LOCAL North SA - December 2020

VOL. 9, ISSUE 6 | DEC. 8, 2020-JAN. 5, 2021

LOCAL COMMUNITY NEWS CASTLE HILLS • HILL COUNTRY VILLAGE • HOLLYWOOD PARK • SHAVANO PARK • NORTH SA

LIVING

COVID-19's impact on homeless, renters, homeowners could linger Agencies reaching out, offering aid … but for how long?

by EDMOND ORTIZ

THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC has stretched thin community resources, but some of the hardest hit may be those striving to keep a roof over their heads or just find shelter.

Meanwhile, property owners and landlords — many sympathetic to their tenants’ plights — are trying not to go bankrupt. Social-service agencies are assisting, but many SHELTER continues on pg. 14

LOCALCOMMUNITYNEWS.COM

LOCAL OPINION | PG. 06

HAPPENING LOCAL | PG. 05

FRESH LOOK AT SAPD

EAT LOCAL | PG. 20

ON ITS WAY: RIVER WALK THE DOORYARD LIGHTS

TALK LOCAL | PG. 04

PUBLIC ACCESS

DECISION 2020

4 OF 5 NEISD INCUMBENTS RETURNED SPACES

PANDEMIC PUSHES CHANGES TO URBAN LANDSCAPE

ALAMO COLLEGES RACE SLATED FOR RUNOFF

by EDMOND ORTIZ

MALLS, OFFICE BUILDINGS FACE TRANSITIONS

by SUSAN YERKES

IT’S EASY TO TALK ABOUT RETURNING to normal when the pandemic is tamed. But, normal is unlikely to mean the same — especially when it comes to the fates of offices, malls and shopping centers.

Will large retail outlets turn into empty wastelands as online shopping and delivery services like Amazon expand? Will office towers PROPERTIES continues on pg. 12

FOLLOWING A RECORD VOTER TURNOUT for the Nov. 3 elections, four of five North East Independent School District trustees claimed victory.

Meanwhile, one Alamo Colleges District election ELECTIONS continues on pg. 10

heads to a runoff.

Elsewhere, the electorate approved measures from San Antonio and VIA

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E n s e m b l e a pa rt m e n ts i s a n act i v e a d u lt s e n i o r l i v i n g c o m m u n i t y i n ce n t r a l S a n A n to n i o. R e s i d e n ts ca n e n j oy s paci o u s a pa rt m e n t h o m e s a n d f i r st- cl a s s LIVEENSEMBLE.COM

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4 STAFF DEC. 8, 2020 - JAN. 5, 2021

PUBLISHER Jaselle Luna EDITORIAL Editor

Thomas Edwards News Staff

Edmond Ortiz Contributing Writers

Olivier J. Bourgoin, Noi Mahoney, Arthur Schechter and Susan Yerkes ART Designer

E. Fisher Contributing Artist

Jeremiah Teutsch 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 Central SA: 78204, 78205, 78209, 78210, 78212, 78215 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 – DECISION 2020: San Antonio Shrine Auditorium in Stone Oak was one of Bexar County’s ‘megavoting’ sites, which accommodated voters’ social-distancing efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic. For a complete review of all the local races affecting the North Side, see the story on page 01. Photo by Edmond Ortiz For more on the 'Living' and 'Spaces' stories, visit www.localcommunitynews.com.

TALK LOCAL

Not so remote PROMPTED BY THE PANDEMIC, city and county governments expanded attendance to public meetings through means other than turning out in person. The trend should continue even when the health crisis concludes.

Residents wanting to stay safe but informed readily embraced the new formats: livestreaming, telephone attendance, videoconferencing, realtime access through social media, and other platforms.

Many governmental entities already providing remote coverage of council meetings and commissioners courts added invites to planning, zoning, architectural reviews, town halls, historical commissions and so on.

Proponents of transparency in government feared a suspension last spring of open-meeting laws due to COVID-19 represented a danger to democracy. There have been lapses, which need to be addressed.

Meanwhile, a Governor’s Broadband Development Council report highlights the need for more high-speed internet connectivity in Texas, especially in underserved areas. When the 87th Legislature convenes in January, a top priority should be ensuring broadband access for all Texans.

After in-person attendance eventually returns, enhanced remote viewing should be maintained, too, to keep government deliberations open to a wider audience.

DEC. 8, 2020 - JAN. 5, 2021

DECEMBER

PLAN YOUR MONTH WITH OUR CALENDAR OF UPCOMING EVENTS IN THE COMMUNITY.

HAPPENING

L O CA L C O M M U N I T Y N E W S

City Councils/ School Districts Hollywood Park: 6 p.m. Dec. 15; 2 Mecca Drive Hill Country Village: 5 p.m. Jan. 21; 116 Aspen Lane Shavano Park: 6:30 p.m. Dec. 28; 900 Saddletree Court Castle Hills: 6:30 p.m. Dec. 8; 209 Lemonwood Drive Northside ISD: 5 p.m. Dec. 8; 7001 Culebra Road North East ISD: 5:30 p.m. Jan. 11; 8961 Tesoro Drive

DEC. 8

SEWING TIME A sewing club meets from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Encino Park Community Center, 1923 Encino Rio St. Bring a power strip or extension cord. For updates or cancellations, contact Sylvia Jolet at sjolet@earthlink.net or call 210497-3383.

LOCALCOMMUNITYNEWS.COM

DEC. 10

BEXAR COUNTY MASTER GARDENERS Members who wish to attend a 3-5 p.m. board meeting at The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Office, 3355 Cherry Ridge Drive, Suite 208, should contact Lynn Cox one day in advance; COVID-19 restrictions may be in place, requiring videoconferencing.

The session is followed by a holiday and awards virtual celebration from 6-8 p.m. For contacts, plus updates or cancellations, reach out to president@

5

bexarmg.org or visit /www.bexarmg.org/ event/save-the-date-bcmg-holiday-awardsvirtual-celebration/.

DEC. 11

RELIGIOUS COMMEMORATION All are invited to Agudas Achim, 16550 Huebner Road, for “Hanukkah Shabbat in the Lot” at 5 p.m. For updates or cancellations, plus to RSVP, call 210-4792689 or email rsvp@agudas-achim.org.

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.

6

OPINION

L O CA L C O M M U N I T Y N E W S DEC. 8, 2020 - JAN. 5, 2021

Fix, don’t defund, SAPD

by SUSAN YERKES

IN JANUARY, City Manager Eric Walsh and his team start negotiations with the San Antonio Police Officers Association to replace the labor contract expiring Sept. 30, 2021.

Expect some fireworks. Discussions and public posturing, on both sides, are likely to be protracted. Not so long ago, former City Manager Sheryl Sculley took a strong stand to trim skyrocketing benefit costs in police and fire accords, which led to years of headlines, court fights and name-calling.

Firefighters union President Chris Steele once accused Sculley of treating members like “greedy bastards.”

She said it wasn’t her intent, but the description provided her memoir’s title, “Greedy Bastards: One City’s Texas-Size Struggle to Avoid a

Financial Crisis.”

Talks with the fire union dragged on for years; renegotiation isn’t until 2025.

The crisis of Sculley’s title is what could have happened without the contract changes the city team finally won: By 2031, the rising cost of police

and fire benefits, particularly health care, was projected to consume 100% of the city’s general fund.

The new agreement, Sculley wrote, “will result in estimated savings of more than $100 million over the five-year term of the contract.”

That’s good news. And, it still leaves the union members with far better benefits than most civilian city employees enjoy.

So, what’s the “Defund the Police” movement? How will it affect contract negotiations? (I think “Defund the Police” is a misleading slogan. Most folks who use it actually mean shifting money in police budgets to other services such as mental health, domestic violence, homelessness and other things officers are called to handle.)

