DECEMBER 2013
SUNRAYS | 11
ONLINE:
SCTXCA.ORG
CA NEWS
Water Matters
Submitted by Carlton M Mathis, Water Management
During this time of the year we usually experience cooler
and wetter weather. Irrigation systems should be running no
more than one day a week; I prefer to leave them off unless
the weather is drier. Although most plants and turf enter a
dormant phase and stop growing above ground, their root
zones are still expanding below ground. Should temperatures
decide to be milder, a one-day-a-week schedule will provide
adequate water to sustain your plants through the winter. Remember to turn
the controller off if anticipating rain or freezing temperatures.
Water Saving Tips:
• Match the water level to the size of the load when doing laundry.
• Reduce the amount of lawn in your yard by planting shrubs and ground
cover appropriate to our region.
• Turn off faucets tightly after each use.
• Remember to check your sprinkler system valves periodically for leaks,
and keep sprinkler heads in good shape.
• Soak pots and pans instead of letting water run while you scrape them clean.
December Schedule
Landscaping Maintenance
for Maintained Homes:
Monthly Irrigation Check
Insect & Disease Monitoring
Perennial Cutbacks
Weed Control in Beds
7/1 – COPs #1:
Called Carlton Mathis,
CAWater Manager, to report a gushing
sprinkler head on Pedernales Falls near
Cool Spring.
7/2 – 8:35 p.m., COPs #2:
While clos-
ing and locking the Cowan Creek Golf
Course maintenance yard gates, a small
white car that was parked at the end of
the lot left rather quickly. Did not get
license plate. Other patrols had also re-
ported a suspicious small white car in
the neighborhood.
7/15 – 3:30 p.m., COPs #1:
Removed
some lumber from middle of street in
Neighborhood 57.
7/28 – 7:30 p.m., COPs #2:
On behalf of
resident, called Georgetown Police non-
emergency number to report a suspicious
young adult male with backpack walking
on Sun City Blvd. We patrolled the area
several times, but did not find the man.
7/29 – 8:15 a.m., COPs #1:
Called the
CA Monitor to report a large section of
a tree at the dog park had fallen, but
was not dangerous to park users. Moni-
tor notified David Hahn, CA Director of
Facilities Maintenance.
8/9 – 6:30 p.m., COPs #2:
Noticed a
dumpster overflowing with trash in the
parking lot of the Legacy Hills Park Pa-
vilion. Called the CA Monitor to leave
message for David Hahn about schedul-
ing a special trash pickup.
8/10 – 3:10 p.m., COPs #2:
Called the
CA Monitor to report a dead deer on the
side of Del Webb Blvd., near Legacy Hills
Park. Monitor notified David Hahn for
removal.
8/12 – 1:50 p.m., COPs #2:
Assisted
police at the scene of a single vehicle ac-
cident on Del Webb Blvd. by putting out
safety cones and parking the COPs car
with its flashers on to protect the scene.
Put on the safety vest and used the red
flag to direct traffic around the scene.
9/24 – 1:40 p.m., COPs #1:
At the re-
quest of a resident, we checked Falcon
Cove and the neighborhood around it for
someone needing assistance. Found no
one in the area.
COPs Blotter
Quarterly Report of Selected COPs Patrol Activities – 3rd Quarter, 2013
Submitted by Chuck Puckhaber, COPs Trainer
Due to the recent rains, we’ve seen
an increase in fire ant activity―
the ants are building mounds so
as not to drown. For those new
to Sun City and Central Texas,
Red Imported Fire Ants are red-
and black-colored ants that build
mounds of soft soil. If their mound
is disturbed, the ants attack the
intruder with an intense sting that
leaves white pustules on the skin.
To control the fire ant population,
Sun City Texas dedicates April
and September as the commu-
nity-wide Ant Bait Application
months. Meanwhile, however,
residents are allowed and encour-
aged to treat any mounds that pop
up. Ant bait utilizes an insect
growth regulator, which works
over a period of 2-6 weeks and is
not harmful to pets. Check with
your lawn care company to see if
this insect control is included in
your contract before purchasing
a product. See
fireant.tamu.edu
for more information and means
of population control.
Rain brings out
the Fire Ants
