mallard lake reflectionsmallardlakeapts.com/images/uploads/2009 february... · are welcome to...

� FEBRUARY 1, 2009 � ISSUE 2, VOLUME 2 �

YOUR FRIENDLY STAFF AT MALLARD LAKE

LEASING TEAM SHELLY, APRIL, KELLY, JACKIE, DIANE, STEFANIE

MAINTENANCE TEAM KEVIN, JIM, ADAM, ANDREW, HELEN, IRENA, MAREK, MIGUEL

OFFICE HOURS

MON-WED: 9AM - 7PM THUR-FRI: 9AM - 5PM SAT: 10AM - 5PM SUN: 12PM - 4PM

DON’T FORGET TO RECYCLE THIS NEWSLETTER

WHEN YOU ARE FINISHED WITH IT. THANK YOU!

IMPORTANT PHONE NUMBERS

LEASING OFFICE & MAINTENANCE (847) 398-1200 Call the leasing office for emergency maintenance and follow the prompts.

Mallard Lake Apartments � 1572 Teal Lane, Wheeling, IL 60090 � Phone: 847.398.1200 � www.mallardlakeapts.com

www.mallardlakeapts.com

ONLINE WORK ORDERS

Visit the resident’s tab online at mallardlakeapts.com to quickly enter service work orders.

USERNAME: MALLARDLAKE PASSWORD: FIXIT

COMING SOON … NEW LAUNDRY-CARD REFILL CENTER!

We are excited to announce that the club-house building will soon have a new laundry-card refill center. This new machine will only accept credit cards (MasterCard, Visa, Dis-cover), however it will have extended hours to access the machine. Plus, you can still load your card with paper currency in the leasing office building.

You will have access to this center by using your fitness center building card during fitness center hours (6am to 10pm daily), which means you can refill your card even when the leasing office is closed! Enjoy!

HANDICAPPED PARKING STALLS

Just a reminder! You must have a state approved parking tag to park in a handicap-labeled parking stall. Those violating this state law will be fined and towed. Please call the leasing office or the local police department to report an unauthorized vehicle in a handicapped parking spot.

SMOKE DETECTOR BATTERY REMINDER…

A smoke detector with a working battery makes a difference in the seconds you have to save your LIFE in an emergency!

HELP...MY CAR IS BURIED!

As much as we would love to offer Mallard Lake services to help residents dig their cars out of the snow, we must say “no” due to ownership and insurance liabilities. Please do not take it personally—staff members are required to decline to help at the risk of losing their jobs.

While we know we may have helped others in the past, there are so currently so many demands on the property that we cannot afford to have our maintenance team working on anything other than the property’s needs. Thank you for understanding!

NO KIDS ALLOWED IN THE FITNESS CENTER!

For safety and insurance liability purposes, children under the age of 18 are not allowed in the fitness center at any time—even if accompanied by an adult. Small children may accidentally be injured by the machines or another resident. Additionally, other residents may be inconvenienced by the presence of children in the fitness center during their workout. Please respect your neighbors and arrange for someone to watch your children while you are in the fitness center. Thank you.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 2...

Mallard Lake News & Notes

Mallard Lake ReflectionsMallard Lake Reflections

Love comforteth like sunshine after rain. - William Shakespeare

Happy Valentine’s Day!

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1…

POP-TABS FOR DIALYSIS

Mallard Lake has collected over 250 pop tabs to donate to a hospital that gives sick children free dialysis. That’s over 4 1/2 hours of free dialysis for a child in need! Thank you!

Store your pop tabs in a sealed bag and bring them into the office whenever you like. We will pass them on to the hospital. This is an on-going collection at Mallard Lake.

FEEDBACK

Don’t forget that if you want to make a compliment, complaint, or suggestion, just drop an e-mail to our manager at [email protected] or mail us at P.O. Box 95739, Hoffman Estates, IL 60194.

