RussEll CREEk

---

w e i v e R

Estates of Russell Creek Estates of

Russell Creek September 2008

Volume 2, Issue 9

Official Publication of The Estates of Russell Creek Homeowners Association

National Night Out

Back To School Safety Tips For ERC Parents

According to the National SAFE KIDS Campaign, it is estimated that each year 2.2 million American children ages 14 and under are injured in schoolrelated accidents. Here are some tips to avoid having your child included in this statistic: • Plan a safe walking route to school or to the bus stop, which has the least amount of street crossings as possible. • Inform your child to be extra careful when crossing and entering alleyways. Many children ride their bikes through these intersections without realizing that there could be oncoming traffic. There are also many blind spots for drivers pulling out of their driveways, so extra caution should always be given in these travel areas. • Be sure that your child wears a safety helmet if riding their bike. Research indicates that a helmet can reduce the risk of head injury by up to 85 %. • Make sure that your child knows their phone number and the number of another trusted adult. Inform your child to call 911 if there is ever an emergency. If your child does not have a cell phone, and is in the area near our community pools, please instruct them to use the red emergency buttons outside the gates to call for help. • Remind your children to never talk to or accept gifts or rides from a stranger. If a stranger in a car approaches them, they should always run in the opposite direction as the car is traveling and yell “FIRE”. Most people will respond to this rather than simply yelling for help. • Lastly, inform your child that you love them before they leave for school each morning. Knowing that they are special and a treasure to you will make them want to remember the rules of safety. -Lisa Oldani Copyright © 2008 Peel, Inc.

Tuesday, October 7th 6:00-9:00 pm

Join the nation in preventing crime in our neighborhood by spending time outdoors with your neighbors on the evening of October 7th. Use this evening as an opportunity to communicate with your neighbors as to what hours your home is unattended so that any suspicious activity can be relayed back to you and to our local authorities.

Welcome New Neighbors! Alan P. & Carol J. Gaggini - 8013 Ashby Court Brajesh & Bandana Jha - 8304 Young Court Dianne E. Kiehne - 3625 Dewberry Court Michael & Lisa Martin - 8116 Strecker Lane Raymond B. & Rhonda K. Masterson - 3620 Waddell Drive Robert A. & Julie A. Menhart - 8400 Greystone Court Ali Naddaf - 8704 Berwick Drive Riaz & Kawkab Salam - 3812 Glasgow Drive Stenn Salvesen - 8501 Buxton Court Rajashree & Thejaraj Srinivasan - 8312 Weiss Avenue Amber E. Stills - 8601 Kendall Drive Deepti A. Vaidya - 3812 Bonita Drive

Don’t want to wait for the mail? View the current issue of the Estates of Russell Creek Review on the 1st day of each month at www.PEELinc.com

Estates of Russell Creek Homeowner's Association Newsletter - September 2008 

Estates of Russell Creek ERC Board Members

Advertising Information

David Oldani, President....................................... 972-731-6244 Denise Duggan, Vice President............................ 972-335-2290 John Dwyer, Secretary......................................... 972-377-0246 Doug Finn, Treasurer........................................... 972-712-4655 Jeff Einspahr, Director......................................... 972-335-5413 Amy Newell, Director.......................................... 972-335-5860 Robert Simmons, Director................................... 972-731-9683 Dan Estep (CMA)................................................ 972-943-2856

Newsletter Information

Editor Lisa [email protected], 972-731-6244 Publisher Peel, Inc.......................... www.PEELinc.com, 512-263-9181 Advertising......... [email protected], 512-263-9181 At no time will any source be allowed to use the Estates of Russell Creek Community Newsletter 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 the Estates of Russell Creek Association and Peel, Inc. The information in the newsletter is exclusively for the private use of Estates of Russell Creek residents only.

Please support the businesses that advertise in the Estates of Russell Creek Review Community Newsletter. Their advertising dollars make it possible for all Estates of Russell Creek residents to receive the monthly newsletter at no charge. No homeowners association funds are used to produce or mail the newsletters. If you would like to support the newsletter by advertising, please contact our sales office @ 512-263-9181 or advertising@ PEELinc.com. The advertising deadline is the 20th of each month for the following month's newsletter. 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.

www.sparkpowerbank.com

SIGN-UP ONLINE

TODAY! We Challenge What You Pay For Electricity!

