We've been framed!

The frame on our house is up! It's now actually ... well, a house!

Full Flickr set here.

Bit By Bit

Next photo:

Form boards and other cool stuff!

Different Dirt!

So, our house has been released to construction. Signs of progress are small, but we're excited nonetheless. Our first change: different colored dirt on our lot:

More to come soon!

Construction Release: March 21!

Just found out that our home will be released to construction on March 21st. That's just over 2 weeks from now! Very exciting. We're going by this afternoon to walk through a couple of the near-complete homes so we can get a better sense of how our design choices might look in the real world. More updates soon!

Getting Involved

So, if you follow the Mueller list at all, you know there's a lot going on with AISD right now. A couple weeks ago, I attended a school board meeting to speak in favor of keeping Mueller Elementary as a named school on the upcoming bond package:

Folks were also there to speak out against locating a district-wide PAC (Performing Arts Center) at Mueller - not because they don't want to fund a PAC, but because the current proposal would put it on the east (quiet, residential) side of Mueller, which
would mean huge increases of traffic and parking problems on a daily basis.

Anyway, all the attention seems to have done something, because while that board didn't make any concessions, now the larger AISD leadership is considering expanding the Bond package to include Mueller. Organizers in the Mueller community are asking everybody to contact the board, as follows (per Dusty Harshman):

1. Sign the iPetition that Kim Wine and Dusty will present to the AISD Board of Trustees. Please feel free to leave a short comment with your signature of support.

2. Write a note or letter to the AISD Board of Trustees regarding the 2008 School Bond Proposal. E-mail the Board at Trustees@Austinisd.org. Then print it and put it in an envelope and send it to AISD Board of Trustees, 2008 Bond Proposal, 1111 West 6th Street, Austin, TX 78703.

3. This is important. The Board of Trustees have re-opened the floor to public comment at their three work sessions in the next week. On February 18th (Monday), the AISD Board of Trustees are accepting public comment regarding the 2008 bond proposal. Please consider attending this meetings and signing to speak in favor of the restoration of Mueller ES to the bond proposal. The Board is re-considering the bond's scope, and they are practically begging the Mueller community to show our numbers and support for the elementary school. While not an easy task, your presence at these meetings can make a substantial difference in Mueller's development. Board meetings are held at the Carruth Administration Complex (CAC) located at 1111 West 6th Street, Room B-100, Austin, Texas, 78703. The meeting is at 6:00PM, and it will be the last opportunity to speak on Mueller's behalf before the Board of Trustees sets the bond on February 25th. Please arrive before 7:00PM to sign up to speak. There is not yet a posted agenda.

I can't make it on Monday, as I'm hosting an event for the Austin Music Foundation, but I hope others can go and speak in support of the school.

Mueller Pioneer Blogs: McCloskey Corner

Looking for more Mueller construction action? Check out this blog:

McCloskey Corner

You can read about their house as it's going up (which is happening right now). Lots of great photos.

We'll get there on this blog, but not until about March or so. :)

School Board Meetings

This comes from Kim Wine:

"Two public forums will be held to discuss the CBAC's proposed recommendations for the scope of work to be included in the proposed 2008 Bond Program to the Board of Trustees:

• Tuesday, January 15, 2008, 6:00 p.m. at Covington Middle School Theater, 3700 Convict Hill, 414-3276
  
• Wednesday, January 16, 2008, 6:00 p.m. at LBJ High School Cafeteria, 7309 Lazy Creek Drive, 414-2543
  

Why should we attend both meetings?

• Not all bond committee members may show up at both meetings;
  
• Shows how important it is to us if we travel across town to attend both.
  

RSVP to kberlywine (at) hotmail.com if you are planning to attend one or both meetings!

3 talking points –

• Put the Mueller elementary school on the ballot. An elementary school part of the master plan for 20 years! It needs to happen. People are starting to live hear NOW – it's time to build the school. Needs to be a named project on the bond. The elementary school need is driven by the demographics of the area. Catellus is planning on attending and presenting the data they collected from the survey.
  
  
• District wide Performing Arts Center will be coming to Mueller? Just a rumor; Mueller commission has heard nothing about it – there has been no process around it. We don't think the performing arts center has been vetted with the community yet;
  tradeoffs have not been discussed; impact to the community has not been assessed. Not for or against it per se but there is no plan for it – so it can't happen unless the master development is plan is changed – needs to be addressed with the Mueller Commission.
  
  
• Opportunity for proactive boundary conversation with surrounding neighborhoods – we want the boundary discussion to be positive – we have 4 years to discuss it.
  

Please join us at these forums! - Kim Wine (kberlywine(at)hotmail.com)"