Habitat for Humanity TIME CHANGE • 8am-NOON

It is IMPERATIVE that you attend the meeting scheduled for this Thursday, January 9, from 6:30-9:30pm in the cafeteria at Wells Branch Elementary, 14650 Merrilltown Drive.

As most of you know, WBE is grossly overcrowded and the school board will be considering a bond election this spring to hopefully help deal with this issue.

Our neighborhood as a whole needs to stay informed and that means attending these meetings.  Wells Branch is on the outskirts of RRISD and we tend to be forgotten.  We need a strong voice and an even stronger presence both at meetings and at the polls.  Five RRISD Trustee positions are up for grabs this November.  WB needs to be seen as an INFORMED, INVOLVED, and VOTING Community.  Please make arrangements to attend.

We hope to see everyone on Thursday!

**Special THANKS to Michael Farris and Emily Spiars, WB residents who’ve volunteered their time to serve on the Bond Committee. 

Regretfully, the WBNA board has decided not to host a New Year’s Eve party this year.  Results from the survey were mixed with the majority preferring an “adults only” celebration.  Most of our board members are unavailable to help with this endeavor this year and many of the residents who said they’d like to volunteer their time either were interested in the family style party only or neglected to provide contact information.  I’ve spoken with those who’ve been involved in the past and they felt it was too short a notice for us to advertise and draw a crowd although all the actual arrangements have been made.  They were concerned about low turnout as we’re also losing a good many folks to the grand opening of the new live music venue on Wells Branch Parkway.  Bottom line is:  We should have started on this earlier in the year – I dropped the ball and I apologize to those of you who were planning on attending.

The WBNA received some wonderful suggestions from the survey and we will be posting them in the near future.  We would love to see a committee formed to help develop a celebration for next year.  In the meantime, we’d like to lend our support to other celebrations going on in Wells Branch.

From WB resident Nikki Williams –

New Year’s Eve Party in Wells Branch!

Please join us for a community New Year’s Eve celebration at the Live for More Center!

The Effie Center (www.EffieCenterAustin.org) is hosting an all ages celebration. Everyone is welcome and we hope to see you there! This is a non-alcoholic event. Admission is free but a $5 donation to the Effie Center nonprofit is encouraged.

Date: Tuesday December 31^st

Time: 8:30pm – 12:30am

Location: Live for More Center (14735 Bratton Lane Ste# 125, Austin, TX 78728)

•   Win door prizes…some gifts fell off Santa’s sleigh

•   Light snacks & beverages will be provided

•   Please bring your favorite holiday snack to share

•   Games & activities in the lounge (for adults & youth)

•   Please bring your favorite board game

•   Movies in the auditorium (A Christmas Story & It’s a Wonderful Life)

•   Sparkling cider toast at midnight

If you would like to volunteer to help set-up or clean-up for this event, please contact Nikki Williams at Nikki@EffieCenterAustin.org or (512) 565-0387.

For those who’d like to honky-tonk close to home, The Roost on Wells Branch Parkway (where Ropers used to be) will be hosting a New Year’s Eve celebration with Joe Ely.  Below are links for the new venue.

Article on The Roost from the Austin Chronicle:

http://www.austinchronicle.com/daily/music/2013-12-18/the-roost/

Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/theroostaustin

We wish all of our WB Neighbors a safe and Happy New Year!

Holiday traditions in Wells Branch continue to grow.  We hope you’ll take this opportunity to reconnect with family, friends and neighbors and reach out to new folks who’ve recently joined our community.  To all the regulars, we look forward to seeing you and if you’ve never attended a community event here, please make time to come and join your neighbors in the festivities.

Wells Branch Holiday Celebration Weekend! • December 13-15

We have a fun-filled holiday weekend planned for December 13-15 in Wells Branch as several of our community organizations have joined together to host holiday events.

Luminary Festival • December 13 & 14

Experience the glow of the holidays as our trails light up with luminaries around Katherine Fleischer Park on December 13 & 14.  Once again, the WBNA will be hosting Friday night’s events and the Wells Branch MUD will host Saturday evening.  Santa will be visiting the Homestead Cabin both nights from 6-9pm with FREE photos provided again this year by WB Community Church.

Craft tables will be set up Friday night inside the Community Center and children will have the opportunity to make jewelry boxes for gifts, decorate ornaments, and color.  Dianne Koehler, the women of WB of WB and numerous volunteers will be on hand to assist the children with crafts and keep refreshments flowing.

Join us outdoors for a caroling hayride or a trip around the trails on our holiday express train to see the luminaries up close.  This year, we’ll be starting the hayride and train at 5:30pm so bring the little ones and come early.  There will be plenty of time to do the hayride, train and still get to the library for Pajamarama on Friday night!

