The Sun Breaks Through for Our 13th Annual Picnic!

More than 200 Green Meadows West homeowner-members braved cloudy weather and an occasional raindrop at the neighborhood's 13th Annual Picnic in the Park Sun., Sept. 9.

While adults relaxed and listened to live music by Zachary Freedom, kids ran and played on inflatable play equipment—a bounce house shaped like a big barn, and a super giant slide!

There were also colorful face-painting and glittery fake tattoos by the artists at Princesses and Pirates Face Painting!

The Johnston Police Department gave tours of its patrol vehicles, and presented young people with shiny badge stickers! Jedi Master Yoda was on ride-along!

Catering was by Glenda Reiling & Friends, professional rent-a-chef services!

For more photos, visit the Green Meadows West Facebook page here!

Thanks for helping make the Green Meadows West neighborhood a fun and friendly place to live!

Join Us Sept. 10 for 'Picnic in the Park' 2017!

Join Your Neighbors at 10th Annual Picnic Sept. 11!

The 10th Annual Green Meadows West “Picnic in the Park” event will be held Sun., Sept. 11, from 4 to 7 p.m. The picnic will take place ear the neighborhood’s signature gazebo located on the association’s privately maintained "Dover Park." Other days, the park is available for rental through the association manager.

A free catered barbecue pork or chicken dinner by Hy-Vee will be served to association members and families.

Live music will be provided The Nancy's. Inflatable play equipment for younger children will include a bounce house, obstacle course, and giant slide. There will also be face-painting.

Volleyball nets and balls will be provided. Or bring your family's favorite yard game!

Sponsors of the event include Charter Bank and Flooring America.

City departments–including fire, police, library, and other personnel–will also be available to meet with Green Meadows West neighbors during the event.

See you there!

Save the date! 2015 'Picnic in the Park' is Sept. 13!

The 9th Annual Green Meadows West “Picnic in the Park” event will be held Sun., Sept. 13, from 4 to 7 p.m., near the neighborhood’s signature gazebo located on the association’s privately maintained “Dover Park.” Other days, the park is available for rental through the association manager.

A free catered barbecue pork or chicken dinner by Hy-Vee will be served to association members and families.

Live music will be provided The Black Bird Circus, a pick-up combo featuring local folk, rock, and other artists, headed up by musician Steve Kowbel.

Inflatable play equipment for younger children will include a bounce house, obstacle course, and giant slide.

Our growing list of sponsors includes: Charter Bank, Flooring America, Jimmy Johns, and Veridian Credit Union.

City leaders and staff–including fire, police, and other personnel–will also be available to meet with Green Meadows West neighbors during the event. Library staff will conduct an interactive story time for younger kids.

See you there!

Picnic with Your Neighbors Sun., Sept. 14

Live music, door prizes, inflatable play equipment, and barbecue dinner for association members will be highlights of the 8th Annual Green Meadows West “Picnic in the Park” event, Sun., Sept. 14, from 4 to 7 p.m. The event will take place near the neighborhood’s signature gazebo, located on the association’s privately maintained "Dover Park."

Music will be provided The Black Bird Circus, a pick-up combo featuring local folk, rock, and other artists, headed up by musician Steve Kowbel.

Inflatable play equipment for younger children will include a bounce house, obstacle course, and giant slide.

A catered barbecue pork or chicken dinner, catered by Texas Roadhouse, will be served free to association members and families. Dinner will include chips, cookie, and bottled water. Table service and hand-sanitizer will also be provided.

When signing into the event, be sure to register for door prizes graciously donated by these event sponsors:

• Regus: $750 gift basket of Regus-logo'd golf and office supplies—plus 5 days' office or 2 days' meeting room usage at the Foxboro Square location!

• Flooring America: 4x $50 gift cards to Best Buy!

• Massage Heights: Massage valued at $50!

• Jimmy John's: 2x $10 gift certificates!

City of Johnston elected leaders and professional staff–including fire, police, library, and public works departments–will also be invited to meet with Green Meadows West neighbors during the event.

See you there!

Save the Date: Sept. 14 Will Be Our Annual 'Picnic in the Park'!

The 8th Annual Green Meadows West “Picnic in the Park” event will be held Sun., Sept. 14, from 4 to 7 p.m., near the neighborhood’s signature gazebo located on the association’s privately maintained “Dover Park.” Other days, the park is available for rental through the association manager.

There will be live music, and the event will again feature inflatable play equipment for younger children, including a bounce house, obstacle course, and giant slide. A free catered barbecue dinner will be served to association members and families.

City leaders and staff–including fire, police, library, and public works personnel–will also be invited to meet with Green Meadows West neighbors during the event.

Five Friendly Springtime Reminders about Your Covenants

It's spring, and finally time to get back outdoors! As you're cleaning up your yards, landscaping and gardening, or just enjoying walking or biking around, here are a few reminders to help keep our Green Meadows West neighborhood looking good and playing safe. Covenants for each plat are downloadable here. If you have questions about covenant interpretation or enforcement, please do not hesitate to contact the association manager.

Remember:

• Recycling and garbage containers must be stored away from public view. Please do not leave containers on driveways or in visible side yard locations.

• Recreational vehicles, boats, tents, and trailers may only be located within public view at a residence a cumulative total of seven (7) days per year.

• Dumping of any kind in neighborhood common areas is not allowed. Broken concrete and other garbage pose safety hazards to grounds maintenance personnel. Even "clean" dirt can carry invasive seeds into our prairie and other low-maintenance areas. If you observe dumping in progress, please call law enforcement authorities. License plate numbers help.

