The In-the-Water Boat Show, one of the Austin Boat Show’s signature annual events, marks the traditional end of the boating season and the beginning of the boat-buying season for watercraft enthusiasts and dealers alike.

This year’s event will feature some of the top sailboats, sport and motor yachts, cruisers, runabouts, wakeboard boats and other performance boats ranging from 22 feet to 60 feet in length from Central Texas’ most acclaimed boat dealers.

Please visit www.austinboatshow.com for the Schedule of Activities.

Rough Hollow Yacht Club & Marina offers a wide spectrum of concierge and seasonal valet services designed to revolutionize and simplify the yachting experience. Following the model of presitious clubs across the country, amenities include an amphitheatre, resort-style pool, fitness center, yacht store and tram to the marina, with plans for a clubhouse, fine dining, day spa, coffee bar and deli and corporate offices.

The dynamic facility is among the top amenities of the Rough Hollow Lakeway community, developed by Haythem Dawlett of Legend Communities and Crescent Communities of Texas. The 270-acre development features six distinct neighborhoods offering an array of elegant garden home, villa and custom homes priced from the $350s to over $3 million. In addition to the Yacht Club & Marina, residents take advantage of numerous nearby recreational venues including championship golf, tennis, hiking and biking trails, and scuba diving.

Couples, and even friends, leaned towards one another when posing for photographs putting their heads together, so to speak.  What a fitting commentary for the major fundraiser of the Lake Travis Education Foundation, an event that not only put a lot of heads together but also a lot of dollars together for the benefit of the students, teachers and staff of the Lake Travis Independent School District.

Realistically, board members knew the prospect of raising the desperately needed funds at this year’s Crystal Ball would pose a tough challenge, as giving generally slows during an economic downturn. President Lisa Johnson noted that organizers worked doubly hard to reduce costs whenever possible. Donations from businesses and individuals were generous, as usual, and auctioneer Scott Swenson performed his typical magic, inciting several bidding wars over high dollar auction items.

The District faces enormous pressures as growth of the student body population continues its relentless pace, making the work of the Lake Travis Education Foundation indispensable to the welfare of the district.  $260,000 in grants and scholarships will be awarded in May of this year, bringing the total to over $1.75 million to date.  If you would like to put your head together with the volunteers who dedicate time and talent to the LTEF, visit www.LakeTravisEducationFoundation.org

Legend Communities, a full service developer of single-family residential, multi-family and associated commercial projects in Central Texas, as well as California and Colorado, recently announced it will contribute nearly $13,000 to fund and construct a sidewalk connecting Highlands Blvd. to the existing sidewalk near the school’s entrance on Trophy Drive.

Development of the approximately 2,100 sq. ft. of sidewalk will begin immediately with completion targeted for August 19, leaving time to spare before the beginning of school on August 25.

“It is our privilege to assist the Lake Travis ISD with this additional sidewalk development, both for the safety and convenience of students and their families on their way to and from this beautiful new school,” said Dawlett.

Named in January 2007 by the Lake Travis Independent School District Board of Trustees, Serene Hills Elementary is the fifth elementary school in the district. Allison Cobb will serve as principal for the new school, which is located at 3301 Serene Hills Dr.

The sidewalk development for Lake Travis ISD is one of several recent contributions by Legend Communities to the Lake Travis community. Earlier this year, Dawlett contributed over $25,000 to the Lake Travis High School athletic department for the purchase of new video equipment to be used by coaches and athletes, and last year the company contributed over $25,000 to Lake Travis High School toward the purchase of a ropes course.

About Legend Communities

Legend Communities, with headquarters in Austin, Texas, is a full service developer of single-family residential, multi-family and associated commercial projects in Central Texas, as well as California and Colorado. Haythem Dawlett and Tim Hendon, the company’s principals, bring decades of planning, construction, sales and marketing experience to diverse recreational, master planned residential and mixed use communities featuring lake and golf course amenities, as well as retail, office and multi-purpose commercial projects. Legend Communities and its affiliate company in California has earned recognition for its projects from a number of highly-regarded local and national industry associations including the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Urban Land Institute (ULI), National Association of Home Builders and the City of Austin Green Builder Program. The company is committed to the highest standards of quality construction, service and attention to detail in all endeavors, and places an emphasis on giving back to the communities where ­­it operates through business, civic and charitable contributions.

