Jester Estates - December 2021 by Peel, Inc.

Jester Estates

Official Publication of Jester Homeowners Association, Inc. December 2021

Volume 16, Issue 12

JESTER FIREWISE EVALUATIONS By Carol Phillipson Maria and Jorge's evaluation is the 26th evaluation in 2021. We are way behind last year’s number. In 2020 we had 36 Jester Homeowners, take the initiative to have their FireWise Home Evaluations done in order to learn what steps can be taken to make their home more resilient if a wildfire should ignite. Since the inception of the Our Neighbors, Jorge & Maria program in 2013, we have completed completed their FireWise a total of 220 FireWise evaluations Evaluation! to date. Considering Jester Estates consists of 900+ homes, this is a tiny fraction of total homes in the neighborhood. Wildfire could affect any home, not just those backing the greenbelt. Embers can travel over a mile, and they will ignite spot fires throughout the neighborhood. Continued on Page 3

by Jim and Lynne Weber

The Simple Beauty of Sparrows

Coming from the Anglo-Saxon word spearwa and literally meaning ‘flutterer’, sparrows often conjure up images of the ubiquitous and non-native House Sparrow and the House Finch, which isn’t a sparrow at all. While most sparrows are generally small to medium brown birds with streaks, the differences between sparrows can best be determined by their relative size, head markings, and habitat. All sparrows have conical bills that they use to shell seeds, a primary component of their diet year-round, but especially so in the winter months. There is little difference between the males and the females in terms of appearance, but males are on average larger than females. As a group, most sparrows are birds of grasslands, prairies, and marshes, and seem to prefer weedy fields and woodland edges in the winter. Of the sparrow species that migrate, none travel further than the southern United States or northern Mexico. Continued on Page 4 The Jester Warbler - December 2021

Jester Estates

The Jester Warbler - December 2021

Board of Directors www.JesterHOA.com

President Eva Wisser.................................................................. eva@jesterhoa.com Vice President Eric Cohan.................................................................eric@jesterhoa.com Treasurer

"Firewise" Continued from Cover

Jester Estates

Knowledge is power, and with a FireWise Evaluation, you’ll gain the power to protect your home. The FireWise Committee will make recommendations, but it’s up to you to follow through. Don't delay, it only takes an hour or less and is FREE. Plus, some home insurance companies will give you a discount or credit. So don’t hesitate, make 2021 a banner year for Jester with more FireWise Evaluations than ever. To schedule an evaluation, send me a message via NextDoor or www.jesterhoa.com.

Phil Ponebshek.......................................................... phil@jesterhoa.com

Teenage Job Seekers

Landscape Committee Chair Margaret Hutchinson.........................................margaret@jesterhoa.com Social Committee Chair

Teresa Gouldie........................................................teresa@jesterhoa.com

Name

Safety Officers

Anderson, Layla*+..............•........... •.....................................................512-496-6536

Carol Philipson........................................................carol@jesterhoa.com Phil Ponebshek.......................................................... phil@jesterhoa.com Architectural Control Committee Chair Ron Herzfeld............................................................. ron@jesterhoa.com

Baby Pet House

Yard

Sit Sit Sit Work

Phone

Anderson, River.............................. •.................................... • ..............512-502-2073 Beach, Annika.....................•........... •.......... •.........................................512-839-0387 Ferrens, Ashley ...................•........... •.....................................................512-767-3003 Fricke, Samantha+ .............•........... •.......... •.........................................512-948-2717 Gerrie, Jack.........................•........... •.......... •.........................................210-290-3842

Firewise Officer

Gerwels, Emily............................... •.....................................................512-795-9270

Carol Philipson....................................................... carol@jesterhoa.com

Gilliam, Ava*+....................•........... •.......... •.........................................512-633-3664

Board of Directors

Hayes, Alice.................................... •.......... •.........................................512-952-0512

Charles Wolchansky............................................. charles@jesterhoa.com

Hull, Carter*+.....................•........... •.......... •.........................................512-963-3254

Restrictions Violations Committee Chair Cyndi Means ........................................... cyndi.means@goodwintx.com Jester Club....................................................................... 512-794-8867 ................................ jesterclubmanager@yahoo.com, www.jesterclub.org

NOT AVAILABLE ONLINE

Kellar, Allison.....................•........... •.....................................................512-909-1009 Moore, Kaitlin....................•....................... •.........................................512-739-7652 Orton, Claire......................•........... •.....................................................512-346-0434 O'Toole, Emily...................•........... •.....................................................512-917-9397 Pantaleoni, Nicholas...........•........... •.......... •.........................................310-200-6006

