The Villages at Maxwell Creek Home Owners Association (1st Quarter 2005)

Neighborhood Newsletter

HOA Dues Update

Finally some good news: as of March 4th, 245 of 303 (81%) homeowners were current on their dues. At this time last year, we had only received payment from 157 homeowners, so the trend is definetly positive. Even so, we are still short $14,654.42 overall.

We are continuing the persual of homeowners who have failed to pay for the last year (or longer), and will be filing five foreclosures this week. Unfortunately, two homeowners that were significantly past due (over $600), at 1611 Oak Brook and 1701 Briarhollow, have already both been foreclosed on by their mortgage company. We are pursuing negotiations with these companies for payment of past dues, so hopefully we won't need to write any of it off.

Annual Meeting and Elections

Elections for the HOA Board will be held at the annual meeting on Tuesday, April 5th at the Allen Public Library, starting at 7:00pm. Please note the new location at 300 N. Allen Drive. Both of the current Board members (Robert Butler and Bill Butt) are running again.

So far, we've only received one additional response from individuals interested in running this year. If you are interested in running for the Board, you can still do so even if you are not listed here — all that's required is to stand up and announce your candidacy at the meeting.

If enough people do not attend the April 5th meeting to achieve a quorum, then elections will be held during the next Open Forum meeting on Saturday, April 16th. Below is the current list of candidates, with biographical and running platform information.

• Robert Butler, current HOA President

  My wife, Stephanie, and I moved in to the neighborhood in September of 2001, and we recently added a new baby girl, Avery Grace, to our family. I've been involved with the HOA since the very first HOA meeting, when management of the Association was passed from the builders to the homeowners.

  I've spent thousands of hours volunteering for the HOA so far — in general, if you've read the newsletters, visited the HOA web site, or been to a meeting, you've seen me in action.

  My primary interest is doing what I can to continually improve the neighborhood, whether that includes landscape improvements to the Common Areas, enforcement of the architectural guidelines, or simply encouraging a community spirit by helping neighbors socialize and meet one another. Most importantly, I believe continuous, consistent communication between the HOA and homeowners is necessary to ensure that the HOA is truly acting with the will of the homeowners.

• Bill Butt, current HOA Vice-President

  I joined the Board in early fall to fill a vacancy. During my term I have tried strike a balance between individual members rights and the right of the community at large. It is important to me that the board has a public impression that is above reproach and that each and every decision be made based on what is best for each and everyone of us.

  I have been working on several projects for which one is going to construction at this time. A contractor has been selected to install lighting for our two marquee signs at our north and south entrances.

  I am seeking to increase our community involvement and will be asking for some of your valuable time to make this a better community. It not about what I want, it is what do you want. To this end, my new theme is going to get more people to be active in the community.

  I seek your involvement and your support.

• Howard Fisher, new candidate

  Normally, I'm not a joiner.

  But after attending the most recent board meeting, I decided that more of us need to get involved in maintaining what's good in our neighborhood and fixing, as best we can, the things that need fixing.

  I think it's outrageous that (in violation of HOA Bylaws)

  • some homeowners refuse to take care of their homes and yards, and as a result, the whole neighborhood suffers.
  • some homeowners refuse to pay their annual dues, and seem to be getting away with it.

  I'll work to achieve ways (through friendly persuasion or legal means) to enforce those provisions (which we all agreed to when we bought our homes).

  I will not be a passive board member. I will bug you to help on your street. I will call you. I will write you.

  If you don't want to get involved, don't vote for me.

Bimonthly Open Forum Meetings

The next open forum meeting will be held on Saturday, April 16th at the Allen Public Library, starting at 2pm. Please note the new location at 300 N. Allen Drive. As with previous meetings, there is no specific agenda, the plan is to hold an informal question and answer session, and to help everyone meet their neighbors.

At the last meeting on March 1st, we had about 15 homeowners attend. This is a concern especially because we 1) dropped off a meeting notice at every residence, and 2) changed the meeting from Monday to Tuesday, which was the most commonly requested day for meetings. This speaks of the general malaise currently affecting the HOA.

As has been the discussion at the last several meetings, the HOA is in dire need of active volunteers. Although we have had almost 50 homeowners volunteer at one time or another, the actual participation level has been closer to 10 people. We are nearing the point where without additional active volunteers, we will need to hire a new management company to handle the day-to-day activities.

