Quarterly Newsletter December 2025 – February 2026

President’s Message

Wishing you a very merry holiday season and wonderful 2026!!

The annual Ironwood subdivision membership meeting is Tuesday, January 13, 2026 at

6:30 p.m. in the Ironwood Golf Course clubhouse. Town of Normal representatives will be

attending to address any concerns you may have - please submit your questions/topics to

president@ihoa.org by December 31, 2025.

The Ironwood Board of Directors will have four openings in 2026. Residents will receive a

proxy, ballot and 2026 dues notice in mid-December. Under the bylaws, residents must

have their 2026 dues paid by January 13, 2026 in order to vote. Please refer to the bios

in this newsletter of each candidate who will be running for the Board.

The Board would like to thank Linda Rheeling for 20+ years on the IHOA Board. She was

involved in many important items that made Ironwood what it is today. Thank you, Linda!!

Parking Rules. The Board has received comments from homeowners regarding the parking of

work trucks and trailers. As a reminder, the Covenants state: No truck, travel trailer,

recreational type vehicle, mobile home, boat, trailer, motor bike, motorcycle, all-terrain vehicle,

pickup truck, wagon, yard equipment, golf cart, tractor, motorhome or snowmobile shall be kept

on the lot or in the subdivision except entirely within an enclosed structure.

Garbage Bins. Thanks to everyone who maintains their yards and landscaping. The Covenants

mandate owners store the garbage bins out of sight, preferably in the garage or in an area

concealed from public view. There have been a lot of bins on the side of the garage and in the

front of the house. The Board appreciates your help with this matter.

We would like to thank residents for contacting the Board to understand the covenants and

bringing concerns or questions to the Board. Some issues take longer than others to resolve,

but I assure you the Board works very hard to resolve your concerns as quickly as possible.

- 2 -

IHOA Board of Directors Candidate Bios:

The following individuals are seeking positions on the board in the January election. The ballot

mailed with the proxy and dues notice in mid-December will list all candidates running for the

board.

Mel Brown

My name is Mel Brown. I’ve lived in Ironwood since 2014, and in the Bloomington-Normal

community for over fifty years. I graduated from ISU with an accounting degree and worked at

State Farm in various financial roles for 36 years.

I have been on the Ironwood Board since 2023. I’ve served on the By-laws Revision

Committee, the Audit Committee, and am currently the Communications Chair, responsible for

the quarterly newsletter and the website.

My goal as a board member will be to preserve and improve the wonderful standard of living we

all enjoy. I am a strong believer in upholding the by-laws and covenants. As a golfer myself, I

also understand the importance of having a mutually beneficial relationship between the IHOA

and golf course management. I would be honored to continue to serve you on the board.

Keith Palmgren

My name is Keith Palmgren and I've lived in the Ironwood subdivision for over 35 plus

years. I've raised 4 children here and have invested a great deal of effort in helping maintain

our neighborhoods. I have served on the IHOA board for the last four years and I am currently

the Beautification Chair which oversees the landscaping and grounds maintenance tasks.

I have been employed at Radio Bloomington (WJBC, WBNQ and B104) for the last 41 plus

years and I work tirelessly to support the Bloomington-Normal community. I helped start

Bloomington-Normal Sunrise Rotary over 36 years ago and I've been on the Town of Normal

Zoning Board of Appeals since 2006. I am also a 40-year member of Second Presbyterian

Church where I serve on the Foundation Board. I work with the American Red Cross and am a

former board member of the Bloomington YMCA.

I see my job as an IHOA Board member to represent the entire Ironwood subdivision, and I

would appreciate your continued support.

- 3 -

IHOA Board of Directors Candidate Bios (cont.):

Susan Parrent

When my family was looking to relocate in Normal, we were drawn to the openness of the

Ironwood subdivision, the lot sizes, location of north Normal, and an involved homeowner’s

association. Since that move, the family has embraced the subdivision and appreciates the

overall intent of the developer. I am willing to volunteer my time on the Board as decisions are

made that are consistent with the subdivision guidelines. Objectives include making the best

decisions for our community, preserving the beauty of the development, and maintaining it as a

desirable place to live. Having served on the Board previously, my desire is to see Ironwood

continue to be a great place to live. I am involved in various community service programs

utilizing my education background plus have been involved in the 4-H program for many years.

Mike Weiland

My wife Paula and I are lifelong Bloomington/Normal residents. We have 2 children, 3

grandchildren and have lived in Ironwood since 1992. I retired from State Farm

Insurance in 2018 after 45 years of working in various leadership and management

positions in both HR and IT. My previous work experiences have served me well as a

volunteer for a variety of local schools and organizations. Giving back to the community

that has given so much to me continues to be a priority of mine. I love living in Ironwood

Subdivision. I believe the golf course, lakes and berms provide a unique and beautiful

setting for current and future Ironwood residents and I would appreciate the opportunity

to serve on the Board to continue to make this a great place to live.

- 4 -

Reminders:

Holiday Collection:

• Household garbage and recycling is collected on all holidays except Christmas Day.

When Christmas falls on a weekday, garbage and recycling normally collected that day

will be collected on the next regular business day.

