Courtyard - November 2022 by Peel, Inc.

Courtyard Caller

November 2022

Courtyard Fire Safety 2021 was an unusual year and 2022 is continuing the trend of unusual. 2021 started off with the “Freeze” testing and dominating utilities then proceeded to drench the Hill Country into the summer. 2022 started off with another freeze then turned off the faucet and turned up the heat. Starting in May and continuing into September, most days during spring and summer topped above 100 degrees. October leveled off into the 90s. The Texas A&M Forest Service estimated through July that 99% of Texas was in a drought and all sections of Texas have seen wildfires. This didn’t change in August and September. Throughout the summer the Austin Fire Department responded to multiple brush and grass fires and recently responded to a brushfire on West Courtyard Drive. Months without rain have exacerbated the potential for wildfire. Wildfire seasons used to be predictable, but during the past few years warming and drought in many parts of the country have extended the number of days. We see this more in the west and southwest, but Texas is not immune. Taking action to harden our homes against wildfire is a precaution worth adopting especially when we live in the Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI). There are tested and proven activities to prepare a home that can help in limiting fire’s destructive impact. And, improve your home’s chances when firefighters have to make the difficult decision about which homes they can try to save. For an excellent tutorial on how the community homeowners can respond to the wildfire risk, see How to Prepare Your Home for Wildfires https://www.nfpa.org/-/media/Files/Firewise/Fact-sheets/ FirewiseHowToPrepareYourHomeForWildfires.pdf For resources from risk evaluations to how to prepare in case there is a wildfire go to the Austin Area Wildfire Hub at https://wildfireaustin.hub.arcgis.com For an in-person wildfire defensible space evaluation by one of our trained teams, email fire-safety@courtyardhoa.org. And another thing, the Thanksgiving Holiday is almost upon us and fire safety is as important inside as well as outside. To keep safe and make the holidays joyful and satisfying for yourself, members of your Copyright © 2022 Peel, Inc.

Volume 18, Number 11

COURTYARD BOOK CLUB

Tuesday, November 1, 2022, 12:30

Instead of its usual book discussion, the Courtyard Book Club will have a holiday book swap and potluck luncheon on Tuesday, December 6 at 12:30 p.m. The December gathering will be at the home of Denise Hogan, 5901 Inter Council Cove. Each attendee is asked to bring a food dish and a gift-wrapped new or gently used book she thinks will be of interest to members of the book club. Details about foods for the potluck luncheon as well as the location of the gathering will be emailed closer to the time of the Dec. 6 meeting. The club meets the first Tuesday of each month and all Courtyard residents are welcome to participate. To receive book club emails, contact the chair of the book club, Lou Blemaster, at LouBlemaster@gmail.com. family and guests remember to Cook with Care: - If you are sleepy or have consumed alcohol don’t use the stove or stovetop. Ask for help. - Stay in the kitchen while you are cooking or turn off the stove or ask someone to monitor. - Check what you’re cooking periodically and stay in the home while cooking. - Keep anything that can burn away from your stovetop. - If you have a small cooking fire, smother it with a lid over the pan Continued on page 4 Courtyard Caller - November 2022

At no time will any source be allowed to use The Courtyard Caller Newsletter Courtyard contents, or loan said contents, to othersCaller 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.

CHA BOARD OF DIRECTORS President Konavis Smith........................................... konavis@gmail.com Vice President Treasurer Jim Lloyd.........................jlloyd@austin.rr.com, 512.231.0855 Secretary Waneen Spirduso......................................spirduso@utexas.edu BOARD MEMBERS-AT-LARGE Charles Crooks Meredith Massey-Kloetzer......................meremass@gmail.com Henry Mistrot....................................................512.459.7313 Randall Tuller 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 Goodwin & Company,.......................................512.502.2115 Kayak Jim Vence .......................jimvence@gmail.com, 512.436.5678 Fire Safety Richard Stelzner................................... arebeess42@gmail.com Area Development and Zoning Liaison Denise Hogan....................................................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 2

Courtyard Caller - November 2022

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Courtyard Caller - November 2022

Courtyard Caller Continued from Cover

and turn off the burner. - For an oven fire, turn off the heat and keep the oven door closed. - And Have a fire extinguisher near the kitchen. Have a Happy Thanksgiving Holiday!

Courtyard Caller - November 2022

Dogs in the Park,Dog Parks, and Options for Dog Play The Courtyard is a lovely neighborhood full of great neighbors, many of whom have the wonderful advantage of canine pets. We LOVE our dogs, and it’s a real treat to get to know our neighbors four-legged “children.” Going on a pleasant walk with our dog and greeting others with their pet is one of the many perks of this neighborhood. The Courtyard currently follows the City of Austin ordinances related to tethering dogs, which is that in a public place other than a dog park, dogs must be on a leash and kept under control at all times. The City of Austin has 12 off-leash dog parks available to Courtyard residents (https://www.austintexas. gov/department/leash-areas) with the closest being at Emma Long Park which is less than 10 minutes from the Courtyard. While in the Courtyard Park, please keep your dog leashed and under control at all times, and pick up all dog waste. Dog waste bags have been provided for your convenience. Thank you!

