Laura Welch Bush Elementary student Cameron Redwine is performing at Zilker Theater Production’s “Wizard of Oz”.

By LYNETTE HAALAND
Four Points News

Cameron Redwine, a Laura Welch Bush Elementary rising 5th grader, is performing in this year’s Zilker Theater Production of “Wizard of Oz” during the six-week run through Aug. 12.

“My favorite part of being in the production is meeting all the new people, learning all the songs and dances,” said Redwine, 11, who has performed in many local shows with his training at TexARTS. “I have always loved wizard of oz and was so excited to be cast in it.”

Redwine is a member of the Zilker youth ensemble as a Munchkin, flying monkey and an Ozzian this summer. The cast started practicing Memorial Day weekend and practiced five to seven nights a week for about six weeks before opening on July 7.

“(We) are confident that the rainbows, twisters, and yellow brick road will thrill and amaze 45,000 Hillside audience members of all ages,” said Kate Hix, executive director of Zilker Theater.

“Wizard of Oz” is the 59th  Zilker summer musical and one of the most ambitious shows ever mounted on the Zilker Hillside. The musical is based on the book by L. Frank Baum published in 1900.

Continue reading →

This photo was taken by Megan Rondini’s close friend at University Park Mall in Dallas a week or two before died. A junior at Southern Methodist University, Megan had transferred colleges after her claims of rape — by an influential, Alabama 34-year-old man — were unresolved.

By LYNETTE HAALAND
Four Points News

Mike and Cindy Rondini filed a lawsuit on behalf of their daughter Megan’s estate against the University of Alabama, the Tuscaloosa Sheriff’s department and T.J. Bunn Jr. for sexual assault damages and improperly handling their daughter’s case.

The lawsuit states: “This is an action for damages that arises from the sexual assault of Megan Rondini by Terry Jackson Bunn, Jr. and from the subsequent faulty practices and mishandling of investigation and treatment by the defendants, ultimately leading to the suicidal death of Megan Elizabeth Rondini.”

Megan grew up in Steiner Ranch and graduated from Vandegrift. In July 2015, Megan, then 20, was entering her junior year as a pre-med honors student at UA. She was majoring in biology with a 3.812 cumulative GPA. She killed herself in February 2016 without closure to her long, drawn-out rape case involving an influential Tuscaloosa, Ala. man.

The lawsuit was filed July 2 and as of this week, there have been no responses yet but Mike Rondini said the defendants have until the first part of September to respond. “All of the defendants issued press releases. Nothing surprising,” he said.

The Rondinis added co-counsel to help with the Title IX side of the suit and are amending their complaint this week.

“The more we uncover, the worse it gets,” Rondini said.

Continue reading →

By LYNETTE HAALAND
Four Points News

The Travis County Citizens Bond Advisory Committee recommended to the Travis County Commissioners their ideas for a $144 million bond package last week on July 18.

“We have finished our work,” said Brian Thompto, the only Four Points resident on the 15-member CBAC.

The CBAC took months looking at which Travis County road and park projects should be next in line for funding. They were part of 18 committee meetings and six public outreach meetings. The CBAC recommended an allotment of $144 million over the next four years.

This week, it’s the public’s turn to give feedback to the commissioners on the proposed bond package.

“The public gets a chance to tell the commissioners what they think or ask questions,” Thompto said.

Continue reading →

By KIM ESTES
Four Points News

Of 500 registered Leander ISD voters, 43 percent told surveyors they would support a $454 million bond if school officials put the matter up for a vote in November, said Rice University professor, Robert Stein, reporting results of a community survey to trustees meeting last Thursday.

Thirty-nine percent said they were undecided on the matter, while 18 percent stated that they would vote against it, Stein added.

LISD trustees are considering the bond proposal that supporters said would accommodate growth, improve safety and provide major facility maintenance throughout the district. Officials must decide no later than Aug. 21 whether or not to call for the referendum for it to be on the fall general election ballot.

A Citizens Bond Advisory Committee — formed earlier this year to develop a three to five-year facility plan to meet district needs — recommended the proposal.

As for the community survey, the goal was to gauge interest in certain bond issues, said Dan Troxell, LISD superintendent.

Under Stein’s direction, Consumer Research International of San Marcos conducted 500 live telephone interviews between June 25 and July 6. The error rate for the survey was +/- 4.5 percent.

In addition to questions about a $454 million bond, surveyors asked responders about optional items which would total a $480 million bond.

Continue reading →

Tim Mattox, an advocate for annexation reform, spoke at the Senate State Affairs Committee on Sunday afternoon in support of Senate Bill 6, which puts annexation into the hands of voters.

By LYNETTE HAALAND
Four Points News

Senate Bill 6 — which would give communities the right to vote on whether or not they want to be annexed by a city — was approved by a state Senate panel on Sunday during the special legislative session.

SB 6 was heard in the Senate State Affairs Committee on Sunday afternoon. Senate committees met over the weekend, approving bills for the Senate to consider this week.

“HB 6 has been filed and referred to Land and Resources,” said Roger Borgelt, attorney of Borgelt Law. “The bills (HB 6 and SB 6) are virtually identical to each other and the conference committee report that was filibustered in the regular session, so they both have all the language necessary for River Place.”

On Sunday, the majority of a dozen speakers at the Senate committee hearing were in support of SB 6, Borgelt said. Tim Mattox, an advocate for annexation reform, was one of those speakers. He is an 18-year resident of River Place, father of four and a member of the homeowners association board.

“I became involved in this issue because I saw a number of families and couples on fixed incomes being impacted by massive water rate increases associated with the city of Austin taking over our MUD,” he told the committee.

The city of Austin is in the final stages of annexing River Place, which is to be complete by the end of this year. Annexation is a multiple year process and at this point, many River Place residents have been vocal about opposing annexation.

Mattox’s research shows that the potential impact of annexation on property taxes and electric utility rates would be in the thousands of dollars per household per year with no improvement in services and limited input or say from the affected property owners, he said.
Continue reading →