By LIZ BARNARD, Four Points News

Canyon Ridge Middle School math APS teacher, Jill VanVoorhis, is 26 and fighting Stage 2 cervical cancer.

VanVoorhis completed her first treatment and from the side effects alone, she made the decision to take a leave from work.

“It was a choice I didn’t want to make, but felt like it was best for me,” she said. VanVoorhis will be taking leave unpaid. Medical expenses will not be entirely covered by insurance and, of course, VanVoorhis and her husband will suffer an impact from lost wages.

This is the second year VanVoorhis has been teaching at CRMS.

“I moved here for the job. I didn’t know anyone or have any family here.” She grew up in a small town south of Dallas. New to Austin, VanVoorhis turned to Google to locate a new church. On that first Sunday, she was running late. She saw a different church than her original destination, Cedar Park Church of Christ, and realized as people were filing in, that she should just go there and be on time.

That day she met a great friend, Rachel. “I invited her to sit with my parents and I and tried to get to know her a little bit before worship services started. It was very exciting to have another girl at church my age with similar backgrounds and interests,” Rachel said.

From there, Rachel introduced VanVoorhis to other young adults in the church, including her brother Lance. As it turns out, VanVoorhis married Lance only seven weeks after their introduction.

Lance and Jill VanVoorhis

“I think we have the best love story ever,” said VanVoorhis.

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By LYNETTE HAALAND, Four Points News

The Four Points Middle School Faltech robotics team went up against two dozen high school teams and won the highest award, Inspire, in spite of having stolen tools and missing teammates.

Made up of 8th-graders, Faltech was one of two middle school teams amongst some 24 high school teams at the 2013-2014 FTC Connally Double Qualifying Tournament at Connally High School on Saturday.

Though Faltech did not compete without obstacles. The Faltech’s tool cart was stolen the night prior to the competition.

“We lost few thousands dollar of parts and tools. We had all our spare motors, servo, c-channel and other parts along with all our tools,” said Gloria Lam-Parker, Faltech volunteer who helps coach the team.

Four Points MS Faltechs competing on the floor.

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By LYNETTE HAALAND, Four Points News

The Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization hosted a public meeting on Monday to talk about traffic concerns in Four Points.

“If we want major improvements in our neck of the woods, we have to engage CAMPO,” said Brian Thompto to the 52 people who attended the CAMPO Mobile Meeting at Austin Christian Fellowship in River Place.

Members of the Four Points Traffic Meeting mapped out traffic concerns at the CAMPO meeting on Monday.

CAMPO is the agency that approves the use of federal transportation funds in this region that includes 1.8 million people in Travis, Hays, Williamson, Burnet, Bastrop and Caldwell counties.

CAMPO will finalize its 2040 plan about a year from now and is currently evaluating which projects will be included for the region that is projected to have 4.1 million people by 2040.

“If we want to be a priority, we have to engage CAMPO. We need to get energy behind (plans to improve traffic),” said Thompto, Steiner Ranch Neighborhood Association chairman and Four Points Chamber of Commerce director of community relations. The Chamber arranged for the CAMPO meeting to happen in Four Points.

Maureen McCoy, CAMPO executive director, addressed the meeting by sharing how CAMPO works.

Maureen McCoy, CAMPO executive director, addressed the meeting by sharing how CAMPO works.

During the map exercise at the end of the meeting, McCoy invited participants at each table to identify their top three concerns related to local highways, roadways and public transportation.

She encourages everyone to take time to do this on the CAMPO website as well: Campo.mindmixer.com

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By LYNETTE HAALAND, Four Points News

The River Place Municipal Utility District has notified the federal agencies that it intends to reopen the upper trail prior to Golden-Cheeked Warbler nesting.

“The River Place MUD board is delighted to reopen the River Place Nature Trail on February 7,” said Jim Casey, president of the River Place MUD.

“We’re really excited for this,” said Sandy Perry, president of the advocacy group Friends of River Place Trail. “We are grateful for the MUD having hired the right people to get to this point.”

On Sept. 17, Alan Glen, noted environmental attorney with Sedgwick Law, on behalf of the River Place MUD informed the US Army Corps of Engineers and US Fish and Wildlife Service of their Notice of Intent to Sue both agencies.

The NOI stated that the agencies have no jurisdiction over the MUD owned, conservation land and there has been no harm of the Golden-Cheeked Warbler. Glen asked the agencies to respond within 30 days.

“I had a long series of conversations with their lawyers and they were very productive. They were listening and sensitive to all of the issues,” Glen said.

“They have made no formal response so we are going to open the trail,” he said.

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