WINDOW on WINDSOR Published Monthly by the Windsor Park Neighborhood Association • Austin, Texas Vol XXXVII No.09 LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT Sept 2018 By Meghan Dougherty Next Neighborhood As the 2018-19 school year begins, I am reminded how important schools are to the success of Association our state, city, and neighborhood. Schools play an integral role in making neighborhoods great. Obviously, people shop for schools just as much as they shop for tree-lined streets and friendly Meeting neighbors when they’re looking for a home. However, neighborhoods that want good schools Saturday, Sept must invest in those schools. It has become far too easy to blame the failure of schools on those who are working in the buildings. While our school personnel must take ownership over how and 8th at 10am. what is taught, they also rely on us to provide the resources, time, and effort they don’t always have to further enhance the education students are receiving. Back room at Memorial United For example, parent teacher associations contribute extra funding to the buildings, outside of Methodist Church what is allocated by the district or state. They coordinate volunteers to help with all kinds of 6100 Berkman Dr. enrichment activities, from tutoring to field trips. Parents who are involved in their child’s school are likely to develop better relationships with their teachers, leading to better communication about the child’s progress. Students’ grades, attendance, and test scores all improve when parents Sept are active in the school building. Meeting Focus: However, involvement in public education does not have to be limited just to parents and guardians of school-aged children. Did you know that in our WPNA schools committee, several of our Our Local members don’t even have children, or their children are adults? However, they are all united Schools in the idea that schools are part of the fabric of a community, and good schools help create a strong community. They volunteer to read in the school libraries, they serve on Campus Advisory Councils and other district-level committees, and they keep our neighborhood informed about Note: issues affecting the schools. We need a When we talk inequities across campuses within the district, oftentimes those inequities can be Transportation traced back to the community’s involvement in their neighborhood schools. But, volunteering Chair - please isn’t the only way to give back to schools. Schools have been underfunded by the state for several email presi- years now, meaning an increasing proportion of school funding is coming from local [See p. 2] dent@wind- sorpark.info if Questions about Homelessness in the Austin Community interested in Ann Howard, ECHO (Ending Community Homelessness Coalition) learning more NOTE: At our August meeting we had invited Ann Howard as our guest speaker. She was unable to attend, but knowing that the neighbors in attendance had many burning questions, we collected their questions and shared them with her afterward. Here are some of the questions and her responses. For the full article, please visit our website at www.windsorpark.info. Got something for the newsletter? The Ending Community Homelessness Coalition (ECHO) is the lead agency that plans and Get it in by the 15th implements community-wide strategies to end homelessness in Austin and Travis County. We are to newsletter@ the backbone for homeless services and work closely with nonprofits and government agencies to windsorpark.info coordinate assistance for people experiencing homelessness in our community. ECHO manages data on homelessness and advocates for just policies and adequate funding to assist those in need. We believe it is the community’s responsibility to provide a compassionate response and ensure homelessness is rare, brief, and only happens once. [Continued on p. 3] February - page 10 February - page 3 A Message from Councilman Gregorio Windsor Park Library “Greg” Casar Regarding Berkman/Cloverleaf Updates and Events Collision Karen Pagani Events and Book Club Regarding the tragic accident that occurred at the corner Thursdays at 10:15am: All Ages Storytime of Cloverleaf and Berkman on Thursday, January 15th, February 7, 2:00pm: Saturday Movie Matinee: Flash Councilman Casar has communicated to the WPNA the Gordon following message. He personally came by the scene February 10, 7:00pm: Book Club: Consider the of the accident the following day and spoke with the Lobster and Other Essays by David Foster Wallace February 12, 3:30pm: Thinkery at the Library person at whose home this happened. I think we should February 17, 3:30pm: Lego Lab all congratulate ourselves for having elected such a February 19, 10:15am: Literature Live! Chicken Big responsive and compassionate council member with February 26, 10:15am: Dougherty Arts School such a capable and gracious staff. Presents Kid Sheriff and the Terrible Toads February 26, 3:30pm: Thinkery at