hill country news area wide business card directory 2012
DESCRIPTION
The Business Card Directory is an easy way to reach thousands of potential customers in Cedar Park, Leander and the surrounding area and have your business at a customer’s fingertips when they need it. This directory will be organized by business type to make it easy to browse when someone is look- ing for your services. This full-color, glossy publication makes it easy for your business to make the right impression on customers.TRANSCRIPT
Hill Country news
2012 Area-WideBusiness
Card Directory
IncludingAustin, Cedar Park,
Jonestown, Lago Vista,Leander & Liberty Hill
LEANDER HEALTHCARE
CENTER2701 S. Highway 183, Ste. B
Leander, TX 78641512.259.5111 • www.leanderhc.com
Dr. AllenMauldin
Now Accepting Medicare & Medicare Advantage Plans
CATEGORY INDEXA/C & HEATING ........................................................ 4, 5
ACCOUNTING ............................................................... 5
ADVERTISING ............................................................... 6
APPLIANCE REPAIR ...................................................... 6
ASSISTED LIVING .......................................................... 7
ATTORNEYS ............................................................. 8, 9
AUTO BODY ................................................................. 9
AUTO REPAIR ................................................. 10, 11, 12
BANKING .............................................................. 12, 13
CANDY SHOP ............................................................. 13
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE ........................................ 14
CHURCH ..................................................................... 15
CLUB ........................................................................... 15
DENTISTS .............................................................. 15, 31
DERMATOLOGY ......................................................... 16
ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR ....................................... 16
ENTERTAINMENT ....................................................... 17
FLOORING .................................................................. 32
GOLF ........................................................................... 18
HAIR CUTS .................................................................. 19
HEALTH CARE .............................................................. 2
HOSPITAL ................................................................... 19
INSURANCE ................................................................ 19
JEWELRY .............................................................. 19, 20
LAWN MAINTENANCE .............................................. 20
LODGING .................................................................... 20
MORTGAGE ............................................................... 21
NEWSPAPER ............................................................... 22
OPTOMETRISTS .......................................................... 22
ORTHODONTICS .................................................. 22, 31
PERIODONTICS ........................................................... 22
PLUMBING ................................................................. 23
RADIOLOGY ............................................................... 23
REAL ESTATE .................................................. 23, 24, 25
RETIREMENT LIVING .................................................. 26
SALON ........................................................................ 26
SEPTIC ......................................................................... 27
SENIOR LIVING ........................................................... 28
SIGNS & BANNERS ..................................................... 28
TIRES ........................................................................... 28
TOWING ..................................................................... 28
URGENT CARE ............................................................ 28
TRANSPORTATION ..................................................... 29
4A
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REFRIGERATION
267-2539
RESIDENTIAL • COMMERCIAL• SALES • INSTALLATION• SERVICE • DESIGN• ALL MAKES & MODELS
MILITARY & SENIOR DISCOUNTS
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LIC # TACLA27083
10% OFFService Call up to $50
FREE High EfficiencyFilter System
with New Equipment Install
For breaking newsand updates...
look for us online,become our fan on Facebook
or follow us on twitter.
Reporting the news since 1968.
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E & E ServicesAppliance Repair
Also Electrical Repair/Services
267-6294www.eeserviceslago.com
John McCaleb Cell:775-1261
Hill Country newsYour Local News Since 1968
Bill RobisonAdvertising Executive
103 Woods LaneCedar Park, TX 78613
512-259-4449 Office512-740-5535 Cell
Hill Country newsYour Local News Since 1968
Paulette LewisAdvertising Executive
103 Woods LaneCedar Park, TX 78613
512-259-4449 Office512-525-5025 Cell
7A
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Independently owned & operated
House at Cedar Ridge801 Riva Ridge DriveLeander, TX 78641
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Our attorneys have decades of experience representing everyone from individuals to multi-billion dollar corporations in business and personal litigation.
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Business LawContract LawEmployer/Employee IssuesCommercial Landlord/Tentant Law
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• Loaner car/ride home within 10 miles based upon availability
• Coupons/discounts may not be combined
PamperedAuto Care
Mon-Fri 8-6 Sat 9-2
Cedar Park1403 W. Whitestone Blvd.
