Asking my opinion, part 3

Here are the final eleven questions on the survey sent to me by some group using Charlie Gonzalez's name:


Do you favor withdrawing troops from Iraq?

Absolutely. When they're done. But I will support whatever troops are serving overseas, and, in all reality, we will probably have some kind of presence in Iraq there for many years to come. Remember Bosnia-Herzegovina? Kosovo? Korea? Italy? Germany? Japan? Still there.


Do you favor toll roads in the San Antonio area?

Here's one question where I wish I had more than just the YES-NO option, because I honestly, truly, and unabashedly don't care about the existence of toll roads. They don't offend me, and they don't make me feel good, either. So I checked both.


Do you favor Off-shore [sic] drilling?

I said YES.


Do you approve of the bailouts of banks and other corporations?

I said NO, and I wish there had been a more forceful way to check that "NO" box.


Do you approve of the stimulus package passed by the U.S. Congress?

I said NO, and I wish there had been a more forceful way to check that "NO" box.


Do you favor the legalization of marijuana?

Here's another one where I wish I had another option. I don't think legalizing pot would be necessarily a bad thing, but there should be some reasonable regulations. I ultimately checked the "YES" box, but it wasn't a strong "yes."


Do you favor the legalization of cocaine?

Again, I feel somewhat the same as the answer I gave above, but I'm a bit more wary of cocaine than I am of pot. I eventually checked NO.


Do you approve of President Obama's health care program?

I said NO.


Do you favor cap and trade?

I said NO.


Do you favor the mosque being built near the trade center [sic]?

I said NO.


Do you approve of Arizona's Immigration [sic] law?

I said YES. And I approve of our federal immigration laws, which it is based on. I just wished our federal government enforced those laws enough so that states like Arizona didn't feel like they had to pass a similar law just to protect their own border.


Well, that's it. I hope somebody uses my answers for some benefit. I don't hold out any hope that Charlie Gonzalez will actually see them, but perhaps someone influential to him will, and perhaps my responses will at least give them something to think about.

Part 1 is here.
Part 2 is here.

"Yuchnitz Charged With Solicitation To Commit Capital Murder"

Say it ain't so!

SAN ANTONIO, Texas -- Mike Yuchnitz, the owner and pitch man for My Econo $39.95 Optical was arrested Saturday night and charged with solicitation to commit capital murder.

San Antonio Police Department officials said Yuchnitz attempted to pay someone a $5,000 down payment to hire another person to kill his wife.

(KSAT-12)

If you've lived -- and watched TV -- in the San Antonio area for the past couple of decades, you've probably seen Mike Yuchnitz. Remember him? He was the guy who started his eyeglasses business and then began a series of constant advertisements featuring himself. At first, Yuchnitz was kind of fat, and he wore a white lab coat in his ads as he extolled the virtues of cheap spectacles. He seemed like an honest-to-goodness optician, and he always made sure to include "Retired USAF" on his titles bars in the commercials.

And then later he dropped some pounds, and he took to wearing colorful Nehru jackets and fedoras. But his eyeglasses were still $39.95, and he still promoted them eagerly on television. Eventually his son opened up some tattoo parlors, and there were even some locations in town that combined the My Econo $39.95 Optical with the tattoo shop under one roof. It was a unique and thoroughly strange partnership, but it was one that seemed to work for the Yuchnitzes.

It doesn't seem to be working so well now, though.

Asking my opinion, part 2

Here are the next ten questions on the survey sent to me by some group using Charlie Gonzalez's name:


Do you approve of English as the principal language for the U.S.?

Doesn't matter what I think, it already is the principal language of this nation. English is not the official language of the United States -- which I think is what the writer of this survey was trying to suggest -- but it is the chief and foremost (hence, principal) language in the land. And, I just happen to like it as well. So, YES, I do approve of English. In general.


Do you approve of Texans maintaining their right to select judges by a direct vote of the people rather than change to an appointment process created by the Legislature?

I said YES. The list of judge races on the ballot may be long and tedious to go through, but it's not a burden. And I don't like the idea of taking away any direct vote of the people already in place to simply turn it over to the politicians to let them decide what's best. They're not really smarter than us, you know.


Should the people have the right to enact laws themselves through the process of initiative and referendum. [sic]

I said YES. Many other states do it, and, like I said above, the representatives in Austin are not, as a class, smarter than the people that put them there.


Do you favor penalties for people who cheat on welfare?

I said YES. Nothing exorbitant, mind you, but I don't see anything wrong with fines for misconduct, especially when it involves tax dollars.


Do you favor Abortion [sic]?

I said NO. It may be necessary in some cases, but I certainly don't favor the procedure.


Do you favor a Federal Sales Tax [sic] rather than Federal Income Tax [sic]?

I said YES. Rather than, though. Not in addition to.


Would you vote for a candidate who is supported by the trial lawyers association?

I said NO. That's all.


Should the inheritance or "death tax" be abolished?

I said YES. Fewer taxes are better than more taxes.


Would you support efforts to stop illegal immigration?

I said YES. Legal immigration is fine with me. Illegal immigration isn't. Enforce the laws.


Should the procedure known as partial birth abortion be banned?

It already is. And, yes, it should.


More to come.


Part 1 to this survey is here.

Asking my opinion, part 1

Charlie Gonzalez -- or at least some group using his name -- asked my opinion on several items related to the election. It came in the form of a large card with several hypothetical and real races ranging from president to county court at law judge along with thirty or so questions about whether I approve or disapprove of several hot-button issues, and topping them all was the phrase, "If you were to vote today -- how would you vote for the following?"

Now, Gonzalez is my representative, and I'm not particularly fond of him. But it's not often that a political entity asks my opinion in such a way that I think they might actually pay attention to it. The card was postage-paid, and it urged me to remain anonymous in my answers, so I think it was a legitimate survey with a more-than-decent chance of getting its results counted. Whether or not Gonzalez actually sees the results may be another concern, but I think someone will be paying attention to my answers.

So I answered it, and sent it back.

I won't get into all of the actual who-would-I-vote-for scenarios (although my favorite was a hypothetical four-way race for president that featured Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich, Sarah Palin, and Mike Huckabee), but I think I would like to talk a little about the approval questions. As I said, there were about thirty, so I won't address them all in this one post, but here are the first eleven:


Do you approve of President Obama's performance as President?

I said NO. I'm not a Republican or a Democrat, but I can't stand it when a government gets spend-happy. I wasn't happy when George W. Bush started the whole bailout wagon train just before he left office, and I absolutely hate how Barack Obama has taken the reins and steered that train into an orgy of stimulus spending.


Do you approve of the performance of the U.S. Congress?

Does anybody? I said NO.


Do you approve of Senator John Cornyn's performance as U.S. Senator?

