Westador WestwindOn-Line

WCA General Meeting is to be April 20

Entertainment by the ACE Theatre Group and drawings for door prizes at the end of the meeting are planned for the regular quarterly general meeting of the Westador Civic Association, 7:30 PM Thursday, April 20, 2006 at the Cali clubhouse.

At 7:30, actors from the ACE Theatre will present a brief skit.  At the end of the meeting, first prize in the door prize drawings will be two complimentary tickets to one of their performances.

The status of the civic association finances will also be presented.  Receipts are $6,348 above budget and expenditures are $8,191 below budget resulting in a net change in cash that was $14,539 better than budget.  Collection of annual maintenance fees and related costs are $5,222 above budget through the first quarter.  Trash service and security costs are $4,022 below budget due to smaller rate increases than budgeted.  A printing delay for the new directory led to a temporary $2,718 favorable expense variance from budget.  Financial statements for the quarter ended March 31, 2006, presented below, will be discussed in more detail.

New 2006 Pool Pass is Mandatory

The Nanes pool opens Saturday, May 13 at noon.

Beginning this summer Westador residents will be required to show their NEW Blue 2006 pool pass to be admitted to either the Cali or Nanes Pool. Residents will have two weekends to have their pictures taken for the 2006 pool pass.  Children must be accompanied by their parent or legal guardian who can show proof of residency (drivers license).

The 2006 Pool Rules Agreement will be read and signed by each resident as well.  The Westador pool pass will be valid for both pools, so come on the day, time, and location that best fits your family’s schedule.

Nanes clubhouse – Saturday, April 22 from 10 AM to 2 PM and Sunday, May 6 from 3 to 5 PM.

Cali clubhouse – Sunday, April 23 from 2 to 6 PM and Saturday, May 7 from 10 AM to 12 Noon

Westador homeowner's fees must be paid in full to obtain a pass and to use the pools.  Guest passes will be available for visiting relatives.

	Westwind Notice Graduating Seniors are to be featured in the June 16th issue.  The Westwind needs your biography and a picture to publish.  Mail (or drop off) your biography and picture to 1003 Marne or E-Mail both to JEDannerJr@Yahoo.Com.

A Harris County Household Hazardous Waste Collection Event is Upcoming by Jerry Butler, Environmental Services Director

More than 10% of Westador Home-owners Still Have Not Paid the 2006 Maintenance Fee; New Lien Filing Fee is $125

Collections on past due annual maintenance fees continue to be steady but slow.  For 2006, 72 homeowners have paid nothing and 35 others still owe some balance.  In mid – April, a 20 Day Demand Invoice will be sent to the delinquent homeowners who are not making payments.  If payment is not made in accordance with that demand, the next step will be the filing of a Lien Notice.  That filing adds $125 (previously $90) to the homeowner’s outstanding balance.

The amount of the annual maintenance fee is established each year in October when the budget for the coming year is approved.  There are 699 households in Westador.  When residents do not pay their maintenance fee, the remaining households must make up the short fall or the budget must be cut resulting in the reduction or possible elimination of services currently provided.  Each of these services affects the beauty, value, and quality of life in Westador.

It is the duty of the Board of Directors to aggressively pursue the collection of all maintenance fees.  Homeowners who are delinquent on the annual maintenance fees incur interest, collection and legal fees, have lien notices filed on their property and are prohibited from using common facilities such as the tennis courts, pools, and clubhouses.

The addresses of homeowners who have a Lien Notice filed on their property or are delinquent for more than one year are posted in the Westwind.  Also, the Board has authorized stopping the trash and garbage collection service for homeowners who are delinquent for more than one year.  If a delinquent homeowner makes satisfactory arrangements to make monthly payments, that homeowner’s address will not be listed and trash and garbage collection service will not be suspended unless they cease to comply with the arranged payment plan.

The Westador Information Sheet is Printed Quarterly

             The Westador information sheet is printed quarterly or more often in the event of some major changes.  Of special interest are the teen helpers anxious to baby-sit, cook, and to do yard work while earning a buck or two in the process.

                This month, Heather Hyde replaces Wilma Perez in the distribution of newcomers’ packets and Marilyn Ablard replaces Clare Freas as Section Captain for Oder to Misty Lea (East).

