JANUARY 2023 “I Do Solemnly Swear ...”
Five county officials rang in the new year with a swearing-in ceremony at the stroke of midnight at the Kendall County Courthouse: County Judge Shane Stolarczyk, Precinct 2 Commissioner Andra Wisian, Precinct 4 Commissioner Chad Carpenter and Precinct 2 Justice David Neighbor.
451st state District Judge Kirsten Cohoon officially began her next elected term after being sworn in for the second time.
Cibolo Preserve burns
Officials at the Cibolo Preserve conducted a first-ever prescribed burn. The January 5 burn consumed some 20 acres of overgrown grasses that pose a threat should lightning strikes or the carelessness of man The burn was directed by overseen by licensed commercial burn manager, with vol- unteer firefighters from the region on hand to make sure things burned as designed.
Lawsuit filed in gym indecency case
The owner of a local gymnastics center said she had no knowledge of a former volunteer coach’s sexual aggression toward a youngster at the center the previous spring.
A lawsuit filed against the gymnastics center named Michael Spiller as the perpetrator. Spiller, 75, was arrested after a 9-year-old informed her mother of “inappropriate touching” at the hands of Spiller, a volunteer substitute coach with Boerne Gymnastics Center at the time.
High school teacher resigns amid inappropriate conduct
A Champion High School teacher resigned January
See REVIEW, page 4 21 after Boerne ISD officials confronted her about allegations of inappropriate communications with students.
A letter distributed by Principal Beto Hinojosa went out to parents and said the district was working with law enforcement and state education agencies on the matter.
FEBRUARY First storm of year leaves Hill County shivering
A crippling winter storm that rolled into the Hill Country brought warnings from officials to remain home and keep off roadways unless absolutely necessary.
Falling tree limbs from frozen conditions and issues with major electric suppliers – the Lower Colorado River Authority and CPS Energy – left thousands without power for more than 12 hours, impacting many homes in Fair Oaks Ranch and those served by the Pedernales Electric Company in Kendall County.
Hounds still undefeated in district hoops
Boerne High remained perfect in District 27-4A boys’ action, pounding Canyon Lake 61-21 to move to 24-5 overall and 9-0 in district play, and closing in on another district title.
Boerne Radio makes move to Star office Beginning March 1, Boerne Radio 103.9 FM and its staff, captained by co-founders Baron and Shan Wiley, were to move into office space in the Boerne Star office at 941 N. School St.
That was not the only part of the collaborative effort. The two media outlets announced pre-planning for “The Boerne Brew,” a weekly radio show on Boerne Radio featuring Star Managing Editor Zachary-Taylor Wright and newsmakers from around the community. Exp3ct it to begin airing in March.
Jimenez ascends to Parks Department chief Lissette Jimenez, former assistant director of the Boerne Parks and Recreation Department, was named director, a role vacant since August 2021.
Also stepping up within Parks and Rec was former Superintendent Donnie Bergmann, who will now be the department assistant director.
Champion swimmers dominate regional meet; on to state Boerne Champion made it a clean sweep at the recent Region VII-5A Swimming and Diving Championships after both the boys and girls teams captured first place.
The Lady Chargers tallied 413 points for first and the Champion boys went first with 393 points.
Leading the charge were the boys winning 200-medley relay team of Will Harrison, Griff Orloff, Bexon Harrison and Matthew Jeffery, the four also teaming up to take first in the 200 free medley. The team of Kate Deykin, Cameron Kellogg, Regan Garcia and Cora Skoog took firsts in the girls 200-yard freestyle, and the 400-yard medley.
Guilty: Sex assault plea deal ends with 20-year term A jury took more than seven hours to convict Jerry Tumey, 52, on a charge of indecency with a child with sexual contact involving an 11-year-old victim.
During the punishment phase, the defendant agreed to a plea deal after hearing the words of just a single witness – his ex-wife. That means Tumey waives any right to appeal.
Tumey, who was facing five to 99 years behind bars, will now serve 20 years in state prison. With credit for time already served, he could be out in less than a decade.
The proceedings in the 451st state District Court stem from a February 2022 case.
