Avery Ranch Connects May 2021 issue

MEET 

M A Y 2 0 2 1

Note 

May! The saying goes that April 

Happy 

bring May flowers and after the 

showers 

Winter we had, I'm pleased to 

eventful 

a few of our neighbors' gardens 

showcase 

also Mother's Day this month. Being a 

It's 

of two, my heart goes out to all 

mother 

mothers, grandmothers, aunts, and 

the 

who have stepped into the role of 

sisters 

for our kids. It is a role that you 

caring 

put a price on, sometimes going 

can't 

because you provide the 

unremarked 

our children count upon, but are 

stability 

backbone of our future. I'm 

the 

to recognize one of our 

pleased 

mothers this month 

neighborhood 

to tell the story of the struggles of 

and 

Ranch Connects exists to 

Avery 

neighbors to neighbors. We 

connect 

100% solely funded by myself. If 

are 

enjoy reading our stories and feel 

you 

to help defray the 

compelled 

costs, consider becoming 

operating 

ARC Patron today! Donate now at 

an 

. 

bit.ly/donatetoARC 

Publisher's 

another mother. 

Hello Neighbors! 

that are blooming this Spring. 

Happy Mother's Day! 

all my gratitude, 

With 

April Aguren 

Publisher 

facebook.com/averyranchconnects 

instagram.com/averyranchconnects 

averyranchconnects@gmail.com 

A V E R Y R A N C H C O N N E C T S 

M A Y 2 0 2 1 

C O N T E N T S 

03 

04 

06 

08 

10 

11 

14 

15 

18 

19 

20 

21 

22 

23 

24 

About Avery Ranch Connects 

Gardener Spot 

What's Blooming 

Meet the Neighbors 

Mother's Day Nomination 

A Mother's Story 

Scouting Corner 

Music for Life 

Resident Business Beat 

Resident Restoration 

Someone You Should Know 

HOA Board Resident Forum Recap 

Food Truck Schedule 

Let's Get Social 

Homeowners' Guide 

If you would like to be featured in an upcoming issue of Avery Ranch Connects, 

submit your story at averyranchconnects@gmail.com. 

Avery Ranch Connects • May 2021 p. 2

Aguren 

April 

Publisher 

Resident 

Morningside 


Rey Beatriz 

Resident 

Casitas 

Vuppala 

Raghavi 

Resident 

Morningside 

Rudolph 

Jennifer 

Photographer 

Cover 

Cole Cecil 

Landing Resident 

The 

Sahu 

Shalini 

Oaks Resident 

Heritage 

Oliveira 

Meg 

Editor Copy 

Edge Resident 

Waters 

MegOliveira.com 

Jain 

Sugandha 

Writer 

Contributing 

Resident 

Morningside 

sugandha007@yahoo.com 

Deatherage 

Joy 

Resident 

Morningside 

Le Thuy 

Resident 

Morningside 

Sankar 

Sahana 

Writer 

Junior 

Resident 

Morningside 


Zolotova-Basa 

Marina 

Resident 

Ingelside 

Akande 

Yeme 

Place Resident 

Pearson 

Meet the Team 

JenniferRudolph.com 

Content Committee Members 

beatrizrey147@gmail.com 

cfcole@sbcglobal.net 

joydeatherage@gmail.com 

zolotovabasa@gmail.com 

About Avery Ranch Connects 

raghavi.vuppala2020@gmail.com 

shalusonu@yahoo.com 

thuy91@yahoo.com 

o_olafuyi@yahoo.com 

our mission 

Avery Ranch Connects is online social news produced exclusively for the residents of 

Avery Ranch by Ki Connect, LLC. Our mission is to help our very large and diverse 

neighborhood feel informed and connected as a community. 

Follow us at: 

We exist to share uplifting and positive stories about the families, kids, pets, social 

groups, charities, events, and businesses that make up our wonderful community. 

@averyranchconnects 

Tag us at: 

#averyranchconnects 

a story: 

Submit 


donate: Visit averyranchconnects.com 

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This publication is published free of charge each and every month to all residents of 

Avery Ranch. We are not subsidized by the Avery Ranch Owners Association 

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you enjoy reading our stories and feel compelled to help defray the operating costs, 

you can donate online at averyranchconnects.com or send donations via PayPal to 

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Avery Ranch Connects • May 2021 p. 3 

bottom of the page.

around Avery Ranch, many “dead” plants 

Looking 

victims of the freeze. Most all rosemary is dead. 

were 

can be fairly easy to take out of the ground, as 

They 

roots are shallow. Cut them down and replace 

their 

with some grasses like zebra grass, which will 

them 

back year after year and can withstand a 

come 

Other good perennials are bulbine, lantana, 

freeze. 

