Hunter's Chase GazetteHUNTER'S CHASEGazetteThe Official Newsletter of the
Hunter's Chase HOA
September 2015 Volume 5, Issue 9
Based on feedback from residents, the Hunter's Chase Board has voted to extend the neighborhood patrol by Emerald Security for another three months, effective August 1 through October 31. By now, most residents have seen their yellow SUV patrolling our neighborhood streets or maintaining a visible presence stationed in front of our busiest, most trafficked areas around the park and pool.
To report suspicious activity or nuisance solicitations, call Emerald Patrol at 512-372-3700 and state you are a Hunter's Chase resident.
Neighborhood NewsEmerald Patrol Services to Continue
311 or 911?When you see suspicious activity, but you aren't sure if this qualifies
as an emergency, should you call 9-1-1 or 3-1-1? Call 9-1-1 only for police, fire or medical emergencies. An emergency situation is one that requires immediate attention and includes but is not limited to:
• Potential physical harm or loss of life • Loss/destruction of property is about to or has already occurred
Examples of 3-1-1 calls: • Noisy neighbor• Barking dogs • Stolen/missing garbage cans • Vandalism and graffiti • Or general police reportsTo contact a specific police employee or unit call 512-974-5000.
ABOUT ‘AUSTIN 3-1-1'
In 2001 the City of Austin began using 3-1-1 for police non-emergency calls to help reduce the number of calls to 9-1-1 so police could concentrate on those calls where either life and /or property were in danger. In 2003, calls to 3-1-1 included access to additional city services, and 311 became known as the Citywide Information Center, joining Austin Energy customer care. In 2007, the service officially adopted the name "Austin 3-1-1."
Today, Austin 3-1-1 provides a single point of contact for every City of Austin department, and residents can reach a city "ambassador" 24x7, 365 days a year. If you are calling from an area code other than (512), the number to Austin 3-1-1 is 512-974-2000.
There are numerous ways to manage fire ants, but they are often broken into two categories- broadcast treatments and individual mound treatments. Individual mound treatments are used to treat one mound at a time and can be labor intensive and may result in more pesticide being spread into the environment. Broadcast treatments will spread product (granular or bait) over a large area.
Individual mound treatments include pouring boiling water onto the mound, using insecticide mound drenches, spreading insecticide granules onto the mound and watering them in, sprinkling insecticidal dusts on top of the mound or using bait-formulated insecticides around the perimeter of the mound. There are also many “home remedies”, but be advised that many of these do not kill fire ants. Many home remedies make the fire ants move to a new location (often 1-2 feet away), but do not kill the ants.
Bait-formulated insecticides most often consist of a defatted corn cob grit coated with soybean oil; the soybean oil is where the active ingredient (what kills the pest) is dissolved. Worker ants collect bait as a food source and take it back to the colony to share with other ants, including the queen. Depending on the active ingredient, the bait may cause the queen to die or be unable to produce viable eggs, which gradually kills off the colony. When using baits, results are often slower to observe when compared to individual mound treatments, but can provide 80-90% suppression for 12-18 months. A bonus to broadcasting baits is that the amount of active ingredient is generally very small, which places less chemical into the environment.
With any pesticide treatment, read and follow all label instructions. Make sure to water in the pesticide if the label instructs to do so. Failure to water in chemicals when recommended by the label does an inadequate job of killing the ants. Baits should not be watered in or used before a rainfall event; baits will not be picked up by ants if they get wet.
