� Council will meet today (Thursday, Aug. 19) to consider amending the historic zoning ordinance and shining a wee bit more light on campaign finance disclosure laws, among other items of interest. See “Council Preview.”
� The AISD board Thursday will hear public comments on a property tax election that voters may be asked to decide in November. See “AISD Polishing Sales Pitch for Tax Election.”
� On another academic note, AISD students head back to school Monday, and the University of Texas holds its annual Mooov In event Friday and Saturday for new and returning students who’ll be taking up residence in one of the campus dorms. Don’t forget tax-free school shopping this weekend either.
� The city’s controversial No Sit No Lie Ordinance, written to prevent homeless loitering Downtown, drew changes from City Council’s Public Health and Human Services Committee this week. The committee voted to expand medical exemptions to the ordinance and allow a broader exemption for disabled citizens. The changes must now be approved by the entire council.
� Gov. Rick Perry has announced that he won’t be meeting with the editorial boards of any Texas newspapers before the November elections. Aw, was it something we wrote?
� More bad news for the state budget: Staff from the comptroller’s office told legislators that employment in Texas is not expected to return to pre-recession levels until late 2011, while sales tax collections are down $1.4 billion from this time last year.
� Farewell to the Dobie: Landmark Theatres, operators of the historic Dobie Theatre on the Drag, announced on Aug. 16 that the four-screen complex will close after Aug. 22. Property owner the Carlton Group says it’s in discussions to reopen the cinema, famous for its themed theatres and early support of Austin’s film scene.
� Texas trees are cool – especially in August. The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center this week announced plans to create an arboretum featuring all 53 species of native oak trees, thanks to a generous $1.4 million gift from an anonymous fund of the San Antonio Area Foundation.
Quote of the Week
“There are still elements that want to say that Muslims are the extremists, Muslims are terrorists, and yet when Joe Stack flies an airplane into a building in Texas, that’s not called terrorism.”
– Corey Saylor, Council on American-Islamic Relations, on the “Ground Zero mosque” controversy
This article appears in August 20 • 2010.