335-3955
N. Austin/Round Rock16299 FM 1325
310-1107
Specializing inEuropean Auto Repairs
Mercedes • BMWAudi/VW • Porsche
Domestics & Asians are welcome
Special offers with this AD:• First Time Customers - deduct 20% off full labor charges with this ad, up to $100 savings
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109 Cypress Creek Rd. Ste. 109 • Cedar Park, TX 78613 • [email protected] www.lonestarbank.com
Cecily A. Panetta Phone 512-258-7001Operations Manager Fax 512-258-7009Assistant Vice President
Doug KuenstlerExecutive Vice President
Specialty Candies18 Flavors of Ice CreamGift Baskets, Pinatas, Handmade FudgeChocolate Dipped StrawberriesPopcorn, Snowcones, Milkshakes
"Lago Vista's Sweet Spot"512-284-8145
7708 Lohman Ford Ste 105, Lago Vista
Daily Updates at hillcountrynews.com
Weekly Pages, Daily News
Hill Country newsServing the Cedar Park and Leander
area since 1968.
By CHRISTINE BOLAÑOS
CEDAR PARK – After fi n-
ishing in the top 10 at the Bands
of America Grand National
Championships in Indianapolis,
it’s safe to say that the Cedar Park
band’s performances are on par
with those of professional musi-
cians, but until now most of the
band has lacked professional attire
to complete the package.
Performance tuxedos and
dresses don’t come cheap, but as-
sistant band director Bob Chreste
said he didn’t want the cost to be a
a burden on parents.
Rather than having students sell
popcorn or candy, the CPHS band
decided to enter the Pepsi Refresh
Project since “parents were already
used to online voting,, Chreste said.
The band needed to fi nish
among the top 10 in order to win
a $25,000 grant toward new uni-
forms. The T’wolves have been
informed they were a fi nalist in the
contest, meaning more than likely,
they placed in the top 10.
But the band would never have
gotten involved in the contest had
it not been for previous contest.
Earlier in 2010, the band boost-
ers fi nished in 79th place in the
Chase Bank Community Giv-
ing contest with 1,804 votes. As
a result, Chase Bank will donate
$20,000 to the band program.
During the Chase Bank contest,
Chreste met a Florida high school
band director who also placed in
the contest. Chreste found out
that, in an effort to raise money to
participate in Macy’s Thanksgiving
Day Parade in New York City, the
Florida band went straight from
the Chase Bank Community Giv-
ing contest to the Pepsi Refresh
Project in which the top 10 bands
would be eligible for $25,000 to-
ward their goal.
As Chreste learned more about
the project, he decided the CPHS
band should get involved, especial-
ly since parents and the community
could vote in support of the band
online as they did in the Chase con-
test. Coming up with the goal was
easy: new uniforms for the entire
band since the majority of CPHS
band players have had to make due
with tired, worn uniforms over a
decade old during their concerts.
“We actually got comments
from judges about how unprofes-
sional the band looked” in spite
of its professional performance,
Chreste said, referring to a recent
UIL competition.
So the solution was easy: raise
money for new uniforms to avoid
situations such as the one at the UIL
competition. The Pepsi Refresh
Project allowed for multiple voting
daily from September until the last
day of voting, Dec. 31. However,
one vote per parent or supporter
wouldn’t suffi ce. The band needed
to fi nd ways to promote the con-
test to help remind the community
about voting (which they could also
do via texting).
But the CPHS band remained
busy throughout the fall semester
with concerts, activities and get-
ting ready for the Indianapolis
competition. In September, the
band fi nished in the top 100 in the
Pepsi Refresh Project, so the band
was automatically rolled over to the
month of October. The same thing
happened in November which
meant that in spite of little time
spent on promoting the contest
due to other priorities, the com-
munity still placed enough votes to
keep the band in the competition.
Then when December arrived, the
band fi nally had time to promote
the contest.
“We had parents, two in par-
ticular, who really stepped up and
helped me promote this,” Chreste
said. Soon a Facebook page, word-
of-mouth and daily e-mail remind-
ers got more and more people
voting daily in the contest. Band
members also used some of band
practice time to promote the con-
test and got “at least a couple hun-
dred votes a day,” he added.
Band instructors asked lo-
cal businesses to get involved by
providing them with gift cards or
certifi cates to be used as incen-
tives for community involvement
in the contest. The band has nearly
$1,000 in gift cards and certifi cates
for those who voted. Winners will
Serving Cedar Park, Leander and Northwest Austin since 1968
Volume 44, Issue 1 • 10 pages
Thursday, January 6, 2011 • 50 cents
Seen any good movies?
