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More apartments, possibly duplexes slated for Steiner Home sales, prices drop in By RICH KEITH Four Points News One planned apartment complex is increasing the number of units to be built, and 180 duplex residential units are being considered for construction within Steiner Ranch. The apartments planned for the MU 1B tract located between the Welcome Center, Randalls and Canyon Glen neighborhood are reported to be increasing to 246 units, an increase from the 225 units announced in the past, according to Adib Khoury, vice president of land resources for Taylor-Morrison Communities, the developer in Steiner Ranch. On another piece of land, Taylor-Morrison is considering placing up to 180 duplex residential units on the MU 14 tract. This is located across Quinlan Park Road from the new Quinlan Crossing. Last fall a storage facility was under contract there but that has been cancelled.
Now, the track next to RR 620 is in the process of being rezoned for residential uses. MU 1B Taylor-Morrison has indicated that a traffic study was requested to assess the impact on traffic on Steiner Ranch Blvd. and Quinlan Park Road due to the location of this property. This tract offers access through the current parking lot servicing businesses at Vista Ridge shopping center and the Steiner Ranch Welcome Center, and a second access through the Canyon Glen neighborhood. Khoury said the developer indicated the concerns of the residents of Canyon Glen, and the needs of the community are paramount to the consideration of new development. Taylor-Morrison anticipates the traffic study will show that an additional traffic signal would be required at the Welcome Center location to allow traffic flow to
and from the apartments. They also hope that Canyon Glen residents might utilize the additional access as an alternate exit, in addition to apartment residents utilizing access through Canyon Glen. “Clearly none of this is really understood yet,” said Brian Thompto, Steiner Ranch Neighborhood Association Chairman. Thompto said there are a number of questions about this proposed development including what will this additional apartment traffic mean to businesses at Vista Ridge? How will peak traffic be affected, will customers find it too congested to use the entrance at Vista Ridge shopping center, will they instead turn into the residential Canyon Glenn Drive and the apartment access road to access the businesses? Also will the business that occupies the former Welcome Center space have a direct impact on the traffic through the area.
Pedestrian access and safety are being considered, according to Thompto. MU 14 Located off of Quinlan Park Road across from the new Quinlan Crossing is MU 14. Taylor-Morrison is considering developing the tract itself and is considering placing up to 180 duplex residential units on the MU 14 tract. “It would be a unique product offering that is not currently available in Steiner Ranch. As always, this is very early in the planning stages and subject to change. Density will be limited by a number of factors and hard to say the specific number of units at this time,” Khoury said. A portion of the MU 14 site falls within Austin’s Extra-Territorial Jurisdiction (ETJ) boundary along RR 620. In order to proceed with development of DUPLEXES, 3
Spike in rattlesnake bites on pets By LESLEE BASSMAN Four Points News Although it’s too late to save Buddy, the Harvey family’s beloved 10-year-old Labrador retriever, local veterinarians caution Four Points’ pet owners to be on the alert for rattlesnakes in the area. Smitten by the black Lab’s adorable nature when he was just a fluffy pup, Steiner Ranch resident Susie Harvey and daughter, Rebekah, couldn’t resist taking him home. “Buddy wasn’t the brightest of dogs,” said Rebekah in her blog post last week. “He never really understood the concept of ‘fetch’. He took it more as a game of, ‘throw me the ball, I’ll get it, and you’ll never get it back.’” “He also loved food. So many times I would be in our family room and hear my dad or brothers call out, ‘Aww, Buddy!’. I would Dan Scott get a good laugh out of knowing that Buddy had just scarfed down a sandwich from the counter. Peanut butter and jelly. Sure did take him awhile to get that peanut butter off the roof of his mouth.” On April 2, Rebekah and Susie heard Buddy and the family’s two other dogs barking wildly in the backyard. In just a matter of seconds, they witnessed a “thick-waisted snake” become entangled with their beloved pet. When Buddy finally broke free, the two were aghast to see that the snake had bitten their dog a total of four times on his face, including his right eye, both cheeks and tongue. Buddy was rushed to the veterinarian but later passed away from his injuries. “It was horrific and we have to find a way to make our yard safe,” Susie said. Unfortunately, the Harveys are not the only area family dealing with rattlesnake issues. Last year, River Place resident Tracey Graff rushed her family’s German Shorthaired Pointer, Ranger, to the vet following a snake bite. That wasn’t the first time either. A couple years earlier Ranger had pushed his nose into a backyard shrub only to encounter an angry rattlesnake who promptly bit him on Photo contributed by: Jason Foster Photo contributed by: Jason Foster the face. Although the swelling in Ranger’s face frightened Graff Left: “Buddy” Harvey fell victim to a snake attack in his own backyard last and her children, the pet responded to the antivenom medicine he week. Right: Dr. Jason Foster (shown here with ‘Chudleigh’) has seen an uptick in the number of snake bite cases among Steiner Ranch pets in the
SNAKES, 5 past three years.
