At Your Doorstep April 2003

At Your Doorstep Departments

Neighbor to Neighbor

Call for volunteers for community cleanup April 5

Clean Sweep is the annual kick-off event for cleaning up Austin during the month of April, officially designated "Keep Austin Beautiful Month." Clean Sweep also is part of the statewide event, Don't Mess with Texas Trash-Off.

Volunteers in communities across Texas will participate in the largest one-day, clean-up event in Texas. Keep Austin Beautiful invites volunteers in the greater Austin area to spend Saturday morning April 5 cleaning up litter from the Town Lake area and surrounding neighborhoods.

Volunteers will then receive a free lunch and a free T-shirt while supplies last. There will be entertainment and a chance to win great door prizes. Clean-up supplies will be provided. Volunteers should wear sturdy, closed-toe shoes.

Registration begins at 8 a.m. at Town Lake Festival Beach. Volunteers will pick up trash from 9 a.m. to noon. Lunch, entertainment and door prizes will begin at noon.

Neighborhood associations can organize a neighborhood cleanup for this day.

Mark your calendars and bring your family, friends and co-workers to lend a hand in the largest annual clean-up event in Austin.

For more information or to register, contact Keep Austin Beautiful, (512) 974-2533 or register online at www.keepaustinbeautiful.org.

Clean Sweep is sponsored by several City of Austin departments including Austin Energy; the City of Austin Parks and Recreation Department; Solid Waste Services; and Watershed Protection and Development Review.

The City joins other public and private companies including Fiesta Foods, KLBJ-AM, the Lower Colorado River Authority, Tokyo Electron, Advanced Micro Devices, Austin Coca-Cola, BFI, H-E-B, Texas Disposal Systems, La Mexicana, Home Depot, TonerPlus and Keep Texas Beautiful.

Keep Austin Beautiful is a non-profit environmental organization. Its mission is to empower the citizens of Austin to become responsible for their community through education, recycling, reducing trash and abating litter.

For more information about Keep Austin Beautiful, visit www.keepaustinbeautiful.org or call Irene Guzman-Krill, Executive Director, Keep Austin Beautiful, (512) 974-3576.

Downtown noontime concerts are back

This wonderful addition to the downtown workweek will continue every Tuesday from noon to 1 p.m. through June. Republic Square is at Fifth and Guadalupe streets.

The following musical groups have been scheduled, with more announcements to be made as concerts are booked:

The City of Austin Parks and Recreation Department is a co-sponsor of the Noontime Concert Series. The event is funded in part through the U.S. Recording Companies Industries' Music Performance Trust Funds; Local 433, American Federation of Musicians; Clear Channel Communications and Norwood Tower.

For more information about the Downtown Austin Alliance or its programs, call (512) 469-1766 or visit www.downtownaustin.com.

An evening of poetry with Simon Ortiz

Ortiz is a native of Acoma Pueblo, N.M. and grew up in Deetseyaamah, a rural village area in the Acoma Pueblo community.

He will bring his latest book of poetry, Out There Somewhere, to the Hampton Branch at Oak Hill in Southwest Austin at 7 p.m. Thursday, April 17.

Ortiz will read from his works followed by a book signing. His previous works include Men on the Moon, From Sand Creek, Speaking for the Generations, After and Before the Lightning, Woven Stone, The People Shall Continue and Earth Power Coming.

He has been recognized by the National Endowment for the Arts, Lila Wallace ? Reader's Digest Fund Awards, Lannan Foundation's Artists in Residence, a "Returning the Gift" Lifetime Achievement Award and the New Mexico Governor's Award for Excellence in Art.

New railways exhibit at the Austin History Center

The exhibit retraces the role of rail in Austin from the time the first steam locomotive rolled through town in 1871 to the present day. This tour through time explores the various railroad lines that have helped shape Austin industry and transportation?including the Austin and Northwestern and Missouri Pacific? while stopping off to visit key topics like Austin's streetcar era and the City's ongoing debate over light rail.

A collection of historical photographs have been gathered from the Austin History Center's collection for the exhibit including a 1950s' view of the mighty No. 786 Engine of the Southern Pacific Railroad and a late 1880s' view of the old International and Great Northern Depot, once located at Congress Avenue and Third Street.

