Laurel Creek - October 2014

LAUREL CREEK

LAUREL CREEK October 2014

Official Newsletter of the Residents of Laurel Creek

Volume 1, Issue 10

HOA Board Meetings Your Community!

FALL IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER!!

Labor Day is over and the kids are back to school. Everyone is settling into a routine now after a great summer.

Enjoy your community. Be a good neighbor!!

In recent months there has been a substantial increase in the number of automobiles parked on Laurel Creek streets. Some are parked for extended periods of time. Our deed restrictions prohibit any overnight street parking. Street parking creates a driving hazard for motorist attempting to pass oncoming traffic. It is also a safety hazard for residents who walk/jog for exercise and for children playing in or near the street. Street parking makes it difficult to back out of the driveway when a car is parked directly across from your house. Street parking also takes away from the overall esthetics of our community.

Please be considerate and do not park your automobile on the street, especially when your driveway is available.

All homeowners are welcome to attend board meetings. Effective immediately, any homeowner that wants to address the board must send their request to Sterling Management Company in advance of the meeting and state their topic. Sterling will then add the homeowner to the open forum portion of the agenda. Each homeowner that requests to speak will be limited to a maximum of five minutes, which will be timed.

In the interest of open communication, homeowners have been allowed to freely speak and ask questions at the last two board meetings. However, this has cut into the time available for the board to discuss many important matters requiring board attention.

Homeowners remain welcome to observe the board meetings, but will no longer be allowed to speak during the meeting, except during the open forum portion.

If a homeowner wishes to bring a matter to the Board’s attention between meetings, they may send an e-mail to Janine@sterlingasi. com and request that she forward it to the five board members. The Board will also be highly appreciative if homeowners will contact Janine if they are aware of problems such as broken playground equipment, irrigation system problems, etc. Frequently the Board is not aware of these type of problems until they are brought to the Board’s attention.

COMMUNITY EVENTS IN LAUREL CREEK NATIONAL NIGHT OUT

This year, National Night Out is Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2014, from 7 to 9 pm.

National Night Out is designed to: 1. Heighten crime and drug prevention awareness 2. Generate support and participation in crime efforts 3. Strengthen neighborhood spirit and police community relations 4. Let criminals know that neighborhoods are organized and fighting back During the event, residents in neighborhoods throughout Texas and across the nation are asked to turn on their porch lights, lock their doors and spend the evening outside with their neighbors, police officers, firefighters and EMS paramedics.

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FALL FESTIVAL Mark Your Calendars: Laurel Creek neighbors will get together to celebrate fall and Halloween on Friday, October 31st at 6pm at The Shadow Gate Park. More details to come.

If you are interested in organizing or helping out with neighborhood events, please contact Kristah Slate at 713.882.7699 orkristah_slate@yahoo.com.

Santa is booked for Sunday, December 21st from 4-5pm at the Gazebo Park.

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LAUREL CREEK COMMUNITY CONTACTS BOARD OF DIRECTORS Agnes Murphree....................................................... President Kristah Slate......................................................Vice President Gregory Magness.......................................................Secretary Ray Beishline............................................................Treasurer Sue Beishline..............................................................Director To reach a Board Member, please email frank@sterlingasi.com

NEWSLETTER INFO EDITOR Roxanne Martinez............................ roxanne@sterlingasi.com ......................................................................832.678.4500 Janine Cruz........................................... janine@sterligasi.com NEWSLETTER PUBLISHER Peel, Inc........................... 888-687-6444, www.PEELinc.com Advertising.................................... advertising@PEELinc.com

IMPORTANT NUMBERS Sterling Association Services, Inc. .................................................servicedesk@sterlingasi.com ..................................................................... 832-678-4500 6842 N. Sam Houston Parkway W., Houston TX 77064 Mailing Address – P.O. Box 38113, Houston TX 77238-08113 Association Manager Roxanne Martinez............................ roxanne@sterlingasi.com Administrative Assistant Janine Cruz........................................ janine @sterlingasi.com Call Before You Dig ................................................................ 1.800.DIG.TESS ...................................................................1.800.344.8377 Street Light Outage www.centerpointenergy.com (Have light number) ......................................................................713.207.2222 Texas Department of Public Safety Crime Service ............................................. http://records.txdps.state.tx.us Police Information

Next Door E-mail List Recently there have been a number of complaints that the Board does not address complaints/concerns brought up on the Next Door website. This does not, however, mean that the majority of Board members do not read the posts, including many that are less than tactful.

Next Door is not an official e-mail list of Laurel Creek and is un-moderated. The Board will not routinely respond to posts on Next Door. Any resident wishing to communicate with the board is encouraged to call Sterling Management Company at 832-678-4500 and ask for Roxanne or Janine. They may also e-mail Janine@sterlingasi.com and request that she forward the e-mail to the five Board members, which ensures that the Board receives all of the information provided.

The DIFFERENCE is...

Julie Sample Houston Business Journal

TOP 25 REALTORS

(eleven consecutive years!)

