from the property manager s office - · pdf filevolume 11 from the property manager’s...

Volume 11

From the Property Manager’s Office…

I have been the Property Manager here at the Braxton for 4 months now. The time has gone by quickly, almost to

the point of a blur. We have been able to see some projects completed, with several others underway. I will com-

ment on just a few:

1. The walkways for the dog doors have been completed as well as the extension at the Media Room

door. Some walkway lights were also added to give extra light in these areas.

2. New lighting was also installed at the pump house by the front gate.

3. Committees (owners) have been commissioned across several areas and most are already active.

These committees engage the knowledge and experience from owners in assisting us to better man-

age the Braxton property.

4. We are entertaining bids on enhancing and improving our landscaping and lawn maintenance.

5. We are seeking bids on cleaning the furniture in all common areas. This project is being led by the

Decorating and Interior committee.

6. We have started a process to touchup and repaint walls, trim and doors where it is needed.

7. The Board just approved Lee Company as our new HVAC supplier. They have begun with this contract

on February 1.

8. A project to update Owner Profile Information was kicked off in early December. This was necessary

to both update and complete gaps in the information, allowing us to better communicate with you,

especially in times of an emergency. So far we are about 53% complete, with work still to be done.

9. By the time you read this, we hope to be completed with the resurfacing of the front and back en-

trance of the main Lobby. Weather keeps us watching the sky and the temperature gauge, but defi-

nite progress is occurring.

And the list goes on…

I encourage your feedback and suggestions. Please include your name on the Suggestion Card at the front desk

so I can contact you if additional information is needed. And, you can always schedule time with me in my office.

Thanks!!!

Ray

Braxtongoodnews.wordpress.com

2 BRAXTON GOOD NEWS MEMO

Volume 11

NO SKELTONS IN THIS CLOSET!!!!! We sat down to interview Hank and Diane Skelton. Hank was born in Black Oak, Arkansas and Diane was born in Huntsville, Alabama. She is the granddaughter of a West Virginia coal miner who had 17 chil-dren! Diane has one sister who lives in Meridianville, Alabama. Hank is one of eight siblings. Hank enlisted in the Army at the age of 17, and after seven years of service was discharged in 1969. Diane worked for NASA at Redstone Arsenal. The astronauts visited often and a visit from President Ken-nedy was special. Diane said the best thing that happened there was when Lady Bird Johnson came for a visit. “The bathroom in our build-

ing was completely redecorated and made into a beautiful lounge for her. Occasionally we would run into Dr. Wernher Von Braun, the noted rocket developer”. After NASA, Diane worked for other government con-tractors and Xerox Data Systems. Hank also worked for Xerox which is where he and Diane met. They were married in 1976. Hank moved on to work at Meharry Medical College until he retired as Director of Comput-er Operations in 2012 after 33 years. Hank and Diane bought a candy franchise called “Morrow’s Nut House” in Hickory Hollow Mall which Diane managed until they sold it 11 years later. Diane then worked for Lincoln Financial for the next 25 years. Hank and Diane have one son, Greg, who lives with his wife and daughter in Bellevue. “Have I mentioned that our granddaughter, Madison, is the light of our lives? We spoil her to pieces but she is such a sweetheart. We usually pick her up on Fridays after school and she spends the night with us”. And Hank and Diane have an adopted granddaughter Katie who lives with her family in Wartrace; Katie has three kids, so they’re great-grandparents! They also have two fairly large cats named Jack and Jill. Hank said that he loves being retired. “It feels like a long weekend that just goes on and on.” He spends a lot of time reading (he has a wall of 500 books that he has yet to read). He also spends time entering online sweepstakes (biggest thing he has won is a 55 inch TV). Diane spends time volunteering, exercising and playing cards at the Braxton, to name a few of her activities. They like to travel, and have made trips to Cancun, up the Pacific Coast Highway, a cruise to Canada, and he won a trip to Europe! The question that everyone is asked is “How did you come to live at the Braxton?” ”We lived in Bellevue in the same neighborhood as Janice and Ronnie Smith. They were so excited showing us pictures of their new home at the Braxton!” Hank and Diane drove out to see for themselves, but decided to remain in Bellevue. A few days later, best friends Joan and Ken Nichols were trying to decide where to park their new boat. After telling them about the Braxton and the Marina, they wasted no time in checking it out, and they bought that same day! Hank and Diane sat down and wondered if they had missed something wonderful. They came out the next weekend for a second look, and signed on the dotted line. Happy ever after . . . end of story.

By Marion Koch



Volume 11

HONEY MUSTARD GLAZED SALMON FILETS

1 # Salmon Filet (can have skin on)

5 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

5 Tbsp Grainy Grey Poupon Mustard

5 Tbsp. Honey

1 Tsp. lemon zest

Salt and pepper

Mix together. Season both sides of Salmon. Put in foil lined pan (easy clean up)

Pour in glaze, flip to coat both sides. (Skin side down)

Bake immediately or cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate up to 3 hours.

Bake uncovered at 400 degrees ten minutes or fork tender.

Featured Chef Marion Koch

We would like to thank E.B. Williams and Tony Aus-tin for their work on our park. They spread gravel to keep our feet less muddy. Tony installed a solar light so our pet humans could see us frolicking at night.

