December Party PPecanecan When: Sunday, Dec 18 5:00 to 7:30 pm Where: Woodburn House B&B 4401 Ave. D Press December, 2005 • National Register District Neighborhood • Vol. 31, No. 12 HPNA Agenda for Holiday/Christmas Party “The Meeting is the Party, and Distribution of Cookies Naughty, or Nice? Survey Results the Party is the Meeting:” North Pole NCCD update Status report on Vino Vino eggnog Happy Holidays! permit application yde Park’s annual Holiday/Christmas party will be HPNA/HPBC Debate: held Sunday, December 18, from 5 to 7:30 p.m. at the “Rudolph: Hero, or Drunkard?” H Happy Holidays! Woodburn House Bed & Breakfast, 4401 Avenue D. November Meeting Minutes n extraordinarily large crowd Aof almost 70 people attend- ed the monthly HPNA meeting on November 7th. Held, as usual, at the Hyde Park Methodist Church, the meeting featured a continua- tion of the spirited and sometimes contentious discussion concerning the zoning variance request for the proposed Vino Vino wine bar at 4119 Guadalupe. President John Kerr called the meeting to order at 7:13 PM. Kitty Clark circulated petitions Neighbors are invited to share Children’s activities will to get Herb Evans onto the ballot for the holiday spirit with their fellow be offered on the large wrap- Justice of the Peace Precinct 5 and neighbors and enjoy a light sup- around front porch of the house. Ted Orcutt of Houston onto the bal- per, drinks and sweets. The new If you have ideas to contrib- lot for Congressman in District 10, owners of the Woodburn House, ute to children’s activities, which includes part of Hyde Park, Kristen and Noel De La Rosa, please contact Chris Berry at in the March 2006 primary elections; will be on hand to meet their new [email protected]. An invi- and requested that association mem- neighbors. tation to Santa Claus has been bers sign to allow Herb and Ted to be This year’s festivities promise emailed, but the North Pole server on the ballot in March. to surpass last year’s fi ne party. Al- was down due to se- Then Austin City Council mem- though fi ne dining will be catered vere weather. At press ber Brewster McCracken presented by New World Deli, there is a con- time we still have not a new initiative sponsored by the tinuing need for Christmas cookies had a reply. City of Austin for the Plug-In Hybrid and other deserts. If you can con- Electric Vehicle (PHEV) municipal tribute something, please contact Continued on page 4 Deaton Bednar, 371-3762. From the President’s Desk: Shifting Gears t our November meeting, City Councilman Brewster McCracken touted a new city Aenergy program involving “plug-in hybrid” cars. It was easy to assent to an automobile which recharges from your wall socket, renders the equivalent of 55 cents per gallon gasoline, and actually lets you power your car with wind energy. Unfortunately, plug-in hybrids are not on the market yet. And even for proven hybrids such as Toyota’s excellent Prius, you have to get on a waiting list. But there is a low-tech way to That would be reason enough for the real enthusiast. A few sum- catch the energy-efficient wave: to make the small investment in mers ago I found myself on a tour use a standard transmission. It’s learning how to master the art of of the BMW factory in Munich. Af- called standard because for many shifting gears. But the reasons are ter being shown some of the hotter decades, that was all, or almost manifold, beginning with the emo- models, I asked the guide what all, there was. How much better tional. I had driven an automatic percentage came with automat- mileage you get depends on many for many years when my wife and ic transmission. “Almost none,” factors, but you will always save I went car shopping. She asked to he sniffed. He was right to be dis- gas over an automatic (though not test drive a car which she liked be- dainful. With so much power and necessarily over the Prius’s Contin- cause it was red. It was a two-door handling at your disposal, why uously Variable Transmission). and a standard, neither of which I waste it with an automatic? To use wanted. But to humor her we took a metaphor from my salad days, it for a spin. Whoa! Whereas previ- albeit for a different circumstance, Pecan Press ous 4-cylinider models crawled up it would be like taking a shower in The Pecan Press is published monthly freeway ramps, suddenly I found a raincoat. by the Hyde Park Neighborhood Association in Austin, Texas. Editor the car accelerating all the way. In America, however, stan- Grant Thomas 450-0464 <[email protected]> Shifting the gears, taking control dards are one of your best Associate Editor Sarah Sitton 459-4530 207 E. 39th St. of the driving again, watching the guarantees against theft. So few Poetry Editor tachometer edge toward the red -- people want them, why bother Nancy Taylor Day 892-0127 <[email protected]> all had the effect of an IV injection stealing them? Several years back 4001 Duval (Salon) 78751 Crime & Safety Chairman of about 350cc of pharmaceuti- the papers ran a story of a man Volunteer Needed cal grade testosterone. It all came who approached a woman as she Advertising Director surging back, the feelings of my exited her car in a mall parking lot. Carmin Way 310-6594 <[email protected]> P.O. Box 49427, Austin, TX 78765 youth: barreling around the free- Continued on following page Production Manager ways of Houston and San Antonio Robert M. Farr 731-0617 <[email protected]> in a cream yellow VW bug with a Hyde Park Neighborhood Association Mail Ads to: P. O Box 49427 • Austin, TX 78765 Print Deluxe sunroof, while my date’s perfume http://www.austinhydepark.org 7500 Chelmsford Dr. Austin,TX 78736 and hair filled the air. Wow, what Note: Each month’s ad and editorial deadline is — HPNA Officers — President • John Kerr • [email protected] .......................... 