Stone Canyon - June 2013 by Peel, Inc.

Stone Canyon Neighborhood Newsletter www.stonecanyonoa.org

June 2013

Volume 8, Issue 6

Official Publication of Stone Canyon Homeowners Association

New HOA Board has Openings

Enjoy the Summer!

The Stone Canyon Annual Home Owners Meeting was held in April. The draft annual meeting minutes can be found on the Stone Canyon Website. www.stonecanyonoa.org Gregg Hnath and Laura Kouns were elected to the Board and Jessica Stempko was re-elected. Vickie Lockwood and Chhaya Tripathi were not up for re-election at this time, but have since both stepped down from their Board positions. Vickie is moving from the neighborhood and Chhaya’s increasing responsibilities at work have forced her to reprioritize her time. Chhaya and Vickie have served tirelessly over the past several years, working to make the neighborhood that we call ‘home’ a better place. Thank you, thank you to both Vickie and Chhaya for all that you have done for us here in Stone Canyon. This does mean that we will need to appoint two new members to the Board. These members would serve on the board until the next annual meeting, March of 2014. If you would like to participate as a Board member, please send your resume to board@ stonecanyonoa.org no later than June 15, 2013. Our objective is to be able to announce the newly-appointed board members by the end of June.

It’s nice to see so many neighbors enjoying summer in the neighborhood. Please make sure to watch for the activities of children out of school for the summer as you drive around the community. I see many happy bikers, skateboarders, ball players and pool goers out and about and it does impact the kind of traffic we have in the neighborhood. Remember to watch for children darting between parked cars and to stop completely at stop signs.

4th of July Parade The Sam Bass Volunteer Firemen and women will lead our neighborhood parade again this year. The parade will start at 9:30 am on 4th of July. The parade will begin at the intersection of Fern Bluff Ave. and Park Valley Dr., and it will end at Memorial Park on Park Valley Dr. Decorate your bike, pet and yourself and come on out for the fun. Those of you who attended Art in the Park, don’t forget to bring your red/white/blue halo hats. Cookies and water will be served.

by Jessica Stempko and Cathy Soukup

Here are a few reminders for summer... • If you want to reserve the pool for a party, visit our website, www.stonecanyonoa.org. Select “Amenities,” then “Swimming Pool”. You’ll find pool rules and pool cabana policy and reservation forms. If you need to replace a pool key, there is information there that will help you. If you don’t have login information, you can request it from our home page. Remember, your pool party is not confirmed until you submit the $100.00 deposit. • Dogs are required to be on leash in all common areas of our HOA and in all the parks and greenbelt areas owned by the Fern Bluff MUD. While we’re talking dogs, remember that you need to clean up after your dog friends. Our paths are more enjoyable when they are waste free. • Dogs that bark? Please be kind to your neighbors. On the other hand, if you are hearing barking dogs at odd hours or all day long, keep a journal. It’s the first thing you’ll be asked to do if you need to raise a complaint. • Summer is a popular time to do work around the home and yard. If you are planning any projects, make sure to file an Architectural Control Committee (ACC) Application 30 days prior to beginning. You may need a plot plan or survey plat. We’ve tried to increase the efficiency of the process. All applications are entered into our system by the property (Continued on Page 3)

Stone Canyon Homeowner's Association Newsletter - June 2013

StoneSTONE Canyon CANYON Owners & Association Management Teams www.stonecanyonoa.org

STONE CANYON OWNERS ASSOCIATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS: President/Recreation/Landscape Laura Kouns.....................................board@stonecanyonoa.org Vice President/Capital Improvement/Maintenance Gregg Hnath....................................board@stonecanyonoa.org Secretary/Pool/Newsletter Jessica Stempco................................board@stonecanyonoa.org Treasurer/ACC/Publicity Director Open Position..................................board@stonecanyonoa.org Parliamentarian/Neighborhood Watch/YOM/Website Open Position..................................board@stonecanyonoa.org COMMITTEE CHAIRS ACC Richard Horton...........................board@stonecanyonoa.org Recreation Laura Kouns.....................................lbkouns63@gmail.com Swimming Pool Greg Martinez...............................pool@stonecanyonoa.org Yard of the Month Amelia Dansby & Cathy Soukup......... amdansby@gmail.com Maintenance Al Maus............................maintenance@stonecanyonoa.org Landscape Cathy Soukup.................................. csoukup@austin.rr.com Neighborhood Watch Donna Scoggins....................Donna@LetsGoToEscrow.com Newsletter Judith Horton ................................. judy@richandjudy.com Good Neighbor Laura Kouns ................................... lbkouns63@gmail.com Webmaster Ron Kellam......................... webmaster@stonecanyonoa.org

