Water Conservation Signs are HERE!

Whether you’ve been doing the “right thing” all along and following our water schedules or just want to learn more about water conservation, we have a sign for you.  These signs provide an educational opportunity and conversation piece and can help create that culture of conservation that is so important to us all.

They can be used no matter what stage of water conservation we’re in – whether we’re watering 1x per week or 2x per week or not at all and they can also be stored and used during our next dry cycle (just in case it starts raining right after we get them).

Thanks go to Donna Howe and her work with the Central Texas Water Efficiency Network for this opportunity to help the WBNA get the word out to all our neighbors!

To receive your FREE sign, email WBConserves@wbna.us

For more information, see:  www.texaswaterfoundation.org

Silent Auction items needed for WBNA fundraiser

The WBNA will be hosting the Silent Auction during the annual FourthFest on July 4th. This is our BIG fundraiser for the year – how we pay for the Easter Egg Hunt, National Night Out, our participation at Halloween, Luminary Fest and New Year’s Eve as well as all the meetings we host throughout the year.  We are seeking donations of merchandise, gift cards/certificates, theme baskets, services…. to auction. Some ideas are: Gift certificates for movie and dinner for 2; body care products; unique candles or household items; sports memorabilia; gift certificates for babysitting…. use your imagination!  In return, you receive exposure for your business at the auction, through flyers, a special “Thank You” section in the September issue of the WBNA Neighborhood News and on our website with links to your site. If you have items or services to donate OR if you would like to help solicit items, please email us at info@wbna.us.

Mini Summer Art Camps -

Sure wish these had been available when my kids were growing up!  They would have loved these classes!

Mini Art Enrichment Camps - great activities and just the right size – half a day – three days a week. Low teacher ratio too and everything you need included in the registration price.  Only $40 per week with proceeds benefiting Trees for Trails.

See below for a list of remaining classes available. Register at the WB MUD Rec. Center on Shoreline (251-9814). All classes are conveniently located at the MUD Annex on Wells Port Drive.

Ages 7-11

6/5-6/7 Wild and Wacky Art of Science 2012-(9am-Noon)

Learn about geodes and fossils and make projects based on a variety of natural science (and not so normal) messy ways. Try our hand at making glue and clay, create a multi-layer landform, and explore the physics of catapults.

7/24-7/26 Exploring Mixed Media Art (Noon-3:30pm)

We will experiment with a variety of materials. Just bring your imagination, we’ll provide supplies and inspiration. We’ll try our hand at using fabrics and found objects, foam core board and canvass, glass, tile and paper clay, beads and buttons, nuts and bolts, wrapping paper and wall paper, glitter, glue and glazes.

7/31-8/2 Modern Art Painting (Noon-3:30pm)

Students will begin by color mixing, then use methods from a number of modern artists to create a design to paint. We will do pastels, watercolors, and acrylics on all kinds of surfaces. We will look at art by many artists including Picasso, Dali, Chagall, Pollock, and more.

Junior Session – Ages 5-7 (K/pre-K/1)

6/5-6/7 Fantasy and Whimsy(1-3:30 pm)

We’ll explore castles, princesses, knights, unicorns, fairies, and super heros centered around books from our local library then create projects based on them.

Dianne Koehler
art mini-camps/facepainting

https://sites.google.com/site/woodenitbewonderful/
Arts blog:  http://wonderfulartsncrafts.blogspot.com/

Annual WB Garden Guild Tour this Saturday!

Submitted by Dianne Koehler

The Wells Branch Garden Guild invites the community (and your friends) to join in a tour of gardens in the area.

The garden tour will begin at the Wells Branch Community Gardens around 9 am. We will spend 20-30 minutes at each garden on the tour and finish up at the WB Homestead in the park to see the results of our plantings in April and maybe sit in the shade a bit and discuss the gardens. The gardens include vegetable and flower, shade and sun, drought treatments, community and demonstration gardens.

A. 9 am WB Community Gardens at Town Hill and Single Trace
B. 9:35 Don Harrell – 14533 Donald Drive
C. 9:50 Eleanor Brooks – 14535 Donald Drive
D. 10:10 Heather Johnson–15209 Mallard Green Lane
E. 10:35 Laurie Childers–2436 Rick Whinery
F. 11 am Dianne Koehler–14909 Alpha Collier Dr
G. 11:25 Rachel & Brian Lebansky–14904 Yellowleaf Trail
H. 11:50 Karen Nunley & Steve Weikal–2333 Klattenhoff Drive
I. 12:15 Wells Branch Homestead 2106 Klattenhoff Drive 

There will be signs at each house and schedules in case you join late or get lost.  Download your Garden Tour Map HERE!
Be sure and check Dianne’s gardening blog at:  http://dianne-gardening-in-wells-branch.blogspot.com/

Getting the VOTE out in WB!