But, have no fear. The city definitely is not defunding the San Antonio Police Department. In fact, in spite of an expected $120 million loss in revenue due to the pandemic, the police budget City Council approved for the coming year includes an $8 million increase.

There’s another movement afoot in town, with a less divisive name – Fix SAPD. If you voted this year, you might’ve encountered their volunteers at the polls collecting signatures on two petitions for proposals they hope to get on

ballots during May elections.

The petitions call for repealing two chapters of the Texas Local Government Code involving collective bargaining rights of police and fire unions, transparency of records, and hiring, firing and disciplinary issues.

As fine as the force is today, a few bad apples – officers charged with drunk driving, domestic violence and assault – can tarnish the badge.

Union-backed laws allowing even a few to hang onto their jobs via arbitration after being fired do the rest no favors. Many folks seem to agree — Fix SAPD reports thousands have signed the petitions.

There are positive changes already.

While boosting funds for police, the latest budget moves 20 SAPD civilians who work with victims of domestic violence to the Metropolitan Health District and assigns more officers to domestic-violence prevention.

Chief William McManus has banned no-knock warrants and chokeholds, plus beefed up SAPD’s protocol for mental-health calls involving violence or weapons. No sweeping change, but moving in the right direction.

We need to keep taking steps.

Forget defunding the police. Let’s ask our leaders to focus on fixing what’s broken – for the good of the men and women who wear the badge, and all the rest of us. 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.

DEC. 8, 2020 - JAN. 5, 2021

L O CA L C O M M U N I T Y N E W S

HAPPENING continues from pg. 05

DEC. 12

SUPPORT GROUP Myasthenia gravis sufferers meet from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Baptist HealthLink, 288 W. Bitters Road. For updates or cancellations, visit www. mgsouthtexas.org.

DEC. 12-13

RELIGIOUS TRADITION The Fellowship of San Antonio, 23755 Canyon Golf Road, will hold its annual Christmas pageant, but with COVID-19 health and safety protocols. Performances of “Somebody Build a Manger” will take place at 6:30 p.m. Saturday and 2:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Sunday. For seat

HAPPENING

availability, updates or cancellations, visit https://www.thefellowshipofsa. org/.

DEC. 14

19210 Huebner Road, Suite 100. For updates or cancellations, visit http:// www.stoneoakpoa.com or call 210-8588508.

YULETIDE TREATS

DEC. 16

From 10 a.m. to noon, members of the Castle Hills Woman’s Club will continue a tradition of creating holiday cookie boxes for each city employee. For a gathering spot, plus updates or cancellations, visit castlehillswomansclub@gmail.com.

RETIRED TEACHERS MEETING The North San Antonio Retired Teachers Association holds a 10 a.m. to noon conference at San Pedro Presbyterian Church, 14900 San Pedro Ave. Dues cost $50. For updates or cancellations, visit https:// localunits.org/NSARTA/.

STONE OAK POA

DEC. 19

Due to COVID-19, check for Zoom conferencing for the session, normally at 3:30 p.m. The Property Owners Association offices are at

If you’re single, divorced, widowed and 50 or older, fellowship, games, fun and lunch await from noon to 4

DEC. 16

CALLING ALL SUPER SENIOR SINGLES

7

p.m. at Cornerstone Church’s Bythel Hagee Life Center, 18755 Stone Oak Parkway. For registrations, updates or cancellations, visit https://www. sacornerstone.org/Ministries/singles/ super-senior-singles.

DEC. 21-JAN. 1 SCHOOL’S OUT

Students in Northside and North East independent school districts receive time off for Winter Break. For more, visit www.neisd.net or www.nisd.net.

DEC. 21-JAN. 4 WINTER J-CAMP

The Barshop Jewish Community Center will conduct kids-oriented HAPPENING continues on pg. 18

LOCALCOMMUNITYNEWS.COM

TELEMEDICINE F O R A D U LT C A R E , P E D I AT R I C S , & B E H AV I O R A L H E A LT H !

B O O K O N L I N E TO D AY !

COMMUNICARESA.ORG

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LOWDOWN

L O CA L C O M M U N I T Y N E W S DEC. 8, 2020 - JAN. 5, 2021

Open and Opening Soon TAKE A QUICK LOOK AT WHAT’S NEW IN THE COMMUNITY FROM OPENINGS AND CLOSINGS TO NEWS TIDBITS.

THE DOORYARD, 4503 De Zavala Road, Suite 108, is debuting in the Starlight Oaks shopping center near Shavano Park. It’s billed as the first self-serve taproom in San Antonio with 30 pour-it-yourself taps dispensing craft beer. For more, visit www.thedooryardsa.com or www.facebook.com/thedooryardsa. (See the story on pg.

20)

EL MIRASOL, 938 N. Loop 1604 West, closed its Blanco

due to coronavirus concerns.

Led by chefs/restaurateurs Blade Haddock and James Moore, Full Belly has expanded its seating options with a new covered patio. It also offers takeout and curbside pickup.

Hours are 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Sunday through Tuesday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, and 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Friday and Saturday. For more, call 210-236-5374 or visit www. facebook.com/fullbellysa.

and Huebner roads. Currently 84% occupied, it includes tenants Sake Café, The Mailing Spot, Kennedy’s Public House and KC Pet Products. Partners Capital is the investment arm of Houstonbased NAI Partners, officials said.

“Our focus for Blanco Crossing will be on transforming the asset’s exterior façade in order to fully maximize our tenants’ visibility,” said Adam Hawkins, vice president of acquisitions at Partners Capital, in a statement.

Road location but plans to open at this address by year’s end. A second location is at Alon Town Centre. For more, visit www.facebook.com/ElMirasolSanAntonio.

IN OTHER NEWS:

FULL BELLY CAFE & BAR, 427 N. Loop 1604 West, Suite 202, reopened in October after closing for six months

PARTNERS CAPITAL RECENTLY ACQUIRED THE 22,606-square-

NORTHSIDE INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT NOT LONG AGO approved a

foot Blanco Crossing retail shopping center at Blanco

slate of actions concerning bondfunded work, including designs for

LOWDOWN SPOTLIGHT

THE DOORYARD

DEC. 8, 2020 - JAN. 5, 2021

L O CA L C O M M U N I T Y N E W S

Hobby Middle School science-class renovations, and playground shade structures at various campuses.

CASTLE HILLS VOLUNTEERS hit the streets Oct. 17 to collect refuse along Northwest Military Highway.

Mayor Pro Tem Joe Izbrand and the Castle Hills Community Organization organized the event.

Armed with trash bags and face coverings, more than a dozen folks picked up rubbish from Loop 410 to the intersection of Northwest Military and Lockhill Selma Road.

Mayor JR Treviño hopes to make cleanups a quarterly happening in various parts of town. “This quick little community project instantly gave one of our most active

LOWDOWN

corridors a small face-lift,” he said.

This year’s event netted HPPD more than 24 boxes totaling 715 pounds. The department issued a statement: “Thank you to all those who turned in medications and made this a success, and the DEA for the continued partnership in this important program.”

THE CITY OF CASTLE HILLS has formed the Castle Hills Business Association.

The new group, which first met Sept. 18, aims to foster economic development in town. Officials said local businesses are encouraged to join. For more, call City Hall at 210293-9673.

THE ENCINO PARK HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION AGAIN will host

THE HOLLYWOOD PARK POLICE DEPARTMENT HOSTED ITS ANNUAL

its annual holiday-lighting and decorations contest. “As is our tradition, this December we will be judging the homes of those who have excelled in categories of ‘best lighting’ and ‘most creative,’” the HOA said in a monthly newsletter.

