By RICH KEITH, Four Points News

The Texas state-champion Vandegrift marching band dedicated its show this year to the late Viper band student Cale Howard and his mother Peggy Howard of Steiner Ranch, who were tragically killed by a drunk driver on Dec. 27. The show is called Joy of Life.

Photo shows Cale being congratulated last year by former VHS director of bands Jeremy Spicer and current director Mike Howard.

Well before the crash occurred, the VHS band directors and Vision Dance Company began designing this year’s show. Originally the show was to be a dramatic, almost dark and edgy production with music and costumes to match.

But after the accident which took the life of one of the band’s most loved members, the directors began to wonder how the show could be modified. Ultimately they scrapped the entire score and visuals completely and went in a direction of light and color, featuring sunrises, sunsets, flowers and even butterflies. “The four parts of our show represent beauty, excitement, love and peace,” said Mike Howard, director of bands.

The band welcomes the community to come to their final home performance on Wednesday to celebrate the 2014 marching show at 7 p.m. at Ed Monroe Stadium at VHS 9500 McNeil Drive Austin, TX 78750.

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By CASSIE MCKEE, Four Points News

In the state’s new accountability ranking system, Vandegrift High School received special academic distinction in four categories: Top 25 percent Closing Performance Gap, Postsecondary Readiness, Academic Achievement in Math, and Academic Achievement in Science.

To receive a distinction, a school must score in the top 25 percent of its comparison group – each comparison group is made up of 40 schools from across the state with similar demographics. The top 25 percent schools are known as quartile 1, or Q1. VHS principal Charlie Little said VHS’s comparison group makes up some of the top public schools in the state.

“I am extremely proud of our staff and students for their exceptional performance this year,” said Little.  “We are excited and welcome the chance to be ranked and compared to the 40 of the best high schools in Texas. The use of the comparison group for accountability requires us to be savvy with our data review. Sometimes, it is only a fraction of a percentage point that separates a Quartile 4 from a Quartile 1 ranking.”

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By KIM ESTES, Four Points News

A.J. Zelinski embraces Austin’s mantra – live, work, play – in his bustling neighborhood of River Place, where in August he got an innovative opportunity.

A​J ​​Zelinski, doctor of chiropractic medicine

Zelinski, a 15-year doctor of chiropractic medicine, is now director of Chiropractic Services for Arise Austin Medical Center. His office is in the new Arise Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation Center at 6611 River Place Boulevard.

“AAMC is one of the first hospitals that I know of to employ a chiropractor,” Zelinski says. “Traditionally, chiropractic care has been outside the medical model.”

The career move fits nicely with Zelinski’s grassroots lifestyle.

He recalls, “We built our home here to be where kids are. There’s a lot of community in River Place. It is the right size. My son walks to my office from school sometimes. We have good friends… it is kind of our bubble.”

A​J ​​Zelinski, doctor of chiropractic medicine, ​shows how he ​performs soft tissue therapy, or Active Release Technique, on a calf muscle. ART is used to treat shin splints and plantar fasciitis. Zelinski is the director of chiropractic services for Arise Austin Medical Center. His office is in the new Arise Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation Center at 6611 River Place Boulevard.

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By LYNETTE HAALAND, Four Points News

A Four Points area invention team is one of 15 teams nationwide that has been awarded up to $10,000 in grant funding from the Lemelson-MIT Program as part of its 2014–2015 InvenTeam initiative.

The teams, representing schools across the country, comprised of students, teachers and community mentors will pursue year-long invention projects that address real-world problems.

The mission of the Four Points area team is to invent a continuous flow water device for firefighters. The idea stemmed from the 2011 Labor Day weekend wildfires that affected Steiner Ranch. They will showcase their ideas at Massachusetts Institute of Technology next summer at EurekaFest.

“I am extremely proud of this outstanding group of young men and women, who competed with hundreds of teams from around the nation for this opportunity,” said Jan Masterson, educator sponsor of the local Lemelson-MIT InvenTeam and Four Points Middle School science teacher.

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By CASSIE MCKEE, LYNETTE HAALAND, Four Points News

Last week consultants for Leander ISD filed a draft Habitat Conservation Plan with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in hopes of one day getting a new Vandegrift HS and Four Points MS access road.

If all goes well, LISD hopes to have an Endangered Species Act permit in place by the end of 2015. The project will still require other approvals, as well as identification of funding, and preliminary cost estimates exceed $12 million. However, LISD and parent stakeholders believe that obtaining a second point of access is critical to the efficient functioning of the two schools at the Vandegrift/Four Points campus and is also needed to enhance safety.

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