Friday, April 17, 1998

Not a bad place to live

By Doug Williamson / Abilene Reporter-News

Abilene is an easy place to live. It has a good climate, good people and a good cost of living.

In fact, in the fourth quarter of 1997 it cost 6.6 percent less to live here than in the average American city.

The quarterly American Chamber of Commerce Research Association nationwide survey found Abilene to be one of the least expensive places to live in the state.

The survey compares prices of items and services in six categories. They are:

-- Groceries, 13.9 percent under the national average.

-- Housing, 12 percent below the average city.

-- Miscellaneous goods and services, 4.8 percent below.

-- Transportation, 5.2 percent more than the national average.

-- Utilities, 0.5 percent more than the average.

-- Health care, 0.3 percent more than the average.

In Texas, Weatherford was least expensive overall at 11.9 percent below the national average and Austin was most expensive, only 0.4 percent under the average.

The most expensive category in the state was utilities in Waco at 13.5 percent above the national average.

Downtown restaurant under new ownership

McLemore-Bass Old Fashioned Soda Fountain, Bakery and Gifts has been sold.

The new owners are Marty and Iris Aguero.

Marty Aguero said the couple will be expanding the restaurant's hours to include breakfast and dinner. The new hours are 7 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Friday and from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday.

The current menu is temporary and will be changing.

He said the downtown icon "was going to close down, but we think we can make a go of it."

In other business news...

Midland Red Oak Realty of Midland, owner of Abilene's River Oaks Shopping Center, has purchased a 10-story brick office building in downtown Tulsa. It is Red Oak's third commercial property acquisition in Tulsa in the last three years. The building, Reunion Center, is a historic structure with more than 89,000 square feet of leaseable space.

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We want your business news. E-mail it to williamsond@abinews.com. Fax it to Reporter-News Business News Department, (915) 670-5242. Mail it to Reporter-News Business News Department, P.O. Box 30, Abilene 79604.