Here is what is happening in Lakeway.
Swim Center is CLOSED for Renovations.
The Lakeway Swim Center is undergoing a full deck resurfacing and is CLOSED from Nov. 21 through Dec. 10 to complete the project. (The Dec. 7 swim meet has been CANCELLED.) More info here: https://www.lakeway-tx.gov/84/Swim-Center
Lane Closures Continue on Lohmans Spur.
Utility work is ongoing related to the future extension of Lohmans Spur into the new City Center development area. As a result, the right northbound lane of Lohmans Spur, on BOTH sides of Lohmans Crossing, has been closed since Oct. 7 and will continue that way for several weeks. Expect congestion and delays at the Lohmans Crossing light near the Police Station.
WEST library location is OPEN.
The new library addition, known as West, is now OPEN. Located on 71 in Spicewood (21209 State Hwy. 71 78669), West is a newly renovated 5,000-square-foot facility providing easy access to library services for Bee Creek, Briarcliff, Rough Hollow, Spicewood, and Travis Settlement, plus the Sweetwater and West Cypress Hills developments. At West, patrons will find books, audiobooks, magazines and DVDs, as well as public computers with printing services, a dedicated children’s area, a study room, a covered patio, and a drive-thru window for reserve pick-up and returns. A notary public, interlibrary loans and the library’s digital collection will also be available. West is managed by Assistant Library Director Raj Kamat, who has been with the Lake Travis Community Library for over 6 years. Currently, West is open Monday: 10am – 7pm; Tuesday: 10am – 4pm; Wednesday: 10am – 4pm; and Saturday: 10am – 4pm. See the Lake Travis Community Library fundraising page for naming opportunities still available at West: https://laketravislibrary.org/fundraising/
Lakeway TRASH COLLECTION over Thanksgiving holiday runs one day late.
Waste Connections WILL collect garbage and recycling during Thanksgiving Week (Nov. 25-30). Scheduled collections on Monday-Wednesday will be as usual. If you are scheduled for Thursday collection, that will bump out to Friday. If you are scheduled for Friday collection, that will bump out to Saturday.
House Watch
If you are traveling over the holidays or only occupy your home here part-time, Lakeway Police Department provides a House Watch program, at no charge. Just let them know, and officers will perform close patrols of the address and contact you if anything appears suspicious. Call 512-261-2800 for info and go here to sign up: https://www.lakeway-tx.gov/1305/House-Watch-Request
Need a RIDE? Want to VOLUNTEER to drive seniors?
Chariot is a FREE service providing rides (for medical appointments and grocery shopping) to non-driving folks age 60 and over. Chariot has been operating across Central Texas (including Lakeway!) since 1988. Riders must be mobile to use the service; wheelchairs cannot be accommodated. Mission statement: “Chariot enriches lives and communities by providing transportation and socialization to non-driving seniors, helping them to age in place.” Volunteer drivers, who must be over 21 with a high school diploma or higher plus a valid driver’s license, are critical to Chariot’s success and use their own vehicles. Click this link or call 512-445-5552 for info and to either set up a ride or volunteer as a driver: https://chariot.org/
Lake Travis Community Library provides TECH HELP.
Drop in from noon to 2PM Monday-Thursday and work with one of the tech coaches (1938 Lohmans Crossing). They can help with questions about your smartphone, tablet, computer OR any of the library’s own services like the Libby app. They also provide help via email or phone, and there is a weekly ZOOM session. More info is here: https://laketravislibrary.org/tech-coach/
Lake Travis Democrats—Get Early Bird Rate on Holiday Party NOW.
Holiday Party: Tuesday, Dec. 17, 6PM at La Quinta Inn & Suites (1943 Medical Drive in Lakeway). Enjoy food (catered by Vivel), music, and fun with your Dem friends. EARLY BIRD ticket pricing available NOW: https://www.laketravisdemocrats.com/event-details/lake-travis-dems-tuscan-village-voters-holiday-party
Check https://www.laketravisdemocrats.com/ for club activities each month.
