Fixing School Finance P.18 J. Quinton Johnson P.24 Cold Brew Capital P.36 The Son Also Rises P ...

76 Pages·2017·58.9 MB·English

Fixing School Finance J. Quinton Johnson Cold Brew Capital The Son Also Rises
P.18 P.24 P.36 P.40
APRIL 7, 2017
VOLUME 36, NUMBER 32
austinchronicle.com
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T O P B R A S S
Austin Music Awards
Hall of Fame Inductee
EPHRAIM OWENS
Doesn’t Need to Blow
His Own Horn
BY KAHRON SPEARMAN • P.52
2 THE AUSTIN CHRONICLE APRIL 7, 2017 austinchronicle.com
austinchronicle.com APRIL 7, 2017 THE AUSTIN CHRONICLE 3
CONTENTS
APRIL 7, 2017
VOLUME 36, NUMBER 32
CO-EDITOR & CO-PUBLISHER Nick Barbaro
CO-EDITOR & CO-PUBLISHER Louis Black
EDITORIAL
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Kimberley Jones
NEWS Chase Hoffberger
ASSISTANT NEWS, GAY PLACE
Sarah Marloff
ARTS Robert Faires
FOOD Brandon Watson
SCREENS Josh Kupecki
MUSIC Raoul Hernandez
WEB James Renovitch
CALENDAR
CALENDAR, CLUBS & SPORTS LISTINGS
Mark Fagan
ARTS LISTINGS Wayne Alan Brenner
STAFF WRITERS
Kevin Curtin, Michael King,
Mary Tuma, Richard Whittaker
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
FILM Marjorie Baumgarten
DEAR GLUTTON Emily Beyda 52 COVER STORY: Ephraim Owens PHOTO BY TODD V. WOLFSON
DAY TRIPS Gerald E. McLeod
MR. SMARTY PANTS R.U. Steinberg
PRODUCTION 6 PAGE TWO 40 SCREENS
ART DIRECTOR Jason Stout
PRODUCTIWOENB M DAIRNEACGTEORR C Bhrriias nL iBnanrerny FEEDBACK 40 THE SON RISES WITH PHILIPP MEYER Austin author
DIGITAL STRATEGY Michael Bartnett on adapting his award-winning novel for AMC BY JOE
GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Zeke Barbaro, Carrie Lewis O’CONNELL
STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS John Anderson, Jana Birchum
PROOGFrReEgA SDtEiRttS, DKaant iMelcleN eWvhinitse, 8 NEWS 42 SFmILuMrf sL:I SThTeI NLoGsSt VFirlalangtez,, YGohuors Nt ianm teh,e aSnhde Tll,h eG oZionogk iene Spteyrl’es,
INTERNS Katarina Brown, Isabella Castro-Cota,
SBierrJirSeafh fDo Gniaa Mzm, imTtchihelle,a l DlD, oMikulogicnieht i-GnNieqeruwraeer ldMl,, oMWnariloxl eMF,r ciCeChdaemrltsahenya,, 8 POINT AUSTIN BY MICHAEL KING 48 WSHifeO WTIMES
Pribble, Katie Walsh, Tucker Whatley 10 PUBLIC NOTICE BY NICK BARBARO
ADVERTISING CIVICS 101 50
ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Cassidy Frazier
SENIOR ACCOUNBTo EbXbEyC LUeTaIVthE,S EJleizraalbde Ctho rNdietzr,, 11 Naked City; Council; Lege Lines; Pease Park; Death
Carolyn Phillips, Lois Richwine Watch; K2; and more
ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Carly Callahan, David Kleppe
LEGAL NOTICES Jessica Nesbitt 16 THE HIGHTOWER REPORT BY JIM HIGHTOWER
OPERATIONS COORDINATOR
Kristine Tofte 18 2 + 2 = 5 The Texas Legislature wants to fix school
DIGITAL COORDINATOR finance. Great. Finally. Now how to make the numbers all
Tamar Price
MARKETING DIRECTOR/PR Sarah Wolf add up? BY RICHARD WHITTAKER