Read all about it on page 7. Inside
School......................................3 Opinion...................................4 Classifieds...............................5 Sports.................................. 7-8 Find us on Facebook Texas is the finest portion of the globe that has blessed my vision! Sam Houston
Steiner’s developer buys land in Dripping Springs Steiner ranks on national list By LYNETTE HAALAND Four Points News Taylor Morrison purchased most of the 524-acre Reunion Ranch, a high-profile site in the Dripping Springs area. The company plans to construct 436 houses in the community about 16 miles southwest of downtown Austin. Taylor Morrison closed last week on the sale of 472 acres of Reunion Ranch in a deal that listed for $27.5 million, according to the sale offering by CASE Commercial Real Estate Partners Inc. Not only is this a sought after region to live in but few large tracts have approvals for residen-
tial development, in part because of environmental constraints, according to a report by the Austin American Statesman. Taylor Morrison, the Arizonabased homebuilder, plans to start installing utilities and other infrastructure within 90 days, said Adib Khoury, vice president of land resources for Taylor-Morrison Communities, the developer in Steiner Ranch. Taylor Morrison is expected to have the first 60 lots to be ready for building by early next year. Home prices will start in the mid$300,000s and the average lot size will be about three-fourths of an acre. Sales have been picking up in Taylor Morrison's 16 Austin-area communities. "We're optimistic about the future," Khoury said.
The company has been making a name for itself nationwide. Taylor Morrison’s Steiner Ranch is one of the top-selling master planned communities across the nation. After 175 homes sold in 2011, it ranks No. 39 on John Burns Real Estate Consulting’s list of 50 Top-Selling U.S. Master Planned Communities for 2011. Three other Austin area master-planned communities have been ranked as well. The ranking is based on the number of home sales in these communities in 2011. The rankings are partly due to the size of the communities. Steiner is 4,600 acres. Ranked No. 27 is Sun City Texas with sales of 226 homes DEVELOPER, 4
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By LYNETTE HAALAND Four Points News
Compared to a year ago, home sales in Four Points dropped more than 15 percent in the first three months of 2012. “In contrast to the rest of the Austin market, the River North area saw a surprising 15.5 percent drop in sales when comparing Q1 of 2012 to Q1 of 2011,” said Greg Cooper, CEO for River North Sales Average Sales Price Median Sales Price Highest Sale Price Lowest Sale Price Av. Sq/Ft Av. Days on Market # of Foreclosure Sales River Place Steiner Ranch Westminster Long Canyon Glenlake Other # of Sales in Austin
Goldwasser International. As partner in the company, Cooper leads Goldwasser Real Estate with a sales force of more than 30 licensed real estate agents. In contrast, the Austin area saw an 8.2 percent increase in sales for the first quarter of 2012. Four Points also saw a decline of 11.9 percent in average sales price, from $573,598 to $505,396, Cooper said. HOME SALES, 5
Q1 2011 97 573,598 453,500 2,850,000 223,000 3,747 104 13 20 53 6 6 6 6 3,628
Q1 2012 82 505,396 447,500 3,000,000 221,000 3,385 97 4 12 52 2 6 5 5 3,924
% Change -15.5% -11.9% -1.3% 5.3% -0.9% -9.7% -6.7% -69.2% -40.0% -1.9% -66.7% 0.0% -16.7% -16.7% 8.2%
Source: Goldwasser Real Estate Based on single family home sales. (Condos, multifamily and land excluded.)
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Think Firewise when landscaping in Four Points By LESLEE BASSMAN Four Points News Landscaping in firewise communities has brought on a new meaning since last fall’s devastating wildfires. Texas A&M’s AgriLIFE Extension Service joined forces with the Travis County Master Gardeners Association for their first free public training seminar about landscaping tips. Firewise consultant Hank Blackwell and Texas Forest Service Specialist Patrick Allen hosted a forum on March 24 at the Austin Police Department Training Facility. When selecting plants for landscaping, Allen suggested that homeowners choose annuals, which residents usually keep watered, or succulents, with their water holding capacity. Plants should be set back about 18 inches, separated by a gravel bed from the home. By limiting the number of trees on the property, watching the placement and proximity of plantings to the home, keeping grasses short and lawns green, West Austinites can lessen their risk of fire damage. Blackwell advocated that our communities are safer by not necessarily purchasing more firefighting equipment; rather, by spending tax dollars on fire prevention and building the right type of fire-resistant homes. “We often focus on an event after it happens instead of trying to prevent it,” Blackwell said to the homeowners and Firewise members packing the APD Training Center’s meeting room. “We have to get into people’s heads and change their behaviors. It has to be a whole community concept. We have to do it through partnerships, get everyone on board.” Blackwell recommended that homeowners remove fire fuels, such as pine and leaf litter, out of home gutters, cut back volatile vegetation resting against a house, and mitigate the risks inherent in a wooden fence or
Leslee Bassman
Texas Forest Service Specialist Patrick Allen was on hand to advise interested participants at the first Firewise Landscaping seminar produced last month by Texas A&M’s AgriLIFE Extension Service and the Travis County Master Gardeners Association.
Leslee Bassman
Grow Green Plant Guide coordinator Denise Delaney, shown attending the area’s first Firewise Landscaping program planned in part by Travis County Master Gardeners, is working on adding a Firewise plant column to the popular gardening booklet given out at local nurseries.
deck abutting a home by adding metal flashing between the wood and the structure. Residents were advised to keep their vegetation, including flammable junipers, low. “Expect wildfire flame lengths to be about three times the height of the fuel so the LANDSCAPING, 4
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Local teen makes Easter Baskets for Settlement Home
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Addison Holmes made 16 Easter baskets for the Settlement Home for Children last week.
