South Central Austin Edition | May 2025

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South Central Austin Edition VOLUME 18, ISSUE 2 MAY 31JUNE 30, 2025 Wildfire risk intensifies

Half of all habitable Austin land is vulnerable INSIDE 12

Austin Parks and Recreation, along with other local wild re mitigation agencies, use a method called broadcast prescribed burning to clear dry vegetation and reduce re risk.

HALEY MCLEODCOMMUNITY IMPACT

Also in this issue

Impacts: Check out makeup brand Jones Road now open on South Congress Avenue (Page 8)

Education: Find out the latest updates on Austin ISD's plan for underperforming schools (Page 14)

Business: Learn how recently relocated toy store Monkey See, Monkey Do! keeps tradition (Page 23)

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About Community Impact

Owners John and Jennifer Garrett launched Community Impact in 2005, and the company is still locally owned today with editions across Texas. Our mission is to provide trusted news and local information that everyone gets. Our vision is to build communities of informed citizens and thriving businesses through the collaboration of a passionate team. Our purpose is to be a light for our readers, customers, partners and each other by living out our core values of Faith, Passion, Quality, Innovation and Integrity.

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SOUTH CENTRAL AUSTIN EDITION

Impacts

North Central

BY HALEY MCLEOD

NORTH AUSTIN

In the news

5 Stinson’s The coee and taco bar closed its North Austin location and will reopen in a nearby food trailer. The new trailer is currently working though the nal details of permitting with the city of Austin.

183

• 4416 Burnet Road, Austin • www.stinsonsbistro.com

6 Paprika The taco truck closed after ve years as owner Margarito Perez prepares to open the concept’s rst brick-and-mortar location near its former spot on North Lamar Boulevard. • Closed May 3 • 6519 N. Lamar Blvd., Austin • www.paprikaatx.com

MOPAC

3 Cavender’s James and Patricia Cavender founded Cavender’s Boot City in 1965, oering just three styles of boots in their small East Texas town. After 60 years, Cavender’s has opened stores across the nation, with 100 locations in 15 states, including two in Austin.

290

Closings

W. 47TH ST.

7 The Brass Tap The Brass Tap has closed its location at The Triangle in North Austin. The craft beer bar and eatery had previously taken over what was formerly Flying Saucer Draught Emporium in August 2023, with the taproom announcing its nal day of business less than two years later in mid-April. The Round Rock location remains open. • Closed April 19 • 815 W. 47th St., Ste. 103, Austin • www.brasstapbeerbar.com 8 Luv Fats The creamery closed its North Austin location, stating on a social media post the company will be raising money to relocate in the future. Luv Fats oered ice cream made from coconut milk and avocados, with avors inspired by owner Chi Ndika’s Kenyan and Nigerian heritage. • Closed May 11

• 8809 Burnet Road, Austin; 4435 S. Lamar Blvd., Austin • www.cavenders.com

MAP NOT TO SCALE

Now open

Coming soon

1 Uptown Cheapskate The fourth Austin-area location of Uptown Cheapskate is now open, buying and selling used clothing. • Opened May 1 • 7501 Burnet Road, Austin • www.uptowncheapskateaustin.com 2 The Hilton Garden Inn Austin Central A new 117-room hotel is now open, featuring event space, a restaurant, bar, tness center and onsite laundry. • Opened April 7 • 860 E. Anderson Lane, Austin • www.hilton.com

4 Lazydaze Coeehouse The coeehouse will specialize in cannabidiol, or CBD, oils—a naturally occurring compound derived from the hemp plant—in coee drinks. The cafe also has two other locations in the Austin-area. • Opening June 1

• 3101 Speedway, Austin • www.lazydazeshop.com

• 7135 N. Lamar Blvd., Austin • www.luvfatsicecream.com

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Impacts

Downtown/West Campus

BY ELISABETH JIMENEZ

5 Mamaka Bowls The smoothie bowl shop opened its rst Austin location in the Seaholm area. Mamaka Bowls serves a variety of smoothies and bowls made with ingredients such as fruits, cacao nibs, granola, protein powder and more. • Opened April 17 • 222 West Ave., Ste. 110, Austin • www.mamakabowls.com 6 Zeds Real Fruit Ice Cream The ice cream business is now serving New Zealand-style soft serve—a blend of vanilla ice cream and fresh fruit—in Tarrytown. The Portland-based shop was founded by The University of Texas at Austin graduates Matt Potter and Caleb Schmidt. • Opened in May • 2727 Exposition Blvd., Ste. 128, Austin • www.zedsicecream.com

MOPAC

What's next

WESTOVER RD.

WINSTED LN.

