Nathaniel Sanders Case Settlement

On Thursday (Aug. 25) the Austin City Council approved an item to settle with the Nathaniel Sanders case for $750,000. The issue passed by a 5 to 2 vote with Mayor Leffingwell and Counciman Martinez voting no. I believe that this was the right decision and Mayor Protem Sheryl Cole and Council person Kathie Tovo should be commended to sponsoring the measure. What do you think?

Restoring Our Historic Mansion

                                        

                                           Governor Perry, Please Finish
                        Restoring Our Historic Mansion

Governor’s Mansion

before the fire (top) and

after the fire (bottom)

          has been under restoration since the June 8, 2008 fire

                                                                                                                                                                               

By T. L. Wyatt Editor

Last week, Governor Rick Perry made the announcement that we all knew that he would, that he is running for the President of the United States. It was interesting, however, that he would make such an announcement outside of the State of Texas. Most politicians want to have friends and supporters around when they take such a huge step.

It could be that the Governor did not want to open himself up to the Texas media, one on
the toughest groups in the country. He also did not want to answer the questions that linger
over the recent legislative secession. But, my question is a very simple one
"Governor Perry, when will you complete the repairs of the Governor’s Mansion?"

The Mansion was damaged by fire during the early morning hours of June 8, 2008.
The 152-year-old building was unoccupied at the time, because the Governor
and his wife Anita had temporarily moved out a year earlier so that a $10 million
renovation project could take place. At the time of the fire, they were in Europe
on an economic development trip.

Four years later, the building remains in disrepair. At the same time, the tax payers of Texas
are paying an exorbant amount ($10,000 per month plus expenses) to rent the
governor and his family with a resident that comes up to his standards.

One has to wonder, if the Governor cannot supervise the completion of this small project
to a successful conclusion, how can he be expected to deal with the
many problems facing our nation.

The fire is suspected to be the work of an arsonist, but no prospect has been officially charged. However, the investigation continues.

The Texas Governor’s Mansion is the oldest continually used executive residence
west of the Mississippi, according to the group Friends of the Governor’s Mansion,
which works to preserve and show the public the historic building. According to their
web site, the restoration should be complete by late Spring 2012.



                                                                                                         

ART EXIBIT

Sacred and Secular

A Dual Photo Exhibition By George E. Hardin

Presents art of East Austin Churches and

Memphis' Beale Street

Held @  The George Washington Carver

Museum and Clutural Center

August 11, 2011 -  October 15, 2011

   

Serena Williams resumes her winning ways in tennis

By: George Hardin

SportsBeat

Serena Williams

Serena Williams has made a brilliant comeback in winning the Bank of the West Classic in Stanford, Calif., Sunday. She had been sidelined for almost a year because of foot operations and blood clots in her lungs—events that put her career in jeopardy. It was her first title since she won the Wimbledon in 2010

Williams defeated three of the four semifinalists before surging past Marion Bartoli7-5, 6-1 at Stanford University. It was revenge of a sort because Bartoli beat Williams, formerly ranked No. 1 in the world, at Wimbledon this year. A 13-time major champion, Williams moved past two breaks in the first set to claim her victory. She said she’s glad to be back in the game and hopes to move up to a single-digit number from her position now in the top 80, moving up from 169th because of her victory.

It was Williams’ best performance this year in the longest-running women only professional tennis tournament in the world. Now in its 41st year, the tournament is the first event leading up to the Olympus U.S. Open Series.

Venus Williams is one of the past champions of the Bank of the West Classic. Venus has been nursing a hip injury, which has kept her off the courts. The prospect of the sisters playing against each other in the WTA Tour event that begins Aug. 6 in Toronto is still likely. Venus is 31 and Serena is nearing her 30th birthday, Sept. 26.

Some experts are saying the sisters are nearing the end o their best playing days. But Venus told a reporter recently, "I feel like I’m a talented player and I have the experience, and that makes me more confident even when it seems I shouldn’t be as confident as everyone else in the field. People have realized how valuable it is to play into your late 20s and 30s. You really understand the game. And it’s just about staying fit and healthy."

The sisters’ standing shows once again the path their father chose was a wise one. Richard Williams became his young daughters’ main coach after tennis academies in Compton, Calif., were not willing to accept them. Williams was denounced by some coaches and columnists who said he was ignorant because he was not highly educated. But his teaching was not one-sided. He told his daughters, "Education is power, not chasing around some tennis ball."

His coaching techniques were ridiculed by those who said he should let experts teach them because he was hindering his daughters rather than helping them. He responded by rebuffing his critics in strong language and expressing indifference to the mainstream tennis world.

Williams also coached his neighbors’ children in Compton, but none of them reached the upper pinnacles of tennis like his daughters.