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Addison Holmes, Vandegrift High School sophomore, made 16 Easter baskets for the Settlement Home for Children last week. She collected toiletries, cosmetics, and more to create 16 Easter baskets for the Settlement home, an organization which is located in North Austin and provides a tranquil atmosphere for children to heal and grow. "My neighbors and friends have been so generous," Holmes said. She asked many of them to donate samples or full size items and over the course of a few weeks, she received bags and bags. She also received generous donations from Nordstroms, Saks, Victoria's Secret, Macy's, Sephora and Randalls which donated sample size products as well as full size products and testers. "My mother told me about it and I really wanted to help out," Holmes said. Her mother's friend who has been working with the Settlement Home mentioned the need for these items for eight girls living independently in the apartments and the eight cottages. The baskets included items such as shampoo, toothpaste, nail polish, lotion, razors and makeup that are otherwise expensive. The girls in the apartments have to buy these on their own as well as pay other expenses. "Hopefully these baskets will help them feel good about themselves, make them feel less anxiety about making ends meet, and let them know that someone cares about them," Holmes said.
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hursday Four PToints News April 12, 2012 • Page 3 www.FourPointsNews.com
Connecting U Conference offers community learning opportunities Four years ago, Leander ISD began developing a venue to bring our parents and community members more into our culture of life-long learning. As a district built on continuous improvement, LISD felt that it was only fitting that we extend learning opportunities to our volunteers, parents and community members. So after months of planning, the Connecting U Conference came together, bringing local experts and parents together to empower participants with additional resources to create a happy, healthy and connected support
system for students. The 2012 Connecting U Conference will be held on Friday, April 20 at Hill Country Bible Church, 12124 RR 620 North, Austin, from 8 a.m. – 2:15 p.m. Online preregistration is $10, which includes conference materials, light refreshments and lunch. Walk-in registration by cash or check is $15. Breakfast begins at 7:45 a.m., so come early, catch up with old friends and get ready for a fantastic day of learning. Why should you attend Connecting U? Because the confer-
ence was designed with you in wellness (nutrition, sleep disormind. We understand the issues ders, heart health, diabetes, sport that parents are facing today and injuries, drug trends) issues, colwant to provide lege-readiness, you with benhelping your eficial resources child heal after to help you divorce, how to connect with help your child your child, your with homefamily and your work, student community. attendance, BRET CHAMPION parenting teens As a participant, this year you will have the with love and logic, attention defopportunity to choose from more icit disorder and your child, and than 30 different sessions that ad- much more. dress important topics such as If you’ve been to Connecting U bullying prevention, health and before, I encourage you to attend
CRMS students place at Science & Engineering Fair Canyon Ridge Middle School made a great showing at the Exxon Mobil Texas Science and Engineering Fair, which was held in San Antonio. Mary Farrell: 3rd place Behavioral and Social Sciences Ethan McCosky: 3rd place Environmental Sciences Ellie Pasquarette: 4th place Behavioral and Social Sciences These three students, as well as Jared Bouloy, Jake Magruder, Patricio Dieck and Ryan Galligher received invitations to participate in the Broadcom MASTERS (Math, Applied Science, Technology, and Engineering for Rising Stars). If these students win the Broadcom MASTERS they will be taking a trip to Washington DC.
again this year. We have brought in a plethora of new topics we believe are of interest to parents, but also included some old favorites if you didn’t catch them before. This year Connecting U will include a kick-off session featuring a catered breakfast by Chick-fil-A and mini-keynote address, time for attendees to mix and mingle during lunch, and the chance to win some great door prizes from our local businesses. This great event would not be possible without the generous support of Hill Country Bible Church Northwest, who has once
again donated the space to hold the conference. Please visit our Connecting U webpage, available on the district website, for a full list of all of our participating sponsors, as well as a full list of session topics. Many local individuals, businesses and organizations are contributing to a great conference, and we appreciate their support. Online registration for Connecting U is open until Thursday, April 19. Sign up today, and let’s get connected again. I look forward to seeing you there!
Wonder Ball celebrates father/daughter bond, April 28 Wonders & Worries, a local non-profit organization, is proud to host the fifth annual Wonder Ball. The Ball is a community event that gives fathers, or father figures (uncles, grandfathers, etc.) and their daughters a chance to make memories that will last a lifetime. The Wonder Ball on April 28 will be at Palmer Events Center from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. This year’s event features more than 40 adults in princess costumes, an appearance by ponies from Austin’s Miniature Horse Society, and a grand raffle prize
drawing for four tickets to Disneyland. Admission is $100 for a dad and up to three daughters, and includes dinner, a souvenir photo, a tiara and magic wand for the girls and complimentary parking. Raffle tickets are $5 each and are only sold at the event. Proceeds benefit Wonders & Worries, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization which helps children cope when a parent is diagnosed with a serious or lifethreatening illness. Wonder Ball is organized by a group of community volunteers
led by event co-chairs Nancy Klasson and Christine Telch. For more information, visit www. wondersandworries.org, email Jennifer@wondersandworries. org, or call 512-329-5757. Founded in 2001, Wonders & Worries helps children cope when a parent faces a serious or life-threatening illness. Wonders & Worries offers free, bilingual individual and group counseling sessions for children ages 2-18, child/parent relationship training classes, informal support, and bereavement support.