Mallard Lake News & Notes

MALLARD LAKE REFLECTIONS PAGE 2


February Rent Giveaway

SEWING KITS

Pay your rent in the Leasing Office starting January 28 to get your free

gift! (Limited supply available)

Operation Winter Car Relocation

We need your help! During the winter months, to make snow removal on the property as quick and efficient as possible, Mallard Lake is asking for your cooperation. We require your participation by following these guidelines for moving your car after a snowfall:

Move your vehicle(s) to a cleared area after each snowfall to expedite snow removal. If your vehicle has not been cleaned off and relocated within 24 hours after each snowfall, Mallard Lake will transfer your car/truck to a cleared area without prior notice and a $25 relocation cost will be assessed to your account.

If you plan on being out of town, even for a short period of time, you must park your vehicle in our Vacation/Out of Town Parking Area. This is located on Hintz Lane, on the south end of our property, across from building 1576 and/or 1582. If your car/truck is left in this specific area, you are not required to relocate your vehicle after the snowfall.

As always, make sure your Mallard Lake parking pass is visibly displayed through your vehicle window.

Thank you in advance for your cooperation! Should the snow continue to fall in large volumes, your patience will be required and appreciated for many weeks to come! Please contact the leasing office with any questions and/or concerns!

Locked Out?

Just a reminder...Mallard Lake does not assist residents in building or unit lock-outs after business office hours.

Instead, we have a preferred locksmith service that we recommend on our emergency message at the leasing office. This locksmith has access to Mallard Lake key codes and can help you into your apartment faster and cheaper than any other locksmith.

Unfortunately, we have had some residents threaten not to pay for this locksmith service or try to negotiate the fee based on what they think is fair. Because of these bargaining attempts, our locksmith is questioning whether or not to

continue servicing our property.

What does this mean to you? If the locksmith withdraws his services, it will result in longer wait-times and higher fees to get you back into your apartment because you will have to find another locksmith service on your own. You are welcome to choose your own locksmith. Call around, ask for pricing in advance.

Please recognize that when a service provider is not compen-sated for his work, he reserves the right to withdraw services. We would hate for the locksmiths in the area to refuse to come to Mallard Lake and a resident be locked out of their apartment overnight!

Fight Bacteria in your Kitchen Kitchen sponges and other cleaning supplies can harbor microorganisms that cause food-borne illness and decrease the shelf-life of foods. Here are a few things you can do to reduce the spread of bacteria in your home:

Don’t rinse chicken in the kitchen sink (recommends the USDA). A chicken may have salmonella or other harmful bacteria on it. The bacteria could remain in the sink or splash onto other food, the counter or utensils.

Use a paper towel to wipe up food and juice spills then throw the paper towel away. This avoids contact with the bacteria infected sponge or dish-cloth. The bacteria will feed on the food or drink, making a sponge dangerous.

If you are going to use a sponge, microwave the kitchen sponge on high for one minute to sterilize it after use. This will kill 99% of the bacteria on the sponge.

Cold water is OK for washing hands. There is no evidence that hot water works better.



Apartment Cleaning & Repair Service

LUIS & COMPANY

(630) 973 - 3828

Do you need extensive cleaning or repair throughout your apartment that is not covered by Mallard Lake Apartments?

Would you like your carpet cleaned again? Would you like your bathroom re-caulked? Mallard Lake would like to invite you to contact Luis & Company, our on-site contractor, for all your apartment cleaning and repair needs.

Luis & Company can clean excessive dirt from bathrooms, re-caulk tiles, grout tubs, clean carpets, and more! Luis & Company is available for you to hire directly.

Call Luis at (630) 973-3828 for a quote.

Online Work Order Reminders Please remember the following when placing your maintenance work order online: NEVER PUT EMERGENCY WORK ORDERS ONLINE

If you have an emergency, please call the office so that we can assist you immediately. If the office is closed, listen to the prompts on our messaging system to get to the emergency work order line. This is a paging service. You will be sent to a voicemail recording where you will need to clearly state the nature of your emergency and your apartment and building number.

Maintenance will then either call you back to confirm or will come directly to your apartment. Remember to leave a message on the emergency line! If you leave it for the Mallard Lake office or a staff member, we will not receive it until the following business day.