The Central Texas real estate industry and the Association were thrilled with the event’s attendance numbers, which totaled over 20,000 guests over the four-week event. And for the award winning line-up of builders at Rough Hollow, the showcase resulted in the sale of four of the six Parade homes at prices ranging from $2.5 to $3.2 million. The remaining two homes are currently in negotiations for purchase.

As a result, plans are in the works for the community to offer an encore performance as host of the fall 2009 Parade of HomesÔ, featuring five-star green built homes as rated by Austin Energy.

Rough Hollow, developed by Haythem Dawlett of The Dawlett Group and Crescent Communities of Texas, features six distinct neighborhoods – Enclave, The Villas, Waters Edge, East Rim, The Bluffs and The Overlook – spread over 270 acres, with elegant, spacious homes priced from the $400s to over $3 million. Lots will span from 60 feet to well over 100 feet, offering an array of garden home, villa and expansive custom home layouts designed by some of the top custom and semi-custom homebuilders in the industry.

One of most talked-out amenities in Rough Hollow is the Yacht Club & Marina, a waterfront retreat offering a wide spectrum of concierge and seasonal valet services designed to revolutionize and simplify the boating experience. Following the model of prestigious clubs across the country, planned amenities at the Yacht Club and Marina include a clubhouse, fine dining, resort-style pool, day spa, coffee bar and deli, yacht store, corporate offices and a tram to the marina.

Residents of Rough Hollow may also take advantage of an equally impressive line-up of recreational venues, including some of the region’s top public and private golf facilities in The Hills Country Club, Spanish Oaks, Falconhead and Flintrock Falls. Tennis enthusiasts will be minutes from the Lakeway World of Tennis, with its multitude of indoor and outdoor courts, as well as USTA sponsored league events. Other amenities include hiking and biking trails, horseback riding and scuba diving.

In terms of location, the community is perfectly situated for easy access to shopping and entertainment, with downtown Austin a mere 20 minutes away and close-by options including the Shops at the Galleria, Hill Country Galleria and Austin’s largest shopping center, Barton Creek Mall, just down the road. Adding to the allure of Rough Hollow is the community’s access to some of the finest schools in the state through the Lake Travis Independent School District.

Those interested in receiving a additional information on Rough Hollow, including setting up a personal tour or viewing floor plans and renderings may call 512-617-1776 or visit www.RoughHollow-Crescent.com. To reach Rough Hollow, from RR-620 turn west onto Lakeway Blvd. and continue for three miles. Turn left onto Highlands Blvd. and continue straight into Rough Hollow.

Haythem Dawlett says he has “fallen in love with this piece of property,” so Haythem intends to be sensitive as as possible to preserving its character and the ecosystem. That includes changing previous plans for a non-curvy road, choosing instead to curve it along with the Hill Country.

As a developer, Haythem Dawlett has placed a superior emphasis on giving back to the communities where they operate through business, civic and charitable contributions.
Dawlett is active in the Central Texas commonwealth, with an emphasis on supporting Lake Travis civic, business, education and sports initiatives. His endorsement has contributed to the rapid growth and improvement of facilities and programs involving the Lake Travis Education Foundation, Lake Travis Elementary and Lake Travis High School. Haythem Dawlett currently serves on the board of TexArts, and is involved with other non-profit charities including Any Baby Can, A World for Children and Green Santa.

The partnership’s local land manager, Haythem Dawlett, says plans for the land include:

• Neighborhood-scale retail.
• Roughly 2,000 homes priced at $300,000 to more than $1 million.
• A yacht club-style marina with the capacity for 274 vessels.
• A swimming park with waterfalls.
• Senior citizens’ housing.