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THe Village gazette

March 2009

Volume IIi, Issue IIi

TM

News for the Residents of the Villages at Western Oaks AND Legend Oaks I

Greenbelt Tree Houses:

Innocent Child’s Play or Ecological Destruction? Submitted by Anonymous but Concerned Neighbor

I’m wondering if any of the local residents and Greenbelt enthusiast in the New Villages of Western Oaks area have noticed the blatant blighting and destruction of our Greenbelt environments?  I hope it concerns you as it does me.  The tree house building activities in the Latta Greenbelt, especially adjacent to the trail that runs through the woods opposite Doe Meadow has been cited as a serious violation by the Austin City Parks Department.  Unfortunately, they have not been able to take action beyond assisting in clean-up of dangerous debris left in the woods.

We need the tree house building trend to stop!  Here are a few reasons why:

underbrush, etc. blight the area and destroy the ecological beauty.  Last summer they dumped two old easy chairs, and a big TV which they smashed the screen out of -  by the trees.  The surrounding bush is constantly strewn with fast-food liter and trash heaps of “building supplies.” 3. They’re most probably killing old specimen / large oaks with the nails etc.  (Last year you may remember several old trees were destroyed in Zilker Park – split by storm winds– BECAUSE they had nails pounded into them.) 4. The kids smoke up in the trees and drop their cigarette butts into the very dry brush below.  Anyone want a greenbelt fire in our neighborhood?  Picture wind born embers landing on your roof, and a fire blackened war-zone between our neighborhoods.

1. The tree houses rise upwards of 60 to 80 feet and if an adolescent fell – it would be to their  death. We have very beautiful natural areas in 2. The kids who build the trees severely which to run, walk, bike, etc.  It’s a great and destructively trash up the area.  shame to allow a few dumb kids to destroy Garbage, trash, building materials, broken glass, spray painted rocks and trees, cut (Continued on page 2)

Copyright © 2009 Peel, Inc.

Looking for a Way to Spend your “Best Day Ever”? Register to play in the Colin’s Hope Classic golf tournament on Thurs, April 23!

The tournament is a fundraiser for a new local charity, Colin’s Hope, which was founded in August 2008 in honor of Colin Krogh Holst. Colin was only 4 years old when he drowned in a local public pool last June. Sadly, after struggling to understand how this could happen, his family and friends learned that his death is only one of so many like it, as drowning is the second leading cause of death in children under the age of 14. Armed with this knowledge, Colin’s family decided to find a way to turn their unimaginable loss into an organization driven to save children from drowning, and Colin’s Hope was born. The charity is a nonprofit foundation which creates and supports programs to aid in the prevention of childhood drowning. Colin’s Hope has had the privilege to work alongside other nonprofits such as The Junior League of Austin, YMCA and Partnerships for Children to implement initiatives such as sponsoring swim lessons for underprivileged children and educating parents, children, and lifeguards on water safety. You can learn more about Colin’s Hope at www.colinshope.org. The foundation’s first fundraiser was the sale of Colin’s Cookbook in the fall. The cookbook, which began with recipes from all the meals provided to the family after Colin’s death, was a (Continued on page 3) The Village Gazette - March 2009 

