2025 RESOLUTION? KEEP BEING THE BEST-CHESTER

Happy New Year!

 
January marks the start of new opportunities, and one of the best and most meaningful opportunities you can have is supporting your community as an HOA trustee. If you’re interested in running for the HOA board, please email the board or let Crest know so your information can be included in the listing in time for our annual meeting.  
 
Read on for additional opportunities to connect with your neighbors in the greatest neighborhood of the Houston near-burbs, "Best"chester.
CONTACT THE BOARD LAST MONTH BOARD MTG MINUTES
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Annual WOC Meeting: *POSTPONED TO FEBRUARY, DATE TBD* at 7 PM in the Nottingham Elementary School Cafeteria

The holidays were simply off the chain this year in Westchester! The neighborhood embraced the holiday spirit with unprecedented levels of decor, which certainly made our task of selecting only three homes for recognition incredibly tough.  But we persevered, and in the end chose three lovely homes that have yet to be featured in recent history. To highlight this year's winners, we've moved the Yard of the Month section up to the top of the newsletter.

We hope you were able to see these in person, as well as the countless other well-decorated homes; we can't commend you all enough for your hard work and dedicated effort. Solid congratulations to the winners and all who made the neighborhood buzz with a festive spirit!

There's plenty of activity to usher in the new year, so be sure to read through to the end to find opportunities to connect with our community both in and outside of the neighborhood.  And be sure to mark your calendars for the WOC Annual Meeting, where we will review all the fantastic progress this year's Board of Trustees has achieved, as well as meet and vote on the new 2025 Board.  We hope you will consider joining the Board, as it truly takes a village to make our neighborhood the very best.

I hope to see everyone at the WOC Annual Meeting and out enjoying some (dare I say it) snow later this week.  Of course, I always look forward to seeing you around the neighborhood on a walk or at one of our many community events in the area.  From the entire board, we thank you for allowing us to serve you this past year. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to the team with any feedback (good or not so good) or questions of any kind.

Here to serve you,

Sy Zaidi

WOC HOA Board President

 

Westchester is a part of the Memorial Super Neighborhood in Houston.  Our next Super Neighborhood meeting is at 6:30 PM on Monday, January 27th at the Nottingham Forest Club. 

Yard of the Month

Sponsored by: Keller Williams Realty - Memorial

Congratulations to the 2024 Holiday Yard-of-the-Month winners!

First Place – 307 Greenbelt Dr. – Peter and Stacey DallePezze – White lights along the roof line with green colored lights in the trees against the house and the addition of firecracker lights glistening in the fully wrapped tree.  Also a huge lighted wreath on the front of the house and beautiful poinsettias lining the walkway. 

Second Place – 14734 Bramblewood Dr. – Justin and Ali Girard – Beautiful white lights along the roof line and all the way up the trunk of the tree and beautiful wreaths with bows in the windows.

Third Place – Richard and Ann Brown – 14607 Kellywood Ln  – The roof of the house is outlined with white lights with wreaths on the windows. The doorway is framed by a beautifully decorated garland and there are spotlights shining on a big white "Joy" sign in the yard. 
2024 Holiday Yard of the Month - DallePezze
2024 Holiday Yard of the Month - Girard
2024 Holiday Yard of the Month - Brown
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In this issue

 

 

FUNDS FIX FACILITIES FASTER
Thank you to the neighbors who have paid the $523 special assessment approved by vote last summer. About 1/3 of the neighborhood still has payment outstanding, which is causing construction delays.  Please login to your Crest account to pay ASAP so we can complete much-needed repairs and updates to the Westchester Pool and Tennis Club main facility before the pool season begins in May.
PREP FOR POLAR-POCALYPSE

Temps are dropping rapidly this holiday weekend, so be sure to protect your pipes! Thanks to Whitney Smith for this helpful diagram for draining your backflow after you turn of your water main. Make sure to cover your plants and bring all pets inside, to protect them from the freezing weather, as well.  Stay safe, neighbors!

FIBER, FINALLY!

Workers are currently laying lines for optic fiber internet, but what's next? According to their website, AT&T Fiber installation may require a technician to come to your home, even if you already have other AT&T services. They will upgrade internet lines, cables, and Wi-Fi gateways and other equipment necessary to bring your technology up-to-date. Learn more via the AT&T Fiber Network information page.

Erin Lumpking
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HELP HEADING TO HIGHSCHOOL

SBISD High School students have lots of choices for their curriculum.  To help guide rising Freshman and their families, counselors and staff are hosting an Elective Fair, informational session, and Stratford HS campus visit.  Note the following important dates for current SFMS 8th graders.
23 JAN Parent Mtg & Elective Fair
23 JAN 8th Grade SHS Visits
24 JAN - 7 FEB Course Selections 


BOOKS BEFORE BEDTIME

Put on your jammies, bring a blanket, and snuggle up for Story Time at 530 PM this Wednesday, 22 January at the Kendall Branch of the Houston Public Library on Eldridge. This free activity is a great way to relax mid-week with kids between 5 and 10 years old. Come early or stay after to peruse the selection of borrowable books. Visit the HPL webpage for future Story Time dates. 

