Website All
GWW members and interested individuals are encouraged to visit our neighborhood
website weekly or biweekly. A date stamp at the bottom left of the main
page lists the date of the latest updates, and also pages which have
new information. The Notices page is a particularly useful forum for
sharing information among residents, so all are encouraged to post to
this page as their needs dictate. Visit the Plants and Animals page to
learn about nature in our area. The purpose of the site is to encourage
better communication among our members, and to promote a greater sense
of community.
• Editor
Halloween
Gathering A number of years ago generous parents organized
a gathering and small party for the children of the neighborhood
at the public area near the pool on Halloween. Any parents interested
in helping to organize an entertainment for neighborhood children
this year are encouraged to contact the editor at gww@zpgraphic.com.
• Editor
Annual Meeting All
property owners are invited to attend our annual
GWW property owners meeting. It will be held at the
pavilion on Saturday, November 13 at 2:00 p.m. This
is your opportunity to ask questions, offer suggestions
and generally connect with others in the community.
Mark your calendars now and plan to meet your neighbors.
• Editor
Neighborhood History: Early Settlement of Dripping Springs
As the “Gateway to the Texas Hill Country,” Dripping Springs
reflects the past and the present. Old-time residents are “still
shakin’ those bones” in the Rinkey Dink Billiard Hall, while
SUVs idle in traffic jams outside the schools. Although now virtually
a suburb of Austin, the little town still exudes the charm that attracted
the settlers to the area in the 1850s. Why the Moss, Pound, and Wallace
families left Mississippi for the Texas frontier is not clear, but once
they crested the hill, now Wallace Mountain, they knew where their utopia
lay. John Lee Wallace, for whom the mountain is named, was a nephew of
Confederate general, Robert E. Lee.
By 1860, John Moss and his wife, Indiana (known as Nannie), were on the
move again, but not without leaving their mark. When John became the
first postmaster in 1857, the settlement had to have a name before a
post office could be established. Nannie is given credit for picking
it. She considered the waters of the spring, dripping over a limestone
ledge, the most important feature in the area. Never known to dry up,
they form a stream that flows south to join Onion Creek. Carl Waits,
in “The Complete History of Drippings Springs,” suggests “her
choice” was “a natural. Certainly, it was more poetic and
distinctive than say Mossville, Pound City, or Wallaceburg.”
When Dripping Springs celebrated its sesquicentennial in 2003, a new
plaque was installed on the bridge at the west end of Mercer Street.
It signifies the importance of the springs issuing from the Edwards Aquifer
50 yards to the north. The natural amphitheater surrounding the springs
provided a meeting place for Tonkawa Indians, and later local citizens,
picnickers, and playful children. Just south of the bridge, early residents
erected a building for keeping milk and butter fresh in the cool waters,
hence the stream’s name, Milk House Branch.
The sesquicentennial year was also an important one in the saga of the
Pound family. Dr. Joseph McKegg Pound built a two-room log cabin in what
is now Founders Park. There, he and his wife, Sarah (who was Nannie Moss’s
sister), raised their nine children, and tended to the sick. Being a
medicine man, Dr. Pound was held in high regard by the Indians who were
still much in evidence until the turn of the century.
By the time the doctor died in 1917, the homestead had expanded to six
rooms, surrounded by several ancillary buildings. Four generations of
the family were to live there until 1983. It is thanks to the restoration
efforts of the Friends of the Pound House, most notably, Dr. Dennis Cannon
and his wife, Katherine, that Dr. Pound’s old home was officially
opened to the public in 2003. For a fascinating glimpse into life on
the Texas frontier, plan to visit it on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.,
free of charge, during the summer months, May through September. The
annual Fall Fest fundraiser will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday,
25 September, 2004. To experience traditional Texas hospitality and family
fun, set aside that day to visit not only the Pound House, but also the
Heritage Day celebrations at Driftwood.