Ponderosa Volunteer Fire Department Round Up

Cypresswood Food Drive  Many of our district’s children depend heavily upon the free lunch program at our public schools.  During the summer, many of these children simply do not have enough to eat.  We can help by participating in the partnership food drive with the Cypresswood Swim Team, Northwest Bible Church, Cypresswood homeowners, and Northwest Assistance Ministries on Saturday, May 13, 2006 between 9 and 10:30 AM.  Please drop off donations at the Cypresswood clubhouse on Cypresswood Drive east of Kuykendahl.  Please help!

Fire District Election  May 13 is a very important day for your fire department.  Harris County Emergency Services District #28 (the funding arm for the fire department) will have an election to consider raising the tax cap from 6 cents to 10 cents.  There is early voting at Ponderosa VFD Headquarters May 1-5 and May 7-9 9 AM to 6 PM at 17061 Rolling Creek and on May 13 at 7 AM to 7 PM.  This election will play an important role in funding your fire department for the next ten years as costs continue to rise and there is a need to hire full time firefighters.  The tax cap election does not mean that taxes will be increased by 4 cents.  State law requires the ballot to state the amount of the cap, and the board of directors subsequently sets the rate each year.  A newsletter with much more detail will be delivered to your home the first week in May.

Getting Rid of Old Paint  May is a good time to clean that garage.  A frequent question is how to get rid of old paint.  The easy and legal way is to allow the paint to harden by leaving the lid off the can.  It may take some time, but then the trash pickup company can take the solidified remains.  Never dump paint, oils, fuels, or other hazardous wastes into the sink, storm sewers, or “fence line”.  Chemicals are a different story.  There will be a hazardous waste drop off at the Humble Civic Center on April 29 from 8 AM to 2 PM.  Speaking of storm sewers - never put leaves or grass clippings into the drains - that causes problems for all of us.

Toxic Insect Control is Discussed (Second of a series on bites and stings from the Poison Center) by Jerry Butler

Black Widow.  The black widow is the most recognized of the poisonous spiders.  They are shy and prefer to live in protected cavities outdoors.  The female is about 1.5 inches long with a red hourglass marking on the underside of her spherical abdomen.  The male is about half her size and along with juveniles may be brown with orange, red, or white markings on the back and sides of the abdomen.  Females bite when threatened or protecting an egg sac.  The bite is usually not painful, and may go unnoticed.  The neurotoxin causes intense pain in 1 to 3 hours and may cause breathing difficulties.  Bites may be problematic, especially for infants and elderly.  Call the Poison Center for instructions if bitten.

Centipedes.  Centipedes have a pair of legs for each segment of their body.  Average size is 2-10 inches.  Typically they are outdoors in a dark, moist habitat. They have a pair of venomous claws underneath the head.  Their bite is painful, may cause swelling, but usually subsides quickly.

Millipedes. Black, thin, and usually 1 inch long, they are not poisonous, but can produce an allergic reaction.  Persons handling millipedes will notice a lingering odor on their hands and the fluid can be dangerous to the eyes.  Peaking in April and May, they can invade houses and move across the floor. About 7 years ago, we killed upwards of 100 a day as they lumbered across our carpets; hundreds more were climbing our exterior brick walls.  My research at the time came up with instances in the U. S. where mass migrations of millipedes stopped trains as they crossed the rails and the locomotives lost traction. 

Westador Welcomes New Residents

          On a monthly basis, Hays Utilities (contractor for the Westador Municipal Utility District) provides Bill Streidl with a listing of residences that have had their water turned on or off.  The purpose of this list is to assist the Civic Association in the maintenance of the Residents’ directory, the electronic version of which is distributed quarterly.   The process is not totally accurate for a variety of reasons.

            The most recent list follows, and Westador welcomes these newcomers to the subdivision.  These new residents have been reported by Hays covering the month of March 2006.  Telephone numbers often are subject to change since many new residents have the water turned on before move in and their new telephone numbers have not yet been obtained. Therefore, new residents are urged to contact Bill Streidl at 281-440-6762 or BillS0188@Earthlink.Net to update their information for the directory.  In any event, welcome to -

Some Homeowners Have Not Paid Their Annual Maintenance Assessments for 2005 and Prior as of April 8, 2006

Homeowners who are delinquent on the annual maintenance fees incur interest, collection and legal fees, have lien notices filed on their property, and are prohibited from using common facilities such as the tennis courts, pools, and clubhouses.  This month, three addresses were deleted from the listing where the homeowner had begun making payments, two addresses were deleted where the homeowner paid in full, and one address was deleted due to foreclosure.

