More about: RSS | Wireless Wireless

Home > WillCo Wired

Round Rock trophy case is filling up

Space is getting a little tight in the City of Round Rock’s trophy case these days.

The city was named one of the 100 best places to live in the country for children by America’s Promise Alliance, a child advocacy coalition founded by Gen. Colin Powell, earlier this year.

“When you look around here, it really is a good place for kids,” City Manager Jim Nuse said.

He said having a good school district goes a long way in winning the award, and he praised the Round Rock school district for getting the application process going. Nuse also credited Round Rock’s strong community, with lots of churches, parks programs and organizations that foster communication with kids.

Round Rock was one of four Texas cities chosen. City Council Member Rufus Honeycutt will represent the city for the award in Washington next week.

And along with the attention that Round Rock receives, it also gets a trophy. Looking for it in the city’s awards case, Nuse said, “We have so many.”

Find more information from the city about why it was chosen.

Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment

Latest comments

c437t

... read the full comment by ma7zda | Comment on Truck crashes into Brushy Creek sign Read Truck crashes into Brushy Creek sign

WE HAVE A CENTENNIAL CATTLE DRIVE GOING ON HERE IN OKLAHOMA ALSO. 450 HEAD ARE BEING DRIVEN FROM RED RIVER STATION TO CALDWELL, KANSAS (240 MILES). IT IS A FOUR WEEK DRIVE AND WILL CONCLUDE ON OCTOBER 5TH AT CALDWELL.

OKLAHOMA IS GOING TO BE 100

... read the full comment by BKLEMME | Comment on Up the Chisholm Trail Read Up the Chisholm Trail

The play is great, however, I may be a little biased. I’m in the cast and play a jury foreman, Mr. Jack Jordan, who delivers a verdict in the trial of Reverend A.A. Davis, a local KKK leader in 1923.

The re-enactment of Klan members beating

... read the full comment by Curt Hillier | Comment on ‘You Can't Do That Dan Moody' Read ‘You Can't Do That Dan Moody'

Kenny, I didn’t know so many of those heroes were from Taylor. My bad.

... read the full comment by Mark | Comment on Sept. 11 remembrance in Taylor Read Sept. 11 remembrance in Taylor

See more recent comments

Library offers special events during teen read week

From: The Round Rock Public Library

The Round Rock Public Library will offer several events for teens during Teen Read Week.

This year’s theme is LOL @ Your Library, so we are planning on having lots of fun and laughs.

On Monday, October 15th from 7-8 pm, take part in a Library Scavenger Hunt and enjoy pizza afterwards; Tuesday, October 16th from 6-8 pm, is the Teen Book Club and local author April Lurie will come along to talk about her latest book, Brothers, boyfriends, & other criminal minds. After the Book Club stay for our Teen Advisory Board meeting and help us plan future fun; Thursday, October 18th from 7-8 pm is Movie Night so come dressed as your favorite comedian or celebrity. Teens 12-18 are welcome to attend. No registration is required.

The Round Rock Public Library is located at 216 E. Main Street in downtown Round Rock. For more information, please call Jane or Candy at 512-218-7006, or visit the library’s website at www.roundrocktexas.gov/library.

Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment

Up the Chisholm Trail

If you spot several hundred cattle headed down Main Street in Georgetown on Saturday, don’t fret — it’s just the Up the Chisholm Trail Cattle Drive.

The event begins at 9 a.m. at San Gabriel Park and continues on Georgetown’s downtown Square until 8 p.m. There will be live music by Jim Gough and The Cosmopolitan Cowboys as well as K.R. Wood, a trick-roping show, crafts, a cooking contest and chuckwagon displays.

Organizers say the event is to celebrate county’s heritage in cattle and ranching.

For more information, contact the museum at 943-1670, or visit their Web site for a list of events.

Permalink | Comments (1) | Post your comment

Oak wilt educational seminar on Oct. 2

From City of Georgetown public information office:

Several areas in Georgetown have been affected by oak wilt, a fungus that can affect several species of oak tree, including live oaks, red oaks, and Shumard oaks. Homeowners west of Interstate 35, particularly in the San Gabriel Heights neighborhood, have been combating the disease for many years.

To assist homeowners whose trees are affected or threatened by oak wilt, the Williamson County Extension Office, in cooperation with the parks and recreation departments of the cities of Georgetown, Round Rock, and Hutto, is sponsoring a panel of experts to provide information about oak wilt.