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DUPLEXES, FROM 1 duplex units, the tract must first be rezoned to allow for residential, it is currently zoned for commercial businesses. “Traffic access to the MU 14 site is a big question” since residents of this duplex tract would likely want to be able to turn south on Quinlan Park Road to access schools and businesses,
and this lot would not easily allow for this without changes to the roadway, Thompto said. Taylor-Morrison indicated that another traffic study may be likely required for this property. The mixed use properties would yield a total of about 800 additional units including the Greystone apartments already
under construction and the potential for 180 new duplexes. The SRNA is concerned about the impact this growth will have on traffic and safety along the Quinlan Park Road and Steiner Ranch Blvd. corridor. A table of mixed-use tracts are located at http://steinerranchna. org
www.bearingfinancial.com Securities and Investment Advisory Services are offered through VSR Financial Services, Inc., a Registered Investment Advisor and a member of FINRA/SIPC. Bearing Financial and VSR are not affiliated.
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Opinion
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Page 4 • April 12, 2012
Publisher’s Point of View Rattlesnakes, Texas Rat snakes out in full force! Neighbors in all directions are seeing He is considering offering training with snakes and dealing with them. electric shock dog collars. One neighbor Anne ran over a fat Texas “It’s without doubt the most effective Rat snake right in front of our house and thing people can do for their dogs to help she made sure it was gone by backing over it prevent them being bitten by a venomous a few times. snake,” he said. Another neighbor Jessica sent out an Snakes play an ecological role by helping email warning a few days ago: keep down the rodent population. Just FYI for my dog owner They lie in wait for their prey or friends, we had a rattlesnake on hunt for it in holes, enjoying mice, the patio this past Monday everats, small birds and other small ning. animals. Yet another neighbor Jack had Usually LaPittus sees a lot more his snake tongs out last week, of the Texas Rat snakes by now, heading for the greenbelt. but only three so far, including one Local snake expert Todd LaPiton Monday night of this week. LYNETTE tus has already seen lots of snakes Ecological balance or not, I’m too. HAALAND thankful for the role neighbors So far this season, he has seen take in dealing with snakes! 99 percent Western Diamondback rattlesnakes. Including a really big one he caught two weeks ago, right off the golf course in somebody’s backyard. LaPittus is a Steiner Ranch snake enthusiast who removes snakes from people’s yards for free and then usually releases them away from neighborhoods. He is also a Systems/ Network Engineer for the Round Rock Independent School District. He knows of two dogs that have been bitten in the past couple weeks and one dog that didn’t make it. “Now is the time for people to consider educating themselves about the wildlife they share the area with, perhaps getting their dogs vaccinated for the rattlesnake venom and most importantly for their dogs sake, get them snake trained to avoid being bitten,” LaPittus said.
LANDSCAPING, FROM 1 shorter the fuel, the shorter the flames,” Allen said. “If it’s brown, cut it down.” “The Juniper itself is not inherently dangerous but in the right structure of plants and conditions, it can be a threat,” said City of Austin Fire Management Officer Luke Ball who attended the program. “Last summer, every plant was a threat.” Allen recommended that homeowners remove unnecessary ornamentals, including flammable cushions and pillows, from their deck as well as any vegetation growing beneath the deck. Using metal flashing to separate a deck from a fence attached to the home helps decrease the chance of fire reaching a house. But landscaping doesn’t end at the home’s perimeter. Allen prompted residents to also plant wisely around outbuildings and other structures on their properties. Even a homeowner’s choice of mulch can make a difference, according to Local Master Gardeners Jackie Johnson and Wendy Buck
support this cause. There will be live music, entertainment, food, face painting, an inflatable jump house, gift cards and certificates up for auction, and much more. After 10:00 p.m., the campus will be closed to everyone except Vandegrift students, their families, and volunteers for the remainder of the Relay activities. High School students can sign up a team, join a team, or families can donate at: www. relayforlife.org/vandegrifthstx
who suggested area residents landscape with decomposed granite or hardwood mulch, materials which are less likely to flame up than cedar. Crushed glass and recycled rubber are other alternatives. However, much more is in the works to help Firewise communities maintain their beautiful landscaping in a safer way. Program panelists said that a Firewise plant list may be produced in the near future. Denise Delaney, Grow Green Plant Guide Coordinator, stated that she is working on adding a Firewise Plant column to the popular booklet. “A little bit of yard work on the weekends can save a house; it’s that simple,” Blackwell said. “We need ignition resistant homes and communities.” To date, nine certified Travis County Master Gardeners have completed a Firewise Training course. To obtain a Firewise Guide to Landscape and Construction brochure or other Firewise products, go to www.firewise. org.
DEVELOPER, FROM 1 2012. It is one of the nation’s largest age-restricted residential communities. Crystal Falls, a 5,000-acre master-planned community in Leander took the 29th spot with 225 homes sold last year. Round Rock's 1,555-acre Teravista community with sales of 215 homes took spot No. 33. The community with the most sales na-
tionwide was The Villages, an active adult community in the Orlando area. It had 2,307 home sales last year. John Burns Real Estate Consulting examined sales numbers from 131 projects across the United States. Home sales in master planned communities represented 23,000, or 7.6 percent, of the estimated 300,000 new sales in the United States in 2011.