MARCH New fire chief arrives from Universal City
City Manager Ben Thatcher announced March 3 that Manuel “Manny” M. Casarez has been hired as the next Fire Chief for the Boerne Fire Department. Former Boerne Fire Chief Ray Hacker announced his retirement last year.
Casarez, 40, born and raised in San Antonio, will join the city of Boerne on March 27 from the Universal City Fire Department, where he has served as fire chief since 2016.
New development bringing business, traffic to Fair Oaks Ranch A sprawling development at Dietz-Elkhorn Road that includes a new H-E-B, retail and housing could mean more business for the area but also more traffic woes for nearby Fair Oaks Ranch.
Officials recently broke ground on Lemon Creek Ranch, which is within San Antonio’s extraterritorial jurisdiction. The H-E-B outlet will sit on 13.6 acres of the 117-acre development.
Fair Oaks Ranch Mayor Greg Maxton said city officials and staffers are considering an expansion of Dietz-Elkhorn Road to handle increased traffic flow at Lemon Creek.
Boerne mayor not seeking re-election
Mayor Tim Handren announced he would not seek re-election on the May 6 ballot in order to spend more time with his family and to concentrate on his duties as CEO of Santikos Entertainment Co. in San Antonio.
APRIL Boerne mayor, council seat on May ballot
Election season was in full gear, as City Councilwoman Nina Woolard and resident Frank Ritchie filed for the mayor’s seat, the first time in six years the spot has more than one contender. Two contenders, Joe Bateman and Sharon Wright, face off to fill the council seat Woolard vacates.
In Fair Oaks Ranch, three candidates – Rachelle Garcia, Keith Rhoden, and Ryan Schnoke -- will compete for the Place 2 seat vacated by Ray Elizondo.
Boerne ISD breaks ground on Boerne High expansion Boerne ISD officials broke ground on the Boerne High School expansion, marking the first step in a voter-sanctioned process to accommodate a growing student population.
T h e r o u g h l y 20,000-square-foot addition is one of two high school expansion projects tied to the 2022 bond passed by voters last May. Completion is projected by August 2024.
Fair Oaks Ranch loses city manager Fair Oaks Ranch City Manager Tobin Maples announced his departure from the city.
The staff leader of the Hill Country town began his gig in 2016, with this spring nearly marking seven years in his role with the city.
City Council will discuss his resignation during its April 20 meeting.
EDC puts new board in place The Boerne Kendall County Economic Development Corporation announced its officers of the board of directors for the upcoming year at a meeting at Tapatio Springs.
Dr. Phil Hunke, of Hill Country Square will serve as chair, Jonathan Collins of Valcor Commercial Real Estate as the vice chair, Dakota Durden, of Grit Co. as secretary, Cayman Gentry, of Frost Bank as treasurer, and Bill Hetherington, of BEC as immediate past-chair.
At-large directors are Toni Anne Dashiell of Dashiell Properties and Ty Young of CLA.
Lady Hounds repeat as softball district champs The Boerne High softball team wrapped up the regular season April 18 with a convincing 14-2 home win in five innings over Wimberley to clinch their second 27-4A title in a row.
Paid parking coming to downtown Boerne Paid parking – a first for the city -- is coming to a site on South Main Street that for five decades has been free and open.
The concept is so new to Boerne no regulations were set forth in the recently adopted and amended Unified Development Code.
The lot, which sits between The Richter complex and the Laurie Saunders antiques and interiors shop, sharing its address with the dining and shopping center at 153 S. Main St., remained free to locals and visitors for at least 50 years due to a gentleman’s agreement.
MAY County lands second state District Court
Kendall County is getting a second state district court. State Rep. Ellen Troxclair, R-Austin, filed legislation creating the 498th state District Court in Kendall County.
That court, set to debut Oct. 1, 2025, will join the current and only state district court, the 451st overseen by Judge Kirsten B. Cohoon.
Fair Oaks names interim city manager The city officially had a change in leadership as City Council unanimously accepted former City Manager Tobin Maples’ resignation after an hour-and-a-half-long executive session last month.
Assistant City Manager Scott Huizenga was named as Maples’ temporary replacement until a permanent hire is made.
