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X Opinions ………………… 3ASports ........................1&2BEducation ...................3&4BCommunity ....................1&2CObituaries ..........................2C
Calendar............ ...............4CService Directory .........2&3DClassifi eds … ..................2DPublic Notices .............2&4D
Hays Free PressCASASpecial advocates assist children in tough transitions.– Page 1C
LASTING IMPACTTrio leaves its mark on Lobo
boys soccer program. – Page 1B
MARCH 23, 2011
HaysFreePress.com Vol. 108 • No. 49 Serving Buda, Kyle and Northeast Hays County • 75¢
©Barton Publications, Inc.
COMING UP
26March
25March‘Miss Firecracker Contest’
Spring Bass Fishing Tourney
Lake Kyle Groundbreaking
Green Living Showcase
The Lehman High School theater depart-ment will present a production about love and laughter and a rag-tag group of friends, beginning at 7 p.m.
Anglers try their luck in this annual benefi t hosted by Kyle Parks and Rec beginning 6:30 a.m. at Lake Kyle.
The groundbreaking for Kyle’s new nature trails, wildlife and wildfl ower areas will kick off with a noon ceremony
A showcase introducting green products and tips on green building, energy effi ciency, water conservation, recycling, commuting solutions, alternative energy ideas and earth-friendly products will begin at 10 a.m. at Embassy Suites in San Marcos.
Facts put bite on tax ‘watchdogs’Hays County property taxes have in-
creased a fraction of the rate approved by voters in bond elections in 2007 and 2008, elected offi cials said Tuesday at a workshop called to air doomsday fore-casts being shopped around the county.
A group calling itself the Hays County Citzens’ Budget Project is ringing alarm bells over what it says is an unsustainable amount of debt. The resulting tax burden
is so unbearable to average citizens, the group argues, that the county should halt all spending projects such as the planned widening of FM 1626 in the Buda area and the FM 2001 realignment and im-provement work in Kyle. At a meeting in Buda on Monday, activist Sam Brannon suggested that offi cials might stop ongo-ing construction of a new county govern-ment building in San Marcos and sell the unfi nished shell to the highest bidder.
“If we chose projects over people, it won’t serve anyone in Hays County,” Brannon said.
In Hays County Commissioners Court on Tuesday, offi cials seemed both irritat-ed and amused at Brannon’s PowerPoint mishmash of fact and fi ction.
When voters approved $30 million in parks bonds in 2007 and up to $207 million in road bonds in 2008, they ac-cepted a tax rate increase of six or seven cents to pay for the capital improvement projects. So far, the county has imple-mented a 1.42 cent rate increase to bring the total to the current rate of 46.92 cents per $100 in property.
“We are not even 12 percent of the
way to what we told people could possi-bly happen and yet we are within budget and on time,” said Pct. 3 Commissioner Will Conley, who noted that the county must build the roads in its 2011 pass-through package to receive as much as $130 million reimbursement from the Texas Department of Transportation.
More than a dozen residents, includ-ing Kyle Mayor Lucy Johnson and Buda city and economic development offi cials, urged commissioners to continue the
See HAYS CISD LAYOFFS, pg. 4A
Coming down to the wire of the March 25 deadline to an-nounce layoffs for contract po-sitions, Hays CISD Trustees are preparing to make a fi nal deci-sion Thursday of which employ-ees will be axed in anticipation of state funding reductions.
“Nobody is happy with any of this, and that’s the honest to god truth,” said Hays CISD Superin-tendent Jeremy Lyon. “No one is happy with any of these cuts.”
With Texas facing a $27 bil-lion shortfall over the next bien-nium, school districts across the state are turning to increasingly desperate measures to balance their own budgets in light of an-ticipated funding cuts. By some estimates, up to 100,000 Texas school district employees could lose their jobs in the next two years.
Initial proposals suggested that the rapidly-growing Hays district could lose as much as $24 million in state funding. The most recent budget fl oating around the Senate suggests that Hays can expect a $9 million re-duction in 2011 and an $11 mil-lion cut in 2012.
“This is the most reasonable and moderate of the state bud-get proposals that we have seen,” Lyon said. “This latest budget proposal defi nitely negatively impacts our school district, but the wheels won’t fall off.”
The current Hays CISD pro-posal would trim $7.7 million from the district’s $120 million operating budget, largely by eliminating more than 100 jobs. The district hopes that most of those employees could be re-hired due to staff turnover and a rising student population.
The district created a portal for teachers and community members to submit their own ideas for cost savings, many of which were incorporated into a second round of proposed cuts. Lyon praised the community for providing a fl ood of input.
“I think that the community is very supportive and recog-nizes the position that we’re in and is contributing their good ideas,” Lyon said. “The threat to the quality of public educa-tion in our community and in Texas is much more acutely recognized right now. We’re all
BY JENNIFER [email protected]
Ax is fallingHCISD makes list of let-gos
Spring Bass Fishing Tourney
26March
26March
Wii Dance-Off and DanceHosted by Project Graduation, with teams of 4 competing for prizes. Hays High School cafeteria.
