May Ukraine Have Peaceful Skies Again.
Here is what’s happening in Lakeway….
At least September SOUNDS cooler….
Stay hydrated. Avoid outside activity, or do it early in the morning. Shade is your friend. Remember sunscreen. Check on your neighbors. Dream of needing a jacket, cuddling up under blankets and sprawling in front of a crackling fireplace.
WILDFIRE DANGER—Travis County remains under a Burn Ban, so NO BURNING ALLOWED. Dry and windy conditions make wildfires a big danger. Keep hoses on your outside spigots, ready to go.
Please, put out WATER for wildlife and wandering pets. An old ceramic pot or planter base will do; put it in the shade and rinse/refill it daily. (Thanks to Angels Among Us Animal Rescue for the water bowl image.)
DO NOT LEAVE PETS IN THE CAR—not even for a minute. Be careful walking dogs; sidewalks and pavements will burn paws. Even in your yard–make sure there is always shade and fresh water.
Lakeway Arts District—September Calendar
Check out all the local arts and cultural events for the month with this handy calendar: https://lakewayartsdistrict.com/calendar/
Art at City Hall
The lobby of Lakeway City Hall hosts a small art gallery showcasing rotating local artists. In September, it features oil paintings by Mary Barnes. She creates landscapes and building scenes celebrating the Lake Travis area and Texas generally. Enjoy before or after attending a Council or other city meeting, or just stop in during business hours. Go here for info on the artist and photos of some of her work, as well as to apply to show your own art in this space: https://www.lakeway-tx.gov/2040/City-Hall-Art-Gallery
Lake Travis FILM FESTIVAL
Our own slice of Hollywood runs Sept. 14-17, with movies (over 80 films), music, and more. The festival opens on Thursday, Sept. 14, with a red carpet screening of “Halfway to Amarillo” at Cinemark Hill Country Galleria and an opening night party at Star Hill Ranch. Go here for festival offerings, locations, and tickets: https://www.ltff.net/
Taste Lake Travis FOOD FESTIVAL
On Saturday, Sept. 16, noon to 4PM, the LT Chamber of Commerce presents Taste Lake Travis–“a new food festival with a Texas twist.” The location is The Meadows at Safe Harbor Marina at Emerald Point on Lake Travis. TICKETS REQUIRED. Go here for more info and to buy tickets: https://tastelaketravis.info/
GIVE BLOOD
The next blood drive at Lakeway Activity Center is on Saturday, Sept. 16, 8AM-noon. The event is always well organized, clean and friendly. You will be done and out the door in under 30 minutes. It is an important cause, helping countless people. Plus—FREE JUICE AND COOKIES!
While walk-ins are welcome, those with appointments have priority. You can see upcoming dates and make an appointment to donate by entering your zip code here– https://weareblood.org/donor/schedule/
Lake Travis Democrats Club
Sept. 19: Monthly Meeting, 6:30PM at Lakeway Activity Center. Speaker is Dr. Steve Reese, professor of journalism at UT Austin, Moody College of Communications. Topic: “The Politics of Conspiracy Theories.”
Sept. 26: Banned Book Club, 6:30PM at Lake Travis Community Library. Book: Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson.
Movie Night. Movie followed by food, drink and conversation at a local restaurant. Watch for a notice on https://www.laketravisdemocrats.com/ for movie selection, time and location.
Happy Hour is during the first week of each month. Check the website for details and catch us next month!
SPECIAL NOTICE: Help us get the word out that we are here to fight for Democracy. We’re organizing a postcard initiative in October to enhance our presence among local democratic and progressive community members. Kindly use this link https://secure.actblue.com/donate/western-travis-democrats-1# for the Western Travis Democrats PAC to contribute funds for purchasing postage and supplies for this campaign. This is a proud joint endeavor by Western Travis Democrats, Lake Travis Voices for Progress, Tuscan Village Voters, and Lake Travis Democrats.