Huizenga started in his role, created by Maples to break up the workload, a little more than a year ago.
Ritchie a landslide winner for mayor Frank Ritchie, owner of Ritchie Automotive Repair, won the city’s mayoral election by a landslide, taking nearly 76% of the 2,074 votes cast.
Ritchie opted not to take the typical campaign route, which usually involves advertising across several mediums.
Sharon Wright took a narrow win over Joe Bateman for the District 2 seat, tallying 252 votes compared to Bateman’s 231.
Rhoden takes Fair Oaks Ranch council seat Keith Rhoden prevailed in the May 6 election for the Place 2 seat on the Fair Oaks Ranch City Council.
With less than 1,000 votes cast in the city’s single-seat ballot, Rhoden took more than half the votes – 58.7% – avoiding a runoff election.
Batchelor trial gets underway The intoxication-manslaughter trial of Kendall Batchelor began May 15 with a marathon nine- hour stretch to whittle a pool of 200 potential jurors down to just 12 and four alternates.
The prosecution and defense also presented opening statements in the 451st state District Court, where Batchelor, 23, is being tried on the second-degree felony after being accused of driving her pickup into oncoming traffic June 2, 2022, hitting and killing David John Belter.
BISD valedictorians, salutatorians named The Boerne ISD announced the valedictorian and salutatorian for the Boerne High and Boerne Champion Class of 2023.
Taking the top two spots for Boerne High School are Valedictorian Mylea Verastegui and Salutatorian Kayuki Warren. Boerne Champion’s top scholars were Valedictorian Tristan Forks and Salutatorian Aaron De Leon.
Batchelor found guilty in drunk-driving death It took less than an hour of deliberations May 22 for a jury to find Kendall Batchelor guilty of intoxication manslaughter.
The trial of Batchelor, 23, the daughter of luxury auto dealer Ken Batchelor, next moved into the sentencing phase.
Batchelor was charged with the second-degree felony after being accused of driving a large pickup truck into oncoming traffic on Texas 46 on June 2, 2022, hitting and killing 48-year-old David John Belter, a longtime Boerne resident.
JUNE Das Greenhaus officially opens its doors
Das Greenhaus, a local nonprofit aimed at fostering burgeoning businesses, opened its doors last week, marking the end of a yearslong effort.
Das Greenhaus is a business incubator aimed at temporarily housing and nurturing startups with an endgame of bringing strategic businesses into the city and Kendall County.
Boerne ISD Superintendent Price to retire Boerne ISD Board of Trustees will begin the search for the next superintendent this Fall after Superintendent Dr. Thomas price informed the board of his intention to retire during its June 14 meeting.
Price will remain superintendent until a successor is named and transitions into the district. At that point, Price -- superintendent for the past seven years and an educator for the past 37 will remain an employee of the district until June 2024, to assist with the transition of leadership.
Buc-ees coming to Boerne Despite efforts by Kendall County commissioners to stymie the development of a local Buc-ee’s, the fueling and retail chain will break ground this fall.
The news caps seven years of negotiations and debate to establish the site on Interstate 10 West near the U.S. 87 bridge.
Accident near Comfort kills five A two-car collision June 19 on U.S. 87 between Comfort and Fredericksburg claimed the lives of five men.
State troopers were called shortly before 8 a.m. to the accident scene. A small, white car, with four occupants including the driver and three other male passengers, was traveling in a no-passing zone and collided head-on with a black car.
All five occupants in both vehicles involved in the crash died at the scene.
Boerne ISD OKs new compensation plan The Boerne ISD board of trustees June 19 approved the 2023-24 employee compensation plan, featuring a 3.44% pay increase for all positions in the district.
Starting pay for a firstyear teacher will increase to $54,250. Teachers, nurses, and librarians will receive a minimum increase of $2,000 more per year as part of the annual step.
Council OKs purchase of $1.25 mill fire truck A new pumper truck is set for delivery to the Boerne Fire Department in November 2025 after City Council approved a $1.25 million purchase for the fire department during its June 27 meeting.
