At Your Doorstep, January 2004

At Your Doorstep Departments

City Web site recognized

Austin City Connection, recognized for setting the pace, ranks among this year's Top 13 cities nationwide in annual eGov Scorecard.

A Brown University study of federal and city e-government services gives the Official Web Site of the City of Austin high marks in offering accessible and translated information. Visit governing.com to learn more about Austin and other cities raising the bar on providing online services.

Neighbor to Neighbor

'Buy Greater Austin' to invest in yourself, your community

When you shop, think about where your dollar goes.

If you shop in Austin or in other Central Texas communities, the sales tax generated by your dollar comes back to help your community fund essential services.

The "Buy Greater Austin" public education campaign - launched just before the holiday season -- is a reminder that sales tax revenue funds such services as parks, libraries, police, fire protection, emergency medical services, public transportation and healthcare.

Through colorful billboards and reminders on Capital Metro buses, the campaign highlights the personal side of programs funded by sales tax. For example, one billboard reads "Fight fire with a credit card, " followed by the tag line, "Your sales tax funds firefighters."

Campaign partners are the City of Austin, Capital Metro and area chambers including the Austin Asian-American Chamber of Commerce, the Capital City African American Chamber of Commerce, the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce, the Greater Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and the Women's Chamber of Commerce of Texas.

While Austin found a slight increase in sales tax receipts in its November check (for sales in September 2003) from the State of Texas, last fiscal year's total amount was 4.5 percent lower than the previous year. The City's decline in sales tax revenue has continued for 2 ˝ years. Sales tax provides about one-quarter of the City of Austin's General Fund revenue. The drop in sales tax revenue meant a reduction in City programs.

For more information about the "Buy Greater Austin" public education campaign, visit www.cityofaustin.org/news/2003/buy_greateraustin.htm.

Council sets calendar for 2004 meetings

The Austin City Council's regularly scheduled meetings are Thursdays at 10 a.m. at the Lower Colorado River Authority, Hancock Building, 3700 Lake Austin Blvd.

The following is the 2004 City Council meeting calendar:

Meeting Dates	Cancelled Dates
	January 2, 2004
January 8, 2004
January 15, 2004
	January 22, 2004
January 29, 2004
February 5, 2004
February 12, 2004
	February 19, 2004
February 26, 2004
March 4, 2004
March 11, 2004
	March 18, 2004
March 25, 2004
April 1, 2004
	April 8, 2004
April 15, 2004
April 22, 2004
	April 29, 2004
May 6, 2004
May 13, 2004
	May 20, 2004
May 27, 2004
	June 3, 2004
June 10, 2004
June 17, 2004
June 24, 2004
	July 1, 2000
	July 8, 2004
	July 15, 2004
	July 22, 2004
July 29, 2004
August 5, 2004
August 12, 2004
	August 19, 2004
August 26, 2004
September 2, 2004
	September 9, 2004
September 13,14,15, 2004 -Budget Readings
	September 23, 2004
September 30, 2004
October 7, 2004
	October 14, 2004
October 21, 2004
October 28, 2004
November 4, 2004
	November 11, 2004
November 18, 2004
	November 25, 2004
December 2, 2004
	December 9, 2004
December 16, 2004
	December 23, 2004
	December 30, 2004

Keep Austin Beautiful hosts its 19th annual awards event

The Keep Austin Beautiful "For the Love of Austin" annual awards event is an opportunity for exceptional volunteer groups, individuals and companies to be recognized for their efforts and their outstanding service in the areas of environmental awareness, action, activities and education.

Keep Austin Beautiful is accepting nominations for outstanding service during the calendar year of 2003. Greater Austin area residents are urged to participate by submitting nominations and by attending the awards ceremonies.

The 19th annual luncheon is at 11:30 a.m. Friday, Feb. 13, 2004, at the Hyatt Town Lake Hotel, 208 Barton Springs Road. A silent auction will accompany the awards luncheon.