Sunday Afternoon Concert–Balcones Community Orchestra
On Sunday, Sept. 24 at 4PM, Balcones Community Orchestra will present a FREE CONCERT at Lakeway Activity Center. Director Dr. Robert Alan Radmer and the all-volunteer group of musicians will perform a variety of pieces. Go here for more info: https://www.lakeway-tx.gov/1862/Sunday-Afternoon-Concert-Series
Cookbook Author at Lake Travis Community Library
On Wednesday, Sept. 27 at 7PM, local cookbook author Mary Bryant Shrader will discuss her debut cookbook, The Modern Pioneer Cookbook: Nourishing Recipes From a Traditional Foods Kitchen. It has over 80 recipes for traditional pioneer cooking techniques. This FREE event at the library is part of Lake Travis Reads program: http://laketravisreads.org/
Cornhole Tournament
On Saturday, Sept. 30, starting 11AM, participate in the 2023 Cornhole Tournament, at the Lakeway Swim Center Field. Toss bags, watch college football on the jumbo screen, and pick up food from vendors. Go here for info and to sign up: https://www.lakeway-tx.gov/2015/Cornhole-Tournament
National Night Out
On Tuesday, Oct. 3, this national happening has 2 local events:
–POLICE DEPARTMENT OPEN HOUSE: From 4-7PM, stop by the police station to meet officers in various police department divisions, receive crime prevention material, and take a tour of the facility. On the tour, you can check out the shooting simulator and take a test with the drunk goggles. For kids, there will be stickers, coloring books and wristbands.
–NEIGHBORHOOD GATHERINGS: Strengthen your community by encouraging citizen engagement with neighbors and with the police. In addition, heighten crime-prevention awareness, build support and participation in local anti-crime programs, and send a message that our neighborhoods are organized and taking a stand against crime. Best of all–get to know your neighbors and enjoy an evening among friends, while taking basic steps to keep our city safe. Go here for info and to request an officer and/or city official visit your community’s NNO event: https://www.lakeway-tx.gov/formcenter/police-department-12/national-night-out-signup-form-87
Nosferatu, “A Symphony of Horror”
On Friday, Oct. 13, 7PM, at the Lakeway Activity Center, the classic movie will celebrate its 101-year anniversary, brought to life by the Lake Travis High School Chamber Orchestra. Concessions available. Dress as a vampire for the costume contest! Go here to purchase $5 tickets: https://secure.rec1.com/TX/lakeway-tx/catalog?filter=c2VhcmNoPTI2MDE5OTA=
Lakeway Players present: “Deathtrap”
On Oct. 26, 27, 28, 8PM at the Lakeway Activity Center,The Lakeway Players will perform Ira Levin’s twisty comedy-thriller classic. Tickets are $25 each, with assigned tables. Ticket sales for members will begin on Tuesday, September 12 and for non-members on Monday, September 18. To purchase, go here and click on City Events & Performances: https://secure.rec1.com/TX/lakeway-tx/catalog
Council Met on Sept. 5
All Council members were present on the dais. RESULTS:
ITEM 3: Introduction of 2 Lakeway Police Officers. Officers Jason Brown and Tim Stack were recently promoted to LIEUTENANT.
ITEM 4: Update from TXDOT on the 620 widening project. Council Member Vance reported on a recent meeting with TXDOT officials. Securing the needed rights of way is progressing for the Lakeway and Bee Cave segments of 620. Utility work is scheduled to start in 2024 and takes 3-5 years; no actual road work will start until that is complete. State funding for the project stands at 50%, with the rest likely to be secured in 2024. If not, as long as the funds are set aside before utility work is completed (around 2027), the expansion will proceed per current plans.
ITEM: 5: Revising the ordinance on For Sale signs (again), related to ongoing litigation. After last meeting’s decision to allow (in addition to the current brochure box sign) regular rectangular For Sale signs, this item would allow a third option—the post and arm style sign. DENIED 4:3 (Mastrangelo, O’Brien, Szimanski).
ITEM 6: Revising ordinances to promote Dark Skies principles. APPROVED 6:1 (Szimanski).
ITEM 7: FY 2024 Budget. CONSENSUS was to continue plans firmed up over the summer, including adding 7 employees (5 to Police Dept.), overall salary raises plus merit raises, vision insurance plus dependent health care assistance, transferring the usual $500,000 to Capital Reserve Fund (to produce a healthy 34% fund balance ratio and cushion against future emergency or fiscal downturn). Result is a budget of $19M. (The FINAL budget will be adopted at Council’s Sept. 18 meeting.)
ITEM 8: 2023 Property Tax Rate. PASSED 6:1 (Brynteson) property tax rate of $0.1440 per $100 valuation, being the rate favored in recent meetings as needed to balance a $19M budget. The current rate is $0.1290. The new rate would raise by $211 the average Lakeway home’s tax bill. (The FINAL rate will be adopted at Council’s Sept. 18 meeting.)
ADJOURNED at 8:55PM.