451-3931 the 15th of month preceding publication. a rush. Vice Presidents • Denise Girard, • [email protected]............ 454-6584 Distribution Coordinator A standard transmission allows • Elaine Meenahan • [email protected] ..... 323-9772 Herb Dickson - 400 Towne Park Trail • 206-4426 you to really drive a car, not just Secretary • Sam Waring • 4610 Ave H.................................. 453-0730 Area Coordinators Treasurer • Carmin Way • [email protected].... 310-6594 North of 45th/West of Duval • Pam Dozler........................ 458-8927 steer it. Let’s face it, driving an au- PO Box 49427, Austin, TX 78765 North of 45th/East of Duval • Sarah Heather..................... 452-8486 tomatic is not much different than Treasurer Emerita • Josephine Casey South of 45th/West of Speedway • Robert Morris ............ 371-7246 HPNA Committee/Task Forces (w/chairs) driving a golf cart. Standards are AISD • Ann S. Graham, 3815 Ave H.............................................458-8096 South of 45th/East of Speedway • Martha Campbell......... 452-2815 Alley Coordinator • J.P. Young, [email protected] ......................450-0707 Contributors Beautification • Margot Thomas, 4106 Ave. F .............................454-7284 Glen Alyn, Candy Gray Becker, Cynthia Beeman, Laurence Becker, Mary • Merle Franke, 4102 Ave. D ................................452-0414 Collins Blackmon, George Bristol, Chris Brown, Sharon Brown, Lewis Children’s Programs • ................................................... Volunteer needed Brownlow, Kathryn Bryn, Mark Burkhardt, Amon Burton, Martha Church/Neighborhood Liaison • Niyata Spelman, 3802 Ave. F. 459-8349 Campbell, Mike Capochiano, Inga Marie Carmel, Josephine Casey, Communications/Web • Robin Silberling, [email protected] ....452-1783 Nicole Caspers, Kitty Clark, Carol Cohen Burton, William Cook, Susan Crime and Safety Chairman • Hermelinda Zamarripa...............974-9097 Crites Krumm, Celeste Cromack, Rob D’Amico, Herb Dickson, Avis Development Review Davis, Don Davis, Barbara Daywood, Lynn Denton, Pam Dozler, Russell • Stan Kozinsky, 4604 Ave. G...................451-4455 Duke, Cathy Echols, Merle Franke, Gregory Free, Larry Freilich, Robert Graffiti Patrol • E. Meenehan [email protected] ...323-9772 Garrett, Eugene George, Mary Carolyn George, Larry Gilg, Susan Gilg, Homes Tour • Alan Marburger, [email protected] ......459-2261 Ann S. Graham, Carolyn E. Grimes, Rachel Hector, Ben Heimsath, Sandi Membership • Doris Coward [email protected] ............453-2476 Heimsath, Susan Holman, Albert Huffstickler, John Kerr, Susan Kerr, Bo Neighborhood Planning • Karen McGraw, 4315 Ave. C ............459-2261 Kersey, Susan Kirk, Anna Kotecki, Mary Lehmann, Dennis Lensing, Karen Shipe Park • Joe Jernejcic.............................................................302-4074 McGraw, Sharon Majors, Alan Marburger, Peter Maxson, Brook Meggs, Sidewalks • Jamie Caras [email protected] Elaine Meenehan, Fred Meredith, Susan Moffat, Jack Nokes, Jill Nokes, Sidewalks • Rob Clinchard........................................................................... Wanda Penn, Cecil Pennington, Peter Pfeiffer, Dorothy Richter, Walter 38th Street Taskforce ..................................................... Volunteer needed Richter Sheree Scarborough, Cathy Short, Sarah Sitton, Thad Sitton, Julie Triangle Development • Cathy Echols, 4002 Ave. C ...................206-0729 Strong, Kathleen Strong, Lao Tzu, Jennifer Vickers, Katie Vignery,Sandra Zoning • Dorothy Richter, 3901 Ave. G........................................452-5117 Villalaz-Dickson, Lorre Weidlich, Joe Wiseman. Austin Neighborhoods Council Rep. ............................ Volunteer needed Page 2 — December, 2005 — Pecan Press Pecan Press — December, 2005 — Page 3 He put an automatic pistol to her the five smooth-shifting forward gears by head and demanded, “One ques- my side. It remains the best car I’ve ever tion: standard or automatic?” owned, and is especially admirable in the But standards go far beyond fuel consumption department, no small personal security to national se- matter these days. curity and national pride. Short of So while you’re waiting for your devastating attacks on pipelines plug-in hybrid, consider a little automo- and tankers, it is hard to imagine a tive regression.