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June 2024 Newsletter

Welcome to our June newsletter, the Summer Spectacular you’ve been waiting for! With school out and summer in full swing, it's time to dive into the season with enthusiasm. The pool is open, the sun is shining, and we're gearing up for the first big pool party of the season on June 8th. But let's all remember to keep our poolside fun drama-free—no repeats of the infamous "Baby Ruth Summer."

What, you don't know about the "Baby Ruth Summer"? I was just a kid and saw about it on TV, but as the old-timers tell it, it was a summer to remember.  The turf was immaculate—we had sprinklers everywhere, keeping the grass green, lush, and thick. Of course, this was well before the droughts that nearly drained Lake Lanier and well before the roving gangs of road warriors began scavenging the lands for petrol. What? Oops, sorry, wrong timeline! That's right, this is the timeline with the great gopher battle of 1980. Some of you may remember, that darn gopher was digging holes up and down Taylor Road, in the clubhouse lawn, just about everywhere.

While we no longer have quite the turf damage from rodents to worry about (now it's mostly done by the county), there is still some debate about who actually won the gopher wars. Was it the gopher, or the groundskeeper? We may never know. Some say the gopher was blown to pieces, others say that he's still alright, living his best life, and that we shouldn't worry about him.   The WATCH Group says otherwise...but then again they disagree with almost everyone!  Regardless - gophers, beavers, they all look the same to me - and so long as they stick the streams and the rivers that they are used to, they are fine by me!  

So, back to Baby Ruth Summer. It was the summer of '80—Corvettes were fast and pool parties were cool, water was wet. But this year, our annual  pool party turned into an unexpected aquatic hazmat site. It all started innocently enough, with three young residents sharing a candy bar—but we didn't know that at the time. All we heard was "DOODIE!" being screamed from the lifeguard stand and then the chaos ensued. The pool was quickly evacuated. Spaulding, that brave lifeguard who risked his life, was the first to positively identify the "contaminant." And thus the first half of summer was ruined for everyone - no pool, no parties!

Suffice to say, back in the day, we took fecal contaminants much more seriously than today. "¡Qué va!...just closing the pool for 30 minutes and adding extra chlorine—back in the day, we went nuclear! Old Man Shay, the president of the HOA management company (Ben wouldn’t join for another 10 years), was adamant. He was heard shouting from the deck of clubhouse , "I want the entire pool scrubbed, sterilized, and disinfected!" And so the pool was drained, sterilized, torched, and scrubbed. It wasn't until the pool was completely emptied and being scrubbed with fluoroantimonic acid, that the pool boy (who also happened to be the groundskeeper) found the contaminant and picked it up. Maybe it was the fumes from the cleaner, maybe poor judgment, or just bad writing, but he sniffed and took a bite and lo and behold—it was just a Baby Ruth candy bar thrown into the pool by our three young residents.

We laughed, we cried, we slathered on more Hawaiian Tropic sun tanning lotion and learned an important lesson about keeping snack bars and swim lanes separate. So, this year, as we gather for our June 8th pool party, let's keep the gophers in the ground, the candy in our hands, and the fun in the sun. Pack your swimsuits, bring your best poolside etiquette, and let's make this summer one for the books—minus any unexpected critter encounters.



Richland HOA Announcements

Clubhouse Rental Cost Increase: Please note that any reservations made after June 1st will see an increase from $225 to $300. This adjustment is due to the increasing use of the clubhouse and the fact that the current rental fee barely covers cleaning costs and other expenses. Additionally, we have recently updated the appliances in the kitchen, including the ice machine, double oven, microwave, and fridge, to enhance your experience.

Warning Prepare for Vehicle Break-Ins:
As the school year draws to a close, we have observed an annual uptick in vehicle break-ins within our community. Residents are strongly advised to remain vigilant and proactive in securing their vehicles (and their kids). Please ensure that all car doors are locked, valuables are removed from sight, and that vehicles are parked in well-lit areas whenever possible. These simple steps can significantly deter potential thefts and safeguard your property. Let's work together to maintain the safety and security of our neighborhood.  If you see something, please call 911. 

Upcoming Events:

