After two years of reduced hours and capacity courtesy of Covid-19, the Austin Public Library is back, baby. Starting Monday, March 28, the library will be expanding its open hours for all branches. APL Director Roosevelt Weeks said in a news release, “We know that the community has missed being able to more easily visit their neighborhood libraries over the past two years. Your libraries have missed you as well. We are excited to be able to expand access to our locations to ensure that more people in our community are able to safely access information and resources.” With the expanded hours comes the return of in-person events and programming at the libraries. Also effective March 28, Recycled Reads will be adding Wednesday to its list of open days. Find a complete list of branch hours of operation here.

Who doesn’t feel great to proudly sport an “I Voted” sticker after casting a ballot? Sure, the design’s a little tired, but it’s the thought that counts. Now the Travis County Clerk’s Office is doing something about that tired design by launching the county’s very first  “I Voted” sticker design contest. The winning design for the contest, which is open to all students attending colleges in Travis County, will become the official “I Voted” sticker for the November 2022 election. County Clerk Rebecca Guerrero explained that the clerk’s office “is excited to bring Travis County voters a limited edition ‘I Voted’ sticker and to engage with college students in the electoral process.” The winner will be chosen “based on the theme, uniqueness of the design and artistry.” The deadline to submit a design is 5 p.m. on Friday, April 22. Find contest rules, entry form and design template here.

The owner of 200 S. Congress, a 0.57-acre property on the southwest side of the Ann Richards Congress Avenue Bridge, is seeking some changes to zoning that will allow indoor entertainment and a restaurant in the building. But owners of the Statesman property across the street as well as the Yeti building next door have filed a valid petition against the changes. Apparently, the major reason for their objection is that the smaller tract’s owners want to remove access restrictions to their building that require them to use the driveway of the adjacent Hyatt Regency. The Transportation Department has requested a postponement from this week’s agenda in order to consult with the applicant, who is represented by Leah Bojo of the Drenner Group. Richard Suttle, who represents both the Statesman and Yeti properties, requested a postponement when the matter was scheduled on an earlier agenda, and that was granted. A staff report says that removal of the access restrictions could increase traffic to Barton Springs Road and might interfere with a plan to develop Nightwing Plaza, the spot with the bat sculpture. It is possible that the parties will work this out before Thursday, but it seems more likely that the matter will be postponed once more.

For Forklift Danceworks’ latest project, the collaborative dance company is partnering with the Austin Animal Center on a cross-species performance called Dances for Dogs and People Who Walk Them, featuring the “movement and stories of Austin Animal Center workers, local dog lovers and their dogs.” The performance is part of a daylong event that includes waived adoption fees for those ready to adopt a furry family member, tours of the shelter and activity booths with local vendors. Gretchen LaMotte, Forklift choreographer and programs manager, explained in a press release, “There is a natural dance that happens every day between dogs and the people who walk them – a dance that reflects their unique personalities, relationships and environments. Whether trotting along calmly or tugging on the leash ready to run and play, a dog’s movement tells a story. And the people who care for dogs are an integral part of that story.” The performance starts at 2; attendees and their pups are welcome to join the finale. Saturday, April 23, 1-4 p.m, Austin Animal Center, 7201 Levander Loop.

Joan Means Khabele was a high school senior in Austin when she courageously crossed the color line and jumped into Barton Springs Pool, which was then segregated by race. Her act of civil disobedience sparked a movement of swim-ins that continued through the summer of 1960 and eventually led to the desegregation of the iconic pool. Khabele died in October 2021 at the age of 78. The Parks and Recreation Department is honoring her memory and her bravery with a ceremony at Barton Springs Pool that includes a proclamation, speakers, the screening of a PBS documentary featuring Khabele, and a water blessing ceremony performed by Geraldo Perez. Community members will have the opportunity to share oral histories about race and Barton Springs at listening booths. This is the first of many events planned by the parks department “to collect diverse stories to tell the full history of Barton Springs.” Saturday, April 9, 10 a.m.-noon.

