February 17 2019 Issue
Category Archives: Westminster Glen
River Place Limited District gets push back on plans to charge for trail use, Some non district residents oppose high fees, exclusion in district vote
River Place residents Chuck Reynolds and Kate Holloway, pictured at the head of their Cortana Ridge neighborhood, oppose River Place Limited District’s decision to charge a fee for the subdivision’s trail usage. Although the couple lives in the community, their home is located outside the boundaries of the Limited District and, once the fees begin March 2, will join other outsiders in the assessment. LESLEE BASSMAN
By LESLEE BASSMAN, Four Points News
River Place residents Chuck Reynolds and Kate Holloway moved to their home in the Cortana Ridge neighborhood a couple of years ago. Reynolds said he uses the local, renowned trail at 8820 Big View Dr. about three times a week, a practice he may need to end early next month when the River Place Limited District begins charging nonmembers $10 per person and $10 per pet daily on weekends to use the trails.
Cortana Ridge, as well as other neighborhoods within the northern section of River Place — mostly north of Merrywing Circle — are not part of the Limited District that was created in May, after the city of Austin fully annexed the subdivision Dec. 15, 2017. Aside from providing solid waste services to its members, the Limited District owns and maintains the subdivisions parks and nature trail, the result of a negotiation and agreement with city officials. Continue reading
Valentine’s more special with found engagement diamond
Alyson Horak lost her one-and-a-half carat diamond a few weeks ago and retraced her steps of the day. After much searching, Rick Nordin, owner of Cups & Cones in Steiner Ranch, found the diamond in the parking lot.
By SARAH DOOLITTLE, Four Points News
This Valentine’s, a Steiner Ranch wife and mother-of-two is more grateful than ever for her once lost diamond — which was used nearly a decade earlier to declare love with a wedding proposal to her as a graduate student in San Marcos.
January 11 was just another a typical day for Alyson Horak. She dropped off her daughter, Emma, at school, returned home with her son, Bryson, went to Cups & Cones to hear Mr. Rudy perform, went back home, washed laundry and dishes, let the dogs out, hosed off the dogs after they rolled in mud, then trimmed some shrubs growing near the back gate.
The big surprise came when, after all of that, “I was sitting on the back porch talking to my cousin (on the phone),” Horak recalls, “and I looked down… and I noticed there was no diamond,” in her engagement ring.
Cheer places 1st for fight song, 4th overall at state
Vandegrift cheerleaders placed 4th out of 22 teams in the coed division at the 2019 UIL competition in Fort Worth in mid January. The Vipers also placed 1st overall in the fight song category.
By CODI FARMER, Vandegrift Voice
The Vandegrift cheer team placed 4th out of 22 teams in the coed division at the 2019 state UIL competition in Fort Worth on Jan. 17. The Vipers also placed 1st overall in the fight song category.
The Vipers changed their strategy this year and competed in the coed division for the first time after adding four boys to their roster in November. The plan worked.
“We have been 6A for the past few years and, even though we had been doing really well, our results weren’t very reflective of the talent that we had, so we thought that changing our divisions would be able to showcase our skills better and have a higher probability of winning a state championship,” said Brianna Roughton, VHS head cheer coach.
Viper Nation Education Foundation raises more than $1 million
Employees of security company SailPoint crowd the front entrance of their new building prior to the start of the Feb. 4 ribbon-cutting ceremonies marking the culmination of a three-year
project.
By LYNETTE HAALAND, Four Points News
The Viper Nation Education Foundation surpassed a milestone at the 9th annual gala on Saturday night — raising more than $1 million dollars over nine years for local education.
“I think it is a testament to our success that we have been able to raise over a million dollars since inception that was able to be put to work in our schools to enhance the educational experience and opportunity for our students,” said William Farrell, president of VNEF.