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St. Louis Cardinals. We lived there for 30 years and moved here a year ago so we haven’t converted yet to Texas teams. St. Louis won last year.
I’d like to see the Texas I don’t pay attention to Rangers get over the hump baseball. I’m a musician. this year. My sentimental favorite is the Seattle Mariners because my wife is from there. I’ve been to a lot of their games.
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Easter at the Arch LESLEE BASSMAN Four Points News Let me confess something right now: our family did not attend church on Easter Sunday. We had every intention of going to one of the many services listed as options at a Four Points congregation; however, this year we found ourselves listening to East Austinite Jackie Wright’s soulful prayers from a downtown street corner surrounded by those individuals society so often forgets. Through a strange turn of events, my youngest daughter and I became involved in a non-profit organization which was started simply out of a West Austin family’s dinner table discussion. The couple’s four kids participated in an annual school drive to collect rice and beans which they donated to the city’s poorest residents. However, it was difficult for the children to grasp the idea of getting by on only rice and beans. So, ‘Cattlemen Care’ was born in 2007 as a way of giving beef to hungry people and with the hope of encouraging ranchers, farmers, feedlots, meat processors and others to do the same. The unique idea caught on and soon, what had started as just meal donations, “Goode Meals” in memory of former St. Andrew’s student Jaime Goode, grew into programs and activities with Central Texas kids residing in shelters and group homes like Trinity Center, Caritas, Casa Marinella and Posada Esperanza. According to their website, since August of this year, Cattlemen
Care’s Back-to-School Roundup project has donated 1,168 meals to the Boys and Girls Club and 324 meals to both the Austin Children’s Shelter and The Settlement Home. Last Sunday, as I checked my emails before heading out to the late morning service, I found a request to help Cattlemen Care feed the homeless. In a moment, my family’s plans changed and we donned shorts and t-shirts on our way to East 7th
LESLEE BASSMAN Street. After picking up supplies at an open grocery, we helped set up ‘shop’ by the Arch, Austin’s homeless shelter. Allison was there with sloppy joes made from donated beef and her fabulous ‘signature’ Cake Balls, festive in spring colors for Easter Sunday. Others brought hamburger buns, drinks and ‘fixins’. Jackie pulled out two tables which volunteers quickly covered with pastel colored tablecloths. Sammi and I were delighted to meet ‘LouAnne The Bean Lady’ who has recently been adding cooked pinto beans to Sunday’s ever-changing buffet. Eleven-year old Ethan donated his birthday gifts to help provide this week’s lunch and a local family contributed 100 gift cards to a fast-food restaurant to sweeten the Easter celebra-
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tion. When we first started volunteering last fall, I was a bit shy to speak with some of the corner’s residents. After some time, I became more comfortable in the surroundings and met some of the folks, the regulars, we were serving. On Sunday, “Lee” spoke to me of his previous jobs in the media. I asked him, ‘how did you get here’? He replied, ‘It wasn’t that hard,’ and described how one job was cut and his tendency to speak his mind contributed to the demise of another position. “Dexter” is longing to get back to Mississippi to see family but needs to get his shoe shine equipment back from an establishment which closed its doors with his tools and polish inside. Then there’s “Charles” who believes his road to the outside lies in an entrepreneurial idea he developed 20 years ago but, without even a phone, he just can’t get on his feet. I’m not sure of the validity of all of these stories or even if the storytellers believe it themselves. It doesn’t matter. That wasn’t our mission last Sunday. Wright, a volunteer, summed up my thoughts perfectly as she led a final prayer outside the Arch. “We have been moved by your Spirit today to feed the hungry... to visit the lonely,” said Wright. “We come to break bread with your people and to tell them that ‘it’s not over until it’s over’.” For more information about how to donate to this program, go to www.cattlemencare.org.
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American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life Friday night Vandegrift High School participates in the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life on April 13 at 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm at Canyon Ridge Middle School at 12691 Country Trails Lane. The Relay is a community event where people come together to remember loved ones, inspire others, and celebrate life in an overnight walk-a-thon. The money raised will fund lifesaving research, education, advocacy and service program s. All families are invited to come out and
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Community Events April 11 Randolph-Brooks Federal Credit Union Four Points Chamber of Commerce Ribbon Cutting Quinlan Crossing, inside Randalls 9:45 to 10:30 a.m.
April 13 American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life Canyon Ridge Middle School, 12691 Country Trails Lane from 6:00pm10:00pm
April 13 Travis County Sheriff ’s Office Precinct 2 Child ID at Grandview Hills Elementary
April 14 Steiner Ranch Old Pros Inaugural Golf Tournament Flintrock Falls Golf Club tee times start at 12:30 pm
April 16 Schlotzsky’s Grand Opening
April 19 Four Points Chamber of Commerce Luncheon River Place Country Club from 11:30 - 1pm
April 20 Leander ISD’s Fourth Annual Connecting U Conference Hill Country Bible Church, 12124 RR 620, Austin - Northwest Entrance from 8 a.m. - 2:15 p.m.
