Res Publica

Thursday11

AISD TRUSTEES want your input on boundaries for the new Southwest Elementary School on Meridian Park Boulevard. To speak, you must sign up before the meeting. 6pm. Carruth Admin. Ctr., 1111 W. Sixth. www.austinisd.org/inside/2004bond/boundaries/swes.phtml.

COLORADO RIVER FOUNDATION VOLUNTEER OPEN HOUSE Learn how you can help preserve and protect Lady Bird Lake and other Colorado River offshoots. 6pm. Redbud Center, Rm. 225, 3601 Lake Austin Blvd., 498-1587. Free. www.coloradoriver.org.

PHILIP GOUREVITCH ON ABU GHRAIB New Yorker staff writer, editor of The Paris Review, and author of Standard Operating Proced­ure discusses the prison scandal. 7pm. UT campus, Joynes Reading Room, 2501 Whitis, 471-5692. Free. www.utexas.edu/cola/progs/plan2/events/13796.

THE FUTURE OF FOOD DOCUMENTARY SCREEN­ING Learn about the relationship between agriculture, big business, and government. 7:30pm. MonkeyWrench Books, 110 E. North Loop, 407-6925. Free. www.monkeywrenchbooks.org.

AFRICAN-AMERICAN FAMILY SUPPORT CON­FER­ENCE Thu.-Fri., Feb. 11-12. Hyatt Regency, 208 Bar­ton Springs Rd., 477-1234. Free. www.ctaafsc.org.

Friday12

MIDWIVES FOR HAITI BENEFIT AUCTION An evening of music, drinks, and desserts to help local midwives provide care and supplies to Haiti­. 8-10pm. Soma Vida, 1210 Rosewood, 809-4944. Donations appreciated. drlasser@gmail.com.

SWEET BARKS FUNDRAISER Help Austin Pets Alive! find loving homes for lonely pets this Valen­tine's Day; make a donation or adopt a pet. Noon-4pm. APA! South Congress adoption site, South Congress & Gibson. www.austinpetsalive.org.

Saturday13

DEAR MRS. PARKS Jazz trumpeter Hannibal Lokumbe celebrates the life of Rosa Parks. See "Aural History," for more. 8pm. Texas Spirit Theater, Bullock Texas History Museum, 1800 N. Congress. $35. Reservations required: 936-4649. www.thestoryoftexas.com/education/adults.html.

BLOOD DRIVE: ROCK N' ROLL UP YOUR SLEEVE Give blood; get prizes from the folks at KLBJ radio. Noon-4pm. Sherlock's Baker St. Pub, 9012 Research Ste. C-1, 380-9443. www.inyourhands.org.

Sunday14

ROY ZIMMERMAN'S REAL AMERICAN combines biting political satire with unique guitar stylings. 8pm. First Unitarian Universalist Church, 4700 Grover, 452-6168. $15 ($12, members).

PICKIN' PARTY FOR PEACE Get together with fellow peace and music lovers to plan the Million Musicians March for Peace. 2-4:30pm. Cafe Caf­feine, 909 W. Mary. www.millionmusiciansmarch.com.

TEXAS OBSERVER RABBLE ROUSER ROUND­UP Schmooze with writers, editors, and other Observer bigwigs. 4-8pm. Barr Mansion, 10463 Sprinkle Rd., 477-0746. $50. www.texasobserver.org.

Tuesday16

BARSTOW SPEAKERS SERIES Catch Robert Glen­non, author of Unquenchable: America's Water Crisis and What to Do About It. Call or go online to register. 11:30am. Four Seasons Hotel, 98 San Jacinto, 498-1587. $35 ($15, students; free, members). www.coloradoriver.org.

EARLY VOTING BEGINS The primaries aren't till March, but why wait when you can vote today? Find polling locations and read the Chronicle endorsements; for more info, see "Primary Intelligence;" and for ongoing election coverage, check out Election Central at austinchronicle.com/election. Early voting: Feb. 16-26. Election day: March 2.

NEY HISTORIC LANDSCAPE PLANNING MEET­ING Vet the city's proposed historic landscape plans for the Elizabet Ney Museum and consider a proposal by Hyde Park residents to amend the museum's period of historic significance. 6pm. Parks and Recreation Board Room, 200 S. Lamar. www.cityofaustin.org/parks/elisabetneycipproject.htm.

Wednesday17

A NEIGHBORLY CONVERSATION features the Democratic candidates for Travis Co. Commis­sion­er Precinct 4 – Margaret Gómez and Raul Alvar­ez – discussing the issues head-to-head. (See "Primary Intelligence") Noon. KOOP 91.7FM.

ENVIROS FOR RAUL Hear what Raul Alvarez's supporters have to say (see above). 5:30-7:30pm. Opal Divine's Freehouse, 700 W. Sixth, 477-3308.

STATE OF THE CITY DINNER Mayor Lee Leffing­well delivers his annual address, hosted by the Austin League of Women Voters. 6:30-9:30pm. UT Club, 2108 E. Rob­ert Dedman. $52 ($47, members). RSVP by Feb. 15: lwvaustin@lwvaustin.org.

Thursday18

ACTIVIST SCHOLARSHIP CONFERENCE brings together artists, community organizers, and scholars to address the state of social justice in the Americas. Thu.-Sat., Feb. 18-20. UT campus, Texas Union, 24th & Guadalupe, 232-8586. Free.

BICYCLE ADVISORY COUNCIL MEETING 6:30pm. One Texas Center, 505 Barton Springs Rd., 203-7626. www.austineconetwork.com/calendar.

COMMUNITY FORUM: THE REALITY OF OUR EXISTENCE The Central Texas chapter of the National Forum for Black Public Administrators hosts this dialogue about health care, education, the digital divide, and more. 6pm. King-Seabrook Chapel at Huston-Tillotson University, 900 Chicon, 626-8404.

MEET-AND-GREET: EVE SCHATELOWITZ ALCANTAR & BILL GAMMON Get to know these judicial candidates for the 299th and 147th District Courts, respectively, and bring a canned food donation for the Capital Area Food Bank. 5:30-7:30pm. Jovita's, 1619 S. First.

RESULTS BENEFIT Julie Bolz talks about her experiences building schools in Afghanistan – to raise funds for Results, working to end poverty around the world. Jim Hightower is also on the bill. 7pm. Schmidt-Jones Family Life Center, 1300 Lavaca, 638-0557. Donations appreciated. sites.google.com/site/resultstexas/austin-results-2010-benefit.