Submitted by Michele Samuelson

As many of you know, Wells Branch has a great registered voter rate, but a really terrible history with voter turnout. In an effort to help alleviate this, I’ve written up some info on this year’s election cycle, pulling from both the county and the two major political parties. This year’s election calendar is kind of cluttered and complicated (early voting for the primary election has begun!), so I wanted to share some information with you all.

1 – Voter Registration Cards. By the time you read this, if you are a registered voter in Travis County, you will have received your yellow voter registration card.  If you did not, you should verify that you are registered here:  http://www.traviscountytax.org/showVoterSearch.do before contacting the Voter Registration office.

2 – Voter Registration. The deadline to register to vote in time for the primary election has passed, but there is plenty of time to register to vote in the general election in November.  If you or a neighbor is not a registered voter in Travis County (applies if you have moved to your current home since the last election from another county and you have not registered to vote), you can get it taken care of a few different ways. Also, these apply if you moved from elsewhere in Travis County and want to update your registration to reflect your current legal residence:

  • The Wells Branch Library has voter registration cards at the front desk.
  • You can pick up a voter registration card at the DMV or driver’s license office. Some grocery stores have them at the customer service desks. You can also get one (and fill it out there and mail it!) at the post office.
  • Either of the political party headquarters in Travis County can help you out. Contact http://www.traviscountydemocrats.org/ or http://www.traviscountygop.org
  • A few of your neighbors are also Volunteer Deputy Voter Registrars and can get you registered. I’m one; contact me at michele.samuelson@gmail.com.

Continue reading “Getting the VOTE out in WB!”

Coach Mike’s Top 10 Weight Loss Tips

Submitted by Michael Massie, B.A.A.S, C.P.T

(The following is an excerpt from Michael’s book, The Simplified Diet.)

If you’re looking for quick, easy-to-implement tips on losing weight, then this article is expressly written for you. For those of you who don’t know me or train with me, you should know that I’ve actually struggled to lose weight and keep it off. I used to be naturally skinny, but a string of injuries and a chronic illness wrecked my metabolism as well as my ability to exercise two to three hours a day (yes, I really did exercise that much, for years in fact).

As you can imagine, I had to learn how to control my weight in spite of being limited in my exercise options and despite having a slowed metabolism. This makes for a tough challenge when it comes to losing weight.

Although this list is not comprehensive, these are the best tips I know of for losing weight permanently. Some of these tips may be things you already know and accept as common knowledge. However, if you’re not doing them, then saying, “I know that already” doesn’t help. If you see something here that you already know but aren’t doing, start doing it!

Continue reading “Coach Mike’s Top 10 Weight Loss Tips”

Wells Branch Library in need of “friends”

Submitted by Faye Cormier, Library Trustee

Have you ever wondered what our neighborhood would be like without the Wells Branch Community Library and all of the wonderful books, family and community events, child and teen activities and enrichment classes it provides?

Many in the community remember our neighborhood before the WB Community Library District was created.  Once residents approved the district with an overwhelming 98% vote, the Friends of the Library was formed to begin the book collection and volunteer drive.  The community response was amazing!  Within a few short weeks we had enough books on the shelves to begin lending services.  The Friends played an important role by continuing to recruit and organize volunteers and raise much needed funds prior to the district receiving local sales tax revenue.

Just as membership with the Friends of the Library played a critical role in the beginning of our library’s history, today your membership has a more direct impact on the future of our library due to the loss of the Lone Star Library Grant, cuts in the Central Texas Library System funding, a drop of 6% in sales tax revenue as well as cuts in other grant funding.  These cuts equate to a projected loss of $20,000.  this significant shortfall is why it is so important to re-energize the Friends of the Library.

All residents are invited to attend an open meeting for the Friends of the Wells Branch Community Library on April 29, 5pm in the Library meeting rooms, please watch the library marquee for the time.  Join us for an ice cream social with child care and activities for the kids while mom & dad attend the meeting.

We hope to see you there.