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Georgetown Edition VOLUME 17, ISSUE 7 MARCH 20 APRIL 18, 2024
2024 Camp Guide
Nearly 200 students transferred from Georgetown ISD into Meridian World School in the 202223 school year, according to data from the Texas Education Agency.
COURTESY MERIDIAN WORLD SCHOOL
Budgets tighten for ISDs as school options expand
“In the era of increased conversations on school choice, we as a district are also operating as if we are a choice for families,” Georgetown ISD Superintendent Devin Padavil said.
other suburbs north of Austin, and homeschooling is becoming more widespread. Local district ocials said the resulting exodus of students from public schools is causing funding challenges.
BY BROOKE SJOBERG
In the last decade, more school options have become available for parents deciding where to send their children to be educated. New private and charter schools have opened in Georgetown and
CONTINUED ON 26
Also in this issue
Impacts: Floor & Decor to move into old HEB site (Page 6)
Education: Texas districts lose millions in special education funding (Page 11)
Health care: St. David's Georgetown expands cardiac care (Page 19)
Dining: The Grumpy George brings British pub food to downtown (Page 37)
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About Community Impact
Owners John and Jennifer Garrett launched Community Impact in 2005, and the company is still locally owned today with editions across Texas. Our mission is to provide trusted news and local information that everyone gets. Our vision is to build communities of informed citizens and thriving businesses through the collaboration of a passionate team. Our purpose is to be a light for our readers, customers, partners and each other by living out our core values of Faith, Passion, Quality, Innovation and Integrity.
Market leaders & metro team
Reporters Brittany Anderson Elle Bent Amanda Cutshall Kameryn Griesser Sarah Hernandez April Kelley Sierra Martin Katy McAfee Haley McLeod Hannah Norton Brooke Sjoberg Ben Thompson
Denise Seiler General Manager dseiler@ communityimpact.com
Amira Van Leeuwen Zacharia Washington Chloe Young Graphic Designers Rachal Elliott Alissa Foss Gloria Gonzalez Melissa Johnson Sabrina Musachia Minh Nguyen Joseph Veloz Copy Editors Adrian Gandara Beth Marshall Publisher Travis Baker Managing Editor Darcy Sprague Senior Art Production Manager Haley Grace
Claire Shoop Editor cshoop@ communityimpact.com
Dana Smyth Account Executive dsmyth@ communityimpact.com
Contact us
Email newsletters communityimpact.com/newsletter Support us Join your neighbors by giving to the CI Patron program. Funds support our journalistic mission to provide trusted, local news in your community. Learn more at communityimpact.com/cipatron
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GEORGETOWN EDITION
DEL WEBB BLVD.
SERENADA DR.
Impacts
NORTHWEST BLVD.
4 Smile Solutions Dentistry Owned by Dr. Bruce Beheshtin, DDS, the practice provides comprehensive dental care. • Opened Feb. 21 • 4337 Teravista Club Drive, Round Rock • www.smilesolutionsroundrock.com
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NE INNER LOOP
CHERRYWOOD LN.
130 TOLL
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CEDAR DR.
Coming soon
KAUFFMAN LP.
RIVERY BLVD.
5 Floor & Decor The hard-surface ooring retailer will move into the former H-E-B location o I-35. The building will now undergo a $7.2 million renovation, according to a Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation ling. • Opening in November 29
W. 8TH ST.
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WOLF RANCH PKWY.