I said YES. I don't know Cornyn that well, but I can't remember anything he's done that's turned me off to him.


Do you approve of Senator Kay Bailey Hutchinson's [sic] performance as U.S. Senator?

I said YES, but just barely. Her Senate tenure is getting close to twenty years, which I think is a bit long in any one office. It might be time for her to go.


Do you approve of Governor Rick Perry's performance as Governor?

I said NO. I don't have anything against Perry, but I've never been completely impressed by him (except for that time he took out that coyote!). Meh.


Do you approve of Susan Reed's performance as District Attorney?

I said YES, but only because there was not an option for I'm-kind-of-in-the-middle-but-I'm-sort-of-leaning-one-way-more-than-the-other.


Do you approve of Amadeo Ortiz's performance as Sheriff?

Who? Seriously, I don't think I've heard anything significant from this guy since he took office. I said NO because I have nothing to judge approval on.


Do you approve of Julian Castro's performance as Mayor?

I said NO. Castro and his brother are career politicians, raised to be that way by their mother. The longer politicians are in office, the more I am suspicious of them, and these twins have been groomed for office since they were kids. Julián would have to really impress me with something to think otherwise.


Do you approve of Nelson Wolff's performance as County Judge?

I said NO. See explanation immediately above.


Do you approve of the performance of our City Government?

Hahahaha! Prigs in council? NO.


Do you approve of the performance of our County Government?

I said NO.


More next time.

Finding any excuse not to vote

Early voting in Texas makes it incredibly easy to actually vote! So it must take a special kind of effort to find some way to hinder yourself from, you know, voting.

Sabra found just such an effort.

"Poo-power: SAWS cashes in on your gas"

Some stories write themselves.

SAN ANTONIO – When most people flush their toilet, that is the last time they ever want to see what they just flushed down the commode.

However, a new process at the San Antonio Water System’s Dos Rios Water Recycling Facility is turning that waste into power that could then be sold back to homeowners.

Partnering with energy company Ameresco, SAWS unveiled a new process Tuesday what will capture the methane gas released by the waste.

...

For SAWS, the partnership with Ameresco allowed for the gas plant to be constructed at a minimal cost to the utility, and now that the plant is operational, SAWS is scheduled to receive $200,000 a year for the rights to the gas from the solid waste. SAWS estimates 900,000 cubic feet of gas will be created every year from San Antonio’s waste.

(from KENS-5)

That's a lot of stink.

Raising Cain

Ever wonder why people turn out bad? It could be because they have parents like this.

SAN ANTONIO -- San Antonio police said a man beat his 12-year-old son with a belt, then forced him to fight his younger brother.

According to the arrest affidavit, Robert Martinez, 31, is charged with two counts of injury to a child.

Police said the boy told them that Martinez hit him with a belt, causing various injuries, including bruises and cuts to their arms and back.

The affidavit said the boy also said Martinez forced him into a fight with his younger brother, forcing them to hurt each other.

Police said Martinez admitted to detectives that he had hit the boy with a belt and said he made the children fight to "toughen them up."

(from KSAT-12)

I understand not wanting to coddle your kids, but teaching them to be brawlers by the time they hit middle school might just restrict their options later in life.

Stripping in shorts and bikini tops

That's what your strippers will be doing, if you decide to open up your strip-club in the wrong place. And if one San Antonio City Councilman has his way.

[District 6 Councilman Ray] Lopez said there are too many loopholes in the current laws and they need to be closed. His biggest concern is that adult businesses may open inside the zoning boundaries of schools and churches.

"We cannot allow ordinances to allow that to happen, even if they are just loopholes," said Lopez.

He said the main problem is that businesses will open claiming they are not sexually-oriented because their performers are covered using pasties.

"Our position is: That still constitutes as nude, " Lopez said.

According to Lopez, that fact puts them in violation. In order to cover the loophole, Lopez said he wants performers to be even more covered.

"What the new ordinance is basically requiring is for the (performers) to wear bikini tops," Lopez said. He added that the performers will also be required to wear something more like shorts.

(from KSAT-12)

Girls in shorts with bikini tops. Sounds sexy, but it's not exactly what you'd expect from any self-respecting gentlemen's club. But, hey, that only happens if you open your club in the wrong zone, Lopez says. You'll be fine if you open your business in the right area, so don't worry.

Until City Council gets around to doing some rezoning, that is.

Confusing the Lone Star flag

Do you think this was caught now only because of the recent publicity surrounding the ordeal of the Chilean miners?

For the past few years, at least, officials in Atascosa County, south of San Antonio, have been sending out absentee ballot packages that include a page with a flag proudly displayed in a wavy motion.

The only trouble is, it's the Chilean flag, not the Texas flag. And it took a Ph.D. candidate to point it out.

Troy Knudson , who is studying in Japan and registered to vote in Atascosa County, was the first to notice the mistake and alert officials.

"Apparently the insert has been used for some time without anyone (voters and staff) noticing," he wrote in an e-mail. "I guess it's funny in some way, but my initial reaction was more disbelief that no one had noticed."

(from the Austin American-Statesman)





Quite possibly, this is an honest mistake. Or, if you're not so charitable, you could disparage the person who designed these ballots for not being Texan enough to know the difference between the flag of the Lone Star State and that of a South American nation. Of course, if you did that, you should also disparage those who've been handling the ballots -- and using them to vote on -- for the same thing. And we don't want to go slinging a lot of blame, do we? Some people might get upset.

Janice Ruple , the elections administrator in Atascosa County, didn't see any humor in the mistake.

"I don't think it's funny," she said. "It's a serious thing."

Ruple blamed the woman who held the job before her for the flag mix-up. The previous elections chief couldn't be reached for comment.

Ruple has been on the job for three years. But she said she had no idea how long the flag of Chile had been there before she took office.

Well, at least a bit more than three years, I think.

Medieval upskirt

Dave catches someone doing something you shouldn't do to a knight of the realm. It's just not chivalrous

"Nude Dancing Halted At SA Men's Clubs"

You know, there's an easy way around this:

SAN ANTONIO -- A district judge has issued an injunction restricting nude dancing at two San Antonio gentleman's clubs.

XTC and Paradise, both owned by RCI Entertainment, have been banned from offering nude dancing.

The ruling came after months of litigation between the city and RCI Entertainment.

(from KSAT-12)

Just call it performance art, and you're covered by the First Amendment.

Banning texting

And another pointless law gets passed.

SAN ANTONIO -- Hoping to cut down on accidents involving distracted drivers, the San Antonio City Council voted unanimously Thursday morning to outlaw texting while driving.

The new city ordinance makes it illegal to use a hand-held electronic device for anything other than making or receiving phone calls.