■ Movie critic Laurie Coker counts down
the best and worst of 2010’s cinematic
offerings on Page 3.
HILL COUNTRY NEWSWWW.HILLCOUNTRYNEWS.COM
How does Leander ISD stack up ?
New statewide study measures school spending against student success
FROM STAFF REPORTS
LEANDER — Curious how
Leander ISD stacks up against
Round Rock or Pfl ugerville
schools based on a dollars-to-
academics ratio?
The Texas comptroller’s offi ce
has a new Web tool you might be
interested in.
If you want to know how an in-
dividual LISD elementary school
stacked up against others in the
district on spending and academic
benchmarks, the new Web tool
will tell you that also.
FASTexas.org, released last
month, was the result of an ef-
fort to connect the dots between
school spending and student
progress.
Locally, the comptroller’s offi ce
comprehensive study last month
found that Leander ISD was at
the top of academic progress and
near the middle on spending when
compared with other comparable
school districts across the state.
“The results from the study
found that Leander ISD had aver-
age spending, but had above aver-
age academic results, leading to an
overall rating of four-out-of-fi ve
stars,” LISD Superintendent Bret
Champion said. “We will continue
to review the data to determine
how it can be used to inform de-
cision-making throughout the sys-
tem.” Only 43 of the 1,235 school
districts and charter schools ana-
lyzed received a fi ve-star rating,
meaning spending was very low
and academic success was very
high. The comptroller’s Financial
Allocation Study for Texas, or
FAST, report was in response to
the 2009 Legislature’s House Bill 3,
which directed the comptroller to
identify school districts and cam-
puses that use resource allocation
practices that contribute to high
academic achievement.
This year, as Texas faces an
unprecedented budget-cutting ses-
sion, and schools under continued
pressure to do more with less, state
Comptroller Susan Combs said
the report could help trim school
spending without sacrifi cing edu-
cational quality.
“We all want students to excel
academically, and it takes a cer-
tain amount of spending to real-
ize that goal, but what is the right
amount?” Combs asked. “We need
to fully understand the relation-
ship between student progress and
spending.”
Combs said her hope is that
taxpayers will be able to use the
FAST rating system to see where
their money is going in the public
education system and will continue
to prompt more discussion regard-
ing cost versus quality in educa-
tion. “Taxpayers are within their
rights to expect exceptional aca-
demic achievement, and they are
also entitled to receive the best
value for their tax dollars,” Combs
said.” Wilco county attorney
sues for county judge to
be removed from postBy ELIZABETH PAGE
Granite Publications
Williamson County Attorney
Jana Duty has filed a civil lawsuit
asking for the removal of Dan
A. Gattis from his post as county
judge. In the latest round between
these two elected county officials,
Duty alleges Gattis engaged in of-
ficial misconduct related to the hir-
ing of outside legal counsel on at
least four different occasions.
According to the petition filed
Dec. 22 in the 26th District Court,
Duty accused Gattis of violat-
ing the Texas Open Meetings Act
by spending money on outside
counsel without the consent of
Commissioners’ Court when he
met with an attorney from the firm
of Potts and Reilly LLP in March
2007 regarding the county landfill.
The petition also alleges Gattis
caused an altered invoice to be pro-
vided to the Williamson County
Auditor’s Office in an apparent at-
tempt to hide the work done by the
firm without the court’s authority.
The suit also calls into ques-
tion payment of legal expenses to
defend recently retired Williamson
County Court at Law Judge Don
Higginbotham in a sexual harass-
ment case fi led this fall by two court
employees, an item that never went
to the full Commissioners’ Court.
After an executive ses-
sion held during a special called
Commissioners’ Court meeting
Wednesday, Gattis declined to
comment about the lawsuit and
would not say whether legal coun-
sel had been retained to represent
him in the case.
CPHS band fi nalist in running for $25K
Pepsi Refresh Everything project contest grant to go toward new uniforms
Inside
School ..................................
....... 2
Opinion ...................................
.... 4
Classifieds ................................7
-8
Community ................................. 9
Sports ...................................
..... 1 0
w w w . h i l l c o u n t r y n e w s . c o m
Thank a Veteran and Serviceman
Every Day.
