BHNA News Blog

St. Mark's Episcopal Church Fall Festival Sat. Oct. 18, 9 AM-4 PM

2008-10-06T17:26:00.007-05:00

St. Mark's invites you to their annual Fall Festival, featuring over 40 vendors selling handmade arts & crafts, plus homemade treats, Silent Auction, door prizes, wine toss and much more.

Kids' activities include a petting zoo, pumpkin patch, bouncy house, balloon artist, games and face painting. Proceeds benefit church and outreach programs. FREE Admission! 2128 Barton Hills Drive. For more information, call the church at 444-1449.

Greenbelt Guardians Work Day Saturday, Oct. 18, 9 AM-1 PM

2008-10-06T12:23:00.003-05:00

The season has turned and it's time to go love on our greenbelt again! It will be wonderful working in cooler weather. Hopefully there will be some rain before then, to perk up the wilted vegetation. It is amazingly hardy, and usually shows immediate appreciation after rain events.

We are going to work on the Gus Fruh trail this time, located at 2642 Barton Hills Drive. We will begin with sign-ins and task instructions and a jump-start Maria?s taco treat at 9:00, and work until 1:00. We have tasks for all ages and skill levels, and for those who can just stay part-time. We provide all of the necessary tools and supplies. You just need to come wearing proper clothing (long sleeves and pants and closed-toe shoes) and a readiness to team up and work with others who want to give back to the greenbelt.

The wall building crew is avid to continue their work down by the swimming hole. We will need lots of hands there to gather and place and mortar rocks. We also want to gather and stockpile some flat stones that can serve as steppers up a slippery slope (when it?s wet) that connects with the main trail on the other side of the creek from the stone wall. As always, we will be doing ligustrum and nandina removal, and arranging the removed branches and trunks into windrows. The area by the trail entry needs some weeding, and a few of the drain swales along the side of the trail need to be cleared of debris.

The trail resurfacing that we did last spring is holding up very well. Come on out and enjoy a beautiful day in the woods with us.

Please RSVP so we will know how many to prepare for.

Glee Ingram
Greenbelt Guardian Coordinator
(512) 443-7522
gleeful@earthlink.net

St. Mark's Day School service opportunity

2008-08-18T11:10:00.002-05:00

Dear Barton Hills residents,

The playground at St. Mark's Episcopal Day School (2128 Barton Hills Drive) will soon be undergoing renovations to update equipment, improve usability, take greater advantage of the natural amenities, and to bring it up to date with the state of Texas licensing codes.

We are seeking volunteers for this Saturday, August 23, at 9am and on Saturday, Sept. 6 at 8:30am to do hand labor, covering some demolition and site clean up. A construction manager will guide us during these volunteer hours. There will be plenty of work to do for all levels of experience.

St. Mark's has played a role in so many lives here in Barton Hills, through the church and pre-school, as a meeting hall, and a place for our support groups, music and language lessons, and Scout troops. A few hours of your time on either or both of these days will help greatly in getting the job done and in extending the budget this non- profit school has allocated for this initiative.

Please contact me if you plan to come, as we want to plan resources appropriately. Childcare will be provided on both days, as long as you give me advance notice of your attendance.

Thanks so much!
Sarah Boyd
sarahboyd2020@yahoo.com

Greenbelt Guardian Work Day Saturday, July 19

2008-07-18T12:47:00.003-05:00

Dear Greenbelt Guardians,

This is a confirmation that we are on "GO" on our trail work day, tomorrow, Saturday, July 19 from 8:00am to noon. We will meet up at the Homedale Trail entry, 2010 Homedale Drive. We will provide all of the work tools, team leaders and tasks, plus energy food and snacks.

Please wear long pants and closed-toe shoes for protection. It would be a good idea to wear a sun hat, and bring a personal water bottle to keep with you. We will have water refills and energy drinks. At this point, we are expecting about 35 people ? if you have not yet RSVP?d, please do so quickly so we can assure that we have plenty of supplies and surprises (Austin Parks Foundation is bringing a ?thank you? gift for each person that will be the envy of your friends and family...).

We?re looking forward to another great work day ? see you there.

Glee Ingram
Greenbelt Guardian Coordinator
(512) 443-7522
gleeful@earthlink.net

July 4 Parade Update

2008-07-03T01:14:00.001-05:00

Just wanted to send out an update on Friday's parade:

Weather.com is calling for 30% chance of isolated thunderstorms on Friday. The parade will be cancelled if there is heavy rain/lightning at start time. Parade start location is at the Barton Hills Market. Gather starting at 8:30 for a 9 am start time.

We will have access to the school restrooms this year-which is fabulous news-so a big thank you to Barton Hills Elementary for sharing their building with us. Please keep it as clean and neat as possible, as one of the school custodians will be spending her July 4th with us and we don't want to overburden her.

I believe we might have a wonderful singer for our National Anthem but I don't want to announce it until I have confirmed with her. It will be terrific for us if she says yes.

I am also happy to announce that we will have special guests joining us on Friday morning: the staff of the Barton Hills Mobil will be taking part in the parade and picnic so please come and say goodbye to our good friends!

In addition to all the watermelon, cookies and brownies we will be offering, Jim-Jim's will be back with his delicious fruit ices so bring some cash for a tasty treat! We will have Run-Tex water jugs again this year but feel free to bring your own reusable water bottle as well. Let's try to cut down on waste as much as possible.

At the picnic, we will be welcoming local non-profits including Animal Trustees of Austin and Care Communities. And as he did last year, Travis County Constable Richard McCain will be offering Child ID packets.

Finally, please remember to bring non-perishable food to donate to the Capital Area Food Bank. What better way to honor our country's birthday than to help the less fortunate right here in our own community? And if any of you can help take the food boxes to the food pantry, even better.