MARKETING MANAGER Karena Rogers 23 NEWS OF THE WEIRD
LUV DOC/CIRCULATION/SPECIAL EVENTS Dan Hardick
STREET TEAM Kelsey Baker, Sommer Brugal, Anna
Cherian, Andrea Dane, Andrea Fuentes, Daniela
Garcia,A Oshrclehyi dG Greaerncisat,e iSna, nJdenran aG iHsie, rLriinsgat oGno,s Esleiatts, 22 CALENDAR 50 MUSIC
Huerta, Will Josma, Allen Martinez, Patricia May,
Bobby Mickey, Camille Morell, Andrew Osegi,
Jonas Spira, Coka Trevino, Ally Warren 50 PLAYBACK BY KEVIN CURTIN
NATIONAL ADVERTISING Voice Media Group
(888/278-9866, www.vmgadvertising.com) 24 ARTS & 52 EPHRAIM OWENS The man who wasn’t there? His trumpet
OFFICE STAFF was! BY KAHRON SPEARMAN
OFFCICOEN MTRAONLALGEERR LJiezs Fsria Cnakpline CULTURE 54 RECOMMENDED THIS WEEK Euphoria Fest reggae ascen-
CREDIT MANAGER cindy soo sion Chronixx speaks to the future of the genre, while Drive-
ACCOUNTING ASSISTANT Chelsea Taylor 24 THE WORLD IS WATCHING By Truckers talk politics, plus 15th annual Lonestar Rod &
SYSINTEFMO SD EASDKM/IISNNUI-SBHTSORCUARSTIEOP RPT IHBOIrNLaOSn SCdOaoPrnHr iEWeR aY Hotkuainnngks Jto. Qbuei ninto “nt hJeo hrnosoomn wlehfet rAe uist thina p- KMuusetlolemr, RHoeunnrdy -TUhpr e–a sdtgailrlr,i nKgo othl eK eSiothn,i cCsa (s!)h m– eKrUeT CX aLti,v Ce leaat n
pens”: in Hamilton on Broadway Bandit, Gaby Moreno, Glass Animals, Classhole, Tennis, the
Leticia de la Vega, PCerIryR DCrakUe, JLarAedT EsIqOuivNel, BY ROBERT FAIRES Rides, and more
ToAmn dFareirwc hGiledr,f eRrusb, eSnu zFelottree sJ,o Jhonnsionna, FKoeevli-nS oKminmkaedres,, 25 Fusebox Festival 56 VENUES 45
NEorricm M RceKeidn,n Neyic, kG Rraonste Mmealnc,h Zeer,b P Saouml Mmineorsr,, 26 ARTS LISTINGS Mrs. Mannerly, 2017 28 58 ROADSHOWS +
Bryan Zirkelbach Austin Dance Festival, and “Larry Graeber: CLUB LISTINGS
CONTRIBUTORS Place to Place”
Sam Anderson-Ramos, Greg Beets, Rob Brezsny,
Mary Bryce, Sandy Carson, Isabella Castro-Cota, 32 GAY PLACE BY SARAH MARLOFF
Elizabeth Cobbe, Steve Davis, Doug Freeman, Dan BACK
Gentile, David Brendan Hall, Ryan Hennessee, 34 COMMUNITY LISTINGS
Nina Hernandez, Sam Hurt, Lance Myers, Joe
O’Connell, Caleb Pritchard, Alejandra Ramirez, DAY TRIPS BY GERALD E. MCLEOD 67 THE LUV DOC
Marc Savlov, Jonelle Seitz, Chuck Shepherd,
KahRrooyn T Sopmepakrimnsa,n J,a My iTcrhaacehlt eTonblaenrdg,, TLoibmb yT oWmeobrsrotewr,, 35 SOCCER WATCH BY NICK BARBARO SHOT IN THE DARK
Todd V. Wolfson COMIX
MR. SMARTY PANTS
36
54
68 CLASSIFIEDS
74 CROSSWORD
75 FREE WILL ASTROLOGY
The Austin Chronicle (ISSN: 1074-0740) is published
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POPSeTrMiodAiScTaElsR :P oSsetnadg ea dPdarieds as tc Ahuasntgine,s T tXo. 36 THE GROUND BREAKERS How Austin became the cold
The Austin Chronicle, PO Box 4189, brew capital of the world BY DAN GENTILE
Austin, TX 78765. 38
Dulcis Almond Milk
Ulnimsoitliecdit teod asrutbicmleisss, iaorntsw o(irnkc,l updhiontgo gbruatp nhost, 39 MEAL TIMES
and résumés) are not returned.