A pregnant 18-year-old Kyle resident died fol-lowing a car wreck along Interstate 35 between New Braunfels and San Marcos on Friday eve-ning, authorities say.
Inez J. Benavidez, a sophomore at Live Oak Academy, was pronounced dead early Monday morning at University Hospital in San Antonio.
Another pregnant passenger, Apolonia Cruz, 20, of Kyle, was transported with serious in-juries to Central Texas Medical Center in San Marcos. Her condition could not be confi rmed on Tuesday.
Benavidez and Cruz were riding in a 1998 Cadillac sedan headed northbound near Wat-son Lane in New Braunfels when the driver, Joe Salazar, 23, of Buda, pulled over to the in-side shoulder of the interstate with a fl at tire. The Cadillac then attempted to merge back into traffi c in an unsafe manner and was struck from behind by a 2011 Chevy Tahoe around 5:30 p.m., a Department of Public Safety offi cial said.
Salazar suffered no injuries in the crash. All passengers in the Cadillac were wearing seat-belts, the offi cial said.
The driver of the Tahoe, Melinda Herning, 28, of Belton, was in stable condition and transport-ed to University Hospital. Two passengers in her vehicle, David Jackson, 61, and Norma Jackson, 57, also from Belton, were taken to a New Braun-fels hospital in fair condition, the offi cial said.
As of Tuesday afternoon, funeral arrange-ments for Benavidez were pending at Harrell Funeral Home in Kyle.
NEED FOR SPEEDRacing’s a family affair for some.– Page 1D
BY SEAN [email protected]
BY BRAD [email protected]
Kyle woman dies in wreck on IH-35
Activists questioning the county’s debt load have advocated, among other things, stopping construction on a new government building in San Marcos and putting the shell on the market. Their proposal to stop road funding this year would cost the county millions in a defaulted contract with the state, offi cials say.
PHOTO BY BRAD ROLLINS
See BUDGET WATCHDOGS, pg. 4A
STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS
The Hindu leader who disap-peared on the eve of his sentencing hearing for child sex abuse convic-tions is thought to be hiding in Mex-ico, offi cials say.
Prakashanand Saraswati, 82, did not show up to court on March 7, three days after a Hays County jury found him guilty of 20 charges of sex-ual indecency with a child. Authori-ties believe he crossed into Mexico by Nuevo Laredo and is hiding in either Nuevo Laredo or Monterrey, U.S. Marshal Hector Gomez told the Austin American-Statesman.
“There are people that we’ve talk-ed to who are devoted followers of his and they will sacrifi ce criminal charges and prosecution to help his fl ight. Another challenge for us is the fi nancial support that his follow-ers are providing him,” Gomez told the newspaper.
After Prakashanand went miss-ing, he was sentenced in absentia to 280 years in prison, 14 years for each of the convictions. District Judge Charles Ramsay has not decided whether the sentences will run con-currently or consecutively.
Marshals want to nab Prakashanand before he attempts to return to his native country of India where authorities might not grant extradition to the United States to
serve his sen-tence, Gomez told the States-man.
P r a k a -s h a n a n d ’ s s u p p o r t e r s , m e a n w h i l e , say they are unconvinced that he fl ed at all, suggesting that he may have become the victim of vigilante justice.
“The fact that he has not been dis-covered makes it very worrisome for me. My worst fear is that someone took the law into their own hands. I’m just scared that somebody has kidnapped or injured him,” Bashist M. Sharma, his lead attorney, told the Hays Free Press.
Hays County District Attorney Sherri Tibbe, meanwhile, said her offi ce has begun the process of bond forfeiture for the $1 million cash bond posted by wealthy devotee Pe-
ter Spiegel after Prakashanand was arrested in 2008.
The fate of a $10 million personal recognizance bond, also secured by Spiegel in 2008, will ultimately be decided in the court system through litigation, Tibbe said. Forfeited bond money goes to the county’s general fund, she said.
In the punishment hearing, Spie-gel, who has amassed a fortune in part by selling ionic air purifi -ers, health supplements and other products via television and telemar-keting, testifi ed that he didn’t know that he’d be fi nancially responsible for the hefty bonds.
Spiegel, a devotee of Swamiji for about 25 years, said that he was rushed into signing the $10 million bond in 2008, and was confused about what the document con-tained.
“I wasn’t prepared,” he testifi ed. “I thought I was testifying in my confi -dence of Swamiji. I really don’t know technically and legally of my situa-tion now.”
Guru hiding in Mexico?“� ere are people that we’ve talked to who are devoted followers of his and they will sacrifi ce criminal charges and prosecution to help his fl ight.