If SparkPowerBank isn’t your current electricity provider…chances are you're paying too much!

I’m Texas Energy Analyst Alan Lammey. Maybe you’ve heard me on the radio talking about the market forces that drive energy prices. I’m here to tell you that you’re not stuck paying those high prices to big electric companies anymore! Stop it. Why pay more than you have to? Those days are over! Why would you want to go with an electric provider that charges you more, when you can go to www.sparkpowerbank.com and pay far less for the same electricity? Make sense? Please choose "Newsletter Ad" as your referral on the SparkPowerBank.com website.  Estates of Russell Creek Homeowner's Association Newsletter - September 2008

Copyright © 2008 Peel, Inc.

Estates of Russell Creek Hello All ERC Neighbors!

By the time you are reading this letter, Labor Day most likely has passed and summer will be quickly approaching its end. I hope that everyone had a great summer and enjoyed wherever they may have vacationed. I am sure all the kids are enjoying being back in school. I am certain that all the parents are grateful that school is back in session too! It is at times like this during the year that always seems to remind me of that one line in that well known Christmas carol. You know, the one that goes “…and moms and dads can’t wait for school to start again!” Anyway… Kimbrough Pool - After numerous inquiries, I thought it would be best to provide everyone with a short update on the status of the Kimbrough Pool building renovation. As I am sure the ERC residents who frequent that pool readily know, this project has been a slow going process that may seem to have no end in sight. I personally want to apologize to our members for the delay in getting this specific project completed and for any inconveniences that have been experienced. Again, my apologies. From city permitting issues, to necessary unplanned project redesigns, to unanticipated mandatory state testing requirements, to foreman turnover, and now to unavoidable replacement of additional items and the related unforeseen cost requirements essential to complete the renovation, this project has been a struggle to manage. We are currently in the process of working through the numerous issues with our contractor to get this project completed as soon as possible and as close to our original budget as possible. Please continue to be as patient as possible during the final stages of this project. Keep in mind how nice the newly remodeled building and arbor will be to use during the summertime in the years to come. I think everyone will want to award a Gold Medal to the project once we clear all the hurdles and break the tape and cross the finish line. (Sorry about those last corny references, I guess I am somewhat caught up in the spirit of the Olympics!) Consider This – While the delay in completing the Kimbrough Pool Building renovation is an understandable disappointment, please consider and appreciate all the other numerous improvements that have been made around the ERC since the spring. The list is quite lengthy and includes the: (i) replacement of all the Bonita Park picnic tables, (ii) refurbishment of all the Bonita Park playground benches and trash cans, (iii) complete replacement of the Bonita Park fence, (iv) resurfacing of the Sports Court and replacement of surrounding fence, (v) new tennis court benches and trash cans, (vi) Bonita Pool Building wood repair/repainting and Arbor restaining, (vii) repainting of both pools perimeter fencing, (vii) new landscaping along Bonita Drive and (viii) new security camera systems at both pools; to name a few of the items. Accordingly, significant progress and improvements have been made to your neighborhood over the past 6 months. Volunteering – While there has been a pick up in the number of people interested in volunteering around the ERC over the past months, there is still a need for many more individuals to help with community activities or to serve on the various ERC committees. We should not expect the same individuals to continually be the only ones to volunteer and always shoulder the load. Accordingly, please consider volunteering, even just a few hours of your time goes a long way in helping the ERC become an even greater neighborhood. You Copyright © 2008 Peel, Inc.

can email your information to our Vice President, Denise Duggan, at [email protected] to let her know of your interest. Thanks for Being Safe – Thank you to all of you that took to heart the message I delivered in my last President’s letter about not letting people into the pool when they knock on the gate and ask to be let in. It seems that many have started to implement this practice of being both safe and smart. You just never know who you may be letting in when you open the gates to some stranger. Keeping up this practice is just another step that we all can do to keep or pools as safe as possible and to keep out people that are not ERC members and do not belong at our pools in the first place. Regards, Dave Oldani, President Estates of Russell Creek HOA

