COTTONWOOD SHORES — A special meeting to appoint a temporary member to the City Council ended abruptly with the departure of Councilman Stephen Sherry.

Council members March 16 planned to discuss an appointment to the Place 3 seat after Councilman Brad Kline stepped down earlier this month.

A vehicle driven by a motorist texting on her cell phone hit a curb and then a palm tree, climbing the tree March 16, said Horseshoe Bay Fire Chief Jim Fiero. The woman was shaken but not seriously hurt in the accident, which flipped her sport-utility vehicle just off Horseshoe Bay Boulevard just off the Circle. The driver said she was traveling 10 mph, Fiero added. Courtesy photo

BERTRAM — Newcomer Terrance Hale won election to City Council during Saturday’s election.
Meanwhile, former councilman Dickie Allen defeated incumbent L.O. Pogue. Also, Kim Klose easily won re-election.
Hale received 78 votes to defeat Joe Guzman by five votes in the contest for Place 1 on the council.
Allen — a previous member of the council and the Bertram Community Association – received 105 of 156 votes cast to win election to Place 3. He defeated Pogue, who had served six years on the council, including several months as mayor pro-tem.
For Place 5, Klose polled 121 votes as she ran without opposition to win re-election to another two-year term.
raymond@thepicayune.com

Marble Falls Area Volunteer Fire Department Assistant Chief Michael Phillips (left) and Capt. George Tennison roll up their sleeves March 1 at the Marble Falls Pizza Hut, located at 1000 U.S. 281 and RR 1431. The firefighters are hosting a fundraiser at the newly re-modeled eatery, where 20 percent of purchases by customers go to the agency. Staff photo by Connie Swinney (photo 1)

The Marble Falls Area Volunteer Fire Department hosts a fundraising event March 1 at the Pizza Hut, 1000 U.S. 281, in Marble Falls. Twenty percent of any purchase at the restaurant, which just reopened after extensive renovations, goes to the agency. Staff photo by Connie Swinney (photo 2)

HORSESHOE BAY — Flames from an unattended grill heavily damaged a manufactured home March 9 before firefighters stopped the blaze using a new fire-retardant compound, officials said.

GRANITE SHOALS — For more than five years, lawyer Frank Reilly has helped guide the city as mayor, but now he’s sitting out the May 14 election to focus on bringing a wastewater plant to town.

Reilly announced this week in a prepared statement he would not seek a sixth term.

"Between now and May 14, 2010, I will similarly focus on getting the correct information to voters about the benefits and necessity of the city’s sewer system," he said.

Granite Shoals uses individual septic systems, and Reilly believes major industry and businesses won’t come to the city unless a centralized sewer system is in place.

The City Council was close to approving funding for the system, but in November residents garnered enough signatures on a petition to put a bond issue on the May ballot.

At the time, Reilly said waiting for voter approval would delay the construction of the facility by almost a year.

In September 2010, the Texas Water Development Board sent word to the city that Granite Shoals had qualified for a low-interest $14.7 million loan for phase one of the facility.

The initial phase called for construction of the sewage collection and wastewater facility as well as lines to approximately 500 residents and businesses.

Along with the TWDB loan, the city would also use a $250,000 grant and a later loan of $1.5 million for completion of phase one.

City officials said phase one would be the most expensive of the three phases to complete the system and residential/business connections.

Under the plan, residents would pay an estimated monthly $35 fee for service. Current residents wouldn’t face a hook-up fee, either.

Reilly said the project is crucial to attracting new development to the community.

"This decision by the voters is the most important since 2005 (when they approved the city charter form of government) and perhaps even more important to our city’s future," Reilly said. "While it has been an honor and pleasure to provide leadership to Granite Shoals, it is now up to the voters to decide whether that vision continues for this city, or whether the city, as it has done far to often in the past, kicks the can down the road."

Reilly said he believes residents will do what is right.

"I have faith that the voters, if properly informed as they were in 2005, will make the right choices for Granite Shoals’ future," he said. "Granite Shoals is poised to make so much more progress if voters approve the bonds, as not only is quality of Lake LBJ at stake, but also true economic development that will spread the city’s tax burden across the city to new businesses, new homes and new sales tax revenues."

During Reilly’s tenure, he oversaw the the purchase of 131 acres eyed for infrastructure development, renovations for a new City Hall and an annexation effort that added hundreds of residents.

MARBLE FALLS — Starbucks Coffee Co. is going to hit the big Four-Oh next week and the local outlet is taking part in the celebration.

The international coffeehouse chain based in Seattle will commemorate its 40th anniversary March 10.

HORSESHOE BAY — A public auction of a 1,600-acre residential golf community March 1 came to an abrupt halt as the owners of the beleaguered property filed for bankruptcy.

COTTONWOOD SHORES — After weeks of interviewing several candidates, the City Council has appointed Chris Johnson as the new police chief.

“I am looking forward to getting to know people in the community, and I think work with the city leaders will be excellent,” said Johnson, a former Marble Falls Police Department narcotics investigator.