Austin Signal

Austin ISD classes start next week, and after announcing a change in how students will be shuffled to and from campuses, the district has backtracked on bus hubs for middle schoolers.

The proposed development of Dog’s Head in Southeast Austin continues to move forward, despite what some feel is a lack of public input. That’s not stopping neighbors from speaking out.

You’ve got a decent chance to catch some meteors in the Austin sky this week. Where to get the best view of the Perseid meteor shower.

Plus: Waterloo Records has been hosting in-store performances for almost half a century.

Austin Signal is made possible by listeners like you. You can support our work by making a donation at supportthispodcast.org

The full transcript of this episode of Austin Signal is available on the KUT & KUTX Studio website. The transcript is also available as subtitles or captions on some podcast apps.

Jerry Quijano [00:00:08] We are one week out from the start of the new Austin ISD school year, and after announcing last week a change in how students would be shuffled to and from campus, the district has changed course on a few things. We’ve got the details, and the proposed development of Dog’s Head in Southeast Austin continues to move forward, despite what some feel is a lack of public input. That is not stopping neighbors from speaking out. We’ll share what’s on their mind, coming up on today’s show.

KUT Announcer: Laurie Gallardo [00:00:31] The Austin Signal is a production of KUT News, hosted by Jerry Quijano.

Jerry Quijano [00:00:36] You’ve got a decent chance to catch some meteors tonight in the Austin sky, what you’re looking at and where to look. Plus, Waterloo Records has been hosting in-store performances for almost half a century. Never been? Not to worry, we are taking you there next. Plus, a whole lot more coming up right here on Austin Signal. Thank you. Howdy out there, thank you for tuning in. This is Austin Signal. I’m your host, Jerry Quijano. It is Monday, it is August 10th. We’re glad you’re here with us. Austin ISD students will be heading back to school next week after their summer break comes to an end. But what students and teachers will be heading into this upcoming school year could look pretty different compared to last school year. For more about that, we are talking with KUT’s education reporter, Greta Diaz-Gonzalez-Vasquez. Greta, thanks for being here.

Greta Diaz Gonzalez Vasquez [00:01:33] I’m always happy to be here Jerry.

Jerry Quijano [00:01:35] I know your summer break is almost over, but you really haven’t had a summer break from AISD because there has been so much going on that you have been following right up until last week. Last week, there was an announcement that AISd made a decision on plans for how to transport students to campus. Can you give us a refresher on those plans?

Greta Diaz Gonzalez Vasquez [00:01:52] Yeah, so for high school students, students won’t be picked up at neighborhood bus stops, they will be picked at hubs. And so these hubs are going to be at elementary schools or ACC campuses or even cat metro stops. And they tend to be an average, the district said, 2 to 2.5 miles from students’ homes, with the longest distance being 3 miles.

Jerry Quijano [00:02:16] Okay, so there will be these set areas, basically, where people go to get picked up.

Greta Diaz Gonzalez Vasquez [00:02:20] Yes, that’s correct.

Jerry Quijano [00:02:21] Okay, so you mentioned high schoolers. What about for middle school students?

Greta Diaz Gonzalez Vasquez [00:02:24] Yeah, so originally the plan also included middle schoolers, so it was both for high school students and middle school students. To back up a little bit, the change came because the district, as you may know, is in a budget deficit or had a big budget deficit and it was one of the decisions, the measures that they made to be able to cut $205 million. So last week when they announced the plan and when they gave us more information because we knew the plan was coming, district officials said that it would help. Them save $5.2 million with both high school and middle schools, but then that was Thursday. And then Friday afternoon, they said that they had listened to the community feedback and that they have found extra revenue that came or extra money, extra savings, let’s say, that have come from the closure of Paredes Middle School, which happened two weeks ago. And so with that extra money they were putting back the neighborhood stops for schoolers.

Jerry Quijano [00:03:21] Just for the middle school, so okay, so I’m sure that there’s there’s always a lots of feelings around things Regarding AISD would have been some of the issues that parents have had with this plan

Greta Diaz Gonzalez Vasquez [00:03:32] Yeah, so many parents raise concerns about not being able to drive their kids to the hubs because, you know, it’s early morning, a lot of parents work really early, or maybe they can’t pick them up because they’re still working at 3.30, 4.30 p.m. Other parents raise concern about students walking or biking along high-speed roads that had no bike lanes or no protective bike lanes. They also talked about their students having to go under highways or through very busy intersections. So they were worried. One mom told me she was very worried about the winter months when it was very dark and her kid would have to be biking through these roads in the dark. After the change, parents told me that they were relieved to hear that their middle schoolers, which of course are younger, would be safe. But they’re still worried about high schoolers because they would either have to walk through streets that are not very walkable. Or they would have to get to these hubs earlier. Like if a parent drops you off and then you have to be there earlier because your siblings is at that elementary school, then you’d have to wait 30 minutes. But that could also happen at a cap metro station. And so they worry that they’re gonna be there for long periods of time without doing anything or just maybe getting in trouble. And they, yeah, they’re worried about their safety. A mom told me she worries about. Also high schoolers driving and maybe not complying with, you know, driving laws.

