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Volume VII, Issue 2 www.mysticshorespoa.com June, 2017
Mystic Shores POA Annual Meeting
By Shirley Jones
In spite of some cool gusts blowing in from the North, the 2017 Annual Meeting was very well attended. Most attendees were registered, and 2017 Board of Director ballots collected before the 10:00 a.m. meeting start time. Associa handled that process and executed it smoothly with minimal delay, considering it was Associa’s first year to coordinate the meeting. A big thank you to Brenda Grasse, our Mystic Shores manager.
President John Quattlebaum called the meeting to
order and explained the meeting agenda included the
election of two directors as well as director, treasurer,
and committee reports.
The Election of Two Directors. John Quattlebaum
stated the two nominees receiving the highest number
of votes would be elected as Directors for a two-year
term. Eight candidates were in the running. In
addition to the slate of eight, request for nominations
from the floor was made. However, there were no
additional nominations from the floor, thus
nominations were closed.
Election Results. Tellers Lorraine Fries and
Charlotte Mann, together with Associa
representatives, tabulated the votes. The election
results, which were announced later during the
meeting, were as follows: Mary-Beth Taboada – 228
votes, Steve Kingsford – 220 votes, Greg Reese –
116 votes, Ben Rhodes – 42 votes, Geronimo Salzillo
– 41 votes, Rick Greene – 32 votes. Mary-Beth
Taboada and Steve Kingsford were elected to a two-
year term. THANK YOU all candidates, and
CONGRATULATIONS Mary-Beth and Steve!
Committee reports and slides were presented, with all the committees providing an excellent synopsis of their highlighted activities over the last year. Thank you committee volunteers for a job well done!
Directors Reports. Following are the 2016-2017 Board highlights: The Association’s expenses were below budget for at least the seventh consecutive year, the Strategic Initiative was launched, Mystic Shores transitioned to Associa as our management company, the Board reviewed all insurance policies and purchased better coverage at a reduced cost, a pool operations review was conducted and, as a result, the Board is implementing several revisions, and, as a key directive of our DCCR’s, the continued enforcement of those covenants continue.
Financial Report. Mary-Beth Taboada reported Mystic Shores remains in great financial shape due to the past and present Board of Director’s diligence of stewardship. Dues remain at $312 year, with a healthy surplus cushioning against any unforeseen expenses, and a Reserve Fund that will ensure the common amenities are kept to expected standards.
Appreciation Noted. Anne Teeling thanked Mr. John Quattlebaum and Mrs. Shirley Jones, retiring directors, for their service on the Association’s Board. Anne noted that John had served four years as a director, including three years as President, and that Shirley had served two years as a director, including one year as Vice President. Each of them had previously served on the Architectural Control Committee for multiple years. Anne described several specific contributions of each of the retiring directors and noted various Association and committee accomplishments under their leadership. The membership thanked them with a standing ovation.
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“The View from Mystic Shores at Canyon Lake” is published by the Mystic Shores Property Owners Association for the benefit of Mystic Shores property owners.
Inquiries may be directed to: Board of Directors Mystic Shores POA 2345 Loop 337 – Suite 200 New Braunfels, Texas 78130
Mystic Shores Communications Committee: John Quattlebaum, Chair Gayle A. Oglesby (e-Blasts and website) Judy Hall (Editor) Donna Adams Karen Hobson Famia Magaña
Newsletter Contributors: Rick Adams Carolyn Besselman Maria Broadaway Teresa Carpenter Sharon Deeny Shirley Jones Steve Jones Famia Magana Janet Ryan
Happenings In The Neighborhood
BIBLE STUDY Men’s Bible Study Thursday – 9:00 a.m. Contact Mark Snider at
210 452-4246 or [email protected] Ladies Bible Study – ‘Joy’ Morning Bible Study – Thursday
mornings from 9:30-11:30 a.m. at The Mystic Shores Community Center. For more information, contact Connie Hudson at 760 345-0461.
EXERCISE
Ladies Walking MWF 8–9 a.m. Location varies within Mystic Shores. Contact Mary Daniel at [email protected].
Beginners Yoga Class (Coed) – Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11 a.m. – 12 Noon. Community Center - Contact Gene Rankin at [email protected]
GAMES and HOBBIES
Ladies Bunco 2nd Wednesday monthly – 6 p.m. Waiting list. Contact Maggie Simpton at [email protected]
Seam Sew Happy Ladies of Canyon Lake 1st Wednesday monthly 8:45 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. Community Center. Contact Nancy Evans Hanley at [email protected]
SOCIAL
Men’s Lunch Group 3rd Wednesday monthly – 11:30 a.m. Contact Tony Stewart at [email protected].