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EXCLUDING PESTS When the weather turns towards autumn and leads into winter, many pests start looking for a cozy place which can often lead them inside your home. By performing a thorough inspection, you can locate areas where these pests may enter and stop them before they become a problem. Inside the home, look around doors and windows and if you see light around them it’s a sign there isn’t a good seal and weather stripping should be replaced. Inspect the attic for holes or entry points for small mammals such as rats, mice, and squirrels. Attic vents should be covered with stainless steel screening to block animals from entering. Outside, inspect the perimeter of the home for cracks and crevices in the foundation that should be sealed. Locate pipe and wire penetrations that enter the structure and seal areas that allow pests to enter. Ideas on how to exclude pests from your home: • Trim back or prune any trees and shrubs that touch or overhang the home • Seal pipe & wire penetrations with copper mesh, sealant, or expanding foam • Replace weather stripping around doors and windows if there is not a good seal • Repair or replace window screens with holes • For homes with brick or stone facades, stuff weep holes with copper mesh • Clean debris from gutters to reduce harborage areas for pests • Inspect all furniture, boxes, and bags for pests before carrying them into the home • Inspect all plants for insect pests before bringing them into the home • Do not store firewood inside the home, against outside walls, or near doors • Use sheet metal, hardware cloth, or steel wool to seal any areas where animals have chewed to enter the home** **make sure animal is not in the home or you’ll seal it inside!

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.

Courtyard Caller - November 2022

Courtyard Caller

How Do I Recycle Plastic?

Not all plastic goes into your blue recycling bin. Let me explain this so you have a clear picture of what can be recycled in your blue container, what needs to be taken to a collection area, and what should be thrown in your trash container to become landfill. Place into your blue recycling container • Beverage bottles (with the plastic label removed and placed in the trash), mustard and ketchup bottles, laundry bottles, shampoo and liquid soap bottles, and salad dressing bottles (rinsed out before recycling). • Yogurt, sour cream, and butter containers can also be recycled if they have the #5 inside a triangle (look for the number on the bottom of the container). • Plastic clamshell containers can be recycled if they have a number between 1 through 7 inside a triangle. Please remember that items should be thrown directly into the recycle container. Please do not bag recycled items. Collection Items • Plastic bags including bread and tortilla bags, newspaper bags, sandwich bags, dry cleaning bags and single use grocery bags made of thin plastic (that stretch) should be dropped off at a collection bin outside of a grocery store, dry cleaner, or any store that collects

Courtyard Caller - November 2022

– Merriessa Anton

plastic bags. These bags cannot be recycled curbside. (Note: I have purchased cotton mesh bags to use when buying fruits and vegetables. These bags can be washed and reused many times and save me from bringing home 4 or 5 plastic bags each time I go to the grocery store). • Egg cartons and packaging for meat and fish made of foam polystyrene (a plastic used to make a wide variety of consumer products) cannot be recycled. These must be collected and taken to Austin Resource Recovery. (Note: polystyrene is one of the many types of foam that is gathered at the twice-yearly NWACA recycling events for NWACA members). Discard in your trash container • Plastic wrap that contains crackers or potato chips (crinkly plastic) • Small bread clips, pill packaging, single use condiment packets, plastic tampon applicators • Bags that had garden dirt and compost • Milk cartons such as shelf-stable milk alternatives or single serve milk. If you have any questions about what to do with the plastic in your home, please get in touch with me, merriessa@gmail.com.

Courtyard Caller

Thank you, Denise! Thank you to Denise Hogan for her many years of service to the Courtyard community. Denise moved to the Courtyard in 2013 and joined the Welcome Committee in 2014. In 2017, she joined the Board as Secretary and in 2018 became the chair of the Area Development Committee and Government Liaison. Denise was appointed President of the Courtyard HOA in 2019 and served until 2022. Although retiring from Board service, Denise will remain active as Area Development Committee Chair. While serving on the Courtyard HOA Board, Denise worked with residents and Board Members to preserve and improve community resources for the benefit of all neighbors. Denise, with members Janet, Waneen, Terry, Jim, and others, formed the Bull Creek Coalition to encourage the City to protect water quality and limit sedimentation associated with upstream development along Bull Creek. As representative for the 2222 Coalition of Neighborhood Associations, she worked with the City and developers of the Champion Tract 4 to limit the height of the proposed project to protect the viewsheds of neighbors on NSIC, and to limit watercraft access. As the Area Development Chair, Denise successfully advocated for the preservation of thirty additional feet of cliff face along Loop 360 in the TxDOT redevelopment of Courtyard Drive. During her time as a member of the Board, Denise created welcome packets for new residents and facilitated changes to the HOA documents and website to improve functionality and comply with legislative changes; and she has volunteered countless hours for Park Day, common area clean-ups, and social events. It is with gratitude and appreciation that we recognize Denise for her service to the Courtyard Community. Thank you, Denise!!

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Courtyard Caller - November 2022