West Cypress Hills - November 2015 by Peel, Inc.

The Homefront

VOLUME 1

ISSUE 6

Spicewood Library Celebrates New Thrift Store

Local library opens new thrift store and celebrates with a giant yard sale and an open house with an Usborne Book sale, hot dogs, nurse in the library and more. Spicewood Library volunteers are nearing completion of a new thrift store building next to the library on Spur 191 just below Spicewood Elementary School. The store will be open during normal business hours with all proceeds benefiting the library. A grand opening and open house is planned for this Saturday, October 10, from 8 am to 1 pm. Besides a giant yard sale and showing off the new store, the library will host an Usborne Book sale, have hot dogs and cookies, and have a nurse in the library providing free blood pressure and blood sugars screening from 10 am to noon. The new building was built completely with volunteer labor led by Bob Cole, a retired Spicewood resident and husband of board member Linda Cole. “A great group of volunteers helped whenever they could. All were eager to learn construction techniques and gave willingly of their time,” Cole said. “We were fortunate that local businesses and residents helped with the effort. The electrical work was donated by Matt Matula’s Heritage Electric and the HVAC was installed by Dean’s Heating and Air, both of Spicewood. Elliot Electric of Marble Falls donated the electrical materials and a local resident, Nick Nicoson, loaned us the necessary scaffolding ,” said Jim Lamar, President of the Friends

group. “ These people are great community supporters and deserve Spicewood’s gratitude,” Lamar continued. The building is over 500 square feet, heated and cooled, and constructed to look similar to the library. The open house is celebration of the thrift store opening. “The yard sale includes a variety of household and children’s items at can’t resist prices,” said Sabine Lamar, the thrift store manager. Along with the open house, the library will hold a book sale centered around Usborne Books. “Usborne Publishing is a wonderful children’s book company with high interest, quality print and illustrated books for children of all ages,” noted Jane Gannaway, the library’s director. “These books are perfect gifts for children of all ages, “ continued Gannaway. All proceeds from Usborne sales are applied to and matched for library purchases that will enhance the library’s youth section. About the Library: It opened in July of 2007, operates 22 hours per week and has more than 10,000 items in its onsite catalog as well as a virtual, online branch for e-readers with more than 9,000 additional e-books and audio-books available for downloading. It also provides personal computers for patron use with Internet access during business hours as well as 24/7 via Wi-Fi access in the parking lot. To learn more, visit www.spicewoodlibrary.org.

The Homefront - November 2015

The Homefront IMPORTANT NUMBERS EMERGENCY NUMBERS EMERGENCY.................................................................... 911 Fire....................................................................................... 911 Ambulance........................................................................... 911 Sheriff – Non-Emergency.....................................512-854-9285 Travis County ESD No.6/Lake Travis Fire Rescue Administration Office.......................................512-266-2533 Travis County Animal Control.............................512-972-6060 SCHOOLS Lake Travis ISD....................................................512-533-6000 Lake Travis High School.......................................512-533-6100 Lake Travis Middle School...................................512-533-6200 Lake Travis Elementary.........................................512-533-6300 Hudson Bend Middle School...............................512-533-6400 Lake Pointe Elementary........................................512-533-6500 Lakeway Elementary............................................512-533-6350 Serene Hills Elementary.......................................512-533-7400 Bee Cave Elementary............................................512-533-6250 West Cypress Elementary.....................................512-533-7500 UTILITIES Pedernales Electric................................................512-331-8883 Propane Cypress Ranch........................................512-272-5503 Trash - Roy's Disposal..........................................512-264-1019 Cypress Ranch WCID#1......................................512-402-1990 AT&T New Service...................................................1-800-464-7928 Repair............................................................1-800-246-8464 Billing............................................................1-800-858-7928 Time Warner Cable Customer Service..............................................512-485-5555 Repairs.............................................................512-485-5080 Austin/Travis County Hazardous Waste...............512-974-4343 OTHER NUMBERS Postal Office- Spicewood Branch..........................830-693-2377 NEWSLETTER PUBLISHER Peel, Inc...............................................................512-263-9181 Editor............................................westcypresshills@peelinc.com Advertising...........................................advertising@peelinc.com

