Aug. 31, 2016 Hays Free Press

AUGUST 31, 2016 MERMAID WEEK

COMEBACK

Mermaid celebration to promote river stewardship.

Hays football wins season opener against East View.

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Hays Free Press ©Barton Publications, Inc.

Vol. 120 • No. 23

HaysFreePress.com

Serving Buda, Kyle and Northeast Hays County, TX • 75¢

Suspects use assault rifle in Kyle robbery MOSES LEOS III

news@haysfreepress.com

PHOTO BY MOSES LEOS III

T.J. Higginbotham, who owns 36 acres off of FM 967 just west of Onion Creek, has plans on turning a shooting pit on his property into a public gun range despite opposition from neighbors.

Locals put target on gun pit MOSES LEOS III

news@haysfreepress.com

Concern is growing among several residents in the Buda extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ) over development of an outdoor shooting pit, and construction of a possible gun range, on private property nearby.

T.J. Higginbotham, who owns the pit on his 36-acre property and is contemplating building an enclosed pistol range,

Owner T.J. Higginbotham said he’s contemplating building an enclosed ten-lane public gun range on his property for shooting pistols only.

said he is within his rights as a landowner to have a pit, as he is following the law.

“The people who are moving here, they don’t know the rules and laws,”

Higginbotham said.

“I don’t need anyone’s permission. It’s my land and I can do with it as I wish, as long as I’m within the law.”

Sidney Skinner, who

lives in the Creekside Park subdivision, has spearheaded a group that’s opposed the pit on Higginbotham’s property.

Safety of surrounding neighborhoods, primarily from the possibility of stray bullets from the pit, is a concern for many neighbors, Skinner said.

She added surrounding neighborhoods, such as Creekside, White Oaks Preserve and Whispering Hollow, along with the

GUN RANGE OPPOSITION, 2A

Property value increases result in 2016-2017 surplus for Kyle A $63,000 surplus within the 2016-2017 budget is estimated by Kyle city officials as the city is anticipating a one-cent reduction in the city’s ad valorem tax.

The estimate was discovered as City

Manager Scott Sellers presented to the Kyle City Council amendments to the proposed budget for the upcoming year during its second budget workshop Aug. 24. At the first presentation Aug. 17, Kyle’s budget was proposed at $79.2 million, with the proposed ad valorem tax rate at $0.5748 per $100

of property valuation.

The tax rate represented a one-cent reduction from the current tax rate of $0.5848 per $100 of property valuation.

Due to an overall increase in the valuation of the properties in the city, the revised budget was set at $80.4 million.

The city expects to have a surplus of about $63,000

for the upcoming fiscal year despite the reduced tax rate.

City Manager Scott Sellers said the budget included a $3 stormwater utility and storm drainage and flood risk mitigation fee for the new Stormwater and Flood Risk Mitigation Utility.

KYLE BUDGET SURPLUS, 4A

COMING UP

Salt Lick owner to develop land adjacent to iconic business.

– Page 1D

This story is developing. Updates will be made as they become available.

Veterans vie for Buda Place 2 seat

BY SAMANTHA SMITH

news@haysfreepress.com

With the November Buda City Council Place 2 election fast approaching, the two candidates vying for the position are running with Buda in mind.

Incumbent Place 2 Buda City Council member and May-

BY SAMANTHA SMITH

On Saturday, Sept. 3 and Sunday, Sept. 4, head out to the Chester Franklin Arena at Veterans Park in Wimberleyfor this annual event benefitting the mission and vision of the Gunner Thames Memorial Foundation. Rodeo begins at 7:30 p.m. both nights. The event is BYOB. Saturday night’s festivities will include a dance featuring the Sam Bentley Band. Show your law enforcement badge and you and a guest get free admission. Visit www.GunnerThames.com for more information.

NEW DRIFTWOOD

Kyle police are looking for two men who were caught on camera during a robbery at the Bread Basket convenience store on FM 2770 Friday.

or Pro Tem Wiley Hopkins is seeking a reelection bid for a second time in order to see various current projects completed.

He will go up against Garlic Creek resident Jeffrey Morales, who is running in his first campaign for public office.

Hopkins, who is

BUDA PLACE 2, 4A

Platforms clash in Buda Place 1 race

Gunner Thames Memorial Rodeo

news@haysfreepress.com

Opposing platforms will clash this election season as three Buda City Council Place 1 candidates begin their campaigns for the Nov. 8 election.

They do so after incumbent Place 1 council member Angela Kennedy withdrew her name

INDEX

BY RAFAEL MARQUEZ

news@haysfreepress.com

The Kyle Police Department is asking for the public’s help in identifying two men who robbed a Kyle convenience store at gunpoint late Friday.

The incident happened at approximately 11:20 p.m. Friday at the Bread Basket convenience store in west Kyle, according to Kim Hilsenbeck, Kyle communications specialist.

Two men, who were described as tall and thin, held employees at gunpoint and made off with an undetermined amount of money.

The weapon used by the suspects appeared to be a painted AR-15 style rifle, according to Hilsenbeck.

No other information is available at this time. Kyle Police ask anyone with information to contact them at 512-268-3232. Individuals who may encounter the suspects are asked not to approach them and should call 911 immediately.

News …………… 1-4A Opinions …………… 3A Sports …………… 1-2B Education ……… 3-4B Community …… 1-4C

Best Bets ………… 4C Business ………… 1D Service Directory..... 2-3D Classifieds ………… ...2D Public Notices …… 2-4D

from consideration for the upcoming election and supported candidate John Hatch.

Hatch will be joined in the race by Alamo City native Theodore Kosub and Buda native Lee Urbanovsky, both of which want to see major changes in the way Buda does business.

BUDA PLACE 1, 4A

Page 2A

Hays Free Press The Hays Free Press (ISSN 1087-9323) published weekly by Barton Publications, Inc., P.O. Box 339, Buda, TX 78610.

Periodicals postage paid at Buda, TX 78610 and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Barton Publications, Inc., P.O. Box 339, Buda, TX 78610.

ISSN#1087-9323

NEWS TIPS

If you think it’s news, we probably do too!

• Newsroom phone: 512-268-7862 • E-mail: news@haysfreepress. com • Mail: 113 W. Center Street, Kyle, TX 78640

CORRECTIONS

Any erroneous reflection upon the character, standing or reputation of any person, firm or corporation which may appear in the pages of the Hays Free Press will be corrected upon being brought to the attention of the publisher.

DEADLINES

• The deadline for display advertising and any contributed news copy in the Hays Free Press is 5 p.m. Friday the week prior to publication.

• The deadline for Letters to the Editor and classified word advertising in the Hays Free Press is noon Monday the week of publication, though we encourage readers and advertisers to observe the Friday deadline.

LETTERS GUIDELINES

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.

NEWS

Hays Free Press • August 31, 2016

Kyle man arrested for intention to promote child pornography MOSES LEOS III

news@haysfreepress.com

A Kyle man was arrested Thursday after authorities allege he was promoting child pornography online, with an investigation discovering “multiple” images on devices within his home.

Joshua Ramirez, 24, of Kyle, was booked into the Hays County Jail Aug. 26 on a charge of Possession with intent to promote Child Pornography, which is a second-degree felony. He was released on the same day on $75,000 bond.

According to a Kyle Police probable cause affidavit, Kyle Police received a package from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children July 25 containing reports of child pornography, which were submitted to Skype from the same Internet Protocol address and user name.

The reports had 15

images that were “clearly child pornography involving prepubescent RAMIREZ male and female children,” according to the affidavit. A detective was given an IP address from where the images were uploaded. Following a subpoena to Time Warner Cable, authorities discovered the IP address was from a home in the 100 block of Stetson Cove in Kyle.

According to the affidavit, the detective drove by the home and observed a pickup truck in the driveway that was owned by Ramirez, whose first name was part of the user name that uploaded the images.

Authorities obtained a search warrant July 28 and began searching for evidence.

Ramirez, who agreed

to an interview with the detective, said he believed authorities were there because he “sent some pictures to a friend” of some “anime stuff.”

After authorities told Ramirez they weren’t there for “anime stuff,” Ramirez allegedly said he sent “illegal stuff,” with Ramirez clarifying it was child pornography.

According to the affidavit, Ramirez said he obtained the images “over the years” from the internet, specifically the site 4Chan. He said images were sent to “a friend online” through Skype.

Authorities seized nine items from the home, including several cell phones, a USB drive, SD card and two laptops.

Investigators allegedly found “multiple” images containing child pornography on three of the items, including a Samsung Galaxy S6 cell phone.

Gun Range Opposition

Dakota is a 4-year-old male Border Collie mix. I love toys and food, but even more so, I love to be around my person and do whatever they want me to do.

I’m an obedience wiz kid but must herd children, so a home with older teens or an owner familiar with herding breeds would be best. Come see how much enthusiasm I have to bring into my owner’s life!

to the discharge of firearms in the ETJ if the firearm is a pistol, shotgun, BB gun or a bow and arrow and if it’s shot on 10 or more acres of land and more than 1,000 feet from a public tract of land, a school, hospital or day-care facility.

Firearms can also be discharged in the ETJ if they are more than 600 feet from the property line of a residential subdivision and multifamily residential complex.

Higginbotham said he has only allowed pistols to be shot at his pit, and does not allow rifles to be shot. He also said he doesn’t allow rifle hunting on his property.

He said most of the bullets used at his pit have brass projectiles in them. Higginbotham said “ammunition people” regulate bullets.

He said he doesn’t buy “ammunition that has a lead projectile.”

Higginbotham said stray bullets don’t go anywhere and “go toward the bottom of the pit.”

“There have been regulations with lead and shotgun shells and rifle ammunition,” Higginbotham said.

“There’s little lead that’s used to my knowledge.”

He also said no nearby residents have “pulled in my driveway and honked their horn, no one has stopped me at the grocery store” to talk about it.

Higginbotham said

Verona is a 2-year-old shorthair. Though she is a bit aloof, Verona is an excellent kitty! Once she is comfortable in her surroundings, she loves being doted on.

Verona is fantastic around other cats and would do best in a home with a companion kitty to show her the ropes.

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.

sponsored by

Town & CounTry VeTerinary HospiTal Bill Selman, DVM • Kayley O’Toole, DVM • Devony Arrington, DVM.

Committed to your pet’s health since 1978.

6300 FM 1327 (East of I35 and Creedmoor) Austin, TX 78747

512-385-0486 • www.TownandCountryVetHospital.com

BUDA

Credit/Debit Card Abuse 7:34 p.m. - 1XX Dandy Dr - Aug. 25 Fraud - 12:26 p.m. - 1XX Jack Rabbit Ln - Aug. 25 Fraud - 1:32 p.m. - 2XX Treetop Way - Aug. 25 Theft - 8:58 a.m. - 2XX Noddy Rd - Aug. 25 Theft - 6:32 p.m. - 2XX Maybrook Dr - Aug. 25 Burglary/Vehicle 10:42 a.m. - 10XX Shadow Creek Blvd - Aug. 26 Criminal Trespass 2:14 p.m. - Hays High School - Aug. 26 Sexual Assault/Of Child 3:52 p.m. - Hays High School - Aug. 26 Possession/Drug Paraphernalia 12:30 a.m. - Walgreens Of Buda - Aug. 27 Assault/Aggravated/Deadly Weapon 4:38 p.m. - W Access at Robert S Light Blvd - Aug. 28 Assault/Family Violence 8:43 p.m. - 500 N FM 1626 B - Aug. 28 Assault/Family Violence 10:47 a.m. - Sonic of Buda - Aug. 29 Illegal Dumping 4:58 p.m. - ATX Fence Company - Aug. 29 Theft 10:31 a.m. - 3XX Overlook Mountain West - Aug. 29 Theft - 3:34 p.m. - Hays High School - Aug. 29 Theft - 3:23 p.m. - 5XX Dragon Ridge Rd - Aug. 29 Theft 3:39 p.m. - McCormick Middle School - Aug. 29

KYLE

Continued from pg. 1A

Sodalis Memory Center and Mark’s Overlook Lodge would be affected.

Noise pollution is also a factor, with several residents claiming they have called the police, Skinner said.

She said she’s heard a rapid-fire pistol and sounds of what she claimed are rifle shots from the pit.

“We’re very concerned,” Skinner said. “We feel like it’s going to be in our backyard.”

Environmental concerns, primarily over the possibility of lead from bullets contaminating the ground and groundwater sources under the property, led Skinner and the group to write a letter to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality in protest of the pit.

To date, Skinner said she has not reached out to Higginbotham.

“This is a lead pollution situation.

This is a water pollution situation,” Skinner wrote in her letter. “We would like you to look into this development. We would like you to STOP this development before it gets going.”

Higginbotham said he was “within his rights,” according to state laws, to have the shooting pit on his property, which is located outside of the city limits.

According to Texas State Law, a municipality cannot apply regulation

Sheriff ’s Report

he’s now contemplating building an enclosed ten-lane public gun range on his property.

The range would only fire pistols, Higginbotham said.

Skinner said she and her neighbors would continue to fight the development.

“We are trying to get people interested in this to help support us, so it will not come about,” Skinner said.

