March is here and with it comes spring! At least for today. It’s great to be in East Tennessee where we have mild winters and wonderful summers, but spring is my favorite time of the year. March starts out slow but gets better and better every day. I love to walk the dog early in the morning and see the new flowers that appear daily, and the trees beginning to bud and listen to the cacophony of birds singing and chasing each other around and doing what they do in the spring.
Earlier this week we visited the Knoxville Botanical Gardens to pick up trees for Tennessee Tree Day (Arbor Day is a few weeks from now in the more northern states). We loaded 525 trees into the truck. All the trees are native to Eastern Tennessee, grown in nurseries in and around our area. We had flowering, fruiting, deciduous and evergreen. We had trees for those that ordered them and extra for those that put off ordering until it was too late – all distributed from Tugaloo Beach Pavilion. This is the Aesthetics and Environment Committee’s first celebration of Tennessee Tree Day, and it’s part of their goal to promote native and noninvasive trees in Tellico Village that will enhance its natural environment. If you didn’t get any trees this year, make a note to watch for the A & E Committee’s Tennessee Tree Day announcement next February. Yesterday, I planted the trees I ordered – what a way to enjoy a brilliant spring day.
The HOA sponsors and supports Tellico Village’s Neighbor Watch. It is a free program that every resident, even non-HOA members, can and should join. You can join by sending an email to TellicoVillageNW@gmail.com. We ask that you sign up so we know how to contact you and know that you want to receive information from the Neighbor Watch. Although Tellico Village is a safe and low crime area, there still were 65 crimes reported in the Village in 2023. The nature of the crimes was described in a recent Neighborhood Watch email. Sign up to get the email or check your spam folder if you are signed up and didn’t get it.
I recently had lunch with the Neighborhood Watch Coordinators. They are volunteers, led by Sherry Le, that help coordinate safety awareness and track criminal and suspicious activities in our neighborhoods. Many were involved in law enforcement before coming to Tellico Village. We’re lucky to have these volunteers to help make Tellico Village a better place to live.
Spring also means a new golf season and the HOA golfers are ready to go. There is still room to register for HOA Golf. The first golf outing will take place in April and there are 14 events scheduled on 2 Wednesdays of each month from April thru October. HOA Golf is for ALL LEVELS of golfers, couples as well as singles. This event is a great opportunity to meet other residents of Tellico Village, without the pressure of competition. There are no trophies or standings – just an afternoon of FUN!
The March St Patrick’s Day Social was a wonderful success, sell out (nearly full – there’s no cost) and fun too. I enjoyed Singo and even won a door prize. You don’t have to be a member to come, but we will twist your arm to join once you get here.
Our events continuously sell out, even as we add more of them. If you would like to help hold even more, consider becoming an Event Coordinator for just one event and try it out. You’ll be glad you did! If you are interested, please come to an Event Planning Committee meeting. It meets with the Event Coordinators on the third Monday of the month at 10:00 am at the Chota Rec Center, room C.
Please come and bring your friends to the April Social. I hope to see you there and have a wonderful spring!
Harry Rucker
HOA President