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VOLUME 92 | May 25, 2019

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Graduation season is always such a pleasure. Seeing students realize that the hard work does pay off and their parents full of pride and joy at their children’s accomplishment never fails to uplift me.

 

Last night, I had the pleasure of delivering the commencement address to the Class of 2019 of the School of Science and Technology. It was a chance for me to give a little piece of advice I’ve come to appreciate over the years: just do the next right thing.

So many students seem overwhelmed these days. They’re worried about doing well in college, picking the “right” major, finding a job, how to solve climate change and how to fix the world.

I empathize with them. I had the same fears. Even today, the question, “How am I going to make a difference in the world?” is intimidating.

But if spending so much of my life in school taught me anything, it’s that you only need to do the next right thing, whether that means studying a little more, getting a good night’s rest, or even doing your laundry. In my case, it meant working for VIA, going back to school, moving to San Francisco, coming back home, and joining City Council.

To any students who may be subscribed to my email list (or to any parents of students), I say:

So, you’re not sure how you’ll find a cure for cancer? Do the next right thing.

Unsure how to solve world hunger? Do the next right thing.

 

Still confused what career you want to pursue? Do the next right thing.

 

Congratulations and best wishes!

 

Yours in public service,

Editor’s Note: the District 7 Office will close in observance of Memorial Day on Monday, May 27. We will resume regular business hours on Tuesday, May 28.

Sign up Bexar County Commissioner Justin Rodriguez's newsletter! Much of City Council District 7 overlaps with Bexar County Precinct 2. Unsure if you're in Commissioner Rodriguez's precinct? Find out here.

Congratulations to the School of Science & Technology's Class of 2019 on their graduation! Councilwoman Sandoval delivered the commencement address and received a painting made by one of the SST students. Additionally, her parents were honored with the First Teacher Lifetime Award.

Congratulations to the Pat Neff Texans who were inducted into the National Junior Honor Society this week! Councilwoman Sandoval and Commissioner Justin Rodriguez spoke and congratulated the hard-working scholars on their induction.

124 years ago, Madam Mary Volino sought to shelter the young women leaving San Antonio’s sex trade. She turned her brothel into a place to for them to feel safe, grow, and learn skills they’d need for jobs outside of sex work. She founded Providence Place.

Yesterday, Providence Place returned to their roots and opened My Mariposa Home, a shelter for vulnerable women to escape human trafficking, experience restoration, and to flourish just as anyone else flourishes.

We're glad to have you in the District 7 community!

Councilwoman Sandoval and Mayor Nirenberg visited with District 7's wisest residents at the Doris Griffin Senior Center.

Councilwoman Sandoval toured Haven for Hope to learn more about the facility and the services they offer.

Spots are available for upcoming Coffees with Ana! This is an opportunity available each month 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 June 1 at our field office at the Maverick Library, 8700 Mystic Park.

To make an appointment, call 210-207-0870 or send an email to [email protected].

Air quality is a significant priority for the City of San Antonio as it has an impact on our community’s public health and economic prosperity. Ground-level ozone can damage our health, and can aggravate allergies, asthma symptoms, and lung disease. 

Bexar County was designated as marginal nonattainment for ground-level ozone by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on September 24th, 2018. In order to achieve attainment status, Bexar County must lower ground-level ozone to 70 ppb or lower by December 2020. If the ozone standard is not met, the EPA will require additional regulations for businesses that plan to expand or are potentially relocating to the local area. 

The San Antonio Metropolitan Health District (Metro Health) developed an Ozone Attainment Master Plan to establish a strategic and technical review of current local ozone levels and provide recommendations. The Ozone Attainment Master Plan is voluntary.

"'Your work has always been grounded in ensuring that women have the chance to experience restoration … and to flourish as anyone else flourishes,' Sandoval said at Friday’s ceremony."

www.therivardreport.com

"'[Providence Place was] willing to invest in this. A short program is only going to get you so far, but this commitment really gives someone a firm foundation. It gives them a place to be for a year and half,' she said. 'I think the investment will be much longer lasting.'"

www.ksat.com

"A meeting was held on Wednesday to discuss the possible expansion of the Nani Falcone disc golf course, in which supporters of the new course went into detail about the work they’re willing to put in to make their goal happen."

www.ksat.com

"I am so thankful to Ana and her staff, she was an absolute delight, someone I've been wanting to meet since her first election, she’s a fascinating person, so smart and confident, kind and genuine. Someone who I am glad took the step into public service we need more people of her caliber in office."

www.morehangouts.com

"I am so thankful to Ana and her staff, she was an absolute delight, someone I've been wanting to meet since her first election, she’s a fascinating person, so smart and confident, kind and genuine. Someone who I am glad took the step into public service we need more people of her caliber in office."

www.univision.com

In addition to posting construction notices on Nextdoor, we're beginning to include construction notices and updates right here in the District 7 newsletter! Have any questions about a project? Contact us at 210-207-0870 or [email protected].

