Welcome to Autumn! WC Food Drive: We Need You!

October/November 2014
Welcome to Autumn!
Ahhh, the cool crisp mornings have begun
and the mid-80 temperatures have revived
us to the point of shrugging off the memory
of those 100-degree days . . . Finally,
Autumn is here (or at least we hope so)!
October in Texas is generally celebrated with
a variety of different festivals each weekend,
with something for everyone. The State Fair
also kicks into ‘high gear’ with the deep fried
loaded baked potato as the food headliner
this year. And Halloween and Thanksgiving
are just around the corner -- once again we
wonder how the year went by so fast.
Let’s try to savor this all-too-brief season
while we can! It can provide the perfect
respite before the hustle and bustle of the
upcoming holidays carry us away – enjoy!
Want to join the Newsletter team? Contact us,
Denise Stricker, Judy Pate and Tami Rexrode.
newsletterwinnerscircle@gmail.com
Volume 7
WC Food Drive: We Need You!
The season of giving is here! Join us for
what we hope will be an annual food drive,
benefitting the Forney Food Bank (last
spring, we provided the Food Bank over
$1,500 in donations and groceries). This
year, the Food Bank anticipates providing
for 700 families during the holidays and
serves both the Forney and Crandall areas.
We will be taking donations of food and
money at the Winners Circle entrance on
Sat. Nov. 1 (11 am-5pm & Sun. Nov. 2
(1 pm-5 pm, We need volunteers to help
on both days (1-2 hour time slots are
available). Please email us
newsletterwinnerscircle@gmail.com to help
us out at the entrance for an hour or two, or
contact Tami Rexrode at 214-418-8332.
Thank you for helping make a difference in
the lives of others!
Yard of the Month: New Winners and Judging Criteria
Following are the Yard of the Month winners from the past two months:
August: 3154 W. Alamosa
September: 1010 E. Oak Lawn
Primary selection criteria includes:
• Dues must be paid to current year
• Home and yard must be regularly maintained and overall well kept
• Variety in yard design and foliage; overall curb appeal
• Focus more on quality of design and landscaping rather than quantity
Each Yard of the Month recipient received a Calloway's gift card along with a letter from the
management company as well as a sign in their yard. Heartiest CONGRATS to all winners!
Updates and Messages from our Board
Our Board (L to R): Jon Miller, Marvin Sims, Millie Brice, Ken Grantham, Kevin Williams
Important ‘Newsbites’:
• Bids were accepted and one selected for the scraping and re-painting of the front
entrance. The black paint is coming off and needs "freshened up“ (which the work may have
started before you read it here).
• The HOA is currently in the final selection for street repairs - our usual October/November
repairs.
• Spotlights at the front entrance have been changed out for stronger commercial grade
fixtures.
• We had a nice turnout at the last Board meeting on September 22. Our next meetings are
October 6 and November 3. We hope to see you all there.
HOA Covenants 101: Reviewing a Few Basics
Rather than providing a topic from our covenants, let’s review what we have already learned:
1. No unlicensed motor vehicles are legally allowed on the streets of our community.
2. Any additions or changes to your home or property should be reviewed and approved
through the Architectural Review Committee (ARC) and, in some cases, permits are needed
from the Town of Talty.
3. When necessary, the HOA is happy to work out payment plans for dues and/or fines.
4. The number and types of pets are defined in the covenants and, when applicable, must be
kept on a leash when not contained.
5. All traffic laws apply within Winners Circle as they do outside of Winners Circle.
These are just a few of the highlights that are contained in our HOA documents. For a full copy
please go to the official WC website. www.winnerscirclehoa.com. Have questions about the
covenants? Call Michelle or Julie at Advanced Management (972-248-2238)
New Business in the Area
The UPS Store
750 E. HWY 80
Forney, TX.
(972)552-2800
QuikTrip
1619 State Highway 34 S
Terrell, TX.
(972) 551-3404
Area Fall Festivals
Terrell Halloween Festival and Thrillvania
October brings spooky fun to Terrell with a haunted house voted the best in the Dallas area.
Haunted Verdun Manor tells the tale of the twisted Baron Michael Verdun and his vampire wife, Lady
Cassandra. This unearthly duo hosted fiendish masquerades and bizarre dinners in their strange house on
Voodoo Bayou.
