Parking Safety Reminders for School Zones

We’ve recently experienced issues with the areas surrounding Wells Branch Elementary (Town Hill/Merrilltown, Town Hill/Donald and Town Hill/Robert I. Walker) and

Joe Lee Johnson Elementary (Sauls/Crissom, Crissom/Kissman)

Even if there isn’t a sign for it, please use common sense and courtesy when parking close to intersections or crosswalks. Thank you for helping keep our kids safe!

  • Do not park within 30 ft of a stop sign.
  • Do not park within 20 ft of the designated crosswalks.
  • Do not park right up to the edge of an intersection as this prevents emerging traffic from having clear vision and safe entry into the intersection.
  • Do not block the driveways of residents even if only for a moment.
  • Do not leave cars running unattended.  Park your car.  Turn it off.  Set the brake. Lock it and take the keys with you.

Please remember that everything we ask of you is for the safety of our children and their families.

Avian Flu Awareness
and How You Can Help

On January 8th, the city of Austin shared a press release about the detection of avian flu in our area. As concerns grow about what this means for humans, pets, and wildlife, we’ve put together a few simple guidelines to help keep everyone safe:

  • Avoid direct contact with sick or dead animals and their droppings, and please don’t bring sick wild animals into your home.
  • Keep your pets away from sick or dead animals and their waste.
  • For cat owners:
  • Keep your cats indoors.
  • Remove shoes before entering the home if you’ve been walking in areas with bird activity. There have been reports of cats getting sick from the avian flu.
  • Texas Parks and Wildlife, along with Travis Audubon, recommends taking down bird feeders and bird baths for now. These can encourage birds to gather, potentially spreading the disease. The virus can be passed through the saliva, mucus, and droppings of infected birds.

If you notice sick or dead poultry, please report it to the Texas Animal Health Commission anytime at 1-800-550-8242.

You can also help wildlife in a positive way! Consider planting native plants in your yard. These support local insects, which in turn provide food for birds, especially during migration and breeding season. During spring, when water is plentiful, keep bird baths dry. But when the dry season hits, cleaning your bird bath regularly will help stop the spread of disease.

Also, if you’re interested in purchasing native plants for your yard, be sure to visit the Native Plant Sale at the Pioneer Festival on Saturday, April 26 from noon to 5:00pm!

Thank you for helping protect our birds and the environment!

Jill Douglass | Wells Branch Wild Conservancy
wellsbranchwild.org | 512-293-9022

Get Your Emergency Preparation Supplies Sales Tax Free April 26-28

Natural disasters will continue to happen and they come with little notice. Prepare yourself, your family and your pets, stock or re-stock during the 2025 Sales Tax Holiday just for these supplies. There is no limit on the number of qualifying items you can purchase.

This year’s holiday begins at 12:01 a.m. on Saturday, April 26, and ends at midnight on Monday, April 28. These emergency preparation supplies qualify for tax exemption: Continue reading Get Your Emergency Preparation Supplies Sales Tax Free April 26-28 →

WBNA 2025 Arts at the Library Crafter’s Market Place Program Update

Saturday, September 27 | 10am-3pm

The 2024 WBNA Arts at the Library program was  heralded as a complete success by vendors and   community members. Many friends and neighbors stopped by the WBNA information booth to thank us for hosting a truly “community-based” pop-up marketplace. We are reaching out early so our vendors can plan ahead. Please email: info@wbna.us    if you are interested in participating in the 2025 event or have any questions.

Nearly 40 vendors signed up last year, most living in Wells Branch! Each artist or crafter brought something unique to the market. Price points ranged from $1 so even the youngest child could have the thrill of discovering a true treasure and up to $100 or more for larger, beautiful hand crafted wooden or glass items. Pottery, jewelry, textiles, plant based products, and personal care items such as soaps and lotions were all on display. A truly an amazing range of unique creations!

SPECIAL EVENT NOTE: This annual event is typically held on the 4th Saturday in September. There are several reasons for this date including weather, run up to the holidays and limited outside event venues. So, we are looking at September 27, 2025. HOWEVER, there may be a conflict due to the upcoming construction project at the library.  We are seeking alternatives.

We are requesting that anyone interested in participating to please use the Early Bird” sign up sheet to reserve a space. No money will be collected until we have finalized the venue.

SIGN UP: https://tinyurl.com/2025-AATL-Market

2025 will mark the 3rd annual WB Crafter’s Marketplace. The WBNA team is currently working to finalize this year’s venue. The WBNA team would like to sincerely thank Donita Ward, WB Library Director, the WB Library Board of Trustees and the library staff for allowing us to use their facilities in the past.

Hello WB Cultural Hosts,

First, I would like to extend a sincere thank you to each community member who committed to participating in the 2025 Wells Branch Cultural Diversity Fair. It is with deep regret and after careful consideration that the event committee has taken the decision to cancel the event this year. Continue reading Cancelled: WB CDF 2025 →

New Year, New Board, New Beginnings

Hello Neighbors! Some of you may know me as Bekah the Elf, some of you may recognize me as the lady who talks on the mic at the Easter event with an energy drink in hand, and a few of you may just remember me as ‘the eldest’ of the Wachholz clan. For those of you I haven’t met, my name is Rebekah Wachholz, and I’m honored to have been selected to take the mantle of acting WBNA president this year.

My family moved to Wells Branch in 1993 and growing up I was very lucky to have an incredible mom to look up to as a pillar in the community who volunteered for pretty much every neighborhood board that existed. I remember going to all the community events, going door to door delivering the newsletters out of a red flyer wagon, selling snow cones at Fourth Fest with the Girl Scouts, winning the fishing competition at Mills Pond, competing in the Armada, being on the soccer team (the purple uniforms were fire), and countless fireworks shows. Most of my childhood was spent at the WB community events, pool, fields, or library. Continue reading New Year, New Board, New Beginnings →

Wells Branch Wild Conservancy
– Invasive Plants

Invasive plants aren’t native to the areas they live in, and they can disrupt local ecosystems by crowding out native plants. Our local wildlife depends on native plants, so it’s important we protect them! To learn more about invasive plants, join Cliff Tyllick for a presentation at the Wells Branch Recreation Center (3000 Shoreline Drive) on Saturday, February 8, at 9 a.m. I hope to see you there!

What’s Escaping Your Landscape? by Cliff Tyllick

Everyone in Wells Branch can pitch in to help control invasive species! Here are some simple ways you can get involved: Continue reading Wells Branch Wild Conservancy – Invasive Plants →