The Ofﬁ cial Publication of the Granada Homeowners Association… · Bug Spray Discount, organized by Cindy Silberman are two examples of that. Only Granada HOA Members can vote,

Copyright © 2006 Peel, Inc. Granada Hills & Estates Neighborhood Newsletter - December 2006 1

Granada Hills & Estates

View theGranada Hills Newsletter

each month on-line atwww.PEELinc.com

The Offi cial Publication of theGranada Homeowners Association

Volume 2, Number 12 December 2006 www.granadahoa.org

This month we meet J.J. Wittig, who is an Assistant Fire Chief with the Oak Hill Fire Department and a resident of Granada Hills. J.J. and Tammy, his wife, own a home on Candelaria. (This is the house with the Oak Hill Fire Department truck often parked outside.) They have three children; Justin, Evan, and Carly the four month old. (From the photo, you can imagine that Justin and Evan are real characters.) J.J. was born in Victoria, Texas and moved to the Oak Hill area in 1976. He graduated from The University of Texas in 3 years and went on to earn his MBA in two years while working full time and volunteering as a fi refi ghter. He and Tammy moved into Granada in 1996. Tammy is a secondary Math Teacher by degree, but since she now has a busy family, she has been working full time taking care of the kids. J.J. says he likes hunting and camping and he hopes to get his kids involved in the outdoors as well. J.J. started with the Oak Hill Volunteer Fire Department as a volunteer in 1996. He progressed through the ranks as a Firefi ghter, Firefi ghter II, Lieutenant, and Captain in a volunteer capacity. At that time he also trained at the Emergency Services and Fire Academy and accumulated about 460 hours of training over an 8 month period. In October of 2005, he went to work full time at Emergency Services

District No. 3 as a Captain, and recently moved up to Assistant Chief. J.J. has received the Liberty Mutual Firemark Award and the Loy Mackey Award, voted on by the volunteer fi re department Board of

Directors. Congratulations J.J. ! His most memorable fi refi ghting experience was during a training exercise at Texas A&M where they were allowed to train on a natural gas fi re on a gas unloading facility. J.J. says that you strive to be trained in areas that you have infrequent contact, because those are the ones for which you need to be most prepared. He said it was very hot and he was actually at the end of the hose controlling the nozzle. A most memorable “real” experience was when he was putting out a his first fire as a volunteer firefighter. His adrenaline was flowing as he walked toward the burning house, water hose in hand, and the fi re was so hot that car tires were bursting inside the house. He

said that just about everything becomes “thought provoking” until the fi re is out. If you ever need information on fi re control or need other types of information about emergency services, feel free to call J.J. at 288-5534, extension 114, or wittig@oakhillfi re.org. Thanks to J.J. and Tammy, and the kids, for contributing to the fabric of Granada Hills and Estates!

Neighbor Spotlight: J.J. Wittig

2 Granada Hills & Estates Neighborhood Newsletter - December 2006 Copyright © 2006 Peel, Inc.


Board of Directors

At no time will any source be allowed to use the Granada Hills Newsletter contents, or loan said contents, to others in anyway, shape or form, nor in any media, website, print, fi lm, e-mail, electrostatic copy, fax, or etc. for the purpose of solicitation, commercial use, or any use for profi t, political campaigns, or other self amplifi cation, under penalty of law without written or expressed permission from the Granada Hills Homeowners Association and Peel, Inc. The information in the newsletter is exclusively for the private use of Granada Hills residents only.

President Rick Perkins: 426-5728 [email protected] Vice-president , OHAN Delegate David Richardson : 301-4429 [email protected] Secretary Linda Wendland : 394-0809 [email protected] Treasurer Rosie Varnado : [email protected]

Pool, Park, Tennis Jim Covell : 288-3010 [email protected] Neighborhood Watch Donna Klein : 288-3299 [email protected] General PositionsHope Dyson: [email protected] Calvert : 288-2385 [email protected] Jim Zion: [email protected]

Email the Volunteer Board at [email protected]

DISCLAIMER: Articles and ads in this newsletter express the opinions of their authors and do not necessarily refl ect 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.

