Circle C - December 2022

Important Dates for December

Saturday, December 3, 2022

10am–1pm Kids Holiday Party at the Circle C Community Center Please Bring Unwrapped Gifts to Donate to Partnerships for Children

Wednesday, December 7, 2022 National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day

Saturday, December 10, 2022

10am–5pm Holiday Outdoor Craft Fair Featuring Local Circle C Artists 12919 Nutty Brown Road

Tuesday, December 13–Wednesday, December 14, 2022 Peak Activity for Geminid Meteor Shower (9pm December 13 to 7am December 14)

Sunday, December 18, 2022

Hanukkah Begins

Wednesday, December 21, 2022

Winter Solstice–First Day of Winter–The Shortest Day & Longest Night of the Year

Friday, December 23—Monday, December 26, 2022

Circle C Office is Closed

Sunday, December 25, 2022 Christmas Day

Monday, December 26, 2022

Hanukkah Ends Kwanzaa Begins

Friday, December 30, 2022 Circle C Office is Closed

Upcoming Important Dates:

Sunday, January 1, 2023 New Year’s Day

Friday, January 6, 2023 Epiphany–The 12th Day of Christmas

Monday, January 16, 2023 Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Wednesday, January 18, 2023 Winnie the Pooh Day

Sunday, January 22, 2023 Chinese New Year

Wednesday, January 25, 2023 6:30pm–8:30pm – Circle C HOA Board Meeting at the Community Center. Also available via Zoom. Link sent via email blast.

Friday, January 27, 2023

International Day of Commemoration for Holocaust Victims In Honor of the 11 Million Adults & Children Murdered by the Nazi Regime

Reminders for

Homeowners & Residents:

Holiday Lights & Décor:

This is a friendly reminder that holiday lights and décor must be removed no later than January 15th.

Trash, Recycling, & Composting Carts: Please remember to pull all trash, recycling, and composting carts back to behind your fence and keep lawns and properties clean and free of miscellaneous items. Thank you for keeping Circle C one of the best-looking neighborhoods in town!

Easements, Greenbelts, Common Areas, and City of Austin Drainage Areas:

All easements, greenbelts, and City of Austin drainage areas are regulated and vegetated by the city. Homeowners and/or residents that backup to these may not access these areas directly to or from backyards without permission and are not permitted to add any type of structure (fences, gates, sheds, walls, trails, or buildings) to the common areas, drainage areas, easements, and/or greenbelts.

If these rules are violated, residents and/or homeowners will be held responsible for all costs to return the land to its original condition.

Looking for HOA Board Candidates:

Our Circle C HOA Board has 2 openings available for our March 2023 election.

The HOA Board Nomination Committee is calling for nominations for the open board positions. This process is open to all current members and elected candidates will serve a 3-year term beginning in March 2023.

To complete a candidate questionnaire form or for more information about the HOA board election, officer roles, and/or state statutes regulation requisitions, please visit our www.circlecranch.com website. Look for the “Stay Connected” tab on the top and click on “News and Announcements.”

CCHOA Board Meetings:

The Circle C HOA Board of Directors meets the last Wednesday of the month at 6:30pm.

****There will be no meeting for December because of the holidays. The next HOA Board Meeting will be Wednesday, January 25, 2023. Meetings are held at the HOA Community Center and attendance for homeowners is available via ZOOM. Links to the meeting and agendas may be found on the CircleCRanch.com website under the “Resources” tab. Homeowners must be logged onto the site to view agendas and find the link to the ZOOM meetings. Homeowners may sign up to speak at the meeting by calling the HOA manager at 512-288-8663 or emailing info@circlecranch.info.

About Our Newsletter:

The Circle C Homeowners Association (HOA) has partnered with Peel, Inc. to publish our monthly newsletter gratis for our residents. We target our content to keep homeowners updated on appropriate Circle C announcements and notices. In addition to the printed version, residents may find past newsletters on the Peel.com website with a search for “Circle C.” However, the most current news and announcements may be found at https://CircleCRanch.com.

