1. THE ACORN
Rooster Springs Elementary (RSE)
school attendance zones are being
redrawn due to the fast growth in this
part of Hays County. Our kids will be
at RSE through the 2008-2009 school
year, but then may have to move back
to Dripping Springs Elementary. At
the school board meeting March 20th,
the demographer presented three
possible rezoning plans, only one of
which leaves Heritage Oaks at RSE.
Due to the rapid growth, rezoning
will definitely happen for the 2009-10
school year. Though plans are being
made for a fourth elementary school in
Sawyer Ranch slated to open 2011-12
(and possibly a middle school, both
subject to voter approval in a 2009
Bond Election), together with the
rezoning, these plans still involve
another move for younger students,
from RSE to DSE for the 2009-11
school years and then to the Sawyer
Ranch elementary in 2011.
We need to let the school board know
who we are: an established, built-out
neighborhood; we are the closest non-
Belterra subdivision to RSE at just 0.8
miles away; and we only have about
35 elementary students. We have very
minimal impact on the overcrowding
at RSE especially compared to new
developments, such as the subdivision
that is 2.4 miles from RSE, only 30%
built and is already sending over
150 kids to RSE. This particular
neighborhood is actively working to
keep their children at RSE.
HERITAGE OAKS LANDOWNERS ASSOCIATION
Keep Our Kids in a Community School
by Angelique Edl
Preserving security, property values and quality of life in Heritage Oaks
Cap’s Tip: Notify the
Sherriff’s Office at
393-7896 before you
burn. Thanks!
SPRING 2008
CONTACT US
PO Box 729 DS TX 78620
www.heritage-oaks.org
Use the links on this website to
send us your feedback about
Heritage Oaks and HOLA.
Apr 19
May 4
May 18
Oct TBA
Oct 31
Wehadverygoodrepresentationatthe
school board meeting, with 10 Heritage
Oaks families able to attend, out of the
approximately 22 RSE families in the
neighborhood. But we cannot let up
until this issue is resolved in the best
interests of our children. We have
defeated a poorly thought-out rezoning
plan once before, and we can do so
again. Now is the time to let the school
board hear from you! All letters sent
to Dr. Mard Herrick, Superintendent
[ m a r d . h e r r i c k @ d r i p p i n g -
springs.txed.net] will be passed along
to the school board members. The
School Board is looking for ideas.
Let those ideas be shaped by you.
Let them know who we are. The
more they hear from Heritage Oaks,
the better!
As always, HOLA welcomes your
comments, suggestions and ideas.
Click on www.heritage-oaks.org, then
the “Contact Us” page, then “Property
Values Outside.”d
2008 HOLA OFFICERS
Email us through the website or call:
Pres.
1stVP
2ndVP
Treas.
Sec.
288-7175
363-5822
288-3874
382-6429
301-9491
Matt Thayer
Chuck Fahrenthold
Ed Taddia
Lane DeSilva
Tawnya Fondren
HOLA Garage Sale
Spring Fling
HOLA Meeting
HOLA Meeting
HOLA-ween
UPCOMING EVENTS
Photo courtesy of American Constructors LP
Hundreds of Eggs Appear in Yard; Kids of All Ages Overjoyed
A beautiful, warm, sunny day was a
welcome addition to the 2nd
annual
HOLA Easter Egg Hunt which was
held on March 22nd
at the home of Gary
and Denise Kovar. Thirty-six children
searched high low in trees and tall
grass for more than 375 filled plastic
by Denise Kovar eggs. Including the adults, there were
about 70 residents and their families
in attendance at this year’s event. The
children decorated and devoured sugar
cookies and feasted on fresh lemonade
and fancy Easter basket cupcakes
complete with handles for lifting and
jelly beans for filling. Special thanks to
Marcia and Christina Thayer for the
wonderful homemade lemonade and
cupcakes, Matt Thayer for the table
set up, Raquel Wilson for the yummy
made from scratch sugar cookies,
and all of the parents that helped find
creative places in the yard to stash the
candy and treat filled eggs.