Longtime reader wins
HCN Facebook contestBy CHRISTINE BOLAÑOS
December marked the begin-
ning of an emotional roller coaster
for Stefanie Smith and her family
as they deal with a grandmother’s
worsening illness, but winning four
free tickets to this Saturday’s Texas
Stars game brought a few hours of
joy and fun for the family.
“You have no idea what amaz-
ing timing this is,” Smith wrote to
the News after learning she had won
the tickets. “We have been deal-
ing with an impending death of a
Grandma and my kids will be elat-
ed when I tell them!!! It has been
a sad two weeks around here, I am
looking forward to moving forward
into the new year, with new, happy
memories.”
Smith was among 301 Hill
Country News Facebook page fans
in the running for the free tickets.
As an incentive to boost fan num-
bers, the News promised four game
tickets to a Facebook fan randomly
selected by staff once the page
reached the 300-fan mark.
Fans spread word of the contest
to their Facebook friends and, last
week, the Facebook page met and
exceeded the 300-fan mark. Smith
was informed of the win via a Face-
book message.
Smith and her family reside in
Liberty Hill and are former resi-
dents of the Cedar Park/Leander
area. Smith has lived in the area
about 25 years, sharing the last sev-
en or eight of those with husband
Zach. Growing up, Smith would read
the Hill Country News because it
was delivered to her parent’s house.
When she married, both Smith and
her husband continued to read the
News because of the small-town
feeling it gave them.
‘New kid on the block’ judge takes oath in Wilco GEORGETOWN — In a packed courtroom
Saturday, elected county offi cials, including
10 judges, four administrators and two
commissioners, gathered for induction
ceremonies at the historic Williamson County
Courthouse in Georgetown. County Judge
Dan A. Gattis told the crowd comprised
of friends and family members that it was
unique for a county to have all its elected
offi cials inducted in a single ceremony.
All but one of the inductees were re-elected
to their posts. Gattis introduced incoming
County Court at Law No. 3 Judge Doug
Arnold as ‘the only new kid on the block.’
Arnold served as assistant district attorney
in Williamson County from April 1998
through November 2010 and as assistant
district attorney in Harris County from 1994
to 1998. He also worked at the Texas Court of
Criminal Appeals.
At left, 227th District Court Judge Ken
Anderson administers the oath of offi ce to
Arnold and presents him with a copy of the
U.S. Constitution.
See the story on page 5.
Elizabeth Page
See JUDGE REMOVAL, 5
See HCN FAN, 5
See BAND CONTEST, 2
Courtesy Photo
CPHS Band parent volunteers and members promote Pepsi Refresh Project contest outside
Applebee’s near Lakeline Mall just prior to Christmas school break. From left, parents Lisa
Votti, Josi Black and Tammy Thompson, and students Nathan Tropiano and Carl Votti.
Courtesy Photo
Stefanie Smith of Liberty Hill, pictured with husband, Zach, won the HCN Facebook contest.
See how individual LISD campuses stacked up among each other
and how the school district as a whole fared in comparison to other
local school districts on the school page located on Page 2 inside
this edition.
Find us on
Get the latest updates from us on
Facebook and Twitter
512-259-4449
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TISTSChristian ScienceChurch ServicesSundays 10:00 am
All are cordiallyinvited to attend
our services
Christian Science
A Branch ofThe First Church of Christ Scientist
Boston, Massachusetts
A Branch ofThe First Church of Christ Scientist
Boston, Massachusetts19807 Boggy Ford RoadLago Vista19807 Boggy Ford RoadLago Vista
Reading Room Open Mondays 9-11 amReading Room Open Mondays 9-11 am
Dental Care & Orthodontics for Children and Teens
9415 Hwy 29 W. • Georgetown, Tx(Less than 10 minutes north of HEB Plus)
www.LHKidsDentist.com
MEDICAID, CHIP & MOST INSURANCE PLANS ACCEPTED
Liberty Hill Pediatric Dentistry
512-930-4040Ask Us About Our Monthly Specials
Infants, Children, Teenagers
FREE DENTAL GOODIE BAG & TOOTHBRUSH WITH EVERY CLEANING
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512.260.58601401 Medical Parkway I Bldg. B, Suite 300 I Cedar Park, TX 78613www.lonestardermatology.com
Aubrey Chad Hartmann MDBoard Certified Dermatologist
Melody Vander Straten MDBoard Certified Dermatologist
Kelly Webb, PA-CPhysician Assistant
Tricia Winters, PA-CPhysician Assistant
Anne Marie Slater, LAAesthetician
SPECIALIZED CARE FOR THESKIN, HAIR & NAILS
Skin Cancer Prevention & Treatment Skin Rejuvenation
COSMETIC SERVICES INCLUDE:Laser Hair Removal
Photofacial/lntense Pulsed LightBotox • Fillers • Chemical Peels
Microdermabrasion
Elizabeth Cabrera, M.D.Christopher Jones, Jr., M.D.Board Certified DermatologistsGilbert Saenz, III, PA-CAbby McReynolds, PA-CCertified Physician Assistants
Oakmont Office Condominiums1464 E. Whitestone Blvd.
