August 2014 Bel Meade Times - Bel Meade Homes Association www.belmeadehomesassociation.com BEL MEADE HOMES ASSOCIATION 2014 2015 BOARD PRESIDENT Patrick Cook 821-5830 txdriven@yahoo.com 1 st VICE PRESIDENT Mary Wieser 822-0120 mvwieser@msn.com 2 nd VICE PRESIDENT Todd Tinker todd@tinkerlaw.com TREASURER Mary Marsh 829-1329 marymarsh@sbcglobal.net SECRETARY Linda Ogle 824-9241 loftjell@aol.com PRESIDENT OF GARDEN CLUB Susan Murphy 829-8015 smurphy16@gmail.com Hello, and greetings from lovely Bel Meade! I m Patrick Cook, President of the Bel Meade Homes Association, and I d like to take this opportunity to thank you for electing me to lead the Board for 2014-15. First, a little about me... I ve been a resident of Bel Meade since 2004, and with my partner Victor Castillo, we have a sweet Corgi named Drum and a loud cat named Meg. I m also the resident Historian of Bel Meade, a title that I ve held for 4 years now. Over time, I ve accumulated a lot of information about Bel Meade from current and past residents, and am always on the lookout for more. So please let me know if you ve got some Bel Meade history to donate to our Archives! As many of you know, prior BMHA Boards have worked tirelessly on getting Brandon and Medford closed off at Harry Wurzbach, This was a long and painful journey, but with the streets now permanently closed, we have seen the number of people attempting to use Bel Meade as a short-cut to Ft. Sam drop to near zero. For those who can remember what it was like when they were open and people were speeding and endangering our residents, having them closed is a welcome relief. With the land transfer now complete, work began under Joe Prasek s administration to beautify the area on the outside of Bel Meade. Massive limestone blocks have been carefully placed to make a strong visible barrier, and soon additional planting and modifications to the safety barriers will make the area look even more attractive. The 2014-15 BMHA Board is a mix of prior Board members, along with some new members for this term. Mary Wieser has stepped up to be our 1 st Vice President, and new to our Board is Todd Tinker as 2 nd Vice President. Linda Ogle has served on Continued on page 2 Bel Meade Happy Hour Social August 29 - Friday Bangkok 54 Thai Time: 6:00 pm 2515 Nacogdoches Road Parking in the Streets.. We have allot of construction and lawn maintenance going on in Bel Meade. If you are having any work done ask your contractors or lawn care people to park on the same side of the street to allow for safer traffic flow and access and not to block anyone s driveway.
Bel Meade Times - Classified Ads Page 2 Continued on page 2 BMHA s Board in the past, and is now once again our Secretary. Mary Marsh is back to serve as our Treasurer, and Susan Murphy is the Garden Club President, who also sits on the Board. With this mix of seasoned Board members and new ones, I m confident we can make some great progress this term! As a Board, we re working hard to come up with projects and programs designed to make Bel Meade more family and pet friendly with an influx of new families (and pets!!) to Bel Meade, we want to work on making these items a new priority. Of course, we ll also be working on keeping Bel Meade as beautiful as it can be for all residents! I encourage *all* Bel Meade residents to get involved whether it be on a Committee (you did sign up for one at our Annual meeting, right?), or by attending one of our many Social events (our Monthly Social Gatherings, joining Garden Club, attending our Fall Picnic and our Sing-Along), or just by welcoming a new resident and saying Hi, and welcome to Bel Meade! This resident involvement is what makes Bel Meade unique and special in San Antonio let s keep that tradition alive! --Patrick Letter to the Editor: Responsible Pet Ownership: If you are like me and a lot of neighbors, you enjoy walking around the neighborhood in the morning or evening or both. Oftentimes I walk with my dog and see other neighbors walking their dog(s). Recently I have noticed that there is quite a bit of dog poop in the streets of Bel Meade, usually near the curbs. Also, I have found dog poop in our yard (again near the street) which is not our dog s. I also recently heard a story from one of our neighbors about someone that was walking a bigger dog by her house and the dog stopped to take a poop. The dog owner started to walk off with the dog afterwards without picking up the poop. When the resident asked the dog walker to pick up the poop the dog walker gave the one finger salute and walked off. This is a reminder to all residents to be a good neighbor and responsible pet owner by picking up after your pet both in a yard and in the street. Stop MEANS STOP! It's a shame that we have to keep repeating this section again. We are still getting reports that cars are still running the stop signs at the intersections of Medford & East Hathaway and Wyanoke & Medford. The majority of the offenders are Bel Meade residents. Please come to a COMPLETE STOP before proceeding thru the intersection. We do not want anyone getting hurt. Bel Meade Annual Garage Sale Date to Be Announced Homeowners will be responsible for getting the required city permit for having the sale at their address. Permits are available at HEB at the customer service desk.
