RWC Meeting March 22, 2016, Featuring Marie Saba of Cocina Marie

RWC Meeting March 22, 2016, Featuring Marie Saba of Cocina Marie

At the home of Shelly Bain at 400 Vale Street

Hospitality Chair Marnie Fitzgerald called the meeting order for President Marissa Mireur, who would join the meeting later. She welcomed new member, Anne Herrington to RWC.

The first announcement was a call for new officers for the 2016-2017 year.  The new term begins in August. Secretary Kelly Dixon reviews the minutes from the January 19^th meeting and directs members to the RWC website where the minutes are posted. A motion is made by Bunny Michel to approve the minutes and Joanne Parker seconds.

The Chairperson for the Rollingwood 5k, Roseann Ferraro, updated members on her the race and passed a clipboard for volunteers. In preparation for the race, she highlighted several ways to help.

1. Repairing directional signage: the course signage took a hit last year in the rain – she needs kids or members cut out some construction paper arrows and glue them to foam core.

2. Delivering Postcards: members are needed to tape postcards on the outside of mailboxes along the race route.

3. Posters: hanging posters/flyers in local businesses on their public bulletin boards.

4. Picking up sponsor materials: picking up checks, race bag marketing materials, prizes from our locals sponsors and delivering them to Roseann.

Anyone looking to volunteer, contact Roseann at roseannferraro@gmail.com.

She introduced "Family Sponsorships" in addition to our corporate sponsorships. All donations support Rollingwood's parks and public areas and anyone who donates $100 or more will have their name displayed on the "Friends and Families of Rollingwood" banner in the park. Donations will be accepted through the registration process or through

 https://www.crowdrise.com/familysponsors....

 To register or donate, please visit the Life is Good in the Wood 5K website and click on "Register Here": 
http://lifeisgoodinthewood5k.com/. Rosanne strongly encouraged members to register online before the race.

Next up, Shanthi Jayakumar brought the photo albums of the neighborhood that she and Flo Macklin have been updating. She reminded members of how much the neighbhorhood has changed and that they updated 40 new homes last week alone. She passed around small forms and requested that members to fill out information about their homes, including former owners, square footage, purchase price. The information will be kept in a photograph behind the picture. She emphasized that the information will not be shared, but was for historical purposes only.

Roxanne McKee updated members on the Law Enforcement Appreciation Day which will be held Saturday, April 9. She passed a clipboard around where memebrs could add their names if they were interested in displaying a blue ribbon on their mail box in support of Rollingwood Police Department.

Sandra Farrell encouraged members to stop by City Hall to see a sample of the new chairs that City Hall is planning to purchase from the money that RWC donated in 2015. They are choosing between a blue or black chair.

Finally, Marie Saba of Cooking With Marie gave a demonstration of her favorite sauces including Texas Chimichurri, Lemon Dill Sauce, Cilantro Lime Sauce and of her famous Coconut Macaroons. Memebers sampled the dips with chips and vegetables. Recipes included below.

Texas Chimichurri

•        1 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves, packed

•       1 cup cilantro leaves, packed

•       1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

•       1-3 Tablespoons white balsamic vinegar (or red wine vinegar)

•       1 small clove garlic, peeled

•       Salt and pepper, to taste

•       Pinch of dried red pepper flakes, if desired

Instructions

Place all ingredients into the jar of a blender or food-processor. Blend until herbs and garlic are finely chopped, and mixture is well-combined.

Transfer to bowl. Let marinate at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. Serve!

Coconut Macaroons

•       1 14-ounce bag (5 1/3 cups) sweetened shredded coconut

•       1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk

•       2 Tablespoons Greek yogurt

•       1 Tablespoon heavy cream

•       1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract)

Instructions

Line baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, mix all of the ingredients until well-combined. The dough will be very sticky, so wet your hands with a little water before shaping the dough into balls. Using your hands, shape the dough into balls and place on parchment-lined baking sheet, about 2 inches apart.

