January 11, 2023 News-Dispatch

Neighbors against proposed venue near Dripping Springs

a cluster all the way around'

By Megan Wehring megan@haysfreepress.com

DRIPPING SPRINGS –

Several residents are not welcoming the idea of a proposed music venue near their homes.

California developer Blizexas LLC is planning to bring a 5,000-seat concert venue to the Dripping Springs/Austin area off Fitzhugh Road. The developer is looking to design a space similar to that of its 2,500-seat open-air venue, Mountain Winery, in Saratoga in California.

“We have been looking

at the Austin area for a number of years,” said Bill LeClerc, director of real estate and investments for Lexor Investments, the parent company of Blizexas. “We decided on this location because part of what is important to us is having a natural setting that we could build our concept in.”

While LeClerc ensured that his team is planning to follow state and county regulatory guidelines to operate, residents are still hesitant. Some even formed the Stop Fitzhugh Concert Venue Coalition in opposition.

A Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) public hearing was held on Nov. 29 to discuss the municipal wastewater permit application proposed by Blizexas LLC. The applicant requested authorization to dispose of treated wastewater at a finalphase daily average flow not to exceed 12,000 gallons per day via a subsurface drip irrigation system with a minimum area of 2.75 acres of public access land, according to TCEQ.

Polar Bear Plunge & 5K

Dripping Springs sets legislative priorities for 2023

By Megan Wehring

DRIPPING SPRINGS – The new year is officially underway and leaders in Dripping Springs are looking at their legislative priorities.

On Jan. 3, Dripping Springs City Council unanimously approved a resolution to establish priorities for the 88th Legislative Session in Texas upon recommendation by city staff.

City leaders are primarily focusing on maintaining local control while also supporting the following legislation.

• Funding: Assisting the city with additional tools for funding for transportation, parks and other essential services.

• Infrastructure: Assisting the city with the acquisition

of property, permitting and construction of infrastructure to serve development within the city limits and ETJ.

• Land Use: Making beneficial amendments to allow greater authority for regulation of exterior design and building materials and more flexibility/ predictability in processing plat and site plan applications.

• Lighting: Expanding the city’s authority to regulate lighting and Dark Sky requirements.

• Property Tax: Increasing transparency in the ad valorem (property) tax and budget adoption by coordinating state, county and city timelines for review, notice and approval.

Local Airbnb host named Top New Host in Texas

Treehouse yurt earns near 5-star rating

By Brittany Anderson brittany@haysfreepress.com

DRIPPING SPRINGS

— Booking an Airbnb over a traditional hotel room has become an increasingly popular choice for travelers in recent years and a local host was recently recognized for offering something unique for Hill Country explorers.

Derek Stevens and his wife Alex have been hosting guests in their treehousestyle yurt, called the Tangled Oak Yurt in Dripping Springs, since January 2022. The

stunning listing and its surrounding property, plus impeccable customer service from the Stevenses, recently landed them the "Top New Host in Texas" recognition from Airbnb.

The recognition is part of a wider report from Airbnb last month that highlighted the top new host in each state.

The criteria for being named top new host included becoming a first-listing host in 2022, having the most guest check-ins within that area and achieving

PHOTO BY NATALIE FRELS

California developer Blizexas is looking to build a music venue off Fitzhugh Road in the Dripping Springs/Austin area, causing several neighboring residents to express their concerns.

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

Even though it’s January, that did not stop eager jumpers from enjoying the Polar Bear Plunge on New

Years Day at Blue Hole Regional Park in Wimberley.

PHOTO BY BRITTANY ANDERSON

Derek Stevens and his wife Alex’s Airbnb incorporates a 300-year-old tangled oak tree on the property into its design. Appropriately named the Tangled Oak Yurt, the yurt features a large front deck and other outdoor amenities like tree swings and fire pit for cooking.

'It’s

Hays County provides update on body cam footage

By Natalie Frels natalie@haysfreepress.com

HAYS COUNTY — Hays County recently issued a statement regarding the incustody death of Joshua Wright at the hands of Hays County Jail Corrections Officer Isaiah Garcia, specifically regarding the release of his body camera footage — an act requested by the Wright family and County Judge Ruben Becerra.