The seminar is scheduled for Tuesday, October 2 starting with registration at 6 p.m. The seminar will be held in the training room of the Williamson County Central Maintenance facility in Georgetown at 3151 SE Inner Loop Road. (Central Maintenance is on SE Inner Loop between CR 110 and Belmont Drive.)

Featured speakers for this program include the following:

Dave Appel, Ph.D., Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology, Texas A&M University will talk about the oak wilt disease, its spread, symptoms, and preventative measures.

Rob Grotty, staff forester, Texas Forest Service, will speak on oak wilt in Williamson County, Texas Forest Service cost shares, and other information regarding services provided by his agency.

Paula Johnston, Oak Wilt Specialists Of Texas, Inc., will talk about the importance of timing related to preventative treatments.

“Oak wilt can have devastating affects,” says Heather Brewer, urban forester for the City of Georgetown. “There are steps that homeowners can take to reduce the likelihood of oak wilt transmission, so I hope people will come and learn from these experts. It will take a collective effort to reduce the spread of the fungus in affected areas.”

Due to the large amount of interest concerning this issue, those who wish to attend the seminar should contact the Williamson County Extension Office by Friday, September 28, 2007 at 5 p.m. to reserve a seat. Contact the Williamson County Extension Office by phone at (512) 943-3300, or by email at williamson-tx@tamu.edu. There is a charge of $5.00 per person to cover the costs of printed materials and refreshments.

Permalink | |

Truck crashes into Brushy Creek sign

The Brushy Creek sign at RM 620 and Great Oaks Drive is no longer.

A construction truck recently crashed into the sign that marks the entrance of the Brushy Creek Municipal Utility District.

The loss of the sign didn’t faze the MUD officials though. They had already planned to remove it and build a new one farther away from RM 620 to make room for extra lanes. Planning for the new sign starts next month.

sign1.jpg

sign2.jpg

Permalink | Comments (1) |

Gattis recovering after wreck

County Judge Dan A. Gattis has had his stitches taken out and is recovering after a rollover wreck earlier this month.

Gattis was driving north on Interstate 35 in the Bellmead area near Waco when a car hit his truck from behind on a rainy Sept. 5, they said. His truck rolled and landed on the driver’s side, leaving Gattis with puncture wounds around his left elbow that required stitches, his wife, Karen, said. His left hand was swollen, but that’s going down, he said.

Gattis said he was wearing a seatbelt that may have helped save his life.

“There’s no doubt in my mind that the good Lord had a hand in it, too,” he said.

Permalink | |

‘You Can’t Do That Dan Moody’

Beginning tonight, the newly renovated Georgetown Courthouse will house a production of “You Can’t Do That, Dan Moody,” a play based on the landmark 1923 trial of Ku Klux Klan members.

The synopsis: “In September 1923, Williamson County tried and convicted the Ku Klux Klan for the first time ever in the United States. This year, in the courthouse, the Palace Theater once again presents the play based on this historic trial, performed in the newly renovated, historically accurate courtroom in which the trial was held 84 years ago. Join us for a presentation of the true story of Williamson County’s courageous stand for justice.”

The play will run Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through Oct. 14. Showtimes are 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays. Visit the Palace’s web site for more info.

Permalink | Comments (1) |

Recreation Center expansion breaks ground on Sept. 18

From City of Georgetown public information office:

Attention swimmers, runners, and fitness freaks of all ages: a major expansion to the City’s Recreation Center will soon begin in San Gabriel Park. City of Georgetown officials will break ground on the project on September 18.

The addition will include an indoor pool, an outdoor splash pool, a new gymnasium, an indoor track, and new rooms for exercise classes and activities. Areas in the existing Recreation Center will be renovated for teen and senior activities. The 47,000 square-foot expansion of the current 18,000 square-foot facility will provide a total of more than 65,000 square feet of interior space once the project is completed.

A large section of the addition will be the indoor pool and changing areas. The pool, which will be the first public-use indoor pool in the City, will be used by the City’s aquatics program and will be open for general swim hours. A section of the 25-yard pool will have eight lanes for competition and a warm-up lane. This area will be used by Georgetown school district swim teams and local swim clubs, and also will be available for open swim times. Another section of the pool that is three feet deep will be used for water aerobics and open use.

