February 2018 Pecan Press
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
The Hyde Park February Neighborhood E P A D R K Association Y Meeting H . Peca n When: 7:00 pm Monday, February 5, 2018 Where: Griffin School 5001 Evans Avenue Note: HPNA meetings usually take place on the first Monday of each month. HPNA General Meeting Press February 2018 • National Register District Neighborhood • Vol. 44, No. 2 Agenda for February 5 Welcome New Members ASH Redevelopment Plan Advances Texas 25th District Candidate Introduction he troubled Austin State Hospital, once recommended for Building and Planning in Hyde Park: Tclosure, has found new life, thanks to state financing of a NCCD and Local Historic District 101, with Karen McGraw major rebuilding project at its present site bordering the Hyde It’s My Park! Day 2018 Update, by Jill Park neighborhood. Nokes of Friends of Shipe Park Its change of fortune began with a 2016 proposal by state senator Announcements Kirk Watson, a Hyde Park resident, to seize the opportunity created by the newly-established Dell Medical School to establish what he called an It’s My Park! Day 2018 “MD Anderson of the Brain” on the Guadalupe Street campus. His vi- sion was that ASH expand well beyond its current focus as a residential ark your calendars for Satur- facility for patients with severe mental illness to a center for compre- Mday, March 3, 2018. Between hensive brain health that includes a wide range of conditions affecting 9 am and noon, hundreds of vol- Texans such as concussions, PTSD, Alzheimer’s, and substance abuse. unteers will join together to clean Services would likewise more broadly encompass inpatient, outpatient, up and beautify the Shipe Park and preventive care and hopefully become a model for the nation. There and Ney Museum grounds. Volun- is a historic parallel in his proposal: the 1845 Texas Constitution mandat- teers are encouraged to arrive at ing public funding for treatment of mental illness was ahead of its time. 8:45 am, so that the work can begin When the Texas Lunatic Asylum (now ASH) was built in the 1850s, its promptly at 9:00. design in a park-like setting was purposely modeled on a contemporary Volunteers will aerate and reform movement that proffered a more effective and compassionate weed tree beds, spread mulch and plan for patient care. Dillo Dirt, remove invasive plant Senator Watson’s ASH proposal gained traction when the state species and debris, and otherwise Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) released the results improve the grounds. Live music of its feasibility study in the fall of 2016. Its report examined the costs and refreshments add a festive feel and benefits of numerous options, including moving the hospital and to the day. This is one community merging it with other mental health facilities. While the study made no event you won’t want to miss! specific recommendations, it found that keeping ASH on its current site Register to volunteer online on was the least costly option. In May, 2017, Senate Finance Committee the Austin Parks Foundation web members Watson and Charles Schwertner, a practicing physician repre- site at www.austinparks.org. All vol- senting parts of central and east Texas served by ASH, collaborated to unteers who register online get a press for funding to improve state mental health facilities. Their advoca- free T-shirt, so be sure to register cy emphasized better and more comprehensive care at lower costs, while early and indicate your size. You reducing the current reliance on jails and hospitals to house some Texans can also sign-up to volunteer on with mental illness. This bipartisan effort succeeded in earmarking $300 the day of the event. Last minute million in the 2018-19 budget for rebuilding state mental hospitals and volunteers are welcome. improving patient treatment. It’s easy! It’s fun! It’s communi- This January, the HHSC announced that the proposal to replace ty building! It’s My Park! Day. ASH at its current site has been approved; the first stage, the $15.5 mil- For information, contact Alison lion master plan, will be led by the Dell Medical School. Consistent with Young at alison@alisonyoungdesign. Senator Watson’s initial proposal for collaboration with stakeholder com. groups such as public mental health agencies, academic institutions, and Continued on page 9 From the Desk of the President ecently, I was able to see a pre-screening of The Post with Tom Hanks and Meryl Streep, Rhosted by the Texas Tribune. The film is now in theaters everywhere and is an engaging film. If you have not yet seen anything about the movie, it tells the story of the newsroom and ownership of the Washington Post as it wrestles with acquiring and publishing the Pentagon Papers. The Pentagon Papers showed that the federal government