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 4th 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. 
VGCA owns nearly 7.5 acres
/in Crier, Village Green /by VGCA Pool ManagerDid you know that Village Green Community Association (VGCA) owns approximately 7.5 acres in our neighborhood? On that land we have a clubhouse, pool, basketball court, playground equipment, park benches, picnic tables, grills, and split-rail fencing along the neighborhood cut throughs in the inner loops. These 7.5 acres add to the property value of all our homes and provide much needed green space in a city that is seeing that shrink. We are a volunteer run organization who perform a lot of the maintenance and upkeep on our property.
VGCA membership dues are very important for the neighborhood as a portion of it pays for items and services that are not donated or must be fixed by skilled workers.
The VGCA membership drive will be starting soon…remember to support VGCA by joining and possibly volunteering some time. The 2021 VGCA Membership form can be found here: https://vgnn.org/join
Easter Egg Hunt
/in Crier, Events, Village Green /by VGCA Crier EditorAs promised more information is at hand for the Annual Easter Egg Hunt. Donations are still needed for candy for the eggs. Individually wrapped small candies can be dropped off in the tote on the porch at 657 Village Green PKWY. Remember they need to fit inside the eggs.
Families wear your masks and kids bring your baskets to the park on March 28. We will start promptly at 1:00. Parents please RSVP if possible with Audra Joyner prior to so that we can keep track of how many to expect. This is especially important because of the need to continue to social distance due to Covid-19.
We look forward to seeing everyone there, stay safe.
Village Green Easter Egg Hunt
/in Crier, Events, Village Green /by VGCA Crier EditorMarch 28 will be our annual easter Egg hunt. As always, our Social Committee is planning these events with Covid-19 in mind. Right now, donations are being accepted for Easter Egg Candies at 657 Village Green Parkway. There will be a tote out on the porch for all donations. As we get closer to the date, we will have more information for this event.
Valentines Service Project
/in Uncategorized /by VGCA Crier EditorThe service project for Yorktown Convalescent is complete Thank you to all the wonderful neighbors who donated the hand made cards. It is amazing how much such little things as a Valentines Day card means to others. Unfortunately, due to Coivd-19 restrictions and precautions, we were not able to hand deliver them to the residents. They were delivered to the residents and we received a big Thank You for them. So once again “THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP WITH OUR VALENTINES DAY SERVICE PROJECT”. Our Social Committee deserves special recognition for putting together the project. Even in these times, the neighbors of Village Green have shown that amazing things can be accomplished when we act with compassion towards one another.
2020 Highlights
/in Crier, Village Green /by VGCA Crier EditorIt 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 4th 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.
Pool season will be here before you know it…
/in Crier, Pool News, Village Green /by VGCA Pool ManagerHappy New Year! After our first snowfall of the year and a second one possibly coming on Sunday, I figured I would remind the pool lovers out there what will be here in a just 4 short months…
With that said…if you are interested in being a lifeguard at our pool, please send me a txt (757-768-9326) or email [email protected].
I am also looking for a couple of adults to help me with the pool this Spring and Summer as we will be self managing again this year since it was such a SUCCESS last year!
Valentines Service Project
/in Village Green /by VGCA Crier EditorValentines is quickly approaching so let us spread some neighborly love. Our Social Committee have been gathering Valentines for the Elderly living at Yorktown Convalescent. So many of these wonderful people have been in isolation due to Covid-19 and have not been able to see their families. Make it an afternoon project for a cold day and send some homemade love to them.
Here are the details:
Drop off at 657 Village Green Pkwy through February 12.
If you can help it no loose pieces such as puffy stickers or beads for the safety of our Elderly Friends.
Simple Valentines and Colorings are especially welcomed.
As we are not doing “In-Person” events right now this is a great way to still do something together as a Neighborhood.