The zero entry outdoor splash pool will have activity areas for children of all ages. The pool slopes to a depth of four feet on the opposite side where there will be two slides. Other features include tumble buckets that dump water, spray guns, and spray bubblers.

Another new feature will be an elevated indoor track, which will encircle the new gymnasium and weight room on a second-level balcony. “The track was included to offer citizens a place to walk or jog year-round in any weather conditions,” says Kimberly Garret, parks and recreation director. The track was added to the design after City staff and the project architect toured eight other recreation centers. “Each one had an above-ground track and that seems to be the trend on all new recreation centers,” says Garrett.

New multipurpose rooms and exercise rooms add needed capacity for fitness classes and other offerings at the center. Greg Olmer, the supervisor at the Recreation Center, says that right now there is little room for new programs. “We have two multipurpose rooms in the expansion that will greatly help us out for programs in the future.” Olmer says that he and Garrett will be meeting with Georgetown teens later this month for their guidance on programming and activities for the teen areas.

Georgetown voters approved bonds in 2004 to fund the Recreation Center expansion, with a projected completion date in 2010. Under a revised construction timeline, the new sections will be complete and the existing areas renovated by January 2009. Construction should begin after October 1 this year.

The architectural firm for the project is PBS&J. The construction-manager-at-risk is Chasco Constructors from Round Rock.

The $12.5 million cost of the project will be funded with $10 million in bond revenue that was authorized by Georgetown voters in 2004, and with additional funding approved by the City Council. The increase was due to elevated costs that factored into commercial construction projects after Hurricanes Rita and Katrina in 2005. The $10.8 million guaranteed maximum price for construction by Chasco includes a $1 million contingency fee. Any unused portion of the fee will be returned to the City.

A portion of the grassy area next to the Recreation Center that is used for parking during Georgetown High School football games will be blocked off by the construction fence. However, 75 percent of the parking spaces in the grassy field will still be available for football parking.

Earlier in June this year, 11 trees were transplanted to nearby soccer fields to make way for the footprint of the addition and parking lots. Those trees now provide shade for soccer fields and the hike and bike trail in San Gabriel Park.

The groundbreaking on September 18 will begin at 10 a.m. next to the Recreation Center, which is located at 1003 N. Austin Avenue. For a map to the Recreation Center, go to http://georgetown.org/contact/drivingdirections/reccentermap.php.

For details, about the project, contact Kimberly Garrett, parks and recreation director, at (512) 930-3595.

(A slide show of floors plans and site renderings for the project can be seen in the news item at http://www.georgetown.org.)

Permalink | |

Georgetown GeoGuide maps now online

From the City of Georgetown

Want to locate an address? Measure the area of a piece of land? View recent aerial photos of Georgetown?

You can do it with a powerful new online mapping program called Georgetown GeoGuide, which was launched on the City of Georgetown website last month.

Unlike some widely-used online mapping sites and vehicle navigation systems, the data in Georgetown GeoGuide are up-to-date and accurate. Many features have been pinpointed with a GPS receiver (GPS means Global Positioning System), so they are anchored to an exact latitude and longitude. GeoGuide updates a previous online mapping program on the City website called ArcIMS.

Not only is GeoGuide information accurate, it’s current. The data or map “layers” for streets, proposed streets, utility lines, and City Limit lines are updated each month. Most data comes from information submitted to the City’s utility departments and the Planning and Development Department. Information about property parcels is from the Williamson Central Appraisal District and is updated quarterly.

So what can you do with Georgetown GeoGuide that you can’t do on other online mapping sites? Here’s a few examples:

— Use the measure tool to find the distance from your front door to the nearest fire hydrant for your ISO insurance rating, if you live outside the City. Or measure the length of your favorite bike route. A conversion menu gives you distances in feet, kilometers, meters, or miles.

— Measure the area of a piece of land you want to plant with sod or sell. A drop-down instantly converts to acres, square feet, square kilometers, square meters, or square miles.

— Determine the relevant zoning for a piece of property, including overlay districts such as the Downtown Overlay, Gateway Overlays, and Courthouse View Overlays.

— Determine the City Council District in which you live, or find the location of a Georgetown ISD school, a City park, or a hike-and-bike trail.

