Let the FOL help you declutter this spring! RESERVE YOUR SPACE TODAY for YOUR SPOTin the 5thAnnual FOL Garage Sale. The FOL will have 100 booths with dozens of vendors. Everyone will be there! Rent a space and sell your own treasures;YOU KEEP THE PROFITS. If you have things to donate, give those extra items to the FOL booth for their fundraiser. Spaces may be reserved at http://tinyurl.com/FOLGarageSale or at the circulation desk at the library. Spaces typically sell out fast so get yours today! Concessions will be available for purchase courtesy of the Friends of the Library. Proceeds from concession sales and items sold in the FOL booth benefit library programs. Whether you Sellor Buy, come to the library and participate!
Can you juggle, dance, or tell jokes? Maybe you can lip sync, sing or play an instrument? If so, we need YOU!! You’re invited to show off your talents and creativity in our annual talent show January 30, from 6-9pm inside the Recreation Center located at 3000 Shoreline Drive. Prizes (up to $50) and trophies will be awarded in Youth and Adult Categories for Best Individual Performance, Best Group Collaboration, Judge’s Pick, and Audience’s Pick.
Admission is free for spectators; all performers/groups will require a $5 entry fee. Register NOW at the WB Recreation Center. Deadline to register is January 25! Space is limited. For questions, please contact Wells Branch MUD at 512-251-9814.
Wells Branch MUD is bringing 20,000 lbs.of snow to the Willow Bend Pool parking lot! This free, community event will feature a tall two-lane tubing hill, a smaller one-lane tubing hill and a snow play area.
Parking will be limited around the event, so we encourage neighbors to carpool or use the nearby trails to stroll on over.
New Wells Branch DIY Club
WB Handyman, Daniel White, will be hosting an organizational meeting to form a DIY Club in Wells Branch this Sunday, January 3, at 6:00pm, at the Rec. Center portable building.
Please bring your topics and ideas to the meeting. What would you like the club to do? How often would you like to meet?
Contact Daniel White at (512) 413-0097 or danieltwhite@sbcglobal.net with any questions.
Santa Photos Posted!
Special thanks to Wells Branch Community Church for these incredible photos with Santa! WBCC provided professional photographers and beautiful printed photos for all who visited Santa at Luminary Fest. In addition to the hard copies, they thought it would be nice if they made the pictures available digitally so that you could share with family and friends. All Luminary Fest photos have been posted to the WBNA Facebook site. Links for the Santa pictures are below. Feel free to download and/or tag accordingly.
THANKS WELLS BRANCH COMMUNITY CHURCH and all of the wonderful volunteers!
***As always, if you’d like a photo removed, please contact the WBNA via Facebook messaging or email info@wbna.us and we’ll be happy to delete it.
Friday Night Santa Pictures may be found at this link:
Our first Luminary Fest Albums are ready for viewing. Below are links to each individual album. Thank you to our many talented photographers who contributed photos. The Santa pictures will be posted tomorrow as well as a few other contributions by the Wells Branch Photo Club. We hope you enjoy the pictures. As always, feel free to tag and share you family’s photos and please contact me if there are any you’d like removed.
There’s a chill in the air, it finally smells like Fall, and the holidays are right around the corner! We have wonderful traditions in Wells Branch and we want our entire community to join in the celebrations. Reach out to the new folks so they feel welcome. Take time to reconnect with family, friends and neighbors. We look forward to seeing each of you at the festivities!
Photo courtesy of WBCC
Luminary Festival Friday & Saturday, December 11 & 12 • 6-9pm
Experience the glow of the holidays as our trails light up with luminaries around Katherine Fleischer Park on December 11 & 12. 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 by WB Community Church.
WBNA sponsored craft tables will be set up both nights inside the Community Center and children will have the opportunity to make jewelry boxes for gifts, decorate ornaments, and color. Dianne Koehler and numerous volunteers will be on hand to assist the children with crafts and MUD staff will keep refreshments flowing.
Join us outdoors for a caroling hayride or a trip around the trails on the holiday express train to see the luminaries up close. We’ll be starting the hayride at 5:30pm both nights so bring the little ones and come early.
Saturday night, the MUD will have live entertainment and the crafts will continue inside the Community Center with refreshments for all to enjoy. Wells Branch Community Church Band will perform outside the Buffalo House both Friday and Saturday.
Holiday Home Decorating Contest Judging begins Sunday, December 13!
Break out the tinsel and holly! Deck the halls, yard, trees, cars, dogs, cats… Let’s show some good ole WB spirit! The WBNA is sponsoring the Holiday Home Decorating Contest again this year! Judging will begin on Sunday, December 13. For more details, please visit our website at wbna.us. If you’d like to help judge or nominate a home, email lights@wbna.us. Be sure and watch for the “Winners” as we post signs in their yards and feature the homes on Facebook and wbna.us! Categories include: Most Original, Most Traditional, Most Elaborate, Best Use of Lights, Most Energy Efficient, Visible from Space and Most Patriotic. Winners in each category receive bragging rights and a gift card from Lowes.
St. Andrews Presents an Evening of Music Monday, December 14 • 7:30pm
Join us for a holiday handbell concert of cross-continental carols and classics Monday, December 14 at 7:30pm at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, 14311 Wells Port Drive.