MOPAC

2 Jo’s Coee The Austin-based coee shop has led a new construction permit for a spot in the West Campus neighborhood, according to a ling with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. Completion is expected for this summer, according

Relocations

to a communications representative. • Expected completion in summer • 701 W. 24th St., Ste. A, Austin • www.joscoffee.com

7 Austin Visitor Center Austin’s center for tours and city activities moved to the historic 1897 Phillips Building, which was once the site of the Benson Motor Company and is a City of Austin Historic Landmark, according to a news release. The new space includes a new coee shop 5th and Brew, space for events and live music, a gift shop, information resources, tours, retail space and more. • Relocated March 8

3 BRB Coee The family-run coee shop oers coee and Middle Eastern bites such as za’atar, feta cheese, olive pies, baklava and more. Started by Tima Mousou and her children Youssef, Rony and Laila Shabo, Youssef BRB Coee is located inside of SpinCycle Coin Laundry. • Opened in April 4 Coppertank Pool Hall The downtown pool hall, owned by Bob Woody, oers 13 pool tables, specialty shots, beer, bites and more. • Opened April 2 • 504 Trinity St., Austin • www.coppertankpoolhall.com • 3501 Guadalupe St., Austin • Instagram: @brbcoffee_atx

• 103 E. Fifth St., Austin • www.austintexas.org

Now open

1 Bésame The Austin-based business is now scooping ice cream at the Littleeld’s Tacos and Coee outdoor venue. Guests can enjoy ice cream and an expanded menu including coee and pastries. The new Bésame location takes over the spot previously occupied by the Get Cookie Rich business which is currently on “pause,” according to a social media post. • Opened in April

Closings

8 Royal Blue Grocery The bodega-style corner store will close a location near Sixth Street this summer due to public safety concerns, as previously reported by Community Impact . Royal Blue Grocery has six other Central Austin locations still open. • Closing in June

• 2401 Winsted Lane, Austin • Instagram: @besameatx

• 609 Congress Ave., Austin • www.royalbluegrocery.com

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Impacts

South Central

BY ELLE BENT, SARAH HERNANDEZ & HALEY MCLEOD

• 3005 S. Lamar Blvd., Bldg. B, Unit 105A, Austin • www.bodybarpilates.com

Now open

ALLANDALE RD.

What’s next

MOPAC

5 Oak Haven Massage The massage studio will open a location beneath the Frank Condos, according to a ling with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation.

• 900 S. First St., Ste. 150, Austin • www.oakhavenmassage.com

Relocations

BARTON SKYWAY

6 Wet Salon The hair salon relocated from 2004 S. Congress Ave. into IMAGE Studios. Its stylists oer haircuts, coloring, natural hair care, extensions and more. • Relocated in March • 4403 S. Congress Ave., Austin • www.wetsalonatx.com

2 Method Pilates The Houston-based, sister-owned Pilates studio is now open in the Bouldin Creek neighborhood. Method Pilates was founded in 2017 by Adele and Ashton Verrengia, who were born and raised in Austin. • Opened April 26 • 1600 S. First St., Ste. 130, Austin • www.methodpilates.com

In the news

7 Bouldin Creek Cafe The woman-owned vegetarian and vegan restaurant will celebrate its 25th anniversary on June 15. Owner Leslie Martin said she opened the cafe because she thought Austin needed more quirky, neighborhood businesses. • 1900 S. First St., Austin • www.bouldincreekcafe.com 8 Austin’s Select Market New grocer Austin's Select Market is now open in three locations across Austin, replacing what was previously the storefronts for Thom's Market. The new grocer oers specialty items, local products, a bakery, wine and beer. • Opened April 22 • 8A 1418 Barton Springs Road, Austin 8B 160 E. Riverside Drive, Austin 8C 5901 Burnet Road, Austin

MAP NOT TO SCALE

Now open

Coming soon

1 Jones Road The clean beauty brand from makeup artist Bobbi Brown opened its rst Texas storefront in Austin, oering the Jones Road product line and makeup services, including shade-matching, lessons and applications. The space is also available for private events. This is the ninth Jones Road storefront and the rst in Texas. The brand also has locations in New York, New Jersey, Florida and Illinois. • Opened April 17

3 High Road DelicaTexan Chefs Russell Dougherty and Ryan Wilson, along with the team behind The Cavalier, will open a brick-and- mortar serving gourmet sandwiches and sausages. • Slated to open this summer • 915 W. Mary St., Austin • https://highroaddeli.square.site 4 Bodybar Pilates The Pilates studio will open later this year, according to the business’s Instagram. Bodybar Pilates oers

• 1714b S. Congress Ave., Austin • www.jonesroadbeauty.com

reformer Pilates classes. • Slated to open this fall

@maudiestexmex

Maudie’s Tex-Mex

COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM

290

Impacts

East Austin

BY ELLE BENT & HALEY MCLEOD

EAST AUSTIN

Coming soon

In the news

5 Dogdrop The California-based dog day care will open in Austin at the Platform Apartments. The location will be owned by brothers Diego and Josue Andonie, who plan to bring multiple Dogdrop locations to Austin, according to a news release. • Opening Fall 2025 • 2823 E. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Austin • www.dogdrop.co

In the news

183

6 Haute European Salon and Beauty Products

3 Blue Owl Brewing The Austin-based brewery is under new ownership. Brothers Tony and Ian Norris, in partnership with original co-founder and executive brewer Je Young, took over the business on April 23. • 2400 E. Cesar Chavez St., Ste. 300, Austin • www.blueowlbrewing.com

The salon celebrated 10 years of business in Mueller in early May. Haute oers hair services including haircuts and color.

