Memorial Ashford Townhouse Association Phone:  281-531-8699 Email:  MATAcorp@sbcglobal.net Website: www.MemorialAshford.com

LANDSCAPE WORK

In September, MATA incorporated a “Classified” section in the monthly newsletter.

M.A.T.A. News

15 OCTOBER 2014

How can I prevent clogged drains?Tips for the kitchen sink• Pour grease into cans and throw them in the garbage. If you empty grease into the sink, the grease collects along the sides of the pipe and then food particles stick to the pipes, eventually contributing to a clog. Also too much grease can eventually cause sewer blockages since the bacteria in sewage systems cannot readily break down grease. • When you are grinding up food in a disposal, run plenty of cold water to flush food particles down the pipe. Using too little water can contribute to the particles collecting along the sides of the pipe. • Don't empty coffee grounds in the sink. • Pour a kettle of boiling water down the drain once a week to melt away any fat or grease that may have collected. • If your drains clog often, periodically you may want to put 1/2 cup of baking soda and 1/2 cup of white vinegar down the drain. Let this mixture sit for a few minutes with the drain covered. Flush the mixture down with a kettle of boiling water. The baking soda and vinegar mixture should break down fats and keep your drains smelling fresh. Tips for the bathroom • Clean the pop-up stoppers in sinks frequently. Hair often collects here and causes clogs. • Never flush heavy paper products down the drain like baby wipes or wet wipes for adults.. Excess paper can clog the toilet and/or the whole sewer system. Also, common sense will tell you never put clothing or left over food products down the commode (You'd be surprised how many people DO NOT HAVE COMMON SENSE).

MATA CLASSIFIED ADS

The Seller must be a MATA resident and provide the Communication Committee with complete contact information—this information will be held for three months and then destroyed. The Seller will submit the wording for the ad with a photo if desired. The description should not exceed 75 words and must include the selling price, e.g., a set price, best offer, or free. More than one item may be included in an ad but only one photo will be published. The wording will be included in the Newsletter as written by the Seller, and the Committee will not edit the text other than ensuring the font type is consistent with other sections of the newsletter. Submit Classifieds to: Classified@memorialashford.com.

RESIDENTS' REFERRAL PAGE

MATA has created a referrals page for its Website. The vendors identified on this page are provided by residents of MATA only and are published for specific services such as plumbers, kennels, vets, etc., in which the residents have had a positive experience.

If interested, please provide a short write-up (75 words or less) and a copy of a business card if available. This is a free service to our community. The MATA Board of Directors, its Property Manager, and the Communication Committee cannot warrant, endorse or accept any liability for the content of the "Referral Page" or for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided. MATA reserves the right to reject any ad at its discretion at any time. For our residents who wish to contribute a referral, please send the

information to: referral@memorialashford.com . The web page address is: http://memorialashford.com/referral.htm .

When working in your garden, whether in the front of your unit or 

on your patio, please be mindful for wires and cables which are 

just under the ground's surface.  Remember, all front yard 

changes must have an approved ACC form prior to work being 

done.

HAPPY HALLOWEENHonoring the Ancestors

When the Dead WalkMyths/Misconceptions

All Hallow Mass

The Witches' New Year

the Catholic Church decided to use November 1st as All Saints Day. This was actually a pretty smart move on their part – the local pagans were already celebrating that day anyway, so it made sense to use it as a church holiday. All Saints’ became the festival to honor any saint who didn’t already have a day of his or her own. The mass which was said on All Saints’ was called Allhallowmas – the mass of all those who are hallowed. The night before naturally became known as All Hallows Eve, and eventually morphed into what we call Halloween.

Sunset on Samhain is the beginning of the Celtic New 

Year. The old year has passed, the harvest has been 

gathered, cattle and sheep have been brought in from 

the fields, and the leaves have fallen from the trees. The 

earth slowly begins to die around us.

This is a good time for wrapping up the old and preparing 

for the new. Resolve those things that are unsettled and 

begin looking towards the next year.

Samhain is known by most folks as Halloween, but for modern Pagans it's considered a time to honor the ancestors who came before us, marking the dark time

of the year. Traditionally, it is Gaelic festival celebrating the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter or the "darker half" of the year.

Samhain is not the name of some ancient Celtic god of death, or of anything else, for that matter. Samhain (pronounced "sow-en") comes from the Gaelic “Samhuin,” meaning the end or beginning of summer. After all, when summer is ending here on earth, it’s just beginning in the Underworld. Samhain actually refers to the daylight portion of the holiday, on November 1st.

Around the eighth century or so,

http://paganwiccan.about.com/od/samhainoctober31/p/Samhain

_History.htm

still used today by some Pagans. This was a time for celebration, when the entire tribe - living and dead - would come together to celebrate the festivities. At the centre of these festivities was the ritual bonfire.

For some, Samhain honors the ancestors who came 

before us. If you’ve ever done genealogy research, 

or if you’ve had a loved one die in the past year, this is the perfect night to celebrate their memory.

Blood, death and darkness. Halloween. But to the Celts, this may have been a time of darkness, but it was in no way a negative time of year.Samhain was a between-time, resting between the living bright half of the year and the dead, dark half of the year. It is a time the land (and Gods) were entering into a state of death. The doors to the world were blown open at this time and the spirits of those that had died were free to wander the land.