By Fred Gading



Volume 11

Stacey Brinkley

Hello Everyone at the Braxton. I wanted to introduce myself as the newly

appointed Interim Director of Schools for Cheatham County. Some of you

know this job as Superintendent, they are virtually the same job. The title

changed after the position was appointed instead of elected. I grew up in

Pleasant View, TN and attended Pleasant View Elementary, Sycamore Jun-

ior High, and Cheatham County High School. I graduated high school in

1988 and then I have received two degrees from Austin Peay State Univer-

sity. My bachelor’s degree is in elementary education and my master’s

degree is in administration and supervision. I have taught at West

Cheatham Elementary and Sycamore Middle before becoming the Princi-

pal of Kingston Springs Elementary. For the past 4 years I have served at

the K – 12th grade supervisor, which is a large job description over our 13

schools in the county. As the newly appointed Director I am excited about the opportunity to serve the peo-

ple of Cheatham County as well as overwhelmed with the amount of time and effort it takes to accomplish

the job. I am married with two boys who are both attending Austin Peay. My children graduated from 2

different Cheatham County Schools. We are zoned for Cheatham County Central and our oldest son graduat-

ed there, and the youngest son graduated from Harpeth High School because I was a Principal in that cluster

during the time he was in high school. I am currently in the 2016-2017 Leadership Cheatham County class,

and we are so grateful to hold our monthly meetings at the Braxton.

We’re looking for someone who enjoys taking pictures



Volume 11

We have a visitor at the Braxton! He (or she) is a nine-banded Armadillo. They eat grubs, worms and small insects. The bad part is that they dig up your flower beds to get to them! They are the only animals affected by Hansen's disease, also known as leprosy. People can eat armadillos (commonly called possum on the half shell) and cooking does destroy the disease. No cause for panic because there are millions of armadillo encounters, and since 95%of people are already immune to leprosy, the odds of catching it are minute and is easily treated. Their armor around their body is tough and then some! A man in Georgia fired a 9mm pistol at an armadillo in his yard. The bullet ricocheted off of the animal's armor and into a mobile home belonging to his mother-in-law, and into the back of a recliner she was sitting in...she was taken to the hospital with minor injuries. So, no shooting at armadillos at the Braxton, please. If you are out walking, you may notice several traps waiting for the critter. E.B. is on the job!

The resurfacing in the front and back entrances have been completed and it makes a real difference. The steps towards the marina are amazing. Way to go Board and Ray!



Volume 11

The Grim Reaper Appears Again

It happened again, just this week. I took a phone call at the office from a lady named Joy. She ex-plained that her mother had recently passed away after a prolonged stay in a nursing home. Her mom’s sav-ings account of approximately $80,000 had been spent down by making payments to the nursing home. Once all the money was gone, her mom’s nursing home bill had been subsidized by TennCare. Following her mom’s death, Joy filed for a TennCare release which was denied. She learned that TennCare had paid the nursing home more than $132,000 for her mom’s care and now, they wanted to be reimbursed through the process known as “estate recovery”. In brief, that means TennCare notified her that they would be placing a lien on her mother’s residential real estate. When I asked Joy what her mother’s property was worth, she estimated $120,000 to $125,000….less than the lien TennCare would be filing. My heart sank for her because, in effect, TennCare would be taking her mother’s property, leaving her without any inheritance at all. When I told her what “estate recovery” meant, she replied, “But, mama wanted me to have her house… she left it to me in her Will…what can I do?” Unfortunately, for Joy, there’s little she can do at this point. TennCare has a legal right to be reimbursed from her mom’s probate estate. Thus, the Grim Reaper will take what he is due. You need to know what Joy and her mom didn’t know. First, a nursing home resident does not have to “spend down” all of their financial assets to receive TennCare. Further, a TennCare recipient’s residential real estate can be insulated from estate recovery. Tennessee law currently provides that TennCare can only pursue estate recovery from the probate estate of a decedent. There are two or three legal ways to insure that residential real estate is titled so that it falls outside of probate when someone dies. Each of these strat-egies requires some forethought, planning, and the counsel of a competent elder law attorney. Only 32% of Americans ever get around to executing the most basic estate planning document…a Last Will & Testament. Joy’s mom ran against the herd when she took the time and made the investment in hav-ing her Will prepared. Sadly however, she failed to understand that having a Will didn’t ensure that her daughter would receive a legacy consisting of some cash and a piece of real estate. Joy’s mom didn’t take the proactive steps required to protect her nest egg of savings from the ravages of costly nursing home care and her real estate from the long arm of estate recovery. The good news for you is that now you know about Joy's unfortunate situation, you can make sure that what happened to her never happens to your heirs. All the best,

Gregg Treadway

Attorney & Counselor at Law



Volume 11

John and Dana did their usual job of organizing a fun day and Roxy and Gary performed their usual BBQ mastery with assistance from Tony and Bob, as well as many others ; and there might have even been a Super Bowl pool (which I did not win as usual). It always amazes me how at each event people come up with new, wondrous dishes that I have never tasted (the kind where you want to take the bowl, hide in a corner, and eat the whole thing)! If you couldn't be with us this year, mark your calendars for next year. Our Super Bowl parties ROCK!



Volume 11

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Volume 11

from the property manager s office - · pdf filevolume 11 from the property manager’s...

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