From Weekend Playground to Retirement Destination, Gun Barrel City, Texas, Offers Something for Everyone

Gun Barrel City, Texas (PRWEB) May 27, 2011

Memorial Weekend kicks off the season in Gun Barrel City, Texas, a fast-growing community that thrives on the summer months when thousands visit Cedar Creek Lake. The town is located just 50 miles south and east of Dallas, but Gun Barrel City offers a relaxed, country pace that appeals to visitors, permanent residents, and city weekenders alike.

With a name as distinctive as its lakefront lifestyle, Gun Barrel City has a lot going for it, including steady growth. The population increased more than 20 percent between the 2000 and 2010 Census, with current population figures at more than 6,500 residents. Over weekends in the summer, that population swells to as much as ten times that number around the lake, as "the weekenders" descend upon their lake homes.

To keep up with community needs, the city has adopted a pro-business attitude. Gun Barrel City is one of just a handful of towns in Texas without ad valorem taxes. The city also has an Economic Development Corporation that offers incentives to businesses interested in locating in the community.

We are actively pursuing retail businesses, restaurants, entertainment venues, and of course agriculture or light manufacturing that bring jobs and services, says Steve Webster, president of the EDC.

Currently the city is working on anchor tenants for its Heritage Cove development, which already includes a new La Quinta Inn, an 8-screen movie theatre, the popular Lake Jackson Seafood Restaurant, a retail strip, and plans for a Riverwalk-style pedestrian shopping and entertainment complex. Land grants, loans, loan guarantees and other incentives are available and are helping position Gun Barrel City as a place to do business.

According to Webster, the population growth in Gun Barrel City is fueled by two trends: families in search of small towns and exceptional schools, and a growing retirement population drawn to the lake and its affordable lifestyle. The combination of new residents and the large weekend population has created a vibrant local economy.

The Lifestyle

Cedar Creek Lake is one of the largest lakes in Texas, and one of only a few that allow property owners to have docks. With more than 350 miles of shoreline, the lake has plenty of lakefront property. Most Gun Barrel City neighborhoods offer lakefront homes, ranging from tiny cabins to million dollar estates.

Theres plenty of room on Cedar Creek Lake for fishing, sailing, water skiing, Personal Water Craft, or cruising on a party barge.

On July 2, the city hosts JulyFest, a festival featuring a line up of popular bands and a fireworks display in the city park. Fireworks can be viewed from anywhere on the lake, as hundreds of private docks become launch pads for impressive fireworks displays.

The July 4th celebrations around Cedar Creek Lake also include an over water Air Show that features vintage and high tech military aircraft that thrill hundreds of boaters who gather on the water to watch the aeronautic acrobatics.

Permanent Visitors

In 2009, Gun Barrel City was awarded the Go Texan Certified Retirement Community designation from the state of Texas, a distinction that has attracted retirees from around the nation who want an affordable lakefront retirement in a moderate climate near excellent medical care.

There really is something for everyone in Gun Barrel City. The lake is a huge draw, and real estate on the lake is affordable. Retirees often start out as weekenders. Before they know it, they move here full time, says Larry Spiegel, a Dallas advertising executive who himself started visiting the lake on weekends before moving to Gun Barrel City full time in 2005.

The close proximity to Dallas means Gun Barrel City is commuting distance, and the area also is popular for telecommuters and professionals who work from home.

If you can live anywhere in the world and do your work, this is a great place to be, Spiegel says.

For more information on Gun Barrel City, visit http://www.gbcedc.com or http://www.gunbarrelcity.net.

About Gun Barrel City, Texas

Gun Barrel City, Texas, offers Something for Everyone. Situated in rural Henderson County, about 50 miles from Dallas, the community offers small town hospitality and plenty of recreation. Fishing and water sports are top draws to Gun Barrel City, which is the commercial center of Cedar Creek Lake, one of the largest man-made reservoirs in Texas. During the summer months, Gun Barrel City enjoys a resort-like atmosphere with thousands of visitors, tourists, and weekend or summer residents increasing the population in the community. Gun Barrel City is a Go Texan Certified Retirement Community that is actively seeking new businesses, retail establishments, restaurants, and entertainment venues to meet the needs of its growing population. For more information, contact the Gun Barrel City Economic Development Corporation at 877-243-7896, or visit http://www.gbcedc.com or http://www.gunbarrelcity.net.