Saturday night, the MUD will have live entertainment from Jessica Shepherd inside the Community Center and a Holiday Dance Program.  There will also be live entertainment outside both nights and indoor refreshments for all to enjoy in the CC. Times are to be announced, so keep an eye out on the website www.wellsbranchmud.com for performance dates and times.

Polar Express Pajamarama • December 13

All aboard, for WBCL’s yearly Polar Express Pajamarama!  Friends of the Library will sponsor Polar Express Pajamarama at Wells Branch Community Library on Friday, December 13 at 6:00pm & 7:30pm.  Enjoy holiday crafts, hot cocoa and cookies, a bedtime reading of The Polar Express and a special visit from Santa!  Advance online registration required. Registration begins November 30th.

Holiday Home Decorating Contest is BACK!

Break out the tinsel and holly! Deck the halls, yard, trees, cars, dogs, cats…You get the picture! Let’s show some good ole WB spirit! The WBNA is bringing back the Holiday Home Decorating Contest! Due to uncooperative weather the last couple of weekends, judging will be on Sunday, December 15 to give everyone a little extra time to decorate. YOU STILL HAVE TIME!

A $50 gift card to Lowes will be awarded to each winner, photos will be featured on the WBNA website and Facebook page and signs will be placed in the winning yards.

If you’d like to help judge or nominate a home (to make sure we don’t miss it), email lights@wbna.us.

Be sure and watch for the “Winners” as we post signs in their yards! Categories include: Most Original, Most Traditional, Most Elaborate, Best Use of Lights, and Most Energy Efficient.

Northwest Elementary Breakfast with Santa • December 14

A holiday tradition, Northwest Elementary once again hosts Breakfast with Santa on Saturday, December 14 from 9am-Noon.  The PTO will be serving a pancake breakfast with sausage and orange juice for $3.  They’ll have a market set up inside with vendors and craft tables, and don’t forget the best part:  a visit with Santa! 

Christmas on Angel Street • December 15

 A modern musical theatre parable for people of all ages reaffirms the TRUE meaning of giving and is scheduled for presentation at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church (14311 Wells Port Dr. at Wells Brach Pkwy) at 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, December 15, 2013.

Christmas on Angel Street tells the story of two children who are orphans who live alone in a room behind the local hardware store.  Their only means of support is money made by the older sibling by selling newspapers at the corner of Angel St. and Grand.  The older sibling wants to find money to purchase a special Christmas present for the younger sister.  This situation leads them to involvement with The Colonel and the members of the Angel Street Gang, and subsequently to an encounter with a kind and loving gentleman and his daughter which teaches a profound moral lesson that will stay with the two children for the rest of their lives.

This original musical was written by Conne Cross Smith and Tom Mitchell.  Tom currently serves as Director of Music Ministry at St. Andrew’s.  The presentation is offered as a gift to our community without admission charge.  We will be having cookies & hot chocolate after the presentation.  We hope you will join us in celebrating Christmas in Wells Branch!

WBNA would like to say:

Join your neighbors & friends to dance the night away and ring in the New Year in style without leaving the neighborhood!

BUT we NEED YOUR RESPONSE before we can plan anything!

The last two years, the WBNA has hosted a New Year’s Eve Party for the residents of Wells Branch in the Community Center on Klattenhoff.

What we’ve provided in the past:

 Live DJ • Music • Light Show

Food • Punch • Set-ups (BYOB)

Champagne Toast at Midnight

Decorations • Party Favors

*Friends & Family welcome

Our idea was to offer a safe, fun event close to home.  Each year, we’ve had 50-60 neighbors in attendance.  We need YOUR input on whether or not we should host an event again this year and if so, what you’d like to see.  Several decisions need to be made QUICKLY.

WBNA is an all VOLUNTEER organization and although tentative reservations have been made, we need at least 50 positive responses before it will be CONSIDERED.  We also need folks to offer up a little bit of their time to help plan, decorate/set-up the day of and/or clean up on January 1.  It needs to be a COMMUNITY Party.

Below is a link to a VERY SHORT survey.  We invite each of you to weigh in and if you have neighbors who might not be aware of this event, please invite them to voice their opinions.  We need your response by midnight, December 8.

WBNA New Year’s Eve Party Survey!

Thank you for participating!

– Your WBNA Board

Elections in odd-numbered years rarely see high turnout, and this November’s election was no exception.  Whether because of a lack of education on the issues facing them, or disinterest in the election itself, voters largely chose to stay home.  In fact, statewide, over 91% of registered voters did not cast a ballot for the November 5 election.

Here in Wells Branch, our turnout percentage was slightly better than it was statewide.  Information was only available for the four Travis County precincts included in Wells Branch.  Because only a portion of Williamson County precinct 138 is in Wells Branch, specific turnout data was unavailable at press time.

