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 …
This year Austin Parks Foundation (APF) turned 25, and it was our best year yet! From the year’s first completed grant to our end of year plans, 2017 was one for the books. But we’re not looking to stop now. Our history has shown continued hard work and persistence so that our parks get the attention they deserve. Since 1992, Austin …
By Elizabeth McGuire Meet Katie Falgoust Like many people, Katie Falgoust spends 40 hours a week working in front of a computer. Unlike many people, when Katie’s not working she is often thinking about vegetables. Or compost. Or mulch. Or water. Katie is an avid gardener and member of the Festival Beach Community Garden. She serves as the Volunteer and …
By Elizabeth McGuire Who is David Rockwood? The Eagle Scout If you meet David Rockwood on the Barton Creek Greenbelt on a sunny fall day, be prepared to hear some philosophizing, some ranting and more than a few references to Boy Scouts. “So you were an Eagle Scout?” you may ask him. “Am. I AM an Eagle Scout,” he will …
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 …
[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”no” equal_height_columns=”no” menu_anchor=”” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” class=”” id=”” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_position=”center center” background_repeat=”no-repeat” fade=”no” background_parallax=”none” parallax_speed=”0.3″ video_mp4=”” video_webm=”” video_ogv=”” video_url=”” video_aspect_ratio=”16:9″ video_loop=”yes” video_mute=”yes” overlay_color=”” video_preview_image=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” padding_top=”” padding_bottom=”” padding_left=”” padding_right=””][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ layout=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” border_position=”all” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” center_content=”no” last=”no” min_height=”” hover_type=”none” link=””][fusion_text] By Elizabeth McGuire …
By Elizabeth McGuire Steps away from an elementary school, whose mission is to encourage big dreams and possibilities, resides a park that once fell far short of its own potential. But not anymore. Thanks to a tireless group of neighborhood volunteers, Odom School Park in South Austin has seen nearly $45,000 worth of improvements in the last three years — …
By Elizabeth McGuire “If everybody grew up with a meditation mindset and the ability to use it to reduce stress, the world would be a much better place.” That conviction anchors and motivates An Dang, co-owner of The Little Yoga House and supporter of Austin Parks Foundation’s Fitness in the Park program. For the last several years Dang has been …
By Michael Barnes – this story originally ran in the Austin-American Statesman For the most part, Thelma Williams — also known as “Grandma Wisdom” — has lived in the St. John neighborhood since early childhood. She remembers when the land — a slice of which recently benefited from an Austin Parks Foundation grant — belonged to the St. John Regular Baptist …