any other decorative grasses like Mexican 

and 

grass. Most mountain laurels are also the 

feather 

of the snow-vid. Don’t be afraid to replace 

victims 

with more mountain laurels, as the freeze we 

them 

was a one-off, or so we hope! 

had 

is a good time to spread compost. Compost is 

May 

best way to “feed” your lawn and trees. Stay 

the 

from weed-n-feeds, as they damage tree roots 

away 

Pull weeds before they go to seed. Also, this is a 

too. 

time to dress your beds with mulch to help keep 

good 

cooler and wetter by insulating your plants. 

things 

is the time of year we see the little caterpillars 

This 

from the oak trees. These are essentially 

dangling 

critters - don’t worry about them. You will 

harmless 

see other caterpillars if you have a passion vine! 

also 

will turn into Gulf Frittery Butterflies. If you must 

These 

something to combat aphids or thrips, use a 

use 

water solution or jet spray them 3 days in a 

soapy 

row. 

might be the year you want to plant a trailing 

This 

to cover the fence. Consider a crossvine or 

vine 

vine. Both are quite showy and will bring you 

passion 

all summer long. 

flowers 

you are thinking about planting a good shade tree, 

If 

a Monterey Oak. It is Oak wilt resistant and 

consider 

evergreen. Another good tree is a Chinese 

is 

It has wonderful fall color. Either will grow 

Pistache. 

be 25 feet and shade your yard. The bigger the 

to 

the better. 

container, 

by Debbie Head 

Story 

Landing resident 

The 

GARDENER 

SPOT 

Avery Ranch Gardeners 

bulbine 

passion vine 


Monterrey oak

Showers Bring May Flowers 

April 

a devastating winter to most of our plants, 

After 

WHAT'S 

BLOOMING! 

nice to take a look around the neighborhood to 

it's 

what is in bloom. 

see 

Mazumdar, Morningside resident 

Aindrila 

plumbago 

Mazumdar, Morningside resident 

Aindrila 

glories 

morning 

Mazumdar, 

Aindrila 

resident 

Morningside 

Mazumdar, 

Aindrila 

resident 

Morningside 


Urvi Gala, Granite Shoals resident - rose 

hibiscus 

Gerber daisy 


WHAT'S 

BLOOMING! 


amaryllis iris poppy 

Lisa Johnson, Waters Edge resident 

rose pentas fuschia 

Then Mozhi, Granite Shoals resident 


de Ybarrondo-Gall, 

Michelle 

resident 

Brookside 

Walther Canare, 

Laurie 

resident 

Morningside 

poppy 

Johnson, Waters Edge resident 

Lisa 

trumpet vine 

hibiscus 

Christopher Martin, Champions resident 

knock-out roses 

purple sensation allium 

If you would like to share a story about your 

garden or a project around your home, email it 

to us at averyranchconnects@gmail.com 


MEET THE NEIGHBORS 

MEET THE 

GENERALOV 

FAMILY 

Granite Shoals residents 

We enjoyed a successful dancing career until I had a foot 

Hi everyone! We are the Generalov family: a party of 4, 

homebodies by nature, adventuring day-trippers, small 

injury that led me down a different path in the skincare 

and cosmetic world as a Sales Director with Mary Kay 

business owners, ballroom dancers, and new to our line 

up - we are pandemic 2020 homeschool converts. Denis 

Cosmetics, while Denis continued teaching dance. He 

is the dancer, Jolie (me) the new modern homeschool 

currently teaches Ballroom and Latin dance at local 

studios independently here in ATX. Denis is the dancer in 

mom, Dimitri the Lego builder extraordinaire and current 

2nd grader, and Dominic who has just turned 3. We are a 

the family, and I am currently diving fully into my new role 

as a modern homeschool mom. As I write this, it’s funny 

family reclaiming wonder. 

to reminisce about life’s twists and turns, and how each of 

us ends up where we are today. 

Denis and I moved to Austin over 12 years ago from 

California, looking for a fresh start and a place to plant 

Homeschooling…was never anything we were planning on 

roots in hopes for future children. Denis grew up in Russia 

and found his way to the United States, where we 

venturing into until the 2020 pandemic, but with this 

unforeseen turn of events comes light, opportunity, and 

subsequently met at a ballroom dance studio, before 

Dancing With the Stars was a thing here in the US. We 

glimmers of hope to make shifts that we were not open 

to, or blind to before. Some of those shifts were out of 

were heavily invested in the Ballroom and Latin dance 

world as Ten Dancers. (Ten Dance refers to the ten 

necessity and survival, while others are out of looking at 

International style ballroom and Latin dances: Cha-cha, 

life through different lenses and being courageous enough 

to step into those new opportunities, even though it may 

Samba, Rumba, Paso Doble, Jive, Waltz, Foxtrot, Tango, 

Viennese Waltz, and Quickstep). We were married in the 

seem daunting. One of these opportunities for us is 

homeschooling. Quite frankly, I always said that God 

midst of our dancing career, and years later after it had 

ended, found our way to Austin, Texas for our fresh start. 

