Cowboys, art, and more fun events at the Williamson Museum

From Wilcounty Line, November 2009...

Check out the "Cowboy Christmas" activity at the Williamson Museum, 716 S. Austin Avenue, Georgetown, during the next "Hands-on-History" event for kids and families on Friday, November 27, from 2 to 5 p.m. Also, adults can enjoy speaker Mary Visser, Southwestern University Professor of Art, during the Wednesday, November 11, Salon at Wildfire. Finally, the Museum's Books for Texans discusses In a Narrow Grave: Essays on Texas by Larry McMurtry on Tuesday, November 17, 7 p.m., in the Hewlett Room of the Georgetown Public Library. For more information on these activities, contact the Museum at 943-1670 or visit www.williamsonmuseum.org.

Cell phone registration for emergencies

From Wilcounty Line, November 2009...

Residents of the 10-county Capital Area Council of Governments (CAPCOG) region can now register and receiver notifications on their cell phones for emergencies that may affect their homes and businesses or those of their relatives. To receive these public safety messages, go to this website and follow the instructions to add your information into the ENS cell phone registry.

Brown Santa Kick-off on November 21

From Wilcounty Line, November 2009...

The Brown Santa program is ringing in the holiday season with its annual toy drive on Saturday, November 21, from 6 to 8 p.m. in the Wolf Ranch Town Center. Everyone is invited to join in the festivities with refreshments, live entertainment, and photos with Santa. Toy and book donations will continue November 28 to December 20, on Saturdays from 12 to 6 p.m. and Sundays from 1 to 4 p.m. Brown Santa also has opportunties for volunteers to help with events and distribution.

Read more...

Lighting of the Square in Georgetown on November 27

From Visit Georgetown, October 30, 2009...

Come experience the magic as we kick-off the holiday season with our annual Lighting of the Square, held at dusk on the Friday after Thanksgiving! This years event will be on November 27. Come sing along with the Austin Carolers to your favorite holiday tunes and warm your tummy with cookies and hot chocolate!

Read more...

Draft of Hazard Mitigation Plan Update available for comment

From Wilcounty Line, June 2009...

The Texas Colorado River Floodplain Coalition (TCRFC) is sponsoring the development of a multi-jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Update that will address all natural hazards.  This plan includes Williamson County.  The draft plan is now available for comment, and the public is invited and encouraged to provide feedback.  To download sections of the plan, go to www.tcrfc.org.  All sections are available for download on the homepage.  Any comments should be sent in writing by June 30, 2009, to Erin Capps, H2O Partners, Inc., P.O. Box 160130, Austin, TX 78716 or faxed to 512-329-6612 or emailed to ecapps@h2opartnersusa.com  

Williamson County will hold a public hearing on the transportation master plan

From Wilcounty Line, June, 2009...

Williamson County will hold a public hearing in June on the draft plan of the County's updated transportation master plan.  The date for the hearing will be set during Commissioners Court on June 2 and announced on the County's Web site at www.wilco.org and on the road bond Web site at www.roadbond.org.  The County is seeking feedback on the draft plan that includes what roads should be built or improved over the next twenty-five years, as well as various transit options.

Read more...

Valence wants to build major plant in Leander

From Austin Business Journal, May 27, 2009...

Austin-based Valence Technology Inc. has submitted a grant application to the U.S. Department of Energy with plans to build a manufacturing facility in Leander.

The company’s proposed facility would manufacture lithium phosphate cathode material, high-capacity advanced cells and battery packs for electric drive vehicles and other uses.

“With significant incentives projected from the state, county and city governments, Leander, Texas, was chosen as the primary site for our advanced battery manufacturing plant,” said Ross Goolsby, Valence’s chief financial officer. “Both state and city officials have demonstrated incredible support for the plan to provide up to 2,700 new, high-tech jobs in the Central Texas region by 2012 and up to 4,000 jobs by 2016. The state of Texas, Williamson County and the city of Leander are projecting and seeking approval of more than $150 million in incentives over a ten-year period.”

Read more...

From Hill Country News, May 27, 2009...

BREAKING NEWS: Proposed facility in Leander to provide 4,000 jobs

Valence Technology, Inc., a leading U.S.-based manufacturer and supplier of lithium iron magnesium phosphate energy storage solutions, announced on Wednesday it plans to open a facility in Leander that would provide 4,000 jobs. 

Read More...

