News and Events
- Rare Bird Alert in the VGRC! Great White Herons!What’s odd about the birds in this nest? The parent is a Great Blue Heron – Blue Morph. The two chicks are White Morphs (subspecies) which are very rare for this part of Florida. Both parents are Blue Morphs which makes it even more intriguing. Some recessive genes at work. Photos by Nancy… Read more: Rare Bird Alert in the VGRC! Great White Herons!
- Good News for the VenetianVGRC residents learn a lot at town hall meeting BOB MUDGE Senior Writer – Copyright Sun Coast Media Group, Edition 3/19/2025 VENICE — Their annual town hall meeting at Laurel Nokomis School is the opportunity for Venetian Golf & River Club residents to get caught up on matters related to their community. They heard about… Read more: Good News for the Venetian
- Florida Friendly Landscaping for ResidentsResidential Horticulture Agent and Master Gardner Ashley Ellis provided guidance on how to landscape in Florida to ensure we are synchronizing with the environment, conserving water and friendly to wildlife while maintaining an attractive, colorful and diverse yard. The Community Association sponsored event was held at the River Club on Monday, March 24th. Ashley is… Read more: Florida Friendly Landscaping for Residents
- Town Hall Meeting: Well Attended and InformativeThe 2025 Town Hall Meeting was held on March 10th at the Laurel-Nokomis School. Ed Lavallee was presented with a special award for his leadership, commitment and service to the residents of Venice, Florida, by Dr. Steve Hefler. The 2025 Gratitude Awards were presented to Bette Boysen, Rich Bracco, Truman Henard, Jerry Jasper and Sal… Read more: Town Hall Meeting: Well Attended and Informative
- Beware of Sandhill Crane Crossings
It’s that time of year! These Sandhill Crane parents are showing off their young – called Colts while observing the crosswalk on Padova. Peak egg-laying period is February to March. They nest on mats of vegetation in wetlands with shallow water.
Two subspecies of Sandhill Crane occur in Florida. The Florida Sandhill Crane numbering 4,000 to 5,000, is a non-migratory year-round breeding resident. They are joined every winter by 25,000 migratory Greater Sandhill Cranes, the larger of the two subspecies. In the VGRC we mostly encounter the Florida Sandhill Cranes.
Two eggs are normally laid. Cranes are monogamous breeders. Within 24 hours of hatching, the young are capable of following their parents away from the nest. These colts are probably a week old. Click here for more information on Sandhill Cranes.
Thanks to Rick Cordner for another outstanding contribution! As Rick writes, we have our Abbey Road, too.
- Updates on Projects Outside Our Gates
At the recent Town Hall Meeting, VGRC Community Association Co-President Mark Faford provided updates on several important projects taking place outside our gates that will impact our community. Click here.
- History of the Ringling Circus & Museum, Monday, April 7 at 5 pm
For 65 years, The Greatest Show on Earth wintered in Sarasota and Venice, Florida, leaving those two cities forever different. What these gulf coast cities are today can be traced directly back to the King of the Circus himself, John Ringling — Renaissance man, real estate magnate, showman and visionary. The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus departed Venice in 1992 but more than the memories live on. Kim Cool, Features Editor at Venice Gondolier Sun, will be our speaker for this fascinating seminar.
- Venice Main Street Weekly
Venice MainStreet, Inc. is a nonprofit organization committed to preserving and enhancing the character, beauty, and economic vitality of historic downtown Venice and surrounding areas. See webpage.
- City of Venice Newsletter for March 2025
Please enjoy the March edition of the Venice City E-News by clicking on the link below. Navigate the City’s e-newsletter by using the left and right arrows on your keyboard, or flip to the next page by using the arrows on the viewing screen. Explore additional resources and information by clicking on hyperlinks. Click here for March 2025 City of Venice Newsletter.
- Community Association Board and Annual meetings to be held Monday, April 21st
The next VGRC Community Association Board meeting will be held at the River Club on Monday, April 21st at 3 pm. Residents are welcome to give their views!
The Community Association Annual meeting will occur at 4:30 PM at the River Club. Members and non-members are welcome to attend.
Agenda will be published.
Learn More
Seminars and Events
The VGRC Community Association is proud to present its 2024-25 series of events and seminars referred to as the Knock Your Socks Off season. As you peruse the list, you will see some new and exciting events as well as repeats of previous resident favorites. We will elaborate on all of these events via our monthly newsletter, Parcels from Paradise. Get your calendar out and mark those events you would like to attend.
Membership
The Community Association has nominal membership dues that support the mission of the organization. We also welcome contributions. Our annual Town Hall Meeting is held in March. Our annual Membership Meeting is in April. Our Board meetings are typically held the third Monday of the month at 10:00 AM at the River Club. All residents are invited to attend.
Wall of Something
This is where you can connect with fellow Venetians. Looking for help with something? Looking to sell something? Looking for recommendations? It’s all here, and more.
Hurricane Response Team
The HRT is the Community Association’s resident volunteer corps who are called into action if a hurricane is imminent. The Community Association trains and equips the team, and holds readiness seminars.