2. Mark and Kathleen Kellogg
5 Tall Oaks Trail
394-7225 Home
554-2820 K-cell 554-1534 M-cell
Neighborhood Watch Program Growing Strongly
The neighborhood watch team led by
Greg Stowers has been actively working
this year to address safety and security
concerns of the neighborhood. As a result
of a recent effort to increase participation,
the neighborhood watch e-mail distribution
grew by approximately 20% to nearly 100
families.
To help reunite lost pets with their
owners, the team has initiated a Heritage
Oaks Pet Registry program so neighbors
who find stray pets have a process by
which they can contact the owner. To
sign up, send an electronic photo of each
pet with your contact information to
holapets@gmail.com or contact Francie
Fahrenthold (363-5822) to arrange for a
pet photo op! The team would like to thank
Nathan Smith for his efforts in creating a
proof of concept password protected test
page for the HOLA website in support of
this program.
Vehicular speeding is still a problem
in Heritage Oaks and especially with our
children and pets at stake; we ask that
everyone drive sensibly to avoid accidents.
In an effort to encourage responsible
driving, queries have been made to the
Hays County Sheriff office to not only
increase the frequency of patrols but to also
borrow a radar speed monitor sign.
The team is also working with the
Hays County Sheriff’s Office to arrange
for home safety/security audits for those
residents interested in participating.
Please contact Matt Thayer (288-7175,
mthayer@austin.rr.com) if you are
interested in signing up.
In our continued efforts to further
strengthen neighborhood ties with local
emergency services, the North Hays County
Volunteer Fire Department (NHCVFD)
was invited and will be participating in
the Spring Fling BBQ, scheduled for
the afternoon of Sunday, May 4th
. They
are planning to bring a fire truck for the
Kiddos!
by Matt Thayer, HOLA President
2008 HOLA Board Update: Direction and Actions
Sometimes, it’s one step back and two
forward and that’s how this year began
for the 2008 Board. The year started off
with the loss of an officer, Debbie Tolany,
who resigned from her secretarial position
due to unforeseen family commitments.
Fortunately, the board was able to quickly
identify and unanimously vote in a very
capable replacement, Tawnya Fondren, so
the 2008 HOLA board is now made up of
the following volunteer HOLA members:
President: Matt Thayer
Vice President 1: Chuck Fahrenthold
Vice President 2: Ed Taddia
Treasurer: Lane DeSilva
Secretary: Tawnya Fondren
The board has been active, picking up
where last year’s board left off and busily
identifying key goals for the year. At this
point, they are as follows:
1. Strengthen HOLA’s ability to
enforce deed restrictions.
The board is in the process of reviewing
deed restrictions from other neighborhoods
to benchmark for best practices and is also
examining HOLA historic records for
trends to identify common re-occurring
deed restriction gaps. HOLA revenue
must also be increased if legal enforcement
becomes necessary.
2. Expand the volunteer base so as
not to burn out those already engaged.
Board members are acting as liaisons
for the committees that were formed last
year, providing resources where possible.
Last year, the board members led most
of the committees so although this is a
positive step forward, we still need more
volunteers.
3. Continue supporting critical
committees in keeping with our mission.
The board is providing both financial
and volunteer support for the following
committees:
• Social Team - events, welcoming new
neighbors (quality of life inside HO)
• Property Team - school redistricting,
nearby development (quality of life outside
Heritage Oaks)
• Security Team - neighborhood watch
email distribution, pet registry, etc.
• Entrance Team - maintenance, repair
and reconstruction
• Communication Team - website and
newsletter, directory, etc.
4. Increase HOLA revenue &
membership.
Membership is significantly down from
2008 and feedback received to date
indicates that having renewal forms on
the back of the Acorn newsletter is not a
good method for ensuring renewal. In the
upcoming months, the board plans to have
a separate drive specifically focused at
increasing membership and volunteerism.
