TODO Austin June 2010

Juneteenth Events Celebrate Freedom with Tradition and Style page 6

PICA 05476, Austin History Center, Austin Public Library

K-Dub is holding it down.

Volume II, 02

Esther Reyes, coordinator of Austin Immigrants Rights Coalition

Austin Answers AZ SB 1070: Community Response to Race-Based Law

June 2010

by Mindy Heredia

contact@todoaustinonline.com

512.538.4115 www.facebook.com/todo.austin

www.twitter.com/todo_austin

contributors Alexandra M. Landeros is a writer, filmmaker, musician, decoupager, sketch artist, epicurean and pirate. Follow her alter ego on page 13 and at http:// undercovermexgirl. blogspot.com/ Priya Vijayaraghavan Priya Vijayaraghavan joins TODO as a new contributor this month, imparting wisdom about the age-old tradition of meditation on page 7.

Maverick Shaw Maverick Shaw is an all-American artist who “takes inspiration from the frustrations of youth, romance, dreamscape, and desire.”

Katie Walsh Senior Editor Katie Walsh is dedicated to social justice. She explores alleged abuse of taxpayer dollars with the story of one City loan gone wrong on page 5.

Joseph Banks Joseph Banks is a local actor and writer. Get the scoop on his latest production, Austin Shakespeare’s “The Dream” on page 12.

The Republic of Texas Biker Rally will celebrate its sixteenth year in Austin at the Travis County Expo Center. Listen to the howl of the chrome; experience some of the best in live music, special guests, vendors and more. See all things motorcycle June 10 through 13. For times and fees, visit www.rotrally.com.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Commemorating the end of slavery, Juneteenth celebrations kick off at 10 a.m. June 19 on Comal Street and MLK Blvd. Promote healthy living at the 2K Freedom Run/Walk, see the floats at the Historical Parade and end the night at the Juneteenth After Party. For registration forms and event times visit www.juneteenthcentraltexas. com. For more information about Juneteenth in Austin, check out the full article on page 6 of the Community section.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Puerto Rico Folkloric Dance will celebrate 2010 with their biggest performance of the year. Take a journey through Puerto Rico with beautiful sounds and dance traditions as they embrace their rich culture June 26 and 27 at the Theater at Reagan High School. (7104 Berkman Dr.) $12 advance/$15 door, $5 (12 & under) 2 & under free. Info 512.251.8122.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Celebrating love in all forms and colors, Austin Pride 2010 offers gay Austinites and their friends, families, advocates and allies a chance to honor their sexuality. Featuring several events leading up to Austin Pride Weekend, highlights include the Austin Gay Pride Parade and the Austin Pride 5K Run. Festivities begin June 3 and end June 6. For more information about times, registration and fees, visit www.austinpride2010.org.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Enjoy superior Indian film as Akins High School (10701 South 1st St) plays host to Sandalwood 75—celebrating 75 years of Kannada Cinema, June 5 at 5:30 pm. This dance, music and drama-filled performance includes some of the best artists in Austin’s Kannada community as well as two guest performers. Admission: $10.

Info 512.301.2814.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------H.E.B presents the 8th annual Keep Austin Weird Fest and 5K on Saturday June 26 at the South First Street Bridge. Live music entertainment starts at 2 p.m. and will continue until 10 p.m.

Check out local vendors and break out your running shoes for the 5K. Costumes encouraged.

See more at www.keepaustinweird5k.com.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Anything goes at the The New Movement’s Block Party hosted by Samantha Pitchel and James Patrick Robinson. If you’ve got what it takes to perform standup, music, monologues, poems, sketches or whatever, show up Thursday June 3 at 9 p.m. to sign up for a time slot at 1819 Rosewood Ave. Admission $2. newmovementtheater.com/bp/.

Yoga made ESY for You. 1050 East 11th St. #150 ~ 512.779.8543 www.eastsideyoga-austin.com

TODO Austin

Volume Ii, Number 02

Williamson County Healthcare Cuts Impact Immigrants

By Mindy Heredia

Growing healthcare issues have been the topic of discussion in Williamson County, where commissioners recently decided to discontinue paying healthcare costs for people without valid Social Security cards. Unfortunately, this will be problematic for those who rely on Williamson County’s subsidized, taxpayerfunded insurance program. Over 300 indigent, low income individuals living in Williamson County do not possess valid Social Security cards. The new changes will essentially close off all illegal immigrants from being a part of the program, which is exactly what Commissioner Cynthia Long intends it to do. “We are trying to ensure that the legal residents of our county are the ones taken care of through this program,” she said. Long reassured residents that although primary care such as regular doctor’s visits may be harder to come by, people without valid Social Security cards would still be cared for at an emergency room.

Sadly, this may not be enough—many residents who rely on ongoing care could be in jeopardy.

While this final verdict was hard to come by, County Judge Dan A. Gattis guarantees the decision was not one based on race; the county simply does not have enough money in their budget to cover all of the indigent healthcare costs. Supporters of the decision

feel legal residents should come first. In an interview with the Austin American-Statesman, Steve Mason, a constituent of the Immigration Reform Coalition of Texas, argued that he feels “people in this country illegally shouldn’t get any services.” Travis County’s health officials hold very different views on the issue, however, and are happy with their current policy. Travis County Healthcare District’s spokesperson Christie Garbe feels that extending healthcare to as many individuals as possible is vital to the community’s infrastructure. In Travis County, providing proof of being a resident in the county is the only requirement. Showing at least a utility bill will be sufficient enough to obtain consideration for the insurance program. Although many taxpayers feel it is unfair for their money to provide care for those not born in this country, the truth of the matter is that most illegal immigrants do, in fact, pay taxes. A member of American Immigration Lawyers, T. Douglas Stump, explains that, “statistically, the vast majority of immigrants are paying taxes and Social Security is taken from their paychecks. The real tragedy is a large share of the undocumented who would be denied these benefits are schoolchildren.”

East Riverside Pegged for Rehabilitation

only the neighborhoods surrounding East Riverside Drive; they must also seek input from citizens all over Austin.

By Mindy Heredia

New U.S. Citizens Span the Globe

In late May the City held a public meeting regarding the East Riverside Corridor Master Plan which will essentially give East Riverside a more urban feel. City planners hoped for a large outcome during the meeting, yet attendance peaked at merely 40. East Riverside is prime real estate in its proximity to downtown, and with the greater part of the area consisting of crumbling strip malls, it certainly has the potential for redevelopment. The new plan expects to provide a fresh look to East Riverside by revitalizing the community with new offices and retail and extending light rail to the area. Some neighboring locals are fearful this will inevitably push low income residents out, as the City’s investments will raise property values.

Local resident Ron Thrower said, “this East Riverside Corridor Plan is about Austin, not just about East Riverside Drive.” Many feel the City needs to extend their ears to not

From the Plaza -----------------------------------------------The Community Speaks Out Activists and local members of several individual rights organizations met Wednesday May 19 to discuss their discontent with the Austin Police Department (APD).

Community members spoke out against the way the department handled the case of 18-year-old Nathaniel Sanders after he was gunned down by a former officer last May. Some key organizations included the Austin Center for Peace and Justice and the New Black Panthers Party. Community members feel there is a growing distrust with APD and City officials, and would like Austin Police Chief Art Acevedo to be replaced.

The members presented their demands to the Austin City Council at the end of May. -----------------------------------------------New Social Studies Curriculum Stirs Uproar After a grueling debate over the newly-adopted conservative revisions to Texas social studies curriculum, The State Board of Education came to a decision May 21. With a 10-5 vote win, the conservatives prevailed, instating a curriculum that emphasizes the merits of American capitalism and the country’s Christian roots, among other changes.

Critics feel the textbooks fail to include several important aspects of our nation’s history, including many historic Hispanic and African American achievements. Despite Hispanic board members’ attempts to include more Hispanic figures in the curriculum, their efforts were overpowered. Several board members agree that the material does not truthfully reflect our country or state history.

-----------------------------------------------Dora the Explorer vs. Senate Bill 1070 A storm of debate has ensued concerning a doctored photo of Nickelodeon’s Dora the Explorer that grew in popularity just after the passage of Arizona’s Senate Bill 1070. Created by Debbie Groben of Sarasota, FL for a fake news contest on FreakingNews.com, the photo has since been widely spread by email and text message, and has also appeared on signs at immigration reform rallies. In it, a badly beaten Dora poses for a mug shot; her charge: “Illegal Border Crossing; Resisting Arrest.” Sociological experts feel the photo reveals many Americans’ sentiments toward illegal immigrants in the United States.