Building 3, Suite 301Cedar Park, Texas 78613
512-260-3376 www.VitalogySkinCare.com
SKINCAREVitalogy
MH Electric, Inc.Serving Central TexasSince 1990• Licensed &
Insured• Installations• Remodels• Services• Repairs• 20 Yrs. Exp.
Matt Harvey Owner/Master ElectricianTECL#27343
512/267-1425 mobile# 512/986-0233
Serving Central TexasSince 1990MH Electric, Inc.
17EN
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To Purchase Tickets Call
(512) 477.8468401 E. Whitestone Blvd. Ste# A103 • Cedar Park
Hill Country FlyerOur original and most popular train. Ride 66 miles round-trip from Cedar Park to Burnet through the Texas Hill Country. Enjoy time for lunch and shopping during the layover in Burnet.
Bertram FlyerFollows the scenic route of the Hill Country Flyer, but offers passengers a shorter journey from Cedar Park to Bertram and return. The 15-minute layover is enough time to step off and tour our fully restored 1912 train depot.
18G
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LAGO VISTA GOLF COURSEHIGHLAND LAKES GOLF COURSE
Both Owned & Managed by the City of Lago Vista
• Public Welcome• Custom Club Fitting
• 2 – Par 72 Golf Courses• Tournaments Welcome
• Driving Range/Putting Green• Golf Memberships Available
• PGA Instruction• Active MGA and WGA
Breakfast & Lunch Served Daily at Lago Vista
$2 BeerAfter Golf Ambience
Lago Vista Golf Course
(512) 267-1170Closed on Mondays
Highland Lakes Golf Course(512) 382-6529
Closed on Tuesdayswww.lagovistagc.com
Majestic SceneryProfessional Attitude
19H
AIR
CU
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SPITAL, IN
SUR
AN
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ELRY
512-250-8711251 N. Bell Blvd. Suite 110 • Cedar Park
Located in the Shopping Center with Popeyes Chicken - Next to Los ReyesTues.-Fri. 9-6 • Sat. 9-3 • Closed Sun. and Mon.
512-528-7000CedarParkRegional.com
63772_CEDA_Biz_3_5x2c.indd 1 7/22/12 1:50 PM
Richard Carroll Financial Professional Emeritus The Prudential Insurance Company of America Office: 512-331-8200 Cell Phone: 512-635-6577 http://www.prudential.com/us/r.carroll
Insurance issued by The Prudential Insurance Company of America and its affiliates.Prudential, the Prudential logo and the Rock symbol are service marks of PrudentialFinancial, Inc. and its related entities, registered in many jurisdictions worldwide.0222304-00001-00
Kay Threadgill, Agent1501 North Bell Blvd., Cedar Park, TX
Serving the Community since 1987
State Farm Insurance Companies • Home Offices: Bloomington, Illinois
Like a good neighbor,State Farm is there.®
statefarm.com™
We pay TOP DOLLAR for Gold, Silver, Platinum & Diamonds
Cedar park jewelryCreate the Jewelry YOU want.
