Bainbridge Estates

Property Owners Association

 

News
(scroll down the page to see all news dates)

09/22/08 - Message from the Board re: Damage from Hurricane Ike

Debris

We are working with Harris County, Kirby Industries and a private hauler to see when we can get the debris hauled away.  We are doing our best to get  this done as soon as possible.

Fences 

For all those families who lost fencing and need repairs done, we are offering to organize the repair efforts in order to achieve volume discounts, if possible.  I am already working with several residents who are getting quotes.   The initial quotes have come in very high as you might expect.  The more volume we get and the longer we wait after the storm the better the pricing will be.

If you are interested in participating in this effort please send me the amount of fencing (in feet) you will need replaced to bserres@aol.com.  Ultimately, the decision on your contractor is completely up to the homeowner since this is their property.  Once we have some more bids in and total linear feet involved we will get back with that information. Additionally, if anyone involved has an inside contact with a fence company then we would welcome that information to share with other residents.

BEPOA Board of Directors

06/24/07 - 2006 Progressive Dinner Photos

Your Main Course "main men", Roy Wong & Carl Chase

Roy Wong & Laurie Chase

Christine Wong & Lesley Bullard

Christine Wong, Laurie Chase & Lelsey Bullard

John Bullard & Vicki Degeyter

Eric Grest, Ronda Grest & Luann Serres
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Steve Kempa & Vicki Degeyter

Doug & Jan Miller</td>

Rory James & Tanya Lughermo

Jeff & Kim Nurenberg

Donnie MCoy & Leslie Bullard

Doug & Melanie Patron

Rob Degeyter, Leslie Bullard & Jill Talk

Garret & Kimmie Erbele

Allyn Skelton & Ray Larson

Ray & Terry Larson

Royce & Debbie Molitor

Debbie Molitor

Andrea Watts

Mark Watts & Rob Degeyter

Lesley Bullard & Tricia Serres

Laurie Chase & Lesley Bullard

Do you know this man?

Donnie McCoy

Brad Serres

Paul & Carol Panasik

Rick Cargile

Maria Cargile

Kimmie & Garret Erbele

Jim McCoy & Robert Talk

Jill Talk, Debbie Molitor, Doug & Melanie Patron, Allyn Skelton, Ray & Terry Larson

Jim McCoy, Robert Talk, Garret Erbele, Paul Panasik

Maria Cargile & Andrea Watts

Lisa & Aaron Deluca, Rory James

06/23/07 - Whirlpool Bath Maintenance

(by Roy Wong)

If you’re like us and use your Whirlpool bath infrequently then here is a useful tip we received from a local handyman when he came to fix our shower leak.

1. Fill your tub to just above the nozzles with very hot water.

2. Pour ½ cup of Clorox followed by an amount of dishwasher detergent sufficient for a load near the intake nozzle.

3. Set the jets for maximum agitation and turn the circulation on.

4. Leave for about fifteen minutes. You may be surprised what comes out of there.

5. Empty you tub, flush the creepies away and repeat the process with clean water.

6. Drain

7. Give the pump a couple of pulses to expel any trapped water.

8. Do this twice a year.

12/09/06 - 2006 Progressive Dinner Menu

(reported by R. Wong & R. Talk)

The 2006 annual Progressive Dinner was held on 9 December 2006. Pictured below is the menu for the main course that was held at the Wong's residence.

11/24/06 - A Pedantic but Safer Method for Frying Turkeys

This article contributed by Roy Wong and Carl Chase:

A Pedantic but Safer Method for Frying Turkeys
(courtesy of Alton Brown, "Good Eats" FoodTV.com)

This is an interesting project and, if done correctly with a sprinkling of common sense, should make turkey frying a little safer. For under $20 at the local hardware store, you can make the process a controlled, cleaner and happier experience. For this, a lifting arrangement of sorts is proposed. It’s a cunning device that allows you to maneuver the bird in and out of dangerous hot oil at a safe distance away from the fryer. Enter the “Turkey Derrick”, an invention by Alton Brown, Good Eats, Food TV channel host.

