National Haiku Writing Month

NO EVENTS SCHEDULED
FOR FEBRUARY


The HOLIDAY PARTY
was a great success

The meeting room was packed to capacity with around 50 people enjoying good food and good company.  The business meeting was lively and fruitful.


Sweet Potato Month



2015 MEMBERSHIP

It is time to show your support for the Castlewood—Oak Valley Neighborhood Association.
A membership form is on the inside of the hard copy newsletter.
You can print a membership form by clicking here.
According to the by-laws, dues shall be payable by
February of each calendar year.

2015 COVNA BOARD

Ron Mattison
Paco Bertsch
Matt Janiga
Hal Ferguson
Doug Tabony
Vacant
Jennifer Rizkalla

President (512 282-2174)
Vice President (512 993-9277)
Secretary (512 708-3862)
Treasurer (512 282-0601)
Newsletter (512 280-4080)
ANC Delegate
Past President (512 280-4975)

 


To join the COVNA Email List, click below and
send an email with your name(s) to Doug at

covna-admins@freelists.org
Now 100+ households strong!

Find out the latest neighborhood news and developments.
Receive recommendations for service providers.

2015 EVENT SCHEDULE

4/18 - Neighborhood Garage Sale:
8 am-1 pm
5/2 - Spring Fling: 5-8 pm

6 /20 - Summer Picnic
10/6 - National Night Out: 6-8 pm
12/14 - Holiday Party: 6:30 pm


NEWEST OFFICERS OFFER NEW SURVEY

Hello Castlewood/Oak Valley Denizens,

We would like to kick off 2015 by getting to get to know you better. As the newest members of the COVNA officer team, we’d like to fully utilize our resources and request your assistance with completing a brief survey. This was previously done, but with new leadership, we thought it was once again time to address your priorities.

Why would we want to dedicate our time to alignment instead of just soldiering on?  The reality is the COVNA leadership team is a volunteer group, so we are fairly limited when it comes to availability and resources.  With a clear set of priorities, it is possible for us to work on things that have the greatest impact on the neighborhood; we’d like to focus on what matters most to you. This is your opportunity to share your ideas as we plan neighborhood activities for 2015.

The survey will be open through the end of March.  The link will also be posted to the COVNA website and shared via the email distribution list. This is a short, 5 question survey, plus room for comments; all responses are anonymous.  The results will be sent out through the newsletter, the email list, and the website.

Click on the link below to take part in the survey.   We hope to hear from each and every household, your opinion is valued.

www.surveymonkey.com/s/TJG9ZGC


Thanks,
Paco and Matt


Paco and Sarah


Matt Janiga, Vivi Joana, and Xan



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DROUGHT NOT OVER

The graph shows the average water level of Lake Travis (680 is considered full) and the population of Texas from 1942 to 2014.  Below is a brief history of the 1950s drought.  It is frightening that during such a horrific drought as Texas experienced in the ‘50s the lake could refill but has not done so in the last few years.  It may be that sustained rains will do the job but with so many more people depending on Lake Travis it is clear we must all do our part to preserve this precious resource.  Go to www.austintexas.gov/department/water-conservation-residents for water saving methods and available rebates.

In Texas, there is still the drought against which all other droughts are measured: the seven-year dry spell in the 1950s. It was so devastating that agriculture losses exceeded those of the Dust Bowl years, and it kicked off the modern era of water planning in Texas.

From 1950 to 1957, the sky dried up and the rain refused to fall. The ground desiccated and cracked open. The relentless sun burned off the grass and baked the ground.

The people who lived through the drought remember dust storms as bad or worse than those of the Dust Bowl days in the 1930s, fearsome dust storms that turned noonday into night, so dark that schoolteachers. led their students to the buses hand in hand so they wouldn't get lost. The dust storms were so powerful that the grit abraded the paint clean off the license plates on cars unfortunate enough to drive through them.

After the drought, water planners doubled the number of reservoirs in Texas, and all of these storage lakes served the state's water needs well until the drought of 2011.

Today, Texas faces the same challenge it did in the 1950s: where to find more water.



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Print and Clip

SAVE WATER - IRRIGATION

  • Thoroughly check your system each spring when you first turn it on and repair any leaks as soon as possible.
  • Rebates may be available for upgrading your irrigation system to increase water-efficiency.
  • Adjust sprinklers so that only your lawn is being watered.  Realign any heads that are spraying too high in the air, onto pavement or structures, or into tall grass or shrubs. 
  • After each mowing, check to make sure sprinkler heads haven’t been broken or knocked out of alignment.
  • Use drip irrigation for bedded plants, shrubs, and trees to apply water directly to the roots where it’s needed.
  • Water your lawn during the early morning hours when temperatures and wind speed are the lowest to reduce evaporation and waste


Advertise in the COVNA Newsletter
Only $10.00/month. Reaches over 400 homes & Online at COVNA.org
Email Hal Ferguson to see if space is available at hkferguson37@yahoo.com






Polar bear cub at Svalbard, Norway

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