Copyright © 2012 Peel, Inc. Round Rock Ranch - March 2012 1

ROUND ROCK RANCH

March 2012 Volume 2, Issue 3

Official Newsletter for the Residents of Round Rock Ranch

Dear Fellow RRR Residents,Thanks to all of you who attended our Annual RRR HOA meeting on

January 19th. Forty six residents made the time to attend in person and 46 were represented by proxy. These are very important numbers, because without them we may not have met a quorum. A lot of time, effort, and money goes into making these meetings happen, and to have to reschedule because of lack of attendance only costs us, the homeowners.

I would like to welcome the new Round Rock Ranch Homeowner’s Association Board Members and thank them for volunteering their time and helping make Round Rock Ranch be a better place to live. I would also like to thank the outgoing RRR HOA Board Members for their past commitment and dedication to the Association. There has been a lot of progress this past year, as we can all see around us; the replacement of the community fence boarding Gattis School Road being one of their many accomplishments. Thank you for persevering and helping make that happen to better our community!

Please help keep us informed of events or situations around the neighborhood! Without your communications, we will be limited on what we can and cannot accomplish. It takes all of us to support the neighborhood and help make sure we are all in compliance to keep our property values up, and our children safe.

Officers Charrone and Claypoole of the Round Rock Police Department were present at the meeting and encouraged us all to help be their eyes and ears of the neighborhood. Do not hesitate to call them for any concern of yours. Please use the local police number of 218-5500 for non-emergency situations; an officer will be dispatched as time permits.

If you should have any concerns or would like to attend the next board meeting, please contact me by e-mail to get your concerns addressed or to get on the agenda. The next meeting will be Tuesday, March 6, 2012 at 6:30 p.m. Location: 1707 Red Rock Cove

Thank you and looking forward to anothergreat year here in Round Rock Ranch!

Lea Beth Munoz, President – RRR HOA

LET’S LEND A HAND!As a former teacher, I can attest to the fact that the

money allocated to a school by its school district isn’t enough to purchase the extra books, teaching supplies, and equipment, etc. that are needed throughout the school year. Our Gattis Elementary School is no exception. There are several things that we, as a neighborhood, can do to help out:

Instead of placing newspapers, magazines, junk mail, and office papers in the green bins the city has provided, take these items to the school’s recycling bin located in the side parking lot near the portable buildings. Shredded paper is also accepted, but the school does not accept cardboard items, telephone books or plastic bags.(Be sure you don’t place papers, etc.in plastic bags.) Money from recycling is used by the school to purchase much needed books for its literacy program.

Ink and toner cartridges, old cell phones, Campbell Soup labels, and Box Tops for Education are also enthusiastically accepted. There are large plastic containers just inside the front door where these can be placed. Playground equipment was obtained last year from the proceeds of these items.

Target, Randalls, and Office Depot award rebates to schools. Holders of a Randalls card can go on line to request that Gattis Elementary be their recipient. Office Depot and Target card holders also may designate Gattis to receive a rebate. The Gattis Elementary ID number is 70100519.

With little effort, we can help our elementary school receive the materials needed to educate our children.

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ROUND ROCK RANCH

NEWSLETTER INFOPUBLISHER Peel, Inc. ...................................................... 512-263-9181 Article Submission .................editor@roundrockranch.com Advertising................................ advertising@PEELinc.com

DON’T WANT TO WAIT FOR THE MAIL?