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• 1100 S. I-35, Georgetown • www.flooranddecor.com
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6 The Children’s Therapy Spot The clinic will oer speech, occupational and some physical therapy services to children ages 1-14, owner and director Marcus Neal said. • Opening in May • 1502 Blue Ridge Drive, Ste. 200, Georgetown • www.thechildrenstherapyspot.com 7 Patriot Animal Hospital The facility, which will specialize in health care for cats and dogs, is led by Freddy and Amy Mitchell. • Opening May 13 • 4910 W. Hwy. 29, Georgetown • www.patriotah.com 110 8 Country Donuts The doughnut shop’s menu includes frosted and lled varieties, kolaches, sandwiches, croissants and coee. This will be the second store for owner Johnny Khan. • Opening in October • 3900 FM 1460, Georgetown • Contact information not available as of press time 9 Anchor Austin Church The missional Indian church will begin holding Sunday evening services on Easter at First Baptist Georgetown. 110
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supplies. Owner Damian Thompson said he researches and handpicks products for the store. • Opened Dec. 20 • 4402 Williams Drive, Ste. 105, Georgetown • www.mynobledog.com 3 Casa Garcia’s The Central Texas Mexican chain serves burritos, tacos, enchiladas, seafood and fajitas. The Bar W Marketplace restaurant is the company’s seventh location. • Opened Feb. 23 • 19380 Ronald Reagan Blvd., Ste. 420, Leander • www.casagarcias.com 1460
Now open
1 Austin Lampworks Owners Gary and Cameron McNabb create custom lighting xtures, sell antique lamps and chandeliers, and provide restoration and repair services. • Opened Feb. 24 • 3010 Williams Drive, Ste. 180, Georgetown • www.austinlampworks.com
35
2 The Noble Dog Supply The store sells dog toys, treats, food and other
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Dr. Craig P. Torres D.D.S., Endodontist Board Certied (COL US Army Dental Corps RET) • Non-surgical root canal therapy • Root canal retreatments • Root canal surgery Dr. Gloria T. Torres D.D.S., Prosthodontist (LTC US Army Dental Corps RET) 64 Years Combined Experience (Retired Army Dentists)
Call for an appointment 512-868-5999 Advanced Technology CEREC (one day all ceramic crowns) Endodontic Microscopes Digital radiography/photography CBCT (3-D) scans Oral/nitrous sedation www.Torres-Dental-Specialties.com
• Restorative Dentistry • Cosmetic Dentistry • Full mouth reconstruction
(severe wear/malocclusions) • Complex esthetic and functional cases • Dental implants • Dentures / partial dentures
4402 Williams Drive, Suite 104 • Georgetown, TX • Hours M-F 8-5 • Most insurance accepted
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COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM
BY KAMERYN GRIESSER, CLAIRE SHOOP & CHLOE YOUNG
• Opening March 31 • 1333 W. University Ave., Georgetown • www.anchoraustin.com
Bryan Chisholm purchased the roong business Jan. 1 from the retiring founders Mike Pickel and Gary Emory.
In the news
• 508 Cedar Drive, Georgetown • www.texastraditionsroo¥ing.com
Relocations
13 Williamson County Precinct 3 Justice of the Peace The o¦ce lobby temporarily closed for renovations Feb. 26. The work—which is expected to last around four weeks—will give the facility a new look and is intended to improve the experience of customers. • 100 Wilco Way, Georgetown • www.wilcotx.gov 14 Edward Jones The nancial advising company is slated to remodel its downtown o¦ce this spring to become compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act, a company representative said. • 214 W. Eighth St., Georgetown • www.edwardjones.com 15 Sanctuary Holistic Kitchen The one-stop health shop owned by Robin Cervantes is
10 The Golf Ranch The business will be moving to a new facility more than twice the size of its current space o Austin Avenue. The golf retail store features three hitting bays, clothing, custom golf club tting and a golf club repair shop. • Relocating in April or May • Intersection of Hwy. 29 and Cantera, Georgetown • www.golfranchshop.com
16 Whiskers Luxury Cat Boarding The business has eight dierent suite options, varying in size from small to a playroom, each featuring a variety of cat climbing toys, a bed and blanket, and a litter box. Owned by mother and daughter-in-law Jennifer and Twyla Miller, the business marked its 10-year anniversary March 1. • 5411 Williams Drive, Ste. 200, Georgetown • www.whiskers.co
In the news
11 Rivery Coee & Bagels Formerly Rivery Coeehouse & Desserts, the business changed its name Jan. 16. The cafe now serves an array
of specialty bagels sourced from New York. • 1500 Rivery Blvd., Ste. 2155, Georgetown • www.riverycoffeehouse.com
celebrating ve years of business in March. • 103 N. Austin Ave., Ste. 310, Georgetown • www.sanctuaryholistickitchen.com
12 Texas Traditions Roo ng Company President Michael Pickel and General Manager
LUCKY YOU! You don’t need the luck of the Irish to have a great smile- you just need to take that first step! Georgetown Family Orthodontics offers a variety of treatment options to fit your budget and lifestyle, and we’re always accepting new patients. We are conveniently located at Shell Road and Williams Drive. Call today to schedule your appointment.
