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.

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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.

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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.]

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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

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'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

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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."

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