Articles herein are intended to offer information that might be of use to our residents and to share current or historical events. We do not provide legal, medical, or expert advice but welcome input from our neighbors with expertise. We would love to hear from you!

Request for Nominations:

We are always interested in nominations of our wonderful residents for our recurring features below:

--“Spotlight on a Circle C Teen”—If you know of impressive neighborhood teenagers that might be interested in being featured in an article showcasing their accomplishments, please feel free to reach out to us at the contact information below.

--“Angels Among Us”—Also, if you know extraordinary residents that are changing lives in some way, please reach out to us for consideration in our “Angels Among Us” recurring feature.

Please note that, in an effort not to interfere with our advertisers

Continued on Page 4

HOA Mgmt Office

HOA Financial Office

info@circlecranch.info or 512.288.8663

..tgiles@mgilescpa.com or 512.451.9901

Aquatics Director director@ccswim.net or 512.363.5578

Newsletter Publisher Peel, Inc. advertising@PEELinc.com or 512.263.9181

Circle C Amenities

Circle C Avaña Pool 512.292.1518

Circle C Café 512.288.6058

Circle C CDC 512.288.9792

Circle C Swim Center

Circle C Community Center Pool 512.301.8259

Grey Rock Golf Course (City Owned/Operated) 512.288.4297

Grey Rock Tennis Club

Circle C Grey Rock Pool 512.291.8398

CIRCLE C GATED COMMUNITIES

Enclave off Spruce Canyon

Spectrum Management ....................................

Relevant Management

Spectrum Management

Krystal Fernandez, 512.834.3900

Enclave off of La Crosse

Fairways Estates

Park West

Kim Todd, 512.580.4212

Krystal Fernandez, 512.834.3900

Goodwin Management ..................................... Marilyn Childress 512.502.7509

Real Manage

Relevant Management

Real Management

Hillside Estates

Christine Gamache, 866.473.2573

Avana Estates

Muirfield

Kim Todd, 512.580.4212

Victoria Escamilla, 866.473.2573

........................................................... Vice-President

David La Chance Treasurer

Trinh Bartlett .................................................................. Secretary

Russ Hodes, Jason Bram, & Kimberly De La Garza ......... Board Members

Contact the Board at: directors@circlecranch.info

Around Circle C

Announcements - Continued from page 3

that fund this publication, we may not promote or mention businesses. We also do not publish letters or op-eds because we wish to keep our newsletter factual and neutral. Thank you for your understanding and for being a part of our community.

Contact Information:

Circle C HOA manager -- email: Info@CircleCRanch.info; phone at 512-288-8663.

Newsletter writer-- email: CCWriter@CircleCRanch.info.

In this Issue:

• A Tribute to Sandy

Our community lost a special person last August due to a hit-and-run near her home. Sandy Nielsen loved December and the Christmas season, so we’ve provided a short story of Sandy and her lovely family this month and have dedicated this issue to her and her family.

• Partnerships for Children

Each year, the Circle C HOA Manager, Karen Hibpshman, organizes a holiday party for our neighborhood kids, free of charge for residents, but we request donations of new, unwrapped toys for children in the care of Child Protective Services (CPS). All donations will be given to Partnerships for Children for their Holiday Wishes program. Read the article to learn about a few of the items on their Wishlist.

• Calling for HOA Board Candidates

The Circle C HOA Board of Directors has 2 open spots for March 2023. Do you know a homeowner in our neighborhood with exceptional problem-solving skills that wants to make a difference in our community? Would you consider it? The HOA Board of Directors makes some significant decisions that affect us all. Please help our neighbors by nominating smart and dedicated homeowners who care about our neighborhood.

Dear Circle C Homeowners,

Happy Holidays! We hope you are enjoying the glistening lights in the trees as well as neighborhood holiday parties and fun events, such as the Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving, organized by our Ana Bosada and the Circle C Run Club. Food Trailer Nights this year were a huge success and we look forward to continuing these events in 2023. The Circle C Kids Holiday party will be held on Saturday, December 3rd and, as usual, we are collecting unwrapped toys for children in the care of Child Protective Services through the Holiday Wishes Program with Partnerships for Children.