Give the Gift of the Symphony.
Make the holidays special by giving the Gift of Symphony. EARLY BIRD TICKETS NOW ON SALE for “A Night with the Austin Symphony Orchestra.” This will be Lakeway’s 5th annual collaborative concert experience featuring members of the Austin Symphony Orchestra and talented musicians with the Lake Travis High School Band and Orchestra. Concert is on Sunday, April 6, 2025, at 4PM, at the Lake Travis Performing Arts Center (3324 Ranch Rd 620 South). Early bird ticket prices range from $15 to $50; or, opt for the VIP option to meet the musicians at a special dinner the evening before the event. Info and tickets here: https://www.lakeway-tx.gov/1960/A-Night-with-the-Austin-Symphony-Orchest
Bee Cave on Ice
Running now through Jan. 5, the Hill Country Galleria hosts an ice skating rink in the Central Plaza. RESERVATIONS REQUIRED. Hours are Mon.-Thur. 3pm-9pm (last session at 8pm); Fri. 12pm-9pm (last session at 8pm); Sat. 10am-10pm (last session at 9pm); and Sun. 10am-7pm (last session at 6pm). The fee is $15/hour, except $10 on Tuesdays (fees include skate rental). More info and you can make reservations here: https://www.hillcountrygalleria.com/event/bee-cave-on-ice/2145577106
Mayor Kilgore’s Facebook Update
The mayor gave a 12-minute live update on Nov. 14. Go here to watch: https://www.facebook.com/cityoflakeway/videos/573354795280582
Council next meets on Dec. 2.
Tentatively, the Dec. 2 Special Meeting will be a joint session with Council and the Charter Review Committee. If, so, the group will explore the 17 Lakeway Charter changes recently proposed by the committee. Two of the items were voted down by residents in 2020. Several items were suggested by staff as procedural clean up measures. But, other items would make substantive changes to how the city operates, particularly as to volunteers and committee appointments, as to the Ethics Committee, as to our elections, and as to the power distribution among Mayor, City Manager and Council. Changes that Council accepts must be voted on by residents, likely in the May, 2025, local election. During the week prior to Dec. 2, check here for the Agenda and Meeting Packet: https://www.lakeway-tx.gov/archive.aspx
(Results of Council’s Nov. 18 meeting are posted below, at the end of this section.)
TexArts Productions
TexArts has holiday and 2025 productions scheduled, presented at its NEW theater located in the heart of Lakeway at 1110 Ranch Road 620 South. Go here for details and to buy tickets: https://www.tex-arts.org/upcoming-productions
- Nov. 22-Dec. 15: Elf–The Musical
- Feb. 14-March 2: Tick, Tick … Boom!
- July 11-Aug. 10: Bye Bye Birdie
Light Up the Plaza
On Friday, Nov. 29, head over to Hill Country Galleria for its Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony, in the Central Plaza. Event runs 5PM-9PM; tree lighting is set for 6:30PM. Family fun includes live music, ice-skating, giveaways, face painting and refreshments. FREE admission and parking. More info here: https://www.hillcountrygalleria.com/event/light-up-the-plaza/2145577001
Drop off Green Santa gifts for kids at the library by Dec. 3.
LTLov’s Green Santa program provides gifts and toys to local children and families in need. Suggested gifts include sports equipment, dolls, puzzles, gift cards, toddler toys, and art supplies. Drop off donations by Tue., Dec. 3, at Lake Travis Community Library(1938 Lohmans Crossing). Cash donations are also accepted via Venmo. Info here: https://ltlov.org/#green-santa
Lights On!