Although the photo seems harmless, critics argue it is tasteless and fear this is a depiction of where the immigration debate may be headed in the near future.

04 TODO Austin // june 2010 // TOdoaustinonline.com

Art Director - Dave McClinton www.dmdesigninc.com Executive Editor - Erica Stall Wiggins H Senior Editor - Katie Walsh Associate Editors: Brandon Ramiro Badillo, Mindy Heredia, Alexandra M. Landeros, Blake Shanley Contributing Writers/Artists: Joseph Banks, Stefanie Behe, Deborah Alys Carter, Jennie Chen, Isabel Corona, Brandi Cowley, Kathleen Fitzgerald, Mia Garcia, Anoop Iyer, Pranaya Kondekar, Harish Kotecha, Callie Langford, Julia Lee, Brooke Maudlin, Tom Palaima, Mary Parsamyan, Marion Sanchez, Mohan Sridharan, Kristina Vallejo, Kuetzpalin Vasquez, Priya Vijayaraghavan, Julia Walsh, Aimee Wenske, Yvonne Lim Wilson, Matt Ziehr Photographers: Heather Banks, Mark Guerra, JoJo Marion, Maverick Shaw Advertising: Kathleen Ginest, 512.284.5492; or sales@todoaustinonline.com TODO Austin is published by Spark Awakened Publishing. © 2010 Spark Awakened Publishing. All rights reserved.

Unsolicited submissions (including, but not limited to articles, artwork, photographs) are not returned.

Visit us at

TODOAustinOnline.com Join us at TODO Austin Multicultural Media for All of Austin TODO Austin is a free, colorful print and online journal for all of Austin highlighting our multicultural heritage. Our mission is to promote the concept of community in an ethnically diverse city.

TODO Austin’s content closely mirrors the changing demographics of Austin.

By Mindy Heredia

The LBJ Library and Museum played host to immigrants from over 64 countries May 25 as they were sworn in by District Judge Lee Yeakel as U.S. citizens. During the naturalization ceremony in late May, several individuals from Mexico, Canada, Pakistan, India and even China stood proud while they celebrated their new citizenship in this country. “I’m very proud, I’ve served my country well and I still believe in all the core values of every American. I’m proud to be here today,” Kareem Bennet said at the ceremony.

A native of Belize, Bennett has lived in the U.S. for several years and was among the many immigrants that served in the US military. A former Fort Hood soldier, Bennet is a veteran of Desert Storm and Desert Shield.

Publisher/Editor - Gavin Lance Garcia contact@todoaustinonline.com

-----------------------------------------------Crime Rates Increase on East Riverside Drive The Austin Police Department has noticed an exceptional increase in the amount of crime in the East Riverside area as summer draws near. “People are out later, the weather is nice, school’s out,” Lieutenant Paul Christ explained. Unfortunately, the most targeted and vulnerable victims are immigrants. Several robberies and murders have taken place while the perpetrators run free simply because the victim fears any contact with a police officer will reveal their illegal status. APD plans to work alongside the Austin Fire Department to monitor bars and clubs during the busy weekends in an attempt to prevent criminal behavior.

TODO Austin is circulated throughout Austin at 300 locations, spanning the city from the West Side’s Pennybacker Bridge on Loop 360 to the Montopolis Bridge in East Austin.

TODO Austin provides a platform that profiles Hispanic, Anglo, Asian, African American and other individuals, groups and organizations that are representing a positive vision in the community.

WRITE TO US with stories, submissions, etc.: Contact@todoaustinonline.com Editorial – 512.538.4115

Let’s Talk About It

Phantom Funds: Austinite Fights for City Accountability to Taxpayers By Katie Walsh Allissa Chambers applied for a home rehabilitation loan from the City of Austin in 1994 to improve the conditions of her ‘40s-built home and surrounding community on East 17th Street. But, as Chambers claims, the City contractor abandoned the job within the first few months, leaving an electrical fire hazard and extreme levels of lead contamination behind.

Forced to pay down a loan that appears to have never been released, Chambers and her family have spent the past 14 years seeking justice for the legal and human rights infractions they’ve suffered—and advocating for other citizens who have endured similar City loan experiences, in Austin and beyond.

Part of the City’s East Austin Revitalization efforts include low- and zero-interest Home Rehabilitation Loans, which are funded by citizen tax dollars by way of federal U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) grants.

But as Chambers’ story suggests, a complex network of political interests appear to result in the repeated misuse of these taxpayer funds. She stated substandard repair jobs by one City contractor has placed a number of East Austinites in dangerous, sometimes life-threatening living conditions—yet this very contractor continues to win bids upwards of several hundred thousand dollars.

After the initial contractor abandoned Chambers’ rehabilitation job in February of 1996, the halfway-

into a bucket of primer and began painting the wall.

With the windows left ajar, the family was welcomed home by animal urine in their air vents, used condoms and needles in their bedrooms and a mortgage payment right around the corner. Despite the dire conditions, they had nowhere else to go. They spent the following weeks cleaning up construction debris and a littered interior, unaware of the danger lurking at their fingertips.

Although the contractor’s electrical rewiring had passed City inspection, Electrical Expert Janet Hughes reported that the home was not up to code, and that bare wires were left touching wooden beams. “It was obvious that your house was never completely rewired. I consider what I saw to be a fire hazard,” Hughes concluded.

It wasn’t long after they moved back in that Chambers’ son began to experience extreme health effects and was diagnosed with neurological damage, exhibiting several symptoms characteristic of lead poisoning.

Texas Lead Inspection reports show that the integrity of the home’s lead-based paint had been destroyed with a machine sander (the use of which is prohibited by HUD), contaminating the yard soil and interior with extreme levels of lead dust. Some areas of Chambers’ yard registered as high as 11,900 lead parts per million (compared to EPA Hazard Standards of no more than 400 ppm in a child’s play area). The

case had simply lingered on the docket too long.

To this day, there remains no evidence that the rehabilitation was ever officially completed, yet the City continues to claim that it was. Rebecca Giello, Policy and Planning Manager in the Department of Neighborhood Housing and Community Development (NHCD), stated for this article that “Ms. Chambers’ allegations with regard to her home rehabilitation, completed in 1999, resulted in a settlement agreement several years later.”

Curiously, the roughly $7500 settlement Giello and City Audit Investigator Anthony Thomas reference appears to be for the reimbursement of a June 1996 payment to the contractor, for an invoice that had previously been withdrawn and invalidated.

The payment was authorized by Construction Specialist David Montoya, who had been pulled off of Chambers’ project three months prior. Chambers claims that Construction Manager Candelario Moreno admitted that Montoya was asked to sign off on work that was never completed. Additionally, repeated payment requests on this same invoice for up to a year later suggest the payment was never validated or processed.

Despite a court injunction freezing any funds from leaving the Austin Housing Finance Corporation (AFHC) escrow account, Chambers received a Loan Status Statement in 2000, as if funds were indeed released. By January of 2001, statements reflected a zero loan balance. The City produced loan servicing documents from two different agencies, although exact amounts and dates differ from one record to the next. The forced repayment of an unreleased loan and existence of these quasi-supporting documents raises many questions for Chambers.

“Why would there be a discrepancy on dates and dollar amounts if this is the same loan?” she posits.

June 2006, a month after the litigation concluded, the same contractor was awarded a new $450,000 roofing contract. This April, they were included in a nearly $5 million, multi-contractor weatherization project.

Today, Chambers heads up Austinites Lobbying for Municipal Accountability (ALMA), a local organization aimed at demanding responsible oversight for the “abuse of power by public officials.” While she mourns the loss of the most formative years of her family’s life, her sights are set on the plight of unknown numbers of citizens who endure the same misfortunes, without the education or financial resources to defend themselves.

ALMA works with the Travis County Green Party and the Gray Panthers, a social justice advocacy group, to raise awareness around municipal accountability.

While all three parties have sent several certified letters to City Manager Marc Ott, Mayor Lee Leffingwell, the U.S. Attorney and Congressman Lloyd Dogget providing detailed documentation of apparent violations of federal statues, including forgery and fraud, they have yet to receive a substantial response.

Clint Smith of the Gray Panthers feels this is the most troubling aspect of Chambers’ case.

“They won’t answer our questions, which in and of itself is a violation of Title 18 of United States code.

It’s mandatory that public officials provide some response—all we’ve run into are instances of failure and refusal,” Smith said.

