Johnson City
Politics
Parts of Central Texas are no longer in any level of drought for the first time in years
AUSTIN, Texas — We've had quite a wet month across Central Texas. This was somewhat to be expected, as May is typically our wettest month on average. However, what some did not expect was for many areas to get to their averages during the first half of May. While...
Oak Hill residents grow impatient as extensive construction drags on along US 290
DRIPPING SPRINGS, Texas — Dripping Springs is known to Texans as the gateway to the Hill Country. But as many locals know, that gateway is riddled with extensive construction in both directions along U.S. 290. The Oak Hill Parkway construction project stretches from William Cannon Drive on U.S. 290...
Residents near Lake Travis raise concerns over park closures, restrictions
AUSTIN, Texas — Brad Langle said he bought property in the Spicewood area near Lake Travis for obvious reasons: the lake and the parks. And in the last two decades or so that he's lived in the area, he's done so. But over time, he's noticed a shift in the area and has grown concerned.
Dripping Springs OKs second year of Western Wonderland
DRIPPING SPRINGS — Families can start making plans to attend the second annual Western Wonderland at Dripping Springs Ranch Park for the holiday season. Following DSRP Manager Emily Nelson’s presentation on Tuesday, May 7, Dripping Springs City Council unanimously approved bringing back the Western Wonderland event for a second year. Last year’s event brought a total of $153,058.48 in revenue, with $110,258.48 coming from fees and $42,800 from sponsorships and Hotel Occupancy Tax funds, according to Nelson’s presentation. The expenditures, which totaled to $297,594.47, compared to the $252,425 that was budgeted, were as follows: • Personnel Costs: $13,962.58 actual; $25,000 budgeted • Advertisements/Marketing: $8,150 actual; $8,800 budgeted • Event Costs (Contract, electricity, HCLE, supplies, merchandise/concessions and signage/graphics): $219,392.72 actual; $232,192 budgeted • Other (Sponsorship costs, banners and appreciation; lodging and fuel): $56,089.17 actual; $20,500 budgeted Nelson explained that after a smooth first year of Western Wonderland, several lessons were learned to create even more positive changes and growth for years to come. • Increase the dates to include the week of Thanksgiving. • Turn over marketing to the city of Dripping Springs marketing team • Expand special events • Create more time slots for community performances during non-peak times • Expand ice skating lessons • Really analyze the traffic patterns to set the hours • Increase party/table rental opportunities • Add skate assists for our small and/or less experienced skaters for a rental fee • Increase merchandise • Offer special discount cards before the rink opens for holiday gifts • Sell frequent skater punch cards throughout the season “We are definitely still in the planning phases. We are actually going to grow upon the ice skating lessons and our special events that we already had started with last year. We're just going to enhance those and bring up more special opportunities where people can come in and have smaller amounts of people on the ice because they're there during a special event time,” Nelson said. “We'll continue growing those programs, they were very popular last year. And then we are excited that we're getting the skate assists, so that any of the new skaters will be able to have a little bit more of a balancing opportunity, they'll build to use those skate assists.” The estimated total cost for the rink is $187,679, with an option to add an ice technician for $41,490 if DSRP decided it needed one. Last year, the total cost — with an ice tech already included — was $203,442. “Currently, we're not going to step forward with an ice tech. Our staff trained last year, which is what we were hoping that they would do, since they handle everything in our arena. So, we're hoping that that would translate a little bit over into our ice rink,” Nelson said. While she was unable to provide the total number of people who attended the 2023 Western Wonderland event, as there were some who came in organically from the trail of lights and community performances, Nelson said that there were a little more than 8,000 skaters. “The positive feedback in-person and [on] social media, it was amazing. The few customer issues I had to navigate with people, it was all reasonable,” Nelson explained. “I never had such an experience where I didn’t have somebody with a lot of negative feedback to give us. Everything out there on social media and just in-person were people asking if there was any way we could have a rink the entire year.” “It was a fun experience for it to be such a happy moment and just seeing [on] social media and seeing the community enjoy it, that definitely warmed our hearts,” she continued. The estimated dates for the event are Nov. 22, 2024, through Jan. 5, 2025. However, the event is still in the planning phases and the dates are subject to change.
Three sworn in on Dripping Springs City Council
On Tuesday, May 7, Judge Marilyn Miller sworn in three members of the Dripping Springs City Council: Mayor Bill Foulds and council members Travis Crow (Place 4) and Wade King (Place 2). Each will serve a two-year term. The election that was initially set for May 4 to elect the three positions was cancelled earlier this year because the candidates whose terms were up for reelection were uncontested.
Exclusive: Travis County reaches $90M deal for 1,500 acre wilderness park near Spicewood
Jordan Scott remembers his grandparents’ RGK Ranch as the summer playground of his youth — a Hill Country landscape where you could go tubing in the shallow waters of Bee Creek, find deer antlers and snapping turtle shells, embark on excursions, and christen unlikely landmarks like Two Tire Alley, the rocky passageway where Scott and his friends, then in their 20s, had to change two flats at once on their old Chevy Suburban. “As a kid, it...
18 business updates for the Lake Travis, Westlake area
Perspire Sauna Studio will open at the Hill Country Galleria in October. (Courtesy Perspire Sauna Studio) From what's coming to what's leaving, anniversaries, openings and more, here are 18 business updates for residents of the Lake Travis and Westlake areas. Now open. Cedarwood Financial Partners. The wealth management practice provides...
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