July 2015 - Mystic Shores

Volume VI, Issue 3
www.mysticshorespoa.com
Mystic Shores Holds Annual Meeting
July 2015
by Shirley Jones
Attendance was light but enthusiastic as the
Mystic Shores Property Owners Association
held its annual meeting and election of two
new Directors this past April 25th. The current
POA Directors present were John
Quattlebaum (President), Carolyn Besselman
(Vice President), Anne Teeling (Secretary),
Mike Hanley, and John Lasater. Assisting and
insuring an efficient registration and voting
process were representatives from the Mystic Shores management team: Steve Brown, Claire Basilio, Dee Dee
Freudenrich, Cari Cook, Rhonda Shaw and Melissa Crow.
Highlights presented by the directors are as follow:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
The Association has operated under budget for more than 5 years. Let’s acknowledge
the leadership of the previous and present board members to keep costs under control,
while managing one of the largest subdivisions in Comal County.
Almost $20,000 in savings will be realized due to a change in insurance policies, now
available as a result of the management company being acquired by a larger company
last year. A thank you is in order for Mary-Beth Taboada, POA Treasurer, and Steve
Brown.
Legal fees are significantly under budget so far this year. Violations that have
previously resulted in lawsuits have been corrected or are in process of being
corrected.
The delinquency rate for assessment collections is less than 3%, which is very low for a POA.
DCCR violations remain fairly constant, with the primary offenses of trailers parked in disallowed locations and brush piles
not being cleared. As property owners, let’s all take responsibility to adhere to the DCCR’s to keep our property values
intact.
Issues with “dumping” are on the increase, so keep an eye out for any suspicious activity and report it to the management
company.
Solicitations continue; so please contact McKinley security and report this and any suspicious activity.
The Community Center has been a resounding success. Thanks to all who volunteered to make this possible.
The Mystic Shores POA committees gave their reports, which were very
informative and show the outstanding accomplishments of our committees. Each
committee was thanked for its contributions. Accompanying slides giving more
details on these reports can be found on the Mystic Shores website at
http://mysticshorespoa.com/picture/405annual_meeting_2015_final_slides.pdf
POA directors elected for an upcoming two year term were John Quattlebaum and
Shirley Jones.
1
IN THIS ISSUE
Neighborhood Happenings…………..2
From the Board…………………….........3
Committee Update…………........…...4
Conservation
Community Center……………………….5
Committee Update………………….……5
Social
Committee Update……………………...7
Neighborhood Watch
Committee Report………………..……..8
Architectural Control
Mystic Shores Annual Meeting (Cont’d)
After the annual meeting, residents of Mystic Shores joined their
neighbors at the Mexican Fiesta luncheon at the Lake Park Pavilion. The
chicken and beef fajitas,
along with all the tasty
Mexican side dishes, were
delicious. A big thank you to
the Social Committee for
hosting the luncheon.
In closing, volunteers are the
heart of any community.
Shirley Jones and John Quattlebaum, newly elected All the committees can use
to two year terms. Photo by Gayle Oglesby.
an extra hand to keep
Mystic Shores a great place to call home. If you can help on a committee,
please contact the committee chair or any board member. Contact
information is available on the Mystic Shores website.
Flood Cleanup…............................9
Maintenance
711 Ranch History….....................10
Be a Part of It!
Signs and Open Houses………………10
Reminder
Board Approves Feral Hog…….……11
Trapping Program
History of Spring Branch……….…….12
And the Land of Mystic Shores
The Mystic Shores Communications
Committee needs a few dedicated
volunteers willing to work six to eight
hours a month to make this
newsletter a possibility.
Join the Committee to insure that
communications such as this can continue.
Contact Us At:
comms@mysticshorespoa.com
Happenings in The Neighborhood
BIBLE STUDY
Men’s Bible Study Thurs – Now meeting on Wednesdays at 9:00
am. Contact Mark Snider at (210) 452-4246
Morning Bible Study – At the Community Center - Join us on
Thursdays from 9:30 am until 11:30 am. The movie The Pilgrim's
Progress by John Bunyan will be shown on Thursday, September 10,
2015, and is open to all. For more information see page 11 or contact
Lou Wood at 830.935.4846 or lzwood@gvtc.com.
