MAY 2, 2018 STATE TRACK
CAMP CYPRESS
Hays/Lehman athletes to compete in Austin meet.
YMCA to open a new camp in Buda.
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Hays Free Press © BARTON PUBLICATIONS, INC.
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Vol. 123 • No. 4
HaysFreePress.com
FM 967 housing cause for water quality concern
Serving Buda, Kyle and Northeast Hays County, TX
County officials brace for record number of home appraisal protests
Welcome to the Wieners’ Circle
BY CARLIE PORTERFIELD
FM 967 DEVELOPMENT, 2A
BY CARLIE PORTERFIELD
PHOTO BY EXSAR ARGUELLO No golden lasso could keep a determined pack of dachshunds from blazing down the track during this past weekend’s 21st annual Buda Country Fair and Wiener Dog races, which was held at Buda City Park. The 2018 theme, “Wonder Wiener,” lent itself to a variety of unique costumes throughout the course of the weekend.
Kyle, Uhland swap ETJ land to clarify development codes BY CARLIE PORTERFIELD
The city of Kyle has agreed to swap extraterritorial jurisdiction land with a neighboring city, a move officials say will resolve tricky boundary issues that can make development codes unclear. Tuesday evening during the Kyle City Council meeting, council members voted unanimously to trade a combined amount of nearly 400 acres with the city of Uhland. In exchange for 229.8 acres from Uhland, Kyle would give up 168.4 acres.
More important than the size of the land in question is its location in the ETJ, City Manager Scott Sellers said. Several months ago, Kyle was approached by Uhland to consider trading lands in their ETJs, which back up to each other, in hopes of cleaning up ETJ boundaries and clearing up confusion for developers. Under Texas law, the way cities claimed ETJ land was basically “first come, first serve,” Sellers said. In some cases, like in Kyle and Uhland, this resulted
in choppy borders that do not reflect actual land parcel lines. “As communities annex and develop into their ETJs, some of the parcels that are caught and have dual standards by which to develop under,” Sellers said. When a Uhland developer found part of their tract was in Uhland’s ETJ and the remainder was technically in Kyle’s jurisdiction, they wrote a letter asking for the land to be released from Kyle to Uhland. Among other reasons, the developer wanted to
be in the Uhland ETJ because wastewater is more available, Sellers said. Staff of both cities decided to nip the problem in the bud and fix any other border between the ETJs of Kyle and Uhland that could cause the same problem in the future. “We think it’s a very equitable split between the communities,” Sellers said. The deal will not be official until Uhland City Council votes on the issue, which Sellers said is scheduled for Wednesday.
COMING UP Main Street Sip & Stroll
Relay for Life
Visit historic downtown Buda on May 11 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. See advertisement on page 4C to see how you can save $5 on ticket price.
Buda First Saturday
Visit downtown Buda on the first Saturday of each month for dining, drinking, entertainment.
Thousands of area residents will take to the Susie Kana Field at Barton Middle School for the annual Relay for Life walk. The event, which begins at 6 p.m. Saturday and concludes at 12 a.m. Sunday morning, is a fundraiser for the American Cancer Society in its fight against cancer. Learn more by going to http://main.acsevents. org/site/TR/RelayForLife/ RFLCY18SOR?pg=entry&fr_id=88378
STR STIR
Opinions vary on STR in Kyle. – Page 1D
INDEX
Despite developers’ attempts to ease worries, neighbors believe a proposed subdivision in Dripping Springs’ extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ) could worsen flooding in the area and contaminate and possibly damage the Edwards Aquifer. The 782-acre property, located on FM 967 just outside of Buda, has been in owner Mark Rutherford Jr.’s family for generations, but could be the future site of a master-planned residential community of nearly 1,200 homes, if approved. On April 24, the team behind the proposed development gave a presentation to the Dripping Springs Planning and Zoning Commission. Andy Barrett, the attorney representing the project, named Bob Lunch as the developer who submitted the proposal. He said Lunch is responsible for developing Reunion Ranch in Austin. The development proposed for the Rutherford tract will be similar to Reunion Ranch, Barrett said. Project representatives said that the design takes into account the natural characteristics and drainage ways of the land, and will strive to preserve trees and other features. There are plans to offer a community farm as an amenity, Barrett said, as well as to have a rainwater collection system for every home. The project pitched public park dedication, a 200-foot buffer of natural vegetation on the perimeter of the property and volunteered to meet additional Texas Commission on Environmental
District 1 Hays CISD Central Office 21003 Interstate 35 Kyle, TX 78640
Election Day 2018 Hays CISD voters will take to the polls Saturday as they decide on a pair of board of trustees seats in the May 5 general election. The polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. Election Day voting locations are:
News …………… 1-4A Opinion …………… 3A Sports …………… 1-2B Education ……… 3-4B Community …… 1-4C
District 2 Tobias Middle School 1005 East FM 150 Kyle, TX 78640 District 3 Chapa Middle School 3311 Dacy Lane Kyle, TX 78640 District 4 Hays Hills Baptist Church 1401 North FM 1626 Buda, TX 78610 District 5 A&B Wallace Middle School 1500 W Center Street Kyle, TX 78640
Best Bets ………… 4C Business ……… 1-4D Classifieds ………... 2D Service Directory ..... 3D Public Notices … 2-4D
With the delivery of appraisal notices on the horizon, Hays County officials are expecting to receive a record-breaking number of protests as property values are rapidly on the rise. The assumption comes as preliminary figures show total new improvements in Hays County has added more than $981 million to the taxable value in 2018. According to the Hays Central Appraisal District, more than 93,000 notices will be sent out to inform property owners of their 2018 appraisals starting April 30. The county, cities, school districts and other taxing entities use
HOME VALUE INCREASE, 4A
CD-21 candidates spar over paid sick leave lawsuit BY EXSAR ARGUELLO A candidate in the Texas 21 Congressional District runoff is calling for her opponent to resign from the Texas Association of Business board in lieu of a lawsuit challenging paid sick leave in Austin. Mary Wilson, who is running against Joseph Kopser in the CD-21 primary runoff, said in a statement her opponent is a lead plaintiff in a lawsuit from the Texas Public Policy Foundation challenging Austin’s sick leave ordinance. “The passage of Austin’s paid sick leave ordinance was a hard-earned win for Austin families,” Wilson said. “Joseph Kopser should resign from the Board of Directors of the Texas Associ-
CONGRESSIONAL ISSUES, 2A
NEWS
Page 2A
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We welcome locally written letters to the editor on timely topics of community interest. We ask that you keep them to about 350 words in length and that you not indulge in personal attacks on private individuals. Letters may be edited for brevity and clarity. All letters should be signed by the author and include a daytime phone number where the author can be contacted for verification. Letter writers are limited to one letter per month. Letters can be emailed to csb@ haysfreepress.com.
HISTORY
Founded April 10, 1903, by Thomas Fletcher Harwell as The Kyle News, with offices on the corner of Burleson and Miller streets in the town’s oldest remaining building. It merged into The Hays County Citizen in 1956. The paper consolidated with The Free Press in October, 1978. During its more than 100-year history the newspaper has maintained offices at more than a dozen locations in Kyle and Buda.
Hays Free Press • May 2, 2018
New Johnson High sparks change in water meter ordinance BY KATERINA BARTON
To accommodate a larger water meter going in at the new Moe and Gene Johnson High, the Buda city leaders approved a change to the base monthly charge for meters larger than eight inches. Johnson High will be using a 10-inch water meter once it is completed in 2019. Previously, the largest size of water meters used in the city was eight inches. According to a chapter of Buda’s Code of Ordinances, the water demand charge did not specify rates for meters larger than eight inches,
which meant Buda would not have been able to charge the high school for water usage. As a result, city staff approved a change in language to include the larger meter size. The price for sales of water meters inside the city remains $596.92 and outside the city $746.17 for meters eight inches, and would be the same for meters eight inches or larger. “We have never had a meter larger than eight inches, but the high school going up has a meter of 10 inches, so we decided that there’s not that much difference between an eight inch
meters and 10 inches,” Assistant City Manager Micah Grau said. The high school will be Hays CISD’s first three story high school and will need the larger 10 inch water meter to get the right pressure needed for the sprinkler system to serve the three stories, according to Hays CISD Public Information Officer Tim Savoy. By comparison, some of the elementary schools in the district use 4 inch meters. “What drives that size is the capability of the fire system, and what drives that is the code that the engineers had to follow,” Savoy said.
FM 967 Development Continued from pg. 1A
Quality (TCEQ) standards for stormwater drainage. However, that was not enough of a concession for the more than 15 who neighbors who spoke out and said the steps taken by the developers to preserve the adjacent properties was not enough. The land is within the Edwards Aquifer recharge zone, which means any development must meet a higher standard of regulation to protect the surrounding environment. However, the initial development agreement proposal released to the public shows that the developer has requested variances for 31 existing city ordinances. A particular point of contention is a request for a variance that would allow the developer increase the impervious cover of the development from the usual 10 percent permissible for areas within the recharge zone to 25 percent. The tract is located on top of a hill, and rain runoff falls down the hill and often floods neighbors. “We think any increase is only going to make the flooding worse. It is only barely manageable now,” said Don Inbody, who lives just north of the Rutherford land. Matt Cutler, who also lives on property near the proposed subdivision, says it only takes between three and five inches of water to flood his land. That also sends water into the nearby Dahlstrom Cave, which is connected to the aquifer. Cutler expressed concern that more homes would contaminate the drinking water of the whole neighborhood, which uses wells. “For their profit, we’re going to suffer,” Cutler
Willie is a 1-year-old, male Catahoula mix. He is the most faithful friend you’ll ever have! Although Willie does get a little excited, he just hopes that people understand that his excitement just shows how happy he is to see everyone.
The 782-acre property, located on FM 967 just outside of Buda, has been in owner Mark Rutherford Jr.’s family for generations, but could be the future site of a master-planned residential community of nearly 1,200 homes, if approved. said. “We’re going to get flooded out. Our water’s going to get contaminated. And there’s no provision.” Area resident Mark Strauss began a petition in protest of the development less than two weeks before the April 24 meeting. His goal was to collect 50 signatures, but as of Tuesday evening, he had received 280. “Why do we even have zoning laws and protected zones like the Edwards Aquifer recharge zone if we’re just going to let people come in and develop the property anyway,” Strauss said. Commissioner Mim James made it clear to residents that this meeting was only the beginning of a long process. “We have not agreed to any (variances) at this stage of the game, whether it be impervious cover or plot sizes,” James said. “That’s got to be sorted out with the county and city.” The city and developer are not in agreement about impervious cover, he told the neighbors, and that it was clear the area already had a flooding problem. James assured them that they would work to not allow any development that would further exacerbate the stormwater runoff. “I can’t promise you
Destani is a 1.5 year-old, female shorthair Dilute Calico. She is a total cuddle bug! As soon as you come into the room she’ll run up to you and beg for pets. She loves to play with any kid of toy and loves to be brushed and pampered.
PAWS Shelter and Humane Society
is a non-profit, no-kill shelter operated primarily on donations and adoptions.
500 FM 150 E, Kyle, TX • 512 268-1611 • pawsshelter.org
All animals are fully vaccinated, spay/neutered, microchipped and dewormed.
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Bill Selman, DVM • Kayley Goldsmith, DVM • Erin Jobman, DVM 6300 FM 1327 (East of I35 and Creedmoor) Austin, TX 78747 Give us a call at 512-385-0486
we’re going to see eye-toeye at the end of the day,” Mims said. “This is a very complex and challenging development proposal that we’re dealing with here. We’re going to strive to do the best we possibly can.”
Congressional Issues Continued from pg. 1A
ation of Business and denounce this lawsuit.” The ordinance, which was passed on October 1, allows employees to accrue paid sick and save leave at the rate of one hour for every 30 hours worked for up to 64 hours annually. The lawsuit against the city of Austin is wrong and he will continue to fight for justice and equality in the Texas boardrooms, Kopser said. “It’s too important to be held hostage by political stunts and I won’t let us lose ground now,” Kopser said. “I know how important (paid sick leave) is for our working families.” This statement by his opponent came in light of a record first quarter fundraising effort by the Kopser campaign, which out-fundraised all three of his Democratic and Republican opponents. The Federal Election Committee report for the first quarter of 2018 shows a total reporting contribution of $446,924.24 with $278,556.48 cash in hand. In the primary election, Wilson pulled away with 15,669 votes while Kopser secured his spot in the runoff with 14,684. CD-21, currently held by U.S. Congressman Lamar Smith (R), serves most of eastern Hays County, including Buda, Kyle and San Marcos. Smith announced in 2017 he would not seek reelection. “Joseph is a millionaire with a lot of connections in the financial world,” Wilson said. “I am going up against the establishment and I
understand he will raise more than I will, but I am confident. People are realizing I am the candidate that can win this race.” Kopser said the fundraising report by the FEC showed a shift in momentum for the people in the district, citing a common ground between Democrats and Republicans that will help secure his seat in Congress. “People are tired of the politics in Washington and want a moderate candidate who can win with both Democrats and Republicans,” Kopser said. “My experience in the military, leading teams and building nonprofits is starting to stick with people.” Both candidates agreed that the election for District 21 is one of the most important in the state as it can mark a major shift in the Texas political ideology for Central Texas. Wilson said a win in November is a win against gerrymandering, which has plagued the district by keeping this area politically Republican. For Wilson, the Democratic turnout in the primary conveyed the message that Democrats are on the cusp of winning the district. For Kopser, the key component heading into the runoff on May 22 is to keep the momentum from the first quarter. “We are letting people know they have a real progressive choice that appeals to both sides of the electorate,” Kopser said. “That is how we are going to win this race.”
