Season's Greetings, Richland!
“The Great Inflatable War of 2024"
As we head into another holiday season, it’s a good time to remind everyone to properly anchor their inflatables so we don’t repeat last year’s fiasco. For our new neighbors, as you begin dragging extension cords across your yards before your spouses notice, we'll recount one of the most infamous episodes in our neighborhood’s recent history.
That’s right, I’m talking about the “Great Inflatable War of 2024”—a conflict waged bravely, boldly, and somewhat unwisely by two residents whose identities we shall protect… so for the sake of the story, let’s just call them Ricky and Kermit. Ricky, as usual, put out his 6-foot inflatable Santa. Nothing flashy. Just Santa, standing there in all his glory. Kermit, never one to decorate, for some odd reason, responded with an 8-foot Frosty, cheerful, LED-enhanced, and clearly meant to send a message.
One inflatable became two.
Two became three.
Ricky put up one, then Kermit responded with another.
By the end of the first week, the entire street knew something was up. Even the neighborhood vampires started complaining—peering out their windows after midnight, grumbling about why it suddenly looked like daylight on the cul de sac.
Then the real escalation began.
Ricky unveiled a 12-foot Santa in a pirogue being pulled by three alligators. Kermit fired back with a 14-foot Frosty so bright small planes flying over Briscoe Field reportedly asked if the airport had installed “supplemental holiday runway lighting.”
Not to be outdone, Ricky dragged out an inflatable nativity scene roughly the size of a starter home, complete with a camel requiring its own dedicated blower motor. Neighbors later said it took three adults and a questionable ladder to get it upright.
Kermit struck back with a 20-foot Stay Puff Marshmallow Man that briefly appeared on neighborhood Ring cameras as an “unknown towering object.” Delivery drivers refused to approach. Children were afraid to catch the bus near the house. Some residents claimed they could feel the hum of the blower from their porch.
And then, on December 21st, nature intervened.
The temperature dropped, the sky turned a gray, and all the old-timers' claimed they “felt it coming in their knees.” Around 9:42 PM, the first gust of wind hit, just hard enough to make the decorations wobble. Then came the second gust… then the third, which was easily hurricane force—the kind Bob Breck himself would’ve cut into programming for, sleeves rolled up and pointing dramatically at tracking map.
Neighbors swear they even saw a man Jim Cantore reporting live from the lake shore, which is how we knew things were getting serious.
And suddenly, the War of 2024 turned into the Great Inflatables Migration.
Ricky’s Santa lifted straight off the ground like he was going up a chimney. The alligators broke lose and scrambled across the yard like inflatable livestock fleeing danger. Kermit's Frosty wobbled twice before pulling free of his stakes and tumbling down the street, downing two mailboxes and flattening a fence.
The StayPuff collapsed in on itself covering half the house and a rogue reindeer was spotted toppling end-over-end down the sidewalk. The nativity camel made it halfway to the playground before being captured.
But the most haunting sight came the next morning.
There, in the quiet stillness of dawn, Frosty’s massive head was seen gently bobbing in the lake.
Just drifting. Just… staring.
Several neighbors later said it looked just “disappointed in us.”
So, as we enter the 2025 season, let this serve as your friendly, heartfelt reminder:
Anchor your inflatables. Stake them. Sandbag them. Secure them like you’re mildly concerned the next Epstein file release might list your address as a “point of interest.”
We cannot endure the shame of another Frosty Incident.
And the lake doesn’t need another head.
Cookies with Santa Dec 6– A Brief Message from the North Pole
Before Santa arrives at the clubhouse on December 6th, he asked the HOA to pass along a few important operational updates from the North Pole. In his exact words: “Things have gotten… complicated.”
Toy-production costs have surged again this year. Reindeer feed is supposedly “cheaper than ever,” according to North Pole procurement… except the new feed now requires premium vacuum-sealed packaging, nitrogen flushing, triple-insulated shipping containers, and a signature upon delivery, so overall, Santa reports it’s a lot more expensive.