–U.S. Marshal Hector Gomez
SARASWATI
Although the journey has been fi lled with more gripping twists and turns than a suspense novel, Lehman head coach Nauri Gar-cia has his troops back in the girls soccer playoffs after a one-year absence.
“We thought we would be in the playoffs last season so it was very disappointing not to make it,” Garcia said. “But we are happy to have accomplished our goals this season.”
Garcia could hardly suppress his laughter when he chronicled the numerous injuries and road-blocks that his team endured to secure the district’s fourth place spot and a date with undefeated Pfl ugerville Hendrickson on Thursday night in Bastrop.
They’ve been through it all in their four seasons at Lehman High – the wins, the losses, the injuries and the
chilly early morning practices.Three seniors who have been instru-
mental in building Lehman’s soccer pro-gram will play their fi nal game in the Lobo blue-and-silver this year.
After beating Bastrop in a double-overtime shootout thriller Monday night to earn the district’s No. 2 playoff seed, Leh-man will open the playoffs by hosting Elgin Friday night starting at 7 p.m.
But whether or not Lehman is hoisting the Class 4A state soccer championship trophy in Georgetown in mid-April or falls a few rounds short of its goal, it’s clear seniors Oscar Martinez, Oscar Garcia and Corey Bergstrom have all made a huge impact on the Lobo soccer program.
Martinez and Garcia have both made their mark on the offensive end while Bergstrom has made his contribution defensively.
“All three of these young men have been a big part of what we have accomplished over the last four years,” Lehman head coach Jay Sansom said. “It’s going to be very diffi cult to see them go because they have been great leaders for this team.”
In their fi rst two seasons, the trio was a part of Lehman’s fi rst-ever playoff team in 2007 and returned to the post-season again in 2008. They were fortunate to have played with several upperclassmen who helped shape the direction of Lobo soccer in Jesus Chavez, Arnie Nieto, Fernando Castro, Tanner Riojas and Juan Gordillo.
“Those guys all had winning attitudes,” Bergstrom said. “They made sure every-body was on the same page. If you didn’t work enough they would let you know about it.”
Bergstrom was also named Homecom-ing King and was a place kicker on the varsity football team this season as well.
“Corey has always been a great defen-sive player and has brought that intensity every season he’s been here,” Sansom said.
Oscar Martinez has been the vocal leader of the Lobos ever since he stepped on the Lehman campus. The quick-footed, skilled soccer striker has become the personality of the team and has always allowed the Lobos to compete on the fi eld because of his ball handling skills and leadership.
When both Martinez and Garcia were lost to season-ending injuries in 2010, a
once promising season quickly spiraled into one in which the Lobos missed the playoffs.
“It was hard watching my teammates lose games and not be able to help them,”
Martinez said. “As soon as the doctor cleared me to play, I started working to get myself ready for this season.”
HaysFreePress.com March 23, 2011 • Page 1BHaysFreePress.com March 23, 2011 •
SportsSection B
SWEEPSTAKES ALL OVERHays CISD middle school bands earn multiple awards.
– Page 3B
Hays Rebel soccer teams ready for playoff pushIf you think the Hays High
boys soccer team might be due for a letdown after two weeks off heading into the playoffs, all you need to do is look at the back of their T-shirts.
The shirts have the motto, “Who’s next?” on them, which seems appropriate for a squad that went 21-1-1 in the regular season, including 12-0 in dis-trict play.
Hays’ only loss was to Georgetown, a Class 5A team ranked in the top 30 in the na-tion.
The Rebels play at Manor in the fi rst round of the Class 4A
playoffs Friday night, begin-ning at 6 p.m.
“The shirts mean we know we’re prepared going into every game,” said Hays senior Jared Herselman. “It sends a positive message that we are excited for what the playoffs have in store.”
Hays head coach Jason Bur-nett said he sees no signs that his team is slowing down.
“I think some teams over the course of a season that dates back to November get tired or start settling for something less than their best,” Burnett said. “I told them last week that the team that’s going to win state is out on the practice fi eld before their coaches get there. We had a practice scheduled for 8 a.m.
Monday morning. I got there at 7:45 a.m. and by the time I got on the fi eld our team had already warmed up and were into an 8-on-8 drill. So I defi -nitely would say this team is still motivated.”
Burnett said he actually thinks the long break between games will help the Rebels.
“I think the break rejuve-nated them,” he said. “And I believe we’re going to do very
well in the postseason.”Burnett said he believes
Hays has a solid chance to not only advance past the regional quarterfi nals, a feat no other Rebel team has accomplished, but to win state.
Hays High hasn’t had a state champion in a team sport since opening in 1968.
“I’ve been watching Class 4A and Class 5A soccer for a long time, and I’m not sure if any-one in Class 4A can play with them,” Burnett said. “The back of our T-shirts, that’s our men-tality.”
