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Trout Valley Association Board Meeting
Monday, December 21st at 7 p.m. at the lodge
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Last Chance to buy Luminaries for the year!
There is a long standing tradition of lighting luminaries along our streets on the night of December 24th. We will be continuing this tradition this year and as always, our goal is to have every street lit!
Please stop by the barn SUNDAY, December 20th to purchase your luminaries, cookbooks, notecards, Shirley Beene's "Loss of an Era" book, and/0r the beautiful
2016 Trout Valley Calendar.
Hours: 12:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
(if you lost an aqua girl's size puffy coat last Saturday, you can pick it up at the barn)
Sponsored by Leona Farms Questers of Trout Valley
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Trout Valley Fen Restoration
Volunteers Needed!
Trout Valley Fen Restoration Update
In association with the Land Conservancy of McHenry County (TLC), five Trout Valley residents and seven TLC volunteers commenced work on restoring Trout Valley's Fen this week. Invasive plants including honeysuckle and burning bush were removed from a portion of the fen. Work will continue on Tuesday December 22nd, between 10am and 1pm, when volunteers from Trout Valley and TLC will be removing brush and fallen trees under the direction of TLC's Restoration Ecologist, Melissa Grycan. We will meet at the junction of Turkey Run and Big Oaks before proceeding to work in the Fen. Wear appropriate clothing, eye protection goggles, gloves and bring whatever tools you feel comfortable using.
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Firewood
Cut up wood from the fen and some other places is being stacked near pond 3 along Trout Valley Road. All residents can take this wood for their fireplaces. Just be careful - some is heavy and irregularly shaped.
Wally Zimmerman
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Jingle
It's that time of year once more when we give a big "THANK YOU" to those who have helped us all year. Bernie and Tony (our maintenance crew) have done a fabulous job of keeping the Valley looking great and keeping the roads as free of ice and snow as they can. If you'd like to give them some Christmas cheer, you can either leave them a check in an envelope at the maintenance shed or drop it off at my home at 258 Stonegate Rd, and I'll make sure they get passed along. Just address the envelope to Bernie. If the shed is locked, drop it in the mailbox. Many thanks - and Merry Christmas to all!
(The shed mailbox is the brown mailbox next to the shed door.)
Thanks for remembering our wonderful maintenance staff this holiday season!
Checks are written out to Bernie Vara or Tony Angelina.
Wally Zimmerman
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River Road Becomes One-way When it Snows
Although we have only seen a little snow thus far, it is good to remember the change to River Road that goes into effect.
When it snows, traffic on River Road becomes one-way (down hill) from Stonegate Road to Trout Valley Road (at the bridge). With River Road being so narrow and the incline so steep, going uphill puts you and those driving down River Road in danger. Once the weather improves and the roads are cleared, the restriction is lifted. |
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Holiday Giving Project
Deadline for donations is today, December 18th!
Over the years, the Trout Valley community has given more than 1000 gifts to children less fortunate!!! Simply amazing! After a lapse of 2 years, I'm again gathering gifts for kids in foster care, with help from the Krueger family. Please consider giving a gift for these children who are in great need of love, kindness and support, especially during the holidays. Thank you!!
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Stitch & *itch
December 22nd Join us at the lodge on the second and fourth Tuesday of the month, from 9 AM - 10:30-ish. Bring along any portable project and a cup of coffee or water. See you then! If you would like to be on our notification email list, let me know (acs181@aol.com) or come to the meeting, so we can map out the plan that captures the most interested people.
Ann Somers |
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Deed Restrictions-- why have them? A primary purpose of most deed restrictions is preserving the residential character of a subdivision. Indeed, it can be argued that deed restrictions are the MOST valuable tool available to enhance/preserve the community and its amenities which makes our properties more valuable and reduces the risk to current and future owners.
Here is the process the board will follow when deed restrictions issues arise:
1. A deed violation is observed or reported. 2. The director responsible for deed restrictions investigates the violation or complaint for confirmation. 3. The director sends a notice to the owner of the violation giving the owner 30 days to remediate and/or schedule a board hearing to be held no more than 30 days from the notice of the letter. A copy of the letter is sent to the board and the attorney. If the next board meeting is more than 30 days away, then the notice is extended until the next available board meeting. 4. The board can begin levying a fine after the hearing as described on the deed restrictions if the issue has not been resolved. 5. If no resolution, the attorneys will follow up with the collections process and report back to the board regarding the status of the violations.
