“Around the Republic: Roundup of Austin Blog Posts Week of September 13th 2009″

Why spend Sunday Monday reading the New York Times? Each week we bring you our favorite posts from local Austin bloggers.  If you see a post from your fave Austin blog and want it to get recognized, email Rory (rory[at]republicofaustin[dot]com) and let him know!

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Takes One to Grow One

As reported last week, everything is in bloom.

• Annie from The Transplantable Rose has oodles of pics of her garden in bloom. More than last week!
• The Garden Posse reports on their recent guerrilla gardening raid on a North Lamar median: lots of good veggies will be growing soon!

APD New Patrol Beat: the Internet (EEK!)

R’uh r’oh! Cover your keyboards, folks! APD Chief Acevedo is sending a threat to anonymous commenters who criticize the Police Department on blogs, forums and news sites: KEWL IT or there may be criminal prosecution!

Hold up. Wait, what?  Is that the most pressing issue for APD? Grits for Breakfast explains that these anonymous commenters might indicate an internal problem at APD, and reminds us that no one like the 1st Amendment when it’s pointed at them.

Water you saying?

Last week, proponents and opponents of Water Treatment Plant 4 (WTP4) got together at Palmer Auditorium to debate the development schedule for the plant.  The majority of the opponents want to look at the environmental impacts of the new facility, while proponents think we need to build it ASAP to avoid some sort of catastrophe.  It’s way over my lil’ Dillo head, so you should head over to Keep Austin Wonky to check out Julio’s coverage of the event.

Sounds Like a Good Plan

The new stinking noise policies really butter my bread. I mean, there’s nothing more annoying than having an outdoor venue like Shady Grove shut down because of some noise violation. The system can be a little complicated for venue owners and hella frustrating for event goers. Joshua over at Austin Noise proposes a more efficient, less complicated plan to certifying outdoor venues. Chk it!

I-35 Gets a Celebrity Makeover!

Let’s face it, I-35 downtown looks like total ish. It’s an industrial, uninviting symbol of segregation. Hearken, ye: It’s about to get a superstar makeover.  The designers say the new look is “intended to be a gesture – a handshake under the freeway.”  Construction may begin as early as February 2010.  Check out Downtown Austin for some artist renderings and perspective. (Also, congratulate them on 100,000 page views!)

Congressional Districts Go Under the Knife…Again

Y’all remember the last time our great state was sliced up for Congressional redistricting? Tom Delay took out a knife and the Dems fled the state? Well guess what? We’re due to go under the knife again. Hopefully this time Austin won’t be so freakishly disfigured. (via Burnt Orange Report)

The Fresh Smell of Celluloid in the Morning

It’s film festival season in Austin. AGLIFF (Austin Gay and Lesbian Independent Film Festival) just closed, Fantastic Fest is about to start, and Austin Film Festival is just around the corner. Slackerwood has a great AGLIFF wrap-up and Fantastic Fest countdown. Chk Chk ‘em out!

Circle of Life

Life comes with a beautifully insane contract: We’re all gonna die.  You, me and all of our loved ones, when our time is up, that’s it.  It’s hard to swallow, but you have to remember: As one life passes, a new life begins.

Preparing for this post, I read 1000+ posts from my feed of Austin bloggers.  This week, I read two posts back-to-back that damn near brought me to tears bc they illustrate this circle of life in two equally moving ways.

• Crystal over at The Best of Thyme’s grandmother’s funeral was last week. In this post, she looks back at her grandmother’s life and concludes the post with a recipe for her grandmother’s Texas Sheet Cake. Truly moving post (and the cake looks delish!)
• And if that story didn’t getcha, jump on over to The Simply Peachy to hear Amber’s story of holding her daughter for the very first time.  It’s part of a series on her daughter’s journey from near-still birth to present day.

From Austin City Hall

• New Budget passed. Median home tax increase: $85.  Read the press release to learn about all the amazing things they didn’t cut!

From the Foodies

• This is Life in Austin posts a list of picks for Austin Restaurant Week. Green Pastures seems to be the best choice, and here’s why
• Tasty Touring drops her best office lunch catering selections for downtown Austin
• So wrong, but soooo good: MisoHungry’s (512) Pecan Porter Chocolate Mousse with Pecan Praline Liquor and Bacon spoon
• eat’n veg’n offers a Stuffed Flying Saucer Summer Squash recipe

Tidbits

• 100% Texan bike from Thy Neighbor’s Bike
• Life in Austin translates Corporate Speak
• Kristen at Pommes Frites visits Lockhart and takes pictures (Also, Kristen: Best of luck pursuing your passions!)
• TwoGroove tells you how NOT to get asked back to play at Hole in the Wall

ADDITIONS: Didn’t see your favorite blog post from the last week? Tell us about it in the comments!

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