John Dromgoole | 18 The Natural Gardener owner has taught organic gardening in person and on the radio for decades Southwest Austin edition | Volume 3, Issue 11 | Feb. 25, 2011–March 24, 2011 Texas’ fastest growing media company www.impactnews.com Savings Guide begins on Page 29 Trustees consider 1,017 job cuts, closing schools to fix $113 million deficit School closures plan to be unveiled in March Development project to include medical facility, retail, restaurant Alamo Drafthouse plans move forward in Circle C By Kate Hull Construction of the Alamo Draſthouse Cinema at the anticipated Circle C loca- tion is moving forward and will be com- pleted by November, according to area businesses in contact with project owners at Stratus Properties. Construction could begin as early as March. “e final site plan has been approved, which means the owners can start mov- ing dirt and grating the land,” said Donna Galati, a City of Austin senior planner who helped approve the plans. “e next step for the builder is to get building per- mits for the six planned buildings.” e cinema-eatery, to be located at 5707 W. Slaughter Lane, will be the largest addi- tion to the future development known as Parkside Village. e development, owned by Stra- tus Properties, is also slated to have a 15,000-square-foot medical facility, restaurant and retail space. Plans for the new Alamo Draſthouse Cinema were made public in 2009. Before moving forward, developers had to reach an agreement with the owners of two gas pipelines on the property. News of Alamo Draſthouse’s progress has sparked renewed enthusiasm from Circle C residents. “A development like this, which impacts Circle C and all of Southwest Austin, is a great example of something that is desper- ately needed for the area—entertainment opportunities located south,” said Bob McKenna, owner and broker at Austin Real Estate Partners in Circle C. “Alamo Draſthouse does an excellent job of pro- viding an entertaining and dining experi- ence that Austin residents love.” Jason Bram, president of the Circle C Homeowner’s Association, said the Alamo Draſthouse and surrounding development By Kate Hull On March 7, an Austin Inde- pendent School District task force will present its final rec- ommendations on which of nine proposed schools should close to help offset a possible $113 million budget deficit. e district’s board of trustees will make its final recommenda- tions by March 28. e school closures, to be implemented over the next few years, would save the district $11.2 million. e Facility Master Plan Task Force made initial recommenda- tions in January based on building conditions and the total cost to fix campus problems. Overall school rankings and performance were not factors. Eight elementary schools— Pease, Sanchez, Barton Hills, Ortega, Zilker, Oak Springs, Jos- lin and Brooke—and one middle school, Pearce, could close in upcoming school years based on the March decision. Over the past two months, many parents and teachers have opposed the closures by voic- ing concerns, signing petitions and attending AISD meetings. Facebook groups, Parent Teacher Association chapters and local business owners are calling for the district to “save our schools.” For the Southwest Austin com- munity, unease is centered on two potential campus closures—Jos- lin Elementary School located at 4500 Manchaca Road and Zilker Elementary School located at 1900 Bluebonnet Lane. “Zilker is a diverse and efficient school with a strong track record of student achievement,” said will bring needed jobs to the Circle C area and more food and entertainment choices for surrounding residents. Status of Parkside Village Parkside Village’s site plan was first approved in October 2009, but the devel- opers made revisions to the initial plan and a final version was approved Dec. 16, 2010. Galati said builders are not allowed to move forward with the actual building until the site plan is finalized. A site plan allows work to be done on the drainage, utilities and other vital systems that are typically underground work. Courtesy Rene Renteria See Drafthouse | 12 See AISD | 13 Parkside Village development, owned by Stratus Properties, is in the beginning phases of construction. The first project to begin will be the Alamo Drafthouse. Community members speak out against Zilker Elementary School’s possible closure for budgetary reasons during a recent rally on South Lamar Boulevard. South by Southwest | 21 SXSW takes over Austin in March and is incorporating new changes for 2011 impactnews.com Rally opposes Joslin closure Joslin Elementary supporters say the school should not be among budget cuts more.impactnews.com/11650 La Posada | 17 Family-owned restaurant blends tradition and friendly service Nonprofit | 19 Leadership Austin teaches civic leaders how to get involved in their communities Alamo Drafthouse W. Slaug hter L n. B e c kett Rd. MoPac MoPac W. Slaughter Ln. Alamo Drafthouse Retail/Restaurant Restaurant Parkside Village Source www.stratusproperties.com
Transcript
John Dromgoole | 18 The Natural Gardener owner has taught
organic gardening in person and on the radio for decades
Southwest Austin edition | Volume 3, Issue 11 | Feb. 25, 2011–March 24, 2011Texas’ fastest growing media company www.impactnews.com Savings Guide begins on Page 29
Trustees consider 1,017 job cuts, closing schools to fix $113 million deficit
School closures plan to be unveiled in March
Development project to include medical facility, retail, restaurant
Alamo Drafthouse plans move forward in Circle CBy Kate Hull
Construction of the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema at the anticipated Circle C loca-tion is moving forward and will be com-pleted by November, according to area businesses in contact with project owners at Stratus Properties. Construction could begin as early as March.
“The final site plan has been approved, which means the owners can start mov-ing dirt and grating the land,” said Donna Galati, a City of Austin senior planner who helped approve the plans. “The next step for the builder is to get building per-mits for the six planned buildings.”
The cinema-eatery, to be located at 5707 W. Slaughter Lane, will be the largest addi-tion to the future development known as Parkside Village.
The development, owned by Stra-tus Properties, is also slated to have a 15,000-square-foot medical facility,
restaurant and retail space. Plans for the new Alamo Drafthouse
Cinema were made public in 2009. Before moving forward, developers had to reach an agreement with the owners of two gas pipelines on the property.
News of Alamo Drafthouse’s progress has sparked renewed enthusiasm from Circle C residents.
“A development like this, which impacts Circle C and all of Southwest Austin, is a great example of something that is desper-ately needed for the area—entertainment opportunities located south,” said Bob McKenna, owner and broker at Austin Real Estate Partners in Circle C. “Alamo Drafthouse does an excellent job of pro-viding an entertaining and dining experi-ence that Austin residents love.”
Jason Bram, president of the Circle C Homeowner’s Association, said the Alamo Drafthouse and surrounding development
By Kate HullOn March 7, an Austin Inde-
pendent School District task force will present its final rec-ommendations on which of nine proposed schools should close to help offset a possible $113 million budget deficit.
The district’s board of trustees will make its final recommenda-tions by March 28.
The school closures, to be implemented over the next few
years, would save the district $11.2 million.
The Facility Master Plan Task Force made initial recommenda-tions in January based on building conditions and the total cost to fix campus problems. Overall school rankings and performance were not factors.
Eight elementary schools—Pease, Sanchez, Barton Hills, Ortega, Zilker, Oak Springs, Jos-lin and Brooke—and one middle school, Pearce, could close in upcoming school years based on the March decision.
Over the past two months, many parents and teachers have
opposed the closures by voic-ing concerns, signing petitions and attending AISD meetings. Facebook groups, Parent Teacher Association chapters and local business owners are calling for the district to “save our schools.”
For the Southwest Austin com-munity, unease is centered on two potential campus closures—Jos-lin Elementary School located at 4500 Manchaca Road and Zilker Elementary School located at 1900 Bluebonnet Lane.
“Zilker is a diverse and efficient school with a strong track record of student achievement,” said
will bring needed jobs to the Circle C area and more food and entertainment choices for surrounding residents.
Status of Parkside VillageParkside Village’s site plan was first
approved in October 2009, but the devel-opers made revisions to the initial plan and
a final version was approved Dec. 16, 2010. Galati said builders are not allowed to
move forward with the actual building until the site plan is finalized. A site plan allows work to be done on the drainage, utilities and other vital systems that are typically underground work.
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ene
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a
See Drafthouse | 12
See AISD | 13
Parkside Village development, owned by Stratus Properties, is in the beginning phases of construction. The first project to begin will be the Alamo Drafthouse.
Community members speak out against Zilker Elementary School’s possible closure for budgetary reasons during a recent rally on South Lamar Boulevard.
South by Southwest | 21SXSW takes over Austin in March and is incorporating new changes for 2011
impactnews.com
Rally opposes Joslin closureJoslin Elementary supporters say the school should not be among budget cuts more.impactnews.com/11650
La Posada | 17Family-owned restaurant blends tradition and friendly service
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ssw_ciad.indd 1 2/17/11 8:24 AM
impactnews.com • February 2011 | NEWS | 3
When I have friends come into town, I always feel this overwhelming pressure to show them what makes Austin so great. My competitive
nature wants their time here to trump what they experience in the city from which they came.
