Wickedly Trans – Voices from the Rainbow Sept. 21

Join the Trans Chorus of Los Angeles – TCLA for a special performance of Wickedly Trans—Voices from the Rainbow, on Saturday, Sept. 21, at 2 p.m., 3 p.m., and 4 p.m. at ESMoA, 208 Main St., El Segundo. Enjoy a selection of songs inspired by the music of The Wizard of Oz, The Wiz, and Wicked. The shows are appropriate for all ages.

Admission to the performances are free and donations to TCLA are appreciated.

ABOUT TCLA:
Founded in 2015, Trans Chorus of Los Angeles-TCLA is making an impact in the choral world by using our unique voices to be visible, bold and proud. TCLA is the first all trans-identified chorus in America. We are a Chorus of transgender, gender non-conforming, gender non-binary, gender fluid, and intersex individuals. We celebrate diversity and acceptance in appearance and vocal presentation so that others can see and feel the joy we share. Through our music we bring to everyone, awareness, understanding, power and victory for the trans community.

Emancipet’s 20th Anniversary Gala Sept. 21; Alejandro Escovedo just announced for After Party

AUSTIN—Celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, Emancipet will have a big party to commemorate the occasion, its first-ever Gala on Saturday, Sept. 21, at the LINE Hotel, with a spectacular After Party featuring performances by renowned Austin musician Alejandro Escovedo and DJ Girlfriend ATX.

Tables and sponsorships are available for the Gala, with individual tickets, if available, going on sale at a later date. The After Party is a separate ticketed event with individual early bird, general admission, and VIP tickets available now; more information about both at https://emancipet.org.

Since 1999, Emancipet has spayed or neutered more than 350,000 dogs and cats and this year will care for more than 100,000 pets. Many of the people who helped make Emancipet’s growth and achievements possible will be at the Gala; there will be several special announcements and surprises during the Gala program.

Missy and Jeff Nichols are chairs of the Gala host committee. Platinum sponsors to date are Anonymous, Angela Dorsey and Jason Rhode, and MARK Foundation; Gold sponsors are Cirrus Logic, Tito’s Handmade Vodka/Vodka for Dog People, Trinity Constructors, Nicholas J. Juried Family Foundation/Nicholas Juried and Amy Juried.

 

About Emancipet

Emancipet’s mission is to make veterinary care affordable and accessible for all pet owners. To achieve this, Emancipet is building a national nonprofit low-cost veterinary care system, with clinics in underserved areas of Austin, Houston, Killeen, and Pflugerville Texas; and in Philadelphia. Emancipet advocates for public policy that improves the lives of pets in underserved communities, and operates Emancipet New School, which equips and inspires animal welfare professionals in becoming change makers. Since its founding in 1999, Emancipet has spayed or neutered more than 350,000 dogs and cats and will serve more than 100,000 pets and their families this year. www.emancipet.org

The Trail Foundation, City of Austin explore expanding partnership of Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail

A group of nationally renowned urban planning experts representing the Urban Land Institute will make recommendations next week to The Trail Foundation and the Austin Parks and Recreation Department on the feasibility of transferring operation of the Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail at Lady Bird Lake to The Trail Foundation. The Austin American-Statesman ran an exclusive front-page story on the topic. https://www.austin360.com/news/20190819/exclusive-trail-foundation-could-take-over-hike-amp-bike-trail-parkland-operations

In partnership with PARD, TTF applied and was selected in a competitive process to be part of the Urban Land Institute’s Advisory Services Program to have their experts’ opinions to help launch the exploration of TTF taking over operations of the Butler Trail.

“We are honored and excited to have been selected for this opportunity and grateful for the valuable input as we consider this option,” says Heidi Anderson, executive director of The Trail Foundation. “Taking this potential step would be a big commitment for TTF in terms of funding and organizational growth, and the ULI Advisory Service Program is one of the ways we will explore the feasibility of the potential transition.”

In recent years, the Foundation has doubled its amount of ecological restoration work on the Trail. In 2018, TTF invested more than $2.5 million into the Butler Trail, and in its 16-year history has invested more than $11,300,000 into the Trail. TTF is currently working on three major projects, with 15 more in the queue, and is committed to increasing the pace and breadth of its work to meet the needs of the Trail as its popularity and usage continue to grow along with Austin.

The ULI representatives will be visiting sites and neighborhoods in the city, and conducting interviews with key leaders and stakeholders arranged by TTF and PARD August 25-30. The Advisory Services panelists will consider:

  • How to determine the liability and authority over the space;
  • When to transfer operations over the trail, including prioritizing the transfer and phasing;
  • Funding recommendations, brand development and philanthropic growth and cultivation; and
  • How to prioritize the various projects involved with maintaining the trail.

In any scenario, the City would continue to own the public parkland that is the Trail.

According to Julie Underhal, chair of the Austin Advisory Service panel: “Our goal is to help the city and The Trail Foundation achieve their mutual goals of achieving the best possible operating relationship between the two entities so that the Trail can continue to be improved and maintained as an iconic place and economic, social, and natural resource for generations to come.”

About The Trail Foundation

The Trail Foundation’s mission is to protect, enhance, and connect the Butler Hike-and-Bike-Trail at Lady Bird Lake for the benefit of all. The Butler Trail is the 10-mile lush, urban path in the heart of Austin that gets more than 2.6 million visits every year. Since it was founded in 2003, The Trail Foundation has achieved restoration and beautification projects to the Trail’s infrastructure and environment, while honoring the original vision of the Trail’s founders and ensuring its vibrancy for generations to come. For more information, please visit www.thetrailfoundation.org.