R E S T A U R A N T P O L L B A L L O T P . 4 6 - The Austin Chronicle
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R E S T A U R A N T P O L L B A L L O T P . 4 6 - The Austin Chronicle

R E S T A U R A N T P O L L B A L L O T P . 4 6 - The Austin Chronicle R E S T A U R A N T P O L L B A L L O T P . 4 6 - The Austin Chronicle

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Naked City› CACTUS: THE PRICKS KEEP COMING Two bleak turns and anew possible bright spot for the future of the Cactus Cafe:On April 2, Friends of the Cactus Cafe representative ReidNelson announced that he would be withdrawing from thestudent and community group meeting with the UT administration.In a letter, he accused UT of acting in bad faith in thenegotiations and said they were already considering third-partymanagement for the venue. Then on April 6, in one of hisfinal acts as outgoing Student Government president, LiamO’Rourke announced he would not sign AR 41 – a resolutionbacking keeping the cafe open – even though it had beenpassed unanimously by the SG assembly on March 30.Student Friends of the Cactus Cafe co-founder HayleyGillespie said, “It’s too bad that he was not prepared tostand behind his assembly.” However, in potentially goodnews, the Texas Union announced on April 7 that it’s consideringa new partnership with radio station KUT for the venue.See “Off the Record,” p.53, for more coverage.– Richard Whittaker› WAIT, WHO’S GRADUATING? Gov. Rick Perry andDemocratic challenger Bill White are exchanging figuresover how bad Texas’ high school graduation rates are, allof which are accurate – depending on how you spin themath. On April 6, White issued a press release quoting statisticsshowing that, between 2000 and 2008, only 2.1 millionout of the 3.2 million kids in graduating classesreceived a high school diploma or GED in four years, meaningthat three out of every 10 students don’t finish on time –or at all. Perry, on the other hand, has previously claimed a10% dropout rate. So what are the numbers? According tothe data that Texas used for its 2007-08 report, 79%received a diploma within four years, 1.5% got a GED, and8.9% continued in school for a fifth year. While these numberssupport Perry’s figures, White argues that the state’sequations ignore the reality by measuring the wrong groups –and he says that out of 370,703 kids who entered highschool in the graduating class of 2008 only 269,011(72.5%) graduated or stayed on after four years and only65% received a diploma or GED. If you’re not confusedenough, Commissioner of Education Robert Scott is consideringswitching to a new measuring system, the NationalGovernors Association graduation rate compact.– R.W.› WRONG SIDE OF THE BENCH, STILL Court of CriminalAppeals Presiding Judge Sharon Keller will face the StateCommission on Judicial Conduct this summer, the next step inher continuing battle against a string of ethics charges relatedto her role in blocking death row inmate Michael Richardfrom filing a final appeal in September 2007. As a result,Richard was executed without having his appeal considered.Keller went to trial on the charges last summer, and althoughstate District Judge David Berchelmann, the special masterappointed to hear the case, concluded that Keller’s publichumiliation was punishment enough, both prosecutors andKeller’s defender have filed objections to Berchelmann’s writtenruling. Both sides will have a chance to argue their positionsbefore the commission decides Keller’s fate – she couldbe cleared, reprimanded, or potentially ousted from the bench.The hearing is set for 9am Friday, June 18, in Room 140 ofthe Reagan State Office Building adjacent to the Capitol.– Jordan Smithres publicaTHURSDAY08JACK GOLDSMITH discusses counterterrorism policyand kicks off the Executive Power Symposium(see “Point Austin,” p.12). Goldsmith: 6pm; LBJAuditorium, 2313 Red River. Symposium: Fri.-Sat.,April 9-10; UT Law School. www.lbjlibrary.org.FRIDAY09BILINGUAL CENSUS HELP 10am-2pm. SouthwestKey Community Ctr., 6002 Jain. Free. www.swkey.org.PRIMARY RUN-OFFS: EARLY VOTING ENDS Timeto tackle that unfinished business from the Marchprimaries. See Chronicle endorsements and earlyvoting info, p.6. austinchronicle.com/elections.S A T URDAY10BARTON SPRINGS POOL TREEATHLON Swim, bike,run, eat, drink, dance – and raise money for theupkeep of Barton Springs trees. 