A winner in each category receives a $50 Home Depot gift card; two

prescription medication take-back day Oct. 24; part of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s nationwide observance to help communities get rid of prescription drugs instead of throwing them away or flushing them down a toilet.

runners-up get $25 gift cards. Last year’s victors are ineligible. Judging starts at 6:30 p.m. Dec. 10. For more, call 210-497-3022.

THE MCNAY ART MUSEUM IS FEATURING POETRY from 19 North East School of the Arts students until Jan. 24. Learners from Amie Charney’s creative-writing class were chosen as contributors to the “Robert Indiana: A Legacy of Love” exhibit. The display honors the iconic artist’s life and art.

The poems are part of a “poetry bank” visitors can access by texting a keyword as they experience the literary-art venue. “To have LOWDOWN continues on pg. 22

LOCALCOMMUNITYNEWS.COM

Water the holidays made of?

LOVE

GIVING

SPIRIT

Cooler weather and cups of hot chocolate for starters.

But the holidays are made of so much more.

9

WATER

SWEETS

Let’s build this holiday season on the blueprint of neighborhood unity. Through programs like Project Agua, you can donate to a payment assistance fund for neighbors in need.

Join us in building a holiday season of helping by making a donation at saws.org/uplift.

10

L O CA L C O M M U N I T Y N E W S

DECISION 2020

DEC. 8, 2020 - JAN. 5, 2021

members in the last two years.

District 3 Trustee Omar Leos won an election to fill an unexpired term ending in May 2022. He collected 66%, thwarting the challenge from LEE High School alumna Ione McGinty.

Controversy arose during the campaign when the San Antonio Family Association, a conservative group, mailed flyers supporting McGinty while directing anti-gay messages at Leos.

“I am deeply honored that the NEISD community has trusted me to continue on this journey to help all students,” Leos said on his Facebook campaign page.

District 4 trustee David Beyer, a landscape architect, received 63%

ELECTIONS continues from pg. 01

Metropolitan Transit.

Bexar County saw more than 65% of registered voters cast ballots for regularly scheduled elections, plus several delayed from May 2 by the pandemic.

NEISD board races were among those postponed from the spring.

District 1 Trustee Sandy Hughey, a retired banker, received nearly 55% of the vote to outpace retired electrical engineer Michael Osborn.

Hughey said her years as an NEISD trustee will help foster continuity with a relatively new superintendent, Sean Maika, and a board that has seated four fresh

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to defeat Joseph Hoelscher, a childwelfare attorney and former educator.

Classroom innovation, hiring and retaining more quality teachers, plus improved mental-health and social-emotional learning methods, were key campaign issues for Beyer.

“I will continue to help guide this district in the right direction, and put our students and teachers in a position for success,” he said in a socialmedia post.

District 5 trustee and board President Shannon Grona tallied more than 71% en route to reelection, besting attorney Cimarron Gilson.

Grona sought to maintain board continuity. She pledged a greater focus on pupil and employee mental health care, and promised to ensure students’ voices are heard on district matters. “(This) win shows me that my community understands that I am doing this for the right reasons,” Grona said on her Facebook campaign page.

Robert “Steve” Hilliard, a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel, ousted District

NEISD ELECTION WINNERS

DISTRICT 1 INCUMBENT

SANDY HUGHEY

DISTRICT 3 INCUMBENT

OMAR LEOS

DISTRICT 4 INCUMBENT

DAVID BEYER

DISTRICT 5 INCUMBENT/ BOARD PRESIDENT

SHANNON GRONA

DISTRICT 6

ROBERT 'STEVE' HILLIARD

6 Trustee Tony Jaso with nearly 48% of the vote.

Jaso, an investment banker, finished with 39.8%, and attorney Dylan Pearcy placed last.

Hilliard campaigned for more effective learning environments, fostering parentteacher collaboration, and fiscal responsibility.

“Going forward, I will be working very hard to put my executive and policy experience to work for your families and mine, and thereby all of NEISD,” Hilliard said on his socialmedia campaign page.

A runoff election must settle the ACD contest in District 9 where attorney Leslie Sachanowicz fell short of the 50% threshold while leading incumbent Joe Jesse Sanchez on Election Day. Michael John Good placed a distant third.

Meanwhile, more than 70% of voters approved San Antonio’s two sales-tax initiatives.

One redirects a 1/8-cent share to support workforce development

DEC. 8, 2020 - JAN. 5, 2021

L O CA L C O M M U N I T Y N E W S

and training to help residents struggling during the pandemic.

The other measure was a reauthorization of a 1/8-cent sales tax to maintain the Pre-K 4 SA program for eight more years.

Nearly 68% of voters approved VIA’s proposal to let the agency collect from San Antonio’s 1/8cent share for the job-training program. The revenue will be available for VIA’s long-range transit improvements starting in 2026.

“An additional 1/8-cent sales tax will move us closer to our goals and toward parity with peer transit agencies in other major Texas cities,” VIA President/CEO Jeffrey C. Arndt said.

In area races, U.S. Rep. LOCALCOMMUNITYNEWS.COM

DECISION 2020

Joaquin Castro, D-San Antonio, was reelected to another term in Congressional District 20, beating Mauro Garza, R-San Antonio.

U.S. Rep. Chip Roy, R-Dripping Springs, claimed a second stint in Congressional District 21, defeating former gubernatorial candidate Wendy Davis, D-Austin.

Tony Gonzales, R-San Antonio, won the Congressional District

23 race against Gina Ortiz Jones, D-San Antonio. He will succeed Republican Will Hurd, who didn’t seek reelection.

State Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer, D-San Antonio, defeated Robert Litoff, R-San Antonio, winning a second term in Texas House District 116.

In a rematch from the 2018 general election, state Rep. Lyle

AN ADDITIONAL ... SALES TAX WILL MOVE US CLOSER TO OUR GOALS.” JEFFREY C. ARNDT, VIA METROPOLITAN TRANSIT, CEO/PRESIDENT

11

Larson, R-San Antonio, won a sixth term in Texas House District 122, topping Claire Barnett, D-San Antonio.

State Rep. Steve Allison, a Republican, gets a second stint in Texas House District 121, defeating Celina Montoya, a Democrat, who also challenged him in 2018.

In the Bexar County Commissioners Court Precinct 3 contest, business owner Trish DeBerry, a Republican, outlasted attorney and Democrat Christine Hortick. DeBerry will succeed Kevin Wolff, who declined a reelection bid.

Democrat Javier Salazar defeated his GOP opponent, former county clerk Gerald “Gerry” Rickhoff, to win a second term as sheriff.

Find this story and more at www. localcommunitynews.com.

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L O CA L C O M M U N I T Y N E W S

SPACES

DEC. 8, 2020 - JAN. 5, 2021

PROPERTIES continues from pg. 01

go dark, as companies lay off workers permanently, or ask them to keep telecommuting?

Going forward, how will the urban landscape, and our lifestyles, be altered?

For decades, Steve Nivin, professor of economics at St. Mary’s University and director of the SABÉR Research Institute, has closely tracked local, state and national economic trends.

Area retail stores and shopping plazas were already feeling the impacts of online commerce before COVID-19 struck the country.

“The pandemic hugely accelerated that trend,” Nivin said. “There are stores like Sears, where it was clearly the last nail in the coffin, and other big retailers going out of business or cutting back, but I don’t think this will eliminate physical retail.”

Just months ago, Sears shuttered its last San Antonio outlet.

