PRESIDENT'S CORNER
Hello Neighbors!
We’ve already had a ton of fun together this year, but there’s so much more to come. Rattan Fest is quickly approaching and Texas Night Out will follow close on its heels. We’ll be reaching out to all of you in the next couple of weeks, looking for volunteers to help make these events everything we hope they will be. More info on Rattan Fest will follow below in this newsletter.
We also have some exciting news to share! Sara Kinnison has agreed to be our new Membership Chairperson. Be sure to stop in at our table during Rattan Fest, to welcome her to the RCNA team. Sara is an active volunteer in our community, and I’m sure many of you already know her through her heavy prior involvement in PSE PTA, Cub Scouts, and the Hurricanes.
Particularly for those who are new members, I’d like to remind everyone again that we have returned to live monthly meetings in the Rattan Community Center. We’d love to have you join us there on the first Thursday of each month at 7pm. This is a perfect chance to meet your neighbors and hear what we’re up to. It’s also a great time to give us suggestions or feedback. This is your organization and we’d love to have more of you involved- whether by actively volunteering or just coming to hang out and listen in. Members becoming engaged, by attending events and meetings, lets us know we’re on the right track as your board.
Hope to see you out in the neighborhood soon!
Christine Newman, RCNA President
RATTAN FEST
Rattan Fest is back!
Sept. 24th, 10am-3pm
Rattan Fest is an annual neighborhood event, organized and run by the RCNA, that offers the opportunity to have a terrific time with your fellow neighbors.
There will be the opportunity to set up booths showcasing whatever talents, products or businesses you have to promote. Rattan Fest provides a fun way we can all support each other’s endeavors here in the neighborhood. Residents with small businesses & our local non-profit organizations are highly encouraged to sign up for a booth. Of course, vendor participation is not only limited to neighbors, so if an outside vendor is interested in our neighborhood, we are interested in having them join us!
Booth registration forms are now available on our website and RCNA members do receive a discount. Neighborhood based, non-profit organizations are welcome to a free booth, upon RCNA approval.
https://rattancreek.org/online-vendor-signup/
More vendor information can also be found on our website:
https://rattancreek.org/rattan-fest-vendor-faq/
*Please note: vendors should plan on being at the park to set up between 7:30am and 8:45am. The roads leading into the park will likely be closed off from 9am until 9:30am for the Deerpark Ranger Run.
This year we’ll have booths to explore, 3-4 food trucks (including Garbo’s, Blue Basil, and Kona Ice!), a bounce house, kid’s activities & entertainment, etc. We will also have entertainers and bands playing all afternoon at the Grand Pavilion stage featuring local musicians from the community. Plan to stay all day, and don’t miss a thing!
Attendance is always free! More information will be added here as details become available.
* We do need lots of volunteers to make this happen. So please message us if you are willing to help with set up or take down that day, or with other tasks the day of the event*
Ranger Run 5k - Sep 24 @ 9am
The Deerpark PTA Middle School Ranger Run is back! The first time since 2019!
We hope you join us for the 11th annual Ranger Run 5k that benefits the Deerpark PTA. The family friendly run takes place right before Rattan Fest in our Rattan Creek neighborhood! It is mainly attended by the families at Deerpark Middle School, the five feeder elementary schools and McNeil High School as well as residents of Rattan Creek!
The run is a chip-timed 5k course and historically we’ve had anywhere from 300-400 runners. We hope to have the same amount of participation this year! Visit the below link for more information and to register!
https://personalbestevents.raceentry.com/deerpark-ranger-run-5k/race-information
PET CORNER
by Leighann Hurley
by Leighann Hurley
In all seriousness, though, walking the dog in the middle of the day risks over-heating and burned paws. Avoid these dangers by getting out in the early morning or late evening and acquainting yourself with the Symptoms of Heat Exhaustion in Dogs.
If your dog is used to more extensive walks or a walk during your lunch hour, try some of these indoor activities instead:
Hide treats or his dinner in little piles around the house. Sniffing is physically exhausting for dogs!
Set up an obstacle course then use treats to help your dog walk, jump, and crawl through it. Watch this video for inspiration.
Begin training some husbandry or cooperative care skills like happily wearing a muzzle, or restraint-free nail trims.
Work through Dr. Overall’s 15-Day Relaxation Protocol. This is especially good for “high energy” dogs who need to be taught how to settle.
