LAUREL CREEK November 2015
Official Newsletter of the Residents of Laurel Creek
LAUREL CREEK
Volume 2, Issue 11
Windfern Fence Update
Laurel Creek Maintenance Updates The HOA board selected D & C Contracting, Inc. to remove and replace a number of sidewalk slabs that were uneven and posed a trip hazard during September. The slabs were located in the following areas: (1) between Desert Cloud and the basketball park; (2) around the pond; and (3) Shadowgate Park. The contractor removed tree roots in these areas, installed rebar and poured new concrete. Other options such as mud jacking were considered, but it was felt that replacement was the best option. Now that the weather is getting cooler, it is hoped everyone will take a walk and check out the new sidewalk repairs. The HOA board also had six new LED flood lights installed in front of the monuments at the main entrance. The LED lights should have a longer life and a reduced operating cost. The old lights were installed around 1998 and were quite corroded. Two of the lights had stopped operating entirely, and repairing them was not viable due to their age and condition. It was decided that replacing all six fixtures with new LED lights was the best and most cost efficient option for the long term. The new lights light up the entrance and trees beautifully at night. In late November or early December, the HOA Board plans to have the rest of the common area trees located inside Laurel Creek trimmed by Texas Tree Team. This will include the trees in the basketball park, Section 5 Park and along the green belts. Texas Tree Team is the same company that trimmed the trees in gazebo park, Shadowgate Park and around the pond this spring. Copyright © 2015 Peel, Inc.
The owner of Southland, the company which installed the fence, contacted Exxon and was advised that that the fence has to be moved from its current location. In order to make sure that the fence will be positioned properly, a meeting was held on October 6 with representatives of Exxon, Magellan, and Enterprise (the pipeline companies), Southland, and Linda Pirtle, a Laurel Creek Board member. At that meeting, it was determined that one side of the fence will have to be moved. Specifically, two posts set on the stakes marking the pipelines will have to be dugout by shovel. Once the pipelines are exposed, Exxon will conduct an inspection to determine whether any damage was done to protective coating. If the protective coating is damaged, it will be necessary to replace the pipes. The Exxon representative also requested that three posts, rather than two, be installed and called upon Southland to either cut and modify the existing panels or use new ones to fit into the shorter distance between posts. Southland has agreed to move the fence at its cost. Hopefully, no damage will be discovered to the pipeline. In that event, our community will be able to rely on the added security of the Windfern fence without incurring any additional cost.
Laurel Creek E-Mail Updates Crest Management offers an e-mail service where all residents may receive news by e-mail such as meeting notices. Residents interested must register in order to receive such notices. If you are interested, go to www.crest-management.com and select Laurel Creek from the list on the left. A link will pull up where you may register to receive Laurel Creek news by e-mail. Everyone is encouraged to register for this service as it provides a way that the HOA board may communicate any important news and notices of meetings to residents. If you have any questions or problems registering, please contact Crest Management at 281.579.0761. Laurel Creek - November 2015
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LAUREL CREEK COMMUNITY CONTACTS BOARD OF DIRECTORS Ann Murphree......................................................... President Greg Magness................................................... Vice President Linda Pirtle-Porras................................................... Secretary Nathan Overstreet.................................................... Treasurer Valerie Phelps............................................................ Director
NEWSLETTER INFO NEWSLETTER PUBLISHER Peel, Inc............................888.687.6444, www.PEELinc.com Advertising....................................
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Fall in Laurel Creek
After a spring and summer that alternated between periods of heavy rain and drought, fall has arrived in Laurel Creek. Now that the weather is turning cooler, it is a great time to evaluate your landscape. Are your bushes overgrown from all the earlier rain or did some die from the drought? Now is a great time to remove any dead bushes and trim any that are overgrown. It is also a good time to trim trees.
IMPORTANT NUMBERS Crest Management.................... www.crest-management.com .........................................................................281.579.0761 Association Manager Jennifer
[email protected] Assistant Manager Ty
[email protected] .........................................................................281.945.4651 For Deed Restriction Matters & Architectural Modification Matters, contact Misti Gailey at
[email protected] Call Before You Dig ................................................................ 1.800.DIG.TESS ...................................................................1.800.344.8377 Street Light Outage www.centerpointenergy.com (Have light number) ......................................................................713.207.2222 Texas Department of Public Safety Crime Service ............................................. http://records.txdps.state.tx.us Police Information
The DIFFERENCE is...
Julie Sample Houston Business Journal
TOP 25 REALTORS (eleven consecutive years!)