Elf -insurance premiums also “did something unspeakable,” and tariffs on imported peppermint forced Mrs. Claus to buy candy canes from Costco in quantities normally reserved for Macy Thanksgiving Day Parades. Meanwhile, the elves’ union is demanding ergonomic candy-cane sanding tools, which, according to Santa, "cost more than actual belt sanders, and don’t even plug in.”
With all of these operational pressures piling up, Santa asked us to mention...very casually...that on Christmas Eve, he will be expanding his traditional “milk and cookies” compensation model. This year, he will also be accepting:
- Cash
- Loose change (quarters preferred, elves are addicted to the claw machines)
- Venmo/CashApp
- Bitcoin/stablecoin
- Any random Kroger gift cards you panic-bought last year and immediately forgot about
He assures us this is entirely optional, but he did note that the North Pole is “feeling the squeeze,” and Rudolph’s new LED nose uses premium batteries that “aren’t exactly on sale.”
Now, the Important Part…
Cookies with Santa on December 6th is completely FREE for all Richland kids.
🗓️ 12/6 ⏰ 12–3 PM 📍 Clubhouse⛄️🌟 In Richland, the children were eager and bright,
Preparing for Santa on a cold winter’s night.
Cookies were baked with sugar and care,
While whispers of wonder filled the frosty air.
❄️✨ Join us for our annual cookie decorating, playing in the faux snow, writing letters to Santa, and creating a one-of-a-kind ornament! (And if we’re lucky, Santa may even fly in for photos.)
Photos, cookies, Christmas cheer—the whole event is on the house.
Santa insisted we make that absolutely clear.
(This comes from a separate marketing budget!)
So join us for cookies, photos, and holiday magic…
And if you choose to leave Santa a little something extra on Christmas Eve, he promises to “remember it favorably during routing decisions.”
Ho ho ho, Richland!
The Richland Social Committee (RSC) hosted the annual Boo-Bash from October 24–26, and it was one of our biggest—and best—events yet. This celebration takes months of planning and a serious amount of volunteer power, and thanks to our small but mighty team, Richland families enjoyed a Fall Festival worthy of a blockbuster community.
This year’s Boo-Bash brought out an incredible number of children and their families for a weekend packed with activities. We kicked off Friday night with a double-feature movie, followed on Saturday by inflatables and our neighborhood costume contests. The weekend wrapped on Sunday with hayrides, pony and train rides, and even a petting zoo full of extremely adorable animals. It was, by all accounts, one of the most successful Fall Festivals ever hosted by a community our size.
A huge thank you to the residents who poured time, energy, and creativity into pulling it all together:
- Cornell Collum
- Kathy Burnette
- Gani Shittu
- Jill Jones
- Maritza Makemsom
- Christina Arrington
- Carol Frye
And an extra special shout-out to the amazing student volunteers from Collins Hill High School, whose help makes events like this possible.
Special Thanks to Our Leads:
- Special Effects: Maritza Maskem
- Social Media, Trunk or Treat, Volunteer Coordinator & Costume Contest Host: Gani Shittu
- Entertainment: Cornell Collum
- Costume Contest Coordinator: Jill Jones
- Food & Refreshments Coordinator: Kathy Burnette
- MVP of Insurmountable Support: Christina Arrington – the thread that pulls everything together.
Words don’t fully capture how grateful we are for each one of you. This team may be small, but their impact is enormous.
Join the Richland Social Committee
The RSC is actively recruiting new members!
If you enjoy planning events, being creative, and giving back to your community, we would love to have you on the team. Whether you’re new to Richland or have lived here for years, there’s a place for you.
If you want to help expand the number of events we offer, or become one of our “super volunteers,” please complete the Richland Social Committee Volunteer Interest Form:
https://forms.gle/GUzSfWTXprYqgGPg6
We truly cannot do these events without you.