HOME SALES, FROM 1 River Place contributed to the first quarter decline in sales going from 20 sales last year to 12 this year during the first quarter. Steiner Ranch remained steady with 53 sales last year compared to 52 this year in the first quarter. Most of the Four Points subdivisions are included in the River North Multiple Listing Service area. The area did see a noticeable decline in how long homes were taking to sell, moving from 104 days down to 97 days, an almost 7 percent drop. Also, foreclosure sales dropped dramatically, down almost 70 percent from 13 to four.
“The River North area continues to be attractive for home buyers, and the sales decline is partially due to a lack of good inventory,” Cooper said. Cooper said their open houses have been very busy with lots of buyers searching for just that right home. “I believe that as the economy continues to heal, pent up demand will allow more home owners to finally make the moves that they have been contemplating for the last few years,” Cooper said. “As good inventory makes it to the market, our area sales will pick up.”
SNAKES, FROM 1 was given and, with time, recovered. Jason Foster, DVM and owner of Lake Travis Animal Hospital, has noted a recent upswing in the number of pet snake bites he’s treated, with most injuries stemming from the Steiner Ranch area. “There’s been an increase in rattlesnake bites over the past three years,” Foster said. “I only saw one or two a year before 2009 or 2010. My theory is the drought. The rodents are trying to find water so they go into pools and yards. And the snakes follow behind.” During the 13 years Foster has been practicing in West Austin, he’s seen a preponderance of bites from Steiner Ranch and feels that the building in the area has removed the snakes’ habitats, causing them to relocate into the residential neighborhoods. “We’re seeing Schnauzers with snake bites, dogs usually not prone to being bitten because they are inside dogs,” said Foster who has recently treated
lap dogs and even cats for snake bites. “They’re going into woodpiles and shrubs in the backyards and, guess who’s there? A rattlesnake.” Foster strongly advocates that all pet owners take their dog or cat to a vet as soon as possible after a snake bite. If the incident occurs after normal business hours, the Emergency Animal Hospital of Northwest Austin, 12034 Research Blvd #8 (512331-6121), is the closest facility to treat Four Points pets and is open from 6:00 P.M. to 7:00 A.M. on weekdays as well as continuously on weekends. No appointment is necessary. “About 20 percent of all rattlesnake bites are ‘dry bites’, with no venom injected,” Foster said. “But, because the bite is like two hypodermic needles going into the skin, the pet needs to come in due to the risk of infection.” However, there is something Four Points pet owners can do to make things a bit safer for their four-legged friends. Foster stated that a rattlesnake vaccine has been approved with about
Thursday
April 12, 2012 • Page 5
River Place annual Greenbelt fuel reduction workday ‘Dads in the Hood’ campout set for set for April 21 this weekend
Caritas of Austin accepting donations for the homeless Donations for Caritas of Austin, an organization helping the homeless, are being collected at KW Bartlett Real Estate Group at RM 620, close to the FM 2222 intersection. Delivery is set for May 9.
A greenbelt fuel reduction workday is set for April 21 in Steiner Ranch to clear out the dead debris in the greenbelt along McNelly Trail from 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. Fifteen howeowners and dozens of volunteers will be there in addition to Lake Travis Fire Rescue firefighters and Chief Jim Linardos.
River Place’ annual ‘Dads in the Hood’ campout is set for Saturday, April 14 beginning at 4:00 p.m. in Sun Tree Park. Over 100 Four Points fathers and about 200 children are expected to set up tents and enjoy the overnight camping experience. For more information, contact Brian Scaff at scaff@scaff. com.
a 66 percent response rate and costs $25 per vial. Two inoculations are recommended initially with a yearly booster to maintain the program’s effectiveness. “It (rattlesnake vaccine) used to be just for higher risk animals, like Labs who go into greenbelts,” Foster said. “Maybe for the Steiner Ranch area, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to get it done. It’s a good little insurance policy.” The cost of possible prevention is relatively low compared to post-bite treatment fees of roughly $600 per vial of antivenom. Foster stated that the Emergency Animal Hospital of Northwest Austin is currently involved in a study of a lessexpensive synthetic antivenom product costing between $200 and $250 per vial. Foster also recommends that a homeowner’s backyard maintenance can be an effective tool to ward off snake bites and urges Four Points residents keep their lots groomed, free of brush and wood piles, to eliminate ‘hiding places’ for these reptiles.
Some clients of Dr. Richard Reinap, Bee Cave Veterinary Clinic, have used a more unconventional approach to safeguard their pets by enlisting the help of a snake avoidance dog trainer. The training sessions, held in Bee Cave’s Central Park, consist of putting a dog in a situation with live snakes who have just been milked of their venom or whose fangs have been removed. The trainer uses a shock collar on the dog to provide negative reinforcement if the animal approaches the snake. Reinap stated that he has never witnessed the program but some of his clients are convinced that the training has been worthwhile for their pets. All experts agree that, besides the quantity of venom presented to a snake bite victim and where on the body the bite takes place, one of the main keys to a pet’s survival is timing. “The quicker they get treated, the better chance they have to live,” said Foster.