Driving While Intoxicated 3:59 a.m. - Bebee Rd At Sunrise Dr - Aug. 26 Possession/Marijuana 9:24 a.m. - Simon Middle School - Aug. 26 Sexual Assault 2:29 p.m. - Chapa Middle School - Aug. 26 Theft - 11:41 a.m. - High Tech Automotive - Aug. 26 Theft/Vehicle - 1:57 a.m. - 1XX Quail Cv - Aug. 26 Theft/Service 9:27 p.m. - All For One Group Home - Aug. 27 Theft/Vehicle - 5:04 p.m. - Mi Rancho/Exxon - Aug. 27 Theft 11:07 p.m. - Stripes 1524 /Valero - 201 High Rd - Aug. 28 Fraud - 1:51 p.m. - 2XX Waterfall Ln - Aug. 29 Theft - 12:23 p.m. - 1XX Ewald Dr - Aug. 29

Notice of Tax Revenue Increase The Hays County ESD #8 conducted public hearings on August 18, 2016 and August 25, 2016 on a proposal to increase the total tax revenues of the Hays County ESD #8 from properties on the tax roll in the preceding year by 5.82 percent.

The total tax revenue proposed to be raised last year at last year’s tax rate of $0.1000 for each $100 of taxable value was $2,650,151.

The total tax revenue proposed to be raised this year at the proposed tax rate of $0.1000 for each $100 of taxable value, excluding tax revenue to be raised from new property added to the tax roll this year, is $2,802,174.

The total tax revenue proposed to be raised this year at the proposed tax rate of $0.1000 for each $100 of taxable value, including tax revenue to be raised from new property added to the tax roll this year, is $3,017,724.

The Commissioners of Hays County ESD #8 is scheduled to vote on the tax rate that will result in that tax increase at a public meeting to be held on September 7, 2016 at Buda Fire Main Station, 209 FM 2770, Buda, TX 78610 at 7:00 PM. The Commissioners of Hays County ESD #8 proposes to use the increase in total tax revenue for the purpose of increasing and improving services to the community, upgrade and maintain firefighting services, and attract, hire and retain highly-qualified and well-trained personnel.

Opinion Hays Free Press

QUOTE OF THE WEEK “The people who are moving here, they don’t know the rules and laws ...

I don’t need anyone’s permission. It’s my land and I can do with it as I wish, as long as I’m within the law.”

–T.J. Higginbotham, property owner. See story, page 1A.

August 31, 2016

Page 3A

EDITORIAL COMMENT

This one is for the laborers

H

ere’s to the workers out there. The laborers. The ones who work through the night when the storms hit. Those who raise the flags early in the morning. The workers who take out the trash, sweep the floors, or labor outside in the sweltering heat.

Here’s to Labor Day, and the reasons behind it. While there are several different versions on how the day came to be made official, it is generally accepted that in New York in 1882, 10,000 works came together for a parade, and then

headed out from Union Square for a picnic and speeches. It began as a day when the Central Labor Union came together to honor the workers who were making changes in the American workforce. Just 11 years later, more than half of the states were celebrating a Labor Day in one way or another. The day was started by labor unions honoring those who made the achievements of American companies possible – those working day in and day out to bring U.S. products to the world and build a strong economy.

Old Crow in the White House?

T he presidential election is just about two months away, and like a mess of folks, I just don’t feel right about voting for either candidate. I don’t trust Hillary as far as I can throw her, and y’all know I can sling it far and wide. And Donald Trump is crazier than a snared coyote.

Every time I hear Trump speaking at a podium, I think of Archie Bunker.

So, whom do I vote for come November?

Well, while I was pondering over this dilemma out here at the Crow’s Nest, I found the solution to this presidential perplexity. I could select a write-in candidate instead of the current clowns, and after more pondering, I came up with the most logical choice for president: Me! That’s right! The Old Crow himself.

Sure, why not? I meet the criteria to become president. I am well beyond 35 years of age.

Shoot, these drawers I’m wearing are over 35. I am a true-blooded American, and I have never been convicted of a felony. Okay, back in ’78, I was caught plagiarizing Lady Bird Johnson in my college speech class, but apparently stealing a speech from a First Lady is not really a crime. I admit I have never run for any political office, but then, knowing how to run a country apparently isn’t essential to being on the ballot, is it?

Candidates are supposed to have a platform.

I have a wood pallet from the feed store. That’ll be my platform. As for my

From the Crow’s Nest

by Clint Younts

campaign pledges, I’ve made a long list of stuff I’ll do to restore the economy and make America so-so again. By electing a redneck like me, there’s no need for the White House. I’d be happy in a little cabin on the banks of the Potomac. Then we can turn the White House into a Bed & Breakfast and make good money.

I’d plow up the Rose Garden and plant some corn and taters. With all the manure that is flung around Washington, we should have plenty of fertilizer.

I wouldn’t throw expensive dinners for heads of states. Tossing some crawdads in a pot, a brisket on the grill and a Yeti full of beer should suffice nicely if Putin comes for a visit.

There would be no need for the Secret Service. I’ve got some unemployed buddies who are always packin’ who could be my personal bodyguards. Give ‘em a few bucks and some cold beer, and they’ll follow me anywhere.

I’d turn off the A/C in the U.S. Capitol. Then maybe Congress would get some work done in a timely manner.

Y’all might wonder what my views on certain subjects are. I won’t skirt issues like certain gas bags do. I’ll tell y’all what I think whether you want to hear it or not.

Hays Free Press

Businesses today have benefitted from the gains made by labor unions in the past – despite the grumbling of many in management – and even some of the workers who are recipients of the benefits. A steady workforce, educated, knowledgeable and healthy because

of benefits demanded by labor unions and provided by employers means American workers are efficient and welltrained. Sure, there are problems and conflicts today between labor unions and employers.

But the days of 70-hour workweeks, 12-year-old children working a full

Gun Control: The best gun control is the keeping the safety on until you’re ready to squeeze the trigger. Sure, keeping crazy folks and criminals from owning guns would be best, but if someone knows how to do that, we would be writing his name on the ballot.

Education: Put an end to all those standardized tests, give teachers a raise and let them teach, dagnabbit!

Taxation: Make the ultra-rich folks who gave millions to fund the campaigns of Hillary and Trump pay at a much higher tax rate than the poor blue-collar folks who barely make ends meet.

Foreign Policy: If some country can’t produce a good tasting beer, don’t bother with doing business with ‘em. Let’s keep Germany, Belgium and Mexico as allies.

Y’all might be wonderin’ who my choice for the Supreme Court might be.

I’m thinking Judge Judy.

And for my VP, I will ask Roger Staubach first. If he turns me down, then George Strait. Can’t go wrong with either choice.

So, come November, I’d appreciate your vote.

Remember: It’s not what some Old Crow can do for you, but what you can do with some Old Crow.

Clint Younts has a following – out in his pasture. But cows can’t vote, and the coyotes would say no, as they hate the sound of his gun tanning their hide. crowsnest78610 @yahoo.com

Reporters Samantha Smith, Rafael Marquez

News and Sports Editor Moses Leos III

Columnists Bartee Haile, Chris Winslow, Pauline Tom, Clint Younts

Those not working on Labor Day should remember what the day is truly about, and say thanks to all those around who work fulltime, give of their time for their children and their elders, volunteer in organizations, and still keep the economy going.

Thanks.

Aren’t you smarter than that?

E very time I get to the checkout counter at a convenience store or DG, I look at what the store has for sale up there. It’s there where they keep the amusing stuff ... the tabloids and Hollywood mags of who’s cheating on whom, and who’s gotten fat (or skinny) and who got dumped, and the latest elephant boy UFO abductions.

Just above those items of worthless disinformation lie the fiery red 2 ounce bottles of, Ta da ... liquid energy that sell for $2.50 plus tax.

Several times in unbelievable awe I have asked the checker if they sell much of that stuff.

Every answer is, “Oh we sell the heck outta that stuff.” I am just floored at the marketing prowess of our capitalist system. The ingredients in that 2 oz bottle can’t possibly cost more than 5 cents. Add that beautifully decorated plastic bottle and shipping and the store profit and the manufacturers have to be making nearly 800% profit.

What ARE the ingredients? Caffeine 200 mg, (as in an average cup of coffee), some B-vitamins, a few amino acids, and sugar water (or artificial sweetener like Sucralose). One could easily make his own – and much better - using a No Doz tablet, and a multiple vitamin pill crushed together in 2 oz of Aunt Jemima’s table syrup for around 15 cents. The amino acids don’t even belong there – you get all 20 amino

Barton Publications, Inc. News tips: news@haysfreepress.com Opinions: csb@haysfreepress.com

Publisher Cyndy Slovak-Barton

work week, and dangerous jobs without safety controls are a thing of the past. The economy today is fairly strong and we have a higher standard of living today than almost anywhere in the world.

And laborers should be honored for all they do for this country.

Proofreaders Jane Kirkham Marketing Director Tracy Mack Marketing Specialists James Darby, Pam Patino

I could be wrong

by Ray Wolbrecht

acids necessary for life for a day in a ¼ lb hamburger meat patty.

I found a recipe for homemade Gatorade on the Internet –Kool-aid, sugar, water and sea salt for ¼ what that stuff costs in the store.

Once again slick marketing has overwhelmed common sense. I applaud those who know how to do that, to convince people they’ll be complete and healthier and whole if they buy their product.

That kind of knowledge is better than owning a gold mine or a chicken ranch in La Grange.

Take bottled water. At the checkout is a fridge with cold drinks (is that a redundancy? Sorry.)

They ask $1 for a 20 oz water but a gallon in the back is 50 cents. You can buy a 20 oz cola for $1.89 when a warm 2 liter (68 oz) off the back shelf sells for a dollar.

Who can explain this willingness to part with money with no regard to wise spending?

I see people at Sam’s with 3 or 4 shrinkwrapped cases of bottled water when it costs much less than a penny to drink delicious Kyle or Buda water out of the kitchen tap. Then I wonder about what happens to all those plastic bottles. Now I’m no raving carbon cursing green fellow, but

I cannot help pondering the humongous carbon footprint heavy water leaves when it is transported by diesel smog spewing mega trucks from store to store.

Read the labels on the bottles concerning the source. You may think it was hand dipped from some spring in the Ozarks when in actuality its source is Houston municipal water supply.

That’s no joke, really!

And there’s that plastic trash island the size of Texas swirling around in the North Pacific. Does the convenience (?) of bottled water eclipse what the containers are doing to the planet?

Again, how did the marketers convince us that bottled water was safer and tastier than what comes out of our pipes?

Education is the key to this dilemma. I would expect wise spending would be taught in the public schools in the home economics department or touched on in Basic Life Skills, or something. Or, just maybe, the parents will provide an example for their kids. What a concept!

Spending wisely, not falling for slick marketing, might go hand in hand toward developing a social conscience.

Can’t hurt to try.

Ray Wolbrecht is a retired dentist from Kyle and writes about all kinds of topics. rbrickwall@gmail.com

113 W. Center St., Kyle, TX 78640 www.haysfreepress.com 512-268-7862

Production Manager David White

Circulation/Classifieds David White

Production Assistant Christine Thorpe

Distribution Gabe Ornelas Tanya Ornelas

Hays Free Press • August 31, 2016

Page 4A

Place 2: Veterans vie for seat Continued from pg. 1A

currently retired, holds a Bachelor’s degree and an MBA in business management.

“I bring a vast amount of experience and knowledge as a professional management leader in business, fiscal and government,” Hopkins said.

Hopkins, who is defending his seat on the council, said he intends on fighting the good fight for voters voice on the council.

“In November, this year I will have served on the Buda City council for forty-five months. During that tenure I have with my peers on the dais, strategized, structured, and approved four annual budgets contributing to citizens’ lowest tax rates in

our region,” Hopkins said.

The defending candidate continues to have important goals when it comes to the future of the city of Buda.

“My goals for the city include fulfilling an initiative for major transportation infrastructure improvements, adequately staffing and equipping first responders for citizen safety, and alleviating drainage/flood events in the community through good planning and budgeting,” Hopkins said.

Opponent Morales, a veteran of the military, said he is running for office because of the love he has for Buda.

“My run for city council is solely about my love for the city of Buda – our

neighborhoods, diversity, innovative spirit and the youth in our city,” Morales said.

In addition to his extensive military career, Morales also holds an Associate of Applied Science in Fire Science, a Bachelors degree in Criminal Justice, and an MBA in Business.

According to Morales, he plans on bringing to the dais “communication skills, caring for the community, and military experience” that has helped teach him how to be a “good and fair leader.”

Morales said he has big plans for Buda and believes he is the right person to fill the Place 2 seat on the council.

“My goals (for Buda)

are to keep taxes as low as possible, to provide great services to the residents of Buda, to ease traffic congestion within our community, to improve and maintain our parks, keep up great community relations with our public safety agencies, and to work on the City’s current and future water needs,” Morales said.

According to Morales, another of his aspirations behind the dais would be to work with Hays CISD to try and get bus service for the neighborhoods in Buda that do not currently get it.

“I am able to make the tough decisions required to be a good representative of the citizens of Buda,” Morales said.

Continued from pg. 1A

Kosub entered the race for Place 1 to “maintain the vibrancy, safety and charm” of Buda.

“I want to make certain the interests of Buda’s residents are heard, considered and respected,” Kosub said.

