Todd Hower

Save Lake Travis – Rescheduled for Sunday October 20

Written by Todd Hower | October 18, 2013

Even with all the recent rains, our water issues have not gone away. The September date for Save Lake Travis was cancelled due to rain, but the weather forecast for this Sunday is partly sunny and beautiful.

Grab your favorite outdoor chair and head over to the Sail & Ski Yacht Club this Sunday evening. Shades Cafe will provide a full service bar (cash only) and the outdoor stage for live music by Lohman’s Crossing Band. Keith’s BBQ and ATX Corndog food trucks will be on the scene.

Besides an evening of fun, you’ll gain a better understanding of how the way water is being (mis)managed in the Lower Colorado River Basin and learn more about what you can do to help and what is already being done.

Did you know?

In 2011, the hottest year on record combined with the lowest inflow of water, LCRA released huge amounts of water from Lake Travis to the rice farmers downstream. It was 3 times the amount of water than the City of Austin used for the whole year.
Austin receives 170 acre feet of raw stored water annually for their customers at a cost of $151 per acre foot. In 2011, irrigators downstream received 433,000 acre feet of stored water at less than $6 per acre foot.
Due to LCRA selling water out of Spicewood Beach wells combined with low lake levels, water has had to be trucked into the community since December 2011.
LCRA’s proposed Water Management Plan does not take into account recent drought years of 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013.

Central Texas Water Coalition (CTWC) supports proper water management of the Lower Colorado River Basin to protect and maintain a safe and reliable water supply.

Lake Travis Area Halloween Events

Written by Todd Hower | October 15, 2013

Amazing fall weather and family fun is what October is all about in the Lake Travis area. Your kids may not get too excited about driving around the Hill Country in search of fall colors, but have you taken them for a drive to see all the Halloween decorations? It’s getting as serious as Christmas around here.

But it’s not Christmas yet…even though Home Depot and Target may be trying to fool you with the early arrival of Christmas decorations—forget that. People around here are excited for Halloween. It’s time for costume parties, trick-or-treating, carving pumpkins, haunted houses, and playing pranks. The festivities begin this weekend and we have a list of Halloween events in the Lake Travis area.

Have fun and be sure to let us know in the comments of any local Halloween events you would like to see on the list.

Great Goblin Glow in Lakeway

10/19 – The 8th Annual Great Goblin Glow in Lakeway is on Saturday, October 19 from 7pm – 9pm at Lakeway City Park, 502 Hurst Creek Road (map).

Wear your costumes and enjoy an evening featuring hot air balloons illuminating the night sky, glitter tattoo artists, balloon twisters, a juggler, and a spin-out swings ride. Be sure to check out the live bats exhibit and venture into Lakeway’s Dead End Cemetery if you dare. Enjoy live music by The Loose Wheels. Food will be available for purchase from Man Bites Dog, WhaTaTaco, IceCream4U, Kona Ice, and Kettle King caramel corn. Please do not bring dogs to the park on this night.

Trick-or-Treat at the Hill Country Galleria

10/26 – The fun starts at 2 pm in the outdoor Amphitheater with a dance performance by PAIYH Dance Studios. Make the rounds at over 100 stores and restaurants at the Hill Country Galleria to trick-or-treat from 4-6 pm. Other activities include free face painting, bounce houses, and bungee jumping. Be sure to wear your costume and stop by the Hill Country Galleria Guest Services booth to get a free trick-or-treat bag. Enjoy live music with The Loose Wheels from 7 – 9 pm.

Fright Fest at the Lakeway Regional Medical Center

10/25-26-27 – The Lakeway Regional Medical Center will be the place for you to check out three nights of Fright Fest. The haunted maze is for ages 10 & up (this is too scary for the little ones). Enjoy games, food, pumpkin carving, bouncy house, trunk-or-treat, and a costume contest for all ages. All proceeds benefit Citizens Police Academy Alumni Association. LRMC 100 Medical Parkway, Lakeway TX 78734 (map) Oct 25 & 26 7-11 pm / Oct 27 5-9 pm

The Oasis Halloween Bash

10/31 – Head over to the Oasis on Lake Travis for dinner and a night of dancing in the Starlight Terrace with music by LC Rocks. Witching hours from 7-10 pm.

Flash-Flood Warning: 9 Ways to Stay Safe and Protect Your Home

Written by Todd Hower | October 14, 2013

With many parts of Texas experiencing prolonged drought conditions, it’s hard to think about heavy rains and flash-flooding until we get rain coming down like it did in the Lake Travis area this past weekend.

