LOCAL on the South Side - September 2020

SOUTH SAN ANTONIO

LOCAL COMMUNITY NEWS LOCA LCOMMU NI TYNE WS.CO M | VO L . 1, I SSUE 7 | SE PT. 1-OCT. 6, 2020

RECOGNITION

South Side celebrates a changed Seniors Month

Farming with a mission TEXAS’ ‘OLDEST GROCERY STORE’ ON THE SOUTH SIDE

A winning tradition producing champions

COVID-19 PANDEMIC MEANS NO LARGE GATHERINGS

by EDMOND ORTIZ

by GABE FARIAS

A citywide tribute to older persons, which traces its beginnings to the South Side, will look somewhat different this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

MOST KNOW MY WRITING BONA FIDES are pretty much tied to sports.

As a weekly sports columnist for over 15 years covering San Antonio and South Side-area athletics, I’ve seen and covered it all.

Celebrate San Antonio Seniors Month has been recognized each September the last three years.

GONZABA continues on pg. 16

by SUSAN YERKES

DEEP ON THE SOUTH SIDE, near the banks of the San Antonio River, the fertile fields of Mission San Juan Capistrano have returned to life.

PG. 18 | EAT LOCAL

DECO PIZZERIA

Coming soon to Brooks

GUEST COMMENTARY

Thanks to a unique partnership with the National Park Service, the San Antonio Food Bank now operates a thriving farm, once dormant for decades. Today, plowed, tilled and irrigated again, the land’s new mission echoes the original one – feeding the hungry.

SAN JUAN continues on pg. 10

From front-row seats for five Spurs’ NBA titles, to watching and reporting several memorable high school sporting teams and athletes doing incredible things — there have been too many fantastic memories to count.

Two different individuals, however, come to mind that I deem among the greatest athletes to hail from the South Side. Now, these all-time best lists are incredibly subjective, and who’s on mine may not be on yours – but please indulge me for a moment.

FARIAS continues on pg. 07

2 STAFF SEPT. 1 - OCT. 6, 2020

PUBLISHER Jaselle Luna EDITORIAL Editor

Thomas Edwards News Staff

Edmond Ortiz Contributing Writers

Olivier J. Bourgoin, Gabe Farias, Nicole Lessin, Noi Mahoney, Arthur Schechter and Susan Yerkes ART Designer

E. Fisher Contributing Artist

Jeremiah Teutsch Contributing Photographers

7, 14, 22-Mile Bike Ride and 5K &10K Walk/Run

RB Ornelas and Earl Parr Photography ADVERTISING Senior Media Representative

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 OUR OTHER PUBLICATIONS North Central SA: 78204, 78205, 78209, 78210, 78212, 78215 North SA - Stone Oak: 78213, 78216, 78230, 78231, 78232, 78248, 78249, 78258, 78259 Metrocom: 78109, 78148, 78233, 78239, 78108, 78132, 78154, 78266 Reproduction in whole or in part without our permission is prohibited, 2020 Local Community News LLC, all rights reserved.

ON THE COVER – Continuing a legacy that stretches back 300 years to the Spanish empire, a farm at Mission San Juan Capistrano is growing crops again. The produce goes to the San Antonio Food Book to help those in need. Mike Persyn with the food bank shows an onion harvested from the fields.

His mother’s family, the Van de Walles, have farmed the area for years. See story on pg. 01. Photo by RB Ornelas The LOCAL Community News editorial board includes Jaselle Luna and Thomas Edwards.

Mask up Quit fussing, and wear a mask.

There’s no question protective face coverings limit the spread of maladies, including COVID-19.

There’s historic precedent for putting on a mask. Doctors and nurses have worn them for decades.

People donned face coverings during the great pandemic of 1918.

If masks save lives, yours and other’s, no doubt they should be utilized.

It’s wearisome in the 21st century to hear debates over whether government orders to employ protective face coverings violate civil liberties. The answer is no. Wearing a mask is common sense.

So what if the government tells you to do it? Each time you get in your car, you’re following official mandates — clicking a seat belt, carrying a driver’s license, making sure your inspection and registration are up to date and, hopefully, possessing valid insurance.

By and large, no one objects to these directives. So, why all the howling about mask-wearing if it keeps you and your neighbors safe?

People can shelve them after a vaccine is developed or restrictions are relaxed. Until then, show some consideration and put one on.

EDITOR THOMAS EDWARDS tedwards@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 SEPT. 1 - OCT. 6, 2020

A good reason to cover up

by SUSAN YERKES

TO MASK OR NOT TO MASK? Why is that even a question?

There are many strange, disturbing and unexpected things about life with “the Rona.” Six months ago, you only saw face masks worn at Halloween, bank robberies and on raccoons. Way back then, no one imagined donning personal protective equipment to go to H-E-B. Who could have predicted the loss of jobs, mobility, gatherings, birthday parties, and going to restaurants and cinemas, or the quarantining of older relatives behind locked doors and Plexiglas?

Even now, after the enormity of this world-changing pandemic has hit home,

the fallout seems surreal.

