NWACA Ice Cream Social
Doss Elementary School Parking Lot
2-4pm, Saturday, May 11

The City of Austin and the Invaders of Texas Program have partnered to train
local volunteers on invasive plant species identification and monitoring.
Volunteers will work with city staff to develop a base map of where invasive
plant species are located on City lands, and that information will be used to
prioritize sites for treatment or removal of invasive plant
species.
 
The goal is to train 180 “citizen scientists” who are
willing to dedicate at least 20 hours of service during the summer monitoring
season. Volunteers must attend a FREE one day workshop on May 11, May 18, or  June 8.
 
Learn more and register: www.austintexas.gov/invasive

Open forum discussion of changing regulatory environment for regulations
related to landscaping during drought conditions in Central Texas,May 15th,
11am-2pm in the ballroom of the Home Builder Association of Greater Austin,
Phillips Events Center, 8140 Exchange Drive. 

Panel of water utility representatives, municipal regulatory agencies,
landscapers association, and HOAs will discuss opportunities for reform and best practices. For more information, www.hbaaustin.com under Events Calendar.

Tuesday May 7, 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm


Location: 1201 E Rundberg Lane at Gus Garcia Rec Center

Bruce Elfant, Travis County Tax Assessor Collector-Voter Registrar will be deputizing folks to do voter  registration. Only one Saturday training is required.

Where: First Unitarian Universalist Church of Austin
4700 Grover Avenue

**Grover dead-ends at the church. Park in the south side parking lot and follow signs to the office. Each week,  someone will be at the office to show you where to go.

WHEN: April 20, 2013 - 10A
April 27, 2013 - 10A
May 4, 2013 - 10A
May 11, 2013 - 10A

Should last about an hour, depending on Q&A's

PLEASE CHOOSE THE SATURDAY WHEN YOU CAN ATTEND AND SIGN UP:

volunteerdep.registrartraining@gmail.com

More training is available through  Travis county:

http://www.co.travis.tx.us/tax_assessor/press_releases/2013_volunteer_registrar.asp

From Irene Koenig, Quail Hollow:

http://pflugervillepflag.com/2013/04/21/school-board-candidates-discuss-education-issues-at-chamber-forum/

This link above will give you more information on the elections which are coming very very soon. The incumbents, Acosta and Fletcher, both who have been on the School Board for years and have backgrounds in teaching and education and who are well respected, now have two contenders who basically are running on the platform of denying benefits to domestic partners. Pflugerville ISD is the first school district in the State to offer benefits to domestic partners who are gay. If the contenders get elected, they will influence the School Board for years to come, not only in their own views, but in the choice of a Superintendent. The incumbents have helped guide the school district for a number of years, even while it is facing problems with lots of additional students, and often students whose first language is not English. They have done a good job.

I cannot give you political advice on how to vote, because that is not what this neighborhood association is for.

What I can tell you is the the Texas Freedom Network, which carefully monitors issues of separation of church and state, is endorsing the incumbents and if any one is interested in seeing their endorsement and take on the situation, just let me know and I can forward it to you.

In addition, a local minister wrote about having heard of a particular church that has many practitioners who live in the School district,  advising its practitioners to make sure to vote and to vote as the Bible would advise them according to their Christian credo that was espoused in this particular church, or something to that effect.

I don't have first hand knowledge of this, but it came from a reputable source, who is trying to confirm this outside of the information he personally received.

As I said, I don't feel that I should be giving you any particular advice, but I do think you should take a few minutes to read up on this, and then go cast an educated vote. We make up the Pflugerville School District, and we have the opportunity to have a say in who is running it. Please go and vote either tomorrow or May 11.

More info:

http://www.mystatesman.com/news/news/local/domestic-partner-benefits-a-campaign-issue-in-pflu/nXXCT/?icmp=statesman_internallink_textlink_apr2013_statesmanstubtomystatesman_launch

Early voting has started. Regular voting day is May 11. Please vote!

http://cms.pflugervilleisd.net//site/Default.aspx?PageID=3377

On Thursday, May 9, 2013 the Austin Police Department’s Office of Community Liaison will be hosting the 1st “Home  Away from Home” event to welcome newly arrived immigrants to the Austin community. 

The event is scheduled to  begin at 10 a.m. and last until 3 p.m. at the North Austin YMCA, 1000 W. Rundberg Ln.

This event is designed specifically to introduce APD and other community services to our newly arrived  immigrants.  All are welcome to attend.

AISD will be providing free transportation from several AISD campuses (Walnut Creek, Hart, Graham, Dobie, Reagan,  and Pickle) to and from the YMCA.  Buses will begin pick-up at Walnut Creek Elementary School starting at 9:30  a.m.  For more information about transportation, please contact Walnut Creek – The Eagle Talk Show, 512-841-4600.