would have to drop a brick on my head to ever start 

Avery Ranch Connects •May 2021 p. 8

M E E T T H E N E I G H B O R S 

become a gift and a part of our ordinary day. There has 

homeschooling. If 2020 wasn’t a brick, I don’t know 

what else would be. We have loved our neighborhood 

been a considerable shift in our boys' attitudes, 

attention, and ability to creatively play. To see the 

school and our oldest son had a wonderful experience 

at Rutledge Elementary. However, this past year 

childlike wonder of playing in the mud, finding bugs, 

skipping stones in the creek, and climbing a tree is such 

presented us an opportunity to shift our focus and make 

some different choices that would fulfill our family’s 

a gift for our entire family. To help us stay accountable, 

we have taken on a 1,000 hours outside challenge over 

greatest priorities. We are optimistic about our newfound 

a year's time and are tracking our daily outside hours. It 

flexibility and freedom while discovering the love of 

learning for all of us. We now get to be the guides 

has been amazing to see how much time outside we 

through our boys' educational journey and co-learners 

have increased, yet still, we are not quite on track for 

alongside them. 

our 1,000 hours outside goal for the year. If we had 

actually tracked our time outdoors in prior years, I know 

During the 2020 pandemic, another big shift we have 

that it would be astonishing to see the difference and 

made is rediscovering the outdoors. As a child, I 

progress we have made. We are so blessed to have the 

backpacked, camped, went skiing, and played in our 

beautiful Brushy Creek Trails right in our backyard and It 

backyard forest daily. Denis played outside in Russia 

has been a joy to adventure through it regularly. We 

and swam in the Black Sea all the time. Some of our 

fondest memories were playing outdoors as children. As 

would walk there occasionally before, but now it is our 

home away from home. Austin has so many outdoor 

we grew up, we both just allowed life, work, and screen 

time to take over our days instead of being proactive to 

gems to discover and we have a growing “To Go To” 

list. 

adventure outdoors regularly. As our children came into 

our lives, we found ourselves doing the same with them, 

Whether you have children who are virtual schooling, 

unintentionally withholding the gift of the outdoors on a 

daily basis. There is something magical in the midst of 

attending in-person school, homeschooling, considering 

homeschooling, or don’t have any kids at all, we hope to 

nature that is irreplaceable inside. For us, being 

outdoors is reclaiming wonder for our kids and for 

see you on the trails! 

ourselves. We started with daily walks, which consisted 

Feel free to reach out to us on Instagram @everydayjolie 

of grumbling, complaining, and some resistance, but 

or www.everydayjolie.com 

slowly over a year’s time our outdoor adventures have 


Mothers' 

Day 

Nomination 

M A R V E L O U S M O M S 

Moms deserve to be recognized for all the hard work they 

do. This Mother's Day, we'd like to recognize Cintya 

Peterson, Enclave resident who was nominated by her son, 

JT Peterson. Avery Ranch Connects would like to thank her 

with a gift card to Hand & Stone Massage and Facial. Below 

is a note from JT to his mom: 

My mom is the hardest working woman I know. She 

gets up early to make breakfast. She comes home 

from work and cooks dinner even when she is tired. 

She gives me advice about life. I never question if 

my mom loves me because of all she does. She 

loves God and is always taking me to church. I love 

when she texts me scriptures. She prays for me 

every game. So for all these things that she does, 

the least I could do is give my mom all the love she 

deserves. 

Happy Mother’s Day mom. I love you so much! 

Your son, JT Peterson 


A M O T H E R ' S S T O R Y 

THE STORY OF GIGI: 

A MOTHER'S STRUGGLE 

Story by Meghan Eckhardt, Glenfield resident 

On February 11th, 2018, at 3 am, I was rushed to the 

hospital. I was 32 weeks pregnant with my fourth 

child - our Whoops baby. I had spent the entire 

pregnancy on one form of “bed rest” or another. Be it 

full bed rest, modified bed rest, or whatever. There’s a 

reason that women have babies when they are 

young. All of my kids came early, but this was a little 

too early. 

But let’s go back to before all of this. Hi! My name is 

Meghan Eckhardt. I am the wife of Walter Eckhardt 

Sr, an extremely handsome and successful IT and 

Ecommerce innovator. And I am also the mother of 

After my diagnosis, I was told by many doctors, that 

Julia Matherne, a 20-year-old studying criminal 

I COULD NOT get pregnant, but to our complete 

justice at Sam Houston; Walter Jr, a 12-year-old, an 

surprise, I got PREGNANT! I had ZERO clues, too. 

avid football player and video gamer; and Molly, my 

Typical pregnancy symptoms have a LOT in 

10-year-old princess who loves Roblox and science. 

common with Hashimoto's symptoms. 