The Austin Handbell Ensemble consists of fifteen members, five octaves of handbells, five and a half octaves of handchimes, coordinating tremendously, collaborating fiercely to create the smoothest, most expressive musical experience possible.
For ticket information, please visit their website at http://www.austinhandbells.org.
Polar Express Pajamarama Friday, December 18 • 6:00 & 7:30pm
All aboard, for WBCL’s yearly Polar Express Pajamarama! Enjoy holiday crafts, hot cocoa and cookies, a bedtime reading of The Polar Express and a special visit from Santa Friday, December 18 at 6:00pm & 7:30pm! Advance online registration required. See wblibrary.org for details.
Holiday Safety Tips
With the bustle of the holidays just around the corner, make sure you’re taking every precaution possible to keep your home and family safe and secure. We usually see an increase in opportunistic crime this time of year; please remain vigilant.
Keep your blinds and drapes closed when away, even if only for a short period of time.
Keep your house well lit at night (backyard included). A motion sensor activated light is an inexpensive deterrent.
If your Christmas tree is displayed in front of a window, don’t pile the presents around it. Store the gifts in another area away from view when the blinds or drapes are open.
Do NOT put the empty boxes for the new computer, TV, stereo system, etc. on the curb for the trash. Take the time to break down every box and put it inside your trashcan/recycling bin so that it is concealed, even if you have to hold it over to the next week. People start cruising our neighborhood on Sunday afternoons to see what has been put out. The less they know, the better.
Door-to-door solicitations increase tremendously this time of year. Always look out the window or peephole before opening the door or answering a knock. Never open the door all the way, especially if you have a Christmas tree and/or presents in plain view.
While shopping this holiday season, remain aware of your surroundings at all times. If unsure of your safety, ask a store attendant to have security walk you to your car. You can’t be too safe. This goes for trips to the grocery store as well. When unloading your car at home after a day of shopping, lock it between trips to and from the car.
Always lock your car. Never leave your car running unattended or leave your keys in the car or ignition. If you usually keep a garage door remote control in your car and don’t park it in the garage each and every time you return home, hide the remote or take it inside. Thieves check visors and this gives them instant protected access to your home.
Keep the inside door from your home to the garage LOCKED.
Don’t leave valuables in plain view, even if your car is locked. Take them in the house or put them in the trunk out of sight BEFORE arriving at your destination.
If you plan to be away:
Let a neighbor and/or block captain know you’ll be out of town and when you’ll return. They should have the following: your emergency contact information; contact information for anyone with access to your house (pet sitter, etc.); when they should be expected; what they look like and a description of their vehicle(s).
Let only those who NEED to know, know when you are going out of town.
Don’t share vacation plans on social media.
Arrange to have your lawn cared for if you are going to be away.
Don’t hide keys under doormats or flowerpots or in similar places.
Put your lights, stereo or TV on timers.
Leave a car in the driveway or ask a neighbor to park in it.
Don’t cancel your paper or mail deliveries; ask that your neighbor pick them up every day.
Leave a key with a friend or neighbor; ask that the house be checked at regular intervals.
Keep your house well lit at night (backyard included). A motion sensor or photocell activated light is an inexpensive deterrent.
Store all your valuables.
Consider asking friends or relatives to live in your home while you are away.
Ask your neighbor to put trash in your trashcan and to put it out for collection and away when they put theirs away.
File a Close Patrol Request. The filing of this form alerts patrolling officers so that they may pay close attention to one’s residence. To do so: Contact the Travis County Sheriff’s Office at 854-9721. Ask to make a Close Patrol Request. You will be asked for information on those caring for your home while you’re away i.e. make and model of their vehicles, name, description and times they should be at your home.
A comprehensive list of Safety Tips as well as numerous articles by the Travis County Sheriff Deputies are available on our website under Safety.
If you are not already, become a Wells Branch Neighborhood Association member. “Like” us on Facebook for community updates. The more community involvement and “connectedness” there is, the safer we all will be.
Most of all, be aware of your surroundings and look out for your neighbors. If you see or hear something suspicious, call 911. The Sheriff’s Department would much rather answer a false alarm than deal with a tragedy later.
We live in a GREAT community AND a SECURE neighborhood. Let’s all do our part to keep it that way. Here’s to a safe and happy holiday season!
*For information about starting your own Neighborhood Watch Group, please call Debby Thompson at 512-656-0654.
Let the FOL help you declutter this spring! RESERVE YOUR SPACE TODAY for YOUR SPOT in the 5th Annual FOL Garage Sale. The FOL will have 100 booths with dozens of vendors. Everyone will be there! Rent a space and sell your own treasures; YOU KEEP THE PROFITS. If you have things to donate, give those extra items to the FOL booth for their 
fundraiser. Spaces may be reserved at http://tinyurl.com/FOLGarageSale or at the circulation desk at the library. Spaces typically sell out fast so get yours today! Concessions will be available for purchase courtesy of the Friends of the Library. Proceeds from concession sales and items sold in the FOL booth benefit library programs. Whether you Sell or Buy, come to the library and participate!
