Courtyard - May 2021 by Peel, Inc.

Courtyard Caller

May 2021

BOARD MESSAGE With the arrival of Spring, we are all happy to be outdoors once again! With more and more people getting vaccinated against Covid-19, the promise of social activity is (hopefully) right around the corner. Since the advance work to reserve vendors and make plans must start well in advance of the actual event, we will assess during the first weeks of May whether we can hold our annual July 4th parade and picnic in the Park. If it looks risky to proceed for July, we may have to push our big social gathering back to Labor Day. It’s important that everyone update their contact information on the Courtyard website directory in order to make sure you receive Courtyard news updates. Please refer to the step-by-step instructions elsewhere in this Caller for details, or email Erik Maye for assistance at ErikMaye@gmail.com. We’ve received some feedback that there are still some folks who are driving too fast in the neighborhood on streets where children play and people walk. Neighbors, please, please slow down and remember that you can get wherever you’re going without risking the safety of others! In response to some recent events and due to a need that’s long overdue, the Board plans to install speed bumps on the downhill road in the Park. For more information, please contact Terry Edwards, Park Chair at t.edwards54321@gmail.com. The process of updating the gate and fence line at the Courtyard Boat Storage and Launch area has begun. The new gate and fence will provide more security and will be easier to operate than the current behemoth. The plan is to install an entry system similar to the Park. We hope to have this project completed in time to make a difference for the upcoming peak summer months. As a reminder on some current compliance issues: • Boats/trailers may not remain parked on the street. • Rain barrel or backup generator installation requires PRIOR approval by the ECC and may not be placed in view of the street. We will require that items in violation must be relocated. Please spare yourself the time and expense by checking with the ECC first. • Leaves or lawn debris may not be blown onto the street or onto anyone else’s property • All remodeling, including major landscape changes, require ECC approval BEFORE work commences. • Know your property boundaries – dig out your survey and review it before doing any work. Enjoy the fine weather and remember to DRIVE SLOWLY in the Courtyard!! Copyright © 2021 Peel, Inc.

Volume 17, Number 05

COURTYARD BOOK CLUB TUESDAY, JUNE 1, 2021 AT 1 P.M. 5612 NORTH SCOUT ISLAND CIRCLE “If I cannot do great things, I can do small things in a great way.” Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The title of Jodi Picoult’s Small Great Things is derived from the quote of Martin Luther King as are many of the themes and plot twists in this charactercentered book to be reviewed by the Courtyard Book Club in June. And the Book Club intends to resume in-person meetings in June. Small Great Things provides a springboard for discussion of many important issues being grappled with in the country today revolving around race and privilege. The story and examination of racism is told by three main characters: Ruth, a Black labor and delivery nurse; Turk, a young, male skinhead; and Kennedy, a defense attorney, working her first big trial. Many moral dilemmas, courtroom drama, and plot twists contribute to the easy readability of the book. As of this publication, the Courtyard Book Club will meet at the home of Lou Blemaster, 5612 North Scout Island Circle, at 1 p.m. June 1. Participants are asked to wear masks for the protection of others and themselves whether vaccinated or not. However, if public health guidelines and circumstances dictate, the Book Club will revert to Zoom video conferencing until in-person gatherings are considered safe. Please look for the monthly email from Lou Blemaster closer to the time of the meeting; in it, she will notify all of the definite meeting format and logistics. To receive book club emails, contact Lou at LouBlemaster@ gmail.com. Even those who haven’t read the monthly book are welcomed to join your neighbors for some stimulating discussion. Courtyard Caller - May 2021

Courtyard Caller

Courtyard Caller - May 2021

Courtyard Caller

EMAIL ADDRESSES Have you updated your contact information and are still not receiving HOA communications? Be sure to add denise.1.hogan@ gmail.com to your address book or contact list so HOA emails are not directed to your spam folder. We continue to update our Courtyard HOA Website Directory as more of you are sending us your current contact information – thank you! This helps your HOA Board AND your fellow residents in the Courtyard stay connected with you. Notices for the neighborhood, park gate code changes, website password changes, neighborhood event information, and Fire Safety alerts are all sent via email, so please make sure your listing is up-to-date by completing this simple process: 1. Go to CourtyardHOA.org 2. Click on Directory. 3. Enter “courtyard” (all lower case) as the username. 4. Enter the Directory password. 5. Look up your contact information. 6. If any of your contact information is incorrect or missing, email Denise Hogan and copy Erik Maye. If you need the Directory password or have trouble with any part of this process, please email Denise Hogan at denise.1.hogan@gmail. com and copy Erik Maye at erikmaye@gmail.com ; we will help you have success!

