Angela Scheimo, the 16-year-old Austin baby sitter who saved her charges on New Year’s Eve will be commended on Tuesday night by Mayor Bonnie Rietz.

Saturday, January 13, 2001

Angela Scheimo, the 16-year-old Austin baby sitter who saved her charges on New Year’s Eve will be commended on Tuesday night by Mayor Bonnie Rietz. During the City Council meeting, Rietz will thank Scheimo for her "bravery and quick actions," which saved the lives on Kelsey and Jordan White, also of Austin.

On the night in question, Scheimo smelled smoke while watching the children and noticed a haze in the kitchen of the White house. After checking the basement, she found a bedroom dresser already ablaze and immediately ran upstairs to tell the children to put their boots on.

When Scheimo tried to call 911, her call was cut short as fire ate through the phone wire. She escorted the children across the street and called 911 from the neighbor’s residence. Though three family dogs and a parakeet were lost due to smoke inhalation, the children survived because of Scheimo’s quick thinking.

The council will also conduct three public hearings during the meeting. The first involves reassessing the unpaid assessments on forfeited property. Two of the properties in question are located within the railroad yard and all three are owned by the Housing and Redevelopment Authority.

Steven Carroll and Jon Boyer, whose public hearings were rescheduled due to a December snow storm, will request variances before the council.

Carroll is asking for a 620-square-foot variance to construct a 1620 square foot accessory structure to his residence at 2406 12th Ave. SW. At its December meeting, the Austin City Planning Commission voted to recommend a denial of the variance 7-0