November Newsletters

Weeks 43 & 44  and Weeks 45 & 46

Week 43 & 44 date sent Nov 8, 2007

PelicanNews - Weeks 43 & 44 - Date sent Nov 8, 2007
My web site for rentals and sales is at www.pelicannews.net

The PROXY is now on the pelicanresort.com web site if you do not have it.
Go to the Owners Room and you can print the proxy form. The mailing
address is also there.

I see that Jeff Berger is saying that half the owners did not get the
mailing here is the data from ISCO

10/02/07- 8565 were mailed in bulk domestically in the US
10/03/07- 786 were mailed in the final bulk domestically in the US.

Approximately 250 AGM packages were returned
***************************

VERY IMPORTANT - Please contact ISCO at 800-550-7088 if you
did not receive the mailing with the AGM booklet and you
annual maintenance fee bill. The last day to send in your
vote is Nov 16, 2007. Show us you are really out there, vote!!

**** IMPORTANT*** Be sure to put pelicansxm@yahoogroups.com
into your safe list to receive the newsletter.

Visited the Resort web site - Pelicanresort.com
In the owners section:

4th Quarter minutes 2006, December 2006 AGM minutes
1st Quarter minutes 2007 & 2nd Quarter minutes 2007
Also the 2007 AGM booklet
*************************************

Remember you can register on line before your arrive at the Resort
- It must be submitted by Wednesday - It will save you a long wait.

I have been asked to give a few instructions: You can find the check-in
on line button to the left on the pelicanresort.com web page.
Fill out all the information including your contract # and unit #.
Be sure to print out the form to take with you.\\\\ Important after
you click send go to the back button at the top of the page and go back
if you have more than one week. Do not hit reset!!! Fill out the info
for the other weeks and print out the form and send for each one. The
basic informaton like your name and address stay until you have registered
all of your weeks.
***********************

From: "alan stuparitz"
Subject: 2007 AGM Booklet and Proxy
Date sent: Mon, 05 Nov 2007

Judy,

After reading Jeff Berger's Forum this week, I find it hard to believe there are owners who have not yet been sent a copy of the AGM Booklet and Proxy. I have had mine since the beginning of October, in fact, I was sent three packets. I looked on the Pelican website and see that the AGM Booklet is available for download, however, I didn't see a downloadable proxy form. Maybe Richard could have his staff make the proxy available in a pdf format???? Since we are running short of time before the AGM, your immediate attention to this matter would be appreciated.

One other note on the proxies, I understand that Joe Costa is again collecting proxies to carry to the AGM. Maybe we can get Joe to publish a FAX number for anyone who was delayed in the receipt of the AGM Packets and Proxies.

This email is for posting to your Newsletter this week. Thanks for you assistance!

Alan D. Stuparitz
Pelican & FIP Owner

Judy's Commment: There is always a certain number, that for what ever reason,
do not receive the booklet and the amf bill. The proxy for voting is now
printable on the www.pelicanresort.com web site. If you have not received
your envelope please notify ISCO so they can check to find out what happened.

Reminder your proxy must be mailed by Nov 16, 2007 and your maintenance fee
must be paid by January 15, 2008 in order to avoid late fees.
*********************************

From: Steve Sylvestro
Date sent: Thu, 25 Oct 2007

Hello Judy,

I really feel bad for you, it seems your always getting beat
up by Jeff Berger. I have been reading your newsletter for about
3 years and have read all of the letters good and bad and your
responses to them. I have always considered your responses true
to fact. Maybe if Jeff spent some time at the resort instead of
renting his weeks out, He would see the improvements that have
been done to make the resort a pleasure to visit. I. own 3 weeks
@ the pelican and cant wait to come back. I also own weeks in Florida
and Aruba. Like I have always said, There are much fancier places
to visit, BUT we love the pelican. I'm not saying that the Resort
is problem free, I hate the fact that the residences are built on
our property and we cant stay in the rooms. To me, that's a blatant
disregard for the existing owners, and the sales staff are obnoxious,
especially the blonde. On the other hand, the housekeepers, landscapers,
Luis Cabrera, Isco are a pleasure to deal with, and by the way, thank
royal resorts for having Kathy run the bars, we were there the first
week she took over the beach and pool bars, What a pleasure, A lot of
our friends have been there since and say she's still doing a great
job. In short, thank you for giving us a forum to keep in touch with
our home away from home. Steve Sylvestro

P. S. Hey Kat put a lot of beers on ice well be back week 45
with a lot of friends
********************************

From: "Tom Evans"
Subject: Comment
Date sent: Fri, 26 Oct 2007


I am a 10 year owner at Pelican and enjoy going to SXM every winter.
My only gripe is that the Annual Maintenance Fee keeps climbing -
almost to the point where it is not worth keeping my unit.