Jerry Quijano [00:04:56] Okay, so that’s the parent’s perspective, or at least some that you spoke with. What does the district have to say in response?

Greta Diaz Gonzalez Vasquez [00:05:03] The district has been asking the community to come together. They’re saying that they know this is not ideal, but that they hope that parents maybe can carpool or that students can also access CapMetro for free. And so maybe they can use CapMeto services. They have also been taking feedback from the community and they have said that they’re gonna continue if possible, adding hubs to their systems to make sure that students have hubs closer to their homes.

Jerry Quijano [00:05:32] Okay, well, like I said, we are just about a week away from the start of the school year. What are some things that are on your mind and some of the things you’re working on heading into this upcoming school year?

Greta Diaz Gonzalez Vasquez [00:05:42] Yeah, so even before the school year begins, I think the big elephant in the room is a potential TA takeover. If Doby, Burnet, or Webb middle schools, if either one of them receives a fifth consecutive unacceptable rating from the state on the accountability ratings that are said to be published on Friday, if one of either of them gets an F, there could be a potential state takeover of the whole district. So that’s the first thing we have in mind.

Jerry Quijano [00:06:10] That’s a big thing.

Greta Diaz Gonzalez Vasquez [00:06:10] Um, yeah. And then also we’re, as school starts, we’re going to also be looking at campuses that are coming together because, you know, 10 campuses closed last November. And then we also have parades that students were divided into Bailey and Mendez. So we’re gonna see how families are coming together and how campuses are receiving new students.

Jerry Quijano [00:06:30] Yeah, some new beginnings for sure. That reminds me of the series of last that you finished out reporting. You can find all of that reporting at kut.org slash signal. That is Greta Diaz-Gonzalez-Vasquez. Thank you for your reporting. Thanks for being here.

Greta Diaz Gonzalez Vasquez [00:06:44] Thank you, Jerry.

Jerry Quijano [00:06:53] There is a bend in the Colorado River out by the airports, and when you look at it on a map, the land on the south side of the river kind of looks like the silhouette of a dog’s head. That land is set to be the site of a massive mixed-use development that will be anchored by Amazon. KUT’s Luz Moreno Lozano met with a few neighborhood residents to hear what they think about it all.

Luz Moreno-Lozano [00:07:15] Lee Edwards has lived on Hergotts Lane for nearly two decades. His property backs up to the Colorado River. He has direct access to the water. It’s the reason he moved to the area.

Lee Edwards [00:07:27] It is right there, the river. This is a river neighborhood, a river community. We’re very identified with the nature here, the animals, the River, the whole thing.

Luz Moreno-Lozano [00:07:37] It’s surprisingly rural considering how close it is to 183 and airport. There’s trees and wildflowers, bobcats and deer run the land. Edwards says it’s unlike any neighborhood he’s lived in before.

Lee Edwards [00:07:50] Hey, I’ve got my apartment, my house, and we have neighbors. This is nice. All that is true, but there’s this whole other thing going on. It’s a special and unique neighborhood.

Luz Moreno-Lozano [00:07:59] Garrett Tong lives just a few doors down from Edwards. He’s been here for five years.

Garrett Tong [00:08:04] It’s a quiet lifestyle. It’s kind of like you’re in the middle of nowhere, but you’re an Austin. And just the people, the neighbors are amazing. The wildlife is amazing. It’s just a crazy cool place to live.

Luz Moreno-Lozano [00:08:17] Edwards is president of the Southeast Colorado River Neighborhood Association. Both he and Tong fear that their little slice of paradise will be lost without a proper plan to develop the dog’s head. Last month, the Austin City Council signed off on a 2,600-acre development for the site. It includes housing, retail and office space, and some green space. Amazon’s robotics division will be the property’s biggest tenant. But the project was approved with very little public input, including from neighbors. That’s where they say the city failed them.

