JENNIFER FIERRO • PICAYUNE STAFF

MARBLE FALLS — The presentations took longer than the vote.

The Marble Falls Independent School District board of trustees took less than 10 seconds to unanimously approve renaming the tennis facility at the high school the Charlie and Nancy Herrington Tennis Center during its regular board meeting April 21. The board didn’t discuss the motion.

“It is amazing to me,” Nancy Herrington said. “I can’t even talk about it too much. I told (former Marble Falls Elementary School coach) Denise Frazier several weeks ago I wished I had not been included to tag along with him. I’m so grateful and so appreciative to be included.”

Nancy’s husband, Charlie Herrington, died March 26. He was a local tennis coach who helped area youth grow not only as athletes, but as people.

Once board President Rick Edwards said the measure passed, the crowd broke into thunderous applause.

“I don’t know if it’s appropriate to do that,” said one of the presenters, Kimmy O’Connor Wilson, “but that’s what happened.”

The Herringtons have been associated with the Mustangs for more than 40 years as teachers and coaches, helping 23 players reach the state tournament with 10 becoming champions. Charlie Herrington was the tennis pro at Hidden Falls Country Club in Meadowlakes since 1975 until his death.

“That was our family here at Marble Falls,” Nancy Herrington said. “Nothing could make me prouder than having our last name on those courts. It’s a nice legacy.”

Wilson, Burnet County Precinct 4 Commissioner Joe Don Dockery and musician John Arthur Martinez were among the presenters at the school board meeting.

“Everyone was very grateful,” Dockery said.

Wilson is a two-time Class 3A state champion, who Herrington recruited off the Little League diamond.

At that time, she said, there wasn’t a girls league, so she played with the boys.

Herrington saw something in Wilson that made him know she would excel on the tennis court. So he went to her father John O’Connor and asked him about allowing his daughter to take private lessons.

The father said he didn’t believe his daughter would leave the diamond, noting it was her first love.

To which Herrington replied, “She’ll win state!”

“If she wins state,” John O’Connor said, “I’ll build her a tennis court.”

“I have a tennis court in my backyard,” Wilson said with a laugh.

Dockery said he drove five-and-a-half hours to address the board. He was away on a family matter. Dockery said the board members know the reason the Mustangs tennis program was a powerhouse in the 1980s was because of the Herringtons.

“They drove kids to tournaments in their own vehicles,” he said. “They still come to tournaments just because they want to be around those kids.”

Wilson said no one could take the place of her dad, and Herrington treated her like a daughter in many ways. She recalled having a boyfriend, who was older than her when she was freshman on the tennis team.

“He would get me all twisted up,” she said. “Charlie told me to get rid of him. He also told me, ‘If you lose one service game, you’re going to get it.’”

To the Herringtons, it wasn’t enough to survive and advance; the Mustangs needed to win and conquer, she said.

“He didn’t want us to play and win,” she said. “He wanted us to play beyond our potential.”

It’s the fourth athletic portion at the high school named after a citizen who has influenced Mustang athletics. The first was the varsity gymnasium called Max Copeland Gym after former First Baptist Church of Marble Falls pastor Max Copeland. The the baseball and softball complex is called Scearce Fields, named after former high school head baseball coach Ronnie Scearce and his father, Pop, who was the field maintenance keeper. And the track at Mustang Stadium is called Leonel Manzano Track after graduate Leonel Manzano, who captured a silver medal in the men’s 1,500 meters at the 2012 London Olympics.

The field at Pony Stadium at the Marble Falls Middle School bears the name of former coach Roy Woerner.

MFISD Superintendent Rob O’Connor indicated he wanted to make sure the plaques renaming the facility are fitting of all the Herringtons have done for the tennis program. The aim is to have a bench inside the complex and plaques at each entrance of the tennis center. Contact Midge Dockery at mdockery@hllegacyfund.org for more information.

Herrington said she didn’t attend the meeting, wanting trustees to be able to discuss and vote their conscious. She said she was aware many of her husband’s former pupils had been talking about addressing the board, getting plaques and installing a bench at the tennis center.

“I don’t know who all is involved,” she said. “I’m grateful they want to honor Charlie. Down the road, people may not know who Charlie Herrington was, but it’s a legacy. It means a lot, it’s priceless.”

“They’re going to know them,” Wilson said, “because I’m going to make sure.”

jfierro@thepicayune.com

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DANIEL CLIFTON AND JENNIFER FIERRO • PICAYUNE STAFF

MARBLE FALLS — A note stating a bomb threat was discovered at 7:27 a.m. April 24 on the door of a Head Start building at Marble Falls Elementary School, forcing officials to move students to a playground on the other side of the campus.

By 9:09 a.m., the Marble Falls Police Department had given the all-clear signal to start a normal day. No device was found, officials said.

According to Marble Falls Police Sgt. Barry Greer, someone found a note on the Head Start building regarding an unspecific bomb threat. Greer said school officials immediately began implementing safety procedures by clearing the campus and moving children and staff to the north playground adjacent to RR 1431.

The Head Start building is located on the south side of the campus adjacent to Broadway Avenue.

“Every campus has procedures set up for every situation,” said MFISD Assistant Superintendent of Administrative Operations Wade Standord during the time of the incident and search. “(MFES Principal Bruce) Peckover has already started those procedures. I feel confident they’re accounting for every student they have. I feel very confident they know every student that is there. They are our kiddos at that point.

“Our No. 1 priority is to ensure kids’ safety,” he added. “And then to return to a normal school day as soon as we can do that.”

Greer said because the bomb threat was not specific on a location, officials searched the entire campus, including unattached buildings such as the Head Start facility and the Falls on the Colorado Museum.

“The kids were in the process of coming to school when we learned of the bomb threat,” said MFES Principal Bruce Peckover.

Officers, staff and district officials began moving the students to the playground, which is located on the opposite side of the campus from where the note was discovered.

“We already had five or six officers here, and they helped us move the children out to the buildings,” Peckover said.

Parents were allowed to return and stand with their children on the playground, but officials weren’t allowing them to check their students out at that time.

“We went room to room and closet to closet checking the school and buildings,” Peckover said.

Initially, officers and school officials cleared the main campus about 8:50 a.m. before giving the all-clear for the entire campus at 9:09 a.m. Peckover said, at that time, the children and staff returned to class. Some parents did opt to check their children out for the remainder of the day.

“But most kids are in class learning,” Peckover said.

The bomb threat came the same day some of the fifth-grade students were scheduled to take one of the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) exams. Peckover said the bomb threat forced the start back to 10 a.m. and required scheduling a make-up day for April 25.

Marble Falls Police had seven officers on scene. Several of the officers were from the previous shift. Two Burnet County deputies as well as a Granite Shoals police officer assisted with the situation. The Marble Falls Fire Rescue and Marble Falls Area EMS had units on hand.

This is the fourth bomb threat at a Burnet County school in April. Burnet Middle School had three previous threats.

Anybody with information about this threat is asked to call the Marble Falls Police Department at (830) 693-3611 or the Hill Country Area Crime Stoppers at 1-866-756-8477 or go to its website at www.hcacrimestoppers.com.

editor@thepicayune.com

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DANIEL CLIFTON • PICAYUNE EDITOR

LLANO — Bronze isn’t such a bad color when it means you’re among the top 15 percent high schools in the country.

That’s just what Marble Falls High School and Llano High School learned April 22 when the U.S. News and World Report released its 2014 Best High Schools rankings. The magazine awarded both schools bronze medals as “high-performing schools based on state exam performance.” The top two awards were gold and silver.

“I’m very proud of this ranking,” said Llano High School Principal James Scott. “Obviously, we’d love to be a silver or gold, but with 32,000 high schools evaluated across the country and the District of Columbia, this puts us in the top 15 percent.”

