Happy Holidays! Back on Jan. 10th
oakhillgazette.com
December 20, 2012 Volume 17, No. 51 Southwest Austin’s Community Newspaper Since 1995
Bowie arts facilities in dire need of repair by Bobbie Jean Sawyer
OAK HILL - Bowie theater and music arts directors recently presented their case to AISD officials concerning the overused and rundown state of their arts facilities, and the need for renovations. About 50 people attended a Dec. 6 community meeting at Bowie High School on fine arts facility recom-
mendations within the Austin Independent School District (AISD). Bowie High School—along with Bailey Middle School, Kealing Middle School, Murchison Middle School, Lamar Middle School and the Ann Richards School for Young Women Leaders—was named as a first priority school for potential facility renovations.
Potential facility recommendations will be referred to the Citizens Bond Advisory Committee for possible inclusion in the next bond program. Greg Goodman, director of fine arts for AISD, addressed attendees on the Kennedy Center audit of fine arts program in AISD schools, which examined equity among facilities, program demand and past
bond relief. Goodman said AISD has spent the past five years identifying shortcomings in the district’s fine art programs, hiring outside consultant Schuler Shook to inspect high school theaters and surveying fine arts facilities in 10 school districts around the state. Goodman said he identified the
district’s fine arts needs to total around $93 million but approached the Citizens Bond Advisory Committee requesting approximately $31 million. “We based our priority on where student capacity far exceeds the facility capacity for student enrollment; where we have programs that are just so large that their space is unable to accommodate them,” See BOWIE on page 26
Neighbors hit by sales scammers Going door to door for holidays by Tony Tucci
Ballet instructor Ms. Cinnamon Barton of Premiere Dance Center, choreographed Brooke Ahart’s Sugar Plum Fairy dance (above) for the annual Patton Elementary school 4th grade production of the Nutcracker. More on page 7. - photo submitted
OAK HILL - Knock, knock. Who’s there? It’s no joke though when the person knocking at your door is trying to get your money by telling a story that your donation will help pay her college tuition while buying books for patients at Dell Children’s Hospital. It sounds too good to be true, and that’s exactly what Louise Joy thought as she listened to the young woman who showed up on her doorstep in the Granada Hills neighborhood on a recent Saturday afternoon. “I told her I wanted some time to think about it and asked her to stop back later,” Joy said. The minute the woman left, Joy got on the computer. The young saleswoman had shown Joy some checks she said were written by neighborhood residents See NEIGHBORS on page 19