The Village Gazette IMPORTANT NUMBERS EMERGENCY NUMBERS EMERGENCY.................................................................... 911 Fire...................................................................................... 911 Ambulance.......................................................................... 911 Sheriff – Non-Emergency...................................512-974-0845 SCHOOLS Elementary Clayton............................................................512-841-9200 Kiker................................................................512-414-2584 Mills................................................................512-841-2400 Patton...............................................................512-414-1780 Middle Bailey..............................................................512-414-4990 Small................................................................512-841-6700 High School Austin..............................................................512-414-2505 Bowie..............................................................512-414-5247 UTILITIES Water/Wastewater City of Austin....................................................512-972-0101 City of Austin (billing)..................................... 512-494-9400 Emergency........................................................512-972-1000 Texas State Gas Customer Service.......................................... 1-800-700-2443 Gas related emergency.................................. 1-800-959-5325 Pedernales Electric Cooperative New service, billing..........................................512-219-2602 Problems...........................................................512-219-2628 ATT/SBC Telephone New Service.................................................. 1-800-288-2020 Repair............................................................ 1-800-246-8464 Billing........................................................... 1-800-288-2020 Allied Waste........................................................512-247-5647 Time Warner Cable.............................................512-485-5555 OTHER NUMBERS Oak Hill Postal Station................................... 1-800-275-8777 City of Austin Dead Animal Collection....................................512-494-9000 Abandoned/Disabled Vehicles..........................512-974-8119 Stop Sign Missing/Damaged............................512-974-2000 Street Light Outage (report pole#)....................512-505-7617 NEWSLETTER PUBLISHER Peel, Inc...............................................................512-263-9181 Article Submissions..................... [email protected] Advertising....................................... [email protected]



The Village Gazette - March 2009

Greenbelt Tree Houses - (Continued from Cover Page) the ecology and blight the area.  Writing this makes me feel a bit like an old-fart, kill-joy, yet the ignorance and destructiveness behind the tree house activity is very disturbing.  The City Parks Department responded with this directive:  “I strongly suggest that adults living in the area contact Park Police by calling 911, or 311, if they should observe any kids using or adding to the tree houses.  Call 911 if you see someone in the act of committing violations against City Code.  311 Police non-emergency would be if they are using the tree house—it’s unapproved activity.  If you call, be sure to have a street coordinate of address.” Please do your part to save our natural open spaces!

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Copyright © 2009 Peel, Inc.

THe Village gazette Looking for a Way - (Continued from Cover Page) huge success, raising more than $10,000 for Colin’s Hope and allowing the foundation to begin to have a presence in our community. The Colin’s Hope Classic will be the second major fundraiser for Colin’s Hope, and its all-volunteer staff hopes to raise more then $40,000. This would allow them to initiate many more water safety awareness programs and efforts to improve water safety standards throughout the community as the summer swim season approaches! Colin’s Hope is privileged to have Garrett Weber-Gale, a Gold Medal Olympian at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and Texas Longhorn alum, as the Honorary Chair for the tournament. Garrett Weber-Gale has generated his own buzz lately by winning his first of two Olympic gold medals as part of the U.S. 4x100 relay team in the race that is now widely considered to be the best relay swimming race of all time! The tournament will be held at The Hills of Lakeway, Yaupon course, on April 23, 2009 at 1:00pm. Registration fees are $150 per person, which gives the golfer a spot in the 4-person scramble, lunch, dinner and numerous generously donated prizes. You can register to play in this inaugural tournament securely online at www. colinshope.org. Once registered, participants have the opportunity to help support Colin’s Hope through raising pledges. However, if golf is not your game but you are interested in helping this amazing group in honoring Colin and helping prevent childhood drowning, the tournament is still looking for sponsors, prize donations or simply good, old-fashioned volunteers! All questions or interested parties should be sent to info@colinshope. org. However you choose to participate, we do know, as 4-year old Colin loved to say, that it will be one of your “best days ever.”

March & April Home Games Mar. 10 Toros vs. Ft. Wayne Mar

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Apr. 01 Toros vs. Tulsa Apr

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Apr. Apr 04 Toros vs. Iowa

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Apr. 07 Toros vs. Reno Apr

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Apr 08 Toros vs. Rio Grande Valley 7:30pm Apr. Apr. 10 Toros vs. Rio Grande Valley 8:30pm Apr

All home games played at the Austin Convention Center at 4th and Red River.