U.S. News and World Reports teamed up with the Washington, D.C.-based American Institutes for Research to evaluate the public high schools. They started analyzing more than 31,000 public schools before narrowing it down to 19,411 campuses with sufficient data from the 2011-2012 school years to study.

Even at the 19,411 body of schools, Llano and Marble Falls still rate among only 27 percent of high schools earning a medal.

And for Llano, Scott said the 2011-2012 academic year wasn’t near as strong as the following two.

“These type of things take care of themselves if you’re doing things right in the classroom,” Scott said regarding the ranking.

Marble Falls Principal Manny Lunoff agreed.

“This really goes back to all the hard work the students and staff have been putting in at the classroom level,” he said. “We definitely enjoy any recognition we get, but we still have a lot of work to do.”

Marble Falls High School earned state recognition in 2013 when the Texas Education Agency tapped it for a video series on best educational practices. This was about two years removed from the campus earning an “unacceptable” under the TEA rating system. Since that time, the school has implemented many strategies to ensure each student is prepared for a successful life after high school.

It’s something Lunoff continues to focus on, even in the shadow of the U.S. News and World Reports honor.

“Until I get a ranking that tells me that all of our kids are going to be successful, I won’t be satisfied,” he said.

Scott shared a similar philosophy. The honors are great, but it’s student success and achievement that really matter, he pointed out.

Still, earning national accolades can’t be overlooked. Scott noted the 500 or so schools that earned the gold medal are, for the most part, those schools that accept students through an application process. He doesn’t offer that observation as an excuse, but just for what it is. He added, for a small, rural school to place among the top-ranked schools in the nation is quite an accomplishment.

But it’s only a sign of what’s possible in the future.

“I think this will only serve as motivation to keep working hard,” Scott said. “I’m very proud of our kids. I’m very proud of my staff.”

daniel@thepicayune.com

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JENNIFER FIERRO • PICAYUNE STAFF

Marble Falls Independent School District Superintendent Rob O’Connor (right) has started the process of replacing athletic director and head football coach Todd Dodge, who accepted the same job at Austin Westlake. File photo

MARBLE FALLS — Marble Falls Independent School District Superintendent Rob O’Connor began the process of finding the next head football coach and athletic director at Marble Falls High School on May 2.

Todd Dodge resigned the position to take the same job at Austin Westlake, the school that made his father-in-law, Ebbie Neptune, a household name. Dodge said Westlake was the only job he would leave Marble Falls to take. His first day is May 5.

Dodge accepted the job at Marble Falls in January 2012.

“Life happens,” O’Connor said. “People can have the best of intentions of being with you for four or five years. But over a period of one, two, three years, the dynamics change. I never fault somebody for trying to improve themselves. He’s going back to (his wife) Elizabeth’s hometown. There’s a legacy and opportunity for him. Had the Westlake job not opened, coach Dodge could still be with us.”

The superintendent said even though Dodge is leaving, the rest of the football staff doesn’t have to follow him.

“The current staff is welcome to stay on board,” he said. “With the nature of coaching, we anticipate we’ll have some turnover, so we’ll make adjustments”

By law, the position has to be posted for 10 days before O’Connor can name a replacement, unless he chooses to hire from within. That means he could reassign a member of the current staff to take over the program.

“I’ll try to get a short list of potential candidates together and reach out to some top-tier coaches,” O’Connor said. “We’ll evaluate the application pool as well. We’ll open it up and see who applies. We’ll find those individuals interested in being here, who’ve taken the time and effort to talk to us.”

He said Dodge “is staying neutral in the process” of who should take over the program.

O’Connor said he didn’t believe it would be possible to hire a head coach and have a complete staff in place in time to conduct spring football drills. That’s because the University Interscholastic League gives 30 days in May to get in 18 practices.

“It’s a tall order,” he said. “It’s going to be a challenge and difficult at best. We’ll get our coaching staff established. Ultimately, it’s the head coach to make that decision. We’ll find the best candidate and let that develop the time line.”

The next Mustangs coach will have to pick up where Dodge left off, he said.

“I think the ideal candidate knows how to build a program and builds players’ confidence and maximizes players’ potential,” he said.

In addition, the ideal candidate would continue to build upon the success of the athletic department where baseball, softball, basketball, soccer and track and field have advanced to the postseason in the past several years.

He noted Dodge hired some outstanding coaches in other programs who have guided the Mustangs to the playoffs.

“I think Todd has improved the other programs as the athletic director,” he said. “That’s something not talked a lot about. We want to continue to make sure we focus on the boys and the girls side. The mentality with any given coach is you go recruit the best coaches possible and allow them to build the program they need in order to be successful.”

O’Connor said he believes the Marble Falls program has improved under Dodge’s guidance.

The Mustangs had two years of spring football, now have an up-to-date weight room with new equipment specifically designed for Marble Falls, and have had two years of summer strength-and-conditioning.

Marble Falls was 30 minutes away from qualifying for the playoffs in 2013. Had the Mustangs beat Leander in their last district game, they would have advanced.

“Our kids now understand the level it takes to be competitive, and they can play with anybody,” O’Connor said. “Coach Dodge improved the Xs and Os, they learned an exciting offense. To me the biggest gain is the players’ confidence in knowing they can compete.”

Dodge said he was happy to see more athletes play more than one sport, and O’Connor credited Dodge for that happening.

“We’re such a small school that every kid has to show up and contribute,” O’Connor said. “Every student has a place where they could help and figure out how to be successful. Coach Dodge put in two years’ worth of work in teaching our kids the mindset of what it takes to be competitive. It goes back to confidence.”

jfierro@thepicayune.com 

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DANIEL CLIFTON • PICAYUNE EDITOR

Falls Career High School students and staff show Marble Falls High School Life Skills student Jario Ortiz (seated) a new ramp that leads to a courtyard at MFHS. Some of the crew volunteering to build the ramp were teacher Mike Saenz (left), student Colby Turner, volunteer Harry Born and students Giovani Molina and Brian McGee (right, front). Staff photos by Daniel Clifton

MARBLE FALLS — Just across the hall from the Marble Falls High School Life Skills class is a doorway that leads out to a little garden-like area. But until recently, before a group of students from Falls Career High School arrived, the door basically led nowhere for several of the Life Skills students.

“It’s awesome,” said Life Skills teacher Devin Wuest as she watched three Falls Career students along with two adults build a new ramp from the door to the courtyard area. “We’ll be able to do a lot with the area.”

Harry Born, an adult volunteer helping with the project, pointed out the previous ramp was built in such a manner that many of the wheelchairs the Life Skills and special-needs students used couldn’t navigate the structure. The new one comes straight down from the door to the ground.

But just because the design looks simple doesn’t mean building it was.

“It’s the Hill Country,” Falls Career teacher Mike Saenz said. “You dig down two inches and you hit rocks.”

The Falls Career students, however, weren’t dissuaded. They just kept pounding away at the rocks. In the case of a massive rock, where they wanted to put a post for the ramp, Born and the students simply adjusted the structure a bit and worked around the obstruction.

Wuest said, with the ramp, it will allow her students to begin taking care of the outdoor courtyard area. One of the other Marble Falls High School classes is building raised garden beds for the area.

Falls Career High School student Colby Turner battles rocks and tree roots while trying to dig a post hole for a ramp at the Marble Falls High School.

“They came over and measured our wheelchairs, so (the raised beds) will be at a height our students in wheelchairs can work in them,” she said. “And it also means the other kids won’t have to bend over quite as far.”