The Texas Rangers are conducting the investigation into Wright’s death, which occurred at Ascension Seton Hays Hospital in Kyle on Dec. 12.

According to the statement

“Superhost” status on the platform.

Derek said that he and Alex, who are both originally from the Dripping Springs area, began tossing ideas back and forth with his father about what to do with a family-owned piece of land a few years ago. Eventually, the idea snowballed into creating an Airbnb.

“Between talking with him and my wife, we wanted to offer something unique from everybody else’s Airbnbs,” Derek said. “We kind of want to fall somewhere between a rural camping experience with all the modern amenities. We wanted something unique that would catch people’s eyes; we wanted people to stay and explore the growing area of Dripping Springs.”

The yurt is conveniently

released by Hays County, the Rangers have requested that the bodycam video of the officer-involved shooting, along with all pertinent information related to the investigation not be released until their investigation is complete.

“The immediate release of the bodycam video and other information may adversely affect the Rangers’ ability to conduct an investigation by, among other things, impacting the recollections and statements of witnesses,” the news release stated.

Further, the hospital has raised concerns over the inadvertent disclosure of

located just 10 miles west of downtown Dripping Springs off Highway 290. It’s also only 15 minutes from Blanco and 20 minutes from Johnson City.

“It’s nestled between a very popular growing area that has tons of wineries, breweries, wedding venues and more,” Derek said.

Currently, the Stevenses' yurt has a 4.97 star rating with more than 100 check-ins, garnering commendable reviews in areas like cleanliness, communication and value. The yurt itself is a 16-sided wooden cabin with tons of windows and a 4-foot circular skylight dome. It is located on 9 acres of land and nestled under the canopy of a 300-year-old oak tree.

The yurt also features

privileged third-party medical information via video footage.

“For that reason, at the appropriate time for release of the bodycam footage, it will need to be reviewed and potentially redacted for those purposes,” according to the statement.

The call for footage by the Wright family, as well as their lawyers, has stirred public demand for the release of the bodycam video.

Approximately 50 people attended last week’s commissioners court meeting, with more than a dozen making a comment to plead with public officials to force the hand of the

a front deck, swings, propane grill and fire pit and other comfort essentials like heat and air conditioning, a queen sized bed, kitchenette, full-sized bathroom and a Roku TV.

Of course, achieving this recognition from Airbnb as a host doesn’t come easily. Derek said that the key is communicating with guests by being “always understanding and reachable.” Plus, it’s just a “very photogenic piece of property.”

“We’re definitely very grateful and surprised,” Derek said. “From a hosting standpoint, we wanted to offer all the little details that maybe people just don’t think about. So before we opened, my wife and I stayed there and made a list of what would be cool, unique touches that

State Capital Highlights

What to expect in legislative session

The 2023 Texas legislative session opened Jan. 10, with property taxes, gun control and the power grid expected to be among the top issues on the agenda.

The Texas Standard talked to political journalists Niki Griswold of the Austin AmericanStatesman and James Barragàn of the Texas Tribune to see what might be upcoming.

Griswold predicts the “so-called culture war issue” could take center stage, with a number of bills already filed regarding the rights of transgender children and their parents, as well as battles over what books should be made available to children in the classroom and libraries.

Barragan said the state’s predicted $27 billion surplus will attract a number of factions wanting a piece of that action.

Gov. Greg Abbott has called for about half the surplus to be spent on property tax relief, while House Speaker Dade Phelan is pushing for more spending on infrastructure.

Griswold pointed out that Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick wields considerable power in the Legislature and is keenly interested in more fixes to the state’s electric grid.

The regular session will last 140 days, as set by the state constitution.

Ag agency: Climate change threatens food supply

A new report released last week by the Texas Department of Agriculture concluded

climate change is a potential threat to the state’s food supply and could produce food insecurity.

