VOLUME 34/35

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015

The Caddie Online

THE ONLY EDITION!
ECOWISE
ONLINE
EDITION

More Content

Forest Creek walks out of Round Rocks Second Annual

Neighborhood Conference with 3 awards! see page 9

F.C.H.O.A

SPECIAL
ELECTION
EDITION!

New Columns
Written by
Residents for
Residents

The Forest
Creek
H.O.A.
annual
meeting is
fast approaching
with 7
candidates
running for
3 positions!

Environmentally
Friendly
Sponsored
by Resident
Owned
and Local
Businesses

Pictured above from Left to right is Idalyn Banks, Forest Creek HOA Vice President,
Angel Donato, HOA Board Member, holding her Unsung Hero of the Year award,
Keith Chandler, Forest Creek resident and former HOA President, recipient on behalf of
the HOA Board of the Forest Creek Neighborhood of the Year Award,
Jennifer Soechting, 2015 EPC President, recipient of the Committee of the Year Award on behalf
of the Events Planning Committee (EPC) and last, but hardly least,
Leslie Sterzinger, 2014 EPC Treasurer and 2013-14 President!

Its That
Time
Again!

A teddy
bear
sleepover!

page 9!

page 35!

Bios begin
on page 5

NEWS FROM THE BOARD

Forest Creek Homeowners,
The 2015 Forest Creek
H.O.A. Annual Meeting
will be held on Mon. evening, January 26th in
the Forest Creek
Elementary Cafeteria

Board of Director Candidates

The Forest Creek Home Owners Association is
comprised of 5 volunteer board members. Board
members serve a 2-year term, and the terms are
staggered. At this years annual membership
meeting, we will be voting for three new board
members and have 7 candidates who have fearlessly agreed to run for those positions!
To help you get to know the folks who are running,
beginning on page 5 you will find the bios of all 7
nominees. You will have an opportunity to ask
them questions at the meeting to get a clearer understanding of their views on issues that concern
you.
B O A R D

O F

I would like to introduce

myself as your new Community Association Manager
from RealManage. My name
is Candace Sparks. I have
managed large single family
home communities with
1,000 plus homes for over
five years in both California
and Texas. I have lived in the
Austin area for three years
this July and enjoy all that
this wonderful area has to offer. I look forward to
working with your community to continue to make
Forest Creek the premier community in Round
Rock.
If you have any questions, please feel free to send
us an e-mail at FORCREEK@CiraMail.com or give us
a call at 1-866-473-2573.
Sincerely,
Candace Sparks
Community Association Manager

D I R E C T O R S / C O M M U N I T Y

C O N T A C T S

President Pat Flynn.... .president@forestcreekhoa.org

Vice-President Idalyn Banks. .vicepresident@forestcreekhoa.org
TreasurerPaul Bollinger..... ...........treasurer@forestcreekhoa.org
Secretary-Ian Reeves.........secretary@forestcreekhoa.org
Operations Angel Donato ...... .. .operations@forestcreekhoa.org
Caddie Editor-Angel Donato...... ..............myenergyangel@aol.com
Property Management- .... .... .....forcreek@ciramail.com.

MANAGEMENT

RealManage

phone 1-866-4732573

H.O.A. WEBSITE
forestcreekhoa.org

DISCLAIMER: Articles and ads in this newsletter express the opinions of their authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of
the Forest Creek Homeowners Associations Board of Directors, The Management Co. or the newsletter editor (collectively, the
Publisher). The Publisher assumes no responsibility for the accuracy of any facts, representations, or warranties stated in any article authored, or ad submitted, by others. Publisher reserves the right to refuse to publish material that it deems to be offensive,
inflammatory, or otherwise inappropriate for this newsletter. This newsletter is published solely for the private use of members of
the Forest Creek Homeowners Association. .
2

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Save The Dates 4
Election Coverage
.begins on page 5

School News 38-39

Heart to Heart Gala 41

Neighborhood Watch
News.42 43

Announcements,
Accomplishments,
and Accolades8 & 9
Local Farmers Markets
Listings 11
Health and Wellness..12
Real Estate Pages.16-19
Business Pages...26-29
Teenage Job Seekers 30-32
Fun Things for Kids 34-35
Parents Pages 36-37

THE FOREST CREEK HOA NEWSLETTER, THE CADDIE, IS NO LONGER PUBLISHED ON PAPER . INSTEAD, THE CADDIE IS AVAILABLE IN ELECTRONIC
FORM ON THE HOA WEBSITE, WITH PAPER COPIES
AVAILABLE FROM OUR PROPERTY MANAGER IF
REQUESTED. The Peel Inc. publication named the

Forest Creek Forum is not sponsored by the Forest

Creek HOA nor does it publish articles sponsored by the
Forest Creek HOA. If you wish to remove yourself
from their mailing list. go to peelinc.com, click on
newsletters then on Receive a newsletter (even
though you are opting out you must go through the same
process as if you were opting in), when you get to the
second line entitled newsletter format, you must click
on the down arrow for the drop down menu and choose
None, remove me from your e-mail and postal mail
lists Then fill in the rest of the form and submit it.

POST YOUR GREETING

ON THE MARQUEE
Just contact Stephanie at her new
e-mail address.

The4dohertys@gmail.com
THANK YOU STEPHANIE
FOR ALL YOU DO!
3

.. SAVE THE DATES

Upcoming Forest Creek Neighborhood Events
If you plan to attend:
The meeting will be at the Forest Creek Elem.
Check in will start at 6:30 pm. The meeting will
start at 7pm (assuming a quorum is reached).

FCHOA ANNUAL MEETING

Monday January 26th 7pm

In order in encourage participation and reduce the
chance of a failure to reach a quorum (10% of
Owners represented) for the meeting, the board
has authorized the raffle of five (5) $100 gift
cards to be awarded to homeowners who attends
or turns in a proxy form for the meeting. (1 entry
per address)
So please plan to make it to the meeting or make
sure that your proxy does.

Snow Day at the FC Park

Saturday February 21st 3-5pm
brought to you by The Forest Creek Neighborhood watch in co-operation with the RRPD
and neighborhood and local businesses.
Watch for more details on this exciting event!!
JANUARY
YARD OF THE MONTH AWARDS

2758 Hamlet Circle

Clipped clean for winter. A well placed Crepe Myrtle
next to front of house. Blue Agave at base of grand oak
is good color contrast behind the red Nandinas .

2133 Hilton Head

Large well trimmed oaks, pretty spiral junipers, grasses
and rocks here and there. Lovely modern design with
appropriate size plants for the house.
4

2015 Forest Creek Homeowners

Association Nominations for a
Board of Directors Position
Name: Idalyn Banks
Address: 3804 Quail Lodge
Court
How long have you lived in
Forest Creek? 7 Years
Please give a description of
your family background.
I am happily married for thirtythree years to my husband Michael. We have been living in
Forest Creek for seven years
and have recently rescued a
Maltese dog named Rosie.
Please give a description of
your professional background.
I have over six years of experience working as a contract negotiator for large pharmaceutical company, more than five
years experience working in
various financial firms including Merrill Lynch and Dean
Witter Reynolds and worked for
six years in the advertising industry as a Media Planner. I
created my own real estate company called Best Choice Properties, LLC and served as CEO.
While living in North Carolina I
volunteered extensively with
Triangle Real Estate Investment
Association where I learned a
great deal about investing in
real estate. This has provided
me with a clear understanding
of how to maintain property values. While living in Florida I
interned at Palm Beach County
Planning & Zoning. I have a
Bachelor of Science Degree in
Business Administration from

the State University College of

New York at Utica Rome, completed one year of study toward
my Masters Degree in Urban
Planning at Florida Atlantic
University, and a graduate of
Leadership Round Rock.
What motivates you to want
to serve on the Board of Directors for the Forest Creek
HOA?
I have been serving on the
Board of Directors for the Forest Creek HOA for the past four
years and I would like to continue serving the community. I
have more work to do to ensure
that the homes in Forest Creek
maintain and/or increase their
property values. Two of the projects that I am currently working on to maintain home values
are:
Advocate the HOA to continue
to pay and replace all new fencing by section to ensure a consistent look throughout Forest
Creek; rather than a patchwork
of individual little fences replaced by homeowners at their
own expense at varied time periods.
Advocate the City of Round
Rock to keep the Forest Creek
Golf Course a golf course and
not convert it to something else
that is less expensive to maintain. (For more information on
this issue please see article entitled: Round Rock mulls the
future of city-owned golf
course found in Community
Impact Newspaper, Volume 10,
Issue 4, Dec 4, 2014-Jan 7,
2105, Page 19, Round Rock edition.
Is there any other pertinent
information that you would
like to share?

