Work by Austin multimedia artist Taylor Hickman and many other artists from surrounding communities will be featured during the Art, Love & Pasta event from noon to 8 p.m. Saturday at Craig O’s Lakeway, 2501 Ranch Road 620 S. In addition to outstanding art, there will be face painting for children, great pizza, pasta and wine. Admission is free, and plenty of parking is available. Other artists featured include Heather Harris, Norman Bean, Diane Macgregor, Sarah Slam, Frank Botello, James R. Granberry, Tamera Davis, Leslie Lloyd, Rebecca Shaw, Patches Hayter, Misty Horton, Tasha Glascock and Julia D’Angelo.

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Johnnie Fields’ watercolors, such as this one of spinnaker sailboats, will be on view Feb. 14-March 3 at Lakeway City Hall.

Watercolor paintings by Johnnie Fields will be on display at the Lakeway City Hall Art Gallery from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. on weedays Feb. 14-March 3 during regular City Hall office hours.

The art gallery is off the main lobby of City Hall, 1102 Lohmans Crossing, in Lakeway.

Fields grew up in Austin. He attended the University of Texas and received a bachelor of architecture degree in 1951. He worked in Austin until 1955, and then moved to Odessa, Texas, and was one of the founders of Peters and Fields Architects.

While studying architecture at the University of Texas, art was a yearly requirement. Fields fell in love with watercolor after only two semesters.

For the last 25 years, he has devoted time to painting, participating in workshops, teaching and showing his work. Because of his love for architecture and his fascination with order and arrangement, most of his paintings feature old buildings in a landscape setting. Many of the subjects are of places where he has traveled.

Several years ago, Fields began teaching watercolor at Lakeway Activity Center, and he quickly discovered how much he enjoys seeing others learn and develop as artists, he said.

Fields recalled that one of the nicest honors he received in his painting career was when The Permian Basin Art Museum asked him to do a one-man show.
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Beatles tribute band The Eggmen, from left, Nigel, John, Davy, Basil and Tommo will play at 7 p.m. Feb. 11, for the Spicewood Arts Society’s second annual event to help fund fine arts scholarships for area high school students.

The Eggmen, an Austin Beatles’ tribute band, will be in concert at 7 p.m. Saturday at the Spicewood Arts Society’s second annual event to fund scholarships for area high school students.

The concert will be at the Spicewood Vineyards Events Center, 1419 Burnet County Road 409, three miles off Texas Highway 71.

Tickets for the performance and hors d’oeuvres may be purchased for $75 each online at spicewoodarts.org or by calling 264-2820.

“Seating is limited this time, so that we can accommodate more dancing,” said Janey Richardson, president of the 12-year-old arts organization. “After all, it is close to Valentine’s Day.”

This May, the society funded $3,000 in fine arts scholarships to qualified Lake Travis and Marble Falls seniors pursuing higher education in the performing, visual or literary arts.

“We anticipate expanding the value of scholarships to $1,000 each this year,” Richardson said.

Chef Taylor Hall, will host the “Meet the Artists” reception.

John Burgess on acoustics and harmonica, “Tommo” Burgess on keyboards, Ron “Nigel” Roberts on bass guitar, John “Basil” Kovacs on guitar and Davy Fore on drums, collectively known as The Eggmen, originally formed in1992.

Their first set, the “Suit Set,” will be early Beatles, consisting of songs like “A Hard Day’s Night” and “She Loves You.” The second, or “Psychedelic Set,” tackles the hard stuff like “Day in the Life” and “I Am the Walrus.” The final set features songs of the “British Invasion,” such as The Rolling Stones’ “19th Nervous Breakdown” and The Who’s “My Generation.”

The season’s remaining SAS concerts are sold out. However, a waiting list is available at the SAS website or by calling 264-2820.

Should tickets become available, a two-week notice will be given.

