Willowlake - March 2012 by Peel, Inc.

Willowlake

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March 2012

Volume 9, Issue 3

The Official Publication of the Willowlake Homeowners Association

Giving Live Baby Ducks for Easter? Maybe Not a Good idea

Easter is April 8th, and at this time of year I know some of our kids will have their eyes on those cute, little, live baby ducks. At certain places where they are sold, some of them aren’t as healthy looking as others, but sometimes remain with the others, nonetheless. Is it really worth the risk of possibly spreading a disease just for the sake of a novelty? Parents, before you succumb to your child’s wishes for a live baby duck for Easter, please think beyond that day and what will become of the ducks later. It is a misconception that abandoning them to our lake is purely surrendering them to nature. Of course, pink dyed baby chicks are also sold at Easter time but I haven’t seen any dumped at the lake so I’m not concerned about that. The point here is that it is obvious that we have too many ducks in our lake already and the numbers grow every year. These domesticated ducks are fed our leftover stale bread and chips and this isn’t a good diet for them; plus, their over abundance brings about unwanted problems such as disease and pesky creatures who also feed on the food left. Plastic bags also present a hazard. Unless we intend to keep these baby ducks as loving pets, please consider leaving them at the store. If your child wants to see the live ducks and chicks at the store, that’s up to you, but please don’t bring them home where the novelty of having them can wear off very quickly. In this way, we will all be safer and we won’t be compounding an existing problem.

St. Patrick’s Day Humor -Paddy and Seamus were walking home from the pub. Paddy says to Seamus, “What a beautiful night, look at the moon.” Seamus stops and looks at Paddy, “You are wrong, that’s not the moon, that’s the sun.” Both started arguing for a while when they come upon a real drunk walking in the other direction, so they stopped him. “Sir, could you please help settle our argument? Tell us what that thing is up in the sky that’s shining. Is it the moon or the sun?” The drunk looked at the sky and then looked at them, and said, “Sorry, I don’t live around here.” -Walking into the bar, Shamus said to O’Heir the bartender, “Pour me a stiff one - just had another fight with the little woman.” “O, bejabbers,” said O’Heir, “And how did this one end?” “Hah, when it was over,” Shamus replied, “She came to me on her hands and knees.” “Really?” cried O’Heir, “Now that’s a switch! What did she say?” She said, “Come out from under the bed, Shamus, you little chicken.” -Two Irishmen have just won 500,000 pounds in the Irish lottery and they are now having a pint in O’Malley’s bar. Timothy turns to Seamus and says, “What about all them begging letters?” Seamus replies, “Oh, we’ll just carry on sending them.” -Dermot McCann opened the morning newspaper and was dumbfounded to read the obituary column that he had died. He quickly phoned his best friend, Reilly. “Did ye see the paper?” Dermot asked. “They say I died.” “Yes, I saw it,” replied Reilly. “Where are ye calling from?”

Willowlake Watch - March 2012

Willowlake IMPORTANT NUMBERS All Emergencies................................................................911 Bratton Pools................................................... 281-988-7700 Cypress-Fairbanks Hospital............................. 281-897-3300 Harris County Sheriff...................................... 713-221-6000 Department of Public Safety........................... 281-890-5440 Fire Department (non-emergency).................. 713-466-6161 Center Point Energy - Power Outages Only.... 713-207-2222 Center Point Energy - Gas............................... 713-659-2111 Harris County Animal Control....................... 281-999-3191 Memorial City Hospital.................................. 713-932-3000 MUD #11....................................................... 281-807-9500 Poison Control Center.................................... 800-222-1222 Willowplace Post Office................................. 281-890-2392 Harris County Road & Bridge........................ 281-353-8424 VF Waste Services, Inc.................................... 713-787-9790 Harris Co. Public Health & Environ. Svcs...... 713-920-2831