Lakeway kicks off the holiday season on Friday, Dec. 6, at 6PM, with the official lighting of the Trail of Lights. This FREE annual family event takes place in the Lakeway City Hall Parking Lot (1102 Lohmans Crossing); additional parking is available nearby at Lakeway Activity Center and the Justice Center. In addition to the light ceremony, Santa, Mrs. Claus, and their elves will be there to meet children, listen to holiday wishes, and pose for photos. Plus—live music, s’mores and a variety of food from local vendors, and more holiday cheer. More info here: https://www.lakeway-tx.gov/1427/Lights-On
Lakeway’s Trail of Lights
Enjoy all the holiday light scenes at the annual Trail of Lights. It starts on Dec. 6 and continues nightly 6PM-midnight throughout December. The walkable display is located below City Hall, at 1102 Lohmans Crossing Road. More parking is available at the adjacent Activity Center,105 Cross Creek. More info here: https://www.lakeway-tx.gov/721/Trail-of-Lights
Singalong Christmas Show at Lakeway Activity Center.
On Sunday, Dec. 8, there are TWO showings for Sing We Now of Christmas: 2PM and 4PM, at LAC(105 Cross Creek). This will be the 24th year for local singers to present an annual Christmas show. Price of admission is an UNWRAPPED TOY for a child up to age 17 (for LTLov’s Green Santa to distribute to children in needy local families.)
Movie Night: A Christmas Story at Lakeway Activity Center.
On Friday, Dec. 13, at 6PM, bring the family over to the LAC parking lot (105 Cross Creek) for a FREE outside showing of the holiday film, A Christmas Story, on the massive LED screen. Bring blankets and chairs, and enjoy hot chocolate and food from vendors. Later, stroll through the Trail of Lights next door at City Hall. More info here: https://www.lakeway-tx.gov/2109/Christmas-Movie
Classical Ballet: The Nutcracker at Lakeway Activity Center.
On Sunday, Dec. 15, 3PM at LAC (105 Cross Creek), Metamorphosis Dance presents excerpts from The Nutcracker. This FREE performance is sponsored by Lakeway Arts Committee. More info here: https://lakeway-tx.gov/2212/Nutcracker
Holiday Music at the Library.
On Friday, Dec. 20 at 3PM, enjoy holiday music at Lake Travis Community Library (1938 Lohmans Crossing), courtesy of local musician and classical guitarist Mark Anthony Cruz.
New Years—Polar Bear Plunge.
On Tuesday, Dec. 31, 9-10AM, swing by Lakeway Swim Center (3103 Lakeway Blvd.) with your towel and DIVE INTO 2026! This FREE event is fun for all ages. After your bracing plunge, warm up with delicious refreshments and snacks, and relax in the cozy warming location. More info here: https://www.lakeway-tx.gov/2034/Polar-Bear-Plunge
Council met on Nov. 18.
RESULTS–All members attended the meeting, in person on the dais.
ITEM 11 (part of the Consent Agenda): Allowing golf course maintenance (and the noise it produces) to start at 6:30AM YEAR-ROUND (instead of just during the summer, May-Sept., but 7AM the rest of the year), with city staff able to grant permission for a 6AM start time on a limited basis (up to 6 days a year).
–The Item was pulled from the Consent Agenda. In discussion, members agreed that the early start allowed for the summer was NOT intended to extend year-round. However, especially in light of NO public objections this time around, members were open to golf course needs, since it is one of Lakeway’s oldest and largest businesses. Council UNANIMOUSLY AGREED to a 6:30AM daily start time, as a 6-month trial, with review in May. (Residents should document and report any violations—activity/noise prior to 6:30AM–so they can be part of that review.)
ITEM 13: Citizens Participation for items NOT on the agenda.
–One person spoke, regarding a chronic problem with dogs allowed off leash at City Park.
ITEM 14: Financial Report.
–At the start of the fiscal year, the city is $537,000 to the good, budget-wise, largely due to timing of various revenues and expenditures that will likely balance out as the year progresses.
