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June ANA Newsletter is Out!

You can get the June edition of the Allandale Neighbor here (requires Adobe Acrobat reader). Topics covered in this issue include: Allandale’s Annual 4th of July Parade, Neighborhood Planning Meeting, Walking Bus, Dead End of 49th Street Block Party, Commander’s Forum, Code Enforcement Reconstruction, Write In Austin, Gullett, Sidewalks on Shoal Creek Blvd, and more. Thanks to editors Phyllis Brinkley and Rebecca Davis and to all of the contributors.

DEADLINE EXTENDED for Shoal Creek Blvd Sidewalk Ballot

MORE INFO -
Save a stamp! In addition to mailing, ballots can be faxed to 974-7084 or scan it to PDF then email the PDF to jennifer.herber@ci.austin.tx.us.

ORIGINAL MESSAGE -

It appears a number of people did not receive a ballot so the City has agreed to accept late ballots if sent in NOW.

Click one of these links for a ballot with the rules in either Word or PDF format:
(In Windows, left-clicking simply opens the file while right-clicking gives choices for opening, saving or printing)
Please pass the ballot on to anyone who needs one.
Don't delay!

Bike to Work Day

Ride_to_work_001Friday was Bike to Work day. Some of you may have noticed the Bike to Work breakfast station set up on Shoal Creek at the entrance to the Far West bridge. I stopped by around 7:15 to visit. There were a number of such stations set up around the City for the annual event. If you wereRide_to_work_003 heading downtown, you would have found one at the Whole Foods parking lot as well (see photo on right). The commute from Allandale to downtown is about 30 minutes and is mostly downhill.

Dog Talk: Dogs Talk!!!

By Cheryl Silver , (512) 454-7219

How big is your dog’s vocabulary? The more you recognize and understand your dog’s communications, the better for him and for you.

Dogs use complex communication to avoid physical conflict and much of that communication is manifested in body language--it may be accompanied by vocalizations. Sadly, I have seen people scold their dogs for communicating and I have seen people attempt to communicate with their dog in ways that will undoubtedly make the dog think that their person is a bit on the demented side….sigh.

Continue reading "Dog Talk: Dogs Talk!!!" »

Nelson Puett

Nelson_puettNelson Puett, owner of Nelson Puett and Associates on Burnet Rd, died Sunday. You can learn about him in today's Austin American-Statesman,  find his obit here and view/sign his online guest book here . The photo on the left  was taken in 1955, one year after he opened up on Burnet Rd., which at the time was considered the outskirts of the City. 

Upcoming Hearings Related to McMansion Ordinance

May 16, Tues – Planning Commission Public Hearing, 6:30 PM, Town Lake Center (Austin Energy building), Assembly Room (1st floor), 721 Barton Springs Road (near the South First Street intersection).

May 25, Thurs – City Council Public Hearing, 6:00 PM,
City Hall Council Chambers City Hall is located at 301 West 2nd Street. Free public parking is available in the City Hall parking garage, which must be entered from the Lavaca Street side.

What follows is a note from Chris Allen posted to the listserve regarding progress of the Single Family Task Force: 

Continue reading "Upcoming Hearings Related to McMansion Ordinance" »

Movie Review: Mission: Impossible III

Any blockbuster sequel with a roman numeral III at the end of its title is only as good as its featured villain. Let's be truthful, if only to ourselves: we've seen the heroes before. We know they're fighting to save our nation. We know they will be betrayed. And we know they will prevail in the end. We love them still, for all their sameness. But in any slick, big-studio sequel, the only unknown is the new bad guy. So, amid the same old barrage of automatic gunfire and explosions, the Mr. Wizard gadgetry, the heart-stopping, acrobatic stunts, the threat of death on a deadline, and the wholesale destruction of billions of dollars in government property, M:I III is very lucky indeed to have Oscar-winning Phillip Seymour Hoffman to kick around. Not since, well, Phillip Seymour Hoffman as Truman Capote have we seen a character who is as cold, heartless, and willing to sacrifice the lives of others to get what he wants as Owen Davian, the really, really bad guy of M:I III.  (Continue reading Mission Impossible III...)