IN THIS ISSUE
Annual Meeting . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Neighborhood Happenings . . 2
From the Board . . . . . . . . . . 3 Committee Update . . . . . . . . . 4 Conservation
Committee Update . . . . . . . . . 5 Community Center
Committee Update . . . . . . . . . 5 Events Committee Update . . . . . . . . . 6 Neighborhood Watch Articles of Interest . . . . . . 7-14
If you have a contribution or story
that you believe may be of interest
to the Property Owners of Mystic
Shores please contact the
Communications Committee at
The Mystic Shores Communications
Committee is made up of volunteer
members of the community who
provide updates for the community
website and newsletter, and eBlasts
for the property owners of Mystic
Shores.
Join the Committee to insure that
communications such as this can
continue.
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From
The
Board
By Rick Adams Hello friends, neighbors, and fellow property owners. Since our last newsletter, as happens to varying
degrees with every annual meeting, we have changed a couple of directors on the Board, named new
officers, and realigned the liaisons to the committees. To summarize, we have said “adieu” to John
Quattlebaum and Shirley Jones, and welcomed two new directors, Mary-Beth Taboada and Steve Kingsford
to the Board. Much thanks to John and Shirley for their many contributions to Mystic Shores while on the
Board, and for volunteering to continue serving as the chairpersons of the Communications and Events
committees, respectfully. The Officers and committee liaisons are listed below:
Rick Adams President Liaison to the Communications Committee and co-liaison to the Strategic Initiative
Dick Walling Vice-President Liaison to the Neighborhood Watch Committee, the Conservation Committee and co-liaison to the Strategic Initiative
Anne Teeling Secretary Co-liaison to the Architectural Control Committee and the Legal liaison
Mary-Beth Taboada
Director Liaison to the Events Committee, the Community Center Committee, and the Financial Advisory Committee
Steve Kingsford Director Co-liaison to the Architectural Control Committee and liaison to the Maintenance Committee
Vivian Miller Treasurer Chairperson of the Financial Advisory Committee
Strategic Initiative:
With the re-alignment of officers’ duties and the desire for the Property Owners to have a deep participation
in the Strategic Initiative, the Board of Directors (BoD) has decided that it should have a similar structure as
the other committees with a Volunteer POA member chairperson, and liaisons from the BoD. The charter
for the Strategic Initiative Team (SIT) has been revised to reflect seven members from the POA
membership, with Rick Adams and Dick Walling as liaisons. The liaisons will be deeply involved in the
process, providing guidance and direction. Additionally, the BoD highly supports this very important
initiative and fully understands that a measure of success will be reflected in the number of owners who feel
their input has been received and vetted. Therefore, we strongly encourage your participation in future
town halls, surveys, sub-group meetings and other activities that will be designed to obtain your input. In
the near future, we are expecting to announce the SIT members and chairperson - with a kick-off sometime
in June.
Watch for the first quarterly Strategic Initiative Update to be issued soon.
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Conservation Committee Update
Time To Spruce Up The Plantings
By Sharon Deeny
You have probably noticed the activity centered
around some of the entrances and esplanades here
at Mystic Shores. Your Maintenance Committee and
Conservation Committee have teamed up to renew
the look of our aging, and sometimes ragged,
plantings. Even the nicest landscape needs
rejuvenation, and our 10–15 year-old plantings are
really ready. We also wanted to change out some
water-wasting spray irrigation and replace it with drip
irrigation.
The Conservation Committee was asked to identify
which plants needed to go, or be separated and
replanted. Then we got to the business of identifying
the plants that, in our experience, should tolerate our
unique ecology, save water, and bloom over most of
the growing season. We also had to consider the
fact that many plants will not survive the heavy
grazing of our deer herd.
We invite you to use the Grow Green Native and
Adapted Landscape Plants booklet that is published
in Austin. If you don’t have a copy, please contact a
member of the Conservation Committee. Although I
will quickly review some of the plants we have
chosen, the Grow Green book has lots of really good
information and pictures of the plants we are planting
– and many more that you might want in your yard.
Let’s start with some of the native plants that we are
using. We have chosen a number of Salvias
(commonly called “sages”) to give us some deer
resistant color. Cedar Sage (Salvia roemeriana) is a
bright red sage that prefers shade. It is commonly
found in the dense shade of Ashe Junipers. It
reseeds generously, so patches of this lesser known
native can spread attractively. The taller, blue
Duelberg Salvia will give some height and long
lasting color. Salvia greggi or Cherry Sage is a third
native Salvia. It comes in many colors and is a
favorite of the hummingbirds. Dwarf Yaupon Holly is
a cultivar of our native Yaupon Holly. This hardy
evergreen bush stays round and short to give some
nice foundation shape to our gardens. Turks Cap
and Esperanza should provide color from summer
through the fall. We chose some low-growing
Lantanas to provide good line of sight in esplanades
while keeping some color and nectar for our
butterflies. Gulf Muhly grass should provide flowing
green form and beautiful, purple seed heads in fall.
