CuretonWoods.org

The Cureton Woods Homeowners Group (HOG) will meet at 7pm on September 14, 2010 at the Clarkdale United Methodist Church, 5061 Austell-Powder Springs Road, Clarkdale, GA. The church and its board have kindly offered their facility for our meeting.

The meeting is open to owners and residents of homes within Cureton Woods only. Notices and invitations have been emailed to all owners and residents or have been placed in their mailboxes along with directions. The United Methodist Church is located approximately 3/4 of a mile from the entrance to Cureton Woods in Clarkdale next door to the small Clarkdale Post Office. Owners and residents may log onto www.clarkdaleumc.org to access additional driving directions.

Topics submitted by homeowners/residents along with additional issues of interest to our community will be discussed.

Just a quick note to all homeowners regarding the CW Pool – -

– - – General Statement: The Cureton Woods Pool is our pool to maintain – every owner owns a piece of the pool as if it were in your own backyard. Besides the weekly pool cleaning service paid for by the annual HOA dues, there is no pool management, housekeeping services, or a lifeguard. Owners expect each other to take care of the pool, the grounds, and the equipment. Children are not permitted to enter the pool without adult supervision.

Care of the Pool and Pool Area:
– - – Pool Service: The CW HOA has a pool service come by once a week to apply pool chemicals, skim the surface, check the filters, etc. It is not their responsibility to pick up trash, arrange pool furniture, clean bathrooms, clean table tops, or similar things. If you, your children, or guests use the pool, please insure that the pool area is picked up and make sure the chairs and lounge furniture are arranged around the pool and that trash has been placed in the trash bin. Some owners/children have left the area very messy. It is your responsibility to pick up after yourself. Cureton Woods is a subdivision with a community pool. It is not a country club with a staff of people to pick up after us. Be sure that lights are turned off, bathroom doors are closed, trash is disposed of, and the gate is locked.

– - – Vandalism: We’ve had our first (thankfully minor) act of vandalism this week at the CW Pool in over a year. Chairs and recliners were thrown into the pool along with paper towels from one of the bathrooms. Fortunately, the paper towels did not stop up the filters and we were able to remove the towels before they flowed into the filter traps. If anyone sees vandalism occur or sees non-residents in the pool, please call the Austell Police (770.944.4331). HOA will prosecute anyone caught damaging the pool and pool area.

Just thought I’d throw this out to everyone >>>>>

Lawn care – Some folks may be wondering why some lawns look better than others in CW. Of course, some are taken care of better than others. But, when the land was first cleared in order to build CW, they stripped away most or all of the top soil and left good ‘old Georgia clay. Then, when they laid the sod on our properties, a layer of top soil was put down under the sod. In some cases it simply wasn’t enough and in other cases, the weather eroded what was there. So, to get and maintain a healthy, green, weed-free lawn, here are a couple of ideas….Note: I’m not a lawn expert, but this seems to work well for our lawn.

- Weed and Feed: It’s always a good idea to spread “weed and feed” on your lawn periodically during the spring and summer months. This will help the good stuff (grass) grow and kill the bad stuff (weeds and crab grass). There are lots of brands available at Lowes, Home Depot, etc. – Scotts, Penningtons…. One large bag will take care of most of the front yards in the ‘hood. Be sure to use a spreader because tossing it around by hand isn’t a good idea. If you don’t have a spreader, ask your neighbor! This and most of the lawn products should be put down either before a mild rain or before you turn on the sprinkler. But, the water will help it to dissolve and soak in. We spread Pennington’s “weed and feed” in mid and late Spring and once in early summer (like, now).

- Fertilizer: Like “weed and feed” products, it’s a good idea to fertilize your lawn a couple of times a year (or more). This helps to stabilze the lawn and give it the nourishment it needs. We use an “8-8-8″ all purpose Pennington fertilizer…but there are lots of choices at Lowes and HD. Just ask them…they’re happy to help.

Great lawns don’t happen by themselves – they take a little effort.

With the help and support of the Austell Police Department, Sylvia England, a representative of the force came to Cureton Woods on Saturday, June 5, at 10am, and presented great information to 15 homeowners who attended the meeting. She fielded questions from homeowners and gave us suggestions on how to keep our neighborhood safe.

