by Ann Boon
DEC 21, 2015
I hope you are enjoying the holiday season! Rancho Santa Fe kicked off the holidays in grand style at the Olde Fashioned Christmas on Dec. 4 at The Inn at Rancho Santa Fe. Visitors stepped back in time with traditional holiday activities that included a bonfire with s’mores, carolers from Roger Rowe, a visit from Santa Claus and the lighting of a gorgeous 20-foot Christmas tree. As the tree was lit, our Village came to life with twinkling lights illuminated along Paseo Delicias.
The centerpiece of this wonderful event was a real, honest-to-goodness outdoor skating rink. I love seeing our SoCal kids skating under the stars. The rink at The Inn will be open until Jan. 4, and I encourage you to lace on a pair of skates and take a spin.
On Dec. 5, the festivities continued at the morning Village Vibe Gathering and the afternoon Holiday Marketplace. The Green came alive with more than a dozen curated artisans selling beautiful jewelry, handmade clothing, unique accessories, gourmet olive oils, and delicious chocolates.
Photo Credit: Rancho Santa Fe Village VIBE
I went home with a selection of the most amazing chocolates to give as holiday gifts. A big thank you to our talented “artists in residence” who painted on canvas lovely depictions of Thyme in the Ranch from their artist’s perch on the Green. Gorgeous framed canvas paintings of local scenes were also for sale at the Holiday Marketplace. It was truly an eclectic, exclusive, high-end and uncommon collection of goods. Thanks to the Village VIBE committee for bringing in this unique mix of retailers that operated in concert with our own fabulous and permanent Village merchants.
The Village of Rancho Santa Fe is always a beautiful, historic place to stroll, but never is it more charming than during the holidays. While residents are often encouraged to enjoy their town, I urge you to make it a point to walk our Village blocks during December. You will enjoy our Village decorations and can stop in and see how our merchants have decorated their shops for the season.
We’ve talked a lot lately about revitalizing our Village, and each of us has a role. Revitalization goes well beyond looking at the retail mix and solving our parking issues. At the core of revitalization is supporting the people who run businesses in our town. While it’s easy to drive to the shopping center and shop the ubiquitous stores that make up every mall, it feels a bit more authentic to shop where we live. Not only will you be supporting our valued merchants, but your gifts will be unique, heartfelt and anything but ordinary.
As online shopping continues to pick up speed, there is a movement to support our bricks-and-mortar shops. I know how convenient it is to shop online, but please take an afternoon or evening to visit the businesses that make Rancho Santa Fe home.
You may find a listing of our merchants on our new website at www.rsfassociation.org. If you click on the Village tab at the top of the page, you will find a Village directory that includes retail, dining, service, banking and other businesses. You will also find a map of the Village and a calendar of upcoming Village events. Please stay plugged into what is happening in your town.
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If you have not had a chance yet to visit our new website, I encourage you to do so. In addition to Village news, there is a wealth of information about the Ranch. The community section includes background on safety and fire, parks and trails, water conservation, community contacts, history and more. There are many benefits of living in the Covenant, and our website does a good job of marketing those benefits to those interested in our community.
If you want to better connect with your neighbors, please see our Clubs & Organization section. Here you will find links to our most active and interesting clubs, including the Golf Club, the Tennis Club, the RSF Riding Club, the Garden Club, the Senior Center and more.
If you are thinking about some changes to your home that would require CDRC (Covenant Design Review Committee/Art Jury) approval, you will find guidelines, forms, applications and code information to download.
The website has a private side for members only. Here you will find board and committee agendas and minutes, and other information pertinent to Association members. If you have not registered to vote – and I urge every member to do so – you may find the forms here. Later this month, we will post proposed amendments to the Governing Documents. Voting members will receive ballots on the changes in 2016, so make sure you are registered to vote.
You will need a user name and password to login to the private member side. Please call the Association Offices at 858-756-1174 to get your user name and password.
After logging in for the first time – or if you are a veteran user — we encourage you to change your password to a strong one that you select using letters, numbers and symbols. We have built a secure website and, as with any site on the internet, you need to have a strong password.
Our Association website is linked with the Golf Club website, and so you will login with the same user name and password on both sites. Again, if you have not recently updated your password on the Golf Club or Association site, you are encouraged to do so.
After surfing our website, I encourage you to logoff the internet, put down your mouse, turn off your monitor and head to the Village to enjoy the spirit of the holidays and experience our community up close and personally. The vibrancy of our Village depends on you!
ann.boon@me.com