Architectural & Landscape Changes

Homeowners wishing to make changes to their home's exterior or landscape must first receive Architectural Review Committee approval. Contact your Community Manager for more info. Applications are available in the links below:

• Condo Homeowners
• Single Family Homeowners

This Weekend - Lawn Care - $40 Core Aeration Service

Jeff Ambrose has a number of homes lined up for core aeration this weekend.  He completed our yard today and did a great job.  

Check out this previous post for more details.

Halloween Fright Farm (Low Scare matinee Sunday Oct 30)

This message was sent to me by our neighbor Jody Schwab:

Hello Neighbors,

If you and your family are looking for a great event to attend this Halloween, please read on!

I have attached a flyer for the Ramsey County Sheriff's Fright Farm event.

This is a total volunteer event, the "barn" where the event is held is transformed each year into a elaborate "haunted house".

In addition to our main event we offer a "low scare" for children.

This special “Low Scare” matinee for kids is held Sunday, October 30th from Noon to 4 PM. Admission to the low scare haunt is only $5 for all ages.

Regular Event Dates: October 7-8, 14-15, 21-22, 28-31

Time: 7 PM – 10 PM, Admission $10.00

You might recognize one of the actors!

I wanted to extend invitations to the neighborhood. 

This is truly a great Halloween event, and much less expensive than other haunts in the area.

Please check out our web site, and pass the word to others in our "hood"!

Web site: www.frightfarm.org

Thanks!

Jody Schwab

Ramsey County Sheriff's Office

Training Unit

November 8 School Levy Renewal - Informational Community Meetings

On November 8, voters in the White Bear Lake Area School District will vote on a proposed renewal of the district's Local Operating Levy that was passed in 2007. A renewal does not increase taxes - it simply renews the current levy.  Since the levy was last approved in 2007, the District has kept our promises to the community, seen a rise in test scores, been recognized for stewardship in our management of resources, and formed innovative partnerships that improve opportunities for students. Additional information about these accomplishments can be found at http://www.whitebear.k12.mn.us/pdfs/6FactsBookmarkFINAL.pdf. Failure to renew this existing operating levy will result in a $14 million loss in revenue and would require planning to: · Reduce staff, which will increase class sizes. · Reduce or eliminate programs. · Close and consolidate school sites. Parents and community members have the opportunity get information and submit questions at  http://www.whitebear.k12.mn.us/levyrenewal.html.  In addition, the district is hosting three community information sessions. Please take the opportunity to gather information and ask questions so you can make an informed decision on November 8. Community Information Meetings: 7 p.m. on Wednesday, September 28 at Vadnais Heights City Hall 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 4 at Hugo City Hall 7 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 6 at White Bear Lake City Council Chamber If you are not able to attend the community meetings but have questions, you are welcome to contact me at 651-407-7563 or contact Pete Willcoxon Sr., Executive Director of Business Services, at 651-407-7515. Dr. Michael Lovett, Superintendent

White Bear Lake Area Schools Serving the communities of Birchwood, Gem Lake, Hugo, Lino Lakes, Little Canada, Maplewood, North Oaks, Vadnais Heights, White Bear Lake and White Bear Township.  651-407-7500 www.whitebear.k12.mn.us

City of Hugo Takes Quick Action - Repairs Street Lights

Residents frustrated with multiple, months-long requests of Connexus Energy to repair street lights received good news this afternoon.  

Yesterday, a group of affected residents asked Hugo's Public Works Director, Scott Anderson and our City Council Member, Becky Petryk for help.  They immediately communicated a repair plan and followed through with quick action today. City crews repaired at least five street lights in the Single Family Village.  The lights that were non-working last weekend have all been fixed.

We're very fortunate to have such responsive folks at City Hall and in the Public Works Department.  On behalf of our residents, thanks to Scott Anderson and his crew along with our City Council Member Becky Petryk. 

Lawn Care - $50 Sprinkler Blow Out & Winterization

$50 Sprinkler Blow-Out

Tony Schwab volunteered again this year to coordinate services with lawncare professional, Shawn Herman from Classic Lawnscape. Shawn offers a Victor Gardens discount to perform seasonal blowing out and shut-down of resident's individual sprinkler systems. Shawn's offered this service for the last few years. He always does a thorough and professional job.
Shawn's price for blowing-out sprinklers is again $50.00 per home. He plans on performing the work on Saturday, October 22nd and Sunday, October 23rd.

If you'd like to sign-up for this service, please Call Tony Schwab (651) 429-2000 (home). Shawn Herman can also be reached directly at (612) 366-6088.
*Disclosure

Lawn Care - $40 Core Aeration Service

Core Aeration Promotes Healthy Grass

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 number of 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 five 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

Lights On for Security

The neighborhood has a few street lights that aren't working properly. Along with a few individual residents, Board members reported some of them to Connexus Energy and the City of Hugo earlier this summer.  Unfortunately, repairs haven't been completed on a few of them.  With a renewed effort, and to get the most attention from those who are responsible for repairs, please report street light outages again (via this link).  More reports may receive greater attention.

Outdoor lights within the Association's property and city park structures should also be lit at night. If you notice one isn't working, check to see if the switch is off.  If you notice a bulb outage or another problem, please contact Kari Miller.

Car Thefts and Suspicious Activity Last Saturday Night

Early reports of very unusual neighborhood crimes were told to me by residents today.

A parked car was stolen late Saturday night from inside a garage in the Single Family Village neighborhood.  Keys were inside the car and the garage door was accidentally left open.  The car was later found undamaged about 15 miles away.

A different resident reported to the Sheriff that their car's catalytic converter was cut out and stolen the same night.  The car was parked outside their garage in the driveway.

The same night, yet another neighbor reported their home's central alarm was activated by the opening of a rear patio door.

Hugo Hoedown this Saturday, 9/24!

The first annual Hugo Hoedown is coming to Lions Park this Saturday, September 24th. The event is sponsored by the Hugo Lions and will take place from noon until midnight.

Hot dogs, brats, corn, and beer will be for sale. Attendees can also enjoy live country music by Cross Fire under the Big Tent and play in a bean bag tournament with prizes. Inflatables will also be available for kids.

Long-Term Planning in Victor Gardens

The Master Board would like direct and active input from interested residents about the future of our community.  Ideally this committee would plan for Victor Gardens' future, including goal setting, new building and beautification projects, long term maintenance, Neighborhood Activity Center policies, etc. 

The Board is also looking for volunteers to serve on our current Landscape Committee.  Even if you'd like to volunteer to report problems in one specific area (a fountain or a small common area for example), every volunteer counts. 

Residents interested in serving on these Committees should attend the Victor Gardens Community Association's (Master) next meeting Sept 29, 6:00pm at Victor Gardens Neighborhood Activity Center.

Thanks for a Great Movie Night!

Thanks to Shloe, Stacy, Roger and Kevin for a great movie event last night. Everyone had a great time!