It’s hard to believe that Circle C—one of the most beautiful and desirable neighborhoods in Southwest Austin—is now 40 years old! As is the case with most aging infrastructures, additional maintenance and repairs become necessary to keep everything running smoothly. As many of you are aware, our 40-year-old irrigation system along Escarpment (known as the “Escarpment Loop”) needs replacement. After several decades, the now brittle wiring system no longer functions and, as a result, much of our vegetation has not survived. Recent droughts and intense summer temperatures did no favors to the struggling vegetation. As a result, our Circle C neighborhood now contains many dead or dying plants and trees that need removal and replacements.

Circle C HOA has worked to minimize costs, so utilized quick, temporary fixes, such as continuing to use battery-operated clocks (NODE clocks) but those are costly and non-sustainable. Meanwhile, the repair and replacement costs continue to skyrocket while the vegetation continued to worsen. In addition, we have necessary pool and other utility repairs that need attention. Because of this, our Board of Directors voted at the October 2022 board meeting to increase the assessment cap by 10% ($74 annually) and the 2023 budget will be discussed and approved on at the November meeting.

The new assessments for 2023 will therefore be $814 annually. Half ($407) will be billed on February 1st, and the other half will be billed on August 1st. These new assessment fees remain significantly below those of other comparable neighborhoods such as Belterra, Steiner Ranch, and Reunion Ranch. We will continue to seek more proposals and review various ways to complete the work in the most economical, prudent, and efficient way possible.

Finally, two positions on the HOA Board are open for the March 2023 election and we are currently seeking candidates. Questionnaire may be found at www.circlecranch.com under “News & Announcements.” Completed questionnaires may be emailed to info@circlecranch.info. Please consider volunteering and serving.

Your Circle C HOA Board Members and staff are always here to help. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the office at (512) 288-8663 or www.circlecranch.info

Sincerely,

Karen Hibpshman, Circle C HOA Manager

Around Circle C

On August 18, 2022, an angel gained her wings when she abruptly left our Circle C Community and our world. Sandra (“Sandy”) Kay Nielsen departed on the very day she intended to celebrate her 49th wedding anniversary with a tall, quiet man who loved her very much.

Milton (“Milt”) Christian Nielsen lost not only his wife that day, but his partner in life and the mother of his two grown children: Michelle Nielsen Schmidt and Chris Nielsen.

“She was my human example of grace, my best friend, the half that completed me,” says Milt. “She brought out the best in me.”

The couple had planned to grill peppered steaks—one of Sandy’s favorite meals— together at their home that evening.

The loss of Sandy impacted our neighborhood as well. People rallied immediately, piecing together various pictures and videos taken that morning before and after the hit-and-run, and working together to find the teenage boy who took Sandy’s life. “Slow Down for Sandy” signs (organized by resident Christine Olsen) appeared in droves on medians, schoolyards, the community center, and front lawns. A teen driver safety presentation at the Community Center (organized by Andrea Brauer) reminded neighborhood teenagers to drive safely and included speakers like Circle C resident Tom Crawford (whose daughter, Rachael, was critically injured by a drunk driver near Bowie in 2018), Sergeant Deon Cockrell from the Department of Public Safety, and Gina Newton (who lost her son Andrew when he got in a car with a teen girl that sped through a neighborhood and crashed into a tree). Multiple residents reached out directly to Milt and his daughter Michelle, rendering condolences, prayers, and offers of help. A meal train was created. “I’ve never seen anything like this before,” divulges Milt. “Warm, homecooked meals just appeared on my front porch almost every night!”

Among our many neighbors springing into

A Tribute for Sandy

action for Sandy and her family, those who perhaps most poignantly felt her loss didn’t know how to offer help or condolences because their voices were too young. These were the children of neighbors who, upon moving onto the street, were most likely welcomed by Sandy and Milt with warm gatherings at their home. Throughout their 20 years of living in Circle C, Sandy and Milt had witnessed families on their street raise their children, then leave their nest to downsize. So, when a new family moved in, Sandy and Milt hosted small get togethers to help neighbors get to know one another. While the adults bonded, it was the younger children that tended to gravitate especially toward Sandy. Before she knew it, Sandy had many surrogate grandchildren in the neighborhood. With her own 5 lovely grandchildren living out of town, she was more than happy to oblige, and soon discovered herself attached to them as well. Her daughter Michelle shares, “Every day, my mom would share with me stories about the little ones on their street.”