— View parcel information for a piece of property in the City Limits or Georgetown’s extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ), which is the area two miles beyond City Limits. Parcel details include the property owner, appraisal district number, property lines, school district, utilities, and more.

— See the utilities that serve a piece of property, including water lines, wastewater lines, and the electric service provider. Layers showing future roads (Overall Transportation Plan) as well as Future Land Use can be viewed.

— View an aerial photograph of areas in the City Limits or the ETJ. Aerial images were photographed in 2006.

Ed Polasek, principal planner with the Planning and Development Department, says, “We didn’t even have a good City base map five years ago. There was nothing online. Now the online mapping application is among the best in the region.” GeoGuide and the prior online maps were created by the City’s Geographic Information Systems team. Data sharing across departments will continue to improve and allow users such as firefighters or police officers to access more map features on wireless laptops in the field.

The Georgetown GeoGuide application runs on dedicated, high-speed server, which means that map images load in seconds, even though they contain huge amounts of data. The new Georgetown GeoGuide application was developed as a collaboration between the map specialists in the Planning and Development Department and the computer and website specialists in the Information Technology Department.

Real estate agents and developers are already using the mapping application. Polasek says people are now finding information online that was only available in file cabinets before. “I think the people who have found it are becoming consistent users,” says Polasek.

An easy-to-use tutorial for GeoGuide can be found on the City website. To use the Georgetown GeoGuide mapping application or the tutorial, go to http://www.georgetown.org and click on “Maps and Driving Directions.”

For details, contact Chris Bryce, Geographic Information Systems coordinator with the Planning and Development Department at (512) 930-3579.

Permalink | |

Kung fu fighting (and Tai Chi, too)

If you live in the Brushy Creek area and are looking for something to do this weekend, stop by the community center for the national amateur Kung Fu and Tai Chi championships.

There will be inflatables, martial arts vendors and craft booths. Get there at noon to hear Austin musician Guy Forsyth sing the national anthem, or show up at 7 p.m. to see the main event championships.

For more information, go to www.kungfu-taichi-championships.com.

The event will be held at 16318 Great Oaks Drive in Round Rock.

Permalink | | Categories: Events

Gattis OKs discussion but not action on animal shelter

Williamson County wants to give new management at the struggling regional animal shelter some time before stepping in to address problems and expansion possibilities, county Judge Dan A. Gattis said in an Aug. 29 letter to Round Round Mayor Nyle Maxwell.

“It’s our feeling that we need to step back and let management get their feet back on the ground,” Gattis said Tuesday. “They need to call the shots on a day-to-day basis.”

The letter is a response to letters from the partnering cities - Round Rock, Cedar Park, Leander and Hutto - in which they urge more oversight and review of the six-month-old facility. The cities seek, within three months, to install an executive committee of Gattis and city managers, discuss the shelter’s capacity needs and the interlocal agreement, and support management as they establish operations and standard procedures.

Gattis said in his response letter that he was “disappointed” that the cities had not invited the county to two meetings where they discussed shelter operations.

Maxwell would not comment Wednesday, saying he was waiting to first talk with Gattis.

The $3.9 million, 15,000-square-foot shelter has encountered overpopulation, inadequate staffing and questions about animals’ living conditions since it opened in March.

Although the facility received high marks on some recent state inspections, the county sheriff’s office is looking into animal cruelty allegations after shelter volunteers raised concerns in June about dead animals and insufficient care.

Permalink | |

Round Rock council race heats up

Just kidding. There’s not much excitement in the Round Rock City Council races, as they don’t happen until March 2008.

But perhaps Council Member Rufus Honeycutt wanted to take some attention away from Obama and Hillary.

He announced plans this week to run for another term in May 2008.

“A lot of my dear friends have been bugging me, and I was tired of saying, ‘I’ll let you know later,’ ” Honeycutt said.

He’s excited about starting the downtown revitalization, bringing fine arts to Round Rock and planning for the estimated 150,000 people expected to move to the city in the next 30 years.

The terms of Mayor Nyle Maxwell and Council Member Carlos Salinas are up next year, too. They said they haven’t decided whether they will run.

Maxwell wouldn’t elaborate, but Salinas said he’d get with his people and make an announcement soon.

Permalink | | Categories: Politics

Round Rock open house

The City of Round Rock is seeking public comment about a proposed road west of Interstate 35 and just south of Sam Bass Road.