• Bulky waste, brush and landscape waste will not be collected on holidays when Town

offices are closed. Bulky waste refers to large items that cannot fit into your garbage

cart. As a reminder, flatten large cardboard boxes and do not place them between carts

due to the method it is picked up. Brush waste includes sticks, branches, ornamental

grasses, rose bush clippings and they should be piled in an organized manner near the

curb, easily accessible for Town crews.

• Landscape waste collection ended November 26th and typically resumes in

April. Landscape waste is garden waste, plants, and basic organic waste. Grass

clippings are excluded.

• Residents may dispose of their real (non-artificial) Christmas tree by placing it at the

curb for collection on your regularly scheduled waste collection day. The tree must be

bare, no decorations attached and not in a plastic bag.

• Leaf pickup normally ends after the first significant snowfall. The Town website

provides a map of where crews are working throughout the week. Alternatively, leaves

can be brought to the landscape waste drop-off site at 1301 Warriner St. The drop-off

site is open year-round to Normal residents.

Yard Signs:

The IHOA covenants and the Town of Normal ordinances both address yard signs. The IHOA

Board has observed many instances where signs have been placed in yards and left for long

periods of time. The IHOA covenants (Article V, Section 4) define the expectations regarding

signs in our subdivision:

“No sign of any kind shall be displayed to public view on a lot or the common area without the

prior written consent of the Association, except customary name and address signs and lawn

signs of not more than ten (10) square feet in size advertising a property for sale or rent.”

If you have signs in your yard or common area, please take steps to remove them if they are not

in compliance.

Email Addresses:

If your email address changes, please remember to let us know so newsletters and other IHOA

notifications continue to reach your inbox. If you have not provided an email address to us,

please consider doing so to make our communications process more timely and less expensive.

Rest assured, your email address will be secured and used exclusively for Homeowners

Association communications. Email updates can be sent to communications@ihoa.org.

School Winter Break Dates:

• Unit 5 - December 22 - January 5, classes resume January 6

• Dist. 87 - December 22 - January 5, classes resume January 6

• ISU - December 12 - January 9, classes resume January 12

• IWU - December 12 - January 6, classes resume January 7

- 5 -

IHOA WEBSITE:

Meet our webmaster:

Vishal Midha has contributed many hours of his time redesigning and maintaining the IHOA

website to make it a useful tool for all current and prospective residents. Vishal is a professor of

Information Systems at Illinois State University and a proud resident of the Ironwood

community, where he lives with his wife and two boys. He enjoys being part of a neighborhood

that values connection, collaboration, and continuous learning.

With over 20 years of experience in technology strategy, digital platforms, backend systems,

data analysis, and fraud accounting/ analytics, Vishal brings a deep understanding of how well-

designed technology can strengthen processes and support informed decision-making. His

expertise often leads him to explore creative solutions to complex digital challenges — an

interest that naturally carries into the community and into conversations with neighbors who are

curious about improving their own technology approach.

Thank you, Vishal.

The IHOA website (ihoa.org) contains a wealth of information for homeowners. Included on the

website are covenants, by-laws, fence guidelines, board information, meeting minutes,

newsletters, and useful links. The Current News section provides notices of matters that may

need your attention. Please take time to explore this handy resource.

IHOA Board of Directors:

President

Jeff Woodall

president@ihoa.org

Vice President

Susan Parrent

vpresident@ihoa.org

Secretary

Suzann Reid

secretary@ihoa.org

Treasurer

JoEllen Bahnsen

treasurer@ihoa.org

Communications Chair

Mel Brown

communications@ihoa.org

Beautification Chair

Keith Palmgren

beautifications@ihoa.org

Covenants Chair

Merritt Burns

covenants@ihoa.org

- 6 -

Parking Reminders:

Do Not Park on the No-Parking side of the street in Ironwood

There are no streets in the Ironwood subdivision that allow parking on both sides of the street

(except for the cul-de-sacs). However, the NO PARKING side is not always on the odd side or

the even side of the street. Therefore, the best thing to do is to look for the NO PARKING signs

posted on the streetlights near your house to determine which side is the NO PARKING side

and thus, which side you can park on. On some streets where all the mailboxes are on the

same side of the street, that is the NO Parking side. Parking is allowed on the side opposite the

mailboxes. Be sure to notify your family and guests of this parking regulation during the busy

winter season.

Do Not Park Your Vehicle For More Than 24 Consecutive Hours

You are not allowed to park your vehicle for more than 24 consecutive hours in the same

location on a public street. Your vehicle must be moved to a different spot to avoid a parking

ticket for overtime parking.

Do Not Park On the Street During a Snow Ban

Parking a vehicle on a public street at any time after a snowfall of two (2) inches, or more, is

prohibited to expedite the process of removing snow from Town streets. Parking may resume

once snow has been cleared and the snow ban has been lifted.

Do Not Park Within 15 Feet of a Fire Hydrant

Parking is prohibited within 15 feet of a fire hydrant. This ensures that the Fire Department can

easily access the hydrant in the event of fire.

Do Not Park Within 30 Feet of a Stop or Yield Sign

Parking is prohibited within 30 feet of a stop or yield sign to improve the visibility of the sign, to

allow for better sightlines between pedestrians and motorists approaching the intersection, and

to ensure that motorists waiting at the stop sign can see oncoming traffic on the other

approaches.