• 4533 Ruiz St., Austin • www.haute-salon.com

S . L A K E S H O R E

973 Avenue. Both locations oer a selection of rotating beers on draft, bottles and a cocktail menu. The Wheel is managed by FBR Management, behind other bars including Star Bar, Mean Eyed Cat and Gibson Street Bar. • 1902 E. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Ste. B, Austin • www.thewheelaustin.com 7 The Wheel Neighborhood bar The Wheel celebrated 10 years in East Austin this May. In March, the company expanded with a second location, The Wheel Too, on South Congress

MAP NOT TO SCALE

• Opened April 18 • 1333 Shore District Drive, Ste. 606, Austin • Instagram: genbobabeecoffee

Now open 1 J.Crew Factory

130 TOLL

71 2 Gen BobaBee and Coee House The newest location of the tea and coee shop is now open in East Riverside, oering bubble tea, smoothies and coee. The shop can also be found o North Lamar Boulevard in Chinatown Center. The clothing retailer is now open in Mueller Regional Retail Center, oering men and women’s apparel. J.Crew Factory has other Austin-area stores, including in Sunset Valley. • Opened April 3 • 1201 Barbara Jordan Blvd., Ste. 620, Austin • https://factory.jcrew.com

4 Discada After seven years serving Northern Mexico-style tacos o Rosewood Avenue, the Michelin Guide-recognized food truck has now moved to sports bar Chalmers, oering longer hours and an expanded menu. The taco truck is owned by Anthony Pratto and Xose Velasco. • Relocated May 5 • 1700 E. Cesar Chavez St., Austin • www.discadatx.com

Closings

8 The Skylark Lounge The live music venue and bar closed after 12 years of business in early May. The venue was known for hosting blues artists. • Closed May 4 • 2039 Airport Blvd., Austin

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Government

BY HALEY MCLEOD & BEN THOMPSON

Costs limiting local internet access A recent local study found 69% of those without internet access countywide said they couldn’t aord it. The big picture Reyda Taylor, a Travis County employee and research fellow, said barriers remain despite widely available broadband infra- structure. She described a “mixed bag” of proposed solutions in a technology environ- ment leaving people behind via “uncoordi- nated exclusion.” Census data shows 23,381 households in Travis County don’t have internet access, including 8,836 school children. Looking forward Austin is refreshing its Digital Inclusion Strategic Plan and the county will revisit the item in the future to oer more support. Meanwhile, billions in funding to expand access are suspended due to ongoing federal government realignment.

Austin remains o 10-year aordable housing goals Despite adding tens of thousands of homes and apartments, development in Austin from 2018-23 continued to lag behind ambitions set in the city’s Strategic Housing Blueprint. The big picture The blueprint was adopted in 2017 with goals to add 60,000 aordable units and 75,000 for all income levels over a decade. Austin was just over one-third of the way to its aordable housing goal as of 2023—the plan’s sixth year—according to new reporting by the city and nonprot Housing- Works Austin. By the numbers While total aordable housing gains are behind the blueprint’s 10-year pace, almost 5,000 new income-restricted units were added citywide in 2023 alone led by communities in East Austin. Council districts east of I-35 were all roughly on track or ahead of their six-year benchmarks. On the other hand, central and western council districts remain behind target and have less new aordable development now taking place, continuing a persistent trend. Despite goals to produce thousands of spaces for extremely low-income residents, only a handful— just over 400 units—have been added in that range. The community was also o the mark for new permanent supportive housing for tenants exiting homelessness as of 2023, although hundreds of units have since opened or are in development. What’s next Given rising housing costs and rapid population growth, the city will update the housing blueprint supported by a federal planning grant. Local marijuana policy may be repealed Austin’s voter-approved ordinance limiting local marijuana enforcement could soon be overturned, after a Texas appeals court sided with a state challenge to the policy. The big picture Austinites approved Proposition A in May 2022,

Aordable housing production, 201823

Austin’s Strategic Housing Blueprint called for 60,000 new aordable housing units to be built in a decade, with dierent goals for districts.

10-year goal

Built

Under construction

District 1: 69% of goal met

District 2: 86% of goal met

District 3: 57% of goal met

District 4: 76% of goal met

District 5: 31% of goal met

District 6: 21% of goal met

District 7: 35% of goal met

Access barriers

District 8: 14% of goal met

Many survey respondents cited a need for better service and better provider options.

