ALAMO HEIGHTS • KING WILLIAM • MONTE VISTA • OLMOS PARK • TERRELL HILLS
LOCAL COMMUNITY NEWS LOCALCOMMUNITYNEWS.COM | VOL. 9, ISSUE 5 | NOV. 3-DEC. 1, 2020
HEALTH
Pandemic alters SA medicine
D A E H A D NOW AN
by LEA THOM
PSON
by TRAVIS E. POLING
THE OUTBREAK OF THE NOVEL CORONAVIRUS is transforming the nature of health care delivery across both the planet and the greater San Antonio area.
As providers grapple with the current disease and its staggering impact, physicians and other medical professionals are formulating plans to combat future pandemics. Edith Ambrester went through breast-cancer management, chemotherapy, surgery and radiation. Everything not requiring in-person consulting, from treatment-preparation instructions to follow-up, was done by talking to At the height of the pandemic, University Health System personnel such as diabetic retinopathy screener and medical assistant Juanita Banda (above) were reassigned to screen patients and visitors. Such positions are likely to be a regular staff function. Photo by Mark C. Greenberg/UHS
ADAPTING continues on pg. 12
DINING
THE GLOBAL PANDEMIC has changed the way San Antonio-area schools conduct learning now and for the foreseeable future.
From public to private institutions, local communities face serious challenges including keeping students healthy, bringing learners back to campuses or instructing remotely, handling teacher brain drain and preparing for more shutdowns.
SPRING BREAK AND GOODBYES In Cibolo, when Watts Elementary School teacher Wendy Dylla said farewell to her second graders for Spring Break, she didn’t realize last March would be the final time she’d see them in person. “Before we left for break, (officials) told us, ‘Take your things with you because a COVID closure is a possibility,’ but we
never thought that this would happen,” Dylla said. But, within days, it did. Gov. Greg Abbott eventually ordered the shuttering of statewide campuses. Summertime saw the greater San Antonio area school systems — public and private and their corresponding new online classrooms — navigate constantly changing educational and safety guidelines,
LEARNING continues on pg. 10
PG. 18 | EAT LOCAL
MING'S
Fun Asian comfort food MING'S continues on pg. 18
2 STAFF NOV. 3 - DEC. 1, 2020
PUBLISHER Jaselle Luna EDITORIAL Editor
Thomas Edwards News Staff
Edmond Ortiz Contributing Writers
Olivier J. Bourgoin, Travis E. Poling, Arthur Schechter, Lea Thompson and Susan Yerkes ART Designer
E. Fisher Contributing Artist
Jeremiah Teutsch Contributing Photographers
Jaime Len Cooke and Mark C. Greenberg ADVERTISING Senior Media Representatives
Dawn Radick and Joanne Torres Multimedia Account Representative
Michael Valdelamar Controller
Gracie Cortinez READER SERVICE Mailing Address
4204 Gardendale St., Ste. 107, San Antonio, TX 78229 Phone: (210) 338-8842 Fax: (210) 465-9455 ADVERTISING INQUIRIES Advertising@localcommunitynews.com STORY IDEAS: tips@localcommunitynews.com EDITOR CONTACT tedwards@localcommunitynews.com OUR OTHER PUBLICATIONS North SA: 78213, 78216, 78230, 78231, 78232, 78248, 78249, 78258, 78259 Metrocom: 78109, 78148, 78233, 78239, 78108, 78132, 78154, 78266 South San Antonio: 78204, 78210, 78214, 78223, 78235 Reproduction in whole or in part without our permission is prohibited, 2020 Local Community News LLC, all rights reserved.
ON THE COVER –The novel coronavirus outbreak created serious challenges for school districts in San Antonio. From carefully returning students to the classroom to tracking those who fell off the grid, educators have their hands full. To learn more, check out the story package that begins on page 01, with additional content soon at www.localcommunitynews.com. Stock photo CLARIFICATION A story in the October issue of LOCAL Community News under the headline “Chef-prepared fare at second Mr. Juicy” should have stated “10 to 20” more restaurants are expected, not 200.
TALK LOCAL
Cenotaph saved IT WOULD SEEM THE BATTLE OF THE ALAMO RAGES STILL, but the Texas Historical Commission made the right call denying a permit allowing revisionists to move the Cenotaph. Members of the Alamo Management Committee, the public-private partnership pushing a $450 million plan to renovate Alamo Plaza, said they wanted the Cenotaph relocated to restore the mission’s true historical legacy. The Spanish Empire, in concert with the Catholic Church, built missions just like the Alamo the world over to minister to Indigenous persons. Nothing unique there. What is memorable about the Alamo is its place in history as a battleground symbolizing man’s struggle for freedom against tyranny. The Cenotaph honors the heroes of all ethnicities who fought for independence in March 1836, inspiring those who strive for liberty for generations to come. It belongs front and center on the Alamo grounds, not moved south of the shrine. In addition, the monument could be damaged should it be shifted. The Cenotaph stands as a reminder freedom is purchased through blood and sacrifice. Those who desired relocation say they only wished to tell the “full” story of the 300-year-old mission. Instead, it appears they want to minimize the most important chapter in the Alamo’s history. The LOCAL Community News editorial board includes Jaselle Luna and Thomas Edwards.
PLAN YOUR MONTH WITH OUR CALENDAR OF UPCOMING EVENTS IN THE COMMUNITY.
L O CA L C O M M U N I T Y N E W S
NOVEMBER
d
NOV. 3 - DEC. 1, 2020
City Councils/ School Districts Alamo Heights: 5:30 p.m. Nov. 9, 23; 6116 Broadway Olmos Park: 6 p.m. Nov. 18; 120 W. El Prado Drive Terrell Hills: 5 p.m. Nov. 9; 5100 N. New Braunfels Ave. San Antonio ISD: 5:30 p.m. Nov. 16; 406 Barrera St. Alamo Heights ISD: 6 p.m. Nov. 19; 7101 Broadway North East ISD: 5:30 p.m. Nov. 9; 8961 Tesoro Drive
NOV. 4
ALAMO HEIGHTS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE Luncheons are in a private room at Paesanos
HAPPENING
Lincoln Heights, 555 E. Basse Road. Meet and greet at 11:30 a.m. and a guest speaker follows at noon. Cost is $25. For updates or cancellations, call 210-822-7027 or visit http://alamoheightschamber.org/.
NOV. 4
SPROUTING AT THE GARDEN The San Antonio Garden Center, 3310 N. New Braunfels Ave., holds a 9:30 a.m. social time, followed by 10 a.m. program. Public is welcome. For updates or cancellations, email info@
sanantoniogardencenter.org or call 210824-9981.
NOV. 5
ALAMO CITY GUARDS, CAMP 1325 The chapter holds a 7 p.m. meeting in the Fiesta Room at Luby’s, 911 N. Main Ave. Members and guests eat at 6 p.m.; no reservations required. For updates or cancellations, visit www.alamocityguards. com. HAPPENING continues on pg. 07
EDITOR’S NOTE: THE CALENDAR IS CURRENT AS OF PRESS TIME, BUT SOME EVENTS MAY HAVE BEEN POSTPONED OR CANCELED DUE TO CORONAVIRUS CONCERNS. ACCESS TO PUBLIC MEETINGS MAY BE LIMITED OR STREAMING ONLY. CHECK WITH THE LISTED CONTACTS FOR UPDATES.