COMMUNITY MANAGEMENT INFORMATION Home Owner's Association managed by:

Southwest Management Services 7 Lakeway Centre Courte, #200 Lakeway, Texas 78734 512-266-6771 Annual Dues: $525 (paid quarterly)

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Spicewood Arts Society Presents 2 Days of

Art and Live Music Highlights: • The juried fine arts festival will be held at La Cabana Grill in Spicewood on Nov. 7th and 8th • Over 30 local and regional artists will be displaying and selling original works • Local acts, including the Spicewood Elementary choir, will be appearing on stage • Proceeds will be used for programs for students in local schools • Admission is free, all donations are welcome Spicewood Arts Society, the Home of the Arts in the Hill Country, is excited to present its 12th Annual Arts Round-Up. This 2 day celebration of the visual arts will feature over 30 local and regional artists, 18 of whom are new to the festival, displaying and selling original works in medians such as jewelry, pottery, paintings, glassware, photography, and many more. This family-friendly event will feature a special Art Tent where students from Spicewood Elementary, West Cypress Hills Elementary, and Lake Travis Middle School will have artwork on display. There will also be a designated children’s area where all children attending will be invited to create their very own works of art. In addition to the visual arts show, attendees will be able to enjoy 2 days of live music showcasing the Spicewood Elementary School Choir, Todd Westbrook, Andrea Marie and the Magnolia Band, The Square Grooves, Brittany Shane, and Lohman’s Crossing Band. The fun begins on Saturday, November 7 at 10AM and runs through 6PM at La Cabana Grill, 21103 Hwy. 71 West, Spicewood, TX, 78669. The event continues on Sunday, November 8 from 11AM until 4PM at the same location. Food and drinks will be available from the host, La Cabana Grill. Admission is free, but all donations are appreciated. Portions of the proceeds will help fund programs in schools in the Marble Falls and Lake Travis school districts. Spicewood Arts Society will sponsor performances by The Warren Hood Band, john Arthur Martinez, and storytellers Donna Ingham and Tom McDermott during the 2015-2016 school year. Spicewood Arts Society would like to thank their host for the event, La Cabana Grill, whose hospitality the past 5 years has been instrumental in making the Arts Round Up a continued success. They also graciously thank their sponsors for their generosity and the volunteers who put in endless hours of their time to make sure that the artists, guests, and musicians have an enjoyable show. Individual and Business sponsorships for both the concert series and the Arts Round Up are still available. Please contact Pat Petrach, managing director, at pat@spicewoodarts.org.

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Guy Forsyth and the Hot Nut Riveters

The 2015-2016 Spicewood Arts Society’s concert season continues as they welcome the self described “Texas’ Original Recession Era String Band”, Guy Forsyth and the Hot Nut Riveters, to the Spicewood Vineyards, 1419 Cr 409 in Spicewood, Texas 78669 on November 13, 2015. This unique group is comprised of some of the best singers, songwriters, and vocalists in the Austin area. Each member is a well-known musician in their right…put them together and you have an unbelievable night of American “traditional bluespop folk countrygrass”.

Showtime is 7PM with the doors opening at 6PM so that patrons can enjoy a glass of wine from the vineyards which is available for purchase. Wine is also available during intermission at which time delicious snacks will be provided by the Spicewood Arts Society. For tickets or information on other events go online to www. spicewoodarts.org.

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4th Annual Lakeway Turkey Trot

