Courtyard - September 2021 by Peel, Inc.

Courtyard Caller

September 2021

Volume 17, Number 09

COURTYARD BOOK CLUB As we head into the fall and back-to-school, we have a few reminders to help neighbors. Trash Cans Most of us are placing our trash cans out and retrieving them timely. We have a few folks who seem unclear about the rules for trash cans. We DO have a trash can deed restriction; please review the HOA Declaration, Article 8, Section 10, which says “In no event shall such containers [trash cans] be maintained so as to be visible from neighboring property except to make the same available for collection and, then, only the shortest time reasonably necessary to effect such collection.” Our Goodwin Property Manager informs us that the standard across HOAs is the rule of thumb “Dusk to Dusk.” This means: Do not place your trash cans out before dusk on Thursday. Bring your trash cans inside by dusk on Friday. If your trash can is visible from the street, out too early, or left out too long, this message is for you. Please comply with these rules and be a good neighbor. If you need suggestions about how to screen your trash cans from view during the week, please reach out to the ECC. Yard Signs Yard signs are regulated by our HOA Declaration, Article 8, Section 18, which says (in part) “No signs whatsoever … shall be erected or maintained on any Lot.” There are a few exceptions to this statement, but these are very limited. Signs which cannot be placed on Lots include signs advertising your lawn service, pest control company or construction company; any sign expressing your opinion or suggestions for world peace; and school signs. Please remove yard signs and comply with our Declaration. Tree Trimming We heading into the perfect time for tree trimming. Tree trimming keep our trees looking their best, and can also prevent all sorts of potential hazards, such as branches scraping the house roof or gutters, excessive leaf drop into gutters, and providing a means for fire to easily transfer to roofs. Another problem is the increased frequency of large delivery trucks. If your trees do not have at least 14 feet of clearance from the street, they are a hazard for delivery trucks to break branches. The City of Austin requires 14 feet of clearance between the street and any branches which hang over the street. Please take a look at your trees and take action to address these items this fall! Remember to DRIVE SLOWLY in the Courtyard! Copyright © 2021 Peel, Inc.

Tuesday, October 5th, 2021 5612 North Scout Island Circle

Author Paul Beatty taking a comic approach to the complicated issues of racial identity and injustice in The Sell Out gained recognition for him as the first American writer to win the prestigious Booker Prize for Fiction in 2016. The Sell Out is the reading selection for the October 5 meeting of the Courtyard Book Club. The book’s narrator was raised by a single father in California and was subjected to controversial psychological studies during his childhood. Hopeful that the results of the studies would lead to financial reward, the narrator never realizes those riches when his father dies prematurely. At the same time, his hometown is literally taken off the map so he advocates reinstating slavery and segregating the local high school, both of which land him before the Supreme Court. The absurdity of the book’s satirical plot is the springboard for a unique examination of race and other topics. The Courtyard Book Club will meet at the home of its chair, Lou Blemaster, 5612 N. Scout Island Circle, at 1 p.m. October 5. It is assumed that all attending have been vaccinated. The 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 are welcomed to join your neighbors for some interesting discussion. Courtyard Caller - September 2021

Courtyard Caller

Courtyard Caller - September 2021

Courtyard Caller why firewise and ready-set-go?

With deep sadness that we report the passing of our dear friend and neighbor, Susie Gibson on July 22, 2021. Susie was a gracious and extraordinary woman, and an important member of our Courtyard Book Club. After graduating from Austin High School, Susie earned a degree in Bacteriology from the University of Texas and enjoyed a rewarding 30-year career as a microbiologist for the Texas State Health Department. She was an active member of Covenant Presbyterian Church, a lifelong bridge player and an avid hunter of antiques. Susie married Frank Gibson in 1952 and they had three daughters. Frank passed away in 2014 after 61 years of marriage. Susie is survived by her daughters, Julie Lawhon, Terri Gibson, and Janie Gibson; son-in-law Steve Lawhon; grandchildren Dusty, Beth, Kevin, Sarah and Ally; 8 great-grandchildren; many nieces, nephews and her dear sister-in-law, Wynne. Susie was beloved by family, a faithful servant in her church community, and a cherished neighbor and friend in the Courtyard.

For 2021 weather has been unusual and unpredictable. Ours brought snow and freeze in February, rain in spring continuing into summer, temperatures mostly below 100° and even below 90s and relatively high humidity. Meanwhile, unexpectedly, a place like Portland, OR has experienced multi-day 95-105° temperatures and dry weather. Their wildfire risks ratcheted up and exploded dramatically. If the Central Texas weather reverts to normal, we face hot and dry through the end of August, September and maybe into October that recreates the wildfire threat. Central Texas is a fire ecosystem, which means it is dependent on fire to keep the ecological balance in check. However, in the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) fires are suppressed to protect homes, so Central Texas ends up with a stockpile of vegetation “fuel” where it would not have been otherwise. Although the HOA Board funds fire fuels clearance and area maintenance, embers from beyond the community pose wildfire risk. In addition to HOA fuels clearance efforts, the Fire Safety Committee provides a free home wildfire risk evaluation to homeowners. Houses burn because of the interrelationship with everything in its surrounding home ignition zone— the house and its immediate surroundings. Avoiding a home ignition can often be done by interrupting the path the fire takes by clearing a home ignition zone with easy-to-accomplish tasks that can help in avoiding home loss.

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We will miss her greatly.

