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| (Photo: Jessica Wilson & Susana Almanza, Chavelo & Christino Herrera) PODER receives grant from Keep Austin Beautiful for the Oak Springs Water Quality and Preserve Project, located at 3101 Oak Springs. This 5.997 acre tract contains natural springs, native plants, wetland, and huge beautiful Oak trees. In 2005 it was a proposed site for a paved shopping center that would have included a dollar store, two fast food joints, and two other 4,000 square foot retail stores. PODER and area residents (with the assistance of Councilman Mike Martinez) protested the plan and convinced the City to purchase the site to protect it from destruction. The site has a partial trail and benches. PODER along with other groups plan to educate the community about this treasure and engage people in its restoration, maintenance, and use by families as a green space. You may visit Keep Austin Beautiful at keepaustinbeautiful.org |
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| 3rd Social Forum of the Americas |
Over 10,000 people attended the 3rd Social Forum of the Americas- Otro Mundo Es
Posible! (Another World is Possible!) in Guatemala – October 7 – 12th , 2008. The
Forum was recognized as the “Foro de la Resistencia!” (The Forum of Resistence!).
A ceremonial Blessing by the Mayans and revolutionary music opened the hearts
and spirits of those attending the forum. “Somos Americanos, Somos en Canto”,
were the words that spoke to the crowds.
Posible! (Another World is Possible!) in Guatemala – October 7 – 12th , 2008. The
Forum was recognized as the “Foro de la Resistencia!” (The Forum of Resistence!).
A ceremonial Blessing by the Mayans and revolutionary music opened the hearts
and spirits of those attending the forum. “Somos Americanos, Somos en Canto”,
were the words that spoke to the crowds.
| Festival De Las Plantas |
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| Protect our Children’s Health! Relocate Pure Casting! Build Affordable Housing! The Pure Casting facility (2110 E. 4th Street) is a polluter of heavy metals and uses hazardous chemicals in our East Austin neighborhood. Pure Casting is located right next to Zavala Elementary School and surrounded by homes. East Austin needs your support in protecting the health of our children and the residents that live in the area. It is crucial that we let the City Council and Pure Casting know that we will not allow children to be exposed to hazardous chemicals! The Pure Casting facility is an ideal location to build affordable housing. It is 30,152 sq. ft. of land. The City Council should use the Affordable Housing Bond money ($55 million) to purchase the site. This site abuts to the property owned by the City of Austin (the Brown Building on Chicon & E. 4th Street). Call you Mayor Will Wynn Council members at 974-2250. Let’s keep our children safe from harmful chemicals. Download this letter that PODER sent to the Mayor and City Council Members. Please send a letter from your group, neighborhood association or you as an individual to your city council members. Help us to protect the health of our children. Also, please join PODER and area residents at the Bond Oversight Committee Meeting on Thursday, February 5th, 2009 at 8:00 am at City Hall. PODER is recommending that some of the $10.9 million Affordable Housing Bond money be used to purchase the current Pure Casting site and to build the needed affordable housing. |
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| PODER's 2008 Holiday Fundraiser Thanks to all who attended! |
| Oak Springs Preserve Clean-up & Community Planting Sunday 11/23/08---THANK YOU! |
PODER would like to express heartfelt gratitude to all of our wonderful volunteers
and donors from Austin Bible Fellowship, Booker T. Washington Housing, and all the
community members who came out to pick up trash, clear weeds and debris, and
plant native trees and perennials at the Springs. Together we transformed the
preserve into a friendly green space and planted nearly 400 plants and trees in the
flowerbeds along the trail. We could not have done this without them, and we
encourage folks in East Austin to get involved and enjoy this East Austin treasure.
Please contact carmen.llanes@gmail.com or call 472-9921 for info on future events
and volunteer opportunities at Oak Springs Preserve.
and donors from Austin Bible Fellowship, Booker T. Washington Housing, and all the
community members who came out to pick up trash, clear weeds and debris, and
plant native trees and perennials at the Springs. Together we transformed the
preserve into a friendly green space and planted nearly 400 plants and trees in the
flowerbeds along the trail. We could not have done this without them, and we
encourage folks in East Austin to get involved and enjoy this East Austin treasure.
Please contact carmen.llanes@gmail.com or call 472-9921 for info on future events
and volunteer opportunities at Oak Springs Preserve.
| Texas Advocating Justice for Juveniles Communities Setting Priorities for Action: Summer 2008 Report (pdf format) |
| PODER's Newsletter Xinachtli 2008 Newsletter (MS Publisher format) |
Susana Almanza, Coordinator for Texas Coalition Advocating Justice for Juveniles
(TCAJJ) presented testimony December 15, 2008, on the Sunset Advisory
Commission recommendations set forth in the November, 2008, Sunset Staff Report
on the Texas Youth Commission (TYC), Texas Juvenile Probation Commission
(TJPC) and the Office of the Independent Ombudsman (OIO).
(TCAJJ) presented testimony December 15, 2008, on the Sunset Advisory
Commission recommendations set forth in the November, 2008, Sunset Staff Report
on the Texas Youth Commission (TYC), Texas Juvenile Probation Commission
(TJPC) and the Office of the Independent Ombudsman (OIO).
| TCAJJ Sunset Commission Hearing Letter (MS Word) |
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| Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was a Baptist minister and civil rights activist; he received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964 (January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968). Austinites celebrated Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday, January 19, 2008. |
| MLK March 1-19-09, Austin Texas |
| In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and in the spirit of our President-Elect's call for a day of service young people from American Youthworks/Environmental Corps partnered with PODER and Treefolks to plant trees and clear trash at Oak Springs Preserve (located at 3160 Oak Springs Dr, at the corner of Airport Blvd) on January 17, 2009. |
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On Wednesday, the day after President Barack Obama’s inauguration, members of
the Austin and San Antonio communities joined in a national day of action to tell the
incoming administration that we are still hoping for real change we can believe in with
a rally at the Immigration and Customs Enforcement office in San Antonio.
Rally participants recognize this as a historic moment of change and are asking
President Obama for support and action during his first 100 days of his presidency to:
1) End the family detention policy
2) End immigration raids
3) End Operation Streamline
4) End construction of the border wall and
5) End ICE-local law enforcement collaboration.
the Austin and San Antonio communities joined in a national day of action to tell the
incoming administration that we are still hoping for real change we can believe in with
a rally at the Immigration and Customs Enforcement office in San Antonio.
Rally participants recognize this as a historic moment of change and are asking
President Obama for support and action during his first 100 days of his presidency to:
1) End the family detention policy
2) End immigration raids
3) End Operation Streamline
4) End construction of the border wall and
5) End ICE-local law enforcement collaboration.
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| Protesting Anti-Immigrant Policies - San Antonio, Texas ICE Office |
| Cesar E. Chavez "Si Se Puede!" March and Rally held on Saturday, March 28th |
| Cesar E. Chavez is one of the most important leaders of the 20th century. His legacy of workers rights, civil rights, environmental justice, equality for all, peace, non-violence, children and women's rights, deserves national recognition. Cesar Chavez inspired millions of people across the country of all races and nationalities to engage in social & economic justice for farm workers. His life work to empower the poor & disenfranchised is a model for all. |
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| Oak Springs Trail Building Thanks Austin Bible! |
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| PODER's Young Scholars for Justice 2009 |
| PODER's Young Scholars for Justice (YSJ) held a protest at the Pure Casting Facility, located at 2110 E. 4th Street on June 10th, 2009. Afterwards the YSJ went door-to-door distributing information to area residents on how to file a complaint with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) if area residents are exposed to odor, dust, and/or noise pollution from the Pure Casting Facility. |
