Our Cinco de Mayo/Derby party was a huge success. Thanks to everyone who participated and helped with planning, set up and clean up. We have such a fun neighborhood filled with lively personalities. The food from Hacienda Vieja was delicious as well as the desserts which included Bourbon Brownies, made by Joan Smith and Barbara Bratten,: Carlota de Limon (Mexican Lime Icebox Cake) made by Lupe Younce and freshly made Churros by Emilee Rosenbaum.

We must also thank our fabulous bartender, Senor` Wayno Bratten.

Stan Hodges won the Derby prize and generously contributed it to the social committee for future events.

Leslie Brannon’s Donkey Balloon was a huge hit. We are still waiting for him to come down from the ceiling.

Chris, Lupe, Joan and Barbara took our leftover food to the Woodstock Fire Department. The fireman were thrilled to receive and the Villas will be on the top of their list for emergencies.

Thanks to our social committee for making this such a fun event:

Lupe Younce, Barbara Bratten, Joan Smith, Leslie Brannon, Susan Humphries, Joan Schuster, Emilee Rosenbaum, Terry Fleming, Denise Dingess, Janice Thompson.

We would like to share a few upcoming community updates:

Pine Straw & Mulch Installation:

Pine straw and mulch will be applied throughout the community on Thursday, April 23. This is a great opportunity to complete any planting in your beds ahead of installation.

Weed Treatment:

Yellowstone Landscaping has recently treated the pine straw bed areas for the weeds currently present. These should die off as the new ground cover is installed.

Pool Opening:

We remain on schedule to open the pool mid-May, pending upcoming inspections by Cherokee County.

 Thank you for your attention and cooperation as we continue to maintain and enhance the community.

The Landscape committee works closely with the Board and wants to thank them for their diligent work in negotiating service contracts and upholding the standards of excellence and insurance coverage that protect our neighborhood. This has not been an easy task, and we appreciate the time and care that has gone into it. They will continue to work with the service providers until contracts in which they entered in are fully supported. 

Our current lawn‑care contract runs through November 2026. Planning for the next contract year should begin in August, when we can assess how well the current provider is fulfilling their obligations. As of today, the general sense from both the Board and the committee is that service delivery has been inconsistent.

To address these concerns, Chris Younce is inviting the leadership team from Yellowstone to walk the community and review the areas where inconsistencies have been noted.

To date, several projects have been completed. 

A. Sprinklers & Watering

Sprinklers have been installed and are currently set to run three times per day. This was shared in a recent email and is necessary to adequately water the sod replacement completed by the County at the front entrance of the neighborhood. The watering time is being adjusted. 

Chris has worked with the County to ensure we are billed for water usage only—not sewer—which will save the community funds that can be allocated elsewhere.

As a note, there is no existing water connection on the left side of the neighborhood to support the current plantings. A solution has been proposed, and costs are being assessed. One proposed solution is for an owner to connect the common‑area sprinklers near her home to her outdoor water supply. This is the most cost‑effective short‑term option and will save the HOA a significant amount of money. The owner will work with the Board to determine an appropriate reimbursement for the water usage, which is still being finalized.

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