Wagner's Full Moon Festival Saturday, Sept. 25

Paint a pie pumpkin and take it home. Pony Rides 11am-2pm. Refreshments will be served.

Wagner's Greenhouse

4860 Frenchman Rd North (across from Lake Area Bank)

651-653-8863

http://wagners.biz/

Fall Family Canoe Trip at Wargo Nature Center Sept. 25

Sign-up to enjoy a leisurely family canoe outing led by a naturalist from the Wargo Nature Center. Check out local wildlife and take in the fall colors. It takes place on Saturday, September 25 from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Wargo Nature Center in Hugo.

All ages are welcome and no experience is necessary. Limited canoe rental is available for $20 per canoe.

Pre-registration is required. The cost of the trip is $7 for adults or $5 for kids.

Click here to register.

Originally posted on forestlake-hugo.kstp.com

Submitted by Leslie Rolander

Thursday, September 9th,

Library Express Brings Library Service to Hugo City Hall

Washington County Library has brought a new community asset to the City of Hugo, as well as all Washington Library patrons, with the introduction of the Washington County Library Express. Library Director Patricia Conley called the Library Express an innovative new way to deliver services to areas where a full-service library may not be close by. She noted that this could also be an option for expanding library service in times of tight budgets and in diverse locations, such as transit centers. “Hugo is a community which is seeing substantial growth. We want to make sure access to library services is a cost-effective benefit which can contribute to that growth,” Conley said.

Located at the Hugo City Hall, 14669 Fitzgerald Ave. N. in Hugo, just off State Highway 61, the Library Express offers a place where patrons can order, pick up and return library materials, using a self-service kiosk, locker system and book return.

“This is a new system for us, the first in the state, and we’re excited about the possibilities,” Conley said. “We’re cooperating with Carver County Library, and applied for a federal grant together and will share what we learn. Carver County is installing an Express Library in the City of Victoria. We hope this will be seen as a model for local governments working together to provide service more efficiently.

“Once customers have a chance to give it a try and see how easy it is, I think they’ll be impressed by it,” Conley said. “We can see people stopping by the Library Express to pick up their books right along with the rest of their daily errands. It’s a fast process and will only take a few minutes to pick up the items they have put on hold. Because the Library Express is self-service and located outside Hugo City Hall, it will be open 24 hours a day. It can really be a convenient part of our customers’ daily lives,” Conley said. The computer kiosk, which is inside City Hall, will be available during normal City Hall hours, 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

To request books, customers use their library card number and must have an e-mail address on file with Washington County Library. Library cards are available online or through any Washington County Library. Using either the Library Express kiosk or the Washington County website from their own computer at http://www.co.washington.mn.us/info_for_residents/library/ customers designate the Library Express (Hugo City Hall) as the pickup point. They will be informed via e-mail when their materials are available. The items will be available for 48 hours from the time of delivery to the library. Delivery schedules are currently being finalized. When they pick up the items, customers will enter the last four digits of their library card number onto a keypad. They will then be directed to the locker number where their checked out items are located.

The Washington County Library Express equipment was delivered and installed in early July. The equipment cost $44,000, plus installation costs. Service is now available. There will be a ribbon cutting at 1 p.m. Thursday, July 29, at Hugo City Hall.

This project is made possible by a grant from the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services and administered by the Minnesota Department of Education, State Library Services.

-A news release from Washington County -- July 12, 2010

Thanks for a Great Movie Night!

Thanks to everyone who helped organize, set up, serve popcorn, and donated the projector. The starry night was perfect for watching movies with friends.

Movie Night Rescheduled for Tomorrow Night, Saturday Sept. 11

Diary of a Wimpy Kid will be shown Saturday night, September 11 at 7:00PM in Val Jean Park. The Friday showing was cancelled due to thunderstorms and high likelihood of rain.

Victor Gardens Events Committee invites you to join your neighbors for popcorn, lemonade and other snacks tomorrow.

