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TRANSCRIPT
June 1, 2010 Volume 2, Issue No. 2
Topics of Interest: Top of the News General develop-
ments in the Sum-mit
Mowing Announcements, p. 2 Elected officials p. 3 Chiggers p. 4 Articles & Other
news, etc. etc. p. 5 Guidelines p. 6
HIGH Times HIGH Times
This newsletter is a publication
of the Kerrville Summit Property
Owners’ Association, Inc. (POA;)
readers are cautioned that this
publication may be inappropriate
for mature audiences.
The Board:
Allen Leibee, President — spi-
Carolyn Roup, Secretary —
Paul Seaux, Treasurer—
Andy Phillips, Director —
Editor: Jim Adams, with a lot of
help from our friends.
OUR TRADEMARK
Top of the News - In this second 2010 edition of the High Times, we will publish some news about mowing and maintenance here in the Summit, a couple of interesting points about Kerrville, an introduction to some new residents, folks leaving our community and changes here about which you might not be aware. There are also some articles concerning security and some techie stuff.
20. Mowing of overgrown lots throughout the Sum-mit is the result of negotia-tions between Paul Seaux, Integrity Group and a cou-ple of other landscape con-tractors. These efforts will include the mowing of Vista Ridge, Stoneledge and vacant lots throughout the Summit. We note that some lot owners have al-ready mowed and we thank them for that. In
the meantime, every-one should keep up that “Spruce-Up” atti-tude and eliminate unwanted growth on and around our own properties. The grass and weeds growing in the cracks along the curb are a prime ex-ample of unsightly growth that we often overlook. Let’s pull together to make the
Summit trim and neat!
General Developments: T H E w e b s i t e www.kerrvillesummit.org, which was started last year in time for the Summit Board election, is more or less finished for the present and can be accessed for information of general in-terest to our fellow Summi-tarians. Summit residents can also use it as a refer-ence to send to friends and relatives who might want to know what we’re doing here. If you have an item that you would like to see posted on the website, send an email to info@kerrvillesummit org.
Another website of inter-e s t i s h t t p : / /s u m m i t k e r r v i l -letexas.com/weather/, developed by the Ejzak’s, a handy way to find out what the weather is like if you don’t want to go out-side. Every possible statis-tic having to do with our climate is on this website. Ed is continuing work on the Home Page of the site and intends eventually to provide an online forum for Summit folks to vent.
Mowing (Allen Leibee): It’s not very surprising to note that the hard freezes and
winter rains that came to Kerrville and the Summit in particular have produced “good news and bad news.” The good news is that this unusual weather combination gave us a gor-geous display of wildflow-ers throughout the Hill Country. The bad news is twofold: First: many of our flowering plants like lan-tana and esperanza have failed to make their usual
early spring appearance. In other words: they’re dead. Second: many open spaces at the Summit are covered with an abundance of un-welcome weeds and grasses.
At this writing, the weeds along Vista Ridge are being attacked, thanks to mow-ing that commenced May
An exceptionally scenic photo taken
by Carolyn Roup during a recent
visit to Willow City Loop.
Cactus in the Adams’ front
Exercise Your BrainExercise Your Brain
1. Would anyone be interested in forming a "Coin Collector's Club", to meet once a month to discuss our hobby and our collections, and maybe Tina Fey also? Or perhaps we can just discuss Tina Fey? 2. Would anyone be interested in a group to study Wheeler's standard textbook on classical Latin? The ultimate objective will be to read Cicero and Ovid in the original Latin (aided of course by the Loeb collection of
dual-language monographs pub-lished by Harvard U. press)?? So, there you are. You can see, I am planning my summer holiday. Contact Bill Hinds at 257-7779 or email him at [email protected]
Exercise your BodyExercise your Body
On May 15, Kerrville was intro-duced to Pickleball, a sport of moderate physical activity for those whose age is approaching three digits. The event, held at the Presbyterian Church, was well
attended and had excellent coverage in the Daily Times. The organizers for the Kerrville event were aided by our fellow Summitarians, Floyd and Sharon Walling. Floyd is now looking for a quasi-permanent venue for the activity and would be interested to hear from you. Call him at 257-2714.
