Space Shuttle Viewed from Tinker Creek

If you missed out on the space shutte view Wednesday or Thursday nights you are in luck! You will have one more opportunity to see the shuttle and the space station as they pass over Roanoke on Firday evening.

We have a perfect view from the Village at Tinker Creek. According to the WDBJ7 link you can view the space station and the shuttle on Friday night at 10:01 in the WNW skies at 24 degrees. They wil be traveling South. You will be able to see it for about 2 minutes so be outside early.

We enjoyed watching it tonight as they passed over the Village at Tinker Creek on the longest day of the year and the first day of summer. Take your lounge chair out and invite your neighbors to join you and make a party of it! How often do you have the opportunity to see such a sight!

Landscaping Update Needed

Hi Everyone,

The increased building frenzy around here belies what appears to be going on around the country. Apparently the Village at Tinker Creek has recovered from the building slump and we will continue to gain many new neighbors.

For the longest time their was nothing in the Real Estate transfers section of the Sunday paper that indicated that Star City Developers had sold anything then recently have noticed four sales that must have been completed in April or early May.

Now for another matter of interest. We have had a new Landscaping Company on the premisis since at least March if not earlier. They had a rough start with mixed reviews; but some improvement has been noticed.

Regarding the Landscapers, Louise and I have a concern that we would like to share with the community.

The contract that MRI Management Company has with the Landscaping company calls for application of MULCH in the SPRING.

Well, as we all know SPRING will be over soon and we, to my knowledge, have not had any MULCH application. [If you have received an application on your street good for you; but here on South Battery we have not!]

Many of you have gone ahead and purchased MULCH on your own and applied same. That is commendable; but it ignores the fact that we have a contract that is NOT being fullfilled.

Louise and I did not move here to pay for something that we are not getting. We moved here because we were tired of shoveling snow, mowing lawns, and mulching in the Spring and Fall.

Approxmately 9 or 10 days ago I asked Vicki at Murray Realty to contact the Landscaper to find out what is going on. The response, after follow-up late last week resulted in the EXCUSE that the Landscaper is waiting for Miss Utility to mark our lawns so that they, the Landscapers, will not trench, dig, or whatever they have to do and compromise the tranquil rest of the underground utilities.

Seems to me this should have been handled literally weeks ago.

I realize that one or more of you have witheld payment of all or part of your $70.00 due for Maintenance because of the cost to you. But, think you will agree that such an approach is not the way to get done what needs to be done.

We have to make our voices known as individuals, if not as a group so that maintenance service becomes consistent and as agreed.

For those who would like to speak to Vicki her phone number at MRI Management Company is provided below:

366-7771

Update from VATC Citizens Committee

Most everyone received an email regarding the VATC Citizens Committee and the progress report. I will post it here on the blog for future reference in the archives.

The VATC Citizens Committee has had several meetings to review the concerns that have been raised by residents. Changes have occurred since the meeting of the homeowners on March 24, 2007. The major change was the employment by the developers of MRI Management Company to manage the Homeowners Association. As a result The Citizens Committee will meet with this Company on an “as needed” basis to discuss concerns of the residents.

It seems appropriate at this time to restate our purpose and the reason for the committee to exist. At some time in the future the residents will be required to take over and run the Homeowners Association, or preferably to contract with a management company to help manage the Association. When this happens it will go much smoother if we have some experience and knowledge of the events and problems that have occurred previous to assuming this responsibility. The second reason is to allow for a liaison with the developer, and/or the management company contracted by the developer, until the residents take control of the Association.

MRI management Company has suggested that we have a set of rules and regulations that we can come to a consensus on and that they can use to guide them in the management of the Homeowners Association. It is the intention of the Citizens Committee to work with them to make sure we have workable and understandable rules. These rules will augment and condense the original by-laws and covenants.

Since we are all individuals with individual needs, tastes and preferences we will take this into consideration in creating a harmonious and workable set of rules and responsibilities that would benefit our community as a whole.

The key words here are harmony, responsibility, individuality and community. Our vision is that we come to a consensus that will be comfortable and enjoyable by all of us who call Village at Tinker Creek home.

Any changes in the by-laws or covenants must be approved by the Board of Directors (currently the developer, Chad McGee).

The Citizens Committee will keep you informed of our progress on the above matters.

