Groups went out from 7 to 11 am and 4 to 7 pm.  There were 53 sightings by the morning group and another eight different species by the afternoon group. Highlights included a red-headed woodpecker working on a tree at ground level while the group watched from less than 10 feet away, according to resident John Serrao.

“When we went back out in the afternoon I saw a bald eagle, a wood stork, a swallow-tailed kite and a ruby-throated hummingbird,” Serrao said. “Most exciting of all was a bobcat stalking a pair of sandhill cranes right in an open field behind the Victoria Gardens Clubhouse. What a wonderful day.”

According to Serrao, the residents intend for this to be an annual event to keep a record of the special Florida bird life that helps to make Victoria Park a natural wonder as well as great place to live.

These include an annual 5K race, Hunt for the Golden Egg, Red, White & Blue Event in celebration of Independence Day, Community Yard Sale, Music by the Pool, Light Up Victoria Park, Cruise Week and New Year’s Eve Bash. The entire lifestyle program is fueled by community partners and resident volunteers.

“We are thrilled for the team at Capital Consultants Management Corporation and Victoria Park for receiving this prestigious award,” Kolter Land President Jim Harvey said. “The award-winning lifestyle program is what really makes Victoria Park such a great place to live for residents.”

Victoria Park was a finalist in the “Energy & Water Conservation” category for the community’s efforts with the gas street light conservation project.

Kolter thanks everyone who has helped to make Victoria Park a Community of Excellence!

“Car 87……Start your engine!”

These are the words Victoria Gardens residents Jon and Shari Mirachi are listening for as another race is about to begin.  Jon and Shari are the founders and owners of RACERS EDGE MOTORSPORTS, a professional auto racing team that competes in the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car racing series throughout the United States and Canada.

Shari & John Marachi

Jon has had an interest in race-cars since his teen years in New Jersey and began racing professionally in 1978.

After much success as a driver, Jon started his own team in 1990 and transitioned out of the driver’s seat and into full-time team management in 1998.  Jon is the team manager and oversees all of the day-to-day operations while Shari handles all of the administrative duties.

In 2005, Jon and Shari decided to relocate their race team from New Jersey to Central Florida. They wanted to be close to Daytona Beach and, after a brief tour of the area, quickly decided the industrial park at the DeLand Airport was the perfect location for their team and Victoria Gardens was the perfect spot for their home.  So perfect in fact, that Shari was able to convince both her mother and father, along with her sister and brother-in-law, to make their home in the Gardens as well.

Viper 87

The race season, which begins in January and includes thirteen races, ends in late September.  Jon says, “When we’re not on the road, we love being at home in the Gardens.  To us, it’s like living in paradise.”  “We enjoy participating in all of the many activities available to us and being part of such a great community.  I can’t wait to retire so we can spend even more time at home,” said Shari.

You can learn more about this unique Victoria Park couple by visiting the Racers Edge Motorsports team website, and keep up with Shari and Jon’s racing progress on their Facebook page.

Brownie & Daisy Troop #324 recently extended a heart-felt thanks to the residents of Victoria Park for their generous donations for the 2011 luminary event.  The girls, along with Scout leaders, delivered hundreds of luminary kits throughout the community for the annual “Light up Victoria Park” event.

Because of the generosity from so many Victoria Park residents, the troop was able to donate a check in the amount of $920 to the Florida United Methodist Children’s Home in the name of Victoria Park residents and Girl Scout Troop #324.  The troop consists of ten brownies and eight daisies.  The girls had an exciting end to 2011 and are already looking forward to 2012.

News from troop leaders is the girls visited the Elephant Ranch in Williston in January.  And, Victoria Park’s favorite brownies are now working towards earning their trip to Savannah, Georgia, the birth place of Juliette Gordon Low, to celebrate 100 years of girl scouting!

Thanks again to the troop for helping to make Victoria Park brighter during the holidays. Everyone can look forward to helping the girls with their 2012 “Light up Victoria Park” luminary event and making the holidays even brighter along the streets this year.

“Stetson has a significant commitment to first-generation college students, a long history of values-based education, a tradition in service learning, a College of Law ranked No.1 in the nation for trial advocacy by U.S.
News & World Report, and is 25 miles from Seminole County, Fla.,” said President Wendy B. Libby. “For these reasons, we see ourselves as an excellent fit for Arielle and her brother Austin’s continued education.”

Victoria Park applauds this action by Stetson University and encourages everyone to reach out to those in need as we head into the new year.

The original surface was almost 10 years old and in need of reconditioning due to the very active tennis program managed by Victoria Park Director of Tennis Kurt Collis with KC Tennis Academy. Now, the four hard surface courts in Victoria Commons are sporting a different shade of blue–that of the U.S. Open. In addition, the United States Tennis Association(USTA) has implemented changes to the rules for kids 10 and under to establish new court sizes. You can learn more about the changes at the ten and under tennis website. Collis says he now has courts suitable for tennis players of all ages.

“We have a really active tennis program at Victoria Park with lots of casual and competitive play by residents of all ages,” Collis said. “Everyone is very excited about the new surface and the cool U.S. Open colors.”

Victoria Park's Kurt Collis

The most excited may be young adults at Victoria Park according to Collis who has been running a very successful Jr. Tennis Program for the past two years. “The kids love the 60 foot blended lines from (baseline to baseline) that meet the new USTA sizes. Collis said it makes the courts kids-sized similar to how baseball handles little league fields.”

“It’s really fun for everyone in the community who either plays or just loves the game of tennis,” Collis said. “The U.S. Open was especially thrilling this year and interest in the game is riding high again. Having courts with the same look and feel as the biggest national stage is something you just can’t replicate in virtually any other major sport.”

Visit Victoria Park to learn more about the new courts and the programs run by Collis and his team of tennis pros.