Just as surreal is the fact that when we should all be working together to defeat a common enemy — the sneaky, spiky novel coronavirus — many have politicized the malady, defying public

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closures, having “COVID parties” and angrily protesting directives to wear face coverings in public.

I mean, really? Come on, people.

My anti-mask friends are quick to point out government officials “flip-flopped” on mask-wearing early on. That was before they fully understood how infectious and dangerous this virus is. It was before people realized you can be infected and not know it, but still spread the disease.

An infected person may be most contagious even before symptoms appear. Now, we understand the contagion largely travels through the air by coughing, talking or even breathing, so health officials strongly recommend wearing masks in public, especially indoors or near others.

They also encourage physical distancing and frequent handwashing.

How well does all this work? The numbers clearly indicate it slows the spread. Fewer hospitalizations.

Fewer deaths. You don’t do those things just to keep yourself safe. You do them to keep others safe, too. If you are infected and don’t know it, you could kill your friend.

Something we do know about COVID-19, or any highly contagious, airborne bug: The more people have it, the more people will get it.

The less folks are in a position to infect others, the less it will be able

to spread. That’s the in-school or homeschool dilemma, fraught with difficult choices.

But, where individual adults are concerned, it seems to me that if requiring a leash and tags for your pets doesn’t violate your rights, I can’t see how mask mandates do.

On the lighter side, face coverings can save women a ton on makeup.

It’s also harder to pick your teeth in public. A friend’s 90-year-old mom, suffering from potentially embarrassing denture problems, was delighted to be able to take walks and visit her doctor without having to explain herself.

On the serious side, we all need to stop bickering and blaming.

Dr. Ruth Berggren, director of the Center for Medical Humanities & Ethics at UT Health San Antonio, knows more than most about infectious disease.

I love the way she puts it: “In this war, we need to fight the virus itself, not each other. ... Until we get better drugs and vaccines, our best weapons in this war are masking, handwashing and 6-foot distancing. These are weapons.

They are not infringements on our liberty.”

We’re all on the same side in the battle against the pandemic. Let’s stop fighting each other.

Stay well, y’all. syerkes@localcommunitynews.com

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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.

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HAPPENING

L O CA L C O M M U N I T Y N E W S SEPT. 1 - OCT. 6, 2020

SEPTEMBER

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

SEPT. 5, 19 & OCT. 3

SEPT. 12

Funded by Western National Parks Association and partners at the National Park Service, Mission San José, 701 E. Pyron Ave., holds a free, one-hour community session at 10 a.m. Meet outdoors in front of the church or inside the granary during inclement weather. For updates or cancellations, call 210-932-1001.

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/thepeoples-clinic/.

SAISD BOARD MEETING

SEPT. 6

SEPT. 13 RODEO

Trustees meet at 6:15 p.m. at Bellaire Elementary School, 142 E. Amber St., if COVID-19 restrictions are eased. Otherwise the meeting will be held remotely. For updates or cancellations, visit www.harlandale. net.

YOGA AT THE MISSION

THE PEOPLE’S CLINIC

OFF AND RUNNING “River City Half Marathon, 10K & 5K Salado Creek” begins at 7:30 a.m. at Southside Lions Park East Trailhead, 3100 Hiawatha St. For registration costs, updates or cancellations, visit https://www.athleteguild. com/running/san-antonio-tx/2020-river-cityhalf-marathon-10k-and-5k-salado-creek.

The Asociación de Charros de San Antonio presents Charreada del Dia Nacional del Charro, 6126 Padre Drive (next to Mission County Park).

Gates open at 2 p.m.; action begins at 4 p.m. Food vendors on-site. Cost is $15 for adults, $5 for children. For updates or cancellations, visit http:// www.sacharros.org/events.html.

SEPT. 14

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“Celebrating Mission San José Tricentennial World Heritage Festival Tour de las Missiones: Bike Ride, 5K/10K Run/Walk” begins at 7 a.m. at Mission County Park, 6030 Padre Drive. For registration costs, updates or cancellations, visit https://www.athleteguild. com/running/san-antonio-tx/2020celebrating-mission-san-josetricentennial-world-heritage-festivaltour-. As a precursor, take a virtual tour of the historic missions from Sept. 8-13. For costs, updates or cancellations, visit https://www. worldheritagefestival.org/EVENTINFORMATION/BIKE-RIDEWALK.

SEPT. 14, 21

San Antonio Independent School District trustees meet at 5:30 p.m. at 406 Barrera St. For updates or cancellations, visit www.saisd.net.

SEPT. 16

HARLANDALE ISD BOARD MEETING

SEPT. 17

SOUTHSIDE ISD BOARD MEETING Trustees meet at 6 p.m. at 1460 Martinez Losoya Road. For updates, visit https://southsideisd.org/.

SEPT. 19

CALLING ALL SHOPPERS A farmers’ and artisans’ market is at 9 a.m. at Mission Marquee Plaza, 3100 Roosevelt Ave. The San Antonio Food Bank Mobile Mercado will present healthy cooking demos and nutrition-education sessions.

