Courtyard - August 2021 by Peel, Inc.

Courtyard Caller

August 2021

Volume 17, Number 08

Courtyard Caller - August 2021

Courtyard Caller

Courtyard Caller - August 2021

Courtyard Caller COURTYARD BOOK CLUB Tuesday, September 7, 2021 5612 North Scout Island Circle A short story collection by Alice Munro will be the focus of the September 7 meeting of the Courtyard Book Club. “Dear Life” is a collection of short stories by Canadian author Alice Munro that looks in on fictional, ordinary lives and events and explores how a person can be changed forever by actions taken and not taken, simple twists of fate, or chance encounters. These “slice of life” stories and other fictional works gained recognition for Munro as a Nobel Prize winner in Literature in 2013 as well as a National Book Critics Circle Award recipient. Munro draws from her own experience writing as a native of Ontario. She has published 13 collections of short stories. The Courtyard Book Club will meet at the home of its chair, Lou Blemaster, 5612 N. Scout Island Circle, at 1 p.m. September 7. It is assumed that all attending have been vaccinated. The book club meets the first Tuesday of each month. To receive book club emails, contact Lou at LouBlemaster@gmail.com. Even those who haven’t read the monthly book selection are welcomed to join your neighbors for some stimulating discussion.

Millie and Garrett Hicks 5603 Courtyard Cove The secret is out! Friends who live here in The Courtyard told Millie and Garrett about what a great place they live in. They convinced the couple that the natural beauty of the neighborhood, the schools, the neighbors and quality of life was a good reason to live here. The Hicks family includes two toddlers, Ellie and Locke. They enjoy going to the neighborhood park and visit almost every day. Say “hello” if you see them there. Note: If you’re a new homeowner in the neighborhood and we’ve missed you, please let us know by contacting Eric Maye, erikmaye@gmail.com or Carolyn Brakhage, cbrakhage@gmail.com

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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. Copyright © 2021 Peel, Inc.

Courtyard Caller - August 2021

CHA BOARD OFCaller DIRECTORS Courtyard 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 4

Courtyard Caller - August 2021

Courtyard Fire Safety 2020 certainly had its challenges with the Covid19 pandemic shutdowns. Then 2021 started off with the unusual freezing winter weather shutdowns. From a wildfire safety perspective, although the pandemic shutdown and isolation kept us from friends, family and work, it provided more time to clean up ground cover, bushes and tree overgrowth around homes. The February ice and snow not only caused damage to homes and health, it killed off a lot of vegetation, damaged trees and wrecked landscaping. The result of the storm forced the clean up and disposal of the debris for weeks and the need to replace and replenish what was lost. The spring and early summer rains, which continued into July, were also unusual. That which survived the freeze grew back and flourished, but the re-growth may be a mixed blessing. Don’t Be Fooled Despite all the rain and our green Central Texas, there is a consequently greater wildfire risk in the event of drought in the coming year. The growth in the woodlands and grasslands will create greater combustible fuel. We cannot be complacent when it comes to wildfire. Wildfire Risk to Homes The Texas A&M Forest Service wildfire risk assessment for the Courtyard community concluded the obvious: we are in a high risk area, and there are opportunities we should take advantage of to reduce wildfire risk to our homes. These include: • All homes in the community obtaining a Home Ignition Zone (HIZ) Evaluation to determine how best to harden each home against wildfire “ember intrusion” that will destroy a house. • Creating a “defensible space” around homes in response to findings from the evaluation. • Managing vegetation and reducing potential fuel sources around our homes and in our common areas. For excellent information on how the community homeowners can understand and be aware of wildfire risks and prepare for the risks, go to the website https://wildfire-austin.hub.arcgis.com. Developed by the Austin Fire Department Wildfire Division (AFD WFD) along with the Texas A&M Forest Service (TFS) and the Firewise Alliance under the National Fire Prevention Association (NFPA) it provides a wealth of data and up-to-date information with lists, recommendations and videos. To sign up with the Courtyard Fire Safety Committee to schedule an evaluation by one of our trained teams, email firesafety@courtyardhoa.org . Richard Stelzner Fire Safety Committee Chairman Courtyard Community 908-419-5434 arebeess42@gmail.com Copyright © 2021 Peel, Inc.

Courtyard Caller

Courtyard Caller - August 2021

Courtyard Caller July is here which means the risk for Oak Wilt is significantly lower. Generally, the best time to prune trees is when trees are dormant and when fewer insects and diseases are present, November through January. What is Oak Wilt? A fungal infection that infects oaks within their waterconducting vessels (xylem). The tree responds by plugging these tissues, resulting in a lack of water to the leaves. This causes canopy loss and death in most circumstances. What does Oak Wilt look like? White Oaks: Leaves on diseased live oaks often develop yellow veins that eventually turn brown. This is the most commonly seen symptom on live oaks that are infected with oak wilt. Another symptom that leaves can exhibit is vein banding, where the leaf vein is a darker green than the rest of the leaf. Tip burn or margin burn, which turns the edges of the leaf brown, can also be seen on leaves. Defoliation may be rapid, and dead leaves with brown veins often can be found under the tree for months after defoliation. Red Oaks: Foliar symptoms of oak wilt on red oaks are less distinct. In early spring, young leaves simply wilt, turning pale green and brown, usually remaining attached for a period of time. Mature leaves develop dark green water soaking symptoms or turn pale green or bronze, starting at the leaf margins and progressing inward. This can begin on one branch and quickly engulf the entire tree. How does Oak Wilt spread? The Oak Wilt fungus is spread via two ways: above ground and below ground. The above ground movement is facilitated by a sap-feeding beetle that carries the fungal spores to new trees. The below ground movement occurs when the fungus travels from tree to tree through interconnected roots. How can I prevent Oak Wilt? Avoiding pruning or wounding of oak trees from February through June. Immediately paint any wounds to oak trees year-round. Destroy infected red oaks by burning, burying or chipping. Practice caution with firewood by moving and storing only thoroughly dried wood, burning all wood before spring, never storing wood near healthy oaks, and covering firewood with clear plastic and burying the edges. Consult with a certified arborist when pruning trees and ensure that your arborist takes care in properly cleaning tools between jobs. Where can I learn more about preventing and treating Oak Wilt? Visit https://texasoakwilt.org to learn more about the disease and check out the City of Austin’s interactive map tracking areas with high potential for Oak Wilt: https://austintexas.gov/page/ oak-wilt-suppression 6

Courtyard Caller - August 2021

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 Caller

Courtyard Caller - August 2021

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Courtyard Caller - August 2021