VILLAGES OF WESTCREEK NEWSLETTER
SEPTEMBER 2017


September Quote
September Days Are Here, With Summer's Best Of Weather And Autumn's Best Of Cheer
From the Community Manager's desk  

Happy September everyone,

There has been a lot going on in the country of Texas in the last few weeks! Although I am not a homeowner in the Villages of Westcreek I have never been more proud to be a part of a community than I have this week. The response to the Hurricane Harvey donation drive was, to say the least, overwhelming. You forget how big this HOA is when you are involved in something like this drive. The support that was and continues to be shown is very indicative of a small town, which I guess that's really what we are since we outnumber several towns in Texas. I would like to give a huge thank you to everyone involved in this effort especially Heather Weston for organizing the drop off.
Jason Dunbar and myself went to Houston this past weekend to drop off supplies donated by homeowners for the victims of this tragedy. Having been involved in now my second national disaster, a person still struggles with the amount of loss due to the devastation left from the water and wind, it's almost unimaginable. The people we encountered were so appreciative and welcoming, it is a shame that it takes something like this to make people realize how much they truly have to be thankful for in their lives.
We made a donation to the San Antonio Food Bank and I would like to thank the Board of Directors for their assistance in making this endeavor possible.


Now for a not so positive topic. Snatch and Grabs are becoming more common. No HOA is immune to this crime activity so I am urging homeowners to watch out for each other and themselves. If you are going to be working outside please keep an eye out for suspicious vehicles and/or persons. Please do not hesitate to call
                Bexar County Sheriff's Office 210-335-6000.
                Precinct 1 Constable's office 210-335-2806


If you see something that needs attention please email the office at infoaction@villagesofwestcreek.com


Regards,
Mike Hunsucker
Community Manager-VWOA
   ASSOCIATION REPORT CARD

Balance forward Assessments 2016 $18,558.25 (June 2017)
Balance forward Assessments 2016 $17,739.60 (July 2017)

We are making good headway on recovering outstanding assessments from 2016 but we are still at between 4-6% past due for the current quarter.

A positive change in the last 9 months!
As of December 2016 we had $283,275.31 due to the association,
as of today that amount is $185,156.65.

Thank you to everyone making efforts to stay on top of getting assessments paid on time. Although it will be a long road, we are well on our way to getting totally caught up with past due assessments!!  


FROM THE FRONT OFFICE


Second Saturday !!!!!!!
Saturday September 9 th 2017
The office will be open from 9:00 A.M.- 1:00 P.M.
Yard sale weekend!!!
Don’t forget to pick up your permit in VWOA office!
$15.00 

It’s Assessment time again!!!
4 th quarter assessments are due October 1.
NOTE:  Finance charges are applied on past due assessments .

HOW TO PAY YOUR ASSESSMENTS
Effective August 1, 2016
 You now have the option to pay your assessments online once you register for your account at www.spectrumam.com  
Pay by phone 1-877-342-6233.
In the office, we accept cash, check and credit/debit cards
 Please note the following fees when using a credit or debit card:
3.5% convenience fee for credit or debit cards.
$1.99 fee when paying by e-check.

HOW TO AVOID THE ABOVE FEES'
You can still come into the office and pay your assessments in cash, or a check/money order without incurring a fee.
Please feel free to drop payments in drop-box

IMPORTANT NOTE
Make sure you include the address that the payment is for on your check/money order. If one check is for multiple addresses, please note the amount to be credited to each address in the memo line.
Payments are credited when received NOT by the date on the check

WHERE TO MAIL YOUR PAYMENT S
  If you prefer to mail your payment, please send your check or money order payable to
“The Villages of Westcreek Owners Association”
12395 Military Dr. West.
San Antonio, TX 78253

If you have any questions about what you owe, please contact us at the HOA office and we will be happy to discuss those charges with you. If there are extenuating circumstances that have led to you not being able to pay your association dues or if you need a little extra time you may consider requesting a payment plan. Payment plans can be requested by contacting the office at (210) 679-8761.

BUSINESS SERVICES OFFERED TO VWOA COMMUNITY
Stop by the office for all of your business needs!!!
Fax service-$.50/page
Notary service-$6.00/page
Copies-$.10 Black and White
$.15 for Color  

                                              Just a reminder!!! 
                      SCHOOL IS BACK IN SESSION

Times to be extra vigilant when you're driving are 6:45-7:45am and 2:30-3:30pm in and around the villages. It is everyone's responsibility to keep an eye out for the children.
The pool hours have now been adjusted until the closing on October 29th.