If Hays wins Friday night the team will play the winner of the Travis-Vista Ridge in the area round of the playoffs on Tues-day at a site to be determined.
BY JASON [email protected]
BY MARK [email protected]
BY MARK [email protected]
BY MARK [email protected]
Hays baseball on winning streak after loss to Lobos
Hays High head coach Doug Ragsdale predicted Lehman’s fi rst-ever win over Hays two weeks ago wouldn’t have a lin-gering effect on his team.
He certainly was correct.Since then, the Rebels have
reeled off four straight wins, in-cluding three in District 27-4A, to climb back in the thick of the league race.
“The loss to Lehman was tough, but we knew we had to keep competing,” said Hays pitcher Matt Casas. “We have no doubt that we still have a chance at a district title.”
Last night, Hays beat Lock-
hart 7-4 to improve to 12-4 over-all and 3-1 in District 27-4A.
Chase Brunnemann nailed a three-run double with two out in the top of the seventh to snap a 4-4 tie to lead Hays to victory over the Lions. Reuben Miller’s two home runs in the game for the Rebs helped Hays come back from an early 3-1 defi cit.
“I think the loss to Lehman motivated us,” said Hays catch-er Victor Rubio. “The team has really come together and our goal now is to win another dis-trict title.”
Hays has won four district titles in a row for the second time in Ragsdale’s career and is going for its fi fth straight.
The Rebels got back on the
winning track after the loss to the Lobos with an 8-5 victory at Alamo Heights.
Hays jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the fi rst inning on RBI singles by Masen Gully, Nick Cavazos, Casas and Rubio.
The Rebels added three more runs in the top of the third as Miller led off with a double, and Gully and Rubio followed with RBI singles that scored Miller, Stefen Navarro and Trevor Ragsdale.
Hays next took on Del Valle in non-district action and knocked off the Cardinals 5-1 behind the brilliant pitching of starter Thomas Shannon and reliever Trevor Ragsdale.
Friday night against Clemens, the Rebs prevailed 5-2 behind
Casas’ four-hit pitching over six innings. Cavazos came on in the seventh to pick up the save.
At the plate, Miller was 3-for-3 and Navarro delivered the big shot in the game, a monstrous three-run homer to left-center fi eld in the third inning to give the Rebels the insurance runs they needed.
“The most important thing with this team has been con-sistency,” Ragsdale said. “The kids have really grooved their swings and we’re hitting the ball hard, and our pitchers are throwing strikes. Defensively, we’re making all the routine plays and some of the spec-tacular ones, and that’s what you have to do to play winning baseball.”
BY JASON [email protected]
PHOTO BY LIZA ANNA AMEZQUITA
PLAYOFF TIME• Both Hays and Lehman boys and girls soccer teams begin playoff trek.
PHOTO BY CYNDY SLOVAK-BARTON
A lasting impactTrio leaves its mark on Lobo soccer program
Lehman girls face tough Hendrickson
Lehman ends slide, shuts out Del Valle
Valeriz Ortiz and the Lehman girls soccer team are back in the play-offs for the second time in school history but they face the daunt-ing task of playing undefeated Hendrickson in the fi rst round Thursday night in Bastrop.
PHOTO BY ERIC GUERRERO
PHOTO BY JUDY COOPER
PHOTO BY VALERIE GUERRA
LADY LOBO SOCCER, pg. 2B
See LOBO BASEBALL, pg. 2B
(Left-to-right) Oscar Garcia, Oscar Martinez and Corey Bergstrom have helped set the foundation for Lehman High boys soccer for a long time. The Lobos will face Elgin in the fi rst round of the playoffs and the three seniors are a big reason Lehman is back in the postseason after missing the big dance in 2010. Head coach Jay Sansom said it will be tough not seeing the three team captains on the fi eld next season. The Lobos will host Elgin Friday night beginning at 7 p.m.
See LOBO LEADERS, pg. 2B
Two of Lehman’s best play-ers took it upon themselves to break the Lobos out of their two-game district slide.
Pitcher Justin Vajgert did it with his arm and scintillating shortstop Nick Cerda with his bat as the Lobos blanked Del Valle 7-0 Monday night at Lobo Field in non-district action.
Vajgert held the Cardinals to two hits and struck out seven in six innings of shutout work for Lehman High. Cerda went 2-for-3 at the plate including a towering two-run shot that gave the Lobos a comfortable 3-0 lead at the bottom of the sixth inning.
Hunter Lehman recorded
Chris Tello and the Lehman base-ball team dominated Del Valle in non-district action after two straight 27-4A losses. The Lobos will try to get back on track in district play Friday vs. Alamo Heights.
Jesus Ramirez uses a bicycle kick to block a pass earlier this season. The Rebels begin the playoff season Friday at Manor begin-ning at 8 p.m.
Victor Rubio and
the Hays baseball
team have reeled off
four straight wins since
a loss to Lehman.
