LOCALCOMMUNITYNEWS.COM VOL. 2, ISSUE 6 | AUG. 3- AUG. 31, 2021
LOCAL COMMUNITY NEWS
SUSAN YERKES | PG. 06
HAPPENING PG. 07
SOUTH SAN ANTONIO
Check out the free yoga classes at Confluence Park
HOUSING by EDMOND ORTIZ
AN AFFORDABLE APARTMENT complex near Mission Concepcion is just one of several South Side residential developments springing up in the wake of steady business and industry growth.
Prospera Housing Community Services in June opened Village at Roosevelt at 1515 Roosevelt Ave. The multifamily community, the site of a former pumping supply company, is Prospera’s 18th development in San Antonio, reserving 49 of 57 units for low-income residents. Company officials said San Antonio’s population growth, and the economic HOUSING continues on pg. 20
PROTECTING HEALTH CARE HEROES CAMPUS | PG. 12-15
LEARNING GAP, COVID SAFETY
State control loosens bit by bit for SISD by EDMOND ORTIZ
SPECIAL SECTION IT WILL BE ONE MORE YEAR before the Southside Independent School District fully emerges from under a state takeover of its leadership, according to the Texas Education Agency.
The district’s seven-member board of managers on May 11 seated two new trustees — Mary Silva in Position 2 and Brenda Nagelhaut-Olivarez in Position TRUSTEES continues on pg. 19
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STAFF
AUG. 3 - AUG. 31, 2021 PUBLISHER Jaselle Luna EDITORIAL
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5545 Fredericksburg Road, Suite 211 San Antonio, TX 78229 Phone: (210) 338-8842 Fax: (210) 465-9455 ADVERTISING INQUIRIES Advertising@localcommunitynews.com STORY IDEAS: tips@localcommunitynews.com CONTACT EDITOR: editor@localcommunitynews.com OUR OTHER PUBLICATIONS North Central SA: 78209, 78210, 78212, 78215, 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, 2021 Local Community News LLC, all rights reserved.
The LOCAL Community News editorial board includes Jaselle Luna and Thomas Edwards.
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LOCAL COMMUNITY NEWS
ON THE COVER – South Side development is booming as more multifamily dwellings and companies locate to the area. Pictured is Prospera Housing Community Services recently opened Village at Roosevelt at 1515 Roosevelt Ave. Most of the units at the new apartment complex are for low-income residents. Courtesy photo/Prospera
TALK LOCAL
Happy birthday WELCOME TO THE 10TH ANNIVERSARY of LOCAL Community News. While other media are pulling back or disappearing, LOCAL is holding steady and still delivering in-depth community news to a vast audience. These days, especially given the pandemic, staying in business for a decade is nothing to be taken lightly. We see this milestone as a time to strengthen and reaffirm our commitment to our readers and to our advertisers. Our dedication to bringing the most comprehensive, free hyperlocal news to the communities we call home and the readers we call neighbors hasn’t changed since our first editions rolled off the presses in July 2012. We continue to grow and adapt. In the beginning, LOCAL only mailed print editions each month, but has since added a news website, a robust social-media presence and talented bloggers. Of course, award-winning columnist and reporter Susan Yerkes’ insightful musings remain a cornerstone of LOCAL’s reporting, both in print and online. Last year, we introduced a paper to cover the South Side, a historically significant and culturally diverse part of town that’s booming with new development. Now, LOCAL is taking another step forward by merging the content of two of our most popular papers that have served North Central and North San Antonio-Stone Oak for years. We’ve created a single, comprehensive edition filled with news from Alamo Heights to north of Loop 1604. Please let us know what you think. We’re grateful to our readers and the businesses supporting LOCAL. They inspire us to keep serving the information needs of the communities we cover for years to come.
CORRECTION
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Next Step Foot & Ankle Clinic
A story headlined “About half of the area population has received COVID-19 vaccines” that ran in the June edition of LOCAL Community News should have stated, “56% of people with COVID-19 cases in Bexar County were males and 46% were females. Fewer than 1% of those under age 19 died from COVID-19 while 91% of recorded fatalities were 50 or older..”
HAPPENING
AUGUST
PLAN YOUR MONTH WITH OUR CALENDAR OF UPCOMING EVENTS IN THE COMMUNITY.
7
School Districts Harlandale ISD: 6:15 p.m. Aug. 16; 102 Genevieve Drive San Antonio ISD: 5:30 p.m. Aug. 16; 414 W. Quincy St. Southside ISD: 6 p.m. Aug. 19; 1460 Martinez Losoya Road
AUG. 4
RIBBON CUTTING Officials celebrate the opening of The Greenline Extension at Brooks, 2532 Sidney Brooks St., from 10-11 a.m. The extension is 1,200-feet long, connecting to existing walking trails along the San Antonio River at Mission Reach from the historic Spanish missions through downtown, Pearl and Brackenridge Park. For more, visit https:// livebrooks.com/community/events/.
THE BREAK YOU’VE WAITED FOR!
AUG. 5 - AUG. 7 TOW EXPO
Join the Annual Texas Tow Exposition 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center, 900 E Market St. The event features towing professionals, seminars, keynote sessions and training activities. Attendees are provided with an opportunity to network with towing and recovery professionals, along with the tools needed for understanding towing operations. For more, visit http://www.towexpointernational.com.
