Villages of Westcreek
Owners' Association Inc.
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New month.
New beginning.
New mindset.
New focus.
New start.
New intentions.
New results.
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In The Kitchen with
Villages of Westcreek
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Lemon Yogurt Cake
I
ngredients
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
- 1 1/3 cups sugar, divided
- 3 extra-large eggs
- 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
For the glaze:
- 1 cup confectioners' sugar
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
Steps
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Grease an 8 1/2 by 4 1/4 by 2 1/2-inch loaf pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper.
- Grease and flour the pan.
- Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt into 1 bowl.
- In another bowl, whisk together the yogurt, 1 cup sugar, the eggs, lemon zest, and vanilla.
- Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.
- With a rubber spatula, fold the vegetable oil into the batter, making sure it's all incorporated.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 50 minutes, or until a cake tester placed in the center of the loaf comes out clean.
- Meanwhile, cook the 1/3 cup lemon juice and remaining 1/3 cup sugar in a small pan until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is clear. Set aside.
- When the cake is done, allow it to cool in the pan for 10 minutes.
- Carefully place on a baking rack over a sheet pan.
- While the cake is still warm, pour the lemon-sugar mixture over the cake and allow it to soak in. Cool.
- For the glaze, combine the confectioners' sugar and lemon juice and pour over the cake.
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From the Community Manager's Desk
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Dear VWOA residents,
April is here and we have a lot of things going on in the community. As I am sure you have seen, the pools have been emptied and the work has started to refurbish the pools. As we near completion, we have fixed several leaks and have had new plaster installed along with new tile and coping. The decks and bathroom floors have also received new surfaces, making for a more enjoyable time for your feet when the summer heat hits. We are excited about the work that is being done and cannot wait to see the finished results. We hope you like them too!
April showers, bring April flowers. However, the spring rains and summer heat will also bring back mowing season. It is important that you make sure to keep your lawns maintained in order to keep the Villages looking good. Please make sure to bag and dispose of your waste properly. Also, if you know someone who is no longer able to maintain their lawns due to a health or physical limitation, please make sure to let the office know, (210) 679-8761.
Friendly Reminder,
There are several benefits a dog park has to offer as far as your pet is concerned. It gives it an opportunity to be free of a leash, an opportunity to be able to roam in a large area instead of being confined to a small fenced-in area or enclosure and it also gives it an opportunity to socialize with other dogs, and with other people as well. In addition, as people are getting out more due to the improving weather, I would like to remind all dog owners about the dog park. It has had quite a bit of visitors since we finished it in 2017, and we would love to see it get more use by your fur-babies. The major bonus to the dog park is - No Leashes!! However, we are still having quite a few people visit the Sports Park with their dogs and not utilizing the use of a leash. To avoid confusion, I simply wanted to remind homeowners that you CANNOT take your pet to the Sports Park without a leash, it is a Bexar County ordinance. It is highly important that you remember to grab the leash.
Fido Faux Paws
It’s hard not to be a dog lover; after all, mankind entered into a societal pact with them centuries ago. In exchange for food, our dogs will offer us unconditional affection, companionship, and play. In fact, did you know that dogs really want nothing more than to please their masters? It is an undisputed fact, and if you don’t believe me tune in to The Learning Channel the next time they profile man’s best friend. Some dogs will roll over and play dead on command. Others will fetch your slippers and newspaper. Some canines have even been known to traverse incredible distances to be reunited with families who were lost in a move. However, one thing that our fur buddies are unable to do is to clean up after themselves. If you have a canine collaborator, please do pick up his droppings for him-remembering that he doesn’t have opposing thumbs with which to handle a pooper-scooper. Failure to do so is not only inconsiderate of your neighbors, but disconcerting to the landscapers. Can you imagine the embarrassment your fur-baby would feel if it ever got out that it was their droppings that all his puppy pals were discovering out in the open like that? Sensitivity: It’s a dog thing.
Speeding & Traffic,
Again, with all of the construction occurring on 1604 and Potranco, we have higher than normal traffic through the neighborhood. Unfortunately, there are more than a couple people who choose to use Military Drive, Grosenbacher, Westcreek View, Westcreek Oaks, and Sage Run as a place to test out their engines. If you see this or are experiencing speeding drivers down your street please help me by getting the license plate and calling the Sheriff's office (210-335-6000), the Constables office (210-335-2806) or the VWOA office (210-679-8761). The more people we have coming together and reporting this issue, the sooner we will get more patrols and the safer the residents and children will be on our streets.