COURTYARD FIRE SAFETY It was Mark Twain who famously stated that “History does not repeat itself, but it does rhyme.” That seemed to resonate with James Duff of the Austin Fire Department Wildfire Division, Joyce Statz of the Firewise Alliance, and the Texas A&M Forest Service. In articles and emails they pointed out the similarities between 2011 and 2021. They referenced the Texas A&M Forest Service and KXAN’s reports highlighting the freeze that cured grasses, high winds, cold fronts and drought conditions that created devastating spring fire seasons in the past. The much lower than normal rainfall during the last three months and the historic Arctic outbreak in February share similarities to the weather during Spring 2011. Those of you who were here and those who have heard of it are aware of the 2011 Bastrop fire that claimed lives and property. And that wasn’t the only fire that Texas experienced that year. In facing conditions that portend devastation there are actions that can potentially mitigate those results. It’s a recurring theme—but none the less essential—to keeping our community safe. Removal or pruning of dry grasses, dead vegetation, downed tree branches and bushes and leaves are the first step to limit accumulated fuel that feed airborne embers that are the primary threat of uncontrolled fire. Courtyard community homeowners have taken the initiative to remove dead vegetation and Austin Recycling is struggling to pickup the debris as quickly as possible. If you have material at the curb that hasn’t been picked up call 311 for assistance. Moving forward, review landscaping designs when replacing the dead vegetation to limit combustion close to the building and to harden our homes against unexpected outbreaks. Using non-combustible material or drought-resistant planting from the building to five feet away, or similar material and plants up to ten feet away, provides a safety zone that keeps fire at bay. A guide to help with determining if more extensive areas can be hardened against combustion can be found at the following site: https://pbatexas.org/Files/Resources/ FirewiseLandscapingInTexas.pdf In addition, for some guidance on which plants are likely to recover and which are not, here’s a maintenance guide from The Natural Gardener: https://tngaustin.com/maintenance-after-the-freeze/

Courtyard Caller - May 2021

Courtyard Caller

CHA BOARD OF DIRECTORS President Denise Hogan.......denise.1.hogan@gmail.com, 214.403.4454 Vice President Konavis Smith........................................... konavis@gmail.com Treasurer Jim Lloyd.........................jlloyd@austin.rr.com, 512.231.0855 Secretary Waneen Spirduso......................................spirduso@utexas.edu BOARD MEMBERS-AT-LARGE Janet Wright ........................ ..............mightywrights@me.com ..........................................................................469-387-5632 Meredith Massey-Kloetzer......................meremass@gmail.com Henry Mistrot....................................................512.459.7313 COMMITTEES Environmental Control (ECC) Diana Apgar ................................ ..............fd1966fd@aol.com Community Park Terry Edwards......t.edwards54321@gmail.com, 214.392.4627 Welcome Erik Maye ......................erikmaye@gmail.com, 512.626.2404 Social & Decorating Joany Price....................joanyprice@gmail.com, 512.775.8942 Landscape & Decorating Ed Ueckert.........................................................512.345.6137 Security Jim Lloyd.........................jlloyd@austin.rr.com, 512.231.0855 Communications, Editor – Courtyard Caller Jen Harold.......... harold.jennifer@gmail.com, 281.773.2880 Compliance Denise Hogan................................denise.1.hogan@gmail.com Kayak Jim Vence .......................jimvence@gmail.com, 512.436.5678 Fire Safety Richard Stelzner................................... arebeess42@gmail.com Area Development and Zoning Liaison Denise Hogan....... denise.1.hogan@gmail.com, 214.403.4454

