Is there a school zone in your neighborhood?

It's a good time to be reminded of school zone laws and courtesies to keep our children safe.  The end of summer means millions of Texas children will soon return to school. TxDOT reminds drivers to be extra cautious as school zones become more active and be aware of school bus safety.

Last year, 663 vehicle crashes occurred in school zones in Texas, resulting in zero deaths and 21 serious injuries. August and September of 2014 alone saw 107 crashes in school zones. The most common factors contributing to these crashes were driver inattention, failure to control speed and failure to yield the right of way at stop signs.

Following these simple tips can help Texas children reach school safely and help drivers avoid costly fines and tickets.

Tips for Driving in School Zones

• Put away your cell phone. Cell phone use is banned in active school zones, and violators face fines of up to $200 in school zones where signs are posted.
• Always obey school zone speed limit signs. Remember, traffic fines usually double in school zones.
• Drop off and pick up your children in your school’s designated areas, not the middle of the street.
• Keep an eye on children gathered at bus stops.
• Be alert for children who might dart across the street or between vehicles on their way to school.

This information and more about school safety can be found on the TXDOT website.   http://www.txdot.gov/driver/kids-teens/school.html

School Yourself for a Sustainable Home and Environment!

Sighing with relief to send the kids back to school soon?  Time to think about how to spend that free time with educational opportunities offered for homeowners by several municipalities. Sustainable living is the theme for many of the educational events in the fall curriculum.

For example,  the city of Plano offers residents free workshops on how to increase your home's energy efficiency.  Another workshop features how-tos. for for the not-so-handy. Learn how to:  

• Use a caulk gun
• Install weatherstripping
• Repair a leaky duct
• Use outlet insulators
• install a door sweep

Visit the Plano website for the August dates and times.

September brings the Autumn Landscape education series in the city of Allen. Edible Landscaping and How to Make a Rain Barrel are two of the classes being offered.  There is a fee for materials for the rain barrel class.  Check out the details here. 

The fall also brings a line-up of "green" events and seminars for McKinney residents. Scheduled  in September and October, featured topics include composting and picking up litter.  Register online and view the full line-up of these events on the city of McKinney website. 

Here, kitty, kitty. Bobcats may visit your neighborhood!

Did you know that bobcats have been spotted in many metro neighborhoods and are quite normal for this part of Texas?  Here is a quick list of Do's and Don'ts to help keep your family and pets safe. While bobcats are not known to approach or attack people, if they are sick, injured or feel trapped, they could strike out of fear. 

Do's 

• Do keep small dogs and cats inside at night. 
• Do keep the covers secured on your trash receptacles. 
• Do keep your dog and cat on a leash (as required by city ordinance). 
• Do report the coyote/bobcat sighting to the DFW Wildlife Coalition (972-234-9453). 
• Do try to consider that they were here first.

Don’ts 

• Do not feed your pets on the back porch or leave food out overnight. 
• Do not walk your small dog in wooded areas. 
• Do not approach, chase, make noises at, throw rocks at or otherwise taunt a coyote or bobcat. 
• Do not approach any wild animal that appears trapped, injured, or sick. Contact Animal Services immediately 
• Do not ever try to touch a coyote, bobcat, or any other wild animal.

Also feel free to check out the links below for more information. 

FAQ about Wildlife from Plano

 DFWWildlife Coalition

Thanks to one of our Allen HOAs for sharing this information with their fellow owners and with CMA. 

April Is Keep America Beautiful Month

In advance of Earth Day on April 22, communities around the Metroplex are holding environmental and beautification events.

Your homeowner's association may be sponsoring an event for your neighborhood.

Or, find an opportunity to be community-minded and participate in Keep America Beautiful's Great American Cleanup events throughout the area. The Great American Cleanup is the nation’s largest community improvement program, taking place in some 20,000 communities nationwide. Learn more about how you can get involved in a community event where you live.  

Great American Cleanup-Plano, April 16

Great American Cleanup-Allen, April 16





Don't Mess with Texas Trash-Off --
all on April 16

• Garland               
• Richardson
• The Colony

Trash Bash-Balch Springs, April 16

Clean It and Green It- Frisco, April 23

Earth Day Texas, Fair Park, Dallas,  April 22-24

Devise your own neighborhood event for your family with a scavenger hunt to pick up trash.

