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WE'RE SUPER EXCITED TO BE CELEBRATING 50 YEARS IN THE BUTLER TRAIL.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO INTRODUCE YOU TO HEIDI EMERSON, THE CEO OF THE TRAVEL.
AND THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE THIS MORNING.
I AM REALLY STRUCK BY, UM, HOW MANY OF YOU ARE HERE JOINING US? HOW MANY CITY OFFICIALS AND PEOPLE FROM THE PUBLIC AND, AND TO GET TO HAVE THIS PRESS CONFERENCE RIGHT HERE ON THE TRAIL IS REALLY SPECIAL.
SO I, I WAS JUST TELLING THE STORY THAT I TURNED 50 THIS YEAR AND, UH, WE WERE, YEAH, I'VE MADE IT SO FAR.
AND, UH, I WAS DRIVING AROUND TO THIS SUMMER REMINISCING ABOUT TURNING 50 AND WHAT THAT MEANS AND THINKING, OH, AND I WAS BORN IN 1971.
AND WHAT ELSE IS A 1971? SOMETHING ELSE HAPPENED IN 1971.
WHAT WAS THAT? AND I'M DRIVING AROUND AND I DIDN'T WRECK.
BUT I WAS LIKE, OH MY GOSH, 1971 IS WHEN LADY BIRD JOHNSON AND THE BUTLER FAMILY STARTED THE TRAIL.
AND IT TOOK ME TURNING 50 TO REMEMBER THAT.
AND THE WONDERFUL, EXCITING THING ABOUT THIS EXACT DAY IS IT IS THE EXACT 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE DAY WHEN LADY BIRD JOHNSON AND ANAND ROY BUTLER, AND ALL OF THE BEAUTIFICATION COMMITTEE CAME TOGETHER TO HOLD THEIR FIRST PRESS CONFERENCE TO LAUNCH THE ANDROID BUTLER HIKE AND BIKE TRAIL LADY BIRD LAKE.
THAT'S A LONG NAME FOR A TRAIL, BUT THAT IS THE ACTUAL NAME TODAY.
AND SO HERE WE ARE CELEBRATING.
AND SOME OF YOU MAY KNOW THIS STORY, BUT YOU MAY NOT.
THE STORY GOES THAT LADYBIRD JOHNSON AND ANN BUTLER WERE IN LONDON AND WE'VE GOT MEMBERS OF THE FAMILIES HERE.
Y'ALL CAN CORRECT ME WHEN YOU COME UP LATER.
IT PROBABLY GETS A LITTLE MORE MAGICAL EVERY TIME WE TELL IT, BUT THEY WERE IN LONDON, THEY WERE AT THE SAVOY.
I HOPE THAT'S WHERE THEY WERE.
I REALLY WANT THEM TO HAVE BEEN THERE.
AND THEY'RE LOOKING OUT OVER THE TIMS AND LOOKING AT THE TRAIL THERE.
AND THEY THINK, YOU KNOW, WE, WE NEED A TRAIL LIKE THIS BACK IN AUSTIN, LET'S GO BACK AND DO THIS AND LOOK WHAT THEY DID.
YOU KNOW, IT'S A REAL TESTAMENT TO WHAT JUST ONE OR TWO OR A SMALL GROUP OF PEOPLE CAN ACCOMPLISH.
AND HERE WE ARE NOW CELEBRATING THIS HIKE AND BIKE TRAIL AND THE 4.5 MILLION USERS THAT ARE ON IT EVERY YEAR.
AND THE IMPACT THAT THIS TRAIL HAS HAD ON OUR CITY AND HOW IT DEFINES AUSTIN.
IT IS AN HONOR FOR THE TRAIL FOUNDATION TO GET TO DO THIS WORK.
IT IS OUR MISSION TO PROTECT, ENHANCE, AND CONNECT THE ANDROID BUTLER, HIKING BIKE TRAIL FOR THE, FOR THE BENEFIT OF ALL.
AND WE TAKE THIS VERY SERIOUSLY AND WE'RE EXCITED TO BE EXPANDING OUR ROLE AND BECOMING AN EVEN STRONGER PARTNER WITH THE PARKS DEPARTMENT TO KEEP THIS SPACE SPECIAL AND PRESERVED AND SUSTAINABLE.
SO THAT AS THAT 4.5 MILLION USERS EVERY YEAR GROWS TO WHO KNOWS WHAT AS AUSTIN GROWS, WE STILL HAVE THIS SPECIAL PLACE TO, TO GET, TO, TO HAVE AS OUR SANCTUARY, TO HAVE THIS AMAZING ACCESS TO NATURE RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF OUR DENSE AND EVEN GROWING CITY.
