Topic: People

The "Queens of the Springs" was started in 2005 with originally about 30 members and quickly grew to 70 over the years, although we have never had all together at one time. We're all about making life long friends here in the surrounding neighborhoods and our motto is having FUN. We enjoy getting together for different parties, especially the annual cookie exchange, which always turns out to be a great time!

Many of the queens have developed such close relationships that we consider ourselves best of friends. We've been there for the births of our children, the deaths of loved ones, surgeries, illnesses, and lots of great girls nights out!

We as a group, always embrace new Queens who would like a chance to make new friends, and host fun parties with a theme!. We hope to soon have parties each quarter to be held by a different Queen each time! For those wonderful women who are already Queens, we would love to have you host a party! This could be anything from a Potluck to a Bunco game, or a simple happy hour that you BYOB.

When we started out we wore Boa's & Crowns to our gatherings which seemed to just enhance the silliness, which we are all about. Although not required at each event, what we would like to do is just continue the Queen spirit in which we have such fond memories of. It has been a while since we have gathered so this upcoming event has been long overdue.

Hope to see many new faces at the 3rd annual Christmas Cookie and Gift Exchange this year!

Feel free to conact Liz Bateman or Michele Stogsdill for more information and to have your email/address listed on our mailing lists.

Coordinated by Amy Schenk

First Family Meet and Greet Scheduled
Saturday, May 5 from 4 to 6 p.m.

VOWS KIDZ, a free Village of Woodland Springs Family Networking Group, allows neighborhood families to connect for fun, friendship, play dates and economical babysitting exchanges.

The group will host the first of many Family Meet and Greet events tomorrow, Saturday, May 5 from 2 to 4 p.m. If you are interested in connecting with other neighborhood families and would like to drop by for this or future events, email amyschenk@yahoo.com for details about the program and this weekend’s gathering.

About VOWS KIDZ: The VOWS KIDZ Family Networking Group is organized by a group of VOWS families. Group membership is intended for families who live in the Village of Woodland Springs. The program is an online program that works on an exchange of time, in a fair credit based system, instead of paying for a babysitter. Credits are earned when a member baby sits for another member. Credits are spent when a member’s children are cared for by another member. The members meet and network at Family Meet and Greet Gatherings to get to know one another. Once a family has visited with and gotten comfortable with another family, babysitting requests can be made online where another member can offer services and confirm plans. The program is tracked and managed all online where the baby Exchange Website manages all the administration, member profiles, credit accounting, emailing, scheduling, and much more….all for free!

To learn more about the program view a power point presentation at: http://www.babysitterexchange.com/bse/how_it_works.ppt or watch the presentation in flash; http://www.babysitterexchange.com/bse/demo.html . For questions or additional information email amycschenk@yahoo.com.

To be included in the next VOWS KIDZ Family Meet and Greet Gathering join today by emailing Amy Schenk at amycschenk@yahoo.com. Tell Amy a little about your family including where you live in VOWS.

Yes, You Can Afford To Pay For Your Children’s Education

A Parent’s Game Plan For College Funding
Most people look back on their college years with great fondness — and many look ahead to their children’s education with some fear. With costs so high, how can I afford to send my kids to college? According to the 2003-2004 College Board numbers, a college education currently averages over $5,000 a year at a four-year public college, and nearly $21,000 a year at a four-year private school. Looking at the Ivy League? Four years of tuition, fees, and room and board can now cost $125,000 at elite schools like Harvard and Yale. And costs keep rising. The College Board’s 2003-2004 figures show that public and private institutions raised their tuition and fees an average of 10.5%, while room and board charges increased 6%. Your children deserve the enriching experience of higher education, and you can help finance it. Here are some college funding ideas:

Prepay Tuition — Some state universities have set up innovative programs where college expenses may be made in installments over many years, prior to attending the school. This may be a convenient way to meet expenses, but it takes the choice of school away from your child. What if your child does not want to attend a state university? This could pose a problem.