Also, there are our three dogs: Marley, Beaux, and 

Peach. We are originally from New Orleans, LA. We’ve 

I happened to have an appointment that day with 

been here since 2011. 

Courtney at Wiseman Family Practice. I got a call 

that my progesterone and TSH levels are on the 

When I had my son, I was diagnosed with a goiter - a 

CUSP of miscarriage. I actually had not been to an 

random enlargement of the thyroid. About 5 years 

OB/GYN in about 2 years, but found Doctor Steven 

ago, I started not feeling well. After a few doctor 

Solomon. He had me come back the next day and 

appointments, they determined that I had 

went over all of the blood work, told me that my 

Hashimoto's disease. Hashimoto's disease is an 

progesterone was very low, and that I was on 

autoimmune disease that affects your thyroid and 

immediately restricted bed rest. No work, no driving, 

adrenal glands. Thus started my adventures with new 

no nothing. He had me in there twice a week, and 

doctors. 

each time, upped the progesterone. Let me tell you 

what I learned. Progesterone is the hormone that 

KEEPS you pregnant, and it also makes you 

nauseous and vomit. I was 5 weeks pregnant when I 

arrived at his office and was to remain on 

progesterone until my placenta came in completely, 

which is around week 16. 

At my 16-week appointment, we honestly thought 

we were “out of the woods” and that this pregnancy 

would just proceed as any other normal pregnancy. 

Doctor Solomon came back in, and said, “It’s just a 

little bit of valvular carcinoma. We need a Biopsy 

ASAP and then we will go from there.” 


in and told me I had HELLP Syndrome and 

came 

my blood platelets got really low, so they put 

that 

on a magnesium drip and that I was going to 

me 

ok. On Tuesday, I was finally sent to my 

be 

room. They worked really hard to get 

postpartum 

the room right across from the NICU, so I 

me 

go in and see Gigi any time I wanted. 

could 

I put on some real pj’s and I went to see 

Anyway, 

the days went on, the nurses kept telling me 

As 

lucky I was and that I was really sick and 

how 

me to rest more. One NICU nurse 

encouraging 

me admittance on my doctor’s order 

refused 

my blood pressure was still too high and 

because 

wasn’t getting enough rest. But after 3 days in 

I 

postpartum room, I was sent home. We went 

the 

into the NICU and the nurses were looking 

back 

me funny. One of them said, “Miss Meghan, 

at 

don’t look well. How are you feeling?” I told 

you 

that I still felt “off”. My blood pressure was 

them 

The doctor arrived, checked me out, and 

149/120. 

me immediately. My doctor arrived the 

readmits 

after I was readmitted and apologized 

day 

for them having sent me home in the 

profusely 

place, and I quote, “After that seizure you 

first 

no WAY should that other doc have sent you 

had, 

home.” 

A M O T H E R ' S S T O R Y 

How did this happen??? Oh, I didn’t get the HPV 

vaccination and I was a smoker and that is what 

causes this. And it is RARE. Perfect! Only I get a rare 

vagina cancer while I’m pregnant with my whoops 

baby! 

We went in for the results and the doc explained it 

like this: There is a scale of 1-5, 1 being 

precancerous, no big deal and, 5 being time to call 

the oncologist. Mine came back at 4.71. I’d never had 

such a big sigh of relief in my life, and it wouldn’t be 

the last time. We would have to be vigilant moving 

forward because technically, I had cancer, but it was 

dormant. 

Thursday, February 8th I went to my regular 

appointment. I had really high blood pressure and a 

LOT of protein in my urine. This is a sign of either 

preeclampsia or HELLP Syndrome. I definitely had 

preeclampsia and that meant I was officially on strict 

bed rest. The doctor wanted to try and get me to 34 

weeks. I was currently 31 and a half weeks. I had to 

go see a specialist for an intensive ultrasound and we 

would go from there. But we had to go 

my baby, Georgina Anne-Marie. 

IMMEDIATELY. We got to the specialist’s office and 

he did the ultrasound. And he said, “I doubt you will 

make it through the weekend”. 

Saturday, February 10th all of my friends arrived for 

the baby shower. It was absolutely lovely. My friends 

in Avery Ranch did so much. At 3 a.m. my blood 

pressure was 140/110 and rising. It was time to go to 

the hospital. They got that baby out so FAST! She 

arrived Sunday, February 11th, 2018 at 10:10 am. 

And she was just a tiny, shriveled little thing. She was 

only 3lbs, 14 oz, and 15” long. They got her APGAR, 

wrapped her up, showed her to me for a second, then 

whisked her away to the NICU and began working on 

me. Then he explained that they were not going to 

remove the carcinoma at this time because my blood 

pressure was too high and they didn’t want to add 

any extra stress to my body. 

