The 2021 grand opening of the Community Resource Center home office in Marble Falls. Another Community Resource Center is coming to Kingsland in 2024. Courtesy photo
A new Community Resource Centers of Texas location is coming to the Highland Lakes, this one to be opened in Kingsland by 2024. The office of the community service nonprofit will be at 136 Real St., the former location of Calvary Hill Church.
CRC offers support resources for those in need, including education, mental health, employment, affordable housing, child care, and elder needs. The Kingsland office will be the second location in Llano County. The other is at 100 Legend Hills Blvd. in Llano. The CRC home office is at 1016 Broadway in Marble Falls and houses The Helping Center.
“We are thrilled to be able to bring a CRC to Kingsland to serve Llano County in conjunction with our existing location in Llano,” said CRC Executive Director Lucy Murphy in a recent media release. “Together, we can increase resilience in Kingsland and all of Llano County.”
The Kingsland CRC office will act as a meeting place for local government, community service organizations, churches, and nonprofit organizations dedicated to serving those in need.
Construction on the Kingsland office is expected to begin in early 2023 and be completed within the year, allowing for a 2024 opening.
Several students and teachers were recognized for scholarly and sports achievements this academic year during a recent Marble Falls Independent School District Board of Trustees meeting.
Those honored on Nov. 14 were:
Marble Falls High School student Joshua Miller. Courtesy photos
Joshua Miller of Marble Falls High School — National Merit Commended Scholar for his performance on the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. Of the 1.5 million entrants, National Merit Commended students fall within approximately the top 50,000 scores.
The Marble Falls High School boys’ cross-country team with coach James Schrader.
Marble Falls High School boys’ cross-country team — State qualifiers and “the best cross-country team to ever walk these hallways,” according to coach James Schrader. The young team, which has an average age of 15, was first at district and then second at regionals, making history for MFISD. Team members are Tori Thompson, Blake Cockrell, Nick Dahl, Tyler Hamblin, Hunter Holder, Marco Almazan, and Ezekiel Atkinson.
Colt Elementary School students Kayden Maze and Gwen Mattox hold their Superintendent’s Award certificates.
Gwen Mattox and Kayden Maze of Colt Elementary School —Superintendent’s Award for November. The award is given to two students at each campus who exemplify what it means to be a Mustang in their studies, participation in extracurriculars, citizenship, and overall enthusiasm for learning.
“Gwen Mattox exemplifies respect, hard work, and grace,” said Colt Principal Melissa Fletcher. “She helps make Colt a great place to be. She is empathetic and sees the light in all. Her creative writing inspires others. She is a great decision maker. She is creative and always find a way to push through. She is inspiring. “
“Kayden Maze is a leader among his classmates,” Fletcher said. “Kayden inspires others to be their best as he always leads by example. He possesses grit and an inspiring attitude. He is a good friend and a good student. He always makes people laugh and inspires others to work hard.”
Colt Elementary School counselor Patty McAlpin (center).
Patricia McAlpin, counselor at Colt Elementary — Going the Extra Mile Award for routinely going above and beyond her job duties and demonstrating an unyielding commitment to students and fellow teachers. McAlpin began working for MFISD as a counselor in 2004 and has held roles as teacher and counselor across multiple campuses in the district.
Fletcher described her as “simply the sun” at Colt.
MFISD nurse Celena Crawford with Superintendent Chris Allen.
Nurse Celena Crawford — Recognized by Deputy Superintendent Dr. Jeff Gasaway for administering lifesaving rescue breaths to another staff member at Marble Falls High School a few weeks prior to the meeting.
“She has just been a calm force at the high school — one of the best nurses; I feel so blessed for my own child to have her as his nurse, and I know you bless all of our kids,” Gasaway said.
https://www.austin360photography.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/wp-header-logo-39.png8051024lukehttps://www.austin360photography.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Austin-360-Photography-Text-Logo-final.pngluke2022-11-25 18:51:442022-11-25 18:51:44MFISD recognizes students and staff for outstanding achievements
A Consuela bag being raffled off by the Marble Falls 4-H club. Courtesy photo
The Marble Falls 4-H club kicked off its year with officer elections, practices for upcoming competitions, and a fundraiser.
