FEBRUARY 9, 2022 GROWING FAST
MULES KICKED
Dripping Springs ISD to purchase more buses and portable buildings.
Lady Tiger soccer team shuts out Alamo Heights Mules.
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News-Dispatch
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HaysNewsDispatch.com
Vol. 42 • No. 20
Serving Hays County, TX
Luxury community planned for Dripping Springs STAFF REPORT
Distilling at the end of Silver Creek Road and will include ten 1.5-acre lots and 17 DRIPPING SPRINGS — two-acre lots. 19 of the lots A high-end, luxury home will back up to Barton Creek community will soon be coming to Dripping Springs. and offer bluff, river and Hill Southern Land Company Country views. The communi(SLC) announced it closed on ty will also feature a gathering its land acquisition in Dripping center with river access. The Springs on Jan. 31, marking starting price for these sinSLC’s first project in the region. gle-family homes will likely be around $1.5 million. The community will be “We are eager to get started located near Treaty Creek
The community will be located near Treaty Creek Distilling at the end of Silver Creek Road and will include ten 1.5-acre lots and 17 two-acre lots.
on what is going to be a collection of beautiful, inviting, high-quality homes,” said Dan Hutts, president of SLC’s Hill Country Region homebuilding group. “Barton Creek provides
an exceptional backdrop to our future community. It will be well suited for the discerning homebuyer who seeks a blend of unique design, extreme attention to detail and
a stunning natural setting.” The project was first announced in October 2021 as SLC’s homebuilding group expanded into Hays, Travis, Burnet and Comal counties. “We are very particular when selecting sites for our projects,” said Brian Sewell, president and COO of SLC. “The demand for high-end homes in Dripping Springs was only one factor in our
decision to build here. The area’s thriving culture, abundant outdoor activity opportunities, excellent school district and proximity to Austin were critical factors as well. Dripping Springs is energizing and exciting.” The engineering process began in January 2022 and infrastructure construction is expected to begin in September 2022.
DSISD amends compensation plan mid-year BY MEGAN WEHRING PHOTO BY DAVID WHITE Jack Holt, owner of Jinx Bread, sells his bread at the Farmers Market in the Triangle in downtown Dripping Springs every Wednesday. In March, the farmers market will be relocated to the Dr. Pound Historical Farmstead.
DS Farmers Market moves from Triangle to Dr. Pound farmstead BY MEGAN WEHRING
DRIPPING SPRINGS — After gaining more popularity within the last few months, the Dripping Springs Farmers Market is set to move to the Dr. Pound Historical Farmstead in March. Since 2009, the weekly market event has been hosted at the city of Dripping Springs Veterans Memorial Park, which is also known as the Triangle. The market staff has seen more visitors and vendors swarming in every week, especially after the city earned the title of having the number-one Farmers Market in Texas for
We’ve gone from an average of 20 to 25 vendors a week to just about 45 week after week, which has put some burden on the seams of that environment.”
the third time in four years in 2021. “[The Triangle] has been a spectacular venue with great visibility and accessibility for the people of Dripping Springs,” said Charlie Reed, Farmers Market Manager. “We’ve seen a little bit of growth over the last year. We’ve gone from an average of 20 to 25 vendors a week to just about 45 week after week, which has put some burden on the seams of that
environment.” Relocating the market will not only give more space for the event but it will also incorporate the city’s history. “I think it gives this market the potential to be premier with the visibility that’s out there,” Reed added. “It’s not immediate roadside visibility that we have right now but over the course of the last couple of months, we’ve seen Insta-
gram users with millions of followers checking in on our market and that’s at a place that does not have the photogenic appeal that the Pound House does, which also ties into the community’s history.” The Pound House Farmstead has two possible proposed locations with their grounds, according to the city staff report. One location is at the front of the property by the original entrance which will give plenty of sun exposure and visibility. The second location is at the back of the property adjacent to the new parking lot under the oak trees.
EARLY VOTING LOCATIONS FOR MARCH 1 PRIMARIES More info at hayscountytx.com Early voting for the March 1, 2022 primary election will take place between Feb. 14 and Feb. 25. Polls will be closed on Monday, Feb. 21 for Presidents’ Day. Locations on where to early vote around Hays County are:
SAN MARCOS LOCATIONS
• Hays County Government Center (main early voting site), 712 S Stagecoach Trail • Broadway, 401 Broadway Street #A • LBJ Student Center (Texas State University), 601 University Drive
KYLE AND UHLAND LOCATIONS
• Arnold Transportation Building (HCISD Admin), 21003 I-35 Frontage Rd • Kyle City Hall, 100 W Center St • Live Oak Academy High School, 4820 Jack C. Hays Trail • Simon Middle School (HCISD Clothes Closet), 3839 E FM 150 • Yarrington - Hays County Transportation Department, 2171 Yarrington Rd
BUDA LOCATIONS • Buda City Hall -
OBITUARIES – Pages 6 and 7
Multipurpose Room, 405 E Loop St, Building 100 • Sunfield Station, 2610 Main St
WIMBERLEY LOCATIONS
• Texan Academy at Scudder Campus, 400 Green Acres Drive • Wimberley Community Center, 14068 Ranch Road 12
DRIPPING SPRINGS LOCATIONS
• Dripping Springs United Methodist Church, 28900 Ranch Road 12 • Patriots’ Hall of Dripping Springs, 3400 E US 290
DRIPPING SPRINGS — Numerous changes were made to the Dripping Springs ISD (DSISD)’s compensation plan Monday evening. DSISD has acknowledged a shortage of substitute teachers and auxiliary staff. Beginning Feb. 1, the following midyear amendments will go into effect: Night shift custodians, split shift bus drivers and bus aides will receive a pay increase of $2 an hour; the daily substitute teacher pay rate will increase by $20; and full-time teachers covering classes when substitute teachers are not available will receive supplemental pay. Night shift custodians, split shift bus drivers and bus drivers are some of the hard-to-fill positions that are experiencing critical shortages, said superintendent Holly Morris-Kuentz. The compensation amendments will align with current market trends and compete with neighboring school districts. “Currently, the market has changed quite a bit this school year,” Morris-Kuentz addressed the Board on Jan. 31, “as other districts around us have had substitute shortages and they have been making changes to their substitute pay rates. We saw that start in the fall and it’s a trend that continued, even with Austin ISD making changes on the 18th, so we are continuing to see changes happening around us. We want to make changes in our pay rate structure to be competitive with that.” Classroom teachers qualify for supplemental pay only when they are assigned to cover
The News-Dispatch Barton Publications, Inc. The News-Dispatch (USPS 011-401) published weekly by Barton Publications, Inc., P.O. Box 339, Buda, TX 78610. Periodicals postage paid at Buda, TX 78610 and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Barton Publications, Inc., P.O. Box 339, Buda, TX 78610. ISSN#1087-9323
The following mid-year amendments have gone into effect: Night shift custodians, split shift bus drivers and bus aides will receive a pay increase of $2 an hour; the daily substitute teacher pay rate will increase by $20; and fulltime teachers covering classes when substitute teachers are not available will receive supplemental pay. additional classes due to a coworker’s absence. When classes are split due to an absence, elementary teachers who receive three or more additional students from a split class are also eligible for supplemental pay. Secondary teachers can only cover classes for the weekly equivalent of one of their two conference periods, according to the compensation plan. Elementary teachers providing full-day class coverage will receive $30 per day split and secondary teachers will receive $30 per block class.