4 THE AUSTIN CHRONICLE APRIL 7, 2017 austinchronicle.com
austinchronicle.com APRIL 7, 2017 THE AUSTIN CHRONICLE 5
The Media Has Always Been Biased
The history of American journalism is one of slanted and limited coverage
This past Monday my foot was operated than subjective, reflecting obvious view- Thus the facts that fit their perception are two daily papers, often any number more,
on by the remarkable Dr. Smedley. We’ve points. Which argues that there is an easily the truth. each representing different politics
been so busy on projects we’ve watched knowable, concrete, factual reality. Reporting on Trump depends on the per- and philosophies.
very little television. Spending Monday Except what are the facts? How can they ception as to who Trump is. If you think he Most obviously William Randolph
night in the hospital I watched the news, be relayed without bias? In even simple is the Lone Ranger, a non-politician of Hearst’s yellow journalism ended up with
channel-flipping between stations. situations there are usually at least two uncompromising integrity and devotion to the U.S. invading Cuba. But there were
The dividedness over Trump is even sides, often with very different points of the country, you are going to read his and newspapers that supported labor and those
more extensive than I thought. The new view as to what has happened. A reporter his administration’s actions very differently that attacked it, newspapers that champi-
administration finds not a split country, but talks to both, often at length. Obviously than if you think he is a narcissistic dema- oned racism and segregation as well as
a divided citizenry living in two different only selected quotes are offered, rather than gogue. To argue that there is a truth there, those that denounced and decried them.
worlds. Trump advocates and Trump antag- a full transcript. The choice of these quotes, that there is an objective knowable Trump Opinionated reporting has always existed.
onists have little common ground, sharing the order in which they are presented, and who has some traits of each of those but is Non-opinionated reporting is an opium pipe
precious few perceptions. the outside “factual” details presented neither, does not achieve a truth. It presents dream. Papers were expected to advocate,
The stations trying to report on this unavoidably reflect the another still biased view. offering outright partisan positions – and
administration’s torrent of lies, exaggera- reporter’s opinions. Similarly, reporting on not just on the editorial pages.
tions, and sweeping misstatements are dis- The more complicated Obama depended on percep- There is the largely shared urban myth
missed by Trump loyalists as spreading false and complex a situation, the PAGE tions as to who he was. of liberal bias in mainstream media. True
news. Accusing them of aggressive disloyal- more pronounced the bias of Those who thought he was a believers can explain this with statistics;
TWO
ty, these folks want to shutter and burn them the presentation. Reporting Muslim-loving, America- most reporters are liberal (though most
for their intentional propaganda. Not only is on ISIS for example – the BY hating leader would have a who own media are not) as well as numbers
LOUIS
very little of it false, but for the most part in opinion of those in ISIS, different interpretation than of stories and their supposed obvious bent.
its effort to be fair they err in the direction of those combating them, mod- BLACK those who thought he was a I know no liberal/leftist who embraces
being too accepting, if anything downplay- erate Muslims, liberal and hardworking and intelligent mainstream media, all rejecting it as terri-
ing the administration’s excesses. conservative Americans, president, trying to lead the bly biased. Not in that it reflects their
Fox News on the other hand is an arm of with a shocking array of country forward the best he beliefs but rather it mirrors and endorses
the Trump White House, dismissing any opinions in between, are could and was able. the status quo.
harmful information, playing up and going to all have a very different view as to In such situations, with absolutely pro- Those echoing the liberal charge against
advancing any of the Trump camp’s endless what is going on. There will be some reading nounced differences of opinion, each side mainstream media made their actual con-
excursions into baseless innuendo and this who are outraged at the suggestion that can launch massive assaults of statistics, cerns clear with the advent of Fox News.
unprovable allegations aimed mostly at dis- ISIS is anything but intentionally evil, analysis, historical context, and educated Rather than biased, they were mostly
tracting attention from their own actions. deeply angered at the suggestion that there opinions. Yet each well-substantiated inva- opposed to liberals. Many of those denounc-
Through all of this, smart folks on both may be different ways of perceiving them. sion reaches very different conclusions. ing mainstream media insist Fox News is
sides, as well as those attempting to be even- This position accepts that there is an eas- There is a currently shared feeling that fair and balanced. The interest is not an
handed, decry contemporary reporting, ily knowable God’s-eye view of reality. That news media has reached an all-time low, objectivity or even an attempt at such. It is
lamenting the loss of objective journalism. there are concrete discernible “facts.” being more biased and unreliable than ever in media reflecting our own personal bias.
