Change for the better, getting back to normal, whistling in the dark—whatever….
Don’t know about you, but I need a CHANGE. So, considering that Texas’ latest surge has eased dramatically, I am moving Covid coverage to the END of the blog. World, US and Texas pandemic news are all still covered, including vaccination updates. (And there is a lot of Covid news this time, mostly good, so be sure to scroll on down to read it.) But, I really want to get back to what this blog was supposed to be about, when I so cluelessly started playing around with it way back in early 2020, before Covid hijacked our attention, our lives and—to a large and nonsensical extent–our democracy.
I always intended for the blog to showcase LAKEWAY, everything from our glorious deer to the doings of City Council–often less than glorious but always interesting and vital for every resident to monitor.
In Lakeway
Our Veterans Day ceremony will be held on Thursday, Nov. 11, at 6 p.m. Location is the Recital Hall in the Lake Travis ISD Annex Building, corner of RR 620 S. and Cavalier Drive. The guest speaker will be Mr. Jim Young, U.S. Army. Mayor Kilgore will offer remarks, and patriotic music will be performed by the Lake Travis ISD High School Band and Choir.
Our new Police Chief Glen Coen starts work on Nov. 22. A welcome event will be held at the Lakeway Police Department in early December (details still pending). Info on the new chief is here– https://www.lakeway-tx.gov/civicalerts.aspx?AID=1518
Lakeway has a new emergency alert system. Residents can sign up to get notices by text or email. It is free and simple to do. Go here for info and to sign up– https://www.lakeway-tx.gov/civicalerts.aspx?AID=1519
Hope you voted in the Nov. 2 election. All 8 constitutional amendments were approved, as was the LTISD “golden pennies” tax proposal on Lakeway ballots.
ZAPCO meets on Monday Nov. 8, 9am at City Hall
The noteworthy issue is Agenda Item 11, which is ANOTHER request to approve the Nightingale Project. Owners of 7.76 on 620 at Nightingale Road want to build 248 apartment units in dense configuration that would require several variances. The land is now zoned as commercial and agricultural, yet some nearby home owners are upset by this proposed residential use of the property. Many local business owners support the project, as it would be workforce housing and should help with Lakeway’s long-time hiring problems. The matter was reviewed over the summer; ZAPCO denied approval, then the owners withdrew the item from Council review. Now, the project is back, again proposed as a PUD, which allows the city considerable control. TXDOT’s assurance of a stop light is firmer now. Several variances would be needed, including for density, parking spots, and park size and use.
Go here and scroll down to find ZAPCO’s Meeting Packet and Presentation for Nov. 8—https://www.lakeway-tx.gov/archive.aspx
Go here to watch the meeting online (live or later)—https://www.lakeway-tx.gov/1062/Videos—Meetings-Events
Lakeway Council met in Special Session on Monday, Nov. 1
RESULTS IN ALL CAPS.
Via Addendum, this was added to the Agenda: Affirming appointment of the Chief of Police.
APPOINTMENT OF GLEN KOEN WAS UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED. He graduated from Round Rock High School and from University of Texas-Austin, then worked in the UT security system for 2 decades. Most recently, he served as Assistant Chief of Police in Mukilteo, WA.
Item 3—Request for $100,000 in Hotel Occupancy Tax funding for the Special Olympics Texas Winter Games that will be held in the area during February of 2022. Funding would cover 50% of the advertising and participant lodging expenses, with City of Bee Cave matching the City of Lakeway’s contribution. UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED
Item 4: Amendment to Eastside Landing Development Agreement to eliminate the requirements for the developer to 1) construct Flint Rock Road and 2) subdivide the north side into R-1 lots. Per the developer, the topography complicates road construction at this time, so it proposes dedication of the 100-foot wide right of way and making an agreed upon payment so the City takes on responsibility for the future extension of Flint Rock Road through the property. Also, the developer wants to transfer the northern 24 acres as 1 single-family lot, instead of dividing that area into R-1 lots at this time. DISCUSSION OF PROS AND CONS, WITH STAFF INSTRUCTED TO CONTINUE WORKING ON THE ISSUES. AS THIS WAS JUST THE FIRST READING OF THE MATTER, NO ACTION WAS TAKEN.
