As of 5/29/2026, we’re at 115 (41.13%) paid members for 2026. King James Ct leads in membership with 82%. King Henry Ct is at 64%, Winter Woods Blvd is at 60% and Poinciana Rd and King Edwards Ct are at 50%. If you don’t remember if you have paid, click here to see the list of who has paid for 2026.
From the desk of Anthony Riley – July 2026
From the Desk of Anthony Riley
Congratulations all readers! You have found our place in the digital age we live in. This month and next, the newsletter will only be virtual, like that NFT property I bought in the metaverse. We’ll be back to print in a couple of months, and ink will flow and the power of the press will be in full display.
I’m writing this on Father’s Day and a shout out to my Dad who will hit 91 around Labor Day. And he will. I told him earlier that God must be mad at him for making him hang out down here. He won’t read this, but Mom will.
Speaking of longevity, how about 250 years of U.S.A.? That is a long time. When I hear that number, I think that’s about how long before I pay off my student loan. You know what a wise man in debt is? Me neither.
All seems to be relatively quiet around the neighborhood. As they say, no news can be good news. I’ve seen speed racers and absolute daredevils risking a lot on 3 inches of tread. Remember the Moped? Not an E-bike. And don’t forget 1973 scooters in Quadrophenia. Who?
We have a write-up in this newsletter about how you can support local schools. They need it, and the kids of our neighbors go to these schools. The kids are also neighbors. And alright, speaking of neighbors, I see the Bones have gone fishing.
As far as neighborhood events go, there is not much happening during the SPF Warning months aka Summer. Looking to the fall, we will have our annual Neighborhood Night Out in October. This promises to be another fun event for the kids and the kids at heart. And the old people too. We will also host our Winter Woods Fall Garage Sale and I’m looking for jewelry!
This article is AI free. While I’m not afraid of AI, those data farms are daunting. And unavoidable. Maybe this will all pass like a fad, like driverless taxis did. Not likely.
Recently I had a project that required a working age temp employee and I asked her to log her time to the nearest quarter hour for ease of calculation. Well, that caused a cog to turn. At the end of the project she reached for her phone to calculate total time earned. I said, “I’ll add up the time…” to which she replied, “in your head?”. This young workforce agent said, “I was going to use Chat GPT”.
If you didn’t receive a copy of this newsletter via email, tell us at WinterWoodsHOA@gmail.com and we will add you to the list. The good list.
Watch out for that heat, it is definitely not AI generated. Not exactly anyway.
From the desk of Anthony Riley – June 2026
Summer is upon us. I think I understand this line for the first time:
“Now is the Winter of our discontent made glorious Summer by this
sun of Oviedo. Or Casselbury.” Certainly not Winter Park. Those
three days of freeze brought the discontent of hauling to the curb
enough lawn and garden victims to overshadow a small house. The
debris pick-up guys were so miffed they stopped following me.
We are at the end of school, the end of cool weather and the end of
the crisp paper Winter Woods Newsletter that you might be holding
in your hands right now. For the next two months we will be digital
only. Like your photos and music collection. You will only be able
to read the award-winning Winter Woods Newsletter on the website:
https://winterwoodshoa.com/newsletters/ or the PDF emailed
to you. If you are not getting newsletters via email, send a short poem
to WinterWoodsHOA@gmail.com, doesn’t have to rhyme. The
other thing being suspended is the monthly HOA Board Meeting.
Those will resume in August.
The high school I graduated from is turning 100 years old in 2026.
That country school building housed all 12 grades and I was there 6
thru 12. They are having a combination 50-year reunion (and Centennial),
for classes 76-79 and I got a special invite – thank you Facebook
Internet Detective. This kicked in a remissive nostalgia gear.
Down the street from me is what we would have called a hang-out.
It is a neighbor’s yard. Several kids have made that their playground.
It is wonderful. This reminds me of long hilly bike rides (it
was the country) and meeting up to play Risk or lawn grass football
and the sorts of things that created bonds and community. So be
careful coming around the corner where the outdoor library on Poinciana
is and keep an eye out if they all start wearing matching leather
jackets.
There are a few things for the summer. We are putting together a
how-to guide for getting some support to the local schools, especially
during the tax-free month of August. Looking to the Fall, we will
have our annual Neighborhood Night Out in October. Last year
was a wet one but seeing the Fire Department crew mini golf in two
inches of water was well worth getting soaked. Once it stopped raining,
we had a really good turnout.
We have some new Meet Your Neighbor folks lined up and we’re
going to start a new column about the history of the neighborhood.
There are several neighbors that have lived in Winter Woods for
decades and they can tell us the history. It’s not Housewives of Winter
Woods but they do have stories to tell!
Stay cool in that Summer fun, see you next month on the inner web.
Finally, a column where I don’t mention the incredibly low $25 HOA
Dues. Ooops…
From the desk of Anthony Riley – May 2026
I like to give a nod to the month at hand, it seems like the thing to do. I think I’ve already burned lamb and lion, so I used some intelligent assistance. From the benefits of AI via Google lifted from The Old Farmers Almanac (such a quaint concept, a book that predicts things), May is: “Known in Anglo-Saxon tradition as Tri-Milchi (cows could be milked three times daily), it is also associated with sheep-shearing festivals.” That could be our next neighborhood event.
Speaking of Neighborhood Events, one more shout out to all the people who attended the Spring Fling. Also, thanks to everyone that made the event possible, it was a roaring success. We managed to get several volunteer families for our Meet Your Neighbor article – none for this issue, but I think you will like the featured group. More stories to come! I also met new neighbors and that is the point, to try to create a sense of community that will help us look out for each other.
I had an interesting conversation with one of the Dads who attended. He had paid his Reasonable $25 Dues and he wanted to know, where does that money go? I tried to clarify. First, where it does not go is to anyone on the HOA Board, we too are volunteers. It also did not go to pay for any of those premium beverages at the Spring Fling.
The HOA has a budget, and we carved out a little for events, and we did pay for the free water, the bounce house (Bouncers gotta Bounce!) and the signs that said, “Neighborhood Event Today”. We also pay for the plants that decorate the entrances. You might think the Reasonable $25 Dues pay for this fabulous newsletter, but with advertising, a lot of the printing costs are covered. The rest of the budget is for the maintenance of the neighborhood and the costs of having an HOA at all. Meaning to justify the Reasonable $25 Dues, you really need to justify having an HOA. And that is easy.
People who share a common goal and are aware that they are not alone have a much greater chance of accomplishing the goal. And what is the goal of Team Winter Woods Residents? To keep the Winter Woods neighborhood the envy of the area. To keep property values up. To show earned respect and honor to our neighbors and the community we create. Enjoy our newsletters, enjoy the scenic flowers, enjoy the working streetlights, enjoy the fellowship of events and contests, enjoy the safety, enjoy your friends, family and neighbors.
Also, it is Mental Health Awareness Month. I’m just saying. Make a trip out to one of our HOA meetings at 7:00 pm on the second Thursday of every month (except June and July) at South Seminole Church of Christ on Lake Howell Rd or online via zoom. Here’s hoping for Showers and Flowers!