Mayor Lee Leffingwell delivered a proclamation declaring Sept. 1 to be “Destination Dignity Day” in Austin to celebrate civil rights for people with disabilities and advocate for the elimination of the “R-word” from vocabularies.

Capital Metro staff started testing Sept. 2 to figure out how feasible it will be to add midday and evening service to the 32-mile commuter line that connects Leander to downtown Austin.

The Austin Chamber of Commerce awareded 24 Austin-area businesses during the chamber's 10th Annual Greater Austin Business Awards at the Hilton Austin Hotel Sept. 1. More than 300 businesses were nominated in six categories. The awards were founded in 2001 and have grown each year. Award categories included innovation, customer service, community service, education, environment and take on traffic. Each category recognized winners in small, medium, large business sizes and nonprofit.

City officials, project managers and health care industry representatives gathered Sept. 1 for the ground breaking of North Central Health Center of Central Health, 1210 W. Braker Lane.

Officials from Samsung Austin Semiconductor announced Sept. 1 the company would donate $1 million to the United Way Capital Area's Success By 6 program. The donation was made to celebrate the company's recent announcement of a $3.6 billion expansion to its 12-inch semiconductor fabrication plant in Northeast Austin.

Austin Pets Alive (APA), a local nonprofit dedicated to making Austin a no-kill city, now has its first Adoption and Resource Center at 2805 Manchaca Road allowing for an increase in adoptions as well as improved resources for animal care.

North Central Health Center of Central Health, which is planned to open in fall of 2011, is hosting a groundbreaking ceremony Wednesday, Sept. 1 at 10:00 a.m. at 1210 W. Braker Lane.

City officials convened at City Hall Aug. 30, in front of a backdrop of bustling traffic on Cesar Chavez Street, to announce the formation of the "Get Austin Moving" political action committee, a group whose goal is to support a transportation bond going to vote Nov. 2.

Residential property listings in the Austin area

Real estate market data for the Northwest Austin Multiple Listing Service Area

Shopping, including grocery stores and upscale centers The Domain and The Arboretum, are located nearby. Residents can join the Westover Hills recreation club, and Bull Creek Park is a short drive away.

With a variety of housing options, Gracywoods is located near Austin Community College’s Northridge campus, Walnut Creek Metropolitan park and The Domain.

Information about the Pflugerville Independent School District 2010

Pflugerville ISD board members responded to concerns about the district’s new employee compensation plan July 22, admitting they did not explain the issue to teachers before reaching a decision.

Pflugerville ISD will implement a new system this fall aimed at improving student performance and helping to keep quality teachers in the classroom.

Chinatown Center, which opened in 2007, is an Asian commercial center in Northwest Austin, with nearly 30 establishments operating on 20 acres.

A trip to Marble Falls offers an easy getaway into the Texas Hill Country with a variety of activities for couples and families alike.

For more than 120 years, a tiny post office in what is now North Austin has been connecting area residents and workers with packages, cards and letters sent from far away.

The Goodwill GoodGuides youth mentoring program matches at-risk teens with positive adult role models.

Texas’ House District 48 encompasses part of Travis County and spans from South Austin west to cover the communities of Jonestown, Lago Vista and Point Venture in western Travis County.

Whether it is a place to chat with coworkers or wind down with the family after a Little League game, Moonie’s Burger House works to offer quality burgers and an atmosphere that makes guests want to stay awhile.

Star of Morocco features a wide variety of lanterns, chests, buffets, tables and other décor shipped in monthly from Morocco—all of the items are made by artisans in Morocco and can take weeks to months to complete.

Leticia Smith authors, publishes and distributes a curriculum that teaches elementary school students Spanish in schools as far away as China and New Zealand. Many schools in the Austin, Leander, Pflugerville and Round Rock independent school districts also provide the program.

New businesses, volunteer opportunities and local happenings in Northwest Austin

The quick trip into the office was nice for the past three months, but now it is time to get back to interacting with all my friendly fellow commuters.

Northwest Austin is an economic hub that encourages minority-owned businesses perhaps more so than any other area of Greater Austin because of its proximity to The University of Texas, development in Round Rock and Cedar Park, a blend of affordable and upscale housing and a diverse and growing workforce.

