Smith Family Cemetery, A note from Anthony B. Cooper

Before

After

To All Volunteers -

First of all, I want to thank each of you for your hard work and dedication to the heritage of this area and taking care of those who pioneered this great country so many years ago. It was wonderful to see the youngsters out participating in such a great project. I have updated most of the photos to the memorials created on the findagrave.com website and will continue to work in restoring the headstones in bringing them back to a presentable fashion. I would ask that no one attempt to work at this site without working with me as I am wanting to document as much as possible to insure everything is documented via photos, etc. for the future of this wonderful part of Riverbend Plantation for all to enjoy for many years to come. I have the support of Mark Byrd, Dave Davidson and all of the developers and builders to continue with this project and I will be coordinating all of the efforts regarding the Smith Family Cemetery with the Riverbend Plantation Developers to ensure we complete this project in the proper fashion and create a memorial for those interred in our community.

I have attached some before and after shots of the cemetery we worked so deligently on and again I cannot express my excitement in the beginning of such a project and again thanks to all of those who were there to work and show their support. May you all have a wonderful and safe Holiday season and anytime anyone would like to do a little work in the cemetery just let me know and I will be there. Merry Christmas to All;

Anyone having suggestions, ideas, questions or just comments on this project, please feel free to contact me. Thanks again to all,

-Anthony B. Cooper

1003 Chattahoochee Drive
Bonaire, Georgia 31005

Announcements

RPMIA, INC., 309 Margie Drive ,Warner Robins, GA 31088 (478) 971-2600

Brandan Brown Brad Schlenker Robert Causey
brandanjbrown@yahoo.com ajschlenker @gmail.com vcausey407 @cox.net

Dave Davidson Mark Byrd
mgddld@yahoo.com byrdnco @windstream.net

Announcements

We need you! There will be a subdivision wide volunteer effort to clean up the cemetery area located on the south end of Hiwassee Drive in The Meadow. We will meet at 8:00 a.m. on December 11th at the cemetery site to begin work. Bring your gloves and tools if you are interested in participating in this cleanup effort. For more information you can contact Tony Cooper at cooperab@bellsouth.net; subject field: cemetery. To learn more about the cemetery, check out findagrave.com and enter “Smith Family Cemetery”.

Santa Claus is coming to Riverbend! Santa will be at the Riverbend Plantation clubhouse on December 15th from 6:00 – 8:00 PM. Please see the attached flyer for more details.

Attention all Riverbend ladies! You are invited to a “Ladies Christmas Gift Swap” to be held December 14th from 6:00 – 8 :00 PM at the Riverbend Plantation Clubhouse. Please see attached flyer for more details.

Save the date! The 2011 RPMIA, Inc. Annual Meeting will be held on Wednesday, January 26th from 6:00-8:00 PM at Waterford Golf Club on Hwy 96. Please mark your calendars and plan to attend.

Stay informed! Riverbend resident Sharon Smith-Rodriguez continues to maintain a community blog at http://riverbendplantation.blogspot.com. Enter your email address, click subscribe, once you receive an email, verify your address by clicking on the provided link.

Reminders
Please be reminded of the following covenant concerns brought to the Board by RP residents:

No vehicles shall be parked on any street in the subdivision. Also, no utility trailers, motor homes, or boats with trailers shall be parked for overnight (or longer) on any lot in the subdivision.

No owner of any residence shall at any one time have on the premises a total of more than two dogs or two cats. Any dog or cat on any lot shall be kept on a proper leash or inside a fence at all times. No dog or cat shall be allowed to run free except on his owner’s lot.

Proper maintenance (to fencing) shall include, but not be limited to, staining
and /or sealing, or pressure washing all fences at least bi-annually to maintain an attractive appearance and to protect fence from weathering.

No ATV traffic is permitted on the vacant land adjacent to the subdivision. RP residents may enjoy company owned land by foot or bicycle only. Absolutely no hunting is permitted at any time on company owned property.

Thank you in advance for your consideration in these matters and for making Riverbend Plantation a great place to live!

The Riverbend Plantation Development Group and the RPMIA, Inc. Board of Directors
would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas! As always, we appreciate the fact that you have chosen Riverbend to call home. If you have any questions or comments, please contact our Association Board members or telephone Byrd and Company at 971-2600.