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AUG. 10
POP-UP TASTING
PERSONALIZED SUPPORT
career exploration, job readiness, referrals to childcare, transportation and more
PREPARE FOR THE FOLLOWING IN-DEMAND CAREERS:
Maverick Texas Brasserie, 710 S. St. Mary’s St., hosts a pop-up tasting for people HAPPENING continues on pg. 09
EDITOR’S NOTE: THE CALENDAR IS CURRENT AS OF PRESS TIME, BUT SOME EVENTS MAY HAVE BEEN POSTPONED OR CANCELED DUE TO CORONAVIRUS CONCERNS. ACCESS TO PUBLIC MEETINGS MAY BE LIMITED OR STREAMING ONLY. CHECK WITH THE LISTED CONTACTS FOR UPDATES. LOCALCOMMUNITYNEWS.COM
Healthcare & Biotech
Advanced Manufacturing & Logistics
Education
Skilled Trades
I.T. & Cybersecurity
APPLY TODAY, CALL 3-1-1 or visit covid19.sanantonio.gov/trainforjobs
OPINION
8
LOCAL COMMUNITY NEWS AUG. 3 - AUG. 31, 2021
Health care heroes need help, no more hurting by SUSAN YERKES
EARLY IN MARY HEYE’S career as a nurse, an angry patient left the emergency room, returned with a gun, and shot and killed a male nurse.
In a long career in San Antonio and elsewhere, Heye has encountered many other incidents of violent verbal or even physical abuse against health care workers. The problem, on the increase for years, has risen sharply during the COVID-19 pandemic for these “health care heroes” — doctors, nurses, lab techs and other medical workers. Violence against health care workers, particularly nurses, was getting worse long before the pandemic. In the past 10 years, some national studies have shown a 110% spike in violent injuries to medical workers.
Statistics show 50% to a whopping 70% of violent assaults on the job are suffered by health care workers, from homehealth aides to physicians. Many more go unreported. Windcrest Councilwoman Cindy Strzelecki, a veteran nurse, health care
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educator and administrator, has seen it happen countless times. As chair of the Texas Nurses Association Government Affairs Committee, she has worked for legislative changes to improve the situation. She has seen some progress – for instance, up until a few years ago, Texas law made it a felony for someone being rushed to the hospital to assault police officers, firemen or other first responders. “But when they crossed the doorstep to the emergency room, if they assaulted a nurse or doctor, it was a misdemeanor,” Strzelecki told me. The law finally changed; testimony included a nurse whose finger was bitten off. The abuse happens in all areas where patients and their families are coping with life and death. Because nurses interact the most with them, they often take the brunt. Doctors are not exempt. Recently, veteran San Antonio physician Carl Blond told me he was able to resolve a potentially dangerous situation when a man angry about his elderly mother’s condition confronted another physician. “The doctor was tiny – maybe 100 pounds, and the guy was about 250 pounds, and he was yelling at her and threatening to hurt her. She was terrified,” Blond said. “It happens. It has a lot to do with trust. People make quick judgments, and when doctors or nurses are wearing masks, that
can make it worse. A lot of families were angry that they couldn’t see their family members in the hospital during the pandemic. And these days with managed care, some people feel we are trying to limit care instead of help.” In the last Legislative session, House Bill 326 would have required health care organizations to develop clear policies to protect all employees from workplace violence. The bill passed the House but did not get out of committee in the Senate. Another bill that faced the same fate would have made it presumptive that health care workers who developed COVID-19 would be covered by workers compensation, the way first responders are. Currently, many health care workers who get COVID face long struggles trying to prove where they contracted the disease. “It’s frustrating,” Strzelecki said. “There’s all this talk about ‘health care heroes’ but sometimes I wonder how our society has gotten to the point where health care providers — nurses, nursing assistants, techs, all of us — have to deal with this.” New laws may help, if they’re passed. But maybe awareness of the stresses nurses and others face can make us more understanding, and spur employers to do more to protect the men and women on the front lines of life and death. 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.
AUG. 3 - AUG. 31, 2021
HAPPENING
LOCAL COMMUNITY NEWS
HAPPENING continues from pg. 07
interested in sampling from and giving input on menus for two forthcoming Pearl restaurants, Allora and Arrosta. Prepaid tickets at $50 per person include four courses, including antipasti, pasta, main and dolci, with additional wine pairings available for $25. For reservations and other details, visit https:// mavericktexas.com.
THROUGH AUG. 7 FIESTA AT LA VILLITA
The Alamo Kiwanis Club presents the 64th season of Fiesta Noche del Rio at 8:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays at the Arneson River Theater in La Villita, 418 Villita St. Enjoy
the mariachis, flamenco guitar, singing, dancing and a cool drink or snack while supporting children’s charities. It’s been a San Antonio tradition since 1957. For tickets, visit http://fiestanochesa.com or customer service at H-E-B.
AUG. 12
SOUTHSIDE NETWORKING BREAKFAST Join a breakfast mixer hosted by the South San Antonio Chamber of Commerce featuring state Rep. Leo Pacheco at 7:30 a.m. at Don Pedro Mexican Restaurant, 1526 S.W. Military Drive. Cost is $15 for members and $20 for nonmembers. For more, visit https://www. southsachamber.org/.
THROUGH AUG. 14 A LEAGUE OF WOMEN
Visit a free exhibition showcasing the talent, vision and history of women in the arts 10 a.m. at the San Antonio Art League and Museum, 130 King William St. Attendees receive an education on the creativity represented in “A League of Women: Work by Women of the San Antonio Art League from 1950-Present” including artists Kathy Vargas, Eva Templeton, Terry Gay Puckett and Martha Mood. For more, visit https://www.saalm.org/.
AUG. 15
LOCALS’ DAY San Antonio residents can experience the culture and arts of the West for 50% off general admission, 10 a.m.
LOCALCOMMUNITYNEWS.COM
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to 5 p.m. at the Briscoe Western Art Museum, 210 W. Market St. For more, visit https://www. briscoemuseum.org.
AUG. 18
MID-WEEK CHURCH SERVICE Join a mid-week prayer and church service, 7:30-9 p.m. at The Door Christian Fellowship Church, 502 E. Southcross Blvd. For more, call 210-977-8388.