Here's a list to get you started. Scavenger Hunt List

Newcomers to the Lone Star State

Four Texas Metro Areas Collectively Add More Than 400,000 People in the Last Year, Census Bureau Reports

Have you noticed the influx of newcomers to your neighborhood?   According to a U.S. Census Bureau release, four Texas metro areas together added more people last year than any state in the country except for Texas as a whole, according to new U.S. Census Bureau population estimates released today. The population in these four metro areas increased by more than 400,000 people from July 1, 2014, to July 1, 2015.

The Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land and Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metro areas added about 159,000 and 145,000 residents, respectively — the largest gains of any metro areas in the nation. Two additional Texas metro areas adjacent to each other — Austin-Round Rock and San Antonio-New Braunfels — were each also among the 16 nationwide to gain 50,000 or more people over the period.
These four Texas metro areas collectively added about 412,000 people. Texas as a whole gained about 490,000.

Eight counties drove Texas’ metro area growth and were among the 20 counties nationwide that gained the most population between 2014 and 2015. Altogether, they added 306,736 people:

• The Dallas metro area contained four of these counties: Tarrant, Dallas, Collin and Denton.
• The Houston metro area contained two: Harris, which led the nation by gaining more than 90,000 people, and Fort Bend.
• Bexar, in the San Antonio metro area.
• Travis, in the Austin metro area.

In the true Texas friendly spirit, make newcomers feel welcome and invite them to get involved. They're more than a number--they're neighbors!

North Texans Are Coping with Higher Water Bills

Water restrictions have eased in North Texas, but water bills are soaring. What’s a beleaguered homeowner to do about his yard? 

Cooling fall temperatures may bring a temporary respite, especially if an El Nino weather pattern serves up a rainy winter.  Not a prediction, but we can hope.

For the long term, the savvy homeowner should become wiser about water usage in their household and also adapt their landscaping to employ more drought-tolerant turf and plants.  Fortunately, a number of great resources are available to help the water-worried find relief. 

Always check the design guidelines and modifications process for your community association before making changes to your landscape.

Here’s What Homeowners Can Do

The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension offers a number of programs to educate homeowners about best practices in conserving water.   

• Tour the WaterSense Labeled Home and Multi-Family Apartments at the Extension Center on Coit Road in Dallas.
• Programs and demos are available for schools and community events.
• Speakers are available to make presentations to you annual meeting or other community gathering for a nominal fee of $100.
• Manyeducational materials, such as this, are available on the website.
• Ask an Expert or read more about Earth Kind Landscaping 
• Contact Karen Sanders at karen.sanders@tamu.edu or 972.952.9671 to arrange programs, tours, and speakers.

McKinney’s  Myers Park hosts Earth-Kind GardenTours as well as an annual Garden Show featuring native plants and water saving landscape ideas.  Visit the websites to learn details or contact Earth Kind Garden Tours at 972-548-4219.

The city of Plano hosts periodic Water-Wise Landscape Tours. Sign up to be notified for the spring tour.

The CMA Blog posts articles:  Running out of Water features Water-Wise tips from Dr. Dottie Woodson of the Texas A& M Agricultural Extension

A Home to Make Dreams Come True

Tour Custom Model September 26-October 30

In partnership with A Wish with Wings, a Texas non-profit that works to grant wishes of Texan children with life-threatening medical conditions, a home in Carillon Southlake is opening its doors for a good cause.  The Carillon community association is managed by CMA.

Jon Atwood, president of Atwood Custom Homes, builds homes to fuel his passion for creating. With over ten years of experience and creativity, each home he builds is meant to be the dream home for every homeowner.  Atwood's lot was originally purchased and designed for a different client - who backed out last minute. "Fort Worth Magazine" turned this empty lot around by asking Atwood to be this year's builder. He worked at lightning speed and had the home sold before framing began!

Nearly 10,000 people are expected to tour this 6,000 square foot home located at 1100 Lake Carillon Drive - you can enjoy this amazing home from September 26 until October 30. It is $10.00 to tour - You won't want to miss it! 

Admission is $20, which includes a $10 donation to A Wish with Wings.

Spa-Like Owner's Retreat!

Many homeowners are spending time and money creating a real haven in their master bathroom. Focusing on those changes that inspire relaxation and luxury,  many opt for a space that they enjoy for more than just showering and brushing their teeth!

