If you’re interested in finding a new job, you’ll be happy to know the city of Austin’s annual Career Expo is a little less than two weeks away. The event takes place from 11 a.m to 4 p.m. on Wednesday, April 12, at the Palmer Events Center. It will feature numerous city departments with job openings, as well as private employers, state agencies, higher education and technical schools, temporary staffing agencies and many smaller businesses. Employers participating in the expo will be looking for many different skills, so don’t hesitate to show up – people from all backgrounds are welcome. In addition, job seekers face no cost to attend and can register at Austintexas.gov/CareerExpo. Last year, the city’s Career Expo attracted about 100 employers seeking to fill more than 4,000 jobs, according to the city.

The Austin Parks Foundation has released its 2023 schedule of free, outdoor summer movies. After a weather delay, Movies in the Park relaunches April 13 with a 7 p.m. screening of “Back to the Future” at Dick Nichols District Park. The schedule in its entirety is:

• “Back to the Future” @ Dick Nichols District Park: Thu., April 13, 7 p.m.
• “The Lego Batman Movie” @ Dove Springs District Park: Thu., April 27, 7 p.m.
• “Free Guy” @ Gus Garcia District Park: Thu., May 25, 7:30 p.m.
• “The Sandlot” @ Govalle District Park: Thu., June 29, 7 p.m.
• “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” @ TBA: Fri., Sept. 29, 7 p.m.
• “Hocus Pocus” @ Mueller Lake Park: Thu., Oct. 26, 7 p.m.
• “Moana” @ Mabel Davis District Park: Fri., Nov. 10, 7 p.m.

Guests to the screenings are encouraged to bring (non-glass, non-Styrofoam) picnics, blankets, chairs and on-leash dogs. This year, APF is also hosting a series of “Playdates in the Park” with Creative Action that include story times, arts and crafts, music and more. Information about the playdates can be found here. And the playdates include:

• Garrison District Park: Wed., April 12, 10 a.m.
• Alderbrook Pocket Park: Sat., April 29, 10 a.m.
• Armadillo Neighborhood Park: Wed., May 10, 10 a.m.
• Patterson Neighborhood Park: Sat., May 27, 10 a.m.

“We’ve seen the sense of community that park-centered events like our In the Park series fosters among our neighbors and attendees,” said Colin Wallis, CEO of Austin Parks Foundation, in a statement to the press. “Giving Austinites access to free programming allows for more opportunities to get the community to enjoy our parks and green spaces and provides a safe, fun atmosphere for family and friends to gather.”

Plenty of opportunities remain to weigh in on expansion plans for an urban trail in East Austin, called the MoKan Trail. The city launched the MoKan Trail Preliminary Engineering Phase Virtual Open House earlier this month, offering people a chance to make recommendations and provide feedback on the trail’s alignment and design features. The open house, which focuses on six segments of the 0.75-mile extension of the trail between North Pleasant Valley Road and Springdale Road, is available in English and Spanish and can be accessed 24 hours a day, seven days a week, through Sunday, April 23. Surveys in English and Spanish inviting feedback on proposed designs for each segment are included as part of the online open house.

In addition to the virtual open house, you can ask questions and give feedback in person by attending one of the following meetings:

• Thursday, March 30, from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Southern Walnut Creek Trail in Govalle Neighborhood Park
• Saturday, April 15, from 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Austin Public Library Cepeda Branch
• Wednesday, April 19, from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. at the Southern Walnut Creek Trail in Govalle Neighborhood Park

Once complete, the entire 1.5-mile MoKan Trail will connect an existing protected bike path on Pedernales Street to the Southern Walnut Creek Trail system. The trail will also connect to the Project Connect Green Line Pleasant Valley Transfer Station.

Travis County leaders, led by Travis County Judge Andy Brown, will host a taco-rich town hall at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, April 5. The event, which is free and open to the public, will feature community questions, conversation and free tacos at the Webberville Road location of Veracruz All Natural. Those interested in attending can RSVP for more details and submit questions  for county commissioners about Travis County services, issues, or anything else that is weighing on one’s county-focused mind.

Editor’s Note: Andy Brown is on the board of the Capital of Texas Media Foundation, which is the parent nonprofit of the Austin Monitor.

While “Spring Festival Season” is often just a code word for South by Southwest in Austin, city transportation officials are reminding residents that the festivities will continue this week. And that could mean traffic headaches without proper planning. This week features a convergence of events that all come with their own street closings: Texas Relays, the Country Music Television Awards, ABC Kite Fest at Zilker, the Urban Cultural Fest and the Longhorn Run – all of which impact portions of downtown for portions of this week. It’s a lot, as illustrated by this quick rundown detailed by the Austin Transportation Department:

• The 2023 Country Music Television Awards will feature events throughout the week with county music tapings and performances, leading to the CMT Awards show live from the Moody Center at 8 p.m. on April 2. Portions of Congress Avenue and the surrounding area will be closed from March 27 through April 3.
• The 95th Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays will be held at the Mike A. Myers Track & Soccer Stadium at the University of Texas from March 29 through April 1. Extra congestion is expected on campus and Littlefield Street will be closed at Red River Street to most westbound traffic.
• The 95th annual ABC Kite Fest will take place Saturday, April 1, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Zilker Park. Expect traffic impacts around the park as portions of Barton Springs Road will be closed.
• Austin’s Urban Cultural Fest will take place from noon to 10 p.m. on Saturday, April 1, at Vic Mathias/Auditorium Shores. Park access is open only for ticketed attendees and there will be no event parking in the neighborhoods surrounding the park.
• The Longhorn Run 5K and 10K race at the University of Texas will take place at 8 a.m. on Saturday, April 1. Parts of Speedway, East 27th Street, Wichita Street and Whitis Avenue will be closed during the race. You can find the course route here.