Thanks to all the volunteers who have been working hard behind the scenes. Your neighborhood appreciates you very much!!

Kimberly White Erlinger
VP, Barton Hills Neighborhood Association

July 4 Parade Volunteers Needed

2008-06-12T22:25:00.005-05:00

Hello Friends and Neighbors,

As promised, I am back to ask/pester/beg for your help with our July 4th parade!

Even if you will be out of town that day, we can use your help. It is such a fun day and if you can't volunteer, please make sure you decorate your bikes, your kids' bikes, your dog, your hamster, whatever you feel like showing off!

To make it easy, I am going to list what we need specific help with-we appreciate anything you can do to make this a great parade!

Thanks so much!

1. A terrific (or at least enthusiastic) singer(s) to sing the National Anthem at the school. We'll have an a/v system for you.

2. People who can definitely bring a watermelon and/or 1-2 dozen cookies. (Yes, they can be store-bought. )

3. 3-4 people who can be judges for the parade decorations and/or games. We have one judge already.

4. Someone to buy and fill up balloons for the water balloon toss game. (And be a judge, if you can!)

5. 2-3 people to show up to the BH park around 8 am to help tie balloons around the park. We already have some neighbors committed to this but I know they would appreciate your help!

6. Someone to buy, fill and set up pinatas and bring bats or sticks (one pinatas for little kids, one for bigger kids) and monitor the pinata-smashing.

7. As many people as possible to help clean up the playground after the picnic.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Please forward this to neighbors who might not be on the list--

Kimber

Kimberly White Erlinger
VP, Barton Hills Neighborhood Association
Group Moderator

Special Meeting called for Tuesday, May 27

2008-05-23T12:43:00.004-05:00

Our neighbors at The Terrace would like some feedback on changes made to their planned development. Therefore, I am calling a special meeting to be held on Tuesday, May 27, at St. Mark's Church. The meeting will be from 7 - 8:30.

Eddie Torres
BHNA President
matterhorneddie@yahoo.com

April newsletter now online

2008-04-20T21:17:00.003-05:00

The April, 2008 edition of the Barton Hills News is now available online for your reading pleasure. Articles include the President's Message (including the agenda for our upcoming April 22 General Meeting), notice of Salvation Army pickup dates, Austin Neighborhood Council Roundup, Greenbelt Guardian Report, local real estate information, status of the Neighborhood Planning process, and more.

Previous editions of the newsletter (all the way back to 1998) are available on the Newsletters page of our web site.

More volunteers needed for April 12 Trail Workday

2008-04-06T13:21:00.003-05:00

Greenbelt Fans,

We need some more volunteers for our work day scheduled for next Saturday, April 12, from 9-1. We will be working at both Gus Fruh Trail (2642 Barton Hills Drive) and Homedale Trail (2010 Homedale Drive). We are hoping for an enthusiastic turnout to help show our support for the city-wide "It?s My Park Day" event sponsored by the Austin Parks Foundation. Plus, as always, we?ve got plenty to do to help take care of our much-love and used greenbelt trails. And, what could be more fun than working alongside friends and neighbors in the bloom of spring in our urban wilderness park?

Please RSVP if you can help. Let us know which trail you want to work on. Also, register on the Austin Parks Foundation website (www.austinparks.org), so they can know how many event tee-shirts and snacks to provide in support of this work day.

Plan to wear trail work clothes (long sleeves and pants and closed-toe shoes). We provide the tools, instructions, team leaders and snacks. And fun.

Glee Ingram
Greenbelt Guardian Coordinator
(512) 443-7522
gleeful@earthlink.net

IT'S MY PARK DAY EVENT: Saturday, April 12, 9-1

2008-03-31T03:27:00.002-05:00

Greenbelt Trail Lovers:

We are gearing up for our fifth annual "It's My Park Day" event, sponsored by the Austin Parks Foundation. On Saturday, April 12, from 9-1, we will join volunteers from all around the city who will be working to improve their neighborhood parks. The Greenbelt Guardians are sponsoring projects at both the Gus Fruh Trail and the Homedale Trail for this event. To sign up, please do two things:

1) rsvp directly to this email, stating which trail you wish to work on, and
2) also register at the Austin Parks Foundation website, for either the Barton Creek Homedale Trail or the Gus Fruh Trail. The Austin Parks Foundation will use these registrations to determine how many of what size free tee-shirts to provide, plus the quantity of snack foods needed to keep us all happily productive.

The Gus Fruh team will be hauling granite, spreading and packing it, on the top portion of the trail, to complete the trail resurfacing project. They will also remove invasive ligustrum and nandina plants along the creekside trail, and organize the debris into erosion control windrows. There are also a couple of cedar rails to repair and some stockpiling of stones near the retaining wall project by the swimming hole, plus trash pick-up.

The Homedale team will doing some more regrading of the entry trail, to direct the water flow across the trail instead of down the middle. We also have some selective weeding to do in the trail entry bed, pulling the ragweed and leaving the sunflowers. There are stumps to remove and rubble rock clearing on the switchback trail. In the new clearing by the creekside, there are still plenty of ligustrum to wrestle out of the ground and restoration activities to do in our research plot. Lots of people have been partying and leaving their beer cans, bottles, and snack food wrappers behind ? we've got "picker-uppers" and trash sacks for the trash collectors.

We hope to have a big showing for this very festive occasion. Plants are leafing out and blooming, sweet scents are wafting in the air. Come out and celebrate the greenbelt with us!