To date, the only official City response to the questions ALMA and their advocates have raised came in a 2009 memo from City Auditor Jason Hadavi, which states that ”the vast majority of the documentation requested was no longer available due to record retention policies.” Considering that litigation did not conclude until 2006, the destruction

Chambers signature (above) versus official municipal document (below)

Chambers’ home after the City’s alleged rehabilitation

under-construction property sat exposed and decaying for nine months as Chambers fought incessantly to obtain a new contractor.

A council member and City staff refused to oblige unless Chambers dissolved the original contract, surrendering her rights and releasing the contractor from liability. She declined, and later claimed that a council member co-owned the company supplying liability insurance to the contractor, a conflict of interest since covered extensively by local media.

While they failed to produce a Certificate of Completion to officiate the job’s execution, the City enforced a lien on the unfinished home, threatening to foreclose if Chambers didn’t restore residency.

What originally seemed to be a reasonable repayment plan—maintaining residency for five years in return for gradual forgiveness—became a sacrifice of safety and quality of life for Chambers and her three-year-old son.

Chambers recalls the first words out of her son’s mouth when they returned to find their house in worse condition than they’d left it: “house broken.”

She watched, heartbroken, as he dipped a paintbrush

City dump would not accept the soil, classifying it as hazardous waste.

Chambers’ attorney submitted a letter to the City asking that, with professional data to prove the home’s safety threats, the lien be removed. They failed to respond to the request, and in fact upheld the lien for a year-and-a-half longer than the contractual term of five years.

“We clearly informed them and they neglected to do anything about it, forcing us to live in a toxic environment for longer than we were legally bound,” Chambers laments. “They knowingly and deliberately put my young son and entire family in harm’s way.”

After years of being “browbeaten and stonewalled,” Chambers filed suit, and in 2000 Judge Hume Cofer ruled that the contractor had breached the contract. The City refused Chambers’ $25,000 settlement offer and over the next several years Council authorized $177,000 of taxpayer monies to fight her in court. Repeated rescheduling, delays and dead-end mediation starved out her case, until Judge Gisela Triana eventually dismissed it in 2006, reasoning that the

“Why do these even exist if no money ever went to the house? It looks to me as if they made it appear that federal funds were applied to my home, when a court injunction ensured nothing ever left the bank.

Where did those funds go?” She also has questions about the apparent forgery of her signature on more than one official municipal document related to the loan (see image).

AHFC Contractor Guidelines stipulate that any contractor in violation of their contract or with consistent poor ratings/failure to complete projects on time will be suspended and/or disbarred.

Contrary to these guidelines and despite a welldocumented history of hazardous work, the City and Travis County continue to award the contractor in question new contracts.

The home of Joan Sutton and Janeice Henderson burned to the ground in 1997 due to an electrical fire, leaving the two sisters and their 82-year-old grandmother homeless and yet still responsible for repayment. More recently, Travis County sued the contractor in question after a shoddy roofing job resulted in the flooding of 89-year-old Ophelia Milicia’s home, displacing her for 14 months. Yet in

of documentation related to the case raises further legal questions for Chambers.

Both Stout and Smith referenced similar cases of federal housing fund misuse in Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, Newark, Detroit and Washington DC, some of which resulted in FBI investigations and/or indictments. They reiterated the fact that Chambers’ experience is not an isolated “horror story,” as cases like hers are often portrayed in the media.

“When a single family suffers, it affects everyone,” Stout said. “People want their government to be effective and accountable, and unfortunately that’s just not happening.”

Accountability, according to Smith, is the bottom line. “Who is accountable for these offenses of forgery, misuse and nonfeasance on the part of public officials?” he asked. “Allissa has been brave and strong and somehow, she’s been able to hold out and fight for herself. Now it’s time for City officials to take responsibility for their actions and begin operating in the public interest and according to the law.”

TODO Austin // june 2010 // TOdoaustinonline.com 05

Juneteenth Events Celebrate Freedom with Tradition and Style “The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of personal rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that

between employer and hired labor…” (General Orders, No. 3, as read by Union Major-General Gordon Granger on June 19, 1865) Juneteenth is the oldest known celebration commemorating the ending of slavery in the United States, dating back to June 19th, 1865.

Union soldiers, led by Major General Gordon Granger landed at Galveston, Texas with news that the war had ended and that the enslaved were now free.

The Emancipation Proclamation had been issued on January 1, 1863, but had little impact in Texas due to the minimal number of Union troops to enforce the new Executive order. However, with General Lee’s surrender in April of 1865, and the arrival of General Granger’s regiment in Texas, the forces were able to mandate compliance with the new law.

Texas was the primary home of Juneteenth celebrations for over a century, but 36 states now recognize the date in some way. Since 1980, Juneteenth has been an official state holiday

Juneteenth Schedule of Events

June 5 Adult Dance (8 p.m. – 1 a.m.)

Doris Miller Auditorium - 2300 Rosewood Ave. Dance the night away in honor of the spirit of freedom.

June 16 Juneteenth Black Heritage Quiz Bowl (6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.)

Carver Museum – 1165 Angelina St. Middle and High School student teams compete for honors of Central Texas Heritage Bowl Academic All-Americans. Registration required. See link below.

June 12 Juneteenth Green and Clean Neighborhood Project (7 a.m. - 9 a.m.) 12th St. and Chicon St. Join the Juneteenth Committee, G.E.A.Y.A and Community Volunteers as they gather to clean the streets of East Austin along Chicon and 12th Street.

June 19 2K Freedom Run/Walk (9:30 a.m.)

Comal St. and MLK Blvd.

Miss and Little Miss Juneteenth Pageant (12:00 Noon - 3:30 p.m.)

Huston-Tillotson University - 900 Chicon St. $8 Adults/$5 Students

Juneteenth Historical Parade (10 a.m.)

Comal St. and MLK Blvd.

Park Celebration (1 p.m. – 10 p.m.)

By Erica Stall Wiggins

in Texas. The events surrounding the holiday have historically focused on education and self improvement, with additional traditions of food, family and faith. The 2010 Juneteenth events in Austin will follow those traditions with a series of events throughout the month.

The events are organized by the Juneteenth Committee, which was established by the Greater East Austin Youth Association (GAEYA), and are co-sponsored by the City of Austin among others. “We come together, and bring our ideas to the table,” said Tami Johnson, Juneteenth Committee Co-Chair and Secretary of GAEYA, about the tremendous amount of work that goes into the planning. This year, two new events will be added to the celebration; a praise dance competition and an after party/play date. Close to 10,000 people are expected to attend the events.

Rosewood Park - 1182 Pleasant Valley Rd. Historical Community Program (1 p.m. – 3 p.m.) Doris Miller Auditorium - 2300 Rosewood Ave. Praise Dance Competition (3 p.m.)

Doris Miller Auditorium – 2300 Rosewood Ave. Juneteenth After Party/Play Date Austin (9 p.m. – 2 a.m.) Tres Amigos - 7535 East Highway 290 -$10 Registration information and additional details can be found at: www.juneteenthcentraltexas.com.

Good Times at Güero’s For great tunes and great rita’s!

Please join us for live music on our outside jardin stage, every Thursday through Sunday. Thanks to the fans & bands who support us!!!

All outdoor shows are “weather permitting”

June Line-up

Taco Bar

1412 S. Congress Avenue • Austin, Texas 78704 Open Weekdays 11am-11pm; Weekends 8am-11pm

---------------------------------------------------Thu 6/3 THE BOB FUENTES SHOW (6:30) WITH OPENING ACT “THE AVIATORS” (6:00) Fri 6/4 LOS FLAMES (6:30) Sat 6/5 TED RODDY (6:30) Sun 6/6 THE TEXAS TYCOONS (3:00) ---------------------------------------------------Thu 6/10 JOSEA HARGROVE (6:30) Fri 6/11 LOS FLAMES (6:30) Sat 6/12 TRENT TURNER (6:30) Sun 6/13 TIBURON (3:00) --------------------------------------------------Thu 6/17 MIKE MILLIGAN & THE ALTAR BOYZ (6:30) Fri 6/18 LOS FLAMES (6:30) Sat 6/19 TOO BLUE (6:30) Sun 6/20 MITCH WEBB & THE SWINDLE (3:00) ---------------------------------------------------Thu 6/24 JOHNNY GIMBLE (6:30) Fri 6/25 LOS FLAMES (6:30) Sat 6/26 MARY WELCH Y LOS CURANDEROS (6:30) Sun 6/27 CHICKEN STRUT (3:00)

www.GuerosTacoBar.com

Austin Room to Read Participates in Global Change

By Pranaya Kondekar

Imagine looking at this article but being unable to read it. Letters and words in this colorful publication would be merely pretty symbols and meaningless characters, and you would have no means to absorb this written knowledge, build your vocabulary, effectively communicate, fill in job applications, or even surf the web. Now imagine the isolation from the rest of the literate world. Fortunately, you are not in this position. However, there are over 750 million adults in the world who cannot read or write, of which 66% are women. An overwhelming 86% of the world’s illiterate population lives in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. To bridge the gap between the “developed” countries and the “developing,” largely illiterate countries, changes must be made.