I ask for your vote. With it I

will do
all that is in my power to protect
your home values from decreasing and work on new ideas to
increase property values by
keeping Forest Creek the most
desirable neighborhood to live
in Round Rock.
***************
Name: Keith Chandler
Address: 3216 Bay Hill Lane
How long have you lived in
Forest Creek? 10 years
Please give a description of
your family background.
My wife and I have lived in
Forest Creek for 10 years. Now,
my son also lives in Forest
Creek.
Please give a description of
your professional background.
I am a retired US Air Force officer, with a Bachelors in Mechanical Engineering and
a Masters in Occupational and
Environmental Health. I have
also served on the Forest
Creek HOA Board of Directors
for six years, filling every officer position over those
years.
What motivates you to want
to serve on the Board of Directors for the Forest Creek
HOA?
I am concerned about the direction the current voting majority
of the HOA Board of ..
Continued on page 20
5

Ladies, Looking for

a Friend; Something
to do?
Round Rock New
Neighbors is Women
Welcoming Women for
Fun & Friendship.
Whether you are a
newcomer or have lived
here for years, WE
WELCOME YOU.
We are ideal for empty
nesters or women who
have left the work place
and are looking to get back to a
social life.
We enjoy monthly luncheons, with
a speaker or program of interest,
various interest groups, such as
movies, various board and card
games, food groups, communityvolunteer activities; the list is virtually endless.
The Smithsonian and Bob Bullock

Museum in Austin are interested in

the Gault site finds that have dated
back as far as 14,500 years ago.
Our speaker at January's luncheon will feature the Executive Director of The Gault School for Archaeological Research, Dr. Clark
Wernecke. He explains how this
research is changing our views of
how humans came to America.
This is just one type of interesting

programs you can expect

to find at our luncheons. We have a variety
of interesting programs,
some educational and
some entertaining.
Many activities take place during
the day, and some activities do
include couples. Visit our website
at www.RRNewNeighbors.org for
more information.
For information on Membership,
please contact Pam Fuchs at 512487-8249, Maureen Cellura 512520-8023 or email RNNPublicity@gmail.com

The Forest Creek Pet Nanny

Loving on your pets while
youre away

Beth Parli
512-592-9429
www.forestcreekpetnanny.com

Blue Dog Rescue is a 501(c)(3) non-profit

corporation, funded by donations,
fundraisers, and adoption fees. All
donations are Federal Tax deductible.
Blue Dog Rescue Inc.
2541 S. IH-35 #200-328
Round Rock, TX 78664-7357
Email
info@bluedogrescue.com
Adoption Interest
Individuals interested in adopting a dog must fill out an adoption application and be interviewed in order to ensure that the needs of both the individual and the dog are met. The nature of our adoption
process, home visits, and trial periods dictate that our dogs are only available to adopters in the immediate Central Texas area. Thanks to our generous donors, our adoption fee is only $180.
Do you know what kind of dog you are looking for? Either way, we can help you exit stage left with the
perfect new best friend.
7

Announcements, Accomplishments, and Accolades!

Way to Geaux 12U Magic Red. 2nd place at Austin Performance AP#1 Tourney.
Great job girls. So proud of you.
Love. Pride. Courage. Believe. Together. Trust. Strength. Intense. Smile. Unity. Fight Hard.
Volleyball Family. Have Faith. Dig the Ball. at Round Rock Sports Center.

Its that time! Cookie season has officially begun in Austin. Maddie is a Cadette in her 6th year of GS. Her
goal is 500 boxes to earn $$ for Camp Texlake this summer. She has Thin Mints, Caramel Delites/Samoas,
Peanut Butter Patties/
Tagalongs, Peanut
Butter Sandwiches/
Do-si-dos, Trefoils/
Shortbreads, Savannah
Smiles/Lemon, the new
Rah-Rah Raisins/
Oatmeal Raisin Greek
Yogurt. If you dont
already have a girl scout
you purchase from, call
or text, 512-784-8558
and she will hook you
up! They are $4/box and
we accept Cash, check,
and Credit Card. Thx for
your support!!
8

Announcements, Accomplishments, and Accolades!

YOU TOO CAN MAKE
ANNOUNCEMENTS and/or
SHARE THE MILESTONES,
ACHEIVEMENTS, &
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
OF YOUR FAMILY, FRIENDS,
& NEIGHBORS!
LET THEM KNOW JUST HOW
PROUD YOU ARE! Simply
send your submissions to
myenergyangel@aol.com by
the 17th of the month to
guarantee placement in the
following months Edition.
Kudos to Dana Johnson for following Santa
through Forest Creek on Christmas eve to
photograph him for the delight of neighborhood children!

FOREST CREEK WINS THREE TOP HONORS at

Round Rocks 2nd Annual
Neighborhood Conference
Each January the City of Round Rock holds a
conference designed to give Round Rocks
volunteer neighborhood leaders, from home
owners associations and neighborhood associations, an opportunity to network with one another, teach skills to make neighborhood improvements and to celebrate their achievements
with an awards ceremony.
We are very proud to announce that this year,
Forest Creek won Round Rocks 2014 Neighborhood of the Year Award for our recycled water
project, Outstanding Committee of the Year
Award for our Events Committee community
activities, and an Unsung Hero of the Year Award,
went to Angel Donato for all the things she does
for Forest Creek residents.

THERE IS NO CHARGE
TO F.C . RESIDENTS
FOR THIS SERVICE!

Update on the Traffic Signal at Links & Gattis School Road:

On Friday, I once again spoke to Joe Hall at Travis County asking when we will see construction since I was told January last
time I spoke with him in Oct. Well, the funds took longer to
get than expected.....and they just ordered the meter....and
then they have to start working with Oncor and TXU to provide electricity. SOON they will start working on design. SIGH.
It seems like we were told one thing in Oct to shut us up and
get us off their back....they stalled and now 3 months later
they are doing what they originally planned with an APRIL
completion date (just like we were told in early Oct before we
told them we would go to the local TV stations).
I am quite disappointed in the delay. The cars and construction trucks coming out of the new neighborhood are making
the intersection even more dangerous. Many aren't even
stopping all the way - when they see a possible gap, 2-3 trucks
go at once. I have seen 2 near miss accidents in the past week.
If you aren't happy about the delay and want your voice
heard, feel free to call Joe Hall at 512-854-7648. Perhaps if he
receives enough calls from concerned residents, he can speed
things up..... Thanks!
DeAnne Hennessey Mondebello
9

Hearts for Health Natural Food Source is a local food share program
providing easy access to healthy whole foods from local farms.
They Currently offer dairy, eggs, almonds, grass-fed beef and
Poultry. Pick up is right here in Forest Creek. Make this year the
year you start your family on the path to cleaner eating and enjoy
the discounts of bulk purchasing! To find out more, contact
Kristen at kristenfiles@hotmail.com or join the facebook group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/h4hfoodsource.
10

BUY LOCAL

ROUND ROCK
FARMERS MARKET
Year Round , Rain or Shine!
Saturday mornings from 9am - noon ,
in the Scott & White Hospital Parking
Lot at the corner of Oakmont & Univ.
behind the Round Rock Outlet Mall and IKEA.
For more information feel free to contact

CEDAR PARK FARMERS MARKET

EVERY SATURDAY FROM 9AM-1PM,
RAIN OR SHINE.
North Austin's only YEAR ROUND, all Texas
products, Farmers Market! Providing local
area farmers and ranchers a direct sales opportunity to our local community. 50+ vendors
Fresh vegetables, fruit, nuts, meats, dairy,
seafood, eggs, citrus, bakery items, coffee, teas,
tamales, breakfast tacos, Napalese, Indian
foods, soups, olive oil, granola, hummus, pies,
charcuterie, spices and more!
LOCATED AT LAKELINE MALL, IN THE PARKING LOT BEHIND SEARS AND DILLARD'S AT THE
CORNER OF 183N AND 620 in the northern area
of Austin TX. Local food and music. Half the
vendors are producers, the other half is
comprised of artisans and prepared food
vendors. Sampling, chef demos,
live local music. Come visit, it's an event !

