Austin's latest skate and BMX park, located at 11213 Shoal Creek Blvd., is hosting a grand opening today from 10 a.m to noon. The park was granted funding through the 2006 bond election; construction began in October of last year after Austin City Council awarded the construction contract to Prism Development and California Skateparks. Designed by Canada's New Line Skateparks, the park also includes a sculpture by local artist Chris Levack titled "Iron Wave." The park will be open for public use following the ceremony.
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According to Stuart Strong, acting director of the Austin Parks and Recreation, the department has already received feedback from people on both sides of the leash issue but it will be holding an upcoming meeting later this month to discuss this and other concerns facing Auditorium Shores improvements. Once the department has a sense for the public's stance on the issue, it will present the final plan to the City Council for approval. more ›

McCallum High School student arrested after bringing gun and knives on campus. 18-wheeler drove into San Marcos River from IH35 this morning. Another reason not to live in Dallas: Dubya and Laura are moving back there. Schleicher County Sheriff tells why he didn't raid the FLDS compound earlier than last week. Storms (including some tornadoes) tear through West Texas, Arkansas and Oklahoma. more ›

The state fish of Texas, the Guadalupe Bass, is close to extinction according to the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. The species was endangered when it was made the official state fish in 1989. Re-stocking efforts in two Central Texas streams led to inter-species mating with small-mouth bass. more ›

Photo from City of Austin Tree Planting CeremonySaturday, November 10Zilker Park Rock Gardens (2100 Barton Springs Road)(9am, Volunteers Welcome)[info]In observance of Veterans Day, the City of Austin's Parks and Recreation Department is getting together tomorrow morning to plant 57 trees at the Zilker Park Rock Gardens: A special ceremony will honor the dedication and sacrifice of men and women who have fought to preserve our nation's liberty. Following the ceremony, volunteers organized by Tree Folks... more ›

Image from the Pipettes MySpace. the Pipettes with Nicole Atkins and the SeaWednesday, November 7The Parish Room (214 East Sixth Street)$12 in advance, All Ages, Door at 8 p.m.[info] | [tickets]Get your 1960s retro fix with the Pipettes, headlining tonight at the Parish Room. The self-aware manufactured 1960s girl group vibe is somehow much more fun than it sounds, and the Pipettes won our hearts when they put out that deadpan Beyond the Valley of... more ›

Rock y Roll Dia’s second annual Dia de los Muertos concert takes place at 7 p.m. this Friday at La Zona Rosa. Hosted by VJ Paul Saucido (Sonido Boombox on ME Television), last year’s bash was marked by an appropriately eerie atmosphere, a sharp dressed Paul, and international and local musical talent. This year the event is a two day extravaganza, with music from Austin acts such as Boombox and Kanko, and out of state... more ›

The Austin Contrarian did a nice post yesterday on the Design Commission's Density Bonus Recommendations. A "density bonus" isn't quite what it sounds like - developers don't get a bonus for building more density. Instead, developers pay the city (generally to provide money for parks, affordable housing or mass transit) in exchange for the right to build more density. Parks, affordable housing and mass transit are all good things, but density is also a good... more ›

At the regal Riverbend Centre on Saturday night, Joanna Newsom proved why she’s one of today’s most iconoclastic and oddly appealing musicians: not only did she mesh shockingly well with the ultra-classy Austin Symphony Orchestra, but she also managed to get in trouble for hauling a bottle of Maker’s Mark onto stage. And it’s in this almost-accidental appeal to both sides of the concert-going spectrum—as well as an almost embarrassing wealth of talent—that she... more ›

Five years ago you never would have believed it, but it’s true: the harp is so in. And evidence of that is most acute in that elfin goddess of harpsterism, Joanna Newsom, who will be toting her really big harp—and the lilting wordplay that comes along with it—right on down to Austin this Saturday night. And no, it won’t just be her alone lighting up the stage and the eyes of adoring boys at Riverbend Centre, but also our own internationally acclaimed Austin Symphony Orchestra. more ›

Last New Year’s Eve, experimental film artist Luke Savisky gave us the eye. This Halloween season, he'll create a surreal urban oasis on film at one of Austin’s historic parks. It may be hard to top images of a giant eyeball projected on to a downtown water tower, but Savisky’s latest large-scale film installation promises to be just as imaginative—and maybe just a little less creepy. On Friday night, Savisky will present Film Actions VI:... more ›

The long-term future of the crown jewel of Austin municipal golf -- Lions Municipal Golf Course -- is in question after UT's Brackenridge Tract Task Force recommended hiring an outside master planner and redeveloping the land occupied by the course. Lions was built in 1928 and has hosted some of history's most notable golfers. Ben Crenshaw and Tom Kite have won the annual Fourth of July Firecracker Open there, and Ben Hogan's comment on... more ›

• Texas Parks and Wildlife Expo takes place this weekend. Shuttles will be running from Highland Mall to TPW headquarters on Smith School Rd.
• Canyon Lake Gorge, formed in 2002 floods, will open for guided tours tomorrow. The next two months' tours are already full.
• Archeological conservancy v. Cedar Park family: who owns land where Ice Age woman was found in 1982?