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Opinion
QUOTE OF THE WEEK “I thought, I’m supposed to throw this, this far.” –CeCe Watson, Lehman shot putter, story page 1B
Hays Free Press • May 2, 2018
Page 3A
‘Oh say can you see!’ Goldie Walks by Mark Staub
I
’ve been working with my dog, Goldie, a 3-year-old Catahoula mixed pup, on stopping and sitting at cross walks. Now when I slow down in front of a cross walk she actually sits without my command. It is the greatest thing in the world to me, and I praise her like crazy whenever she does it! I’ve also been working on my own development. I have taken up the guitar and go every week to take lessons with Jordan Hemphill at Allegro School of Music in Buda. Jordan asked me to work on memorizing the “Star Spangled Banner” and so I have. He told me I could get it down by six weeks. Actually, it’s going on twelve weeks, and I’m only half way through really having it down with any kind of confidence. One time I came to class and was waiting for my lesson in the lobby with a man in his forties and his young son also sporting a guitar. The man looked at me kind of quizzically, as if to say, “You’re much too old to be learning guitar at your age.” Without him saying a word I said, “When I was your son’s age, I took guitar lessons. In fact, I tried twice to learn this instrument, without success. And so, when I retired, I was determined to give it another, better try. Besides, the family I married into is very musical, and in order to keep up, I felt I had to take up an instrument or be left behind.” Obviously, there are many advantages to learning a musical instrument, chief among them is as a hedge against an aging brain. Learning an instrument at my age is insurance against my brain going stale, which seems to be a worthwhile endeavor. I also had a dream of doing a set at the local coffee shop called the “Grind House,” but that place is no longer there, so I’m off the hook for that. Then there is the thought of joining in a recital at Allegro, but that’s much scarier, because I’m pretty sure they’ll be around by the time I learn how to play the “Star Spangled Banner,” if and when that happens. In the meantime, I’ll continue to praise Goldie every time she stops at a cross walk without me telling her too. She’s the real star in our family. Mark W Stoub is a retired Presbyterian minister and the author of two award winning novels: “Blood Under the Altar” and “The Fifth Trumpet: Fire in the Blood.” As always he can be found at mj.stoub@sbcglobal.net.
EDITORIAL
Runoff elections in near future
R
unoff elections for congress, governor and other offices are upon us – and many of the races involve people of special interest to Hays County. Early voting is May 14-18, with the runoff election May 22 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Check the Free Press website or HaysCounty.org/elections…. for where you can vote and when. Separately, school board elections are underway now. Here are a few insights into the people who will be on the ballot locally. Most of these are low-budget races that won’t feature a lot of TV ads.
DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY RUNOFF
You’re eligible to vote in these runoffs if you voted in the first Democratic Primary back in March, or if you didn’t vote at all. You are ineligible if you voted in another party’s primary.
GOVERNOR: ANDREW WHITE OR LUPE VALDEZ White has long-standing ties to Hays County. His father, the former governor, owned property in the Dripping Springs area before his death. He has college classmates in the Kyle area. Andrew White also showed up for the candidate debate in Kyle, where he impressed with an easy-going, self-deprecating manner and broad knowledge on issues. Lupe Valdez skipped the debate, and has kept a low profile in the runoff, perhaps hoping to coast to victory after running well ahead in the nine-person original primary, where no candidate won a majority. Valdez is a former sheriff of Dallas County, where she made a name for herself standing up to Gov. Gregg Abbot and the Trump administration on immigration and sanctuary cities. She’s also a gay, Latina woman, with all the symbolism that carries in this fraught political year. Sadly, beyond that she has not shown she can master policy on critical state issues such as education, transportation, climate change, taxes and economic development. Vote for Valdez — a good-hearted person with considerable criminal justice experience — if the symbolic statement is worth it to you. Vote for White if you want a candidate more deeply versed on the issues, more articulate, and with a much better chance to win in the general election. As a bonus, Andrew White has ties to Hays County and Central Texas that would be important if he wins.
Hays Free Press Publisher Cyndy Slovak-Barton News and Sports Editor Moses Leos III
Note: every major newspaper in the state where the editorial board has interviewed the candidates and then endorsed has endorsed White, including the Dallas Morning News in Valdez’s hometown. In addition, young Hispanic activists in a statewide group called Jolt this weekend voted to endorse White over Valdez.
CONGRESS, 21ST DISTRICT: MARY WILSON OR JOSEPH KOPSER This district includes most of the Buda-Kyle communities west of I-35, and stretches into the Texas Hill Country west of San Antonio Business-tech innovator and Army vet Joseph Kopser, a Bronze Star winner in Iraq, is pushed by the national Democratic committee as the best chance to win this seat in what has traditionally been a Republican district. Kopser has garnered the most donations, raised the most money, won the most early endorsements, and by conventional wisdom, will have stronger appeal in the district’s rural counties and in the conservative San Antonio suburbs. Mary Wilson, a long-time Austin activist and former math professor turned liberal minister, is generally to the left of Kopser and thinks that’s where the party should be. She ran a much less organized campaign, and raised little money, but – perhaps benefitting from being the only woman compared to three men in the race – she led Kopser slightly going into the runoff. Indeed, the votes were pretty evenly split in the first primary among all four candidates. She is endorsed by Stonewall Democrats of Austin. Kopser is more the pragmatist who wants to reach across the aisle to get things done, the same way he says he reached across differences to lead troops overseas. Wilson is more the firebrand, concerned about compromise. Both say that Trump’s election inspired them to run. Though a gun-owner, Kopser is endorsed by the national Brady Campaign To Prevent Gun Violence, and by the San Antonio Express-News, and by a number of prominent Democratic leaders, including former Austin mayor, now state senator, Kirk Watson.
CONGRESS, 25TH DISTRICT: CHRIS PERRI OR JULIE OLIVER This district includes parts of far western Hays County, including the Dripping Springs area. Both Perri and Oliver showed up for the Democratic debate in Kyle earlier this season.
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Perri is an Austin defense attorney who received his degree from the University of Texas. He started his own practice in 2009 and was the supervising attorney for UT Law’s pro bono Texas Expunction Project. His wife hails from Burnet and teaches at Texas State University. Oliver is a former teen Medicaid mom, now an attorney. During the Kyle debates, she emphasized how thankful she was about the government programs through Medicaid that she received, enabling her to raise her child. She said she fears that Congress is trying to cut Medicaid, and she believes that universal healthcare for everyone in the U.S. is important. Also an attorney, Oliver also has expertise in tax policy and works as a finance executive in the healthcare industry. Early in the race, before the primary, Perri racked up many of the traditional Democratic clubs that make endorsements, including the Austin Area Central Labor Council, Austin Progressive Coalition, Our Revolution, and Wimberley Indivisible, among others. Oliver was endorsed by the UT Law School Dems.
STATE REPRESENTATIVE: REBECCA BELL-METEREAU OR ERIN ZWEINER All of Hays County is in one state rep district, along with smaller Blanco County to the west. Two strong women are in this runoff. They’ve travelled much different paths to get here. Rebecca Bell-Metereau is a decades-long resident of the district, a professor at Texas State University who spent years battling right-wing voodoo on the Texas Education Board, running many uphill battles for a regional seat on the board in the process. She’s been involved in the Texas State faculty senate and on the San Marcos planning and zoning commission. Zweiner is new to Hays County, and new to politics, but has worked tirelessly to make herself known to Democrats in the fast-growing towns and suburbs. She moved to the Driftwood area so recently that there have been questions about whether she qualifies under state law that requires state reps to live in the state of Texas at least two years (she recently hired a legal expert who says she is eligible). While there are differences of emphasis and nuance between them, both women are solid on core Democratic issues in the legislative race: choice, the bathroom bill, compassionate immigration reform, belief in science. In many ways, the
choice here boils down to one of style and experience: the mature, seasoned fighter with background in the area, or the energetic newcomer eager to make a name and foment change. Zweiner was in the race first; Bell-Metereau jumped in when incumbent Republican Jason Isaac decided to give up the seat to run for his party’s nomination to congress (he lost). Bell-Metereau led substantially going into the runoff.
REPUBLICAN PRIMARY CONGRESS, 21ST DISTRICT: MATT MCCALL AND CHIP ROY The first thing you see on Matt McCall’s website are the words “Conservative. Christian. Constitutionalist.” McCall’s business supplies surgical products to U.S. military hospitals around the world. He had sought to run for the Congressional district in both 2014 and 2016, losing both times to Lamar Smith, who announced late in the political season that he was retiring. McCall won 16.93% of the Republican primary vote in an 18-person race, that included Dripping Springs State Rep. Jason Isaac. Chip Roy led the entire slate with 27.06% of the vote. Roy served as chief of staff for Sen. Ted Cruz and as a senior advisor to Rick Perry when he was governor. Both endorse Roy in this race. He is an attorney with his law degree from UT, and a former federal prosecutor. In addition, though he does not technically live in the district, living nearby instead Roy is a Hays County resident, residing in the Dripping Springs area.
HAYS COUNTY JP. 4: ROBERT AVERA AND JOHN BURNS Robert Avera is an attorney who grew up in the Austin area before heading to Colorado for college and fought forest fires for seven years in the Rocky Mountains. He ended up missing his family ranch in Dripping Springs, came home and got involved in the DS fire district. He has a law office in Dripping Springs. John Burns, who moved to Hays County in 2013, is also an attorney and a former medical researcher and retired Naval commander. He was raised in a military family, living in five states by the age of 10, and in eight states before making his way to Texas. He has been endorsed by Hays County Commissioner Ray Whisenant. He has a practice in Dripping Springs.
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Hays Free Press • May 2, 2018
Page 4A
Buda pushes muni facility move-in to June BY KATERINA BARTON
Buda’s new library and city hall building project is nearing completion, but delays in ordering and receiving furnishings for the facility have pushed its opening to the latter part of June. The Municipal Facility, which will house the new library and city hall, is part of Proposition 1 of Buda’s $55 million 2014 Bond Election. “We do have substantial completion on Proposition 1, which is the city hall/library. There is a running list of items that have to be corrected or finished up that are ongoing that are being done by the contractor as we speak,” Buda Project Manager Ray Creswell said. The contractors for the building are working on last minute, punch list items to complete before the new building opens. One of the final outstanding works in progress is the ordering, manu-
Originally, the city had scheduled to move into the municipal facility at the end of May, but that has now been delayed until the end of June. However, this date is still reliant on the timeline for the installation of the furniture, fixtures and equipment.
facturing, delivery and installation of all of the furnishing, fixtures and equipment (FF&E) for the building. This process was delayed due to city council members’ concerns with the price of a bid contract for the furnishings. “The furniture can take a longer period of time because not everything is going to come at one time, it’ll come at different times during the month, so we have to be aware of that when we talk about when we’re going to open, because it really depends on
when we get the building totally furnished,” Buda Public Information Officer David Marino said. Originally, the city had scheduled to move into the municipal facility at the end of May, but that has now been delayed until the end of June. However, this date is still reliant on the timeline for the installation of the FF&E. “We’re looking at having a grand opening ceremony sometime at the end of July, but we don’t have a firm date on that yet,” Marino said.
Buda’s new 30,000 square-foot library is most likely to open in July, which gives staff time to organize and put up its inventory on the new shelves. As Buda readies for a move into its new digs, city staff is continuing to monitor the status of a heritage oak relocated in 2017. Buda spent more than $300,000 to relocate te 250-year-old tree, which was in the blueprint of the new municipal facility. “The Heritage Tree is really looking great right now. We do have an extended contract with the people who did the physical move and they are coming in weekly to look at it and monitor it,” Creswell said. “This has extremely helped in increasing the foliage on the tree now.” The nearby Public Safety Building, which is the new location of the Buda Police Department, was part of Proposition 2
New turn lanes on FM 150 get the green light BY CARLIE PORTERFIELD After four years, Hays County Commissioners Court voted to finally install a component left out of recent work on FM 150 near Highway 21 that neighbors say is a safety issue. The project, approved unanimously at the April 17 court meeting, will consist of adding a continuous, 14-foot center turn lane and widened shoulders in portions of FM 150 that are currently only two lanes. According to Precinct 1 Commissioner Debbie Inglesbie, turn lanes were left out of orginal work on FM 150 in 2014 because of potential environmental concerns. However, after environmental re-evaluation by the Texas Department of Transporrtation, it was determined no wetlands are within the study area. Addtionally, TxDOT determined there were no state or fedreally-listed threatened or endangered
The project will consist of adding a continuous, 14-foot center turn lane and widened shoulders in portions of FM 150 that are currently only two lanes. species observed within the scope of the project, according to county officials. After thorough evaluation, it was determined that the project is safe, to continue she said. “Residents are very anxious for this section to be filled,” Inglesbie said. “It’s a safety issue.” The county authorized
Home Value Increases Continued from pg. 1A
the appraisal district’s determined values to set 2018 property tax rates. Across Hays County, the average market value for homes increased by 7.1 percent since last year’s appraisals. In 2017, the county received 14,602 appraisal value protests. According to Chief Appraiser David Valle, 12,719 of those were settled with staff, while the rest were scheduled for formal hearings with the Appraisal Review Board. Although he expects more protests to be filed in 2018, Valle said it is too early to say to what degree the number will increase. County data shows vacant lots and tracts saw the biggest increase in value, with appraisals increasing 37 percent, from $555 million to $760 million. Commercial and industrial property increased nearly 13 percent since last year to $2.5 billion in 2018. Residential multi-family property value increased just under 33 percent since 2017, soaring from $1.43 billion to $1.90 billion in just one year. The appraisal district attributed the increases to the strong demand for residential and commercial sites, new construc-
Across Hays County, the average market value for homes increased by 7.1 percent since last year’s appraisals. tion, student housing and the completion of apartment projects. With the addition of 2,628 new homes and 83 new commercial buildings to the appraisal roll, Hays County’s overall preliminary market value has risen to $26.58 billion this year, a jump of nearly 14 percent since 2017. Property owners that receive a notice of appraised value will have until May 30 to file a protest to appeal to the Appraisal Review Board. Protests can be filed in-person at the Hays Central Appraisal District office at 21001 N. IH 35, Kyle, by calling 512-268-2522, or online at www.hayscad. com or by contacting protest@hayscad.com.