The Rebels are now
12-4 overall and 3-1
in District 27-4A.
Spring has sprung ... just not the day quoted in last week’s column. The fi rst
day of spring was last Sunday. What beautiful weather we had.
•••
Members of the graduating class of 1961 of old Buda High School have been working on plans for their 50th reunion. Since the ’61 class was small in number, they have also invited the classes of 1960 and 1962 to join in their celebra-tion. The reunion will be held on Friday, April 8 at the Ruby Ranch Lodge starting at 6 p.m. All classmates have been contacted and the hope is that all will be able to attend. If more information is needed concerning the reunion of the classes, contact local Buda resident Wesley Roach at 312-4073.
The next day, Saturday, April 9, the annual Buda High School reunion for all years of the graduating classes will be held at the old high school. The doors of the old high school, now Buda Elementary School, will open for Buda High Forever Bulldogs at 9
a.m. There will be lots of visit-ing along with a silent auction, raffl e of a beautiful hand-made quilt, barbeque lunch at noon catered by Wilhite’s in Creedmoor, followed by more visiting and a program in which the classes of 1931, 1941, 1951 and 1961 will be honored.
•••
Good news for friends of Elsie Lee Brown. Brown is now living at the newly opened Se-nior Care of Onion Creek. Stop by to see our good friend Elsie at 1700 Onion Creek Parkway, Room 106. The facility backs up to Old San Antonio Road with the entrance off of the IH 35 service road.
•••
Birthday wishes go out to Kim Rodriguez and Gabriella
Stoops on March 25; Marie Gamboa, Dan Slovak, Mark Porterfi eld AND 91-year-old Lucille Owens on March 26; Beth Nelson, Warren Kette-man, Karen Cooper, Robert Allen, Eileen McCall and Dick Schneider all on March 27; Frank Morgan and Craig Odell on March 28; Jerry McCor-mick, Colton Odell, on March 29; one-year-old Sarah Nicole Chabarria on March 30; Kayla
Duley and Lisa Klingemann on March 31.
•••
Horace and Faye Fletcher will be celebrating their 57th wedding anniversary on March 27. Congratulations.
•••
Good luck to all our Buda area folks running Sunday in the Capitol 10K.
Section C
HaysFreePress.com March 23, 2011 • Page 1CHaysFreePress.com March 23, 2011 •
NeighborsHays Free Press
BUDA BITS
Sandra Grizzle
ODDS & ENDS
Myrtle Heideman
As much as we need rain, I was glad the sky was cloudless so we could
see the beautiful moon. To me, it was an unbelievable sight. Now it can cloud up and rain.
Visitors of Tony and Sue King during spring break were Sue’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. Art Dickerson of Penn-sylvania. They also visited with the grandchildren, Jessie Stephens and daughter, Ella and Amos Baker and Kristian.
Speaking of visitors, Paul Petrosky and wife, Lillie and Lillie’s daughter, Carlyn Baca of Yoakum, along with Lewis Petrosky of Lockhart (Mendoza) visited with Raymond and Myrtle Heide-man last Wednesday. The “guys” brought their pictures and histories of their tour of duty in the military for the Wall of Honor and Memory. Paul and Lewis attended the Uhland School. It was noted that Lewis, along with Clarance Heideman and Leonard Kramer are the only survivors of the class of 1938 of the Uhland High School.
Happy belated birthday to Gladys Sorrells. Her birthday was March19. She stated she was “older than dirt!” Her son, Tim, daughter-in-law, Debbie and granddaughter Mia of Austin spent the day doing chores, shopping and enjoying lunch at Palmer’s in San Marcos. Have many more “happy, healthy and wealthy” birthdays, Gladys.
The annual Uhland Live Oak Cemetery meeting will be held at Immanuel Baptist Church, 4000 FM 150, Kyle on Saturday, April 30, from 11 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. The Uh-land Cemetery Association has purchased and improved more acreage. There are also lots for sale on the original acreage. Contact Daniel Heideman at 512-398-4748 for more information.
Cooper Moore showed his Duroc hog in the Duroc Mar-ket Show at the Star of Texas Live Stock Show last Monday. He did not place, but did his best; there is always next time.
Robert and Barbara Hanna went to Lake Livingston recently to visit with friends and do some fi shing – not much luck fi shing, but a nice visit.
Annie Sassman Karnstadt joined St. John Lutheran Church in Uhland last Sun-day. The service was held at the Texan Nursing and Rehab Center in San Marcos. Rev. Roger Hotopp performed the ceremony. Members of the family were in attendance. We welcome Annie to St. John.
Happy 4th birthday to Pauline Whisenant, daugh-ter of Susan Whisenant and Gregg Roach. She had two parties, Grandpa and Grand-ma, Jim and Doris Roach, honored her with a party on her birth date, March 19, and Grandpa Whisenant had a party in her honor on March 20. Lots of cake and presents. Here’s wishing you many more, Pauline.