Room to Read Room to Read is a global non-profit organization transforming the lives of millions of children in the developing world through a focus on literacy and gender equality in education. Founded on the belief that world change starts with educated children, Room to Read works in collaboration with local communities, partnering with organizations and governments to develop literacy skills. They strive to create a habit of reading among primary school children, as well as to ensure that girls have the skills and support needed to complete their secondary education.

Room to Read has developed a holistic approach to help children in the developing world gain the lifelong gift of education through four core programs:

Reading Room — Establishing libraries and stocking them with local-language children’s books, original Room to Read titles, donated English-language books, games and furniture to create a child-friendly learning environment.

School Room — Partnering with local communities to build schools, so that children can learn in a safe environment.

Local Language Publishing — Sourcing new content from local writers and illustrators and publishing high-quality children’s books in the local language to distribute throughout their networks.

Microsoft as an Asia-Pacific executive. His book “Leaving Microsoft to Change the World” tells the highly motivating story of how he created Room to Read through the implementation of business best practices.

Your Community - The Austin Chapter The Room to Read Austin Chapter was established in 2008 by young professionals inspired by John Wood’s story at a book signing. Today, it is actively run by five volunteer chapter leaders. Through fundraising efforts in the Austin community, they raised $12,000 in 2009, which paid for the building of a Reading Room in India, the production of over 1,000 local language books and funded many girls’ education scholarships.

In 2010, the Austin Chapter aims to double the funds raised last year and empower even more children with the powerful tool of literacy. So far, they have had two successful fundraising events.

A dinner at the Vietnamese restaurant Thanh Nhi resulted in 24 girls’ scholarships in Vietnam, and a “Beer for Books” event at Dolce Vita Café funded 600 local-language books. Upcoming events include a “Room to Rock” band jam event

on August 1, as well as a dinner at the Clay Pit benefitting Room to Read programs in India.

Room to Read is also set up for corporate matching through various business entities in town, such as Dell’s Global Giving program.

Other fundraising and awareness raising methods adopted by the local volunteer team include raising money through charity runs such as the Capitol 10K (April 2010), the San Francisco half-marathon (July 2010) and the Austin halfmarathon (February 2011).

Can you Help?

Austin’s five enthusiastic Room to Read chapter leaders can only accomplish so much. They are currently seeking local businesses to get involved as sponsors or donors and/or to help publicize local events. They are also seeking inspired volunteers who could help acquire event venues, entertainment, silent auction items, media coverage and publicity.

To contact Room to Read, or to receive the monthly newsletter, please email roomtoreadaustin@gmail. com or visit www.roomtoread.org/austin.

Girls Education — Providing long-term, holistic support enabling girls to pursue and complete their secondary education.

Accomplishments since 2000 include providing increased access to high-quality education for over four million children through its network of libraries and schools, local language children’s books and girls education program. The focus of the organization has been on changing children’s lives in Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Laos, Nepal, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Vietnam and Zambia, and they aim to reach 10 million children by 2015. This year, in its 10th anniversary year, Room to Read has successfully established 1000 schools and 10,000 libraries (reading rooms) and awarded long-term scholarships to more than 10,000 girls.

The organization was founded by John Wood, who walked away from his lucrative career at

International Literacy Day in Zambia

Photo by Room to Read

Meditation: Food for the Soul

By Priya Vijayaraghavan

Utopia—Wikipedia defines it as a place in which human society and natural conditions are so ideally perfect that there is complete contentment. Does this really exist? In the quest to find Utopia, many people often forget to look inside themselves.

Meditation is an ancient art used for centuries to explore this beautiful universe, within and without.

is a natural state of the human mind—at rest, open, alert. The basic meditation technique is simple and predates all religious traditions. Undertaken as a steady practice, meditation allows the mind to relax and the heart to open. It encourages our inherent qualities of warmth, clarity and insight to emerge.”

So what is meditation, really? The founder of the Art of Living Foundation, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, says, “A mind in the present moment is meditation.

A mind without agitation is meditation. A mind that has no hesitation and no anticipation, is meditation.”

Several different meditation disciplines exist today. Some techniques encourage focused concentration, while others explore the possibility of letting thoughts freely into the mind. Meditation has existed for ages in Buddhist, Judeo-Christian, Hindu and Taoist traditions, to name a few. Many ancient scientists were also known to be meditators,

Tom Pearson, a teacher at the Austin Shambhala Meditation Center, shared this quote: “Meditation

their mind-boggling inventions and discoveries often attributed to their practice.

Meditation not only has an impact on the individual level, but also helps to create a violence-free society by spreading the calm, peaceful personas of meditators to those around them. One study published in the peer-reviewed journal “Social Indicators Research” in 1993 indicated that people meditating in a group can in fact reduce the crime rate in their society. Findings from the study saw the rate of violent crime decrease by 23% during the experimental period, a figure so significant its odds of occurring by chance are less than two in one billion.

As the mind settles down in meditation, it centers

itself in the present moment and experiences a natural state of joy. But the novice meditator often finds it hard to quiet the mind and let go.

Several organizations in Austin offer meditation workshops and courses to aid in the release of tension and stress, allowing the conscious mind to settle deeply into itself. The Austin Shambhala Meditation Center offers free meditation instruction on Sundays at 11 a.m. and Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m. The Art of Living Austin Chapter also conducts free, one-hour meditation sessions every week.

For more information, visit www.austin.shambhala. org or www.artoflivingaustin.org.

Photo by Mohan Sridharan

TODO Austin // june 2010 // TOdoaustinonline.com 07

By the Time I - Immigrant - Get to Austin

By Gavin Lance Garcia

TODO Austin was created to bring a message to the community, to be tolerant of others and allow all the opportunity to prosper. We are grateful for and support those voices which speak of a united city. Those who believe that with patience and dialogue, Austin can be a refuge for those who suffer.

But over the past four years, since the U.S. Congress triggered the divisive debate on illegal immigration, we’ve witnessed the rise of anti-Hispanic bias guised as anti-immigration rhetoric and an escalating struggle in our city. The controversy is not one of criminal acts, but of brown and white. Of limited resources. Of economics and distribution of services, of identity and heritage. Of a city that too often looks the other way when issues of race are raised. From the debate on school curriculum to calls for an official state language, there is divisiveness everywhere.

To be truthful, many are frustrated by the fact that these new residents of Hispanic surname are not subject to the same law enforcement as the rest of us. Thousands of them have arrived from a foreign land without the proper U.S. government paperwork. They’ve taken jobs and circulated unpopular opinions. We remark that their Hispanic ancestry is beside the point. What makes much of Austin uncomfortable is that these immigrants have shifted demographics.

The result of their presence will make Austin a Hispanic majority city in the not too distant future, and inevitably, power and influence will change hands. The reaction of that demographic which has enjoyed two hundred years of authority will sometimes be hostile.

The more antagonistic have already signaled that a war of cultures is upon us and we must fight to preserve the past; to safeguard the values of our forefathers.

While immigrants have their supporters, Austinites of every stripe have made them the focal point of contempt. This state of affairs must evolve into something constructive. There are simple and effective measures which will enable us to live in a better state of harmony during this period of adjustment. The first would be to communicate more effectively, to become a truly bilingual community. The native language of immigrants, Spanish, will not be eradicated from the community however the immigration issue is resolved. It is already one of our two languages of commerce and as the Hispanic consumer base increases it likewise will increase in usage. Bilingual education is a necessity.

We can defend ourselves from xenophobia by abandoning the use of antiquated distinctions of assimilation. Those most opposed to reforms that would legalize millions of immigrant workers and provide long-term solutions for immigrant flows argue that this new generation of Hispanic immigrants cannot be assimilated as before. There is truth in this observance.

It’s futile to deny that when Hispanics become the dominant culture, cultural values won’t be modified. Our responsibility will be to make ourselves and our leaders comfortable with social progress.

