Craig Ranch Telegram November 2023 by Community Matters, Inc.

November 2023

Vol. 9, Issue 11

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Craig Ranch Telegram

| November 2023 3

November 2023

Vol. 9, Issue 11

CRAIG RANCH COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION, INC. An Effective & Comfortable Alternative Therapy to CPAP

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Free Consultations • Medicare Provider

8751 Collin McKinney Pkwy. #1502 • McKinney, TX 75070

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7850 Collin McKinney Parkway, Suite 103, McKinney Texas 75070 Office Hours: Monday to Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM Ph: (972) 548-9191 website: www.craigranchliving.com CMA Customer Care: (972) 943-2828

BOARD OF DIRECTORS President Stephanie Miller Vice President John Palmer Treasurer Connie Baker Secretary Tim Stephens

STAFF Director of Operations David Meyer | dbmeyer@cmamanagement.com Operations Manager Brandy Hotchkiss | bhotchkiss@cmamanagement.com Common Area Manager Roxanne Webb | rwebb@cmamanagement.com Maintenance Director Randy Cain | rcain@cmamanagement.com Lead Administrative Assistant Kris Sims | ksims@cmamanagement.com Operations Support Assistant Lu Ann Patton | lpatton@cmamanagement.com Lifestyle Coordinator Melody Krill | mkrill@cmamanagement.com Communications Coordinator Cathy Dreyer | cdreyer@cmamanagement.com Community Service Coordinator Tamra Collins | tcollins@cmamanagement.com Design Review/Modifications Coordinator Melba Siebel | msiebel@cmamanagement.com Compliance Coordinators Avery Baril | abaril@cmamanagement.com Maintenance Technicians Monte Cepeda Jim Merritt | jmerritt@cmamanagement.com

PUBLISHER

AWARD-WINNING PUBLISHER

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To place an advertisement, please contact: Community Matters, Inc., PO Box 5900, Frisco, TX 75035 Ph: (972) 370-1778 website: www.communitymattersinc.com Craig Ranch Telegram is the only authorized publication of the Craig Ranch Community Association, Inc. It is published on behalf of residents for informational purposes only. The Association does not guarantee any work or claims made by advertisers herein and claims no responsibility or liability for statements made in the publication. The Association does not support or take responsibility for services, whether paid or volunteer, mentioned herein, nor for statements published in articles or letters herein which are not endorsed by group decision of the Board of Directors.

November 2023

Vol. 9, Issue 11

C raig R anch T elegram

The official publication of the Craig Ranch Community Association (CRCA) This monthly magazine is published at no cost to the CRCA and is mailed free of charge to all Craig Ranch residences.

Pets of the Month

Yard of the Month

Community Calendar Save the Date

photo by vecteezy.com

Gratitude 06 14 National Month

in 07 Weeds/Grass Landscaping Beds

We are thankful and grateful that you call Craig Ranch home

Now is the time to rid the grass and weeds in your landscaping

City of McKinney Information

12 Spiced Apple Cider Recipe

Fall Activities Photo Gallery

Dollars at Work

photo by vecteezy.com

09 LED Holiday Lights

Pets and 12 Your Thanksgiving

LED lights are safer, sturdier, longer-lasting and easy to install

Be extra careful when sharing your holiday meal with your pets

Cover Photo - Turkey with football Turkey and football are a Thanksgiving tradition beginning back in 1876, when the Intercollegiate Football Association began hosting their championship game on the holiday.

Craig Ranch Telegram

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Manager’s Message: November is National Gratitude Month The month of November is National Gratitude Month, a fitting choice given that the Thanksgiving holiday is celebrated in November. Since 1621, the fourth Thursday in November has served as a holiday to gather with friends and family, give thanks for our blessings, and eat the incredible food reaped from the fall harvest. The Craig Ranch Community Association (CRCA) is both thankful and grateful that each of you has chosen to call Craig Ranch home. Our desire is to continually make you proud to be a part of this wonderful community. The CRCA staff works together as a team to ensure that Craig Ranch remains a premiere community in McKinney and the surrounding area. The Craig Ranch Community Association, which is considered a POA (Property Owner’s Association), provides many services to Craig Ranch owners within the community. A few of these services are listed below: • Maintain the community common areas and assets • Manage community resources • Promote a clean and safe environment • Encourage a sense of community by offering a variety of events to owners These services work together to provide a harmonious and cohesive neighborhood for all Craig Ranch residents. They also work to protect, preserve, and ultimately increase the property values for all property owners. Neighborhood Safety Now, let’s switch gears and talk about neighborhood safety. Because we value each and every Craig Ranch resident, we want to encourage everyone to make safety a priority, not just for yourself and your family, but also for your community. If you search the internet for “ways