It was traditional at this time to make these spirits welcome in the homes of their families. Doors and windows would be left open to allow them entrance and food would be set aside for them, so that they could partake of its "spiritual essence" and thusly enjoy the benefits of its nourishment.

This event was often envisioned as a great host of the dead wandering through the countryside, descending upon villages and towns, moving from house to house where at each stop, those who belong would remain behind to visit their relatives.A common term for this was The Feast of the Dead, which is a term that is

    Marion Bennicoff,  PM    Ben Kressman, President (4/2016)

Lorenzo Colorado    Russell Elder, VP (4/2015)

Jose Castillo    Kelly Klaus, Director (4/2015)

Juan Bravo    Miki Mogyorod, Director (4/2017)

   Terry Thompson, Director (4/2015)

   Shanna Williams, Sec/Tres (4/2016)

   Lori Jacobs, Director (4/2017)

MTD Budget Variance MTD Budget Variance

Maintenance: 24.5         14.6       (10.0)      Taxes: 1.0                0.7              (0.3)                   

Contract Services: 30.7         28.9       (1.8)        Capital Imprvmnts: ‐                  5.4              5.4                    

Insurance Expenses: 25.3         29.8       4.5          Total Expenses: 112.0           112.7         0.7                    

General Admin: 8.0           8.5         0.5          Total Income: 97.2              86.1            11.1                  

Utilities: 22.6         24.8       2.3          Net Income: (14.8)            (26.6)          11.8                  

YTD Budget Variance YTD Budget Variance

Maintenance: 192.8      131.1     (61.7)      Taxes: 8.7                6.3              (2.4)                   

Contract Services: 273.9      260.7     (13.1)      Capital Imprvmnts: ‐                  48.9            48.9                  

Insurance Expenses: 32.3         34.6       2.3          Total Expenses: 806.9           783.7         (23.1)                

General Admin: 83.2         78.5       (4.7)       Total Income: 824.4           775.1          49.3                

Utilities: 216.0      223.6     7.6          Net Income: 17.5             (8.7)            26.2                  

OCTOBER PET OF THE MONTHHi my name is Pearl but my mom calls me Pearl the Girl my Girl. I was adopted from CAP when I was only about two months old. A girl never reveals her age, but I am 7 years old now. They say I'm half husky and retriever so I have webbed feet which most of my neighbors don't know about me. I'm super sweet and I have never met a stranger. My brother Jasper can be quite annoying but I love him to pieces. My favorite treat, and I will do almost about anything for it, is Peanut Butter. Oh and did I mention that I'm super smart and love to play fetch. I also share my home with my human brother Joey. He's my best friend, and I probably give him a thousand kisses a day. Well, that's it for now. When you see me please wave hello, I just love greeting my wonderful neighbors.

Maintenance Staff Scheduled/Open Board Meetings

JUNE Financials ($1000s)

  Send Work Orders to the Property Manager at email address:  MataCorp@sbcglobal.net 

Y-T-D Financials ($1000s)

26-Feb-1526-Mar-15

Board of Directors (Term Expires)

23-Apr-15

22-Jan-15DEC--No MeetingNOV--No Meeting

23-Oct-14

SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WED THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY 1 DIA DE LOS

MUERTOS (2 DAYS)

2 3 SANDWICH DAY

4 ELECTION DAY

5 6 7 8 DUNCE DAY

9 10 11 12 13 SADIE HAWKINS DAY

14 15 ENERGY CORRIDOR RECYCLE DAY

16 17 HOMEMADE BREAD DAY

18 YOU'RE WELCOME DAY

19 20 UNIVERSAL CHILDREN'S DAY

21 22

23 EAT A CRANBERRY DAY

24 25 NATIONAL PARFAIT DAY

26 27 THANKSGIVING 28 BUY NOTHING DAY

29

30

IMPORTANT CONTACTS DONATION SITES

CMC:  713‐772‐4420 

MATA Courtesy Patrol:  713‐471‐5882

HPD Non‐emergency line:  713‐884‐3131 (713) 491‐4331 625 Nottingham Oaks Trail

Poison Control:  1‐800‐222‐1222 donations@maministries.org 281‐752‐2487

VCA Ashford Animal Hospital Citizens for Animal ProtectionPhone: 281‐497‐3917 Telephone: 281‐497‐0591

12633 Whittington 17555 Katy Freeway

Houston, TX 77077 Houston, Texas 77094

http://www.vcahospitals.com/ashford http://www.cap4pets.org/

MATA Newsletter:  newsletter@memorialashford.com

MATA Classified Ads:  classified@memorialashford.com

MATA Referrals:  referral@memorialashford.com

NOTES:

For natural ways to treat and manage fleas, go to: http://everydayroots.com/flea-remedies

MATA EMAIL ADDRESSES:

MATA EMAIL SIGN‐UP: Go to:  http://www.memorialashford.com/ to enroll with MATA to receive EMERGENCY and 

Informational Emails.

 The MATA Newsletter is a project of the MATA Communication Committee. The members of the Committee are: Ben Kressman (Board 

President), Kelly Klaus (Board Member), Mary LeBlanc, Laura McCleary, and Mike Hallecook (Chair).

CALENDAR, IMPORTANT NUMBERS & EMAIL ADDRESSES

Memorial Area MinistriesJoseph's Coat Resale Shop,       St. 

John Vianney's Church

ANIMAL HEALTH & TREATMENT