The Lead July 19, 2022: Tivy Commons is coming for the old Hal Peterson Middle School site

Good morning, Kerr County!

Well, this is good news — we didn't set a record on Monday! The high temperature of 99 degrees fell short of the July 18 record of 101, but we could see a record today. Today's high could reach 101, and we expect the high 90s the rest of the week. It looks like we'll finish out July with one day after another 90 degrees or hotter. Did we mention that today is July 19? We're flying by in 2022.

On today's The Lead Live!

Kerrville Mayor Judy Eychner offers insight this morning about today's City Council workshop on the 2022-2023 budget. This is Eychner's first budget as the city's mayor, and the basic expectation (at least from where we sit, it is positive) is that the city should be in good financial shape. However, the looming debate about short-term rental housing is starting to shape up as the city's signature controversy. The city will host a town hall meeting on July 25 at the Dietert Center about the issue. Kerrville Convention and Visitors Bureau President Julie Davis will update us on all the happenings this week. We'll hear from Andrew Gay, Texas Hill Country Advisors, about the latest financial markets.

Things to do today!

Today's events

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Art

• Luckenbach Legacy, Hondo's Daughter, Becky Crouch Patterson Exhibition — Museum of Western Art, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Information: The details: Becky Crouch Patterson, a fifth-generation Texan whose father was the legendary developer of historic tiny-town Luckenbach, made famous by Waylon Jennings's classic song, "Let's Go to Luckenbach, Texas (Back to the Basics of Love.") This is Patterson's original art, which he describes as a marriage of Texas Folk Art and Fine Art, plus textiles, memorabilia and works from her life. Hondo's and Luckenbach's artifacts and photos fill three cases in addition to her work.
• Kerr Arts and Cultural Center Art Exhibits — Kerr Arts Cultural Center, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Information: 830-895-2911 The details: Through Aug. 13, three different art exhibits. Paintings by LaRue, "Kerrville Fiber Artists," Fiber art show by local artists, "Hometown Crafts Teacher's Show," an exhibition featuring the work of local teachers, sponsored by Hometown Crafts and Gifts.

Coming Wednesday

Markets and Sales

• Friends of the Library Book Sale — Butt-Holdsworth Memorial Library, 1–3 p.m. Information: https://kerrvillet.gov/349/FOTL-Book-Sale The details: Looking for a great read? Or better yet, come down and support the work of Friends of the Library. Maybe find a banned book? That sounds like a fun day to us.
• Kerr County Produce Market Day — The Big Red Barn, 10 a.m., Information: 830-896-7330 The details: Kerr County Produce Market Day (The Big Red Barn). Local Hill Country wholesale warehouse distributor for the finest fruits and vegetables. Open to the public.

And here we go with the demolition of the old Peterson Middle School

The future of the prized Sidney Baker Street location of the old Hal Peterson Middle School campus will be a mixed-use development called Tivy Commons.

A group of buyers from Kerrville and Dallas paid $4.9 million for the 25-acre property, which once housed Tivy High School, and the group moved immediately to begin demolition.

Dallas-based Sendero Cross Capital and WindRidge Real Estate, LLC are the principal companies involved. Brinkman Commerical Properties' Bruce Stracke, who negotiated the deal, said demolition would take nearly a year to abate asbestos and other hazards before construction begins on any project.

The property is zoned for mixed-use development, which means it could be multi-family housing, retail and other commercial projects. Stracke said it would be a year before the property's future is fully known.

Stracke said the property owners and Kerrville Independent School District are doing the abatement work and removing the gymnasium floor. On Monday, the work was underway, with debris piles forming outside former classrooms.

The school district has concerns when it comes to hiring

While Kerrville Independent School District was saying goodbye to its 25-acre Sidney Baker property on Monday, the board of trustees once again heard about losing teachers because of Kerrville's increasingly tough housing market.

KISD Superintendent Mark Foust told trustees Monday night that two teachers turned down job offers because they couldn't find affordable housing. It is a common theme for Foust and the district, and the superintendent has sounded the warning bells about housing for more than a year. In recent weeks, Foust said at least four administrators and teachers turned down jobs over housing concerns.

The district considered its budget for the 2022-2023 fiscal year, a budget that saw property values rise by $400 million in a year. At the same time, that sounds like the makings of a big budget, but Assistant Superintendent Jarrett Jachade cautioned that the district would see more expenses in the coming year. Rising salaries and operational costs immediately consume the $1.7 million budget increase.