LOCALCOMMUNITYNEWS.COM
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OPINION
4
L O CA L C O M M U N I T Y N E W S NOV. 3 - DEC. 1, 2020
Giving thanks, not COVID by SUSAN YERKES
WHEN THANKSGIVING APPROACHES I make a list of things I’m grateful for. At the top this year: I’m thankful 2020 is almost over. We
may not get back to normal in 2021, but it’s got to be better than the three Cs: coronavirus, closings and chaos. Thanksgiving is the definitive all-American holiday. The Norman Rockwell image of a family sharing a big, beautiful meal doesn’t seem so cozy with masks and gloves. Giving thanks is one thing, but giving COVID-19 is something else entirely. For months, most folks I know have been plotting alternative get-togethers, from Zooming the family feast to moving outside or doing drive-by food deliveries. The good news: According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, food and its packaging are low risk
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for viral spread. The bad news: Saliva and breathing both increase exposure. Bummer. It’s one thing to wear a mask at the grocery store, but something else entirely to keep it on in a room full of people having a wonderful time. This year, many time-honored San
Director of Admissions Lisa Rosenfeld lrosenfeld@antonian.org MERIT-BASED
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Antonio traditions of giving are canceled or altered. The Raul Jimenez Thanksgiving has morphed into a holiday-meal delivery. Air Force basic trainees at Lackland won’t enjoy turkey dinner with local families, since Operation Home Cooking is called off. Ditto the Army’s Mission Thanksgiving event. On the other hand, a Texas Thanksgiving isn’t necessarily traditional. You may have grown up with the tale of Plymouth Colony’s British pilgrims sharing a love feast with the happy Wampanoag tribe in 1621, but in these days of political correctness it’s hard to keep such a rosy scenario going, especially in light of how Native Americans ended up. In fact, if you want to talk turkey about Thanksgiving, look no further than El Paso, where true-blue Texans claim the first such feast was held in 1598, when Spanish conquistador Juan de Oñate and settlers found water and rest after a punishing trip through the Chihuahuan Desert. The El Paso Mission Trail Association commemorates the event, which has drawn controversy. A lot of things about Thanksgiving have a stormy history in the Lone Star State. In 1777, the Continental Congress declared the first national Thanksgiving, President George Washington affirmed it in 1789, and in 1863, President Abraham Lincoln officially made Thanksgiving the last Thursday in November.
(Thursday was “Lecture Day” for the Plymouth Puritans, and the start of the original, three-day celebration.) Texas went along with the national date, but from 1879 to 1882, Gov. O.M. Roberts refused to declare the holiday at all, calling it a “damn Yankee institution” and a “religious exercise.” In 1939, when President Franklin Roosevelt moved Thanksgiving up a week, to the next-to-last Thursday in November, Gov. W. Lee “Pappy” O’Daniel rebelled against the “New Deal Thanksgiving” and Texans got two celebrations. Some politicians framed the Texas Thanksgiving as a matter of states’ rights. Between 1939 and 1957 Texas observed seven years of double Thanksgivings. (Tough on turkeys, great for turkey breeders.) In 1957, Gov. Price Daniel signed a new set of holidays into law, aligning the state observance with the national one for good. Some staunch Southerners claimed treason; Daniel “went Yankee,” as one newspaper charged. Thanksgiving in 2020 may not be the same, but the spirit of the holiday has weathered plenty of changes over time. Whether you celebrate Thanksgiving or the newer “Friendsgiving” (which still seems weird to me) or both, it’s all about being grateful for what we have, and sharing. That spirit prevails. I find it “hope-giving.” syerkes@localcommunitynews.com
One of the most well-respected and award-winning journalists in South Texas, Susan Yerkes pens a column each month for LOCAL Community News. A veteran of newspapers, television, radio and online, she calls San Antonio home.
Approximately 70% of total hospitalized cases of COVID-19 are indicated to have some type of underlying condition (the other 30% either do not have an underlying condition or their status is unknown). Among these cases, diabetes is the most common, followed by heart disease and obesity.
CHANGE TODAY FOR A HEALTHIER FUTURE. Make Changes • Reduce Risk • Take Control
DID YOU KNOW?
Almost 29 million Americans have diabetes – but that’s just the tip of the iceberg. About 84 million adults in the United States have prediabetes. The YMCA of Greater San Antonio and The City of The San Antonio Metropolitan Health Department have teamed up to fight diabetes from two fronts. Whether you are at risk for type 2 diabetes or if you have already been diagnosed, we have a FREE program for you! We can help you: · Make lifestyle changes to help prevent or delay the disease · Work with family members to reduce your entire family’s risk · Manage the disease if you have already received a diagnosis. We’ll teach you how you can take control of your health safely manage the symptoms of diabetes. Call 210-207-8807 or visit diabeteshelpsa.com for more information.
LOWDOWN
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L O CA L C O M M U N I T Y N E W S NOV. 3 - DEC. 1, 2020
TAKE A QUICK LOOK AT WHAT’S NEW IN THE COMMUNITY FROM OPENINGS AND CLOSINGS TO NEWS TIDBITS.
Open and Opening Soon MING’S, 914 E. Elmira St., Suite 101, is the newest restaurant from Ming Qian and offers Asian comfort food. Hours are 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. For more, call 210-600-4083 or 210-6004133 or visit mingsthing.com. (See story on page 18) AMOR ETERNO, 540 S. Presa St., plans a fall opening in the former Don Martin’s Coffee Co. space. Amor Eterno is led by Brian Correa, owner of neighboring venue Bar America, and Aaron Peña, proprietor of The Squeezebox on North St. Mary’s Street. Amor Eterno’s “Tejano street fare” food menu is being developed in partnership with ¡Bucho! The venue will be located behind Bar America. Follow Amor Eterno on Instagram at @ amoreterno_sa for more.
Rich in tradition, Devoted to care, Together in community.
PHARM TABLE, 812 S. Alamo St., is relocating from downtown to the larger space at this address and expects to open in November. The lunch and dinner service will still focus on the farm-to-table concept. Founder and chef Elizabeth Johnson said the new spot includes an expanded menu with an apothecarykitchen approach, new bar program, plus architecture and a design emphasizing safety, sustainability and landscape. Visit www.pharmtable.com for more. KUMO, 5251 McCullough Ave., planned for an early November opening in the spot once occupied by Mixtli. The contemporary Mexican omakase is the brainchild of Diego Galicia and Rico Torres, creators of Mixtli restaurant. Omakase is a meal consisting of dishes selected by the chef. Kumo, which is “cloud” in Japanese, focuses on tacos and handheld servings. For reservations and more, visit restaurantmixtli.com/ kumo.
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N.E. Loop 410, Suite 330, has opened to offer boutique legal services focused on business transactions, corporate issues and securities. Hours are 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays and by appointment, plus Sundays by appointment only. For more, call 210817-4388 or visit www.ryanreiffert. com.
GRUB GAB: La Botanica closed Oct. 20 after five years offering bar service and vegan food at 2911 N. St. Mary’s St. The Cadillac Bar at 212 S. Flores St. recently shuttered; the furnishings inside the historic restaurant were auctioned off in early October.
IN OTHER NEWS:
CONSTRUCTION RECENTLY FINISHED IN ALAMO HEIGHTS at Magnolia Heights. Studio-unit costs for the Austin Highway and Broadway address begin at $1,905 per month. Years ago, several Alamo Heights residents balked at a previous developer’s proposal for a multistory apartment complex at the same location.
CPS ENERGY RECENTLY RELOCATED ITS HEADQUARTERS from Navarro Street to 500 McCullough Ave. Utility officials said relocation was necessary and more cost-effective than maintaining the decades-old buildings near La Villita.
THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE recently awarded two research grants to the University of the Incarnate Word’s School of Mathematics, Science and Engineering. One project focused on mechanisms responsible for the superconducting state of one of the simplest high-temperature superconductors, FeTeSe. The other involves autonomous-vehicle research. REALTOR KENDALL MAZUREK, A 2005 TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY graduate, recently joined the team at Embrey Realty, based near Alamo Heights.
THE INSTITUTE OF MUSEUM AND LIBRARY SERVICES recently awarded the Witte Museum a $250,000 grant to improve conservation and preservation of its paleontology and geology collections.
THE CENTER FOR CONSERVATION AND RESEARCH at the San Antonio Zoo announced another successful Texas horned lizard hatching, which officials LOWDOWN continues on pg. 19
NOV. 3 - DEC. 1, 2020
L O CA L C O M M U N I T Y N E W S
HAPPENING continues from pg. 03
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Nestled on the Northside of San Antonio, Turquoise Springs Medical Spa is a direct reflection of the passion and zeal that has driven the founder and medical director, Dr. Bill Murphy, throughout his life.
