November Meeting
7:00 p.m. Monday, November 15th
Southwest Church of Christ, 8900 Manchaca Rd. (Rear Entrance)

NOVEMBER PROGRAM NOTES
 EELS ON WHEELS
NOMINATIONS FOR OFFICERS

Doug and Jo Tabony will give a short presentation about their scuba diving trip to Belize this summer with the Eels On Wheels. There were 22 people on the trip including 6 in wheel chairs. The Eels club makes the scuba experience available to children and adults with a wide range of disabilities. The presentation will include slides and underwater video from the trip and other Eels outreach programs. You can learn more about this organization at eels.org and read testimonials from the trip under Programs, Testimonals.

VETERANS DAY PROCLAMATION

Now, Therefore, I, Dwight D. Eisenhower, President of the United States of America, do hereby call upon all of our citizens to observe Thursday, November 11, 1954, as Veterans Day. On that day let us solemnly remember the sacrifices of all those who fought so valiantly, on the seas, in the air, and on foreign shores, to preserve our heritage of freedom, and let us reconsecrate ourselves to the task of promoting an enduring peace so that their efforts shall not have been in vain. I also direct the appropriate officials of the Government to arrange for the display of the flag of the United States on all public buildings on Veterans Day. (www1.va.gov/vetsday/)

COVNA Email list has
21 households and is growing!

Email tabonyproductions@austin.rr.com with yout name(s) to be added to this early warning and neighborly list. We would like to add you to our group.
FROM THE PRESIDENT

Maybe as a result of Halloween, an eerie silence has been emanating from Doug DuBois. He has nothing to say this month.
No news is good news, it’s been said, but not by the news editor.
COVNA HOLIDAY PARTY

The annual COVNA holiday party will be held Monday, December 20th in the fellowship hall (around the corner from our normal meeting room) at the Southwest Church of Christ. Good company, good food, and officer elections. All are welcome.
CITY HALL OPENING
AUSTIN STYLE

Austin City Hall Grand Opening Showcases Building, Services

An Austin-style, free event with local bands and fun for the whole family will highlight the Austin City Hall Grand Opening Celebration Nov. 20 unveiling Austin’s new landmark building and public plaza.
Festivities begin at 11 a.m. with the dedication ceremony. Entertainment, including perform-ances by W. C. Clark, The Cornell Hurd Band, the Nash Hernandez Orchestra, and The Malford Milligan Band with special guest Kelly Doze will last until 5 p.m. The celebration is being funded by private donations.

Exhibits showcasing City services will include children’s activities. There will be lots of giveaways and refreshments.
The New City Hall/Public Plaza is north of Cesar Chavez Street, covering the downtown block between Lavaca and Guadalupe streets. The copper wrapped structure just north of Town Lake was designed by acclaimed architect Antoine Predock of New Mexico after extensive public input.
The four-story structure includes the Council Chambers and offices and separate meeting space for City Boards and Commissions. It will also include a store and café.

About 300 City employees will work at the building. The building, 301 W. Second St., includes offices for the City Manager and Assistant City Managers as well as space for the Budget Office, City Auditor, City Clerk’s Office, Economic Growth and Redevelopment Services Office, Finance Director, Government Relations Office, Law Department, and the Public Information Office.
For more information: www.cityofaustin.org/cityhall.
WATER, WATER
COOL, CLEAR WATER
If you, like me, missed the explanation of why city water tastes like dirt theses days, here is most of the Water Department’s answers to users’ frequently asked questions taken from their website and abridged:

Some people have described the taste as grassy, most have described it as earthy (dirt-like) or musty.

The off taste is usually most noticeable after an algae bloom. The Utility regularly monitors its raw water and has noticed a dramatic increase in algae counts in the Colorado River starting in mid-October. These high counts might be attributable to the unusually warm fall weather or possibly to turnover of water in Lake Travis.

The water is safe. The Utility checks the quality of its water several times a day at the plants and in the distribution system. All tests have been well within acceptable ranges.

The last time Austin experienced an off taste of this magnitude was in 1990. Smaller episodes occurred in 1991 and 1995.
Because the algae by-products are difficult to remove through conventional water treatment, we have modified our treatment process by adding powdered activated carbon, which is known to remove many taste and odor causing compounds.

Refrigerating drinking water in an open container will reduce the off taste. The off taste is caused by a dissolved gas that will dissipate by letting the water sit overnight.

The last time an event of this magnitude occurred the off taste lasted about four weeks.
EDITOR’S CORNER
DOUG TABONY

Vote Early, Vote Often – Part II

Americans, and Texans especially, according to the stereotype, think on a grand scale. Sometimes this is not the only viewpoint to take. Seeing the landscape at 70 mph can leave lasting impressions, but stopping to look at single flowers, rocks, and birds can give us a deeper understanding and appreciation.
Some voting statistics:

In our precinct (355), 68% (2400 of 3528) of registered voters cast their ballots in the ’04 General Election. While far from 100%, it exceeded the Travis County average of 64%. In the 2002 General Election, 42 % of those eligible voted in 355. The combined turnout of voters in the ’04 Primaries was 17%.
But the lowest turnout recently was a mere 313 voters (10%) in May who helped decide the fate of the Travis County Hospital District, an AISD Board Member, 3 ACC Trustees, and a Municipal Proposition, I am sorry to say, I can’t remember.

Too many people view the election landscape at 70 mph. Get out of the car. Learn about and vote on issues that directly affect your quality of life, your child’s education, and your pocketbook. If you want your vote to really count, vote in every election including the lower profile local elections.
CONDOLENCES OFFERED

Doris (Donny) Timmerman, resident of Castlewood Forest for the past 20 years and an active member of COVNA, passed away on November 1st, at Christopher House in Austin.

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