Put some old clothes on and show some love to the Barton Creek Greenbelt by joining the Save Barton Creek Association for a two-hour cleanup focusing on the trail and the creek between the 360 trailhead and the Spyglass trailhead. Attendees are asked to bring their own water bottles and wear long sleeves and pants in order to avoid any contact with poison ivy. Trash bags, grabbers and gloves will be provided. Meet at the Barton Creek 360 trailhead. RSVP and find a map to the meeting place here. Sunday, Dec. 8, 10 a.m.-noon.

This pygmy goat was found near Barton Springs Pool around Dec. 1, according to a spokesperson for 311. Because no one has claimed her or him, the Department of Animal Services has created this little poster to spread the word about the foundling. If you own this goat or you know who does, please call 311.

According to poll results released by the political action committee supporting Delia Garza for Travis County attorney, the mayor pro tem has a significant lead over her three opponents in the Democratic primary. Even though Garza has not announced her candidacy, her supporters at the Progressive Justice Now PAC have been hard at work. The poll, conducted by Littlefield Consulting on Nov. 19, shows that 34 percent of likely voters surveyed would vote for Garza, former judge Mike Denton would get 10 percent of the vote, and Assistant County Attorney Laurie Eiserloh would get 7 percent. Just 1 percent of those polled said they would vote for the fourth candidate in the race, Dominic Selvera, a criminal defense attorney. But there’s still lots of work to do because 48 percent of those polled were uncertain about who they would vote for. As for Garza, she has said she would not be seeking reelection to City Council, but has held off on making an announcement about the county attorney’s seat. Section 65 of the Texas Constitution appears to say that candidates for any office other than the one they currently hold will lose their current position if they announce their intention to run for another office more than one year and 30 days prior to the expiration of their term. Longtime political consultant David Butts said Monday he’s been told Garza can make an announcement and sign up for the March Democratic primary starting this Thursday, Dec. 5. The filing deadline is Dec. 9.

A wastewater main break that released 100,000 gallons of sewage into a tributary of Bull Creek over the weekend has Austin Water officials urging residents using private drinking water supply wells within a half-mile of the site to boil water “for all personal uses including drinking, cooking, bathing, and tooth brushing.” The utility is also asking Austinites to steer clear of the creek and trails in Great Hills Park, specifically the area near 10801 Sierra Oaks. The city’s drinking water supply has not been affected and Austin Water crews are on the scene completing repairs and doing cleanup. The overflow was discovered at 11:30 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 1.

University of Calgary geography professor Eliot Tretter will moderate a discussion about the Land Development Code rewrite with Carmen Llanes Pulido, executive director of Go Austin/Vamos Austin, and Chris Wojtewicz, a housing and transportation advocate. Tuesday, Dec. 3, 6-8 p.m., Monkeywrench Books, 110 E. North Loop.

Photo courtesy of the Downtown Austin Alliance: Holiday Stroll 2018

Even grinches will find something to enjoy at the 25th Annual Downtown Holiday Stroll on Saturday. The free festival, which is hosted by the Downtown Austin Alliance, begins at 5 p.m. with live music, a holiday market, a kids’ play area, local food vendors, and photos with Mr. and Mrs. Claus. The KUT/KUTX sing-along starts at 6 p.m. on the south steps of the Capitol, and the tree lighting is at 7 p.m. at the south gates of the Capitol lawn on Congress Avenue. There will also will be live ice sculpting, performances by the Austin High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, a petting zoo, a giant snow dome, and screenings of classic holiday movies such as Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and Santa Claus Is Coming to Town. Saturday, Dec. 7, 5-10 p.m., on Congress Avenue from 11th to Ninth streets.

Come to an open house to learn about plans for the next phase of the Holly Point Project, an expanded trail and wetland restoration project within Holly Shores/Edward Rendon Sr. Metropolitan Park at Festival Beach. The event, hosted by the Trail Foundation and Austin Parks and Recreation Department, is a follow-up to the first community engagement event that took place last June. According to the press release, “The Holly Project site is located just west of the decommissioned Holly Power Plant, adjacent to the lagoon and baseball fields. Proposed improvements anticipate the transition of the decommissioned Holly Power Plant into parkland and how that will impact the Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail.” Meet the project team, review the plans, ask questions, offer input, and enjoy coffee and breakfast tacos on the house. Saturday, Dec. 7, 10 a.m.-noon, Lorraine Camacho Activity Center, 35 Robert T. Martinez Jr. St.

The Austin Monitor will observe Thanksgiving this Thursday and Friday. We wish all of our readers a safe, happy Thanksgiving holiday, and we will resume our regular publication schedule on Monday, Dec. 2.

All city administrative offices and municipal facilities will be closed this Thursday and Friday, Nov. 28-29, to allow employees to spend the Thanksgiving holiday with friends and family. If you’re planning to adopt a furry family member this week, the Austin Animal Center closes at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 27, will be closed Thanksgiving Day and reopens at 9 a.m. on Friday. The Zilker Botanical Gardens and Deep Eddy, Big Stacy, Springwoods and Bartholomew pools will be closed Thanksgiving Day and will reopen Friday for regular business hours. You can visit Barton Springs Pool on Thanksgiving Day, but no lifeguards will be present, so swim at your own risk. Austin Public Library, Recycled Reads Bookstore, Austin History Center branches, and city recreation, cultural arts, nature, history and senior centers will all be closed from 6 p.m. on Wednesday, through Friday. Austin Resource Recovery residential collection customers should remember that collection will “slide” a day due to the holiday: Thursday collection slides to Friday, and Friday collection slides to Saturday.

Austinites are invited to read and comment on CAPER, the Neighborhood Housing and Community Development Department’s Fiscal Year 2018-19 Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report. According to NHCD, “The CAPER is an end-of-year document required by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to assess the city’s progress and performance on federally funded activities for affordable housing, community development, economic development and public services. The CAPER specifically reports on its federally funded activities during FY 2018-19, and the achievement of its overall strategies, objectives and priorities outlined in the FY 2014-19 Consolidated Plan.” The report may be viewed online until Dec. 6.

Austin Film Society has opened its new Creative Media Center on the Austin Studios property near the Mueller development. The $5.4 million expansion was funded in part with $13.4 million in bond money approved by voters in 2012, and will provide 38,500 additional square feet of office and production space to the studios, which are overseen in part by Austin-based filmmakers such as Richard Linklater. The studios were created out of a onetime base for the Texas National Guard at the former Robert Mueller Municipal Airport. The city provided the 20 acres for the studios in 2000 and voters approved $5 million to fund a first expansion in 2006.

Mike Rollins has announced his plans to retire as president and CEO of the Austin Chamber of Commerce next year, effective March 31. The organization has begun a nationwide search to replace Rollins, who took over the role in 2002 after holding the same position in Nashville for 12 years. Local business leaders credit Rollins with bringing hundreds of thousands of jobs to Austin, turning the city into one of the nation’s hottest job markets as a result. “Mike Rollins has been a stalwart of the Austin business community for the past 17 years,” said Brian Cassidy, chair of the chamber’s board of directors. “His leadership and vision helped transform our region into an economic powerhouse. His dedication to the chamber and to our community are renowned across the region and those who have had the pleasure of working with Mike will tell you he truly believes in the good the business community can accomplish when it works together. … As we search for a new president for the Chamber of Commerce, we will keep in mind the qualities that Mike has exhibited during his illustrious career as a guide to find the right successor to lead us into the 2020s.” Those interested in applying for the position of the chamber’s top executive can send their resume to austinchamber@jci-inc.net.