At about 11 pm that night, I started to “feel off” like I 

did when they first brought me in. The doctor 


Over the next few days, I spent as much time as 

possible in the NICU, skin to skin with Gigi, talking to 

the doctors and nurses. And she was AMAZING. In 

total, I spent 11 days in the hospital and almost died. 

it a slippery slope for me. We joke about the most 

expensive part of having kids is all the wine you have 

to drink. Let me tell you that Mom drinking is a real 

thing. I had myself convinced it was Hashimoto's or 

thyroid disease and didn’t realize I was detoxing 

every day. 

I knew I had a problem and checked myself into 

rehab. I told my friends where I was going and said, 

“I’ll see you in 30 days.” While I was in rehab for 22 

Since then, Gigi was diagnosed with tethered cord 

syndrome. Basically, she had a benign tumor at the 

days, neighbors donated meals and supported me 

and my family with letters and encouragement. 

base of her spine. She needed to have surgery or she 

would have lost her ability to walk because the 

I’m grateful that I figured it out. I’m a grateful 

tumors would have tightened around her spine as she 

grew. 

recovering alcoholic. That I didn’t hurt anybody 

because of it. When I finish with this program, I’ll be 

Thanks to an anonymous neighbor who donated 

going back to school to get my LCDC degree in 

substance abuse recovery therapy. 

money so we could travel to Boston Children’s 

Hospital, we were able to have the surgery. Being a 

But I'll tell you what, I couldn’t have done it without 

premie, her bones had not finished forming, so there 

all of our friends and neighbors in Avery Ranch. 

was a hole in her spine that allowed the doctors to 

Thank you all so much for all that you have done for 

reach in and remove the material, cutting her surgery 

me and my family in our time of need. 

time from 11 hours to 4 hours and recovering time 

down by weeks! 

On top of this, our other daughter, Molly, developed 

major sensory issues and was diagnosed with 

Asperger’s syndrome. Asperger's is a 

neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by 

significant difficulties in social interaction and 

nonverbal communication, along with restricted and 

repetitive patterns of behavior and interests. 

The pressures of being a mom of four and having 2 

special needs kids and add in COVID has made 


Scouting Corner 

Troop 150 Open for Scouting 

150 (chartered by Lord of Life Lutheran 

Troop 

was established in 2017 with just five 

Church) 

and eleven scouts. In 2021 we are 

families 

to welcome 13 new scouts to our ranks, 

happy 

the total number of registered scouts 

bringing 

over 50 scouts and around 40 families. 

to 

the past year has introduced some new 

While 

outdoor education area at Pearson Ranch 

An 

School to allow students to enjoy the 

Middle 

setting of Texas 

natural 

2021 snow and ice storms enabled us to have a 

The 

year of selling firewood, greatly helping our 

record 

community manage through this difficult period. 

local 

challenges, our scouts have done an 

We were very happy to be able to do our part to 

awesome job of keeping the troop active, 

serve the community. 

engaged, and advancing. At our latest Court 

of Honor, we recognized 13 rank 

While we continue to observe safety measures, our 

advancements as well as over 20 merit 

troop has resumed outdoor troop meetings, camping 

badges earned. In the past year, the troop has 

activities, and other service projects. We are excited 

been able to participate in three separate 

to be planning our Trail to First Class campout in 

eagle service projects including: 

May. We are looking forward to continuing to put the 

A conservation project at Williamson 

OUTING in Scouting and serving our local 

County SW Regional Park to help 

community! See more information on Troop 150 at 

preserve habitat for the endangered 

http://troop150austin.org/. 

Golden-Cheek Warbler 

An outdoor relaxation area at Brushy 

Creek Elementary School, installing 5 

scout-designed, scout-built, and cementanchored 

benches 


MUSIC FOR LIFE 

STORY BY CECIL COLE, THE LANDING RESIDENT 

Our April issue featured an article about the Pearson Ranch Middle School 

Band. The highlights of UIL contests and moving up through the middle 

grades and on to high school band brought back my own memories of those 

years because this spring marks sixty, that’s right, sixty years since I was an 

eighth-grade band member. Playing in school band fostered a lifelong love of 

most genres of music, musical theatre, and performance in bands that 

continues to this day. 

In 1961, I was a graduating eighth grader at Joe F. Saegert Junior High 

School in Seguin, Texas. With a population of about 14,000 back then, 

Seguin is about 30 miles east of San Antonio, on Interstate 10. Of course, IH 

10 had not been built when I lived there. We had one junior high and one 

high school. Life was like the innocent movies about that era. My friends and 

I could ride our bikes all over town. Neighborhood creeks, the one downtown 

movie theatre, bowling lanes, friends' houses, and Max Starke Park on the 

Guadalupe River with its public swimming pool were all within our 

unsupervised domain. 