Sandy’s great love for children inspired her to study elementary education in the early 1970s at Texas A&M University, where she paid for her own education ($750 a semester including room and board!) by working in sales at Sears, Roebuck and Company. In her spare time, she volunteered to help plan and prepare school events through her service sorority, Omega Phi Alpha. One day, the sorority sisters began buzzing about an upcoming bonfire event and, naturally, the subject of escorts arose. Sandy mentioned that she didn’t have a date and one of the sisters announced that she would ask the guy whom she regularly dated to ask Sandy instead. That guy was Milt—a member of their affiliated service fraternity, Alpha Phi Omega—and he happened to be in the room next door, overhearing the conversation. Having previously worked alongside Sandy when they each served as vice-president on respective projects, Milt decided no prompting was needed for him to ask Sandy to be his date. He would take matters into his own hands.

The date went well. So well, in fact, that— after spending the 3-week process of building the bonfire together—they joined again to attend the burning of the bonfire and the following Mac Davis concert. The next day (November 27, 1972), they traveled together to Austin for the A&M vs. University of Texas football game, stopping first at Milt’s parents’ house in Austin for Thanksgiving dinner before

the evening game. After returning to Bryan–College Station that night, they spent the rest of their weekend with Sandy’s parents.

“Sandy’s parents were two of the kindest people I’ve ever met,” states Milt. “They were hard workers and taught us much about family and taking care of each other.”

A little over a month later, on January 5, 1973, Milt and Sandy got engaged and began planning a large, winter wedding—complete with maroon velvet bridesmaid dresses. However, when Milt returned from Air Force camp in August that year, they selected instead to drive to Houston to be married by then Justice of the Peace Hugo Alfred Touchy (whose wife, Ollie Faye, served as their witness). Their first meal as a married couple was a dinner at the Old San Francisco Steakhouse in Houston before they retired for the night at a Holiday Inn. On the following morning, they enjoyed a visit to the Houston Zoo, then headed to Dairy Queen for what Milt refers to as “our wedding cake”—a chocolate-dipped ice cream cone!

When they then returned that evening to Bryan–College Station for their planned cake and pie dessert tasting, they had some

explaining to do. The women of the church had been looking forward to a big wedding and were not willing to adjust to the news. Their signed marriage license was filed in Houston, with no copy provided to the newlyweds, so the validity of the marriage could not be proven. Milt, therefore, found himself shunned by some of the church members for several months.

Sandy completed college later that year, earning her college degree, cum laude, in only 3.5 years. Milt continued his studies at A&M while Sandy found a job as a teller at

Bryan Building and Loan. Two years later, Milt completed his masters degree and joined the Air Force. The couple moved first to Sacramento, then Fort Worth in 1975, before settling down in Colorado Springs in 1981.

Two words could likely serve to summarize the first few years of married life: hard + work. Both took on several jobs to make ends meet. “I cannot tell you how many times we ate bologna sandwiches for lunch over a period of many years,” explains Milt. “And I don’t even like bologna!” Working hard was nothing new to these two, however, since both had paid for their own college educations.

At the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Milt began teaching military studies and Sandy worked at the Air Academy National Bank, first as a receptionist, then ultimately as an assistant vice-president and bank manager. There, in Colorado Springs, the young couple raised their two children, Michelle and Chris.

Milt fondly remembers family moments as well as times spent together with just him and Sandy in Colorado Springs, such as Friday evening dates spent walking together and sharing a backpack meal with a bottle of wine. He also recalls special vacations with family and/or friends, such as taking a cruise to Alaska. One of his top favorite memories with Sandy is simply “watching her with children¬—ours and others.”

Eventually, their own children, Michelle and Chris, moved out of the house and started families of their own, blessing Milt and Sandy

with 5 grandchildren.

