The Department of Resident Services is pleased to announce that it will reopen for normal business hours, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, on Tuesday, February 15, and looks forward to serving you in person.

But remember, you don’t have to wait in line at Resident Services. There are many tasks you can accomplish from the comfort, safety and convenience of your own home! 

• Process credit card payments, submit service requests, check account balances, print account statements, update emergency contacts and review resident and vehicle information at portal.lagunawoodsvillage.com. 
• Register guests for daily passes and overnight parking permits 24/7/365 with DwellingLive at lagunawoodsvillage.com/passes or download the app at Google Play or the App Store. 
• View frequently called Laguna Woods Village numbers at lagunawoodsvillage.com/contact.  
• Email your questions or schedule an appointment at residentservices@vmsinc.org.

For more Village news, click on the tag “What’s Up in the Village” below.

Love is in the air, and the Recreation and Special Events Department is pleased to offer a special Valentine’s Day event Monday, February 14, at Clubhouse 5, with dinner catered by Martinez and entertainment provided by Close Harmony.

Martinez’s dinner menu features your choice of prime rib or salmon Florentine, baked potato with chives and sour cream, rolls and butter, chocolate mousse cake with strawberry slices, coffee and tea. Doors open at 5 p.m., dinner and the GRF no-host bar begin at 5:30 p.m. Tickets, which are $44 per person, are on sale now in the Clubhouse 5 office. 

Call 949-597-4382 or email recreation@vmsinc.org for more information.

For more Village news, click on the tag “What’s Up in the Village” below.

The new trash hauler for Laguna Woods and Laguna Woods Village, CR&R Inc. (CR&R), would like to share a letter with residents to provide an update regarding the recent transition in waste and recycling services—and address some of the challenges encountered during this period, including COVID-19 impacts, missed collections, service delays and long wait times to speak with its customer service staff.

Further, CR&R stated that it understands the desire for a successful organic recycling program and strongly believes that the coming weeks will provide relief as more CR&R staff recover and return to work. 

Click here to read the letter from CR&R.

Please Do Not Move Organic Recycling Bins

CR&R has recently received multiple complaints regarding residents putting green waste carts in their cars to move them to different locations. Please do not move organic waste recycling carts from their intended locations. Successful routing and collection of organic waste is based on the web map developed by the City of Laguna Woods and CR&R, and residents refer to that map in order to locate the organic cart closest to them.

Where to Find Organic Recycling Bins

To view organic recycling cart locations, visit cityoflagunawoods.org/LWVorganics to access an interactive map of organic cart locations or access a printable map.

If you have trash, recycling and organics recycling questions, concerns or requests, please email CR&R at LagunaWoods-Recycles@CRRmail.com or call 949-625-6735. 

For more Village news, click on the tag “What’s Up in the Village” below.

Today, previous VMS Chief Operating Officer Siobhan Foster assumed the position of CEO/General Manager upon Jeff Parker’s retirement on February 3. As VMS moves forward, Foster expressed her excitement at the opportunity to lead the company.

“One of my main goals is to strive every day to inspire the organization and the Village community with a positive, service- and results-oriented approach,” says Foster. “Further, I am eager to guide VMS’ talented team as we work to enhance the customer experience and quality of Village life for all who live here. While this is no small endeavor, VMS’ exceptional senior management will set the example and focus team efforts on our simple yet profound guiding force—a commitment to excellence and a dedication to service. My tenure as VMS’ COO has earned me a reputation of a “woman of action” among directors from GRF, Third, United and VMS boards, and I, along with the entire VMS team, am poised to take customer care and service delivery to greater levels.” 

Please see below to view VMS’ modified organizational structure. 

• Carlos Rojas joined the CEO’s Office as Director of Operations. He will be working closely with the Departments of General Services, Landscaping Services, Security Services and Maintenance and Construction focusing on responsiveness and enhancement of customer experience and service delivery in these key areas.
• Catherine Laster assumed the position of Services Manager, and will oversee Corporate Secretaries, Records Management, Community Services and Operational Audits. Catherine also will assist the Department of Recreation and Special Events with the pandemic-related challenges it continues to face and in enhancing the department’s service and financial sectors
• Steve Hormuth assumed the permanent Director of Financial Services role; Jose Campos assumed a newly created Assistant Director position, focusing on financial planning and processes. Steve and Jose’s proactive and positive leadership will help shape financial health of the Village moving forward

For more Village news, click on the tag “What’s Up in the Village” below.