Bel Meade Times - Classified Ads Page 3 Reminder for Architectural Changes to Property and/or Buildings Before you begin any major changes to your home or property, please make sure that you submit an Architectural Review Form to the Bel Meade Homes Association for review and approval. This form is included in this newsletter or can be found on the Bel Meade Homes Association website at www.belmeadehomesassociation.com This form should be submitted before any work is begun. If you have a question or need to know if the work to be done needs Association review and approval contact any BMHA Board member or Email: BelMeadeARC@gmail. You can send your requests for approval to: BMHA Architectural Committee, P.O. Box 90704, San Antonio, TX 78209 The Architectural Committee reminds all residents that Article VII of our BMHA Restrictions and Amendments states that, No building, fence, wall or other structure shall be commenced, erected or maintained, nor shall any addition thereto or change or alterations therein be made, until plans and specifications, color scheme, plat plan and grading plan therefore, or other information satisfactory to the Association, shall have been submitted to and approved in writing by the Association, or its representative hereinafter provided for, and a copy thereof as finally approved lodged with the Association. In so passing upon such plans, specifications and other consideration the suitability of the proposed building or other structure and the materials of which it is to be built, to the site upon which it is proposed to erect same, the harmony thereof with the surroundings and the effect of the building on other property. So if you are considering changes or additions to the exterior of your property or residence you must notify the BMHA for prior approval. The Board will get back with an approval or other recommendation on a timely basis and it will never arbitrarily withhold approval of a request. Something else to keep in mind is that it would be the neighborly thing to do to let your immediate neighbors know of any changes or additions you are planning. This keeps the element of surprise down and hopefully ensures ongoing harmony between neighbors. ASK THE BOARD Are you curious about things going on in our community? Do you ever wonder about something you see while walking or driving through our neighborhood? Do you have questions about issues that impact Bel Meade? Here s your opportunity to get some answers! The Board of Directors will answer your questions about Bel Meade each month after the monthly Board Meeting. The BMHA Board meets on the 3rd Thursday of every month. Please email your questions to: BelMeadeNeighbor@yahoo.com Subject line: Ask the Board or Mail: Bel Meade Homes Association P.O. Box 90704 San Antonio, TX 78209 If you are wondering about something, chances are others in our community are curious about the same thing, so do us all a favor and send in your questions. If the Board can t answer the question, we will find someone who can!
Bel Meade Times - Classified Ads Page 4 Neighborhood Functions Social Hour Dates & Locations This summer seems to have seen more of our old time Bel Meade residents moving out than normal. Although we will miss them, we know that we will be meeting some wonderful NEW residents. To our departing residents Goodbye, we will miss you and to our new residents WELCOME. We look forward to getting to know you and having you participate in neighborhood functions. go green Stay updated on what is happening in Bel Meade. Sign up to receive the neighborhood newsletters, social calendar, notices & news blasts by email. Send your email contact info to: belmeadetimes-newsletter@yahoo.com August 29 - Friday Bangkok 54 Thai Time: 6:00 pm 2515 Nacogdoches Road 822-5454 September 26 - Friday Monthly Social And Bel Meade Garden Club Welcome Back Party At the Home of Robin & Milan Maymar 110 Brandon Drive West- Time: 6:30 pm - 9:30 October 18 - Saturday Bel Meade Annual Neighborhood Garage Sale October 25 - Saturday Bel Meade Annual Fall Picnic Halloween in the Park Time: 4:00 pm Picnic & Costume Contest On the "Big Island" Between Brandon E & W November 28 - Friday Chris Madrid s Time: 6:00 pm 1900 Blanco Road 735-3552 December 20 - Saturday Annual Christmas in the Park aka Sing-a-long Time: 4:00 pm On the "Big Island" Between Brandon E & W DO YOU HAVE AN ARTICLE OR TOPIC OF INTEREST FOR THE NEWSLETTER? If so, submit your article for the next edition to: belmeadetimes-newsletter@yahoo.com In Loving Memory Long time Bel Meade resident Virginia Gee Gee Steves passed away in July Seeking Volunteers to serve on a Committee One of the main goals of the BMHA Board is to maintain and improve our neighborhood. This can only be done with the input and help of our individual homeowners. We encourage everyone to participate in this process. Currently, one of the ways to become involved is to volunteer as a chairman and/or become a committee member. The committees are listed in this newsletter contact a board member today. So don t be bashful - we can use you! Advertise in the Bel Meade Newsletter. The Bel Meade Times is published 4 times a year. Ads placed must be a print ready electronic ad and ready for printing 14 days in advance of publications. All ads must be paid in advance. For ad rates contact Mary Marsh at: belmeadetimes-newsletter@yahoo.com
