Be brave like Ukraine.
This is LOCAL ELECTION SEASON, so the blog begins with a special section dedicated to the upcoming Lakeway Local Election. Don’t worry–all the fun Lakeway events are covered here, as usual, just below the Election section.
May 4 LOCAL ELECTION
Early voting starts April 22, with Election Day on Saturday, May 4.
There are 3 things happening in this election—3 Lakeway Council seats get filled, a $22MIL Lakeway Parks bond gets voted up or down, and 2 Lake Travis ISD Board seats get filled. Each is covered right here, with info I have gathered, plus tons of links for you to get MORE info if desired.
COUNCIL
Three Council seats are open. Four candidates are running. The 3 getting the most votes will win. Everyone has 3 votes. (Sorry, but there IS math involved….)
Just want the down-and-dirty version? Here you go!
Want more? Read on!
Media Coverage:
Check out Community Impact’s candidate profiles and Q&As, here: https://communityimpact.com/austin/lake-travis-westlake/election/2024/03/11/election-qa-meet-the-lakeway-city-council-candidates/ NOTE: Jennifer Szimanski failed to participate in this FREE publicity. As an incumbent, does she plan to coast on name recognition, as opposed to making any effort to inform voters?
Candidate Meet and Greets/Forums:
Candidate events have been a hard sell this year. (There seems to be a fear of exposing a certain candidate to, well, actual living humans.) BUT—good news! Looks like there will be some events, after all. Here is what is set so far:
—April 11: We the People will host a candidate forum. I’m told the details are same as last year–7PM, at River in the Hills (1310 Ranch Rd 620 S., near The League and Santa Catarina). Confirmation to follow. FYI—This sponsor may not be a favored group of yours, but their candidate gatherings in recent years have been good events and well worth attending. Everyone was welcome.
—April 16, 6:30PM at Lakeway Activity Center: Lake Travis Democrats’ monthly meeting will feature some candidates running for Lakeway Council and Lake Travis ISD.
WATCH FUTURE BLOGS for updates on the candidates, info on events, links to media Q&As, etc.
My election analysis….
This election is NOT a pretty one. 1) There are fewer decent candidates than seats that will be filled, regardless. 2) One of the candidates would be a disastrous choice. 3) Can’t argue with election math. And, I have really, really tried….
—VOTE for MATT! Matt Sherman is far and away the best choice. Matt is a bright and driven advocate for Lakeway, plus he already has experience in high-level city matters (see below).
–In my perfect world, Jennifer Szimanski would be voted off Council. News flash: This is NOT my perfect world….
–Honestly, Kelly Brynteson is not on my Good List, either. But, she is NOT a full-time puppet of the Old Guard/Elite’s Committee to Protect Lakeway PAC, like Councilmembers Szimanski, O’Brien and Forton. For whatever reason, sometimes Kelly gets it right on the dais.
–The bottom line: Chris Levy on the dais would be catastrophic, tipping Council over to complete mayhem and a body that serves developers, special interests, the Old Guard and Lakeway’s elite, at the cost of the rest of us—the home owners and businesses that fund the city and do our best to practice decency, fairness and transparency, along with the volunteers who have served Lakeway for decades. (More on Mr. Levy, below.)
Election math is a bi$ch. So, here is my best advice:
Chris Levy is a nightmare, so vote for the other 3 and pray for divine intervention.