View the Agenda, Meeting Packet, and/or Presentation (scrolling down to City Council documents) here: https://www.lakeway-tx.gov/archive.aspx Go here to watch the Council meeting online: https://lakewaytx.new.swagit.com/videos/270663
Council Next Meets on Sept. 18
Roughly a week beforehand, go here to view the Agenda, Meeting Packet, and/or Presentation (scrolling down to City Council documents): https://www.lakeway-tx.gov/archive.aspx
Daring Mighty Things
Close call! A small asteroid (just 6’ wide) whizzed past Earth on Sept. 7, missing the planet by only 2,500 miles. (That is about 1% of the distance between Earth and the moon.) The above image is an artist’s illustration. (Image credit: NASA/JAXA/Robert Lea.) Newly discovered asteroid zooms within 2,500 miles of Earth 9/7/23 https://www.space.com/small-asteroid-earth-near-miss-september-2023
Webb sent back the above image of M51, AKA the Spiral Galaxy, revealing never-before-seen details. (Image credit: JWST.) Located about 27 million light-years from Earth, M51’s photogenic arms likely result from the gravitational influence of its close neighbor, a dwarf galaxy. James Webb Space Telescope gazes into the Whirlpool galaxy’s hypnotic spiral arms 8/30/23 https://www.space.com/james-webb-space-telescope-captures-vortex-whirlpool-galaxy
On Aug. 30, India’s rover Pragyan took the above photo of its mothership, the Vikram lander. (Image credit: ISRO.) India’s Chandrayaan-3 moon rover Pragyan snaps 1st photo of its lander near the lunar south pole 8/30/23 https://www.space.com/chandrayaan-3-pragyan-rover-takes-vikram-photo
On Sept.4, The SpaceX Crew Dragon safely landed in the Atlantic Ocean off Florida’s coast, bringing 3 astronauts and 1 cosmonaut home after 6 months on the ISS. (Image credit: NASA.) Splashdown! NASA’s Crew-6 returns after 6 months at the International Space Station 9/4/23 https://www.npr.org/2023/09/04/1197481976/spacex-nasa-crew-6-iss-returns-earth-splashdown
On Mars last week, exploratory rover Perseverance photographed rocks there that resemble aquatic creatures from Earth. Of course, the shark fin and crab claw we see are just random rock formations. (Image credit: NASA.) Perseverance Mars rover spots ‘shark fin’ and ‘crab claw’ rocks on Red Planet 9/5/23 https://www.space.com/nasa-perserverance-shark-fin-crab-claw-rock-mars
Mini-chopper Ingenuity just completed its 57th flight over Mars, clocking over 100 minutes up in the Red Planet’s thin air. (Image credit: NASA.) Landing on Mars back in 2021, Ingenuity was an experiment to see if a miniature helicopter weighing 4LBS could get and remain aloft in the thin atmosphere of Mars. After it aced the 5 planned flights in just 1 month, Ingenuity’s mission was extended to scout terrain ahead of the rover Perseverance, helping NASA scientists back on Earth decide on the best routes. NASA’s Ingenuity passes 100 minutes flight time on Mars 9/6/23 https://www.space.com/nasa-ingenuity-mars-helicopter-57th-flight-100-minutes
With liberty and justice for all … except women
Turns out doctors don’t like being second-guessed by politicians on the care they can give their patients. Obstetricians, including those specializing in bringing complex and risky pregnancies to successful completion, are leaving red states like Texas, Oklahoma and Tennessee, because strict and often incomprehensible anti-abortion laws make it impossible for them to deliver science-based care. New laws often target care-givers, threatening them with fines, loss of license or even jail if they end up on the wrong side of fuzzy rules. So, many skilled specialty doctors are moving to blue states. And, new doctors are not setting up obstetrical practices in areas with restrictive abortion laws. As a result, red states—especially rural areas—are experiencing loss of comprehensive obstetric and gynecologic care for all women. As Abortion Laws Drive Obstetricians From Red States, Maternity Care Suffers 9/6/23 https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/06/us/politics/abortion-obstetricians-maternity-care.html
The number of surgical abortions rose in the last 3 years, comparing the first half of 2020 (465,000) with the first half of 2023 (511,000). However, the number of states where abortion was legal dropped from 50 to 36, due to SCOTUS overturning Roe v. Wade in 2022. Experts attribute the rise in abortions to women traveling, sometimes across 4 or more red states, to get to a state allowing abortion. The biggest jumps in the number of abortions were seen in states adjacent to other states that banned abortion. (Image credit above: Guttmacher Institute.) Abortions Rose in Most States This Year, New Data Shows 9/6/23 https://www.nbcnews.com/health/womens-health/abortion-trends-by-state-map-2023-rcna103430
