Hi thanks for joining us. I’m your host, Marissa Monroy. As the weather heats up,
the City’s Watershed Protection staff wants people near Austin’s waterways to stay alert. Staff
recently found low levels of dihydro anatoxin (dī-hī-drō-an-uh-tok-sin). That’s the scientific
name for a type of toxin recently found in an algae sample from Lake Austin. This finding is
in addition to toxins found by the lower Colorado River authority in algae on the highland lakes.
Cyano bacteria (sai-a-now-bak-tee-ree-uh) – also called blue-green algae - can be
found in waterways in Central Texas throughout the year, though it’s more
prevalent in warmer, more stagnant water. Watershed protection is advising dog owners
not allow their dogs to ingest or touch algae in area lakes, creeks or water bodies.
If you do take your dogs into the water, be sure to rinse them promptly to prevent them
from licking any algae off their fur. Take your dog to the vet immediately if
they become sick after swimming. Some symptoms of exposure include:
Excessive drooling, vomiting and diarrhea And becoming weak, disorientated or stumble.
The risk to humans appears low, but you should also always avoid handling
algae. People may continue to boat and fish, following Covid-19 safety measures, of course.
And just a reminder - - swimming in Lady Bird Lake has been banned since 1964. Look
for more information at austintexas.gov/algae. The Austin Civilian Conservation Corps recently
teamed up with American Youthworks Texas to help Austinites who have been economically impacted
by Covid-19 earn income, serve their community and gain new job skills.
Right now, this group is focused on the Onion Creek Greenbelt,
an area prone to flooding and land now managed by the City of Austin.
“Today we're out with the Austin Civilian Conservation Corps
program in partnership with the City of Austin and American Youth Works. We're here basically
restoring the habitat clearing the pathways of trees that may have fallen over toward trail.
Doing park land maintenance and this is part of the Austin Civilian Conservation Corps
which is an initiative to employ people who were negatively impacted by Covid and
seeing that people who are in this phase of embarking on a career can have an active role
in in making a difference in their own community is a really special part of this partnership.”
“Being able to actually dive into the work that i want to have my career in, I’m incredibly
grateful it makes me really happy to be working outside to be making the environment healthier
to make an impact that i can see i can actually witness the landscape changing because of what I’m
doing so I’m really happy to be doing this work, it's a livable wage, it's work that
pays enough to survive and to thrive beyond just mere survival and for the people who actually live
here near this park it provides a beautiful green space that people can come and visit
the work we do helps make it safer and more varied green space is good for the community.”
“I'm here today mostly to celebrate the work that the Austin Civilian Conservation Corps is doing so
it's beneficial to the community in a variety of ways one it's actually putting folks to work in
public spaces so that these places are maintained and develop the character of the communities that
we serve. the other way is by actually making it safer for patrons to come into the area
and to enjoy these spaces the other critical point and something that i work with quite often
in the preserve system is it provides habitat for local wildlife. Really I'm super proud of
the work that the City and American Youth Work is doing I think it's very difficult to mobilize
something during a pandemic and so I'm really proud to work on this project and I'm proud of
the work that the members are doing it's a lot of sweat a lot of hard work a lot of crew dynamics
and so it's really enjoyable to see that work take place and to benefit the public.”
To learn more about the program, visit austintexas.gov/accc.
Want to get more involved in our great city? Why not apply to serve on a city board or commission!
“Good evening everyone,
my name is Luis Soberan. I'm chair of the City of Austin Ethics Review Commission.”
Your service can help shape public policy and provide City Council with feedback on important
city services and assets. Austinites provide their time, expertise, and insight by serving
60 different boards and commissions. To check out the openings, review
vacancies and apply, visit the boards and commissions information center at
austintexas.gov/boardsandcommissionsinformationcenter
Oakwood Cemetery Chapel is showcasing a new online exhibit about the
legacy of Huston-Tillotson University, Austin’s historically black university.
The exhibit, which runs through June, includes video, photography,
digital maps, and other multimedia content about the university’s history, alumni,
and leaders. Hear stories of those that planted the seeds of Huston-Tillotson’s earliest days
and learn how people grew the university to what it is now and what it will be in the future.
“HT to me is a safe space for black intellectuals and black
creatives to come together and make magic.”
“it's a place where it's just fellowship you feel at home when you're on campus
at HT you know you feel like even if you didn't go to school there,
you're a part of the extended Huston Tillerson family.”
“My father was not allowed the opportunity to attend school,
so he never learned to read or write. Receiving an academic scholarship from
Huston Tillerson University not only allowed me to complete my personal and career goals
but also allowed me to change the narrative for my family's legacy.”
You can view the exhibit at austintexas.gov/toelevate.
That’s it for this week’s City View. Thank you for watching, Austin. Be sure to catch up on all
the latest information on atxn.tv, our social media channels and on our dedicated webpage:
austintexas.gov/Covid19. Stay well, Austin!