TUESDAYS
ROTARY CLUB The Rotary Club of San Antonio South normally meets at noon on the second floor of Stinson HAPPENING continues on pg. 10
9
10 HAPPENING AUG. 3 - AUG. 31, 2021
HAPPENING continues from pg. 09
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TUESDAYS
OUTDOOR YOGA Mobile Om offers yoga classes 6-7 p.m. Tuesdays at Camp Outpost, 1811 S. Alamo St. Fees are $10 for a single class, $75 for 10 classes. For more, visit https://mobileomtx.com.
WEDNESDAYS
OPEN-AIR CINEMA In concert with Slab Cinema, The Good Kind Southtown, 1127 S. St. Mary’s St., presents physically distanced, open-air cinema. Films start at 7 p.m. Cost is $8. For movies, updates or cancellations, visit https://www.slabcinema.com. or https://www.facebook.com/ goodkindsouthtown.
11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Also, come at 10 a.m. for exercise. For updates, visit https://www.facebook.com/ GoodKindSouthtown/events/.
ONGOING
MISSION MARQUEE PLAZA Experience culture, art, education and more on the historic grounds of Mission Marquee Plaza, 3100 Roosevelt Ave. Also, until November, the seasonal, outdoor film series has returned. Movies begin 15 minutes after sundown. Bring lawn chairs and blankets. For times, plus updates or cancellations, visit https://www. missionmarquee.com/EVENTS/ Cultural-Community-Events.
ONGOING
ADULT-EDUCATION CLASSES
The Good Kind Southtown, 1127 S. St. Mary’s St., hosts bazaars featuring local vendors from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. For updates, visit https://eatgoodkind.com/ upcoming-events/.
The San Antonio Independent School District offers free online classes through its Adult and Community Education Department. Sessions include courses in citizenship, basic computer skills in Spanish, plus certifications in customer service and information technology. For updates and to register, call 210554-2453 or 210-554-2450 or visit www.saisd.net/ace.
SUNDAYS
ONGOING
Community Yoga holds free classes 10-11 a.m. at Confluence Park, 310 W. Mitchell St., sponsored by the San Antonio River Foundation. For more, visit https://mobileomtx. com.
Villa Finale Museum & Gardens, 401 King William St., has reopened its grounds. Visits are free and open to the public from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. For updates, call 210-223-9800 or visit https://villafinale.org.
SATURDAYS
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details along with your contact information two months in advance to tips@localcommunitynews.com.
The Harlandale Difference: Early Childhood Programs - Enrolling as early as 6 months old New Athletic Options for Middle School - Only district in San Antonio with softball and baseball offered at the middle school level Graduate Support - Every Harlandale ISD graduate receives a scholarship from the Harlandale Education Foundation to further their education G US T AU
16
First Day of School 2021-2022
@HarlandaleFamily @HarlandaleISD
12
LOCAL COMMUNITY NEWS SPECIAL SECTION AUG. 3- AUG. 31, 2021
SPECIAL SECTION
A new academic year is dawning, but it’s filled with plenty of challenges. The COVID-19 pandemic forever altered the face of Texas education, and now educators, campus staff, students and their parents are all adjusting to new ways of learning, coping and catching up. For more, check out the stories in this month’s special section.
You have real accessibility. A family of five colleges conveniently located near you – Northeast Lakeview College, Northwest Vista College, Palo Alto College, St. Philip’s College, and San Antonio College. You have real choices. Select from a wide range of academic and career training paths. One of them is surely just right for you. You have real affordability. Thanks to low tuition and easily available financial aid, you can follow the first two years of your college dream with no money headaches. You have real help. Open enrollment means that getting into college here is a snap. And you’ll have your own advisor from day one until you graduate or finish career training.
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AUG. 3 - AUG. 31, 2021
LOCAL COMMUNITY NEWS SPECIAL SECTION
13
COVID-19
SLAMMED AREA STUDENTS by RON AARON EISENBERG
LOCALCOMMUNITYNEWS.COM
EDUCATORS are unveiling strategies for the new academic year to help close the learning gap experienced by thousands of students when COVID-19 shuttered Texas campuses in early spring 2020.
Texas schools have been fully reopened for in-person learning during the 2021-2022 academic year. Improving math scores and offering remedial education are on the drawing board, teachers said. After Gov. Greg Abbott closed schools in March 2020 as a result of the global pandemic, many parents with little or no teaching experience were forced to help educate their kids at home by supplementing their school’s virtual-learning programs. Virtual learning became almost universal, whether the child attended a public, charter, private or parochial campus. For too many households, the exercise proved a dismal failure. Recent statewide test results confirm the shortcomings of remote learning, officials acknowledged.
The Texas Education Agency recently reported, “As a result of the learning disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of students not meeting grade level increased from 2019 across all subject areas and grade levels, with English I and English II being the only exceptions … mathematics reflects the largest decline in proficiency across all grade levels.” Public schools use the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness to measure student proficiency. “I think the (standardized test) data is concerning. What we need to be focused on is getting our kids back into school,” said Colleen Dippel, founder and CEO of Families Empowered. “Virtual learning did not work, especially for our most vulnerable kids. Parents should be working with schools to be sure we can get our kids into classrooms.” Families Empowered is a nonprofit offering free services to families in Austin, Houston, San Antonio and Tarrant County to help them understand and navigate all of the available school choices in the state. “Parents have the option
With Texas students required to return to in-person classroom learning this school year, educators say they have devised various approaches to close a learning gap that grew out of months of virtual instruction at home during the COVID-19 pandemic. File photo
of redoing pre-(kindergarten) and kindergarten, if they so choose, but they have to let their districts know in writing before the school year begins,” Dippel added. “If a student failed the STAAR exam, they are entitled to tutoring, paid for by the state of Texas. For kids who did poorly or squeaked by, parents should ask the schools to help those kids.” For more on Families Empowered, visit www.familiesempowered.org or the Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ FamiliesEmpowered/. This summer, many school districts offered classes for learners who needed remedial help to catch up in math and other subjects. Area school districts will be doing more for students as the new school year rolls out, including in the Alamo Heights Independent School District. “Although in AHISD we did not see the degree of learning loss that other districts are reporting, through progress monitoring efforts this past year, we know
we have students in need of remediation and support,” said AHISD Superintendent Dana Bashara. She added, “In addition to the robust summer school program we offered those students, we are moving forward with plans to hire additional interventionists at the secondary level to support students in reading and math and to get them back on track.” Southside Independent School District Superintendent Rolando Ramirez added, “At Southside ISD while the focus will be on all subjects, emphasis has been placed on math by the district including math intervention classes and tutorials this upcoming school year.” Education officials across the greater San Antonio area said as a result of the low STAAR test scores, school districts are united in their commitment to help students climb out of the COVID-19 hole. tips@localcommunitynews.com Find this story and more at www. localcommunitynews.com.