They say they want news to be objective, Invariably these people also insist their before. The lament is for the kind of fear- These thoughts are red meat not just for all
relating only what really happened, rather perspective is objective and unbiased. less, objective reporting that had helped ideologues but those who champion the non-
make this nation great. partisan middle. Insisting their bias indicates
Except this isn’t true. The history of an actual understanding of reality. It will be
American journalism is one of slanted and attacked, I will be denounced. Regardless, it
limited coverage. During the last century is not about reporting factual objectivity but
almost every major urban area had at least of what and how biases are presented. n

FEEDBACK LETTERS & COMMENTS
THANKS FOR THE FOOTNOTE! official will …” [“Point Austin: The Mayor’s
Tightrope,” News, March 31] hit especially
Dear Editor, close to home for me, literally. Unfortunately,
I have been out of town and am catching up and tragically, he’s wrong. That’s exactly what’s
on my Chronicle restaurant reviews. I just read going on in my hometown of Charlestown, Ind.
Brandon Watson’s review of Grizzelda’s [Food, In an ingenious scheme that the Institute for
Feb. 24] and wanted to say THANK YOU, Justice has referred to as “eminent domain in
THANK YOU, THANK YOU (yes, in all caps) to disguise,” the mayor of Charlestown, working
him for the note at the end of the review about
pricing and ethnic food; I think the comments
posted for this review online make it clear that
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR must be signed with
such commentary is really important in our full name and include daytime phone number,
largely white community here in Austin. Keep full address, or email address. Letters should
up the good work! be no longer than 300 words.
Elizabeth Kohout We reserve the right to edit all submissions.
Letters may not be edited, added to, or
changed by sender once we receive them.
ACTUALLY, THEY DO General email address: [email protected]
Postmarks forum:
Dear Editor, austinchronicle.com/forums/postmarks
Mr. King’s comment that “Cities don’t erase
Mailing address: The Austin Chronicle,
their geographies or their histories by force of PO Box 4189, Austin, TX 78765
6 THE AUSTIN CHRONICLE APRIL 7, 2017 austinchronicle.com
L E B RATIN
E G
with a private developer, is using code enforce- Building inspectors have selectively targeted C
miRmni eodtnrghetee teslooxo pwl iett-hiennersca ioavllmeyre efhai no ncemea ipenges hb.obepo lr“ehr eoodouedt v ooeffl o tPhpleeediar” sh awonmitt he s Pmhptoialgeu ythal htt siehapa esldne et f$ civnR5oee0idldso egp,p eevte hirrho. edolyaam’tryie.eo onWfowshr,nc eseenord sm h toaoemn swdeei toclhlwi t tefnhidnee eritr(shs h )ea omcsma nfeo’ tr I TEEVSMAE RL OEY!N! Y8EA0RS
The Institute for Justice has filed a lawsuit
against the city on behalf of dozens of property 5 DAYS:
OOPS owners in the neighborhood. And on March 30,
BOTH
Ms. Tina Barnes, a city councilwoman and
In the flurry of housing supply num- Pleasant Ridge resident, testified in front of a LOCATIONS
bers appearing in two stories last congressional committee meeting to discuss
week (March 31), our calculators over- the Private Property Rights Protection Act, which
loaded (“Council: Mucho Housing aims to protect property owners’ rights. April 5th
Needed,” and “Point Austin: The Ms. Barnes testified on behalf of the more
Mnuamyobre’srs T iegshttirmoaptei”n)g. hAodudsiningg r ouunnitd ed twhhaonm 3 0ar0e rreestiidreeenst sa onfd Ppleeoaspalen tw Ritihd gliem, imteadn y of and every pair ON SALE!!! to 9th
needs for each residential economic incomes who will have no place to go when they
category, we computed a 10-year need lose their homes. Sadly, many people have We are who we are today
estimate of 138,000 units; in fact, the already been forced out of their homes and the because of YOU, our loyal customers.
neighborhood is already said to resemble a
Strategic Housing Plan generally calls
ghost town. It has been a delight to work and build relationships with each of you.
for a 10-year supply of 135,000 units,
and that’s the number more commonly It’s a case we should all take note of. If the Come celebrate as we look forward to the next 80 years!
mayor of Charlestown succeeds, it won’t be long
employed by city planners. Both num- before other cities use selective enforcement of KARAVELSHOES.COM
bers are roughly equivalent gross esti- municipal codes to forcibly acquire personal 8Ye0a r s! CENTRAL AUSTIN ROUND ROCK
mates, and would only keep pace with property from their citizens. 5501 Burnet Road 201 University Oaks Blvd.