If you are considering making a bathroom change, think about what you would like to include; a soaking tub rather that a whirlpool, dual shower heads for a couples experience, a ledge for you to sit on or for propping a leg up for shaving. Do you need a full glass shower with shower doors to keep clean? How about just a recessed shower pan with open sides for entering? Many people are even adding a heated mat under the tile to create a warmer floor on cold mornings.

If you are thinking of making your master bathroom have a more spa-like feeling, think of using subtle colors and finishes, with soft undertones of nature.

Thanks to Tamara Hyland, owner of  Total Renaissance Construciton and Renovations for being our guest blogger.  

Community Pool Makes a Splash on Social Media

CMA is sharing a social media post about a great neighborhood we manage.  Here's what homeowners say about their community pool. It's wonderful to be able to enjoy a refreshing, well-maintained swimming pool on these hot August days.

What if Bruce Springsteen conducted your leadership workshop?

What can you learn and apply in your community?

A professional colleague of our company’s CEO shared a classic Springsteen and the E-Street band video as a great example of leadership and how teams work creatively.  So this idea is not original with CMA, but we thought it worth sharing.  Whether you’re a Springsteen fan or not, you’ll be able to observe “how” they make music and their exuberant enthusiasm in creating an experience for their audience and themselves.

Bruce and the core E-Street Band have played together since the early 70s.  You can read more of their history on Wikipedia if you’re not already a fan.

Springsteen never tells the band the playlist until just as the show starts. And band members say the list doesn’t matter much, because he almost always changes mid-stream. He is prone to decide in the moment to play a different version of the intended song.  While this may sound unprepared, for these consummate professionals, it’s an edge that keeps the performance fresh.  As the video illustrates, he often throws an unplanned song to the band. This is where the leadership example comes in.  Take a few minutes to watch the video and count the number of leadership traits you can observe.

View the Video

As our colleague commented when he shared this link: “There is risk involved. There is a spontaneity that doesn’t give anybody time to posture or second guess. The band is watching and waiting while preparing for an experience. They have probably played 'You Never Can Tell' before, but it is about to become a live product that they hear as they make it. Note the showcasing of the band members, especially the horn section. They have not been with the E-Street Band very long compared to the core members. There is no consulting about their readiness. Yet Springsteen pulls, not pushes. Most of all, note that Springsteen and everybody else is simply having fun. It’s contagious.”

Renowned for his tireless energy and 3 hour ‘plus’concerts, “…Springsteen and the band clearly appear to be having fun, feeding off each other.  Especially listen to his very last sentence at the fade out. It sums up teamwork.  Use his last sentence to evaluate your own leadership skillset.”

Some take-aways from your viewing might suggest how to engage your community.

• Don’t be afraid to be spontaneous.
• Invite newer members to participate and be in the spotlight.
• Appreciate the talents of other members and trust them to perform.
• Smile, engage and have fun.
• Welcome everyone to join in and delight in a shared experience.

 That’s why they call him ‘The Boss.’  He clearly knows something about leadership.

Running out of water!

What can homeowners do to conserve it?

Access to adequate, clean water has become a critical issue for Texas communities. Drought, water restrictions, increased demands on municipal water supplies due to population growth and business development—these challenges quite literally affect homeowners and their backyards!  

What can community associations and owners do to preserve this precious natural resource?

A beautiful landscape with a lot of water conserving flowering
plants and efficient irrigation practices. 

Dr. Dotty Woodson, Extension Program Specialist-Water Resources with Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension lectures worldwide educating professional and lay audiences about best practices in water conservation.

In a recent talk hosted by CMA, Dr. Woodson presented strategies which community associations and landscape professionals can employ.

Besides a concise overview of the statewide and local water planning and implications, she discussed and illustrated a number of basic principles useful for homeowners:

• Planning and Design
• Soil Analysis and Preparation
• Plant Selection
• Practical Turf Areas/Management
• Irrigation Efficiency
• Mulch
• Pest Control
• Rainwater Harvesting
• Rain Gardens

To view her Powerpoint presentation with notes, click here Water-Wise Strategies for HOAs.

To download a pdf of the presentation, click here.

Thanks to Dr. Dotty Woodson for allowing us to share her presentation on our CMA blog.