Greg Coley, Round Rock Market Manager,

(512) 215-4193 or,
ley@thevegetablecart.com
GEORGETOWN SUN CITY
FARMER'S MARKET
THURSDAYS 9 A.M. - NOON,

YEAR ROUND

EXTRA, EXTRA read all about it

GEORGETOWN Thursday market HAS MOVED,
formerly in San Gabriel Park. The new location is
in the Georgetown Church of Christ parking lot
at the corner of DB Woods and Hwy 29. The
physical address is 1525 W. University Ave.
Fresh produce, free range eggs, pasture raised
beef, cheese, nuts, canned goods, artisan
breads & edible and ornamental plants.

PFLUGERVILLE PFARMER'S MARKET

Tuesdays: 3 p.m.- 7 pm. MAYOCT.
The mission of the Pflugerville Pfarmers Market
is to bring fresh, locally grown and prepared
foods to the Pflugerville community. Vendors sell
locally grown produce including tomatoes, cucumbers, beans, squash, okra, garlic, melons,
peaches and grapes; artisan baked goods; honey;
flowers; eggs; free-range meats; jarred salsas,
pickles and jams; fruits and plants.
Cash is preferred. Credit card purchases depend
on the vendor's capability. Some of the vendors
are now accepting WIC vouchers.
Location:
The Green Red Barn - Heritage Park
901 Old Austin-Hutto Road.
11

HEALTH AND WELLNESS

12

13

The Real Estate Section

Forest Creek Properties for sale
Address

Year

Sqft

Salesprice

2237 Shark LOOP

2000

2726

$269,000

1189 Red Bud LN

2001

3092

$285,000

3948 Lord Byron CIR

2005

3000

$325,000

2017 Golden Bear DR

1999

3936

$361,600

3741 Royal Port Rush DR

1996

3217

$369,899

1249 Red Bud LN

2014

2594

$375,900

2011 Golden Bear DR

1998

3195

$379,500

1251 Red Bud LN

2014

2671

$381,900

1024 Long CV

1994

2782

$389,000

3812 Forest Creek DR

1998

3524

$409,500

1918 Mulligan DR

2011

3714

$435,000

1253 Red Bud LN

2014

3359

$469,900

3731 Harvey Penick DR

2002

3990

$275,000
14

Market Analysis Report

Search Criteria: Between 1/1/2014 12/31/2014

HIGH Active For Sale $469,900

LOW - Active For Sale $269,000
AVERAGE - Active For Sale $363,554
Prepared by: Shaista Salahuddin of Keller Williams Realty. Information Deemed Reliable But
Not Guaranteed. Buyer/Seller Must Verify. Data used from Multiple Listing service. .

Forest Creek Real Estate Inventory report

Search Criteria: Between 1/1/2014 12/18//2014

AVERAGE Days on the market is 77 days

13 ACTIVE properties 2 PENDING properties 87 Sold properties

Knowledge + Focus + Energy = Positive Results

Certified Negotiation Expert
Providing Real Estate Services since 2006

Forest Creek Resident since 2000. I will utilize the latest technologies, market research
and business strategies to meet your expectations. Whether you are buying or selling a
property, I will guide you through each step of the process with a professional approach,
honesty & confidentiality.
For client testimonials & other information please visit my website.
www.youraustinproperty.com

Shaista Salahuddin
Realtor,GRI,CNE

Cell: 512-771-8749
Email: Shaista@kw.com
Website: YourAustinProperty.com

Each office is independently owned and operated

15

The Real Estate Section .continued

With the housing market stabilizing and last years dramatic
price increases behind us (on a
national basis, at least), its not
as easy to quickly flip homes
for a profit. Instead, now might
be a good time to think about
buying housing to hold for the
long-term.
Whether youre an investor
looking to pick up a few rental
properties or a young professional interested in purchasing
a first home, there are plenty of
places where housing should be
a pretty safe bet. The key is to
buy in cities with strong job
growth that people are moving
to, so that the stock of potential
tenants for would-be landlords
is abundant. We teamed up

Best Buy Cities: Where To

Invest In Housing In 2015
By Erin Carlyle a writer for Forbes

with Local Market Monitor, a

North Carolina-based data company that tracks home prices
and economic factors in more
than 300 housing markets, to
find 2015s Best Buy Cities
the top 20 housing markets to
invest in this year.
Local Market Monitor screened
the 105 largest Metropolitan
Statistical Areas (a geographical designation used by the U.S.
Census Bureau that generally
includes a core city and its surrounding suburbs), all

with populations of at least

550,000. Each of our Best Buy
Cities has strong population
and jobs growth, and relatively
low home prices. In mostbut
not allof the cities, homes are
still undervalued, by Local
Market Monitors reckoning.
(Last year, the average home
values in every single city on
our Best Buy list
were considered under market.)
This year four cities have
reached the point where
prices are a slight bit overheatedSalt Lake City, West
Palm Beach, Denver, and Austinthough given their fundamentals, theyre still a pretty
safe bet.
Continued on next page

16

Continued from last page

1. Austin, Texas
MSA: Austin-Round Rock, TX
Pop.: 1,883,051
Avg. Home Price: $261,923
Pop Growth ('10-'13): 8.9%
Jobs Growth (annual): 3.6%
Unemployment: 4.2%
Annual price growth: 12%
Over (+) or under (-) priced by:
8%
Home Price/Rent Ratio: 19
To gauge whether homes in a
particular market are over- or
undervalued, Local Market
Monitor calculates what it calls
the Equilibrium Home Price,
or the Income Price. Essentially, this measure attempts to
capture what the average home
price for a particular market
would be absent speculation
and distortions (like the housing
crash). This Income Price corresponds to the average income
for the area over a multi-year
period. In every market theres
a relatively fixed relationship
between home prices and income, says Winzer. When
prices go above that level, thats
really when markets are overpriced. In this strong real estate

recession, prices have

gone under this income price. When
homes are under the
equilibrium or income
price, investors can
feel fairly confident
that theyll make a
good return.
With the recovery getting long in the tooth,
there are fewer mar-

kets that are undervalued.

Getting a good deal is less
likely, frankly, says Winzer.
But in these markets youre
getting a strong rental stream.
So now economic growth is
relatively more important.
The cities on our list are places
where opportunities are
increasingand so are their
populations.
Continued on next page
17

Continued from last page.

8.9% between 2010 and 2013,

in Austin is now about 8% over

While our top 20 could all offer

while Grand Rapids grew at a

the income price for the area,

good opportunities for invest-

slower 2.8% clip. As a result,

whereas average home values in

ment, we favored those with the

Austin gets a higher ranking. (On

Grand Rapids are still 23% under

strongest population growth,

average for markets across the

what LMM pegs as the equilib-

which should promise a steady

nation, population growth has

rium home price. Expensive

supply of renters. For example,

been relatively flat at less than

markets are bad place to invest

both booming Austin, Texas (No.

2% for the three-year period,

in Given strong economic en-

1), and Grand Rapids, Mich. (No.

according to U.S. Census data.

gines like the energy industry

20), boast 3.6% and 3.7% annual

Thus, all the Best Buy Cities are

in Houston and the vibrant tech

job growth rates, respectively,

faring better than the national

scene in Austin, its not too sur-

according to the latest figures

average.)

prising that Texas is the state

from the Bureau of Labor Statis-

The downside of strong popula-

with the most Best Buy cities

ticsboth beating the

tion growthat least for inves-

five, or 25% of the list. Austin

2% national average. However,

tors just getting into the market

is followed by Houston (No. 3),

the Austin metro areas popula-

is more rapidly rising home

Dallas (No. 5), San Antonio (No.

tion expanded by an impressive

prices. The average home price

6) and Fort Worth (No. 10).

