The Visit to the Governor's Office Today

Friends,

As we head for Austin today Tuesday, 8 March, here are some of the people that will be meeting with us:

Lauren Clay, Senior Advisor to the Governor for the Office of First Lady – Lauren Bean Clay currently serves as the Deputy Communications Director at the Office of the Attorney General, a position she assumed in 2010 after serving as Communications Director to U.S. Representative Michael Burgess, MD, and Deputy Press Secretary for U.S. Senator John Cornyn. A native Texan, Clay is a graduate of The University of Texas at Austin.

Reed Clay, Senior Advisor – Reed Clay currently serves as Senior Counsel to the Attorney General, having previously served as Texas’ Assistant Solicitor General. Prior to his service to the State of Texas, Clay was a litigator for the U.S. Department of Justice. A native Texan, Clay is a graduate of Wake Forest University and the Duke University School of Law.

Drew DeBerry, Policy Director – Drew DeBerry currently serves as Deputy Commissioner of the Texas Department of Agriculture, a position he has held since 2007. DeBerry was the national agriculture coalition director of President George W. Bush’s 2000 campaign and subsequently served as White House Liaison and then Deputy Chief of Staff at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. He was a legislative fellow in former State Senator Robert Duncan’s office during the 76th Legislative Session. DeBerry is a native of Olton, TX and holds a degree in Agricultural and Applied Economics from Texas Tech University.

Jerry Strickland, Executive Director of the Office of State and Federal Relations – Jerry Strickland currently serves as Director of Communications for the Office of the Attorney General, and has served as spokesman and advisor for Governor-elect Abbott since 2003. Previously, Strickland was a reporter and anchor for CBS and ABC news affiliates in Texas and other states. Strickland is a graduate of the University of Mississippi. *(NOTE: This appointment is subject to Senate confirmation.)

Very impressive people.  

The Village Committee of Melanie Kirchmeier, Dave Hermann, Dave Swarthout, and Larry Wolfe have been working around the clock on the presentation.  We are ready.  

VR/Skip

You are so good! Thank you! Nearly There!

Friends,

We are $4000 short of reaching our goal to clean the creek around the low water crossing.  To date, we are over $10,000.  

Thank you for the very generous contributions that individuals and organizations have made.

You are a marvelous group of people.  A wonderful community.

Thank you.

  Thank you.

Thank you.

$4000 more and the beauty of the low water crossing will return.

The birds, the wild life, and the beauty.

Every penny will be used for the creek. 

Make your checks payable to Salado Community Fund and mail them to P.O. Box 895, Keep 

Salado Beautiful, Salado, Texas 76571.

VR/Skip

There is more.  In your browser, type in Re-electSkip.blogspot.com.

A mistake is made

Friends,

Today has been very frustrating for candidates running for Public Office in Cedar Park, Kilgore, Friendswood, and Salado to name a few cities.  The problem is a new form that is clear.

On the form that must be completed by candidates are several boxes: one for personal address, one for the number of years and months lived at that address and one for the number of years and months lived in Texas.  Putting one thing wrong in one of those boxes or not completing a box automatically causes their application to be rejected.  In other words, their name will not appear on the ballot.

A new form stating that the candidate is running as a "write-in candidate" must be completed and sent to the State.

Today, the applications for Amber Preston Dankert, Linda Reynolds, and myself were rejected
for not completing a box.  Additionally Michael Matthews, running for the school board, had his application rejected.

Amber, Linda, and myself submitted forms and will be write-in candidates.  The only names on the ballot in May will be Hans Fields for Mayor and Frank Coachman for Alderman.

Knowing that candidates in other cities across Texas are experiencing the same problem, it is likely a court appeal will be made.

Until then, Amber, Linda, and I will be running as Write in Candidates.  It makes the election for us more difficult but more interesting.  Stand by.

VR/Skip

Are your running for Mayor?

Simple answer:

Yes.

It is not a matter of winning or losing.  It is a matter of loving this community and giving it the best that I have,

If I should lose, I will support the winner with all that I have.

If I should win, I will give it the same amount -- all that I have.

That is the only promise that I will make.  It is the only true promise I can give with any degree of certainty.

Most Respectfully,

Skip

One for One

Friends,

$1.00  for $1.00

For every $1.00 given, an anonymous giver will match the $1.00 up to $10,000.

Trash that caught on weeds, grass, and sticks.  That is plastic trash.

We are at $7200.  Thank you for loving this creek.

The goal is somewhere between $10,000 and $18,000.  Small, Medium, or Large:  Every 

$1 = $2.00

The far right, a plastic milk gallon, on the Island, a clear plastic sheet,

On the large island, more plastic containers.

Each one of us has a responsibility to Keep Salado Beautiful.  I sent my check this morning to Box 895, Salado, Texas.  