As such, one of the places I always take them is the Alamo Drafthouse. In my opinion, it embodies the creative enter-tainment and cultural experience that we all love about Austin. Judging from the numerous sold-out showings I have witnessed, I think many of you would agree with me.
It should be no surprise that my tenure here at Community Impact Newspaper has produced one question more than any other: “What is going on with the proposed Alamo Drafthouse at the
corner of Slaughter and MoPac?” I am sure you have seen that sign sitting there for what seems like an eternity.
It has been our desire here at Community Impact to answer that question for quite some time. Although the parties directly involved are still not willing to disclose any new information, I think our lead story this month will help give you some much-wanted insight.
It is my sincere hope that you enjoy reading this story as much as I have, and I look forward to seeing you sometime in the near future at the corner of Slaughter and MoPac.
Chief Operating Officer | Jennifer GarrettChief Financial Officer | Darren LesmeisterBusiness Director | Misty PrattCirculation & Operations Manager | David Ludwick
About us
Community Impact Newspaper, owned by John and Jennifer Garrett, is Texas’ fastest growing news organization. We now distribute to more than 600,000 homes and businesses in seven markets in Central Texas and two in the Northwest Houston area.
Subscriptions
Subscriptions to our other editions are available for $3 per issue. Visit impactnews.com/subscribe.
“AISD requested input from parents of AISD students a few months back. Yet the AISD is working off its own agenda as determined by consultants. The monies spent for consultants would be better spent offsetting the cost of education.”
— “KevinJ”
Rail poised to ramp up mobilitymore.impactnews.com/11280
“How is it that we have this rail line right through the middle of downtown that goes right up the middle of MoPac and we’re looking at spending $1.3 billion to put some rails on a street to get people from Mueller to downtown? Why aren’t we improving the transportation on both sides of the city? It seems to me that it would be a pretty easy situation to drop in a station every 10–15 blocks from downtown out in the MoPac corridor. We could roll that money we’re looking to waste to widen MoPac into this project and cut the number of cars on MoPac down significantly.”
— Taylor
“NO ‘Foreign Entity’ will be allowed to be involved in ANY way. We are looking at just one more political boondoggle to steal the taxpayer’s money. The term ‘Foreign Entity’ means ANY non-Texas owned company.”
— “DaWizard”
15 Business Jester King Craft Brewery
17 Dining La Posada
18 People The Natural Gardener
19 Nonprofit Leadership Austin
20 Entertainment TXRD–Lonestar Rollergirls
21 Guide South by Southwest 2011
23 Corridor Brodie Lane, Sunset Valley
25 Real Estate
News
Features
M • E • D • I • AI N C O R P O R A T E D
Local jobsPost your résumé and search for local jobs at impactnews.jobing.com.
December employment trends
Central Texas unemployment—6.8%Down from 7.1% in November
State unemployment—8.3%*Up from 8.2% in November
National unemployment—9.4%*Down from 9.8% in November
In the Austin area, trade, transportation and utilities added 300 jobs; information added 200 jobs; and education and health services added 100 jobs.
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Texas Workforce Commission
*Seasonally adjusted numbers
11615 Angus Rd, Ste 210 Austin, Texas 78759
512.795.9643 www.rosedental.net
Dr. Mueller earned his degree from University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston and graduated in 1993. For 13 years he has been practicing at our South Austin location
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To schedule an appointment call (512) 795-9643.
ROSE DENTAL GROUP is excited to announce the relocation of Dr. Rick Mueller to our Northwest Austin location effective March 1, 2011.
restaurant serves appetizers and burgers in addition to its selection of beers, wines and spirits. 691-9140, www.bakerstreetpub.com
5 Jester King Craft Brewery, a local microbrewery, opened at 13005 Fitzhugh Road earlier this month. The brewery offers its own line of distinctive beers and will begin selling bottled beers in area stores in March. 887-2897, www.jesterkingbrewery.com
6 Earlier this month, MamaWise opened at 6800 Westgate Blvd., Ste. 3. The store, located in the Community Renaissance Market Building, specializes in natural parenting products such as toys, cloth diapers and apparel. 282-9473, www.mamawise.com
Coming Soon
7 The local franchise dinner-and-movie theater Alamo Drafthouse is beginning construction on the newest Austin location at 5707 W. Slaughter Lane in Circle C. The theater will be a part of a mixed use development with restaurants, medical facilities and shopping. The theater is scheduled to open by the end of the year. See full story on Page One. www.drafthouse.com
8 Next month, Nordstrom Rack is slated to open a 37,733-square-foot location at 5601 Brodie Lane, Ste. 700. Nordstrom Rack offers Nordstrom apparel and other items at reduced prices. http://shop.nordstrom.com/c/nordstrom-rack
9 The membership-only retail warehouse center Sam’s Club will open its fourth Austin-area location at Southpark Meadows this summer. The store will be located at 9090 S. I-35 and is began undergoing construction in February. www.samsclub.com
10 The Southpark Meadows Nursing and Rehabilitation Center located at 9801 S. First St. is scheduled to open this summer. The full-service nursing
Now Open
1 Academic Therapy Center LLC opened at 3107 W. Slaughter Lane, Ste. A in Circle Oaks Office Park. The group offers academic interventions to children diagnosed with dyslexia, reading disorders, fluency struggles and comprehension, among other individual needs. 330-4222, www.academictherapycenter.com
2 Paul Michaels and his wife, Karina, opened Austin Nutrition Center, a national nutrition franchise selling natural supplements, in January. The nutrition center, located at 801 E. William Cannon Drive, offers health products, bilingual nutrition classes and health evaluations to help customers accomplish health goals. www.austinnutritioncenter.com
3 Axent Auto opened a new location at 711 E. Ben White Blvd. The body shop offers a full range of car and frame repairs, oil changes, alignment, paint work and state inspections, among other services. 444-7777, www.axentauto.com
4 Baker Street Pub and Grill opened at 3003 S. Lamar Blvd. last month. The
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Ben White Blvd.
impactnews.com • February 2011 | NEWS | 5
Axent Auto owner George Chidiac opened his new location on East Ben White Boulevard in February.
Jenny Wood, founder of MamaWise, displays some of the natural parent and baby products at her West Gate Boulevard store.
Flippin’ Grazin’ is serving up burgers under its new name, Wholly Cow Burgers.
Brothers Jeff Stuffings and Michael Steffing serve up custom brews at the newly opened Jester King Craft Brewery.
center will have 120 beds and provide all therapies, as well as transportation. Parent company Regency Nursing and Rehabilitation Centers Inc. has 24 locations in Texas; this will be its third location in Austin. www.rnct.com
Relocations
11 CrossFit Southwest Austin, formerly of 9206 Rod Road, moved last month to a new location at 9301 Hwy. 290, Ste. 104. The gym has added kickboxing classes among its offerings. Hours remain Mon. and Wed., 6–8 p.m.; Tue. and Thu., 9–7 p.m.; Fri., 6–7:30 p.m. 809-4280, www.crossfitswaustin.com
Expansions
12 Austin Regional Clinic, located at 3816 S. First St., has added orthopedics to its clinical offerings. Dr. Robert K. Clifford is now seeing patients at that location, treating all general orthopedic conditions in adults, adolescents and children, with a sub-specialty in sports medicine. 443-1311, www.austinregionalclinic.com
Name Change
13 Flippin’ Grazin’, at 3010 S. Lamar Blvd., changed its name to Wholly Cow Burgers last month. The restaurant, located inside Star Grill Food Mart, uses locally sourced and in-season ingredients to create its burgers, cheesesteak sandwiches, chilis and other offerings. 394-8156, www.whollycowburgers.com
Closed
14 Local barbecue restaurant Cartwright’s Famous BBQ has closed its Southpark Meadows store, 9600 S. I-35, Ste. B300, in January as well as the its location in Bastrop, the third location of the restaurant chain. The Cartwright’s original headquarters located at 12005 Hwy. 290 W. is still in business. www.cartwrightsfamousbbq.com
In the News
15 Austin-based organizational and cleaning business The Art of Order, located at 8600 W. Hwy. 71, has partnered with Cleaning for a Reason to offer free house cleanings and maid service for women undergoing treatment for cancer. 535-1188, www.theartoforderaustin.com
16 Curves’ Southwest Austin-Cedar Valley/Bear Creek club, located at 12010 Hwy. 290 W., Ste. 250, has earned the Shining Star, a recognition the company gives to clubs that maintain high standards of business practice and service quality. 394-9025, www.cedarvalleycurves.com
17 Kohl’s, a national department store, is remodeling the interior of its store at 4805 Hwy. 290 West in Sunset Valley. 358-7607, www.kohls.com
Borders Group plans to close its 9500 S. I-35 and 4477 S. Lamar Blvd. locations as part of filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The Ann Arbor, Mich.-based company stated it will about 30 percent of its stores by the end of April as part of a store reduction program to “facilitate reorganization and its repositioning.” www.bordersreorganization.com
Rotarian Vic Niemeyer, of the Rotary Club of South Austin, was awarded the RI Service Above Self award, the highest honor available to Rotarians. Rotary International annually honors a maximum of 150 individuals among 1.2 million Rotarians worldwide. He will be officially recognized later this year.
