Environmental Groups Sue Shell Oil Company

Shell Oil Company’s Houston-area plant has been illegally spewing a wide range of harmful emissions into the air in violation of its permitted limits and the Clean Air Act on the average of more than once a week for the last five years, resulting in the release of millions of pounds of excess air pollutants,…

by Daniel Mottola

District Begins National Background Checks

The Austin Independent School District kicked off the first of a series of state-mandated national background checks Tuesday, starting with Superintendent Pat Forgione, whose fingerprints were taken in a public photo op with Lt. Governor David Dewhurst and Texas Education Commissioner Robert Scott. AISD is the first district to conduct national background checks under a…

by Justin Ward

Pantone Schmantone

So Pantone recently announced its 2008 color of the year to be Blue Iris. According to a press release from Pantone Color Institute®: “Combining the stable and calming aspects of blue with the mystical and spiritual qualities of purple, Blue Iris satisfies the need for reassurance in a complex world, while adding a hint of…

by Liz Osting

Note to Motorists: Stay out of Bike Lanes

Attention bicyclists! Next time you notice some ass hat has decided to park their car in a marked bike lane, you can call 311 and have the vehicle ticketed by one of three city of Austin Public Works Department Bicycle and Pedestrian Program staffers, who’ve recently been deputized as badge-toting parking enforcement officers. Bike program…

by Daniel Mottola

Feedback From the Homeless

Advocacy org House the Homeless recently had a unique opportunity to survey Austin’s homeless population. At its annual Christmas clothing distribution party, the group received questionnaire responses from 526 homeless people – a full 13% of Austin’s estimated homeless population of 4,000. The results? The homeless aren’t looking for a handout – they say they…

by Wells Dunbar

Hope Springs Eternal; Figo Coming to MLS?

New U.S. Women’s coach Pia Sundhage has named goalkeeper Hope Solo to the squad for the upcoming Four Nations Cup, taking place in China, Jan. 16-20. Solo, of course, was last seen ripping former coach Greg Ryan (and, seemingly, teammate Brianna Scurry) after she was benched for the team’s embarrassing 4-0 loss to Brazil in…

by Nick Barbaro

NoDak Delegation Says Can’t Help With Hemp

When you want to see a change in federal law, to whom should you turn? Well, if you live in North Dakota and are interested in re-authorizing industrial hemp farming (as a majority of North Dakotans favor doing) don’t even think about turning to your elected members of Congress for any help. According to the…

by Jordan Smith

D.C. Harm Reduction Programs Get Cash Injection

Washington, D.C. officials announced Jan. 2 that $650,000 in public money would be dedicated to fund anonymous needle exchange programs in the city, reports the Washington Post. The news comes after Congressional passage of am omnibus appropriations bill that finally eases a 10-year-old law barring the city from using public money to fund any such…

by Jordan Smith

Finley Goes Pro

Following in the footsteps of Texas running back Jamaal Charles, UT tight end Jermichael Finley has declared himself eligible for the 2008 NFL draft. Good luck to Finley, and Mack Brown. For more, click here.

by Mark Fagan

R.I.P. Drew Glackin

The sudden passing of Drew Glackin has been met with shock, anger, and sorrow. Glackin was best known as the bass player for the seemingly star-crossed NYC trio the Silos, but he also lent his talents to a truckload of other bands and artists, Graham Parker, the Willard Grant Conspiracy, and Tandy among them. According…

by Jim Caligiuri

The Return of Robbie Taylor

The best reason to see Robbie Taylor at any or all of his three shows this week is that in 1982, he serenaded me with Buddy Holly songs while standing in the middle of a deserted Hill Country road at 5am outside Junction. OK, that story isn’t so compelling but I left out a LOT…

by Margaret Moser

Chris Mihm, Remember Him?

Quick little UT flashback: You surely remember the great white hype, one Mr. Chris Mihm. Known more for swatting the ball out of the Erwin Center (psst … he leads UT in every blocked-shot category there is: game, season, career, average, Big 12. What have you done lately?), but don’t forget he is 13th all…

by Andy Denham

Letters @ 3AM

Joe Biden and Chris Dodd rise above the other primary candidates in terms of achievement and hands-on experience in what a president needs to know

by Michael Ventura

Critics Poll

Best Local Show Greg Beets Monterey Pop Tribute, Threadgill’s World Headquarters Jim Caligiuri Brownout, Grupo Fantasma, Mohawk (September) Thomas Fawcett Rockit 7 with Brownout, DJs Manny & Bigface, Afrika Bambaata, Club de Ville Doug Freeman Okkervil River, Hogg Auditorium Melanie Haupt The Jellydots, Austin City Limits Music Festival Raoul Hernandez Led Zeppelin Hoot, Ruta Maya…

