Lakeway Council Campaign Updates
TOMORROW MAY 7 IS ELECTION DAY!
I’ll be at the Activity Center all day Saturday, waving my sign in the Candidate Zone, so I’m posting this blog a day early. This has been a LONG campaign; when I planted my first sign in yards, it was late January and there was snow on the ground. Now, Texas summer weather has definitely hit, as Election Day arrives.
EARLY VOTING
Lakeway’s polling place at LAC handled a total of 2,998 voters during the 9 days of Early Voting (April 25-May 3). That includes a whopping 654 voters on May 3 alone!
Thanks to the MANY supporters who took the time to stop by the Candidate Zone at LAC as I waved my sign during all 9 days of Early Voting. Cheering words, funny stories, hugs, thumbs up, and even some sign waving of your own—all MUCH appreciated. Honestly, the rain, the heat, the biting bugs and the occasional lull in activity can be very wearing during all those 12-hour days.
Best of all? Beaming smiles on friendly faces of folks I have known here in Lakeway for many years, cheering me on. But, I’m not gonna lie—the tin of freshly-made chocolate chip cookies was a life saver that last day!
Remember—all those who have NOT yet voted need to come to LAC on Saturday, May 7, 7AM-7PM, and VOTE. I expect to see YOU, and I want a BIG SMILE as you pass by. (Cookies are optional.)
WALKING FOR COUNCIL, ALL OVER LAKEWAY
After well over a month, I wrapped up my walking tour of Lakeway on April 23. No, I didn’t get to every home in town, but I did my best and hit just about every neighborhood. My slogan has been Nina Knows Lakeway. Well, NOW I know Lakeway at a granular level, right down to the pavers favored in a given area.
I had SO many great talks with residents, which is why I did my walking tour; distributing door hangers was just the mechanism to get out there. Everyone asks what the candidates think about issues–and I get that–but it was fascinating to hear what residents are interested in and worried about for Lakeway. I’m SO glad I did this—it was the BEST part of the campaign.
Thanks for the tour, Lakeway—it was a blast!
VOTE FOR NINA
Here’s my candidate pitch. (For the last time, I promise!)
I’ve lived in Lakeway since 2009. It is my chosen home town, and I love this city. With your help, my goal will always be to make Lakeway an even better place to live. This simple concept should be the measuring stick for every debate, every vote, all developments, all code provisions, etc. As a Councilmember, I will work to amplify what works and fix what does not work, to make Lakeway an even better place to live.
After many years of participation, I KNOW Lakeway. That makes me ready to work for you on Council.
For details on my views, the Policies page on my campaign site covers my in-depth positions on TEN ISSUES (fixing our traffic problems, developing the few remaining tracts for Lakeway’s benefit, need for more parks and recreation space, and much more) now facing Lakeway. https://www.nina4lakeway.com/policies
Beyond that, I suggest researching ALL the candidates. There are forums and voters guides that will help. Here are some links.
FORUMS:
–April 14 in person Candidate Forum held in Rough Hollow. All 6 Council candidates were there, and we addressed questions on issues currently facing Lakeway. https://youtu.be/-1agU3WKi5o
–April 19 online forum presented by Lake Travis Progressives, Lake Travis Democrats, and Tuscan Village Voters. Again, all 6 Council candidates were there, followed by the 3 challengers for LTISD seats. https://www.facebook.com/events/357169846376093/?acontext=%7B%22event_action_history%22%3A[%7B%22surface%22%3A%22page%22%7D]%7D
VOTERS GUIDES:
—The Austin American-Statesman’s profile is here: https://www.statesman.com/story/news/local/lake-travis-view/2022/04/21/meet-candidates-running-spots-lakeway-city-council/7333870001/?fbclid=IwAR34IfhGuFUvWclMFwqNKKZtIGYMBag4JCV1mBDZrG4shsn2vyO5RTtT1oU
—Community Impact’s coverage of the Council race is here: https://communityimpact.com/austin/lake-travis-westlake/city-county/2022/04/21/qa-meet-the-candidates-for-lakeway-city-council/?fbclid=IwAR2WQmzWvUWdErQc8SaogPBGEjOu_GnGk1roc45bcKcFQjtNMDdO1hzBbJc
—The League of Women Voters created a May 2022 Local Election Voters Guide. It has Council candidate responses to several questions. The school board candidates are covered, as well. There is also good info on the 2 state-wide propositions to reduce property taxes. Go here and put in your mailing address to get voter info for your ballot: https://www.vote411.org/
1? 2? or 3?