KEY CONTACTS In an attempt to make things easier to find, we have provided some key contact information for various organizations that you might need to contact.  If you have a suggestion for information to add, please contact the web committee. HOME OWNERS ASSOCIATION: Bob Nardo - Goodwin Management............... 512-852-7965 ................... 11149 Research Blvd Suite 100, Austin, TX 78759 http://stc.goodwintx.com/ Payment Address: Stone Canyon / Goodwin Management, Inc. P.O. Box 203310 Austin, TX. 78720-331 Governmental Agencies: Fern Bluff Mud..............................................512-238-0606 ................ 7320 Wyoming Springs, Round Rock, TX 78681 City of Round Rock......................................512-218-5400 ............................... 221 East Main Street, Round Rock, TX Williamson County Commissioners Office....512-248-3238 ............ 400 W. Main St., Ste. 216, Round Rock, TX 78664 Williamson County Constable (Robert Chody) 512-248-3239 ....................211 Commerce Cove, Round Rock, TX 78664 Williamson County Sheriff’s Office (Non-Emergency)..........................................512-943-1300 Williamson County EMS (Non-Emergency)..........................................512-943-1264 Round Rock ISD.......................... (512) 464-5000 ext 1311 .....................Round Rock Avenue, Round Rock, TX 78681 Misc. Services: Gas Line Malfunction..... (Business Hours) 1-800-460-3030 .............................................(After Hours) 1-800-817-8090 Street Light Repair - TU Electric................1-800-242-9113 Texas Utilities (TXU).................................1-800-368-1398 Southwestern Bell.......................................1-888-294-8433 Time Warner Cable.......................................512-485-5555 Williamson County Road and Bridge............512-943-3330

NOT AVAILABLE ONLINE

Stone Canyon Homeowner's Association Newsletter - June 2013

Stone Canyon Enjoy The Summer! (Continued from Cover Page) manager, Bob Nardo. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to call him for assistance at 512-852-7965. • For lawn care, please give your sprinklers a periodic checkup. Look for broken heads, and adjust spray away from sidewalks and driveways. Timing your watering for two shorter segments, rather than one long one will allow the water to soak into the soil. For more on lawn care, please see the Yard of the Month article! • Trash cans can be set out at 6pm on Sunday evening, but not much sooner. If you are leaving for the weekend, please ask a neighbor or friend to put the trash out for you. If you have landscapers taking care of your lawn, they should either take the debris with them or place it out of sight until trash collection. Tree branches and shrub clippings that will not fit in a receptacle should be tied into a bundle not longer than 4 feet. Trash cans should be removed from the curb and out of sight by Monday evening. • Stone Canyon seems to be having quite a turnover lately, with homes selling quickly! If you have a new neighbor, reach out and introduce yourself. Make them feel welcome! Thank you, and Have a Great Summer!

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Stone Canyon Pool Update By Richard Horton, Pool Committee Chairperson

The Stone Canyon pool opened for the 2013 season a little later than usual this year. If you went by in early April hoping to get in, you may have wondered what was going on. Well, there were a couple of projects at the pool that were completed during the off-season. First, the concrete surfaces from the entry gate and all around the pool have been sealed and texturized to both improve appearance and increase safety when the surface gets wet. Also, we have installed a stone patio area around the grill and a limestone block retaining wall around the tree at the north end of the pool area. In addition to dressing up the place nicely, these features will reduce the amount of dirt and debris tracked into the pool by picnicking patrons. We have finalized our lifeguard hours for the summer. While RRISD is on summer break, from June 1 through August 25, lifeguards will be on duty daily from 10:00am until 10:00pm. Then, over Labor Day weekend (8/31-9/2), they will be on duty again from 10:00am to 10:00pm. From September 7 until October 27 (when the pool closes for the 2013 season), lifeguards will only be on duty on Saturdays and Sundays from 1:00pm to 5:00pm. As usual, the pool is closed on Wednesday for maintenance. Every other day of the week, the pool opens at 5:00 AM. Please remember that swimming is always at your own risk, and lifeguards are not on duty for all of the hours the pool is open. The pool rules and “party reservation” information are available on the Stone Canyon web site (www.stonecanyonoa.org). Some friendly reminders: • Apply sun block on everyone before heading to the pool. That way, everyone gets covered, and the sun block will have time to get absorbed and become more “waterproof ” • Take plenty of fresh water to drink, and remember to drink it; • The pool is closed on Wednesday for maintenance; • Be especially watchful when there is no lifeguard on duty; • No glass containers of any kind are permitted in the pool compound; • Smoking and alcohol consumption are NOT permitted inside the pool compound; • Carry your pool key with you; • Have fun, but don’t overdo it! Leave some fun for tomorrow. Best wishes for a safe and wonderful summer!

