There’s a new candidate for mayor: Former University of Texas student Phil Brual announced his candidacy on Facebook in June, saying, “The time has come and the race has begun! I have decided to run for mayor of this beautiful city in order to help facilitate growth and protect our city values.” Meanwhile the better-known candidates, Celia Israel and Kirk Watson, are working hard to get some attention amidst the heat and general summer doldrums. Watson is advertising his campaign office opening and day of action on Saturday, July 23.  Israel’s campaign is advertising a house concert with Rosie Flores and Leti Garza. The lone Republican in the race so far, Jennifer Virden, is promising to lower taxes and water and electric bills. Gary Spellman announced he would run for mayor in April but we haven’t heard much from him since. Fitness trainer and LGBT activist Erica Nix confirms that she is running for mayor also.

Austin Parks Foundation has announced its annual ACL Music Fest awards to parks across Austin. Overton School/Colony Park District Park, West Austin Neighborhood Park, Parque Zaragoza, Gullett School Park, Mary Dawson Pocket Park, and Grand Meadow Neighborhood Park are the lucky recipients of a total of $15,600 in grants. Some of the money will be used for specific improvements and amenities at the parks while $125,000 “will go towards Design Services awards to provide the plans that are necessary for the development of and/or improvements within the parks.” Park design director Katie Robillard explains, “Design needs are an unseen barrier to neighborhoods being able to make the improvements they desire, or turn undeveloped park space into a community hub. APF began offering Design Services in 2018 when it became clear that we could help with professional design and park planning, both of which can be quite expensive and time consuming. The design fees for vision planning and the required community engagement for even small parks can be hundreds of thousands of dollars, which is not typically available to neighborhood, volunteer stakeholders.”

An Austin Chamber of Commerce summer series for students offers four informational events focused on “direct-to-employment pathways after high school,” such as health care, nursing, manufacturing and IT. The four Learn to Earn events, hosted between July 12 and July 19, are available in person or virtually. The program, a partnership with Austin Community College, Temple College, Texas State Technical College, Workforce Solutions Rural Capital Area, and Community Action, “aims to increase enrollment in short-term credential programs which prepare students for in-demand jobs in Central Texas.” Chamber CEO Laura Huffman said, “Having multiple pathways to a career is essential to having a robust economy. Businesses in our region have an immediate need for skilled workers in a variety of fields. High school graduates could learn these skills in as little as a few months and be on their way to an incredibly rewarding career.” Register for a session.

Good news for frequent travelers (or those who hope to travel more frequently): The Austin-Bergstrom airport now offers departing travelers a quick and easy way to enroll in TSA PreCheck with no advance appointment. It takes about five minutes, according to a news release from AUS, and then “most passengers will receive their Known Traveler Number (KTN) within three to five days for use on subsequent trips.” Courtesy of security company IDEMIA, uniformed “enrollment ambassadors” can be found stationed just past the airport’s security checkpoints, ready to enroll passengers in PreCheck, which allows travelers to breeze through most security screening lines. Gilbert Almaraz, who is TSA’s Texas federal security director, offered this tempting vision: “This June, we saw 94 percent of TSA PreCheck passengers wait less than 5 minutes in security checkpoint lines and they avoid having to take off their shoes and belts and can leave their compliant liquids and laptops in their bags.” Airport CEO Jacqueline Yaft added that AUS is “thrilled to be among the latest airports to introduce this new TSA Precheck enrollment initiative. As our airport welcomes more travelers this year than ever in our history, increasing access to TSA PreCheck gives AUS travelers more options for an easier experience.”

All those making summer travel plans should know that Capital Metro will be suspending MetroRail service from Friday, July 15, to Saturday, July 23, to allow crews to perform maintenance along the 32-mile rail line. During the suspension, Capital Metro will provide alternative bus service from most MetroRail stations as well as a shuttle that serves Leander, Lakeline and Howard stations before heading to the Downtown Station. Take a look at the bus routes here.