Back to the subject of band which quickly 

became a big focus of my life. I had played piano 

for a couple of years as a child and loved it. But 

when my family moved to a different part of San 

Antonio, I lost my old piano teacher. My new 

instructor taught groups of three children, so as a 

painfully shy kid, that setting did not appeal to 

me, so I quit. By seventh grade, joining the band 

was not even on my radar. Besides, I knew 

buying an instrument would not have been an 

option. So how did I end up in band in the spring 

of seventh grade? Simply put, I was drafted to 

so three of us were on that list of potential tuba 

play the tuba! Maybe it is hard to imagine, but 

very few students are ever jumping up and down, 

players. 

clamoring to march back and forth on a football 

After meeting with Mr. Rogers, eight of us agreed 

field carrying a 35-pound sousaphone. And oh 

yeah, marching while blowing on a horn that 

to join a beginner tuba class as an elective. In the 

spring of 1960, Mr. Rogers came over to Saegert 

takes tons more air than any other instrument. 

Jr. High to teach his new recruits. To paint an 

oral picture of what that was like, imagine a 

So, the high school band director, Joe Rogers, 

widely respected, accomplished, and creative, 

squadron of WWII, B29 bombers flying low, 

engines failing, about to crash. That is how we 

decided he needed to grow his own tuba section 

from the seeds of little unsuspecting 7th graders. 

sounded. But by the end of the semester, we 

were playing at a skill level that was at least 

Obscure logic aside, he contacted the junior high 

coaches/physical education teachers to compile a 

better than not having any tubas at all in the 

band. In the fall of 1960, with our beat-up, 

list of about 30 7th-grade boys for him to draft a 

few gullible ones into his new tuba brigade. Now 

school-furnished weapons, we joined the full 

band like a squad of fresh recruits ready to save 

about this time in the fall of 1959, a few of my 

friends and I had decided we should try out for 

the day. 

the basketball team. We all stood about five feet 

tall, so I can’t imagine why none of us made the 

But seriously, starting in the 8th-grade band, the 

first time I heard the full band play in that little 

team. Maybe the coaches perceived that we all 

had innate musical talent, or more likely, they just 

cinder block band hall, it took my breath away. I 

get chill bumps thinking about that full harmonic 

did not want us bothering them in future tryouts, 


1960-'61 Toreador Band Directors -- Dan Ellis and Joe Rogers

sound, melding the timbres of all the brass and 

woodwinds. I still feel a rush when I play in the 

UT Longhorn Alumni Band, or my community 

band - the Brushy Creek Brass Band. I played in 

band all through high school and college. About 

thirty years after graduating from Texas in 1970, I 

bought my own tuba and have played in several 

community bands in the Austin area ever since. 

Who would ever think that the serendipity of a 

coach putting my name on a random list would 

have a major effect on my life? People talk about 

the teamwork, work ethic, leadership, and 

friendships gained from many organizations, but I 

think there is something special about any music 

ensemble. And music is one of the few things you 

can perform and enjoy with a deeper level of 

appreciation all your life because of band, choir, 

or orchestra. 

So congratulations to all the middle school band 

members, and high school musicians as well. 

Please keep it up. You will be glad you did. And 

to parents who are wondering how their children 

will fit in at school, or where their talent might lie, 

please think about encouraging music. They don’t 

need any special attributes. Just be willing to 

work hard. That skill alone is something that will 

serve them well all through life. And they will 

have fun. 


Resident Business Beat 

NEED A DOG WALKER 

OR A SITTER? 

Hello! 

name is Milena and my fiancé’s name is Robert and we are currently in Avery Ranch - Waters Edge. 

My 

We have decided to start our own pet care business and together we have over 25 years of pet care experience! 

We both have dogs of our own and we have fostered dogs since we were little. We would love to help you out 

with your pet needs! Both of us have a big soft spot for animals and want to be able to assist those who may be 

stuck at work and need that well-deserved vacation! We have three dogs and a cat of our own that are our entire 

world! We can do overnight stays, 30-minute walks or just old-fashioned pet sitting! If you have any questions or 

concerns, please contact us at mdutton18@gmail.com! 

If you or someone you know has a business that would like to be 

featured in an upcoming issue, please submit their story online at 

averyranchconnects.com or email us at averyranchconnects@gmail.com 


Making Something Old 

New Again 

Story by Marina Zolotova, Ingleside resident 

This make-up table isn't really old; it's only a little over a year old. It's 

incredibly comfortable and it fits all of my makeup and other items, but I 

absolutely didn't like its look, so I decided to repaint it. I painted the upper 

part with white paint and left the lower part as it was. I chose white oil paint 

because it is more durable, and water-based paints wear off very quickly, and 

if you accidentally spill nail polish remover on it, it will dissolve the paint. I 

disassembled the top of the table, sanded the old stain, and then painted it 

with a primer. And then I carefully painted all the parts with a roller so that I 

would not leave brush marks and then I painted several layers of the final 

paint. It took three days to complete. Once every detail was dry, I put all the 

pieces together - and voila, the stylish makeup table was ready. 


