LAUREL CREEK. September 2014 Official Newsletter of the Residents of Laurel Creek Volume 1, Issue 9

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1 LAUREL CREEK September 2014 Official Newsletter of the Residents of Laurel Creek Volume 1, Issue 9 T & T Trash and tree trimming is the subject of this month s article. Laurel Creek s landscape is maturing. Trees and shrubs need maintaining just as plumbing or air conditioning units in Houston. The shrubs between houses are to be trimmed to 4 feet maximum. Anyone can drive through Laurel Creek and see that this maintenance is not being done. There are streets in the neighborhood with tree limbs hanging so low a person cannot walk in the street without hitting their heads. PLEASE maintain your landscape. If your hedges in the front of your home needs trimming, please trim them. If your trees need trimming, please trim them. One of our neighbors has brought up the issue of how much trash is appearing all over our neighborhood. There is a lot of trash being thrown about. Any homeowner can take the initiative to stop and pick up trash that you run across when walking the greenbelt or driving to work in and out of the neighborhood. We all have ownership in this neighborhood. Please help us keep the trash picked up or the toilet paper pulled down. Thank you for assisting in keeping Laurel Creek beautiful and trash free. Outdoor Parties Its summer and many people are on vacation. Lots of outdoor entertaining, pool parties, and late hours. However, please keep in mind that houses in Laurel Creek are relatively close together and many of your neighbors may have to get up early the next morning. What may be a reasonable level of noise at 8:00pm in the evening can be extremely irritating at midnight on a Monday night to neighbors trying to go to sleep. Laurel Creek does not have any specific rules as to when outside parties must end, but please be considerate of nearby neighbors, particularly on weeknights, and either end your outside parties at a reasonable time or move them inside. Even normal conversation can be quite startling when it is late at night and near someone s bedroom. Outside Lighting For security reasons and/or entertainment purposes many people have bright lights in their backyards. If the lights are left on late at night, please try to make sure that they do not shine directly into any of your neighbor s bedroom windows. In fact, it is a good idea to ask nearby neighbors if they have any problems caused by any of the lights. Many people hesitate to confront a neighbor, even when they have a valid complaint. Asking if there is a problem is a good way to ensure a friendly relationship with neighbors. If there is a problem, it can usually be easily corrected by re-angling the lights, using lower wattage bulbs, or motion activated lights. Board Meeting Our next scheduled Board Meeting is October 16, 2014 at the Windfern MUD building at Mauna Loa at 6:30 p.m. All Homeowners are welcome to attend and have the opportunity to address the Board. The general Board Meeting agenda is as follows: I. Call to Order General Session Approval of Agenda Approval of Minutes II. Guests or Homeowners to Address the Board III. Financial Report IV. Old Business V. New Business VI. Executive Session Collection Report Attorney Status Report Deed Restriction Report VII. Adjournment Copyright 2014 Peel, Inc. Laurel Creek - September

2 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 frank@sterlingasi.com NEWSLETTER INFO EDITOR Roxanne Martinez... roxanne@sterlingasi.com Janine Cruz... janine@sterligasi.com NEWSLETTER PUBLISHER Peel, Inc , Advertising... advertising@peelinc.com IMPORTANT NUMBERS Sterling Association Services, Inc....servicedesk@sterlingasi.com N. Sam Houston Parkway W., Houston TX Mailing Address P.O. Box 38113, Houston TX Association Manager Roxanne Martinez... roxanne@sterlingasi.com Administrative Assistant Janine Cruz... Call Before You Dig DIG.TESS Street Light Outage (Have light number) Texas Department of Public Safety Crime Service... Police Information If you witness a crime or suspicious activity call Pct. 4 Constable or 911 Cy Fair Volunteer Dept. (Ambulance)... (Non-emergency) Poison Center 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 You will need the 6 digit from the pole Pipeline/Basketball Court Updates There are currently two projects the Board of Directors is looking into relative to the basketball court area: 1. Chain link fence 2. Fencing off Windfern The chain link fence does not belong to Laurel Creek. The owner originally promised to plant vines along the fence to take away from the stark look. However, when recently contacted by Sterling she indicated that she had no plans to plant any vines and did not want Laurel Creek to put any type of vegetation on the fence. Therefore, the board is trying to look into other ways to make the fence more aesthetically pleasing. The major problem is that there are pipelines running in the area of the fence. According to a representative from Exxon Mobile, the pipelines are inspected by air and nothing that be placed on the easement that would interfere, including trees and tall bushes. The Board of Directors has obtained the plat from the Harris County Courthouse that includes the pipelines. The Exxon Mobile representative has agreed to send someone out to mark the pipelines they own. We will also call the 811 National notification number to automatically notify the holders of any other easements in the area. Once the pipelines have been marked, the Board will evaluate what options may be available. Marking the pipelines should also be useful in connection with possibly fencing off Windfern. The Board has already obtained several quotes for fencing. However, there are still several major unknowns that may result in a delay. Laurel Creek IS A BEAUTIFUL PLACE TO LIVE Let s keep it that way! 2 Laurel Creek - September 2014 Copyright 2014 Peel, Inc.

