Every Week Is the “Best” We sincerely hope, dear readers, that we are not doing you a great wrongness
by failing to follow the theme of this issue, not listing for you here our Best
of Austin “Public Notice” picks. We’ve two minds about this (perhaps you’d like
to creep inside for a peek!):
1) Austin has such a wealth of amazing volunteer organizations and benefit
events, that listing the Best of them here would take a hell of a lot more
space than Nick might be willing to relinquish, and
2) Last-minute faxes began pouring in for a few high visibility events
happening this weekend –the fall benefit season is indeed upon us.
Please do check throughout both the Best of Austin Readers and Critics Polls
to see awards given to quite a few organizations usually found right here.
Let Your Conscience
Be Your Guide Whenever we hear that phrase, we think of the little devils and little angels
which frequent our shoulders, whispering directives into our turmoiled brains.
AIDS Services of Austin (ASA) will benefit from two different events this Fri,
Sep 13, which take orders from both spiritual influences. On the dark side, you
got the Friday the 13th Opening Night of Nightmare Factory, Central Texas’
largest haunted house, at 2101 W. Ben White. Beckoning you to walk into the
light, the Austin Whole Life Expo at Palmer Auditorium will accept donations
for ASA, the Parks Foundation, or Capital Area Food Bank in lieu of the $8
admission — let your consciousness be your guide.
Devil info: www.nightmarefactory.com or 445-FEAR or 451-2273; Angel
info: 476-5171. NOW Hear This The sisters of the National Organization for Women (NOW) are pissed and they
aren’t gonna take it anymore! They are keeping track of assaults on affirmative
action, denial of rights to lesbians and gay men, Congress’ unrelenting
attempts to whittle away abortion on demand, and attacks on women in the
workplace. The NOW crew haven’t gotten to the point of taking the law into
their own hands, exactly, but would you blame ’em if they did? Instead, the
1996 Texas NOW Conference, Sat-Sun, Sep 14-15 at the Holiday Inn NW Plaza at
MoPac & 183, will abide by the theme Women Changing the Law. Keynote
speaker is national NOW President Patricia Ireland. 459-6819. Spike the Punch! That headline is probably not appropriate for this blurb (are they ever,
really?), but the only other thing we associate with proms is puking on
your date. Guess the two are intrinsically linked. Oh well. The Capitol Area
Social Activities Coordinators Association (CASACA) and One Family
International (OFI) are throwing the fourth annual Seniors Prom, at the Ben Hur
Shrine Temple, 4200 West Bank Dr., off Loop360, Wed, Sep 18, 11am-1pm. (Hey!
what about staying out past curfew and watching the sunrise together??) The
Patty David Band will be steppin’ out the country tunes, which dashes our hopes
of catching a few bars of “Colour My World” or “Surfer Girl.” All “seniors”
from Central Texas nursing homes are invited to attend. CASACA and OFI would
like to invite you to volunteer your time or to underwrite the event.
258-8543 or 335-0391. Seen Fire; Seen Rain Some disasterous thrashing of the elements has hindered the progress of two
locals:
* Casa de Luz Macrobiotic Community Center suffered a Major Fire last month,
which has knocked their unique food service out of commission for the time
being. First, they’d like for us to pass along that macrobiotic lunches are
available at Habitat Suites Hotel, Monday through Friday, 11:45am-2pm. And
second, that Zachary Scott Theatre Center will present a Sneak Preview of the
romantic comedy Sylvia, about a persnickity pooch and her poodle-lovin’
pet human, tonight, Thu, Sep 12, 8pm, to benefit the Center.
Lunches: 467-6000; Benefit: 476-2535.
* The big Geezinslaw/Derailers Serenade benefit for the National Wildflower
Research Center was rained out in last month’s deluge. Here’s the poop on the
rescheduled itinerary: The event has been moved to Sun, Sep 15, 7:30pm at the
Center. Tix are $10, general; $8 Wildflower member, students, and seniors; free
for kids 12 and under. 499-TIXS or 292-4200. An Artful Phoenix From ASH A journey through an art exhibit can be a warp-speed superthruster through the
portal leading into the artist’s mind. Sometimes the trip is a scary one. Every
brain is a universe, after all, and art our Apollo mission. The Austin State
Hospital (ASH) invites you to the Annual Patient Art Exhibit, a mixed-media
spacerace through the minds of the folks who’ve spent some time at ASH. This
exhibit may surprise the visitors who expect to see wild, tortured explorations
of the human psyche. Instead they will encounter works of self expression in
two and three dimensions. The exhibit opens Fri, Sep 13 and shows at 4110
Guadalupe, Bldg. 582. 419-2330. You Won’t Believe Your Eyes If you go into the woods… or Northwest Recreation Center this weekend,
Sat-Sun, Sep 14-15, you and yours will feast your eyes on the Austin Junior
Forum’s Teddy Bear Picnic. The Junior Forum has acted as the primary funding
source for stuffed animals utilized by Austin EMS, Police, Fire, and Victim
Services Departments. Children are provided comfort and solace with these
tokens given by emergency sevices workers. The annual picnic raises money for
this program. Admission is $3, adults; $1, children. Every child who brings a
new or gently used stuffed animal will get in free to the carnival wonderland.
472-1305 or 472-0779. Funny But It Seems That It’s the Only Thing to Do… So we get this press release, right?… It’s soooo obvious that it is not
really a public service announcement but a thinly veiled promotion… But the
concept is just too twisted to ignore… The “concept” free-associates the
Recent Drought with the Carpenters — yes, as in Richard & Karen Whaaaa? According to the press release,
the Old San Francisco Steak House will hold a drawing Mon, Sep 30 to award a
lucky entrant up to $150 off their water bill, paid by the restaurant. And
then, since, according to some company big wig (we swear this is a quote from
the press release), “the restaurant is sensitive to the need for affordable
water for the community,” they will be issuing “Rain Checks” for $10 discounts
on “nice days [which] can be redeemed on Rainy Days and Mondays (our
emphasis).” Mommy, my head hurts. n
This article appears in September 13 • 1996 and September 13 • 1996 (Cover).