Cedar Park Town Center - October 2011 by Peel, Inc.

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CEDAR PARK TOWN CENTER LIVING

CEDAR PARK TOWN CENTER Official Newsletter of the Cedar Park Town Center HOA

October 2011

Volume 2, Issue 10

News FROM THE BOARD Ken Walsh, CPTC Vice President

Let me apologize in advance – this is going to be another one of those nasty snarky columns that I am prone to occasionally, but I believe that the message needs to get out. Some of you may have gotten letters advising that your accounts are seriously delinquent and that you may be faced with legal action and costs on top of any late fees accumulated, and you will have a lien placed on your house. Please do not ignore these! When we audited the records from our prior management company, we found that they were failing totally to actually pursue those who were delinquent, but that is no longer the case. Let me assure you that the board is not looking at this as a way to generate ‘extra’ income. We are simply looking to have everybody comply with the agreement that they entered into when they bought their house and became members of the HOA. Legal fees are assessed because they are part of the costs to the HOA for going after what we are owed. What we are hoping for is that everybody gets current soon and that we do not have to worry about things like this. The last time that I posted comments about this subject, I was hit with a few (understandable) replies that I was ignoring the plight of people who were experiencing financial set-backs or other personal problems. If this is your case, you still need to contact the management company to work out a plan for getting current. We have been flexible with those who do so. There are some residents who have not paid for several years, and they need to pay particular attention to avoid actions. These people have managed to eat, pay their mortgages, enjoy the amenities, and are clearly not experiencing temporary setbacks – they are just taking a free ride at the expense of the rest of us. No more!! Ken Walsh Copyright © 2011 Peel, Inc.

Navigating the

Private School Admission Process Brandee Davis, BDavis@AustinCityKids.com, 512-576-2500

Navigating the private school admission process can be a daunting task. With all your options, deadlines and paperwork to fill out going it alone is not for the weak at heart. Ideally you should begin your search for the right private school a year in advance of when you actually want to enroll. This simple guideline is designed to give parents an overview of a typical private school admissions process. Please make sure you double check with the specific schools that you are interested in to find out detailed information about each school’s admission process. AUGUST • Create a list of schools you are interested in • Talk with a school placement consultant about assisting your family with your school search • Develop a criteria list of what you are looking in a school SEPTEMBER • Attend the K-12 Private and Independent School Fair • RESEARCH. RESEARCH. RESEARCH. • Narrow down list of schools that meet your needs • Arrange school tours and attend open houses OCTOBER • Request admission packet from best match schools • Arrange for any SSAT/ISEE test preparation • Register for SSAT and ISEE and any other entrance exam • Ask persons for letters of recommendation NOVEMBER - DECEMBER • Take any entrance exams • Wrap up school visits and interviews • Complete written school admission applications (Continued on Page 2) including essays Cedar Park Town Center Living - October 2011

CEDAR PARK TOWN CENTER LIVING

IMPORTANT NUMBERS

EMERGENCY NUMBERS EMERGENCY..............................................................911 Fire................................................................................911 Ambulance....................................................................911 Cedar Park Police Non-Emergency............... 512-260-4600 SCHOOLS Leander ISD................................................ 512-434-5000 UTILITIES City of Cedar Park Water.............................. 512-401-5300 Perdernales Electric....................................... 512-331-8883 ATMOS Gas Service..................................1-800-460-3030 Solid Waste Services...................................... 512-401-5678 Williamson County News............................ www.nixle.com AT&T Customer Service.......................................1-800-288-2020 TIME WARNER Customer Service.......................................... 512-418-8848

BOARD MEMBERS PRESIDENT Kate McDonald (D.R. Horton).....kmcdonald@drhorton.com VICE-PRESIDENT Ken Walsh (Resident)................................. knwlsh@att.net SECRETARY/TREASURER Stacy Laine (D.R. Horton).................................................. PROPERTY MANAGER Celeste Schulz..........CPTmanager@goodwintx.com, 512-852-7922 GOODWIN MANAGEMENT INC. http://cpt.goodwintx.com • (512) 502-7540 11149 Research, STE 100, Austin, TX 78759-5227 FOR QUESTIONS or CONCERNS Contact our Property Manager & HOA Board for any questions/concerns about your neighborhood CEDAR PARK TOWN CENTER HOA WEBSITE Visit the Cedar Park Town Center HOA Website at www.cedarparktowncenter.org

NEWSLETTER INFO EDITOR LeighAnne Fulcher....................................l.fulcher@att.net PUBLISHER Peel, Inc........................ www.PEELinc.com, 512-263-9181 Advertising................................ advertising@PEELinc.com 2