The report comes after a historic drought decimated crops and forced ranchers to sell the highest number of livestock in more than a decade.

The Texas Tribune reported the food access study, published by TDA and the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, noted that “climate instability is strongly associated with water quality, soil degradation, droughts, fires, floods and other environmental disasters.”

The report was submitted to the Legislature on Dec. 31 and points to other factors that make it harder for Texans to access and afford food, such as wages not keeping up with inflation and lack of access to food in rural areas.

“The important takeaway here is that there are significant gaps that need to be addressed between what researchers calculate to be a living wage in Texas, the wages that Texans are actually receiving, and many of the poverty thresholds that determine eligibility for assistance programs,” the report says.

Abbott calls for action on ankle monitor violations

Abbott last week sent a letter to legislative leaders calling for legislation to create criminal penalties for parolees who cut off their ankle monitors.

That action comes in

the wake of an October incident in which parolee Nestor Hernandez was charged with pulling a handgun and killing two hospital employees while visiting his girlfriend and their newborn child at Methodist Hospital in Dallas. He was shot by a Methodist Hospital police officer but survived and is now being held without bond on capital murder charges.

A few weeks later another parolee, Zeric Jackson, was accused of fatally shooting a man at his former girlfriend’s Dallas apartment.

“It is clear that the ankle monitors, a condition of their parole, were not effective in deterring or otherwise preventing these individuals from going on to commit violent crimes, resulting in three innocent lives being lost,” Abbott wrote.

Currently, there are no criminal penalties for a parolee cutting off an ankle monitor.

COVID-19 cases rise in past week

The number of new COVID-19 cases in the past week in Texas rose to 39,019, with 131 deaths reported by the Coronavirus Resource Center at Johns Hopkins University. The number of lab-confirmed COVID-19 patients hospitalized in the state also rose to 3,445, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services.

Gary Borders is a veteran award-winning Texas journalist. He published a number of community newspapers in Texas during a 30year span, including in Longview, Fort Stockton, Nacogdoches and Cedar Park. Email: gborders@ texaspress.com.

Hays County Sheriff’s Office.

According to the statement, members of the Hays County Commissioners Court have been monitoring the situation and “understand the importance of maintaining the integrity of the investigation, but they also recognize the grief felt by Mr. Wright’s family and the need for closure in the community.”

Therefore, court members will be requesting that the state dedicate as many resources to the investigation as possible to aid the Rangers’ investigation, after which the district attorney’s office will determine the timing for public

disclosure of the video and other materials related to the investigation.

While Garcia was placed on administrative leave following Wright’s death, the Hays County Sheriff’s Office has confirmed that he has returned to work pending the outcome of the investigation.

However, he will not be assigned to any position involving the direct supervision of jail inmates until the investigation concludes.

News-Dispatch will continue to monitor this incident closely and update the public with any new information as it becomes available.

people would remember.” You can book your stay at the Tangled Oak

from Page 1

Yurt at bit.ly/3IoF2aT. The Stevenses are also in the process of building

Council also supports legislation that would increase the accuracy of appraisals of all types of property.

• Sales Tax: Making beneficial amendments to district or other taxing jurisdictions to authorize cities to replace some or all sales taxes in an area with city sales taxes, provided a district or other taxing jurisdictions' existing sales tax debt is proportionately and reasonably provided for in some manner.

• Signs: Affirming state and city authority over off-premise and other commercial signs. The council supports legislation that bolsters

a second yurt on the property, set to open in a month or so.

scenic highways in the Hill Country.

• Transportation: Providing direction and funding for future projects within the city limits and ETJ. The council also supports any effort that increases communications with TxDOT and other regional partners.

Following the adoption of the legislative program, the city will send it to the Texas Municipal League — a nonprofit that represents all Texas cities.

The 88th Legislative Session started on Tuesday, Jan. 10 and will continue through Monday, May 29.

PHOTO BY BRITTANY ANDERSON

The Tangled Oak Yurt comes complete with a queen-sized bed, kitchenette and stunning furnishings throughout.