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austinchronicle.com APRIL 7, 2017 THE AUSTIN CHRONICLE 7
NEWS
QUOTE WEEK
of the
“We will batten down the hatches, but we will
be the adults in the room.”
– Judge Sarah Eckhardt during Tuesday’s Commissioners Court
upon learning of cutbacks in the state Senate’s proposed budget
HEADLINES
U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke, D-El Paso, was at Scholz
CITY COUNCIL MEETS Garten on Saturday for a campaign stop following
today, April 6, with a
the Friday announcement that he’ll run against
relatively light agenda but a few Items with chew-
Ted Cruz for a seat in the U.S. Senate in 2018.
able gristle: an economic incentives proposal for
big pharma firm Merck, the formal release of the
Mayor’s Task Force report on systemic racism, the
Strategic Housing Plan, and the return of an APD
body camera contract. See “In the Name of
Innovation,” p.12.
ICE STRIKES AGAIN
ICE agents arrested 24
people in the Austin-Waco area during a recent
sweep, which picked up 153 immigrants in South/
Central Texas overall. Unlike the February raids, the
12-day operation (March 20-31) led to arrests of
only those with previous criminal convictions, offi-
cials say.
LONGTIME LOCAL ACTIVIST
and public
official, John Treviño, the first Chicano elected to
City Council (1975-88), who became mayor pro tem
(with a brief tenure as acting mayor) and also
served as a Capital Metro trustee, passed away
Tuesday. He was 78. Treviño was a harbinger and
catalyst of progressive politics in Austin. His name-
sake metropolitan park is on FM 969 in East Austin.
R.I.P. CHARLES AKINS
AISD teachers,
administrators, and trustees have offered tributes
to groundbreaking educator Charles Akins, who M
U
died on March 29. Akins was the first black teacher CH
R
hired at Johnston High School after the campus BI
desegregated in 1964, and then went on to be the NA
A
district’s first black principal. J
Race Matters
BUILD, BABY, BUILD
An Austin-based com-
pany is among more than 700 bidders who have
offered their services to help build Trump’s pro-
posed border wall between the U.S. and Mexico. THE MAYOR’S TASK FORCE ON RACISM PROVIDES A LENGTHY TO-DO LIST
The company, Black Security Products LLC, built a
portion of the current fencing between the border. The other shoe dropped this week at City all the city’s bona fides as a liberal oasis Tillotson President Colette Pierce Burnette
When asked by the Statesman if he fears backlash Hall, via the report of the Mayor’s Task in deeply red Texas, we retain plenty of and Austin ISD Superintendent Paul Cruz,
for the proposal, president Stephen Neusch said, Force on Institutional Racism and Systemic old-school Southern race-and-class dispari- counsel that if this latest effort to eradi-
“It doesn’t bother me at all. I laugh about it. We’re Inequities – or perhaps the ties, recently aggravated by a cate institutional racism is to be effective,
in the anti-terrorism business.” other 49 shoes, given the size mostly centrifugal economic we’ll all need to engage in “personal soul-
of the task force, appoint- boom. But the mayor’s intro searching,” “life-long intensive training,”
KOSHER IN THE CLINK Texas prisons will ed in November as one POINT (taken from remarks made “courageous conversations,” “developing
guarantee kosher meals for observant Jewish response to two high-profile in March during SXSWedu) deeper consciousness,” and “commit to act
AUSTIN
inmates. Max Moussazadeh, serving a 75-year Austin Police Department to the group’s 70-page report as agents of change.”