For all the latest news in Buda, Kyle and surrounding communities, visit .com
just less than $50,000 for the design of the project for Bowman Consulting
Group, who completed the previous improvements on the roadway.
of the 2014 Bond Election and has been completed since November. As for the old City Hall and City Annex Building, the Request for Proposals for those who would like
to lease the buildings, once they have been vacated, will be due June 15. The existing library will be repurposed as the city’s Main Street and Tourism offices.
Grand Opening! Zach Barton invites you to a Grand Opening 5:30-7:30 p.m. May 17 to be hosted at Nate’s 306 S. Main St., downtown Buda
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Property Tax Protest and Appeal Procedures
Property owners have the right to protest actions concerning their property tax appraisals. You may follow these appeal procedures if you have a concern about: • the appraised (market) value of your property • the unequal value of your property compared with other properties • the inclusion of your property on the appraisal roll • any exemptions that may apply to you • the qualification for an agricultural or timber appraisal • the taxing units taxing your property • the property ownership • the change of use of land receiving special appraisal • failure of the chief appraiser or appraisal review board (ARB) to send a required notice • any action taken by the chief appraiser, county appraisal district (CAD) or ARB that applies to and adversely affects you.
Informal Review Please attempt to discuss your problem with a staff appraiser, before the date you are scheduled. He/she may be able to help you resolve your problem and avoid the formal hearing with the ARB. Review by the ARB If you cannot resolve your problem informally with the CAD, you can file a notice of protest requesting to have your case heard by the ARB. The ARB is an independent board of citizens that hears and determines protests regarding property appraisals or other concerns listed above. It has the power to order the CAD to make the necessary changes based on evidence heard during the ARB hearing. If you file a written request for an ARB hearing (notice of protest) before the deadline, the ARB will set your case for a hearing and send you written notice of the time, date and place of the hearing. If necessary, you may request a hearing in the evening or on a Saturday or Sunday. You may use Comptroller Form 50-132, Property Appraisal - Notice of Protest, to file your written request for an ARB hearing. Prior to your hearing, you may ask to review the evidence the CAD plans to introduce at the hearing to establish any matter at issue. Before a hearing on a protest or immediately after the hearing begins, you or your agent and the CAD are required to provide each other with a copy of any materials (evidence) intended to be offered or submitted to the ARB at the hearing. Evidence may be submitted for any hearing type either in paper or on a small portable electronic device (such as a CD, USB flash drive or thumb drive) which will be kept by the ARB. Do NOT bring evidence on a smart phone. The ARB’s hearing procedures regarding all the requirements to properly submit evidence on a small portable electronic device must be reviewed. To the greatest extent practicable, the hearing will be informal. You or a designated agent may appear in person
or you may by telephone conference call or submission of written affidavit to present your evidence, facts and argument. If you decide to participate by telephone conference call, you must provide your evidence to the ARB with a written affidavit before the ARB hearing begins. You may use Comptroller Form 50-283, Property Owner’s Affidavit of Evidence to the Appraisal Review Board, to submit evidence for your telephone conference call hearing or for hearing by affidavit. You and the CAD representative have the opportunity to present evidence about your case. You may cross-examine the CAD representative. The ARB will make its decision based on the evidence presented by both parties. In most cases, the CAD has the burden of establishing the property’s value by a preponderance of the evidence presented. In certain protests, the chief appraiser has the burden of proving the property’s value by clear and convincing evidence. You should review ARB hearing procedures to learn more about evidence and related matters. You should not try to contact ARB members outside of the hearing. ARB members are required to sign an affidavit saying that they have not talked about your case before the ARB hears it. Review by the District Court, an Arbitrator or SOAH After it decides your case, the ARB must send you a copy of its order by certified mail. If you are not satisfied with the ARB’s decision, you have the right to appeal to district court. As an alternative to district court, you may appeal through binding arbitration or the State Office of Administrative Hearings (SOAH) if you meet the qualifying criteria. If you choose to go to district court, you must start the process by filing a petition with the district court within 60 days of the date you receive the ARB’s order. If you chose to appeal through binding arbitration, you must file a request for binding arbitration with the CAD not later than the 45th day after you receive notice of the ARB order. If you chose to appeal to the SOAH, you must file an appeal with the CAD not later than the 30th day after you receive notice of the ARB’s order. Appeals to district court, binding arbitration or SOAH all require payment of certain fees or deposits. Tax Payment You must pay the amount of taxes due on the portion of the taxable value not in dispute, the amount of taxes due on the property under the order from which the appeal is taken or the amount of taxes due in the previous year. More Information You can get more information by contacting your appraisal district at Hays Central Appraisal District, 21001 IH 35 N, Kyle, Texas, 78640, (512) 268-2522 or on our website www.hayscad.com. You can get Comptroller forms and additional information on how to prepare a protest from the Comptroller’s website at comptroller. texas.gov/taxes/property-tax/.
Deadline for Filing Protests with the ARB*
Usual Deadline Not later than May 15 (or within 30 days after a notice of appraised value was mailed to you, whichever is later). Late protests are allowed for good cause if you miss the usual deadline. The ARB decides whether you have good cause. Late protests are not allowed after the ARB approves the appraisal records for the year. Special Deadlines For change of use (the CAD informed you that you are losing agricultural appraisal because you changed the use of your land), the deadline is not later than the 30th day after the notice of the determination was delivered to you.
For ARB changes (the ARB has informed you of a change that increases your tax liability and the change did not result from a protest you filed), the deadline is not later than the 30th day after the notice of the change was delivered to you. If you believe the CAD or ARB should have sent you a notice and did not, you may file a protest until the day before taxes become delinquent (usually Feb. 1) or no later than the 125th day after the date you claim you received a tax bill from one or more of the taxing units that tax your property. The ARB decides whether it will hear your case based on evidence about whether a required notice was mailed to you.
*The deadline is posponed to the next business day if it falls on a weekend or legal, state or national holiday.
Sports HaysFreePress.com
Section B FINE ARTS FOCUS
Fuentes Elementary could be fine arts focus campus in future. – Page 3B
Hays Free Press
May 2, 2018 • Page 1B
Watson ready for state shot put BY MOSES LEOS III
PHOTO BY MOSES LEOS III
Lehman senior CeCe Watson shows off her silver medal won in Friday’s Region IV, 6A shot put competition at Alamo Stadium. By virtue of her second place finish, Watson clinched a second straight trip to state.
Kyle resident CeCe Watson can remember how skeptical she was when her then 7th grade track coach asked her to take up the shot put. Having played basketball here-and-there prior to middle school, Watson was unsure as to whether she would take to the specialized spring sport. Add in the surprisingly heavy 8-pound implement and Watson’s reluctance grew even more.
“I thought, ‘I’m supposed to throw this, this far?,’” Watson said. But there was something about shot put that, over time, grew on Watson. Through hard work and determination, Watson morphed that initial reluctance into a throw of 41-feet, 3-inches in Friday’s Region IV, 6A championship, which was good enough to punch a second straight ticket to the UIL state track and field meet. Armed with confi-
dence, Watson now prepares to take on a vaunted field as she fights for the podium. “It’s exciting. I’ve been working hard to get back to it (state),” Watson said. “I’m surprised, but most of all, I thank God. I wouldn’t be here without God.” Watson entered Friday’s regional meet on a roll, having claimed second place in the area meet and the 25-6A district title in the event in
CECE WATSON, 2B
Hays long jumper bids for state meet BY MOSES LEOS III Harnessing lessons learned from failure finally paid off Friday for Hays High senior long jumper Dillon Baker. By leaping a distance of 22-feet, 4.75 inches at the Region IV, 6A meet in San Antonio, Baker formally punched his ticket to compete at the UIL state track and field meet in Austin next month. But earning a spot at state also meant navigating and overcoming a handful of bumps in the road, primarily missing out on the finals at the 2017 Region IV, 6A competition by one-quarter of an inch. Through determination and perseverance, Baker now eyes a chance to earn a state title. “Last year, I missed finals by a quarter of an inch. Coming into this season, I was really upset by that,” Baker said. “I made it my goal to make it to state. It’s a blessing to see how my hard work has paid off.” To reach his goal, Baker said training began soon after the
CIBOLO – Early fireworks Friday foreshadowed success for the Hays Rebels as they opened the postseason with a lopsided 11-1 bidistrict round victory over the San Antonio Madison Mavericks. With an area round matchup against the stateranked New Braunfels Canyon Cougarettes looming, Hays High sophomore catcher Annaliese Rodriguez believes a continued focus at the plate could pay off in the next round. “We’re going to work a lot on offense,” Rodriguez said. “They (Canyon) have a good offense as well, but our focus is going to be offense and making sure we come out on top.” Hays wasted little time in flexing its muscle at the plate Friday, scoring four runs on three hits and two Madison errors. The frame was highlighted by back-to-back RBI base hits from Rodriguez and Amaya Guerrero. Hays expanded its lead to 5-0 after two innings following an RBI single from Brianna Rodriguez. The Rebel lead swelled to 7-0 before Madison orchestrated its only response in the bottom of the fourth frame, which came via a solo home run
Hays Rebel sophomore Reagan Casey keeps an eye on the bar as she tries to complete an attempt in the girls high jump competition at the Regional meet in San Antonio.
Hays high jumper hits the mark for state BY MOSES LEOS III After missing out on a chance to reach the UIL state meet as a freshman last year, Hays High sophomore high jumper Reagan Casey didn’t let a second opportunity go to waste Friday. By virtue of clearing 5-feet, 2-inches and 5-feet, 4-inches with no misses, along with outdueling San Antonio Marshall senior Megan Palu in a jump-off, Reagan claimed the Region IV, 6A high jump gold medal and a ticket to the UIL state meet. For Casey, whose experience includes con-
REAGAN CASEY, 2B PHOTO BY MOSES LEOS III
Kicking up a large plume of sand, Hays Rebel senior Dillon Baker aggressively lands his last attempt in the Region IV, 6A long jump finals at Alamo Stadium in San Antonio. Baker’s 22-feet, 4.75-inch jump helped him to claim the Region IV long jump title and a ticket to the state meet.
2017 season ended. Along with focusing on his body’s core muscles, Baker said he also worked on the “mechanical stuff” that goes in-sync with long jumping. Those aspects include improving his speed down the runway and strengthening his lower
body for increased height and distance. “It really is a mechanical game,” Baker said. “I focused on that this season and it has paid off.” Travis Finch, Hays High assistant track coach, said Baker has taken “a lot of ownership with everything he
does,” which has helped him improve his long jump abilities. “Every week has been a progression. I feel like he has gotten better every week as the season has gone on,” Finch said. “And he has worked hard for it and it’s well deserved. I’m excited for him.”
But even Baker was surprised at the level of success he has experienced so far in 2018. Along with claiming the Region IV, 6A long jump title, Baker also took the area championship, and was also the
DILLON BAKER, 2B
Rebs pummel Madison in playoffs BY MOSES LEOS III
PHOTO BY MOSES LEOS III
from Leah Hayes. Lisa Cone, Hays High head softball coach, said familiarity with Madison pitcher Madison Morgan helped the Rebel cause on offense. Cone said the team knew what to expect because they had played Madison during a predistrict tournament. Annaliese Rodriguez said Morgan had velocity, but also was “piping it in there, instead of having movement.” A trio of strong practices also allowed the Rebels to build confidence at the plate as well, Cone said. Executing with runners in scoring position, and with two outs, also played a vital role in Rebel success on offense. Ten of Hays’ 11 runs in the game were scored with two outs on the board. “Early in the season, we struggled with that, getting those timely hits,” Cone said. “In the latter part of the season, we’ve been doing a better job of not panicking and hitting the ball where they’re pitching it to us.” But Annaliese Rodriguez also attributed success at the plate to a more team-centric mentality. While the Rebels have worked on hitting all season long, it wasn’t until
HAYS SOFTBALL, 2B
PHOTO BY MOSES LEOS III
Lehman Lobo freshman Nikayla Fitzgerald braces for the impact of landing in the sand pit during an attempt in the Region IV, 6A girls long jump Friday at Alamo Stadium.
Lobo long jumper to make mark at state BY MOSES LEOS III
PHOTO BY CALEB RUCKEL
Hays Rebel baserunner Kaylin Davis (4) executes a perfect slide into home plate as San Antonio Madison catcher Desiree Serrano awaits a relay throw in Friday’s bidistrict playoff game at Cibolo Steele High.
A positive frame of mind was all Lehman High freshman long jumper Nikayla Fitzgerald needed Friday to send herself to next month’s UIL state track and field meet in Austin. By hitting 17-feet, 11-inches in the Region IV, 6A long jump, Fitzgerald took home second place in the event and a spot at state. While Fitzgerald realizes there is still work to be done, she also marveled at the ability of reaching the pinnacle of Texas high school track in only her first year. “I’m excited. I know the next two weeks, I’m going to have to really work hard because the girls at state are going to hit 19-feet,” Fitzgerald said. “I’m going to have to be prepared.”
NIKAYLA FITZGERALD, 2B
Sports
Page 2B
Hays Free Press • May 2, 2018
Heading to Tarleton Joined by family and a treasure trove of medals won over the years, Hays High senior Trinity Wells signed her letter of intent to continue her track and field career at Tarleton State University in Stephenville. Wells competed in the girls 4x400-meter relay, 300m hurdles and in the long and triple jump at Hays. PHOTO BY JIM CULLEN
Hays Softball: Rebs pummel Madison, Canyon is next Continued from pg. 1B
recently the team began to “work off of each other’s hits.” “For a while, we had been playing selfish and thinking about our own hitting,” Annaliese Rodriguez said. “We’re really starting to hit as a team now. That’s what got us started, was getting hit after hit.” On the defensive end,
Area Round
Hays vs. New Braunfels Canyon, Saturday, 6 p.m. at San Marcos High School
Hays pitcher Maxine Valdez cruised through her 6.1 inning outing, finishing with 13 strikeouts and conceding only two hits and one run in the game.