Don’t forget the sock drive for the nursing home residents. The Women’s Guild is collecting men’s and women’s socks. With air conditioning weather com-ing up, a pair of socks will feel mighty good!
Swamp things coming to Buda
Mama wants a new pair of socks
NEED FOR SPEEDRacing’s a family affair for some.– Page 1D
Ky
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Burn
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Kohler’s Crossing
The Louisiana Swamp Thing and Crawfi sh Festival will take place
on April 9 from 11 a.m. - 11 p.m. at City Park. This Louisiana-themed event features the best in Cajun music and cuisine prepared by concessionaires from Louisiana and Texas and attendees will enjoy an extensive menu of Cajun seafood for purchase.
The musical lineup includes George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic, Doug Kershaw, Papa Grows Funk, Dog Hill Stompers, Jeffery Broussard & The Creole Cowboys, J J Caillier & The Zydeco Knockouts, Dr. Zog, and others to be announced. Paid admission is $20 per adult and chil-dren 8 and under are free with an adult. Admission includes live music, kids’ activities, 7,000 pounds of free crawfi sh (while sup-plies last), and other bayou favorites. Music includes Cajun, Zydeco, Funk, Brass Bands, Blues, Rock and Jazz. For more information, visit www.roadwayevents.com or call 512-441-9015.
•••
The annual Easter Egg Hunt will take place on Sat-urday, April 23 from 9-11:30 a.m. at the Buda Sportsplex located off of Buda Sports-plex Drive near the YMCA. The event is free to the public and festivities will include an egg and candy hunt, bouncy castles, face paintings, arts and crafts, trackless train ride, pet-ting zoo and rock climbing wall. This event is a joint effort between the City of Buda Parks and Recreation Department, YMCA, and Fellowship Church and is sponsored by Austin Telco Federal Credit Union, Fi-esta Motors and Sonic.
•••
The 14th annual Buda Li-ons Country Fair and Wiener Dog Races will take place on April 30 and May 1 at City Park. The fair has many exciting elements includ-ing a bar-b-que cook-off, bake-off, food vendors, arts and crafts, Buda bee, pet pa-rade, world famous wiener dog races, live music and entertainment, and washer tournament. The theme for the wiener dog races this year is “Alice in Wienerland.” The cost is $3 per person 13 years of age and older for the weekend and kids 12 and younger are free. Shuttle ser-vice will be provided from the vacant property north of the U.S. Post Offi ce off of Cabela’s Drive. Parking is $5 and the shuttle will drop off/pick up near City Park off of San Antonio Street. For more information, visit www.budalions.com or call 512-609-0505.
•••
For more Parks and Rec-reation information, please visit our website at www.ci.buda.tx.us or call us at 512-312-0084.
BUDA PARKS AND REC
Jack Jones
Bluebonnets and Bulldogs pop up this spring
Bluebonnets have popped out all around us and Katherine Bailey saw the fi rst one! Bailey spotted it on Double J Farms just west of Buda.
Public libraries have always been known as a resource for providing quality information. During these economically stressful times, we want to provide work skill information that will help people become employed or improve their work-related skills. The Kyle Public Library can aid your job search or work skill improve-ment in several ways.
The Kyle Library partici-pates in the Texas Workskills Development in Libraries project better known as TWDL (pronounced ‘Twiddle’). TWDL was created to help Texas resi-dents obtain information and learn better ways to look for a job, as well as providing ways to improve their job skills. The project supports Texas library
staff, management and volun-teers in gathering 21st century job training resources that can be easily accessed and offered to all Texans.
Information about resume writing, interviewing strate-gies, and job searching can be found either by visiting the Kyle Public Library or the TWDL website www.twdl.org. In addition to information, another highlight of www.twdl.org is the links to self-paced
tutorials, lists of agencies of-fering free training by region and much more. Created for Texas residents and library staff, www.twdl.org allows all to access this valuable infor-mation at any hour of the day or night.
You may use ResumeMaker at no cost, either at the library or from home, thanks to a project sponsored by the Cen-tral Texas Library System and the Texas State Library and Archives Commission. Just go to http://sclc.resumemaker.com .
In addition, Joel Ysla, one of the Kyle Library staff, collects local job listings that come to his attention, prints them out, organizes them by city, and
places them on a table just inside the library’s community room (by the water fountain). Please note that the best place to check for (and the only place to apply for) City of Kyle jobs is through the city website.
If you need to apply for jobs online and are uncertain how to proceed, please feel free to ask the friendly staff at the Kyle Public Library. We would be glad to help you learn to navigate the online applica-tion process.
So, we invite you to come to the Kyle Public Library or visit www.twdl.org and http://sclc.resumemaker.com as part of your job search or work skill improvement.
