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GWW yard sale A group yard sale date has been set for Saturday, 31 May, here in Goldenwood West. Currently eleven households are signed up to participate, and it is not too late for others to join. This sale will be advertised in the Austin American Statesman and on Craig’s List the week before the sale (Thursday, 29 May, through Saturday morning). Each participating home will set up their sale items in their own driveway or yard, and shoppers will be directed to participating lots by a map posted at the mail station. Handout maps will also be available for shoppers to take with them. Residents wishing to be included on the map should contact Margaret Paine at margaret@zpgraphic.com. • Editor Local History: Cool Clear Water The pristine beauty that greeted early settlers in Hays County was rooted in its cool crystal-clear waters. Migratory Indians followed trails through it from one watering hole to the next. The first European settlers were also drawn to those thirst quenchers, building their cabins close to a good source of water for themselves and their livestock. But locating on the shady banks of a picture-perfect stream could lead to a rude awakening for those who did not yet understand the vagaries of the Texas climate. Many saw their homes torn from their foundations when gentle waters turned into gully washers. Draining much of north Hays County is Onion Creek. Its original Spanish name was Garrapatas (sheep tick). This rather nasty but undoubtedly apt name was later changed to Onion, supposedly because of the profusion of wild onions close to its confluence with the Colorado River. The creek has two main forks, the north originating in Blanco County. Along Creek Road just outside Dripping Springs, its shallow clear waters are punctuated by deeper pools which were perfect for baptizing the faithful until well into the 20th century. As it makes it way towards the Colorado and thence to the Gulf of Mexico, Onion Creek is fed by numerous streams originating from springs. The unimaginatively named Spring Creek that we cross every time we head to FM 1826 feeds into Little Bear Creek and Bear Creek before joining Onion Creek. The source of these springs is rainwater that has percolated through the porous limestone of the Edwards Plateau. A look at a hydrologic map of our area indicates that we sit atop the Edwards Aquifer, the life blood of Central Texas. A major factor influencing its health is the Balcones Fault Zone where multiple fractures, caves, and sinkholes allow surface run-off water immediate access to the sponge-like aquifer. The western boundary of the fault zone is formed by its major fault line, the Mt. Bonnell Fault which emanates from the highest point in Austin. It is crossed by Westview Trail in the vicinity of Scenic Oaks. The area of our subdivision that lies to the north of the fault is part of the Onion Creek Contributing Zone, but the rest lies in the Edwards Aquifer Recharge Zone. In the early days of settlement, caves and sinkholes were routinely used as convenient dumping grounds for all manner of garbage. At the time, very few people realized what this could do to our water supplies. We do not have that excuse. Once underground, the water contributes to well-known springs
which surge out from the eastern boundary of Balcones Fault
Zone. Barton
Springs
gets it name
from a colorful character known as Uncle Billy Barton who named
the three springs after his daughters, Parthenia, Eliza, and
Zenobia. They feed
the largest natural
swimming pool in an urban area in the USA. At the other extreme,
the Comal River is said to be the US’s shortest river.
It issues from the Comal Springs at New Braunfels and flows
two miles to the
Guadalupe
River. The
Tonkawa Indians called them Conaqueyadesta, meaning where the
river has its source.
The Spaniards likened the spot to a basin, hence Comal. The
San Marcos Springs were known as Canocanayesatetio, warm water.
They became an
important stop
on the Camino Real and later sustained the thirsty cattle on
the Chisholm Trail. Today they are the source of the popular
tourist attraction,
Aquarena Springs. Hays County is one of the fastest growing counties in the United States. Such rapid development poses a severe threat to the fragile aquifer beneath it. Consequences will be felt not only in the immediate area but in places many miles away, if we do not, as Lady Bird Johnson advocated, “Live lightly on the land.”• © 2008 J. Marie Bassett
GWW Telephone directory Penny Frohlich-Jungerman and Dena Seligman have been working on the directory, and are in the final stages of copy editing. Penny says it looks great and gives all the credit for design to Dena; she’s done a great job! They anticipate it will be ready to mail out in the next week. There’s been a nice turn out - forty-five homes are participating. They feel this is sufficient support to produce another directory next year. Anyone else wishing to receive a copy of the directory, at $2 per copy, should send requests to pjungerman@austin.rr.com. Unfortunately, no new entries will be added until spring 2009, when the directory is planned to be reissued. • Editor and Penny Frohlich-Jungerman Mail station door In response to the recent threat of burglary of mail at Goldenwood’s mail station, our BOT has had the door at the mail station replaced It is a steel commercial grade door and jamb and will be painted to match the newly painted tstructure. We can all feel more secure about the safety of our mail. • Editor and Nova Birchfield Entrance sign at FM 1826 Just to update our residents about the FM 1826 sign, the folks who are doing the repainting are the same ones who repainted our GWW sign, Grapevine Signs of Dripping Springs. Theirs is a small business, and the primary painter has been helping his wife open her new business, an ice cream parlour. They were rushing to open her shop for Founders Day weekend. He assures us he intends to return and complete the sign as soon as possible. • Editor and Nova Birchfield
New Landscape Committee chairs Karen and Warren Hayward have very graciously offered to step into a leadership role on this very important committee. The Landscape Committee was formed by the Board of Trustees over three years ago to provide planning and direction for the neighborhood’s common areas. Many thanks to the volunteers who have served in this capacity over the years. Karen is a founding member of the Committee, and together she and Warren will do a great job. • Editor Board of Trustees News New paint for the pavilion Jim McKey, our painter for several recent improvement projects (along with his handyman assistant William Bollom), has completed the refurbishing of the pavilion. The mildew has been removed from the rafters and a couple of rotted beams were replaced, followed by painting with a mildewcide paint which should inhibit mildew growth. The doors have been painted as well. Jim will be removing rust and repainting the wrought iron fencing around the pavilion next week. Residents are encouraged to stop by and admire the improvements. Folks are invited to attend the next meeting of the BOT, which will be on May 6 at 7 pm at our freshly painted pavilion. News from the APC The APC thanks outgoing APC member Julie Spelman for sharing her time and insight and welcomes new member Paul Laird to the committee. Also, the APC reports many improvements planned by property owners this spring which will add value to homes and the neighborhood. There are many painting and repair projects to keep homes looking nice along with new improvements including decks and fences. And finally, the APC plans to announce a “Yard of the Month” for the spring and summer months to acknowledge property owners doing an exceptional job of beautifying their yards and our neighborhood. The APC is now meeting on the second Wednesday of each month. The meeting for next month will be on May 14, and the following meeting will be on June 11, both at 7 pm at the pavilion. Residents with questions for the APC are always welcome to attend the meetings. POA members and visitors may speak during the public forum at the beginning of the meeting. News from the GWW Water Board The annual members’ meeting of the GWW Water Board will be held this evening, 28 May, at 7:30 at the pavilion. All members are encouraged to attend. The Board will have a special guest speaker at tonight’s meeting from the Hays Trinity Groundwater Conservation District who will be speaking about the geology of the area. The GWW Water Board meets on the fourth Monday of each month at 7:30 pm at the pavilion. Look for a posting on the mail station, or call the GWW Administrator at 858-9528 to verify meeting date and time. Water service issues should be reported as soon as possible to PGMS at 866-643-3472.
Helpful Information For useful reference information, such as a listing of area churches and telephone numbers for important local contacts, please go to our neighborhood web site at www.goldenwoodwestpoa.org or contact the webmaster. This newsletter published for: Goldenwood West |
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Archived newsletters (click on date to review)
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