Street Lighting Update

The RPMIA, Inc. membership approved transfer of the street light expense from the Association to each individual lot owner’s monthly power bill remains a work in progress. In order to complete this process, we must have 100% participation from each lot owner in the subdivision. Currently, we have approximately 10 lot owners who have not signed the agreement and returned it to Flint Energies.

If every lot owner participates, each individual lot owner will be charged $3.37 per month, or $40.44 annually, for subdivision street lighting. As a result our Association dues would remain $125 per year.

If every lot owner does not participate, the RPMIA Inc. Board will be forced to increase its annual dues assessment to pay for the street light expense. The Flint Energies monthly rate for street lighting is higher to a homeowners association than it is to individual lot owners. Therefore, if 100 % of Riverbend lot owners do not participate in the transfer, the increase in dues will exceed the $3.37 monthly charge, or $40.44 annual amount, that would be payable by each lot owner. If every lot owner does not participate, the 2011 dues increase will be an estimated $60. per lot owner, raising our annual dues assessment from $125. to $185. Simply put, it is cheaper for each lot owner to pay for the lighting on your monthly power bill than it is to pay for the lights through our annual Association dues!

The deadline to participate in the transfer is December 31, 2010. If we do not have 100% participation by that date, the RPMIA, Inc. Board will proceed with budgeting that will include an Association dues increase. If you have not done so already, please contact Melanie at Flint Energies (988-3548) to complete your transfer paperwork.

Cookies with Santa

ATTENTION
All Riverbend Plantation Kids:
You are invited to enjoy cookies with Santa!

Wednesday, December 15th
Riverbend Plantation Clubhouse

Drop by the clubhouse between
6:00 and 8:00 PM
and visit with Santa.

Cameras are welcome. Please be reminded that there will be both older and younger children present at this event.We ask that older children be especially considerate of younger ones during this special season.


Hosted by the RPD, Inc. For more information,
and RPMIA, Inc. contact 971-2600

ATTENTION LADIES OF RIVERBEND PLANTATION!

Come and meet your neighbors and have some fun. We will steal and exchange gifts.
Bring a wrapped gift $10.00 or less, an appetizer, and a drink of your choice.

December 14, 2010
6:00 to 8:00 PM
Riverbend Plantation Clubhouse
Please contact Amy Byrd for more information at 951-0651

Trick or Treat - October 30th

Please note that we will follow the city and county's lead. As of yesterday dates changed and Riverbend Plantation will now be celebrating Halloween with the rest of Houston County on Saturday October 30th from 5:30-8:30.

Please leave your porch light on if you would like a visit from the neighborhood ghouls and goblins.

Happy Halloween - Oct 30th 5:30-8:30

Riverbend Plantation will be celebrating Halloween with the rest of Houston County Unincorporated areas on Saturday October 30th from 5:30-8:30.

If you would like to welcome trick-or-treater to your home, be sure to leave your front porch light on, if not, leave it off. Have fun and be safe!

Trick or treating safety tips:(http://childcare.about.com/od/childsafet1/a/trickortreat.htm)

· Have each child carry or wear something lit, such as a flashlight, glow bracelet or necklace, or flashing attire for visibility. Light-up shoes are also practical, and ever-so-noticeable on a dark Halloween night.

· Adults should plan out a route in advance and check it during the daylight for such obstacles as broken sidewalks (or no sidewalks), construction timber, or other obstacles that could trip up trick or trickers. Trick or treat in familiar neighborhoods or areas.

· Require well-fitting shoes to be worn; preferably sneakers. While adorable in the store as a costume accessory, kids planning to go trick or treat should wear sturdy shoes and not the princess high-heel, too-large boots, or other types of shoes often shown with costumes. Save those types of shoes for costume parties and not when a child is going trick or treat. Their feet--and most likely you who may end up carrying either the shoes or the child--will be thankful.

· Avoid costumes that drag on the ground. While cute initially, costumes that drag can trip up little feet, get caught on bushes, and create a tussle that sometimes results in the child wanting to remove the costume. Remember, kids who trick or treat want to be costumed AND comfortable.