View the current issue of the Round Rock Ranch on the 1st day of each month at www.PEELinc.com

BOARD OF DIRECTORSROUND ROCK RANCH BOARD OF DIRECTORSLB Munoz ............................................................... President940-1832 .............................president@roundrockranch.com

Jena Richards ...................................................Vice President608-1523 ....................................... vp@roundrockranch.com

Morris Winkle ..........................................................Treasurer244-9338 ..............................treasurer@roundrockranch.com

Leamon Lanham ......................................................Secretary917-0260 ..............................secretary@roundrockranch.com

OPEN ......................................................... Director at Large ...........................................director@roundrockranch.com

ENCLAVE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Jennifer Smith ......................................................... President

Rene Franco .......................................................VP Treasurer

Polly Middlebrook ...................................................Secretary

ROUND ROCK RANCH PHASE ONE HOACertified Management of Austin (CMA) ........ 512-339-6962...........9600 Great Hills Trail, Suite 100E. Austin, TX 78759Fax/Email ............512-339-1317/frontdesk@cmaaustin.com Jennifer English, Manager ...............jenglish@cmaaustin.com

ENCLAVE AT ROUND ROCK RANCH HOA www.roundrockranch.com/contact

PS Property Management Co., Inc. ............... 512-251-6122..................................PO Box 7079 Round Rock, TX 78683Fax ................................................................. 512-251-3470 Phyllis Starr-Johnson, Manager .........psproperty@psprop.net

PROPERTY MANAGERS

That SproutingTime of Year

We have had just enough rain to bring out the hardiest of our lawn plants, namely the weeds. Homeowners are faced with the seemingly unending task of mowing weekly to keep weeds from going to seed. Even with weekly mowing, some weeds will manage to set seed. Just allowing a small area of the yard to have weeds this year will ensure that most of the surrounding area will have weeds next spring.

An alternative to weekly mowing is to use one of the several available weed control chemicals. Whether you use Spectracide Weed Stop for Lawns or Southern Weed Killer by Bayer, the procedure is the same. Read and follow all directions when applying the product to your lawn. Results are usually visible within a day and the weeds will become wilted and die within a week or so. A word of caution Make sure that the product that you pick is recommended for use on Bermuda as well as St. Augustine yards, and do not spray the chemical on desirable broad-leaf yard plants.

A complete treatment now may produce a weed free yard for next spring. And hopefully, your neighbors will reciprocate.

Email List forAnnouncements

Did you know that Round Rock Ranch has an email list to announce news affecting residents? If you want to be “in the know” about neighborhood events, police reports in the neighborhood, lost pets, and other important information, go to:

http://www.roundrockranch.com/contact.html.

RELAX MATTRESS - Your Fellow Round Rock Ranch Resident has opened a mattress store in Round Rock! Relax Mattress is located next to Gatti-Land off Sam Bass Rd. All Round Rock Ranch neighbors receive a 20 percent discount! CALL RYAN CHRISTIAN @ 512-388-3000

Classified AdsPersonal classifieds (one time sell items, such as a used bike...) run at no charge to Round Rock Ranch residents, limit 30 words, please e-mail vp@roundrockranch.com.Business classifieds (offering a service or product line for profit) are $50, limit 40 words, please contact Peel, Inc. Sales Office @ 512-263-9181 or advertising@PEELinc.com.

BUSINESS CLASSIFIEDS

Copyright © 2012 Peel, Inc. Round Rock Ranch - March 2012 3

ROUND ROCK RANCH

Register online now at:www.colinshope.org

WWW.COLINSHOPE.ORG

will be Bob Fonseca

JOIN US FOR GOLF AND A GREAT CAUSE!

*Includes lunch, dinner, shirt & goodie bag

Special Guest Emceeof the 93.7 KLBJ FM Dudley & Bob Morning Show

DATE: Wednesday, April 18th11:00 am Registration - 1:00 pm Start

LOCATION: Flintrock Falls Golf CourseFORMAT: 4-person scramble

COST: $165 per golfer*

Please join us for the 4th annualColin’s Hope Classic charity golf tournament

and help prevent childhood drownings.

Colin’s Hope envisions a world where children do not drown

Honorary ChairsOlympic Swimmers:

Brendan Hansen and Garrett Weber-GaleCity of Lakeway Chief of Police: Todd Radford

Establishing Flexibility &Momentum for Resolutions

By Mighty Human Performance & 4Fitness 4Health

Plenty has been written over the past months regarding the art of setting resolutions for 2012. By now, the initial excitement has diminished and the work continues. In any career there is a stage is called the ‘Implementation Phase.’ If you are still focused on implementing your goals, kudos to you! Studies show by mid February, gym participation declines and the resolutions of the New Year begin to be forgotten. For those still working on goals, here are a few suggested strategies: be flexible, establish momentum and celebrate small wins.