Sell us the Jewelry you don’t.601 E. Whitestone Blvd., Cedar Park, Texas(512) 259-9430 • CedarParkJewelry.com
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1909 S. Highway 183 • Suite 104Leander, Texas 78641
(512) 259-8811www.hudsonsjewelry.comForYourValentine
North Lake JewelersFULL SERVICE JEWELER • CUSTOM DESIGNS
We Pay Top Price For Unwanted Gold, Silver & PlatinumWatch Batteries Installed While You Wait
25 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE267-6000 • 18666 FM 1431 • Jonestown
425 East Whitestone Blvd (FM 1431)Cedar Park, TX 78613(Ph) 512.259.7300 | (Fax) 512.260.8200 I www.BestWestern.com
• 100% Smoke–free room• Free high–speed internet access• Free local calls and weekday papers• Free Deluxe Continental Breakfast• Refrigerators/Microwaves, Coffee Makers• Hairdryers, Iron and Ironing Board• Swimming Pool• Fully equipped exercise room• Conveniently located next to
Restaurants and Shopping425 East Whitestone Blvd (FM 1431)Cedar Park, TX 78613(Ph) 512.259.7300 | (Fax) 512.260.8200 I www.BestWestern.com
• 100% Smoke–free room• Free high–speed internet access• Free local calls and weekday papers• Free Deluxe Continental Breakfast• Refrigerators/Microwaves, Coffee Makers• Hairdryers, Iron and Ironing Board• Swimming Pool• Fully equipped exercise room• Conveniently located next to
Restaurants and Shopping
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Better VisionFor a
Better Life• Comprehensive Eye Exams
• Designer Frames and Sunglasses• Contact Lenses • Digital Retinal Exams
• iLasik • Affordable Eyecare for the entire family
249-0808 • 302 S. Bellwww.CedarParkEyeCare.com
North Shore Eye CarePersonalized Eye Care. Professionals You Know and Trust.
Eye ExamsEye Glasses
Contact LensesServing Lago Vista, Jonestown, Leander,
Cedar Park and Surrounding Areas
Mark Dworsky ODShannon Kerns OD
512-267-7700
Dental Care & Orthodontics for Children and Teens
Cedar Park Periodontics, PCTreatment of Periodontal Diseases
Placement of Dental Implants
David R Reeves, DMD, MSSamira Toloue, DDS, MDS
Diplomates, American Board of Periodontology
209 Denali Pass, Suite ACedar Park, TX 78613
By CHRISTINE BOLAÑOS
CEDAR PARK – After fi n-
ishing in the top 10 at the Bands
of America Grand National
Championships in Indianapolis,
it’s safe to say that the Cedar Park
band’s performances are on par
with those of professional musi-
cians, but until now most of the
band has lacked professional attire
to complete the package.
Performance tuxedos and
dresses don’t come cheap, but as-
sistant band director Bob Chreste
said he didn’t want the cost to be a
a burden on parents.
Rather than having students sell
popcorn or candy, the CPHS band
decided to enter the Pepsi Refresh
Project since “parents were already
used to online voting,, Chreste said.
The band needed to fi nish
among the top 10 in order to win
a $25,000 grant toward new uni-
forms. The T’wolves have been
informed they were a fi nalist in the
contest, meaning more than likely,
they placed in the top 10.
But the band would never have
gotten involved in the contest had
it not been for previous contest.
Earlier in 2010, the band boost-
ers fi nished in 79th place in the
Chase Bank Community Giv-
ing contest with 1,804 votes. As
a result, Chase Bank will donate
$20,000 to the band program.
During the Chase Bank contest,
Chreste met a Florida high school
band director who also placed in
the contest. Chreste found out
that, in an effort to raise money to
participate in Macy’s Thanksgiving
Day Parade in New York City, the
Florida band went straight from
the Chase Bank Community Giv-
ing contest to the Pepsi Refresh
Project in which the top 10 bands
would be eligible for $25,000 to-
ward their goal.
As Chreste learned more about
the project, he decided the CPHS
band should get involved, especial-
ly since parents and the community
could vote in support of the band
online as they did in the Chase con-
test. Coming up with the goal was
easy: new uniforms for the entire
band since the majority of CPHS
band players have had to make due
with tired, worn uniforms over a
decade old during their concerts.
“We actually got comments
from judges about how unprofes-
sional the band looked” in spite
of its professional performance,
Chreste said, referring to a recent
UIL competition.
So the solution was easy: raise
money for new uniforms to avoid
situations such as the one at the UIL
competition. The Pepsi Refresh
Project allowed for multiple voting
daily from September until the last
day of voting, Dec. 31. However,
one vote per parent or supporter
wouldn’t suffi ce. The band needed
to fi nd ways to promote the con-
test to help remind the community
about voting (which they could also
do via texting).