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Texas Bridge Designer/Builder Announces New Online Initiative

Dallas, TX (PRWEB) November 06, 2011

Lone Star Bridges, a leader in bridge design and installation in Texas has announced an initiative to make its services and information easier to find online.

"We have built a fully optimized website that offers a great deal of practical information on bridge design for people who are trying to find it online," says company owner Michelle Spittler. "As authorities in the bridge building business for more than 20 years, we have an expertise that most people do not have ready access to. We can now make it easier for people to find our specialized service through search engines like Google."

Lone Star Bridges website is a collaboration between its industry experts and web professionals who understand how search engines like Google and Yahoo rank and place search results.

"Online information is very scattered. Our aim is to provide useful to our market, which ranges from individuals to utilities and construction related industries," says Spittler. "By putting top quality information and content on our site in a very strategic way, our Internet presence ranks at the top of Google's search results so people can find us first when they are searching anything bridge related in Texas."

The type of content Spittler mentions is informational and educational in nature, and Google and other search engines favor it over other types of web pages that are geared towards advertising and self-promotion. Many businesses focus their entire website on selling their products and services, and do very little to help educate end users with practical, useful information. Businesses that go a step further and take the time and energy to build an optimized website have a much more visible presence online.

"Our site is much different than every other bridge-related website on the Internet," Spittler says. "We have put together a very useful resource articles, information and blogs for people who are looking for information, doing research, or educating themselves about bridge design, fabrication and installation. If people search Google, they'll be able to find us because of this, and they'll see that we know what we're talking about when it comes to the bridge building industry. Educating our clients has always been a top priority here at Lone Star Bridges, so we are very excited to have launched this Website."

Lone Star Bridges fabricates steel bridges of any size and for any purpose, including temporary and rental structures, throughout Texas.

For media information call Michelle Spittler at 979-242-3350.

http://www.lonestarbridges.com

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Distinguished University of Texas at Austin CPA Review Professor Allen Bizzell Explains Changes to the 2011 CPA Exam

Sedona, AZ (Vocus) July 27, 2010

CPAexcel, a global provider of exceptional CPA Exam study materials, is very pleased to announce the release of this informative high definition video by Dr. Allen Bizzell.

Dr. Bizzell, CPA, is the Associate Dean Emeritus of the esteemed University of Texas at Austin, College of Business. Dr. Bizzell, who taught accounting at UT for many years, shares his in-depth knowledge of how the largest section of the CPA Exam will expand in 2011.

The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) authors and scores the CPA Exam. In 2004, the AICPA completed the last major overhaul of the exam, changing it from being given via paper and pencil to delivery on a computer. In January 2011, the changes planned are even more massive:

Texas Oncology Encourages Healthier Living this Holiday Season, Provides Tips and Recipes

Dallas, Texas (PRWEB) November 08, 2011

With eggnog, sugar cookies, and cheese balls among the most popular dishes served at holiday parties, its no wonder the season causes even the biggest health nuts and strictest dieters to stray from their nutritious paths. A healthy lifestyle is an important weapon in the fight against disease, so this holiday season Texas Oncology encourages people to make small changes that could result in big health payoffs. To make it easy, Texas Oncology introduces its Healthy Holiday Recipe Collection, with this years featured Merry Mulling Mix recipe, and shares tips to promote healthier eating and exercise during the holidays.

According to a recent report by the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF), healthier lifestyles and better diets could prevent up to 2.8 million cases of cancer each year. The number of cancers around the world has increased by 20 percent in less than a decade to around 12 million new cases a year. WCRF named cancer, along with other chronic diseases like heart and lung disease and diabetes, among the worlds biggest health challenges.

Adopting a healthy lifestyle with a well-balanced diet full of nutrients is important for overall well-being and critical to preventing and fighting cancer, said Dr. Lalan Wilfong, medical oncologist at Texas Oncology. This season, give the gift of health to yourself and others by making better choices and simple adjustments to your regular holiday routine that can help reduce the risk of disease later in life.

Small Changes, Big Health Pay-Offs

The American Cancer Society estimates that nearly a third of cancer deaths could be prevented by improving nutrition, limiting alcohol intake, participating in more physical activity, and quitting smoking.

When planning holiday gatherings and creating new traditions, here are some tips to help you stay on track while still spreading holiday cheer: