Austin Good, Austin Hilton Not So

The Austin Chronicle, our alternative weekly, isn't known for being pro-establishment, but in this week's issue they're running a glowing article by Amy Smith on how well Mayor Will Wynn and a host of volunteers have been handling the evacuee situation at the Austin Convention Center. An excerpt:

"[A mayoral aide] would recount one chaotic moment when volunteers discovered they were running short on towels. It was 3:30am Sunday, and there were 500 bedraggled guests waiting for showers. The Austin Hilton across the street, the mayor was told, had refused a request to wash hundreds of towels heaped in a cart. So the mayor commandeered a trio of fellows, and the four of them pushed the automobile-sized cart up Red River [Street] and into the Hilton. The hotel night manager told the mayor he would "love" to help, but didn't have the authority to wash the towels. "I ain't asking for your authorization!" Wynn bellowed. "Where the hell are your washing machines?" With that, the staff grabbed the cart and scurried off to the laundry room.

"When Futrell prompted Wynn to tell the towel story at a press briefing, the mayor chuckled and then changed the subject."

And here's a link to an article by Boing Boing correspondent Jasmina Tesanovic on her experiences visiting the Austin Convention Center.