XBiotech, a fully integrated biopharmaceutical company located at 8201 E. Riverside Drive, Bldg. 4, Ste. 100, plans to build a corporate campus on 48 acres at 6000 Winebago Drive. The site’s initial use will be manufacturing. Site work depends on final design approval and financing. 386-2900, www.xbiotech.com
Paul Michaels and his wife, Karina, offer nutri-tion products and advice at their William Cannon franchise of Austin Nutrition Center.
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impactnews.com • February 2011 | NEWS | 7C
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CALENDAR
Sponsored by
Find more or submit Southwest Austin events at www.impactnews.com/swa/calendar.
For a full list of Central Texas events visit www.impactnews.com/austin-metro/calendar.
To have Southwest Austin events included in the print edition, they must be submitted online by the second Friday of the month.
March 2By Kate Hull
Local restaurant Santa Rita Tex Mex Cantina is hosting several events throughout the year as part of its “Experience the True Flavor of Tequila” campaign for 2011 to promote the different variations of tequila and celebrate holidays. Events will be held at each of its two locations in Central and South Austin.
“For 2011, we wanted to do something fun and different that revealed the great tequilas we have at our two locations, so we decided to highlight a different tequila each quarter with events, tastings, drink specials, prizes and fun for all,” said Eddie Bernal, owner of the Santa Rita Tex Mex Cantina restaurants.
To celebrate the 175th anniversary of Texas Independence Day, Santa Rita will host a party March 2, the day Texas declared independence from Mexico at the Convention of 1836 at Washington-on-the-Brazos. The event will feature drink specials like the “Republic of Texas tea” and other Republic Tequila drinks. Attendees can also enjoy a free queso bar, Santa Rita specialty wings and nachos.
“We hope everyone will come out and join the fun atmosphere, Santa Rita style,” Bernal said.
Santa Rita Tex Mex Cantina is located at 5900 W. Slaughter Lane and the event will be held from 6–9 p.m. Call 288-5100 or visit www.santaritacantina.com.
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Santa Rita Tex Mex Cantina owner Eddie Bernal is celebrating Texas’ Indepedendence Day at the restaurant by hosting parties highlighting the “Experience the True Flavor of Tequila” campaign.
Texas Independence Day celebration7:30 p.m., and Sun. 2 p.m. • $15 in advance, $18 at the door • Mary Moody Northen Theatre, 3001 S. Congress Ave. • 448-8484 www.stedwards.edu/hum/thtr/mmnt.html
4 Nature NightsThe Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center is hosting Nature Nights for the spring season, featuring family-friendly and educational events. The first event will be about astronomy. Each evening begins with an interactive presentation and includes hikes with experts in the field and nature crafting for kids. • 6–9 p.m. Free to wildflower center members and eco-explorer members, $1 for nonmembers • Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, 4801 La Crosse Ave. • 232-0100 • www.wildflower.org
5 Relay for Life of Dripping Springs 2011 Community KickoffThe Relay for Life of Dripping Springs, which is held March 7, is kicking off the weekend with an event at Nutty Brown Café. The celebration will include food, drinks and entertainment by local band Rotel and the Hot Tomatoes. All proceeds from the event will benefit the Dripping Springs Relay for Life. • 6–10 p.m. $10 • Nutty Brown Café, 12225 W. Hwy. 290 301-4648 • www.nuttybrown.com
8 Fat Tuesday party at Evangeline CaféLocal Cajun restaurant Evangeline Café is hosting a Fat Tuesday celebration March 8 with popular Cajun cuisine and live music. The Louisiana tradition will feature local Cajun bands including Charles Thibodeaux and the Austin Cajun Aces and the Funky Momba. 5:30p.m.–midnight • Free, not including food Evangeline Café, 8106 Brodie Lane 282-2586 • www.evangelinecafe.com
8 Fat Tuesday party at Cypress GrillCypress Grill, a Louisiana-style café, is hosting its annual Mardi Gras celebration on Fat Tuesday with family activities, New Orleans drink specials and live Zydeco music. The event will also feature a crawfish boil pending crawfish season beginning. • Begins at 5 p.m. • Free Cypress Grill, 4404 W. William Cannon Blvd., Ste. L 358-7474 • www.cypressgrill.net
Feb. 26, March 5, 12, 19 Sunset Valley Farmers’ Market Every Saturday, rain or shine, the Sunset Valley Farmers Market is held at The Toney Burger Center as part of the Sustainable Food Center farmers’ markets. The mission of the market is to cultivate a healthy community by strengthening the local food system and improving access to local, nutritious, affordable food. The Sunset valley location is one of three markets in the Austin area with more than 110 farmers and vendors. • Sat., 9 a.m.–1 p.m. • Free • The Toney Burger Center, 3200 Jones Road www.sfcfarmersmarketsunsetvalley.org
February25 Re-gifting Fundraiser benefiting Seton Southwest HospitalThe Seton Southwest Hospital is hosting a regifting sale and fundraiser in the hospital lobby to raise money. Community members can bring in new gift items they have received from the recent holiday season, donate them and the items will be resold to benefit the hospital. Attendees are encouraged to bring or purchase items. • 7:30 a.m.–4 p.m. • Free Seton Southwest Hospital, 7900 FM 1826 324-9000 • www.seton.net
26–27 Makers and Bakers BazaarCommunity Renaissance Market is hosting its first Makers and Bakers Bazaar that will be held the fourth weekend of each month. The event will focus on supporting and inspiring community sustainability featuring area business owners, artists and bakers with shops at the market. Local merchants can also sign up to be a part of the event for $25 a day or $40 for the weekend. • Free • 11 a.m.– 5 p.m. • Community Renaissance Market, 6800 Westgate Blvd. • 943-2772
March
1 Therapy Pet Pals trainingTherapy Pet Pals of Texas Inc. is now taking reservations for the next Austin area training class April 20. They are looking for volunteers with calm, friendly dogs to provide pet therapy to elderly and ill people residing in local health care facilities around the Central Texas area. Potential volunteers can begin to apply March 1 and must be accepted to participate • Free www.therapypetpals.org
3–13 St. Edward’s University presents ‘On the Verge’ The award-winning play “On the Verge (Or The Geography of Yearning)” by Eric Overmyer will be performed at the Mary Moody Northen Theatre as part of its 38th anniversary season. The play is a comedy centered on three Victorian women taking an expedition throughout the country. • Thu.–Sat., 2 p.m. and
Online Calendar
Much has changed in Austin in the last 10 years, how will the fi ndings from the 2010 Census impact your business? The Austin Chamber’s South Austin Business Council will host Ryan Robinson, City of Austin Demographer, who will explain how Austin will be coming to a crossroads, demographically speaking.
Tuesday, March 29, 201111:30 a.m. Check In & Networking12:00 – 1:00 p.m. Program & Lunch
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Stop by and meet our friendly and professional UFCU representatives who are dedicated to serving our community.
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Comm Impact10x6.5_1-11.indd 1 1/18/11 2:42 PM
impactnews.com • February 2011 | NEWS | 9
TRANSPORTATION
By Kate HullWith a funding agreement now in
place, the Texas Department of Trans-portation will begin determining the best way to alleviate traffic at the Y in Oak Hill, one of the first two projects in the 2010 Mobility Bond Program to start.
The traffic alleviation is an interim fix —and one of several projects approved in November as part of the bond to provide relief to Southwest Austin—that will provide intersection improvements from east of the Y at Oak Hill at Joe Tanner Lane to FM 1826.
The final intersection improvement plans will be revealed to the public in March, and construction is slated to begin next year.
On Jan. 27, the Austin City Council approved a funding agreement with TxDOT that allows the department to use a consultant’s traffic models to decipher what fixes can occur in the area.
TxDOT will determine what changes would be the best fit to improve traffic flow at the affected area’s stoplights.
“We are still trying to develop the timeline,” said Carlos Lopez, a district engineer for TxDOT. “Once we deter-mine what to do, we have to start an environmental study process and then design the plans. Our goal is to start
Y at Oak Hill bond project to begin
In March, TxDOT will announce the intersection improvement plans to relieve traffic at the Y at Oak Hill.