Bake at 325 for 15-20 minutes. Cool thoroughly. Decorate with melted dark chocolate or candy melts, if desired. Serve!

Easy Basil Pesto

•       1 cup packed fresh basil leaves

•       ¼ cup pine nuts or walnuts

•       ¼ cup shredded Parmesan cheese

•       2 large cloves garlic

•       2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

•       ½ teaspoon Kosher salt

Instructions

Place basil, nuts, cheese, and garlic in the bowl of a food processor. Add oil. Add salt. Blend until thoroughly combined.

Transfer to a serving dish and serve at room temperature.

Best Ever Cilantro Lime Sauce

•       1 cup Hellmann's mayonnaise

•       1 cup Greek yogurt

•       1 cup cilantro (some stems are okay)

•       Juice of 2 limes

•       Pinch of salt (or to taste)

Instructions

Place all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor. Blend until cilantro is thoroughly chopped and all ingredients are well combined.

Taste; add additional lime juice or salt as desired. Serve with everything.

Lemon Dill Sauce

    1 cup Greek yogurt

    ½ cup Hellmann’s mayonnaise

    2 Tablespoons chopped fresh dill (some stems are okay)

    Juice of 1-2 lemons

Pinch of salt (or to taste)

Instructions

Place all ingredients into a bowl. Mix until well combined. Transfer to bowl. Serve!

Minutes Submitted by Kelly Dixon

Approved by Marissa Mireur

Updated 5k Info

The registration for the Life is Good in the Wood 5K 2016 is officially open! Please visit the Life is Good in the Wood 5K website and click on "Register Here":

http://lifeisgoodinthewood5k.com/

And this year we are pleased to announce we are offering "Family Sponsorships" in addition to our corporate sponsorships. All donations support Rollingwood's parks and public areas and anyone who donates $100 or more will have their name displayed on the "Friends and Families of Rollingwood" banner in the park. 

There are 2 ways to become a "Family Sponsor"

1) During the registration process there will be a "Donation" option and you can write in any amount you wish to donate. You will receive 2 receipts from registration- one for your race registration and one for the donation amount which you can use for your taxes. 

Or

2) Visit our fundraising page: https://www.crowdrise.com/familysponsorshipslifeisgoodinthewood5k and make a direct donation. There is a processing fee for donations made here, however you have the option to wave it during payment but clicking on the "edit" link next to the fee. 

Thank you all for your continued support of the Rollingwood community!

Photos from the January Meeting at City Hall

Photos taken by Shanthi Jayakumar

Photos from the special meeting at Brookdale February 11, 2016.

Photos from the special meeting at Brookdale February 11, 2016. Pictures courtesy of Shanthi Jayakumar, of course!

Debbie Holley Marketing Coordinator with Presenter Juli Engel

Granola, fruit and yogurt.

      Catherine Scott and Becky Combs with fruit and breakfast pastry trays in the back.

  Club members absorbed in the presentation.

         

          (L-R) Melissa Nix ( Marketing Director), Flo Macklin, Juli Engel ( Presenter), Becky Combs and Debbie Holley ( Marketing Coordinator)

RWC Meeting Minutes January 19, 2016

RWC Meeting Minutes January 19, 2016 

Status of the City Meeting Featuring Chief Dayne Pryor and Mayor Thom Farrell.

Chief Pryor spoke about recent efforts between Rollingwood and the City of Austin to increase surveillance of the Zilker Park Nature Trails that abut Rollingwood. He also addressed traffic control on Rollingwood Drive and other high traffic streets, saying that the addition of bike lanes would be the most effective way to reduce speed. He also commended the Police Force’s efforts on traffic control during the ACL Festival and was very pleased with how smoothly the weekends went.

Mayor Farrell updated members on efforts to control traffic during the upcoming Bee Cave’s Road renovations.  He expects to work closely with the City of Westlake Hills and Westlake during the renovation. He also updated members on the improvements planned for the low water bridge at Edgegrove Drive.

