Posts

Join VGCA for 2025

Pool season starts in a little over 2 weeks from today!!!

Don’t forget to support VGCA by joining at https://vgnn.org/join and enjoy the best pool on the Peninsula!

Join Us for a Fun Day of Volunteering and Swimming at Village Green

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!

Event Details:
Date: Saturday, May 10
Time: 12:00 PM – 4:00 PM

Schedule:

  • 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM: Volunteers needed for various tasks.
  • 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM: Free swim for families who volunteer (lifeguards will be on duty). We might start the free swim earlier if we finish the tasks quickly!

Tasks to be Done:

  • Clean the pool deck and gutter/drain.
  • Put the pool furniture out.
  • Put the diving board out.
  • Stain the lifeguard stands and pool benches.
  • Trim low-hanging branches near the baby pool and clubhouse.
  • Clean the clubhouse awning.
  • Pressure wash the clubhouse.
  • Clean out the baby pool.
  • Clean and fold the pool cover.

What to Bring:

  • Blowers, rakes, gloves, and weed eaters.

What We Provide:

  • 1 pressure washer (3200 PSI)
  • 1 electric pole saw
  • Ladder
  • Tarps for moving leaves
  • Stain and brushes

We look forward to seeing our amazing volunteers and having families enjoy the pool! Let’s make this pool season the best one yet!

REAL ID Requirements Take Effect May 7

As we move closer to the federal REAL ID deadline, it’s important to be aware of new identification requirements that may affect your travel and access to certain federal facilities.

You’ll need a REAL ID (or another federally accepted form of identification, such as a U.S. passport or military ID) to:

  • Board a domestic flight
  • Enter a secure federal facility
  • Enter a military base (some may already require this)

If you choose to keep a standard license or ID, it will be marked with “Federal Limits Apply” at your next renewal. While it’s still valid for driving and general identification purposes, it will not be accepted for federally regulated purposes listed above after May 7.

For more details, including a list of acceptable documents and frequently asked questions, visit the Virginia DMV’s REAL ID webpage.

VGCA Membership Payment Plan Status Update

I wanted to share with everyone the status of adding the payment plan to our payment options.

We have run into some small roadblocks but continue to work diligently to bring this payment option to you. Our original goal was to have the payment plan option available by 1 May. We have missed that goal. For that we apologize.

The good news is we are in the testing phase and should be wrapping up testing shortly.

Once we have completed testing and made the updated payment options available, we will send out notice to the community.

Bonus: we will be adding the ability to upgrade from Association Membership to Recreation Membership online.

Thank you for your patience while we work towards providing this much requested feature.

Get Ready to Celebrate: Cinco de Mayo Block Party

City Center’s Cinco de Mayo Block Party is back! The event returns Saturday, May 3 from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. held at City Center at Oyster Point, 704 Mariners Row. Come celebrate with friends and family as the spirit of Cinco de Mayo comes to life.

This event is free to the public and welcomes all ages. There is something for everyone to enjoy, even leashed dogs.

Highlights Include:

  • Music from DJ Rocky and DJ Macky Pro
  • Sip & Stroll: Guests can order beverages from participating restaurants then sip drinks while taking a stroll down Mariners Row, dance, play games, and shop from local craft vendors
  • Bachata Vida Salsa Dance Lessons – From 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.
  • Take in the art at Contemporary Art Network’s latest exhibition
  • Board Games
  • Free face painting for the kids

 

Mark your calendars and bring your friends and family an experience you won’t want to miss.

For more information, visit the City Center website.

Long-Term I-64 Lane Closures Scheduled to Begin in Newport News

Beginning as early as May 5, the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) will implement long-term lane closures on I-64 in Newport News as part of the Hampton Roads Express Lanes (HREL) Newport News Segment project. These closures are expected to continue through early 2026.

Key Details:

  • Locations Affected: I-64 at the J. Clyde Morris Boulevard (Exit 258) overpass and near Hampton Roads Center Parkway (Exit 261).​
  • Lane Closures: One inside lane in each direction will be closed, reducing travel lanes from four to three. Traffic will be shifted toward the outside of the roadway.​
  • Ramp Closures: Overnight closures of the I-64 east and west on-ramps from J. Clyde Morris Boulevard and Hampton Roads Center Parkway are scheduled during the implementation of the new traffic pattern, from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m.

Motorists are advised to use caution when traveling near work zones, obey posted speed limits, follow lane markings and barrier guides, be alert to digital message signs, and drive distraction-free.

Click here to learn more about construction updates, traffic impacts, and to sign up to receive project updates.

757 Sober Rides for Cinco de Mayo

Drive Safe Hampton Roads Offering 757 Sober Rides for Cinco de Mayo

Cinco de Mayo is a time of celebration but it’s also a time to make smart choices. To help keep our roads safe, Drive Safe Hampton Roads (DSHR) is once again sponsoring the 757 Sober Ride program for Cinco de Mayo.

