Lakewood Leader. March Luncheon. THe Lakewood Leader. Austin Newcomers Club. News for The Residents of Lakewood

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1 THe Lakewood Leader Lakewood Leader March 2010 Volume 4, Issue 3 Austin Newcomers Club March Luncheon Austin Newcomers is a social organization dedicated to introducing residents to the Austin Community and giving them the opportunity to meet and make new friends. Join us at our monthly luncheon as well as take the opportunity to learn about and become involved in many varied fun Interest groups. Time:11:00 AM Social - 12 Noon Luncheon Date: March 17, 2010 (Reservations required by Thursday, March 11th) Location: Green Pastures Restaurant 811 W. Live Oak Street, Austin, Luncheon Cost: $20 per person For Luncheon Reservations LuncheonDirector@AustinNewcomers.com or contact Marilyn Amey, For more Newcomers information visit or call March Program: Get to know Austin Monthly and how it informs and entertains it s readers in the capitol area Speaking to us this month will be Melissa Delaney, editor-in-chief of Austin Monthly and assistant editor Austin W.G. Morton. Austin Monthly is a glossy full color, urban lifestyle magazine which depicts Austin s culture with stories, event listings, fashion, shopping, dining, the arts, restaurant reviews and reflective personal essays. The magazine continues to grow at a rapid pace since it s initial publication in Melissa Delaney, is an award winning journalist who worked as a reporter and editor at Boston area newspapers, then joined the staff of Computerworld during the height of the tech boom. After years of freelancing at several national magazines, Delaney joined Austin Monthly where she steers the staff through the planning, creation and production of the magazine. Austin Morton is a 2008 Virginia Tech graduate. She currently edits the Events, Scene and Style sections. Austin says although she has been here 2 years, she still learns something new just about everyday while reporting on all the City of Austin has to offer. News for The Residents of Lakewood Coyotes Many of us grew up watching Warner Brothers cartoons where the dullwitted Wilie Coyote was constantly outsmarted by the Road Runner. In reality, this could not be farther from the truth for the coyote is one of nature's most cunning and clever predators. In the tales and traditions of Native Americans, the coyote is usually portrayed as a very savvy and clever beast - often referred to as "The Trickster. Modern coyotes have displayed their cleverness by adapting to the changing American landscape. Much of their adaptabilty can be attributed to the fact that they are both hunters and scavengers and will eat almost anything. They eat any small animal they can capture, including mice, rats, gophers, rabbits, squirrels, snakes, lizards, frogs, fish, birds, and small deer. They also happily dine on insects, fruits & berries, grasses, carrion, garbage, garden crops, poultry and pets (mostly cats). Because they sometimes kill lambs, calves, or other livestock, many ranchers and farmers regard them as destructive pests. Coyotes occasionally kill domestic dogs (and foxes) that they consider territorial intruders. They are very protective of their young and will attack dogs that get too close to their dens and pups. Coyotes can vary in size, but the city-dwelling versions of these canines are still going to be larger than foxes, says urban wildlife biologist, Kelly Bender, of Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. You might have seen a gray fox, as they do live in the Austin area. Though it can often be difficult to judge the size of an animal, Bender says, a coyote is generally going to weigh about 35 to 45 pounds, roughly the size of a border collie. A gray fox, on the other hand, is going to be much smaller, with shorter legs and a sleek, almost catlike appearance. They also have shorter muzzles than coyotes as (Continued on page 2) Copyright 2010 Peel, Inc. The Lakewood Leader - March

