The Burnet County Democratic Club hosts guest speakers Susan Criss and Stephan Zaparolli during an event from 2-4 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 25, at Wedding Oak Winery, 229 S. Pierce St. in Burnet.
Criss and Zaparolli are on the executive committee for the Texas Democratic Party Senate District 31 and will share their planned activities and strategies to enhance participation in the Texas election process.
Criss was a criminal prosecutor and district judge in South Texas for almost 30 years and now resides and practices law in Harker Heights.
Zaparolli brings a Latin-American perspective to the committee with a priority of building the state Democratic Party from the ground up while investing in local candidates for state and federal offices.
The Sunday event is open to the public.
For more information on the Burnet County Democratic Club, visit its social media pages on Instagram, Facebook, and X.
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Cottonwood Shores is asking residents to file letters of support in favor of an $8 million grant to widen city streets. The grant application deadline is Aug. 26. Letters from the community could give the city a fighting chance at securing state and federal funds.
The Cottonwood Shores City Council unanimously voted on Aug. 1 to apply for the Safe Streets and Roads 4 All grant program through the U.S. Department of Transportation, which is dispersing $5 billion to communities across the country needing roadwork.
The city wants $8 million of the pie to widen over 12 miles of roads that City Administrator J.C. Hughes said are dangerously narrow.
“This is an opportunity for Cottonwood to get some funds to widen our streets,” he said. “It would be safer for all the cars; it would be safer for emergency responders, for delivery trucks, for everyone.”
Much of Cottonwood Shores developed organically, and its streets were not designed with safety in mind, Hughes said. Many roads are 14-16 feet wide, making it difficult for cars to pass each other in some locations and dangerous for fire trucks, ambulances, and police vehicles to traverse during emergencies.
The grant money would widen the streets to 20-22 feet. The project is expected to take 1½ years.
The Safe Streets and Roads grant is an 80-20 match, with the city responsible for funding $1.6 million of the $8 million. To secure the grant, Hughes is asking residents to send letters of support to the city that can accompany the application by the Aug. 26 deadline.
“The more (letters of support) we get, it enhances our ability to get the grant,” he said. “We need to get it done as quickly as possible.”
Letters can include personal accounts of issues with driving city streets, explanations of how better roads could impact everyday life in Cottonwood Shores, and reasons why the grant would help the city. A template letter created by Hughes is available by request via city.admin@cottonwoodshores.org.
Personal letters should be emailed to city.admin@cottonwoodshores.org. Call the city at 972-567-7933 or 830-693-3830 for more information.
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Horseshoe Bay officials are asking residents to reduce outdoor watering by 20 percent until the city’s water system is fully restored following two catastrophic pump failures. This includes the use of drip and soaker hoses.
“This ensures a safe water supply is continuously available until the mechanical issue is resolved,” reads a notice sent out to residents.
The request was made on Aug. 17 and could be in place until Tuesday, Aug. 20, or later.
The city is meeting its water needs with an emergency pump, but continued conservation is requested as an extra precaution.
“As of right now, we are running on normal operations, but we are in a somewhat perilous spot,” Horseshoe Bay Water Plant Operations Supervisor Joel Green told DailyTrib.com on Monday.
According to Green, the city’s main pump and backup pump both broke down within a six-day timeframe, an occurrence he chalks up to bad luck.
An older emergency pump, which is due to be replaced by Tuesday, is maintaining the city’s water storage supply. It could take up to seven weeks to get the new, permanent pumps in from the manufacturer, Green said.
Cutting back on water usage could help sustain adequate pressure and keep water towers full until the pumps can be replaced.
“Basically, with the demand that we have (on the city water supply) right now, the irrigation tends to be about half of the water that we produce in the summertime,” Green said. “If we can reduce it by 20 percent, it will help us maintain the water towers (levels).”
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Julie’s Cocina has a new owner. Namesake Julie Briceno and son Frankie Marquez Jr. sold the Mexican restaurant to Brent Dishman, who is committed to preserving its legacy.
“My goal is not to change anything,” Dishman said. “We’re not looking to make any changes. I’m just hoping to come in and implement some things from my past regarding systems or service, just things to make operations smoother.”
The new owner brings extensive experience from his career in the restaurant industry, where he worked his way up from server to general manager and now restaurateur. He has been working with Briceno during the transition.
“The atmosphere that Julie created … it’s like walking into Julie’s house, and I think that’s what you feel,” he said. “The amount of regulars that I’ve met in one week, I can’t even remember all the names. So that’s one of my biggest things, is just to make sure that we keep that kind of legacy of comfort as people walk in.”
Julie’s Cocina has been a staple in Cottonwood Shores for 15 years. Briceno began in the business working for her mother, who owned and operated Janie’s for more than 30 years in Marble Falls.