$182M bond sale approved for pipeline project

From Hill Country News, May 27, 2009...

Last Thursday, May 21, was a banner day for those who support the construction of the Brushy Creek Regional Utility Authority tri-city water infrastructure project - those opposing the project weren't quite so happy.

In a hearing in Austin, the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) approved the sale of $182 million in bonds to fund Phase 1A of the project, which will include a pipeline along Trails End Road in Cedar Park and a water treatment plant with 17 million gallons per day capacity.

The $182 million bond sale approved on Thursday was part of a $475 million bond package funding several water infrastructure projects, including a $142 million project by the North Ft. Bend Water Authority. The bond sale is set to move forward on June 8 and 9, with a closing on July 7.

Read more...

Major donation to put ‘steam' back in Austin Steam Train

From Hill Country News, May 21, 2009...

Puffs of white smoke will soon fill the air above Cedar Park once again as the Austin Steam Train brings back its original steam engine, which has been undergoing an extensive overhaul. The engine should be back on track sometime in 2010.

The historic engine will return to Cedar Park thanks to a generous $500,000 donation from the family of Austin Steam Train Association (ASTA) founder Arthur Boone, who died in October 2008 at age 87. The Mary Carol Boone Joy Foundation made the donation to ensure the Southern Pacific 786 engine is returned to service. The foundation is named for Arthur's daughter Carol Boone, who died in August 2008 at 48.

Read more...

Open Letter to the Leander HEB

Dear Leander HEB,

I worked in the grocery business for 15 years (Safeway, Kansas City) and so can critique the Leander HEB based on experience as a grocery employee as well as a customer. Overall, our HEB is a well-run store which is easy to shop in. The produce is very good, The meat dept. is good. The overall store is good.

There is, however, one nagging issue which my wife and I encounter almost every time we shop there. It is so irritating that we would gladly shop elsewhere if we had a rival store in our town. The closest alternative is 20-minutes further away on a congested thoroughfare.

The issue is the way that the checkers and sackers handle our groceries. They are so interested in maintaining speed that they short-change us on quality service. It does absolutely no good to provide great products at great prices if your customers can't get home with them in great condition!

We have spoken to indivdual checkers, to the front-end manager numerous times, and to an assistant manager at least once. Yet the hasty, careless checkouts continue.

The checkers are so afraid of not meeting their speed "quota" that everything else seem unimportant to them. This is simply bad management!

The checker training obviously doesn't stress the importance of handling produce, bread, eggs, and certain other fragile products carefully. Either that, or they are made to feel so terrified of not having enough throughput, that they make speed their number one goal.

We have trained ourselves to try and place the most perishable or crushable items on the conveyor last, because if those items go first, they end up under a pile of canned goods, or other heavy items. But this doesn't always help. And, really, should your customers have to do this? Or should your checkers do their job with care?

The fact that we have called attention to this problem to store management numerous times and it still continues tells us that we customers are thought of as a necessary evil, not as a valued customer deserving respect.

Yours truly,

Annoyed in Leander

Leander Candidate Forum Canceled

From Hill Country News, May 21, 2009...

The Leander City Council Candidate Forum is canceled for May 26 at Pat Bryson Hall. There will be no makeup date. Four candidates - Iris Davis (mayor candidate), Mark Kronkosky (place 1 candidate), Cathy Broun (place 4 candidate) and Josh Payne (place 6 candidate) - have said they will not attend. The Leander runoff election will be June 13. Early voting will be June 1-9. Read next week's Hill Country News for more details on why it was canceled.

From a previous Hill Country News article:

"They'll have a candidate forum on May 26 at 7 p.m. at Pat Bryson Hall, but with a new twist. Unlike the traditional forums in the past, this one will have more open debate between the candidates. And the first eight questions of the night will be written by each other's opponents.

Each group will formulate their own questions to ask the other group. For example: a question formulated from the Iris Davis group will be asked to John Cowman, who will have three minutes to answer. Then, Davis will have one minute to rebut his answer. Each candidate will have a question to answer and an answer to rebut. There will be questions from the audience as well as opening and closing comments. As another new addition to the forum, the moderator will have the opportunity to redirect a question or ask an opponent to explain further on a topic."

[RCA] Hmmmmm... all of the challengers opt out of a debate with the incumbents!  Is it perhaps because they felt they would not be able to make a good showing in such a forum?  Is their slience golden, or just an indication of nothing to say? 

