Issuu

PLACES TO GO Around the Neighborhood

WEST SIDE STORIES Adeena Reitberger

INSIDE Admirals Club Coronation Ball

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RiverCity

VOLUME 38 ISSUE 9 - SINCE 1986

W E S TA U S T I N N E W S . C O M

SEPT. 25, 2025

‘THE BEST COMMUNITY PARTY OF THE YEAR’

Muny Conservancy Hosts Party to Save Beloved Golf Course

ubbed “the best community party of the year”, this year’s Muny 19th Hole Party, hosted by The Muny Conservancy, helped raise money and increase awareness of the importance of keeping the Lion’s Municipal Golf Course (Muny) open and thriving. More than 800 guests filled the historic Charles Johnson House and its spacious lawn for a night of live music, delicious Tex Mex, libations, and good times. The event raised over $60,000. In 1924, the University of Texas leased 141 acres to the Lion’s Club to build the course. Muny was the first public golf course in Austin and the first desegregated course in the South. Hosting more charity tournaments than any other local golf course, and with seventy five thousand rounds played there each year, Muny is the busiest golf course in Austin. Scotty Sayers, who, along with Ben Crenshaw, serves as the co-chair of The Muny Conservancy, addressed the crowd and stressed the importance of keeping Muny open to continue its legacy. He recognized the University of Texas as being a key supporter since the beginning, a relationship that continues to this day. Sayers called Muny “irreplaceable,” adding that, “We’re looking as hard as we can to find a win-win between Lions and the University of Texas to keep it in place for another hundred years.” He added, “Great cities save their great spaces, and we’ve gotta save Lions.” Muny Board Member Noel Bridges echoed Sayers in highlighting the importance of Muny, noting that it serves as a gathering place for non-golfers as well. She shared how much Muny means to her family and how they enjoy spending time there. Her young daughters love playing at Muny and are now learning to develop their own golf game there. Spending time at Muny is a tradition that she hopes will continue in her family for generations. Bridges commented, “I’m not a big golfer, but I love hanging out there and want it to be part of my family tradition forever, so I’m not letting it go anywhere,” closing with a spirited, “Hook ’em Horns!” To support The Muny Conservancy, visit WWW.THEMUNYCONSERVANCY.COM

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WEST AUSTIN NEWS

SEPT. 25, 2025

Around the Neighborhood: opening

expanding

celebrating

Nicole Sarkar has joined Friends of Balcones as executive director. As the nonproﬁt partner of Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge, Friends of Balcones works with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to conserve and protect the natural beauty, biodiversity, and ecological integrity of the unique region, which is west of Austin and north of Lago Vista in the Texas Hill Country. The refuge was formed in 1992. 4

Gold’s Gym celebrates 60 years in Austin this year and this summer opened a new gym at 7301 Burnet Road. This ﬂagship facility sets a new standard for Gold’s Gym and strength and performance training, with world-class strength equipment, training zones, recovery room, posing room, and advanced cardio equipment. Goldsgym.com or 512-222-6131for info and memberships. 1

ThunderCloud Subs Turkey Trot early registration ends Oct. 1, so Gobble Gobble on over to thundercloud.com to get the deets and register before prices go up. Choose from 5K, 1K, actual, virtual, kids 1K — do it your way. ThunderCloud Subs Turkey Trot is Nov. 27 — Thanksgiving Day at Long Center at 8:30 am — and this is the 35th trot, all of the trots beneﬁtting Caritas of Austin. All of the proceeds from registrations, 100 percent, go to Caritas for their mission to end homelessness for people in Greater Austin through making sure people have a safe home, access to healthy groceries, jobs that provide a reliable living wage, and educational opportunities to learn life skills. 5

Anderson High Homecoming Parade is Sept. 29 at 6:15 p.m. The parade starts north of the school on Cima Serena and winds around Tallwood, Hyridge, Silver Ridge, and Steck to return to the school on Mesa. Anderson Homecoming is Friday, Oct. 3 when the Trojans play Kyle’s Lehman High at Nelson Field. 2

