Holiday Safety Tips

Santa Sneaky on Roof ColorWith 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.

Neighborhood Safety Meeting with TCSO Captain Craig Smith

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TCSO Captain Smith

Thursday, December 3 • 7pm
WB Community Center • 2106 Klattenhoff

Many of y’all have requested a neighborhood watch style safety meeting for all of Wells Branch before the holidays. With the recent car break-ins and burglaries, sooner seemed better than later. The WBNA will be hosting a meeting with Captain Craig Smith of the Travis County Sheriff’s Office on Thursday, December 3, at 7pm. Bring your questions. We’ll have drinks and light snacks.

RRISD Boundary Hearing TONIGHT  7:30PM • WBE Cafeteria

A quick reminder should any of you have questions about the boundary meeting tonight – If you live in RRISD, please take a moment to read and evaluate the information below as well as the presentation you’ll see tonight on the District’s demographic study (attached PDF file). ***Please note: Attendance numbers are missing for several of the apartment complexes in the District’s maps as well as any numbers that would be forecast for build out in the communities north of WB. Even if you don’t have children, boundary assignments can affect home values and resale. Please read, voice your opinions and vote.

Download RRISD Boundary Presentation HERE:

It’s a little long, but I felt it necessary to include explanations for those new to the community and I didn’t have time to polish it! My apologies!

New Boundaries:

The proposed boundaries are not what any of us expected. If adopted, all of Willow Run as well as Brattonwood, The Lake at Wells Branch, The Pond at Wells Branch and homes north of the library and east of Wells Port (Rick Whinery, Emmett, Fuzz Fairway, Nathan, Natural Spring Way, Waterway Bend and Waterway Cove) will attend the new elementary school.

After the hearings, the consultants will make a final recommendation to the board on November 19. The board will take action at their December 17 meeting to approve new attendance zones.

The ONLY person to show up at the Bluebonnet Elementary hearing was a WB resident.

Issues I feel we should ask about:

  • Middle School #11 will break ground in the Spring/Summer of 2016 and hopefully open in the Fall of 2017.
  • Boundaries for Deer Park and Chisholm Trail will likely be adjusted next fall for implementation in Fall 2017.

Dr. Flores has stated that he is a proponent of vertical alignment.
If that’s the case, then what are the future plans for the children of ES No.34? Without boundary changes at MS and HS levels, half the children will track to Deer Park and the other half to Chisholm Trail.

  • Will all of the ES No. 34 kids be routed to one middle school, Chisholm Trail, as I’ve heard?
  • Does the district plan on realigning the high school boundaries as well and placing all ES No. 34 children at RRHS?
  • Will this be a permanent move or will our children be moved once again when attendance capacity changes at RRHS?
  • What are the long range plans for the children of Wells Branch Elementary?

We’ve heard that under the new boundaries, WBE will drop to 65% capacity. The new school will open at 57% capacity. When is ES No. 34 forecast to hit 100%? North of WB, we have a 274 affordable housing unit about to lease, a 445 unit apartment complex due to be completed in 2017, and 347 single family homes being built. And those are just the ones we know about.

  • When ES No. 34 reaches capacity, which of our original neighborhoods will be switched back to WBE?

It was mentioned briefly at the board meeting that the lower capacity would enable implementation of new programs at WBE and ES No. 34.

  • What are these special programs and how will they differ between schools?
  • Will WB parents be able to choose which school best suits their needs?

The District has stated that they’re concerned about maintaining a demographic balance between the two schools. Their primary concern at their board meeting seemed to be balancing ELL students and economically disadvantaged students between the schools. I question their data. Looking at the map, it appears to me that they’ve carved out the most affluent sections of WB for the new school rather than balancing those as well.

  • How will this affect volunteerism and ultimately support for Wells Branch Elementary?
  • If the lower income areas are segregated, will this eventually cause issues between the two areas? The haves and have nots?
  • Will this cause a decline in the older sections of Wells Branch?
  • Will all the RRISD children of Wells Branch be allowed to track together for MS and HS?
  • The District recognizes that we are geographically separated from the rest of RRISD. Given this consideration, we feel it’s a fair request for our children to stay together. It will be much easier for the community as a whole to support one middle school and one high school.

My kids are grown. I’m bringing these questions forward because of past history with RRISD. We have many new residents and lots of parents with young children who haven’t thought about boundaries, vertical alignment or the ability of the District to realign at will. I urge each of you to ask what their end game is. What does the District have planned for Wells Branch five years from now? 

  • Personally, I’d like to see vertical alignment. I understand and support the need for two elementary schools, but I’d like to see all the kids come together at middle school and track to the same high school.
  • I am afraid that splitting the neighborhood along perceived economic lines, especially if the split continues up through MS and HS, will have a detrimental effect on our community.
  • I am concerned about overall impact on the community as a whole as we are already split between PfISD & RRISD.

For the last several years, the children of Wells Branch have been used to balance other school populations because we’re on the outskirts of RRISD whereas almost all the other RRISD students have dedicated high schools and have seen minimal change. Willow Run had their HS moved 3 times in 4 years. I am concerned that the zoning proposed for ES No. 34 indicates another impending move. I would like to know what RRISD has in mind for ALL of Wells Branch, elementary through high school for the next five years.