Now, each fall, the ghosts of the baron and his lady haunt the remains of their mansion, burned with them inside
it by angry citizens seeking revenge for the unspeakable horrors visited on their families and friends.
This themed attraction features 30,000 square feet of horrifyingly real theatrical sets, atmospheric stage lighting,
eerie special effects, and a talented cast of costumed live actors guaranteed to treat visitors to a frightfully good
time. Other spine-tingling Thrillvania attractions include Cassandra's Labyrinth of Terror, Sam Hain's
Hayride, and Granny Lupu's Séance Theatre.
Downtown Terrell welcomes whole families of spooks and goblins with safe Trick or Treating, music, contests,
and other Halloween favorites.
Terrell Chamber of Commerce Convention & Visitors Bureau www.terrelltexas.com
YesterLand Farm in Canton
Old-Fashioned Fall Festival — down on the Farm! 2014 Fall Season: Open Weekends Sept. 20 – Nov. 9
YesterLand Farm goes Orange! While the rest of the world is going green, they are going orange! With
pumpkins and gourds of all sizes, colors and shapes! They have many varieties in their Pumpkin Patch. Some
are good for cooking and some are fun for painting or carving. Food , Rides, shopping and more…….
More than aMAZEing … it’s Corny! About 3 acres of tall corn, carved with paths that twist and turn in a unique
new design each year! This year’s maze features Mallory’s Heart Foundation.
For more information and prices, check out their website yesterlandfarm.com
15410 Interstate 20, Canton, TX 75103 — Phone: 903.567-2255
Dallas Arboretum
and Botanical Garden
Autumn at the Arboretum-September 20-November 26
Over 65,000 pumpkins, gourds and squash come together to form the nationally acclaimed Pumpkin Village.
Visit website for additional info www.dallasarboretum.org
Neighborly Tips
Tip 10 is Be a good driver on our streets. Over the past several months, many of us have
experienced erratic drivers on the Winners Circle streets, those that consistently run stop signs
or drive well above the posted speed (licensed and unlicensed drivers). Please remember that
our neighborhood is filled with walkers, joggers and bicyclists (both adults and children). Try to
remember that not only can a victim’s life be forever changed by an accident, but so, too, will
the driver’s.
Tip 11 is Discuss problems in person. As previously mentioned, it is important to meet our
neighbors. One benefit of establishing relationships with our neighbors is the ability to discuss
an issue or concern you may have directly with that neighbor. This is the very best way to
amicably address and resolve the issue, rather than contacting the Board or Michele. The same
can be true of concerns you may have with our Board: the opportunity exists monthly for you
to bring forward your concerns and work toward a resolution, so rather than venting on a public
online forum, call Michelle or Julie to request time on the next meeting agenda.
Message from the President
Oh No, I Got A Letter!
Yes, even I have gotten one. Some think the HOA Board Members are exempt from this but they
are not. So I understand the feeling; even though it’s a “friendly reminder” I was still not thrilled
(it’s human nature I guess). But the first thing the “old flesh” wants to do is to point fingers at
others that we see in potential violation. “What about that fence, that vehicle or that lawn…“ Hey
here’s a thought, “What about taking care of our own issues?” Crazy huh? That said, as home
owners we all need to keep a few things in perspective:
•
•
•
The main job of the Board is to ensure the covenants are enforced fairly and consistently.
What we do not know is the neighbor we were pointing at has more than likely received the first
and second letter and probably even a fine. It may look like the Board is overlooking the issues,
but trust me; it is being tended to multiple times a month every month.
There is a process the Board must follow. But what if the violation continues on and on? As
much as we are willing to work with everyone, the property could be well beyond the simple fine
process. The HOA lawyer is an option we don’t like to use but sometimes there seems no other
choice.
In regards to violations, the reasonable thing to do is to try our best to abide by the covenants that
we agreed to at signing. There’s no excuse for not knowing what they are because they are posted
on our website, in case you’ve misplaced the copy you received at signing (anyway, who pays out
$200,000+ for a new home and does not do their homework to completely understand the
requirements of living in an HOA neighborhood?).
So to bring this full circle, if you do get a friendly reminder, correct the issue. If you feel the letter
is not warranted, call the management company at once and ask for clarification. It’s really that
simple. Let’s continue to all work together to keep Winners Circle the “greatest place to call
home.”
Kevin Williams
President
Winners Circle Homeowners Association