Cedar Park Town Center Living - October 2011

COMMITTEES

NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH Robert Ingraham…….…..robert.ingraham@att.net POOL Diana Walsh……………RockyMtnHi45@msn.com RECREATION LeighAnne Fulcher……………….l.fulcher@att.net

Navigating Private Schools... - (Continued from Cover Page) JANUARY—FEBRUARY • Submit all school application materials • Request and complete financial aid forms • Complete interviews • If you are just starting to look for a school– RESEARCH. RESEARCH.RESEARCH! MARCH • Decision letter for schools with January—February deadlines arrive mid-month PUBLIC OPTIONS: • Visit your local charter and magnet school to pick up application • Turn in application one to two weeks early APRIL—MAY • By the end of May, all schools including magnet and charter school will have sent letters informing perspective students of their admission status • If you were accepted into a school or school(s). Let respective schools know of your decision to attend or not. JUNE—JULY • Get ready for a summer of fun if your new school offers a summer program • Enroll in enrichment courses to beat summer brain drain • Start getting ready for back to school—it’ll be here before you know!

EDITOR’S NOTES

By LeighAnne Fulcher, Cedar Park Town Center Living Editor Please send any pictures, articles, birthdays or announcements to l.fulcher@att.net for inclusion in the newsletter. In addition, if you have recipes or around the house tips, please feel free to forward those as well.

CEDAR PARK TOWN CENTER LIVING

News from the Website

By Ken Walsh, CPTC Web Administrator When I sent a ‘mass’ e-mail the other day about gathering water and Gatorade for the firefighters, I noticed that there were a little over 400 mailings sent, which is an all time high. It shows that many residents are registering for our website, but it also shows that there are more than 200 who have not yet done so. If you have not already registered, go to http:// cedarparktowncenter.org and click on “Login” and then “Request Login”. Complete the form and you are on your way. If you experience any problems, contact me at knwlsh@att.net. Oh – by the way. Mass mailings from our website (to the e-mail address people used when they registered) are not in the form of one e-mail going to 400+ people. Some people might be concerned about their info being visible to so many people, so the system processes them as 400+ individual e-mails, each going to only one person.

Hello from the Pool Committee

Diana Walsh, CPTC Pool Committee Chair Hello from the Pool Committee. . . As this season draws to an end, we would like to thank everyone for their cooperation in making this a great summer at the pool. We had little to no vandalism this year and I think a good portion of that is due to everyone getting involved in keeping our pool area safe and fun for our families. The pool is scheduled to officially close on Nov. 1st, however since our weather has been so incredibly unpredictable this year, this could be subject to change. Diana Walsh Pool Committee Chair RockyMtnHi45@msn.com

Ken Walsh

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HEALTH BRIEFS OCTOBER 2011

and this can be especially concerning in older adults, Alapat said. Before turning to any type of sleep aid, Alapat recommends a visit to a physician, or a sleep disorders specialist.

Exposure to smoke can worsen your child’s asthma and should be eliminated to help effectively manage symptoms, said a pediatric pulmonologist at Baylor College of Medicine. “Sometimes treating a child’s asthma means treating the parent’s tobacco addiction,” said Dr. Harold Farber, associate professor of pediatrics - pulmonary at BCM and associate medical director of the Texas Children’s Health Plan at Texas Children’s Hospital. If your child has asthma and you are a smoker, Farber said it’s critical to get your tobacco dependence treated. “When you smoke, whether it’s indoors or out, your child is exposed to the irritant,” said Farber. He encouraged smokers to talk to their doctors and to call the free national smoker’s help line at 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1800-784-8669) for assistance to become smoke free.

BEST BETS IN BEVERAGES FOR KIDS When your kids need something to drink, reconsider reaching for that juice box. It’s easy to get confused about what is and what is not a fruit juice. According to Roberta Anding, a registered dietitian at Baylor College of Medicine, if the label does not say 100 percent juice, it is not genuine fruit juice but fruit-flavored instead. Such fruit-flavored beverages, like many of those handy little juice boxes, have higher sugar content than fruit juice and are even comparable to sodas. A better option is to substitute actual pieces of fruit for fruit juice or fruit-flavored drinks. Healthy beverage choices are important throughout the day to keep hydrated and provide good nutrition. Anding suggests following a beverage pyramid, much like the well-known food pyramid. “Kids should drink mostly water, then low-fat or skim milk, and then real fruit juice in moderation,” she said. “Limit sodas since they are full of sugar and have no nutritional value.”

VITAMIN C PROTECTS, MAINTAINS HEALTHY BONE MASS

Parents can help their children make healthy beverage choice by making healthy options available and being a good role model.