“There’s more to shopping than buying. We’re social creatures. A large part of shopping or going to the mall is hanging out with friends and family – a kind of entertainment,” Nivin said. “There will definitely be serious changes, but I think malls will be around even as some stores shift more to online.”

Large footprints they created could morph into other uses.

“Malls are very unusual animals, given the combination of small shops and big anchors,” said veteran San Antonio real estate broker and developer Ed Cross. “For the hardest hit, it wouldn’t surprise me to see different uses, such as schools, government offices, medical facilities, and even Amazon facilities such as lastmile distribution or storefront pickup.

Also, (The Shops at) La Cantera have

Staying open, starting fresh

by SUSAN YERKES

When the pandemic arrived, San Antonio bars and restaurants were among the hardest hit businesses.

Shuttered or limited to bare-bones service for months, some, like downtown’s venerable Cadillac Bar and Mexican Manhattan Restaurant, succumbed.

Economist and researcher Steve Nivin’s second-quarter report for the City Council on the

economic effects of the outbreak found 557 accommodation and food-service establishments permanently closed.

Almost all — 555 — were microbusinesses, but accounted for 14.5% of the accommodation and food-service industry, which mirrors the Texas Restaurant Association’s statewide estimate of 15% permanent coronavirus-related shutdowns by September.

Pre-pandemic, Nivin’s 2018

shown an open-air mall will work in San Antonio, so ‘cracking open’ the mall and exposing main-circulation hallways, which are really pedestrian main streets to the outside, may work as well.”

Reimagining malls and big-box stores isn't a new phenomenon, but COVID-19 is likely an accelerator.

Early in the dwindling of brick-andmortar retail, around the time of the Great Recession, Windsor Park Mall was transformed into Rackspace’s headquarters, infusing new economic life into the Windcrest area.

Wonderland of the Americas, on 61 acres of prime land in Balcones Heights at Loop 410/Interstate 10, has gone through several transitions.

It still has retailers such as Target and Hobby Lobby, plus the Santikos Bijou Cinema Bistro, but also serves as a community-events host. The lower level is full of medical-related offices.

study on the San Antonio culinary scene indicated eateries and food services alone represented 103,000 jobs, and nearly $3 million in labor income.

State orders closed pubs for months at a time, limited eating spots to curbside or deliveryonly, and led to worker furloughs and layoffs. Even when food establishments were allowed to reopen, Texas regulations decreed dine-in seating capacity had to be kept low to prevent the spread of the disease.

The good news: business is coming back, if slowly, with slimmer menus and smaller staffs.

And, even in these hard times, new restaurants continue to launch.

Cappy Lawton has been running well-loved eateries for 50-plus years, including Cappy’s Restaurant, the adjacent

In addition, the “Little Shops” area offers short leases for beginning entrepreneurs.

“Sid Weiss (a partner in the ownership group) saw the medicalcenter concept and we’ve had success with it,” said Wonderland Marketing Director Victoria Hernandez. “You have to think outside the box in this business.”

Meanwhile, it’s more difficult to discern the survival strategies of nationally owned major San Antonio malls, since most are reluctant to share future plans or financial data.

“Big malls can be converted to new uses. You look at what you can do with these spaces without tearing them down,” said Char Miller, longtime San Antonio professor and writer, now W.M. Keck Professor of Environmental Analysis and History at California’s Pomona

Cappyccino’s in Alamo Heights, and La Fonda on Main in the Monte Vista Historic District.

“At the start of the year we were on track for our busiest and best year ever, and then kaboom! We were closed,” Lawton said.

The economic impact proved severe.

“One hundred and seventy people furloughed. Life has been very uncertain since then.

We’re at roughly 65% of where we were pre-COVID, and about 20% of that is curbside,” the entrepreneur said.

“Whether we’re open 50% or 75% isn’t that important – 6-foot social distancing has effectively cut the capacity of all restaurants in half. Virtually

EATERIES continues on pg. 13

DEC. 8, 2020 - JAN. 5, 2021

L O CA L C O M M U N I T Y N E W S

College. “Given climate change, San Antonio is online for a spike in temperatures, so maybe we can convert these gargantuan enclosed buildings in ways that are smart and sustainable. There’s not a city in the Southwest with enough park space. Imagine North Star Mall with some cool gym-like features to serve kids, or a zip line.”

Amazon continues to expand physically Miller noted, adding, “How ironic if Amazon effectively destroys the mall as a center of consumption, to make them into centers of distribution.”

Ted Flato, founding partner of San Antonio’s internationally acclaimed Lake/Flato Architects, is a champion of adaptive reuse, as showcased in his firm’s design for the defunct Pearl Brewery property. The abandoned industrial area on 22 prime riverside acres became a 958,320-square-foot “sustainable village” of living, dining, entertainment, retail space, and recreation.

Flato has put considerable thought into rebirthing large malls and strip centers.

“Retail was shrinking well before the pandemic, and we were being hired by developers to look at rehabbing shopping centers. They are often strategic locations in big suburban areas,” he said. “And, surface parking is an enormous footprint, often bigger than what is inside.”

Strategic location and the value of the real estate can make a mall ideal for transitioning into highdensity housing, supporting the “village” concept Pearl exemplifies, Flato said.

Replacing acres of asphalt parking with high-density housing can support retail, restaurants and

offices. The 5.2-acre Quarry Village, with the 280-unit Artessa apartments, surrounded by the Quarry Golf Course, and the 54-acre Alamo Quarry Market, with its iconic industrial buildings and smokestacks, is another “new urban” neighborhood well-positioned to weather COVID-19 shutdowns and isolation.

The outlook for growth is positive at Brooks, where Director of Planning and Development Marques Mitchell said there’s been no slowdown in housing expansion or light industrial manufacturing and distribution. The Cuisine Solutions plant announced in late 2018 it has begun hiring for its 290,000-square-foot operations.

“Of the various elements on our campus, retail has been the biggest challenge, and it has taken a hit with the pandemic,” Mitchell added, “but (we) have land available for it and we’re working with developers to lease it.”

In Converse, despite the crisis, expansion continues on an exponential track. With 3,000 new single-family homes platted and under construction, Converse Economic Development Corp. Executive Director Jimsi Kuborn said the growth trajectory is still strong.

“We granted assistance to 48 companies this summer through COVID relief funds. Unfortunately, we lost a few small businesses, but we have seen the spaces refilled fast.

The landlord of one restaurant had five offers to re-lease the space very quickly,” Kuborn noted. “Businesses are always looking for the next untapped market, and Converse definitely has that circumstance.”

Office space is liable to be in flux here, as nationwide, for some time, Cross said.

“First, it’s a big question as to when corporations are going to ask people to come back. I also think corporate

SPACES

13

EATERIES continues from pg. 12

80% of people want to sit outside, and while La Fonda has a lot of outdoor tables, we’re limited at Cappy’s. It’s an extremely hard time for the whole hospitality industry,” he said.

Lawton estimates about 70% of his personnel have returned.

“We’ve lost probably about 15% forever – some have shifted to other work or left the city.

Another 15% or so have people at home they’re taking care of, they’re scared to come back in, or they have children they’re home schooling,” he said.

Lawton noted he’s still on track to reopen the iconic Mama’s Cafe at Nacogdoches Road and Loop 410 — a project years in the making. It, too, has been delayed

by COVID-19.

“We pay well, but we can’t find the 80 to 100 good people we need,” he said, so its reboot has been postponed to early 2021.

Adam Lampinstein and his family are relatively new to San Antonio. They moved from El Paso, where he co-owned a restaurant

America is going to have a bunch of layoffs. That will mean downsizing (on) space. Most companies have leases, not ownership, so they may have 10,000 square feet now and only need 5,000,” he said.