(from KSAT-12)

How enforceable is this law going to be beyond the laws already in place against distracted driving? All a person has to do when he's texting and notices a cop looking his way is to slap that phone against his ear and say he was just making a phone call. Not texting, just calling.

It's just another layer of bureaucracy.

Voting badly in the golden years

At first I thought this was a little strange, but then I got to thinking some more, and now I wonder just how much the norm this type of behavior is around here.

An arrest affadavit said Mary Ann Comparin used multiple names to double vote in Bexar County from 2006 to 2009.

Comparin is accused of using her deceased sister's identity to vote in the 2008 General Election.

Bexar County election records show Norma K. Collins voted in the November 8 general election in 2008. The charging document said Collins committed suicide in 1963. Authorities say it was actually Comparin who showed up to vote, and she voted as herself, as well.

The warrant said Comparin's criminal history includes illegal use of credit cards and swindling.

(from KENS-5)

Nice old lady. Don't turn your back on her.

Collecting strangeness at the Alamo

They have a lot of weird things at the Alamo, but don't go thinking they'll accept just whatever you feel like donating. Even if they already have a bunch of cringe-worthy dolls.

A coconut from the Battle of San Juan Hill. A Bavarian candy jar. An Apollo 15 moon flag.

Those are things at the Alamo you might never see. The Texas shrine, which began celebrating the 175th anniversary of the war for Texas independence Saturday, has accumulated everything from the precious to the bizarre among its roughly 1,500 artifacts.

Most are listed, with an estimated value, in an inventory with the state comptroller's office. There's “David Crockett's wallet,” $400; “Santa Anna's cot and chest,” $500.

The collection also includes dolls dressed as Crockett and Jim Bowie that “probably were wonderful in the 1960s, but now look kind of creepy,” said Bruce Winders, Alamo historian and curator.

...

But for decades, collectors, families and veterans of every conflict from the Civil War to War World War I have wanted items kept for posterity at the Alamo, even if they had no historical link to the site.

“People were giving things to the Alamo even before the D[aughters of the] R[epublic of] T[exas] came” in 1905, Winders said.

That's one reason he can't explain why there's a two-handed Chinese fighting sword at the Alamo.

...

The Alamo collection is good hands today, Winders said. The Alamo, which charges no admission, hired a designer and museum specialists, and ordered display cases from Germany, in 2005 to create a “professional and modern look” in the Long Barrack, he said. Winders hopes to add similar displays in the chapel and sales museum.

“We still have a way to go, but most people who come back to the Alamo comment on the progress they notice, not the problems,” he said.

For now, space at the Alamo is as valuable as some of its relics.

“We no longer accept two-handed Chinese fighting swords,” Winders said.

(from Scott Huddleston of the Express-News)

In other words, keep your artifacts. There's no room at the mission.




Lisa Krantz/Express-News

Skipping school

Caution, or overreaction?

You decide.

SAN ANTONIO -- More than 1,000 students missed school Monday, and though some may be sick, Northside district officials said others may be sick of violence rumors floating around.

In the wake of two suicides, Northside Independent School District officials have beefed up security at Brandeis and O'Connor high schools. They've reversed [sic] to the dial-back system to reassure parents.

A huge upsurge of texts, tweets and updates took place, warning of violence and weapons being brought to the school.

Officials say the rumors are false and will be questioning students who spread them.

(from KENS-5)

Bonus strangeness: An unnecessary bit of journalistic flourish.

The disinformation has school officials questioning students, tracing back their text messages and facebook updates, alerting parents and beefing up security and patrols.

All to crack down on alleged threats… literally carried in the wind.

Nice attempt to use literally in its literal sense instead of the figurative way that it's often used these days, but wireless communications are not carried in the wind. They are carried on radio waves, microwaves, or infrared waves. No air is required.

Stating the absolutely obvious

Looks like bad fake money is circulating around San Antonio again.

SAN ANTONIO -- Crooks are getting crafty with counterfeit money. Often, counterfeit pens can't detect if bills are fake or real, since many bills are made on real currency paper.

"What they've done is they've taken a $10 bill and they've cut zeros off of another $10 bill to make it appear to be a $100," explained Rick Brozek, who owns a Schlotzsky's franchise in San Antonio.

(from WOAI-TV)

This has been done before. But what's really strange is that the poor entrepreneur actually felt the need to point the following out to people old enough to hold jobs [the emphasis is mine]:

Brozek also has a tip he now trains all employees to follow: Always read the written text on the bill. If the writing doesn't match the number on the corner, it's fake.

I weep for our future.

Your county government at work -- getting re-elected

Hahahahahahahahahahaha!

The signs for his Republican opponent, Susan Pamerleau, didn't register with County Commissioner Tommy Adkisson.

Neither did the white SUV outfitted with more of her signs parked near the valet station on Ivy Lane.

And Republican Justice Marialyn Barnard, who's running this fall to keep her seat on the 4th Court of Appeals, was useless as a clue. She was strolling up the walk to retired healthcare executive Bill Rasco's house in Terrell Hills, just ahead of Adkisson.

Now, Barnard isn't a person — and those aren't signs — you'd expect to see outside a fundraiser for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Bill White.

Unless you're Tommy Adkisson.

Yes — Tuesday evening, the three-term commissioner strode into his rival's first fundraiser, thinking it was an event for White.

(from Greg Jefferson at the Express-News)

And guess what? No one noticed right away! No one!

Well, almost no one.

GOP activist Carol Van De Walle said that when Adkisson stepped onto the covered front porch and planted himself in front of the table with guests' nametags, nobody but her seemed to notice.

Really, who expects the opponent to show up at your candidate's fundraiser?

“He was looking down at the little box with all the nametags,” said Van De Walle, who went to high school with Adkisson.

She stepped up to her old classmate and said: “Tommy, you're not going to find your nametag.”

It then dawned on him that he was in the wrong place. But before scurrying away, he hugged Van De Walle.

Sorry, that's just too funny! And Adkisson isn't even my County Commissioner! Really, doesn't he have any handlers?

Banning worm digging

Alan at Blogonomicon found what is apparently the best place in San Antonio to dig for worms. It's so good, in fact, it's banned!

Hitchcock knew how dangerous they were.

You just never know when -- or why -- someone might try to break into your house.

Police say the unidentified woman woke the family living in the 8400 block of Magdalena Run by banging on the front door, ringing the doorbell and yelling that birds were inside her home. However, the family had no idea who this woman was.

Police say the woman used a brick to force her way inside and broke the glass in the door. She reached through and opened the door from the inside and got into the home. The man tried to get her to stop but she kept advancing toward him. Police say he hit her in the head with a metal piece of a hydraulic pedal. She was unresponsive when officers arrived.

(from WOAI-TV)

The woman was taken to the hospital, but there's no word of her condition. If she lives, she's lucky.