This year, the Neighborhood Garage sale
has been structured as a revenue generator
for HOLA. In the past, similar events have
generated revenues of almost one thousand
dollars.
Besides the goals listed above, the
board and neighborhood volunteers are
also involved in a lot of behind the scenes
activities. For example, Sally Mhoon is in
the process of completing an independent
audit of the HOLA financials, Mike
Figer is examining HOLA’s tax status to
ensure proper filing with the necessary
government entities and Nathan Smith is
supporting ongoing web page requests.
So whether it’s supporting behind the
scene activities or being involved in the
2008 goals, we need your involvement to
be successful. If you’d like to volunteer,
please contact Matt Thayer (288-7175,
mthayer@austin.rr.com).
by Matt Thayer, HOLA President
Welcome, New Neighbors!

3. Dear Neighbors,
Thank you to the many of you who voted for me for Precinct
Chair in the Republican Primary March 4th
! (As you may know,
precinct chairs are the lowest elected office in political parties. These
volunteers have a seat on the county executive committee, and work
their precincts to build a better party and get out the vote.) Though
I placed third in this three-way contest, with your vote we successfully
moved this race into a run-off election.
Even better, we still have the opportunity to elect a Heritage
Oaks resident to represent our Precinct 444: Phil Durgin. An
experienced campaign manager, Phil is a savvy, informed and
articulate Republican who is passionate about individual liberty and
limited government. He will influence and assist the county party
in recruiting and electing quality candidates who are committed to
defending each American’s rights to their life, liberty and property.
If you have been frustrated with the direction of the
Republican party, please take this opportunity to vote for Phil,
and ask your nearby friends and associates to do so as well. The
way to build a strong party is to hold fast to our principles of low
taxes, limited government and individual liberty, and this begins at
the county level. Any registered voter that resides in Precinct 444
(north of Hwy 290, from RR12 east to the county line, including all of
Heritage Oaks) and either voted in the Republican primary or did
not vote on March 4th
can take part. Polls will be open Tuesday,
April 8th
, from 7 am to 7 pm at Sunset Canyon Baptist Church.
Thanks again, Mandy Taylor
288-4756 mandytaylor@austin.rr.com
Political ad paid for by Mandy Taylor.
VOL_NTEER?
In Heritage Oaks, volunteers make the difference. HOLAis a totally voluntary or-
ganisation, driven by a core crew of devoted volunteers that maintain the entrance
and flag, welcome new residents, update the website, plan social events, publish
the newsletter, help with the neighborhood watch and serve as officers. We think
our efforts are part of why the neighborhood remains a vibrant and friendly place
to live. If you agree, please join us by volunteering on one of our teams (even if
you’re not a HOLA member). There are different places to serve based on your
particular interests and talents. The pay is non-existent but the rewards are huge:
you’ll have fun getting to know your neighbors better, and the satisfaction of help-
ing to keep Heritage Oaks the unique and beautiful place that it is. We’re more
about getting things done than having meetings, but if we meet, you can guarantee
it involves food and drink. Please call or email one of our chairs today.
PROPERTY TEAM
Research deed restriction, school zon-
ing and other nearby development is-
sues, and monitor oak wilt.
Officer: Lane DeSilva
Chair: Angelique Edl 394-1697
jedl@sbcglobal.net
SECURITY & SAFETY TEAM
Operate neighborhood watch program
in connection with County Sheriff.
Officer: Chuck Fahrenthold
Chair: Greg Stowers 301-2636
greg-stowers@sbcglobal.net
ENTRANCE TEAM
Maintain entrance landscaping, flag,
and coordinate volunteers to trim trees
on right of way.
Officer: Ed Taddia
Chair: Karen Goodin 301-5860
rgoodin@austin.rr.com
SOCIAL TEAM
Plan social events (Easter Egg Hunt,
Spring Fling, HOLAWeen, Christmas),
and welcome new neighbors.