While neither of the current board members want to do this, the amount of time each is spending has held steady and shows no signs of decreasing. A simple fact of life is that at some point, we will reach burn-out, and walk away. This will cause an increase in everyone's dues, probably on the order of $60 per year. The only way to prevent this is for you to get involved in your neighborhood.

Spring Block Party

The Spring neighborhood block party will be held in the cul-de-sac on Woodstream Ln from 4:00 - 6:00pm on Saturday, April 30th. We're hoping to have it be just a social gathering, but if we aren't able to reach a quorum at the April 5th meeting, then we'll have to take care of HOA business first. As of March 21st, we are still running short on volunteers! If we do not get two more volunteers to help out with the block party, we will need to cancel the event this year!

This year we're considering catering the food instead of cooking hot dogs since we're having a hard time getting volunteers. The HOA will also be providing water and/or soft drinks for everyone. Similar to last year, we're planning to have a bounce house — we need volunteers to watch over the bounce house and make sure that too many (or too old) children don't crowd inside.

Residents are asked to bring a side dish to share plus any other food for their family if they don't want the food provided. You will also need to bring your own lawn chairs, picnic blanket, etc.

Spring Garage Sale

The HOA will be sponsoring a neighborhood garage sale on Saturday, April 23rd from 7am - 12pm. The HOA will provide newspaper advertising and signs directing people to the neighborhood. Set up in your own yard or join your neighbors for one big sale to share "monitoring duties". Take turns with your neighbors to browse sales on other streets!

Please let us know if you plan to participate!

Life in 1905

While many of us are precluded with life's daily challenges, pause a moment to think back to 100 years ago. In 1905 :

• First auto to exceed 100 mph (161 kph), A G MacDonald, Daytona Beach.
• Albert Einstein publishes four papers. In particular, he formulates the Theory of Special Relativity and made famous the equation E = mc2.
• Oklahoma admitted to statehood.
• 2" of rain falls in only 10 minutes in Taylor TX.

Classifieds

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(972) 679-1210
klewing@comcast.net
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Your Neighborhood AVON Representative
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Call or email for a FREE Brochure and Samples
469-675-8024
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To schedule a homeshow, order products or
find out about the business opportunity,

Contact: Kathy Porter
Independent Distributor
(972) 741-5619 / kathysgourmet@hotmail.com

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Want to Advertise?

View all of the the advertising options available on the HOA web site at http:// www.maxwellcreek.org /contact /advertising/ for more information!

• Las Vegas, NV is founded when 110 acres, in what later would become downtown, are auctioned off.
• Dentists began offering novocaine. Previously, cocaine was the most commonly used local anesthetic.
• Ty Cobb's first major league at bat (Detroit Tigers).
• Policeman arrests a woman for smoking in public.
• $46,000,000+ in the U.S. treasury.
• There were 8,000 cars and 10 miles of paved roads.
• The average worker made $12.98/week (or $0.22/hour) for a 59 hour week.
• Annual teacher pay during this decade was $325.
• The average life expectancy was 47 years.
• Gus Edward's song "In My Merry Oldsmobile" pays tribute to the first Olds, the Curved Dash Runabout.
• Ford's Model T was still three years away.
• The biggest problem was population growth because of the influx of immigrants to America.
• Teabags and tractors were now one year old.
• When people talked about the three big companies, they meant U.S. Steel, Standard Oil and American Tobacco.
• The first Nickelodeon (movie theater) opened in Pittsburgh, PA., showing a film for only 5 cents.
• The New York Giants played the Philadelphia Athletics in the World Series.
• Only 14% of the homes in the U.S. had a bathtub.
• Only 8% of the homes had a telephone.
• The maximum speed limit in most cities was 10 mph.
• More than 95% of all births in the U.S. took place at home.
• Sugar cost $0.04/pound. Eggs were $0.14/dozen. Coffee cost $0.15/pound.
• Most women only washed their hair once a month and used borax or egg yolks for shampoo.
• The five leading causes of death in the U.S. were: 1. Pneumonia & influenza 2. Tuberculosis 3. Diarrhea 4. Heart disease 5. Stroke.
• Only 6% of all Americans had graduated from high school.
• Coca-Cola contained cocaine.
• There were only about 230 reported murders in the entire U.S.

