News

7A Resort has officially sold.

The 7A, along with Pioneer Town, has been a staple of Wimberley for decades since the Czichos family founded the resort in 1946.

The buyers include Scott Way, whose family has also lived in Wimberley since at least the 1940s.

“We were lucky enough to find Scott, and that made us feel a whole lot better because he has the heart of Wimberey to see something done with it that might keep it like it is and not bulldoze it down,” Carroll Czichos, one of the now former owners of 7A Resort, said. “That made a big difference that it was somebody local.”

Way said that he wanted to purchase 7A in order to keep it open.

After decades of request, there is finally a gauge on the Blanco River upstream from Wimberley.

The Texas Water Development Board approved funding for multiple gauges in the Blanco River basin, and the United States Geological Survey finished installing the first one last week. 

The gauge is on the Little Blanco River where it crosses FM-32 and was considered one of the highest priority locations for a gauge by local officials.

During the Memorial Weekend flood, it is believed that large rainfall in Kendalia flowed down the Little Blanco River and met with an already flooding Blanco River causing the drastic flooding.

Carrying a gun on city property will soon be an offense after the council voted 3-2 in favor of a ban. During discussion of the ordinance, each of the council members voiced their opinion as to why they were for or against. Councilmember McCullough was against it with the question, “what’s the rush?”

He also stated that the Texas Attorney General will soon rule on this and the ruling will lead us to “another nuisance lawsuit…why run the risk we did this 60 days before it’s approved or denied by the Attorney General?” Councilmember White was against the ban. Ordinances like this “make gun-free zones a target.” 

But others were in favor. Councilmember Dussler stated, “I’m a gun rights advocate and it is not appropriate to bring a gun to a council meeting.” Councilmember Cindy Anderson agreed, guns “don’t belong at a council meeting.”

A woodshop in San Marcos is trying to take one of the negatives from the flood and add a little positivity to it.

Officials from the city of Wimberley estimated that over 15,000 “large” trees were washed away in the flood. The trees ended up strewn across yards, lawns, houses and riverbanks throughout the valley. Many are still there as experts have said that leaving the trees can help with future restoration and bank stabilization, but for some that wasn’t an option.

“After the flood hit on Memorial Day, we went to Wimberley and tried to help several people,” Doug Caroselli, owner of Blackhawk Millworks in San Marcos, said. “We did some work from the initial flood… Then we had more people contact us about trees and asking us to come get them.”

The Wimberley Players just won several awards from BroadwayWorld Austin for their 2015 season. This is the first year the Players have won awards, and were recognized for shows “Wait Until Dark,” “Greater Tuna,” “Catch Me if You Can” and “The 39 Steps.”

Wimberley Players President David Bisett says the awards were something of a surprise, but were well-deserved.

“We don’t do this to win awards. We’ve never sought them out. But also, it kind of feels good,” said Bisett. 

The Player’s February show, “Wait Until Dark,” a thriller by Frederick Knott, starred Elisabeth Anne Jean, who played a blind woman who is subject to three con-men who have broken into her home. Jean won Best Featured Actress in a Drama for her role, and Danny Mosier, who played the lead con-man, won the award for Best Featured Actor in a Drama.

Editor’s Note: This is a weekly column covering the actions of the Wimberley First Responders. This week, the information was provided by Wimberley Firefighter Will Ammons.

A major accident between a Ford Explorer and a motorcycle sent the driver of the motorcycle to the hospital on Wednesday of last week.

The accident occurred at 3:50 p.m. at the intersection of Ranch Road 12 and Emergency Lane. According to people at the scene of the accident, the Explorer was on Emergency Lane pulling out onto Ranch Road 12 when it was struck in the front driver-side corner by a motorcycle that was traveling southbound on Ranch Road 12.

The driver of the motorcycle was flung over the hood of the Explorer. He was transported the University Medical Center Brackenridge via helicopter. 

The Second Annual Bambi Awards (Best Amateur Movie by Independents) were presented at the EmilyAnn Theatre on Saturday Night with hoopla, champagne (faux champagne), and the red carpet. Popcorn was also available, as how can you watch movies without popcorn?

Presented by the Wimberley Village Library, and hosted by the library’s Carroll Wilson, the event showcased the creativity of the community, with two divisions: 17 years and under, and 18 and over. The excitement over who would be honored.

Judged by film professionals from Wimberley and the Houston area, Wimberley’s festival introduced filmgoers to the talents and creativity of local actors and filmmakers. 

All the movies, which were limited to 7 minutes were shown and then the excitement built, waiting for the announcement of the winners.

The city of Wimberley is considering banning all firearms from city hall and any publicly posted meeting.  

The initial vote, which passed 3-2 in favor of banning open carry and concealed carry in the specific situations, was the first of two votes necessary to enact the ordinance. A second vote will be held at the next council meeting on Jan. 21. 

Mayor Steve Thurber and three council members spoke in favor of the new rule.

There were many measures taken the night of the Memorial Weekend flood to help warn people that the river was rising. There will be one more tool to use should need ever arrive again.

In that vein, expect to hear the roar of flood-warning sirens on Thursday, Jan. 14 throughout the Wimberley Valley as the city is planning to test potential locations for a siren system throughout the day.

The tests will help the city determine how many sirens are needed.

“You do that by testing them to see how far the noise will travel for it to be effective,” City Administrator Don Ferguson said. “We have to see how far the sound will travel and help us get an idea of how many units we really need.”

Ferguson told the Wimberley City Council that siren sounds typically travel around three-quarters of a mile to a mile. 

The Blanco River Monument Park steering committee has selected a finalist for the proposed Wimberley sculpture park. Based on citizen input and the deliberations of the committee, the designated artist is J.J. Priour of Damian Priour Studio in Dripping Springs. He will be assisted by David Hesser, also an artist at the Prior Studio. The sculpture known as “River Pillars,” features two tall limestone pillars supporting numerous layers of glass which are uniquely cut to resemble the Blanco River’s path as it flows through the Wimberley valley. The monument will be eight feet tall and 9 feet wide once it is installed.  It is expected to take 2-3 months to complete and work will begin as soon as adequate funding is raised.