18

Continued from last page

Average home prices are highest in Austin, at $261,923, and
lowest in Fort Worth, at
$180,312, but have been accelerating at a rate of 7% to 12%
in all the Texas cities . But
with the energy boom starting
to look shaky amid the plunge
in oil prices, the Texas cities on
our list, as well as Denver, remain decent housing investment bets because they have
more diversified economies
than other oil boomtowns,
Winzer notes. Places like Bismarck, N.D., and Midland,
Texasyou want to stay away
from those like the plague if
youre looking for long-term

investment, Winzer advises.

Florida is the state with the second-greatest number of cities
on the Best Buy list: Orlando
(No. 4), where home prices average $187,568; North Port
(No. 14), where homes average
$223,523; West Palm Beach
(No. 15), $260,846; and Jacksonville (No. 16), where homes
average $196,538.
Only one metro area in the
Golden State makes our Best
Buy list: Sacramento. Like
Minneapolis, Atlanta, and

Grand Rapids, Californias

capital city fared badly during
the recession but is recovering.
Theyre large, lots of people
there, lots of renters, Winzer
says of these markets. Like
ocean-liners they move slowly,
but now we can expect this to
continue for some time, so
theyll be stable markets. Regular investors like some predictability and stability.
Eleven of the cities on our list
this year also made the list last
year; among the nine debutantes are Austin (No. 1), Provo
(No. 2), and Tacoma, Wash.
(No. 18)
Submitted by Myrna Hall

19

ELECTION PAGES..
Election continued from page 5
.Directors has taken. I have
always favored and worked for
managing our HOA dues
money to produce the most
benefit for our money, but I
believe the investment into our
community appearance and
facilities is essential for the
future home value and safety
of Forest Creek. With the average home value here being well
over $300K I believe it is essential for us to always strive for
our community to be the
premier community in Round

Rock. I oppose cutting corners

or settling for less than first class
projects as it reflects poorly on
our community and decreases
our home value. The responsibility for maintenance of the Fence
- crete fencing was dicussed and
agreed to in the annual meeting
of 2009, yet some current board
members are arguing that the
HOA is not responsible for the
Fencecrete fencing and wants to
push this responsibility on to the
individual homeowners who
have Fencecrete fencing along
their property line. They are also
not moving forward with any

public discussion or near term

plan for replacing the rest of the
Fencecrete that is deteriorating
along our collector roads (only
completing Bobby Jones in The
Masters).
Is there any other pertinent
information that you would
like to share?
Those of you who have lived
here for years know my dedication to our community. I
designed and supervised the
major renovation of the pool,
the new pool house and splash
pad within the budget. I was on
site every day during the
construction and worked
closely with contractor to
make sure the job was
done to the highest
standards and costs
were kept within budget.
While on the board I
revived the idea of bringing reclaimed water to
our greenbelt irrigation,
both saving HOA money
and being environmentally
responsible. I worked with
city officials and supervised this project to its
completion well below
expected cost, most of this
after I was no longer on
the Board. I initiated, and
the community supported,
the creation of a Capital
Improvement Reserve
Savings account, which
put us in a position to take
on major capital improvements in a timely manner
without a special assessment.
Continued on next page
20

.continued from last page

There are hundreds of less visible things that I initiated and
worked with other board and
community members to establish
clear and fair rules, policies, and
procedures to make management
easier, consistent, in compliance
with changing State rules and
maintain Forest Creek as a first
class and highly desirable
community.

Forest Creek in early 2011 with

our 2 daughters Lauren and Erin.
I have lived in Round Rock for
35 years.
Please give a description of
your professional background.

How long have you lived in Forest Creek? 3 years

I am a Battalion Chief for a

local fire department. I am
currently assigned to the Fire
Marshals office and participate
in the business development of
the City. I regularly work with
architects, engineers and developers to come up with commonsense solutions when issues arise
during the development process.
I have worked for the fire department for nearly 17 years.

Please give a description of

your family background.
My wife Jaime and I moved to

What motivates you to want to

serve on the Board of Directors for the Forest Creek HOA

******************
Name: Pat Flynn Address: 3703
Harvey Penick Cove

Since moving to Forest Creek, I

have served on the architectural
review committee and am now
completing my second year on
the Board. I served first as Vice
President and now as President.
I enjoy the work and always
appreciate hearing from the
neighbors when they have an
issue. I want Forest Creek to
continue to be the premier
neighborhood that it has always
been, and to remain a safe,
beautiful neighborhood in which
to raise my daughters.
Is there any other pertinent
information that you would
like to share?
Continued on next page

21

ELECTION PAGES..
Continued from last page
I believe that, as a Board member, I am obligated to make
decisions that will benefit the
neighborhood as a whole. I
believe that it is important to
take the time to make the right
decision, which may not always
be the popular one. Right is
better than fast. I have the
greatest respect for all those

with whom I currently serve,

and those who have served
before me. I would be honored
if you elected me to continue to
serve our great community.
********************
Name: Toni Haulotte Address:
3501 Palmer CV
How long have you lived in

Forest Creek? 9 Years

Please give a description of
your family background.
My husband, Ken, and I have
been married 37 years. We have
4 children, two who are grown
with families of their own, and 2
still in college. We are also the
proud grandparents of 5--- 3
teens and 2 toddlers.
Please give a description of
your professional background?
I have had a varied career path
as a wife and mother, customer
support & sales, banking
business owner/operator and
nurse.
What motivates you to want
to serve on the Board of
Directors for the Forest
Creek HOA?
As mentioned, we have lived
in Forest Creek for 9 years.
Our grown children live in
Round Rock ... our daughter is
in FC-III. I want to serve my
community by working to
do whats best for Forest
Creek. I want to meet people
and work with them to improve
our neighborhood by sharing
ideas and planning and enacting improvements.
Is there any other pertinent
information that you would
like to share?
Ill be on vacation in Florida
(I just couldnt resist) during
the annual meeting but please...
Continued on next page
22

Continued from last page

Forest Creek? 15 Years

dont hold this against me. I

want to be an HOA Director
and will work hard to improve
our community in several areas;
including landscaping and
irrigation --- with emphasis
on the community entrances;
promote the use of community
social networking, such as
NextDoor, to enable everyone to
more easily become informed
and involved in key issues --we could do polling to make
better community-oriented
decisions; and take a neighborto-neighbor approach to
improving dues collections to
ensure everyone contributes
equally

Please give a description of

your family background.

***********************

Name : Hector Quintanar

Address: 3902 Palmer Dr
How long have you lived in

My wife and I have been married 30 years. We have 4 children, three who are grown
on their own, and 1 still at
Forest Creek Elementary School.
We are also the proud
grandparents of 5--- 3 teens and
2 toddlers.
Please give a description of
your professional background.
Business Entrepreneur with
International Supply Chain and
International Project
Management Skills
Bachelors in Electrical Engineering and a Manufacturing
extra curricula at Harvard
University
Served as member of my first

home HOA Board and extensively worked in multi- country

projects and multi-cultural difference
Well organized project management skills to produce results
on time and within budget
Strong financial background to
closely monitor Treasury funds
and bank accounts
With 16 years in Forest Creek
and planning to stay here much
longer is our endeavor for the
community and obligation to
maintain our homes value , the
look and feel of our community
I will always strive for WINWIN positions across agreements between any involved
parties (Home Owners and HOA
Board Members)
What motivates you to want to
serve on the Board of Directors for the Forest Creek
HOA?
Cont. on next page

23

ELECTION PAGES..
Continued from last page

Financial background and

proven treasury management
results from $2.0 MUSD to
$200.0 USD projects.
Strive for at least 80%
consensus in decisions that
involved large communities.
Ability to manage
disagreement to reach the best
outcome of a given situation.
*****************
Name: Ian Reeve
Address : 3807 Spanish Bay Ct
How long have you lived in
Forest Creek? 9.5 years
Please give a description of
your family background.
I am married (22.5 years) with a
daughter who attends Cedar
Ridge High School Please give a
description of your professional
background? I am a Software
Engineer at Cray and have
worked in a variety of
engineering roles during my
career. My under- graduate
degree is in Ceramic
Engineering (now part of the
Materials Science and
Engineering department) from
the University of Illinois at
Urbana and I have a Masters
degree in Electrical Engineering
from Marquette University.
What motivates you to want to
serve on the Board of
Directors for the Forest Creek
HOA?

