Newsletter – September 2022
HOA BOARD
HOA Annual Meeting September 22nd
The 2022 HOA Annual Meeting is scheduled for Thursday, September 22nd at the Riceville Fire Station, 2251 Riceville Road. Registration begins at 5:30 p.m. with the meeting starting at 6:00 p.m. Three matters will be put before the HOA membership for a vote. Each Lot is entitled to one vote per Lot cast only by those attending in person or via a signed proxy, so plan ahead:
Important documents for all HOA members to review before the meeting include the following:
2022 HOA Annual Meeting Agenda
2021 HOA Annual Meeting Minutes
Proposed HOA Budget for 2023
Proxy Statement (to be presented by designated Proxy holder at Registration)
All documents and event information are available for viewing at www.sovereignoakshoa.com/2022-hoa-annual-meeting/
COMMITTEES
New DRC Member Appointed
Last month the Board had communicated that two 2-year terms on the DRC were expiring in October, one currently held by Harry Koolen, the other by Margot Ammidown who has resigned from the DRC for personal reasons. Harry let the Board know his desire to remain on the DRC and the Board reappointed Harry. Two HOA members, Beth Kainic and David Stark, who had expressed interest in service on the DRC attended the September Board meeting to discuss their interest. Both candidates presented strong credentials and expressed a desire to maintain Sovereign Oaks unique character. After meeting with both, the Board appointed David Stark to the other DRC seat. Thanks go to all: Margot for her service these past two years, and Beth and David for stepping forward to serve on the DRC. Thanks also to Harry for his willingness to serve again.
Social Committee Notes:
Book Club: Our next book is Paris in the Present Tense by Mark Helprin. We will discuss it on September 15 at 7 p.m. at the home of Joe and Catherine Stepflug at 9 Trail Top Dr. Please RSVP to sallyklippel@gmail.com.
Non-Fiction Book Club: This is a reminder that the new History Book Club will hold its inaugural meeting in mid to late October (final date to be determined). If you’re interested in joining this group, please contact either Artie Miller (aeemiller@yahoo.com) or Harry Koolen (hfkvermont@yahoo.com). The first book that will be discussed is Borderland: A Journey Through the History of Ukraine, by Anna Reid.
Ceci’s Culinary Tour food truck will be at the Four Corners (intersection of Wandering Oaks Way and Trail Top) from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Friday, September 23. Ceci’s serves empanadas, tamales, Cuban sandwiches and crepes (savory and dessert)! Bring your beverage of choice and a chair to enjoy the start of Fall!
There should be plenty of off-road grass space to gather (Brown’s and Stelpflug’s properties) and feel free to go into the Brown’s fenced backyard (gate will be open) if you wish to get farther away from the road. Please be sure to keep car tires on the road if parking on Towering Oaks or any other streets.
Wine & Appetizers: Our next meeting is Saturday, October 15 at 6-7:30 p.m. Small groups of 8-10 will meet at a host’s home. You are to bring a nice bottle of wine and an appetizer to share. We are always looking for new members. Please sign up if you haven’t already by email to sallyklippel@gmail.com.
Chili Cook-off: Pull out your recipes and get your creative juices flowing for this inaugural SO event on Saturday, October 29th at the Galvin home. There will be two categories for the best chili – vegetarian and meat. Prizes will be awarded. Start prepping now! Further details coming soon.
Halloween for the kids will be held on Monday, October 31. Expect a simplified version this year (since it is a school night) with trick or treating and trunk or treating along Wandering Oaks Way in the hour before dusk. Details to follow.
OTHER NEIGHBORHOOD NOTES
Reminder to Help Update Directory
Please complete the form at this link to help us verify and update the master directory information for the neighborhood. The form ALSO allows an “opt-in” to a shared directory for those who are presently residing in Sovereign Oaks. That shared directory will be released shortly after the September HOA meeting. The purpose of that “Directory of Neighbors” is to facilitate neighbor-to-neighbor contact as needed. The shared directory should NOT be used for mass solicitation for personal business promotion.
Information will be collected here through the week of the September HOA meeting, and then access will be given to current residents who wish to opt-in to the shared directory.
Shout Out:
Thanks to Matt Kern for once again clearing the embankment along the road at the front of the neighborhood. It looks fantastic!
Please email HOA member contributions for the monthly newsletter by the first week of each month to amandagalvin1@gmail.com
Feel free to send notes of gratitude for those who serve our S.O. community through their volunteer acts! We will include those in the neighborhood contributions!
Accessing the Sovereign Oaks Website
The SO website https://sovereignoakshoa.com contains lots of useful information for residents. When you visit the site, simply click “Log In,” and the login screen will appear. Then enter your personal username (or email) and password. Forgot your password? You can choose to reset it using your email address. Should you still be unable to access the secure site at that point, or you need to register for access, please contact Rebekah Owings (rgowings@gmail.com) for assistance.
SOVEREIGN OAKS WEBSITES TO BE REVISED
Amanda Galvin and Rebekah Owings are taking on the task of revising the Sovereign Oaks public-facing website (sovereingoaks.com) and the HOA website (sovereignoakshoa.com). The goal for the public-facing website is to have it be more informative about the community in general. The goal of the HOA website redesign is to institute an initial login request that ensures only HOA members can gain access, but also make the login process easier than the two-step process that currently exists. The site will also be redesigned to be easier for HOA members to navigate and find information.
We appreciate your patience!