Self-interest will be a major barrier. We can only hope that our children will have the fortitude to contribute to the healing

of the divisiveness. Meanwhile, those who benefit from polarization will assuredly enjoy the support of a nervous audience. One will have to look no further than the next Texas legislative session which begins in January, 2011, to see the trajectory of the issue. State Rep. Leo Berman (R-Tyler) will introduce immigration legislation similar to Arizona’s new state law that allows enforcement agencies to detain suspects on the basis of their appearance. Berman, like many of his conservative colleagues, would like to refuse state services to U.S.-born children of undocumented workers. Governor Rick Perry has had a change of heart from his previous position and now calls for punishment of companies who knowingly use illegitimate laborers.

Whether the immigration issue is about economics or race, there remains the question of integration. The tactic of focusing on Hispanic immigrants as a national security concern will be hard to reframe once just laws are enacted.

There are organizations and people, young and old in Austin who are cultivating a civil climate where differing opinions on immigration can be exchanged. The views of members of the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlán (MEChA), and Austin Immigrant Rights Coalition (AIRC) are spotlighted here.

Austin’s Response to Arizona SB 1070 MEChA on SB 1070

LULAC on SB 1070

Keep Austin Jailed?

Majority Rules

“MEChA stands against racism structures in the U.S. and the entire world. MEChA believes that laws such as SB 1070, 287 (g) and HB 2281 reinforce racism structures of the past at the same time that they criminalize people based on their ancestry and their color of skin. For MEChA, SB 1070 not only legalizes racial profiling but also supports the idea that white supremacy is still prevalent in the United States. MEChA believes that SB 1070 is not singular or a one-time issue.

SB 1070 is an immigration escalating law that could spread easily to other states and counties. SB 1070 is an affirmation that xenophobia exists within U.S. laws and that oppressed communities should organize to stand against it.”

“In the last legislative session, there were about twelve anti-immigrant bills and we beat all of them except one. And we’ll do it again with anything that looks like the Arizona law. We’ll lobby and remind elected officials that we’ll be watching them very closely. We’ll give all the senators and representatives a report card and really hold them to the line. We will make them responsible and if they want to lose money like they are in Arizona, then go against us. We’re not going to have children walking down the street from school without an ID get arrested in Texas. The laws are already on the books that only the federal government has the authority to enact reform laws. We’re paying our taxes for law enforcement to take care of us.”

“Austin is not free of prejudice or racism.

In Austin we have anti-immigration laws such as the Criminal Alien Program that places ICE customs in Travis County jails, making it easy for undocumented immigrants to be deported. Racism exists in every part of the nation, even in the city of Austin. The historical racial segregation of the city has placed Mexican immigrants, MexicanAmericans and black folk on the East Side of Austin. Conflicts between Chicanos and Mexican nationals has originated over the distribution of services and the lack of affordable housing. However, laws such as SB 1070 do not distinguish people from their national identities. SB 1070 discriminates against all brownskinned peoples equally. Because of this, Mexican nationals (and Central American as well) have organized with MexicanAmericans to repeal laws like this and to push for immigration reform.”

“When I was growing up here, you used to not be able to eat in cafés with whites.

We didn’t know which water fountain we should drink from, the one marked black or white. Back then, discrimination was out front. Today, it’s the same thing but it’s very subtle. Slowly, we’re moving away from that. Because we are the majority now, when we get serious and say we’re going to use that to our advantage, to go all out to vote, all out to get our kids educated, then you’ll see a tremendous change. And that’s what they fear. The fear that is coming down the line. The fear is that one day Latinos are going to wake up and all hell is gonna break lose.”

— Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlán (MEChA) de Austin, a Tejaztlan student organization at the University of Texas whose mission is to promote culture, history and resistance to oppression.

— Marcelo Tafoya, District 12 Director of LULAC

08 TODO Austin // june 2010 // TOdoaustinonline.com

— Roberto Flotte (UT Soph. major in Anthropology and Mexican American Studies)

— Marcelo Tafoya

MEChA’s Diana Gomez, Roberto Flotte

AIRC’s Esther Reyes

LULAC’s Marcelo T

Caroline Keating-Guerra

Photo by Maverick Shaw

Photo by Maverick Shaw

Austin Immigrant Rights Coalition Multifarious support groups and advocates for immigrants abound in Austin. The Austin Immigrant Rights Coalition (AIRC) is among the most influential due in part to two dynamic leaders, its founding coordinator Caroline Keating-Guerra and its new head, Esther Reyes. AIRC is a membership-based coalition of immigrants, allies and organizations that promotes human rights and dignity, social and economic justice for immigrants through community organizing, policy advocacy and public education.

Keating-Guerra joined the Austin Immigrant Rights Coalition (AIRC) as its first full-time coordinator in March 2008. The Omaha, Nebraska native earned a Masters in journalism and Latin American Studies from the University of Texas, and recently returned to her native state for graduate studies.

Reyes, a Mexican immigrant born in Tamaulipas, came with papers to the U.S. with her family and was raised in Caldwell and Laredo. She studied social work at Baylor and received a Master of Social Work at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, where she worked with Juntos, a grassroots, community-based organization similar to AIRC. “My desire to work with immigrant communities grew out of my own experience. Though I had many opportunities because my family was here, documented, I nevertheless experienced many obstacles that immigrants face, such as stereotypes and discrimination.”

Mexican Nationals and Mexican Americans Keating-Guerra (KG) - “We make an attempt to promote diverse communities. We have a specific project called ‘The Welcoming Campaign’ where we give community presentations about immigrants.

We go to churches, schools, rotary clubs and try to dispel a lot of the myths and promote ideas of tolerance, inclusion, celebration of diversity. It’s a goal of ours to create that kind of mentality in Austin

and I think that we do. City Council, back in the 90s, passed a resolution that said Austin was a safety zone for the community. Not a sanctuary city, but a safety zone, where people will be treated with respect regardless of their immigration status. That being said, the reality is that there are a lot of xenophobic attitudes in this city, particularly towards immigrants although it’s known as a very liberal city within the state. I don’t know how true that is in reality. As most immigrants come here are from Latin America, they are people of color and there does exist a level of racism.”

Reyes (R) - “This country is an ever-changing society. As the cliché goes—we are a country of immigrants. At different points in history, immigrants looked certain ways. Because of our proximity and economic ties to nearby countries, particularly to Mexico and other Latin American countries, there has been sustained immigration from these countries.”

Immigrants Lead the Way KG - “Our members are the people who are most adamant about immigration reform because they are the people who will be directly affected. You get that much energy and conviction from people who have the most to gain or the most to lose. We have a general assembly every three months which brings together all the committees, members, supporters. We are working to create a strategy on how to make sure a similar bill to SB 1070 does not pass in Texas. That would be the big goal and we come up with tactics how we are going to make an impact. Boycotts, meetings with state representatives.”

R - “The immigrants we work with are primarily Mexican and primarily Spanish-speaking, which largely reflects the immigrant population in Texas.

However, we are working to reach out with the diversity of immigrants in our city.”

City of Austin Response to SB 1070

On Schumer-Graham Initiative

KG - “We are obviously very happy that the City has taken a stance to boycott doing business with Arizona and let it be known that something like this can’t happen here. We hadn’t seen a May Day march as big as this year’s since 2006.

We had ten members at City Hall and gave a few testimonies. I think it was the result of people being really upset and stirred about what happened in Arizona. It awakened again people’s desire for change. I think sometimes people get a little apathetic and this has stirred them up again. And actually some of our members are saying, what happened in Arizona is awful but in a strange way they’re kind of happy because people are waking up.”

KG – “Having read the Schumer-Gra immigration reform summary, we’ve learned heavy on enforcement measures. There’ve ineffective and inhumane practices on the bo and in the interior. We don’t want more of tha our communities. In my personal opinion, it s low bar for immigration reform. We don’t nee start with the worst possible option, but with dream bill.”

R - “For us, the City of Austin’s boycott of Arizona in reaction to SB 1070 is a very important step and is a major factor in the strategies we plan. It means that we can perhaps be more proactive rather than reactive in solutions we propose.”

The Problem With SB 1070 KG - “The issue with Arizona’s SB 1070 is that race profiling is unconstitutional. It’s against the law.

How else in the Southwest, where the majority of immigrants are Latino, people of color, are you going to apply it? What is reasonable suspicion?

Who is somebody who is reasonably suspicious? Is it all people who are brown, all people who have an accent?”

R - “Arizona’s SB 1070 has a strong potential for discrimination, particularly in the area of racial profiling. In the U.S., we have a mental picture of what an undocumented worker looks like, particularly in the Southwest where the majority of the immigrant population is Hispanic. But not all immigrants look alike. The bottom line is that racial profiling is unconstitutional.”

