End of Silence

I noticed these a couple of weeks ago, but only now got the chance to snap a few photos. It looks like they’ve replaced the streets signs on Congress with new “Historic District” black signs with white writing. The east-west streets also now show their old tree names in addition to the numbered streets.

Most people are probably aware that 6th Street was once Pecan Street since there’s a festival of the same name and there’s also the Old Pecan Street Cafe. Apparenlty, 3rd Street was Cypress. Another little tidbit that many don’t notice is that the majority of the north-south streets between Lamar and I-35 are not only named after Texas rivers, but they’re named in geographic order as well with Sabine being the farthest east and Rio Grande the farthest west. This Austin360 feature has more on the history and crazy pronunciation of Austin street names.

There’s a story in today’s Statesman about the work being done on the new Country Club Creek Trail. I’ve been on the mailing list for this for quite some time and watching its development. There’s a core group of people that have been working with the city for the past couple of years to make this new trail a reality. There’s been a great alliance between the city, involved citizens and local businesses that have allowed this project to move at a rapid pace.

If you’d like to get involved, check out the Country Club Creek Trail Yahoo Group. They organize volunteer workdays (just had one yesterday as a matter of fact) to clear the trail which will eventually stretch from Roy G. Guerrero Colorado River Park at 8600 Grove Dr. to Mabel Davis Park at 3427 Parker Ln and ultimately McKinney Falls, assuming it survives the recently reported budget shortfalls and lack of funding. Once the trail is completed, it’ll be a great addition to the city park system and the developing east/southeast neighborhoods. Congratulations to all those involved. You’ve done an amazing job!

You can find a larger version of the trail map image included in this article in the Files section of the Yahoo Group

Update (2006.07.17): News8Austin also carried the story.

Here’s your chance to buy only one day of dust instead of three.

Austin City Limits Festival 2006 will release schedule grids and make a limited number of single day passes available tomorrow for $50 a pop plus service charges, shipping and your first born child.

If they put Ted Leo, Aimee Mann, Nada Surf, Flaming Lips, Massive Attack, Gnarls Barkley and Ween on the same day, maybe I’ll buy one. Otherwise, I’m sticking to my boycott and catching one or two of those on the inevitable alternate shows. There’s nothing on the Stubb’s schedule for that weekend yet. The festival runs Sept. 15-17th this year.

Update (4pm): I just got the official e-mail about tomorrow. I’ll say three things:

1. They’ve definitely improved their e-mail system. I’d subscribed multiple addresses after having so many problems with the first pre-sale and I got all of them within 6 minutes of each other.
2. The e-mail addresses the dust situation:
   

   Shade and Water: Bring Your Mittens
   As we speak, water cannons are irrigating the park every day, and the new sprinkler system is about to begin sating the thirsty earth. Also, as promised, our shade and water programs are taking shape to enhance your comfort and hydration. Can you say, “Brrrr…”?

3. You can also get to the schedule already: Day1, Day2, Day3

David Nunez announces that Dorkbot 2 is this Thursday at Cafe Mundi. Dorkbot is a collection of people doing stuff with electricity among other things. There’s Dorkbot groups around the world. The local chapter had its first meeting last month with presentations by Bob Sabiston, the programmer/animator behind the animation technique used in A Scanner Darkly and Waking Life.

So if you’re into theremins, tesla coils, rail guns, or rewiring your roomba to spy on your sister, you should go check it out.

This really affects our neighbors down in Houston more than it affects us, but since the ruling was handed down here in Austin and it brightened my morning, I thought I’d share.

US District Judge Sam Sparks ruled today that Tom DeLay must remain on the November ballot despite his resignation and claim that he couldn’t run since he no longer lived in Texas. As always, Kuff is all over it.

This ruling coupled with the recent Supreme Court ruling which found fault in one of the districts created by the redistricting mess that Delay masterminded, affecting the representation of many Austinites, I might add, means BugMan isn’t having a very good month. Couldn’t happen to a nicer guy.