“(Briceno) always wanted to open her own restaurant, so when she saw an opportunity for a place in Cottonwood, she left Janie’s and started her own thing,” said son Frankie.
He pointed to the restaurant’s employees and customers as the keys to its success.
“We’ve had employees who have been with us from the very first day,” he said. “We’re forever indebted to our customers and those employees who have paved this path of success for us.”
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Bertram teen Ali Thomas’ difficult, three-year journey reached a joyous conclusion on Aug. 12 when she received a lifesaving kidney transplant.
“It has been an emotional rollercoaster,” said Ali’s mother, Kelly Thomas. “There have been many ups and downs, but really she’s just happy now that it’s over. The hard part is over, and all that’s left is healing and thinking about all the things she wants to do with her future.”
The 15-year-old’s medical hardships began in September 2021 when a series of tests sparked by a stomachache revealed she needed a new kidney. She was placed on a transplant list and began her long wait.
Over the past three years, Ali’s family, friends, and community rallied together to support her. Fundraisers were organized to help cover the costs of her care, and the Children’s Organ Transplant Association (COTA) stepped in to assist with the mounting expenses.
Kelly Thomas also reached out to her sister, Sandy Hickman, in Oklahoma for additional support.
“We’ve been so grateful for all the support from the community,” said Hickman, who worked with COTA directly during Ali’s battle with kidney failure.
“It’s just beautiful that we had such support from all the community and everybody in it,” Thomas added. “Any other family that has to go through this should know it’s important to reach out to family and the community and get as much support as you can because they’re going to need it. It’s just a long, hard road.”
Ali Thomas shows off the kidney transplant pillow given to her by the hospital that performed her surgery. Courtesy photo
While awaiting a transplant, Ali’s condition deteriorated to Stage 5—kidney failure— necessitating treatments three times a week. She couldn’t attend school regularly or do everyday activities.
Initially, Ali was on hemodialysis, a treatment for kidney failure that filters blood using a machine. When her condition worsened, doctors switched her to peritoneal dialysis, another treatment that uses the empty space in the abdomen to filter waste and can be done from home.
“She developed blood clots, so they had to take the hemodialysis out, and we started peritoneal dialysis in October of last year. She had to have another surgery for that,” Thomas explained. “So, she’s been on peritoneal dialysis nine hours at night, every single night since October.
“She is thrilled not to have to do that anymore because that meant being home at eight o’clock every single night and being hooked to the machine,” Thomas continued. “You know, she can’t roam around during that time because of the length of the cord. So, it was really limiting her, you know, ability to go do things and just go out and have fun like a normal teenager would … .”
Despite these challenges, Ali adapted and pushed on, and after three years, she and her family received the much-anticipated call: A donor kidney was available in Houston.
The transplant surgery’s impact on Ali’s quality of life has been profound.
“The donor family saved my daughter’s life; they changed us forever,” her mother said.
Ali’s aunt expressed hope for a return to normalcy.
“We hope for Ali to be a regular teenager again,” Hickman said. “She’s looking forward to hanging out, enjoying swimming, and spending nights at friends’ houses again.”
Ali wished to share one thing in particular: a thank-you to her donor.
In a heartfelt note the teen wrote: “I hope you know how extremely grateful my family is for what you have done. No matter what my future holds, you gave me a chance at life.”
If you would like to express support for Ali and her family during her recovery, contact Sandy Hickman at 580-279-7020
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show-cause hearing for Aqua Texas-Rio Ancho, Giacomo Properties LLC, and CSWR Texas Utility to appear before the board and explain why a lawsuit should not be initiated for failure to comply with board order or rules
permit hearing on an application from Whitewater Springs Water Supply Corp.
consider action on the 2024 proposed tax rate and budget
consider action on a rule violation for J&J Water Wells’ failure to obtain a permit and register a well prior to drilling for well owner Harvey Vaughn
public hearing and first reading of an ordinance to adopt a budget for the 2024-25 fiscal year
discussion and action on the proposed tax rate for fiscal year 2024-25
consider mending the Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone No. 1 boundary map to include the entirety of the J.M. Huber corporation property located within the city limit
In executive session:
consult with an attorney about the J.M. Huber property located in the TIRZ No. 1 boundary
Marble Falls Public Library, 101 Main St. Marble Falls
An informal presentation on the Wirtz Dam Bridge project. The public is invited to provide feedback and come and go at their convenience. Project materials will be available for review. Attendees may ask questions of TxDOT staff, Burnet County officials, and consultants.
Agenda wasn’t available at the time of this story’s publication. Check the LCRA website for more information.
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The Texas Department of Transportation is hosting a public meeting Tuesday, Aug. 20, on the Wirtz Dam Bridge project, which will connect Cottonwood Shores and Granite Shoals as early as 2027. Attendees can view bridge plans and engage with leaders on the project’s scope and details.