SO THANK YOU FOR LETTING US DO THIS WORK AND THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE TO CELEBRATE WITH US TODAY AND WATCH FOR MORE CELEBRATIONS ALL NEXT YEAR.
AS WE CONTINUE TO HONOR THIS 50TH ANNIVERSARY.
AND WITH THAT, I'M GOING TO PASS IT OVER TO OUR, UH, GOOD FRIEND AND FAMILY MEMBER OF THE JOHNSON FAMILY, UH, CATHERINE ROBB.
WELL, THAT'S JUST ABOUT TO BE REALLY EXCITING.
SO FIRST OF ALL, HEIDI, I WILL SAY THAT STORY SOUNDS RIGHT.
AND EVEN IF IT'S NOT, IT'S A GOOD STORY, SO WE'RE GOING TO STICK WITH IT.
THAT'S, YOU KNOW, WE KNOW THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH A GOOD STORY.
UM, SO THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU.
UM, I WAS SAYING EARLIER, UH, MY, WELL, MY GRANDMOTHER'S NOT HERE TODAY, 50 YEARS AFTER SORT OF THE START OF THIS WONDERFUL ADVENTURE.
UM, I KNOW SHE WOULD BE SO PLEASED TO SEE THIS.
AND, UM, I RUN ON THIS TRAIL EVERY, JUST ABOUT EVERY MORNING.
UM, AND I, EVEN THOUGH SHE'S NOT HERE, I FEEL HER PRESENCE WHEN I AM HERE AND I KNOW HOW EXCITED SHE WOULD BE TO SEE EVERYTHING THAT'S GOING ON.
AND 50 YEARS AGO WHEN, UH, SHE WAS FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO HAVE SOME WONDERFUL PARTNERS IN GOOD, UH, THE BUTLER'S ROY IN, IN BUTLER, UH, TO, UH, TO SORT OF KICK OFF THIS ENDEAVOR.
AND I THINK THEY KNEW THAT IT TAKES, UH, ONE, IT TAKES A LOT OF PEOPLE TO MAKE SOMETHING LIKE THIS HAPPEN.
UM, IT TAKES A LOT OF ENERGY, A LOT OF WORK.
AND ONE OF THE REALLY IMPORTANT THINGS IS WE LOOK 50 YEARS LATER, UH, IS THAT WE'RE NOT JUST TODAY, TODAY, WE'RE CELEBRATING OBVIOUSLY 50 YEARS OF SORT OF THE KICKOFF OF THIS, BUT WE'RE ALSO CELEBRATING ALL OF
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THE GREAT THINGS TO COME.AND THE BEST THING WE CAN DO IS CONTINUE TO MAKE THIS TRAIL A PLACE THAT NOT ONLY MY GRANDMOTHER, UH, AND THE BUTLERS AND FUTURE GENERATIONS OF THEIR FAMILY, BUT FUTURE GENERATIONS OF ALL OF YOUR FAMILIES AND EVERYONE ELSE WHO COMES TO ENJOY THIS TRAIL, ALL OF THE AUSTINITES VISITORS, WE KNOW THIS IS WHY PEOPLE COME HERE, UH, BOTH TO LIVE, TO VISIT, TO EXPERIENCE THIS WONDERFUL LOCATION.
AND SO I JUST, I, I THANK YOU TO THE CITY, THANK YOU TO THE TRAIL FOUNDATION, THANK YOU TO EVERY SINGLE PERSON THAT HAS DECIDED THAT THIS MATTERS AND THAT USES THIS TRAIL THAT COMES OUT AND SUPPORTS THE TRAIL THAT ALLOWS THE LAST 50 YEARS TO HAPPEN, UH, THAT HAS KEPT THIS, THIS GREAT PROJECT SUSTAINABLE THROUGH THE YEARS.
AND THAT WILL ALLOW ANOTHER 50 YEARS.
AND, UH, MY GRANDMOTHER AND I WILL BE RUNNING WITH Y'ALL EVERY DAY.
AND, UH, I WANT TO INTRODUCE NOW KIMBERLY, BUT THE DIRECTOR OF OUR, WELL, I CAN'T TALK AUSTIN PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT.
AND SO WHETHER IT'S DOG WALKING OR HIKING OR BIKING AND OCCASIONAL JOB, BECAUSE I TOO AM OVER 50.
