SATURDAY, OCTOBER 23, GARAGE SALE:  Based on a number of request from members, the Van Dyke Farms Homeowners' Association is hosting a community-wide garage sale on Saturday, October 23, from 8 am until 2 pm.  The sale is being advertised in the Tampa Bay Times and signs are now posted at the Van Dyke, North Mobley and Brown Road entrances.  Please plan to participate and enter the holiday season with a cleaned out attic and cash in hand.  The Salvation Army will have a truck available at the Park starting at 1 pm for any items that do not sale.  If you have questions please contact Van Dyke Farms Assocaition's Community Association Manager, Tasha McAlister, at tmcalister@greenacre.com.  IT'S TIME FOR VAN DYKE FARMS RESIDENTS TO SUPPLEMENT THE SUPPLY CHAIN!!!

 

NEW CLIMBER AND PICNIC TABLES ADD TO PLAYGROUND AND PARK (OCTOBER 16):  Please visit the Playground or Parks if you get a chance to enjoy the new climber (Ages 10 and Up) and two new picnic tables.  One table has been added to the Playground/Park and the other to the Lake Gazebo Linear Park.  Both tables were delivered and installed at no cost by our Playground contractor as a request by the Association for compensation for the slowness of the supply chain.  The extra climber cost the Association less than $2,000 to purchase and install.  These were the final elements of the Phase II Playground upgrade which cost $58,782, within the $60,000 budgeted.   

 

PICKLEBALL GROWING AT VAN DYKE FARMS:  More and more members are now playing pickleball at the Van Dyke Farms Sports Complex.  In addition to Baseball, Softball, Football, Volleyball, Hockey, Soccer, Basketball, Tennis, Racquetball, Hiking, Fishing and Training Equipment, the Association added Pickleball to Tennis Court Number 8 this past year.  It's a great activity for all ages.  Here's four members enjoying the court over the weekend.  And yes that is current Board Member Gus Gullette showing moves of yester-year!  Go Gus!!! 

 

OCTOBER 28, 2021 BOARD MEETING:  The next meeting of the Board of Directors is scheduled to start at 7 PM at the Association's Clubhouse at 17401 Van Dyke Farms Boulevard.  The agenda, recommendations and all background material is now available on the October 28, 2021 Page of this website and Association's G360 Web Portal in the My Association/My Documents/Board Meetings/2021/October 28 meeting folder.  The focus of the October 28 meeting will be the development of the Association's 2022 budget.  All members are encouraged to attend. 

 

E-NOTIFICATION A HUGE SUCCESS:  In late September, the Board and other members canvassed the neighborhood to collect electronic authorization forms from as many of the 423 dwelling units as possible.  Having this many members sign up to receive information electronically (annual dues and violations will continue to be sent by US Mail only) can save the Association $1000's per year.  AS OF TODAY, SUNDAY 0CTOBER 3, 2021, WE ARE HAPPY TO ANNOUNCE THAT MEMBERS FROM 347 OF THE 423 DWELLING UNITS HAVE SIGNED UP!  We have repeatedly contacted 50 members without success but are hopeful the majority of them will also sign up.  To date, there have been only been 19 instances where the owner of the dwelling unit has chosen to continue to receive all documents by US Mail.  Thanks to the 347 who have signed up.  This has been a long-term goal for the Association!  If you are one of the 50 members who have not signed up (you will know if you receive the revised Guidelines and Standards, and Violation Enforcement Policy this week by US Mail rather than electronically) please consider signing up.  All you need to do is click here and use one of the four options to fill out and return the form.  Option One is to electronically fill out and return the form by attaching it to an email to Tasha McAlister at tmcalister@greenacre.com.  Option Two is to print the form, fill it out, take a picture with your cell phone and return as an email attachment to tmcalister@greenacre.com.  Option Three is you can print the form and mail it to to Greenacre Properties, c/o Tasha McAlister, 4131 Gunn Highway, Tampa, Florida, 33618.  Option Four is to send an email to tmcalister@greenacre.com and ask Tasha to send you a form in the mail that you can fill out and return.  

 

VOLUNTEER DAY A HUGE SUCCESS (SATURDAY OCTOBER 9)!!!  A gigantic shout out to the THIRTY-TWO (32) MEMBER VOLUNTEERS who installed 1,000 BAGS OF MULCH this morning (October 9) between 7 and 10 am.  It was a big job and everyone who participated deserves appreciation from us all!  The common areas look great as the new mulch complements the fall decorations that were installed last Saturday.  It also spruces up Van Dyke Farms for the community-wide garage sale weekend.  If any of these volunteers are your nearby neighbors or friends please consider thanking them for their efforts.   Having member volunteers install the spring and fall mulch (father and son team) each year SAVES THE ASSOCIATION ABOUT $5,000 PER YEAR!!!   All areas of the community were covered but we will add about another 100 bags throughout in spots we missed with the 1,000 bags.  The 32 member volunteers were Neil and Jack Lynch (Aqueduct), Chris Velar (Arabian), Dave and Pam Moore, Ryan Roy and Ray Guistina (Carriage Way), Cornel Moses, Joe Martinez-Williams, Emmett and Vivian Arenas-Battles, Tu Nguyen, Allan Dickson and Chuck Gross (Downs), Brad Beuthe, Blair Hinds, Jason Penny, Sarah Luria, Vadim Bazaria and Mark McLaughlin (Equestrian), Anesh Chemparathy (Grazing), Heather Hingson-Haines (Pasture), Horst Schubert (Preakness), Carlos Dela Torre, Mark Euliano, Sandeep Nair, Mike Streicher, Sassan Hedayat, Blain Sanford, Sonny Vo, and Kurt and Lisa Kuster (Thoroughbred).  Thank you all, your efforts are greatly appreciated!

 

FALL DECORATIONS INSTALLED (SATURDAY OCTOBER 2):  A big thanks to the Association's Decoration Liaison, Dianne Pullan, and her helpers Pam Moore, Addison Bennett and Maya Johnson for decorating the Community Bulletin Board, nearby Light Pole and switching out the lights at the Lake Gazebo to celebrate the start of fall!  The decorations look great - as always!  Great job guys and hope everyone enjoys!

 

LIGHTNING STARS SHOOT COMMERCIAL IN VAN DYKE FARMS (SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 18):  Van Dyke Farms Association members Don and Susan Coffey (Hialeah) and Bob and Dianne Pullan (Lake Cypress) helped arrange and hosted Lightning starts Nikita Kucherov and Mikhail Sergachev on Saturday, September 18!  This was a late developing commercial shoot and used Bob and Dianne's garage as a set!  Word got out early Saturday morning and a number of members were able to attend and meet the star players!  Kuch and Sergi put several dents/holes in Bob and Dianne's garage wall with their shots.  Thankfully, they graciously signed each one!  They also spent time mingling with VDF members.  GO LIGHTNING - LET'S MAKE IT THREE IN A ROW!