Hello! 

We are the Banerjis 

S O M E O N E Y O U S H O U L D K N O W 

Story by Sugandha Jain, Morningside Resident 

Kavika, Simontika, and Udayan, and two cute cats, Ivory 

and Nimbus. 

Kavika was born in Northern California in the middle of 

2020. She is very easily amused and thinks most people 

wear masks and most people are funny. She loves to chew 

on everything but her toys and loves herself some mangos. 

Ivory and Nimbus joined our family in January 2017, while 

they were just 3-month-old kittens. They are great 

Udayan was born in Varanasi, but his family moved to 

Lucknow when he was 6. He loves the city, its food, music, 

companions and have accompanied us on multiple road 

trips, including our longest one, from Santa Clara, California 

and poetry. He fondly remembers the Holi celebrations, the 

politeness and softness of the people, and the unbeatable 

to Austin, Texas. Ivory, the girl, is the shy but playful one. 

She loves to explore and cuddle with mom and dad. Nimbus 

chaat. He learned to play the tabla at the music school and 

got interested in science through frequent visits to the 

is the brave one; he's really great with strangers. 

science center close to his house. He did his bachelor's in 

computer science in Delhi before moving to Los Angeles for 

Simontika is a native of Lucknow, India. Living in the heart 

of one of the major cuisines regions of India, she takes her 

his master's. Like most computer scientists, he gravitated 

towards San Francisco where he spent a decade, before 

cooking seriously and can cook up a storm at a moment’s 

notice. She has also lived in Kolkata, where she got her 

moving to Austin. 

MBA degree, and in New Delhi, which remains her favorite 

city. When she came to the US to join Udayan, she decided 

We both love Austin because it reminds us of our beloved 

to continue her education at UC Berkeley, while also picking 

Lucknow. Both small cities, both the capitals of their states, 

up and falling in love with baking. She now works as a 

both with excellent food and music, and both with friendly, 

polite people and a real sense of neighborhood. 

digital media manager, and also works hard to figure out 

So glad to be here. 

new and interesting things to feed Kavika. 

If you have a story about someone we should know, submit it online at 

averyranchconnects.com or email it to us at averyranchconnects@gmail.com 


of the 

Recap 

Forum 

Resident 

19, 2021 Avery Ranch Owners 

April 

Board Meeting 

Association 

About Avery Ranch 

Reported by Cecil Cole, The Landing resident 

One resident spoke during the forum to express concern about a violation notice she received. The issue 

was a US flag mounted on a tree in her yard. She explained that the flag has been flown in this manner 

since 2003 and this is the first time she has been cited. Board members Brandon Pray and Gary Wilks 

explained the citation and elaborated on our covenants, the role of the Architectural Design Review 

Committee, and the violation citation process. 

The citation was not simply about the flag being flown. It explained that no request for a mounted flag had 

ever been submitted. Any change to the exterior of a house, front, side, or back yard must be approved by 

the ADRC. As to why she is just now getting a notice, Gary explained that a new inspector reported 

something that the previous inspector(s) overlooked. He further explained that she should send an ADRC 

Request Form to the committee. If she does not agree with their decision, she can appeal to the entire 

Board. He also mentioned that a 75% vote of the Association is required to change the covenants. From 

resident comments I have personally seen on various forums, homeowners often think Grand Manors, our 

local property management staff or the board is responsible for writing or changing the rules, when in fact 

they have been in effect since the inception of the neighborhood. 

The board then discussed the makeup of the ADRC. Due to a recent resignation, the board is looking for 

at least one new resident member for the committee. They have received “six or seven” applications and 

are reviewing those. Since the board serves as the appeal function for ADRC requests, the idea of having 

only residents serve on the committee was mentioned. One board member would simply serve as a liaison 

to the full board. Another reason to remove board members from the committee is that the volume of 

requests has recently increased significantly. Removing committee responsibility from board members 

would help with their workload. 

Tell your neighbors about Avery Ranch Connects! Share it with them at averyranchconnects.com. 


SCHEDULE 

our local businesses! Keep up to date 

Support 

RANCH 

AVERY 

TRUCK 

FOOD 

on which local food truck will be coming to the 

neighborhood at 

www.facebook.com/groups/448402236578758 

Order and pick-up instructions listed under each 

event. 