Extension Program Specialist-Water Resources

Biological and Agricultural Engineering

Horticulture Professional

Rainwater Harvesting Professional

Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension

Dallas, TX

Home Fire Is Biggest Disaster Threat

Did you know the biggest disaster threat in the United States isn’t floods, hurricanes or tornadoes; it’s fire.  Across the country, the American Red Cross responds to more than 60, 000 home fires every year, providing meals, shelter, comfort and support to help families get back on their feet.  

Fires not only destroy homes and personal belongings, but they also cause serious injury and death.  Home fires can happen to anyone, anywhere. In fact, seven times a day, a person dies in a home fire in the U.S., according to the National Fire Protection Association, and a fire-related injury is reported every 40 minutes.

Take these two simple steps to protect your home and increase your chances of surviving a fire:  

get a smoke alarm and create a fire escape plan.  

Learn more about home fire prevention at the Red Cross website.  You can download a Fire Safety Checklist and print out a home fire escape plan worksheet.

Saving Water at Home: In Your Kitchen and Bathroom

Watersaving tips courtesy of the David Weekley Homes newsletter.

Water is a limited resource, and it’s up to us to conserve and protect it as much as possible. Here are some tidbits of water wisdom you can incorporate into your everyday life, so we can all start making a difference.

In the Kitchen

• Use a high-efficiency dishwasher and consume less water than washing dishes by hand
• Only run your dishwasher with a full load; this saves water and energy
• Soak pots and pans rather than running water while scraping them
• An aerator on a kitchen faucet can reduce flow to less than one gallon per minute
• Don’t use running water to thaw frozen food; use the refrigerator
• Wash fruits and vegetables in a pan rather than running tap water over them
• Save the water from rinsing fruit and veggies to water house plants
• When ice cubes fall on the floor, drop them in a house plant instead of the sink

In the Bathroom

• Take a short shower instead of a bath; baths consume up to 70 gallons of water
• Cut your 10-minute shower to five and save 12.5 gallons with a low-flow showerhead – 25 gallons with a standard 5-gallon-per-minute showerhead
• Install a high-efficiency toilet and save up to 19 gallons per person per day
• Turn off the water while brushing your teeth or shaving and you’ll save up to 10 gallons per day
• Plug the sink to rinse your razor and save up to 300 gallons a month

Who said one person can’t make a difference? With putting some (or all) of these tips into action, we can all make a difference!

Kitchen Ideas

There are so many great ideas for convenience and luxury in the kitchen today. If you are thinking of making some changes to improve the function in your kitchen, consider these ideas:

1.  If you are going to change the countertops, now is a great time to increase the overhang of a bar top so you can place barstools or simply have more work space. If the overhang is not over 12 inches, you probably do not need to add corbels for support.
2. Think about placing your microwave in a lower cabinet or island. This will open up a spot for a second oven that you want or visually make the upper cabinets look cleaner and less cluttered.
3. Consider changing your kitchen faucet to  one that senses motion and turns off and on with just a wave of the hand. Meant for busy cooks, the ease of use is amazing, and it also keeps the faucet cleaner and free from germs caused by touching repeatedly. One brand that I have used is by Moen, called Motion Sense. check it out!  MoenMotionsense

This guest post is courtesy of Tamara Hyland of Total Renaissance Reconstruction. Thanks for being a guest blogger, Tamara!

An Outdoor Lifestyle

The concept of outdoor rooms for outdoor living and maximizing outdoor spaces such as gardens and patios has really taken off in recent years. The reasons can range from shrinking square footage in modern housing to improved products for outdoor living, but we can all agree that the extra space provides added flexibility. Before you begin furnishing an outdoor room you have to decide how you want the space to function:

• A place to gather and entertain
• A private retreat
• A place for cooking and dining, or just dining
• A playroom for children and friends
• A multipurpose area where you combine different activities

Once you've narrowed down a purpose for your outdoor room, select a location. Depending on what kind of outdoor space you have, you may have just one option or be able to select from many.

If you have less space to work with, it will call for more efficient planning and creativity. You can turn that area into an exquisite outdoor room with special attention to function and form.

When you have plenty of space, you still have to pay attention to form and function, but you will have more leeway.

Choose a spot with a view if possible. If you don't already have a view, create one with plantings, garden sculpture, fountains and accessories.

Add drama to your location with your furniture and fabrics; consider crisp, bright colors.

Special thanks to our guest blogger Tamara Hyland of  Total Renaissance Construction.