Stone Canyon Neighborhood Newsletter www.stonecanyonoa.org
November 2011
Volume 6, Issue 11
Official Publication of Stone Canyon Homeowners Association
Letter from the PRESIDENT JESSICA STEMPKO
Hello neighbors. We learned on Friday, October 7th that we must comply with emergency stage 3 water restrictions. Hopefully by the November newsletter they will have been lifted. If not, please disregard the request to water twice a week until we return to stage 2 restrictions. Many of our yards have suffered because of the drought. Some residents have had to replace and repair sod and some still need to do so. There are several things you can do to properly maintain existing landscape and to prepare your property’s lawn surfaces for future plantings. Prevent weeds from overtaking your property. Keep weeds mowed and lawns edged, even if the majority of your yard space has died. Weed and seeds will be hard to remove in several months causing any reseeding or resodding of grass to be more difficult. As we all know, weeds spread via the wind, shoes and animals to neighboring lawns. Preventing weeds in your yard will benefit the entire community and make lawn maintenance easier for everyone. Spread and water-in a recommended pre-emergent weed killer this fall to stop a new crop of weeds come spring. Applying a preemergent at this time will save you many hours of labor in the future. Spread or spray pest control products to prevent ants, grubs, etc. from taking hold in your soil. Many of the bare spots in yards throughout the community have been caused by pest infestations. Any replanting will not be successful if these areas are not rid of the pests that caused the bare spots. Water, at least minimally, to keep shrubs and trees alive. It is very expensive to replace a mature tree. Current water restrictions allow all residents to water twice a week. This should be more than adequate time to save shrubs and trees. Remove any dead shrubbery or trees in your yard, especially near your house. As we have seen in Central Texas, dead grass, trees and shrubs are a FIRE HAZARD to your home, as well as to your neighbor’s property. It’s far better to remove dead material now than to risk it becoming kindling in the future. Lightening striking dead brush has been blamed for causing the recent wildfire near Hamilton Pool. If you are new to the Central Texas area, landscaping in our area can be a challenge. You may w to consult a landscape company or specialist to learn about the unique challenges of our part of Texas. Have a happy and safe Thanksgiving. Copyright © 2011 Peel, Inc.
CALENDAR OF EVENTS December 3rd.........................adult Holiday Party at FBCC December 10th.....................................Breakfast with Santa ................................................... 9:00am til 11:30am FBCC Saturday December 17................ tentative date for Hayride ..................................caroling and collection of canned food ... .............................items for the Round Rock Serving Center If you would like to volunteer, or get involved with any of these events, please contact: Laura Kouns at 733-1659, rlkouns@sbcglobal.net thanks a bunch
Happy Holidays!
BREAKFAST WITH SANTA The holidays are around the corner and Breakfast with Santa will be on Saturday, December 10th from 9:00 to 11:30am at the Fern Bluff Mud Community Center. Come enjoy doughnut holes, juice and coffee as the kids visit with Santa. Choirs from Fern Bluff elementary, Chisholm Trail middle school and Round Rock high school will be performing for us. (A small group of band members from the Chisholm Trail band may also join in on the fun this year.) Donations for Brown Santa; the nearby Nursing Home; and our Adopt a Family program are greatly appreciated. Brown Santa and the Nursing Home are in need of food items as well as socks and other toiletry items. There are 7 families in total that we are trying to help out his year. Five of these families have kids that are currently at Fern Bluff Elementary. One family, had a special needs grandchild at Fern Bluff two years ago, and one family who lost everything that they owned in the Bastrop fire. Since the Gift Card donations worked out so well last year, we hope to focus on assisting in that way again this year. (Walmart, HEB and Target are great for food and clothing items) Fern Bluff Elementary (Continued on Page 3) Stone Canyon Homeowner's Association Newsletter - November 2011
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