sentence related to a 1993 murder, sued the incidents: the 2016 fatal BY sounds rather more grandi-
Department of Criminal Justice in 2005, arguing shooting of unarmed teen- MICHAEL ose: “I am leading the city The Big List
TDCJ’s previous refusal violated both federal and ager David Joseph, and the in learning how to recognize, That invocation is mostly aimed at what
KING
state law, but withdrew his suit on Friday after the abusive 2015 traffic arrest understand and address the report calls, unironically, the “C-Suite”
department agreed to change its rules. (revealed a year later) of racism at its various levels: – corporate slang for the Really Big Shots
Breaion King. At its creation, personal, institutional, struc- – but the rest of us are presumed to be fel-
STATES VS. PERRY
As Texas governor, Rick Mayor Steve Adler empha- tural, and systemic.” low travelers on the Great Austin Racial
Perry boasted about suing the federal government. sized that the primary focus of the task Adler’s the only mayor we’ve got – but Enlightenment Train. I’ll be happy to buy
Now the shoe is on the other foot. Ten states and force would not be personal acts or atti- there’s just enough tone of Great White my own ticket, but there’s enough edu-speak
New York City are suing Perry in his role as Energy tudes, but the institutional structures that Savior in that declaration to evoke a cringe, in the report, compiled by dozens of offi-
Secretary over his suspension of domestic appli- “create unjust and inequitable outcomes.” and the hope that whatever comes out cials, academics, businesspeople, activists,
ance efficiency standards. Fair enough – it should be no secret of this report, it bears more the marks of and miscellaneous pooh-bahs, to make one
to most of us that Austin is not exactly grassroots energy than official presump- wonder what the group’s own “courageous
NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCILMAN
a paradise of racial equality, and that for tion. The esteemed co-chairs, Huston-
CONTINUED ON P.10
A Tuesday shakeup of Trump’s National Security
Council put Perry on the high-stakes assembly.
ONLINE//MERCK IN AUSTIN? | REPORT FROM RACISM TASK FORCE | CITY MANAGER SEARCH |AUSTINCHRONICLE.COM/NEWS
8 THE AUSTIN CHRONICLE APRIL 7, 2017 austinchronicle.com
austinchronicle.com APRIL 7, 2017 THE AUSTIN CHRONICLE 9
NEWS ARTS & CULTURE FOOD SCREENS MUSIC
POINT AUSTIN CONTINUED FROM P.8 Race and Education curriculum, instruction, and assessment do not
create equitable opportunities for all students.”
conversations” must have sounded like. For
But it goes on to single out “special offerings”
example, the report doesn’t just recommend
such as magnet programs and others that
historical study and diversity training, but
High drama at the marathon school board outside his purview. The circular trail became “may be subject to access factors and admis-
specifically branded “Beyond Diversity™”
meeting Monday night, as the AISD Board too difficult to follow, and devolved into mutu- sions procedures that systematically favor
training. And though the work and the
of Trustees received the draft Facility Mas­ al agreement that clearly, a decision had some students over others and produce racial-
report was generated through city govern-
ter Plan, and passed it largely unchanged, been made at some point, by someone, and ly disparate outcomes.”
ment, at least two of its five “sectors” for
on a series of bitterly divided votes. had made it into print in a document clearly
study and reform – education and finance
The major bone of contention was the rec- labeled the “AISD Facility Master Plan,” so it Spring Has Sprung!
banking/industry – important as they are,
ommendation to move the highly rated, and would be silly to go back and revisit it now.
are largely outside the purview of city policy. Austin’s Soil Kitchen is back this weekend, April
highly sought-after magnet high school, the And in the end, that’s the argument that
In fairness, the task force was given a 8-9, offering free and anonymous soil testing by Austin
Liberal Arts and Science Academy, away prevailed, with the board beating down a
very large and ambitious mission, and it Brownfields experts, to ensure your soil is safe and
from the campus it shares with the largely series of amendments on votes that split
has returned with a comprehensive list effective for growing food crops. You must bring soil
poor and minority LBJ Early College High starkly on racial and geographical lines. All
of virtually everything local leadership samples; see complete directions at www.austintexas.
School. It has long rankled that the two six white trustees voted for moving LASA,
(in education, business, health care, and gov/soilkitchen. It’s Saturday, 9am-2pm, and Sunday,
schools are kept rigidly divided – with LASA while the three minority members, represent-
politics) might do to remove tangible and 9am-noon, at Parque Zaragoza Rec Center, 2608
upstairs, and LBJ downstairs – so that the ing largely minority Eastside districts,
intangible obstacles to more equitable Gonzales, and coinciding on Saturday with the free
disparity in educational environments and opposed the move, and eventually voted
outcomes for all Austinites. The count East Austin Garden Fair, www.tcmastergardeners.org,
offerings is always on view. And now the offi- against the entire Master Plan.
comes to more than 200 recommendations, which offers a variety of activities including building a
cial plan is not to reintegrate the schools, as Now FABPAC moves on to the second half
ranging from myriad “equity assessments” rain barrel, keeping bees, and raising backyard chickens.
some have long wanted, but to move LASA to of their charge: to prepare recommendations
to expanded training for former inmates.