Lastly,
I want to highly encourage all homeowners to like/follow our page Villages of Westcreek HOA on Facebook. We want to keep the community updated with all the events and activities we have to offer. We love nothing more than for our homeowners to continue getting and being involved with the community. We are working hard to continue bringing new activities for the children and adults of our community, so don’t miss out.
Best Regards,
Mike Hunsucker
Community Manager-VWOA
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From The Desk of
The Administrative Director
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2nd quarter assessment of $99.00 is due on April 1st.
On-site office payments can be made by cash, check, or money order.
Credit/Debit Card payments will be accepted only after the homeowner has registered with Spectrumam.com
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We will be having our Annual Easter Egg Hunt in the Park
Saturday April 7, 2018 from 1p.m. -3p.m.
We are also accepting candy donations.
Please drop off at the VWOA office.
Don’t forget your cameras and baskets!
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Pools will soon be open for the season. To ensure that you and your family will be able to enjoy all amenities and events, please make sure your assessments are current and all of the people in your household, 12 years old and older have current stickers on their VWOA ID cards. Along with the normal business hours, the office will be open on
Saturday, April 14
th
9:00 am - 1:00 pm
Book Your Pool Party Today!
Pool Parties can be reserved between 8:00 pm and 10:00 pm
In order to reserve a Pool Party, you must reside in the
Villages of Westcreek and be a member in good standing,
Tenants must have a current lease on file.
Deposit Amount Required $200.00 (Check or Money Order)
Package A
1-40 People
Inclusive Usage
2 Monitors
Cleaning
$180.00
Package B
41-82
Inclusive Usage
3 Monitors
Cleaning
$215.00
Package C
83-125 People
Inclusive Usage
4 Monitors
Cleaning
$240.00
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Smart Spring Yard Cleanup
Tackle a little early spring maintenance now to get your yard ready for the growth spurt to come
It's Cleanup Season
March is notoriously unpredictable. Shrubs can be crusty with snow on the first of the month, and then, a couple of weeks later, temperatures can warm up enough for flower and leaf buds to show signs of life.
Still, some early spring cleanup tasks are sure things this time of year. So go ahead and remove the burlap from trees and shrubs as the weather warms. Prune away winter-killed branches to make room for new growth. Cut back spent perennials and pull up old annuals if you didn't get around to it last fall. Then look around. March is a good time to take stock of your yard and see if it's time to thin out crowded beds and do some transplanting to fill in bare spots.
Here is a spring yard clean-up checklist to tackle now to give your green patch a clean start.
Trees and Shrubs
1. Prune away dead and damaged branches.
Where tree or shrub branches have been damaged by cold, snow, and wind, prune back to live stems; use a handsaw for any larger than ½ inch in diameter. Shaping hedges with hand pruners, rather than electric shears, prevents a thick outer layer of growth that prohibits sunlight and air from reaching the shrub's center. At right, Roger neatens up a yew by pruning wayward shoots back to an intersecting branch. Prune summer-flowering shrubs, such as Rose of Sharon, before buds swell, but wait to prune spring bloomers, like forsythia, until after they flower.
Trim overgrown evergreens back to a branch whose direction you want to encourage.
Perennials and Grasses
2. Cut back and divide perennials as needed.
Prune flowering perennials to a height of 4–5 inches and ornamental grasses to 2–3 inches to allow new growth to shoot up. Where soil has thawed, dig up perennials, such as daylilies and hostas, to thin crowded beds; divide them, leaving at least three stems per clump, and transplant them to fill in sparse areas. Cut back winter-damaged rose canes to 1 inch below the blackened area. On climbers, keep younger green canes and remove older woody ones; neaten them up by bending the canes horizontally and tipping the buds downward. Use jute twine or gentle Velcro fasteners to hold the canes in place.
A pair of sharp bypass pruners makes a clean cut on both dead and living foliage.
Beds and Borders
3. Clean Up Around Plants.
Next, on the spring yard clean-up checklist, rake out fallen leaves and dead foliage (which can smother plants and foster disease), pull up spent annuals, and toss in a wheelbarrow with other organic yard waste. Once the threat of frost has passed, Roger also removes existing mulch to set the stage for a new layer once spring planting is done. Push heaved plants back into flower beds and borders, tamping them down around the base with your foot, or use a shovel to replant them. Now is a good time to spread a pelletized fertilizer tailored to existing plantings on the soil's surface so that spring rains can carry it to the roots. Add a 5-10-10 fertilizer around bulbs as soon as they flower to maximize bloom time and feed next season's growth. Use pins to fasten drip irrigation lines that have come loose and a square-head shovel to give beds a clean edge and keep turf grass from growing into them.