· With the thought of comfort, pick costumes that are bathroom-friendly as well. On this same subject, parents should pre-plan a bathroom stop along the way (a friends' house will do and is a good time for a water break as well), or at a public facility if driving.

· Be sure a child's mask allows full visibility and breathing. Spiderman masks, for example, sometimes only have small eye slits and nothing for the nose or mouth. Parents should try on masks for size and not hesitate to cut out larger openings for a trick or treater's comfort. If possible, find a mask that "breathes" and is easy to put on and off. The types of mask that easily can slide up on the head and then pulled down are best.

· Trick or treaters should walk, not run, and should never cut across lawns or driveways. Obstacles could exist that aren't readily visible in the evening.

· Only carry flexible props, such as knives, swords, ninja items, etc., that can't cause injury if a kid accidentally falls. No play prop should resemble the real item; and consider leaving play weapons at home and not part of trick or treat night. Remember, some individuals are offended by seeing small children carry these items; and trick or treating should be a fun and positive experience for everyone.

· Only trick or treat at houses that are lit. Residents who do not wish to be bothered by trick or treaters often leave off their lights as a sign; respect their preference by only going to houses that are lit.

· Be sure kids don't get over-heated and keep hydrated. Plan costumes according to weather; don't have your child dress in an adorable lions costume with heavy fur and hood if you live in Southern states where temperatures could still be in the 80s in the evening; by the same token, a fairy costume might be impractical for a cold northern evening. Be one of those creative parents who accessorizes jackets or thinks "cool comfort" for their kids.

· Think "practical" over "cute" when picking a trick or treat goody bag or container. Some of seemingly-fun ones sold in stores are heavy--before any treats are added; others are too long and will drag the ground or have sharp edges that could scrape against tender skin. One of the best and simplest suggestions is have kids utilize a backpack to keep their hands free except for perhaps a flashlight.

Saturday Workouts

Don't miss out on the fun! Come join us every Saturday at 8am at the Riverbend clubhouse for a workout! Join "garage girl fitness" on Facebook for updates and more information (http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Garage-Girl-Fitness/162439853782379).

Keeping Riverbend Plantation Safe

In these times of economic distress, many people are concerned about the threat of rising crime in their communities. Although our Riverbend community is safe and secure, one can never be too careful. Fortunately, there are ways to help protect your home and our neighborhood from crime. From simple steps like keeping your home and car doors locked to starting a Neighborhood Watch program, there are plenty of things we can do to prevent crime.


Work with your neighbors to keep your neighborhood clean and orderly. Keep spare keys with a trusted neighbor or nearby shopkeeper, not under a doormat or planter, on a ledge, or in the mailbox. Set timers on lights when you're away from home or your business is closed, so they appear to be occupied. Illuminate or eliminate places an intruder might hide: the spaces between trees or shrubs, stairwells, alleys, hallways, and entry ways. With many law enforcement agencies cutting costs, it has never been more important for citizens to work together to prevent crime.

Following these simple steps can ensure we keep our Riverbend community safe and secure.

On-going Saturday Workouts

The first workout session was a success. Don't miss out on the fun, come join your neighbors this Saturday, October 9th at 7am at the clubhouse park for a cardio workout.

Our own resident personal trainer extraordinaire, Yvette Coddington, will treat us all to 45-60 minutes of cardio fun. Dress in workout gear and bring some water.

For more information, or to keep up with workout dates and times, please join 'Garage Girl Fitness' on Facebook.

Should it rain, the workout session will be held at 1026 Chattahoochee.
Please spread the word and encourage your neighbors to come, the more the better!

Fall is here - the pool will be closing

What a hot summer we had! Thank goodness we had our community pool to enjoy and cool off.

But now fall is here and the weather is changing.....

Our community pool is closing on October 3rd.

Thank you ! Happy Fall!

It's Time To Get in Shape

Come join your neighbors this Saturday, October 2nd at 7am at the clubhouse park for a cardio workout.

Our own resident personal trainer extraordinaire, Yvette Coddington, will treat us all to 45-60 minutes of cardio fun. Dress in workout gear and bring some water.

At the first workout we can discuss, as a group, how we want to move forward with workouts. We can establish a time and frequency that will work for most.