Election Update: The HOA Board That Was… and, Apparently, Still Is
Richland, the HOA Election has officially wrapped, and—much like certain well-publicized events in 2024—we had a little excitement. Fortunately, ours did not involve cable news panels, legal challenges, or anyone demanding a recount at 2 a.m.
During the Annual Meeting the board was chastised for not sending out more violation letters. Yes… more.
Somewhere in the neighborhood, Jacques Buleaugh trembled in fear.
Board President (and occasionally overpaid lackey) Jay Bulot responded with the calm patience of a man who has spent years reading the HOA Covenants at midnight to determine how many Halloween decorations one can display before getting his own violation letter. He reminded everyone that this Board prefers to work with residents first rather than launching airstrikes of certified-mail. Then, in what is now being described as “the HOA mic drop of 2025,” he encouraged anyone unhappy with the Board’s approach to please, please run for office.
And then the votes were counted.
No nominations were received from the floor.
Approximately 34 proxies were submitted.
And…
Every. Single. Board Member. Was sadly re-elected.
No drama.
No lawsuits.
No prolonged suspense.
Just a clean sweep—and several slightly disappointed Board members now preparing to serve another year's sentence keeping Richland upright, orderly, and only moderately inflatable-heavy.
Your 2026 HOA Board remains:
- Jay Bulot – President
- Alan Meeks – Vice President
- Sandra Hill – Secretary
- Don Tam – Member at Large
- Ricky Fiorillo – Treasurer
The amendment to allow electronic voting received 459 votes—just shy of the 663 needed—so our ballots will continue arriving via good old-fashioned paper, postage, and prayer.
So yes—the Board that was… is still the Board that is (with only a slight reshuffling of titles).
If you disagree with their approach, the President would like to remind you that nomination forms are available every single year—and printing them does not require a subpoena.
Annual Meeting Highlights: A Year in Review (and Mild Chaos)
For anyone who couldn’t attend the Annual Meeting—or attended but went into a light trance during the financials—here is a complete, readable, properly caffeinated recap of everything your HOA accomplished in 2025 and plans for 2026.
🌟 Special Recognitions
Richland handed out several well-deserved acknowledgments this year:
-
2025 Volunteer of the Year: Christina Freeman – for outstanding service, planning, and her ability to appear at multiple events simultaneously (science still cannot explain this).
-
Mike Kahren – for organizing an extremely successful 4th of July Fireworks Show... With only afew singed eyebrows.
-
Margo Meeks & the Collins Hill Girls Softball Team – for canvassing the neighborhood to collect amendment votes with athletic precision.
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Don Tam – for advocacy work with county officials (and for speaking fluent “bureaucrat”).
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Jay Bulot – for writing the Richland Newsletter (we promise this wasn’t rigged).
-
All Social Committee Members – for keeping Richland’s social calendar more active than some small towns.
-
Officer Yun – for providing crime prevention tips that convinced at least three people to upgrade their porch lighting immediately.
2025 HOA Accomplishments: The Full List
Your HOA didn’t just sit around reading covenants and arguing about landscaping. Here’s everything they tackled this year:
🌳 Grounds, Trails & Infrastructure
- Completed spring and fall irrigation audits
- Repaired and stained fencing along Taylor Road
- Enhanced Portsmouth entrance with new landscaping, irrigation, and signage
- Upgraded landscaping at Taylor Mill entrance at York River
- Added leaf gates to the tennis and pickleball courts
- Repaired washed-out sections of the nature trail
- Installed a new drainage pipe system near the bridge to prevent erosion
- Leveled the trail path using a vibrating compactor
- Removed dead trees along trails and the creek
- Leveraged Gwinnett County’s partnership program to add four truckloads of rip rap to reinforce creek banks
- Installed a new salt system for the main pool
- Extended the pool season to October 13
- Performed storm cleanup throughout the community
- Completed parking lot maintenance for both upper and lower lots
- Built a new picnic area across the creek from the upper tennis pavilion.
- Finalized plans for wolf den.