NOV. 7 DIWALI
NOV. 5
AUDUBON SOCIETY The San Antonio Audubon Society gathers at 7 p.m. in the San Antonio Zoo Education Center, 3903 N. St. Mary’s St. Parking is available next to the entrance. Visit saaudubon.org or www.facebook. com/saaudubon/.
NOV. 5
TASTE AT THE TOWER Come to the base of Tower of the Americas, 739 E César E. Chávez Blvd., from 7-10 p.m. to partake in “Taste at the Tower.” Enjoy chef-inspired dishes, live entertainment, specialty drinks, kids’ zone and more. For registration costs, updates or cancellations, visit https:// www.thesanantonioriverwalk.com/events/ taste-at-the-tower/.
NOV. 6, 20
PEARL ROTARY The club meets on alternating Fridays at 11:30 a.m. inside The Culinary Institute of America, 312 Pearl Parkway. For updates or cancellations, call 210-9137448.
NOV. 6
FALL HERITAGE FESTIVAL The Conservation Society of San Antonio holds “Fall Heritage Festival” at La Villita, 418 Villita St., 6-9 p.m; $125 per person, adults only. Social distancing enforced. Visit www.saconservation.org/ news-events/ or https://www.niosa.org/p/ getconnected/fall-fest.
NOV. 7, 14
FOR ART FANS Southtown Arts District First and Second Saturday Markets is from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at The Artisan, 1103A S. Presa St. For updates or cancellations, email shop@ theartisansatx.com or call 210-962-5560.
Not Your Average Med Spa
This year, the Hindu festival of lights celebrating Indian culture will be conducted in San Antonio virtually. “Diwali SA” will be an all-day free event with details pending. For updates or cancellations, visit https://www.anujasa.com/our-pillars/ diwali-sa/.
NOV. 11
ALAMO HEIGHTS SCHOOL FUNDRAISER The 10th annual “Greater Heights Night,” benefiting the Alamo Heights School Foundation, is from 7-9 p.m. as a watch party from the comfort of your home. There will be a live and silent auction hosted by Rick Shaw. For updates, cancellations, and to purchase tickets, visit https://www. ahschoolfoundation.org/events/eventdetails/greater-heights-night-2020.
NOV. 12
GARDEN GAB The San Antonio Herb Society meets at the San Antonio Garden Center, 3310 N. New Braunfels Ave. Refreshments and social time is 6:30 p.m.; program 7 p.m. For updates or cancellations, visit www. sanantonioherbs.org.
NOV. 12
SONS OF CONFEDERATE VETERANS Hood’s Texas Brigade, Camp 153 meets at 7 p.m. in Chester’s Hamburgers, 1006 N.E. Loop 410. No reservations required. For updates or cancellations, visit www. hoodstexasbrigade.net.
NOV. 14
‘THE PEOPLE’S CLINIC’ The Estela Avery Education Center inside Confluence Park, 310 W. Mitchell St., is home to traditional healing practices from 1-5 p.m. For updates or cancellations, visit https://sariverfound. org/events/the-peoples-clinic/. HAPPENING continues on pg. 17 LOCALCOMMUNITYNEWS.COM
Dr. Murphy is a San Antonio native who graduated from Lee High School before attending the University of Texas in 1971. He graduated with a degree in Pharmacy and worked as a pharmacist while attending medical school at UT Southwestern in Dallas. Upon graduation in 1980, he moved back to the Alamo City for an internship in Internal Medicine and specialty training in Anesthesiology. He has extensive experience in many fields of medicine. During Dr. Murphy’s professional career, he has had the pleasure of being a pharmacist, a surgeon, an anesthesiologist and is double board certified in Anesthesiology and Pain Management. He has practiced in San Antonio for over 36 years, and has now shifted his focus and passion to the field of aesthetics and wellness. His qualifications and experience make him uniquely capable of leading Turquoise Springs Medical Spa. He is able to blend his knowledge of various medical disciplines and uses this to realize excellent results in all areas of aesthetics for his patients. Since opening Turquoise Springs Medical Spa in 2017, Dr. Murphy has been a member of the American Association of Anti-Aging Medicine, the American Society of Lasers in Medicine and Surgery, and the American Society of Facial Esthetics. Dr. Murphy is known for his meticulous attention to detail, which is apparent from the minute you step into his exquisitely designed spa. His team of aesthetic professionals compliment his expertise which leads to outstanding treatment results and to the loyalty of his longstanding clients. Dr. Murphy’s motto is “One Body. One Life,” and he is passionate about helping his patients achieve and maintain health and wellness while providing them with top of the line, FDA approved technology in a first-class environment. From the most advanced anti-aging and cosmetic technologies and treatments, to body contouring, hormone replacement therapy, injectables and laser treatments…. Turquoise Springs Medical Spa provides it all. Schedule a free consultation today with Dr. Murphy and come experience his luxurious and personalized five-star care.
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Includes Radio Frequency Skin Tightening & AnteAGE MD Stem GF & Cytokines Serum & After Care Kit Call to Schedule a FREE consultation with our Medical Director Bill Murphy MD.
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14800 San Pedro Ave, Ste 202, San Antonio, TX 78232
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GOVERNMENT
L O CA L C O M M U N I T Y N E W S NOV. 3 - DEC. 1, 2020
Alamo Heights considers emergency siren
Alamo Heights is looking at acquiring and installing at least one emergency siren. Courtesy photo/Alamo Heights
DEVICE WOULD SOUND ALERT IN CASE OF LOCAL TORNADO WARNING by EDMOND ORTIZ
ALAMO HEIGHTS — City officials are exploring the feasibility of purchasing and installing at least one emergency siren to warn about bad weather.
Such a system could alert residents to a tornado, city leaders said. Fire Chief Michael Gdovin recently briefed City Council via a virtual presentation about the potential for erecting a warning siren.
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No decision has been reached. “It is still under discussion,” Mayor Bobby Rosenthal said. An EF2 tornado hitting the Alamo Heights area on a late Sunday evening in February 2017 helped prompt leaders to consider the placement of a siren system inside city limits. “We’ve had a resident raise a concern for the citizens if a tornado were to occur in the middle of the night when some cellphones might be silenced,” Rosenthal said.
Outdoor warning sirens — also called weather, tornado, or civildefense sirens — may be an option to inform the public of dangerous meteorological conditions and other emergencies, Gdovin explained. Based on inspections of prospective sites and topographic evaluation, Fire Department officials have narrowed their focus on either erecting one siren just north of the city hall complex, or setting up two sirens. In the latter case, according to
NOV. 3 - DEC. 1, 2020
L O CA L C O M M U N I T Y N E W S
GOVERNMENT
according to the fire chief. Having two 14V-B sirens would be $49,000 altogether. Alamo Heights would be responsible for electrical service to the siren pole(s), appropriate phone connection(s) and the necessary radio system to program a radio decoder. If an emergency siren in Alamo Heights becomes a reality, it would be rare for the area. The city of San Antonio does not have sirens. According to San Antonio’s Office of Emergency Management website, it would be “near to impossible to outfit with tornado sirens” a geographic area of more than 400 square miles containing 1.5 million residents.
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The San Antonio OEM site also said tornado sirens can be useful in smaller vicinities, but are intended to “alert citizens who are outdoors, so that they can go inside for safety, making them ineffective for alerting people inside homes, buildings, structures or in their vehicles.” Gdovin said if Alamo Heights were to move forward with implementing an emergency siren, the city’s process will involve community input “once a more definitive plan is established after an on-site assessment by the siren vendor.” Testing would be done monthly or weekly, based on the manufacturer’s direction. Find this story and more at www. localcommunitynews.com.