I believe this is just indicative of the lack of insight into the city's issues which is generally exhibited by the city council challengers.  One challenger was recently heard to ask when the city council has its meetings.  When told, he replied, "I guess I better go attend one of those meetings so I'll know what's going on."

Cantwell, Broun to run off for Place 4

From Hill Country News, May 14, 2009...

Michell Cantwell won nearly 47 percent of the vote in her bid for reelection for Place 4, but she was only five percentage points ahead of challenger Cathy Broun. The two will run off against each other on June 13.

“Certainly, I would have preferred that my reelection could have been confirmed on May 9, rather than the continuation of the campaign and another election on June 13,” Cantwell said. “I was greatly disappointed in the low voter turnout of approximately 1,100 voters overall in a city with over 12,000 registered voters.”

Read more...

Early voting starts June 1 for Leander Mayor, City Council positions

From Impact News, May 15, 2009...

In Hutto, voters will head to the polls to determine who will serve in the place 4 seat vacated by Mayor-Elect David Begier. Neither Ray "Coach" Gavit or Michael Smith were able to earn the majority of votes to win the seat outright.

In Leander, the runoffs will determine the mayoral race, as well as three City Council positions: Mayor John Cowman faces Iris Davis for that position; Place 4 incumbent Michell Cantwell squares off with Cathy Broun; Place 6 incumbent Dave Siebold faces Josh Payne; former council members Mark Kronkosky and Andrea Navarrette are running in the Place 1 special election.

Read more...

Capital Metro: No Opening Day For MetroRail Yet

From KEYE, May 13, 2009...

Capital Metro says they are committed to opening the new MetroRail when it is ready, though there is no set date as to when that will happen yet.

The Capital MetroRail has been making progress in the last two months according to their spokesperson. Throughout construction and testing, their main goal has been safety.

The original release date was March 30, but due to incidents in February where two Veolia rail supervisors operating MetroRail trains entered a section of track without prior authorization during system testing, the date was postponed.

Read more...

beat the heat at hamilton pool

From Being Savvy Austin, May 11, 2009...

Remember those amazing Spring days we had? Unfortunately, it appears those are gone and we are starting our LONG summer. Luckily, there are plenty of ways in Austin to beat the heat, and we visited one of them last week: Hamilton Pool.

I hadn't been in ages, and certainly not since my son was born, and I wasn't sure if we'd see any impact from the construction runoff that polluted the Pool. I'm glad we made it out, as it was a great morning. Do call ahead before you go, especially after a rainfall, to make sure high bacteria levels haven't closed the Pool.

Read more...

Reminder: Postage Rates Up 2 Cents Today

First class U.S. postage is going to 44 cents today.

--RCA

Leander to have 4 runoffs for city council

From Hill Country News, May 11, 2009...

For Leander Mayor, incumbent John Cowman will face challenger Iris Davis, who beat Vic Villarreal for the second spot.

In Place 1, Mark Kronkosky and Andrea Navarrette will meet in a runoff.

In Place 4, incumbent Michell Cantwell will runoff against Cathy Broun.

In Place 6, incumbent Dave Siebold will runoff against Josh Payne.

In Place 2 - the only race with just two candidates - incumbent Kirsten Lynch defeated carl wake.

The runoff is scheduled for June 13.

The following are the total votes (and percentages) in each race:

Read more...

Strategy For Filing a Tax Protest

It seems rather apparent that property in Overlook Estates has been conspicuously over-assesed by Williamson County.  Here are some things to consider before filing your protest:

·         Protest deadline is May 29.

·         The statement you received in the mail has none of the detail behind the assessment.  You should (must) go to the Williamson County  web site to view the numbers behind the assessment.  Click on "Search", then click on "Address Search."  Enter your address.  For Scenic Path, just enter "Scenic".  For Overlook Bend, enter "Overlook Bend".  When the property is displayed, click on the property id.  Next, you will want to click on the "Datasheet" link at the top of the page.  This will open a PDF with the pertinent details. Pay close attention to the section entitled "Improvements."  Here you will find out how the assessment value was derived.  Be sure and look for obvious errors.  Ours, for example, lists a swimming pool valued at $44,000, but we have no pool.  Note: The datasheet will have 2008 data.

·         Check your home's value on Zillow.com.

·         Get comparable listings and sales from a local realtor.  Do not accept listings from Grand Mesa, with their costly canyon views as "comparable," and don't let the tax office tell you that they are comparable!

