CODE COMPLIANCE FORCES MARKET TO REMOVE EMBLEMATIC WORLD FLAGS

by Clay Dafoe
August 26, 2013

The Hyde Park Market has removed over 20 flags of various nations after being threatened by City of Austin Code Compliance with a hefty fine in the amount of $2,000.00 per day if the flags were not removed.

Community Impact reports that Code Compliance began investigating after a complaint was filed on June 17, even though the international flags had been present at the Hyde Park Market on Duval Street and 45th Street for nearly five years. The City of Austin has deemed the flags classified as "signs" and claims the flags need permits in order to be displayed above the store front. The market has become well known in the neighborhood since 2008 when it transformed from a typical gas station into a lively convenient store selling various gourmet foods, beer, tools and home items.

Hyde Park Market owner Tony Hooman believes the city has overstepped its bounds and is circulating a petition to reinstall the flags at his storefront. Hooman is speaking with an attorney about what he can do to fight the city's threats.

http://impactnews.com/austin-metro/central-austin/hyde-park-market-forced-to/

AUSTIN AQUARIUM OWNERS UNDER FIRE FOR POSSIBLE ANIMAL CRUELTY

by Clay Dafoe
August 26, 2013

The Austin Aquarium, currently being built in far North Austin, has come under scrutiny after owners Vince Covino and Ammon Covino were cited by PETA and other sources as being potentially responsible for animal cruelty.

Another aquarium run by the Covinos, the Portland Aquarium in Oregon, is currently being investigated by the Oregon Humane Society after reports have been circulating of animal abuse including overcrowding, overheating and the deaths of nearly 200 animals. In addition, Ammon Covino was convicted of unlawful sale and purchase of animals in early 2013 after he bought four eagle rays and two lemon sharks and shipped them to his Boise Aquarium in Idaho.

According to the Austin Chronicle, the City of Austin has stated that the owners were cited in July for housing animals without a permit and when they subsequently applied for a permit to do so, were denied. KUT reports that the University of Texas' Texas Advanced Computing Center planned a partnership with the Austin Aquarium but that it is now being reconsidered after the recent revelations.

http://austin.ynn.com/content/news/295001/ut-puts-austin-aquarium-partnership-on-hold

http://www.austinchronicle.com/blogs/news/2013-08-26/austin-aquarium-gets-the-fisheye/

http://www.kutnews.org/post/ut-halts-partnership-controversial-austin-aquarium

GROUPS LOBBY FOR 4,750,000.00 IN MORE PARKS FUNDING

by Clay Dafoe
August 26, 2013

Tuesday morning, a coalition of 30 parks related groups called Great Austin Parks will be demonstrating at the Austin City Hall Plaza demanding an increase in funding for park maintenance by an amount of $4,750,000.00. The cries for increased funding come amid a weekend accident at the Town Lake Hike and Bike Trail in which a dead tree fell, landing on a jogger and breaking his leg.

In November 2012, the City of Austin passed a Parks and Recreation bond in the amount of $77,000,000.00. That bond money is purported to be used on citywide park projects, facility improvements and cemetery renovations.

While some are calling for increase Parks and Recreation Department spending Tuesday morning, ironically a proposal will be heard by the department committee that night to sell the historic Hancock Golf Course park land to a mediation firm for corporate development of the park into an $8,000,000.00 condominium project.

http://www.kvue.com/news/local/City-Park-Advocates-call-for-additional-maintenance-funding--221232161.html

HISTORIC HANCOCK GOLF COURSE FACES POTENTIAL CORPORATE REDEVELOPMENT

by Clay Dafoe
August 25, 2013

On Tuesday evening, the Austin Parks and Recreation Department will receive a presentation on a proposal to redevelop the Hancock Golf Course into an $8,000,000.00 condominium project. The plan involves construction of a 55 unit residential complex that will include a mixed use commercial element. Jim Huddleston of the Crawford, Huddleston and Co. mediation group will be giving the presentation.

Neighbors in the Hancock Neighborhood Association have expressed outrage over the plan and are preparing a resolution for the City Council to adopt that will preserve the historic golf course, a central feature of the neighborhood. The Hancock Golf Course was designed and has been in continual operation since 1899. It is currently one of the oldest golf courses in the state of Texas.