Seeing a nightmare come true

I hope no one goes through what this poor woman had to experience.

SAN ANTONIO - A phone call Thursday morning lead police to a body and a suspected killer.

Thirty-eight-year-old Luis Alfonso Gonzalez was arrested by San Antonio Police for murder.

...

SAPD was first tipped off about the murder by Gonzalez's wife, who phoned police when her husband came home covered in blood and claiming that he had killed a [wo]man.

(from KENS-5)

There might be more to this story, but right now my heart goes out to that man's wife.

On this day, 42 years ago ...

... a person in San Antonio died in a monorail accident.

I don't think you will ever hear of such a thing again.

(Read San Antonio Remembers to find out details.)

Someone who needs to be taught how to think more

Did you think no one would notice your freakin' huge bus!??

SAN ANTONIO -- News 4 WOAI has obtained an update on a school bus driver who drove through a rail road crossing to beat a train.

A viewer used a cell phone to capture video of the incident, which happened about a about a week and a half ago on Basse Road, just west of US-281. We learned the driver is from the school right down the street, the School of Excellence.

(from WOAI-TV)

Supposedly the driver was disciplined, but the story doesn't say in what "excellent" way that was.

Taking political slacktivism to a new low

What if they held an election, and no one came?

Here's "what if":

SAN ANTONIO -- It's an uncontroversial issue; there is no tax hike, no bond at stake, no highly contested seat, all reasons why Southside ISD has had less than 1% of it[s] voters cast a ballot in its election.

The district needs voter approval to move $0.13 of the tax rate of $1.3689 from going into the Interest and Sinking Fund and into the Maintenance and Operations budget. The district estimates the simple readjustment will provide an additional $2.6 million for schools.

The problem is that with just a few days left until the election (Saturday, September 18) less than 100 people have voted. Southside ISD has almost 10,000 voters and has spent more than $23,000 to hold the election.

(from KENS-5)

See, the problem is, no one has been listening to P. Puff Diddy Daddy, nor have they been taking him seriously. They just don't think they will die if they don't vote.

Rooting for the home team

"El Grande," a major drug cartel figure, was captured by the Mexican military.

MEXICO CITY — Mexican special forces marines captured Sergio Villarreal Barragan, allegedly a top member of the embattled Beltran Leyva cartel who appears on a list of the country's most-wanted fugitives, in a raid Sunday in the central state of Puebla, the government said.

Villarreal, known as "El Grande," did not put up any resistance when he was arrested along with two accomplices as they left a residence in Puebla city, according to government security spokesman Alejandro Poire. The raid involved 30 Navy marines, five vehicles and a helicopter.

(from MSNBC.com)

So, why is a lowly blog about strange things in San Antonio pointing this story out to you, since it took place in Mexico? Because of the fashion displayed by the fugitive.





Go Spurs Go, way down in Mexico!

Grand theft strings

If you wanted a violin, and you didn't want to pay for it, would you think it would be worth it to use armed robbery? One guy in town did recently.

A student on his way to school Tuesday morning was robbed of his violin and case, police said.

The incident triggered a brief lockdown at Clark High School where the student attends. He told officers a man approached him in the 5100 block of De Zavala, showed a handgun stuck in his pocket, and demanded the instrument.

Police later arrested Johnny Villarreal, 20. He faces two felony charges: aggravated robbery and unlawful use of a handgun in a school zone, along with a misdemeanor marijuana possession charge.

(from the Express-News)

Man, somebody sure was jonesing for a hit of concerto.

Spider monkey!

In North Bexar County! Watch out!

Stephen Tello, president of Primarily Primates, said the “ruddy black” monkey, named W.C. Fields, escaped last Tuesday when strong winds from Tropical Storm Hermine pulled open the creature's wire enclosure.

An 87-year-old nearby resident fed the fugitive some watermelon in his garage at one point, but it wasn't a good idea, Tello added.

“Now he's associating open garages with places to go get food,” he said.

Plus, watermelon is not good for a monkey's tummy and “I wouldn't want him to have diarrhea all over people's houses,” Tello added.

(from the Express-News)

I hope they catch that monkey! Believe me, no one wants diarrhea from W.C. Fields all over their house.

Someone who gave it a lot of thought, but not enough

Sometimes the bad guys just don't think their capers all the way through.

A suspect using a front-end loader hauled away a bank's automated teller machine, but police said the man ran away when an officer spotted him.

The man drove up to the ATM at the Capital One bank at Ingram and Hwy. 151 on what police said was a possibly stolen front-end loader.

Investigators said the man smashed down the structure holding the ATM, scooped the machine into the tractor's bucket and started to drive away.

But officers then showed up at the bank. They said they saw the man driving the front-end loader and the ATM out of the parking lot.

Police said their officers followed the man as he drove the loader into a weed-covered field. But the man's escape attempt fizzled when the loader got stuck in mud.

(from KSAT-12)

The burglar got away, but I have a feeling he will get caught for this, or some other, crime before too long.

Taking up more space in your garage

When the City of San Antonio went to a two-bin system of waste disposal (blue for recyclables one day a week, brown for everything else on another day of the week), I thought it was a pretty good idea. The system is not too complicated, so no one can really argue that they don't want to participate because it is difficult to understand, and the bins are pretty large and can accommodate a lot of stuff.

And so far, it seems to be working out nicely.

So far.

Now the City wants to take that success and add to it and complicate it until it turns into a freakin' mess. Get ready for food bins!

SAN ANTONIO -- Officials with the city's Solid Waste Management Department said the department plans on adding a third collection bin for organic waste.

In addition to brown trash bins and blue recycling bins, residents would have a green bin, specifically for green waste.

"On your collection day for your blue recycle day, you'll have your green cart, as well as an option for your yard waste program," said David McCary, director of Solid Waste Management.

...

McCary said the green bins would be for green waste, such as leaves, grass, fruits and vegetable, but the exact rules may take some getting used to.

"I think there's a ... learning curve to this and I think that as that curve moves forward, it's gong to be impressive for people to know, 'Yes, I can put shredded paper in the bin,'" said McCary.

(from KSAT-12)

I wonder how all these extra bins will look when people start storing them on the sides of the houses because there ain't no more room in the garages. Homeowner associations are going to love this one.

But wait, there's an out!

Residents that don't want an organics bin won't need one, if they are already composting at home. In those cases, the bin [] would be optional.

No problem then, because I certainly compost at home. Don't you?

Oh, wait. Is composting allowed in the deeds and restrictions?

Tropical Storm Hermine!

Just blew through. I hope every one's OK. I haven't checked it closely yet, but the level of my rain gauge as I see it from my back kitchen window looks to be at least three inches.

Stay dry.

Pipe bombs and Molotov cocktails

Can you think of a better way to keep somebody safe?

