Thanksgiving offers us a time to sit back and reflect on all the things we should be grateful for - both personally and professionally.   Like many of us, we will begin to get wrapped up in the holiday madness and maybe forget to thank the people that help us day-in and day-out, those who work the long hours, and miss time with their own family to make the lives of families in the community just that much better.   It's important to take extra time during the holidays to pause, reflect, recharge, and re-commit to bringing gratitude to life.   For me, part of that process is reflecting on the ways we can bring more thankfulness into our leadership.   Not just because it's the "nice" thing to do but because it is a crucial part to building community relationships.   Giving thanks is about making people feel valued and when people feel valued, they are inspired to act more.   Gratitude is a selfless act and when action is taken unconditionally it shows people they are appreciated, and it becomes infectious.   It is also a sign of wisdom and maturity and an ingrained hallmark of humility.

 

The latest brain research shows that six doses of feeling 30 seconds of gratitude daily (a whopping 3 minutes a day) will enable your neurons to fire together and wire together around gratitude within a mere two weeks.   This means you'll more easily and frequently access the feeling of gratitude.   It will help you feel better and see the good things in life.   When combined   with a gratitude practice, you will be able to anchor that positive feeling into your brain and body, thus being able to call on that positive emotional reserve whenever you need to.   That power will give you the edge you need to quickly pivot during a stressful situation and allow you to focus not only on the present and how you can turn things around, but on hidden opportunities to be grateful.   

Submitted by:  Judi Cannon, VWOA Treasurer

When our community was developed, the developer filed with the state a series of documents designed to uphold the integrity of our community and spell out the duties of our association, and the responsibilities of each of us, the owners. Those documents are often referred to as the governing documents are made up of the Articles of Incorporation, the Bylaws, and the CC&R's (Conditions, Covenants & Restrictions). 

• The Articles of Incorporation is a short document that is filed with the Secretary of State. It simply states that a non-profit corporation is being formed (our community association). 
• The Bylaws dictate the powers and duties of the Board of Directors (when meetings occur, how the Board is elected, etc.) 
• The CC&R's dictate the powers and duties of the corporation and regulate both the physical characteristics of our development and the lifestyles of our residents.

Of all of the governing documents, the CC&R's are often the least understood but inarguably the most important. In order to close escrow on your home, you signed a series of papers, one of which stated that you had read the CC&R's and agree to abide by them. When escrow closed, you entered into a contractual agreement with the other owners in our community to conform to the dictates of those CC&R's. This is where some owners get confused. The confusion, however, is easily cleared up once the CC&R's are read, or re-read as the case may be. After all, how many of you read and understood the CC&R's before closing escrow? Those that did are to be applauded. The rest of us have had to take a crash-course on the CC&R's through trial and error.

Often, we have found out that we are in non-compliance to the CC&R's or Rules & Regulations (i.e. Standards, Administrative Resolutions and Forced Maintenance documents) through correspondence received by our management company. So, we dust off that old copy of the CC&R's (it took me half a day to remember where it was) and, sure enough, there it is in black and white, the exact restriction that we completely forgot about. Being responsible owners, we correct the situation and, armed with a new-found knowledge of our CC&R's, we continue with our lives, undisturbed (that is, until we "forget" something else and have to go through the process once again).

Often, we focus on the "pain in the neck" aspect of our CC&R's, but by doing so we miss the real beauty of their purpose. The CC&R's provide a structural framework to help residents of different backgrounds, ideals, and perceptions to live together in harmony and by doing so, the community and our property values benefit. If we had no architectural controls (as spelled out in the CC&R's) or no ability to correct violations of the Rules & Regulations (also spelled out in the CC&R's) i.e. Standards, Administrative Resolutions and Forced Maintenance documents, then there would be no harmony and ultimately our community and our property values would suffer. In other words, the CC&R's are good business...they help ensure that our property values are maintained, and our investments protected. 

• Example: What would the impact on your property values be if your neighbor decided to repair automobiles in his parking area as a part-time job and decided to advertise with a big sign he nailed to the roof of his building? Furthermore, in order to attract attention to the sign, he painted his building bright red. This example may be a little over the top, but it applies equally to the neighbor who doesn't maintain his/her living area. The bottom line is that your property values would suffer. No one would want to buy your home and have to live next to such "chaos". Since market values are affected by the law of supply and demand, if the demand (or attractiveness) of your community is poor, then the supply (or cost) is reduced. When the demand is high (the community is aesthetically attractive) then the supply (or property values) are increased. The CC&R's promote conformity, which encourages harmony, which has a positive impact on the value of our community.

So, the next time you get a note from the management company explaining why you are in non-compliance with the CC&R's or Rules and Regulations (i.e. Standards, Administrative Resolutions and Forced Maintenance documents), take a moment to remember what the spirit of the CC&R's embrace (protection of your investment) and be thankful that our Board of Directors are taking their job seriously and are working to protect, preserve and enhance our property values.

 CLICK HERE to view the CC&R's

 

• City of San Antonio Planning Department Annexation website
• City of San Antonio Annexation PowerPoint Presentation
• City of San Antonio Annexation Brochure 
• An Interactive Annexation Map 
• Informational letter to homeowners/voters

 

The VWOA Office will be closed on the following dates during the month of November. 

 

HOW TO ADOPT AN ANGEL

Residents wishing to Adopt an Angel can visit the office. Simply, choose a tag from our Angel Tree, turn it around and you will see items needed for girls and boys, from tops and bottoms, to personal items.  All gifts must be returned to the office, wrapped, no later than Monday, December 17, 2018. For our Westcreek children and families, the gifts brought in can be picked up in the office by the families, or the office staff will deliver to homes.

 

CLICK HERE to download Angel Tree Registration Form!

The Villages of Westcreek Owners' Association will be sponsoring our Christmas Bazaar on Saturday, December 8, 2018, from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM in the Community Center.  If you are a vendor and would like to participate in this event, contact the VWOA Office at 210-679-8761. 

VENDOR INFORMATION

• Only one vendor per product type will be allowed
• Space is on a first come first serve basis 
• Spots are $25 each

WESTCREEK FARMERS MARKET

T he VWOA is hosting a Farmers Market from 9:00 AM till 4:00 PM every Wednesday.

 

Reference:  Section 6.7 of the Standards

CLICK HERE to view the Standards!

Submitted by:  Gene Hopkins, Chair, Architectural Review Committee 

• Stay in the kitchen when you are cooking on the stovetop so you can keep an eye on the food. 
• Stay in the home when cooking your turkey and check on it frequently. 
• Keep children away from the stove. The stove will be hot and kids should stay 3 feet away.
• Make sure kids stay away from hot food and liquids. The steam or splash from vegetables, gravy or coffee could cause serious burns. 
• Keep the floor clear so you don't trip over kids, toys, pocketbooks or bags.
• Keep knives out of the reach of children. 
• Be sure electric cords from an electric knife, coffee maker, plate warmer or mixer are not dangling off the counter within easy reach of a child. 
• Keep matches and utility lighters out of the reach of children - up high in a locked cabinet. 
• Never leave children alone in room with a lit candle.
• Make sure your smoke alarms are working. Test them by pushing the test button.