Happy August, Lovely Lakers!

As the dog days of summer set in, be sure to enjoy these wonderful community events with your neighbors. Happy Planning!
 
July 30 Lake Food Drive: A food drive to help refill local food banks will be organized on July 30 by the Lake’s Gifting Ladies. Residents are asked to place donated food by their mailboxes by 9 AM on Tuesday, and Gifting Ladies will collect it and take it to the food bank. Any kind of non-perishables are welcome, as are checks made out to Fluvanna County Food Bank. Information is available by emailing [email protected].

August 6 & August 14 Newcomers & Old Friends Early Sign-up: "Newcomers and Old Friends is excited to welcome you to the upcoming year of fun and friendship! Early sign-ups will be held at the Bunker Bistro from 5 - 7 PM on Tuesday, August 6, and Wednesday, August 14. Early sign-ups help with better flow at the first monthly meeting. Newcomers & Old Friends is a social club open to all residents of Lake Monticello. Membership is $10 per person for the year. Please plan to come, sign up, and meet the new board. We are excited to see/meet you! We will be collecting school supplies for the county schools, so please grab a few supplies when you are out shopping and plan to drop them off. There will be a raffle drawing at the first meeting of the year at Ashlawn Clubhouse on Sunday, September 15 from 3:30 – 5 PM for those donating school supplies. Come one, come all!" For more information about the club, please read THIS NEWSLETTER. The new board members and club offerings will be posted on lmoa.org under Clubs & Groups soon!
 
August 7 Silver & Gold: This Group is open to all Fluvanna County residents 55 and up and meets on the first Wednesday of each month at the Ashlawn Clubhouse (41 Ashlawn Blvd.) from 10  – 11:30 AM. Contact Peggy Shanklin for more info at [email protected] or (434) 962-2762.

August 10 Groovin’ at the Grove: Join your county neighbors for live music and good food from 5 PM – 7 PM every summer month on the second Saturday at Pleasant Grove Park (271 Pleasant Grove Dr.). On August 10, Tin Can Fish Band will be playing at this community event presented by Fluvanna Parks and Recreation. Entry is free, but bring your wallet for the food trucks - Blue Ridge Pizza and Arepas on Wheels! Find more information HERE.

August 10 Dunbar Schoolhouse Open House Centennial Celebration: Celebrate the building’s 100th Birthday! Learn about Fluvanna County’s rich Black history and the new programs this historic schoolhouse offers. Free history tours will be offered every 15 minutes, with complimentary Italian Ice and cupcakes to celebrate! The event takes place at 2524 Mountain Hill Rd. Palmyra, VA 22963 from 3 – 6 PM. For more events happening in the county, sign up for Fluvanna's FanMail HERE.

August 14 First Day of School: The new school year of the Fluvanna County Public Schools begins soon! Starting August 14, please be aware of children walking to and from the bus stops from about 6 AM - 8:30 AM and from 3 PM - 5 PM. Please be especially careful in the morning when lighting conditions are poor.
 
August 15 Registration Deadline for Fluvanna Leadership Class: Registration for the Fluvanna Leadership Development Program will continue through August 15, but the class fills quickly. It is designed to showcase Fluvanna County’s organizations, services, governance, schools, businesses, infrastructure, etc. In-person classes are every other Thursday, August 22 – April 7 (except holidays) and include opportunities to meet our county’s leaders. Registration costs $75 and includes a free bus tour of the county, lunch, graduation dinner, and snacks at classes.

August 22 Regular Board Meeting:  The LMOA Board of Directors will meet for its regular meeting in the Fairway Clubhouse (51 Bunker Blvd.) at 7 PM. Email Karis Rivera at [email protected] to sign up to speak.

August 21 2025 Budget Preparations: Planning for the 2025 Budget and Fee Schedule starts in August. The work sessions that will occur from August - November are open to all LMOA Members. The first meeting is scheduled to take place in the Ashlawn Clubhouse on August 21 from 1-3 PM. We encourage Members to attend and provide feedback throughout the budget planning process. For more Budget Meeting dates, please visit the FINANCE tab on the member side of LMOA.org.

August 21 The 50th Anniversary of Women's Golf at Lake Monticello: Join LMLGA for their 50th anniversary celebration in the Fairway Room at the Golf Course at 51 Bunker Blvd. from 3-5 PM. This celebration is open to the public. Seating will be limited. Light refreshments will be served. Cost is $15/person. To register, contact Shirley Stewart at [email protected].

August 26 West Coast Swing: The free west coast swing practice session originally planned for Monday, August 12th has changed to Monday, August 26th. The session will be held from 7- 8:30 PM in the Terrace Rooms of the Ashlawn Clubhouse. The first 30 minutes will be a lesson on variations of the push, pass, or whip followed by an hour of beginner-friendly music for open dancing. Dancers are expected to already know their basics (push, pass, and whip). For more information, please contact Kyla at [email protected].

August 29 Hygeia Welness Program: Join Susanne Murtha for Learn How to Live Well and Suffer Less from Chronic Pain. She is a certified pain management coach who will share practical evidence-informed strategies to address pain and update us on some of the newer findings in pain, brain, and body interactions. From 7- 8:15 PM she will also share how to use your own experience to guide you in breaking the cycle of pain. Please note this free workshop will be on a Thursday evening instead of the 3rd Saturday. Register at [email protected].
 
Yoga at Ashlawn: Renata Miller is taking some much-deserved time off in August. Yoga will continue on Thursdays with Cynthia Moore instructing, but there will be no class on Tuesdays. It will be back to normal in September. Thank you for your flexibility!

Watch the Wildlife Committee's Sponsored Black Bear Cubs: When the Wildlife Center of Virginia’s ambassador animal, Marigold the Opossum, passed away, the LMOA Wildlife Committee decided to sponsor the center’s bear cub program. The Wildlife Center of Virginia is the only facility in our state that is permitted to treat black bears. Each year, the Center admits dozens of injured and orphaned black bears, most of them cubs that need assistance. They typically spend close to a year there, growing and learning the skills needed to survive in the wild. The current group of cubs can be watched live on the Center’s “Critter Cams” 2 & 3: https://wildlifecenter.org/critter-corner/critter-cams#.
 
Warm Regards,

Marieke Henry
Communications Director