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- Facing overwhelmingly negative feedback, city drafts refinements to residential permit parking program
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Whispers
Friday, June 9, 2023 by Tai Moses
Pre-Juneteenth fair offers free barbecue and vaccinations
Austin Public Health’s Blackland Neighborhood Center is hosting its 25th annual pre-Juneteenth wellness and education fair. This popular community event features live music, free barbecue, a gift card drawing, PPE (masks and hand sanitizer) and lots of enticing giveaways. In addition to the fun, there will be health education and an abundance of free vaccinations to keep you and your loved ones safe and healthy. Along with the standard lineup of Covid-19 vaccines, Austin Public Health is offering mpox, hepatitis A and B, HPV9 (for those aged 18-26), flu, PCV20 (must meet criteria), shingles and Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis) shots. Find bus routes to the fair here and parking info here. The fair will be held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday at Blackland Neighborhood Center, 2005 Salina St.
Friday, June 9, 2023 by Eric Webb
New author series pairs authors for ‘intimate discussions’
Bookworms, here’s one for you. The Library Foundation and Texas Book Festival are launching a new author series called “In Conversation.” The free event series will pair writers for “intimate discussions of their work,” according to a news release. First up: Katie Gutierrez (“More Than You’ll Ever Know”) and Rubén Degollado (“The Family Izquierdo”), whose novels “explore families encountering folkloric curses, secret double lives, and the generational passage of time,” the announcement reads. Gutierrez and Degollado are set to sign their books, which will be available for purchase from Black Pearl Books. Catch the inaugural event at 7 p.m. on June 21 at Austin Central Library, 710 W. Cesar Chavez St. Find more info at austinlibrary.org and texasbookfestival.org.
Check out new projects at Pease Park

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Thursday, June 8, 2023 by Jo Clifton
Watson lays groundwork for city manager search
A post on the City Council Message Board from Mayor Kirk Watson says he has been working on a draft request for proposals for a search firm to help the city find a new city manager. Spencer Cronk, the previous city manager, was fired for his response to last February’s winter storm. Council members also were angered at Cronk’s attempt to finalize a contract with the police union when Council had said they needed to wait for a vote on Proposition A. Watson asked Mayor Pro Tem Paige Ellis and Council members Leslie Pool, Chito Vela and Vanessa Fuentes to act as a committee to help with the initial process. He added an assurance that all members of Council would be able to see the final RFP and comment on it before it is issued. He concluded, “The goal will be for the committee to narrow the field to a few search firms that will then be brought to the full council for review and selection. I hope we accomplish the selection of a firm in the July-August time frame and the firm can begin its work.” Interim City Manager Jesús Garza was appointed to the temporary position on Feb. 15, following Cronk’s dismissal. The Austin Monitor noted that it took 10 months from the selection of the search firm for the last city manager to the hiring of Cronk. The International City/County Management Association offers a handy listing of search firms that do this kind of work.
Thursday, June 8, 2023 by Eric Webb
City to expand shelter capacity for people without housing
The city is increasing homeless shelter capacity to accommodate 130 more people, according to a Tuesday news release. Rooms at the Northbridge and Southbridge shelters will be converted from single-bed units to double-bed units, the city says. New beds are expected to be available at Northbridge by June 13, and the city hopes to expand Southbridge capacity sometime next month. The expansion of emergency shelter capacity comes as Austin hopes to provide permanent housing for 3,000 residents by the end of next year. “If we want to live up to our reputation as a compassionate city, we need to do everything we can to help our least fortunate neighbors who are sleeping on our streets and in our creeks. That includes short-term solutions like expanding our shelter capacity and long-term solutions that address the root causes of homelessness,” District 9 Council Member Zo Qadri said in a statement. For more information, go to austintexas.gov/homelessness.
Thursday, June 8, 2023 by Tai Moses
Share your thoughts on Barton Springs Road project
Have some thoughts about the city’s proposal to make some changes to Barton Springs Road? The project, to take place between Stratford Drive and South Lamar Boulevard over a yearlong period, would “enhance safety for everyone on Barton Springs Road, including the most vulnerable road users, such as people dining outdoors, walking, bicycling or riding a scooter,” according to the Transportation Department. Proposed changes include providing one lane in each direction between Azie Morton Road and South Lamar Boulevard “to improve safety and multimodal facilities”; providing additional lanes at the intersections of South Lamar Boulevard and Azie Morton Road; connecting “a future continuous ADA-accessible pedestrian route from Barton Springs Bridge to Stratford Dr. along the north side of Barton Springs Road”; upgrading bike lanes and making them wider; and shortening the pedestrian crossings on Barton Springs Road. Learn more at the virtual open house, and leave your feedback in the survey.
