Mueller - October 2021 by Peel, Inc.

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Nominees Sought for MNA Steering Committee

The Mueller Neighborhood Association is governed by a Steering Committee whose members are elected by the general membership in annual elections. New members will be elected in November 2021, and residents are invited to stand for election. The Steering Committee is the principal governing and policyrecommending body of the association. It consists of no more than 13 and no fewer than 9 members. The committee coordinates the activities of various subcommittees and meets monthly and hosts a general meeting once a month. Chair Marta White says the committee is ”… seeking neighbors interested in supporting the Mueller community by running for the Steering Committee. Please contact me to learn more at nanamkw1117@gmail.com.

How to set up an ofrenda

Dining with the Dead - A Day of the Dead Cookbook By Marta White

In 2016, Mariana and Ian McEnroe embarked on a singular idea: create a cookbook that celebrates the food of Día de Muertos (The Day of the Dead) along with its history, traditional Mexican cuisine, and its relationship to the culture of Mexico. The fascinating evolution of Día de Muertos into the cultural folk tradition of today has deep roots in Mexico's past. During the celebration, which starts on October 31 and spans November 1 and 2, people honor their dearly departed. Once a year on these nights, the souls, or “animas” of our beloved departed ones—those who, as we say in Mexico, are “ahead of us”—return to commune with the living relatives and to enjoy the pleasures that made them happy in life: food, drinks, music, laughter, stories, and the warm company of family and friends. The living gather in cemeteries, churches, and at home to prepare welcoming feasts and celebrations to make the souls’ long journeys worthwhile. Starting with just a great idea and a dream, it took Mariana and Ian five years to create the cookbook, Dining with the Dead. Their endeavor began with a trip to Pátzcuaro in Michoacán, México, where they photographed and documented the local traditions and cuisine before and during the Day of the Dead. After four years of traveling to Mexico, creating recipes and designing the cookbook, it was finally finished. Copyright © 2021 Peel, Inc.

Step by step cookbook The book was at the printer when the COVID-19 pandemic hit and everything was stopped in its tracks. But even a pandemic could not deter them from their mission. After a successful Kickstarter campaign, they were able to get the cookbook printed. The cookbook is not only the story of their experiences with the holiday and cooking with family, but also the story of their journey to Mexico to experience Día de Muertos up close and personal. And it’s the story of the delectable, scratch, made-with-love food that warms our souls on special occasions and all year long. In addition to 120 recipes including tamales, moles, delicious beverages, and baked goods like Pan de Muerto, you will learn how to make an altar and what to put on it, how to cut paper to make your own flowers and papel picado (the decorative tissue paper), and how to decorate sugar skulls. Continued on Page 3 Front Porch Flyer - October 2021

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Mariana and Ian also share their passion for cooking in their blog, Yes, More Please (www. Yes-MorePlease.com) where they share recipes and more cooking experiences. In Addition they also do freelance design and photography work.

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Kathy Sokolic EDITORIAL STAFF Amy Adams, Cynthia Cammack, Andrew Clements, Shawn Collins, Drew Harris, Ted Herr, Bart Jacob, Judith Katzman, David Lafreniere, Woody Lauland, Mary Ann Lopez, Mollie Marchione, Dennis Mick, Susan Palombo, Sadia Tirmizi, Lila Valencia

Dining with the Dead Cookbook

Pozole Verde Guerrerense

Steering Committee Members: Damaris Nicholson, Secretary Dale Cannedy Ed Dorn Jason Sears John Reese Thomas, Treasurer John Wooding, Ex-Officio Koreena Malone Marta White, Chair Pat DiSanza, Vice Chair Sarah Roper-Coleman Ted Herr contact@muellerneighborhood.org muellerneighborhood.org

Mariana and Ian McEnroe

“This cookbook has been cooking slowly and developing its flavors one recipe at a time. A labor of love, dedication, persistence, and it has absorbed almost all our time (and souls). We want to invite you to experience the rich culture and history at the source of the holiday. Our book is about food, mainly, but it’s also about honoring and respecting our departed loved ones, while forging new relationships and traditions in the process. The Day of the Dead is a very personal holiday. We cook for ourselves but also for the spirits, and we make them the foods that they loved here on Earth.” - Mariana & Ian

How can I get plugged into the Mueller Community? By Susan Grant Palombo

So maybe you are new to Mueller (like my husband and I are) and are looking to put that Austin state of mind to work, which is about neighbors helping neighbors. Here are five ways to get plugged into the larger community with a focus on Mueller and our nearby East Austin neighborhoods, learn about the city’s key issues, and meet amazing new people. 1.) Enroll in one of Leadership Austin's programs to learn about the community, meet other community leaders, and develop your leadership skills. I am an alumnae of Leadership Minneapolis from when I lived there, so I was able to join the alumni group at Leadership Austin. So, if you did a similar Leadership program in another city, check out doing it here too or participating in Experience Austin or the Engage series. • •

