This Week in Westcreek 
 
P ublished Weekly by the VWOA Communications Committee
December 12, 2016 Edition! 

"The joy of brightening other lives, bearing each others' burdens, easing others' loads and supplanting empty hearts and lives with generous gifts becomes for us the magic of the holidays."   ~  W. C. Jones

Banner - Board of Directors and Conference Room Table
VWOA BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING
Open to All Owners

Thursday, December 15, 2016 @ 7:00 P.M.
VWOA Community Center Hall
12395 Military Drive West, San Antonio, Texas 78253

Click here to view the Agenda!

On November 10, 2016, the Board of Directors approved the "2017 VWOA Annual Budget and Homeowner Assessments."

Official notifications are being mailed to every homeowner's "mailing address of record", on file in the Association Office.

Reminder:  Your 1st Quarter Assessment of $99 is due on January 1, 2017.

Dear Homeowners,
 
Our community is being inundated with utility companies, laying fiber or other utility lines within the area.  Please be observant when any of these vehicles are around.  While it may not be their intention to turn around in an area and affect private property, sometimes their tires might land where they are not supposed to.  We believe that both AT&T and Trifecta vehicles are in the area.

It was reported to our office that one of these companies has affected and tore up a walkway on Creek Ash. 
 
So if you see these vehicles within your area, just make note of the name of the company, get a phone number and license plates, in case you need to file a damage report.


Sylvia Mennel
Assistant Community Manager 

Join your neighbors for a quick game of FREE BINGO at the VWOA Community Center Hall, on Tuesday, December 13, 2016, from 12:00 P.M. till 2:00 P.M.

Bring your own snacks!

We will provide Iced Tea and Popcorn!
FIT CLUB - FREE CLASS

CORE de FORCE
(MMA Speed Punch, Kick and Sweat!)

Join Lisa Williams for a 30 minute workout!

December 19, 2016, at 5:00 P.M. in the VWOA Community Center Hall!

Now's the perfect time to plant trees with Greenshade Rebates

For property owners interested in increasing the tree canopy at their homes or businesses, we suggest taking advantage of CPS Energy Green Shade Tree Rebates.  The rebates reward those who plant a minimum five-gallon tree of select native species on the west, south or east side of a home or building with a $50 credit on their CPS Energy bill.

The offer runs between now and April 30. All you have to do is save your receipt and fill out this  Green Shade Tree Rebate form. Rebates are limited to five, or $250, per customer address.  Since its inception in 2009, 8,600 have been planted.

Before you start digging, don't forget to Call 811 Before You Dig. Not only could you damage an underground utility line when shoveling, utility line damage can occur later as the tree matures. Roots may interfere with utility lines and disrupt service, requiring removal. Also, trees planted too close to buildings can damage foundations.

Click Here for more information!
Please stop the VWOA Office by close of business on December 19, 2016, and fill out a card for our military members in military hospitals this season.

Last year, over 100 cards were mailed to Walter Reed Medical Center in Washington D.C. and San Antonio Military Medical Center to our heroes who couldn't be home for the Holidays!

Let's Supports Our Wounded Warriors

This holiday lighting contest is open to all residents of the Villages of Westcreek Owners' Association who are in good standing. 
 
Applications must be turned in to the office by 5:00 P.M. on December 13, 2016. 
 
Judging will take place on December 13, 2016, and will start at 6:00 P.M., and end at 8:00 P.M.  Please make sure your lights are on during this time.
 
Prizes will be awarded for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place. 
 
Good luck!  Please contact the office at 210-679-8761 if you have any questions.

Click here to download Holiday Lighting Contest Application! 

If you adopted one of our special "Angels" this year, this is just a reminder that all gifts must be returned to the office, unwrapped, no later than Wednesday, December 14, 2016. 

If you have any questions please call the VWOA office at 210-679-8761.

We thank you all for helping all these Angels!

COME CELEBRATE WITH SANTA IN THE PARK

Santa & his elf arrive on the Polar Express in the Sports Park, on Friday, December 16, 2016, at 6:00 P.M.  Santa will be available for pictures and will hand out candy canes to the children.

FREE Hot Cocoa

FREE Movie in the Park - Polar Express

FREE  Admission Homeowners (Members in Good Standing)

Food Vendor will be available!

Holiday Lighting Contest Winners to be Announced! 