  • Sippy and Paint June 2nd: Hey parents! Looking for a creative and fun activity for your little ones? Join us for a delightful **Sippy & Paint** event where they can unleash their inner artists! 🌈✨Let your kids enjoy painting a garden stone, sipping on delicious juice, and making new friends. All art supplies and refreshments will be provided. No experience necessary—just bring your imagination and a smile! 😊  Click here for more info. 
  • Pool Opening Party June 8th: Here's a chance to meet your neighbors and join us on June 8th for the biggest pool opening party of the year! We'll have Music, Burgers, Hot Dogs (the good kind) Chips and assorted drinks.  Food will be served around 12:30pm. Remember, as always, this is a BYAB event (bring your adult beverage).   If you fancy yourself handy with a grill, tongs and spatula, and would like to help out cooking - send an email to jbulot@yahoo.com.   We are looking for some additional help Friday evening and Saturday morning until food is served.   
  • Bingo @ the Clubhouse June 19th: Just show up at 7pm and have fun.  More info can be found here.  
  • Food Truck: Baltimore Crab Cake - June 22nd:  5pm-8pm at the clubhouse, click here for the menu.   
  • Richland Book Club June 25th:  Meets at the clubhouse at 7pm. 
  • July 4th BBQ and Fireworks: Join us at the pool for grilled hot dogs by day and fireworks by night.  We'll have music, hotdogs and chips.  As we did last year, this is a BYOB (Bring Your Own Beverage) event.  We'll have food, but you'll need to bring drinks.  We are changing things up a bit this year - the fireworks will be over the lake on Quinton Place.  So don't forget to bring down your lawn chairs or picnic blankets for our 4th Annual Fireworks Show Over the Lake.  Wearing Red White and Blue is encouraged, but not Required!  Fireworks will start shortly after dark.


Swim Team Practice and Meets at the Richland Pool in June

Swim team practice in the lap pool will take place from 8am-11am, Monday through Friday throughout June.   We have 2 swim meets at our Richland pool in June:  June 20 and June 27.  The lap pool will close at 4:00pm on these dates, but the mushroom feature pool will remain open for regular pool hours. We will open the pool gate near the tennis courts during swim meets for easier pool access.


July 4th BBQ and Fireworks Spectacular

This year marks the 4th annual fireworks show coordinated by several of our talented Richland residents. We’ll kick off the festivities with our traditional BBQ and pool party, but the grand finale—the fireworks show—will be moving to the scenic lake on Quinton Place.
For the best view, head to the red-circled area on the map below. The display will light up the sky shortly after dark on July 4th. If you’re interested in helping out, please send an email to jbulot@yahoo.com. Let’s celebrate Independence Day with great food, fun by the pool, and a spectacular fireworks display!

Pickleball @ Lower Courts

Get ready for a pickle of a time with the nation's fastest-growing sport... Pickleball! 🏓🥒
Grab your paddle and join us for an electrifying game (or two, or three) of Pickleball magic!
New to the world of Pickleball? No worries  - just go down and start practicing! Here are some Pickleball facts to tickle your curiosity:
  • Pickleball is a wondrous fusion of ping pong, tennis, and badminton.
  • Pickleball burns a whopping 8 to 11 calories per minute! That's a sizzling 480 to 660 calories in just 60 minutes of play. 🔥
  • Pickleball was invented in 1965, making it 58 years young and full of energy.
  • Pickleball is highly addictive! You've been warned. 😉
  • But, if you've not be active in a while - you may want to prepare yourself!
So come on out, unleash your inner Pickleball warrior, and let's have a smashing time together! 🎉


📚Community Amenities

Richland Sharing Library
Just a reminder – we have small community library at the clubhouse. Feel free to pick up or drop off a book. If you do want to donate a book for others to enjoy, please place them on the shelves. The library is located on the pool side of the clubhouse. There is a wide variety including romance, self help, historical fiction and science fiction.

The Richland Book Club
The Richland Book Clubs meets the 4th Tuesday of every month at 7pm at the Clubhouse. If you aren't sure which one that is, the Book Club usually puts out signs in front of the clubhouse leading up to the meeting! Please contact Ingrid Shell directly at ingrid.r.shell@gmail.com for more details.

Richland Fire-pit
Just a reminder, Richland has 1 community fire pit. It's located behind the tennis courts closest to the clubhouse. There are also two park style grills as well as 4 built in benches around the pit. Fire-pit and grills are first come first serve. You can reserve the pavilions on either side using reservemycourt.com. Please plan to bring your own wood, and please be sure to completely put out the fire when you are finished. There is a creek right behind the fire-pit - use as much water as you need - we'll make more!

Richland Trails
We have two inviting gravel trails in our community ready for your exploration. The first trail is accessible behind the lower tennis courts on Quinton Rd. Just follow the concrete sidewalk until you reach the gravel path. The second trail, part of Phase 2 expansion, can be accessed by walking the sidewalk to Hunt River Way - this trail follows alongside the creek opposite the current trail. Happy exploring!

Tennis and Pickleball Courts!
We have 6 tennis courts (maintained to ALTA standards): 4 at the upper courts and 2 at the lower courts. The 6 pickleball courts are located on the lower courts. All of these courts can be reserved on reservemycourt.com. Please remember, no more than 3 guests per resident. 🏓🌟

Pavilion Rentals (Free)
We have three pavilions available to reserve through reservemycourt.com. Whether you're planning a party, gathering, or event, these pavilions are perfect for any occasion. There is no cost to reserve them.

