Coles Crossing Blog

Relay for Life 2011: Cypress Style

Don't miss our Relay For Life of Cy-Fair 2011 Kick-Off Event! There will be lots of information about this coming Relay.  We will have speakers, PRIZES, Brochures, Posters, Luminaria Bags, and Team Captain Packets.  Please join us! Tomorrow, Thursday, January 13, 2011 at 6 pm Merche (21208 Northwest Freeway, Cypress, TX 77429) Located next to the North Cypress Medical Center Parking garage. Dress is casual. Hors d’oeuvres and refreshments. Cash bar. We'll see you there! Your 2011 Relay Committee www.relayforlife.org (national page) Cypress Event Page: http://relay.acsevents.org/site/TR/RelayForLife/RFLFY11PL?fr_id=32320&pg=entry You are welcome to contact me at (713) 259-9848 (phone or text), or at 411@lanieevans.com for more information about this year's event.

Open House in White Oak Springs on Sunday

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White Oak Creek, Cypress  -  Join us in the best property available in White Oak Springs this Sunday...explore the great location, witness the immaculate condition, note the recent upgrades, and get ready to make an offer!  We invite everyone to visit our open house at 10802 White Oak Creek on April 18 from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM.

Don't miss the opportunity of a lifetime! This home is positioned perfectly in price and availability for the 1st-Time Home Buyer tax credit. 

Property information

Single Story For Sale in Towne Lake

Over $35,000 in upgrades

• 2,896 sq. ft., 3 bath, 4 bdrm single story "Open FlrPln, Stone Facade, Keystone lot" - MLS®$319,900 - Less than New Constrctn!

Towne Lake, Cypress  -  Gorgeous, immaculate, great location, open and bright floor-plan, LARGE Keystone lot with future 200' greenbelt in rear; Designed for living and entertainment with approximately $35,000 in upgrades to WOW your family and friends over the holidays and for day-to-day living. Grand entry, highest grade tile, 8' doors throughout, GE profile stainless/gas appliances, island, granite counters in kitchen and all baths, raised bowl designer sinks in baths, high quality designer fixtures, all walk-in closets, KENT MOORE CABINETS throughout with multiple built-ins; 2" blinds throughout (living and Master BR wood blinds); Remote controlled gas fireplace; 6 jet jacuzzi tub, covered porch in rear; oversized garage/keystone lot:150' across rear by 159' deep on Northern side; WON'T LAST LONG!

Property information

Like-New For Sale in Stablewood Farms

Immaculate, Many Upgrades

• 1,510 sq. ft., 2 bath, 3 bdrm single story "Traditional" - $118,500 - Below New Cost

Stablewood Farms, Cypress  -  Capture the opportunity of a lifetime: like-new and ready in time for the HomeBuyer's tax credit. There are so many upgrades and additional features in this property, you need to go view the pdf file attached to this post in order to see them all!

Forget going by the builder to see their limited inventory or pay extra for their upgrades.  This home has over $24,000 in upgrades--$16K from the builder and $7K by the owner.  All this gives this home a value of approximately $131,000! 

Property information

Open House in Coles Crossing on Sunday

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Coles Crossing, Cypress  -  We invite everyone to visit our open house at 12918 Bedford Falls on February 28 from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM.

• 3,161 sq. ft., 3 bath, 5 bdrm 2 story split - MLS® $279,000 - immaculate and maintained like new in Coles Crossing

Coles Crossing, Cypress  -  Welcome to your new home on Bedford Falls, here in Coles Crossing. You will be surrounded by amazing neighbors, as well as a quiet street. In addition to these characteristics, your home will have: A floor-plan that facilitates family interaction, as well as great entertaining; A kitchen built for convenience, style, and use: Avanza counters to reduce cleaning issues, stainless appliances, convection oven, breakfast bar at waste height that will double as an island so you can serve guests in comfort, crown moulding, wrought-iron balusters on the stairway, large pantry, and ample storage; a den area that boasts architectural detail not commonly found, pristine carpet, open space, and a view of the back yard that is unobstructed past the fence by rear neighbors; the den, breakfast area/kitchen, and master bedroom enjoy an eastern view of the sunrise; the Master Bedroom features abundant room and a window seat, as well as an upgraded bath, and ample closet space; upstairs, the game-room is large enough for a flat screen and pool table with seating, and the secondary bedrooms are connected by Hollywood baths on either side of the home.

