D7 News: Safe Streets, Safe Neighborhoods

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VOLUME 82 | March 9, 2018

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Dear Neighbors,

One of the top concerns I hear from residents across District 7 is that drivers often speed through their neighborhoods. Residents want to know that they and their kids can walk or bike through the neighborhood safely, without fear of being in a car collision.

The City takes this issue seriously. San Antonio has committed itself to Vision Zero, the idea that together, we can achieve zero fatalities on our roadways. We’ve made progress, yet there’s still much to do before we achieve Vision Zero.

Luckily, we may be close to taking a big step forward. This week, the Texas House of Representatives held a hearing on House Bill 1287—a bill that would save lives and reduce car crashes just by reducing the neighborhood speed limit from 30 MPH to 25 MPH.

Reducing the speed limit by just 5 miles would go a long way to making our roads safer for everybody. According to traffic safety research, someone struck by a car at 25 mph is half as likely to die as someone struck at 30 mph. Car collisions with pedestrians are also less likely to occur because slower driving means drivers have more time to react and brake.

San Antonians deserve safe roads and neighborhoods. I support bills that would reduce speed limits in our neighborhoods and am proud that the City is advocating for bills like this one at the Texas Legislature.

Yours in public service,

Office Note: Our office at the Maverick Library will be closed for Election Day on Tuesday, March 12.

The Week in Photos

Councilwoman Sandoval visited with the Apple Creek Homeowners Association for their annual meeting.

Is your neighborhood or homeowner's association having a meeting soon? We'll be there! Check out the end of the newsletter to find a calendar of all the neighborhood meetings that District 7 staff plans to attend.

What can you do to keep your kids safe during Spring Break? Telemundo asked Councilwoman Sandoval to provide her tips this week.

Top of the list: ask your kids to let you know where they are if they're going to be out late.

Univision's Edición Digital welcomed Councilwoman Sandoval to talk about Women's History Month and the International Women's Day Summit on Saturday, March 9.

Watch the video here

Learn more about the Summit

The Texas Department of Transportation held a meeting this week to introduce residents to the Displaced Left Turn Interchange at 1604 and Bandera that e've featured it in the newsletter previously.

More info on the 1604/Bandera Construction

Ask Ana Anything

One of the ways Councilwoman Sandoval wants to give you the answers you need about city government is through "Ask Ana Anything", a recurring part of the weekly District 7 newsletter. Have a question for Ana? Email it to district7@sanantonio.gov with the subject "Ask Ana Anything".

Hi Ana,

My kids are out of school next week for spring break and I want to find some fun things for them to do. Do you know of anything going on they might enjoy?

Thank you,

Spring Breakin' on Benrus

Dear Spring Breakin',

There are many excellent activities and camps going on next week. Here are my top three suggestions:

Take your kid to a community center for the Parks Department’s Spring Break Camp! The camp takes place from March 11 – 15 and is open to kids ages 6 to 14. It’s $3 a day per child and the Parks staff has a great line-up of sports, games, and craft projects for kids to play. Lunch and snacks are provided. The Spring Break Camp is going on at community centers across the City, including District 7's Gilbert Garza and Joe Ward Community Centers. For more information, visit here.
Visit San Antonio’s museums! The Witte Museum and San Antonio Art Museum (SAMA) both have free admission on Tuesdays. The Witte Museum has free admission from 3:00 to 8:00 p.m. and SAMA has free admission from 4:00 to 9:00 p.m.
Take the family to see San Antonio’s The Saga! A unique video art installation telling the story of San Antonio plays on the San Fernando Cathedral every Tuesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights. Shows go on three times a night at 9:00 p.m., 9:30 p.m., and 10:00 p.m.

Hope you have a fun-filled week!

Yours in public service,

Ana

Connect with Your Councilmember

Join Ana at Maverick Library

Saturday, March 16

You're invited to visit with Councilwoman Sandoval this Saturday, March 16 at the Maverick Library, 8700 Mystic Park from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m. Stop by and join the conversation!

Have Coffee with Ana!