The $1,249,931 bid for the Pierce-Custom Velocity triple combination pumper from Siddons-Martin Emergency Group, LLC includes four days of training on the apparatus, which will be delivered in roughly 41 months.
The truck’s arrival will coincide with the future opening of Boerne Fire Station No. 2, projected to be built in the next couple of years.
Burn ban returns for Kendall County The Kendall County drought index soared over the 500 mark in early July, signaling a return to a county-wide burn ban after Kendall County Commissioners July 10 voted to reinstate the county’s burn ban.
Half of the county already exceeded the 500 mark on the Keetch-Byram Drought Index, used by the U.S. Forest Service to assess fire risk.
Cow Creek declares stage 4 drought restrictions Creek Groundwater Conservation District enacted Stage 4 drought emergency measures for its Kendall County customers.
District General manager Micah Voulgaris spelled out the reasons for requesting the stage 4 water restriction at the water district’s July 18 meeting.
Comfort ISD names new superintendent Comfort ISD board of trustees on July 21 named Dr. Yvonne Munoz as the district’s lone finalist for the position of superintendent.
Munoz has been the director of academic services in San Diego (Texas) ISD for the past four years and is tabbed to replace Dr. Tanya Monroe, who had recently retired.
AUGUST Boerne ISD fall enrollment up 6 percent
Boerne ISD officials expect nearly 11,000 students in their 12 school hallways when the new academic year opens Aug. 10.
Bryan Benway, Boerne ISD director of communications, said the district enrolled 400-500 new students for the 2023-24 academic year, creating a projected student total of 10,800 – continuing a trend of about 6% growth per year.
City sells off old City Hall Boerne City Council August 8 emerged from executive session and voted unanimously to sell the 113-year-old former City Hall building on East Blanco Road to Ridan Inc. for the asking price of $2.5 million.
Ridan was one of three firms bidding on the 2.49 acres and 10,850 square-feet of space, which includes the
See REVIEW, page 5 two-story old City Hall and a two-room stone schoolhouse, built in 1874, located directly behind it.
Fair Oaks Ranch police chief on suspension
Fair Oaks Ranch Police Chief Tim Moring was placed on paid administrative leave after major accusations against him, according to Scott Huizenga, interim city manager.
City Council Thursday took roughly an hour behind closed doors to discuss a number of executive session items and emerged to announce Moring’s leave status.
Boerne ISD selects name for new school
The Boerne ISD board of trustees Aug. 21 voted unanimously to name its under-renovation learning center the George C. and Bedelia Mitchell Learning Center, while selecting to honor longtime elementary teacher Viola A. Wilson by naming its next elementary school after her.
The district received 315 responses for naming “Elementary No. 8,” under construction in south Boerne. The school is expected to open for the start of the 202425 academic year.
Kendall commissioners reject thoroughfare plan Kendall County Commissioner voted to reject an attempt by the city of Boerne to institute a thoroughfare plan many county residents felt infringed on their property rights as they attempt to sell and build on property.
“The Commissioners Court of Kendall County opposes and rejects the city of Boerne Major Thoroughfare Plan,” County Judge Shane Stolarczyk said.
SEPTEMBER City drains creek for riverbed project
Work began early in September on the Cibolo Creek Bank Stabilization project, a $2.4 million effort to restore the creek banks along River Road and build a better park experience for residents and visitors.
Drains were being placed along the bank and will run 24 hours a day for about a week, to properly drain the creek. A dry-out period will follow before heavy machinery and equipment can be used.
Johndrow crowned Kendall County fair queen Hailey Johndrow, crowned duchess in the 2022 Kendall County Fair queen’s court, took her turn on the throne, named 2023 Fair Queen during a September 1 ceremony at the fairgrounds.
City councilman resigns, moving from city City Councilman Bryce Boddie submitted his letter of resignation, intending to move his family to a home in Waring.
Boddie was appointed to the seat in July 2020 and re-elected in 2021 and again in May 2023.
Boerne ISD tax cut to save hundreds for taxpayers Boerne Independent School District voted unanimously September 18 to adopt a budget that lowers the district’s property tax for a fifth straight year and saves taxpayers hundreds of dollars.