Borrowing — These days, most people borrow at least a portion of the money needed to cover college expense. You’ll want your children to look for student loans with special lower rates and repayment terms for college. However, repaying a large loan for many years after graduation can be a burden for recent graduates. Tapping into your 401(k) plan may be an option, but you’ll want to take a loan rather than a withdrawal to avoid tax consequences. Of course, a loan will impede the potential growth of your retirement nest egg.

Do Money and Happiness Go Hand-in-Hand?

How many times have you said to yourself: If I only had a few extra thousand dollars a year, all my problems would be solved? The truth is that money usually has very little to do with your personal level of happiness. In and of itself, money possesses no value. It's not the money – it's how you use it that determines its worth. It’s important to realize that achieving your goals lies in your ability to see money for what it really is—a tool, no more, no less. Just as your car gets you from one destination to another, money is a financial tool that, when used correctly, can help you reach your goals.

Establish a “Wish List”

Deciding what is important to you is the first step to effective money management. Make a wish list of what you want for yourself and your family. Items such as a new home, new car, vacations, funding retirement or future college costs, or charitable donations may appear on your list. Next, prioritize your goals by deciding what is most important to you. Why? Because in a world of unlimited choices, you may have only limited resources. Finally, put a realistic price tag on each of your goals. For example, you may want $100,000 for college in 20 years. Or, you may like to retire with a $500,000 nest egg in 30 years.

Gail Holt Dean, 45, passed away Friday, July 15, 2005, in Fort Worth after a short battle with cancer.

Gail was employed a short time with SBB Management as our On-site Administrative Assistant and worked hard for The Villages of Woodland Springs.

Memorials: In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Christ's Haven Children's Home, Keller Haslet Road, Keller 76248.

An average of one child a month dies from abuse or neglect in Tarrant County. In 2004 alone, 3,095 local children were abused or neglected. Without help, the effects of abuse can last a lifetime.

You can help keep children safe in Tarrant County. Here are some ideas provided by United Way of Tarrant County and the Neglect Hurts Task Force. United Way and Neglect Hurts are sponsoring “Don’t Turn Away,” a year-long child abuse and neglect public awareness campaign.

VOWS Resident Reveals

how interior decorating can be both fun and personally fulfilling, yet many homeowners don’t take the first step because of fears and uncertainties, according to Fort Worth resident, Beth Angliss of Decor and You®, a leading national decorating franchise.

“Many people really want to update their decor, but they stop before they start because the idea of change and the prospect of having so many choices is overwhelming,” Angliss explained.

When celebrating July 4, don’t light that firecracker or sparkler in or near the Fort Worth city limits. In fact, setting or possessing fireworks within 5,000 feet of the city limits is a Class C misdemeanor with fines of up to $2,000.

In the hands of amateurs, fireworks can cause property damage and injuries. Last year, the Fire Department responded to 1,702 fireworks-related calls the week of July 4 — 963 on July 4th alone. This was an increase of 21 percent from 2003.

Fire and Police personnel will be on patrol throughout the July 4 holiday period targeting firework violations. To report a violation, call 817-922-3000.
Do not call 911!

A Special Farewell to Fran Kubesh

On June 10, 2005 there was a special farewell to the Villages of Woodland Springs Code Blue Captain Fran Kubesh. Fran will be relocating with her family to Massachusetts later this year. Fran has served our community tirelessly for many years and her presence will be greatly missed. Fran had many strong ties to state and city government and shown above is our current City Councilmember Sal Espino, Fran Kubesh and State Representative Vicki Truitt.

Fran received 2 awards last night, the first one from the City of Fort Worth declaring June 10, 2005 as Fran Kubesh Day in Fort Worth. The second award was from the State of Texas as a distinguished volunteer in her efforts to help pass House Bill 843 also known as the Cell Tower Legislation.

Code Blue and Crime Watch still plays a vital roll in our community and Fran's post will be assumed by our new Code Blue Captains Rick & Cathy Pepper. More information about Code Blue and Crime Watch may be found on this website under "Volunteer Sub-Committees > Code Blue & Crime Watch".

Thank you Fran for your endless dedication to our community...you will be missed. Best wishes from your grateful neighbors!