The Recreation and Special Events Department is pleased to announce that the pickleball/paddle tennis lighting project is nearing its end. On Thursday, February 3, the lighting contractor, Ferandell, installed the new additional light fixtures. Just a few items remain, such as installation of parameter electrical conduits, electrical wiring, finalizing the electrical connections to the power supply and testing. The department anticipates the lights to be operable by the end of next week.   

Also, please remember that a court reservation through the online reservation system Kourts is no longer required to enjoy a great game of pickleball. For questions, please email the Recreation and Special Events Department office at recreation@vmsinc.org. 

 For more Village news, click on the tag “What’s Up in the Village” below.

If you love the Village and can’t stop sharing its many wonderful qualities with others, you might want to consider becoming a docent tour volunteer who, with GRF support and VMS coordination, leads interactive community tours for prospective and new residents.

Village tour docents are trained resident volunteers who provide a vital link between the Village and an audience who wants to discover all the community has to offer. GRF and VMS are looking for enthusiastic volunteers to join our roster of dedicated docents who inform and enhance guests’ first impressions of this wonderful community.

As part of the community’s outreach program, Village tour docents lead fun and informative tours that start in the Community Center with a warm welcome, a short video, a tour of the Community Center and then wrap up with a bus tour (on a Village bus) that stops at select points of interest.

Prospective docents participate in a training course and observe experienced docents in action. Currently, new volunteer docents can expect to lead a tour once every six to eight weeks. 

If you would like to meet new people and serve the community you love, apply to be a Village docent tour volunteer today!

For more information, please email Ellyce Rothrock at Ellyce.Rothrock@vmsinc.org.

For more Village news, click on the tag “What’s Up in the Village” below. 

GRF Broadband Services finalized the removal of analog television programming in 2018, but challenges remain for residents without a set-top box. Many with digital televisions plugged directly into the coaxial cable wall outlet may experience channels showing up at the wrong number and the need to rescan for missing channels. 

Residents with digital televisions might need to rescan their channels to get them to map to the correct channel number. Not all make and models are the same, so refer to your specific users guide for instructions. You can find instructions about how to do this for three of the leading television manufacturers here:

• Samsung TV
• Sony TV
• Vizio TV

However, the best solution available is to rent a set-top box for $13.25 per month, which will immediately provide the following benefits:

• Channels will map to the correct number
• No more rescans when changes are made
• Enjoy an interactive guide to replace Channel 3
• Use whole-number channels, not subchannels

For questions or information about renting a set-top-box, please contact Broadband Services at 949-837-2670 or visit lagunawoodsvillage.com/amenities/media-services/cable.

For more Village news, click on the tag “What’s Up in the Village” below.

The Recreation and Special Events Department is pleased to announce its 2022 season at the Performing Arts Center.   

• Stevie Nicks Illusion, March 12. The most authentic-sounding tribute to Stevie Nicks and Fleetwood Mac playing hits from the ’70s and ’80s—tickets on sale now!
• Black Market Trust, April 2. An American traditional pop/vocal jazz group from Los Angeles who combine the sounds of legendary American crooners and vocal groups—tickets on sale now!
• Blinded by the Blues, May 14. A high-powered blues band dedicated to Chicago-style West Coast blues with some Texas Shuffle and a touch of good old Rockabilly and Chuck Berry
• SouthBound and Company, July 9. Bringing the best of classic rock bands, including Skynyrd & Frynds, The Buddy Holly Review and Born on the Bayou
• Queen Nation, August 20. The West Coast’s longest-running, most authentic, fully costumed re-creation of a vintage Queen concert 
• Ronstadt Revival, September 17. The premiere tribute to Linda Ronstadt, with a full seven-piece band, to bring you the authentic sound of the Ronstadt catalog
• Who’s Zeppelin, October 1. One band, two iconic tributes to The Who and Led Zeppelin
• New Year’s Eve, December 31. Ring in the New Year at the PAC with a special show.

Tickets vary by show and go on sale 90 days prior to the performance. Visit tickets.lagunawoodsvillage.com to create an account and conveniently purchase and print PAC tickets at home. No printer? No problem! Show a smartphone screenshot of your purchase at the box office or, at checkout, select the option to pick up your tickets at the PAC box office. Tickets also can be purchased at the PAC box office, which is open Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 9 a.m. to noon. 

Click the orange Download PDF button below to view/download the PAC 2022 season flyer. For more information, call 949-597-4288 or email recreation@vmsinc.org.

For more Village news, click on the tag “What’s Up in the Village” below.