By SARAH DOOLITTLE, Four Points News

Danielle “DeeDee” Woche, a 2013 Vandegrift High School graduate, decided to take a gap year to see the world, have adventure and serve others before attending the theatre program at American University in Washington, D.C.

Rather than try to make her own arrangements, Woche chose the semester-long South Pacific Service and Ocean Skills program offered by Rustic Pathways. She chose this route in part because of her passion for the water. The land-locked Austin-ite wistfully explained that, “I love the ocean and the whole idea of being a surf bum.”

What better place to start her semester than in Fiji, where she and her Rustic Pathways brethren inaugurated their adventure by living on the beach. At first, the group of 16 spent their days in a nearby village helping rebuild it after a recent storm. They had lunch daily with the village chief and familiarized themselves with the local culture.

DeeDee Woche surrounded by local children in the highlands of Fiji.

As is typical for many traveling overseas, Woche and several others in her group got sick their first week in Fiji. No one required anything more than antibiotics, and they all soon recovered their health and strength.

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ViperBots Robotics’ Quad X team #6299 advances to the World Championships in St. Louis April 22 through 27.

Quad X is the only ViperBot team advancing out of Vandegrift High School’s six teams.

Quad X at one of the season’s competitions.
Quad X’s roster includes Sahil Metha, lead project manager, Jacob Greenway, assistant project manager and lead programmer, Peter Sarkis, CAD lead, Eddie Bates, hardware lead, Tyler Roach, hardware, Nick Morales, hardware, Raj Desai, hardware, Joshua Johnson, programming, Linnea May, programming, Lizzy Patterson, marketing lead and Reagan Gibson, marketing.

On Feb. 28, Quad X placed 3rd overall at the Super South Regional FTC Championship, one of four Super Regionals in the United States.

To help offset travel expenses, Quad X is having a “Robo Drive – Drive a Robot for a Donation” fundraiser Friday, March 21 at River Ridge Elementary. RRE is hosting a Beach Party from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.   

The award-winning ViperBots program was established in 2010 with four students and now in its fourth year, the program comprises of six teams of 72 students.

ViperBots’ primary focus is to develop and educate the rising generation of entrepreneurs and leaders in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). The organization promotes leadership, teamwork, and mentorship through its participation in the FIRST Robotics First Tech Challenge (FTC), supports young women in STEM initiatives, and strives to exemplify a spirit of “gracious professionalism” in all its pursuits.

By CASSIE MCKEE, Four Points News

Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt is one of the fastest-growing frozen yogurt chains in the country and Steiner Ranch residents Bob and Kathy Elmer are introducing the brand to Austin. A year after opening their first Menchie’s in Four Points, the Elmers this week celebrated the opening of their second location in the Lakeline Market Shopping Center at U.S. Hwy 183 and Lakeline Boulevard.

The brightly-colored store features 14 self-serve frozen yogurt flavors and 50 different toppings. The Elmers are celebrating their grand opening all this week, with different specials each day. The couple eventually plans to open two more locations, and have their eyes set on potential sites in Lakeway and the Mueller development.

Steiner Ranch residents Bob (far left) and Kathy (far right) Elmer, along with their team, celebrated the grand opening of their second Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt store at Lakeline Market on Saturday.

A former advertising executive, Bob Elmer said he decided to make a career change after his company asked him to relocate to Atlanta.

“We had really fallen in love with Austin,” Elmer said. “When I decided to leave that company, I had some time to decide what we were going to do next. This crazy idea popped into my head.” Continue reading →

By CASSIE MCKEE, Four Points News

A little more than a year ago, Steiner Ranch residents Michael Heldebrandt and Eric Hiduke remember looking in their garages and thinking, “What are we doing with all this stuff?”

That question led the two to create a website known as ShedStreet.com, which provides a platform for neighbors to lend and borrow items from each other.

“We launched the site based on our belief that people can experience more without buying more,” Heldebrandt said. “Over the past year, we have proven that to be true.”

L-R Michael Heldebrandt and Eric Hiduke on a trip to Japan in 2012.

For example, if a person has an urge to take up kayaking, their choice is to go to the local sporting goods store and buy one or rent one somewhere. If they buy one, they may use it once and then store it in their garage for the rest of the year.

With ShedStreet, someone who has a kayak is able to rent it to neighbors, which allows them to try it out and decide whether or not they like it. They can then rent it whenever they feel like going to the lake.

After its one-year anniversary, the Four Points area alone, has hundreds of items on the site available for rent. Kayaks and stand-up paddle boards are among the most popular items, Hiduke said. Continue reading →

By CASSIE MCKEE, Four Points News

Many Leander ISD high school students have found that taking classes that earn them both high school and college credit while still in high school can mean huge savings on their college tuition bill later.

Through the Austin Community College Early College Start program, high school juniors and seniors can take up to two dual-credit classes per semester and during the summer.

Sarah Spradling, transition coordinator at Vandegrift High School, oversees the program at VHS and said students could potentially earn up to 36 college credit hours before they even leave high school.

VHS has a high number of students in program, which may be in part to the school’s creation of the “Early College Start Plus” plan, which is a sequence of courses designed to fit student’s schedules all offered at the high school during the regular school day.

“To take that many hours at Texas State University, it would cost $8,000,” Spradling said.

While a three-credit hour class would cost $1,240.89 with mandatory fees at Texas State and the same three-credit hours at ACC would cost $249, students in the ACC Early College Start program pay nothing except the cost of books.

VHS had 284 students enrolled last year in the dual-credit program, more than any other LISD high school.

                        2012-2013 School Year       Total Unique
                                   LHS                                          167
                                   CPHS                                        213
                                   VRHS                                        268
                                   RHS                                          183
                                   VHS                                          284
                            Total LISD Students                      1115

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