BROWN SANTA is a community service program of the Travis County Sheriff’s Office, and the many sponsors and volunteers (like you) who make it happen each year.

Brown Santa started in 1981 with a few deputies helping about 25 families in the unincorporated areas of Travis County.  Brown Santa helped 1957 families in the 2011 season for a total of 19,219 men, women and children and expects to do the same for the 2012 season.

Help celebrate the joy of Christmas by donating or volunteering; browse their website for more information and donation suggestions by age and gender at www.brownsanta.org.  You can also call 24-SANTA  (247-2682), or email the volunteer coordinator at  volunteer@brownsanta.org.

Donation barrels will be available at the Wells Branch Recreation Center on Shoreline beginning November 17 for the Thanksgiving Potluck thru December 12.  Delivery will be before Luminary  Fest this year so make sure you get your donations in before then! Please share if you can to help make a special Christmas morning for each child.

The new location for 2012 Brown Santa is:   12317 Technology Blvd. Ste. 300 Austin, TX. 78729 at the corner of Technology and Mc Neil.

The WBNA would like to thank the WB MUD for a wonderful Thanksgiving Potluck again this year. They had a record turnout – over 300! Thank you to all of the neighbors who came out for this event!

Thank you MUD Directors: Chuck Walters, Donna Howe, Tom Cheshire, Janet Maxey and Bob Bauhs, MUD Staff: Shirley Ross, Jeanette Smalls, Matt Fuller (who couldn’t

be with us the day of, but planned the event), Chris Donnelly and his wife Leslie, Jennie & Christine who worked so very hard throughout the event serving, keeping the beverages flowing and finally washed EVERY SINGLE DISH (In case you don’t know Jennie & Christine, they’re the ones who physically “make it happen”), and Cande who stayed and cleaned up long after everyone was gone. Also, special thanks to Calvary Worship Center for the invitations they printed and passed out at Trunk or Treat and for the time they spent setting up and cleaning up alongside Wells Branch Community Church, and Ben Dion, who ran out for chicken nuggets when they ran low on turkey & ham. And, last but not least, Chris Carby from Branch BBQ who always takes such good care of WB!

All of us together help make Wells Branch what it is – a GREAT place to live! Thank you to each and every one of you!

Have a safe and Happy Thanksgiving!

Debby Thompson

President, WBNA

By Michele Samuelson

This long election season has finally come to an end, and the votes have been counted.  Wells Branch made its voice heard and turned out a significant number of voters.  Turnout for the 2012 election was comparable to countywide and statewide totals, though for the most part, turnout here was equal to what it was in 2008.

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 10,572.  The total number of ballots cast was 6070.  This means approximately 57% of registered voters in Wells Branch turned out to vote, either during early voting or on election day.

Looking at votes cast down ballot, however, a disturbing trend emerges.  Depending on the race, less than half of voters cast votes in non-partisan races such as MUD board director, Round Rock ISD trustee, and Austin Community College trustee.  This held true in all four Travis County precincts, and the lowest number of votes cast happened in the ACC races.   As an example:  Precinct 229 cast 1367 total votes this year in the presidential race, but only 403 in the race for ACC Trustee Place 9, 434 in Round Rock ISD Place 7, and 1008 in the WBMUD Director Place 4 race.  The drop-off is typical down-ballot, but is disheartening, as the lower a race is down the ballot, the more effect that position has on our day-to-day lives.

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.