Navigating The On-Ramp Of The Highway To Fitness

The beginning of a new year for many people signifies the beginning of a new commitment to exercise regularly and get in shape. But no matter your goal is, there is one thing everyone has in common. We all begin at the beginning. There is no way to jump mid-way into the process where we are already fit if we have not exercised since last January. With that in mind, here are some quick tips for beginning.

1. Begin with a purpose - the underlying reason you are inspired to begin your program. When you discover it, you will move beyond feelings and you will truly understand why you are exercising. You may think you just want to get in shape, but if you ask yourself why you want to get fit, you may find a purpose that will truly drive you, like, you want to be an example for your children.
2. Begin with the end in mind. This is one of Stephen Covey's "7 Habits of Highly Successful People." This step is important because it causes you to focus on the results you want before you launch into a surge of activity. If you have not really defined the end result, then you may be fooled into thinking any exercise will help. While any exercise is better than no exercise, randomly selected exercise programs may lead to discouragement if you do not see the specific result you want. Figure out exactly what you want in the end and then be sure to plan the appropriate activities to get you there as you start.
3. Begin with a positive attitude. If you want excellent wellness, mobility, and beauty you must start with a positive mindset. At work, you prefer the manager who is encouraging, right? Realize your body needs the same thing and manage it accordingly. You can only expect positive changes when you think, speak, and act positively. Be especially sure to guard how you portray yourself when talking with others.
4. Begin with realistic goals. As you set out to achieve something great be certain that it is challenging, but not impossible. Whether you are a couch potato trying to be more active daily, an avid walker aiming for your first 5k run, an average person now faced with a health crisis or a triathlete training for an Ironman, you did not get where you are today overnight. Make your goals reachable, inspiring and energizing.
5. Begin with a team. You may decide or need to work with a personal trainer, dietician, massage therapist, medical or chiropractic doctor, or other professional. In addition, you need a personal support system - someone to whom you can be accountable and others who will cheer for you. Your accountability partner should understand your goals, be supportive and truthful at all times. It is important that you do not mistake their honesty as criticism at any time, so a spouse or best friend is usually not the best choice. Everyone else can be a cheerleader. Make your spouse or best friend cheerleading captain - giving verbal and non-verbal support, but absolutely no advice.
6. Begin with a single step. You probably do not remember. But long ago you took a step forward, sort of rocked a little and then fell. Then you took two steps, paused, and then took a third before falling. Eventually you learned to walk - and look at you now! As you begin, you may be hesitant because you are not as advanced as others, or as graceful, or as capable. You will have to do some learning. Luckily, we learn best by doing. You can grow by leaps and bounds tomorrow. For today, however, just advance one step. Work toward realizing your goals regularly.
7. Begin now! What are you waiting for? Let this be the day that you do something. Walk, run, jump, crunch, play, lift, ride, kick, punch, bounce, press, skate, or golf. Don't just do it. Just do it now! If you want to do better in 2004, it is as easy as 1-2-3.
   1. DECIDE. Every accomplishment starts with a decision to act.
   2. DO. Decisions must be backed up with the proper actions.
   3. DISCIPLINE. Repeat the right actions consistently and persistently until you persevere.

Committee Updates

Architecture Committee

There are a number of homes in the neighborhood that currently have many large weeds and unkempt yards. We haven't sent out nearly as many notices as we need to simply because we haven't had enough volunteers to help locate and identify problems. It currently takes one person about 3 hours to survey the entire neighborhood, and we would like to get enough volunteers so that each person is only responsible for one or two streets, and does inspections once or twice a month.

Ten Remarkably Easy Ways to Save Energy (and Money) at Home

Wash your clothes in cold water.

Ninety percent of the energy used to wash clothes goes to heating the water.

Install compact fluorescents.

For each ordinary incandescent light bulbs you replace with fluorescent, you'll probably save between $3 and $15 per year.

Use the microwave.

A microwave uses up to one-fifth as much energy as a conventional oven.

Weatherstrip and caulk.

Most homes have small gaps around doors, windows, and even electric outlets that can be quickly sealed.