Price: 69% Other: 21%

District 9: 30% of goal met

Poor quality, service: 15% Internet not available: 13% Credit card or deposit: 7% Long-term contract: 7%

District 10: 0.9% of goal met

10k

Housing Units

SOURCE: CITY OF AUSTIN, HOUSINGWORKS AUSTIN COMMUNITY IMPACT

SOURCE: TRAVIS COUNTY AND CITY OF AUSTIN INPERSON SURVEY COMMUNITY IMPACT

The case will now head back to the lower court. The court’s judgment came about a week after a similar outcome in Paxton’s challenge to a San Marcos ordinance; both cities argued their cases together before the 15th Court panel in February. Austin ocials said they asked for the ruling to be reconsidered. In a statement, the city said it “believes the Court did not suciently analyze its argument that the state law preempting the ordinance was unconstitutional.”

stopping police from issuing citations or making arrests for most low-level marijuana misdemeanors. Austin is one of a group of Texas cities where residents voted for similar ballot measures. Attor- ney General Ken Paxton has sued several, includ- ing Austin, over the adoption of such ordinances by city ocials after those elections. A district court judge ruled against the state in 2024, but Paxton appealed. On April 24, the 15th Court of Appeals reversed the lower court’s decision and sided with the state’s push for a temporary injunction to block Austin’s ordinance.

SOUTH CENTRAL AUSTIN EDITION

Wildre risk intensies From the cover

The big picture

However, with 100-degree weather settling in, the risk of wild re is elevated as the area’s vegetation dries out, according to re ocials. A recent report from the Texas Comptroller’s Oce found that 85% of wild res in Texas ignite within just 2 miles of a community—putting an estimated 94,673 homes across the metro at moderate to high risk of wild re damage. An April 10 update to the city’s Wildland-Urban Interface, WUI, code revealed that more than half of all habitable land is at risk of wild re destruction, a 38% increase from a decade ago.

That said, in terms of severity, probability and likelihood, Travis County is considered only at moderate wild re risk presently, said Nick Perkins, Travis County Emergency Service District No. 2 re chief. Perkins, who has been with ESD No. 2 since 1998, said wild re risk tends to ebb and ow in cycles, based on local weather patterns. He noted that while some wild re seasons have been especially active, Travis County has never recorded a wild re-related death.

As summer approaches, local ocials are urging residents to prepare for a potential wild re season in Central Texas. This year, 21 wild res have burned over 11,000 acres across Central Texas, Travis County Commissioner Ann Howard said. In recent years, the Austin area has been among communities with the highest wild re risk nationwide, according to evaluations by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the U.S. Forest Service.

Wildfire risk zones The Wildland-Urban Interface maps indicate where wildland vegetation intermixes with urban areas to identify wild re risk areas. Proximity zones A and B represent areas with the highest risk, but newly adopted changes expand Proximity Zone C to create a “buer zone” and designate more of Austin within a risk zone.

2015

2024

45 TOLL

183

130 TOLL

620

290

MOPAC

360

Wildlands*

Proximity Zone C: within 1.5 miles of 750+ acre wildland or 0.5 miles of 40+ acre wildland Proximity zones A & B: within 50-150 feet of 40+ acre wildland

130 TOLL

290

183

45 TOLL

*REPRESENTS 2024 CLASSIFIED WILDLAND; 2015 WILDLAND DATA UNAVAILABLE

45 TOLL

SOURCE: AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT WILDFIRE DIVISION¦COMMUNITY IMPACT

A closer look

Austin-area wildres at a glance Between Jan. 1, 2020, and March 20, 2025: 10K+ wild re calls were elded by local re departments 400 measurable acres burned* 23 of 63 Travis County ZIP codes considered to have an “elevated” or “high” wild re risk**

Steiner Ranch, have faced the highest wildre risks; however, the new WUI map indicates new risk areas in South Austin and neighborhoods just west of downtown, like Cherry Creek, St. Elmo and Tarrytown. Bock said these wildre risks stem from “heavy vegetation” and dicult topog- raphy to navigate when responding to wildres. He also noted that previous winter storms have left downed trees and dry brush countywide, which provides extra fuel for res. Although local departments routinely work to clear brush and reduce potential re fuels, about 70% of properties in the WUI are privately owned.