Glee Ingram
Greenbelt Guardian Coordinator
gleeful@earthlink.net

Greenbelt Security Intitiatives and Protocols

2008-03-20T11:29:00.003-05:00

Concerned Neighbors:

Our Greenbelt Guardian Ad Hoc Security Committee has been working with members of the Austin Parks Police, the COA-Austin Police Department (APD), the Parks Department, a City Council aide and assistant City Manager, to create more effective strategies to address the safety issues on the greenbelt. We all agree that there are some dangerous situations created with illegal encampments and fires and drunken behavior. The recent reportings of campfires on the greenbelt certainly serve to confirm these concerns. This report is intended to provide us all with the information we need to help keep us safer.

Glee Ingram
Greenbelt Guardian Coordinator

Police Initiatives on the Greenbelt
As a result of our meetings, the Parks Police and the City APD are initiating some coordinated policing efforts in the greenbelt area, especially near our two trail entries, with emphasis on the Spyglass/Homedale trail where the encampments and drunken gatherings on the rock flats got out of control last year.

On March 8, the Police Dept. released a Fox News video clip of a police raid conducted near the rock flats area. They announced a policy of ?no tolerance? for ignoring the ordinance prohibitions posted: No Alcohol or Illegal Drugs, No Glass Containers, No Campfires, No Camping, No Dogs Off Leash. Numerous citations were given during the raid.

For the month of March, both the Parks Police and the Austin Police in our Area Command are coordinating efforts for more intense patrolling. The Parks Police are going down into the greenbelt two to three times a week to issue tickets. The Austin Police are doing ?directed patrols? and establishing a ?pro-active police presence? on the streets near Homedale and Spyglass, to monitor for alcoholic beverages being taken down into the greenbelt and for drunken driving upon leaving the park.

During this period, the Parks Police is sending weekly reports of their activities and findings to our Ad Hoc Security Committee. To further respond to our concerns, the Parks Police Chief and our APD Area Commander will attend the April BHNA meeting to answer questions and discuss policy and problems.

Our Role: Observe, Report, and Follow-Up
Our meetings with the police and city staff have helped clarify ways in which we in the neighborhood can more effectively communicate and coordinate with the two different policing authorities. We have an important role to play. Because so many of us frequent the greenbelt, we can multiply the ?eyes and ears? that notice problems, and report them to the appropriate authorities, and follow-up to see if the problems were resolved.

Protocol to Report Problems
The Parks Police is our contact for all non-emergency greenbelt safety or security problems. Call 311 to report these ?non-emergencies with a low need rating? which allows a two hour time frame to respond. Because the 311 number is a ?work in progress? in the City?s communications system, be sure to give your name and telephone number to the operator and ask for a CADD number for your report, so that you can follow-up to see what action was taken.

Call 911 for any current or imminent emergency, such as an ongoing fire, or an active encampment with evidence of a fire pit, or drunken and threatening behavior, or an injury. The 911 number gets directed to either the Fire Department or the COA-APD, depending on the problem being reported. Again, be sure to ask for a CADD number for your report so you can follow-up to find out what the response was.

Part of our neighborhood frustration has been the feeling that we are speaking into a dark void when we call in reports, with no assurance that our message was heard or responded to. It is important that we create an active feedback and communications loop when we report problems. With the CADD number, we will be able to track what action was taken.

Back-up Reporting:
The Parks Police Department has given us an additional communication tool to complement the 311 and 911 reporting system. We can email directly to the Parks Police with a description of the problem(s) we wish to report. These emails are read each morning and afternoon. The email address is: parkpolice@ci.austin.tx.us. Having this supplemental communication tool will give us more direct control over the language used to describe the ?who, what, when, where? that we wish to report, and will assure that the Parks Police is fully aware of the problems being reported to 311 and 911.

We also think it is important to keep our District 2 COA-APD Officer abreast of the problems that we are reporting in the greenbelt. Our current contact person is Duke Kinley His contact information is: dwayne.kinley@ci.austin.tx.us and 974-4281.

It is also helpful to post the problems reported on our bhna listserve, to keep us all abreast of the kinds of problems being reported and the responses made to them.

Locating the Problem:
Since there are no ?street addresses? on the greenbelt, we have some challenges in describing the exact location of the problem being reported. To start, we should identify the nearest trail access address. Following are the street addresses for all of the greenbelt trail access points:

Homedale Access: 2101 Homedale Dr.
Gus Fruh Access: 2642 Barton Hills Dr.
Spyglass Access: 1500 Spyglass Dr.
360 Access: 3456-B Capitol of Texas
Gaines Creek Access: 3900 Frontage Mopac
Trails End/?Hill of Life? Access: 1710 Camp Craft Rd.

We can further refine our location descriptions by referring to the Fire Department Map and/or the Austin PARD Barton Creek Greenbelt map with its location descriptions (the flats, urban assault wall, etc.). These maps will be posted on our BHNA website for reference. We will be working further with the police to establish a common map of reference.

City Training for Neighborhood Watch:
The COA-APD holds a Neighborhood Watch Training session every second Tuesday of the months during the year, from 6:30 ? 8:00 pm. These meetings help train people for what to watch for and how to communicate with the police, etc. They allow lots of questions and discussion for ways to improve the safety in our neighborhoods. The meetings are held at the South Substation at 404 Ralph Ablenado Drive, near Slaughter and South First.

Close Collaboration Can Make a Difference:
Very recently our neighbor Johnny Barnett was taking a walk and noticed the smell of cedar wood burning in the warm evening air. The wood choice and the weather contraindicated a fireplace as the source. He tracked the smell down into the greenbelt and saw a group of campers gathered around a fire.

He hiked back up the hill, called 911, reported the fire, and volunteered to meet the firefighters at the Homedale trail entry. Within ten minutes the firefighters arrived and donned their fire coats, which they filled with water, then trekked down the trail and put out the fire. The Parks Police also arrived shortly and issued numerous citations for illegal camping and drinking. We all benefited greatly from this timely and coordinated set of actions.