Job seekers welcome at the libraryCHECK IT
OUT
Connie Brooks
Special advocates help childrenHays County residents are among the latest class of Court Appointed Special Advocates, volunteers assigned to assist children removed from their homes because of abuse or neglect. New advocates include Debra Jenkins (Comal), John Barthel (Hays), volunteer Nancy Deckard, Calvin Rodriguez (Comal), board member Rebecca Sheffi eld, Sonya Rodriguez (Comal), board member Shane Hines, Nicole Group (Guadalupe), Melanie Musgraves (Guadalupe County), Melissa Burst (Guadalupe), Jane Freestone (Comal), Diana Tristan (Guadalupe), Earl Dittman (Comal), Julia Amaya (Hays) and board member Susie Russell.
COURTESY PHOTO
HaysFreePress.com March 23, 2011 • Page 1D
BusinessHays Free Press
Section D
CLASSIFIEDS • PUBLIC NOTICESSERVICE DIRECTORY
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The purple race car bolted around a corner. Then it stopped dead in its tracks.
The driver crawled through the side window and ambled forward, offering a smile and a handshake.
“Hi,” he said. “James Huff.”That would be “Gentleman” James
Huff, as his fans know him. At 74 years old, Huff is by far the oldest – and, many claim, the most gentle-manly – of the drivers who compete at NASCAR’s Thunderhill Raceway in Kyle.
“Racing keeps you young,” Huff said. “It’s the need for speed.”
He’s heard of other elderly racers, but he’s never met any who are as old as he is.
“Most of them had better sense and went ahead and quit,” he joked.
Racing on and off since 1956, Huff in recent years has been competing in the Allison Legacy series in Kyle. On March 5, the fi rst race of the 2011 season, Huff fi nished in third place – not bad for a septuagenarian who competes against drivers who are less than a third his age.
On Saturday, the second race of the season, Huff was hoping to fi nish even stronger. His wife Janette was there to help him.
Janette, 57, used to race, too. Now she serves as her husband’s spotter. While James is racing, the husband and wife communicate by headset, with Janette telling James when to slow down for a caution fl ag, for instance, or when to watch out because another car is about to pass him.
“That’s the one time I get to tell him what to do,” Janette said. “No, really, I tell him what to do all the time, but it makes a good joke.”
Janette last raced in 2008. She was a fi erce driver, her husband said.
“She will pick a line and run it,” he said. “If you want to pass her, pick another line because she’s not moving.”
“If you want it, you better get around me,” Janette added. “We don’t cut no slack.”
Janette’s brother, Del Harris of Huntsville, is the third racer in the family. At one point all three relatives were competing against each other.
“When we’re all out there on the track together,” Harris said, “they call
us the family feud. ‘Kinfolks’ stops when we enter that track.”
Harris attended Saturday’s races in Kyle to watch his brother-in-law. He would have competed, too, but his own car was undergoing repairs and wasn’t ready in time.
A loudspeaker boomed through the pit, instructing all the Allison drivers to report for their upcom-ing race. James put on his helmet over his gray hair and crawled back through the window of his car. Janette put on her headset and made her way to the bleachers, joining a crowd of more than 1,000 spectators.
From the start, James was in the pole position, leading the pack of fi ve cars. Huff’s car, a Monte Carlo, hugged the turns and hogged the inside line. But one of the other rac-ers, Kris Kerr, a teenager from San Antonio, was on the outside and breathing down his neck.
Before the race, Kerr had com-mended Huff for mentoring the younger racers and offering advice whenever asked.
“He really knows what he’s doing,” Kerr said. “He’s got a lot of experi-
ence.”But now Kerr muscled around the
old man, dropping Huff into second place. Two other cars wrecked, and the yellow caution lights came on to warn drivers to slow down.
“Caution! Caution!” offi cials told Janette and the other spotters, who then relayed the message to the drivers.
With a wave of the green fl ag, signaling for the race to resume, the other cars zoomed past Huff. He fell from second to last place, climbing back to fourth as the drivers entered their fi nal lap.
Kerr was still in the lead, one turn away from the fi nish line. But just before he could claim his victory, the driver in second place rammed him from behind and spun him out of control. Kerr was unable to fi nish the race, and the driver who hit him was disqualifi ed.
And like that, Huff was bumped from fourth to second.
“Well,” he said afterward, “I’ll take a second place any way I can get it.”
Janette leaned through the driver-side window and gave her husband a
congratulatory kiss.“Close fi nish there, baby,” she said.
“Close fi nish.”Once again, Huff crawled through
the window of his race car. He was moving a little slower than he had been earlier in the day, and he was asked how long he planned to keep racing.
“I don’t know,” Huff replied. “I think I’m as competitive as I ever was. I still have the competitive spirit.
“I get to thinking every so often that my refl exes are slowing down. But I’ve told all the guys, when I get out there and start making mistakes – because I’m too darn old – y’all let me know and I’ll quit.”