Thursday, June 8, 2023 by Tai Moses
Need swim lessons? Splash right up
As the saying goes, you’re never too old to learn to swim. If you don’t know how to get moving in the water, want to brush up on your skills or just learn a few new strokes, the Parks and Recreation Department’s Aquatic Division is here to help with a variety of swim lessons and programs for all ages, from six months to adult. Now is the time to register for lessons and beginner to youth swim teams. Get started by visiting AustinTexas.gov/swimming. You can also check out the Summer 2023 Aquatics Program Guide for all kinds of water-based fun. The guide includes a list of Austin’s swimming pools and splash pads, along with a map so you can see which location is most convenient to you.
Wednesday, June 7, 2023 by Jo Clifton
Austin firefighter on the short list to lead Arlington FD
The North Texas city of Arlington has named five finalists to take over as fire chief and director of the Emergency Management Department, including Austin’s Assistant Fire Chief Richard L. Davis Jr. Davis has 30 years of service with AFD. Other finalists include Jack H. Andrade of the Kansas City Fire Department in Kansas; Alvin D. Benson of the Shelby County Fire Department in Memphis, Tennessee; Robert Fite of the Grand Prairie Fire Department; and R. Bret Stidham of the Dallas Fire-Rescue Department. Arlington has been looking for a new chief since Don Crowson announced his May 31 retirement. The five finalists are scheduled to participate in a community forum tonight, where they will answer questions previously submitted by the public. Arlington expects to name its new fire chief within the next few weeks.
Wednesday, June 7, 2023 by Tai Moses
Travis County raises flag for Pride Month
It’s Pride Month, and among the area’s many other planned events and parades, Travis County will be hoisting a colorful rainbow pride flag. As Travis County Judge Andy Brown wrote in his newsletter, “we recognize that our diversity and inclusiveness make us a stronger community. At a time when families are being attacked for expressing who they are, this tradition of raising the Pride flag at Travis County is a beacon to our LGBTQIA+ community – you are welcomed here and you are loved.” The entire community is invited to join members of the Commissioners Court, LGBTQ leaders and Travis County staffers for the flag-raising ceremony at noon on Tuesday, June 13, at the Travis County Administration Building, 700 Lavaca St. RSVP here.
Wednesday, June 7, 2023 by Eric Webb
Expect road closures for Maudie’s Moonlight Margarita Run
It’s Maudie’s Moonlight Margarita Run time. Name another event that’s as much about Tex-Mex as it is fitness. That’s right; you can’t. The annual run returns June 8, and proceeds go to the Trail Conservancy. The race starts at 8 p.m. at Sand Beach Park (111 Sandra Muraida Way). Expect some rush hour road closures – for example, Electric Drive between Walter Seaholm Drive and Sandra Muraida Way will be closed from 2 to 11 p.m. You can find info on additional closures at the city’s website. Race organizers encourage runners to use the Butler Hike and Bike Trail, taxis, ride-hailing services or Capital Metro to get to the starting line.
Tuesday, June 6, 2023 by Eric Webb
Celebrate Juneteenth during weeklong festival
Austin is gearing up to celebrate Juneteenth for a full week, as the George Washington Carver Museum, Cultural and Genealogy Center (1165 Angelina St.) hosts the Stay Black and Live Juneteenth Festival from June 12 to 19. This year’s theme is Austin Family Reunion, according to the museum. Grammy-winning high school music teacher Pamela Dawson will deliver an interactive lecture and singalong from 6 to 8 p.m. on June 12. James Beard Award-winning author Michael T. Twitty is set to teach festgoers about African American foodways from 6 to 8 p.m. on June 15. Then get your party shoes on from 6 to 9 p.m. on June 16 for a community kickback and dance party that will close with a special edition of Body Rock ATX. The museum will host a cookout and music festival from 3 to 9 p.m. on June 17 in the Rosewood neighborhood. The tunes continue starting at 6 p.m. on June 17 with SaulPaul, Sonya Jevette and more artists, followed by a performance from GAPX at 8 p.m. The Juneteenth festival wraps up on the June 19 holiday, starting with Dr. Annette Gordon-Reed speaking about her book, “On Juneteenth,” from 1 to 3 p.m. Later that day, the museum and Austin Justice Coalition will partner for their Community Revival and Remembrance to honor victims of police violence in Texas. It will take place from 5 to 8 p.m. Find more information at juneteenthatx.com.
Take time to talk to kids about mental health
It’s never easy to have tough conversations with kids. That’s why Austin Public Health is launching a public service campaign called “Ask, Listen, Talk, Repeat,” in the hopes of raising awareness of mental health issues in children and teens. The campaign encourages parents and caregivers to have “critical conversations” with young people, “a generation that is sometimes forgotten when discussing mental health.” Dr. Desmar Walkes, Austin-Travis County’s health authority, points out that in the last few years kids have “been besieged by several factors from losing time with friends due to the pandemic to the rise in usage of social media. Let’s start our response with simple conversations. Take the time to talk with your kids about how they are feeling and pay attention to changes in behavior.” According to Austin Public Health, national studies show that “one in six children in the United States experience a mental health disorder and that nearly 50 percent of all lifetime mental illnesses begin by the age of 14.” Those are sobering statistics. Find resources at the campaign website, AskListenTalk.org, and a mental health toolkit here.