Item 5: Annexation into the city limits of 44 acres known as Eastside Landing. The property is located at 17301 Flint Rock Road, north of Serene Hills. UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED
Item 6: Zoning Eastside Landing property as R-1 (north 29 acres) and R-3 zoning (the remaining 15 acres). MOTION TO POSTPONE CONSIDERATION UNTIL Nov. 15 MEETING (when related item #4 will be decided) PASSED 5 : 2.
Item 7: Reviewing construction of the Hurst Creek Sculpture Garden Sidewalk and Pedestrian Bridge. The result would be an ADA pathway from the Justice Center parking lot, through the sculpture garden, connecting to the pedestrian bridge crossing Hurst Creek and joining both the Hamilton and Smith Greenbelt Trails. Of 5 options considered, the recommended one (Option 5) costs $150K, consisting of an 8’ wide trail and 30’ in length low water crossing bridge with pre-stressed concrete beams with low-profile timber rails on each side; it follows the natural terrain to the creek, would have minimal impact on the trees, and provides maximum walkway through the Garden. (Other options cost from $106K to $460K.) OPTION 5 (costing $150K with sod, dirt and irrigation) APPROVED 6 : 1.
Item 8: Executive session—Annual Review of City Manager. EVALUATION, 3.5% RAISE AND $5K STIPEND UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED Go here for the Agenda, Meeting Packet and Presentation— https://www.lakeway-tx.gov/archive.aspx
Go here to watch the Council meeting online–https://lakewaytx.new.swagit.com/videos/147158
Lakeway Council will meet in Regular Session on Monday, Nov. 15, 6:30pm at City Hall
The Agenda should be available here by Nov. 9– https://www.lakeway-tx.gov/archive.aspx
Daring Mighty Things
America is slated to return to the moon in early 2022. NASA stacks Orion capsule atop Artemis 1 as moon mission nears 10/29/21 https://www.theguardian.com/science/2021/oct/29/nasa-stacks-orion-capsule-atop-artemis-1-as-moon-mission-nears
NASA is having a variety of pesky problems getting astronauts ferried back and forth to the International Space Station via SpaceX capsules and rockets. Weather and health issues have delayed sending a new crew up to ISS. Worse, the SpaceX capsule now parked at ISS that will bring home the current crew has a faulty toilet, requiring those lucky folks to wear absorbent undergarments during the trip, which is also waiting on good weather. The astronauts of SpaceX’s Crew-2 mission talk toilet trouble in space and more, but when will they land? 11/5/21 https://www.space.com/spacex-crew-2-astronauts-toilet-trouble-landing
Texas elections
The 2022 races have started, with ads already appearing. Eva Guzman airs early ads in bid to stand out in crowded primary for attorney general 10/24/21 https://www.texastribune.org/2021/10/24/eva-guzman-texas-attorney-general/
Another Democrat is running for attorney general. Rochelle Garza, a former ACLU lawyer from the Rio Grande Valley, will face at least two other candidates in the March 1 primary–Joe Jaworski, Galveston’s former mayor, and Lee Merritt, Dallas civil rights attorney. Former ACLU lawyer Rochelle Garza decides to run for attorney general after redistricting upends congressional campaign 11/1/21 https://www.texastribune.org/2021/11/01/rochelle-garza-texas-attorney-general/
Not that anyone expected the Texas governor’s race to be a classy affair, but this doesn’t bode well…. Police called after GOP candidate Allen West admits to ‘flicking’ off someone’s mask 11/3/21 https://news.yahoo.com/police-called-gop-candidate-allen-222056507.html
Back to me….
Daylight Saving Time ends tonight, and I cannot wait. Not only do I get an extra Sunday hour, but mornings start when they should. I’m tired of prowling around in the dark on my walks.