LEGISLATION

Empowering women on both sides of border

By Amira Van Leeuwen amira@haysfreepress.com

DRIPPING SPRINGS

— Yazmin Castaneda worked hard to build her career in corporate America until she was burnt out and yearning to do something different that she was truly passionate about.

“I thought to myself, ‘What are the most important things that you want to do?’ ‘What’s important to you?’

‘What’s important to your family?’ and I decided to create Origin Mexico,” Castaneda, a first-generation MexicanAmerican, said.

Since July 2020, Origin Mexico has been a purpose-driven brand based in Dripping Springs that empowers women through artisanal handmade goods. But it took a while for Castaneda to finalize her business plan before quitting her corporate position because she was struggling with the fear of being a business owner.

“I’ve always worked for a company,” Castaneda

said. “I’ve never been on my own, per se.” Then, she decided if she was going to go for it, she would have to go for it 100%.

After quitting her job, she reached out to artisans she had met through her travels. At first, Castaneda was anxious about contacting them because she didn’t know how they would feel about working with her. Luckily, the first family — a mother-daughter duo from Hidalgo —

welcomed her idea.

“They said this is amazing, because at that point, it was during COVID,” Castenada said.

“As well as many [other] artisans in Mexico, they started noticing that tourism had declined and essentially, their income was non-existent at that point because they rely on tourism."

She began working with artisans using WhatsApp. Once COVID-19 travel

Dreamland closed to undergo changes

Pickleball, private events still open

By Brittany Anderson

DRIPPING SPRINGS — Several notable amenities at Dreamland, located at 2770 U.S. 290 in Dripping Springs, are closed to the public beginning this month in order for the venue to undergo changes that will “attract a larger audience.”

While pickleball is Dreamland’s bread and butter, the venue has also become massively popular thanks to its full-sized bar and kitchen, disc golf and mini golf courses, kid-friendly splash pad, live music stage and tons of unique art and sculptures throughout the property.

During this period of “house improvements,” Dreamland is shifting its focus toward pickleball clinics, lessons, leagues and

tournaments, as well as private events, while it works to take advantage of the venue’s large facilities and expand its corporate reach with bigger events and larger parties, such as weddings.

No timeline of completion of when the venue will be back to operating normally has been given, as many plans are still in the works.

In the meantime, the venue’s pickleball courts are open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day of the week. Plus, stay tuned for “Dreamland Days” and other festivities, which will offer guests the ability to enjoy its well-loved amenities for special occasions.

More information and further updates can be found on Dreamland’s Facebook page at www.facebook. com/dreamlanddstx.

PHOTO BY AMIRA VAN LEEUWEN

Yazmin Castaneda, founder and owner of Origin Mexico.

PHOTO BY AMIRA VAN LEEUWEN

Blue flower design woven by Oaxaca artisan Rocio Gonzales.

Castaneda chose the blue color combination to give the item a pop of color.

PHOTO BY BRITTANY ANDERSON

Several of the usual amenities at Dreamland in Dripping Springs will be closed to the public for the time being as the venue works to implement some changes.

'Old Yeller' author could not handle success

At the peak of the “Old Yeller” craze, the Palace Theater in Dallas invited dogs and their human companions to a special showing of the film version of the best-selling book on Jan. 11, 1958.

by Bartee Haile

Frederick Benjamin Gipson was born on a farm near Mason in 1908. Life on the western edge of the Hill Country was more hardscrabble than idyllic, but to the young boy it was a rustic paradise that made a deep and lasting impression.

Gipson was in the tenth grade, when he saw his written words in print for the first time. A short story about two lads, who tracked down a cattle rustler, was the sophomore’s modest contribution to The Branding Iron, the Mason High yearbook. He did not consider it a particularly noteworthy achievement, but his classmates and teachers sure did.

While the teenager enjoyed all the attention, it failed to ignite a burning desire to become a writer or even an interest in higher education. He watched the more ambitious members of the class of 1926 go off to college but chose to stay put after a bookkeeping course in San Antonio soured him on schooling.

