2019 Fall Newsletter
Village Oaks Common Areas Association
Welcome to the Village Oaks digital newsletter, thank you for checking it out! In this newsletter, you will find details about our fall activities and neighborhood news. There are links to sign up and volunteer this fall for our events too.

Halloween Costume Party
Sunday, Oct. 27th, 4-6pm
22859 Brook Forest
Novi, MI
Family-friendly costume party! We will have games, crafts, and snacks!
Bring your driver's license or valid 2019 pool pass for check-in. All Guests $3.00 a person.
Adult Game Night Party
Saturday, Nov. 9th, 7-10pm
22859 Brook Forest
Novi, MI
Come over to the clubhouse for a night of cards, pool, Jenga, cornhole... Please bring an appetizer/sweet to share and BYOB.
Sign Up To Volunteer For Our Fall Activities!
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080948A4AC2BA6FA7-halloween
Adult game night party Signup genius
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080948A4AC2BA6FA7-adult
Send an email to the office or activites@vocaa.com
Halloween Info and Safety Tips
On October 31, thousands of costumed children will take to Novi streets looking for treats. The recommended trick or treat hours in Novi are between 6:00 pm and 8:00 pm.
With all the excitement of Halloween, Police Chief David Molloy reminds residents that the major dangers of the evening come from falls and pedestrian/car accidents, and it is extremely important to follow safety rules. "The men and women of the Novi Police Department always strive to partner with our residents to provide the children of Novi with the safest possible environment to celebrate the time-honored tradition of trick-or-treating," said Chief Molloy. "If the following safety rules are adhered to, it will allow officers to patrol our neighborhoods to resolve problems before they arise."
Chief Molloy points out that Halloween poses special risks to young pedestrians. Children engaged in "trick or treat" activities frequently cross streets at mid-block rather than at corners or crosswalks, putting them at risk for pedestrian injury. Also, many parents overestimate children's street-crossing skills. Children are likely to choose the shortest rather than the safest route across streets, often darting out between parked cars. Also, young children do not evaluate potential traffic threats effectively, cannot anticipate driver behavior, and process sensory information more slowly than adults.
Halloween Trick-or-Treating Safety Tips
Children should:
When walking in neighborhoods, Children should:
- Use flashlights, stay on sidewalks and avoid crossing yards.
- Cross streets at the corner, use crosswalks (where they exist) and do not cross between parked cars.
- Stop at all corners and stay together in a group before crossing.
- Wear clothing that is bright, reflective, and flame retardant.
- Consider using face paint instead of masks. (Masks can obstruct a child's vision.)
- Avoid wearing hats that will slide over their eyes.
- Avoid wearing long, baggy, or loose costumes or oversized shoes (to prevent tripping).
- Look left, right, and left again before crossing the street.
Parents and adults should:
Parents and adults should ensure the safety of pedestrian trick-or-treaters:
And a few tips about pumpkins:
Parents are encouraged to share these tips with their children to ensure a safe and enjoyable evening for the entire family.
Important VOCAA Neighborhood Information
Lake Residents
With the end of summer & the approach of fall, leaves will soon be coming down around our lakes. Residents are reminded that the lakes are not dumping grounds for leaves, lawn clippings, trash, or animal waste (yes, it was reported that one "good neighbor" was disposing of their dog's waste in the water!)
Plenty of organic matter will find its way into the water naturally, but using the lakes to dispose of anything adds unnecessary organic material to the water, which aggravates the algae problem we already face.
Please don't contribute to the algae growth, and advise your contractors.
If you see someone dumping leaves, grass clippings, animal waste, or anything else, you can report it to Novi Code Enforcement officers at (include the offending address) 248-735-5678. The City code 21-165 prohibits dumping anything in any body of water.Fall yard waste
Yard waste is collected once per week from the first Monday in April through the Friday of the last week in November.