The total tax rate of $0.9932 cents marks an 18-cent decrease from last year’s $1.1786-cent mark.
While the average market value of residences continued to rise – to $657,611 from last budget’s $565,876 – the average taxable value declined, to $444,652 from last year’s $450,336 -- a 1% decrease.
Boerne ISD breaks ground on aquatics center Boerne ISD broke ground September 19 on the longawaited $ 8.7 million aquatics learning center, approved by Boerne voters in the 2022 bond election.
The pool, 25 meters long, can accommodate 9 or 11 competition lanes and features two 1-meter diving boards. The center is located between Cibolo Creek Elementary and Champion High School.
Fair Oaks councilwoman resigns Fair Oaks Ranch City Councilwoman Michelle Bliss informed the city of her intentions to resign from council during its Sept. 21 meeting. Bliss announced she was leaving the post immediately, due to concerns for her husband’s health condition.
Bliss was first elected to the Place 3 seat in a special election in 2021 and was elected to a full council term in 2022.
OCTOBER County throws support behind FM 3351 expansion
Kendall County Commissioners threw their support behind a Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) plan to widen FM 3351 from Interstate 10 in San Antonio to Highway 46 at Bergheim, in Kendall County.
TxDOT’s FM 3351 project team is currently identifying potential concepts for FM 3351 including the number of lanes, and consideration of bicycle and pedestrian accommodations based on traffic, safety and local access needs. The process is expected to take about 24 months.
Boerne appoints new councilman Boerne ISD social studies coordinator Bret Bunker was selected to the Boerne City Council. Council members voted 5-0 to appoint Bunker to represent District 4. Councilman Bryce Boddie resigned from the seat in September.
Boerne Star moves into new location The Boerne Star’s move to its new location is complete – readers and customers can find the office at 215 Water St., one block west of the South Main Street-West Bandera Road intersection.
The move brings the newspaper’s office and employees closer to many important structures, roadways, and events in the area.
Hill Country bracing for October annular eclipse Boerne residents were readying themselves for the Oct. 12-15 weekend, when thousands of visitors flood the city and all parts of the Hill Country, to get a glimpse of the Annular Solar Eclipse. City officials have been meeting for two years to prepare for a pair of eclipses – the Annular Eclipse Oct. 14, and a Total Eclipse on April 8, 2024 – and the issues that will arise from having anywhere from 20,000 to as many as 100,000 people jam the city, to watch the skies.
Spiller sentenced to 10 years in prison A former coach at a Boerne gymnastics center accepted a plea agreement of 10 years in prison for transgressions against young girls committed more than 20 years ago.
See REVIEW, page 10 Michael Spiller, 75, was sentenced October 5 in the 451st District Court by Judge Kirsten Cahoon to a maximum sentence of 10 years on four charges of indecency with a child by exposure. The four 10-year prison sentences for Spiller will run concurrently.
Thousands flood Boerne to watch annular eclipse
The hustle and bustle of a busy Boerne Saturday came to a screeching halt October 14 as thousands of people stopped in their tracks and cast their glasses-covered eyes to the sky, to watch the moon descend in front of the sun in an annular “Ring of Fire” eclipse.
Cheers and applause resonated from the masses gathered along the Hill Country Mile downtown Oct. 14 at 11:51 a.m., as the moon pulled in front of the sun for a four-minute stint.
Huizenga new Fair Oaks Ranch city manager
Fair Oaks Ranch City Council made it official October 19, naming interim City Manager Scott Huizenga as their permanent city manager.
The council emerged from an Oct. 19 three-hour executive session to announce Huizenga was their choice as new city manager.
NOVEMBER Algae to blame for city’s ‘earthy’ drinking water
Residents who noticed a somewhat “earthy” flavor to their tap water in September and October were not alone – city officials said they were well aware of the issue, know why it is happening, and hope the problem goes away in the coming days.
The earthy -- or “dirty” -- taste stems from the presence of a blue-green algae in area lake water.
Boerne ISD hires Craft as next superintendent Boerne ISD board of trustees November 15 announced Dr. Kristin Craft as the lone finalist for the district superintendent post.
