Results tagged “saveoursprings”

Wednesday afternoon, under a Barton Springs pecan tree wrapped in a pink ribbon, about 50 people gathered for a tree walk sponsored by Save Our Springs (SOS). They came to inspect some of the 28 trees selected for removal and listen to Don Gardner, an arborist retained by SOS to write an independent report. “Once you start looking at a whole bunch of trees,” Gardner told the crowd, “guess what folks, you’re going to find some that should just not be standing any longer.” Though he did not agree with all the recommendations, he praised Austin’s Urban Forestry Program Manager, Walter Passmore, for performing the first comprehensive inspection in one of the region’s most beloved areas. Gardner then delivered the good news/bad news: “My list says 4-6 trees pretty soon, right away, yesterday, and 5 or 6 others that may have to be taken down once we’ve done some more investigating.

Hope in the City, a church in southwest Austin that exists to glorify God by growing devoted followers of Christ in communities that advance His Kingdom in Austin and the nations, is running into trouble with the city. They have been so successful at attracting devoted followers of Christ that there is no longer room in the parking lot. The church would like to build another parking lot in the field between their buildings and Williamson Creek, but city officials denied their request because the church is in the Barton Springs watershed and has used its 15% land cover allowed by the Save Our Springs ordinance. City officials have suggested that church members could take the bus, but that would require a miracle. The church is now suing the city on grounds that their free exercise of religion is being illegally hindered.

Image from SOS Alliance SOS Holiday Party & Silent AuctionFriday, December 7Mercury Hall (615 Cardinal Lane)$10 Suggested Donation, 7pm - Midnight[info]Tonight, the Save Our Springs Alliance will be hosting their annual Holiday Party and Silent Auction at Mercury Hall. In addition to food, drinks and great people, the event will showcase music by two environmentally-conscience local bands, Bill Oliver's Otter Space Band and The Bouldin Creek Bobkats. The Silent Auction features items from over 300...

There will always be chatter about Austin's changing landscape, much as there will always be supporters for both developers and the environment. We want the privilege of taking a dip in a glistening spring-fed pool, but we also want to have a robust economy that allows us to continue working and living in this city. Some would argue that the two desires aren't mutually exclusive, but we all know that it's a sticky subject....

Highlights from this week's IST List: Folk-pop crooner Page France brings the sparkling jingle-jangle of Page France and the Family Telephone to Emo's, alongside Bishop Allen, The Teeth, and Frank Smith Sidebar's turning three, and they're buying you a drink on the house to celebrate. Join them for Ruby's BBQ, DJ Supafly, and giveaways Alas, one of our favorite social butterflies is flying away to--where else?--New York City. Before he leaves, join Dave "KidIndie"...

Save Our Springs Alliance, long-time advocate for Barton Springs and other environmentally-sensitive zones throughout Central Texas, issued a press release yesterday stating that it's being forced into bankruptcy by a court judgment won against it by Central Texas residential developers. In 2004, SOS Alliance filed a lawsuit against Lazy Nine Municipal Utility District, seeking to prevent the district -- which is allegedly just a puppet-agent of Wilshire Homes and Forest City Properties of Cleveland, Ohio...

Barton Springs is currently closed after this week's rains flooded the pool. Meanwhile, on the other side of the watershed, the Save Our Springs Alliance points out that recent construction by Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) and the Hill Country Galleria Mall have left "huge amounts of sediment," much of which washed into the Edwards Aquifer earlier this week:

One of the more charming locales for Austin weirdness, the intimate and unique Museum of Natural & Artificial Ephemerata is opening their new exhibition this weekend. The show, called ANIMALS, features "over 25 loans from Austin collectors, a narwhal tooth replica, a weeping taxidermy crocodile, a video of a beer-drinking hog, and millions of invisible animalculae!" To kick it off, they're having an opening preview which will feature a Multimedia Light Safari by Ms. Lori...

Footage found on Save Our Springs Alliance's website of Barton Springs, circa 1995. Video footage by Tom Taylor, directed by Grant Mitchell Find out more about the SOS Alliance here....

In the wake of a finding by the U.S. Geological Survey showing the highest ever levels of the pesticide atrazine, dry cleaning solvent, and chloroform in Barton Springs, the subdivision of Belterra has requested a permit to expand their sewage treatment plant and allow discharge directly into Bear Creek, which feeds the Barton Springs portion of the aquifer. Maybe this isn't a big deal. The sewage discharged into Barton Springs would be treated to...

Continuing our look at the bonds up for vote in this election cycle. . . Proposition Two in ballot lingo:“The issuance of $145,000,000 in tax supported General Obligation Bonds and Notes for designing, constructing, and installing improvements and facilities for flood control, erosion control, water quality, and stormwater drainage, and acquiring land, open spaces, and interests in land and property necessary to do so, including, without limitation, acquisition of land including fee title and...

The 2006 Green Screen series of environmentally-inspired documentaries wraps up this evening at the Alamo South with Judith Helfand’s “toxic comedy,” Blue Vinyl.