Should it rain, the workout session will be held at 1026 Chattahoochee.

Please spread the word and encourage your neighbors to come, the more the better!

End of Summer Pool Party

Wear your swim suits and summer attire and join your Riverbend Plantation friends and neighbors for an End of Summer Pool Party

Saturday, September 18th
4:00 P.M. – 8:00 P.M.
Riverbend Plantation Clubhouse

Please bring a snack to serve along with beverages for your family

Contact Sophie Lee at 971-2600 for more information


Clubhouse will be open and bouncy will be available for kids.

Hosted by the RPD, Inc. and the RPMIA, Inc.

Pool Temporarily Closed

As of 8/30 the pool has been temporarily closed. Duration of closure has yet to be determined. Please check the blog or pool gate for notice of re-opening.

Pool to Re-Open Thursday

Pool is scheduled for re-opening Thursday 8/12 at 1:00. Please be sure to check the website for updates.

8/8 Pool Temporarily Closed

As of 8/8 (in the evening) the pool has been temporarily closed. Duration of closure has yet to be determined.

Please check the Website or pool gate for notice of re-opening.

Community Pool

Fellow Residents,

I am so happy to see so many of us enjoying our community pool. What a fantastic amenity that we all get to enjoy. I ask that you please make note of the points below so that we can all continue to enjoy the pool this summer season and beyond!

• If you see children under 15 without a parent, please speak up! Politely send them home and tell them to feel free to return with a parent / guardian.
• If you bring snacks, please be sure to pick up what you drop.....we don't want to attract ants!
• Please throw away your trash when you leave.
• If you open an umbrella, please close it when you leave. With the recent windy activity, 2 umbrellas have been destroyed because they were left up and open.
• When the pool cleaner comes, you may be asked to get out ouf the pool. Please be polite! We should be thankful to have a clean pool.

Thank you all, see you at the pool!

Pool Maintenance

Please be advised that from time to time our pool maintenance team will need to clean the pool during pool operating hours.

Should this situation occur, all swimmers should exit swimming pool so the pool can be cleaned.

Thank you !

Pool To Open 4/24/2010

POOL WILL BE OPEN SATURDAY 24TH.
PLEASE ABIDE BY THE RULES AND REGULATIONS!

Keep Warner Robins Beautiful Clean up Day

What: Keep Warner Robins Beautiful Cleanup
Where: Clean from 96/Moody intersection southward to Hilltop
park at Georgia Cooling
When: April 24th at 8 a.m.

Hello Family and Friends! Recently, I have been complaining about the enormous amount of trash on our roadsides, so I decided to quit complaining and get a team together for the Keep Warner Robins Beautiful Cleanup. Even though we are actually the county, the city is graciously providing trash bags and other supplies. My goal is to get as many volunteers as possible so that we can enjoy our lush, green roadways this spring. Please consider volunteering a couple of hours of your time. Furthermore, I'd love for all of our county neighbors to choose a section of road and join us in our endeavor.

Why:

Our taxes only go so far in this troubled economy. Let's get out there, combine our efforts, and protect the interests of OUR community. Not many outside investors will want to invest in an area that does not care about such a basic thing as litter control.

In addition, volunteering always looks good on resumes, sets a great example for our children (and teaches them NOT to litter), and may be an opportunity for extra credit at school (Earth Day is April 22nd).


CONTACT: Debra A. Jones, Executive Director
Keep Warner Robins Beautiful
City of Warner Robins
P.O. Box 1488
Warner Robins, GA 31099
(478) 929-7258

APRIL 24TH: “Warner Robins Clean Up Day”
By Cheryl Taylor, Commissioner
Keep Warner Robins Beautiful

Look out your window, do you like what you see? Maybe it could use a little bit of cleaning up?

Now you have an excuse to finally get involved in that park, street or neighborhood cleanup. Why? Because it’s Keep America Beautiful’s Great American Cleanup™ and YOU are the star! Consider yourself the “American Cleanup Idol.”