After retiring from the Air Force, Milt accepted a job in August 2001 at Texas State University as the associate vice president of instructional technology. The empty nesters therefore moved to Austin, Texas, where they found a beautiful home in Circle C. Sandy procured a position as assistant vice president and branch manager at Balcones Bank (which soon after became Broadway Bank).

In her spare time, Sandy continued a hobby she had enjoyed for many years. Quilting provided a creative outlet for her, while donating her handmade quilts to those in need (through Veterans associations, Lutheran World Relief, the Linus Project, and/or oncology centers) allowed Sandy to fulfill her calling of serving others.

As a practicing Lutheran, Sandy grew more involved with the Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church on Bee Caves Road, specifically within their Quilting Ministry and their Altar Guild. Sandy created and donated more than 1,200 quilts while in Austin.

In addition to quilting, Sandy’s involvement with the Lion’s Club included assistance in raising funds for surgery and scholarships for others. In 2017, Sandy returned to her love of working with young children as a teacher’s assistant at Butterfly Christian Preschool at Shepherd of the Hills.

A strong leader in her work, family, church, and community, Sandy experienced a setback in March 2022 when she was diagnosed with angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma (AITL). Never one to back away from a challenge, Sandy agreed to aggressive chemo treatments. Her daughter Michelle proudly states, “I have never seen my mom fight so hard through something and she did it with amazing grace!”

Sandy’s doctors informed her that walking everyday would help to increase her strength. So, every morning, Sandy and her husband Milt walked the same route near their Circle C home, increasing the distance little-by-little with each new day. Like clockwork, neighbors learned to expect them and usually smiled, waved, and/or sometimes stopped to have a quick chat with them.

After a long six-month battle with cancer, Sandy finally received the good news that her work and efforts had succeeded, and she was given the “all-clear” with affirmation that her battle with cancer was officially in remission!

This was on August 16, 2022. The next morning, on her usual walk with Milt while crossing the street, Sandy was hit by a car whose driver ran over her again while fleeing the scene. Sandy died the next day from injuries sustained in the hit-and-run within her own neighborhood.

“I miss her every day,” laments her daughter Michelle. “I miss her laugh. I miss hearing about how her preschoolers are doing. I miss being able to talk with her on my way home from work every day.”

Both Milt and Michelle would like to give a heartfelt thank you to everyone that has stepped up to offer support or aid. “There are not enough words to thank you all for your support during this difficult time,” states Michelle. “The ‘Slow Down for Sandy’ signs are truly amazing to see when I drive around the neighborhood. I remain in awe of this neighborhood’s response and by how you’ve taken our family under your wings. It was very hard to leave my dad after the funeral, but I felt comforted knowing he had so many neighbors looking after him! Thank you.”

Milt adds, “Thank you for supporting our family in this time of great loss. Please care for your family the way she cared for us. . . . Watch your children and take care of them on these streets.”

When asked what their last words would be to Sandy if given the chance, Michelle adds, “I love you! I am so proud of the way you gracefully fought the cancer and beat it! I miss you and wish you were here.”

Milt’s last words to Sandy are simply stated. “I will love you forever!”

Best Tamales for the Holidays

For those new to Austin, welcome. And welcome to our eclectic cultures and traditions. One such tradition for Austinites (and San Antonians) is having tamales for the holidays. Many families here have a longstanding tradition of getting together to make them from scratch. If you happen to belong to one of those families, how lucky you are! If you are neighbors with one of those families, you also may be fortunate enough for your neighbors to share with you. Take note: You may want to start buttering them up now, however. Perhaps drop a casual: “I’ve never had tamales for the holidays. Do you happen to know where I could pick some up?” Or hell, just go for it, and be direct: “If you ever wish to see your dog again, please provide us some tamales this holiday season.”

On the other hand, if you are like the rest of us, with no tamalemaking relatives, and if you’ve already scared away the neighbors, get an order in ASAP for the upcoming holidays if you hope to have any. Because good tamale suppliers book up weeks ahead. Below are a few tried-and-true tamale suppliers among Circle C residents.