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Brought to you by Spurs Sports & Entertainment

For tickets, call 236-8333 or visit

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The Village Gazette Grief Share

Business Classifieds WEBSTER HANDYMAN SERVICE. Small to Medium size jobs around the home or office. I will perform general repair projects that you don’t have time to do. Minor plumbing, Minor Electrical, Ceiling Fan installation, Garage Door Openers, Small Sheetrock repair, Pressure Washing, Arbor/Gazebo/Trellis Kits, Storage Bldg. Kits, Cedar Shutters. Interior & Exterior minor Carpentry, Misc. Odd jobs.  Your  Circle C Neighbor.  Call Ralph after 5pm @  845-9104 or 291-6566.

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Submitted by Nancy Zaloga GriefShare (www.griefshare.org) will meet at Manchaca United Methodist Church, located at 1011 FM 1626, from 3–5 p.m each Sunday beginning March 8. $12 charge for workbook (scholarships available). GriefShare is a 13-week faith-based seminar and support group for people grieving the death of a loved one. It’s a place where you can be around people who understand how you feel and the pain of your loss. You may begin the class at any point during the 13-week time frame. Call 280-7241 for further information.

Newsletter Article Submissions

Interested in submitting an article? You can do so by emailing [email protected] or by going to http://www. peelinc.com/articleSubmit.php. All news must be received by the 9th of the month prior to the issue. So if you are involved with a school group, scouts, sports etc – please submit your articles for The Village Gazette. Personal news for the Stork Report, Teenage Job Seekers, special celebrations and military service are also welcome.

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The Village Gazette - March 2009

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ATFCU 68th Annual Meeting Tuesday, March 24, 2009 The Crockett Center For details, call 512.302.5555 ext. 7000.

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Copyright © 2009 Peel, Inc.

THe Village gazette From Mills Elementary: Do you know a hero? Mills Elementary will honor heroes of all kinds during its annual Spring Festival, which will be held on Saturday, April 18, from 3-7pm. Spring Festival committee members are currently looking for heroes within our community. We are inviting our community heroes to the library during the spring festival to speak to our audience about their role in our community. If you would like to be a hero, email dorsey@ io.com to secure a time to speak. Firefighters, police, EMS workers, supermoms, doctors, nurses, nuclear engineers, anyone who wishes to influence our youth need apply. Let’s step up parents and let the children see you as the hero you are! The Spring Festival Committee is also looking for donations for the Silent Auction held during the festival.

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The Village Gazette - March 2009 

The Village Gazette

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The Village Gazette - March 2009

The Village Gazette is a private publication published by Peel, Inc. It is not sanctioned by any homeowners association or organization, nor is it subject to the approval of any homeowners association or organization, nor is it intended, nor implied to replace any publication that may be published by or on behalf of any homeowners association or organization. At no time will any source be allowed to use The Village Gazette contents, or loan said contents, to others in anyway, shape or form, nor in any media, website, print, film, e-mail, electrostatic copy, fax, or etc. for the purpose of solicitation, commercial use, or any use for profit, political campaigns, or other self amplification, under penalty of law without written or expressed permission from Peel, Inc. The information in the newsletter is exclusively for the private use of Peel, Inc. DISCLAIMER: Articles and ads in this newsletter express the opinions of their authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Peel, Inc. or its employees. Peel, Inc. is not responsible for the accuracy of any facts stated in articles submitted by others. The publisher also assumes no responsibility for the advertising content with this publication. All warranties and representations made in the advertising content are solely that of the advertiser and any such claims regarding its content should be taken up with the advertiser. * The publisher assumes no liability with regard to its advertisers for misprints or failure to place advertising in this publication except for the actual cost of such advertising. * Although every effort is taken to avoid mistakes and/or misprints, the publisher assumes no responsibility for any errors of information or typographical mistakes, except as limited to the cost of advertising as stated above or in the case of misinformation, a printed retraction/correction. * Under no circumstances shall the publisher be held liable for incidental or consequential damages, inconvenience, loss of business or services, or any other liabilities from failure to publish, or from failure to publish in a timely manner, except as limited to liabilities stated above. Copyright © 2009 Peel, Inc.