by Chronicle Staff

There Will Be Film

1) There Will Be Blood No movie this year was more rooted in the American soil than this powerful character study and origin story. 2) The Lives of Others The movie reminds us that goodness can exist even in the worst of times and that decency is a human, not heroic, impulse. 3) Persepolis This…

by Marjorie Baumgarten

National Top 10s

Greg Beets 1) Loudon Wainwright III, Strange Weirdos: Music From and Inspired by the Film ‘Knocked Up’ (Concord) 2) Bruce Springsteen, Magic (Columbia) 3) Peter Case, Let Us Now Praise Sleepy John (Yep Roc) 4) LCD Soundsystem, Sound of Silver (DFA/Capitol) 5) Arctic Monkeys, Favourite Worst Nightmare (Domino) 6) The Cynics, Here We Are (Get…

by Chronicle Staff

Top 10 Local Stories

1) Farewell Futrell By her own measure, city managers have an official life expectancy of five to seven years, so Toby’s departure is pretty much right on schedule. Despite much recent melodrama and gratuitous public vitriol, Futrell dedicated her public (and much of her private) life to Austin and fully deserves a graduating ovation. 2)…

by Michael King

There Will Be Film

1) 3:10 to Yuma Who said the Western is dead? Notions of “hero” blur in the complex relationship between good guy and bad guy in the year’s most surprising film. 2) Ratatouille Pixar’s best animated feature yet, this tale of an unlikely gourmet chef compelled to express himself gastronomically speaks to the would-be artist in…

by Steve Davis

Texas Top 10s

Greg Beets 1) Spoon, Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga (Merge) 2) Lomita, Downtown Mystic (Indierect) 3) Mandible, (Here Comes the) Mandible (Almost There) 4) The Octopus Project, Hello, Avalanche (Peek-a-Boo) 5) Good Times Crisis Band, Select a Gather Point (Australian Cattle God) 6) Dale Watson, From the Cradle to the Grave (Hyena) 7) Krum Bums,…

by Chronicle Staff

Top 10 Toby Moments

Is her journey ours? The evolution of Toby Futrell mirrors and personalizes Austin’s transformation from stoned, sleepy slack-town to condo-shocked L.A. on training wheels. On the eve of her successor’s selection, we present our “Top 10 Toby Moments” – from the barefoot, Hippie-hallowed child of lost Austin to today’s corporatist city micromanager of Manhattan on…

by Wells Dunbar

There Will Be Film

1) The Lives of Others Released at the beginning of the year, it may feel like old news, but there was no more powerful or lyrical document of resistance. 2) The Diving Bell and the Butterfly Near tactile in its collage of life’s little moments – once disposable, then indispensable – in the wake of…

by Kimberley Jones

Naked City

Headlines • As the Chronicle went to press, the 6pm Jan. 2 filing deadline arrived for the March 4 party primaries. Among a smattering of local intra-party races are four candidates for the job of retiring District Attorney Ronnie Earle and three for Travis Co. Constable Precinct 1 – including former Austin City Council Member…

by Chronicle Staff

Top 10 State stories

1) Tell ‘Em How Much Fun It Was! No sooner had 2007 arrived than Molly Ivins left us, after a long, plucky fight with breast cancer. Her passing created a gaping news hole in hundreds of newspapers and periodicals that carried her witty, populist-driven commentaries. Few scribes can nail Texas politics the way Molly did,…

by Amy Smith and Lee Nichols

There Will Be Film

1) The Lives of Others Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck’s tale of repression and redemption in communist East Germany is as brilliant a directorial debut as anyone not named Orson Welles could hope for. 2) The Bourne Ultimatum Director Paul Greengrass spins adrenaline into art and comes up with the best action movie since Raiders of…

by Josh Rosenblatt

Top 10 Quotes of the Week

1) “We are the people who run this country. We are the deciders. And every single day, every one of us needs to step outside and take some action to help stop this war. Raise hell. … Make our troops know we’re for them and trying to get them out of there. Hit the streets…

by Chronicle Staff

Top 10 City Council Moments

1) Send in the Clowns All year long, the pending retirement of incumbent City Manager Toby Futrell was the City Hall soap opera, complete with an ever-retreating exit date and backstage tears over council’s determination to just get on with it. As the new year dawns, they’re still looking, but we gave them the three-ring…

by Wells Dunbar

There Will Be Film

1) There Will Be Blood A bona fide, newfangled, old-school, take-no-prisoners, 100% all-American epic that mesmerizes and horrifies until the very … last … drop. 2) No Country for Old Men Some scenes may be too intense for those not already dead. Pray that the Coen brothers never decide to film The Road. 3) Persepolis…