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Stone Canyon Yard Of The Month by Joanie Brown, Amelia Dansby and Cathy Soukup

In last month’s newsletter, we reminded everyone that our Yard of the Month 6-month cycle (May through October) was beginning; and with Spring exploding in early April, narrowing down to the best of the best was more difficult for our committee members than ever before. CONGRATULATIONS and our residents’ appreciation go out to May’s winners: 1st Place…18009 Rosebud ($50 Home Depot Gift Card) 2nd Place…7101 High Bluff ($25 Home Depot Gift Card) 3rd Place…18021 Rosebud ($15 Home Depot Gift Card) Honorable Mention: 7404 Two Jacks Trail; 7205 West Magic Mountain; 7322 West Magic Mountain; 8616 Columbia Falls; and 6005 Bar Harbor Cove. Okay, everyone—these folks have set the bar higher than ever for the rest of us. Let’s step up to their challenge! Lawn Care Reminders: • Mow, Edge, Clear Debris… Nothing gives immediate satisfaction like regular mowing and edging, including along sidewalks and adjacent curbing. (If you live on a corner, a reminder that you’re also responsible for the areas along the streets adjoining your property). Please ensure all clippings are placed in your garbage cans for disposal; not swept or blown into the street. • Watering… Our lawns need water. Whether by an irrigation system or hand-watering, do set and maintain a schedule which follows our current voluntary water restriction guidelines (Wed/Sat for oddnumbered addresses; Thurs/Sun for even-numbered). FYI: If you do not have an installed irrigation system, many experts recommend that you consider placing a soaker hose around the perimeter of your foundation—again, only on your designated watering days. Extreme drought conditions dry up the soil and can cause cracking along a home’s concrete foundation. Intermittent dripping from a soaker hose can help protect your home from this type of foundation damage. • Note: Though we’ve been able to remain on our voluntary twiceweekly watering schedule, the heat of our Texas summers has already begun which is an ever-present reminder to use caution in our watering habits; the more wasteful we are, the sooner we’re likely to be forced back into mandatory stages again. • Fire Ants…Dreaded and potentially deadly fire ants are beginning to mound throughout our community. Hitting the mounds when first discovered is immensely helpful; even more successful is using any of the once-a-season fire ant killer granules that can be purchased at both Home Depot and Lowe’s, as well as some of our local nurseries. One bag (i.e., “Over ‘n Out”) broadcast via spreader throughout a small-to-medium-size yard, or 2-3 bags for larger lawns, will kill fire ants already present and prevent further infestation anywhere from 4 months to a full year. Just empty a bag into a fertilizer spreader, adjust dispersement according to instructions on the bag and walk back and forth until you’ve covered your entire lawn; you’ll probably need to refill spreader several times; the only requirement is to do this in late afternoon or evening just prior to expecting rain, or turning 4

Stone Canyon Homeowner's Association Newsletter - June 2013

on your irrigation system—the concentrated water is what sets the granules in action. I’ve used Over ‘n Out for past 10 years and fire ants have not been a problem since. Note: they may mound at edge of lawn where it meets sidewalk or driveway because granules will not penetrate hard surfaces and that’s when you’ll need to spot-treat them with a spray like AMDRO. ONE FINAL NOTE: This is my last article for our newsletter. As most of you know, I’m transitioning from Joanie Brown to Joanie Brown Dellefield (as of June 13th J) and leaving Texas for my old hometown of Falls Church VA on June 28th. My house is in the process of becoming Home for another couple and I’m in the final throes of downsizing, downsizing and more downsizing. I want to take this last opportunity to thank all of you who’ve taken the time to volunteer with me and everyone else who’ve shared and spent time to make this the welcoming and most friendly community imaginable. I’ve been cared for by so many of you and it’s impossible to explain how important you’ve been to me and always will be. Please take care of yourselves and each other. Thank you for everything, Joanie Brown