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GRANADA CHATTER Congratulations to Our New Judge Susan Steeg Congratulations to our neighbor, Susan Steeg, who won the election for Justice of the Peace, Precinct 3. Susan and Sarah Calvert live at 8702 El Rey. After she won the election, we asked her what she could do to help the Granada neighborhood, she said, “Speeders better watch out!” Congratulations to Our Offi cer Casaday Ken Casaday, husband of Jamie Casaday and a police offi cer for the City of Austin, was awarded the Community / Humanitarian Award for 2006. Sounds like he’s been playing “good cop”. They live on El Dorado. Farewell to Fire Chief Ken Dixon Oak Hill Fire Chief Ken Dixon is retiring after 20 years of service to Oak Hill. Under his watch the area has grown from a mostly volunteer force to employing more than 35 fi refi ghters that are on call 24 hours a day at two stations, and manning some of the most modern equipment. Chief Dixon defi nitely has left his legacy in Oak Hill. Thanks Chief Dixon. Great Granada Garage Sale Success Thanks to all who participated in the Great Granada Garage Sale. Thanks also to Amy Hardin for organizing the event. She was the person who placed the ads in the newspapers and prepared and placed signs at key intersections. She also made the neat vinyl banner that

(Continued on pg. 4)


Granada Hills & EstatesRESIDENTIAL • COMMERCIAL

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Semi-Annual Meeting – Tuesday, December 5th We will be having our Semi-Annual Meeting on the evening of Tuesday, December 5th, from 6:30 to about 9 pm. It will be a Pot Luck (bring your favorite dish, but not required) with a main dish and refreshments supplied by the HOA. The location will be at the Travis County West Rural Community Center at 8656 Hwy 71 West. This is the community building on top of the hill, behind the fi re station. It is not too far; drive up to the Y, take a Left on Hwy 71, and it is on your right 1.7 miles. If you would like to car pool, please call Hope Dyson at 394-1558. We will present the status of the Granada HOA as we stand in our larger community as well as our fi nancial condition. We will review the accomplishments over the past year and hear from several Board members regarding their plans and hopes for 2007. We will have a presentation from a prominent real estate professional on the value of the homes in our neighborhood, as well as possible future variations as a result of new homes constructed adjacent to Granada. Additionally, we will vote for four Board of Directors positions that are coming up this year. The two-year “volunteerships” held by David Richardson, Jim Covell, Linda Wendland, and Donna Klein are expiring on December 31st, so we need to elect new Board members, or re-elect these current Board members. We will also be voting on a change to our By-laws that will raise our annual dues from $48 to $60. But with this increase in dues, the Tennis Courts fee would no longer exist and the tennis courts would be open to all members use. We hope to encourage greater usage of the courts, maybe by setting up a “tennis ladder” or “challenge court” for people to participate in friendly competition. The increase in dues will also help us to continue park and front entrance improvements, as well as save a little each year for our reserve fund for future maintenance. Last month, I requested that people contact me with any issues they have in our neighborhood so that we might be able to address them at the meeting. No responses were received. Also, I asked for people interested in running for the Board to contact me so that I could put them in the newsletter, but no responses were received. That’s okay, though, because you can be nominated at the meeting just before the election, and we know that many of the “new Granada people” would be interested in participating as well. Even if you are not a member of the Board, we still encourage smaller groups or committees to tackle specifi c tasks. The Garage Sale, organized by Amy Hardin, and the Bug Spray Discount, organized by Cindy Silberman are two examples of that. Only Granada HOA Members can vote, but others are welcome to attend to learn about what the HOA is doing on your behalf. A fee of $5 per person, will be charged to nonmembers who attend. (In order to become a voting member at the meeting in December, your 2006 dues of $48 must be paid by December 2nd.) If you have any questions, or you would like to know how much work a Board member actually is expected to do, please contact Rick at 426-5728 or [email protected]. By sharing the workload between the Board members, we are able to make the volunteer effort an enjoyable experience. See you on Tuesday, December 5th, at about 6:30 pm.

Semi-Annual Meeting of the Granada HOATuesday, December 5th, 6:30 to about 9 pm

Potluck with Main Dish and Refreshments ProvidedTravis County West Rural Community Center

8656 Hwy 71 West



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we will reuse at Granada Garage Sales in the future. We are thinking about mid April 2007, just after Spring Cleaning. Looking for a Home in Granada Another family is looking to purchase a home in Granada. Since it has become apparent that most homes in Granada are sold without ever hitting the normal Listing Service, they have asked that anyone contemplating selling their home before the end of February 2007, please contact them. Alicia Autrey can be reached at 512-484-5808 or via email at [email protected]. If you are interested in buying or selling a home in Granada, we can post it in the newsletter. You never know who might just want to “trade” homes. UT Traffi c Study Participation A graduate student at The University Transportation Engineering Department has asked if we could provide the following link to Granada residents: http://carsharing.hypermart.net This link is a survey on some Transportation Questions that are posed by the student and his professor. Please visit the web site and complete the survey before the end of the year. Oak Hill Planning Effort Check out this website to see the status of the City of Austin sponsored Oak Hill Planning effort: http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/zoning/oak_hill.htm Front Entrance Update