For updates or cancellations, visit https://www.missionmarquee.com/ EVENTS/Farmers-Artisan-Markets.

SEPT. 26

MUSIC BY THE RIVERBANK The Greenline, 2532 Sidney Brooks Drive, is the outdoor home to a HAPPENING continues on pg. 09

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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.

SEPT. 1- OCT. 6, 2020

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

FARIAS continues from pg. 01

What these two athletes did coming from south of downtown was nothing short of incredible in their fields.

With recent world-boxing titles earned

by Southwest High School product Mario Barrios and Holmes High School alumni Joshua Franco, it has brought back several memories of the person I know is San Antonio’s greatest pugilist — Harlandale High School graduate Jesse James Leija.

The fighter captured two different world championships during his storied career, which included fights against the best of the best including Oscar De La Hoya, Micky Ward, Shane Mosley, Kostya Tszyu and Arturo Gatti.

His No. 1 highlight came in May 1994 when he defeated Azumah Nelson to earn the World Boxing Council super featherweight crown. In 1998, he fought Nelson again, for the fourth time, and claimed his second belt, the International Boxing Association’s lightweight division.

Columnist Gabe Farias notes the South Side has produced its share of incredibly talented athletes, including Harlandale High School graduate and boxing legend Jesse James Leija. File photo

7

Recognized as one of the greats during the sport’s most recent golden era, Leija is today just as well known for his work outside the ring.

His philanthropic endeavors include supporting The Miracle League of San Antonio – a baseball organization solely created to provide opportunities for children with severe handicaps.

For years, he also has backed Blessed Sacrament’s child care program to help young, single moms trying to finish their high school education.

What Leija meant to boxing is kind of what Southside High School’s Amanda Martinez meant to golf. In a sport dominated by schools north of downtown, she was the brightest of bright spots from a Southside golf program, which competed well as a whole.

In 2004, she was the 4A state champion, following the performance with a bronze-medal finish the next year. Just making it to the state golf tournament at any level is a feat unto itself. Finishing in the top three is incredibly hard – winning it all is nearly impossible.

Her sister, Samantha, a 2010 Southside graduate, was no slouch in the sport herself. Between the two of them, there were seven team district titles, six individual district tournament first-place finishes, eight trips to the Region IV golf tournament, five trips to the state golf tournament, several individual Region IV titles, and three individual Region IV runner-up finishes.

Leija and Amanda Martinez are emblematic of everything good and great about South Side athletics. They excelled in their sports and did it with grace and excellence and, in my opinion, represent the very best of the best to hail from the southern sector.

Farias is a television and radio broadcaster for Texas Sports Productions and a South Side resident.

LOCALCOMMUNITYNEWS.COM

LOWDOWN

8

L O CA L C O M M U N I T Y N E W S SEPT. 1 - OCT. 6, 2020

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

LOWDOWN SPOTLIGHT

DECO PIZZERIA

Open and Opening Soon DECO PIZZERIA, 2402 S.E. Military Drive, Suite 102, announced the popular eatery featuring pizza, calzones, sandwiches, wings and more is still coming to the former Air Force base, with the debut anticipated in the fall. The original is in a 1930s-era gas station at 1815 Fredericksburg Road; a second launched in August 2018 at 2026 Babcock Road, Suite 107. The new spot will feature a look similar to the South Texas Medical Center location on Babcock.

For more, visit decopizza.com. (See story on page 18) SOUTHERLEIGH HAUTE SOUTH, Brooks, is currently projected for an opening date of late 2020 or early 2021. Chef Jeff Balfour will debut what is billed as a high-end seafood spot in what used to be the Air Force Officers’ Club at the former Brooks Air Force Base. At the same area, Balfour is poised to debut his second brewery, Southerleigh Brewing Co. It will be located where the former Air Force chapel once stood. For more, visit www.southerleigh.com/ location/southerleigh-haute-south/.

proposed bonds on the Nov. 3 ballot. Proposition A would provide $1.21 billion in renovations or remodeling at 36 campuses, including safety and security upgrades, and air-conditioning chiller replacements where needed.

Proposition B would provide $90 million in technology improvements districtwide. Taxpayers would not see a tax-rate increase from the bond, based on district projections.

SOUTHSIDE HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR NECO JIMENEZ, 17, was recently selected for NASA’s prestigious High School Aerospace Scholars summer camp. Samuel Ebong, science coordinator at Southside Independent School District, said only the nation’s top students get invited. “This is a high-level, a high-expectation and a high-reward situation,” Ebong said. Jimenez spent his junior year preparing for the test and working on completing NASA assignments. “I was honestly not expecting it. When I received the email, I was so amazed I couldn’t believe it,” Jimenez said.