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to keep my neighborhood safe”, the top advice you will receive is to “get to know your neighbors.” If you will be traveling during this holiday season, it would be a good idea to let at least one neighbor know the dates/times of your travels. You should also provide a neighbor with your contact information in the event of an emergency (i.e., water leak, power outage, etc.). As you know, many people park vehicles in the driveway or on the street. Please make sure to keep your vehicles locked and hide any valuables from plain sight. An unlocked car is the easiest of all targets for would-be thieves. In addition, we urge you to lock your home’s doors and windows at all times, even if you are inside the house. Also, make sure to keep your garage door(s) closed. Don’t make your home susceptible to theft on the mere technicality that you failed to secure all entrance points. If you witness a crime in progress, please call 911 immediately. Otherwise, please call the City of McKinney non-emergency number at 972-547-2700. A non-emergency incident is one that does not involve a crime in progress; does not pose an imminent threat to human life, major property damage or loss; and does not require the immediate dispatch of a police unit. We hope every has a happy and safe Thanksgiving holiday! ◀

Weeds/Grass in Landscaping Beds/Tree Wells Now that the oppressive heat of summer has subsided, plant material is quickly springing back to life! The CRCA compliance team has recently noticed an increase in weeds and grass in the landscaping beds and tree wells. In general, weeds are a nuisance to owners and, while it may be time-consuming, they must be addressed regularly. Grass is beautiful for the yard, but not beautiful in the landscaping bed and/or tree wells and must be removed.

Grass/Weeds in Landscaping Bed/Tree Well

Initially, if grass and/or weeds have grown in unwanted locations, it may be easiest to remove them by hand. To prevent reoccurrence please note the suggestions below: • Grass killer and weed killer (2 different products) – Fall is a good time to control weeds in the landscape with chemical applications. • Mulch - Maintain 2-3 inches of mulch; refresh mulch every 10-12 months. • Steel Edging - FYI, green and bronze steel edging does NOT require ACC approval for installation. • Landscape Border and Tree Well Border made of stone or boulders - this can significantly enhance the visual aesthetics of the property as well. Requires an ACC Request which can be submitted through the owner’s online CMA portal at www.cmamanagement.com. • Landscape fabric – a material that acts as a physical barrier between soil and sun. It is best to install landscape fabric during a complete renovation of the landscape bed, prior to installing new plants and shrubs.

A good rule of thumb is to maintain differentiation in one’s landscaping. There should be a distinctive difference between the lawn (sod), the landscape bed, and the tree well(s). Owners may remember an article called “Violations Don’t Have to be Scary” in a previous issue of the Telegram. As a reminder, an initial violation, received by an owner, is meant to open a line of communication about an issue requiring some attention at your property. Please reach out to the CRCA office to seek clarification about the violation, to discuss options for curing said violation, and a reasonable timeline at 972548-9191 or cradmin@cmamanagement.com. ◀

Grass/Weeds in Landscaping Bed/Tree Well Craig Ranch Telegram

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Pets of the Month Meet Billy and Brenham Billy is a 4-month-old tricolor Berniedoodle. He is a cross between a Bernese Mountain Dog and a Poodle. Brenham is an 11-year-old Goldendoodle and is a cross between a Golden Retriever and a Poodle. Billy’s favorite “pastime” is chewing on anything and everything he sees. He particularly loves his stuffed animals! Brenham has found his “second wind” as an older dog trying to keep up with his younger brother. It’s so much fun to watch them! They both love playing and napping together.

Fill-A-Bag; Get 25% OFF *Valid only at the participating store(s) listed. One bag per person. Offer not valid on previous purchases, gift cards, optics, DSC memberships or sale items. Items must fit fully inside our designated WBU shopping bag and may not extend beyond the bag handles. Offer good only from Monday November 20 Thru Saturday Nov.25, 2023 (Closed on Thanksgiving Day Nov. 23).

BIRD FOOD • FEEDERS GARDEN ACCENTS UNIQUE GIFTS

3001 S. Hardin Blvd., Suite 106 McKinney, TX 75070 (in the Tom Thumb shopping center next to Hallmark) (972) 472-2022 www.wbu.com/McKinney 8

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Billy

Brenham

LED Holiday Lights

Yard of the Month NCH COMM RA U

YARD

OF THE

MONTH

TY NI

CR A

The light-emitting diode (LED) is today's most energyefficient lighting technology. Quality LED light bulbs last longer, are more durable, and offer comparable or better light quality than other types of lighting. Residential LEDs, especially ENERGY STAR rated products, use at least 75% less energy, and last up to 25 times longer, than incandescent lighting. Decorative LED light strings, such as Christmas tree lights, are no different. Not only do LED holiday lights consume less electricity, they also offer the following advantages: • Safer: LEDs are much cooler than incandescent lights, reducing the risk of combustion or burnt fingers. • Sturdier: LEDs are made with epoxy lenses, not glass, and are much more resistant to breakage. • Longer lasting: The same LED string could still be in use 40 holiday seasons from now. • Easier to install: Up to 25 strings of LEDs can be connected end-to-end without overloading a wall socket. LED holiday lights offer an average of 88% energy savings compared to traditional incandescent lights. This energy savings can drastically reduce your holiday electricity bill when operating multiple strands of lights for several hours a day. ◀

SPONSORED BY

Winner of a $25 Calloway’s Nursery Gift Card

6801 Rowlett Drive Craig Ranch Telegram

| November 2023 9

November 2023

EVENTS SUN

07 TUE

MON

14 WED

16 THU

03 01

FRI

SAT

Registration is required for all events unless speciﬁed otherwise. Registration links are available on the Lifestyle calendar on the Craig Ranch Living website (www.craigranchliving.com) and in the weekly community newsletter that is sent via email every Friday afternoon. If you are not receiving emails, please sign up for an account at www.craigranchliving.com.