Pickleball is a tennis-like sport played on a badminton-sized court with large paddles and a whiffle-type ball. It takes up half a tennis court and is some-thing like you’d expect if tennis and ping-pong had offspring. Invented during the summer of 1965 by three dads with colos-sally bored children, the game began with improvised equip-ment and simple rules. The name came from a wife’s com-ment that the ball was slower than a pickle boat.
Symphony of the HillsSymphony of the Hills
Subscription forms are now being accepted for the next
season of the Sym-phony, which will start in October again this year. Unlike the last two seasons, the or-chestra will put on only one performance of each classical concert
this next Season, and that will
be on Thursday evening at 7:30 PM . . . at the Cailloux Theater. There will also be a Pops Concert on New Year’s Eve, with details to
be provided soon, and a second Pops Concert is planned for No-vember 14. Seats for the Season will be limited, so if you are inter-ested in attending the Symphony concerts regularly, send in your application as soon as possible. Details on the season and an application can be found at www.symphonyofthehills.org/tickets/
Folks Moving In and OutFolks Moving In and Out
Last month John and Metch Kissick moved into their new abode on Vista View; they are now involved with landscaping and other refinements. Drop by and give them a warm Summit welcome. It appears that the Deal’s (Don & Margaret) are nearly ready to move in to their home on the Vista View cul de sac. Two new residences are un-der construction: the Tran’s on Summit Ridge and the Allen’s on Summit Top.
Announcements Page 2
HIGH Times Volume 2, No. 2
The Summit Ladies luncheon was held at Riverhill Country Club on May 5. About 25 women at-tended. Comments on the food, service and the seating area provided were generally very favor-able. Pictures of all attendees were thoughtfully provided by Carolyn Roup, who, together with Sherry Adams and Vicki Killeen organized the
event. Carolyn did not get in the pictures.
The next Summit Ladies Luncheon will be The next Summit Ladies Luncheon will be held on June 2 held on June 2 at the Pinnacle at Coman-che Trace. Ladies are requested to wear pink. Please RSVP by May 26 with your selection to:
Margaret Bedle - [email protected] 792-6952 Sandy Young - [email protected] 896-9920 Erika Williams - [email protected] 257-9412
Only several hundred Only several hundred
days to go until Christ-days to go until Christ-
mas! mas!
Your Christmas Party Your Christmas Party
C o m m i t t e e h a s C o m m i t t e e h a s
planned ahead and planned ahead and
has set the date of De-has set the date of De-
cember 14 for the cember 14 for the
Party! It’ll take place Party! It’ll take place
at Tucker Hall (across at Tucker Hall (across
the parking lot from the parking lot from
the Cailloux Thea-the Cailloux Thea-
ter.) . . Put the date on ter.) . . Put the date on
you Calendar now. De-you Calendar now. De-
tails will follow. tails will follow.
Marla EdwardsMarla Edwards
Summit Ladies Luncheon in May
Nancy Zhou violin solo May 2
Pickleball Demonstration
Your Elected Officials: President: Barack Obama The White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. Washington, DC 20500 [email protected] Vice President: Joe Biden, Executive Office Building, Wash-ington, DC., 20501. [email protected] U. S. Senator: Kay Bailey Hutchison, 284 Russell Senate Office Bldg., Washington, DC 20510, www.hutchison.senate.gov 202-224-5922 U. S. Senator: John Cornyn, 517 Hart Senate Office Bldg., Washington, DC, 20510 www.cornyn.senate.gov 202-224-2934 U. S. Representative: Lamar Smith, Kerrville District Office, 301 Junction Hwy, Suite 346C, Kerrville, 78028 www.lamarsmith.house.gov 830-896-0154
Texas Governor: Rick Perry, P. O. Box 12428, Austin, TX 78711 www.governor.state.tx.us 512-463-2000 State Senator: Troy Fraser, P. O. Box 12068, Capitol Sta-tion, Austin, TX, 78711 (512)463-0124 State Representative: Har-vey Hildebrand, P. O. Box 2910, Austin, TX, 78769, (512)463-0563.
