Res Publica

Thursday17

COMMUNITY DINNER TO DISCUSS EASTSIDE SCHOOL Listen to a proposal to lease the former Eastside Memorial High School Johnston campus for a college prep charter school. 6:30pm. East Austin College Prep Academy, 6002 Jain, 669-8999. www.eastaustincollegeprep.org.

ORGANIZED LABOR'S LAST STAND? A talk on the labor struggle in Wisconsin and "new radical right agenda" from Third Coast Activist Resource Center co-founder Rahul Mahajan. 7pm. 5604 Manor Rd. www.5604manor.org.

Saturday19

FESTIVAL AT CITY HALL brings musicians, activists, and organizations together to celebrate Austin's diversity as the segregation of our communities becomes a thing of the past. Noon-3pm. City Hall Plaza, 301 W. Second.

TEXAS WATER WAR An all-day conference aimed at finding legislative solutions to the many water-rights skirmishes around the state. 10am-5pm. McKinney Roughs Nature Center, 1884 Hwy. 71 W., Cedar Creek, 512/535-0989. [email protected].

Monday21

COLORADO RIVER FOUNDATION VOLUNTEER OPEN HOUSE Learn how you can help protect Lake Austin, Lady Bird Lake, and the rest of the Texas Colorado River through river cleanups and other volunteer events. 6-7pm. Redbud Center, 3601 Lake Austin Blvd. Free. Register at 498-1587 or [email protected]. www.coloradoriver.org.

COMMUNITY DINNER TO DISCUSS EASTSIDE SCHOOL (See Thursday, 3/17.) 6:30pm. East Austin College Prep Academy, 6002 Jain, 669-8999. Free. www.eastaustincollegeprep.org.

Tuesday22

CAR-FREE LIVING CLASS Austin on Two Wheels shows you how a little bit of biking, a dash of car-sharing, and some mass transit can make quitting your car habit a breeze. 5:30pm. Bicycle Sport Shop, 517 S. Lamar, 707-1551. $25. www.livingontwowheels.com.

CENTRAL TEXAS WATER CONSERVATION SYMPOSIUM Learn about water conservation trends, effective business practices, and more at this event organized by regional water agencies and advocacy groups. 8:30am-3pm. Cedar Park Recreation Center, 1435 Main St., Cedar Park. www.texaswaterfoundation.org.

FLUORIDE MEETING Austin's Public Health and Human Services Committee reviews the wisdom of fluoridating public drinking water; this meeting is sure to draw a crowd. 2pm. City Hall, Council Chambers, 301 W. Second. www.fluoridefreeaustin.com.

NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSING PUBLIC MEETINGS The city needs feedback on funding priorities for housing, community and economic development, and public services for the fiscal year. 10am-noon: Hancock Community Center, Rm. 3, 811 E. 41st, 453-7765. 6pm: Montopolis Recreation Center, 1200 Montopolis Dr., 385-5931. www.cityofaustin.org/housing.

Wednesday23

FREE SEEDLINGS The Texas Forestry Association is handing out 5,000 seedlings for hardwood trees to raise awareness of its planting efforts throughout Texas every winter. 8:30-11:30am. State Capitol, 1100 Congress. www.texasforestry.org.

MEMORIAL SERVICE honors firefighters from around the state who've died in the line of duty. 11am-1pm. Texas Capitol, 1100 Congress.

NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSING PUBLIC MEETING (See Tuesday.) 6pm-8pm. Parque Zaragosa Recreation Center, 2608 Gonzales St., 472-7142. www.cityofaustin.org/housing.

TEXAS GREEN NETWORK Guest of honor Lucia Athens, chief sustainability officer for the city of Austin, discusses transportation, energy use, and waste management, and answers questions collected from the attendees of last month's TGN meeting. 5:30-8:30pm. The Vortex, 2307 Manor Rd., 478-5282. Free. E-mail to RSVP: [email protected].

Thursday24

CLEAN CITIES ALTCAR CONFERENCE & EXPO Learn the latest in alternative-transportation technologies, infrastructure, and funding – and maybe even test-drive an altcar yourself. 8am-5pm, registrants; 2:30-5pm, public. Palmer Events Center, 900 Barton Springs Rd. www.austinaltcar.com.

HEMAN SWEATT SYMPOSIUM features a talk from Louise Iscoe, author of Overcoming: A History of Black Integration at the University of Texas at Austin. Noon-1:30pm. UT campus, Texas Union, Rm. 3.304. www.utexas.edu/diversity/events/hemansweatt.