Your home is situated in Coles Crossing, the best master planned community in Northwest Houston: new home construction has been completed, Sampson Elementary serves only Coles residents and is one of the only year-over-year Exemplary rated elementary schools in Cy-Fair ISD; our HOA is run by a great group of volunteers continuing to develop the master plan and keep costs down, all the while hosting great special events, and maintaining common areas such as: 2 pools, tennis courts, and exercise facility, as well as our gorgeous community center and 9 park areas, as well as miles of walking and biking trails. Easy commuting via a connection to Hwy. 249, 290, and the state-of-the-art Park and Ride facility less than a mile away. Additionally, we are surrounded by numerous shopping and retail establishments.

This property is a great addition to the real estate market in Cypress, TX and homes for sale in Coles Crossing.  If you are looking for a new home in Cypress or Coles Crossing, then this is the property you want to view and buy.  Call Lanie Evans today to schedule a showing at 713-259-9848.

 

Property information

Location, Immaculate, Neighbors (really friends): get ready to move!

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Coles Crossing, Cypress  -  We invite everyone to visit our open house at 13023 Yorkmont on February 6 from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM.

If you are looking for a place that is 'move in ready', then this home is for your family. The family that owned this place took excellent care of it, then did everything they could to leave it in pristine condition for you. David Weekley design with premium/neutral paint, slate focal point fireplace, island kitchen that overlooks the enormous family room, upgraded tile, architectural features throughout, 15'X9' covered rear patio, energy features galore...recent AC, dishwasher, etc.  All of this on a cul-de-sac loaded with amazing people.

Add all that to the LOCATION: Coles Crossing--need we say more?, within 5 minute walk to Exemplary Sampson Elementary or Coles Pond (picnics, fishing and duck feeding); convenient playground; miles of running/walking trails; the BEST Master-Planned Community in Cypress, TX; convenient access to North Cypress Medical Center, major shopping/dining choices, Cy-Fair College, Hwy. 249 and Hwy. 290 corridors, as well as Beltway 8; Hewlett Packard, Energy Corridor, and one of the fastest growing micro-economies in Texas.

We could go on and on about the home and its great location, but what really makes this home special are the neighbors!  We look forward to seeing their posts below.

Neighbors and friends: please leave a comment and let us know more about the location and neighborhood!

Property information

15702 Stiller Park in Coles Crossing is Sold!

Coles Crossing, Cypress  -  Zippity Doo-Dah...the Chambless family, now living in Billings, Montana are thankful another family has decided to really engage in life by purchasing their home in Coles Crossing.  The friends and family of Ashley and Crull will miss them terribly, but we look forward to developing deep and lasting relationships with the new family.

 Having sold at 97% of marketed price in a cash transaction, this great property now belongs to new owners.  Situated within easy walking distance of Sampson Elementary, the Duck Pond, and other recreational venues here in Coles Crossing, this home is a great value at its sales price.  We are always honored to be chosen to market homes here, because this is the pre-eminent Master Planned Community in Northwest Houston. 

Property information

Amazing Value at 15702 Stiller Park in Coles Crossing

Coles Crossing, Cypress  -  Announcing an amazing value on 15702 Stiller Park, a 2,460 sq. ft., 2 bath, 3 bdrm 2 story split "Cottage Design". Now MLS® $195,000 - Best Cottage Value in Coles Crossing for sale.