President Marissa Miraur called the business portion of the meeting to order. In old business, the board neglected to vote on funds for Christmas Gifts for the City at the last meeting. Per the bylaws, the President and Treasurer Nicole Leonard issued $500 in funds to cover the gifs, which were purchased by Kelly Dixon. Catherine Scott made a motion to retroactively approve the funds and Marnie Fitzgerald seconds. President Mireur also noted that the Christmas gift to the city employees, which was a Juice Land smoothie cup filled with a gift certificate and small healthy snacks was greatly appreciated.

President Mireur read the Treasurer’s report for the absent Nicole Leonard. The RWC currently $22,399.49 in it’s account. The next meeting will be February 23^rd at Gabby Wertheimer’s house at 3202 Gentry Dr. It will be a social meeting and a potluck with no agenda.

In new business, there were several announcements. Laila Scott made an announcement on behalf of Jamie Medina, President of the  Rollingwood Neighborhood Association. The next RNA meeting will Wednesday, Feb 10 at City Hall at 7:00pm. The RNA sponsors the annual Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday March 26^th and is looking for a chair for the event. She noted that the RNA is open to all men and women who live in Rollingwood. Members also discussed the role of Rollingwood Gentleman’s Club, which has been acting as a largely social group, but RWC could perhaps utilize their members for large parties like Fourth of July.

Programs Director Catherine Scott noted an additional event on Thursday Feb 11 at 10am, sponsored by Brookdale Senior Living. This exclusive informational session will feature a tour of their facilities and a lecture on longevity and will take place at their facility. Please check your email for a paperless post invitations and RSVP so we can provide them an accurate headcount.

President Mireur announced winners of the Christmas Light Competition:

2314 Gentry & 442 Ridgewood Rd Tie for Winner

2810 Pickwick “Lifetime Achievement in Christmas Spirit Award”

2408 Rollingwood Drive “Kid’s Choice Award”

6 & 7 Inwood Ct “Most Spirited Street Award”

Winners have been notified and given a small gift from the RWC in recognition.

Roseann Ferraro is chairing the “Life is Good In the Wood” 5k which will be held Friday evening, April 22. She will be looking for volunteers in the coming weeks. The first meeting will be Tuesday, Feb 9 at 7:30pm at Los Palomas. She noted the need for sponsors of all kinds, but is looking particularly neighborhood owned or affiliated ones. Also, we will be using same course as previous years but running it in reverse.

Finally, Programs Coordinator Catherine Scott announced that RWC member and Rollingwood Alderwomen Amy Pattillo is running to fill a vacant spot on the CTMRA board. Catherine directed people to email from Wendi Hundley and a message on Nextdoor for more information on how to support Amy’s candidacy.

Meeting was adjourned.

Minutes submitted by Secretary Kelly Dixon

Minutes approved by President Marissa Mireur

RWC Meeting November 17, 2015

RWC Meeting November 17, 2015

Annual Philanthropic Meeting Featuring Lindsay Contreras from SAFE Austin and Voting on Disbursement of Funds

At the home of Stacey Shapiro at 3809 Pickwick Lane.

Catherine Scott called the meeting to order. The notes from last meeting are available on the website. The next meeting will be the annual Christmas Party at the home of Kathleen Shapiro's home at 2806 Hatley Drive on Tuesday, December 1.

Wendi Hundley updated members about CTMRA and the Mopac Expansion and asked for volunteers to collect signatures ahead of the November 20 Public Comment Deadline. She directed members to Smartmopac.com for more information.  

Catherine Scott introduced Lindsay Contreras from SAFE Austin, which is a recent merger between Safe Place and Austin Children’s Shelter. This year RWC donated toiletries for children staying at the Kelly White Emergency Shelter which serves youths ages 12-22.

President Marissa Mireur noted that Marnie Fitzgerald had volunteered to be Hospitality Chair this year but her position on the board needed to be voted on.  Marissa made a motion to confirm her seat on the board. Kelly Dixon seconded. All in favored. Measure passes. Marnie noted that anyone who wants to bring food to meetings can bring them, but no official plan for members to refreshments is made.