The courtyard includes several trees and other plants. There’s even a rose bush planted about smack-dab in the middle. The efforts of the Falls Career students have basically opened a new classroom setting for the Life Skills students.

Falls Career principal Peggy Little said the project is just part of her students giving back to the community. The non-traditional high school campus allows students who don’t like the traditional setting or prefer a program that allows them to work at their own pace to pursue a degree. It’s also a way for students who might have dropped out to return to school and earn a high school degree while still working many hours a week.

“When we started Falls, we realized it was a big undertaking for the district,” she said. “And we wanted the students to have a way to show their gratitude. Each student has to do or be involved in one community project each year they are enrolled here.”

As he looked at the almost completed ramp May 1, Born liked what he saw — both in the structure and the opportunity it brought.

“It will be good that the (Life Skills) students can come out here,” Born said. “There’s a lot they can do out here. I’m glad we could help them with this ramp.”

Then, it was back to work alongside the Falls Career students.

daniel@thepicayune.com

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FROM STAFF REPORTS

MARBLE FALLS — On its second time before voters, a $6.5 million bond proposition passed, opening the door to added technology and the expansion of career and technology programs for the Marble Falls Independent School District.

Voters approved the bond 1,049 to 998.

“I’m excited for the students and teachers in our district,” Marble Falls ISD superintendent Rob O’Connor said. “This bond will help our district build 21st century programs. Ultimately, we will be able to help better prepare our children for their futures. I appreciate the community’s support and look forward to building more community partnerships.”

The bond basically breaks down to $2.4 million for career and technology programs; $1.4 million for technology; $300,000 for middle school band instruments; $450,000 for drainage repairs at the Marble Falls High School softball/baseball fields; and $2 million for additional maintenance items.

By issuing debt, the amount of the bonds won’t be susceptible to the state’s recapture, so it stays in the district. Officials previously said, because of current school-finance laws and stable property vaults, the bond shouldn’t raise the property tax rate.

The district put the same bond before voters last November, when it failed, 1,154 to 995.

In the school board elections, former Marble Falls High School basketball coach Larry Berkman won the race for Place 4. He garnered 1,126 votes in the three-way contest. Billy Inman brought in 377 votes, while Kerry Loader earned 276.

Berkman will join Lee Ann Johnson, who won the Place 3 seat unopposed, as the two new faces on the board.

editor@thepicayune.com

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JENNIFER FIERRO • PICAYUNE STAFF

MARBLE FALLS — Powder puff games might not be big business, but, to organizers, the football contests draw big interest from students and the communities.

For those reasons, Llano and Marble Falls high schools will conduct their games as fundraisers to pay for camps and scholarships, organizers said. The games will be played between the girls of the senior and junior classes.

This is the fifth year Llano will play a game, which 7 p.m. May 16 at Llano Stadium on the junior high campus, 400 Texas 71 East. Admission is by donation. The girls stopped playing for about eight years, but when Lisa Petty became the student council faculty sponsor, the students begged her to bring back the contest.

Money raised from the event is used for leadership camps, homecoming and other school-related activities.

“The kids really push for it every year,” Petty said. “They do every bit of it, from designing a shirt to reviewing the rules. The boys coach, and they keep up with the number of practices attended. I help them to be leaders, and they go.”

The Marble Falls game is 7 p.m. May 31 at Mustang Stadium, 2101 Mustang Drive in Marble Falls. Admission is $3. The money raised in the Marble Falls game May 31 goes to the Casey Rice Memorial Fund, which is named after former principal and tennis coach Casey Rice.

“We’ll fund two scholarships with it,” organizer Chuck Woods said. “That’s our goal.”

If the class of 2014 wins, it would be the first to repeat since the class of 2008.

Senior Sarah Stripling and junior Maddie Johnson are penciled in at quarterback.

Johnson has been getting help from Mustangs starting quarterback Brennen Wooten, who is a sophomore.

Stripling said there’s a friendship between the two classes, so neither wants to lose to their friends.

“Those girls are highly competitive,” Woods said. “They love talking smack. The boys love sharing the knowledge they gained. They’ve done a great job doing that. It brings them together as a class.”

Woods summed up the feeling of why powder puff games work for both campuses.

“It’s about school spirit,” he said. “It’s for a great cause. I have kids who played years ago who bring it up.”

jfierro@thepicayune.com

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DANIEL CLIFTON • PICAYUNE EDITOR

Marble Falls Elementary School third-grader Star Pflieger cast her votes in the student council elections for the 2014-2015 school year. The students set up the election just as if it were an actual one including photo identification and voter check-in. Staff photos by Daniel Clifton

MARBLE FALLS — The line outside the Marble Falls Elementary School computer lab stretches up and around the ramp leading down to the room. At a table, fifth-grade students Lance Long and Parker Hughes check each student’s identification against the third- and fourth-grade rosters.

Once the two verify the student’s enrollment and have him or her sign by the appropriate name, the student gets in line for his or her chance to vote.

“We do this so it’s as close to how actual voting is done,” said Diane Arredondo, the school’s gifted-and-talented specialist. “Each student who comes here to vote carries an ID with a photo on it and must present it just like if they were going to vote in a regular city or state election. We make it as authentic as we can.”

The voting May 16 was open to third- and fourth-graders who are casting their ballots for the 2014-2015 Marble Falls Elementary student council, including president, vice president, secretary and treasurer. The students have been studying the democratic process leading up to the week of campaigning and voting.

Marble Falls Elementary School student council president Parker Hughes and vice president Lance Long hold up the registration documents used to check in third- and fourth-grade students as they vote for next year’s student council officers. The students first check each student’s photo identification against a role sheet to ensure they’re eligible to vote and then have each student sign by his or her name acknowledging they are voting. The process is much like the one adults do when they vote in various elections.

“We want our students to be happy and creative kids, but we also want them to grow into good citizens,” Principal Bruce Peckover said. “One of the biggest things for this is the third grade and extending into the fourth grade (Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills), they learn about the democratic process. But it’s one thing to study it. This allows them to put it in practice.”

Along with classroom studies on voting and the democratic process, area leaders stopped by and discussed the concepts with the students. Arredondo said State District Judge Allan Garrett talked about state-level elections, while Burnet County Attorney Eddie Arredondo shared his thoughts on county elections.

“Then (Marble Falls City Council member) John Packer came by and talked about local elections,” she added. And Mark McCrary, a member of the city of Marble Falls Parks and Recreation Commission, discussed the role of community commissions and involvement.

“We want them to become more aware of the democratic process and start thinking about it now, so when they are 18, they’ll want to be a part of it,” Peckover said.

Students interested in running for student council began campaigning May 12. This included putting up posters in a few designated places as well as getting the opportunity to greet students during morning assemblies. On May 16, each of the candidates got about a minute to share their platform with their fellow students before the third- and fourth-graders headed to the polls.

The voting was even done on a computer.

Hughes, the current student council president, said the students seemed to understand the process.

“I think everybody has learned a little bit more about voting,” he said.

Long, the current vice-president, added that though things have been a bit “crazier” than last year with checking IDs and verifying enrollment, it’s been more realistic.

“Yeah, this is more professional with the IDs and all,” he said. “It’s more like it’s really done.”

daniel@thepicayune.com

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FROM STAFF REPORTS

DEAVON DELANCEY

COTTONWOOD SHORES — A former Cottonwood Shores Volunteer Fire Department chief and Marble Falls school employee is the target of a Texas Attorney General’s Office and Texas Rangers investigation regarding possible inappropriate photos taken on school property.

The Texas Rangers arrested Deavon DeLancey, 30, of Cottonwood Shores on June 5 and charged him with aggravated sexual assault of a child and possession of child pornography.

Marble Falls Independent School District officials stated the attorney general’s office contacted the district June 5 regarding the man and the investigation.