Investigators say a 17-year-old girl admitted to planting pipe bombs and Molotov cocktails at a Northwest side home, because she wanted to protect her friend.

Temera Renee Sparks is charged as an adult with crimes, including arson and conspiracy to commit arson. Investigators say she admitted to planting a pipe bomb on the target's car last Monday and security cameras caught her in the act. That explosive failed to detonate, however, but neighbors were evacuated from their homes for hours. Affidavits detail how she was trying to protect her friend, who is the intended victim's daughter.

She also admitted to throwing Molotov cocktails at the home in mid-July and trying to set the home on fire with a pipe bomb.

(from WOAI-TV)

The target's ex-wife is supposedly involved, too. Sounds like there is a lot more interesting information to come out regarding this case.

Lost hope

Sabra tells you about it, and shows you a picture, too.

SUV crashes into house

Car, house, person. No fences were involved, though.

The accident happened around 8:30 p.m. near Walzem Road and New World. Police said the driver of a Lincoln Navigator came around a corner too fast and hit the house and a car that was in the driveway at the home.

A man sitting on the front porch was hit by the SUV. He was taken to Northeast Baptist Hospital with leg injuries but is expected to be all right.

(from WOAI-TV)

And that driver? Got to be the worst navigator on Walzem Road.

"Frustrated Crime Victim Puts Billboard On Front Yard"

A man takes a bite out of crime -- with a sign.

Over the past eight months, [Juan Monsivais] said thieves in the overnight hours have pried open the toolbox in the back of his pickup parked in his driveway, making off with the necessary tools of his trade, time and time again.

Fed up, Monsivais proclaimed his predicament in a big way. After the last break-in on Monday, he yanked out a sheet of plywood, grabbed a spray paint can and scrawled "Fourth time this year somebody broke in my truck!!!"

Even then, Monsivais wanted a hammer to finish the job. Instead, he said he told his son, "Bring a rock or something because they stole the hammer."

(from KSAT-12)



That's a lovely sign. But isn't this just asking for more break-ins? After all, now all of the KSAT viewers know that you park your tools out in the driveway.

He said though potential thieves may see the sign as an invitation, he's not willing to risk his life or the lives of his family over a few tools.

Oh. Oh, I see. OK. Then why did you let the cameras onto your property?

Just wondering.

"12 year old dared by friends dies in accident"

This is not a good game to play.

A dare turns deadly for a 12-year-old girl on the city's west side Friday night. Police say Casandra Perez and a group of teens were daring each other to run across the Loop 410 access road outside Skateland West at 11:30 p.m. She and a friend were running across the road and the friend made it safely across. However, police say the friend turned around in time to see Casandra get hit by a car exiting the freeway.

She was taken to University Hospital where she died from her injuries.

(from WOAI-TV)

It's like playing Russian Roulette with traffic.

Clever ad campaign?

Or crazed movie fan?











You decide.

Old San Antonio map, the main thing

Here it is, by popular demand and in response to this post, your new city map of old San Antonio, from sometime between 1923 and 1933.




Take your time to look it over, but be warned -- this is a big file. In fact, I think this is the biggest graphic file I have ever assembled. It may take some time to load for you. If you have problems, pop into the comments and let me know. I might make another post with the individual pieces I scanned in.

Some things to look for:
-- The original city limits, which are remarkably geometrical.
-- Other military installations near Kelly Field.
-- The neighborhoods now displaced by Hemisfair Park, the Convention Center, and the Alamodome.
-- What the land the zoo is on used to be called.
-- What St. Anthony High School used to be.
-- Any other point of interest that catches your eye.

Happy perusing.

Feed microtoxins swine udder

Yep. That's probably the strangest search string that ever led somebody to this blog.




What's yours?

Old San Antonio map

Here's your new city map, from sometime in the past.




If I remember correctly, we found this in some of my grandfather's things after he died, and I kept it as a historical document. I hadn't seen it in a while, not until I cleaned out a little-used drawer this weekend and found it.

I don't know what year this map is from. There is no copyright date, but it is from a time when telephone numbers were still just a letter and five numerals, and from sometime before the mid-1950s when the interstate system was dreamed up. (IH-35 was just a segment of the new "Hi-Way to Mexico City.")




I haven't decided yet if I want to scan the whole thing or not, but I did scan the panel that shows what the downtown area looked like back then. It's interesting to look at to see what has changed and what, remarkably, has stayed the same.




And here is where we get the best clue as to when this map was printed. Take a look at the bottom of the downtown map where St. Mary's Street and Navarro Street converge, just above the "F" marker. It's a little hard to read, but there are lines indicating the path of mass transit routes, and right at the intersection with Nueva Street there is written "Roosevelt Bus," "Hot Wells Bus," "Hot Wells Car," and "Brooks Field Bus."

Hot Wells Car and Bus. That means this map is from a time when San Antonio still had the old rail streetcars running as well as buses. And, according to this article written by Paula Allen at the Express-News, this is between 1923 and 1933 when the Public Service Company ran both modes prior to scrapping the streetcars in favor of an all-bus system.

So, there you are, your New City Map, possibly from the early 20th Century.

I wouldn't rely on it, though, if you need to get somewhere.

Truck crashes into home

And it takes out two fences along the way!

The crash happened just before 10 p.m. on Friday night.

According to the police report, a truck was traveling southbound on Bynum Avenue when it changed lanes at an unsafe speed and lost control.

The report also said that the truck went over the median, through two chain link fences and through the house.

Dolores Solis and her family were sitting in the front room when they heard the crash in their home.

"It was pretty loud, said Solis. "I mean it shook the entire house, all the way to the living room."

(from KSAT-12)

No one was hurt, but there is some bonus strangeness, specifically this description:

"A truck-size tire flew through the window and it landed in the middle of the floor of her bedroom," said Solis. "Had she'd been there she could have been struck by the tire or the glass."

A truck-size tire? We already know the offending vehicle was a truck, so any tire on it could be assumed to be the right size for a truck. That is, unless you own this:


(source)


Or maybe she meant the tire itself was a big as a truck, maybe like this?


(source)

It's hard to tell. What do you think?


P.S.: Holy crap! A tire flew off the truck when it crashed in to the house? Dang, that's some impact!

Finding religion

There are many churches in downtown San Antonio. Sometimes you have to look a little harder to find them.

Did you know?

In downtown San Antonio, there is an old observatory.




Really. It's back there, on top of that old building, which sits next to the Municipal Auditorium.





I've noticed that thing for many years, but I have no idea who owns it or what its history is. I doubt it's used anymore, because I don't think you could get a decent look at the stars in the middle of the central business district, but it's still cool to look at from the street.

Anybody else out there know anything about this old landmark?