EXERCISE
Ladies Walking MWF 8:00 am – 9:00 am Location varies within
Mystic Contact Mary Daniel at jemdaniel@gmail.com
Walk/Run Group 3 times per week (morning/evening) in Mystic
Contact Kimberly Cleveland at (713) 498-1682 or kimberly@researchunlimited.us
Men’s Stretch Yoga Class – Tuesdays and Thursdays 10:30am –
noon. Community Center - Contact Gene Rankin at ghr7197@gmail.com
GAMES and HOBBIES
Ladies Bunco 2nd Wednesday monthly – 6:00 pm waiting list
Contact Maggie Simpton at maggiesimpton@yahoo.com
Seam Sew Happy Ladies of Canyon Lake 1st Wednesday monthly
8:45 am until 2:00 pm Community Center - Contact Nancy Evans Hanley
at nancyhemail@gmail.com
SOCIAL
Men’s Lunch Group 3rd Wednesday monthly – 11:30 am Contact Tony Stewart at tstewart7@yahoo.com.
Old Fashioned Social - Community Center 6:00pm – 8:00
pm. Enjoy an opportunity to visit with your neighbors in a relaxed
atmosphere. Bring your favorite appetizer. BYOB.
2
From
The
Board
waters and the glut of repairs needed throughout the
area we are securing bids and will have a plan of repairs
soon. The cleanup of the parks is the highest priority and
will be accomplished as soon as possible.
The 2015 Reserve Study is nearing completion. To refresh
your memory, the Reserve Study is conducted every 2-3
years. Its purpose is to assess the state of the Mystic Shores
common area amenities (pools, buildings, parking lots, etc.)
and provide guidelines for the POA to budget adequate
funds for future refurbishment and/or replacement of those
amenities. The Board reviewed the draft study in April and
May; met among ourselves on 1 June to consolidate our
questions and comments on the study; and met with the
study analyst on 4 June to have our questions and
comments addressed. The Reserve Study will be posted to
the website upon completion, and there will be more about
the findings in the next edition of the newsletter.
Hello again!
I hope your somewhat soggy summer is
progressing nicely. It is my first opportunity to be in
contact with many of you since the Property Owners
Association (POA) Annual Meeting in late April. For all of
you that attended I believe we had a great update on the
state of the POA from the Board of Directors and the
Mystic Shores Committees. I would like to thank all that
attended the Annual Meeting for your personal cooperation
to ensure we had a smooth and informative meeting. If you
did not have the opportunity to attend the meeting and the
Mexican Fiesta luncheon that followed you missed a great
opportunity to catch up with the latest community news,
and the opportunity to visit with friends and neighbors.
I want to take this opportunity to thank the many members
of our committees for all they do for the entire community.
Joining a committee is one of the best opportunities our
residents, especially our new residents, have to meet their
neighbors and establish new friendships. Check the Mystic
Shores web page for more information.
I would like to thank all of you for your support and your
votes to elect Shirley Jones and me (again) to the Board of
Directors. Shirley and I pledge to continue to work in the
best interest of the entire Community.
Have a great summer and I look forward to meeting with
you at our upcoming Board meetings and community
social events.
A little over a month ago we had one of the worst storms in
years. In five days the Mystic Shores boat ramp went from
closed due to low water level; to open for operation; and to
close again because of the high water level. Due to amount
of rain and wind I am certain there was probably some
damage to individual homes, outbuildings and fences in
Mystic Shores; however, for the most part I believe we can
consider ourselves very lucky given the damage the
storm created in communities just a few miles from
us.
We did have some damage to some of the Mystic
Shores amenities; fence down and damaged gate at
the nature preserve; picnic areas and a good portion
of the fence submerged by high water at the Lake
Park; and a great deal of debris deposited in the Lake
Park and Shoreline Park due to those high waters.
However, we were very fortunate there was not more
substantial damage. I had hoped to give you some
idea of the cost of the cleanup in the parks, and the
cost of the fence and gate repair at the entrance of the
nature preserve; however, due to the persistent high
John Quattlebaum
Please contact board@mysticshorespoa.com to get
involved.
“The View from Mystic Shores at Canyon Lake” is published by the Mystic
Shores Property Owners Association for the benefit of Mystic Shores property
owners.
Inquiries should be directed to:
Board of Directors
Mystic Shores POA
1600 NE Loop 410, Suite 202
San Antonio, Tx 78209
Mystic Shores Communications Committee Contributors:
Gayle A. Oglesby (Editor)
Newsletter Contributors:
Carolyn Besselman  Cal Elliot  Nell Everett  Shirley Jones  Clyde
McManus  Buzz Park  John Quattlebaum  Gene Rankin  Paula
Rieker  Janet Ryan  Anne Teeling  Lou Wood
3
Conservation Committee Update
in many places. Look for them under the large oaks where
the annually dropping leaves provide a natural composting
of the soil for them to grow. But why are there so many
small junipers and so very few small oaks? The deer don’t
generally eat junipers. But they do eat the acorns, twigs
and leaves of oaks and most deciduous trees. Because of
this, very few small oaks get a chance to get big enough to
become mature oak trees. The mature oaks we do have
are therefore not generally being replaced as the small
oaks don’t get to grow to maturity. Over time some forms
of deciduous trees in the Hill Country have been
disappearing all together. Trees like the Texas Madrone,
blackjack oak, chinquapin oak, lacy oak, Spanish oak, bigtoothed maple and the escarpment black cherry are rarely
seen any more (see “Grassland and Woodland Restoration
in the Texas Hill Country” @ texasoakwilt.org). Much the
same can be said for plants the deer eat. For a listing of
those readily eaten to those rarely eaten see “Common
Browse Plants Utilized By White-Tailed Deer in SouthCentral Texas” in the Texas Parks and Wildlife website.