Lee Edwards [00:08:47] The way that this has been done has been shocking. The fact that it’s being done, not shocking at all. Nobody in our entire neighborhood association has ever been opposed to development or this development. It’s how it’s been done that is our entire issue.

Luz Moreno-Lozano [00:09:03] Neighbors didn’t learn about the project until just two days before the city council was set to annex the site and enter into an agreement with the developer. And it wasn’t because the city told them. Edwards found out from a friend who’d seen it on the council’s agenda.

Lee Edwards [00:09:16] We heard on a Tuesday, May 19th, we had a neighborhood association meeting the next day, and we went to speak at city council the next day. So they’ve had us playing catch up the whole time. And as Garrett said, seems like that was likely intentional.

Luz Moreno-Lozano [00:09:32] Last month, the attorney for the developers said this project has been in the works for several years. City officials have not explained why residents weren’t part of the process, but said the quick decision-making was about securing a deal with Amazon. Tung says all the neighbors want is to be kept in the loop about what’s going on.

Garrett Tong [00:09:48] It would be nice to have some sort of input into what goes into the dog’s head. I think that’s typically how it works.

Luz Moreno-Lozano [00:09:57] He says the neighbors also want a clearer understanding about how the project is going to affect traffic and the river. Austin City Councilmember Jose Velasquez says he’s aware of those concerns and says he is working to resolve them. He voted against the project last month.

Jose Velasquez [00:10:11] I feel we could have done better and we were going to be working to ensure that when we have major developments like this that there is a better process to how we communicate with the community because people again should never feel like things are happening to them. They should feel like they’re happening with them.

Luz Moreno-Lozano [00:10:29] The Hergotts Lane neighborhood is small. Edwards can name most of his neighbors. He says all he’s trying to do is protect them and make sure the project is developed well.

Lee Edwards [00:10:37] I think developing this well respects the environment and respects the existing neighborhoods.

Garrett Tong [00:10:43] I think it means something that benefits the community, that the community can get utility out of, whether that’s housing or like thought out retail or whatever it is, but it’s not heavy industry and data centers and all these companies and industries that make such bad neighbors.

Luz Moreno-Lozano [00:11:04] Work has already started on the project, but there are still several more decisions ahead. Velasquez says neighbors will be part of the process moving forward. The development is not expected to get final approval until next year. I’m Luz Moreno Lozano in Austin.

Jerry Quijano [00:11:20] And we’ve got some headlines for you to keep your eyes and ears out for today and this week. The city of Austin is asking for input on whether to change the name of Cesar Chavez Street after sexual abuse allegations against the labor leader came to light earlier this year. The city is hosting three meetings to share the street’s history, the renaming process, and possible impacts on the community and nearby businesses. The first one is happening tomorrow from five to seven in the evening. At Austin Public Library’s essential branch downtown. And Austin City Council will vote this week on a $6.6 billion budget for next fiscal year. Council will begin debating the proposal and the amendments to it on Wednesday. And we just heard from KUT City Hall reporter Luz Moreno Lozano, she will be following that and we’ll keep you updated with the latest right here on KUT News. And it’s another hot, hot week. Stay hydrated out there, stay cool. Keep an eye out for your neighbors. And hey, keep it tuned in right here to Austin Signal, we’ve got more after this break. Welcome back, this is Austin Signal. Austin’s Waterloo Records is known not just for its music selection, but also for its in-store performances. After more than 40 years in business, Waterloo recently got a new owner and a new location. The move was forced as the landowner has plans for a different development. Still, Texas Standard’s Porchea Goines reports the shop’s dedication to live shows has persisted.

Porshea Goins [00:12:51] On a hot July weekday, people are gathered by the Waterloo record stage to hear the cast iron shoes perform.

Malachai Michael [00:12:56] Without further ado, let’s give a warm Waterloo Records welcome to Cast Iron Shoes.

Porshea Goins [00:13:06] On the violin is Nicole Richwell. She’s dressed in a denim jumpsuit and cowboy boots. She sings and plays multiple instruments for the band and says this small stage leads to intimate performances.

Nicole Richwell [00:13:17] I think what we do with these wooden boxes is really special. We’re making sound waves and if you go to a show you can feel it, they hit your body and you like dance with other people and look people in the eye.

KUT Announcer: Laurie Gallardo [00:13:29] I think I’ll be coming

Porshea Goins [00:13:35] Ben Hayes is one of about 30 people in the audience and came in especially for this show.