Teach a formal heel. I start this indoors, off-leash, anyway so it’s great for summer.
Implement daily chew time with a Farm Hounds Beef Hide Roll.
You might be surprised how fulfilled your dog is with less walking and more diversified enrichment!
For even more ideas on exercising your dog at home, check out this podcast episode from Susan Garrett.
PayPal Recurring Memberships
Attention:
Members who have signed up with Paypal recurring memberships!
With our new membership management system, we are transitioning away from using Paypal to process memberships. If you are a recurring member who currently pays through Paypal, we can use your help in moving everyone over to this new system and a new payment method.
Here are the steps we need you to take, as soon as you are able:
Fill out and submit the “become a member” form using the payment method of your choice to create an RCNA member account
At:
https://rattancreek.org/membership-account/membership-checkout/
2. Send an email to webmaster@rattancreek.org with the email you used *for your PayPal membership* and the *email you used for your new RCNA account*
Once we have received your email and confirmed payment, we will cancel your PayPal membership for you and send you an email confirmation.
Step 2 allows for people to use a different email address than they used for Paypal. This new email should be where you would like to receive future communications from the RCNA.
If you would like to do this now, we can extend your membership by 12 months from whenever you sign up on our website. You may also wait until your current Paypal membership expires, but please turn off the auto-renew.
If you have any questions at all, please contact us.
Hurricanes next season is in 2023 – learn more here: https://hurricanes.swimtopia.com/
SCOUTS
SCOUTS
SCOUTS
The Scouting movement in Rattan Creek is alive and well, even through times of COVID-19. Scouting is a great opportunity for our neighborhood youth, both male and female of almost all ages, to participate in a social activity with their peers to learn life lessons and build leadership capabilities. There are several opportunities for various ages in our neighborhood:
Cub Scout Pack 159 – Chartered on October 1, 1971, Pack 159 is one of the older and more established Cub Scout packs in the Northwest Austin area. Many of our scouts attend Pond Springs Elementary or Jollyville Elementary. We welcome scouts and families from all different backgrounds. Pack 159 is open to boys and girls in Kindergarten through 5th grade.
Online: pack159.org | Facebook: facebook.com/pack159tx
Scouts BSA Troop 259 – Troop 259 serves male youth aged from 11 to 17. Many of our Scouts attend from junior high schools such as Deerpark, Grisham, Canyon Vista, Pearson Ranch, and Cedar Valley along with high schools such as McNeil or Westwood. We meet weekly, camp monthly, and attend summer and high adventure camps annually. We are firm believers in giving back to our community through service. You will likely find our Scouts involved in local school and neighborhood activities.
Online: scout259.org | Facebook: facebook.com/scout259
SCHOOL CORNER
Find out what’s happening in the neighborhood schools of Jollyville, Pond Springs, Deerpark and McNeil!
POND SPRINGS
www.pse-pta.org/
www.pse-pta.org/
PSE is looking to fill a Crossing Guard volunteer shortage in the afternoons. The entire district is short-handed and any help would be appreciated. You can sign-up for one timeslot at a time or for several spots.
We were lucky enough to get copies of all the old RCNA newsletters! Every month we’ll include something that was in a past newsletter in the same month or time of year. Enjoy the history lessons!
This month we are combing the old newsletter and the cooking piece to bring you a delicious cookie recipe!
HELPFUL LINKS TO NEIGHBORHOOD GROUPS
HELPFUL LINKS TO NEIGHBORHOOD GROUPS
HELPFUL LINKS TO NEIGHBORHOOD GROUPS
HELPFUL LINKS TO NEIGHBORHOOD GROUPS
- North Austin MUD 1: https://northaustinmud1.org/
- Rattan Creek Neighborhood Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/RattanCreekNeighborhood
- Rattan Creek Neighborhood Buy Sell Trade Give: https://www.facebook.com/groups/RCNBuySellTrade
- Rattan Creek Buy Nothing: https://www.facebook.com/groups/bnplosindioshunterschaserattancreek
- Rattan Creek Tots Playgroup: https://www.facebook.com/groups/766011216785046
- Rattan Creek Pokemon Go: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1378225265618880
- Rattan Creek Women’s Book Club: https://www.facebook.com/groups/rcwomensbookclub
- Rattan Creek Tabletop Games Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/rattancreektabletopgaming