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40 | FEATURES | Community Impact Newspaper • Lake Travis/Westlake Edition reGional —abridged stories from our other editions Top stories Austin ISD considers holding tax election Southwest Austin In August, Austin ISD will decide whether to hold a special election in November to raise its tax rate. Officials said that the district would need additional revenue to take on ongoing expenses. The district would need to raise the tax rate to support its existing programs and follow up on stated priorities such as full-day pre-K, AISD Chief Financial Officer Nicole Conley-Abram said. “It is a necessity. It’s not a matter of if. It’s a matter of when,” Conley-Abram said of raising the tax rate. “School districts are operating under a disadvantageous structure that is unlike the city or the county or other jurisdictions. As a result, we have had to be efficient. We have made dramatic changes in how we do business.” “Over the last three years we have been cutting and trimming to the extent that is possible,” she continued. “We are only coming to taxpayers out of requirement to sustain some of the efforts put in place.” Following last year’s cut of 1,153 positions and austerity budgeting, school officials do not anticipate the need to cut any more jobs or make News Bus route through The Domain approved; service to start in 2013 Northwest Austin Capital Metro signed an agreement June 29 with Simon Property Group LP and Endeavor Real Estate Group to provide public transportation through The Domain that could start in January. A bus stop may be located on Esperanza Crossing, about 300 feet east of Domain Drive near the Westin Hotel, Capital Metro spokeswoman Misty Whited said. The proposed stop would be part of the rail connector Route 466, which departs the Kramer MetroRail station and makes stops at The University of Texas’ J.J. Pickle Research Campus and Austin Community College’s Northridge campus on Metric Boulevard. Celia Israel, president of the Alliance for Public Transportation, said Tax ratification election Definition Current M&O tax rate Highest possible M&O tax rate Last election for AISD Fast facts on TREs tax rates are made up of the maintenance (M&o) and interest and sinking (i&s) tax rates. a tre is an election to raise the M&o rate above a statemandated level. $1.079 per $100 of property valuation $1.17 per $100 of property valuation 2008, successful Source: Austin ISD the nonprofit organization started a petition of support for public transportation inside The Domain, and the petition got about 350 signatures. The only drawback to the proposed stop, Israel said, is that the rail connector Route 466 only runs Monday through Friday, but as the development fills in, more lines and stops could be added. Capital Metro and Endeavor attempted to work out an agreement for service a few years ago, Capital Metro service planner Roberto Gonzalez said. He said the recent agreement has opened the doors for additional stops in the future as Endeavor continues developing the property, although there are no plans as to where those stops would be located. “This [agreement] is kind of breaking the ice,” Israel said. When proposing a route change or additional stop to a route, the Capital Metro board of trustees must hold a significant budget reductions for this fiscal year. Joe Smith, former Hudson ISD superintendent and editor of education website www.texasisd.com, said that in the last seven years, 366 Texas school districts have held TREs. Of the 424 elections held—some districts have held more than one—304 passed. During the 2011 legislative session, the state government slashed $4 billion from education funding for the next two years. AISD lost $35.6 million in funds in 2011– 12 and anticipates losing $26.4 million in 2012–13. To help close a shortfall for the 2012 fiscal year, AISD cut 1,153 jobs. It is unclear what the Legislature will do with school funding during the 2013 legislative session. “We are operating at core levels right now. If I had to cut anything, it would be things that are really going to hurt,” Conley-Abram said. The board’s next step is to decide before Aug. 31 whether to hold a TRE this fall to add 5 to 9 cents to the tax rate. The board will also approve the revenue part of its budget at that time. It approved the