3 Bedrooms, 2.5 baths at 2460 spectacularly rich square feet engineered to facilitate maximum use and enjoyment
Magnificent open floor plan yielding a great family and entertainment experience
Ample study features french doors and hardwood flooring, with placement that limits noise and interruption while you are working from home
Within walking distance of Coles Mill park and playground, and Coles Pond with fishing pier and duck feeding, miles of trails, and Exemplary Sampson Elementary School
Substantial areas for entertainment and living in kitchen, den, and game-room
Breakfast area adjacent to kitchen affords a unique and relaxing view outside
Cottage style entry accented by front porch and framed by towering hard-wood trees
Gorgeous kitchen contains abundant storage brown Maple cabinets, gas oven, gas range, serving/breakfast island, tile flooring, and convenient adjacent laundry
Den features hard-wood floors, architectural detail, and affords a view of the rear with no obstructions
Gameroom is large enough for a pool table and flat screen TV
2” blinds throughout
Premium recent paint throughout, custom shelving in utility room
Formal dining convenient to kitchen serving and features natural paint tones, along with rich hardwood floors
Contemporary fixtures throughout

Property information

Price Reduced on 16710 Darby House in Coles Crossing

Coles Crossing, Cypress  -  Announcing a price reduction on 16710 Darby House, a 3,547 sq. ft., 3 bath, 4 bdrm 2 story "Traditional". Now MLS® $279,000 - Below Market Value!.

Roof replaced in ’09--$25,000
Carpet with upgraded pad in ’09--$5000
Hardwood flooring in ’09--$4500
Windows in rear of home are double sound insulated
cul-de-sac location
no homes to block the view in rear

Property information

Coles Crossing Gem For Sale

Remarkable Floorplan, upgrades, & lot

• 3,161 sq. ft., 3 bath, 5 bdrm 2 story split - MLS® $280,000 - amazing value in Coles Crossing

Coles Crossing, Cypress  -  Welcome to your new home on Bedford Falls, here in Coles Crossing. You will be surrounded by amazing neighbors, as well as a quiet street. In addition to these characteristics, your home will have: A floor-plan that facilitates family interaction, as well as great entertaining; A kitchen built for convenience, style, and use: Avanza counters to reduce cleaning issues, stainless appliances, convection oven, breakfast bar at waste height that will double as an island so you can serve guests in comfort, crown moulding, wrought-iron balusters on the stairway, large pantry, and ample storage; a den area that boasts architectural detail not commonly found, pristine carpet, open space, and a view of the back yard that is unobstructed past the fence by rear neighbors; the den, breakfast area/kitchen, and master bedroom enjoy an eastern view of the sunrise; the Master Bedroom features abundant room and a window seat, as well as an upgraded bath, and ample closet space; upstairs, the game-room is large enough for a flat screen and pool table with seating, and the secondary bedrooms are connected by Hollywood baths on either side of the home.

Your home is situated in Coles Crossing, the best master planned community in Northwest Houston: new home construction has been completed, Sampson Elementary serves only Coles residents and is one of the only year-over-year Exemplary rated elementary schools in Cy-Fair ISD; our HOA is run by a great group of volunteers continuing to develop the master plan and keep costs down, all the while hosting great special events, and maintaining common areas such as: 2 pools, tennis courts, and exercise facility, as well as our gorgeous community center and 9 park areas, as well as miles of walking and biking trails. Easy commuting via a connection to Hwy. 249, 290, and the state-of-the-art Park and Ride facility less than a mile away. Additionally, we are surrounded by numerous shopping and retail establishments.

This property is a great addition to the real estate market in Cypress, TX and homes for sale in Coles Crossing.  If you are looking for a new home in Cypress or Coles Crossing, then this is the property you want to view and buy.  Call Lanie Evans today to schedule a showing at 713-259-9848.

Property information

CCEvents: Christmas at the North Pole ('Twas the Night Before Christmas)

Our annual Coles Crossing Christmas event will be even more amazing this year than it was last year!  Thanks to the hard work of Event Chair Sandra Orlando, we have more activities scheduled, our logistics planning has been outstanding, and we have numerous sponsors, as well as volunteers.  The event will be held at the Coles Crossing Community Center, from 6PM to 9PM on Saturday, December 6th.

