COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS
Community Connections Your HOA Community News Source for FCIII
March, 2014
Volume 1, Issue 2
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Message
Throughout the next year, a major focus of our transition to a resident-only board will be to get to know you, our residents, better. Your ideas and feedback are a vitally important part of shaping the future of our neighborhood. The BOD will begin holding quarterly meetings open to all residents of the neighborhood. We encourage you to come and voice your concerns and ideas to improve our public spaces, policies and overall operations. Keep an eye out for meeting announcements in your email and on our NextDoor.com neighborhood group. Residents can also provide us with feedback via the neighborhood website at www. fc3hoa.org, via email, or simply if you see any of us out and about. We’ve already started receiving some great feedback and ideas – keep them coming! All of these have either been acted upon or are being considered for future plans. Thanks for taking a role – however large or small - to help guide the direction we take our neighborhood in the next year and for many years to come!
LEND A HAND
Community Volunteers Needed for Various FCIII Committees Become a part of your community today by volunteering on one of many committees that are currently serving the FCIII community including the Social Committee, Neighborhood Watch, Website Committee, Lawn of the Month, Pool Committee and Flag Committee. By serving your community you will be rewarded with new friends and experiences all while having a great time. Serving on a committee is a great way to meet your neighbors, give back to your community and explore other interests and hobbies. Most committees require only one to two hours of your time a month. As a committee volunteer you will help to contribute new ideas, work on small projects and help to institute new programs and events to further improve the quality of life for the entire FCIII community. Forest Creek residents Amy Ford and Nuria Doubleday are currently seeking individuals to help them revive and strengthen the welcoming committee but they cannot do it on their own. Please contact Amy at aford121@yahoo.com or Nuria at nuriadday@yahoo.com if you’re interested in being involved with meeting our new neighbors and helping them as they join our neighborhood over time. Explore your interests and options today. No prior experience necessary. Additional information on how to volunteer for a FCIII committee is available at www.fc3hoa.org/committees.
THANK YOU!
Huge thanks to the awesome Social Committee and Mardi Gras core planning team of: Nuria & Carlos Doubleday Robin & Laura Murphy Amy George & Eddie Baez Deepu Sumum Vicky & Walter Lockwood Al Sproul Glory & Carl Spies Alisa De Luna & Shirley Robinson Congratulations to our entire team and all who attended our first adult only party! Now, who’s hosting next year! Look for photos on Nextdoor! Copyright © 2014 Peel, Inc.
March is not too early to start thinking about what the kids will do this summer! This section highlights just a few of the many half and full day camps very close to Forest Creek III. Explore these ideas and the websites below our grid to get the wheels turning. Post your summer camp success stories on Nextdoor.com to help your neighbors new to the area. You can end the school year a little more relaxed this year knowing what the kids will do and they will too!
www.nextdoor.com
Find More Camp Info on Page 3! Forest Creek III - March 2014
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COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS NEWSLETTER INFO NEWSLETTER Editor.........shirleyrrobinson@gmail.com, gaspies@sbcglobal.net NEWSLETTER PUBLISHER Peel, Inc........................................................ 512-263-9181 Advertising................................ advertising@PEELinc.com ADVERTISING INFORMATION Please support the businesses that advertise in the Forest Creek III newsletter. Their advertising dollars make it possible for all Forest Creek III residents to receive the monthly newsletter at no charge. If you would like to support the newsletter by advertising, please contact our sales office at 512-263-9181 or advertising@ PEELinc.com. The advertising deadline is the 8th of each month for the following month's newsletter.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS PRESIDENT Robin Murphy, robino2001@yahoo.com SECRETARY Vicky Lockwood, vlockwood@me.com TREASURER Richard Casseus, rcasseus505@yahoo.com RESIDENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE (RAC) Brett Boyd, boydmba@gmail.com Shanna Claycamp, sclaycamp@austin.rr.com Melissa Miller, missmelissa0205@gmail.com Chuck Willoughby, texas_sub_nuke@yahoo.com
NEW SOCCER FIELD IN DEVELOPMENT
Thanks to many hours of research and planning by BOD member Richard Casseus over the last year our FCIII retention basin will be converted into a soccer/playing field in the coming weeks. The project is expected to be completed around the beginning of March and available for use around November. A long-term vision of transforming this area behind the pool and tennis courts of the amenity center into a fully functioning soccer/playing field is coming together! FULL PROJECT OVERVIEW Soccer Field • Entire basin will be graded and prepped for grass seed, • Drain lines (both the side close to Harvey Penick and the side by the parking lot) will be cleared and redefined as they were originally designed for improved water flow, • Dirt will be moved where necessary to create a 2% slope, • Sandy loam & hydro mulch will be applied to about 60,000 sf of space, • Temporary construction fence will be erected to protect the field while grass is growing, • Irrigation will be repaired to accommodate the new field, • A light post will be placed close to the pump house to shine onto the field IMPORTANT FACTS ABOUT DEVELOPMENT: The field will be ready for use in November. It will take about 3 to 6 months for the grass to become established. The space will be off limit for the following 9 months to give the grass time to establish and a temporary construction fence will be erected. OTHER IMPROVEMENTS The space between the tennis court and the playground will be fixed from retaining wall to drain point. • Excavate/Grade Drainage area from retaining wall to drain point • Install large Bull rock in drain channel • Place large diversion boulders • Define drain point Have questions, ideas about this or other FCIII projects? Join us at the upcoming HOA Board Meeting in May – check the website or nextdoor for details. Contact a board or committee member anytime through our website at www.fc3hoa.org.