expenditure budget in June. Full story by Joe Olivieri Courtesy sandy l. stevens, austin-Bergstrom international airport Capital Metro may put a new bus stop at Esperanza Crossing near Domain Drive inside The Domain. MoPac Uncertainties remain as airport preps for Formula One influx Central Austin Austin is no stranger to the global spotlight: In March the South by Southwest Music and Media Conference attracted several thousands of visitors from more than 70 nations. But with less than four months until the city’s first Formula One race, which is expected to draw 120,000 fans to Central Texas—42,000 of whom are expected to arrive via international flights—the full impact of an event of this scale will have on Austin-Bergstrom International Airport is unclear. Grand Prix fans are expected to begin arriving at the airport Nov. 15, and most race teams and fans are expected to depart Nov. 19. “The first year will be a bit of a learning experience,” ABIA Existing and potential Capital Metro bus stops near The Domain Possible Domain stop Route 466 (Kramer/Domain) stops Route 392 (Braker) stops Route 3 (Burnet/Manchaca) stops Route 240 (Rutland) stops MetroRail path Braker Ln. Domain Dr. public hearing for residents to weigh in. Whited said Capital Metro will set a public hearing for The Domain bus stop Esperanza Crossing spokesman Jim Halbrook said. “We have been working to ensure a minimal impact and make it as smooth as possible.” According to ABIA staff, when plans were originally made, airport officials assumed the majority of guests would fly commercial and clear customs in Dallas or Houston, as is usually the case. However, Smith said the airport had received several inquiries regarding charter flights, though charters are only required to provide airports with 30 days notification. “The most important message I can give everybody is don’t come to the airport the Monday after Formula One,” Smith said. “It’s going to be a mess. There are going to be very long lines.” Full story by Mitzie Stelte Future Whole Foods Burnet Rd. Kramer Ln. Brockton Dr. for August or early September. Full story by Amy Denney Kramer station source: Capital Metro
Caitlin Perrone Business Dining Austin Shoe Hospital Central Austin Austin Shoe Hospital has 10 Austin locations focused on repairing and improving the longevity of leather items such as shoes, purses and belts. Co-owner Carroll Kelly opened the Tarrytown location in the 1980s, as well as nine other Austin Shoe Hospital locations. He is one of three Kelly brothers who together run 25 Shoe Hospitals throughout the state. The shoe repair company is more than 100 years old, but the Kelly family has been in the business since 1983. The Austin Shoe Hospital Cattlelacs Chainsaw Art Gallery Southwest Austin Doug Moreland is fond of using a chainsaw to carve western art. He built Cattlelacs Chainsaw Art Gallery in 2003 out of scrap materials on his grandparents’ property where his dad grew up. Their family has been in the area since the early days of Driftwood, but Moreland actually spent his childhood in Fort Davis in the 1970s and 1980s making things and playing on his fiddle. As an adult, he had a band in Nashville, Tenn., and it was while on tour that he found the craft that would help support his music-loving ventures. Moreland was traveling with his band in Ruidoso, N.M., in 1998 when he saw some friends who told him they carved bears with a chainsaw and were making pretty good money. “It was like a light bulb going off,” he said. “Holy cow, I could do that. [The chainsaw] was a big knife.” Music could not provide his sole means of income, so he set up the chainsaw art gallery off of FM 1626 in Manchaca. Since 2010, his shop has Christi Covington repairs shoes, purses, belts, boots and luggage, and sells overthe-counter products such as shoe polish, shoe trees, shoe laces, cleaners, water proofers and shoe insoles for shoes. The hospital is a company that recycles leather. While the shoe repair store does have to use leather to repair shoes, fewer animals are killed to repair shoes than it takes to make shoes, he said. Full story by Caitlin Perrone Austin Shoe Hospital 3106 Windsor Road 477-6515 austinshoehospital.com showcased the work of R.L. Blair, who has completed more than 500 pieces for The Walt Disney Co. “In the chainsaw world, [Blair] is considered