Kerr County Judge: Pat Tinley, Kerr County Court-house, Kerrville, TX, 78028, (830) 792-2211.
Kerrville Mayor: David Wampler, Kerrville City Hall, 800 Junction Hwy, Kerrville, TX, 78028 [email protected] (830) 257-8000.
City Council Mayor Pro Tem: Bruce Motheral, Kerrville City Hall, 800 Junction Hwy, Kerr-ville, TX, 78028 [email protected] (830) 257-8000. City Council Place Two: Stacie Keeble, Kerrville City Hall, 800 Junction Hwy, Kerr-ville, TX, 78028 [email protected] (830) 257-8000. City Council Place Three: T. Scott Gross, Kerrville City Hall, 800 Junction Hwy, Kerr-ville, TX, 78028 [email protected] (830) 257-8000. City Council Place Four: Gene Allen, Kerrville City Hall, 800 Junction Hwy, Kerrville, TX, 78028 [email protected] (830) 257-8000.
Page 3 HIGH Times Volume 2, No. 2
Residents on the Northeast side of the Summit have been watch-ing to see if the Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) will in-stall a transmission line along Interstate 10 on the way to the Comfort Substation. The PUC in Austin did not approve the pro-posals submitted by LCRA, so negotiations continue. At the rate this project is progressing, we may never see high tension lines along Interstate 10.
The property across Loop 534 that was originally zoned for multi-family dwellings has now been rezoned for light commer-cial sites. This will permit the property to be used for a variety of businesses such as retail space, small offices, clinics, as-sisted living, and similar applica-tions.
On a separate Zoning matter, the large tract behind the homes at 2017 and 2019 Vista Ridge has been approved for replat. That piece can now be divided into three separate estate-sized lots with access from Vista Ridge.
AEA Board of Directors Name Dan Walker AEA Lifetime Achievement
Award Recipient!
The Aircraft Electronics Associa-tion’s board of directors selected Summit resident Dan Walker, past director of domestic marketing for King Radio Corp., as the AEA Life-time Achievement Award recipient for 2010. Walker was honored during the official opening ceremonies Thurs-day, April 8, at the 53rd annual AEA International Convention & Trade Show in Orlando, Fla.
Goings On around the Summit
— Allen Leibee
Since the last Newsletter, there have been at least two incidents involving so-licitors knocking at the doors of Summit residents. They were selling magazines or competing for scholarships, depending on who you talk to. Such activities are infrequent, but they are an inconven-ience at best. However infrequent and innocent, these incursions are annoying and residents should know how to re-spond to them. In the first incident, there is no proof that the individuals in-volved had criminal intent, but conversa-tions with the Kerrville police directly after the incident were disquieting. Through inquiries into the general sub-ject of door to door solicitations, I have learned that there have been several instances here in Kerrville of burglaries where the perpetrators had determined beforehand whether a target dwelling was occupied; the “alleged perpetrators” figure this out by going door to door. The police advise caution and have rec-ommended that they be contacted in all cases of door to door solicitations.
In the instance cited above, there were at least three individuals involved. Be-yond this, we know very little about it; it appears in hindsight not to have been a legitimate enterprise. If you observe persons going door to door, it is advised that you err on the side of caution. If you are alone, notify a neighbor and then immediately report the presence of these individuals to the police. Whether alone or not, notify the police. The police want to be notified. Let the police decide what response is appropriate for the situation. The City of Kerrville has an ordinance (Chapter 78 of the City’s Code of Ordi-nances) making it unlawful for any per-son, firm or corporation to engage in peddling, soliciting or canvassing (door to door or anywhere else) without a license issued by the City. A violation of this ordinance is a misdemeanor. Any-one coming to your door should have in his or her possession a permit or li-cense issued by the City.
Beware Solicitors, Peddlers and Other People Selling Stuff! — Editor
How do they attack?