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NAMI Walks Central Texas is Oct. 18 and kicks oﬀ at 8:30 am at Palmer Events Center, 900 Barton Springs Road, for a walk through downtown to the Capitol and back. Participants and teams have raised more than $100,000 of the $175,000 goal for the walk to raise awareness of mental illness and to provide free programming and classes for individuals, families, congregations, and work and school groups provided by NAMI Central Texas. “Mental Health for All” will make a powerful change in communities. Register or donate at namicentraltx.org. 6

The Church at Highland Park on Balcones Drive celebrates pastor Cheryl Kimble’s 25 years in ministry at HP on Oct. 6 in 11 am worship and at lunch after worship. If you were a kid or teen in one of Cheryl’s children’s groups or youth groups, come surprise her with your grown-up self. RSVP at 512-453-6603. 3

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SEPT. 25, 2025

Around the Neighborhood

Eldorado Café celebrates eight years of Old Austin Mexican comfort food, creative margaritas and cocktails, and some of the friendliest service in town at 3300 W. Anderson Lane. Owners Joanna and chef Joel Fried have favorites for everyone. Austin music lover? Try the Shiny Ribs plate or the Kathy Valentine taco. Mourning the demise of Dart Bowl or Les Amis? Get ‘cher Dart Bowl Enchiladas or Lost Amis Bowl. Breakfast 9 till 11, till 1 on Saturdays, open late for dinner Tuesday through Saturday. Pro tip: Resy a couple of weeks ahead, or walk in if you’re feeling lucky. 7

Caswell House and Austin Junior Forum get ready for the holidays with Christmas at Caswell House Nov. 8-13 and Dec. 7. Themes for daily events range from afternoon Mother-Daughter Tea, to Champagne Brunch, to Evening Shopping – with Santa Story Time on Dec. 7. This is Junior Forum’s 40th annual Christmas at the historic Caswell House at 1404 West Ave. See austinjuniorforum.org for descriptions and reservations. 9

LBJ Presidential Library at 2313 Red River hosts McNamara at War: A New History on Tuesday, Sept. 30, 12:15-1:30 pm, with a book talk by authors Philip Taubman and William Taubman moderated by Dr. Mark Lawrence, UT’s Walter Prescott Webb Chair in History. Free and open to the public, with books available for purchase and signing. RSVP at lbjlibrary.org. And if you didn’t go here on Austin Museum Day this month, plan to stay a while to see the exhibits. 8

Strong Pilates has opened at 1717 West 6th St. downtown, oﬀering memberships and class packs. Strong oﬀers low impact and high intensity workouts to innovate your exercise and maximize your performance. Complete with women’s shower area with beauty bar, men’s shower area, cubbies, covered parking. At strongpilates.co, @strong_centralaustin, and 737-265-3536. 10

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Football Memories — Compiled by Forrest Preece

By Daniel Young

General Manager, Dirty Martin’s Place

Dirty Martin’s Place has been a mainstay on the University of Texas campus since 1926. It is also known for hosting several famous University of Texas football players over its illustrious history. I have often heard stories from our customers about Bobby Layne, who attended the University of Texas from 1944 to 1947. He would stop by Dirty’s before his games for a quick burger and beer! This takes us to the 1970s with Earl Campbell, who is still a loyal supporter of Dirty’s today! We have currently done away with carhop service, but when Earl pulls up and flashes his lights, you know we’ll be out there in a jiff. His order, an OT Special, extra onions, and as he likes to say in his iconic Earl Campbell voice, “drag it through the garden.” He also adds a strawberry malt, extra thick. Nowadays not a whole lot has changed. A few years ago, the restaurant began being very active in taking pictures with staff and UT athletes, blowing them up and putting them up on the walls! From the past three years you can