Put this number in your cell phone and keep it close to your phone at home:
Austell Police Department: 770 -944 – 4331
The meeting was held at the CW Pool and last an hour. The information below is a quick over view of what she presented:

1. Neighbors should make an effort to know each other and to “look out for each other”.
2. Get to know your neighbors’ routines. Activities that look out of place should be recognized and reported to the Austell Police.
3. Reduce the risk of being victimized at home – be sure to lock doors and windows securely. Always check locks after handymen come to your homes.
4. Recognize suspicious activities and sounds. Report them to the Austell Police if something doesn’t seem right.
5. Be sure to note vehicle models, license plate numbers, and anything that makes a suspect individual or vehicle unique. On a vehicle notice the color, whether it has chipped paint, decals, or broken/cracked windows. If it’s a van, does it have windows? If you spot individuals who seem suspicious, notice their clothing, age, hair color, and anything else that makes them stand out. If the Police are called and a crime isn’t being committed, it’s possible you may helped stop one before it happened.
5. Never try to take the law into your own hands. You never know whether someone has a weapon or may cause injury. Be safe. Call the Police.
6. Be aware of what is “usual” and “normal” activity in our CW neighborhood. Trust your judgement. Practice noticing things in Cureton Woods when you drive through or take a walk. Make a game of it with your children or spouse.
7. Take notes – try to have a pad and pen handy at home or in your car if you need to record information quickly.

Most of all — trust your instincts, know your neighbors, and be aware of who should be in the neighborhood.

Cureton Woods celebrated summer on Sunday, June 13, at the CW Pool with food, drink, swimming, games, and lots of good ‘ole fashioned talkin’. If we learned anything, we learned that we should have the BBQ earlier or later in the summer. With the thermometer hitting somewhere in the 90′s most of the day, many of the 40+ residents and kids who attended the BBQ stayed cool under the ceiling fans in the pool foyer (near the food and ice buckets of course), rested under umbrellas, or simply splashed around in the pool. Games were available for the brave ones who ventured from the shade – - cornhole, horseshoes, and balls to play with.

Typical BBQ fare was served – hot dogs, hamburgers, various salads, chips, beverages, watermelon, and a wide variety of desserts prepared by excellent pastry chefs who reside in Cureton Woods – - – little did we know just how many great cooks we have here!

The very deserving winner of the first CW Best Yard award was named – 1010 Cureton Drive. The winning yard has a well maintained lawn, great flowers and greenery, and an overall superlative curb appeal.

Despite the heat, we had a great time getting acquainted and reacquainted with our neighbors. I think we all found out just what great people live here! More activities are being planned for the remainder of the year. If any CWers have any great ideas to share, respond below this article by clicking on the “comments” link.

Thanks to all who participated in the event – set up, clean up, and chattin’ up!

And the winner of the first Cureton Woods Best Yard award is…1010 Cureton Drive! The lucky, hard working owner won a $50 Lowes Gift Card and the admiration of all other homeowners in Cureton Woods subdivision. However, no one was surprised by the winning choice made by Austell City Councilman, Martin Standard. After an initial selection of 9 lawns in the community, a second visit to each narrowed the choices quickly. The winning home displays a well maintained lawn – trimmed, edged, and full of flowers, shrubs, and greenery. The popular owner and resident of Cureton Woods has earned the respect of the neighborhood over the past several years by helping other residents with projects and lawn care when they’ve needed a hand now and then.

Congrats to 1010 Cureton Drive!! And congrats to all CW homeowners who worked so hard to make and keep their homes looking beautiful!

Cureton Woods is a neat place to live.

Saturday, June 12, 2010

Today CW had the honor of hosting Mr. Martin Standard, our area’s (Ward 3) City Council representative. Martin toured our CW neighborhood with owners Felicia DeShong and Mike Otten and commented on how much we’ve rebounded from the September ’09 flood and the destruction it caused. But the reason Martin volunteered part of his Saturday to Cureton Woods was to choose who had the BEST YARD in the neighborhood – a truly nailbiting event. Over the past few days, a number of homeowners have done a great job prepping for the event. Many thanks and buckets of sweat to those homeowners who took the time and made the effort to present their homes so well!! All CWers should drive around and take a look – nice stuff happening.

Following an initial drive-by of each of the streets in CW, Martin shortlisted those homes he wanted to re-inspect. A second drive-by of all of the streets in our neighborhood produced a winner. The winner was chosen based on the following criteria: a) curb appeal; b) lawn; c) edging and trimming; d) flowers or greenery; e) overall cleanliness and order to the yard. Fortunately for some of us, only the front yard counted in the scoring.

And the winner is………………..
If you plan to attend the BBQ event on Sunday, June 13, the WINNER will be announced at 3pm. As noted previously, the winner will receive a Lowes Gift Card for $50 and the admiration and respect of many other homeowners in CW. If you haven’t paid your money for the BBQ, it’s too late for joining us for the food. But, of course, you can still attend the festivities. CW HOG will publish the WINNER’S info in the next edition of the NEWSLETTER – - – MONDAY!

