February 2015 - Cornerstoneplace.org

CORNERSTONE
PLACE NEWS
Cornerstone Place
HA
Volume 16, Issue 2
FEBRUARY ISSUE
ELECTION OF OFFICERS
At the Home Owners’ Association Board meeting that took place February 12, 2015, election of officers took place. Below are
the results:
President - Tony Adams
Vice President - Max Hughes
Secretary - Phyllis George
Treasurer - Mike Chittwood
Parliamentarian: - Cristina Arnold
NEXTDOOR.COM
We are happy to say that as of February 14, 2015, we have 70 residents who have joined. We are hoping more of you will
join soon. It doesn’t cost you anything. It is something that supplies you with a lot of information. It is a good way to keep
residents informed about what is going on around us. Did I mention that it is free? It is a good way to keep in touch with
your neighbors and to help keep each of us aware of things going on around us. Please think about it. Later in the newsletter, you will see more information about nextdoor.com Let’s try to get our membership to 100!
CORNERSTONE SECURITY REPORT
Just a little hint. It is important to keep your property well-lit at night. Leave your porch light and your garage lights on.
Having your property lit at night helps to deter people from hanging around your property—especially in the Kent Falls
Court area. It is very dark in that section. If everyone kept their porch lights on at night, it surely would help light up the
area. It doesn’t cost that much to keep those lights on. Sgt. Higginbotham said that we were doing well in Cornerstone
place as far as crime is concerned. Currently in the surrounding area little activity is going on—items being reported are
mostly family disturbances and, sadly, the deaths of elderly people. Sgt. Higginbotham said that Cornerstone is doing
great.
HELP YOUR CORNERSTONE NEIGHBORS!
Don’t forget about helping your neighbors when they are in need. Put your name on the list of volunteers. Call Marlene
Adams at 281-693-0207, and let me know that you wish to be added to the list. Residents, please remember—if you need
assistance, you must let us know so that we can help you. Call Marlene or any Board member, and let them know. The
only way this will work is if you notify us. We need your help. I think this is a great idea for our community—helping your
neighbors is a good thing.
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RESIDENT’S RECIPE
MARINATED VEGETABLE SALAD
This salad is simple, easy to make, and healthy too!
5 cups of cauliflower, divided
2 cucumbers, sliced
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 green pepper, sliced
1 red pepper sliced
3 carrots, sliced
Mix together in a large bowl and pour marinade over, mixing well. Refrigerate several hours or overnight.
MARINADE:
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp. basil
1/2 tsp. oregano
1 (8 oz.) bottle Italian Dressing
To add more color, mix in a small basket of cherry tomatoes which have been cut in half.
Submitted by Marlene Adams of Kent Falls Drive
RECOMMENDED TRADESPEOPLE
Tony and Marlene Adams of Kent Falls Drive recommend Willie Rosser from the Glass Wiz. They do custom
showers, mirrors, and store fronts. Will replaced a mirror in our bathroom. He was very efficient, neat, and
came on time. He wanted to make sure that we were satisfied customers when he left. He can be reached at
832-470-1060.
We would also like to recommend—again—McKlevey Designs. We used them three years ago to remodel our
master bathroom (which we just love), and now in November of 2014, they came and redid our other bathroom. We are totally pleased with it. It was fun working with Debbie the designer and one of the owners. I left
everything completely up to her. I just told her what I thought I wanted, and she came back with all kinds of
samples. I mentioned that I wanted an unusual sink, and she came up with one that I love. They are very honest people to work with. They can be reached at 281-798-2236. All the workers whom they use were nice,
neat, and very efficient at their jobs. Again—we are pleased, and we would not hesitate to call them back. While they were working on the
bathroom, we had to replace our built-in combination microwave and oven unit. We purchased the appliances, and they installed them. They
did a nice job of touching up on the cabinet. Again, we are very pleased with their work. Owners are Ron and Debbie McKlevey. They live in
the area, and they always come by to check on their workers. I know they have done some work for other residents in our subdivision.
CORNERSTONE NEW PLAYGROUND
EQUIPMENT!
.
Glad to see we have children enjoying the new equipment!
Thank you, Andy Haw, for taking the picture.
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MYSTERY DINER STRIKES AGAIN!!
Sandy McGee’s Restaurant
314 Morton St.
Hours are:
Richmond, TX 77469
Monday - Saturday 10:00 a.m. –9 p.m.