🌊 Lake Management Updates
- Continued coordination with Gwinnett County on lake and dam maintenance
- Laurel Lake remains the sediment heavyweight champion
- The Board has created a dedicated Lake Reserve Fund for future maintenance.
💰 Budget & Financials & Other Reminders
- HOA dues will NOT increase for 2026 (a sentence worth rereading)
- Reminders focused on leasing restrictions and compliance
- GIS resources were shared to help verify property lines
- HOA dues will NOT increase for 2026
- No chickens or livestock—even the cute, “they’re basically family” kind.
- Again, No leasing - Notify the Board if you suspect leasing is occurring. This was a big deal at the meeting.
- No fireworks after 10 p.m., except on New Year’s Eve and July 4th (when the HOA acknowledges that sleep is a distant dream anyway).
🚨 Community Safety
Officer Yun from the East Precinct shared several useful crime-prevention strategies:
- Install Ring cameras or floodlights
- Use battery-powered security cameras that aren’t dependent on Wi-Fi
- Contact the Community Relations Officer (CRO) at 770-513-5700 for patrols
- For drug activity or active concerns, call 911
- Radar speed boards can be requested from the CRO
2026 Projects: What’s Coming Next Year
The Board previewed the major projects planned for 2026:
- Re-staining the upper tennis pavilions
- Landscape tree work throughout common areas
- New Wildwood Lake entrance signage
- Continued entrance enhancements and fencing repairs/staining along Richland Parkway
- Design and planning for a Nature Trail Bridge (pending engineering, pricing, and emotional support)
- Additional picnic area near the upper tennis pavilions
- Rent escavator and backhoe for wolf den.
Past Social Events: A Very Busy Year
Your Social Committee delivered a full calendar of events—basically enough programming to qualify as a micro-city:
- Spring Extravaganza & Easter Egg Hunt (Mar)
- Karaoke Night / Richland Trivia
- Family Movie Nights (multiple)
- Bingo at the Clubhouse (multiple)
- Sippy & Paint (June / Sept)
- Pool Opening Party (June)
- July 4th Party & Fireworks
- Food Truck Nights (several)
- Pickleball Socials
- Ice Cream Socials
- Back to School Bash
- Richland Book Club
- End of Summer Pig Roast & Luau (Sept)
- And, of course… The Richlander Newsletter
If you are tired reading that list, imagine planning it.
Clubhouse Lights Are Go! (Again!)
Last year’s festive lighting experiment was such a spectacular success (zero sleigh mishaps, minimal reindeer panic, and only one near-miss involving a drone) that the HOA has decided to bring it back again this year.
The Richland Clubhouse is once more glowing like a holiday command center, thanks to the HOA Board and the community’s continued support of this annual enhancement. And yes, these lights aren’t just about cheer, they are, as Santa’s legal department insists we say, a critical navigational safety measure. Even in dense fog, low clouds, or whatever that thing was that rolled down from Hunt River Way last December, Santa has a clear flight path.
The lights will remain on until the danger passes sometime in the new year (time is a social construct, after all). Remember: the cost of these lights is far cheaper than the time, effort, and reindeer wrangling required to clean up another sleigh crash. And let’s not discuss the insurance nightmare—apparently, Santa’s “official apology” still does not count as admissible documentation.
Community Amenities
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 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.
Our clubhouse is available for rent at richlander.com and serves as an ideal location for hosting events, meetings, and celebrations. The reservation fee is $300, and a security deposit is also required.
Please note:
- The security deposit may be withheld if additional cleaning is needed or if any damage occurs during your event.
- We often have back-to-back rentals, so please pay close attention to the start and end times of your reservation to ensure smooth transitions for all renters.
Stay Connected
Stay up to date with all the happenings in the Richland Community. Download the NABR Network App for your phone, or check it out on the website. Once you set up your account, you set your preferences to receive communications through text message alerts or opt to receive the same information via email or you can just regularly check the community feed for updates. Additionally, you are able to pay dues, reserve the clubhouse and submit ACC requests all virtually. 
Cute, informative, and funny Dec newsletter. Thanks!
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