Business Classifieds Reading Tutor - $40 per 45 min. session, min. 2X weekly. The Romalda Spaulding phonetic approach to reading utilizes kinesthetic, visual, aural, and spoken avenues to the brain. Proven results by an experienced educator. Contact Debbie Hockman @ 214-850-6827 or e-mail [email protected]

September 19, 20 & 21 2 0 0 8

Friday 4pm–10pm Saturday 6am–10pm Sunday 6am–7pm OAK P O INT PARK 2801 E. Spring Creek Parkway, Plano,

Texas 75074

w w w. p l a n o b a l l o o n f e s t . o r g

Estates of Russell Creek Homeowner's Association Newsletter - September 2008 

Estates of Russell Creek

Peel, Inc.

Printing & Publishing Publishing community newsletters since 1991 -- Austin --

-- Dallas/Fort Worth --

Avery Ranch Barton Creek Barton Hills Belterra Canyon Creek Cherry Creek on Brodie Ln. Circle C Ranch Courtyard Davenport Ranch Forest Creek Granada Hills Highland Park West Balcones Jester Estates Lake Pointe Lakewood Laurel Oaks Neighborhood Assoc. Legend Oaks II Long Canyon Lost Creek Pemberton Heights River Place Scenic Brook Sendera Shady Hollow Sonoma South Lamar Neighborhood Assoc. Steiner Ranch Stone Canyon The Hills of Lakeway Travis Country West Twin Creeks Villages of Westen Oaks Westcreek Wood Glen

Brook Meadows Craig Ranch Estates of Russell Creek Hunters Glen Timarron Waterford Parks Woodland Hills

-- Houston -Blackhorse Ranch Bridgeland Coles Crossing Cypress Mill Enchanted Valley Fairfield Harvest Bend The Village High Meadow Ranch Lakes on Eldridge Lakes on Eldridge North Lakewood Grove Legends Ranch Longwood Riata Ranch Steeplechase Summerwood Village Creek Willowbridge Willowlake Willow Pointe Winchester Country Winchester Trails Windermere Lakes Wortham Villages

Kelly Peel, Sales Manager [email protected] • 512-263-9181

512-263-9181  Estates of Russell Creek Homeowner's Association Newsletter - September 2008

www.PEELinc.com Copyright © 2008 Peel, Inc.

Estates of Russell Creek Bottled Water vs. Tap Water - A Different Perspective

My name is Bob Geibler and I’ve been a resident of Russell Creek for over 10 years. After reading an article recently published in an ERC newsletter on water choices we all have, I felt compelled to offer another perspective. Nestlé Waters North America supports people drinking more water – whether from a bottle or tap. For three-quarters of consumers, it’s not an either/or choice: they drink both. We do take issue, however, with the misleading allegations about bottled water in Louise Bell’s “Bottled Water vs. Tap” piece in the July issue of the Estates of Russell Creek newsletter. The reality is bottled water plays an important role in today’s society. Nearly half of the increase in our daily caloric intake since the 1970s has come from sweetened beverages, adding to current obesity and diabetes rates. In a world where 70% of what people drink comes from a can or bottle, bottled water serves as an easily accessible, healthful, zero-calorie alternative to sugared and caloric drinks. It’s also an important option if a water fountain isn’t nearby, or if tap supplies become unavailable in an emergency. Consumers can trust the safety and quality of bottled water products. By law, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations for bottled water must be as strong and protective of public health as the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) regulations for