Bel Meade Times - Classified Ads Page 5 Mosquito Season is Here! Please take a moment to walk your property and rid it of standing water. Standing water can turn into stagnant water that has potential to allow mosquitoes to breed. Very little water is necessary for mosquito breeding. Areas that cannot be rendered fee of stagnant water treat with a larvicide which can be purchased at a local garden and hardware stores. Identify and treat water now. This will help control areas that may breed mosquitoes. Remember the 4D s: Drain area s of stagnant water Avoid Dawn and Dusk Dress in clothing that covers exposed skin Wear insect repellant with D.E.E.T Roads & Parks: We have received some complaints about residents who have let their tree branches and shrubs grow out into or over our streets. This has caused vehicles to either hit the over-growth or move to the other side of the road which has created some dangerous situations. Please make sure that you keep your trees and shrubs trimmed away from roadways. Bel Meade Annual Picnic Halloween in the Park Bel Meade s annual Halloween picnic is just around the corner. October 25th will be here before you know it. Start thinking about your costumes. For the our new residents Bel Meade has an annual picnic. Good food, music, air castle bounce house for the kids. Prizes for the best costume for kids and adults, It s a great time to meet the neighbors. Pull in your Cans No One Likes to look at Garbage/Organics/Recycling Containers up and down the street. Let s face it these containers are not the most attractive things in the world. They are big, bulky, and an unattractive color. Please pull your containers back up into your yard after pick up.
Bel Meade Times - Classified Ads Page 6 2014-2015 Neighborhood Committee s Safety and Security Committee The purpose of this committee is to formulate and implement a plan to ensure the safety and security of the neighborhood. Jeff Marsh Milan Maymar Dick Gustafson Joe Prasek Stuart Schertz Social Committee The Social Committee is responsible for planning all neighborhood social functions, including, the annual meeting, Annual Fall Picnic and Christmas Sing-a-long. Mary Marsh Alberta Prasek Joe Prasek Christine Luttrell Lynn Gustafson Publications/Website Committee The Publications/Website Committee is responsible for the development and publishing of all neighborhood publications, including the neighborhood newsletter and maintenance of the Bel Meade neighborhood website. www.belmeadehomesassociation.com Mary Marsh Patrick Cook Architectural Review Committee The purpose of this committee is to ensure any changes made to Bel Meade homes are approved and in compliance with the Bel Meade Homes Association, Inc. Declarations and Restrictions. Jeff Marsh Todd Tinker Lee Zalesky Howard Peak Victor Castillo Roads and Parks Committee The purpose of this committee is to monitor Bel Meade common areas, parks, streets, etc. Jean Swanson Mary Wieser Matt Lowery Joe Parker Dick Hogan Chris Ortiz Jeff Marsh Howard Peak Pet Welfare Committee Responsible for acting as a resource and for assisting residents with the proper care for feral cats and handling issues related to animal complaints in the neighborhood. Clara Kistler Tom Crofts Neighborhood Welcome Committee Greets all new residents and welcome s them to the neighborhood. Provides a packet of information to the new resident about Bel Meade to include declarations, By-laws, Garden Club membership and city services, schools, ect. Jan Groen Benita Ortiz Nancy Parker Margie Peak Susan Murphy Virginia Zalesky District 10 Neighborhood Alliance Committee Attend monthly District 10 Neighborhood meetings representing Bel Meade and report back to the Board on related issues affecting Bel Meade. Margie Peak Susan Murphy Joe Prasek Bel Meade Grounds Keeper/Landscaper Maintains the green spaces areas and parks in Bel Meade Chris Ortiz Please contact a board member if you would like to volunteer be on one of BMHA for a committee s Important Numbers & Email Addresses Police Department 911 Police Non-Emergency 207-7273 Constable Mark Vojvodich 335-4750 Fire Department 911 City Customer Service 311 City Service Requests - Pothole Repair, Stray Animals, Dead Animals, Downed Street Signs, Code Violations,, Garbage & Recycle Pickup, Brush Collection, Complaints or other City Requests Community Policing Officer Officer Moses Berban - Badge # 0018 San Antonio Police Department North Patrol SAFFE Unit 207-8350 207-5158 Desk 218-6529 Cell Email: moses.berban@sanantonio.gov Bel Meade Website www.belmeadehomesassociation.com Bel Meade Neighborhood Email BelMeadeNeighbor@yahoo.com Bel Meade Times Newsletter BelMeadeTimes-Newsletter@yahoo.com Bel Meade Architectural Review Committee Email BelMeadeARC@gmail.com
Bel Meade Times - Classified Ads