Some well-adapted plants (many native to Mexico)
round out our choices. Society Garlic and Mexican
Bush Sage are two hardy, long bloomers not well
liked by deer. Pride of Barbados entices the
hummingbirds to the neighborhood. Copper Canyon
Daisy and Mexican Mint Marigold flower in late fall.
Both are good nectar plants. Bamboo Muhly is a
taller, flowing grass that needs very little attention.
And some donated (read “free”) Thryallis will provide
taller, trouble-free yellow blossoming bushes
throughout the summer until frost. Cotoneaster is an
evergreen low growing bush with interesting foliage
and berries for the birds.
In addition, we should mention that we specifically
designed the gardens at the previously sparse Rio Central entrance, to house our Monarch Butterfly Way Station. We hope that many of our neighbors will be motivated to plant butterfly gardens in their yards. In addition to the plants mentioned above, we have planted Asclepias tuberosa, a native milkweed in these gardens. If you have a fenced area for your butterfly garden, you can add the low-growing blue or white Mistflower, and a lovely Duranta bush. Anacacho Orchid trees make a lovely addition for spring butterfly flowers. Don’t forget to leave those strangely beautiful Antelope Horn milkweeds that spring up everywhere in Mystic Shores. And, check under your oaks for the somewhat tall and gangly Frostweed. Cut it back by 1/3 or so in June and you will enjoy bushier plants that bloom just as the Queen and Monarch butterflies are abundant and looking for this great nectar plant.
Sage Plant
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Myra Stewart, PJ Burkett, and Loraine Fries
(along with picture taker Fred Ewald). These
Conservation Committee volunteers spent much
time placing the plants in just the right location.
Community Center Committee Update
By Teresa Carpenter
We all have one! That closet or cabinet we seldom
open. The one we don’t even think about until
company is coming and we have a few items sitting
around that need to be stashed NOW – just for a few
days until the guests are gone. Then, suddenly,
those few days become weeks or months. In fact,
we don’t even think about that space until we open
the door looking for something, and all those
accumulated stashed items come tumbling down!
As much as I hate to say it, our Community Center
kitchen cabinets are becoming that extra storage
space for many users. Maybe you haven’t noticed.
It’s easy to get used to the clutter as it accumulates
one item at a time.
So . . . please take home whatever you bring to use
in the kitchen. That includes plates, aluminum pans,
Kool-Aid, nuts, extra serving utensils…all of it! We
appreciate your generosity in leaving them for other
users. But really, would you want to use plates, pans
or food that some unknown person had left behind?
Let’s take all our leftovers home or throw them away.
Also, please check the “Lost and Found” box
regularly. There are some really nice jackets in the
box right now. If you have not seen your jacket in a
few weeks, check the box! After one month, these
items will be trashed or donated to charity. We can’t
keep these indefinitely.
I know you are as proud of our beautiful Community
Center as we are, and none of us want it to become
the community junk closet! Thanks for your help in
keeping it the jewel that it is.
For Your Calendar
By Shirley Jones Monday, September 18th – End of Summer Touchdown Mixer and Pub Night. 6:00-9:00 p.m. at the Community Center. Bring a dish of pub food to share and your favorite pub beverage. Show your team spirit by wearing your favorite game day colors. Saturday, October 21st – Volunteer Appreciation BBQ. 4:00-7:00 p.m. at the Community Center. Thanks to all you volunteers who make Mystic Shores a great place to call home. Saturday, December 2nd - Holiday Open House. 6:00-9:00 p.m. at the Community Center. A favorite time to visit with old friends and meet new neighbors. Appetizers will be provided by the Mystic Shores BoD. Kindly bring your favorite beverage. If you have an event you wish the Events Committee to consider hosting, please contact the Events Committee on the Mystic Shores website. [email protected]
Upcoming Peninsula Events for Your
Calendar
By Maria Broadaway
Saturday, September 23rd – Welcome
Neighborhood Party. To be held at Jerry and
Becky Newman.
Saturday, December 9th – Peninsula Christmas
Party. To be held at the home of Karen and Bob
Wentz.
Community Center
Events Committee
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Summer Safety
By Steve Jones
With summer upon us, please be careful and take proper precautions with any recreational activity you choose. Here are some tips from Technician Jakob Willmann with the Comal County Sheriff’s Office to keep in mind:
• Play sober. Alcohol and water activities do not mix.
• Know boating laws before you go out.
• Operate boats and water recreational equipment at a safe speed.
• Wear your life jacket.
• Watch the weather. Get out of the water during lightning storms or high winds.
• No jumping from bridges or cliffs.
• Pets must be on a leash at all times.
• Plan: Let someone know where you are. File a FLOAT plan.
• Swim only in designated areas and never swim alone. Don’t overestimate your swimming skills.
• Don’t forget the sunscreen, water shoes, sunglasses, and plenty of water to drink.
• Know the flows before you go. To check current river flows, go here.