The schedule is:

*Wheatfield, March 23 Four talented, clever, funny musicians from the Hotcakes and Trout Fishing in America bands reunite; and,

*The Motheral Family 2nd Annual Tony Campise Jazz Concert, May 4 – This show will feature Campise protégé Kris Kumara and The Kris Kimura Quartet, a highly respected, unique, in demand jazz foursome.
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The Lakeway Associates of Seton recently hosted its annual Seton Tea with local organizations and individuals designing and decorating tables.
The tables showcased the most exquisite table-settings designed around a theme.
The first-place award went to The Lakeway Garden Club, which honored “The Year of the Water Dragon.”
Second place went to “Books Unlock the World” by the Lake Travis Community Library.
The third-place award went to “Sippin’ Tea ’til the Cows Come Home” featuring Carol Mitchum’s collection of cow figures.
Best of Show was presented to “If You Take a Pig to Tea” by Lakeway Friends, who based their theme on a series of children books by Laura Joffe.
All proceeds from this event benefit Seton Shoal Creek Psychiatric Hospital in Austin.
For membership information about Lakeway Associates of Seton, call Beth Maher at 261-8059.

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Photo by Michelle Stecker

Taking part in the recent enjoy the check presentation are, from left, Lake Travis Community Library board president Carol Black, Lakeway/Lake Travis Rotary Club member Doug Lindgren, library board secretary Nancy Pencsak, library board treasurer P.K. Chatterjee, library board Morgan McMillian and Rotary Club president Wally El-Hitamy .

By Michelle Stecker

Contributing reporter

The vision of a new stand-alone library location for the Lake Travis Community Library recently came one step closer to realization when the Lakeway/Lake Travis Rotary Club presented a check for $16,667 to the representatives of the library’s board of trustees.
In fall 2010, the club committed to raise $50,000 from its members and the check presentation represented the second installment in the fulfillment of that promise
“The Rotary’s contribution and commitment to the realization of the new library enhances our [capital] campaign, and we hope it encourages other people to act,” said Morgan McMillian, library director.
Capital campaign
The library’s capital campaign, “Invest in Lifelong Learning,” raised almost $700,000 as of the first of the year toward a goal of $1 million. Library officials say there are many opportunities for individuals and businesses to contribute, including $150,000 to name the amphitheater area, $50,000 for a meeting room, $2,000-$35,000 for several specialized spaces and various $500-$750 needs for book stacks, study spaces, tables and chairs.
Several sized bricks for two walking paths may be purchased and inscribed for $125 to $500.
The Rotary donation will fund a community room, which will have the Rotary seal etched in glass on the entry to the area.
“Two of Rotary International’s commitments are supporting the community and encouraging education. [Construction of the new library is a step toward] those goals,” said Wally El- Hitamy, president Lakeway/Lake Travis Rotary Club. “It’s amazing how fast the area has grown, and with it, the need for more great community services like the library.”
The first $16,667 payment was presented in January 2011, and the third and final payment of $16,666 will be made in July of this year, said McMillian.
The Rotary’s contribution keeps the fund raising momentum strong, she added.
History of the LTCL
Since 1985, the LTCL has been providing the Lakeway and Lake Travis neighborhoods with educational resources provided by volunteers and donations of books, time and other materials. The library first shared space with Lake Travis High School until 2006 when it relocated to its current location in the Lohman’s Crossing Shopping Center.
The Lake Travis Community Library District was formed with voter approval in 2004 when it began receiving a quarter cent sales tax collected from the communities it serves, which include Lakeway, Lake Travis, The Village of the Hills, Briarwood and adjacent unincorporated areas of Travis County.
When the library relocated to the Lohman’s Crossing space, the board and friends of the library were already looking for a place to build a permanent, stand-alone structure. In the spring of 2010, Haythem Dawlett, founder and principal of Legend Communities, donated a nearby site for the construction of a permanent home for the LTCL.
“No matter what level of success we reach in our development efforts, there will never be a more important responsibility than giving back to those in need and supporting the many worthy causes that exist at the local level,” Dawlett said on the firm’s website.
Construction funding
There are three primary funding sources for the construction and ongoing operations of the new library. The library district revenue since 2004 from its share of sales tax will make up about a third of the money required.
“We have been very thrifty over the years,” LTCL treasurer P.K. Chatterjee  said, referring to the savings accumulated since 2004.
A second source will be public bonds that will be placed with local banks, said Chatterjee.
The third source is the “Invest in Lifelong Learning” capital campaign.
Programs offered
The library offers many programs for children, adults, teens and students of all ages throughout the year. Book readings and writing workshops are offered by local authors including Keija Parssinen who had her debut novel, “The Ruins of Us,” published this month.
Book clubs, writing groups, college planning workshops and genealogy tracing are among the events happening within the next three weeks for adults and teens. Children’s’ activities include cooking classes, pajama story time and yoga for 3- to 6-year-olds. Story times for children are regularly held three times a week.
The new library will have more than triple the current space and the capacity to grow with the expanding population and needs of the community.
Ground breaking news
Earlier this week, the LTCL board met and announced that the expected groundbreaking for the library is the first week in March 2012. It should open eight months later, said McMillian.
The LTCL is located at 2300 Lohman’s Spur, Suite 100, in Lakeway. Visit www.laketravislibrary.org for more information about programs and donation opportunities.