One contributing factor lies in Austin’s substantial WUI zone where developed and undeveloped areas meet. Southeast and southwest Travis County in particular pose similarly high risks of wildre but for dierent reasons, said David Bock, a wildre mitigation specialist with the Austin Fire Depart- ment. He said on the east side of Austin, headed toward Del Valle, high-density development has led to closely built structures along re-suscepti- ble grasslands, making it easier for re to transfer buildings quickly. Historically, neighborhoods in West Austin, like

*THESE FIGURES ARE ESTIMATES AND COULD BE AN UNDERCOUNT, PER OFFICIALS. **FIND A MAP OF HIGH RISK ZIP CODES AT WWW.ATXWILDFIREHUB.COM

SOURCE: AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT WILDFIRE DIVISIONCOMMUNITY IMPACT

COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM

BY BRITTANY ANDERSON & HALEY MCLEOD

Measuring the impact

Call to action

Major U.S. cities at risk of wildre damage Number of homes at risk

Local emergency service departments have collaborated to launch a multiagency program to increase “home hardening.” Announced May 14, the FLAME initiative aims to educate homeowners and builders on proactive ways to reduce wild re risk. Routinely ensuring the house has 5 feet of defensible space will increase the likelihood of a home surviving a wild re and gives re ghters a safe area to work. A defensible space is a buer between a home and surrounding vegetation or debris, such as trees, brush or even missing roof shingles. Property owners may also request a free Structural Ignition Zone Evaluation from the Austin Fire Department. A trained wild re adviser will walk around the residence, oering tips on how to make it more resistant to wild re and providing evacuation advice.

Rising wildre risk in the area has driven up construction costs—from materials and labor to insurance—said Paul Oliver, owner of Oliver Custom Homes. The current WUI code states any properties that back up to a greenbelt must use nonam- mable building materials, but some insurance companies that provide builders risk insurance policies won’t insure homes in areas with high wildre risk, he said. Some homeowners outside city limits are willing to spend the extra money on these materials to try and keep insurance premiums down or receive discounts, he said. “Homeowners are looking for that because they don’t have the re departments that we have here in the city, and they don’t have the re mitigation [or] even the water supplies,” Oliver said.

Cost of reconstruction

Los Angeles, CA 245,670 Riverside, CA 210,859 San Diego, CA 138,600

$186.6B

$112.8B

$87.9B

Austin, TX 94,673

$40.6B

San Antonio, TX 78,207

$29.1B

Denver, CO 68,928 $32.4B

SOURCE: TEXAS COMPTROLLER, US FIRE ADMINISTRATIONCOMMUNITY IMPACT

Tips for making homes more re-resistant

Clear debris away from home and decks.

What’s being done

Clean gutters regularly, covered or guarded gutters preferred.

agencies have partnered to oer wildre training courses. Held in alternating years between West and East Austin, the program gives reghters and land managers hands-on experience to respond to wildres. The Austin Fire Department became the largest force in the U.S. last summer to move all of its members through an advanced wildre response program.

While more populated areas are less suscepti- ble to wildres, brush res are still common due to greenbelts and parks, Jollyville Fire Depart- ment Chief Brad Landi said. “You have urban and wildland [areas] next to each other or surrounding each other, and then you have the problems that grow because you’re trying to do both wildland reghting as well as structural reghting,” Landi said. Over the last decade, several Central Texas

Install mesh screening over vents.

Establish noncombustible siding or fencing connected directly to home.

Plant vegetation and landscaping 5 feet away from home, ame-resistant vegetation preferred.

SOURCE: TRAVIS COUNTY EMERGENCY SERVICES DISTRICT NO. 2 COMMUNITY IMPACT

For more information, call 311 or visit www.AustinTexas.gov/Bond2026

A General Obligation (GO) Bond is a funding tool that allows cities to borrow money to pay for major community projects like streets, libraries, or open spaces. Influence how bond dollars are invested. Participate in meetings, take our survey, and share your thoughts online to help inform the decision-making process.

SOUTH CENTRAL AUSTIN EDITION

Education

Transportation

BY CHLOE YOUNG

BY BRITTANY ANDERSON & HALEY MCLEOD

Stipends o ered to top teachers for failing schools Austin ISD will oer up to $20,000 in stipends to incentivize high-performing educators to teach at three low-performing middle schools next year. The hiring eort is part of AISD’s plan to restart Dobie, Webb and Burnet middle schools and avoid state intervention following two years of failed accountability ratings. “This is going to change how we fundamentally sta campuses in our

Northeast ECHS modernization begins Construction work is ocially underway to modernize Northeast Early College High School and International High School—a 70-year-old campus in Northeast Austin. By January 2028, the joint schools are slated to receive new academic and admin- istrative buildings, community and mental health centers as well as athletics renova- tions and expansions. “These improvements are about creating opportunities for every student to thrive,” Superintendent Matias Segura said at a groundbreaking ceremony May 14. “Every detail matters when it comes to building safe, supportive and inspiring places to learn.” Funding for the $117.86 modernization project was approved by voters in the district’s $2.44 bond election in 2022.

Bikeshare fare hike could impact local students Less than a year after Austin’s public transit provider CapMetro rolled out its electric-assist Bikeshare program, the transportation agency has proposed increases in fares in order to sustain costs. The overview The changes will raise the pay-as-you-go fare and cut the included ride time before overtime fees kick in from 60 to 30 minutes. Ocials say the updates are meant to help cover operation and maintenance costs of the new high- tech bike system and to encourage shorter rides with more frequent docking. These rate adjustments will go into eect Aug. 1, after unanimous board approval April 21. Of note Fare increases will also impact day, month and annual passes.