CWS Capital Partners seems to be attempting to generate the appearance of grassroots support for their plan to donate land along the southern shore of Lady Bird Lake in exchange for a variance. Extend Our Trail popped up recently as a counter to Save Town Lake. Katherine Gregor at the Chronicle called shenanigans, saying that Extend Our Trail was just a front for CWS. M1EK asked for proof. Katherine added that "Confirmation that CWS... more ›

Interested in finding out more about the actual options for living in downtown Austin? The Downtown Austin Neighborhood Association has its 4th Annual Downtown Living Tour this Sunday, September 30th, from noon to 5 pm, featuring a combination of existing residences, units in new buildings, and sales models of upcoming developments. The tour will start at noon at the lobby of the Carr-America building located at 300 West 6th Street (across from The Belmont). Non-VIP... more ›

Today is National (Park)ing Day, where groups from all around the country get together to create temporary art and beautification projects in metered public parking spots. "National Park(ing) Day is an opportunity to reclaim public parking spaces for parks and open spaces - places for people to enjoy," say event organizers at the Trust for Public Land. "The quality of our daily experience is only enhanced by often neglected necessities like parks, playgrounds, and gardens... more ›

Austin's PBS affiliate KLRU-TV received a record 21 Emmy nominations from the Lone Star Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. The awards dinner will take place in Dallas on Saturday, October 27th. The complete list of KLRU honors includes: KLRU producer Elena Ramirez (Public/Current/Community Affairs Feature Segment category), for her story "Getting By in Austin." This documentary, which aired on Austin Now, focused on the difficulty of families making minimum wage... more ›

The City of Austin wants your input in naming the new 21-acre, $7.3-mililon park just south of Lady Bird Lake. The recently opened area, which houses the Palmer Events Center and the Long Center, is currently dubbed "Town Lake Park," but a "facilities naming ordinance" calls for the park to be rechristened in honor of "an individual(s) (living or dead) or something other than an individual such as a place or natural feature." Submit your... more ›

As you may recall, CWS Capital Partners is trying to build a new residential development in the place of some aging condos on the shore of Lady Bird Lake between the Statesman's offices and East Bouldin Creek (where the hike and bike trail currently dead-ends). The Parks Board has voted to recommend that the Planning Commission deny CWS Capital Partners’ request for a variance that would allow it to build 150 feet from the... more ›

We've just confirmed that Joanna Newsom will be giving a special performance at the Riverbend Centre in October. This will be the first time all of us regular folks stateside will have a chance to experience the whole shebang that audiences in the UK had last year, as she toured Europe in support of . The performance will feature the orchestral arrangements of Van Dyke Parks, who assisted Newsom on the album, and previous performances have garnered praise worldwide -- this isn't one you want to miss. more ›

Three British soldiers killed by American friendly fire in Afghanistan. A new database will crack down on uninsured drivers. Former astronaut Nowak appears in court. Lawmakers to probe safety at Utah mine. Texas parks receive financial boost. Love hurts. Is finding a new place to live in Russia more painful than having fire set to your private parts?... more ›

Next week, the City of Austin will officially unveil Town Lake Park, the latest chunk of land to join the already expansive family of city parks. Austin Parks and Recreation are responsible for some 206 parks, 26 greenbelts and 12 nature preserves, totaling a whopping 16,682 acres. Add 20 acres to that total on August 29, when the city officially celebrates the opening of Town Lake Park. Where is this all coming from, you ask?... more ›

Thanks to yesterday's freak thunderstorms and subsequent flooding, Barton Springs Pool is again closed. Barring another Barton Creek flood, the pool should reopen on Thursday, though we wouldn't bet on it: Austin's extended forecast shows scattered thunderstorms for at least 9 out of the next 10 days. In the meantime, Austin Parks and Recreation Department is keeping Deep Eddy Pool open for extended hours, from 6am-9pm daily. Admission is free between 6am-8am. Photo of Barton... more ›

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Details on the murder that occurred on Juneteenth were sketchy when we posted yesterday (as we mentioned). More details of the event have been culled since then, and here is what the police think happened at this point. Two men in a Ford Taurus were driving near the Booker T. Washington housing development Tuesday night and accidentally hit a 2-year-old boy. The driver of the car got out (to check on the boy, perhaps)... more ›

Are you worried about a use of force by APD so great that it warrants a federal investigation? Do you find the rift between the police department and Austin's black community unsettling? Are you satisfied with the choice for Chief? Do you think that APD is doing a great job and has been given a bum rap? Whatever your thoughts, Austin Listening wants to hear from you. The program is looking to get Austinites'... more ›

Well, the title of this story pretty much says it all. Or, at least most of it. Men's Health magazine recently published a ranking of the top 50 dog-friendly cities in the country. Dear old Austin made the top ten, coming in at 7th place nationwide. Among the criteria that Men's Health considered were animal cruelty laws, the number of veterinarian clinics and the number of dog parks. more ›

This weekend a biker in town for the Republic of Texas Rally was seriously injured in a hit-and-run accident off of Hamilton Pool Road. On Friday, an impatient driver of a mid-size (4dr, dark-colored) sedan decided to try to pass two bikers (illegally), hit Houstonite John T. Rodriguez, then drove off and left the hurt biker in the road. If you know anything about this accident, call (512) 997-4131. And please, watch for bikers on the road. more ›

Californian developer Legacy Partners Residential Development Inc. has broken ground on Legacy@Town Lake, a 31 story rental apartment tower at Rainey and Cummings streets designed by Houston's EDI Architecture. more ›

Earlier this month, Hays County voters rejected a $172 million bond proposal for road expansion. Voters probably aren't concerned about the cost - TXDOT had promised to reimburse the county for $133 million of the $172 million. Instead, Hays County voters appear to be rightfully concerned about induced traffic and a bunch of giant roads mucking up their countryside (both directly and through the strip malls, tract-home suburbs and office parks that are attracted to... more ›