The hours are as follows :
SPORTS PARK
Monday-Friday 4pm-10pm
Saturday and Sunday 10am-10pm
COMMUNITY CENTER
Early morning swim Monday, Wednesday, Friday 5-7am
Monday-Friday 10am-5pm must check in at the office

         AS USUAL ALL SWIM TIMES ARE ADULT ACCOMPANIED
  •  Smash Dance.
  • Creative Dance provides a fun way to learn the foundation of, music timing, and fun choreography.
  • Begins September 11, 2017 - December 17, 2017
  • Creative Dance provides a fun way to learn the foundation of, music timing, and fun choreographics.
  • Only ages 3-5 yrs
  • Every Monday at 6:00 P.M - 6:45 P.M
  • First class is free
  • After first class it is $15.00 per session
  • Full session is $169.00

  • Farmers Market
  • Every Thursday from at 9:00 A.M. till 1:00 P.M.
  • The market will be located in the overflow parking lot adjacent to the Community Center.
 
 Just a friendly reminder VWOA office is open every second Saturday of each month from 9:00 A.M. - 1:00 P.M. 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 .
  
To monitor your account online register your account at  www.spectrumam.com      
Community Activities

THE IMPORTANCE OF PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT IN YOUTH SPORTS. Parents, when it comes to the impact you have on your child’s sporting experience, do not underestimate your influence. Children learn from watching others and copying the behavior they see demonstrated. It is most often the parent who is the first person to introduce a child to sports, and parental involvement can affect whether a child enjoys the experience or not (1, 2, 3).
 
ROLE OF PARENTS IN YOUTH SPORTS. Parental involvement in sports can be looked at as a continuum from not involved at all to overinvolved (3). It can range from low to high and from positive to negative. Positive involvement includes supporting your child through ways such as verbal encouragement, your presence at a game, allowing your child to make his/her own decisions about what sport to participate in, and providing financial and other resources that enable his/her participation. Negative involvement refers to directive behavior, and pressure to win or perform up to a parent’s expectations. Recent research has shed light onto the relationship between parental involvement and the type of youth sports experience a child has.

SUPPORTIVE PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT IN SPORTS. It is not surprising that the research overwhelmingly points to a connection between positive, supportive parental involvement and a child’s level of enjoyment and success in the sport he or she is playing. (1, 2, 3, 4). It has also been suggested that a moderate level of involvement would be the optimum level of parental involvement (1). Hellstedt (1) theorized that overinvolved parents may create high levels of pressure, while under-involved parents do not provide enough support to facilitate a child’s desire to participate. But those parents who are moderately involved seem to provide just the right balance not only to facilitate enjoyment, but also to challenge the child to continue to grow and develop his/her skills. On the surface, this theory seems to hold up. Without support, especially financial and emotional, it would be very difficult for a child to be able to participate, and the pressure felt from the parent who is overinvolved could easily take out all the enjoyment of playing sports.
 
OPTIMAL LEVEL OF PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT IN SPORTS. However, what appears to be the most significant finding is that it may not actually be what you do that affects your child’s experience. Rather what appears to be important is how your child perceives what you do (2, 3). For example, you might be classified by others as a parent who does not seem very involved, yet if your child perceives your support and feels that your level of involvement is just right, they would be more likely to have an enjoyable experience than another child in the same situation who did not feel like their parent’s level of involvement was optimal.
 
WHEN INVOLVEMENT IS STRESSFUL FOR YOUTH IN SPORTS. So how do you know if your level of support and involvement is optimal? Simple – ask your child. Stein et al. (3) recommend that you discuss with your child the ways in which you are involved, and ask your child how he or she wants you to be involved. They also recommend discussing with your child things that you might do involving their sports participation that could be perceived as stressful for your child, and also things that your child enjoys. If your child feels you are a bit over-involved, it may be difficult to hear. The best thing you can do for them in this case is to really take to heart how they feel and reduce your involvement if necessary, no matter how much it hurts.

REFERENCES (1) Wuerth, S., Lee, M. J., & Alfermann, D. (2004). Parental involvement and athletes’ career in youth sport. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 5, 21-33. Retrieved December 5, 2005 from Science Direct database. (2) Anderson, J. C., Funk, J. B., Elliott, R. & Smith, P. H. (2003). Parental support and pressure and children’s extracurricular activities: Relationships with amount of involvement and affective experience of participation. Applied Developmental Psychology, 24, 241-257. Retrieved December 5, 2005 from Science Direct database. (3) Stein, G. L., Raedeke, T. D. & Glenn, S. D. (1999). Children’s perceptions of parent sport involvement: It’s not how much, but to what degree that’s important. Journal of Sport Behavior, 22, 591-601. Retrieved December 5, 2005 from Academic Search Premier database. (4) Hoyle, R. H., & Leff, S. S. (1997). The role of parental involvement in youth sport participation and performance. Adolescence, 32, 233-243. Retrieved December 5, 2005 from Academic Search Premier database.  
 