tap water. Even when bottled waters such as Nestlé Pure Life come from municipal sources, they receive extra filtration before they are hygienically sealed in convenience-sized containers. This explains why the cost structures between bottled and tap water are vastly different. Tap water is processed and distributed in bulk, while bottled water is processed and treated, and then packaged in smaller amounts. Here at Nestlé Waters, we use a 10-step process to ensure the quality and safety of our water products made in the U.S. and Canada. Our spring water brands, such as Ozarka distributed primarily in Texas, come from groundwater sources, are bottled under sanitary conditions, and tested 6,000 times/day across our plants. We stand by the quality of our water and publish quality reports based on independent testing results comparable to those published by public water utilities. We are equally dedicated to the safety of our bottles, including the components used to manufacture them. Our single-serve bottles are made with Polyethylene terephthalate (PET), which has been approved by the FDA as safe for food containers and is widely used within the food and beverage industry. Available scientific evidence indicates that bottled water is safe when stored properly and consumed in a reasonable amount of time. We realize bottled water, like every other product on store shelves, (Continued on Page 6)

Want to Keep More Money in Your Pocket? My Flexible Marketing Plan lets you decide the level of service you need to sell your home and my services to you as a Buyer are FREE. In addition, you get



⇒ ⇒ ⇒ ⇒

Excellent Customer Service No Hidden Fees FREE No Obligation Market Analysis Additional Savings when you buy and sell your home with me.

It’s Your Home… Shouldn’t You Decide How to Sell It?

Call Today to Find Out More

Kim Ford, ABR Phone: Email:

214-597-4421 [email protected]

Visit My Website at www.youragentofchoice.com Copyright © 2008 Peel, Inc.

18383 Preston Road, Suite 150 Dallas, TX 75252 Each Office Independently Owned and Operated

Estates of Russell Creek Homeowner's Association Newsletter - September 2008 

Estates of Russell Creek Bottled Water vs Tap Water - (Continued from the Page 5) has an environmental impact. Over the past decade, we’ve reduced the amount of PET plastic in our bottles by 40%. This has helped us avoid using 245 million pounds of plastic, not to mention the energy and greenhouse gas emissions that would have accompanied that. Our Eco-Shape® half-liter bottle, introduced in 2007, is the lightest “branded” beverage bottle and has helped us reduce our overall carbon emissions by 8%. We are expanding Eco-Shape to other bottle sizes. While we’re proud of these advances, we recognize that too many plastic bottles – whether they once contained water, soda or juice – end up in landfills. While used water bottles make up less than one-

third of 1% of overall solid waste, the current U.S. recycling rate is unacceptable. Nearly 50% of U.S. households do not have curbside recycling, and public recycling bins are not commonplace in most cities and towns. Nestlé Waters is working hard to advocate for more comprehensive recycling programs to collect all plastic consumer packaging. We in Russell Creek do a pretty good job when it comes to recycling. Thank you for that. Whether it’s for taste or convenience, many people choose to purchase bottled water. It’s hot out there. Stay refreshed. Bob Geibler Zone Manager, Nestle Waters North America Proud Resident of Estates of Russell Creek

Advertise YOUR business to YOUR neighbors for less than 10¢ per home. Effective Advertising, Done Right. Call today to Reserve your space.

Peel, Inc. community newsletters

1-888-687-6444 ec

www.PEELinc.com

 Estates of Russell Creek Homeowner's Association Newsletter - September 2008

Copyright © 2008 Peel, Inc.

Estates of Russell Creek The Grass Is Always Greener...

Now that the harsh summer months have passed, here are some tips to gain a lush, green lawn that is the envy of any neighbor……. 1. WATER EARLY, in the morning between the hours of 4:00am8:00 am to give the water on the grass time to dry.  2. WATER DEEPLY, at least 6-8 inches into the soil to encourage deep roots. This usually means applying 1-2 inches of water a week. 3. MOW OFTEN. Make sure your lawn is mowed at least once a week. 4. MULCH placed in the BEDS should be 3-4 inches deep. When rainfall is limited, mulch conserves soil moisture, moderates soil temperature and deters weeds. 5. Keep GRASS CLIPPINGS on your lawn. This returns 25% of the nutrients back to the soil.  6. BE AWARE! Most insects are at their peak of activity during warm months. Some feed on the leaves or suck the plant sap, which can cause damage and sometimes kill the plant. This is the last month for applying merit for grub control. - Robert Simmons

ERC Neighborhood News



Would like to receive periodic emails containing neighborhood announcements, including upcoming events, crime watch notices and other ERC information? Then send an email to erc_neighborhoodnews@ tx.rr.com requesting your email address be added to the distribution list.