The Candidates
Matt Sherman is a 5-year Lakeway resident living in The Preserve. He now serves as Chair of the Comprehensive Plan Committee, as well as a Commissioner on the Zoning and Planning Commission. (Image credits: Matt Sherman for Council.) His campaign website and Facebook page have considerable informative content and are here: https://www.mattshermanforlakeway.com/ https://www.facebook.com/mattshermanforlakeway
Kelly Brynteson is a 16-year Lakeway resident living in Flintrock, currently seeking a second term. (Image credit: City of Lakeway.) Her Facebook page and official bio are here: https://www.facebook.com/kellyforlakeway https://www.lakeway-tx.gov/2007/Councilmember-Kelly-Brynteson
Jennifer Szimanski is a 12-year Lakeway resident living in Rough Hollow, currently seeking a second term. (Image credit: City of Lakeway.) Her Facebook page and official bio are here: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100077428167465 https://www.lakeway-tx.gov/2006/Councilmember-Jennifer-Szimanski
Chris Levy is a 16-year Lakeway resident living in Old Lakeway. This candidate has ZERO experience serving the city in any capacity. For weeks, Levy BLOCKED his campaign’s Facebook site to all but his pals; so much for transparency and informing voters, right? I confronted him on Next Door about this, and as of March 22 he removed the blocks. Of course, he has scrubbed the page squeaky clean. But, as long as his good mood lasts, you can check out his campaign page here: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61556480009185
I related Levy’s bizarre Old Lakeway misadventure (attacking his neighbors, recording over an hour of foul-mouthed rants about them, and uploading it to YouTube) in detail in the last blog; backtrack to that if you missed it. He removed the recording prior to running for Council, but people had already downloaded it–as YouTube allows. So, now the recording and a transcript of the most shocking segment are circulating.
Want to hear the recording for yourself? Post on his campaign Facebook page asking him to upload it there, in full. https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61556480009185
Below are some of Levy’s comments to his pal on the phone. They are full of hate toward his neighbors, making fun of them for being older folks and denigrating their homes as cheap $%@#holes. This is directly from the recording he made and uploaded, for whatever bizarre reason…. People send me stuff, so I have heard the recording. I decided not to upload it here, because it features and identifies other people, who didn’t know they were being recorded. Still, Levy is threatening to sue me and several Lakeway residents he assumes are involved, for outing him on this. Even though HE made the recording, and HE uploaded it publicly. That’s Chris Levy. That is what bullies do.
I already knew that Chris Levy is NOT someone I want at City Hall making decisions for Lakeway. This election, all residents need to make a decision on that, and vote accordingly. Consider how he treated his close neighbors and decide whether you want someone with his attitude on Council, controlling your city. VOTE FOR MATT. And, sure, vote for Kelly. Vote for Jenny, even. Just DON’T vote for Levy.
One last thing. Levy DOES NOT DENY HE SAID ALL THIS TRASH. Instead, he is playing the victim, whining that he has changed since 2017. Don’t buy it. The guy on the recording is the same guy who for many years and TO THIS DAY causes trouble wherever he can–on social media, in the polling place parking lot, in court suing the city, at Council meetings, on and on. And, he is NOW threatening to sue anyone who dares to thwart him. Of course he is. In my experience, he is mean, he is a bully, he oozes grievance and entitlement, and there is nothing that he won’t do to get his way.
For me, all that makes Chris Levy Lakeway’s worst nightmare as an elected official.
But—you decide. In his own words:
CHRIS LEVY: “I went to this meeting, what they did was they took this first development neighborhood in Lakeway, right? And this group of people who own these 1971, pre-71 homes, you know, like the least valuable homes in Lakeway. And they created this thing called Old Lakeway. They got the city to let them put signs up in our neighborhood that now declare our neighborhood as Old Lakeway. And so they have also come up with this concept called the Lakeway 300, which are basically the first 300 homes built in Lakeway, pre-April 71. They’re the least valuable homes in Lakeway, these 300 homes.”
CHRIS LEVY: “And dude, I got to tell you, a lot of my rich neighbors, we’re thinking about getting a lawyer and suing this guy.”
CHRIS LEVY: “And I have it all recorded. I’ll let you listen to it. I’ll send you the file because, dude, they jumped on me with knives when I started to point out what they were doing was going to be… They basically hate rich people and they hate our generation and they hate Rough Hollow. They hate The Hills and they hate new homes. And basically, because they all own these $300,000 shithole homes that are 46 years old, they don’t want people building new homes around them. But what they don’t realize is the new homes are what make their homes valuable.”
CHRIS LEVY: “Yeah. There were 22 people there. Half of them were senior citizens.”