Having served as a director for

the past two years, I would like
an opportunity to apply this
knowledge and provide some
continuity for the community.
I am a fiscal conservative and
am very focused on ensuring
that we only spend HOA money
when appropriate and we get the
best value when making those
expenditures. I am also
interested in making certain all
members of the association are
treated fairly and equally and
that all sections of the HOA are
represented when making
decisions.
Is there any other pertinent
information that you would
like to share?
One of my big concerns is
maintaining the property values
in the community and
addressing the impact that HOA
assessments have for
prospective homeowners. I do
not want HOA dues to be a
factor the motivates buyers to
choose another community
because HOA dues rise to a
level that makes it difficult for
prospective buyers to afford to
live in Forest Creek.
*************************

Name: Gregory Thompson

Address: 3964 Lord Byron Cir
How long have you lived in
Forest Creek? 13.5 years
Please give a description of
your family background.

Grew up in Indiana. Moved to

Texas after leaving the Navy in
1993. Moved to Round
Rock in 1994. Married to my
wonderful wife, Dorice for 23
years. We have 4 children:
3 boys and a girl, ages 20, 18,
15 & 9.
Please give a description of
your professional background.
I graduated from Notre Dame
with a BS in Mathematics, was
Commissioned as an officer in
the US Navy and served active
for 5 years (1988-1993). I have
worked as a computer
programmer for the last 20
years and am currently with
Micro Focus, a software
company out of England.
What motivates you to want to
serve on the Board of
Directors for the Forest Creek
HOA?
I previously served on the HOA
Board of Directors; (Feb 2012Jan 2014) 1 year as secretary
and 1 year as president. I
currently assist the HOA by
serving as webmaster, and
issuing keys for the amenities. I
think that I am a conscientious
member of the neighborhood. I
have a decent knowledge of the
history and workings of the
neighborhood. I have a good
understanding of and relationship with the new management
company. After taking a year off
from it, I think I am ready to
jump back into the fray.
Continued on next page
24

ELECTION PAGES..

Continued from last page

decisions. We are busy with job
and family. But, your home is
probably your single largest investment. The quality of the
neighborhood (including safety)
and schools is of great concern
for you and your family. At
least this is how everyone I
know feels.

Is there any other pertinent

information that you would
like to share?
My goal is to ensure the responsible use of HOA funds while
maintaining the community at a
level we can all be proud of.
********************
It is possible for more nominations to come from the floor at
the meeting Monday night.
Be sure to ask all potential
candidates how they stand on
the issues that are important
to you before voting to ensure
your views represented throughout the year!

Is Your HOA Board

Representative Important?
Most people in the neighborhood dont bother to keep up
with HOA actions or HOA Board

We expect the HOA Board to

quietly go about protecting our
investment, keeping our
neighborhood the best it can
be, and managing the dues we
give them wisely. Do you dig
into the Boards actions; find
out who is voting for what?
Continued on page 33
25

BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT
Happy New Year,
everyone! For most
people it is a time to
reflect and make plans
for the coming year;
however, for a small
business owner, it can mean
piles of paperwork accumulated
over the past year and the
stress of sorting everything out
to prepare for tax filing.
My name is Rose Myers and I
can take the work out of
paperwork. I am a professional

So why pick me? As an

are due throughout the year.

bookkeeper for the small or

entrepreneur, your time is best

Once your books are organized,

home business with over thirty

spent with your customers

most small or home businesses

years experience in multi-client,

building up your business.

only require a few hours of

multi-state bookkeeping. My

Bookkeeping is an essential

bookkeeping a month to keep

husband and I are your

component of any size business

them current. I am honest,

neighbor in Forest Creek and I

and you may not have the time

dependable, organizedIm

would like to offer my services

or desire to do that yourself.

your neighbor! But mostly I

to anyone with a small business.

Saving all your checks and

enjoy working with people who,

The cost is affordable and I offer

receipts for your end-of-the-

like me, own and operate a

a variety of options that can be

year trip to your accountant can

small business. For a free

customized for your specific

be stressful and expensive.

consultation please call

needs.

Having worked and trained for

512-431-1013 or email me at

My services include any or all of

ten years with a local CPA, I

rose.myers@austin.rr.com

the following:
Reconcile bank statements
Invoice customers
Pay bills
Pay employees and all related
payroll reports
Complete sales tax reports
Prepare an income statement
Organize tax documents

know whats needed to

complete
your annual
tax return.
I can also
prepare
sales,
payroll or
other tax
forms that

26

BUSINESS SPONSORSHIPS
Act Now!!! SALE On Half Page Ads Frozen for the winter!!!!
AD SIZE
Business Card *
1/8 Page
1/4 Page
1/2 Page

RESIDENT RATE

NON-RESIDENT RATE

$120. a year (only $10. a month!)

$240. a year (only $20. a month!)

$150. a year (only $12.50 a month!)

$300. a year (only $25. a month!)

$275. a year (only $23. a month!)

$550. a year (only $46. a month!)

was: $500. a year (only $42. a month!)

$1000. a year (only $84. a month!)

Now: $277. a year!!!!

$577. per year!!!

ALL RATES ARE YEARLY AND PAYABLE IN ADVANCE. All AD COPY MUST BE PRESET AND SENT AS A

PDF OR JPEG FILE. AD COPY MAY BE CHANGED EVERY MONTH BUT, ALL CHANGES MUST BE RECEIVED
BY THE 17th OF THE MONTH PRIOR TO THE MONTH OF PUBLICATION .

Please contact the Editor at

myenergyangel@aol.com for more information!

*Become an Event Sponsor and get a FREE Listing in the upcoming Business Directory! Call
Angel @ 508-922-1306 for more info.

BUY LOCAL & SUPPORT OUR

NEIGHBORHOOD BUSINESSES
A BIG THANK YOU TO ALL OUR
BUSINESS SPONSORS!
All proceeds from Ads and Sponsorships are used towards, enhancing existing
and adding new, Forest Creek HOA events. Every month we try to highlight one
or more of our neighborhood businesses to promote inter-community commerce.
If you are a FC resident with a business and would like to participate please
contact the Editor at ....myenergyangel@aol.com or Call 508-922-1306
27

28

29

TEENAGE JOB SEEKER SPOTLIGHTS

Dayal Raj is a pre-med student offering private tutoring to students of
all ages in the Round Rock area. He graduated
from Westwood high school with full honors and
is also a graduate of Westwoods IB program.
Dayal is a National Merit Scholar semi-finalist
and a member of MENSA.
Dayal can teach any subject as well as provide
test-prep for skill-specific tests like the SAT. He
has been tutoring for nearly two years and has
received positive feedback from all of his students as well as their parents.
My name is Meagan George, I am 14
years old I am a freshman at gateway college
prep I have lived in the forest creek area for 5
years. I love to play volleyball, bake and hang
out with my friends. I am certified by the Red
Cross in CPR, First aid and babysitting. I have
taken care babies as young 4 months and kids
as old as 10. I know how to hold, feed and
burp infants, I will play games with your
toddler and help your child with homework.
MY HOUSE OR YOURS.
I can also dog sit and/ or house sit.

DEVA NELSON - CAKE

BALL ARTIST AND
ENTREPRENEUR
I'm Deva Nelson, a Senior at
Cedar
Ridge High School
My home bakery
business is called
Deva Cakes My
menu items include
Cake Balls, Cookies,
Cupcakes, Specialties and other Seasonal Delicacies.