Cross added, “In my business right now, a lot of companies are saying they may try to sublease some of their space, but I’m not aware of any pre-COVID office decisions here that have been canceled — yet. I don’t think that is really going to manifest itself until early next year. San Antonio has more back-office workers, and (many of them) will be pushed

for several years. His wife became a dual-language teacher in Alamo Heights Independent School District.

The restaurateur always wanted to run a deli with a Texas accent, he said, but never thought he’d do it in the midst of a crisis. His place, The Hayden, a “new-school deli” opened in mid-October with a full bar at Broadway and East Hildebrand Avenue.

“We started this a year and a half ago, when no one could imagine the pandemic was coming. But, when you sign a lease and put half a million (dollars) into a space, you keep going,” he said.

He’s reduced staff, trimmed menu items, and curtailed operating hours, he added, but business is steady.

Lampinstein credited his education and experience in advertising with helping get The Hayden successfully underway.

“We have really put a lot into social media, which is great. Most people who come in want to take pictures and post them, and that really helps get our marketing out,” he said.

out of offices to work remotely, which will lead to more co-working demand for spaces like WeWork.”

Locales such as Pearl and downtown will benefit by offering Wi-Fi, food and entertainment, Cross said, but also, perhaps, surviving malls converting vacated department stores into co-working spaces.

“This whole issue of repurposing buildings and real estate is going to be huge over the next 10 years,” he noted. “I am fascinated with the acceleration of all these trends. We are strapped to the back of a tiger, not sure where we are going.”

LOCALCOMMUNITYNEWS.COM

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L O CA L C O M M U N I T Y N E W S

LIVING

DEC. 8, 2020 - JAN. 5, 2021

SHELTER continues from pg. 01

wonder if it’s enough and for how long.

One of those aided by a relief organization is Tiffany Shelton, who lives in a Southeast Side apartment with her daughter and niece.

Before COVID-19, the certified nursing assistant had a reliable weekly workload, providing health care services for three to four patients in their residences, and working at a nursing home.

Since the outbreak and resulting public-health restrictions, Shelton had to choose between servicing only one of those clients or the nursing home.

She applied — and got hired — for

jobs at two businesses, but those nursing facilities saw local outbreaks. So, Shelton had to settle for her lone home health care patient.

“I’m barely making 21 hours a week, give or take,” she said. “Things started to spiral. Bills started to stack up.”

Shelton contacted SAMMinistries, which previously aided her.

The organization is one of many extending life preservers to people struggling to stay afloat in the current emergency, which has caused job furloughs, layoffs and closures by numerous companies, nonprofits and governmental agencies.

In the disease’s wake, the United States lost 10.7 million jobs by September,

Tenants’ rights and resources

by EDMOND ORTIZ

Renters, especially those at risk of eviction, have various rights and responsibilities including: • An eviction notice doesn’t mean immediate removal.

• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s current evictions moratorium applies to individuals earning less than $99,000 yearly, or couples earning $198,000 annually.

• Eligible residents must prove in writing they’re unable to pay full rent or make a full housing payment due to substantial loss of household income and/or compensable hours of work or wages, a layoff, or out-of-pocket medical expenses

according to the University of New Hampshire’s Carsey School of Public Policy.

Shelton is also among millions of renters nationwide hoping to stave off eviction.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a nationwide order Sept. 4 to protect an estimated 40 million renters from eviction through year’s end.

CDC officials reason that mass evictions would hasten COVID’s spread by forcing millions of people into close quarters with friends or family, or into homeless shelters.

However, landlords and managers of multifamily communities nationwide have used loopholes in the CDC’s

caused by the pandemic. Visit https://www. cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/downloads/ declaration-form.pdf for details.

• No moratorium relieves a tenant of paying unpaid rent and/or any fees or penalties.

Where eligible renters and homeowners affected by the coronavirus pandemic can turn for local aid: • Alamo Area Council of Governments’ Alamo Service Connection — utility payments for adults ages 60 and older; housing vouchers for disabled individuals ages 18-61 (210-477-3275 or info@ askasc.org or www.askasc.org).

• City of San Antonio Emergency Housing Assistance Program — rent, mortgage, utility and internet aid to qualifying individuals or families within city limits. In addition, qualifying households receive $150-$300, based on household size, for food and other necessities (210-207-5910 or www.sanantonio.gov/ emergencyhousingassistance).

• Bexar County Temporary Rental Assistance — available for qualifying individuals or families within Bexar County, but not inside San Antonio’s city limits (210-940-1180 or www.habctx.org/ TRAM).

directive. They filed 20,500-plus evictions in 22 cities tracked by the Princeton University’s Eviction Lab between Sept. 4 and Oct. 17.

San Antonio hasn’t been tracking local numbers, but the city and Bexar County do offer emergency housing aid and other COVID-19 assistance to eligible residents, organizations and businesses.

The Alamo City received 34,775 household applications for emergency housing assistance, with 19,716 approvals by Nov. 2.

By the same date, the municipal program exhausted $55.3 million out of a committed $67.5 million in COVID-

• SAMMinistries — rent, mortgage, utility aid to qualifying individuals or families. Relocation help is also available (210-340-0302 or www. samm.org/get-help).

• Society of St. Vincent de Paul — rent, mortgage, utility aid to qualifying individuals or families. Help with relocation, too (210-2202463 or www.svdpsa.org/gethelp).

• American GI Forum — services for veterans: emergency housing for homeless, financial aid for rent and community resources. Relocation help is also available (210-234-4892 or www. agif-nvop.org).

• Endeavors — Services for veterans and other vulnerable populations: emergency housing for homeless, financial aid for rent, and community resources through case management (210-4699664 or www.endeavors.org).

• Workforce Recovery Program — free workforce training and education to San Antonio residents negatively affected in industries of hospitality, food service or retail, based on unemployment claims (210-224-4357 or www. workforcesolutionsalamo.org).

• The Center for Health Care Services — housing vouchers and aid for individuals with mentalhealth or substance-use disorders (210-2611250 or www.chcsbc.org).

DEC. 8, 2020 - JAN. 5, 2021

L O CA L C O M M U N I T Y N E W S

19-related local aid, including $45.6 million to temporarily assist renters or mortgagors. The city has helped more than 53,000 individuals.

Veronica Soto, San Antonio’s Neighborhood and Housing Services director, said even before this emergency, the Alamo City faced a challenge dealing with its chronically homeless and expanding affordable housing.

“There’s a lot of gaps and lot of needs.

Now, we have a full-blown housing crisis,” Soto said. “The people who before were house-burdened, experiencing homelessness, or were on the brink of homelessness, are now a larger number.”

After the pandemic hit last spring, many people managed to get by with an incometax refund and/or federal stimulus check.

Those who lost jobs received unemployment bonuses. Now, most can’t rely on such short-term fixes.

“People who had never come for public assistance, who never imagined they’d be seeking assistance, are now seeking help to pay for their mortgage,” Soto said.

Some local leaders say even more should be done for residents in the greatest danger as the pandemic continues, especially with flu season and winter on the way.

District 1 Councilman Roberto Treviño and his staff successfully achieved the expansion of a homeless initiative in San Antonio’s Fiscal Year 2021 budget, extending outreach services into downtown and other council districts.

These efforts, including cleanups of areas with high numbers of those without homes and connecting individuals to social services, began in the Dellview neighborhood.

Treviño said COVID-19 is an additional barrier to resources available to homeless people and others trying to avoid displacement.

“As this pandemic continues to be an expanding crisis affecting our most

LIVING

Landlords adapting to COVID guidelines

by EDMOND ORTIZ

COVID-19 RULES HALTING EVICTIONS put many property owners at risk, they say; others are trying to give tenants a financial break without going under themselves.