BE FLEXIBLERealize unplanned situations may arise. Try to avoid wasting energy

getting frustrated over situations you cannot control. Instead, use your creativity to find ways to support your fitness goals. For example, if you are unable to complete a 45 minute workout, consider a run/walk for 30 minutes followed by calisthenics. Research supports a broken down 30 minute workout, in increments of 10 minutes is beneficial.

ESTABLISH MOMENTUMLet’s take Newton’s Law of Physics; an object in motion remains

in motion…It takes less work to keep moving once you have some momentum. Take consistent steps to create a steady rhythm and to build confidence. This will make it easier to stay focused, make progress and work through any unforeseen challenges.

CELEBRATE SMALL WINSTake time to celebrate those small moments that may seem

insignificant but contribute to your fitness goals. Reward yourself for the small accomplishments. Take time to acknowledge, reflect and celebrate. After all, it’s your hard work and you know what you bring to the table when it’s all sweat and all heart.

As always, we wish you balance, harmony, and Longevity.Be well, be blessed.

VOLUNTEERSThe HOA runs on volunteers. Your talents and a little time can make a big difference. To volunteer, call any Board member or committee chairperson. Contact info is in left column.

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ROUND ROCK RANCH

People all over Austin and the World will change lights to blue, dress blue, eat blue, drink blue and even paint fingernails blue beginning on April 2. April is Autism Awareness Month and Autism Speaks is celebrating by turning the World (and Austin) blue for the month. This is the first year Austin will turn blue in a big way. In 2007, the United Nations adopted a resolution to make April 2nd World Autism Awareness Day. Autism Speaks created Light It Up Blue (LIUB) to create awareness for the month. Austin TV and radio talk shows will be airing LIUB segments and contests. Numerous buildings like the 2nd Street Business District, the Four

Seasons Hotel, the 360 Condos, the Amli Downtown and on 2nd Street, Home Away, west 6th Street Lounges and many more will be going blue. School campuses will be decorated, plus children and faculty will wear blue. Neighborhood Associations and organizations will turn blue.

Blue events will flood the Greater Austin area like the Blue Bash, Blue Martinis and Manicures, a golf tournament, a Blue Bingo and Burger Bash, a Blue Easter Egg Hunt, a UT sorority sponsored Blue Ball and much more.

Autism is becoming an epidemic with no known cause or cure. If the current trend continues, half the children born in the United States by 2046 will be diagnosed with autism. Our school districts are already “bending” under the load since 70% of people with autism are under 18. When these children become adults, what will happen?

Many will have to be cared for throughout adulthood.Autism robs families of the child they thought they

had, since, although some are born with it, many regress around ages 1 to 3. The child loses speech, does not make eye contact, tantrums frequently and seems to be unreachable in his own little world. A diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is devastating for parents. Every 15 minutes a parent hears this diagnosis! Not only have they “lost” a child, but their entire life is immediately changed. Money and time involved in treating autism is staggering—not to mention the emotional pull of every single day.

Last year over 1,800 iconic landmarks turned blue for April from Niagara Falls, Rockefeller Center, the New York Stock Exchange and the Empire State Building in New York to Christ the Redeemer Statue in Brazil. Buildings all over the world like the Cairo Tower in Egypt, the

Hungarian Parliament and the Sydney Opera House in Australia turned blue. This year the number will top 2,000.

Help fight the spread of autism. Create awareness by changing your exterior home bulbs to blue, wearing blue, painting your nails blue, decorating your child’s school in blue, etc. The 2012 Autism Speaks National Poster Child for the United States and Canada is a Greater Austin kindergarten student—a great feat for our area! Let’s show what we can do to make Austin blue!

