Library grant doubles budget for buying books, tapes

By LPR Staff
Editor/POST-REGISTER

A one-time grant from a San Antonio foundation will make a significant impact on the lives of hundreds of Lockhart families.
Jody King, president of the Friends of the Dr. Eugene Clark Library and a member of the Library Board of Directors, announced on Tuesday evening that the George W. Brackenridge Foundation made a gr

ant of $15,000 toward enhancing the library”s collection of books, compact discs and videos.
According to King, a member of the Foundation heard about Friends of the Library shortly after the annual “Evening with the Authors” event in October, and invited the group to submit a grant application. She received notification that an award had been given on or about Dec. 12.
According to Head Librarian Bertha Martinez, the library was only able to apply $15,000 from last year”s city budget toward collection enhancement, so the grant opens up several opportunities.
King and Martinez presented the grant award to the City Council during their regular meeting on Tuesday evening.
After the presentation, the council held a routine business meeting to attend to several “housekeeping issues.”
Of particular note, they heard a presentation from Chief of Police Mike Lummus, regarding the city”s uniform traffic enforcement policy.
The policy, Lummus said, was drafted in response to complaints from the community that Lockhart Police Department officers relied too heavily on personal judgment and had little continuity in ticket-writing policy. For several months, Lummus has been working on a draft proposal of the policy, and he announced on Tuesday the department is ready to implement the new standards by the end of this month.
They also heard a presentation from Nikki Dictson with the Plum Creek Water Conservation District regarding water quality in the Plum Creek Watershed.
Dictson said several studies have been completed regarding the watershed”s pollution issues, and she asked the council for their support in pursuing grants and implementing clean-up procedures.
Though much of the watershed is not classified as a “pollution concern,” Dictson said, it could still be unhealthy for area residents to use the creek for recreational swimming, kayaking or fishing.
In brief news:
City Manager Vance Rodgers announced that the Texas Department of Transportation is ready to break ground the Highway 183 overpass, which will allow traffic to continue moving despite the presence of trains on the Union Pacific Railroad tracks. The project is expected to begin construction in February, and will take around nine months to complete.
Rodgers also discussed the status of sidewalks throughout Lockhart. According to his initial figures, sidewalks around town are in need of extension and repair to the tune of nearly $270,000.
The Lockhart City Council meets on the first and third Tuesday of each month at 7:30 p.m. in the Glosserman Room at Lockhart City Hall. Meetings are open to the public and are televised on Time Warner Cable Channel 10.