November President's Letter

November 21, 2023

Dear VI Property Owner:
This is a beautiful time of the year in St. Petersburg and I hope you are all enjoying all that Venetian Isles has to offer. 
Oktoberfest was a great success with over 300 people attending.  Photos of the event can be found at http://www.ourvi.org/latest-news Thanks again to our generous sponsors - many of whom are VI residents - for making the event possible. 
Halloween night was a busy time in VI as kids enjoyed the trick-or-treating and adults enjoyed the opportunity to do some socializing!!  With Thanksgiving approaching, holiday decorations are popping up all around VI.
Our annual Seawall Luminary Lighting will take place at 6 pm on December 24th. Once again, the Candle Committee will be selling candles and bags.  The Candle Seller for your block will be contacting you in the next week or so with information about purchasing candles and bags.  If you’d like to volunteer to sell candles or to light candles along a section of Grand Canal Boulevard, please contact Janice Drinkwine at [email protected]. 
The Nominations period for the 2024 VIHA Board closes on November 30.  Nominations Forms may be downloaded from our website home page at http://www.ourvi.org/ .  If you are considering joining the Board, please feel free to reach out to me or any other current Board member for more information. 
Some other upcoming dates to mark on your calendar include:

• December 9 - VI Food  Drive
  
• December 16 – Smack’s Bayou Christmas Boat Parade
  
• December 20 – Snell & Venetian Isles Golf Cart parade (sponsored by Stroll Magazine and Supreme Carts, a VI based company)
  
• January 8 – VIHA Board Meeting (property owners welcome)
  
• January 18- Annual Meeting and VIHA Board Elections
  

Anne Barrins has recently assumed leadership of the Hospitality. Committee. Anne and the 17 committee members greet new homeowners on their assigned block by delivering Welcome Gift Bags. It’s a great way to make new neighbors part of our neighborhood and also encourages their membership in the VIHA. In addition, the committee helps coordinate the New Homeowners Reception that occurs twice a year. Please contact Anne at [email protected]  if you are interested in volunteering on the Hospitality Committee.
We have recently received several complaints about bags of dog waste discarded on the street, on residents’ lawns and on top of utility boxes.  Please be considerate and dispose of your dog waste in trash bins.
The VIHA Board would love to hear of any ideas to improve the quality of life in VI.  Please let me know if you have any ideas via email at [email protected] or 727-560-3655.
Have a great Thanksgiving and be safe!!!
Rich Scanlon
VIHA President