oakhillgazette.com
July 10, 2014 Volume 19, No. 14 Southwest Austin’s Community Newspaper Since 1995
Public rallies to support zoo Boo hoo at the zoo after $25k theft and ransacking by Ann Fowler CEDAR VALLEY - What type of animals would steal from an animal sanctuary? Certainly not the four-legged kind. The Austin Zoo is offering $5,000 to find out. On the night of July 3, burglars stole cash, two laptops, an ATM, a safe, and equipment used to monitor and care for zoo animals, including a tranquilizer gun. And then there’s the damage. Patti Clark, the Zoo’s director, told the Gazette, “The burglars pried open file cabinets in our offices and smashed one of our Admissions cash registers. They damaged gates and doors to gain access to the property and Gift Shop.” Fortunately, all of the animals are
Council rejects condo project by Bobbie Jean Sawyer
To help go to : www.gofundme.com/ b28mq8 or www.austinzoo.org.
fine as the burglary was confined to the Gift Shop/Admissions building, although a trio of rescued felines that live in the building were “clearly quite scared,” according to Clark. Austin Zoo and Animal Sanctu-
ary is a private, non-profit zoo, that is home to more than 350 animals representing a hundred different species. The Zoo’s mission is “to assist animals in need See PUBLIC on back page
AUSTIN - The Austin City Council has rejected a proposal to build 76 condominiums on a 17-acre parcel of land between the Oak Park and Oak Acres neighborhoods in Oak Hill. The property, located at 5816 Harper Park Drive—off Hwy. 290 West near the Old Fredricksburg Road overpass—is owned by the Whitfield Company, an Austin-based commercial real estate company. In a 3-4 vote at the June 26 meeting, the City Council voted down the deal after questions were raised over the property’s environmental impact on the environmentally sensitive Edwards Aquifer region. Opponents of the development said the project See COUNCIL on page 18
A new sign reflects a change of plans for this 17-acre tract.
Commuters unhappy with Cap Metro moves by Ann Fowler
A trio of bear cubs, recently rescued, is a star attraction for visitors at the Austin Zoo. - photo: Austin Zoo
OAK HILL - For many local commuters, it’s a given that Oak Hill needs reliable bus service. With increasing congestion at the ‘Y,’ every rider on the bus means one less car on the road. But a dramatic increase in fares combined with decreasing service to local neighborhoods has driven some former riders back into their cars. A new route, South Mopac Flyer, Route 111, has turned many Circle C commuters into bus riders. Riders on previously existing routes are disappointed that Capital Metro does not help grow ridership by
marketing to existing routes. Last year, a 31-day bus pass on the Flyers cost $30. Capital Metro decided to change the buses from “local” to “premium” with a significant increase for the monthly fare: to $49.50. It will go up another $12.50 a month next year. See COMMUTERS on page 18