Road work on Burnet Road continues A variety of road improvements along Burnet Road between Koenig Lane and MoPac are continuing, with some work expected to begin later this year. Some context Scheduled work for the Burnet Road Mobility Program includes: • White Horse Trail to US 183, or C2 • Bright Verde Way to MoPac, or C3 • US 183 to Bright Verde Way, or C4 Major construction along Burnet Road ¢rst began in 2022. C2 and C4 construction is slated to begin Fall 2025, with C3 construc- tion beginning in 2026. The city anticipates investing between $45 million to $55 million from the 2016 Mobility Bond on the Burnet Road improvements.

Bikeshare fare structure

CapMetro o cials approved increases to its pay-as-you- go Bikeshare fare structure, to be implemented in August.

Current price

Proposed price

$10

$8 $6 $4 $2 $0

district to make sure that we have the most highly- e ective teachers in front of our students that are most vulnerable.” BRANDI HOSACK, AISD CHIEF TALENT STRATEGY OFFICER

Hiring new sta and implementing the stipends is expected to cost $1.5 million-$1.7 million per campus, Brandi Hosack, AISD chief talent strategy ocer said. The district is aiming to hire nearly 100 teachers with over three years of experience at the three campuses. Some current teachers at the campuses may meet these standards while others may be replaced. Teachers who are removed from their positions will be oered dierent roles in the district. The background Dobie, Webb and Burnet middle schools

10 15 20 25 30

Minutes

SOURCE: CAPMETROCOMMUNITY IMPACT

Student passes—though now expanded to include trade schools, nursing schools, high schools and other educational institutions—will be over ¢ve times more expensive, jumping from $12 annually to $75. Students account for 90% of its total Bike- share ridership, per CapMetro documents. “For a lot of students $75 is a lot—it could be the dierence between maybe buying a textbook or having enough money [for food],” said CapMetro board member Zo Qadri.

received a second consecutive year of F ratings from the state in 2023, according to ratings released by the TEA on April 24. This has required AISD to submit a turnaround plan for each campus to the TEA by June 30. In May, students at the three schools staged walkouts during school hours to protest the potential stang changes.

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MORE STELLAR THAN USUAL!

A TOUR OF THE STATE, MADE ESPECIALLY FOR COMMUNITY IMPACT MAY 2025

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

DETOURS: Hoodoos in Big Bend Ranch State Park CRITTER: The Caprock Bison

OUT THERE: Meanwhile, in Texas MADE IN TEXAS: Music Makers FEATURE PREVIEW: Meet the Texperts

Above: Big Bend Ranch State Park.

SOUTH CENTRAL AUSTIN EDITION

DETOURS

Clods and Monsters

Location: In Big Bend Ranch State Park, 26 miles west of the Barton Warnock Visitor Center BY PAM LEBLANC WALKING AMONG the weird spires of rock that sprout like giant mushrooms in Big Bend Ranch State Park feels like wandering the set of the original Star Trek series. The sand-colored hoodoos—some as tall as a two-story building—look otherworldly, but they developed natu- rally. Eons of wind and rain have scrubbed away softer materials such as fine-grained mudstone and porous tu at the base of the columns, leaving caps of hardened rock at the top. Use your imagination and you might see a human-shaped figure, a lumpy rendition of a troll, or a colossal bird egg balanced on a pedestal. These “fairy towers” famously appeared in the closing scenes of Boy- hood, Richard Linklater’s 2014 coming-of-age drama. An easy stop if you’re driving through the park, the Hoodoos Trail is about a mile long. If you’re not up for the walk, a shaded picnic table oers views of the hoodoos, the Rio Grande, and Mexico beyond.

acres, “they’re usually just cud chewing and wallowing and walking around like they have all day to do nothing,” says Na- talie Smith, a park interpreter. Still, she warns visitors to stay at least fifty yards, or half the length of a football field, away from a bison—and even more during rutting season, which typically lasts from June to September, when they can be aggressive. “If you get two bulls that are equally dominant and are physically equals, they can fight, and they will,” says park superintendent Donald Beard. “We have had bulls killed by other bulls.”

The bison at Caprock Canyons State Park, in the Panhandle, default to photogenic docility, as befits a noble symbol of the American West. They are the descendants of five herds, in- cluding one created by Charles and Mary Ann Goodnight, who in 1878 rescued several calves during the great slaughter that made the once plenti- ful bovines a rarity. There are other herds on private land, but Caprock’s has been designat- ed the o cial herd of Texas, a celebrity status the bison seem unaware of. Mostly unrued by the campers and day hikers who visit the park’s 15,314

YIKES. HOW DO I AVOID IRRITATING A BISON? Leave appropriate space be- tween yourself and any animal capable of tap dancing on your organs, and look out for signs of agitation. “If their tail is in the air, like it’s flagging, you need to step back,” says Smith. Ditto if it’s swinging its head from side to side. WHAT SHOULD I DO IF I’M BEING CHARGED BY ONE? Beard says, “If you get into a situation where you’ve been charged, it’s too late.”