Special "Terrace" Development Meeting Thursday, March 6

2008-03-04T00:32:00.004-06:00

Neighbors,

Respecting the motion from our last general meeting, I am calling a special meeting to discuss The Terrace development. The meeting will be held in the cafeteria of Barton Hills Elementary, March 6, from 7 p.m to 8:30 p.m.

IMPORTANT
This is a single-item agenda to discuss The Terrace.
Peter Hess will lead the meeting.
We will not serve food.

Eddie Torres
2008 BHNA President

Dear Neighbors,

In preparation of the upcoming special meeting to discuss the Terrace PUD, I updated the web page with the Terrace PUD documentation, and I uploaded a large number of images since I contacted you last about this: http://www.flickr.com/photos/22547731@N04/sets/

There are now three different sets of pictures; all of them include maps:

(1) "Terrace PUD: The Project:" Here, I am documenting the project and its impact on the Barton Hills Neighborhood.

(2) "Terrace PUD: Impact on Barton Creek and Greenbelt:" Here, I am documenting the impact of the proposed site plan (with two 200+ foot highrises) on Barton Creek and the Greenbelt. At the end of this set, I include some 3D views from Google Earth.

(3) "Greenbelt Views (provided by The Terrace):" This section contains projections provided to us by the developers of The Terrace. I just uploaded this set today.

You should be able to see a larger version of each picture, and you will be able to download the pictures as well.

As I am not sure yet if we will be able to make use of a projector at the meeting, I ask you to look at the documentation carefully before the meeting. Eddie Torres, the BHNA president, called the special meeting to discuss The Terrace for Thursday, March 6, from 7 p.m to 8:30 p.m., in the cafeteria of Barton Hills Elementary.

Best,
Peter Hess

Help prevent the spread of Oak Wilt in Barton Hills

2008-02-26T21:22:00.002-06:00

Proper pruning
DO NOT PRUNE OAKS during February through June (carrier beetle peak activity season)
Sterilize tools with bleach or alcohol (Clorox, Lysol, etc.)
Employ certified arborists and their firms (avoid scam artists)

Proper wound treatment
Immediately paint wounds with pruning paint or latex paint
Carrier beetles may be attracted within 15 minutes to untreated cuts or wounds

Proper firewood usage
Select well seasoned firewood (unseasoned wood might be contaminated)
Select Oak Wilt free firewood (no fungal mat contamination)

Monitor utility easement clearing activities
Review project with city project manager
Inspect actual work for equipment sterilization and wound treatment

Plant trees other than Live Oaks or Red Oaks
(see ?Trees of Central Texas? recommendation listing)

CONTAINMENT TECHNIQUES

Trenching
Digging trench to bed rock
These are major neighborhood projects costing about $100,000 each

Infected tree injection
Recommend contracting with a Texas Oak Wilt Certified Arborist (TOWC arborist)
See http://www.texasoakwilt.org/Vendors/certified_vendor.asp
Recommend ?macro injection?

Infected tree removal
Recommend contracting a Certified Arborist or Board Certified Master Arborist
Red Oaks must be quickly removed to prevent fungal mat risk (Austin City Ordinance)

EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES and CONTACTS

http://www.texasoakwilt.org (all your Oak Wilt questions)
http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/oakwilt/ (City of Austin Oak Wilt Suppression Program)
http://www.treesaregood.com/ (general)
http://www.isa-arbor.com/findArborist/findarborist.aspx (area arborists)
http://www.texasoakwilt.org/Vendors/certified_vendor.asp (Texas Oak Wilt Certified Arborists)
http://texastreeplanting.tamu.edu/ (tree selection guide)

Oak Wilt Information Line (Texas Forest Service and LCRA) 512 473-3517
City of Austin, Chris Dolan 512 974-1881
Texas Staff Forester, Eric Beckers 512 339-3772
Texas Staff Forester, Jim Houser 512 339-4589

Greenbelt Guardian Workday, Saturday, Feb. 9, Gus Fruh and Homedale Trails

2008-01-23T19:01:00.000-06:00

The Greenbelt Guardians are planning another work day on the Barton Creek greenbelt on Saturday, February 9, from 9:00 � 1:00. We will be working on two different trails: Gus Fruh trail, at 2642 Barton Hills Drive, and Homedale trail, at 2010 Homedale Drive.

For those interested in trail repair and maintenance, please come help at the Gus Fruh trail. We will be resurfacing eroded portions of the switchback trail with a new, longer-lasting surface consisting of granite mixed with a polymer hardening agent. We will need lots of strong hands and backs to haul the materials down the trail and spread, grade, and pack it. We anticipate this new surface will last many years without rutting or eroding. Come prepared with work shoes and gloves, and if you have a wheelbarrow to share, we need extra ones. Otherwise, we provide all of the work tools.

For those interested in invasive species removal and revegetation planting and seeding, we need your help at the Homedale trail. We will also be removing some old barbed wire fencing that snakes through our newly Ligustrum-cleared area. The wire is a remnant of Texas ranch history, there so long that it is growing through the middle of a large tree. Bring your work gloves and wear work shoes for scrambling in vine-tangled areas. We will provide all of the other tools and supplies.

Please RSVP so we can be properly prepared. When you RSVP, indicate which trail you want to work on. There will be sign-in tables at both trail heads, and team leaders to provide guidance. Let's all think "clear and sunny" for the work day! IF we have a rainy, cold day on February 9, our back-up work day will be Saturday, February 16. We look forward to working with you.