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LOCAL COMMUNITY NEWS SPECIAL SECTION AUG. 3- AUG. 31, 2021
BACK TO SCHOOL, BUT HOW SAFE? by MIRANDA KOERNER
BY THE SECOND WEEK OF AUGUST, many school districts around San Antonio will be flinging their doors wide open, though the scenes inside will look very different.
After schools remained closed or partially closed due to the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, and thousands of children elected to continue remote learning, lawmakers have mandated a wholesale return to classrooms. On July 9, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended that all kindergarten through 12thgrade schools resume in-person learning, with elementary school children wearing masks and staying 3 feet apart to stay safe. In high schools and middle schools, with universal masking, students also should stay 3 feet apart, or 6 feet in communities with high transmission rates, the CDC said. However, Gov. Greg Abbott in May issued an order that prohibited state governmental entities including schools from
mandating face masks, leading local districts to implement various procedures. Federal, state and local officials all advocate full vaccinations for eligible ages. Because the only vaccinations for children currently are for ages 12 and over, the CDC recommends that schools serving younger students continue to “implement layered protection strategies.” In mid-July, the American
Academy of Pediatrics recommended that all teachers, staff and students wear face masks. The academy reasoned that universal masking was easier to carry out than requiring face coverings for only the unvaccinated. As of press time, the Texas Education Agency had not released any additional updated COVID-19 requirements for the opening of schools. Funded, full-time remote learning for districts is no longer an option
CHECKLIST: PLANNING FOR VIRTUAL OR AT-HOME LEARNING
1
SETTING UP
2
PLANNING
3
MENTAL HEALTH
Though many schools say they will do what they can to help students with underlying health issues or other conditions learn from home (graphic, above), funding for virtual instruction is not available from the state. Instead, pupils are flocking back to classrooms, where they can voluntarily wear masks and being fully vaccinated is encouraged for the appropriate ages. File photo
AUG. 3 - AUG. 31, 2021
15
LOCAL COMMUNITY NEWS SPECIAL SECTION
with the death of House Bill 1468 in the Legislature. It would have allowed students with compromised immune systems or parents on the fence about vaccines for their children the option to keep learning from home by continuing to provide virtual-instruction resources to public school districts. The Senate passed the bill, but when House Democrats broke quorum to kill a disputed elections measure, HB 1468 lost traction. The legislation would have made it possible for schools to continue offering virtual learning for up to 10% of the student body without a loss of state funding. Because funding for public education in the state is based on average daily attendance, TEA authorized a temporary waiver that said remote-learning students could be counted to qualify for funding as though they were in school. The expiration of the waiver means most Texas districts can’t afford remote-learning programs without state help. As when the pandemic began in March 2020 and classes were shuttered, many schools are in new territory with the start of the 20212022 academic year. In the North East Independent School District, letters were sent to parents and community members informing them virtual learning would cease due to the failure of HB 1468 to pass. Otherwise, it appears that life at NEISD is getting back to normal. “On May 18, Gov. Greg Abbott issued an executive order that prohibited governmental entities in Texas from requiring or mandating mask wearing after June 4,” said Aubrey Chancellor, an NEISD
spokeswoman. Also, according to officials, there will be handsanitizing stations in classrooms, water fountains will be closed, and letters will still be sent home if a student tests positive for COVID-19. Quarantining for pupils is not required. “We continue to focus on what the district can control,” Superintendent Sean Maika said in a statement. The Harlandale Independent School District is implementing the CDC’s multi-pronged approach to protect students from COVID. All students will attend in person, said spokeswoman Mariana Veraza Bravo. “All students will have the option to wear face masks or face shields but will not be required to,” Bravo said. “(Gov. Greg Abbott) has made it illegal for schools to mandate mask wearing. We will also continue monitoring the cleanliness of the school and encourage hand washing and using hand sanitizer.” According to Bravo, “For all students over 12 years old and staff, we are highly recommending being vaccinated. We have hosted many vaccination clinics in the district. Finally, we will have weekly COVID testing available for students who would like to be tested.” Many private schools are implementing procedures that mirror the public-education sector. Antonian College Preparatory High School in Castle Hills, for example, is not requiring face masks if students are vaccinated. “We continue to follow the guidance of the (Archdiocese of San Antonio) and CDC and state guidelines,” said Mason Finch, director of communications. “If you’re vaccinated, you don’t have to wear a mask indoors; but if you’re not LOCALCOMMUNITYNEWS.COM
vaccinated, you need to wear a mask indoors.” Finch added, “In terms of capacity, we’re returning to normal operations as much as we can be. All of the students can be back on campus and parents are welcome to come on campus. We’re going back to normal and opening up 100%.” Parents concerned about children with health issues can talk to the school about an individual plan for students on a case-by-case basis, Finch said. In addition, Antonian will be continuing many of the COVID protocols that became normal during the height of the pandemic. “Even though we are going back to that normalcy before COVID, we’re
keeping our hand sanitizations in place and keeping cleaning protocols in place between classes,” Finch said. “We’ll continue to sanitize and clean throughout the day, as well as enforce proper handwashing protocols. We’re definitely still keeping that in mind.” Still, other private and charter schools remain cautious with the ever-changing COVID landscape. All Texas KIPP public charter schools — or Knowledge is Power Program — will receive updated safety protocols as campuses get ready to open, said Saki Indakwa, executive communications manager. tips@localcommunitynews.com Find this story and more at www. localcommunitynews.com.