A common misconception is that flooding only occurs in river or stream floodplains. This is not always the case — flash-flooding can occur anywhere and oftentimes when you least expect it. Urban areas can be particularly dangerous during flash-floods. Built-up areas cannot absorb water as fast as rural or natural areas. This can often result in overwhelmed drainage systems and dangerously fast-flowing water.

A perfect example of this is what happened at Zilker Park. The final day of Austin City Limits 2013 was cancelled due to flash-flood conditions caused by heavy rains. It’s the first time in the festival’s 12-year existence that a show day has been cancelled. Here are 13 Unbelieveable Pictures of ACL Fest 2013 Flooding.

There's Always Live Music in the Lake Travis Area – Weekend Shows

Written by Todd Hower | October 11, 2013

With the second weekend of Austin City Limits Music Festival underway and a weekend weather forecast with a good chance of rain, it’s looking like last weekend was the weekend to stay dry. No one would dare complain because everyone knows we need the rain…right? Put on your rain gear and enjoy.

I’ll be leaving the Lake Travis area and heading into traffic, possible rain, and crowds on my way to Stubb’s for an official ACL late night show and an evening with Wilco—a band that justifies leaving the bubble…at least I thought so when I was offered the ticket. If you’re not heading downtown to the festival, here are the live music events in the Lake Travis area for you to enjoy.

The Backyard

Friday 10/11 – Joe Ely, Jimmy Dale Gilmore and a VERY special guest. Doors open at 7 pm – showtime 8 pm. Get there early for this up close and personal meet and greet. Tickets for this event are $50 and you can purchase them here. Who is this very special guest?

The Austin Jazz Festival isn’t happening until next weekend, but I wanted to give you the heads up.

Saturday 10/19 – The Backyard will host the Austin Jazz Festival beginning at noon. The event, which benefits the Austin Area Urban League, features national jazz legends Ronnie Laws, Tom Browne, Debra Laws and Eloise Laws. General admission tickets start at $25. Visit The Backyard for purchasing and more information.

Steiner Ranch Steakhouse

Friday 10/11 – The Sophisticates – This band can play everything from “Sinatra” era material to the most current hits. They like keeping it mellow until everyone is done eating. The dance floor will get crazy when the sun goes down.

Saturday 10/12 – Duck Soup – a rock ‘n’ roll band from Austin, Texas that plays many genres of music. Affectionately known as “the Unofficial Band of the PGA Tour”, making people smile and feel like they’re still in high school. Who doesn’t want to feel like they’re in high school when dancing at the SR Steakhouse?

The Oasis

Friday 10/11 – The Kopy Kats – Classic rock dance music that is entertaining, exciting, and fun. Just check out their Facebook Page to see what the Starlight Terrace dance floor looked like when they played in August.

Saturday 10/12 – The Eggmen – Austin’s premier Beatles Tribute Band – Nothing is Real.

Sunday 10/13 – The Brew – A Latin jazz band based in Austin, Texas and formed around three brothers, Michael, Mark and Joe Rodriguez, who have played together for more than 30 years. The Brew will be performing year round at The Oasis beginning this Sunday.

The Hill Country Galleria Saturday Night Concert Series

Saturday 10/12 – Will Taylor & Strings – Pop, Classical, Rock and Jazz String Quartet. The music begins at 7pm in the Hill Country Galleria’s outdoor amphitheater. Spread out a blanket, place a delivery order with All-Star Burger, and enjoy dinner with your music.

Texas Water Proposition 6 – Yes or No?

Written by Todd Hower | October 10, 2013

The Highland Lakes are the primary source of water for Central Texans. No water in the lakes = no water coming out of your faucet. If you’re concerned about the water supply in Lake Travis or the water supply anywhere in the State of Texas, you might want to learn about Texas Water Proposition 6.

According to the Texas Water Development Board, Proposition 6 is an amendment to the Texas Constitution creating the State Water Implementation Fund for Texas (or SWIFT). It will appropriate $2 billion from the economic stabilization fund (also known as the Rainy Day Fund) to the SWIFT, and direct the Texas Water Development Board on how the newly created fund may be used.

What are the implications to Lake Travis area residents? Well, we have some resources for you to learn about Proposition 6 and see if it might make the “yes” list for your ballot on November 5.

To learn about the proposition, you can visit Texas State Water Fund Amendment BallotPedia Page, see the Full Text of Constitutional Changes (exhilarating), and read up on FAQ about the proposition.

Proposition 6 will appear on ballots this November and provide Texans the opportunity to approve or deny a one-time investment that will implement our State Water Plan.