Want to submit information for the monthly newsletter?

The Estates of Russell Creek Review newsletter is published and distributed in conjunction with Peel, Inc. and the ERC Homeowners’ Association and the residents of ERC. The monthly newsletter will be delivered to homes by the 10th of every month. If you would like your information considered for publication, please submit it by the 15th of the preceding month in which you would like the information published. To submit an article or to place a FREE classified ad, please send it to the Editor at [email protected].

Need medical care? 15 MINUTES DOOR-TO-DOCTOR When you or someone you love needs immediate medical care or suffers a medical emergency, you shouldn't have to wait for an appointment or in the waiting room at an emergency department for the care you need now. At ER Centers of America, Inc. you will find a state-of-the-art emergency room with all the staff, the equipment and the expertise ready to help you with your medical needs whether it be urgent care or emergency care. No appointments necessary.

Flu Shots Coming Soon! $20

Emergency and Urgent Care

School or Athletic Physical Exam No Appointment necessary $30 with coupon

365 Days A Year 10:00am—10:00pm x

Copyright © 2008 Peel, Inc.

6501 Preston Road Plano, TX 75024 Phone: 972.403.1300 www.ercentersofamerica.com Estates of Russell Creek Homeowner's Association Newsletter - September 2008 

Estates of Russell Creek Pool

Bed/ Bath

Sq. Ft.

List Price

Days On Market

3904 Montrose

N

3/2

1851

187,000

12

8816 Christian

N

4/4

2980

245,900

40

8804 Shepherd

N

4/3

2962

265,000

87

3869 Elgin

N

4/4

2977

269,900

35

3828 Stockport

Y

4/4

3289

284,500

21

8513 Lancome

Y

5/4

3039

299,900

22

8405 Beatton

Y

4/4

3074

300,000

110

8112 Strecker

N

4/4

3274

325,000

12

Active Listings

Pending Listings

$/SF

Days On Market

217,900 199,900

110.44

134

2532

239,900 227,800

59.97

80

3/3

2601

249,900 244,900

94.16

110

4/4

3714

356,000 320,000

86.16

130

Pool

Bed/ Bath

Sq. Ft.

8608 Digby

Y

3/2

1810

3917 Acklin

N

4/3

3925 Acklin

N

8016 Lynores

N

Original Price

List Price

Sq. Ft.

Original Price

Sale Price

$/SF

Days On Market

Property #1

2793

279,900

230,000

82.35

178

2629

249,900

244,000

92.81

22

Sold Listings In last 30 days

8801 Duncan

N

4/4

3723

329,000

19

Property #2

8104 Clayton

N

5/3

3537

345,000

13

Property #3

2969

272,000

247,125

83.24

55

317

Property #4

2736

264,500

264,500

96.67

7

Property #5

3338

289,900

280,000

83.88

4

Property #6

3331

359,000

325,000

97.57

71

8400 Bradford

Y

4/4

3334

359,000

Information on listings provided by NTREIS

I have been helping your neighbors buy and sell homes for many years. No one knows the Estates of Russell Creek like I do! For experience, knowledge, and reliability you can depend on, call Dan Harker at 214-957-1111.

The Harker 5-Star Team does more than help you find a house, they help you and your family find a home… a backyard to play in, top ranked schools, convenient shopping, easy access to highways, churches, parks— whatever you need to become established in your new community.

What’s your home worth in today’s market? Call or email me today for your free, no obligation HOME MARKET ANALYSIS

Dan Harker Harker 5 Star Team Keller Williams Realty 214-957-1111 [email protected] www.theharkerteam.com

Peel, Inc.

PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE

311 Ranch Road 620 S. Ste 200 Lakeway, Texas 78734-4775

% Voice 512-263-9181  Estates of Russell Creek Homeowner's Association Newsletter - September 2008

PAID

PEEL, INC.

V www.PEELinc.com

EC

Copyright © 2008 Peel, Inc.