Highland Park - February 2022

Highland Park West Balcones Area

HIGHLAND PARK WEST BALCONES AREA NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION VOLUME 18, NUMBER 02 • FEBRUARY 2022 • WWW.HPWBANA.ORG

HPWBANA February Meeting

Monday, February 28th, 6:30 p.m.

Open to the public Location: TBD Meet the HPWBANA Board and your neighbors; guest speaker planned @HPWBANA on Facebook or Instagram for updates

Mark Your Calendar

February 5, 8, 15; 11 – 11:30 am

Outdoor All Ages Storytime. Songs, stories, and rhymes in the park! In case of rain, storytime will be held under the pavilion. Sponsored by Austin Public Library at Northwest Recreation Center, 2913 Northland Dr. Recommended for ages 5 and under. Free.

February 12; 11 am – 3 pm

Second Saturdays are for families. Create a unique memento of your own using an array of art materials in an activity inspired by Ryan Gander’s larger-thanlife keychain sculptures! Laguna Gloria.

February 26; 9 am

Get your Rear in Gear. Kid's Fun Run and 5K timed run/untimed walk. Camp Mabry.

The Highland Park West Balcones Area Neighborhood Association News - February 2022

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The Highland Park West Balcones Area Neighborhood Association News February 2022

Highland Park West Balcones Area

IMPORTANT NUMBERS Austin Citywide Information Center... 974-2000 or 311 Emergency Police, Fire and EMS.............................. 911 Non-emergency Police (coyote sighting, etc.)......... 311 Social Services (during work hours)........................ 211 APD REP. - Officer Darrell Grayson........ 512-974-5242

BOARD OF DIRECTORS PRESIDENT Jason Lindenschmidt................ president@hpwbana.org VICE PRESIDENT Bill McMillin.........................................vp@hpwbana.org TREASURER George Zwicker........................ treasurer@hpwbana.org SECRETARY Dawn Lewis.............................. secretary@hpwbana.org NEWSLETTER EDITOR Pam Keller.............................. newsletter@hpwbana.org WEBMASTER Henry Tang.............................webmaster@hpwbana.org BOARD MEMBERS Bill Hyland...................................... board@hpwbana.org Rebecca Spratlin............................. board@hpwbana.org

The HPWBANA Board meets on the fourth Monday of each month except December. Please go to HPWBANA. org for our current meeting location or contact president@ hpwbana.org.

HWPBANA is bordered on the north by 2222, on the south by 35th Street, on the west by Mt. Bonnell Road, and on the east by MoPac and by Bull Creek Road between Hancock Drive and 45th Street. Mail your membership dues to HPWBANA, P.O. Box 26101, Austin, Texas 78755.

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The Highland Park West Balcones Area Neighborhood Association News February 2022

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Highland Park West Balcones Area

PAK MAIL of Balcones In December 2021, husband and wife team Marissa Peterson and Kelly Dougherty became the owners of the Pak Mail of Balcones at 5501 Balcones Dr., located next to Craig O’s Pizza. The business opened in 2001 and had been managed by Marissa and Kelly for the previous 5 years, prior to them purchasing it.

Pak Mail offers packaging and shipping services. They consider themselves a one-stop shop for anything customers need to get things from point A to point B, including multiple shipping options such as FedEx, UPS, United States Postal Service and international shipping through DHL. For bigger and heavier items, they also offer freight services. Additional services include Notaries, copies, faxing, scanning to email and mailbox rental.

Over the years, Marissa and Kelly have developed a specialty for shipping and packaging the weird and wonderful! Million dollar pieces of artwork arriving by armed guard to be crated and sent to auction at Christie’s, doll houses that are exact replicas of houses in the neighborhood, taxidermy Ibex heads going to Washington D.C. to hang on the South African ambassador’s office wall. Need to send a 250 pound Buc-ee’s statue as a gag gift to your best friend in Portland, Maine? They have done it. How about historical artwork from the Renaissance to be shown in the Smithsonian? They have packed that 6

too. Or maybe you have a model of the Santa Maria ship made of meticulously hand glued elderberry seeds? Done. And yes, it was as fragile as you would think it would be. The point is - Marissa and Kelly at Pak Mail like a good challenge.