Most chigger larvae feed at the site of a hair follicle or pore. They don't sting like bees or suck blood like mosqui-toes or ticks, but rather scrape or puncture the skin with bladelike mouthparts. Once having an opening, the little creature injects saliva con-taining protease enzymes to liquefy the tissue so it can ingest it. If noth-ing interrupts its meal, it will feed for three to four days.
Chiggers don't burrow into the skin. Some swelling may slightly envelop a chigger, but the chigger remains on the outside, and all it takes is a slight scratching to remove it. A scratched off chigger will not bite again. Unlike ticks, to which they are related, chig-gers are fragile. A shower or bath following exposure to chiggers will remove most of them. Or a brisk tow-eling down should dislodge or crush them. There is evidence that you can’t transmit to other hosts the chig-gers attacking you. If you are in-fested with chiggers, though, you shouldn’t go around hugging people.
What can I do?
Chiggers can infiltrate the weave of most fabrics, but you can reduce the numbers that reach your skin by wearing long-sleeve shirts and long pants with the cuffs tucked into your socks. Those extremely sensitive to chigger bites should pre-treat their clothes with a commercial aerosol containing a suitable pesticide.
Chiggers need shade and moisture. Closely cropped vegetation is, at best, a marginal habitat for them. They much prefer brush and long grass or weeds. Keeping our lots mowed here in the Summit will help a lot.
If you are sensitive to chiggers, apply a permethrin-based aerosol insecti-cide to clothes that you wear out-doors. Insect repellent containing DEET also works. If you don't want to put insect repellent on your skin, spray it on your clothes and shoes,
Got Chiggers? It Figures! Excerpted from an article by Tom Cwynar, editor of the Conservationist.
Page 4 HIGH Times Volume 2, No. 2
HOW many of our readers have ex-perience with chiggers? Nearly eve-ryone, since chiggers are ubiquitous in the southern climes, inhabiting
woodlots, lawns, fields, golf courses and parks. They hang out in wet areas and in dry pastures; if you walk in the weeds, they'll inhabit you, too!
What are these creatures?
You will be delighted to know that chigger mites are bright red mem-bers of the genus eutrombicula, sometimes called red bugs or har-vest mites. The adults have eight legs and are a little larger than the period at the end of this sentence.
Like most of us, chiggers bear prob-lem children. From spring through fall, adult female chiggers lay thou-sands of eggs resulting in tiny lar-vae about 1/5th the size of a pe-riod. These six-legged immature little creatures must feed on animal tissue; i.e. the larvae are parasites. Wow, they are a lot like human teenagers!
Larvae improve their chances of encountering an animal host by climbing to the tops of grass blades or twigs. They are sensitive to movement and whenever a poten-tial host comes within reach, they hitch a ride. Once aboard, chiggers roam around, seeking possible at-tachment sites. They move rela-tively slowly and their travel can be impeded by folds of flesh or barri-ers, such as elastic leg holes or sock tops. These sites tend to accu-mulate chiggers like fence lines at-tract cattle. Then they go to work.
instead. There is a special DEET-based product for this purpose.
Chiggers don't carry any diseases that affect us. However, bites can itch so much that we face the threat of secondary infection when we scratch them with a dirty fingernail. Scratching is a no-no; in addition to increasing the chance of infection, it keeps a bite open and prevents it from healing. A rule of thumb is that the intensity and duration of the itch is directly proportional to the amount of time a chigger remains attached to you. Remove the chigger right away, and you likely will experience minimal discomfort.
Are there remedies?
Most remedies for chigger bites at-tempt to mitigate the intense itching, which seems to get worse before it gets better. Over-the-counter medi-cations often contain antihistamines, such as hydrocortisone. Others con-tain benzocaine, alcohol, salicylic acid, methyl salicylate and water. A good product is ChiggerTox, which contains benzocaine. A property of an effective remedy is to seal the wound from air. That's why some home treatments involve applying nail polish or roll-on deodorant. Cala-mine, Vaseline, cold cream and baby oil also keep air from the site and may be effective.