If you want to hear the recording for yourself, post on his campaign’s Facebook page asking him to upload it there. ALL OF IT; if he edits out the worst bits, lots of people will know. He owes that much to Lakeway. https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61556480009185
PARKS BOND
After several years of planning, Lakeway Council voted unanimously at its Feb. 5 meeting to put a $22MIL parks bond on the May ballot.
The funds would be used on 5 of our parks. Our long-time favorite recreational areas, City Park and the Swim Center, would get much-needed renovations and upgrades, so they can serve the city’s growing population well into the future. The Activity Center would get minor updates. The Live Oak Tennis Courts would be expanded. Finally, brand new Butler Park in Rough Hollow would be built from the ground up, finally providing families on that side of town with a wide variety of conveniently located recreational opportunities. See the chart above for a breakdown per park.
The $22MIL bond will add about $100 to the annual property tax bill on a home valued around $750K (the average here).
I see this as a legacy—what current residents will leave for our kids, grandkids, and all future residents of Lakeway. I moved here in 2009, but I have read and heard about all the kerfuffle that accompanied creation of City Park, Hamilton Greenbelt, the Activity Center, the Swim Center, etc. People ranted that each of those was TOO MUCH MONEY, NOT NEEDED, CRAZY OVERREACH, blah, blah, blah. And yet, now that we have these amazing amenities, they are used and beloved by an enormous number of residents. They play a large part in making Lakeway a wonderful place to live. Can you really imagine Lakeway WITHOUT the Greenbelts? WITHOUT the Activity Center? WITHOUT City Park? For me, that would be a sadly depleted Lakeway. I’m willing to pay a little more in property taxes, to refresh and expand our parkland legacy and enrich Lakeway’s future. The city has gathered info on the bond here: https://www.lakeway-tx.gov/2162/2024-Parks-Bond
LTISD School Board Election
Community Impact recently published candidate profiles and Q&As. Since the School Board runs in places, there is an article on the Place 1 candidates, and an article on the Place 2 candidates.
There are 2 contested seats this year. Incumbents Lauren White https://www.facebook.com/laurenwhiteforlaketravis and Phillip Davis https://www.facebook.com/Vote4PhillipDavis are seeking another term. Both are supported by Lake Travis Voices for Progress, in order to block the far-right Lake Travis Families PAC from controlling all 7 seats on the Board.
Lauren White and Phillip Davis OPPOSE book banning. They OPPOSE school vouchers. They are fighting for literacy, instead of wasting money on political stunts, and they are working to keep our tax dollars in Lake Travis ISD.
If you agree these things are vital, VOTE to Re-Elect Lauren White and Phillip Davis. Even better—SUPPORT them so they can continue fighting for our kids. (Their opponents are being showered with money from Lake Travis Families PAC, just like in the last couple elections.) Here is a link with more candidate info, videos AND the fundraiser hosted by Lake Travis Voices for Progress so you can easily make a donation: https://www.betterunite.com/ltv4p-2024ltisdschoolboardelection?fbclid=IwAR1qDom7gIn1a7wuLvBwhNRoNoiCWVCHjEkXdmkMHU7u-e2WQv5-T2VGpDc
Need this free yard sign for the LTISD election? The great folks at Voices for Progress will deliver one to you. Just fill out the form here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdceri4wyWGXVcK6b4SEAnRymKYBUsP_SDQhT1aYdSbO-dUwA/viewform?fbclid=IwAR3lhFSZ8FSvtUhOT3JCn3NwwsfVI0KehNud8ucJ7V3xOw6PUHHz7xYxcMA
You made it through the ELECTION SECTION–congrats! The usual fun stuff is next.
Here is what ELSE is happening in Lakeway….
City Hall Art Gallery
Lakeway artist Penny Jamrack has her work on display at City Hall (1102 Lohmans Crossing Rd.). Her specialty is portraiture, but she is also inspired by the natural beauty of plants, birds, and animals.Local art is displayed at City Hall rotating every 3 months. Local artists interested in displaying at City Hall should check here for info: https://www.lakeway-tx.gov/2040/City-Hall-Art-Gallery
Lake Travis Democrats Club
March 26: Banned Book Club, 6:30PM at Lake Travis Community Library. Book: Ghost Boys by Jewell Parker Rhodes.