see the likes of Bijan Robinson, T’Vondre Sweat, Ja’Tavion Sanders, Jonathan Brooks, the late Cedric Benson, Kasey Studdard, and many more. All of these athletes are current or former NFL players. In the spring of 2023, Arch Manning made his way to the UT campus before his freshman season even began. Before even his first collegiate practice, he was already a household name. Luckily for the restaurant, Arch stopped by one day that spring and took a picture with some of our kitchen staff. It instantly became our most fashionable photo; so fashionable that one day, it was stolen from the restaurant! Once Dirty’s management realized our beloved Arch picture was stolen, we took to Instagram offering a reward to anyone who might know the whereabouts of the photo. A few days later, it turned up, supposedly found in an elevator in a student condo somewhere off of Nueces Street. The students who returned the photo were all offered Dirty’s gift cards and we now have their photo next to the Arch photo! After this experience, we have made sure that our precious Arch Manning photo

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WESTSIDE

STORIES

SEPT. 25, 2025

By Melanie Moore

Adeena Reitberger BY FO R R E S T P R E E C E

ne thing I love about our town — it contains so many underpublicized miracles. My current case in point is American Short Fiction, which was founded in 1991 by Laura Furman at the University of Texas and is now an independent entity.

Adeena Reitberger, her co-editor Rebecca Markovits, and the rest of their staff oversee this preeminent literary journal. It is ranked among the top ten worldwide and has approximately 4000 subscribers, who receive three issues annually. (The postage cost to send copies to Japan, Germany, and other far-flung destinations is a significant expense, but they like to imagine the stories being read in different corners of the globe.) On a recent afternoon, I sat down with Adeena and enjoyed a conversation about her life, particularly the 13 years she has been with American Short Fiction. When she was growing up in Baltimore, writing was her primary interest. In high school, she was a member of the literary magazine staff, took creative writing classes at the Bethesda Writing Center, and spent time immersed in literature. After she finished her master’s in creative writing at Western Michigan in 2008, she journeyed to Austin because a friend had extolled our town’s virtues to her. And like many people, she stayed. “I was such a sheltered East Coast kid,” Adeena says. “I knew almost nothing about Austin. But I immediately made wonderful friends, and the literary community was electric and inviting.” Adeena started volun-

teering at ASF soon after she moved here, while supporting herself by teaching English at Manor High School, where she launched a literary magazine. Before long, she transitioned to teaching creative writing at Austin Community College. In 2011, the ownership at ASF started having serious discussions about relocating the publication’s headquarters to New York City or elsewhere, but the board prevailed and kept it in place. Soon after, Adeena and Rebecca were named co-editors of the publication. That decision proved to be excellent, and ASF has maintained its solid presence in the literary field. In 2023, LitHub listed the Top Nine Literary Journals, stating, “In order: The New Yorker, Ploughshares, Granta, Zoetrope, The Paris Review, The Southern Review, ZYZZYVA Magazine, American Short Fiction, and McSweeney’s. These are all successful American literary journals with high-profile contributors and outstanding reputations.” Adeena notes that one thing that sets ASF apart is its commitment to thorough editing of the published stories. Rather than publishing stories as they have been submitted, as many literary magazines do, ASF works closely with writers to refine and strengthen their pieces, providing an

Sept. 25, 2025 Volume 38 Issue 9

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editorial rigor that honors the writer’s vision and elevates the final work. The writers aren’t asked to accept every edit, but they are open and appreciative of the process. She says that even the established stars in the writing world are glad to engage in backand-forth discussions, which helps deepen the magazine’s relationships with its contributors. Some of the writers whose works have been published in ASF include Joyce Carol Oates, Joy Williams, Dave Eggers, Dagoberto Gilb, Manuel Muñoz, Roxane Gay, and Kevin Wilson. It’s a testament to the ongoing efforts of their editorial team that the magazine has premier contacts in the literary world and continues to bring in fresh work from top-tier authors. One way the publication maintains its high profile is by awarding its annual Halifax Ranch Fiction Prize, which recognizes fiction under 6,500 words. The prize includes $2,500, a stay at the Tasajillo Residency in Kyle, and publication. Their work has paid off -- in 2019, the magazine was recognized with the Whiting Literary Magazine Prize, one of the most prestigious awards in the literary field. In 2024, ASF was a finalist for the National Magazine Award for Fiction. Speaking of what can happen when a writer gains exposure in ASF, Adeena points to the story of Alejandro Puyana, whose novel, “Freedom Is a Feast,” was published in 2024. In 2018, he submitted a story about street children in Caracas to ASF’s annual contest. ZZ Packer selected it as a winner, and it ran in Issue 68. After that exposure, his story was chosen by Curtis Sittenfeld for Best American Short Stories 2020. Then he was admitted to the Michener Center for Writers. Adeena

