April - Woodforest Civic Association, Inc.

Woodforest
Gazette
W F
A Monthly Publication of the Woodforest Civic Association April 2010
The Yards of the Month for March are 13103 Tregarnon
owned by Mr & Mrs Robert Ramsden, and 378 Freeport
Street, owned by Mr & Mrs Juan Guzman.
The March Yards of the Month are sponsored by Gibbs
Car Care and Jazz Cafe.
Residents whose yards are chosen for Yard of the Month must have all assessments current and have no open
deed restriction violations. Yards of the Month are nominated by residents as well as by members of the Deed
Restriction Committee, and Block Captains. If you know of a yard that looks great on a regular basis, please let the
WCA office know about it. Two yards are chosen each month and a list of winners is kept so that no yard is chosen
more than once in a two year period.
Come on Down!
It’s the Woodforest
Second Annual Open House
Saturday May 8, 2010
10:00AM-2:00PM
Join us once again at the Woodforest Civic
Office for an Open House sponsored by your
Block Captains.
Block Captains serve as the “Welcoming
Committee” to greet new residents. They also act as
liaisons between the residents of their “blocks” and the
various WCA committees. They report out-of-the-ordinary
events they see in the neighborhood, they note
and nominate yards of the month and become the “go
to” people for community questions or concerns.
Board members and committee chairmen will
be there to answer your questions and listen to your
comments. There will be a tour of the civic office, a
place for you to sign up for committees, get forms for
the Service Referral Program, and Garage Sales and so
much more. Information packets and brochures will be
available as well as refreshments.
*** Notes ***
Garage sales are limited to 2 per year
per residence and they may only be
held on Saturday. It is necessary that
you fill out a form with the WCA office
the Thursday before the Saturday
of your sale.
A $25 security deposit is required and a “Garage Sale” sign
will be given to you. When you return the sign, your $25
will be returned. If you fail to follow these guidelines, and
have an “unauthorized” garage sale, you will be in violation
of the deed restrictions and a $50 fine will be imposed along
with the violation letter. Repeat garage sales constitutes a
business and is also a deed restriction violation.
A resident trying to take pictures of a deed
restriction violation had his glasses trampled
when the resident whose property was
being photographed objected to the pictures.
That was not very neighborly.
Any guesses about who cleaned
the entrance to Rivergrove on
March 14, 2010? Sure looks
better doesn’t it?
The entrance sign at Woodforest
and Haymarket is now
complete, thanks to insurance
money. Good job!
Assessments were due in the office no later than
January 31 unless you signed up for a payment
plan. If you haven’t paid yet be prepared to pay
a late fee and possibly have your trash service
suspended.

Woodforest Gazette page - 2 - April 2010
Meeting Highlights March 9, 2010
The meeting was called to order at 6:40 by President Debbie
Lonon. At that time only 4 board members were present so an official
meeting could not be held. Five is the minimum number of
board members to hold an official meeting. However eleven residents
were present and an open forum was conducted so that all residents
who were in attendance could voice their concerns.
Residents’ concerns were mainly about deed restriction violations
on their street that they thought were not being addressed.
Poor lawn care, barking dogs and group homes headed the list.
Several Rivergrove residents asked that the sign at the end of
Grand Oaks and Woodforest remain “Rivergrove” and not be changed
to “Woodforest”. They stated that the deed to their property reads
“Rivergrove Garden Homes”.
While the discussion was underway, another board member
came in, making the required number of board members, and a short
business meeting was held immediately after the open discussion. In
this abbreviated business meeting, the following items were discussed:
• Beginning in March, 2 homeowners each month will be
turned over to the legal department for repetitive deed restriction violations.
Two have already been sent to the attorney to process.
• Political signs need to be removed from yards. It is
against the deed restrictions to leave them longer than seven days after
the election.
• Residents who park 18 wheelers at their place of residence
will be sent a violation letter. Second notices will be assessed fines.