And like trees, the plants readily eaten by deer have largely
disappeared while plants they don’t generally eat are in
abundance. As Liz Bates from Texas Parks and Wildlife has
said, ‘the overpopulation of deer is changing the face of
the Hill Country’. This idea was echoed in David Will’s
presentation on ’Landscaping with Deer’ on 3/7/2015 at
the Community Center. And the disappearance of many
plant and tree species is what they are talking about.
Deer and Our Landscape
By Clyde McManus
My wife and I moved to the Canyon Lake area in 2012, and
located in Mystic Shores in January 2013. After almost 30
years in the Dallas area, we were (and still are) happy to
have left the traffic congestion and other problems of
urban living behind. We chose the Hill Country, for its
natural beauty, rural setting and abundant wild life. To us
Canyon Lake, the rocky hills, rugged oaks and junipers (yes,
even the junipers) are pristine in their beauty. Our view of
what the Hill County looks like, however, is recently
formed. But has it always looked as it does today?
Numerous factors have changed the landscape over time.
As you know, Mystic Shores was the 7-11 Cattle Ranch for
many years. Grazing cattle had an effect on the plants and
grasses of the landscape. But much of that effect is now
gone. If you built your home in Mystic Shores you may
have noticed how slowly the plants and grasses recover
after the construction activity was completed. Feral hog
sightings were common in Mystic Shores two years ago.
During that time damage was done to residential and
common area landscaping. Hog sightings dropped for the
next two years and are now on the upswing again. If you
are one of the people whose landscaping was damaged by
feral hogs two years ago you know how destructive they
can be. The damage the hogs do is readily visible if you’ve
had or seen it. From cattle to deer to construction activity
to feral hogs, all these elements have played a part in how
Mystic Shores looks today.
Over the past three to four years there has been a lot of
discussion of deer overpopulation and the damage they do
in Mystic Shores. Deer counts to verify their numbers is an
ongoing project. But how do the deer affect the
landscape? Unlike hogs, the effect of deer may or may not
be readily seen or known. If the deer have eaten your
landscaping plants you may have a different opinion.
Beyond landscape plant damage there is other damage,
but you have to look for it. Around Mystic Shores you will
see large and medium sized oaks. Try looking for small oaks
some time. You’ll see some, but not a lot. Look closely at
the small oaks you do find and you may see the bottom
branches are stripped of leaves. The animals doing this are
often deer (or rabbits on the really small oaks). Further
observation will show an abundance of all sizes of junipers
4
Social Committee Update
Mystic Shores Community
Center
Mexican Fiesta a Big Hit!
By Janet Ryan
Community Center Update
By Nell Everett
Following the Mystic Shores Annual Meeting on April 28,
the Social Committee hosted a Mexican Fiesta for
community residents. It was a gorgeous day – as ordered
by our chairlady, Lou Wood! The air was crisp, festive
streamers blew in the wind, and the tantalizing smell of
beef and chicken fajitas lured the nearly 80 ticket holders
to Lake Park Pavilion. All we needed was a supply of
tortillas, rice,
beans, cheese,
salsa, and
guacamole for
our fajita taco
making.
Residents were
The Community Center continues to run smoothly under
the watchful eye of the Operations Oversight Committee
(OOC). Each OOC member volunteers for a month to
monitor the Center several times a week. This is working
well. Only minor problems have been encountered which
have been quickly and easily corrected.
Usage remains high for this quarter with 968 signing in
during March, 902 in April and 814 in May (total of 2,684 in
three months). About half those numbers are for the
exercise rooms.
Very interesting and informative presentations were
scheduled for the Discovery and Discussion series. The
history of the Mystic Shores Area in May and Cruising with
the Callahan’s in June were both entertaining and well
received. Look for new dates in September to continue
these events. Contact Gene Rankin at ghr7197@gmail.com
if you have a topic of interest.