Deputy Herman Medina with the Comal County Sheriff’s Office has also provided a list of swimming safety tips to consider before heading out to the beach, lake, river, or pool this summer:
• Teach your children to swim only in supervised designated areas.
• Always swim with friends, not alone.
• Never leave a young child unattended near or in the water.
• Avoid distractions when supervising children around water.
• If a child is missing, check the water first. Seconds count in preventing death or disability.
• If you have children and a pool, always keep your pool secure with appropriate barriers.
• Do not trust a child’s life to another child.
• Make sure everyone in your family learns to swim well.
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•
• Enroll all age-appropriate children in water orientation and swimming courses.
• Teach children to always ask permission to go near water.
• Children who drown in home pools are usually out of sight for less than five minutes and in the care of one or both parents at the time.
• Wear well-fitted and visible U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jackets.
• Do not rely on life jackets alone.
• Have other appropriate equipment, such as reaching or throwing equipment, a cell phone, and a first aid kit.
• Learn how to prevent and respond to emergencies.
• Enroll in Home Pool Safety, water Safety, First Aid and CPR/AED courses.
• Make sure everyone in your family knows how and when to call 911.
• Protect your skin. Limit the amount of direct sunlight you receive between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Wear sunscreen with a protection factor of at least 15.
• Alcohol and caffeine products cause dehydration.
• Always drink plenty of water regularly throughout the summer and carry it with you.
Deputy Medina and Technician Willmann are on the Community Resource Team and more information is available here. Here’s to a safe and enjoyable summer.
If you are planning to be away on vacation or for an extended period
of time, please let McKinley Security know. They will check your home while you are
away. Their number is 210 535-7623
Neighborhood Watch Update
Conservation Committee Update
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Mystic Shores Ladies’ Bible Study
Presents
“Daniel” Taught by Beth Moore
New Pool Membership Procedures
Pool tags are required for entry into the pools this year. To receive a pool tag, you must complete the 2017 Pool Membership Waiver Form and have all amounts due on your accounts paid in full.
The Pool Membership Waiver Form can be downloaded from the POA website.
A pool tag may be obtained by calling the Associa Office at 830 632-8300 to have the form emailed to you. Or, come by the Associa Office at 2345 Loop 337, Suite 200, New Braunfels to pick up.
Trash Receptacles Removed
The trash receptacles that were previously installed
at the mailboxes were long a target for abuse by
individuals putting household garbage and other
refuse into them. As dumping these receptacles
became more difficult, the POA contracted with a
local trash company to provide new receptacles and
weekly pickup. At that time, the POA was advised if
the abuse continued, the trash receptacles would be
permanently removed.
Unfortunately, after an increase in the amount of
household garbage and hazardous waste being
found in the receptacles, the Board of Directors
decided to remove trash receptacles from all the
mailbox areas. Another contributing factor to the
decision to remove the trash receptacles was the
discovery that the weight of the trash truck was
causing damage to the pavement in those areas.
For Your Information . . .
Meeting Mondays from August 28-November 20
6:30 – 8:30 p.m. at The
Mystic Shores Community Center
For details or to order a workbook by June 24,
contact Shirley Nash at 281 989-5125
Planning to make changes to your lot or the exterior
of you residence?
Before starting work, check the DCCR’s, Sections 9.1 and 9.4. This should help you determine if an
application is required. All documents governing construction requirements and restrictions in Mystic
Shores are available on the Mystic Shores POA website at http://www.mysticshorespoa.com. Look on the
menu for “POA Documents.”
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Social Events Highlight The Mystic Life
ANNUAL LUNCHEON
By Shirley Jones
It took less than one hour for Real Pit BBQ to dish up
136 plates of brisket, smoked turkey, sausage and all
the sides at the Annual Luncheon. Brrrr…it was a
chilly day. But, in spite of the weather, neighbors and
friends enjoyed the food and fellowship as they ate
and visited under two tents. Some decided to forego
the picnic atmosphere, and take home to go
containers to enjoy indoors with a fire burning in the
fireplace!
The EVENTS committee provided homemade
cookies and sweets. Not a crumb of chocolate chip
cookie, coconut caramel bar, brownies, cake or
shortbread was left on the desert table. Thank you
Events Committee! You have some good bakers on
that team!