Hosted by True Trailblazers The Lake Travis Mountain Bike Team is a trail blazer for mountain fundraiser in the world, and raises money for important research and bike teams across the state of Texas. Since its inception 4 years ago, programs that help patients stay well and get well. they have lived up to the Lake Travis sports standard, earning 3 Texas Unlike other Turkey Trots and events, they do not charge a fee to State titles and several individual titles over the years. Led by coaches enter, but ask participants to make donations of any amount to the Doug Lange, Michael Smith, Scott Pemberton, Heath Kelly, Rick American Cancer Society (both cash and checks accepted). Last year Margiotta and Gina Lange, they have grown the team from a handful they were able to raise over $700 and the only promotion they did of kids that first year to nearly 30 students that actively compete on was on Facebook a few days before. This year they are hoping to top the 6A club circuit. $1500, since they are getting the word out early. The turnout last The LTHS Mountain Bike Team and LAME (Lakeway Area year was great considering, and only shows the desire of the people Mountain bike Enthusiasts) work closely together, with all of the in the community to have a local event to help ease the guilt of the LTHS coaches also active members of LAME. LAME meets every large turkey dinner and pumpkin pie they will consume later in the Wednesday night for a tailgate and night ride at Mount Lakeway. day. The event opens with free coffee and donuts (so much for guilt LAME also helps maintain the trail system throughout Lakeway for free) to all participants, provided by Randalls, Crown Donut & the enjoyment of mountain bikers and hikers alike. Mount Lakeway Donut Hole. This is not a race, but a challenging hike that will be and the Canyonlands Trailhead is also once again the location of this divided into two different courses, including a shorter route than the year’s 4th Annual Turkey Trot. traditional 5.5 mile round trip hike to the top of Mount Lakeway. The Turkey Trot, which started as a group of friends who gathered Please come out and join the LTHS mountain bike team, LAME on Thanksgiving morning at Mount Lakeway for a hike, rather than and Relay For Life for this fun morning on the trails. You too can be going all the way downtown, is turning into a fun annual event. a trailblazer ;) Event starts at 8am for refreshments and donations. What began as an informal gathering of friends, has grown into a 8:30 start time. community event as well as a grassroots fundraising effort for the For more information on Relay For Life, visit www.relayforlife. American Cancer Society. Hosted this year by the LAME, they org/laketravistx are collecting donations of any amount that will go directly to the Fore more information on LTHS Mountain Bike Team, visit www. American Cancer Society through the LTHS Mountain Bike Team’s ltmtbteam.org 2016 Relay For Life team. Relay For Life is the largest non-profit

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Thank You! The LTHS PTO would like to thank the Parade Judges at the LTHS 2015 Homecoming Parade, Nikki Mackenzie, Owner of Magpie Boutique and Blossom, DJ Jaynes, Retired Drill Team Director, Victoria High School, Greg Yancey, Local Realtor, Keller Williams, Firefighter.

With over 40 Floats, Judges selected the Top 3 Floats. 1st National Honor Art Society 2nd LTHS Swim and Dive Team 3rd Hudson Bend Cheer and Dance

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Classified Ads

Personal classifieds (one time sell items, such as a used bike...) run at no charge to West Cypress Hills residents, limit 30 words, please e-mail westcypresshills@peelinc.com.com. Business classifieds (offering a service or product line for profit) are $50, limit 40 words, please contact Peel, Inc. Sales Office at 512-263-9181 or advertising@PEELinc.com.

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New Year’s Eve Gala

On December 31, 2015, there will be a New Year’s Eve Gala, themed An Affair to Remember, benefiting Help Our Wounded. The Gala will be hosted at the Sonesta Bee Cave Hotel. Cocktails will begin at 7:00 p.m. on the Rooftop Terrace, followed by dinner at 8:00 p.m. in the Colony Ballroom. We will dance to the music of the band Groove Knight, and at midnight, we will have a champagne toast to welcome 2016. Tickets are $100 per person. VIP tickets are $150 per person, which includes an invitation to a cocktail party on December 30, 2015. To make reservations, make your check payable to Help Our Wounded, and mail it to Joan Astorino at 206 Palos Verdes Drive, Lakeway, TX 78734. Tickets may also be purchased online at www.

