Three neighborhoods in York County VA. have received the 2008 Neighborhood of the Year award.
Villages of Kiln Creek Homeowners' Association received the award for Safety. The Kiln Creek association was chosen for numerous initiatives that have or soon will result in improved safety for their community, including successfully reducing the level of speeding and hit and run incidents in the neighborhood by posting additional signs about the fines associated with speeding, and installing security cameras to monitor the area and deter would-be criminals.
Kiln Creek also holds regular crime watch meetings and has started an email list to enable crime watch captains and residents to share information when anything happens in the neighborhood.
Running Man Community Association's was selected for the Neighborhood Cooperation and Spirit award. The Running Man association holds many successful community events throughout the year, including a Bicycle Rodeo, an Annual Easter Egg Hunt, Halloween Parade, Annual Yard Sale, block parties and at Christmastime, the Luminary Gift to the County, in which almost 100 percent of the homes participate.
In addition to scheduled community events, residents of the Running Man community are often seen running and walking in their neighborhood, waving hello to neighbors working in their yards. Many neighbors are involved with the Neighborhood Watch program, and several are very active in county service.
Yorkshire Downs Master Association received the award for Beautification. Over the past year, Yorkshire Downs' Board of Directors has actively pursued all options within the budget to increase the aesthetics of the community. As well as undertaking ongoing maintenance and repairs within the community, the association has restored a number of areas such as the club house, swimming pool, bridge and retention pond.
One of the larger projects included the installation of new playgrounds and lighting at both the swimming pool and town homes locations. But the largest and most impressive single project is the installation of a walking pier and reinforcement of a bulk head behind Clydesdale Drive. The intention of this installation was to reduce severe shoreline erosion, which has become quite a hazardous issue for residents over time. The walking pier is not only a creative resolution to safety-related problems, but also serves to further improve the appearance of the community.
The York County Virginia Neighborhood of the Year awards program were initiated in 2002 following a request by several homeowner associations to recognize and highlight the efforts of the county's homeowners to improve their communities.
I applaud all of these communities for their awards. Being a board member and active volunteer in my own neighborhood Windsor Forest) in Williamsburg/ James City County VA. I understand how difficult it can be to get things accomplished in a neighborhood.