The concrete slab at our entrance (Candelaria and El Rey) should be removed by the time you read this; however, the guys at TDOT initially said that it would be removed by the end of July, so … don’t hold your breath. The good news is that the contract has fi nally been awarded by TDOT, so it will happen sometime soon. Afterwards, the Granada HOA will adopt that corner lot as if it were our own, cutting the grass and weeding and so forth. We could even plant some appealing fl owers or shrubs, etc. Since the Hwy 290 project has been delayed for a year or two, the construction of our new entrance monument has been delayed as well. TDOT has told us that we might be able to lease the land that we need for a new entrance monument. We anticipate the need for no more than 400 square feet for a nice monument with appropriate landscaping. If we can secure a lease at a reasonable rate, we’ll move forward. Until then, enjoy the nice lot and trees and the Granada HOA will maintain it. For those of you who submitted ideas for the new entrance monument, rest assured that we have them in safe storage. And others who have donated to the new entrance monument, your funds remain set aside for that project. At this point we’ve collected just over $1,000 dedicated to it.

Granada Chatter - (Continued from pg. 2)



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The Friendly Gardeners of Granada met at Granada Park on Saturday morning, November 4th and kicked off a new association of neighbors. Hosted by Texas Master Gardener Hope Dyson, the group explored native plants that grow well in our type of soil. Small cuttings and plants were brought to the meeting and traded between one another. In the photo, Mary Dailey (and her dog), Hope Dyson, and Donna Klein enjoy sharing plants and planting ideas. The Granada HOA has been working hard to improve the look and feel of our Granada Park. This is a key asset for our neighborhood. We own it and are entirely responsible for its upkeep. Now that a source of water has been installed in the park, the Friendly Gardeners will likely take an active role in the creation and rejuvenation of various planting beds

around the park. The goal is to make this area a destination for people from the neighborhood to congregate and communicate. Hope plans to hold quarterly meetings of the Friendly Gardeners; be on the lookout for the next meeting in February, and get those seedlings started! For more info, contact Hope Dyson at [email protected] or 394-1558.

Friendly Gardeners HoldFirst Meeting at the Park

Classifi ed AdsPersonal classifi eds (one time sell items, such as a used bike...) run at no charge to Granada Hills residents, limit 30 words, please e-mail [email protected] classifi eds (offering a service or product line for profi t) are $45, limit 40 words, please contact Peel, Inc. Sales at 512-989-8905 or [email protected].

Advertising Information Please support the businesses that advertise in the Granda Hills Newsletter. Their advertising dollars make it possible for all Granada Hills residents to receive the monthly newsletter at no charge. No homeowners association funds are used to produce or mail the newsletters. If you would like to support the newsletter by advertising, please contact our sales offi ce at 512-989-8905 or [email protected]. The advertising deadline is the 10th of each month for the following month's newsletter.



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Doesn’t it feel good now that all of that water pipeline construction is complete? On November 11th the last bit of our streets was fi nally repaved and most of the trucks and tractors (associated with the water pipeline) have vanished. The positive news is that we are much better off with the new 32 inch water line passing through our neighborhood. Some of the benefi ts we gained out of this deal: 1) more stable water pressure throughout the neighborhood, 2) several new fi re hydrants connected directly to the new water line, 3) new high-quality asphalt on all of Espanola Trail covering about a foot more on each side of the road, 4) a great price on asphalt for the parking lot at the park, 5) the attention of the City of Austin to our needs. The primary downside is that we now have 3 or 4 locations on Espanola Trail with large concrete discs and funny little blue mushroom pipes sticking out the ground. These are pressure equalization blow off pipes that will only be active if air gets in the water line (so they say). The City encourages us to landscape around those pipes and concrete discs with bushes … maybe a few Texas Sage would work.

Thanks are in order to Cash Construction as they bent over backwards to help people deal with the construction mess. Especially David Wallace; the guy in the big red truck. We are monitoring water pressure at about 15 homes around the neighborhood. Any changes in water pressure of more than 5 psi will be noted and reported back to the City of Austin for adjustment. The generally accepted standard for residential water pressure is not to exceed 75 psi. Many of the homes in Granada have water pressure much higher. In fact, many are around 100 to 105 psi. The water pressure at the park and pool is 110 psi. The high pressure can be dangerous because some day (probably when you are not home) one of the connections or pipes could rupture, and the water will fl ood your house. One way to fi x that problem is to get a Pressure Relief Valve (PRV) installed. A plumber will charge you about $500 for the installation, but if you are handy, you can do it yourself for about $125. The PRV will regulate your pressure to some desired level, so that whatever else happens in the line, your pressure will not exceed a level that you predetermine. You also can install the PRV so that it effects your home only and not your water sprinkler.

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Documents

The Ofﬁ cial Publication of the Granada Homeowners Association… · Bug Spray Discount, organized by Cindy Silberman are two examples of that. Only Granada HOA Members can vote,