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COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM
Government
BY APRIL KELLEY
Residents give high marks to overall quality of life In a 2023 resident survey, 94% of respondents rated the overall quality of life in the city as good or excellent. Results from the survey, which was con- ducted in partnership with Texas State University, were presented to City Council at a Feb. 13 meeting. The gist The city received high ratings for the value for taxes paid; police, re and emergency medical services; safety; and interactions with residents. Areas with lower survey scores included trac ow throughout the city and employment oppor- tunities. However, the percent of respondents who listed employment opportunities as excellent increased to 17%, up from 8% in 2020. Thomas Longoria Jr., a political science professor at Texas State University, said open-ended com- ments for the survey were dominated by issues related to trac and streets.
Residents may see rising water rates
Resident responses
This chart shows the percentage of survey respondents who rated the following categories as good or excellent.
Georgetown City Council considered two scenarios for increasing water and wastewater rates Feb. 27. The details Scenario A would include steeper yearly increases over the next ve years, while Sce- nario B would smooth out the adjustments. Both options would allow the city to recover operating costs and invest in infrastructure. Scenario A would increase rates from $101.20 to $111.30 for scal year 2024-25, while Scenario B would increase rates to $116.25. City council members showed more vocal support for Scenario B. What’s next? Rate increases would go into eect April 1 and Oct. 1, if approved.
Fire and emergency medical services
97%
Safety during the day
95%
Quality of life
94%
Value for taxes paid
94%
Safety downtown
92%
Interactions with city employees
85%
Employment opportunities
58%
Tra c ow
25%
SOURCE: CITY OF GEORGETOWNCOMMUNITY IMPACT
City Council approves $62M for interceptor project Georgetown City Council approved a $62 million construction contract for the Berry Creek Intercep- tor project, which will transport large volumes of wastewater to a treatment facility, Jan. 23. The details
Berry Creek Wastewater Interceptor alignment
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BERRY CREEK DR.
the current wastewater service area beyond Sun City, according to city documents. It will increase the city’s service to the Ronald Reagan, Williams Drive, Shell Road and Hwy. 195 areas, and allow the city to take some lift stations and the Berry Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant oine. Tunnel construction is set to begin this month, with pipe installation beginning in May. The project is expected to be complete in February 2026.
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MARKET ST.
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Stretching from Airport Road near Berry Creek Drive east to the Pecan Branch Wastewater Treat- ment Plant on FM 971, the project aims to expand
971
PECAN BRANCH WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT
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COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM
Education
BY ELLE BENT & CHLOE YOUNG
Texas school districts received unwelcome news Dec. 15—they would lose about $300 million in Medicaid reimbursements for special education students through the state’s School Health and Related Services, or SHARS, program. SHARS allows school districts to be reimbursed for providing Medicaid health- related services to special education students. The reduction comes as the Texas Health and Human Services Commission lost an appeal to the ndings of a federal audit in October. The audit found the agency owed the federal government about $16 million it received for non-medical services. HHSC plans to repay the $16 million by recovering funds from districts and has made cuts to districts’ reimbursements. Districts lose $300M from special ed funds
The impact
nancially, with Austin ISD close behind, accord- ing to data provided by the HHSC. With a current budget de cit of $52 million for FY 2023-24, AISD will see a loss of $7.8 million promised in reimbursements, impacting over 10,000 special education students in the district, according to AISD documents.
The loss comes after districts have already budgeted for FY 2023-24 and are facing a $2 billion special education shortfall statewide, said Sylvia Wood, spokesperson for the Texas Association of School Boards. Northside ISD, Dallas ISD and Cypress-Fairbanks ISD are anticipating some of the largest setbacks
Diving in deeper
Losses in school Medicaid funding The following reductions are HHSC estimates from Dec. 15. Many local districts anticipate larger losses.
