South Austin Rec Center A $430,000 South Austin Recreation Center will be opened to the public Saturday morning. The center the city's newest recreation facility is located at 1100 Cumberland Road. It features a game room, a large meeting room, crafts and club rooms, a kitchen and a full-sized gym with stage and a lighted double tennis court. Construction of the center was approved by the city council in January, 1973 and was funded through Capital Improvements Program monies. Further developments at the center, scheduled for . completion later this year, include a lighted Softball field, a playslab and playscape, picnic facilities and landscaping. Saturday 's opening activities will include a City League basketball championship playoff and registration for spring programs which begin Monday. The programs include pre-school classes, arts, crafts, dance, music, ' Center To Serve Region Figuratively closing their eyes and crossing their fingets, board members of the local Mental Health and Mental Retardation Center Friday took the first plunge into providing services for a Central Texas 10-county region. Austin-Travis County MH-MR Center official Dave Williams told the board 10 days ago the state department of MH-MR told him the center has until FYiday to declare its intention to provide services for the Capital Area Planning Council region or face the loss of a grant of $150,000 to $180,000 for planning delivery of the services. Williams said he had been told Friday that the state legislature will require the center by law to provide the services by 1976 anyway, and that the center might as well he in on the planning stage. Board member Bill Anderson said the CAPCO counties (which haven't been informed about the plan to extend services) might not be receptive, particularly since they have to share in the costs. Dr. Ira Iscoe, board member and University of Texas professor, sided with Anderson on that point. "We might be seen as the 'fiends from Austin' when we move into the f iefdoms of some of the local county judges," he said. Anderson objected to the short notice given the board and the tumbling, team and individual sports, camping and nature, children's creative dramatics, exercise Opening Today groups for men and women and an organized senior citizens program. Hours of operation are lack of a choice in the matter. "'We've been bulldozed into too many situations like this in the past," lie complained. Taking another tack, Anderson said he has "a teal hangup about expansion wlien the local organization is in financial straits." Last fall, the center cut back services and personnel by 15 per cent when federal gi ants failed to be renewed. Last month, Travis County Commissioners Court approved a-j $13,000 appropriation for the center, but the appropriation feinf$12,00O short of the amount sought. f Williams countered Anderson's arguments, saying tcgood points of the plan outnumbered the bad. ! He added that the declaration of intention would be subject to signed agreements from the nine surrounding county judgf s. The CAPCO i-egion includes, besides Travis County. Burnet, Llano, Blanco, Hays, Williamson, Lee, Bastrop, Fayette and Caldwell counties. Iscoe made a motion to make the declaration of intent; with the provision that funds be made aVaiiable by the st.ite to make the study for expansion of services and that a full commitment would not be required until May 1. The motion passed, with Anderson voting against it. from 9 a.m. to naon and 3 to 10 p.m. on weekdays; 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturdays and 1 to 6 p.m. Sundays. I li,