Daylight Savings Time Ends, 2 AM

Evening Bingo, 7PM Compass Event Center

14 Bunco Club, 7 PM Compass Event Center

Diwali Festival, 6:30 PM Compass Event Center

CRCA Office Closed for Thanksgiving

CRCA Office reopens, 8 AM

Save The Date Tree Lighting: Saturday, December 2nd, 4 - 7 PM Millie Cooper Park Tree lighting to begin at dusk December Bingo: Tuesday, December 5th, 7PM Compass Event Center Breakfast with Santa: Saturday, December 9th, 10 AM - 1 PM Compass Event Center December Bunco: Tuesday, December 12th, 7 PM Compass Event Center 10 craigranchliving.com

City of McKinney Information The population of McKinney (as of January 1, 2023) is 211,397 people, according to the City of McKinney website (mckinneytexas.org). In terms of population, McKinney is the 15th largest city in the state of Texas. McKinney is also the county seat of Collin County, which was named after Collin McKinney, a pioneer and land surveyor who helped to draft and also signed the Texas Declaration of Independence from Mexico in 1836. WalletHub (a personal finance company that offers free consumer tools) named McKinney as the best real estate market in its list of “Best Real-Estate Markets in 2023.” The study also found the city has great affordability and economic environment, making it WalletHub’s best place to buy a house. McKinney also boasts one of the oldest thriving historic downtowns in Texas. The 166-year-old downtown commercial district consists of over two dozen restaurants, as well as over 120 unique shops comprised of art galleries, furniture and antique stores, gift and home décor shops, and apparel boutiques. If you are looking for something to do the weekend of Thanksgiving, make sure to attend the annual “Home for the Holidays” event in downtown McKinney. See below for the dates of times of this event: • Friday, November 24th, 6:15 PM Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony • Saturday, November 25th, 10:30 AM – 9 PM • Sunday, November 26th, Noon – 5 PM ◀

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Your Pets and Thanksgiving We all consider our pets part of the family, and that means many of our dogs and cats get to partake of a bit of the Thanksgiving meal. Purina says while cats can eat a bit of turkey, make sure it’s cooked well, not seasoned (which can be toxic for cats) or the skin of the turkey, and only in a small quantity. The same goes for dogs, and NEVER give dogs a bone

to chew on. It can shatter in their jaws, and the sharp shards can be ingested by the dog, sending you both to the veterinary emergency clinic on Thanksgiving. Also remember that chocolate is highly toxic to dogs and cats and is strictly off their dietary list. For more information on what’s good and bad for your pets this holiday season, contact your veterinarian. ◀

As the leaves now display their vibrant autumn hues and a crisp chill fills the air, there's nothing quite like a warm cup of spiced apple cider to invoke the cozy, comforting essence of fall. It starts with simple, yet wholesome, ingredients: apple cider, cinnamon sticks, cloves, and a hint of citrus. These elements come together to create a symphony of flavors that dance on your taste buds.

Spiced Apple Cider • 16 cups (1 gallon) apple cider • 1/4 cup light brown sugar • 1 teaspoon allspice • pinch of grated nutmeg

• 2 teaspoons while cloves • 1 orange • cinnamon sticks, for garnish • 2 cups bourbon, optional

Directions

The Essence of Autumn in a Cup

1. In a large pot over medium heat, add the apple cider. Stir in the brown sugar, allspice, and nutmeg until the sugar is dissolved. Bring to a low boil. 2. Stick the pointy ends of the cloves into the orange so that just the buds of the cloves are visible. The entire orange should be covered with the cloves. 3. Add the orange to the cider and reduce the heat to simmer. Cover and continue cooking for 20 minutes. 4. Serve in warm mugs with a cinnamon stick garnish. Optional: add the bourbon.

12 craigranchliving.com

Craig Ranch Telegram

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Dollars at Work - Riverwalk Park Craig Ranch maintenance staff repainted the swing set at Riverwalk Park in Craig Ranch North.

Before

14 craigranchliving.com

After

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Craig Ranch Telegram

| November 2023 15

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Photography may include models or actors and may not represent actual patients. Physicians provide clinical services as members of the medical staff at one of Baylor Scott & White Health’s subsidiary, community or affiliated medical centers and do not provide clinical services as employees or agents of those medical centers or Baylor Scott & White Health. ©2023 Baylor Scott & White Health. 99-EST-849158 L/GD