This year, we will enjoy a ‘Night Before Christmas’ theme; so bring your kiddos in their pajamas for the event!  When you arrive, you will be greeted at the door by Santa’s elves, and then you will be guided to a variety of activities going on at the North Pole that evening.  You and your children will enjoy a great train ride, cookie decorating, choir caroling, be able to write letters to our troops, donate to Cypress Cares, hear stories read by Mrs. Claus, and of course have pictures taken and talk with SANTA!

We are incorporating community outreach efforts into our Coles Crossing Events, and for the North Pole, we will work with the Boy Scouts and Cypress Cares.  Please go to the Cypress Cares website at www.cypress-cares.org for a list of preferred donation items.  As well, your children will have the opportunity to send a hand-made letter to the troops through the help of the San Jacinto Brownies.


Our sponsors for the event include:
•    PostNet-letters to Santa (return envelope and reply from Santa);
•    HEB—cookie decorating;
•    Excel Urgent Care/Sandra Orlando—Reindeer Food, first aid kits, and funding for the event;
•    E&G Interior Design—Christmas Decorations;
•    NorthWest Forest—announcement fliers;
•    Dr. McCandless Pediatrics—Santa staging and Special Holiday Toothbrushes;
•    A Bouncing Adventure—Blue Classic Train;
•    Lisa Johnson Photography—photos with Santa;
•    Lanie Evans (Gary Greene Prudential Realtors)—Elf T-shirts and sign-in;
•    Compass Area Girl Scouts—letters to our troops;
•    Compass Area Girl Scouts—Cypress Cares donations coordination;
•    Cy-Fair High School Singers--caroling;
•    Learning Express and EJ’s Pizza (volunteering time).
•    All of these folks are helping our community develop and host a great event—please utilize their services!

Photos with Santa from Lisa Johnson will be priced at the following amounts:
Package one: 1- 5x7 or 2- 4x6                      $6
Package two: 1- 5x7, 2- 4x6                         $12
Package three: 1-5x7, 4- 4x6, 8 wallets        $18
Other print sizes are available upon request at additional pricing.  Of course, if you want to take your own pictures, then you will be able to.

We are still looking for a few volunteers for the evening, so if you would like to help before, during, or after, then please email Sandra Orlando at sandraorlando@sbcglobal.net.  We look forward to seeing you all there!

Merry Christmas,

Lanie Evans
Coles Crossing Special Events Chair

Apartment Complexes--pro or con?

We are very fortunate to have an active YaHoo! group within Coles Crossing.  It helps us sell items, voice public opinion, update one another regarding suspicious activities locally, and lately it has been a place where like it or not, there have some pretty spirited political debates.  I watch the threads on this group for Real Estate related posts and sometimes attempt to respond in a knowledgeable manner that is intended to help educate my neighbors.

Recently, there have been a couple of threads that have been written concerning topics that should be addressed strictly from a real estate perspective-- are apartment complexes good or bad for a community?  I'll do my best to remain objective, although, it is my blog, so I am going to express a couple of opinions.

I have placed calls to both site managers; however, at this point, there has been no response from either development.  The Greystar property (Hwy. 290 Park and Ride) did send me an auto-email stating they would be out until October 14th.

The Carrington Apartments located at the corner of Huffmeister (Glen Cheek Road) and Telge, will be upper end units that boast garages and many other amenities.  Since they are part of the Carrington family of developments, they will be well built.  A summary inspection of the construction materials and code suggests they will have superior construction and engineering.  Local Carrington complexes such as the one on Park Row tend to market to white collar/managerial markets and this one should follow a similar path.  However, I do expect it to be higher-end than the one on Park Row due to its location so far off Hwy. 290 and nestled close to Coles Crossing.  Additionally, these units should cater to, and expect a higher percent of their tenants to be family units rather than singles since they will include 3 bedroom floor plans.  According to district maps, this complex should attend Hamilton Elementary, Goodson Middle School, and Cy-Fair High School (according to current Cy-Fair ISD boundary map).  When floor plan pdf documents become available, we will upload copies to this site.