• © 2004 J. Marie Bassett
Pet Safety Dog owners
are urged to ensure that their pets are properly confined
to their property. In the last year neighborhood dogs
have attacked people on two occasions seriously enough
for the victims to require a trip to the hospital.
These incidents occurred when the animals left their
properties and attacked individuals in the street.
Anyone experiencing aggressive behavior from an animal
should inform the owner as soon as possible, and if
the animal is not properly restrained, a report should
be made to the sheriff’s department. Serious
fines may be imposed on owners of dogs involved in
an attack. If you own a dog, please be a good neighbor
and be sure your pet is not allowed to leave your property
unless it is on a leash.
• Editor
Rimrock Some of
you may be aware that our new neighbor to the south,
Rimrock, has begun installing street lights which will
be visible from many of our subdivision streets. Several
of our residents have contacted the developer to request
that he consider not installing lights, since many
of us value our ability to see the Milky Way and other
features of the rural night sky. Dripping Springs actually
has a Dark Skies Ordinance in place, but it is vague,
and difficult to enforce. Mr. John Lloyd, the developer
of Rimrock, has voluntarily complied with the Ordinance
by installing low sodium lights which aim the light
downward, however some of these street lamps will be
on hills higher than some of our homes, and so these
GWW residents may have the lights in their direct lines
of sight. The Planning and Zoning Commission could
take steps to reinforce the Ordinance, possibly to
limit the use of overhead street lamps, if enough citizens
express their support for such to the committee. This
body gives recommendations to DS City Hall regarding
approvals of plans for development. It is important
that those of us who do not welcome city-style street
lights make our opinion known to the P & Z Commission.
The next meeting of the P & Z Commission will be
this Tuesday, September 28, at City Hall at 7 pm. Any
interested residents are encouraged to attend if you
wish to express your concerns about this issue. It
is also a good way to learn of upcoming development
in our area.
• M.Paine
Board of Trustees News
Wildlife Trapping of coyotes on
our perimeter has been discontinued at this time. If you are a resident
who has a deer feeder, please understand how important it is to your
neighbors that you end this practice. Artificial feeding is one of
the factors which has led to an overpopulation of deer in our area.
Excessively high numbers of fawns will attract an unnaturally high
number of coyotes. Our ideal is to live in harmony with our beautiful
natural environment and all its residents.
Coyote Seminar One
of our Board members is in the process of arranging
for a biologist from Texas Parks and Wildlife or
another state agency to present information to residents
about coyotes and other area wildlife. As soon as
a date is set, information will be posted at the
bulletin board and on the website.
Meeting Minutes At
its September meeting the BOT voted to post approved
minutes of its meetings on the website. This was a response
to resident requests to provide an easy way for property
owners to be informed about the activities of the Board.
The minutes are presented as a summary, however the Board
notes that the best way for residents to be informed
about its activities is to attend the meetings and listen
to the discussions which take place. All meetings are
open to the public, and begin with an open forum if any
residents wish to address questions or comments to the
Board. The minutes from the July meeting have been posted
and may be viewed by going to the News page of the website
and clicking on the link at the bottom of the page.
News
from the APC
The next meeting of the APC will be on October 19, 2004 at 7:00 p.m.
at the GWW pavilion. Meetings are open to all property owners.
News from the GWW Water Board
A general meeting of the GWW Water Board was held on Wednesday, September
22, and the following two new directors were re-elected to the Board:
Jay Kolar and Terry Dunk. We thank them for their willingness to donate
their time in service to their neighbors.
Business Sponsors
Coldwell Banker United, Realtors®
Audrey Pudder
Goldenwood West resident for seven years, specializing in Northern Hays
County.
Cell 512.925.9720
Tricia Lyons
Creative Memories Consultant
Scrapbooking Fun! Monthly workshops and weekly classes designed for busy
people! Learn how to get organized, create, and complete meaningful keepsake
albums. (512) 496-6669
triciascraps4u@earthlink.netMemory Keeping at Its BestHelpful Information
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