A Good Day in the Neighborhood

By all accounts, yesterday's Celebrate Allandale picnic was a success! The rain held off until it was over making for a very comfortable day in the park. It was just a relaxing afternoon spent with neighbors.

People enjoyed a nice selection of food from Blue Star Cafeteria,  Dog Almighty, Phoenecia Bakery and Sarah's Mediteranean Grill.  We appreciate their contributions. Also, thanks to Amy's Ice Cream who was scooping out the ice cream. Cold water was supplied by Johnson Properties.

The music lineup was excellent! Many thanks to the Mockingbirds, Dale Watson, Leann Atherton, and the Weary Boys. They made it truly special. I don't think you will find another neighborhood in the City that can brag about bringing together such talent.

In between bands we heard from Allandale Neighborhood EC members Tom Linehan and Allan McMurtry, and from Laura Morrison, President of the Austin Neigbhorhood Council and Representative Elliot Naishtat. The event was emcee'd by Ken McKenzie, a local KOOP radio producer and radio announcer. This was a fundraiser for the Allandale Legal Fund. Between the speakers and the information booths, the message was reenforced - Allandale is no place for a 219,000 sq ft supercenter. The harm it will bring to the neighborhood far outweighs the conveniences and low prices.

At the end of the picnic, the winners of the raffle prizes were announced. They are:
- Jane Rundquist of Silverway - Hot Air Balloon ride
- Norm Kenney of Pegram - Fly Fishing Lessons
- Peyton Middleton of Whiterock - Plasma scooter & Curious George
Thanks so much to our donors: Joe Reynolds, Kevin Hutchinson and Terra Toys!

See our photo gallery of the picnic here. And then go here to see even more pictures taken by Eric Glover.

The fundraising continues however. If you weren't able to make the picnic but want to contribute to the Allandale Legal Fund, you can do so here.

Although it may have seemed like Celebrate Allandale was organized by a professional event planner it was put together by the Allandale Legal Fundraising Committee. This a group of about a eight or nine folks who are not only concerned about the impact a Supercenter will have on the Allandale but are willing to devote a large number of volunteer hours and hard work to keep it from happening. This event was put together in less than 4 weeks time. A big thank you to the Committee and to the volunteers who came out yesterday to help out.

Feel free to leave us your comments about the event. There's discussion about making Celebrate Allandale an annual neighborhood party.

Comments

[Steve Simmons]

Thanks for including us, we really love being part of Allandale. Thanks to all ya'll who came out and ate some Amy's Ice Creams, we are are donating the entire proceeds back to the neighborhood.
Amy and Steve
Amy's Ice Creams and Phil's Ice House

[Emily]

Oh, pooh!
It WAS a celebration!
No need to make ugly comments.
That's so sad!
Maybe you should have come to see Phyllis, our neighborhood heroine, who helped thwart the four-lane highway right through our neighborhood at Far West, so many years ago.
I heard from folks that back then people said, "Why fight? The city will just do what they want!"
Do you see a highway? Nooooooooooooo!
Thank God for people like Phyllis and the people still fighting today to preserve the integrity of our lovely Allandale community!

[Jason Meeker]

Thank you for putting together a great event. Other cities, like Davie, Florida most recently, have proven that the people have the final say in how their neighborhoods grow. Right here in Austin, such plans by developers have been thwarted repeatedly. We have a tough opponent, but the stakes are higher for all of us than they are for them. We will win if we all work together, stay engaged and never surrender. I am proud to be your neighbor.

[iona]

I didn't go because the lawsuit has zero chance of success. While I oppose the Wal-Mart, it is a waste of money to sue. The city followed their rules. A lawsuit only serves to waste money by giving it to lawyers.

I'll come next time. Hopefully the ANA would be motivated to throw a great party to truly celebrate Allandale and not just because they don't like Wal-Mart.