WEDNESDAY [20] film • Cinematexas Fest at Various (Various) ® music • Acid King, Black Cobra, The High Divers, Ghetto Princess at Emo's music • Lebanon (ISRAEL), Snake Trap, UME, Something Fierce at Beerland music • Five Times August, Stephen Speaks at Cactus Café music • Jet at La Zona Rosa ® music • Secret Weapons, Til We're Blue or Destroy and The Quicks at The Chain Drive (9pm) food • Angel Valley Organic...

WEDNESDAY [16] film • Take a Chance on Me: the ABBA Sing-along at Alamo Downtown (9:45pm, $10) film • Save Our Springs presents Green at Alamo Downtown (7pm, Free) film • Black Orpheus at Paramount Theatre (7:30pm) film • The Man with the Golden Gun at Rounders Pizzeria (8pm, Free) film • aGLIFF presents The Films of Alpha at Arbor (8pm, $10) ® film • Weird Wednesday: Fer De Lance (aka: Snakes on a...

Bee Cave is awesome- life is peaceful there, lots of open air, sun in winter time. No wonder Criterion Property Co. has chosen to build its new 293-unit luxury apartment complex there. Dubbed the "Windsor," it will doubtless be a lovely place for tea and crumpets. This sprawling slice of limestone encrusted heaven** will be conveniently located close to both the Hill Country Galleria and the Shops at the Galleria. We haven't actually "been...

Trying out a different approach in their efforts to preserve the Edwards Aquifer from urban development, Save Our Springs Alliance today launched a new audio-based walking tour of Barton Springs. The self-guided tour covers thirteen stations of note, including Philosopher's Rock Statue, Old Mill Springs, Eliza Spring, and the Monument on Big Hill. What's more, they're making these available as free mp3 downloads so you can load 'em onto your iPod before you head...

Lowe's home improvement store, which opened on Brodie Lane in January, is being honored by the U.S. Green Building Council and Austin Energy's Green Building Program, for "setting new standards in energy-conscious and environmentally conscious building design." We're not sure exactly what this means. What new standard are they setting? How does this new standard relate to the existing LEED standards that the U.S. Green Building Council has already set? Has the building complied with the LEED standards and been given some level of LEED certification or has it merely met this "new standard"? How come "energy-conscious" gets a hyphen and "environmentally conscious" doesn't?

On May 13, Austin voters will determine the fate of several city charter amendments. Perhaps the most controversial is Proposition 2, referred to as the “Clean Water Amendment.” Prop. 2 would amend certain policies involving the Edwards Aquifer and require the City to fight projects that seek to circumvent the Save Our Springs rules adopted by voters in 1992.

MONDAY 24[music] TV On the Radio, Celebration, The Cocker Spaniels at Emo's (info) [film] Save Our Springs Alliance presents "Driving Sprawl," A 20-minute documentary about Advanced Micro Devices planned move to the Barton Springs watershed. at Ruta Maya (8pm) (info) [music] Josh Rouse at Cactus Café ($22, Through Tuesday) (info) [film/drinking] FuseBox Happy Hour/Nerve.com Screening at Blue Theater (6pm, $5, FREE beer and wine) (info) [books] Anthony Horowitz presents Ark Angel : An Alex Rider...

Austin is getting a new public Art Installation. Today at 11am, Mayor Will Wynn and Gibson Guitars will be part of a ceremony kicking-off the project in front of City Hall. Austin GuitarTown is going to feature guitars scattered around the city, placed in front of landmarks and significant businesses, that are painted by local musicians and artisans. NASA is planning to bomb the moon in order to study dust particles that come from...

Truecraig had some thoughts on the shot heard round the world in his column. Mr. Hollywood Jason Patric dropped his suit against the ever-aggressive Austin Police Department. Austin ranks as the second-best city outside of Hollywood in which to make a movie. We checked out the Zuraach Collective and took some photos. AM Syndicate, Nina Simone, Talking Heads...take a listen in AV Bits. It was a busy news week in the Kingdom of George....

The Save Our Springs Alliance may have lost its bid to prevent AMD from building atop the aquifer near 290 and William Cannon, but that's not stopping them from celebrating the holiday season tonight. At Mercury Hall in South Austin, they're hosting a general bacchanal, with "smoked salmon from Chataugua River School, Veggie Tamales from White Mountain Foods, goodies from Manuel’s, Sweet Leaf Tea, Tito’s Vodka, Frozen Margaritas, Shiner Beer," dancing and a silent...

South Austin is starting to really shape up as an interesting part of Austin with the new-ish Opal Divine’s at Penn Field, the potentially swanky new shops at 3100 S. Congress, the mysterious new place next to Five Oceans and more. However, some local homeowners seem to want to stem the tide of coolness. After reading this Austin-American Statesman article on the subject, we can’t quite put our finger on what some South Austin...

Reader Alison writes:

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