“A component of the investigation is that the employee had taken inappropriate videos and/or pictures of Marble Falls (Independent School District) students in district bathrooms and dressing facilities,” according to a district statement.

All the evidence regarding the investigation has been turned over to law enforcement. MFISD officials stated that if a student’s image had been inappropriately captured, officials would contact the student’s parents.

MFISD officials said the individual “will no longer be an employee of the district.” The suspect was not a teacher but worked in the district’s technology department.

After the revelation, MFISD and law enforcement officials searched all the district campuses and facilities and found no inappropriate recording devices. According to the MFISD statement, officials felt the facilities at that time were safe for students and staff.

In August or September 2013, Cottonwood Shores Police Chief Harold Piatt said he became aware of an allegation regarding the suspect, but, because of the type of alleged crime, he referred it to the Texas Rangers.

A Texas Department of Public Safety spokesperson confirmed the Texas Rangers had been investigating the case for several months before the suspect’s arrest but couldn’t divulge any further information.

DeLancey resigned as the Cottonwood Shores VFD fire chief in January.

According to MFISD officials, the district will remain in contact with law enforcement during the investigation.

“They will need some time to sort through the evidence, but, as we gain additional information, we will keep the appropriate parties informed,” the MFISD release stated.

Anybody with information relevant to the case should call the Marble Falls Police Department at (830) 693-3611. Anybody with concerns or questions specific to this situation may call MFISD at (830) 693-4357, and he or she will be directed to the proper person.

“The unfortunate action of any one individual is not a reflection of this great community,” MFISD officials stated through the release. “This community and the staff of Marble Falls ISD care passionately about our children. Marble Falls ISD will continually strive to provide a safe learning environment for our students.”

DeLancey was booked into the Burnet County Jail and is being held in lieu of bonds totaling $1.1 million.

editor@thepicayune.com

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CONNIE SWINNEY • PICAYUNE STAFF

DEAVON DELANCEY

MARBLE FALLS — Marble Falls Independent School District officials have tightened security policies and launched facility monitoring procedures in the wake of a child pornography investigation involving a former technology department employee accused of collecting images of students in private areas at two campuses.

The alleged incidents were said to have taken place at Marble Falls High School and Marble Falls Middle School, according to school officials.

MFISD administrators fired 31-year-old Deavon DeLancey of Cottonwood Shores on June 5, the day Texas Rangers arrested and charged him with aggravated sexual assault of a child and possession of child pornography.

DeLancey remains in the Burnet County Jail with two bonds totaling $1.1 million.

“We found out (June 5) and took immediate action, dismissing him as an employee and going through campus by campus with law enforcement to ensure that our facilities were safe,” MFISD Superintendent Rob O’Connor said.  “We know what to look for because the employee had confessed to having placed certain devices in certain areas, primarily on the secondary, middle school and high school campuses.

“Moving forward, we will have a heightened awareness about private areas and making sure we monitor those areas very closely,” he added. “Unfortunately, we know what to look for so those area will be spot-checked on an ongoing basis.”

Authorities found no devices on campus; however, they are sifting through images from DeLancey’s school computer as well as his personal computer and devices as the investigation continues, officials said.

The investigation into DeLancey started several months ago when Cottonwood Shores police received a report of inappropriate images on a private computer.

The local agency referred the case to the Texas Rangers, who found video of what the probable cause affidavit described as Delancey molesting a 4-year-old girl — the origin of the aggravated sexual assault of a child charge.

“The aggravated sexual assault did not occur on any of our campuses. It was a charge that was brought about by his behavior off district property,” O’Connor said.

Another component of the investigation involves the allegation of images collected at school facilities, according to a statement from the school district.

O’Connor said no district technology equipment was used to gather images.

“He did work in the technology department, but that was the extent of district technology being involved in this issue. … The employee in question was using his own personal devices to engage in his own inappropriate behavior. It had nothing to do with district technology,” he said. “Because it was the actions of one employee, the other employees in the district are obviously concerned, and their awareness has been heightened.”

Officials added they had no reason to believe DeLancey had posed a threat to students.

DeLancey worked for the district for more than a decade. His background included serving as the chief of the Cottonwood Shores Volunteer Fire Department until his resignation in January. He also is a former Cottonwood Shores city councilman, who was appointed to fill an unexpired term and then withdrew from a follow-up election.

Up until the arrest, he also served as a firefighter for the Marble Falls Area Volunteer Fire Department. Officials at the agency subsequently removed him from their roster.

“All employees of the district have to go through an extensive criminal background check to the extent they have to provide fingerprints. Those fingerprints get processed through a state level, national level. … Initially, it’s when they’re hired, then we do random checks on a variety of employees throughout the year,” O’Connor said. “Once they’re in that databank, we get notified if any of our employees ever get arrested.

“It does help us in that sense of tracking if any of our employees have any pending charges on them, whether it happened in our community or outside,” he added.

Jail records for DeLancey showed he was arrested in 2003, when he worked as an aide at MFISD, on a charge of injury to a child.

There were no public records found within the district clerk’s office, the county clerk’s office, family court or justice of the peace offices regarding a disposition or court proceedings related to the injury to a child charge.

School administrators will continue cooperating with law enforcement including potentially identifying students who might appear in images connected to the investigation, O’Connor said.

He added that school officials have met with principals and administrators to clarify and reinforce protocols for security and reporting issues.

“We’re not excluding any campus. We’re continuing to make sure all our campuses are safe,” O’Connor said. “It’s the last thing the employees want. They’re here to protect our kids, to safeguard our kids, so they do not want this negative light shed on the district.”

connie@thepicayune.com

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DANIEL CLIFTON • PICAYUNE EDITOR

Jing Nelson of the Marble Falls Independent School District food service department helps Naomi Almazan get a lunch during a stop in the Granite Shoals area. MFISD has created a lunch and book mobile to take free, hot meals to students as part of a summer feeding program. Along with a meal, the kids can get a book to read and return as well. The program runs through Aug. 9. Staff photo by Daniel Clifton

GRANITE SHOALS — A line of six kids waits outside the bright yellow school bus parked in a lot on RR 1431 in Granite Shoals. It’s the middle of June, and the kids are out of school, so the bus seems a bit out of place — as do the waiting students.

The kids aren’t expecting a ride to school. Once the bus door opens, the youth bounce up the steps and get a free lunch thanks to the Marble Falls Independent School District’s meal program. On this particular day, the kids get a hot, meatball sub, vegetable dippers, a drink and a choice of a few other items. They take their lunch and find a seat toward the back of the bus.

MFISD food service director Mary Davidson smiles.

“We weren’t getting the kids coming to us, so we had to do something,” she explained.

During the summer, the federal government funds a summer breakfast and lunch program for schools and districts that qualify for free and reduced meals. MFISD offers several sites for youth 18 and younger to receive the meals, but officials realized they weren’t necessarily getting many of the kids who needed them.

“My largest need is in Granite Shoals,” Davidson said. “Highland Lakes (Elementary School) has the highest percentage of economically disadvantaged kids. But they are the ones I know don’t come.”

The problem is Highland Lakes Elementary, an obvious site for serving meals, sits on the north side of RR 1431. Children aren’t likely to cross the road. And even then, the campus isn’t centrally located for many of the youth.

“We wanted to make sure these kids had access to the meals as well,” said Eric Penrod, the district’s director of curriculum and instruction. “But we needed to come up with a way.”

Enter the Mustang Food and Book Bus.

Davidson came up with the idea after speaking to a colleague at San Marcos ISD. The district runs a bus around the community during the summer serving food from it. The idea had merit, Davidson agreed, but wouldn’t it take a complete retrofit of a school bus?

