AUSTIN | Misc. Discussions - No Politics - Page 150

The ATX · #**2981** Posted **May 23, 2022, 7:13 PM**

Walmarts aren't even 24/7 any more. Seems like we're going backwards.

Sigaven · #**2982** Posted **May 23, 2022, 9:41 PM**

Apparently the pandemic hit a lot of 24h businesses hard and theyve had to cut back hours due to staff shortages. It's not just Austin, it's occurring in a lot of cities

kingkirbythe.... · #**2983** Posted **May 24, 2022, 4:35 AM**

Players was 24 hours.

Urbannizer · #**2984** Posted **May 24, 2022, 5:00 AM**

Add Kens Donuts and 24 Diner to that list.

Only place I can think of that’s still 24 hours is Tyson’s Tacos.

lonewolf · #**2985** Posted **May 24, 2022, 1:47 PM**

jims restaraunt used to be 24h too i think

Urbannizer · #**2986** Posted **May 24, 2022, 5:23 PM**

Friendly reminder to vote today! Primary runoff, polling locations open till 7pm.

kingkirbythe.... · #**2987** Posted **May 24, 2022, 10:47 PM**

A guide to 7 top-rated Austin swimming holes

https://www.mysanantonio.com/lifesty...s-17088842.php

From remote Hill Country nature preserves to downtown pools, here's where to find the best swimming holes near Austin.

kingkirbythe.... · #**2988** Posted **May 28, 2022, 4:39 AM**

As lake levels drop, Austin tightens water restrictions for first time in years

https://www.kut.org/energy-environme...-time-in-years

Residents have to reduce their use of automatic irrigation systems, such as sprinklers set to turn on at scheduled times, as the City of Austin enters the first phase of its drought plan.

These types of restrictions, which go into effect June 6, are triggered when the city’s water supply falls below a certain level. It's been at least three years since the city has had to enact these rules.

Austin gets its water from Lake Travis and Lake Buchanan. Officials said Friday they expect water levels in these lakes to drop below 1.4 million acre-feet in the next several days. When that happens, the city enters what it calls “Stage 1” of its Drought Contingency Plan.

The city already has limits on hose and irrigation watering. With these new restrictions, residents are now only permitted to use automatic irrigation in the early mornings and at night. People who violate these water restrictions could face a fine of up to $500.

“While the changes in restrictions for Stage 1 are limited, Austin Water also views the declaration of Stage 1 as an opportunity, and obligation, to inform citizens about the current situation with drought and lake volumes,” Kevin Critendon, an assistant director with Austin Water, said.

Climatologists worry this summer will be akin to the one Texans lived through in 2011, which was marked by intense drought and heat.

"With the early start to the hot weather this year, we have also been experiencing significant drought conditions in the upper parts of the Colorado River watershed that feed into the Highland Lakes," Critendon said in an email. "Inflows into the Highland Lakes for the first four months of the year have been well below historical averages and May seems to be following suit."

Here are some of the rules residents will have to follow:

Automatic irrigation is only allowed one day a week between midnight to 8 a.m. and 7 p.m. to midnight
You can only use hose-end sprinklers two days a week
Restaurant workers cannot serve water unless a customer requests it

kingkirbythe.... · #**2989** Posted **May 31, 2022, 7:02 PM**

He’s an Urban Birder, Photographing Birds of Prey in Downtown Austin

https://www.texasmonthly.com/texas-c...hris-ducharme/

Chris DuCharme is self-taught, armed with a telephoto lens and words of encouragement from his late wife.

With an eye for the sky, one man has kept his focus on urban dive-bombing birds of prey, like the peregrine falcon or red-tailed hawk. From the banks of Lady Bird Lake to the campus of the University of Texas at Austin, it’s easy to spot Chris DuCharme with his long grey beard and huge camera lens, always pointed upward.

His images show the value and simple pleasure of disconnecting, if only for a moment. In this video from Texas Country Reporter, Ducharme discusses his work and how his passion is fueled by encouragement from his late wife.

SproutingTowers · #**2990** Posted **Jun 6, 2022, 4:33 AM**

Zilker Metropolitan Park Vision Plan. Click on Plan Concepts Comparisons PDF.

https://www.austintexas.gov/ZilkerVision

kingkirbythe.... · #**2991** Posted **Jun 7, 2022, 11:27 PM**

Faced with scooter seizures, Bird pays property tax bill months late

https://www.kut.org/2022-06-07/faced...ll-months-late

After Travis County's top tax collector warned he would start seizing Bird scooters to recoup unpaid property taxes, the California-based company rushed to pay its outstanding bill in full.