Now in its 23rd year, Keep America Beautiful is the nation’s largest annual community improvement program. More than 30,000 events are being planned in more than 15,000 communities in celebration of the Great American Cleanup™. To get the really big picture of what results this three-month event accomplished on a nationwide level in 2009, go to www.kab.org and click on Great American Cleanup™ Results. Amazing, yes?

But what about your own corner of the world? That’s where it all starts…with YOU!

With our weather becoming increasingly accommodating, yards all over town are being spruced up with new plants, flowers and trees. But there’s still so much left to do. So, we at Keep Warner Robins Beautiful are proposing Saturday, April 24th as the official citywide cleanup day. If you’ve already taken care of your own yard, you can help your neighbors with theirs, or even organize a group to clean up a neighborhood or another area of town. So far hundreds of volunteers have pledged to suit up in their work gloves and grubby clothes to help!

It is well documented that crime goes up in areas that are not clean or cared for. To find out how you can organize or participate in a cleanup activity, call Keep Warner Robins Beautiful at 929-7258.

Ready, Set…now, Go and CLEAN UP!

3rd Annual Easter Egg Hunt

Blog Updates

Thank you to all who attended the annual meeting last night. I heard that there was some feedback regarding the blog. Please take some time to comment on this post with your suggestions and ideas.

I have set up a section at the bottom of the page where folks can communicate with each other by sharing a link to items they are buying or selling. Simply Email your link to krisandsharon@hotmail.com (ex. craigslist link ) and I will post in to the blog. Also let me know when you would like it removed.

I am new to blogging and by no means am I a web designer but I would happy to try and accommodate any requests. If there is anyone out there who is a blogger expert, please Email me at krisandsharon@hotmail.com as I would love to learn how to do more.

Thank you all for your excitement around our community blog.

-Sharon

Annual RPMIA Meeting - All Residents Welcome

The annual meeting of the Riverbend Plantation Maintenance and Improvement Association will be held at 6:30pm on Wednesday, March 3, 2010 at Waterford South Golf Club. Your attendance is appreciated.

Please plan on joining fellow residents so your voice can be heard and as a community, we can discuss the business of our homeowner's association. Please bring your $125 annual dues to this meeting, checks can be maid payable to RPMIA, Inc. If you are unable to attend, please mail dues to: RPMIA, Inc, 309 Margie Drive, Warner Robins, GA 31088.

2009 RPMIA Revenue and Expense Report:

Houston School Board Picks Revised Zoning Plan

http://www.13wmaz.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=74279&catid=175

The Houston school board has approved a new version of its alternate zoning plan. This one leaves the Quail Run neighborbood in the Northside High School District.

The seven-member board had been scheduled to choose between two proposals. The two plans can be viewed at the Houston County School Board's website. But board members today discussed a third plan, actually a revision of that second plan unveiled earlier this month.

That plan puts Quail Run back in the Northside High School District. It also puts the area west of Moody Road, east of Houston Lake and south of Feagin Mill Road into the Veterans High School district. But the area east of Moody Road and north of Highway 96 will remain in Warner Robins High School's zone.

The revision plan passed by a 6-1 vote.

Board member Griff Clements said the board was moving too fast on the new plan, but other members said they wanted to settle the divisive issue today. The school board unveiled one plan last year, then went back to the drawing board after some parents criticized the zoning.
Then a second parents' group asked them to pick the original plan, saying it was fairer and provided a better racial mix of the district's schools.

School board members said they'd received as many as 1,000 emails on the controversial topic. Some said people were still lobbying them in the parking lot outside the meeting. Members said they took seriously the business of deciding where the district's 25,000 children would attend school. They said they hoped the community would heal after the vote and get back to the business of maintaining an outstanding school system. The board must draw new school-district lines due to this year's scheduled opening of the new Veterans High School.

**Emergency Announcement**

Fellow Residents,

The school zoning vote will take place Thursday at Noon. Location is the Perry office.
Address = 1100 Main St
Let's come on out and help fill their auditorium.

This looks like it is going down to the wire and every vote counts. The most effective way to let your voice be heard would be to e-mail the HCBE board members at the following addresses:
Post1@hcbe.net, Post2@hcbe.net, Post3@hcbe.net, Post4@hcbe.net, Post5@hcbe.net, Post6@hcbe.net, and Post7@hcbe.net

I have e-mailed the entire group...in my humble opinion the only board member that appeared to be undecided was Mr. Dawkins. He can also be contacted by phone at the following numbers:
-Home - 988-1333
-Cell - 951-8381

Thank you for your time and lets make one last push to pass the alternate proposal ensuring our place at Veteran's High School.