Kosub’s goals for Buda include keeping the citizens safe while improving the local transportation network.

He also hopes to assist in relieving the areas water shortage issues and maintaining Buda’s small town charm, while encouraging smart growth through commercial and small businesses.

“I support increased police resources, school zone enforcement, safe school access corridors, traffic calming in neighborhoods and family accessible city venues,” Kosub said.

Kosub also extolled his virtues of being a team player realizing that not everyone will agree on every point.

“I value the opinion of others and I’m not afraid to change my mind when presented with new information,” Kosub said.

Urbanovsky joined the race due to his and other residents’ frustration over the direction of city leadership.

“I have lived in Buda

a long time and have grown concerned with the direction my community is going,” Urbanovsky said.

Urbanovsky’s campaign is opposite of Hatch, as he said he’s never run for an elected office before, but is ready for the challenge.

“I have worked in project management for over 16 years and understand compromise is sometimes necessary, but agreements can be made without undermining fundamental principles,” Urbanovsky said.

Urbanovsky said he plans on running under a platform that he will be the people’s candidate.

“I am not a politician. I am a resident who wants to see our City under better leadership. I want to be the voice of common sense for my fellow residents,” Urbanovsky said.

Urbanovsky plans to address issues like managing Buda’s growth responsibly by working closely with the City Engineer to address street construction by incoming developers to mitigate flood occurrences, and working with Hays CISD to help find a solution to the overcrowded school district.

“I feel it is time for me to get involved and contribute,” Urbanovsky said.

Kyle Budget Surplus Continued from pg. 1A

“[The council] increased the fee to $5 per month for residential owners,” Sellers said. “The commercial property fee will depend on the impervious cover on the property,” The budget, as amended, with the creation of the new department and the addition of new employees raises the total

full-time employee count for the city to 222.5 FTE. The new budget includes a provision to purchase a new swift water rescue boat for ESD 5 at a cost of $15,000.

The original price for the boat was $25,000. Also in the budget is a provision to spend $10,000 to help pay for a veteran’s memorial for the city. The city budget also makes

provisions for pay parity both in the civil service ranks and for the regular city employees. The budget does not include provisions for money to pay Hays Caldwell Public Utility Agency (HCPUA) debt which is looming on the horizon.

Approximately 58 percent of every tax dollar collected goes towards the city’s debt obligations.

The City of Mountain City will hold a meeting at 7:00 PM on September 12, 2016 at City Hall, 101 Mountain City Drive, Mountain City, TX 78610 to consider adopting a proposed tax rate for tax year 2016. The proposed tax rate is $0.1230 per $100 of value, which is the same rate as last year.

The proposed tax rate would increase total taxes in the City of Mountain City by 7.05% and increase the City’s total tax levy by an estimated $8,536 for the tax year.

Notice of Tax Revenue Increase

Place 1: Platforms clash Hatch and his wife have lived in Hays County for 21 years and have consistently been involved in community government and committees.

Hatch, who has served at the State government level since graduating from Texas A&M with a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science, said his platform is “Experience matters.”

“My family and work responsibilities are at a point where I can dedicate the time to help Buda deal with the growth and issues we will face in the coming years,” Hatch said.

Hatch furthered his experience claim by citing his company, Texas Petition Strategies, which he started in 2003. The company assists cities and communities in changing laws to increase economic development and tax revenues.

“We are proud of the fact that so many cities and counties (170+) have been able to increase local tax revenues and jobs, without having to raise property taxes,” Hatch said.

For Urbanovsky and Kosub, their platforms center on promising to incorporate additional citizen involvement in the future.

Small Taxing Unit Public Notice Mountain City, Texas

The Northeast Hays County ESD #2 conducted public hearings on August 18, 2016 and August 25, 2016 on a proposal to increase the total tax revenues of the Northeast Hays County ESD #2 from properties on the tax roll in the preceding year by 5.93 percent.

The total tax revenue proposed to be raised last year at last year’s tax rate of $0.0500 for each $100 of taxable value was $1,325,502.

The total tax revenue proposed to be raised this year at the proposed tax rate of $0.0500 for each $100 of taxable value, excluding tax revenue to be raised from new property added to the tax roll this year, is $1,401,721.

The total tax revenue proposed to be raised this year at the proposed tax rate of $0.0500 for each $100 of taxable value, including tax revenue to be raised from new property added to the tax roll this year, is $1,509,495.

The Commissioners of Northeast Hays County ESD #2 is scheduled to vote on the tax rate that will result in that tax increase at a public meeting to be held on September 8, 2016 at Buda Fire Main Station, 209 FM 2770, Buda, TX 78610 at 7:00 PM. The Commissioners of Northeast Hays County ESD #2 proposes to use the increase in total tax revenue for the purpose of increasing and improving services to the community, upgrade and maintain emergency medical services, and attract, hire and retain highlyqualified and well-trained personnel.

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Sports

Section B ABROAD

HCISD teachers visit Dominican Republic to teach art.

– Page 3B

@hfprebelsports @hfplobosports

August 31, 2016

COMING UP Hays CISD Football DISTRICT 25-6A STANDINGS

• Standings gathered via Max Preps Vista Ridge – 1-0 Hays – 1-0 Westlake – 1-0 Vandegrift – 0-1 Lake Travis – 0-1 Lehman – 0-1 Leander – 0-1

DISTRICT 25-6 SCHEDULE Vista Ridge at Dripping Springs Hays vs. Georgetown PHOTO BY LINCOLN RAMIREZ

Rebels win in season opener

Hays High junior Hector Fuentes (left) and senior Jason Fowler (15) team up to bring down Georgetown East View Patriot junior Donald Walton, Jr. (4) during a play in the first quarter of Friday’s game at the Georgetown ISD Athletic Complex.

Westwood axes Lobos 42-14

BY MOSES LEOS III

news@haysfreepress.com

For the first 11 plays Friday, things seemed as if they were starting to fall into place for the Lehman Lobos.

Lehman’s defense forced a three-and-out, resulting in a punt in the game’s first series.

On offense, passes were crisp and precise, while run plays were executed to near perfection. Most of all, the Lobos held momentum.

But a series of unfortunate events, including an injury suffered by quarterback Jacob Zamora, foreshadowed Lehman’s game-long struggles as it fell to the Westwood Warriors 42-14 at Shelton Stadium.

As the extent of Zamora’s injury is not yet known, head coach Todd Raymond and his team push on as it continues to improve on the field.

“When we’re locked in and we’re clicking, we’re good,” Raymond said.

“We have to build on it.”

Lehman’s early successes on offense were spurred by Zamora, who guided the Lobos into Westwood territory on their first offensive drive of the game in the first quarter.

Issues with ball security, which was a persistent issue for Lehman, however, reared its head. A fumble following a lengthy pass play ended the Lobo drive and

Westlake vs. Liberty (Henderson, NV) Vandegrift at Cedar Park Lake Travis at Cibolo Steele Lehman at McCallum – Thursday, 7:30 p.m. at House Park Leander at Pflugerville A week after a litany of big time matchups, several district 25-6A teams will spend week two attempting to recover. Some teams, however, will receive a second helping when it comes to games against top-tier opposition. Lake Travis, which dropped its season opener to Converse Judson, will stay in the San Antonio area when it plays Cibolo Steele. Vandegrift, which fell in heartbreaking fashion to Odessa Permian, travels to play 2015 Class 5A Division I champion Cedar Park.

Teams that notched a tally in the win column won’t receive a reprieve either. Westlake, which stunned Katy last week but lost quarterback Sam Ehlinger in the process, hosts an out-of-state team in a televised contest.

Vista Ridge travels to play an up-and-coming Dripping Springs team that seems to be on a roll. That brings us to Hays, which takes on a Georgetown team that put up a host of points on Fort Worth Brewer in Waco last week. Meanwhile, Lehman will look to get back on the winning side when it plays McCallum Thursday at House Park. McCallum will enter the game with an additional day of rest after defeating Anderson in the Taco Shack Bowl.

Hays CISD volleyball DISTRICT 25-6A STANDINGS

*standings gathered via Max Preps PHOTO BY CHAPARRAL PHOTO

Members of the Lehman High Star Strutters cheer on Lobo senior Adrian Martinez as he walks into the end zone during a play that had been blown dead by officials during Friday’s season opening game against the Westwood Warriors at Shelton Stadium.

Lehman suffered a series of unfortunate events including an injury to quarterback Jacob Zamora. zapped momentum.

Lehman’s luck continued to turn south on the ensuing drive, as Zamora suffered a shoulder injury and didn’t return.

Lobo senior running back Bryan Mendoza said it took the team “a while” to refocus after Zamora’s departure. Getting back

on task and attempting to recover was the team’s goal.

“We had to pick each other up and get ready,” Mendoza said. “Just because Jacob is out, it doesn’t mean anything.

We have to keep pushing.”

The Lobos turned

to senior quarterback Dominick Martinez, along with wide receiver Tyler Henderson, to fill the void.

Raymond said the moment was a challenge for Martinez, who attended Westwood two years ago.

Despite some miscommunication errors, Raymond applauded Martinez’s effort in attempting to continue to generate momentum.

Raymond also lauded Henderson’s play, as he showed “what he’s capable of.” Henderson

LEHMAN FOOTBALL, 2B

Vandegrift – 18-3 Westlake – 17-9 Lake Travis – 15-8 Hays – 10-9 Vista Ridge 14-16 Lehman – 2-3 Leander – 7-13

DISTRICT 25-6A SCHEDULE (SEPT. 2 AND SEPT. 6) Vandegrift at Cedar Ridge, vs. Bowie Westlake vs. Westwood, at Vista Ridge (Sept. 9) Vista Ridge at Round Rock, vs. Westlake (Sept. 9) Lake Travis at Bowie, vs. Westwood Hays at Rebel Bash (Sept. 1 and 3), vs.

Fredericksburg (Sept. 2 at 6:30 p.m.), vs. Cibolo Steele (Sept. 6 at 6:30 p.m.)

Lehman vs. Pflugerville (Sept. 2 at 6:30 p.m.), vs.

Leander (Sept. 9 at 6:30 p.m.)

Leander at McNeil, vs. Stony Point

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Sports

Page 2B

Hays Free Press • August 31, 2016

Rebs rattle San Marcos in three

Forever Memories Photography

BY LOGAN MCCULLOUGH

news@haysfreepress.com

After a week off from competition, the Hays Lady Rebels showed signs of rust, but were able to secure a 25-18, 25-21, 25-16 win in straight sets over the San Marcos Lady Rattlers Tuesday thanks to a concerted team effort.

The Lady Rebels started the match strong pushing the score to 6-0 in the first set, resulting in a quick timeout by Rattlers Head Coach Michelle Moreno.

“We just started off a little slow,” Moreno said.

“I think that is probably what caused us to dig that big hole.”

Although they were consistently facing an uphill battle, the Lady Rattlers seemed to play their best when their backs were against the wall. Every time it looked as if the Rebels were going to coast to victory, the Rattlers fought their way back.

Hays’ execution was good enough to win the match in straight sets, but it wasn’t good enough in the opinions of the Rebels.

“We’ve got a lot of little kinks to work out,” Hays Junior Kacie Hall said after the game.

The Lady Rebels had played 21 games in a short period of time, and then had an entire week off from competition.

“We didn’t have a game on Friday, so I knew coming into today we were going to have a little bit of rust,” Rebel head coach Stephanie Coates said. “We needed the break, but I think tonight for us some of the things we struggled with was just

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PHOTO BY MOSES LEOS III

Hays High senior Mackenzie Coates (11, right) blocks a kill attempt from a Westwood Warrior player during a match played at the Fraulein Tournament at New Braunfels Canyon High.

Coates scored 33 assists in Tuesday’s match in San Marcos.

“We didn’t have a game on Friday, so I knew coming into today we were going to have a little bit of rust ... We needed the break, but I think tonight for us some of the things we struggled with was just being smooth. We’ve been very smooth.”

– Stephanie Coates , Rebel head coach

being smooth. We’ve been very smooth.”

The Rebels “rust” was most evident near the end of each set, where they allowed the Lady Rattlers to go on runs of 8-2, 12-3 and 8-5.

“I think we were a little off tonight. I do think we communicated well, but I also think we allowed runs that we don’t usually allow,” Coates said.

Hays High’s Kaitlyn Krafka led the way with

a game high 14 kills, five aces and a team high nine digs. Lady Rebel Mackenzie Coates finished the game with 33 assists. The Lady Rebels combined for six total team blocks on the night.

San Marcos’ Taylor Henderson and Alexandra Contreras each tallied ten kills in the match.

The Lady Rebels are hosting their annual “Rebel Bash” varsity tournament this weekend. Pool play begins 9 a.m. Thursday.

Hays will host Fredericksburg in a nondistrict match Friday at 6:30 p.m. at Bales Gym.

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Lehman Football Continued from pg. 1B

rushed for 185 yards and made both of Lehman’s touchdowns, highlighted by an 86-yard touchdown run in the first quarter.

But the Lobos were stymied by an equally charged Westwood defense, which limited their abilities to gather movement. Hindering the Lobos was the inability to maintain possession.

Raymond said the team had to “quit running certain plays” due to ball security issues. Lehman committed six fumbles in the game, losing three of them.