Ben Hayes [00:13:41] I saw them about four years ago at a Friends of Traditional Music performance. It was just her and her friend Julie, a duo, and I was like, man, they’ve got something special. And so I’ve kind of been watching them progress. And now they’re going on tour in Europe and I’m like, oh, thankfully they’re really getting noticed. And so yeah, I love the energy.

Porshea Goins [00:14:03] Another music lover named Malachi Michael, who is a long way from home, was here for another reason.

Malachai Michael [00:14:08] I’m from California, we just looked up record stores near here and then we went to one and then asked the people there for one with more emo stuff and they said Waterloo because we’re on the hunt for emo and screamo punk stuff, you know, so we’re kind of just looking around.

Porshea Goins [00:14:23] That’s exactly what Karen Keller, one of Waterloo Records’ new owners, wants to hear.

Karen Keller [00:14:28] Especially here in our new store location, being able to connect with the fans, be around other people who are learning about music or just, you know, lonely and want it to pop in, like having a space like that and a time like this is really special to deliver real experiences.

Porshea Goins [00:14:44] A long-time customer named John, whose last name I didn’t get, has continued to support Waterloo throughout the years.

John [00:14:50] I’ve been coming to Waterloo’s events for about 10 years, or maybe a little more, but just once in a while. Sometimes I have a friend in the music scene who’s playing the Friday evening, and I try to catch that. And sometimes I can’t, because it’s so popular that it would be crowded.

Porshea Goins [00:15:02] He got in today, but on this hot and sunny day, the store was packed. Keller says she’s been blown away by the growth in sales and foot traffic from the new store location. I think…

Karen Keller [00:15:12] The move, which after being at the same location for 36 years, kind of put Waterloo back into conversation.

Porshea Goins [00:15:18] In a digital era, Keller says it’s important to provide a place for people to connect over music.

Karen Keller [00:15:24] Fans that come in especially where it resonates with them, they clearly want to connect with their fans and stick around and sign every record. It reminds me like why spaces like this are so important, why it’s so important to have physical places for people to gather, to commune over music, to meet the artists, and especially with the swell of AI, like it is this human connection that matters so deeply and that performance was really special.

Porshea Goins [00:15:51] In cast honor, she’s performing Nicole Ritual. Cannes will remember the first time she discovered Waterloo, but is thankful for the opportunity to perform with her band.

Nicole Richwell [00:15:58] I’ve been coming to shows at Waterloo and buying records here since I moved to Austin. It didn’t even occur to me to book a show for my band here, like my friends all had to be like, Nicole, you should put a Cast Orange Shoes show at Waterlou, you have all these finals now. And I’m really glad that I did, it’s a huge honor to play here.

Porshea Goins [00:16:20] She’s ecstatic that people came to the release show to buy a record.

Nicole Richwell [00:16:24] What we do is really handcrafted, it takes a long time. Everything that we record is on tape and live tracked in one room with all the musicians. And it just, it’s a labor of love.

Porshea Goins [00:16:40] A store like Waterloo Records doesn’t stay open for 44 years without the huge support of the community. Over generations to now three different locations, they’ve been gathering for a beer and free performances. That’s also a labor of love. In Austin, I’m Prasha Goins.

Jerry Quijano [00:17:04] Gaze skyward this week and you may catch a glimpse of one of the year’s best cosmic shows, the Perseid meteor shower peaks this week, and conditions will be just right to see lots of them in the night sky, if you know when and where to watch. Luckily we have some help here to share some tips on how to enjoy that shower is Chelsea Zhu. She is KUT’s engagement reporter. Welcome back to the show, Chelsea.

Chelsea Zhu [00:17:26] Thanks for having me.

Jerry Quijano [00:17:27] So, I hear about a lot of meteor showers as the year goes on, so tell us what exactly is the Perseid meteor shower, like what causes it?

Chelsea Zhu [00:17:35] Yeah, so what causes meteor showers in general, and this one in particular, is Earth traveling through this cloud of space debris that’s left by a comet. In this case, it’s the comet Swiftuttle. When that comet is traveling through space, it leaves dust and particles behind. And when we, Earth, hit that dust, it burns up in our atmosphere and causes streaks of light, aka meteors. And I actually learned that some of these meteors are as small as a grain of sand.

Jerry Quijano [00:18:01] Wow, really, they look so ginormous up there. Well, how often does the Perseid meteor shower happen?

Chelsea Zhu [00:18:06] So it’s an annual meteor shower, so it happens every year in this July to August period.

Jerry Quijano [00:18:12] Okay, well, it’s in a particular peaking right now this week. When is the actual best time to catch one of these meteors?