1. For making the machine the following materials are required;

- 8’ step ladder (already owned one)
- (2) U-Bolts, sized to fit ½” pipe
- (4) ½” rope cleat
- (2) ¼"-20 x ¾" long Hex Head Cap Screws with Flat Washers & Nuts (U-bolts and Rope Cleat are the anchoring points. They need to be well installed)
- ¼” x 25’ long rope
- 3-½” x ⅝” Snap Hook, Swivel Eye – Bolt Type
- ¼” Quick Link
- (2) 1-¼” Utility Pulleys, Swivel Eye Type
- ⁵/₁₆” Spring Link

2. Drill holes and fix the U-Bolts centrally onto the two opposite top rungs of a step ladder. (You now have front and rear mounted U-Bolts.)

3. Attach one end of the ¼” rope to a Snap Hook using a good Boy Scout knot. This needs to be secure. You do not want it to come loose!

4. Attach one of the Utility Pulleys to the rear mounted U-Bolt using the ¼” Quick Link.

5. Attach the other pulley to the Spring Link. This is the traveling pulley which attaches to the turkey platform later.

6. Clip the Snap Hook with the ¼” rope onto the front mounted U-Bolt and this is the ‘dead-man’ of the sheaving arrangement.

7. Thread rope through the pulley with the Spring Link and continuing through the rear mounted pulley.

8. Decide on a convenient location for mounting the rope cleat to tie off the lifting arrangement.

9. Some other safety considerations:

* Choose a cooking area that is away from buildings. If a sheltered area is needed, then use common sense.
* Do not fire up outside in the rain.
* A grassed area is good. If not, use covering (non combustible) materials to protect concrete paths and drives from the oil splashes. BBQ stores and sports shops will have them.
* Use aluminum foil to wrap round the first half of the gas hose. In event of spillages and a resulting fire you’ll have some basic protection for the hose.
* Have a good fire extinguisher close to hand and know how to use it.
* A 30 quart fryer is good for a 14lb bird. Too small a fryer is dangerous. Too large and it’s costly in oil.
* Do not overfill the oil. Gauge by placing turkey with its platform into the fryer. Top up using water to just cover the bird but level still a good few inches from the top. Remove the bird and mark water level. Drain water. Dry bird and fryer thoroughly. Fill oil to marker later.
* Get an accurate oil thermometer and a good timer.
* Consider placing bird in oil at 250F and raising temperature of both to 350F to complete cooking. This way reduces the violent reaction when cold bird meets hot oil. If you do this, a 14 lb bird will take about 35 additional minutes from the time it has reached cooking temperature. If you like violence, go ahead and bring the oil to 350F before lowering the bird. You can now do it with less fear.
* Overheating is dangerous. Start pinching down on the gas a while before you reach the desired temperature. Or you’ll overshoot.
* Once lit, never leave the fire unattended. Mix yourself a good drink, get comfortable and stay put.
* Use a ten foot diameter no-go zone keeping out pets, children and admiring but non-contributing adults.

10. Follow your recipe for preparing and brining the turkey. If you want to shoot-up the bird with different flavors using a hypodermic, that’s your choice. I’ve found that the additives used in the flavoring solutions contaminated and blackened the oil.

11. Place the prepared bird, breast down onto platform and attach it to the traveling pulley using the Spring Link. Locate the empty fryer with its burner under the step ladder and centralize them by lowering and raising the bird platform. Once done, lift the bird out of the way and tie off securely.

12. Fill to the pre-determined marker with oil. Light the fire and bring it slowly to 250F.

13. Securing the load with one hand, unhitch from the cleat using the other hand and standing at a safe distance from the ‘derrick’ slowly lower the turkey into the oil. There’s no need to rush. You’ve invested time and money on the lifting arrangement, so enjoy the untrammeled moment without getting splashed and being safely away from the heat.

14. When the platform touches bottom, take off the slack by lifting it up a fraction and then tie it off tightly onto the cleat.

15. The lifting out is another process fraught with danger. The bird needs draining and a temperature reading for doneness has to be taken, all of this achieved without messing or setting yourself alight.

16. Using the derrick, you can lift the bird out of the oil, tie it off securely and in a controlled manner check it for doneness. If done, switch off the fire and let the bird drain by itself for twenty minutes. If not, you get another chance to show off your device!

17. Place the lid, upside down onto the fryer. Gently lower the drained bird onto the lid and unhitch it from the lifting arrangement.

18. Needless to say, this alternate is only as safe as your attachment points, your knots and most of all, you, the operator.