Their Essential Program for experienced leaders begins with a September retreat and continues for nine one day per month sessions during the school year. There is an application process and a fee of $3500. Some financial assistance may be available. The Emerge Program for emerging leaders begins with a September retreat and continues for seven one day per month sessions during the school year. Continued on Page 4

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There is an application process and a fee of $1,000. Some financial assistance may be available. The Engage Program provides thought-provoking conversations about the health and well-being of the community. The discussions are held monthly from September-June. In non-pandemic life, there are live breakfast discussions; right now access is free via Facebook Live, taped video, or in podcast format. The Experience Austin Program provide participants with an understanding of the issues and systems that impact our quality of life. This program begins with a full day program followed by four evening events. The fee is $525 and is open to the public. The Courageous Conversations Beyond Diversity Seminar, conducted by Pacific Education Group, is a way, whether you are liberal or conservative, to think about living and working in this progressive city. This program aligns with the Mayor’s task force on Institutional Racism and Systemic Inequities. The seminar goal is to have business and community leaders from across our region have a common learning experience and shared language as we continue to wrestle with diminishing the impact of institutional racism and systemic inequities across our community. These sessions are held often, are 1.5 days long, and cost $375.

2.) Join Impact Austin, an Austin-based women’s collective giving organization, funding Central Texas nonprofits that provide services in Bastrop, Hays, Travis, and Williamson counties. The membership and leadership proudly reflect the many faces, cultures, and walks of life that make up our society. Members contribute $1,250 each year, $1,000 of which is pooled with other members and granted out for programs and capacity building for organizations in the four county area. The remaining $250 stays with Impact Austin to fund member educational programming (live and virtual) and organizational operations. As a volunteer-powered organization, there are many one time, periodic, seasonal or regular roles that enable community engagement. New members often serve on grant review committees to quickly get up to speed on community issues and learn what organizational solutions are seeking funding. Impact Austin, founded in 2003, has awarded $7.44 million in 94 high-impact grants to 69 Central Texas nonprofits and their clients. Over the years, Impact Austin has funded several non-profits in and 4

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around Mueller including SAFE, Jeremiah Program, Measure Austin, Lifeworks, Bookspring, Austin Child Guidance Center and Family Eldercare among others. 3.) Invest in the Austin Community Foundation’s Women’s Fund. Founded in 2004, this fund has awarded $2 million to 60 Austin non-profits through a giving network that focuses on improving the lives of women and their children. Investors can contribute varying amounts with tiered benefits and privileges. A few of the neighborhood organizations they have funded include SAFE, RISE School, Jeremiah Program, and People’s Clinic. They produce periodic whitepaper reports on the issues in the community. austincf.org/community-impact/womens-fund/ 4.) Locate two good online connection resources with Austin’s Charities: •

Connect with Austin’s charities can be found at CultureMap Austin. There is a current charity events calendar, listings of charities by category, and links to these non-profits. There is also a lot of other information on this site.

When we get out of the pandemic and there are many more live events, Do512 is a great place to get lists of great things to do in ATX. Included on their lists are non-profit galas, educational and issues-focused forums and seminars on community issues, and more. 5.) Follow I Live Here. I Give Here. This organization has great local non-profit information, events and programs, and may be best known for their Amplify Austin Campaign which raised $12.3 million for 760 Central Texas non-profits in 2020. Their Austin Involved Board Internship Program is another good place to start. Produced in partnership with Austin Community College Center for Nonprofit Studies, Austin Young Chamber, Impact Austin, Mission Capital, and the New Philanthropists, this program creates civic leaders who are immediately prepared to serve our community by connecting local professionals with Austin area nonprofits in of well-prepared board members. Many of these nonprofits are located in East Austin. So, enjoy your connections into terrific organizations with a focus on East Austin and the amazing people who work and volunteer with them. Engaging with these organizations will bring you up to speed on current issues in ATX and you will make lots of terrific new friends in the process. And if I can help you get connected into our fabulous community, please reach out to fpf@muellerneighborhood. org. Copyright © 2021 Peel, Inc.