IN OTHER NEWS:

SAN ANTONIO INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT RECENTLY ANNOUNCED

road repairs on the South Side, said District 3 Councilwoman Rebecca Viagran. According to an online post, the betterments — finishing in early September — include Steves Avenue from Clark to South New Braunfels avenues; South New Braunfels from Fair Avenue to East Highland Boulevard; and South Presa Street from Story Lane to Southeast Military Drive.

the continuation of the Community Eligibility Program under the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program for the 2020-2021 academic year.

Campuses qualifying to operate CEP serve breakfast and lunch to all children at no charge and eliminate the collection of meal applications for free, reducedprice and paid student meals. This

THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT LAUNCHED more

SAN ANTONIO INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT leaders voted Aug. 17 to put $1.3 billion in

JOIN THE CONVERSATION VISIT US ONLINE TO FIND OUT MORE AND JOIN THE DISCUSSION ABOUT WHAT’S HAPPENING IN YOUR COMMUNITY.

new approach reduces burdens for both families and school administrators and helps ensure learners receive nutritious meals, according to officials. For more, call 210-554-2290.

HEALTHTEXAS MEDICAL GROUP RECENTLY OPENED ITS Highlands Clinic at 1910 S. New Braunfels Ave. The 2,800-square-foot facility boasts six examination rooms. The new venue replaces the original one from 1997 at 2911 S. New Braunfels. As part of the expansion, Joshua Urteaga joins the staff as a board-certified physician in family medicine.

THE SOUTHSIDE INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT board of managers unanimously voted Aug. 3 to cancel a $64 million bond election. SISD originally postponed the election from May to Nov. 3 because of restrictions put in place due to the pandemic. Increasing uncertainty caused by the malady and its effect on revenue streams, including for schools, also gave the board pause. “Until we know for sure what’s going to happen with the economy and the Legislature, it’s just another driving force we need to consider before we proceed,” said Fred Hayes, deputy superintendent of business and operations.

Find LOCAL Lowdown at www.localcommunitynews.com.

SEPT. 1- OCT. 6, 2020

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

HAPPENING continues from pg. 06

free concert from 6-9 p.m. For updates or cancellations, visit https://livebrooks.com/wp-content/ uploads/2018/11/Brooks_FY20_ Events.pdf.

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER

MISSION MARQUEE PLAZA San Antonio’s World Heritage Office, celebrating, promoting and connecting the community with great opportunities, has free fun for family and friends.

Experience culture, art, education and more on the historic grounds of Mission Marquee Plaza, 3100 Roosevelt Ave. Also, the seasonal, outdoor, film series continues on

HAPPENING

the grounds with a free showing of “Toy Story 3” Sept. 5; “Top Gun” Sept. 12; “Stand and Deliver” Sept.

17; “Selena” Sept. 19; and “Toy Story 4” Oct. 3. Movies begin 15 minutes after sundown. Bring lawn chairs and blankets. For updates or cancellations, visit https://www. slabcinema.com/free-outdoor-films/ mission-marquee or https://www. missionmarquee.com/EVENTS/ Cultural-Community-Events.

com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/ Brooks_FY20_Events.pdf.

ELSEWHERE

ONGOING

OCT. 6

SAISD FREE SCHOOL MEALS

The San Antonio Lighthouse for the Blind holds its 10th annual fundraiser benefiting the Blind Children’s Program at La Villita Assembly Hall, 401 Villita St., from 6:30-9 p.m. Guests bid on draped art. Online, it’s pixelated.

For tickets and more, visit https://www.salighthouse.org/ event/10th-annual-art-in-thedark/.

NATIONAL NIGHT OUT Come out and support local law enforcement at a free community event from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at Hangar 9, 8081 Inner Circle Road at Brooks.

For updates, visit https://livebrooks.

9

SEPT. 29

‘ART IN THE DARK’

HISD FREE SCHOOL MEALS The Harlandale Independent School District is offering nutrition at no cost to enrolled HISD students.

For more, call Marcos Rodriguez at 210-989-4252 or email Marcos. rodriguez@harlandale.net.

ONGOING

Qualifying campuses serve breakfast and lunch to all children at no charge and eliminate the collection of meal applications for free, reduced-price and paid student meals. For more, call 210-554-2290.

SUBMITTING EVENTS: Email all the details along with your contact information two months in advance to tips@ localcommunitynews.com.

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

FARMING

SEPT. 1 - OCT. 6, 2020

Darron Gaus, farm manager for the San Antonio Food Bank, stands by a demonstration field at Mission San Juan Capistrano where only traditional methods are used for growing crops. In the background is a peach orchard. Photo by RB Ornelas

SAN JUAN continues from pg. 01

When Spanish colonists arrived, they built their missions as self-sustaining communities, including growing crops and raising animals. In the late 1700s, a lottery divided long rectangular plots called suertes, after the word for luck, to individual families to farm.

After the National Park Service was created, it assumed operation for the missions. The agency began to purchase some of the original farmland – including 64 acres around Mission San Juan, where brilliantly engineered Spanish acequias had watered fields for centuries. Over time, the acreage became dry and overgrown with brush, and the canals fell into disrepair.

