Forest Creek III - April 2014

COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS

Community Connections Your HOA Community News Source for FCIII

April, 2014

Volume 1, Issue 3

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Message Construction on the field project at the FC3 Amenities Center is underway. Additional concrete drainage pathways have been added to the construction plan to provide a long-term solution to potential drainage issues. The HOA would like to stress to residents that significant time is needed to allow the grass to take following the completion of the construction. Please be respectful of the temporary fence that will be erected around the field until it is removed and the field is open for use. Watch for updates in future newsletter issues as well as on Nextdoor.com.

Amenity Center Soccer Field Addition

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!

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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.nextdoor.com

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COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS

2014 FOREST CREEK III

NEWSLETTER INFO NEWSLETTER Editor.........shirleyrrobinson@gmail.com, gaspies@sbcglobal.net

EVENTS

NEWSLETTER PUBLISHER Peel, Inc........................................................ 512-263-9181 Advertising................................ advertising@PEELinc.com

EASTER EGG HUNT April 12, Amenity Center

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

CHALK WALK May 2, Amenity Center NEIGHBORHOOD GARAGE SALE May 3, Your Home 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.

ADVERTISE YOUR BUSINESS TO YOUR NEIGHBORS Support Your Community Newsletter Saman Akhlaque

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Sales Representative

512-934-0455 sakhlaque@PEELinc.com PEEL, INC. community newsletters

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Forest Creek III - April 2014

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COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS

ARound

RESTAURANT REVIEW

the

Rock

APRIL, 2014

MONTHLY RESTAURANT REVIEWS

BY LARRY BROOME

Torchy’s Tacos (Palm Valley Dr.) is a former food truck gone brick and mortar and it makes me happy. No, the service isn’t that good and the place looks like if it had wheels it might still be a food truck. BUT they serve some great taco combinations and great margaritas. Those unacquainted with Torchy’s are probably not familiar with their secret menu Take note, they also have a special taco every month which are usually worth ordering. In January they had a taco reminiscent of a Vietnamese banh mi sandwich-excellent flavor.

The green chile queso is the best in town and makes a great starter with chips and a margarita or cold beer. My favorite tacos off the menu are the “brushfire” (Jamaican jerk chicken, grilled jalapenos and mangos) and the “trailer park” (fried chicken, green chiles, pico, cheese and lettuce- or order it “trashy”, which replaces the lettuce with queso). But beware the Diablo sauce, it made my friend and I both cry.

For those adventurous souls here is the secret menu: • Missionary-Style Green Chili Pork: carnitas, pickled onions, guacamole, jack cheese and cilantro, topped with chipotle sauce and wrapped in a flour and corn two-tortilla tandem.

• Jack of Clubs: fried egg and grilled potatoes with black beans,

tortilla strips and cheese; all topped with cilantro, sour cream and Torchy’s Diablo sauce.

• The Hipster: panko-breaded fried tuna, with bacon, green chilies, and black beans; topped with cilantro and cotija cheese, and served on a flour tortilla with avocado sauce.

• The Mad Cow: skirt steak with black beans and corn; topped with jack cheese, cilantro and ranch.

• Trailer Park Hillbilly Style: Torchy’s gauche standby is made even trashier with chorizo and chopped bacon atop the usual fried chicken tender with green chilies, queso and ranch, served on a flour tortilla.

• Ace of Spades: Jalapeno sausage link and grilled brisket topped with a fried egg, green chile queso, cotija cheese, sour cream, more cheese and Diablo sauce, served on a flour tortilla • The Matador: Chopped brisket and grilled jalapeno topped with pickled onions, jack chees, avocado, sour cream and cilantro with tomatillo sauce on a corn tortilla.

Let’s keep this our secret, shall we? I don’t want the wait to get any longer for a table. Feel free to take the kiddies. See you at Torchy’s!

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

Do Not Pay 6% To Sell Your Home!

Our full service listings are now 4.5%. We get results!

Call or Email Before You List!

512-388-5454 • pgillia@austin.rr.com www.homeselect360.com The Home Select Team Makes All the Difference!

