Bella Vista - July 2016 by Peel, Inc.

July 2016

Official Publication of the Bella Vista Homeowners Association

Volume 8, Issue 7

BOARD REPORT

Thanks to everyone that attended the Annual Meeting on May 25 this year. We had a good turnout at the meeting and excellent online voting! A total of 104 votes were cast and 80 were electronic. The Board thanked James Smith for all his efforts in the past 4 years on the HOA Board. Veronica Frederick and John Shumaker were re-elected to the Board and Bill Walters was elected as a new Board member. Bill was very helpful during the annexation efforts and we welcome his participation on the Board. The Board reviewed the 2015 finances, maintenance projects completed in 2015 and planned for 2016. Several topics of conversation included raising chickens, portable basketball goals and street parking. The Board also confirmed that an election would be required with 67% of the homes voting yes before any changes could be made to the current deed restrictions. The Board suggested a committee of homeowners could be formed to investigate the feasibility and costs for adding a covered pavilion

or sport court near the pool. We are currently seeking volunteers to help with publicity and yard of the month programs. The Board approved the purchase of replacement commercial grade pool furniture including 4 new chairs and 2 new tables in June. Exterior Home Improvement Projects - Please use the “new” ACC form when submitting requests to RealManage for any projects planned for your property. The ACC form is located on the Bella Vista website under “Documents” and “Architectural Committee Approval Request Form” or at the following link: http://www.bellavista-hoa. com/bellavista/document_view.asp?id=15 The next Board meeting is scheduled for the first Wednesday of the month at 6:00 p.m. at the RealManage office, 9601 Amberglen Blvd, Suite 150, Bldg G, Austin TX 78729 (next to Lifetime Fitness on RR 620 service road). Board contact information is located on page 2.

Water Conservation Tips of the Month • When you are washing your hands, don't let the water run while you lather. • If you accidentally drop ice cubes when filling your glass from the freezer, don't throw them in the sink. Drop them in a house plant instead. • Keep a bucket in the shower to catch water as it warms up or runs. Use this water to water inside or outside. Copyright © 2016 Peel, Inc.

Bella Vista Bulletin - July 2016

IMPORTANT CONTACTS President, Veronica Frederick............ vfrederick@austin.rr.com Vice President, John Shumaker.........john.h.shumaker@att.net Secretary, Julie Fowler................. juliefowler.bvhoa@gmail.com Director, Bill Walters …..….......... WHW914@aol.com ACC Requests........................................bellvist@ciramail.com Recreation Committee...................erica.smith605@gmail.com Treasurer, Bill Chapman........................ wchapman@ctrma.org

Summer Sun

Safety Tips 1oz. of sunscreen should be applied to entire body Only broad-spectrum SPF 15+ should be used Limit your time in the sun from 10am-4pm You still need sunscreen on a cloudy day

HOA MANAGEMENT RealManage Resident Services (pool, issues, etc.) 1-866-473-2573.........................................Service@ciramail.com Association Manager: Bill Brooks 1-866-473-2573........................william.brooks@realmanage.com www.realmanage.com RealManage, 9601 Amberglen Blvd, Suite 150, Bldg G, Austin, TX 78729

MISSION STATEMENT Peel, Inc. Community Newsletters

Our goal is to provide the Bella Vista community with one source of local news content that is provided by Bella Vista residents. Our goal is to help build Bella Vista by connecting local businesses with residents and residents with relevant neighborhood information.

"Be the Community."

ARTICLE INFO The Bella Vista Bulletin newsletter is mailed monthly to all Bella Vista residents. Residents, community groups, churches, etc. are welcome to submit information about their organizations in the newsletter. Personal news for the Stork Report, Teenage Job Seekers, recipes, special celebrations, and birthday announcements are also welcome. If you have an article of interest to the community, please submit it to hoa.caswell@gmail.com with copy to vfrederick@austin.rr.com by the 8th of the month..

The newsletter can also be viewed online at www.PEELinc.com.