Glee Ingram
Greenbelt Guardian Coordinator
gleeful@earthlink.net

BHNA Jan. 22 Meeting Agenda

2008-01-19T23:25:00.000-06:00

Tuesday, January 22, 2008, 7:00 PM�

(Dinner at 6:00 PM)
St. Mark's Episcopal Church�

(Corner of Barton Hills Dr. and Barton Skyway)

Meeting Agenda

Welcome
Introduction of Executive Committee
Approval of Minutes
Treasurer?s Report
Greenbelt Guardians
Park Patrol
Candidates for office
2008 Parade Coordinator
Open forum
Motion to adjourn

We extend a warm invitation for all in Barton Hills to join us on January 22 at 6:00 pm for our Social/Dinner hour. We can promise plenty of good food and a terrific opportunity to catch up with your neighbors.

Please remember: we order food based on attendance expectations so once the food is gone, it's gone, so try to arrive as close to 6:00 pm as possible. Dinner is only $6.00 per person, which covers hot pizza, pasta or green salad, dessert and a drink. This menu is subject to change if our friends at Rockin' Tomato have something new they would like to share, but it will always be fantastic.

The Barton Hills Neighborhood Association social hour is a wonderful time to enjoy great food, meet new neighbors and catch up on the local buzz. We look forward to seeing you on January 22 at 6:00 pm!

Greenbelt Guardian Workday Sat. Oct 20, 9 AM-1 PM, Homedale Trail

2007-10-14T18:40:00.000-05:00

Hello Greenbelt Fans:

We are looking forward to our fall work day on the greenbelt. This coming Saturday, October 20, from 9 ? 1, we will be working on the Homedale Trail. It is located at 2010 Homedale Drive, directly behind Barton Hills Elementary School. We hope to have a good turn out and lovely fall weather.

The wondrous rains this summer created rampant growth in the greenbelt, with lots of it crowding the trail. We will be weeding, pruning, thinning, and weed-eating. It will be important to wear long sleeves and pants to avoid any rogue poison ivy and allergic reaction to the 10?-15? Ragweed we will be removing.

We will also have another major ligustrum and nandina removal effort, to expand the clearing work done by the creek this summer. We?ll create more recycled branch windrows near the creek to reduce erosion from the cleared areas, and we will also be planting some native understory plants to stabilize the soil in these newly ?liberated? spaces.

We?ve got some trail areas that need to be regraded for positive drainage flow and a steep area that needs some security enhancements in the form of an improved handrail and a few stepping stones (to take the place of the hazardous ?slippery slope? ). I?m sure the trash gatherers will be well rewarded with lots of cans and bottles and other finds.

Please RSVP if you can come, so we can assure that we have plenty of breakfast tacos on hand to energize the work day. Thanks!

Glee Ingram
Greenbelt Guardian Coordinator
gleeful@earthlink.net

St. Mark's Episcopal Day School Annual Fiesta

2007-09-18T19:49:00.000-05:00

Volunteers at St. Mark's are planning the preschool's annual Fiesta Silent Auction fundraiser on Thursday, October 25, and they are asking for all their neighbors' help:

1. Donate a product or service to be auctioned off. Donations to the auction are tax-deductible, and your name/ your company's name will be listed in the church and school updates and newsletters as a supporter of the fundraiser. Many local area businesses donate their products and services and benefit from the exposure to hundreds of parents and auction attendees. If you would like to donate, please contact Sarah Boyd for more information: sarahboyd2020@yahoo.com.

2. Sponsor the Fiesta. Individuals can support the Fiesta, too, and are recognized in the Fiesta program. Individual sponsors can select one of four sponsorship levels: $250, $100, $50, or $25. Contact Jill Ivie to become a sponsor: Jill Ivie at jill.ivie@gmail.com.

3. Attend the auction on Thursday, October 25, from 6:30-9 p.m. As a neighbor of St. Mark's, you are invited to attend the auction! Ticket price is $10 per person and includes dinner, lots of great company, live music, full fiesta ambience, and, of course, the fun of participating in the auction! Find a babysitter now and contact Jill Ivie to purchase tickets: jill.ivie@gmail.com.

St. Mark's thanks you for your continued support!

Sarah Boyd

Call for Volunteers

2007-08-28T12:39:00.000-05:00

Hello Everyone,

The executive committee hopes to present for a vote next year's officers during the October general meeting. This note, therefore, is a request for volunteers. We need to fill all positions: President, Vice President, Community Partnerships Coordinator, Recording Secretary, Corresponding Secretary, Treasurer, and Delegate to the Austin Neighborhood Council. These positions must be filled from our membership. Please see our bylaws for descriptions.

We do have a partial ballot. I will be running for President and Clay Boulware will remain as Delegate to the ANC. Kimberly White Erlinger would like to vacate her position as Recording Secretary.

Please take time to consider volunteering and please contact me as soon as possible so that we can publish candidates in the next newsletter.

Yours in Service,
Eddie Torres, Vice President
matterhorneddie@yahoo.com

PARADE TIME -- It's HERE! Tomorrow, Wed., July 4, 2007

2007-07-03T12:51:00.000-05:00

Hello Barton Hills neighbors,

It's time for THE Austin Parade!!!

Okay, everyone please hold strong thoughts for clear blue Texas skies!

The parade WILL GO ON, unless there is a "downpour of rain" at parade start. We've only been rained out once (?), and last year the rain waited until after our celebration. I'm sure there's no way it will "rain on our parade" on this special fun day!

Here's the plan:
EVERYONE who can HELP...PLEASE drop by the playground between 7:30 and 8:00 to help set up tables, blow up balloons and decorate the playground...it's a fun and a brief task when everyone pitches in! You'll be finished in time for the parade!