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building in 2012.”The City of Austin will contribute $4
million to the TxDOT improvement plans.
The city, TxDOT, Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority and Capital Metro are collaborating with an engi-neering consultant to show congestion at designated traffic lights and figure out the best way to fix the problem.
“This is another example of a part-nership in action—the city, the county, TxDOT, Cap Metro,” Lopez said. “It takes all of us to make stuff happen. I think it is great and going to be the way of the future for Austin.”
The projects approved in the bond are all projects said to be shovel-ready in 2012. The intersection improvements at the Y at Oak Hill and intersection improvements on the northbound frontage road of I-35 from 53rd Street to Barbara Jordan Boulevard are the first two to begin.
The two projects together cost about $6.3 million.
“We realize that this is an area that has had congestion for a long time, and it needs to be addressed,” Lopez said. “There are things we are doing now in the interim to provide some relief for
the near term. That is what this effort is focused on.”
TxDOT emphasized the importance of maintaining the unique quality of the surrounding area in regards to the environment and style of the commu-nity, while still moving ahead with traffic improvements to relieve congestion.
“Oak Hill has a unique identity,” said John Hurt, spokesman for TxDOT. “We don’t want to change that. We want to
improve the transportation without drastically changing the feel of the neighborhood.”
For more information on other proj-ects moving forward from the Mobility Bond Program, visit www.txdot.gov.
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Austin City CouncilAustin City Hall, 301 W. Second St.974-2497, www.ci.austin.tx.us/councilMarch 3, 10 and 24, 10 a.m.
Travis County Commissioners Court314 11th St., Austin,854-9425, www.co.travis.tx.us/commissioners_court Meetings are every Tuesday at 9:00 a.m.
Sunset Valley City CouncilSunset Valley City Hall, 3205 Jones Road. 892-1383, www.sunsetvalley.orgMarch 1 and 22, 6 p.m.
Meetings
CITY COuNCIL
Austin
Mayor Lee Leffingwell said no advanced notifica-tion from ERCOT on the outages concerned him.
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Rusty Hale is one of many homeless in Austin who were counted by Austin residents Jan. 23.
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Austin City Council faces Open Meetings Act inquiryTravis County Attorney David Escamilla
announced Jan. 25 that his office received a complaint alleging that council members, including Mayor Lee Leffingwell, violated the Texas Open Meetings Act by meeting in private before council meetings. The attorney is reviewing the complaint.
Leffingwell released a statement in response to the private meeting allegations.
“We’ve been advised by the City Attor-ney that meetings between individual Council members do not violate the Open Meetings Act, but we will cooperate fully with the County Attorney’s review,” Leffin-gwell said in his statement.
The law states that it is illegal for a quo-rum of council members to conduct city business outside of a public meeting.
Surveyors count thousands of Austin homeless
Austin City Council member Laura Morrison called for citizens’ help Jan. 21 in counting the homeless population of Austin, saying it is necessary to accurately define the number of people who do not have housing in the city. As a result, the city counted 2,465 homeless in Austin.
Blackouts show better communication needed, Leffingwell says
Austin Mayor Lee Leffingwell said the Feb. 2 rolling power outages were not under the city’s control. Instead, they were part of the Electric Reliability Coun-cil of Texas’ strategy to reduce power use and re-route power for other cities.
ERCOT operates Texas’ power grid. When a power generator is lost in one city, it is up to surrounding cities to con-tribute to the grid. Dottie Roark, spokes-woman for ERCOT, said the rotating outages were a response to several plant problems on the evening of Feb. 1.
Although the city and Austin Energy are required to feed power to other
cities in times of need, Leffingwell said ERCOT gave the city no advanced noti-fication.
“Had I known that the possibility was there, that it might happen and why it might happen, I would be much less concerned,” Leffingwell said.
Council orders Ott to assist AISD through personnel cuts
On Feb. 17 council members directed City Manager Marc Ott to work with AISD and develop methods to ensure the success of primary and secondary schools across the city. The resolution follows a Feb. 11 announcement that job cuts could top 1,000 throughout the district.
Compiled by Bobby Longoria
First 2010 Mobility Bond projects green-lit for design
Austin City Council approved a funding agreement on Jan. 27 with the Texas Department of Transportation for intersection improvements on the northbound frontage road of I-35 from 53rd Street to Barbara Jordan Boulevard.
Drivers traveling north on I-35 and exiting 51st Street currently have to delay their speed and travel through the Mueller development to reach 51st Street.
The project is one of the first 2010 Mobility Bond projects to be green lit for design.
impactnews.com • February 2011 | NEWS | 11
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Austin NAACP President Nelson Linder said he thinks voters are ready to support a single-member district plan for City Council. To watch a video interview featuring Linder, visit more.impactnews.com/11654.
By Bobby Longoria and Marcus FunkState Sen. Jeff Wentworth said he thinks
Austin should move to single-member City Council districts—and he is willing to sup-port state-level legislation to encourage the city to take action.
The San Antonio Republican represents District 25, which includes a part of South Austin, said the at-large system disenfran-chises minorities. In 2009, he introduced legislation in support of changing the council system, but that bill died in the Senate. He has reintroduced the bill this session, though he said he would prefer to see City Council handle the issue.
Other state lawmakers, including Austin Reps. Elliott Naishtat and Donna Howard, said the state should not have a role at all in the issue and that local issues should be decided by local elections and local voices.
Austin Mayor Lee Leffingwell is taking up the district issue with a proposal for voters to decide on in 2012 that would move city elections to the fall general elections. He said moving them to the fall would help increase voter turnout because general elections draw larger numbers.
Leffingwell’s proposal calls for three dis-tricts based on ethnicity and three based on shared social and political ideology, increasing council member terms from three years to four and raising the limit on campaign contributions from $350 to perhaps $1,000.
The mayor said at-large systems are more efficient, but single-member district systems are inherently more democratic.
“Frankly, I want to enter on the side of more democracy and sacrifice a bit of efficiency,” Leffingwell said.
The Census Bureau released data the week of Feb. 13 on Texas that would play a major role in shaping potential single-member districts in Austin. City Demog-rapher Ryan Robinson said the data would take a while to interpret, but he expected the data to reflect that, under Leffingwell’s proposal, Austin would need one council
district with an African-American major-ity and two with Hispanic majorities.
One of the challenges to drawing dis-tricts, Robinson said, is that the African-American population has been dispersing from East Austin, its historical base, north. The three districts that are not ethnically based would be drawn along established social and political identity, presenting another set of challenges, Robinson said.
In creating a community of interest, he said, it is important not to split parts of town that share a given political ideol-ogy. For example, the 78704 area has such strong political ideology that it could help define a specific district, as could Oak Hill or Circle C, Robinson said.
Although single-member districts have failed at the polls six times in the past, Austin NAACP President Nelson Linder said he is confident the city’s population will be more receptive to the idea now because of the balance between single-member districts and at-large seats in Leffingwell’s proposal.
“In the previous conversation, it was almost based on ideology, one side versus the other,” Linder said. “You can include both, really, as a hybrid system and get the best of both worlds.
“Times have changed now. You got almost a million-people population, which is more diverse. Let’s address that in a democratic way which would have more direct representation.”
Leffingwell said he is putting off a vote until 2012 to allow time for drawing dis-trict maps and to present information he says voters will need to make an informed decision. He will detail his plan in an address to the city Feb. 25.
“When voters know what they are vot-ing on they can make a better decision,” Leffingwell said. “As the city grows the demand for this kind of change becomes greater and greater. What we have now is basically a small-town system—we are not a small town anymore.”
Makeup of Austin’s City Council debated again at state, local levels
60,621 voters
25,082 voters
79,274 voters
59,855 voters
77,766 voters
38,705 voters
Proposal: Increase council from seven seats to 11. Six members would be elected from districts of equal population size. The mayor and four other members would be elected at large.
Proposal: Increase council from seven seats to nine. Eight members would be elected from a district that they reside in, while the mayor would be elected at large. The council would apportion the city into districts upon recommendations from a citizen’s commission.
Proposal: Increase council from seven seats to nine. Eight members would come from a district they live in; mayor would be at large. A five-member independent panel would draw districts, upon council’s OK.
Proposal: Increase council from seven seats to 11. Eight members would be elected from single-member districts. The mayor and two other members would be elected at large.
Proposal: Increase council from seven seats to nine. Eight members would be elected from a districts that they reside in. The mayor would be elected at large. A district-based council member could be recalled via a petition signed by 10 percent of district’s registered voters.
Proposal: Increase council from seven seats to nine. Eight members would be elected from a district that they reside in. The mayor would be elected at large. A district-based council member could be recalled via a petition signed by 20 percent of district’s registered voters.