·         Hire your own property appraisal.  This would typically cost a few hundred dollars, but could be well worth it in the long run.

·         Check for news articles and web sites that give an analysis of real estate sales trends and local property values.  Today, for example, I noticed an article in The Impact News which stated that Williamson County's appraised home values have declined.  That being the case, a good question to ask at your protest would be, "Why did Overlook Estates appraised values increase dramatically?"

·         When you have your "day in court", ask questions: How do you justify such a large increase when property values all over the country are falling, and Williamson County appraisals, in general, have declined?; How did you arrive at your appraisal valuation?

·         I have heard that Williamson County has a new appraiser.  Might not someone new, who is unfamiliar with area property be inclined to make errors in judgment?  Another good question.

These are the ideas that occurred to me.  What else can you think of?  Please post comments for all to see.

--RCA

The Limited expanding to Lakeline

From Austin Business Journal, May 7, 2009...

Women's apparel retailer The Limited has opened a new store in Lakeline Mall and is expanding its size at Barton Creek Square mall.

The Limited recently opened the doors to its new 5,532-square-foot store at Lakeline Mall, on the lower level between the two Dillard's spaces.

Read more...

Public Data Now Searchable on Google

Texas plans tax holiday on energy-efficient goods

From San Antonio Business Journal, April 29, 2009...

Texas Comptroller Susan Combs said Wednesday that consumers throughout the state could save as much as $3 million if they buy energy-efficient appliances and other household items next month during the Memorial Day weekend.

The state has scheduled a three-day tax holiday on state and local taxes when consumers buy products bearing the Energy Star label. The Energy Star Sales Tax Holiday applies to air conditioners priced under $6,000, refrigerators priced less than $2,000, ceiling fans, incandescent and fluorescent light bulbs, washers, dishwashers, dehumidifiers and programmable thermostats.

Read more...

Leander ISD Releases Advice on Swine Flu

The Leander Independent School District released a directive on how to identify and respond to swine flu. Their advice can be read here (PDF).

Tornado hit Williamson County; dozens of homes damaged

From KEYE, April 27, 2009...

A tornado Monday damaged dozens of homes in Williamson County and knocked out power to more than 100 people.

Late Monday afternoon the National Weather Service determined it was a F1 tornado that blew threw the county just after 4 a.m. It estimates the wind was 85 to 95 miles per hour. The tornado had a path of two miles and was 50 yards wide.

The worst damage is in the small community of Jonah, between Georgetown and Hutto. At least 22 homes in Jonah took a hit from the strong winds.

Read more...

Avoid raw alfalfa sprouts due to salmonella risk

From News 8 Austin, April 27, 2009...

Government health officials are telling people to avoid eating raw alfalfa sprouts, because they could be contaminated with a strain of salmonella.

Officials have received 31 reports of illness associated with eating raw alfalfa sprouts in Michigan, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Utah and West Virginia.

Read more...

Google Swine Flu Map

There is a Google Maps mashup that is tracking the swine flu outbreak. View the all of the known locations of the disease at this site.

Austin Traffic is Now on iPhone

From Austin Startup, April 17, 2009...

Round Rock-based Kerlmax has released the latest version of their Austin Traffic iPhone application. Google Maps has a map-based indicator of traffic, but this app has traffic cameras on the major highways in Austin, plus a list of exactly where incidents are happening. You just don’t get that kind of pinpoint accuracy any other way.

The data comes from the city and the Texas Department of Transportion, so if there are data glitches you’ll have to blame them. It would be cool to see some sort of crowdsourced traffic reporting for the iPhone. Perhaps they’re saving that for version 3.0!

Read more...

Cedar Park transit services plan

From Impact News, April 17, 2009...

The City of Cedar Park has completed a transit services plan and is conducting a commuter rail stop feasibility study.

The transit services plan was created in response to the needs of the city’s citizens, said Jose Madrigal, assistant city manager.

The city council chose to focus its efforts on implementing a two-vehicle bus system that would run at peak-usage times. Madrigal described the vehicles as large vans, not full-size buses.

Though the plan does not outline a service provider, Capital Metro has told the city it wishes to place a bid to provide the services. The city will also consider bids from private companies, Madrigal said.

Read more...

Rosie's Pho - 1890 Ranch (Review)

From Impact News, April 17, 2009...