“The National Park Service’s longterm plan for the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park called for a demonstration farm at Mission San Juan, so we had to get water flowing

again,” said Park Ranger James Oliver.

“I’ve been here since 1991, and my first order was to get the ditch flowing. We worked with the Conservation Society (of San Antonio), the San Antonio River Authority, Los Compadres and a lot more, and we were able to turn on the tap in 2012.”

Preserving the original irrigation system was vital in the recent UNESCO World Heritage Site designation of the missions, he added.

A 5-acre demonstration farm, developed to help revitalize history, was larger than the rangers could cultivate.

When now-retired Park Superintendent Mardi Arce toured the smaller “urban farm” the food bank established adjacent to their headquarters on Enrique M. Barrera Parkway, she saw an opportunity to revive part of the mission’s original purpose — supplying sustenance to neighbors.

In May 2016, Arce and food bank

President and CEO Eric Cooper signed an agreement to let the community pantry maintain San Juan’s historic demonstration farm, and work the additional 60-plus acres of mission fields to raise fresh produce for distribution.

Cooper called the agricultural tract “Texas’ oldest grocery store.” As it did in the days of the Spanish empire, the farm serves several purposes; bringing history to life in the demonstration plots, showcasing sustainable growing, educating visitors about nutrition and bringing a new supply of fresh, local fruits and vegetables to those in need – especially on the South Side, he noted.

Just as important, the farm depends almost entirely on volunteers.

Community is key for Darron Gaus, farm manager for the food bank.

“We normally have about 300 people a month volunteer at the San Juan farm alone. That’s about 600 man-hours of work,” he said.

Patrick Wahrer is among those lending a helping hand.

“I just moved to San Antonio a year and a half ago, and I’m semiretired,” Wahrer said. “With the military (Air Force), I’ve always had that tradition of giving back. I volunteered for some of the food drives and delivering boxes to seniors, and (this) got my attention, and I thought, ‘Hey, this is a pretty good idea.’”

He added, “I just do whatever they need, a couple of hours here or there, from pulling weeds to picking things.

It’s great.”

Leading a visitor through the fields, Gaus pointed out the 5 acres of demonstration plots, where the mission’s original crops such as corn, beans and squash are grown. Here, heaps of stones help direct acequia water through hand-dug channels, and wooden gates regulate the flow.

The food bank’s 40 producing acres use more modern methods. A pump, 2 miles of underground pipe, and drip tape irrigate those fields.

Onions, carrots, broccoli, cabbage and peppers are among the crops rotated in 18-month cycles. In fallow time, cover crops of wheat protect the soil.

There’s a 6-acre orchard, too. This spring, the young peach trees bore their first fruit. Satsuma orange trees fared worse, so they’ll be replaced by other stone fruit – nectarines, plums and apricots. In a few years, Gaus hopes to harvest 40,000 pounds of fruit a year.

That will not include watermelons – this spring, raccoons gorged themselves on nearly an entire plot.

In a recently harvested field, Mike Persyn, one of several food bank farm employees, was taking up drip lines after an onion harvest. Persyn has deep family roots on the South Side, too.

His mother’s family, the Van de Walles, have long worked thousands of acres here, including 25 acres now part of the food bank’s “urban farm.”

“We have always said farmers don’t really own the land, we are stewards of the land. We return that stewardship here,” Persyn said.

Using sustainable means, the food bank’s stewards are making a real impact.

“We try to contribute 300,000 pounds of fruit and vegetables a year,” Gaus said. “Overall, the food bank distributes 57 (million) to 60 million pounds a year, so it may seem like a drop in the bucket, but fresh, local produce is a really important part of nutrition.”

SAN JUAN continues on pg. 19

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To help combat this disease, the City of San Antonio’s Metropolitan Health District started the Diabetes Prevention & Control program in 2013 to provide health education to the community specifically designed for people living with diabetes. Metro Health offers the Diabetes Self-Management program to people living with diabetes, and the Diabetes Prevention Program for people at risk for developing diabetes. All of these programs are FREE for you.

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Due to COVID-19 and risk of greater illness for those with diabetes or other underlying conditions, programs are currently offered virtually to keep you and your loved ones safe while learning to manage your condition or lower your risk.

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

HISTORY

SEPT. 1 - OCT. 6, 2020

Missions-area projects enter new phase SOME RESIDENTS WORRY ABOUT GENTRIFICATION IN NEIGHBORHOOD

by EDMOND ORTIZ

PROGRESS CONTINUES on developing a South Side centerpiece facility to showcase the historical Spanish missions as part of a World Heritage Site.

The World Heritage Center and an enhanced Mission Marquee Plaza will be complemented by improvements to several roads around the landmarks.

However, some residents fear efforts to promote the missions corridor will lead to unwanted redevelopment and gentrification in surrounding areas.

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“We’re telling the stories of the community, of the neighborhood, what the significance of World Heritage is, and the process by which we got there,” said District 3 Councilwoman Rebecca Viagran.

It’s been five years since UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee awarded the World Heritage designation to all five missions of the former Spanish empire: San Antonio de Valero, otherwise known as The Alamo; San José; Concepción; San Juan; and Espada.

