Around the Neighborhood

It was pointed out to me that we had quite a bit of fun last year despite the odds and I have neglected on commenting on such things. Therefore, I wanted to take a moment and talk about some of the things we accomplished as a community. Now I know this is not everything, but it is a few of the highlights from 2020. I would not call it a “Year in Review” per se, mostly because it would be denying the fact that so much negativity was prevalent in our lives. Instead, I want to focus on the good things that happened for us in hopes that it will inspire our Neighborhood to continue these trends.

First up was the fact we had a pool opened for the summer. It was such a big thing for us because someone had to step into the role of manager and organize everything from lifeguards to making sure the chemicals were set exactly right. Lucky for us Donnie has decided to stay on in that capacity and we look forward to yet another successful year at the pool this summer.

Swim Team meets kept our young ones in the water and helped to fight off the pains of a challenging year. Even though it looked different than it had in the past it was still a great success for us here. I know that my little ones are seriously looking forward to the warmer weather for swimming practice.

Next let’s talk about Movie Night in the Park. It was our own little version of drive-in theaters, filled with popcorn and social distancing as best we could. Someone even managed to convince some food trucks to come out and breweries to deliver. I’m sorry I can’t remember who you are right now but Thank You! That I hope we can do again. Especially when the weather warms up.

Then we had a few campouts in the park too. What a great way for folks to come together and teach the kids how to camp. A repeat will be happing in the future, this one I know for certain. On that note though quick, let’s not forget that most of these events happened in our park. Thanks to many volunteers the park has remained a crucial part of the Green.

We do have some things we need to do still in order to make the park even better. Thanks to the folks in our Social Committee, we have already managed to raise over $1,300.00 for new playground equipment, IN ONE EVENT ONLY!!!! The Turkey Trot was a huge success and although we are taking a pause on events right now there are more in the works.

All this and we still managed to keep many of our Village Green traditions as well. The Big Man himself, Santa Clause, made time to come have breakfast with the little ones even with the need for social distance. The 4^th of July Parade, and all the shenanigans of the biathlon has become a household favorite. Seriously, these amazing people went for a swim and then decide “Oh hey I think I’ll air dry by running around the neighborhood.” I’m just saying after the Turkey Trot, I know I need to train to be ready for that. Just need to learn how to actually, um, swim.

I hope to see many more events like this coming soon. I know for some of us it is hard to think past tomorrow or even today, and that is ok. This storm will pass just like the last one and you have the whole Village to lean on. We acknowledge that it was not an easy time for any of us, but we also managed to have some well-deserved fun. I hope that we see you at the next event safe, and healthy. Until then, please wash your hands, wear your mask, and take a moment for yourself.