In an email to the Austin Neighborhood Council Hancock resident Barbara Epstein complained, "Area residents only learned of this proposal a couple of days ago. How could your board (or the city) consider something that so directly affects our neighborhood without any notice to us or an opportunity to be heard at our meeting? I don't think area residents want remaining neighborhood vparkland turned into high-density housing. We're the people who live here and pay taxes so our position as stakeholders should be just as important as this outside developer's or a city planner's."

The hearing on the proposal for corporate redevelopment will be held Tuesday, August 27th at 6pm at Austin City Hall.

http://www.kvue.com/news/local/Proposal-underway-to-sell-and-redevelop-Hancock-Golf-Course-221017031.html

AUSTIN COUNCIL APPROVES $50,000 TO IBIZ DISTRICTS

by Clay Dafoe
August 25, 2013

The Austin City Council last week approved a resolution that authorizes the spending of $50,000 for managing the Austin Independent Business Alliance's IBIZ districts. The IBIZ districts are a group of eight districts composed of over 400 local business located in areas like Burnet Road, West Lynn Street, North Loop Boulevard and South First Street. The districts were created in 2004 without city funding but since 2008 have received funding through the City of Austin's Small Business Development Program.

After the 2012-2013 contract was cancelled earlier this year, the City of Austin has vied for greater control of the districts. The new agreement includes new conditions including the requirement that the City of Austin Small Business Development Program approve marketing materials prior to distribtution, that they be given a guided tour and introductions to businesses involved and be given email contact information for all business owners, and that a Raney Street district be created.

What began as an indepedent business venture created to support local business has now become an organization controlled by central planning. The measly $50,000 over nine months granted to IBIZ districts pales in contrast to the over $10,000,000.00 in giveaways doled out to major corporations in the past year. Simply by following the money, it becomes apparent which businesses are the true priority of the City of Austin municipal corporation.

http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/news/2013/08/23/city-council-to-refund-ibiz-districts.html

http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/news/2013/08/20/city-council-may-renew-local-business.html

http://www.austinchronicle.com/news/2013-08-23/then-theres-this-even-more-reason-to-buy-local/

AUSTIN SCHOOLS STRUGGLE TO GRADUATE LOW INCOME STUDENTS

by Clay Dafoe
August 25, 2013

A recent study published by the Austin American Statesman shows that the Austin Independent School District has the worst rate of graduation for low income students out of all big city school districts in Texas. Out of the district's 2,400 low income students, about 79% graduate from high school. Those figures remain a problem for AISD who has a target of reaching a 90% overall graduation rate.

In May of this year, voters passed two AISD bonds while rejecting two others. The approved bonds will purportedly dedicate $140 million to technology, energy and classroom equipment initiative and another $349 million to facility repairs and renovations. 
Both bonds passed with barely over 50% of the counted votes. The Texas Education Agency has rated the Austin district "Academically Acceptable," the second lowest of four in the ratings.









http://www.mystatesman.com/news/news/local-education/austins-graduation-rates-lag-for-low-income-childr/nZbtP/?icmp=statesman_internallink_textlink_apr2013_statesmanstubtomystatesman_launch

http://www.kvue.com/news/Austin-schools-lag-behind-peers-in-graduating-low-income-students-221012631.html

COMPLAINT SAYS AUSTIN POLICE CHIEF ACEVEDO INTIMIDATED SHOOTING OFFICER'S ATTORNEY

by Clay Dafoe
August 24, 2013



 Austin Police Chief Art Acevedo has written an apology letter to Nadia Stewart, the attorney for detective Charles Kleinert who shot and killed Larry Eugene Jackson, Jr. during a police chase in early August, according to KXAN News. Police Chief Acevedo told Stewart that her husband would be contacted by Austin Police Department's Internal Affairs Division in regard to an apparent leak of information surrounding the case of the shooting death of unarmed Larry Eugene Jackson, Jr, a 32 year old Austinite.

Reports show that Chief Acevedo was ordered to write a formal apology to Nadia Stewart after being confronted with the information by City Attorney Karen Kennard. However, none of the members of the Austin City Council have yet to use their powers of investigation vested in them through the Austin City Charter to review the APD shooting of Larry Eugene Jackson or the conduct of Police Chief Art Acevedo. Earlier this month, the Texas Civil Rights project requested the federal government investigate the Austin Police Department's use of lethal force that has resulted in the deaths of nearly a half dozen citizens in recent years.