The topper came yesterday when I received not one but two different
full color brochures touting the new Marina Residences. The money
that was spent on producing and mailing these brochures was not
insubstantial - my 30 plus years working in media give me a pretty
good idea of the cost involved in such a marketing piece.

I have been getting a sales pitch brochure roughly once a month
for the past 6 months, despite having informed Pelican Sales that
I have no interest (beyond my initial curiosity) in purchasing
additional units.

Perhaps there wouldn't have been a 3% increase in this year's
AMF if Pelican took a better focused and more balanced approach
between marketing and the need for facility upkeep.
Tom Evans, Washington, DC
**********************************

Subject: Marina residences
Date sent: Fri, 26 Oct 2007
From: Janet DeCesare


Hi Judy:
I do hope this reaches your weekly newsletter. I am wondering if
other "old time owners" of Pelican feel as I do. I am so tired of
receiving mail relative to the Pelican Marina Residences. It has
always been a thorn in my side because of what it is doing to the
views,etc of what I felt was "my resort and home away from home."
I know time marches on and life changes but to have this virtually
forced down my throat hurts. I have never received a tenth of this
much information regarding Pelican Resort as I am receiving regarding
the Marina Residences. I am almost positive that the reasoning behind
these large increases in maintenance is due to this new building.
In return for this extra expense I don't even hear anything about
what is now called the "old buildings." Would appreciate knowing
what is happening in the Alamanda, Croton, Bougainvillea, etc.
if anything is happening. Respectfully submitted. Janet DeCesare

Judy's Comment: You can find a lot of information on the web site
Pelicanresort.com in the owner's section. The minutes are posted
there as well as the AGM booklets. There is also a financial
section giving you the latest informaton on the Pelican budget.
The Marina Residences budget is not part of the Pelican budget.
************************************

From: Harold Zweighaft
Date sent: Thu, 25 Oct 2007

Dear Judy:

I have met Larry Schnitt, I intermittently scan Jeff free letter,
and I continue to be bored with the complaints about Pelican.
We have been Pelican owners (Oyster Bay too) for 30 years.
I always enjoy my time at Pelican and on St Maartan. It was
great when Marigot was a sleepy village and La Calanque served
warm cream with your coffee. It's still a great place to break
away from the cold of the Northeast winter.

I don't understand why Larry gripes so much and still returns to
Pelican. I find that my palate may be on a different wavelength than
Jeff's.

I'm grateful to the boardmembers for their commitment and involvement..
The recent crime problems are unfortunate but certainly not the fault of
Pelican management nor is the traffic congestion due to Taproc.
Thank you,Harold Zweighaft
********************************

From: "Bob Belstock"
Subject: RE: Jeff Berger
Date sent: Mon, 29 Oct 2007


It is obvious Jeff has his own Jeff agenda. For a membership fee
you can join his site and get"super secret airfares", which people
could do on their own, buy stickers and get recommendations of the
"best on the island", which happen to be establishments for whom he
has done web sites. You also get the privilege to advertise on his
site when you pay a membership fee. Since he has no constructive
comments and only negative comments, why give him the press he so
direly seeks? He has his own web site. Let him complain there.
Bob

Royal Resorts obviously has voting control. People did not listen
to the possibility when the issue was raised. I think it is to
everyone's benefit to cooperate so everyone wins-the owners and
Royal. As being on the Board, I would like for you and other board
members to think of some compromises without Royal holding the owners
hostage. There should be a middle of the road where Royal wins but the
owners are not at Royal's mercy and the resort can get back to 5 star
status. Since Vlietman and his gang, it seems the owners have lost all
of the law suits, right or wrong due to Dutch law, politics an ineptness
of those involved in the suits. A truce with a meeting of the owners
who are now out voted and Royal with a plan to better everyone seems
a logical win for everyone. Bob
************************************