NEWSLETTER INFO Newsletter Publisher Peel, Inc......................................................... 512-263-9181 Advertising.........advertising@PEELinc.com, 512-263-9181 2

Bella Vista Bulletin - July 2016

Neighborhood Compassion Watch! On April 14, 2016, the Austin City Council passed a resolution designating Austin as a Compassionate City. There are now over 350 compassionate communities globally and the number is growing. Compassionate Austin is recognized as a leader! Let’s start the “Neighborhood Compassion Watch”! Compassion exists in 3 key dimensions: caring for others, self, and the Earth. Discover and share your stories of “3D” compassion. Catch people in the act! Engage youth in a treasure hunt for compassion and help them tell about what they find. Send your stories to Compassionate Austin at compassionateaustin@gmail. com. Be sure to identify your neighborhood when you submit your story! We may be able to publish them in this newsletter or on the Compassionate Austin website or Facebook page. Also, we are looking for stories that we can highlight in Citizen Communications at Austin City Council meetings. Breaking News! The Global Compassion Summit is coming up July 13-14th. It is part of the 5th annual Summer of Peace — the largest online peace event on the planet! Dr. Lesa Walker, Founder of the Compassionate Austin Movement, is one of the speakers on July 14. She will provide information about the

Siding

Compassionate Austin movement and the importance of the daily practice of “3D” compassion! The Global Compassion Summit is a FREE online event. Google it to learn more and register. Sign up TODAY!! Here is the link: https://shiftnetwork.isrefer.com/ go/sop16LW/lwalker/. This year’s theme for the Summit is Mindfulness and Compassion in Daily Life. Speakers are global leaders and experts in the field, sharing stories of how compassion and mindfulness are contributing to a more conscious, peaceful and sustainable world. You’ll hear from teachers bringing mindfulness to at-risk youth, attorneys using mindfulness and compassion to shift our legal system, physicians putting “care” back into health care, and activists who are using compassion to anchor their communities together. Research shows the personal and community benefits of strengthening our compassion skills. We grow stronger in what we practice! Let’s join together to bring 3D compassion to life! We ALL are Compassionate Austin! Find out more at: www. compassionateaustin.org.

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Bella Vista Bulletin - July 2016

FACT OR HOGWASH? By Cheryl Conley, TWRC Wildlife Center

I think we’ve all heard that one should never touch a baby bird or the mother will not accept it again or may even kill it. This is simply not true. There are many misconceptions about wildlife. Let me help you separate fact from hogwash on a few of the most common ones. MYTH: MOTHER BIRDS WILL ABANDON THEIR BABIES IF TOUCHED BY HUMANS FACT: Mother birds will not abandon their offspring if touched by a human. For this to be true we would have to believe that birds can pick up on human scent. In fact, most birds have a rather poor sense of smell. For more information on what to do if you find a baby bird, see our website. MYTH: IF YOU FIND A FAWN ALONE, IT HAS BEEN ABANDONED. FACT: It is common to see fawns alone. Since they are incapable of keeping up with mom, she will leave the fawn, sometimes for hours, while she goes off to eat. The doe will visit the fawn two to three times a day. This will continue until the fawn is about 4 weeks old. It’s best to leave fawns alone unless you know that the mother is dead and/or fawns are crying incessantly. MYTH: IF YOU SEE A RACCOON OUT DURING THE DAY, IT’S RABID FACT: Raccoons are typically nocturnal but are opportunistic creatures and can appear whenever food is around, day or night. In spring and summer when the mother’s energy levels are depleted by nursing cubs it is not uncommon to see them out during the day. However, if the animal is acting disoriented or sick, such as circling, staggering or screeching — in addition to being seen during daylight hours — contact TWRC Wildlife Center or animal control. MYTH: RACCOONS WASH THEIR FOOD FACT: Raccoons have very sensitive feet and it is believed that dipping their food in water heightens that sensitivity so they can better feel the food before they eat it. They will also use water to soften food.