Association members enjoy the fiesta at the Lake
Park Pavilion. Photo by Dale Wood.
able to choose
between apple
pie and fruit berry pie for dessert, which was supplied by
the Social Committee.
The Social Committee wants to thank all who came to help
us set up on the Friday before, especially two teens from
our community, Kiki and Karli Swanson, daughters of Diane
and Doug Swanson. Everyone had a good time eating and
visiting with friends and neighbors on this lovely day. All of
the board members for 2015/2016 were present. It was
great for residents to get to talk to these folks in person.
A magnetic card lock will be installed on the Gum Spring
exercise room so that it remains locked to anyone not
having a card. The same card used for entry to the building
will be used for the Gum Spring room. This does not affect
any of the other rooms. There are many large events
scheduled in the fall and it is felt the lock will prevent
anyone that is not authorized from entering the room.
Unfortunately, the Committee must announce the
resignations of two of its members - Chairperson Diane
Hamilton and Stephanie Buchhorn. Mike Schaefer has
agreed to join the OOC after a respite from renovation
activities for the Center.
Additional members for the OOC are needed. The
Committee meets at 7:00 p.m. in the Community Center
the second Thursday of the month. Anyone interested in
volunteering please contact Board liaison, Mike Hanley, or
Nell Everett at neverett@gvtc.com.
Neighbors visit while enjoying the Park. Photo by Dale Wood.
Next year we hope to have even more residents join us.
Perhaps we can have margaritas and even a Mariachi Band
to entertain us next year!
To report any problems, concerns, or issues with the
Community Center please use the following email address:
communitycenter@mysticshorespoa.com
5
Social Committee Update
(cont’d)
Mother’s Day Weekend Concert at the
Community Center
By Janet Ryan
The audience clearly enjoyed the evening. Photo by Dale Wood
Have you met Tony, Art, and Sticky? The 70+ folks who
attended the concert in the Community Center on
Saturday, May 9, have met them and love them! I am
referring to the talented musicians in the Tony and the
Italics trio.
nursing homes and Alzheimer’s living centers. They are
well received everywhere they play and are booked most
of the year.
For this event, Tony
changed the name of the
group to Tony and the
Italics because two other
talented Mystic Shores’
musicians joined them for
a few songs. Ted Searles
and Paul Branch surprised
the audience by
strumming guitars and
singing with the trio. Jim
Tony entertains the crowd.
Rieker led the singing of
Photo by Dale Wood.
gospel songs. There was a
true feeling of community on that warm, humid night in
our own Community Center. The Social Committee hopes
to sponsor other concert events in the future!
Art, "Sticky" and Tony delight the Mystic attendees. Photo by
Dale Wood
This wonderful event, sponsored by the Social Committee,
began with a potluck dinner that attendees enjoyed on the
back porch of the Community Center. This visiting time
was followed
by the
introduction
of Tony and
his fellow
musicians,
Art and Evan
(Sticky). We
were treated
to a variety
Photo by Dale Wood
SOCIAL COMMITTEE BULLETIN
Make sure you grab your calendar and mark this great
upcoming event!
July 11th - we are sponsoring a good, old-fashioned
social at the Community Center from 6 – 8 pm. We will
provide residents an opportunity to enjoy some tasty
appetizers and a chance to visit with their neighbors in a
relaxed atmosphere. Bring your favorite appetizer,
BYOB, and join us at the Community Center for fun and
conversation.
of music styles, ranging from South American, to country
western, to gospel. There was a lot of hand clapping, foot
stomping and dancing. No one was able to sit still when
the music was being played. No one wanted the night to
end.
Tony Taboada and his wife, Mary-Beth, are residents of
Mystic Shores, and we are all so glad! Each member of
the Tony Trio has 30 years of playing experience, but these
three musicians have only been playing together for the
past 3 years. In addition to playing at Austin restaurants
and private events, they share their love of music at
10.12 Of the Master DCCR's states:
"All garbage cans shall be located or screened so as to be
concealed from view of neighboring streets and property."
6
Neighborhood Watch
Update
status including contacting neighbors. If a garage door is
open with no cars inside and a NW patroller stops to
inquire, they will try to ensure their NW identification sign
is plainly visible. If a Mystic Shores resident does not want
NW patrollers to investigate such situations, they should
advise their NW watch captain or contact the NW
Chairman, currently Ted Searles.
Burglars: Come On In!
Open Garage Door Is an Open Invitation
By Cal Elliott
All of us in Mystic Shores can play an important role in our
collective security by checking with our neighbors if they
see open garage doors with no cars inside or any other
suspicious activity.