SO SOMETIMES WHEN YOU GET TO THAT AGE, IT'S ONLY AN OCCASIONAL JOG, UH, BUT I'M GRATEFUL FOR THE ANNA AND ROY BUTLER TRAIL AND AS A MEMBER OF THE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT AND, AND, AND SERVING AS THE DIRECTOR, I'M EVEN MORE GRATEFUL TO THE COMMUNITY LEADERS AND TO THE COMMUNITY WHO CONTINUE TO DEMONSTRATE COMMUNITY SERVICE AND HELP, UH, KEEP THIS TRAIL IN THE CONDITION THAT IT IS AND HELP SUPPORT THIS GREAT PUBLIC BENEFIT.
UH, I WANT TO SAY A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO MAYOR BUTLER, UH, TO MS. ANN BUTLER, TO FIRST LADY, LADY, BIRD JOHNSON.
AND I'D LIKE TO ALSO THINK THAT PRESIDENT JOHNSON, ALTHOUGH WE DIDN'T SAY HIS NAME TOO MUCH, THAT HE MIGHT HAVE SUPPORTED THIS ALSO THE JOHNSON FAMILY AND THE BUTLER FAMILY, UH, FOR JUST CREATING THE BEAUTIFICATION COMMITTEE AND FOR BRINGING THIS LEGACY TO US AND ALLOWING US THE HONOR OF BEING ABLE TO CONTINUE THAT LEGACY AND CARING FOR THIS SPACE AND THE STEWARDSHIP OF, OF THE, THE TRAIL.
UM, YOU PROBABLY KNOW THAT THAT NOT ONLY DID THEY FUNDRAISE FOR THIS AND SET THE STANDARD, BUT THEY ALSO PLANTED TREES.
THEY PICKED UP LITTER, THEY REPLACED BARON SPACES, THEY GOT RID OF WEEDS.
UM, THEY PUT IN NATIVE GREENERY AND SEASONAL PLANTS AND WE SHOULD BE EVER FOREVER GRATEFUL TO THEM FOR THAT.
AND WE'RE ALSO AS A PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT AND A CITY ARE FOREVER GRATEFUL TO THE TRAIL FOUNDATION BECAUSE OF THEIR ONGOING SUPPORT AND THEIR PARTNERSHIP.
UH, FIRST THE LEGACY WAS SAID, AND NOW THE WORK IS CONTINUED AND THE DEPARTMENT IS, UH, VERY THANKFUL TO SUPPORT OR VERY HAPPY TO SUPPORT THE ECOLOGICAL RESTORATION PROJECTS, THE RESTAURANT PROJECTS, THE CULTURAL ARTS PROJECTS.
UM, WE'RE HAPPY TO, UH, ENGAGE IN THE POPUP PROGRAMS THAT ARE HAPPENING ALONG THE TRAIL, THAT THE COMMUNITY CAN, UH, BE ABLE TO ENGAGE IN.
AND WE'D LIKE TO INVITE EVERYBODY WHO MAYBE HASN'T DIDN'T KNOW ALL OF THOSE THINGS ARE HAPPENING TO COME IN AND EXPERIENCE THAT.
I WANT TO SAY AGAIN, ONCE MORE, THANK YOU TO OUR LEGACY LEADERS WHO SET THE STANDARDS.
AND WE HOPE WE HOPE THAT, UH, BY OUR CONTINUED WORK WITH THE TRAIL FOUNDATION, THAT WE'RE ABLE TO HONOR THAT LEGACY.
AND WITH THAT, I'D LIKE TO PLEASE INTRODUCE TO YOU, UM, GRANT BUTLER FROM THE BUTLER FAMILY.
HI, I'M JUST ON BEHALF OF THE BUTLER FAMILY.
THAT'S HELPED US TO MAINTAIN THE TRAIL THROUGHOUT THE YEARS.
UM, THE TRAIL IS VERY BIG PART OF MY FAMILY.
UM, AS YOU KNOW, MY GRANDFATHER, ROY BUTLER HELPED TO START AT 50 YEARS AGO AND EVEN CONTINUING HIS LEGACY.
UM, BACK IN 2010, WHEN I WAS WORKING ON MY EAGLE SCOUT PROJECT, I ACTUALLY PLANTED 52 TREES, UH, RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET FROM US AT THE SOUTHWEST CORNER OF FIRST AND CONGRESS.
AND, UH, THAT WAS IN HIS LEGACY AND WE REALLY APPRECIATE THE TRAIL AND EVERYTHING IT BRINGS TO THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
SO I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU ALL YET AGAIN.
AND, UH, ON THAT NOTE, I'D LIKE TO GOOD MORNING I'M COUNCIL MEMBER, KATHY TOVO, AND I'M JOINED BY MY COLLEAGUE COUNCIL MEMBER, EITHER COUNCIL MEMBER, ALISON ALTER, AND OUR CITY MANAGER, SPENCER CRUNK.