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The butterflies and bees are still floating and stinging, but wildfires and droughts threatened to destroy many species’ habitats last year.

Carter Smith, director of Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, recently told the Viewpoints speaker series audience at Lakeway Activity Center that he was relieved to flip his calendar to a new year.

“As we welcome in 2012, I will confess that I am more than happy to see 2011 in the rearview mirror,” Smith said. “For those of us in the outdoor and water business … last year was about as tough a year as it can get.”

The National Weather Service reported the driest year and second-hottest year on record in Texas, third-lowest water level on Lake Travis, record low water inflows to the lake and agriculture losses estimated at $6 billion took their toll.

The average rainfall for the drought-stricken state last year was 14.88 inches. The previous driest average total was in 1917 with 14.99 inches.

NWS reported 2011’s average temperature was 67.2 degrees. Texas’ warmest year on record was in 1921 with an average temperature of 67.5 degrees.

Record-setting heat blasted Texas to the hottest summer on record in the United States. From June through August 2011, Texas averaged 86.8 degrees.

“Suffice it to say, [the drought] had a very, very pronounced impact on our state’s lands and waters and fish and wildlife,” Smith said.

Those suffering from cedar allergies may not shed a tear over the loss of 65 million trees to drought, many of them cedar and juniper trees, but their root systems hold soil in place and prevent erosion in the rocky and hilly terrain in the Hill Country.

Foresters estimate 10 percent to 12 percent of the state’s trees has perished in the drought, he said.

Animals are suffering disease, starvation and depressed reproduction. As they look for food and water, they are wandering into closer contact with humans.

Pronghorn antelope populations have withered by 85 percent to 90 percent under a four-year drought in West Texas.

Some habitats are so deadly that species are being relocated.

Scientists are collecting fish threatened by drought in the upper Brazos River and taking them to Possum Kingdom state fish hatchery with plans to use them to restock the river later.

When lake levels fall, shallower waters and depleted oxygen levels, increased sunlight and algae blooms result in fish kills.

“It’s a very, very difficult situation for our fisheries biologists to contend with as we are trying to manage the state’s fisheries in your lakes and reservoirs at this time,” Smith said.

Tourism that helps to maintain state parks and wildlife habitats is down by 30 percent to 50 percent, he said, largely because of the drought’s impact on rivers and lakes.

Almost nonexistent precipitation, an increase in vegetative fuels from 2010 rains and the intense drought combined for a perfect storm ripe for wildfires to tear destructive swaths throughout the state.

Texas Forest Service reported 26,516 wildfires burned 3.85 million acres in 2011. Eighty percent of the fires were within 2 miles of a community.

“It speaks to what we as citizens of the state have to manage – our yards, our ranches, our farms, our parks and our greenbelts in terms of how we manage that vegetation to make sure we don’t have a huge amount of fuel that can put people in harm’s way,” Smith said. “We absolutely need to be expecting more fire rather than less.”

Pedernales, Spicewood , Hamilton Pool and Steiner Ranch all weathered severe wildfires over the Labor Day weekend that sparked 500 wildfires across Texas.

The wildfire that hit Bastrop County in early September nearly wiped Bastrop State Park off the map.

“A spark hit a tree, the winds blowing it up, [the fire] hit the crown of that forest, and it was literally was off to the races. The only thing you could do was get out of its way,” Smith said.

More than 96 percent of the park, 6,381 of 6,500 acres, burned to some degree.