KEEP IN MIND THAT THE TIME FRAME FOR COMPLETION OF WORK ORDERS VARIES

If your work order is an emergency, we will address it straight away. A normal work order will typically be completed within 24 to 48 business hours. If your request requires scheduling with one of our outside contractors, someone will contact you with the date and time they will be coming to your apartment as soon as possible. Also, during inclement weather please be patient with any non-emergency work order that you may have pending. Maintenance works very hard at completing all work orders right away, but sometimes unpredictable amounts of snow/rain/ice can prevent them from doing so.

PLEASE DO NOT DOUBLE YOUR WORK ORDERS!

Sometimes there are delays that prevent us from completing your request right away. Please keep in mind that there are also other residents putting in work orders as well. Did you know that throughout the week Mallard Lake processes between 25 to 60 work orders a day? While we strive to assist you as soon as possible, our job becomes very difficult when residents call in a work order multiple times or place an order in online AND call the office. This can result in maintenance being sent to your apartment twice which takes away precious time they could spend on the next resident awaiting service!

SOMETIMES THE OFFICE MAY NOT HAVE SPECIFIC INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR WORK ORDERS

The Mallard Lake office staff and maintenance team work closely together to provide you with the best service we can, but occasionally the office will not have all the information about the service that is taking place in your apartment. Once your work order is placed with the office, it is passed onto maintenance for completion. Not until the request is finished will we receive notice for our records with details. During the “in between” time, the office may not have the facts regarding the length of time your request will take, exactly what time maintenance will be there, or the how they will be fixing the problem. When necessary, we may be able to contact maintenance for you if they are available.

Shelly’s Inspections

I want to thank everyone at Mallard Lake for your gracious cooperation with the recent property inspections! I have achieved my goals with much success and I have a better working knowledge of the interior conditions of our apart-ments. With this knowledge, I can recommend areas of improvement to our owners. This will help Mallard Lake maintain apartment conditions superior to the competition and keep the rental rates at reasonable prices. Thanks again! Your help was truly appreciated!

- Shelly, Property Manager

Mallard Lake will continue to be its best thanks to the help of its fantastic residents!

As always, make sure your Mallard Lake parking pass is visibly


What to Look for When Choosing a

Renter’s Insurance Policy

T here are a few things to consider when purchasing a renter’s insurance policy. Make

sure to ask plenty of questions and do your research before committing to a policy to guarantee that it truly meets your needs as a renter.

One thing to look at is whether the insurance company will offer "actual cash value" (ACV) or "replacement cost coverage" for your belongings. As the name implies, ACV coverage will pay only for what your property was worth at the time it was damaged or stolen. So, if you bought a television five years ago for $500, it would be worth significantly less today. While you'd still need to spend about $500 for a new TV, your insurance company will pay only for what the old one was worth, minus your deductible.

Replacement cost coverage, on the other hand, will pay what it actually costs to replace the items you lost, again minus the deductible. Usually, you'll have to pay out of your own pocket to replace your damaged items and submit the receipts to the claims adjuster for reimbursement. Even so, you'll still get a bigger chunk of change back than if you bought ACV coverage. In some regions, most insurers write ACV coverage. In others, they'll quote you replacement cost coverage by default. Replacement cost coverage will cost you more in premiums, but it will also pay out more if you ever need to file a claim.

Let your agent know about any particularly valuable items you have. Jewelry, antiques, and electronics might be covered up to a certain amount. If you have some items that are unusually expensive, such as a diamond ring, you'll probably want to purchase a separate rider. If you don't talk to your agent about an expensive item when you buy the policy, you probably won't be able to recover the full loss. Expensive items prone to theft, such as jewelry and guns, only have limited coverage so it is wise to place these items on a separate policy. Replacement cost is well worth the small amount more it may cost for your policy.

The deductible will be a leading factor to consider in the cost of insurance and how much you are willing to pay out-of-pocket before your insurance kicks in. The deductible is the portion of a covered loss that is your responsibility. Although deductibles vary by state, they are typically available in amounts such as $250, $500, or $1,000. For example, if you had a $500 deductible, you would need to pay $500 of the covered loss. Generally speaking, higher deductibles lower your premium but increase the amount you must pay on your own if a covered loss occurs. Ask yourself how much you are willing to pay in order to save on a premium.