Again, thanks to all CWers who participated in our first BEST YARD award contest.

Hey, CWers – - On top of the email we sent out and the flyers, here’s one more reminder about the goings on this weekend in CW.

BEST YARD contest/award

–Martin Standard, our rep on the City Council will judge who has the best yard tomorrow morning between 11 am and Noon. Right now, it’s Friday night about 830pm and I drove the neighborhood earlier. Honestly, I’m both happy and disappointed. Some homes – more than a few – have done a great job prepping for the event. Your homes look spectacular (there are a few stand outs on Scuppernong!!!) Some fewer number of homes have done little, if anything, and it shows. That’s the disappointing part.

If you live in Cureton Woods, this is your home. And, this is also our neighborhood.

Besides the fact that, as homeowners and residents, we have an obligation to maintain our yards through the covenant that binds our neighborhood legally, we should all take pride in where we live and respect our neighbors efforts.

There’s still time – - 11am Saturday, June 12, is 13 hours away!
For those who have done little or nothing, please make an effort to at least mow your lawn. For those who regularly shine as owners here, CONGRATULATIONS! and thank you.

BBQ

– We’ve sent out flyers, posted messages, delivered letters, had meetings, and, now, we’re done! There are 23 families signed up and paid for the bbq on Sunday, June 13 at the CW Pool. We have games – Volleyball, Badminton, Corn Hole (google it), horseshoes, and SWIMMING! Oh, we need some music!!! We expect between 55 and 60 neighbors. Remember >> food at 2pm. Hot dogs, burgers, potato salad, cole slaw, mac salad, chips, sodas/water, and watermelon. Bring a dessert for all and a cooler/ice if it’s needed. Also, bring a blanket or folding table and chairs….we’re at the pool area, and your help is appreciated.

We’ll have name tags for all who’ve paid. At this point, we are not accepting walkups to the food event. All homeowners, of course, can use the pool regardless. We’ll announce the winner of the BEST YARD contest around 3pm.

BEST NEWS >> NO RAIN IS FORECASTED, BUT IT’S GOING TO BE HOT!! HELLO SUMMER.

In response to a number of requests by homeowners and residents of Cureton Woods, a representative from the Austell Police Department will visit Cureton Woods on Saturday, June 5, at 10am to conduct a “Neighborhood Watch” session. The presentation will be held at the CW Pool from 10am to 1030am.

The purpose of the presentation is to alert and remind CW homeowners and residents to be aware of the safety and security of each other, our homes, and the neighborhood.

During the past few years, the Police have been called to investigate vandalism at the CW pool, unauthorized vehicles in the area, vandalism at Autumn Brook since the flood, and thefts. No one should hesitate to contact the police if anything unusual or potentially criminal occurs. The phone number for the Austell Police is: 770-944-4331. All residents and owners should keep this number handy and entered in your cell phone for easy access.

Reminder to all Cureton Wood owners and residents >> As we reported previously – the first Cureton Woods barbecue will be held on Sunday, June 13 from Noon to 6pm at the pool A few HOG hospitality committee members will walk the neighborhood in the evenings during the week of Monday, May 24 – Friday, May 28, to collect $10 from each family that wants to attend the barbecue. The money will be used to buy traditional bbq food items – hamburgers, hot dogs, buns, beverages, etc. It’s important that if your family plans to attend the bbq that you pay your $10 participation fee this week. Feel free to bring it by 1160 Cureton Drive if you choose. We’ll need to know: the resident’s name and the number of adults and children (under 15) who will attend.

We ask homeowners to bring a dessert for all – nothing too fancy – BUT be prepared to bring a cooler or container for your dessert if need be. We won’t have lots of storage available. Bring your own chairs and if you have a folding table, that would be great.

Also >> Get ready for the first CW BEST LAWN AND YARD AWARD: On Saturday, June 12, at approximately NOON, Ms. Virginia Reagan, the Austell City Council’s representative for the Cureton Woods area, will tour our neighborhood and choose the home with the BEST LAWN AND YARD. The winner will be announced at the BBQ on Sunday, June 13 around 2pm when the bbq food is ready. HOG asks homeowners to donate $2.00 to the award that will be presented to the winning home. The prize will be a $50 gift card to Lowes. HOG reps who stop by your home to pick up your $10 BBQ money will also ask you for an additional $2 for the award.