Art Stone is icing down the melons...if you need to contact him, dial 461-7960, and Lisa Fehrenkamp will need help cutting and setting out watermelons, she can be reached at 444-3211 and lisafehrenkamp@yahoo.com.

Cookies, brownies and watermelons...oh, my! MANY THANKS to all the individuals who have volunteered to bring cookies & brownies...and watermelons! It will be worth the parade just to enjoy all the fresh-baked goodies & tasty sweet watermelons after our march! If you've not already made arrangements with Lisa, please bring your sweets to the playground before the parade.

WATER
Many thanks to RunTex for providing 'worry-free' iced water! It's through their contribution we'll have plenty of water this year! And for four-legged critters too---look for several dog bowls for the pups!

PARADE MARCH
In addition to the 2 previous email blasts sent with parade updates, the parade line up will again feature the flags and color guards of our local scout troops: 11, 14 and 17. Please welcome these scouts and give them our support! ALSO, if you know scout troops and individuals who would like to participate, invite them, and please forward this email to them.

Following the scouts we'll have the sound truck and PA system playing all things John Phillip Sousa, driven again by long-time Barton Hills resident, Art Stone.

Besides all the wonderful vintage vehicles, which have become a part of our parade, along with decorated people, pets and paraphernalia, we're also fortunate to have talented neighbor and songwriter, Sarah Hickman, who will be singing from atop the Daemmrich float, where neighbors are invited to write their fond recollections of Barton Hills on one side of the billboard, and patriotic remembrances of the U.S.A. on the other. We anticipate sending these paper scrolls, along with BHNA parade photos, to our service men & women overseas.

Also, the firemen of Station #11 have been invited to the ceremonies, and park their fire truck along the curb at the playground for all to enjoy, if for a brief time. Please welcome them and offer some refreshments!

And just a reminder, Jim-Jim's Water Ice is again planning to set up at the playground, so bring your wallet!

PARADE FLOATS
If anyone is planning to drive a vehicle in the parade and haven't told me, please let me know, as I'm finalizing the line-up today! Yes, there really is an order to the march!

SPONSORS
Again, our thanks go to our sponsors for their support of Barton Hills! Without their financial support we would have to take money from our neighborhood fund to pay for this annual event, and we would not be able to provide the 'little things' that make our parade special. Please personally thank: RunTex, La Feria Restaurant, Wells Fargo Bank, Barton Hills Market and Rockin' Tomato for their contributions!

Thanks, Barton Hills, for your support and enthusiasm for this fun annual event! If you're not already involved in the PARADE ACTION...WHAT are you waiting for?!?

Questions? Please call (leave msg) or write me!

SEE YOU TOMORROW MORNING!!
Now, let's see...what patriotic HAT to wear tomorrow!?

Kay Killen
bhnaparade2007@yahoo.com
Parade Coordinator
512-447-4287

Greenbelt Guardian Workday, Gus Fruh Trail, Saturday 7/7, 9 AM

2007-07-03T12:39:00.001-05:00

Hardy Greenbelt Guardians:

The weather forecasters have boldly predicted SUN by the week-end! Come on out to our work day at Gus Fruh trail and melt some of the mold out of your system. We�ve got lots to do -� the rains have supported vegetative overgrowth into the trails, and new stellar heights for the invasive species, and new erosion ruts on the trail.

We will meet at 9:00 a.m. at the Gus Fruh trail head, 2642 Barton Hills Dr., and will work until noon. We plan to have some nutritious breakfast tacos to start the day, and will have energy drinks to sustain us. We will have all of the tools and instructions for tasks at the trailhead.

Please wear long pants and close-toed shoes, and if you can manage it, long sleeves. It would help if you bring your own water bottle and work gloves. We have poison ivy protection lotion and mosquito repellant spray. Check the following website for exact directions: 2642 Barton Hills Drive

Please RSVP so we will have plenty of food and tools on site for everyone. You might want to plan to jump in the creek after we�re done � an intrinsic reward for your hard work.

Thanks!

Glee Ingram
Greenbelt Guardian Coordinator

2007 Parade Sponsors Rock! Please Support Them!

2007-06-28T17:26:00.000-05:00

Hello Barton Hills Neighbors,

The countdown has begun! Only 6 days remaining until the Barton Hills Neighborhood Independence Day Parade! Break out all things RED, WHITE, BLUE, STARS & STRIPES, AND DON'T FORGET JOHN PHILLIP SOUSA!!!

I wish to announce to everyone who missed the Tuesday night neighborhood meeting that we have new sponsors onboard for Parade 2007. These neighborhood businesses are showing their support of our residents and neighborhood by donating to the success of our Annual July 4th parade, so please support their businesses and be sure to visit, say hi, and thank them personally for their support of Barton Hills!

This year we are pleased to welcome RunTex as a premier sponsor in helping underwrite our parade. Look for their Igloos of iced water at parade's end. Contact RunTex and store manager, David Moody at 420 W. Riverside Dr., 472-3257. Many thanks to owner Paul Carrozza and the RunTex team for their support, and to neighbors, Eddie Torres and Jill Johnson for making our introductions!

La Feria Mexican food restaurant has also come onboard this year to help underwrite expenses of Parade 2007. Owner Danial Estrada is very happy to support our neighborhood and looks forward welcoming everyone to his La Feria restaurant, one of four in Austin at 2010 S. Lamar; call the Lamar restaurant at 326-8301.

Wells Fargo Bank at 4001 South Lamar, has again signed on to support the BHNA Parade. Many thanks to Pete Longoria and the fine folks at Wells Fargo for supporting our neighborhood! Please all them at: 344-7000.

Rockin' Tomato is a fresh pizza, pasta, salad and more restaurant located at 3003 S. Lamar. Owner Jeff Mabry and his team have been catering the Barton Hills quarterly meetings this year to the delight of all meeting attendees. Call Rockin' Tomato at 447-3351 to place a to go order.