Many multifamily community-management companies, housingindustry groups and individual landlords have called regulations to temporarily upend suspensions of evictions overreaching and even unconstitutional.

“The fact of the matter is that, like any business, we can’t provide services for free,” said Mike Rust, general operations manager for Highland Commercial Properties.

HCP owns and operates 12 apartment communities in San Antonio, covering 1,271 apartment units, and 350 single-family rental homes.

Rust added: “We have employees who count on us to support their own families. We provide water and electricity to many of our residents. All of our apartment residents receive free, high-speed Wi-Fi. We have normal repairs that need to be made. Of course, taxes and city fees aren’t going

down, so the potential impact is severe.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a nationwide moratorium on evictions through Dec. 31. CDC officials argue people left unsheltered could help spread the novel coronavirus by forcing folks to live with family in crowded conditions or increasing homelessness.

The moratorium doesn’t completely stop evictions.

Requirements call on tenants to demonstrate they have tried obtaining government assistance or attempted to pay their landlord. In turn, landlords can still contest the eviction protections in court.

Meanwhile, the City Council passed an ordinance this summer requiring landlords and property managers to provide renters a “notice of tenant’s rights” to help curb any push for mass evictions spurred by nonpayment.

The San Antonio Apartment Association urged property managers and owners to waive tenants’ late fees.

HCP gave every resident 10% off April and May rents, plus a 5% June discount.

HCP also opted to forgo

15

fees, and postponed scheduled rent hikes.

“In certain clear and compelling instances, we’ve waived all back rent,” Rust said.

He added San Antonio’s coronavirus relief program has helped most residents who apply for and receive funds, and his firm’s properties negotiate with “residents who will work with us.”

“Essentially, if they show us they are making an effort, we work with them,” Rust concluded.

Even so, HCP has delayed some property upgrades due to direct impacts on the company’s income.

Alamo Community Group, which developed and currently manages 11 affordable-housing communities citywide, guided eligible, affected residents through the city’s housing-aid program.

“We’ve also helped our residents to locate other programs and resources outside the city of San Antonio, like the San Antonio Food Bank and Alamo Area Council of Governments,” said Michael Shackelford, ACG’s policy director.

The apartment association also responded by updating members on guidance and actions taken by state and national apartment associations.

The Texas Apartment Association in October launched an eviction diversion program in Bexar County and 18 others statewide, offering eligible participants up to six months of rental assistance, including debt started in April 2020.

SHELTER continues on pg. 23 LOCALCOMMUNITYNEWS.COM

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L O CA L C O M M U N I T Y N E W S

SPORTS

DEC. 8, 2020 - JAN. 5, 2021

Deafness no match for Churchill’s football player PEREZ INSPIRES OTHERS, COACH SAYS

by EDMOND ORTIZ

MARSHALL PEREZ lost his hearing following a bout with a high fever at an early age.

However, the Churchill High School senior hasn’t been sidelined in any way.

Despite deafness, the pupil channels his energy into football. As a 6-foot, 165-pound outside and middle linebacker, it’s the disability that gets thrown for a loss, not Perez.

Kara Reekie, a North East Independent School District sign-language assistant, is his interpreter.

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At the top: Churchill High School student-athlete Marshall Perez talks about playing football while deaf during a video shoot for the North East Independent School District. Above: NEISD sign-language interpreter Kara Reekie is Marshall Perez’s translator. Courtesy photos/NEISD

“I do use sign language to communicate with the interpreter and coaches during the game or practice time in the morning or after school,” the 17-year-old said.

Perez’s enthusiasm for the sport is evident on and off the field.

“My family knows that I always like to talk a lot, talking about football stuff,” Perez said via email. “I teach some coaches to learn sign language,

like plays, and when I start to play on defense.”

Perez first began competing at Jackson Middle School.

“Then I just kept working harder and never gave up,” he said. “I love to play lots of football and I enjoy it.

I’m having fun and I want to improve and develop more skills.”

Churchill’s coaches and teachers said Perez has such a positive view

DEC. 8, 2020 - JAN. 5, 2021

L O CA L C O M M U N I T Y N E W S

on life that he does not want special treatment just because of his hearing loss.

“There is no need to treat him different because in truth there is no reason to,” said Ron Harris, the Chargers’ head football coach and athletic coordinator. “(Perez) has all the same physical tools and gifts as any other athlete.

He has the same ability to work hard, practice, study as anyone else. He doesn’t view his hearing deficit as a disability, and working with him and interacting with him is no different than anyone else in the program,” the coach added.

According to Harris, Perez inspires others because of “his focus, drive and determination to succeed.”

“We all have adversity and obstacles

SPORTS

to overcome in our daily lives and in accomplishing our goals. It’s just that Marshall’s is noticeable to everyone,” the coach said.

Reekie is another big part of Perez’s success, Harris said.

“She is a rock star. She bridges any gap(s) that may occur and is a true professional,” he added.

Reekie works with NEISD's programs for students with auditory impairments. She has known Perez since he was an Oak Meadow Elementary School third grader. “(Perez) is a bright young man with a passion for football and I have really enjoyed working with him this season,” she said.

She added, “He is a hard worker and overcomes any obstacle that may present a problem for him. He

communicates through me with his teammates and coaches about plays, drills and even for clarification if he is unsure of his job in his position.”

Perez said Reekie, coaches and teammates have all been key in creating levels of trust at game time.

“I start getting on the field, I feel like I just want to be ready,” he said.

“I trust myself and my teammates.

We’re built up as a team and work hard together. I start working harder when the coach looks at me and at what I do good.”

Off the gridiron, Perez is a model student, Principal Todd Bloomer said. “(Perez) strives every day to work hard in the classroom and on the football field,” he added. “He is a true bright spot in our day. Not only

17

is he an excellent football player, but he is a wonderful kid. I wish I had more students like him.”

Bloomer said Perez is well respected by the Charger community and opposition alike. “(Perez) is proof that whatever you set your mind to, you can accomplish,” the principal said. “He has worked really hard to be in this position and I know that his future is very bright.”

The teen dreams of playing for the University of Texas, the University of Texas at San Antonio or Texas A&M University.

“I don’t know yet what is best for me, but I plan to study math,” the student-athlete added.

Find this story and more at www. localcommunitynews.com.

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L O CA L C O M M U N I T Y N E W S

HAPPENING

DEC. 8, 2020 - JAN. 5, 2021

DEC. 24

HAPPENING continues from pg. 07

IT’S A ‘C’ THING activities. The JCC is on the Campus of the San Antonio Jewish Community, 12500 N.W. Military Highway. For registration costs, times, updates or cancellations, call Malison DeLeon at 210-302-6859 or visit https://www.jccsanantonio. org/pages/j-camp/#winter-camp.

This cancer support group for youngadult survivors ages 20-40 and their loved ones meets from 6:30-8 p.m. at La Madeleine, 722 N.W. Loop 410, Suite 201. For updates or holiday cancellations, contact Chelsea Hart at Chelsea.hart@lls. org or call 210-998-5127.

DEC. 23

AMERICAN LEGION BREAKFAST

JAN. 2

DISTRICT 9 NEIGHBORHOOD ALLIANCE

All military members and guests are invited to an 8-10 a.m. meal at Lupe Tortilla, 21103 U.S. 281 North. For more, contact www.post10.weebly.com.

The group gathers at 7 p.m. in Stone Oak Methodist Hospital, 1139 E. Sonterra Blvd., classrooms No. 1 and 2. For updates or cancellations, call Art Downey, alliance president, at 210-497-8873.