R- “It’s hard because we want there to be some of dialogue about reforming this issue, which is composed of many issues. But at the same we know there will be negotiating and the lo the goal you begin with, the lower you’re goin ultimately reach.”

A Cultural Conflict?

KG - “I think immigration reform has a lot t with race. A lot of our members understand the problems that they face as a community not going to stop with immigration reform. T not the end goal. There’s a variety of human r issues where these are being violated on m fronts whether its access to a good educa housing, healthcare, safety, food. It’s multi-iss Although we’re focusing on immigration reform community knows that the fight doesn’t stop t unfortunately.”

R - “The issue of immigration is hardly an of immigration. We need to recognize th a complex mixture of a variety of conce economic, cultural and security-based. Ultima then, the goal of the Coalition is not to simply f on reform that allows millions of people to c out of the shadows. Instead, we hope to contr to the creation of a more just society that welco immigrants and addresses the future moveme people to the U.S.”

09 09 TODO TODO Austin Austin // // june june 2010 2010 // // TOdoaustinonlin TOdoaustinonlin

Bemba Beat

Michael Crockett: Serving Up Latin for 22 Years

By Brandon Ramiro Badillo photo by Stephen Wincelowicz

TODO Austin is founded upon the idea that Austin’s cultural diversity should be celebrated, and Bemba Entertainment shares that opinion.

Both Bemba and TODO Austin are relative newcomers to the Austin multicultural movement in comparison to a man that has been keeping it steady for over two decades. Michael Crockett has hosted the Latin American/Brazilian program “Horizontes” on KUT 90.5 FM for the last 22 years. Every Friday since 1988 from 1-3 p.m., Michael gives Austin a pulse created by his love for Latin music. In 2006 he added another program, “Global Grooves,” to his resume. While “Horizontes” features music of Latin America and Brazil, “Global Grooves” allows Michael to circle the globe and give Austin two hours of international beats.

These two programs capture the ears of both old and new Austinites and remain two of three world music radio programs in Austin, along with Hayes McCauley’s program, “World Music.”

TODO Austin caught up with Mr. Crockett and asked him to share his thoughts on our beautiful, multicultural city on the rise.

BRB: What’s your favorite musical region?

MC: Latin America, especially Brazil and Cuba. It’s a wonderful blend of Iberian music with Arabic influences, the African music that arrived with slavery and music of the indigenous peoples already there, developed into so many different styles within each country.

Also, understanding both Spanish and Portuguese, I have the added appreciation of the great poetry in the lyrics of so many songs from Latin America.

BRB: Since you started with “Horizontes,” how has Austin changed, multiculturally speaking?

MC: “Horizontes” was started in 1975 when I was a student at UT, mostly to serve the student population from South America at UT since the only other “Latin” music on the radio was either Mexican or Tejano. Now, as a result of the computer industry, we have professional people as well as students from all over Latin America and the rest of the world living in Austin, so I think the program audience has grown considerably. And, of course, there are more and more “non-Latins,” like me, who have fallen in love with the music as I have.

BRB: What do you think it will take to bring Austin up to speed with the cultural diversity of cities like New York, Los Angeles and Miami?

MC: If you’re referring to the diversity of musical offerings, I would say that our biggest problem is geography. It’s just easier for international acts to economically tour the East and West Coast, where cities are closer together, but I do think it would be nice for the city to at least host an international music festival like the one I attend every April in Lafayette, Louisiana, a college town smaller than Austin, that stages a FREE world music festival in its downtown area with well-known artists from all over.

BRB: Why do you think it is so hard for Latin music festivals to catch on in Austin?

MC: The Pachanga Festival looks to have had a pretty auspicious beginning. I hope it will grow and continue to feature local Latin music as well as bring in more bands from farther away like they’ve done this year with Pacha Massive and Bomba Estereo.

BRB: Many promoters have been trying to bring Latin Alternative music to Austin, but the city really hasn’t embraced it. Why do you think that is?

MC: I see more and more Latin Alternative shows coming to town, especially at Stubbs, that seem to be well attended. Manu Chao immediately comes to mind. South by Southwest’s Latin line-up gets better every year.

BRB: Ever had or thought about creating a band?

MC: Sure, a band where I get to play bass on the Cuban “sones,” guitar on “bossa novas,” and get to sing the “coros” and play the cowbell on the salsa numbers. But I guess I’ll stick to CD players and mixing boards.

Listeners can catch “Horizontes” on Fridays on KUT from 1-3 p.m. Tune in for four hours of international sounds on Sunday evenings from 8 p.m.-12 a.m. as Hayes McCauley and Michael Crockett each host two hours of their respected programs, “World Music” from 8 p.m.-10 p.m. and “Global Grooves” from 10 p.m.-12 a.m.

Bemba Entertainment hosts World Music Night sponsored

by KUT every Tuesday at Momo’s on West 6th St. Bemba will also host a World Beat Cruise on Lake Austin each month beginning in June, sponsored by Bacardi. For more information about Bemba Entertainment’s events, visit www. bembaentertainment.com.

UT Global Ethics and Conflict Resolution Summer Symposium for High School Students

Attention all high school students Experience life at UT this summer and enjoy lectures with distinguished faculty Stay overnight in a dorm for a week’s session or just come for the day Learn how international mediators, successful business people, effective diverse groups, & happy families handle differences

Bells International

Promotional Products | Advertising Specialties

512.454.9663 x215 • 888.440.4649 x215 109 Denson Dr. Austin, TX 78752 shawna@bellsintl.com • www.bellsintl.com

Make videos and create Internet magazines Participate in panels with community leaders and UT student leaders Mentors are specially trained UT students Rates $495-$1040 • Scholarships available www.utpcr.org • 471-1950

Picturesque Fiesta Gardens on Lady Bird Lake was the scene of the

Third Annual Pachanga Latino Music Festival on Saturday, May 22. The colorful crowd, both young and old, were drawn by the stellar lineup of Latin music from across the country; including appearances from some of Austin’s own rising stars. Crafts and music workshops for the kids, local vendors, and good food added to the fun.

Pachanga is a festival built to bridge cultural barriers, and if the crowd was any indication, it’s done just that. The children’s tent featuring youth education was a special treat for all. Sharing the Pachanga spirit of education and community-building, TODO Austin was honored to be Haydn Vitera and his band turn it up on the Pavilion Stage. Photo by Matthew Ziehr

one of several sponsors of the event benefiting FuturoFund.

San Antonio’s Girl in a Coma rock the Hierba Stage.

Photo by Mark Guerra

Texas’ finest all-female marichi outfit, Mariachi Las Alteñas, pose for a photo with a friend.

Photo by Mark Guerra

Alex Vallejo teaches a drum workshop at the Niños Rock Pachanga tent. Kids also enjoyed workshops and demonstrations by David Garza (songwriting) and Haydn Vitera (violin). Photo by Matthew Ziehr

Festival-goers ham it up at the free photo booth.

Photo by Matthew Ziehr

The Ortiz brothers of Austin’s Amplified Heat “meet and greet” TODO photographer Mark Guerra before their set. Photo by Mark Guerra

TODO Austin readers enjoy the shade and seating of the Pavilion Stage. Photo by Mark Guerra

Local heroes Grupo Fantasma get the crowd moving with the legendary pianist/composer/arranger/producer Larry Harlow. Photo by Mark Guerra TODO Austin // june 2010 // TOdoaustinonline.com 11

Accent Art

Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán

By Mia Garcia

Find Your Inner Wolf

ASO Concerts in the Park

The Howlin’ Wolf 100th Birthday Tribute featuring all Howlin’ Wolf music all night long is sure to be a treat for those who revere that great artist, Howlin’ Wolf. This year marks 100 years since the birth of one of the greatest artists of all time, Chester Arthur Burnett, named after a president, then renamed after that primeval beast and that spirit that takes possession of so many of us in the wee hours of the night, Howlin’ Wolf. Join host Jesse Sublett, along with Bevis Griffin, Davy Jones, Eve Monsees and Mike Buck (Eve & The Exiles), Gary Clark Jr., Joe Doerr, Bill Anderson, Jon Dee Graham, Terri Lord, David Murray, Michael Ramos, Izzy Cox and many more. Howl all night Thur. June 10, starting at 10 p.m. at the Continental Club, that world-famous Mecca of Cool on South Congress Avenue. It’s all Wolf, all night. For ticket info, howl 512.441.0202.