New officers are President Claire Poage, Vice President Audri Poage, Secretary Kambell Stewart, Social Outreach Chairman Aspen Nelson, Treasurer Liam McDonald, and Reporter Connor McDonald, who compiled this media release.
The club is also holding a fundraising raffle for a Consuela bag filled with a variety of items, including a tablet and more than $100 in gift cards. Tickets are $20 each or $100 for six with proceeds going toward scholarships for graduating seniors. The drawing is Dec. 5 at the club’s next meeting. Members are also busy preparing for 4-H competitions and stock shows, which take place in the winter and spring.
For more information on the club, its meetings, or the raffle, email Mikayla Herron at mikayla.herron@ag.tamu.edu.
Horseshoe Bay is taking measures to keep the peace between residents and visitors. The City Council discussed a short-term rental ordinance at its regular meeting Tuesday, Nov. 15. Neighbors of some of the city’s vacation rental properties have had to deal with loud, rambunctious occupants, according to the council.
“This past year, we’ve noticed some of the rentals being posted online to sites like Vrbo were listed as three-bedroom homes that could hold 18 people,” Mayor Cynthia Clinesmith told DailyTrib.com. “It has escalated to the point where the quality of life for neighbors has become detrimental.”
About 373 short-term rentals currently exist inside the city limits, Development Services Director Sally McFeron told councilors at the meeting. Approximately 56 percent of those homes are single-family, meaning they’re located in neighborhoods rather than multi-unit complexes.
“Our community has a huge amount of our population of second homeowners,” Clinesmith said. “It’s always been a place where people bought with the intent of offsetting their cost with short-term rentals.”
A new ordinance will most likely include mandatory registration of short-term rental properties along with fees to help fund a management company to oversee online rental applications and ensure compliance.
“We’re going to put an ordinance in place that will hold the owners responsible,” Clinesmith said.
The ordinance could also require short-term rental owners have on-site managers to serve as liaisons between the city and renters.
“They’ll need to have an on-site person we can call,” the mayor said. “They may be a management company based in New Jersey, but if there is a problem in one of their locations (in Horseshoe Bay), we will need someone we can call locally to meet (city officials) at the property to act on behalf of the owner.”
Clinesmith said most short-term rentals have complied with other city ordinances, including curfew and capacity limits; however, habitual offenders made it obvious new rules are desperately needed.
“We probably have six homes that have been repeat offenders,” she said. “We need to get some ordinances in place before it gets away from us.”
Clinesmith said the ordinance will need to be tough and purposeful to ensure compliance.
“We want (the ordinance) to make a difference,” she said. “It’s not that we’re wanting to cause unnecessary pain. We want it to be something that gets (STR owners’) attention and makes them want to do the best they can.”
The city has discussed a STR ordinance for some time. After watching neighboring cities navigate the difficulties of implementing similar rules, Horseshoe Bay leaders believe they are prepared to draft a strong set of rules without fear of legal recourse.
“We started working on this over a year ago,” Clinesmith said. “We were monitoring what was going on in Austin. They had some huge issues, which led to some legal wranglings. We wanted to make sure we took time and understood those. We didn’t want to put ordinances in place that weren’t legally defensible.”
A drafted short-term rental ordinance could be presented to the council for review as early as February 2023, Clinesmith said.
Marble Falls High School senior golfer Madison Deberard watches her ball cut through the fairway after a strong tee shot during a Mother’s Day event at Lady Bird Johnson Golf Course in Fredericksburg. Courtesy photo
In the world of sports, adversity is commonplace. It can be found on every football field, basketball court, and golf course and strikes on each dropped pass, missed shot, and shanked stroke. In those unfortunate moments, feelings of self-doubt are bound to arise, forcing athletes to make a conscious choice between allowing disparaging introspection to set in or bucking negative thoughts for unwavering positivity. Athletes who choose the latter are poised for success.