Mayor Lee Leffingwell is not the first to propose a hybrid council seat system for Austin. Below is a look at past proposals offered and how voters responded.
In Parkside Village’s case, site plans show that the designated sites for the Slaughter Lane devel-opment sit atop two separate gas pipelines owned by ConocoPhil-lips and Kendal Morgan.
To receive final site plan approval, Stratus and the pipe-line owners had to reach an agreement allowing utilities and impervious cover—material that prevents rainwater from enter-ing the ground—to be added above the pipeline, and ensure that safety measures were taken, according to business owners in contact with the developers.
The finalized development plan states that retail and restau-rant buildings within 200 feet of the pipeline will have noncom-bustible surfacing.
Alamo Drafthouse could not be reached for comment. A Stratus Properties representa-tive said there was nothing new to report.
Austin Real Estate Partners and other Circle C organizations said Stratus had told them that they are moving forward and plan to begin construction in mid-February.
Austin Real Estate Partners’ January newsletter announced that Stratus sources “indicate that the construction loan and all City of Austin permits are in place for the new Alamo Drafthouse tract.”
Galati, who works for the city’s Planning and Development Review Department, confirmed that all necessary forms are in place.
The Circle C location, housed in a two-story, 37,602-square-foot building, will be the fifth Austin-area location for the Alamo fran-chise. Alamo theaters that have been open for at least 24 months gross an average of $5.8 million in sales annually.
Potential Parkside tenantsAlthough a financial deal has
not been officially finalized, Aus-tin Diagnostic Clinic, a medical facility with 10 locations through-out Central Texas, is slated to move to the area.
“We are waiting on the financ-ing to go through, but our plans are to be there,” said Robert Spurck, the CEO of the clinic. “We are still negotiating with the developer, and we don’t have an estimated timeline at this time.”
The Austin Diagnostic Clinic South, located at 4315 James Casey
Blvd., will close pending the new Circle C location, Spurck said.
He said the clinic’s current location next to St. David’s South Austin Hospital is unnecessary because its outpatient practice does not coincide with hospital services.
Spurck said that the clinics in the surrounding area have a large number of patients who come from Circle C. The move will be a needed addition for the area and will be good for the clinic’s busi-ness, he said.
The building will be about 13,000 square feet with two floors offering primary care, pediatrics, family practice and other specialities.
Currently, the Parkside Village developers are moving forward with the building designated to house the clinic.
“They have applied for build-ing permits and the permit for a medical building is currently in review,” Galati said.
The timeline for construction on the project depends on the city approving building permits and tenants such as the clinic reach-ing financing agreements. Cur-rently, construction on utilities has started.
Comment at more.impactnews.com/11679
Parkside Village is located on 23 acres off Slaughter Lane. Construction is slated to begin by March.
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impactnews.com • February 2011 | NEWS | 13
AISDContinued from | 1
Amy Spiro, co-chair of the Save Zilker Coalition steering commit-tee. “Closing down a school like Zilker runs contrary to AISD’s mission of providing an exem-plary education to every child.”
Joslin elementaryThe task force proposed differ-
ent options for each possible clo-sure being considered and refined for March’s final presentation.
If Joslin is closed, students would be reas-signed to nearby Sunset Valley, Boone or Cun-ningham ele-mentary schools.
Joslin sits in an attendance zone with Boone, Sunset Valley and Cunningham—but of those schools, Joslin has the smallest population. Boone is considered underutilized by task force stan-dards and can potentially take on a large number of Joslin students.
This plan is estimated to save the district more than $1 million in the overall AISD budget. The plan, however, would result in Sunset Valley and Cunningham becom-ing over 100 percent capacity.
Zilker elementaryThe task force recommended
that AISD close Barton Hills and Zilker and reassign the students to nearby Becker and Dawson ele-mentary schools. The four schools are located in South Austin and have the potential to serve nearly 2,000 elementary students.
Both Becker and Dawson are at half capacity, and Barton and Zilker are over 75 percent capacity.
If the schools close, Becker and Dawson would be at full capacity and serve all the students in the area, thereby saving the district
in facility costs.The biggest disadvantage of
this option is the transportation to and from elementary schools, according to task force findings.
“Students from Barton Hills and Zilker will need to cross Lamar Boulevard to attend Becker or Dawson,” according to the official option document.
The advantages for the district include capacity improvements for Becker and Dawson and ending ineffective operations and under-
used facilities at Barton and Zilker. Some parents disagree with the
decision-making criteria.“This is not about my kids; it
is about my community. We are losing good schools in the urban core of the city,” said Jason Saboe, the parent of two children at Bar-ton Hills Elementary.
“The Austin I know loves its neighborhoods and values its children. They should not make decisions based on facilities, but based on the best interest of its students,” he said.
Budget cut actionsSuperintendent Meria Castarphen
and AISD’s board of trustees approved staffing formula guide-lines in January resulting in 485 district-wide position cuts.
AISD has begun informing individuals whose positions are being cut, according to Roxanne Evans with AISD’s communica-tions department.
On Feb. 11, the estimated staff cuts increased to 1,017 to help alle-viate a potential $113 million defi-cit in the 2011–12 AISD budget.
Personnel costs make up 88 per-cent of the AISD’s budget and staff-ing formulas make up the founda-tion of school budgets, Castarphen said. The cuts would cause an increase in the student–to–teacher ratio throughout the district.
The staffing cuts, drafted by Castarphen, would save the dis-trict more than $54 million, resolv-ing half of the budget problem. The total staff cuts would increase the student-to-teacher ratio at the elementary level from 22 per every teacher to 24 students per teacher. At the pre-kindergarten level, the ratio would increase from 18 to 20 students per teacher.
The U.S. House Appropriations Committee has said that pub-lic education in Texas is facing as much as $10 billion in budget cuts for the upcoming two-year spending period. For AISD, the district is facing budget cuts from $94.4 million to $113.8 million for one school year.
“No longer are we looking at a deficit of $54 million, or even $90 million, which some once thought was highly exaggerated,” Castarphen said in a letter sent to all AISD staff members Jan. 20.
“Based upon the proposed state funding cuts, it now appears that AISD must achieve reduc-tions of approximately $114 mil-lion to balance spending with available revenue for school year 2011–2012.”
The 1,017 position cuts include 771 campus-based jobs and 246 from the central AISD office.
A statewide issueTexas Comptroller of Public
Accounts Susan Combs said Jan. 10 that the state is projected to have $72.2 billion in general revenue for the upcoming two-year budget.
The estimated budget shortfall that legislators need to balance this session is $27 billion, which
Republican leadership has said they intend to resolve without raising taxes or tapping the $9.4 billion rainy day fund.
To balance the budget, lawmak-ers are expected to cut about $10 billion from public education, forcing districts to start drafting budget reduction strategies.
It is a situation state Represen-tative Donna Howard, D-Austin, described as disastrous.
“It’s absolutely the worst we’ve seen,” Howard said. “It’s been esti-mated it could cost us 100,000 jobs in public education as a result, and just countless programs.”
Round Rock ISD Superintendent
Jesús Chávez said the state deficit partially stems from a reduction in school property taxes imple-mented by the Legislature in 2006. A new business tax was expected to make up for the loss in revenue but did not generate as much as expected, he said.
Combined with declining sales tax revenue and property values due to the recession, it created the perfect storm, Chávez said.
Additional reporting by Mar-cus Funk, Rebecca LaFlure and Joseph Olivieri
Predicted shortfall
Proposed cost-saving measures
•Hiring freeze, increase class sizes
•Cut positions and programs
•Grant no general pay raises
• Increase elementary class sizes
•Outsource custodial and maintenance services
•Supplies•Legal fees•Other services
•Close nine schools•Cut 1,017 campus
positions
Sources: Austin ISD, Round Rock ISD, Pflugerville ISD and Eanes ISD
2011–12 school district budget cuts
$345 million
$20 million
$60 million
$113 million
$6million
$150 million
$842 million
$66 million
17.4%
13.3%
9.5%
13.4%
Round Rock ISD
Pflugerville ISD
Austin ISD
Eanes ISD
Comment at more.impactnews.com/11680
“This is not about my kids; it is about my community. We are losing good schools in the urban core of the city.”
—Jason SaboeParent of children at Barton Hills Elementary
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impactnews.com • February 2011 | FEATURES | 15
Five beers to start with
Jester King Craft Brewery produces a variety of beers that co-owner Jeff Stuffings said are unique flavors for the Austin area.