SUB-HOA CONTACTS Center Court: Amanda Gilliland... mandagilliland@gmail.com, 512-927-7118 Travis County Courtyard (aka "Backcourt") Terry Edwards .............................. t.edwards54321@gmail.com Villas at Courtyard: Thomas Hoy..........Thomas.Hoy@freescale.com, 512.231.1270 Wolf Court: Susanne Doell.................... Drdoell@gmail.com, 512.454.3400

Courtyard Caller - May 2021

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Courtyard Caller - May 2021

Courtyard Caller

CONNECTION – Wizzie Brown, Texas AgriLife Extension

I remember way back when I was in college and I called my mom, excited to share with her that I decided to change my major. It went a bit like this….. Me: “Mom, I decided to change my major. I’m going into entomology!” Mom: “What?” Me: “Entomology. It’s the study of insects.” Mom: “What are you going to do with that? Do you plan on spending your life spraying bugs?” Me: “I have no idea, but it will be fantastic!” While at the time, my mom could not see exactly what I was going to do with a career in entomology, fortunately, for me I found an amazing job with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension where I have the opportunity to educate people on insects. Fortunately for my parents, they now have someone to identify all their insects. So why the story? Well, you all have the same opportunity as my parents to become educated on various insects. There are a variety of ways to do this, and all are resources that I directly post or am involved with in some way. If you want to learn more about insects, you can connect with me (or my colleagues in some cases) through: Instagram: urbanipm Facebook: www.facebook.com/UrbanIPM YouTube channel: Wizzie Brown Podcasts: I am involved in two different podcasts. • Bugs by the Yard- this one covers insects in the landscape • Unwanted Guests- this one covers structural pests Insect ID requests• Email me at ebrown@ag.tamu.edu • Submit images to http://texashighplainsinsects.net/ Educational webinars on various insect topics- email me to get onto the list for sign up links For more information or help with identification, contact Wizzie Brown, Texas AgriLife Extension Service Program Specialist at 512.854.9600. Check out my blog at www.urbanipm.blogspot.com 6

Courtyard Caller - May 2021

THE RECYCLE & REUSE DROP-OFF CENTER IS OPEN, BY APPOINTMENT ONLY

Beginning on Tuesday, March 9, 2021, the Recycle and Reuse Drop-off Center has reopened, by appointment only, following a temporary closure due to COVID-19 safety concerns. The center will resume its acceptance of hard to recycle items such as Styrofoam and plastic film, as well as household hazardous waste. Austin/Travis County residents can schedule a drop-off time through the Austin Recycles mobile app or online: http://www.austintexas.gov/dropoffschedule Face coverings are required and social distancing must be maintained by all visitors. At the Recycle & Reuse Drop-off Center, you can drop off many items to be recycled, reused or safely discarded. You can also pick up free items to reuse yourself. Most Recycle & Reuse Drop-off Center services are free to Austin/Travis County residents, but some services have a fee. Eligibility and cost information are listed with each service: http://www.austintexas.gov/department/austin-resourcerecovery

Correction to our contacts An error was printed in the HOA contacts of the March edition of the Courtyard Caller. Please note the correct names and contact information in this month’s edition. Sincere apologies to Janet, Diana and Meredith for the mix up. Copyright © 2021 Peel, Inc.

Courtyard Caller

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES ACROSS THE CITY Are you eager to share your time and talents after so many months of pandemic isolation? The City of Austin website has abundant opportunities to bring your skills and make a difference in our community. From opportunities to serve with worthy organizations like Drive a Senior and Big Brothers/Big Sisters to volunteer days in watershed protection and public safety, the City of Austin website and GivePulse volunteer portal offer unique ways to share your incredible talent with our community. For more details, check out the City of Austin website and GivePulse volunteer portal. https://www.austintexas.gov/department/volunteer-cityaustin https://www.givepulse.com/group/134-Austin-Texas-YourCity-Government At no time will any source be allowed to use The Courtyard Caller Newsletter 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 Courtyard Caller Newsletter is exclusively for the private use of 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. Copyright © 2021 Peel, Inc.

Courtyard Caller - May 2021

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