10am. 2101 Barton14 T H E A U S T I N C H R O N I C L E APRIL 9, 2010 a u s t i n c h r o n i c l e . c o mNEWSBAM! POW! CRASH!HOLY REACTIVATED PERMIT, BATMAN!Controversies real, invented, and in betweenBY WELLS DUNBAREvery City Council agenda has its own issues. The questionis how deeply they’re buried below the surface.The surprise about the Thursday, April 8, meeting is thatthey’re in plain sight. For some, they don’t come more culturewarready than Item 27, requiring information disclaimers forcrisis pregnancy centers – pseudo-medical facilities forpregnant women that are long on anti-abortion proselytizingbut short on medical attention. The measure, as JordanSmith reports (“Making ‘Pregnancy Centers’ Tell the Truth,”p.16), would require CPCs to post language outsidetheir offices that they don’t “offer or refer for abortionor comprehensive birth control services.”Council has portrayed the measure as a consumerprotection, with sponsor Bill Spel man statingin a press release, “We are simply requiring limitedservice pregnancy centers to disclose whatis factual and true about the services they offer.… This is a consumer awareness measure, thathelps women make safe, healthy, informed, andresponsible decisions.” Whether that heads off heatedpublic debate before council remains to be seen.Sadly, an issue that would seem to have been settled longago in “Gay Place” could conceivably draw additional derision.Item 34 from Spelman, Laura Mor ri son, and Randi Shadewould make the city an annual co-sponsor of Austin Prideevents, in the form of waived fees, much as the city does forother public events, including South by Southwest. The eventhas been co-sponsored by the city in thepast, but that hasn’t prevented theissue from becoming topic du jour in theerudite realm of talk radio or “TV newsstations deciding it was the news of theday,” says Morrison. “It’s a celebration of diversity in the gayand lesbian community here in Austin, and that diversity issomething we embrace.”Pity the poor Mexican free-tailed bat, for even the fuzzylittle bloodsucker has turned into a political prop. Item 28would name him and his 1.5 million buddies nesting underthe Ann W. Richards Congress Avenue Bridge the “officialanimal” of our fair city and in celebration, designate the firstSunday in June of every year as the Night of the Bat. (Thisyear, Adam West, the weird dude from Family Guy, will be inattendance.) When word got out, the Statesman thought ithad caught Mayor Lee Leffingwell in a contradiction, as hehad previously voted against the separate, privately run BatFest taking over the same bridge … all weekend long. TheFOR MORE DETAILS AND EVENTS, SEE COMMUNIT Y LIST INGS, P.62.Springs Rd. $30, plus triathlon insurance fee. Spacelimited; register at www.friendsofbartonspringspool.org.ENVIRONMENTAL AWARDS DINNER The LoneStar Chapter of the Sierra Club honors Austin’sgreen heroes. 6:30pm. Chez Zee, 5406 Balcones,477-1729. $40-500. Reserve your seat atwww.tinyurl.com/ygwktn2.KEEP AUSTIN BEAUTIFUL CLEAN SWEEPRegister online for one of the many cleanupsaround town. 9am-1:30pm. 391-0622.www.keepaustinbeautiful.org/cleansweep.SAFEPLACE FIELD DAY helps raise money forthose affected by sexual and domestic violence.11am-4pm. Fiesta Gardens, 2100 Jesse E. Segovia,356-1573. $5 (kids, free). www.safeplacefieldday.org.ST. JOHN/CORONADO HILLS NEIGHBORHOODPLAN MEETING 9am-11am. Pickle ElementarySchool, 1101 Wheatley. www.cityofaustin.org/planning/neighborhood/sj_ch.htm.S UNDAY11cityhallhustleThere’s always fresh controversybrewing at www.twitter.com/cityhallhustle.AUSCHWITZ SURVIVOR EDITH EGER speaksafter a screening of The Debt in honor of Holo caustRemembrance Day. www.shalomaustin.org/jcrc.JOURNEY OF ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIPTackle environmental problems through the faithlens. Sundays, April 11-May 2, 9:30-10:45am or2-3:15pm. First Baptist Church of Austin, 901 Trini ty.Register at 476-2626 or kcappolino@fbcaustin.org.MONDAY12CIUDAD JUÁREZ: CAUGHT IN THE CROSSFIREPanel discussion with special guest José ReyesFerriz, mayor of Juárez. 