Published bimonthly for the Forest Oaks Homeowners Association by Neighborhood News, Inc. Vol. 9 No. 4 July/August 2015 FOREST OAKS www.forestoaksonline.com fficial Newsleer of the Forest Oaks Homeowners Associaon O The deadline for article submissions is August 25, 2015 for the mid-September 2015 publication. Please submit articles to be considered for the next newsletter to [email protected]Follow us on Twitter @FOHOA www.forestoaksonline.com With the 2015 pool season under way, we wanted to address some of the most frequently asked questions. • Sometimes pool keys stop working. If this happens to you, please contact Real Manage at (866) 473- 2573. Usually the keys can just be reset. If your key has been damaged and cannot be reset, Real Manage can get you a new key. Please do not call Safeguard about the keys, as they are unable to reset them or issue new ones. • If there is an issue with the pools (trash, vandalism, bathroom issues, water quality, etc.), please contact Safeguard Aquatics. Their number is 512-660-7421, and it is posted at both pools. Safeguard is very responsive and can get one of their employees to expeditiously fix most problems. They also report all issues to Real Manage. Real Manage does answer calls 24/7, but if this is a problem that will ultimately be fixed by Safeguard Aquatics, it is more efficient to call them directly. Please don’t e-mail Real Manage on the weekend about problems with these pools, as these e-mails may not be read until Monday afternoon. • If you see people at the pools after 10:00 p.m., please notify the police. The pools close at 10:00 p.m., and people at the pool after 10:00 p.m. are trespassing. • If you would like to rent the clubhouse, please visit forestoaksonline.com, and complete the online Community Center Rental Request. Please note that the pavilion areas at the pools cannot be reserved. They are available on a first come, first serve basis. Hope everyone has a great summer! The Pool Committee
Transcript
Published bimonthly for the Forest Oaks Homeowners Association by Neighborhood News, Inc.
Vol. 9 No. 4
July/August 2015FOREST OAKS
www.forestoaksonline.comfficial Newsletter of the Forest Oaks Homeowners AssociationO
The deadline for article submissions is August 25, 2015 for the mid-September 2015 publication. Please submit articles to be considered for the next
Follow us on Twitter @FOHOAwww.forestoaksonline.com
With the 2015 pool season under way, we wanted to address some of the most frequently asked questions.
• Sometimes pool keys stop working. If this happens to you, please contact Real Manage at (866) 473-2573. Usually the keys can just be reset. If your key has been damaged and cannot be reset, Real Manage can get you a new key. Please do not call Safeguard about the keys, as they are unable to reset them or issue new ones.
• If there is an issue with the pools (trash, vandalism, bathroom issues, water quality, etc.), please contact Safeguard Aquatics. Their number is 512-660-7421, and it is posted at both pools. Safeguard is very responsive and can get one of their employees to expeditiously fix most
problems. They also report all issues to Real Manage. Real Manage does answer calls 24/7, but if this is a problem that will ultimately be fixed by Safeguard Aquatics, it is more efficient to call them directly. Please don’t e-mail Real Manage on the weekend about problems with these pools, as these e-mails may not be read until Monday afternoon.
• If you see people at the pools after 10:00 p.m., please notify the police. The pools close at 10:00 p.m., and people at the pool after 10:00 p.m. are trespassing.
• If you would like to rent the clubhouse, please visit forestoaksonline.com, and complete the online Community Center Rental Request. Please note that the pavilion areas at the pools cannot be reserved. They are available on a first come, first serve basis.
Hope everyone has a great summer!
The Pool Committee
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Did you just get to one of the pools to relax in the sun but you forgot to bring a book? And you are a cave person with no phone or tablet? Well, your neighbors got you covered. Located just outside each of our pools are LITTLE FREE LIBRARIES! These boxes are for sharing books with our neighbors- take a book, leave a book, take two books, leave three books, whatever! What a fantastic little system and a great addition to the neighborhood. Thanks Melissa Moritz for making this happen!
August 8th is
“Sneak Some Zucchini Onto Your Neighbor’s
Porch Day”!It really is! Google it!
Celebrate accordingly.
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How about all that rain, folks?We sure needed it! For many us, it’s a perfect time to add plants and bushes and flowers to our yards. The HOA would like to remind owners who have PEC boxes in their yards that PEC has published guidelines for landscaping around those boxes on their website: http:/ /www.pec.coop/Home/LocalInvolvement/PowerandSafety/LandscapingTips.aspx. Please be aware that any shrubs or foliage planted near or around PEC boxes may be subject to trimming or cut-back in the future by PEC at their discretion.
• Please do not park any vehicles on the grass in the greenbelt areas. The grass is trying to grow.
• Please drive a little more slowly on Wednesdays due to trash pick up and mowing crews working in the neighborhood.