Considered an essential service, Pak Mail of Balcones never shut down throughout the pandemic. When neighborhood residents could not physically be with their family members and loved ones, the next best thing was to be able to send them their love through thoughtful gifts. Marissa and Kelly say it was a nice feeling for them to be able to help with that and know that, at least in some small way, they were helping people still feel connected.

One piece of advice they offer to neighborhood residents when packaging items, is to remember how your box is realistically going to travel. The shipping process is no picnic! Your package is most likely not going to be gently placed in a truck, tucked snuggly in between boxes of pillows, lovingly carried from the truck to the terminal where it will be guided on to a conveyor belt and slowly moved through the scanning system, only to be hand sorted and carried with white gloves to a first class seat. Nope! Think of your shipping items as John McClain from Die Hard. They start out bright, shiny and optimistic about their journey. They’ll end up covered in remnants of Naka Tomi Tower and divorced. Package your items accordingly.

Pak Mail can help, if you are unsure of the fragility of your items.

Just give them a call.

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Marissa and Kelly find Highland Park West a unique and vibrant neighborhood and feel lucky to be able to have their business here.

They are both originally from up north and the neighborhood feels midwestern chic to them. Throughout the week, neighbors come by to do business and catch up on the neighborhood gossip at the same time. They love what they do and are here to help make life a little less stressful in these weird times that we are all living in.

Mention this article next time you stop in and get 15% off ground shipping (excluding postage stamps and USPS)! 512-323-2300; pakmailatx@gmail.com The Highland Park West Balcones Area Neighborhood Association News - February 2022

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Highland Park West Balcones Area

LETTUCE RECYCLE

by Dena Houston

To Composting And Beyond!

Part 2 Part 2 of “To Composting and Beyond” continues with the composting questions I have received from the wonderful readers of Lettuce Recycle.

• CAN I PUT WAX, PARCHMENT, AND BUTCHER PAPER IN MY GREEN BIN? Yes. You can put all of them (plus non-foil cupcake liners) in your green bin.

• CAN I PUT THE PAPER AROUND STICKS OF

MARGARINE AND BUTTER INTO MY GREEN BIN? Yes, as long as it is not foil.

• CAN CASH REGISTER RECEIPTS AND CARBONLESS

PAPER RECEIPTS GO INTO THE GREEN OR BLUE BIN?

materials and elastic, neither of which will compost. These must go into the trash cart.

• CAN SMALL PIECES OF PLYWOOD GO INTO THE

GREEN BIN?

No. The glue that holds the layers of plywood together is not compostable. Plywood needs to go into the trash cart.

• CAN PAPER TOWELS USED WITH CLEANING

PRODUCT GO INTO THE GREEN BIN?

No. Paper towels used with any kind of cleaning product must go into the trash cart.

The chemical interferes with the composting process.

No. Most of today’s cash register receipts are printed on thermal paper. This paper is treated with BPA, making the paper neither recyclable nor compostable. Place these receipts in the trash cart.

• CAN SHREDDED PAPER GO INTO THE GREEN BIN? Yes, it is better to put shredded paper into the green bin rather than the blue recycling bin.

Make sure the paper is contained in either a paper or compostable bag.

• CAN I COMPOST OR RECYCLE DISPOSABLE

• CAN DRYER LINT GO INTO THE COMPOST BIN?

MASKS?

No. They are made with non-woven

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No. This needs to go into your trash cart.

Dryer lint often contains non-cotton fibers.

The Highland Park West Balcones Area Neighborhood Association News February 2022

Only cotton fiber is compostable.

• CAN PET WASTE GO INTO THE GREEN BIN? No. Pet waste contaminates the compost and is a health hazard to the workers who physically sort through the compost.

FLUFF – DON’T STUFF Recently, I noticed that a compost collection truck’s automatic arm kept shaking a green can. Finally, the driver set the can down, got out of the truck, reached into the can, and pulled out pizza boxes that had been stuffed into it. He then was able to re-engage the auto arm and empty the can. This is potentially dangerous. Please don’t stuff anything into any of your cans.