AND I JUST WANT TO REFLECT ON HOW COOL IT IS TO BE HERE 50 YEARS TO THE DAY OF THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE BEAUTIFICATION COMMITTEE, UM,
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AND TO BE JOINED BY MEMBERS OF THE JOHNSON AND THE BUTLER FAMILIES.AND I'M TOLD THAT WE ARE MAYBE NOT IN THE EXACT SPOT OF THAT ORIGINAL PRESS CONFERENCE, BUT WE'RE IN A SPOT THAT IS VERY CLOSE TO THAT EXACT SPOT, YOU KNOW, AND, AND SO MUCH ABOUT AUSTIN HAS CHANGED IN THE LAST 50 YEARS.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE CITY BEHIND ME, SO MUCH OF THAT HAS, HAS GROWN UP AROUND US.
UM, BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HASN'T CHANGED IS AUSTINITES APPRECIATION AND LOVE FOR OUR NATURAL ENVIRONMENT.
AND, YOU KNOW, THANK YOU TO LADY BIRD JOHNSON, TO THE BUTLERS, TO ALL OF THOSE WHO SERVED ON THE BEAUTIFICATION COMMITTEE FOR ANNOUNCING THIS REALLY FORWARD-THINKING VISION.
AND FOR KNOWING THAT AUSTIN WOULD GROW AND WOULD CHANGE, BUT WE WOULD ALWAYS WANT THAT WONDERFUL CONNECTION TO NATURE.
AND SO THIS TRAIL SERVES THE BUTLER TRAIL SERVES AS THAT PLACE WHERE, YOU KNOW, AS THE CITY CONTINUES TO GET BIGGER AND TO DENSIFY AND MORE AND MORE PEOPLE COME AND LIVE HERE IN THE CITY BEHIND US, AND THE SKYLINE CHANGES, WE'RE ALWAYS GOING TO HAVE THIS BEAUTIFUL NATURAL SPACE WHERE PEOPLE CAN COME TOGETHER AND CONNECT WITH ONE ANOTHER AND CONNECT WITH THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT AROUND THEM.
AND SO ON BEHALF OF MY COLLEAGUE, COUNCIL MEMBER, ALTAR AND MAYOR ADLER, AND THE REST OF THE CITY COUNCIL, I'D LIKE TO PRESENT THE FOLLOWING PROCLAMATION, BE IT KNOWN THAT WHEREAS ANN AND ROY BUTLER WERE INSTRUMENTAL IN THE BEAUTIFICATION OF THE HIKE AND BIKE TRAIL AROUND A PORTION OF THE COLORADO RIVER IN DOWNTOWN AUSTIN THAT IS CURRENTLY KNOWN AS LADY BIRD LAKE, AND WE'RE AS DURING ROY BUTLER'S TIME IN OFFICE, AS MAYOR OF AUSTIN, HE ALONG WITH LADYBIRD JOHNSON AND BUTLER, LES GAGE, SINCLAIR BLACK, BETTY WILSON, EMMA LONG CAROLINE CURTIS, JIM PFLUEGER AND LOU NEFF AMONG OTHERS FORMED THE TOWN LAKE BEAUTIFICATION COMMITTEE AIMED AT BEAUTIFYING THE BANKS OF WHAT WAS THEN KNOWN AS TOWN LAKE.
AND WHEREAS THE BEAUTIFICATION OF THE HIKE AND BIKE TRAIL BEGAN AS A VISION BY LADYBIRD JOHNSON AND ANNE BUTLER IN 1971, AND EXACTLY 50 YEARS AGO TODAY, THE TOWN LAKE BEAUTIFICATION COMMITTEE WAS FORMED TO MAKE THEIR VISION A REALITY TO COMPLIMENT THE PUBLIC PRIVATE EFFORT, TO BEAUTIFY THIS AREA AND MAKE IT ATTRACT MORE ATTRACTIVE AND USEFUL PUBLIC SPACE.
THE COMMITTEE RAISED FUNDS TO PLANT HUNDREDS OF TREES ALONG THE BANKS OF THE LAKE AND SPENT YEARS BEAUTIFYING THE TRAIL.
NOW, THEREFORE I, KATHY TOVO ON BEHALF OF MAYOR, STEVE ADLER DO HEREBY PROCLAIM DECEMBER 10TH, 2021 AS TOWN LAKE BEAUTIFICATION COMMITTEE DAY IN AUSTIN, TEXAS.
AND I BELIEVE THAT CONCLUDES THE PROGRAM FOR TODAY.
THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR COMING.