An inmate who thought a lot

Well, I could think of better ways to make a point, but he certainly got somebody's attention!

SAN ANTONIO -- The federal courthouse Downtown was partially evacuated after a letter containing some suspicious white powder was discovered there.

The letter was discovered around 11:00 a.m. at the United States Courthouse in the 600 block of East Durango. According to a San Antonio Fire Department spokesperson, two Hazardous Materials units and three response teams were called to the scene to check out the powder. News 4 WOAI was told the basement area of the courthouse was placed on lockdown while crews worked to determine if the powder was dangerous.

According to a HazMat team at the scene, the letter contained food products and talcum powder and was sent by an inmate at the Connelly Unit who, apparently, wants the quality of the food at the prison unit to be tested.

(from WOAI-TV)

His sentence may be tested, too. And it could be found to stand a few more years.

A cyclist who should have thought a little more

A confluence of wrongs led up to this incident.

A bicyclist is recovering after he rode around railroad crossing arms on the East Side and crashed into a train Friday night.

Levi Smith, 47, reportedly had been drinking around 11:15 p.m., when he maneuvered around the closed crossing in the 400 block of Burnet Street, just east of U.S. 281, San Antonio police said.

An incident report states Smith was riding the wrong way on Burnet Street and wasn't wearing a helmet when he crashed into the eastbound Union Pacific train.

(from the Express-News)

Bonus strangeness:

Raquel Espinoza-Williams, a spokeswoman for the railroad, said a snow plow in the front of the locomotive struck Smith. The impact caused him to be flung off the tracks, which may have saved his life, she said. [emphasis added]

A snowplow? In the summer? In Texas? Any train enthusiasts out there know if it is standard practice or not for the railroads to leave plows on locomotives throughout the year? If so, Mr. Smith sure is lucky that piece of equipment was in place.

Someone who should have thought a lot more

If you ever decide to get a tattoo on your neck, perhaps you shouldn't take on a life of crime. Or, if you've decided to begin a criminal career, perhaps you shouldn't get a tattoo on your neck. Where it can be seen. And identified.

SAN ANTONIO -- A man wanted for robbing a shoe store is in jail Friday morning after police track him down by the tattoo on his neck.

Police say 28-year-old Jesus Delgado robbed the Payless Shoesource on S.W. Military near Pleasanton Road on Monday. ....

Investigators tell News 4 WOAI they were able to identify Delgado after the witnesses described a tattoo of a woman’s name on his neck.

(from WOAI-TV)

On second thought, don't get that neck tattoo at all. I'm pretty sure you'll regret it somewhere down the line.

Bonus strangeness: He robbed a Payless. WTF?! Shouldn't you be going after stores that require their customers to pay more?

ADDED: Um, how come no one mentioned his other tattoo?

Car crashes into day care

OK, autos, you may have a beef with our domiciles and fences, but let's leave the children out of it. M'kay?

A North Side day care center is temporarily closed after an SUV crashed through one of its walls Wednesday morning.

Laura Castillo, 24, was dropping off her two children at Educare Child Care in the 3800 block of West Avenue and careened into an empty classroom when her brakes failed, said San Antonio police.

Neither Castillo nor her two children, ages 6 and 8, were injured in the crash, which occurred around 10 a.m. No one inside the building was either, officials said.

(from the Express-News)




Photographer: Eva Ruth Moravec, emoravec@express-news.net

Looking like a fool

... with your pants on the ground.

Really, guys. Isn't it about time to retire the saggy pants look?

A San Antonio police officer was following his instincts when he spotted a young man coming out of some shrubbery at around 10:30 p.m. Saturday night. It just seemed suspicious.
Police say when they began to approach, the man took off running and at the same time dropped a bag of marijuana.
In the foot-chase that followed, the suspect cleared several fences even after the officer yelled at him to stop.
According to the report, the officer was able to grab hold of the suspect, but then the suspect started punching at him.
In an effort to control the suspect, the officer used pepper spray on him, but it seemed to have little or no effect.
Finally, in the 1200 block of East Carson, near Fort Sam, the officer again made a grab at the suspect. He brought out his tactical baton, and hit the suspect several times on his arms and 'non-vital areas'. This too was met with continued efforts to escape.
But this time the suspect's shorts, that were now wrapped around his ankles, bungle[d] his attempts, and the suspect fell head first onto the pavement.

(from KENS-5)

Can't get away if you can't run.

Oh, and the suspect had left a one-year-old child unattended in his apartment. With a hot iron in reach. And pot traces everywhere.

Parent of the year material.

Peeing under pressure

Sabra caught this one.

Officers responding to a disturbance call [at the Bum Steer bar] at about 2:30 a.m. reported that the driver of a gray Ford Mustang fired several shots at them. A short chase ensued, police said.

The driver fled after crashing his vehicle near Gladnell Avenue and East Amber Street, the report states.

Police mistook a shirtless passerby — covered in sweat and unsteady on his feet — for the shooter after he was spotted lumbering down the street, punching mailboxes near the scene of the crash.

The man was surrounded by officers, their guns drawn, as he urinated on a bush. He was taken into custody for public intoxication.

(from the Express-News)

Man, talk about stage fright!

The only thing that would have made this story more strange would be if the driver of the Mustang had crashed into a house. Or at least a fence.

Getting back to basics

I've heard of natural childbirth, but this is a bit much.

SAN ANTONIO -- Trenton David Dietrich is about 2 days old. He was due on Sunday, but early Thursday morning, he decided he was ready to come into this world -- on the front lawn.

He came so fast, his mother, Hildie Dietrich, said she didn't even have time to make it to the hospital.

"By the time I got downstairs and out to the car, she was laying on the ground saying, 'Call 911,'" the baby's father, David Dietrich, said.

On the grass in the Dietrichs' front yard is where Trenton was born.

(from KSAT-12)

Bonus strangeness: What the parents decided to give the kid as a nickname.

She said she and her husband are hoping this grand entrance means big things for the little guy.

"He was born a little star. We call him 'Slider' because he slid into home base," Hildie Dietrich said.

Let's hope no one confuses him with a little hamburger.

"Proposed 2011 City Budget Includes $12 Mil. In Cuts"

Now, this really is strange in San Antonio.

SAN ANTONIO -- City Manager Sheryl Sculley laid out her plan for a balanced budget in 2011 to the City Council Thursday morning, which included eliminating 202 staff positions.

The proposed $2.36 billion budget features $12 million in cuts, which are in response to declining sales and property tax revenues, and would set aside $15 million to help balance the budget in 2012, which Sculley anticipates will be another down year economically for San Antonio.

(from KSAT-12)

What a shocker! A governmental entity actually cutting spending in response to hard times while also planning for the financial future. Granted, the cuts and the set asides amount to only 1.144% of the entire budget, but at least they're not talking about raising taxes to make up for the shortfall.