As a tutor, he is very detail oriented and goalfocused but flexible as well. Dayal follows a methodical approach to tutoring using a combination of diagnostics and evaluations to maximize
on your students learning potential.
Contact Dayal: Phone - 512 826 3566

I have 2 dogs myself One of my

dogs is a Labrador retriever and the
other is a Chihuahua so I have experience with small or large dogs.
References upon request
So if youre going on vacation or
just going looking for a date night
Im your sitter for all. Looking
forward to meeting you.
-Meagan George
CALL: (512) 386-1990

Visit
www.devacakes.com
for prices, photos and
to place your order

If you have a theme,

mascot, or special event,
I can customize your
treats with specific colors,
designs, or Logos
I love being creative !
30

TEENAGE JOB SEEKER SPOTLIGHTS

Photo by gblair photography

Nicholas Winckel
is a 16 year old
member of the
Cedar Ridge
Marching Band
who is looking
to work odd jobs
in the area. He
needs to earn
money so he can audition for the DCI - Crossmen

Beginner Guitar lessons

Im offering beginner guitar lessons to
those ages 6-10 years old. My curriculum teaches students all the basics that are the foundation of any
style of music that interests you. This
will give you the building blocks to
begin your musical career. Students
will walk away with basic knowledge of the guitar
and how to play with a showcase at the end of
each session to show what theyve learned. Lessons are done in my home for $40 month, one 30
minute lesson per week and will do lessons in your
home for an add. nominal fee.

Private Dance Lessons

I am a senior at Cedar Ridge, the local High
school, and I have been a member of the Cedar
Ridge Royalty dance team for 3 years now. I have
also had studio dance experience for 14 years in
jazz, modern/contemporary, tap, lyrical, ballet,
and hip-hop.
My students currently consist of aspiring performers who attend Ridgeview Middle School,
and Cedar Ridge High School as Freshmen.
I am offering private lessons for $20 an hour or
$30 for an hour and a half for dancers between
5th and 9th grade. I teach classes in Technique,

Drum and Bugle Corp., which is a

professional level competition
marching band. This is a project that
he is working towards for the summer of 2013 &
2014. If you have any odd jobs that he can work
after school or on weekends, please contact him
at unleashedrules@gmail.com. You can also copy
his mom at laurie.winckel@gmail.com.

I an 9h grader at Cedar Ridge and have

been playing guitar for the last eight
years. I am lead vocalist and bass player
in my own band that has been together
for 3 years and am pursuing my own solo
project, performing around Round Rock
and Austin for the last 3 years. I have
been writing music and performing both
guitar and singing since I was 9. Music is
my life and I love the opportunity to share this
with younger kids and encourage them to pursue
their dreams.
Please feel free to contact me if interested at:
carsondicksoncd@gmail.com
Drill Team Preparation, Jazz,
Modern, and Lyrical. My
classes are typically an hour
or an hour and a half long,
however, private lessons of
any length are welcome.
The lessons I give are in my
personal studio that I have
in the garage at my house. I
have a full mirror, and an
air conditioning unit as well
for when the weather is unfavorable.
If interested, please contact Lauren Tidman at
(512)810-8819
or by email at lauren.tidman@ymail.com
31

TEENAGE JOB SEEKERS

Name
Micaela Phillips

Age
17

Baby
Sit

Pet
Sit

X
X

House
Sit

Yard
Work

Phone
909-8683.

Analise Flatt

13

Ryan Phillips

18

Marissa Phillips

13

Kennedy Rolston+

15

Sarah Reeve#+

14

Josh Potter

13

Audrey M

12

Jaclyn Guyette#

17

423-5878

Veronica Remmert#

15

246-0859

12

X
X

Gloria Remmert#

X
X

Mary Clyde

13

248-9781

Shelby Rogers *

16

966-4108

Alana Leal*

16

246-9105

Brynn McFarlen,
Tyanna Thompson*

12

16

Trey Taylor

16

Tristen Taylor

12

Kyle Randle

13

Hannah Sugden#
Madison Fulp#

14
16

X
X

X
X

255-6453
704-6552

Kylie Fulp

13

704-6552

Emily Engstrom

14

310-0031

Jessica Singer#

14

218-9631

Elisabeth Worthen *+#

15

Hannah Odom*+#

13

750-1857
970-6199

Mackinsey Sanders
Ashley Rowe
Logan Wright

15

289-9969

14
17

X
X

X
X

X
X

788-1513
258-0825

Robyn Lawrence

13

246-7843

Hailey Henderson

13

341-8552

Alexa Cordeiro*+

16

Nicholas Houser
Abigail Houser

16
14

X
X

X
X

Meagan George *+#

14

*CPR Training

218-9308

X
X

905-0435.

785-9710

X
X

238-8191

828-6793
X

+ First Aid Training

319-610-2310
238-1365

246-0859

214-886-6441
632-7450

923-8239

921-6375

944-7420

535-1340
388-3286
388-3286

386-1990

# Red Cross babysitting Cert.

32

Continued from page 25

Contact a board member and ask questions?

For most people the answer is no. It is important that you get involved and elect people to
the board who reflect your values and will vote
the way you would if you were on the board.
Several years ago at an annual meeting, I
posed a question to the community: Do we
want our community to maintain the status
quo and age like most communities or do you
want to be proactive and make investments
that keep Forest Creek the most desirable
community in Round Rock and support both
your investment (house prices) and your quality of environment? While there were some
dissenters, most wanted to keep investing in
constantly improving our neighborhood. That
is why the community supported the creation
of a Capital Improvement Reserve setting aside
20% of our annual dues for making major capital improvements to our community. Already,
that fund has paid for the pool house and
splash pad, the iron fencing along the park, the
reclaimed water project, and the new wall
along Bobby Jones.
At this point, this reserve fund has ample
money in it to proceed with additional capital
improvements, but, according to the agenda of
the upcoming meeting, the current board is
not proposing any further capital improvements to be voted on at this meeting. They
are not proposing to move forward with the
Fencecrete replacement project that was approved by the community two years ago.
From the concept drawings that were presented to the members three years ago and
approved two years ago, the 2013 and 2014
boards (the voting majority) made changes to
those drawings and cut corners to save some
money on the wall. My proposal was and still
is to build a first class wall that would say to
everyone driving through our neighborhood
that this is a quality neighborhood. My initial
proposed schedule was to spread out the project over 13-15 years in multiple phases as
each section of Fencecrete reached its life expectancy and reserve savings were available,
with no dues increase for this project and no
borrowed money.
Continued on page 37

33

Happy New Year! As you get

back into the groove after the
holiday season, you will be
looking for plenty of activities
to keep your kids busy. Dont
worry, weve got you covered!
Our site covers events in
Round Rock, Georgetown,
Cedar Park and Pflugerville,
and this month weve included some of the best in each
area. Make sure you visit my
website at http://

hulafrog.com/roundrock-georgetown-tx/
signup/ to subscribe
(its FREE!) so you
wont miss any of the
other great events happening. Have a great time exploring with your families!
Millicent Bell
Publisher, Hulafrog Round
Rock-Georgetown
millicent.bell@hulafrog.com

tions, crafts and treats. Ages

9-12.
Date & Time: 1/24, 2:00pm 3:00pm
Cost: Free

Tween Harry Potter Party at

Georgetown Public Library
Celebrate Harry Potter with
Quidditch tryouts, trivia, poContinued on next page.

Takotas Ponies Ranch

childrensponyrides.com
We offer pony and horse parties at your location or at our
party house on location!
Trackless train for all types of events.
Summer, Day, and Horsemanship Camps for children and teens ages 6 to 18.
Western horseback riding lessons for all ages, even adults!
Horse training, On-site Play dates, and Advanced Off-site trail rides.
At Takotas Ponies Ranch our passion is to bring the love of horses to those
of all ages! To us, if a child or adult gets to experience the chance of riding
and caring for a horse or pony for even just a short amount of time it gives
them a great sense of self-worth!