After seven years of

working odd outdoor jobs in the sweltering heat and freezing cold, Gipson decided to tag along when his younger brother left for the University of Texas. In the “big” city of Austin surrounded by a sea of younger faces, he felt like a fish out of water until he found his place in the journalism department.

Gipson had his freshman English professor to thank for that. The instructor recognized raw talent when he saw it and regularly read the older student’s essays and stories to the class. It was at his urging that Gipson switched to journalism and joined the staff of the campus newspaper The Daily Texan.

Over the next three years, Gipson blossomed into the shining star of the UT journalism department. He wrote a popular column “One Thing and Then Another” that ran on the editorial page of The Daily Texan, and one of his folksy fiction pieces appeared in Southwest Review, the literary quarterly published by Southern Methodist University, which rewarded him with the princely sum of ten dollars.

If Gipson had hung around the university for another semester or two, he could have

departed with diploma in hand. But there was a job waiting for him at The Caller-Times in Corpus Christi, where the publisher happened to be a big fan. Following a farewell dinner attended by his many friends and admirers, he left Austin for the Gulf Coast in the winter of 1937.

Instead of starting out as a cub reporter chained to a desk, Gipson roamed the countryside writing about whatever he wanted. The dream assignment was right up his alley and within months the roving columnist had a large and enthusiastic readership.

During his travels, Gipson met a high school senior in San Angelo by the name of Tommie Wynn.

Despite the 14-year difference in their ages, they married with the blessing of the bride’s

parents in January 1940.

Gipson had no sooner combed the confetti out of his hair than he was out of work. His benefactor at The CallerTimes had died, and the new publisher insisted the gypsy journalist punch a clock like everyone else – and for less money. He objected to the cut in pay and was fired on the spot.

Gipson moved back to Mason with a pregnant wife and no prospects. For as long as he could remember, he had toyed with the idea of earning a living as a freelance writer. The time had come to make that dream a reality.

Six lean years and two children later, the struggling author published his first fulllength book The Fabulous Empire: Colonel Zack Miller’s Story.

The editor of Southwest Review had given Gipson

the idea for a biography of the colorful Wild West showman and even talked Miller into letting the unknown Texan write his life story.

Sales of The Fabulous Empire were respectable, but it was Hound-Dog Man three years later that put Gipson on the literary map. The Book-of-theMonth selection sold more than a quarter of a million copies in its first 12 months in print.

With the wolf forever banished from his door, Gipson was free to focus on what he did best – write. The result was five books in as many years: The Home Place (1950), Big Bend: A Homesteader’s Story (1952), Cowhand: The Story of a Working Cowboy (1953), The TrailDriving Rooster (1955) and Recollection Creek (1955).

In Gipson’s eyes, the book that came out in

1956 was his best, and the public concurred.

Old Yeller flew off bookshelves to the tune of three million copies in the celebrated creator’s lifetime, and Walt Disney paid the Hill Country storyteller a king’s ransom for the privilege of turning the sentimental saga into a big-screen classic.

Fred Gipson had only one more book left in him, the sequel to Old Yeller entitled Savage Sam also made into a Disney movie. It was success not poverty that got the better of him, as drinking, drugs and depression ruined his career and life prior to his death in 1973 from a cerebral hemorrhage.

“Murder Most Texan” is a must read for fans of true crime and Texas history. Order your copy for $24.00 by mailing a check to Bartee Haile, P.O. Box 130011, Spring, TX 77393.

We proudly support our hometown talent

401 E. Hwy 290W. P.O. Box 1243

Dripping Springs, TX 78620

Last all-volunteer FD ready to hire paid responders

By Megan Wehring megan@haysfreepress.com

HAYS COUNTY – Population growth and staffing shortages have led South Hays Fire Department to convert from an all-volunteer to combination agency — the last of its kind to do so.

“When I first got into the fire service, there would be 50 openings and 4,000 applicants,” said Robert Simonson, South Hays fire chief. “Now, fire chiefs I know would post for three positions and got two people to show up.”