Before Spring arrives, let's clean the creek and enjoy it all summer.

It adds up $2.00 = $4.00; $5.00 = $10.00;

$50=$100; $500=$1000.

Small, Medium, Large . . .  Thank you for your donation!

Gravel on the right, trash in the middle -- Soon we will be able to walk across the creek without using the low water crossing.

It is not a matter of where we live in Salado; Salado Creek is a natural beauty that makes Salado, along with its citizens, very special.

Thank you, for your contribution, Friends.

VR/Skip

Latest on I-35 Construction with pictures

Friends,

Monday evening, Rick Lewis, Regional James Construction Engineer and I drove through the Construction site.  Here are pictures of what I saw and what was told

Standing on 2484 bridge looking north toward Waco.  The black road is the new I-35 going south.  It is connecting with concrete new I-35 where the red truck and cars are.   Iron will be placed on the asphalt this week followed by concrete.  This is about 100 yards (size of a football field)  from the bridge.

 Same picture as above.  Notice the white finger that separates the Salado Plaza exit from the main I-35 road.  This exit goes under the bridge.

Taken from the east side of 2484 Bridge, notice on the far right, the narrow black road that goes under the 2484 bridge.  It is the Salado Plaza exit depicted in the picture above.

Standing on the 2484 Bridge looking south toward Austin.  The immediate white concrete is the expansion of the 2484 bridge.  This was the part that fell when it was hit.  It is close to completion.  Notice the wide black asphalt road -- that is the new southbound I-35 road.  The narrow road to the white is the Salado Plaza exit.  This week, iron will be placed on the asphalt followed by 15 inches of concrete.

Notice the white road next to the Salado Plaza Exit road on the right.  That is the new frontage road.  It will soon receive asphalt, iron, and concrete.

Still on 2484 Bridge (Holiday Inn Express is on the left).  On the right is new I-35 road going south.

The concrete road where the cars/trucks are going north and south is the completed new north bound I-35 road.  The center barrier blocks on the concrete that separate north and south traffic will be removed when the new I-35 highway is completed 

Holiday Inn is on the immediate left; I am on the east side of the 2484 bridge.  In front of you, the black asphalt road  awaiting iron and concrete is the new frontage road on the east side.  

The building of Salado Plaza Bridge.  It is scheduled to be completed 15 March.

Across from the Sonic, do you see the stage coach and horses embedded in the wall plates?  Putting it together is like a puzzle except the wall plates are numbered. Stop and see it.

Looking North, notice the length and height of Salado Plaza Bridge.  It is higher than any Salado building.  The view from the top of the bridge is all encompassing -- simply beautiful.  This was taken from CEFCO driveway.

Looking south, from CEFCO property, the Thomas Arnold exit off the Salado Plaza Bridge is finally making significant progress.  The drilling has been very difficult due to the depth and the stabilizing of the columns.  The total cost of just drilling the holes and placing a foundation in the holes for the columns is over a million dollars for drilling 8 holes.

Standing on the construction site looking south, notice the white strip on the left in front of the water truck.  That is the Thomas Arnold exit joining the frontage road. The dirt on the right is the new I-35 highway.  It will soon receive asphalt, iron, and cement.  In the next 60 days, the I-35 Salado Section will be significantly completed.

The completed frontage bridge across Salado Creek is before you.  It was finished on 1 Feb 2016, about 2:23 P.M.  

Standing on the sidewalk across Thomas Arnold Bridge and looking South, The dirt is I-35 South.  It will soon receive the final grade, Asphalt, iron, and cement.  

From Thomas Arnold Bridge looking south, the dirt road is being prepared to meet the main I-35 Bridge across Salado Creek.  The road on the South Side of the creek bridge where the white car is traveling is the completed I-35 Highway.

In the next 60 days, there will be significant progress on I-35 Highway.  According to Rick Lewis, the Salado Section of I-35 will be completed in June 2016.  That is 4-months from now!  We are entering the final months of construction.  There are over 130 workers on site making sure June is the end.

VR/Skip

Saturday morning with the Mayor

Friends,

Last Saturday, three people took an hour from their schedule to visit with the Mayor.  Each was a good visit discussing issues, suggestion, and recommendations.

If you would like an hour to visit, please call Mary Ann, 947-5060, and ask for a time.  Each visit is scheduled for an hour.  The time are 9 - 10 - and 11 A.M.  If it is more convenient -- 8 A.M. may be used.  This week 9 A.M. is taken.

I have asked Mary Ann not to have a sign-up sheet posted; therefore, a telephone call or visit to make an appointment is necessary.  Reason:  Someone may want their visit confidential.

It is always good to hear and listen from citizens in the community.

VR/Skip