2:30pm. UT campus, TexasUnion, Rm. 3.502. www.utexas.edu/cola/insts/llilas.HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL honors victims with acandle-lighting ceremony and reading of names.Bring the names of loved ones who died in WorldWar II. 9:30am. City Hall, 301 W. Second, 735-8012.Statesman editors neglected to note the difference until halfwaydown the story, when Leffingwell’s chief of staff MarkNathan pointed out, “There’s a difference between shutting[the bridge] down three hours on a Sunday evening for a freeevent versus the whole weekend for an event that chargesadmission.” Chalk it up to wingspan envy from the Batcave.A more organic controversy seems to be bubbling uparound Item 54, part of a series of adjustments to buildingand development codes up for public hearing and possibleadoption. The tweaks to “permit application and expirationrequirements” sound arcane enough, but a widelycirculated posting from Austin NeighborhoodCouncil President Cory Walton on the ANC listservmakes the case that language “reactivating”construction permits could be detrimental.Under the rules, lapsed permits could bereactivated once, for 180 days, by submitting anapplication and a fee. “Such an ordinance opensup a can of worms, is sure to be gamed, and isbound to produce undesirable results,” Walton writes.“Let’s say for whatever reason, a builder, developer, [or]contractor doesn’t get the variances or zoning changes hewas betting on so his site plan isn’t approved. And a halfyear, a year, or two years later, he reactivates those buildingpermits and claims he’s been working on that project allalong – just ran out of time. He still doesn’t have anapproved site plan or the variances he needs – yet he’s gottacit approval from the City to continuebuilding an illegal project. Or contrarily,codes and ordinances have changedand what may have previously been anapproved site plan is no longer codecompliant. If he’s allowed to re-activate those earlier permits,what do you think the chances are that an alreadyoverworked City review staff is going to check the site planagainst current code?”While the language requires “evidence demonstrating thatsubstantial work” occurred on the project before the permitexpired, it still has put some aficionados on high alert.Morrison says the ordinance, intended to dispel permittingissues, “seems to have opened up all sorts of other arrays ofother potential problems.” So will we see some potential revisions?“That’s something you could put some money on, ifyou’re the betting type.”City Council will convene at 10am Thursday, April 8, at City Hall,301 W. Second.BILINGUAL CENSUS HELP (See Friday.)PUBLIC HEARING: 2035 TRANSPORTATION PLANWeigh in on Central Texas’ transportation futurebefore the Transportation Policy Board makes itsdecision in June. 6pm. Austin Convention Cen ter,500 E. Cesar Chavez, 974-2275. Submit commentsonline by April 13, 5pm. www.campotexas.org.TUESDAY13ELECTION DAY (See Friday.)PARKS ASSISTANT DIREC TOR: MEET FINALISTSHelp Parks and Rec fill two vacant assistant directorpositions. 4:30pm. Carver Museum and CulturalCenter, 1165 Angelina, 974-6745.WEDNESDAY14TEXAS OBSERVER HAPPY HOUR Schmooze withTexas Observer rabble-rousers over drinks, anddon’t worry too much if you accidentally refer to

POINT AUSTIN CONTINUED FROM P.12claiming they have the power to do it; are theyrestrained by Congress; are they restrained byany laws telling them they can’t do certainthings, even if a particular president feels itwould be a very good idea to do something?”Looming over the entire discussion is thequestion: How have we come to this pass?The Terrorism PresidenciesGoldsmith is best known for havingresigned in 2004 from the Bush administration(Office of Legal Counsel in theDepartment of Justice) when he declined toendorse “anti-terrorism” policies unilaterallyinstalled by the administration – most notably,“enhanced interrogation” techniquesthat had long been considered torture.Goldsmith was essentially forced out by VicePresident Dick Cheney and his OLC deputyDavid Addington, but in recent months, he’sbecome a conservative defender of theObama administration