http://www.kxan.com/news/local/austin/acevedo-ordered-to-apologize-over-leak-remark

http://www.kvue.com/news/Acevedo-ordered-to-apologize-after-comments-related-to-officer-involved-shooting-220437251.html

http://www.kxan.com/news/acevedo-says-he-didnt-leak-shooting-account-details

FORMULA 1 CONTROVERSY CONTINUES WITH ROAD EXTENSION DEBATE

by Clay Dafoe

August 24, 2013

According to the Austin American Statesman, the Travis County Commissioners Court received a presentation from the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority last week in which they requested tentative approval of an unspecified amount of taxpayer dollars for a project to expand Elroy Road in southeastern Travis County. Elroy Road is the main street that leads to Circuit of the Americas' Formula 1 race track. Near the track Elroy Road is a two lane strip and traffic congestion caused by race events and periodic evening concerts has lead to the call to expand the road.

In 2011, the Austin City Council approved a measure that doled out $250,000,000.00 in taxpayer funds over a 10 year period to Circuit of the Americas and since then several car racing events have been held at the venue. The Elroy Neighborhood Association President Cathy Olive gave testimony, and imparted that "to say that this is for the neighborhood is a joke." Olive suggested that Circuit of the Americas and the City of Austin foot the bill for such a project as they are the groups reaping the benefits from the events. Travis County Commissioners were also skeptical of the need for county committment when a formal proposal with a specified amount will not be ready for another week. But in all likelihood something is in the works. Both the City of Austin and Travis County Commissioners Court have a long history of catering to the public funding the needs of special interests.


http://www.mystatesman.com/news/news/local-govt-politics/citing-need-for-firm-cost-estimate-travis-commissi/nZTkk/?icmp=statesman_internallink_invitationbox_apr2013_statesmanstubtomystatesmanpremium

http://austin.ynn.com/content/news/294896/commissioners-unlikely-to-foot-bill-for-road-improvements-near-f1

http://www.keyetv.com/news/features/top-stories/stories/county-considers-costs-road-cota-11545.shtml

http://www.kvue.com/news/Road-Expansion-near-COTA-considered-by-Travis-County-Commissioners-220420471.html

JAMES BARTON, SHOT AT BY AUSTIN POLICE, WILL SUE

by Clay Dafoe
August 24, 2013

On a May morning during a traffic stop at Airport Boulevard and 12th Street, 55 year old James Barton was shot at by Austin Police Department officer Justin Boehm. Upon being pulled over, Barton apparently got out of his vehicle and began walking toward the officer. Officer Boehm then took at his weapon and fired one bullet at Barton that missed. James Barton then returned to his car where he suffered a panic attack that resulted in his receiving car at Brackenridge Hospital.

Barton explained during a press conference that he got out of his vehicle and approached the officer because he was taught to do that during driver's education class. The Texas Civil Rights Project is preparing a lawsuit in which the City of Austin will be sued over the incident.

http://www.keyetv.com/news/features/top-stories/stories/lawsuit-planned-over-may-officerinvolved-shooting-11533.shtml

http://austin.ynn.com/content/news/294897/man-shot-at-by-police-taking-legal-action-again-city
 
http://www.statesman.com/news/news/crime-law/man-who-police-shot-at-during-traffic-stop-sues-ci/nZYCc/

MAN DROWNS TO DEATH AT BARTON SPRINGS POOL

by Clay Dafoe
June 6, 2013

A 21-year old man Timothy Guerra died on Wednesday, June 5th at the historic Barton Springs Pool in south Austin, Texas after drowning to death. After reportedly being under the cool 68 degree waters for approximately 30 seconds, the breath of life escaped Mr. Guerra and he was later pronounced dead shortly after 6:00 p.m. Central Standard Time. According to YNN, friends who personally knew Timothy Guerra pulled him from the ancient springs and uncovered his lifeless body before the 13 lifeguards on duty at the time reached him. The death of Timothy Guerra is the first reported drowning of an individual at Barton Springs Pool since the year 1990.

http://www.kvue.com/news/Father-speaks-about-learning-of-sons-Barton-Springs-Pool-death-210484471.html
http://austin.ynn.com/content/top_stories/292332/barton-springs-pool-incident-serves-as-stark-summer-safety-reminder
http://www.keyetv.com/news/features/top-stories/stories/barton-springs-pool-safety-top-priority-9072.shtml

AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL SPENDS $3,900,000.00 TO CHANGE AUDITORIUM SHORES, RELIES ON C3 PROMISES

by Clay Dafoe
June 6, 2013

The Austin City Council has voted to approve the transfer of nearly $4,000,000.00 of funds from the Parks and Recreation Department to the Special Revenue fund in order to renovate Auditorium Shores just south of the Colorado River adjacent to downtown Austin, Texas. Auditorium Shores has long been home to numerous events and specifically concerts hosted by the City of Austin.