MANAGEMENT INFO Randall Management, Inc. Team....................... 713-728-1126 Manager Jane Godwin..........jgodwin@randallmanagement.com, ext. 11 Asst. Manager Janet Bonura........... bonura@randallmanagement.com, ext. 17 Deed Restrictions Lucy Sandoval.............deed@randallmanagement.com, ext. 18 Collections Jennifer Phillips.. collections@randallmanagement.com, ext. 22 Answering Service After business hours for common area emergencies............................... (713) 850-4729

For information on your homeowner’s assessments, deed restriction violations or questions in general please contact: Randall Management, Inc. 6200 Savoy, Suite 420, Houston, TX 77036 Phone: 713-728-1126 Fax: 713-728-5015 www.rqsmith@randallmanagement.com

2012 COMMITTEES

Architectural Control Chairman Mark Lackey................................... melackey@comcast.net Social Events...............................................................OPEN Newsletter Editor Linda O’Pry.............................mermaid400@sbcglobal.net Yard of the Month.......................................................OPEN Neighborhood Watch Chairman Dave Bannen........................................... dbannen@att.net Gazebo Rental Randall Management.713-728-1126 Pool Chairman Lynn Piwonski................................LMP4040@yahoo.com Park Chairman Diego Lamacchia........................dlamacchia@hotmail.com

NOT AVAILABLE ONLINE

BOARD OF DIRECTORS President - Debi Bon.............................. debibon@sbcglobal.net Vice President - Nancy Kapell.............. nancykapell@yahoo.com Treasurer - Stacey Ward...........................w.stacey@sbcglobal.net Secretary - Daniel Flores.......................dsflores10@sbcglobal.net Director - David Bannen..................................dbannen@att.net

NEWSLETTER INFO Newsletter Publisher Peel, Inc.......................................................... 888-687-6444 Sales Office..........advertising@PEELinc.com, 888-687-6444 2

Willowlake Watch - March 2012

Classified Ad FOR SALE: Two builder's custom built-ins for sale on Trailing Moss. They would be perfect for a Willowlake home. They are white with an armoire and shelves on both sides with a desk AND drawers in the middle. One set has already been removed and the other is in one bedroom for display. I am sure these were costly add-ons, but I like a more contemporary look. Please call Linda @ 832-646-8721 and make an offer. Copyright © 2012 Peel, Inc.

Mark Your Calendar March 7,14,21,28...................................... Waste/Recycle Pickup March 11.......................................Daylight Savings Time Begins March 17............................................................ St. Patrick’s Day March 20................................................................Spring Begins April 1................................................................. April Fool’s Day April 6...................................................................... Good Friday April 8.................................................................................Easter

Kids' Corner A diner called the waiter over and asked, "What's this at the bottom of my plate?" "It's the design," replied the waiter. "In that case," said the diner, "It's an animated drawing -- it's moving!"

Bashans Painting & Home Repair Commercial/Residential Free Estimates

281-347-6702 281-731-3383cell • Interior & Exterior Painting • Garage Floor Epoxy • Hardi Plank Installation

• Custom Staining

• Wood Replacement

• Roofing

• Sheetrock Repair

• Gutter Repair/Replacement

• Interior Carpentry

• Faux Painting

• Cabinet Painting

• Door Refinishing

• Wallpaper Removal and Texturizing

• Window Installation

• Pressure Washing

• Ceiling Fan/Light Fixtures

• Fence Repair/Replacement

• Trash Removal

Willowlake

WHAT YOU MISSED

If you didn’t have a chance to read the February newsletter, here are some of the articles you missed: • Willowlake Security Alert • Repeat of Residential ‘Recycle’ Collection Guidelines for Willowlake HOA • Tree Care • Classified ad with built-in bookcase for sale • Funny Jokes and more It’s still not too late to read these articles. To go directly to our newsletters go to: http://www.peelinc.com/residentsNewsletter.php?newsletter=WL By Linda O’Pry, Newsletter Editor

NEWSLETTER REMINDERS CHECK IT OUT!