Marble Falls High School senior golfer Madison Deberard has mastered that game.
“If I hit a bad shot, I’ll just turn around, take a deep breath, and focus on the next one,” she said. “You just can’t get too caught up on the negative too much.”
While many claim to be forward-thinkers, Deberard’s success proves her method works. Since February, the 18-year-old golfer has finished in the top 10 in 11 of 14 competitions. As her senior year progresses, Deberard continues to rack up accolades, including a tournament-best score of 78 on Nov. 2 at the Joy Riley Invitational in Austin.
“I started off really bad in my game,” she said. “I was a solid eight-over, and I told myself, for colleges to be looking at me, I couldn’t be shooting like I was. All of the sudden, I got three birdies on the last five (holes). I didn’t know I could do that. It awakened me to the potential I had.”
The seasoned golfer learned the power of positivity from a stable of coaches and trainers.
“I wouldn’t be where I am today without them,” she said. “They helped me process everything it takes to put everything together.”
No one has helped Deberard conquer the mental aspect of golf more than head coach Rick Blackington.
“He’s all about making relationships with the players rather than being so hard on them,” Deberard said. “He wants to accompany them and help them in any way possible. He’s a really good guy and one of my favorite people. There’s just something different about him.”
Unlike many golfers with years of instruction and experience, Deberard started playing the sport in middle school.
“I was so used to contact sports growing up as a kid,” she said. “This was totally new to me.”
After taking a break from outside tournaments her first two years of high school, Deberard dropped everything to focus on golf full time.
“I took a break freshman and sophomore year because I was playing softball at the time,” she said. “That kind of interfered during seasons.”
Off the green, Deberard stays busy with several extracurricular activities, including the National Honor Society, student council, and Business Professionals of America. She’s also the head editor of her school’s yearbook, another avenue to spread her positive spirit.
“I do these things so I can focus on the good in the world,” she said. “Growing up, I’ve always been a people-pleaser.”
While she hasn’t made a decision on which college she’d like to attend, Deberard has some idea on a field of study.
“I want to major in mass communications, journalism, or photography,” she said. “That stuff has always interested me. I started taking pictures freshman year and have always enjoyed it.”
With several tournaments left on her busy schedule, Deberard has set expectations toward her goal of receiving more scholarship offers.
“I want to stay consistently in the 70s, preferably the low 70s,” she said. “Not only do I want to encourage myself but as well as my team.”
If the senior is able to accomplish her mission, it will be a direct byproduct of her unrelenting positive attitude and persistence on the course.
“We all make mistakes and have bad days,” Deberard said. “You just have to keep going, keep practicing, and ask for help. It’s nothing to be ashamed of at all. It’s a process to get to where you want to be.”
https://www.austin360photography.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/wp-header-logo-36.png6831024lukehttps://www.austin360photography.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Austin-360-Photography-Text-Logo-final.pngluke2022-11-24 06:34:152022-11-24 06:34:15Marble Falls golfer Madison Deberard on positive course
Grand Central Cafe in Kingsland is now Hooper’s. The new owners are paying homage to the restaurant’s horror film past by naming it after Tobe Hooper, director of the cult classic ‘Texas Chain Saw Massacre.’ Renovations are underway on the building, which was the main setting in the 1974 film. Staff photo by Dakota Morrissiey
Grand Central Cafe in Kingsland is now Hooper’s. The restaurant’s new owners are embracing its horror film credits with the name change.
Fans of the 1974 cult classic “The Texas Chain Saw Massacre” will recognize it as the main setting and home of Leatherface, the movie’s terrifying antagonist. Years later, the house was moved to Kingsland from Round Rock and, in 2012, became Grand Central Cafe.
It’s namesake, the late, acclaimed horror director Tobe Hooper, a Texas native, kicked off the “Chain Saw Massacre” franchise and also directed the 1982 hit “Poltergeist.”