For more information or help with identification, contact Wizzie Brown, Texas AgriLife Extension Service Program Specialist at 512.854.9600. Check out her blog at www.urban-ipm.blogspot.com
UTILITIESElectricity City of Austin .............................................. 512-494-9400Gas Atmos Energy ...........................................1-888-286-6700 Emergency ................................................... 866-322-8667Water/Wastewater (City of Austin) Emergency ................................................... 512-912-6000Trash/Recycling City of Austin .............................................. 512-494-9400
PROPERTY MANAGEMENTHC HOA Goodwin Management Inc. [email protected] ........... 512-502-7503Estates of HC POA CA Managers: [email protected] ................................. 512-288-2376
ARCHITECTURAL CONTROL COMMITTEEApplications are found on the intranet site at
http://hca.goodwintx.com/
DEED ENFORCEMENT To report violations contact Sage Management at
SCHOOLSPond Springs Elementary ................................ 512-464-4200 .................... http://schools.roundrockisd.org/pondsprings/Deerpark Middle School ................................. 512-464-6600 ..........................http://schools.roundrockisd.org/deerpark/McNeil High School ....................................... 512-464-6300 .............................http://schools.roundrockisd.org/mcneil/
OTHERCrime Stoppers .......................................... 1-800-253-STOPCounty Commissioner Lisa Birkman, Pct. 1 ..... 512-733-5384 fax; 512-733-5380Animal Control ............................................... 512-943-1389Spicewood Springs Branch Public Library ....................... 8637 Spicewood Springs Rd 512-974-3800
POA BOARDBrian James ............................................................ President Samuel Yu ........................................................Vice PresidentMichael Kuykendall .................................................TreasurerRebekah Sheppard ...................................................SecretaryLynn Raridon Maddox ...............................At-Large MemberTo reach any one of the board members please contact Carmen Glassinger at [email protected]
CONTACT NUMBERS & IMPORTANT INFO
The Salvation Army will hold its 20th Annual Children’s Golf Classic just up the road from Hunter’s Chase on September 15. The golf event, one of the premier fundraising events for The Salvation Army Austin, takes place at Avery Ranch Gold Club from 11:00 am-6 pm. Golf pro Joe Ogilvie will be on hand.
Proceeds from the golf outing will benefit The Salvation Army’s services for children in poverty or experiencing homelessness, including camp, after-school programs and music education for disadvantaged children and teens in Travis and Williamson counties, as well as shelter for families in crisis. In the past 19 years the tournament has raised more than $1.4 million to support children’s programs and emergency shelter services for families with children.
In 2014, our two emergency shelters provided lodging, meals and supportive services to 2,875 individuals. Of those served, 74% percent were women and children.
For more information or to register, visithttp://www.salvationarmytexas.org/austin/golf-classic-details/
Salvation Army’s Children’s Golf Classic on Sept. 15 at
Avery Ranch Golf Club
Description: The position includes marketing our community newsletters to local and area businesses. It is a flexible position that allows you to work from home and set your own hours.
Roles: Stimulate new advertising accounts in our community newsletters. Maintain current accounts assigned to you by Sales Manager. Service your accounts by assisting them from ad design to final proof approval.
Skills: Excellent communication through email and phone, with high level presentation and relationship-building skills. Strong prospecting and business development skills are a must. Previous sales experience preferred but not required.
Benefits: Commission Based Apply by sending resume to [email protected]
Festival Is Sept. 26-27The Pecan Street Festival is a free two-day arts festival held twice
yearly in downtown Austin’s Sixth Street Historic District. Taking place the first weekend in May and the last weekend in September, the juried festival attracts hundreds of local and national artisans offering original handcrafted creations in a variety of mediums, from metal, wood, fiber, clay, leather, glass and stone to repurposed materials of all kinds.
THERE'S A LOT MORE, TOO –
• More than 50 of Austin’s top musical acts, from up-and-comers to renowned veterans, perform on three stages, located on Trinity, Neches and Red River streets.
• Thirty food vendors located throughout the festival offer both indulgent and healthy options from crepes, funnel cakes and regional cuisine, to smoothies and fresh squeezed lemonade.
• Kid-friendly activities include rides, a petting zoo, face-painting, interactive workshops, street magicians and more.
Information, festival map and more can be found at http://pecanstreetfestival.org/
DON’T WANT TO WAIT FOR THE MAIL?
View the current issue of the Hunter's Chase Gazette on the 1st day of each month at www.PEELinc.com
HUNTERS CHASE POA COMMITTEESResidents interested in joining a committee should contact Carmen Glassinger at [email protected]
1. Neighborhood Watch - will assist with implementing a neighborhood watch program
2. Amenities (Pool, Park & Tennis) - will be responsible for maintenance and improvement suggestions to the Board
3. Events - responsible for determining which neighborhood events to plan and carrying out the planning and execution of the events (Neighborhood garage sale, Christmas caroling, potlucks, etc)
One of the most common lizards in the Austin area is the Texas Spiny Lizard (Sceloporus olivaceus). It is also one of the largest, averaging 7.5 to 11 inches in length, with the females being larger than the males.
A Texas spiny lizard is often hard to spot, as its dorsal pattern can vary by locality, serving as adequate camouflage in its chosen habitat. Typically grey in color with black, white, or reddish-brown blotches or crossbands down its back, it blends in perfectly against the bark of resident trees. Its underside is usually uniformly light grey, and males commonly have bright blue patches on either side of the belly. The scales appear particularly pointed and spiny, and it has long toes and sharp claws suitable for climbing.
