From left, Mark, Andy, Laurie and Meagan Giles at a previous Pink Out event before Laurie’s death from breast cancer in 2011.

By SARAH DOOLITTLE
Four Points News

Vandegrift hosted its annual Pink Out event to raise money and awareness for breast cancer on Oct. 14. The game, against rival Vista Ridge, was themed “Two Schools, One Cause” in honor of those affected by breast cancer.

Steiner Ranch resident Andy Giles lost his wife, Laurie, to an aggressive form of breast cancer on May 14, 2011. Their children, Meagan, now 24, and Mark, now 19, were active in the community at the time of the loss of their mother.

Giles, a longtime resident, explains that before Vandegrift was completed in 2009 and VHS students were still attending classes at Four Points Middle School, football trainer Stephanie Cunningham started the tradition of passing a football helmet at a designated game to raise money for breast cancer research.

The Vandegrift student section was adorned with pink shirts during a ‘Pink Out’ night at a high school football game between the Vista Ridge Rangers and the Vandegrift Vipers at Gupton Stadium in Cedar Park, Texas, on October 14, 2016.

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Incumbent Russell Bundy is being challenged for his seat on the Leander ISD board Place 5.

James “Jim” MacKay is seeking Russell Bundy’s position on the LISD board in the upcoming election.

Place 5 candidates discuss plans, district challenges in Q&A

By ASHLEY SAVA
News Editor

Residents will elect representatives for the Leander ISD Board of Trustees Places 3, 4 and 5 on Nov. 8. The three spots are being challenged.

The Hill Country News asked the following questions to each school board candidate and this week, the Place 5 candidates — incumbent Russell Bundy and challenger James “Jim” MacKay — are featured.

Last week in the Oct. 12 edition, the Place 4 responses between incumbent Grace Barber-Jordan and challenger Scott Rowe were shared. On Oct. 5, the Place 3 candidates — incumbent Pam Waggoner and Chris Remy — answered these same questions. Each response is in the candidate’s own words.

Place 5 candidates —

Russell Bundy, incumbent

1. Explain how your background and experience make you a good candidate for school board.

With 30 plus years in law enforcement and 9 years as a Leander ISD Trustee I have the experience and leadership needed to continue with the work already in motion on Leander ISDs vision. A vision to move forward with managing a fast growth district and balancing our financial needs with our new superintendent and current board trustees.

2. Do you/did you have students in the district? How many, ages and schools they attend(ed).

I have one child that attended k-12 and graduated from Vista Ridge HS and now attends college at Texas State University.

3. What are the three biggest challenges facing the district today and in the near future? How would you like to see those challenges addressed?

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Vote would allow sales tax revenue to benefit emergency services

By CASSIE MCKEE
Four Points News

Residents living in the Volente area in Emergency Services District 14 have gathered enough petition signatures to have a November ballot election to vote on whether to leave the Capital Metro transportation district.

ESD 14 currently sends 1 percent of its collected sales tax to Capital Metro each year. The amount of sales tax being collected by Capital Metro within the borders of ESD 14 but outside the borders of Village of Volente is approximately $200,000/year.

Leaving Capital Metro would allow ESD 14 to keep that money and use it for emergency services. ESD 14 President Lonnie Moore said the funding is critical because the City of Cedar Park annexed a section of ESD 14 in December 2014 that resulted in a loss to the district of approximately $400,000/year.

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Alica and Tom Harrison give perspective on commercial rent in Four Points

Local business owner shares reasons behind high rent

By CASSIE MCKEE
Four Points News

Commercial rents in Four Points are among the highest in the Austin area making it hard for some business owners to stay in business.

“When we opened in Steiner, this was the first and only retail shopping in the area,” Alica Harrison said. She and her husband Tom are co-owners of Wild Basin Fitness, located in the Vista Ridge Shopping Center in Steiner Ranch. They have been in business for 10 years and are going strong and steady, but they have seen the area change a lot over the last decade.

Alica Harrison said most of the retail in the Steiner area rents for $25-$30 per square foot plus triple net (taxes, insurance, expenses), which can add another $11-$15/foot.

“At that rate, we would be paying $253,000 to $317,000 a year in rent, which is completely unsustainable,” Harrison said. “This is one reason you see such high turnover in local retail developments. The rent and expenses are simply too high for most businesses to survive.”

Gail Whitfield, owner of The Whitfield Company and a commercial realtor with more than 30 years of experience, said Four Points is the third most expensive area of the city for business, coming in behind the Domain and the Arboretum areas.

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