Spring Trails - August 2021 by Peel, Inc.

THE OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF THE SPRING TRAILS COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION VOL 3

ISSUE 08

Spring Trails - August 2021

Community Contact Information INFRAMARK (Spring Trails Property Management).................... 281.870.0585 SPRING TRAILS HOA BOARD OF DIRECTORS Request Manager through www.springtrails.com CEDRIC CLOUD LEANNE KESSLER ROGER OLSEN JERRY RUESCHHOFF MARK ZIMMERHANZEL ALL EMERGENCIES – 911 NON-EMERGENCY SERVICES Law Enforcement (Sheriff or Constable)...936.760.5800 & press 3 Fire (South Montgomery Fire Department).............. 281.363.3473 EMS (Montgomery County Hospital District).......... 936.523.5000 SCHOOLS Sue Park Broadway Elementary............................. 281.367.4677 Cox Intermediate School....................................... 281.465.3200 York Junior High School....................................... 832.592.8600 Grand Oaks High School...................................... 281.939.0000 Conroe I.S.D. Administration............................... 936.709.7752 MONTGOMERY COUNTY MUD 94 MUD 94/Board of Directors......................... www.mcmud94.com MUD 94 / H2O Innovations (water and sewer)...... 281.355.1312 MUD 94/Republic Services (trash & recycle pickup).713.726.7300 MONTGOMERY COUNTY GOVERNMENT Montgomery County............................................ 936.756.0571 Precinct 3 Commissioner James Noack................. 936.539.7817 Sheriff Rand Henderson........................................ 936.760.5871 Constable Ryan Gable........................................... 281.364.4211 VISIT THE SPRING TRAILS WEBSITE FOR LINKS TO THESE AND OTHER COMMUNITY SERVICE PROVIDERS

Advertising Information PUBLISHER Peel, Inc.............................www.PEELinc.com, 512.263.9181 Advertising.....................................advertising@PEELinc.com

Newsletter Information Please support the advertisers that make Spring Trails newsletter possible. 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 the month prior to the issue. Copyright © 2021 Peel, Inc.

August 3rd – MUD 94 Board Meeting August 4th – Recycle Pick Up August 8th – Concert at the Park August 11th – Conroe ISD first day of 2021-2022 school year August 13th – Heavy Trash Day August 18th – Recycle Pick Up August 19th – HOA Board Meeting September 1st – Recycle Pick Up September 4th – Community Clean Up (Riley Fuzzel sound wall) September 6th – Conroe ISD Holiday September 7th – MUD 94 Board Meeting September 10th – Heavy Trash Day September 15th – Recycle Pick Up September 16th – HOA Board Meeting September 18th – Fall Community Garage Sale September 29th – Recycle Pick Up Find details for these and other upcoming activities on the Spring Trails website Calendar. Spring Trails - August 2021

SPRING TRAILS

Noise Policy Resolution A new nuisance policy specific to “noise” was approved and filed with Montgomery County in June. The policy generally states the reasonable production or causing of amplified sound shall be limited to no earlier than 8:00 am, and no later than 9:00 pm. Violations of this policy may be considered an uncurable violation and subject to the Association’s Fining Policy. (A definition of “amplified sound” and detail of the Association’s Fining Policy can be found on the Documents page of the website.) To report a noise nuisance, go to Request Manager on the Spring Trails website. Bylaws Amendments Two amendments to the Association’s bylaws were approved and filed with Montgomery County in May and June. 1. Article VI, Section B of the Association’s bylaws is amended to streamline and simplify parliamentary procedure for Board and Annual meetings. 2. Article III, Section A is amended to require no less than a Board majority to be residents of Spring Trails. Documents A summary of the Association's various assessments, fees, fines and deposits was prepared and posted to the Documents/Policies & Resolutions page of the website. The summary reflects changes approved for fiscal year 2021 and refer to the governing documents for convenience. This is an informational document only. Architectural Review Application The Application to Modify Home or Property (ARC form) was revised to incorporate the required MUD 94 inspection for new in ground pool or spa installations. The revised application is available on the Spring Trails website under Documents>Architectural Review Committee and also Documents>Spring Trails Forms. Visit the Documents page of the website to find all the Association’s bylaws, covenants, conditions and restrictions, and policies, as well as all approved and filed amendments. 4

Spring Trails - August 2021

Spring Trails will elect one person to the Board of Directors this November. Article III of the By-Laws of Spring Trails Community Association, Inc. defines the composition and selection of Board members, and the powers and duties of the Board. Members are encouraged to consider serving the community as a member of the Board. Formal notifications and announcements will be mailed to members in the coming weeks. If you are interested in serving on the Board of Directors and have questions regarding the process and/or expectations, please contact Inframark or the Board of Directors through Spring Trails Request Manager.

SPRING TRAILS Students of Conroe ISD return to school August 11th, so let’s review some very simple but important precautions everyone can take to ensure our children get to and from school safely. Bicycle & Pedestrian Safety • Slow down. Watch for children and parents along sidewalks and driveways, crossing the road, or waiting for a bus. • Eyes forward. Be alert. Ignore phone calls, text messages, or other distractions that could cause you to look away from the road. • Identify and slow down at cross walks along main roadways. • Observe officer and crossing guard instructions. School Zone Safety • Slow Down. Watch for school zones. • Hands on the wheel, not the phone. Don’t text and drive. • Plan for extra travel time on your daily route. • Observe officer and crossing guard instructions. • When possible, avoid school zones completely during arrival and dismissal times. Bus Safety • Slow down. Watch for students waiting for the bus, and know when to stop for school bus loading and unloading. • It is illegal to pass a school bus actively loading or unloading passengers. Passing on either side of the school bus can lead to a fine anywhere from $500 to $1250 or more in Texas. • When a school bus extends its stop sign or turns on its flashing red lights, all drivers must stop.