19. You’ll have to make your stuffing/dressing separately. This is a stuffing-less operation. Enjoy!

20. Shown below are several photos of the Turkey Derrick in actual operation. Notice the attractive bird. Oh, and the turkey looks delicious also!

This depicts the old, unsafe manner of frying a turkey:

This demonstrates the safer Turkey Derrick method:

The before and after photos:

11/01/06 - 2007 AMA Established

BAINBRIDGE ESTATES PROPERTY OWNERS ASSOCIATION
PO BOX 511
SPRING, TEXAS 77383-0511

November 1, 2006


Property Owners
Bainbridge Estates POA
Re: 2007 Property Owners Assessment

Enclosed you will find the following:
• Invoice for your 2007 property owners assessment
• Important dates in the collection policy

Some people may think that the annual maintenance assessment only pays for landscaping the entrance area and cul de sacs or mailing deed restriction compliance letters. The annual maintenance assessment fees pay for essential services in our neighborhood such as trash collection, gate repairs, street lights, maintenance of the detention pond, water for commons areas, mosquito control, insurance and so on. The Board encourages everyone to pay the assessment when it is due so we can adhere to the operations budget established for 2007.

The Board of Directors has approved keeping the 2007 property owners assessment at $900 per lot. The Declaration of Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions of Bainbridge Estates Subdivision states the manner in which these collections are to be handled.

The collection policy is published here to help clarify the steps in the process and avoid misunderstandings. The assessment statements are mailed in November and the annual assessment fee is due on January 31, 2007. Full payment MUST be postmarked by January 31, 2007, to avoid late charges. Following are the important dates in the collection policy for our subdivision:

Important Dates:

January 31, 2007 Assessment is DUE. Payments must be postmarked by January 31, 2007, otherwise the payment is Late.

February 15, 2007 A late charge of $25 will be posted to the property owner's account

March 31, 2007 An additional late charge and interest from and after the delinquency date is posted to the account and a Delinquent Notice is mailed.

April 30, 2007 The third late charge and interest is posted to the account. The Final Delinquent notice is sent certified mail and the fee for sending a certified statement is posted to the account. The homeowner is notified of the right to a hearing before the Board of Directors.

May 15, 2007 A title search is generally requested and the delinquent account is charged $25 for the title search. The Title Search is preliminary to filing a lien on the delinquent account.

May 31, 2007 The delinquent account is referred to the Association’s attorney for a collection demand letter. The account is charged for the attorney demand letter. From this step in the collection policy forward, the delinquent account continues to incur late charges and interest as well as attorney fees.

Where to pay Assessments should be remitted to:

Bainbridge Estates POA
PO Box 511
Spring, Texas 77383-0511

Note: DO NOT send payments to Chaparral Management Company

Payment plans Should you need to establish a payment plan, please contact Carl Chase, Treasurer, at (713) 248-5978. If special circumstances exist, the Board of Directors will review the possibility of a payment plan. The Board of Directors urges you to request such a plan early. The Board does not have the authority to waive late charges and interest if such a plan is established.

The Board of Directors urges all property owners to:

(a) adhere to the above Collection Policy and remit their 2007 Assessment Fees on a timely basis; and

(b) become familiar with the community web site at http://www.bepoa.com and to provide their e-mail address and other pertinent information to the webmaster, Robert Talk, at rtalk@houston.rr.com.

Board of Directors of
Bainbridge Estates POA

11/01/06  - 7th Annual Christmas Progressive Dinner Party

Bainbridge Estates 7th Annual
Christmas Progressive Dinner Party
Saturday, December 9th, 2006
(reported by J. Talk and M. Cargile)

In continuation of one of Bainbridge Estates' finenst traditions, a 7th Annual Christmas Progressive Dinner Party is planned for the 9th of December beginning at 6:30pm. Don’t miss out on the fun!

We will move to a different home for each successive course. The courses, times, and locations are as follows:

Appetizers and Champagne
6:30-8:00pm at the home of Doug & Melanie Patron (19406 Bremerton)

Main Course
8:00-9:30pm at the home of Roy & Christine Wong (3611 Bainbridge)

Desserts, Coffee, and Liqueurs
9:30pm- ? at the home of Steve & Tara Kempa (3603 Adamwood)

The format will be the same as the previous progressive dinners. Several couples will share the hosting of each course. One couple will provide the home, while others provide the food, wine and other beverages.