1. The information on page 2 of the newsletter under 2012 Committees has been updated 2. More information has been added to the Teenage Job Seekers section on page 2 3. The Randall Management Information on page 2 has been updated

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YES! YOUR NEWSLETTER IS PROVIDED 100% FREE OF CHARGE TO YOUR HOA and is made possible by the advertisers within. Please frequent their businesses and let them know where you saw their advertisement. While there, be sure to say “Thanks!” www.PEELinc.com

PEEL, INC. community newsletters Willowlake Watch - March 2012

Willowlake

Leashing Your Dog

We all love our pets, so we have to be responsible pet owners. It is important that dogs be leashed when they are taken for a walk by their owners. There are several reasons why this is imperative for the community. First, only you know your dog. Someone else who doesn’t know your dog will feel scared or in danger if the dog is not leashed because we all know that a dog’s behavior is unpredictable. No matter how well trained your dog is, it is only natural that a dog will suddenly run after a squirrel, a cat or another dog for that matter. An injury or something worse could happen, and bring forth liability issues that can be prevented. Another good reason to leash your dog is that you could keep your dog from eating foreign items that could be harmful to them, and you could avoid a costly vet bill. Dogs could also run away and get hurt if they get hit by a car or get

lost or picked up by someone else. No one wants to lose a beloved pet. Letting dogs roam loose in the neighborhood is not considerate either. Not everyone loves dogs and it is not nice to have your dog relieve themselves in your neighbor’s yard, dig or rummage through their trash. I could go on listing the many reasons why leashing your dog is important, especially in the common areas of our neighborhood. Everyone has the right to enjoy those areas without having to confront a loose dog. If you want to let your dog run freely, there are dog parks around our city where they can do that. Please be respectful of all our residents and leash your dog. Remember, the purpose of a leash is to protect others as well as to protect your dog. By Nancy Kapell, Vice-President

REACHING YOUR NEIGHBORS • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Atascocita CIA Blackhorse Ranch Bridgeland Chelsea Harbour Coles Crossing Copperfield Cypress Mill Cypress Point Eagle Springs Enchanted Valley Fairfield Fairwood Harvest Bend The Village Kleinwood Lakemont Lakes of Fairhaven Lakes of Rosehill Lakes of Savannah Lakes on Eldridge Lakes on Eldridge North Lakewood Grove Legends Ranch

Willowlake Watch - March 2012

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

and many others...

Longwood Normandy Forest North Lake Forest Riata Ranch Riverpark on the Brazos Shadow Creek Ranch Silverlake Southgate Steeplechase Stone Forest Stone Gate Summerwood Village Creek Villages of NorthPointe Willowbridge Willowlake Willow Pointe Winchester Country Winchester Trails Windermere Lakes Wortham Villages

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PEEL, INC. community newsletters

Lights and Sirens

Willowlake

Protect Your Most Precious Cargo—Your Child “She’ll stop crying if I hold her on my lap.” “We’re only going to the grocery store down the block.” “He’s sick and needs comforting.” “She’s hungry.” Do any of these quotes sound familiar? They’re all common reasons parents give for not putting their children in appropriate child safety seats or safety belts. Unfortunately, unrestrained or improperly restrained children are far more likely to suffer severe injuries or die in motor vehicle mishaps than properly restrained children. In fact, motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of death among children at every age after their first birthday. Even if you are a careful driver, you can’t control other driver’s behaviors or eliminate the possibility of a crash. And the forces that occur during a crash will make it impossible for you to “just hold on” to your child. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, child safety seats reduce the risk of death in passenger cars by about 70 percent for infants, and by about 55 percent for toddlers ages one to four. The NHTSA recommends booster seats for children over 40 pounds until at least age 8. For children 9 years and older, car seatbelts reduce injury risk by about 50 percent. Unfortunately, many parents, unknowingly, incorrectly install car safety