one of the best there is in the world,” Moreland said. Full story by Christi Covington Brodie ln. exposition Blvd. stamford ln 1626 Cattlelacs 12301 Lowden Lane, Manchaca 280-1530 www.cattlelacs.com lowden ln. Bowman ave. windsor rd. spring ln. Manchaca rd. Tarka Indian Kitchen Central Austin The owners of local eatery The Clay Pit wanted to open a different type of Indian restaurant in Austin. They did not want a second large-scale, full-service restaurant and bar—the long hours and responsibilities would be too much for new parents Project Manager Tinku Saini and Front of House Operations Rajina Pradhan. At the same time, they did not want to create “dumbed-down, assembly line” Indian food either, Saini said. The owners split the difference and opened Tarka Indian Kitchen, which strives to deliver flavorful contemporary Indian cuisine to cost-conscious diners. The restaurant found a following in Sunset Valley and the Greater South Austin area. From there, Tarka opened a second location in Round Rock in November 2010 and a third Drunk Fish Northwest Austin Drunk Fish has the ability to take customers halfway around the world. The narrow, twostory restaurant with only 19 seats is decorated with murals and printed cloths, giving the customer a sense that he has stepped outside of the Arboretum and into an eatery in an alleyway in Seoul, South Korea, or Tokyo, Japan. “We started small. That’s the way we like it,” said Sun Park, who owns the four-year-old restaurant with her husband, Jong Hwa Park. The Parks serve a fusion of Japanese and Korean cuisine. The Korean influence can be seen in the bulgogi—a spicy, marinated meat—and in the ramen, of which Drunk Fish offers a variety. With some of the ramen dishes being topped with nontraditional ingredients, such as potato chips and cheese, it is easy to see why. Before opening Drunk Fish, Jong Hwa and Sun ran a formal Joe olivieri Photos by Charlie Pearce location in North Austin in May 2012. The menu is divided into three main categories: curries, kabobs and biryanis, a kind of stir-fry. Tarka caters to its discerning clientele in the same way it does for first-timers—making sure every dish is top-notch, Saini said. Full story by Joe Olivieri 1 w. anderson ln. Tarka Indian Kitchen 2525 W. Anderson Lane, Ste. 300 323-0955 www.tarkaindiankitchen.com wear shop where they used to split the duties. At Drunk Fish, the roles are more precise: Sun takes the orders and interacts with customers, and Jong Hwa prepares all the meat, marinades and sushi. Although the name implies otherwise, the eatery does not serve alcohol, though customers are welcome to bring their own. Full story by Sara Behunek Jollyville rd. Great Hills trail arboretum Blvd. 360 Drunk Fish 10000 Research Blvd., Ste. 139 349-9454 www.drunkfishusa.net impactnews.com • August 2012 | FEATURES | 41 Burnet rd. 183 Full stories at impactnews.com Impacts Now Open Northwest Austin Amy Braden opened co-working facility Plug & Play on June 11 at 13343 N. US 183, Ste. 200. Plug & Play offers custom workspaces, child care for children up to age 5, conference room rentals and Parents Night Out events. 258-7584, www.plugandplayaustin.com Southwest Austin Coraggio Hunter/Jumper opened its new horse training and boarding facility at 12901 Trails End in June. Owner/ trainer Paige Erwin has operated the business for about six years and offers lessons and competition training. 567- 9723, www.coraggio.org Coming Soon Southwest Austin Stanley’s Farmhouse Pizza plans to open at 13005 Fitzhugh Road in October. The restaurant plans to serve artisan pizzas with vegetables and ingredients grown on-site. www.stanleysfarmhousepizza. com, Twitter: @cerespark Central Austin Online home store Mockingbird Domestics.com will open a brick-and-mortar storefront in August at 2151 S. Lamar Blvd. The business specializes in home furnishings in a modern, classic style from Texas artisans as well as vintage, repurposed and international pieces. www.mockingbirddomestics. com, 677-4004, Twitter: @MBDomestics Closing Northwest Austin Stanley’s Bistrot Mirabelle, 8127 Mesa Drive, Ste. A100, closed June 26, and owner Brian O’Neill will spend the next couple of months coming up with a new concept, menu and name for the restaurant before reopening, spokeswoman Lisa O’Neill said.
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