NewsJan05

The Renaissance Social Committee held our annual Holiday Decorating Party on Saturday, December 4. All of the residents and guests who attended reportedly had a fabulous time talking, eating and drinking while decorating the tree and reminiscing about their own holiday memories.

Thanks to the generosity of our Renaissance residents, there were more delighted children than ever in Sarasota this holiday season. Over $400 in cash contributions was received, as well as 60 new educational toys and books for the three to five year olds enrolled in the Children First Head Start Program at the Wilkinson Road location. The monetary donations will be used exclusively for these very deserving children.

The agency delivered your gifts to the parents and caregivers. You can imagine the joy that the children and their families felt.

Thanks to the many contributions of the Social Committee members who put so much planning and effort into this event. Thanks also go to the residents and staff who gave so generously to this great cause. The Committee thanks our residents for their overwhelming response to a community outreach program.

ü Make sure the TV works so you can watch the Rose Parade, the Rose Bowl, the Orange Bowl and the all-day bowl games, parades, and half-time shows

ü Saturday, January 1, from 11:00 am until 1:00 pm, plan to be at the annual Renaissance resident's New Year's Day brunch. Cheer for your favorite football team as you watch the various games and parades on the Club Room TV and start the New Year in a casual, relaxed manner with tantalizing items, such as revitalizing Bloody Marys and brunch.

ü Get your taste buds primed for the wine tasting being planned for January 20. Sample wines that will be offered, along with fruit and cheeses - all available for only $10 per person. See the article with more details on page 4 and watch your door for the flyer to be delivered with the necessary and tempting details.

The sign-up sheet for the New Year's Day brunch will be at the Reception Desk. Turn in your check for $7.50 for each attendee, and your RSVP, to JoAnn.

When you are away from your apartment for an extended time, leave your thermostat ON, and the temperature set to 80 degrees or less. This will allow your air conditioner to occasionally turn on and dehumidify your apartment.

If the thermostat is set above 80 degrees, it may never turn on while you are away and you risk the growth of mold in your apartment because of a buildup of humidity. In addition, if your air conditioner is set so that it never runs, the water in the J-trap that leads from the air handler will eventually evaporate, possibly allowing noxious sewer odors to enter your apartment.

Management has been investigating all types of shelter coverings (fabric and solid) for the third floor parking deck awnings that were destroyed during last summer's hurricane winds. Every effort is being made to find a solution that will not require replacement after each severe windstorm.

The proposals received for canvas and vinyl replacements range from a low of $72,000 to a high of $224,000. The estimated cost for metal roofing is $355,000. The Board of Directors will review these proposals at the January Board Meeting.

Hildegard and Don Kern won the $100 gift certificate drawing for owners who submitted proxies for the annual meeting. Congratulations to the Kerns and thanks to all of our owners who submitted proxies and/or attended the Annual Meeting on December 6.

Maintenance personnel will NOT be available on those days, (unless there is an emergency). The reception desk will be covered full time during the holiday season.

What a chore it can be to dispose of all those emptied gift boxes, wrapping paper, Christmas trees, and garbage bags from the various holiday meals. Here are some suggestions to make it easier for everyone:

§ Always remember to close the trash chute door after you have emptied your trash down the chute. If you leave the chute door open, the chute door remains locked out for the other floors above you.

§ Please do not place unwrapped trash in the trash chute because it will cling to the walls of the chute, resulting in odor problems and pest infestation. Please package all trash for the chute in sealed plastic bags.

§ Please double wrap all trash in sealed plastic bags to avoid drips from the trash bags onto the hallway carpets. If spills occur, contact Management as soon as possible to have the area cleaned before the spill settles into the carpet.

§ Do not place boxes or other large objects in the trash chute. They can get stuck, blocking the shaft and causing a costly system shutdown.

§ Do not place empty boxes or packing materials in the hallways, elevator alcoves or outside your door. Please bring those to the first floor service elevator lobby for disposal or recycling.

§ If you have a "live" Christmas tree and are ready to dispose of it, please contact the Front Desk or Manager to arrange for a member of our maintenance staff to remove the tree from your unit. Please do not place the tree in the hallway.

Now if it were only as easy to drop off those excess holiday pounds! Oh well, good thing we have the on-site Fitness Center --- right?

When temperatures go below about 40 degrees during the winter season, there is a chance that you will observe condensation on the inside of your windows and window frames. Unseasonably cold outside air lowers the surface temperature of the metal window frames, cooling the inside portion of the frame, causing window condensation. When the cold inside frame surface comes into contact with warmer, humid inside air, condensation occurs and moisture forms on the interior of windows and frames.