“He said it was easier than we thought,” Davidson said. The district food service staff cooks and prepares the food at one of its permanent sites, boxes it up and keeps it warm or cool (depending on the food) in coolers and warmers installed in the bus. The district already had the coolers and warmers as well as the bus. To install the food-handling containers, the transportation department removed several seats and replaced them with the equipment (the seats can quickly be reinstalled for the school year).

And now, the district has a rolling cafeteria.

But then, officials thought of something else. Why not toss in a some books the kids can take home, read and bring back?

“If they’re going to be there, why not give them a chance to read?” Penrod asked. So after eating, the kids can browse through a selection of books and pick one to take with them.

The bus started rolling June 9. The first day saw little response, but as the week continued, the turnout increased. And that’s the key to keeping the mobile lunch program going as well as the regular sites.

“We need kids to come,” Davidson said. “If they don’t come, we don’t get funding.”

No funding means no summer meal program.

But the summer meal program isn’t just for kids who qualify for free or reduced lunches during the school year or even students. It’s open to anyone 18 and under.

The Mustang Food and Book Bus runs Monday-Friday until Aug. 9. Its stops include:

• the Granite Shoals Community Center, 102 E. Greencastle Drive, 11:30-11:50 a.m.
• El Tapatio parking lot, 6942 RR 1431 in Granite Shoals, noon-12:20 p.m.
• Grace United Methodist Church, 4007 Valley View in Granite Shoals, 12:30-12:50 p.m.

The regular sites, which offer breakfast as well, include:

• Marble Falls Middle School, 1511 Pony Circle Drive in Marble Falls through June 17, 8:30-9 a.m. for breakfast and noon-12:30 p.m. for lunch.
• Marble Falls Elementary, 1909 Broadway in Marble Falls through Aug. 9, 8:30-9 a.m. for breakfast and 11:45 a.m.-12:15 p.m. for lunch

Go to mfisd.ss3.sharpschool.com for more information and menus.

In Burnet, children can get lunches at R.J. Richey Elementary School from 11:30 a.m. to noon weekdays through Aug. 22. The school is located at 500 E. Graves in Burnet. Go to burnet.schoolfusion.us for more information.

In Llano ISD, head to Llano Elementary School, 1600 Orman St. in Llano, and Packsaddle Elementary, 150 Pioneer Lane in Kingsland. The program is 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Monday-Thursday. It runs through June 30. Call (325) 248-2263 for more information.

daniel@thepicayune.com

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FROM STAFF REPORTS

The Marble Falls Independent School Board approved the hiring of Michael Haley as the new Marble Falls Elementary School principal. Haley comes from Hillsboro ISD, where he served as the Franklin Elementary School assistant principal. He replaces Bruce Peckover, who will be the district’s director of career and technology and communications. Courtesy photo

MARBLE FALLS — After getting input from staff and parents, district leaders turned to an assistant principal from the Hillsboro school district to take the reins at Marble Falls Elementary School.

The Marble Falls Independent School District board of trustees approved hiring Michael Haley during its June 16 meeting. MFISD Superintendent Robert O’Connor recommended Haley after an extensive search process that involved school staff, parents and faculty members.

Haley most recently served as the assistant principal at Franklin Elementary School and Hillsboro Elementary School in Hillsboro ISD. He replaces Bruce Peckover, who will be MFISD’s director of career and technology education and communication.

A search committee set criteria for the elementary school position and then sorted through applications based on that criteria. The committee interviewed six applicants before forwarding Haley to O’Connor for further interviews.

“Mr. Haley distinguished himself as the top candidate for Marble Falls Elementary,” O’Connor said. “We listened closely to teachers and parents to match our new principal with what our community is looking for in their next principal. Mr. Haley’s experience in leading teachers to help motivate student engagement levels excited our hiring committee.”

Before stepping into his administrative roles, Haley was a second- and third-grade teacher as well as a campus mentor at Hillsboro Elementary School.

He and his wife, Amanda, who is an elementary school teacher, have a son, Zachary, who is entering second grade, and a daughter, Avery, who is entering kindergarten.

“I love to instill in students and staff the love of learning and the value of being a lifelong learner,” Haley said. “Everyone has been so kind and welcoming. I’m looking forward to moving to Marble Falls and raising our kids in this community.”

editor@thepicayune.com

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JENNIFER FIERRO • PICAYUNE STAFF

Resurfacing the Marble Falls Middle School tennis courts will allow students to maximize their time better without having to be bused to the high school, Marble Falls Independent School District Assistant Superintendent Allen Roberts said. Staff photo by Jennifer Fierro

MARBLE FALLS — Marble Falls High School won’t be the only campus with a usable tennis complex.

Marble Falls Independent School District officials announced the four tennis courts at Marble Falls Middle School will get resurfaced this summer. The work is scheduled to begin at the end of July and finish in early August. The approximate cost is $30,000.

“As we evaluated and looked at all of our facilities, we wanted to make sure we maintained those facilities so our kids will be able to compete and do their best possible jobs they can,” Assistant Superintendent Allen Roberts said.

Roberts has been an employee of the district for eight years. He said the courts have not been resurfaced during that time.

Thirty years ago, Marble Falls was known as a powerhouse in tennis. Several players won state championships in multiple years throughout the 1980s and into 1991.

Many of those athletes competed on those courts.

Now, the courts are showing their age.

“For various reasons, those courts are cracked, they need upgrading,” Roberts said.

Officials have not ruled out improving other parts of the courts such as new fencing or new nets. The assistant superintendent said officials are still reviewing.

By resurfacing the courts, middle school players can remain at their campus for workouts, he said. And that accomplishes three goals.

First, successful varsity programs are built at the middle school level, the assistant superintendent said. Resurfaced courts will help make that happen.

Second, having quality courts helps utilize time better without having to factor in bus rides somewhere else to play.

And finally, middle school players won’t have to schedule their practice times around high school athletes.

“It works hand in hand,” Roberts said. “The facilities inspire all our kids to do certain things as far as curriculum and extra-curricular. We want all of our students to be all-around and be able to participate in all sorts of activities.”

The resurfacing is the latest athletic improvement to the middle school. In April, boys head soccer coach Rick Hoover and girls head soccer coach Trey Young started soccer programs there.

“Our school board has allowed us to expand and make improvements in academics and extra-curricular,” Roberts said. “We’re giving our student-athletes opportunities.”

jfierro@thepicayune.com

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FROM STAFF REPORTS

AMANDA HUGHES

MARBLE FALLS — Attorneys are negotiating a possible plea deal in the indictment of a former Colt Elementary PTO treasurer accused of stealing as much as $30,000 from the volunteer organization, according to the prosecutor in the case.

The case of 36-year-old Amanda Christine Hughes is scheduled for a possible trial July 14, according to the 424th/33rd Judicial District docket. Authorities allege she took the funds from the Colt Elementary PTO, an organization she served as treasurer for several years.

“The lawyer for the state and the defendant have been having discussions to see what the restitution might be,” said Assistant Burnet County District Attorney Richard Crowther. “Since there’s a bunch of money missing from the PTO, our position is having the PTO’s involvement to figure out what the restitution would be.”

Austin-based defense attorney Bristol Myers, who represents Hughes, said his client contends she might be responsible for a “fraction” of the alleged missing funds.

“The number is definitely in dispute. Our position is what’s missing is a fraction of that,” Myers said. “In any kind of investigation like this, you’re going to have expenses and withdrawals that you can verify, and then there are some that you can’t verify.”

Working with the volunteer organization would be vital for a possible disposition of the case, he added.