The Travis County portion of Wells Branch consists of precincts 215, 216, 225, and 229.  The total number of registered voters in those precincts is 10,199 (lower than what it was last year).  The total number of ballots cast was 1159.  This means approximately 11.4% of registered voters in Wells Branch turned out to vote, either during early voting or on election day. 

This is significantly lower than our turnout for the general election last November, and it is easy to understand why – the 2012 general election included the presidential election, and so voters are more likely to show up at the polls.  What should bother all of us, however, is that the November 5, 2013 election was about issues and a race for state representative that affect us all much more immediately than a national race.

Most importantly, votes cast in the race for House District 50 differed from the votes cast in each of the amendment proposition choices, and they varied for each amendment as well.  The total number of voters who showed up to vote in each precinct does not tell the entire story, but it is a start.

Turnout and percentages per Travis County precinct in Wells Branch were as follows:

Pct 215 – 312 voters – 14.99% turnout

Pct 216 – 110 voters – 4.55% turnout

Pct 225 – 372 voters – 10.05% turnout

Pct 229 – 365 voters – 18.26% turnout

Increasing voter turnout is a crucial civic duty for our neighborhood.  We have learned that one way to have our needs addressed by our local elected officials is to show them that we are engaged, and the easiest way is by voting.  The WBNA works to inform voters of their choices in a non-partisan manner, and we encourage new ideas and your participation informing our neighbors, registering voters, and reminding each other to vote. 

Run-Off Date Set for District 50

Gov. Rick Perry set Jan. 28, 2014, as the special election date to fill the Texas House District 50 seat vacated by Rep. Mark Strama of Austin.  Celia Israel (D) and Mike VanDeWalle (R) will face each other in the run-off.

Early voting for this election will be held from January 20 to January 24.

The winner will serve the remainder of Rep. Strama’s unexpired term.

By Betsey Harper

I started off this year with 80+ chickens, 16 turkeys, 9 geese, 12 ducks, 27 guinea hens, and a pair of wild pheasants, before acquiring the Mills Pond fowl.   Every bird is unique, named by my kids, and banded with birth year for record keeping purposes.  They have grown up together as one flock.

Then I acquired the Mills Pond fowl and pecking order was disturbed.  Here’s what I learned in the past months.

·         The turkeys act like they are in charge; but the geese rule and when they don’t get their way, they are very, very loud complainers!

·         Healthy Muscovy ducks lay eggs everywhere, protect like geese, and roost like Grackles in trees at night.  If they didn’t scare me at least once a week, something is out of place.

·         The Rouen and Runner ducks don’t really fly; love to eat snails, slugs, and the neighbors cow corn crop; are very messy; and, like to be muddy or dirty.

·         The Mallards are not as domesticated as the others, and spend the day in the neighbor’s pond, but fly back every night before dusk.

·         The chickens have become faster on their feet, good at dodging other fowl especially when running with a special treat.

·         The geese don’t like any intruders; the ducks and guineas like to attack and play games with snake trespassers until they are dead; the same can be said for a turtle, several gophers and mice, and an unfortunate baby skunk.

·         The geese and ducks love to listen to music and like to sing (squeak happily) when my son belts out a song.  Some do a warble-thing which we suppose is dancing!

In all, the fowl have adjusted well and are happy and healthy.  They no longer fight me on wing or toenail trimming days and I’ve assumed the role of their leader.  We even have several communal nests that are shared.  The sun was shining on the eggs when I took this picture, which helps keep them warm so the birds can leave for a short time.  The very large white eggs are goose eggs; the more hidden egg is a duck egg; and the darker ones are chicken eggs. I’m sure there are more nests we can’t find, especially ducks nests; I’ve learned they like to hide their eggs and babies too.

What do I like best? There is nothing better than after a long hard day at work, having 200+ cheerful and excited little feathered friends rushing to see me.  They really do have individual personalities and I treasure them all.

Wells Branch residents can save money year-round by conserving water during the winter wastewater averaging period beginning November 13, 2013 and ending February 13, 2014.

There are no meters on customers’ wastewater lines.  To determine wastewater usage, a customer’s water usage is reviewed over three consecutive, low demand winter months when lawn watering and irrigation are less frequent. The customer’s wastewater charge for future billings will be based on the new wastewater average or actual monthly water usage, whichever is lowest.  The usage during this time frame determines the wastewater charge each month from April 2014 to March of 2015.  Now is the time to make sure that there are no leaking faucets or running toilets!!!

Customers who pay their water bill to Wells Branch Municipal Utility District (MUD) may contact Margret Wingrove of Crossroads Utilities at 512-246-5908 or mwingrove@crossroadsus.com with any questions.  Out of District customers who buy their water directly from the City of Austin, should call 512-494-9400 or check http://austintexas.gov/department/wastewater-averaging for more information.

Visit the following site for more tips on water conservation: http://www.wateriq.org/water-saving/