Maurice Barnhart mbarncpa@cox.net
Kate Hill khill@lionberger.com
Ray Kasey lawtonkc@cox.net
Ed Scullin sculline@yahoo.com
Kathy Tillander ktillander@cox.net

He is finally home!

GREAT NEWS!!!

We were finally able to bring Kees home yesterday. He weighs 5lbs. 2 oz. and growing!!!

Big sister Grace is a little confused...she is not sure if she likes him yet or not....

I'm sure they will grow to be great frinds...

Here are a few of the latest pictures.

Anyone Interested in renting a Condo in Myrtle Beach?

We're not going to be able to use our timeshare this year at Myrtle Beach. We have a really nice ocean front condo available July 28 - Aug 4. It's located at the Sands Beach Club on Shore Drive. It sleeps six with 2 bedrooms, 2 full baths, full kitchen, washer/dryer, 2 TV's, and a balcony overlooking the Ocean. It's on the sixth floor. It has an indoor and outdoor pool and there is a very good restaurant and bar on the premises. The location is perfect, near Galleria Mall, Walmart, Restaurant Row, Golf courses and near Barefoot Landing.


The price is $1500 for the week and includes all linens. The rental rate for the Sands Beach Club is $279 per night so this is a true value.

We have been staying at the Sands for years. We couldn't travel that week this year. The resort is quiet and mostly families stay there. Our grandchildren love it. The beach is not crowded in this area. The Dunes Golf Course is beside it.

Call me or send me an email if you are interested.

What a Great Picnic

The Village at Tinker Creek Memorial Weekend Picnic was great! Thanks to Dave and Norma for putting together a wonderful day of great food, fellowship and a day of remembrance.

The weather was warm (hot actually) outside but in the clubhouse the air conditioning felt wonderful. The day started off as Dave played a lovely rendition of the Star Spangled Banner by The Isaac's, Felix Goodrum gave the history and a tribute of Memorial Day and after a prayer we delved into the chicken and all the fixing's prepared by the VATC wonderful cooks. We were entertained while we dined by Kelly Hardy and friends. They picked and sang some favorite tunes. What a great way to start the Memorial Holiday Weekend.


Carolyn Sloan won the door prize, a beautiful American Flag. I have a collection of pictures that I took. Click on this link and you can view all of my photos. Click the view or slideshow button at the top left to see all photos. I tried to get everyone in a photo but I missed some. Sorry :( I have never claimed to be a photographer so I apologize. I graciously relinquish my photography position to anyone who will take it!!

Thanks again to all those who worked so hard to make this event a success!

New Location for Picnic

The Village at Tinker Creek Memorial Weekend Picnic will be held at the Clubhouse instead of at the creek. It was decided that this was a better location due to the warm weather forecast and to accomodate more of the homeowners.

We will still eat Bar-B-Que Chicken at 2:00PM.

For questions contact Dave and Norma Hardy 362-1996 or hardyppl@cox.net.

kees update

This is an updated picture of little Kees.

He is up to 4lbs 10oz.!!!!

He will still be in the NICU for a while but he is doing VERY well.

Many thanks for all the prayers and support!

Love, Bob, Michelle, Grace and Kees

Roanoke - Best City for Retirees

On May 15th, Biz Talk posted an article on their blog about Roanoke being listed by Kiplinger's Financial Magazine as one of the five Best Cities for Retirees. They also encouraged Kiplinger readers to vote for their Best City. At that time Roanoke was near the top of the list. As I watched the list grow during the next day Roanoke took a commanding lead. Then Madison, Wisconsin noticed the charge by Roanoke and they took back the lead. I thought we were history. But, then other local bloggers began blogging about Voting for Roanoke and viral marketing took hold and our numbers began to increase and we were again bouncing between #1 and #2 with Madison, Wisconsin.

I checked the count again today and we are struggling to recapture the #1 position. We need to get every one we know to vote! You can vote one time every day. Vote for Kiplinger's Best City Now!

Don't forget the Picnic Next Saturday

Just a reminder to everyone about the Memorial Weekend Picnic at the Village at Tinker Creek Park on Saturday, May 26. We will eat at 2:00pm. Come early to join in the games, listen to live music and socialize with your neighbors.

