These boys get an up-close view of different snakes at a snake awareness lecture held recently at VIK Medical at River Place. Dr. Brad Lichtenhan talked about distinguishing the venomous snake from the nonvenomous, as well as snakebite treatment.

By KIM ESTES, Four Points News

A lecture on snake awareness recently drew a large crowd at VIK Medical at River Place, where family practice physician, Dr. Brad Lichtenhan, talked about differentiating snakes and snakebite treatments.

Snakes are a big concern in Four Points and there have been news reports of snakebites recently. Lichtenhan taught how to identify venomous and non-venomous snakes native to the area.

With exception of the coral snake, serpents with elliptical-shaped pupils, triangular heads and ‘pits’ on the sides of their heads may identify snakes as venomous.

The coral snake may be differentiated from its non-venomous counterpart, the milk snake, by the order of the banded stripes. In the coral snake, red bands touch yellow bands, whereas in the milk snake, red bands touch black bands, said Lichtenhan.

western hognose

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By KIM ESTES, Four Points News

The Travis County Water Control & Improvement District 17 board of directors opted not to call a bond election as proposed Thursday by the Steiner Ranch Neighborhood Association for the purchase of 80 acres in Steiner Ranch.

WCID-17 board president, Jeff Roberts, reported directors were advised against the election by legal counsel. Also, board members were concerned about the election timeline, disagreement among residents about property use and WCID-17 liability for it.

The proposed bond, totaling  $7.5 – $8 million, was for property just off RM 620 and Quinlan Park Road known as MU-14, owned by MU-14 Investments. As it is now, MU-14 is slated for construction of 150 duplexes. SRNA wants to buy the property for development corresponding to community interests, such as a park or ball fields. SRNA has been actively seeking a change in the property’s intended development for the past two and a half years.

“We were quite disappointed,” said Brian Thompto, SRNA chairman, of the WCID-17 meeting results.  “One board member – David Steed – seemed supportive. Others were out-and-out against it.”

The Steiner Ranch Neighborhood Association proposed a bond election on Thursday, June 18 to Travis County Water Control & Improvement District 17 for the purchase of this 80-acre site in Steiner Ranch, shown here across from RM 620. The land also runs along Quinlan Park Road. WCID denied the bond proposal.
Photo by Lynette Haaland

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By KIM ESTES, Four Points News

The Steiner Ranch Neighborhood Association will propose a bond election Thursday, June 18 to Travis County Water Control & Improvement District 17 for the purchase of 80 acres in Steiner Ranch.

Brian Thompto
SRNA chairman

The public is invited to the meeting, scheduled for June 18 at 6 p.m. at the WCID-17 office, 3812 Eck Lane. The public comment period begins at 6:30 p.m., noted Brian Thompto, SRNA chairman.

The proposed bond, totaling  $7.5 – $8 million, is for property just off RM 620 and Quinlan Park Road known as MU-14 and owned by MU-14 Investments.

It is slated for construction of 150 duplexes, but SRNA wants to buy the property for development corresponding to community interests, such as a park or ball fields.

The Steiner Ranch Neighborhood Association will propose a bond election today to Travis County Water Control & Improvement District 17 for the purchase of this 80-acre site in Steiner Ranch. The parcel is next to Quinlan Park Road and RM 620. The action is based off of results from a survey indicating 88 percent of those who took the survey are in favor of such a purchase.
Photo by Lynette Haaland

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By LYNETTE HAALAND, Four Points News

Sarah Elizabeth Pool, a 15-year-old Westlake High School student, was participating in a wakeboard camp with Austin Ridge Bible Church on Thursday when she was last seen alive.

Her body was recovered on Saturday, and on Monday the Travis County Medical Examiner officially identified her.

Pool was the first-born of triplets and she recently completed her freshman year at WHS. Her obituary states: “She and her life was a miraculous, God-given gift to her family from the very beginning. Sarah is best remembered as a happy and compassionate young woman who loved Jesus, her family, her friends, dancing and animals.”

Her funeral is Wednesday, June 17, and in remembrance of Pool’s love for life, her family would appreciate attendees wearing her favorite colors of blue or teal.

It was that love of life that likely drew Pool to participate in her church’s One Wakeboard Camp. While at the camp, she was last seen alive about a mile from VIP Marina Lake Travis on Thursday.

Sarah Elizabeth Pool
March 13, 2000 –
June 11, 2015

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Four Points residents and members of the Austin Christian Fellowship Disaster Recovery Team take a break after working to help Wimberley residents dig out from under the damage of recent floods. Left to right are Keith Shaw, Angel Figeroa, Mark Crenwelge, Pam Crenwelge, Keith Morton and Matt Morton.

By KIM ESTES, Four Points News

Four Points residents, businesses and churches are making a difference in the flood-ravaged town of Wimberley.

“To see it in real life, you feel so small. Huge trees that are hundreds of years old, are down: like someone came through with a roller and rolled everything down,” said Nicole Korensky, a local resident who has teamed up with others to help support the aftermath of the Memorial Day weekend floods in Wimberley.

And it’s not just what’s on the side of the road, Korensky said. “You look up in the trees and there’s a chair and boards stuck in a tree. It just shows you how high the water rose. It takes your breath away.”

“It’s a terribly devastating and tragic situation, but if a silver lining is possible, the support and sense of community responding to help would be it,” said Kristina Ritchie, who coordinated with local businesses to provide food and coffee to displaced residents, search and rescue workers, and volunteers shoveling debris in the devastated community about 50 miles south of here.

The Wimberley floodwaters took this house off of its foundation. Local Four Points residents were compelled to help and several moms teamed up to collect homemade cookies, snacks, cleaning supplies, food and drink to help support the cleanup efforts. Photo by Nicole Korensky

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