On the opposite side, Westwood’s offense thrived against a Lehman defense that was unable to stop them.

Led by quarterback Will Jennings and running back Prince Ugwu, Westwood compiled 463 yards of total offense. The Warriors exacted most of their damage through the air, as the Warrior pass attack gained 295 yards.

Raymond said the game plan was to keep Jennings in the pocket, in order to limit his play making ability. “(Jennings) is a slip-

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pery kid. We thought we got pressure on him and he slides through there,” Raymonds aid.

“They don’t drop the ball either.”

Westwood led 14-0 after a quarter, then expanded its lead to 35-7 at halftime.

Taking care of the little things, such as limiting turnovers and penalties

is the focus for Raymond as the team readies for its game against McCallum Thursday. The Lobos committed ten penalties for 110 yards.

“Our margin for error is small,” Raymond said.

“When we’re taking care of details, we’re pretty good. But when we can’t take care of those details, it’s pretty evident.”

CHOICE™

60

all-inc g p r ic in Lehman High senior wide receiver Tyler Henderson (11) powers his way pasts a pair of Westwood Warrior defenders as he makes his way downfield during Friday’s season opener. Henderson, who rushed for over 185 yards in the game, scored both of Lehman’s touchdowns.

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Education Hays Free Press

MERMAIDS

Former Aquamaid looks ahead to San Marcos Mermaid Week.

– Page 1C

August 31, 2016

Page 3B

PHOTO COURTESY OF ADRIENNE SIMES

Wallace Middle School teacher Adrienne Simes (back right) and Negley Elementary School teacher Amy Cigainero (back left) chose to spend their time in the Dominican Republic teaching children art classes at a library/community center.

Hays CISD educator takes love of art abroad

BY SAMANTHA SMITH

news@haysfreepress.com

A love of art can take a person to places far and wide.

For Wallace Middle School art teacher Adrienne Simes, her love of art has taken her across the gulf to the Dominican Republic, where she shared her passion with children and their communities who don”t have as much access to art.

Simes has been teaching for 14 years, almost 11 of those years have been spent teaching art at Wallace Middle School in Kyle, where she brings her international teaching experiences to her Hays CISD students.

According to Simes, she and a colleague, Amy Cigainero, a teacher at Negley Elementary, were traveling in Nicaragua and staying in a small community when they felt as if they wanted

to give something back to the members of the small community acting as their gracious hosts.

“We wanted to give back to the people there and noticed that the students did not have access to art classes.

We looked for an opportunity at a local library/community center that gathered students after school everyday,” Simes said.

Simes and Cigainero were then introduced to organizers in the community who helped them set up makeshift art schools, where they could teach children how to create art and express themselves through it using any materials, whether it be oil paints, watercolors or clay.

“Giving the gift of art was something that just seemed right,” Simes said.

According to Simes, it wasn’t long before more people wanted to get involved and contribute to the communities.

“We have had organizers cry when we donate supplies and our time, thankful because they are working hard with very little and we ask for nothing in return,” Simes said.

–Adrienne Simes, Wallace Middle School art teacher

“We started by bringing others down to experience the culture through retreats that we were putting on for adults and we began organizing service projects to create cultural awareness in others. Teaching just seemed like the perfect way to promote this awareness in a group setting,” Simes said.

Although the experiences Simes has gained teaching abroad are boundless, like the feeling she gets when she sees a child filled with joy because of art, she

does admit that there are challenges that must be overcome as well.

One challenge in particular is how to fund the trip. Simes said currently she must save all year in order to fund her abroad teaching expeditions.

It’s their hope that one day, Simes, Cigainero and other interested parties might find funding for the expenses involved in her goodwill mission.

Another challenge Simes identified is the language gap. The Dominican Republic

is a Spanish-speaking nation and sometimes lessons can get lost in translation. But Simes and others have already begun to remedy that issue by learning Spanish.

Limitations in the supplies they can bring is also an issue.

Simes, however, viewed this challenge as an opportunity instead of a handicap.

“We try to incorporate materials that they have access to and use recycled materials so they can continue to create when we leave,” Simes said.

Despite bumps along the way, Simes said she has been enjoying the journey, and she’s not alone.

Everywhere she teaches art, Simes said she has received overwhelmingly positive feedback from parents and community members regarding the artwork and lessons she has shared.

“I have yet to have the community or parents have a negative reaction to this adventure,” said Simes recalling how many murals she has painted on the walls of small businesses once the owners saw how beautiful her art was.

“We have had organizers cry when we donate supplies and our time, thankful because they are working hard with very little and we ask for nothing in return,” Simes said.

Simes not only wants to spread a love of art, she wants to spread the love of giving back to others as well by inviting all who are interested to get involved.

“We have opportunities for teachers or just adults to travel with us and participate in this type of service projects through our travel group called Destination Journey (www. traveldestinationjourney. com).”

STAAR given ‘F’ amid calls for testing choices STAFF REPORT A local state representative is calling for fundamental reform of the state’s standardized testing system after the “litany of errors” he claims plagued the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) in 2016.

State Rep. Jason Isaac (R-Dripping Springs) called for reform in a press release Monday, adding “flawed testing practice” threatens the state’s “ability to fulfill our education system’s goals – and our children’s futures.”

Isaac believes school districts should be able to choose from national standardized tests as the state fixes the STAAR test.

“The litany of errors being uncovered about STAAR is simply a disservice to our

“The litany of errors being uncovered about STAAR is simply a disservice to our students, hard-working teachers, and families. To that end, I propose that schools be given the freedom to choose from a variety of nationally normed standardized tests, not have their hands tied while the State of Texas tries to iron out STAAR’s many kinks.”

–Jason Isaac, State Representative, District 45

students, hard-working teachers, and families,” Isaac said in a statement.

“To that end, I propose that schools be given the freedom to choose from a variety of nationally normed standardized tests, not have their hands tied while the State of Texas tries to iron out STAAR’s many kinks.”

When STAAR was last administered in May, issues regarding test administration, along with lost or late testing materials, glitches that erased test results, and

mishandling of students’ private information have come to light, according to a press release.

In March, numerous school districts across the state reported issues with the online STAAR test, causing test answers to be lost.

According to a report by the Texas Tribune, the glitch affected more than 14,000 tests.

In June, the Texas Education Agency (TEA) said it wouldn’t hold fifth and eighth grade students who failed the STAAR exam back

a grade, or force them to retest, due to issues with New Jersey-based test vendor Education Testing Services (ETJ), according to the Tribune.

According to the release, STAAR also failed to meet the provisions of House Bill 743, which Isaac jointly authored.

HB 743 requires that 85 percent of students be able to complete the exams within two or three hours, depending on grade.

The TEA last week announced ETS has been fined more than $20

million for these errors, possibly the largest such fine in Texas history.

“I’m pleased that the Texas Education Agency has taken significant steps to improve STAAR, but it’s clear there is still more work to be done,” Isaac said. “School districts should not be hampered by an inefficient and ineffective system.

Adding a dose of freemarket philosophy to education by allowing a variety of standardized test options can only drive down costs and

improve quality.”

Dripping Springs ISD Superintendent Dr. Bruce Gearing said in an emailed response the district has always advocated for “local control in education” and believes Isaac’s call for reform would be a “positive step to consider other mechanisms for assessment.

“The freedom to make local decisions also aligns with our status as a District of Innovation and our district goals of delivering personalized learning to students,” Gearing said.

He added that Isaac listens “carefully to the challenges that educators and school districts face.”

“We appreciate Rep. Isaac’s interest in public education, and look forward to working together in the future to address some of these changes,” Gearing said.

EDUCATION

Page 4B

Hays Free Press • August 31, 2016

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Friday, 8 a.m.-2 p.m.

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Two-time Super Bowl champion visits Lobo football on the field

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Lehman High football players received a one-of-a-kind pep talk prior to last Friday’s season opener when two-time Super Bowl Champion and legendary University of Texas football player Aaron Ross visited the team’s practice at Lobo Field last week. Ross, who was joined by Lehman High alumnus and professional barber Tre Abeita, talked to the team about the importance of hard work, dedication and sacrifice in what they do, especially on the football field, along with a focus on working as a team. A full story on Ross’ visit to Lehman High can be found online at www.haysfreepress.com

for breaking news, traffic updates and more

Hays Free Press

PHOTO BY JIM CULLEN

Hays HS Publications win recognition The 2016-2017 Hays High School Publications school year got rolling in a winning way, with a half dozen staffers scoring recognition at the late summer Texas A&M High School Journalism and Communication Workshop. Sponsor Lisa Bounds oversees the growing “HHS Publications” program, which features the Rebs’ yearbook, The Legacy, as well as an award-winning news magazine, The Nation. The program is also rolling out a service to offer campus photographs for sale to the public at hhspublications.smugmug.com. Participants in the A&M Workshop earning recognition included Sabrina Castillo, Brooke Sandoval and Chrissy Stevens for Innovative Marketing Plan, Carlie Dodd and Emma-Rose Stringham for Strong Secondary Coverage, and Yary Lira, an Honorable Mention in Slow Shutter Speed Photography. Honorees include (back, l-r) Dodd, Stringham; (front, l-r) Stevens, Sandoval, Lira, and Castillo.

© 2016 by Vicki Whiting, Editor Jeff Schinkel, Graphics Vol. 32, No. 40

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The bald eagle became the national bird of the United States in 1782. It was chosen for its majestic beauty, great strength, long life, and because it is native to North America.

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Connect the dots.

Then color this bald eagle.

In September 1787, the Founding Fathers signed the United States Constitution. Every year, a day in September is recognized as the day to celebrate the importance of the Constitution. This year it’s on September 16. And Kid Scoop is celebrating with a page about a great American symbol: The bald eagle!

Eagle Eyes

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The bald eagle can be found on the Great Seal of the United States, on the country’s money and in many images of patriotism. This week, look around you and see how many times you see pictures of a bald eagle.

The back of a quarter

The Great Seal can be found on the back of a dollar bill.

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Have you ever been told you have eagle eyes?

If so, that is a compliment.

Eagles can see much better than humans.

They have to be able to spot a fish or a small animal from hundreds of feet in the air.

On Eagle’s Wings

Do the math to discover amazing bald eagle facts.

The height of an adult bald eagle is 16 - 12 = ______ feet.

The wings of a bald eagle can span 2 + 5 + 1 = ______ feet wide.

A bald eagle can reach a speed of up to 75 + 75 + 50 = ______ miles per hour when diving for a meal.

A bald eagle’s long, broad wings make them good at soaring through the air. On long flights, eagles rarely flap their wings. Instead, they use thermal updrafts. Thermal updrafts are currents of warm air that rise up from the ground. Eagles save energy by flying high in a thermal updraft and then gliding down to catch the next one.

Eaglets – Awwwwwww!

Eagle chicks are brown and white. The female lays one to three eggs. The eggs take between one to one and a half months to hatch. The male and female take turns sitting on the eggs. After hatching, both the male and female feed the hatchlings until they learn to fly. Eaglets are capable of flying at 10 to 12 weeks old.

Eaglets don’t develop their normal white heads and tails until they are four to five years old. In the wild, eagles can live to be 35 years old or more.

The scientific name for a bald eagle is Haliaeetus leucocephalus.

Write the letter that comes before each letter to find out what this means.

X I J U F T F B

I F B E F E F B HM F

A bald eagle isn’t really bald. The name comes from an old English word, balde, meaning white.

Make a Life-Sized Newspaper Eagle Lay out several newspaper pages and tape them together to make a large sheet of paper about six feet by eight feet.

If an eagle loses a feather in one wing, the matching one on the other wing also drops off. This keeps the bird in balance.

Standards Link: Reading Comprehension: Follow simple written directions.

PATRIOTISM STRENGTH NATIONAL MAJESTIC THERMAL UPDRAFT SYMBOL BEAUTY RARELY EAGLE BROAD BALD SPAN WING RISE

L H C I T S E J A M

A T N A T I O N A L

M G R A R E L Y C E

R N I L E O G N I W E E S D B E A U T Y

H R E M A P L B D R T T Y A S O T G L E

M S I T O I R T A P

U P D R A F T B B E

Complete the “On Eagle’s Wings” math activity to find out the height and wing span of an adult eagle. Then work with a partner to measure and mark these points on the newspaper sheet.

TOP OF THE HEAD TALON TIP OF LEFT WING TIP OF RIGHT WING Connect the points you measured and draw and color a life-sized bald eagle.

Cut out the bald eagle to display in your room!

Freedom of Speech

Look through today’s newspaper to find an opinion column or letter. Do you agree with the writer? Why or why not? Write a letter to the editor sharing your opinion.

Standards Link: Reading Comprehension: Follow multiple step written directions.

What People Say

Select one article from today’s newspaper.

Highlight or underline all of the quotes in the article.

Standards Link: Research: Use the newspaper to locate information.

Facts & Opinions

Write three to five facts about the Constitution and then write three to five opinions about the Constitution.

Learn how to draw an eagle in a few easy steps! Visit: kidscoop.com/ how-to-draw/howto-draw-an-eagle/

Section C

Community

DRIFTWOOD

Development focuses on family, environment.