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LOWDOWN
LOCAL COMMUNITY NEWS AUG. 3 - AUG. 31, 2021
TAKE A QUICK LOOK AT WHAT’S NEW IN THE COMMUNITY FROM OPENINGS AND CLOSINGS TO NEWS TIDBITS.
Open and Opening Soon GUS’S WORLD FAMOUS FRIED CHICKEN, 812 S. Alamo St., offers fried chicken, baked beans, fried okra, macaroni and cheese and seasoned fries. Fried green tomatoes and fried pickle spears also are available. Hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. For more, call 210-463-4038 or visit https://gusfriedchicken.com/ or https://www. facebook.com/GusFCSanAntonio.
MISSION CRAFTS CHANDLERY, 2915 Roosevelt Ave., has a range of hand-poured candles and specialty gifts inspired by San Antonio’s historic Spanish colonial missions, South Texas and by the owner family’s local craft legacy. For more, call 210-865-2471 or visit http://www.missionchandlery.com.
DON BENITO’S COCINA Y CANTINA, 2402 S.E. Military Drive, Suite 105, offers Tex-Mex classics such as tortilla soup, menudo, tacos dorados and cheese enchiladas, as well as interior Mexican standards such as pescado a la Veracruzana and cochinita pibil. The restaurant includes a full bar. Don Benito’s was opened by Benny and Lisa Costello, owners of Tio’s Tex-Mex and Tia’s Taco Hut. Don Benito’s initially provided dinner 5-9 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday, but is expanding dinner hours, and adding lunch hours. For more, call 210-368-9087 or visit donbenitoscocinaycantina.com.
management, financial literacy, food security, health and wellness, and social and community engagement. Developer Prospera Housing Community Services worked with the San Antonio Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired to design apartment homes for visually or hearing-impaired residents. Amenities include open floor plans, textured hallways, light-colored walls with darker trims, strobe-light fire alarms and doorbell flashes. For more, call 210-756-7820 or visit https:// prosperahcs.org/portfolio-posts/ village-at-roosevelt-apartments.
IN OTHER NEWS
VILLAGE AT ROOSEVELT, A NEW AFFORDABLE APARTMENT COMPLEX,
OFFICIALS FROM BROOKS AND THE SAN ANTONIO RIVER AUTHORITY ARE CELEBRATING the completion of
opened at 1515 Roosevelt Ave. Forty-nine of the 57 units are available to low-income residents. Onsite services include youth education and development, adult education, community education, case
a $1.4 million extension project. Commemorated with an observance at The Greenline, the extension is 1,200-feet long and connects to existing walking trails along the San Antonio River at Mission Reach. It
GUS’S WORLD FAMOUS FRIED CHICKEN
Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken has brought its Memphis, Tenn., tastes to Southtown with the debut of a fifth Texas location at 812 S. Alamo St. All the chicken is fresh, never frozen, natural and hormone-free, and fried exclusively in peanut oil. Photo by Olivier J. Bourgoin
AUG. 3 - AUG. 31, 2021
LOCAL COMMUNITY NEWS
features a 10-foot-wide mixed-use pathway, a 43-foot long tunnel underneath the Union Pacific Railroad line, landscaping, drainage structures and shaded congregation areas.
TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY-SAN ANTONIO IS RECEIVING $255,000 IN GRANT FUNDING TO BOOST TRAINING AND JOB PLACEMENT FOR WOMEN PREPARING FOR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND CYBERSECURITY CAREERS. TAMUSA’s Texas Two-Step for Increasing Women in Technology program is one of only 18 workforce skills training and job-placement programs from across the state selected as part of $5.5 million in Texas Talent Connection grants awarded by the Texas Workforce Investment Council in Gov. Greg Abbott’s Economic Development and Tourism division.
CYNTHIA WATSON IS NAMED AS PRESIDENT AND CEO OF THE SAN ANTONIO LIGHTHOUSE for the Blind and Visually Impaired. Blind herself, Watson was the top finalist in a national search that drew more than 200 candidates. She holds a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Houston at Clear Lake, and has a national profile as one of only a handful of non-sighted CEO’s who head major nonprofits. “The San Antonio Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired is the leading organization in empowering people who are blind in Texas,” Watson said in a release. “I am honored and excited to have been selected to lead the organization. It’s incredible to have lived the mission and now get to further it in the future.” Watson is only the fifth CEO in the nonprofit’s 88-year history. She succeeds Mike Gilliam, who is retiring as CEO after 16 years leading one of Texas’ largest military-apparel manufacturing operations.
CZECH REPUBLIC-BASED OKIN PROCESS IS CONSIDERING EXPANDING ITS U.S. HEADQUARTERS AT BROOKS, officials
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said. Three years after Okin Process announced plans to develop its U.S. headquarters in San Antonio, the hightech business-services firm is outgrowing its existing space. Okin recently moved into a second building at the former Air Force Base-turned-mixed-use community. However, company officials said they expect to add 100 employees and increase their San Antonio workforce to 350 by late summer and possibly 400 or 500 employees by the end of 2021.