All of these features serve this lizard well, as it is diurnal and arboreal, spending much of its time in trees. While it prefers larger tree species with a significant amount of leaf litter below, such as live oaks, post oaks, red oaks, pecans, hackberries, and elms, it may also be found in brushy trees such as mesquites and junipers. This lizard can also be seen climbing on man-made structures such as fence posts, walls, and telephone poles, especially when the base of these objects is covered in brush.
Typically shy and wary, this lizard quickly retreats to the opposite side of a tree trunk in the presence of a predator or human observer. If startled when approached closely, it will suddenly jump from a tree trunk and flee noisily into the leaf litter below, making it almost impossible to locate. Trees not only provide protection for this lizard, but they also provide for its food. Being insectivorous, it can find cicadas, crickets, grasshoppers, beetles, ants, butterflies, and caterpillars in the leafy canopy.
Male Texas spiny lizards are territorial, often defending a single tree from encroachment by other males. When challenged, the two males will have what appears to be a push up contest, until one is
intimidated enough to give up and scurry away. Active on the surface from March to November, these lizards are reproductively active throughout the warmer months of the year. Females lay up to four clutches of eggs in a shallow depression in leaf litter, with hatchlings emerging 45-60 days later. In the cooler months of the year, they take cover for weeks at a time under rocks, logs, and in deep leaf litter, and are occasionally seen basking in the sun on warmer, sunnier days.
So when you’re out and about in your yard or at a park, and you hear something skittering in the leaf litter or retreating up a tree, it most likely is a Texas Spiny Lizard!
Send your nature-related questions to HYPERLINK "mailto:[email protected]" [email protected] and we’ll do our best to answer them. If you enjoy reading these articles, check out our book, Nature Watch Austin (published by Texas A&M University Press), and our blog at naturewatchaustin.blogspot.com.
Timothy W. Hald – Certified Public Accountant Your neighborhood CPA – living and working within our community
512-363-5738visit us at www.cpa-austintexas.com
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NORTHWEST FAMILY YMCA 512.335.9622 | AustinYMCA.org
BUILD STRONG FOUNDATIONSAt the Y, After School Programs are more than just kid-watching. It’s about engaging your children in
those critical hours where they should be safe and supervised.
Y Afterschool runs weekdays from school dismissal until 6:30pm for kids in K-5, at 19 sites in the
greater Austin area. Register today!
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September 2015 Peel.indd 4 8/11/2015 1:25:02 PM
School starts in August, so now is the time for drivers to pay closer attention to the school zones in the neighborhood. We want to remind you that the speed limit in a school zone is 20mph and traffic fines double!
Other changes to be aware of include;• Children behaving unpredictably• School Bus Stops• Crossing Guards – please obey the guards! Remember, they are there for the safety of you and your children• New areas of traffic congestion• Be prepared for delays• Use of cell phones in schools zones is prohibited!
Please give yourself extra time in the mornings and mid-afternoons and remember if you are traveling in a school zone to slow down.
Hunter's Chase GazetteAt no time will any source be allowed to use the Hunter's Chase Gazette's contents, or loan said contents, to others in anyway, shape or form, nor in any media, website, print, film, e-mail, electrostatic copy, fax, or etc. for the purpose of solicitation, commercial use, or any use for profit, political campaigns, or other self amplification, under penalty of law without written or expressed permission from Peel, Inc. The information in the Hunter's Chase Gazette is exclusively for the private use of the Hunter's Chase HOA and Peel, Inc.
DISCLAIMER: Articles and ads in this newsletter express the opinions of their authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Peel, Inc. or its employees. Peel, Inc. is not responsible for the accuracy of any facts stated in articles submitted by others. The publisher also assumes no responsibility for the advertising content with this publication. All warranties and representations made in the advertising content are solely that of the advertiser and any such claims regarding its content should be taken up with the advertiser.* The publisher assumes no liability with regard to its advertisers for misprints or failure to place advertising in this publication except for the actual cost of such advertising.* Although every effort is taken to avoid mistakes and/or misprints, the publisher assumes no responsibility for any errors of information or typographical mistakes, except as limited to the cost of advertising as stated above or in the case of misinformation, a printed retraction/correction.* Under no circumstances shall the publisher be held liable for incidental or consequential damages, inconvenience, loss of business or services, or any other liabilities from failure to publish, or from failure to publish in a timely manner, except as limited to liabilities stated above.
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