Colorado-based Sentry is the manufacturer of the emergency siren or sirens Alamo Heights could erect to alert residents in case of a tornado or other emergency. Courtesy photo/Alamo Heights
Gdovin, one would stand close to Alamo Heights High School, the other off Broadway south of the municipal complex. Alamo Heights is looking at two models produced by potential service provider, Sentry, with which municipal staff held preliminary talks. The single-siren scenario would involve Sentry’s 16V1T-B, considered a maintenance-free option by suppliers. This is a Federal Emergency
Management Agency-recommended siren, battery-powered with no speakers or amplifiers. Used globally, it’s the best-selling dual-tone alert system of its kind, according to officials. If the city chose a pair of alarms, two of the company’s 14V-B stationary models could be set up. Like the 16V1T-B, the other device features dual-tone, nonrotating parts, is maintenance-free and FEMArecommended. The first model costs $26,950, LOCALCOMMUNITYNEWS.COM
Local sales agent with local Medicare Advantage plans. I’m Melissa Navarro, a licensed sales agent in San Antonio & Austin, Texas. When it comes to Medicare, it’s important to consider all of your options. What works well for your neighbor may not be the best fit for you. I know the ins and outs of Medicare, and I’m ready to answer you questions and help you find a plan that fits your needs. Take advantage of my knowledge and experience to: • Take the confusion out of Medicare • Get help comparing plans
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It’s time to take advantage. Melissa Navarro
Licensed Sales Agent
210-243-6394, TTY 711 Plans are insured through UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company or one of its affiliated companies, a Medicare Advantage organization with a Medicare contract. Enrollment in the plan depends on the plan’s contract renewal with Medicare. ©2020 United HealthCare Services, Inc. All rights reserved. Y0066_21SPRJ55189_C
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L O CA L C O M M U N I T Y N E W S
EDUCATION
NOV. 3 - DEC. 1, 2020
LEARNING continues from pg. 01
struggling to ensure a safe fall reopening. The COVID-19 crisis created new obstacles for schools. Suddenly, teacherstudent communication needed reinvention, requiring campuses to launch online classes for the first time, as officials looked to maintain pupil safety, follow state directives or risk losing essential funding. In reality, the pandemic didn’t create disparities in local educational systems. It magnified them. “I think we’ll be learning to live with the virus until there is a widely accessible, safe and effective vaccine. In the short term, the vaccine could take months,” said Dr. Junda Woo, medical director of the San Antonio Metropolitan Health District. “On the long side, that could be years. Of course, we all
EDITOR'S NOTE
The coach at (Advanced Learning Academy) in (San Antonio Independent School District) has done a phenomenal job with creating ageappropriate activities for the remote kids. The school gave us some resources during a driveby school pickup. Each kid got a special bucket with a tennis ball, scarves, a pool noodle cut into rings and a set of drumsticks. I didn’t know what to expect. They use the drumsticks and
hope it’s not that long.” The outbreak has inordinately affected area minorities. According to Rogelio Sáenz, a professor of demography at the University of Texas at San Antonio, local Latinos are more likely to be frontline workers, live with preexisting conditions, share homes with older family members, and less inclined to have health care access. They’re also more susceptible to contract or die from COVID-19. In addition, reports show the younger Latino population is more vulnerable nationally. “Children across the U.S. have shown relatively low COVID case numbers and mortality rates, but nationwide, the death rates for Latino children are nearly seven times that of their white or Black counterparts,” Sáenz said. “These are not things that just happened today or within the last few months. These are long-term health
qualities and inequalities that have been here for years.”
PRIVATE SCHOOLS Private schools were also affected by state-mandated closures in March, with most pivoting to offer students a choice between in-person or remote education in the new grading period, semester or school year. For Jaime Len Cooke, a mother of two who owns a local event-planning company, face-to-face education was best for her family. Her sons — Deacon, 5, and Aden, 12 — attend Cornerstone Christian Schools and Keystone School, respectively. The boys were ready to return to the classroom, she said. Cornerstone initiated two critical lawsuits this past summer. In one, the institution sought to dismiss a local ordinance banning public and private schools from holding in-person classes before Labor Day, citing a violation of the campuses’ “religious
FOR ADDITIONAL STORIES AND OTHER MATERIALS ON THIS SUBJECT, VISIT WWW. LOCALCOMMUNITYNEWS.COM.
beat the bucket as a drum, and the pool noodle to catch and work on hand-eye coordination; they use scarves to practice catching and the tennis ball to practice bouncing on the ground and try to land in the bucket. It’s a cool way to use super simple things and learn good motor skills. One day they’ll ball up a piece of paper and practice throwing, another day they’ll practice balancing in PE with yoga poses. Their teachers create innovative things to do at home with things they already have.”
NIKI BURNHAM, former elementary school teacher and stay-at-home mother to kindergarten students
The (North East Independent School) district still has all the same rules and expectations for our schools, and we wear masks every day, at all times. At Stone Oak, we have masks and sanitizing stations around the school. (There are) single-use cups next to the water fountain now, that can be disposed after. The students are very mature about following the new rules; they knew changes were coming. They still run around on the playground, except now we have stations so not everyone is playing on monkey bars or the slides all at once. Their imagination is amazing.”
ANA RAMONES, fourth grade dual-language teacher, Stone Oak Elementary School, San Antonio
freedom.” In the second, Cornerstone deemed a Metro Health directive for both public and private schools to post COVID-19 case numbers on their website as “unconstitutional.” Cornerstone won both suits, effectively allowing all private, faith-based Texas institutions to resume in-person classes on their own timetables. While both private and public school administrators must still report all coronavirus case data to Metro Health, the agency dropped its order requiring the figures to appear on school websites. “Deacon went back, in person, on Aug. 17, and it felt almost like any other first day of school. I still cried as he walked away,” Cooke said. “The only difference is I couldn’t walk him into the classroom. All the students were wearing little masks and looked like little zombies with their arms out, walking and making sure they were 6-feet apart.” She credits her boys’ smooth campus transition with their administrations’ daily communication updates, resources to build and create new COVID-19-friendly
I currently teach my classes remotely, but at the end of every Zoom I tell them to take a break from the screen. ‘Don’t sit in front of the Xbox or PlayStation.’ We are in stressful times, so it’s important for them to hydrate themselves and their brains. I tell them to get outside. ‘Please, just jump outside and be kids.’ Back at school, I know they’ve created mask-free zones so students (can) step into a space, one at a time, and get in some deep breaths before recess ends.”
HEATHER THORNBLOM, third grade English language arts and reading teacher, Watts Elementary School, Cibolo
NOV. 3 - DEC. 1, 2020
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learner spaces, and access to student advisers and medical professionals within the parent population. “We’ve been blessed, and we’ve had it easy, considering our schools are just so focused on safety precautions, communication throughout the processes and protocol plans. My heart breaks for the parents who can’t afford to stay home or keep up with school meetings and changes. There’s definitely a gap between the parents who can and those who can’t.”
WHO’S LEFT BEHIND? Most San Antonio-area schools began remote learning in August prior to reopening classrooms in early September. Some offered a choice of distance or face-toface learning, following Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Metro Health guidelines as they continue populating campuses incrementally. Following the initial school shutdown in March, districts struggled to reconnect with thousands of pupils citywide. In San
EDUCATION
Antonio, where one in four households lack internet access, it’s not surprising several districts have yet to account for all learners. “There’s a myriad of reasons that certainly attribute for the loss of those kids, certainly there are some who are not engaged,” said Barry Perez, a Northside Independent School District spokesman. “Early on, our fear was loss of connectivity and technology so the district has provided Wi-Fi hot spots, Chromebooks and laptops to those students that request
(Left) Deacon Cooke practices physical distancing at Cornerstone Christian Schools as part of ongoing COVID-19 precautions. A local ordinance to keep students from attending faith-based institutions before Labor Day was successfully challenged by the school (below). Courtesy photos/ Jaime Len Cooke
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them.” For Heriberto Castro, a science teacher for seventh and eighth graders at Bernal Middle School in NISD, the key to connecting with those missing students is a mix of persistence, engagement and understanding. Instructing more than 150 students this year, Castro uses apps such as Zoom, Google and Bernal’s learning management system to adapt lessons for the 78 he sees in person, and the remainder online. “I’m trying to make it as engaging as possible, and I try to keep them motivated to keep them coming back,” he said. “I have a few kids that I’ve never seen who are still turning in work, and a few that have not. We reach out to students and parents, and they know we want to see them. But, we know that every home situation is different. I want them to know that we are here to help if they need assistance with internet, a hot spot, or anything.”