seats or improperly restrain their children. Here are some tips to help ensure your child is properly restrained while riding in your motor vehicle. • Infants should ride in rear-facing seats as long as possible, at least until they are 12 months of age and weigh at least 20 pounds. The seat’s harness strap should be routed through the harness slots that are at, or slightly below, the child’s shoulder level. When fastened, the harness clip should be snug and at armpit level. The seat should be inclined at a 45-degree angle and securely fastened in place, using a locking clip, if needed, to prevent movement. • Children over one year of age and who weigh between 20 and 40 pounds should be placed in forward-facing child safety seats. The seat’s harness strap should be routed through the harness slot at, or slightly above, shoulder level. Keep the harness straps snug and flat. When fastened, the harness clip should be at armpit level. The seat should be in an upright position and securely fastened to prevent movement. If the seat moves more than one-inch left to right or back to front, it’s too loose. In order to get a tight fit between the child restraint system and the vehicle seat, put your weight into the

restraint system to compress the vehicle seat while tightening the seat belt as much as possible. • Children over 40 pounds should be placed in a booster seat. There are different types of booster seats available on the market. Depending on your child’s weight and height, you may need a high-back-style booster seat to properly protect your child. • By around age 8, children can move to regular lap and shoulder belts. However, some vehicle restraint systems may not properly fit children weighing less than 80 pounds and who are less than 4 feet, 9 inches tall. In these instances, you may need to continue using a booster seat to properly protect your child. • Regardless of the child restraint system used, all children ages 12 years and younger should ride in the back seat. This eliminates the injury risk from deployed front passenger-side airbags, and places children in the safest part of the vehicle in the event of an accident. Riding in the back seat is associated with a 46 percent reduction in the risk of fatal injury in cars with a front passenger-side airbag and at least a 30 percent reduction in the risk of fatal injury in cars with no front passengerside airbag. Submitted by Janet Bonura, Asst. Manager Randall Management

Willowlake Watch - March 2012

Willowlake

Letter From the Editor I Need Your Help

I’m writing because I need your help with the newsletter. Although I receive articles from the board, from our committees and our management company, it isn’t always on a monthly basis. Many articles and jokes that I submit have come through my research on the internet and this can be quite time consuming; therefore, I am asking for volunteers to assist me with the following:

RECIPE OF THE MONTH

• Cooking tips • Article on web sites that can be beneficial to our residents • Plant and vegetable gardening articles • Landscaping articles (tried and true, what works best for our climate) • Texas facts and Texas jokes • Houston facts The above are only suggestions, but I am always open to your creative ideas, so please feel free to contact me because the newsletter belongs to us all, and I hope to broaden what we read with your input. Submitting an article to me doesn’t mean you are obligated to do it every month. In fact, one article or many, it’s all good. What’s important is that we all get involved in any way we can to better our community. Please keep in mind that the deadline is always the 5th of each month for the following month’s newsletter. Articles must be submitted in Office Word format only. I hope to hear from you soon. Thanks, Linda O’Pry Newsletter Editor

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Willowlake Watch - March 2012

Speeding in Willowlake PARKING ON THE STREETS

Most homeowners have some space in their garage reserved for storage - in some cases most of the garage, thereby not leaving enough room for their vehicles. Consequently, many owners park their vehicles on the street making it difficult for others to pass and creating hazardous conditions for their children. Although weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re all anxious to get home to be with our families, speeding and reckless driving is against the law and endangers everyone. Willowlake is a family oriented community with many children; for that reason before you speed or park on the street, please consider their well-being. Also, children playing in the street can unknowingly create a dangerous situation, especially on heavily traveled streets; the driver may not see the child, especially in the evening or after dark. We all know that children have a tendency to move about impulsively and may inadvertently run into the street. Please donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t let a tragedy happen before parking your vehicle off the street or obeying the speed limit. For the benefit of all the residents and children, and the overall appearance of your neighborhood, please do not park on the street. Make accommodations in your garage or driveway for your vehicles and keep your streets clear and safe for all and please, DO NOT SPEED IN WILLOWLAKE.

Willowlake At no time will any source be allowed to use the Willowlake 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 Willowlake Homeowners Association and Peel, Inc. The information in the Willowlake Watch is exclusively for the private use of Willowlake residents only. 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.

Willowlake Watch - March 2012

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Willowlake Watch - March 2012