Your neighbor specializing in Laurel Creek Real Estate for 16 years

If you witness a crime or suspicious activity call Pct. 4 Constable

......................................................... 281.376.3472 or 911 Cy Fair Volunteer Dept. (Ambulance) ........................................ (Non-emergency) 713.466.6151 Poison Center ...................................................................1.800.222.1222

(713) 253-9387

Please remember: We do not live in the City of Houston but in Harris County.

Inform the emergency operator of this to assure a more prompt response.

Street Light Outages Centerpoint...................................................713.207.2222 .............................................. www.centerpoint.com/outage

You will need the 6 digit from the pole

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Professional Group

JulieSample@Comcast.net www.juliesample.net Copyright Š 2014 Peel, Inc.

LAUREL CREEK

REASONS TO

Exterior Improvements Because Laurel Creek is a Deed Restricted Community, any changes that you wish to make to the exterior of your home must first be approved by the Architectural Control Committee (ACC).

This includes roofing, decks, swimming pools, fence replacement, painting – even if you are re-painting using the same color, tree removal, door re-staining, etc. For a complete list, or if you have any questions about a planned project, please contact Sterling at 832678-4500. Exterior Improvement Application forms are available online at Sterling’s website at www.sterlingasi.com.

The ACC members are volunteers who act as quickly as possible to review each application; however please remember that they have 60 days to render a decision. Please do not start any work until you have received written approval from Sterling.

BASHANS PAINTING & HOME REPAIR • Interior & Exterior Painting • HardiPlank Replacement • Sheetrock Repair • Cabinet Painting • Pressure Washing • Fence Repair/Replacement • Custom Staining • Gutter Repair & Replacement • Crown Molding

• Wallpaper Removal • Wood Replacement • Interior Carpentry • Wallpaper Removal & Texture • Garage Floor Epoxy • Roofing • Faux Painting

NO MONEY UP FRONT

20 Years Experience • References Available Commercial/Residential ~ FREE ESTIMATES ~ BashansPainting@earthlink.net

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281-347-6702 281-731-3383 cell Copyright © 2014 Peel, Inc.

“SCOOP THE POOP”

By Jennifer Magness, DVM

Dogs are a very popular pet and are found in many households. There are 70 million pet dogs in the United States alone.

Opening up your home to a dog also means accepting responsibility for that pet, including cleaning up their waste.

Most people have heard the term “scoop the poop” but some people may not have heard the reasons why this is so important. Some people view dog feces (or what most people call dog poop) as a good fertilizer, but this is actually a myth. Dog diets mostly contain animal products such as chicken and turkey. Thus, a dog’s waste contains substances created by the breakdown of the animal products. It does not enrich the soil for plants such as grass.

If not picked up, dog feces can enter waterways via storm drains after it rains. Nitrogen in the feces depletes the oxygen from the water, and the water is made harmful to fish and other aquatics. It is often listed as the third leading cause of water pollution.

Dog feces are also considered an environmental pollutant as it contains harmful organisms. One gram of dog feces may contain as much as 23 million bacteria. Harmful bacteria such as Salmonella and E. coli can be found in dog feces. Parasites such as Giardia, Cryptosporidium, roundworms, hookworms and whipworms may also be found. Many of the parasites (usually in a resistant egg form) linger in the environment for years, even if the rest of the dog feces breaks down over time. Both bacteria and parasites are health hazards for both humans and animals that come in contact with them.

Besides the “ick” factor of stepping in dog poop and the unpleasant odor of it, dog feces can serve to attract pests (such as flies) and rodents (such as rats). Being a responsible pet owner and scooping your dog’s poop is important for the community health of both humans and animals. It helps improve local water quality. Scooping your dog’s poop also promotes favorable views towards dogs by others in the community.

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LAUREL CREEK Wash Your Hands

Reducing Spread of Disease While at Home and Work By: Concentra Urgent Care The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) say that nearly 90,000 patients die in U.S. hospitals each year due to a preventable disease – many could be avoided if everyone properly washed their hands.

From germs on office equipment to sick colleagues who decided to come into work anyway, people face the same dangers in the workplace.

The same simple fact holds true: Washing your hands regularly is an effective way to prevent yourself from catching or spreading a preventable disease or illness.

WHEN TO WASH YOUR HANDS The CDC recommends washing your hands every time you: • Prepare or eat food • Use the restroom • Tend to someone who is sick; both before and after • Blow your nose, cough, or sneeze • Handle garbage • Treat a cut or wound • Change a diaper or clean up after children • Handle an animal or animal waste HAND WASHING BASICS The CDC has issued specific guidelines about effective hand washing:

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• Wet hands with water • Use plain bar or liquid soap • Create a lather by vigorously rubbing hands together for 15-20 seconds—about the amount of time it takes to sing “Happy Birthday” twice • Be sure to wash palms, back of hands, fingers, and nails (clean nails by gently scratching nails down your opposing soapy palm) • Rinse off soap under a stream of water WHAT ELSE CAN YOU DO? • Focus on hand washing in the lunch and/or break room • Be careful when using sponges and dish towels. These are ideal sites for bacterial growth. Always wash your hands after using these items.