Homeowner's Association Mgmt - Goodwin Mgmt

Parouty, Ava........................•........... •.......... •.........................................512-298-9160

Cyndi Means............................................. cyndi.means@goodwintx.com

Popps, Adrian................................. •.......... •......................... • .............512-960-7305 Reed, Emery.......................•..................................................................512-592-2141

Office: 11149 Research Blvd, Suite 100 Austin, TX 78759

Mailing Address: P.O. Box 203310 Austin, TX 78720-3310

Shafer, Owen.................................. •.......... •.........................................512-786-2378 Schoffler, Isabella* .............•........... •.....................................................512-804-8047 Thibodeaux, Medeline........•........... •.....................................................512-619-0291 Trautman, Colin.................•........... •.......... •.........................................512-342-2422

Newsletter Information

Editor Hope Teel........................................................... hopeteel@gmail.com Publisher Peel, Inc.......................................www.PEELinc.com, 512-263-9181 Advertising........................advertising@PEELinc.com, 512-263-9181

Ware, Sonoma....................•..................................................................512-796-4013 Werth, Amanda* +.............•........... •.......... •.........................................217-398-2833 *-CPR Training +-First Aid Training

If you would like to add your name, send email to tgouldie@gmail.com with the jobs that interest you,your age and phone number (MUST be a teenager).

ARTICLE SUBMISSIONS Interested in submitting an article? You can do so by emailing hopeteel@gmail.com or by going to: www.peelinc.com/articleSubmit.php. All news must be received by the 12th of the month prior to the issue.

The Jester Warbler - December 2021

Jester Estates

the simple beauty of sparrows by Jim and Lynne Weber

"Nature Watch" Continued from Cover

One of our most common winter sparrows is the Chipping Sparrow. Small and slim, with a long, notched tail, rusty cap, white stripe over the eye and a black line through the eye, this sparrow moves in loose flocks and frequently feeds in short grass and open woods. While still fairly abundant, this sparrow is declining in numbers, mainly due to habitat destruction, and winters in the southern part of the United States. When first identified in 1810 by an American ornithologist, it was nicknamed ‘the social sparrow’ for it was easily approached and associated with human habitation. A fairly large sparrow, the White-crowned Sparrow is distinguished by its black and white striped head, unmarked gray breast, and dark pink bill. It is found in large groups in thickets and weedy areas, foraging on the ground. Discovered in 1772 by a German naturalist, this sparrow was originally named the ‘white-eyebrowed bunting’, for in the Old World, sparrows were usually called buntings. Lincoln’s Sparrow is a medium-sized bird with a rather short tail, broad gray stripe above the eye, buffy moustache stripe, and a buffy upper breast with crisp, blackish streaks. Found in winter in brushy edges of ponds and other moist areas, this sparrow was named by John James Audubon in 1833 after his research companion, Thomas Lincoln, shot the first specimen in Labrador. Sparrows are gregarious and are often our most hardy winter visitors. Adorned in various shades of brown, gray, black, and white, they reflect the subdued hues of a winter landscape. Often dismissed as ‘little brown birds’ when seen with the naked eye, these birds invite closer inspection and are nature’s way of reminding us that subtle colors and patterns can be beautiful, too! 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 books, Nature Watch Austin, Nature Watch Big Bend, and Native Host Plants for Texas Butterflies (all published by Texas A&M University Press), and our blog at naturewatchaustin. blogspot.com. 4

The Jester Warbler - December 2021

Lincoln’s Sparrow

White-crowned Sparrow

"Halloween in Jester" Continued from Cover

Jester Estates

The Jester Warbler - December 2021

Jester Estates

GREEN TIPS FOR SAVING MONEY ON YOUR WATER BILL by Dale Bulla

Wastewater Averaging Starts Many folks are not aware that their wastewater or sewer bill is averaged over three months in the winter when outside watering is at a minimum. Irrigation during the winter months is not necessary because the plants are dormant and are not growing. From November to the end of February, the lowest three months of water use are averaged and that amount will be your wastewater cost for the next twelve months. So remember that every drop you save through February, will save you all next year.

Wastewater Averaging: November-March

The Jester Warbler - December 2021

Jester Estates

The Jester Warbler - December 2021

Jester Estates PO Box 1148 Round Rock, Texas 78680

The Jester Warbler - December 2021