This is one of those “only in Austin” stories. The mayor is proposing an event to celebrate Austin’s bat population, even though we’ve had an event for the past five years. However, the existing event has shut down the Congress Avenue bridge, which is a major artery, for anywhere from a day to a weekend: the mayor’s proposal would only shut down the bridge for a couple of hours on Sunday night. Plus, the mayor’s plan doesn’t involve charging admission; the existing festival does charge, although the promoter has said he plans for it to be free this year.
As part of the “Night of the Bat” celebration, Adam West , star of the 1960s “Batman” TV series, will attend a June 6 Paramount Theatre screening of the 1966 film “Batman”; RunTex plans to hold a bat-themed run/walk June 6 ; and the Austin Convention and Visitors Bureau will host a private “Batini” contest for local hotel bartenders.
Obit watch: Jaime Escalante.
I’ve been neglecting the Nets. Sadly, they’re now 10-64, and out of record contention.
The WP has an article about the new exhibition at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, devoted to Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s 1976 “Running Fence”.