If you witness a crime or suspicious activity call Pct. 4 Constable
Your neighbor specializing in Laurel Creek Real Estate for over 20 years
......................................................... 281.376.3472 or 911 Cy Fair Volunteer Dept. (Ambulance) ........................................ (Non-emergency) 713.466.6151 Poison Center ...................................................................1.800.222.1222
(713) 253-9387
Please remember: We do not live in the City of Houston but in Harris County. Inform the emergency operator of this to assure a more prompt response.
Street Light Outages Centerpoint...................................................713.207.2222 .............................................. www.centerpoint.com/outage
You will need the 6 digit from the pole
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Laurel Creek - November 2015
Professional Group
[email protected] www.juliesample.net Copyright © 2015 Peel, Inc.
LAUREL CREEK Disposing of Paint, Batteries and other Environmentally Hazardous Items From time to time, most residents have unwanted paint, used batteries, chemicals or other items they no longer want, but that should not be disposed of the trash. The problem is how to dispose of these items in a manner that is environmentally compliant? Fortunately for residents of Laurel Creek, Harris County operates a collection site for many of these items a short distance away at 6900 Hahl Road, which is just North of 290 and Gessner. The site is open to the public every Wednesday from 9:00a.m. to 3:00p.m. (except for November 25th, December 23rd and December 30th). It is also open on the 2nd and 4th Saturday of each month from 9:00a.m to 2:00p.m. (except for November 28th and December 26th ). The service provided is free. It is not necessary to even get out of your car as there are attendants to collect the items. Items accepted include the following: • Household cleaners • Yard products (fertilizers, pesticides, insecticides, etc.) • Automobile products (Gas, motor oil, antifreeze, etc.) • Pool chemicals • Paint and paint related products • Fats, Oils, and Greases (FOG) • Batteries (small to car battery size) • Tires (up to 4 per visit) • Items containing mercury • CFL and fluorescent tubes • Aerosols (except for Freon and mace) • Fire extinguishers • Small and BBQ sized propane cylinders The sites phone number is 281-560-6232. To get to the location from Laurel Creek, turn left and drive South 2.1 miles. The site will be on the right side and has a chain link fence with green slats. A sign on the fence instructs visitors to enter off Hahl Road. Per Mapquest, turn right on the outer road of 290, go .1 mile and make a right turn onto Hahl.
Copyright © 2015 Peel, Inc.
OFF LEASH DOGS Recently there have been many posts on Nextdoor about offleash dogs, both in Laurel Creek and surrounding neighborhoods. These dogs fall into two broad categories: • Dogs that belong to residents of a particular subdivision; and • Unknown dogs that come from the surrounding area. Harris County ordinances require all dogs (and cats) be on a leash or confined in a manner that does not allow access to sidewalks and streets. There is also a requirement that they be vaccinated for rabies. Per Harris County’s website at www.hcphes.org, residents in unincorporated Harris County should call 281-999-3191 to report the following complaints: • Animal bites • Dogs or cats that are roaming loose, not confined on a leash or not confined to owner’s fenced yard • Roadside vendors selling live animals • Any stray or abandoned animal confined by a resident on their property Per a pamphlet put out by Dogbite.org (www.Dogbite.org/ Dangerous-Dogs.php), it is very important to report loose dogs that might be aggressive and animal bites. Per the pamphlet, the most effective way to impact the owner of a dangerous dog and to force authorities to take action is to build a history of documented past violations carried out by the dog. When possible, try to take a photo of any dog you plan to report on your cell phone. Also ask any witnesses if they know where the dog lives and request their contact information (particularly if the dog has actually attacked). The pamphlet also recommends that loose and unknown dogs not be approached or petted. Direct eye contact with the animal should be avoided. If you have children or a small animal on a leash and spot a large dog off leash in the distance, it is a good idea to quietly change direction without attracting the dog’s attention. If a loose dog should bite, even if it is a small dog and the bite is not serious, every possible attempt should be made to identify the owner and obtain proof the animal has been vaccinated for rabies. Any bite from an unknown animal, whether a dog, cat, squirrel, raccoon, bat or coyote should be reported to authorities and medical advice obtained as to whether rabies prevention treatment is needed.
Laurel Creek - November 2015
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LAUREL CREEK
EXTERIOR IMPROVEMENTS Because Laurel Creek is a Deed Restricted Community, any changes that you wish to make to the exterior of your home must first be approved by the Architectural Control Committee (ACC). This includes roofing, decks, swimming pools, fence replacement, painting – even if you are re-painting using the same color, tree removal, door re-staining, etc. For a complete list, or if you have any questions about a planned project, please contact Sterling at 832-678-4500. Exterior Improvement Application forms are available online at Sterling’s website at www.sterlingasi.com. The ACC members are volunteers who act as quickly as possible to review each application; however please remember that they have 60 days to render a decision. Please do not start any work until you have received written approval from Sterling.
