Rivermist - May 2013

The Beacon

Volume 4, Issue 5

May 2013

Bexar County River Mist HOA Community Garage Sale Dial A Trailer Spring cleaning time is here! Your Board of Directors has scheduled a Dial-A-Trailer through the city to be available for free bulk trash collection on May 4th. The truck/trailer is free and will be placed at the park from 8am-1pm.

Collected Items: appliances, furniture, lumber mattresses, shrub, tree limbs - water heaters, vehicle tires (limit 4) The city recycles clean brush, metals, and tires. Participants are encouraged to separate brush from bulky items.

Items Not Collected: bricks, chemicals, concrete, commercial and industrial waste, demolition/remodeling materials (e.g., sheetrock and roofing shingles), liquids, soil, pesticides, soil, sod.

Other Recycling Alternatives Residents are encouraged to take advantage of the two brush and one bulky-item collections provided annually by the city. If residents require curbside pickup between these collection cycles, they can request an out-of-cycle collection available for a fee based on the size of the load collected.

Residents can also dispose of unwanted materials by bringing them to a Free Landfill Day event held on four Saturdays throughout the year, approximately three months apart.

Copyright © 2013 Peel, Inc.

Saturday, May 47th 8:00am – 2:00pm

Now is the time to get rid of all that clutter! The Bexar County River Mist Homeowners Association, Inc., will be hosting a community wide garage sale on Saturday, May 4th.

All residents are welcome to participate. Purchase a permit and join in the fun. If you don’t have much to sell, team up with a neighbor or two and consolidate your items.

You can buy garage sale permits/all permits in San Antonio on-line http://www.sanantonio.gov/dsd You need to be registered on the website. Once you have registered you are able to apply for the permit. At the end of the application it tells you it has been done successfully. At the bottom it says “to view your application click here” Your application is the permit!!! The process is very easy and it is only $16.00 The Board looks forward to your participation in the upcoming Garage Sale on May the 4th.

Please email us at contact@spectrumam.com if you have any questions.

Regards, Bexar County River Mist Homeowners Association

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NISDBeacon Kinder and Pre K The Roundup Info

Kinder Roundup was held the week of April 15-19, 2013.

Find out which school your child should attend by using the NISD School Boundaries Information System, at http://www.nisd.net/ boundaries-and-buses Eligibility Requirement 5 years old on or before September 1st (Texas Education Code §29.152) Documents to Bring • certified copy of child's birth certificate (original copy) • updated immunization record • social security card of child being registered (optional) • proof of residence (current or prior month's electric bill, water bill, cable bill or landline phone bill) Where is my school?

Go to the boundaries and buses page and find out what school your child goes to, or call (210) 397-8589.

School Information PreK4SA PRE-ENROLLMENT Information May 1 – May 11: • Weekdays: 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.

• Weekends: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

May 13 – May 31: San Antonio will have walk-in sites where families may still preenroll their children for the Pre-K 4 SA program. Walk-in sites will be less formal than the fairs and will not have representatives from school districts to answer questions. Walk-in site times will be forthcoming.

Parent/guardians must bring the following: • Birth certificate – original copy (Students must be four-years-old on or by September 1, 2013).

• Proof of residence – current electric bill, telephone bill, cable bill, apartment lease, “closing papers” from a home purchase. * Information subject to change. Please check this page regularly for updates.

Program Eligibility Program services are free for qualifying families based on the following State of Texas Pre-K eligibility criteria: • At or below 185% of federal poverty level (families are eligible for free or reduced lunch) • English as a second language • Child of active duty member of U.S. Armed Forces • Child of injured or deceased member of U.S. Armed Forces • Homeless • Currently or previously in foster care Ten percent (10%) of enrollment in model education centers available at affordable tuition rates based on family income for families above 185% of federal poverty level Parent Engagement Parent engagement fostered through components within the program including: • Parent leadership classes • Parent education classes • Fatherhood initiatives • Parents and teachers sign commitment contract o - Parents will be asked to regularly read to their child, help with homework and attend school events, including parent/teacher conferences http://www.sanantonio.gov/Pre-K4SanAntonio.aspx 2

The Beacon - May 2013

Sign up for email alerts by registering at www.Spectrumam.com Our management website is a treasure trove of information regarding neighborhood policies, community events, community safety and other helpful items. You can pay your assessment fee online and can also sign up to receive email updates/alerts that are sent out by the Board of Directors and site managers. If you need help registering or need to have your password reset, call our site manager, Jason Green at (210) 494-0659.