April 16: Monthly Meeting, 6:30PM at Lakeway Activity Center. Some candidates for Lakeway Council and Lake Travis ISD will be on hand to introduce themselves.
Check https://www.laketravisdemocrats.com/ for details and more activities each month.
LMUD Water Meetings
On Tuesday, March 26 and Thursday, April 4, 7-8PM, at the Lakeway Activity Center (105 Cross Creek), Lakeway Municipal Utility District will host meetings for the public. Plan to attend to get updates on the current restriction and planning for future watering restrictions; feedback will be accepted, as well. Final decisions are expected in May. LMUD’s site is here: https://lakewaymud.org/
Household Hazardous Waste Day
On Wednesday, March 27, from 9:30AM-12:30PM, FREE drop-off for hazardous items is available to residents of Lakeway, Bee Cave and The Hills, plus customers of WCID 17, Hurst Creek MUD, and Lakeway MUD. Bring photo ID or water bill to show eligibility. Location is Lake Travis Regional Reuse & Recycling Center (3207 Neidhardt Dr.). RESERVATIONS are required. Items MUST be in original labeled containers. Paint accepted per household is limited to 30 one-gallon containers. Check here for lists of accepted items and DISALLOWED items AND to make your reservation: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0C44ACA728A1F4C07-48253369-household#/
Junior Firefighter Academy—deadline to apply is April 2.
Lake Travis Fire and Rescue is hosting its FIRST Junior Firefighter Academy this summer, July 16-19, 9AM-4:30PM. Location is Station 605, 3048 Steiner Ranch Boulevard. Cost is $25. Open to students age 12-15, it will provide an immersive experience in firefighting and EMS. Due to the expected demand, applications will be picked by random lottery. Go here for full info and to apply: https://www.ltfr.org/junior-firefighter-academy/?fbclid=IwAR0rhpRJfhqE2YXHkepZlTfbYArB4JQPlE-7ZUDVzhukxP2iZcwv_G_zB80
Garage Sale at Lakeway Activity Center
The next community garage sale is Saturday, April 6 from 8AM to noon. Admission is FREE, but in the LAC lobby you can drop off non-perishable/canned food items, as well as pet food, to be donated to local food banks and charities. You can also donate new or gently used children’s books, for the Free Little Books bin at the entrance. Want to sell stuff? Booths are 10’X10’ and include a 6’ x 3’ foot table and 2 chairs. LAC members pay $30 per booth; non-members pay $35 per booth. Call 512-261-1010 for info. See booth locations and register online registration here (in the Garage Sale tab): https://secure.rec1.com/TX/lakeway-tx/catalog
Saturday Night Concerts at The Galleria
FREE weekly concerts start on Saturday, April 6, 7-9PM, on the Central Plaza Lawn of the Hill Country Galleria. The spring series continues through May 11. Bring a blanket or lawn chairs to get comfy. Performance schedule is here: https://www.hillcountrygalleria.com/event/saturday-night-concert-series/2145580934
Solar Eclipse–Monday, April 8
Per Lakeway PD and Mayor Kilgore: Due to the anticipated VERY LARGE number of people visiting our area and just driving through town, residents should plan ahead (for example, gas up your car and shop early) and stay close to home on eclipse day.
Eclipse timeline (per City of Lakeway site): 12:17pm eclipse begins; 1:35pm FULL eclipse begins; 1:38pm FULL eclipse ends; 2:27pm eclipse ends.
See the above image for eye safety tips, courtesy of City of Lakeway’s eclipse page.
In addition to viewing the eclipse from home, to see professional images along several states you can tune into “Eclipse Across America,” a 2-hour show on ABC, National Geographic and several other channels, starting at 1PM Central.