Vote

Voting Information, Guides and Endorsements, copied and modified from a posting to the Rosedale listserve by Ambrose Krump:
City of Austin Election Site, Sample Ballot, Austin Neighborhoods Council, League of Women Voters, Austin Chronicle, and the Austin American-Statesman.

Vote Early in Person
Early voting will be conducted from Monday, May 1, through Tuesday, May 9, 2006. All locations (except as noted) will be open Mon-Sat 7am-7pm and Sun noon-6pm. Permanent Locations (included below) and Mobile Locations.

Continue reading "Vote" »

Violet Crown Festival

WelcomeThe Violet Crown Festival, a community event put on by the Brentwood and Crestview neighborhoods took place yesterday from noon til 7 p.m. (Not sure if it lasted til 7:00 since that was about the time the rains came.) I showed up a little after 4:00 to catch Bruce Robsion and visit some of the artisan booths. Other musical acts included Susanna Sharpe, Jim Stringer & the AM Band, Cowboy Johnson, Abra Moore, The Mother Truckers, and the  McCallum Steel Drum Band. I also stopped awhile at the Community stage to hear some of the  drum show. In addition to  live music, they had lots of arts/crafts vendors, food,  kids' activities and t-shirts. This was the fourth year of the festival. It was a very well organized and a  relaxaing way to spend a Saturday afternoon.  Here are some additional  photos.

Retail Center Update

6800_burnetThe retail center under construction at 6800 Burnter Rd  is progressing along nicely according Sam Buford, the center's developer. To date he has four tenants: the Allandaler Veterinary Clinic, a small liquor store, a check cashing store, and a jewelry store. He says he's in negotiations with other prospective  tenants  but it would be premature to say much more at this time. Sam plans on having tenants moving in late July, early August. I asked him for a sketch of the completed center but he didn't have one suitable for emailing. You can see an early drawing of the site plan here.

Movie Review: American Dreamz

Some satires, like Network, hold a mirror up to society and say, "Here is what you look like. Hate yourself." Other satires, such as American Dreamz, hold up a fun house mirror and say, "How ridiculous you look! So let's all have a good laugh and find a way out of this carnival!" But writer and director Paul Weitz (About a Boy, American Pie) backs away from labeling American Dreamz a satire. In fact, stealing a line from famed playwright (and sometime satirist) George S. Kaufman, Weitz said, "Satire is what closes on Saturday night. American Dreamz is a comedy." Regardless of what genre you think it should occupy, American Dreamz is a bittersweet, funny film -- maybe a satire, maybe not -- that takes aim at American politics, Middle Eastern terrorists, and the cultural phenomenon of reality TV. Never mind that the gun is firing rubber bullets. They still sting, if only occasionally. (Continue reading American Dreamz...)

Recent Thefts in the Neighborhood

Last night one of our resident's house was broken into and a purse stolen. Here's the email posted to the listserve:

"Our house was broken into last night.  My wife's purse was lifted.  We live on the corner of Marilyn Drive and Sara Court.  The door to the garage and the back gate was left open."

The Neighborhood Watch folks on Great Oaks Pkwy just south of Hancock near 45th St. also reported   a recent series of thefts:

Continue reading "Recent Thefts in the Neighborhood" »

Improve Air Quality with an Electric Mower

Central Tx. Electric Lawnmower Program

Gas-powered lawnmowers are a large source of both ozone-forming and greenhouse gas emisssions. Upgrading your lawnmower from gas to electric is a simple way for you to help improve air quality.

Continue reading "Improve Air Quality with an Electric Mower" »

Violet Crown Festival, May 6th

CartoonlogoViolet Crown Festival, May 6, 2006 • 12-7 PM, Brentwood Park • Austin, Texas

MUSIC - Bruce Robison, Susanna Sharpe w. Catavento, Jim Stringer & the AM Band, Cowboy Johnson, Abra Moore, The Mother Truckers, McCallum Steel Drum Band

FUN - Jousting, Rock Climbing Wall, Chess, Moonwalk, And Much More!

COMMUNITY - Neighborhood History & News, Violet Crown Exhibit

NEW! COMMUNITY STAGE - Acoustic Music, Dance, Skits, Youth Performances

ARTISANS' BOOTHS AND SILENT AUCTION

Click here for more information.

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