• Maintain a clean work area; regularly clean any office equipment, especially shared items such as phones and keyboards.

• Remind your colleagues of the importance of hand washing, particularly when you witness someone neglecting to wash his or her hands.

FOR MORE INFORMATION To learn more about how washing hands regularly can help prevent disease, ask your health care provider, or visit the CDC’s creative Web site dedicated to raising awareness of the importance of hand washing at www.henrythehand.com.

Copyright © 2014 Peel, Inc.

LAUREL CREEK The ‘Take Care of Texas’ Quick Guide to Recycling Recycling allows individuals to give new life to the products they use. When manufacturers use recycled materials in their products, not only does it conserve natural resources and reduce waste in landfills, it also reduces greenhouse gas emissions through energy savings.

Our national recycling rate is only 34.5 percent annually but is responsible for sending 87 million tons of material to a useful second life instead of the landfill. These recycling efforts save Americans the equivalent of the annual energy consumption of nearly 10 million U.S. households per year and avoids greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions equivalent to removing more than 33 million cars from the road each year.

Please help us increase our annual recycling rate! Visit KeepCyfairBeautiful.org to access the ‘Take Care of Texas’ free publication ‘What Do I Do With It Now?’ and learn more about where to recycle more than just paper, cardboard, bottles and cans!

LEASH LAWS

FOR HARRIS COUNTY Your pet must be on a leash while off your property.

Please be a responsible pet owner and pick up after your pet.

Barking Dogs

Brilliant Energy Texas OUC #10140

Easy Online Sign-Up at

BrilliantElectricity.com USE “NEIGHBORHOOD NEWSLETTER” AS REFERRAL

If your dog is frequently outside in your yard for several hours, please ensure that your dog does not bark incessantly.

Noise caused by barking dogs can be a source of stress and impact one's health and relationship with your neighbors.

Noise pollution is proven to cause heart disease, high blood pressure, and stroke, is a general threat to health and wellness and impacts the quality of sleep by disrupting sleep cycles.

Chronic stress can lower your immunity to all diseases.

BRILLIANT ENERGY = SERIOUSLY LOW RATES BRILLIANT ENERGY’S ELECTRICITY RATES CHALLENGE THE RATES OF EVERY OTHER PROVIDER IN TEXAS! LOCK-IN A LOW ELECTRICITY RATE FOR UP TO 3 YEARS BRILLIANT ENERGY IS RECOMMENDED BY TEXAS ENERGY ANALYST, ALAN LAMMEY THE HOST OF THE “ENERGY WEEK” RADIO SHOW ON NEWSTALK 1070 KNTH! Ask the “Energy Analyst”

281.658.0395

GREAT BUSINESS RATES TOO! Copyright © 2014 Peel, Inc.

Laurel Creek

IS A BEAUTIFUL PLACE TO LIVE

Let’s keep it that way!

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LAUREL CREEK BUSINESS CLASSIFIED TELECOMMUTE APPOINTMENT SETTER $12 - $28/ hr. Apply on www.telereachjobs.com. At last, a Real Daytime Job From Home!

Classified Ads: Business classifieds (offering a service or product line for profit) are $50, limit 40 words, please contact Peel, Inc. Sales Office at 1-888-687-6444 or advertising@PEELinc.com.

Don’t carry social security cards, Pin #, blank checks, Medicare card or keys in your wallet. Make photocopies of EVERY card in your wallet (both front & back) IF YOUR WALLET IS MISSING FOLLOW THESE STEPS:

Call credit card companies and request an account number change. Do not cancel your card. If your account is closed it will inconvenience you and hurt your credit score.

File a Report with the Police.

Get a copy of the report and send copies to your bank and credit card companies.

Alert Your Bank Change Pin #’s , cancel ATM cards and get a new checking account number if your checkbook is missing.

Contact Your DMV Replace your driver’s license and ask that a stolen/lost warning be placed in your file.

Put a Fraud Alert or Security Freeze On your file at the three major credit bureaus. experian .com; equifax.com; and transunion.com . Alerts are free, but freezes are more secure and free to people over 65.

Private Medical Insurers Should be asked for new cards with new account numbers to prevent fraud. Call Medicare and your auto insurer in case someone tries to make an accident claim from your policy.

Check Credit Reports After your wallet is lost 2 weeks, go to creditreport.com to get a free report. That is usually time enough for thieves to open credit in your name. Recheck credit report in 2-3 months.

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LAUREL CREEK NOT AVAILABLE ONLINE

COMMUNICATIONS The board is looking for volunteers to help explore options for community-wide, electronic communications.

If you are interested in helping, please contact Greg Magness at magmite@yahoo.com."

At no time will any source be allowed to use Laurel Creek's 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 Laurel Creek is exclusively for the private use of the Laurel Creek HOA and Peel, Inc. 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.

Submit your news at: www.peelinc.com

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