TOBACCO SMOKE CAN TRIGGER CHILD’S ASTHMA ATTACK

Vitamin C plays an important role in maintaining bone mass promoting the balance between old bone resorption and new bone formation, said a Baylor College of Medicine doctor. Most experts recommend vitamin D, calcium, exercise and bisphosphonates to keep bones healthy, said Dr. Kenneth Gabbay, professor of pediatrics molecular diabetes and metabolism at BCM. Vitamin C is sometimes left out of the healthy bone equation but studies show that it’s equally important. Food high in vitamin C includes oranges, strawberries, dark, leafy lettuce, broccoli, bell peppers and fresh herbs. Most daily vitamin supplements also contain vitamin C. SLEEPING PILLS NOT EASY ANSWER

When sleep doesn’t come easily, some people turn to what they think is an easy solution - sleeping pills. But according to a Baylor College of Medicine sleep expert, sleep medications - whether prescription or over-the-counter - shouldn’t be taken lightly. “All medications have side effects that need to be weighed whenever you take them,” cautioned Dr. Phil Alapat, assistant professor of pulmonary, critical care and sleep medicine at BCM and medical director of the BCM Sleep Center. Some of the most common prescription sleep medications are non-benzodiazepine hypnotics, like Ambien and Lunesta. These medications are not physically addictive and will not cause withdrawal symptoms when a person stops taking them. However, many people depend on them because they believe they cannot sleep without them, Alapat said. One of the most common over-the-counter sleep aids is the nutritional supplement melatonin. It is helpful for some people but Alapat cautioned that it is not , an FDA regulated substance. Overthe-counter sleeping pills may also contain antihistamines and while these can help a person sleep, they have other side effects, including dry eyes and mouth. They may also cause an altered mental state, 4

Cedar Park Town Center Living - October 2011

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ADOPTION COALITION MEET DENVER Denver is 14 years old and is always smiling! He has a very sweet personality and is a friendly, polite young man. He makes friends easily and loves to have fun. Denver enjoys riding bikes, reading comic books, playing basketball and video games. He is a huge animal lover! Denver enjoys school and receives special education services. Denver needs a family to open their hearts and provide him with unconditional love. To find out more about Denver, Please contact Stephanie Berka, Wendyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Wonderful

Kids Recruiter, at the Adoption Coalition of Texas, (512) 301-2825 or stephanieberka@ adopttexas.org. To learn more about the foster care adoption process, please call the Adoption Coalition of Texas at (512) 3012825. Email info@adopttexas.org and visit our website at www.adoptioncoalitiontx.org. Adopting a child from the foster care system requires little or no cost to the adoptive family and funding may be available to help the adoptive family support the child or sibling group.

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Cedar Park Town Center Living - October 2011

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Cedar Park Town Center Living - October 2011

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BRITT’S BOOK BUZZ: THE HUNGER GAMES by Suzanne Collins

Remember the compelling and cultfollowing TV show, Lost? To me, The Hunger Games is the literary equivalent in that the writers creatively demonstrated survival and unity when faced with extremely harsh circumstances. The difference is that while Lost was the result of a plane crash on a strange island where anything could happen, The Hunger Games is ruled by the Capitol where young adults fight to the death as a form of entertainment for the government. Set in the not so distant future, North America as we know it has been completely reorganized into separate districts (12 of them) all closely controlled by the militant, big brother, harsh “Capitol.” These districts were formed when the Earth had become so violated environmentally and morally that war broke out. As a reminder to all of the segregated districts that rebellion is not tolerated, there is a yearly “Hunger Game”

where a male and female from each district aged 12-18 is chosen at random to fight each other to the death. There can only be one victor and everything is televised, complete with sponsors. It is in district 12 that the heroine, Katniss Everdeen lives with her mother (a healer) and her younger sister. Her father was killed in a mining accident but left his oldest daughter with the gifts and talents of hunting, which is her family’s key to survival. When Katniss’ sister is chosen as one of the “tributes” to fight in the hunger games, Katniss volunteers in her place. Her male counterpart, Peeta, is also chosen. Their experience at the Capitol and the whole tradition around the hunger games

concept

is so intriguing and fascinating as are the people they encounter. However, it is the way the hunger games are so carefully and technologically orchestrated and Katniss’ amazing ingenuity and will to live and survive that kept me reading and enjoying the brutal, yet thoroughly entertaining book. At the time I am writing this review, I am already on the final book of the trilogy! This book has it all -- a love triangle, a heroine, an underdog, fighting, mystery, science fiction--it is a reader’s big Kit Kat bar! Feel free to comment on this review, your thoughts on the book or suggest a book for me to review on my blog: http://brittsbuzz.blogspot.com

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Cedar Park Town Center Living - October 2011