...

"I don't know if we can seize $149,000 worth of scooters, so this is uncharted territory for us," Elfant told KUT before the bill had been paid.

...

It's unclear how many scooters Travis County would have had to sell to recoup $149,000. A Bird scooter from Best Buy retails for $599. But a scooter pulled off the street and auctioned on the courthouse steps would have to be modified for personal use.

Converting a shared scooter for private ownership requires some technical know-how and parts, but the instructions are easy to find online.

Travis County's tax office has collected about 99% of 2021 property taxes, but some $67 million is still outstanding.

kingkirbythe.... · #**2992** Posted **Jun 7, 2022, 11:41 PM**

Barton Springs pool opens on Wednesday for the first time in 3 months

The pool had been closed two days per week because of a lifeguard shortage.

https://www.mysanantonio.com/lifesty...n-17224587.php

Barton Springs pool will open on Wednesday, June 8, for the first time in almost three months, according to the Austin Parks and Recreation Department (PARD).

In March, a lifeguard shortage necessitated closing the year-round pool on Mondays and Wednesdays, in addition to the regular closing on Thursdays for cleaning. Lifeguards at Barton Springs petitioned for a higher starting wage, in addition to other workplace benefits, citing these reasons for the citywide shortage, and, in particular, the lack of Barton Springs-certified lifeguards.

As of Wednesday, folks can swim at their own risk from 5 to 8 a.m. and enjoy guarded swim from then until 10 p.m. every day except Thursday, which has the same unguarded swim time and is open for guarded swim from 7 to 10 p.m.

In April, PARD raised the starting wage from $15 to $16, and announced a signing bonus of up to $1,250 for certain lifeguard positions. By the end of last week though, the city had around 324 lifeguards ready to work. It needs 750 to fully operate all 34 pools.

As a result, many Austin municipal pools remain closed until PARD can hire more lifeguards, which has caused parking problems and overcrowding at the city's open facilities as temperatures rise. PARD has not yet released opening dates for the almost 20 municipal pools still shuttered across the city.

kingkirbythe.... · #**2993** Posted **Jun 7, 2022, 11:44 PM**

Republic of Texas Motorcycle Rally leaves Austin for Bastrop after 25 years

Live music, performances will be at the Travis County Expo Center.

https://www.mysanantonio.com/lifesty...p-17222122.php

Since 1995, the Republic of Texas Motorcycle Rally has been held at the Travis County Expo Center in northeast Austin. Not this year, as the ROT Rally moves about 20 miles east into Bastrop County. From Thursday, June 9 to Sunday, June 12, motorcyclists from far and wide will head out on FM 969 to Mere's Reserve, an events space on the Colorado River.

"We are excited for our new permanent location with 150 plus acres of beautiful Texas landscape," organizers wrote on the event's website. "This new site brings a new vision and excellent long-term partnerships to grow The Republic of Texas Motorcycle Rally to one of the top Rallies in the US. In addition, the new site will create a fresh feel and opportunities to embrace the Motorcycle Lifestyle."

The 2020 ROT Rally was canceled and in 2021 it was moved to Circuit of the Americas after a last-minute relocation. Organizers note that any tickets or RV space reservations purchased for the 2022 event, originally thought to be in Austin, will be honored at Mere's Reserve.

The event will include live music, charity rides, Mexico's Motorcycle Acrobats, the second-annual Derwood Invitational Builder Show, and a host of vendors and food trucks.

Despite moving out of Austin, some of Austin's finest are making their way down FM 969 to entertain the mass gathering of motorcycle enthusiasts.

Kathy Valentine of the Go-Go's announced that her other band, The BlueBonnets, would be opening for punk band X — co-fronted by new-ish Austinite John Doe — on Friday, June 10, at Mere's Reserve with the Reverend Horton Heat. The guitarist and singer promises the show is worth the trip and the heat.

Outlaw country singer Ray Wylie Hubbard headlines the previous night and British blues rockers Foghat take the main stage on Saturday, June 11.

AustinYIMBY · #**2994** Posted **Jun 8, 2022, 9:10 PM**

Travis County reveals Top 10 delinquent taxpayers, Bird pays $149K bill months late

https://cbsaustin.com/news/local/tra...Cy60d_aliVKQGc

Looks like #1 is a World Class property, 99 Trinity. I am surprised by the Optimist Club one. That seems like a huge valuation for sports fields owned by (what I assume to be) a nonprofit.

austlar1 · #**2995** Posted **Jun 8, 2022, 11:41 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by kingkirbythe....