• Unless otherwise temporarily specified by the association, signs for contractors, garage and yard sales, political candidates, sports teams, and other purposes may not be placed in neighborhood common areas. This includes areas such as boulevards, entrances, parks, prairies, and no-mow areas.

• With increased bicycle, foot, and other traffic in the neighborhood, automobile drivers should continue to observe all speed limits and stop signs. Motorized vehicles are not allowed on trails through the neighborhood, which are governed by city ordinance.

Plan for a Safe and Secure Holiday Season!

As holiday vacations and observances approach, remember to plan ahead for the safety of your family and property. Here are few helpful reminders regarding decorations and preparations:

• Do not hang lighting or signs on association property, including streetlamp posts. Tape and other materials cause damage to paint, increasing your association's maintenance costs.

• Do not leave candles lit for long periods unobserved.

• Ensure fire extinguishers in your home are charged and well-maintained. Place them within reach but outside of stovetop and other high-risk areas. Test smoke alarms, and change batteries as needed. 

• If you and your family are leaving your home for an extended time, use lamp timers to make the house appear occupied in your absence. Request a "mail hold" from the U.S. Postal Service, so that mail doesn't stack up. Advise your neighbors that you may be out of town, so they can watch your house. Arrange for someone to pick up package deliveries, or to clear your driveway and sidewalks if it snows. Using a "vacation watch" form, you even also request the Johnston Police Department make occasional and random trips past your house.

• Finally, if you're traveling by car, make sure to pack a winter weather survival kit. Include items such as blankets, snow shovels, ice scrapers, cell phone chargers, and flashlights for use in roadside emergencies.

Have a safe and enjoyable holiday!

Thanks for Attending Our Annual Picnic!

A few hundred Green Meadows West neighbors braved somewhat blustery weather conditions Sunday afternoon, making the annual "Picnic in the Park" its usual success. The event took place near the gazebo located on the association's "Dover Park."

A free catered barbecue dinner by Texas Roadhouse, Johnson, was served to homeowners' association members and families.

Adults listened to the alternative-country-rock sounds of Polk City band Patterson 216, while kids played on a giant inflatable slide, bounce house, and obstacle course. Staff from Johnston Public Library read stories to the children, while Johnston fire and police personnel visited with kids.

Photographs of the event are posted at the neighborhood's Facebook page here and here. There is also a 30-second panoramic video of the event below. A higher-resolution version is also on Facebook here.

This Sunday, Sept. 15: Our 7th Annual Picnic in the Park!

The 7th Annual Green Meadows West “Picnic in the Park” event will be held Sun., Sept. 15, from 4 to 7 p.m., near the neighborhood’s signature gazebo located on the association’s privately maintained “Dover Park.” Members are reminded that the publicly accessible private park is available for rental through the association manager.

The event will again feature inflatable play equipment for younger children, including a bounce house, obstacle course, and giant slide. Johnston police and fire department personnel will visit after 5 p.m.

A free catered barbecue dinner by Texas Roadhouse, Johnson, will be served to association members and families. Menu includes BBQ Chicken Sandwich or BBQ pork sandwich, and chips. Water and cookies are provided by Hy-Vee.

New this year will be performances by Patterson 216, a Polk City-based four-piece band offering “alternative and indie influences that morph into an Alt Country sound with an unmistakable groove.” The group promises to play plenty of covers and “keep it pretty chill.”

 “Like" our neighborhood's Facebook page by Sept. 22, and get an opportunity to win a $25 grocery card!

Johnston Police Monitoring Neighborhood Speed Limits, Intersections

Johnston police officials are increasing patrols within the Green Meadows West community this summer, helping to encourage compliance with 25 mph speed limits and full stops at neighborhood intersections.

Areas of concentration include, but are not limited to:

• Intersection of King’s Row and Windsor Parkway
• Intersection of Chambery Boulevard and Foxboro Road
• Chambery Boulevard, east- and westbound
• Foxboro Road, north- and southbound

Speed-enforcement trailers, which serve as non-ticketing reminders to passing motorists, may be incorporated into the effort later this summer or next spring.

More than 300 Attend Annual Neighborhood Picnic

More than 300 Green Meadows West neighbors participated in the 6th Annual Picnic-in-the-Park Sun., Sept. 9, 2012. Children enjoyed inflatable play equipment, including a bounce house, obstacle course, and giant slide.

 "We started the Picnic-in-the-Park as an annual thank-you to our homeowner-members, and as a showcase of one of the amenities that makes our neighborhood unique in the Greater Des Moines area," says Randy Brown, current president of the homeowners association board. "As a private park that accessible to the public, the gazebo and Dover Park are sort of a 'welcome mat' for our neighborhood. It's used for everything from weddings to soccer practices."

The event coincided with the City of Johnston's 2nd Annual "Night with the Neighbors" program, in which city officials and staff meet with Johnston residents. In addition to Johnston Mayor Paula Dierenfeld, herself a Green Meadows West neighbor, representatives of the fire, police, and public works departments made themselves available for questions and comments.

Each department also brought along equipment for neighborhood children to see up close.

Sponsored by the Johnston Library, the children's storybook character Silly Sally read to children under some of the Dover Park trees.

An album of event photos is available on the Green Meadows West Homeowners Association Facebook page.

Thanks to the Texas Roadhouse (Urbandale-Johnston) for providing the menu of pulled-pork or chicken-breast sandwiches, and chips. The Johnston Hy-Vee provided cookies and bottled water. The Johnston Station Jazz Band provided music.