2 The Lakewood Leader Newsletter info Newsletter Publisher Peel, Inc Article Advertising... Newsletter Article Submissions Interested in submitting an article? You can do so by ing or by going to peelinc.com/articlesubmit.php. All news must be received by the 9th of the month prior to the issue. So if you are involved with a school group, scouts, sports etc please submit your articles for the Lakewood Leader. Personal news for the Stork Report, Teenage Job Seekers, special celebrations and military service are also welcome. Advertising info Please support the businesses that advertise in The Lakewood Leader. Their advertising dollars make it possible for all Lakewood residents to receive the monthly newsletter at no charge. If you would like to support the newsletter by advertising, please contact our sales office at or advertising@peelinc.com. The advertising deadline is the 8th of each month for the following month's newsletter. Classified Ads Personal classifieds (one time sell items, such as a used bike...) run at no charge to Lakewood residents, limit 30 words, please lakewood@peelinc.com. Business classifieds (offering a service or product line for profit) are $50, limit 40 words, please contact Peel, Inc. Sales or advertising@peelinc.com. Coyotes - (Continued from Cover Page) well as reddish areas on their front legs, neck and head. Coyotes are can run up to 40 mph and have a remarkable sense of smell, keen vision and hearing. Sightings of coyotes are most likely just after dinner and before dawn as most hunting activity takes place at night. They do not hunt alone, but are usually in groups of two or three. Undisturbed and hungry coyotes, however, will hunt or scavange during daylight hours. Although extremely shy and wary of human contact, when people provide food, coyotes lose their natural fear of humans and can become increasingly aggressive. In this way, they also become dependent on the easy food source people provide. Humans increase the likelihood of contact and conflicts with coyotes by deliberately feeding them or inadvertently feeding them by providing access to food sources such as garbage or pet food. Once a coyote stops hunting on its own and loses fear of people, it becomes dangerous and may attack without warning. As humans share more and more space with coyotes, this has become more of a problem in some urban areas. Wildlife authorities say that minimizing contacts with coyotes (and other types of wildlife) is the best way to prevent such occurences. Below are some of their suggestions: Do not leave small children unattended where coyotes are frequently seen or heard. If there are coyote sightings in your (Continued on Page 3) Go Green Go Paperless Sign up to receive The Lakewood Leader in your inbox. Visit PEELinc.com for details. 2 The Lakewood Leader - March 2010 Copyright 2010 Peel, Inc.

3 Coyotes - (Continued from Page 2) area, prepare yourself and your children for such a possible encounter. Explain to them: DO NOT RUN and BE AS BIG, MEAN, AND LOUD AS POSSIBLE. By shouting a phrase such as go away coyote, they also inform any nearby adults of the coyote s presence better than a general scream. If you are with your children when approached, pick up the child, if possible, and act aggressively. Wave your arms, throw stones, and shout at them. Try to appear larger; e.g., if you are sitting down stand up. If you are already standing step up on a rock or bench. You want to convince the coyote that you are not prey, but are a potential danger to it. If encounters occur regularly, keep noisemakers and other scare devices nearby. Vinegar water in a squirt gun, pepper spray, or a paintball gun are powerful deterrents at close distance. Never feed coyotes and do not give them access to garbage. Prevent access to fruit and compost. Keep compost piles securely covered and cover new compost material with soil or lime to prevent it from smelling. Never include animal matter in your compost. If burying food scraps, cover them with at least 12 inches of soil. Clean and put away any stinky tools used to turn the compost such as your shovel. Feed dogs and cats indoors. If you must feed them outside, do One Month s Tuition FREE Schedule a tour for details. please present coupon at time of enrollment one discount per family THe Lakewood Leader so in the morning or at midday and pick up food, water bowls, leftovers, and spilled food well before dark every day. Do not feed feral cats. Coyotes prey on these cats as well as any feed you leave out for them. Prevent the build-up of feeder foods under bird feeders. Coyotes will eat birdfeed and are attracted to the many birds and rodents that come to the feeders. Keep dogs and cats indoors, especially from dusk to dawn. If left outside, cats and small to mid-sized dogs may be killed by coyotes. If you lose a pet, let your neighbors know. Once a coyote finds easy prey, it will return to hunt in that area. In 2005, the City of Austin started a management program to help deal with coyote problems. If coyotes are sighted in a residential area, they urge residents to follow the precautions noted above. For a link to more information, visit To file a report, call Animal Damage Control at or #311. Notes regarding coyote tracks: Coyote tracks are difference from domestic dogs in several ways: A coyote s rear paw tracks are smaller than its front. Dogs typically have symmetrical paw prints. On a trail, the front and rear paw tracks are quite close or even overlaid, giving the appearance of a two legged animal. The prints are eleven to sixteen inches apart, depending on the size of the animal and speed of travel. Offering 3 Convenient Austin Locations! Copyright 2010 Peel, Inc. The Lakewood Leader - March 2010