SAN ANTONIO’S BRAIN DRAIN WORRIES Texas school districts have long LEARNING continues on pg. 15
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HEALTH
NOV. 3 - DEC. 1, 2020
ADAPTING continues from pg. 01
doctors and nurses using a computer from the comfort of her Stone Oak home. “It was actually kind of fun,” said the 58-year-old survivor, recalling her telemedicine visits over the last few months. “I see people doing more of this in the future. It was no different than sitting in front of Dr. (oncologist Sylvia) Zubyk in an office.” Dr. Lynnette Watkins, Baptist Health System’s chief medical officer,
by TRAVIS E. POLING
ALL IS QUIET IN THE ROOM where walls of screens stacked at six workstations monitor 26 vital signs of 96 intensive-care patients in a kind of mission control for the critically ill located in various hospitals. At the Baptist Health System, this electronic intensive-care unit could be the model for future remote monitoring, with software helping specially trained medics keep a constant finger on the pulse of the sickest patients. Silent alarms are triggered at the eICU, housed in an office building next to Northeast Baptist Hospital, when a troublesome trend in vital signs emerges in an ICU bed at one of five Baptist hospitals in San Antonio. Cameras can zoom in on instrument panels inside the room and staff can interact with the patient by screen or voice and notify on-site personnel quickly if something is
has seen admission questions at hospitals and clinics change from: “Have you traveled anywhere recently?” to “Are you sick?” Routine temperature checks, triage to send people to different waiting rooms depending on possible diagnosis and masks for all could be the order of the day for a long time to come, she added. Dr. Robert Leverence at UT Health San Antonio and chief medical officer of UT Health Physicians no longer wears ties at University Hospital or
amiss. The computer prompts workers’ next moves from conversations with patients to summoning physicians, eICU registered nurse Richard Jaroszewski said. While Baptist’s eICU has been around for 10 years, bulky computer monitors have given way to 40 large flat-screens and improved monitoring capabilities, both predictive and preventive. With hospital staff at times stretched to the limit during the summer, the darkest point of the COVID-19 crisis in Bexar County, the reliance on remote technology and all its promise makes the eICU look more like the future of health care. Texas only sports a handful of eICUs, and a small percentage of hospital systems nationwide have taken the leap to centralized monitoring, said Jill Scott, a Baptist RN who is the program’s supervisor. The computer network shows staffers a list of the 20 most-ill patients across all of the ICUs so they already know where to focus attention between the personal visits of ICU personnel. If something goes wrong, RNs in the eICU core can give advice and protocols to health care workers in the room. Most eICU registered nurses possess at least a decade of intensivecare experience or advanced training, and encountered more situations than most of in-hospital staff, Scott said. In overnight hours, three RNs,
the Medical Arts & Research Center. They’re not washed like scrubs and other clothing and are now considered repositories for harmful microbes. Gone also are the handshakes among colleagues. These are all signs of the times thanks to COVID-19. By mid-October, the outbreak contributed to more than 1,200 Bexar County residents’ deaths and 60,000-plus positive cases, which hospitalized thousands and put hundreds in intensive care. “The pandemic has touched just
a patient-support specialist and a physician known for dealing with critical patients – an intensivist – man the core. San Antonio, home of many military medical missions, is pioneering similar programs for armed-services hospitals from a nerve center at Brooke Army Medical Center. “The Military Health System is investing in the expansion of telecritical care and Brooke Army Medical Center is at the center of the expansion with the installation of monitoring systems for 66 beds,” said Army Col. Sean Hipp, director of the Virtual Medical Center. “BAMC will have the most monitored beds in a military hospital, but is also using the subject matter expertise of critical-care nurses and physicians to support other military hospitals without the same critical-care capabilities,” he said. “The goal is to give high quality and consistent critical-care oversight throughout the Military Health System.” Scott said she foresees the technology and the concept of monitoring from a core location extending into non-ICU patient rooms with the use of a mobile unit with cameras in cases where a closer eye is needed. Plus, Scott believes mobile monitoring technology might one day be in homes. “I can see it being used more and more for prevention,” she said.
about everything that we do,” Watkins said. Many precautionary measures from screening to conferring with patients over the internet are likely here to stay. While this infection is considered a once-in-several-lifetimes event, increasing population density and new pathogens mean humanity could see similar emergencies stretching the health care system to crisis levels more often. “You can’t predict any of this. We have to rely on science to drive policy” and stay prepared, said Dr. Ian Thompson, president of Christus Santa Rosa Medical Center. “As humans, we are incredibly resilient and adaptive. A lot of this will be short and intermediate impacts.” Without ongoing vigilance, however, “we will have to learn all over again in 10, 20 or 100 years,” he said. Fifteen San Antonio doctors, nurses and health care executives surveyed by LOCAL Community News outlined what things could look like for the next few years. The consensus was health screenings upon entry, wearing masks – especially at flu
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L O CA L C O M M U N I T Y N E W S
season– and employing telemedicine, are here to stay.
98.6 DEGREES AND 6-FEET APART Screenings with instant-read thermometers have been used since March to detect fevers, which could be a telltale coronavirus symptom. Such measures are likely to remain even past the pandemic, especially during flu season, medical professionals said. “The hospital is a safe place,” Watkins said. “That vigilance won’t let up. Besides controlling spread of infections, screenings and preadmission or visit questions need to persist so patients can trust the care.” Because those with other ailments postponed doctor appointments or treatment, due to fears of contracting COVID-19, “we’ve seen a rising severity of patients with heart attack or other issues,” she said. Dr. Katherine Whiteley, who practices at University Health System’s Family Health Center-Southwest, said folks should know they could safely tend to preventive procedures such as mammograms, bone-density tests and colonoscopies. After arriving at a clinic or hospital, patients and visitors are often directed to one of several waiting rooms, depending on the condition. These spaces are no longer a sea of chairs separated by an occasional end table filled with magazines, but appropriately distanced seating with those symptomatic sent to another area. In some clinics, guests fill out paperwork on computer tablets and stay in cars until called. While screenings won’t stop, and forms will more often be done beforehand over the internet, Whiteley hopes parkinglot waiting disappears as the pandemic dissipates. At University Health System’s
ExpressMed clinic at the downtown Robert B. Green campus, front-door analysis determined if the visitor was a candidate for a telephone conversation where prescriptions could be made, or whether future tests needed scheduling. Maintaining two separate lobbies allowed staff to put those with COVID-19 symptoms into immediate isolation to be seen by a doctor in full protective gear, while non-COVIDrelated patients went to another area. “This is going to leave a footprint for a long time,” said Dr. Bhoja Katipally, ExpressMed medical director. Plus, wiping chairs, counters and exam-room surfaces likely will linger for some time. To limit exposure with one another, physicians call patients after tests to discuss results and next steps, even if the patient is still on the grounds, Katipally said. “I think this (protocol) may continue. I can’t tell you how long,” the physician added. The clinic now employs an online app check-in process, which lets providers know when patients are en route, how long until arrival and assigns them a time to minimize waits. An atrium kiosk has been installed for registration without staff contact. Implementation of electronic medical records and providing a seamless transition from clinic to hospital emergency room, and then, if necessary, to an inpatient bed, was already envisioned as a streamlined UHS service. “We had to close all the gaps to make all the parts move more quickly and efficiently,” Katipally said. “The patient experience is the heart and soul of all of this. It didn’t happen overnight and we didn’t plan it for the pandemic,” but it was put to the test to relieve the extreme stress on the system from as many as 250 patients a day, just coming through the downtown clinic. LOCALCOMMUNITYNEWS.COM
HEALTH
When hospitals were pushed to the brink with most beds full, the governor ordered all elective surgeries halted. Christus Santa Rosa-Alamo Heights, a 36-bed surgical hospital, took on the role of performing necessary surgeries that couldn’t be put off while COVID-19 patients went to Christus Santa Rosa Hospitals in the South Texas Medical Center and Westover Hills, said administrator Sherry Fraser. “This hospital is growing, and we remain a safe-services site,” Fraser added. While hospital systems with multiple locations were able to establish some facilities as sites without COVID, developing
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freestanding contingency infirmaries to keep elective surgeries going in future epidemics is unlikely. Thompson said staffing such a facility would be a stretch. More likely is a continued effort to build patient rooms to quickly transform into intensive-care unit beds as his hospital did, expanding from 14 ICU patients to 52 over the summer.
