Thursday, July 4th, 2024 is our 20th Annual Fourth of July Parade & Picnic!

We can’t have this event without volunteers & shade tents please take a moment to sign up to help!   Click Here to volunteer or call/txt  *512*636-9176

Come watch, walk or ride in the parade, eat burgers/hot dogs, listen to Austin Civic Wind Ensemble, meet neighbors, win prizes, support our neighborhood & park and celebrate our Independence as a nation!!

As a Special Treat – Amy’s Ice Cream is going to have a booth at the park to give a FREE scoop to attendees!

The Patriotic Parade Contest will be held for the best decorated walkers, riders and/or float so grab your friends and neighbors and get decorating!! Everyone in the parade is eligible and anyone can join in the parade – just gather at Milwood Baptist Church around 9:30am and fall in line. Parade kicks off at 10am.

Patriotic Music will begin soon after the parade arrives at the park. We are so very excited to have Austin Civic Wind Ensemble back this year!

Check in at the membership tables to get your Raffle Tickets and a Grand Prize Ticket either at the church or at the picnic at the park. So don’t forget your $15 for dues to support MNA and any extra for tipping the band. Additional Raffle Tickets can be purchased at $1 per ticket for the chance to win lots of other great prizes totaling over $1,000 in value! All the proceeds for MNA raffle tickets sold will go towards improvements at the park.

If you can’t make the picnic and want to pay your $15 dues click here. It is easy & secure.

Parade & Picnic Schedule – Thursday, July 4th
9:30am: Gathering for Parade at Milwood Baptist Church (12217 Cassady Dr) All are welcome to walk in the parade & win the Spirit Contest – just show-up & fall in line.
10:00am: Parade Begins (Parade Map)
10:30am: Parade Ends at Balcones Park & Spirit Contest for Costumes, Bikes and Floats
10:30am: Austin Civic Wind Ensemble is BACK to play for us!
11:00am: Lunch Begins (Burgers/Hot Dogs/Vegetarian Option & Cold Drinks)
11:00am: Raffle Drawing Begins

Balcones Pool will open at 12noon!

Boy Scout Troop 421’s Cobbler Kings will also be there with their award winning cobblers so bring a few extra dollars to get to enjoy those! And Sno ATX will be stopping by with their sno cone truck!

Thank you to our Event Sponsors:
The UPS Store – Parmer/Mopac near HEB
H&H Design & Build
Realty Austin, Shannon Reeve
All City Real Estate Realtor, Melissa Wile
Waterloo Window Treatments, Celeste Bronson
Textruss, Inc
Milwood Baptist Church
Austin Kid’s Directory

THANKS to our Entertainment and Food/Drink Donors!

– Patriotic Concert by Austin Civic Wind Ensemble
– Ice Cream donations by Amy’s Ice Cream
– Drink donations by Precision Handyman, Christian, *512* 771-8474
– Food donations by Costco on 183
– Food donations by HEB on Parmer/McNeil
– Drink donations by Covenant United Methodist Church
– Parade sponsor by Milwood Baptist Church

THANKS to our Prize Donors!
All funds raised through the raffle will go to Balcones Park improvements: bathrooms, basketball court, drainage at the pavilion/playground and sand volleyball court.

Raffle/Parade Prizes

– Admission for 6 People to any Cap City Presents Show & $20 food/drink voucher
– Party for 10 to Urban Air Adventure Park
– one hour massage by Cen-Tex Massage
– one Austin Aquarium Family Membership
– a Free Week Camp at Creator Camp
– 2 Free Passes to a Creative Night Out with Heidi Lowell
– a $100 gift card to Ashley’s Playhouse
– a $100 gift card to Ashley’s Playhouse
– a Dinner for Two Certificates Chuy’s Restaurant on 183 & Duval
– a Dinner for Two Certificates Chuy’s Restaurant on 183 & Duval
– a Private Lesson with Sully Swim School
– 5 Passes to Monster MiniGolf
– Three $50 Gift cards & Three $50 power cards (for games) Dave & Buster’s
– a Class with Painting with a Twist
– a beautiful creation by Twilight Faerie
– Coffees at Austin Grind
– Coffees at Clover Coffee
– 15 $10 vouchers for Sno ATX
– $150 Valued Basket with Giftcard to Birds Barbershop
– a family passes (2 kids, 2 adults) plus $10 game card at Mt. Playmore
– $30 gift card for Jersey Mike’s
– $30 gift card coins for Terra Toys
– Giftcard and Passes to Ninja Nation
– Two Family Packs of 1 Large Pizza, 4 soft drinks and 30 play points at Chuck E. Cheese’s
– Five $30 gift card to Phoebe’s Diner

Property Tax Protest Deadline: May 15!
Protesting takes just a few minutes and can save you money

Want to protest, but unsure how?
Travis County offers step-by-step instructions here

Don’t let the deadlines pass you by, as they are unforgiving! Protesting can be done online, via mail, or in person. You can also have a third-party company protest for you. If you have questions about your property taxes, appraisals, protests, or exemptions, you can call Travis County Appraisal District at 512-834-9138. You can also visit their site for more information.