On Dec. 19, the Board of Fire Commissioners approved the funding for career firefighting staff for South Hays Fire Department in 2023 — this will convert the agency into a combination department with both career

VENUE from Page 1

The wastewater treatment facility and disposal site are proposed to be located approximately 0.25 miles east of the intersection of Crumley Ranch Road and Fitzhugh Road and in the drainage basin of Barton Creek in Segment No. 1430 of the Colorado River Basin.

One of the major concerns that residents have expressed is the negative impact the venue may have on Barton Creek, which is one of the area’s beloved resources.

“When there is any type of overflow from this drip irrigation system, whether it be from rain, excess usage [or] worn away soil, there are two main waterways in which it exits the septic fields,” said resident Carrie Napiorkowski.

“One is through Shield Ranch, which is a 6,400-acre nature preservatory, that butts up against this property. It drains through the property and enters right into Barton Creek. The other exit is directly down

and volunteer staff.

Neighboring agencies including San Marcos, North Hays and New Braunfels are in a similar boat of hiring new staff, making the playing field that much more competitive.

Simonson said that the department has 18 open positions and currently, they are working with a hiring committee to finalize the process.

“We are all kind of fighting for the same group of candidates so I realize that we are not going to be able to fill these positions overnight; it’s going to take some time. What we decided to do in the interim is hire part-time people just to bring the staffing into the station so we at least have people here,” Simonson said.

To maintain a standard

Fitzhugh Road that runs down the road and then also ends up in Barton Creek.”

The proposed site is not in the city limits of Dripping Springs, yet the city is still known to have become the first in Texas designated as an International Dark Sky Community. Because of this, noise and light pollution are worrisome.

“The problem with the noise is not only is it going to disrupt our way of life and being comfortable to sit in our own yards, the noise actually kills off the wildlife,” said Cynthia High, who lives about a mile away from the proposed site. “We have been working hard to keep the wildlife in our area and try to coexist."

Cynthia added that there are other music venues in the area, including Jester King and Treaty Oaks, that are respectful to the residents by only playing music until about 8 p.m.

The narrow, winding road

schedule, the firefighters will be working a 48/96.

“They will be on for two days and off for four days. The reason we chose the 48/96 is it gives them a good home balance and honestly, at the end of the day, mental health and home balance are super important,” Simonson said. “We will be running an A, B and C shift. We will have to hire about six people per shift.”

Simonson explained that the department found sales tax, earmarked as firefighter safety, to be the best revenue to use to fund hiring more staff. Firefighters will make $54,089 annually and captains will make $64,584 annually.

For more information about the South Hays Fire Department, visit www. southhaysfire.com/ or call Station 11 at 512-754-7963.

and driver safety are also among the concerns.

“[They] are proposing a 5,000-person venue with parking for 2,000 cars, which we later learned that they are trying to buy up properties around them so they have additional space for parking, which means there will probably be more than 2,000 cars,” said resident Will High. “Even at 2,000, that is about 8,000 cars an hour on Fitzhugh Road before and after an event.”

An area that already witnesses multiple accidents could be seeing more, Cynthia said.

“If I was a parent of a teenager, I would be scared to death to let them drive those roads in the dark coming home. You know they will be drinking and who-knows-what there,” Cynthia said. “It takes an experienced driver to get through those roads without getting into an accident and we have a lot of accidents.”

Residents already experience

issues with emergency vehicles responding to calls during busy traffic times, but if events are planned, that could cause longer wait times.

“A year ago in November, it took [more than] 20 minutes for paramedics to get to my house — which is going to be across the street from the venue — because my contractor fell off the roof and he died,” Napiorkowski said. “He was only 40. That was 22 minutes and they got caught in traffic. Imagine now … it was at 5:15 in the evening; that’s going to be the time people are going into the music venue. There is no way emergency services are going to be able to reach us. We won’t be able to get in or out.”

Napiorkowski said when there are accidents on Fitzhugh, Trautwein or Crumley Ranch, if those happen in the middle of the road, there will be a dead standstill of cars.