DOCTORS GO DIGITAL Military medicine has long been on the cutting edge when it comes to adapting technology fully, often after being tested in battlefield conditions and training a massive medical staff across many countries. Telehealth was no exception when it ADAPTING continues on pg. 14
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Family Medicine
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HEALTH/EDUCATION
NOV. 3 - DEC. 1, 2020
ADAPTING continues from pg. 13
came time to put it to use on a larger scale for more patients at Brooke Army Medical Center. “Like many other facilities, we expect to be able to translate lessons learned around the use of telehealth to stay in place for the foreseeable future,” said Air Force Col. Dr. Heather Yun, deputy commander for medical services at BAMC. “While we were using telehealth before the pandemic, this has greatly accelerated utilization across the disciplines and has enabled us to reach patients in ways that are efficient, convenient and effective for them.” Air Force Col. Dr. Patrick Osborn, deputy commander for surgical services at BAMC, said they’ve increased virtual health visits 50-fold since the pandemic’s start “and it is not going to go away.” Yun said after the crisis, the use of telehealth will continue to evolve and become even more convenient for patients so they don’t have to travel to the hospital or clinic and take time from work, school or family. “As we continue to refine our use of telehealth, we expect it will translate into an increasingly patientcentered experience,” she said. The Methodist Healthcare System, with hospitals and clinics throughout the city, saw doctors use telehealth methods sparingly in January. However, by April, they conducted 10,000 remote visits, and year-to-date through September, the number swelled to 55,000. While online scheduling to mitigate waiting-room crowds and interactive registration for an ER visit has helped, virtual conferences have been an important part of the mix for medical personnel and
patients, said Brandon Webb, senior vice president of strategy and business development for Methodist. Fields employing online visits the most were cardiology and primary care, which combined accounted for 96% of telehealth utilization, Webb said. Most of those were existing scheduled patients or follow-ups after discharge. For in-person guests, Methodist is adding more access points to the system, which will make for distanced isolation from potentially sick patients and shorten waiting-room downtime. That includes the acquisition earlier this year of five freestanding ERs. After remodeling, each will have seven to nine treatment rooms with on-site pharmacy and lab rooms. “These are a little bit smaller, so we’re spending a lot of time on workflow and patient flow through the clinic,” Webb said. UT Health’s Leverence said that while telehealth has been around
in some form since the 1980s, the technology has only been good enough to make it work well for the last decade. Access to a good online connection and a video device such as a smart phone, tablet or laptop also has grown by leaps and bounds across the city. “The next step is to add more tools,” such as inexpensive stethoscopes with connectivity to computers for patients to transmit heartbeats or breathing to doctors, Leverence said. The same could be done with at-home otoscopes to let physicians see inside a baby’s ear via computers. For medical professionals meeting with online clients, the process is better if there’s an existing relationship, said Dr. Hilda Draeger, a rheumatologist at University Family Health Center behind North Star Mall. ADAPTING continues on pg. 16
FROM A LOCAL UNION: “We’re seeing many old ventilation systems in many of SAISD’s school buildings, and knowing that COVID is spread through airborne transmission is worrisome. … Our priority for this year is to work together to ensure that working conditions are the absolute safest possible, to create a situation that humanizes our workers, our students and our parents. We as educators are committed to giving our students the absolute best education that they can. But in the middle of a pandemic, there are just so many other factors to consider. We have to consider the situations of our families and the families that we serve.”
ALEJANDRA LOPEZ, Nursing Assistant Fereshteh Khafaji (right) takes the temperature of a University Hospital employee in March. Employee screenings are an expected part of the new normal, even after the threat of infection from the novel coronavirus has passed. Photo by Mark C. Greenberg/UHS
union president, San Antonio Alliance of Teachers and Support Personnel (San Antonio Independent School District)
FROM A LOCAL TEACHER: “This is my 23rd year of teaching. For the rest of the (2020-2021) school year, we want to make sure that we have interactive, critical lessons that will keep the ‘littles’ excited about school and doing things. In the past, every school would have busy work at certain points in the year. But now we’re looking to teach them big things, make sure that it’s always a highleverage item.”
AGATHA RYAN, first grade teacher, Watts Elementary School (SchertzCibolo-Universal City Independent School District)
NOV. 3 - DEC. 1, 2020
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LEARNING continues from pg. 11
struggled to retain experienced and engaged educators, even before the crisis. According to state records, one in 10 Texas teachers quits after the first year. More alarming, as the pandemic continues, the problem could deepen. Last July, the Trump administration mandated campuses to reopen nationwide. Abbott soon followed the president’s lead, urging school officials to begin plans to bring Texas’ teachers and students back to the classroom safely. Educators, health experts and parents responded with concerns. Zeph Capo, union president to the Texas chapter of the American Federation of Teachers, warned of inevitable mass resignations and strikes unless safety conditions and instructor access to personal protection equipment improved. “We’ve heard from a significant number of (Texas teachers) who say they’re just not going back, or they’re taking leave for the rest of the year, or will return to teaching once it’s safe again,” Capo said. Capo also noted an uptick in state educators ordering retirement packages — nearly 4,000 more than same time last year — ahead of the fall semester. “They haven’t all necessarily acted on them yet, but it is worrying because each teacher that’s eligible to retire is another teacher that we could lose any day now,” Capo said. While definitively determining why one leaves a profession is difficult, local records indicate that more than 40 San Antonio-area district teachers resigned between August and September 2020. Citing issues such as a lack of readily available personal protection equipment, longer workdays and increased workload, the Northside AFT union is trying to improve communications between district personnel and instructors, plus demand the district allow more members
to work remotely when dealing with preexisting health conditions or issues regarding family safety. “Things are not looking good for local education,” said Northside AFT President Wanda Longoria. “We are already seeing the loss of incredible longtime teachers in the district. COVID-19 will go away eventually, but good luck filling those positions. The thing is that these problems didn’t start with COVID; teachers haven’t been funded adequately for over a decade.”
STAYING REMOTE While NISD began welcoming students back to campuses Sept. 7, parents such as Drue Placette opted then to continue remote instruction for his kids. Placette, a venerable San Antonio tech titan, shares custody of his four children with his ex-wife. He credits their teamwork, along with his mother, a former teacher, and his wife, Debra, with making the children’s school year successful. However, he realizes living, working and learning
EDUCATION
during these times is daunting. “On the first day of remote learning, the NISD systems were crashing from an overload of students trying to log in at one time,” he said. “It’s not the teachers’ fault that this is what the school year looks like, but the constant changes and inconsistencies that happen every day make school super hard for the kids. These teachers are trying to do everything virtually, even PE, and it doesn’t always work.” Each weekday, the children undergo remote learning from Placette’s offices at CANopener Labs, a startup-friendly development space opened on the North Side in 2019. Though the district offered 10-inch tablets for students to access Zoom classes and homework, Placette’s connections allowed him to create a custom, multiple-monitor workspace for each kid. Ella, 4, has since begun attending local day care, while Liam, 9, Sean, 12, and Payton, 15, log in to their respective remote classes at Aue Elementary School,
Social-distancing reminders are an increasingly common sight for San Antonio schools, including Keystone School, during COVID-19. Courtesy photo/Jaime Len Cooke
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Rawlinson Middle School and Clark High School. Placette knows distance learning inhibits his children’s social interaction with their contemporaries, but he’s also seen how families have been devastated by COVID-19. There are still many unemployed San Antonians, and in other families, many pupils may navigate remote learning alone while parents work. “We are lucky because we have the ability to take care of the kids, and we’d rather keep them home and keep some consistency,” he said. “If they were to start in-person classes and a week later, the school closed again because of an outbreak, it would just stir up everyone’s schedules.”