“We think it’s a brilliant name for what the house is,” said Simon Madera, one of the new owners. “Tobe Hooper made that house famous, and it would be ridiculous for us to not pay homage to him as a director.”
Patrons enjoy their meals in the bar in the newly renamed Hooper’s restaurant despite the presence of Leatherface, the terrifying antagonist of ‘The Texas Chain Saw Massacre’ film franchise. The restaurant was the infamous house in the original movie. Staff photo by Dakota Morrissiey
Madera purchased the restaurant and nearby Antlers Inn with wife Hobie Sasser and good friends Courtney and Mike Rhodes.
Renovations and utility upgrades are underway, but the business at 1010 King Court is open. The owners merged the restaurant with the once-separate Club Car Bar into one business. A temporary pop-up menu is available and drinks are still being served from the bar during construction. Indoor seating is available.
Madera will be the hands-on operator of Hooper’s and The Antlers Inn. He is an avid restauranteur responsible for the Taco Flats restaurant chain. Business partner Mike Rhodes has a background in high-end architecture and construction.
“We feel great about it,” Madera said. “We feel really good about the direction we’ve taken, the name we’ve chosen, and the layers of food we’re adding.”
Currently, the restaurant is serving food from the Taco Flats menu out of a trailer on site, but a Hooper’s-specific lineup is in the works and will be implemented once the interior kitchens are finished.
No specifics on the nature of the new menu have been released, but Madera alluded to approachable Southern cuisine in an interview with DailyTrib.com.
Former Club Car Bar owners Sandy and Brad Jones are still managing the bar portion of Hooper’s while renovations take place. Much of the staff from Grand Central Cafe and the bar are still on board.
“We’re looking to build a strong local team that can handle the workload and execute the quality that we are accustomed to,” Madera said.
Another aspect of Hooper’s is the coffee shop and bakery, formerly Kingsland Coffee, which is attached to The Antlers Inn, just a short walk from the main restaurant. The coffee shop is in operation, serving fresh-baked pastries daily.
The new owners project a full opening by March with various stages unveiled as work is completed and plans come to fruition.
Hooper’s is open from 8 a.m.-10 p.m. Wednesday-Friday and Sunday and 8 a.m.-11 p.m. Saturday.
Newly sworn-in Central Texas Groundwater Conservation District directors pose for a photo during the board’s regular meeting Nov. 18. Board President Ryan Rowney (left) stands beside Director At Large Paul King and Vice President Ricky Bindseil. Staff photo by Dakota Morrissiey
The Central Texas Groundwater Conservation District Board of Directors approved $15,000 to help fund the development of a digital three-dimensional model of the Trinity Aquifer during its regular meeting Nov. 18. The aquifer provides groundwater to much of eastern Burnet County.
Also during the meeting in Burnet, three directors were sworn in to their previously held positions after running unopposed in the recent election.
LRE Water Consultation Services will create the interactive model, which should help the district better manage groundwater pulled from the aquifer.
“We think this is not only beneficial to the districts involved, it’s beneficial to the whole region,” said Vince Clause, LRE water project manager, during a presentation to the board. “We all know that this is a resource that we have to manage, and we think this (model) is providing the region with a tool to do that.”
Other regional entities are contributing to the model’s funding and development. Travis County is allocating $75,000; Clearwater Underground Water Conservation District, $20,000; and the Southwestern Travis County Groundwater Conservation District and Barton Springs-Edwards Aquifer Conservation District will each contribute staff hours.
“I think, for us, there is value in sharing our data that we are collecting and getting to join the other counties that are adjacent to us in getting a visualization tool that I think will greatly help, not only on the district level but on the GMA 8 level,” said Mitchell Sodek, general manager of the Central Texas district.
The Central Texas district, which manages Burnet County groundwater, lies within Groundwater Management Area 8 alongside Bell and Williamson counties and northern Travis County. These respective areas pull water from the Trinity Aquifer. Bell County groundwater is managed by the Clearwater district and Travis County by the Southwestern Travis County district. Williamson County currently has no groundwater management.
