February Update from District 7

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Happy President's Day!

Declaring February 2016 as Elliott Naishtat Month, Council Member Pool along with current and former Austin City Council members recognized State Representative Naishtat for his impressive legislative legacy with a formal proclamation at the Travis County Democratic Party's annual Johnson Bentsen Richards dinner.

District 7 News & Events

Bike Austin Family Ride

Join Bike Austin for the Our Streets Family Ride on Saturday, February 20 to kick off their campaign to collect signatures in support of bicycle and sidewalk improvements. The family-friendly ride down Shoal Creek Boulevard will start at 10 a.m. at Beverly S. Sheffield Northwest District Park (7001 Shoal Creek Blvd). Find more information on the campaign here and RSVP here.

Shoal Creek Forum

The Shoal Creek Forum is a new series of one-hour meetings hosted by the Shoal Creek Conservancy in partnership with the City's Watershed Protection Department. The forum will discuss critical creek issues with experts and community members; please join the conversation and share your input! Register and see all meeting topics here; the forum kicks off February 23 with a discussion on downtown flooding.

Teruko at work, credit: Drawing Lines

Support the new Central Library

Join Austin library supporters at an outdoor event to kick off a fundraising campaign to support the new Central Library. The announcement will occur at Seaholm Plaza (800 W. Cesar Chavez St.) on Tuesday, February 23, from 10 a.m. to noon, with remarks beginning at 10:15 a.m. Those interested in attending can RSVP to Sharon Herfurth, Austin Public Library, at
sharon.herfurth@austintexas.gov. The grand opening for the new Central Library is slated for November 2016.

Financial Aid Saturdays

For high school seniors preparing for college, the Austin Chamber of Commerce is hosting "Financial Aid Saturday" events to offer free FAFSA filing assistance. Click here to register for upcoming dates at high schools in Austin, through March 5.

City of Austin Transportation Department

People's Gallery Reception

See the new artwork at City Hall at the opening reception for The People's Gallery on Friday, February 26 from 6 to 9 p.m. The Gallery was established by Council to showcase the creative endeavors of Austin-area residents; this year marks the 12th exhibition.

Credit: Ted Lee Eubanks

"Wish Lantern" Opening

Visit artist Teruko Nimura's piece Wish Lantern at its opening event on Sunday, February 28, at Beverly S. Sheffield Park (7000 Ardath St., near the fish pond). Teruko has worked with area residents to create origami lanterns with written wishes for the city, which will be used to create an illuminated outdoor installation. Teruko is District 7's Drawing Lines artist, an artist-driven, community-based project commissioned in response to Austin's transformation to a district-based Council.

Rendering of the Library, credit: Austin Public Library

City wins Nature Grant

The City of Austin is one of seven cities recently selected by the Cities Connecting Children to Nature (CCN) initiative for a planning grant to reduce inequities and foster connections to nature among all children. Council Member Pool wrote a letter of support for this grant during the application phase, and our office will be excitedly following its progress with City staff and community partners. Through the grant, the City will receive assistance from CCN partners to complete community assessments and analyze equity issues; find more information here.

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