Barton Hills Market is a neighborhood treasure of a store and deli. For a variety of refreshments, meats, grocery, deli items and gifts, see Ali and Rafiq and their team at 1220 Barton Hill Drive or call 707-8656.

MANY THANKS TO OUR WONDERFUL SPONSORS!!
PLEASE BRING YOUR FAMILIES, FRIENDS AND EMPLOYEES TO THE BARTON HILLS NEIGHBORHOOD PARADE, JULY 4, 2007

PARADE SCHEDULE

8:30am - Muster at at Barton Hills Market
9:00am - Parade Start

March to Barton Hills Elementary School
Enjoy refreshments!

10:00am - Ceremonies begin

Games start after ceremonies

Kay Killen
BHNA Parade Coordinator 2007
512-447-4287

Rolling Stones money - Park Projects online

2007-06-28T17:05:00.000-05:00

Hello all -

Last night at the neighborhood meeting we distributed a packet describing proposals for the Greenbelt and the Neighborhood Park at Barton Hills and then discussed those proposals. Many thanks to Art Stone for printing the packets. The written information we distributed at the meeting is available online for those who were unable to attned the meeting. You can see the proposals at:

http://www.steckler.org/BHNA

Questions or comments about the proposals should be sent to clayboul@swbell.net

Clay Boulware
BHNA ANC Representative

Greenbelt Guardian Workday: Saturday, July 7, 9:00-Noon, Gus Fruh Entry

2007-06-25T12:22:00.000-05:00

Hello Greenbelt Fans,

The season has turned again, which means it is time for another work day in service of our adopted greenbelt trails. This is our summer season work day, which tests our mettle and qualifies us as ?true Texans? at the day?s end! The built-in enticement is that the creek is running, and we will be working in the wonderfully shaded trails of Gus Fruh, which are abundant with healthy growth from these recent rains.

We have tasks for: trail repair and edging work, drainage improvements, invasive plant removal, rabbit trail closures, and trash removal. Please come join us for a hearty taco start-up and convivial work with colleagues who share an appreciation of this wonderful place. Please RSVP so we can properly plan for the food, drink, and tool support. We look forward to working with you again.

For those volunteers who live in the Barton Hills neighborhood, we hope you will attend the Barton Hills Neighborhood Association meeting this Tuesday evening, the 28th, at 7:00 pm. We will be presenting our proposals for funding important work on our adopted greenbelt, with funds that the neighborhood received from the Stones Concert. The membership will have a chance to vote on projects for the greenbelt and/or projects for the school park at a special called meeting in August, date to be announced.

Thank you for your support, and we hope to see lots of you soon.

Glee Ingram
Greenbelt Guardian Coordinator
(512) 443-7522

Parade Update from the Chairman

2007-06-22T14:15:00.000-05:00

Hello Barton Hills Neighbors!

The BHNA Independence Day Parade 2007 is less than 12 short days away, so I hope everyone is pulling together your costumes, decorations and plans for this fun patriotic morning in Barton Hills!

UPDATES

HOWIE RICHEY, recent former long-time resident of Barton Hills, has agreed to join us again this year as MASTER OF CEREMONIES. Welcome back, Howie, it'll be great to see you again!

BARBARA WALDON, who grew up in Barton Hills and is the daughter of BHNA treasurer, Dave Kemptner, has agreed to lend her beautiful voice again to sing the National Anthem! Thank you, Barbara!

TROOP 17 Boy Scouts (Faith United Methodist Church) and PACK 14 Cub Scouts (Community of Christ Church) will again lead the Parade with the American and Texas flags and Color Guard. [ALL other Boy and Girl Scouts are encouraged to attend. [Please let Kay Killen know if you're coming!]

Travis County Sheriff's Department -- Richard McCain, Constable of our Precinct 3 will participate, along with several officers in the Parade, and later offer FINGERPRINTING of your children at the playground. Parents will have a card to take home with their child's fingerprints for safety and identification purposes. This is a free service and open to all. Look for their table at the playground.

Friends of Barton Springs Pool -- President Robin Cravey, along with several board members will be present to provide information on the upcoming renovations of Barton Springs Pool. Now's the time to sign up as a member in support of Austin's Crown Jewel!

Barton Hills Neighborhood Association -- If you have questions about membership and issues, please stop by the table at the playground, where members will be ready to sign up non-members! BRING YOUR CHECKBOOK for the mere $10 per year fee, and see how much you get for your investment!

Rockin' Tomato Restaurant - has again offered support to our parade and organizational committee as a sponsor. Look for Jeff Mabry's 1949 panel truck bought especially for our parade! Thanks, Jeff, you ROCK!

Barton Hills Market -- Ali and Team have again offered donations of ice to the parade's success. Thank you, Barton Hills Market, for your generosity and agreeing to be our PARADE START!

RESTROOM FACILITIES -- This year the playground is compromised with the construction occuring on at the Barton Hills Elementary playground. There will be ONE port-o-potty available for use on the playground.

INVITED GUESTS -- The Mayor, City Council Members, City Manager and new Police Chief have all been invited to attend and participate in our Parade. Stay tuned for updates!

SPECIAL INVITATION TO ALL VETERANS
I've not had such a big turnout of veterans to respond, so if you are a vet or KNOW veterans in the neighborhood, please let Kay Killen know so we may specially honor these vanguards of our freedoms!

PLEASE HELP WITH THESE OUTSTANDING ITEMS and NEEDS:

PARADE SPONSORSHIP STILL NEEDED -- A small investment pays off BIG TIME when you donate to the Barton Hills Parade! Your business name will be revered by all with your support of the neighborhood! If you've been waiting to commit, now's the time. Please call today!