THe Village gazette

Good Luck to Ms. Puente's 3rd grade class, and all other students taking the TAKS, from The Village Gazette!

Do You Have Reason to Celebrate? We want to hear from you! Email [email protected] to let the community know!

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The Village Gazette - March 2009 

The Village Gazette Did You Know?

To correct the calendar over the centuries, years ending in “00” are not leap years unless the first two digits are divisible by 4. Therefore, the year 2000 is a leap year, but 1900 and 2100 are not.



TAX TIPS

Submitted by John Harris Its tax time and there are many new tax provisions relating to your 2008 return. Let me go over just a few of these. 1.) For the first time, you can deduct up to $1000.00 of your real estate taxes even if you do not itemize your deductions. 2.) There is another huge change in casualty losses. Having come from Florida, I am very familiar with hurricane losses. For the first time, you can deduct a casualty loss in federally declared disaster areas, even if you do not itemize, and if you do, it is not subject to the previous 10% of adjusted gross income threshold. In other words, if you had damage from hurricane Ike, and most people had some damage or loss, you may get a tax deduction for your loss. These losses may include anything from roof and fence damage to loss of food in your freezer. 3.) You may also qualify for last year’s stimulus rebate check this year, even if you

did not qualify last year. (A note on this, last year’s check is NOT taxable this year, contrary to some rumors I have heard.) 4) They also raised the IRA contribution limit to $5000.00, $6000.00 if you are 50 years of age or older. I know many people lost much of their retirement values in 2008, but it is still a good idea to invest in your retirement accounts. You may want to consider investing in a more conservative investment, but you still should invest! Talk to your financial advisor. 5) If you own your own business, it is still not too late to set up a SEP retirement plan for your business and get a deduction up to $46,000.00 for 2008. 6) Lastly, the standard mileage rate for 2008 is broken down into two parts. From January 1 to June 30, it is 50.5 cents per mile and 58.5 cents per mile driven during the rest of 2008.

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The Village Gazette - March 2009

Copyright © 2009 Peel, Inc.

THe Village gazette March Events at the Wildflower Center Artists & Artisans Festival

9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, March 21 and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday, March 22 Favorite artists return and new ones appear to exhibit their work in watercolors, metal, wood, ceramics and many other materials. Dalhart Windberg, introduces his annual print benefiting the Wildflower Center, noon to 5 p.m. Saturday. Shou Ping shows her watercolor sculptures and Mary Catherine Gardner, official Wildflower Days™ 2009 artist, signs her print, 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday.

Sign up for Go Native U

This is our popular series of how-to gardening classes plus—new this year -- five sustainability classes focused on ways to manage soil, water, plants and materials to improve sustainability. Register at www.wildflower.org

Texas Society of Sculptors Exhibit

March 3 through May 31. Outdoor works by Texas sculptors on display throughout our gardens.

I’LL BUY YOUR CAR!! Fast, free appraisals; I will come to your business or home. I have been buying cars in Austin for over 15 years. Why drive all over town? My family and I reside in Circle C, and I’ll buy any make, model or year vehicle. Please call Patrick for your fast, free appraisal. (512)750-8289

Your Circle C Auto Specialist Is Now Buying Cars in Western Oaks

Nature Nights, Look to the Stars

6 to 9 p.m. Friday, March 6 Join Kyle Fricke of McDonald Observatory for an engaging look into the cosmos. Field telescope viewing. $1 admission.

Wildflower Days™ Begin

The Center is open every day 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. until March 16 until May 31.

Artists Reception

1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, March 15 Join us to meet the sculptors and members of the Texas Society of Sculptors.

Shou Ping Exhibit

March 14 through May 31 This renowned artist creates watercolor paintings of and cuts them to form threedimensional sculptures. At the McDermott Center.

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Copyright © 2009 Peel, Inc.