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says, “Alejandro’s work is incredibly deserving of all the accolades, but I think it’s fair to say exposure in ASF helped move his career forward more quickly.” Another writer ASF had the pleasure of publishing early in her career is Carrie R. Moore, an Austin-based author whose story collection, “Make Your Way Home,” was published this July. Moore was honored at ASF’s Stars at Night gala this year, and her story “When We Go, We Go Downstream” opens this summer’s issue with a bang. “It’s really special to be in on the ﬁrst part of someone’s career,” Adeena says. ASF has also launched a public reading series, called Stories Sessions. Last year, they brought in Percival Everett, who won the National Book Award for his novel “James” a month later, and hosted the event in the Huston-Tillotson University’s King-Seabrook Chapel. Adeena says that Everett told a fantastic story for about 40 minutes. “Everyone was on the edge of their seats the whole time.” This year, they are bringing Susan Choi, who won the National Book Award

for “Trust Exercise” a couple of years ago, and has written a novel called “Flashlight” that was recently longlisted for the Booker Prize. The free event took place on Friday, September 12. Another ASF program that deserves note is The Insider Prize, which awards non-fiction and fiction prizes to writers incarcerated in the Texas Prison system. I’ve read one of the stories, and it was, to say the least, intense and well-crafted. Every year, ASF’s Stars at Night gala honors a community star. This year, it was Leila Green Little, the lead plaintiff in Little vs. Llano County, who is fighting the state of Texas in a lawsuit about censoring books — a lonely battle in a small town. She was featured in “The Librarians,” a movie that premiered at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. According to Adeena, her story was one of the most moving parts of the program that night, which also featured superstar writer Joy Williams and Carrie R. Moore, among others. In 2023, Adeena and the rest of ASF’s team launched “MFA For All,” a virtual edu-

cational program that aims to make MFA-level instruction more accessible. Hundreds of people nationwide signed up for the first semester. They provide graduate-quality lectures by writers who are hard to access. For example, Kevin Wilson, Elizabeth McCracken, and Tommy Orange (who recently won the National Book Award) will be teaching this fall semester. ZZ Packer, Lauren Groff, and Karen Russell have also taught in past semesters. ASF intentionally keeps prices below market rates to encourage broader participation. With her intelligence, charm, and communication skills, Adeena could have had a terrific career in corporate America. But she’s gone down this path of helping the rest of us experience exciting new fiction and promoting the careers of upcoming literary talents, and she’s happy with her choice. “Literature teaches us to see beyond ourselves, to recognize the worth and wonder in lives that, on the surface, may seem unlike our own. It cultivates the empathy and courage we need to live wisely and care deeply.”

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St. Andrew’s Celebrates Opening of New Athletics Complex and Student Union On Friday, September 5th, the St. Andrew’s Episcopal School (SAES) community joined together to celebrate the grand opening of its new Athletics Complex and Student Union. The 58,000-square-foot facility was completed in under a year and features state-ofthe-art athletic and student life facilities. The complex was made possible through the generosity of donors and the support of the Highlander community. Festivities for the event included a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the $32 million facility, a celebratory balloon drop, and the unveiling of Highland Hall (the student union named by the student body), as well as a blessing of the new facility by Rt. Rev. Katheryn M. Ryan, Bishop Suﬀragan. The K-12 student and community celebration featured spirited performances by the school band, orchestra, choir, the Highlights dance team, and cheer team. For all Highlanders, the Athletics Complex and Student