Yard waste includes plant material such as leaves, grass clippings, small twigs, prunings, shrub clippings, garden materials, old potting soil, pumpkins, dirt incidental to minor plantings or edging of lawns, small shrubs with dirtball removed, branches, brush, flowers, roots, wood waste, and other material commonly thrown away in the course of maintaining yards and gardens. This includes sod and other biodegradable matter. This does not include soil, any garbage, food, plastic, synthetic fibers, lumber, human, or animal waste.
All bundles of yard waste are not to exceed 4 feet in length, must be bundled using string, cannot exceed 18 inches around, and cannot weigh more than 60 pounds.
Place yard waste into a paper yard waste bag or reusable container no larger than 35 gallons. Yard waste placed in plastic bags will be left uncollected by Waste Management.
Free, self-adhesive yard waste stickers can be obtained from the Novi Department of Public Works or the Novi Civic Center.
Construction on Cranbrooke Drive bridge
Map of construction and detours:
Clubhouse Parking Lot
The parking lot is for those who rent out the clubhouse or are using the pool. NO overnight parking or overflow parking for your residence allowed. Violators will be towed.
Bike Riders and Walkers
Please remember to ride your bike or walk on the side of the street. Parents, please remind your children of this as many kids like to ride their bikes in the middle of the road. Let's be courteous to all!
Clubhouse Dumpster
The dumpster is for use of the VOCAA Clubhouse and Pool ONLY!!! All residents are now billed through their summer and winter taxes for trash removal. Please place items at the side of your driveway and do not dump it into the dumpster.
Boats, RVs, Commercial Vehicles
Remember that these items are not allowed to be stored in driveways or on the street for more than 72 hours. This is directly addressed in our Homeowners Covenants and City of Novi ordinances, so please abide by them.
All of the subdivision covenants and bylaws are located on the website for residents to view and print if needed.
The VOCAA Clubhouse
The Clubhouse is available for rent to residents in good standing. Contact the Clubhouse office for reservations and rental information.
Village Oaks Common Areas Association
Board of Directors
Kendall Joy……………………………..…........Chairman
Gary Gaughan ……………………...............Vice Chairman
Sal Portuesi........................................Secretary
Maggie Harder...................................Treasurer
Matt Christopherson.........................Board Member
Barbara Clayton…………………...….........Board Member
Julie Endres.......................................Board Member
Kathy Fenchel……………………..…...........Board Member
Shirley George...................................Board Member
Judy Halvorsen.................................Board Member
Jennifer Loiselle...............................Board Member
Kadria Portuesi.................................Board Member
Jason Roller......................................Board Member
Katie Soboleski.................................Board Member
Dave Staudt......................................Board Member
Committee Chairs
Activities..........................................Jennifer Loiselle
Architectural Control........................Sal Portuesi
Facilities...........................................Julie Endres
Lakes………........................................Gary Gaughan
Pool..................................................Matt Christopherson
Public Relations………………..…...........Jason Roller
Clubhouse & Commons Areas
Business and Facilities Manager………..Jim Eagan
Business Office Hours
Monday......................................9:00 am to 4:00 pm Tuesday.....................................................CLOSED
Wednesday................................9:00 am to 4:00 pm
Thursday ...................................9:00 am to 4:00 pm
Friday, Saturday & Sunday........................CLOSED
IMPORTANT CITY OF NOVI CONTACT NUMBERS
Contact the Novi Ordinance Enforcement Officers 248-735-5678 with questions or concerns regarding:
Graffiti, fences, weeds or un-mowed lawns, dumpster or storage containers, litter and storage of trash receptacles, inoperable, unlicensed or scrap vehicles, commercial vehicles parked in residential zone, zoning violations, home occupations, recreational vehicle storage, public sidewalk snow removal, firewood storage, compost piles, excessive pets (more than 3 dogs or cats/dwelling), failure to pick up animal waste, soil erosion and runoff, open and/or unsafe structure.
Contact the Novi Department of Public Service 248-735-5640 with concerns regarding Maintenance of City Streets and Traffic Devices, Water, and Sewer issues.