With the return of spring, Memorial Northwest has come alive with color: trees leafing out, azaleas in full bloom, and green lawns. All of this, and more, combines to make MNW an attractive neighborhood. Coincident with this natural beauty, though, is the need to cut grass, trim plants, and all of the other chores such as spring cleaning that goes with home-owning. The down side of these activities is the amount of trash and debris that comes from maintaining our homes and property. Since a number of us do this work, or have it done, on a Friday and Saturday, there is a natural accumulation of lawn bags that remain until the next schedule trash pick-up day. Left curbside for several days, the bags present an unsightly picture of MNW. Deed restrictions require that we put out all trash no earlier than the evening before scheduled service. Here are some of the things that can be done to make an immediate, visible impact on our neighborhood:

• Take lawn bags to the curb on the evening before scheduled service
• Keep trash cans and lawn bags out of public view on non-service days
• Instruct lawn care personnel to either remove the debris or place it out of sight until you can move it to the curb
• Keep roofs and gutters clean and free of debris
• Pressure-wash the exterior of your home, driveway, and other places that accumulate dirt, mildew, and algae

A committee was formed to address the swimming pool issue, and it is comprised of four homeowners and three Board members. Sandy Remson, Area 7 Director, will chair the committee. The homeowner members are Michelle Eubank, Pamela Evans, Vince Glocksien, and Kay Hughes. The other Board members are Eileen Koscho and Bryan Thomas. I have asked the committee to present two options for homeowners to consider in the upcoming months. Under any circumstance, homeowners will have the opportunity to vote for a specific option. A tentative time frame is by the end of the summer, and sooner, if possible.

At the time I am preparing this article, I want to inform the homeowners that we have two Board positions that need to be filled on an interim basis until the next election for that office. Oran Woody, 3rd Vice President for Architectural Control and Deed Restrictions, has resigned due to business reasons, and Bill Burton, who has served as 2nd Vice President for Security, is stepping aside for health reasons. Bill will continue to serve in that position until we find a replacement. I want to thank both of them for serving Memorial Northwest, and particularly, Bill Burton, who has poured a significant amount of time and effort over many years into our community.

As a final note, there is one issue outside of our more narrow concerns that will impact each of us in a significant manner. On May 9, 2015, a bond election for Klein ISD will be held, and voters will be asked to approve $498.1 million in bonds for Klein ISD use in building and maintaining existing facilities. I think it is imperative for each of us to participate in this election and express your opinion on the issue. Early voting commences April 30th, which will be shortly after you receive this newsletter.

Roy May
MNW Board President