Travis County Child Protective Services Board seeks Precinct 2 applicants
Applications for a Precinct 2 appointment to the Child Protective Services (CPS) Board are currently being accepted to complete an unexpired term which runs through June 30, 2013. The CPS Board supports the community’s CPS program to protect children from abuse and neglect by parents, caretakers and other household members, and to act in the best interest of children when it is not safe for the children to live with their biological families. The CPS Board meets monthly on the third Tuesday from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Gardner Betts Juvenile Justice Center, 2nd Floor Training Room, 2515 South Congress Avenue, Austin, Texas 78704. Applicants must currently reside in Precinct 2 in order to be considered and the application, together with supporting documents, is due by Friday, April 20, 2012. For more information, please E-mail: loretta.farb@co.travis. tx.us.
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NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING ON AMENDMENT OF IMPACT FEES Notice is hereby given pursuant to Texas Local Government Code, Chapter 395, that the Board of Directors of Travis County Water Control and Improvement District No. 17 will hold a public hearing at its regular meeting, open to the public, on Thursday, April 19, 2012, at 7:00 p.m., at the Travis County Water Control and Improvement District office, located at 3812 Eck Lane, Austin, Travis County, Texas 78734. The purpose of the public hearing is to consider the amendment of land use assumptions and a capital improvements plan, and the imposition of the wastewater impact fee for the Steiner Ranch Wastewater System Wastewater Impact Fee Service Area. Any member of the public has the right to appear at the hearing and present evidence for or against the update. A copy of the proposed land use assumptions and the capital improvements plan, including the amount of any proposed impact fee per service unit, is available for public viewing at the District’s office.
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Stars of the Week
Thursday
Page 6 • April 12, 2012
Shwetha Prabaker -
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Meghan Rue -
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Favorite part about being involved in Viper Golf: I like being on the golf team because it’s a great group of people and there’s nothing I love more than being able to practice and play in tournaments with them.
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Favorite part about being involved in Viper Track: I enjoy the competition be part of a great track program!
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Viper golfer gets double eagle
Vandegrift defeats Vista Ridge in playoffs
Skyler Young, Vandegrift High School freshman, was practicing with the Viper varsity golf team at Delaware Springs for the district tournament and hit a double eagle from 226 yards out on hole 14, a par 5. The odds are rare to hit an albatross or a score of three under par on any given hole. In 2004 Dean Knuth, inventor of the USGA's slope rating, said he figured the odds of hitting an albatross is 1 million to 1, said Skyler’s mom Diane. Young has had four hole-in-ones starting at age nine.
The Vandegrift Boy’s soccer team played the Vista Ridge Rangers on Thursday for the 3rd round of playoffs. So far they have won district, bi-district, area champions and sectional champions. Tuesday they play Boerne in New Braunfels for regional quarterfinals, then onto state if they win.
Photos by Scott W. Coleman, Hill Country News
Viper Tennis advances to Regional Tourney Following success in the April 3 and 4 District 25-4A Championship, Vandegrift’s tennis squad advanced eight players to the Regional Tournament set for April 17 and 18 in San Antonio. In the Boys Singles division of the district competition, Viper Dillon Launius took second place with a win (7-5, 3-6, 6-7) over Lake Travis’ Austin Mayo. Joining Launius in the number two spot on the medal podium were Boys Doubles John Jacob and Josh Minor defeating Rouse’s
Dillon and Zane Ritter (6-1, 2-6, 6-3), Mixed Doubles Maria Giral and Chad Howland trumping Lake Travis’ Honey Hoghooghi and Tristan Wise (7-5, 6-4) and Girls Singles’ Shweatha Prabakar beating the Cavaliers’ Bailey Meyer (7-6, 6-1). Third place Girls Doubles winners Mikaela Pope and Alexandra Dial triumphed over Cedar Park to garner the final coveted spots on the Viper Tennis’ regional team.
Running or Sports Related Injury? Injury of the Foot & Ankle? Then stop by and see
Viper Girls Golf team after Falconhead Girls Golf Tournament on March 23 and 24. The Ernie Reyes World Martial Arts studio in Steiner Ranch took 39 competitors recently to the annual Lone Star Open, a NASKA 4A tournament. The team, aged 6 through 50, competed in traditional, creative and creative weapons forms, as well as continuous and point sparring matches.
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Q& A
with Boys Track & Field Coach Derek Levisay
1. What has to happen for your team to be successful this season? We have to continue to improve meet after meet. Track is a long season, sometimes spanning over three months and it can wear you down. 2. What is your biggest concern this season? Our biggest concern is improving our numbers. This year, we have increased our boys numbers by 30 percent. With those numbers, we can be successful. 3. Who is Vandegrift’s biggest rival or biggest meet to prepare for and why? In track, you have to compete against all schools at the district track meet. The district meet is the most important meet of the year because that determines who moves on to the regional meet.
