Villages of Decker Oaks - August 2016 by Peel, Inc.

VILLAGE OF DECKER OAKS

AUGUST 2016

VOLUME 1, ISSUE 8

UPCOMING BOARD MEETING DATES August 23, 2016 September 19, 2016 October 17, 2016 Meetings start after executive session at 7pm. Please note the signs will no longer be used and will be posted in the newsletter and online. Please go to SCSGO for official community news as the newsletter will not be the official posting space as information may change after production.

Village of Decker Oaks Community Newsletter - August 2016

VILLAGE OF DECKER OAKS IMPORTANT NUMBERS ASSOCIATION MANAGEMENT CO.: SCS Management Services, Inc. Phone:.............................................................. 281-463-1777 Fax:................................................................. 281-463-0050 ...................................................... 7170 Cherry Park Drive ............................................................Houston, TX 77095 Website:..........................................................www.scsgo.com Association Manager Jessica Smith..................................................... 281-500-7129 Service Manager Jessica Riggs..................................................... 281-500-7111 Deed Restriction Coordinator Susan Spratley ................................................. 281-500-7118 HELPFUL NUMBERS Montgomery County Constables .................... 281-356-3883 WCA .............................................................. 281-766-1914 Enviro Waste Systems..................................... 936-264-3001 Hughes Natural Gas....................................... 281-356-8241 Quadvest ........................................................ 281-356-5347

Plant of the Month

By GRW Not all plants do well in the Houston area, but some do. The Hamelia Patens (Fire Bush) does. We cut ours back in the fall, and they grow to about 30” during the summer. Ours are in full sun. They require 8 to 10 hours each day. Once established, the plant is drought tolerant and likes well-drained soil. Over-watering can kill this plant. It will usually have reddish-orange flowers from early summer to late fall. Mexicans use its fruit for a fermented drink. Hummingbirds and butterflies love this plant.

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Village of Decker Oaks Community Newsletter - August 2016

VILLAGE OF DECKER OAKS Dead spots in the lawn? Look for chinch bugs Chinch bugs often appear in Texas lawns during hot, dry conditions. Usually damage starts in sunny locations or near driveway and sidewalk areas. Damage appears as irregular dead patches in the lawn surrounded by yellowing or dying grass. Chinch bug damage can be mistaken for other lawn problems like white grubs or fungal diseases, so confirmation of chinch bug activity is needed before choosing proper treatment. So how do you tell if you have chinch bugs? The easiest way is to look for the insects. One way to look is to cut both ends out of a can, push it into the ground using a twisting motion and then fill the can with water for about 10 minutes and wait for any bugs to float to the top. Another way would be to get down on your hands and knees and part the grass to look for the insects. For both methods, samples should be taken in the damaged (yellowed grass), not dead, grass areas. Chinch bugs are small (about 1/5 of an inch as adults; immatures are smaller). Adults are black with white wings containing triangular markings. Nymphs, or immatures, are yellowish or pinkish with a light colored band across their body. Nymphs do not have fully developed wings. Treatment is usually a liquid or granular formulation. Liquid

formulations are often bottles that attach to the end of the garden hose or concentrates that you mix with water in a tank sprayer. Granular formulations are applied with push spreaders and need to be watered in after treatment. Treatment should be applied to the area where damage is occurring and several feet out from the damaged area; the entire yard does not have to be treated. All label instructions should be read and followed before and during the treatment. For more information or help with identification, contact Wizzie Brown, Texas AgriLife Extension Service Program Specialist at 512.854.9600. Check out my blog at: www.urban-ipm.blogspot.com

Village of Decker Oaks Community Newsletter - August 2016

VILLAGE OF DECKER OAKS

Your Neighborhood Needs YOU by Barbara Ballard, HOA Treasurer The directors are trying to make some changes in the neighborhood and we really could use some help from you. We are looking for volunteers to help us with some upcoming committees: Event, Welcoming, Yard of the Month, and Newsletter. We have not decided all the particulars, but here is a general description of the committees.