Dripping Springs
Lake Travis
Liberty Hill
New Braunfels
Round Rock
San Marcos
Bastrop
Comal
Eanes
Georgetown
Hutto
Leander
$0 -$200K -$400K -$600K -$800K -$1M -$1.2M
SOURCE: TEXAS HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES COMMISSIONCOMMUNITY IMPACT
THIS LIST IS NONCOMPREHENSIVE
when it expected $1.1 million, Chief Financial Ocer Rosanna Guerrero said. “The noti cations that HHSC sent in December were not full [and] were not complete of all the reductions they were making,” Guerrero said. Pete Pape, Leander ISD Chief Financial O- cer, said the district was noti ed it owed HHSC $183,000 when it expected to receive $7 million—a decision the district has appealed. The district is now anticipating a $3.8 million de cit for the 2023- 24 scal year mainly due to the funding loss.
Some Central Texas school districts told Com- munity Impact they are seeing cuts beyond what HHSC has reported as a result of the audit. Lake Travis ISD will see a total reduction of $285,236 despite HHSC notifying the district of a $72,568 cut due to recoding some services, said Pam Sanchez, LTISD assistant superintendent for business services. Liberty Hill ISD will have to realign funds to cover some special education services as the district will receive $247,403 in reimbursements
"It is never a good time to lose money, but this is really the worst possible time
to lose money and to lose money for services for special needs students." PETE PAPE, LEANDER ISD CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
Special education students This shows the number of students who received special education services in area districts in 2022-23.
What’s next
“My hope is that we reduce the amount of loss,” Blanco said. “I think the longevity of [SHARS] is incredibly important to education and school nance in Texas.” Wood said TASB will continue to seek solutions, including legislative assistance, to improve the SHARS program so “school districts can spend more time serving [the] most vulnerable students and less time ... [navigating the] reimbursement system.”
Texas districts had until Jan. 31 to appeal the nal amounts they were noti ed of in December. HHSC expects to nish reviewing districts’ appeals by May, spokesperson Ti any Young said. Third-party billing company MSB School Services assisted almost all of the 460 districts it represents in submitting an appeal to HHSC, Chief Strategy Ocer Emily Blanco said.
Georgetown ISD: 2,035
Leander ISD: 5,960
Liberty Hill ISD: 1,097
Pugerville ISD: 3,197
Round Rock ISD: 5,608
SOURCE: TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCYCOMMUNITY IMPACT
11
GEORGETOWN EDITION
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E S T R A E at Crestview Celebrate R T at Crestview Celebrate Sunday, March 31 Join us for worship at 8:30 am or 11:00 am as we celebrate our risen Lord and Savior!
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COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM
Education
BY CHLOE YOUNG
Georgetown charter school prepares for expansion, eyes second campus
One more thing
Orenda plans to open Gateway School of Arts & Sciences adjacent to its existing campus in future years. The new school would allow Orenda to expand its performing arts and science oerings, including engineering, and meet the growing need for charter schools in the area, Price said. The charter school district’s board of directors would need to approve funding to move forward with the school, he said.
The high school has 455 students enrolled despite being built for 400, Price said. The new annex may open up an additional 350 seats, he said. “We’re bursting at the seams with our current location,” Price said.
Gateway College Preparatory School may be able to enroll more students next school year with the opening of a high school annex building. In August, the Georgetown charter school will open a $7.4 million high school annex with 15 classrooms and a special education wing. The project will also add more parking lots. The expansion comes as Gateway College Preparatory has outgrown its learning center for grades 9-12 and needed more space for special education services, said Adam Price, director of community relations and development for Orenda Education.
130 TOLL
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The high school annex building will include 15 classrooms and a special education wing.
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COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM
Education
BY BROOKE SJOBERG
Georgetown ISD shares 3-year budget plan Over the next three years, Georgetown ISD administrators and sta will work to balance the district’s growth with increasing costs of oper- ations, a new budgetary plan shows. This plan includes reducing stang and other expenditures. The big picture GISD Superintendent Devin Padavil and Chief Financial Ocer Jennifer Hanna shared the plan, which allows for a sustainable fund balance by reducing the district’s budgeted decits over time, during a March 4 budget update. One of the ways the district will reduce its bud- get, Padavil said, is to reduce stang via attrition, as well as make other hard decisions. Hanna said the district has identied some eciencies that will reduce the district’s budget decit. The plan projects the district will have a surplus of $625,073 for the 2026-27 scal year.