But LeClerc said his team

with us

ASSEMBLIES OF GOD

Faith Assembly of God 1030 Main St., Buda

BAPTIST

First Baptist Church-Buda 104 San Marcos St., Buda

First Baptist Church-Kyle 300 W. Center St., Kyle

Hays Hills Baptist Church 1401 FM 1626, Buda

Sledge Chapel Missionary Baptist Church 709 Sewell, Kyle

Southeast Baptist Church 5020 Turnersville Rd., Creedmoor

Manchaca Baptist Church Lowden Lane & FM 1626

Immanuel Baptist Church 4000 E. FM 150, 4 miles east of Kyle

Center Union Baptist Church Goforth Rd., Buda

Primera Mision Bautista Mexicana Kyle

Baptist Church of Driftwood 13540 FM 150 W.

CATHOLIC

Santa Cruz Catholic Church 1100 Main Street, Buda

St. Anthony Marie Claret Church 801 N. Burleson, Kyle

St. Michael’s Catholic Church

S. Old Spanish Trail, Uhland

CHRISTIAN

New Life Christian Church 2315 FM 967, Buda

Iglesia Israelita Casa de Dios

816 Green Pastures Dr., Kyle

CHURCH OF CHRIST

Buda-Kyle Church of Christ 3.5 miles south of Buda on FM 2770

Southern Hills Church of Christ 3740 FM 967, Buda

EPISCOPAL

St. Elizabeth’s Episcopal Church 725 RR 967, Buda St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church RR 3237 (Wimberley Rd.), Kyle St. Alban’s Episcopal Church 11819 IH-35 South

JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES

Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses FM 2770, Kyle

Jehovah’s Witnesses South 10802 Manchaca Rd., Manchaca

LUTHERAN

Living Word Lutheran ELCA 2315 FM 967, Buda

Redeeming Grace Lutheran LCMS FM 1626 & Manchaca Rd., Manchaca

Resurrection Church, CLBA 401 FM 967, Buda

St. John Lutheran Church 9865 Camino Real, Uhland The Well Buda

METHODIST

Buda United Methodist Church San Marcos & Elm St., Buda

Kyle United Methodist Church Sledge & Lockhart St., Kyle

Journey United Methodist 216 Kirkham Circle, Kyle St. Paul’s United Methodist Church 7206 Creedmoor Rd., Creedmoor

Manchaca United Methodist Church FM 1626 & Manchaca Rd., Manchaca

Driftwood United Methodist Church RR 150 at County Road 170

NON-DENOMINATIONAL Monte del Olivar Christian Center 2400 FM 150 E., Kyle The Connection Church 1235 S. Loop 4, Buda Antioch Community Church Old Black Colony Rd., Buda Completed & Perfected Faith Church Tobias Elementary Cafeteria, FM 150, Kyle Kingdom United

is “working with county transportation to come up with mitigation measures that will ultimately improve the transportation out there.”

The venue details are not a done deal yet.

“Now, we are in the process of waiting for TCEQ to respond to all of the oral and written testimony that was received,” LeClerc said. “Once that is completed, then we will have a better sense of a timeline of when we might receive that permit or if there will be more hurdles that we will have to go through.” To learn more about the concerns of the venue, visit www. stopfitzhughconcertvenue. com.

This is a developing story. The Hays Free Press/News-Dispatch is continuing to monitor this situation and will update the public as more information becomes available. If you would be affected should the venue be built, please send an email to megan@haysfreepress.com.

PHOTO BY NATALIE FRELS

Above, Robert Simonson, South Hays Fire chief. The South Hays Fire Department is The headquarters is located at Station 11, 3528 Hunter Road in San Marcos.

Dripping Springs Tigers outlast the Trojans

By Albert Sanchez

DRIPPING

The

ORIGIN from Page 3

restrictions were lifted, she was able to travel and meet them in person to discuss her brand and goals and gauge their interest.

Currently, Castaneda works with nine artisans from Oaxaca, Chiapas and Hidalgo.