against Cheney’sheadline-grabbing “soft on terrorism” campaign.In an article last year in The NewRepublic (“The Cheney Fallacy,” May 18) andelsewhere, Goldsmith has argued not onlythat President Obama is largely continuingthe major anti-terrorism policies – rendition,secret prisons, military commissions, statesecrets, selective assassinations, and so on –of President Bush, he’s doing a better job ofall this than Bush did. The title of Goldsmith’skeynote speech, which echoes his book onthe Bush administration, suggests he will bemaking a similar argument here.That’s unlikely to be comforting to civillibertarians in the audience – “it will infuriatesome people and reassure others,” saidLevinson – and the other speakers will representa range from those who believe a president’sactions should always be restrained bylegal limits to those who suggest (as didAddington, and for that matter Bush andRichard Nixon) that a president essentiallymakes his own law. Although Levinson hasthe reputation of a fire-breathing liberal andhas called Bush the worst president ever, hesays he and Goldsmith are fairly close on thenecessary nature of presidential powers.“There are several of us who believe,” hetold me, “that there are certainly times whenwriter Forrest Wilder as Forest Whitaker – youwon’t be the first. 5:30pm. The Clive Bar,609 Davis St., 477-0746. www.texasobserver.org.THURSDAY15A GEOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE Hear a petroleumgeologist’s take on global warming and more.11:45am. St. David’s Episcopal Church,301 E. Eighth, 610-3500. $10.HERITAGE HILLS/WINDSOR HILLS ZONINGWORKSHOP 6:30-8:45pm. Dobie Middle School,1200 E. Rundberg. www.cityofaustin.org/planning/neighborhood/heritage_hills.htm.INDEPENDENCE AND DECOLONIZATION CON-FERE NCE takes a scholarly look at the history ofthe decolonization process. Thu.-Sat., April 15-17.AT&T Executive Education and Conference Center,1900 University Ave., 471-3261. Free.www.utexas.edu/cola/insts/historicalstudies.laws are made to be broken [by presidentialaction], but it’s very, very important to beable to trust the judgment of presidents whoare doing that, and there are reasons tobelieve that we might not be electing presidents,sufficiently often, in whose judgmentswe really have that much trust.”Firing the DictatorHow that situation might be improvedhas been the subject of Levinson’s recentscholarship – his 2006 book, OurUndemocratic Constitution, argues that weneed to consider dramatic revisions – and hethinks we’re particularly ill-served by fixedtermedpresidencies with incumbents whocan’t be dismissed except for “high crimesand misdemeanors.”“My own view is that there are worsethings than having a crooked president or aperjurious president,” he said. “A presidentwith disastrous judgment is really worse. I’mnot sure that Bush committed an impeachableoffense, but I am absolutely certain thathe had the worst judgment of any presidentin American history. So I wish that we had aprocedure by which he could have beenvoted out of office.”Does Levinson think substantive constitutionalchanges are achievable in the currentpolitical atmosphere – especially sincemany Americans eagerly denounce healthcare reform or property taxes as unconstitutionalbut hardly raise their eyebrows atpreventive war, illegal detention and surveillance,even the summary execution of “suspectedterrorists,” including U.S. citizens?Levinson acknowledges that he sometimesfeels like he’s “not just swimming upstreambut up a waterfall.”“If I knew how to start a social movement,I would be doing it,” he said. “The best I canhope is that people show up and they think,‘Maybe we ought to be thinking and talkingabout these issues,’ and maybe at somepoint, something would take fire.” Jack Goldsmith’s talk is at 6pm Thursday, April 8, atthe LBJ Auditorium. The April 9-10 symposium onexecutive power is at the Jeffers Courtroom, UT LawSchool, open to the public. For more info,see www.lbjlibrary.org.LIBERTEA PARTY Down with the taxes, up with thetea; why stay home when you can rally? 