The city is proposing to extend Creek Bend Boulevard to meet up with Wyoming Springs Drive in a four-lane road. Hairy Man Road could be realigned, too.

The open house is from 4 to 8 p.m. Sept. 6 at the Allen R. Baca Center for Senior and Community Activities, 301 W. Bagdad Ave.

Permalink | | Categories: Events

Sept. 11 remembrance in Taylor

If you’d like to pay tribute to the victims and heroes of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, head to Taylor on Tuesday evening for a special lineup of patriotic events.

The event will start at 7 p.m. on North Main Street with a parade of firefighters, police officers and EMS workers. Speeches, songs and a fly-over by a helicopter start at 7:30 p.m. in Heritage Square.

Permalink | Comments (3) | Categories: Events

Today is United Way of Williamson County Day

United Way of Williamson County kicks off its annual workplace giving campaign today, which municipalities across the county have designated United Way of Williamson County Day.

The campaign will encourage residents to “Give Where You Live,” ensuring that donations stay in the county, a news release said.

The nonprofit organization raises money for other nonprofits and helps draws attention to community needs and issues. For more information or to donate, call 255-6799 or visit www.unitedway-wc.org.

Permalink | |

Dance it off in Weir on Saturday night

Come party with the 600 or so residents of this Williamson County town just east of Georgetown on Saturday at the annual Weir Street Dance.

Sponsored by the Weir Volunteer Fire Department and the Weir Country Store, the community event will be held Saturday, Sept. 4, near the fire department and store at the intersection of FM 971 and FM 1005.

There will be face-painting, a moonwalk, clowns and other entertainment for the kids starting at 6 p.m., said Mayor Mervin Walker. At 8 p.m. country band Outlaw Underground kicks off the dancing.

Walker has served Weir for 20 years in his official capacity as mayor and as the unofficial caretaker of the town.

The owner of the country store, Doyle Foster, is adding a full-fledged restaurant and bar to the town hangout, which should be open by the end of the year.

Permalink | Comments (2) | Categories: Events

Arts and crafts show this Saturday

Art lovers should check out an arts and crafts show from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at the Baca Center, 301 W. Bagdad Ave., in Round Rock. More than 40 vendors will be selling original art and hand-crafted items.

A portion of the proceeds help support programs at the center. For information, call 218-5499 or visit www.bacacenter.com.

For more information call Jennifer Jackson, Program Coordinator, 518-5499 or Terri Waggoner, City of Round Rock Marketing Specialist, 341-3361.

Permalink | |

Lone Star Circle of Care garners $200,000 grant

Lone Star Circle of Care of Georgetown, a nonprofit health care provider, has received a $200,000 grant that will help it treat 18,000 children this year, twice as many as it treated last year.

The organization hopes to turn this into a continuing partnership with the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation, Lone Star spokeswoman Amy Ellsworth said.

Lone Star Circle of Care provides medical, dental, mental health, obstetric and gynecological services to uninsured and underinsured residents of Williamson County.

Permalink | Comments (1) |

Gamer competition in Round Rock

Get ready for the first gaming tournament for teens at the Round Rock Public Library.

Mario Kart Double Dash on the Nintendo GameCube is the challenge. Be there.

Who can play: Anyone who thinks they have skills who’s 12 to 18 years old. When: 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. Sept. 8 Where: 216 E. Main St., Round Rock

Registration begins at noon the day of the tournament. If Mario Kart isn’t your game, Super Smash Bros. Melee and Dance Dance Revolution also will be available for open play. And yes, there are prizes.

This is the first in a series of tournaments, with the finale to be held Dec. 29. For more information, call (512) 218-7006, or visit www.roundrocklibrary.org.

Permalink | Comments (1) | Categories: Events

Tells us what you think about Rian’s sentence

Since the sentencing of 41-year-old Phill Raije Rian, the Austin woman convicted of sexual assault of a child for having a sexual relationship with a 16-year-old neighbor in Round Rock, we have received numerous calls and e-mails from people saying that Rian received an unfair sentence.

Last week, a Williamson County jury sentenced her to 23 years in prison and 10 years of probation. Judge Billy Ray Stubblefield stacked her sentences, so she will have to serve at least half of her sentence to be eligible for parole.

