POSTED 4-13-2010

MARBLE FALLS — What’s the biggest hurdle when it comes to convincing tourists to visit Marble Falls?

Convincing them the city exists.

Those were the results of a recent tourism survey conducted by Austin marketing firm Door Number 3, which presented the report at Monday’s City Council meeting.

And, while it was revealed that 68 percent of 200 Texas travelers were "not likely" to visit Marble Falls, Door Number 3 representative Suzanne Kyba said the situation is easier to remedy than most think.

"They’re not likely to travel to a place that they’ve never heard of," Kyba told the council, noting 42 percent of respondents haven’t heard of the city. "The No. 1 reason people won’t visit is unfamiliarity. That’s easy to overcome."

The council hired Door Number 3 in January, using more than $100,000 in hotel/motel occupancy-tax funds to pay for the survey and accompanying marketing that’s expected to begin this summer.

Kyba said the firm — which recently oversaw a successful advertising campaign promoting the Alamo in San Antonio — hopes to make Marble Falls an attractive proposition for overnight trippers from across Texas.

She said the proposed campaign — which must still be approved by the council once it’s ready — will likely focus on the area’s natural attractions, scenic beauty and outdoor activities.

"Nature needs to permeate everything," she said.

Kyba said Door Number 3’s marketing team is working to build the ad campaign piece-by-piece, adding ads will target Dallas/Forth Worth, Austin, San Antonio and parts of West Texas.

Also at Monday’s meeting, the council extended a measure allowing businesses to advertise with outdoor banners, temporarily suspending a rule that normally prohibits the signs.

The council also voted to refinance about $1.5 million in bonds from 1996 and 2000, opting to seek a lower interest rate for an estimated savings of about $71,000.

Council members also passed a rule regulating for-profit concessions at city parks and held a public hearing on an ordinance prohibiting alcohol sales within 300 feet of a school, church or hospital.

The next council meeting is set for 6 p.m. April 26 in council chambers, 800 Third St.

chris@thepicayune.com

POSTED 4-10-2010

MARBLE FALLS — Residents will get a chance to sound off when a proposal that limits how close bars can be to schools, hospitals and churches goes before City Council Monday.

The public hearing gets under way at 6 p.m.  in council chambers, 800 Third St.

POSTED 4-10-2010

MARBLE FALLS — A day rarely goes by that Marble Falls Realtor Pat Burton doesn’t cross the U.S. 281 Bridge over Lake Marble Falls.

“We’ve crossed that bridge now for 48 years. (I wish) I had a nickel for every time I went across it,” she said. “The kids used to get on their skateboards and go all the way across the bridge. They were on the street, right there on the highway. There wasn’t much traffic back then.”

POSTED 4-10-2010

HIGHLAND LAKES — Republican nominations for three county races and a contest for a state Supreme Court seat will be decided during a statewide runoff election Tuesday.

Voters in Burnet County will settle the Republican nomination for county district clerk, choosing between current 33rd state Judicial District employee Sheila Frazier and county Deputy District Clerk Casie Wills.

POSTED 4-8-2010

MARBLE FALLS — Just in time for the completion of its new building, the Marble Falls Church of Christ is preparing for an influx of at least 100 kids for the Texas Bible Bowl this weekend.

The contestants begin registering Friday at the church, 711 Broadway, with the Bible Bowl 8 a.m.-noon  Saturday.

"It’s simply where kids have been taking a school year of classes on one of the books of the Bible and now they’ll get tested on it," said Ken Waugh, the church’s youth minister. "We have 10 kids from our church participating. But the rest will come from all over the state."

In years past, Abilene Christian University hosted the event, but Waugh said last year was the last time for the college. Yet organizers didn’t want the event to end, so they developed the Texas Bible Bowl and looked for a place to host it.

That’s where the Marble Falls church came in.

"When we decided to host it, we were still under construction," Waugh said. The church recently completed a larger building and razed the old facility at the same location. "But this has worked out great."

The Bible Bowl is an academic-style test in which students answer questions based on a topic, which this year is the Book of Second Samuel, Waugh said.

"They’ve been studying it since August," Waugh said.

Second Samuel starts out with David learning of King Saul’s death. Then the people of Judah chose David as their new king. It tells King David’s story through his old age.

The Bible Bowl is open to students from third through 12th grades, Waugh said.

"Adults can also do it," he added.

The competition is divided by age and played with teams of four. Students younger than sixth grade take part in the elementary category, while junior division is for students in sixth through ninth grades.

The senior division is for high school sophomores, juniors and seniors. Anyone older  competes in the adult division.