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COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS Forest Creek III Business Owner Spotlight The Business Owner Spotlight is a monthly feature focusing on FCIII residents and their businesses. For additional exposure place an ad in Community Connections today by calling Peel Inc. at 512.263.9181 or visit peelinc.com and reach over 400 potential new customers. To request an article contact Glory Spies at gloryaspies@gmail.com.

What: Sunrise Montessori Who: Shannon Black Where: 104 Northwest Drive, Round Rock TX 78664 Hours of Operation: Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. – 6 p.m. for children ages 12 mos.-6 years of age For Information: www.sunrise-montessori.com

CHICKPEA “MEATBALLS” BY JEN BUSH

Meatless Monday is a great excuse to prepare these super flavorful chickpea meatballs! They easily hold their own on top of a heaping bowl of spaghetti, or eat them alone with tomato sauce and a salad for a low carb meal. Packed with protein, fiber and antioxidants, these plant-based meatballs will fill you up without weighing you down.

Forest Creek III resident Shannon Black with her son John.

As a former high school algebra teacher from California, Shannon Black said the idea of opening her own business sparked from her endless hours of searching for the right school for her son. “I thought to myself that if I had a friendly (Continued on page 5)

What you’ll need: 1 box/can of chickpeas (approx. 13-14 oz) 1 tbsp olive oil 2 cloves garlic 1 carrot, roughly chopped (*see note for younger children below) 1/4 onion, roughly chopped 1/3 cup frozen chopped kale or chopped spinach (no need to thaw) 1/4 cup old fashion rolled oats 1/2 tsp each: salt, dried oregano, dried basil & dried parsley pepper to taste *if serving to a younger child, you can roast the carrots ahead of time to make sure they are nice and soft.

Directions: First, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a food processor, blend half of the container of chickpeas, olive oil and garlic until smooth, stopping now and again to scrape down the sides. Next, add all of the remaining ingredients, including the half container of chickpeas that was set aside, and pulse in the food processor until all of the ingredients are mixed well and the carrots and onions are processed into bite sized pieces. Roll the mixture into meatballs (the recipe should make about 12). A muffin tin sprayed with olive oil is a great way to keep the meatballs in place while cooking. You can also bake them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper if you prefer. Cook for approximately 40 minutes, until the top is browned and slightly crisp. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do!

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Forest Creek III - April 2014

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COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS (Business Spotlight continued from page 4) staff, a clean school and put it in the right location, it would work,” Black said.

Now seven years later the school that started with two classrooms has grown. Within two years the school grew to four classroom and in January 2013 Shannon bought the building next door and added three more classrooms.

She believes that her business success is in part due to finding the right fit. “I feel that I am one of the luckiest people because I discovered my passion,” Black said. “Providing the kind of school I would want my son to attend, where I would like to work as a staff member, or learn as a student is an indescribable and addictive joy.”

During the course of the day, explained Shannon, Montessori students are expected to take care of their classroom materials, help their friends and do their best work. “They are capable of so much more than we give them credit for,” she said.

One of the best aspects of Shannon’s job, is working with children and incorporating some of her own son’s creative ideas in her business. “Some of John’s ideas have turned out beautifully,” Black said. But what she likes most of all about children is their perspective. “They are just amazing.”

Children enrolled in a Montessori school under the guidance of a trained Montessori teacher learn by making discoveries with materials, concentration, motivation, self-discipline and a love of learning. A Montessori education offers children opportunities to develop their potential as they step out into the world as engaged, competent, responsible and respectful citizens with an understanding and appreciation that learning is for life.

Black says owning her business is the best of both worlds–“It’s life balance.”

Community Connections APRIL IS CHILD ABUSE AWARENESS MONTH

CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) of Williamson County provides court-appointed, trained volunteers who advocate for the best interest of abused and neglected children on their journey to a safe, permanent home. When the state steps in to protect a child's safety because the people responsible for protecting them have not, a judge appoints a trained CASA volunteer to make independent and informed recommendations and help the judge decide what's best for the child.

For these children, CASA means having a home instead of feeling lost, and being a priority instead of feeling invisible. CASA of Williamson County was created in 2009 by concerned community members and judges. In that year, CASA recruited and trained 11 volunteers who served 19 children. The organization now supports 90 volunteers who advocate for 140 children a year. www.casawctx.com.

Copyright © 2014 Peel, Inc.

