National Night Out Mark your calendars now for Goldenwood West’s first
ever National Night Out party on Tuesday, August 1, at the GWW pavilion.
The purpose of this event is to help neighbors meet and get to know who lives
nearby,
and to familiarize folks with the Neighborhood Watch program. Party goers
will meet other folks attending who live on their street. Our party this year
will
be a potluck social, with iced tea, plates and napkins provided by the POA.
Food will be whatever folks care to bring and share: appetizers, casserole
or other main dish, vegetable, side dish, salad or dessert.
The event will feature a visit from our local firefighters, and possibly
a representative from our sheriff’s department, to answer any questions
which residents may have. A highlight of the event will be performances
by local musicians. All residents (and friends) who are musicians are warmly
encouraged to bring their instruments and share their music.
Please contact Rick Bondurant (rbond@iiat.org) or Margaret Paine (margaret@zpgraphic.com,
894-0903) if you have any questions. • Editor
Neighborhood History: Native Namesakes - Salvia greggii
A favorite in early Texas gardens, autumn sage is once again popular. It
is resistant to drought, disease, and pests, even deer thanks to its
minty aroma.
Its bright red flowers, favored by humming birds, bloom almost year round,
belying the name “autumn.” Better descriptions are red Chihuahuan
sage, Texas red sage, cherry sage, and Gregg’s salvia, botanical
name, Salvia greggii.
So, who was Gregg? He was a plant hunter and, like others of that ilk,
better known to botanists, because of the 47 plants that currently bear
his name,
than to historians. Yet, he led a fascinating life, full of hair-raising
adventures. Literally! When he was eight, he saw his uncle killed and
his little cousin
abducted during an Indian raid in Missouri.
Born in 1806, Josiah Gregg was a frail, serious, thoughtful child with
many interests. Unsure of which profession to choose, he dabbled in math,
medicine,
surveying, and law. He studied the latter until tuberculosis and chronic
indigestion laid him low. Probably as a last resort, his doctor suggested
the 25-year-old
invalid join a wagon train headed for Santa Fe. After only a week, Josiah
was up and walking. As he progressed across the prairie, he became a
new man, hunting
bison, skirmishing with the Indians, and recording everything he saw
on the way. During the 1830s, Josiah was a successful merchant and wagon
master,
crisscrossing
the prairies four times. He became fluent in Spanish, a language that
would serve him well in years to come.
It was in the early 1840s that Josiah Gregg first ventured into Texas,
visiting Galveston and Austin. The sale of mules to the Republic of Texas
financed a
one-third ownership of a general store in Arkansas. Temporarily settled,
he produced his two-volume, Commerce of the Prairies, and an up-to-date
map of
the southern plains.
Josiah’s interest in medicine led him to enroll at the University of
Louisville. But after two semesters, the prairies beckoned, and he headed west
again. News of the Mexican War prompted him to leave the wagon train and join
the Arkansas Volunteers as an interpreter and guide. It was on the march to
Mexico that he came upon the autumn sage. Even in the heat of battle, he collected
specimens of desert ceanothus (Ceanothus greggii) at Buena Vista. A fellow
soldier told of the shy, introspective man “sitting stiffly upright on
his mule with a look of disdainful interest on his face while holding a red
parasol to shade his face from the midday sun.” It was in Mexico
that Josiah Gregg became a serious plant collector. While in Mazatlan,
dispatching
600 specimens to botanist Dr. George Engelmann in St Louis, he heard about
the Californian goldfields. Sensing an opportunity to provide business
services to the miners and to collect more new plants, he boarded a ship
for San Francisco.
In October 1849, Josiah Gregg set off on an expedition through the redwood
forests to find a suitable seaport to service the placer mining on the
Trinity River. Much to the chagrin of the rest of the party, Josiah constantly
stopped
to collect specimens and measure the majestic redwoods. The return journey
from what is now Humboldt Bay was made miserable by winter weather and
lack of food. Near Clear Lake, exhausted and starving, Josiah fell from
his horse
and died. He was buried on the spot. So ended the career of a most extraordinary
explorer, cut short at the age of 44.
