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Dancing Through LifeThe two have enjoyed many days traveling Europe over the years and especially loved their trip to Machu Pichu. They can also boast that on one trip, they had dinner with Winston Churchill (who was at a nearby table!) in Marrakesh at the La Mamounia Hotel.The Cordeses kept their original homestead of 165 acres in Fayette County and go there often to tend to the property and just relive some of their special moments together. We wish them many more years of love and abundance of life ... and dancing in the living room to their favorite songs!Connie McFall Clarkspotlights historical and human interest stories from the area. www.conniecanwrite.comHOAs---The Good, Bad, and UglyBy Connie McFall ClarkWhat a treat to visit with Charline and Al Cordes for lunch last month at the Bulverde Spring Branch Activity Center! From Fayette County where small towns shared schools, the two knew of each other but really met and fell in love at a dance in 1955. They married in 1957 and have enjoyed a great life together, spending some special moments on the dance floor. They have one son who is married and lives in Bulverde with his wife and three children.Al and Charline were both active in sports in high school. Al graduated from Texas A&M, where he played the tenor sax in the band; a great experience he shared.The couple was stationed in Casablanca when Al joined the Air Force as an Engineer after getting his Bachelor’s degree. Afterhis tour of duty was completed, they moved to Milwaukee where Al worked for a manufacturing company.The couple moved back to Fayette County and Al obtained a Master’s degree from Texas A&M. He joined IBM’s Houston office in the Computer Science department as a sales rep and then moved on to ITT and ultimately formed his own consulting company.After 37 years in Houston, the pair moved to Spring Branch in 2002 to be close to their son and family. Al and Charline love the Activity Center and go there most days for lunch, classes and bingo. Al practices Tai Chi at home while Charline keeps busy. In recent years, every week you could always find them on the dance floor somewhere in rural Texas.Mayor’s Corner Of Spring Branch Is There Enough Water?BAy Lou DugganHomeowners Association (HOA) is a non-profit organization made up of property owners and a governingbody that makes and enforces rules for a subdivision of homes, condominium complex, or planned unit development. It strives to protect and improve property values for those living in the community. They do this by enforcing restrictions on what homeowners can and cannot do and guaranteeing the maintenance and upkeep of common areas.According to HOA-USA “there are over 370,000 homeowner associations in the United States. Collectively, this represents over 40 million households (over 53% of the owner occupied households in America).” The State of Texas reports certificates of registration for 9,809 HOAs of which Comal County has 118 residential developments governed by HOAs. During the next three issues of Highlights the paper will feature a series of articles elaborating on such governing bodies and their characteristics. The GoodA 2022 survey conducted by Zogby Analytics for the Foundation for Community Association Research reports “Americans living in Homeowners Associations, Condominiums, and Housing Cooperatives say they are overwhelmingly satisfiedA Multi Part SeriesWBy Mayor James Mayere hear this debate a lot, especially in times of drought as we have been experiencingthese past 18 months. Some experts tell us that the water reserves are more than adequate to sustain the growth for the next 30 years. At the same time, we have neighbors with wells that have quit producing, and are having to buy water and truck it in for home use and livestock.I don’t know anyone who can accurately predict how much growth we’ll see or how long our water will last. So maybe we can’t answer the question “Is there enough water?”, but what we CAN do is to preserve and conserve the water we do have. Google estimates that each person consumes between 60 and 101 gallons of water each day for drinking, bathing, cooking, toilet flushing and so on. That’s a huge range which is the result of how we approach water use and conservation practices in ourown homes. We’re keenly aware of outdoor water restrictions, but I believe that we have a lot of opportunity indoors with how we approach water consumption. There are simple things that we can do to help reduce use and waste. Shorter showers, not leaving the faucet open while you’re washing your hands or brushing your teeth, full loads in the dishwasher are a few. This link https://www. twdb.texas.gov/conservation/p rovides some great information about protecting and preserving this vital resource.Whether your water comes from Canyon Lake or from a well into the Trinity, it’s a resource we share along with the responsibility to use it wisely.Mayor MayerSpring Branch Mayor James MayerContact info: info@cityofspringbranch.orgin their communities: 89% of residents rate their overall community association experience as very good or good (67%) or neutral (22%); 87% say members of their elected governing board absolutely or for the most part, strive to serve the best interests of the community as a whole; 74% say the manager provides value and support to residents and the community as a whole; and 68% say the rules in the community protect and enhance property values.”So, what makes an HOA attractive for homeownership? A well-managed HOA offers many positives: An HOA can provide services and well-maintained amenities that a city cannot. Plus, they frequently provide maintenance and infrastructure services that cities do not. HOA rules keep property values from declining by maintaining standards of homeowner maintenance. As a result, homes within HOAs increase in value more than non-HOA homes. The homeowner has a stronger sense of community through an ownership in the HOA. Being locally governed and small, HOAs are more efficient than cities. HOA guidelines keep a community’s homes and yards looking their best. If a problem arises between neighbors, the HOA can mediate.4www.bsbhighlights.comFebruary 2023