1.Delia’s

Hands down, Delia’s is the neighborhood favorite. They are also the most convenient. Order online and they ship right to your home. Although many fans insist the Delia’s tamales specifically from McAllen are the favorite, the only way to get those is to drive the 5 hours to go in person because all online orders ship from San Juan, Texas. Their most popular items are the chicken & cheese tamales (pictured) cooked in green sauce ($16.89/dz), the pork tamales ($14.49/dz), and the sweet cream cheese tamales ($16.87/dz) www.DeliasTamales.com

2.Tamale Addiction (formerly The Gardener’s Feast)

When owner Adrian Paredes was recently told how much people talk about how good his tamales are, the humble man giggles, then says, “Well, I don’t mean to brag, but our tamales really are the best.”

Adrian and Mariana began selling tamales after a setback in the financial crisis of 2009. Their business took off and they’ve won several awards for their organic, locally sourced corn masa tamales.

They like to spoil their customers with a variety of unusual tamales, including vegetarian & vegan options. In fact, despite the pork tamales being the most popular, Adrian’s personal favorite is the vegan spinach & caramelized onions tamale. That, or the nopalitos, or the poblano and muenster cheese, he says. Although, the exotic guava or the Mexican brownie tamales aren’t so bad either. These do not come cheap, however. Most tamales are $4.25 each or $45/dz. Judging by their sales, many Austinites believe these are worth it. Call or order online and pick up from Dia’s Gourmet Market (812 Justin Ln., Austin, TX 78757) or from a variety of farmers markets throughout town. www.tamaleaddiction.com

3. Mr. Natural

Surprised? Initially us too, but dang if this place doesn’t surface again and again as a top contender for the best holiday tamales in Austin. They do make everything from scratch, so it does make sense. The bonus is that they have gluten-free options and are already vegan for those of us with family members visiting from California or Seattle. The store keeps frozen packages of 6 tamales each in their freezer, but they are already selling out. Choices are vegetable, jalapeño & cheese, pinto beans, and/or tofu & sunflower seeds. $11 for a package of 6 tamales Mr. Natural, 2414 South Lamar Blvd., Austin, TX 78704 512-916-9223 MonSat 11am-9pm

4. Rosie’s Tamale House

Rosie’s Tamale House started out in 1973 with just Rosie Arriaga and her husband, Joe, at a gas station on Hwy. 71 and RM620, with only 2 tables and a to-go window. After almost 50 years serving Austinites as well as celebrities like Willie Nelson, Darrell Royal, and George Strait, Rosie and her son Vincent have figured out how to make some good tamales (as well as a few other dishes). There is no fuss, but they are tried and true to Austin. Pork tamales only. $14.45/dz. Rosie’s Tamale House, 13436 State Hwy 71, Austin, TX 78738 512-263-5245

What is the “HOLIDAY WISHES” Program?

Every December, our Circle C Homeowners Association Management Team puts on a fabulous holiday party for our neighborhood kids, complete with good snacks, pictures with Santa, and fun activities that often include face painting, a petting zoo, and more. The CCHOA does not charge for the event but does ask that residents donate an unwrapped gift to donate to the Holiday Wishes program at Partnerships for Children.

What is ‘Partnerships for Children’?

Partnerships for Children is a Nonprofit Organization in Central Texas created specifically to support foster children, foster families, children in the care of Child Protective Services (CPS), and their caseworkers. They work closely with the caseworkers to assist in fulfilling the needs of these children and their families.

Resources can include something as simple as providing a toothbrush for a child that never had his or her very own toothbrush; to a crib requested by a teenage girl who doesn’t care as much about her sleeping arrangements as she does about providing a good bed for the baby in her womb; to matching outfits for twin teen boys who always dreamed of dressing alike; to more elaborate gifts like a Nintendo Switch or gaming console.

Partnerships for Children supports 6,000+ children in Austin alone as well as many more in rural areas.

What is the Holiday Wishes Program?