The Caprock Bison CRITTER OF THE MONTH

OH. —Lauren Larson

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MADE IN TEXAS

The Sound Machinists A Houston-area company creates modern synthesizers with vintage vibes for Joe Walsh, Duran Duran, and LCD Soundsystem. BY MICHAEL HALL

OUT THERE

Meanwhile, In Texas

In the right hands—customers include Chro- meo, Duran Duran, LCD Soundsystem, and nu- merousfilmandTVsounddesigners—theycan create audio that is human and otherworldly, animated and moody, hard and soft. “The idea that synths are just beeps and bloops is not accurate at all,” says Mike Gra- ham, an engineer and the vice president of business development. “They can sound creepy; they can sound angry; they can sound happy or sad. They can sound inquisitive.” The company’s roots go back to 1969, when Roger Arrick, then an eight-year-old living in suburbanFortWorth,firstheardSwitched-On Bach, an album of the composer’s songs played on the synthesizer created by Robert Moog. To read the rest of this story and stories about other independent makers in Texas, subscribe to Texas Monthly.

THE BUILDING’S WALLS sometimes shake with a sonic rumble. Other times, it’s like a spaceship is flying overhead or as if the elec- tronic duo Daft Punk has reunited in this pleasant industrial park in Stafford, thirty minutes from downtown Houston. But it’s just business as usual at the workshop head- quarters of Synthesizers.com. Thecompanyhasmadeanalogmodularsyn- thesizers for nearly thirty years. The instru- ments are based on the classic Moog (rhymes with “vogue”) synths of the sixties and sev- enties, but these modern-day machines are cheaper and easier to play. They are elegant, with black panels, silver knobs, and red lights.

Numerous attendees at a pickle- themed event in New Braunfels claimed that it was a fiasco, with one unhappy patron posting that she “didn’t even get 1 pickle” and that organizers “should have called it the dusty long line festival.” A pig named Peppa and a blind dog named Amy were reunited with their owner after the lost pair trotted along- side U.S. 290 and wandered into a general store in Austin’s Harris Branch neighborhood. Drivers of two vacuum trucks caused a large explosion and fire after they al- legedly attempted to steal petroleum from a pipeline maintenance station near Orla. The discovery of more than one hun- dred human teeth buried in the yard of a Hondo home prompted an investiga- tion by local police, who found out that the previous owners of the property were dentists who may have been fol- lowing a tradition of burying teeth for good luck . A state representative from Smithville introduced a bill called the Forbidden Unlawful Representation of Roleplay- ing in Education (FURRIES) Act, which would ban “non-human” behavior in schools, such as wearing a tail. A substation explosion at Texas Tech University caused widespread power outages and the eruption of green flames from manhole covers across campus. —Meher Yeda

Mike Graham operates a Studio-110 system at the Synthesizers.com oce in Staord.

SOUTH CENTRAL AUSTIN EDITION

Space Center Houston tour guide Irwin Stewart.

for a movie about space to get a VIP tour from Stewart, though he has guided actor Natalie Portman, who portrayed an astronaut in 2019’s Lucy in the Sky, and director Alfonso Cuarón, an Oscar winner for 2013’s Gravity . You just have to reserve a spot on one of Stewart’s week- days-only excursions, which cost about $200 per person and are limited to small groups. With light gray hair styled in the manner of Albert Einstein’s, the 56-year-old Stewart is expressive and enthusiastic, often peppering conversations with “Did you know that?” He and eleven others on the Space Center’s sta give these specialized tours, and Stewart is comfortable with famous visitors. He is also a certified commercial pilot who spent more than a decade as an aircraft-maintenance in- structor. In other words, he can go deep on all things that fly. He can easily talk for three hours, the average length of a tour, and show no sign of flagging. Stewart greets me on a hot fall day at the entrance to Space Center Houston and makes small talk while he escorts me around the back of the building to a black SUV. Then, as he drives onto the NASA campus, he launch- es into tour guide mode. His voice becomes louder and more animated. “There’s one hundred buildings on this cam- pus! Each has its own specialty.” To read the rest of this article about Stew- art and more of our favorite tour guides all across Texas, subscribe to Texas Monthly.