The Greystar Apartments located at Hwy. 290 and Skinner Road within the new Park and Ride facility is indeed upper-end as well.  Their website states they will host 273 units, with numerous amenities.  Judging by the amenities list, they are catering to the upwardly mobile single crowd which will work downtown in the white collar/management/executive sector.  These units will have only 1 and 2-bedroom floorplans available.  The Greystar children will attend Robison elementary, Spillane Middle, and Cy-Woods High Schools (according to current Cy-Fair ISD boundary map).

How do these apartment complexes affect Coles Crossing?  Generally speaking, apartment complexes do not help property values within their neighboring communities.  However, there are special considerations to make regarding The Carrington development as it affects Coles Crossing.

As a local expert, I often conduct 3 open houses each weekend.  Due to this, I get to meet most of the people looking to purchase property within Coles Crossing.  A large percentage of people I meet want to move from Coles Crossing to Coles Crossing.  This creates a somewhat stagnant pricing context within the lower price points in the community, since most people are attempting to move up, rather than down in size and price point.  The proximity of the apartment community to our elementary school will help increase demand in the cottage section and the lower price points within Coles Crossing.  This increased demand on the lower end of the market-value spectrum will help the owners of these properties move up with more money at closing and cause an increase in pricing going further up the price point spectrum within Coles Crossing.  This increase in the upper levels of pricing will persist due to the continued desire of families to stay within Coles Crossing.  Over the past year, the hardest properties to move in Coles have been the cottage homes--this increase in demand will help valuation throughout our community, because the people that live in the Carrington will want to move their children to Sampson or Goodson.  Additionally, they will most likely want to move to the Coles side of Telge to get them into Cy-Woods.

Also, we should see relocation families moving from one part of the country to ours due to job relocations/transfers.  Most of the people I meet that are in this situation have to rent before they can buy here, because they have to wait for their previous home to sell--many corporations are curtailing complete purchase/buyout of employees' homes in other parts of the country where property is harder to sell than it is in Houston.  This need for people to rent will help places like the Carrington cater to these executive/management families settle into a community that is close to the one they have left behind.

CCEvents: Hurricane Ike

How do you begin to describe the extraordinary people and their sacrifice when compelled into action by natural disasters?  I am certain this is a dilemma faced by many journalists when covering such events.  I'll do my best to simply highlight some of the great acts of kindness witnessed in Coles Crossing over the past few days.

Last Sunday evening, I had a brain spasm (term I use to describe times when I have an idea that would seem to others as abnormal--I use the term a lot).  My spasm/idea was that members of the Coles Crossing HOA were not the type of people that would sit around and wait on the government for anything--certainly not an appropriate presentation of their homesite and/or street.  The Board agreed and we were right in our assessment of the community we have been given responsibility for.

Photos of the event  (click on the link to the left for photos of our cleanup effort)

While I am on the subject of our Board of Directors, allow me to say we may disagree with some of their decisions and don't like having to answer their registered letters when they arrive-letters often generated because we are the independent type of folks common to Texas.  HOWEVER, we are truly blessed to be served by a highly committed and intelligent group of people we should all be thankful to call our own.  It is my understanding that our HOA had no less than 2 tree companies on retainer Thursday evening before Ike hit.  While other folks were beginning to get in line for tree service, we had them on the ground getting things back to normal.  Our commercial landscape company, KOMP, worked in the rain on Saturday to clear debris from the storm drains in order to mitigate flooding to our homes.  The board also went to great lengths to determine areas of safety concerns and attempted to help homeowners remove trees from roofs as early as Saturday and Sunday.  Two of the members rode down every street in Coles Crossing to examine damage and strategize logistics for individual help.  Don Richards is our President--he worked tirelessly to help get things moving, making difficult decisions quickly.  Jan Rickmers coordinated KOMP and their efforts to get the major trees felled and esplanade cleanup completed and organized.  Paul Bland, Carrie Bowman, and David Marlow helped complete our group of leaders known as 'the Board'.