From the Standards Desk
 How to Apply for Improvements or Changes

The Standards for Architectural Design and Property Maintenance, or “Standards”, outline the procedures and provide guidance on how to obtain approval for improvements or changes to the lot and structures contained on the property. This would include both the front and backyard and house.
  Homeowners must submit in writing a PIA either hard copy or email to make improvements or changes to the premises, approval must be obtained from the Architectural Review Committee (ARC).
  Tenants may apply for improvements/changes only with written permission from their property owner approving the submitted changes or improvements as outlined in the Property Improvement Application (PIA).

 Once all submission requirements are met, the ARC will evaluate the proposed improvements or changes using the CCR’s and Standards Document as reference. The Owner/Tenant is responsible for submitting a completed PIA, along with all applicable supporting information and documents, to the Community Center’s office. The Standards department will look to make sure everything that is needed has been submitted. Then the applicant will receive a confirmation email regarding the date which it will go before the ARC for consideration. This may take up to 7 business days. 
Application requirements are as follows:

1) A completed PIA must be submitted to the ARC for approval with a complete description of the proposed improvement/change.
2) Provide any applicable documents, materials, color samples, drawings, sketches, pictures, brochures, photographs, and all applicable dimensions that adequately describe the proposal.
3) Include a copy of the Plat/Lot survey (if applicable) showing the proposed location of the improvement/change. Application review will result in either approval or disapproval. If the ARC disapproves an applicant’s request (PIA), the applicant may amend their design and resubmit a new PIA for consideration. When the ARC approves an applicant’s request, ninety (90) days will be allowed to complete the project. 

Please make sure that you carefully review the material you are submitting. Missing items can delay the PIA going before the ARC. 
We Want A Desirable Community in Every Way

At the Villages of Westcreek office we receive some of the simplest complaints regarding Curb Appeal here are few steps that can be taken on a regular daily basis or weekly routine, in order to help keep your Community from looking less than desirable.

CURB APPEAL
Driveways

  • Ever wind up with engine oil on the driveway after the “do it yourself oil change?” Did you know that by grinding cat litter into the stain, you can lift the oil up? You can then sweep the litter and dispose of as necessary. This beats having to have a power washer to take care of the job.  

Stepping Stone Walking Path

  • At times homeowners build a nice walking path from the sidewalk to their front door, (this of course has been submitted for and approved by the ARC Committee) but after a year or so the stones or material gets knocked out of place, kicked into the yard, put away for another day for repair and all of a sudden, little by little, the path looks incomplete and not so attractive. Keep extra sand, crushed granite or other compacting material in coffee cans in your garage for easy replenishment. Hopefully you have also bought a bit more stone in case something goes missing.  Have your family members alert you to the uprooted stones so that this little project can be placed on your weekend to do list before it becomes a big project.

Large Item Disposal

  • So you have a large sofa that you need to get rid of.  It has seats that are torn, it’s a bit smelly, it wobbles when sat on and you need to get rid of it. In a hurry! So, what do you do? Do you leave it on the front porch so that you can use it there? Do you toss it out to the sidewalk and hope someone picks it up?  The answer to both of those is no, absolutely not! Every trash collection company has what is known as bulk pick up or out of cycle pick up for their customer’s needs. Call them and get your large items disposed of properly and promptly. No neighbor should be looking at these items for longer than the company servicing your account tells you your pickup is scheduled for. Be courteous to all of your neighbors and make those large items disposals painless by calling your waste disposal company and get rid of such items appropriately.


 
 
Patriot Day


CITY OF SAN ANTONIO
RON NIRENBERG
MAYOR
August 31, 2017
San Antonio Chambers of Commerce, Organizations, and Businesses
Subject:     In Memoriam — Patriot Day — September 11, 2017
Dear Friends:

Please pass on my sincere appreciation to your organizations, staff and members for their special effort in honor of Patriot Day. The President has directed the Flag of the United States to be flown at half-staff as a mark of respect for those who died during the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks that profoundly affected our nation.

Sixteen years ago a senseless act of terrorism killed 2,996 innocent victims including 343 firefighters and 71 law enforcement officers with over 6,000 people injured. Lowering the flag to half-staff is a visual reminder of our unity. On Patriot Day we reaffirm the spirit of patriotism, service, and community that we felt in those months that followed the attack.

I hope that you will join the office and the City of San Antonio in lowering your flags to half-staff on Monday, September 11, 2017, from sunrise until sunset. I sincerely appreciate your efforts in passing this request on to your friends and family.


~ Upcoming Events ~

It's That Time T-Ball Registration
and Basketball Registration opened September 5th and will run until September 18th

Board Meeting
September 21, 2017
7 PM
Community Center


If you have a business that you would like to advertise in this newsletter please contact the office for details.



Picture credit-Reggie Harmon, BOD member