“This is a small organization where there wasn’t much organizational control, and bookkeeping wasn’t really a high priority for everybody involved,” Myers said. “There are a lot more mistakes and sloppy record-keeping than there was an intent to steal money from children.”

Court records show Hughes was PTO treasurer from January 2010 through October 2012.

“We’ve alleged that she basically stole money from the Colt Elementary PTO,” Crowther said. “The preliminary audit was more than $20,000. Possibly something as much as $30,000.”

Hughes was indicted by a Burnet County Grand Jury in September 2013 on a charge of theft of property ($1,500 to $20,000.) If convicted, she faces from 180 days to two years in a state jail facility and as much as a $10,000 fine.

editor@thepicayune.com

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DANIEL CLIFTON • PICAYUNE EDITOR

Mattie Cryer and Caroline O’Connor, 2013 graduates of Marble Falls High School, stop along their 500-mile El Camino de Santiago pilgrimage between St. Jean-Pied-de-Port, France, and Santiago de Compostela, Spain. Courtesy photo

MARBLE FALLS — With about 500 miles — and the Pyrenees Mountains — ahead of them, Mattie Cryer and Caroline O’Connor shouldered their backpacks and began putting one foot in front of the other May 19 in St. Jean-Pied-de-Port, France.

Their goal was to hike to Santiago de Compostela, Spain, and then push on to the Atlantic Ocean.

The 2013 Marble Falls High School graduates were two of the many people taking part in El Camino de Santiago, or The Way of St. James, a popular pilgrimage that stretches across northern Spain. The walk, featured in the movie “The Way” starring Martin Sheen and Emilio Estevez, is a Christian pilgrimage to the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, where tradition has it that St. James is buried. The walk not only attracts Christians but also people of other faiths or none at all.

Cryer and O’Connor began their journey looking forward to the grand adventure. O’Connor, who was taking a gap year before starting Harvard University, had already spent several months in Mexico and South America since graduating high school. Cryer was a freshman at Southwestern University in Georgetown and was looking forward to her first trip to Europe sans her parents.

The great adventure, however, had other plans.

Rain.

“It was pouring rain,” Cryer said. “The first week it rained, and it was cold. It wasn’t the weather they usually have during this time of year.”

With only minimum rain gear and no cool-weather clothes, the two forged ahead — at first. But as the rain pelted them and hail slammed the landscape, they began having doubts. On top of this, Cryer’s hiking boots were tearing at her feet.

“Why are we doing this?” Cryer recalled asking early on. They could easily hop on a bus and either bypass this portion of the route or call it quits and head back to Madrid. But they weren’t ready to give in.

“Nobody would really care, but we decided this was something we wanted to do,” O’Connor said. “So we kept going.”

On the second day out of Roncesvalles, Spain, the two faced a major problem. The upper route basically took them up a bald-faced mountain during a storm. It wasn’t a good option, so they chose a lower route that led them through a forested path. It offered them a bit more protection from the weather, but as they emerged from the trees, Cryer’s hands showed signs of a reaction to poison ivy.

With everything from the weather, shoes and now poison ivy seeming to plot against them, O’Connor and Cryer considered the trip.

“You couldn’t just call home and ask Mom or Dad for help,” Cryer said. “We were pretty much on our own. You have to take care of yourself.”

As young adults, though still teenagers, the independence and responsibility were rather new, yet welcome. They were stepping out on their own and finding their way over obstacles.

When the two began planning the journey midway through their senior year in high school, it was just something to do, an adventure. Neither anticipated what it would become.

But on El Camino de Santiago, pummeled by rain and hail, bad shoes and poison ivy-covered hands, the two made a decision. They would not take a bus and skip any part of the route, and they definitely weren’t going to call it quits.

“We didn’t want to miss anything,” O’Connor said. “It’s funny. We didn’t think about that before, but the weather happened, and we just decided no matter what, we were going to do this.”

Cryer agreed.

“Whatever obstacle came, we were going to deal with it,” she said. This included getting another pair of shoes. And despite almost daily rains the first five days, the two got up every morning, shouldered their packs and headed out.

And it made all the difference.

“There was something we saw every day that was unique,” O’Connor said. “Even on the really tough days, we’d see something that would just make it all worth it.”

One of the most difficult days came on a 30-kilometer (18.6 miles) hike between Rabanal and Ponferrada in Spain. The two had to climb up a mountain and descend back down. The temperatures easily hit the 90-degree mark, making it even more brutal. The hike was taking longer than either anticipated, but in Ponferrada lies Castillo de los Templarios, a Templar castle dating to the 12th century. The two wanted to check out the massive structure but knew it closed at 6 p.m.

On this portion of the walk, hikers can choose to halt short of the regular stop of Ponferrada.

“But we wanted to see the castle,” Cryer said. So the two picked up the pace and trekked into Ponferrada in time to visit the ancient structure. “We took that as a reference point. Any time it got tough and we were having a hard time, we remembered the hike into (Ponferrada), and we knew we could do it.”

While the scenery, cathedrals and castles were incredible, the people they met along the way were just as wonderful. Though they hiked most of the time at their own pace, O’Connor and Cryer regularly met up with a group of about 10 walkers. The group included pilgrims from Brazil, Germany, Canada and Ireland.

“I think it was good to be exposed to the different ideas and perspectives,” O’Connor said.

The two were among some of the youngest pilgrims on the trek, so the others looked out for O’Connor and Cryer, making sure they were OK, even inquiring about Cryer’s shoes and feet.

On Day 34, after hiking seven to nine hours a day, O’Connor and Cryer arrived at Santiago de Compostela in Spain. Along the way, at each stop where they overnighted, they got their pilgrims’s passport (or credentials) stamped to indicate they had actually made the journey. But the two weren’t quite done.

While Santiago de Compostela is the official end of the pilgrimage, some decide to continue on to the Spanish coast.

“So we took another few days and walked to the coast,” Cryer said.

With El Camino de Santiago a part of their history, both Cryer and O’Connor view it as a bit more than just “something to do.” While they probably didn’t have any major epiphany, it did change them on some levels.

“One of the things I learned was that I can handle things better on my own,” Cryer said. “You have to become more self-reliant and independent because you are pretty much on your own. You have to deal with the medical problems or things that come up.”

They also learned that obstacles, no matter how daunting they appear or feel at the time, can often lead to the biggest rewards once they are overcome.

“You learn to deal with the obstacle,” O’Connor said. “And you go on.”

And if things get a little rough, they can always recall the hike from Rabanal to Ponferrada because after every rough spot in life, there might be a grand castle waiting.

daniel@thepicayune.com

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JENNIFER FIERRO • PICAYUNE STAFF

David Clements directs Rico, his rescued horse, around a pole during the Marble Falls Youth Rodeo on July 16. Staff photos by Jennifer Fierro

MARBLE FALLS — Marble Falls High School sophomore David Clements has traded in his running shoes for a pair of boots.

Clements, who is legally blind though he has some degree of vision, competed at the Marble Falls Youth Rodeo on July 17. While he was at Marble Falls Middle School, he was a member of the cross-country team.

He participated in most of the rodeo events, and those close to him say he’s a natural.

“You’re either a horseman or you’re not,” his trainer Sarah Hopkins said. “He’s a horseman.”

Clements said there’s a huge difference between being a runner for the Mustangs cross-country team and competing in a rodeo.

“It’s faster,” he said. “You can go faster on a horse, and you don’t have to waste energy. You control the horse.”

Just like other riders, Clements uses his legs and hands to control the horse. That helps offset his sight, he said.

“My mom (Lori Clements) encourages me to ride horses,” he said, “and my dad (Everett Clements) loves for me to ride horses.”

He and Hopkins have worked together since December 2012.