The entire community is invited to join a coalition of Latino serving organizations for a ¡Sí Se Puede! César Chávez march and day of action on Saturday, March 26. Bring homemade signs honoring the legacy of César Chávez and lawn chairs to enjoy the park after the march. Meet at 9:30 a.m. in front of the Parque Zaragoza Recreation Center for a brief march that will begin at 10 a.m., followed by music and community speakers at 10:30 a.m. From 11 a.m.-1 p.m. community members will have a chance to peruse wares offered by Latino artisans and entrepreneurs and learn about Latino community groups. The Habla y Vote Action Fund will be on hand to offer voter registration, and J. Colunga’s Body Shop and MAS Cultura are producing a lowrider car show. Parque Zaragoza, 2608 Gonzales St.

Travis County is determining its spending priorities for its portion of the Local Fiscal Recovery Fund received through the American Rescue Plan Act. Unsurprisingly, these funding decisions will play a big part in the county’s long-term strategic and economic development planning. That’s why the county wants to hear from you. You can help the Travis County Commissioners Court make funding decisions by completing the 2022 Travis County Community Survey. Your input will help shape not only how Travis County spends ARPA money, but how it invests new federal and state dollars that could become available down the road. The survey closes April 30.

The city of Austin has named its first chief resiliency officer. Laura Patiño will join the city’s executive team after serving in a similar role with the city of Houston. Patiño helped to develop and implement the Resilient Houston strategy and the Climate Action Plan while tying in citywide recovery efforts after Hurricane Harvey. Chief of Staff Jason Alexander announced Patiño’s appointment in a news release, which explained that Patiño will work on implementing a comprehensive community resilience plan and strategies under the Global Resilient Cities Network platform. Patiño previously worked as an environmental engineer in the private sector and as a research assistant in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Hazardous Materials Laboratory at Louisiana State University. She starts her new job on April 25.

Due to a decrease in demand for its services – from what health officials hope “is a sign of fewer cases” – the Covid-19 test site in Pflugerville rolled up operations and shut its doors yesterday. You can still get Covid testing at Austin Public Health’s Metz Elementary site in East Austin, Tuesday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Walk-ins are welcome, but it will be more efficient to make an appointment online. And, of course, you may order free, at-home Covid tests through the U.S. government; every household is eligible for two sets of four tests. If you’re feeling at all Covid-y, please do get tested right away. In case you haven’t committed the list of Covid symptoms to memory, here it is.

If you’ve been following the news, you’ve already heard there were some problems with the 2020 U.S. Census – chiefly, that the once-every-decade head count of the nation’s populace undercounted Black, Latino and Native American populations. That makes the latest installment of the Imagine Austin speaker series quite timely. Lila Valencia, the city of Austin’s demographer, will examine the takeaways, demographic trends and social equity concerns of the 2020 census as they relate to Central Texas. Thursday, April 14, 5-6:15 p.m. The event is free and open to the public. Register here for the webinar.

Even though the pandemic is ebbing and no nasty new variants have popped up to frighten us back into quarantine, it’s still a good – no, a great – idea to get vaccinated. And getting the Covid-19 vaccine couldn’t be easier. Travis County, Austin Public Health and their community partners continue to host a variety of free, convenient vaccine distribution events every week. No appointments are necessary. Simply check out the handy online calendar and map to find the date, time and location of the nearest vaccine event. Austin Public Health sites offer the Moderna, Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson vaccines, including third doses for the immunocompromised and booster shots. If you’re receiving your second or third dose or booster, bring your CDC vaccination card so it can be updated. If you’re still on the fence about getting the vaccine, jump off! It’s one of the best decisions you’ll ever make, both for your own health and for the health of your fellow human beings.

Austin Fire Department is warning residents that Austin and the surrounding area “will be in the ‘VERY HIGH’ fire danger risk category” for, at a minimum, the early part of the week. The risk, according to a Facebook post from the department, is caused by a combination of dry fuels, dry air and windy conditions. AFD asks that everyone does their part while the conditions persist, saying, “Please: no outdoor burning, avoid parking on dry grass, if you’ve got chains attached to your vehicle make sure they’re not dragging, and for goodness sake, properly dispose of cigarette butts (no tossing them out of car windows)!!” The Austin-Area Wildfire Hub confirms that the risk for the region remains elevated, and has more information about burn bans, active fire incidents, statewide conditions and ways to reduce fire risk.