Leaving your garage door(s) open, whether you are inside
the house for an extended period or making a quick run to
the North Shore Pharmacy, can make an appealing target
to burglars
who can just
stop in and
help
themselves;
not only to
what is in the
garage, but
also to your
entire house!
This is
especially true if there are no cars in the garage at the
time. Those new golf clubs or power tools are often easily
visible from the street and, even if the thieves deem the
opportunity not quite right, they may file the information
away for future use.
Security in Mystic Shores is more than NW patrollers and
warning signs: it’s a community of alert residents watching
out for themselves and their neighbors.
SOCIAL COMMITTEE BULLETIN
Make sure you grab your calendar and mark this great
upcoming event!
September 26 - After an August break we have planned a
new and very special event in September. We are
having a Tailgate Party in the parking lot of the
Community Center from 5 – 8 pm. The Social Committee
will be joined by the Conservation Committee which has
planned a seed and plant exchange. For example, if you
have too many Aloe Veras, bring one or two and
exchange them for new plants! We plan to have several
sports’ games on the TVs located in the Community
Center.
Yet, open garage doors with no cars inside are not a rare
occurrence within Mystic Shores. Neighborhood Watch
patrollers have observed this numerous times in the past.
In one case, some periodic residents returned to Houston
and didn’t learn for weeks that their garage door had been
left open. Fortunately, a Good Samaritan neighbor took it
upon himself to close it for them.
Tailgaters can begin setting up at 4pm. Contact Lou
Wood at 830.935.4846 or lzwood@gvtc.com if you are
going to join in and park your vehicle at the CC for the
party. This information is needed to ensure everyone gets
a parking spot for the party.
The mission of Neighborhood Watch is “Neighbors getting
to know one another, and watching out for each other’s
property as though it were their own.” NW patrollers are
keeping an eye out for your personal and physical property
security. We can probably all recall situations in which we
left the house and couldn’t remember whether we closed
the garage door, or came home to find the door wide open
and counted our blessings that nothing was taken. The
dilemma for patrollers is whether to stop and knock on the
door or honk their car horn to verify the residents are
home which might risk being mistaken for a solicitor or
simply intruding on their neighbors’ privacy.
Residents will want to bring grills and food to cook or
bring prepared tasty goodies. You will need chairs,
drinks, BYOB, and everyone is encouraged to wear a
favorite team shirt or jersey (from any sport). The Social
Committee will provide water and cold drinks. Who
knows? You might see us grilling a hot dog or two to
keep up the Tailgate Party tradition!!
As you enjoy our hot Texas summer ahead, remember
the fun planned by the Social Committee just for
you! Hope to see y'all this summer!
It is very difficult for NW members to determine the phone
numbers of the residents in such cases unless they know
them. But they will typically make an effort to determine
7
Architectural Committee Update
ACC Report: Working Smarter
not Harder
requiring that each new residence application include
physical samples, along with the color board of paint
samples. This process was satisfactory for roof shingles
and paint color chips. But a different issue arose when it
came to reviewing the stone or brick for the house.
Occasionally, the samples the committee received were
full-sized stones or bricks! Transporting, handling and
storing these large items soon became a problem.
By: Buzz Park
With the advent of the Digital Age, the face of
recordkeeping has vastly changed. Nowhere has this
become more evident than in imagery such as
photography and videography.
“Advances in microprocessor technology paved the way for
the development and marketing of charge-coupled
devices (CCDs) for use in a wide range of image
capture devices and gradually displaced the use of
analog film and tape in photography and videography
towards the end of the 20th century. The computing power
necessary to process digital image capture also
allowed computer-generated digital images to achieve a
level of refinement close to photorealism.” Jähne, Bernd
(1993). Spatio-Temporal Image Processing: Theory and
Scientific Applications. Springer Verlag. p. 208. ISBN 3-54057418-2.
The ACC emphasized the need to send in “small samples,”
but that didn’t turn out to be the perfect solution either,
because a few small stone chips received with a proposal
often would not adequately portray the overall
appearance of a multi-color stone mix. And, we still had
the issue of little bags of rocks that had to be transported,
reviewed, and stored for our records.
Recently, the ACC determined to accept color samples via
digital images. A new residence application can now be
submitted with digital pictures included on a “thumb
drive” or emailed to our management company ACC
department representative at deedee@ams-sa.com. The
pictures will then be viewed on a large monitor during the
ACC application review process. Since the digital files are
easily handled, transported, and stored, they are a great
benefit with regard to our recordkeeping task.
The quote above is just a technical way of saying that
digital image files offer better ways to reproduce true
colors. It is also helpful that digital files can be stored
indefinitely and require much less physical space.