281-344-9393
Sunday 10:00 a.m. - 3
Sandy McGee’s is located in historic downtown Richmond, Texas. The restaurant offers a diverse menu of soups, salads, and
sandwiches that are fresh, local, and legendary. Sandy McGee’s is best known for their award-winning broccoli cheese soup,
fruit salad, creamy chicken salad, and incredible desserts made fresh daily. The menu has been expanded to include several
mouth-watering dinner items. Diners are welcome to bring their own beer, wine, champagne, or spirits which will be served by
their attentive staff with no corking fees. The shrimp dinner is excellent and very filling. The desserts can be split. The salads
are always nice and fresh. The prices are very reasonable. They do get crowded at lunch time. It isn’t far to go—give them a
try. It is a very nice place where the neighborhood ladies to go and have lunch together.
CORNERSTONE SIDEWALKS AND DRIVEWAYS
Does your sidewalk in front of your home or your driveway need repair? Do
you get letters from the Management Company telling you that due to cracking and heaving that you must replace your sidewalk or driveway? If so, the
Rozier family of Kent Falls recommends Mr. Sidewalk. Your sidewalk triphazard authority contact is David Billey at (cell) 936-6308 or the office at
713-532-2300. He is located at 2500 Central Parkway, Houston, TX 77092. Please remember—if your
driveway or sidewalk is badly cracked, that needs to be replaced. Remember—if someone falls on your property, they can sue
you. Besides, we want to keep our curb appeal up in the subdivision.
MARK YOUR CALENDAR FOR THE CORNERSTONE PLACE EASTER EGG HUNT
SATURDAY, MARCH 28 AT 10:00 - 11:30A.M.
PLEASE BRING 1 DOZEN FILLED PLASTIC EGGS PER CHILD BY MARCH 21
TO 1810 ASH FOREST DRIVE
CORNERSTONE NEWSLETTER
CORNERSTONE PLACE HOMEOWNERS
ASSOCIATION
Editor: Marlene Adams
John Irwin
Proofreader: Phyllis George
c/o Irwin Community Management
Phone: 281-693-0207
P.O. Box 6544
E-mail: cornerstonesub@cs.com
Katy, TX 77491
Web Site: www.cornerstoneplace.org
Phone: 281-802-4365
The Cornerstone Newsletter is published by the Cornerstone
Place Homeowners Association (a 501(c)3 organization). It is
the policy of the newsletter to accept articles of interest to
the community from outside sources as well as from newsletter staff. Views expressed in published articles are those
of the writer and do not constitute an opinion or endorsement by the newsletter or by the Cornerstone Place Homeowners Association.
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Fax: 281-392-1488
Email: jirwin@irwin-mgt.com
Property Manager: John Irwin
Timely Tips for February Gardeners from Calloway’s and Cornelius
Keep in mind that the average last freeze for North Texas area is not until mid-March. Even so, many plants
normally begin to show signs of growth in February, which makes it the perfect time, to get outside and
work in the yard.
Pruning is both an art and a necessary maintenance function. Most trees and shrubs can be lightly pruned
at any time; however mid-winter is generally the best time for major pruning.
Summer flowering trees and shrubs should be pruned before buds begin to swell for Spring, generally they
bloom on new growth; examples are crape myrtle, butterfly bush, spiraea and honeysuckle. If those seed
heads on crepe myrtles bother you, remove them this month. Just clip back the ends of the branches, do not
destroy the beauty of the gracefully sculptured trunks by severe pruning. Please never top a crape myrtle.
Spring flowering plants such as azalea, Carolina jessamine, wisteria, forsythia, and quince should not be
pruned until after the blooms are spent.
February is the best time for pruning most roses. Remove any old and diseased canes then cut the
remaining canes back by 50%. Make your cuts above a bud that faces away from the center of the plant.
Early to mid-February marks the time to apply a pre-emergent herbicide for lawns. These products kill
germinating seed. A second application may be needed in late May or early June. Remember that the best
defense against lawn weeds is a healthy, thick turf resulting from good management.
Trim back perennials and ornamental grasses before the new growth appears in Spring. Clean up around
plants and mulch well to protect.
This is a great time to visit your Calloway’s/Cornelius Nursery. New plants are arriving now for late winter
and early spring planting. By planting early, plants will be off to a better start and can become adjusted
before the stresses of summer arrive.
While at your Calloway’s/Cornelius Nursery treat your special Valentine with beautiful, fresh, living
flowers! The rose can be enjoyed all year; cool season flowers such as pansies, primrose and cyclamen can
add a burst of color to your landscape, patio or garden. That special person would love a container filled
with exotic blooms and foliage comprising orchids, bromeliads, cyclamens and more.