Union oﬀer state-of-the-art athletic equipment and a wide range of spaces designed for learning, training, and community engagement. The facilities include a competition gym that seats more than 800 spectators, six practice courts, a multi-purpose dance studio that also features a golf simulator, an athletic ﬁlm room for athletes and artists, and a sports performance center focused on technology-enhanced training. “The new Athletics Center and Student Union marks a turning point for our school community, instantly becoming a hub for our student body and parents alike,” said Lisa Miller ’96, St. Andrew’s Capital Campaign Committee Chair, SAS parent, and alumna. Proud and excited parents attended the momentous day for SAES, and students were delighted with the campus expansion. “Highlander Hall feels like the new heart of our campus. It’s a space where we can study, hang out, practice,

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and play, all in one place!” said St. Andrew’s Senior, Madeline Cohen. “To me, its addition makes St. Andrew’s feel even more connected as a commu-

nity, and I’m excited for all the ways students will get to use it together.” Victories capped oﬀ an extraordinary day, with the

SAES girls’ volleyball team succeeding against Lago Vista High School 3-0 and the SAES football team defeating Texas Legacy Football Academy 56-6.

For more information about St. Andrews Episcopal School or to schedule a campus tour, visit their website at www.sasaustin.org.

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WHERE I’M COMING FROM

Craig Calvert

BY FO R R E S T P R E E C E

Bandleader, Murphy‘s In-Laws 1. What’s something about you that not many people know? In 1977, I co-wrote the music for a three-act ballet with the other members of my band, St Elmo’s Fire. The world premiere of ‘Caliban’ was commissioned and performed by the Houston Ballet and debuted at Jones Hall, in Houston, TX. St Elmo’s Fire played live, on stage, during every performance of the rock ballet. The capacity crowds were primarily made up of blue hairs and long hairs. 2. What was your first job? Working as a stocker at Foley’s department store in Houston, while waiting for a future bandmate to graduate from high school. The job wasn’t a good fit for me. My immediate boss referred to me as ‘the main troublemaker’. I kind of took pride in that. Anyway, it didn’t last long because after she received a diploma, we formed the band Wheatfield, and I never worked again. 3. If you could have dinner with three people — dead or alive, at any time in history — who would they be? Only three? That’s tough, but at this moment, I’ll pick Leonardo Di Vinci, Ernest Shackleton, and Melinda French Gates. There would certainly be plenty of topics we could discuss over dinner. 4. If you had to pick three musicians for a playlist, who would they be? This is even more difficult than the last question because I love so many genres of music. If you’ll allow me, I’ll pick three musicians from three genres. Peter Gabriel, Annie Lennox and Prince for my pop playlist, Count Basie, Ray Charles and Jimmy Webb in my American Songbook genre, and Merle Haggard, Emmylou Harris and Hank Williams would round out my country playlist. 5. Favorite book and TV show? My current favorite book is The Little Liar by Mitch Albom and favorite TV show is The Sopranos. 6. Most powerful movie you have seen? Schindler’s List. Hands down. 7. Favorite place in Austin? Barton Springs pool. Unfortunately, I