It is advisable to get to Rosie’s early if you’re in a hurry. Diners order at the counter, and although the service is prompt, the line can go to the door. Both the Cedar Park and Round Rock locations are often packed during weekday lunch hours.

The atmosphere at Rosie’s is casual, with outdoor seating at the Cedar Park location.

While there are plenty of Vietnamese choices available, there are also other Asian dishes, including Korean barbecue, pad Thai and fried rice dishes.

Read more...

Moody’s Café, N. US 183, is now open under new ownership

From Impact News, April 17, 2009...

Mark and Estela Lingard offer old-fashioned, county meals, including breakfast items that can be ordered any time of the day. Dining hours are 6 a.m.-10 p.m. seven days a week, and breakfast items are served all day. Call 260-6300.The café also hosts Texas Friendly Defensive Driving School from noon-6 p.m. on the first and third Saturday of the month. The $35 tuition for the class includes a Moody’s meal. To register, call 873-9207.

Mexican Restaurant Reopens as "El Coyote"

From Impact News, April 17, 2009...

Benjamin and Maria Cruz opened El Coyote the last week of March at 109 N. US 183. The Mexican food restaurant features a breezy patio and full bar. The hours are 7 a.m.-9 p.m. seven days a week. Call 259-9198.

Southern’s Pizza & Sports Pub is Open

Southern’s Pizza & Sports Pub didn't make their goal of being open for March Madness, but they are open for business now at 1805 S. US 183, Ste. 400. Call 259-2699.

Bagdad Road Detour

From Impact News, April 17, 2009...

Bagdad Road will be closed for construction between Old 2243 and North Creek Boulevard beginning April 27. Old 2243 will remain open to two-way traffic. The city plans to complete the project by the end of September. The construction schedule is tentative and subject to change because of weather or other unforeseen circumstances. Visit the City of Leander web site to view a map of the road detour.

Read more...

BCRUA water system waiting out market

From Impact News, April 17, 2009...

Construction on phase 1 of the Leander, Cedar Park and Round Rock regional water system is being delayed several months to allow the financial markets to settle before the Texas Water Development Board issues approximately $309 million in bonds to pay for the first portions of the project.

Brushy Creek Regional Utility Authority Project Manager Chris Lippe said he is hopeful the wait will result in a more favorable interest rate.

“We believe [the interest rate] is going to be better than what it was a year ago,” Lippe said.

Read more...

Foreclosure Risk for Late HOA Dues

From KXAN, April 16, 2009...

How would you like to lose your $250,000 home over not paying your homeowner's dues?

It is a closer reality for Mark Lyne, an insurance agent, in Williamson County. Lyne received a letter last week from his Homeowners Association in the Woods of Brushy Creek subdivision in Northwest Williamson County, that said the HOA intends to foreclose if he does not pay his $1,267 fine.

"So they're going to come and take our $250,000 asset so they can get their $1200," said Lyne.
Lyne, who lost his job in 2005, has admittedly faced financial difficulty. He admits not paying his dues because of other choices in his life.

[Ed. Note: In 2002 a $500,000 home in the well-to-do Houston subdivision of Champion's Forest was foreclosed and sold at auction by the HOA for lack of payment of the $814 HOA dues.]

Read more...

Candidate forums planned

From Impact News, April 15, 2009...

Candidates for the Leander City Council will introduce themselves and answer audience-generated questions from 7-9 p.m. April 22 at the Leo Center, 300 S. West Drive, Leander.

Leander Independent School District Board of Trustees candidates will participate in a forum from 6:30-8 p.m. April 27 in the Cedar Park Middle School cafeteria, 2100 Sun Chase Blvd., Cedar Park. The forum is sponsored by the LISD Council of PTAs.

An LISD Board of Trustees forum for place 1 and place 2 candidates will begin at 7 p.m. May 9 at Laura Welch Bush Elementary, 12600 Country Trails, Austin. This forum is sponsored by the Laura Welch Bush Elementary PTA.

Read more...

Advocacy Center to host 7th annual golf tournament

From statesman, April 15, 2009...

The Williamson County Children’s Advocacy Center will host its 7th annual golf tournament fundraiser May 11 at Avery Ranch Golf Club, 10500 Avery Club Drive.

Children who are abused are brought to the center, a home-like setting where they can be examined by a nurse, receive counseling and be interviewed by police to report the abuse.

The center is a non-profit supported by the county, area cities, grants and donations.