Rebel eyes now focus on a one-game playoff against New Braunfels Canyon, which tore through 14-6A, but was forced to rally from a 4-1 deficit to eliminate San Antonio Brennan in the bidistrict round. While the Rebels fell to Canyon to open the 2018 campaign, Cone said Hays was a “totally differ-
ent team” back then and made a “lot of mistakes that night.” “They are going to have to fight. But when we play our best game, we can beat anyone. But we have to go out and play our game and do the best we can,” Cone said. “If we do that, we might give everyone in the region a run for their money.”
Six Lobos make soccer All District
Six Lehman Lobos made the cut as selections to the 25-6A Soccer All District list, which was unveiled in mid-April. Lobo junior Kyla Johnson earned first team all district honors, while Destiny Eberle notched second team honors. Four Lobos, including twins Messly and Melissa Navarro, where named as honorable mention to the all district list.
Hays CISD 25-6A All District team selections First team Lehman Kyle Johnson Second team Lehman Destiny Eberle
Honorable Mention Lehman Natalie Herrera Melissa Navarro Messly Navarro Jade Hickey
Destiny Eberle
Messly Navarro
PHOTO COURTESY OF HOLLY GARCIA
Buda/Kyle Blast takes first in two tournaments A pair of first place finishes was won by the Buda/Kyle Blast youth baseball 9U and 10U baseball teams during April. On April 9, the Blast 10U program took 1st place in a tournament in Dripping Springs. Roughly a week later, the Blast 9U team took home first in a tournament played at the Central Texas Field of Dreams near Henly. The Blast 9U team, currently ranked 4th in the state and 10th nationally in their age group, will continue play in May. Members of the team include (back row, L-R) Coaches Casey Benjamin, Wes Hall, Jason Bergen, Darren Robertson, Sr., (middle row, L-R) Isaiah Fisher, Cayden Bergen, Darren Robertson, Jr., Jayden Hall, Parker George, (front row, L-R) Ryan Kume, Ryder Garcia, Nick Gonzales, Gavin Candanosa and Zane Spruill.
Reagan Casey: Getting ready for state meet Continued from pg. 1B
secutive trips to the Texas Relays, the ability to vie for a state medal was “awesome.” “Last year here (at region), I came out on the losing end,” Casey said. “It’s cool that this time, I came out on the winning end.” One motivating factor for Casey was the ability to surpass Vandegrift junior Kyla Peeples, Casey’s friend and primary competitor, in a meet. That drive was fueled during the area meet on April 19 when Peeples edged out Casey for first place. Casey said she and Peeples, who are friends off of the track, are always butting heads during the competition season. “At my last meet, we were tied for first place, but Kyla came out on top,” Casey said. “She
won the last meet. That made me want to beat her more.” Casey said the key to her success has been working on critical mechanical aspects of high jumping. That includes working to strengthen her “knee drive,” which helps to generate enough height to clear the bar. Helping that cause has been Alex Austin, an area personal trainer, who has assisted Casey with her knee drive. “I’ve been working really hard on my knee drive, which is a big problem,” Casey said. “Still, my knee drive wasn’t there today. But once I get my knee drive down, I’ll get over.” Competing against Palu in a jump-off for first place was equally daunting for Casey, who in 2017 was eliminated from state
contention at the regional meet in a similar style. Both Palu and Casey aimed for 5-feet, 6-inches on four occasions in the jump-off, with neither athlete able to clear the bar. Casey claimed victory when Palu slid into the bar during an attempt at 5-feet, 4-inches. “I wanted 5’6” right there and I got four attempts at it, and it sticks that I didn’t get that,”
CeCe Watson
Continued from pg. 1B mid-April. While there were some nerves going into the regional throw, Watson’s familiarity with performing under pressure took over. That extends to her trip to state in 2017, along with three straight trips to throw at the Texas Relays. Watson said watching athletes throw at Texas Relays gave her insight on not only competing at a high level, but also improving her skill. Also ushering Watson’s success is Michelle Garcia, Lehman High track coach, who ensured Watson was “good before I got to track meets.” “Seeing those girls throw, I looked at them and thought, ‘I could be there, I can be them, I
could do that,’” Watson said. “It motivated me to do better.” As a result, Watson’s ability to throw the shot farther got easier and easier, she said. Her natural competitiveness also played a pivotal factor as well. “The thought of me throwing something that heavy the distance I do was cool,” Watson said. Practice is now the focus for Watson and she joins three other Lobos who will make the trip to the state meet. Having competed at Mike A. Myers stadium before, Watson believes she might have a leg up over her competition. “I got a feel of the ring from Texas Relays, so it’s going to be cool,” Watson said.
Dillon Baker
Continued from pg. 1B 25-6A district champion as well. Those successes were prefaced by a second place finish at the 2018 Texas Relays in Austin in March. “This season has been kind of a shocker,” Baker said. “Coming out last season, not making it past region, to get 2nd at Texas Relays was really awesome.” Fueling Baker was the desire to improve his personal records. From the first meet of the 2018 season, Baker said he has consistently improved his PR nearly every week. Doing so has helped
him look past competition, especially at the Region IV meet, which featured several jumpers from the San Antonio and Corpus Christi areas. The success was validating for Baker, who began his journey into long jumping when he was influenced by his mother at age 12. “I was just concerned about doing my best,” Baker said. “Focused on getting a PR, which didn’t happen today. But I’m content with what has happened, and I get another two weeks to make that happen.”
Nikayla Fitzgerald Continued from pg. 1B
Fitzgerald earned her state spot by overcoming not only a vaunted long jump field, but fatigue as well. Roughly 30 minutes prior to the long jump competition Friday, Fitzgerald took 5th place in the triplejump competition. While she was disappointed in the outcome, Fitzgerald also felt her result in the triple jump fueled her motivation to improve. As one of the favorites in the long jump competition, Fitzgerald said she wanted to avoid an air of overconfidence, which she believe happened in the triple jump. “I felt good going up against my competition,” Fitzgerald said. “I wasn’t overconfident. In the triple jump, I went in with that and it didn’t turn out so good. I changed it up and it worked out well.” Experience in pressure situations also played a vital role in Fitzgerald’s success. During her time as a long jumper in Amateur Athletic Union (AAU), Fitzgerlald said she reg-
“I felt like I had that good positivity and thought, let’s go in here (at region) and let’s go to state.” –Nikayla Fitzgerald, Lehman long jumper
ularly competed against athletes who were much taller than she was. “They like to compete and they just helped me because I know how to compete under pressure,” Fitzgerald said. Armed with the experience, Fitzgerald now plans to work on her skills as the state meet draws near. That includes improving her jump height, as well as sprinting and leaping abilities. “I felt like I had that good positivity and thought, let’s go in here (at region) and let’s go to state,” Fitzgerald said.
Casey said. “But it’s hard mentally going back and forth like that (in a jump off).” As she competes in her first state meet, Casey now sets her eyes on hitting a height of 5-feet, 10-inches, of which she said was hit during a practice session earlier this year. “I’ll do what I need to be ready for state,” Casey said.
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Education
KYLE PANTHERS
Kyle High alumni reminisce at bi-annual reunion. – Page 1C
Hays Free Press • May 2, 2018
Page 3B
PHOTOS COURTESY OF HAYS CISD
Regina Butcher, Fuentes Elementary principal, said April 16 campus staff has worked for a “couple of years now” on the concept of the school focusing on the fine arts. In 2017, students helped craft a mural in honor the late Susie Fuentes. (Right) The play, “The Jungle Book” is presented to parents by Fuentes Elementary students.
Sketching out success
Fine arts to be a focus for Fuentes Elementary BY MOSES LEOS III
Turning a spotlight on the visual and performing arts could be the future for Fuentes Elementary after Hays CISD leaders Monday approved a specialty pilot program for the school. While there are several hurdles still to be crossed, district leaders envision transitioning Fuentes into a fine arts focus campus by the start of the 2018-2019 school year. Regina Butcher, Fuentes Elementary principal, said April 16 campus staff has worked for a “couple of years now” on the concept of the school focusing on the fine arts. Alejandro Gongora, Hays CISD superintendent of elementary schools, said a fine arts focus campus differs from a magnet school in that curriculum is inclusive and is taught at all grade levels and to every student. Butcher said the idea grew “organically” from
Regina Butcher, Fuentes Elementary principal, cited research that showed students who participated in creative and performing arts were four times more likely to be recognized for academic achievement. Addtionally, Butcher said students in the arts had advanced cognitive, social development skills and were “quick thinkers.”
teachers who sought ways to improve student educational experiences, but also noticed a rise in fine art club participation. Butcher said programs such as theater arts, which has produced a handful of musicals in the last few years with participation across all grade levels, guided movement toward fine arts. But a higher goal was to give Fuentes students the opportunity to succeed beyond social struggles. Roughly 53 percent of Fuentes students are considered “at-risk,” with 57 percent of the population on free and reduced lunch. Butcher April 16 cited research that showed stu-
dents who participated in creative and performing arts were four times more likely to be recognized for academic achievement. Addtionally, Butcher said students in the arts had advanced cognitive, social development skills and were “quick thinkers.” Students can also express their feelings through fine arts, Butcher said. “They are afraid to talk about their emotions and their feelings,” Butcher said. “The arts and drama helps them deal with those anxieties.” Gongora said the Fuentes team visited Blackshear Elementary in Austin ISD, also a fine arts focus cam-
pus, to gather input on the best way to approach creating the program. Following approval, the team will now be tasked with ironing out several logistical wrinkles prior to roll-out of the program. One of those is opening an educator profile, which will give teachers the ability to chime in on what is needed for a fine arts focus campus to take place. The end result is to connect and align Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) curriculum with fine arts. “Having it within the school day, we can reach those kids and teach them in a way maybe they haven’t been taught
before,” said Rebecca Leonard, Fuentes Elementary assistant principal. How Hays CISD deals with student and staff transfers, both in and out of Fuentes, will also be discussed prior to roll-out of the pilot program. On April 16, Gongora said the idea was to limit the program to only Fuentes students, while not allowing transfers during the inaugural year. Pushback from trustees, however, led district administration to start reaching out to current Kindergarten and first grade parents who could be impacted by the campus. The district could also conduct a survey to gauge
the public’s reaction to transfers to and from the campus. Hays CISD trustee Esperanza Orosco advocated for the fine arts focus idea, but felt the district shouldn’t be closed minded to transfers. “We want to reach out to teachers who are out there and have a passion for the fine arts,” Orosco said. “I’d hate to waste an opportunity and not engage teachers who want to come to Fuentes.” Trustee Teresa Tobias, who has a student at Fuentes Elementary, also believed the district could lose an opportunity by closing transfers. Trustee Willie Tenorio believed starting the idea of a focus campus now could allow for it to evolve over time. “We need to develop different paths to success. Art is another path to success,” Tenorio said. “Having that will enhance overall quality of education throughout the whole district.”
PHOTO COURTESY OF PEC
Hays CISD seniors (l-r) Robert Woodworth, Sarah Moore, Sydney Hatmaker and Rayna Webb pose for a photo after they received Pedernales Electric Cooperative scholarships April 26.
Hays seniors earn $12.5K in PEC scholarships STAFF REPORT Four Hays CISD seniors were recipients of a combined $12,500 in scholarships from Pedernales Electric Cooperative April 26. The scholarships, announced during an awards ceremony in Johnson City, are part of $100,000 PEC gave to 28 local high school seniors for 2018, according to a press release. Lehman High senior Reyna Webb, along with Hays High seniors Robert Woodworth and Sarah Moore received $2,500 scholarships. Sydney Hatmaker, a senior at Jack C. Hays High School, received a $5,000 scholarship. The four students were
selected out of a field of 360 applicants who vied for PEC scholarships. PEC has supported local students through its scholarship program for more than a decade. By supporting future Hill Country leaders, the program illustrates PEC’s commitment to the cooperative principle, “concern for communities.” Recipients were selected by a panel of independent judges based on their applicant profiles, including academic performance, community involvement, extracurricular activities and financial need. Applicants also submitted an essay in which they were asked to identify how a PEC scholarship
would help them achieve their educational and career goals. “We are committed to helping our future leaders grow, and the essays we received were a powerful reminder of just how much PEC, as a cooperative, supports and empowers our members,” said Trista Fugate, PEC’s director of community engagement. “These students each have so much promise, and we look forward to watching them succeed.” PEC scholarships can be used to pay expenses at any accredited university, college, junior college, technical school or trade school. To learn more about PEC’s scholarship program, visit pec. coop/scholarship.
PHOTO BY JIM CULLEN
Lobos share the gift of dental hygiene with young Panthers
Lehman High School Health Science Tech students made a swing through classes at Kyle Elementary School this week, sharing vital dental hygiene lessons with their young Panther friends. The student-to-student teaching came during the same week Lobo Chemistry Club members taught pre-STAAR test lessons just down the street at Wallace Middle School. Hays CISD Health Promotion Nurse LaNan Bedwell coordinated with Lehman Health Science teacher Yvette Sutten to arrange the dental lesson tour to Lehman’s elementary feeder campuses.
Ten students awarded $500 BUMC scholarships STAFF REPORT Ten students recently were awarded $500 scholarships by the Buda United Methodist Church (BUMC) Men’s Group. Hays High students included Amanda Mae
Ashley, Melanie Chida, Blake Fall, Thomas Farrell, Samuel Grumbles, Samuel Johnson, Brittney Koopmann, Freddy Rojo and Erin Swearingen; Quinlin Hehr from Live Oak Academy was also awarded a $500 schol-
arship. BUMC Men’s Group hosts the annual pumpkin patch on Main Street each fall. Proceeds from pumpkin sales, along with other fundraising events during the year, support the Men’s Group scholarship fund.
Education
Page 4B
Mariachi Los Lobos shine again
COURTESY PHOTO
The Lehman Los Lobos Varsity Mariachi competed at the Texas A&M University-International Mariachi Festival in Laredo. Competing against nine schools in the Encore division, the Lobos took first place along with Best Violins and Best Vocals. On Saturday, México’s legendary El Nuevo Tecalitlan Mariachi held a concert, and as 1st place winners, the Los Lobos were the opening act for the concert and also closed out the show with El Nuevo Tecalitlan Mariachi. Mariachi Los Lobos will compete at the Mariachi Spectacular again this summer in Albuquerque.