Lakeway residents are asking an important question: Is it best to vote for ONE Council candidate, or for 3 of them? Well, you can vote for up to 3 people in the Council race, but it is not required.
Someone who understands election theory better than I do explained it this way. If there is one candidate you feel MUST win (for instance, if she doesn’t get on Lakeway Council, you’ll be moving), then ONLY vote for that candidate. That way, you don’t risk helping someone beat your must-win candidate. But, if there are 2 or 3 candidates that you hope will win, then vote for them all.
Vote to LOWER YOUR PROPERTY TAXES (See, this is NOT just about me.)
Your ballot includes 2 Texas Constitutional amendments. If passed, both would lower property taxes. I’m voting YES on both. This Texas Tribune article explains them: https://www.texastribune.org/2022/04/27/texas-proposition-1-2-constitutional-amendment-election/
Vote for 3 SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS (Again—NOT all about me.)
Your ballot includes 3 LTISD races, each with 2 candidates running head to head. I am voting for Laurie Higginbotham (who has been on Lakeway Council the last 4 years), Kit Crumbley, and Porter Herring—all challengers ready to step up, take care of our kids, and restore LTISD to a top-ranked system.
REMEMBER TO VOTE on May 7!
What is going on in Lakeway ….
Enchanted Forest Walk
Stroll under a canopy of magical trees and twinkling lights, enjoying tiny fairy and gnome houses. Surprises and charming creatures abound in this self-guided walk along the trail behind City Hall. Free, May 7-22, with ample parking at City Hall and the Activity Center.
Student Job Fair
On May 16, noon-4:30PM, City of Bee Cave is sponsoring a student job fair at LTSH Gym (3324 RR 620 S.). Local businesses can register here: https://www.beecavetexas.gov/Home/Components/News/News/516/18?backlist=%2F
Household Hazardous Waste Day
On Wednesday, May 18, customers of WCID 17, Hurst Creek MUD, and Lakeway MUD, as well as residents of City of Bee Cave, Lakeway and The Hills, can drop off household hazardous waste at the Lake Travis Regional Reuse & Recycling Center (3207 Neidhardt Dr., Lakeway, TX 78734). Hours are 9:30 AM – 12:30PM. Free, but a RESERVATION IS REQUIRED. Go here for a list of allowed items and to make a reservation: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0c44aca728a1f4c07-household3
Lake Travis Community Library Art Display
Through May, visit the library’s meeting room to view an exhibit by local artist Julie Schmidt.
Aloha Pool Party
On May 28, 5-8PM, Lakeway Swim Center will host an evening of fun in the sun at. Enjoy luau games, learn to dance the Hula from a Kona Hawaii instructor, dine on Chick Fil A with Polynesian sauce (from concessions), and more. Plus, the leisure pool will be open for swimming. Luau attire is welcome. Free admission with summer membership pass; otherwise, drop-in rates apply. https://www.lakeway-tx.gov/85/Hours-Rates
Memorial Day Service
Plan to attend Lakeway’s Memorial Day observance on Monday, May 30, at 10AM. Details are pending, but the location will be Church of the Resurrection of the Lord, Emmaus Catholic Parish, at 1718 Lohmans Crossing Road.
Lakeway is HIRING
Open positions include school crossing guard, temporary administrative assistant, police officer, 911 dispatcher, environmental coordinator, senior accountant, temporary senior accountant, finance director, park maintenance worker, lifeguard, and swim instructor. Go here for info and to apply: https://tx-lakeway.civicplushrms.com/CareerPortal/Jobs.aspx
COUNCIL next meets on May 16.
The Agenda will be published next week.
Daring Mighty Things
NASA released photos last week showing remains of a flying saucer that crashed on Mars. Instead of proof aliens exist, it was NASA’s own craft that successfully landed the rover Perseverance on Mars in 2021. Photos were taken by Perseverance’s sidekick, the mini-copter Ingenuity. NASA’s Mars Helicopter Spots Gear That Helped Perseverance Rover Land 4/27/22 https://www.nasa.gov/feature/jpl/nasa-s-mars-helicopter-spots-gear-that-helped-perseverance-rover-land
In its continuing search for intelligent life, NASA will be beaming this image out into space as part of its Beacon of the Galaxy project. It depicts a falling object (to indicate gravity and direction), the DNA helix, and 2 nude human forms. Pundits have had a field day discussing exactly what kind of message this sends about Earth. Is this the first impression we want to make?