ITEM 15: Amending the Hillsong PUD Agreement, which covers 25.949 acres at 15617 Flint Rock Rd., specifically changing the commercial use of the 3.09 acre portion (now owned by Travis County Emergency Services District Six/Lake Travis Fire and Rescue) to GUI so that a fire station (50’ max height) can be built there, plus replacing the approved public park with a $567,000 fee-in-lieu and allocating impervious cover between the 3.09 acre portion and the 22.859 acre home build portion (126 residences).
–UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED. (Don’t get too excited; construction on this fire station won’t start before 2030.)
ITEM 16: Approval of a 100-year Special Use Permit so that a general use STORAGE FACILITY CAN BE BUILT IN ROUGH HOLLOW, specifically on 4.5 acres at 1900 Highlands (adjacent to the traffic circle). [NOTE: The storage facility was added in a PUD Amendment back in 2021, when terms were renegotiated; community benefits (including dedication of parkland as promised in the original PUD) were balanced with financial incentives to the developer (including additional condos and this storge facility). However, city code establishes guidelines for approval of special uses like storage facilities, including evaluating the effect on the neighborhood and considering whether it would be a nuisance. Lakeway has long denied storage facilities within city limits. In 2019, the same developer tried to add a storage facility to a Town Center/Tuscan Village 2 mixed use tract; ZAPCO reviewed the request per code guidelines and unanimously denied it, such that the developer withdrew the proposal. Surely, Rough Hollow deserves the same consideration and protection as central Lakeway.]
–After very brief discussion and 2 residents commenting against it, Council UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED a storage facility in Rough Hollow.
ITEM 17: Creating an Animal Shelter Advisory Committee to oversee care of lost, stray, abandoned and surrendered animals at Lakeway’s Animal Control Facility. Proposed committee members: 1) Veterinarian Heidi Moore; 2) Councilmember Jennifer Szimanski; 3) Animal Control Officer Andrea Greig; 4) Mike Dwinal of Highland Lakes Canine Rescue; and 5) Police Lt. Jason Brown.
— UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED
ITEM 18: Discussion/possible action re: role of the Economic Development Committee.
–After discussion, Council asked for a formal EDC report at the December or January Council meeting, so that further action could be taken then.
ITEM 19: Resolution casting the city’s 10 votes in the election for 5 seats on the Travis County Appraisal District Board of Directors. (Lakeway previously nominated Thomas Kilgore, Gretchen Vance, Matt Sherman, Jim Gray and Ken Bautsch.)
–After discussion about giving all 10 votes to 1 nominee to maximize chances of getting a non-Austin person elected, Counsel AGREED (6/0/1 Szimanski abstaining) to give all 10 votes to Thomas Kilgore.
ITEM 20: Discussion/possible action re: Rebel Park and Sailfish Park. (A report by Mayor Kilgore was recently added to the Meeting Packet, indicating the issue is finding the best way to correct errors made when these properties were deeded to the city in 1995 as parkland, even though the tracts may not meet the state definition of parkland.)
–Council discussed the issue, and a few residents made comments. By state law, parks—but not green space–must be ADA compliant, now exposing the city to liability. Due to steep topography, neither tract is suitable for development as a park, though the land is valuable as green space, for humans and for wildlife. Some of the land likely could be used for homes or commercial purpose, which no one favors. An additional complication is that several adjacent homeowners have built docks that encroach on these tracts, resulting in title problems. The city might normally sell the submerged land to them, except that parkland cannot be sold without voter approval; in 2012, the city tried to get voter approval to sell the submerged land to those homeowners, but that failed. Possible solutions mentioned in discussion included doing a deed correction/revision, trying another ballot initiative, somehow changing the designation from parkland to green space, and taking action to cause the land to revert to the donor (Lakeway Civic Corp.) which could request a zoning change and then re-gift it to the city as green space, etc. (NOTE: the city attorney was skeptical that some of the suggestions were legal options.) After discussion, COUNCIL DIRECTED STAFF to pursue the possibility with LCC of deed correction/revision as first choice and ballot initiative as second choice; returning the land to LCC was not favored.