Street Repairs beginning on E Crestline, W Crestline

Transportation & Capital Improvements (TCI) has begun working to improve the road surface of E Crestline (from Babcock to Glenview) and W Crestline (from Babcock to Hillcrest). The work to be done includes base repairs, wedge milling and the placement of a new layer of asphalt on the road surface.

TCI contractor Lone Star Paving began work on May 20th, 2019 and is estimated to be complete by June 21st, 2019 ( weather permitting).

Sidewalk Construction Begins along Evers Road

Transportation and Capital Improvements (TCI) will soon begin constructing sidewalk on both sides of Evers Road (from Forest Dell to 120’ S Angie Pl).

The project will consist of the installation of concrete curb, sidewalk, and driveway approaches (the portion of the driveway typically in the Right-of-Way from the curb to the property line). The primary purpose of this project is for safe pedestrian access as required by the Americans With Disability Act (ADA).  

Contract crews are scheduled to begin construction on or about May 28, 2019; with utility marking and changes to begin as soon as May 24, 2019 and the work is estimated to continue until Sept 27, 2019 ( weather permitting).

The City of San Antonio would like to hear from you on Air Quality in our community. Please complete this brief survey. Thank you!

 

La ciudad de San Antonio le gustaría saber de usted sobre la calidad del aire en nuestra comunidad. Por favor complete esta breve encuesta. Gracias!

City announces Memorial Day holiday schedule of City Services

City Hall and most municipal offices will be closed on Monday, May 27, 2019 to observe the Memorial Day holiday. Public safety and emergency services will remain in operation. Other City services will operate as follows:

 

Open :

 

Closed :

Enjoy the Outdoors Smoke And Tobacco-Free Beginning June 1

Beginning June 1, San Antonio’s parks and plazas will be smoke and tobacco-free. The smoke/tobacco-free policy provides the opportunity to change community norms around tobacco use and models healthy lifestyle choices which help reduce tobacco use among youth.

San Antonio joins 52 other Texas municipalities that have adopted tobacco/smoke-free parks ordinances.

“By adopting this policy, San Antonio is helping reduce the rate of tobacco use in the community and is demonstrating that our parks and public plazas are where people go to improve their fitness and enjoy nature,” notes Xavier Urrutia, Director of San Antonio Parks & Recreation Department.

 

Smoking and all forms of tobacco use is prohibited in the following:

May is National Bicycle and Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month

According to the National Safety Council, motorcycles make more road appearances during the Spring months than any other time of the year. Four-wheeled drivers play a major role in responsibility for keeping cyclists safe on the road because it is usually other drivers who violate the cyclists’ right of way, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

 

The San Antonio Municipal Court cares about all drivers’ safety, regardless of the number of wheels you’re traveling on. We encourage everyone to look twice, share the road, drive defensively and courteously, and take all steps to have a distraction free ride. Drive safe San Antonio!

Metro Health Recognizes May as Trauma Informed Care Awareness Month

San Antonio Metropolitan Health District (Metro Health) is recognizing Trauma Informed Care Awareness Month throughout May. The City of San Antonio and Bexar County have collaborated on the first annual observance of a month of inspiring events, conversations and presentations for the local community.

 

Metro Health aims to raise awareness about Adverse Childhood Experience (ACEs) and Trauma Informed Care by connecting directly with the community through marketing campaigns and multiple community events. ACEs are traumatic events that include abuse, neglect, exposure to mental illness and substance abuse, and witnessing violence at home or in the community that disrupt a child’s healthy development and alter the way their brains and bodies respond to stress. Trauma Informed Care approaches refer to ways of providing services to people that understand and recognize the role that trauma could play in their life. These types of programs ask the question “What happened to you?” instead of “What’s wrong with you?.”