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 - September 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 - September 2021

Continued from Page 3 Here are several easy and inexpensive ways to create a defensible space and protect against wildfire damage to your home: • Take care of the area immediately around your home by removing dead shrubs, dried grass, fallen branches and dried leaves within 30 feet, if possible, on all sides of the structure. • Focus especially on the area up to five-feet around the base of the house, use fire-resistant plants, and ground cover that is non-flammable, such as rocks or gravel. Maintain a space of at least 18 inches between the sides of the house and the nearest plantings. • When planting trees and shrubs, use native shrubs and hardwoods. Healthy live plants are generally not a problem in wildfires. • Keep trees and shrubs properly thinned and pruned within your defensible space. Dead branches in a live oak tree aren't going to burn unless the tree is already on fire. Remember, to prevent the spread of oak wilt in neighborhoods, do NOT prune any oak trees from February through June. Be sure to comply with Austin tree regulations, found at: https://www.austintexas.gov/faq/tree-regulations. • Remove “ladder” fuels — plants, low branches, and firewood that can allow a fire on the ground to climb into the trees. In considering how to trim, note that bushes can flame up to three times their height. • Consider replacing wooden sheds, decks, and privacy fences with fire-resistant alternatives. • Keep your roof and gutters clear of debris, and remove overhanging branches. • Keep grass and weeds mowed at a low height. Green grass will usually dry out in the hot Texas weather, and grass fires move fast, becoming risks to dwellings. • Wind-blown embers are the biggest threat to homes. Be sure that there are no entries for embers into attic vents, drier vents, under decks or under roofing materials; no place for embers to land in debris (litter in the gutter, stacks of wood, etc.) and no wood fencing that directly adjoins the house. Residents should also prepare by adopting Ready, Set, Go! the nationwide program that provides a step-by-step preparation plan for timely evacuation. See the Fire Safety page at http://www.courtyardhoa.org for details on Courtyard Firewise and our Evacuation Plan that incorporates Ready-Set-Go! instructions. For excellent information on fire safety practices and current fire risk assesments, as well as tutorials on how the community homeowners can prepare and respond to wildfire risk, see the Austin Fire Department Hub https://wildfire-austin.hub.arcgis.com Register with WarnCentralTexas at http://warncentraltexas.org/ to allow emergency personnel in our local area to directly contact you by phone, text or email during a wildfire alert or evacuation, or other disaster or public safety event. Sign up with the Courtyard Fire Safety Committee at email fire-safety@courtyardhoa.org to schedule a home wildfire risk evaluation and recommendations to improve home protection. Copyright © 2021 Peel, Inc.

Courtyard Caller

Courtyard Caller - September 2021

Courtyard Caller The month of September celebrates Fire Ant Awareness Week, so get involved! While you may not be seeing too many mounds yet, fall is a great time to bait for fire ants. Baiting in fall can help reduce the number of mounds appearing in spring. Baits take time for results to be seen, so be patient and schedule a regular baiting program for every spring and fall. If you need fire ants killed quickly, you may want to use an individual mound treatment.

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Get your neighbors to bait the same time as you do; this will push reinvasion boundaries of fire ants further away from your property. Even better, organize a community-wide fire ant management program; they can help reduce the amount of fire ants within your community & save money on chemical costs for everyone in the neighborhood.

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.urban-ipm.blogspot.com This work is supported by Crops Protection and Pest Management Competitive Grants Program [grant no. 2017-70006-27188 /project accession no. 1013905] from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture. The information given herein is for educational purposes only. Reference to commercial products or trade names is made with the understanding that no discrimination is intended and no endorsement by Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service or the Texas A&M AgriLife Research is implied. The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service provides equal access in its programs, activities, education and employment, without regard to race, color, sex, religion, national origin, disability, age, genetic information, veteran status, sexual orientation or gender identity.

Tips on using fire ant baits: • Make sure you have a bait, not a granular • Baits are either broadcasted over an entire property or sprinkled AROUND individual mounds for fire ants to pick up as food. Baits should NOT get wet. • Granulars are sprinkled on TOP of a mound and watered in to carry the pesticide into the mound to come into contact with the ants. • Read the product label BEFORE YOU BUY to figure out if it is a bait or granular. • Broadcasting baits using a handheld spreader saves time and reduces the amount of chemical applied to the environment. • Use the proper amount of bait and application equipment for your yard size • Read the label; it will tell you the rate of application and equipment required for application. • Many baits are placed at a rate of 1-1 ½ pounds per acre. • Many people do not follow the label and put out more bait than is needed. • Check that fire ants are foraging before putting out bait. • Place a hotdog slice or potato chip near a mound, leave for 10 minutes, then check for fire ant activity. • Do not use stale or old bait. • Smell bait to make sure it is not spoiled; spoiled bait smells rancid (if you are using spinosad fire ant bait, it smells somewhat funky normally so do not be alarmed). • Store bait sealed in the original container out of reach of children and animals. 6

Courtyard Caller - September 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! Copyright © 2021 Peel, Inc.

Courtyard Caller BUSINESS CLASSIFIED BUYER NEEDS IN COURTYARD: One story home or townhome. If townhome, (Wolf Ct, Parade Ridge or Courtyard Villas) with primary bedroom downstairs. Up to $ 1M - Cash buyer - can offer lease back if necessary. Home with gentle slope to water and wet slip - Up to $ 5M. Home with minimum 4 bedrooms and 3100 sq ft. - Price negotiable - Cash buyer - can offer lease back if necessary. When PRICE matters... call me, Joany Price @ 512-775-8942. Business classifieds (offering a service or product line for profit) are $50, limit 40 words, please contact Peel, Inc. Sales Office @ 512-263-9181 or advertising@ PEELinc.com.

Courtyard Caller - September 2021

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Courtyard Caller - September 2021