Neighborhood Newsletter www.stonecanyonoa.org February 2014 Volume 9, Issue 2 Official Publication of Homeowners Association WE TRULY HAVE A WONDERFUL AND GIVING NEIGHBORS!!!!! Breakfast with Santa was a great success, more than 100 families came to see Santa and Santa really enjoyed seeing all of the kids. The Sunshine Dance Group along with choirs from Fern Bluff Elementary, Chisholm Trail Middle School and Round Rock High School provided the most wonderful entertainment during the event. Our neighborhood joined in with Fern Bluff Elementary again this year by adopting families who needed a little bit of assistance during the holidays. All of the families that we supported either have children at Fern Bluff Elementary, or they are a part of our school community in some way. The total amount of Gift cards collected this year was $2,490. We were able to assist 9 families along with, what I like to call, Cindy s kids. Cindy is a wonderful person living in our neighborhood who works with kids who are homeless and are trying to attend Round Rock High School. Special thanks goes to Gina and her gift card party attendees. It was great fun while serving to really help out the cause. We also collected items for Brown Santa, Wyoming Springs Memory Care and the Baptist Childrens Home. Thanks to Everyone who participated! Laura Kouns, President HOA and Recreation Chair UPCOMING CAPITOL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS FOR 2014 By Al Maus. SCOA, Capitol Improvements Chair The Capitol Improvement Committee along with the Board of Directors are looking at three projects in our neighborhood along Brightwater Blvd. this year. The first project is the repair of the sidewalks at the Brightwater Park culvert. If you jog, walk or ride a bike across the concrete box culvert on the sidewalks at Brightwater Park (both sides) you have seen that the sidewalks have sunk approximately two inches around the storm sewer entrances. The walk on the north side has also begun to separate from the curbing. We are working with the county on replacing these sidewalks. We are attempting to secure some monies from the county and or the MUD to assist with these repairs, so far with no luck. Further to the west along Brightwater Blvd. is our second project. There are, on each side of the Blvd., a couple of places on the sidewalks that will hold water and dirt runoff after a rain. In the past we have had a swale cut in the grass to attempt to allow the water to egress into the street, but the dirt that sometimes comes along will fill in the trench and again, over time, block (Continued on Page 3) Copyright 2014 Peel, Inc. Homeowner's Association Newsletter - February 2014 1
Stone STONE Canyon CANYON Owners & Association Management Teams www.stonecanyonoa.org STONE CANYON OWNERS ASSOCIATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS: President/ACC/Good Neighbor Laura Kouns... board@stonecanyon.org Vice President/Pool/Maintenance Gregg Hnath... board@stonecanyon.org Secretary/Landscape/Recreation Jessica Stempco... board@stonecanyon.org Treasurer/Communication (Newsletter/Website/Facebook)/YOM Tina Riquelmy... board@stonecanyon.org Parliamentarian/Capital Improvements/Neighborhood Watch Al Maus... board@stonecanyon.org COMMITTEE CHAIRS ACC Al Maus... acc@stonecanyon.org Recreation Laura Kouns...lbkouns63@gmail.com Swimming Pool Open...pool@stonecanyonoa.org Yard of the Month Amelia Dansby & Cathy Soukup... amdansby@gmail.com Maintenance Al Maus...maintenance@stonecanyonoa.org Landscape Cathy Soukup...csoukup11@att.net Neighborhood Watch Donna Scoggins...Donna@LetsGoToEscrow.com Newsletter Judith Horton... 2toojays@gmail..com Good Neighbor Laura Kouns... lbkouns63@gmail.com Webmaster Ron Kellam... webmaster@stonecanyonoa.org KEY CONTACTS In an attempt to make things easier to find, we have provided some key contact information for various organizations that you might need to contact. If you have a suggestion for information to add, please contact the web committee. HOME OWNERS ASSOCIATION: Bob Nardo - Goodwin Management... 512-852-7965... 11149 Research Blvd Suite 100, Austin, TX 78759 http://stc.goodwintx.com/ Payment Address: Owners Association P.O. Box 93447, C/O Goodwin Processing Center Las Vegas, NV 89193-3447 Governmental Agencies: Fern Bluff MUD...512-238-0606... 7320 Wyoming Springs, Round Rock, TX 78681 City of Round Rock...512-218-5400... 221 East Main Street, Round Rock, TX Williamson County Commissioners Office...512-248-3238... 400 W. Main St., Ste. 216, Round Rock, TX 78664 Williamson County Constable (Robert Chody) 512-248-3239...211 Commerce Cove, Round Rock, TX 78664 Williamson County Sheriff s Office (Non-Emergency)...512-943-1300 Williamson County EMS (Non-Emergency)...512-943-1264 Round Rock ISD... (512) 464-5000 ext 1311...Round Rock Avenue, Round Rock, TX 78681 Misc. Services: Gas Line Malfunction... (Business Hours) 1-800-460-3030...(After Hours) 1-800-817-8090 Street Light Repair - TU Electric...1-800-242-9113 Texas Utilities (TXU)...1-800-368-1398 Southwestern Bell...1-888-294-8433 Time Warner Cable...512-485-5555 Williamson County Road and Bridge...512-943-3330 NOT AVAILABLE ONLINE 2 Homeowner's Association Newsletter - February 2014 Copyright 2014 Peel, Inc.