 

Utilizing a Trauma Informed Care approach can reduce the impact of ACEs on the individual, the individual’s family, friends, neighbors, and their entire community. More than 20% of children in Bexar County have experienced two or more ACE’s. A reduction in ACE score from one generation to the next can dramatically improve health.

 

In August 2018, the South Texas Trauma Informed Care Consortium was formed to bring together organizations and systems across sectors committed to addressing the impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences and building Certified Trauma Informed Care Systems. Currently, the Consortium consists of 11 Sectors that include 158 total organizations and over 300 community members.

 

Throughout the month of May, the Consortium has scheduled events to raise awareness about ACEs and Trauma Informed Care approaches. A calendar of free events is available on the Metro Health website. To learn more about ACEs and Trauma Informed Care please visit: https://www.sanantonio.gov/Health/HealthyLiving/trauma-informedcare

All Library locations will be closed on Monday, May 27, 2019 in observance of Memorial Day.

Next Wave Technology

Forest Hills Branch Library, 5245 Ingram Road

Monday, June 15

2-5 pm

What is 3D Printing? Join us in learning about the process of making a physical object from a three-dimensional digital model. It's changing the way we produce objects, from tools and toys, to food, and even body parts!

Book Talk

Forest Hills Branch Library, 5245 Ingram Road

Monday, June 24

6 pm

Free books for adults when you sign up for three months of Book Talks. Read 'She Has Her Mother's Laugh' by Carl Zimmer this summer with others!

Mark your calendars for Neighborhood Day on June 1, 2019 at UTSA Downtown - Buena Vista Building. Author of the Turquoise Table, Kristin Schell, will deliver the keynote address - Putting Neighbors back in the Neighborhood. 

This half-day summit will feature workshops on prime issues facing neighborhood leaders including engaging with local officials, building leaders from within, understanding and working with city and county services, and networking with each other. Coffee and breakfast tacos will be served.

The West San Antonio Chamber of Commerce invites the community to a Sustainable Saturday educational roundtable on June 8 at 10 a.m. at St Luke's Catholic Church, 4603 Manitou Road. RSVP is required.

Serve as a child advocate for unaccompanied immigrant children fleeing violence, trafficking, abuse and extreme poverty. Child advocates meet with children while they're detained and throughout deportation proceedings, learn their story over time, and advocate for the child's best interest. Help fight for a child's safety and well-being alongside young center attorneys and social workers.

All volunteers must be 21+ and pass a background check and tuberculosis screening.

For more information contact, Nicole Cooper at [email protected]

Citizenship Workshop at South San ISD

10am - 2pm at 5622 Ray Ellison Blvd., San Antonio, TX 78242

The AFL-CIO and American Federation of Teachers are hosting a citizenship workshop on June 22, 2019 from 10am - 2pm at the South San Antonio ISD Administrative Building located at 5622 Ray Ellison Blvd., San Antonio, TX 78242 . For more information please contact: [email protected], [email protected], or (210) 977-7080.

 

Taller de la ciudadania en South San ISD,

10am - 2pm at 5622 Ray Ellison Blvd., San Antonio, TX 78242 

El sindicatio AFL-CIO y el sindicato de los Maestros estan organizando un taller de la ciudadania en las instalaciones administrativas de South San Antonio ISD ubicado en 5622 Ray Ellison Blvd, San Antonio, TX 78242 a las 10am - 2m. Para informes comuniquese con: [email protected], [email protected], o llame al (210) 977-7080.

Wonder where your District 7 Team is headed next? Join Councilwoman Sandoval and/or District 7 staff at any of the following events!

Rolling Ridge Neighborhood Meeting

Date: May 27

Time: 7:00 p.m.

Location: 5306 Rolling Ridge Dr

Woodlawn Lake Neighborhood Meeting

Date: May 28

Time: 6:30 p.m.

Location: Woodlawn Lake Gym Wifi Room, 1103 Cincinnati

Rolling Ridge Village Neighborhood Meeting

Date: May 28

Time: 7:00 p.m.

Location: Rolling Ridge Clubhouse, 533 Callaghan

Woodlawn Hills Neighborhood Meeting

Date: May 29

Time: 6:00 p.m.

Location: Forest Hills Library, 5245 Ingram

Stonefield Estates Neighborhood Meeting

Date: May 30

Time: 7:00 p.m.

Location: Stuebing Elementary School, 11655 Braefield

NOTE: The District 7 Office will be closed on Monday, May 27 in observance of Memorial Day.