Finally, coverage varies by state, company, and type,

as with any insurance policy. If you rent in an area prone to theft, you will probably pay more for your insurance. If you or the previous tenant or neighbors have had a large amount of claims this may also raise the cost of your policy. Discounts may be available through the insurance provider, so be sure to ask about available discounts.

Research is important when looking for any insurance policy. Contact your insurance provider or the Mallard Lake leasing office today to learn more about your renter’s insurance options.

REN

TER’S IN

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As with any other insurance policy, it is

important to research all of your options and

choose a plan that meets your needs.

Santa’s Visit Thank you to all of the families who joined us for our MEET SANTA event in December! We had over 120 parents and children come out to the clubhouse to share in the holiday spirit and get their picture taken with Mr. Claus. If you have not stopped by the office to pick up your pictures, please do so as soon as possible!



MOVIE DAY

WALL-E

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 13FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 13FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 13FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 13

3:00 PM3:00 PM3:00 PM3:00 PM

MALLARD LAKE MALLARD LAKE MALLARD LAKE MALLARD LAKE

CLUBHOUSECLUBHOUSECLUBHOUSECLUBHOUSE

ALL AGES WELCOME!ALL AGES WELCOME!ALL AGES WELCOME!ALL AGES WELCOME!

RES IDENT ACT IV IT IES Guys’ BINGO Night

Friday, February 20, 2009 Mallard Lake Clubhouse 7:00pm to 8:30pm

Don’t worry gentlemen, we didn’t forget about you! On Friday, February 20, it’s your turn to get out of the house and come over to the clubhouse for a GUY’S ONLY BINGO NIGHT! The same goes for men—if you have never played this game before, no problem! We’ll teach you how to play! So come on out to test your luck, hang out with your neighbors, win cash prizes and, and make friends. Call today to reserve your spot. Guests are welcome! (847) 398-1200.

Ladies’ BINGO Night Friday, February 13, 2009

Mallard Lake Clubhouse 7:00pm to 8:30pm

Hey girls! Mallard Lake will be hosting a LADIES ONLY BINGO NIGHT with cash prizes! Leave the kids, husband, boy-friend or whoever at home and head over to the clubhouse for an evening of amuse-ment, snacks, friends, and fun! If you are not familiar with the game of BINGO, don’t worry, it’s easy to learn! Call today to reserve your spot for an exciting night out with all of the Mallard Lake girls! Guests are welcome! (847) 398-1200. BINGO is ba

ck!

As with any other insurance policy, it is

Thanks for making

this event a huge

success!



Clubhouse Rentals

1/2 OFF in Feb & March! Planning a party in February or March? Our clubhouse is a great place to host your party or event, and rentals are HALF OFF during the months of February and March!! That’s $125 in savings for this great venue.

Clubhouse rentals are five hours in length, but if you need more time the clubhouse can be rented for additional lengths of time at $50 per hour. All fees include the required security guard, cleaning supplies, and access to our television, kitchen, stereo and bar area.

Birthday Parties

Baby Showers

Wedding Showers

Boy/Girl Scouts

Sports Team Celebrations

Graduation Parties

and more!

Bring this coupon into the leasing office for 1/2 OFF your clubhouse rental in February or March!! ($125 Value)

Rent this space

for your next

party!

Clubhouse rentals are based on availability. Parties are booked on a first come, first served basis with deposit required to secure date and time. Please call for more detailed information or stop by the leasing office to book your event!

Perfect for...



Dear Mallard Lake family & friends,

Recently, we’ve read that some residents have been speaking badly and in a rather nasty, opinionated manner in regards to the Mallard Lake management team not being knowledgeable and unable to fulfill their roles as an excellent property management team...We simply disagree with such comments and are writing to say “thank you”!

We have put maintenance requests into the Mallard Lake office and the necessary adjustments have been expedited and pleased us a bunch. The management staff that works in the office has given us prompt and complete information pertaining to various questions that needed answering, and routing inspections are conducted to ensure that our living space is comfortable. Simply, the entire Mal-lard Lake team is a remarkable property management team and we just want to say “thank you” for your high spirits, knowledge, and friendliness. Keep up the good work!