We will be having a Chicken Bar-B-Que! The smell of chicken cooking will fill the air!

Email Dave and Norma Hardy to let them know you are planning to attend. They will collect $5.00 per person to cover the chicken. Everyone is asked to bring a dish to share and what you want to drink. Don't forget to bring your lawn chairs and if you play an instrument bring that too!

Second Annual South Battery Chili Cook-off

South Battery held their second annual chili cook-off. The weather was breezy but sunny and made for a great day for a gathering. Neighbors gathered on the driveway of Glen and Sue Markham's while the chili simmered in the garage.

No one shared their secret recipes but each and every one was different and delicious. The winners were Four Bean Turkey Chili, White Bean Chicken Chili, Cajun Chili, Caliente Chili, Tarhill Chili and Family Recipe Chili. Winner's will receive an all expenses paid invitation to next years chili cook-off located on the beautiful South Battery in the lovely Village at Tinker Creek.

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Everyone had a great time!!

Baby Kees VanGerven

Here is a recent pictures of our new arrival.....


Mommy and baby are doing well. We spoke with the surgeon yesterday and for the next few weeks, we are not expecting any progress. His intestine has to learn how to work before we can proceed any further....

Thank you all for your calls and prayers,

Bob and Michelle

VATC Clubhouse Rental

Jodi sent out an email regarding the VATC Clubhouse rental. It is now being handled by the Murray Realty, Inc. management company, MRI Management. The fees and the agreement for the rental of the clubhouse will be the same as they have been. If you wish to reserve the clubhouse, you now need to call Vicky Scaggs at (540) 366-7771. She is the HOA Coordinator and Property Manager for Murray Realty, Inc. She will check the calendar and schedule your reservation for rental.

Apparently the calendars that were hanging in the clubhouse have been removed and there is no easy way to check it out without calling Vicky. I suggest that we find a location where we can review the calendar before calling Vicky. We could possibly upload it online and access through this blog. Any thoughts or comments?

Hello Neighbors

Just wanted to say hi and congratulations to the newest VanGerven, Kees.

Thanks to Patsy for setting me up to blog! Contact her if you are having problems!

Kees VanGerven (pronounced Case)

I talked with Bob and both Kees and Michelle are doing well....Kees had his planned surgery yesterday and all went well. I have a correction to make on his weight! He weighed 3lbs 7ozs instead of 3lbs, I guess that's a lot when you are that little....We look forward to them joining our VATC family....

Marty

New baby

Michelle & Bob Vangerven have a new member of their family, born 4/27. A boy weighing in at a whopping 3lbs....Bob reported that both were doing well and the baby would probably stay in the NICU about a month....Will keep posted as new news is available.

Landscapers will try again

Happy Wednesday (Hump Day) to everyone! Doug Murray asked me to pass some information on to the homeowners. The area manager from Valley Landscaping stopped by The Village yesterday and was appalled at what he saw. He met Doug at his office and he apologized for the mess that was made and guaranteed that it would not happen again. He told Doug that he was ashamed and he had not seen anything that bad in his 25 years in the business. He said they will do it over again at NO charge! He promised Doug that we will get a professional job done and he will be personally checking it to make sure the mowing and other landscaping is done properly.

Thanks to Doug for taking an immediate action! We look forward to working with Murray Realty Inc! It's my understanding that the mulching will take place soon and they will be fertilizing 4 times during the year.

The South Battery Birthday Flag was flying at the Markham home this past weekend! Happy Birthday Sue!

Sad Day in Blacksburg

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the students, faculty, staff and families of Virginia Tech. This is a tragic time for all Virginians and everyone in our nation. God Bless our Village at Tinker Creek Hokie friends and families.

At these times of crisis our nation pulls together. It was nice to see President and Laura Bush show their support. Did you see them wave as they flew over?

Our Extended Family

You know, we are so blessed to live in this development with all of the great people that live here. Our grandchildren from Northern VA have been visiting with us this week. The weather hasn't been ideal but it didn't bother them. They have had so much fun visiting with our neighbors and going on walks with Joanne and Putter, and watching to see who is out working in the yard and conversing with anyone who will listen! To have your neighbors take in your family as if it were their own! What a great bunch of people we have living at the Village at Tinker Creek. We are truly blessed!

