Westador Westwind On-Line

Westador Resident Graduates Fifth at Westfield High

Lindsey Shurtliff of Westador graduated fifth among the top 10 graduates of Westfield High School earning a 5.333 grade point average.       Lindsay has been a resident since she was two and has been active in the Westador Swim team as well as numerous academic activities.

The Westfield High School (WHS) Commencement ceremony was May 30 at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion in the Woodlands.  There were 879 graduates of which 148 graduated with honors. 

July Fourth Parade is to Start at 9 AM July 4^th at Nanes

Our annual parade will strut through Westador on July 4^th beginning at 9 AM. We will assemble outside the Nanes Clubhouse with decorated bikes, horses, antique cars, roller skates, tennis shoes, fire trucks, ambulances, police cars, and whatever else you choose to ambulate with. Upon arrival at Cali we will be able to peruse the fire trucks and entertainment will follow. Then we will have pool games for all. If you need further information please call Richard Murphy.

Westador Teens are Finalists in Local Music Competition

Congratulations are in order to Westador Residents Mark Borengasser, Hannah and Heather Melvin, and Nathan Midcap, teen finalists in the recent Inspire the Desire Gospel Talent Showcase. The show featuring these artistic residents, as well as Ponderosa Forest resident Andrew Parrish, was broadcast on June 13, 2006 on Independent TV (channel 49). Results as to who wins the competition will be aired either late June or early July.

This talented group of teens is part of a new band called “Descry”, and play in the Christian Pop Rock genre. Mark and Nathan are the group’s guitarists, Hannah is on keyboard, and is lead vocalist as well as the music writer, Heather is on the bass, and Andrew plays the drums. Hannah began this competition as a solo performer in October of last year, and picked up the others along the way. She has written about a dozen Christian songs, including one that she wrote and played, “A Prayer of Peace for the Troops in Iraq”, at the Veterans' Day reception held last year in the Cali clubhouse.

The oldest member of the group is all of 16.

Westador MUD Signs Strategic Partnership Agreement with Houston by the WMUD Directors

The second and final public hearing was held in the Nanes clubhouse at 6:30 P M on June 7, 2006 to obtain resident input into the decision process regarding Westador entering a Strategic Partnership Agreement with the City of Houston. Five residents were present and each gave their thoughts on the pros and cons of Westador signing such an agreement. MUD Board Directors likewise gave their thoughts and the attorney for Westador answered several legal questions.

Principal points against signing were that

• some do not trust the City,
• some find the City hard to deal with,
• some feel that such an agreement just lets the City a bit more into Westador, and
• some object to stores at the front of Westador having to collect 8.25% in sales tax rather than the current 7.25%.

Principal points in favor of signing were that

• the City will not annex all or any part of Westador for 30 years,
• the City will pay to Westador MUD half of the 1% sales tax that they collect, and
• Westador will be a less attractive target for annexation at the end of 30 years since the City will be retaining their half of the sales tax.

Only “In-district” retail sales customers of the Westador MUD would be affected. These begin on the west with the LP Auto Parts Store and extend eastward for two half blocks ending with the strip center around Space Liquor. Also beginning on the east with Luby’s and extend westward for two half blocks ending with the strip stores around Dunkin Donuts. The gift shop, flower store and cafeteria in the Medical Center are included. “Out-of-district” customers of the Westador MUD such as those near Red Oak would not be affected. The estimated income to Westador is $20,000 per year.

The Board voted 3 to 2 to sign the agreement. Directors Landwermeyer, Engle and Thomas were in favor. Directors Hague and Streidl were against.

Residential Water Shutoff 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.  On June 29, 2006, the final valve will be installed at Kanah and Nanes (52 homes affected).

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, Hannah and Heather Melvin have been added as babysitters on the Teen Helpers list.

                A new sheet is being printed this month and it should be retained and placed in a convenient location, probably near a telephone. 

Deed Restriction Director Reviews Parking of Certain Vehicles and Trailers in View by Carl Mayes

The Deed Restrictions Committee has sent out numerous deed restriction notices concerning boats, recreational vehicles, and horse and lawn trailers parked on the street and in driveways, all of which are a direct violation of our neighborhood restrictive covenants.  According to Westador's deed restriction summary section 8 paragraph 2, none of these items are to be placed , operated, or maintained on the street or driveway of any lot or within view of any street.  These restrictions are binding on all Westador residents with no exceptions or exemptions and is enforceable in a court of law.  If you own a boat or own or use a trailer for towing or lawn work, please store your equipment in your garage or other approved enclosure completely concealed from view.