How It Works

  • Download the Lyft app to your smartphone.
  • Access the special promo code starting at 6 p.m. on May 5 to access the special promo code.
  • In the Lyft app, go to the “Payment” section, then select “Add Lyft Pass.”
  • Enter the promo code provided to claim your free ride home (up to $15).

The offer is only valid for rides that begin or end in the Hampton Roads area and only while promo code supplies last. Standard Lyft Terms of Service apply. Whether you’re heading out to a party, a restaurant, or a local event, be sure to plan ahead and avoid impaired driving.

Newport News Election 2025

In-person, early voting, and ballot drop-off stations will be available at the following locations for the Tuesday, June 17 Primaries:

  • City Hall, 2400 Washington Ave. 6th floor.
  • City Center, Fountain Plaza II, 700 Town Center Dr. 1st floor conference room.
  • Denbigh Community Center, 15198 Warwick Blvd. Room 152

City Hall in-person early voting begins Friday, May 2 and will continue Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.

City Center, Fountain Plaza II in-person early voting will begin Tuesday, May 6 and will continue Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Denbigh Community Center in-person early voting will begin Monday, June 2, and continues Mondays and Wednesdays from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.

All three locations will be open on Saturday, June 7, and Saturday, June 14 from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Important Dates

  • May 27 – Last day to register to vote for the June 17 Primary by 5 p.m.
  • June 6 – Last day to apply for an absentee ballot by 5 p.m.
  • June 14 – Last day of in-person early voting.
  • June 17 – Election Day polls open 6 a.m. – 7 p.m.

VGCA Pool Costs Self Managed vs Pool Management Company

Please take about a minute to read this post.  Thank you.

I posted a few polls on Facebook to get us all thinking about what it costs to run our pool.

Here are the answers for us self-managing.  Self-managing is 100% volunteer run and maintained, the only personnel costs we have are for the lifeguards.

Chemicals costs = $4500

Lifeguard costs = $16,000

Maintenance, supplies, painting, repairs = average $4500/yr.

Roughly it costs us $25K a year to self-manage our pool and provide a great atmosphere for our families AND also employ 10+ teens and teach them the responsibilities associated with such an important job and often their first job.

Prior to COVID, we were paying $25K to a pool management company to handle lifeguard and chemical costs.  We (volunteers) were handling maintenance, supplies, painting, and repairs when needed.  C OVID was a blessing for us…the pool management company was not going to open us due to unknowns and staffing issues they were having.  The VGCA Board made the decision to self-manage in the summer of 2020 and we had a safe, successful, and wonderful summer escape during the pandemic.

Last summer we had two quotes from local pool management companies and both came back at $46K for lifeguard and chemical costs.  We would still be responsible for supplies, maintenance, and repairs.  That simply is not something VGCA can afford, thus why volunteers are crucial to our pool.

Consider, we have had to deal with incremental increases in minimum wage from $7.50/hr in 2020 to $12.41/hr for 2025.  Nearly a 66% increase.  Pool chemical costs have increase by about 40% since 2020 as well (similar to everyone’s grocery bills).  Yet, we have been able to maintain pool memberships with only a slight increase in costs in those 5 years (approx $50 per membership).

Volunteers are key to the Village Green Community Association and without their help and the continued support of our members, we could not afford to keep the pool open.

So, if you or your family use the pool please consider volunteering time when I ask for help.  In the grand scheme of time enjoyed at the pool, I am only asking for a little bit of volunteer time from you.  Thank you.

For those that are not pool members, please consider joining as it helps us keep the pool open for the this generation as well as the next!  If we do not have enough volunteers or financial support, then the pool may need to be closed and ultimately be filled in similar to other neighborhood pools over the years.

Our pool is in excellent condition and that is due to key volunteers (me, Connor, Ryan G, Ryan L, Peter G, Pete F, Glenn M, and many others) performing significant maintenance and repairs on it over the past 5-7 years.

Please consider supporting the pool or even just donating to VGCA at vgnn.org/join

Thank you!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

VGCA Membership Drive 2025

5 free one-time use pool passes will be provided to those who register for pool memberships by April 30th.  Get your passes now!

The Village Green Community Association membership drive is under way – be sure to join in our summer fun this year by joining the community association and the pool!  The pool has always been the heart of the neighborhood, especially for our children, and this summer will be no different. The swim team will be hitting the water in June.

Our VGCA Events Coordinator also has many events planned for our neighborhood.  Help support those events and the maintenance of our park and common areas for just $100 a year (pool memberships are more).

Membership flyers were delivered in March.  You may fill out the flyer and return it to the green mailbox at 721 Village Green Pkwy, or you can link to the online membership form and pay via Paypal (fees apply).

If you have membership-related questions, please email [email protected]