Welcome Tea
By Shirley Jones
It has been over a year and a half since Mystic Shores hosted a Welcome Tea for the newly arrived ladies who have made Mystic Shores their home. The Welcome Tea, first initiated by a group of wonderful ladies, was simply an adhoc volunteer activity. But, with so much effort gathering addresses and emails of new residents, making sweets and savories and hosting; this group approached the Events Committee and asked if the Events Team
could - “Take it Over”. “Take it Over” they did, with a Victorian Tea which would hold up in any English manor house. Antique tea pots filled with flowers decorated the tables. Each delicate pot had a unique history and story to tell…”from my great-grandmother”, “collected from my travels as an ex-pat”, “purchased at a flea market without the lid because it was just pretty”. Memories. As the seventy-plus ladies gathered, hostesses made sure that the finishing touches to the hot bacon dip and spinach balls and the various finger sandwiches and sweets were just so. The sherbet punch was ready and the tea and coffee were ready to be poured into an assortment of over 80 antique cup and saucers. A member from each of the Mystic Shores Committees told a bit about their focus and activities. A handout of vendors recommended by Mystic Shores residents and a list of non-sponsored Mystic Shores activities, ranging from the ladies walking group to wine club was also provided. There was a lot of conversation, and the ladies attending appreciated the beautiful setting provided and the hospitality of Mystic Shores. We have now seen several of the new ladies walking with the morning group and taking an interest in joining a committee or participating in an activity. Many remarked that “wow, I had no idea so much was going on here!” Thank you to the Events Committee, but most important, a special thank you goes to Carolyn Besselman, who not only licked the stamps on the mailed invitations, but provided the lead for this effort, and also …. made ALL the food! Much appreciated!
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Yard Sale Madness
By Carolyn Besselman
Mystic Shores held its big community yard sale on Saturday, April 29. There were 27 families that participated and oh what a day it was. Other than wind gusts, the weather cooperated for the most part.
Set up began around 6:45 a.m. just as daylight began peeking out. The time advertised for the sale was 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., but most everyone was set up to begin by 8:30 a.m. Thank goodness they were because a LOT of people showed up.
Something for everyone at the yard sale!
The sale was advertised on several websites and signs were posted in the area. A rush of folks came by from 8:30 a.m. until about 11:30 a.m. Sales were brisk and very good. In fact, quite a few families sold almost everything before 10:30 a.m.! Because sales were high and the rush appeared to die down by afternoon, it was decided to wrap up at 1:00 p.m.
Safety was a huge priority. Traffic control went smoothly thanks to the help of McKinley Security, the Comal County Sheriff’s Office; Steve Jones, David Hasness, Dan Jones, and Jerry Besselman. A big thank you also goes to Paul Branch and Jerry Besselman for hauling much of the left-over items to CCRC. It was truly a fun day for the community to get together and many folks that came to the sale said it was the best one they had been to around the lake. The Events Committee is putting this on the calendar again for next spring, so start now to box up those treasures you want to sell!
Scotch and Cigar Mixer
By Famia J. Magaña
On the night of the Final Four, 35 die-hard Mystic Shores scotch and cigar aficionados, friends, and spouses turned out for the first-ever community social centered on these two vices. Held April 1 at Mystic Shores Lake Park Pavilion, the discussion was all about scotch and less about what team might make it to the national championship game. The atmosphere of the evening was cozy; reminiscent of a fireside chat. The audience sat on the edge of their seats eager to absorb every word uttered by the featured speaker, Bruce Underwood. With the fire at his back to temper the cool breeze coming off Canyon Lake, a table of libations over his right shoulder, and a table of snacks over his left shoulder, Underwood held court. In full Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt fashion, he’d pause to enjoy a puff off his favorite cigar. The story began 17 years earlier when Underwood and a few close friends flew to Edinburgh, Scotland, to tour whisky distilleries. The group stayed in a village near the Spey River, an area famous for the production of such scotch brands as Macallan, Glenfiddich, and Glenlivet. The distilleries are located near essential raw materials: barley, peat, and water. In the distillery process, “it’s all about the water and it’s all about the peat,” said Underwood. “Distillers are passionate about their designs, how much peat is in the barley, and the water used in the process. The water is diverted to flush the whisky stills and wells are guarded 24 hours a day”. On the tour of Aberlour Distillery, he learned from the master distiller that if it ever burned down, the distillery would be rebuilt on the exact site because of the water and the peat at that location. The Macallan Distillery (Warehouse “B”) is known to store the oldest cask of whiskey in Scotland according to Underwood. There, it’s said, “the spiders are blasted” because of the high level of alcohol contained in the air. Underwood had the opportunity to sample a “dram” of spirits at each distillery before and during the tours. He admitted,
Neighborhood Happenings
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with a grin, “We were supposed to sip and spit; but, I didn’t spit!”
Underwood’s maternal grandfather, Robert Bruce Davidson, was a native of Scotland who immigrated to America and settled in Colgate, Oklahoma. “In my family, everyone is named ‘Bruce’. My given name is James Bruce Underwood,” he revealed. Casually, Underwood reached down to pick up a whisky bottle that was sitting on the floor near his chair. “Part of this bottle of Macallan Scotch is 168 years old,” he said. In his other hand, he cradled the silver “quaich” - - - a special two-handled, shallow drinking vessel from Scotland used to sip the whisky.