WCA Financial Report March 5, 2010
Deposits $110,477.43
Disbursements $64,343.00
Rent $776.89
Utilities $505.05
Electricity, water, sewer, telephone, internet, copy
machine lease, postage meter lease, alarm monitoring
Street lights $11,462.28
Garbage Pick up $38,662.74
Payroll $3928.80
Landscaping $0.00
Forced mows, cul-de-sacs
Newsletter $1323.90
Printing, supplies, postage
Legal $3023.09
Computer support $179.95
Office Supplies $0.00
Computer Repair $70.00
Printing $110.00
D&O Insurance $2511.56
Property Tax $38.75
Harris Co, Water Dist, GPISD
Yard of the Month Sponsor
GIBBS CAR CARE
3604 Fairmont Parkway
Pasadena TX 77504
HOURS: Mon-Fri 7-6, Sat 7-4
PHONE: 281-487-6606 CELL: 281-728-4771
http://GibbsCarCare.Mechanicnet.com
e-mail - KellyGibbs4@yahoo.com
Committee Reports
Deed Restriction/ACC: This committee
meets the first Thursday of every month
at 6:30PM at the WCA office. Their
purpose is to review all violations and
ACC requests.
Thirteen ACC requests were received from February 6 to
March 5, nine of those were approved and 4 are pending.
Of the 190 total violations reviewed, 20 were corrected
and closed out. Seventy five first letters were sent, sixty five violations
are pending correction or a second letter. Fifteen certified
letters were sent, 9 were levied fines. There are 15 very old ones
that need to be updated and either rewritten or closed out. Thank
you letters are now being sent to residents who correct their violations
promptly.
Two repeat violators are being sent to the attorney for legal
action each month. The March files will be in the attorney’s
hands before the end of the week.
Block Captains: The Block Captains met on Tuesday March 2
to begin planning for the 2010 Open House to be held Saturday
May 8, from 10:00AM - 2:00PM.
The next Block Captain meeting will be Tuesday April
6, 2010 at 6:30 at the WCA office. Willing participants are always
needed and your help will be welcomed.
Last year’s Open House was a success and we hope to
make this one even bigger and better.
Community Awareness: Community awareness includes Yard
of the Month, Block Captains and the Newsletter.
If you have something you would like to see in the
newsletter, get it to the WCA office before the 20th of the
month. Please DO NOT call the office with your information.
Either e-mail it, send it in the regular mail or bring it by the office.
The staff will see that it gets to the editor for consideration.
Yards of the Month are chosen by the Deed Restriction
Committee and the Block Captains. However residents can
nominate someone whose yard they feel is attractive. Any business
or person can sponsor a yard of the month. The cost is
$107 and for that the sponsor gets a business card sized ad in the
Gazette, and the recipient gets a $100 American Express gift
card.
xxxxxxxxxxx
Calling All Cooks
The Community Awareness Committee is
researching the idea of putting together a cookbook
for Woodforest Civic Association as a special fundraiser.
Any money made from the sale of the cookbooks will
only be used for special projects by the Community Awareness
Committee. The projects the Committee is working on are sprucing
up the entrance esplanades, replacing damaged entrance signs,
adding more yards of the month, and purchasing signs announcing
the meeting night. If you have ideas for other projects for the
money raised, they will be considered as well.
The cookbook will contain recipes submitted from residents
in a number of categories such as Appetizers, Soups and Salads,
Vegetables and Side Dishes, Main Dishes, Breads, Desserts,
as well as Cookies and Candy. We will need a minimum of 200
recipes, so if you have a favorite recipe you’d like to share, we’d
like to talk with you.
However, the committee will need to pre-sell enough
books to cover the cost of the printing before the order goes to the
printer.

Woodforest Gazette page - 3 - April 2010
Recommended by ---
We want to give you a chance to pass on
information about service people who may have done
work for you in the past and you want to recommend
them. Or they may have performed unsatisfactorily, we want to
know that too.
These are services recommended by Woodforest residents,
for Woodforest residents, and include anything pertaining to your
home, either inside or out. Some of the categories are plumbing,
electrical, painting, landscaping, yard work, patio covers, and house
cleaning.