– Page 1D

Hays Free Press

HaysFreePress.com

August 31, 2016 • Page 1C

Ten garden ideas for September It’s About Thyme

by Chris Winslow

San Marcos’ mermaid celebration W to promote river stewardship SAMANTHA SMITH

news@haysfreepress.com

A

s Mermaid week in Hays County draws to a close, the Mermaid Society of San Marcos looks forward to its inaugural downtown Mermaid Parade and SPLASH festival Sept. 17, which caps off a week devoted to the arts and positive river stewardship.

The organization, according to its website, is a grassroots community organization committed to strengthening connectivity among “like-spirited community partners,” and to work creatively and collaboratively towards a “shared vision in support of the arts, river stewardship, historic preservation and a local living economy.”

Although the Mermaid Society is based in San Marcos, its mission is a universal one that concerns all residents of Hays County, as the San Marcos River and Aquarena Springs remain an integral part of Edwards Aquifer, the source of drinking water for millions.

For longtime area resident Theresa Schwartz, the San Marcos River is a “very special place.” Her love of the river stemmed from her experience working as an Aquamaid in the 1960s at Aquarena Springs, the starting point of the San Marcos River.

As a member of a very exclusive club, Schwartz

says she is supportive of the Mermaid Society’s mission. She said they recognized issues surrounding people removing plant life from the river in order to sell it for fish tank decoration.

It’s a practice which has since been stopped as plant life in the river is now protected by law.

But the Mermaid Soceity’s celebration of the river brought fond memories of her years as an Aquamaid. She said Aquamaids were “very well protected and supervised” by staff at Aquarena Springs.

“I have so many great memories and stories from working there,” Schwartz said.

One such story involves an Aquamaid, who did something daring and a little controversial during a show.

The Aquamaid, who Schwartz swears will remain nameless, was involved in a picnic scene with two other Aquamaids in the Submarine theatre.

It was at that time when a catfish, who was already notorious for swimming into the Aquamaids with his painful whiskers, tried to do it again.

That’s when the Aquamaid, who had lost her patience with the creature, took a fork from the mock picnic basket and plunged it into the annoying fish.

Schwartz said the reactions from the Aquamaids was a mixture of humor and terror as

PHOTO COURTESY OF THERESA SCHWARTZ

Mountain City resident Theresa Schwartz was an Aquamaid at Aquarena Springs theme park in the 1960s while living in San Marcos.

the audience full of crying children watched as the impaled fish drifted slowly to the bottom.

Other memories Schwartz has reflect the simplicity and beauty of the Aquamaids Mermaid shows.

According to Schwartz being a part of the

Aquamaid team was a very special honor.

For the Mermaid Society, encouraging Hays County residents to foster a sense of stewardship for the San Marcos River and the Aquifer, which they say brings a life-giving precious resource

flowing thorough the veins of Central Texas, is paramount.

When it came to the festival, Shwartz, who along with 15 of her friends were invited by the society to walk in the parade, said she was going just going “to go with it.”

Going way, way above the call of duty

Morning commuters in the downtown Kyle area Friday may have taken a double take when they saw people walking on the catwalk of the city water tower. The image wasn’t a dream, as Kyle City Manager Scott Sellers, along with council member Travis Mitchell and Chief of Staff Jerry Hendrix climbed up to the water tower and hoisted brushes and a bucket of water to clean parts of the exterior of the tank.

The move helped offset the need for a full restoration, which would cost roughly $200,000. Helping were members of the Kyle Fire Department and several Kyle city staffers.

PHOTOS BY MOSES LEOS III

ith tomorrow’s arrival of the new month, we enter a period of transition, as we move from the doldrums of summer into what can be one of the busiest of seasons for central Texas gardeners. Some jobs for this month.

1. Cut back annual summer flowers, mulch, and feed. We have approximately 75 to 90 days till the first frost ... plenty of time to get a renewed flush of color.

2. Depending on the amount of rain we’re having, be ready to water your trees, shrubs, turf grass and landscape beds. Slow, deep watering will encourage a deep root system and make your landscape more able to withstand drought.

3. Plant new vegetables for fall and winter harvests during the last week of this month: broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts and cabbage.

4. Buy bulbs. The season to plant tulips, hyacinths, crocus, jonquils, daffodils, grape hyacinths and anemones is just around the corner.

5. Mulch all beds and trees with compost mixed with mulch. This mixture will protect plant roots from heat and cold extremes, and conserve water.

6. Inspect trees for fall webworms, and if you find them, come up with a strategy to get rid of them using Thuricide or Dipel.

7. Fertilize lawn towards the end of the month. (Please choose an organic fertilizer.)

8. Be on ‘brown patch alert’ for your grass, and be ready to treat this disease with the organic Actinovate.

9. Keep on the lookout for a world of fall bedding (annual) plants.

As temperatures cool, we can begin to plant dianthus, snapdragons, and petunias.

10. Watch for black spot and mildew on roses. With cooler weather, these pesky rose diseases will begin to show up. An organic spray of Neem oil or wettable sulfur should help in keeping it at bay. Happy gardening everyone!

If you have a question for Chris Winslow, send it to him via email: iathyme@yahoo. com. Or mail your question to Chris at: It’s About Thyme: 11726 Manchaca Road, Austin, TX 78748

COMMUNITY

Page 2C

Hays Free Press • August 31, 2016

Tap-dancing teenager knocked ’em dead I

n a Sept. 2, 1939 review of George White’s “Scandals of 1939,” a Broadway critic reserved his highest praise for a teenager from Texas named Ann Miller, who stopped the show every night with her high-energy tap dance.

The future fixture of Hollywood musicals in the 1930s and 1940s was born Lucille Ann Collier at her grandparent’s place near Nacogdoches. The year was 1923, and that is important because she would later change it to find work in Tinsel Town.

Her disappointed father, who had his heart set on a son, insisted upon calling her Johnnie, and the rest of the family went along. She was just three years old, when her mother Clara bought her dance lessons to strengthen tiny legs weakened by rickets.

Johnnie Collier loved to dance from the start and loved it even more after a chance meeting at a local theater with Bill “Bojangles” Robinson.

The legendary vaudevillian, who is credited with creating the tap dance, gave the little girl a quick demonstration and a few well-chosen words of encouragement, but that was enough to change her life.

Johnnie was ten when she came home from a visit to her grandmother’s and found her cheating father in the arms of another woman. The moment her hearing impaired mother walked in the door, the girl shouted, “Mother, pack your bags!”

Mother and daughter left the next day and never looked back. They drove to Hollywood, sold the car for living expenses and began beating the bushes for gainful employment.

Job prospects were bleak for a deaf single mother in the middle of The Depression. Johnnie, on the other hand, had reached her adult height of five-foot-seven and possessed a maturity far beyond her 11 years. She had no trouble finding work as a dancer in a club that fronted for an upstairs gambling den.

Times were tough, but the runaways survived on Johnnie’s weekly wage of $25 and the motherlode of tips from customers blown away by her tap dancing. Before walkon appearances in two motion pictures, Johnnie adopted the stage persona of “Ann Miller,” and that was the name she danced

This Week in Texas History

by Bartee Haile

under in the 1936 film “Devil on Horseback.”

With her brunette beauty and dazzling talent, it was only a matter of time until Ann was “discovered.” She had yet to turn 14, when actress Lucille Ball and comedian Benny Rubin “found” her dancing at a popular San Francisco nightclub.

The redhead later known to the television viewing audience as “Lucy” introduced her underage protégée to all the right people at RKO Studios. With a fake birth certificate provided by her lawyer father that “proved” she was 18, Ann soon had a seven-year contract and a part in “New Faces of 1937.”

That busy year and the next, Ann danced with Ginger Rogers in “Stage Door” and rubbed shoulders on the set with the entire stable of RKO stars including Katherine Hepburn, Eve Arden, Jimmy Stewart, Jean Arthur and, yes, even the Marx Brothers. But budget-conscious RKO decided she was not worth $200 a week and cut her loose.

Ann was free to try something she had been dreaming about – Broadway. An absolute sensation in “Scandals of 1939,” she was the first person George Abbott thought of when RKO hired him to direct “Too Many Girls.”

Stingy studio bosses that balked at a measly $200 a week now had to pay her $3,000 four times a month.

Ann spent the war years at Republic, where she gave Gene Autry his first on-screen kiss, and Columbia, where she made patriotic puff pieces intended to boost homefront morale. Harry Cohn, the studio head at Columbia, wanted to showcase her in an expensive full-color extravaganza, but she turned him down to marry an heir to a steel fortune.

Ann was eight months pregnant the night her husband in a drunken rage threw her down a flight of stairs breaking her back. She gave birth in a steel harness, but the baby lived only a matter of hours. Her husband’s wealthy relatives stole the tiny body, and for the next half century the grieving

mother had no idea where her child was buried.

Ann filed for divorce from her hospital bed and upon her release went to work for MGM. She actually danced in a back brace in “Easter Parade,” the 1948 box-office hit co-starring Fred Astaire and Judy Garland. Rewarded with a seven-year contract, she turned in memorable performances in such musicals as “On The Town” (1949), “Small Town Girl” (1952), “Kiss Me Kate” (1953), “Hit The Deck” (1955) and “The Opposite Sex” (1956).

After her movie career wound down, Ann traveled the world as MGM’s “Goodwill Ambassador.”

Under occupation, her passport listed “star,” which must have raised a lot of eyebrows going

through customs.

In 1979 at the (real) age of 56, Ann made an epic comeback in “Sugar Babies.” The wildly popular musical co-starring Mickey Rooney ran for two years on Broadway and seven more on the road.

Not long before she died from lung cancer in 2004, Ann Miller quipped, “I can still tap, but who wants to pay an old lady to tap sitting down?” Five years earlier, a friend had located her missing baby’s grave, and in death mother and child were reunited at last.

Bartee welcomes your comments and questions at barteehaile@gmail.com or P.O. Box 152, Friendswood, TX 77549 and invites you to visit his web site at barteehaile.com.

PHOTO COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Ann Miller performing in Broadway’s “Scandals of 1939.”

Bingo

Sundays at 2 p.m.

Great Fun Great Food $100 Minimum Game Prize $500 Progressive Jackpot

Santa Cruz Catholic Church,

Parish Activity Center

1100 Main Street, Buda, TX 78610 Texas Bingo License No. 17424803181

Texas Crossword and Sudoku sponsored by

Texas Lehigh Cement Co., LP

See Solution on 3C

Books for the cook in you T

here are certain people in the culinary world who have become household names, like Julia Childs, Martha Stewart, and Gordon Ramsey. Thanks to the phenomenal popularity of the award-winning baking competition The Great British Bake Off, English culinary mastermind Mary Berry is rapidly becoming a household name herself.

The Great British Bake Off, an amateur baking competition first airing in the United Kingdom in 2010, is credited with reinvigorating interest in baking throughout the UK. The show is available in the United through PBS under the name The Great British Baking Show. Mary Berry, who trained at The Cordon Bleu in Paris and is a cookery writer, is one of the judges.

Known for her skill, precision, and attention to detail, Berry has written over 75 books on cookery, selling more than five million copies

Check It Out

by Jane Ray

total thus far. One of them, the bestselling Baking Bible, was rated one of the ten best baking books by The Independent and is a great choice for novice bakers.

Other choices you can find at the Kyle Public Library include Baking with Mary Berry: Cakes, Cookies, Pies, and Pastries from the British Queen of Baking. There are also some specifically related to the show itself, including The Great British Bake Off: Big Book of Baking and The Great British Bake Off: How to Bake the Perfect Victoria Sponge and Other Baking Secrets.

So treat yourself to a trip to the Kyle Public Library to check out these and other baking books.

Your sweet tooth will thank you.

Sudoku

See Solution on 3C

Hays Free Press • August 31, 2016

COMMUNITY

Page 3C

Mountain City wildlife update

Sudoku Solution

P

Sudoku Puzzle, from page 2C

PHOTO COURTESY OF CHRISTINE GREVES

Christine Greves provided a photo of a checkered garter snake found on her driveway recently.

paw prints showed they tried up one way and down another to get back in.

And, would you believe it, John forgot to roll up the windows another night?

Here’s a never-before-told tale that I almost told John on Sunday. Quite a long time ago, I “prowled” over to their driveway late one night while following “Find My Phone” on Ron’s iPhone. It led me straight to their garbage can.