Hays Free Press • May 2, 2018
PHOTO BY JIM CULLEN
Wallace Ranger celebrates 50th anniversary
On Friday, students, teachers, families, and members of the Kyle community gathered to celebrate the Wallace Middle School Ranger mascot’s 50th anniversary. The events featured a variety of activities, including a pie eating contest. In the evening’s keynote program, Wallace Principal Sarah Hodges was joined on stage by former Wallace Middle School teacher David Hall and Hays County Commissioner Mark Jones and his wife, Kyle Elementary teacher Kerri Jones.
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Section C
Community
STR DEBATE
Reactions are mixed about short term rentals in Kyle. – Page 1D
Hays Free Press
HaysFreePress.com
May 2, 2018 • Page 1C
Kyle Panthers fight ... again
PHOTO BY PAULINE TOM
Painted buntings returned to Pauline Tom’s yard this year in full color.
Buntings return in full color Mt. City Montage
PHOTOS BY KATERINA BARTON
Some of the Kyle High graduates included (top photos, l-r): Linda Steele Richter, Rose Marie Schmeltekopf Toepfer; Jean Bales, Buster Evans and Nancy Kercheville Thomas; and Linda Steele Richter, Larry Holder and Mary Jane Word Kirkham.
Alumni reminisce during bi-annual reunion BY KATERINA BARTON
Around 100 Panther alumni from good old Kyle High met April 28 at the Kimbro Building at Kyle Elementary for their bi-annual homecoming reunion. The ex-Panthers gathered in the original Kyle High gym early Saturday morning to thumb through old yearbooks, catch up with classmates, eat barbecue, and reminisce over the good ol’ days. In 1967, the schools in Kyle and Buda consolidated into a single district – Hays CISD. Kyle High School’s last graduating class graduated in 1968, the same year that Hays High School was built. The Kyle school was later turned into Kyle Elementary School. As 20 years worth of alumni entered the gym, they hugged old classmates, took pho-
tos, and sang their old alma mater. The words, “Remembering until the end, Panthers fight, never die!” rang through the old gym and seemed to hold appropriate symbolism. Some travelled all the way from Alabama and Louisiana for the occasion. Not only was this a special occasion for many attending, but a historical one too. These people grew up in a Kyle that was very different from what it is today, and they hold important stories and memories of the city’s history. “Everybody always looks forward to [the reunion],” Secretary of the Kyle High Reunion Committee Kay Hauptrief Guenther said. “Having a small school means you got to know everybody. You made close relationships with all the teachers and the students. It wasn’t like
the big schools nowadays where you don’t know anybody.” Three members of one of the oldest classes, Nancy Kercheville Thomas, Buster Evans and Jean Bales, sat together reminiscing
about their old school days. They graduated in 1948, 72 years ago this May. Thomas is about to turn 90. The trio talked about when the gym was first built for the high school and they had to take
their shoes off to protect the new wood floor. “When we were in high school, they wouldn’t let us walk on this floor with our shoes on. Now I feel guilty, like
KYLE HIGH REUNION, 4C
BY KATERINA BARTON
RENDERING COURTESY OF CAMP CYPRESS
The Camp Cypress property was donated to the YMCA of Austin by George Yonge in 1999 with the desire to establish a camp for kids to explore the great outdoors.
for youth and children as well as for year-round educational events. It will also be available for retreats for companies or organizations, and even wedding receptions. The project will be
C
olor me happy in vivid chartreuse, indigo and reds. We saw painted buntings return to our big boulders birdbath on April 23. eBird.org (with an app) stores my bird sightings. A quick eBird check shows my first reported painted bunting in 2016 and 2017 was April 25. It’s fun. It’s free. It’s amazing. It helps scientists. Even now, as I stitch together tidbits (with recovering KissMe, his stiches removed, by my side in his stroller) the reflection in the wall mirror in front of me gives me a painted bunting and lesser goldfinch to report on eBird. On April 24 I reported an indigo bunting.
MONTAGE, 4C
It’ll be fun to stay at the YMCA Camp Cypress A new YMCA camp and retreat lodge for children and families will be opening up right outside of downtown Buda off of Interstate 35. Camp Cypress, nestled on 85 acres of land on Onion Creek, will be located at 959 Old San Antonio Road. The proposed 98,000 squarefoot facility will be built in two phases with the first phase projected to cost $18.3 million. President and CEO of the YMCA of Austin James Finck presented the project to Buda City Council on May 1. “This is particularly important with our youth today where the average kid has a screen time of seven and a half hours a day. This has never been more important than now,” Finck said. City council member Paul Daugereau said he is happy with the project. “I’ve got two children that will hopefully be able to utilize it in the near future. I think it’s great,” he said. The camp and retreat lodge is intended to serve as a summer camp
by Pauline Tom
integrated with the the natural area so that the community can connect with nature and also protect it. Finck calls it “one of the prettiest pieces of property that you could ever imagine.” The camp will be a
massive facility with amenities including a dining hall, conference/activity centers, treehouse cabins, kids cabins, a natatorium (indoor swimming complex) with an accompanying outdoor
pool and waterslide, an amphitheater, a double zip line and rock climbing wall, ropes courses, an archery range, a livestock corral, among other amenities.
CAMP CYPRESS, 2C
Ten garden activities for May Ask Chris
by Chris Winslow
1.Plant flowers: This is a perfect time for flowering annuals and perennials. Begonias, zinnias, marigolds, moss-roses, purslanes, and vinca are all good choices. Perennials might include lantanas, salvias, and verbenas. 2 Vegetable garden care: Water deeply to encourage a deep, drought tolerant root system. Still time to add a few warm season crops: sweet and hot peppers, green beans, okra, eggplant, and black-eyed peas. Fertilize tomatoes. 3. Mulch: Place around all plants to conserve water and keep the temperature around the plant roots comfortable. Mixing some compost with the mulch will help replace nutrients as the plants grow. 4.Care of roses: Deadhead spring flowering roses to encourage a new flush of flowers. Apply fertilizer to produce new flowers. Watch for powdery mildew, black spot and western flower thrip. Treat with organic sprays: Neem oil and wettablesulphur. 5 .Move houseplants outside: Put them out for a spring breather. Move
ASK CHRIS, 4C
COMMUNITY
Page 2C
OBITUARIES KERSHNER Nancy Nawassa Kershner, of Kyle, TX, passed away on April 14, 2018 at the age of 73 to join her beloved parents in the everlasting light of our Lord. Nancy was born in Elkton, MD on D-Day June 6, 1944 and graduated from Fayetteville High School in West Virginia in 1962 where she was a majorette. Nancy attended Charleston General Hospital School of Laboratory Technique in West Virginia and became a medical laboratory technologist. She eventually became the lab and radiology manager at the former Women’s and Children’s Hospital in Odessa, Texas then moved to Big Spring, Texas and served as both the Lab Manager and Safety Officer. She was loved and regarded highly by her coworkers in the hospital. Nancy also made her home in Colorado throughout her life and loved to spend time in the Rocky Mountains. Nancy valued family above all else. She was immensely proud of her children and grandchildren and devoted her life to their care. Her presence in our lives will be greatly missed. Nancy is survived by her son Stephen Dale Taylor of Westminster Colorado; daughter Stephanie Anne Larrison and her husband Ross of Kyle, Texas and two wonderful grandsons, Austin and Zachary; brothers William Kershner and Cameron Douglas Kershner of Colorado. She is preceded in death by her parents, Cameron and Amy Kershner.
PEREZ On Sunday, April 22, 2018, at the young age of 20, Joe Rene Perez Jr’s life was tragically cut short. He passed away and entered the presence of God, in Antioch, Tennessee, the victim of senseless violence. Always happy and able to bring a smile to anybody, Joe was born to Joe Rene and Patricia Ann (Saucada) Perez Sr. in Austin Texas, on September 22, 1997. Joe, a loving young man, had lots of friends. He attended Lehman High School and later Hays High School both in Kyle Texas. He was visiting his brother and working with him in Nashville, TN doing appliance installation when tragedy struck. As a child, Joe played football with the Lehman Lobos
until he was in sixth grade. He loved rap music and was a fan of taking selfies. Joe wouldn’t consider himself vain; but he had the look, was very photogenic, and worked hard to maintain it. If his hair was out of place or in need of a haircut, on went a cap. Joe was selfless, always concerned about the wellbeing of others. His joyful demeaner could change anybody’s day around. He loved going out with friends of all ages for movies and shopping. He was always on the go, full of youthful energy and ambition. He was his mom’s baby and let everybody know. While in Nashville, he often lamented about his desire to be with his parents and have a Whataburger. Joe will always be remembered for his smile, jokes and the joy he shared with others. Joe’s life was richly blessed by those who loved him, including his parents Joe Rene and Patricia Ann Perez Sr., his brothers Cruz and Christian Perez, his grandmothers: Adele Cardenas and Mary Rodriguez, his niece Lilliana Perez, his best friend Martin Galicia as well as numerous aunts, uncles and cousins. Visitation with a Holy Rosary was held on April 30. Funeral Mass followed on Tuesday, May 1 at Saint Anthony Marie de Claret Catholic Church. Cremation followed. Please visit www.Harrellfuneralhomes.com to share a fond memory, photograph, or condolence with Joe’s family on his on-line memorial site. In lieu of flowers, please contribute to Joe’s Go Fund Me page at Gofundme.com/5gh3vj4
SKIEFF Dorothy “Dottie” Skieff passed April 11, 2018 in her home in Buda, Texas. She was born January 19, 1936 in Austin, Texas. She was preceeded in death by her mother Imogene Grumbles, seven brothers and two sisters for total of 10 kids. She is survived by her three kids Debra Jean Fort, James Edward Rivard , John Allen Rivard and 7 grand kids, 12 great-grand kids and 4 great-great-grand kids. A Celebration of Life will be held May 28 at 11 a.m. at First Baptist Church Buda, 104 S. San Marcos St., Buda, Tx. Pastor Buddy Johnson will preside, and a reception lunch will follow. In lieu of flower contributions may be made to First Baptist Church Buda.
Hays Free Press • May 2, 2018
Self-value as a path to healing BY BELEN ANCHONDO, MS, LPC-INTERN, NCC – MCCOY FAMILY SHELTER COUNSELOR
G
uilt and shame are common feelings experienced by sexual assault survivors of any age. As part of the assault, survivors are often led to believe that it is their fault. After a while, they start to believe they are bad which moves them from guilt to shame. This often takes away from the survivor’s estimation of their selfvalue because shame becomes a maladaptive thought process, which only grows as more time passes. Eventually, this thought process may permeate the survivor’s lifestyle and self-image. It affects the way they
view themselves and the choices they make. Children who are assaulted are particularly vulnerable to this type of maladaptive viewpoint because they grow up believing they are not worthy. Usually an abuser is someone who is known and trusted, so kids believe if someone who is supposed to love them hurts them then it must mean they do not deserve unconditional love. Many survivors will have a low self-esteem as a result of never being validated paired with this feeling of shame and a low opinion of their self-value. Unfortunately, this becomes a pattern, which may lead a survivor to abusive relationships. This may be a greater risk for those
who have never received intervention and treatment. Many times child victims of abuse may become promiscuous or act out behaviorally as a way to cope with all the emotions they are feeling. An important step in a survivor’s healing is helping them regain their power and helping them learn to value themselves. Part of this path to healing should include self-compassion, which means being kind to oneself and not taking the blame for what happened. Victims of sexual assault have been taught by their experiences that they are not worth anything. Those who don’t value themselves may be more likely to make negative choices because they believe that is all they deserve.
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See Solution on 3C
Continued from pg. 1C
events or participate in retreats at the new camp facility. Finck has raised $15.1 million of the $18.3 million for the first phase of the project. He expects the total buildout to be over $30 million. The timeline for the project is dependent on funds, which may take another year to a year and a half to raise. Once the money is acquired, the build-time is expected to take 18 to 24 months. The pool will be the first thing to be built, which the YMCA is looking to open in fall 2019, with everything else phased in afterward. The property where the camp is being built was donated over 10 years ago by George Young. Although nothing has been built on the property yet, the land is currently being used for educational opportunities for students from all over the Austin area.
PATH TO HEALING, 4C
Bingo
Camp Cypress The YMCA partnered with Hays CISD to share the 10-lane natatorium with the district’s swim team. “Once built, we will be able to teach every first grader that goes through the Hays school system how to swim,” Finck said. The camp is expected to serve around 20,000 people in a year, with a 320-person capacity per night. “It is big and it is beautiful and it’s going to be a lot of fun,” Finck said. In making plans for this project, one of Finck’s biggest concerns was accessibility. Along with geographic accessibility, the YMCA is also offering scholarships to make Camp Cypress financially feasible for all children. The camp also will be fully ADA compliant. Another feature of accessibility is that citizens will not have to be members of the YMCA to go to
So how do we get someone out of this negative cycle? There is never a “one size fits all” solution, but a good place to start would be the survivor’s sense of self-worth. Teaching survivors to value themselves when they feel that no one in their lives has valued them is a daunting task. A tool such as positive self-talk is encouraged. Some people like to write positive quotes on sticky notes and post them in highly visible locations such as a bathroom mirror so they can see them every day. For children, having a role model they look up to tell them they are good enough and that they are worthy will considerably impact their self-image.