The end of July marked the conclusion of two publicengagement surveys on future development.

Residents gave input on the planned World Heritage Center, to be located on city property near Mission Marquee Plaza — the former Mission Drive-In — and Mission Branch Library.

City planners describe the center as a place for informal activities, community events, education, meetings and outdoor displays.

Respondents suggested what they’d like to see there, and offered views on the image the new facility should convey to the world.

Viagran said many neighbors are excited.

“There’s a lot of ideas of people wanting (the center) to continue telling the story of our Indigenous community,” she added. “That is the intangible heritage that really took us over the edge with our (designation).”

The city is leveraging $7.25 million from its voter-approved 2017 bond to design and build the center.

Additional bond money will fund new public art along the missions corridor.

However, some locals said the

municipality is overlooking what they see as unintended consequences. In 2018, the City Council unanimously approved downzoning dozens of area commercial properties in hopes of encouraging redevelopment.

Olga Martinez, Villa Coronado Neighborhood Association president, said the city is concentrating on redevelopment and not enough on preserving the community.

“The only change should be to improve infrastructure — streets, adequate and safe bike lanes and safe crosswalks,” Martinez said. “Development should be smart and with respect to the surrounding communities, while preserving its World Heritage designation.”

Brady Alexander, Hot Wells Mission Reach Neighborhood Association president, said the municipality is giving lip service to efforts to collect public input about the World Heritage Center.

“We wish the city would put the same effort into preserving the areas around the missions and the San Antonio River as it does incentivizing privatedevelopmental interests,” Alexander added. “Exploiting the locals is one authentic aspect of the missions the city has preserved, unfortunately.”

Local officials are set to upgrade some nearby thoroughfares. The 2017 bond contains $18.6 million for improvements along Roosevelt Avenue between South St. Mary’s Street and Loop 410.

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

ART

SEPT. 1 - OCT. 6, 2020

Mission mural to connect people, history ARTWORK COMMEMORATES OUTPOST’S FOUNDING BY SPAIN 300 YEARS AGO

by NICOLE LESSIN

Artist Sandra Gonzalez, seen here in these undated images, has been tapped to create a mural for Mission San José y San Miguel de Aguayo’s visitor center. Courtesy photos/ Earl Parr Photography

TO SOME, pandemic-stricken 2020 may not seem like the ideal time for vibrant colors, artistic creativity and remembering the Tejano culture that rose from the complexities of the Spanish empire.

However, to Luminaria Contemporary Arts Festival, San Antonio Missions National Historical Park and Mission Heritage Partners, there has never been a better time to co-sponsor a project commissioning artist Sandra Gonzalez to add a colorful mural

to an exterior wall at Mission San José y San Miguel de Aguayo’s modern visitor center.

The artwork, to be revealed in October, commemorates the tricentennial of the colonial religious outpost’s establishment by Friar Antonio Margil de Jesús.

“Mission San José was established in 1720, so for all of 2020, we are recognizing and reflecting on 300 years since its founding, which to us and to our community means reflecting on complex and difficult changes, as well as the beautiful San Antonio culture that arose from that,” said Justine Hanrahan, visualinformation specialist for the national park. “The main goal of this mural is to connect the South Side community and its legacy with the over 300 years of history that we have in this neighborhood.”

The undertaking also helps foster local creativity, officials said.

“We really want to make sure that we nourish and help the artists of San Antonio thrive,” said Pam De La Mora, Luminaria’s digital-media manager. “We are dedicated to the innovative interpretation of our city’s culture, so what that means is that we are wanting to take local artists and interpret what the city’s culture, history and environment is through their art and through what they can create.”

Gonzalez, who recently moved to San Antonio from Corpus Christi and began teaching art at Roosevelt High School this fall, was chosen from more than a dozen candidates through Luminaria’s call to produce citywide murals.

“I think that my style reflects the colorful Mexican American culture,” said Gonzalez, who began as a muralist with the Philadelphia Mural Arts Program after receiving

her master’s in 2013 from the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. “I like to include figures, Mexican textiles, and bright colors … so hopefully I can combine what I love to do in this upcoming year for the San José Mission.”

Gonzalez, a Tamaulipas, Mexico, native, relocated to Laredo as a teenager. She’ll receive a $2,000 stipend to create an 8-foot by 20foot work consisting of five wooden panels attached to a high wall on the mission’s exterior at Napier and Roosevelt avenues.

Still under discussion at press time, mural depictions could include the mission’s iconic elements, such as the “Rose Window” on the Catholic sacristy’s south wall, through which a priest could deliver services to unbaptized mission residents disallowed entry.

It will also illustrate the lives and contributions of people of Indigenous heritage at the mission, Hanrahan said.

“We hope that residents of the South Side will be able to see themselves in this mural,” she said.

“It will be a reminder of what makes this neighborhood great that they’ll be able to see their own identity represented in this mural, and that it will be a sense of pride during a time that has been difficult for many.”