PASTOR, DAVE JAMERSON

MYTH: IF YOU GET CLOSE TO A SKUNK, IT WILL SPRAY YOU. FACT: Skunks only spray to defend themselves, such as when a dog runs up and grabs them. Before they spray, they will stamp their front feet as a warning to get you to back off. Skunks are also nearsighted so if you come across one, simply talk softly and back away. MYTH: LIVE TRAPPING AND RELOCATING ANIMALS IS HUMANE FACT: Most animals are very territorial. Residents of an area will more than likely attack and kill a newly relocated animal. MYTH: OPOSSUMS LIKE TO HANG BY THEIR TAILS FACT: The opossum’s tail is capable of grabbing onto a limb to help with balance but it is not strong enough to support the animal’s weight. MYTH: TOADS CAUSE WARTS FACT: Warts on people are caused by a herpes virus, not toads! Toads do, however, have wartlike bumps behind the ears that contain a poison that can irritate your skin. MYTH: OPOSSUMS ARE DIRTY ANIMALS AND ARE VICIOUS FACT: Opossums are fairly clean when compared to other animals. They groom themselves frequently. While in the care of a rehabilitator, they can even be trained to use a litter box. Like any other wild animal, they are more afraid of you than you are of them. They hiss and show teeth to scare you away, so, GO AWAY! MYTH: IF AN ANIMAL IS FOAMING AT THE MOUTH, IT HAS RABIES FACT: There are other reasons why an animal may be foaming at the mouth. Some of them are distemper, ticks, worms, diabetes, liver failure, poisoning, and many others. TWRC Wildlife Center is currently looking for volunteers to help at our center in Houston. If you have a passion for animals and are looking for a worthy organization to help, check our website at www. twrcwildlifecenter.org or call 713-468-8972.

RENOVATE CHURCH

CONNECT. GROW. IMPACT.

Bella Vista Bulletin - July 2016

Join us on Sunday nights from 6:00-7:15 p.m. at the Cedar Park Recreation Center MEANINGFUL FAITH… MEANINGFUL RELATIONSHIPS

We offer custom apparel of all kinds including one-offs for any occasion. How does it work? Lets say you have a design you would like for a one-off custom shirt. We take your idea and design it for you. Once you approve the design we make it available in our store for you to purchase. Who do we work with? We work with individuals as well as partner with organizations and businesses. Some of our partners are CrossFit boxes. We relieve the box owners of the hassle of mass shirt orders by creating their very

own store within W4 Apparel. This allows their members to visit our site and order their shirts directly. We create custom designs at their request and even toss in a few of our own. We offer the same service for non-profits, businesses, and organizations of all kinds. Visit us online and view our Partners to see who we are currently working with. We would love to partner with you as well!

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Bella Vista Bulletin - July 2016

Texting and Cell Phone Use during Driving By the National Highway Safety Administration (edited for space) In 2014, 3,179 people were killed in crashes involving a distracted driver. One of the most alarming and widespread forms of distracted driving is cell phone usage. According to a study by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI), sending or receiving a text takes a driver's eyes off the road for an average of 5 seconds, the equivalent of driving blind at 55mph for the length of an entire football field. And a 2014 special article in the New England Journal of Medicine found that the risk of a crash or near-crash among novice drivers increased with the performance of many secondary tasks, including texting and dialing cell phones. Text messaging is of heightened concern because it combines three types of distraction – visual, manual and cognitive. In other words, texting involves taking your eyes off the road, your hands off the wheel, and your mind off the task of driving. NHTSA’s message is simple – “One Text or Call Could Wreck it All.” Legislation is being passed across the nation to

Bella Vista Bulletin - July 2016

discourage distracted driving. We hope drivers get the message loud and clear. So the next time you are pressed for time, and it seems like multitasking in the car is the best decision, remember those 3,179 lives that were taken because someone decided they could do two things at once. A text or call is not worth your life, or anyone else’s.

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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.

NOBODY IS DROWNPROOF WATCH KIDS AROUND WATER

COLIN HOLST

37 Texas children have already fatally drowned in 2016 DROWNING IS PREVENTABLE THESE WATER SAFETY TIPS CAN SAVE LIVES

WATCH KIDS & KEEP IN ARMâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S REACH

LEARN TO SWIM

WEAR LIFE JACKETS

MULTIPLE BARRIERS AROUND WATER

KEEP YOUR HOME SAFER

CHECK WATER SOURCES FIRST

PRACTICE DRAIN SAFETY

BE SAFER IN OPEN WATER

LEARN CPR

BECOME a Water Guardian for your child

TAKE the Water Safety Quiz PREVENT drowning www.colinshope.org/quiz LEARN more at www.colinshope.org Copyright ÂŠ 2016 Peel, Inc.

Bella Vista Bulletin - July 2016

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Bella Vista Bulletin - July 2016