2006 COVNA BOARD
Floyd Clark Greg Estes Vacant Hal Ferguson Doug Tabony Doug DuBois Doug DuBois	President (282-8245) Vice President (282-2782) Secretary Treasurer (282-0601) Newsletter (280-4080) ANC Delegate (292-9323) Past President (292-9323)

2007 MEMBERSHIP DUES

It is time to show your support for the Castlewood—Oak Valley Neighborhood Association. According to COVNA by-laws, dues are payable at or before the February meeting. This will allow distribution of the directory early in the year. Membership dues received by February will guarantee inclusion in the directory. You may join now by clicking here, filling out the form, and bringing or sending it to our Treasurer.

COVNA December Meeting Agenda

The December meeting will be our annual Holiday Party, held in the fellowship hall. It is a time for sharing good food, stories of the neighborhood, and a little of the Holiday Spirit. In addition, it is one of the largest gatherings we have, so there is usually a little business to attend to.
Here is the proposed agenda for our meeting:
7:00 – 7:30: Food & Conversation
7:30: Business Meeting
Our business meeting will be quite short. We need to vote on our club dues to the Austin Neighborhoods Council, funds for the party, and of course the election of officers.
8:00 - ??: More food and conversation.

COVNA will provide sandwiches, snack platters, and a beverage for one and all. If any of our great cooks are so inclined, we would not be offended if they shared some of their favorite holiday recipes with the group. No one is under any obligation to bring food items.
Please come join this great event and meet your neighbors!!

Advertise in the COVNA Newsletter
Only $10.00/month. Reaches over 400 homes & Online at COVNA.org
Email Doug Tabony at: tabonyproductions@austin.rr.com

We desperately need a volunteer to act as secretary.

The job only takes about two or three hours a month but is vital to the association.

First Night - Take Two
New Year's Eve

First Night Austin 2007
New Year¹s Eve Celebration of the Arts

First Night Austin 2007 is a public celebration that revives the ancient tradition of marking the passage of time with art, ritual and festivity. Last year, the inaugural event attracted more than 100,000 people downtown for a family-friendly, alcohol-free New Year’s Eve celebration. This year the event will take place on Sunday, December 31, 2006.
For more information, visit www.firstnightaustin.org or call 476-5577.

Two changes have been announced to the event this year. First Night Austin will again be family-friendly and alcohol-free, but this year’s event will be free to the public, whereas last year, indoor venues required an $8 button for admission.

"This gift to the community is made possible through the generous support of incredible corporate citizens in our community such as H-E-B, Presenting Sponsor of First Night Austin 2007, and AT&T, the Grand Finale Sponsor," said Mayor Will Wynn.

"We believe it’s right for Austin that First Night be a totally free event which is a significant change from last year,” said Jeff Trigger, First Night Austin Board President.
In addition, based on evaluation and feedback from last year’s event, First Night will concentrate on a more accessible footprint which will begin from 6th Street and Congress Avenue to Cesar Chavez continuing to Auditorium Shores including City Hall and the new 2nd Street District.

Jo and I had great fun last year and this year it’s all free!

  

Except for a couple of years ago when it rained so much it killed our flourishing Texas Mountain Laurel, Central Texas has been in an extended moderate drought. Assuming some rain by the end of the year, Austin will still only reach 3./4 of its normal rainfall in 2006. This year the LCRA and the City of Austin launched a water awareness campaign, ”Water IQ: Know your water.”

“The state’s water planning process includes assumptions about people and communities taking action to conserve water,” said John Burke, chair of the Lower Colorado River Regional Planning Group, the entity charged by the state with coordinating the long-term water resource plan for the lower Colorado River. “We are excited to see LCRA and the City of Austin partner and take a leadership role in creating awareness for the simple ways people can save water. The Colorado River will provide plenty of water for future generations if we all do what we can to save water today.”

Colorado River Water Interest and Use is Rising. In a recent survey of people living in the lower Colorado River basin, more than half of the respondents identified concerns about water supply and water quality as the biggest environmental challenges facing the basin. The population of the lower Colorado River basin is expected to double by 2050. Water consumption by consumers is particularly high during summer months due to landscape watering. This not only impacts the water supply but can put a strain on a utility’s water treatment facilities, costing communities and consumers more to deliver water.

On average, residential customers in Travis County neighborhoods are using anywhere from 180 to 300 gallons of water per person, per day. With the region’s rapid growth, that consumption adds up quickly. Residents of communities such as San Antonio use about 140 to 145 gallons per person per day. While the Water IQ campaign will challenge Austinites to reduce use by 10 percent, the vision of the program developers is that, even if our population doubles, water consumption would only increase slightly. The initial focus of the campaign is to stretch the existing water supply by reducing outdoor water use, which accounts for about 60 percent of summer water use.

While outdoor water use is less of a concern in the cooler months, conserving water now lowers your water bill for next year. Your water usage will be monitored over 3 consecutive monthly billing cycles between designated dates from mid-November to mid-March. The wastewater average is calculated from the average of the 2 months with the lowest daily water usage. For water saving tips refer to the COVNA newsletter from September (last article) - click to read.