All posts by Debby Thompson

Family Events in WB this Weekend!

The Art of Living Safe and Well Expo 2013

Pfluger Hall • April 13, 2013 • 10am-1pm

FREE Admission and Parking

hosted by Travis County ESD No. 2

Pflugerville Fire Department

www.pflugervillefire.org

Wells Branch Elementary Spring Festival

Wells Branch Elementary • Saturday, April 13 • 2-6pm

(corner of Merrilltown & Town Hill)

• Silent Auction • Moonwalks • Dunking Booth

• Human Hamster Ball • Face painting • Laser Tag

• Live Music • Cake walk • Pringle Toss • Refreshments

• Many more exciting activity booths and games

For additional information, please send email to WBE Parent Teachers’ Association at springfest@wellsbranchpta.org.

EXTREME Spring Cleaning! We’ve got it all right here in WB THIS SATURDAY!

FREE Drug Disposal
April 13 • 8am-Noon
Wells Branch Maintenance Yard13905 Thermal

Need to clean out those bathroom cabinets? Wells Branch is offering a safe and easy way to dispose of your excess, expired or unwanted prescription AND over-the-counter medication, including vitamins.

Stop by the Wells Branch Maintenance Shop on Saturday, April 13, from 8am-Noon to safely get these medications out of your
house, away from children and kept out of our water supply.

According to experts, these type of Take-Back initiatives help to address a vital public safety and public health issue. Medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse. Rates of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. are alarmingly high — more Americans currently abuse prescription drugs than the number of those using cocaine, hallucinogens, and heroin combined, according to the 2010 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet. People can check Pacific Ridge offering alcohol treatment programs in Portland for the best drug abuse centers.

More information on how to properly dispose of medication can be found at www.dontflushdrugs.org.

Extreme Clean!  Saturday, April 13 • 8am-5pm • MUD Maintenance Yard • 13905 Thermal

Bulk Trash Drop Off • Hazardous Waste Collection Site • Drop Off for Habitat for Humanity & Easter Seals (8am-5pm)

Document Shredding (8am-2pm)

Spring is upon us! Now’s your chance to clean out that garage or shed before it gets really hot outside! We have a way for you to dispose of bulky trash as well as items that can be re-purposed rather than sent to the landfill. And, for the first time ever, we’re offering document shredding services, all free of charge!

Bring your old batteries, oil, paint, and antifreeze to the WB MUD Maintenance Facility at 13905 Thermal Drive, Saturday, April 13, from 8am-5pm. The MUD is providing a trailer and staff to transport these items to the Hazardous Waste Facility in far South Austin as part of our continued Keep Wells Branch Beautiful efforts.

There are restrictions as to what can be collected and transported. Oil, paint and anti-freeze need to be in closed containers.  If bringing car or boat batteries, a cardboard box would be appreciated (but not necessary). We cannot take light bulbs, fertilizer or other chemicals at this time.

In addition to the usual bulky trash collection, Ed & Kay Peterson have arranged to have a manned truck from Habitat for Humanity on-site for collection of re-usable materials. Easter Seals is also sending a truck at 4:30pm to pick up donations of clothing, pots & pans, household goods, etc. as well.

New to our recycling efforts, Progressive Waste (formerly IESI) will be providing Wells Branch with FREE document shredding services.  In a nutshell, this is how it works:

A CT Secure Shred Mobile Unit will be on site for the day to collect documents and materials delivered by WB residents to be securely shredded by Central Texas Secure Document Destruction group located in Pflugerville, TX.
Shred certified employees will collect and load the boxes/paper bags onto the enclosed truck for transport and will provide a chain of custody document to verify the inventory of boxes delivered and loaded onto the truck and CT’s receipt and responsibility to transport and shred the documents will be provided prior to transporting to the CT Secure Shred facility.

All of the shredding is done behind locked doors in their secure plant to ensure that document security is completely protected.

After the documents have been commingled, compressed, shredded, baled and sealed for shipment to the paper mills, CT Shred will provide a signed Certificate of Destruction verifying that the documents have been securely managed and shredded in accordance with NAID (National Association of Information Destruction) regulations. For more detailed information on the IESI Central Texas Secure Shredding and Recycling Facility and the process itself, visit: www.ctshred.com.

Questions on hazardous waste?  Call Debby at 512-656-0654

Download WB Clean Up Flyer.

Tentative New Charter School to Open at Shoreline

From Kim Clark, WB resident

I’ve communicated via e-mail with the director of a tentative new charter school that, if approved by the TEA, will be at Shoreline Christian Church. There is going to be an informational meeting at the church on March 17 at 6 PM in the church chapel. The name for this school would be the Wells Branch Leadership Academy. I thought I’d share it here as I felt there could be some Wells Branch parents who might be interested.  For questions, contact Tom Koger, Director at 210-421-9025.

Youth Advisory Team forming NOW!

Are you a youth resident in Wells Branch? Would you like to have your voice heard for future programs and amenities?

The purpose of the Youth Advisory Team (YAT) will be to partner with the Wells Branch MUD Board of Directors (BOD) to develop and improve activities, programs, and amenities for teenagers that reside within the Wells Branch community. This
does not, at this time, include designing any facility, i.e. bike park, skate-park, etc.

*This isn’t saying the skate park is off the table – the Board would just like to start with a comprehensive look at what the WB teens want in the way of amenities and programming.

Accepted applicants will need to be available to attend meetings during late afternoons, early evenings and/or weekends.  Dates and times will be contingent upon the team’s availability.

Go to the district’s website http://www.wellsbranchmud.com/youth-advisory-team.html and print the application or pick up a copy at the WB Recreation Center, 3000 Shoreline Dr.  Please deliver your application to the WB Recreation Center by Friday, March 8th.

Save these dates – Commissioner Eckhardt wants to hear from you!

Travis County Commissioner Pct. 2, Sarah Eckhardt, would like to invite Wells Branch residents to get involved in their county government!  Below is a list of upcoming meetings; we hope you’ll make time to  attend at least one!

Every one of us should have a voice in our government, but it isn’t always easy to get involved or be heard. That’s why, since my first day in office six years ago, I’ve collaborated with our community through early-morning Coffee Jolts, lunchtime Chat & Chews, and Pints for Progress Happy Hours. Let’s continue the conversation about how to make our community more safe, mobile, prosperous and fair.  – Commissioner Eckhardt