Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Cap Metro savings still dropping

Reserves could be down to $10 million by fall, and services may be cut.

By Ben Wear
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Capital Metro's shrinking savings could be down to $10 million by the end of September, agency officials said Monday, bringing the transit agency's operating reserves to no more than a few days' cushion.

It's a predicament that had Capital Metro's chief talking Monday about what amounts to overdraft protection and board members saying service cuts might be necessary.

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USA holidays: Saddle up and go steer crazy in tremendous Texas

Austin, Texas. A city of water - after all, the mighty Colorado river flows through town. A city of bats - by day millions of them roost under the modern Congress Avenue Bridge before emerging at dusk to go hunting. And a city of green spaces - the largest being Zilker Park, where they hold the annual South by Southwest music and film festival, and where the Rolling Stones once played.

I went to Zilker Park with veteran piano player Pinetop Perkins, who is 94 and witnessed the boogie boom of the Thirties. Astonishingly, Pinetop still plays gigs. I told my brother that he has some way to go to keep up with Pinetop's schedule as he played twice in two days while I was there.


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De Niro Collection opens in Austin

April 27, 2009 THR.com

The Robert De Niro Collection of film-related materials has opened to researchers and the public at the Harry Ransom Center, a humanities research library and museum at the University of Texas at Austin.

Donated by De Niro in 2006, the collection, including more than 1,300 boxes of papers, film, movie props and costumes, documents his professional career from the 1960s through 2005.

Filling more than 300 archival boxes, the paper portion of the collection includes De Niro's heavily annotated scripts and correspondence, makeup and wardrobe photographs, wardrobe continuity books, costume designs and posters and extensive production, publicity and research material.

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Texas APME recognizes excellence in journalism

The Associated Press
April 26, 2009
AUSTIN, Texas — The Dallas Morning News was named the Newspaper of The Year and the Austin American-Statesman was named the best online newspaper among the state's largest metropolitan dailies at the Texas Associated Press Managing Editors' annual meeting over the weekend.

The Corpus Christi Caller-Times won Newspaper of The Year and the Wichita Falls Times-Record News won best online paper among newspapers with circulations of 30,000 to 124,999. The San Angelo Standard-Times won both top honors among newspapers of 10,000 to 29,999 in circulation. In the small newspaper division, the Nacogdoches Daily Sentinel was named Newspaper of The Year and the Plainview Daily Herald was cited as the best online paper.

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Monday, March 23, 2009

February existing home sales rise by 5.1 percent

PMZ Real Estate Agent Michelle Zeiter, left, walks into a bank owned home she isMarch 23, 2009
By ALAN ZIBEL, AP Real Estate Writer

WASHINGTON – Sales of previously occupied homes jumped unexpectedly in February by the largest amount in nearly six years as first-time buyers took advantage of deep discounts on foreclosures and other distressed properties.

Economists said sales, while still at levels not seen since 1997, may finally be coming back to life after declining sharply following the stock market plunge last autumn.

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Stocks jump on bank plan, rise in home sales

Michael J. Sollitto, Specialist for Banc of America, and Traders work on the By TIM PARADIS, AP Business Writer

NEW YORK – Wall Street is getting the good news it wants on the economy's biggest problems: banks and housing.

Investors reignited a two-week rally Monday after hearing the government's plan to help banks remove as much as $1 trillion in bad assets from their books and home sales showed a surprise increase. Major stock indexes jumped as much as 4 percent, including the Dow Jones industrial average, which rose nearly 300 points.

The Treasury Department said its plan would rely on the government's $700 billion financial rescue fund, the Federal Reserve and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., as well as private investors.

Full Story March 23, 2009

Saturday, February 28, 2009

Lake Travis Homes Austin, TX

Austin TX Real EstateLake Travis is one of the cleanest, most beautiful lakes in all of Texas as evident by its crystal clear water. Located in the City of Lakeway and Austin, Texas, Lake Travis spans nearly 20,000 acres and is 20 miles long. This Texas lake has 270 miles of shoreline around its diameter where you will find numerous homes, restaurants, beaches and marinas. Lake Travis offers a world of recreation in swimming, sunbathing, fishing, boating, water skiing, and parasailing. Lake Travis is surrounded by pristine luxury neighborhoods for the utmost in vacation, retirement or everyday living.

We are your guides for finding the best properties in Austin Texas. We specialize in the Austin area and the surrounding areas of Lakeway, Westlake, Cedar Park, Leander, Round Rock, Georgetown, Pflugerville, and Lago Vista. If you're interested in calling Austin Texas your home, allow us to be your guide to the area.