Capital Improvement Projects (Continued on Page 3) proper exit. We are looking into adding a concrete section in these areas between the sidewalk and the curb to allow this runoff to exit the side walk into the street. We will cut a notch in the curb about two feet long (looking similar to your drive way curb cut) and then pour a concrete pad with a permanent sloped swale to route the water and any dirt into the street. Again we are working with the County, this time on proper construction. The third project is the biggest and most ambitious. Along the south side of Brightwater starting at Great Oaks Blvd. we have a bad problem with erosion. Excess waters are exiting from under the Woodcrete fencing and washing dirt from the embankment into the sidewalk and street. Part of the problem is the tree shading along this section discourages grass growth. We have recently had tree trimming all along Brightwater in part hoping that this will help. We are also thinking about culling and or replacing some of the trees (mostly Bradford Pears which are coming to end of their useful lives) with other native trees that can help with the shading. We know that this alone will not correct the problem. We are looking at adding a 'French' style drain next to the Woodcrete fence to capture water coming out and directing it into the storm sewer system. If these repairs are successful we may extend them further up Brightwater beyond Ancona. On the opposite side of Brightwater is another challenging and potentially a fourth project. The water flows in the opposite direction from the sidewalk into the grass/dirt and under the Woodcrete fencing into home owner backyards. As of yet no monies have been budgeted for this project pending results from other repairs. These projects are not in any specific order and the details of the construction may change as we work our way through the project design phase. If you see any other places around the neighborhood that you think need our attention please come to one of our monthly Board meetings or drop us a line at: Board@ StoneCanyonOA.org. Reaching your neighbors and many others... Avery Ranch Lost Creek Barton Creek Meadows of Bushy Creek Bee Cave Meridian Bella Vista Pemberton Heights Belterra Plum Creek Canyon Creek Ranch at Brushy Creek contact us today Chandler Creek River Place Cherry Creek on Brodie Lane Round Rock Ranch for advertising information Circle C Ranch Sendera Courtyard Shady Hollow Davenport Ranch Sonoma 512-263-9181 Forest Creek Steiner Ranch Hidden Glen www.peelinc.com Highland Park West Balcones Teravista advertising@peelinc.com Hunter s Chase Travis Country West Jester Estates Twin Creeks Lakeway Villages of Westen Oaks Lakewood West Lake Hills Legend Oaks II Westside at Buttercup Creek Long Canyon Wood Glen Peel, Inc. community newsletters Copyright 2014 Peel, Inc. Homeowner's Association Newsletter - February 2014 3
SPRUCING UP OUR TREES AND MAINTENANCE ALONG OUR COMMON FENCE Trees are beautiful and make our neighborhood more inviting and contribute to the overall value of our property. Like all living things they need care and attention. You may have noticed that we recently had all the trees along the Brightwater Ave. pruned. In fact, we know a great number of you noticed because the Board heard from many of you with positive comments on the tree pruning and the company doing the work. Trees were pruned using class one guidelines, and canopies were lifted to 12 to 14 feet. Pruning improves a tree s appearance, structure, and increases its life expectancy. It opens the canopy of the tree to permit more air movement and sunlight penetration. This will help improve the quality of the turf surrounding the tree and help to defend against the impact of the ongoing drought we re experiencing in central Texas. An added benefit is clearing the sidewalk area of overhanging branches and increasing traffic visibility, making our neighborhood safer. Besides pruning our trees, we asked that any landscape threatening our fences be removed if it was accessible from the road side of the fence. We have some improvement, but much more work is required. We need residents to help us. If your yard backs up to the common area fences along Brightwater Ave. or Wyoming Springs, please inspect your landscaping to see if it s now or will, in the future, impact our fence. The cost of repair for these fences is high, and it s urgent that we avoid these costly repairs. If problem areas aren t remedied, we ll have to find alternatives to protect the fence. Please help us now by being proactive and doing your part to prevent damage to our fences. Several residents have asked for contact info for the company that performed the tree pruning. They are a local company from Brushy Creek, Austin Tree Service, 512-341- 8888, info@keepaustingreen.com. Over 100 residents are currently their customers. They have generously offered a 20% discount for customers identifying themselves as residents - not sure how long the discount will be offered so best to give them a call soon IRRIGATION CONCERNS Over the last year we ve been challenged with maintaining a poorly installed irrigation system along Wyoming Springs. The irrigation system was installed by the City of Round Rock when Wyoming Springs was widened. Although we re grateful for the free irrigation system, it s had many nearly impossible problems to correct. It was not installed by a professional irrigation company but rather by several different contractors working on the road widening. Some of the supplies that were used aren t what an irrigation company would use. We ve solved many of the problems but are still faced with the typical irrigation failures of stuck timers, broken sprinkler heads, and leaks in the lines. Now we re faced with a new challenge of being good stewards of our water supply. We ve turned off our water source for the season but unfortunately, it appears that the water is being turned back on by an unauthorized person or group. In one day the water was turned off 3 times and turned back on 3 times. In checking with neighboring communities, we ve learned that others have had similar problems. The MUD installed a lock on our main water meter temporarily solving the problem for now. We need your help. There are 3 meters in our neighborhood. The locations are Full Moon and Brightwater Ave., Brightwater Ave west side of the pool entrance and near the corner of Wyoming Springs and Brightwater, behind the yield sign. If you see suspicious behavior in those areas please call the sheriffs office at 930-4300. Then if you would follow up with an email to: board@stonecanyonoa.org. we can follow up. To be clear, it s vandalism and we need it to stop. As always, please contact us with questions or suggestions. I hope you re enjoying the longer days. Jessica Stempko Secretary, Board 4 Homeowner's Association Newsletter - February 2014 Copyright 2014 Peel, Inc.