Come and spend the day, week, or just a few hours with us and experience fun
and excitement to last a lifetime!
Lynn Garcia Owner/Teacher
Tracey Rhodes Trainer/Teacher

901 Indian Springs Rd. GT, TX 78633

(512) 801-9964
34

Teddy Bear Sleepover at the Round Rock Public Library

The Round Rock Public Library invites your child's stuffed animal
to a sleepover. Children are welcome to drop off their stuffed
animals with Youth Services staff members anytime beforehand-we'll show the animals
a good time until the
party begins. The
stuffed animals will enjoy snacks, stories, and
games. We promise we'll try to help them fall
asleep at a reasonable hour. Children may pick up
their animals and see what fun they had any time
the Library is open, 9 a.m. - 6 p.m., on Friday, Jan.
30.
Date & Time: 1/29, 6:30pm to 1/30, 9:00am
Cost: Free
Daddy Daughter Dance at Clay Madsen Center
Dads, bring your little sweetie for a night full of
fun, laughter, dancing and treats. Light refreshments will be served at each dance. Dads and
daughters of all ages are welcome. Ooh La La!
Join us for a A Midnight in Paris! Merci! Two
dances will be held from 5:30pm (infant to 7 years
old) to 10:30 p.m. (8 years and up) for different
age groups (see schedule below). Dads with
daughters in each age category may choose to
bring both daughters to the dance of their choice. Professional
photography will be available for an additional fee.
Date & Time: 2/7, 5:30pm (infant to 7 years old) and 8:00pm
(ages 8 and up)
Cost: See RR Parks & Recreation website for ticket information
I Love You Just Like This! Valentine's Day Storytime at Barnes & Noble
Join us for Valentine's Day Storytime and activities featuring I
Love You Just Like This! There are many ways to say "I love you"
- and Elmo and his Sesame Street friends are ready to tell you.
Date & Time: 2/14, 11:00am - 11:30am
Cost: Free
35

PARENTS PAGES

The Mom! Where's my car? wall garage (by A Lo

and Behold Life) was created out of a Mom and
Dad's desperate need to get their twin boys' growing collection of toy cars off the floor.
For instructions on how to make or buy this awesome creation go to: momwheresmycar.com

Get a grip on all the clutter kids can

create with these great ideas from
Holly and Rachaels kidsactivitiesblog.com

36

Five Wholes

Continued from page 33

attending the annual meeting or giving

the voting proxy that came in the meeting
Spending any extra money for the subtle
announcement letter to someone who
but important improvements over the
will attend. I have a BS in Mechanical EnBobby Jones wall (as built) would create a
gineering and an MS in Occupational and
higher level of quality and could easily be
Environmental Health. After several years
compensated for by slowing down the
working as a civilian engineer I joined the
rate of fence replacement, still paying for
US Air Force and proudly spent 27 years
it out of the reserves.
helping our troops protect and defend our
I have been off the board for two years
great country. Now, I am a retired Air
and watched the current board voting
Force colonel who is very frank and pragmajority take actions (or fail to take acmatic and doesnt have a lot of patience
tions) which I believe are not in the best
for politics, personality issues, blogging, or
long term interest of our community and game playing. I prefer to build a team,
your home value. My name is Keith Chan- analyze a situation, come up with a course
dler and I am seeking to serve another
of action, and get the job done. This is
term on the Forest Creek HOA Board of
what I have done both in my working caDirectors. I have served three terms on
reer and in service to the Forest Creek
the HOA Board and have been a driving
HOA members.I believe that people on
force for many improvements in Forest
the board should invest time in the things
Creek. If you like the improvements
they are spending your money for. For all
made for our community since 2006, and of the projects I supported, I invested
agree that I can serve the community well, countless hours outside of the monthly
I ask that you not only vote for me, but
meetings, making sure the project was
talk to your friends and neighbors about

some Snacks for Families On-the-Go

done right and within budget, contributing both my expertise and my energy.
Board positions are well served by people
who have the time and hopefully interest
in investing in our community in this way.
I would like to see more retired or work
from home community members volunteer to serve on the HOA Board of Directors.
There are three board positions coming
up in the January community meeting and
I hope you attend the meeting and vote
for me and two others who will support
the continued improvements in our community. Get involved. Whether you support me and my approach or not, know
your candidates and their goals, know
where you want this neighborhood to go,
pay attention, get involved and vote.

Keith Chandler, Colonel, USAF, BSC

(retired)

THE FOREST CREEK

YOUNG EXPLORERS
Where Everyday is an Adventure and
Every Child A Treasure!!
THE ONLY LICENSED, PRIVATE, INHOME PRE-K IN FOREST CREEK!
ORGANIC MEALS, SNACKS & ALL ART
SUPPLIES INCLUDED IN ONE LOW PRICE!

Highly rated by Children and Parents

alike! Years of references available!
Ages 2.9 and up. 508-922-1306
We are currently full, call soon to reserve a
space in our 2015 fall class!

37

SCHOOL NEWS
FOREST CREEK ELEMENTARY
www.forestcreek.roundrockisd.org
The Forest Creek Elementary
School community gathered to
celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr.
Day with a literary service project to benefit Libraries of Love
in Uganda, an organization
started by a former Round Rock
ISD librarian.
The Forest Creek Elementary
service club organized the
Walk to Read event that began
at 2 p.m. that Monday at the
schools library. Students,
friends, family and community
members were invited to partake
in the event in an effort to collect books and raise funds for
Libraries of Love. The organization builds, operates and trains
individuals in Ugandan libraries.
I love it when schools donate
because its student to student,
said Trudy Marshall, Libraries
of Love executive director.
Children here are helping children in Uganda where most of
them have never even held a
book. The fact that students are
willing to help other students is
huge.
The event began with a short

Any Volunteer Opportunities can be found online at

PTAvenue.com Login: FCEPTA
You must go through the Volunteer Application Process online at: https://hrsapp.roundrockisd.org/appentry/

presentation on Libraries of
Love and Martin Luther King,
Jr.
The group then walked a few
laps around the track with hard
back books, sat and read together, then continued walking
for a short time. The total distance walked was one-half mile
to symbolize the walk students
in Uganda take daily to attend
school.
An adapted version of
Everything is Awesome from
the LEGO Movie was created
by a fourth grade student for the
event. The song, Every BOOK
is Awesome was recorded and
played
during the walking event.
The donated books will be
shipped to Uganda with approximately 20,000 other hardback,
gently used books January 25.
Marshall said in the last 11
years, 65,000 Ugandan students
and 34 libraries have been serviced. The newest shipment will
be housed in three new schools
and 11 libraries.

Post your
school news and
upcoming events
Free of charge in
The Caddie Online!
Send your
submissions by
the 21st to :
myenergyangel
@aol.com to
guarantee inclusion
in the following
months edition!

38

39

Dear Forest Creek Community,

We are in dire need of at least
one crossing guard that can
work from 7:107:50am and 2:30-3:10pm daily.
We have 3 crosswalks around
our school and only 2 crossing
guards. This is a paid position
and is an important part of the
safety of our school community.
If you or anyone you know are
able to work this position,
please contact the school at
464-5350 for guidance to apply.
Thank you.

More than 200 students at Cedar Ridge High

School packed the lecture hall January 16 to
kick-off a semester-long project with Dell Inc.
that will give students a voice with one of the
worlds largest companies.
Students were invited to join a focus group to
create an innovative library for students in the
future. The group will have no budgetary limitations and will be free to share a students perspective on what they want in their learning
spaces.
Working with high school students gives us
another perspective, said Snow White, Dell
Inc. business development senior consultant.
We not only get to hear their voice of what
they want to see in learning spaces, but were
also hoping to show learning in a different
way.
Students interested in the project will work
with Dell Inc. employees to plan the frequency
of meetings and field trips to innovative companies in the Central Texas area. The project
will be complete in May with a presentation to
the Round Rock ISD Board of Trustees.
40

41

Forest Creek Neighborhood Watch News

Coming Saturday,
February 21st 2-5pm at
the Forest Creek Park:
SNOW DAY!
There is snow day like
today to get to know
your neighbors!
Enroll now in the next Citizens
Police Academy (CPA), a 10week program that gives community members opportunities
to experience
first-hand the realities of life as a
police officer in the Round Rock
Police Department. The Citizens
Police Academy is an example
of the successes borne of the
partnership between the police
and the community. One of
many continued efforts to
develop citizen awareness and
understanding of the role of law
enforcement, the Round Rock
Police Department offers the
Citizens Police Academy for
residents of all backgrounds and
occupations.