SPECIAL-NEEDS STUDENTS ADJUST As youngsters began returning to campuses this fall, most schools brought back struggling and special-needs students first, giving teachers more time for one-onone questions and attention. But for some, remote learning means more opportunities to ask questions and practice skills, even if it's outside regular school hours. Amber, 14, a freshman at Founders Classical Academy of Schertz, usually wrestles with her schoolwork. As a pupil with learning disabilities, she follows a detailed 504 plan. Federal section 504 requires that children who do not quality for special-education services still receive accommodations for an education equal to non-disabled students. Though more than 60% of those enrolled at Founders are once again oncampus students, Crystal Moubray, Amber’s mother, wasn’t ready for her schoolchildren to go back yet. “Our family has taken nearly every possible precaution, but we still tested positive for COVID. All of us — myself, my 6-year-old son and my significant other — except for Amber,” Moubray said. “She had to get tested for the virus, and I don’t think she wants to go through that again. She would rather be home.” LEARNING continues on pg. 16 LOCALCOMMUNITYNEWS.COM
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NOV. 3 - DEC. 1, 2020
ADAPTING continues from pg. 14
“Once they know each other from a personality standpoint, then they prefer telehealth,” she said. “Patients are more relaxed and they’re more talkative.” Also, the doctor can see the patient’s in-home environment and know if it could have had an impact on the client’s condition. Telehealth is less successful if there are a lot of complicated issues and possible causes need to be individually eliminated, Draeger said. In-person visits also are key if folks are downplaying chronic diseases, such as arthritis. Lorri Dinkins, a registered nurse who is an oncology nurse navigator for the Baptist Network for Cancer Care, assists breast-cancer patients to maintain treatment plans, connect with community resources, provide emotional support during the caring process, and act as liaison between
patients, family, doctors and other providers. In the last six months, all this has been done mostly online. “The technology has proven itself, but people have been reluctant,” Dinkins said. “COVID changed a lot of things, though. I don’t know why it took a pandemic.” While some of the visits are over the telephone, she prefers to do them in a virtual face-to-face online meeting, such as Zoom, so she can see if the patient is upset or pensive about something. Telehealth won’t completely replace in-person connections for those who need physical reassurances, but the tradeoff is a more efficient system for patient and provider. “Not being able to give that big hug to a woman in my office crying just breaks my heart,” Dinkins said, “but we’re able to help so many more people now.”
Registered nurse Richard Jaroszewski watches software analysis of trends in key vital signs fed to Baptist Health System's electronic intensive-care unit from 96 patient beds in five hospitals. Photo by Travis E. Poling
LEARNING continues from pg. 15
As the family recovers, Moubray is able to oversee the remote-learning process. She was surprised how drastically Amber’s grades improved via distance learning. “At home, Amber doesn’t have the anxiety of worrying about what everyone around her is doing. She doesn’t have to read out loud; she isn’t wondering, ‘Am I the last one done?’ She can take breaks throughout the day,” Moubray said. “It works for her; she’s getting A’s in subjects that she’s never gotten before.”
THE NEW NORMAL At San Antonio Independent School District’s Schenck Elementary School, teachers are supplied with sanitizing sprays, personal protection equipment and face shields for students who need them. “Still, I was nervous to come back,” said Danielle Elizondo, a kindergarten teacher at Schenck. “My mother, who’s also a teacher in SAISD, has underlying health conditions. I worried I might spread COVID to her or my family. The district and our superintendent have made this process manageable for us.” Only six of her 25 students have returned for in-person instruction, the others are remote. The district wanted to bring back more in early October, but a coronavirus surge squelched those plans. For the pupils who do return, kindergarten is a very different place. Gone from Elizondo’s classroom is the colorful clutter and carpeting, now replaced by taped X’s on the floor alerting pupils to stay apart. Students share no materials; instead, each has a personal supply bin. A plastic divider surrounds every table.
“They’re 5 years old, and they want to know when (the virus) will be gone,” she said. “Still, the kids are resilient. They’re really making me proud, reminding each other and working together to wash their hands, keep at a distance. This is the new normal at school. We’re just trying to figure out different ways to keep the kids safe.”
WHAT COMES NEXT There’s no end in sight for the pandemic. In fact, a Texas Education Agency recent public-health notice stated, “there will almost certainly be situations that necessitate temporary school closure due to positive COVID-19 cases in schools.” The warning urges parents, teachers and administrators to continue enforcing strict health and safety actions to mitigate and prevent the spread, but those recommendations could change in the months ahead. “It’s hard for the (Schertz-CiboloUniversal City Independent School) district to anticipate what’s going to happen next, but we’ve worked hard to create a plan for any event,” Dylla said. “My hope is that we can keep the kids on campus here and keep remote learning available for others through the end of the year.” Dylla realizes San Antonioarea teachers must be flexible if a coronavirus spike forces another round of closings. She believes the district and schools are prepared, and students have everything they need to succeed remotely. “Still, they tell us to take our laptops home with us every day just in case that happens,” she added.
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L O CA L C O M M U N I T Y N E W S
HAPPENING continues from pg. 07
RETIRED TEACHERS Through December, due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the San Antonio Area Retired Teachers Association will meet through Zoom videoconferencing. The group normally holds a 12:30 p.m. social and luncheon, followed by a 1 p.m. presentation and business meeting at the San Antonio Botanical Garden Center, 3310 N. New Braunfels Ave. For updates, cancellations and guest-speaker data, visit https://localunits. org/SanAntonio/.
NOV. 19-DEC. 27 ON WITH THE SHOW
The Public Theater of San Antonio, 800 W. Ashby Place, presents “Fully Committed.” COVID-19 health and safety protocols will be enforced. For tickets, times, updates or cancellations, visit http://www.thepublicsa.org/ event/655f1d37f288897e288ce7e663e193e0.
NOV. 20
JAZZ SERIES
THIS FALL
“Holiday Lights on the River Walk,” 849 E. Commerce St., will be illuminated nightly during Christmastime. Experience the display of more than 100,000 lights for free. For updates or cancellations, visit https://www.thesanantonioriverwalk.com/ events/holiday-lights-on-the-river-walkfree/.
The DoSeum, 2800 Broadway, provides numerous online and in-person programs for children of all ages, plus educators seeking professionaldevelopment opportunities. For a list of offerings with specific dates, updates or cancellations, visit www.thedoseum.org.
NOVEMBER
JEWELRY EXHIBIT
TOBIN CENTER Although limited by the COVD-19 pandemic, the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts, 100 Auditorium Circle, hosts socially distanced events. Those include Vadim Gluzman (Nov. 7); Tracy Byrd (Nov. 13); Pink Floyd Laser Spectacular (Nov. 14); and a John Denver tribute (Nov. 21). For ticket prices, show times, updates or cancellations, visit https://www.tobincenter.org.
NOVEMBER
MUSIC TO MY EARS
The Charline McCombs Empire Theatre, 226 N. St. Mary’s St., hosts the Alamo City Jazz Series with Kirk Whalum and a special guest at 8 p.m. Cost is $65. COVID-19 safety protocols will be enforced. For updates or cancellations, visit https://www.majesticempire.com/mobile/ show/alamo-city-jazz-kirk-whalum.
Sam’s Burger Joint, 330 E. Grayson St., hosts numerous entertainers including Ruben V (Nov. 6); Already Gone (Nov. 7); The Dirty River Boys (Nov. 14); Fred Eaglesmith (Nov. 15); and Josh Weathers (Nov. 20). For start times, costs, updates or cancellations, visit http://www. samsburgerjoint.com/calendar/.