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BIRDIES FOR BIKES Junior Charity Golf Tournament River Place Country Club was the site in November of the third annual Birdies for Bikes Junior Charity Golf Tournament, a tournament for young golfers ranging in age from six through seventeen years. The tournament drew junior golfers from San Antonio in the south to Round Rock in the north and Pflugerville in the east to Bee Cave and Marble Falls in the west. The Birdies for Bikes tournament works in conjunction with the Mix 94.7 Bikes for Kids charity. In its short three year history, Birdies for Bikes has raised more than $22,000 to help fund bicycles, helmets and bike locks as Christmas or Hanukkah gifts for underprivileged children of Central Texas. The young Birdies for Bikes golfers solicit donations and pledges from family, friends and neighbors for the birdies and pars that they make during tournament play. This year the tournament raised $10,759. Tournament founder Hailey Derrickson solicited donations from local businesses. Supporters of the tournament with cash donations as hole sponsors included Financial Solutions (Life Insurance, Retirement and Estate Planning), Field Photography, Jill Briley of Private Label Hailey Derrickson presenting check to Alex Franco and Sarah Osburn of Mix 94.7. Realty, NFP (Benefits, Insurance and Wealth Management), Paula Kaisner of CruiseOne Dream Vacations and several individual families. Many businesses donated prizes for the junior golfers that collected the most money for the charity, for closest-to-the-pin competitions and for raffle drawings. These donors included Strait Music with a guitar which was later autographed by The Plain White T s band, Alamo Drafthouse, Austin Park, Biejo Bags, Big Frog Custom T-Shirts, Brighton Collectibles (Lakeline Mall), Chili s Restaurant, Cinemark Theatres, Crowned Chick Designs, Cups and Cones, Flores Restaurant, Lake Travis Zipline Adventures, Main Event, Menchie s, Moviehouse & Eatery, Oasis Restaurant, Papa Murphy s, P. Terry s, Round Rock Express, San Antonio Spurs, Subway Restaurants of Four Points and Lakeway, Target of Four Points, Texas Junior Golf Tour, Texas Stars hockey, The League Kitchen & Tavern, Top Golf, Volente Beach Waterpark and Zack s American Bistro. Many thanks to these very community oriented businesses that helped the young Birdies for Bikes golfers prove that kids can help other kids less fortunate than themselves. Make an impact. 6 Homeowner's Association Newsletter - February 2014 Copyright 2014 Peel, Inc.
At no time will any source be allowed to use the HOA 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 HOA and Peel, Inc. The information in the newsletter is exclusively for the private use of HOA residents only. Host an international exchange student through Ayusa. Learn the true heart and soul of a culture! Ayusa is a non-profit high school foreign exchange student organization. We welcome teenagers from over 60 countries worldwide and provide host family placement and ongoing supervision for 5 and 10 month academic programs. These exceptional young people look forward to a warm bond of friendship with your family and a rewarding cultural exchange. Host families are asked to provide meals provide a bedroom either shared or private. Students pay for all other personal expenses while in the U.S. Ayusa is currently accepting applications for the 2013/2014 program year. Visit our website to fill out your online application the schools in our area have limited spots available for exchange students, so act now! All across the world, Ayusa students are eagerly awaiting their host family placement. Please call today and begin the adventure of a lifetime! Visit our website at www.ayusa.org or call us at (888) 552-9872. You can also contact our local representative Vicki Odom at vodom@ayusa.org or call 832-455-7881 for more information as well. 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. YOUR COMMUNITY, YOUR VOICE Do you have an article or story that you would like to run in this newsletter? Send it to us and we will publish it in the next issue. Email your document to ARTICLES@ peelinc.com. Copyright 2014 Peel, Inc. Homeowner's Association Newsletter - February 2014 7
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