By Connie Ripley

LIGHT IT UP BLUE IN APRIL

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ROUND ROCK RANCH

! Enjoy $20 "All You!!Can Eat" St Louis Ribs

! Supporting Habitat!!

for Humanity

! Cheer on your local High School as they compete in Rib!Eating Contest!"

Monday March 5th6:30 - 9:00 PMRib Eating Contest 7:30 - 7:45 PM

! Round Rock I-35: Round Rock High School

! 620 Four Points: Vandegrift High School

! 360 South: Westlake High School

! 183 North: Defending Champions Anderson High School

! Former Longhorns & current NFL players will serve as honorary “Rib Eating Coaches”

! Help local high school teams as they compete for the "Rudy's Golden Rib Trophy" for most ribs eaten!

! High school contest 7:30- 7:45 PM.

At all 4 Austin Rudy’s

locations

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NOT AVAILABE ONLINE

ELECTED OFFICIALSU.S. SENATORS

Kay Bailey Hutchison512-916-5834

John Cornyn512-469-6034

U.S. REPRESENTATIVEDist. 31 John R. Carter

512-246-1600

STATE SENATORDist. 5, Steve Ogden

512-463-0105

STATE REPRESENTATIVESDist. 52, Larry Gonzales

512-463-0670

Dist. 20, Charles Schwertner512-463-0309

COUNTY COMMISSIONERSPct. 1, Lisa Birkman

512-244-8610

Pct. 3 Valerie Covey512-943-3370

Pct. 4, Ron Morrison 512-238-2111

Pick up the PileHappy New Year to all! As we embark on 2012’s journey, some will

think of ways to improve upon themselves. I’d like to offer an idea to those that still think dog poop is fertilizer, let’s try picking up after our dogs. In case you were not aware, scientists have established the fact that the dog's gut harbors a particular type of bacteria known as the coli form bacteria. This bacterium includes the dreaded E. coli bacteria and also contains strains of salmonella and giardia. Now, since the rains have finally come, all the piles that have been left behind will be washed into our storm drains and contaminate our water supply. Not only is our water supply affected but perhaps even the air we breathe...I came across this article:

SCIENCEDAILY (AUG. 18, 2011) “Bacteria from fecal material -- in particular, dog fecal material

-may constitute the dominant source of airborne bacteria in Cleveland’s and Detroit’s wintertime air, says a new University of Colorado Boulder study.”

This was the first test conducted, for air borne disease so far, however, scientist presume other cities, with an abundance of the canine kind, will show similar results. Please be kind, don’t leave it behind. To those that pick up....THANK YOU

www.pickupthepile.com

At no time will any source be allowed to use the Round Rock Ranch's contents, or loan said contents, to others in anyway, shape or form, nor in any media, website, print, film, e-mail, 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 Round Rock Ranch is exclusively for the private use of the Round Rock Ranch HOA and 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.

Copyright © 2012 Peel, Inc. Round Rock Ranch - March 2012 7

ROUND ROCK RANCH15 Things to do Today to Simplify Your Life

By Karin Flagg, Organize With Purpose!

Here are 15 simple things you can do immediately to take you from overwhelmed

to back in control in just minutes. 1. CREATE AN ‘IN-OUT’ OR ‘LANDING PAD’

AREA BY YOUR ENTRANCE DOOR

Whether you use your front door or garage, use this area to collect the things you use every day like keys, a charging station for phones, and a bulletin or whiteboard to jot down reminders and tack papers you need the next day. You’ll eliminate last-minute frantic hunting and actually start your day stress-free.

2. DECLUTTER, JUST MINUTES AT A TIME

You may not have time to thoroughly declutter a room, but you can at least start small every day. Go through a room with a laundry basket and pick up any items that don’t belong there. When the basket is full, put those things back where they should go.

3. SORT YOUR INCOMINGMAIL IMMEDIATELY

Instead of piling up that stack of mail, sort it over a trash can and immediately toss junk mail making sure to shred sensitive items. (If you don’t have a shredder use a pair of ‘shredding scissors’). Open the rest of the mail throwing away all envelopes. Now sort this small pile into bills to pay, things to read, items to keep and file.