What to do? In my head, I saw a jerk tossing it in an easy hiding spot when I came looking. What did I do? I took a quick peek – into an empty can. And, I learned that “Find My Phone” cannot always be

Come worship with us ASSEMBLIES OF GOD

Debbie Thames, Agent 251 N. FM 1626, Bldg. 2, Ste. C, Buda, Texas 78610 312-1917 BUDA

DRUG STORE

203 Railroad Street Downtown Buda Pharmacy 312-2111 Fountain 312-2172

Faith Assembly of God 1030 Main St., Buda BAPTIST First Baptist Church-Buda 104 San Marcos St., Buda First Baptist Church-Kyle 300 W. Center St., Kyle Hays Hills Baptist Church 1401 FM 1626, Buda Sledge Chapel Missionary Baptist Church 709 Sewell, Kyle Southeast Baptist Church 5020 Turnersville Rd., Creedmoor

Your Hometown McDonald’s

McDonald’s of Buda

15359 IH-35, Ste. B P.O. Box 1364, Buda, TX 78610 512-312-2383 Locally owned and operated

by Jimmy and Cindi Ferguson

Manchaca Baptist Church Lowden Lane & FM 1626 Immanuel Baptist Church 4000 E. FM 150, 4 miles east of Kyle Center Union Baptist Church Goforth Rd., Buda

EPISCOPAL

NON-DENOMINATIONAL

St. Elizabeth’s Episcopal Church 725 RR 967, Buda

Monte del Olivar Christian Center 2400 FM 150 E., Kyle

St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church RR 3237 (Wimberley Rd.), Kyle

The Connection Church 1235 S. Loop 4, Buda

St. Alban’s Episcopal Church 11819 IH-35 South

Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses FM 2770, Kyle

Kingdom United Christian Church 100 Madison Way, Buda

Jehovah’s Witnesses South 10802 Manchaca Rd., Manchaca

Mission Fellowship Church 200 San Marcos Street, Buda

LUTHERAN Living Word Lutheran ELCA 2315 FM 967, Buda Good Shepherd Ministries FM 967, Buda Redeeming Grace Lutheran LCMS FM 1626 & Manchaca Rd., Manchaca

2325 FM 967 • 312-0701

Baptist Church of Driftwood 13540 FM 150 W.

St. John Lutheran, LCMS 20 N. Camino Real (State Hwy. 21), Uhland

Log onto www.HaysFreePress.com

St. Michael’s Catholic Church S. Old Spanish Trail, Uhland

NEWS • LETTERS • OBITS CALENDAR • PHOTO GALLERY CLASSIFIEDS • SUBSCRIBE

CHRISTIAN

New Life Christian Church 2315 FM 967, Buda Iglesia Israelita Casa de Dios 816 Green Pastures Dr., Kyle

A non-denominational church with live contemporary Christian music and life giving teaching!

Located 1 block off FM 2001 at 302 Millennium Dr., Kyle, Texas (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.

uel Baptist Church n a m Im 4000 East FM 150 (4 miles east of Kyle) (512) 268-5471

SUNDAY: Bible Study for all ages, 9:45 a.m.

Worship Service, 10:55 a.m.

Pastors: (English and Spanish) Rodney Coleman and WEDNESDAY: Bible Study, 2 p.m.

Men’s Bible Study, 7 p.m.

Family Discipleship, 7:15 p.m.

(Spanish)

God with us

Silverio Hernandez

Buda United Methodist Church San Marcos & Elm St., Buda Kyle United Methodist Church Sledge & Lockhart St., Kyle Journey United Methodist 310 San Antonio Dr., Buda

FREE DELIVERY 1ST 20 GAL. FREE

Fellowship Church at Plum Creek 160 Grace Street at 2770, Kyle

Friendly, Courteous Service

Trinity United Chuch of Niederwald 13700 Camino Real, Hwy. 21, Niederwald PENTECOSTAL Mision de Casa de Oracion S. Hwy. 81, Kyle New Life Sanctuary Kyle Science Hall Elementary 1510 Bebee Rd.

St. John’s Presbyterian Church 12420 Hewitt Ln., Manchaca

Driftwood United Methodist Church RR 150 at County Road 170

First Presbyterian Church 410 W. Hutchison, San Marcos, TX 78666

PRESBYTERIAN

Hays Hills

CONFESSION Saturdays: 4 p.m.-5 p.m.

OFFICE HOURS Monday-Friday, 9 a.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)

Come worship with us Join our church directory by emailing paper@haysfreepress.com.

 

 

Baptist Church

Adult, teen, children’s classes • Children’s worship Professionally-staffed nursery & pre-school

COME WORSHIP WITH US! Sunday

8:30 a.m. Traditional service 9:45 a.m. Contemporary service 11:00 a.m. Blended service

Santa Cruz John Catholic Church St. Lutheran Church

1100 Main Street • Buda, Texas 78610 Office: 512-312-2520 • Fax: 512-295-2034 • santacruzcc.org Rev. Kirby D. Garner, Pastor • Fr. José Luis Comparán, Assoc. Pastor

Call 1-866-691-2369

Word of Life Christian Faith Center 400 Old Post Road, Kyle

Manchaca United Methodist Church FM 1626 & Manchaca Rd., Manchaca

Rev. Nancy Day Office 295-6981, Parsonage 512-393-9772 www.BudaUMC.org

Privately owned From local springs

A Fountain of Life Church 302 Millenium Dr. Kyle

Buda-Kyle Church of Christ 3.5 miles south of Buda on FM 2770

*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.

Pure Texas Spring Water!

Vertical Chapel 801 FM 1626 (Elm Grove Elem.), Buda

St. Paul’s United Methodist Church 7206 Creedmoor Rd., Creedmoor

Elm Street & San Marcos

FM 2770, Buda, Texas 295-4801

Por Tu Gracia Fellowship 701 Roland Lane, Kyle

METHODIST

Buda United Methodist Church

CENTEX MATERIALS LLC

New Covenant Community Church 1019 Main Street, Buda (in Dance Unlimited)

CHURCH OF CHRIST

Southern Hills Church of Christ 3740 FM 967, Buda

A FOUNTAIN OF LIFE

The Well Buda

Santa Cruz Catholic Church 1100 Main Street, Buda St. Anthony Marie Claret Church 801 N. Burleson, Kyle

Antioch Community Church Old Black Colony Rd., Buda Completed & Perfected Faith Church Tobias Elementary Cafeteria, FM 150, Kyle

Primera Mision Bautista Mexicana Kyle

CATHOLIC

TEXAS LEHIGH CEMENT CO. LP

JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES

Rosebrock

Veterinary Clinic

Texas Crossword, from page 2C

9:00am 10:00am 6:00pm 7:00pm

Wednesday 

www.hayshills.org 1401 N. FM 1626



  

Thursday Evening Bible Study, 5:30 p.m. & Open Communion

Highway 21, Uhland

Pastor: Rev. David Goeke 210-635-8584 • www.stjohnlcmsuhland.org 20 N. Camino Real (State Hwy. 21) • Uhland, Texas 78640

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





of Uhland , LCMS Bible Study . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9:15 a.m.

Church Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10:30 a.m.

Bible Class Worship Worship Bible Class

Science Hall Elementary, 1510 Bebee Road.

Pastor J.D. Elshoff jelshoff@earthlink.net 512-638-6312

Make THIS your church home!

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

162 5

Buda, Texas • 15300 S. IH-35 • 312-1615

trusted to give an exact signal out here in our little city.

Turns out, my phone was on a shelf in my closet.

Ten years ago in Montage, “James & Dianne Polk reported the return of their Rufous Hummingbird. Keep fresh syrup in your feeder throughout the year, and you might attract a wintering Rufous Hummingbird. That’s right.

Labor Day is not the date to take down your feeder. Keep it up!”

And, keep on sending tidbits, please. ptom5678@ gmail.com (subject: TIDBIT) or leave a message at 512-268-5678. Thanks! Love, Pauline.

Tex

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N. Lp

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FM

sounds through headphones hear a rattlesnake’s warning?”

Cattycornered across the street, Christine Greve found a garter snake on her driveway. On Nextdoor.com she posted a photo. My husband nailed its exact id with “checkered garter snake.”

Gary White advised “good snake.”

I heard a good tidbit from our next door neighbor, John Sheldon. Last week, three ring-tailed prowlers entered his mega truck through an open window and made a mega-mess while claiming some food. John had quite a clean-up job, even sanitizing with bleach. The next night,

Texas Crossword Solution

IH-35

raise God for the rain.

Looking back in past Augusts, “Montage” mentioned crunchy grass; and, we prayed for rain. How beautiful the rain sounds and green grass!

A soft rattle near sundown on Sunday turned my head back to the spot on the soft grass where I had just scooped dillo dirt from a bag. Rattling. Diamonds.

Triangular head. The snake slithered away, towards our deck. In fact, by the time Ron Tom responded to my calling out and calling cell, the snake disappeared under the deck.

Ron questioned the validity of my identification, since neither of us had heard of a rattlesnake rattling in retreat.

Seri did not understand me; so, I texted up our local Snake Rescuer, Rick Thomas, 512393-1986. “Yes, they will rattle and move away at the same time.”

I wondered that night if Rick knew of a way to lure a snake from underneath a deck. “My experience is they have a large range they roam, and it’s likely moved on.”

So, all you out there in a large range, be careful. If you’re on the lookout and see a rattlesnake, usually the rattlesnake will move away and present no danger. But, danger comes when a human unknowingly places a hand or foot towards the snake.

I’ve wondered, “How would a person listening to recorded

Toll

BEST BETS

COMMUNITY

Page 4C

Hays Free Press • August 31, 2016

Classes, meetings and local events can be found on the calendar at haysfreepress.com.

Email event submissions to christine@haysfreepress.com.

CAMPO wants to hear from you

Buda’s Fajita Fiesta & Cook- Off

Attend an open house and provide your comments on amendments to the 2017-2020 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) and the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (CAMPO) 2040 Plan.

Locally, there will be an open house Sept. 8 at the Buda Public Library from 4 to 7 p.m. For more open house dates and locations, visit www. campotexas.org/getinvolved.

Come out to Buda City Park Sept. 23 and 24 for the 3rd annual Fajita Fiesta. This free event offers something for all ages, including live music, vendors and the best fajitas around. If you are interested in being a cook-off contestant or a vendor contact the Buda Area Chamber of Commerce at (512) 295-9999 or info@ budachamber.com.

Hands and Paws for a Cause

St. Anthony’s Fiesta Gunner Thames Memorial Rodeo

On Saturday, Sept. 3 and Sunday, Sept. 4, head out to the Chester Franklin Arena at Veterans Park in Wimberley for this annual event benefitting the mission and vision of the Gunner Thames Memorial Foundation. Rodeo begins at 7:30 p.m. both nights. The event is BYOB. Saturday night’s festivities will include a dance featuring the Sam Bentley Band. Show your law enforcement badge and you and a guest get free admission. Visit www.GunnerThames.com for more information.

Come out to GreggClarke Park in Kyle Sept.

24 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. for this Pet Parade and Fair benefitting the Hays-Caldwell Women’s Center. Enjoy a day of costume contests, petting zoos, food vendors and family fun. For more information contact HCWCHandsandPaws@ gmail.com or Michelle Syltie at 512-645-9923.

Enjoy a weekend of food, live music, fun and games at this annual fiesta Sept. 16-17 at 801 N. Burleson St. in Kyle.

Grounds open at 5:30 p.m. Friday and 1:30 p.m. Saturday. For more information visit www. stanthonysfiesta.com.

$574,674 grant to provide resources for abuse victims in Hays County STAFF REPORT A two-year grant totaling just over $500,000 awarded by the St. David’s Founation to the Hays Caldwell Women’s Center gives victims of sexual abuse and family violence access to vital resources.

The grant, totaling $574,674, allows St. David’s to provide professional counseling and advocacy for victims of family violence, dating violence, sexual assault and child abuse who reside in Hays and Caldwell County.

Counseling and Advocacy Program Director Jennifer Vasquez said in a statement funding from the St. Davids’ Foundation goes toward providing services for victims of abuse by licensed, professionally trained clinical staff with Master’s degrees in Counseling and Social Work.

“Our Counseling and Advocacy staff have extensive education and training on the impact of trauma and abuse on the clients we serve,” Vasquez said in a press

release.

The funding gives victims access to six months of free individual counseling and ongoing support groups facilitated by licensed professionals who help them work toward their goal of living a life free of abuse, Vasquez said.

HCWC has benefitted from support from the St. David’s Foundation, which dates back to 2006. This grant allowed HCWC to expand counseling and advocacy services outside of its two main offices in San Marcos and Caldwell County. That includes offsite locations in

Lockhart, Dripping Springs and Luling.

The center also provides additional support in its family violence shelter and expands services with the children’s advocacy center, Roxanne’s House.

In addition to individual counseling and advocacy, HCWC counselors are currently providing seven adult groups. Those groups include a six week Domestic Violence Psychoeducational class and two children’s groups on a regular basis.

Last year, HCWC provided professional

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counseling services to 951 victims who benefitted from 8,045 counseling sessions and 1,957 advocacy days all provided free-of-charge and confidential.

In total, HCWC provided free face-toface services to 1,743 victims of abuse in 2015 and responded to 2,490 HELPline crisis calls.

According to a press release, clients of the HCWC cited counseling and advocacy as the most valuable resource.

“I don’t feel isolated anymore, individual counseling was awesome, life changing,” one person said.

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This grant allowed HCWC to expand counseling and advocacy services outside of its two main offices in San Marcos and Caldwell County. That includes offsite locations in Lockhart, Dripping Springs and Luling.

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Section D

Business HaysFreePress.com

Hays Free Press

August 31, 2016 • Page 1D

Investors can learn much from workers

More than just barbecue Local business owner eyes completion of new development

Financial Focus

by Janet Ross

N COURTESY PHOTOS

A 560-acre property owned by Salt Lick owner Scott Roberts will soon be a residential development with 31 homesteads and a 200-unit lodge and spa.

BY MOSES LEOS III

News-Dispatch Editor

Progress toward a 560-acre tract of land that will soon hold a new mixed-use development surrounding the Salt Lick restaurant in Driftwood continues to move forward.