Conroe ISD students return to school August 11th. Are you prepared? Not to worry. This year’s sales tax holiday is Friday, August 6 through Sunday, August 8. Stock up on school supplies, clothes, shoes, and other school related items tax free from any Texas store, or online/catalog seller doing business in Texas. The sales tax exemption applies only to qualifying items purchased during the sales tax holiday. For a list of qualifying items, visit https:// comptroller.texas.gov/taxes/publications/98-490/. Complete school supply lists for all Conroe ISD schools can be downloaded from individual campus websites.

How Does Your Garden Grow? Contributed by Roger Olsen

A couple of years ago, while on a walk following a thunderstorm, I saw a tree with strips of bark lying next to it. As I got closer, it became obvious lightning had struck the tree and sheared away a slender strip of bark spiraling all the way to the top of the tree. So why does lightning strike trees? Most readers already know that lightning tends to hit tall objects and trees are likely targets. They’re especially prone to lightning strikes because electricity seeks the path of least resistance, and the sap and moisture inside a tree make it a better conductor than the surrounding air. Trees in some locations are also more vulnerable to lightning strikes, including trees in an open area, near a body of water, on the edge of a forest, on a mountainside or hilltop. Anything that can make the tree an attractive electrical target is where you will find lightning. Many times the cause is not obvious, such as the tree mentioned above. That the tree was taller than most of its surrounding trees is the likely cause in this case. The next thing to be concerned with is: What happens when lightning hits a tree? As you can imagine, the effects are not good. When lightning hits a tree, damage can range from minimally invasive to explosive. As soon as lightning strikes the tree, water in its cells can start to boil causing steam to form. The expanding steam can explode, cracking bark or even stripping it off the tree. If the lightning strikes deep within the tree, the whole tree can blow up as happened last year to a tall oak tree in our forest – the tree literally exploded at the center. It all depends on the amount of water in the tree and where it’s located (moisture deep in the sapwood often results in more catastrophic effects than does moisture on or just below the bark). Continued on Page 6 Spring Trails - August 2021

Continued from Page 5 Sometimes it may not be obvious that lightning has struck a tree. Evidence of a lightning strike can vary from shattered pieces of bark like I saw to charred areas of the trunk. And if the tree has gone up in flames or blown up immediately after a strike, it’s pretty obvious! But some symptoms may be hidden deep inside the tree or even in its root system. Like us humans, trees can have “subclinical” damage meaning that the damage is not obvious. This wide range of indicators has to do with the type, structure and health of the tree; the strength of the strike; and the amount of moisture in the tree’s cells. It takes more than the average gardener to determine if a tree has these “subclinical” issues. Now, the real question is: What to do if my tree is struck by lightning? Good news! If your tree is struck by lightning, it may survive the hit, especially if just one side shows damage. Prune out any obviously damaged branches and remove hanging pieces of bark that can’t be put back into place. Providing supplemental fertilization and ensuring that the tree has sufficient water helps with the uptake of nutrients to keep the tree growing strongly. A healthy tree can often heal itself after a lightning strike if the damage isn’t too severe. Then start your watchful waiting for signs of tree stress. Waiting 2 to 6 months before major corrective pruning or removing the tree is recommended. Most times it’s not the strike that kills the tree, but the resulting injury that exposes the tree to the environment, diseases, and insects. If you are in doubt about your tree, contact a licensed arborist (not the drive by guy who offers to trim your trees). Usually such experts can be found at a local nursery or they can refer you to a licensed arborist. If the tree needs to come down, that person should be able to advise you correctly.

Spring Trails - August 2021

Yard decorations and signs are a popular way of expressing your personality or your support for a particular cause. But before you display your décor or signs, review the Association’s Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions (CC&Rs) for applicable requirements. Go to the Documents page on the Spring Trails website to get started. Article VII of the CC&Rs outlines a number of “specific use restrictions” for properties and home owners. Section 20 states “No decorative appurtenances such as sculptures, birdbaths and birdhouses, flagpoles, fountains or other decorative embellishments shall be placed on the front lawn of a lot or on the visible side or rear yard of a lot unless such items have been approved in writing by the ARC…”. ARC applications can be found on the website under Documents. Section 23 of the CC&Rs provides guidance on the types of signs that can be displayed, and how and where signs can be posted. For example, political signs can be posted within 30 days of the corresponding election but must be removed within 10 days of such election. School spirit signs must not be larger than 36”x36”. Security signs are limited to 1 and must be provided by a commercial security company. Get answers to your home and landscaping questions at Spring Trails Community Association, and click the Spring Trails Official Documents link.

Keep your neighborhood beautiful by storing trash and recycling carts out of public view. Trash and recycling shall be moved to the curb no sooner than the evening prior to the scheduled collection day. • Weekly trash collection occurs Tuesday and Friday mornings. • Recycling is collected every other Wednesday (check the schedule at www.mcmud94.com for specific dates). • Heavy trash collection occurs the second Friday of each month. If you have questions or require a replacement trash or recycling cart, contact Republic Services at 713.726.7300.

Stay up-to-date on community news by registering with the Spring Trails website at www.springtrails.com. There you can review the Community’s governing documents, preview and RSVP to upcoming community events, contact property management and the Board of Directors, request amenity access, sign up for text and email announcements, read about community initiatives, and much more.

Communications

Thank you to this month’s Newsletter Contributors: Roger Olsen and Michael Ruggerio. Residents interested in submitting stories or articles for inclusion in the newsletter can do so online at https://peelinc.com/ index.php/submit-an-article/. Articles are due by the 10th day of the preceding month.

Spring Trails - August 2021

SPRING TRAILS

Spring Trails - August 2021

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Spring Trails - August 2021