More than one-third of the park was heavily burned with fire killing all forest canopy trees, small trees, shrubs and vines that grow under the taller trees. A fifth of the park was moderately burned, 29 percent was lightly burned and 15 percent was scorched.

“That day, it looked like Armageddon,” Smith described. “We have never, ever seen anything like it in terms of that fuel load and that fire behavior.”

Smith said the fire caused $8 million-$9 million in damages to park infrastructure, but as a testament to human perseverance and nature’s endurance parts of Bastrop State Park reopened in December.

In response to the Bastrop County Complex Fire, Bastrop County assembled the Lost Pines Recovery Team to address natural resources issues stemming from the fire.

By Sept. 21, the team had grown to include local, state and federal agencies with comprehensive knowledge of the Lost Pines ecosystem, including Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, U.S. Fish and Wildlife, Bastrop County, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Bastrop Soil and Water Conservation District, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, Lower Colorado River Authority, Texas Forest Service, Texas Agrilife Extension Service and Texas State University.

Agencies and universities are teaming up to reforest the park in 2013 from a stockpile of Texas Forest Service seeds of adaptive species, such as native loblolly pines.

An eight-person American Youthworks crew has been contracted for one year to work on the park’s trails, erosion control and fence rebuilding. Park staff members have been clear cutting areas along park roads, campgrounds and facilities.

Park staff members and volunteers are working to help wildlife make it through the recovery process.

The federally endangered Houston toad, which is indigenous to the area, depends on 80 percent canopy cover which was largely decimated.

“Our goal is to recover this species and make sure they can flourish. We spent a lot of effort on this guy. There’s been a lot of concern about how it’s going to survive the aftermath of the fire,” Smith explained.

Despite the harsh treatment that the land and animals underwent in 2011, Smith was optimistic that rains would come to restore and beautify the land and bring humans out from their shelters to enjoy the gifts of nature.

“It will rain again,” Smith said. “We are certainly hoping that folks will get into the outdoors and things will be better.”

Lakeway Friends of the Parks invites anyone interested in learning about and preserving nature to atend. Registration begins at 6:15 p.m., and a barbecue dinner will start at 6:30 p.m., followed by a business meeting and speaker at 7 p.m.

Reiner is a graduate of Ohio State University with a bachelor’s degree in environmental monitoring assessment. He served on the staff as a biological technician at Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge from 1999 to 2005. In addition, he writes for Travis Audubon Society’s newsletter and leads tours and workshops at the refuge.

His presentation will include information on the natural animal and plant history unique to this area and the historical Reicher Ranch.

The meeting is open to the public, and the barbecue dinner will be free for all paid members.

Nonmembers and guests fees are $10 per person. Family membership dues are $15 per year and may be paid at the door.

Membership is open to anyone interested in maintaining Lakeway’s parks and greenbelts. The group builds and maintains natural hike and bike trails, bridges and overlooks throughout the park system.

For membership information, contact Bernie Reding at 261-5633.

COURTESY PHOTO
The Jitterbug Vipers, featuring the smooth sounds of Slim Ritchey (right) on guitar, bring their soulful sounds back to the Lakeway Activity Center’s popular Brown Bag Concert Series Jan. 26.

Back by popular demand, the City of Lakeway’s Arts & Beautification Committee’s Brown Bag Concerts will host a series of free weekly performances to brighten up the dreary days of January and February.

The concerts will be held every Thursday beginning promptly at noon and ending at 1 p.m. at the Lakeway Activity Center, 105 Cross Creek. They are open to everyone, and no reservations or tickets are required. There is plenty of table seating. So, mark calendars and plan to bring your lunch and be entertained.

Here’s the lineup:

Jan. 5: Kay & Friends is a stellar quartet featured in pop concerts by the Austin Chamber Music Society and at many venues around the hill country. The quartet comprises Kay Rivers Kidd on piano, Art Kidd on drums and vocals, Javier Chaparro on violin and Terry Hale on bass. Their previous performances in Lakeway have always received standing ovations.

Jan. 12: Matt Shields, a lead tap dancer with the renowned Tapestry Company, will be accompanied by a pianist and bass performing selections from his various shows. Matt performs frequently at the Long Center in Austin and, in October, had an acclaimed series of performances in China.