Hanrahan said Gonzalez was selected because of her previous Laredo and Corpus Christi murals, which feature bright colors and tile motifs, which echo the mission’s original quatrefoil designs.

These clearly can be seen at the “Restored by Light” celebrations, a communitywide light display of the original frescoes once visible across the facades of the mission churches.

SEPT. 1- OCT. 6, 2020

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

The artist’s patterns also are reminiscent of tiles from the postmission era by Ethel Wilson Harris, the first female park ranger in Texas, who ran a tile shop inside the mission and employed neighbors — including some mission descendants — and used in iconic areas of the city, such as La Villita.

“Gonzalez’s style connects the colorful culture of San Antonio with Mexican American culture, and her style is very conducive to connecting the past with the present in that way,” Hanrahan said.

A key aspect of Gonzalez’s process normally involves the community contributing to her mural work, which is routinely done remotely on a fabric substrate and later attached like

ART

city, and I think that’s the beauty of it — people can appreciate it, and they can appreciate the area where they live more.”

De La Mora said Luminaria is brainstorming additional ways of linking folks in the area to the project and generate excitement.

“We are looking at a couple of options,” De La Mora said. “Whether it is the artist herself shooting a timelapse video of herself working, or her going live on a social-media account to talk through her process to show what she is doing, or basically shooting a video, or having a Q&A with the artist through social media. That way, it’s completely safe, but there’s still community involvement.”

Nevertheless, project organizers

wallpaper with special protective glue.

“It’s very easy. You just set up tables, and then you put the fabric on top, and then it’s more like ‘paint by color,’ and I give them a picture,” Gonzalez said. “Then, once they see it up on the wall, they can identify where they helped me, and it’s really nice because it gives them that sense of ownership and pride that they help with something.”

While COVID-19 safety protocols might limit participation this time, she hopes this project will still resonate with neighbors.

“I feel like people really appreciate public art,” Gonzalez said. “They don’t have to go to a museum. They don’t have to go into a gallery. It’s out there in their neighborhoods or in the

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said now is a perfect time to support the arts in San Antonio. “(During hard times), monetarily the arts are usually the last thing we think about, but if you think about it, in the dead of quarantine, art is all we are consuming,” De La Mora said. “If you’re at home, what are you doing? You’re watching TV, you’re listening to the radio, you’re listening to podcasts, you’re listening to people creating, and to me, it’s a little mind-boggling that even though art is such an afterthought, it’s so important and relevant to us in our current state.”

For more, visit https:// luminariasa.org/.

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

RECOGNITION

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GONZABA continues from pg. 01

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(Top) Gonzaba Event Center hosted a drive-in concert for South Side residents during Father’s Day this summer, including guests such as District 3 Councilwoman Rebecca Viagran (second from right). Viagran and personnel at Gonzaba are looking forward to San Antonio Seniors Month in September, no matter what form it takes. (Above) Gonzaba Medical Group employees took part in a recent box-fan drive to help older residents stay cool at home during the summer. The company’s founder, Dr. Bill Gonzaba, was instrumental in helping create Seniors Month in 2017. Courtesy photos/Gonzaba Medical Group

District 3 Councilwoman Rebecca Viagran, one of the founders, said it’s vital to help protect and honor elders for accomplishments and contributions to the neighborhood.

“I often talk about how District 3 represents the past, present and future of San Antonio,” Viagran said. “I think constituents in our community realize how seniors are part of our foundation.”

Because of the pandemic, health care officials say older Americans are at the highest risk of exposure to the viral infection, and authorities have introduced multiple public-health restrictions, including curtailing large gatherings.

So, while the city or the local medical organization behind Seniors Month can’t arrange big group events, South Side community leaders are making sure older folks are appreciated and served in other ways.

South Side residents are big supporters of Seniors Month, since they helped start it, officials said.

In 2017, Dr. Bill Gonzaba of Gonzaba Medical Group, a renowned South Side health care institution, proposed a monthlong recognition of older adults for their contributions and achievements.

The physician reached out to Viagran, who sponsored

SEPT. 1- OCT. 6, 2020

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

a resolution to declare each September as Celebrate San Antonio Seniors Month. The measure received unanimous council approval.

Gonzaba has done much to serve older residents in south San Antonio, including working with the San Antonio Food Bank to create the Gonzaba Farmer’s Market to distribute fruit and vegetables to more than 1,000 seniors a month.

In addition, a Gonzaba Event Center was established to offer lowimpact daily exercise, educational programming and activities designed specifically for them.

Gonzaba has also worked with the city to provide free, large fans to help older neighbors keep cool in their homes during the summer.

According to Erica Gonzaba, senior marketing manager, Gonzaba Medical Group will continue participating in box-fan drives and produce giveaways.

“By providing fresh produce and pantry boxes, along with other drive-thru resource distributions, we are able to fulfill a need in underserved areas,” she said.

In addition, the organization is using its Facebook profile to conduct “Connection Wednesdays,” focusing on discussions important to older individuals.

