Each August, City Hall watchers are treated to City Council returning from recess and beginning arguably their most important task. What’s that, you might be asking yourself? The answer is crafting and adopting the upcoming fiscal year’s budget. Early each August, the City Manager presents to City Council and the public their proposed budget. This stage is both the culmination …
Bills Propose Sporting Goods Sales Tax Be Directed to Parks as Intended Up at the Capital, legislators are considering bills (SB 26, SJR 24, HJR 39, and HR 1214) that would amend the Texas Constitution to ensure that sales tax collected from the sale of sporting goods is dedicated to Texas State Parks and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department …
By Elizabeth McGuire If you were planning an expansive, open-ended trip to the other side of the globe, how would you spend your last days at home? Tying up loose ends? Buying supplies? Saying goodbye to friends? Triple-checking your passport and flight details? If you were Eric Nichols you would be raising money for a treasured hometown organization. This past …
By Elizabeth McGuire Chuck Foster grew up doing community service alongside his family and was encouraged at an early age to take on leadership positions whenever possible. No matter what. “My mom taught us that regardless of what state you’re in—money or no money—you give back to the community,” he said. That message stuck with him, and as it turns …
By Elizabeth McGuire When the Statesman Capitol 10,000 weaves through Austin for its 41st annual race on April 8th, race director Jeff Simecek will have “every job and no job.” He will be at the start and the finish, and of course communicating with his team throughout, but by the time the gun goes off, much of his work has …
By Elizabeth McGuire Big changes are happening to a small park in southeast Austin, thanks to a handful of persistent community members. Houston School Park, which is adjacent to Josephine Houston Elementary, was recently awarded a $100,000 APF Impact Grant to build a multi-purpose pavilion that will serve both the school and its surrounding neighborhood. Spearheaded by park adopter and …
By Elizabeth McGuire In one of the oldest neighborhoods in Austin, a team of stewards is working to preserve their park and to inspire others to follow suit in their own neighborhoods. Three leaders of Friends of Shipe Park—Jill Nokes, Alison Young and Mark Fishman—have worked with Austin Parks Foundation and countless volunteers to keep Shipe a vibrant, healthy, resilient …