Ice Ball Gala a BIG Success

PHOTO CREDIT: PAUL MUELLER

don’t get there much anymore, but it is the crown jewel of our city. 8. Favorite restaurant and watering hole For a casual meal, Matt’s El Rancho but for ﬁne dining, my favorite restaurant is Red Ash. It will probably come as no surprise to you that Donn’s Depot is my favorite haunt. I mean, who doesn’t like Donn’s Depot? 9. What did you want to be when you were growing up? Like any other kid, I suppose I wanted to be a ﬁreman or policeman, but that all changed in February of 1964, when the Beatles debuted on the Ed Sullivan Show. After that, in spite of being encouraged to focus on more practical professions, the die was cast. 10. Which living person do you most admire? Volodymyr Zelensky for his courage, tenacity, and love for his country. 11. What makes you happy? Being with family and friends and traveling, of course, but playing music lifts me up. 12. Best advice you ever received? My father used to tell me, “There’s no accounting for taste.” He was right.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Texas (BBBS) recently held its 21st annual Ice Ball Gala at the Downtown JW Marriott. More than 600 attendees enjoyed a glamorous evening that began with a cocktail reception and included a seated dinner, live and silent auctions, and an after-party. The black-tie event raised over $873,000 to support BBBS’ mission of matching adult mentors with youth. The Ice Ball Gala is the signature fundraising event for BBBS. Since its inception in 2005, the Ice Ball has raised millions of dollars to support youth mentoring programs in Central Texas. Kedrick Jeﬀries, CEO of BBBS, remarked, “Mentorship is the key that unlocks opportunity. When young people have someone in their corner, they are more conﬁdent, more resilient, and better equipped to achieve their dreams. Fundraisers like our Ice Ball Gala are so important because they provide the critical funding needed to sustain these life-changing mentoring relationships, and we need that support now more than ever. The generosity we received at Ice Ball ensures that more youth in our

community can experience that connection and build the future they deserve.” Highlights of the evening included the “Fund-a-Friendship” paddle raise in which guests pledged their support to create and sustain a mentoring relationship, valued at $2200 per match. In addition, a local jeweler and a local jewelry designer donated beautiful pieces used as prizes. The live and silent auctions featured extraordinary dining and traveling packages, as well as items uniquely Austin. Items to bid on included dinner prepared by a Michelin-starred chef, a

Caribbean getaway, an ACL weekend pass, and an Austin FC package, to name a few. The glitzy after-party included exciting casino games and a Teakeasy + Tito’s Speakeasy with signature cocktails. Austin’s own “DJ Cassandra” electriﬁed the crowd and had them dancing late into the evening. BBBS currently serves over 500 youth in Central Texas, but many more are still waiting to be matched. If you are interested in volunteering or supporting BBBS, visit their website at www. bigmentoring.org

SEPT. 25, 2025

WEST AUSTIN NEWS

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Red Dot Art Spree 2025 kicked oﬀ its annual fundraiser on Sept. 11 for Women & Their Work, showcasing 163 art works and 131 artists to 400 community members who were entertained with tasty bites, cocktails and mocktails, and music by DJ Mira Mira. The Red Dot 2025 exhibit ran through Sept. 21 and raised $175,000 for Women & Their Work. Rachel Stephens chaired the event. Honorary chairs were Beili Liu and Kathleen Irvin Loughlin. The Red Dot Host Committee was Lee Buckwalter, Gail Chovan, Courtney Cole, Jana Cothren, Alicia Emr, Marjorie Flanagan Kelly Frye, Keli Hogsett, Tobin Levvy, Robin Logan, Marla Mauricio, Liz McGuire, Brittany Petrilli, Claire Warner, and Maggie Wylie. Red Dot celebrates Austin’s vibrant arts community and helps raise vital funds for Women & Their Work to support year-round exhibitions and no-cost art education programs, including It Takes Art to Spell SmART, which reaches 1,100 under-served school kids each year. Women & Their Work, at 1311 E. Cesar Chavez St., is a nonproﬁt arts organization that, for almost 50 years, has been a catalyst for contemporary art created by women who live and work in Texas and beyond. Women & Their Work has brought groundbreaking art to Austin with exhibitions, performances, and educational programs.

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WEST AUSTIN NEWS

SEPT. 25, 2025

Heart Ball’s “Dare to Dream” Theme Imagines an Austin Free from Cardiovascular Disease The 2025 Austin Heart Ball, an American Heart Association (AHA) event, brought together more than 600 community members to support the AHA’s mission of ﬁghting heart disease and stroke. Over $850,000 was raised in that eﬀort. The event was presented by St. David’s Healthcare and held at the JW Marriott. The theme of this year’s Heart Ball was “Dare to Dream”, encouraging guests to imagine an Austin without cardiovascular disease. The elegant evening was not only about looking to the future, it was also an opportunity to celebrate the progress and successes of the previous year. The night included recognition of those whose dedication, determination, and passion have supported AHA’s mission in the past year.