Lakeway is hosting its own outside viewing party, on Monday, April 8, 1PM in the Activity Center parking lot. Go here for info: https://www.lakeway-tx.gov/2081/Solar-Eclipse
Wilderness Run/Walk
Sponsored by Lakeway Friends of the Park, this year’s run/walk is on Saturday, April 13. This FREE EVENT has prizes for the top finishers. Registration is at 8:30AM. The walk/run starts at the Hurst Creek Sculpture Garden located next to the Lakeway Justice Complex (104 Cross Creek). Details here: https://www.lakewayfop.org/
Singalong Dinner Shows
Lakeway Singalong presents “That’s Life” for its spring performance, at Lakeway Activity Center. Two dinner shows are on Friday, April 19 and Saturday, April 20. Doors open at 6PM, with dinner at 6:30PM. Tickets are $45; get reservations NOW, as these performances sell out fast. For reservations, go here and click on the City Events and Performances tab: https://secure.rec1.com/TX/lakeway-tx/catalog
Beautify Lakeway for EARTH DAY
Volunteer to plant flowers at the Lakeway Swim Center, on Monday, April 22, 11AM. Everything you need will be provided, plus snacks. Go here for full info and to register: https://www.lakeway-tx.gov/1838/Earth-Day
Mayor Kilgore’s Facebook Update
The mayor gave a live update on March 14, with 12 minutes of city info. Go here to watch: https://www.facebook.com/cityoflakeway/videos/1128060478396511
Lakeway’s Own Police Officer/Animal Protection Officer Needs Our Help.
Andrea Greig, one of our police officers since 2005 and now our Animal Protection Officer, is currently fighting a very tough form of cancer. She is always there for Lakeway–helping people, their pets and our wildlife with endless energy, compassion and devotion. Now, if you can, please be there for her and donate to a GoFundMe account, helping cover her medical expenses. Here is the link for info and donations: https://www.gofundme.com/f/4q2ytg-help-andrea-kick-cancers-butt
Council met on March 18.
All 7 members attended the meeting, all in person on the dais. RESULTS:
ITEM 10 (within the Consent Agenda): Increasing each resident’s trash and recycling bill (currently $22.33 per month) to $26.85 per month, due to the recent rate increase in Waste Management’s contract.
–PASSED UNANIMOUSLY as part of the Consent Agenda.
ITEM 13: Citizens Participation for Items NOT on the Agenda.
—CHRIS LEVY spoke, purporting to deliver a $12,500 donation to the City of Lakeway from Lakeway Police Foundation, to be used to refurbish the gym at our Police Station. However, for ethical purposes, city ordinance requires gifts over $2,000 to be reviewed by staff and, in the event certain standards are met, then approved by Council during a properly noticed public hearing. Since these requirements were not followed, the matter was delayed until the next Council meeting. Any candidate for Council should have a better grasp on city procedures and ordinances than Mr. Levy displayed here. Worse–THIS RULE WAS STATED IN THE MEETING PACKET as to Item A.1, which clearly he didn’t bother to read. Another Councilmember prone to political grandstanding is NOT needed.
ITEM 16: Financial Report.
–Due to spending less and receiving more revenue than budgeted through February, the city is roughly $1MIL to the good.
ITEM 17: Presentation from Central Texas Water Coalition.
–NO ACTION TAKEN, but the report was as dire as the recent one by LMUD—possibly more so. Lake Travis suffers from severely compromised inflows, ever-increasing overuse, and historically low rainfall. As a result, the panic mark of 600,000 acre feet is expected to be reached by August. Consider that every gallon used for your yard is a gallon that will never flow from the taps in your kitchen or bathroom.
ITEM 18: Joint Meeting—Council and Charter Review Committee.
–NO ACTION TAKEN. Five members of the Charter Review Committee were introduced–Troy Dunson, Brad Heilman, Jessica Putonti, Amber Hart, and Erik Mulloy. Unfortunately, they NEEDED to be introduced, even to longtime volunteers and the most seasoned followers of city matters. (The committee has 2 more members; former Councilmember Sanjeev Kumar was not present, and Chairman Louis Mastrangelo remains on Council until the May election.) A very loose timeline was discussed. (See image.) Council rather grudgingly agreed that members would not attend Charter Review Committee meetings (which will be closed to the public), unless specifically invited.