Nominations may be submitted online at www.KeepAustinBeautiful.org. Categories include: Beautification, Recycling, Education, Litter Abatement, Community Involvement, Industry Leadership, Individual Achievement and Best of the Best. Individuals may purchase seats for $30 a ticket. A table of eight is $500. For reservations, call the Keep Austin Beautiful, (512) 974-7625.

Keep Austin Beautiful is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization. Its mission is to empower the citizens of Greater Austin to take personal responsibility for enhancing our community environment through litter abatement, beautification, and waste reduction.

For more information, please visit www.KeepAustinBeautiful.org.

City preserves Austin's cherished past

The Austin History Center, part of the Austin Public Library, is the home of a significant collection of materials relating to the popular writer O. Henry, who lived in Austin, still using his given name of William Sydney Porter, from 1885 to 1894.

The O. Henry Resources of the Austin History Center are comprised primarily of materials donated by Judge Trueman E. O'Quinn and augmented by items acquired from Jenny Lind Porter, Ethel Hofer, the Maddox family, the Austin Heritage Society, and the Austin History Center Association.

These resources include original typescripts, first edition books, periodicals, correspondence, manuscripts, autograph albums, photographs, sketches, maps, paintings, and furniture.

Researchers may find two autograph albums that contain whimsical sketches and poems, one of which was written to Porter's future wife, Athol Estes. The collection includes letters written by Will Porter to associates, many involving requests for financial loans or advances.

Visit www.cityofaustin.org/library/ahc/ohenry.htm. to learn more about the availability of online information about O. Henry as well as how to donate local history materials to the Austin History Center.

A Tejano Son of Texas traveling exhibit on display at central library

The A Tejano Son of Texas exhibit is available for viewing at the Faulk Central Library, 800 Guadalupe St. The exhibit presents a visual, chronological timeline of Jose Policarpio "Polly" Rodriguez's life, family and legacy.

The display begins with his family's new life in the State of Coahuila y Texas, Mexico in 1821 and continues through Polly's experiences as a young boy, a gunsmith and surveyor. It addresses his military and Texas Ranger service and his ranching and public office records.

The exhibit concludes with a description of his years as a minister and circuit rider. The traveling exhibit is comprised of eight wooden panels that tell a part of his life story. Each panel contains historical narrative complimented with original photos, documents, and maps recorded in State Archives, Courthouses and Libraries. The panels are arranged in chronological order.

The public may view the exhibit through January 2004. Hours of operation for the John Henry Faulk Central Library are 10 a.m. - 9 p.m. Monday-Thursday; 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. Friday - Saturday; Noon - 6 p.m. Sunday.

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Big Ideas

Pet festival provides fun and promotes animal wellness

Grab a leash and your four-legged friend for the Spay-Neuter Awareness Month Festival. The free event is from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 31, at Cantu Pan Am Recreation Center, 2100 E. Third St.

The festival is designed to raise awareness to the pet overpopulation crisis in Austin and to inform the public about solutions to the crisis. The event marks the end of activities throughout January that promote pet spays and neuters. The festival will feature speeches by elected officials including Mayor Will Wynn, Council Member Brewster McCracken and U.S. Rep. Eddie Rodriguez.

Spay Austin, a coalition of local animal groups and individuals who are concerned about the numbers of unwanted pets, is sponsoring the event. The City of Austin is a co- sponsor.

Festival highlights include dog agility performances, dog trainers, a pet contest, and live performances by the Gustavo Rodriguez Band and Cerronato. The Austin Humane Society will feature its pet adoption van. EmanciPet will give tours of its mobile spay- neuter clinic. There also will be numerous booths with information about local animal welfare groups and spay/neuter resources.

The Town Lake Animal Center will host a free rabies clinic from 8 a.m. to noon Jan. 31. The Austin Health Connection Mobile Van will be on hand to provide free screenings and vaccinations for attendees at the event.

The Spay Austin Coalition includes Animal Trustees of Austin, Austin Humane Society, Austin Pets Alive!, Town Lake Animal Center, ShadowCats, EmanciPet and participating veterinarians.