The Coronavirus
Worldwide, for vaccinations, 11.6 billion shots have been given, with 60% of the planet’s population fully vaccinated.
In China, Beijing became the next megacity to suffer a Covid surge. Mandatory testing of the 22 million population is underway, and residents are stockpiling essentials. As of May 4, strict restrictions were in place and huge housing complexes locked down; however, the government had stopped short of full lockdown for entire districts. Meanwhile, Shanghai’s nightmare lockdowns continue, with office buildings converted to isolation wards. Lockdowns are policed by robots and drones, despite food shortages and growing public outrage.
South Africa is starting its fifth Covid surge. Cases tripled over the last week, due to two new subvariants in the Omicron family–BA.4 and BA.5. They spread even more quickly than Omicron or BA.2.
In the US, in the last 2 weeks, cases have increased 59%, hospitalizations are up 20%, and deaths decreased 3%. We are averaging 68,000new cases per day. 18,000 Americans are currently hospitalized with Covid, and the death rate averages 366 people per day.
US cases have doubled in the last month, due to the various Omicron variants. (The increasing use of home tests—whose results are NOT tracked—means there are more new cases than reported.) Hospitalizations are up less sharply.
On May 4, the official death tally due to Covid-19 passed the grim milestone of one million Americans.
Per the CDC, over 60% of all Americans had been infected with Covid-19 by February of this year. Among children, 75% had been infected. The highly contagious Omicron variant was responsible for most of the infections.
BA.2.12.1, a descendant of Omicron, is poised to become the dominant strain in the US. So far, there is no indication it causes more serious illness than its predecessors.
On April 25, the FDA approved Veklury (known as remdesivir and manufactured by Gilead Sciences Inc.), as the first Covid-19 drug treatment for very young children, age 28 days and older.
V-P Kamala Harris tested positive for Covid-19 on April 26. Fully vaxed and boosted, she had a mild case.
In early May, several Covid cases have been reported among prominent figures who attended at DC’s April 30 event, the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.
Puerto Rico is experiencing a new surge in cases, shortly after removing all restrictions.
A Carnival cruise ship docked in Seattle on May 3 with hundreds of passengers testing positive for Covid-19.
As for vaccinations, in the US, 66% of the entire population is fully vaccinated (no change in the last month). Average shots administered per day decreased to 439,000. About 101 million booster shots have been given.
On April 28, Moderna requested authorization for its 2-dose vaccination for kids under 6. Required data set info has not been submitted. Pfizer’s 3-dose vax for kids under 5 is still in testing, but it is expected to be presented to the FDA soon. The FDA has tentatively scheduled consideration of vaccines for youngsters for June.
On May 5, the FDA restricted the 1-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine to people who cannot or will not take an m-RNA vaccine, including the Moderna and Pfizer products. This is due to the rare but possibly fatal complication of developing of blood clots and low platelet counts (thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome, TTS) a few weeks after getting the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
In Texas, the positivity test rate is on the rise, currently 7%. In the last 2 weeks, new cases increased 27%, hospitalizations dropped 2%, and deaths fell 71%. We are averaging 2,700 new cases and 10 deaths daily. As of now, there are 1,100 Texans hospitalized for Covid-19.
In Texas, only 61% of all residents are fully vaccinated (no change in the 6 weeks).
Recent Covid articles I recommend….
FDA dramatically narrows use of Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine 5/5/22 https://www.politico.com/news/2022/05/05/fda-johnson-johnson-covid-vaccine-00030505
More uniformly infectious, more treatable, more genetically predictable: How coronavirus is getting closer to flu 5/3/22 https://www.statnews.com/2022/05/03/more-uniformly-infectious-more-treatable-more-genetically-predictable-how-coronavirus-is-getting-closer-to-flu/
Moderna asks FDA to authorize Covid-19 vaccine for young kids 4/28/22 https://www.politico.com/news/2022/04/27/moderna-authorize-covid-19-vaccine-kids-00028481
Dr. Fauci on why the US is “out of the pandemic phase” 4/26/22 https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/dr-fauci-on-why-the-u-s-is-out-of-the-pandemic-phase-2?campaign_id=154&emc=edit_cb_20220427&instance_id=59785&nl=coronavirus-briefing®i_id=122311001&segment_id=90590&te=1&user_id=85e9340cba19164d75f3915211a487be
Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update: FDA Approves First COVID-19 Treatment for Young Children 4/25/22 https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/coronavirus-covid-19-update-fda-approves-first-covid-19-treatment-young-children