Presenter Bruce Underwood
To emphasize the significance of the bottle’s contents, Underwood said he only brings it out on special occasions. “Tonight is a special occasion,” he said. As he proceeded to fill the quaich with the 168 year-old scotch, he stood up, raised the vessel, and gave an old Scottish toast. “To the four attributes of friendship: Lying, Stealing, Swearing, and Drinking. When you lie---lie with a pretty woman; when you swear---swear for your country; when you steal---steal away from bad company; and when you drink---drink in the company of me.” Underwood took the first drink and then passed the quaich around for all his Mystic Shores neighbors to taste. Almost everyone did take a sip. By night’s end, the 168 year-old bottle of scotch was empty and history. Several neighbors weighed in to comment and reinforce Underwood’s presentation. Long-time property owner and new resident of five months Gerry Trull offered his observation about single malt scotch. “A 15-year blend means it is the youngest in the whiskey. If you like the first sip of the scotch, you will like the rest [of the bottle],” he said. It was Trull’s
first time to attend a Mystic Shores mixer and he enjoyed the opportunity to meet and mingle with neighbors.
According to Jesse Solis, another Mystic Shores resident, “On the blended side, if you find a blend you enjoy, it doesn’t matter what year you buy of the blend. You can count on it for consistency of taste year after year.” For those unfamiliar with “whisky” terms, “single malt” means there is only malt whisky in it from a single distillery. “Blended” Scotch whisky means it has some other still whisky in it; not just pot still whisky. In other words, it is a blend of single malts from two or more distilleries. For example, Johnny Walker Black is 60% malt whisky and 40% pot stilled and Johnny Walker Red is 40% malt and 60% pot stilled. The mixer was a good excuse for members of the Mystic Shores Steering Wheels to fire up their engines for a short neighborhood drive and to show their support. The horsepower on display included 2016 Chevrolet SS Camaros (Tony Stewart and John Quattlebaum); 2013 Shelby Cobra (Mike Schaefer); 2002 Dodge Viper GTS (Steve Neely); 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS 396 (Ken Reid); and 1967 Ford Mustang (Peter Laksbergs). Fine rides! The Mystic Shores Events Committee sponsored the mixer. Member Gene Rankin is credited with the idea of hosting this type of “subject matter” evening. The event almost didn’t happen. “It was touch and go whether we would cancel due to weather,” said Rankin. “At 4:30 p.m., we decided it was on”. Everyone who attended was glad the call was “GO!”
Larry Litzmann sips scotch from the quaich.
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Strategic Initiative Kickoff
By Famia J. Magaña
Population and development growth is like fat---it gradually accumulates over time, with little notice. The future picture of Mystic Shores is clear, like it or not: unabated growth beyond our control in Comal County will impact the quality of life in our community.
Just recently, ground was broken on a 5-year Texas transportation project to add additional lanes to US 281 N from Loop 1604 to the Comal County line. Whether the roads are new or expanded, and if history is a good indicator of the future, two things are certain to follow: commercial and housing development.
Mystic Shores residents who travel east on FM 306 to New Braunfels have already experienced inconvenience as a result of the widening of FM 306 from the River Chase subdivision to I-35. Some may celebrate the development of new shopping centers and jobs located closer to Mystic Shores. Others may cringe to see the once sparsely developed areas around Mystic Shores grow and bring more people, more lights, more traffic, and the trappings of the dense subdivision developments left behind in Houston, Dallas, or anywhere else USA.
How well the Mystic Shores community prepares for and adapts to growth within our boundaries and in the surrounding Comal County areas is a high priority and a matter within community control via the new Mystic Shores Strategic Initiative (SI). Thirty-four residents took advantage of the opportunity to learn more about the new SI at a kick-off presentation held Saturday, March 25, at the Community Center.
The SI is chartered by the Board of Directors to plan for the Mystic Shores response to the enormous growth projected to impact Mystic Shores over the next ten years.
Directors Rick Adams and Dick Walling, board liaisons for the SI Team, facilitated the SI kick-off discussion to describe the initiative intent, the process and schedule, what it will accomplish, and to solicit input from property owners. Mr. Adams shared key demographic data he obtained at a workshop focused on water and growth in Comal County held last February. For example: Texas grew 9.2% between 2010 and 2015, ahead of California (5.1%) and Florida (7.8%); Comal County
growth at 4.5% between 2014 and 2015 ranked second in the U.S., behind Hays County, Texas, (5.2%). The Comal County population was estimated at more than 120,000 in 2015 and is expected to grow to over 150,000 by 2030. Comal County officials are now reporting the population is 146,000, exceeding the last Census Bureau estimated projections of 134,788 made on July 1, 2016.
The images of several maps sourced from the Census Bureau and shared by Mr. Adams gave a good visual of steady population growth along the I-35 corridor between San Antonio and Austin from 1970 to 2010. This population growth is being driven by the BioTech, IT Services, and Financial Services companies that have located along that I-35 corridor, according to Adams.
