Fall Update – Beggar’s Night/Trick or Treat & Reminders
Hello Neighbors,
Well just as quickly as October arrived it is almost November! A few reminders as we progress into fall and the temperature (and leaves) drop.
Beggars Night/Trick or Treat
Our community follows the city of Columbus date/time set by the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission. This year Beggars Night/Trick or Treat will fall on Monday, October 31st from 6-8PM.
Please use caution while driving through our community and watch out for ghosts, princesses, witches, Paw Patrol pups, and all the other fun costumed folks you may see!
Reminder: Neighbors with wheelchairs or strollers can struggle with passing around parked vehicles that block sidewalks. Vehicles should be parked to not block sidewalks – please utilize on street parking when able.
(Side note: Many folks wonder why Columbus doesn’t always hand out candy on Halloween – check out this article for some local history.)
Reminder: Leaves
Our neighborhood has beautiful fall foliage – sadly it becomes a fall mess rather quickly. A few reminders when it comes to fall(ing) leaves:
- The city of Columbus does not vacuum up leaves from the curb or clear any street gutters. Please take some time to remove leaves from sidewalks/street gutters. Wet leaves can create dangerously slick sidewalks and gutter drains get blocked not allowing water runoff from rain or ice melt to make it to sewers.
- Please do not leave blown leaves in the street or blow them down the street to other homes. This creates additional work for homeowners who are already battling leaves of their own.
- Don’t forget to check gutters and downspouts for leaves. Backups of leaves trap water and eventually ice in the colder months. This causes gutters to separate from homes and could cause blockages and backups in the sewer systems.
All leaves should be bagged and stored until the next scheduled recycling/yard waste pickup. Our community’s next recycling/yard waste pickup is Monday, October 31st.
Getting ready for the holidays
We know, we know – Thanksgiving isn’t even here yet and already we are looking ahead to Christmas. You know the holidays can get very busy! With that said…
We are hoping to have photos with Santa make a return this year – if anyone would like to volunteer to participate in our holiday event please email the Board ([email protected]) and put “ATTN: Social Committee” in the subject with your name and contact information. Also, if anyone has access to large thermoses (that can be used to keep beverages warm) – please let us know. The sooner we have volunteers/equipment the faster we can make plans and get this scheduled.
Finally, just a quick note to say that this year we are holding a “Christmas Vacation” Challenge to the VAT neighborhood!
Many of our neighbors already put on excellent holiday light displays and we know that those lights often start getting hung in the milder weather of November. This year the Board is hoping to get folks excited to channel their inner Clark Griswold and put up some truly excellent light displays. Neighbors could then vote on the household whose display they liked the best.
Currently we are trying to gauge interest for this event. Neighbors that wish to participate should let the Board know via email ([email protected]) and put “ATTN: Christmas Vacation Challenge” in the subject with their name and contact information. The board will need to know no later than December 1st if your household wishes to be included – displays would need to be up no later than December 16th. More details to come!
We hope this message finds everyone well and enjoying all that fall in Ohio has to offer. Wishing everyone a happy and safe Halloween!
Garage Sale Reminder!
It’s that time of year to clean out closets and get your garage organized. The Community garage sales will be held on Friday, June 11th and Saturday, June 12th from 8:00 am until 3:00 pm for those that wish to participate. The sandwich board signs will be at the entrances for advertising but please spread the word!
The Highlands will also be having their sales the same weekend.
2021 VAT Community Garage Sale
It’s that time of year to clean out closets and get your garage organized. The Community garage sales will be held on Friday, June 11th and Saturday, June 12th from 8:00 am until 3:00 pm for those that wish to participate. The sandwich board signs will be at the entrances for advertising but please spread the word!
The Highlands will also be having their sales the same weekend.
Stay safe,
Social Committee
Village Easter Egg Hunt
The annual Easter egg hunt will be held at the community park on Saturday, March 27th at noon. This fun event is for children ages 1 – 10 who live in the Villages at Thornapple. The Easter bunny will be there for picture taking!!!
Make sure you bring a basket or other container to use while gathering eggs. Please wear your masks and practice social distancing for everyone’s health and safety!
In case there is rain on March 27th, the rain date for the Easter egg hunt is Saturday, April 3rd.
HAPPY EASTER
Community Park Play Equipment Renovation
Village neighbor,
Since the beginning, the Thornapple Association Board has been committed to maintaining the safest environment in which our children can play. Each year the park equipment undergoes the National Playground Safety Inspection (NPSI). The 5-12-year-old play unit has served the youth of this community for 25+ years. However, the 2019 NPSI safety inspection revealed that critical components on the 5-12-year-old unit, the slides and three of the four decks, were reaching their end of life.
The Challenge: Replacement components with the exact configuration and footprint are no longer available and because of the way the unit was installed, removal would also involve the destruction of 45% of the safety surface.
At the 2019 annual meeting, the board presented this matter to the community and solicited input from homeowners. Some homeowners advocated complete removal, while others were proponents of replacement.
After consulting with industry professionals and considering the sizeable expense of demolition, the decision was made to preserve the viable components and repurpose others with minimal damage to the safety surface. The overhead climbing unit was preserved, and posts were repurposed to incorporate activity panels. The activity panels offer fun to all ages especially parents and grandparents with young children.
So, join your children at the park for a game of “What to Wear”, “Weather Game”, “Matching Game”, “Store Front Play”, and “Tic-Tac-Toe”. Remember, the greatest deterrent to park mischief is adult supervision.
Have fun and be safe!
Sincerely,
The Thornapple Association, Inc.
Board of Directors
The Village at Thornapple Community Garage Sale
Since many of us have been doing our spring cleaning and trying to declutter,
we are happy to announce that we will be having our community garage sale.
If you choose to participate in the community sale, please practice the health department guidelines.
The sale is scheduled for Friday, August 7th and Saturday, August 8th
from 8:00 am to 3:00 pm.
Stay safe,
The Social Committee
Spring Community Garage Sale – Cancelled
Although the county health department has just released COVID-19 guidelines for public events, we have decided to err on the side of caution and cancel the Spring Garage Sale which was scheduled for Friday, June 12 and Saturday, June 13.
We hope to announce a late Summer or Fall Garage Sale and will keep you posted.
If you elect to have your own garage sale, please refer to the health department guidelines.
Continue to stay healthy and safe!
The Social Committee
Stroll Up for a Roll Up!
With the closure of restaurants, food trucks have rolled in to fill the void. For your convenience, DOS HERMANOS will be in our neighborhood for anyone wishing to place an order.
DATE: Sunday, April 5th
TIME: 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM
PLACE: Community Park, curb side
Ordering instructions: Click to view the Dos Hermanos Menu.
Order and pay online using the app streetfoodfinder.
You may begin placing your order at 3:00 PM and they will have it ready for pickup at a designated time.
You may also just walk up to the truck and order using credit card only.
Please remember that the community park is CLOSED. Please do not gather there in groups and remember to always maintain the minimum 6′ social distance guideline.
If you have any questions, please contact Leeanna at (419) 621-6606 or email
[email protected]
2020 Village at Thornapple Community Garage Sale
With all of the extra time we are all enjoying at home, it’s a perfect time to clean out those jam packed closets and the cluttered garage. Gather your stuff and join your neighbors in the community garage sale scheduled for:
June 12th (Friday) and 13th (Saturday) from 8:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.