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Laurel Creek - November 2015
Architectural Control Committee
The Laurel Creek Architectural Control Committee works closely with the Home Owner Association to review applications for making improvements or changes to the neighborhood homes. Their purpose is to maintain the Deed Restrictions so our neighbor’s homes can be kept to the high standards set by the original founders of this community. There are currently three members who volunteer for this community service. Anyone interested in volunteering for a position may contact Sterling Management for more information.
Copyright © 2015 Peel, Inc.
LAUREL CREEK
HOST AN EXCHANGE STUDENT!
Hosting an International Exchange Student is such a great experience for all of those involved. It leads to a better understanding between individuals of other cultures, hopefully branching its way out to a more peaceful global society. But don’t just take my word about it, read about Nelva’s experience and understanding of the exchange program. "I’m so lucky to have been placed with a great host family in Texas! The best part is when we share each other’s cultures and have a lot of quality time together. I’m blessed to have chance to study in American High School. Being an exchange student is hard. For the first couple days it was hard because I didn’t know anybody, the moving class system is new for me and sometimes it’s hard to understand what they say. But America is really friendly and handy so I got a lot of help from them. From the exchange program, people can really get to know each other, people start to respect each other and we can start a new chapter to have a better world." So if you want to enrich your life, host an exchange student! Nelva is from Indonesia and is spending the academic year here in Texas as part of the Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study
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(YES) program. This program is funded by the US Department of State which provides scholarships for secondary school students from countries with significant Muslim populations. As part of her program year, Nelva is required to perform at least 60 hours of community service (however most YES students hours amount to hundreds of hours) and continue working with the program in her home country. Our application process for the 2016 Spring Semester and 2016/2017 academic year will soon be opening. School spots in our area tend to fill up rather quickly, so get your application in early to host one of these amazing students! Ayusa is a non-profit organization founded in 1981 to promote global learning and leadership through foreign exchange, study abroad, and leadership programs for high school students from the U.S. and around the world. For more information about hosting a high school foreign exchange student, please contact your local representative Vicki Odom at 832.455.7881 or
[email protected] or Ayusa at 1.888.552.9872 or by visiting the website at www.ayusa.org.
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LAUREL CREEK At no time will any source be allowed to use Laurel Creek's contents, or loan said contents, to others in anyway, shape or form, nor in any media, website, print, film, e-mail, electrostatic copy, fax, or etc. for the purpose of solicitation, commercial use, or any use for profit, political campaigns, or other self amplification, under penalty of law without written or expressed permission from Peel, Inc. The information in Laurel Creek is exclusively for the private use of the Laurel Creek HOA and Peel, Inc. DISCLAIMER: Articles and ads in this newsletter express the opinions of their authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Peel, Inc. or its employees. Peel, Inc. is not responsible for the accuracy of any facts stated in articles submitted by others. The publisher also assumes no responsibility for the advertising content with this publication. All warranties and representations made in the advertising content are solely that of the advertiser and any such claims regarding its content should be taken up with the advertiser. * The publisher assumes no liability with regard to its advertisers for misprints or failure to place advertising in this publication except for the actual cost of such advertising. * Although every effort is taken to avoid mistakes and/or misprints, the publisher assumes no responsibility for any errors of information or typographical mistakes, except as limited to the cost of advertising as stated above or in the case of misinformation, a printed retraction/correction. * Under no circumstances shall the publisher be held liable for incidental or consequential damages, inconvenience, loss of business or services, or any other liabilities from failure to publish, or from failure to publish in a timely manner, except as limited to liabilities stated above.
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Laurel Creek - November 2015
NOW HIRING Advertising Sales Representative
Description: The position includes marketing our community newsletters to local and area businesses. It is a flexible position that allows you to work from home and set your own hours. Roles: Stimulate new advertising accounts in our community newsletters. Maintain current accounts assigned to you by Sales Manager. Service your accounts by assisting them from ad design to final proof approval. Skills: Excellent communication through email and phone, with high level presentation and relationship-building skills. Strong prospecting and business development skills are a must. Previous sales experience preferred but not required. Benefits: Commission Based Apply by sending resume to
[email protected]
Copyright © 2015 Peel, Inc.
LAUREL CREEK
Color the drawing below and mail the finished artwork to us at: Peel, Inc. - Kids Club, 308 Meadowlark St, Lakeway, TX 78734-4717 We will select the top few and post their artwork on our Facebook Page - Facebook.com/PeelInc. DUE: November 30th
Be sure to include the following so we can let you know! Name: _______________________________ (first name, last initial)
Age:________________
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Laurel Creek - November 2015
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ments you will be he ad and it does LAUREL CREEK e rejected by the ou will have to fix it.
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Laurel Creek - November 2015
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