Spots are available for upcoming Coffees with Ana! This is an opportunity for District 7 residents to schedule a twenty minute, one-on-one meeting with the Councilwoman.

Coffees are held on the first Saturday of the month. The next Coffee will be held on April 6 at our field office at 4414 Centerview Dr, Suite 160.

To make an appointment, call 210-207-0870 or send an email to district7@sanantonio.gov.

District 7 in the News

25 Influential Women Who Absolutely Run San Antonio

"Who run the world? According to Beyoncé, girls do. Who runs San Antonio? A lot of important people. In honor of International Women's Day on March 8, we're celebrating 25 local lady bosses that make the Alamo City what it is today."

www.sacurrent.com

Drivers may see relief at intersection of Loop 1604, Bandera Road after displaced left turn opens

"People who drive around the area of Loop 1604 and Bandera Road may be getting some relief soon. The Texas Department of Transportation has been working on a $7.6 million project to turn the intersection there into a displaced left turn and it’s set to open by the end of the month."

www.ksat.com

Asiste a la cumbre en San Antonio por el Día Internacional de la Mujer

"El evento se realizará este 9 de marzo en el auditorio McAllister del San Antonio College y se discutirán temas como violencia doméstica, la salud de la mujer y oportunidades de emprendimiento."

www.univision.com

Neighbor of the Week:

Ruth McMahon

Last week's feature was so popular that we've decided to share it again, this time with a picture of Mrs. McMahon!

Rosie the Riveter is an iconic symbol of WW II, but in D7 we have our own symbol: Ruth the Machinist! During World War II, barely out-of-high-school Ruth became a state (WS) certified machinist and was made the supervisor of an entirely male shop. As with most things in her life, Ruth says she fell into this vocation when Roosevelt’s National Recovery Act offered certain high school students a work-study program making $90 a month. Ruth says being a machinist was great. Perhaps her adaptability was due to her upbringing in a hard-working, but poor, family with eight children. One of her first jobs was bartending at the age of 13 at the family business in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Later on her mother decided to offer hot meals in the tavern, so she became a waitress serving a homemade meal of a fried perch, French fries, and rye bread for 15 cents (the deluxe holiday turkey offering was 35 cents).

Thankfully the war ended and more adventures ensued. Ruth met an Irish man, who told her the day after their first date that he was the man she was going to marry (even though she wasn’t looking to get married). Later he requested that on her next visit home she ask her parents’ permission on his behalf. Ruth said she would, but paused and then inquired, “Just what is your last name?” She still has the piece of paper on which he wrote his full name “Joseph McMahon” and military serial number. Ruth and Joe married, bore a son named Tom, and in 1946 the family moved to San Antonio.

Ruth never learned to drive due to vision problems and either got a ride from her husband or took the bus to and from work every day of her forty-five year career (1949-1994) at Riata Cadillac. She became the Parts Manager because, as she says with a laugh, “I was the right man for the job!” And, as seems to be her fate, she was the only female in the department and the sole female manager. Ruth admires the Cavender family immensely, and one would suspect it is mutual as Bobby Cavender calls her every year on her birthday. Her department entered a GM competition for parts divisions and for all nineteen years she won resulting in numerous trips to fabulous places including Paris, London, Australia, and the Great Wall of China. She was quick to say that winning was not based on most sales because “Cadillacs don’t need that much repair.”

Ruth's life hit a turning point in 1966, when she took a thirteen-week Dale Carnegie course. In her words, “It allowed me to know myself and to like myself and once I liked myself, I could share myself with others.” She had so much success in the course that she even appeared in commercials for the course.

At almost 94, Ruth seems to be as busy and spunky as ever. Some of her delights include swimming at Gold’s Gym three days a week, doing needlework, visiting with family and friends and volunteering every Sunday at Baptist Memorial Hospital with their church service. A true storyteller, Ruth has exceptional memory and can recant tales of eras gone by!

A D7 resident for over sixty years, we are fortunate to have Ruth as our neighbor.

