Weekly e-mail on Saturdays at 0500.
Get ready for some spooky family Friday fun! Head up to the park Friday October 16th 6:30pm. Kids MUST have an adult with them to attend. Come as you are or in a family friendly costume. We will have game, crafts and candy! If you want to stick around for movie. We will be watching Nightmare Before Christmas at 8pm, you are welcome to leave before the movie or only come for the event!
If you are staying for the movie rsvp for popcorn and bring a chair!
Neighborhood wide game lets try to “BOO” everyone by the end of October! Once you get “BOO” please make a TWO copies of your ghost picture and instruction page for the next person and QUICKLY put your ghost picture on your door so others can have turn! PUT together a gift bag of small simple BOO item to BOO TWO other people be sure to place their copy of the ghost picture and instructions in bag too. Drop off the bags and run! We will get the ball rolling night of September 30th. Please start to think of the items and or go ahead get some to have on hand so we can quickly get to everyone!
Join us for our monthly Village Green community association movie night. Come take a break from your busy fall schedule as we have a movie in the park on Friday September 25th 7:00pm. We hope to be watching Toy Story 5! Come out with your family n bring a lawn chair with you. Popcorn will be provided. Please RSVP for popcorn.
Newport News residents should be aware of the following schedule changes and closures for Labor Day on Monday, Sept. 7.
Residents are encouraged to plan ahead and check their schedules before the holiday.
SATURDAY, JULY 4th
First rule of the day please hydrate before coming out parents and kids!!!!!
9:00 a.m. DECORATE THE PARK: Come on out and help dress up the park for the day’s activities. Set up tables and attach festive decorations. Claim your spot on the grounds! A great way to get into the spirit and help make the park look right for the occasion.
10:00 a.m. UNCLE SAM’S BIKE PARADE: Fun for all!! Decorate your bikes and yourselves in your most patriotic colors and join in as we parade around the Green. The parade will be led by OUR local fire department, workload permitting. Neighbors, rest on your porch and cheer us on as we pass by. Participants gather at the clubhouse at 9:50 a.m.
10:45 a.m. NATIONAL ANTHEM: We will honor America and our flag with the playing of the National Anthem. 10:45 a.m. Village Green Swim Team Carnival: The swim team will have carnival games as well as raising money. Tickets can be purchased with cash and help fund the swim team. Please come out and support them. Thank you!
12:00 p.m. PICNIC IN THE PARK: Bring your favorite foods and enjoy a picnic with your neighbors while listening to music!
12:00 p.m. POOL IS OPEN FOR VGCA REC MEMBERS AND THEIR GUESTS ONLY: It’s never too late to support our neighborhood and become a pool member at https://vgnn.org/join.
Join us as we enjoy another summer at the pool and Park….Big THANK YOU to everyone for joining and helping make the Green an awesome place to be! Our VGCA Calendar the next few months as follows.
JUNE- Saturday -June 6th- join us up at the pool for a cookout. We will start the grill about 5pm as we kick start the summer!
Friday -June- 19th Bring a chair as we watch the new Mario Galaxy movie in the park at 7:30pm.
JULY- Our big July 4th parade and full day of fun will have its own separate article be ready to stay in Village Green July 4th morning and afternoon!
Friday- July 24th @8pm- join us up at the park for our movie night as we watch Incredibles 2. As usual bring a chair and popcorn will be provided.
AUGUST- More fun before summer comes to a close as we have dinner up at the pool together -Saturday- August 8th- about 5pm!
Friday -August 14th @8pm- Movie night in the park as watch the true classic Shrek 2! Bring the family out together as we say goodbye to summer! Bring a chair and popcorn is provided.
THANK YOU VGCA, can’t wait to see everyone come out!
Some extra pool hours to enjoy the nice weather:
Regular Memorial Day Weekend hours:
Please take 2 minutes to read this… and then support VGCA and the pool at vgnn.org/join.
There are many reasons to join the Village Green Community Association, and I’ve covered a lot of them over the years. But today, I want to share a bit of history and also look at our current reality.
I took over pool management back in 2017, making this the 10th season I’ve managed our pool. When I started, we were paying a pool management company nearly $25,000 a year to handle our lifeguards, inspections, and daily operations. Then, COVID changed everything.
In the summer of 2020, our pool management company wasn’t going to open the pool due to pandemic restrictions, yet we were still on the hook to pay them nearly $8,000 just for baseline maintenance. The VGCA Board was deeply concerned that if we didn’t open that season, it might be the end of the pool entirely. Plus, during a time of immense uncertainty, we all desperately needed a safe way to socialize and get outside.
Drawing on my own experience growing up with pools (above ground) and time spent as a lifeguard, I teamed up with Pete F., Rich S., Amy N., and Laura C. to hopefully save the summer. Laura connected us with the Coast Guard Blue Dolphins swim team, who were struggling to find practice space with indoor pools closed. That partnership brought in crucial revenue. We cut ties with the management company and jumped right in. We navigated changing executive orders, managed swim lane bookings for Phase 2, and by Phase 3, we had the diving board back open. That 4th of July felt pretty darn normal, and the summer was a massive success and a vital outlet for families in the Green!!!
While we’ve kept that momentum going for the last six years, membership has slowly waned.
Over the years, I’ve spent countless hours managing lifeguards and researching chemicals, paint, and filtration to prepare this facility for another decade. Our amazing neighbors have also chipped in invaluable volunteer hours to maintain a nearly 60-year-old pool.
But the economic reality has caught up with us:
Labor: Minimum wage has increased 76% since July 2020 and will go up even more the next 2 years. Lifeguard labor is our single biggest budget item, and staffing them is required by City of Newport News ordinance.
Supplies: Chemical and equipment costs have skyrocketed due to supply chain issues and inflation.
The Alternative: I recently requested quotes from two independent pool management companies. Their bids came in at $45,000/year.
The math is simple: Memberships + Volunteers = The Pool Stays Open.
If we are forced to pivot back to a commercial management company, it will likely lead to the pool closing permanently within a year or two. If that happens, neighborhood property values will take a hit, and we lose a staple of our community.
Please consider supporting the VGCA and the pool. Even if you don’t plan to swim, you can join the VGCA as a community member and provide an extra donation.
Thank you for your support!
Get Ready for Pool Season at Village Green!
Are you excited about the pool season? Join us for a fun and productive day as we prepare for the grand opening! Everyone is welcome to volunteer and help get everything ready. Plus, enjoy some quality time at the pool with your family afterward!
New to the Neighborhood?
This is a perfect opportunity to meet your neighbors and learn more about the Village Green Community Association, the pool, and our swim team. Come and be part of our vibrant community!
Haven’t joined yet?
Do it here…vgnn.org/join
Event Details:
Date: Sunday, May 17
Time: 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Schedule:
Tasks to be Done:
What is needed:
We look forward to seeing our amazing volunteers and having families enjoy the pool!