Q& A
with Girls Track & Field Coach Jennifer Gegogeine
1. What has to happen for your team to be successful this season? Throughout this season the girls have worked really hard and have broken several previous set school records. 2. What is your biggest concern this season? This is our first graduating class of seniors with that being said we are still building our program. Each year we continue to grow. 3. Who is Vandegrift’s biggest rival or biggest meet to prepare for and why? Our biggest meet of the year is next
Viper Track & Field Spotlight
Our best asset is our middle school track programs. Four Points and Canyon Ridge do an amazing job of getting kids involved and being successful. They deserve a lot of credit for what the high school track program accomplishes. 5. Do you have a story to share about an interesting tid bit or team habit that most don’t know about? Our boys have different dress up days where they will come out in funky colors, weird hair, short shorts, or some other random thing they can think of. It’s weird but funny. 6. What motivates you as a coach and why did you choose the sport you did? Track is the ultimate sport that everyone can do and have been doing since the beginning of time. I’ve been running track since high school and competed in college as well. Track is such an amazing and technical sport and no matter what your talent level, you can always improve and compete. It is awesome to see kids work so hard and be able to actually track their improvement and see their effort! I’m passionate about track and hope to always be coaching it.
week April 11-12 in Marble Falls, this is our District Meet. The top three athletes in each event move on to the Region Meet in San Antonio.
Photo Texas Photography
4. What motivates you as a coach and why did you choose the sport you did? What motivates me as a coach is being able to watch these athletes improve each week. Being able to instill faith and hope with one of my favorite one-liners: “Hard work given time beats talent”. Running has always been a passion for me and I love to work with these athletes who enjoy it in the same way. 2011 record: Overall and in district play: Gretta Smith 2nd Place in 1600M-District 3rd Place in 3200M-District 4th Place in 3200M Region Sophia Duffield District Champion in 800M 3rd Place in 400M-District Returning statistical leaders: Carolyn Andrade Gretta Smith Caroline Zanot
Date
Location
Teams
Feb 18 Feb 25 March 3 March 9 March 24 March 30/31 March 31 April 3
Georgetown Lake Travis Round Rock Vandegrift Pflugerville Texas Relays Marble Falls Vandegrift
Var/JV Boys & Girls Var/JV Boys & Girls Var/JV Boys & Girls Var/JV Boys & Girls Var/JV Boys & Girls Varsity Qualifiers Var/JV Boys & Girls Freshman 25-AAAA Meet
Photo Texas Photography
2011-2012 Girls Track and Field Roster Carolyn Andrade Aspen Andrew Caitlin Balman Sarah Balman Jasmine Blackmon Brittany Brown Isabella Chestney Mercedes Choice Sydney Cohen Julia Franklin
Emery Galbraith Kriston Guerra Briana Helmueller (Manager) Tatum Joines Nikki Keys Megan Kosumsuppamala Katelin Maatz Emily McShane Shelby Ndukwe
Patricia Ninchteu Kayla Olsen Danielle Prieto (Manager) Jordan Roberts Madeline Sabel Sydney Sabel Gretta Smith Hannah Von Oldenburg Caroline Zanot
2011-2012 Boys Track and Field Roster Last Name
First Name
Last Name
First Name
Last Name
First Name
Last Name
First Name
Brannan Armant Burrow Charles Cinclair Conte Contreras Cooley Crowdus De anda Delmonico Dieck Dopson Downer Doxie
Blake Ray Jacob Aarik Joseph Matt Gabriel Austin Sterling Jesus Matthew Christopher James Brandon Xavier
Fisher Galvin Gerhardt Giles Gonzales II Hardy Harlan Harris Hopson Jaeger Jaume Keys Kotlarz Lackey Li
Jonathan Michael Hunter Mark James J.R. Zach Cameron Jared Cray Andrei Brandon Alex JT Brian
Lick Lineberger Linhart Lumpkin McGee Nowak Parmely Parmely Pitts Powell Quintos Ramlow Reyes Reynolds Richard
Chris Colin Gunner Sam Ryan Jake Brandon Byron Keegan Jack Alex Jonathan Christian Jake Luke
Rodriguez Shalosky Shay Siroin Smith Smith Sonnier Sproull Sproull Stubbs Talbot Taylor Valadez Villegas Weeks
Christian Ryan Michael John Gabriel Brandon Jordan Brandon Jordan Roy Brian Keith Rodrigo Matthew Brian
Win a BIG prize for mom! Four Points News is hosting a Mother’s Day Contest! Win a LakeHouse Half Day Away package for mom from Lake Austin Spa Resort! ($365 value) Draw a picture of your mom and tell us why she is so special in a few sentences. The winner will be picked randomly and featured in the paper as well as runner ups. Please scan and email your entry by May 1. Open to kids in the Four Points area. “May the odds be ever in your favor!”
April 12, 2012 • Page 7
4. Is there a hidden treasure on your team might be unknown right now, but is having a major impact on your season? Why?
2012 Vandegrift Track and Field Schedule
Mother’s Day Drawing Contest
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Page 8 • Four Points News, Thursday, April 12, 2012
No Season has to be Allergy Season
Boy Scouts earn highest acheivement Boys from pack 2030 crossed over from Cub Scouts to Boy Scouts Troop 201 at their Crossover Ceremony held at River Place several weeks ago. The scouts are from River Place and Grandview Hills. Each boy has earned the Arrow of Light, which is
the highest achievement obtainable in Cub Scouting.During the ceremony, they set fire to their new neckerchiefs to ensure they meet the high standards of quality set forth in Boy Scouts. After they were extinguished, the boys got to wear them.
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Photos by: Piers Hendrie