an entirely new campus, at a cost upward of for a November school bond election
Very few of the recommendations are new, Zilker 100 – Zilker Park Free Day – This Sunday,
$100 million, to an undetermined location. which would begin to pay for the facility plan.
although it’s helpful to have them itemized April 9, Zilker Park celebrates its 100th anniversary,
Worst of all, no one was And the LASA/LBJ controversy
in this comprehensive way. And it’s prob- offering free access to the pool, the Zilker Zephyr, and
willing to step up and take will cast a large shadow there,
ably best not to have price tags attached to Umlauf Family Day, as well as special programming at
credit for the decision. When as well: The district has an
many of the proposals, as the cumulative PUBLIC Austin Nature & Science Center and around the park,
trustee Ted Gordon com- estimated $3.6 billion backlog
dollar signs would have generated head- presented by PARD and the Austin Parks Foundation.
plained about this major move NOTICE in deferred maintenance, and
lines obscuring the broad fundamental There’s a Celebration Kickoff at the Zilker Caretakers
being included in a long-range some dire needs for over-
changes that need to be made. plan, without ever being decid- BY crowding relief. But if LASA is Cottage at 9am. See details at www.zilker100.org/free.
NICK
Best-Laid Plans ed or even proposed at the the single biggest-ticket item
Duncan Neighborhood Park, the largely undevel-
One urgent recommendation that does board level, other trustees BARBARO on the list, it gives anti-tax oped Downtown tract between Ninth and 10th streets,
countered that this was the opponents of all stripes a
carry a prospective cost is for an afford- is an overlooked gem in PARD’s portfolio. But as
measured recommendation of mighty big target to go after.
able housing fund, based on a “Denver Downtown expands inexorably, use of this largely
the Facilities and Bond
model linkage fee” of $2 per square foot riparian tract along Shoal Creek will continue to inten-
Planning Advisory Ironically, just a few hours
on new construction, which the report sify. A PARD design team, in partnership with the Shoal
Committee, who had looked at the options, after the school board meeting broke up
suggests could raise $60 million annually, Creek Conservancy and stakeholder groups, has devel-
and decided that this was among the dis- Tuesday morning, the Mayor’s Task Force on
$600 million over 10 years. That’s a more oped a preliminary improvement plan based on com-
trict’s top priorities. That brought FABPAC tri- Institutional Raci sm and Systemic
ambitious goal than reflected in the city’s munity feedback, which they’ll present to the public at
chair Cherylann Campbell rushing back to Inequities issued its final report. And wouldn’t
pending Strategic Housing Plan, to which a Community Concept Workshop, Wed., April 12, noon-
the mic to clarify that it hadn’t been their you know it, the first sentence addresses “how
this report and its myriad recommenda- 1:30pm at the park, 900 W. Ninth. See the plan and
decision; her impression was that direction institutional racism and systemic inequities
tions might well be appended. Even setting more at www.austintexas.gov/duncanpark. n
came from administration and consultants. manifest in Austin’s education system, and
aside the big ticket of that 10-year expense
Which made it Superintendent Paul Cruz’s who is affected by it.” The report comes to the Send gossip, dirt, lesson plans, and other
(still less than we’ll be spending over eight
turn to say it wasn’t his call; that would be unsurprising conclusion that “Current school useful grist to [email protected].
years on roadwork), the report sidesteps
the knowledge that the Legislature is cur-
rently considering outlawing linkage fees CIVICS 101 DUTY NOW FOR THE FUTURE
(not yet employed in Texas), and some
state pols have raised the possibility of
outlawing even Austin’s barely effective
THURSDAY 4/06 SATURDAY 4/08 MONDAY 4/10
“density bonus” program.
The report does passingly acknowledge OPEN HOUSE ON ACCESSIBILITY IN KEEP AUSTIN BEAUTIFUL CLEAN PLEDGE TO STEP IN, PART 3 Training on self-
PARKS Community meeting on the ADA Self- SWEEP Annual countywide service day! Volunteers care and how to be allies to targeted minorities. 6-9pm.