This is a great ad, from an unexpected source–the United Nations. We really do need to stop choosing extinction…. https://www.nbcnews.com/video/dinosaur-tells-u-n-extinction-is-bad-ahead-of-cop26-climate-conference-124809797969
Good books I recently finished (both available at Lake Travis Community Library):
There Is Nothing For You Here (2021), by Fiona Hill—Best known as the National Security Council’s Russia expert who testified against Trump in his first impeachment trial, Hill has an interesting backstory as a disadvantaged child growing up in Northern England’s economically devastated coal country. Some chapters are less engaging than others, but the second half of the book is well worth reading. She analyzes the last 30 years’ toll on the UK, Russia and America, explaining the political allure of strongmen and where the Trump era took us.
God Rest Ye, Royal Gentlemen (2021), by Rhys Bowen—In the 16th Royal Spyness mystery, Lady Georgiana spends Christmas of 1935 at Sandringham near the royals, solving crime and keeping an eye on the errant Prince of Wales at the Queen’s request as the King nears his own end and the British empire edges closer to both scandal and war. This is my favorite escapist series, for the humor and delightful characters, carefully set within an historically accurate backdrop of Britain’s precarious monarchy pre-WWII. This fun romp is best read after a few of the earlier titles but would also be enjoyed on its own.
So, I have 3 cats who I totally adore. One is perfect in every way. (Thank you, Tulip!) One (Peanut) is tubby and on strict vet’s orders to LOSE weight. One (Maxie) is bony and on strict vet’s orders to GAIN weight. Exactly how am I supposed to work THAT miracle? Feeding time is like Goldilocks and the Three Bears….
Our deer herd is in full fall dress. Coats are now rough and have turned gray-brown, so unlike the sleek honey gold of summer. Fawns suddenly look all grown up, barely shorter and slighter than their moms. With rut in full force, the bucks appear tired, while the does are beaming…. Here are some of my favorite recent photos.
The Coronavirus
Worldwide, the official Covid death toll has exceeded 5 million people. (This is widely considered to be an under-count, due to lack of Covid testing and questionable reporting in many parts of the world.) The hardest hit countries are predominantly the most highly developed. Experts explain this plague anomaly by pointing out that rich countries have higher populations of elderly, cancer survivors and nursing home residents—all especially vulnerable to Covid; poor countries have more children and young adults–who tolerate Covid better.
Currently, some countries are recovering from vicious summer surges, while other countries are now experiencing their worst bouts of Covid ever.
Europe’s case rate has more than doubled in the last month. Just about every European country, from tiny Slovenia to populous Germany, is suffering a Covid surge. Last week, Europe reported 60% of the new cases worldwide and half the world’s deaths. Cases and especially deaths are concentrated among the unvaccinated.
The UK is going through yet another surge, after dropping all restrictions over the summer and declaring things back to normal. The Netherlands has reinstituted mask restrictions after cases spiked. Italy is experiencing isolated surges in areas with low vaccination rates. Ukraine reports a severe surge straining medical resources.
Russia is setting new records for daily deaths. Several regions of the country have extended the 1-week shutdown that Pres. Putin ordered in late October.
China and South Korea also report new surges. However, Japan, after a severe summer surge of Covid, is now seeing daily cases drop sharply.
In the US, in the last 2 weeks, cases have decreased 3%, hospitalizations are down 14%, and deaths dropped 20%. We are averaging 71,000 new cases per day. 47,000 Americans are currently hospitalized with Covid, and the death rate averages 1,200 people per day.
States in the worst shape currently include Alaska, Idaho, Montana and other western states. The biggest factor is probably not winter weather; it is vaccine skepticism rampant in those states. Idaho is the least vaccinated state, and its neighbors are doing little better. Colorado’s hospitals are being overwhelmed, with most cancelling non-emergency services and some close to rationing care.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki tested positive last week with a breakthrough infection, after family members tested positive.
On Nov. 8, international tourists are welcome back to the US, after an 18 month-long Covid ban. Those entering must show proof of vaccination and a negative Covid test.
Pfizer reports that its Covid PILL prevented hospitalization and death in 89% of cases, during a trial. Much like rival Merck’s antiviral pill that claims 50% success, Pfizer’s must be taken within 3-5 days of infection, before serious symptoms appear. Both pills still need to be evaluated before approval for general use in the US (although Merck’s pill is already approved and being used in the UK).
