From Sandy Perry, President, Friends of River Place Trail:
The 1600 ft section will still be off limits until the section is rebuilt on MUD land.
At last some great news! The River Place MUD has notified the Federal agencies that it intends to reopen the upper trail – up to just past the 1.5 mile mark (when starting at the highest entrance on River Place Blvd. between Treasure Island and Golf Vista) to hiking on Friday, February 7, 2014.
Thompson Realty. The exclusive development has 2,600 feet of frontage on Lake Austin.
Four Points residents and the Steiner Ranch Neighborhood Association attended the hearing. They wanted the city to account for traffic, safety and services.
“We have poor emergency egress options from Steiner. And our infrastructure for roads and schools are overloaded already,” said SRNA Chairman Brian Thompto, in an earlier report with Four Points New.
But the McCormick Ranch plan was approved as the zoning commission determined that it did not have a legal ability to deny the permit, Thompto said.
Sarah Doolittle
By SARAH DOOLITTLE, REPORTER’s POINT OF VIEW
Sarah Doolittle is a local resident who writes for Four Points News.
When people find out I don’t drink alcohol, they usually ask the same questions. “Really? Not at all? Why not?” The answers are always the same, in order: yes, not at all, and mostly because I have a family history of alcoholism and deaths from alcohol.
Sometimes I think of making a joke of it when they ask. “Oh yes, I’m six months sober!” But some deeper part of me understands that it’s not funny. Alcoholism–or drug addiction for that matter–is not funny.
According to popular media, though, it’s hilarious. Watch “Drunk History” on Comedy Central. Or movies like “Project X”, “Superbad”, and “21 & Over”. (The first two build their plots around underage drinking.) Search the word “drunk” on YouTube and over 15 million results are found. Endless music videos feature the ubiquitous red Solo cup, code for alcohol, and the party never stops. It is the rare film, always rated R so our kids can’t see it, that addresses the darker side of alcohol use.
I don’t mean this as a blanket condemnation of alcohol. Prohibition failed spectacularly, producing more alcoholics than preceded it. There are millions of adults who are able to enjoy alcohol responsibly and who genuinely enjoy the taste. (I’d rather a milkshake any day, but that’s just me.)
About guns we say, “Guns don’t kill people, people kill people.” The same cannot be said about alcohol, however. Unlike guns, alcohol (and other drugs) work on your brain first. Addiction and lesser negative side effects are very real possible consequences of alcohol use.
Alcohol, especially when consumed in excess, is a thief. First it steals your good judgement, your memory. Then you drink a little more, it takes your inhibitions, your reaction time, your balance. Eventually you can lose your lunch, your consciousness, even your life. Continue reading
Scott W. Coleman
By SCOTT W. COLEMAN
RANDOM THOUGHTS
Scott W. Coleman is editor of the Hill Country News and associate editor of Four Points News.
Our hearts and prayers go out to the family of Steiner Ranch Elementary teacher Peggy Howard and her son, Cale, who would have graduated from Vandegrift High School this spring, as well as to the entire Leander ISD community.
Whenever such a senseless tragedy like this one occurs, especially during a holiday period, while the community at large grieves, many seek answers in an attempt to determine if the tragic events could have been prevented.
To wit, much is being made of the Twitter posts attributed to Wyzykowski, found by a parent who searched out Wyzykowski’s social media accounts after learning the identity of the person who crashed into the Toyota Prius driven by Peggy Howard. These posts reportedly include numerous photos of alcohol and alcohol-influenced partying. While in hindsight, these posts might seem an ominous warning about someone who might be a danger, in my view, the alcohol-fueled vigor of a partying college student isn’t what would have worried me. Continue reading
By LYNETTE HAALAND, Four Points News
Peggy Howard was a charter member of the Steiner Ranch Elementary teaching staff and Cale Howard was a senior at Vandegrift High School and an award winning musician in the VHS Band.
On Dec. 27, Peggy was worried about late-night driving and dropped her son off at the movies with friend Wolfgang Sargent, also a senior at VHS.
Peggy went back to pick them up and minutes later her car was hit from behind and shoved into oncoming traffic on RM 620 N. near RM 2222.
She was pronounced dead at the crash scene and Cale was transported to St. David’s Round Rock Medical Center, where he died several hours later. Wolfgang was in the back seat and survived the crash with a broken femur.
On crutches and moving slowly, Wolfgang spoke at the funeral, which was held Saturday for Peggy and Cale and was standing room only at Austin Baptist Church.
Wolfgang said that he and Cale were good friends and both loved music. He said he
didn’t know how he survived the crash. He also said Mrs. Howard was super nice to him, always asking if he wanted something to eat. At his last sleepover at Cale’s, Mrs. Howard
made him a large amount of bacon, which put her forever in his good
favor.
“Just as Mrs. Howard did not want Cale to drive home from the movies Friday night, Mrs. Howard watched over her class in the same manner, ever watchful and patient with each of them. Teaching them, growing them, loving them, as only a gifted teacher can do,” said Amy Kerr, SRE parent.
Peggy, who is also survived by two college-aged sons Bram and Satchel, taught school more than 30 years and started at SRE when the school opened in 1996.
Cale was a baritone sax player in the top band at VHS, the Wind Ensemble. His dad, Mark Howard, requested that this band provide music at the funeral.
VHS award winning band members.
photo by Rich Keith
Jeremy Spicer, Vandegrift HS director of band, told students prior to the funeral: “Our very best musicianship will be called upon… I can think of no better way to remember Cale and his mother than through sharing the beautiful gift of music.”
One of the pieces, the Benediction, was music Cale learned and then performed with his band during the winter concert in December. Saturday his bandmates played it without him, his chair left empty and his sax displayed in the front of the sanctuary.
photo by Sarah Doolittle