Rian was offered a plea deal before the trial: seven years of deferred adjudication, a form of probation, according to her attorney, Richard “Racehorse” Haynes. But Haynes said Rian did not take the plea deal because she not only refused to register as a sex offender, but also denied having any sexual contact with the boy. In trial, prosecutors played videotape of Rian confessing to having sex with the youth.

Many readers have called or written saying that 23 years is too harsh a sentence and that probation would have been more appropriate.

But Williamson County District Attorney John Bradley said the sentence was proper for someone who was charged with three counts of sexual assault of a child.

Many readers have brought up the case of Roger Dale Proctor, a Williamson County deputy constable who pleaded guilty to criminal solicitation of a minor this year. A 15-year-old girl told authorities last year that Proctor had been touching her breasts since she was about 8 years old, an arrest affidavit said. Proctor took a plea deal of 30 days in jail and five years of probation.

Bradley said the cases are different and should not be compared. One of the many reasons that Rian received a stiff sentence was because she continuously lied to the jury and denied having any sexual contact with the child, he said.

What do you think? Was her sentence too stiff? Should she have taken the plea deal? Would you feel the same way if it were a 41-year-old man and a 16-year-old girl?

Permalink | Comments (46) |

New concerns raised about shelter’s conditions

A Georgetown couple is raising concerns of a possible outbreak of contagious diseases at the Williamson County Regional Animal Shelter after they adopted a puppy with parvovirus and distemper.

The shelter is not giving timely immunizations or medical care and is not following quarantine standards, according to a letter dated Thursday from their attorney, Bill Aleshire, to inspector Beverlee Nix, a veterinarian for the Texas Department of State Health Services.

Nix has given the facility high marks on two recent inspections.

“I feel that some officials in Williamson County need to step forward and start taking the kind of action to prevent this from being an utter catastrophe,” said Mark Fischer, who adopted the puppy with his wife, Madi, a veterinary technician.

The puppy had to be euthanized Monday, the letter said.

Ethel Spence, the new shelter manager and interim director, said a parvo suspect tested negative recently and staff checked every dog and kennel Thursday.

“I haven’t seen any signs of sickness,” she said.

Volunteers and at least one former employee have questioned health conditions at the $3.9 million, 15,000-square-foot facility since June. The sheriff’s office is investigating conditions at the shelter.

Former veterinary technician and staff supervisor Kathy Abdella was fired July 16, less than a week after she called 911 and spoke to the American-Statesman about concerns at the shelter, including the potential spread of disease. She will receive $20,625 in a settlement with the county, after claiming that her termination violated the Texas Whistleblower Act and her rights of free speech. County commissioners have said the settlement does not indicate wrongdoing.

Former volunteers Lori Rogowski and Ruthann Panipinto raised concerns June 19 after finding dead animals and inadequate care. Their concerns led to the sheriff’s investigation.

Letter from Mark and Madi Fischer’s attorney Bill Aleshire to Dr. Beverlee Nix, concerning parvo at Williamson County Regional Animal Shelter.

Permalink | Comments (4) |

County names new animal shelter director

Lockhart’s animal services manager will take over leadership of the troubled Williamson County Regional Animal Shelter starting Sept. 11, officials said.

The county announced the hiring Monday but did not release details about the new director until Wednesday.

Cheryl Schneider said she has served as Lockhart’s Emergency Medical Services director for 20 years and took charge of the city’s animal services in 2000.

Schneider said she is aware of problems at the shelter, which include inadequate staffing, health concerns and the sheriff’s investigation into animal cruelty allegations.

“I think the shelter has great potential,” she said. “I think we can make it work however we need to make it work.”

Schneider helped hire the new shelter manager, Ethel Spence, and will assist with the board’s final budget recommendation, Commissioner Valerie Covey said in the board’s meeting Monday.

Spence is filling in as interim director after Dana Boehm was arrested Thursday and charged with stealing a tax refund check from a Hutto veterinarian. Boehm was scheduled to leave Aug. 28 but has been placed on administrative leave.

Boehm took over after Director Melanie Sobel and Manager Kim Harrington resigned in May to pursue other career opportunities. Sobel later said that poor planning and unheeded warnings led to overpopulation and inadequate staffing at the facility.