A $90 million transportation bond, composed of near-term pedestrian, bicycle and road improvement projects, was approved Aug. 5 for public vote this November by City Council. More than half of the bond projects are addressing road infrastructure with a goal of immediate congestion relief.

Channel Austin’s productions may cease if the studio loses its contract with the City of Austin to other management.

The Texas State Library and Archives Commission was awarded an $8 million federal grant to increase computer access in libraries and will match the grant with an additional $3.7 million to enhance learning and job opportunities for Texans.

Austin civic groups and nonprofits can use a solar trailer free of charge to help power events provided by Austin Energy's solar team. The 1,000-watt trailer system can help power a sound stage, lighting systems and small appliances, and is more environmentally friendly than gas-powered generators.

Texas residents along the I-35 corridor will soon have a forum through which they can air their grievances with the congested highway with the beginning of several fall public workshops that will develop a blueprint for improving the corridor.

Public transportation riders will soon be able to connect with more shopping and work destinations in Northwest Austin after a series of changes, including a new bus line, take effect in late August.

Greater Austin Hispanic Chamber of Commerce leaders are considering a move of the chamber’s headquarters located near St. Edwards University in South Austin.

The Texas Department of Transportation is seeking public input on a draft of the Texas Rail Plan.

First-time homebuyers who want to share their story can try out for a chance to appear on HGTV’s “My First Place," set to air sometime in 2011.

The Austin Toros will move to the Cedar Park Center for the 2010-2011 season, team officials announced Monday.

During his first appearance in Austin as the President of the United States, Barack Obama displayed the hook ‘em horns to a crowd of nearly 3,000 people roaring and waving in response at the University of Texas.

When students from Pillow Elementary School visited City Hall during a field trip earlier this year, one student was inspired to write a letter to Austin Mayor Lee Leffingwell to ask for more children’s DVDs in the library. The mayor sent a response promising to organize a DVD donation drive.

The Austin City Council approved the 2010 transportation bond unanimously Aug. 5 totaling $90 million in costs to be voted on by the public this November.

Goodwill Industries of Central Texas representatives plan to help Austin-area singers who think they have what it takes to win “American Idol” earn a spot for a try out on the national television show.

Austin City Council approved on July 29 funding for the construction of a new recreation center that will be built on land the city owns on West Rundberg Lane.

The House of Torment, one of Austin's biggest Halloween traditions, is looking for zombies, monsters, werewolves and other terrifying characters for this year's haunted house crew.

The acclaimed human anatomy exhibit, Our Body: The Universe Within, has come to Austin. The educational and artistic displays show the human interior from every conceivable angle. The exhibit tours all of the major systems in the body including the muscular, skeletal, cardiovascular and nervous systems. The MicroWorld display also gives viewers a look at healthy and diseased tissue in various organs, skin and cells using extreme magnification.

The Texas Education Agency released statewide school rankings July 30 with 32 of the 122 Austin district schools, including charter schools, receiving a ranking of exemplary.

When Channy Soeur, president of the Network of Asian American Organizations, moved to Austin in 1977, there were only two restaurants that offered Asian cuisine.

Representatives from Austin Water Utility and the City of Austin were on hand July 27 at River Place Country Club to meet with the public about plans to build a water treatment plant and bore a water mainline tunnel through Northwest Austin.

The City of Austin has released its proposed $2.8 billion fiscal year 2011 budget that includes no layoffs for city staff, but does include a proposed property tax rate hike and raises for civilian and public safety city employees.

Formula One race promoter Tavo Hellmund announced July 27 that the Wandering Creek area in Del Valle has been proposed as the site of the United States' first purpose-built F1 racing track since the 1970s.

Travis County Commissioners heard a briefing on the county's preliminary Fiscal Year 2011 budget July 27 and set the schedule for adopting the budget, which will include two public hearings in September.

The Capital Metro Board of Directors approved the hiring of Linda Watson as the agency’s new Chief Executive Officer on July 26. Watson will start work at the transportation agency Aug. 16.