The physical design of the Renaissance windows causes this problem. While these windows have an insulated dual-pane glass design, the frames are made of one piece of metal, with no physical "thermal break" between the outside and inside surfaces. As a result, the entire metal frame assumes the temperature of the outside air, and if it is too cold in relation to the dew point, condensation forms on the inside of the window frame. For a discussion of the role the thermal break plays in window design, see the article entitled "Window Condensation" on the resident web site www.Rencondo.com.

Running the bathroom exhaust fan whenever the shower is used can usually help reduce condensation. Unless you install one or more dehumidifiers during cold weather, or run your air conditioner at a purposely-low setting for an hour or so each day, some condensation may form and you will need to prevent damage by keeping the windowsills dry. Some people place absorbent cloth, chamois, or sponge strips on their windowsills during the few short days in the winter when condensation appears, permitting the moisture to be absorbed before it builds up and overflows.

The Renaissance window design is probably not a "defect" that can be easily rectified. Our windows are "standard" items, and while they do not have a built in thermal-break feature as is seen in most higher quality windows used in Northern states, the developer probably selected them because they were less expensive than windows having a more sophisticated thermal break feature.

Help! The following movies are missing from our Association movie library. Please look in your apartment, and if you have one or more of these, please return it to our office as soon as possible so that our other residents can enjoy it.

In reports presented at the December 6 Annual Meeting, the Association attorney and the President of Delta Engineering (an engineering consulting firm hired by the Association) summarized the issues related to storm damage to the building, and the possibility of legal action in the event the developer does not address the building defects. A question and answer period followed.

Delta Engineering prepared a property condition assessment on November 22, 2004 as a first step in assessing and identifying any repairs to the building as a result of the storms in 2004. In the interim we have received a proposal from Delta that recommends a plan for testing, analysis, evaluation and repairs to the building. The BOD is scheduled to address this proposal. The Association has requested another engineering firm in Sarasota to submit a proposal based on the property condition report in order to give the Board some perspective on the best course of action.

The Association has engaged a litigation attorney from the firm of Becker & Poliakoff to review the issues surrounding the storm damage and prepare for negotiation or litigation as necessary. The Board of Directors also voted to obtain a second opinion from another litigation attorney who is experienced in lawsuits regarding building defects.

Due to the lack of a quorum at the originally planned Annual Meeting date in November, the Annual Meeting was rescheduled to Monday, December 6, 2004. A campaign was initiated to encourage owners to submit proxies even if they planned to attend the meeting. On December 6, a quorum was achieved and both proxy questions received the necessary number of required votes for approval. The Board Of Directors wishes to thank all owners who submitted a proxy in advance of the meeting.

"Collateral" is our January movie. This film stars Tom Cruise as Vincent, a cool, calculating contract killer at the top of his game. Jamie Foxx stars as Max, a cabbie with big dreams and little to show for it. Max has to transport Vincent on his next job one night, five stops, five hits and one getaway. After this fateful night, neither man will ever be the same again.

Directed by Michael Mann, this action flick elicited rave reviews for the look, the scoring, and the performances of its two lead actors.

Michael Klauber, the Michael in Michael's On East and Michael's Wine Cellar (and a Renaissance resident!) will be presenting a special wine tasting on Thursday, January 20 in the Renaissance Club Room from 7:00 - 9:00 pm. Over 20 unique wines from around the world will be sampled and Michael will lead us through the basics of wine tasting. The cost is only $10.00 per person, paired with an array of fresh fruits and cheeses. Space is limited. Don't miss this exclusive opportunity to learn from one of Florida's most renowned wine experts!

Owners who are not in residence, but plan to attend this event should RSVP to JoAnn at the Front Desk, 941.957.1976. A flyer with more information and RSVP form will be available soon.