Lawn Care - $40 Core Aeration Service

Tony Schwab has spoken to Jeff Ambrose of Pro-Aire Lawn Service again this year about lawn core aeration services.

Jeff has offered his aeration services to Victor Gardens residents for a few years, and does a very professional job. He's offering a Victor Gardens discount rate of $40/per lawn regardless of size. That's less than what most others charge for this service. For do-it-yourselfers, this is a pretty good deal considering the cost of renting the machine, time and effort involved, plus the cost of gas.

Jeff did a great job on our lawn over the last few years, and I would recommend his services to anyone.

Call Jeff directly at (651) 274-1535. He's currently coordinating a schedule of Victor Gardens appointments.

According to the U of M Extension Service website: "Core aeration is the best method of dealing with the problem of compaction in the lawn. Aeration promotes moisture and air penetration into soils, resulting in deeper and healthier root systems on the grass plants. ... The best time of year to aerate the lawn is late August to early October. Aeration can be done in the spring but will lead to additional weed seeds being brought to the surface where they may germinate. In fall, weed seeds will also be brought to the surface, but they will not sprout."

* Disclosure

Disclosure

Paid Ads or Freebies?

In the past, a resident asked if I received free services for placing posts about window washers, painters, snow removal, lawn services, etc. It's a very fair question. The short answer is no. I do not ask for and have never received any form of compensation for these kinds of posts.

There are two reasons I post the messages. First, most of us value word-of-mouth recommendations from our neighbors. In a crowded field of contractors it's good to hear of others experiences (good or bad). If a neighborhood discount is offered- that's a bonus. Second, I like to support local entrepreneurs and small businesses. In a tough economy, a number of small jobs can make a difference in someone's bottom line.

I'm always willing to post a message for recommended contractors and local businesses. If you'd like to share a good experience with a babysitter, or a neighborhood shop, I'll be happy to share it on the website. Just please make sure, however, that you have some experience dealing with these companies before we recommend them in a post. Email me for suggestions.

About this website:

Another resident asked me how much this website costs our Victor Gardens association. The short answer again is nothing. Google (Blogger) hosts victorgardensnews.org free of charge. Renewing the domain name and email account each year is a nominal expense paid by me. No residents dues pay for anything associated with this website or the emails I send out periodically.

Residents should know that this is not an official website of any Victor Gardens association. I started the site a few years back in response to a lack of resident communication with our neighborhood's developer. Sometimes the posts have been controversial, but I'm convinced that the website has led to important and positive changes. It's successful even if it's helps us get together for our Victor Gardens events.

- Mark

SFV Board Meeting set for Tuesday, Sept. 14, 7PM

The next meeting of Victor Gardens Single Family Village Board is scheduled for Tuesday, Sept 14 at 7:00PM. The Board welcomes all SFV residents to the Neighborhood Activity Center for this meeting. A "Resident Forum" is always provided to residents who wish to voice concerns and ask questions.

View it on our Victor Gardens Calendar.

Pool Closed for the Season

The Victor Gardens Pool is closed for the season. The new electronic key fob system was a big success. It helped curb unauthorized access to the pool. Many residents reported less crowding as a result.

Thanks very much to the Pool Committee's volunteers. Look for the Pool's reopening next Memorial Day weekend 2011.

Master Board Meeting set for Thursday Sept. 23, 6PM

The next meeting of Victor Gardens Community Association (Master) Board is scheduled for Thursday, Sept 23, 6:00PM at Hugo's Rice Lake Centre. Residents are welcome to the meeting.

View the details on our Victor Gardens Calendar.

Grantaire Green Project Moving Forward

Goetz Landscape of Centerville will begin work in the next few weeks to complete Grantaire Green. Installation should be well underway by the end of September and completed soon thereafter. Victor Gardens newest "pocket park"/common area will include two high quality benches from Par Aide Products, another local company headquartered in Lino Lakes.

Financial support for the completion of Grantaire Green was provided by Neighborhood Development Partners LLC and Victor Gardens Community Association.

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