by Marc Savlov

Top 10 Developing Stories

1) Developers Pay Up 2007 will be remembered as the year Austin raised its standards for the public benefits we expect from the private interests that shape our city. What’s new: No developer dared ask for a major height/density variance from council in 2007 without first offering up “voluntary” contributions for the public good. A…

by Katherine Gregor

Top 10 Media Stories

In a year that saw Austin legend Molly Ivins pass away (see “Top 10 State Stories”), there was little cause for celebration in media circles. With Ivins’ death, wit and style moved a ­little farther to the back of the bus, driven by in-depth reports on Anna Nicole Smith’s baby and sightings of Bigfoot. Real…

by Kevin Brass

The Best of Food in 2007

Sweet Bites: Chocolate Peach Nectar Filled Chocolates Lecia Duke’s melt-in-your-mouth delicacies were a real revelation – the perfect burst of Hill Country summer flavor on the tongue. Homemade Butterfingers at Jasper’s The pastry chef was generous enough to share the recipe after I raved about this candy in print. It could be dangerous now that…

by Virginia B. Wood

Top 10 Developing Stories

1) Developers Pay Up 2007 will be remembered as the year Austin raised its standards for the public benefits we expect from the private interests that shape our city. What’s new: No developer dared ask for a major height/density variance from council in 2007 without first offering up “voluntary” contributions for the public good. A…

by Katherine Gregor

The Best of Food in 2007

Ratatouille has now overtaken A Clockwork Orange as my all-time favorite movie. My deepest admiration to Brad Bird and his amazing writing team! Here are some of my favorite quotes, in order of appearance in the movie. “If you are what you eat, then I only want to eat the good stuff.” – Remy And…

by Claudia Alarcón

Top 10 2007 Joints

1) Down With Crack On Nov. 1, the first step toward eliminating the draconian 100-to-1 crack-to-powder-cocaine federal sentencing ratio took effect, cutting crack-related federal sentences by an average of 16 months for most defendants. On Dec. 11, officials made the downgraded sentences retroactive for all federal prisoners – nearly 20,000 inmates, almost 10% of the…

by Jordan Smith

The Best of Food in 2007

Shanghai Chinese Restaurant, 6718 Middle Fiskville, 458-8088. Shrimp and leek dumplings: with sweet shrimp and leek in a steamed wrapper. Pan-fried dumplings: huge, nicely browned, with minced pork, scallion, and cabbage in a medium-thick pastry; they are the best in town. Shrimp roll in rice-pasta sheets (cheung fun): fresh rice pasta forming a rectangle with…

by Mick Vann

Top 10 Police Beat Stories

1) New Top Cop The search to replace Stan Knee was a marathon – a reality star search featuring everything except a swimsuit competition. In the end, there was one outstanding candidate: Art Acevedo, a former chief with the California Highway Patrol. He had the necessary charisma and energy, impressing the Austin Police Association as…

by Jordan Smith

The Best of Food in 2007

Garlic and Herb Roasted Leg of Lamb, FoodHeads, 616 W. 34th, 420-8400. This essential Austin lunch spot is well-known for loaded and tasty sammies, which include design-your-own deli combos and grilled specialty sandwiches. The No. 1 draw for me is the luscious, garlicky, herby roast-lamb sandwich with slices of grilled eggplant and feta cheese, dressed…

by MM Pack

Redacted

Brian De Palma’s film brims with spontaneity and fury regarding America’s involvement in the war in Iraq. (Ends Monday.)

by Marjorie Baumgarten

The Best of Food in 2007

1) The Roasted Tomatillo Salsa Verde at ZuZu Handmade Mexican Food I really wasn’t expecting to find my ideal green sauce at ZuZu. This salsa isn’t just good; it is archetypal. It is the very essence of what salsa verde is meant to be: mild yet robust in flavor, complex, earthy, and unforgettable. I am…

by Kate Thornberry

The Best of Food in 2007

Here’s the best of what I tasted this year. A few – the Banfi, Chateau St. Jean, and Jadot – are widely available. My choices are evenly matched with five whites and five reds, but I had to throw in the Champagne that most lit my rockets this year. It’s too good to miss. Banfi…

by Wes Marshall

Oops!

Due to an editing error, a passage concerning public input into plans for Downtown was garbled in the Dec. 28 article, “Seaholm and Green District: Changes Afoot.” The passage in question should have read, “Much as occurred with Block 21, said Huffman and McCracken, Austinites will have ample opportunity to review the proposing teams’ alternate…

by Chronicle Staff

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