ITEM 19: REZONING–Ordinance changing Future Land Use Map from Commercial to Residential and changing Zoning from Office/Retail to Planned Unit Development, to allow 48 Residential units on 5.36 acres at 300 Birrell. (NOTE: ZAPCO voted down this proposal 6:1. See plan image.)
–POSTPONED until the April 15 meeting, because the FLUM portion of the item was omitted from the actual Agenda, such that the required public notice failed to happen. Embarrassing all around, especially since this item was the meatiest one of the night.
ITEM 20: Amending the ordinances as to special use permits for Gaming/Software/Sweepstakes businesses (limiting them to 3 active permits at a time within the city, and no operation within 1,500’ of each other, schools, places of worship or residences).
–PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.
ITEM 22: Discussion of Length and Number of City Council Meetings.
–SURPRISE …. Nothing much is going to change. Ironically, this meeting ended relatively early, and still it was far longer than necessary. A simple way to trim meeting length is to eliminate Council’s own “breaks.” During this shortish meeting (less than 3 hours long), 2 breaks were called. Breaks balloon to multiple times the stated length. Worse, they fail to provide the audience with any break at all; we have to remain in chambers, idling around until Council members drag themselves back to the dais to do the work. Another way to shorten Council meetings is to disallow Councilmembers from READING THEIR REMARKS ENDLESSLY FROM THEIR PHONES/DEVICES. This always makes me wonder who REALLY wrote the message. Plus–sincerity and brevity tend to go together.
A.1 Accept Donation for Employee Gym Equipment.
–First, there was freewheeling (also, disingenuous) discussion of Mayor Tom Kilgore and Caren Kilgore’s $15,500 donation to the city, to be used to refurbish the gym at our Police Station and made via a nationally known charitable trust. Then, there was a ridiculous (and ridiculously long) break. Then, Council VOTED UNANIMOUSLY to accept the donation.
ADJOURNED at 9:27PM.
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/300048
Daring Mighty Things
On March 4, the International Space Station was passing over N. Dakota when it took a gorgeous photo of neighboring Michigan, surrounded by ALL 5 of the Great Lakes. Look for mitten-shaped Michigan at the upper right of the image, as the lakes glitter in the sunlight. (Image courtesy of the Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit, NASA Johnson Space Center.) NASA captures stunning image of Michigan, all 5 Great Lakes from 259 miles up 3/4/24 https://www.mlive.com/news/2024/03/nasa-captures-stunning-image-of-michigan-all-5-great-lakes-from-259-miles-up.html
Russia’s Soyuz was scheduled to blast off from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstanon on March 21, delivering an American astronaut and 2 Russians to the International Space Station. The launch was aborted just 21 seconds before blast off. Basically, the craft had a dead battery, as confirmed by Roscosmos, the Russian space agency. The launch was re-scheduled for as early as March 23. (Image credit: NASA TV.) Russian Soyuz rocket suffers rare last-minute abort during launch of 3 astronauts to ISS 3/21/24 https://www.space.com/soyuz-rocket-launch-abort-expedition71-astronauts
Musk’s 3rd try was NOT the charm, though it did exhibit some flair early on. (Image credit: SpaceX via X.) The March 14 launch from SpaceX’s facility near Boca Chica Beach in South Texas thrilled spring break crowds on nearby South Padre. Starship achieved Earth orbit, qualifying it as the largest man-made object ever to reach outer space. Some tests were completed (opening payload doors, transferring fuel, etc.), but the planned splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico never happened; comms ceased 48 minutes after launch during a fiery re-entry, and both Starship and its booster rocket were lost. Musk claimed victory, but clearly much needs to be corrected before crewed flight can be considered NASA plans to use Starship to take Artemis astronauts to the moon, in 2025. Admittedly, SpaceX has gone far; this launch happened on the 22nd anniversary of the company’s founding in 2002. SpaceX launches giant Starship rocket into space on epic 3rd test flight 3/14/24 https://www.space.com/spacex-starship-third-test-flight-launch