the Library March 3, 7:00pm: Community Cinema: The Message from Councilman Casar: Homestretch My deepest sympathies go out to the families of the March 7, 2:00pm: Saturday Movie Matinee: The Box individuals involved in early Thursday morning’s Trolls accident at Berkman Drive and Cloverleaf Drive that March 10, 7:00pm: Book Club: Gulliver’s Travels by resulted in the death of one of our residents. This accident Jonathan Swift tragically highlights to the whole city the dangers of traffic on Berkman Drive and the east-west neighborhood New hours as of January 2015: streets that cross it. I’ve visited with witnesses to the Monday - Thursday: 10am - 9pm accident, and I’m committed to working with the City Become a WPNA Member or renew your membership! Friday: 1pm - 6pm and the neighborhood to fight for effective and timely Join/renew at our next meeting on Saturday, February 14 at 10:00am Saturday: 10am - 5pm Memorial United Methodist Church, 6100 Berkman Closed Sundays policy change to improve our safety. I will be working with Windsor Park and other District 4 neighborhoods to 5833 Westminster Dr. • 512-974-9840 identify streets that pose the greatest dangers to drivers, http://library.austintexas.gov/windsor-park-branch bikers, and pedestrians. If we come together as a District Joe Hernandez, PLUMBING around a set of high-priority areas, I’m confident we can WATER HEATERS get the funding for safety we need. After the accident, my (512) 657-8895 COMPLETE REMODELING LEAKY FAUCETS office has addressed an additional concern. In my view, INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR DRAIN REPAIRS the Austin Code Department did not provide a sensitive NEW ROOFS/ROOF REPAIRS ELECTRICAL Debby Reynolds and satisfactory response to the owner of the Windsor CIRCUIT REPAIRS 512-699-2130 FENCING AND DECKING [email protected] Park home where the accident partially occurred. I will TILING , PAINTING CEILING FANS www.turnerresidential.com work with Code and our other departments to ensure [email protected] LIGHT FIXTURES HOUSE LEVELING that the City is respectful and mindful in its response in - References available Sept 2018 page 2 DELWOOD REALTOR AND RESIDENT the future to accidents like this one. I will be hearing more information about the accident from APD, and I [President’s Letter, continued from p. 1] property taxes, and You have a friend at will keep the neighborhood informed. As always, please important programs benefiting low-income students are being MEMORIAL UNITED cut (“Study:TROY Texas HANNA lags behind most states in school funding” METHODIST CHURCH don’t hesitate to contact me at Greg.Casar@austintexas. ABR, CRS, GRI, SRS, MBA gov or call my office at 512-978-2104. Austin-American Statesman, 11/28/17). So please get involved 512-659-7093 HWY 290E this year - [email protected] in the AISD school board election, vote for IH35 N Cameron Berkman candidates willing to re-fund education at the state level and who Sunday School- 9:15am Worship - 10:30am will support increased school funding from the federal level. Clayton Briarcliff Office # 452-5796 And call your representatives at every level and remind them View the newsletter online and find other how importantBUYING, SELLING,it is that LEASING we ANDgive funding back to our schools. We would love to see you this Sunday important neighborhood information! Our neighborhoodPROPERTY MANAGEMENTis only as good as its schools, and we can WELCOME …A PLACE FOR EVERYONE http://www.windsorpark.info definitely do better. A great place to meet new friends, find needed the neighborhood REALTOR encouragement and discover God’s plan for you. We will be inviting our neighborhood elementary school principals to attend our meeting in September, and middle and high school principals, along with candidates for AISD school If the job calls for board, to come in October. Join us on September 8 at 10 am at fast professional printing the Memorial United Methodist Church and learn more about or duplicating, you need: our neighborhood schools. G&F Discount Printing MEET YOUR NEIGHBOR: JENNI SPERANDEO Austin, TX 78723 Martin Luecke 512-929-0585 Our neighbor on Ridgemont since 2012, Jenni is president of Dangerbird Records, an indy label out of Los Angeles that includes a lot of talent like Matt Costa, Holly Miranda, Austinite A. Sinclair, The Dears, and up and comers galore. It’s like owning a candy store and there’s all these great flavors and Willie Wonka keeps inventing more! The very first question: how does one run an LA record label from Windsor Park? And more importantly, where can I get that job? Well that’s a long story. First, help open and operate a college radio station while attending Michigan State University. Then, get a radio promotions job after graduation at cool reissue label Rhino Records. Follow that up with a couple decades of hard work in an industry that has endured some major structural changes, and ultimately have some great luck and timing.