Your Board of Directors

Private Tutoring *Improve grades, test scores and self confidence *$25/per hour *Grades 3-8 all subjects *Tutor is a Texas certified teacher and has a Masters of Education Degree Education_Coach@yahoo.com Copyright © 2013 Peel, Inc

The Beacon Our community NNO celebration will follow the race!

Please join our community in celebrating the 30th annual National Night Out!

R ivermist Homeowners Association

Presents the 1 st Annual National Night Out Against Crime Family 5K Fun Run/Walk Where: Rivermist Community Park, 8203 Rock Mist Drive San Antonio, TX 78249 (parking info will be provided prior to the race) When: Tuesday, October 1, 2013, 6:30pm Cost: $25 per runner before July 31, 2013, $30 per runner after July 31st.

Registration ends September 1st (maximum of 250 runners) * All registered runners will receive a goodie bag and a finisher’s medal. *Packet pickup information will be disseminated in June.

NNO Celebration will include Rock Climbing Wall DJ/Dancing Child ID kits Bouncy Castle Video Game Truck from Games2U Refreshments

* A portion of the proceeds from the Run/Walk will be donated to Child Advocates San Antonio (CASA) * We will also hold a school supply drive to benefit the foster children assisted by CASA Register online at www.redemptionrp.com (beginning

Copyright Š 2013 Peel, Inc.

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The Beacon SPRING CLEANING YOUR PC Submitted by Greg Sedbrook If you’re like most people, you’ve probably been very busy as of late in the annual ritual we all call, “Spring-Cleaning”. This usually includes top-to-bottom cleaning and organization of the entire house and contents. We have also been busy getting ourselves back into shape, and losing those extra pounds we may have added this past winter. One item in your house you might have overlooked, however, is your computer.

Fortunately, cleaning and de-cluttering your PC is very easy to do and does not take much time. It will preserve the life of your computer and help you get more work done faster and more efficiently. That means you can spend more time outside, enjoying the longer, warmer days ahead.

One area to start with is the hardware itself. Your computer has probably collected quite a bit of dust since its last cleaning.

This can cause your computer to over-heat, shortening the life of your system.

Then there’s your keyboard, which is notorious for its ability to collect all sorts of little nasty’s that can collect between the keys.

And like everything else, germs can harbor on your keyboard, mouse and touchpad.

The first step to start off with is to turn off your computer or laptop and unplug it. If your keyboard and mouse are wired, unplug them from the computer. If they’re wireless, shut them off and remove the batteries. A few blasts of compressed air should take care of any dust on the keyboard and the debris stuck between keys. Next gently wipe your keyboard and mouse with bleach-free disinfecting wipes to remove dirt, etc. Cotton swabs dipped in isopropyl alcohol are great to use to deep clean between the keys.

The computers monitor screen can be cleaned using a soft, slightly damp lint-free cloth. Commercial cleaning wipes are also available at most stores these days.

A lot of people are not comfortable with the idea of opening up their computers, leaving this next step to the professionals, but if you feel confident enough to open up the inside of your

computer case, now is also a good time to remove dust buildup on the case fans, air vents, motherboard and CPU heat-sink and fan. If you own a laptop I would not recommend opening it up; leave that to a professional. But you can blow compressed air into the various vents.

Next the dreaded virus/malware problem needs to be addressed.

Not only do these compromise your privacy, spyware, malware and viruses slow down your computers performance. You should begin by scanning your computer with well-known and popular anti-virus and anti-spyware programs to combat this threat. Start the scans and remove any threats that show up. Also remember to update your anti-virus programs on a regular basis so you can stay protected from new, almost daily threats and run on a weekly basis.

You can also use available software to free up and optimize your computer’s hard disk space which will improve its performance.

Most computers need, “defragging” or defragmenting on a regular basis also.

One last thing I will mention, that is very critical and important, is to always make sure your OS, “Operating System”, is up-to-date.

Most people use Microsoft’s Windows. Microsoft issues updates on a regular basis. Most computers are set by default to check for regular updates. Your computer will of course have to be hooked up to the internet.

In wrapping up this article I’d just like to add a couple of things.

If you do not feel comfortable in doing any or all of the above mentioned tasks….PLEASE let someone who is perform them.

Inexperienced users can cause further damage to computers, even though rarely is it, “unfixable”! Let a professional computer tech do the services for you. As the old saying goes, “better safe than sorry”. Also for those who might have old PC’s they are either getting rid of or upgrading to a new PC, I take older computers and repair them to be donated to those who are in need. I can be reached at 210-478-2144. Thank you and I hope everyone has a great month! Till next time….

