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Bella Loma distillery now open in Spicewood

Bella Loma, a local distillery owned by Brandy, Lalo and Maria Salmeron, opened its tasting room in Spicewood on Feb. 21.

On the menu: Bella Loma offers a tasting room for customers to enjoy house distilled agave spirits and mixed drinks including margaritas, Mexican martinis and specialty drinks. The distillery has a ranch in Mexico to grow and harvest agave, owner Maria Salmeron said in an email.

Blanco and reposado tequilas are available to purchase by the bottle at the tasting room. Anejo tequila, mezcal and whiskey will be available later in the year, Salmeron said.

The details: Snacks are available for purchase, but customers are also allowed to bring in outside food.

Dogs are welcome on-leash.

  • 12501 County Road 404, Spicewood
 
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Bee Cave City Council moves to cancel library contracts after bond rejection

Bee Cave City Council moved to cancel contracts with Hoar Construction and Lake Flato Architects for the proposed new Bee Cave Public Library construction at the April 14 meeting after residents voted against issuing bonds to fund the library last November.

The overview: Residents approved the new location for the library, but voted against funding it during the bond election in November.

The details: Bee Cave entered into a contract with Hoar Construction and Lake Flato Architects in 2023 for the planning and construction of the library.

"It's really sad that we had to get to this point," Mayor Kara King said at the April 14 meeting. "The community spoke ... and this gives us time to see how we want to proceed with our next steps."

In March, City Council staff met with the Capital Improvement Plan Subcommittee to discuss the status of city projects, including the library. The subcommittee decided to consider the revision of the Bee Cave Public Library’s space needs through “alternative methods.”
 

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Your Weekend To-Do List

Check out these weekend events across the metro area.

Encore for the Palace: A Benefit Concert

Austin Reggae Festival

April 17-18, 7:30 p.m.
Georgetown

April 17-19
Austin

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Earth Day & Arbor Day Celebration

Springfest

April 18, 9 a.m.-noon
New Braunfels

April 18, 11 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
Bastrop

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CI Texas
Texas education board moves forward with first mandatory K-12 reading list

The State Board of Education gave preliminary approval April 10 to roughly 200 literary works that all Texas public school students would be required to read beginning in 2030.

What happened: The SBOE trimmed about 100 titles from a list proposed by the Texas Education Agency, which board members and educators criticized as too long to be taught. The Republican-led board signed off on a revised list in a 9-5 party-line vote April 10.

The details: The draft list ranges from nursery rhymes and short stories in early grades to classical and 20th-century literature in high school. The list also includes about a dozen excerpts from the Bible. While students learn about world religions today, Texans testified that if the reading list is approved, it would be the first time in recent history that state leaders mandate religious readings in the classroom.  

Next steps: Board members are scheduled to take a final vote on the reading list in June. If approved, the list will be used in classrooms in the 2030-31 school year.

 

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