Deed restriction of the month: 11b. No recreational equipment such as boats and boat trailers, recreational vehicles, campers, horse trailers and similar mobile recreational items may be stored, kept, placed or maintained on any lot except during the period or season of active use as defined or determined by the Trout Valley Association.
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Pets in Trout Valley
Please make sure that your pets are kept safely in your yards. There have been reports of loose dogs, which could be a safety concern for neighbors, and also for the the pet who could be hit by a car.
We encourage neighbors to register their pet info in our Pet Directory. This helps us identify and return lost pets.
Please contact Ann Somers at acs181@aol.com with your pet's information.
Thank you!
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Deed Restrictions of the Month
Riding Easement
18. An easement is hereby reserved with ten (10) feet on the sides and rear of each lot for such
riding trails as may now exist or be hereafter established by the Trout Valley Association and no
fences or other obstructions may be erected across such riding trails.
Summary of Open Burning of Landscape Waste Regulation
These are posted near the bottom of the newsletter or click here to view the McHenry County website.
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 Winter Events in the Area
Winter Break Power Play! Cary Park District Activities:
Ice Skating, Roller Skating, Marshmallow Madness, Sledding, Bowling, and/or New Years Eve Party - Register early to reserve a spot Information
Toys for Tots
There are Toys for Tots donation boxes located in the lobby of the Police Department and Village Hall (654 & 655 Village Hall Drive). Donations of new, unwrapped toys will be accepted through December 21, 2015.
The Berkshire Ballet Theatre Presents The Nutcraker
The Nutcracker will presented by the Berkshire Ballet Theatre with a cast of over 100 young dancers and performers. The Nutcracker will be held on Saturday, December 19 and Sunday, December 20 at Raue Center for the Arts, 26 N. Williams St., Crystal Lake. Click here for complete information and to purchase tickets.
Happenings at The Flour Shoppe
The Flour Shoppe Bakery & Confections, 372 Northwest Hwy., Cary will be hosting their 2nd Annual Gingerbread House decorating on Saturday, December 19. For complete information call (224) 888-8182
features eggs, meats, cheese, fish, dog treats, greens, soaps, baked goods, olive oil, granola.
9 a.m.-noon, First Sundays, October-May
Algonquin Township Building #6 3702 US Highway 14 Crystal Lake, Illinois
Volunteer to Help the Homeless
Three Cary churches provide food and shelter every week from October through April for our county's homeless population. Cary United Methodist Church opens its doors on Saturdays and SS Peter and Paul Church shares Mondays with Holy Cross Lutheran Church.
The needs of the sites are many, to include readying the sites, preparing and serving food, greeting and signing in guests, manning the sites through the overnight hours, cleaning in the morning hours and doing laundry when convenient for the volunteers.
A desire to help doesn't have to be a weekly commitment. A volunteer can sign up for as few or as many shifts as they'd like. Please consider inviting a friend or neighbor to join you.
For additional information or to sign up to volunteer please find below the contact information:
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In Need Some Maintenance Work?
Several people have recently asked me about the possibility of hiring our maintenance folk (Bernie and Tony) to do some maintenance work at their private homes. NO PROBLEM! How do you do it? Just contact them directly using Bernie's cell phone (224-401-3128) to set it up.
Here are the rules governing that hire:
1. They are acting as private, independent contractors and will set the price of the project between you and them. It would be best to have the terms in writing so there's no confusion later. You can either pay by the hour or by the project - however you agree to work it out with them. You are to pay them directly.
2. Since they are acting as private independent contractors, they cannot use Trout Valley tools or equipment - they will have to supply their own, or use yours.
3. They will not be working on Trout Valley time so will not be covered by our Workman's comp insurance.
Wally Zimmerman
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Trout Valley Association News
Call the Sheriff
If you are aware of a problem in the community, it's often best to call the McHenry County Sheriff to ensure they have a record of the problem. If your home is burglarized, you witness vandalism, you see people loitering down by the river or at other locations within the Valley, please inform the Sheriff. Maintaining a connection with the Sheriff's office helps to ensure the security of our community. The Sheriff's non-emergency number is (815) 338-2144.
Laurie Almeraz
Formerly Known as Echo Security Echo Security (our local security company in Trout Valley) was purchased by Fidelity Security & Investigative Services. There is a new phone number for reporting incidents in Trout Valley:
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Looking for the minutes of recent board meetings?
They are posted to the Trout Valley Website, after they are appoved:
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Trout Valley Website
I am seeking current information to post on the website. If you are in charge of a TV club or group, could you please send me your information for updating? Are there any new groups that are not listed on the website (listed under Activities tab)?