See Solution on 3C
Hays Free Press • May 2, 2018
COMMUNITY
Page 3C
Air disasters nine years and fifty miles apart T
DRUG STORE
203 Railroad Street Downtown Buda Pharmacy 312-2111 Fountain 312-2172
Your Hometown McDonald’s
ASSEMBLIES OF GOD
EPISCOPAL
NON-DENOMINATIONAL
Faith Assembly of God 1030 Main St., Buda
St. Elizabeth’s Episcopal Church 725 RR 967, Buda
Monte del Olivar Christian Center 2400 FM 150 E., Kyle
BAPTIST First Baptist Church-Buda 104 San Marcos St., Buda
St. Alban’s Episcopal Church 11819 IH-35 South
Hays Hills Baptist Church 1401 FM 1626, Buda
JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES
2325 FM 967 • 312-0701
NEWS • LETTERS • OBITS CALENDAR • PHOTO GALLERY CLASSIFIEDS • SUBSCRIBE
Primera Mision Bautista Mexicana Kyle
A Fountain of Life Church 302 Millenium Dr. Kyle
Redeeming Grace Lutheran LCMS FM 1626 & Manchaca Rd., Manchaca
Fellowship Church at Plum Creek 160 Grace Street at 2770, Kyle
The Well Buda
Word of Life Christian Faith Center 118 Trademark Drive, Buda
METHODIST
Por Tu Gracia Fellowship 701 Roland Lane, Kyle
Buda United Methodist Church San Marcos & Elm St., Buda
Trinity United Chuch of Niederwald 13700 Camino Real, Hwy. 21, Niederwald
CATHOLIC Santa Cruz Catholic Church 1100 Main Street, Buda St. Anthony Marie Claret Church 801 N. Burleson, Kyle St. Michael’s Catholic Church S. Old Spanish Trail, Uhland
Kyle United Methodist Church Sledge & Lockhart St., Kyle
CHRISTIAN
Journey United Methodist 310 San Antonio Dr., Buda
Buda-Kyle Church of Christ 3.5 miles south of Buda on FM 2770 Southern Hills Church of Christ 3740 FM 967, Buda
(Millennium Drive is an entrance road) Pastor Rusty Fletcher and family
Services Sun. 11:00 a.m. Wed. 7:30 p.m.
Call or Text 512.393.4460
Visit
afountain.org for more info.
nuel Baptist Church a m Im FIRST SUNDAYS: Contemporary Worship at 9:30 a.m.
SUNDAY: Bible Study for all ages, 9:45 a.m. Worship Service, 10:55 a.m. WEDNESDAY: Bible Study, 7 p.m. Pastor Rodney Coleman 4000 East FM 150 (4 miles east of Kyle) (512) 268-5471
God with us
Mission Fellowship Church 200 San Marcos Street, Buda
Good Shepherd Ministries FM 967, Buda
CHURCH OF CHRIST
Located 1 block off FM 2001 at 302 Millennium Dr., Kyle, Texas
Jehovah’s Witnesses South 10802 Manchaca Rd., Manchaca
St. Paul’s United Methodist Church 7206 Creedmoor Rd., Creedmoor Manchaca United Methodist Church FM 1626 & Manchaca Rd., Manchaca Driftwood United Methodist Church RR 150 at County Road 170
Buda United Methodist Church Elm Street & San Marcos
*Traditional Worship (Worship Center)-9 a.m. Sunday School (all ages)-10:00 a.m. *Informal Worship (Chapel)-11 a.m. Wednesday Evening (Chapel)-6:30 p.m. *On 5th Sundays we conduct one service at 10 a.m. with special music.
Rev. Nancy Day Office 295-6981, Parsonage 512-393-9772 www.BudaUMC.org
Santa Cruz Catholic Church
1100 Main Street • Buda, Texas 78610 Office: 512-312-2520 • Fax: 512-295-2034 • santacruzcc.org Rev. David Leibham, Pastor • Rev. Amado Ramos, Assoc. Pastor CONFESSION Saturdays: 4 p.m.-5 p.m. MASS SCHEDULE: Saturday evening: 5:30 p.m. Sunday 8:30 a.m. (Spanish), 11 a.m. (English) 5 p.m. (English)
OFFICE HOURS Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
FM 2770, Buda, Texas 295-4801
Kingdom United Christian Church 100 Madison Way, Buda
Center Union Baptist Church Goforth Rd., Buda
Iglesia Israelita Casa de Dios 816 Green Pastures Dr., Kyle
A non-denominational church with live contemporary Christian music and life giving teaching!
Sudoku Puzzle, from page 2C
CENTEX MATERIALS LLC
Completed & Perfected Faith Church Tobias Elementary Cafeteria, FM 150, Kyle
Vertical Chapel 801 FM 1626 (Elm Grove Elem.), Buda
New Life Christian Church 2315 FM 967, Buda
A FOUNTAIN OF LIFE
Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses FM 2770, Kyle
Antioch Community Church Old Black Colony Rd., Buda
Living Word Lutheran ELCA 2315 FM 967, Buda
Baptist Church of Driftwood 13540 FM 150 W.
Log onto www.HaysFreePress.com
Sudoku Solution
The Connection Church 1235 S. Loop 4, Buda
LUTHERAN
Immanuel Baptist Church 4000 E. FM 150, 4 miles east of Kyle
Veterinary Clinic
Texas Crossword, from page 2C
TEXAS LEHIGH CEMENT CO. LP
New Covenant Community Church 1019 Main Street, Buda (in Dance Unlimited)
Manchaca Baptist Church Lowden Lane & FM 1626
Rosebrock
St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church RR 3237 (Wimberley Rd.), Kyle
First Baptist Church-Kyle 300 W. Center St., Kyle
Southeast Baptist Church 5020 Turnersville Rd., Creedmoor
15359 IH-35, Ste. B P.O. Box 1364, Buda, TX 78610 512-312-2383 Locally owned and operated by Jimmy and Cindi Ferguson
Texas Crossword Solution
Come worship with us
Sledge Chapel Missionary Baptist Church 709 Sewell, Kyle
McDonald’s of Buda
of Braniff Flight 352 on that rainy afternoon in 1968. Postmaster Cloyce Floyd was driving along a blacktop road, when an “orange flash” lit up the sky. “I could see this red ball of fire…about the size of the sun. From the glare of the fire I could see the fuselage sort of fishtailing down. Then it hit and exploded.” The rainstorm forced Doug Lenox to stop spraying a field and seek shelter in a gas station on the edge of town. The thunderous explosion emptied the station with people scattering in all directions. Lenox and his friend Ronnie Chasteen trudged through the mud to the crest of a small hill. From that vantage point, they could clearly see the burning wreckage. “I just happened to look down,” Lenox recounted
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PENTECOSTAL Mision de Casa de Oracion S. Hwy. 81, Kyle New Life Sanctuary Kyle Science Hall Elementary 1510 Bebee Rd. PRESBYTERIAN St. John’s Presbyterian Church 12420 Hewitt Ln., Manchaca First Presbyterian Church 410 W. Hutchison, San Marcos, TX 78666
Hays Hills
Baptist Church
Sunday
9:30 a.m. Classic Service 10:45 a.m. Contemporary service
9:00am 10:00am 6:00pm 7:00pm
Wednesday
Adult (including an 8:30 a.m. early bird class), teen, children’s classes * Children’s worship Professionally-staffed nursery & pre-school
COME WORSHIP WITH US!
www.hayshills.org 1401 N. FM 1626
First Baptist Church
A loving & caring Southern Baptist Church 104 S. San Marcos Street, Buda Buddy Johnson, Pastor • 295-2161 Sunday School...........................................9:30 a.m. Morning Worship....................................10:45 a.m. Wednesday Bible Study/Youth Activities...6:00 p.m. AWANA’s (Wednesday)..........................6:00 p.m. Nursery Provided www.firstbaptistbuda.com • fbcbuda@austin.rr.com
Bible Class Worship Worship Bible Class
Southeast Baptist Church 5020 Turnersville Rd • Creedmoor, TX 512-243-2837
Sunday Bible Study: 9:45 a.m. Worship: 11:00 a.m. WEdnESday Pray & Devotion: 6:30 p.m.
FM
N
13
27
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Debbie Thames, Agent 251 N. FM 1626, Bldg. 2, Ste. C, Buda, Texas 78610 312-1917
up a large quantity of diamonds taken onto the plane by a jeweler. The official accident report stated every precious stone was accounted for, but an eyewitness claimed that “two or three years after (the crash), the wives (of a few younger volunteers) showed up with some beautiful diamond rings.” Without air conditioning, the bits and pieces of what had once been 34 people rapidly decomposed in the makeshift morgue. The stench of death and decay hung over Buffalo for days, and even the next spring the gym smelled strongly of formaldehyde for the high school prom. Despite the fact that 800 people at most called Dawson home, there was no shortage of eyewitnesses to the last seconds
“Don’t talk to him too much. He’s trying to get us to admit we’re making a big mistake coming through here.” “Here” was a dangerous storm the controller repeatedly advised Flight 352 to avoid but which the captain insisted upon flying through.
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wing “flutter.” On the fiftieth anniversary of the Buffalo crash in 2009, residents shared their memories of the most tragic event in the small town’s history. Several recalled that the bigger pieces of the plane as well as most of the body parts belonging to the 28 passengers and six members of the flight crew were found in a potato field. The gruesome chore of recovery started minutes after the plane came down shortly after 11:00 p.m. and continued through the night. Local officials and volunteers with the help of highway patrolmen hand-carried what was left of shattered lives to the high school gym, which had been converted into a temporary morgue. At dawn the second day, 259 soldiers arrived from Fort Hood to augment the search. Using walkietalkies and a helicopter, they inspected every foot of muddy ground in a onemile-by-two-and-a-halfmile grid and did it again the next day. To their amazement, search parties picked
four decades later, “and Ronnie was about to step on a foot that had been cut off at the ankle. That’s when we realized what we had walked into.” “I remember hearing the noise, and we went to the site out there,” said Charles Renfro, the Dawson mayor in 1968. “We opened the gym for them to bring the bodies in.” With a total of 85 fatalities compared to the 34 of the Buffalo crash, removal and warehousing of the dead presented a much bigger challenge in Dawson. Hundreds of volunteers from every agency imaginable plus another influx of troops inundated the stricken community. The odor emanating from the gym grew worse by the day. According to an article in the Corsicana Daily Sun, “Student morticians from Waco put screens on the windows and smoked cigars to mask the smell of decay.” Unlike the crash nine years earlier, the National Transportation Safety Board had both the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder of Braniff 352 for its investigation. Seconds before the fatal maneuver that wound up ripping the wings off the plane, the captain told the first officer to watch what he said to air traffic control.
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by Bartee Haile
Buda, Texas • 15300 S. IH-35 • 312-1615
BUDA
With a total of 85 fatalities compared to the 34 of the Buffalo crash, removal and warehousing of the dead presented a much bigger challenge in Dawson. Hundreds of volunteers from every agency imaginable plus another influx of troops inundated the stricken community.
Texas History
IH-35
wenty-three minutes into the short hop from Houston’s Hobby Airport to Dallas Love Field on May 3, 1968, Braniff Flight 352 carrying 85 passengers and crew broke up in a thunderstorm and crashed near the Navarro County community of Dawson. Nine years earlier, another Braniff turbo-prop flying the same route also disintegrated in mid-air raining wreckage and human remains down on the quiet countryside near Buffalo in Leon County. A mere 50 miles separated the sites of the two deadly aviation disasters. Braniff 542 was a Lockheed L-188 Electra that had been in service only 11 days. Although the two pilots and flight engineer had recently trained on the new four-engine aircraft with a $2.1 million price tag, they had never flown one. Working “blind” without the “black box” instruments that later became standard equipment, investigators determined that “the break-up of the plane had begun in the left wing and progressed in a catastrophic sequence which ultimately destroyed the aircraft.” The cause remained a mystery until the post-mortem of another disintegrated Electra the following year uncovered a design flaw that created
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COMMUNITY
Page 4C
Continued from pg. 1C
I shouldn’t be walking on this floor,” Thomas laughed. They all have fond memories from school and of their classmates, although Thomas said she was ready to get out and graduate. Her favorite memory from high school was after graduation when her class and
teachers took a bus trip to Carlsbad Caverns. Just looking around the gym, it’s not hard to tell that this is a close-knit community. Just about everyone’s family knew each other growing up and when names were read off to pay respects to those who had passed, anecdotes and memories
Three members of one of the oldest classes, Nancy Kercheville Thomas, Buster Evans and Jean Bales, sat together reminiscing about their old school days. They graduated in 1948, 72 years ago this May. were shared around the room. Each ex-Panther still maintains a strong passion and loyalty to their alma mater even though it is long gone. They still
sing their old fight song with gusto and remember the school they love so dear. “It’s nice to know that all of this is still going on and we can still get
together. It’s a little sad that there are not any more graduates that will be joining and we lose so many. But it’s just great that everyone can get together,” Guenther said.
ENTERTAINMENT
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EVX
Montage: Buntings return in full color
Cinema Eatery & Social Haus
have cats, but we don’t know who owns the trespassing cats. Shooing the cats has not prevented the return of these roaming-at-large predators. Neighbors, please keep cats confined to your property. If this is not possible, please try a vivid-colored birdsbesafe collar cover (or something similar) over a breakaway collar. Thank you. Search for an article by the Humane Society “How to Bring a Cat Indoors”. “Allowing your cats to roam outdoors can significantly shorten their lives. Potentially deadly dangers – parasites, catching diseases from other cats, being hit
by cars, stolen by strangers, attacked by predators, or just plain getting lost – are constant threats to an outdoor cat. And cats themselves can be deadly to local wildlife.” The birdsbesafe collar cover is featured in a science article in Audubon. org with results of studies. A spring study showed cats killed 19 times fewer birds when wearing the birdsbesafe cover that goes over a breakaway collar. Most birds can see the bright colors. Oak trees get some protection from oak wilt when homeowners follow guidelines published on texasoakwilt.org . Now (February 1 – June 31) is
the season when live oaks should not be pruned or trimmed, if at all possible. A particular tiny beetle can bring oak wilt into a tree through even a small wound. The disease kills that tree first and then spreads to neighboring trees through interconnected root systems. The slow process continues for decades. Kesa Larsen completed
four decades of life on Monday. Lucas surprised her with a gigantic decorative yard sign. Happy 40th, Kesa! As I complete one Montage, it’s time to start another. Kindly help me with tidbits. Email ptom5678@gmail.com (subject: Tidbit) or leave a message at 512-268-5678. Thanks! Love to you, Pauline.