On the positive side . . .
Ok, let’s not get silly. There is no positive side.
Another spectacular photo taken near
Willow City by Carolyn Roup
Super Image of our Beautiful Hill Country
by Carolyn Roup
HIGH Times Volume 2, No. 2
Hello Fellow Summiteers, It is often the case with email that infor-mation provided is incorrect, misleading and in some cases harmful. It’s always a good idea to check the source of the in-formation and attempt to corroborate its accuracy through means known to be reliable. Such is the case with so-called self-administered CPR, called Cough CPR, a recommended procedure for an unaccompanied person to take to main-tain blood circulation during a heart at-tack. I have received lots of emails ask-ing my opinion about this and want to set the record straight. This so-called Cough CPR recommenda-tion began circulating via email in June 1999; in the spring of 2004 a PowerPoint presentation made its appearance on the internet purporting to show the technique of maintaining blood flow during a heart attack. The idea centers on the question of what to do if you have a heart attack while you are by yourself. There is speculation that while having the heart attack, your heart will arrest and stop pumping blood. We all know that is serious, usually meaning THE END. But, if you are to believe this email, all you have to do is concentrate on taking a deep breath and COUGH, about 30 times/minute. The coughing action is like some invisible hand doing the internal squeezing of your heart to propel the blood around your body, thus keeping you alive. When you actually have a heart attack, pain is usually the initial presentation –
INTENSE, PROFOUND PAIN. With the confusion of "what is happening?" to "Oh my God, I'm having a heart attack!" followed by a lot of pain; I don't know many souls who would be able to muster up the silly idea of the "Cough CPR". So the concept is flawed from the beginning. With all that pain associated with the heart attack, it is not uncommon to vomit. Think of taking a DEEP breath just as the stomach contents are heading north? A heart attack in itself is serious business; add to that the aspiration of your stomach con-tents by taking a deep breath? “Bad” has gone to ”horrible” in a split second! If you are so unfortunate as to ex-perience a heart attack, alone or not, the best course of action is to grab the phone or your cell phone and dial 911. Waste no time with "Cough CPR". Put an aspirin under your tongue and lay down in front of the door while you await EMS. Dr. G Editor’s Note: This is a foreshortened version of the well-considered sub-mission by Dr. Gregory. Check with your healthcare professional to get advice that fits your particular needs. Several medical websites recommend having an aspirin tablet close at hand, and there is a new, more rap-idly assimilated crystalline aspirin available.
Page 5 Cough CPR—A Fallacy By Dr Bill Gregory
Thanks to all Neighbors who joined this
effort to keep their property looking its
best and to improve the over-all appear-
ance of the Summit.
You may have noticed the results of the
personal efforts of SPOA Board Members –
lights on the Summit entrance signs are
now working; the “Monument signs” on
Stoneledge were cleaned; trees and
bushes were trimmed on the city right-of-
way along Vista Ridge; plants were
trimmed in the rock walled planters at the
entrance. We plan to sow Bluebonnet
seeds at the entrance for next year and
hope Mother Nature helps us out.
Allen Leibee was very instrumental in get-
ting Stoneledge Road repaired. Thanks,
Allen. Allen and Paul Seaux have also
cleaned the Summit sign! Take a look!
To keep up with our growing number of
residents, the Postal Service has installed
new and additional mailboxes for Phases
III – XII. We have urged the Postal Ser-
vice to at least refurbish the boxes for
Phases I – II if they are not replacing
them.
We all know that “Spruce-Up” requires a
year-round effort. Weeds continue to take
hold in rock yards and street curbs,
bushes demand trimming, paint needs
retouching, etc. Let’s all continue to do
our part to “Keep The Summit Beautiful”!
Successful Spruce Up
Campaign By Carolyn Roup
Cute Snake found by Carolyn Roup; this baby rattlesnake was
rounded up by Animal Control and released somewhere far
from Carolyn’s yard. Carolyn’s story made the Daily Times
and the San Antonio Express News.
This fascinating creature was photographed by
Sharon Walling. Anybody know what it is? Answer
is hidden somewhere in this Newsletter.