ITEM 21: Executive Session on West Austin Park legal intervention.
–NO ACTION TAKEN.
ADJOURNED at 9:45PM. View the Agenda, Meeting Packet, and/or Presentation (scrolling down to City Council documents) here: https://www.lakeway-tx.gov/archive.aspx Go here to watch the Council meeting online: https://lakewaytx.new.swagit.com/videos/320605
Daring Mighty Things
In the above image, a distant and tiny Earth is setting behind the moon’s bright edge, as seen from an external camera on the outbound Orion spacecraft during day 6 of the Artemis 1 mission on November of 2022. (Image credit: NASA, Artemis 1.) https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap241120.html
NASA’s Orion capsule, shown above, is now being tested in the altitude chamber at Kennedy Space Center, prior to taking 4 astronauts into orbit around the moon in 2025. (Image credit: Lockheed Martin/David Wellendorf.) Artemis 2’s Orion capsule goes into altitude chamber to prep for 2025 moon mission 11/14/24 https://www.space.com/space-exploration/human-spaceflight/artemis-2s-orion-capsule-goes-into-altitude-chamber-to-prep-for-2025-moon-mission
Starship is loud. REALLY loud. New studies show that SpaceX’s new Starship rocket far exceeds projected maximum noise levels, generating a sonic boom so powerful it risks property damage in the densely populated residential community near its South Texas launch site. (Image credit: Meridith Kohut for The New York Times.) Starship is as tall as a 30-story building, and it generates 10 times as much noise as the Falcon 9 rocket that SpaceX now uses to get cargo and astronauts to orbit. For residents of South Padre Island and Port Isabel, just 6 miles from the launch site, the noise during the October test flight was the equivalent of standing 200 feet from a Boeing 747 plane during its takeoff. It was about 1.5 times as loud on the ground as the Concorde sonic boom; when supersonic Concorde jets were still in service, the US banned them from flying over domestic land. In South Texas, car alarms go off, and normal life is disrupted in countless ways with every launch. Structural damage is being documented. There are dozens of homes in Boca Chica village, less than two miles from the launchpad, and in rural areas nearby. The area is also surrounded by a national wildlife refuge and state park that are home to several endangered or threatened birds and turtles, which may also be harmed by the noise and vibrations. SpaceX plans to launch its very loud mega-rocket from 2 sites near Kennedy Space Center in Florida, as well as from South Texas. Per SpaceX, as many as 400 launches will happen in the next 4 years. SpaceX Starship’s Sonic Boom Creates Risk of Structural Damage, Test Finds 11/18/24 https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/18/us/politics/spacex-starship-sonic-boom-damage.html
SpaceX’s 400-foot-tall Starship mega-rocket launched its 6th test fight on Nov. 19, from its South Texas facility. (Image credit: SpaceX.) It succeeded in carrying a plush banana into orbit but failed to execute the “chopsticks” booster catch it managed on test flight #5. In theory, Starship will deliver NASA astronauts to the moon in 2026. SpaceX Starship launches banana to space, skips giant rocket catch on 6th test flight 11/19/24 https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/spacex-starship-launches-banana-to-space-skips-giant-rocket-catch-on-6th-test-flight-video-photos
With liberty and justice for all … except women.