The program involves both

classroom and interactive instruction, including but not limited to:
Officer selection process
Officer training & duties
Emergency-vehicle driver
training
Investigation skills
Firearms Training, SWAT and
K-9 Demonstrations
Graduates are eligible for additional training and volunteer
opportunities, as well as membership in the Citizens Police
Academy Alumni Association.
For more information please
contact Joseph Claypool,
Community Affairs Officer,
at 512-671-2871.

It is in that spirit that

The Forest Creek
Neighborhood Watch is
holding this event!
We have lots of fun in
store for young and old
alike so get your chores
and errands done early,
bring your mittens and
hats (even if you come in
shorts!)and be prepared
to have a blast!
Stay tuned to the FC
FaceBook pages and
your e-mails for more
details!

Neighborhood Watch
works because it
reduces opportunities
for crime to occur;
it doesnt rely on
altering or changing
the criminals behavior
or motivation.
42

The next meeting

of the Forest Creek
Neighborhood
watch will be held
at 3839 Harvey
Penick Drive on
Thursday evening,
February 12th @
7pm. We will be
finalizing plans for
our Snow Day
event and discussing signage for the
neighborhood.
Please join us!

Kudos to the folks on Bobby Jones

who organize a live re-enactment of
the Manger Scene in their front yard
every year during the Christmas
season for the enjoyment of other
residents! It gets rave reviews from
young and old alike and is one of the
many things that make Forest Creek
such a wonderful place to live!

43

Forest Creek HOAs Lawyer

has researched the Fencecrete issue and this is her
response...
Maintenance of fences that border street right-of-way seems to
be the Bermuda Triangle of
owners associations. Fence
maintenance and repair is an
expensive proposition, yet
guidance and authority from the
governing documents is usually
sparse at best, and totally
absent at worst.
Generally speaking, the obligation to maintain and repair an
improvement is borne by the
owner of the property on which
the improvement is located Fences (and walls) can be
located on: (a) HOA property,
(b) dedicated street right-of-way
(where the street does not take
up the entire width of the dedicated right-of-way), and (c) the
owners lot.
When the fence is located on
HOA common area or other
property owned by the HOA, its
easy: the HOA maintains and
repairs the fence.
When the fence or wall is on
street right-of-way, the HOA
usually ends up maintaining the
fence or wall by default. The
City probably wont budget for
it, and the HOA cant force the
owner to maintain a fence or
wall that is not located on the
owners lot unless there is an
express provision in the governing documents that makes the
owner responsible for such

maintenance (such provisions

are rare).
When the fence or wall is located on an owners lot, most
HOAs use this as an excuse to
demand that the owner be
responsible for repair and
replacement. I commend
FCHOA on not taking such a
position. I have always felt
that HOAs who try to shift the
responsibility to the owner
were embarking on a slippery
slope: if the owner is 100%
responsible for the maintenance and repair, then presumably the owner has the
right to tear down the fence
or wall and not replace it, or
replace it with a different style
fence. When the HOA has an
interest in an unbroken and
uniform appearance, the HOA
should assume some, if not all,
of the responsibility for fence
and wall maintenance.
The FCHOA Declaration is essentially silent on maintenance of
fencing along street right-ofways. Section 3.17(B) states
that the owner is responsible for
maintaining the fences on the
owners lot.
Conversely, Declaration Section
5.5 makes the Association
responsible for maintaining
streets, easements, sidewalks,
trails, retention ponds, greenbelts, and landscape medians in
the right-of-way. This section
says nothing about maintaining
fences located along the street
right-of-way.

I do not believe that the Declarants responsibility for maintaining the fences automatically
falls to the HOA. Developers
frequently install items for the
purpose of enhancing the
neighborhood and improving
home sales. That does not
mean the HOA is bound, in perpetuity, to continue maintaining
developer-installed items. This
is especially true when the developer installation is not located on common area, but
rather on one or more individual
lots.
It shouldnt be necessary to
obtain ownership of the fence
in order for the Association to
undertake repairs. In most
cases, owners will gladly allow
the Association to pay for all
repair and maintenance the
fence may need.
If the HOA wants to obtain ownership, then a legal vehicle for
doing so would be a bill of sale
from each individual property
owner. This would probably
have to be recorded in order
for future owners to be
bound. That could be expensive
and cumbersome and, as indicated, shouldnt be necessary.
If the Board wants to nail this
down via Declaration amendment, I suggest that it amend
Declaration Section 5.5 that
lists the items that the HOA is
responsible for maintaining. After the second sentence,
it could add the following
Continued on next page
44

Fellow Forest Creek residents it has been my pleasure to serve you for the past four years as a member of the HOA Board. One of the most important
functions of the Board is to actively seek opportunities to increase homeowner values. One of the
best ways to achieve this goal is to create a buzz in
the marketplace whereby prospective homebuyers
who come to Round Rock and compare all their
housing options conclude that Forest Creek Is The
Best Community to Live In and They dont care if
the house costs more because they want to live in
Forest Creek. This emotional attachment to Forest Creek by the prospective homebuyer combined
with Round Rocks award winning schools, low
crime rate and job opportunities work together to
help you sell your house for top dollar.
It is with this goal of keeping the media buzz alive
that Forest Creek Is the Best Community to Live
In that I have focused my efforts. I am proud to
state that I personally advocated the City of Round
Rock for three prestigious awards and last week
we won all three; they are 2014: Forest Creek Best
Neighborhood of the Year, Events Planning Committee (EPC) Best Committee of the Year and Unsung Hero of the Year Angel Donato.
The above awards will provide recognition within
the City of Round Rock. We now have bragging
rights for a whole year! These awards provide realtors with added talking points that will help sell
prospective homebuyers on making Forest Creek
their home. Note, no other Community in the City
of Round Rock can claim Neighborhood of the Year
Continued from previous page
The Association shall also have
the right, but not the obligation,
to maintain, repair, and replace
all fences and walls that are located within ______ feet of the
street, regardless of whether
the fence or wall is located on a
Lot, street right-of-way, or the
Common Properties. The Association shall also have the ap-

even though we all share the same great schools,

low crime rate and low unemployment.
I wish to remind everyone at this time that HOA
Board elections will be held on Monday, Jan. 26th.
As mentioned, I have been working hard to keep
Forest Creek in the news by advocating and receiving three prestigious awards within the City of
Round Rock. These awards will help sell prospective homebuyers on waiting to live in Forest Creek;
thus, this should help you to sell your home at a
desired price.
Not all Board Members agree that it is worthwhile
to pursue award recognition for the Community.
Not all Board members wanted to take the time to
wait to hear unbiased council state their findings
regarding fence responsibility and cost. I am rerunning to serve on the HOA Board. If you are
looking for someone like myself who is a visionary,
who always seeks new methods to improve the
Community, who takes an unbiased approach to
problem-solving and who cares about maintaining
and increasing your home value then I am your
candidate. I ask for your vote.
I welcome your feedback and/or questions on the
above topics or any other concerns you may have.
Feel free to contact me at: vicepresident@forestcreekhoa.org.
Sincerely,
Idalyn Lynn Banks
Forest Creek HOA Board, Vice President

purtenant right to enter upon

the Lot on which the fence or
wall is located to the extent reasonably necessary to accomplish
such maintenance, repair, or
replacement.
The process for amendment is
set forth in Declaration Section
9.3(B). The Association should
distribute a written ballot to all
owners with the language of the

proposed amendment and ask

for each owner to vote on the
amendment, setting a reasonable deadline for return of the
ballot to the HOA. If, by the
deadline, the amendment is approved by 67% of the total
votes, the amendment will have
passed and the Association can
record the amendment in the
property records.

45

46