Becket Moore, an Austin teen heart disease survivor and advocate was honored, and Leadership Development Chairperson Eric Gribble presented the Inaugural Heart of Austin Award to AHA Austin Board Chairperson and supporter Virginia Visser. Avery Thomas and Jennifer Sanders from KXAN served as emcees and kept the audience’s energy up, while country music band Lanco provided musical entertainment. Gribble, who serves as Healthcare Core Market Leader with DPR Construction, led the Executive Leadership Team, and ensured that the event was an inspiring celebration of the previous year’s achievements, while looking ahead to next year. To learn more about the American Heart Association and its mission, visit www.heart.org

P HO T O S B Y S AT U R N P HO T O G R A P H Y

WEST AUSTIN NEWS

SEPT. 25, 2025

Preservation Austin Announces 2025 Merit Awards Preservation Austin has announced the winners of its 65th Annual Preservation Merit Awards. The winners for 2025 represent a wide range of eﬀorts to build community and enhance historic spaces across Austin. This year’s Awards Ceremony honors a wide breadth of preservation projects: from the restoration and thoughtful expansion of local residences to the rehabilitation of wellknown city-owned landmarks. The 2025 Stewardship and Special Recognition Awards celebrate the inspiring Austinites who have worked tirelessly to uplift their community’s heritage. They include Kathy Robinson, Alta and Lamont Alexander, and the numerous participants in the Haskell House and the Story of Clarksville documentary, as well as the Equity-Based Preservation Plan. Established in 1960, this juried program celebrates the hard work and visionary approaches of those preserving Austin’s heritage. “We’re thrilled to celebrate this year’s Preservation Merit Award winners and to share their stories with our community,” says Lindsey Derrington, Preservation Austin’s Executive Director. “This is hard, often thankless work, and their contributions to preserving Austin’s heritage are creative and inspiring.” Preservation Austin brings together professionals from the preservation, design, and nonproﬁt worlds to serve on its jury each year and to select exemplary projects with community impact. The 2025 Preservation Merits Awards Jury included: ▲ Awais Azhar, Executive Director, HousingWorks Austin ▲ David Carroll, Partner | Director of Multifamily, Urban Foundry Architecture

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PHOTO CREDIT: MIKALA COMPTON, AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN

PHOTO CREDIT: AUSTIN PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT

▲ Alan Garcia, Program Specialist, Cemetery Preservation Program, Texas Historical Commission ▲ Mark Rogers, Executive Director, Guadalupe Neighborhood Development Corporation ▲ Ashley Salie, Program Coordinator, Texas Preservation Trust Fund Grant Program and Easement Program, Texas Historical Commission Recipients will be honored at The 65th Annual Preservation Merit Awards Celebration at Stubb’s Bar-B-Q on Tuesday, November 18, from 6 pm to 9 pm. This annual celebration is the only one of its kind to honor the everyday Austinites working to preserve Austin’s heritage.

PRESERVATION AWARDS Preservation Award for Rehabilitation ▲ Buford Tower & Kitchens Memorial Chimes Recipient: Austin Parks and Recreation Department

Preservation Award for Restoration ▲ East 9th Street Recipient: David West & Will Klemm Preservation Award for Restoration ▲ Henry G. Madison Cabin Recipient: Parks and Recreation Department in partnership with Austin Parks Foundation Preservation Award for Restoration ▲ San Gabriel Residence Preservation Award for Infillor Addition ▲ Second Century House Recipients: Susan and Mitch Oringer Preservation Award for Rehabilitation ▲ Tisdale Residence Recipients: Chanel and Eric Tarlo

STEWARDSHIP AWARD

▲ Dr. Sidney, Jr. & Helen F. White House Recipients: Alta and Lamont Alexander

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SPECIAL RECOGNITION AWARDS

Recipient: City of Austin Historic Preservation Oﬃce

Special Recognition Award for Media and Scholarship ▲ Equity-Based Preservation Plan

Special Recognition Award for Education ▲ “Haskell House and the Story of Clarksville” Documentary