Their working relationship started when a friend took Clements to meet Hopkins. He said he fell in love with horses during that encounter.

“He will ride anything,” she said. “He’s brave. The fact is his sight is compromised. … It allows him to advance the horse when a lot of people struggle. He’s calm and has respect.”

His goal is to add more rodeo events by the time he finishes high school.

“I’m not afraid,” he said. “I love riding horses.”

jfierro@thepicayune.com

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DANIEL CLIFTON • PICAYUNE EDITOR

The cast of ‘Over the River and Through the Woods’ rehearses for upcoming performances July 31, Aug. 1 and Aug. 3 at The Uptown Theatre, 218 Main St. in Marble Falls. Marble Falls High School theater art students Robynne Sisco-Martinez (left, seated), Rachel Coursey, Siler O’Connor, Katlyn Mintz, Corey Bogue and Nate Haywood (back, standing) make up the cast. The production tells the story of Nick, who has a chance at a big job promotion, although it means moving away from his grandparents. Performances are 7 p.m. July 31 and Aug. 1 and 2 p.m. Aug. 3. Staff photo by Daniel Clifton

MARBLE FALLS — After the Marble Falls High School theater arts’ one-act play wrapped up last year without advancing out of a tough district competition, the students and teacher took a note from a common sports practice: more touches on the ball.

“One of the judges told us that our one-act play was the best she’s ever seen that piece done,” said Jonathan Clark, the Marble Falls High School theater arts teacher. “But still, we didn’t advance. We all felt really good about the performance, but we are in a really, really tough (theater arts) district.”

During a conversation with one of the high school coaches, Clark had kind of an epiphany. She told Clark that, as in theater arts, the high school’s athletic teams face tough competition from district squads in the Leander area. One of the things the Leander-area athletes do during the summer is participate in select teams.

“It’s all about getting more touches on the ball, she told me. That’s why those teams are so good,” Clark said.

The concept resonated with Clark. If getting more touches on the ball helps athletes, then getting more time on stage would definitely benefit high school actors, he decided.

So, during the last week of school in May, Clark pitched the idea of producing a summer play to his students. Despite having to give up a lot of their summer for rehearsals and the performance, many agreed.

“They really had to work hard because we’re basically pushing this all into about five weeks of rehearsal,” Clark said while watching his students go through the first act of “Over the River and Through the Woods. “They’re not doing this for me. They’re not doing this because it’s mandatory. They’re doing it so they can get better.”

The play, set in a Hoboken, N.J., home tells the story of Nick, a career-oriented 29-year-old and his maternal and paternal grandparents. Nick has landed a great job opportunity, but it’s across the country. His grandparents aren’t thrilled at the idea of Nick, who is their only living relative, heading so far way, so they hatch a plan, involving a young lady, to keep him in Hoboken.

“But, of course, not everything goes as planned,” Clark said. “But it’s a well-written and heartfelt play.”

Though it’s a small cast, it presents its own challenges.

“I have four teenagers playing grandparents,” Clark said with a grin. “That’s challenging. We’ve even put things in their shoes to make them walk, well, a bit older.”

They also use makeup to pull off the aging effect, but it’s their movements and vocal tones that really pull off the transformations.

The eight students spend up to five hours, two to three times a week rehearsing. This type of dedication shows on the stage even though they’re still more than a week from opening night at The Uptown Theatre in Marble Falls. But it’s the long-term impact that could make a big difference when the young thespians take the stage during the school year and for their one-act play. Clark knows the theater district just got tougher this year (as did the athletic counterpart) with the addition of Georgetown High School and Georgetown Eastview High School. And the Marble Falls student still have to contend with the majority of the Leander ISD schools as well as Dripping Springs High School, which advanced to the state one-act play competition in 2014 and came away highly ranked.

“Getting to state takes a lot of hard work and time. Time on stage,” Clark said. “It’s going to take us time to get us there, but this is all part of the plan.”

The production of “Over the River and Through the Woods” is July 31 and Aug. 1 at 7 p.m. and Aug. 3 at 2 p.m. The shows are at The Uptown Theatre, 218 Main St. Tickets are $7 with proceeds benefitting the high school’s theater arts department.

daniel@thepicayune.com

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DANIEL CLIFTON • PICAYUNE EDITOR

Marble Falls High School graduate Emily Klingsporn loves to exceed expectations. Though she’s considered legally deaf, Emily set high standards for herself and never used her limited hearing as an excuse. Now, she’s headed for Texas A&M University, where she may be the first member of the Corps of Cadets who wears a cochlear implant. Courtesy photo

MARBLE FALLS — If you ask Emily Klingsporn about her life and the challenges she has faced, she shrugs and asks, “What do you mean?”

The 2014 Marble Falls High School graduate understands the question, but she just doesn’t see how it applies to her.

But if you ask the same question to her parents, Garnette and Dale Klingsporn, they clearly have a different perspective.

“I don’t think I could have gone through what she’s gone through,” said her father, Dale. “She’s just so strong-willed. She just won’t let anybody see her or treat her any different.”

As she prepares to enter Texas A&M University and join the Corps of Cadets later this month, Emily’s journey so far hasn’t been the typical one. She’s legally deaf with a hearing aid in her right ear and a cochlear implant in the other. But Emily goes about life as any other person her age.

Still, her life is anything but typical. In 1995, Emily was born 12 weeks early and weighed 2 pounds and 8 ounces. She was a twin, born with her brother Timothy, who weighed 2 pounds and 2 ounces. Physicians gave her a 75 percent chance of surviving.

She spent the first three months of her life in the hospital but made it home. Her brother, Timothy, sadly didn’t.

Emily contracted cytomegalovirus (CMV) early in her life. One of the complications the disease can trigger in infants is hearing loss.

By the time the family moved to Marble Falls, before Emily started school, her parents suspected there was something wrong with her hearing. Tests would eventually confirm it.

But Emily learned how to do something early on that at first confounded her parents.

“We figured out she was reading lips,” Dale said with a smile.

A person looking directly at her and speaking might not even have realized Emily couldn’t hear him or her.

Although, if a man with a beard or a mustache spoke to her, the facial hair concealed his lips, making them difficult to read.

The Klingsporns found a way to know when she was reading their lips. When they spoke to her, they would move their mouths but not make a sound.

“But she’d answer us,” Dale said.

A student with hearing issues can easily fall behind in class. Fortunately for Emily and her parents, Marble Falls Independent School District’s Special Services program created an atmosphere that not only supported her but welcomed her unconditionally. Kids sometimes single out those who aren’t like them, and with hearing problems and a hearing aid, Emily might have appeared like an easy target.

“No, it never really happened,” Emily said about other kids teasing her.

Her parents agreed.

“Everybody knew that was Emily, so nobody really made an issue about her hearing,” Garnette recalled.

But that came with a caveat. Teachers, fellow students — and even her parents — didn’t allow her to use her hearing problem as a crutch. Not that Emily would. Dale and Garnette Klingsporn set high expectations for her just as they had for her older brother, Walker.

“I think that was important,” Dale said. “We had high expectations.”

“And she knew it,” Garnette said. “And she also set high expectations for herself. She never let her hearing keep her from doing something or using it as an excuse.”

Those expectations would foster Emily’s view of herself as just like everyone else.

And she is.

While a hearing aid returned some of her lost hearing, the Klingsporns found themselves weighing an option in 2004 that could give Emily a much greater sense of hearing in her left ear. Physicians recommended Emily for a cochlear implant.

Unlike a hearing aid, which basically amplifies sound, a cochlear implant bypasses the damaged part of the ear and directly stimulates the auditory nerve. It requires surgery to fix the implant within the ear. Once the internal portion is in place, the recipient uses a transmitter placed on a magnet (implanted above the ear) to hear.