Pack the picnic basket and grab your blanket as one of Austin’s greatest summer traditions begins again on Sun. June 6 as the Austin Symphony Orchestra Concerts in the Park begins its eighth season. These free ensemble concerts take place in the Hartman Concert Park in front of the Long Center City Terrace (across Riverside Drive from Auditorium Shores) and run on Sunday evenings from June 6 through August 29 at 7:30 p.m. Each Sunday a different ensemble of the Austin Symphony will be featured at the new Hartman Park, performing music from jazz and light classical to pops selections and film scores. Concertgoers are encouraged to bring a picnic dinner and blanket and make it a group outing. Free parking is available at One Texas Center located on Barton Springs Road at South 1st Street. Paid parking is available at the Palmer Garage for $7. For more information, go to www. austinsymphony.org or call 512.476.6064.

The music of Mexico will fill the Long Center’s Dell Hall on Sat. June 19, as the internationally acclaimed Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán make a special Father’s Day Weekend appearance in Austin. Mariachi Vargas’ 112-year history and reputation as the best in the world is evident during their live performances featuring 13 of the greatest musicians and vocalists from Latin America. One need not speak Spanish to enjoy their authentic and traditional style. Their music resonates well with multiple generations and audiences as their fan base forms a ribbon throughout the world.

Celebrate the music of Mexico with El Mejor Mariachi del Mundo, Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán.

The performance is part of the 2nd Annual Austin Summer Mariachi Music Festival that includes mariachi vocal competitions and community presentations. The event is presented by Fiesta Mart and begins at 7:30 p.m. For tickets, go to www.thelongcenter.org or call 512.474.5664.

Holy Bat Austin!

It’s the Night of the Bat, Sun. June 6, dedicated to those high-flying, albeit sometimes stinky Mexican Freetails that vacation in Austin. All zillion bats will be honored with a 2 p.m. screening of the original 1966 Batman movie at the Paramount Theatre, featuring Batman himself, Adam West.

Hyatt Regency Austin hosts the Hyatt Fangtastic Family Fest, 3:30-6:30 p.m., featuring entertainment by the Biscuit Brothers and Joe McDermott. The event features face painting, games, free hot dogs and more. From 5:30-6 p.m., Run-Tex will host “Born to Run” activities for kids on the bridge, teaching them about the biomechanics of running and how to do it safely. At dusk, Mayor Lee Leffingwell, Adam West and Merlin Tuttle of Bat Conservation International will lead the city in the traditional bat-watching followed by an aerial dance show

by Blue Lapis Light. For information, go to www. nightofthebat.com.

Austin Shakespeare Rocks a Classic with “The Dream” By Joseph Banks It is the beginning of summer, and the Austin Shakespeare Company has recently wrapped their month-long run of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” from the Zilker Hillside Theatre’s stage. “Midsummer” continues to be one of Shakespeare’s most popular comedic works and one of the most well-known scripts penned during the latter half of the 16th century, though this year Artistic Director Ann Ciccolella, in association with musical director Michael McKelvey, created something slightly different and wholly “Austin” out on the hot Zilker hillside.

The cast and crew spent four weeks rehearsing and building this modernized tale of love and circumstance, and then spent the entire month of May performing for crowds who ventured out to Zilker Park for the free-of-charge theatrical experience. The setting behind the stage, where the actors and crew formed friendships and worked together, was cooperative and eager to bring something new to a classic piece of work, venturing away from the same old scenes and lines enacted by most high schools every few years.

Photo by Julia Walsh

Austin Fashion Awards Winner in Best Women’s Cut Nominee: Critics Choice Award for Best Hair Stylist Nominee: Best Men’s Cut Nominee: Makeup Artists, Best Use of Color Best Hair Stylist 2009 Rare Magazine

www.brandicowley.com

The only professional, classic theatre company in Central Texas, this season marks Austin Shakespeare’s 25th anniversary. Dedicated to bringing a “fresh, imaginative, thought-provoking, and eminently accessible” twist to the epic work of William Shakespeare, their recent rendition of “Midsummer” colorfully illustrated the organization’s mission. “The Dream,” complete with entirely original tunes, was a musical created with the expressed goal of looking at a very famous Shakespearean work through completely different eyes. This musical rendition, set in the tumultuous 1960s, used rock ‘n’ roll and Shakespeare’s beautiful words to create something altogether new; a perfectly fitting experiment for the Austin community. The songs managed to be original while at the same time sounding incredibly familiar, as Shakespeare’s own words were used as lyrics to the rock numbers. Austin Shakespeare set out on their month-long run complete with a live band and with a hope that the vision of the show would be a welcome change.

As “The Dream” can attest, the Austin theatre community remains the type that enjoys taking risks. Gearing up for their next production, “The Tempest,” set to open at the Long Center, you can be sure Austin Shakespeare will bring the same level of innovation and imagination to the stage, continuing to reinvent the timeless work of the world’s pre-eminent dramatist.

Joseph Banks is a TODO contributor and local actor, and played the role of Lysander in Austin Shakespeare’s “The Dream.”

By Blake Shanley

Chronicles of Undercover Mexican Girl:

Helping Other People Everywhere (HOPE) is the name of the sweetly unique, wonderfully laid back, genuinely delightful farmers market that has found a home on the East side on Waller Street, between 4th and 5th Streets, every Sunday from 11am – 3pm. Its ambition to be something different, something everyone would have a reason to want to visit and frequent seems to be successful thus far.

By Alexandra M. Landeros

The HOPE Farmers Market, while still growing and developing, has unprecedented charm and warmth in comparison to the other markets in town. The vendors are set up along a haycovered lane shaded by an incredible canopy of enormous trees. Shoppers can grab any one of the tasty prepared treats for sale and have a comfy seat at one of the picnic tables to listen to great live music. Patrons can also participate in one of several yoga classes inside the warehouse on the property.

The market is flush with in-season local organic produce as well as delicious organic tamales with a strange but superb mix of ingredients, freshly baked breads, fresh-roasted coffee and organic teas, beautiful plants, herbs and orchids, amazing chocolates, salsas, goat cheese, honey, fresh meats and natural granola.

Inside the warehouse you can find unique gifts like beautiful handmade glass nightlights and earrings, stunning stone necklaces, soy-based

One night as I was playing a gig at the Green Muse on South 1st, near the end of our set, the temperature suddenly dropped about 20 degrees. It had rained earlier in the evening, but there was now a spooky stillness in the air. Then it began drizzling, and after a few rounds of thunder, the wind kicked up furiously. Members of the various bands frantically scuttled around to get instruments, amps and cables shoved as far as possible against the back stage wall. We stayed on the stage while the coffee shop goers ran inside for cover. We had enough of a roof above us to keep dry.

Shand, my boyfriend, wanted to get wet in the rain, so he danced in the rain and jumped in the puddles. Then the wind roared, sweeping the plastic chairs across the patio as if they were made of paper and ripping the canvas ceiling off of one of its gromits, causing it to flap violently against the tin roof. It began to rain sideways. The power went out. Lightning struck so frequently, the night sky was bright as day.

Shand returned and several of us stood in complete awe of the storm’s force, in the dark, with only the glow of our cell phone screens. But someone called us from the back door of the Green Muse, frantically urging us to come inside. Hurricane warnings and tornado watches had been issued.

We ran in, and the first thing I saw were people sitting in the dark, some calmly entertaining themselves with their batterypowered wi-fi laptops and others nervously going back and forth with flashlights. Soon, we all settled into our temporary shelter. All instruments and equipment were brought inside into the dryness. Everyone started drinking more beer and wine.

Alternative country outfit Black Molly serenaded us with an acoustic version of their set. People called friends and family to make sure they were safe. The owner turned on his headlights to bring some light into the front room of the Green Muse. Meanwhile, the storm was not letting up. The windows fogged up with the muggy warmth of our breath and sweat.

The flowers planted in front were mere silhouettes against the bright car lights.

Then, out of nowhere, the duo called Hobo Gobbelins produced a flute and accordion.

As hauntingly charming gypsy tunes filled the room, I thought about how lucky we were to be trapped there. Shand asked me to dance and I eagerly accepted. There is nothing more lovely than waltzing in the safety of friends and darkness, during a terrible storm, to a magical song, with the man you love who is soaking wet from running around in the rain. Really, there isn’t much else lovelier.

frame of reference candles and vintage cowboy boots. You will quickly make friends while strolling through the market; and you will be happy when you see them again the following weekend, and the weekend after that.