MONDAYS

SO, YOU THINK YOU CAN SING San Antonio Chordsmen, a barbershop

THREE CONVENIENT CAMPUSES SERVING SAN ANTONIO I

NORTH CENTRAL: 12222 Huebner Rd STONE OAK : 20615 Huebner Rd. DOMINION : 6185 Camp Bullis Rd.

chorus, rehearses at 7 p.m. in “The Backdoor” youth center behind Colonial Hills United Methodist Church, 5247 Vance Jackson Road.

Open for auditions. For updates or cancellations, visit sachordsmen. org. Meantime, the Friends in Harmony Chorus also exercise vocal cords at 6:45 p.m. in University United Methodist Church, 5084 De Zavala Road. For updates or cancellations, contact Wendell Peters at wendellpeters@sbcglobal.net.

TUESDAYS

WEIGHT-LOSS SUPPORT GROUP T.O.P.S., or Take Off Pounds Sensibly, meets at 10 a.m. (weigh-in 9-9:45 a.m.) inside House of Prayer Lutheran Church, 10226 Ironside Drive. For updates or cancellations, call Carolyn at 210-415-0937.

members gather at noon at Outback Steakhouse, 12511 Interstate 10 West. For updates or cancellations, call 210-576-5475.

FRIDAYS

LOCAL PRODUCE Drop by St. Matthew Sports Complex & Recreational Area, 11121 Wurzbach Road, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. and support local growers as the San Antonio Farmer’s Market Association presents farm-fresh products. For updates or cancellations, visit sanantoniofarmersmarket.org.

SATURDAYS

FARMERS’ MARKETS

Come to 16607 Huebner Road from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. for local and organic produce, plus baked goods and handcrafted products.

TUESDAYS AND SATURDAYS NORTH CENTRAL:12222 Huebner Rd. 78230 I STONE OAK: 20615 Huebner Rd. 78258 For updates or cancellations, visit OLMOS BASIN FARMERS MARKET hillcountryfarmersmarket.org.

San Antonio Farmer’s Market Also, Four Seasons Market, 11602 Association offers area growers’ Huebner Road in Huebner Oaks farm-fresh produce from 8 a.m. to shopping center, sells wares from 1 p.m. at 100 Jackson Keller Road.

10 a.m. to 3 p.m. For updates or For updates or cancellations, visit cancellations, call 972-884-0680. sanantoniofarmersmarket.org.

OON OUTING UP SSUNDAYS R P S STONE OAK ROTARY CLUB ENCINO FARMERS MARKET THURSDAYS

G FRUITFUL CHILDREN GROWIN

www.

Guest speakers normally visit the Village at Stone Oak, 22610 U.S. Rotarians from noon to 1 p.m.

281 North, is home to farmCHILDREN 6 WEEKS - 5more YEARSfrom OF AGE. at The Club at Sonterra, 901NOW E. ENROLLING fresh produce and Located in North Central San Antonio.

Sonterra Blvd, but during the 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. For a list of COVD-19 outbreak, sessions are participating vendors each week, T OCOL - 19 P R Oupdates over Zoom. For a list of lecturers, or cancellations, visit I Dplus C OV IS Y T E F updates or cancellations, visit www. fourseasonsmarkets.com.

SA ST FIR stoneoaksarotary.org, call Erin Nevelow at 210-528-0377 or email SUNDAYS erinnevelow.rotary@gmail.com.

GET FIDO MICROCHIPPED Dogs can receive free microchipping from 8:30 a.m.

THURSDAYS to noon at the District 1 Field ROTARY CLUB MEETING Office, 1310 Vance Jackson Road.

Northwest Rotary Club Community Animal Patrol will be on hand Service and Business Networking

NG FRUITFUL CHILDREN I W O R G

Contact 210.694.0740 To Add Your Name To The Interest List

DEC. 8, 2020 - JAN. 5, 2021

L O CA L C O M M U N I T Y N E W S

to do the honors. Please bring valid identification. For updates or cancellations, visit https://www. facebook.com/RobertoTrevinoD1/.

ONGOING

ACTIVITIES FOR OLDER ADULTS From a distance, the Barshop Jewish Community Center hosts 1 p.m. virtual fun over Zoom. Tuesdays are reserved for chatting; bingo and more is every Wednesday; also, a movie plays on the first and third Thursday of the month. For links, plus updates or cancellations, call Isabel Resendez at 210-302-6860 or email resendezi@jcc-sa.org.

ONGOING

NEVER TOO OLD TO LEARN North East Independent School District Community Education and Northside Adult & Community Education present two separate programs with courses for all ages.

For the former, most classes are taught in NEISD facilities or the district’s Community Learning Center, 8750 Tesoro Drive. For updates or cancellations, visit https://communityed.neisd.net or call 210-407-0140. For the latter, to get info on course registration, schedules, venues, costs, updates or cancellations, visit www.nisd.net/ ace.

ONGOING

COMBATTING STUDENT HUNGER Forty-nine Northside Independent School District campuses serve a free breakfast and lunch during the 2020-2021 academic year. For more including a complete list of program participants, visit https:// www.nisd.net/news/thousandsnorthside-students-eat-free-schoolyear.

ONGOING

GOODWILL PICKUPS Goodwill Industries offers donation pickup services for large amounts of clothing, household items and furniture at Bexar County residences. For updates or cancellations, call 210-271-8881 or fill out pickup forms available at https://www.goodwillsa.org/ donate/home-pickup.

ELSEWHWERE

DEC. 13

JEWISH CELEBRATION Chabad Lubavitch of South Texas presents the 23rd annual “Chanukah on the River,” streamed live at 5 p.m. from the Arneson River Theater, 418 Villita St. Expect a menorah lighting and entertainment featuring Yoniz. For a link, plus updates or cancellations, visit https://www.chabadsa. com/templates/articlecco_cdo/ aid/2040228/jewish/ChanukahOn-The-River.htm.

THROUGH JAN. 2 CHRISTMAS LIGHTS

“Holiday Lights on the River Walk,” 849 E. Commerce St., will be illuminated nightly during Christmastime. Experience the spectacular display of more than 100,000 sparkling bulbs for free. For updates or cancellations, visit https://www. thesanantonioriverwalk.com/ events/holiday-lights-on-the-riverwalk-free/.

THROUGH JAN. 3 ZOO LIGHTS

See the San Antonio Zoo, 3903 N. St. Mary’s St., in a whole new light from noon to 9 p.m. weekdays, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.

LOCALCOMMUNITYNEWS.COM

HAPPENING

19

ONGOING

Saturdays, and noon to 9 p.m.

Sundays. Wild colors, exotic decorations and intricate animal patterns twinkle thanks to thousands of Christmas bulbs.

Roast s’mores, sip cocoa and embrace the holiday season. For updates or cancellations, visit www.sazoo.org/events/zoo-lights/.

KIDNEY SCREENING The Texas Kidney Foundation is offering free, drive-up testing in the parking lot at 4204 Gardendale St., Suite 106. To make a required appointment, call 210-3968440. To fill out a needed form in advance, visit https:// bit.ly/TKFScreening. For more about the Texas Kidney Foundation, visit www. tx.kidney.org.

THROUGH JAN. 6 LIGHT THE WAY

Experience the University of the Incarnate Word’s 34th annual tribute to the holiday season with Christmas lights strung across the campus, 4301Broadway. For updates or cancellations of the nighttime spectacle, visit https:// www.lightthewaysa.com.

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L O CA L C O M M U N I T Y N E W S DEC. 8, 2020 - JAN. 5, 2021

LEARN ABOUT THE NEWEST NEIGHBORHOOD PLACES FOR BREAKFAST, LUNCH, DINNER.