5:45pm.Texas Capitol. Free. www.tagtexas.org.TAX DAY Better dust off that calculator – or get adeadline extension: www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f4868.pdf.O NGOINGCOUNTY RESOURCES Travis County’s new websitehas all kinds of useful info, such as how to renewyour passport and pay your property taxes. (Wesaid “useful,” not “fun.”) www.texascounties4u.org.EARTH DAY COUNTDOWN Join the Texas RegionalSierra Club’s Earth Day Revolution countdownwith daily Twitter and Facebook updates and a newcalendar of green events at www.texas.sierraclub.org.WALK THE SOLAR SYSTEM Bring kids to exploreAustin Green Art’s giant replica of the solar systemin anticipation of Earth Day. Through April 22. TheTriangle, 45th & Guadalupe. www.austingreenart.org.Whole EarthProvision Co.GLASS NITEWED., APRIL 147pmFlying Saucerbeerknurd.com Draught EmporiumDraught EmporiumThe Triangle, 47th at Lamar 454-PINTa u s t i n c h r o n i c l e . c o m APRIL 9, 2010 T H E A U S T I N C H R O N I C L E 15

Naked City› CACTUS: THE PRICKS KEEP COMING Two bleak turns and anew possible bright spot for the future of the Cactus Cafe:On April 2, Friends of the Cactus Cafe representative ReidNelson announced that he would be withdrawing from thestudent and community group meeting with the UT administration.In a letter, he accused UT of acting in bad faith in thenegotiations and said they were already considering third-partymanagement for the venue. <strong>The</strong>n on April 6, in one of hisfinal acts as outgoing Student Government president, LiamO’Rourke announced he would not sign AR 41 – a resolutionbacking keeping the cafe open – even though it had beenpassed unanimously by the SG assembly on March 30.Student Friends of the Cactus Cafe co-founder HayleyGillespie said, “It’s too bad that he was not prepared tostand behind his assembly.” However, in potentially goodnews, the Texas Union announced on April 7 that it’s consideringa new partnership with radio station KUT for the venue.See “Off the Record,” p.53, for more coverage.– Richard Whittaker› WAIT, WHO’S GRADUATING? Gov. Rick Perry andDemocratic challenger Bill White are exchanging figuresover how bad Texas’ high school graduation rates are, allof which are accurate – depending on how you spin themath. On April 6, White issued a press release quoting statisticsshowing that, between 2000 and 2008, only 2.1 millionout of the 3.2 million kids in graduating classesreceived a high school diploma or GED in four years, meaningthat three out of every 10 students don’t finish on time –or at all. Perry, on the other hand, has previously claimed a10% dropout rate. So what are the numbers? According tothe data that Texas used for its 2007-08 report, 79%received a diploma within four years, 1.5% got a GED, and8.9% continued in school for a fifth year. While these numberssupport Perry’s figures, White argues that the state’sequations ignore the reality by measuring the wrong groups –and he says that out of 370,703 kids who entered highschool in the graduating class of 2008 only 269,011(72.5%) graduated or stayed on after four years and only65% received a diploma or GED. If you’re not confusedenough, Commissioner of Education Robert Scott is consideringswitching to a new measuring system, the NationalGovernors Association graduation rate compact.– R.W.› WRONG SIDE OF THE BENCH, STILL Court of CriminalAppeals Presiding Judge Sharon Keller will face the StateCommission on Judicial Conduct this summer, the next step inher continuing battle against a string of ethics charges relatedto her role in blocking death row inmate Michael Richardfrom filing a final appeal in September 2007. As a result,Richard was executed without having his appeal considered.Keller went to trial on the charges last summer, and althoughstate District Judge David Berchelmann, the special masterappointed to hear the case, concluded that Keller’s publichumiliation was punishment enough, both prosecutors andKeller’s defender have filed objections to Berchelmann’s writtenruling. Both sides will have a chance to argue their positionsbefore the commission decides Keller’s fate – she couldbe cleared, reprimanded, or potentially ousted from the bench.<strong>The</strong> hearing is set for 9am Friday, June 18, in Room 140 ofthe Reagan State Office Building adjacent to the Capitol.