When you next visit the neighborhood pool, look over at the autumn sage
in the beautiful flower bed there. Take a minute to reflect on the man
whose
name it bears. • © 2006 J. Marie Bassett
Fourth of July Parade GWW’s July 4th parade and picnic was a wonderful
success, thanks to the generous efforts of Elizabeth and Terry Dunk
and Julie and Mark Spelman, as well as many folks who decorated and cooked
food. The
event continues to grow, and this year we had more spectators along
the route, as well as more participation from our wonderful teens, preteens
and fun-loving
adults. Resident Gina Crouchet, a volunteer with our VFD, drove the
fire engine which led the parade. A gentle cloud cover kept the heat to a bearable
level,
and children enjoyed the firemen’s hose and the pool afterward.
Great food and good conversation were enjoyed by all. Special thanks
to David
Crouchet, who collected old copper wire from our water well and scrapped
it for $200.00.
The water board donated the proceeds to the POA to use for the July
4th celebration. Thanks to all the participants for making GWW a fun
community
in which to
live. • Editor
Landscape Committee The continued
survival and growth of the shrubs planted around the pavilion in the
spring, now that the hottest months
are here,
is a wonderful testament to the appropriate plant selections made by
the Committee.
The deer seem to be leaving the plants alone, however the newly planted
small shrubs may require occasional watering until they are more firmly
established.
At present, three members are sharing the task of watering twice a
week. Any resident who could spare an hour to help with watering would
be very
much appreciated.
Please contact the editor to volunteer your assistance. • Editor
Wizard Academy will be putting a “private road” sign on the driveway
for Lot 12 on Crystal Hills Drive. A representative said,
“[We] don’t
want anyone to misunderstand our intentions. Since that is a private residence,
we would like everyone to use the road at 16221 Crystal Hills Drive, our
business property, to access the walking trails.
The walking trails are still open for neighbors to walk. However, due
to the repeated vandalism and thefts we will be getting gates and closing
the campus
at 9 pm.
Effective August 1, we’re going to ask all guests to sign in at the Welcome
Center, the small cedar building where our Gift Shop is located, and we’ll
give them a guest pass.
We are trying to figure out how to give special consideration to the
wonderful neighbors who use the trails most frequently. We’re
currently discussing an annual membership pass. For a modest fee, we
may try to provide an ID badge
that could be worn showing recognition of ‘Special Friend of
Wizard Academy’”.
• Editor
Board of Trustees News
New telephone number for GWW The telephone number for contacting our
neighborhood Administrator has changed from the old 894-0650. The
new number, which
hopefully we will keep for the next few decades, is 858-9528. This
change became necessary
when our bill went up seventy dollars per month after the line was
moved to the home of the new administrator. Apparently our local
service has
changed
its policy about numbers with local calling to Austin. After thoroughly
researching other options, including digital service, the administrator,
with approval
from the BOT, changed to an 858 prefix number to save on cost for
the service. Please make a note of the new number.
News from the APC
Boats and trailers The Committee reminds residents that no recreational
vehicles or boats are permitted to be parked or stored for more
than a day in view of
the street. The exception to this rule is that APC approval can
be given for camping in recreational vehicles for periods not longer
than a week.
Request
for approval forms may be obtained from the GWW web site (see Resident
Resources [plus sign] page) or by contacting the Administrator
at 858-9528.
The next two meetings of the APC will be on August 15 and on September
19 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
At the GWWWB’s July 19 meeting, David Crouchet was elected as President,
Jay Kolar as Vice President, John Anderson as Secretary/Treasurer, Terry
Dunk and Carroll Campbell as Directors and the newest Director is Darby
Spencer.
The Board will meet the third week of August on a date yet to
be determined. Email Jesse Kennis at jkennis@ecoresources.com
for
the exact day and
time. An agenda for the meeting will be posted at the mail boxes
on Friday, August
6.
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
Property Owners’ Association
16200 Westview Trail
Austin, TX 78737-9068
(512) 858-9528 office
Administrator@GoldenwoodWestPOA.org
www.GoldenwoodWestPOA.org
Please direct comments,
articles, email subscriptions
and inquiries regarding
advertisements to the above address.
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