	Renaissance Times January, 2005 CHILDREN FIRST EVENT REPORT The Renaissance Social Committee held our annual Holiday Decorating Party on Saturday, December 4. All of the residents and guests who attended reportedly had a fabulous time talking, eating and drinking while decorating the tree and reminiscing about their own holiday memories. Thanks to the generosity of our Renaissance residents, there were more delighted children than ever in Sarasota this holiday season. Over $400 in cash contributions was received, as well as 60 new educational toys and books for the three to five year olds enrolled in the Children First Head Start Program at the Wilkinson Road location. The monetary donations will be used exclusively for these very deserving children. The agency delivered your gifts to the parents and caregivers. You can imagine the joy that the children and their families felt. Thanks to the many contributions of the Social Committee members who put so much planning and effort into this event. Thanks also go to the residents and staff who gave so generously to this great cause. The Committee thanks our residents for their overwhelming response to a community outreach program. NEW YEAR'S BRUNCH To Do List for January 1: ü Make your New Year's resolutions list ü Store away holiday decorations until next year ü Clean out your refrigerator to make room for all the newly required diet items ü Buy a new scale (or throw your current one out altogether, based on what your resolutions are) ü Make sure the TV works so you can watch the Rose Parade, the Rose Bowl, the Orange Bowl and the all-day bowl games, parades, and half-time shows ü Saturday, January 1, from 11:00 am until 1:00 pm, plan to be at the annual Renaissance resident's New Year's Day brunch. Cheer for your favorite football team as you watch the various games and parades on the Club Room TV and start the New Year in a casual, relaxed manner with tantalizing items, such as revitalizing Bloody Marys and brunch. ü Count your many blessings so that you are ready for a prosperous, healthy and happy new year ü Get your taste buds primed for the wine tasting being planned for January 20. Sample wines that will be offered, along with fruit and cheeses - all available for only $10 per person. See the article with more details on page 4 and watch your door for the flyer to be delivered with the necessary and tempting details. The sign-up sheet for the New Year's Day brunch will be at the Reception Desk. Turn in your check for $7.50 for each attendee, and your RSVP, to JoAnn. UNOCCUPIED APARTMENT THERMOSTAT When you are away from your apartment for an extended time, leave your thermostat ON, and the temperature set to 80 degrees or less. This will allow your air conditioner to occasionally turn on and dehumidify your apartment. If the thermostat is set above 80 degrees, it may never turn on while you are away and you risk the growth of mold in your apartment because of a buildup of humidity. In addition, if your air conditioner is set so that it never runs, the water in the J-trap that leads from the air handler will eventually evaporate, possibly allowing noxious sewer odors to enter your apartment. Contact Numbers Manager's office 941.957.3957 (phone) Manager's fax 941.957.1256 (fax) Manager's email address RenCondo@comcast.net Manager's Assistant 941.957.1125 Website http://RenCondo.homestead.com Website password ll2 (lower case L's plus a 2) Resident's fax 941.954.9964 (fax) Reception Desk 941.957.1956 Reception email RenConcierge@comcast.net Building Security 941.957.1956 Emergency 911 UPDATE REGARDING AWNINGS Management has been investigating all types of shelter coverings (fabric and solid) for the third floor parking deck awnings that were destroyed during last summer's hurricane winds. Every effort is being made to find a solution that will not require replacement after each severe windstorm. The proposals received for canvas and vinyl replacements range from a low of $72,000 to a high of $224,000. The estimated cost for metal roofing is $355,000. The Board of Directors will review these proposals at the January Board Meeting. WINNER IN THE PROXY DRAWING Hildegard and Don Kern won the $100 gift certificate drawing for owners who submitted proxies for the annual meeting. Congratulations to the Kerns and thanks to all of our owners who submitted proxies and/or attended the Annual Meeting on December 6. HOLIDAY SCHEDULE The Association management offices will be closed on the following dates: § Friday, December 24, which will be the official business holiday for the Saturday Christmas holiday § Friday, December 31, which will be the official business holiday for the Saturday New Year's Day holiday Maintenance personnel will NOT be available on those days, (unless there is an emergency). The reception desk will be covered full time during the holiday season. POST-HOLIDAY CLEAN-UP What a chore it can be to dispose of all those emptied gift boxes, wrapping paper, Christmas trees, and garbage bags from the various holiday meals. Here are some suggestions to make it easier for everyone: § Always remember to close the trash chute door after you have emptied your trash down the chute. If you leave the chute door open, the chute door remains locked out for the other floors above you. § Please do not place unwrapped trash in the trash chute because it will cling to the walls of the chute, resulting in odor problems and pest infestation. Please package all trash for the chute in sealed plastic bags. § Please double wrap all trash in sealed plastic bags to avoid drips from the trash bags onto the hallway carpets. If spills occur, contact Management as soon as possible to have the area cleaned before the spill settles into the carpet. § Do not place boxes or other large objects in the trash chute. They can get stuck, blocking the shaft and causing a costly system shutdown. § Do not place empty boxes or packing materials in the hallways, elevator alcoves or outside your door. Please bring those to the first floor service elevator lobby for disposal or recycling. § If you have a "live" Christmas tree and are ready to dispose of it, please