4 The Lakewood Leader Travis County Voter Registration News Thanks to legislative efforts that promote voter registration in Texas, as well as the efforts of many local volunteers and groups, Travis County enjoys a very high rate of voter registration: 95%. Despite the overall high rate, one group within the population typically does not register and therefore, does not vote. If you had to guess which age group is least represented among registered voters, which one would you choose? You probably didn t guess seniors, age 66 and above, who tend not to move and remain registered to vote. Nine out of ten seniors fit that description. Baby boomers and the oldest Gen X voters, age follow seniors in high levels of registration at about 8 in 10. Voters age participate at a somewhat lower rate; however, this group constitutes about one-half of all registered voters in Travis County. That leaves the group with the most to gain (or lose) in the long run: the young. Only 1 in 3 eighteen to twenty-five-year-olds is registered to vote. Why? While we don t have all the answers we do have some educated guesses. There are a couple of main reasons why people (including year old people) do not register to vote. One is because they don t know if they can and the other is that they don t know how. So here are the basics: In Texas, a person must be 18 years old, a United States citizen (by birth or naturalization) and a resident of the county where they wish to register. Applicants must provide their full name, residence address and identification information (such as a driver s license number or Texas Identification number). Applicants can find postage paid voter registration applications in public libraries, schools, post offices and in many private businesses such as HEB and Randalls stores. Anyone can download a voter registration application at www. traviscountytax.org. A downloaded application will require postage and must be addressed to Travis County Voter Registration / P O Box / Austin, TX Registration takes effect 30 days after the Voter Registrar receives the completed application. Over the next six months, we will be targeting 10,000 young adults to join the ranks of Travis County registered voters. In early October of this year, the success of Challenge 10,000 (Continued on Page 5) The Lakewood Leader - March 2010 Copyright 2010 Peel, Inc.

5 THe Lakewood Leader Voter Registration - (Continued from page 4) will be measured by comparing today s rate among young voters (71%) to a rate that we anticipate will more closely resemble the overall rate of 95%. The most important goal of Challenge 10,000 involves voter awareness for all citizens, but especially those between the ages of 18 and 25. If you are a registered voter here s what you can do to help promote this effort: 1. Check your voter registration status by clicking on www. traviscountytax.org or by calling Make sure all of your information is correct and up to date. Once you know how easy it is to check, you can help someone else! 2. Ask the people around you, especially those who are 18 25, if they need assistance with voter registration, then help them or refer them to the Voter Registration helpline: Volunteer your time to register voters as a Volunteer Deputy Registrar. Contact Cheryl Reese at extension or Cheryl.Reese@co.travis.tx.us to get started! Look for an update on Challenge 10,000 coming this summer! Travis County Voter Registration, a division of the Travis County Tax Office / 5501 Airport Boulevard / Austin, TX Nelda Wells Spears, Voter Registrar and Tax Assessor-Collector / Nelda. Spears@co.travis.tx.us Dr. Michael S. Lifshen Board Certified Family Physician Lakewood Homeowner ' MV TIPUT OPX BWBJMBCMF /P BQQPJOUNFOUT OFFEFE JOIN US FOR SOME GOLF AND A GREAT CAUSE! DATE - Wednesday, May 19th LOCATION - Flintrock Falls Golf Course COST - $165 per golfer Honorary Chairs this year will be Garrett Weber-Gale, two-time Olympic gold medal swimmer and Ian Crocker, three-time Olympic gold medal swimmer and former world-record holder in the 100m butterfly! Special Guest Emcee will be Bob Fonseca of the 93.7 KLBJ Dudley and Bob Morning Show Extended hours: Evening and Saturday To register online, please visit Capital of Texas Highway, South (between Bee Caves Rd. & Lost Creek Blvd.) Call for an appointment Copyright 2010 Peel, Inc. The Lakewood Leader - March 2010