The folk favoring that we be zoned for WRHS are making their opinion clear

At 6:30 tonight folks are gathering together to support the original zoning proposal - this is the proposal where Riverbend Plantation is zoned for WRHS.

If you are in favor of the revised proposal, where Riverbend Plantation is zoned for VHS, please let your voice be heard. Post your comments to http://www.hcbe.net/ AND send an Email to the board members (copy and paste all addresses) :

'post1@hcbe.net'; 'post7@hcbe.net'; 'post2@hcbe.net'; 'post5@hcbe.net'; 'post6@hcbe.net'; 'post3@hcbe.net'; 'post4@hcbe.net';

Nothing is final - your action is required!

Let your voice be heard, stand up for what you believe. The folks favoring that we be zoned for WRHS are making their opinion clear - you better too - speak now or it will be too late!

Board Asks Stakeholders for Input on Zoning Proposals

Please see below for information regarding zoning. To ensure Riverbend Plantation is zoned for VHS (alternate proposal) , please read the below and take action!

Board Asks Stakeholders for Input on Zoning Proposals (http://www.hcbe.net/frontnews4.aspx)

The Board of Education is considering two zoning proposals for the 2010-2011 school year. Proposed maps for an original proposal and an alternate proposal are posted to the Houston County Board of Education Web site, http://www.hcbe.net/, on the zoning page. The Board is seeking input to these proposals via an online survey, which is also posted to the zoning Web page.

Board Chairman Tom Walmer commented, “We appreciate that many community members took time to express their opinions about the original zoning proposal. An alternate proposal was developed based on this input. I encourage interested stakeholders to take this opportunity to review the proposals and to share their views. Public input will be carefully considered as we prepare to make a final decision on zoning.”

The survey asks if the original or alternate zoning proposal is preferred and gives respondents the opportunity to post any comments or questions. Questions will be addressed through a list of Frequently Asked Questions, which will be posted to the HCBOE Web site.
The Board will hold a called meeting on Thursday, Jan. 28, 2010, to vote on the final school zones. This meeting will be held at 12:00 p.m. at the Board of Education office located at 1100 Main Street in Perry.

With the opening of Veterans High School in August 2010, all high schools will be affected by this rezoning. Slight adjustments are also proposed for six other schools: Eagle Springs Elementary, Quail Run Elementary, Huntington Middle, Northside Middle, Thomson Middle and Warner Robins Middle.

Call To Action

While the alternate map ( http://www.hcbe.net/media/192988/alternate%20high%20school%202010-2011%20model.pdf) zones us for VHS and looks like a positive change to the Thompson Mill Road Corridor residents, there are many people throughout the county that support the original proposal (zoning us for WRHS). These people are actively communicating their opinions to the HCBE Board Members. It is CRITICAL that the residents from the Thompson Mill area make their voices heard over the next 10 days!


All residents supporting the alternate proposal should, at a minimum, post their comments on the hcbe.net website AND send personal emails of support for the alternate plan to each of the HCBE Board Members. The Board Member email addresses can be found at http://www.hcbe.net/system/board-of-education/board-of-education-members.aspx.

Final Zoning Meeting is Scheduled

The final meeting will be on the 28th Jan. at 12:00 at hcbe in Perry.

The final vote will happen that day.

YOUR ACTION IS STILL REQUIRED

Please go to http://www.hcbe.net/zoning.aspx to share your updated comments as well as to view the revised map ("alternate proposal") and review additional information.

VHS Zoning Update

Do you wonder if your comments are making a difference? Well they are! The new proposal for Veterans High School now INCLUDES Riverbend Plantation. This is still a proposal, nothing is final, we all need to help ensure we stay included in the VHS school zone.

YOUR ACTION IS STILL REQUIRED

Please go to http://www.hcbe.net/zoning.aspx to share your updated comments as well as to view the revised map ("alternate proposal") and review additional information.