$5 Admission fee for Guests accompanied by the Homeowner - A portion of fee will be donated to the San Antonio Food Bank

VWOA Historical Research Sub-committee - Call for Information

The "VWOA Historical Research Sub-committee" has begun our research and need your help on this project.  Specifically, we need the following:
 
OLD PHOTOS
  • If you have old pictures of the Villages of Westcreek from the early years, we would be so grateful if you would share them with the committee. 
FIRST HOUSE SOLD
  • We are trying to identify the 1st home sold in the Villages of Westcreek.  We believe this home would be in "The Oaks," possibly on James Vincent.  Who was the original homeowner and do they still live in the community?
BUILDERS
  • Who were the home builders in Westcreek?  What were home prices then compared to today? 
BOARD MEMBERS  
  • We are trying to compile a comprehensive listing of all homeowners who have ever served on the Board of Directors.  If you served on the Board of Directors, especially in those early years, we would like to hear from you.
OLD DOCUMENTS/NEWSLETTERS 
  • Copies of past standards (1991, 1994, 1998, 2004, and 2010)
  • Copies of early newsletters (1987 thru  2000)
WHERE TO SEND INFORMATION
  • Please send it to FrancisLomax@aol.com.  Please include "VWOA History" in the "Subject Line."  You can also contact Francis Lomax at 210-233-8655, if you have any questions.
This is an awesome opportunity to do something to preserve our history for future residents.

NEXT COMMITTEE MEETING
  • December 12, 2016, at 6:00 P.M., in the VWOA Community Center Conference Room. This is an open meeting and all are invited to attend!
Francis Lomax  
Chair, VWOA Historical Research Sub-committee

 
The Architectural Review Committee will not be meeting on December 20, 2016, and December 27, 2016.
 
If you wish to do any improvements to the exterior of your property over the upcoming holidays, please note the following schedule:  

Submit Your PIA by:
The ARC will Review it on:

December 20, 2016 - Meeting Canceled!

December 27, 2016 - Meeting Canceled!
December 10 thru December 30, 2016
January 3, 2017

 
This weekend around the house, inspect all fencing on your property and repair/replace all leaning, damaged, rotten or missing pickets/posts.
 
NOTE:  The Standards Monitors will be focusing on fence issues over the next few weeks during their inspections.
Let's Make Westcreek Beautiful!
Crime Report
Reported Crimes
  • No crimes reported to the VWOA Office!
  • Please remember to be observant in your neighborhood.  
  • Report any suspicious activities or persons to the Bexar County Sheriff's Office at 210-335-6000.
  • If you see graffiti or vandalism in the Villages of Westcreek, please report it to the office at 210-679-8761. 

If you shop online, you need to know the difference between http:// and https://.

The main difference between http:// and https:// is about security.   

HTTP stands for Hyper Text Transport Protocol,which is just a fancy way of saying it's a protocol (a language, in a manner of speaking) for information to be passed back and forth between web servers and clients.

The important thing is the letter S which makes the difference between HTTP and HTTPS. 
The S (big surprise) stands for "Secure". If you visit a website or webpage, and look at the address in the web browser, it will likely begin with the following: http://.  This means that the website is talking to your browser using the regular 'unsecure' language.  In other words, it is possible for someone to "eavesdrop" on your computer's conversation with the website. If you fill out a form on the website, someone might see the information you send to that site. This is why you never ever enter your credit card number in an http website! 

But if the web address begins with https://, that basically means your computer is talking to the website in a secure code that no one can eavesdrop on. You understand why this is so important, right?  If a website ever asks you to enter your credit card information, you should automatically look to see if the web address begins with https://.  If it doesn't, there's no way you're going to enter sensitive information like a credit card number. 

Please share this information with family and friends that make online purchases.  It could save them a lot of grief! 
Get a Pet Rescue Alert Sticker

This easy-to-use sticker will let people know that pets are inside your home. Make sure it is visible to rescue workers (we recommend placing it on or near your front door), and that it includes the types and number of pets in your home as well as the name and number of your veterinarian. If you must evacuate with your pets, and if time allows, write "EVACUATED" across the stickers.

To get a free emergency pet alert sticker for your home, please fill out our online order form and allow 6-8 weeks for delivery. Your local pet supply store may also sell similar stickers.



Westcreek resident Michelle de Jongh prepares a weekly list of "Things to do in San Antonio." 

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Click here to download and print!
Alarm/Security Signs

Alarm or security signs which identify a home as being protected by electronic security systems are permitted, but shall be no larger than two (2) square feet and must be placed within five (5) feet from the front foundation and as close as possible to the main entrance. A maximum of one (1) sign is permitted.
 
Click here to view the  2016 Standards!

 

In what ways do you hold yourself back?