FRONT PORCH FLYER Flying in the Time of COVID-19

Zero Waste Quarterly Questions

I fly pretty much every week. Back in March 2020 I flew in the first week of the month, and then not again until April 26, 2020. That was the longest stretch I can remember where I didn’t fly. When I finally returned to the airport several weeks later in the new, COVID-19 world, it An Empty ABIA by Shawn Collins was spooky, empty, and largely closed. Leading up to the flight I pulled together a bunch of items to take precautions… masks, gloves, wipes, hand sanitizer. I didn’t check luggage and just had a backpack as a carry-on and I kept that in a transparent plastic bag for the whole trip. The TSA guy furrowed his brow when he saw my backpack in a clear bag. I don’t know if it made much of a difference, and I didn’t see anybody else doing it. But I wanted to take any preventative measure I could, and I figured some barrier around my belongings was better than nothing. The stores and restaurants in the airports were closed and blocked off. People at the few active gates were wearing a variety of masks. Most of them, at least. But some things hadn’t changed and brought me a sort of familiar aggravation. There were people in later boarding groups crowding around the gate to create a human wall. And after we landed, passengers rushed to the front with no attempt at social distancing. This was before airlines put COVID-19 safety and security measures into place. On that first flight back there were even airline staff flying without masks on. During the early days of COVID-19, there were some positives about flying. ABIA slashed the rates for parking in the garages, and with the number of people flying had dropped so much that my status mostly got me free upgrades to First Class on my flights. Prior to all of this I was a member of CLEAR and TSA Pre, so the security process was expedited for me. This was nice to avoid close contact with others at the airports. I started scanning my eyes, rather than my finger prints with CLEAR to avoid touching surfaces. I already had been checking in from home and using mobile boarding passes, so nothing changed with that. Typically, I would go through security and then head to a lounge to get some work done. For quite a while, most of the lounges were closed, so I didn’t have that option to separate me from crowds. They have largely re-opened now, so that makes things more comfortable. The lines for baggage check and security are typically pretty long, so if you’re flying soon I’d recommend getting there extra early if you don’t have CLEAR and/or TSA Pre. And bring a comfortable mask (and a backup) since you’ll be wearing it a good while. It felt strange to me at first to be wearing a mask for an extended period of time, but now it’s just normal to me. For the latest ABIA COVID-19 guidelines, see austintexas.gov/ page/aus-covid-19-information

Hi everyone, your zero waste block leader here. I’m sharing the roundup of zero waste questions I’ve received over the last several months. Is anyone taking styrofoam to the Recycle & Reuse Drop-off Center? We haven't reactivated the Mueller Recycling Group so if you have foam and want to see if anyone is going, you can post in Mueller Neighbors Facebook group and ask if anyone has an appointment and has room for your items. Appointments are still required right now to drop-off items at the Recycle & Reuse Drop-off Center (RRDC). You can pick the day and time in the Austin Recycles app or online at austintexas.gov/dropoff. It's quick and easy. A list of all items accepted is at bit.ly/ItemsAcceptedRRDC. Where can I recycle batteries? - Austin Public Library locations near the circulation desk. Look for a black or gray five gallon bucket. - By appointment at the Recycle & Reuse Drop-off Center at the Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) station under Library Battery Bucket by Taylor the covered drive thru. Youngblood - Rechargeable batteries can be dropped off at Home Depot near the exit. Can Tetra Paks be recycled in Austin? No. Cartons also cannot be recycled in Austin. Tetra Paks and cartons are composite materials, a mix of plastic and paper and sometimes also metal, that while being cheaper and easier to ship, are extremely difficult to take apart to recycle so there is no option in Austin, or much of the US, to recycle or reuse these containers. Look for dairy or nondairy milk and creamers, egg replacement, Tetra Pak - Cartons by Taylor Youngblood and coconut water etc. in plastic or glass bottles which can be recycled in your blue curbside carts.

By Shawn Collins

By Taylor Youngblood, Mueller Zero Waste Block Leader

Plastic Bags and Styrofoam recycled at RRDC by Taylor Youngblood

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Can I recycle big plastic bins or chairs, and where do I recycle broken pans and other metal? Large plastic items may be put in or next to your recycling cart. Non-food container metals may be taken to the Recycle & Reuse Drop-off Center to the Scrap Metal station. You may also drop off your large plastic items at the Hard Plastic station at the RRDC. Check What Do I Do With? in the Austin Recycles app or online at austintexas.gov/department/what-do-i-do-0 for how to process an item and updates.

Austin Recycles Screenshot by Taylor Youngblood

The Front Porch Flyer is a publication of the Mueller Neighborhood Association, produced and distributed by Peel, Inc. At no time will anyone be allowed to use the Front Porch Flyer content, or loan said content, to others in any way, shape, or form, nor in any media, web site, print, film, email, electronic copy, fax, or other means, for the purpose of solicitation, commercial use, or any other use for profit, political campaigns, or other self-amplification, under penalty of law, without written or expressed permission from the Mueller Neighborhood Association. DISCLAIMER: Articles and ads in this newsletter express the opinions of their authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Peel, Inc. or its employees. Peel, Inc. is not responsible for the accuracy of any facts stated in articles submitted by others. The publisher also assumes no responsibility for the advertising content with this publication. All warranties and representations made in the advertising content are solely that of the advertiser and any such claims regarding its content should be taken up with the advertiser. * The publisher assumes no liability with regard to its advertisers for misprints or failure to place advertising in this publication except for the actual cost of such advertising. * Although every effort is taken to avoid mistakes and/or misprints, the publisher assumes no responsibility for any errors of information or typographical mistakes, except as limited to the cost of advertising as stated above or in the case of misinformation, a printed retraction/correction. * Under no circumstances shall the publisher be held liable for incidental or consequential damages, inconvenience, loss of business or services, or any other liabilities from failure to publish, or from failure to publish in a timely manner, except as limited to liabilities stated above. 6

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Front Porch Flyer - October 2021