‘Self-serve’ craftbeer taproom coming to North Side

by OLIVIER J. BOURGOIN

HOURS ARE CURRENT AS OF PRESS TIME, BUT CHECK WITH THE BUSINESS FOR UPDATES.

THE PORTALS ARE SWINGING OPEN at The Dooryard, billed as San Antonio’s first pour-it-yourself craft-beer taphouse.

Jason Meredith is debuting the spot at 4503 De Zavala Road, Suite 108, in the Starlight Oaks shopping center. The 18-year information-technology veteran is blending his love of brewing with his Dining selections at The Dooryard will include a charcuterie board. The spot is being billed as San Antonio’s first pour-it-yourself craft-beer taphouse.

Courtesy photos

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knowledge of applied sciences.

“This is where craft beer and technology collide,” said the Clark High School alum and San Antonio native.

According to the entrepreneur, this is San Antonio’s initial self-serve taproom, with 30 selections on hand — including wine and cider. The craft beer will come from local, state and national breweries.

The Dooryard is offering crowler service. Like growlers, crowlers are airtight brew containers. Growlers usually are refillable 64-ounce glass vessels; crowlers are disposable 32-ounce aluminum cans, sealed onsite.

There will be power cords, Wi-Fi

The chef at The Dooryard is creating lunch and dinner dishes, including a muffuletta.

THE DOORYARD

4503 De Zavala Road, Suite 108 For more, call 210-201-4911 or visit www.thedooryardsa.com or www.facebook.com/thedooryardsa

DEC. 8, 2020 - JAN. 5, 2021

L O CA L C O M M U N I T Y N E W S

The Laab lettuce wrap is another offering at The Dooryard, as well as Vietnamese banh mi and Reuben sandwiches. The taproom has announced a grand opening Dec. 12, according to, social-media postings.

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and a patio to physically distance.

“Having a large outdoor area coupled with the self-serve concept eliminates interaction with staff.

Self-serve equals fewer touch points,” said Meredith, who attended the University of Texas at San Antonio.

21

“Also, we are going to use recyclable paper tap tabs” made from repurposed stock and deposited into recycling bins for good hygiene.

“Same thing with the payment method. Just drop your ID in a box for age verification and then also drop your charge card in a box, so there’s very little people contact,” he said.

Chef Phil Carden, a Culinary Institute of America graduate and formerly of Botika at Pearl, will create lunch and dinner dishes.

Expect selections of Vietnamese banh mi, muffulettas, Reuben sandwiches, laab lettuce wraps, charcuterie board and more.

According to the taproom's Facebook events page, a grand opening is 2-11 p.m. Dec. 12.

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LOWDOWN

DEC. 8, 2020 - JAN. 5, 2021

LOWDOWN continues from pg. 09

the McNay Art Museum and Gemini Ink, two jewels of the San Antonio arts community, create an opportunity to be inspired by Robert Indiana’s work and submit our own poetry was a tremendous opportunity. My students are beyond thrilled and honored,” Charney said in a release. NESA, a gifted and talented program, is part of the magnet campus at LEE High School.

A “ZEN DEN” RECENTLY CREATED BY JESSICA PONCE, the new Vineyard Ranch Elementary School counselor, is her way of giving

back to the staff, she said. “My mom is a teacher back in Del Rio, and I saw firsthand how stressed everyone is right now,” Ponce said. “I really wanted to create a space where our staff can just be in the moment and practice mindfulness.” The spot, originally a lounge area in front of the counselors’ offices, was transformed into a place filled with soothing music, ambient lighting, diffusers, aromatherapy and a full-body massage chair. Feedback has been very positive, Ponce said. “(Teachers) are bending over backwards for our kiddos, and they deserve it,” she said. Vineyard Ranch Elementary is in the North East Independent School District.

Rich in tradition, Devoted to care, Together in community.

COMPUTER SOLUTIONS SIGNED A 20,540-SQUARE-FOOT LEASE to become the first tenant in Walker Ranch Business Park, a 135,000-square-foot office and flex development under construction at Wurzbach Parkway and West Avenue. Founded in 1978 and headquartered in San Antonio, Computer Solutions plans to relocate in April 2021.

THE ANNUAL SAN ANTONIO SPORTS ALL-STAR FOOTBALL GAME presents a showcase of the area’s top high school senior athletes, officials said. Scheduled for 2 p.m. Jan. 30 at Heroes Stadium, 4799 Thousand Oaks Drive, Reagan High School’s Lyndon Hamilton will coach Team Black. Its roster includes Nicholas Hernandez, Reagan, kicker; Jarrett Robinson, Churchill High School, offensive guard; Roberto Sada Kane,

LOWDOWN SPOTLIGHT

Reagan, inside linebacker; Connor Schorp, San Antonio Christian School, ILB; Christian Smith, Churchill, tight end; and Pryce Yates, Reagan, defensive end.

Team Gold includes: Bryon Armstrong, Antonian College Preparatory High School, wide receiver; William Huntsinger, Johnson High School, OG; Justin Kirk, Johnson, outside linebacker; Ethan Lopez, Antonian, long snapper; Martavion Rease, LEE High School, OLB; Ty Reasoner, Johnson, quarterback; Zachary Schwalen, Antonian, QB; Jeremiah Shelton, LEE, WR; and Jaret Zavala, LEE, TE. COVID-19 safety measures will be in effect.

Visit https://sanantoniosports.org for details.

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SHELTER continues from pg. 15

LIVING

municipalities have been working with private-sector agencies and nonprofits, such as Castle Hills-based SAMMinistries, to support struggling community members such as Shelton for as long as possible.

“We have a robust program that pays rent to landlords and property managers for renters needing assistance,” said Nikisha Baker, SAMMinistries president and CEO. “We see a need to continue providing that resource.”

After the pandemic hit, Shelton’s apartment manager gave her and fellow tenants a list of agencies offering help.

“SAMMinistries was the only place that called back,” Shelton said of her application process. “Everybody else we called was out of funds, they had a long list, or you had to be in their ZIP code.”

vulnerable communities, designing opportunities for lifelines of support is imperative to ensure that we all make it through this unprecedented time safely,” the councilman said in a statement.

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act helps fund many local government’s aid programs.

But, uncharted waters are on the horizon. Starting Jan. 1, 2021, most significant CARES Act-backed initiatives and the CDC eviction moratorium expire.

Soto and her counterparts expect another wave of residents seeking housing and other assistance.

It’s partially why San Antonio-area

The organization also offers homeowners mortgage aid. Even so, Baker expects to see “an even larger number of families and individuals once the CDC moratorium ends.”

The local homeless population got hit hard in multiple ways, too.

Based on the Northwest Side, South Alamo Regional Alliance for the Homeless is the lead “continuum of care” agency for the city and county — an alliance of service providers addressing homelessness and supportive housing.

Since the outbreak, SARAH has held weekly calls with partner agencies.

Many homeless are more at risk of exposure to COVID-19, especially seniors and those with underlying health conditions.

But, for months, the downtown shelter

23

Haven for Hope used its intake space as a dormitory with several beds, and relocated atrisk residents to a city-leased hotel in order to accommodate social distancing on campus.

While in-person assessments at Haven for Hope have resumed, SARAH and other collaborators are sticking with telephone assessments.

“It’s been incredible seeing how people have come together,” SARAH Executive Director Katie Vela said. “We want people to remain resilient because we’re all in this for the long haul.”

One SARAH partner agency, Endeavors, serves homeless veterans statewide and elsewhere, from its Northwest Side office.

“We are currently servicing about three times the amount of clients that we would normally serve,” Chief Marketing Officer Shannon Gowen said.

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