The junior and senior divisions also have "experienced" and "inexperienced" classifications.

An "experienced" team includes at least one member who has competed in a Bible Bowl at ACU, Harding University, Lubbock Christian University or Oklahoma Christian University.

The format is based on five rounds with an optional Power Round. In some rounds, contestants are allowed to consult the Bible. Rounds can last from 10 to 25 minutes, depending on the topic. Rounds one through four are worth up to 40 points while the bonus round can earn a competitor up to 50 points.

"The desire is for the kids to just learn something," Waugh said. "Some kids are great at taking test and academics. They excel at it and this is something for them. God gifts us all differently and this is one way."

Along with the 100 students, Waugh said the community can expect an additional 70 parents and sponsors.

"So it’s something that’s going to benefit the area as well," he said.

"They’ve planned a picnic and some fun things at Johnson Park (noon-5 p.m.) and then they’ll come back in the evening for a banquet (7-9 p.m.)," Waugh said. "Most will probably leave early Sunday morning. It should be a busy weekend."

For more, call (830) 693-5575 or go to www.texasbiblebowl.org.

daniel@thepicayune.com

Video: Watch it on
the 4-7-10 newcast
on ThePicayuneTV.com

POSTED 4-7-2010

MARBLE FALLS — Pat Hancock is on a mission from above.

Hancock credits a higher power for inspiring her to create an emotional care center for low-income patients when she first moved to Marble Falls more than two years ago.

IN PHOTO: The Rev. Max Copeland (seated) listens as Place of Hope Executive Director Pat Hancock welcomes guests to the free clinic’s grand opening Wednesday. The facility, 1009 Falls Parkway in Marble Falls, offers free medical and counseling services to eligible residents. Staff photo by Chris Porter

Now, after a year and hundreds — if not thousands — of volunteer hours later, Place of Hope is expanding to include medical needs at 1009 Falls Parkway.

A grand opening was held earlier today to herald the new services.

"I felt I wasn’t qualified to be the executive director of a center like this," Hancock said. "So I went and spoke to God, and he led me to see it through."

The nonprofit organization provides physical and emotional healing for patients who don’t have the means to afford health insurance, said Hancock, a Navasota native.

"I’ve had I don’t know how many people come to me who say they need medical care, but they can’t afford (health) insurance," Hancock said. "We’ll serve people up to 250 percent of the poverty level for free."

Patients at higher income levels will pay on a tiered system depending on their family income, Hancock added.

Medical services at Place of Hope will be provided by volunteer doctors and nurses, including several from Temple-based Scott & White, which operates the nearby Llano Memorial Hospital and the future Lake of the Hills Regional Medical Center south of Marble Falls.

"Scott & White has released all of their doctors to volunteer with us," Hancock said.

The center will have regular doctor’s hours each Friday, along with a physician on duty one Saturday each month, officials said.

Patients can be treated by a physician, meet with certified volunteers to deal with emotional trauma issues or receive assistance with prescriptions through the center’s Medical Assistance Program, Hancock said.

Place of Hope started in 2009 at its current location as a training center for volunteers who assisted victims of emotional and physical trauma, but now will add the new services.

Hancock said physician Brooks Blake helped her locate the building. The pair had visited a similar clinic in College Station and met with doctors there who provided advice and encouragement.

The full facility includes six exam rooms, counseling offices, a chapel and an area where patients can receive assistance obtaining prescriptions, Hancock said. The facility is funded entirely by community donations and volunteers, though officials said they’ll begin applying for government grants soon.

"Our belief is that healthier citizens build healthier communities," Hancock said.

Hancock said the facility always needs volunteers and cash donations, adding a chuck-wagon fundraiser is scheduled for Oct. 22 in Marble Falls’ Johnson Park, 230 S. Ave. J.

For more information on medical services, or to donate or volunteer, call (830) 798-8120.

chris@thepicayune.com

POSTED 4-7-2010

MARBLE FALLS — Internet sellers beware: Someone may be trying to scam you.

That’s the word this week from Marble Falls police, who say an attempted scam by a user of the popular online-sales site Craigslist nearly landed a Marble Falls resident in hot water.

Police Sgt. Glenn Hanson said quick thinking by local bank tellers — who had seen the scam before — saved the would-be victim from losing hundreds of dollars.

"We get these every so often; usually once every few months one will pop up," Hanson said Wednesday. "It’s a very typical scam that’s perpetrated usually on Craigslist."

Here’s how the scam works: A seller will post an item — say, a bicycle — on the Web site. A short time later, a buyer responds and offers to mail a payment to the seller in exchange for the merchandise.