Why is this significant? The Mystic Shores Architectural
Control Committee (ACC)* has the task of reviewing the
materials that will make up the exterior appearance of
each home proposed to be built in Mystic Shores.
Occasionally, the ACC has received applications for new
homes that include pictures appearing to have off-colored
stone on the exterior—such as pink or blue. Mystic Shores
DCCRs and Architectural and Site Design Guidelines require
that exterior colors for homes be “earth tone.” After
further clarification, we discovered that the pictures were
not good representations of the actual colors of the stone
because they were poor quality copies of “Austin” white
stone. They may have been printed on a small printer -- or
one with the color toner nearly empty. At any rate, the
printed pictures did not represent the true colors as would
a four-part color brochure.
As we have in the past, the ACC will continue to accept
small samples, professionally printed photographs, and
items such as brochures containing accurate color
reproductions. All projects submitted must comply with
the true-color criteria. The goal, after all, is that the true
and accurate colors planned for the structure are clearly
represented as part of the building application.
Planning to make changes to your lot or residence? Before
starting work, check the DCCRs, Sections 9.1 and 9.4, to
determine if an application needs to be filed. All
documents that govern construction requirements and
restrictions in Mystic Shores are available from the Mystic
Shores POA website.
*Note: The Peninsula has its own ACC and Design Guidelines.
Consequently, the ACC decided to adopt the practice of
8
Maintenance Committee Update
by Gayle Oglesby
At time of this publication, the release at the dam was
3320 CFS, lowering the river gauge height at Sattler to 7.63
feet from 8.35 feet on June 26th.
As indicated in the “From The Board” article, local
residents were hard hit by rains and flooding at the time of
our Memorial Day holiday. While Mystic Shores fared
better than many in our area, the Lake parks have
accumulated a great deal of debris and some slight
damage. Please exercise caution while using either of the
Lake parks as some of this
debris may pose a hazard,
and of course, please be
aware of the potential for
venomous snakes.
The Board of Directors is
currently accepting bids
for the cleanup of areas in
Mystic Shores which were
affected by the storms,
and expects it to begin
soon.
Mystic Shores Shoreline Park during height of storms.
Mystic Shores Lake Park
During the height of the
rains, the Corps of Engineers increased the outflow at the
Canyon Lake dam up to approximately 5590 cfs (cubic feet
per second) into the Guadalupe River.
Mystic Shores Shoreline Park.
Courtesy of U.S. Geological Survey.
The level of the lake and the river eventually subsided and
continue to go down to previous levels.
Current photo of the Mystic Shores Lake Park.
Water being released from the Canyon Lake dam to the
Guadalupe River.
9
Large cedar in Mystic Lake Park. Photos by Gayle Oglesby
1. Texas Backyard Wildlife Habitat sign, if the
conditions stated in Section 10.02 are met;
2. Blue reflective address marker, as described in
Section 10.02 (usually obtained from local
emergency services); and
3. Sign provided by homeowner’s security monitoring
company.
711 Ranch History Collection
Be a part of it!
By Paula Rieker
A private effort is underway to capture the history of the
711 Ranch, the predecessor to the land of Mystic Shores,
and your help is sought!
Homes under construction or completed may have one For
Sale sign. Homes under construction are required to have
one builder’s sign that meets the requirements of Section
10.02.
Artifacts of the 711 Ranch continue to exist, but many are
already "lost" - removed or deteriorated. Artifacts include
windmills, ranch roads, wells, gates, troughs, feeders,
cattle pens, fences, concrete ruins and even a few
surprises, like the old wooden Haas home on the north
side (of which no pictures have yet been found).
Under Texas law, political signs advertising a candidate or
ballot item are permitted within 90 days of an election to
which the sign relates through the 10th day after that
election. See Appendix I of the Design Guidelines for
applicable sign requirements. Generally, yard signs
provided by candidates meet these requirements.
The following signs are not permitted:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
For sale signs on vacant lots;
For lease or for rent signs;
Garage sale, yard sale and estate sale signs;
Subcontractor signs during construction;
Any contractor signs after home is completed (e.g.,
landscaping, pool or lighting contractor); and
6. Open house signs that do not comply with the
Open House rules described below.
If you have taken pictures of ranch artifacts or have access
to such remnants of the 711 Ranch on or near your
property, please send photos and related information to
resident Paula Rieker. Paula plans to publish her collection
of 711 Ranch history, acknowledging the contributions of
others, and make it available to property owners. Paula
can be reached at prieker@gvtc.com or via cell at 713-9622109.