For the mutual benefit of all Sum-
mit property owners and to pre-
serve the value, attractiveness and
desirability of living in The Summit,
the following guidelines are of-
fered. These Guidelines are ex-
tracted from, and based on, the
“Declarations of Restrictions, Cove-
nants & Conditions of The Summit”
Phase XII. Please refer to the origi-
nal document for complete and ad-
ditional details. Anyone who does
not have the Covenants may re-
quest one by email. -
____________________
All plans for modification, altera-
tion, or modification to any part of
a property’s exterior must be sub-
mitted to the Property Owners’ As-
sociation for approval before start-
ing anything.
1. Each residence shall be a single,
permanent structure occupied by one
family.
2. No lots, dwellings or structures shall
be used for commercial or professional
purposes.
3. No improvements of any kind on any
portion of the property may begin until
the plans and specifications are submit-
ted and approved.
A) Improvements include but are not
limited to:
Erection, addition or exterior al-
teration of any structure.
Erection of any fence, pool, hot tub
or similar item.
Landscaping
Construction of any driveway,
walkway, patio or similar item.
Alteration or replacement of any
exterior surface.
Repainting or painting of any exte-
rior surface.
B) Factors considered in the approval
process:
Compliance with the declarations.
Quality of building materials and
improvements.
Harmony of exterior design with
existing and proposed improve-
ments and with the overall charac-
ter and aesthetics of the property.
Location of improvements within
the lot.
Number of square feet in the im-
provements.
Compatibility of color schemes,
exterior finishes & materials and
landscaping with the surrounding
area.
4. All lots, either vacant or improved,
shall be regularly maintained. No weeds
or grass shall be permitted on any por-
tion of a lot (including an easement
area) in excess of twelve (12) inches in
height, except in inaccessible areas.
Lot owners shall keep their property
clean at all times and no rubbish or
debris of any kind shall be permitted to
accumulate as to render such property
unsanitary, unsightly, offensive or detri-
mental to any other property or to its
occupants.
5.Only two cats and/or two dogs shall
be allowed per single family dwelling.
No farm animals, e.g. swine, poultry or
livestock, of any kind shall be raised,
bred or kept on any lot.
[Answer to p. 5 question:
Alligator Lizard. See ———————-—>.]
6. No hunting shall be allowed and no
firearms, including pellet & B-B guns,
shall be discharged in the Summit.
7. No automobile, truck, trailer or other
vehicle or parts thereof shall be aban-
doned on a property. No repair or
maintenance of motor vehicles or other
vehicles shall be conducted or per-
formed on the property. An individual
land owner may perform maintenance
on his privately owned vehicles if con-
ducted in an enclosed structure and not
exposed to public view.
8. Trash, garbage and other waste shall
be kept in sanitary containers, out of
sight from the street, until placed in the
designated location for pick-up and re-
moval.
9. No fence, wall or hedge that exceeds
six (6) feet in height shall be placed,
constructed or permitted to remain on
any lot.
10. No motorcycle, motorized bike, go-
cart, dirt bike or all- terrain vehicle shall
be operated on any road within The
Summit unless properly equipped with
an efficient muffler.
11. No truck, boat, motor home, bus or
trailer shall be left parked in the street,
on the driveway or on a lot in excess of
72 hours within a ten (10) day period.
12. Permanent on-street parking is pro-
hibited.
13. Signs visible from neighboring prop-
erty (movable or affixed) including, but
not limited to, commercial, political and
similar signs, are prohibited and shall
not be erected or maintained on any
part of a lot visible to others. (See com-
plete Declarations for permitted signs.)
Carolyn Roup
HIGH Times Volume 2, No. 2
Summit Property Owners’ Guidelines —Carolyn Roup
Page 6
Throughout the world, the Texas Alligator Liz-
ard is found only in the Edwards Plateau and Big
Bend region. He is very beneficial so don't kill
him. He feeds on insects, spiders, rodents
and snakes. (Answer by John Roup, our local
herpetologist .)