“We just want to make sure that we’ve garnered all the public input and want to be transparent about what’s coming down the chute,” Burnet County Judge James Oakley told DailyTrib.com.
The meeting is from 5-7 p.m. Tuesday at the Marble Falls Public Library, 101 Main St. State and local leaders will be on hand to answer questions from the public. Hard copies of project plans and materials will be available.
The materials can be viewed before the meeting from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday at the TxDOT Burnet Area Office, 3029 Texas 29 East in Burnet.
Public comments also may be submitted by email to Toni.Red@txdot.gov or by mail to TxDOT Austin District Office, 7901 N. I-35, TX 78753. The deadline for submitted comments is Sept. 6.
The Wirtz Dam Bridge project has been in the works for decades, according to Judge Oakley, who has been a supporter of the project since he was first elected as a Burnet County commissioner in 1999. He said the idea for a bridge has been discussed since at least 1974.
“I’m really happy that this (project) is close to fruition,” he said.
The bridge will cross the Colorado River, connecting FM 2147 and RR 1431. The project includes upgrades to 3.68 miles of roadway along the new thoroughfare.
The project is estimated to cost about $35 million and should go out for bid by the summer of 2025.
According to Oakley, the Wirtz Dam Bridge’s main purpose is to relieve congestion from the U.S. 281 Bridge in Marble Falls. It would also improve emergency services response times and streamline commutes from the Granite Shoals area to the south side of the Colorado River.
Another benefit is possibly driving dollars to the region.
“The purpose of this crossing is not economic development; that is just a byproduct,” Oakley said. “It is estimated to take 10 to 15 percent reduction on (U.S. 281) bridge traffic.”
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The Marble Falls Police Department has a new Animal Control officer who has moved her office into the shelter at 100 Avenue L and is focused on socializing and promoting what she calls “overlooked animals.”
“Overlooked animals are the ones that don’t adopt out quickly,” Officer Bri Freegard said. “We have a lot of black dogs, pit bulls, shepherds, and heelers—dogs that are hard to adopt because people attribute them with bad character traits.”
Nothing could be further from the truth, she continued, pointing out three beautiful “pitties” who have been in the shelter for more than three months.
“They have the best personalities,” she said. “They are very shy and are never mean.”
Shepherds and heelers are herding dogs, which need active families and yards to run around in.
“They don’t do well in crates,” she said. “Keep them active, and they are the best dogs. They need a job to do.”
The look of one German shepherd who had a big scar on his face scared some people. He was in the shelter for seven months before he was adopted.
“We had no idea of his back story, and some people were afraid he was abused and would be mean,” Freegard said. “He was intimidating looking but the sweetest dog. He loved to play fetch with balls and sticks. He loved to play outside with other dogs.”
The Marble Falls Animal Shelter only has room for 12 dogs. Currently, seven of its cages are full. Volunteers take the dogs outside, socialize them, and feed them. The shelter is also expanding. New outside cages were recently set up and will be connected to the outdoor play area to give animals more room to run and interact with each other.
Adoption costs only $10 and all of the dogs have been vaccinated and spayed/neutered.
Freegard actively recruits adoptive families by posting descriptions and photos of the animals on social media.
“The descriptions come from the heart,” she said. “To me, they all have personalities, they have hearts, and amazing souls. It’s hard when they are here for so long and you get people coming by who want small, cute, little curly haired dogs.”
Having a loving, active animal greet you when you come home is a great stress reliever, she said.
“If I’m having a bad day or have been on a bad call, I come in here, and they are all happy to see me,” she said. “It’s great. Some people stop by to take a dog outside or sit with them.”
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Work crews are upgrading a main waterline along Kingswood Drive in Granite Shoals, which could solve consistent water pressure issues and improve fire protection services in the area.
The upgrades began on Thursday, Aug. 15, and are expected to continue during normal business hours from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. through Aug. 23. Construction could cause traffic delays and drivers are cautioned to avoid the area if possible.
The current project stretches about 0.28 miles from the intersection of Kingswood Drive and Kings Circle Drive to the intersection of Kingswood Drive and Kingdom Drive. The area’s 2-inch waterline will replaced with a 6-inch line, and three new fire hydrants will be installed.
Granite Shoals received two bids on the project. Qro-Mex Construction Inc. won with a $89,800 bid over Atlas Construction Corp.’s $90,962 bid.
Funds for the project are being pulled from the remaining $1.6 million the city has in its $9.275 million water improvement bond that was approved in 2020.
According to a city staff report, the Kingswood area is a high priority for a line upgrade due to the age of the pipe in the ground and “longstanding” low-pressure issues plaguing residents.
“Staff believes this upgrade will right-size the utility infrastructure, resolve pressure concerns, and provide increased fire protection,” reads the report.
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