– Jordan Smithres publicaTHURSDAY08JACK GOLDSMITH discusses counterterrorism policyand kicks off the Executive Power Symposium(see “Point <strong>Austin</strong>,” p.12). Goldsmith: 6pm; LBJAuditorium, 2313 Red River. Symposium: Fri.-Sat.,April 9-10; UT Law School. www.lbjlibrary.org.FRIDAY09BILINGUAL CENSUS HELP 10am-2pm. SouthwestKey Community Ctr., 6002 Jain. Free. www.swkey.org.PRIMARY RUN-OFFS: EARLY VOTING ENDS Timeto tackle that unfinished business from the Marchprimaries. See <strong>Chronicle</strong> endorsements and earlyvoting info, p.6. austinchronicle.com/elections.S A T URDAY10BARTON SPRINGS POOL TREEATHLON Swim, bike,run, eat, drink, dance – and raise money for theupkeep of Barton Springs trees. 10am. 2101 Barton14 T H E A U S T I N C H R O N I C L E APRIL 9, 2010 a u s t i n c h r o n i c l e . c o mNEWSBAM! POW! CRASH!HOLY REACTIVATED PERMIT, BATMAN!Controversies real, invented, and in betweenBY WELLS DUNBAREvery City Council agenda has its own issues. <strong>The</strong> questionis how deeply they’re buried below the surface.<strong>The</strong> surprise about the Thursday, April 8, meeting is thatthey’re in plain sight. For some, they don’t come more culturewarready than Item 27, requiring information disclaimers forcrisis pregnancy centers – pseudo-medical facilities forpregnant women that are long on anti-abortion proselytizingbut short on medical attention. <strong>The</strong> measure, as JordanSmith reports (“Making ‘Pregnancy Centers’ Tell the Truth,”p.16), would require CPCs to post language outsidetheir offices that they don’t “offer or refer for abortionor comprehensive birth control services.”Council has portrayed the measure as a consumerprotection, with sponsor Bill Spel man statingin a press release, “We are simply requiring limitedservice pregnancy centers to disclose whatis factual and true about the services they offer.… This is a consumer awareness measure, thathelps women make safe, healthy, informed, andresponsible decisions.” Whether that heads off heatedpublic debate before council remains to be seen.Sadly, an issue that would seem to have been settled longago in “Gay Place” could conceivably draw additional derision.Item 34 from Spelman, Laura Mor ri son, and Randi Shadewould make the city an annual co-sponsor of <strong>Austin</strong> Prideevents, in the form of waived fees, much as the city does forother public events, including South by Southwest. <strong>The</strong> eventhas been co-sponsored by the city in thepast, but that hasn’t prevented theissue from becoming topic du jour in theerudite realm of talk radio or “TV newsstations deciding it was the news of theday,” says Morrison. “It’s a celebration of diversity in the gayand lesbian community here in <strong>Austin</strong>, and that diversity issomething we embrace.”Pity the poor Mexican free-tailed bat, for even the fuzzylittle bloodsucker has turned into a political prop. Item 28would name him and his 1.5 million buddies nesting underthe Ann W. Richards Congress Avenue Bridge the “officialanimal” of our fair city and in celebration, designate the firstSunday in June of every year as the Night of the Bat. (Thisyear, Adam West, the weird dude from Family Guy, will be inattendance.) When word got out, the Statesman thought ithad caught Mayor Lee Leffingwell in a contradiction, as hehad previously voted against the separate, privately run BatFest taking over the same bridge … all weekend long. <strong>The</strong>FOR MORE DETAILS AND EVENTS, SEE COMMUNIT Y LIST INGS, P.62.Springs Rd. $30, plus triathlon insurance fee. Spacelimited; register at www.friendsofbartonspringspool.org.ENVIRONMENTAL AWARDS DINNER <strong>The</strong> LoneStar Chapter of the Sierra Club honors <strong>Austin</strong>’sgreen heroes. 