The Homefront - November 2015

helpourwounded.org/gala. Tables for 10 guests, partial tables, or individual reservations are available. The first $50 of each ticket covers the cost of the event; everything over that amount is a tax deductible contribution. The deadline for making reservations is November 23, 2015. Help our Wounded was founded by Rosie Babin in 2009 after her son, Corporal Alan Babin, was severely wounded in Iraq in 2003. His recovery required extraordinary courage, dedication, and perseverance. Rosie has worked hard to better understand treatment options, hospital choices, and government regulations. As a result of Rosie and Alan’s medical journey, Rosie is better able to assist other families in the same situation. The mission of HOW is “to help our wounded service members, and those who care for them, by providing direct aid, resources and support, unique to their needs.” There are many great nonprofit organizations assisting combat veterans. What makes HOW unique is that once a veteran is vetted, HOW moves quickly to provide the necessary financial assistance, and whenever possible, HOW works directly with creditors to ensure that the assistance is a hand-up not a handout. Because of this ability to respond quickly to unique needs, other nonprofits turn to HOW to provide needed help to our veterans. Last year was the second New Year’s Eve Gala benefiting HOW. It was a huge success, raising over $126,000. That money was used to help wounded veterans and their families with mortgage assistance, medical supplies, transportation for medical appointments, utilities assistance, and rent eviction prevention. With the success of last year’s event, The Third Annual Gala is poised to be an even more successful affair. For more information, contact Dottie Stevenson at 512 266-6460 or Brooke Toeller at 512 8087115. Other committee members are Donna Lochow, Diane Jackson, Joan Astorino, Ann Neighbors, Gretchen Nearburg, and Paula Tye.

The Homefront RETIRE BETTER

A TIME FOR FEAR, A TIME FOR GREED WITH JOSH STIVERS

Back in October of 2008, Warren Buffet wrote an editorial in the Opinion column of the New York Times titled, “Buy American. I Am.” Throughout the article he explained his thoughts on his rule of stock purchasing: “Be fearful when others are greedy, and be greedy when others are fearful.” He went on to make the comment, “In short, bad news is an investor’s best friend. It lets you buy a slice of America’s future at a marked-down price.” Buffet made these comments just over 7 years ago, and yet they could have been spoken last week. We all know that history repeats itself, and this could not be more clear when looking at cycles in the stock market. Last month’s article covered the necessity of volatility for public markets and the importance of being ready to benefit from that volatility. To build on that discussion, let’s take a look at whether there is more fear or greed in the economy today. Obviously, there is currently a much stronger sentiment of fear in the day to day news surrounding the global economy. Many people are uncomfortable with the uncertainty and are getting out of their current portfolio positions. This leads to

an opportunity for people willing to follow Warren Buffet’s philosophy. Instead of trying to find comfort during uncertain economic times, those who are willing to be comfortable being uncomfortable are often rewarded handsomely for prudent planning during these time periods. This is not the time to be sitting back holding onto cash equivalents because they feel safe. You need to take a long-term view towards the current climate and find the opportunities that exist. I am not recommending you take leveraged positions or invest in weak areas of the market, but there are many sound companies whose long-term success is completely unaffected by the current economic news. This is a time for action. Don’t let the opportunity to be greedy when everyone else is fearful pass you by. If you would like further information on this topic or to receive a copy of our report on retirement investment planning, please send your requests to the email below. As always, we are here to answer your pressing questions and concerns regarding retirement investment planning. Send your questions and information requests to retirebetter@platinumwealthadvisory.com

512.369.3817

www.PlatinumWealthAdvisory.com 2802 Flintrock Trace, Ste. 221 Lakeway, TX 78738

JOSH STIVERS

RETIREBETTER@PLATINUMWEALTHADVISORY.COM Securities offered through GF Investment Services, LLC. Member FINRA/ SIPC. Investment Advisory Services offered through Global Financial Private Capital, LLC, an SEC Registered Investment Adviser.

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LT Lov

LTlov's Green Santa program is busy preparing for another successful outreach to Lake Travis children in need. The community collection drive will begin on Monday, November 23rd and run through Friday, December 11th and donations of dolls, cars and trucks, sports equipment, games, blocks and building kits, art supplies and gift cards to local retailers will be greatly appreciated. Last year Green Santa provided gifts and food cards to 656 children from 217 Lake Travis families and the program was supported by many individuals, businesses and organizations. The task of sorting the gifts, packing the donation boxes and distributing them to the registered families is one that also requires community support. If you or your group, club or organization is interested in helping with this effort between Monday, December 7th through Monday, December 14th please contact ltlovgreensanta@gmail.com. Daytime, after school and evening opportunities to volunteer are available and middle school and high school students are welcome. For more information about Green Santa and to locate a donation site, visit www.ltlov.org. To enquire about volunteering or to sign up for a day and time, email ltlovgreensanta@gmail.com.