• Wytchmaker, Rye India Pale Ale• Commercial Suicide, Oaked Dark
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Jester King Craft BreweryFarmhouse brewery produces unique Austin ale
B rothers Jeff Stuffings and Michael Steffing (who legally changed his last
name), and their partner Ron Extract, had a goal—to brew tra-ditional farmhouse-style beers.
Now they have a whole brew-ery that is open to the public.
Jester King Craft Brewery opened its Fitzhugh Road loca-tion in late Janaury; however, the brewery has been selling draft beer to bars and restau-rants in Austin and the sur-rounding area since October.
With five variations of beer so far, the brewery will be revealing its first bottled beer in March to be sold at grocery stores, liquor stores and other vendors.
“We are a farmhouse brewery that wants to make traditional, farmhouse ales,” Stuffings said. “We want to create a destina-tion for beer in the Hill Country so visitors can enjoy a really beautiful place with good beer and music.”
The brewery is located on 4 acres of land in the 200-acre Ceres Park farm in Southwest Austin, where Stuffings, Steff-ing and Extract brew their beer using oak wine barrels to bring out a rustic and earthy taste inspired by the land.
“We are just really enamored with the beauty out here,” Stuff-ings said. “It felt peaceful and felt like home right away—being out there with cows and stars in the night sky, it just felt like a great place to be. We knew we wanted to build here.”
Stuffings’ interest in micro-breweries began while he was working as an attorney in Austin and brewing his own beer at his house. After a while, he decided it had become something he had to pursue as a career, so he asked his younger brother to join him in Austin to start the business.
Shortly after, they met Extract—who had experience
in beer distribution—and the trio brought Jester King Craft Brewery to life.
“We originally were focus-ing on Anglo-style beer, but through Ron’s influence and after finding a location, which literally was a farm, we shifted our focus to making authentic oak or wine barrel-aged farm-house ales,” Stuffings said. “The process originates from small farmhouse breweries.”
The brewing process begins with malted barley, which is heated and turned into unfer-mented beer, or wort. The wort is then fermented by boiling it and adding yeast. At that point, the beer is stored in oak barrels until it is ready for consumption.
“We take it a little step further by taking that near-finished beer and aging it in oak barrels, which introduces a whole other layer of complexity and flavor,” Stuffings said.
Co-founders Jeff Stuffings (left) and his brother Michael Steffing began brewing beer in their own
homes before opening Jester King Craft Brewery.
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impactnews.com • February 2011 | FEATURES | 17
DINING
La PosadaFriendly service a priority for family-owned restaurant
M any customers at La Posada soon become regulars, and the owners of the Southwest Austin Tex-
Mex restaurant attribute their success to friendly service, fair prices and consis-tently good food.
The restaurant’s current iteration began when the Henriquez family purchased the business, already named La Posada, or “The Inn,” in March 1994.
“We bought it when it was already a restaurant, but it wasn’t doing well,” said Melanie Henriquez, a daughter in the fam-ily who helps keep the business running smoothly. “My mom was interested, and since then, we’ve been operating it.”
For 17 years, Henriquez has worked with her sister Cindy managing the front of the restaurant—a cozy place illuminated by televisions and neon beer signs. The matriarch of the family, Carmen, handles the business side of the restaurant.
The place is like a second home for the Henriquez family, but also for the dozens of regulars who fill the restaurant each night. Old friends catch up over mar-garitas, a couple sits quietly eating and watching a basketball game and a table erupts in a birthday celebration all during the same evening.
“That night, there was one table that wasn’t regulars,” Henriquez said. “Most people that live around this neighborhood come once or twice a week.”
The customers come for the food. Car-men shared the recipes with the cooks who have worked at La Posada since the beginning, keeping the dishes consistent
in flavor and quality. Henriquez describes the food as Tex-Mex, but with a few more traditional soup dishes such as caldo del res, a vegetable and beef savory soup, and menudo, a red chile-based beef soup.
The restaurant is known for its puffy tacos—puffed up tortillas stuffed with chicken or beef and vegetables. The unique take on traditional tacos have been served throughout Texas at various restaurants since the late 1970s.
The stuffed avocado dish, avocado rel-leno, is also a commonly ordered item. Happy hour is from 3 to 6 p.m. Monday–Friday, with $3.99 margaritas and half-priced appetizers with well drink orders.
Other than the puffy tacos entree, Hen-riquez said the chicken enchiladas with mole, beef fajitas and tilapia with shrimp are other favorites among regular custom-ers.
La Posada also offers its version of a tra-ditional Mexican dish called chicken mole. The word mole comes from the Nahuatl word for sauce and can have a variety of flavors from sweet to spicy, depending on the geographic location of its origin. At Henriquez’ restaurant, the mole is a sweet sauce made with chocolate and spices.
When so much of their business includes repeat customers, Henriquez said main-taining the friendly atmosphere becomes a priority—it is the yardstick she uses to judge other establishments.
“I’ll forgive a lot, but if I’m not getting good service, I’m not going to be happy,” she said. “We smile because we appreciate every customer.”
By Taylor Short
Neon signs and Mexican-style art line the walls of the quaint local restaurant in Southwest Austin.
La Posada’s most popular dish, the puffy tacos, is served with either beef or chicken.
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Melanie Henriquez, co-owner of La Posada, has helped run the restaurant with her family since 1994.
Specialty DrinksHenriquez said the restaurant recently introduced a new drink menu in addition to the beer and wine list featuring traditional Mexican-cuisine style cocktails and other specialty beverages paired with the entrees. The new additions to the list include:
Mexican martini ($7.99) with tequila, orange liqueur, fresh lime juice, a splash of orange juice, olive juice and sweet and sour
The classic frozen margaritas are $5.49 and $3.99 during happy hour, Monday–Friday from 3–7 p.m.
History of the Puffy TacoMelanie Henriquez, co-owner of La Posada, said puffy tacos—corn tortillas fried until puffed up and served with typical Tex-Mex fillings—originated in Texas. Henry’s Puffy Tacos, a Mexican restaurant in San Antonio, claims to have served the first dish of its kind in 1978.
Since then, the puffy taco has gained popularity and was even featured on an episode of Food Network’s “Throwdown with Bobby Flay.” Other versions of the dish are made with uncooked masa dough, pressed into rounds and deep fried until they bubble like the dessert sopapillas.
The puffy taco plate is served with two tacos, Mexican rice, beans and tortillas for $7.99.
La Posada6800 Westgate Blvd., Ste. 143Austin, TX 78745444-2631
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18 | FEATURES | Community Impact Newspaper • Southwest Austin Edition
The Natural GardenerInspiring organic gardening in Austin
F or more than 30 years, John Dromgoole has been fascinated by the sci-
ence of organic gardening and teaching people how to garden. This interest has lead to his local award-winning gardening center becoming a popular gardening destination in the state.
The Natural Gardener first opened in Oak Hill in 1982, under the partnership of Gar-denville, a retail nursery selling wholesale organic products. During this time, Dromgoole had been studying how to successfully use organic treatments, instead of pesticides, to treat plant disease and learned about the species. Natural Gardener became an independent nursery in 2000.
“Learning plants came easy for me,” Dromgoole said. “As a boy in Laredo, I was an altar boy and learned Latin. I knew the right accent for all of the plant names and put signs in front of each one to learn them.”
After six years of self-taught studying, Dromgoole became accustomed to plants and began working on making his own quality soil and selling it.
Prior to working in organic gardening, Dromgoole went to film school and had jobs as a radio host along the border of Texas and Mexico, and in San Antonio. He has hosted the lon-gest continually running garden show on 590 KLBJ, where he helps listeners with questions about their gardens. He also appears on the PBS television series “Central Texas Gardener” and “Weekend Gardener.”
“I have been on the air in radio for more than 28 years,” Dromgoole said. “I [attribute]much of our success to being on the radio; it has generated a lot of interest in what we do.”
The store has continued to expand over the years as organic gardening has become more popular among area gardeners.
“The availability of products over the counter was the big change in gardening,” Drom-goole said. “For the community at large, it was the first time they could buy organic items and talk to people who know about it and were knowledge-able of the techniques.”
After more than 30 years of specializing in organic garden-ing, Dromgoole said the best advice he can give people inter-ested in getting started is to use healthy soil.
“If you have poor soil, the plant is not going to do well,” he said.
Dromgoole also focuses on teaching people how to success-fully start and maintain gardens by hosting workshops on house-plants, growing vegetables and other topics. The various classes throughout the year provide tips to become a fruitful gardener.
John Dromgoole has helped teach Austin
residents how to safely and successfully start
their own gardens with organic products.
The Natural Gardener focuses on growing healthy plants with natural products.
Seminars and classes are offered at the center to teach the public on the latest trends in organic gardening and local products.