The intention behind the HOPE Farmers Market is to provide a weekly community gathering space where people within the community and beyond can leisurely shop, meet local farmers, and enjoy nutritious homemade foods and creative artisans in a relaxing and inviting space with the added benefit of agricultural and healthy lifestyle education, and wellness workshops.

Community building can occur on a variety of levels, in many different ways. No single effort can claim sole responsibility in the building of a community, but each effort is markedly an integral and special part of the process.

The HOPE Farmers Market is one of those very genuine and very valuable efforts in the positive growth of the East Austin community.

Plan a visit soon to enjoy and to support this awesome market. Our community wants and needs this type of effort to be wildly successful and to thrive.

Austin Serves Elote: Tights Optional

by Jennie Chen

If you’ve ever watched the film “Nacho Libre,” then you’ve seen Jack Black in tights. Not only was Jack Black at his best, so was the elote, or Mexican-style roasted corn on the cob, showcased in this comedy based on the story of Reverend Sergio Gutierrez Benitez, who competed as a lucha libre wrestler to support an orphanage. This popular street food was not only a snack in the film, but also used as a weapon. Elote is commonly seen being sold out of a push cart in urban areas of Mexico. While there aren’t many (if any) elote carts in Austin, one restaurant does serve the dish.

Chef Rene Ortiz at La Condesa brings a new flair and twist to Mexican food in Austin. From Brussels sprouts with bacon and grapes to short ribs braised in some very unorthodox flavorings, Chef Rene’s dishes aren’t what Austinites expect when they think of a Mexican restaurant. There are no giant dollops of sour cream on top of a pile of cheese over enchiladas—which is also delicious in its own right—to be seen. If you’d like to make Chef Rene’s version of elote, check out the recipe he has shared below. This recipe is so simple that even children can be enlisted to help with the preparations.

Elote: Mexican-style Roasted Corn on the Cob Serves 6

Ingredients:

6 ears of fresh corn, still on the cob 1/4 cup mayonnaise, any kind 1/4 cup cotija cheese Chili powder

Preheat grill on a high heat setting. If the husk is still on the corn, pull the husk and ears back to expose the corn. You may leave the husk attached to use like a handle or you may remove it. Grill the corn for several minutes on each side. The corn shouldn’t be just grilled; it should be charred without the husks on. Leaving the husk on only steams the corn. The goal is to caramelize the sugars in the corn and give it a smoky flavor. Once the corn is smoky and charred, rub just a bit of mayonnaise on it, coat with cotija cheese and sprinkle with chili powder. Chef Rene emphasizes the cheese. “It’s about Mexican food, you have to do it right.” There you have it. A simple recipe with only one mantra: no cheese substitutions.

Photo by Betsy Koski

UpLift Austin:

Sustainable Education for At-Risk Youth

By Erica Stall Wiggins

By Julia Lee

Summertime, and it’s time for greens.

Collards, mustards, turnips. If you’ve never prepared greens before, you may think it’s a huge task. On the other hand, if you have made greens for holidays, Sunday dinners or special occasions, you may have evidence that it’s a huge task. Washing bunches of greens and cooking them for an hour or so may not be what you want to do after a day of work, commuting, picking up the kids and everything else you’ve got to do, but I suggest you find a way to get some greens into your life.

I remember my mother washing greens in the sink, filling it with water to give them a good wash, cleaning the sand out of the sink and filling it again, ending with a little salt bath “to kill anything that might still be in there crawling around.” Greens at the grocery store have far less sand in them now, so the cleaning process is a lot easier.

Still I recommend washing them; although in some places you can find greens already prewashed, stemmed and cut.

The basic recipe for Southern-style greens include pork, seasoning and water. That’s it.

But from here, the variations kick in. Cook them in beer or broth instead of water.

Onions, garlic, shallots, vinegar and sweet stuff like molasses and brown sugar all add depth and complexity of flavor to greens.

Let’s talk about the pork for a moment (sigh).

Let’s face it: pork makes everything taste good. And the pork used to flavor greens is usually the most flavorful—that is—the fattiest and saltiest. Don’t use any pork in your greens that could be described as “the other white meat.” Salt pork, fat back, ham hock, or just plain old bacon are at the base of most Southern style recipes for greens.

This is the flavor.

Of course, not everyone can eat, or wants to eat, pork. Some replace the pork with smoked turkey legs. This produces a fine product. Really it does. This method does have less fat (unless you add fat in some other way) and claims to have less sodium.

And for those who don’t eat pork at all, it has far less pork.

Vegetarians and vegans pay a lot of attention to seasonings, since the bulk of the usual, meaty flavor isn’t there. You can cook them in vegetable broth or beer (also good with pork-flavored greens) to give them a deeper flavor. One simple variation uses tamari, Bragg’s amino acid, and a little olive oil.

These ideas all mimic the southern style of greens. You can go outside the American South and cook greens Brazilian style, slicing them very thin and sautéing them quickly, then tossing them with a little salt and pepper. There’s also the Ethiopian style, which uses peppers and ginger to add flavor to the collard greens.

If you don’t cook (or don’t have someone to cook for you), Karibu offers an excellent version of the Ethiopian-style greens. The tart injera offers a flavor contrast to the delicately spiced collards. At the corner of Rosewood and Chicon, Nubian Queen Lola’s Cajun Soulfood Kitchen serves up the finest in traditional Southern-style greens to go along with one of the best bowls of gumbo in town.

Whether you grow your own, buy them at the store, or get someone else to cook them for you, greens are a taste of summer in the South and beyond.

Nubian Queen Lola’s serves up the finest in Southern-style greens

photo by Aimee Wenske www.aimeewenske.com

TODO Austin is excited to introduce a new regular feature this month. Applying the principals of equity and justice to our planet as well as our neighbors, we are creating a green space for news about our environment and how to live more sustainably within it. Reaching out to environmental partners and activists will be one of our primary initiatives, and to kick things off we spoke with Adrienne Clements, a program teacher and coordinator for UpLift Austin, an organization which transforms public schools by educating at-risk youth in the fundamentals of sustainable design while at the same time renovating their own schools.

“Children are the future of our community, and educating them on environmental concerns and real world solutions is of the utmost importance,” Clements commented.

As someone with a background in environmental education and sustainable design, when Clements heard about UpLift Austin, she knew she had to get involved.

Through hands-on projects led by local design professionals, students learn about promising “green” career fields and sustainable living practices. “This program is incredibly empowering to the students involved. They are armed with knowledge of sustainability, are introduced to green job opportunities, and get to make a lasting impression on their

school through sustainable design. I feel very privileged to get to work with these future green leaders,” Clements said of UpLift Austin.

The organization currently has programs in place at Garza Independence High and at KIPP Austin Collegiate High School. At KIPP, 175 students designed and led numerous campus renovation & beautification projects this year, including a Xeriscape park area, rainwater harvesting system, two murals, a vegetable garden and a campus recycling system.

To learn more about the program, please visit www.upliftaustin.org. Look for upcoming eco-adventures in future issues. Until then: reduce, reuse, and recycle.

Restaurant & Bar

Fri June 4 Sat June 5

Mariachi Tamazula (7-9 pm) Oliver Rajamani (7-9 pm)

(Tamil folk music & Culture, and nomadic & devotional musical styles of India)

Fri June 11 Mariachi Tamazula (7-9 pm) Ritmo Tr3s

(Traditional salsa, Colombian and Mexican cumbia)

Sat June 12 Atash with Pilar Andujar (7-9 pm)

(Middle Eastern and Flamenco Fusion performance)

Fri June 18 Mary Welch y Los Curanderos (8-10 pm) (A Latin variety band w/ original songs in English,

Spanish and Portuguese written by Mary Welch, along w/ older traditional Latin and English tunes)

Sat June 19 Manga Rosa (10:30 pm-1:00 am)

Latin American Cuisine

Brazilian Music, Samba & Bosa Nova

Fri June 25 Mariachi Tamazula (10:30 pm-1:00 am) Ritmo Tr3s (10 pm-1:30 am) Sat June 26 Dear Alcohol (8-11 pm)

FREE PARKING 2 hr lunchtime parking on 6th St. We have relocated from our long time home on South Congress to Austin’s Historic Sixth Street.

(Rhythm & Blues)

EVERY SUN BRUNCH

Trio Soniquete (11 am-1 pm)

cClosed // Tue to Thuc8am - 11pm // Fri - Satc8am - 2am // Sunc9am - 4pm

Mon

600 East 6th Street // 512.444.7770 // www.elsolylalunaaustin.com