On Nov. 18, a federal judge in Wyoming struck down 2 state laws that ban surgical abortion and pills used in medication abortion, as violating the Wyoming constitution. The judge found that Wyoming’s Life Act and Medication Abortion Ban “impede the fundamental right to make health care decisions for an entire class of people, pregnant women.” As a result, abortion is now available in Wyoming until fetal viability. The state is expected to appeal to the Wyoming Supreme Court. Judge strikes down Wyoming’s abortion laws, saying they violate state constitution 11/19/24 https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/judge-strikes-wyomings-abortion-bans-saying-violate-state-constitution-rcna180731
Federal laws allow pills used in medication abortion to be accessed by women nationwide. Now, several states with abortion bans are challenging the federal laws with the antiquated pronatalist argument. The attorneys general of Idaho, Kansas and Missouri claim that abortion access is causing them to lose population, with decreased births inflicting “a sovereign injury to the state itself.” This is the latest twist in the Texas case purposely placed with abortion foe Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, the only sitting judge in the Northern District of Texas; last year, the US Supreme Court found the doctors who originally brought the case lacked standing. Kacsmaryk is likely to buy the argument that states need to make women have more babies, sending the case up to the far-right 5th Circuit Appeals Court; the next stop will be SCOTUS, again. The New Anti-Abortion Argument Takes Us Back to the 19th Century 11/18/24 https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/18/opinion/abortion-medication-courts.html
Back to me….
If you are planning to cook for Thanksgiving—and even if you aren’t—here is a tip: CLEAN THE FILTER IN YOUR DISHWASHER. If this isn’t on your list of routine fun chores, trust me, it should be. The filter collects food bits, so build up causes your dishwasher to smell, function poorly, leak, and break down. Paying a big plumber’s bill is even worse when it is to fix something totally preventable, like a clogged dishwasher filter.
Plus, this is easy to do. Pull the lower rack out of the way and inspect the bottom of your dishwasher for something looking like a filter. (As with so much in life, your cell phone’s flashlight helps a lot with this.) Remove the filter. Gag. Dump the worst of the mess into the garbage can. Use an old toothbrush to scrape off the rest, then scrub the filter with your favorite cleaner. Replace the filter. Vow to do this chore regularly. Brag to your friends and scare them into doing this, too.
This is really NOT rocket science, but if you need an actual tutorial, try this (the image above was taken from this page): How to Clean Your Dishwasher Filter https://www.thespruce.com/how-to-clean-a-dishwasher-filter-5085457
Rut season is underway, so watch for adult deer rampaging through the streets. Actually, things are generally much more sedate than that; this is Lakeway, after all. I have seen deer on most of my recent morning walks, often groups of several placid females–mature does, plus females born earlier this year and too young to be of interest to the VERY mature buck invariably lurking with high hopes just outside each group. (Happily, Lakeway’s bucks are morally superior to Matt Gaetz, in that regard.) Here are some of the photos I took in the last couple weeks.
Coronavirus Update
Covid-19 infections stayed flat or dropped a bit. Indicators (test positivity, ER visits, hospitalizations and deaths) flattened or ticked up slightly, as of Nov. 16. https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#datatracker-home
As of Nov. 16, national wastewater viral testing remains LOW (and Texas as a state tested MINIMAL). https://www.cdc.gov/nwss/index.html
Long term studies of 2020 Covid patients show that getting Covid—even a mild case—DOUBLES THE RISK of having a heart attack or a stroke over the next THREE YEARS. For reasons not yet understood, the risk was heightened for people with blood type A or B. This is just 1 more reason to stay current with your Covid-19 vaccination. COVID-19 may increase heart attack and stroke risk for years 10/9/24 https://www.heart.org/en/news/2024/10/09/covid-19-may-increase-heart-attack-and-stroke-risk-for-years
This fall’s edition of the Covid-19 vaccine is available in local pharmacies.
Have you gotten the UPDATED Covid-19 shot? I got mine in early October; during 13 days of poll working, several of my co-workers caught Covid, but I did not. If you want to be protected this winter, start here: https://www.heb.com/pharmacy/vaccinations This new vaccine was formulated to work against recent variants, so everyone is urged to get vaccinated. Consider getting it along with your annual flu shot. Check with your doctor or pharmacist for the best timing, if you recently had Covid or recently got vaccinated. New COVID, flu vaccines arrive in Austin 8/31/24 https://www.statesman.com/story/news/healthcare/2024/08/28/covid-flu-vaccine-2024-near-me-austin-texas-tips-pharmacy-doctors-office/74965044007/