The Natural Gardener8648 Old Bee Caves RoadAustin • 288-6113www.naturalgardeneraustin.com
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impactnews.com • February 2011 | FEATURES | 19
NONPROFIT
By Kate Hull
Leadership Austin Programs help build relationships, develop leadership skills
S ince 1979, Leadership Austin has united and developed civic leaders of various back-grounds to help ensure the future of Austin by
educating passionate individuals on how to play a bigger role in their communities.
“The purpose of our nonprofit is to groom leaders from all over the community to take on differ-ent kinds of leadership outside of their jobs,” said Heather McKissick, the CEO and president of Lead-ership Austin. “We help connect them with what they feel most passionate about in the community, take that passion and turn it into action.”
With a focus on the core values of community trusteeship, inclusiveness, collaborative decision-making and personal responsibility, the adult educa-tion–based nonprofit explores important issues in the Austin community with leaders and potential-leaders to foster positive change.
Community members can participate in one of five programs offered through Leadership Aus-tin—depending on their level of experience in the community—and build relationships and skill sets to grow as a professional in Austin.
“Even though we don’t provide direct services, we are training the leaders of the organizations that do,” McKissick said. “Leadership Austin is a very high-leverage nonprofit because in one class, you have 55 of the top leaders in one place learning
values, learning skills and building relationships with each other. The impact we are having on the community at large is exponential in that way and is very exciting for us.”
The organization began as a class within the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce to help train community leaders. With an alumni group of more than 1,500 members, some of Austin’s most suc-cessful business and civic leaders began at one of the programs.
McKissick got her start at Leadership Austin as a volunteer in 1996 and after becoming impressed with the group, applied for the Essentials Program geared toward advanced Austin-area leaders.
“Leadership Austin was my first experience with what it meant to be engaged and involved in the community in a larger way,” she said. “I didn’t know you could be intentional about cultivating a person’s passion and helping them find their way to make a difference in a specific area.”
After additional years as a volunteer and a board member, McKissick took over as the president of the organization in 2007.
Individuals interested in joining one of the pro-grams can visit the website for application details. The Experience Austin spring 2011 program begins in April, and interested applicants can find out more information or register online.
Leadership Austin unites business and nonprofit leaders to build relationships and promote community engagement throughout the Central Texas area.
Heather McKissick says one of her favorite parts of the job is doing full time what she started doing as a volunteer.
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Emerge: A six-week program for young professionals
Essential: A year-long program for 55 individuals involved in the community
Engage: A speaker series open to the public offering discussions on regional issues
Experience Austin: The program gives people a hands-on look into the city
Leadership Academy of Public Services: A program that helps people running for office plan and organize campaigns
Leadership Austin programs
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20 | FEATURES | Community Impact Newspaper • Southwest Austin Edition
Jammer – team scorer who starts each jam behind the pack.
Lead jammer – jammer in the lead and the only one that can call off a jam. If a jammer steps off of the track or touches the red zone at the bottom of the track with any part of her body, she is no longer the lead jammer, regardless of her position.
Pivot – the pace setter for the pack who can be identified by a stripe on her helmet.
Blocker – the position that tries to block the opposing jammer and help their jammer through the pack
Each skater has a derby name she is known by in the league. The names can have meaning or be fun, but they are usually a play on words.
“Each person is so different, and every time they come up with one I think, ‘Oh, that fits you perfectly,” league co-founder April Ritzenthaler said. “It really fits people’s personalities.”
Roller derby definitionsWhat’s in a name?
TXRD–Lonestar RollergirlsRoller derby league celebrates 10 years in Austin
For some, Austin roller derby brings to mind images of girls knocking each other
off their skates in the midst of a crowd of hipsters, but TXRD–Lonestar Rollergirls skater Natalie Schiro said the group’s bouts bring in just about every type of spectator.
“So many different kinds of people like it,” said Schiro, a blocker who is also known as Honey Homicide on the Cherry Bombs team. “We don’t have a straight demographic. Back when I first started, you would have anybody from Hasidic Jews to punk rockers to business people to families. It is still that way today, in a lot of ways.”
The bouts draw about 1,500 people, but all-star games have drawn crowds almost double that size. Viewers can expect loud music along with yelling and hard-hitting action, she said.
Schiro said the league’s popu-larity has risen in the past few years, thanks to some help from the A&E series “Rollergirls,” which aired on the network in 2006 and featured several of the league’s skaters. More recently, the 2009 movie “Whip It” about roller derby set in Austin gar-nered additional attention for the league, she said.
The league’s 2011 season will be aired on KCWX in San Anto-nio but will be on local digital antennae Channel 2.
TXRD got its start in Janu-ary 2001 after a group of about 50 women gathered together to revive the sport for a per-formance art piece. The man
Hayly LeMond, also known as Dusty Doublewide,
(left), skates in a TXRD–Lonestar Rollergirls all stars game Jan. 30.
TXR–Lonestar RollergirlsMatches at Palmer Events Center900 Barton Springs Roadwww.txrd.com
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behind the show tried to host a fundraiser to get the show going, but disappeared after the fundraiser failed. However, the four women who served as the original team captains and a few other skaters decided to create a league.
“The four of us captains were like, ‘Well, we kind of want to do this. This is interesting and fun. It could be amazing and we could do it really great.’ So, we took it from there,” said co-founder April Ritzenthaler, who is also known as La Muerta when she is on the track.
Known as the She-E-Os, Ritzenthaler, Anya Jack, Heather Burdick and Nancy Haggerty got the wheels turning, and the league hosted its first bout in June 2002.
Later that year, a dispute caused a rift in the group, and some members split off to form TXRD, while others formed the Texas Rollergirls, Austin’s flat track roller derby league. The two leagues have since made up but continue to operate separately and play two different types of derby.
TXRD matches are held mostly at the Palmer Events Center, 900 Barton Springs Road, and consist of eight-minute quarters, made up of periods of play called jams. The team’s jammer must make it through a pack of blockers to score points. A jammer receives a point for every opposing team member she laps.
Flat track derby’s jams last about two minutes on a flat track, while TXRD plays on a bowl track
with one-minute jams.Since its inception, TXRD has
grown from four teams to five, with about 70 skaters ages 21 to 45 and about 30 nonskaters, including the league’s produc-tion team.
“I get excited about the com-munity and how everybody works together,” Ritzenthaler said. “To me, it’s the transfor-mative process; it’s why I stay around. I just absolutely love it. It’s fun, it’s campy and you get to be something bigger than you are in your everyday life. But within the structure, you still have a humility with it.”
While there are rivalries between teams, Schiro said the group’s motto has always been, “League first.”
“We want everyone to be suc-cessful,” Schiro said.
Roller derby first started in the early 1900s as more of an endur-ance sport. Over the course of its evolution, the game shifted to include more entertainment value, including stunts and fake fights. The movement mostly ended in 1973, Ritzenthaler said.
Schiro said roller derby honors “the girls who came before us,” including those who fought for female equality in society.
“So now we have this equal-ity—socially, in the business sphere and politically,” she said. “We still have some ways to go, but we can do whatever we want with it. So if you want to skate in a circle with your friends in fish-net stockings and hit each other, you are more than welcome to.”
Elizabeth Patrick, skate name Dixie Sanchez, cheers on teammates at the bout Jan. 30.
Kate Wissman, known as Kate or Dye, skates at the TXRD all-star game as a member of the United Skates Navy on Jan. 30.
Some names include:• Bully Jean• Alison Chains• Holly Peno
• Kategory 5• Punky Bruiser
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SXSW 101: What you need to knoW
Compiled by Community Impact Newspaper staff
What iS South by SouthWeSt?
South by Southwest Music and Media Conference is an annual music, film and interactive festival featuring concerts, parties, panels, film screenings and other events. The conference will run from March 11–20, and this year’s festival marks the conference’s 25th anniversary. Each separate portion—Film, Music and Interactive—will run over different spans during the 10-day period.
SXSW is the largest annual conference held in Austin and has had a major economic impact on music venues, bars, restaurants and hotels. SXSW organizers reported that in 2010, the festival injected approximately $113 million into the Austin economy. Visit impactnews.com/SXSW for festival coverage.
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Film — march 11–19Now in its 18th year, SXSW Film features nine days of screenings, speakers and industry workshops.
Films screened run the gamut from serious to silly—“Cyrus” and “Kick-Ass” premiered at SXSW Film 2010—and this year is no exception. SXSW 2011 films include Japanese director Takashi Miike’s “13 Assassins,” “Source Code” starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Jodie Foster’s “The Beaver.”
interactive — march 11–15SXSW Interactive features five days of panels and presentations from leaders in emerging technology ranging from social media to community development.