Sculley gets a point from me for this one.

Urban safari

Seen in downtown San Antonio, the elusive round-hoofed hardhead segwaybeast. They often travel in packs, though they are rarely aggressive and tend to shy away from other urban fauna.



If you see one -- or even a group -- watch them carefully, but don't get too close. They may become agitated if blocked from their normal tourist routes.

Overusing "green"

It's official. The concept of "green" now means absolutely nothing. Or it means everything, depending on your view.

In Terrell Hills the legal speed limit is actually 30 miles per hour. But residents want to slow drivers down with plenty of visual reminders. They have put up an astonishing number of signs asking drivers to slow down to 20 miles per hour.

The signs started showing up in yards after a group of neighbors started a new program called the 20 Green Project.

The whole point is to make the area a safer environment for children, walkers, runners, cyclists, and animals by asking drivers to voluntarily slow down.

The program started in May with just a handful of signs, but within just 60days it reached a total of 400 signs.

Supporters say they knew they couldn't legally change the speed limit to 20 miles per hour and feel this was their best alternative.

The Terrell Hills police chief says the city is in support of the idea.

(from KENS-5)

From this, can you tell what the "green" in these crazy signs actually means?

Does "green" mean money? No, this is a volunteer effort, and no one seems to be making any money (except for the sign maker).

Does "green" mean better for the environment? I don't think so, because environmental benefits are mentioned nowhere in the article.

Does "green" mean safe? That seems to be the gist of what these neighbors are doing, but they don't give any reasons why they think the color green should be particularly associated with safety. Green does not mean "slow down" in any context that I am aware of. In fact, it means go in every town that has a traffic light, and that specifically means "step on the gas, buddy; you're holding up traffic."

It boggles the mind. This project seems very ill-conceived, and I can't really understand why any police department would support this effort.

How to look inviting

I wonder if Dave has eaten here.

Taming the monster

I know duct tape is versatile, but who knew it could contain The Blob?

Best local headline of the day

"%*#@$!: Dam street closed in Olmos Park"

Yes, the street leading to Olmos Dam -- the dam street -- is closed.

Those of you who travel Olmos Drive will have to find a different route for the next few days.

Crews are getting ready to start repairs on the Olmost Dam bridge.

Gettin' western on the Northeast Side

I've heard of arguments leading to gunfire, but it usually doesn't involve almost a dozen people. In a dispute over a cell phone.

Witnesses in the Glens neighborhood said the incident started with an argument between two people that escalated to a fight involving more than a dozen.

Herman Williams told KENS 5 his friend, the alleged shooter, had no other option but to open fire on the crowd. He said there were nearly a dozen men with guns at his door threatening to hurt him.

Two people were taken to the hospital with gunshot wounds.

Williams said it all began as an argument over a cell phone, an insult directed towards a girlfriend, and a threat.

(from KENS-5)

Doesn't it always, though?

Staying in touch with that side

OK, if some dude is comfortable enough with his masculinity that he doesn't mind wearing a pink shirt in public, I can respect that. I can even respect it if he wants to make it a half-shirt, and that it bears Tony Romo's number.

But I cannot tolerate his screaming like such a little girl.



(Photo taken by Veronica Zaragovia, KENS-5, from a KENS slideshow featuring fans at the Cowboys camp in the Alamodome)

"Federal agents raid 2 northwest-side homes seeking contraband "

Hmm. I smell something big coming down the pike.

SAN ANTONIO - Federal agents raided two homes on the northwest side Tuesday, collecting more than a dozen boxes of evidence but making no arrests.

For more than seven hours, with every window blind closed, federal agents searched a home in the quiet Colonies North neighborhood off of Prince George Road. The other home raided was just blocks away on Callaghan Road.

The agents from the Customs Division of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), along with a San Antonio SWAT team, were looking for contraband but would not specify what type.

(from KENS-5)

Still here

I'm still around, and still very busy. And I might be so for the next few days or so. Until I can come back full force, please enjoy this odd graffiti discovered by Dave at Silver Creek 78250

Getting busy

I've got a lot of stuff happening these days. Blogging may be light for awhile.

Squandering tax funds

This has got to be the biggest waste of taxpayer money in quite some time.

SAN ANTONIO -- San Antonio is hoping to shed its image as one of the fattest cities in America by implementing new health and fitness programs.

The San Antonio Metro Health District is spearheading the multimillion dollar campaign that uses stimulus money granted by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Prevention and Wellness Initiative.

"Over 40 cities got the grant," said Maggie Thompson, of the city's Health District. "San Antonio has been called a fat city for quite a while and we have received quite a bit of stimulus money to overcome that image and actually change the health of the city."

(from KSAT-12)

Really? Federal stimulus money is being spent in San Antonio so we can feel better about ourselves, so we don't have to live with the shame of being labeled one of the "fattest" cities?

REALLY?

First of all, let's think about the propriety of using of federal stimulus money to make all of us in San Antonio feel better about our image! Stimulus money is supposed to stimulate the national economy to get us out of a recession.

Let's repeat that: STIMULUS MONEY IS SUPPOSED TO STIMULATE THE ECONOMY! Not to make us feel good!

If the mayor truly wants to make San Antonio a fitter city, then make it a priority of City Council. Don't take federal money to make it that way. Let's do it ourselves without sucking from the federal government with borrowed money.

And now, let's think about that "fattest city" label. That's a ranking that is thrown out there every year by Men's Fitness magazine to get media attention and sell magazines, and the way they score each city is really not an indication of how individual people pursue their activities. In fact, some of the measurements make little sense at all.

Here are the scores the magazine gave San Antonio in 2009

Fitness Centers & Sport Stores: C
Nutrition: F+
Sports Participation: D+
TV Viewing: F+
Overweight/Sedentary: D
Junk Food: B+
Air Quality: F+
Geography: C-
Commute: C+
Parks & Open Space: F
City Rec Facilities: F+
Access to Healthcare: B
Motivation: C-
Mayor & City Initiatives: C-
State Obesity Initiatives: B

So, the people at Men's Fitness counted the number of fitness centers and sports stores, and a higher number means fitter people, I suppose. But is that necessarily true? I can think of any number of ways to get exercise and fresh air without having to spend money to go to a fitness center.

Then they measure nutrition. What nutrition are they measuring? Are they simply saying the prevalence of Mexican food in this town makes everybody fat? That sure is an insult to sensible people who can eat Mexican food and still work out to stay fit.

Then, sports participation. I didn't find how this was measured on the Men's Fitness website, but, really, does someone automatically become fat if they don't participate in organized sports? Again, there are many other ways to stay fit.