To sign up or to sponsor a hole, download a registration form at www.wilcocac.org or contact Executive Director Brenda Staples at 943-3701 or Jana Vaughan, event chair, at 917-5262.

Read more...

Red Poppy Festival coming to Georgtown

From statesman, April 15, 2009...

Red Poppy Festival on the Square April 25-26
The red poppies are blooming in Georgetown, a sure sign of the arrival of spring and the Red Poppy Festival, celebrating its 10th year on April 25 and 26.

Music: Best known for their number one country rock hit Let Your Love Flow, the Bellamy Brothers perform in a Saturday night concert at 9 p.m. on the Square. Howard and David Bellamy had 12 number-one hits on the country charts as the most successful duo in country music in the 1980s. The next generation of Bellamys, Jesse and Noah, perform Saturday night at 7 p.m.

Other music groups on Saturday and Sunday at the festival include the Siekers, Blue Rail, Georgetown High School Jazz Band, Austin Jazz Band, and Joe McDermott. For a full schedule of events, go to RedPoppyFestival.com. There is no admission charge for any of the festival concerts.

Read more...

Williamson County general fund balance grew by $9 million in 2008

From Impact News, April 3, 2009...

The Williamson County’s general fund grew to $49.3 million by the end of 2008 — an increase of 21 percent from the previous year — according to a financial report presented by county auditors March 31.

The general fund balance represents the difference between the revenue the county took in from sources such as taxes, fines and service charges, and its expenditures on public safety, government operations and community development. The county’s Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, or CAFR, attributes the $9 million growth to rising property values, revenues from emergency medical services and payments from other governments.

The leftover funds remain separate from the county’s operating budget and may only be applied to one-time expenses such as lowering tax rates, constructing roads or paying back debt.

Read more...

Cedar Park expects increased revenue with events center

From News 8 Austin, March 23, 2009...

It's getting closer to completion and construction is trucking along at the Cedar Park Center.

The $55 million facility is set to open at the end of September and hockey fans are getting excited.

There are still a few more bricks to lay but construction is coming along quickly at what will soon be home to the Texas Stars Hockey Club

Read more...

'Health' magazine rates fast-food chains

From KVUE, March 24, 2008...

Eating on the go and on a budget does not have to be a diet disaster. Health magazine surveyed the nation's 100 biggest grab-and-go chains and, with help from a panel of experts, found 10 that are surprisingly good for you. The chains were scored on such factors as the use of healthy fats and preparations, healthy sodium counts in entrees, availability of nutrition information and the use of organic produce. For the full story, visit http://www.health.com/.

Health magazine's ten healty fast food restaurants

1. Panera Bread
2. Jason's Deli
3. Au Bon Pain
4. Noodles and Company
5. Corner Bakery Café
6. Chipotle
7. Atlanta Bread
8. McDonald's
9. Einstein Bros. Bagels
10. Taco Del Mar

Read more...

Leander has high hopes despite commuter rail delay

From KVUE, March 24, 2009...

On Monday [March 23], Capital Metro indefinitely suspended the rail line's start date.

"We're not disappointed because we know it is coming. Yeah, we'd like it to be tomorrow but if it's a month from now, that's OK too," said Mayor John Cowman of Leander.

Mayor Cowman is confident the delay won't hurt the town for long.

"People move up here because there's going to be access to public transportation. We're not complaining. We think we've made the right move," he added.

During the past two years, as the 183-A toll opened and the rail line construction began, city leaders say business space grew by about 725,000 square feet.

There are plans for a large transit village next to the rail station with mixed-use development.

"The intent is to create an environment where you can walk everywhere,” said Kirk Clennan, Leander’s director of economic development. "(The rail) is another step toward sustainability for Leander."

Read more...

Williamson County burn ban lifted

From Impact News, March 27, 2009...

County Judge Dan A. Gattis lifted the burn ban for all of Williamson County until further notice March 27.

Read more...

Shopper's guide to buying organic

From Impact News, March 27, 2009...

Buying organic typically costs 30 to 50 percent more than buying non-organic produce, but Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit Washington D.C.-based public health research and advocacy group, reports the steeper price may be worth it — particularly for those who may be more susceptible to the pesticides in produce such as pregnant women and young children. Even after being washed, some produce consistently carries higher levels of pesticide residue than others.

Read more...

Capital Metro Info

From Impact News, March 27, 2009...