Interactive also includes Screenburn Arcade, a free-to-the-public, three-day event featuring the latest in video games.
Now in its fifth year, ScreenBurn runs March 11–15 and is held on the first floor of the Austin Convention Center. The ScreenBurn Arcade runs from March 11–14.
muSic — march 16–20SXSW Music started in 1987 and is the original and most popular of the three portions of SXSW. This year’s festival will feature approximately 2,000 acts.
By day, discussions, panels and presentations about the music industry are scheduled for conference-goers. Meanwhile, others attend day parties around the city. These parties are mostly free, unofficial events that are open to the public and often feature free food and drinks, though some parties are invite-only or require an RSVP.
By night, official SXSW Music concerts—called showcases—are held across nearly 100 bars, clubs and other venues. Rather than performing full-length shows, bands typically play 40-minute sets, allowing for showcases to feature several bands in a short amount of time.
badGeS ($550–$1,250)Badges allow the highest level of access to showcases and industry events at SXSW. Badge holders are granted entry before those who have wristbands and or who walk-up at all official SXSW Music showcases.
Five badges are available for sale at sxsw.com/attend. One badge is available for each separate portion of the festival ($550 for Film, $750 for Interactive, $750 for Music), and two badges are offered for combinations of events ($950 for a gold badge, which covers Film and Interactive; $1,250 for a platinum badge, which covers Film, Interactive and Music).
WriStbandS ($139–$165)Wristbands are for those interested in SXSW concerts. Unlike badges, they do not include entry to industry events, conferences or panels.
Wristbands grant attendees free entry into any official SXSW Music showcase, but are trumped by badges. A majority of SXSW Music wristbands are reserved for Austin-area residents. With proof of a local billing address, those seeking wristbands may purchase one for themselves and one for a guest. Wristbands start at $139 for the first 2,000 buyers, then $165 for those thereafter. Wristbands went on sale Feb. 17. Visit wristbands.sxsw.com.
Pay at the doorFrom free concerts at Auditorium Shores to day shows on Sixth Street, dozens of free official and unofficial showcases are offered during SXSW. At many official showcases, a limited number of walk-up guests (those without badges or wristbands) are granted entry. If going without a wristband or badge, plan on showing up early, waiting in line and having backup plans if turned away. Choc Quib Town at Momo’s in 2010.
22 | FEATURES | Community Impact Newspaper • Southwest Austin Edition
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impactnews.com • February 2011 | FEATURES | 23
CORRIDOR
Brodie Lane
Brodie Lane is Sunset Valley’s main shopping district. Many of the city’s 80-plus businesses are located in two large shopping centers, Sunset Valley Marketfair and Sunset Valley Village, near highways 290 and 71.
These centers house a mix of national chains, regional stores and independent businesses. Nearby are a Walmart Supercenter, Sprouts Farmers Market, Kohl’s and The Home Depot.
Dining
1 Located at 5207 Brodie Lane, BJ’s Restaurant and Brewhouse features its own line of beers among its casual dining offerings. The restaurant has 20 locations statewide. 892-3800, www.bjsrestaurants.com
2 Carino’s Italian Grill offers a wide selection of popular Italian dishes. The restaurant, 5601 Brodie Lane, is one of seven locations in the Greater Austin area. 899-0572, www.carinos.com
3 Doc’s Backyard features daily food and drink specials at its 5207 Brodie Lane, Ste. 100 location. The restaurant serves appetizers, salads, desserts and full platters. 892-5200, www.eatdrinkdocs.com
4 Fire Bowl Cafe, 5601 Brodie Lane, Ste. 550, showcases a variety of Asian dishes. The restaurant features a
Compiled by Joseph Olivieri
customizable stir fry option. Catering is also available. 899-8998, www.firebowlcafe.com
5 IM Thai Cuisine, 5207 Brodie Lane, Ste. 200, serves authentic Thai dishes and sides. 892-2744
6 La Madeleine offers country French cuisine. The menu features soups, salads and sandwiches, as well as entrees. 5493 Brodie Lane. 287-4081, www.lamadeleine.com
7 Mama Fu’s, 5400 Brodie Lane, offers made-to-order Asian fare. It features noodle and rice dishes with a selection of meats and vegetables. Appetizers, soups and salads are also available. 637-6778, www.mamafus.com
8 Marble Slab Creamery serves hand-mixed ice cream using the frozen slab technique, toppings, speciality cakes and other desserts. The 5601 Brodie Lane, Ste. 600 location also offers catering. 899-2080, www.marbleslab.com
9 Mighty Fine Burgers emphasizes the natural ingredients of its burgers, fries and shakes. The restaurant, located at 5601 Brodie Lane, Ste. 1300, is one of three locations in the Greater Austin area. 735-2800, www.mightyfineburgers.com
10 Texadelphia’s 5400 Brodie Lane, Ste. 230 branch serves up cheesesteaks and burgers. Sandwiches, chips and salads are also available. 891-6464, www.texadelphia.com
Businesses
11 Barbeques Galore, 5601 Brodie Lane, Ste. 1200, sells grills, smokers and outdoor living products. The business also carries accessories and replacement parts. 899-9516, www.bbqgalore.com.
12 Bath Junkie stocks bath crystals, lotions, scrubs and other skin products. The 5601 Brodie Lane, Ste. 950 store is one of nine statewide. 892-3500, www.bathjunkie.com
13 Coco Salon and Day Spa, 5400 Brodie Lane, Ste. 295, offers hair stylists, nail and skin care, and massage therapy. 891-0420, www.cocosalonaustin.com
14 Dream Dinners, 5207 Brodie Lane, Ste. 125, offers kitchen space and ingredients for groups to make full meals. Patrons schedule sessions and walk through recipes. 358-8833, dreamdinners.com
15 Game Over Video Games provides classic video games, consoles and accessories. The 5400 Brodie Lane, Ste. 210 store is one of four locations
statewide. 891-6837, www.gameovervideogames.com
16 Ideal Image offers non-invasive, full-body laser hair removal at its 5400 Brodie Lane location. The business is a member of the International Aesthetic and Laser Association. 891-7778, www.idealimage.com
17 From its 5400 Brodie Lane, Ste. 240 storefront, Plato’s Closet buys and sells fashionable men’s and women’s clothing. The store is one of 28 locations statewide. 358-8888, www.platoscloset.com
18 Located at 5400 Brodie Lane, Ste. 270, Warehouse Pool Supply sells pool maintenance equipment, pool toys and chemicals. Filters, pumps and heaters are also available. 892-3696, www.warehousepools.com
Health care
19 Austin Orthodontic Specialists, 5400 Brodie Lane, Ste. 260, offers a range of orthodontic services and products. The practice has two locations in the Austin area. 447-5194, www.austinorthodonticspecialists.com
This is a sample of businesses and organizations in the area. The list is not comprehensive.
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24 | FEATURES | Community Impact Newspaper • Southwest Austin Edition
REAL ESTATE
Meridian78739
Build-out year: Not completed
Builders: Scott Felder, Standard Pacific, David Weekley, Newmark, Wilshire and Meritage
Number of homes: 562 of roughly 800 total
Square footage: 1,889-5,290
Home values: $231,182–$410,943
HOA dues (estimated): $600 annually/mandatory
Amenities: Meridian has a swimming pool, playscape for children and picnic pavilion.
Nearby attractions: Nearby shopping includes Escarpment Village in Circle C Ranch and The Shops at Arbor Trails. Grey Rock Golf Club, the Veloway, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, the Metro and Dick Nichols parks are close-by.
Property taxes:
Travis County 0.4658 Austin ISD 1.2270 City of Austin 0.4571 Travis County Hospital District 0.0719 Austin Community College 0.0951Total (per $100 value) _______________ 2.3169
Property ListingsZIP code guide78735 Oak Hill / Southwest Parkway area78736 Oak Hill78737 Oak Hill78739 Circle C area78745 South of Ben White, Sunset Valley78748 Shady Hollow / Manchaca area78749 MoPac / William Cannon area
REAL ESTATE
Market Data Southwest Austin
Price Range
Number of homes for sale/Average days on market
78745 78749 78739 78748 78735 78736 78737
Less than $149,000 56/102 2/29 - 24/54 1/16 2/62 -
For more residential real estate listings, visit more.impactnews.com/11666
Residential real estate listings added to the market between 12/7/10 and 2/10/11 were included and provided by the Austin Board of Realtors, www.abor.com. Although every effort has been made to ensure the timeliness and accuracy of this listing, Community Impact Newspaper assumes no liability for errors or omissions. Contact the property’s agent or seller for the most current information.
impactnews.com • February 2011 | FEATURES | 27
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