Why Protest?
Property taxes are based on the appraised value of your home. If your appraised value is higher than what your home is actually worth, you will pay more in property taxes than you would otherwise. Protesting allows you to point out any errors and possibly reduce your tax bill.

Options for Protesting
You have several options for filing a protest, but it’s not something you want to wait and do until the last minute! Here’s how you can file:

File a Protest Online (Suggested): This is the easiest and fastest way to initiate and manage your protest. By filing online, you will receive an immediate confirmation that your protest has been filed. Additionally, you will be able to upload comments and evidence related to your protest, review evidence from the appraisal district, and accept/decline any settlement offer. Typically you receive a settlement offer quickly that you can accept or set up a meeting with appraisers. More info and detailed instructions here.

Outsource to a Third-Party: Feel unsure on how to protest? Third-party companies will file a protest on your behalf. They often charge a flat fee or a percentage of what they save you off your tax bill. Major companies in the area include Texas Protax and Five Stone.

File a Protest via Mail/In Person: If you prefer, you can mail your protest in or deliver it in person. Your property appraisal that was mailed to you will included a “Property Owner’s Notice of Protest” that you can fill out. Addresses are available here.

If you have questions or Milwood specific thoughts – feel free to email mnaboard@milwoodna.com

Thank you to Karl Hanson with H&H Design & Build, Inc & all the volunteers for another successful BOPAS Collection Event!

We helped nearly 100 neighborhood families correctly dispose of their batteries, oil, paint, antifreeze, and styrofoam (BOPAS) with our event! All told, the collection filled a large trailer, plus three large vehicles! All the materials were dropped off at Austin Resource Recovery where they were disposed of properly.

The event this year was VERY heavy on styrofoam. Karl saved us by being willing to strap much of it down into his trailer bed. In addition, Matt Mitchell was a huge help with jumping in to help drive another car full of foam to the drop-off point..

Thanks to all of our other wonderful volunteers at the event: Michael Lewis, Carolyn Scherrer, Sharon Reed, Dale Butler, Bethany Metzger, Andy Davis, Max Davis, Sam Davis, William Davis, and Tanner Callais!

A special thanks to our event sponsor & neighbor, Karl Hanson with H&H Design and Build, Inc for making this event possible!

Start gathering those dead batteries, used oil and oil filters, leftover latex paint cans, and antifreeze PLUS clean/dry styrofoam and plastic film!

Because Milwood Neighborhood Association will be collecting Batteries, Oil, Latex Paint, Antifreeze, Styrofoam and Plastic Film on Saturday, April 13th, 2024 from 8:30-9:30am to St. Stephen’s Baptist Church.

We must close at 9:30am or earlier if we fill up to be able to get the materials to the City site and unloaded there in time to meet our scheduled drop off time.

Click HERE for the rest of the details.

Let’s celebrate summer, our pool & great neighbors at Balcones’ Potluck Pool Party
Saturday, June 1 from 2 to 4pm at Balcones Pool, 12017 Amherst Dr, Austin, TX 78759.

We welcome everyone to bring a main dish, side or dessert to help us make this a complete community gathering!  Please bring your own water bottles or drinks of choice (no glass).

Please RSVP HERE so we can plan accordingly.

Admission to Balcones Pool is ALWAYS FREE to all!

Please note that we will reschedule in the event of rain so check back or expect an email to the address you RSVPed with.

So come on out, bring a dish, meet your fellow neighbors, make friends with your soon to be swim team and swim lesson mates!

Swim Lesson Registration for Balcones Pool is ALSO Open! The Swim Lessons are in 2 week groups on every Tues, Wed, Thurs, Fri for 30 minutes and only $57! Then you can stay and practice what you learn before and after! A great way to get your kids swimming!

And Balcones Barracudas Swim Team is a GREAT way to help become a proficient swimmer, all you have to do to join is be able to get across the pool, it doesn’t have to look good. Only $80 for the summer. Very relaxed and fun!

https://www.austintexas.gov/swimming

To Register go to & choose the Aquatics box in the first row of pics: https://web2.vermontsystems.com/wbwsc/txaustinwt.ws

Lots of Great Things Happening! Don’t Miss this Newsletter!

Swim Lessons

The Aquatics Division offers instructional programs for all ages.  A wide variety of swim lessons are available for students 6 months to adult.  Program registration for Summer 2024 opens April 01 2024 at 8:00AM for residents and 10AM for non-residents.

Summer 2024 Program Guide – English | Spanish

To register for all Austin Parks and Rec programs, please visit www.austintexas.gov/parksonline

Swim Team

The recreational Swim Team Program is organized to develop the potential and serve the recreational needs of boys and girls who are interested in learning about competitive swimming. Swim Team Information

To register for all Austin Parks and Rec programs, please visit www.austintexas.gov/parksonline

Scholarships Available!

The Austin Parks and Recreation Department offers scholarships to those who qualify.  This scholarship can be used for swim lessons or many other Austin Parks and Recreation classes.  For more info and to download the application, please visit austintexas.gov/pardfinaid.

The Aquatic Division also offers a scholarship that may cover up to the entire cost of one class or program.  To find out more, download the applications here: English(PDF) | Spanish(PDF)

Bring either form to the office or follow the direction on the form to send it in.  Please remember that these forms may take up to 3 weeks for processing.