Most computers need,

"Defragging"

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The Beacon - May 2013

Copyright © 2013 Peel, Inc

The Beacon Control your weight, minimize cancer risk

Rovira Kung Fu Classes The Board of Directors would like to thank Rivermist resident Nelly Rovira for providing personal defense/exercise classes free of charge at the neighborhood park. The first class was awesome and there are still four more to go!!

Chinese Kung Fu & Personal Defense Classes Goals: • To provide physical health to people of ages 5 and up, thru the teachings of Kung Fu. • To develop basic knowledge of Personal Defense techniques.

• To help participants achieve optimal health and develop a healthy lifestyle, improving their overall quality of life.

Controlling weight can help a person reduce the risk of cancer, said an oncologist from the NCI-designated Dan L. Duncan Cancer Center at Baylor College of Medicine.

"We do not know exactly how and why obesity affects cancer risk, but we know there is an increase, so it is important for everyone to control their weight to minimize this risk,” said Dr. Kent Osborne, director of the Duncan Cancer Center and the Lester and Sue Smith Breast Center, both at BCM. Research has linked obesity to a greater risk of developing esophageal, pancreatic, colorectal, breast, endometrial, kidney, thyroid and gallbladder cancer, Osborne said.

In some cancers like breast cancer, there is also an increase in the risk of recurrence if a patient already has the cancer and is obese.

Many other factors, such as genetics, may play a role in cancer development, but keeping a normal weight is one thing people can change and it may help, he said.

Schedule of Classes: Saturday April 27th & Saturday May 4th, 11th, 18th Hours: 9:15am-10:00am -45 minutes Ages 5-11 years old 10:00am-10:45am-45 minutes Ages 12 and up Location: Rivermist Playground (Basketball area) Class Details: • 5 minutes Warm Up/Stretching • 20 minutes Kung Fu • 15 minutes Personal Defense • 5 minutes Cool down and stretch Kung Fu Curriculum: • Tam T’ui (Basic Chinese Kung Fu Exercises) • Kung Fu stances • Kung Fu Forms Personal Defense Curriculum: • Fight Stance • Deflections and Blocks • Strikes: jab, hook, upper cut, elbow, palm strikes • Kicks: front kick, side kick, roundhouse kick, low kicks, knee strikes • Personal Defense Techniques –Locks, holds and takedowns • Rolls Copyright © 2013 Peel, Inc.

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The Beacon Come see what your neighbors are talking about.

Join Nextdoor Rivermisthoa, the private website for your neighborhood.

To join, visit: rivermisthoa.nextdoor.com/join Your neighbor, Charles Hasberry, invited you to join.

Nextdoor Rivermisthoa

Charles (Rivera Cv) writes: "We are coming together online as a community. Join us on Nextdoor. This will help us share crime/safety info as well as help us get to know each other. " To accept your invitation, visit:

rivermisthoa.nextdoor.com/join Your flyer code: XEIGAR

Nextdoor Rivermisthoa

Get to know your neighbors • Share local recommendations • Lend, borrow and give away • Keep the neighborhood safe • Stay informed

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The Beacon - May 2013

Copyright © 2013 Peel, Inc

The Beacon Dear Homeowner,

Pro Tree Care r o b r A

Ross Hosea, Owner ISA Certified Arborist #TX-3811A Texas Oak Wilt Certified San Antonio native with more than 20 years experience Trimming ● Removal ● Planting Free Estimates

Here at Spectrum we strive to make the transition to our company as seamless and problem free as possible.

This article is just a reminder on the different ways you can pay your homeowner association dues. The most traditional method of coming to our office to pay is available. Our address is 17319 San Pedro, Suite 318, San Antonio, TX 78232. You can also register at www.spectrumam. com and login to pay your dues by e-check or credit card. We accept payment from Mastercard, Discover and American Express. On this site you can also setup recurring payments, view current reports of any ACC requests, Violations, governing documents, upcoming events and other information. For your security, we do not take credit card payments over the phone. If you ever have questions on how to register or how to review something on the website, please feel free to contact us. Our policy is to return all calls and emails the same day. Feel free to contact me with any questions you may have.

Regards, Jason M. Green Community Manager Office: 210.494.0659 www.spectrumam.com

(210) 912-4869 or rosshosea@hotmail.com

Check us out on the web at www.rivermisthoa.org Our community website is a treasure trove of information regarding community events, community safety and other helpful items. Sincerely, Your Board of Directors

Copyright © 2013 Peel, Inc.

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