A dynamic duo that can help your lawn weather the drought

by Brett Briant LCRA Water Conservation Coordinator When mulch and compost are used together, this pair not only improves your garden and lawn, but they also use water more efficiently.

The combo is important as many of us move to maximum once-a-week watering during this time of severe drought.

The pair can help your landscaping survive the drought because plants will be more disease tolerant and water efficient, thereby better able to defend themselves against the drought.

Using a hardwood mulch/compost blend is the best choice for retaining water and improving your soil. The mix will hold its color longer, and the compost will help break down the mulch, becoming a beneficial nutrient for your soil.

If you choose to go with one or the other, keep in mind that you can use compost as mulch, but you can’t do the opposite. You can’t use straight mulch as compost – it’s too hard on its own and takes too long to break down and become a beneficial micro-organism to your soil.

Mulch should smell like a fresh forest floor. A mulch/ compost blend should have a carbon-to-nitrogen ratio of about 20-to-1. That’s 20 percent carbon to 1 percent nitrogen. Apply to existing soil at a depth of at least six inches. Build your soil with the mulch and compost through either core aeration, where you remove approximately 1 inch by 2 inch cores of soil from the ground to improve the infiltration of water/nutrients, or through light scarifying with a rototiller to remove any debris from the lawn.

A good layer of mulch of about two to four inches in your garden will help suppress weeds. It will hold in moisture and coolness in the heat, and keep soil warmer in the winter.

To use as a top dressing to improve your apply a layer of compost one-fourth of an inch to one-half of an inch deep.

The pH level of compost should be close to neutral, which is a pH of 7. If you add compost to your lawn and compost/mulch to your beds, you will build the soil profile to be much more water efficient and increase its capacity to hold water. The soil will be able to drain and breathe.

Using mulch and compost together is a cost-efficient way to build your soil.

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COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS

Mardi Gras Party Photo Recap

REMINDERS FROM THE ASSOCIATION MANAGER Spring Landscape Tips: Spring is a great time to get excited about the landscape. Winter is noticeably leaving and spring is on the way.

We can only hope that the rain comes with it. What else comes are weeds. Weed seeds respond to rising soil temperatures and begin to germinate. A lot of the spring time weeds can be managed by a strong, healthy and thick turf. If the turf is weak, thin and sickly then weeds are more likely. A spring fertilizer application can help and should be applied in April.

Pool Access Tags (Fobs): If you do not have a pool access tag/ fob, please contact Plateau Property Management at accesstags@ plateaupropertymgmt.com

Photos provided by Deepu Sumam & Rakesh Nandakumar

Over 25 FCIII residents enjoyed and attended the 1st adults only Mardi Gras progressive dinner ‘Bourbon Street' on March 1

Spring Garage Sale The FCIII Spring Garage Sale is scheduled for Saturday, May 3rd from 8am to 1pm. Clean out your closets and garage and set out your stuff out on the day of. You are welcome to post signs directing traffic to your house, but must pick them up after the sale ends. The HOA will post information about the garage sale on Craig’s List.

The most popular comment during and after the event was, “I had so much fun meeting my neighbors!”

Splish Splash!

The Pool is Open!

The FCIII pool has opened for the 2014 season and will be open until September 30th. The pool hours are 9am-9pm Tuesday through Sunday (closed Monday for cleaning and maintenance). FCIII has agreed to allow the FAST Frogs to use our pool from late April through July. Check www.fc3hoa.org or our Nextdoor.com group for information regarding their schedule once finalized. Also visit www.fc3hoa.org for a copy of the pool rules (unchanged from prior years).

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Forest Creek III - April 2014

New Orleans-style food and signature drinks were enjoyed by all!

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COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS

And there was even a dance party at the last house!

JOIN US FOR GOLF AND A GREAT CAUSE!

DATE: Wednesday, April 30th 11:00 am Registration - 1:00 pm Start LOCATION: Flintrock Falls Country Club FORMAT: 4-person scramble COST: $165 per golfer* *Includes lunch, dinner and lots of swag

Register online at: www.colinshope.org Watch nextdoor.com for upcoming social event dates and get ready for FC3 2015 Mardi Gras!

Questions about the event?

Contact Amy Domecq or Tracie Garvens

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.

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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