Treasurer Nicole Julian reported $24,120.59 in our savings account. Following standard procedure, RWC will keep $7,000 in the bank as a buffer, which makes $17,120.59 available for disbursement.

Marissa reads mission statement to remind members of the mission of RWC and then re-reads summaries of the 7 proposals on the table:

1. $12,000 for the replacement of a pergola behind City Hall that has previously been torn down.

2.  The Parks and Recreation Commission asked for $8,000 to replace a retaining wall behind City Hall measuring 150ft by 3ft. Four bids have been received on each project.

3. Replacement of a dying Mexican Plum Tree between the Pool and fields with a piece of sculpture. The Commission asks for $10,000. 

4. Replacement of the fitness equipment near the upper playground, which would cost between $9-11,000.

5. The Commission noted the need for a park bench near the upper park. They recommended RWC donate one at a cost of $1,100, which was rejected.

6. The City Council asks $1,000 for a Rollingwood Police Department Appreciation Day, perhaps featuring lunch and commendations.

7. The President spoke on behalf of the City, who has requested funds to replace the City’s uncomfortable folding chairs. A total of 30 chairs are needed to replace the 28 current ones. Replacement will cost between $1,500-3,000.

Proposals 3 and 4 were withdrawn because they hadn’t been proposed to city council yet.

Flo Macklin stated her preference for Proposal 2, which will repair the retention wall behind City Hall that is eroding. She believes it save all Rollingwood tax-payers money. Several members including Wendi Hundley and Roxanne McKee noted that much of the City’s budget this year will be spent repairing the rock wall near the lower playground that has been subject to much erosion after the late summer rains. Two estimates have been received for $140,000 and $190,000.

Members decided that the pergola in Proposal 1 is a want, but fixing the retaining wall near city hall in Proposal 2 is a need. Because the playground wall repair is such a large project, it will eat up much of the City’s budget. Therefore, RWC will table Proposal 1 until next year.

Flo Macklin makes a motion to approve Proposal 7 to spend $3,000 to purchase folding chairs for City Hall and Shanthi Jayakumar seconds it. Marnie Fitzgerald makes a motion to amend the motion to limit budget for the chairs to $2,000. Leah Paulo seconds it.  Twenty-one are in favor of the amendment. New motion is made to limit spending up to $2,000 on chairs with members in 23 in favor 2 opposed. Motion passes and RWC will spend $2,000 on new chairs for City Hall.

Up next is Proposal 6 which is Law Enforcement Appreciation Day. Becky Combes makes a motion, Flo Macklin seconds. Christi Savarece notes that RWC might expected to do it every year, but the motion passes.

Shanthi Jaykumar makes a in favor of Proposal 2 Roxanne McKee seconds it. Twenty members are in favor of the motion with 2 opposed and several abstaining. Motion passes.  In total, members voted to donate $11,000, leaving $13,120.59 in the account.

The meeting is adjourned.

Minutes Submitted by Kelly Dixon

Approved by Marissa Mireur

Spring 2016 Meeting Schedule

January 26 - RW City Hall - State of the City
Speakers: Mayor Thom Farrell, Police Chief Dayne Pryor
(there will be wine and apps)

February 11, 10am - RWC hosted by Brookdale Retirement community
a brief tour and info session
Coffee and cookies provided

February 23 - home of Gabby Wertheimer, 3202 Gentry Dr
You said it, we heard you. Many members want another chance to just gather and gab, so there is no program. If you’d like to bring something to share, please do so. But this meeting is just a chance to get tougher with the gals you may need see much during the cold, dark winter days. 

March 22 - home of Shelly Bain, 400 Vale St.
Speaker: Marie Saba, RW neighbor and food artist. Will offer us tastes of food she’s prepared and recipes on easy, family friendly meals. She also offers classes at Patricia’s Table. 

April 26 - home of Nicole Julian, 5002 Jeffery Place
Speaker: Debbie Holley, of Brookdale Retirement
Topic: Women and Finance

May 9 - RW pool
Elections and party