For Salt Lick owner Scott Roberts, whose family has owned the property for more than 100 years, ensuring development falls in harmony with the surrounding land was imperative.

Roberts’ planned development, called “Driftwood,” has been in the works for roughly 12 years. The project came about after his family decided to change the land use, as they couldn’t use it for its original purpose as a cattle ranch.

While the family wanted to continue to be involved with the land, Roberts said they also wanted to share it with others as well.

“It’s a beautiful tract of land,” he said. “It’d be a waste for just one family.

It needed to be shared somewhat.”

What Driftwood could

share with area neighbors is retail and residential space, along with a lodge and spa, an events center and a hotel.

Thus far, the main entryway has been constructed and 31 home sites have been prepared. Home sites in the development have a footprint of a maximum

4,500 square feet, with home site prices starting at $350,000. Driftwood would also feature a 200unit lodge and spa. Build out is expected over the next three to five years.

Maintaining an environmentally sensitive design was also the prime focus for Roberts and his development

team.

Features include limiting the amount of impervious cover on the property to only 17 percent. Roberts said estimates could have the amount of impervious cover limited to 14 percent. He also said 90 percent of drainage in the property is “open

flow.”

Roadways, which are typically 120 to 180 feet due to drainage features on the sides, would be limited to 32 feet due to overland drainage. In addition, he said roadways were “hand cleared,” with contractors successfully relocating 165 trees.

The development received a permit from TCEQ for rainwater capture from rooftops, with the resulting water used for irrigation on the land.

He said the development received a private consultation from the Texas Department of Fish and Wildlife, which said in a letter the development would have “no impact on endangered species on the habitat.” Roberts said the development obtains surface water from the West Travis County Public Utility Agency (WTCPUA).

“The water running off is pure enough to protect the [Barton Springs] Salamander,” Roberts said.

The property will also have roughly 200-acres

DRIFTWOOD, 4D

Local housing market still leads nation STAFF REPORT Anyone living in the Austin Metropolitan Area knows that housing is tight.

And according to the latest WalletHub study, the best real estate markets continue to be in Texas, with Texas claiming six of the top ten spots in the nation.

WalletHub analyzed 300 U.S. cities across 16 key metrics to put together a prospective home buyers list. Those metrics included a look at the average number of days on the market, percentage of homes selling for a gain, median home-price appreciation, home sales turnover rate, rent-to-sale price ratio, foreclosure rate, mortgage delinquency and more.

In addition to the real estate market, the study looked at the affordability and economic environment of the cities, including maintenance affordability,

population growth rate, job growth rate and unemployment rate.

The study took samples in three different population sizes: Large cities – more than 300,000 people; Medium cities – 150,000 to 300,000 people; and Small cities – fewer than 150,000 people.

A look at the average number of days until a house is sold puts mostly California and Washington cities in the top 5: 1. Berkley, CA 2. Seattle, WA 3. San Mateo, CA T-4. Sunnyvale, CA T-4. Bellenue, WA T-4. Santa Clara, CA Where do homes sit the longest, waiting for a sale?

A look at the bottom 5 include: 295. Waterbury, CT 296. Paterson, NJ 297. Flint, MI T-298. Detroit, MI

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T-298. Hartford, CT Top Ten Best Real-Estate Markets: 1. Frisco, TX 2. McKinney, TX 3. Richardson, TX 4. Murfreesboro, TN 5. Austin, TX 6. Allen, TX 7. Overland Park, KS 8. Thornton, CO 9. Plano, TX 10. Arvada, CO Top Ten Worst RealEstate Markets: 291. Baltimore, MD 292. Waterbury, CT 293. Hartford, CT 294. Fall Riber, MA 295. Flint, MI 296. Cleveland, OH 297. Elizabeth, NJ 298. Detroit, MI 299. Paterson, NJ 300. Newark, NJ For more information on the report, go to wallethub. com/edu/best-real-estatemarkets/14889

WE BUY

Other Best vs.

Worst facts...

• San Mateo, Calif., has the lowest percentage of homes with negative equity, 1.9 percent, which is 27 times lower than in Hartford, Conn., the city with the highest, 51.2 percent.

• Berkeley, Calif., has the lowest average number of days until a house is sold, 38, which is 4.9 times lower than in Paterson, N.J., the city with the highest, 186.

• Simi Valley, Calif., has the lowest vacancy rate, 2.40 percent, which is 15.1 times lower than in Miami Beach, Fla., the city with the highest, 36.17 percent.

• Detroit has the lowest home price as a percentage of income, 131 percent, which is 11.5 times lower than in Santa Monica, Calif., the city with the highest, 1,508 percent.

• Austin, Texas, Lincoln, Nebr., and Livonia, Mich., have the lowest unemployment rate, 2.5 percent, which is 4.6 times lower than in Yuma, Ariz., the city with the highest, 11.4 percent.

ext week, we observe Labor Day, a celebration of the American worker. And there’s a lot to celebrate, because our workers have accomplished great things and, in the process, demonstrated a variety of impressive character traits – many of which also can be useful to investors.

For example: Perseverance – Have you ever read about an inventor who failed dozens of times before finally hitting on a winner? Or a scientist who studied the same problem for decades before discovering a revolutionary solution?

All kinds of workers display this type of perseverance, in one form or another. As an investor, you, too, will need this “stick-to-itiveness” because you will face challenges. Markets will drop, individual investments may disappoint, tax laws may change, and so on.

But if you’re patient, and you follow a long-term strategy that’s based on your needs, risk tolerance and time horizon, you can overcome those obstacles that may be blocking progress toward your goals.

Inquisitiveness – During your own work, you’ve probably found that you can improve your effectiveness simply by asking a few questions or otherwise learning a little more about your tasks at hand. As an investor, you’ll also find that knowledge is power – because the more you know about investing and investments, the better prepared you can be when making decisions.

Sometimes, this knowledge can help you look past the so-called experts who are touting the “next hot stock.” Other times, your curiosity may lead you to find new opportunities. In any case, learn as much as you can, and if you work with a financial professional, ask questions – as many as necessary.

The investment world is fascinating, and it can be complex – but it is also understandable to those who make the effort.

Flexibility – When something isn’t working, you may need to try another approach.

Successful workers know this – and so do successful investors. Suppose, for example, you have been trying to boost your overall return by buying and selling investments.

After a while, you may realize that such behavior is costly – in more ways than one. You will likely rack up fees and com-

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Hays Free Press

Page 2D

Employment BILINGUAL EARLY HEAD START HOME-BASED HOME VISITOR POSITION AVAILABLE WITH COMMUNITY ACTION INC. OF CENTRAL TEXAS

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Apply in person, 17100 IH 35 Buda, TX 78610

Furniture Sale

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Public Notices

A PLACE FOR MOM

122 Main Street, Downtown Buda, Little Bluebird & Old Main Street Station. Sat, 10-6 & Sun, 10-4. Making room for new merchandise. Call 512468-4451, 512-751-8301.

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Contact our trusted, local experts today! Our service is FREE/no obligation. Call 1-800-941-8234

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Willing to do housework in your home/apartment/office.

References available upon request. Reasonable rates.

Call Linda at 512-608-7568 or Sylvia at 512-751-3221.

2002 Cadillac DTS, charcoal black exterior w/ leather seats, miles 170,700, Good Condition $3,500 512-268-2120.

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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.

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CDL A or B drivers needed to transfer vehicles from area body plants to various customer locations throughout U.S. – No forced dispatch – We specialize in connecting the dots and reducing deadhead. Safety incentives! Call 1-800-501-3783 or apply at: http://www. mamotransportation.com/driveaway-jobstransport-drivers-wanted/

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CITY COUNCIL

Hays Free Press • August 31, 2016

REBEL AND LOBO SPORTS

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Notice is hereby given that original Letters Testamentary for the Estate of CLEMENCIA OJEDA, deceased, were issued on August 29, 2016 under Docket number 160252-P, pending in the County Court of Hays County, Texas to JESSE GARCIA. Claims may be presented in care of the attorney for the Estate addressed as follows: Jesse Garcia Independent Executor Estate of Clemencia Ojeda C/O Andrew Gary 108 E. San Antonio St. San Marcos, Texas 78666 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 29th. day of August, 2016 Andrew Gary, Bar #7721000 P.O. Box 727 San Marcos, Texas 78667 512-396-2541 andrewgary@grandecom. net Attorney for Jesse Garcia

HAYS CISD REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

Hays CISD is Requesting Proposals for RFP #25-091703SC Municipal Advisor Services. Requests for Proposal will be accepted until Friday, September 9, 2016 at 2:00 p.m. local time.

Specifications are available in the HCISD Purchasing Office (512-268-2141 ext 46035) between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Thursday or on the Public Purchase web site (www.publicpurchase. com). Bid responses must be into the HCISD Purchasing office by the date and time indicated above. Late bids will be returned unopened.

The HCISD Board of Trustees reserves the right to reject any and/or all bids and waive all formalities in the bid process.

PUBLIC NOTICE

The Village of San Leanna will hold a public hearing at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, September 15, 2016 at the Community Center, 11906 Sleepy Hollow, Manchaca, to consider adopting the proposed budget and tax rate for fiscal year 2016-2017.

The proposed tax rate is $0.2498 per $100 of property valuation, the same tax rate for the past 20-plus years.

Total taxes in the Village of San Leanna will increase by 4.19%, or $5,505, due to new construction added to the tax roll this year and to higher appraisal values. Your individual taxes may increase or decrease, depending on any change in the taxable value of your property. The proposed tax rate will in-

COMMUNITY EVENTS

crease taxes on a $100,000 home by approximately $10.50.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Notice is hereby given that original Letters Testamentary for the Estate of ODELIA CISNEROS, Deceased, were issued on August 23, 2016, in Cause No. 16-0204-P, pending in the County Court at Law of Hays County, Texas, to: VICTORIA C. DOMINGUEZ. 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: Victoria C. Dominguez 10134 Enchanted Stone Dr. Houston, Texas 77070 DATED the day of August 23, 2016.

THE BOLING LAW FIRM, PLLC Plum Creek Square 140 Kirkham Cir. Kyle, TX 78640 Tel: (877) 629-5353 Fax: (877) 629-3130 Anna Martinez Boling SBN: 0079188

annaboling@bolinglawfirm. com Ana Marilin “Mari” Garza SBN: 24084385 marigarza@bolinglawfirm. com Attorneys for Victoria C. Dominguez

NOTICE FOR QUALIFICATIONS

Sealed Qualifications will be received by the City Utilities Office of the City of Buda until 10:00 a.m.

September 8, 2016, for “RFQ 16-010, Program Management Services”. Request for Qualifications may be obtained from the Purchasing Manager at the Buda Municipal Building, 121 Main St., Buda, Texas 78610 or go to www.texasbidsystem. com.

ADDRESS AND MARK ENVELOPE: “RFQ 16-010, Program Management Services” TO: Purchasing Manager, City of Buda, 121 Main St., Buda, Texas 78610.

TO BE OPENED: 10:00 a.m.

September 8, 2016.

PUBLIC NOTICES, 4D

City of Creedmoor Public Notice The City of Creedmoor will hold a public hearing at 7:15 p.m., September 15, 2016 at 12513 FM 1625, Creedmoor, Texas to consider adopting a tax rate for tax year 2016. The proposed tax rate is $0.3800 per $100 valuation. This would increase property taxes by 5.409 percent.

City of Hays Public Notice

The City of Hays will hold a meeting at 6:30 PM on September 12, 2016 at 520 Country Lane to consider adopting a proposed tax rate for year FY 2016-2017. The Proposed tax rate is .14 per $100.00 of value.

The proposed tax rate would increase total taxes in the City of Hays by 5.85%. *

City of Niederwald Public Notice

The City of Niederwald will hold a meeting at 7:15 PM on September 12, 2016 at 8807 Niederwald Strasse, Niederwald, TX to consider adopting a proposed tax rate for tax year 2016. The proposed tax rate is 0.288000 per $100 of value.

The proposed tax rate would increase total taxes in City of Niederwald by 3.299857 percent.

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Hays Free Press

Hays Free Press • August 31, 2016

Page 3D

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Hays Free Press • August 31, 2016

Page 4D

Public Notices, from page 2D NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Notice is hereby given that original Letters Testamentary for the Estate of Paul Herrera, Deceased, were issued on December 7th, 2015 in Cause No. 13-0202P, pending in the County Court of Hays County, Texas, to: Rose L. Herrera.

All persons having claims against this Estate which is currently being administered are required to present them to Rose L. Herrera within the time and in the manner prescribed by law.

Rose L. Herrera c/o The Roland Brown Law Firm 15577 Ranch Road 12, Ste. 105 Wimberley, TX 78676 DATED: August 31, 2016

THE STATE OF TEXAS CITATION BY PUBLICATION TO: DEDRICK LOTT And To All Whom It May Concern, Defendants(s) GREETINGS: 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 10:00 a.m. on the Monday next following the expiration of forty-two days after you were served this citation, the same being October 3, 2016 a default judgment may be taken against you.

YOU ARE HEREBY COMMANDED to appear and answer before the 274th District Court, Hays County, Texas, at San Marcos then and there to answer the Petition for Declaratory Relief filed in said Court on the August 12, 2016, and said suit being numbered 16-1657 on the docket of said Court, wherein Ocwen Loan Servicing, LLC is the Plaintiff and Dedrick Lott and Giant Smile, LLC are the Defendants.