A wonderful assortment of maps and train memorabilia also have been chosen for the exhibit including an old streetcar token and a dining car menu. The Train Tracks exhibit is free and open to the public from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday-Thursday; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday; and noon to 6 p.m. Sunday.

For more information about the Train Tracks exhibit or about the Austin History Center, visit www.cityofaustin.org/library/ahc or call (512) 974-7400.

City ballot set for May 3 election

The Office of City Clerk designated the ballot order for the May 3 election in a drawing Friday, March 21, at the Municipal Building.

Twenty candidates have been determined eligible to seek office. The ballot order will be:

For more election information, check the Austin City Connection, official Web site of the City of Austin, www.cityofaustin.org/election.

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Big Ideas

City helps make tax time a little less taxing

The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) are programs provide tax assistance and services for those in need. The Austin Asset-Building Coalition, a group of more than 25 public and private sector agencies, has formed to increase financial literacy to foster financial stability for individuals and communities.

The coalition works in partnership with the Internal Revenue Service.

More than 20 sites in Central Texas will be open through April 15 to offer free tax preparation assistance for low-income residents, the disabled, the elderly and those who speak English as a second language.

Following include available sites:

Austin

• Texas Rural Legal Aid, 2201 Post Road.
• South Austin Multi-Purpose Center, 2508 Durwood.
• Bethany Lutheran Church, 6215 Manchaca Road.
• Bedichek Middle School, 6800 Bill Hughes Road.
• Mendez Middle School, 5106 Village Square.
• Southeast Austin Community Library, 5803 Nuckols Crossing Road.
• John Henry Faulk Central Library, 800 Guadalupe St.
• Chalmers Court, 2341 Corta St.
• Huston-Tillotson College, 900 Chicon St.
• Austin Community College, 3401 Webberville Road.
• University Hills Library, 4721 Loyola Lane.
• WorkSource Career Center, 825 E. Rundberg Lane.
• Asian American Cultural Center, 11713 Jollyville Road.

Surrounding cities:

• Round Rock Community, Center 205 E. Main St.; Round Rock.
• Georgetown Library, 808 Martin Luther King, Jr.; Georgetown.
• Taylor Public Library, 410 Seventh St.; Taylor.
• Bastrop Library, 1100 Church St.; Bastrop.
• Kyle Community Center, 409 W. Blanco St.; Kyle.
• Southwest Texas State University Alkek Library, Department of Accounting, Room 101, 601 University Drive; San Marcos.
• Dripping Springs Community Library, 501 Sportsplex Road; Dripping Springs
.

In addition to the free tax return preparation assistance, many sites also will offer free electronic filing (e-file). E-file returns are processed in half the time as returns filed on paper and returned to the taxpayer even faster utilizing direct deposit.

For more information, including site times and additional location information, visit www.cityofaustin.org/eitc or call the Internal Revenue Service, (800) 829-1040.

Did you know?

Residents may qualify if their modified adjusted gross income is:

• Less than $33,178 with more than one qualifying child ($34,178, married filing jointly).
• Less than 29,201 with one qualifying child ($30,201, married filing jointly).
• Less than $11,060 with no qualifying child ($12,060, married filing jointly).

City to accept applications for Combined Charities Campaign

The purpose of the City of Austin Combined Charities Campaign (COACCC) is to solicit charitable contributions from City of Austin employees. COACCC's goal is to provide for the greatest possible benefit to the people living in Austin and surrounding counties.

Key objectives of the campaign are to provide equal access to all charitable organizations that meet the established eligibility requirements and follow the established procedures for application and to give each City employee the freedom to choose which eligible charitable organization(s) are to receive his or her donation.

To learn more about the campaign objectives, visit www.cityofaustin.org/news/2003/charity_campaign.htm. Guidelines and the application are available online.

To qualify to participate in the campaign, an organization must be one of the following:

• A federation of 15 or more member charitable organizations that has had and/or whose member agencies have had status as a 501 (c) (3) organization for at least one year prior to the application closing date.
• A foundation or charitable organization with 501 (c) (3) status that funds or supports a City-sponsored entity in the Austin area.

The services provided must consist of at least one of the following:

• Human care.
• Research, education or environmental protection in the fields of human health, social adjustment or rehabilitation.
• Relief for victims of natural disaster and other emergencies.
• Assistance to those who are impoverished and in need of food, shelter, clothing and other basic human welfare services.

