Verde Valley News – Celebrating their 50th anniversary all year, this month’s Verde Village Property Owner Association (VVPOA) fundraising dinner event on Friday, June 24 features a one-hour hula show performed by the Cottonwood-based Hālau Hula Nāpuaokaleiʻilima under the direction of Kumu Hula Kēhau Chrisman. Enjoy a Hawaiian dinner menu (or a vegan menu choice is available) at 5PM and entertainment beginning at 6PM. All monthly dinners are open to the public.
The Verde Village Property Owner Association (VVPOA) organized back in the 1970’s as a “Property Owners Association”, which is different from a HOA (Home Owners Association), as membership is completely voluntary and no one is forced to join or pay mandatory fees. VVPOA maintains the Community Center consisting of a Main Hall, Kitchen, Ranch Room and seasonal swimming pool. VVPOA annual membership is $60.00 where members receive a discount on using the pool, a 20% discount to rent the main Hall or Ranch Room for events such as wedding receptions, birthdays, etc., and discounts on any of the various programs and classes held at the center. A monthly newsletter is sent to all VVPOA residents advising them of all activities, events, and classes available at the center.
For the last 50 years, VVPOA is grateful for the many volunteers who have worked hard to maintain the properties deeded by the Queen Creek Cattle Company as part of the original settlement. These include the Main Hall, the Ranch Room, the pool, the pond located on Del Rio Drive and 3 acres of land by the Verde River which is now a Nature Preserve. Two tracts zoned as parks have never been developed due to lack of funds or interest by the community. Other assets were sold to keep the Association sustainable.
In the 2020 census, Verde Village counts for 4,912 households totaling 12,019 residents. However, VVPOA membership in 2022 is about 400. Increased membership is encouraged and can help the Association continue to provide much-needed services to the VVPOA community.
In 2021, when COVID declined and it was safer to resume activities, Hālau Hula Nāpuaokaleiʻilima inquired about holding their weekly hula classes at the Center. This was a very welcomed addition to reopening the center. As a result, more activities and classes have been added, such as bingo, yoga, Tai Chi and much more. Find out more about the Verde Village Property Owners Association at their website https://vvpoa.net/
The cost for the dinner and entertainment is $15 per person, payable at the door. Please RSVP by June 20th online at vvpoa.net/rsvp or phone (928) 646-6505 and leave your name, phone number and meal choice. To learn more about the dinner events and other activities at VVPOA, call the VVPOA Community Center at (928) 646-6505 and leave a voicemail message, or email VVPOARoundUpNewsletter@gmail.
Hālau Hula Nāpuaokaleiʻilima, established in 2004, holds various hula classes at the VVPOA Community Center based on the level of hula knowledge previously known by the student. For more information about Hālau Hula Napuaokaleiʻilima, visit their website at https://arizonahula.com. To learn more about the hula classes offered, contact Kēhau Chrisman at (928) 639-4683 (please leave a message) or email HulaIsAloha@gmail.com