Forest Oaks Owners Association Management Team Forest Oaks Committees
Association Committees are composed of Forest Oaks residents who serve on a voluntary basis. Committee Chairs are appointed by the Board of Directors. All residents are welcome to serve on committees of choice. Please contact the following committee chairs to participate:Architectural Committee Chair,David [email protected] MacDonald, Robert Medure, Members• Reviews all plans and specifications for improvements
to lots within the Association• Assists in enforcement of Deed Restrictions
Recreation & Social Committee Chairs,Julie Levy, [email protected] Rodriguez, Member• Plans neighborhood parties and other Association events• Helps organize neighborhood clubs or groups
Amenity Center/Pool Committee Chair,Jennifer Butler-Harrison, [email protected] Gogulski, Board LiaisonMakes recommendations regarding operation of:• Community Recreation Center• Swimming pools (including rules and hours of operation)
Neighborhood Watch Committee Chair,Bryan Hickers, [email protected]• Makes recommendations to the Board regarding safety
and security of the community• Coordinates the “Neighborhood Watch” program
Landscaping CommitteeMel Kirkland, [email protected]• Maintenance of common areas of the community • Considers special recognition awards for “Yard of the Month”
Publicity Committee Chair, Newsletter EditorEric Carlson, [email protected]@forestoaksonline.com• Works with the other committees to publicize Associa-
tion events and news on the Website and in the Forest Oaks newsletter to inform the members of all activities and functions of the Association.
“Knowledge, Integrity and Hard Work”The Home Select Team Makes All the Difference.
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Schlitterbahn
The temperature outside is in the mid 90s as I write this, and the temperature inside is in the low 80s, thanks to a non-functioning central air conditioning unit. The repairman is outside replacing the old unit, though, soby the end of the day, it should be much more comfortable in the house.
This happened in spite of my husband’s good habits of cleaning the reusable AC filters every month and pouring a cup of bleach into some AC drainpipe in the attic to clean out blockages on a regular basis. He even had the AC unit inspected a few weeks ago and everything was working fine.
Maybe our unit, which is probably at least two decades old, would have broken down sooner had he not practiced preventive maintenance.
Here are tips from the experts on how to keep your AC happy and healthy.• Keep the area within two feet of your outdoor unit
free from dirt, debris, and overgrown vegetation.
• If your outdoor unit is in direct sun, figure out how to shade it, either by planting a tree or installing awnings.
• Clean or replace filters monthly.
• Clear out condensation lines every month with a small amount of bleach.
• Have your ductwork checked for leaks and your thermostat checked for accuracy.
• Replace your thermostat with a programmable one.
• Make sure the thermostat is not near heat sources such as lamps, appliances, or sunny windows.
• Take some of the pressure off your AC unit by using floor fans and ceiling fans. In summer, the ceiling fan blades should be running in the direction that forces air down.
• Keep shades drawn in the house in the summer. Buy sun-blocking shades.
Keep Cool with Regular AC Maintenance
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If you’re like most people, your heart stops momentarily and you emit a yelp when you see a snake slither across your patio. Chances are high that the reptile is harmless, in fact beneficial, to you and your yard. Snakes dine on rodents and insects, thereby reducing the number of pests on your property.
Harmless snakes should be allowed to go about their daily lives without being injured, killed, or relocated by the homeowner. Diversity of species is important to ecological balance. Imagine the scenario when the predators are gone due to habitat destruction or eradication by man and only the “pests” remain.
In Texas, we have about 110 species and subspecies of snakes, with four species being venomous: rattler, copperhead, coral, and cottonmouth (also called water moccasin). On average, two to three accidental deaths a year in Texas are attributed to snake bite. Fatal bee stings and lightning strikes pose much greater risks. In total, poisonous snakes account for just 15% of all snakes in Texas, according to Texas Parks and Wildlife.
Most snakes do not want to interact with people, and normally won’t attack. A snake on the run is likely trying
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Snakes:Friend or Foe?
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to get away from humans and find a place to hide. Knowledge of the difference between venomous and non-venomous snakes is important. As always when interacting with wildlife, use common sense and caution. When you see a snake, don’t get too close, and don’t do anything to disturb it. The biggest threat of being bitten by many snakes is accidentally stepping on them, so watch where you’re walking.
Three types of venomous snakes are known as “pit vipers” because they have indentations, or pits, near their nostrils that they use for sensing heat. Pit vipers include rattlesnakes, copperheads, and cottonmouths. The most common rattler in this area is the Western Diamondback, which averages 3-4 ft. in length, with brown markings in the shape of diamonds on its back and black and white bands around the tail. Copperheads are light orange brown with rust-colored markings encircling their bodies. Adult copperheads are about 2 ft. long. Cottonmouths have wide, dark greenish brown bodies and may have dark bands of color. They are 3.5 ft. long and are found in streams, rivers, ponds, marshes—they seldom travel far from water. They are typically the most aggressive Texas snake species.
Coral snakes are mainly found in SE Texas and are under 3 ft. long. They have a wide black band, a thin yellow band, and a wide red band. If the red and yellow bands are touching, you can be pretty sure it’s a coral snake and not one of the harmless species of snake with similar colors.
If you see a snake in your yard and can’t identify it, try to determine what it is by checking resources online. Texas Parks and Wildlife and other organizations have photos of many snakes on their web sites, which can be found by using a search engine such as Google and typing “Texas Snakes.” A good field guide will also have photos and information to help you identify snakes. Just because a snake has unusual or colorful markings does not mean it is poisonous.
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