Board President Ryan Rowney, Vice President Ricky Bindseil, and Director At Large Paul King were incumbents to their respective positions on the Central Texas district board and reassumed those roles during the Nov. 18 meeting. King was appointed to his position in 2021 and, having won his election, will serve out the remaining two years of the current four-year term. Rowney and Bindseil will serve four-year terms.
Terms of the five-member board are staggered by two years, and elections are held in November. Directors also may serve consecutive terms.
https://www.austin360photography.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/wp-header-logo-34.png6211024lukehttps://www.austin360photography.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Austin-360-Photography-Text-Logo-final.pngluke2022-11-23 18:24:452022-11-23 18:24:45Groundwater district OKs funding for 3D model of Trinity Aquifer
During the first half of a girls’ basketball game between Marble Falls and East Central high schools, heckles, which were described as a racially insensitive noise, pierced through Max Copeland Gym on the Marble Falls High School campus as East Central senior Asia Prudhomme attempted free throws following a foul call. Screen-captured image
The Marble Falls Independent School District released a statement Sunday, Nov. 20, following an incident during a Lady Mustangs basketball game against East Central on Nov. 18. The contest was held in Max Copeland Gym on the Marble Falls High School campus during the Hill Country Classic tournament.
A video that has been widely shared on social media shows East Central senior Asia Prudhomme attempting free throws after a foul call. As the center shoots the ball, heckles can be heard coming from the stands. According to a media release issued by the East Central girls’ basketball team on social media, the yells were racially insensitive.
VIDEO TRIGGER WARNING: Reported racist behavior.
“On Friday (Nov. 18) afternoon our team went through a very difficult game at a tournament,” the release said. “Unfortunately one of our athletes had to go through a racial situation that was very hurtful and unacceptable.”
A parent of another East Central player who attended the game confirmed to DailyTrib.com the heckling was not contained to one specific moment of the game but lasted through the majority of the first half. The heckling ended after another East Central parent asked a Marble Falls ISD administrator to put an end to the disturbance.
MFISD Superintendent Dr. Chris Allen said the behavior displayed at the game was “antithetical” to the district’s values.
“What occurred in the gym is not representative of our vision statement,” he told DailyTrib. “We hate what this young athlete and her family are going through. We are communicating with East Central administration and the family of the affected athlete in an effort to conduct a full and thorough investigation to hold the individuals accountable that need to be held accountable.”
“School administrators are reviewing video footage and will interview students and patrons who attended the game to ensure a thorough investigation,” he stated. “Marble Falls High School takes these allegations seriously and will hold students accountable for any behaviors that violate our expectations.”
Dr. Allen said the incident will be discussed in executive session at the next MFISD Board of Trustees meeting, which is at 6 p.m. Dec. 12, in the Central Community Room, 1800 Colt Circle.
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Ethics Review Commissioner Jeffrey Kahl (left) questions Granite Shoals City Councilor Phil Ort (right) regarding his actions that were potentially violations of the city’s ethics ordinances. Kahl, Mark Morren, and Seth Smith were appointed by the council in September to review Ort’s case and determine whether he violated the ordinances by failing to fulfill public information requests, insulting residents and city officials, and sharing confidential information. Staff photo by Dakota Morrissiey
A Granite Shoals ethics review commission has found reasonable grounds to move forward with a final hearing to determine if Councilor Phil Ort is guilty of violating the city’s ethics ordinances and, if so, a punishment. The hearing has been set for 4:30 p.m. Dec. 13 at City Hall.
The three-person commission made the decision during a preliminary hearing Monday, Nov. 21. Appointed members Jeffery Kahl, Mark Morren, and Seth Smith all voted in favor of pursuing an investigation into Ort’s alleged violations.
For a stronger punishment, such as suspension or removal from office, to be handed out, Ort would have to be found guilty of a felony or misdemeanor of “moral turpitude” as stated in section 3.05 of the city charter. This refers to a crime that disrespects and antagonizes social norms.