Here is a very informative City of Austin recycling website: www.austintexas.gov/what-do-i-do Stay tuned for future tips that will include creative ways to recycle or reuse. If you have any questions or recycling ideas, please send them to: recycling@hpwbana.org

Highland Park West Balcones Area

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February Garden Checklist Get ready to garden! Valentine’s Day marks the traditional start of spring gardening in Central Texas. There is still a freeze danger, so be prepared to cover any plants that you are moving outside this month. See below for other things that should be on your February gardening to-dos.

SOIL

FERTILIZE

LAWNS

Feed annual winter bloomers such as alyssum, dianthus, and especially pansies after Valentine’s Day. Use liquid fertilize on coolseason vegetables like leafy greens, brassicas, and onions if needed.

Hold off fertilizing lawns until April. Avoid weed and feed products.

WATER Water everything well before a freeze, but avoid overwatering.

Water container plants as needed.

TRANSPLANT Move hardy seedlings outdoors late in the month but be ready to protect from freezing temperatures. Divide and transplant perennial herbs and summer and fall blooming perennial flowers. Give away extras to the neighbors! Plant summer bulbs like gladiolus late in the month. This is the last month to set out cool-season vegetables like cauliflower, broccoli, and cabbage. Plant seeds for beets, turnips, and carrots later in the month.

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Add compost and/or fertilizer to ornamental beds according to the soil test results. Loosen the soil. Check winter mulch and replenish if needed. Stockpile leaves for mulch and composting throughout spring and summer.

If lawn has a history of brown patch problems, treat with a labeled fungicide late in the month. Repeat treatment in three or four weeks, if needed.

DISEASES/PESTS TO LOOK FOR Spray fruit trees with horticulture grade dormant oil just prior to bud break. Avoid weed & feed products. Spot treat for weeds as they appear. Check for hanging bags of bark on other trees – it’s usually the first sign of potential bagworm problems. Snip out these pouches and destroy them. Check fruit trees and ornamental pears for blackened shoots that may indicate fireblight damage. Prune back to four inches into healthy tissue and discard the diseased plant material. Disinfect your pruners with alcohol. Wipe the blades with a coat of oil to prevent rust.

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MAINTENANCE Prune roses after Valentine’s Day. Prune fruit trees after bud break.

Cut back all perennial flowers and ornamental grasses. Cut perennials two to four inches above the ground. For grasses, but back to six to 10 inches. Prune summer blooming shrubs like oleander or vitex. Wait to prune spring blooming shrubs until after they bloom. Selective prune other woody shrubs and trees (except oaks) to maintain form and remove damaged branches or stems. Avoid pruning oaks from February 1 to June 30 to help stop the spread of Oak Wilt. Keep collecting leaves to use as mulch or to be added to compost later.

IN THE VEGETABLE GARDEN Hurry to plant sugar snap, snow, or English peas at the beginning of the month. They need 50 to 60 days to start producing before the warm weather settles in for good. Get your tomato cages ready.

Think about letting some brassica plants flower to attract beneficial insects, and if you’re growing your own tomato or pepper starts, it might be time to move them into a bigger container. Start exposing them to the outdoors on very mild days in well protected spots to get them ready for transplanting. There is still time to plant onions.

Fertilizing onions can make a big difference. Every leaf on an onion plant corresponds to a ring so remember that it is important to grow leaves – the more leaves on the plant the more rings on the bulb.

Make sure to water onions consistently.

Daphne Richards, MS is a County Extension Agent-Horticulture with Texas A&M AgriLife, Travis County and contributor to Central Texas Gardener.

A unique education agency, the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service teaches Texans wherever they live, extending research-based knowledge to benefit their families and communities. Get answers to your gardening questions at https://travis-tx.tamu.edu/about-2/horticulture/ .Or reach out to their remote Master Gardeners for assistance: 512.710.7098, travismg@ag.tamu.edu

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Highland Park West Balcones Area PO Box 1148 Round Rock, Texas 78680

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The Highland Park West Balcones Area Neighborhood Association News February 2022