The Mystic Shores Open House Rules, which were adopted
in 2011, are available on the Mystic Shores website at
http://mysticshorespoa.com/picture/70open_house_rules
_12-9-11_final.pdf. If your home is for sale, please advise
your realtor of these rules and request that he or she
comply. These rules require:
Reminder: Signs and Open Houses

by Anne Teeling
One of the goals of our Property Owners Association is to
keep Mystic Shores a premier Hill Country community. A
significant factor in achieving this objective is regulating
signs permitted in our community. The Mystic Shores
Declaration of Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions and
Architectural and Site Design Guidelines prohibit signs in
Mystic Shores,* except as provided in Section 10.02 of the
Design Guidelines or as required to be permitted by Texas
law.


Application to the ACC at least two weeks in
advance of the open house (application form is
attached to the rules) so that proposed signage
can be reviewed;
Compliance with the signage requirements stated
in the rules (e.g., no balloons or sandwich boards);
and
Open houses no more often than once every 30
days.
Please be considerate of your neighbors and comply with
the Mystic Shores sign requirements. Your cooperation will
be very much appreciated!
Section 10.02 allows one of each of the following signs at
each home:
*Note: Please check Peninsula governing documents for sign
requirements in the Peninsula.
10
member or the Committee may direct the owner
to contact Wildlife Services.
Board Approves Feral Hog Trapping
Program

Only Wildlife Services personnel who are properly
licensed under federal and state law, as may be
applicable, to trap and shoot feral hogs may trap
and shoot feral hogs in Mystic Shores.

Feral hogs may be shot only in a trap and shooters
must exercise appropriate gun safety measures.

Feral hogs may also be picked up live in the traps,
as determined appropriate by Wildlife Services.

Wildlife Services shall pay all expenses of the
program and provide appropriate insurance for its
personnel.
By: John Quattlebaum and Anne Teeling
Due to the continuing, and now somewhat persistent, feral
hog nuisance, the Association’s Board of Directors
authorized the Conservation Committee to explore options
to determine if there was a feral hog control program that
could be utilized by Mystic Shores. The Committee,
through its research, discovered a program provided by
Texas A&M Agrilife Wildlife Extension Services (“Wildlife
Services”) that conducts feral hog trapping.
This program is a Texas state sanctioned program that is
affiliated with the Federal government. It involves setting
the traps and then either shooting the feral hogs caught in
the traps or, in some cases, arranging for a live pickup.
Although the Mystic Shores Declaration of Covenants,
Conditions and Restrictions (DCCRs) prohibit the discharge
of firearms in Mystic Shores, the DCCRS also state that the
Association has: “the right, but not the obligation, to
engage in wildlife and fishery management plans and
practices on the Properties [in Mystic Shores] to the extent
that such practices are permitted by applicable state and
federal law.· For the purpose of illustration and not
limitation, and notwithstanding the general prohibition
against the use of firearms . . . , this includes the right to
manage and control any populations of wildlife through a
variety of techniques, including organized hunting,
shooting and trapping.”
Please remember this program is only administered
through Texas A&M Agrilife Wildlife Extension Services.
You should contact the Conservation Committee to
coordinate requests for feral hog trapping in Mystic
Shores. This Committee can be reached at
conservation@mysticshorespoa.com.
Lastly, per the Mystic Shores DCCRs, the discharge of
firearms in Mystic Shores is specifically prohibited for all
property owners. The only personnel authorized to
discharge firearms are those Wildlife Services personnel
who are properly licensed under federal and state law, as
may be applicable, to trap and shoot feral hogs.
Morning Bible Study
(Detail from pg 2)
After the program was brought to the Board for
consideration by the Conservation Committee, the Board
did additional research and evaluated risks and benefits to
the Association. The Board’s due diligence included
consultations with the Association’s attorney and
insurance broker. The Board approved the program for one
year at its June 24 meeting. If the program is successful,
the Board will likely extend the program.
Morning Bible Study at the M.S. Community Center
Thursdays, 9:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
The movie The Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan will be
shown on Thursday, September 10, 2015, and is open to
all. Except for the Bible itself, The Pilgrim's Progress is
widely recognized as the most influential, beloved, and
widely distributed book in the English language. Few
people know that it was written in two parts. In part 2,
Christiana’s Story tells us that she and her children will
follow Christian and make their way to the heavenly city
just as he did. Bunyan’s imaginative text brings out
practical and necessary lessons that everyone needs to
know – both yesterday and today. So on Thursday,
September 17, 2015, we will continue our Bible Study with
The Pilgrim’s Progress Part 2; Christiana’s Story.
