Since the 1980's, the Coupland area has been targeted for one massive project after another--Austin's airport, the first bullet train, relocating FM 973 farther east, and last but not least, the Trans-Texas Corridor. Now, it seems the area west of Coupland would make a dandy place for a freight rail line. As one resident said, "Do we have a target on our back, or what?!"
On May 23, representatives of Lone Star Rail made a presentation in the fellowship hall of St. Peter’s Church of Coupland regarding the proposed freight rail bypass that would run from Taylor to San Antonio, through the area west of Coupland. In attendance were Coupland Civic Organization board members, Coupland Incorporation Committee members, Blackland Prairie Concerned Citizens members, and Norman’s Crossing Community members. Thanks to Coupland Civic Organization President Barbara Piper for organizing this meeting.
The presentation was made by Joe Black, director of Lone Star Rail, assisted by Jenny Gregorcyk and Mike Madison of Hahn, Texas, Lone Star Rail’s public relations firm. Lone Star Rail, which is an independent local government agency created by the state legislature, wishes to run passenger rail on the existing Union Pacific line from Georgetown, through Austin, to San Antonio. This would require that the current freight rail be moved off that line to a new line. The perfect place for that new line will be somewhere east of SH 130 and west of Hwy. 95, meaning the area west of Coupland.
Lone Star Rail distributed a map that shows the rail bypass study area that is several miles wide and includes the Coupland area. The possible rail route alternatives have been narrowed to three, which are not yet being shown to the public. The rail bypass project will be subjected to the process of a Federal Environmental Impact Statement; Black does not expect this to begin until 2013. Coupland residents will have to wait until then to see what routes this rail bypass might take through their area. After all, we're only the residents and property owners--just waiting for others to try to arrange our lives for us, once again.
Friday, June 1, 2012
Sunday, May 6, 2012
Coupland incorporation election in November
As reported in the April Coupland Herald newsletter by Susan Schmidt, Incorporation Committee Co-Chair:
Good news from the Coupland Incorporation Committee: please note the following paragraph from the County Judge on the official Order of Election.
"Special Election Ordered. An incorporation election shall be held within the Coupland Community, within Williamson County, Texas, on Tuesday, November 6, 2012, on the question of incorporating the area of the Coupland community, as described in the Application to Incorporate, as the City of Coupland, Texas. Qualified voters of Williamson County that reside within the geographic area described in the Application to Incorporate shall be entitled to vote in the election."
The Coupland Incorporation Committee will meet periodically for updates, concerns, and to plan for the November election.
Good news from the Coupland Incorporation Committee: please note the following paragraph from the County Judge on the official Order of Election.
"Special Election Ordered. An incorporation election shall be held within the Coupland Community, within Williamson County, Texas, on Tuesday, November 6, 2012, on the question of incorporating the area of the Coupland community, as described in the Application to Incorporate, as the City of Coupland, Texas. Qualified voters of Williamson County that reside within the geographic area described in the Application to Incorporate shall be entitled to vote in the election."
The Coupland Incorporation Committee will meet periodically for updates, concerns, and to plan for the November election.
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Jim Garry speaks to Coupland students
On the evening of February 11, storyteller Jim Garry presented a program to students and their families in the Coupland School gym. Carolyn Lowry, the school's information technology director, who organized the program, treated attendees to hot chocolate and s'mores, in keeping with the theme of tales told around the campfire.
Monday, February 6, 2012
Folklorist Jim Garry entertains Coupland meeting
The Coupland Civic Organization held its official annual meeting on January 30, in the St. Peter’s Church fellowship hall. President Barbara Piper reviewed the past year’s activities and introduced folklorist Jim Garry, who told entertaining, historic stories about the Coupland area.
Although Jim is from our area, he spends much of the year in Wyoming, where he teaches classes and guides wildlife trips for various organizations, including the Yellowstone Institute and the Smithsonian Institution. He has written two books on Western lore, The First Liar Never Has a Chance and This Ol’ Drought Ain’t Broke Us Yet. His third book, describing the armaments of the Lewis and Clark expedition, is due out later this year.
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Jim Garry to speak at January 30 CCO meeting
The Coupland Civic Organization will hold its official annual meeting on Monday, January 30, in the St. Peter’s Church fellowship hall. Refreshments will be served at 6:30 p.m., and the program will begin at 7. The past year’s activities will be reviewed and elections will be held for open director places. After this business meeting, Jim Garry will present historic and entertaining stories.