The nature of said suit is as follows: This suit is an action for rescission of a foreclosure sale that was

conducted on November 3, 2015 on property located at 131 Ruddy Cove, San Marcos, Texas 78666, legally described as Lot Thirty-Four (34), Block E, Brookhollow Club Estates, Phase Two, situated in Guadalupe County, Texas according to plat thereof recorded in Volume 5, Page 16A, Plat Records of Guadalupe County, Texas and declaration nullifying and voiding a post-sale substitute trustee’s deed and deed without warranty dated November 19, 2015 and April 25, 2016 respectively.

ALL AS MORE FULLY APPEARS OF RECORD ON FILE IN THIS OFFICE, AND WHICH REFERENCE IS HERE MADE FOR ALL INTENTS AND PURPOSES. ISSUED AND GIVEN UNDER MY HAND AND SEAL of said Court at office, on this the 18th day of August, 2016.

REQUESTED BY:

Preston H. Neel Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP One Federal Place 1819 Fifth Avenue North Birmingham, AL 35203 205-521-8000 BEVERLY CRUMLEY Hays County District Clerk Hays County Government Center 712 Stagecoach Trail, Ste. 2211 San Marcos, Texas 78666

By Kathy Orlowski, Deputy

CITY OF BUDA ANNEXATION PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE

The City of Buda City Council will hold a public hearing beginning at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, September 6, 2016 and Tuesday, September 20, 2016 in the City Council Chambers at Buda City Hall, 121 Main St., Buda, Texas 78610 to receive written and oral

comments in regard to annexation of the following properties: 1. Approximately 40.99+/acres of land generally located at 711 Garison Road (Garison Park Annexation).

2. Approximately 17.730+/- acres of land generally located on northbound Interstate 35 adjacent and south of Truck City Ford (Truck City Expansion Annexation).

At said time and place all such persons shall have the right to appear and be heard. Of all said matters and things, all persons interested in the subject matter herein mentioned shall take notice.

For more information regarding the above matters, please contact the City of Buda Planning Department at (512) 312-5745.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Notice is hereby given that original Letters Testamentary for the Estate of Albert

R. Thigpen (also known as Albert Ray Thigpen), Deceased, were issued on August 24, 2016, in Cause No. 16-0235-P, pending in the County Court at Law No. 2, Hays County, Texas, to: Michael Thigpen.

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: M. Elizabeth Raxter Attorney at Law P.O. Box 281 Lockhart, Texas 78644 DATED the 25thday August, 2016.

By: M. Elizabeth Raxter M. Elizabeth Raxter Attorney for Michael Thigpen State Bar No.: 24050084 P.O. Box 281 Lockhart, Texas 78644 Telephone: (512) 398-6996 Facsimile: (512) 668-4501 E-mail: eraxter@txelderlaw.com

Driftwood

Continued from pg. 1D of open space, which would include water quality ponds and open grass areas. Amenities for the development include nine miles of nature trails.

“The overriding deal was that every generation of Roberts has been able to swim in Onion Creek … you want the creek to be clean after the project is done,” Roberts said.

Roberts hopes his development would “raise the bar” and set a standard for future developments involving open land.

A University of Texas at Austin study referenced Driftwood as a development “as it should be” in the Hill Country, Roberts said.

Opposition to his development has been

“The overriding deal was that every generation of Roberts has been able to swim in Onion Creek …you want the creek to be clean after the project is done.”

–Scott Roberts, owner of Driftwood property

COURTESY PHOTOS

Promotional materials for “Driftwood” focus on open spaces, sustainability and Onion Creek.

limited, said Roberts, who has held three to four town meetings in the past.

Only one person has objected to his project, but Roberts said the ob-

jection “went away.”

Developing the land brought mixed emotions for Roberts.

“I’ve been associated with this land all of my life,” he said. “There’s

of what they want to accomplish – and they know what they must do reach their goal. As an investor, you also need to establish a vision of where you want to go and how you can get there. So when contemplating your retirement, try to foresee the lifestyle you hope to lead – will you travel the world or stay close to home, pursuing your hobbies?

Then, use this vision to help guide your actions, such as increasing your

contributions to your 401(k) or IRA, or changing the investment mix within these accounts.

Transferring what you learn from the working world to the investment arena can help make investing a less laborious – and potentially more enjoyable – process. So put that knowledge to good use.

Financial Focus Continued from pg. 1D

missions, you may incur the highest rate of capital gains taxes (assessed on investments held less than one year), and you will be disrupting any cohesive investment strategy you’ve established.

Upon recognizing these problems, you could decide to “switch gears” and follow a long-term, “buy-and-hold” strategy.

That’s flexibility – and that’s a great attribute for investors.

Vision – Good workers have a clear picture

This article was written

by Edward Jones for use by your local Edward Jones Financial Advisor.

Retirement

doesn’t mean you retire from life.

Maybe your idea of retirement is having a second career or working part time, volunteering or indulging in your favorite hobbies. Doing the things you want to do is what retirement should be all about.

some regret on one side, but happiness and expectations on the other. I’m kind of happy and hoping that it sets a new standard on how it would be developed.”

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Coincidence?

Why risk it? Subscribe today.

JUNE 8, 2016

Janet Ross

Financial Advisor .

251 N Fm 1626 Bldg 2 Ste B Buda, TX 78610 512-312-2840

BEING BAMA

Radio DJ personality gives a voice to his community.

– Page 1C

– Page 4A

Hays Free Press ©Barton Publications, Inc.

Hays Free Press

Vol. 120 • No. 11

HaysFreePress.com

Serving Buda, Kyle and Northeast Hays County, TX • 75¢

ESD 9? Armed robbery suspect sought in Buda New district could help

BY MOSES LEOS III

news@haysfreepress.com

Hays County emergency officials moved one step closer to the possibility of calling an election for the creation of a ninth Emergency Service District.

While boundaries for the potential ESD are still being finalized, San Marcos Hays County EMS Chief David Smith said nearly all entities have supported ESD 9’s creation.

ESD 9 is being created to service residents who do not live within an existing ESD in Hays County.

One of the major hurdles that remains for ESD 9 is setting service boundaries for neighborhoods west of Hugo Road and Ranch Road 12 in Wimberley.

Smith said those areas have been historically served by Wimberley Fire and Rescue (ESD 7).

In late May, the Hays County Commissioner’s Court closed its public hearing on the creation of ESD 9, but delayed the vote to call an election. The reason was to finalize ESD service boundaries in the Wimberley area.

Hays County has until August xx to call an election for November 8.

Over the past several months, Smith said officials from the new ESD 9 and ESD 7 have met to redraw boundaries in that area.

“That took us a couple of months,” Smith said. He added ESD 9 is waiting for the finalization of boundary maps and legal descriptions before taking the measure back to the Commissioner’s Court.

But Smith said the boundaries are not “hardline” and that all entities “just try to send the closes ambulances” to help emergency

STAFF REPORT

dispatched to an address in the 200 block of Oak Forest Drive in Buda for a “burglary in progress” call at 10:15 a.m.

When deputies arrived, a homeowner told authorities an unknown man with a handgun had kicked in his front door. The suspect confronted the homeowner and

The Hays County Sheriff’s Office continues to search for a suspect who kicked in the door of a residence in the Oak Forest subdivision May 28 and robbed a homeowner at gunpoint.

According to a Hays County press release, deputies were

demanded money from him while holding a pistol to his head.

The suspect stole property, including cash and a wallet, along with the victim’s cell phone.

The suspect fled in an unknown direction from the residence and no vehicle description was readily available.

The victim notified a

neighbor of the incident, who called 911 to report the crime. The victim’s alarm company also notified authorities of the break-in.

The suspect is described as a black male, approximately six feet tall with a medium build and short hair.

He was wearing a red and black jacket, dark,

possibly black, pants and dark colored shoes. The suspect was also armed with a semi-automatic handgun.

Anyone with information regarding this case should call the Hays County Sheriff’s Office at 512-393-7896 and speak with the Criminal Investigations Division.

Home values up 10% STAFF REPORT

Too fast, too furious?

Appraised values are on the rise once again in Hays County as property owners feel the ramifications of rapid growth.

Hays County’s overall preliminary market value in 2016 increased by 12.79 percent from 2015, according to a press release from the Hays County Central Appraisal

Name _________________________________________________________ PHOTO BY MOSES LEOS III

I-35 safety a growing concern in Kyle

BY SAMANTHA SMITH

Interstate 35 stats

news@haysfreepress.com

According to a TxDOT public information officer Kelli Reyna, TxDOT has developed a 10-year plan that costs an estimated $4.3 billion. The plan, Reyna said, will address congestion and enhance safety on I-35.

She said it includes over 40 planned projects along the I-35 corridor, if funding is identified.

One of the proposed projects on the Mobility35 plan, created in August 2013, involves widening the freeway footprint by adding an additional lane in each direction of I-35, called Future Transportation Corridors (FTCs).

The cost breakdown of adding an FTC to a section of I-35 in each city is separated into three phases.

HOME APPRAISALS, 2A

Road

projects Address _______________________________________________________ delayed

Zip_________

A rising population in Central Texas has led to a rising issue of traffic accidents on Interstate 35.

According to the latest available reports, May 2015, crash statistics from the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), there were 17 fatalities from traffic accidents in Hays County last year and a total of 2,558 crashes.

No clear information, however, is known about how many of these fatalities occurred on I-35.

Kyle Police Department Chief Jeff Barnett said there have been seven fatalities resulting from traffic accidents on I-35 near Kyle so far in 2016.

7 FATALITIES from traffic accidents in Kyle so far in 2016

2,558 TOTAL CRASHES in Hays County last year

1.4 FATALITIES A MONTH in Kyle on average

by rain

Home Phone No. __________________________________ That number breaks down to roughly 1.4 fatalities a month. If such a trend were to continue, there could be a total of 17 fatalities by the end of the year on I-35.

Barnett attributes the increase of traffic related accidents to an influx in population growth, as well as a more lax driving mentality.

“There’s just more motorists using that roadway (I-35), and the length of heavy traffic hours have extended until almost 7 p.m.,” said Barnett.

This surge in population growth has added to the already congested roadway, prompting city and state officials to up the ante on increased safety measures on I-35.

BY MOSES LEOS III

news@haysfreepress.com

A record 18 days of rainfall in May has led to some delays in Kyle’s quest to complete a majority of its Goforth Road reconstruction project.

While City Engineer Leon Barba said the project is still on schedule, the city is fighting to ensure the project is completed prior to August and the start of the 2016 school year.

The reason is to avoid construction interfering with traffic in front of Fuentes Elementary next fall, Barba said. He added that finishing construction on Goforth is directly tied to the timeframes for the Bunton Creek and Lehman Road projects.

The city plans to start construction on Bunton Creek in September, while the city plans to let the Lehman Road project in March 2017. The Goforth Road project is scheduled for completion

by March 2017.

Email _________________________________________________________ COMING UP ESD 9, 4A

I-35, 4A

Kyle Geotour

o Check Enclosed o Charge credit card

Buda Movie in the Park Aladdin

Enjoy family-friendly movies under the stars June 10 with a showing of Aladdin at Buda City Park.

Bring your lawn chairs, blankets and snacks for comfort. Admission is free. Movies begin at 9 p.m. For more information please call Buda Parks & Recreation at (512) 2957170 or visit www.ci.buda. tx.us/parkevents.

Buda Fun Fish

The city of Buda will host its fishing tournament at Bradfield Park Pond on Saturday, June 11 from 10 a.m.- 2 p.m. Fishing equipment & bait will be provided. Kids 16 & under do not require a fishing license. Free snacks & beverages.

Free admission. For more information, contact the Buda Parks and Recreation Department at 512-295-7170.

FILM-FRIENDLY

Three TV shows begin filming in Kyle.

– Page 1D

INDEX

Learn how. For a personalized review of your retirement, call or visit your local Edward Jones financial advisor today.

TOP PAID

Top ten highest paid salaries in Buda and Kyle

Kyle Market Days

Come out to Historic City Square Park in Kyle for the 2016 season of Market Days on June 11.

This month’s theme is “Summertime.”

Enjoy local vendors, arts & crafts, farm to market items, live music and more. The event is held from 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Learn a little more about the history of Kyle by exploring your backyard! 21 Geocaches will be live as of 9 a.m. on June 11. Trackable Geocoins will be awarded to the first 250 to complete the passport. Use #ExploreKyle to share your adventures, just don’t be too descriptive (the fun is in the find). Geocaching is a real-world, outdoor treasure hunting game using GPS-enabled devices.

Participants navigate to a specific set of GPS coordinates and then attempt to find the geocache (container) hidden at that location. Download the Geocaching app to your smartphone, tablet or GPS device. Print your KACC Passport or stop by the Chamber office for a copy. You will need this to log your caches (you will also log your findings digitally).

News …………… 1-4A Opinions …………… 3A Sports …………… 1-2B Education ……… 3-4B Community …… 1-4C

ROAD WORK, 2A

Best Bets ………… 4C Business ………… 1D Service Directory …2-3D Classifieds ……… 2-4D Public Notices …… 2-4D

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