Hello, Team LMOA!

Thank you for reading LMOA’s official news update. Continue reading to learn about important organizational changes, next week’s board meeting, pickleball, and more! Also, be sure to check out the water safety tip at the bottom and take advantage of another free boating safety course!

Chief Wells Leaving LMOA: After three years as LMOA’s Director of Public Safety, David Wells will leave in August and return to his previous role as Chief Deputy at the Fluvanna County Sheriff’s Office. He will still support our Lake community through his county position, as the Lake Monticello Police Department works closely with the Sheriff’s Office. Starting July 28th, Officer Jim Mooney will serve as Interim Director of Public Safety and Police Chief. With over 30 years of law enforcement experience, Officer Mooney will oversee police, security, and barcodes. Additionally, Rebecca Mathews, our HR Director, will support the Residential Standards operation to ensure ongoing service and support for the community. We thank Chief Wells for his hard work, dedication, and leadership serving LMOA, and are confident he will excel in his new role.

Fireworks: We are excited to announce that fireworks will return to the Lake at a new location—the Lake Monticello Golf Course! Before next year’s big 250th celebration on July 4, 2026, we want to test this new spot with a 15-minute fireworks display and kick off Labor Weekend. The show will begin at 8 PM on August 28, 2025, firing from the dam behind the cart barn at the golf course. More details about viewing and parking spots will be shared soon, once staff and volunteers finalize the logistics plan. The decision to hold the fireworks on Thursday was made to reduce disruption to golf operations and revenue during one of the busiest weekends of the year. Additionally, there is still foliage in the trees, which will help us identify the best viewing locations more accurately. This test run provides LMOA with an opportunity to practice and refine the event plan for a larger Independence Day celebration in 2026. We thank everyone for their patience and hope you will come out to enjoy the show.

July Board Meeting: Our next LMOA Board of Directors meeting is on Thursday at 7 PM in the Fairway Clubhouse (51 Bunker Blvd.). Here are some tips on how to follow along:

• How to Watch: If you can’t make it in person, no worries! Our volunteer-run Broadcast Group records open sessions so you can still join in. You can watch it live on Comcast Channel 977 or on YouTube. We also keep the recordings available on lmoa.org for two months, so you’ll have plenty of time to tune in later. These recordings are posted within a day or two of the meeting on the member side of the website under Board Meeting Details.

• Sign up to Speak: If you’re interested in sharing your feedback with BOD, this can only be done by attending in person. Please fill out the sign-up form HERE. If you have comments after the meeting, you can contact the board by logging into lmoa.org and clicking on the link CONTACT THE BOARD in the brown toolbar.

• How to Prepare for a Board Meeting: You can find the Board Meeting Agenda and Packet by logging into lmoa.org and selecting Board Meeting Details under the GOVERNANCE tab.

• If you have any other questions, please email me at [email protected]. Looking forward to seeing you there!

Pickleball: Today, about 40 people signed up to play pickleball at the Ashlawn Racquet Sports Courts! On Fridays, courts are divided by skill level for a more enjoyable game. Would you like to join the growing pickleball community at Lake Monticello? You can enjoy the sport in three easy ways: pay to play at Ashlawn Courts, play for free at Lafayette Park, or participate in open gym at Carysbrook Gym in Fluvanna County. For more details on county pickleball, see page 7 of the Parks & Recs Guide HERE.
Lake Monticello’s Ashlawn and Lafayette Courts both have pickleball and tennis lines. The Ashlawn Courts are equipped with both types of nets, but at Lafayette, you’ll need to lower the tennis nets for pickleball. Whether you play tennis or pickleball at Ashlawn, be sure to schedule in advance via playtimescheduler.com. Details on paying for and booking court time at Ashlawn are HERE. Visitors are welcome at Ashlawn Courts but must be accompanied by an LMOA Member and pay a $6 daily fee. Please bring cash and leave it in the dropbox near the courts.

Championship Weekend: Calling all golfers! The Annual Championship Weekend is on July 26 and 27, and registration is open. Open the link HERE to learn more!

Fall Election Season Reminder: Our Field Inspector, Reece Peck, let us know we’re starting to see political signs popping up around the community for the fall elections. This is a friendly reminder that political signs are permitted STARTING September 14th. If you’ve already placed a sign, we kindly ask that you remove it until the allowed date. Thank you for helping us maintain a fair and orderly environment for everyone.

WATER SAFETY TIP OF THE WEEK
brought to you by the Volunteer Water Safety Team

Did you know that the US Coast Guard's 2024 Recreational Boating Statistics Report was published on July 1st? It stated that boating fatalities fell 1.4% from 564 to 556 deaths, although boating accidents increased 2.1% from 2126 to 2170. The leading contributors to death are:
1) alcohol consumption and
2) lack of boating safety instruction.
During this time period, paddleboard deaths increased. 84% of those were due to drowning because the victims were not wearing life jackets.
Let's continue to stay safe at Lake Monticello by following basic safety guidelines, wearing a life jacket, limiting alcohol consumption, and taking a VA Boating Safety Course. The next FREE course will be offered on Sunday, July 27th, at the LM Water Rescue Training Room! There are still a few seats left, so if interested, you can register using this link: https://www.register-ed.com/events/view/231124

Have a wonderful weekend!

Kind Regards,

Tom Schauder
LMOA General Manager