The following list of addresses reflect only those homeowners who have a Lien Notice filed on their property or are delinquent for more than one year as of April 8, 2006.  

Also, the Board has authorized stopping the trash and garbage collection service for homeowners who are delinquent for more than one year.  If delinquent homeowners are making monthly payments in accordance with an arranged payment plan, that homeowner’s address will not be listed and trash and garbage collection service will not be suspended unless they cease to comply with the arranged payment plan.

Westador Waves are Still Accepting Swimmers by Gail Wescott

Bring us your swimmers, young and old, we need them all.  There is a good time to be had by everyone, both swimmers and spectators.

You can get a registration form from Blanca Baldwin (281-580-8726), Gail Wescott (281-580-2629), or Beth Ann Lechmann (281-587-8673). You can also register your swimmers at every practice, starting Monday, April 24.

Bring your kids and all their friends; all swimmers are welcome.

Remember, if you have never swam for the Waves before you must bring a birth certificate at the time that you register your child.

Following is the training schedule through June 5.

April 24 – June 5 Practice Times

Waves Summer Schedule

** To be announced

WCERT Sets General Meeting for April 25 by John Danner, WCERT Communications

            Westador residents are invited to attend an informal orientation meeting presented by the Westador Community Emergency Response Team (WCERT) on Tuesday, April 25, 2005 at 7:30 PM at the Cali clubhouse.

            The orientation will include information from the role of “CERTS” in the nation’s overall disaster plan all the way to the CERT’S impact on local emergencies.  While first responders (law enforcement, fire departments, and Ambulance services) are the key elements in the event of a disaster, the CERT provides an important backup for local residents.

The Pride Committee Has Started Annual Inspections by Richard Murphy

The Pride Committee is well into its yearly inspection process.  It will come as no surprise to you that you are looking very good.  With the exception of just a few homes, Westador is “looking good”.  The committee will continue, conclude, and have a formal report, which will be presented to the Deed Restriction Director later in the month.  I am sure your response will be admirable, as usual.  (For those who are apprised of issues, please comply.  The committee will be following up with some to insure that Westador continues with superior curb appeal.) 

Residential Water Shutoffs Scheduled by Hays Utilities

Your Westador MUD Board approved the installation of six new shutoff valves along Nanes to provide more rapid and efficient repair when water line breaks occur as they did during 2005.  Please review the following schedule of planned residential water shutoffs which began April 13, 2006.

April 27               Romaine at Nanes     44 homes affected

       May 11               Drava at Nanes        33 homes affected

                               May 26               Verret at Nanes        56 homes affected

June 15               Marne at Nanes         28 homes affected

June 29               Kanah at Nanes         52 homes affected

The Society for Advancement in Floral Design (SAFD) to Demonstrate

Wedding Floral Designs by Pam Dube

We will be treated to a night of wedding floral design by Arthur Chung for our May meeting.  Arthur, a very talented floral designer, works for Darryl Murchison Design.  He will create for us a wedding party scene to end the 2006 season.  Join us on Tuesday, May 16^th beginning at 6:30 PM.  The meeting will be held at the Cypresswood Creek Christian Center, 6823 Cypresswood Drive. Guests are always welcome.

Westador Flood Relief Project is on Target for May Completion

The Westador MUD / Harris County Flood Control District joint flood relief project is still on target for May 2006 completion.

· The second 5’ by 10’ box culvert drainage structure under Nanes near Maranon is complete and new pavement is open to normal traffic.  This doubles the drainage capacity under Nanes.

· Concrete slope pavement is being installed in the enlarged drainage channel east of Nanes and atop the 180’ long weir structure entrance to the flood relief channel just east of the 1000 block of Baffin.  These improvements provide an alternate path for drainage across the unoccupied land tract purchased by Westador MUD at the north end of Red Oak to the edge of Cypress Creek.

· Excavation of the 5’ deep by 180’ wide relief channel is almost complete.