As in the past, we have limited the number of couples to the first twenty couples that RSVP, in order to comfortably accommodate everyone. If we have more than twenty couples, we will have a substitute list for cancellations or duplicate houses for some or all courses.

If you are interested in participating, please let us know by Monday, November 20th, so that we can coordinate the courses with the homes and hosts.

If you leave a message or an e-mail, please let us know;
1) if you would like to (or be willing to) provide your home for a course, if needed, and
2) if you have a preference on which course you co-host.

If you have any questions, please feel free to give us a call.

Jill Talk
Home phone: 281-288-9306 Email: jtalk@houston.rr.com
Maria Cargile
Home phone: 281-288-2512 E-mail mlcargile7@netscape.net

2006 Progressive Dinner Roster

Appetizers (6:30-8:00pm)
Hosts = Doug & Melanie Patron 281-528-7357
Paul & Carol Panasik 713-982-2250
Rory & Tanya James 281-355-5937
Royce & Debra Molitor 281-350-9212
Ray & Terry Larson 281-719-0944
Edgar & Sherri Anderson 281-355-9013
Jeff & Kim Nerenburg 832-287-6660

Main Course (8:00-9:30pm)
Hosts = Roy & Christine Wong 281-528-7766
Rob & Vickie Degeyter 281-353-5147
Laurie & Carl Chase 281-350-3729
John & Lesley Bullard 281-350-0374
Allyn Skelton 281-350-6642
Garrett & Kim Erbele 281-350-2247
Jim & Donnie McCoy 281-288-9910
Robert & Jill Talk 281-288-9306

Desserts (9:30-? am)
Hosts = Steve & Tara Kempa 281-350-4833
Aaron & Lisa Deluca 281-288-8875
Doug & Jan Miller 281-528-5515
Tricia Serres 832-492-3035
Ronda Grest 281-350-9322
Rick & Maria Cargile 281-288-2512
Carl(?) & Luanne Serres 281-353-7333

Monday evening (11/20/06) the Main Course Committee met at Co-Chef Roy Wong's villa to discuss their high-level and top secret plans for the upcoming Progressive Dinner.

Paying strict attention to previous BE traditions, the meeting was called to order after much "tasting of the grape". Following a well thought out and regimented agenda, Co-Chef R. Wong and General Chairwoman C. Wong were successfully able to lead the Committee into developing what will probably be the plan that results in the most enjoyable stop of the BE Progressive Dinner tour.

Through Financial Director R. Degeyter's contacts in Zurich, adequate funding has been established for the necessary provisions.

Publicist R. Talk has contracted with Office Depot to ensure that they have adequate stocks on-hand for the necessary menus and identifiers.

Music Director L. Chase has lined up the musicians and selected the position for the orchestra's placement in the Wong villa.

Co-Chefs C. Chase, D. McCoy, A. Skelton and J. Talk have been given their assignments and are in the process of fine tuning their recipes and locating the necessary sterling and china ware.

Bureau of Tourism Chief A. Skelton will be returning from Cuba (via London) with a sampling of some of Fidel's finer smokes.

Sommelier J. Talk has flown in the best of France's and California's grape extracts.

The Main Course Committee (comprised of seasoned BE Progressive Dinner veterans) now lays down the challenge to the Entree and Dessert Committees to begin their planning activities.

09/29/06 - Letter from the Board of Directors

The Board of Directors of the Bainbridge Estates POA would like to take this opportunity to update the property owners on business activities since the last letter was sent in late 2005. In preparation for our annual meeting in October, we wanted to outline the key topics thus far in 2006. We would like to remind each owner that we have an extremely informative web page that is being updated on a regular basis. Our plan is to continue using that outstanding tool to keep the owners informed of developments and progress on the items outlined below. Please visit that page at www.BEPOA.com

Annual POA Meeting
The Annual Meeting of the members of the Bainbridge Estates Property Owners Association will be held at the Northwest Harris County M.U.D. No. 36 Administrative Building located @ 19903 Cypresswood Glen Drive, Spring, Texas 77388 on Tuesday, October 17, at 7p.m.
(Please note: No alcoholic beverages are permitted)

Detention Pond
Arguably our biggest challenge as a Board over the last two years, we are pleased to report the pond continues to be operating to original specifications. Now that the grass has taken hold we will begin to explore ways to make the pond an asset to the entire neighborhood. Possible plans will be discussed at the meeting.