NOT AVAILABLE ONLINE
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COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS SUMMER CAMPS GENERAL
Red Lentil Dal Coconut has been getting a lot of good press lately! From boosting brain function to moisturizing skin and lowering the risk of heart disease, coconut truly is a super food. One of the neatest things I’ve learned about coconut is that it contains lauric acid, a medium-chain fatty acid that is also found in breast milk and has been found to help stave off infections! It is for these reasons that this month I chose a recipe that uses both coconut milk and coconut oil. What you’ll need: • 2 tbsp. coconut oil • 1 1/2 cups red lentils (rinsed) • 1 red onion, roughly chopped • 8 ounces diced tomatoes • 1 tbsp. mustard seeds • 3 cups water • 1 tsp. cumin seeds • 1 1/2 cups coconut milk • 1/2 tsp. turmeric • Juice from 1 lime • 1/4 tsp. chili powder • Sriracha to taste (optional, • Pinch of ground cardamom depending on heat preference. • 1 tsp. salt I use about 1-2 tsp. for a mild • Dash of pepper to medium heat) • 5 cloves garlic, minced • For garnish (optional): cilantro • 1-inch nub ginger, minced and/or toasted cashews Directions: Heat coconut oil on medium heat and add spices and onion, stirring continuously for about five minutes. Add garlic and ginger and cook for another one or two minutes. Then, add lentils, tomatoes, water, coconut milk, lime juice and sriracha (if using). Turn up the heat to medium-high and stir continuously, until all liquid is absorbed, about 15 to 20 minutes. Serve hot with rice or naan. Garnish with toasted cashews and/or cilantro and enjoy!
Jen Bush graduated Penn State University with a degree in Environmental Resource Management in 1999. She currently works as an environmental consultant at Pastor, Behling & Wheeler, LLC located here in Round Rock. In addition to her education and work in the environmental field, she has also been vegan for over 14 years. Jen moved to FCIII in March 2012 along with her husband and daughter. Copyright © 2014 Peel, Inc.
Camp Doublecreek: Swimming, horseback riding, all kinds of sports, miniature golf, baby animals, arts and crafts, archery, tennis, tumbling, a playscape, and more. Full Day | Ages 4 - 14 | $295 per week http://www.campdoublecreek.com/ My Party Palace – Round Rock: Creating and making your own princess costume, royal crafts, princess manners and etiquette, princess stories, princess games, how to walk and curtsy like a princess, learning a dance and much more!! Half-Day | Ages 4 - 10 | $225 per week http://www.mypartypalacerr.com/
ACADEMIC
Bits, Bytes & Bots, Computer Adventures: 5 different courses in Video Game Design, 3 different courses in LEGO Robotics, a LEGO StopMotion Film course, a Minecraft course, and a LEGO WeDo Robotics course for children ages 6 & 7! Half & Full Day | Ages 6 - 14 | $235 - $295 per week http://austintx.bitsbytesbots.com Mad Science: Mad Science camps offer a daily combination of in-class discovery and exploration, outdoor games and physical activities, and hands-on applications of the scientific principles presented. Half & Full Day | Ages 6 - 12 | $140 - $260 per week http://austin.madscience.org/
SPORTS
Austin Sports Arena: Your child will have a blast and develop their athletic skills by playing soccer, basketball, ultimate frisbee, dodgeball, floor hockey, capture the flag, roller skating, and more! Ages 5 - 14 | $170 - 270 per week www.AllStarSportsCamp.org Paul Cates Stable Horse Camp: Lessons in riding, tacking, equine terminology, basic care and feeding, arts and crafts, and more. Full Day | Ages 4 – 13 | $325 per week www.paulcatesstable.com
ARTS
KidsActing Studio: Camps include stage adaptations of productions such as “Annie,” “The Lion King” and “Star Wars,” and each week ends with a performance for family and friends. Half & Full Day | Ages 4 - 16 | $225 - 325 per week www.kidsactingstudio.com Cordovan Art School: Several different art camps held throughout the summer with various themes from animals to princesses to cartoon characters. Half & Full Day | Ages 5 - 16 | $195 – 295 per week www.cordovanartschool.com Both CHASCO YMCA & Clay Madsen offer many programs for all youth age groups – visit their websites at http://ymcagwc.org/ and roundrockrecreation.com Information compiled from http:// roundtherocktx.com.