The following classes will be presented by APD:

Being Prepared for 9-1-1 (11:00am-11:30am)

Personal Safety (11:30am-12:00pm)

Victim Services (12:00pm-12:30pm)

Auto Theft Prevention (12:30pm-1:00pm)

Traffic Stop Procedures (1:00pm-1:30pm)

APD Explorer Program (1:30pm-2:00pm)

Neighborhood Watch (2:00pm-2:30pm)

National Night Out (2:30pm-3:00pm)

Members of the Texas House State Affairs Committee got a bit of insight into the fight around ongoing Austin Energy governance issues on Wednesday night.  And, although the bill was left pending by the committee, it is likely to be voted out and go to the full House at the committee’s next meeting.

Last month, City Council endorsed Senate Bill 410, drafted by Senator Kirk Watson (D-Austin) that would allow them to move Austin Energy's reporting from city management's watch to a yet-to-be-created board. Council voted 5-1 to support the legislation, with Council Member Laura Morrisoncasting the lone vote of opposition. (Council Member Kathie Tovo was absent.)

Thursday at 7:00pm
 
Prince of Peace Lutheran Church
 1711
East Oltorf St
 Austin, Texas 7874
 
Hosted by Workers
Defense Project and Austin Interfaith, this town hall meeting will be a great
opportunity to learn about what you can do to help pass immigration reform with
a clear pathway to citizenship. Congressman Doggett will be there to talk about
what Congress is doing to pass immigration reform and about what still needs to
be done--what we need to do to make his happen!
 
Come out, bring
your families and join us in calling on our representatives to take a stand and
support comprehensive immigration reform that keeps families together and
protects workers rights!
 
https://www.facebook.com/events/358967737547490/

One - Sound Off on The  Urban Rail 'Recommendation'
 
The regional transportation body CAMPO  has made a recommendation for Austin's first urban rail line. The recommendation  is for phase one priority alignment to connect downtown to the Mueller  Development and passes through the UT Campus on San Jacinto Street in front of  DKR Stadium. 

This connection makes no sense. North Lamar is one of the six busiest
bus routes in the city, and serves 1 out of 5 Austinites. Sending the rail out
to Mueller, instead of laying the rail where the need (and where it will support
the North Corridor plan) does make sense.

We're not the only ones that think that way. This week, The Daily Texan
published an editorial supporting a UT Student Government resolution calling for consideration of a Guadalupe and North Lamar urban rail alignment. The
resolution was passed unanimously on Tuesday night: 

http://bit.ly/dailytexan-rail 

That's right - 50,000 students are saying North Lamar is where they
need the rail to run. It's time for Capital Metro and CAMPO to get a clue.  

Capital Metro is still soliciting input on the Project
Connect plan, and its rail recommendation to Mueller, but time is running out.
Please help North Austin and UT by weighing in:

http://ideas.capmetro.org/discussions/project-connect-regional-transit-system-vision/topics/what-questions-do-you-have-regarding-the-project-connect-vision

Tell them we want our tax dollars to go to North Lamar - where the
population and the need is!
 ____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Two - Educate Yourself of the AISD Bonds, then VOTE!

Early voting starts this week and we have lots of info on the AISD  Bonds on our website:

http://www.lovenorthaustin.com/voting-infolinks.html
 
Remember  - Good Neighbors  Vote!!!
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Three  - Help Us Build Strong Neighborhoods and Strong Schools 

We made the news!

impactnews.com/articles/north-austin%.2%(0%)9s-inaugural-garden-tour-raises-funds-for-school-beautification/ 

What will ten dollars buy you?

 -Beautification/garden projects at 3 North Austin Schools this
fall.
 -Support of the only event that is for North Austin.
 -Support of Entreprenuers & Local Artists in North Austin. This
first year, we are starting small with a garden tour, but next year we will be expanding it to be a studio and garden tour. 
-The knowledge that you've sent a clear message to City Hall that yes,
North Austin does care about our city and we support our schools.

More info:

https://www.facebook.com/NxnaGardenTour
 
Garden Tour – June 1
Garden Talks & Photography Exhibit – June 2

Tickets are $10 and can be purchased:
 
https://nxna.ticketbud.com/nxnagardentour
 
When  the ticket is purchased, you will be given the locations of 3 starting gardens  where you can get your map. Proceeds from the tickets and sponsorships go to Austin Voices and will be used by the North Austin Community School Alliance for  gardens and beautification of North Austin Schools!
 
http://www.lovenorthaustin.com/2013-garden-tour.html

Next meeting for the garden tour is May 4th, at the YMCA on Rundberg -
10-11:30. We rneed help in some last minute organizing and volunterring for the day of the tour,