1250 WONDER WORLD DR.
(512) 805 8005 EVO-ENTERTAINMENT.COM Films. Lanes. Games.
scheduling!
Continued from pg. 2C
Children can also engage in self-care by using play. Kids need to be allowed to have fun which can be very therapeutic in and of itself. Value must come from within before one is able to make choices that are more conducive to one’s life.. Often times, the battles we fight in silence are the toughest and this is definitely a silent battle for many survivors. Healing is a long and difficult
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Path to Healing: Self-value is key Another tool that can be used to improve one’s sense of value is increased self-care. Encouraging survivors to take a little time out of their day to do something for themselves may not seem like a lot to ask, but it is for them. Many survivors will feel guilty for paying attention to themselves, but self-care is necessary to reduce stress and can aid the emotional healing process.
SPOT
1180 Thorpe Lane (512) 210 8600
Continued from pg. 1C
Wally Rudzinski brought a new feature of the Merlin app to my attention when he and Cathy stopped to view the birds in front of our house. “Explore Birds” on Merlin will pull a list with photos of birds most likely to be seen on any particular day in Mountain City. A click opens more photos and ID Info, with options for sounds and map. Color me sad that several domestic cats have recently snared wild birds we’ve attracted to our certified wildlife habitat property near the Live Oak Drive cul-de-sac. We do not know who owns them. We know neighbors
ENHANCED VIEWING EXPERIENCE
For all showtimes and listings, please check our website or call showline!
THE
Kyle High Reunion
Hays Free Press • May 2, 2018
journey. It is an ongoing choice to stay committed to change, but once we get to a place where we know our value, it can greatly improve our quality of life. Abuse and challenge can be transformed to resiliency and hope. The following article is the fifth and final article of a five-week series focusing on raising awareness about sexual assault and child abuse.
WITH ONLINE BOOKING, you can take control of your appointment scheduling at ARC. We have easy options for new and established patients. It’s all part of ARC Access.
ARCbooknow.com
Ask Chris: Ten gardening activities for May Continued from pg. 1C
If you have a question for Chris, send it via email to iathyme@yahoo.com. Or mail a postcard to It’s About Thyme11726 Manchaca Road, Austin, TX 78748 www.itsaboutthyme.com
— ARC DOCTORS NEAR YOU —
Everett
area, keep those feeders full. 10. Grow basil: The top herb for the summer months is basil. With the nights getting warmer, this wonderful herb should finally have the temperatures it needs to take off. Happy Gardening Everyone!
967
171
Kohlers Crossing
Wiley Way
and mealy bug are the problem, use Neem oil or Spinosad. 7. Maintain irrigation: If you own an automatic sprinkler system, it would save water and money to have it tuned up. Set the controller for deep, infrequent watering to encourage a deep, drought-resistant root system. Install rain sensor. 8. Fertilize lawn: Use an organic blend with a 3-1-2 ratio. Ten pounds per 1,000 square feet of turf area should be adequate. 9. Feed the birds: With lots of new birds in the
Buda Sportsplex Dr
them slowly towards their new light exposure. Too much sun too fast will burn the leaves. This is also a good time for transplanting. 6. Insect control: All this new spring growth is attractive to every kind of critter imaginable. Be nice to the environment (and to yourself) and only use organic sprays. If you have larvae (caterpillars) eating holes in your plants and trees, look for products that have B.T. as the main ingredient. If sucking insects like aphids, spider mites, whitefly, scale,
1626
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M–F: 7:30am–5:00pm
M–F: 7:30am–9:00pm Sat & Sun: 8:00am–5:00pm
Section D
Business
HaysFreePress.com
Hays Free Press
May 2, 2018 • Page 1D
PHOTO BY MOSES LEOS III
An employee at Kreuz Barbecue in Lockhart weighs out some sausage. Under state law, retailers are required to use scales to measure what they sell to the public. Those scales are also supposed to be registered with the state so inspectors can ensure that they’re not tipped in the seller’s favor.
PHOTO BY KATERINA BARTON
This house on Sledge Street is one of the many homes currently available for rent in the Kyle.
Opinions are still mixed on Short-Term Rentals in Kyle BY KATERINA BARTON
A positive disposition toward short-term rentals (STR) in Kyle was the reaction from the majority of residents who participated in a Planning and Zoning commission (P&Z) survey on the matter. With 502 respondents chiming in, around 48 percent voted that STR should be allowed with regulations, while17 percent voted they should be allowed without regulations. Despite the majority approving STR, roughly 30 percent of participants believed STR should not be allowed in Kyle at all. In an open-ended question, 265 survey takers wrote comments on reasons why STR should be allowed. Some of the top reasons for allowing STR included that it encourages tourism for the city, stimulates the local economy, and allows homeowners
Despite the majority approving STR, roughly 30 percent of participants believed STR should not be allowed in Kyle at all.
to supplement their income. Some commenters even argued that not allowing STR would be government over-regulation of private property owners. “I’m 87 years old and the little extra income I was getting from the occasional renter helped me make ends meet,” one person wrote. Another person didn’t believe government should regulate “what someone wants to do with the property the individual owns.” “Tourists spend money locally. I assume the city is expecting people to visit the Pie Capital,” according to one person’s re-
sponse. However, 355 survey takers wrote comments on reasons why STR should not be allowed. Reasons not to allow STR include issues with crime, noise, and parking, along with an influx of strangers into the community. Some believed STR take away from the family-friendly aspect of Kyle, while others felt STR renters might not respect properties or neighborhoods. Some people believed STR could lower property values in neighborhoods, while another wrote “Nimby,” or Not in My Backyard. “Any time people are on vacation they tend
to behave a little more loosely than usual, which may be a disturbance to neighbors and more work for our already thinly stretched police force,” one person wrote. “It also brings more traffic to our already congested streets.” “It could lead to transient people we may not want in our community,” a fourth commenter wrote. Members of Kyle’s P&Z received copies of these survey results April 24, which are also available to the public online. P&Z members discussed the results of the survey and how to proceed with preparing their final report and
recommendation to city council. In the report, P&Z will make note of reoccurring themes within the comments to show to city council, give a history of STR regulations in the state and surrounding areas, give potential regulations the city could make including collecting Hotel Occupancy Taxes (HOT), among other sections in the report. One of the many controversial topics that P&Z will include in the report concerns property values. P&Z members agreed that it would be hard to determine whether STR would cause property values to increase or decrease. Whether or not STR could be regulated by homeowners associations (HOA) was also a topic of discussion as well. P&Z will meet again on May 8 to put together its report and is scheduled to present its recommendation to city council on June 5.
Texas AG sides with restaurants, retailers on enforcement of BBQ Bill BY ALEX SAMUELS, TEXAS TRIBUNE A nonbinding opinion issued Monday by Attorney General Ken Paxton continues a battle between lawmakers, restaurants and Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller over the regulation of scales used to measure food. Under state law, roughly 17,725 retailers, including grocery store chains, airlines, coffee houses, laundries and brisket purveyors, are required to use scales to measure what they sell to the public. Those scales are also supposed to be registered with the state so inspectors can ensure that they’re not tipped in the seller’s favor. A law passed during last year’s legislative session, however, carved out exemptions for scales “exclusively used to weigh food sold for immediate consumption,” meaning places such as yogurt shops and barbecue joints won’t have to get their scales registered. Miller called the law “horse hockey.” In a Texas Tribune editorial, Millerwrote, “as Ronald Reagan said, ‘Trust but verify.’ I trust my local
STEM FOR COMMERCE, 4D
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Classifieds
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• Place your classified ad by calling 512-268-7862 • Email paper@haysfreepress.com We accept Visa, Mastercard and Discover DEADLINE: NOON MONDAY FOR WEDNESDAY’S PAPER
Hays Free Press
Page 2D
Employment
WANTED: PART-TIME GRAPHIC DESIGNER AND WEB UPDATER
Graphic designer needed to help with laying out two weekly newspapers, as well as some other print and online materials. Candidate would be able to work Tuesday and Wednesdays. Knowledge of Adobe Indesign and Photoshop a must. Wordpress knowledge is a plus. E-mail david@haysfreepress.com.
DIRECT CARE COUNSELORS Provide positive role modeling, structure, and supervision to adolescent boys. No exp. required, We train comprehensively. Pay starting at $10 per hour for flexible 8 & 16 hr shift schedules. Health/life/dental insurance after 60 days. Min. requirements: Must be 21 yrs old, HS/GED, clean TDL, clean criminal history, pre-employment TB skin test, and drug screen. Growing (20+ year old) non-profit organization. www.pegasusschool.net. Call (512)432-1678 for further information.
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Hays Free Press • May 2, 2018
House For Sale
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TEXAS DISPOSAL SYSTEMS
PUBLIC NOTICES
STATE OF TEXAS To JUANITA D. ROMERO: You have been sued. You may employ an attorney. If you or your attorney do not file a written answer with the clerk who issued this citation by 10 a.m. on the Monday next following the expiration of 20 days after you were served this citation and petition, a default judgment may be taken against you. The petition of ROGELIO ROMERO, Petitioner, was filed in the Court of Hays County, Texas, on the 22nd day of November, 2016 against JUANITA D. ROMERO, Respondent, Cause No. 16-2454, and entitled ‘In the Matter of Marriage of Rogelio Romero and Juanita D. Romero The suit requests a dissolution of marriage and division of community property in a manner that is just and right, as provided by law. The Court has authority in this suit to enter any judgment or decree dissolving the marriage and providing for the division of property that will be binding on you. Issued and given under my hand and seal of said Court at Hays County, Texas, this the 24th day of October, 2017. Beverly Crumley Clerk of the District Court of Hays County, Texas
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
Notice is hereby given that original Letters Testamentary for the Estate of JAMES H. JOHNSON, deceased, were issued on April 25, 2018 under Docket number 18-0106-P, pending in the County Court of Hays County, Texas to SUSAN
R. BRADEN and CHARLES BUSBEY. Claims may be presented in care of the attorney for the Estate addressed as follows: Susan R. Braden and Charles Busbey Independent CoExecutors Estate of James H. Johnson C/O Andrew Gary P. O. Box 727 San Marcos, Texas 78667 All persons having claims against this Estate which is currently being administered are required to present them within the time and in the manner prescribed by law. Dated this 26th. day of April, 2018 Andrew Gary, Bar #7721000 P.O. Box 727 San Marcos, Texas 78667 512-396-2541 andrewgary@grandecom. net Attorney for Susan R. Braden and Charles Busbey
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
Notice is hereby given that original Letters Testamentary for the Estate of Virginia Anne May Deceased, were issued on April 23, 2018, in Cause No. 18-0088-P, pending in the County Court, Hays County, Texas, to: Calvin Walter May, Jr. All persons having claims against this Estate which is currently being administered are required to present them to the undersigned within the time and in the manner prescribed by law. c/o: Thrash Law Firm, 3 Lakeway Centre Court, Suite 200, Austin, Texas 78734 DATED the day of , 2018.
ACREAGE
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Public Notices
TexSCAN Week of April 29, 2018
HIRING EVENT
For all the latest news concerning Buda, Kyle and surrounding communities, visit...
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News
22.16 acres, Coke County. Well, electricity. Level, mesquite, cedar cover. Retirement or weekend cabin. Whitetail, quail, doves, and turkey. $3,933 down, $651/mo. (9.9%, 30 years). 800-876-9720. www. ranchenterprisesltd.com.
AUCTIONS Locust Grove, OK – Sycamore Springs Ranch Public Auction, Fri., May 11, Starts at 9:34 a.m., 12754 S. 442 Rd. At 1:01 p.m. will auction the mechanical bull, wagons, carriages and sled followed by vehicles, equipment and larger items. 2-3 auction rings all day, www.chuppsauction.com, 918-638-1157.
CATTLE Sutphin Bulls – 2-year-old Angus, Red Angus, Charolais, Lim Flex – $3,200. Sutphin Cattle Company, Performance Plus Genetics, Contact John, 719-940-3729.
CAREER TRAINING Airline Mechanic Training – Get FAA certification. Approved for military benefits. Financial Aid if qualified. Job placement assistance. Call Aviation Institute of Maintenance, 800-475-4102.
CHARITY Donate a boat or car today to Boat Angel. 2-Night Free Vacation. Sponsored by Boat Angel Outreach Centers to stop crimes against children. 800-700-BOAT, www. boatangel.com.
EMPLOYMENT Point Comfort, TX – Electricians: up to $26/hr with $85 per diem. Helpers: up to $20/hr with $85 per diem. Schedule: 5 to 6x10’s. Call 361-987-5210. Apply at: 1303 Hwy 35 S, Point Comfort, TX 77978.
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
Notice is hereby given that original Letters Testamentary for the Estate of Bette Joyce Pennington, Deceased, were issued on March 12, 2018, in Cause No. 18-0051-P, pending in the County Court at Law No. 1, Hays County, Texas, to: Paul Pennington. All persons having claims against this Estate which is currently being administered are required to present them to the undersigned within the time and in the manner prescribed by law. c/o: Gregory L. Longino Attorney at Law 101 S. First Street Lufkin, Texas 75901 DATED the 2nd day of May, 2018. Gregory L. Longino Attorney for Paul Pennington State Bar No.: 12541400 101 S. First Street Lufkin, Texas 75901 Telephone: (936) 6395999 Facsimile: (936) 6392939 E-mail: longinoefiling@ gmail.com
PUBLIC NOTICE
By order of the Hays County Commissioners Court, notice is hereby given that on May 8, 2018 at 9 a.m. in the Hays County Courthouse, 111 E. San Antonio Street, the Hays County Commissioners Court will hold a public hearing to consider: Replat of Lots 7 & 8 Stagecoach Ranch Section One
PUBLIC NOTICES, 4D
FINANCE Receiving payments from real estate you sold? Get cash now! Call Steve: 888-870-2243. www.SteveCashesNotes.com.