NOV. 23-27
THIS FALL
Campuses in Alamo Heights, North East and San Antonio independent school districts are closed for Thanksgiving break.
Inside the Travis Park Plaza Building, 711 Navarro St., “Hopscotch” features 14 installations from more than 40 local, national and international artists. COVID-19 safety measures and capacity limits are enforced. Free parking at the Travis Park Plaza garage. This event is open from 2-11 p.m. Fridays, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturdays, and noon to 9 p.m. Sundays. Admission is $15 for ages 4-13, $24 for adults. For updates or cancellations, visit www.letshopscotch.com.
SCHOOL’S OUT
NOV. 25
LEARN ABOUT ANIMALS Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilitation offers a series of educational, interactive workshops for children ages 8-10 at the Sherman Animal Care Complex, 1354 Basse Road, from 6-8 p.m. For updates or cancellations, visit wildlife-rescue.org.
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NOV. 27-JAN. 2
CHRISTMAS LIGHTS
NOV. 18
HAPPENING
UNIQUE ART EXPERIENCE
DOSEUM DOINGS
THROUGH JAN. 3 Among its displays, the San Antonio Museum of Art, 200 W. Jones Ave., presents a collection of Turkmen and Miao jewelry. For updates or cancellations, visit https://www. samuseum.org/.
THROUGH JAN. 17 ART EXHIBIT
Briscoe Western Art Museum, 210 W. Market St., presents “Visual Voices: Contemporary Chickasaw Art.” See the collection of work by tribal artists. During the COVID-19 pandemic, health and safety protocols are enforced. For updates or cancellations, visit https://www.briscoemuseum.org.
TUESDAYS
ROTARY CLUB The Alamo Heights Rotary Club meets at noon in the Petroleum Club on the seventh floor of the north building in Energy Plaza, 8620 N. New Braunfels Ave. Public is welcome. For updates or cancellations, visit http://www.ahrotary. org/.
ONGOING
SAISD FREE SCHOOL MEALS Qualifying campuses in the San Antonio Independent School District serve breakfast and lunch to all children at no charge and eliminate the collection of meal applications for HAPPENING continues on pg. 19 LOCALCOMMUNITYNEWS.COM
You Can
God grows our capacity to meet the challenges before us. And we certainly have our challenges! Which is one of the reasons I hike. When choosing a trail for the day, I typically pick one that I know will challenge me to give all I have, then require a little bit more from me. That “little extra” is what expands my capacity. And I am then more prepared for the remaining challenges which lie ahead in my life. Growing our capacity in trusting God is a basic survival skill in our current society. When we feel we’ve reached our limit to deal with daily tensions, reach out to God with a little extra faith and He will see you through. And you will be more prepared for what tomorrow will bring. Then we can know the outcome as described by the Apostle Paul, “I have fought the good fight. I have run the race. I have kept the faith.” God goes before us so we can know the way, and do what is required of us. Les Hollon, PhD Senior Pastor
Worship on Sundays Join us on Sundays in-person or watch our services streamed live at 10:30am facebook /tbcsanantonio www.trinitybaptist.org
Connect with Us:
319 E. Mulberry Ave | (210) 733-6201 24-hr Prayer line: (210) 738-PRAY info@trinitybaptist.org /leshollon /tbcsanantonio @trinitybaptist_sa
18 EAT
L O CA L C O M M U N I T Y N E W S NOV. 3 - DEC. 1, 2020
LEARN ABOUT THE NEWEST NEIGHBORHOOD PLACES FOR BREAKFAST, LUNCH, DINNER.
Ming’s menu features steamed buns, noodles and more by OLIVIER J. BOURGOIN
MING QIAN says her latest culinary venture offers a fresh, fun take on Asian comfort food.
Ming’s opened Sept. 22 in a two-story red-brick and glass building at 914 E. Elmira St., Suite 101, just a stone’s throw from the River Walk extension and roughly halfway between downtown and Pearl. Qian has already made a name for herself producing authentic Chinese fare, first as a successful caterer and then with the Olmos Park-based noodle bar Ming’s Thing. Diners also frequented her Pearl Farmers Market booth, where local foodie circles took note of the famous steamed buns, especially the “Sloopy Bun.” What’s a Sloopy? “It’s Chinese pulled pork on a steamed bun, served with scallions, cilantro, carrots and a ginger dressing,”
With 50 seats, the inside of Ming’s has plenty of room for dining on Asian comfort food not far from the River Walk extension.
A noodle bowl to-go is one of the many offerings found at the new Ming’s, located at 914 E. Elmira St. halfway between downtown and Pearl. Photos by Olivier J. Bourgoin
Ming Qian relaxes on the eatery’s patio.
she said. The name arose by mistake, Qian added. “When I first came up with it, I called it the ‘Sloppy Bun.’ But, somewhere along the way, a typo was made at the printers and the word was changed to ‘Sloopy’ instead,” she said. “After looking at it, I thought to myself that Sloopy Bun sounded better than Sloppy Bun.” Ten different steamed buns are available, including the Thai shrimp bun. Other choices include noodle bowls, noodle soups and curry rice bowls. All noodle bowls contain mixed greens, Napa and red cabbage, broccoli, cucumbers, carrots and wood ear mushrooms. They are topped with cilantro, scallions, ginger dressing and roasted peanuts. The new digs offer shaded seating outdoors for physically distanced, breezy patio dining. Plus, there are 50 seats inside the 2,000-square-foot restaurant. Hours are 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. Find this EAT Local at www.localcommunitynews.com.
MING’S
914 E. Elmira St., Suite 101 For more, call 210-600-4083 or 210-600-4133 or visit mingsthing.com.
NOV. 3 - DEC. 1, 2020
L O CA L C O M M U N I T Y N E W S
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HAPPENING/LOWDOWN
ONGOING
LOWDOWN continues from pg. 06
North East Independent School District Community Education presents seminars, tutorials and workshops containing a multitude of enriching courses for all ages. Most classes are taught in NEISD facilities or the district’s Community Learning Center, 8750 Tesoro Drive. For costs, updates or cancellations, visit https:// communityed.neisd.net or call 210407-0140.
say helps ensure enough captive-born reptiles can be released into the wild this fall.
NEVER TOO OLD TO LEARN free, reduced-price and paid student meals. For updates or cancellations, call 210-554-2290.
ONGOING ON EXHIBIT
McNay Art Museum, 6000 N. New Braunfels Ave., hosts numerous exhibitions including “Artists Looking at Art: Ruben Luna” (through Jan. 3, 2021); “Forever/Siempre Selena” (through Jan. 10, 2021); “Kelly O’Connor: Multifaceted Woman” (through Jan. 17, 2021); and “Hollywood’s Sistine Chapel: Sacred Sets for Stage & Screen” (through April 4, 2021). For updates or cancellations, visit https://www.mcnayart.org/.
SUBMITTING EVENTS: Email all the details along with your contact information two months in advance to tips@ localcommunitynews.com.
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THE UNIVERSITY OF THE INCARNATE WORD RECENTLY RECEIVED $1.39 million in federal grants from the TRIO Students Support Services program to increase enrollment of disadvantaged, disabled, low-income, and/or first-generation college students. TRIO includes numerous models assisting with postsecondary education.
MAGIK THEATRE AT HEMISFAIR RECENTLY LAUNCHED “Digitize, Mobilize and Revitalize,” providing
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digital and mobile options to see performances. All new productions this season will be recorded and available for streaming to schools, families, libraries and organizations seeking to engage students and patrons. The Magik Theatre also has online performance classes for children in different age categories. Visit www.magiktheatre.org for more.
TRINIY UNIVERSITY AND THE SAN ANTONIO INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT recently developed Trinity Community Investment, a partnership enabling top graduating SAISD seniors who need financial resources and academic support to attend the college. Find Local Lowdown at www. localcommunitynews.com.
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