Jim, who is a professional folklorist and storyteller, is from the Coupland area. He spends much of the year in Wyoming, where he teaches classes and guides wildlife trips for various organizations, including the Yellowstone Institute and the Smithsonian Institution. He has written two books on Western lore, The First Liar Never Has a Chance and This Ol’ Drought Ain’t Broke Us Yet. His third book, describing the armaments of the Lewis and Clark expedition, is due out later this year.
Jim, who is a professional folklorist and storyteller, is from the Coupland area. He spends much of the year in Wyoming, where he teaches classes and guides wildlife trips for various organizations, including the Yellowstone Institute and the Smithsonian Institution. He has written two books on Western lore, The First Liar Never Has a Chance and This Ol’ Drought Ain’t Broke Us Yet. His third book, describing the armaments of the Lewis and Clark expedition, is due out later this year.
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Coupland resident on the Trans-Texas Corridor in New York Times
Caleb Ging and Libby Fischer with anti-Corridor cotton trailer. Photo by Libby's mother Dawn.
Even though the Trans-Texas Corridor has been officially removed from all Texas statutes, it still pops up in the news from time to time. It was the subject of a December New York Times article that quoted Coupland resident Scott Ging and included a photo of the cotton trailer with anti-Corridor signs that Scott placed on his family’s farm on Hwy. 95 in 2007. Back at that time, ACRE distributed a news release with photos to area newspapers and received some coverage.
The New York Times article says, “Unveiled by Mr. Perry in early 2002, the public-private transit project was intended as a centerpiece of his governorship . . . 4,000 miles of road, rail and utility corridors each as wide as four football fields. . . . Can you imagine a farmer sitting on his ranch thinking of a 1,200-foot-wide corridor hacked through the middle of it?”
The article continues, “Scott Ging sat on his century-old family ranch in Williamson County and thought about just that. He imagined the corridor splitting his land, with no crossings ‘and for no good reason.’”
Scott said, “Traffic is not that bad in Texas; if we have to wait 10 or 15 seconds to get on the highway, that’s a traffic jam. The idea that they would take our land and give it to somebody else to make a profit on it — I don’t know how Perry thought that would ever fly.”
Even though the Trans-Texas Corridor has been officially removed from all Texas statutes, it still pops up in the news from time to time. It was the subject of a December New York Times article that quoted Coupland resident Scott Ging and included a photo of the cotton trailer with anti-Corridor signs that Scott placed on his family’s farm on Hwy. 95 in 2007. Back at that time, ACRE distributed a news release with photos to area newspapers and received some coverage.
The New York Times article says, “Unveiled by Mr. Perry in early 2002, the public-private transit project was intended as a centerpiece of his governorship . . . 4,000 miles of road, rail and utility corridors each as wide as four football fields. . . . Can you imagine a farmer sitting on his ranch thinking of a 1,200-foot-wide corridor hacked through the middle of it?”
The article continues, “Scott Ging sat on his century-old family ranch in Williamson County and thought about just that. He imagined the corridor splitting his land, with no crossings ‘and for no good reason.’”
Scott said, “Traffic is not that bad in Texas; if we have to wait 10 or 15 seconds to get on the highway, that’s a traffic jam. The idea that they would take our land and give it to somebody else to make a profit on it — I don’t know how Perry thought that would ever fly.”
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Coupland Civic Organization's Christmas Party
The CCO enjoyed music from Coupland School students at its meeting on December 13. Thanks to Superintendent Gary Chandler and music director George McAdams for bringing the advanced Middle School guitar students, the kindergarten-second grade choir, and the third grade flutophone group. Mr. McAdams, who has taught science and music at Coupland School for several years, is retiring at the end of this semester. The CCO thanks him for bringing his students to the Coupland Christmas gathering for the past several years. We will miss him! Also, thank you to CCO Hospitality Co-Chairs Ruby Wabbel and Dottie Hahn for the Christmas cookies and punch.
The CCO’s Country Cookin’ cookbook has been reprinted and is available at CCO meetings and from President Barbara Piper, 856-2635. It is available in Taylor at Moss & Moss True Value.
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