Viagran said the city’s plans for Seniors Month in 2020 could include a drive-thru parade where older South Siders are saluted.

Such caravans became popular in recent months as a safe way for community members to acknowledge holidays, as well as graduating high school and college students.

The city has implemented drive-thru food distribution at

17

area senior centers during the coronavirus outbreak.

“That has been helpful for us just to see our seniors,” Viagran said. “For some of our seniors who can’t drive and pick up food, we have drivers who go and drop off the food at their homes. It’s a combination of wellness check and conversation.”

Viagran said the outlet SeniorPlanet.org continues to help older adults stay engaged in various ways.

Based in New York City, Senior Planet provides articles, programs and online sessions to help elders learn skills in social media, music, acting, writing, computers and much more.

Senior Planet also instructs older residents on how to save money and meet new people. The digital platform has a physical presence in San Antonio and five other U.S. cities where neighbors can be more hands-on with classes and activities. “(Senior Planet) will be doing a lot of things during September,” Viagran added.

Besides Seniors Month, Gonzaba Medical Group is marking its 60th anniversary. The organization just commemorated the grand opening of its renovated near-West Side clinic, which now includes a community events center.

“Unfortunately, due to the pandemic, we’ve had to make some adjustments to our celebration this year,” Gonzaba said. “However, we’re looking forward to launching some important initiatives in the coming year, to include education scholarships and a nonprofit organization.”

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

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the South Texas Medical Center.

According to owner Jacob Valenzuela, the COVID-19 outbreak has meant some flexibility with the unveiling.

“I hate to mention a specific month, because with this pandemic, we’re dependent on many moving parts,” he said. “We’re at the mercy of when the furniture is going to be delivered, etcetera.”

After honing his business skills during nearly 20 years “in various leadership positions at USAA,” Valenzuela decided to change careers and become a restaurateur.

The name “deco” is based on the original parlor inside an old gas station in the Deco District near Woodlawn Theatre.

In addition to pizza pies, calzones, wings, salads and sandwiches, what distinguishes the pizzeria is a full bar and a focus on the arts, live music, poetry readings and more, Valenzuela said.

“We are going to have a nice outdoor patio and we’ve commissioned local artists for the decoration of the space,” he added.

Locating on the South Side is a good idea, Valenzuela said.

“We’re excited and the community is excited, too,” he noted. “The love and support is palpable. People are waiting and asking about when we’re going to open.”

Find this EAT Local at www.localcommunitynews.com.

SEPT. 1- OCT. 6, 2020

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

SAN JUAN continues from pg. 10

In the future, Cooper believes 500,000 pounds annually can be grown.

The farm’s biggest single-day harvest came in 2018. Helpers totaling 440, including about 90 kids with a group from El Paso, cleared a 5-acre cabbage plot one Saturday.

“The adults cut the cabbage and passed it down a line of children to 18-wheelers waiting to take it straight out for distribution that day,” Gaus said. “By that night, we had put 82,000 pounds of fresh cabbage on supper tables.“ COVID-19, changing the way big groups gather, has temporarily halted most of the farm’s hands-on educational sessions, where youngsters learn about nutritional food origins.

Gaus and his colleagues are focused on developing distance learning, which could reach many more folks going forward, and are working on plans to irrigate the 24 acres of mission land not yet farmable. He’s continually inspired by helpers’ stories, such as one young man who volunteered with his mother and, upon tasting fresh hydroponic tomatoes for the first time, found them “sweet as candy.”

Volunteers are even finding creative ways to cope with COVID-19 at the San Juan farm. In early June, with school sports on indefinite hold, one high school athletic director brought his team out to help harvest corn as a service project, Gaus said.

“The entire football team was here, picking corn as fast as they could, passing it to each other, running between the corn rows, having so much fun. It was wonderful,” he said.

“I love the land, and I love to share that.”

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

TESTING

19

HERITAGE continues from pg. 13

restoration of the Union Pacific Railroad Bridge at Lone Star Boulevard, and additional sidewalks, bicycle lanes, and a pedestrian bridge over the river.

The $18 million figure covers World Heritage-related signage and navigating the missions corridor.

Work starts in November.

One unnamed resident, who interacted with city staff during one of three virtual World Heritage presentations, expressed delight over the Roosevelt Avenue plan.

“This section of our neighborhood has waited many years to get the development of infrastructure like sidewalks, drainage and crosswalks,” the neighbor said.

In addition, the bond includes $37 million for other planned enhancements to the following routes: Mission Road from Southeast Military Drive to the river; South Presa Street from Southcross Boulevard to Southeast Military; and Southcross between Roosevelt and Pleasanton Road.

The projects, scheduled to start at various times within the next year, begin this October with the Mission Road upgrades.

Residents used the other recently ended survey to comment on eight proposed street-name changes along the World Heritage Trail.

A 2016 study commissioned by the San Antonio River Authority found renaming thoroughfares such as Mission Road near Roosevelt Park and Lone Star Boulevard would help create a continuous Mission Road and eliminate confusion for residents and visitors.

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

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