While many of those city sponsored events during certain times of year have historically been free, other private groups such as the Austin Reggae Festival formerly known as Marley Fest and the Austin Food & Wine Festival have been known to charge sizable prices for admission. The initiative to move $400,000.00 in funds to fund an architectural firm The Broussard Group, Inc. d/b/a TBG Partners and its design plan and $3,500,000.00 in funds to allocate on unspecified changes to Auditorium Shores is predicated on the claim that $3.5 million will be paid back to the City of Austin by C3 Entertainment, the music promotions group who runs the Austin City Limits Music Festival and owns Stubb's Barbecue on Red River Street in downtown Austin.

http://www.kvue.com/news/Austin-City-Council-meeting-210495741.html
http://austin.siretechnologies.com/sirepub/mtgviewer.aspx?meetid=403&doctype=agenda 
http://austin.siretechnologies.com/sirepub/cache/2/v2tzdteib5s2waogn2ojx1re/51776406072013120417651.PDF

ACC TO REVAMP HIGHLAND MALL, MORE MIXED-USE RESIDENTIAL CONDOS TO COME

by Clay Dafoe
June 4, 2013

Austin Community College's board of trustees is mulling over the future of its recently acquired property at North Central Austin's well known Highland Mall. They are considering a proposal from Red Leaf Properties to create mixed-use residential and retail condominium development in the almost abandoned mall space along Interstate 35 and Airport Boulevard. Impact News reports that Matt Whelan of Red Leaf Properties testified to the board that overall construction of the massive retail-residential condominiums may take a period of 10-20 years to complete. Permitting of the building of these properties has yet to begin and must go before the Austin City Council elected representatives to be approved. Matt Whelan recently met with Northfield Neighborhood Association in which he outlined plans for the groundbreaking changes and corporate redevelopment of the sprawling Highland Mall. ACC plans to use the space to create a massive new campus that includes a wellness center, a fine arts complex, a educational culinary space and a center for hospitality which appears to cater to service industry job training.

http://impactnews.com/austin-metro/central-austin/plans-for-acc%27s-highland-include-apartments,-retail/
http://www.kxan.com/dpp/news/local/austin/acc-breaks-ground-on-highland-mall
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lF_mcTBLzgc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0u4h3aRVAY

NEW AUSTIN CENTRAL PUBLIC LIBRARY BREAKS GROUND

by Clay Dafoe
June 4, 2013

On Thursday May 30th, Mayor Lee Leffingwell and officials with the Austin Public Library system broke ground on what will become the new Austin Central Public Library on the banks of Shoal Creek and the Colorado River in downtown Austin. The project stems from a bond package which was approved in the year 2006, which will allocate $90,000,000.00 for the construction of the state-of-the-art library. According to KVUE News, the structure will be a five story 200,000 square feet building and will feature large windows, its own self-contained rain irrigation system and enlarged reading rooms and event spaces. The fate of the current central library at Guadalupe Street and Ninth Street, the John Henry Faulk branch built in 1979, remains unknown. The library will be set to open reportedly sometime in spring 2016.

http://www.kvue.com/news/editors-pick/New-downtown-Austin-library-breaking-ground-209480921.html?google_editors_picks=true
http://www.myfoxaustin.com/story/22220530/new-central-library-groundbreaking-set-for-may-30
http://austintexas.gov/news/city-break-ground-new-central-library-shoal-creek-area-project

BRUCE TODD APPOINTED TO TRAVIS COUNTY COMMISSIONERS COURT

by Clay Dafoe
June 4, 2013

The Travis County Commissioners' Court has a new member this week. Bruce Todd was appointed to the Place 2 position, which was recently vacated by former Commissioner and current candidate for County Judge Sarah Eckhardt. Bruce Todd previously served as Mayor of Austin from 1991 - 1997. Concurrent with his appointment to the Commissioners' Court in Travis County, Todd has said he will not officially resign his position as a registered lobbyist with the law firm Linebarger Goggan Blair and Sampson, LLP but claims he will not work as a lobbyist in Travis County during his term. Todd was appointed by retiring County Judge Sam Biscoe. Both will serve the remainder of the terms which will expire on January 1, 2015.