RAD RIDE RAFFLE

Snag your chance to win a Kid's Razor Pocket Mod Mini e-scooter from the NHE PTA Fundraiser and Auction this 21 February. This Vespa-esque scooter goes up to 15 mph and is best suited for children 8 and up. Winner need NOT be present at the event to win, but you still can by purchasing your ticket for this annual extravaganza via the PTA Membership Toolkit.

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Full-page Newsletter Banner with Rotation; $500.  Add $250 for permanent/static placement.
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Full-page Newsletter Banner with Rotation; $500.  Add $250 for permanent/static placement.
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Full-page Newsletter Banner with Rotation; $500.  Add $250 for permanent/static placement.
Run a Banner
Full-page Newsletter Banner with Rotation; $500.  Add $250 for permanent/static placement.
WOC Website Images (17)
Full-page Newsletter Banner with Rotation; $500.  Add $250 for permanent/static placement.
BOND WITH BOOKWORM BESTIES

Save the date for the bilingual Bookwork Festival on 1 February! This exciting event celebrates young readers and those who create stories for them.  Hear from author and illustrator panels, listen to read-alouds, and ask your pressing questions about your favorite books! Register for this free event here. 

TIPPLE, TALK, 'TOX, & TREATS

Put Dad in charge of bedtime and head to The Mom's Club annual Galentine’s Party at 7 pm on 6 February at 14927 Broadgreen.  Enjoy some sips, drips, sweets, and Botox treats with your neighborhood gals on this fun girls' night out.  

MAMAS MASTERING MAHJONG

They say things skip a generation, and the latest game-craze is no exception.  The WNF8T Mom's Club is putting together a group (or two or three!) to learn the game and engage in some healthy competition with neighbors.  Sign up here to stay in the know. Thanks Tarryn Lankford for organizing!

 

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Bloom Where You are Planted

In the event of a freeze, the “mushy”/dark vegetation on annuals such as impatiens, begonias, angelonia, pentas, and ginger, etc. can be removed immediately after the freeze. For plants with bark such as lantana, hibiscus, bottlebrush, esperanza, duranta, plumbago, oleander, and hamelia, etc., it is safer to wait to remove the dead looking parts until the danger of another freeze has passed. If you scratch its surface and see green tissue then the plant is still alive.

After the danger of a freeze is past they can be pruned back to live wood. If there’s nothing green above the soil, remove the dead top. Some plants will come back from the roots. Likewise, don’t prune palms immediately after a freeze but the crown can be sprayed with a copper-based fungicide and repeated in 10 days.

Pansies, violas, snapdragons, dianthus/pinks, and ornamental cabbage and kale can be planted now. Annuals can be fed with water-soluble high nitrogen plant food during warm spells.

This is a great time for planting new shrubs and trees to let them have time to establish before the summer heat sets in except for those that might be freeze tender.

These tips are drawn from Lone Star Gardening by Neil Sperry and The River Oaks Garden Club’s A Garden Book for Houston and the Texas Gulf Coast, 5th edition. The latter book advocates organic gardening practices but has a wealth of information specific to our area that is useful to all.

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MELT MIND-MUSCLE MAYHEM

Say "ohm" and focus on your mind-body wellness with a free yoga class every second Saturday at the Outreach Center of Houston (where FamilyPoint Resources is located).  First-timers, old pros, and donations welcome!  Next class 9 February at 10 AM.

ACCOLADES FOR AREA ARTISTS The artwork of some talented artists attending Stratford High School will be on view at the SBISD Admin Building from 18 February - 27 March and again at the AYAM during Create Fest on 5 April.  These works advanced from the local to regional competition in the 2024-25 National PTA Reflections Arts in Education Program which featured the theme "Accepting Imperfection."  The image on the right also advanced to the State-level competition!
2025 PRIMO PUBLICATION PICKS Be sure to make a stop at Blue Willow Bookshop to get your copy of this year's Mom's Club Book Club picks shown above.  The next meeting on 20 February features "Done and Dusted" by Lyla Sage, and April's pick is "I'm Glad my Mom Died" by Jeanette McCurdy.  Don't forget to mention WNF8T Mom’s Club Book Club to get a 15% discount off your purchase.  
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BINGO FOR BOBCATS

SAVE the DATE for the Spring Forest Middle School Spring Fundraiser on 11 April featuring BINGO and a live auction! Follow the SFMS Facebook page for more details.

SUPER-SCOUT SUPPORTS SCHOOL
Help our neighbor, Joshua O'Meara, complete his Eagle Scout Project to achieve a status only held by 4-6% of all Boy Scouts (and only 0.5% of all US men!)  Joshua is raising funds via his GoFundMe to build helpful items for the NHE garden, like a compost bin and bird feeders.  Sounds like a future HOA Trustee in the making!
 
2025 PRIMO PUBLICATION PICKS

Engage with the Energy Corridor like never before at EnergyFest2025 on 5 April at the Addicks Park and Ride.  Enjoy local grub, buzzy beverages, and live music while exploring pop-ups from vendors across the community.  Don't miss the chance to really have some fun at Adventure Alley, packed with rides, games, and family-friendly attractions. It's the perfect way to spend a mild spring day in Houston's greatest community, the Energy Corridor.

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We appreciate your attention

Reach out to us with pertinent neighborhood and surrounding community news and updates, recommendations for families to feature in upcoming issue, and any advertising needs you may have.  We reach just under 500 readers a month!

Your 2024 Westchester Owner's Committee Board Trustees:

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