Nicholas Langevin, third-grader at River Ridge Elementary, and his brother Harrison, second-grader, offered to sell their own toys, raising money to purchase two new bicycles for children in need.

By VAL OLIVAS, Four Points News

The Langevin children who attend River Ridge Elementary are making a difference this year for some Leander ISD families in need.

Nicholas, third-grader, and Harrison, second-grader, offered to sell their own toys, raising money to purchase two new bicycles for children in need.

“Mostly, I had the toys for a couple of years and they were older. I wasn’t playing with them anymore so I sold them to get money to buy the bikes,” Nicholas said.

Chris Langevin, the boys’ father said the idea started about three years ago when he was attempting to clean out some toys and things the kids had outgrown.

“I looked at all this good stuff and couldn’t really give it to be used for Christmas gift donations because it was not new anymore,” Chris said.

After initially donating items to the Salvation Army, the family shifted their focus to helping local families through the River Ridge Elementary giving tree.

“We came up with a plan to sell the toys they’ve outgrown and buy a bike for the RRE giving tree,” Chris said.

Last year they sold enough to buy one bicycle. This year they raised enough money to buy two. Continue reading →

The Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) Board of Directors voted unanimously Wednesday to hire Phil Wilson, executive director of the Texas Department of Transportation, as the organization’s 11th general manager. Wilson will begin work at LCRA Feb. 1.

Wilson will replace Rebecca S. Motal, who announced in September she is retiring Dec. 31, ending a 27-year career with LCRA. Deputy General Manager Ross Phillips will serve as interim general manager.

Phil Wilson

Wilson will come to LCRA from the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), where he has served as executive director since October 2011. At TxDOT, Wilson oversaw 12,000 employees and a $10-billion budget. Prior to that, Wilson worked as senior vice president of public affairs for Luminant, Texas’ largest competitive power generation company. In 2007, Gov. Rick Perry appointed Wilson as Secretary of State. He also served as chair of the Governor’s Competitiveness Council and as a member of the Texas Border Security Council. Continue reading →

By LYNETTE HAALAND, Four Points News

Leander ISD is expected to take its final vote on elementary school attendance rezoning tomorrow night but one Steiner Ranch neighborhood does not want the latest recommendation to go through.

The final rezoning vote by the LISD Board is scheduled for Dec. 19 at Reed Elementary.

Many families who live in the Savannah neighborhood strongly disagree with the latest recommendation up for vote which would move 173 students who live in Savannah from River Ridge Elementary to Laura W. Bush Elementary.

“As a parent I’m frustrated and as a community I’m frustrated,” said Samuel Monti, a concerned parent and CFO of a local software company. He is one of the leaders of the group of nearly 100 supporters who do not want to see these latest rezoning recommendations made.

“Rezoning is a very emotional process. It involves emotional attachment to schools, which is a great thing and says they’re (parents are) invested. It’s not done lightly,” said LISD spokeswoman Veronica Sopher.

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By RICH KEITH, Four Points News

Thompson Realty has submitted a proposal to develop 131 homes on 211 acres called McCormick Ranch at the southeast corner of Quinlan Park Road and Selma Hughes Park Road. The exclusive development has 2,600 feet of frontage on Lake Austin.

Residents within 500 feet of the proposed development on Lake Austin received a notice of public hearing for Dec. 17. But the meeting is postponed until Jan. 7; only four out of seven council members were in attendance tonight.

The notice states the City of Austin has received an application for the 211-acre subdivision McCormick Ranch, located at the end of the Steiner Ranch peninsula. At Tuesday’s meeting, the city Zoning and Platting Commission was expected to reconsider the application, which has run into several issues with the city.

Four Points residents and the Steiner Ranch Neighborhood Association were expected to attend the hearing tonight. They want the city to account for traffic, safety and services.

“We have poor emergency egress options from Steiner,” said SRNA president Brian Thompto. “And our infrastructure for roads and schools are overloaded already.”

Leander ISD officials also planned to attend.

Richardson-based Thompson Realty states: “This is the last available undeveloped large parcel of land on Lake Austin.”
Aerial photo by Thompson Realty.

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By RICH KEITH, Four Points News

The Vandegrift High School band participated in the Texas Music Educator’s Association or TMEA Region 26 Band audition on Saturday. Students advancing from the audition will play a series of concerts in January under the direction of a distinguished visiting conductor.

“This is the first step in the process to be named a TMEA All-State Musician, which is the highest honor a high school band student can receive,” said director of bands Jeremy Spicer.

In a school-record audition performance, band students secured 39 chairs in the Region Bands and another 10 students being named to the District Band. The auditions were held at Cedar Ridge High School in Round Rock.

photo by Rich Keith

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