Vaping, THC incidents reduced by nearly half Student incidents involving vaping and THC were halved over the past school year, a new report from Georgetown ISD shows. The details Wes Vanicek, the district’s chief strate- gist for assessment and feedback, said in February the number of student THC and vaping incidents fell from 185 in the fall of 2022 to 95 in the fall of 2023. He attributed this to the vaping preven- tion and action team implemented during the 2022-23 school year. Vanicek said this team of administrators and sta have spearheaded strategies such as limiting student access to locations where they might use these substances and random searches using drug detecting dogs.
Cutting costs To reduce expenses, the district has identied the following areas for eciencies:
Reduce central oce and professional support positions by attrition
Larger class sizes for middle and high school
Eliminate travel stipends for executives and above Reduce food purchases, travel and overtime
Adjust transportation routes
SOURCE: GEORGETOWN ISDCOMMUNITY IMPACT
What’s next The board will hold additional budget work- shops in April and May before voting on the proposed budget in June, Hanna said.
Georgetown ISD considers updates to bell schedule Georgetown ISD sta are deciding between two options for an update to the district’s bell schedule to ease budgetary concerns around transporting a growing student population. What you need to know
Bell schedule options Option 1 High school: 8:40 a.m.-4 p.m. Middle school: 9 a.m.-4:20 p.m. Elementary school: 7:40 a.m.-3 p.m. Option 2 High school: 9 a.m.-4:20 p.m. Middle school: 8:40 a.m.-4 p.m. Elementary school: 7:40 p.m.-3 p.m.
the upcoming school year, Kirby Campbell, GISD’s executive director of support services, said the district is proposing a change to its bell schedule that would see start and end times for middle and high schools staggered, to give its existing bus eet more time to transport a greater number of students without requiring more resources. Doing so could save the district around $150,000 per year, he said.
Currently, both middle and high schools start and release at the same time. With the district projected to grow by about 4%—close to 500 students—in
SOURCE: GEORGETOWN ISDCOMMUNITY IMPACT
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Matt Kata|AVP Commercial Lender
15
GEORGETOWN EDITION
Real estate
While the total number of homes sold across Georgetown’s three ZIP codes remained steady year over year, homes sat on the market more than 20 days longer this January compared to last. Residential market data
January 2023
January 2024
Homes sold
Average days on the market
-14.29%
+3.7%
+22.5%
+40.35%
+30.43%
+29.73%
78626
78628
78633
78626
78628
78633
35
Median home sales price
78633
78626
January
2023
2024
29
$371,900
$410,280
78626
130 TOLL
78628
$469,785
$499,995
N
78628
$498,495
$464,900
78633
MARKET DATA PROVIDED BY AUSTIN BOARD OF REALTORS 5124547636 • WWW.ABOR.COM
Homes sold by price point in January 2024
78626
78628
78633
0
2
1
$900,000+
3
10
2
$700,000-$899,999
4
32
14
$500,000-$699,999
29
40
29
$300,000-$499,999
0
0
3
<$299,999
Georgetown area
January
2023
2024
January
2023
2024
January
2023
2024
Homes under contract
Average days on the market
337
316
304 252
78
92
New listings
Months of inventory
200 170
3.3
3.2
990 771
Closed sales
Active listings
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18
COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM
Health care
BY CHLOE YOUNG
More Georgetown residents may have access to specialized cardiac care as St. David’s Georgetown Hospital opened a new cardiac catheterization lab and outpatient cardiovascular imaging center in October. The facilities have allowed the hospital to provide cardiac catheterization for the rst time and reduce wait times for patients to receive imaging services, St. David’s Georgetown CEO Kyle Landry said. St. David’s Georgetown can provide minimally invasive procedures to diagnose and remove blockages in the heart through its new catheterization lab. The lab plans to begin stent placement services used to open blockages later this year, Landry said. The new imaging center features three rooms for vascular ultrasounds and echocardiograms, and an additional room that may be used to provide stress echocardiograms in the future. Patients can now access these imaging services in an outpatient setting instead of checking into the hospital, Landry said. This has cut the wait time in half, he said. Hospital expands cardiac services
The impact
Going forward
In early 2025, the hospital hopes to open a ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction center, or STEMI, which would treat patients actively experiencing heart attack symptoms. When someone calls 911 with chest pain, they are brought to the closest STEMI center, which is outside of Georgetown, Landry said. St. David’s Georgetown will also look to expand other practice areas, including oncology and orthopedics, Landry said. The hospital will begin oering mammograms again on April 1, and will seek to expand access and provide additional specialization in breast cancer treatments, he said. St. David’s Georgetown aims to provide more specialized surgical procedures for various cancers, including colorectal, and expand the availability of orthopedic surgeons, Landry said. The hospital also plans to open a fth operating room in early 2025 contingent on funding approval, Facility Director Corey Woods said. The new $5 million operating room would be created by restructuring existing space and would allow the hospital to provide more surgeries to patients. We are always looking at ways that we can expand and meet the needs of the community. KYLE LANDRY, CEO OF ST. DAVID’S GEORGETOWN HOSPITAL