The Holiday Wishes Program is “a program intended to fulfill just one wish for these children during the holidays because this time of year can be tough for them,” says Marcus Cantu, Resources Director for Partnerships for Children. This Holiday Wishes Program is one of the programs that he oversees that provides tangible items for the children and their caseworkers. “These kids have a lot of uncertainty in their lives and receiving a gift from their wish list sometimes gives them the normalcy they crave.”

What gifts are best to donate?

Marcus explains that they collect the wishes directly from the children and they create an Amazon Wish List that can be accessed through their website: https://partnershipsforchildren.org/ holiday-wishes/

In general, gifts that are often requested are: Legos and other building blocks, board games, educational learning toys, items with emojis on them (pillows, shirts, and other items), chapter books, puzzles, drawing and/or painting supplies and kits, slime kits, and sports equipment like footballs, basketballs, soccer balls.

Higher priced items requested but not always fulfilled are: Adultsized bicycles with helmets, scooters with helmets, CD & Radio boom boxes, portable DVD players, headphones, digital cameras, consoles (PS4, Xbox, Wii U . . . etc.), Kindle Fire Tablets, Nintendo Switch and games, athletic sports clothing (especially hoodies) with athletic team brands like UT, Austin FC, Dallas Cowboys . . . etc.

Toys good for younger children are: Tricycles and other ride-on toys, toys that help with balance or development with walking skills, toys that can be pushed or pulled, board books, talking books, activity music tables, and toys that produce light, music, or sound.

Boys usually request items such as: Remote-controlled vehicles, handheld video games, Star Wars items, Nerf items, dinosaur toys, PJ Mask toys, Paw Patrol toys, action figures, Superhero figures, toy cars and trucks, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles items, Thomas the Train items, and clothing from the Kids Gap or Carters.

Girls usually request items such as: Dress-up clothes, princess-themed items, Barbie dolls (including ones with darker skins) with clothes, arts & crafts kits, Lego kits for girls, Littlest Pet Shop items, PJ Masks toys, and “Frozen” (the movie) toys.

Teens usually requet items such as: Gift cards to fast food places (Chik-fil-A, McDonalds, Whataburger, Starbucks . . . etc.), hoodies

Continued from Page 12

with popular brands (Dallas Cowboys, Austin FC, UT Austin, Texas A&M), adult-sized name brand clothing (Under Armor, Gap, Old Navy, Levi’s, New Balance),

Naturally, higher-priced items such as electronics and items for teens are less likely to be fulfilled, so please keep those in mind when purchasing gifts.

do. They also appreciate volunteers that will assist with tagging and sorting gifts for those that are inclined to do so. (This might be a great project for kids to help out.)

Marcus says that people are also able to reach him directly at his email marcus@partnershipsforchildren.org or feel free to call or text him on his cell phone 361-701-9437. He does warn that because this is such a busy time of year for them, he is not always able to respond to emails in a timely fashion but will try to respond as soon as he is able.

What Else Can We Do To Help?

Circle C has a longstanding relationship with Marcus and the Holiday Wishes Program at Partnerships for Children. Marcus is grateful to the Circle C HOA Manager Karen Hibpshman, well as our Circle C Child Development Center (CDC), and resident Natalie Kifer for their contributions and efforts to help these children in need. “Some years, your donations are so much that we actually have to run a big truck out there to pick up the gifts!” He exclaims.

Anything we can do to help is most appreciated. For residents that missed the toy drive at our Community Center or would like to donate more, Marcus encourages people to stop by their “Santa’s Workshop” center at 2700 West Anderson Lane, suite 320 in Austin, Texas 78757. They will be accepting gifts and donations every day from Monday, December 5—Sunday, December 11 during the hours of 10am–7pm. There, they provide tours and show you what they