The Village Gazette - March 2009 

The Village Gazette Is Your Child’s Development Behind? Local Program Can Help, by Jennifer Vu

If you are a parent of an infant or toddler, birth to 36 months, and have questions about how your child is growing or developing, why wait? ECI (Early Childhood Intervention) is here to help! ECI is a statewide program that has helped Texas babies and toddlers for more than 25 years. We partner with families to work together as a team and offer services where your child lives, learns and plays. Early is best when you have concerns about your child’s development and income does not determine eligibility for services. ECI professionals have expertise in working with babies, toddlers and their families. Licensed and/or credentialed specialties include: Early Intervention Specialists, Speech and Language Pathologists, Physical Therapists, Occupational Therapists, Registered Dieticians, Hearing and Vision Specialists and Social Workers. Red Flags Red flags are a way to track your infant or toddler’s development and help identify if he is unable to do something most children already can. Below is a list of behaviors or red flags that can keep

your child from learning. Appearance of red flags is not a cause for alarm, but a call to action. If they happen often, call your local ECI program or your child’s pediatrician. Baby • Cannot bend arms or legs • Does not smile, move or look at you when you talk or play with her • Does not want to be held • Does not make sounds by 3 months • Does not babble by 6-9 months Toddler

• • • • • •

Has tantrums that last 20 minutes or longer Breaks things on purpose Hurts or bites other people Does respond to her name by 12 months Does not play appropriately with toys Flaps hands, rocks or sways over and over (Continued on Page 11)

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The Village Gazette - March 2009

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THe Village gazette Is Your Child's Development - (Continued from Page 10) • • • •

Does not point at objects he wants or use gestures by 12 months Has no words by 18 months Does not follow simple or familiar directions by 18 months Does not engage in pretend play by 24 months

Any Age

• • • • • •

Is fussy or cries a lot, even when not tired or hungry Has trouble falling asleep or staying asleep Does not notice people Is unhappy most of the time Any loss of speech, babbling, or social skills (i.e., eye contact) Becomes easily and consistently upset with change in routine or when moving from one activity to another

ECI offers free developmental screenings and evaluations. Call your local program, Infant Parent Program ECI, at (512) 472-3142 to request more information or to refer your child for a screening or evaluation. To search online, visit DARS/ECI website at www.dars.state. tx.us/ecis.

Advertising Information

Please support the businesses that advertise in The Village Gazette. Their advertising dollars make it possible for all residents to receive the monthly newsletter at no charge. If you would like to support the newsletter by advertising, please contact our sales office at 512-263-9181 or advertising@ PEELinc.com. The advertising deadline is the 10th of each month for the following month's newsletter.

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www.SterlingAutoCollision.net The Village Gazette - March 2009 11

The Village Gazette Alternatives to Microsoft Office Submitted by Laurie Scott

Anyone who works in an office and with a computer probably has Microsoft Office installed on it. Word, PowerPoint and Excel and found in almost every corporate environment. But when it comes time to buy software for your home computer, most people don’t realize there are free and low-cost alternative. To start, Microsoft does offer an Office 2007 “Home and Student” edition that I’ve seen online for as low at $80. This edition includes Word, PowerPoint, Excel and OneNote, but not Outlook, which is what many Office users expect with their “office” suite. The most popular free option is probably Sun’s Open Office 3 (available at www.openoffice.org) It has powerful word processing, presentation and spreadsheet programs that are compatible with Microsoft Office, and also includes a graphics program and database (but again, no e-mail program.) Another free alternative is a surprising name from the past. Lotus (owned by IBM) has resurrected its Symphony suite and is closer to Open Office that Microsoft Office. Its programs are IBM Lotus Symphony Documents, IBM Lotus Symphony Presentations and IBM Lotus Symphony Spreadsheets and also offer Microsoft Office compatibility.