But the CPHS band remained
busy throughout the fall semester
with concerts, activities and get-
ting ready for the Indianapolis
competition. In September, the
band fi nished in the top 100 in the
Pepsi Refresh Project, so the band
was automatically rolled over to the
month of October. The same thing
happened in November which
meant that in spite of little time
spent on promoting the contest
due to other priorities, the com-
munity still placed enough votes to
keep the band in the competition.
Then when December arrived, the
band fi nally had time to promote
the contest. “We had parents, two in par-
ticular, who really stepped up and
helped me promote this,” Chreste
said. Soon a Facebook page, word-
of-mouth and daily e-mail remind-
ers got more and more people
voting daily in the contest. Band
members also used some of band
practice time to promote the con-
test and got “at least a couple hun-
dred votes a day,” he added.
Band instructors asked lo-
cal businesses to get involved by
providing them with gift cards or
certifi cates to be used as incen-
tives for community involvement
in the contest. The band has nearly
$1,000 in gift cards and certifi cates
for those who voted. Winners will
Serving Cedar Park, Leander and Northwest Austin since 1968
Volume 44, Issue 1 • 10 pages
Thursday, January 6, 2011 • 50 cents
Seen any good movies?■ Movie critic Laurie Coker counts down
the best and worst of 2010’s cinematic
offerings on Page 3.
HILL COUNTRY NEWSWWW.HILLCOUNTRYNEWS.COM
How does Leander ISD stack up ?New statewide study measures school spending against student success
FROM STAFF REPORTS
LEANDER — Curious how
Leander ISD stacks up against
Round Rock or Pfl ugerville
schools based on a dollars-to-
academics ratio?
The Texas comptroller’s offi ce
has a new Web tool you might be
interested in.
If you want to know how an in-
dividual LISD elementary school
stacked up against others in the
district on spending and academic
benchmarks, the new Web tool
will tell you that also.
FASTexas.org, released last
month, was the result of an ef-
fort to connect the dots between
school spending and student
progress.
Locally, the comptroller’s offi ce
comprehensive study last month
found that Leander ISD was at
the top of academic progress and
near the middle on spending when
compared with other comparable
school districts across the state.
“The results from the study
found that Leander ISD had aver-
age spending, but had above aver-
age academic results, leading to an
overall rating of four-out-of-fi ve
stars,” LISD Superintendent Bret
Champion said. “We will continue
to review the data to determine
how it can be used to inform de-
cision-making throughout the sys-
tem.” Only 43 of the 1,235 school
districts and charter schools ana-
lyzed received a fi ve-star rating,
meaning spending was very low
and academic success was very
high. The comptroller’s Financial
Allocation Study for Texas, or
FAST, report was in response to
the 2009 Legislature’s House Bill 3,
which directed the comptroller to
identify school districts and cam-
puses that use resource allocation
practices that contribute to high
academic achievement.
This year, as Texas faces an
unprecedented budget-cutting ses-
sion, and schools under continued
pressure to do more with less, state
Comptroller Susan Combs said
the report could help trim school
spending without sacrifi cing edu-
cational quality.
“We all want students to excel
academically, and it takes a cer-
tain amount of spending to real-
ize that goal, but what is the right
amount?” Combs asked. “We need
to fully understand the relation-
ship between student progress and
spending.” Combs said her hope is that
taxpayers will be able to use the
FAST rating system to see where
their money is going in the public
education system and will continue
to prompt more discussion regard-
ing cost versus quality in educa-
tion. “Taxpayers are within their
rights to expect exceptional aca-
demic achievement, and they are
also entitled to receive the best
value for their tax dollars,” Combs
said.”
Wilco county attorney sues for county judge to be removed from post
By ELIZABETH PAGE
Granite Publications
Williamson County Attorney
Jana Duty has filed a civil lawsuit
asking for the removal of Dan
A. Gattis from his post as county
judge. In the latest round between
these two elected county officials,
Duty alleges Gattis engaged in of-
ficial misconduct related to the hir-
ing of outside legal counsel on at
least four different occasions.
According to the petition filed
Dec. 22 in the 26th District Court,
Duty accused Gattis of violat-
ing the Texas Open Meetings Act
by spending money on outside
counsel without the consent of
Commissioners’ Court when he
met with an attorney from the firm
of Potts and Reilly LLP in March
2007 regarding the county landfill.
