QUAIL CREEK NEWSLETTER

April 2006

 

WATER SHORTAGE: We are greatly concerned with the effect Springfield's water shortage is going to have on the common ground and flowerbed areas. We take much pride in our beautiful flowerbeds and grounds, but we are in an unusual situation due to drought and City Utilities pump outages. The Grounds Committee is irrigating the lawn and beds once a week using as little water as possible but enough to keep things alive. The Board and Grounds Committee plan to evaluate the situation on a regular basis based on rainfall and City Utilities recommendations. Our Flowerbed Chair is holding off on new plantings for now. Homeowners may wish to use water hoses for supplementary flowerbed irrigation along the parkway. Click here for ideas from the Flowerbed Committee.

 

CONGRATULATIONS: To our new Board of Directors for 2006! Officers elected at our March annual meeting are Gaye Lee -President; Bryant Prude - Vice President; Donna Howerton - Secretary/Treasurer; Patricia Bannermaan and Greg Parker - Members at Large. A big thank you to outgoing board members Mike Summers and Past President Craig Sifferman. The next board meeting is May 17 at 7:00 p.m. Committee chairpersons are: Flowerbed - Patricia Bannerman; Grounds – Jerry Webster; Hospitality - Linda Moneymaker; Neighborhood Watch - Jim & Carolyn Dixon; Pool – Bryant & Kelly Prude, Block Captains - Karen Fischer, and Webmaster - Joe Brozovich.

 

POOL NEWS: Everyone is welcome to help clean the pool area on Sunday, May 14, from 2:00 - 4:00 p.m. Kids who come with their parents are invited to take the first swim of the season! There is much work to be done to get the pool area ready for opening day on May 27. Remember to bring your orange Quail Creek key and sign in when using the pool. Closing date is September 5. To reserve the pool area for parties, a contract may be printed off our web site, www.qcpoa.com, or picked up at the pavilion. Rebekah VanWey is our Pool Supervisor/Party Coordinator.

 

GARAGE SALE: Saturday, May 20, is the date for the spring sale. Any remaining items you wish to donate will be picked up at your curb between 3:00 and 5:00 p.m.

 

CONCERNS: At the annual meeting, it was asked that cigarette butts please not be thrown in your neighbor's yard, and always remember to pick up behind your pet. Also, please see the covenants regarding signs. You will note that nothing except one For Sale sign is allowed on your property. Signs that are not allowed and have been removed in the past include: religious signs, political signs. and signs advertising companies insuring or performing work at the residence.

 

SYMPATHY: Our sympathy to the family of John Edwards, 1149 Cardinal, who passed away Saturday, April 8. John enjoyed gardening, fishing and watching Cardinal baseball and Chief football games. Also, condolences to the family of Donna Dailey, 4660 Quail Creek, who passed away suddenly on Friday, April 14. Donna was a wonderful wife, mother, and daughter. Our friends and neighbors will be missed.

 

WELCOME: To our new neighbor Heather Snow, and Ryan, Jacob and Keaton who recently moved into 4412 Quail Creek. Their telephone is 887-5402. Please add to your Directory. Also, Sandra Preston who chose 4668 Parkhill for her new home. She is employed at Carlisle and her telephone is 684-1156.

 

April Newsletter Ideas from Flowerbed Committee

 

Japanese Beetles: Appear in mid-June and voraciously eat roses, birch leaves and over 300 species of plants for next six weeks. Using beetle traps will dramatically increase the number of beetles in a location because the bait draws them in. So, instead of your yard being infested with 10,000 beetles, the baited-trap location might host 100,000 beetles! Short-term control options: Knock the beetles off into a pan of soapy water-its effective and cheap. Dusts and sprays such as Bayer Complete Insect Dust or Spray applied to wet plants will keep beetles off plants. Long-term control option is applying "Milky Spores”. The larva underground ingest the spores and die. Their decomposition creates more spores. Milky spores are applied for two years in spring, summer, and fall. This process controls emergence for over 20 years.

 

Moles: Earthworm bait products such as "Molotomo Bait" are nearly 100% effective in eliminating moles. However, a box of 8 earthworm-shaped baits costs approximately $22! If moles are a problem in your yard and in your neighbors' yards, consider sharing the cost of a box of baits. Worms can be divided into smaller pieces and placed in the active pathways. Moles regularly eat every two hours.

 

Drought conditions options: Native plants, heat-tolerant plant suggestions, increasing moisture in containers/gardens.

 

Consider planting "Native Plants" in this year. These perennials plants are suited to the growing conditions in our area and offer a variety of flowers and ornamental foliage. To learn more about native plants, go to website: http://www.gonative.org/ 

 

These plants are available at garden centers, garden departments in home centers, local hardware stores, and discount stores. They can also be ordered online from nurseries.

 

Heat-tolerant plants information and suggestions: view Missouri Environment and Garden News website:

http://agebb.missouri.edu/hort/meg/archives/v7n10/meg2.htm

 

Don't want to plant flowers this year, try adding groundcover to your beds to the keep soil cooler, to conserve moisture, and prevent soil erosion.

 

Add "Soil Moist" granules to containers and flower beds. It absorbs water like a sponge. When the soil dries, the stored water is released to the soil over an extended period of time. For more information view their website:

http://www.soilmoist.com/

 

Lawn care: Best time to water lawns in between 4 a.m. and 8 a.m.