had, among other things, been lying to the public about the course of the Vietnam War. At this point, you might be ask- of the public could make informed will likely be on the agenda and ing yourself how this historical decisions. In fact, the Supreme we will try to provide some edu- movie relates to our neighborhood. Court, in its decision, reiterat- cation on the topic. But we should Well, I think the lessons that can be ed that it is the role of the press to all seek out other sources of infor- gleaned from the movie are equal- inform the public so that its mem- mation. As much as we wish that ly applicable today. As our world bers can make informed decisions we could provide all the education becomes more divided, we have to provide a check on democratic that Hyde Park residents need on a tendency to rely on facts that governments. Continued on page 15 only support our own opinions It is no different in our neigh- and denigrate facts that detract borhood; it is important for each Hyde Park or counter our positions as “fake of us to stay informed so that we Neighborhood news.” Just because one person too can provide a check on gov- Association says something does not mean that ernment, whether that is federal, his or her understanding is correct state, local, or even neighborhood P. O. Box 49427 • Austin, TX 78765 and we must work to educate our- government. There are a lot of top- www.austinhydepark.org selves. The movie drove home the ics being discussed at each level — HPNA Officers & Steering Committee — President importance of the facts and edu- that will have significant impact on • Reid Long .................................................. reid.long@gmail.com cating the public so that members our neighborhood, city, state, and Co-Vice Presidents • Betsy Clubine.......................................betsyclubine@gmail.com country. • Sarah Cook .................................................cooksicle@gmail.com While I could fill volumes of Co-Secretary • Susan Marshall............................pro47f@att.com Pecan Press Acting Co-Secretary • Bonnie Neel ........................bonnie.neel@ The Pecan Press is published monthly by the this publication with my thoughts georgetownmtg.com Hyde Park Neighborhood Association in Austin, Texas. on these issues at the state and fed- Co-Treasurers • PO Box 49427, Austin, TX 78765 Advertusing deadline: 15th of the month preceding publication. eral level, I want to focus on local • Susanna Walker ................................ suzwalkercpa@gmail.com Editorial deadline: 10th of the month preceding publication. • Lorre Weidlich .................................. lweidlich@grandecom.net Editor issues here. CodeNEXT is the issue Additional Steering Committee Members: Lorre Weidlich lweidlich@grandecom.net at the local level that will signifi- • Sharon Brown • Lisa Harris • Kevin Heyburn • Dorothy Poetry Editor Richter • Charlie Sawtelle • Phil Siebert • Karin Wilkins • Charlotte Herzele herzele@gmail.com cantly impact the lives of each and — HPNA Committees & Task Forces — Photo Editor every citizen of this city. The City AISD • Anne Hebert, anne@annehebert.com Lizzie Chen Alley Coordinator • Carol Burton, sky2wash@austin.rr.com Puzzle Editor of Austin’s rewrite of its land de- ASH (joint HPNA-CT committee) • John Williams, Steve Bratteng velopment code will impact what jawilli@grandecom.net Kid’s Corner can be built and where. Currently, Austin Neighborhoods Council Rep. • Lorre Weidlich (unfilled) Beautification • Robin Burch, robinburch@gmail.com Production Manager & Advertising Director our neighborhood will see limited (903) 780-5275 Robert M. Farr, 731-0617, rudeboy.robbo@gmail.com direct impact under the most re- Church-Neighborhood Liaison • Kathy Lawrence, mail@ Payments for Ads kathylawrence.com HPNA, P.O. Box 49427, Austin, TX 78765 cent draft (as of this publication), CodeNEXT (joint HPNA-CT committee) • (unfilled) Distribution Coordinator because our NCCDs will be re- Crime & Safety • Carol Welder, cjwelder@msn.com Rimas Remeza, 4105 Ave. F, 371-3158, rimasx@yahoo.com • Kristen Remeza, kremeza@yahoo.com Area Coordinators tained under the new code. While Development Review • David Conner, daypaycon@yahoo.com N of 45th/W of Duval we will see only limited direct im- Finance • David Conner, daypaycon@yahoo.com • Rosa Maria Lopez Reed .......... elsalvadorchrist@yahoo.com Flooding • (unfilled) N of 45th/E of Duval pact, this does not mean that our Graffiti Patrol• Lisa Harris, ljharrisus@yahoo.com • Jay Gerard & Carrie Laughlin ..................................... 371-1546 neighborhood will not see chang- 420-0652 S of 45th/W of Speedway Homes Tour • Ellie Hanlon, ellie.hanlon@gmail.com • Betsy Clubine......................................betsyclubine@gmail.com es. It is incumbent on each of us • Dave