Last week, Mexico’s Supreme Court threw out all federal criminal penalties for abortion, ruling that national laws prohibiting the procedure are unconstitutional and violate women’s rights. This continues Latin American’s trend of widening abortion access. The ruling will require the federal public health service and all federal health institutions to offer abortion to anyone who requests it. Some Mexican states still criminalize abortion, but that was already changing, and the federal ruling will hasten removal of all penalties for abortion. Mexico decriminalizes abortion, extending Latin American trend of widening access 9/6/23 https://www.npr.org/2023/09/06/1198039758/mexico-abortion-decriminalization-supreme-court
As expected, the Justice Department has appealed to the US Supreme Court the 5th Circuit’s ruling on mifepristone, the primary drug used in medication abortions. In August, a panel of 5th Circuit judges watered down a lower court’s complete removal of the drug nationwide. The panel declined to void the FDA’s 2000 approval of the drug, but it did roll back actions the federal government took since 2016 to make the pills more accessible (including rules allowing online ordering, mail delivery and pharmacy dispensing). In addition, per the panel, the drug would only be available up to week 7 of pregnancy, and only physicians could prescribe it. SCOTUS is not expected to act on this case until 2024. In the meantime, the pending case and 5th Circuit ruling have no effect, so mifepristone continues to be available, in accordance with state law. Abortion pill challenge returns to SCOTUS 9/8/23 https://www.politico.com/news/2023/09/08/abortion-pill-challenge-returns-to-scotus-00114771
Back to me….
I’m enjoying some days off work here and there, getting personal projects done. Extra time with the cats is always a good thing.
A recent Zoning and Planning meeting lasted nearly all day, with 4 complex items (3 developments and 1 home business request) landing on the agenda. Something the public likely doesn’t realize is that commissioners generally receive hundreds of pages of materials—plans, reports, drawings, ordinances, and more—for each agenda item, to review before the meeting. In addition, all comments submitted by the public are available; this time, one agenda item had 66 written comments submitted. (I spent the better part of multiple days reviewing the materials and identifying the major issues, and I’m sure my fellow commissioners did, as well.) We also have a chance to meet (in small, less-than-quorum groups) with staff via Zoom, which is extremely helpful. Thanks to Mayor Kilgore and Council Member Vance for their moral support AND for organizing the pizza lunch last week!
Our deer are firmly grouped together now, either does and their fawns from this year and last year, or bucks. Here are some of my recent photos.
The Coronavirus
As of Aug. 26, the New York Times correlated the CDC’s statistics for the US, showing the summer surge continuing. Across the country, a daily average of 3,954 people were being hospitalized for Covid-19, which is a rise of 29% over 2 weeks. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2023/us/covid-cases.html
Covid infections are common again, though usually mild. As always, severe cases tend to hit the elderly, people with other conditions such as diabetes or obesity, and the immune-compromised. First Lady Jill Biden was diagnosed with Covid-19 last week. Schools in southern states have closed due to large numbers of infected staff, as well as students. Despite the rise in hospitalizations and deaths across the country, experts do not foresee a return to the high levels seen last fall.
The new Covid-19 vaccine, re-formulated for better protection against the more recent variants, is expected to be available nationwide later this month. The FDA and CDC are set to approve it next week, which would get the new vaccine into clinics and pharmacies as early as Sept. 18. Everyone is encouraged to get this shot, but especially older adults. An annual vaccination is likely to become standard for Covid, much like the annual flu vaccination.
Recent studies show that during the first 2 years of the pandemic, there were roughly 90,00 more deaths in the US attributed to cardiovascular disease than were statistically expected. In addition to heart-related deaths in the elderly, the sharpest rise in fatal heart attacks was seen in people age 25-44. Covid-19 seems the likely cause; frequent heart complications are documented during Covid infections, but also up to a year afterward. Researchers are trying to pinpoint the connection. Early theories include the widespread inflammation that Covid-19 causes; resulting clotting can cause heart attacks. Covid patients also tend to have high blood pressure after recovery, which is another heart risk factor.
Recent Covid-19 articles
–Covid Continues to Rise, but Experts Remain Optimistic 9/7/23 https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/07/health/covid-deaths-hospitalizations-vaccines.html
–How Covid Affects the Heart 9/7/23 https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/07/well/live/covids-heart-health.html
–Not Over Yet: Late-Summer Covid Wave Brings Warning of More to Come 8/28/23 https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/28/us/covid-cases-hospitalizations.html