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Winter Issue, 2009-2010
WE’RE BACK! This is our inauguration issue of Goldenwood West News under the new editorship of M’Rabbi-Rev. Dr. Raine Teller (just call me Raine). This is a test-issue. That means that just a few weeks ago I had no idea how to use Publisher on my laptop. Then I heard about FreeNet (here’s a shout out to the wonderful folks under Gary’s leadership over at FreeNet on E. 11th Street!) They have a computer lab on Wednesday eve-nings and Thursday mornings where I was able to bring my laptop and get all the help I needed learning Pub-lisher and getting this first test-issue together. They are available for all non-profits and retir-ees...remember, I am supposed to be retired, although I don’t do it well!
So, bear with me as I learn. In the coming issues I hope to cover the same topics Margaret always did such a great job of covering. I will endeavor to give you a “heads-up” on what may be coming down the road…such as the electrical and road work we might be seeing in the future. And, I want you to remember that some things that you seasoned Texans and “Austinites” may think nothing of, are exactly the kinds of things that excite me. The first time I came to Austin it was 1989 and I was living in Amarillo. Then I returned to my roots in NJ/NY and actually didn’t move down here until December, 2006. I lived up north off of 183 so I really didn’t come to the COUNTRY until last February. So forgive my excitement when things like flooded water crossings and snakes and coyo-tes really get me going!
And on that note, let me give credit where credit is due. I asked for pictures of the water crossing flooding earlier this year. David, Margaret’s husband, gets credit for the picture of the pond just prior to the flood and Michael, their neighbor, took the picture of the rattlesnake. Jessica Davis captured the water crossing.
I have considered Austin my spiritual home for many years. These pictures and the plethora of nature that abounds here at Goldenwood West reaf-firm that feeling in me each and every day.
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| Picture by: David Paine |
Picture by: Jessica Davis |
Dane Avery, tree whisperer, as I like to call him, walked my land with me early on. His respect for the “beings of the trees” on the land impressed me greatly. I remember that feeling when I first met the saguaro cactus out in New Mexico and Arizona. These live oaks on our land were here long before we got here…and they will “shadow our graves” as it were. I began to see myself as a steward of the trees, of the land, instead of a property owner. I think this feeling, similar to what the Indigenous Americans believe and teach, is at the bottom of the thrill I get each and every time I drive in from FM1826 over the water crossing. Just think for a moment, how spiritual the land must be if three entities, my cyber-synagogue, Hashem’s House (G-d’s House), Roy Williams’ (Wizard Academy) Dulcinea Chapel and the Golden Dome of Radiance all reside, peacefully, harmoniously on this land.
At this season of so many of the world’s major groups rejoicing and celebrating their holidays and fundamental ideologies, let us hope for and envision a world where this is exactly the way we want to continue. Let us live as neighbors on this won-derful land and celebrate our diversities as well as our similarities.
Editor’s Note: To help in this area we will spotlight one of our neighbors each month. You will find a “portrait of Brad Fragger in this issue. What a delightful, insightful neighbor he is!
The Fall that was
Some neighbors, who have lived here for a long time or who have lived here in Texas for a long time may not have been too impressed with what happened towards to the end of 2009, as Fall came and the drought started to lift. But, for some of us, here at Goldenwood West, who are not native to this area, the picture below, taken by David Paine, just before the flood, and the picture to the right, taken by Jessica Davis , after the water rose, are quite spectacular! Just a rememberance of the „way we were? just a few short months ago! -the editor.
Other News Around the Neighborhood
A special thank-you to all out-going BOT members, who worked so diligently on behalf of the Neighborhood: Steve Johnson, Penny Jungerman and Brian Laws. Also, wel-come to the new BOT members, Karen Hayward and David Jungerman as well as our two continuing members, Aleasha Brandon and Audrey Pudder.
The first BOT meeting of the year will be Monday, 1/11 at 7:15 PM at the pavilion. There?s also an APC meeting, Thursday, 1/14 at 6:30 PM at the pavilion.
The APC proudly recognizes the many holiday light displays in our community and appreciates all the hard work and pride the neighborhood has shown during the holiday season. Congratulations to all with extra recognition to our neighbors at 16308 Westview Trail, 8304 Scenic Oaks, 17108 Whitetail Run, 17105 Westview Trail and 8406 Meadow View.
OUR KIDS...
Did you know that wildflower seeds were planted in the fall, behind the mail station, by Board Members and their children.? When spring comes we?ll all get to enjoy their efforts! Pictured at right are the children working very hard to get the seeds in the ground. Perhaps in the spring we can not only enjoy the wildflowers but have a day of crafts down at the pavilion for all the neighborhood chil-dren to show off their talents as they and their parents enjoy something that is so quintessentially Hill Country Texas-beautiful wildflowers and the beauty of a Spring day here in the Hill
(Editor?s Note:) We?d like to feature more stories about the children of Goldenwood West. We are accepting art work, short stories or poems and also news about our children and their hobbies, talents, events and school activities. We?d even welcome a student-centered group to produce a special column for each newsletter! Contact editor.
Yikes! Snakes!