Date sent: Wed, 31 Oct 2007
From: Lee Jarvis
Subject: Pelican

Rented at Pelican from ISCO October 10-20th. Check in was a
breeze. Resort was beautiful. I was assigned B204 upon arrival
and told I did not have to move on Saturday which was really great.
On October 11 I informed maintenance that the couch smelled like
BO and was not usable. Someone came to the room that day and
sprayed Lysol on the couch making it really wet and left the can
and a note to spray it daily. On Saturday the 13th all our clothes
in the closet were wet due to the A/C unit leaking and the center
of the floor in the living area had a large puddle (from the floor
being extremely cold from the A/C unit in the room under ours).
Maintenance came and looked at the A/C put a blanket on the top
shelf to catch the dripping water and never came back. On Sunday
I called maintenance again about the puddle and the A/C leaking as
the blanket was soaked. Someone came to our room that day, changed
the blanket (and left it in the room by the door) and put a towel
on the floor to soak up the puddle of water. On the 15th we went
to Anguilla for the day hoping that the problems would be addressed.
When we got back nothing had changed. On the 16th I called again as
the room was extremely damp and now started to smell like mildew.
Nothing was done as of the day we left on the 19th. As I checked
out I informed the front desk of the problems. I have been an owner
at Pelican ( 2 weeks in the B building) since 1986, and have rented
for two weeks in October for the last 15 years, and never had any
serious problems in with my rooms. This room has the same couch
and furnishings that were there in the 80s. I know that owners
are expected to put up with small inconveniences, but as a renter
I should at least have been moved to another unit. When are the
front B building rooms going to be refurbished ? Finally ISCO should
not rent this room again until the problems have been addressed.
Still loved the vacation, SXM and Pelican.
******************

Judy's Comment: A reminder to owners that the Resort can not use
an unoccupied unit unless the owner has notified ISCO/Resort they
are not using their week. They also can not go in and do maintenance
until they know an owner is not coming. If the unit is deposited with II,
RCI or ISCO it gives the Resort more options to move someone from a unit
that needs repair.
***************************

From: Mario E. Sprouse
Date sent: Tue, 6 Nov 2007

Dear Judy -

I emailed the letter below to info@pelicanresort.com. It was
addressed to the Board of Directors. If this is the wrong email
address, please forward this letter to them. Thanks for all
you've done and continue to do! Mario E. Sprouse

November 6, 2007

Dear Board of Directors TAPRC

My wife and I recently returned from a marvelous 3 weeks
stay at Pelican. Although I own a timeshare in Florida, we
bought our first timeshare together at Pelican in 2000, six
months after we were married. We now own nine weeks at this
outstanding resort. Needless to say, we’re hooked on Pelican
and its bright future. What really sold us was the fact that
there are four tennis courts on the property. We are avid
tennis players (and fans) and you can usually see us weeks
1-2 and 34-37 taking lessons from Jose Orteza, the tennis Pro,
or playing nearly every day. Even when my wife sustained a
broken wrist prior to our trip this past summer, we played
together and with others on courts 2, 3 and 4. One year we
invited members of my wife’s mixed doubles team for a “Tennis
Vacation.” Another Pelican first-timer and tennis player was
easily convinced to purchase a unit in Marina because of the
availability of lighted tennis courts. All this is to say that
we really love the various amenities at Pelican, particularly tennis.

Considering the new 5 Star status recently attained by the
Pelican Marina Residences, wouldn’t it be great if Pelican had
a tennis Pro Shop? Over the past 25+ years I’ve been to timeshare
villas all over the United States and visited other properties
with multiple tennis courts. They all have pro shops to service
their guests. In addition to signing up for tennis lessons, one
can purchase equipment, attire, and have racquets re-strung.
Currently, these services are only available “over the hill”
in Philipsburg. It’s a place for enthusiasts and players to gather,
arrange for matches among groups, talk with others, exchange
information and generally be another friendly amenity available
to owners and their guests. Perhaps it can be located at the
Residences or in one of the buildings near court 4: the storage
space next to the Red Piano or under the Cafeteria (great food,
by the way!) In any case, I believe a Pro Shop, along with
necessary improvement to the courts themselves, would be a
welcome addition to the new 5 Star Resort.

Thank you in advance for considering our suggestions.

Yours truly,Mario E. Sprouse
Satisfied Pelican Owner

SKYMED--

SkyMed - skymed.com
SkyMed is pleased to offer to Pelican owners a valuable new benefit.
SkyMed is a member based Company that provides its members with
emergency air transportation to their own medical providers when
they suffer a critical illness or injury when traveling more than
100 air miles from home. Area of coverage is the United States,
Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean. Rates vary.

Further information can be viewed on our web site at www.skymed.com
or you can call our office at 800-475-9633. (Dave and I are members).

Judy Young, Lower Sackville, N.S.




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