Maybe the cutest Pledge of Allegiance in a recent meeting!

The grandchildren of Kerrville Independent School District Trustee President Rolinda Schmidt presented the Pledge of Allegiance on Monday Night. Wyatt Schmidt, 8, who will be a third grader at Starkey Elementary, and his sister, Alex Schmidt, 6, who will be a first grader at Starkey, gave the pledge.

Here come the budget discussions

The Kerrville City Council meets at 10 a.m. today to get their first look at budget requests for the 2022-2023 fiscal year. The Council will consider the following budget areas; Water Fund Asset Replacement Funds, Community Investment Plan, Hotel and Motel Occupancy Tax Fund (HMOT), Debt Funds, Development Services Fund, Library Memorial Fund, and other minor funds.

Keeping the Guadalupe River beautiful is vital

The 19th annual Upper Guadalupe River Authority cleanup is Saturday at Flat Rock Park, and there's no doubt volunteers will find some weird (if not troubling) stuff dumped in the river.

UGRA said volunteers should go to Flat Rock Park at 8 a.m. for registration, instructions and assignments if they did not register online. Volunteers will then fan out to begin cleaning the river.

UGRA offers the following suggestions:

• Wear a hat and lightweight clothing to guard against the heat.
• Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated.
• Wear leather work gloves.
• UGRA will have a limited quantity of work gloves available for volunteers to borrow, but please bring your own if you can.
• Wear clothing and shoes that are appropriate for getting wet and dirty. Also, protect yourself from the sun and bugs by applying sunscreen and insect repellent.
• Bring your own chairs, picnic blankets, or popup tents for relaxing during the event wrap-up and prize raffle.

Volunteers should return to Flat Rock Park with their trash by 11 a.m. for refreshments and the distribution of awards for the most unusual item and the biggest item. Additional garbage drop-off locations will be at Louise Hays Park, Guadalupe Park and the Center Point Dam.

There's a raffle for all participants. The first 300 registered volunteers will receive an official 19th Annual River Clean Up T-shirt.

For more information: Matt Wilkinson at (830) 896-5456, ext. 235 or mwilkinson@ugra.org

Time to renew for the Symphony of the Hills upcoming season

Anyone wishing to reserve their preferred seating for the Symphony of the Hills 2022-2023 season has until Aug. 1 to submit a request.

Details on pricing, benefits, and deadlines can be accessed online at www.symphonyofthehills.org, via email at info@symphonyofthehills.org, or by calling 830-792-7469.

Seat selection is prioritized based on previous seat location, the gift amount, and on a first-come, first-served basis. The Symphony of the Hills offers three categories of seating for performances:

Concerts begin at 7:30 p.m. at the Cailloux Theater, 910 Main, Kerrville. For more information about the theater: caillouxperformingarts.com.

Coming Thursday on The Lead Live!

Our first-ever Health, Wellness and Beauty Show is from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Thursday. Our tentative lineup of guests are:

• 8:10 a.m., Russel Nemky of Kerrville Physical Therapy.
• 8:40 a.m., The Apothecary Shoppe, Kerrville's lone compounding pharmacy.
• 9:10 a.m., Fresh and Fit.
• 9:40 a.m., Karina Alvarado of Big Game Training.
• 10:10 a.m., Peterson Health's Hannah Shoemaker discusses "Falls Prevention" and other Peterson Health rehab services.
• 10:40 a.m., Peterson's Health's Kelly Ellis discusses "Back to Life" Total Joint Replacement program and other orthopedic services.
• 11:10 a.m., Peterson Health's Tim Rye "New Physicians and Current Comprehensive Services" from Peterson Medical Associates ( Meeting the Needs of our Region!).
• 11:40 a.m., Kelly Barker of Precision Dermatology.
• 12:10 p.m., Renewed Pathways.
• 12:40 p.m., StretchZone Kerrville.
• 1:10 p.m., MHDD
• 1:40 p.m., Redox
• 2:10 p.m., Open.
• 2:40 p.m., Danielle Monclav of Sante Research.
• 3:10 p.m., Open
• 3:40 p.m., Kerrville's Center for Fitness.

If you're a health, wellness and beauty business or practitioner, we've got two spots remaining on the show — 2:10 p.m. and 3:10 p.m. Each segment costs $50. For more information, contact Louis Amestoy at louis.amestoy@kerrcountylead.com.