No, that's not what we need to be saying when we go through the months of hot weather we all know will come again. Because we have chosen to live here in Goldenwood West, we?ve made a choice between city or country living. That?s not to say, there are no snakes in Austin proper. There are. But one doesn?t think city=snakes. One knows there are bound to be snakes here in the country. So what can we do? Now that “snake season” seems to have ended, review the e-mails that came from Margaret and the answers that came from some of our neighbors. Become more aware, particu-larly in the really hot weather of the summer months into early fall, that we have to co-exist with these other creatures of nature.
What we learned this past summer is that there is a “birthing” time when we need to be a little more vigilant about the possibility of meeting a snake. It wouldn?t be a bad idea to acquaint ourselves, our children and our visitors, about “snake reality”. There are bound to be some. Knowing what snakes have shown up here at Goldenwood, which ones are poisonous and where they?ve been seen isn?t a bad place to start. There?s also the reality of not going into likely places snakes “hang out” without being able to see what?s underneath rocks, boxes and leaves. Wearing gloves is another great idea. Better to be safe than sorry our mothers always said.
Getting to know your new editor:
I'm M'Rabbi-Reverend Dr. Raine Teller. The “M” before the Rabbi will eventually signify that I am an ordained Maggid (Spiritual Storyteller in the tradition of the Baal Sheem Tov of blessed memory and Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach, v'Shalom.) I am a retired public school teacher and Title 1 administrator and past in-structor @ ACC in ESL/ABE. My synagogue, Hashem?s House (G-d?s House) is a cyber synagogue although I do maintain a small one-room synagogue here at the Ranch. [I know, 1.1 acre is not really a ranch, but my daughter, Davide, who co-owns our house, lives in 470 sq. ft. in NYC on the Upper East Side. To her, this is a ranch! I also run an interfaith seminary, The Seminary@Hashem?s House, through the internet and Conference Call.com. I ordain both interfaith ministers and interfaith rabbis (one of the only in the country that does so).
I am a writer and am currently working on my first three manuscripts to be offered for publishing. I?ve been busy for the past 45 years raising my children and teaching. I?m a single mom with three grown children, Davide (already mentioned) and twins Ian and Sascha Michael. Ian and his fiancé are busy buy-ing a house in Boundbrook, NJ. S. Michael works here in Austin for Grainger while he?s finishing up his degree @ UT! I?d type GO HORNS but Davide is an AGGIE and she pays half the mortgage!
I love to travel (Davide and I are going to Costa Rica) and I travel back and forth to NYC to complete my Maggidic studies in Brooklyn. AND I LOVE IT HERE AT THE RANCH. I call this, “living inside the water crossing”. I felt the spirituality of the land as soon as I came over the water crossing. And, I feel more stewardship than owner-ship! Dane Avery, tree whisperer here in Texas, has taught me to revere the trees here! They are truly our ancestors. Their continuance is partially in our hands.
Feel free to come and visit...instead of a liquor bar I have a tea bar with more varieties than Heinz has beans! The teapot is always on! And if Davide is here from NYC there are always delicious goodies to eat as she?s a trained pastry chef! -The Editor
SPOTLIGHT ON OUR NEIGHBORS:
(Editor's Note: This will hopefully become a monthly column. Brad Fregger has kindly volunteered to be the first. If you're interested in appearing in this column please contact the editor.)
Meet Brad Fregger:
This month?s “Meet Your Neighbor” subject, Brad Fregger, has over 46 years of combined experience in retailing, corporate training, publishing and software development. Currently, he is CEO of Groundbreaking Press, an author-services company dedicated to helping authors get their books into publication. He is also an adjunct professor in the Management Dept. at McCoy College of Business Administration, Texas State Univer-sity, San Marcos.
In addition to founding three major corporate training programs; as a practicioner/scholar, he?s produced more than 50 videos, 12 audio books, 100 consumer and business software products and has edited and published over 50 books. He has authored six books: Lucky that Way: Stories of Seizing the Moment While Creating the Games Millions Play; Get Things Done: Ten Stories of Creating and Leading Exceptional Teams; One Shovel Full: Telling Stories to Change Beliefs, attitudes and Perceptions: Why Publish? Making the Right Choices for Your Book; My Thinking Cap: Solutions for Global Crisis; , and Get Out of the Way: You’ll never manage your way to great leadership..
Most recently Brad has been featured as a guest speaker and radio program speaker on one of his favorite topics: “Earthward Implications of Cosmic Migration”, a talk he gave on the 10th anniversary of Apollo 11?s landing on the moon, for the American Astrological So-ciety. He holds an MA in Futuristics which fuels his interests in unusual developments in medicine and virtual reality as well as humanity's move into space.
Brad and his wife, Barbara Foley, have been here at Goldenwood for over five years and Barbara spent many more years living in the Radiance community. She helped Brad find a space where he could keep working, keep pursuing his hobbies and keep contemplating why some folks retire. Brad retire? He's too busy at the moment!