Sincerely, George & Jackie, Residents of Mallard Lake Apartments

Aries (March 21 — April 20) Things are looking pretty romantic for you. It's cold outside, too, so you can bet that there are plenty of folks out there who are going to be beyond eager to snuggle up with you. In fact, so many folks are interested, you might have to fight them off with a stick!

Taurus (April 21 — May 21) Sure, maybe you don't have every single thing in your romantic life lined up exactly the way you want it, but that's no reason to panic. The most important thing you can do this month is to stay cool, stay calm, breathe deep, count your blessings and, most importantly, love yourself! It's the best way to welcome the love of someone else into your life.

Gemini (May 22 – June 21) When it comes to romance (and everything else), you get very creative. Whatever it is you do, chances are it will be pretty suc-cessful -- eventually. On the 30th, end the month with a party. Have a blast!

Cancer (June 22 – July 23) You know how, sometimes, if you're stressed out, the people in your vicinity get stressed out, too? And if you're calm, they're calm? Well, apply that principle to all things romantic. That's to say, don't stress out, don't stress them out, and do your best to stay cool if they show up with their knickers in a twist. Think of peace and quiet as a gift you can give and things will get way, way more romantic.

Leo (July 24 – August 23) Has it ever occurred to you that learning something new can be very, very romantic? That, in fact, learning about a new person is one of the most romantic parts of any new romance? And that, in the process, you learn a lot about yourself, which is almost always invaluable? Well, if none of that had ever occurred to you before, it certainly will when you are learn-ing a lot and having a great time doing it.

Virgo (Aug. 24 — Sept. 23) Sure, it's romantic to do things for the object of your affections. But giving too much of yourself too much of the time isn't romantic at all. It's time for you to step back and recharge. Spend all your energy doing nice things for your-self, and you'll find that, in the long run, you have a lot more energy for romance. After all, you can't take care of other people if you're all tapped out yourself.

Libra (Sept. 24 — Oct. 23) Relationships are sure the No. 1 thing on your mind. You're think-ing about what works and what doesn't, what helps and what hurts, how you want to live and who you want to do that with. Chances are, they're thinking about pretty much the same things. Yep, you two are on the same page -- even if you haven't met each other yet!

Scorpio (Oct. 24 — Nov. 22) When it comes to relationships, romantic and otherwise (but par-ticularly romantic), your best bet is to remember that there are two people involved. That's to say, you can't just deliver decisions and dictate terms. You can't draw conclusions solo and expect things to go well with your duo. In short, you have to listen to them and carefully consider their thoughts, opinions and needs.

Sagittarius (Nov. 23 — Dec. 21) You know what they say: There's nothing more romantic than a good listener. You’re a great listener, and you shouldn't be surprised if your very attractive interlocutor is finding you a hugely enticing audience. Keep up the good listening, then go ahead and share a few deep feelings of your own. This could shape up to be an awfully romantic month!

Capricorn (Dec. 22 — Jan. 20) Spend some time in the company of some kids. There's nothing like a child to remind you of just how lovely the world is, and how full of love we all are for each other. While that's something adults sometimes forget, it's a truth that's pretty much well known to the little guys.

Aquarius (Jan. 21 — Feb. 19) If you're feeling a little ho-hum when it comes to all things love-related, give yourself permission to take a break from romance. Sometimes you just plain need a breather. Whether you're involved with somebody, spending too much time thinking about how much you'd like to be involved with somebody or you're worried about not being involved with anybody, just take a step back. Go out with friends. Eat healthy. Work out. You'll be in a very re-charged (and romantically elec-tric) space.