LEGAL ASSISTANCE If you have had complications from or if you have a C.R. Bard blood clot filter, call today for professional insight. 800-460-0606, www.RespectForYou.com.
SAWMILLS Sawmills from only $4,397.00 – Make & Save Money with your own bandmill – Cut lumber any dimension. In stock ready to ship! Free info/DVD: www.NorwoodSawmills.com. 800-567-0404, Ext.300N.
OIL AND GAS RIGHTS We buy oil, gas & mineral rights. Both non- producing and producing including non-Participating Royalty Interest (NPRI). Provide us your desired price for an offer evaluation. 806-620-1422, LoboMineralsLLC@ gmail.com. Lobo Minerals, LLC, PO Box 1800, Lubbock, TX 79408-1800.
TRUCK DRIVERS Class-A CDL Drivers needed in Coppell, TX. Must have Doubles experience. Solo & Team positions. Call 940-726-3276 EOE M/W/V/D. Be Your Own Boss! Get Paid to see the Country! Quality Drive-Away is looking for CDL Drivers to Deliver Trucks! Twenty Locations! Apply at www.qualitydriveaway.com or call 574-642-2023. Drivers Wanted: Owner Ops & Company. Home daily. Excellent money & benefits. Great bonuses. Newer fleet. Call now for opportunities in your area! 888-549-1882.
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Texas Press Statewide Classified Network 283 Participating Texas Newspapers • Regional Ads Start At $250 • Email ads@texaspress.com NOTICE: While most advertisers are reputable, we cannot guarantee products or services advertised. We urge readers to use caution and when in doubt, contact the Texas Attorney General at 800-621-0508 or the Federal Trade Commission at 877-FTC-HELP. The FTC web site is www.ftc.gov/bizop.
Hays Free Press
Hays Free Press • May 2, 2018
Page 3D
Service Directory Good service begins here
*
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Pool Service The only call you need to make TICL #629
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Septic Services
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Commercial & Residential
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Hays Free Press • May 2, 2018
Page 4D
Earn more with Quality! 30 YEARS OF SERVICE
Public Notices continued from 2D NOTICE OF APPLICATION TO SUBDIVIDE
An application has been filed with HAYS COUNTY to subdivide 5.5 acres of property located at South Old Stagecoach Road, Kyle, Texas 78640. Information regarding the subdivision may be obtained from Hays County Development Services, (512) 393-2150. Tracking Number SUB-916.
NOTICE FOR PUBLICATION
SUNFIELD MUNICIPAL UTILITY DISTRICT NO. 4’S NOTICE OF APPLICATION TO AMEND ITS CERTIFICATE OF CONVENIENCE AND NECESSITY (CCN) NO. 13116 AND TO OBTAIN DUAL CERTIFICATION WITH A PORTION GO2 FORTH SPECIAL UTILITY DISTRICT’S CCN NO. 11356 FOR THE PROVISION OF WATER SERVICE IN HAYS AND TRAVIS COUNTIES, We love you so much! TEXAS Good luck at the University Municipal Utility of Texas.Sunfield Remember that ohana means family. District No.gets4 left has submitFamily means nobody behind. Or forgotten. tedletan the Always your application conscience be your with guide. Reach Public Utility Commission for the sky. Hakuna Matata" means no worries. The toway amend pastof canTexas hurt but the I see it, youits canwater either run No. to All obfromCCN it or learn from13116 it. Just keepand swimming. it tain dual certification with a takes is faith and trust. Now go – Live your dreams. portion Goforth Special You're off to of great places, today is your day. Utility District’s CCN No. Your mountain is waiting so get on your way. 11356 in Hays and Travis –Dr. Seuss Counties. We are always going to be your #1 fans. The requested area is Love, Mom, Dad, Mia, Dominic, Brookelyn, located approximately 3 Elijah, Benjamin, Sophie and Faith miles east of downtown Buda, TX, and is generally bounded on the north by Turnersville Road; on the CONGRATULATIONS east by South Turnersville Road; on the south by AMILIO! Satterwhite Road; and on You will do the west by CR 118. The great things total area being requested in life and approximately theincludes world 1056 acres and 0 current will surely customers. benefit from A copy of the map may your future successes. be viewed at: 14755 PresYour entire ton Road Suite 600, Dallas, family TX loves 75254, 972-419-4717. you soPersons very who wish to much. intervene in the proceeding XOXO Love or comment upon action Dad, Mom, should contact the sought Antonio, Carlo andPublic Shadow Utility Commission, P.O. Box 13326, Austin, Texas 78711-3326, or call the Public Utility Commission at (512) 936-7120 or (888) 782-8477. Hearingand speech-impaired individuals with text telephones (TTY) may contact the commission at (512) 936-7136. The deadline for intervention in the proceeding is (30 days from the mailing or publication of notice, whichever occurs later, unless otherwise provided by the presiding officer). You must send a letter requesting intervention to the commission which is received by that date. If a valid public hearing is requested, the Commission will forward the application to the State Office of Administrative Hearings (SOAH) for a hearing. If no settlement is reached and an evidentiary hearing is held, SOAH will submit a recommendation to the
Alexis,
Commission for a final decision. An evidentiary hearing is a legal proceeding similar to a civil trial in state district court. Persons who wish to request this option should file the required documents with the: Public Utility Commission of Texas Central Records 1701 North Congress Avenue P.O. Box 13326 Austin, Texas 78711-3326 Si desea informacion en Espanol, puede llamar al 1-512-936-7221
tary School and Johnson 2141 ext. 45092) between High School: Approximately the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 18.511+/- acres of land, 4:00 p.m., Monday through 119.559+/- acres of land, Thursday. Bid responses 17.015+/- acres of land and must be returned to the associated adjacent roadHCISD Purchasing Office, way right-of-way establishValerie Littrell, 21003 IH 35, ing contiguity, located on Kyle, TX 78640, by the date the north side of R.M. 967 and time indicated above. containing Carpenter Hill El- Late Bids will be returned ementary School and future unopened. The HCISD Johnson High School Board of Trustees reserves At said time and place the right to reject any and/ all such persons shall have or all bids and waive all forthe right to appear and be malities in the bid process. heard. Of all said matters and things, all persons NOTICE OF PUBLIC SALE interested in the subject Of property to satisfy a matter herein mentioned landlord’s lien. shall take notice. InformaSale to be held online at REQUEST FOR tion regarding this annexaStoragetreasures.com by tion, maps, hearings and PROPOSALS competitive bid. service plans is posted at Hays CISD is Requesting Anytime Storage, LLC http://ci.buda.tx.us/246/AnProposals for RFP #06880 Windy Hill Rd. nexation. 041803VL Middle School Kyle, TX 78640 GRADUATION 2017 For more information reCabling Upgrades. ProposWill be ending on or after garding the above matters, als will be accepted until May 18, 2018 at 11 AM please contact the City of 05-03-18 at 2:00 p.m. local Cleanup deposit is Buda Planning Department time. A voluntary Pre-bid required. Seller reserves at (512) 312-5745. meeting will be held on the right to withdraw the Congratulations! property at any time before 4-27-2018 @ 10:00 a.m. REQUEST FOR BIDS at Hays CISD TechnolYou worked hard to the sale. ogy Building, 21003 IH 35, Hays finish CISD this is Requesting Unit items sold for cash chapter of Kyle, Texas. Specifications Bids foryour Bid #18-041802VL to the highest bidder. Proplife and we could are available in the HCISD Kyle Gym Roofing. Bids will erty includes the contents not beuntil more proud of allof spaces of the following Purchasing Office (512-268- be accepted 05-04-18 your local accomplishments. 2141 ext. 45092) between at 2:00 p.m. time. A tenant (s).All Units have the hours of 8:00 a.m. and Pre-construction Now #45meeting Hays Rebel some furniture, boxes, 4:00 p.m., Monday through will be held on on 4-26-2018 moves to his next clothing, miscellaneous Thursday. Bid responses at 10:00 a.m. at Hays chapter at Texas Tech household items. must be returned to the CISD Central AdministraRICARDO TORRES – University. HCISD Purchasing Office, tion Building, 21003 IH 35, washing machine Valerie Littrell, 21003 IH 35, Love you, Kyle Texas. Specifications JOSE NERI – fridge ,tools Kyle, TX 78640, by the date are available in the Mom, DadHCISD and Aaron FRANCISCO ZARAGOSA and time indicated above. Purchasing Office (512-268- JR - tools, lumber Late Bids will be returned unopened. The HCISD Board of Trustees reserves 10 the right to reject any and/ orYouall and did bids it!! We are all sowaive all formalities the proud of youinand can’tbid process. We are so proud of you
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Cameron,
JOEL
wait to see you walk that stage. We will be there CITY OF BUDA loud and proud, son.
ANNEXATION PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE
The City of Buda City Council will hold a public hearing beginning at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, May 1, 2018 and Tuesday, May 15, 2018 inbecome the City Council You have a wonderful young man with a bright future ahead ofat you Buda so keep moving Chambers Cityforward. We will be by your side every step of the way! Hall, 121 Main St., Buda, Go Lobos!! We love you, TexasMom 78610 to receive writ& Dad, Julian, Jaysen, Melissa, Mason ten and oral comments in regard to annexation of the following property: Canyon Wren: Approximately 5.97+/- acres of land located at the northeast corner of the intersection of F.M. 967 and Canyon Wren. Carpenter Hill Subdivision: Approximately 6.685+/- acres of land, 64.737+/- acres of land and associated adjacent roadway right-of-way establishing contiguity, located on the north side of R.M. 967 immediately west of Dahlstrom Middle School and Southern Hills Church Kali-Kate: Approximately 57.67+/- acres of land and associated adjacent roadway right-of-way establishing contiguity, located on the north side of R.M. 967 immediately west of Carpenter Hill Elementary School Carpenter Hill Elemen-
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It’sVal, time to congratulate your senior!
and we love you so much. Love, Mom, Dad, Jess & Jr.
GRADUATION 2017
Keyana Burkley
We are so proud of the young man that you have become and we anticipate what’s in store for your future!
Our little baby is about to go away.
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
You need to know we love you so very much.
Congratulations to You and the Class of 2017!
We are so proud of you, Love, Papa, your aunts Sonya, DISTRIBUTED JUNE 7 IN THE HAYS FREE PRESS FORand our little powder puff. Yolanda & LaShonda your uncles Marvin, Mike, & Ted HAYS, LEHMAN & LIVE OAK ACADEMY HIGH SCHOOLS Love Mom, Dad, and Kevin
Jeremiah 29:11
“...as Ronald Reagan said, ‘Trust but verify.’ I trust my local BBQ guy, but I still want to see that when I buy a pound of sausage I’m getting a pound of sausage.” –Sid Miller, Agriculture Commissioner
not mandate where or when the purchaser will eat that food,” Paxton wrote. “Nor does it require that the seller provide a space for the consumer to eat.” Mark Loeffler, a spokesperson for Miller, said the commissioner had read Paxton’s opinion and “will take it under advisement. He will be meeting with our legal staff at TDA immediately to plan next steps moving forward.”
- Ele
Tracy M
Ken zie Thomas Congratulations Brandon Mendieta!
W
Always remember...
e are so very proud of the wonderfully made person braver than you believe, you are. You are You loyal,are faithful, stronger thana you seem, strong, determined, and have such thanblessed you think & compassionate heart.smarter We are truly thananyou know. to have watched youloved growmore into such amazing young man.Congratulations We are excited to on your see what you achieve next atfrom TexasHays Tech High School. graduation and beyond. AlwaysWe follow loveyour youdreams Minnie Mouse! and don’t ever allow yourself to just be Love Always, content. Keep believing in yourself, and live life to the fullest.Mom, WreckDad ‘Em!and your Sisters We love you to the moon and back! And know that we are always proud of and we will always be your biggest Hip Hip Hoorayyou, to cousins Karson and Ben Osgood! fans!! Stay humble and kind. Love, your FAMILY
D A E L P M SA Jack C. Hays High School
This special edition will include class favorites, baby photos, and much more.
Ad deadline is May 18.
E L P M SA
AD
Matilda Christine Robinson
Congratulations! We couldn't be more proud of you! We love you!
Send in your photos, graduate’s name and message today!
Continued from pg. 1D
“T belon who the thei
2018 Graduation Edition I can't believe we are at this day,
Congratulations on your graduation and your trip to the regional golf tournament. Continue to shine in college! Much love, Your Hays County family
Barbecue Bill BBQ guy, but I still want to see that when I buy a pound of sausage I’m getting a pound of sausage.” Miller, one of the state’s most vocal opponents of the “Barbecue Bill,” unsuccessfully asked Gov. Greg Abbott to veto the measure because, he said, it “gives places like barbecue joints a license to steal by exempting them from state consumer protection laws designed to protect Texans like you and me.” Miller’s agency, which was charged with verifying the accuracy of the retailers’ scales, decided that businesses would only be exempt from regulation if they weighed foods to be eaten “on the premises.” But the barbecue bill’s authors argued that in determining how to implement the law, Miller’s agency misinterpreted its intent. So Miller asked Paxton for a written opinion. Paxton sided with the barbecue joints in his opinion Monday, saying Miller’s agency went too far. “The language of the statute requires that the vendor sell food that a consumer can eat immediately, but it does
Looking for CDL A or B drivers to deliver new trucks all over the US and Canada.
Email photos, message and method of payment to paper@haysfreepress.com.
For more information, call (512) 268-7862
Double Size (top right) $110 black/white • $125 in color
Horizontal: 4.92” wide x 3.2” tall Vertical: 2.4” wide x 6.5” tall Ads will be composed in a horizontal or vertical format at the newspaper’s discretion, unless specified by the sponsor of the ad.
Single Size (right) $60 black/white • $70 in color 2.4” wide x 3.2” tall
Prices good for private parties. Commercial advertisers, see special graduation rates for businesses.
Call (512) 268-7862 to reserve space
Keat
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e love you You have proud of the you have become. A a new chapter in remember to fol Dreams, Have F Hard and enjoy day! May God c bless you and di path. Congratu We Love You Mom & Dad