The petition also alleges Gattis
caused an altered invoice to be pro-
vided to the Williamson County
Auditor’s Office in an apparent at-
tempt to hide the work done by the
firm without the court’s authority.
The suit also calls into ques-
tion payment of legal expenses to
defend recently retired Williamson
County Court at Law Judge Don
Higginbotham in a sexual harass-
ment case fi led this fall by two court
employees, an item that never went
to the full Commissioners’ Court.
After an executive ses-
sion held during a special called
Commissioners’ Court meeting
Wednesday, Gattis declined to
comment about the lawsuit and
would not say whether legal coun-
sel had been retained to represent
him in the case.
CPHS band fi nalist in running for $25KPepsi Refresh Everything project contest grant to go toward new uniforms
Inside
School ......................................... 2
Opinion ....................................... 4
Classifieds ................................7-8
Community ................................. 9
Sports ........................................ 1 0
w w w . h i l l c o u n t r y n e w s . c o m
Thank a Veteran and Serviceman
Every Day.
Longtime reader wins HCN Facebook contest
By CHRISTINE BOLAÑOS
December marked the begin-
ning of an emotional roller coaster
for Stefanie Smith and her family
as they deal with a grandmother’s
worsening illness, but winning four
free tickets to this Saturday’s Texas
Stars game brought a few hours of
joy and fun for the family.
“You have no idea what amaz-
ing timing this is,” Smith wrote to
the News after learning she had won
the tickets. “We have been deal-
ing with an impending death of a
Grandma and my kids will be elat-
ed when I tell them!!! It has been
a sad two weeks around here, I am
looking forward to moving forward
into the new year, with new, happy
memories.” Smith was among 301 Hill
Country News Facebook page fans
in the running for the free tickets.
As an incentive to boost fan num-
bers, the News promised four game
tickets to a Facebook fan randomly
selected by staff once the page
reached the 300-fan mark.
Fans spread word of the contest
to their Facebook friends and, last
week, the Facebook page met and
exceeded the 300-fan mark. Smith
was informed of the win via a Face-
book message.
Smith and her family reside in
Liberty Hill and are former resi-
dents of the Cedar Park/Leander
area. Smith has lived in the area
about 25 years, sharing the last sev-
en or eight of those with husband
Zach. Growing up, Smith would read
the Hill Country News because it
was delivered to her parent’s house.
When she married, both Smith and
her husband continued to read the
News because of the small-town
feeling it gave them.
‘New kid on the block’ judge takes oath in Wilco GEORGETOWN — In a packed courtroom
Saturday, elected county offi cials, including
10 judges, four administrators and two
commissioners, gathered for induction
ceremonies at the historic Williamson County
Courthouse in Georgetown. County Judge
Dan A. Gattis told the crowd comprised
of friends and family members that it was
unique for a county to have all its elected
offi cials inducted in a single ceremony.
All but one of the inductees were re-elected
to their posts. Gattis introduced incoming
County Court at Law No. 3 Judge Doug
Arnold as ‘the only new kid on the block.’
Arnold served as assistant district attorney
in Williamson County from April 1998
through November 2010 and as assistant
district attorney in Harris County from 1994
to 1998. He also worked at the Texas Court of
Criminal Appeals.
At left, 227th District Court Judge Ken
Anderson administers the oath of offi ce to
Arnold and presents him with a copy of the
U.S. Constitution.
See the story on page 5.
Elizabeth Page
See JUDGE REMOVAL, 5
See HCN FAN, 5
See BAND CONTEST, 2
Courtesy Photo
CPHS Band parent volunteers and members promote Pepsi Refresh Project contest outside
Applebee’s near Lakeline Mall just prior to Christmas school break. From left, parents Lisa
Votti, Josi Black and Tammy Thompson, and students Nathan Tropiano and Carl Votti.
Courtesy Photo
Stefanie Smith of Liberty Hill, pictured with husband, Zach, won the HCN Facebook contest.
See how individual LISD campuses stacked up among each other
and how the school district as a whole fared in comparison to other
local school districts on the school page located on Page 2 inside
this edition.
Find us on FacebookHill Country news
Serving Cedar Park, Leander andNorthwest Austin since 1968
103 Woods Lane Cedar Park512-259-4449 HillCountryNews.com
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