The FAA initiated its third “mishap investigation” immediately after Starship’s spectacular landing failure on March 14. (Investigation #2 only closed on 3/13—just hours before the latest launch.) SpaceX is already touting mission #4, but the FAA will not grant a launch license until the current mishap investigation is complete and SpaceX has implemented all required corrective actions. (Image credit: SpaceX.) FAA to oversee investigation of SpaceX Starship’s 3rd test flight 3/15/24 https://www.space.com/spacex-starship-third-test-flight-faa-investigation
Boeing is prepping its Starliner capsule for the vehicle’s first-ever astronaut launch. That mission, called Crew Flight Test (CFT), should launch in early May from Florida’s Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, sending 2 NASA astronauts to the ISS for a roughly 10-day stay. Boeing’s Starliner, which has suffered several failures and resulting delays, will then augment SpaceX as American options for shuttling personnel to and from the ISS. (Image credit: Boeing via X.) Boeing begins fueling Starliner capsule ahead of 1st astronaut launch 3/19/24 https://www.space.com/boeing-begins-fueling-starliner-first-astronaut-launch
NASA is testing the Orion capsule prior to sending astronauts to the moon in it. (Image credit: NASA Glenn Research Center/YouTube.) Over the next 8 months, simulated emergencies will include lightning strikes, deafening acoustics, and countless abort scenarios. After a successful moon voyage, NASA’s Artemis 1 Orion spacecraft helps prepare for the next 3/13/24 https://www.space.com/artemis-1-orion-spacecraft-moon-testing-astronauts
Sprawling out 50 million light-years away from Earth, the Markarian Chain is a string of galaxies. Two of the galaxies, NGC 4438 and NGC 4435 (AKA The Eyes) appear above, emerging from a close encounter when gravitational tides distorted their stars, gas and dust. (Image Credit & Copyright: Mike Selby.) Check out this government site to see daily space-related images, with understandable explanations: https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html
With liberty and justice for all … except women.
At the March 19 event, Lake Travis Democrats hosted Wendy Davis, the former State Senator and warrior for Texas women’s health and reproductive rights. She discussed her new role at Planned Parenthood Texas Votes and more with moderator Laurie Higginbotham, local attorney and former Lakeway City Councilmember. (Image Credit: Lake Travis Democrats.) Topics included AG Paxton’s efforts to track/stop women crossing the Texas border for reproductive care and whether the Texas legislature will enable that via a state law next session, the Allred vs. Cruz race for Senate, ramifications of Dobbs and our state’s abortion ban, likelihood the “personhood” argument will result in a Texas ban on IVF, AG Paxton’s current $2BIL lawsuit against Planned Parenthood, Gov. Abbott’s years-long refusal to accept federal funds for reproductive health, and much more. Watch the 1 hour video here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-jIrZnHdMToTkKdmTpG6jXqvcYhha55a/view
On March 26, the US Supreme Court hears oral arguments on the Texas case attempting to ban mifepristone, the main drug approved by the FDA over 20 years ago and now used in medication abortions world-wide. Want to know more beforehand? Dahlia Lithwick’s March 23 1-hour podcast on Amicus explains the background of the case and what the far-right is really doing. Listen here (just click the PLAY arrow under the purple SLATE logo to listen for free, without an Apple subscription): How The Mifepristone Case Reached SCOTUS https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-the-mifepristone-case-reached-scotus/id928790786?i=1000650157224
On March 26 (and later) you can listen to the oral arguments:
–SCOTUS generally streams live audio, starting at 9AM Central, here: https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/live.aspx
–Later in the day, the recording should be available here: https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_audio/2023
Musician Olivia Rodrigo is promoting awareness and access to reproductive health care in several tangible ways, during her “Guts” world tour. At her March 12 concert in St Louis, MO, free emergency contraceptives, condoms, and info on abortion access resources and the Missouri Abortion Fund were circulated to fans. National Network of Abortion Funds will have a booth at all her North American concerts. Finally, she established Fund 4 Good, to fund community-based nonprofits championing girls education and reproductive rights and preventing gender-based violence. Olivia Rodrigo Makes Free Emergency Birth Control Pills Available at Missouri Concert After State Narrows Reproductive Rights 3/13/24 https://variety.com/2024/music/news/olivia-rodrigo-plan-b-condoms-contraceptives-concert-1235940694/