This is not a advertisement for these companies. No service
company phone numbers will be published in the newsletter, but
the WCA office will have them available for you.
Forms are available at the WCA office and on the WCA
website. No company’s name will be listed in the column unless
there is a form on file in the WCA office. All forms submitted will
be kept in a book in the WCA office so that the information is readily
available for reference.
Woodforest Civic Association is providing
access to the information only and is not responsible
for the accuracy of the information
or the type of work the company performs.
Yard of the Month Sponsor
Contemporary Creole
and
Southern Style Menu
HOURS
Mon - Thurs 11AM-9PM
Fri- Sat 11AM-Midnight
Closed Sunday
Coming Soon
Live Entertainment
180 Uvalde
Woodforest Square Shopping Center
832-413-5718
www.jazzcafehouston.com
Editor’s Corner
The opinions in this column are strictly those of the Gazette
Editor and staff and are not necessarily those of the WCA
Board or staff.
Each month this newsletter asks for volunteers,
yet we have very few residents who volunteer for anything. Those
that do, work hard and you can see the fruits of their labors and we
thank them greatly for their contributions. This editorial is not
about them.
This column is about the residents that don’t volunteer, the
ones that contact the office and gripe because they don’t think
things are getting done, or they are not getting done fast enough.
We have become a “Little Red Hen” subdivision. Everybody wants
something done, nobody wants to get involved, but everybody
wants to share in the end result.
Are you the type of resident that only comes to the
monthly meetings when you have a complaint, or do you come to
hear what’s going on in your neighborhood and volunteer your
help? In a bacon and egg breakfast, the chicken is involved, but the
pig is committed. Are you committed to helping the community
change or are you just involved in the wanting it changed part?
This is YOUR subdivision, what are YOU doing to help it grow?
From the
President’s Desk
Clocks have moved forward for Spring and neighbors will be
heading outside to enjoy some warmer days or get started on
spring cleanup projects. For painting, repairs or changes to your
home, PRIOR APPROVAL is required. Please stop by the office
to complete and submit an ACC Form before starting any
project. The Deed Restriction Committee will also be patrolling
their areas to ensure compliance to the guidelines.
The County should be, if not already, preparing to mow esplanades
- goodbye to the weeds and clover that have plagued us!
The Yard of the Month program is interested in yard nominations
and sponsors for a winner. Please contact the office for details.
One of our early projects this year was to get the Woodforest
entrance sign at Haymarket/Beltway rebuilt. Thanks to an astute
resident that provided information, we received funds from the
responsible party’s insurance carrier. We were able to include
refacing the name of Rivergrove to the entrance sign and should
be affixed sometime this month. We are aware that one more entrance
sign needs to be rebuilt. It is on the list of concerns, as is
finishing the curbside numbers, and the security status.
It is important that funds are received to pay for services and
fees during the current year, and funding not received can severely
jeopardize pending or future projects for the community.
I’d like to thank the residents who have paid their assessments,
and issue a reminder that if you haven’t paid yet, you are seriously
LATE. According to policy, each $250 assessment (per
lot basis), plus late fee accruals will now cost you $320.00. I
urge those residents to submit payment promptly to avoid suspension
of trash service and the $25 reconnect service fee
Enjoy Spring, but be careful on those ladders because I look
forward to seeing many of you at our upcoming 2nd Annual
Open House where we can meet, greet and share ideas with one
another!
Sounds of Summer
The sounds of lawn mowers, weed eaters
and moans and groans from winter weary residents
can be heard all over the neighborhood as they
tackle dead grass and frozen shrubs.
If you need help with your yard work, contact the WCA
office and the Good Neighbor Squad will contact you and try to
assist you.
Deed Restrictions Section 18.0 pertains to Landscaping.
Article 18.2: Lot owners are responsible for the upkeep and appearance
of front yards, including but not limited to the portion of
the street right of way between the property line and the curb.
Article 18.4: Planting beds are not to exceed 50% of the total front
yard area.