We Are Taking a Small Break
/in Uncategorized /by VGCA Crier EditorDear Neighbors,
We are not planning anything “In-Person” for a little bit right now due to the rise in COVID-19 in our area. There are very few of us that have not had some personal experience with this disease. Even though there are a few different vaccines available, it will take time for things to return to normal still. I am encouraging everyone to please be safe. I have attached a link to the CDC’s guidelines for everyone to refresh themselves on. Complacency and precaution fatigue are starting to set in even for us in the Jordan household. It has been a long road and there is still more to go. We must find ways for ourselves to reinvigorate our commitment to our safety. Yet once we are over this hump, we will be able to meet up once again. We know it will be hard, but we are made of sterner stuff than this pandemic.
In the meantime, remember to wear your mask, wash your hands, practice social distancing, and stay safe. We will be having “In-Person” events in Village Green again soon. For now, and for everyone’s safety, it is better to just put a pause on things until it calms down again. We will continue to post important updates and socially distanced events for our community. Rest assured there are many great people in our Village that willingly trying to make the world a better place, but they will need help. Our service projects are a great way to continue to give while staying safe.
Here is the link to the CDC Guidelines and how the virus spreads: How Coronavirus Spreads | CDC
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays
/in Uncategorized /by VGCA Crier EditorIt’s that most wonderful time of the year, time for cheer and time for joy…. I feel like my horrible singing voice is coming through the pages and before the dogs start to howl, I’ll get right to it. 2020 has seen quite a bit of tragedy. From the world being on fire, Covid-19, elections, and even UFOs, we have endured it all. Endured, survived, and now we can celebrate together the Holidays. For my family that means we trim the tree, throw some lights on the house, spread the tinsel (garland as my wife likes to call it), and wake up to the antics of our Scout Elf Ginger. These are the traditions that we love.
Today I’m sending this Special Edition out a bit early because there are a few things I wanted to share with you. I’ll let you read the other posts for this week, but here, I need to share some things. We know that there are families in our Village that have had an extra hard year. Chad Hager passed recently from cancer at the young age of 40. He passed only three months after the diagnosis and left behind three young children. Amirah Hager and family, our hearts are with you still though no words can be express how we feel.
Now that I have dried my tears, I think it is important to show some appreciation for those that came together to help our neighbors out in their time of need. At the top is our very own Mailman Frank Crotts. Not only for the support and help to the Hager’s, but also because of the without fail dedication to service to us with the mail. I’m sorry Frank that Charles barks at you every day. Thank you for being showing patience, and for ensuring all those letters to Santa made it in time. Some of the others who showed what it means to love your neighbor, Glenn Woodell, Ryan Greene, Stephen & Stephanie GianDonato, and the many meal train participants. Thank you for simply being amazing people.
Finally, I want to brag a little bit, if you have been out looking at the lights in the Village Green, you will have noticed quite a few amazing displays. There were so many beautiful displays it’s hard to say which one was my favorite. One street though really lit up the night. So, if you only come look at one street make it Prescott Cir. We showed up in style and I’m always taking the long way around the circle at night. Let’s light up the night, sing some carols, make the cookies for Santa, and spread some joy. We have a big night ahead of us, Merry Christmas, and Happy Holidays.
Post by Joshua Jordan
Basket Raffle for Fund our Fun!
/in Crier, Village Green /by VGCA Crier EditorOur second fundraiser for new playground equipment is fast approaching! We will be having a basket raffle on January 22nd. If you are interested in donating a basket for the raffle, or getting donations from local businesses, please contact Stephanie GianDonato at 240-672-2747 or 721 VGP.
Through the Turkey Trot and donations, we have raised $1400. This is half of our goal! Let’s band together to get the next $1400 raised so our children can have the best park in the area!
Editors note: Neighbors I can’t express how awesome this is that we were able to raise so much from a race. I can’t wait to see what kind of baskets people are able to put together for this next event. Covid-19 makes it hard to bring us together for lots of fun but we can still do small things that add up to big results.