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PHOTO CREDIT: CASEY DUNN

Recipient: Parks and Recreation Department Special Recognition Award for Public Service ▲ Kathy Robinson

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WEST AUSTIN NEWS

SEPT. 25, 2025

Brumley Family Dedicates New State-of-the-Art Field at WAYA Three generations of the family of prominent Austin ObGyn Dr. Harold Wayne Brumley gathered on opening day of West Austin Youth Association’s (WAYA) soccer season for a ribbon cutting ceremony for the newly renovated Brumley Field. Thanks to H-E-B’s generous support, the multipurpose field now features artificial turf, lighting improvements, new fencing, and a modern drainage system, transforming the field into a state-of-the-art recreational space for the community. Special guests, parents, and children joined the celebration and enjoyed refreshments and live music by Mr. Will before the ceremony. Wayne Brumley, Dr. Brumley’s son, spoke about what the re-dedication means to his family and how the new field will inspire the next generation of young athletes. He praised the H-E-B and WAYA Family Day sponsors for making the field improvements possible, and thanked the University of Texas and City of Austin for their 45 years of support. WAYA Executive Director Melissa Morrow said, “We are here today because a group of community members, members just like you, wanted to make sure youth had a place to play, learn, and grow. In re-dedicating this field to Dr. Brumley, we know he would want us to include the names of the initial Board, including George Ramsey, Neil Kocurek, Einer Juul, Hayes Pitts, Susan Auler, Dan Moody, Ed Small, Ann Coates, Ron Shultz, John Braziel, Bert Tate, Bruno Ybarra, Harold Skaggs, Lee Yeakel, Art Shepperd, Rod Edens, John Genung, Bethea Brindley, Dave Larson, and Dealey Herndon. They had the vision and courage to make it happen.” In the late 1970s, Dr. Brumley envisioned a recreational facility that would provide both indoor and outdoor spaces for youth to play baseball, basketball, and football. He mobilized support from neighbors by going from living room to living room in the evenings after work to solicit help putting up walls, installing plumbing and donating asphalt and electrical services. He even provided his own ranching equipment and bulldozer to clear the land for the facility and field, which were completed in 1980. Over the years, WAYA programs have expanded to include soccer, volleyball, lacrosse, kickball, gymnas-

P HO T O S B Y G E O R G E S C H E M AG I N

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tics, and their own WAYA preschool. WAYA serves over 15,000 kids a year from 50 diﬀerent zip codes through sports, camps, classes, and clinics for youth. One face missing from the large Brumley family in attendance was Maryann Brumley Sayers, a daughter

of Dr. Brumley. She and her family regretted that they were unable to attend, but they were honored to be included and sent well wishes for the ribbon cutting. For more information on WAYA programs and opportunities for support, visit www. waya.org.

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SEPT. 25, 2025

WEST AUSTIN NEWS

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WEST AUSTIN NEWS

SEPT. 25, 2025

Dam That Cancer Breaks Fundraising Record to Aid Cancer Community

P HO T O S B Y R IC K C O RT E Z

Flatwater recently held its 16th annual “Dam That Cancer” fundraiser on Lake Travis. Crew members paddled over ten hours to raise money for the non-profit, which provides mental health counseling to Central Texans who have been impacted by cancer. The 21mile trek began at Jessica Hollis Park at 7 am and concluded at Hula Hut around 6 pm. The paddlers, who battled wind and rain towards the end, raised more than $1.53 million, beating their goal by more than $139,000. After the event, volunteers, families, friends, and community members celebrated at the Post Paddle Party at the LCRA Redbud Center. Hundreds apply each year to be part of the 230 member crew. Past crew members have included Olympic medalists, a Stanley Cup champion, cancer survivors, and local business owners and executives. Since its inception in 2010, Flatwater has raised over $9 million to provide more than 74,000 hours of mental health therapy for cancer-stricken families and loved ones who otherwise could not afford such care. If you are interested in supporting Flatwater, please visit www.flatwater.org.

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