For more information, contact Julia Hilder, (512) 445-5041.

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Health Check

Health officials offer precautions, information to help fight flu

The Austin/Travis County Health and Human Services Department reminds Austin residents to get a flu shot if at all possible and to take other precautions against the highly contagious respiratory illness.

Type A of the influenza virus has caused most of the influenza in Texas. This season's vaccine is formulated to protect against the A/Panama, A/New Caledonia and B/Hong Kong strains of the influenza virus and against other similar strains.

Officials aren't certain how well the vaccine will protect against some of the other type A strains such as A/Fujian. Most likely, however, it will offer some protection.

Other precautions include covering your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing and washing your hands frequently and thoroughly. People with flu-like symptoms should stay home and not risk infecting colleagues or classmates.

People wanting to get a flu shot should contact their doctors, employers or the Austin/Travis County Health and Human Services Department at (512) 972-5520 or visit www.cityofaustin.org/health/idp_immun.htm.

Most people six months or older can receive the flu vaccine. It is especially encouraged for children 6 months to 23 months; people 50 and older; residents of nursing homes and other long-term care facilities; diabetics; women who will be in their second or third trimester of pregnancy during flu season; people with weakened immune systems; and people who have asthma or other chronic respiratory, heart or kidney conditions.

Overview of influenza

Influenza - also known as the flu - is a viral respiratory illness marked by the sudden onset of fever, headache, extreme tiredness, dry cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose and muscle aches.

Influenza is a contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza A or B viruses. The illness is spread when an infected person coughs, sneezes or talks, which sends the highly contagious virus into the air.

Influenza is not a reportable illness in Texas, so exact flu case numbers are not known. Instead, the Texas Department of Health relies on a surveillance network of reporting sites around the state to track influenza levels and identifies circulating strains of the virus.

More information about the flu is available online at www.tdh.state.tx.us.

Flu symptoms

Influenza attacks the respiratory tract in humans - nose, throat and lungs. The flu is different from a cold. It usually comes on suddenly and may include the following symptoms:

• Fever.
• Headache.
• Tiredness (can be extreme).
• Dry cough.
• Sore throat.
• Nasal congestion.
• Body aches.

What you should do if infected

Influenza is caused by a virus, so antibiotics including penicillin do not work to cure it. The best way to prevent the flu is to get a flu shot each fall before flu season. Health officials offer several recommendations for those who are infected with the virus:

• Get plenty of rest.
• Drink liquids to avoid dehydration.
• Avoid using alcohol and tobacco.
• Take medication to relieve the symptoms of flu.

Never give aspirin to children or teenagers who have flu-like symptoms, particularly fever, without first speaking to your doctor. Giving aspirin to children and teenagers who have influenza can cause a rare but serious illness called Reye's Syndrome.

The myth of the "Stomach Flu"

Many people use the term "stomach flu" to describe illnesses with nausea, vomiting or diarrhea. Different viruses, bacteria or even parasites can cause these symptoms.

While vomiting, diarrhea and being nauseous or "sick to your stomach" can sometimes be related to the flu, these problems are rarely the main symptoms of influenza. The flu is a respiratory disease and not a stomach or intestinal disease.

For more information, contact Robert A. Flocke, Austin/Travis County Health and Human Services, (512) 972-5253. You may also e-mail robert.flocke@ci.austin.tx.us.

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Environs

'Unwrap' your best recycling efforts in the New Year

Most holiday waste cannot be recycled. Items that cannot be recycled and must go in the garbage cart are: wrapping and tissue paper; greeting cards and bright- colored envelopes; ribbons, bows, tinsel; gift boxes; Styrofoam; plastic sacks; pizza boxes; disposable plates; utensils and cups; ornaments; bubble wrap; and coat hangers.

However, there are ways the public can recycle trees, wrapping and other items left over from holiday festivities. Visit www.cityofaustin.org/sws/recycling.htm to learn more.