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Stone Canyon Letter from

the President By Laura Kouns

Hello Neighbors, I found the official definition of Homeowners Association as it was listed in the Articles of Incorporation with the Secretary of State: “The corporation is specifically organized to maintain, preserve and provide architectural control for the Property and common areas (as defined in any declaration of restrictive covenants affecting the Property from time to time), and to promote the health, safety and welfare of the residents of Stone Canyon.” In my words, what this means is that a Homeowners Association is put in place to ensure that our neighborhood property values remain as high as possible. The Association works to insure that the neighborhood is as appealing to its current homeowners as it is to potential residents. This year will bring many challenges and opportunities. This Board looks forward in addressing them head on with each of you. Stay tuned - one of the main goals of this Board is to achieve ‘transparency’. I know, I know that this is a term that is very popular right now, but it is truly a great word. This Board will work to utilize different communication methods so that each of you are aware of and can be involved with what is going on in your neighborhood. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to participate on the Board of Directors for our Home Owners Association. We can do great things together for this wonderful neighborhood. We will have many neighborhood events this year that should provide a wonderful opportunity to get out and meet your fellow neighbors in Stone Canyon. So come on out and join in the fun!

Art in the Park

On May 4th we had Arts in the Park. The kids had great fun working on all kinds of fun crafty activities and getting their faces painted. A big Thank You goes out to Jill Fuller and Janice Berthelsen for organizing this wonderful event.

Neighborhood Watch Tip If McGruff the Crime Dog could really talk I am sure that he would say “Two thumbs up to up to Irene Peng Wacht for that great safety tip that she posted on the Stone Canyon Facebook Page”! Irene Peng Wacht’s posting: Put your car keys beside your bed at night. Tell your spouse, your children, your neighbors, your parents, your doctors office, the check-out girl at the market, everyone you talk to: “Put your car keys beside your bed at night.” If you hear a noise outside your home or someone trying to get into your house, just press the panic button for your car. The alarm will be triggered, and the horn will continue to sound until you turn it off or the car battery dies. This tip came from a Neighborhood Watch Coordinator. Next time you come home for the night and you start to put your keys away, think of this: it’s a security alarm system that you probably already have and requires no installation. Test it. It will go off from most everywhere inside your house and will keep honking until your battery runs down or you reset it with the button on the key fob chain. It works if you park in your driveway or in your garage. If your car alarm goes off when someone is trying to break into your house, odds are the criminal won’t stick around. After a few seconds, all the neighbors will be looking out their windows to see who is out there and sure enough the criminal won’t want that. Remember to carry your keys while walking to your car in a parking lot. The alarm can work the same way there; it could save a life or stop a crime. P.S. I am sending this to everyone I know because I think it is fantastic. This might also be useful for any emergency, such as a heart attack, where you can’t reach a phone. My Mom has suggested to my Dad that he carry his car keys with him in case he falls outside and she doesn’t hear him. He can activate the car alarm and then she’ll know there’s a problem. By: AutoXpressTech.com Keep up all of the great postings on our Facebook page (STONE CANYON Neighborhood Group – ROUND ROCK, TX) and remind your neighbors to join the page and learn the name of their Block Captain. The Block Captains will notify their (block) neighbors via e-mail of crimes such as break-ins and bodily harm; these issues will also be posted on the Stone Canyon Facebook page. Issues such as lost dogs will be posted on the Stone Canyon Facebook page only. Donna Scoggins 512-423-5901 neighborhoodwatch@stonecanyonoa.org

Stone Canyon Homeowner's Association Newsletter - June 2013

Stone Canyon At no time will any source be allowed to use the Stone Canyon HOA 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 Meadows of Brushy Creek Homeowner's Association and Peel, Inc. The information in the newsletter is exclusively for the private use of Meadows of Brushy Creek Homeowner's Association residents only.

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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.

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Stone Canyon Homeowner's Association Newsletter - June 2013

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Stone Canyon Homeowner's Association Newsletter - June 2013