Texas strikes again…. The notoriously far-right 5th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a Texas law requiring parental consent for minors to get contraception, even at federally funded Title X clinics. Since 1970, these clinics have provided free contraception to anyone regardless of age, income or immigration status. For over 50 years, federal courts Federal courts repeatedly held that clinics cannot require parental consent. But—no longer, in Texas. Hmmm, why does THAT timeline for losing reproductive rights sound so familiar????? 5th Circuit upholds Texas law requiring minors to obtain parental consent for contraception 3/13/24 https://www.texastribune.org/2024/03/12/texas-parental-consent-birth-control-fifth-circuit-title-x/
The Texas Medical Board released proposed guidance for medical exceptions to the state’s abortion ban. However, anyone expecting specific and practical help to doctors in saving patients while following the law was sorely disappointed. Instead of a list of allowed procedures, the proposal just restates general definitions. The board’s proposed rule defines “medical emergency” as “a life threatening condition aggravated by, caused by or arising from a pregnancy that is certified by a physician places the woman in danger of death or a serious impairment or a major bodily function unless an abortion is performed.” Plus, the board said its process would be “separate and independent” from any in a criminal trial, instead of shielding doctors prosecuted under the abortion law. Texas Medical Board proposes new guidance for abortion medical exceptions 3/22/24 https://www.texastribune.org/2024/03/22/texas-medical-exception-board-abortion-guidance/
Back to me….
I’m finally over the cold from he$$. Ugh.
I have been attending Citizen’s Police Academy, a weekly seminar hosted by Lakeway PD. The Police Department comes up a lot at the various city meetings I attend, but I’m learning tons from lectures and other training via the seminar. My ride-along is coming up soon, along with lots of hands-on training. Any interested Lakeway resident should consider applying for future academy sessions. Info here: https://www.lakeway-tx.gov/1378/Citizens-Police-Academy
Here are a few new deer photos. The herd is still wearing its winter coat, thick and all roughed up, just in case we get any more cold weather. Silly deer….
Coronavirus Update
Covid numbers continue to fall. As of March 2, the New York Times correlated the CDC’s statistics for the US. Across the country, a daily average of 4,255 people were being hospitalized for lab-confirmed Covid-19, which is a 11% DROP from 2 weeks ago. Total hospitalizations for lab-confirmed Covid-19 sank by 13% over that time to 16,896 Americans. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2023/us/covid-cases.html
REMINDER— Over 95% of adults hospitalized in 2023-2024 due to COVID-19 had not gotten the latest vaccine. So, if you never got the updated Covid booster, get it now. Those age 65 and older should get ANOTHER dose of the updated vaccination this spring (if 4 or more months have gone by). Shots are available at local pharmacies.
If you catch Covid, consider taking Paxlovid. It prevents severe illness and death in people at high risk; studies show it is effective in nearly 75% of cases. And “high risk” covers most American adults, including those with depression, obesity, asthma or a history of smoking. Anyone age 50 or older should take Paxlovid, regardless of health status. Lots more good info in this article: I Have Covid. Should I Take Paxlovid? 1/11/24 https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/11/well/covid-paxlovid-treatment.html
Recent Covid-19 Articles
—What’s Next for the Coronavirus? 3/22/24 https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/22/health/coronavirus-evolution-immunity.html
—Eric Topol: Covid, 4 years on 3/13/24 https://erictopol.substack.com/p/covid-4-years-on
—Why covid patients who could most benefit from paxlovid still aren’t getting it 3/13/24 https://www.texastribune.org/2024/03/13/grapevine-texas-covid-paxlovid/
—The Fourth Anniversary of the Covid Pandemic 3/11/24 https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/11/briefing/covid-pandemic-anniversary.html