Pull the plug.

Even when they are not in use, many appliances like televisions and VCRs continue to use small amounts of electricity for things like their clocks and instant-on features.

Switch the showerhead.

Using a low-flow showerhead will not only cut your water use in half, but also heat much less water in your home's water heater.

Adjust the thermostat.

It makes good economic and environmental sense to try to keep your home slightly colder in winter and slightly warmer in summer. You may not even notice a small adjustment in your home's temperature settings.

Get rid of halogen bulbs.

In addition to being a fire hazard, a single 300-watt halogen bulb used eight hours a day can cost more than $100 in electricity each year.

Turn off the computer.

If you are going to be away from the computer for several hours, turn it off. In addition, make sure that any power-management features are activated, such as having the screen go dark after 15 minutes of no use.

Choose efficient appliances.

If you need to buy a dishwasher, television, or other appliance, look for a highly efficient one. Even if it initially costs a little more, you will very often quickly recover the extra money through savings on your energy bills.

If you don't like the way your neighbor's yard looks, do something about it! Volunteer your time to help out!

The chairperson of the Architecture committee is Robert Butler.

Landscape Committee

We are in the process of installing electricity and lighting at the north and south neighborhood entrance signs. There will be a single light for each sign on a photovoltaic sensor, and there will also be an electric outlet on a timer which can be used for Christmas lights or other holidays. This work should be completed by the end of April.

We also had to perform several repairs on the neighborhood sprinkler systems, including: replacing irrigation system parts (Rainbird ESP-LX 4 program outdoor controller w/ Rainbird wireless rain and freeze sensor, 5 valve box covers, 8 heads, 10 nozzles, PVC fittings), and a 50/50 soil mix to fill in areas along the base of the wall where severe erosion and/or settling of backfill has occured exposing sprinkler system main and lateral pipes and rotor heads, and valve repair on Shelley on March 11th.

Several members of the committee have resigned in the last year, and we are in need of additional members. If you're interested in volunteering, please contact us! Additionally, Bill Butt has taken over as chairperson of the landscape committee.

The chairperson of the Landscape committee is Bill Butt.

Social Committee

We're planning for the neighborhood garage sale to take place on Saturday, April 23rd, and for the Spring Block Party the following Saturday, April 30th. However, we are still (as of March 21st) short of volunteers for the block party. If we do not receive two additional volunteers to help out, we will have to cancel the block party this year.

Several members of the committee have resigned in the last year, and we are in need of additional members. If you're interested in volunteering, please contact us!

The chairperson of the Social committee is Stephanie Butler.

Kid's Corner

All About the Planets

Our solar system has 9 planets that orbit a big star called the Sun. (An orbit is the path that a planet moves through.) All the planets orbit the Sun in elliptical paths. (An ellipse is just a stretched out circle.)

All the planets take different amounts of time to get all the way around the Sun. Our Earth takes a year to make one complete orbit. In fact, that's how we decided how long a year should be — it's the length of time it takes us to get all the way around the Sun!

If you need to remember the order of the planets, here's a trick: Just look at the first letters of each planet in order, starting with Mercury and working your way out... M, V, E, M, J, S, U, N, P and make up a funny sentence that uses these letters. Here's one: My Very Excellent Mother Just Sent Us Nine Pizzas.

The inner planets, Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars are called terrestrial planets. This means that they have a hard surface (rock) to stand on. Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune are called the Jovian planets, since they are all a lot like Jupiter. (Jove was another name for the Roman god, Jupiter). They are also called gas giants. This is because they are made of gas and liquid (but not water). There's no hard surface to stand on! We don't know enough about Pluto to put it into either of these categories.