Jan. 19: “Off The Record” a classic rock ‘n roll showband, will transport audiences to the 1950s and 1960s through costumes and great performances. Who knows, Elvis may make an appearance.

Jan. 26: The Jitterbug Vipers transport the croud to a dimly lit nightclub in 1940s Chicago where Billie Holliday and Wes Montgomery are jamming with Ray Brown, Stuff Smith and Oscar Peterson. Vintage jazz, swing, whatever you want to call it, it’s hot, sultry, sophisticated and danceable. Slim Richey, who has played and recorded with Herb Ellis, Maryann Price, David Amram, Ricky Skaggs and Ray Price leads the Vipers. He’s internationally recognized for his distinct style of Southwestern swing/jazz guitar.

Feb.2: Take Five, a classy, sassy, group of singers accompanied by Kay Rivers Kidd on piano will have everyone snapping fingers and tapping feet. This group has been featured at Austin’s Long Center and many other venues.

Feb.9: Professor Rick Roemer of the Southwestern University Theatre Department, along with elite students and a pianist, will perform music of the theatre. Roemer is a member of the resident company of the Austin Playhouse and has starred in many roles there and at other theaters.

Feb.16: The Second Line Jazz Band has performed in concerts sponsored by the Austin Traditional Jazz Society and many festivals. Their leader, trombone player and vocalist Scott Bailey, lives in Georgetown. The band’s name comes from the quintessential New Orleans art form, said to be like having a jazz funeral without a body. This group personifies the spirit of Mardi Gras.

Feb.23: Red Young, piano, Silvie Rider, vocals, and a bass player will wrap up the series with their cabaret act. Young has toured Europe and Canada with Eric Burdon and recorded with Marcia Ball and other artists. Silvie, a native of Switzerland, performed all over Europe until she married Young in 2006 and moved to Austin.

The competition for table design at the Seton High Tea is always a highlight of the annual fundraiser.

The popular Seton Tea will take place at 12:30 p.m. Jan. 28 at The Hills Country Club.

Make reservations now for this delightful event. Local organizations, businesses and individuals design and decorate the tables.
The tables showcase the most exquisite table-settings designed around a theme.
In order to attend this event individual tickets are available for $30 per person which includes a delicious traditional English High Tea.
Mail reservation checks to Barbara Beebe at 712 Vanguard, Lakeway, 78734.
Those who are interested in designing a table of 10 for the competition may contact Barbara Beebe at 261-1711. For information, call  Nancy Clayton at 267-7759.
All proceeds from the event benefit Seton Shoal Creek Psychiatric Hospital in Austin, the only acute care psychiatric hospital in Central Texas that treats children, teens and adults.  The hospital offers both in-patient and outpatient programs for people struggling with mental disorders, chemical dependency, detoxification, emotional and/or behavioral problems.
For membership information about organization, call Beth Maher at 261-8059.

Special to the View

The Women’s Club of Greater Lakeway meeting and luncheon will take place Jan. 23 in the Rio Grande Ballroom of the Lakeway Resort and Spa. Coffee will be served at 9:30 a.m. with the meeting beginning at 10 a.m.

Guest speaker Keija Parssinen was born in Saudi Arabia where she lived 12 years as a third generation expatriate. After graduating from Lake Travis High School in 1999, she earned a degree in English literature from Princeton University. She received her master of fine arts from Iowa Writers’ Workshop, where she held a Truman Capote fellowship and a Teaching and Writing fellowship. For The Ruins of Us, her first novel, she received a Michener-Copernicus award. She lives with her husband in Columbia, Mo.

Parssinen tells the story of a Saudi billionaire and the turmoil and heartbreak that rocks his family after his American wife discovers he has taken a second bride and his son begins an ominous journey toward radicalism. Set in the oil-rich Eastern Province amid an unprecedented wave of terrorist violence, and exploring the loneliness of expatriatism and the immeasurable dangers of intolerance, The Ruins of Us is a timely story about the universality of family and the injustices we endure for love.

The meeting is free and open to all greater Lakeway residents.

To make luncheon reservations or to get information about the meeting, call Karen Morter 261-4489 or Linda Goodwin 263-1274 or go to www.lakewaywomensclub.com.