“We’re very selective in a way because we want to make sure that things are truly handmade and that our values align,” she said. “What I’ve learned through this process is when there are two to three people between you and the artisan, like a middle person, the portion that the artisan gets is a percentage of what you’re paying them,” Castaneda continued. “So, my goal is, whenever I buy something from an artisan, I want them to receive 100% of what I’m paying them, not have it go through a stream of people and then they get 30%.”

Origin Mexico has a curated selection of dresses, tops, accessories (jewelry, handbags, hand-painted hats) and a kids collection. Origin Mexico also carries plus sizes. The designs are inspired by Mexican art, architecture and textiles; the products can take an average of 15 hours to make.

She stressed the importance of transparency and communication when building relationships with artisans, but also cultivating friendships.

“A lot of the artisans that I work with have children and so we talk about the kids, we talk about, ‘How are you?’ ‘How’s your mom doing?’ ‘How’s your sister doing?’ A lot of times, they’ve been through moments where they’ve been ill, so you check up on them,” Castaneda said. “A couple of months ago, there was a hurricane in Oaxaca and you just stay up-to-date as

to how they’re doing aside from the business portion; you truly care about them as people and as humans.”

Origin Mexico’s mission is to help artists and women empower themselves and their families through the beauty of artisanal goods, the beauty of what Mexico has to offer and to be able to share that with those who might not be familiar with Mexican culture.

“Our goal is really to create a positive impact in the lives of others. And that could be our community of customers, when they wear something that they truly enjoy, that makes them feel good, as well as the artisans that we work with,” she said.

Castaneda donates a portion of proceeds to Fundación En Vía, a nonprofit organization that works to empower entrepreneurial women in five communities in the Tlacolula

Valley of Oaxaca to better support themselves and their families. Funds are generated through responsible tourism to provide interest-free loans and educational programs.

“They give them the tools, the resources, so they understand how to run a business, how to start a business, how to manage your finances,” she said. “Their goal is for women especially, to be able to seek that financial independence and for them to have this knowledge. So hopefully, they can help other generations in their family.”

Assisting women to be successful and financially independent resonates with Castaneda because she and her three brothers were raised by a single mother who struggled financially.

“She had like three jobs at one point,” Castaneda said. “And it’s amazing when people

are given opportunities to improve their quality of life that in a way, also helps their children. My mom was given a lot of opportunities to succeed herself and I feel super grateful. I don’t even know the people that gave her these opportunities, but it allowed me to have a better future and it's sort of carved my path to be where I am today.”

Castaneda believes that financial independence is an important strength that allows women to thrive and escape situations that may not be the best for them.

Her goals for the future are to continue growing Origin Mexico’s artisan family, collaborating with other small businesses and creating more jobs for artisans in Mexico.

Visit www.originmexico.com to shop and learn more about Castaneda’s brand.

Domino,

Yogi Berra, 5-year-old, Domestic Shorthair, Male:

Yogi Berra has been referred to as “teddy bear-a” at our Dripping Springs location. He is the ultimate snuggle buddy and is polydactyl. Yogi Berra is a cat that strives for affection and will find a way onto your lap in no time. Stop by and meet him today!

SPRINGS — The Dripping Springs Tigers (12-10 overall, 3-4 district) beat the Anderson High School Trojans (715 overall, 1-5 district), 71-54, on Friday, Jan. 6.

It was a close game for three quarters, but the Tigers played strong in the 4th quarter and outlasted the Trojans.

Tigers are currently in fifth place in district and they are coming up on the mid-season of their schedule.

Luke Spozio led the team with 18 points, Judson Loe scored 14 points, Davis Budge and Cade Bruson contributed 12 points each. The next home game for the Tigers will be Jan. 13 against the Austin High School Maroons.

PHOTOS BY ALBERT SANCHEZ

Above, Luke Spozio (No. 2) drives hard against Trojan defender Mitchell Witlow. Right, Jaxon Reagan (No. 12) with a slam dunk in the 3rd quarter. Reagan contributed 8 points for the Tigers win.