By any measure, the population and job growth highlighted is not far from Mystic Shores. “Growth is projected to continue and who is with us or around us is going to change,” said Adams. Currently, Mystic Shores is 30% built-out. At a new build rate of 35-50 homes a year, Mystic Shores is projected to be 50% built-out in the next 10 years.
In the past, lot sizes in Comal County were driven by on-site sewage facilities (i.e. septic systems). Now, the County is approving higher population density subdivisions (i.e., increasing the number of homes built per acre) with utilization of organized wastewater collection and treatment and public drinking water systems.
The Declaration of Covenants, Conditions, and Restrictions (DCCRs) for Mystic Shores define the vision of the community that property owners signed up for when they purchased their property. Despite higher density new housing developments projected Comal County-wide in the future, Mystic Shores will remain a lower density oasis thanks to the original governing documents the community developer filed with Comal County.
The SI will augment the Mystic Shores vision described in the DCCRs by studying drivers to the current state and recommend how the community should respond through a long-range plan that represents the owners’ values.
The property owners asked several good questions and made insightful observations during the session. One property owner asked, “How can we make long term decisions when we do not know what the future will be?” and offered, “I do not believe Mystic Shores is the same as other developments [in Comal County]” when comparing home sales. Another owner asked, “What are you going to do to mine data we already have?”
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There are many Mystic Shores property owners with prior strategic planning experience willing to share their skills to help the community define issues and understand the challenges the growth will bring. To date, over 30 property owners have signed up to support the various aspects of the SI. More volunteers are needed to participate in focus groups, coordinate activities, and conduct analysis. Volunteers can sign-up on the Mystic Shores website at the SI link.
Property owners are encouraged to get involved and keep abreast of the initiative progress.
Volunteers Expand Impact
By Famia J. Magaña
How do residents of Mystic Shores stay active after they’ve retired and turned over the reins of leadership or committee membership to others after years of service to the property owners association? Answer: They find new volunteer opportunities in the local area!
For example, several Mystic Shores residents volunteered April 3, 2017, to assist the local “Welcome Home Key Ceremony” sponsored by the Houston-based nonprofit organization, Helping A Hero. The event, in honor of MSgt Blaine Scott, USMC (Ret), was held in New Braunfels and covered by local news media. The Scott family received keys to their specially adapted new custom home.
“It was a really heartwarming experience,” said volunteer Carol Little. “To learn about the honoree’s service and sacrifice for our Country, his recovery from injuries, personal life challenges, and his determination to help other veterans in crisis was an inspiration.”
Carol and her husband, Charlie, along with neighbor Carolyn Besselman, answered a local request for Canyon Lake volunteers. Carol and Carolyn were assigned to help get the new home in order prior to transfer to the Scott family; and Charlie, Carol, and Carolyn helped with logistics on the day of the ceremony.
Mystic Shores residents Ron Benton and Mary and Ken Reid were among the over 300 people who attended. Country music artist Lee Greenwood was a special guest and performed his famous song, “God Bless the USA.” “His song is always great to hear, but it meant a lot to us Soldiers during the Desert
Storm war in Kuwait,” said Benton, a retired U.S. Army Ranger.
Neighbors pose for photo
There are many ways to find personal fulfillment, passion, and satisfaction in retirement. Volunteer service is one path with various benefits. It provides motivation to keep informed and current in subject matter areas that quickly change. It is a productive use of free time which can be fun and entertaining while supporting a worthy cause. It can give personal satisfaction and improve your well-being. It is an opportunity to meet ordinary people doing extraordinary things outside of Mystic Shores, and sometimes even to cross paths with famous folks.
Lee Greenwood and Ron Benton
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The reasons to volunteer are numerous and vary among individuals. Some people desire to “give back” to the community or to others less fortunate and do so as volunteers sharing their knowledge, skills, and paid work-life experiences.
“I enjoy being of service to those who need it,” said Ita Shea Oglesby. “However, I have to admit I thoroughly love being with the other volunteers. They're all interesting with diverse backgrounds and we work well as a team,” she added. Shea Oglesby, who had no prior volunteer service before moving to Mystic Shores, credits Max El Tawil as the admirable neighbor who introduced her to the need at Community Resource & Recreation Center (CRRC) on Friday mornings (4-hour shift). It was 6 years ago, and she has volunteered there at the food pantry ever since.
Maria Broadway also enjoys her volunteer “job” in the antiques and collectibles section of the CRRC thrift store. “It is a wonderful place to serve. We may not always have direct contact with people in crisis, but some people on very low income that do visit the thrift store find an assortment of needed household, kitchen and décor items at very reduced costs.”
Rita Starz is one of numerous Mystic Shores residents who are CASA of Central Texas (Court-Appointed Special Advocate) volunteers. “There are many opportunities to serve in our community, but this one was the most meaningful to me personally,” Starz said. “Being a CASA is about being that one person who they [the child] can rely on when their lives are in so much turmoil.”