The Human Resources Department will review all applications for eligibility. Applicants must meet all requirements established by these guidelines. Incomplete applications will not be accepted. Applicants will receive written notice of the status of their application within 30 days of the application deadline.

Mail completed applications to Delia Zapata, City of Austin, HRD, P. O. Box 1088, Austin, TX 78767. Applications must be postmarked by Thursday, May 1, 2003. For more information call Delia Zapata or Kim Peterson at (512) 974-3400.

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Environs

Camp combines education with fun for parents and children

The City of Austin offers an opportunity for you to join in the fun with your child at Earth Camp, a City of Austin water quality education program, offered June and July. If you have a child age 9 through 12, the City offers an exciting chance to join them in a creative learning environment geared for fun. Earth Camp will be offered from 9 a.m. to noon on the following dates:

June Session:	Part One - June 3-4. Part Two - June 5-6.
July Session:	Part One - July 15-16. Part Two - July 17-18.

The Earth Camp agenda will include a scavenger hunt of Bull Creek and a lesson about water quality and how aquatic life contributes to water quality. Participants also will visit an Edwards Aquifer cave and Barton Springs pool and learn about the Edwards Aquifer. The cost of the sessions are $7.50 for part one or $15 for the two-part course.

Call (512) 974-2550 for more information or to make reservations.

Use less fertilizer for an earth-wise lawn

Horticulturists and soil and water quality scientists considered the new data along with other studies, scientific data and practical experience to revise fertilizing recommendations that have been promoted for the last 20 years.

Help protect Austin's environment one yard at a time. Following are recommendations to reduce fertilizer use by at least 75 percent.

• Test your soil. You can't know what to add to your soil unless you know what's missing.
• Don't bag your lawn clippings. Think of mowing as fertilizing. Your lawn clippings return 60 percent of the nitrogen and 100 percent of the phosphorous and potassium (fertilizer ingredients) back to the soil.
• Choose fertilizer carefully. Natural fertilizer is preferred for a healthier lawn and better water quality. If using inorganic fertilizer, apply only half as much, twice as often to prevent the fertilizer from running off or leaking to groundwater.
• If you must fertilize without a soil test, never apply more than a moderate nitrogen rate or fertilize more than once a year.
• Never fertilize before a rain. The fertilizer can run off and fertilize creeks ? not your lawn

About your soil

The Texas A&M study compared nine different fertilizers and found that the certified organic, or other natural, fertilizers out-performed the study's synthetic fertilizers for both appearance and pollution prevention. Several issues to consider before fertilizing is what your soil needs to produce healthy growth:

Know your soil

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Health Check

Mosquito Control and bite prevention

There are many things that you and your family can do to reduce the mosquito population around your home and keep from being bitten.

Mosquitoes need water to breed and grow, so if you eliminate standing water, you'll help stop mosquito development.

The following are tips to follow to help you stay healthy and more comfortable:

• Empty, remove, cover or turn upside down any receptacle that would hold water such as flowerpots, trash containers, swimming pools, birdbaths, pet bowls, old bottles and tin cans, etc.
• Change water and scrub vases holding flowers or cuttings twice each week. You also can grow cuttings in sand.
• Discard old tires or store tires indoors.
• Screen rain barrels and openings to water tanks or cisterns.
• Repair leaky plumbing and outside faucets.
• Clean clogged roof gutters, and drain flat roofs.
• Fill holes in trees with sand or mortar.
• Stock ornamental ponds with mosquito-eating fish.
• Clean clogged roof gutters.
• Use landscaping to eliminate standing water collecting on property; mosquitoes can breed in any puddle that lasts more than four days.
• Maintain clean livestock-watering troughs.
• Stay indoors at dawn, dusk and in the early morning hours when mosquitoes are most active.
• Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants when outdoors.
• Spray clothing with insect repellants containing permethrin or DEET. Mosquitoes may bite through thin clothing. Apply insect repellant sparingly to exposed skin.
• Install and securely maintain screens on your house windows.

Local mosquito control authorities may be able to help assess the mosquito breeding risks associated with a specific property. Contact the Rodent and Vector Program at (512) 972-5692 if you have any questions.