Nominate a Good Neighbor for Us to Feature in the Newsletter

Share Your Thoughts

FY 2020 Budget Tele-Townhall

Draft Climate Action and Adaptation Plan

Fair Housing Survey

SA Parks System Plan

E-Scooter/E-Bike Survey

Public Art for Seeling Channel Survey

Community Development Block Grants

Announcements

SA Climate Ready collecting community input on draft of

Climate Action & Adaptation Plan

SA Climate Ready, an initiative led by the City of San Antonio, CPS Energy, the University of Texas at San Antonio and Navigant, has released the draft Climate Action and Adaptation Plan (CAAP). With a focus on equity, the plan includes strategies for reducing San Antonio’s greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) and adapting the city to the effects of climate change. The CAAP is a data-driven plan that outlines the policies and steps that serve as a pathway to meet the objectives of the Paris Climate Agreement, which City Council supported with a resolution on June 22, 2017.

A city’s response to climate change can be framed around two separate pathways for action: mitigation and adaptation. San Antonio’s CAAP identifies strategies for both, presents a detailed discussion of these strategies and includes efforts to support planning and funding discussions. The CAAP also includes a community GHG inventory, climate projections and a path to carbon neutrality.

The CAAP is the result of an intensive community process that brought together a diverse coalition of 91 community leaders as part of a Steering Committee and Technical Working Groups and solicited significant input from the community-at-large.

The public is invited to provide their feedback on the draft plan, as well as share their visions and priorities for a climate-ready San Antonio by visiting saspeakup.com or e-mailing sustainability@sanantonio.gov.

To view the draft CAAP, visit saclimateready.org. Printed copies are also available in City of San Antonio public libraries.

Provide Your Thoughts on the Draft Climate Action and Adaptation Plan

Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program

The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Program provides free income tax return preparation to hard-working taxpayers earning up to $55,000 annually. District 7 has the following VITA locations:

Forest Hills Library, 5245 Ingram Road
St. Mary's University's Center for Legal and Social Justice, 2507 NW 36th St.
The Neighborhood Place, 3014 Rivas St.
Westfall Library, 6111 Rosedale Ct.

Don't forget to take with you your:

Driver's license or photo ID
Social Security card or ITIN for all family members
All W-2 forms
1099 forms

This Weekend at San Antonio Public Library

Women's History Month

Forest Hills Library, 5245 Ingram Road

Sunday, March 10

3:00 - 4:00 p.m.

The book selection is called The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of American's Shining Women. The book author is Kate Moore.

March 2 - May 30: 2019 Summer Youth Program Information Sessions

The Parks & Recreation Department will host information sessions on their Summer Youth Program between March 2 and May 30. The Gilbert Garza Community Center will host the info sessions on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. and on the second and fourth Saturday's from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

For more information, visit www.SAParksAndRec.com

March 19: Tele-Townhall on the FY 2020

It’s time to speak up, San Antonio! Join us for a special teletownhall meeting with new City Manager Erik Walsh on March 19th at 6 p.m. to learn about the budget and see how you can make a huge difference! When you speak up, big things happen. It’s your City. Let’s talk!

¡Es hora de alzar su voz, San Antonio! Acompáñenos en una reunión por teléfono con el nuevo administrador de la ciudad, Erik Walsh, el 19 de marzo a las 6 p.m. ¡para aprender sobre el presupuesto y ver cómo puede hacer una gran diferencia! Cuando alza su voz, suceden grandes cosas. Es tu ciudad ¡Hablemos!

March 21: Community Meeting on French Creek Trailway Project

Please join the City of San Antonio's Parks and Recreation Department for an open discussion on the new greenway trail project and potential neighborhood connections. The meeting will be held on Thursday, March 21, from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. at Stevenson Middle School, 8403 Tezel Road. For more information, please contact Lisa Reese at 210-207-3005 or lisa.reese@sanantonio.gov.

Find out more at www.sanantonio.gov/greenwaytrails.

Upcoming Events

POSTPONED: Ribbon Cutting Ceremony: New City Park

Date: TBA

Time: 10:00 a.m.

Location: District 7's Newest Park, 224 W Quill