Another retired resident enjoyed his first volunteer assignment supporting the 2017 Valero Open Golf Tournament. Even more fun and rewarding was his recent work with students at the San Antonio high school attended by his grandson. There he helped “Construction Careers Academy” students prepare their resumes and held mock interviews with them.
The demand for volunteers exceeds the supply. To their credit, many Mystic Shores residents are regular volunteers at the schools near Mystic Shores, the three CRRC components (food pantry, thrift store, and recreation center), and CASA.
However, aging volunteers are eventually less able to sustain a high level of involvement regardless of the organizations they now support. The result is that more opportunities exist around us to fill diverse needs of the local area’s religious, educational, social service advocacy, and other charitable organizations than the number of willing, able-bodied volunteers in
Mystic Shores and nearby communities. Mark Twain wrote, “Find a job you enjoy doing, and you will never have to work a day in your life.”
Volunteer service may just fit that bill if you are looking to stay active and make a difference in your retired life.
Owners Show-off New/Classic Rides
By Famia J. Magaña
Overcast skies with a threat of rain did not deter the loyal supporters of the Spring Caffeine and Gasoline event sponsored by the Mystic Shores Steering Wheels on April 29 at the Mystic Shores Lake Park.
This event featured the cars, trucks, and motorcycles of Mystic Shores including muscle cars, collectibles, vintage, specialty and custom autos all brilliantly shined and displayed for enjoyment. “There were more visitors than usual and more time to chat with the car owners and visitors,” said Tony Stewart who organized the show. Stewart was pleased with the strong turnout of vehicles and neighbors. “Hot coffee and donuts were enjoyed by many,” he said. Stewart’s final count was 22 vehicles, including five motorcycles. The turnout of vehicles was lower than the Mystic Shores Yard Sale scheduled during the same morning. The rain held off but windy conditions blew away anything not tied down. Owners who brought out vehicles that had not previously participated in the show included:
Steve Neely - 2002 Dodge Viper GTS Jeff Johnson - 2016 Ford Mustang Shelby GT 350; and 2013 Harley-Davidson Road King (CVO), 110th
Anniversary Edition Del Walker - 2016 Indian motorcycle
Jerry Robinette - 2017 Harley-Davidson motorcycle Robinette’s interest and experience with scooters and motorcycles goes back to his high school days. His latest Harley-Davidson acquisition is the black 2017 Street Glide Special (with the all-new Milwaukee engine for 2017.) With only 400 miles on the new 2017 Street Glide, Robinette is eager to break it in to the enjoyment of the “top-of–the line 6.5-inch touchscreen infotainment system with integrated GPS and BOOM!Box 6.5 GT audio system.”
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Described as the “purest expression of the Indian
Motorcycle Company,” Walker’s 2016 Chief Classic,
in Pearl White, is a real beauty sure to get as much
attention on the roadways of Mystic Shores as any
Harley-Davidson models cruising around the
neighborhood. It is a unique looking bike. The
“legendary Thunderstroke 111 V-Twin engine” gives
this Indian abundant power. Walker has owned eight
motorcycles since age 15 (2 Cushman; 5 Honda; and
1 Harley-Davidson). The Chief Classic is his first
Indian.
The Mystic Shores Steering Wheels are a loosely organized group of motor vehicle enthusiasts who have been together over five years. This was the sixth Caffeine and Gasoline event they’ve sponsored in five years with a goal to meet new neighbors and old friends around a common theme: cars, trucks, and motorcycles.
2016 Indian Chief Classic
2017 HD Street Glide Special
Mystic Shores Pool Schedule
Hours: 10-8 Sunday through Thursday 10-8:30 Friday and Saturday
Pools may be open later than Labor Day this year, depending on weather, usage and
availability of pool attendants.
Pool tags are required for entry into the pools
this year. To receive a pool tag, you must complete the 2017 Pool Membership-Waiver Form and have all assessments paid on your
accounts. A pool tag may be obtained by calling the Associa office at 830-632-8300 to have the
form emailed to you or come by the Associa office at 2345 Loop 337, Suite 200, New
Braunfels.
The Mystic Shores Board of Directors:
Rick Adams ------------ President Dick Walling ------------ Vice President Anne Teeling ----------- Secretary Mary-Beth Taboada -- Director Steve Kingsford-------- Director
Vivian Miller serves for the Board as POA Treasurer
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Email Contacts
Board of Directors: [email protected]
Architectural Committee refer to appropriate person listed on ACC Roster
on Mystic Shores website
Communications Committee: [email protected]
Community Center: [email protected]
Conservation Committee: [email protected]
Maintenance Committee: [email protected]
Event Committee: [email protected]
Community Contact (ASSOCIA) [email protected]
“The View from Mystic Shores” is a publication of the Mystic Shores Property Owners Association