www.nextdoor.com
Forest Creek III - March 2014
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COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS
ARound
RESTAURANT REVIEW
the
MONTHLY RESTAURANT REVIEWS
Rock
FEBRUARY, 2014
BY LARRY BROOME
We start in the small hamlet of Hutto, about 5 miles to our northeast, at a classic Texas café coincidently called the Texan Café and Pie Shop. When arriving on East Street, see how many hippos you can count. The symbol of Hutto is the hippo, but that’s a story for another time. After you park, look for a giant cow head over the door and you have found the Texan Café. Hopefully there is no line when you arrive, as there often is during weekday and weekend lunchtimes. There is a true feeling of authenticity to this place, from the Texas homey décor to the food. The classic meal here is chicken fried something…either steak or chicken, both deliciously simple and smothered in gravy. The daily specials are posted on the menu board and range from chicken and dumplings to meatloaf. It’s like a trip to your grandmother’s house (if she was a good cook). Texan also serves excellent burgers, salads and sandwiches. There are daily sides also, my favorite is the fried okra, but expect all the great southern side dishes to be represented. You get to choose two; I noticed some people got all sides as a “vege” plate.
Now that I have you thinking about all that food, one word of warning, the star of the meal is the pie, so SAVE ROOM! They will bring you a pie menu, as the choices change daily. You are sure to see your favorite pie or second favorite pie on any of the daily menus, but sometimes there is something special. When I was there they had the “guy” pie. The “guy” pie is named for all the “guys” who can’t decide what pie to get. So in one piece of pie you get a layer of chocolate cream, banana cream and coconut custard. Another daily special is the brandy apple pie ala mode in a hot cast iron skillet, oh my. It’s a diabetic coma waiting to happen, but well worth it if your metabolism can take it. Texan Café and Pie Shop is open for lunch and dinner Tues-Sat and Sun from 11-3. Another interesting time to visit is for Pie Happy Hour, Tues-Sat from 3-5pm, where a piece of pie and coffee costs $3.49. This is a great place to take out of towners if you want to show them a little of old Texas, as well as just to have a great meal yourselves. Their slogan is “Pie Fixes Everything” and for me it certainly did.
ARound the Rock will be an entertaining look at restaurants close to our community, providing information for you to answer the all-important question “where do we eat tonight?” Of course the important things in life; food, wine and music, are subject to our own individual taste and opinion, and this is but one man’s opinion. The locations will all be within a 10 minute drive from FCIII. I look forward to your input as I decide my next stop.
Knowledge, Integrity, & Hard Work.
Paul & Jan Gillia
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Forest Creek III - March 2014
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COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS REMINDERS FROM THE ASSOCIATION MANAGER ASSESSMENTS: Assessments are due quarterly in the amount of $105.00. Statements for the first quarter of 2014 have been mailed to all property owners. Non-payment of assessments can cause a lien to be filed against your property and lead to foreclosure. Legal and late fees are the responsibility of the property owner. If your account is referred to the association you will be responsible for the legal fees. Owners with delinquent assessment accounts will not be allowed access to the facilities. The association needs your assessments to be paid in a timely manner in order for the association facilities to be maintained. If you have any questions about your account please contact Plateau Property Management at assessments@plateaupropertymgmt.com or (512) 441-1041. POOL/AMENITY CENTER ACCESS: If you are new to the community and have not received a pool access fob (tag) please contact Plateau at accesstags@plateaupropertymgmt.com. The charge for replacement fobs (tags) is $25.00. You must have a fob to access the pool area (now closed for season) and tennis courts. The pool will open in the Spring. PARKING: Please park vehicles on your driveway or in your garage. On street parking clutters the streets. Vehicles parked too
close to the intersections can create site issues. P L E A S E R E P O RT A N Y C O M M O N A R E A MAINTENANCE ISSUES OR PROPERTY DAMAGE TO PLATEAU. This includes street or landscape light outages, damage to the amenities, flag (entrance) damage, etc. ARCHITECTURAL MODIFICATIONS: Please note that the Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions for the Oaklands require that all improvements be submitted to the Architectural Review Committee prior to commencement of such improvements. Your request should include the type of improvement along with a sketch/photo, materials/colors, location (plot plan) and any other pertinent information. An Architectural Modification form can be obtained from the FC III web site (www.fc3hoa.org) or the Plateau website (www.plateaupropertymgmt.com). TRASH CANS & RECYCLE CONTAINERS: Please remember that trash cans and recycle containers should be stored out of sight except on trash/recycling collection days. The Covenants, Conditions & Restrictions for FC III require that all properties be maintained in a neat and orderly fashion. Please do your part to keep FC III Beautiful! Thanks so much!
