during the hot months in Florida,
July and August, so he can spend some time with his brother. He feels it is a different and
less humid kind of wheat out there.
He is a welder by trade, but hasnt done a great deal of it due to the heat being bothersome
for that kind of work.
Sharlene tells me they have 4 children and 7 grandchildren, all living in the Brandon area,
so close enough to spoil a bit. Johns sister-in-law, Marge Hanson, lives a couple doors
away at 6207 Agate Street and Sharlene has a sister and brother-in-law living locally as
well.
Welcome to our Oakside family, John and Sharlene.