Composting
4. Compost Yard Waste.
Dump collected leaves, cuttings, spent foliage, and last season's mulch into your compost pile, or make a simple corral by joining sections of wire fence (available at home centers) into a 3-by-3-by-3-foot cube like the one above. Shred leaves and chip branches larger than ½ inch in diameter to accelerate decomposition, or add a bagged compost starter to the pile. Keep the pile as moist as a wrung-out sponge, and aerate it with a pitchfork every two weeks. Just don't add any early spring weeds that have gone to seed—they might not cook completely and could sprout instead.
Lawn Care
5. Prep Damaged Lawn Areas for Spring Seeding.
In colder climates grass starts growing in April, but early spring is a good time to test the soil's pH so that you can assemble the right amendments. Remove turf damaged by salt, plows, or disease to prepare for the seeding that should follow in a few weeks. Work in a ½-inch layer of compost to keep the new seed moist, increasing the germination rate. Begin seeding once forsythia starts blooming in your area. In warmer climates, March is a good time to add the first dose of fertilizer and crabgrass treatment.
Remove dead turf with a square metal rake, then flip it over to spread compost.
Paths and Patios
6. Neaten Up Hardscape Surfaces.
Rake escaped gravel back into aggregate walkways and patios, and order more gravel to spread in large depressions, which often form near the driveway's apron. Refill joints between flagstones by sweeping in new sand or stone dust; water with a hose to set it, then repeat. If the freeze-thaw cycle has heaved pavers out of place, remove them and replenish the base material as needed before setting pavers back in. Use a pressure washer with a low pressure tip to remove slippery algae spots or leaf stains from patios and walkways.
Fences and Trellises
7. Patch or replace and paint worn wood.
Remove badly rotted or damaged pickets, boards, or lattice, then scrub wood structures clean with a mix of 2 gallons water, 2 quarts bleach, and 1 cup liquid soap; let dry. Patch rotted sections with wood epoxy; install new wood as needed. Check wobbly fence posts to see if they need replacing. Scrape off old paint, then sand wood all over with 60 grit to prep for a new finish coat. Once temperatures go above 50° F, brush on a new coat of paint or stain.
Charlie Wilkerson
Standards Manager-VWOA
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Physical, Social, Emotional & Intellectual Benefits of Outdoor Recreation
Community Activities/Sports
Whether it’s sports or scouts, community or religious organizations, encouraging your child’s participation is an important part of development. Being involved and committed to such activities helps with identity exploration while also creating an opportunity for acceptance from peers who have common interests. Joining and participating in extracurricular activities helps kids explore their physical, creative, and social potential. It helps them build independence, develop skills, explore career interests, as well as raise self-esteem. Volunteer work allows children to experience how their time, talent, and effort benefit those in need.
Community Service
Community service is a great way for children to contribute and give back. It shows that they are moving beyond thinking just about themselves. This is important for their growth as a person. By gaining an awareness of others, they learn local concerns and can begin to put them into the context of global issues. This will serve them now and, in the future, as they transition out of school and into the adult world.
Volunteering at a soup kitchen, collecting presents at the holidays, and visiting the elderly are all ways that people can donate time toward the community. There are several ways your child can give back to the community.
Sports
Sports play a large part in the life of school-age children. Physical activity is important not only for their health but also helps children develop socially and emotionally.
Extracurricular Activities
For those who are sidelined from physical activity or aren’t interested in it, middle and high schools offer many extracurricular activities that allow children to explore their artistic or intellectual side. If they like the thrill and push of competition, they can join the chess club or debate team. If they like the camaraderie of group activities, they may enjoy the glee club or science club. Getting involved in extracurricular activities allows kids to explore their diverse interests.
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We are planning for VWOA to have a night all
about us again this year!
On May 5th we would like to have 16 of our children as the ball runners on the field, 22 of the younger children be a part of the dream team that walk out with the players, plus we will need about 150 plus people, to hold the large flag in the middle of the field at the opening ceremony
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Ticket Sales
Collectively, we all need to sell 150 tickets through the link below. The tickets have 2 prices, one with food and drink and one ticket without. This is where we all need to come together as a Soccer League and as a community to bring this opportunity to our children. Let's share the link listed below with family members, friends, and on our social media. Let's see how many tickets we can sell collectively to reach the goal of 150. Remember we need at least 150 people to hold the flag. We can do it
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Report any suspicious activities or persons to
Bexar County Sheriff's office
at
210-335-6000
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If you see graffiti or vandalism in the Villages of Westcreek, please report it to the office at
210-679-8761
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~ VWOA Scheduled Meetings ~
March 2018
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~ VWOA Scheduled Events ~
March 2018
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