Officer: Matt Thayer
Chair: Denise Kovar 288-9351
gardenko@yahoo.com
COMMUNICATION TEAM
Update website and directory as need-
ed, and publish newsletter quarterly.
Officer: Tawnya Fondren
Chair: Nathan Smith 288-4980
nsmith01tx@yahoo.com
From the Mailbox
As we reflect over the activities of the 2007 HOLA Board, it
is evident that many accomplishments were achieved. Each
Board member exhibited individual strengths that resulted
in benefits for the neighborhood. There are many routine
responsibilities that are handled on a day to day basis but
these stand out to us. (1) Ken Odom updated the Bylaws
making corrections and upgrades to present to HOLA
members for approval. (2) Matt Thayer played a critical
part in implementing the Neighborhood Watch Program and
continues to keep the program active. (3) Angelique Edl
worked diligently to help identify the problems with runoff
from Ledgestone and continues to work with appropriate
officials for a suitable resolution. (4) Denise Kovar
coordinated neighborhood functions and as Treasurer was
instrumental in getting the AmeriGas agreement reinstated.
This resulted in adding needed money to the HOLA bank
account. (5) Mandy Taylor started and maintained (and
has volunteered to continue) the ACORN newsletter which
keeps the residents informed about pertinent “happenings”
in the neighborhood. And, during it all, the gatherings were
fun for everyone. This is an impressive list of what can
achieved by dedicated neighbors.
Thanks ya’ll,
Dick & Karen Goodin
Send your letters to the editor at mandytaylor@austin.rr.com
RUNOFF ELECTION - TUESDAY, APRIL 8
All That’s Missing
is YOU!

4. Sunday, May 4 from 3:30 - 7:00 pm
at The Balletts, 17 Carriage House Drive
Bring lawn chairs, games (croquet etc),
desserts to share and any adult beverages.
We’ll have BBQ, fixings, iced tea & lemonade
(Free to HOLA members, $10/plate otherwise)
2008 HOLA Dues of $75 accepted at event
Facepainting, moonwalk and games for kids
RSVP number atttending to gardenko@yahoo.com or 288-9351 by *April 30*
Please join us at the Spring Fling!
LOVE THE MUSIC AT NUTTY BROWN?
Email lovenuttymusic@yahoo.com
TIRED OF NUTTY BROWN NOISE?
Email nbcnoise@yahoo.com
Please Use AmeriGas
HOLAmemberscanpurchasediscount-
ed propane through AmeriGas. Your
costsarekeptlowbyapricecap at$0.60
per gallon above the wholesale cost.
And it provides a $0.10 per gallon re-
bate to HOLA. In past years, HOLA
has received over $1000 from this
Amerigas program. This provides
an important source of revenue for
the Association, enabling us to do
such things as underwrite postage
for the Acorn. For more informa-
tion, call AmeriGas at 278-0220.
WHERE:
WHEN:
RSVP BY:
DETAILS:
AMM Collision, 3990 Hwy 290
8 am - 2 pm, Saturday April 19 (Rain Date April 26)
Thursday, April 10 (288-7175, mthayer@austin.rr.com)
There are two ways you can participate: (1) Donate items to
HOLA, or (2) Set up your own table (at no cost) and sell your
stuff. Please RSVP no later than April 10 so space can be
reserved or arrangements made for picking up donated items.
Along with having a lot of wonderful things for sale, we also
plan to have hot dogs, hamburgers and drinks.
Neighborhood Garage Sale April 19
ADVERTISE WITH THE ACORN
In an effort to become self-sup-
porting, effective with this issue,
the Acorn has begun accepting
paid advertisements. To receive
our Advertiser Information, please
email mandytaylor@austin.rr.com.
Grow your business by
reaching customers for as little
as 5 cents each!