6:30pm. Chez Zee, 5406 Balcones,477-1729. $40-500. Reserve your seat atwww.tinyurl.com/ygwktn2.KEEP AUSTIN BEAUTIFUL CLEAN SWEEPRegister online for one of the many cleanupsaround town. 9am-1:30pm. 391-0622.www.keepaustinbeautiful.org/cleansweep.SAFEPLACE FIELD DAY helps raise money forthose affected by sexual and domestic violence.11am-4pm. Fiesta Gardens, 2100 Jesse E. Segovia,356-1573. $5 (kids, free). www.safeplacefieldday.org.ST. JOHN/CORONADO HILLS NEIGHBORHOODPLAN MEETING 9am-11am. Pickle ElementarySchool, 1101 Wheatley. www.cityofaustin.org/planning/neighborhood/sj_ch.htm.S UNDAY11cityhallhustle<strong>The</strong>re’s always fresh controversybrewing at www.twitter.com/cityhallhustle.AUSCHWITZ SURVIVOR EDITH EGER speaksafter a screening of <strong>The</strong> Debt in honor of Holo caustRemembrance Day. www.shalomaustin.org/jcrc.JOURNEY OF ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIPTackle environmental problems through the faithlens. Sundays, April 11-May 2, 9:30-10:45am or2-3:15pm. First Baptist Church of <strong>Austin</strong>, 901 Trini ty.Register at 476-2626 or kcappolino@fbcaustin.org.MONDAY12CIUDAD JUÁREZ: CAUGHT IN THE CROSSFIREPanel discussion with special guest José ReyesFerriz, mayor of Juárez. 2:30pm. UT campus, TexasUnion, Rm. 3.502. www.utexas.edu/cola/insts/llilas.HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL honors victims with acandle-lighting ceremony and reading of names.Bring the names of loved ones who died in WorldWar II. 9:30am. City Hall, 301 W. Second, 735-8012.Statesman editors neglected to note the difference until halfwaydown the story, when Leffingwell’s chief of staff MarkNathan pointed out, “<strong>The</strong>re’s a difference between shutting[the bridge] down three hours on a Sunday evening for a freeevent versus the whole weekend for an event that chargesadmission.” Chalk it up to wingspan envy from the Batcave.A more organic controversy seems to be bubbling uparound Item 54, part of a series of adjustments to buildingand development codes up for public hearing and possibleadoption. <strong>The</strong> tweaks to “permit application and expirationrequirements” sound arcane enough, but a widelycirculated posting from <strong>Austin</strong> NeighborhoodCouncil President Cory Walton on the ANC listservmakes the case that language “reactivating”construction permits could be detrimental.Under the rules, lapsed permits could bereactivated once, for 180 days, by submitting anapplication and a fee. “Such an ordinance opensup a can of worms, is sure to be gamed, and isbound to produce undesirable results,” Walton writes.“Let’s say for whatever reason, a builder, developer, [or]contractor doesn’t get the variances or zoning changes hewas betting on so his site plan isn’t approved. And a halfyear, a year, or two years later, he reactivates those buildingpermits and claims he’s been working on that project allalong – just ran out of time. He still doesn’t have anapproved site plan or the variances he needs – yet he’s gottacit approval from the City to continuebuilding an illegal project. Or contrarily,codes and ordinances have changedand what may have previously been anapproved site plan is no longer codecompliant. If he’s allowed to re-activate those earlier permits,what do you think the chances are that an alreadyoverworked City review staff is going to check the site planagainst current code?”While the language requires “evidence demonstrating thatsubstantial work” occurred on the project before the permitexpired, it still has put some aficionados on high alert.Morrison says the ordinance, intended to dispel permittingissues, “seems to have opened up all sorts of other arrays ofother potential problems.” So will we see some potential revisions?“That’s something you could put some money on, ifyou’re the betting type.”City Council will convene at 10am Thursday, April 8, at City Hall,301 W. Second.BILINGUAL CENSUS HELP (See Friday.)PUBLIC HEARING: 2035 TRANSPORTATION PLANWeigh in on Central Texas’ transportation futurebefore the Transportation Policy Board makes itsdecision in June. 6pm. <strong>Austin</strong> Convention Cen ter,500 E. Cesar Chavez, 974-2275. Submit commentsonline by April 13, 5pm. www.campotexas.org.TUESDAY13ELECTION DAY (See Friday.)PARKS ASSISTANT DIREC TOR: MEET FINALISTSHelp Parks and Rec fill two vacant assistant directorpositions. 4:30pm. Carver Museum and CulturalCenter, 1165 Angelina, 974-6745.WEDNESDAY14TEXAS OBSERVER HAPPY HOUR Schmooze withTexas Observer rabble-rousers over drinks, anddon’t worry too much if you accidentally refer to

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