Google has recently entered the office application fray with their own product (which are still in “beta” – a Google trademark), Google Docs. It offers Microsoft Office compatibility for Word and Excel with a twist, everything is stored online. You can access and share your files with anyone from anywhere. Some consider this the future, known as “cloud computing” (the internet is the cloud in computer network diagrams.) Corel offers an $89 alternative that is compatible with Office Word, PowerPoint and Excel, but includes VideoStudio LE for editing your home videos, and MediaOne SE for enhancing and organizing your photos. At the time of this writing, the most popular (non-Microsoft) email client, Eudora is undergoing a rewrite but the older versions are still available at www.eudora.com. If you’re already using hotmail, yahoo mail, Gmail, or your Internet Service Provider’s (ISP) web-based mail, then you don’t need an e-mail client to run on your computer anyway. So don’t automatically feel like you have to fork out a couple hundred dollars just to have Office functionality at home. There are affordable and even FREE alternatives out there for you. Happy Computing!

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The Village Gazette - March 2009

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THe Village gazette

- Kids Stuff-

Section for Kids with news, puzzles, games and more!

You're at the high school baseball game with your friends, and you see your big brother's friend Justin in the dugout drinking from a water bottle. With every sip he takes, a big bump moves up and down on the front of his neck.

what's called an Adam's apple. Everyone's larynx grows during puberty, but a girl's larynx doesn't grow as much as a boy's does. That's why boys have Adam's apples. Most girls don't have Adam's apples, but some do. It's no big deal either way.

The boys your age don't have bumps like that, you think to yourself. And come to think of it, neither do any of the girls you know, no matter how old they are. What's going on here?

But why is it called an Adam's apple? If you think it's called that after the story of the Garden of Eden where Adam ate a piece of the forbidden fruit that got stuck in his throat, When kids hit puberty, their bodies and you're right.An Adam's apple sometimes looks minds go through tons of changes. One change like a small, rounded apple just under the skin front of the throat. that every kid can count on isNOT lots of AVAILABLE body parts in theONLINE growing and changing shape.Almost every part gets in on the growing action, including the larynx (say: lar-inks). Another name for the larynx is the voice box, and it's in the throat. The larynx is what gives you your voice, whether you're talking, laughing, whispering, singing, or screaming! You can find your larynx by touching the front of your throat and humming. When you feel vibrations under your fingers, you've found it! When the larynx grows larger during puberty, it sticks out at the front of the throat. This is

This larger larynx also gives boys deeper voices. Actually, girls' voices get a little bit deeper as their larynxes get larger, too. But because boys' larynxes grow so much more, it makes their voices deeper than girls' voices. The larynx doesn't grow to its new size overnight, though. If you've ever heard a teenage boy's voice sound squeaky, you've heard a larynx trying to get adjusted to its new size! Updated and reviewed by: Mary L. Gavin, MD Date reviewed: March 2007

This information was provided by KidsHealth, one of the largest resources online for medically reviewed health information written for parents, kids, and teens. For more articles like this one, visit www.KidsHealth.org or www.TeensHealth.org.  ©1995-2006. The Nemours Foundation

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The Village Gazette Locate the names of eight things you might find on a desk. Words can go vertically, horizontally, and diagonally.

Kidz

Do it in less than 3 minutes and you are a Pro!

Korner Kidz Crossword Puzzle

Instructions: Match the correct answer with each clue to complete the puzzle.

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© 2007. Feature Exchange

Did You Know? To correct the calendar over the centuries, years ending in “00” are not leap years unless the first two digits are divisible by 4. Therefore, the year 2000 is a leap year, but 1900 and 2100 are not.

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Answer Garden Repeat Huge Mistake

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THe Village gazette

Attention KIDS: Send Us Your Masterpiece! Color the drawing below and mail the finished artwork to us at Peel, Inc. - Kids Club 311 Ranch Road 620 S, Suite 200 Lakeway, TX 78734 We will select the top few and post their artwork online at www.PEELinc.com. DUE: March 31st

Be sure to include the following so we can let you know! Name: ________________________ (first name, last initial) Email Address: ____________________ ______________________________ Age:___________________________ [This information will only be used to notify you or your parents if your artwork was selected.]

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