Neighborhood News and Announcements
Tennis Courts Open Year Round
(HOA Swim/Tennis Members Only)
HOA Swim/Tennis members can make use of the Association tennis courts year-round. Check your membership materials for instructions on how to reserve your court and time, as well as rules for use of the courts.
Thanks to all the volunteers who helped to make our neighborhood entrance so beautiful for the season!
On behalf of the members of the 2017 Board of Directors I want to thank the residents of our neighborhood for all the support they provided during the year. We hosted the second annual Backyard Tour in June, and several neighbors put on a wonderful back-to-school block party that was one of the best attended neighborhood events in a long time.
Many of you are “basic” HOA members, and your membership dues fund maintenance of our front entry and other common property, as well as mandatory taxes and insurance. In addition, these dues supported costs associated with our new website which is designed to keep everyone current on events in and around our neighborhood ( www.ashtonwoodhoa.org ).
Those neighbors who opted for the “swim/tennis” membership had access to a well-maintained pool and lighted tennis courts. This year, the Board worked to maintain the area surrounding the pool deck and to keep all recreational facilities in a safe and attractive condition. The Board also added an online tennis court reservation system, and swim/tennis members enjoyed a fun and well-attended pool party in August. In 2018, the Board will need to consider having the pool resurfaced, which will be a major expense. The swim/tennis membership fees fully maintain both the pool and tennis courts which are both beneficial to the entire neighborhood. Their availability enhances the property values of every house in Ashton Wood.
To continue meeting the common needs of the Ashton Wood Subdivision, we need 1) your financial support in the form of membership dues and 2) periodic support during community workdays to keep expenses as low as possible.
The AWHOA membership drive has now started and your support is much needed and appreciated. You should have already received the invoice for 2018 membership. Annual basic membership fees for 2018 will remain at $90 ($85 if paid on or before April 1, 2018). Full membership, including swim/tennis privileges, is available for $415 ($385 if paid on or before April 1, 2018).
Our neighborhood has 142 homes and the majority support the homeowner’s association either as basic or full members. I hope we will have the support of the entire subdivision in 2018 as all of us benefit from the actions of AWHOA.
You are invited to attend the annual AWHOA Meeting which is open to all residents. This meeting will be held on Monday, January 8, 2018 at 7:00 p.m. Clyde and Gaylene Seibel will host the meeting in their home at 2327 Ironwood Hill Court. The purpose of this meeting is to review the accomplishments of the AWHOA in 2017 and establish goals for 2018. We will also elect board members for 2018, and then they will elect the officers for the year. While our by-laws allow for a maximum of nine board members, we currently have seven homeowners who have indicated a willingness to serve as Board members in 2018. A ballot listing the 2018 Board nominees was also attached to the packet you received and your marked ballot should be returned by December 11 for final approval. If any additional homeowners are interested in assisting the board as a committee member or in other positions, please notify the Board of your interest via our web site at www.ashtonwoodhoa.org/contact .
I sincerely ask that you thoughtfully consider joining the AWHOA in 2018. Your support will help us maintain our status as one of the most desirable neighborhoods in Dacula. Membership is our only source of income so please consider joining as a full member to help maintain the pool and tennis facilities as well as other common community property.
Respectively,
Alfie Meek,
President, AWHOA
Happy Thanksgiving to all our neighbors in Ashton Wood!
The following remembrance was contributed by our neighbor, Mary Phillips.
Soon we will be celebrating the holiday of Thanksgiving, which began so long ago in Massachusetts. We think of it as similar to the Thanksgiving we have today but it was very different. The Pilgrims and the Puritans had journeyed from England to escape religious persecution, but for different reasons. The Pilgrims wanted to separate from the Church of England; the Puritans wanted to purify it. After a year of living among the Wampanoag Indians, who befriended them through a leader known as Squanto. Squanto spoke English as a result of imprisonment in England. Whether or not they gave thanks is unknown. They ate simpler food than we eat today. It was not thought of as Thanksgiving, but rather as harvest.
The first proclamation of Thanksgiving was made by George Washington in 1789. It has been celebrated as a national holiday ever since 1865 when proclaimed so by President Abraham Lincoln. It wasn’t until Dec. 26th, 1941 that President Franklin Roosevelt signed a bill for the first time making the date of Thanksgiving a matter of federal law and fixing the day as the fourth Thursday of November.
WE will soon be giving thanks ourselves. Despite many bad things happening in the world, we have many things for which we are thankful. Have you ever kept a Gratitude Journal? It’s an interesting experience. You find that you have so many things for which you are thankful that you run out of room. I finally had to set up categories such as Family, the Natural World, Friends, Health, Well Being, Gifts and Talents, Unexpected Surprises, Trips, and on and on. Once you get started, you are amazed.
I like to write poems of Thanksgiving Here is one that I wrote
Thank you God
By Mary Phillips
God who sprinkled stars through space
God who set the earth in space
God who stretched the oceans wide
God who’s always by my side
God who carved the mountainside
Mountains that will long abide
God who caused the flowers to grow
And showers them with rain and snow
This is God I’ve come to know
This is God I’ve come to know
God who clearly loves us so.
To whom all my thanksgivings go.
I’ve written many poems about God, because He is the source of all things for which we are truly thankful. Happy Thanksgiving. Have a great one !!!
Here are a few seasonal concerts and events you may like to attend...
Sunday, December 3, 2017 @ 6:00p.m. - "We Sing Noel" -- A Christmas Concert presented by choir, praise team, instrumentalists, and special guests. ROCK SPRINGS UMC, 1100 Rock Springs Road, Lawrenceville (close to Gwinnett Braves Stadium)
Friday, December 8th - 7-9 PM
Saturday, December 9th - 6-8 PM
Walk through Bethlehem takes you back in time to when Christ was born, and includes a Live Drama, a visit to the Inn Keeper, the Marketplace, Shepherds in the field, and Outdoor Nativity with live animals that children and adults will enjoy. Then step back into "real time" for a marshmallow roast! ROCK SPRINGS UMC, 1100 Rock Springs Road, Lawrenceville (close to Gwinnett Braves Stadium)
Sunday, December 10, 2017, 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM
We are so excited about the worship experiences we have planned for you and your family this Christmas season. “A Night of Hope” will feature music from our Celebration Choir & Orchestra. Invite a friend and make plans to join us for this special night of music. Free Admission. North Metro Baptist Church, 1026 Old Peachtree Road NE, Lawrenceville, GA 30043