Maintenance Contractor
The Board is pleased with the performance of our maintenance contractor and will renew the contract for another year. During the last year, we were limited on how much we could spend on beautification due to the extraordinary expense associated with the detention pond. Plans for the end of 2006 and early 2007 include significant upgrades to our entrance, continued improvement of our common areas and additional review of opportunity areas to continue improving the appearance of the detention pond.

Entrance Improvements – Phase One
Early this year the POA invested in the beautification of the front entrance. Several of the common areas were completely revamped and additional decorative rock, plants and trees were added to the existing landscaping. Additional sprinklers were installed to properly water the new bushes on the south end of our property. The Board will be reviewing multiple options for Phase Two of this project for Fall 2006 and Spring 2007. Future projects being considered:

1. Pressure washing front entrance and returning driveway bricks to original color
2. Additional trees on property located along Ella Blvd.
3. Plant tall foliage along entire fence line of detention pond (where none exist)
4. Enhance existing cul-de-sac and common areas (more rock, benches, etc)
5. Cooperative effort with Woodforest Bank and Harris County for median improvement
6. Security cameras for front gates

Gate Update
The Board made the decision to close the gate after 6:30pm on Fridays and keep it closed until 6 am Monday morning. This action creates a truly gated community the entire weekend. Plans for the remainder of 2006 included further restricting the hours the gates are open with a goal of 80% or better closure by early 2007. The Board is working with the various challenges to make sure this effort is a complete success. As our community continues to struggle with a rise in crime, we feel this is an imperative step to securing a safer environment for our families. Our gatekeeper continues to be Steve Kempa (mailto:skempa1@houston.rr.com).

POA Annual Assessment
At this time, the Board has opted to maintain the annual assessment rates at $900 per lot. The basis for our decision will be discussed at the annual meeting. We continue to struggle with complete participation in getting the annual dues paid in a timely fashion. The Board is once again encouraging everyone to pay the dues in a timely manner so we can adhere to the operations budget established for the next fiscal year. At this time we still have two households who have NOT paid their dues from 2005. The Board has taken appropriate legal action against those households and will get paid the principle interest and penalty. It is our sincere hope we can avoid these actions in the future and the 2007 payment process is a 100% success.

New Web Site
The Board is pleased to announce a new web home page for the subdivision – http://www.bepoa.com We are very grateful to Robert Talk for helping us make this transition. The new site will serve as a key communication tool for the Board in the future. We want to encourage everyone to add this page to your list of favorites and check it routinely. It will be our primary tool for communicating neighborhood information and for allowing feedback to the Board. More information will be generated directly to each household regarding the features and advantages of this new site.

These are just a few of the many important goals we hope to accomplish in the remainder of 2006 and into 2007. We will provide additional details on each of these items as well as some not listed on this sheet during the annual meeting in October. Please work with us to continue to build a strong POA so we can all enjoy the benefits of having a compliant, safe and attractive neighborhood. On behalf of the Board of Directors, we look forward o seeing each of you in October.

The Board of Directors
Bainbridge Estates POA

09/27/06 - Entrance Gate Closing Weekends

The entrance gate has now been programmed to remain closed after 6:30 PM on Fridays and to remain so until 6 AM on the following Monday.

09/27/06 - NW Harris county MUD 36 Board Meeting Notes

Brad Serres has petitioned the MUD Board to re-examine the proposal to take over the maintenance of our detention pond. The Board agreed to resubmit a new proposal.

Brad Serres requested the Board to allow the MUD frontage from our property to the Ella lift station undergo beautification. The Board agreed to let our POA improve this area's landscaping.

Robert Talk asked what happened to MUD 36's web site. The MUD Board had been paying approximately $4,000 / year for this iste and determined that not many people were using it so they cancelled the site.

The MUD Board is considering contracting with Harris County Constables office for approximately $50,000 / year to hire a contract Constable for one shift. The amount would be paid from the MUDs General Operating funds. Robert Talk requested that the shift be from midnight to 8 AM as this seems to be when the most crime is committed. The MUD Board seemed to favor the afternoon shift to keep teenagers and school-goers from speeding through Cypresswood Glenn.

This page was last modified 09/02/09 07:26 PM

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