Republic of Texas Motorcycle Rally leaves Austin for Bastrop after 25 years

Live music, performances will be at the Travis County Expo Center.

https://www.mysanantonio.com/lifesty...p-17222122.php

Since 1995, the Republic of Texas Motorcycle Rally has been held at the Travis County Expo Center in northeast Austin. Not this year, as the ROT Rally moves about 20 miles east into Bastrop County. From Thursday, June 9 to Sunday, June 12, motorcyclists from far and wide will head out on FM 969 to Mere's Reserve, an events space on the Colorado River.

"We are excited for our new permanent location with 150 plus acres of beautiful Texas landscape," organizers wrote on the event's website. "This new site brings a new vision and excellent long-term partnerships to grow The Republic of Texas Motorcycle Rally to one of the top Rallies in the US. In addition, the new site will create a fresh feel and opportunities to embrace the Motorcycle Lifestyle."

The 2020 ROT Rally was canceled and in 2021 it was moved to Circuit of the Americas after a last-minute relocation. Organizers note that any tickets or RV space reservations purchased for the 2022 event, originally thought to be in Austin, will be honored at Mere's Reserve.

The event will include live music, charity rides, Mexico's Motorcycle Acrobats, the second-annual Derwood Invitational Builder Show, and a host of vendors and food trucks.

Despite moving out of Austin, some of Austin's finest are making their way down FM 969 to entertain the mass gathering of motorcycle enthusiasts.

Kathy Valentine of the Go-Go's announced that her other band, The BlueBonnets, would be opening for punk band X — co-fronted by new-ish Austinite John Doe — on Friday, June 10, at Mere's Reserve with the Reverend Horton Heat. The guitarist and singer promises the show is worth the trip and the heat.

Outlaw country singer Ray Wylie Hubbard headlines the previous night and British blues rockers Foghat take the main stage on Saturday, June 11.

Finally some GOOD news!

lonewolf · #**2996** Posted **Jun 9, 2022, 1:43 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by austlar1

Finally some GOOD news!

I actually enjoyed the weekend or two where they ride up and down south congress all day and fill up the parking spaces. it's a cool look

Novacek · #**2997** Posted **Jun 9, 2022, 3:56 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by AustinYIMBY

Travis County reveals Top 10 delinquent taxpayers, Bird pays $149K bill months late

https://cbsaustin.com/news/local/tra...Cy60d_aliVKQGc

Looks like #1 is a World Class property, 99 Trinity. I am surprised by the Optimist Club one. That seems like a huge valuation for sports fields owned by (what I assume to be) a nonprofit.

The top line valuation isn't surprising (it's a huge amount of land in core Austin), the fact that they're not exempt is surprising. As they were in 2020 and previous years, with taxable value =0.

https://stage.travis.prodigycad.com/...-detail/760833

I wonder if they've really done something to risk/lose their nonprofit status or if it's just a paperwork snafu.

paul78701 · #**2998** Posted **Jun 9, 2022, 5:13 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by lonewolf

I actually enjoyed the weekend or two where they ride up and down south congress all day and fill up the parking spaces. it's a cool look

I have little doubt that this will continue. Switching the primary venue to Bastrop isn't enough of an impediment to keep them from coming into the city as they had always done before.

kingkirbythe.... · #**2999** Posted **Jun 9, 2022, 9:43 PM**

'Small town' for how long? Georgetown leads nation in population growth

https://www.statesman.com/story/news...th/7500107001/

Take a bow Georgetown.

The U.S. Census Bureau has named the city the fastest-growing town in the country by percentage among cities with populations of at least 50,000. Leander came in second on the same list.

The top ratings for the two Williamson County cities are not surprising, officials there said.

"Lots of people recognize that Georgetown is a wonderful place to live and we welcome them," Mayor Josh Schroeder said in a news conference. "We welcome them. In fact our new slogan is that they are more than welcome in Georgetown, Texas."

Leander Mayor Christine Delisle said the jobs coming into Central Texas have made the city an inviting place to live. "We attract young families for the most part," she said, "and they are coming to us with hopes of a better future."

the Genral · #**3000** Posted **Jun 11, 2022, 3:25 PM**

Since we are talking about the old Post Office on another thread, I thought I would post this from an older Tower's article.
https://austin.towers.net/[email protected]