NISSEI AMERICA INC. IS RELOCATING ITS U.S. HEADQUARTERS FROM CALIFORNIA to Brooks. The company’s subsidiary Nissei Plastic Machinery America, currently located at Brooks, will become the firm’s consolidated U.S. headquarters. “San Antonio presents great advantages for our U.S. headquarters in its accessibility and environment,” said Hozumi Yoda, Nissei Plastic Industrial Co. president. “San Antonio’s central location offers easy and quick access to other areas in the (United States), rapidly growing markets in Mexico, and its close proximity to the Port of Houston opens broader access to Central and South America as well as Europe.”
THE NATIONAL SECURITY AGENCY HAS CHOSEN FOUR TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITYSAN ANTONIO STUDENTS TO RECEIVE SCHOLARSHIPS as a pathway to science, technology, engineering and math careers through OnRamp II, a federally designated education partnership agreement. The A&M-San Antonio scholarship recipients are: Jacob Goldstein, cyber engineering technology major; Roberto Noriega, computer science; Robert Perez, cyber engineering technology; and Joel Thomas, computer science. The program creates expedited pathways to security careers for talented underrepresented minority students, officials said. Find this story and more at www. localcommunitynews.com. LOCALCOMMUNITYNEWS.COM
SEPT. 8TH-12th, 2021 CALENDAR of events FOR FULL SCHEDULE & UPDATES VISIT: WorldHeritageFestival.org
WedNESDAY, September 8 (7pm) DARMSTADT: PROJECTION/PROJEKTION (SHORT FILMS) Mission Marquee Plaza • 3100 Roosevelt Avenue • 78214 Free & open to the public
THURSDAY, September 9 (7pm) DARMSTADT: PROJECTION/PROJEKTION (SHORT FILMS) Mission Marquee Plaza • 3100 Roosevelt Avenue • 78214 Free & open to the public
Friday, September 10 (6Pm) RESTORED BY LIGHT Mission San Jose • 6701 San Jose Drive • 78214 Free & open to the public
Saturday, September 11 (7AM) TOUR DE LAS MISIONES Mission Park Pavilion • 6030 Padre Drive • 78214
BIKE RIDE TOUR, 5K & 10K RUN/WALK Register by AUGUST 30,2021
Saturday, September 11 (6pm) MUSIC & MOVIE UNDER THE STARS Mission Marquee Plaza • 3100 Roosevelt Avenue • 78214 Free & open to the public
Sunday, September 12 (8Am) EL CAMINO DE SAN ANTONIO: CARING FOR CREATION MASS Mission Espada • 10040 Espada Rd. • 78214 Free & open to public
#WORLDHERITAGESA For more Information call 210-207-2111 or email us at worldheritage@sanantonio.gov
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LOCAL COMMUNITY NEWS
GOVERNMENT
AUG. 3 - AUG. 31, 2021
New City Council members set budget goals by EDMOND ORTIZ
TWO NEW SOUTH SIDE CITY COUNCIL members want roads, sidewalks and helping low-income homeowners to be priorities in the upcoming municipal budget.
District 3’s Phyllis Viagran and District 5’s Teri Castillo, both winners of the June election runoff, attended their first budget goal-setting session June 25 at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center. The city is looking at how to apply federal COVID-19 recovery money to the Fiscal Year 2022 budget, which takes effect Oct. 1. Viagran called for more funding for public technology in her district, roads and
sidewalk improvements; another Animal Care Services officer; and enhanced public safety, especially for park security.
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“Good streets and sidewalks lead to the betterment of the community,” Viagran said. “Health, livelihood and mental health all play a role in our community surroundings and everyone — from our kids to our seniors — need better.” Viagran also expressed concern about a proposal to raise the city’s contribution to the tourism and convention agency, Visit San Antonio, until the city takes another look at related revenues that took a hit during the pandemic. “Last year’s budget estimated a $127 million revenue shortfall for this fiscal year, which presents challenges as we deliberate on how we move forward to balance the budget while still providing basic city services,” she said. Castillo advocates upgrades to streets, sidewalks, parks and public lighting. She also supports restoring pre-COVID level funding to the Under 1 Roof program, which helps qualified homeowners replace worn and damaged roofs with energyefficient white shingle coverings. In addition, she backs continuing the Owner-Occupied Rehabilitation Program, which helps qualified low- to moderateincome homeowners fix their substandard and non-code compliant properties using forgivable loans. “Many code compliance violators in the community don’t know it was a violation, so maybe we can invest more in educating and letting folks (know) what’s acceptable,” she added. Meanwhile, as COVID-19 cases appear to wane compared to last year, the city projects sales tax and CPS Energy revenues doing better than anticipated. The FY 2022 trial budget restores allocations cut or deferred during the COVID-19 pandemic, including $16 million in scheduled street maintenance. The trial budget also eliminates planned employee furlough days, and reduces planned hiring freezes. The trial budget projects pay hikes equal to 3% of wages for civilian San
Antonio Police Department employees, and a 3% raise for uniformed Fire Department personnel. It doesn’t include whatever may come from contract negotiations between the city and the San Antonio Police Officers Association, the collective-bargaining unit for rank-and-file personnel. The trial budget also increases arts funding by nearly $4 million, and a $30 million total boost for public health, homelessness services, affordable housing, transportation and mobility, emergency response, and technology and customer service. North Side councilmen John Courage and Clayton Perry’s proposal for more property-tax relief failed to get enough council support to advance their proposal. The city currently offers a .01% homestead exemption, a $65,000 exemption for homeowners age 65 and over, and a $12,500 tax exemption with a freeze for disabled persons. About 45% of San Antonio’s homesteads, on file with the city, already get an exemption. Chief Financial Officer Ben Gorzell said a full 1% homestead exemption would yield virtually no tax savings for eligible homeowners. A 5% exemption would produce no tax savings for any home valued at $100,000 or less. A 5% exemption would result in a tax savings from $28 to $139 for any eligible home valued at $200,000 or up. Fellow council members agreed tax relief is important, but added they’d rather see large-scale homestead exemptions to assist a higher number of homeowners without adversely affecting the city’s main revenue stream or spending for post-pandemic services. Public input will be sought in August and September before the council adopts a final budget Sept. 16. eortiz@localcommunitynews.com Find this story and more at www. localcommunitynews.com.