Editor’s Parting Words for the 1st Issue:
This editor would like feedback. What would you and your family like to see in the Goldenwood West Newsletter? Are there actIvities and happenings you?d like to know about or learn about in our pages? Are there topics you'd like covered? We look forward to receiving your feedback. -The Editor
Published Pro-Bono by:
Hashem's House
Rabbi-Rev. Dr. Raine Teller
Rabbi/Interfaith Minister/Writer
A Post-denominational Synagogue
and Interfaith House of Prayer for all
of Hashem's (G-d's) Children
Weddings/Commitments/Ceremonies
Spiritual Counseling & Healing
rabrevraine@yahoo.com
Items of Interest from the Goldenwood West
POA Office
February 1, 2010
Board of Trustees News
Enclosed with this mailing, please find a copy of the 2010 POA budget. Dues will remain at $22.00 per lot per month. In addition to maintaining our current amenities, and in response to last year’s neighborhood poll, the Board plans to trim the trees in the recreation area, add two more chaise lounges to the pool area, add a changing table to the restroom, and begin the installation of playground equipment in the recreation area. The Board plans to start the playground equipment project gradually with improvements such as two swings and a slide, as funds allow. The plans are still in the works and the Board plans to add more in coming years. The playground equipment colors will be neutral earth tones and will compliment and bring more use to the cement picnic tables already under the trees. The Board is excited to get these plans underway; the arborist be working on the trees by the end of the month.
The Board has appointed property owner Lauren Sutherland to the fifth open seat on the Board of Trustees. The Board welcomes her and looks forward to working with her in the future.
APC News
The APC has agreed to wait until spring to recognize the next “Yard of the Month” but sends a reminder to property owners to help maintain our property values by keeping yards looking neat and tidy and bringing in trash cans on trash day.
The APC proudly recognizes the many wonderful holiday light displays in our community and appreciates all the hard work and pride the neighborhood showed during the holiday season. Here are just a few: Bob & Tracy Schach of 16308 Westview Trail, Barry & Anne Danish of 8304 Scenic Oaks, Rafael & Connie Mendoza of 17108 Whitetail Run, Terry & Elizabeth Dunk of 17105 Westview Trail and Jeff & Kristin Berthelsen of 8406 Meadow View. Congratulations and thanks to all.
The latest version of the APC Manual will be available on the GWW website in the next couple of weeks. Last year’s Board and APC added a courtesy letter to the sequence of letters sent by the APC to property owners regarding violation concerns. The courtesy letter was designed as a first approach for the committee in an effort to encourage positive communication between the committee and property owners. The insurance requirements for new home or new building construction have also been updated to correctly reflect current insurance coverages and to further protect the neighborhood by requiring a Builder’s Risk policy. If you have any questions about how the APC operates, you may find the manual online at www.GoldenwoodWestPOA.org or you are always welcome to attend a monthly APC meeting.
Cold Weather Repairs
The recent low temperatures damaged the valve on the pool shower and also the auto fill for the pool. The Board has agreed to install a different automatic shower, you should see a pull chain shower this summer and the pool auto fill has been repaired. The water is back on at the pavilion and the restroom is open.
Welcome Committee
The Board thanks property owners Mindy Russell and Beth Blanchard for heading up the Welcome Committee and meeting with new property owners to give an introduction to the neighborhood. If you are interested in helping with their efforts, please contact Administrator@GoldenwoodWestPOA.org.
Upcoming Newsletter Release Planned
Our new editor for the Goldenwood West newsletter, Rabbi Raine Teller, is planning to release the winter edition of the newsletter in the next few weeks. She is also already planning the spring edition, if you have any neighborhood news to include, please contact Rabbi Raine at rabrevraine@yahoo.com.
e-statements & Budget Mailing
48 Goldenwood West property owners are receiving e-statements this month which is saving the POA money on paper and ink. The Goldenwood West Bylaws require that both the budget and information regarding the location of the Annual Meeting be sent to property owners through regular mail (post office). Property owners who are signed up for e-statements will receive a copy of the budget through regular mail this month. Next month, property owners signed up for e-statements will receive their statement and any info from the POA office only through e-mail. The POA office and Board thanks all who are participating in the e-statement program and emphasizes that even though the budget is being sent through regular mail this month, participating in e-statements is still a time and money saver for the POA. To add your name to the list of property owners receiving e-statements, please contact Administrator@GoldenwoodWestPOA.org.
Passes Available to Walkers at the Wizard Academy
The Wizard Academy is issuing passes at their gift shop for regular visitors or walkers on their grounds. Starting sometime in February they will have an annual form and badge for regular visitors in lieu of singing in at each visit.
Upcoming Meetings 02/11/2010 – APC @ 6:30 PM at the pavilion. 02/22/2010 – Water Board @ 7:30 PM at the pavilion. 03/25/2010 – BOT @ 7:15 PM at the pavilion.
Business Sponsor
Marsh-Vorspan Partners
Office Phone: (512) 450-0305
Office Fax: (512) 292-1493
Email: info@marshvorspan.com
www.marshvorspan.com
Marsh-Vorspan is a member of NARI, the National Association of the Remodeling Industry, Austin Energy Green Building Program, HBA Greater Austin and the Better Business Bureau. We are also a Certified Remodeler, certified by NARI. |
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