Steiner Ranch friends surprise John Holsinger as he walked out of rehab after his 50-foot fall from cycling.

A group of Steiner Ranch cyclists and friends surprised John Holsinger the day he was discharged from the rehab center after surviving a 50-foot fall while cycling earlier this year.

By LYNETTE HAALAND,
KIM ESTES
Four Points News

In early November, John Holsinger walked out of Brookdale Lakeway rehab center, with a cane of course. Two months prior he nearly lost his life after falling some 50-feet while cycling.

On the day he was discharged from the rehab center, there was a group of Steiner Ranch cyclists and friends who were there to surprise Holsinger and cheer for him as he walked out.

“He has made an unbelievable start to a normal life again surprising all his doctors and therapist along the way,” said Hollie Kenney. “This is a miracle.”

Holsinger hopes to be able to go back to work in February or March.

“I’m getting stronger every day. Right now I’m doing outpatient physical therapy on my right arm and right leg,” said Holsinger, in an email exchange last week. “It’s going to take some time for everything to heal and get closer to normal. This is the slow, painful part.”

Steiner Ranch resident Holsinger is recovering from near fatal injuries sustained in a Labor Day bicycle accident in Georgetown where he fell some 50 feet from a bridge.

On Sept. 5, the 52-year-old triathlete met up with 50 riders from the Bat City Cycling club for a planned 60 mile bike ride through Northwest Austin.

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A network of trails provide public access to the Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge — and expansive views of Hill Country — located north of Lake Travis.

Golden-cheeked Warbler
Setophaga chrysoparia
male, 2nd year bird
7 mi W of Bee Cave,
Travis Co., Texas
18 April 2007

By SARAH DOOLITTLE
Four Points News

The Balcones Canyonlands Preserve plays a huge part in area development. The 31,790 acre land preserve was established in 1996 as part of the Balcones Canyonland Conservation Plan.

“The primary purpose of preserves is wildlife habitat,” not public recreation, according to Johanna Arendt, Community Liaison for the Travis County Department of Transportation and Natural Resources.

Balcones is home to many birds and wildlife. As the saying goes, everything’s bigger in Texas, and that includes the number of bird species that can be found in the state — over 620 species, according to the Texas Ornithological Society — which is more than any other state in the U.S. The same is true throughout Texas ecosystems.

“Similar diversity is found in mammals, reptiles and plants.” Arendt added, “The loss of habitat due to development has taken its toll.”

Balcones mark in Four Points

Before the building boom in Four Points, the area was mostly private land used for ranching and cedar harvesting. Arendt describes the area as having been, “a mix of dense oak-juniper woodlands and oak-juniper savannas with heavily wooded canyons.”

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Austin Baptist Church hosted “White Christmas” on Sunday where each Bible fellowship class brought a certain food item like canned chicken or macaroni and cheese. When all put together, the groceries filled a laundry basket, and then families delivered the goodies to more than 100 families in need.

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Under the direction of Mike Howard, Vandegrift director of bands, the Viper band hosted its Winter Concert on Dec. 5 at Austin Baptist Church at 7016 Ribelin Ranch Dr.

Then on Dec. 9, the Vandegrift choirs presented their Winter Concert under the direction of Michael Feris, VHS choir director, also at Austin Baptist.

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