Austin’s political isolation on many of these
Assessment and PARD’s System-Wide Transition will focus on 130 projects including on-the-water YWCA, 2015 S. I-35. www.fb.com/events/1208027149294527.
initiatives, but on the whole ignores even the Plan. 6-8pm. Austin Rec Center, 1301 Shoal Creek Blvd. cleanups. 9-11am. www.keepaustinbeautiful.org.
local political context within which any prog- HOW TO CHANGE THE WORLD Screening UNLEARNING CIRCLE: LIBERAL TUESDAY 4/11
ress must occur – and implies an unspoken, of the award-winning doc, part of the Controversy & RACISM AND GET OUT A conversation on MEMBER ORIENTATION/CODENEXT Enjoy
broad public consensus about its conclu- Conversation series hosted by the Humanities Insti- liberal racism, whiteness, and “allyship.” 10am-noon. breakfast, connect with members and staff, and catch an
tute and Austin Public Library. 6:30pm. Terrazas Library, Wildflower Church, 1314 E. Oltorf. update on CodeNEXT. 9-11am. Greater Austin Asian Chamber
sions that simply doesn’t exist. To offer but
1105 E. Cesar Chavez. Free. www.liberalarts.utexas.edu. CODENEXT PUBLIC OUTREACH One more of Commerce, 8001 Centre Park. www.austinasianchamber.org.
one example, a substantial effort to increase
FRIDAY 4/07 session before the maps come out April 18. 2-4pm. BLACK LIVES MATTER AUSTIN hosts their gen-
still-dwindling voter turnout in city elections Anderson High, 8403 Mesa. www.austintexas.gov/codenext. eral meeting. Committees will tackle education, criminal
might help alter the lingering power imbal- COFFEE WITH A COP Meet officers who patrol DIRECT ACTION TRAIN ING Black Sovereign justice reform, health, and more. 6-7:30pm. 1705 E. 11th.
ance between the east and west sides – since Region 2 neighborhoods, and chat in an informal Nation is committed to responding to injustice by OAKWOOD CHAPEL A further update about the
west-of-MoPac boxes, representing 30% of setting. 7-9am. It’s a Grind Coffee House, 4005-A W. Parmer. organizing the community and facilitating demonstra- remains found under the chapel at Oakwood Cemetery.
OLDEST LIVING COMBAT VETER AN A tions. Join the movement. Noon-5pm. Wildflower Church, 6:30-8pm. Chestnut Community Center, 1183 Chestnut.
city residents, generate 50% of the votes.
healing garden at the VA Austin Outpatient Clinic will 1314 E. Oltorf. www.blacksovereignnation.org.
City Council members are well aware be named in honor of America’s oldest living com- WINDSOR PARK BLOCK PARTY Windsor WEDNESDAY 4/12
of that arithmetic, and it’s arguable that bat vet, Richard Overton, thanks to U.S. Rep. Lloyd Park’s first block party! Come for food, music, dance CAPITAL METRO SERVICE CHANGES A public
Mayor Adler owes his 2014 defeat of Mike Doggett and Council Member Ora Houston. 9:30am. demonstrations, and more! Bring utensils and a engagement meeting on the proposed service changes.
Martinez, at least in part, to the fact that VA Austin Outpatient Clinic, 7901 Metropolis. blanket. 1-5pm. Cement Loop, 5811 Berkman #140. Noon-12:30pm. Capital Metro, 2910 E. Fifth. www.capmetro.org.
Austin’s historic voting patterns remain A“WBRHIAETN IDSO S BARNECCTHUAA RCYO?N RFAERC EEN, CE: RenEgaSgIeSmTeEntN oCrgIaAn iFzaEtioSnT – J hoolts –ts a a Lna tailnl-xa gceivsic e vent ONGOING
racially divided. Perhaps that might be a REFUGE, RESISTANCE” Discussion will to celebrate Latinx culture and the youth who’ve FOUNDATION COM MUN ITIES COMMUNITY
future subject of a courageous conversa- focus on recent ICE raids; anti-immigrant executive organized walkouts and protests against immigration TAX CENTER Free tax prep for anyone earning less
tion; in the meantime, the report confirms orders; Texas Senate Bill 4; and the fight to become raids. 1:30-5:30pm. Cantu Pan-American Rec Center, than $55,000/year. Six locations around town; hours vary by
we’ve got plenty to do. n a24 stha,n Rcmtu. a2r.2y 0c6it, yU. T1 c0aammp-5ups.m w. wGwo.rddiovne-rWsithyi.tuet eBxladsg..e, d2u1.0 W. 2100 E. Third. Free. www.resistenciafest.com. location. Free. www.foundcom.org.
10 THE AUSTIN CHRONICLE APRIL 7, 2017 austinchronicle.com