Author, historian and film consultant Dr. Cynthia E. Orozco will be giving a virtual talk about the “early colonial history of the Austin area, the arrival of Mexicans to the area, the establishment of barrios, and the political, economic, and social status of this community.” Orozco, the author of No Mexicans, Women or Dogs Allowed: The Rise of the Mexican American Civil Rights Movement and Agent of Change: Adela Sloss-Vento, Mexican American Civil Rights Activist and Texas Feminist, teaches at Eastern New Mexico University in Ruidoso. Her talk is in conjunction with the MexicArte’s exhibition, Chicano/a Art, Movimiento y Más en Austen, Tejas 1960s to 1980s, which focuses on Chicano and Chicana artists in Austin during the Chicano civil rights movement. Tuesday, July 12, noon-1 p.m., Facebook Live.

A statewide initiative called Texas Utility Help aims to help eligible homeowners and renters pay their utility bills. Texans whose household income is at or below 150 percent of federal poverty income guidelines and who meet other eligibility requirements may submit an application. If they qualify, they can “receive assistance for their total past due amounts for electricity, natural gas and propane plus up to $2,400 in prospective payments. For water and wastewater assistance, qualified applicants can pay off their total past due payments and up to $600 in prospective payments. All payments are issued directly to the utility company on behalf of the applicant,” according to a news release. Bobby Wilkinson, executive director of the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs, which administers the program, hopes the new initiative will “make it easier for even more Texans to access and benefit from utility assistance programs. The new program uses a streamlined online application process, so any eligible Texas household can apply for both energy and water bill assistance in a single form.” Find out more at TexasUtilityHelp.com.

Another month, another record broken at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. In May 2022, reports AUS, passenger traffic was up 82.68 percent compared to May 2021 “with 2,021,747 passengers flying during the month, setting a new record for busiest month ever at the airport.” That’s a lot of people and a lot of airplanes. The graph tells the story pretty vividly: Air travel is back and it’s here to stay. 

Austin ISD is hosting four community conversations to discuss and solicit input on its 2022 bond proposal for making district-wide improvements to modernize its campuses. The entire community is invited to learn more about the proposal and share feedback on the initial bond package before it is finalized. Community members and district families are welcome to attend “any or all” of the sessions:

• Tuesday July 12, 6pm (virtual only)
• Thursday, July 14, 6pm (virtual only)
• Saturday, July 16, two in-person sessions: 10 a.m.-noon, Dobie Middle School, 1200 E. Rundberg Lane, and 1:30-3:30 p.m., Travis Early College High School, 1211 E. Oltorf St.

After the bond package has been voted on by the board of trustees there will be additional public meetings in August and September.

This Sunday, the Bullock Texas State History Museum is throwing a party – a birthday party to celebrate the legacy of its namesake Bob Bullock. Free admission from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., family-friendly activities, a photo booth with costumes, and free sweet treats are just some of the temptations in store. Visitors can also try the museum’s new Star Cafe, which offers breakfast, lunch and snacks. As Bullock Museum Director Margaret Koch said in a release, Bob Bullock “dreamed the museum would be the place where people of all ages would engage with our dynamic history while growing in their understanding of what makes us who we are, often noting that to know where we are going we have to know where we’ve been. On the anniversary of his birth, we welcome everyone to come out, explore, and have some fun.” Sunday, July 10, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Bullock Texas State History Museum, 1800 N. Congress Ave.

Starting with the beginning of the pandemic, Austin Community College District has distributed more than $58 million in Higher Education Emergency Relief Funds, or HEERF, to more than 16,420 students, according to a press release from ACC. The money has gone to help students who struggle to pay for college. Brittany Ligon, an ACC student and recipient, said, “As a single parent, working full time and going to school, it’s helped me stay afloat as I navigate life. Everyone deserves to be able to further their education whether it be for a better career or just for your personal goals. But not everyone can afford it. These opportunities help me keep food on the table and work toward my educational and career goals.” ACC’s debt forgiveness program has also played a critical role in removing the financial barriers to higher education, by clearing small debts for more than 8,100 students who “previously owed $1,000 or less for things such as books and course fees – and their balance was wiped to $0, clearing the way for them to register for more classes.” Dr. Melissa Curtis, associate vice chancellor of recruitment, said that the college wants “to make sure those in our community can continue to not only survive but thrive here.”