Train safety and sounds

Capital Metro installed quad-gate technology, which prevent vehicles from driving around safety gates in an attempt to beat the train, at MetroRail crossings along the 32-mile MetroRail line between Leander and central Austin.

The safety measure aided Cedar Park and Leander in gaining approval from the Federal Railroad Administration for Quiet Zones around railroad crossings. Trains will not sound horns in the cities unless they are accelerating from a stopped position or there is an emergency such as a person or vehicle on the tracks.

The City of Austin has also applied for Quiet Zones around railroad crossings between McNeil Drive and Gracy Farms Lane and between US 183 and downtown Austin. The FRA requires trains to sound horns 20 seconds prior to reaching public crossings unless a Quiet Zone has been approved.

Read more...

Kerbey Lane Café

From Impact News, March 27, 2009...

One of the few eating places in northwest Austin open 24 hours a day, Kerbey Lane Café has a culture all to itself — a place with a slow pace and food with a great taste.

The original Kerbey Lane, which opened in 1980, can still be found off the street of the same name in central Austin. The new northwest location moved farther north to Anderson Arbor at US 183 and Anderson Mill Road about eight months ago from its previous home at US 183 near Spicewood Springs Road. While many miss the homey feel of the old spot, the new restaurant still has the same food Austinites have come to know and love.

Read more...

Cedar Park Center ready for final beam

From News 8 Austin, April 13, 2009...

The new Cedar Park Center is one beam closer to opening for sports fans.

The center held a "topping out" ceremony Thursday. Folks signed their names on the last beam to go in the building at the highest spot.

Besides being the home for the minor league Texas Stars hockey team, the center will also host live music, family shows and school graduations.

Officials said the center is scheduled to open this fall.

"We're working with all the family shows, the Shrine Circus, Walking with Dinosaurs – we've gotten some commitments from those folks," Rick McLaughlin, Cedar Park Center general manager, said. "We anticipate having 125 events in the first 12 months."

Read more...

Contract expands recycling options

From Impact News, April 10, 2009...

After more than two years of negotiations, the Williamson County Commissioners signed a new landfill contract with Waste Management March 3. Included in the contract is a directive for the company to take over operations of the Williamson County Landfill Recycle Center and implement new recycling programs. The center has been operated by Williamson County since opening in 2005.

“[The plan] is intended to include additional types of recycling processes or facilities that would go out there, as well as a timeline for construction and installation of those facilities,” Jacobs said. “We are already starting to work at that internally to develop a plan as to what other recycling processes we can add, and we will be working with the county to get that approved.”

Read more...

Legislation could impact pipeline

From Hill Country News, April 9, 2009...

Installing a deep water intake facility in the village of Volente might take a bit more bargaining if State Representative Donna Howard gets her way.

The proposed facility is part of a $354 million Brushy Creek Regional Utility Authority (BCRUA) infrastructure designed to increase the amount of water Cedar Park, Leander and Round Rock can draw from Lake Travis.

House Bill 722, which is currently pending before the Committee on Urban Affairs, would require the BCRUA member cities to get the permission of the Volente City Council before building an industrial intake facility in a residential area. The committee held a hearing on Thursday, March 26, gathering input from supporters and opponents of HB 722.

Read more...

CPC in the clear on Hicks loan default

From Hill Country News, April 9, 2009...

The Cedar Park Center is still well under way to be completed in September and the Texas Stars will still be making their debut season in October despite the announcement that the Hicks Sports Group, which owns the Stars and has given $12 million toward the CPC, defaulted on loans.

Late last week, news hit that Tom Hicks, owner of the Texas Rangers baseball team and Dallas Stars defaulted on $525 million in loans - an intentional move to help with bank negotiations. According to FINalternatives, Hicks failed to make the interest payments on a $350 million bank-term loan, $100 million second-lien loan and a $75 million revolving credit facility.

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Hicks Sports Group defaults on $525 million in loans

From Impact News, April 6, 2009...

Hicks Sports Group, which owns the Dallas Stars, the Texas Rangers and Cedar Park Center partner Hicks Sports Marketing, intentionally defaulted March 31 on $525 million in loans.

Owner Thomas Hicks told The Associated Press he made the move in an effort to negotiate with lenders.

The loans in question are related to the Stars and the Rangers. HSG stated in a press release that it is involved in negotiations with the lenders regarding debt terms and covenants.

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