News You Can Use

TEENAGE JOB SEEKERS

Baby Pet House Yard

Name Age Sit Sit Sit Work Phone

Abrameit, Kyle 19 * * ....512.999.0337

Aguilar, Jacob 15 * * ....619.713.4469

Artigas, Emilio 17 * ....512.634.7416

Baird, Olivia 15 * 512.773.5443

Boreing, Brielle 16 * * * 512.809.7900

Campsmith, Lucy ............14 *.................................512.852.9846

Cox, Claire*^ 19 * ............512.644.4550

Cox, Ben*^ 17 * *.............*.................512.963.9464

Devers-Hertz, Darwin 15 * *.............*.................512.963.9464

Fletcher, Cole 13 * * * ..432-634-0767

Fletcher, Hudson 15 * * * ..432-634-0767

Franke, Caroline*^ 16 * ....512.590.1112

Hayes, Daphne 14 * * * ....512.810.6885

Hoard, Jed*^

Hurd, Palmer 16 * * .*...................512.423.0737

Kaplan, Ben 15 * * *...................512.296.7548

Mahoney, Nicholas* 17 * * * * ..512.569.1823

Jackson

..512-521-2474

McCurdy, Summer*+ 15 * ...................832.683.7759

Mermis, Ana*^ 18 * * * ....512.529.7458

Parker, Mia 16 * .............,,.*....512-565-4480

Terracina, Grace

Trautman, Parker 15 * .....512.299.3117

attention

Teenage Job Seekers!

Do you know a teenager who would like to earn some extra money? Babysitting, house sitting, pet sitting, yard work, & tutoring are just a few of the tasks that teen job seekers have been requesting. If you or someone you know is interested in being added to the list, please submit their name, number, contact information, and job interests to reservations@ circlecranch.info. The information is published in the printed, hard copy of the monthly newsletter and is never accessible in the online edition. For questions or to get further information, please contact the Community Coordinator at the email above or call 512-288-8663.

Baby Pet House Yard

Name Age Sit Sit Sit Work Phone

Waltuck, Ella 16 * *.............*............512.658.4554 Wilson, Jake 17 * *.............*...........*512.695.8278

OTHER SERVICES

Name Age Services Phone

Aguilar, Jacob 15 Yardwork & Power Washing 619.713.4469

Andrusiank, Sophia 16 Mother's Helper .512.634.7416 Brauer, Nina 14 MH/Tutor K-5 all subjects .512.565.4480 Cox, Ben 16..................Tutoring....................512.963.9464

Fletcher, Cole 13 Lift/Move Furniture Boxes etc 432.634.0767 Fletcher, Hudson 13 Lift/Move Furniture Boxes etc 432.634.0767 Hayes, Daphne 14 Dog Walk, Poop Scoop Yard 512.810.6885 Hurd, Palmer......................15............Clarinet/Piano/Math Tutor K-8.............512.423.0737

Laird, Caden 17...............Powerwash Services 512.468.7678 Latawa, Pari 17...............Tutor K-8th 713.972.2217

Mahoney, Nicholas.........16... Tutor grades k-5; Beg. Mandarin 512.569.1823 Marzani, Jackson 16.............Pressure Washing Service............... 512.521.2474 Wilson Jake.....................17 Yard Work.............................512.695.8278

At no time will any source be allowed to use the Circle C Ranch Newsletter's contents, or loan said contents, to others in any way, 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 Circle C Ranch Newsletter is exclusively for the private use of the Circle C HOA and Peel, Inc.

DISCLAIMER: The Circle C (HOA) has partnered with Peel, Inc. to publish our monthly newsletter gratis for our residents. We target our content to keep homeowners updated on appropriate Circle C announcements and notices. In addition to the printed version, residents may find past newsletters on the Peel.com website with a search for “Circle C.” However, the most current news and announcements may be found at www.circlecranch.com.

Articles herein are intended to offer information that might be of use to our residents and to share current or historical events. We do not provide legal, medical, or expert advice but welcome input from our neighbors with expertise. We would love to hear from you!

If any of our residents have an idea for an article or would like to nominate a neighborhood teenager or volunteer for a featured article, please feel free to reach out to our HOA manager at info@circlecranch. info or call 512-288-8663. Please note that, in an effort to not interfere with our advertisers that fund this publication, we may not promote or mention businesses. We also do not publish letters or op-eds because we wish to keep our newsletter factual and neutral. Thank you for being a part of our community.

* -- CPR Training + -- Red Cross Certified ^ -- First Aid