The entire Board resolution approving the program can be
viewed on the Mystic Shores website in the exhibits to the
draft minutes for the June 24 meeting (see Exhibit E at
http://mysticshorespoa.com/picture/409june_24_2015_b
od_meeting_exhibits.pdf). The major tenets of the
resolution are listed below.

Traps may be placed only on lots where the lot
owner has requested a trap or given permission for
a trap.

Requests to Wildlife Services for a feral hog trap
may be made by a Conservation Committee
Please order book ($13.50) by September 1, 2015. For
more information contact Lou Wood at 830.935.4846 or
lzwood@gvtc.com.
11
and, then, Mystic Shores. They introduced the founding
families of these settlements, pointing out important roles
each played in the community and tying in their land to
Mystic Shores. They highlighted historical remnants still
remaining in the neighborhood, such as the Bremer home
stone remains, the Bremer and Haas family cemeteries and
the minimal remains of the Rebecca Creek School.
The History of Spring Branch and the Land
of Mystic Shores
by Gene Rankin and Paula Rieker
Ever wonder who settled along the Guadalupe River in the
mid-1850’s? These early German settlements are the
subject of a new history book, “Bridging Spring Branch and
Western Comal County”. This subject, along with the
history of the 711 Ranch, was presented recently to
property owners at the Mystic Shores Community Center.
Paula presented yet-to-be-published photos and
information she has gathered on the 711 Ranch (19491999) and founder, L.A. Nordan. The presentation included
pictures of the original ranch headquarters located on
today’s Lakeside Park, a rare aerial view of the old Cranes
Mill bridge near the headquarters, and the legacy King
Ranch cattle raised at the 711 Ranch.
Authored by a fifth generation descendent of Hans Specht,
an early Spring Branch settler, the book documents the
founding families of the original Spring Branch and
surrounding settlements. It also details the Indians, oneroom schools, postal system, roads, bridges, floods,
droughts, mills, civic clubs and aspects of daily life of the
early settlers along the Guadalupe River.
To obtain a copy of the book, “Bridging Spring Branch and
Western Comal County”, please contact Paula Rieker at
prieker@gvtc.com or visit the Spring Branch Store. The
book is a historical treasure and is sure to become a
keepsake.
Author Brenda Anderson-Lindemann published her first
history book of this area in 1998. Subsequently, she
collected substantial new historical information. However,
due to the complete loss of her eyesight, she was unable to
move the expanded project forward. Paula Rieker, a
Mystic Shores resident, met Brenda in 2011 while Paula
was pursuing the history of the 711 Ranch, the predecessor
to Mystic Shores. Paula quickly realized the value of
Brenda’s collection and set about the long term project to
compile, format and edit the reams of material into
Brenda’s new book.
C’mon guys, it’s good for your heart...
In Paula’s words, “Brenda’s local historical collection is
unrivaled. She is uniquely equipped with intelligence and
passion for our area’s history. Before I knew what was
happening, I was deep into the project, devoted to
preparing it to share with the public.”
we want you to be around a long, long
time.
On Friday, May 18, Brenda and Paula entertained and
educated neighbors at the monthly Discussion Series,
hosted by Gene Rankin. They reviewed the first settlement
in 1852 of Spring Branch along the Guadalupe River west of
today’s U.S. Highway 281. They showed maps depicting the
development of roads and bridges in the area, including
Esser’s Crossing on FM 311, 1904; Rebecca Creek Crossing,
circa 1910; Specht’s Crossing, 1920; Cranes Mill bridge,
early 1920’s, and now under Canyon Lake; and the U.S. 281
bridge, 1936. Then, they zeroed in on the history of Mystic
Shores in pictures from three old settlements – Rebecca
Creek (1854), Cranes Mill (1850’s) and Fischer (1853),
portions of which combined to comprise the 711 Ranch
Men’s Yoga – Tuesdays & Thursdays 10:30 – 12:00 in
the Balcones room of the Mystic Shores Community
Center.
Yoga can improve your heart health!
Hand in hand with a heart healthy lifestyle, the practice
of yoga can definitely lead to improvements in blood
pressure and cholesterol.
In combination with AHA recommended physical
activity requirements, Yoga can help bring about
increased mental and emotional well-being – as well as
improving your heart health.
12
Email Contacts
Board of Directors:
Communications Committee:
Community Center:
Conservation Committee:
Maintenance Committee:
Social Committee:
Community Contact (AMS)
Board@mysticshorespoa.com
Comms@mysticshorespoa.com
Communitycenter@mysticshorespoa.com
Conservation@mysticshorespoa.com
Maintenance@mysticshorespoa.com
Social@mysticshorespoa.com
Steve@AMS-SA.com
“The View from Mystic Shores” is a publication of the Mystic Shores Property Association
13