contact the Front Desk or Manager to arrange for a member of our maintenance staff to remove the tree from your unit. Please do not place the tree in the hallway. Now if it were only as easy to drop off those excess holiday pounds! Oh well, good thing we have the on-site Fitness Center --- right? OCCASIONAL WINDOW CONDENSATION When temperatures go below about 40 degrees during the winter season, there is a chance that you will observe condensation on the inside of your windows and window frames. Unseasonably cold outside air lowers the surface temperature of the metal window frames, cooling the inside portion of the frame, causing window condensation. When the cold inside frame surface comes into contact with warmer, humid inside air, condensation occurs and moisture forms on the interior of windows and frames. The physical design of the Renaissance windows causes this problem. While these windows have an insulated dual-pane glass design, the frames are made of one piece of metal, with no physical "thermal break" between the outside and inside surfaces. As a result, the entire metal frame assumes the temperature of the outside air, and if it is too cold in relation to the dew point, condensation forms on the inside of the window frame. For a discussion of the role the thermal break plays in window design, see the article entitled "Window Condensation" on the resident web site www.Rencondo.com. Running the bathroom exhaust fan whenever the shower is used can usually help reduce condensation. Unless you install one or more dehumidifiers during cold weather, or run your air conditioner at a purposely-low setting for an hour or so each day, some condensation may form and you will need to prevent damage by keeping the windowsills dry. Some people place absorbent cloth, chamois, or sponge strips on their windowsills during the few short days in the winter when condensation appears, permitting the moisture to be absorbed before it builds up and overflows. The Renaissance window design is probably not a "defect" that can be easily rectified. Our windows are "standard" items, and while they do not have a built in thermal-break feature as is seen in most higher quality windows used in Northern states, the developer probably selected them because they were less expensive than windows having a more sophisticated thermal break feature. SEARCH FOR MISSING MOVIES Help! The following movies are missing from our Association movie library. Please look in your apartment, and if you have one or more of these, please return it to our office as soon as possible so that our other residents can enjoy it. § A Time To Kill (VCR) § Bringing Down The House (DVD) § Calendar Girls (DVD) § Get Shorty (VCR) § My Cousin Vinny (VCR) § Ocean's Eleven (DVD) § Primal Fear (VCR) § SWAT (DVD) § Shallow Hal (DVD) § Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (VCR) § The Italian Job (DVD) § The Fan (VCR) § The Shawshank Redemption (VCR) § The Ten Commandments (VCR) § Unfaithful (DVD) § West Side Waltz (DVD) STORM DAMAGE REPORT In reports presented at the December 6 Annual Meeting, the Association attorney and the President of Delta Engineering (an engineering consulting firm hired by the Association) summarized the issues related to storm damage to the building, and the possibility of legal action in the event the developer does not address the building defects. A question and answer period followed. Delta Engineering prepared a property condition assessment on November 22, 2004 as a first step in assessing and identifying any repairs to the building as a result of the storms in 2004. In the interim we have received a proposal from Delta that recommends a plan for testing, analysis, evaluation and repairs to the building. The BOD is scheduled to address this proposal. The Association has requested another engineering firm in Sarasota to submit a proposal based on the property condition report in order to give the Board some perspective on the best course of action. The Association has engaged a litigation attorney from the firm of Becker & Poliakoff to review the issues surrounding the storm damage and prepare for negotiation or litigation as necessary. The Board of Directors also voted to obtain a second opinion from another litigation attorney who is experienced in lawsuits regarding building defects. ANNUAL MEETING REPORT Due to the lack of a quorum at the originally planned Annual Meeting date in November, the Annual Meeting was rescheduled to Monday, December 6, 2004. A campaign was initiated to encourage owners to submit proxies even if they planned to attend the meeting. On December 6, a quorum was achieved and both proxy questions received the necessary number of required votes for approval. The Board Of Directors wishes to thank all owners who submitted a proxy in advance of the meeting. JANUARY MOVIE NIGHT "Collateral" is our January movie. This film stars Tom Cruise as Vincent, a cool, calculating contract killer at the top of his game. Jamie Foxx stars as Max, a cabbie with big dreams and little to show for it. Max has to transport Vincent on his next job one night, five stops, five hits and one getaway. After this fateful night, neither man will ever be the same again. Directed by Michael Mann, this action flick elicited rave reviews for the look, the scoring, and the performances of its two lead actors. WINE IS BOTTLED POETRY ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON Michael Klauber, the Michael in Michael's On East and Michael's Wine Cellar (and a Renaissance resident!) will be presenting a special wine tasting on Thursday, January 20 in the Renaissance Club Room from 7:00 - 9:00 pm. Over 20 unique wines from around the world will be sampled and Michael will lead us through the basics of wine tasting. The cost is only $10.00 per person, paired with an array of fresh fruits and cheeses. Space is limited. Don't miss this exclusive opportunity to learn from one of Florida's most renowned wine experts! Owners who are not in residence, but plan to attend this event should RSVP to JoAnn at the Front Desk, 941.957.1976. A flyer with more information and RSVP form will be available soon.