But don’t expect “Gentleman” James to ease off the gas pedal any time soon. He still works fi ve days a week at his business, Huff Metal Recycling in Houston.
“I would retire, but I have too many bad habits. And there sits one of them right there,” he said, point-ing to his Monte Carlo. “Social Secu-rity will not support a race car.”
BY WES [email protected]
STAFF REPORT
In its fi rst year as an offi cial NASCAR home track, Thunderhill Raceway in Kyle is speeding toward a couple of other new developments, including a possible reality show.
Thunderhill spokeswoman Deb-bie Williams says the raceway is also following closely the efforts to bring Formula One to the Austin area. The annual race would be the only F1 event in the United States.
“An event like that,” Williams said of Formula One, “is bigger than any NASCAR event. You’re talking millions of people.”
Thunderhill, a 3/8-mile oval track, opened in 1998 on Interstate 35 north of Yarrington Road. Williams spoke about Thunderhill earlier this week.
On Thunderhill’s relationship with Tavo Hellmund, the Formula One promoter:
He has rented our track in the past for Texas Racefest and has brought some NASCAR races to our track over the years. We have a relation-ship already with him, and we look forward to partnering, tying our events together somehow.
He’s got way bigger fi sh to fry than us right now, but hopefully down the road we can somehow combine our efforts … We haven’t talked to him about it.
On whether a reality show will be fi lmed at Thunderhill under the direction of Paul Hogan and Hogan’s partner Sarah Platt:
They have put together their pre-sentation to the networks based on videos and photos we were able to send them. … They’re making progress, and they’re real optimistic. When the deal is signed, they feel like things will move very fast and furious.
On Thunderhill’s fi rst year as a NASCAR track:
Most people are very familiar with what you see on Sunday afternoon on TV, the NASCAR Sprint Series. What they might not realize is NASCAR has many rungs on the ladder.
Our track is a NASCAR home track, which is the grassroots level of NASCAR. Our drivers can say they are NASCAR drivers legally, and that’s the biggie. The fact that we’re sanctioned by NASCAR gives us exposure, and our drivers are now competing with NASCAR drivers all over the country for NASCAR points and NASCAR money.
The casual stock car fan or some-body that’s not even a stock car fan will recognize the name, more than anything.
Got a need for speedTrack’s oldest driver still on the road
REAL ESTATE
Next week: Four bedroom homes for sale in Buda.
A sampling of current listings
for four bedroom homes in Kyle
McGarity StreetEchols Road
Riley Cove
Palamino RoadThis four bedroom, 2.5 bath over-looks the Plum Creek golf course and includes a kitchen with granite counter tops and stainless steel appliances. Interior fi nishes include natural stone. Three car garage. Land: 0.25 acre. Square footage: 2,912. List price: $249,900.
One of only 10 houses on this Plum Creek subdivision street, this four bedroom, three bath was built in 2010. Interior includes gourmet kitchen with granite counters. Land: .358 acre. Square footage: 3,136. List Price: $334,000.
The four bedroom, two bath house in the Steeplechase subdivision was built in 2000. Its features include a fi replace in the family room. Land: .25 acre Square foot-age: 1,887. List price: $140,900.
This four-bedroom house on a large country lot comes with a sec-ond three-bedroom house, mobile home and a workshop. Grounds: 12.57 acres. Square footage: 2,840. List price: $485,500.
1
2
4
3
1▲
4
▲
2▲
Single-family homes: YTD 2011
Sales Average price
Days on market
New listings
Kyle-Buda'11
'10
50 $140,726 106 89
59 $165,818 76 78
San Marcos'11
'10
14 $201,925 174 27
14 $148,821 141 14
Wimberley'11
'10
12 $204,318 99 32
12 $268,783 164 37
Dripping Springs
'11
'10
25 $333,541 106 54
21 $295,033 61 62
A comparison of market activity in January and February 2011 to the same period in 2010 as reported by the Austin Board of Realtors*.
Thunderhill sees good times ahead
More real estate coverage at haysfreepress.com/realestate
3▲
*San Marcos data from San Marcos Area Board of Realtors
Single-family homes: February 2011
Sales Average price
Days on market
Active listings
Kyle-Buda'11
'10
82 $134,595 96 399
100 $164,301 76 375
San Marcos'11
'10
24 $175,078 134 159
26 $148,760 165 N/A
Wimberley'11
'10
18 $184,840 90 158
31 $342,917 132 165
Dripping Springs
'11
'10
38 $317,034 110 219
34 $306,678 90 219
PHOTO BY WES FERGUSON
Cars sit at the starting line before a race on Saturday at Thunderhill Raceway. For some drivers, Like “Gentleman” James Huff, the sport is a family affair. At one point, Huff was regularly racing against his wife and brother-in-law.