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 May 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 to update their information for the directory.  In any event, welcome to -

Bammel Elementary News by Richard Murphy

Jo McDonald, Principal at Bammel El. School, was crowned Elementary Principal of the Year. Jo has wonderful energy and full dedication to Bammel, its students, and staff. She has done wonders in her two years there and looks to a very bright future for all at Bammel Elementary.

Some Homeowners Have Not Paid Their Annual Maintenance Assessments for 2005 and Prior as of June 10, 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 one address was deleted where the homeowner began making payments and two addresses were added where the homeowner had stopped making regular payments.

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 June 10, 2006 (and are not making regular payments).  

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.

Water Exercise Started June 12

Westador Waves are Practicing for Meets

Following is the training schedule for the rest of June.

Waves Summer Schedule

Ponderosa Volunteer Fire Department Round Up

Thank you for supporting our election that will establish sufficient funding for at least ten years. Rest assured, we will continue to be here for you and we pledge to continue our excellent services to our community.

Independence Day is a special day for all of us. We have the opportunity to celebrate our country’s successes based on so many of those who gave their lives for our freedoms. With the block parties, parades and other recreational fun times, we urge you to be extra safe in your driving and use of fireworks.

Most of you know our position on fireworks --- Don’t Buy Them. We firmly believe that fireworks should be left in the hands of people who are trained to handle them safely. When parents allow their children to use fireworks without direct supervision --- well, you know the outcome of that---.

We are especially concerned with “mortars”. They are spectacular, however all it takes is to load the shell improperly, knock over the firing tube, or experience some other type of “accident”. Subdivision homeowners’ associations have certain rules in place to prevent excess noise and some have deed restrictions that prohibit the use of fireworks. Use your best judgment, be mindful of your neighbors and remember the risk factor.

Hurricane season is here (again). Have a family meeting so that all understand the dangers and what you can do to prepare for long-term power outages and the potential for a lack of food supplies. Your plans should include at least three days of supplies. We believe our water systems are very reliable. Our citizens run our water districts and they have installed generators and inter-district emergency connections to maintain constant water supplies.

If there is an evacuation for any reason, you need to know how to turn off your main electrical breaker (if you do not have a main breaker, turn off all circuit breakers), and you should turn off the natural gas meter. There is a 90-degree valve at the gas meter inlet. When you return, you should turn on circuits one at a time, and if you don’t know how to re-light pilot lights – Don’t.

In the event the 9-1-1 is not working for any reason, our direct emergency number is 281-444-FIRE (3473).

WCERT General Meeting for June 22 is to Focus on Hurricane Preparedness by John Danner, WCERT Communications

            Westador residents are invited to attend all general meetings of the Westador Community Emergency Response Team (WCERT) on the fourth Thursday of each month at 7:30 PM at the Cali clubhouse. 

CFCC Provides Information and Statistics About Flooding

The Cypress Creek Flood Control Coalition (CCFCC) is a volunteer organization that works to influence Harris County government and others to better control the floodwaters along Cypress Creek. CCFCC furnished most of the following data. Westador resident Gordon Landwermeyer is one of nine CCFCC directors.

• A study commissioned by the Harris County Flood Control District shows that the peak flow of storm water runoff into Cypress Creek after a major storm would be four times greater under fully developed conditions than under completely undeveloped conditions.
• Land development continues relentlessly in Northwest Houston. Detention ponds build by developers limit this flooding effect to some degree, but only a portion of developed regions are tied to functional ponds.
• Two out of every three natural disasters in America are floods.
• One-third of flood loss claims are from property outside the mapped 100-year flood plain.
• Harris county has . . .

o The most repetitive flood losses in the U.S. (with one exception in Louisiana).

o An average NFIP flood insurance premium of $409 per year.

• In Harris County during Tropical Storm Allison . . .

o Over 73,000 homes flooded (2 of every 3 were not insured).

o 95,000 cars and trucks were damaged.

o 22 people lost their lives.

o Property damage exceeded $5 billion.

o Is referred to by the government as an Off-the-chart storm, but it did not set rainfall records for the Cypress Creek area.