While it seemed like an easy decision, Garnette and Dale wrestled with it.

“Once you have this surgery, there’s no going back. They have to remove a lot of the natural parts of the ear,” Dale said. “We didn’t know what would happen with the other ear. And we didn’t know what would happen in the future if they found something better than (the cochlear). Once the surgery was done, it was done.”

But for all the “what ifs,” the Klingsporns decided the best thing for Emily was to let her hear. So surgeons implanted the cochlear in the 8-year-old’s ear canal and placed the receiver/stimulator above her left ear.

The implant doesn’t give Emily normal hearing. She described it as a mechanical sound, but she can hear people talk, among other things. Since the first implant, she has undergone several cochlear upgrades as the technology improves.

For Emily, it’s just a part of her life.

She did everything her classmates did, including playing sports. She was a member of the girls’ varsity basketball team in high school. During the games, however, Emily wouldn’t wear the removable transmitter.

“I didn’t want it to get knocked off,” she said.

That came as a relief to her parents, as they pointed out the device cost several thousand dollars. Still, it made for some interesting games. In order for her to hear her teammates, they would have to yell at her. It was something her parents understood but sometimes raised the eyebrows of other people.

“Sometimes somebody would say, ‘Why are they yelling at Emily so much,’” Garnette said. “She’s deaf,’ I’d tell them.”

She thrived athletically and academically, being inducted into the National Honor Society as a sophomore. She also has worked at Thomas Bait Shop in Marble Falls since turning 16.

Neither the cochlear implant nor her limited hearing set boundaries for her. If anybody set a bar for Emily, she just cleared it.

With high school behind her, Emily is preparing for college. She’s heading to Texas A&M University, where she plans to study poultry science. And she’s joining the Corps of Cadets.

Emily shrugged off any thought she’s different. She’s just Emily. The key to success, she said, is determining how far you want to go and then go.

Garnette recalled when Emily attended the Legacy Honors Banquet, which recognizes the top 10 percent of Marble Falls graduates. During the ceremony, each student gets introduced and an administrator reads a quote selected by the youth that best represents him or her.

“Emily’s quote was ‘exceeding expectations,’” Garnette said. “And she has, since the day she was born. And she’ll just keep on doing it.”

daniel@thepicayune.com

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DANIEL CLIFTON • PICAYUNE EDITOR

Marble Falls Mustang band members Rebecca Faehnle (foreground) and Cody Molina (second from front) work on their marching during a morning practice the first week of August. The Marble Falls High School band is unveiling a new show this year with the first act being performed Aug. 29 during the season-opening football game. Staff photo by Daniel Clifton

MARBLE FALLS — With more than 100 students, keeping the Marble Falls High School marching band on task would appear to be a daunting challenge.

But drum major Tristan Galban sees it a bit differently.

“Sure, it could be tough, but we have a great group of leaders,” the high school senior said. “And we all work to really keep the band and each other focused.”

With only a few weeks before the band takes the field Aug. 29 during the opening Mustangs football game, band members know they have a lot of work ahead of them. Despite the summer temperatures, the band hits the high school parking lot starting at 8:30 a.m. for several hours of practice Monday through Friday. They started Aug. 4 and will continue daily marching rehearsals up to Aug. 15.

But the band isn’t quite done once the each morning’s rehearsal is complete.

“Then we head inside for another several hours of practice,” band director Brad Behrens said. “They have been working extremely hard. Everybody has — the students, the leaders and the staff. I couldn’t ask for more.”

Once Aug. 15 rolls around and teacher inservice begins, the band will put in four hours a day in the evening. Plus, many do extra work on their own.

The incoming freshmen members and student band leaders began meeting July 31 before the entire group assembled Aug. 4. But Behrens said the students have been working on their music throughout the summer.

“It’s kind of hard to practice marching by yourself though,” he added.

The band is rehearsing a performance routine called “The Invasion.”

“That’s all I’m going to give out right now,” Behrens said about the routine. The band will perform the first part during the Aug. 29 home football game against Burnet. Then, as the season progresses, the band will round out the remaining two parts.

“We have a really talented group of freshmen coming in this year,” Galban said. “I’ve seen a tremendous amount of progress from them and the rest of the band. I’m pretty excited about this year.”

Along with performing during football halftimes, the high school band participates in marching competitions. Each year, the University Interscholastic League alternates which divisions can advance to area and state contests. Because of that, the Marble Falls band can only go as far as the regional marching contest this year.

Still, band members and the staff aren’t kicking back and relaxing. After nine years as a cohesive unit, band directors Behrens, David Langford, Rachel Faehnle and Cristi Reyes have created a supportive, creative team. But they also set high expectations, something that permeates throughout the band.

Galban, a four-year Marble Falls band veteran who started playing in sixth grade, understands those expectations and sets the bar high for himself.

“We all — the band leaders — are really excited about this year,” Galban said. “I have high expectations about what we can do. And I think that’s something everybody in the band shares.”

daniel@thepicayune.com

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DANIEL CLIFTON • PICAYUNE EDITOR

MARBLE FALLS — As Marble Falls High School career and technology teacher Vinny Heller prepares for the new school year, he sees a world of potential for his students.

“My vision is, when they leave high school, they’ll have several certifications and can basically step right into the industry and get a job,” he said. Heller teaches metal fabrication and welding at the high school. This marks his second year at the campus, but thanks to additional funding through a voter-approved bond and district support, his program and the entire Marble Falls ISD Career and Technology program is undergoing a major transformation.

“In education, the pendulum often swings one way or the other,” said Bruce Peckover, the MFISD career and technology director. “But thanks to (state legislation), schools are really looking at how they prepare students not just for college but for career readiness.”

Under House Bill 5 passed by state leaders, students now must work toward an endorsement in one of several areas, including math, science, arts and humanities, business, public service and technology. Peckover said students are no longer separated into either “vocational training” or college-bound studies. School districts must prepare them for career readiness, whether they plan to attend college, pursue technical training or enter the workforce immediately after graduation.

“Basically, all kids are in a career and technology path,” Peckover said. “This is a big paradigm shift.”

To prepare students in job or career readiness, schools must change how they educate youth. Peckover said MFISD is doing this through both typical classroom studies and a dose of “hands-on” learning. And it’s not just little projects the students tackle. They’ll also be working on industry-standard equipment.

Heller pointed out a plasma cutter the high school is adding to the metal fabrication program.

“I can get a high-definition image off the computer and cut it out of sheet metal — up to a half an inch thick,” he said. “This is the same one used in the industry, and the kids will be using it.”

“And that’s what we want,” Peckover said. “We want our kids to be learning on the same equipment they’ll use in the industry when they go out to get job.”

The metal fabrication program is adding 10 welding centers, pipe benders, drill presses and other equipment students will use. But it’s not just the metal fabrication program. The district is creating a program that will give students interested in horticulture, health sciences, robotics, engineering, animal science and other areas opportunities to earn certifications, develop workforce skills and work on the latest equipment. The district’s robotics program is getting an industry-standard robot like the one used in major manufacturing plants such as Dell Computers and Toyota.

“Our students will be able to walk into these companies and say, ‘I can use that robot and write the code to program it,’’’ Peckover said. “Think what that’s going to do for our students.”

Career and technology combines theory, study and practical application. Peckover said, in the end, it’s not just about offering students a pathway to success (though that’s a big part of it), it’s also about the community.

“The reality is only about 28 percent of students go on to a four-year college. That means the majority of students are left behind. This gives students a path to the workforce and career readiness. It gives 100 percent of our students a way to good careers,” Peckover said. “And we’re building our community by providing qualified workers.”

daniel@thepicayune.com

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