Recycle wrapping

• Newspaper, comic pages and magazines are recyclable.
• Reuse gift wrapping, trim and boxes for next year's festivities.
• Save and reuse packing peanuts or donate the material to a local mailing and shipping store.

• Cut up and use last year's holiday cards as next year's gift tags.
• Send the fronts of cards to St. Jude's Ranch for Children, Recycled Card Program, 100 St. Jude St., Boulder City, NV 89005-1618 or visit www.stjudesranch.org.

Christmas tree recycling couldn't be easier for Pay-As-You-Throw customers. Simply remove the stand and ornaments and place your tree at the curb by 6:30 a.m. on your yard trimmings collection day. If the tree is more than six-feet tall, cut it in half.

Yard trimmings and Christmas trees are collected each week throughout the year. Please place the items five feet away from the garbage cart. They will be made into Dillo Dirt. Flocked trees cannot be recycled and will be taken to a landfill.

Recycle drop-off sites

Trees can be recycled by dropping it off at any of the following sites:

• Zilker Park: For individuals and households only. No flocked trees. From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 28; Saturday, Jan. 3; and Sunday, Jan. 4.
• Travis County Satellite Yard No. 1: Johnny Morris Road, half a mile south of HWY 290 E. Dec. 28; Jan. 4.
• Del Valle Softball Complex: Behind the Southwest Rural Center. Dec. 28 - Jan. 4.
• RM 620 Low Water Crossing: Low Water Crossing Road. Dec. 28 - Jan. 4.
• TDS - Eco Depot: RM 620, East of HWY 71. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday - Friday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 28 - Jan. 4.
• Manchaca Fire Hall: 1310 FM 1626. Dec. 28 - Jan. 4.
• Waste Management Landfill: 9900 Giles Road, off of Highway 290 East. 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday; 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dec. 26 - Jan. 10. The landfill is closed New Year's Day.

Phonebook recycling underway

With the New Year means new phonebooks. Hundreds of thousands of phonebooks will be recycled in the next few months in the Austin area. Here are some recycling tips to help Austinites recycle the right way.

Year-round, drop-off site

The City of Austin reminds the public that Solid Waste Services cannot accept phone books in its curbside collection program because of the low paper grade. Ecology Action, a nonprofit agency, accepts phonebooks throughout the year at the downtown Austin drop-off center at the southwest corner of IH-35 and Ninth Street.

Texas Disposal Systems also accepts the phone books year round from 7 a.m. to sundown Monday through Saturday at 7500 FM 1327.

SBC Communications Inc.'s drop-off sites

Each year SBC Communications Inc. coordinates Project ReDirectory, a program that ensures paper in your phone books is composted or recycled.

Through this program, a number of local businesses provide dumpster or carts where phone books can be dropped off for recycling. Please remove any plastic bags or items stapled to the cover before recycling. These items should be disposed of separately.

For more information, call SBC's phone book recycling hotline at 1-800-953- 4400.

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Safe & Sane

9-1-1 dispatchers provide high-level services

The Austin Police Department named Jessica Guerrero, 9-1-1 call taker for the Austin Police Department Communications Division, as the 2003 Outstanding Communications Employee of the Year. Guerrero received the award last month at Police Headquarters.

Guerrero's selection was based on her exceptional performance in handling a 9-1- 1 call Jan. 7, 2003. A female caller told Guerrero that she was being held against her will at an unknown address.

Guerrero obtained the address through the automatic name indicator/ automatic location indicator and immediately dispatched assistance. Guerrero also linked vehicle information received during an earlier 9-1-1 call from a distraught mother reporting that her daughter had been kidnapped.

When an officer arrived at the address obtained by Guerrero, the vehicle parked nearby matched the vehicle information provided by the mother. The suspect was apprehended. APD Communications employees continue to strive to provide a high level of quality services to the public.

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Zone In

1. C14-03-0177 - Jack Brown Family III, LP (Paul Brown), by Trammell Crow Co. (Jill Allison), 11500 RR 2222. From SF-2 to CS. (Bull Creek). City Staff: Sherri Gager, (512) 974-3057.