 Just to give you an idea what they were going through, here's a brief description:  They made many major decisions very rapidly that saved the community weeks of frustration.  In order to communicate with each other, they had to go to each other's homes, because some of them were the last ones in Coles to get power.  If you've ever been in a group decision making process, you need to think about how many times they had to talk with each other, make unilateral decisions, and bear the consequences of misunderstanding within their ranks.  Through it all, they have stayed unified to a common cause--keeping Coles Crossing pre-eminent in Northwest Houston and Cypress.

 We thank and congratulate our Board members.

 Back to the cleanup story:  On Wednesday evening, our board decided to allow the spasmodic brain-child to be born.  Not knowing at the time how we would get the debris hauled off, they decided the community would make things work and went with their gut.  Paul Bland recruited Lisa Johnson and his wife Laura Bland to coordinate things on Thursday morning at the Lap Pool.  Eventually, he was able to get in touch with me (I was still have communications issues until mid-day Thursday).  Paul sent an email to the Coles email list (more on that later) and our YaHoo! group.  By 9AM Thursday morning the word was out and we had people lining up to deliver debris and volunteer.

I wish I could name all the people that volunteered over the past few days, but they aren't looking for recognition and I would certainly leave some of them out.  By my count, we had to have 40 to 50 people in and out of the lap pool area over the last 3 days as volunteers.  That does not include the number of people that were cleaning up entire streets with their pickup and a 2-man crew.  The Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts get extra cuddos--instead of watching MTV, they were serving the greater good.

 There is one guy I would like to mention that embodies what I saw happen during our efforts.  He drives a diesel FX4 pickup.  I never caught his name, but he had 3 young men helping him.  He brought his debris to the lap pool on Thursday-was one of our first contributors.  After that, he/they began going around and picking other people's debris.  At my last count, they cleaned up 3 streets--helping people they would never meet and did not know except as neighbor.  Come to think of it, he most likely embodies the city of Houston, Davy Crockett, Sam Houston, and a few others that are simply and affectionately known as Texans.

My insufficient THANKS is all I can give you guys at this point.  Overwhelming comes up way short via descriptive analysis of the past week.  We have not even discussed Randall's, HEB, the power company guys, CAM, Noah's Ark and other animal shelters, etc.

There are other places where only a few pitch in.  These haunts are dreary and full of gossip.  They are messy locales.  Places we would just as soon see in our rear-view mirror--certainly not where Coles Crossing Texans live.

 In all, we live in a very special place known as Coles Crossing.  Hereafter, it will be known to many of us as the only place we would even think of calling home.  I do hope that as time progresses we will not forget what volunteerism accomplishes and how great it is to be involved in a community where many do the work--a place full of smiles, people we know by their first name and greet lovingly in the grocery store.  A place where we fight tooth and nail for what we think is the best decision, yet at the end of the day, we back our leaders no matter the decision or the cost.

PS: If for some reason you were not apprised of the pickup/cleanup of the area via email the first evening, then you should go to the Coles Crossing website and sign up.

 

 

CCEvents Labor Day Picnic and Concert Series

Hurricane Gustav threatened all week; however, the weather was great.  A nice summer breeze began blowing when our band Checkered Past struck the first note and kept us refreshed all evening--I though of Crosby, Stills, and Nash a couple of times throughout the evening.  We were even blessed with the attendance of a few out of town guests from Louisiana.

Photos of the Event

James Coney Island served around 800 hotdogs to the approximately 650 Coles Crossing residents in attendance over the course of the event--we could not have asked for a better food vendor.  Watermelon was conspicuously missing--next year, we promise.

Entouch Communications stepped-up in a huge way by providing not only monetary support for the event, but also through their 2 way underpaid employess, Matt Thaxton and Todd Johnston (and their families).  Matt, Todd, and their families, served popcorn and sno-cones in a fashion that would make the most experience carnival worker jealous for 3 hours straight.  One of their daughters showed me her blue-stained hands (sno-cone syrup) and innocently asked, "How do I get this off my hands?"  I responded (from sno-cone experience), "Give it about 3 days."  We are responsible for a middle schooler being heckled as the blue-berry girl today folks--I forget the name of the character from Willy Wonka, but I am certain it has been thrown out today in her direction.