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send us your game photos LtCaVs@peeLinC.Com

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Lake Travis Republican

The Homefront Nature Watch

Michael Nayebi-Oskoui, Senior Analyst for the Stratfor Corporation, will be the featured speaker at the monthly meeting of the Lake Travis Republican Club, to be held at the Hills Country Club on Tuesday, November 17, 2015, at 11:30 am. Stratfor is a geopolitical intelligence firm that provides strategic analysis and forecasting to individuals and organizations around the world. Michael is a senior Middle East and South Asia Analyst, specializing in energy and political developments in two of the world’s most volatile and dynamic regions. He has written extensively and briefed institutional clients on energy issues and political trends in key areas such as Iran, Iraq, North Africa and the Persian Gulf. In addition to the Middle East, Mr. Nayebi-Oskoui focuses on India and the geopolitical realities of South Asia. He holds bachelor’s degrees in English and linguistics from the University of Texas, and did his master’s work at Carnegie-Mellon University. Meeting tickets are $15.00 for members, and $20.00 for guests. Reservations can be obtained by calling 512-261-0722, or by email at wwarmuth@austin.rr.com.

Often used as an informal figure of speech meaning to deteriorate or go downhill, ‘gone to seed’ can have a negative connotation. But each seed contains a new beginning: a tiny plant just waiting for the right conditions such as water, warmth, and a good location, to germinate and grow. Seeds and seed heads form fascinating shapes, varying sizes, and intricate patterns, often adorning the fall and winter landscape. Plants have many ways of dispersing their seeds, and most have evolved over millions of years. While the methods are tried and true, certain seeds have developed in very particular ways to take advantage of such methods, and some plants only release their seeds in response to specific triggers. Wind helps seeds float or flutter away, often aided by seed structures such as thin wing extensions or long, feathery tails like those on the endemic Scarlet Clematis (Clematis texensis). Texas Bluebonnets (Lupinus sp.) employ the expulsion or explosion method, where the small, pebble-like seeds are forcibly expelled when the dried pods twist open in the warm sun. Gravity plays a part in many plants seed dispersals, where weighty seeds fall off the plant and roll to a new location. The best example of this are the round, heavy fruits that (Continued on page 10)

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The Homefront (Continued from Page 9) simply fall off a plant when ripe, such as those on Mexican Plum (Prunus mexicana) or Texas Persimmon (Diospyros texana). If the fruits have a tough outer shell, they may travel some distance from the parent plant, and if they have a soft skin, they may break open where they fall and scatter the seed or seeds within. Some plants produce very light seeds, seeds with buoyant fluff, or seeds with air trapped in them, so they can float away from the parent plant that grows in or around water, like Common Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis) or Black Willow (Salix nigra). Others employ the assistance of animals, which can come in the form of seed or fruit eating (where the seed can pass undigested through the animal), seed caching or burying, or seed transportation. Often unbeknownst to the animal, seeds can be covered with tiny hooks or spines that catch on a passing animal’s fur, and eventually rubbed off in another location. Common examples include Cedar Waxwings and American Robins eating juniper and yaupon berries, both ground and tree squirrels eating and caching acorns, and many animals (including humans) that emerge from the wilds carrying the seeds of Beggarsticks (Bidens sp). This fall and winter, let the seeds linger! Not only do they provide much needed food for wildlife, but leaving them allows for some beautiful and mysterious patterns in your winter landscape, and the

promise of renewing the cycle of life that begins again each spring! Send your nature-related questions to naturewatch@austin.rr.com 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.

Scarlet Clematis seeds have long, feathery tails that aid in wind dispersal. Photo by Lee Page.

Velvet-leaf Mallow seed heads Photo by Laurie Neverman.

Illinois Bundleflower seeds. Photo by Joseph A. Marcus.

Texas Star is name after the five-petaled flower

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