If anyone sees other errors on the website - please let me know so that I can fix them.
All residents have access to the website by creating a log in.
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Future Neighborhood Directory
The 2015 Directory is going to print soon
If you wish to submit a correction, throughout the next year, for the 2016 Directory or you are a new resident, please email the following information to Vernie at troutvalleynews@gmail.com:
Last Name
First Names of adults (please indicate if there is a different last name)
Street Address
Home (or main) Phone
Cell phone(s) optional
Email - optional
Kids names - optional
Thank you - we try hard to keep our information up to date.
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New Residents
If you are new to the neighborhood (in the past 2 years) and would like to be featured in this newsletter, please send your information to Vernie Vadnais at troutvalleynews@gmail.com
Thank you,
Vernie
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Welcome Lady!
There's a new Welcome Lady in town!! Terry Parrilli has graciously offered to bring back our old tradition of visiting the homes of new neighbors to bring them neighborhood greetings and information. She will be able to answer your questions about our village and association, the many wonderful amenities, and the clubs and activities that are available, etc.
She has already started contacting some of our new neighbors, but if you moved in recently and would like a visit - please feel free to contact Terry.
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Maintenance Work Requests
If you have any new work requests for Bernie, please contact either Steve Gerard (
) so we can prioritize this work appropriately.
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Maintenance Phone Numbers
We have had some issues recently with Bernie's cell phone. All is now good again. Bernie's cell phone is 224-401-3128 and Tony is now at 224-610-9995. Those are both Trout Valley phones.
Wally Zimmerman
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Did you miss a previous issue of the
Trout Valley News
or a Trout Valley Blast?
Click on the Archive button at the bottom of the page. The Archive page is the best place to print the newsletter, if you need a paper copy.
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Need to rent the barn or lodge?
Anyone who is interested in renting the Lodge, Barn or tables and chairs should visit the link below and complete the form. Laura will respond to the request within 24 hours to let you know if the space is available and send along the paperwork, instructions, etc. Please check the Events Calendar (link is below) for availability before submitting requests.
Questions about rentals - please email Laura Whalen at
Need the barn or lodge for a TV club or government event?
If you are reserving dates for a TV club or government event that does
not have to pay to rent the facilities, Vernie Vadnais can add you to the calendar and a form does not need to be submitted. Please check the Events Calendar
for availability before submitting your request.
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Send newsletter submissions
to Vernie Vadnais at
Submissions are due by Wednesday for the upcoming newsletter. We welcome your assistance in getting out the Valley's news! See the option in the footer below to update your email address.
Send blast submissions
to Bob Baker at
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Blast versus Newsletter?
We've recently had questions and requests for sending out email blasts to Trout Valley residents. These have included blasts for charitable donations and open houses. Most community information can be circulated in the weekly newsletter. The blasts are reserved for important and time-sensitive information. We want residents to know that when they receive a blast, they should read it as soon as they can, as it is something of concern for the community.
When we reject a blast request, we are trying to balance the need to communicate effectively and quickly with Trout Valley against the rights of the residents not to be overwhelmed with local messages. If we don't send out a lot of blasts, we hope those we do send get your attention. We appreciate your consideration.
Thanks, Bob Baker
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View Past Issues of the Trout Valley News
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TVA Board Meeting
Last Chance
For Luminaries
TV Fen Restoration
Update
Firewood
Jingle Jingle
River Becomes One Way in Snow
Holiday Giving
Stitching Club
Pets in the valley
Deed Restrictions - Why do we have them?
Deed Restrictions of the Month
Pets
Winter Events
More Information:
Welcome Lady
Lodge/barn rental
Maintenance
TV Directory Form
Info about TV Blasts
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Upcoming Public
Meetings:
Trout Valley Association Board
December 21. 2015
2016 Schedule:
JANUARY 18
FEBRUARY 15
MARCH 21
APRIL 18
MAY 16
JUNE 20
JULY 18
AUG 15
SEPT ANNUAL (TBA)
SEPTEMBER (TBA)
OCTOBER 17
NOVEMBER 21
DECEMBER 19
7 p.m. at the Lodge (except for the Annual meeting, which is at the barn)
All are welcome
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Village of Trout Valley Board Meeting Dates
2016 Schedule
APRIL 11th
JUNE 6th
AUGUST 8th
SEPTEMBER 14th (Budget)
OCTOBER 10th
DECEMBER 5th
7 p.m. at the lodge All are welcome
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Village of Trout Valley Links:
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Stay Connected
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