Article 18.7: Planting beds and front lawns are required to be
properly irrigated, fertilized, pruned and kept free of weeds.
Article 18.9 Potted plants placed in areas and/or locations other
than the front porch shall be of a uniform size, shall be limited to 6
in number, shall not exceed 15 gallons in size and must be positioned
in a pleasing and organized manner.
Article 18.10 Trellises, window boxes, arbors and permanent brick
borders that are visible must have ACC approval.
Article 18.12 Artificial plants, trees, shrubs, etc are not allowed as
part of the landscaping.
In addition to the above cautions, PLEASE DO NOT sweep
or blow grass clippings or leaves into the street or the storm sewer.
The next time it rains really hard, your house could be the one with
water in it.

W
F
Woodforest Civic Association, Inc.
13439 Woodforest Blvd
Houston TX 77015
Board of Directors
Debbie Lonon Pres
Beci Largent 1st VP
Layton Hobbs 2nd VP
Marvis Carr Sec
Eileen Unger Treas
Joe Zatopek DR/ACC
James Ballard
Harold Baxley
Leigh Ann Bennett
Ed Coleman
Mary Rodriguez
Office Hours:
Mon-Fri 9:00AM-6:00PM
April Calendar of Events
D/R -ACC
Block Captains
Board Meeting
Thur, April 1, 6:30PM
Tues, April 6, 6:30PM
Tues, April 13, 6:30PM
Upcoming Events
Open House Sat, May 1, 10AM-2PM
April 1 - Trash service
will be cut off to those
residents who still owe
assessments.
PH: 713-453-1503 • FX 713-450-2920 • woodforest@comcast.net • www.woodforestcivicassociation.com
Speeders on Woodforest
Speeding has always been a concern on Woodforest Blvd, but after the street was
widened and the speed limit was raised to 35 MPH, the speeding just got worse. Speeds
reach as high as 60 MPH at times. School busses and Sheriff’s cars are as guilty of speeding
as other vehicles, and tractor trailers with loads of pipe act as though it’s part of the
freeway.
The accident pictured on the right happened on 03/12/2010 at the corner of
Woodforest and Barbara Mae during school hours, and the photo was sent to us by a concerned
resident. This was not the first accident and surely won’t be the last if something
isn’t done about the speeders.
The resident who sent this to us has been fighting to get some kind of speed
controls along Woodforest since July of last year. It seems his pleas have fallen on deaf
ears. Our elected officials don’t seem to care what happens in
Woodforest now that their projects are completed.
If you are interested in joining the fight to get the speeding
down on Woodforest, you can contact the WCA office and they will
put you in touch with those of us who are concerned with the safety
of the residents and our school children.
Write the following officials or you can also contact them at:
Ed Emmett, County Judge
Sylvia Garcia, Commissioner
Adrian Garcia, Sheriff
Ken Jones, Constable
Dr Mark Henry, Supt GPISD
Jeff Miller, Pres GPISD board
judge.emmett@cjo.hctx.net
713-755-4000
sylvia.garcia@pct2.co.harris.tx.us
713-455-8104
adrian.garcia@sheriff.hctx.net
713-221-6000
no e-mail address
281-427-4792
mhenry@galenaparkisd.com
832-386-1000
jmiller@galenaparkisd.com
832-386-1000
BE WARNED!!!
Signs at the entrances to all
sections of the subdivision say that you cannot park a
tractor trailer from 10PM to 6AM. This is a county law and these
vehicles can and will be towed. It is also a WCA deed restriction
that you cannot park them in the subdivision at any time.
If you park a vehicle on your lawn, leave an inoperable
vehicle in your driveway, park an RV or boat on the
street or in your driveway, you will receive a deed restriction
violation letter. The Texas Property Code allows for
fines of up to $200 per day to be levied for these violations.
Yes, you do own your house and property, but when your house
was built, the subdivision developed restrictive covenants that
govern which activities are acceptable and which ones are not.
When you purchased your home, you agreed to abide by these
covenants, whether you realized it or not.
Even if you rent your home , you are still
obligated to follow these restrictive covenants.