In-Store Clinics
Saturday, February 7th at 10:15 am - Real Food, Fruits from the backyard garden
Saturday, February 14th at 10:15 am – Create a Valentine Memory – Color Creation Class
Saturday, February 21st at 10:15 am – Earthkind Gardening Practices for Texas
Saturday, February 28th at 10:15 am – Make your lawn luxurious, Spring Lawn Care
Information courtesy of Calloway's Nursery ©2015, www.calloways.com. Attribution to Calloway's
required for all use and reproduction.
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CORNERSTONE ARCHITECTURAL FORM
(ACC FORM)
Attention Residents!
It is important that you fill out one of these forms when you are doing work on the outside of your property—fence, painting trim, roof, new windows, doors, fences, etc. It
has been noticed that some residents have made these changes and not submitted a
form. It is important that you do. These forms can be obtained online at our Web site.
You can also get them from the Management Company if necessary. Please fill out
these forms. It only takes a few minutes. Legally, the HOA is required to make their decision and return the
form to you in 30 days. In our case, the turn-around is pretty fast—never do you have to wait the 30 days.
Now is the time to start thinking about what
you want to plant in your front yard and in
your back yard. Remember to trim up your
trees and shrubs. Keep the shrubs low below
the windows. Don’t forget that we are looking to keep a nice curb appeal in our subdivision. Power wash your driveways and sidewalks. Keep your flower beds free of weeds.
One way to help eliminate the weeds in the
flower beds is to keep mulch on your beds.
OUR BUSINESS CARD LIST IS GROWING
Remember—if you’re a
resident with a business
card, please send it to me
so that I can add it to our
list. This is a free service!
Also, please remember to
update me when you get
new cards.
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Remember, if you are a resident, we can put
your business card in the newsletter, giving you
free advertising. Please do remember to update
us with your new business cards when needed.
Page 7
February Historical Facts
February 1, 2003 - Sixteen minutes before it was scheduled to land, the Space Shuttle Columbia broke
apart in flight over west Texas, killing all seven crew members.
Birthday - Legendary baseball player George Herman "Babe" Ruth (1895-1948) was born in Baltimore,
Maryland. Ruth held or shared 60 Major League records, including pitching 29 consecutive scoreless
innings and hitting 714 home runs.
The months of January and February were add-ons to our present calendar, when it changed from 10
months to 12 month Roman calendar by Numa Pompilous, somewhere around 700BC. It was the last
month of their calendar year until 450 BC, when it became the second month of the Roman year when the
Julian calendar was derived. Ultimatelythe Gregorian calendar reforms made some changes to that
determined which years were leap years and when February would be 28 days or 29 days long.
During the days of the playwright Shakespeare, 400 years ago, the month was known as “Feverell”. It has
only been in modern times, the past 150 years it has taken on the name we know as February.
The Anglo-Saxon’s called February — Solmonath, meaning mud month.
The Finnish people, called February helmikuu, meaning “month of the pearl”.
Did you know February is the only month of the year that can pass without a single full moon, because it
only has 29 days most years?
In the Southern Hemisphere of the earth February is a warm month in the Northern Hemisphere it is a
winter. Cold and icy month.
February 14th is of course Valentine’s Day
The 3rd Monday in February is Presidents Day in the USA; celebrating both Lincoln’s Birthday and
George Washington’s Birthday.
America celebrates February as Feed the Birds Month.
The National Jell-O Week is celebrated from Feb. 6 – 12 each year in the USA.
February 5th is World Nutella Day.
Native Americans in the Great Lakes region of America (Hurons & 6 Nations) call a full moon on the
28th day of February a “Snow Moon” because heavy snowfalls are seen many years at this time.
February 14th, 1929 will be remembered in Chicago as the day of the St Valentine’s Day Massacre:
Prohibition Era gangland event that lives on in history between Al Capone and Bugs Moran.
Oregon became the first US State to place a tax on gasoline for autos: February 25th 1919 (1 cent levy).
Lastly, on February 1st, 1949, RCA Records issued the first 45rpm single song vinyl record (the jukebox
would soon follow and new music era would start).
source: http://purpleslinky.com/trivia/30-trivia-facts-about-february/#ixzz3QoTbzGD8
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The Home Advantage
By David and Barbara Rozier
2014 IN REVIEW AND
LOOKING AHEAD to 2015
The last couple of years have
been a wild ride in the real
estate
market
with
the
appreciation in home prices
being significant.