6 The Lakewood Leader Five Business Networking Groups in the Area Are you looking to grow your business in 2010? If so, you might be interested in a few of the business networking groups in the area. These are a few to choose from: Steiner Ranch Referrals BNI Group Meetings are on Thursday mornings from 8:00am to 9:30am at Thai Harmony in Steiner Ranch. Visitors are welcome! If you are interested in visiting a meeting please contact Kelly Peel at kelly@peelinc.com for more information or visit com. Four Points BNI Meetings are on Wednesday at lunch from 11:30am to 1:00pm at the River Place Country Club. Visitors are welcome! If you are interested in visiting a meeting please contact Amy Oehler at amy.oehler@ unitedlendingusa.com or visit www. BNIAustin.com. A Business Referral Group Made Fun Networking Northwest Austin is expanding its member base of businesses in our area. NWNWA members build close business and personal relationships. We believe in business by referrals and having a limited member base (not duplicating professions), so you will not see your competitors here. We have a caring, positive, involved group of people who not only wish to build their business, but also want to build the strength of our networking group. NWNWA meets on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday at Waterloo Ice House, 360 & FM 2222 from 7:00am to 8:30am. And a fun happy hour once per month at a beautiful location. Come to a breakfast or call Dorothy Scarborough, President - dscarborough5@austin.rr.com, For Sale: single-story 4 BR home with expansive views For sale by owner: a lovely single-story home on a quiet cul-de-sac in Jester Estates. Features include: 4 BR, 2 full baths (2470 sq ft per TCAD) Spectacular panoramic Hill Country views from living room, kitchen, study, and master suite Showcase kitchen and living room with granite countertops and bamboo wood floors Large deck with expansive views 4PBA.org Your Trusted Source For Local Business. We re your user friendly networking group that provides business networking leads, co-op advertising support, and community event participation. See our web site 4PBA. org or call Chase Burris for more information your local city Steiner Ranch has a new business networking group. Your Local City is a positive, membership based, business networking organization with 17 groups meeting all over the Austin area. The Steiner Ranch group meets every Friday at 8:00 AM at the Lakeside Pizza and Grill located in the Shops at Steiner Ranch at Steiner Ranch Blvd. and Quinlan. Come join us to grow your business. All-brick exterior (minimal maintenance) New paint throughout entire interior 1.5+ acre property backing to greenbelt Central vacuum cleaner Oversize garage $425,000. For details, call or stephan.lips@gmail.com. The Lakewood Leader - March 2010 Copyright 2010 Peel, Inc.

7 THe Lakewood Leader Recipe of the Month Broccoli Casserole Ingredients 1 package frozen broccoli 1 cup cooked rice ½ cup chopped celery ½ cup chopped onion 1 small jar Cheese Whiz 1 can cream of chicken soup 1 can cream of mushroom soup Directions Place rice in greased casserole dish. Saute onions and celery. Cook broccoli until crispy tender. Combine vegetables, soups, and cheese. Pour over rice. Bake at 375 until bubbly. If you would like to submit YOUR recipe it to articles@peelinc.com. The Lakewood Leader is a private publication published by Peel, Inc. It is not sanctioned by any homeowners association or organization, nor is it subject to the approval of any homeowners association or organization, nor is it intended, nor implied to replace any publication that may be published by or on behalf of any homeowners association or organization. At no time will any source be allowed to use the Lakewood Leader contents, or loan said contents, to others in anyway, shape or form, nor in any media, website, print, film, , electrostatic copy, fax, or etc. for the purpose of solicitation, commercial use, or any use for profit, political campaigns, or other self amplification, under penalty of law without written or expressed permission from Peel, Inc. The information in the newsletter is exclusively for the private use of Peel, Inc. DISCLAIMER: Articles and ads in this newsletter express the opinions of their authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Peel, Inc. or its employees. Peel, Inc. is not responsible for the accuracy of any facts stated in articles submitted by others. The publisher also assumes no responsibility for the advertising content with this publication. All warranties and representations made in the advertising content are solely that of the advertiser and any such claims regarding its content should be taken up with the advertiser. * The publisher assumes no liability with regard to its advertisers for misprints or failure to place advertising in this publication except for the actual cost of such advertising. * Although every effort is taken to avoid mistakes and/or misprints, the publisher assumes no responsibility for any errors of information or typographical mistakes, except as limited to the cost of advertising as stated above or in the case of misinformation, a printed retraction/correction. * Under no circumstances shall the publisher be held liable for incidental or consequential damages, inconvenience, loss of business or services, or any other liabilities from failure to publish, or from failure to publish in a timely manner, except as limited to liabilities stated above. CUSTOM HOME & FURNITURE DESIGN, INC. RICK INGRAM TRCC Mob: Home: ringram@academicplanet.com E, OM LH RA NE C. IN 25 XA E 19, TE D SINC EL EA FI AR LE IELD LITT EF TL ST. E LIT H 5T TH S FU IN RV SE. BO P.O Copyright 2010 Peel, Inc. X 91 0 G 50 ST 3 EA PAY AND SAVE, INC HALL AVEN UE LITTL EFIEL D, TX The Lakewood Leader - March 2010

8 The Peel, Lakewood Inc. Leader 311 Ranch Road 620 S. Ste 200 Lakeway, TX PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID PEEL, INC. LK The Lakewood Leader - March 2010 Copyright 2010 Peel, Inc.