St. David’s Georgetown expanded its cardiac services so that Georgetown residents could receive care closer to home, Landry said. Previously, the hospital had to transfer patients needing cardiac catheterization to another facility. “There’s no interventional cardiac capabilities currently in the city,” Landry said about catheter- ization. “We wanted to be able to ... o er it here in Georgetown.” Due to the prevalence of cardiovascular disease, the need for cardiac care has grown alongside the population, he said. “There’s been more and more patients with cardiac issues that have been coming in through our emergency room or being seen through our outpatient physician clinics,” Landry said.
Cardiac care components 1 new cardiac catheterization lab to diagnose and remove blockages 3 rooms for vascular ultrasounds and echocardiograms 30-60 day waiting period cut in half
The cardiac catheterization lab oers minimally invasive procedures to diagnose and remove blockages.
SOURCE: ST. DAVID’S GEORGETOWN HOSPITALCOMMUNITY IMPACT
COURTESY ST. DAVID’S GEORGETOWN HOSPITAL
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GEORGETOWN EDITION
Sunday, March 17 at 6:30 pm. Worship Center doors open at 6:00 pm. THE IMPERIALS Free concert event! In a world of fading stability, this distinguished group continues to set the pace in Christian Music. Don’t miss your chance to join the millions around the world who have already experienced the legendary sound of this iconic Christian music group. Free concert event! Sunday, April 14 at 6:30 pm. Worship Center doors open at 6:00pm. Free Concert Event! In a world of fading stability, this distinguished group continues to set the pace in Christian Music. Don’t miss your chance to join the millions around the world who have already experienced the legendary sound of this iconic Christian music group. In a world of fading stability, this distinguished group continues to set the pace in Christian Music. Don’t miss your chance to join the millions around the world who have already experienced the legendary sound of this iconic Christian music group. Sunday, March 17 at 6:30 pm. Worship Center doors open at 6:00 pm.
Ron Hemby
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Paul Smith
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20
COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM
Environment
BY KAMERYN GRIESSER
Bluebonnet season is early this year—what does it mean? Bluebonnet Bloom time: March-May Texas paintbrush Bloom time: March-September
In recent weeks, Austinites traveling on major highways may have noticed a familiar harbinger of spring: seas of bluebonnets ooding the roadsides. While the beloved state wildower is a welcome accomplice of warmer weather, some have noted the blooms are over a month early this year. What’s happening? A typical bluebonnet season begins in early April, but the rst buds arrived to Central Texas toward the end of February, said Andrea DeLong-Amaya, the director of horticulture for the Lady Bird John- son Wildower Center. “The timing of the bluebonnet season has every- thing to do with the warm weather. It’s been a while since we’ve had our last big freeze, and we’ve now had unseasonably warmer weather, which has sped up their growing,” DeLong-Amaya said. DeLong-Amaya said the ower typically blooms until mid-May before they become “toasted,” but hot weather is not necessarily the culprit of their demise. Instead, consistent rainfall is a key deter- miner of bluebonnet mortality. “The seeds start to germinate in the fall, when we get a lot of rain, and then continue to grow in the winter, which is a really critical time,” DeLong- Amaya said. In January, Austin got 6.07 inches of rain, the highest January precipitation the area has seen in over 15 years. Additionally, October’s rainfall was above average, according to data from the National Weather Service. “If it ends up being a really dry spring, [the season] might stop earlier. So we have our n- gers crossed for good, well-spaced rains. And that’s important for other wildowers too,”
Butteryweed Bloom time: May-September
Texas redbud Bloom time: March-April
Pink evening primrose Bloom time: February-October
Texas star hibiscus Bloom time: May-September
SOURCE: LADY BIRD JOHNSON WILDFLOWER CENTERCOMMUNITY IMPACT
DeLong-Amaya said. On top of it all, DeLong-Amaya said last year’s drought killed o many plants, but the robust bluebonnet seed prevails in direct sun and degraded soils. With less competition now, the owers are more likely to dominate open green spaces. What residents should know While it’s not illegal to pick owers from public roadsides, residents should do so in a way that does not pose a hazard to other drivers. Also, there are laws against damaging government property and right-of-ways, so digging up large clumps of owers or driving on public elds is not allowed.