Clubhouse Rentals
Our clubhouse is also available for rent at richlander.com. It’s an ideal location for hosting events, meetings, or celebrations. Please note that any reservations made after June 1st will see an increase from $225 to $300.

Playground
Don’t forget to visit our community playground, a perfect spot for kids to play and make new friends. It’s located behind the swimming pool and is open year round and offers a safe and fun environment for all children.  There are also several grills for your use.  Please clean up after grilling. 

Swimming Pools
We have two swimming pools: one lap pool and a mushroom feature pool with zero entry for kids and a deeper end for adults. These pools are heated during cooler months to ensure a comfortable swim. Lifeguards are on duty during certain hours; at all other times, swimming is at your own risk.

WATCH Group 
Up early in the mornings or late a night? Join the WATCH Group! We meet every Friday at 12am-4am on the clubhouse roof (weather permitting). Bring your a sense of adventure, an open mind and keen eyes. Let’s keep Richland safe!  For more information, think to Zog Tharnok.  Don't worry, he will know when you are interested.


Richland HOA Minutes and Management Updates

🔧 Greetings, Richlanders! Get ready for an exciting update on the latest community projects your dedicated HOA is tackling. From clubhouse repairs to landscaping improvements, there's a lot happening in our neighborhood. We promise to make these updates as engaging as possible, so buckle up and join us on this thrilling journey through our recent accomplishments and ongoing efforts. Let's dive into the details and see what's new in Richland! 🎉🔦

The HOA Board met on May 15 at the clubhouse.  Attendees included: 
  • Jay Bulot – President
  • Alan Meeks – VP
  • Don Tam – Treasurer
  • Sandra Hill – Secretary
  • Ricky Fiorillo – Member at Large
Clubhouse:
  • Repaired the top and bottom pins on the front door to ensure it locks securely.
  • Justin will follow up on whether the area by the clubhouse was aerated and overseeded.
Landscaping/Grounds:
  • Majority of seasonal work by Morgan Irrigation and Landscape Workshop completed.
    • Performed startup inspection and repairs at Richlake, Doublegate entrance near bridge, and Taylor Mill.
  • Spring seasonal color installed.
  • Landscape Workshop instructed to spray the trail and around the lower tennis pavilion.
  • New fence for Marston Park Entrance installed and stained green.
  • Outstanding work requests:
    • Repainting Marston Park and Walnut Grove signage, soft wash of Portsmouth signage.
    • Signage pricing: $625 or $400 (by pool vendor). Specialty paint needed.
    • Shaben to secure samples of pool vendor’s work. Will also inquire about soundproof panel painting ).
    • Other signage checked/repaired by Sign Kwik.
    • Pressure washing rail fence scheduled for June, including Waterford monuments with mildew and the lake gazebo and sidewalk.
    • Tree removal needed by lake culvert drainage to prevent clogging.
    • Card system for back tennis court readers is not working – technician ordering parts for repair.
Pool:
  • Sundeck repairs completed. Paint is slightly different but will eventually blend in.
  • SourceOne replaced 15 rusty drain covers near the small pool gate ($1,268.75) and installed an additional channel drain – completed.
Tennis/Pickleball:
  • Warranty work scheduled for May/June.
  • Practice backboards for pickleball court (8x10’) and tennis court (8x12’) pending delivery and installation expected mid-June (8-10 weeks) by United Sports.
  • Removal of existing backboard: $400.
  • Pickleball courts warranty work scheduled for spring.
  • SourceOne completed the repair of support rails on chain link fencing at upper tennis courts.
Other completed work:
  • Deck boards replaced and bridge re-stained Black Fox to match the other bridge ($1,400 stain and $600 wood floor repair).
  • Wood benches around the fire pit were washed.
  • Tabled: Wood repair/re-staining of two upper tennis pavilions ($4,363.64).
Lakes:
  • Spoke with Nicko at Ray Engineering about analyzing the dredging project. Engineer needs Solitude’s reports, which Justin will provide.
  • Discussed securing an easement from the impacted homeowner for dredging purposes. Homeowner gave verbal agreement; attorney to formalize the agreement.
  • Quotes for dredging:
    •  Riversand: $831,745 for 10,000 cy.
    •   McEachern: 
      • Mobilization and water control - $15,000.00, 
      • Permanent access road install - $15,000.00, 
      • Dredging 9,000 cy from the lake - $340,000.00, 
      • Hauling/Dumping offsite - $245,000.00, 
      • Total: $615,000.00.
  • Need to sign the county right of entry form for OCS maintenance work.
Preliminary Financials:
  • RHOA is financially sound.
Other:
  • Discuss upcoming responsibility of the Board for the Pool Party event on June 8th.
  • Status of electronic voting amendment given (approximately 125 votes received).
  • Extra forms will be given to the security guard.
  • Additional forms will be provided at the pool party.
This concludes the summary of the Richland HOA meeting held on May 15. Please contact the board for any further details or questions.






































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