I strongly encourage parents to be supportive, optimistic and finally, excited about possible changes with their children as they are just that, children and shouldn’t have to deal with uncertainty or anxiety throughout the process. That being said, parents need to take an active role in the process and make sure all of their questions are answered. At the end of the day, I hope that the entire neighborhood can come together to support all of the changes that we’ve undergone in the last several months as well as the ones we face ahead. Maintaining our sense of community throughout is paramount.

For those with questions about Vertical Alignment:

Vertical alignment is basically the setting of boundaries so that children begin at the same elementary, then follow to the same middle school and on to the same high school. Multiple elementary schools can feed to one middle school and more than one middle school to a single high school. The core idea is that neighborhoods are kept together throughout the journey.

Currently, WBE children are split at middle school and then reunited at McNeil. Prior to that, Willow Run children began at WBE, were sent to Chisholm Trail Middle School and then on the Cedar Ridge. They were the only WB children from Chisholm Trail (about 60 kids) to be sent to Cedar Ridge – the rest of the CTMS students went to RRHS. All the other WB kids went to Deer Park and then on to McNeil. Before the move to Cedar Ridge, WB split at middle school with half tracking to Deer Park and on to McNeil and the other half to Chisholm Trail and then on to Round Rock HS with their peers from CTMS.

Ideally, it would be nice if WBE & ES #34 kids could attend the same middle school and same high school. Our neighborhood is split already with around 35% going to Connally HS in PfISD. I’d like to keep the other 65% together 🙂

Debby Thompson, 512-656-0654

You! Go Call 911!

by John Grasshoff, Fire and Life Safety Specialist, ESD No. 2

You GO Call photo yCoach and health teacher David Sisson demonstrates the technique for TAKE 10-Compression-Only CPR to his health class students last week.  Approximately 60 students learned the technique and showed proficiency.

All the health teachers in the Pflugerville School District were trained this summer in a collaborative effort of TAKE 10 staff and the Pflugerville Fire Department.  Equipment was provided by the fire department.

Deena Bosier, District Health Curriculum Coordinator for PFISD and John Grasshoff, Fire and Life Safety Specialist with the fire department planned the training for the teachers.
“Having sixty more citizens with the confidence and training to act in the case of a cardiac arrest improves the survival rate in the City of Pflugerville,” said Grasshoff.

Health teachers throughout the district have begun training their students.

Register NOW!
Everything You Don’t Know About Your House
Session 3 – Sunday, November 15 • 6pm
Wells Branch Community Library

The Friends of the Library are excited to present Part Three of Daniel White’s highly regarded presentation of “Everything You Don’t Know About Your House”.  Daniel will continue to enthrall us with tips and tricks and answer our questions about our homes and the repair and upkeep thereof.  Bring your enthusiasm and excitement!

This program will take place on November 15th from 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM at Wells Branch Community Library.

Registration is required even if you’ve registered for either of the first two presentations. Sign up for “Everything You Don’t Know About Your House” (Part 3) here!
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/everything-you-dont-know-about…

Please go to wbfriends.org for more information. You can renew or begin a membership today!

Friends-of-the-Wells-Branch-Library-Logo-(Outlines)-(extra-large)Gus Kohn, President
Friends of the Wells Branch Community Library

Halloween Events!

Kick off Halloween weekend with Spooky Stories this Friday, October 30 at 6:30pm at WB Community Library.  Award-winning storyteller Bernadette Nason will perform lighthearted scary stories for families to enjoy.  Ages 5+ only.

Halloween night, start the evening out right by Trick or Treating early at Wells Branch Community Library.  Candy & FREE Face Painting from 4:00-5:30 pm, October 31.

At 4:00pm, teens meet for Tim Burton’s Life-size Clue Game!  Bring forth your gaming and sleuthing skills to solve the murder of the Corpse Bride. (Ages 10+)

Banner - Trunk or Treat 2015 v3 copy

Be a part of the very first WB Halloween Costume Contest!

Judging will begin at 5pm this Saturday, October 31, followed by a distribution of noise makers and a grand march into Trunk or Treat at 6pm. All are invited to join in the revelry!

A total of 15 trophies will be awarded by age for the following categories:
249093_675102749189868_557867158_n• Cutest
• Scariest
• Most Creative

Age Groups:
• 0-3 yrs
• 4-6 yrs
• 7-9 yrs
• 10-12 yrs
• 13-17 yrs

aDSC09117webImmediately following the Costume Contest, join us at Trunk or Treat!
Ghosts, Ghouls, and Goblins abound in the CC parking lot on Klattenhoff where we’ll have a multitude of scary treats for all your little monsters as the MUD hosts Halloween Trunk or Treat! The WBNA will be capturing the night creatures and posting their images on the Neighborhood Association Facebook page so that you may share with your friends and family.

Please join us! Please contact Debby Thompson at 512-656-0654 or deborah_thompson@earthlink.net for more info.