What’s Mine is Mine – What’s Yours is Mine

You might recognize the map on the right. It’s White Mountain Vacation Village. Like most maps, it contains a legend at the bottom. The map includes every part of the Village. Nothing is missing. The light tan area is the common area. The green area labeled Festival Area is where the ponds reside along with the hiking trails. The Festival Area and the clubhouse belong to the developer. However, the Association leases both and as such, has exclusive use of those areas. The developer has never used any portion of the common area, Festival Area or clubhouse.

The developer owns property surrounding, and adjacent to, the Village. That property is not a part of the Village and has never been presented as such. The rodeo arena is not a part of the Village. Your dues do not help to maintain it. The amphitheater is not a part of the Village nor is it a dog park. The lease for the Festival Area and clubhouse does not include any of these areas. These areas are not on the map because they are not a part of the Village.

There is a sign on the gate that clearly states that past that point, entrance is for construction personnel only. If someone crosses that line, that person is trespassing. When you decide to take a walk in that area, you could be taking your life in your hands. There are construction workers driving around doing the things construction workers do. They are not expecting to see, nor are they looking for you or your pets.

There are signs posted in the Village Festival and common areas stating the area is for members only. There are no such signs in the area of the rodeo arena and amphitheater. The reason is because it isn’t affiliated with the Village. It’s private property. Be safe and cautious and heed the sign.

She Said What?! The Truth About the Sewer Plant

There is yet another rumor floating around the Village. This one relates to the sewer and it has nothing to do with “flushable” wipes (metaphors notwithstanding). This rumor concerns an assessment and some are insisting that the statement was made at the Annual meeting.

It is true that the City of Show Low has expressed interest in acquiring the Village sewer lift station. The City has done an initial inspection and has asked that some things be done so that the lift station complies with City requirements. This has been an ongoing negotiation and the Board has been preparing for the transfer.

In 2015 the Association foreclosed on Lot 30 in Unit 4 for non-payment of dues. The declarant had a mortgage on the lot. This meant that the Association would have to make payments on the lot until it was sold. However, “the declarant forgave the loan as a contribution to the Association to help with the costs to prepare the sewer pressure line and lift station for City acceptance”. This statement came directly from the 2016 Annual Meeting packet under 2015 Accomplishments. If you look at the meeting packet for the 2016 Annual Meeting or if you review the 2016 Annual Meeting Questions and Comments, nothing of this nature was ever said.

It is also true that there have been expenses to maintain the pumps as has been stated here. If you missed that, please refer to “Let’s Talk Dirty – As In Sewer” and “Toilets or Your Money – Pick One”. These costs are related to ongoing maintenance and have nothing to do with preparing the sewer pressure line and lift station for City acceptance. Associations levy assessments when there is an emergency and not enough money to cover it or when the Association has not collected enough over the years to build an adequate reserve fund. Neither of those things is in play in the Village.

The rumor that the Association will be assessing $50,000 (or any amount, for that matter) to prepare the sewer for City acceptance is false. You will only be paying for ongoing maintenance, which, incidentally, is in your budget. Remember that rumor mongers only derive pleasure when someone believes them. Rumors should be flushed down the toilet along with other detrital material.

Drones, Drones Everywhere Drones

The Board continues to work to separate developer issues from Association issues. One of the goals is to implement a separate website for the Association. The clubhouse and festival area are the greatest assets belonging to its members. The Board has hired a professional to take photographs of these areas. So if a drone flies over your head today, don’t be surprised.

Dumpster Diving

No, the Woodfield group is not using the Village dumpsters. There was a miscommunication about adding an extra pickup day during the summer months. We are back on schedule and all should be fine now. The pickup days are Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Thanks so much for your patience.

Festival Area Survey

The Recreational Subdivision Association has an agreement to lease (2007 to 2027) the Festival Area, hiking trails, ponds and exercise stations. In preparation for the eventual transfer of the RSA from developer to residents, the board wanted to have a clear delineation of the boundaries of this area. Any rumors to the contrary notwithstanding, the Festival Area is not going to be sold.

The Sign Was Not Stolen

You might notice that the entrance sign for the Village is missing. We know where it is. A recent routine inspection revealed that the straps holding the sign in place had been damaged by the high winds. It was decided that before the sign fell and smashed a car it should be removed and new straps put in place. It will take several weeks for the repair. Please don’t call the police.

This Rumor is True!

It has been said that The Village – in its entirety – is going to be purchased and turned into a nudist colony. It is true … that rumor did exist and did circulate with some vigor throughout the area. I still remember hearing it while sitting in the old Paint Pony restaurant in Show Low. However, what wasn’t true was the part about being purchased for a nudist colony. It didn’t seem to matter at the time; once the rumor got a foothold, it became true in the minds of some who heard it. I questioned the person who shared it with me and I kept my clothes on. You’re welcome.

Here’s the point. Rumors are a fact of life. Some people seem to live to start them while others seem to live to hear them and pass them on. The Village is obviously not immune to the creation and propagation of insidious and frequently humorous rumors. Recently the word “got out” that some developer was going to be tapping into The Village’s water supply. That rumor turned out to be more garbage than substance, but the ephemeral odor of waste dump persisted briefly in the minds of a few.

With so many residents in The Village, rumors will always take flight. After looking into some of the rumors that have circulated in The Village and tracking them down to their sources, I can say with confidence that many have been innocent. Some have been jokes that escaped their pen. Others have been irresponsibly and insidiously created and spread like a poison on the wind.

Rumors are mostly a projection of the individual who started them.
ROYA R. RAD, Therapy Dialogue

That’s probably a pretty good thing to remember. If a rumor sounds mean, it probably is mean. If it sounds hard to believe, you probably shouldn’t believe it. In an ideal world, truth and kindness would prevail, but until we get there, you’re going to hear things that simply aren’t factual.

This forum is intended to be part of the cure to the rumor malaise. By sharing openly, we hope we can nip malicious rumors in the bud. If you hear one that makes you wonder, here’s your forum to set the record straight. There’s a page on the menu above for comments, questions and answers. Don’t be afraid to take advantage of it.

In the meantime, you can rest easier knowing that a developer is NOT going to steal your water, a monster does NOT live in the pond (reported sightings of Babs Ferguson notwithstanding) and you are NOT going to have to remove your clothes upon entry into The Village.

Woodfield Water

It’s been heard on the street that the Woodfield project is going to be using water from the Village water system. This rumor is false. The Woodfield project is getting metered water directly from the City of Show Low. They tapped into the 8” line at the Park Pineway Shopping Center.