Round Rock / Pflugerville Impacts — August 2008

Round Rock / Pflugerville Impacts — August 2008

Friday, 01 August 2008

ROUND ROCK

1. WilCo Democrats

The Williamson County Democratic Party opened the doors of its new campaign headquarters last month. The office, located at 110 S. IH 35, is for local candidates Diana Maldonado, Jaime Lynn, Brian Ruiz, Mike Grimes and Gregory Windham. Call 413-6953 or visit www.williamsoncountydemocrats.org.

2. Healthy food, family fun

Fruit smoothies and family fun come together at Jungle Java, 1400 E. Old Settlers Blvd. The restaurant is the franchise’s first location outside Michigan and features an indoor play space for children. Offering healthy food options, Jungle Java’s menu features espresso, wraps and more. Call 494-4258 or visit www.junglejavaplay.com.

A great place to live

Round Rock is one of the top 10 places to live, according to Money magazine. It was ranked seven out of 100 cities across the country. The magazine lists minor league baseball team Round Rock Express, Dell, Inc., shopping and 800 acres of open space as reasons for the city’s inclusion in the top 10. Round Rock previously made the magazine’s annual list in 2006 with a ranking of 48. The list is available online at www.cnnmoney.com/bestplaces and in the August issue of Money magazine.

3. B-I-N-G-O

Free bingo daubers, food and door prizes will be given away Aug. 29-31 during the grand opening festivities at Round Rock Bingo, 15501 RM 620, formerly the Round Rock Roller Rink. The bingo hall will open earlier that week, on Aug. 25. Play times will be Monday through Saturday at 7 and 8:45 p.m., and Sunday at 2, 3:30 and 5 p.m. For more information, call 244-0961.

4. Star dancers

The Round Rock Star Dancers will hold a dance team fundraiser to help them offset the cost of their annual competition. Kindergarten through ninth grade girls can register to attend the one-day camp that begins at 6 p.m. Sept. 12 at First Baptist Church, 306 Round Rock Ave. Participating girls will learn dance routines and perform for their parents at the end of the evening. The cost is $30. For more information or to make a donation, call 844-0669 or e-mail rrstardancers@gmail.com.

5. Texas chicken

Chicken Express is scheduled to open this month at 3220 E. Palm Valley Blvd., near the Old Settlers Association and Dell Diamond. The menu includes fried chicken and fish, hot wings, biscuits, sweet tea and frozen custard. Visit www.chickene.com.

6. Clear vision

A full-service practice for medical and surgical ophthalmology, Clarity Eye Center is scheduled to open later this month. Servicing needs from contacts to cataracts, the office is located on the first floor of Seton Medical Center, 301 Seton Parkway, Ste. 100. Call 244-7200 or visit www.clarityeye.net.

7. 30-minute workouts

Under new management, the two Curves in Round Rock have recently undergone several renovations. The 2051 Gattis School Road, Ste. 200 location was remodeled this summer, and the Curves at 1208 E. Palm Valley Blvd. will be updated in August. Curves offers 30-minute cardiovascular and strength training workouts for women. Call 341-7676 or visit www.curvesroundrock.com.

8. Hands for housekeeping

MoreHands Maid Service recently opened its first location in Round Rock at 2051 Gattis School Road, Ste. 600. In business for eight years, the Austin-based housekeeping company cleans bathrooms, bedrooms, kitchens and more. Estimates are available online. Call 479-7978 or visit www.morehands.com.

9. New sports bar

Austin’s Third Base family-oriented sports bar will open in early August. Located in front of Target at 3107 S. IH 35, Ste. 810, the restaurant will feature a full-service kitchen open from 11 a.m. to midnight seven days a week and serve Philly cheesesteak rolls, spicy wings and cold drink specials. It is the second location; the other is on West Sixth Street in Austin. Call 388-BASE or visit www.thirdbaseaustin.com.

Brushy Creek Regional Trail

Williamson County began the third phase of the regional trail to connect Round Rock to Cedar Park. The 2.7-mile trail is scheduled for completion in 2009 and will cost approximately $1.8 million. The 10-foot wide trail has five pedestrian bridges and is constructed of concrete, unlike the other portions of the regional trail that stagger concrete with sections of gravel. Call 943-1100 or visit www.wilco.org.

10. Nursing Home

Park Valley Inn Health Center, 11751 Park Valley, is a new skilled nursing home that accepts Medicare, Medicaid, private pay, private insurance and some HMO insurance. The facility is taking reservations for short- and long-term care, and residents can begin moving in after state certification is achieved in mid- to late August. Call Sarah Boone to arrange a tour, 922-1813. Visit www.trisunhealthcare.com.

11. City council retreat

The Round Rock City Council will hold a two-day retreat Aug. 19-20 at the United Heritage Center, 3400 E. Palm Valley Blvd. The council has gathered public input and will be looking ahead at long-term plans for the community to create a vision for the city a century from now. The meetings are open to the public and will begin at 8:30 a.m. each day.

PFLUGERVILLE

12. Curbside Grill

Breakfast tacos, burgers, party trays and more are available at the Curbside Grill, 103 W. Pecan St., which opened for business last month in the old Pecan St. Station Deli & Grill location. Hours are 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday. Call 990-7176.

13. Good spirits

Pecan Liquor opened in June near Blue Marble Java at Pecan Plaza, 1912 W. Pecan St., Ste. 205. The locally owned liquor store sells wine, beer, liquor and more. Hours are 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Call 965-7243.

14. Nursing and rehabilitation

Construction began on the Pflugerville Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, a 120-bed nursing facility near the Central Texas Animal Hospital, 1200 Pecan St. It is expected to be complete in the spring of 2009. Call 1-800-850-2620 or visit www.rnct.com.

15. Seeing stars

Ireland’s Kingdom preschool recently earned a four-star accreditation from Texas Rising Star Provider, a certification process designed to improve the quality of childcare services in Texas based on several aspects including qualified staff, curriculum, parental involvement and outdoor environment. Ireland’s Kingdom is located downtown at 115 E. Main St. Call 670-2288.

16. Which Wich?

Sandwich shop Which Wich? is expected to open this month in the Pflugerville West shopping center near Tinseltown at 15424 FM 1825, Ste. 240. The Dallas-based restaurant is known for its unique ordering system in which customers mark their orders on sandwich bags with pre-printed menus. Visit www.whichwich.com.

Elected official of the year

Pflugerville Mayor Jeff Coleman was named Central Texas Elected Official of the Year by the American Planning Association, a nonprofit public interest and research organization. This is the second consecutive year that a Pflugerville official has been honored; former Mayor Catherine Callen was honored in 2007.

17. Storage needs?

Scheduled for a 2009 opening, Grand Avenue Parkway Mini Storage will provide space for everything from boats to boxes. Joe Berli, owner of Berli’s Body and Fine Auto Finishes, said the project is currently in the planning phase, but he is looking to see what clients would want from the storage facility. It will be located in the lot just west of Berli’s at 1489 Grand Avenue Parkway. Call 638-6075.