Event Committee

We hope to bring more events to the community. Our last event, the Spring Eggstravaganza, was quite a success. It gave residents an opportunity to come together and have some fun. Committee members would help coordinate future events including, but not limited to, advertising for the event, planning a menu, ordering/gathering food, planning activities, set up and clean up. If you have a knack for party planning or if you just want to help bring some fun to the neighborhood, this is the committee for you!

the newsletter from a very general and impersonal circular to a relevant, community bulletin. If you enjoy writing and want to help keep your community well-informed, please do not hesitate to sign up for the Newsletter committee. The more the merrier! Also, please note that you can still submit articles without being on the committee. You would just submit the article to me at barbaram.ww@gmail.com. All we are asking for is your time and your input. All approved expenses for these committees will be paid for by the association, so please do not feel like you have to put in any of your personal money. I truly hope that many of you will help us make the community better. Winston Churchill was spot on when he said, “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.”

Welcoming Committee

Do you like meeting new people? Are you a people person? If so, then this committee is for you! What better way to say “Welcome to Our Neighborhood” than with a small gift basket?! We are hoping to begin giving a small gift along with a community information packet to new homeowners. Committee members would help decide what gift to give and gather all material to include in the information packet. Members would also be responsible for delivering the welcome package to each new homeowner.

Yard of the Month

In an attempt to keep yards tidy and well-kept, we will begin having a Yard of the Month contest. We hope that the positive reinforcement, along with the prospect of a nice gift card, will help improve the look of our community. Committee members would drive (or walk) around each street of the neighborhood and judge each yard by cleanliness, visual appeal, and overall appearance. They would then vote on which yard they deem best suited for the Yard of the Month and present that homeowner with a gift card. If you have an eye for beauty and design, the Yard of the Month committee is for you!

Newsletter Committee

While I enjoy being the voice for the community newsletter, I really could use lots of help here. I would love for the newsletter to be more well-rounded with different views. Committee members would write articles for the newsletter thus transforming 4

Village of Decker Oaks Community Newsletter - August 2016

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VILLAGE OF DECKER OAKS

BLUE JAYS ARE NOT BLUE?

By Cheryl Conley, TWRC Wildlife Center Blue Jays are easy to recognize because of their crest and their structural colors. To explain as simply as possible, the blue in the beautiful blue, black and white markings. They are also one of Blue Jay is caused by microscopic structures in the feather that our larger birds, some reaching a foot long. Although beautiful, refract light like a prism. When the light passes through a dark some consider them a nuisance because layer of melanin, some wavelengths are they can be aggressive. Aggressiveness filtered out, and the bird looks blue. towards humans can occur when a Blue Feathers look blue for the same reason Jay is protecting its nest. They’ve also the sky looks blue. been known to dive-bomb cats and In late summer you may see a bald Blue dogs. They can imitate the sounds of the Jay. Don’t automatically assume that it Red-shouldered Hawk and often do this is sick or has been attacked by another to keep predators away from the nest. animal. Blue Jays, as well as Cardinals, Because they are such good parents and go through a complete molt of their head very protective, TWRC Wildlife Center feathers but they do grow back. rarely receives any eyes-closed nestlings During the spring, TWRC Wildlife at the Center. Center admits hundreds of Blue Jays, Did you know that Blue Jays aren’t really blue? The color we see is both adults and babies. They are admitted to our on-site care the result of the inner structure of the feathers. There are two types program and require daily care. If you’d like to learn how to feed of color in birds—pigmented and structural. The cardinal looks and care for Blue Jays, volunteer and become a part of our Baby red because the feathers really are red. This is pigmented. Blue and Bird Program. It’s fun, it’s rewarding and you’ll be helping our green are unique colors in the animal kingdom and are considered wildlife. For more information go to www.twrcwildlifecenter.org.

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Village of Decker Oaks Community Newsletter - August 2016

VILLAGE OF DECKER OAKS At no time will any source be allowed to use the Village of Decker Oaks 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 Village of Decker Oaks Homeowners Association and Peel Inc. The information in the Village of Decker Oaks Newsletter is exclusively for the private use of Village of Decker Oaks residents only.

Summer Sun Safety Tips 1oz. of sunscreen should be applied to entire body Only broad-spectrum SPF 15+ should be used Limit your time in the sun from 10am-4pm You still need sunscreen on a cloudy day

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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TAKE the Water Safety Quiz PREVENT drowning www.colinshope.org/quiz LEARN more at www.colinshope.org 6

Village of Decker Oaks Community Newsletter - August 2016

VILLAGE OF DECKER OAKS

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Village of Decker Oaks Community Newsletter - August 2016