IF YOU’VE BEEN among the million-plus annual visitors to Space Center Houston, the museum at NASA’s Johnson Space Center, you’ve probably seen the Apollo 17 command module, walked through the replica of the space shuttle Independence, and touched a moon rock. You may have even taken a tram to the 1,600-acre working campus behind the museum and walked up to the Saturn V rocket —more than thirty stories tall—lying on its side like a giant in repose. But have you met Irwin Stewart? You don’t have to be a celebrity preparing

FEATURE PREVIEW

Meet the Texperts Tour guides, park rangers, and docents interpret our state in wildly different ways, but their mission is the same: tell a story no one would ever want to walk away from. BY KATY VINE

TEXAS MONTHLY : WRITTEN BY TEXANS FOR TEXANS FOR MORE THAN FIFTY YEARS. JOIN OUR COMMUNITY OF READERS.

TEXASMONTHLY.COM/TEXAN Subscribe to Texas Monthly for just $9 and never miss a story!

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Events

BY SARAH HERNANDEZ

Pride Picnic Pease Park Conservancy and Future Front Texas will present a community picnic to celebrate Pride Month with music, food, art, crafts, vendors and more. • June 28, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. • Free (admission) • Pease Park, 1100 Kingsbury St., Austin • www.peasepark.org/pride-picnic Austin African American Book Festival The 19th annual festival will showcase local, regional and national authors, activists and historians, with panels, children’s storytimes and more. • June 28, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. • Free (admission) • George Washington Carver Library and Museum, Hartman Foundation Concerts in the Park The Austin Symphony Orchestra will perform free concerts on Sunday evenings. Attendees can bring lawn chairs and blankets to sit on the Long Center’s lawn and enjoy some jazz music, classical music and more. • Through June 29, 7:30 p.m. • Free (admission) • 701 W. Riverside Drive, Austin • www.austinsymphony.org 1165 Angelina St., Austin • www.aaabookfest.org

June

Kid’s Block Party The Austin Public Library will kick o its summer reading challenge with storytimes, activities and more. • June 7, 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m. • Free (admission) • Central Library, 710 W. César Chávez St., Austin • https://library.austintexas.gov Market for Makers Shop for home decor, clothing, art, food and more from independent artists and makers at the Palmer Events Center. • June 7-8, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. • $8-$20 (tickets) Central Texas Juneteenth Celebrate Juneteenth at a parade and festival at Rosewood Park. • June 19, 10 a.m.-9 p.m. • Free (admission) • 2300 Rosewood Ave., Austin • www.juneteenthcentraltexas.com • 900 Barton Springs Road, Austin • www.marketsformakers.com/austin

The Drop-In Presented by The Long Center in collaboration with KUTX 98.9, this free outdoor concert series will return this summer. Every Thursday, a new lineup of artists will take the stage, and guests can bring their lawn chairs and blankets to enjoy the live music. RSVPs are encouraged, though drop-ins are welcome. • Through Aug. 15, 8 p.m. • Free (admission) • The Long Center, 701 W. Riverside Drive, Austin • www.thelongcenter.org/thedropin

7/31/2025.

SOUTH CENTRAL AUSTIN EDITION

• Give at least three feet of space when passing a cyclist. • Check your blind spots before changing lanes. • Slow down in bike-heavy areas. • Always look before opening your car door. This Bike Safety Month, it’s important to pay attention to everyone on the road. SHARE THE ROAD RESPONSIBLY

Look twice for bikes. There’s a life riding on it. www.MobilityAuthority.com

COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM

Business

BY SARAH HERNANDEZ

Monkey See, Monkey Do! reopened at 2810 Menchaca Road, Austin, on May 2.

PHOTO BY ELISABETH JIMENEZCOMMUNITY IMPACT

Monkey See, Monkey Do! sells toys, knick-knacks, games, apparel and more.

PHOTO BY ELISABETH JIMENEZCOMMUNITY IMPACT

Monkey See, Monkey Do! keeps ‘funky vibe’ alive For 20 years, toy shop Monkey See, Monkey Do! brought a nostalgic kind of funky fun to South Congress Avenue.

open a similar store. “I worked all night to put a proposal together,” Hodge said. “I turned it in on Friday, and on Mon- day, I signed a lease. It was that fast... Things don’t happen like that on South Congress anymore.” How it’s going The shop’s move was driven by accessibility and customers’ unwillingness to pay to park. “It was hard for us to dodge the ‘pushed out’ narrative because that’s the assumption,” Hodge said. “No, it just turns out to be the right move sometimes.” Hodge said he is happy to be staying in South Austin. The new space oers free parking and more room to browse and host events.

Brandon Hodge owns Monkey See, Monkey Do!

PHOTO BY SARAH HERNANDEZCOMMUNITY IMPACT

In April, owner Brandon Hodge—also behind Big Top Candy Shop—announced the store’s relocation and, over four days, packed up its eclectic inven- tory of novelties and collectibles and moved it to a new home on Menchaca Road. He hopes the move will see the return of more locally based customers and help the shop return to its “DIY funky vibe” roots. How it started The business rst opened in March 2005. Hodge had been the manager of another gift shop until it closed in 2004, and worked with the landlords to

2810 Menchaca Road, Austin Facebook: Monkey See Monkey Do!

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