"Someone will engage you and say, ‘I’m going to buy it. Where do I send the money?’" Hanson said. "Eventually, you’ll get a money order or possibly a counterfeited check."

However, there’s a catch, Hanson said: The payment is usually several hundred dollars greater than the seller’s asking amount.

"If you’re asking for $100, they’ll send $1,100," he said. "(The buyer) will say, ‘Oops, my secretary made a mistake.’ They’ll have you take your payment and ask you to wire the rest back, usually to some obscure address."

Later, the check or money order comes back as forged or counterfeit — leaving the person who made the bank deposit on the hook for the whole amount, Hanson said.

In the recent case, he said a local seller received a counterfeit check drawn on an account stolen from an Arlington bank with a branch in Marble Falls.

"Fortunately, the bank had already flagged that account because there had been an incident with it before," Hanson said. "So the bank workers were able to catch it before it could be deposited."

Hanson said the bank informed police, who are investigating.

Such scams are relatively common on Craigslist, which has grown exponentially in the digital age. According to the Web site’s abuse-prevention section, nearly every instance of a buyer asking a seller to wire money back has been a scam, with many of the perpetrators living outside the United States.

"The best thing to do to prevent this is to deal with local people that you can meet face-to-face," Hanson said. "Otherwise, you leave yourself open to this type of scam."

Hanson said officers deal with scams frequently, though few have resulted in a resident losing money.

"That’s the nice thing, because most of these are caught early on," he said. "We’ll usually take the report and turn it over to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service."

Anyone who thinks he or she is the target of an online scam can call their local police department or visit the Federal Trade Commission at www.ftc.gov to fill out an online complaint form.

chris@thepicayune.com

Video: Watch it on
the 4-9-10 newcast
on ThePicayuneTV.com

POSTED 4-8-2010

MARBLE FALLS — A locally produced documentary portraying the harshness of past communist rule in Romania premiered before a sold-out audience at the Uptown Marble Theater Wednesday.

"It broke my heart," Horseshoe Bay resident Roseanne Davis said. "It was awesome. It was an eye-opener. It is going to make me research more."

The Highland Lakes Tea Party Coalition presented the film "Dream Killers" at the theater at 218 Main St.

PHOTO 1: Kingsland residents Julian and Elena Chitta relax before the premier of the film "Dream Killers" April 7 in Marble Falls in front of a sold-out crowd at the Uptown Marble Theater. Narrated by Elena Chitta, who lived in Communist Romania during the cold war, the film portrays the harshness of that country’s rule. Staff photos by Raymond V. Whelan

PHOTO 2: An acrylic and tint painting by Cottonwood Shores artist Terry Cantu was adopted for the "Dream Killers" film promotional poster

"It is an educational movie," said Craig Cosgray, the film’s producer who lives in Spicewood. "We believe it is a clarion call. We hope to educate folks and wake them up."

The nearly one-hour film was narrated largely by Elena Chitta, a Kingsland resident who lived in Romania under communist tyranny during the Cold War.

While growing up in her native land, she witnessed the communist system manipulate and disrupt education, health care, an independent media, labor rights, property rights and religious freedom, Chitta recalled.

Also, her father was imprisoned as a dissenter to communist rule, and her mother died of a heart attack after communist-run hospitals failed to give her proper care, Chitta said.

Along with her husband, Julian, Chitta is now an American citizen.

Many contemporary "progressives" in the United States support policies similar to what communist ideologues and officials espoused in Romania, Chitta said.

Chitta spoke before a standing ovation after the film.

"I am scared," Chitta said. "I have seen these so-called progressives before. They are a threat to your life, liberty and happiness. The promised land is changing. Please don’t let that happen."

The film project began after Tea Party Coalition local member Pat Dickey met Chitta during a "Tax Day" Tea Party on April 15 last year in Marble Falls, recalled Andrew "Drew" Crosby, president of the coalition.

It took about nine months to assemble the film with assistance from about 30 people living in the Highland Lakes, including Horseshoe Bay resident Mark Sommer, who directed the film, Crosby said.

"It is amazing what can happen when some motivated people get together," Crosby added.

About 650 local members are on the the coalition’s e-mail list, Crosby said.

The coalition plans to hold its second Tax Day Tea Party 5 p.m. April 15 at Lakeside Park, 305 Buena Vista.

"We believe in smaller government and lower taxes," Crosby said. "We are not in favor of the federal government taking over health care. We do not support Democratic or Republican candidates. We welcome anybody."

raymond@thepicayune.com