Additionally, picking any plant life in Texas state parks is an oense, and using elds on private property for photo ops is trespassing. While property owners have the freedom to mow down wildowers in their lawn, DeLong-Amaya said they should consider keeping them to avoid disturbing the natural ecosystem. What’s next? DeLong-Amaya said another wildower to look out for next is the pink evening primrose, which she predicts could come in mid- to late March. Paint- brushes and Texas star hibiscuses could follow.
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21
GEORGETOWN EDITION
Environment
Central Texas prepares for April eclipse
See the solar eclipse
Path of totality
Airbnbs have been reserved for months. School districts across Central Texas—including Liberty Hill, Florence and Jarrell ISDs—have canceled classes on April 8 to keep parents and students o the roads during the event. “The county is worried that there is going to be gridlock on the roads, and we’re going to have trouble running our buses and having parent pickup during that time,” Liberty Hill ISD Superintendent Steven Snell said in May, when the district announced its 2023-24 calendar. Georgetown ISD students will be in school April 8, and the district has eclipse activities planned. While viewing events are scheduled across the county, ocials are encouraging spectators, especially those who reside in the area, to watch the eclipse from home and stay o the roads. “Just stay home and plan things with your family and neighbors,” Amsler said.
Hundreds of thousands of visitors are expected to travel to the Texas Hill Country to watch the moon completely block the face of the sun on April 8, said Dawn Davies, the Night Sky program coordinator at Hill Country Alliance. The rarity of the event has garnered a lot of interest both from tourists and area residents. Total solar eclipses, on average, are visible somewhere on Earth approximately every 18 months. However, Davies said a total solar eclipse recurring in the same place happens every 350-400 years or so. “We are not going to see an eclipse pass through the Hill Country like this for generations upon generations,” Davies said. Ocials have noticed an increase in bookings for campsites, hotels and Airbnbs. Katie Amsler, Liberty Hill’s director of community engagement and communication, said the city’s only lodging place, River Ranch Inn, is fully booked, and the city’s
TOTAL ECLIPSE MAP
DALLAS
WACO
GEORGETOWN
FREDERICKSBURG
MAP NOT TO SCALE N
• Get to viewing location early Safe viewing
• Limit travel on major roadways • Do not look at the partial eclipse phase with bare eyes, cameras or unsafe £ilters, such as sunglasses
SOURCES: NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION, TEXAS OPTOMETRIC ASSOCIATION, WILLIAMSON COUNTYCOMMUNITY IMPACT
What viewers should know
When to watch Times for viewing and glasses are listed for Williamson County but vary by location.
The solar eclipse can be seen in Williamson County from 12:18 p.m.-2:58 p.m., with the duration of totality lasting 3 minutes and 6 seconds. Experts are recommending spectators view the solar eclipse with ISO Certied eclipse glasses or cards until maximum coverage of the sun—or totality—is reached, when it is then safe to observe without protective wear. Nonprot organization Friends of River Ranch County Park will hold an eclipse viewing event at the Liberty Hill park. Southwestern University in Georgetown will also hold a viewing party.
Partial eclipse begins: 12:18:08 P.M. (need glasses)
Full eclipse begins: 1:36:21 P.M. (no glasses)
Full eclipse ends:
Partial eclipse ends: 2:58:52 P.M. (need glasses)
Maximum eclipse: 1:37:54 P.M. (no glasses)
1:39:27 P.M. (need glasses)
SOURCE: WILLIAMSON COUNTYCOMMUNITY IMPACT
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COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM
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