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COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS
MARCH GARDENING TO DO’S A special thanks to Stephanie Ramert, owner of Round Rock Gardens, for these great spring tips for sprucing up your outdoor living space. • Mow lawn to eliminate weeds to prevent flowering and reseeding. Fill bare patches with St. Augustine sod. After mowing three times apply lawn food. As the grass actively grows it is a good time to apply Micro Life or other lawn fertilizer. • Prune or plant roses. Apply rose food such as Rose Tone, an organic fertilizer on a monthly basis. • Plant tomatoes by the middle of March for a spring harvest. Plant other vegetables such as peppers, okra, eggplant, cucumbers and more using Cottonseed Meal or a liquid organic fertilizer like John’s Recipe by Ladybug for an abundant and healthy harvest. • Before the Texas heat sets in start seeds or set our plants for spring flowers and herbs such as basil, dill, chives, cilantro, fennel, oregano, mint and parsley. • March is the month to plant fruit, shade and ornamental trees. Be sure to apply mulch around the roots to keep moist and avoid weeds. Water trees regularly during first few years of growth. Use Super Thrive or Root Stimulator every few weeks for the
first three months after planting. • Feed Hibiscus, Bougainvillea and Plumeria with Nutri Star to ensure plants will grow healthy and lush. • Prune trees and shrubs while dormant. Prune spring flowering shrubs after they have bloomed. • Apply dormant oil to smother insects before they become a problem. • Move houseplants outside in mid-March into the shade and repot if necessary. • Plant colorful annuals such as marigolds, fuchsias, petunias, bachelor buttons, dusty millers and more. • Plant sun perennials such as Shasta daisy, rudbeckia, verbena bee balm, mist flower and porterweed. • Plant color shade perennials such as firespike, shrimp plant, Persian Shield, turk’s cap and many more. • Spread a fresh layer of mulch around trees, shrubs and beds to protect roots, retain moisture and prevent weeds. • Clean birdbaths and keep feeders full. Additional spring gardening tips can be viewed at www. roundrockgardens.com or on Facebook.
FCIII Annual
Easter Egg Hunt
Calling all FCIII kids on
Saturday, April 12 from 10 a.m. to noon at the Amenity Center for our annual Easter Egg Hunt.
Arts And CrAfts, Cookie deCorAting, eAster Bunny Photos, sPorts’ ACtivities, And More!
www.nextdoor.com 6
Forest Creek III - March 2014
Bring a non-perishable food item to donate to the Round Rock Serving Center. this event is sPonsored By the fCiii hoA soCiAl CoMMittee. www.fc3hoa.org
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COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS New Business Profile The FCIII newsletter committee is currently seeking individuals in our community that manage their own business for articles to be included in Community Connections. The New Business Profile article will focus on how your business got started, a profile of you and your key employees, location, why and how you started the business, your expertise, education, etc. All requests must be accompanied by a photo with you as the focus in your business (No photos of buildings please). Additional information is available by contacting Glory Spies at gloryaspies@gmail.com. We are currently working with Peel Inc. to print our monthly newsletter free of charge and are dependent on advertising sales. For additional exposure place an ad in FCIII Community Connections today by calling Peel Inc. at 512.263.9181 or visit peelinc.com and reach over 400 potential Forest Creek III customers.
2014 FOREST CREEK III EVENTS EASTER EGG HUNT April 12, Amenity Center CHALK WALK May 2, Amenity Center ICE CREAM SOCIAL June 1, Amenity Center Pool Get details and the full schedule at www.fc3hoa.org, on Nextdoor or email events@fc3hoa.org. At no time will any source be allowed to use the Forest Creek III 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 Peel, Inc. The information in the newsletter is exclusively for the private use of Peel, Inc. and the Forest Creek III Homeowners Association.
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512.281.6180 mmead51@yahoo.com
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.
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OPEN HOUSE MARCH 28th 10am-12pm for 2014-15 School Year
Ages 2-5 yrs. 2 & 3 Day Programs 9am-1pm
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littlehandsofgrace@yahoo.com
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for Kindgergarten Readiness Class Limited Space
*Must be 5yrs old by 12-31-14
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