Happy Easter to Everyone

I just wanted to wish everyone a Happy Easter. I hope the easter bunny doesn't freeze and you better hold on to your Easter bonnets!

What's with this weather?

These poor little hyacinths peaked through before we got this last winter blast! What a cruel trick!

Ya'll come to the park May 26 for a picnic

Ya'll come to the park Saturday May 26, 2:00 PM for an ole fashion memorial day picnic at the creek. Invite your friends and family if you like. Dave and Norma will buy the chicken and pass the hat to cover the cost. Bring your favorite dish and your chair. We will provide the paper plates ect. We will have games and live music too. It's gonna be fun see ya there!

Oh by the way please provide a head count a day in advance for the amount of chicken. Email Dave and Norma if you have any questions!

Memorial Tree in Honor of Edna Holcombe

The neighbors of North Battery have given a tree to Bob and Dorothy Holcombe as a memorial to honor the life of Bob's mother Edna who passed away recently. Bob and Dorothy have planted the tree in the front yard so drive by and see the tree. Again it is a pleasure to live in a neighborhood such as we have in THE VILLAGE AT TINKER CREEK.

Mowing to start on Thursday

Greetings! Progress! Progress! Effective April 4 Murray Realty, Inc will take over the property management of the Village at Tinker Creek. Doug has delivered information to each homeowner announcing this change. The property manager will be Vicky Scaggs. If you have any questions or issues please email or call Vicky at 366-7771.

Doug wanted me to let everyone know that the mowing will start this Thursday and Friday. They have signed a contract with a full service landscaping company, Valley Landscaping, that has a lot of experience and has over 70 employees!

Happy Birthday to Joanne Allison!

Notes from VATC Meeting

The Minutes of the 3/25/07 VATC HOA meeting were delivered to Mautice Barnhart on Friday, March 30, 2007 for review and any actions to be taken by the Street Reps.

Regards,
Rod Furr

Any News on Landscapers

Well, here we are starting April and our grass is several inches high and I haven't seen a landscaper in the area. Although I did see a mower on South Battery! Thanks Rex, your yard looks great but what about us without mowers? I can see the grass growing with all this rain!

Has anyone heard if they have a contract to start mowing the yards and common areas for the Village at Tinker Creek? I noticed a lot of home owners are putting down their own fertilizer, which it is definitely the time to do it. What about mulching, we certainly don't want to same quality we got in the fall?

If anybody has any news on the mowing, fertilizing and mulching please share it! You guys need to post some comments on here. I hate to talk to myself!

Back Entrance Closed

I guess everyone got the email that the back entrance on Flora Farm Road has been closed. Just a minor inconvenience!

Progress, Progress, and more MUD!!!

Felix took a beautiful picture of the entrance to the park. I think this has been a beautiful spring so far! I have seen lots of you out working in your gardens. We will have to have a contest for the prettiest yard! What do you think? Let me know and we will get a group to pick the best yard from each street!

Newly Formed Village at Tinker Creek Citizens Committee

Today was a big day as 54 homeowners met and resulted in the formation of the new Village at Tinker Creek Citizens Committee. Street Representatives were elected and they will be the voice of the Village as they bring our HOA issues to the powers that be!

Much appreciation to Maurice Barnhart for facilitating the meeting. Thanks also to Rod Furr for taking the minutes of the meeting. Rod will make sure everyone gets a copy of the minutes.

I am very optimistic that our newly elected street representatives will serve our citizens committee well. The representatives are Maurice Barnhart, Ed Scullin, Kate Hill, Ray Casey and Kathy Tillander. Thanks to each of these people for giving their time to our cause!

The social committee is working on some social events to kick off the spring season. Janie will let us know the dates so we can mark our calendars. Be watching for further posts!

Have you noticed how beautiful the drive down Plantation Road is. The Bradford Pears are in full bloom! Anyone who has a picture send it to me and I will post it! >>talking to you Felix!!

Until next time....Have a good week!

Welcome to the Village at Tinker Creek Blog

Welcome to OUR blog for the residents of the Village at Tinker Creek. I have created this blog for us to use as a means to communicate and talk about issues and events at the Village.

Please feel free to post comments and any events that you wish. We can use this as a means to communicate our ideas and expectations for our HOA. We can add photos of events and even talk about things we would like to change and people we would like to get rid of!