The Monday night meeting was the commission’s first since it was formed on Sept. 27 to address allegations that Ort violated the city’s ethics ordinances by refusing to fulfill a public information request submitted by resident Kiel Arnone for access to 41 complaints the councilor claimed to have received in reference to a lighting ordinance. The refusal to fulfill the request, which included destruction of related documents, is said to have violated both state law through the Public Information Act and city ordinances through the Code of Ethics.
Bushart, the resident who filed the complaint with the city, also accused Ort of sharing confidential information with her that was obtained during executive sessions of the City Council, which would also violate the Code of Ethics. The information in question was regarding supposed backroom deals and controversy surrounding former City Manager Jeff Looney, who was fired in June.
Commission member Morren led the preliminary hearing and heard comments from both Ort and Bushart before the commission made its decision to hold a final hearing.
When asked by Morren for his side of the story, Ort said there were no grounds for an ethics complaint because he had not been convicted of any crimes.
City Attorney Katz stepped in at the request of Morren to clarify that the responsibility of the commission is to determine if Ort violated the city’s ethics ordinances, not criminality. While some of Ort’s actions could have overlapped between violations of the Public Information Act and the Code of Ethics, the commission only has the power to determine ethics violations.
Ort went on to defend his actions, saying he was protecting the privacy of those who submitted complaints to him by refusing to fulfill Arnone’s information request on Aug. 30. Evidence was presented before the City Council on Sept. 20 that supported another accusation against Ort, that he had fabricated many of the 41 complaints he claimed to have received in regard to his proposed Dark Skies Ordinance.
The ethics review commission will conduct its final hearing on the matter at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 13, in council chambers at City Hall, 2221 N. Phillips Ranch Road. However, a provision in the ethics ordinance provides an opportunity for two 15-day delays on a decision at the request of the subject of the investigation and the discretion of the commission.
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A public hearing on mandatory groundwater restrictions for permitted wells in Burnet County is in the works. After discussing the current extreme drought conditions during its Nov. 18 meeting, the Central Texas Groundwater Conservation District Board of Directors unanimously approved setting a hearing date.
Burnet County has been in Stage 4 Critical Drought since June 13, prompting the conservation district board to hold a public hearing on the potential implementation of mandatory drought restrictions for 2023. The district has until the end of the year to set these restrictions and is required to hold a public hearing on the matter, giving at least 10 days’ notice prior to the hearing, which is expected to be during the board’s next meeting on Dec. 20. All permitted users will be notified of the hearing.
Mandatory drought restrictions have not been implemented since the Central Texas Groundwater Conservation District was created in 2005. The proposed restrictions would reduce the allowable use of permitted wells in Burnet County by 15 percent.
“We’re in uncharted territory here. We’ve never had to get to this point,” said board President Ryan Rowney. “I don’t think any of us want to see restrictions kick in, but I’m afraid we’re going to be pushed to that point.”
The board unanimously agreed to have district General Manager Mitchell Sodek move forward with a public hearing notice, but not without major considerations for the potential impact of groundwater restrictions.
A hydrograph depicting historical water levels for Well 6165 near Hamilton Creek in Burnet County. This particular well is showing the lowest water level on record, which is believed to be caused by the recent drought. Courtesy image
The restrictions would only affect the estimated 170 permitted users in Burnet County, which use about 50-60 percent of the groundwater, according to Sodek. Any well in the county that has a pump rate above 17.36 gallons per minute requires a permit, so wells with a lower pump rate are exempt from a permit and not directly affected by mandatory restrictions.
“The drought has been extreme from a groundwater level perspective. We’re recording some of our lowest water levels to date,” Sodek told DailyTrib.com after the meeting.
Sodek noted that groundwater levels vary depending on location in the county, but the aforementioned wells are extreme examples of how the drought is affecting groundwater. Wells might not necessarily dry out immediately, but well output could decrease over time.
“It’s not an overnight thing, where it shuts off,” Sodek explained. “It’s about dwindling productivity.”
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