AUG. 3 - AUG. 31, 2021
LOCAL COMMUNITY NEWS
TRUSTEES continues from pg. 01
3 — and saw the transition of Position 5’s Jesse Hernandez from a state-appointed manager to a community-elected board member. They join Position 7’s Katie Farias and Position 1’s Margarita Morales, both of whom began their four-year terms as community-elected board members in 2020. Jeff Cottrill, TEA’s deputy commissioner of standards and engagement, said SISD’s leadership has made strides since 2017 when Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath suspended SISD’s elected trustees and replaced them with a board of managers. Morath’s action followed an investigation into Southside’s governance, especially regarding district
EDUCATION
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finances. Citing administrative improvements, TEA began in 2020 a gradual transition of the board back to self-governance. Morath makes designations from among winners in the district’s regular May election cycles until all seven board positions are filled by community-elected trustees. “We are pleased with continued progress that has taken place in the Southside ISD,” Cottrill told board members. TEA anticipates removing the remaining appointed managers, Velia Minjarez and Bruce Bannon, in May 2022. Lisa Salazar, a former board president who was one of four 2019 election winners, and Esmeralda Flores would take up those positions, making the panel a full board of TRUSTEES continues on pg. 23
Jesse Hernandez takes the oath of office on May 11 as a Southside Independent School District trustee elected by the public. Courtesy photo/Southside ISD
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DEVELOPMENT
LOCAL COMMUNITY NEWS AUG. 3 - AUG. 31, 2021
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impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, are driving demand for housing, especially affordable units with community resources. “Village at Roosevelt marks Prospera’s continued commitment to provide affordable housing with support services to even more Texans,” said Gilbert Piette, Prospera’s executive director. San Antonio’s population is estimated to gain 1.1 million new residents by 2040. According to the Mayor’s Housing Policy Task, more than 520,000 housing units citywide are needed to accommodate the continued influx. City Council District 3 saw an 11% rise in population density, or number of residents per square mile, between 2010 and 2018. As the South Side sees a boost in retail, professional and industrial development and educational institutions, numerous single- and multifamily housing developments are underway or planned for the area. Texas A&M University-San Antonio
has been a catalyst for some of that residential growth. The San Antonio Housing Authority is partnering on two new apartment projects north of the South Side campus. Local company Streamline Advisory Partners plans to build the 336-unit Palo Alto Apartments at Palo Alto Road and Loop 410. Fort Worth-based Vaquero Ventures has announced it will build the 300unit Zarzamora Commons at 410 and South Zarzamora Street. Both will be affordable communities. Adjacent to Texas A&M-San Antonio, SouthStar Communities recently started building Vida, a 600-acre, master-planned community that will contain 4,000 single-family homes, apartments, duplexes and townhomes. Vida will also have spaces for retail, entertainment and health care, and be linked to the TAMUSA campus by a new trail. Some of the living units will accommodate campus students and employees.
SouthStar Communities recently broke ground on Vida, a 600-acre master-planned, mixed-use development that will offer 4,000 single-family homes, apartments, duplexes and townhomes near Texas A&M University-San Antonio. Courtesy image/ SouthStar
AUG. 3 - AUG. 31, 2021
LOCAL COMMUNITY NEWS DEVELOPMENT
SouthStar officials said new communities such as Vida will further support the South Side’s educational, commercial and industrial expansion. “Vida will be built for San Antonio’s growing community. Our close proximity to (Texas A&M-San Antonio) presents a unique and exciting opportunity,” company President Thad Rutherford has said. “We see Vida as an economic driver for the region, and a community where individuals can live, work and play.” SouthStar also is developing a 850acre master-planned community, Mission del Lago, near Mitchell Lake. Later this summer or fall, Bitterblue Group will begin building Roosevelt Heights, providing 135 new homes and new open/park space at Roosevelt and 410. Laredo developer TDB Properties aims to establish a master-planned community with at least 500 homes at 2714 S. W.W. White Road near South Side Lions Park. Terramark Urban Homes is at Brooks building Southlake, a community consisting of 60 single-family homes. Dallas company Preston Hollow Capital plans to develop 450 detached and duplex single-family rental units, also at Brooks. “Quality housing options are a priority for Brooks, and this new neighborhood will help us meet the needs of both current and future residents by providing a fantastic opportunity in this part of San Antonio,” said Brooks President/CEO Leo Gomez. The city’s Zoning Commission this spring also considered zoning changes to fit in another Laredo developer’s two proposed residential developments on Watson Road, not far from the Toyota Motor Manufacturing Texas assembly plant. That immediate area, where Navistar International Corp. is building its own
21
truck production plant, has attracted attention from other residential developers such as Bella Vista Homes. The Southside First Economic Development Council tracks commercial growth, community engagement and responsible development in neighborhoods south of U.S. 90. According to Executive Director Judith Canales, the Toyota plant, Palo Alto College, TAMUSA and the conversion of two Air Force bases— Kelly and Brooks — into mixed-use developments all have helped spur the South Side’s commercial, industrial and educational expansion. “These hubs gain attention, are landmarks and are making waves on the South Side,” Canales said. The 7,000-plus small businesses across the area, along with high rates of longtime home ownership, provide a sense of stability that fosters more commercial and residential growth, Canales added. When Southside First surveyed residents of the Mission San Jose and Quintana neighborhoods in 2019, many respondents said they favored multiple kinds of new single- and multifamily housing. “We need housing that is beneficial to all people,” Canales added. District 3 Councilwoman Phyllis Viagran agreed that commercial growth has spurred the housing boom, but added she’d like to see even more housing options, especially for senior citizens, multigenerational families and for the disabled. “My concerns in this surge of residential development are affordability, medical services and the need for more grocery stores in our area,” Viagran added. “If we continue to communicate with all our partners, we will see smart development in areas needed most.” eortiz@localcommunitynews.com Find this story and more at www. localcommunitynews.com. LOCALCOMMUNITYNEWS.COM
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LOCAL COMMUNITY NEWS
INFRASTRUCTURE
AUG. 3 - AUG. 31, 2021
South New BraunfelsLoop 410 link sought by EDMOND ORTIZ
A PROPOSAL to connect South New Braunfels Avenue to Loop 410 is a top consideration for officials at Brooks.