I mentioned the band earlier--Checkered Past.  I must say that even though their lead singer is an attorney, they are amazing.  I think I even saw some of the reserved Coles residents dancing.  No really, these guys give us a great show each and every year, and we are thankful to them--even amazed that old guys like that can rock.  They give me hope that when I get that age, I'll still be jammin'.

Entertainment for the chidren ranged from Paddy Cake the Clown (donated by AmiCleaners and Phil Ramirez), Karl the 'Balloon Master' Whitehead (donated by www.lanieevans.com real estate and author of this blog), Airtime Amusements' train and Rockwall (donated by Matt's Custom Decks).  The Rockwall was our big draw of the day--there was a line all evening.

Paul Bland stepped-up during the band's break and lead us in a game of 'Simon Says' and gave out free pizza party coupons from Wood Fired Pizza company.

In addition to the other sponsors mentioned above, our other major contributors were: Dr. Lori Logan, DDS (much appreciated water and Koozies), Galaxy Health Care (Dr. Alex and Crystal Riley), and Terminator Pest Control.  Sponsors mentioned previously were Entouch Communications, Matt's Custom Decks, AmiCleaners (Phil Ramirez), Wood Fired Pizza, and Lanie Evans--Prudential Gary Greene Realtors.

 As the evening progressed, I began walking around the crowd of people about 7PM and asked a simple question, "What could we have done to make the event better, or what should we change next year?"  To a person, they all smiled and said, "Nothing.  We had a great time."  Other comments were, 'it was all so easy to engage in', 'things were very safe for the children', 'we love the hot dog idea', 'how can we volunteer next year?', 'why don't we do this more often?'.

Alas, all things were not without obstacles, though.  We did have 4 volunteers that could not make it, because they had family in from New Orleans having evacuated due to Gustav.  One lady called and said, "I can come help for a little while, but I have 30 people in my house from Louisiana, so I'll have to leave early."  She was given a reprieve from volunteer duty for the day, but she embodies the volunteer spirit alive in Coles Crossing.  For those families from New Orleans and others like them, our heartfelt prayers and thoughts go out.

Many thanks to the Coles Crossing HOA for their support in these types of events.  Because we have these great events and an outstanding elementary school like Sampson Elementary, Coles Crossing remains a great place to live.  One of the other comments I heard often when debriefing the crowd was, "It is great living in a place where our HOA dues are actually used responsibly".

I couldn't agree more.  To volunteer for events like this and others, just go to www.colescrossinghoa.com.  You can find the link on the home page.

Coles Crossing JHigh Event 2008

Many thanks to Joanna Downing and Coach John Griffin (Goodson Middle School) for their stellar work planning and executing our first annual Coles Crossing JHigh Event.  Activities were a dunking booth, 2 MAJOR slip-n-slides, 2 different obstacle courses, a tug-of-war pit with real chocolate pudding in the center, watermelon eating contest, and more that I am certain to be forgetting.

The event began at around 5PM on August 22 and went until around 8PM when the volunteers were dead-tired.  Speaking of volunteers, we had 25 folks enlist for service on this day.  Our volunteers included Joanna McDaniel (organizer and photographer), John Griffin, Lanie Evans, Monica Faulk, Paul Bland, Stephanie Doyle, Brian Doyle, Meg Sebesta, Laura Poff, Joann LaForge, Dave Koenig, Dawn Walther, Tyler Bland, Katelin Mattingly, Stacy Thornton, Terri Speight, Letty Fischler, Mike Callam, Glenda Devillasant, Brandon Hamann, Tami Mulinix, Thomas Nelson, Jennifer Jez, Melinda Massar, and Lauren McDaniel.  MANY THANKS TO OUR VOLUNTEERS! and to Goodson Middle School for helping us stage the event with supplies they use each year for KAMANIWANNAPLAYYA.

We look forward to a bigger and better event next year as is always the case with Coles Crossing events.  Coles Crossing is a great place to live!

 For photos of this event, click here.