PRESIDENT'S CORNER
PRESIDENT'S CORNER
Hello Neighbors!
It feels like a time to celebrate! Rattan Fest and Texas Night Out were both hugely successful,
thanks in no small part to your support. We couldn’t carry off these larger events without both
your physical support, in volunteering to help at the event, or without your financial support,
that allows us some creativity in making these events even more fun for our members and
neighborhood to enjoy. Bringing Rattan Fest back after the lengthy absence was personally
daunting for me, and it never could have happened without a solid executive board and event
planning volunteers working hard to make it happen. We all owe them gratitude for bringing
our most popular and attended yearly event back to life.
And this year isn’t over yet. Keep your eyes peeled for info regarding some new things we’re
still working to fit in this year- fire house tours and the addition of a parking lot market to the
neighborhood garage sale are just a couple of opportunities we’re hoping to slide into the
schedule. As our members, you’ll be the first to hear about them.
On the business side of things: if you are a long-time recurring member still paying through
Paypal and haven’t transitioned over yet to our new membership system, be sure to look for
more information on that in this newsletter. We’re working to end our payments received
through Paypal, and we can really use your help to speed along that process.
As always, I hope to see you out and about in the neighborhood!
Christine Newman, RCNA President
RATTAN FEST 2022
RATTAN FEST 2022
The return of Rattan Fest!
Rattan Fest finally came back, and it couldn’t have been better received. We brought it back and brought it back big! 5 food trucks, 4 bounce houses/inflatables, tons of vendor and activity booths, and 3 live bands, all made for a fantastic time for all ages.
Memberships made this happen. You made this happen. Thank you!
Special thanks go out to:
Donna Andruk Realty for co-sponsoring the stage entertainment
Plus sponsoring the pet adoption booths!
Chuy Zarate for serving as MC
Jesse Hodges who worked as our volunteer sound engineer
Charlotte Wise, Omar Phoenix, Molly Johnson and Ben Hayes
All neighbors who brought their bands out to entertain us, for only tips
Alyssa Villalon from Sportball, for running kid’s activities in the basketball court
Cat Gurinsky of Immortal Tiger Kenpo Karate for hosting the martial arts demo
The Hurricanes and Cub Scout Pack 159 for running activities
McNeil ROTC for running our snack bar
All of our vendors who went above and beyond to make their booths fun to visit
Plus a huge thank you to everyone who volunteered at the event!
NATIONAL NIGHT OUT
NATIONAL NIGHT OUT
National Night Out, Texas Style!
We’ve been wanting to do a kid-centric event for awhile now, so we merged it with our Texas Night Out celebration this year. It seemed to be a hit! Celebrating our local first responders is always a favorite for kids at our events, and they all came out to represent. Jollyville Fire, Wilco Sheriffs, Precinct 1 Constables, Wilco EMS, and TDS all brought their vehicles out for our youngest neighbors to explore.
Throw in a couple of bounce houses, some yard games, and two children’s entertainment acts and it made for a rollicking good time.
MEMBER PAYPAL TRANSITION
MEMBER PAYPAL TRANSITION
Attention, once again:
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, including the newsletters, 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.
MEMBERSHIP STICKERS!
Membership stickers are here!
The idea of membership stickers has been tossed around for some time now, but thanks to our amazing new membership chair, Sara Kinnison, they are here and ready for pickup! We debuted them at Rattan Fest and Texas Night Out, and they were a big hit. If you missed getting one at the events, shoot us a message and we’ll arrange a good time to pick yours up. One free per membership and additional stickers are available for a donation of $3 or more.
PET CORNER
by Leighann Hurley
With the Holidays coming up, some owners look to Board and Train to meet their care and behavior needs in one convenient package.
After working with 30 Board and Train dogs in 4 years, here’s my perspective as a professional dog trainer on the pros and cons.
Pros
(1) Accelerated Instruction
Working one-on-one with the dog to change behavior myself is generally faster than teaching the owner to do the same thing. I can more thoroughly evaluate the problem and identify the best technique in a much shorter amount of time.
(2) Easier Training for the Owner
Because the dog is already familiar with his role, it’s usually easier for the team to get it right when it’s time to add the owner.
Board and Train can also be a superb choice for owners who are capable of maintaining a skill, but struggle to teach it because of a physical disability or limitation.
(3) Starting With a Blank-ish Slate
Specific environments and people sometimes trigger bad behavior: “this is the behavior I do in this room with this person.
By removing the dog from those environments and people, we remove some of the triggers for the bad behavior and it may be easier for him to forget about that and learn new habits.
(4) Overall Evaluation
Board and Train is not just about teaching your dog a bunch of commands/cues, but about discovering what type of and how much stimulation he needs to succeed.
Cons
Finding A Good Program
Poor quality Board and Train programs look very attractive and it’s easy to get tricked into believing you can have a highly trained dog in a short period of time without harmful side effects.
Many of these programs achieve seemingly “instant” results because of their use of punishment-based techniques and tools. For more information on why this is not in your dog’s best interest, see my blog post: “Why I Say No to Shock, Prong, and Chain Training Collars.”
When looking for a program near you, use this guide for questions to ask and what answers to look for.
(2) The Adjustment Period
Board and Train does offer accelerated instruction, but only after the dog adjusts to his new living situation. This usually takes a few days, but may take longer for anxious or fearful dogs. Regardless, we cannot expect dogs to jump right into smooth training on Day 1.
If your dog tends to be generally anxious or nervous at your home, I typically discourage Board and Train.
(3) Lack of Trainer Relationship
Dogs aren’t robots. A trusting relationship between dog and handler is essential for really efficient training.
We certainly don’t have to wait for the relationship before training can begin (reward-based training is a great part of establishing that relationship!), but it’s an intangible training asset that cannot be manufactured overnight.
(4) Cost
Board and Train is a lot of work and that’s reflected in the cost. The trainer isn’t just spending an hour every day training your dog—she’s also caring for him 24/7 and adjusting her schedule to accommodate a visiting dog.
(5) No Supervision
A good Board and Train program will provide updates while your dog is away, but that’s not the same as watching the trainer interact with your dog. Unfortunately, we’ve heard too many stories about how inhumanely some dogs are treated at bad programs.
Lastly…
As you consider Board and Train for your dog, it’s critical to understand two more important realities:
#1: The trainer can only train as fast as your dog is able to learn.
Training is a team sport and the trainer has to match your dog’s pace and needs. Genetics, temperament, behavior history and training history are some of the factors that influence your dog’s progress—factors the trainer has no control over.
#2: Your dog will leave Board and Train a work in progress.
Board and Train jumpstarts your dog’s education, but it does not complete it. You can expect on-going maintenance and practice to protect the progress your dog made and continue advancing his skills.
GARDENING WITH FRIENDS & NEIGHBORS
by CATHLEEN GAIL
- Dig and store caladium bulbs when foliage dies.
- Divide and transplant iris, cannas, daylilies, liriope, and amaryllis.
- Trim hedges.
- Plant trees, shrubs, and perennials.
- Plant garlic.
- Plant spring-blooming, naturalizing bulbs.
- Sow spring wildflower seeds.
- Save leaves and start a compost pile.
NEIGHBORHOOD GARAGE SALE - NOV 5
NEIGHBORHOOD GARAGE SALE - NOV 5
NEIGHBORHOOD GROUPS
NEIGHBORHOOD GROUPS
BOY SCOUTS
BOY 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
AROUND THE NEIGHBORHOOD
AROUND THE NEIGHBORHOOD
HELPFUL LINKS TO NEIGHBORHOOD INFO
HELPFUL LINKS TO NEIGHBORHOOD INFO
- 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