In Texas, the current positivity test rate is 5%, down from 7% 2 weeks ago. We are averaging 3,200 new cases and 103 deaths daily. As of now, there are 3,800 Texans hospitalized for Covid-19. In the last 2 weeks, cases have decreased 27%, hospitalizations dropped 30%, and deaths are down 44%.
Vaccinations–the safe path to herd immunity
Worldwide, 7.2 billion shots have been given, with 40% of the planet’s population fully vaccinated.
New Zealand is requiring a large segment of workers to be vaccinated. The mandate covers those working in restaurants, gyms, bars and hair salons; these businesses already require customers to be vaccinated.
Germany’s parliament members wear colored wristbands proclaiming vaccine status.
Latvia’s Parliament enacted a law allowing businesses to fire workers refusing vaccination.
In the US, 58% of the entire population is fully vaccinated; 68% of adults are fully vaccinated. On average, we are now giving around 1,280,000 shots per day, including boosters. About 22 million booster shots have been given.
The U.S. is the least vaccinated affluent country, behind Canada, Australia, Japan, South Korea, Britain, France, Germany, Italy and many others. The result of less vaccination is a higher death rate in America.
The FDA and CDC last week authorized Pfizer’s Covid vaccinations for kids age 5-11. They will get 2 shots, each at 1/3 the adult dosage, spaced 3 weeks apart. This makes another 28 million Americans eligible for vaccination.
Boosters are being given for all 3 brands of vaccines. The CDC added depression and schizophrenia to its list of health conditions putting people at risk of severe Covid. So, people with those mental conditions are eligible for Pfizer and Moderna booster shots.
America’s highest vaccination rate is in Puerto Rico, where over 73% of the population is fully vaccinated. Authorities say people there are open to shots in part due to widespread concern that local medical facilities—already seen as deficient—not be over-taxed by the pandemic. In addition, Covid has not been politicized there, as it has been in mainland America.
After Tyson Foods’ August vaccine mandate, over 60K workers got shots. The result is that 96% of the workforce is now vaccinated.
New York City’s vaccine mandate for all city workers has resulted in 92% compliance (up from 70% when the mandate was announced). Last week, 9,000 unvaccinated workers (including 2,500 in the police department) were placed on unpaid leave.
The US military is 88% fully vaccinated, after its vaccine mandate was announced 2 months ago. The Air Force is 97% vaccinated.
Citigroup became the first big bank in the US to require all workers to be vaccinated.
The Biden administration’s OSHA mandate allows until Jan. 4 for companies with 100 or more workers to get everyone fully vaccinated OR submit to weekly testing and mandatory masking. An estimated 84 million workers are affected.
Job listings, particularly for higher-paying positions, more and more feature a new requirement: proof of vaccination against Covid.
In Texas, only 54% of all residents and 64% of adults are fully vaccinated.
Recent Covid articles I recommend….
Pfizer pill significantly cuts risk of COVID-19 death, company says 11/5/21 https://www.politico.eu/article/pfizers-antiviral-significantly-cut-risk-of-covid-19-deaths-in-study-plans-us-filing/
Frequently Asked Questions About the Biden Administration’s Vaccine Mandate 11/4/21 https://www.nytimes.com/article/vaccine-mandate-biden-osha.html
C.D.C. Recommends Covid Vaccine for Younger Children 11/2/21 https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/02/health/covid-vaccine-children-cdc.html
Vaccination offers more protection against Covid than prior infection, a C.D.C. study suggests 10/29/21 https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/29/health/cdc-covid-vaccine-protection.html
Should I Mix or Match My Booster Shot? 10/28/21 https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/27/well/live/covid-booster-shot-mix-and-match.html
How Will We Live if Covid Is Here to Stay? 10/27/21 https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/27/opinion/covid-forever-endemic-plans.html
Yes, You’ll Want to Vaccinate Your Kids Against Covid. An Expert Explains Why. 10/26/21 https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/26/opinion/covid-vaccine-kids.html
Worst of US pandemic likely behind us but we can’t drop our guard, experts say 10/25/21 https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/oct/25/us-covid-coronavirus-pandemic-experts