	Mercury is the planet nearest to the Sun and was Named Mercurius by the Romans because it appears to move so swiftly.
	Venus is named for the Roman name for the goddess of love. This planet was considered to be the brightest and most beautiful planet or star in the heavens. Other civilizations have named it for their god or goddess of love / war.
	Earth The name Earth comes from the Indo-European base 'er', which produced the Germanic noun 'ertho', and ultimately German 'erde', Dutch 'aarde', Scandinavian 'jord', and English 'earth'. Related forms include Greek eraze meaning "on the ground", and Welsh erw meaning "a piece of land". Earth is sometimes also called Gaea.
	Mars Named by the Romans for their god of war because of its red, bloodlike color. Other civilizations also named this planet from this attribute; for example, the Egyptians named it Her Desher, meaning "the red one."
	Jupiter is the largest and most massive of the planets and was named Zeus by the Greeks and Jupiter by the Romans; he was the most important deity in both pantheons. Jupiter also has the fastest rotation rate of any planet within the solar system, resulting in a flattening easily seen through a telescope. Its best known feature is probably the Great Red Spot, a storm larger than Earth.
	Saturn is the Roman name for the Greek Cronos, father of Zeus / Jupiter. Other civilizations have given different names to Saturn, which is the farthest planet from Earth that can be observed by the naked human eye. Most of its satellites were named for Titans who, according to Greek mythology, were brothers and sisters of Saturn.
	Uranus The seventh planet from the sun, each 'year' on Uranus lasts 84.01 Earth years. Several astronomers, including Flamsteed and Le Monnier, had observed Uranus earlier but had recorded it as a fixed star. Herschel tried unsuccessfully to name his discovery Georgian Sidus after George III; the planet was named by Johann Bode in 1781 for the father of Saturn.
	Neptune was "predicted" by John Couch Adams and Urbain Le Verrier who, independently, were able to account for the irregularities in the motion of Uranus by correctly predicting the orbital elements of a trans-Uranian body. Using the predicted parameters of Le Verrier (Adams never published his predictions), Johann Galle observed the planet in 1846. Galle wanted to name the planet for Le Verrier, but that was not acceptable to the international astronomical community. Instead, this planet is named for the Roman god of the sea.
	Pluto was discovered in 1930 at Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, AZ during a systematic search for a trans-Neptune planet predicted by Percival Lowell and William H. Pickering, and was named after the Greek god of the underworld who was able to render himself invisible. Lately, a substantial number of smaller objects have been discovered in the outer solar system, beyond Neptune, with orbits and possibly other properties similar to those of Pluto.

Other great places to learn about the planets and other objects in our solar system are:

• http://www.solarviews.com/eng/solarsys.htm
• http://www.sciencemonster.com/planets.html
• http://pds.jpl.nasa.gov/planets/welcome.htm

Letters From Homeowners

We've decided to start a new section in the newsletter, and include selected letters that the HOA has received, both good and bad. We invite everyone to write in with any questions, comments, or concerns you may have, and we'll do our best to respond as soon as possible.

I am concerned about a group of kids that routinely play in the road on bikes, on skateboards, and on foot. Their general attitude appears to be one of indifference or arrogance.

I'm concerned since Oak Brook is a major entrance into the subdivision and the children causing the problem seem to have no regard for their safety or that of the drivers.

Before this escalates to the point that someone gets injured, is there anything that can be done?

Name withheld by request

Can you find your way through the maze?

Thanks for your message. Unfortunately, because most of the homes in our neighborhood have relatively small yards, and there are no parks within easy walking distance, there are few places for children to play without cars being nearby. We're hoping that once the new elementary school is built, there will be a large park and other green spaces for children to play in.

Although no one is comfortable with confrontation, it may be best to talk with the parents of specific children and let them know about specific incidents and problems you've encountered. Additionally, the City has an ordinance prohibiting the use of motor assisted electric or gas scooters on any highway, street, alley, path, or trail withing the city limits except on paths or trails set aside for the exclusive operation of bicycles.

HOA Contact Information

The Home Owners Association and its agents may be contacted in several ways :

• Through the HOA web site, at http://www.maxwellcreek.org/,
• By emailing the officers of the HOA, at officers@maxwellcreek.org,
• By calling or faxing the HOA at (972) 739-5221.
• Through U.S. postal mail at:
  Villages at Maxwell Creek HOA
  P.O. Box 2265
  Allen, TX 75013

We welcome any questions, comments, or concerns you may have. Please include your name and street address on all correspondence in order to expedite a response. Please allow two business days for your call or message to be returned.

Is there anything that you've wished to know more about or is there something you would like to share with other association members? If you want to suggest a topic, write an article, make a suggestion or even correct a mistake, please contact us at newsletter@maxwellcreek.org! The deadline for all submissions is the end of the first month for each quarter-year.