Chelsea Zhu [00:18:19] Yeah, so you can already see the meteors now, but the absolute best time will be overnight, Wednesday into Thursday, in that kind of midnight to pre-dawn period. And you can also catch it in the days after, but that specific night is the greatest chance for seeing the largest number.

Jerry Quijano [00:18:35] Okay, so should you just walk outside of your house and just like pop your neck up? Is this particular area that you should be looking south, looking north, how does this normally work?

Chelsea Zhu [00:18:44] Yeah, so the Perseids are actually named after the constellation Perseus because it will appear, if you’re looking at the sky, like the meteors are coming from that constellation and there are websites and apps you can use to find where that constellation is, but you don’t have to actually be looking straight at the constellation the entire time. The meteors will kind of emerge across the sky.

Jerry Quijano [00:19:06] Okay, well I gotta guess that obviously like the darker the sky the better view or the better chance you might have of catching one of these meteors So where are some good locations around us to to catch the show?

Chelsea Zhu [00:19:16] Yeah, so the best advice that I got for people in Austin is to just get out of Austin, or at least out of the super urban part of the city.

Jerry Quijano [00:19:24] Was this related to the meteor shower or was it just in general? Get out of Austin.

Chelsea Zhu [00:19:28] The meteor shower, but I guess that’s a matter of opinion. And the reason for that is just, you know, light pollution having an impact. So I talked to the Austin Astronomical Society for the story, and they recommended going to parks and towns that have been certified by Dark Sky International for protecting against light pollution. So near us, that’s places like Liberty Hill, Bee Cave, Dripping Springs, Wimberly.

Jerry Quijano [00:19:52] Mm-hmm, I mean, Ryan, all those places were very popular to catch the solar eclipse that happened a few years ago, so that makes sense that they would be popular for this meteor shower. Okay, well, you’ve kind of prepped us on—you’ve given us a lot of good tips. What are some other tips that you’ve learned over the course of your reporting?

Chelsea Zhu [00:20:09] I learned that you actually don’t need any kind of special equipment to see meteor showers, so no telescopes or binoculars, you can just use your eyes, and that you want to give your eyes around half an hour to kind of adjust to the darkness so you can see the meteors and the fainter ones. And you also want to avoid looking at like white light on your phone or, you know, getting in your car and getting hit with that light because that kind of resets that 30-minute timer. And then if you have to use light, to use red light because it’s a bit better on your night vision. And also just to get comfortable because, you know, if you’re waiting for the absolute peak, you’re probably gonna be out there for a while. So, you now, bug spray, water, snacks, a lawn chair, all that jazz.

Jerry Quijano [00:20:49] Yes, yes, I have spent one night watching a meteor shower and the best investment I had that night was my pillow because, yeah, I spent a lot of time crooking my neck trying to see really quickly if there might be a good look here or look there. So we have a really good chance this week to catch the Perseid meteor shower. What are some other astronomical events that are coming up this year?

Chelsea Zhu [00:21:12] There is going to be a partial lunar eclipse on August 27th, and that will be visible in Austin. People will be able to see it that night. And that’s also a case where you don’t need eclipse glasses or special equipment to see. The fall is also a good time to see the planet Saturn. It’s gonna be at opposition on October 4th. And that means that it will appear opposite the sun from Earth and it will look just particularly big and bright. And there are also more meteor showers happening this year. That includes the Leonids in mid-November, the Geminids in mid-December, so this is not your last chance at all to see meteors.

Jerry Quijano [00:21:47] Okay, but maybe it’s your first chance to start practicing good habits and good meteor watching skills like, you know, the red light is a really important one. I cannot stress that one enough, really, really helpful. And also helpful is Chelsea Zhu. She is engagement reporter here at KUT News, and we’re going to have more about how you can best catch the meteor shower in today’s show notes. Chelsea, thanks for coming by the show. Thank you. And thank you out there for making Austin Signal part of your Monday. Don’t forget, we’re gonna have a lot more about the stories we shared with you in today’s podcast, Show Notes. And you can always find more from the work we are doing at kut.org slash signal. I’m your host, Jerry Kikano. The Austin Signal team is Rene Chavez. He is our technical director, Alexandra Hart. She is our producer. And Kristen Cabrera, she is our managing producer. We have a lot more to bring you this week, and we’re gonna be back at the same time every weekday right here on KUT News. Have a good one out there.

This transcript was transcribed by AI, and lightly edited by a human. Accuracy may vary. This text may be revised in the future.