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Kid Stuff

City offers swim lessons

Swim lessons are designed in progressive levels and are taught in two-week time frames per session. New skills are introduced and previously learned skills are reviewed and refined each day.

At each progressive step more endurance and stroke competence is expected. Classes are available for all ages beginning at age 6. Brochures are available at any Austin Public Library; recreation centers; the Parks and Recreation Department Administrative Office, 200 S. Lamar Blvd.; or the Aquatics Office, 301 Dawson Road.

Seven sessions are available. Each session consists of eight lessons, Monday - Thursday for two weeks. The session dates are:

Spring Session - May 12 ? 22.
Session One - June 2 ? 12.
Session Two - June 16 ? 26.
Session Three - June 30 - July 10, (no class July 4).
Session Four - July 14 ? 24.
Session Five - July 28 ? Aug. 7.
Session Six ? Aug. 11 ? 21.

Registration to kick off for summer fun

Programs are offered at City facilities, golf courses, pools, tennis courts and parks.

The summer is full of events in City parks and facilities for the whole family.
Below are several summer programs to check out for your youth:

Summer Playground Program: This is a free summer playground program for children 6-12 years old. With neighborhood sites throughout the City, playground leaders create safe, supervised and fun-filled environments with activities including sports, games, arts and crafts, nature activities and cookouts. The program begins Wednesday, June 4, through Friday, July 25. Hours of operation are 9 a.m. ? 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Fridays. Pre-registration is not required. You may register at the site on your child's first day. The Summer Playground Program is designed to provide "drop-in" activities for children and is not a substitute for day camp or childcare. For more information, visit www.cityofaustin.org/parks/playgrounds.htm.

Summer Daycamp Programs: Each of the 17 City of Austin recreation centers, the Dougherty Arts Center, Austin Nature Center and Pioneer Farm offer fee-based daycamps for children 3-16. Registration dates vary as well as fees and activity schedules. Contact the site closest to your home or office for more information. For a comprehensive list of sites and more information about the program, visit www.cityofaustin.org/parks/rec_centers.htm.

Summer Teen Recreation Academy: The Summer Teen Recreation Academy is one of the City of Austin's Social Fabric Initiative programs that targets teens 12-17 years old. In collaboration with the Austin Independent School District, the program is offered free for eight weeks during the summer months at middle and high school gymnasiums throughout the City. For more information, visit www.cityofaustin.org/parks/teen_academy.htm.

National Junior Tennis League: This program is Austin's most comprehensive grassroots program for the development of young tennis players ages 7-18. The program will introduce youth to the lifetime sport of tennis, using the concepts of teamwork, fun, sportsmanship and low-key competition. Visit www.cityofaustin.org/parks/njtl.htm for more information.

Junior Golf Academy, Clinics and Tournaments: This is a high quality golf instruction program recommended for the young and the newcomer to the game of golf. The program covers instruction in six basic golf skill areas: pitching, putting, chipping, fairway irons, driving and sand traps. Classroom instruction includes courtesy, etiquette, care of the course and how to use the rule book. Any boy or girl who has reached their seventh birthday by July 1, 2003, but not their 19th birthday by July 1, 2003, is eligible. For more information, visit www.cityofaustin.org/parks/golf_junior.htm.

For more information about summer programs for youth, visit the Austin City Connection, www.cityofaustin.org/parks/parks.htm.

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Zone In

The following zoning cases are tentatively scheduled for the April 1 Planning Commission Agenda and the May 8 City Council Agenda.

C14-03-0049 ? House of Tutors Inc. (Hussian Malik), by (Jim H. Holland), 2400 Pearl St. From GO_MU to CS-MU. (Shoal Creek). City Staff: Glenn Rhoades, (512) 974-2775.

C14-03-0050 ? Seton Medical Center (Bob Moroz), by Bury & Partners (Gregory Strmiska), 500 W. Parmer Lane. From CS to CH. (Walnut Creek). City Staff: Sherri Gager, (512) 974-3057.

C14-03-0051 ? (Paul & Lisa Lin), by Avant & Mitchell, PC (Elliot Mitchell), 4004 Valley View Road. From SF-3 to LO. (West Bouldin Creek). City Staff: Annick Beaudet, (512) 974-2775.