Pisces (February 20-March20) This month is going to be full of romance, and there is no time like the present to get started! And if their phone calls, emails and other signs of affection are any indica-tion, they are pretty into you, already.

www.astrology.com

Romance Horoscopes

ACROSS 1. A country in southeast Asia 5. Network of horizontal and vertical lines 9. Finger or number 14. Ancient Middle-Eastern kingdom 15. Scarce 16. Bowel cleansing 17. A vaulted recess on a building 18. Blue dye 19. In a way, a kind of goat 20. Clams, crabs and lobsters for example 22. Risk or danger 23. Hurriedness 24. Stereos 26. Priestly vestment 29. Help 33. Without shoes

38. A minor parish official 39. "Oh my!" 40. Different 42. Midday 43. Convertible car 45. Long formal letters 47. Lust 48. Intensive Care Unit 49. Desperately 52. Packs to capacity 57. A young pig 60. An appreciation of beauty or good taste 63. A division in a long poem 64. Humble request 65. Not stereo 66. Change 67. Box 68. Within 69. Morose 70. Nature of being

71. Exam

DOWN 1. A chain for a pet 2. Greek first letter 3. Fertile areas in deserts 4. Capelin 5. A German noble title 6. Hindu princess 7. From Ireland 8. A city in north-central India 9. Hate 10. Without ceasing 11. Cog 12. Zulu warriors 13. East Asian unit of weight 21. Grows on a tree 25. Cloth 27. Coiled 28. An Internet indexing tool 30. Object of worship 31. Fruit of the blackthorn bush 32. 10 10 10 10 33. A lyric poet 34. Wings 35. Shreds of cloth 36. Guessed 37. Definite article 41. Prefix indicating "Upon" or "Above" 44. Speech 46. So much 50. Anagram of "Leaps" 51. Sharp high-pitched cries 53. Send payment for 54. Make amends 55. Pepper_____ or spear_____ 56. Hurry away 57. Fraud 58. Angelic headgear 59. Anagram of "Toon" 61. Oceans 62. Vetch


PAGE 8 MALLARD LAKE REFLECTIONS

SUN MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT

1 RENT DUE

2 3 4 5 6 RENT LATE

Rascal Flatts, Champaign, IL, 8pm

7

8 9 See Pink Panther 2 in theaters this week!

10 Bulls vs Detroit, United Center, 8:30pm

11 Catch Motley Crue at the i wireless Center in Moline, IL, 6:30pm

12 13 Movie Day 3pm

Ladies’ Bingo 7-8:30pm

14 Valentine’s Day

15 Chicago Auto Show at McCormick Place (thru February 22)

16 President’s Day

17 Jason Mraz performs at NIU, DeKalb, IL, 7:30pm

18 Jesse McCartney, House of Blues, 6pm

19 See Confessions of a Shopaholic now in theaters!

20 Men’s Bingo 7-8:30pm

21

22 Oscar Night 7pm

23 Fat Tuesday

24 25 Cubs Spring Training Opening Day

26 27 Blackhawks vs Penguins, United Center, 7:30pm

28

February 2009

INGREDIENTS • 3/4 pound ground beef • 1/2 teaspoon minced fresh thyme

leaves • 1/4 teaspoon fresh rosemary • salt and pepper, to season meat • 3 tablespoons shredded Manchego

cheese • 1 teaspoon vegetable oil • black pepper mayonnaise*, to taste • 2 hamburger buns, split • 1/4 Vidalia onion, or sweet yellow

onion, sliced thin • 3/4 cup washed, spun dry, and

chopped arugula DIRECTIONS

In a bowl, combine beef, rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper and form into

two 3/4-inch-thick patties. In a heavy skillet (preferably cast iron) heat oil over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking and reduce heat to moderate. cook patties 3 1/2 minutes on each side for medium-rare meat. Once flipped to cook other side, sprinkle Manchego on patties and allow heat from pan to soften and melt some. Drain on paper towels.

To make black pepper mayonnaise, simple combine 1/4-1/2 cup preferred mayonnaise with 2 tablespoons coarse ground black pepper (bonus points in flavor if made the day before to allow the ingredients to hang out and get all tasty).

Spread mayonnaise on insides of buns

(toasted if you like!) and make sandwiches with onion, arugula, and patties. Quick, flavorful, and killer taste! Makes 2 burgers.

South of the Border Burgers

Spice up your super bowl party with these

gourmet sandwiches!

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