3 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 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. LAUREL CREEK Gessner/West Road Commercial Development Board Members as well as Sterling Management have attempted to contact Harris County Planning and Permits to find out what, if any, impact the construction to our north will have on our neighborhood. Numerous messages have been left with no one from their office returning our calls. If concerned residents would like to contact them, they can be reached at The more calls they receive, the better the chance of getting a response. It appears that some attempts for flood control have been taken by the presence of a large retention pond at the site's east side adjacent to Windfern. 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 u Fully INSuREd cell Copyright 2014 Peel, Inc. Laurel Creek - September

4 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. 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 orkristah_slate@yahoo.com. Santa is booked for Sunday, December 21st from 4-5pm at the Gazebo Park 4 Laurel Creek - September 2014 Copyright 2014 Peel, Inc.

5 REASONS TO 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. 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 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. Copyright 2014 Peel, Inc. Laurel Creek - September

6 CROSSWORD PUZZLE ACROSS 1. Canned meat brand 5. Recommend 9. Volcanic rock 10. Strength 11. Consumer 12. Refastens 13. Mire 15. Flurry 16. Remove a light bulb 18. Easier to get at 21. Frosty 22. Pretended 26. Spring flower 28. Basic's opposite 29. Buddy 30. Sliding toy 31. Ball player Aaron 32. Food DOWN 1. Ghetto 2. El (Texas city) 3. Maintain 4. Plunder 5. Vase 6. Measuring instrument 7. Point 8. Render capable 10. Public transportation vehicles 14. Short-tempered 17. Put a fold in 18. Catch a ride 19. Sporty car brand 20. Synthetic fiber 23. Ca. University 24. Abstain from certain foods 25. Chances of winning 27. Writing liquid View answers online at Feature Exchange DROWNING IS FAST & SILENT KEEP KIDS IN ARM S REACH WATER SAFETY TIPS AT Help keep your family safer around water. Take our Water Safety Quiz. Colin's Hope Athlete Ambassadors needed. Swim, bike, play tennis, hula hoop and more! LAYERS OF PROTECTION CAN PREVENT DROWNING STAY AWAY RULES CONSTANT VISUAL SUPERVISION LEARN TO SWIM WEAR LIFE JACKETS MULTIPLE BARRIERS TO WATER KEEP BACKYARDS & BATHROOMS SAFER CHECK POOL & HOT TUB FIRST STAY AWAY FROM DRAINS CPR BE SAFER AT THE BEACH LEARN CPR & REFRESH SKILLS YEARLY 6 Laurel Creek - September 2014 Copyright 2014 Peel, Inc.

7 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 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, , 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. Brilliant Energy Texas OUC #10140 The DIFFERENCE is... Julie Sample Houston Business Journal TOP 25 REALTORS (eleven consecutive years!) Easy Online Sign-Up at BrilliantElectricity.com USE NEIGHBORHOOD NEWSLETTER AS REFERRAL Professional Group Your neighbor specializing in Laurel Creek Real Estate for 16 years (713) JulieSample@Comcast.net 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 GREAT BUSINESS RATES TOO! Copyright 2014 Peel, Inc. Laurel Creek - September

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