England: Elsa 

Facebook.com/RRISD.England 

England PTA: 

Elsa 

Facebook.com/ElsaEnglandElementaryPTA 

England Moms: 

Elsa 

Facebook.com/groups/173205146198921 

Sommer Elementary: 

Patsy 

Facebook.com/RRISD.Sommer 

Sommer Moms: 

Patsy 


Sommer PTA: 

Patsy 

Facebook.com/SommerPTA 

PTA: 

Rutledge 

Facebook.com/RutledgePTA 

Rancher Mommas: 

Rutledge 


Avery Ranch HOA 

Official 


Ranch HOA Neighborhood (unofficial) 


Facebook.com/groups/AveryRanchHOA 

Brookside: 

Facebook.com/groups/avery.brookside 

Casitas: 

Facebook.com/groups/casitasaveryranch 

Champions: 


Commons: 

Unknown 

Creekside: 


Glenfield: 


Shoals: 

Granite 


Greens: 


Oaks: 

Heritage 

Facebook.com/groups/heritageoakshoa 

Ingleside: 


Morningside: 


Northwoods: 


Parkside: 


Place: 

Pearson 

Facebook.com/groups/pearsonplaceowners 

Enclave: The 

Facebook.com/groups/AveryRanchEnclave 

Highlands: 

The 


Landing: The 


Overlook: 

The 

Unknown 

Reserve: The 


Edge: 

Waters 


Westchester: 

Unknown 

Scout Pack 371: 

Cub 

Austin371.MyPack.us 

Scout Troop 371: 

Boy 

Troop371.org 

Scout Pack 150: 

Cub 

Facebook.com/Groups/ScoutPack150 

Watch: Night 

Facebook.com/ARNWatch 

Ranch Moms: 


Facebook.com/groups/AveryRanchMoms 

Ranch Gardners: 


Facebook.com/groups/AveryRanchGardeners 

Ranch Cyclists: 



Rancher Buy, Sell, Search, or Give 

Rutledge 


Nothing Avery Ranch 

Buy 


Networking: 

Business-to-Business 

Facebook.com/groups/cedarparkconnects 

Foundry: 

Facebook.com/groups/AveryRanchEntrepreneurs 

Ranch Food Trucks 



Website: 

Official 

AveryRanchConnects.com 

Facebook: 

Official 

Facebook.com/averyranchconnects 

Instagram: 

Official 

Instagram.com/averyranchconnects 

School Groups 

Neighborhood Groups 

Neighborhood Facebook Pages 

Foundry

Emergency 

Police/Fire/Ambulance 

911 

260-2732 Cedar Park Emergency Center 

(512) 

528-7000 Cedar Park Medical Center 

(512) 

341-1000 St. David’s Round Rock Medical Center 

(512) 

733-9400 Urgent and Family Care at Avery Ranch 

(512) 

Schools 

704-1200 Elsa England Elementary 

(512) 

704-0600 Patsy Sommer Elementary 

(512) 

570-6500 Rutledge Elementary 

(512) 

704-1500 Pearson Ranch Middle School 

(512) 

570-0000 Stiles Middle School 

(512) 

464-6300 McNeil High School 

(512) 

570-1800 Vista Ridge High School 

(512) 

Utilities 

494-9400 City of Austin Waste and Water 

(512) 

219-2602 Pedernales Electric 

(512) 

700-2443 Texas Gas Service 

(800) 

464-7928 AT&T 

(800) 

220-4600 Grande Communications 

(512) 

Ranch Owners' Association 


by Grand Manors: (855) 947-2636 

Managed 

Condos HOA 

Ingleside 

by Associa: (512) 328-6100 

Managed 

Townhomes at Avery Ranch HOA 

Turnberry 

by RealManage: (866) 473-2573 

Managed 

Community HOA's 

HOA (West Condos) 

Greens 

by Pioneer: (512) 447-4499 

Managed 

(512) 943-1300 Sheriff (Non-Emergency) 

Oaks HOA: 

Heritage 

by Associa: (512) 347-2888 

Managed 

at Avery Ranch HOA: 

Northwoods 

by Spectrum Assoc. Mgt: (512) 834-3900 

Managed 

HOA (Plaza Townhomes) 

Overlook 

by Goodwin: (512) 502-7541 

Managed 

Place at Avery Ranch HOA: 

Pearson 

by CMA: (512) 339-6962 

Managed 

Commons at Avery Ranch HOA: 

The 

by Beck and Co: (512) 474-1551 

Managed 

(855) 707-7328 Spectrum 

Avery Ranch Connects 

www.averyranchconnects.com 


Ranch Connects: 


Ranch Connects is an online social news source for the residents of Avery Ranch. The Avery Ranch Owners’ Association (AROA) 


does not contribute financially to this platform in any way. Instead, our efforts are 100-percent funded by the publisher. If you enjoy 

reading our stories and feel compelled to help defray the operating costs, you can donate online at averyranchconnects.com or send 

donations via PayPal to hello@averyranchconnects.com.

Avery Ranch Connects May 2021 issue

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