Welcome back to SunBird to all who have been traveling or who have left for the summer months or were just in hibernation from the extreme heat. We invite everyone to please stop by the Clubhouse and office to check in and see what’s new. It’s been a busy summer with many maintenance and improvement projects to the clubhouse and facilities.
SunBird has the biggest Ballroom and nicest hardwood dance floor in the area. With such a great room, it is heavily used with many activities daily, adding wear and tear to the flooring. To keep the wood floor maintained, it was completely stripped down, treated and re-sealed, giving it not only a beautiful look but also a great feel for dancers and other activities held in the Ballroom. The Ballroom was closed for this project during the month of August. This process takes nearly a month’s time to conduct each phase of the work and to allow it to properly cure.
The Lakeview Room has recently received a nice makeover this summer. Large shade coverings similar to those in the Horizon Room were installed around the south and west balconies outside of the room. This will assist in keeping the sun off the windows to better help control the temperatures. The interior had a fresh coat of paint and dark wood paneling installed around sections of the room. These changes improve and update the look of this multipurpose room. The new balcony shade coverings look great and are making a difference in keeping the room much cooler.
The Clubhouse had 81 window coverings removed and replaced this summer with new updated coverings. The main lobby area also had new window coverings installed and new stained wood paneling installed around the walls at the base of the windows. The existing wood shelves and fireplace wood trim were also stained a darker color and a fresh coat paint added to the walls. The office front desk counter also had same wood paneling added to update the old pink counter and face. All of this work adds a touch of class to the main entrance area of the Clubhouse.
The two bocce ball courts approved this summer by a membership vote are now under construction. The courts are being constructed with a concrete base and an artificial grass turf overlay for the surface. Each court will be 60 feet long by 10 feet wide. A concrete pad will also be installed with a shade covering with benches for people to use to watch or just relax and enjoy the surroundings. This will be another addition to SunBird’s many recreational facilities and another fun activity to participate in.
The food and beverage operation has made good strides this year on improving efficiency while still continuing to provide great food and service. Sales have continued to increase two percent over the record-breaking increase of sales in 2015 of 23 percent, while expenses this year have also been reduced by 6.4 percent. This has been accomplished by reducing staff scheduling, implementing cross training to become more efficient and watching expenses more closely. Horizon Room Thursday dinners have been moved to Tuesday nights. This change was made due to popular demand for Friday night fish fry’s various Fridays each month and more during the high season as the need increases. By separating these two dinner nights we will avoid having competing back to back nights and allow more people to attend. Wednesday Trivia Night is back again with a new game format, new appetizers and drink specials. Don’t forget our daily breakfast and lunch specials and our excellent Sunday breakfast buffet every week.
We look forward to another exciting and fun season here at SunBird. Don’t forget to check out our website for the latest events and also join our SunBird email group.