At the
beginning of 2014 Lawrence
Yun, Chief Economist for the
National
Association
of
REALTORS, predicted that
sales volumes would be
smaller than in 2013 primarily
due to increases in interest
rates and home prices. As it
turns out total sales fell 3.1%
from 2013 while home prices
rose 5.8%
In keeping with the philosophy
that all real estate is local,
Houston outpaced the national
market both in the number of
homes
sold
and
the
appreciation in home prices. In
2014 Houston experienced a
2.8% increase in the number of
home sold over 2013 and an
increase in average home
prices of 8.7%. The inventory
of homes available for sale fell
to an all-time low of 2.5
months.
According to the Houston
Association of REALTORS this
performance is driven by the
strong job growth in our area.
According
to
the
Texas
Workforce Commission in 2014
Houston experienced a gain of
125,000 jobs. This is primarily
due to the strong influence of
the oil and gas industry in the
Houston area.
Of course, the impact on the
housing market of falling oil
prices is certainly a topic of
much discussion among real
estate
agents
these
days,
although I haven’t seen a great
deal of speculation or analysis
from the “experts” about this.
Nationally NAR is forecasting a
3.0% growth in the GDP based on
the strengthening US national
economy. Certainly we here in
Houston are more sensitive to the
changes, both positive and
negative, in the energy industry
than many areas of the nation.
For example, while the nation was
suffering through the Great
Recession we in Houston on the
whole didn’t feel as much of a
bump. Maybe it is our turn to feel
the pinch. At the end of 2015 we
will be able to look back and see.
This is better than the 31 days in
2012 and the 79 days we saw in
2011. Still it is possible that we
are beginning to see a slight
slowdown in the market.
So what is the bottom line for
2015? It is probably safe to say
the prices should continue to
increase, although the rate of
increase will more likely slow as
home inventories continue to
climb. Selling times should be
relatively low because the growth
Historical Average Sale Prices in Cornerstone Place
240000
220000
200000
180000
So with the US results and
Houston results behind us, let’s
turn our attention to how we did
here in South Katy. As a whole,
home sales in 2014 were down
11.1% percent from 2013 but at
the same time the average sales
prices were up 9.1%.
The
inventory of homes ended the year
at 1.9 months compared to 1.2
months in December 2013. At the
beginning of the year the
speculation was that homeowners
might flood the market with homes
in order to catch the wave of high
prices and quick selling time.
While inventories did rise, the
increase was modest which has
helped keep the market strongly
tilted in the seller’s favor with
properly priced homes selling
faster for more money, and with
many homes receiving multiple
offers.
In Cornerstone Place, 10 homes
sold in 2014 compared to 9 homes
sold in 2013, and the average
price
increased
19.9%
to
$241,778. Homes in Cornerstone
place spent an average of 20.1
days on the market before finding
a buyer which is an increase over
the average of 8 days in 2013.
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160000
140000
120000
100000
97 98 99 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
in overall inventory should be
relatively slow in the South Katy
area. The one wild card is the
job situation. If large scale layoffs
begin to occur because of the
down turn in the energy industry
then we could experience a surge
in inventory from distressed
sellers coupled with a decrease in
demand from home buyers sitting
in the sidelines. Also rising
interest rates and tightening
lending guidelines could reduce
the number of home buyers in the
market place.
So, in case you haven’t figured it
out by now, it’s still a great time to
sell your home.
®
David, Barbara and Elizabeth are Realtors
with Keller Williams Realty in Katy and are
longtime residents of Cornerstone Place.
RESIDENTIAL GARBAGE COLLECTION GUIDELINES

Please have waste ready for collection no later than 7 a.m.

Refuse must be in bags or cans, weighing no more than 40 pounds.

Tree branches, brush, shrubs, and fencing must be tied in bundles weighing
no more than 40 pounds and being no longer than 4 feet in length.

Branches may be no wider than 3 inches in diameter to avoid damaging equipment.

Per Federal Law, refrigerators, freezers, and air conditioning units must be drained of all
Freon and have an accompanying bill verifying that Freon has been drained.
ITEMS NOT ACCEPTED: dirt, rocks, bricks, concrete, tires, batteries, motor oil, cooking oil, waste generated by a private contractor, hazardous/toxic chemicals or material, construction material, no more than 1 room of carpeting—bundled and less than 40
pounds. Items not collected will be tagged explaining the reason for non-collection.
SUSPECTED RACCOON ATTACK HAPPENED ON KENT FALLS DRIVE
A warning to neighbors about their pets. The Roziers kept their son’s dog for a little
while. The first night they let him outside just before bedtime, and they heard a lot of
barking and commotion. They didn’t worry about it because their back neighbor has a
large dog who might have been outside at the same time. A few minutes later Jimmy
Dean (their son’s 20-lb. dachshund) came to the door with blood dripping from his neck.