http://impactnews.com/austin-metro/central-austin/former-austin-mayor-tapped-for-commissioner-seat/
http://www.kxan.com/dpp/news/texas/ap_texas/Former-Austin-mayor-Todd-joins-county-commission_39791546
http://austin.ynn.com/content/top_stories/292274/biscoe-taps-bruce-todd-for-precinct-2-seat

CITY COUNCIL LAYS AUSTIN ENERGY CONSULTANT GOVERNANCE PLAN ON THE TABLE

by Clay Dafoe
May 22, 2013

The Austin City Council meets this Thursday, May 23rd when more is expected to be revealed about the elected representatives' plans for either approving, qualifying or denying a plan that would create an independent oversight board that controls decisions implemented by the city-owned Austin Energy utility corporation. A recent op-ed article co-written by Mayor Lee Leffingwell and Councilman Bill Spelman argued that City Council members not be expected to constantly plan electric rates of the taxpayer-funded utility provider "with nearly a million people coming to town in the next 20 years." While Mayor Lee Leffingwell at first supported the plan to have a consultant board of energy experts appointed to make all rate decisions of the utility, he now says that "we would be better off just withdrawing this whole proposition." The plan received fierce opposition from citizens of Austin who last year suffered a nearly 10 percent increase on the average cost of their monthly electric bills.

You can contact each Council member's office at the Austin City Council by calling the Austin City Clerk at (512) 974-2210.

  
http://www.kutnews.org/post/council-tables-independent-oversight-austin-energy-0
http://www.politifact.com/texas/article/2013/may/21/mayor-warns-1-million-people-coming-town/

ISRAEL HEIGHTENS INTERNATIONALLY DRIVEN CONFLICT IN SYRIA

by Clay Dafoe
May 22, 2013

A non-deadly clash at the Syria-Israel border on Tuesday is precipitating heightened tensions of potential international conflict with war-torn Syria. The disturbance occurred along the Golan Heights according to The Australian, where last week Israeli government authorities claimed that strikes caused the closing down of a tourist site at Mount Hermon. Some Syrian troops reported that an Israeli tank that crossed over the border line was a struck, an event that the Israeli Defense Forces deny fiercely. The area involved is land that Israel annexed from Syria after in the 1967 Six Days War.

 Lieutenant General Benny Gantz of the Israeli Defense Forces warned Syria with threatening language that if fire from outside the border is not stopped, they "will have to bear the consequences." While Syria's embattled ruler of the government Bashar Al-Assad has been accussed of war crimes by US government officials, other recent reports have shown that the US military has supplied covert aid to the so-called "rebels" who initiated a contained conflict that has now exploded into a far-reaching and bloody civil war. Some estimates of war related deaths in Syria show that 80,000 have died in the past year alone.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/world/israel-warns-syria-over-golan-heights-clashes/story-e6frg6so-1226648194510
http://www.smh.com.au/world/israel-syrian-army-exchange-gunfire-20130522-2jzoh.html
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/israeli-syrian-troops-trade-fire-in-golan-heights/2013/05/21/a5a78532-c21d-11e2-8c3b-0b5e9247e8ca_story.html

DEADLY TORNADO TEARS THROUGH CENTRAL OKLAHOMA

by Clay Dafoe
May 22, 2013

A tornado that ripped through Moore, Oklahoma on Monday has killed 51 people. The last tornado of this deadly magnitude killed over 40 people in Oklahoma in the the spring of 1999. Those living in Moore, outside of Oklahoma City, had just 16 minutes warning to prepare for the funnel cloud as noted by Reuters. Winds went beyond 200 miles per hour and affected an area wider than 17 miles. It is estimated that nearly 300 people were injured by the massive storm and others may still be trapped by the rubble wrought by the tornado.

To help those in Moore, Oklahoma, donations can be made locally in Austin, Texas, through the Austin Disaster Relief Network, which can be reached at 9508 Jollyville Road, Suite 103 or by visiting adrntx.org. Also, donations are being accepted through the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma which can be reached at regionalfoodbank.org.

http://www.cnn.com/2013/05/21/us/oklahoma-tornado-updates/index.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/21/oklahoma-tornado-aftermath-moore_n_3311361.html
http://www.kxan.com/dpp/news/how-to-help-and-shelter-information-red-cross-donate-money-deadly-moore-oklahoma-tornado
http://www.adrntx.org/index.php/about/contact-us/