Lisa Fehrenkamp will again coordinate the cookie/brownie and watermelon donations. Thanks, Lisa! Lisa says, "Folks can either bring their cookie donation the day of the parade, or they can leave them on the bench on my front porch at 1705 Cresthaven. For a watermelon donation, please bring the day of the parade." Lisa can be reached at: 444-3211 or lisafehrenkamp@yahoo.com.

COOKIES/BROWNIES --We have about 15 dozen cookies donated at this time. If you've been waiting to volunteer, please let me know if you will be bringing cookies/brownies to the playground. It will be great to have snacks for everyone!

WATERMELONS -- We have 4 watermelons donated. Can other people bring one/some?

JUDGES -- Ok friends, this is a fun fun job to identify those special red, white and blue decorating feats! We need some volunteers. Please call me this weekend! (447-4287)

GAMES -- Does anyone want to play games? We need several adults to supervise sack races, watermelon seed spitting, water balloon toss, bocce ball & washer toss.

Many thanks to all the people who have come forth every year to make our neighborhood parade THE BEST!!!! Please let me know if you can participate again this year!

See you soon at the Parade!

Kay Killen
BHNA Parade Coordinator 2007
512-447-4287

July 4th Parade - Invitation & Update

2007-06-05T13:21:00.000-05:00

Hello Barton Hills Neighbors!

It's that time again...

BARTON HILLS INDEPENDENCE DAY PARADE--WEDNESDAY, JULY 4TH, 2007
8:30 AM -- Parade line-up & muster
9:00 AM -- Parade Start
DEPART -- Barton Hills Market, 1220 Barton Hills Drive
ARRIVE -- Barton Hills Elementary Playground for Refreshments & Games

We're only a month away before THE day, so please help us out with some of the items, services and help needed listed below.

Everyone does a FANTASTIC job of pulling this parade together in short order, so PLEASE let me know TODAY what you'll be able to do, and THANKS AGAIN, for all your VOLUNTEERISM on behalf of the forever-fabulous Barton Hills Neighborhood!

PARADE UPDATE:

First, WE HAVE THE FIRE TRUCK this year! It's confirmed! Our FAVORITE FIREMEN will again bring up the rear of the parade in 2007! It's always a treat to have our friends from Fire Station #11-- Kinney Avenue--join us!

Jim-Jims Water Ice has agreed to sell refreshments again after the parade, so bring some spending money!

Also, as you already know, we have a wonderful new SUN SCREEN CANOPY over the basketball court at Barton Hills Elementary! Won't that be a blessing against the hot morning sunshine! Still, please remember to wear sunscreen, a hat & protective clothing, especially for young children.

HERE ARE YOUR OPPORTUNITIES:

NEEDED - !!! VOLUNTEERS * VOLUNTEERS * VOLUNTEERS * VOLUNTEERS * VOLUNTEERS !!!

SPONSORSHIPS--If you HAVE a business or KNOW a business who would like to support the Barton Hills Independence Day Parade 2007, please contact Kay Killen today.

BOY SCOUT & GIRL SCOUT TROUPS -- for Color Guard, American and Texas Flags, Pledge of Allegiance; ALL troops welcome!

SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS -- If you're a member of a special interest group, i.e. environmental, dance, running/biking/boarding/unicycle, gardening, etc., please sign up today to enroll your group in the parade! Are we ready for a 'riding lawnmower brigade'? What about an all-hybrid car group? Come on...show your colors!

JUDGES - Please let me know TODAY if you are interested in participating this year as a judge of all things red, white & blue!

VOLUNTEERS JULY 4th--

a) Playground Set-up 7:30am-9:00am. (8-10 people) needed to set-up tables, set out cookies/brownies, cut watermelons, prepare playground.

b) Playground Clean-up (8-10 people) ALL parade participants are asked to help pick-up and clean-up the playground; yet a focus group is perfect for fast action - please help! Get your children involved!

CONVERTIBLE CARS -- for VIP guests (If yours' is a vintage vehicle, please insure it won't overheat with the slow driving)

LARGE IGLOOS -- 6-7 needed for water/lemonade cantine

COOKIES & BROWNIES -- (20 dz) cut, and ready to go

WATERMELONS -- (8-10) prefer cold and ready to go. Will be cut on site.

ICE -- Barton Hills Market donates, and volunteer needs to pick up early morning on 4th.

DECORATION TEAM -- Need children & adults interested in decorating floats & vehicles for parade

BALLOONS / HELIUM -- a) Need one volunteer to pick up helium container on July 3. b) Need team of volunteers (3-4) to inflate and distribute balloons around playground @ 8:00am.

GAMES -- Leaders needed to coordinate: a) 2-person sack races, b) balloon toss , c) watermelon seed-spitting contests, d) bocce ball, 3) washer toss. This is really the FUN part, so please let me know if you can help!

TABLES -- Volunteer needed to pick up 6' tables from World of Rentals on 3rd, deliver to playground, and return on 5th.

THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU -- to EVERYONE who volunteers from year-to-year! We have EXCEPTIONAL neighbor volunteers... and this parade wouldn't happen without YOU!!! We do, however, need NEW people to STEP UP and HELP! This could be YOU! Are you NEW to the 'hood? Have you been WAITING to volunteer? Do you have a special TALENT to share? Please let me know your interest in participating! And if you have something BRAND NEW to offer, please tell me!

LET'S MAKE THIS JULY 4TH PARADE 2007 THE BEST EVER!!!

With bright visions of Stars, Stripes, and Red, White and Blue,

Kay Killen
Parade Coordinator 2007
512-447-4287 (leave message/phone #)