Upon further examination, they saw a slit throat and several other wounds. They took
him to the veterinarian where they determined he must have been attacked by a large
animal such as a raccoon or opossum. The size of the fang punctures and claw lacerations indicated that they were not from a dog or a house cat. Jimmy Dean is lucky to be alive. The Roziers just want their
neighbors to be aware of the danger, and they wonder if anyone else’s pets have encountered critters while outside.
Submitted by David and Barbara Rozier of Kent Falls Drive
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PRESIDENT’S LETTER
W
ell, here we are at the start of a brand new year. As you probably have read, the Annual Homeowners Meeting was a great
success. I want to welcome Cristina Arnold to the HOA
Board of Directors. She is already making contributions to
the management of our subdivision. Once again, I would like to thank
Loyd Henderson for all of his efforts as a director. Loyd, don’t think we
are through with you. We expect you to show up at an occasional Board
meeting—just to keep us all honest and in line. I hope that you who are
new to the neighborhood or who have some free time on the second Thursday evening of the month will also join us on occasion. We value your
support and comments—they help us do a better job of maintaining your
neighborhood.
How do you like the new playground equipment? From what I have been
able to see, it looks like many of the kids in the neighborhood really think
it is cool. Our next big job is to spruce up the Gazebo. The stucco on the
columns is peeling, and we need to do whatever it takes to refinish them.
We are also going to make repairs to the digger that is broken in the sandbox and spruce up that area generally.
The next event is our semiannual Community Garage Sale. Cristina Arnold is the person in charge. She is working on setting up a date for a
Spring Garage Sale. If you are thinking of having a garage sale, it would
be smart to wait for the Community Garage Sale. You will get much more
traffic and have better advertising for the event. Start preparing your items
now—it will make it so much easier the day of the sale.
We now have a list of at least half-a-dozen people who have volunteered
to lend a hand to neighbors needing assistance with transportation, meals,
or other urgent needs. If you have a situation where you require rapid
assistance, please contact Marlene Adams at 281-693-0207, tell her what
you need, and we will try to get someone to help you out. If you would
like to join our list of volunteers, simply call Marlene or send her an email at cornerstonesub@cs.com to let her know the kind of assistance you
can provide.
I am also still collecting a list of volunteers who might be interested in
participating in our several community events—like the 4th of July Parade, Christmas decorating, etc. There is no obligation to participate in any
single event. All I need is your name and contact number or e-mail that I
We start awarding the Yard of the Month in March. So get out your gardening tools, put out some pre-emergence fertilizer, trim those bushes, and can use before an event to see if you will help. Let me know if you have
some thoughts on what tasks you would like to do. Some of the tasks that
pull all the weeds. Then get ready for the Yard of the Month sign to be in
we have include event supervision, assisting in setting up, judging, solicityour front yard in one of the coming months.
ing donations from local merchants, etc. Just send your information to
I want to thank Kerry Lewis and Cristina Arnold. Kerry found a contractor President@cornerstonesub.org, and I’ll put you on the list!
friend and paid him to patch the hole in the roof of the vacant house at
If you have not paid your 2015 HOA fees yet, do remember that it costs
1702 Cornerstone Place Drive. The title to that property is still in limbo,
you money to wait. There is interest plus a penalty for late fees. If you’re
and we have been doing what we can to at least keep up the outside appearance of the property. Patching the roof helps slow deterioration of the having financial difficulties, please contact John Irwin of the Management
house. Mike Chittwood has been trying to keep up with the shrubbery and Company.
the front lawn to maintain a good appearance for the property. These folks
recognize the value to their own homes by having the neighborhood look
presentable from the street. You need to thank them for their efforts, and if
you, too, can assist, that would also help. Remember—all of this has been
done free of charge; it hasn’t cost you a dime. This is one of the many
reasons I am so proud to be associated with such a fine group of people.
I am so looking forward to events that we have planned for this year. Kim
Kristensen is planning our Easter Egg Hunt this year. Please mark your
calendars for the event. It will be great fun for the kids, and the Easter
Bunny will be there.
Please save the trash pickup information found on page 10 in this newsletter. Royal Waste Collection has been purchased by WCA, and WCA is
now our collection service. You should note two things especially—
trash has to be at curbside by 7:00 a.m., and recycle and heavy items
are picked up only on Thursday. Don’t put them out for the Monday
collection.
Tony Adams, HOA President
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