Permalink | |

Vandalism prompts Round Rock to temporarily closes skate park

From the City of Round Rock:

Parks and Recreation director Rick Atkins has ordered the City of Round Rock skate park to be closed for one week to address growing problems of misdemeanor criminal activity such as trespassing, disturbances and criminal mischief. The skate park, 1600 Gattis School Road, behind the Clay Madsen Recreation Center, will be closed from 5 p.m. Friday, Aug. 17, to 8 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 25.

“The trash problem has gotten out of control, and too many skaters are climbing the fence, damaging it, to get into the park,” Atkins said. “We need to send a message to the skaters this type of behavior will not be tolerated. The City has invested too much in the skate park to allow this kind of activity to continue.”

From Feb. 1 to Aug. 16, there have been 115 calls to the police to the skate park address. Call types include narcotics, disturbances, suspicious incidents/persons, juvenile offense, criminal mischief and burglary and/or theft.

New signs will be placed at the site, and Round Rock police will take a more proactive approach to monitoring the skate park, which opened in mid-July.

“We have a lot of responsible skaters using the facility, and it’s unfortunate that a handful of irresponsible people have caused us to take this action,” Atkins said. “The skate park needs to be a positive place for our citizens, especially our youth, to play.”

Permalink | Comments (42) |

Unofficial Leander spokesman resigns

A Leander Fire Department volunteer, whom city officials have likened to a rogue spokesman, resigned Wednesday after what appears to be confusion over his job description.

For the past six months, Chris Heisler has been an unofficial spokesman for the Fire Department and a go-to guy of sorts for newsies trying to track a story. That’s a job, however, that city officials say he was never supposed to be doing.

“He was never employed to be the spokesman for the Fire Department,” Leander City Manager Biff Johnson said. “This is a volunteer position; it’s not a paid position, and no volunteer position for the City of Leander speaks for Leander. The spokesman is the mayor.”

Heisler says there’s a difference of opinion. He said he joined the department in February and was charged with handling media relations and promoting safety and injury prevention in the city. He said he only spoke for the Fire Department when he was contacted by the media or when no one else was available to talk.

“If I can get a firefighter with a helmet to talk to you, that’s what I’m going to do,” Heisler said. “I’ve never said anything but positive, flowery stuff about the City of Leander, and I’ve never claimed to represent the city.”

But Johnson said the trouble started when Heisler started giving out information about police investigations.

About two weeks ago, Johnson said he spoke with Heisler after a member of the city Police Department complained that Heisler was speaking for the department without permission.

Johnson said he talked to Heisler about what he could and could not do under his job title. One of those could nots, was to speak on behalf of the Fire Department, or any department. Johnson said only senior command staff and lieutenants are allowed to represent the Police and Fire departments.

Still, Johnson said Heisler continued to act as a spokesman for the Fire Department, including sending e-mails to news outlets that he wasn’t authorized to send.

“He ended up giving stories about every issue in the city and every surrounding city,” Johnson said. “And sometimes that happens: You get people in, and they get in touch with people in the media, and the media becomes part of the celebrity.”

A week ago, Johnson said that he told Heisler that he no longer had a position with the Fire Department but that Heisler continued to work.

Johnson said Heisler was told again Wednesday morning that his position was terminated and Heisler submitted a resignation letter a few hours later.

Heisler said he was just trying to keep the media informed about what was going on in the city, something he said made city officials uncomfortable.

“The city obviously has some concern over the exposure the city is getting. The Leander Fire Department has gotten some worldwide recognition, and I’ve done it for free as a volunteer for the Fire Department,” he said.

Heisler also volunteers at the Liberty Hill Fire Department. He said he moved to Leander about a year ago after serving in the U.S. Army in Iraq. Now, he is in the Army National Guard.

In his resignation, Heisler also called for a recall of Johnson.

Johnson said it would be up to the Leander City Council to put his recall on the council agenda, though he said it is unlikely.

Other than the mayor, Leander currently does not have an official city spokesperson, though Johnson said it will be creating the position in the future.

Permalink | |

National Night Out

The first Tuesday in August is National Night Out, a night when police and neighbors meet and greet one another.

Today, Georgetown will begin its National Night Out at 7 p.m. and organizers expect the event to last a few hours. Want to see what your city is doing? Here are links to cities that are participating:

Austin

Georgetown

Round Rock

Cedar Park

Hutto

Taylor

Permalink | |

 
Advertisement
Statesman Top Jobs