CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: With the family: my son, Scott; my wife, Meredith; and my daughter, Helene; with Jim Ritts at the new Polo Ralph Lauren store at The Domain; Celebrating at the launch
party with the Austin Way team—Catherine Kuchar, Kathy Blackwell, Jane Kellogg Murray, Rebecca James, and Jackie Van Meter.
The Austin Way launch party is history, and it was a great celebration. Thank you to everyone who made it such a success, beginning with host Lisa Fletcher, one of the owners and the director
of the legendary Arlyn Studios. There are so many famous musicians who have recorded there—Arlyn was the perfect place for the launch party. We could not have had a better, more
appropriate venue.
We had fantastic local music by The Happen-Ins, Paul Cauthen, and Texas legend Bobby Patterson. Sway and La Condesa served delicious food, liquor was from Milagro Tequila, and wine was
provided by Glazer’s. And a big thanks to Keith Purcell at the AT&T Executive Education & Conference Center for being so accommodating to our out-of-town guests at his beautiful
hotel on the UT campus.
The highlight of the evening was our cover star and Austinite, actor Ethan Hawke. Friendly and enthusiastic about Austin Way, he even spent time with my son discussing fantasy football.
Thank you to our event sponsors: BMW of Austin, Broadway Bank, and Zoltan David. They all helped make it a wonderful evening.
And a special thank you to the team at Cultivate Public Relations: Sam Davidson, Amanda Sprague, Meghan Athnos, Lindsey LeRoy, and Caroline Ittner Pinkston. The launch party for Austin Way
was an important event to everyone at Niche Media; Cultivate stepped up big time and delivered an amazing event.
CNN just reported that more Americans have moved to Texas in recent years than any other state, and Austin has been the fastest-growing major city. CNN claims: “It takes two things to
draw people inland in big numbers: jobs and housing affordability.” Maybe that’s true, but I don’t think the city would attract as many newcomers if the people were not so
welcoming and accommodating. Yes, affordable housing and jobs play a big role, but the best thing about Austin is the people.
LOU DELONE
PHOTOGRAPHY BY RICK KERN (TEAM, FAMILY); ERIKA RICH (RITTS)