And then the old stereotype, TV viewing makes you a couch potato and therefore fat. Maybe in some cases, but are you really going to use Nielsen ratings to judge a whole city?

Overweight/sedentary [I assume they mean "lifestyle"] -- OK, this is a good measurement. Medical people actually track this stuff, and this may be a good indication as to a city's overall health. I'll give them this one.

Junk food -- Availability? Kinds available? Definition of what exactly is "junk food"? How often people eat it? This is a throwaway category. It means nothing.

Air quality -- WTF? Air pollution means you're fat? Even so, we have some bad pollution days in the summer, but the worst ones are actually when farmers in Mexico burn their fields each May and the smoke blows up across Texas! We have no control over this pollution, so why should we be called a "fattest city" because of it? This is a useless category.

Geography -- Again, WTF? "You built your city in the wrong spot, so we think you're fat." Sheesh.

Commute -- Maybe. I might give them this one. More walking and more bicycling generally means a fitter population, so I'm not really going to argue with this measurement.

Parks and open space and city rec facilities -- But I am going to argue with this one. The mere presence of parks and city facilities doesn't make one fitter. Usage of parks and open space might, but overall acreage doesn't.

Access to healthcare -- I actually agree with this measurement. The more someone goes to a doctor, the more likely they are to take care of themselves and remain as fit as possible. No problem here.

Motivation -- Big problem here. How the hell do you measure motivation?

Mayor, city, state initiatives -- Well, at least mayor Joaquín Castro is working on this one.

And, of course, there's a whole other list of condescending ways Men's Fitness piles on San Antonio for not doing things the way other cities do. Again, these are all mostly pointless.

San Antonio residents are 80 percent less likely than average to participate in yoga/tai chi. Compared to other cities, San Antonio is the 1st least popular place in our survey for these activities.

San Antonio residents are 85 percent less likely than average to participate in gymnastics, the lowest rate in our survey.

San Antonio residents rank near the bottom in cardio kickboxing, with a participation rate that's 80 percent below average for cities in our survey - the lowest participation rate of all cities we surveyed.

BFD.

We may have more fat people than other cities, but so what? Staying fit is a personal choice, for the most part, and I don't have a problem with the mayor trying to encourage his constituents to get more fit. What I do have a problem with is the use of federal tax dollars to promote the mayor's agenda as part of the national effort to stimulate the economy.

And I think the Men's Fitness rating is bogus.


Bonus strangeness: The concept of an "F+" rating.

Car crashes into storage

Poor truck. It doesn't know the difference between a house and storage building.

Police were contacted by a representative from "LoJack" around 9:00 a.m. Tuesday, who said a vehicle had been stolen from the Downtown area. Police launched their "Eagle" helicopter and were able to locate and follow the truck to a convenience store at West Martin and Northwest 24th Street on the West Side.

As he started to get out of the truck, the suspect spotted officers approaching and jumped back into the truck and sped off. As he took off, the truck hit a police car. As the suspect was driving on Martin Street near General McMullen, he crashed the truck into a storage facility.

(from WOAI-TV)

All the other house-hating cars are ashamed of that truck. It even missed that choice, ripe fence.

Mugging for the camera

There's a new publication in town. And it's chock full of mugshots for your viewing pleasure.

Behind Bars is a biweekly newspaper packed with mugshots from Bexar County. The publication is now in 38 stores across San Antonio and it's online at www.behindbarsusa.com.

The publishers say it's a public service that has already helped capture two wanted men. It also has a section for missing children and resources for people who are down and out due to an arrest.

(from KENS-5)

Check it out for yourself. Here's a sample.

"New S.A. coalition is saying 'no' to changes in city smoking law"

This is a bit weird. All across the nation local, regional, and state governments have been strengthening smoking laws and restricting smoking where ever they can get away with it. But I don't think I have ever heard of anyone resisting such laws because of a racial angle.

But, then again, this is San Antonio. Our issues with race and culture tend to play out differently than in other parts of this great country.

Some smoke in this crowd. Some do not. But all share the same thoughts on this Independence Day holiday: that government needs to butt out when it comes to tinkering with the current smoking ordinance.

The “Save Our Jobs” Alliance says they have come together to support the existing San Antonio smoking ban ordinance. And they include not just bar and restaurant owners, but the local NAACP and LULAC [League of United Latin American Citizens].

“We’re not saying that it’s not bad for you. What we’re saying is that we need a choice,” said Traci Hunter with the NAACP.

...

The local NAACP and LULAC say minority bars and restaurants on the east, west and south sides of town will be hit especially hard in the pocketbooks.

(from KENS-5)

There you have it. In the Alamo City, tough smoking laws will hurt Hispanic and black business owners more. LULAC says so. How much you wanna bet City Council actually listens to them and does something like restricting smoking for the North Side businesses only?

Car crashes into house

OK, it's an apartment, not a house. But an apartment is still a home, and cars do not belong there!

SAN ANTONIO -- A woman crashed her car into another woman's North Side apartment.

The accident happened around 9:00 a.m. Sunday at the Churchill Park Apartments. Police said the woman drove her car through the intersection of Patricia and Parliament and then crashed into the living room of the apartment.

(from WOAI-TV)

Independence Day

Have a safe holiday.

"Pro Soccer Could Come To SA"

Or not.

There is also the question of a venue. [The Spurs' Leo] Gomez said they will try to work with one of the local school districts.

"Ultimately there is a high school district in this area that is going to need to either build a new high school stadium or redevelop its old high school stadium," Gomez said.

Gomez also said there will be no team if there is no venue.

"It's got to be done the right way at the right time," he said.

(from KSAT-12)

Just think: When is the right time for soccer?

"Police: Mother Suffocates Infant Daughter"

Remember Silver Starr Hernandez, the woman who was part of a mob that killed a Kerr County man for his home and property a couple of years ago? It turns out she's got more problems than we thought.

Police and paramedics responded to a home in the 6000 block of Blanco Road on June 14 and found 11-month-old Faith Escamilla unresponsive, an arrest warrant affidavit stated.

Police said the child's mother, Silver Starr Hernandez, 25, told officers she had put the baby down for a nap on the floor of her bedroom and later returned and found the baby had stopped breathing.

The affidavit stated an autopsy performed on the child at the Bexar County Medical Examiner's office revealed signs of trauma on the baby's nose and mouth.

Police said during questioning, Hernandez admitted she had suffocated the child by holding her nose and mouth closed for an extended period of time, the affidavit stated.

Hernandez was one of 16 people indicted in 2008 in the death of Allan Kowalski, 52. Kerr County sheriff's investigators found Kowalski buried in the back yard of his home with a gunshot wound to the head.

(from KSAT-12)

Silver Starr Hernandez pled guilty to a lesser crime as part of the Kowalski case and got probation. With this charge, she could get the needle, if convicted.