• It is believed the greatest single cause of flooding in local watersheds attributable to man (vs. nature) is his failure to construct adequate regional watershed infrastructure ahead of urban development.
The 320 square miles of Cypress Creek Watershed has no implemented regional flood protection infrastructure plan even though it is the largest of the 22 watersheds in Harris County.

Westador is in a Favorable Position When it Comes to Disaster Events         

Aside from physical damage, two problems that can occur in the event of a disaster are the availability of water and power.

Water – Westador’s Municipal Utility District (MUD) has set up a diesel-powered generator to provide power in the event of an electrical power outage.  This generator is systematically checked by the district to insure that it will be operational when needed.  A similar generator has been set up to insure the continuance of wastewater transfer to the Ponderosa Joint Powers Sewage plant.  Back up fuel suppliers have been arranged in order to operate both generators if power has been interrupted for an extended period of time.

Residents should accumulate a three-day supply of water for each family member, both potable and non-potable.  Even with excellent disaster protection provided by the MUD, there is always a possibility that water supply could be interrupted.

Power – The Northwest Medical Center is served by the same system that serves much of Westador, especially the eastern portion of Westador.  Accordingly, even with system wide power failures, priority should be given to restoring power to all medical facilities.  Restoring power to the Medical Center will also restore power to some of Westador.

Even so, residents should prepare for as much as a week without power.  Be sure to have batteries for lighting and radios (or rechargeable substitutes).  Hurricane lamps and candles can provide a limited amount of light, but should be considered to be a fire hazard.

Hurricane Preparedness was Presented by Harris County at the May 25^th WCERT Meeting by John Danner, WCERT Communications

            The Harris County Office of Emergency Management made a presentation on hurricane preparedness at the May 25^th WCERT meeting.  About 40 residents attended. The plans of the governmental groups with respect to preparedness were shown, especially regarding evacuation matters.  A theme to evacuation was “Run from water; hide from wind”.  Since Westador is not in any storm surge zone (generally no further north than I-10), evacuation is generally not recommended.  Evacuation routes were overextended in the Rita evacuation, in part, because many families took more vehicles than necessary and residents (such as those in Westador) who did not need to evacuate joined in the traffic.

Mosquito season is in full swing by Jerry Butler, Environmental Services Director

Since things are about to get worse due to the annual re-emergence of the more aggressive Asian Tiger mosquito around the 4^th of July, it bears repeating what Dr. Jim Olson, Texas A&M entomologist, told us when he made a presentation to Westador residents last summer.

According to Dr. Olson, Houston subdivisions are “target-rich” environments for 50 or more of the world’s 2,500 mosquito species, including the potentially deadly culex variety.  And, your own backyard may be a prime breeding ground.  While our commercial spraying aids in control, the best measure is to make sure nothing you have outside holds water.  Since it takes about a week for mosquitoes to hatch and fly away, emptying your flowerpot bases frequently and cleaning your gutters will be effective. When you look for these trouble spots, don’t forget to check your in-ground water meter.  You can purchase “mosquito dunks” on EBay and at Home Depot and other hardware and garden stores for about $1.50 for 6 of these doughnut-shaped larvacides.  Drop one of them in your birdbath or fishpond; they will last at least 30 days and are harmless to fish and other animals.  Put them in your gutters.  Drop another one in your in-ground water meter, or your roof gutter, even your street drain.  If you attach a washer or nut, they won’t float away easily.  Have holes in your trees?  Some species love those to breed in.  Dr. Olson recommends filling the holes with sand.

Dr. Olson frowns on installing indiscriminate house perimeter spray systems that are new in the marketplace.  Though advertised as “natural” ingredients, that doesn’t make them “safe,” says Dr. Olson.  He also says that mosquito “magnets” and bug-zappers attract more mosquitoes than they kill.  Amber street lamps and house bulbs attract fewer mosquitoes than the white versions. If you purchase a hand-held fogger, Dr. Olson recommends starting close to your house and spraying outwards to “herd” them away from your house and your neighbors’ houses.

Though there are new products on the market, Dr. Olson still endorses “deet” as the active ingredient in personal repellant sprays.  You can further improve your “stealthiness” to mosquitoes by wearing loose-fitting, light-colored clothing with subtle color contrasts.