· Completion of necessary soil and dirt removal will eliminate the heavy truck traffic along Red Oak.  Excavation from Nanes to the channel corner near Zagar will soon result in some truck traffic along Nanes.

This $1.9 million 50% jointly funded project is expected to alleviate house flooding caused by heavy local rainfall but it will not eliminate all street flooding.  It will reduce but not eliminate the level of floodwaters backing into Westador from Cypress Creek in three ways.  First, it has installed flap gates on storm drains in Ponderosa to reduce backflows there and subsequent sheet flow into Westador.  Second, the improvements in Westador’s local drainage system will drain the peak local flow in the system before the flood crest from upstream arrives here.  Third, the water level in the creek where the new channel enters is about one foot lower than the level at the old entrance point.

Westador’s “Super” Neighbors by Bill Streidl

Editor’s Note – There are people in Westador who extend themselves “above and beyond the call of duty”.  Once a quarter, the Westwind plans to feature one of those.  If you know of one, please call Bill Streidl or the Westwind editor.  This month, two “Super” Neighbors were referred to Bill by Mary Tempton.

            Julia Dykes has been a block captain for many years and works to keep the neighborhood free of debris.  She picks up mail, packages, and newspapers when neighbors are away.  And, she shares her plants, expertise, and homemade soup!  She is always friendly and will even feed your animals when you are away!!

Bob McConnell helps everyone on the street.  He welcomes neighbors, helps with home repairs for the widows on the street, sets lawn sprinklers, loans tools, blows the entire cul-de-sac so that no debris washes down the storm drains.  Mary thinks he can do anything!

Resident and Former Resident Featured in the Houston Chronicle

Two of Westador’s own were featured in the Spring – Klein – Tomball section of the March 30 Houston Chronicle.   

Resident Jim Springer is organizing a defibrillator care group.  This group would offer support to those who have defibrillators.  Interested parties can contact Jim at 281-444-2378 or at the website at ICDZap.Com.  He can also be E-Mailed at JSPringer@Houston.RR.Com.

The Egg-Citing Hunt was April 9 by Cindy Poetz

The biggest question for any egg hunt organizer is this:  How do you make sure every child gets to experience the thrill of the hunt, yet still gets their fair share of eggs?

Egg Hunts are never an easy thing to plan, however, this year’s Annual Westador Egg Hunt was simply EGG-CITING!  The event was filled with adventure and every child went home with a heap of treasures.  This event was made possible by the Westador Civic Association, the Westador Women’s Group, Craig Tomasek with Edward Jones, and Ms. Alicia Abril and family.

Thanks to these individuals, the grounds at Cali were covered with over 1200 colorful plastic eggs filled with surprises and chocolate Bunny Money.  Bunny Money was exchanged for cool prizes and a beautiful gift basket, donated by the Easter Bunny, was given away to one lucky winner.  Children jumped in the moonwalk and shared snow cones throughout the afternoon.

The Cypress Creek Flood Control Coalition Undertakes Recalibration of Flood Maps from CCFCC’s “Look Upstream for April 2006

In an undertaking of cooperative teamwork, the Harris County Flood Control District’s (HCFCD) Planning Department working with the Cypress Creek Flood Control Coalition (CCFCC) is doing what FEMA chose not to do  - - - - recalibrate the hydrologic and hydraulic computer models to correct significant deficiencies effecting determination of where major storm waters will flood neighborhoods outside the stream banks in the Cypress Creek watershed.  The findings from an analysis of FEMA’s preliminary flood maps by the Coalition were officially brought to FEMA’s attention a year ago in the appeal process required by law. This appeal included in its justification, as an example, a location where the preliminary flood modeling shows floods will peak in a 100-year storm event at an elevation 4 feet lower than what actually occurred in October l998 as measured by USGS stream gauges in the vicinity of Katy Hockley Road. And this was for a significantly lesser storm event.   Nine months after the appeal was filed, FEMA advised Judge Eckels it was denied and “revision [of the maps] is not warranted”.   When Harris County Flood Control District and the CCFCC - - - recognizing unacceptable risks to appropriate flood damage mitigation were inherent in this decision - - - decided to undertake doing the recalibration at their expense, matters turned from bad to worse when they were handicapped with another contrary  FEMA decision to not wait for the recalibrated models but instead proceed with publication of the deficient map data.