Leaders and backers of the former Air Force base turned mixed-use community are using various communication methods to rally public support for this and other road projects that could be considered by the Alamo Area Metropolitan Planning Organization for funding. South New Braunfels Avenue currently runs through Brooks, but ends roughly between tenant companies DPT Laboratories, Mission Solar and Nissei Plastic Machinery America Inc. Extending South New Braunfels to 410 would include a center median within the Brooks campus, upgraded public utilities, stormwater retention, sustainable landscaping, advanced streetlight technologies and a multiuse path connecting to public areas at Brooks. “The estimated $20 million project will not only solidify the region as a key area of prosperity and connect a booming South Side to neighboring communities, it will also alleviate traffic congestion along (Southeast Military Drive) and (Interstate) 37 now and in the future,” Brooks officials stated in an email blast to tenants and community members. Brooks formally submitted a South New
Braunfels extension proposal to AAMPO, the local organization tasked with securing federal money for regional transit projects. Funds will be awarded to projects ready to start in fiscal years 2023-2026. AAMPO spent nearly all of June getting input on the development of the group’s transportation plans. The organization received nearly 70 proposals for projects citywide. On the South Side, those include a diverging diamond interchange, a frontage road bypass and ramp reconfiguration at I-37 and Southeast Military. The estimated cost is $20.7 million. Another area proposal calls for rebuilding part of Roosevelt Avenue by removing a turn lane; adding center turn lanes, buffers and bicycle lanes; and improving sidewalks, lighting, drainage and
A map of the proposed South New Braunfels Avenue extension to Loop 410. Courtesy/Brooks
traffic signals. The Roosevelt project’s estimated cost is $15 million. A fourth area proposal calls for $1 million in sidewalks, a raised median and a new signal on Roosevelt south of Loop 410. Altogether, the newest round of road projects submitted to AAMPO total more than $670 million, but only about $300 million in federal funding is available, according to AAMPO. Allison Blazosky, AAMPO’s transportation planning program
manager, said submitting agencies such as AAMPO must match 20% of an approved project’s construction cost. She added the federal money cannot fund projects on neighborhood streets. A city or county typically handles local street projects. “These federal funds are for projects that are more like connector or arterial roadways. Examples would be San Pedro Avenue or FM 1518,” she added. Approved projects are programmed over a four- to six-year period. eortiz@localcommunitynews.com
AUG. 3 - AUG. 31, 2021
LOCAL COMMUNITY NEWS
TRUSTEES continues from pg. 19
publicly elected trustees again. Flores, along with Nagelhaut-Olivarez and Hernandez, were the lone applicants in this May’s district election cycle. Cottrill thanked departing board managers Dolores Sendejo and Lonna Clinch, adding that both women “over the last five years have provided a great deal of service and leadership to the board of managers of Southside ISD to put it on its current path and trajectory.” Sendejo served most recently as board president, a title now belonging to Hernandez. Colleagues tapped Farias as board vice president. “I’m certainly encouraged by the leadership that you offered, the stability that you brought, setting Southside on its rightful course,” Cottrill told Sendejo and Clinch. “We can’t help but be excited for what the future holds for Southside under the leadership of Superintendent (Rolando) Ramirez over the past year and continued transition to return Southside ISD back to local control,” he added. Sendejo briefly served as interim superintendent of the neighboring South San Independent School District. “At times it was interesting to be mindful of where I was and what I was doing in order to serve,” Sendejo said. Sendejo and Clinch were serenaded during a brief performance by mariachis inside the board’s meeting room, and Ramirez presented them with parting gifts. “Personally I’m appreciative, and as you can see, the district is thankful for everything you’ve done,” Ramirez told Sendejo and Clinch. Originally appointed to the board in 2018, Hernandez said community insight and cohesiveness provided by his board colleagues have helped guide SISD through the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the arrival of Ramirez,
EDUCATION
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who became superintendent in spring 2020. “However, Superintendent Ramirez and the entire administration at SISD were up to the challenge,” said Hernandez, a CPS Energy executive. “Mr. Ramirez hit the ground running and hasn’t stopped, he engages extensively at all levels and holds his team accountable and, as you may have seen, we are slowly starting to improve. However, we have much work to do.” Hernandez’s priorities for the upcoming school year include ensuring Ramirez and other administrators have the board’s full support to continue growth and student success. “We learned a lot during the pandemic and I believe we now know what works and what doesn’t, and we will continue to focus on our plans and hold everyone accountable, support Superintendent Ramirez making strategic changes if necessary, and this will lead us to see significant growth,” he added. Nagelhaut-Olivarez spent 20-plus years working in school district administration before going to work for the company Frontline Education. She lost a 2019 SISD race. She said her familiarity with the state’s public education system will be an asset in her new leadership role. “I think my work background and my (work with) the Texas Association of School Board officials helped me a lot,” she added. Nagelhaut-Olivarez said Southside ISD’s governance has changed for the better. “From what I see, it’s nothing from what I was seeing before the state took over. The district is more transparent,” she added. “We’re not yet where we want to be, but we’re getting there.” eortiz@localcommunitynews.com Find this story and more at www. localcommunitynews.com LOCALCOMMUNITYNEWS.COM
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