If you’re interested in getting a pet pooch, now’s the time. Austin Animal Center, the municipal shelter for the city of Austin and unincorporated Travis County, is holding an adoption event Saturday, April 1, during which adoption fees will be waived for all shelter animals. Adoptable dogs will be showcased on the center’s front lawn during the noon-2 p.m. event, with volunteers and staff on hand to answer questions and help make matches. In addition, representatives of Austin Public Library will have a table set up to help people acquire library cards and check out books, e-books and audiobooks on pet care, training and more. Austin Animal Center said it currently has more than 330 medium and large dogs on-site, and over 20 dogs living in pop-up crates. You can learn more about adopting a pet from Austin Animal Center here. Adoptable pets can be viewed online here.

Cyclists in Texas face plenty of hazards, ranging from heavy motor vehicle traffic to potholes. With spring riding season getting underway in full force, a “Blessing of the Bicycles” will take place at 10 a.m. April 15 at New Sweden Lutheran Church, located at 12809 New Sweden Church Road in Manor. The event – which is free to the public and being held in partnership with the Texas Mamma Jamma Ride and the Taylor Bike Company – is intended to offer prayers of safety to cyclists and to honor cyclists who have been injured or died. The Rev. Hans Lillejord, pastor of the church, will oversee the event.

New statistics from the Austin Police Department indicate officers were plenty busy while South by Southwest was underway earlier this month. An effort in conjunction with state and federal law enforcement to crack down on violent crime in the city while the festival was going on resulted in 131 arrests from March 8-18, as well as the seizure of 61 firearms. In addition, Austin police said the following narcotics were seized:

•        3.5 kilograms of cocaine/crack cocaine
•        26.6 kilograms of methamphetamine
•        41.38 grams of fentanyl/heroin
•        98 pounds of marijuana

City Council approved Austin Public Library’s strategic plan Thursday, paving the way for expansion in the future. The plan, which can be read in its entirety here, recommends construction and expansion of existing branches. In terms of expansion, the plan recommends that more than half of the existing branches be expanded to at least 30,000 square feet. In addition, the plan recommends four “net new” large library branches in each quadrant of the city. “Five and a half years ago, Austin opened a new world-class Central Library in downtown, and that building remains the crown jewel of the city,” said Library Director Roosevelt Weeks in a statement to the press. “However, our neighborhoods deserve world-class library facilities too. The plan adopted by the City Council today lays out a vision for growing and updating our entire library system to meet the needs of the rapidly changing, dynamic city we serve.” In addition to the library expansion, the 118-page plan also lays out five new strategic goals. They are:

1.  Provide community-centric programs and services
2. Design and develop spaces for community connections
3. Foster stakeholder relationships
4. Expand library access
5. Engage staff

The city has announced some good news, at least for anyone who cares how it collects parking fees. It said it will continue the process of putting automated parking pay stations in place at Zilker Metropolitan Park on March 27. That means lots near Stratford Road, north of the Zilker Botanical Garden, and the south Barton Springs Pool lot, near Azie Morton Road, are expected to have automated pay stations like the rest of Zilker on May 1. Meanwhile, the Parks and Recreation Department said seasonal paid parking at all other Zilker Park areas began March 1 and continues through Labor Day. Payment is only required on weekends, holidays and special events. Beginning May 1, the fee will increase to $7 for parking all day or partial days from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., from $5 previously. In addition, the city said a free weekend and holiday shuttle service will operate every 20 minutes to Zilker from the One Texas Center parking garage at 505 Barton Springs Road. It is anticipated that the shuttle will run from Memorial Day through Labor Day, although the specific dates will be available in the coming weeks.

University of Texas football star Bijan Robinson taught a swim lesson at Bartholomew Pool in East Austin last week as part of a partnership between the Parks and Recreation Department’s Aquatic Division and Tankproof, a nonprofit that offers swim lessons to underserved communities. “By teaching children how to be safe and confident in the water, and by raising awareness about the importance of swim lessons, this partnership seeks to help save lives,” the city said in a press release. Robinson “teaches kids to swim so that they learn the skills to survive and thrive in the water.” Drowning is the leading cause of death for children ages 1 to 4 years old. Robinson himself survived a nonfatal drowning when he was 5 years old. According to the press release, “Nine children have drowned in Texas already this year, but these accidents can be prevented if everyone watches children near water and learns to swim.” Register for city of Austin swim lessons and swim teams starting Monday, April 3, at 8 a.m.

If you have an opinion on expansion plans for a new urban trail in East Austin – called the MoKan Trail – it’s time to weigh in. The city’s “MoKan Trail Preliminary Engineering Phase Virtual Open House” has launched, providing a look at recommendations for the trail’s alignment and design features. The open house, which focuses on  six segments of the 0.75-mile extension of the trail between North Pleasant Valley Road and Springdale Road, is available in English and Spanish and can be accessed 24 hours a day, seven days a week, through Sunday, April 23.  Surveys in English and Spanish inviting feedback on proposed designs for each segment are included as part of the online open house.

You also can give feedback in person. The MoKan Trail project team is providing four non-virtual opportunities to ask questions and offer opinions:

• Friday, March 24, from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Flitch Coffee
• Thursday, March 30, from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Southern Walnut Creek Trail in Govalle Neighborhood Park
• Saturday, April 15, from 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Austin Public Library Cepeda Branch
• Wednesday, April 19, from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. at the Southern Walnut Creek Trail in Govalle Neighborhood Park

Once complete, the entire 1.5-mile MoKan Trail will connect an existing protected bike path on Pedernales Street to the Southern Walnut Creek Trail system. The trail will also connect to the Project Connect Green Line Pleasant Valley Transfer Station.