Tiger VB remains undefeated in district play
Nat’l Merit Semifinalists named
Grant supports counsel for immigrants
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News-Dispatch Volume XXXX No. 1
Serving Western Hays County, Texas since 1982
75¢ Thursday, October 3, 2019
WISD under scrutiny for opposing use of pride colors with school logo BY CAMELIA JUAREZ
In the afterglow of the Wimberley Pride parade, Wimberley ISD is under scrutiny for releasing a statement against a WISD School Board member wearing a shirt with the Wimberley High School logo against the backdrop of a pride flag.
“The Board of Trustees, acting as governing board, and any Wimberley ISD administrator, in a position of authority, will always protect the official marks/logo of Wimberley ISD and will not approve the brand's use in any altered format.” –District statement by Wimberlery ISD Superintendent Dwain York
During the Wimberley pride parade, WISD School Board member Lori Olson, who was out of town, post-
ed a picture on Facebook of her wearing a shirt with the Wimberley High School logo against the backdrop
of a pride flag. Days after the parade, Wimberley ISD Superintendent Dwain York released
a statement, which in part said the district and district employees will not want condone any alteration to
the logo of Wimberley ISD. "If a non-school related group alters and uses the official marks/logo of Wimberley ISD accompanied by text, it would suggest to the viewer, that Wimberley ISD endorses the group's activities. The Board of Trustees, acting as governing board,
SCHOOL LOGO DEBATE, 8
Powers steps down from PEC board BY ANITA MILLER
PHOTO BY JAMES NIÑO
Fun Run with furry friends
Hundreds of Dripping Springs area residents brought their furry friends out for a one-mile Tails & Trails Fun Run at Founders Memorial Park Saturday, followed by a dip in the park pool. The event, sponsored by Springs Veterinary Care and the city of Dripping Springs, also had a pet adoption. See more photos on page 3.
D.S. Farmers Market voted best for second year in a row BY CAMELIA JUAREZ
“I don’t know if it’s so different, but it’s just a sweet spot, a goldilocks market. It’s large enough to have variety. It’s not so big that you can’t get to know the individual vendors. It’s representative of what a farmer’s market should be.”
For the second year in a row, Dripping Springs farmers market was awarded best farmers market in the southwest by the American Farmland Trust. Every Wednesday after picking up the kids from school or before dinner, –Laurel Robertson, Farmers Market manager locals head to the Farmers Market from 3 p.m. to 6 produce and honey, but p.m. at the Triangle, 160 bors’ backyards. Dripping Springs has East Mercer, to get fresh The market includes homemade ice cream treats from their neightraditional locally grown
made right before customers’ eyes, keto snacks and rutabaga pie that has people traveling to get a bite. As mouthwatering as that sounds, the products are a fraction of the reason that the Dripping Springs farmers market celebrated its 10th birthday with another year being crowned as best farmers market. Manager of the Dripping Springs farmers
D.S. FARMERS MARKET, 6
LAGNIAPPE Ready to Vote 2019 to be held Oct. 5
The League of Women Voters will be hosting a non-partisan training called “Ready to Vote 2019” at the Cephas House in San Marcos on Oct. 5, 10 a.m.–noon. The training will cover the new county-wide Vote Centers, how to interact with the new voting machines and what is on the ballot for the upcoming election. Election day is Nov. 5 with early voting set for Oct. 21 through Nov. 1.
Free Family Fun Days return to Jacob’s Well Jacob’s Well Natural Area staff invite all families looking for fun to join them for this free event Saturday, Oct. 5, noon to 5 p.m. for the first Free Family Fun Day of the season. There will be free games and activities focused on water quality and conser-
vation. Visitors will learn a few tips on how to conserve water in your own home and take a guided hike down to Jacob’s Well to learn more about this amazing spring and the water flowing through it. Be sure to bring drinking water and good walking shoes. Meet at the Jacob’s Well Natural Area Nature Center.
DSISD to host dyslexia parent information night
Dyslexia specialists and the DSISD Special Services Department are hosting the annual DSISD Dyslexia Parent Information Night. It will be held at DSHS’s lecture hall on Oct. 10 from 6 to 7:15 p.m. The evening will consist of introductions to the team, a showing of the film “The Big Picture: Rethinking Dyslexia”, and a brief panel discussion. The month of October is recognized internationally as Dyslexia Awareness Month.
interest certifications and disclosures with Mr. Powers Portions of Hays County at its regular meeting will be getting a new Sept.13,” Viesca said. representative on the board “After a very contentious of the Pedernales Electric campaign which was Coop (PEC). difficult for myself, Jim Powers has my family and my resigned under a business, I find cloud of conflict of myself evaluating interest. where I need to Powers, who be spending my represented time and energy,” District 4, turned Powers’ letter in a letter of said, citing the resignation on pressing need of Sept. 20 with an his expanding effective date of business as POWERS Oct. 1. well as “new In the letter, opportunities” Powers said he “struggled” he intends to pursue. with making the decision. “Although serving the First elected to the PEC members of the PEC has Board in 2016, he was rebeen a great honor for me, I elected earlier this year. have determined that it is in PEC spokesman Mike the best interest of both the Viesca confirmed the PEC, myself and my family resignation involved a for me to step aside.” conflict of interest, but In the coming weeks, would not elaborate. “The the remaining board PEC Board of Directors addressed conflict of POWERS RESIGNS PEC, 6
Surveys first step to new Wimberley tourism plan BY CAMELIA JUAREZ Community input was a first step that the Wimberley tourism committee made towards a five-year tourism plan. Representative of Wimberley Arts and Culture Stan Allen said that by next year the committee will have a plan. The first meeting on Monday included discussion of budgeting, surveys and infrastructure. Allen said the first step for the committee is to choose goals, then begin a plan to achieve those goals. The committee decided to create a survey to help guide tourism goals. “We want to know how they feel about tourism and what they think our plans might be, but of course we want to include merchants. Being a small town we have to consider if we can handle a large influx of tourists,” Allen said. Next meeting, Allen said there will be a set of draft questions for the survey and ideas of how
“We want to know how they feel about tourism and what they think our plans might be, but of course we want to include merchants. Being a small town we have to consider if we can handle a large influx of tourists,” –Stan Allan, Representative of Wimberley Arts and Culture
to facilitate the survey. Wimberley will need to improve infrastructure and decide on a good marketing angle, Allen said. “We need to build parking more efficiently, build sidewalks where they don’t exist. We want
TOURISM PLAN, 6