Craft, currently associate superintendent of academics in the Spring Branch ISD near Houston, will become the district's first female superintendent when she assumes the role that Superintendent Dr. Thomas Price has held for the past seven years. Price in June announced plans to retire at the end of the 2023-24 school year.
‘Dickens On Main’ lights up holiday sky The Hill Country Mile was the place to be October 24-26 as the annual “Dickens On Main” event lit up the city following Thursday’s Day of Thanksgiving.
City staffers spent months preparing for the events – from ice carvings, train rides for the kids, pictures with Santa Claus and The Grinch, to live bands, stage performances, sing-alongs and blowing snow along Main Street.
Fair Oaks inquiry clears embattled police chief The city of Fair Oaks Ranch released the results of an investigation into its police department that it says clears its police chief of any wrongdoing.
A third-party independent investigation into complaints filed against Fair Oaks Ranch Police Chief Tim Moring found the complaints were lodged, in part, to cover up a yearslong inappropriate sexual relationship between two members of the police department.
DECEMBER Boerne ISD’s Craft to begin new role Jan. 2
The Boerne ISD board of trustees unanimously voted to hire Dr. Kristin Craft at a special meeting December 7. Craft will officially begin her tenure on January 2, 2024. The Board named Dr. Craft as its lone finalist on November 15.
Current Superintendent Dr. Thomas Price will then transition to Superintendent Emeritus and serve as an advisor until his retirement at the end of the school year.
Olvera captures Fair Oaks Ranch council seat Fair Oaks Ranch voters have chosen Ruben Olvera as their newest city council member.
Olvera, 44, a member of the Fair Oaks Ranch Municipal Development District board of directors, received 489 of the 570 votes cast, 85.7% of the vote. His opponent, Vincent Caldarola, received just 81 votes, 14.2% of the vote.
Leachman wins national cross-country title Boerne Champion sophomore Elizabeth Leachman captured first place at the 44th Foot Locker Cross Country Championships National Finals Presented by HOKA in December.
The event is the longest running high school cross- country championship in the nation and featured the top 40 high school runners from around the country.
Boerne Lake ‘booze ban’ gets council OK An increase in trash, litter and rowdiness prompted the city of Boerne to ban alcohol at Boerne City Lake.
The issue, up for a second reading at City Council’s January 9 meeting, will add the lake to the city’s existing alcoholic beverage ban, in effect at baseball fields, skate parks
City P&Z issues permit for Honda dealership The Boerne Planning and Zoning Commission Dec. 12 forwarded to City Council its unanimous approval of a special use permit for a Honda dealership being proposed along Interstate 10.
Situated between Nissan of Boerne and a vacant lot south of Regent Boulevard, the Honda dealership is one of two automobile sales lots planned on the 10.46-acre parcel.
County chooses firm to build new EMS station County has selected Kopplaw Construction as the firm to build its EMS substation in Bergheim.
Kendall County Commissioners unanimously approved the selection and opened negotiations with the firm to construct the county’s emergency medical services station no. 3.
County officials chose Kopplaw from among 12 bidders for the EMS substation, being built on Boerne ISD land at its Voss Middle School campus.
Work on River Road bank project halfway done Work on Boerne’s River Road stabilization project has passed the midway mark and will soon include some upbank, cosmetic improvement that park enthusiasts will begin to notice.
The bulk of the work completed has been in the bowl of the creek. The $2.63 million project is still on target for a March 24 completion date, despite recent rains and wet conditions.
BISD stadium getting a partial facelift The visitors’ stands at Boerne ISD Stadium were being removed and will be replaced with newer ones, while the track at the stadium is also scheduled to be replaced.
Because crews will be working at the stadium for several weeks, the Boerne High soccer teams will play their home games at Champion High School this season.
Commission approves plat but rejects road care pact Kendall County Commissioners conditionally approved a final plat for a subdivision, minus a requirement to take over maintenance of the roadway serving the development’s future residents.
Commissioners December 27 voted 5-0 to approve the Windmill Ranch subdivision final plat but removed a request for the county to assume maintenance of the subdivision’s road and drainage.
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