4. LIMIT THE AMOUNT OF MAIL YOUHAVE TO SORT THROUGH EVERY DAY

Stop wasting precious time sorting through your crammed mailbox filled with unsolicited mail. Opt-out of receiving credit card offers, fliers and catalogs you don’t want or need by registering at the Direct Marketing Association website: www.DMAchoice.org.

5. GO PAPERLESS

Whenever possible, opt for paperless statements. Most banks, utility and service companies offer online statements instead of having them mailed to you. That means less paper for you to sort and file – not to mention saving trees.

6. SWITCH TO ONLINE &AUTOMATIC BILL-PAY

Sign up with your bank for online bill-pay to ensure you never miss a payment again. As soon as you get a new bill enter the amount to pay and the due date in the bill-pay section. That’s it! Your bank makes sure it’s sent and delivered on-time so you don’t have to. And think about signing up for automatic recurring payments for things like your mortgage and car payment – then won’t even have to remember to remember to pay them! No more hunting for stamps and running to the post office.7. EMBRACE THE ‘ONE-IN ONE-OUT’ RULE

This is a great system for almost any area of your life. Whether it’s a new item of clothing or a book, decide that for every new item you bring home one will be removed. This will help keep you from being overwhelmed by all your stuff.

8. CREATE A MAGAZINE &CATALOG BASKET

Have a container, like a basket or box, to hold all your magazines and catalogs. When it gets full, that’s your cue to recycle the old ones.

9. MULTI-TASKING IS A MYTH

Studies show that trying to do 2 or more things at once that require your complete attention just doesn’t work. Instead, block out chunks of time to focus on one project at a time. You’ll be amazed how much more you’ll actually get done working this way.

10. CLEAR OUT MENTAL CLUTTER

It’s exhausting trying to keep all those thoughts, ideas, projects and to-do lists in your head – instead, get them out of your head and out where you can see them. Whether you use technology or paper, it’s a quick way to make lists of all those mental thoughts swirling in your head. Then divide those lists into categories like Work and Personal.

11. HAVE A WAY TO CAPTUREYOUR THOUGHTS& IDEAS

Throughout the day, have some way to capture all your ‘to-do’s’ and ‘must-

remembers’. It might be high-tech like your Smartphone or as simple as a notepad. The key is to make a note of them somewhere whenever they pop up.12. TURN OFF YOUR EMAIL NOTIFICATIONS

Are you distracted every time you see and hear “You’ve got mail?” Those reminders can be a big distraction so take back control by turning off the email icon and sound. Instead either set it up so YOU have to go retrieve them when you’re ready, or change the settings so that it doesn’t notify you for every email but rather in batchs every 30 or 60 minutes instead.

13. BE THE RULER OF YOUR EMAILS

Did you know that programs like MS Outlook let you set up ‘rules’ for your emails? Instead of clogging your inbox set up a rule for things like newsletters that you want to read at a later date, when you have time. It will go into a folder and be there when you’re ready. Think of ‘Rules’ as like having your very own personal assistant for email!

14. PLAN YOUR TOMORROW – TODAY

At the end the day take a few moments to plan the key things you need to accomplish tomorrow. By following a plan you’ll be productive first thing - instead of wasting time with emails or Facebook. And pull tomorrow’s outfit together the night before, down to all the accessories and shoes. A few moments of planning today will make your tomorrow easier.

15. EMBRACE TECHNOLOGY

I’m not a techie but I’ve come to realize that many apps and features of your phone help make life easier and many are free. Use the calendar to set reminders to yourself throughout the day, or use the voice recorder app to record messages to yourself while you’re running around. Or check out notes and to-do list apps. There’s even a voice-to-text app that turns your message into an email. Once you start looking you’ll be amazed what’s available.

8 Round Rock Ranch - March 2012 Copyright © 2012 Peel, Inc.

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