TWO SERIOUS ISSUES FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD
The city’s ‘noise’ ordinance
The big story in this month’s magazine is, again, the city’s noise ordinance.
This issue is really important to our neighborhood, where we’ve got outdoor music venues and residences in close proximity. Lately, there’s been a lot of friction between them.
The city has a task force looking into fixing the problem. We recently wrote about that task force, encouraging the city to give it a reboot.
With encouragement from our council representative, Mario Bravo, that reboot seems to have started, and we’ve written up our suggestions for how it should continue.
We’ve also taken a close look at how Austin handles ‘noise’ issues. They’ve got a very different approach. We talked to the city staff responsible for handling it, and we also talked to neighborhood and industry representatives to get their perspectives on how it’s working. You can read what we learned here.
The school district’s budget
Another serious issue is our school district’s budget. SAISD’s fiscal year begins on July 1, so the board needs to get a budget together by June 19. It’s a complicated process. Right now, the district is facing a serious potential revenue shortfall, thanks to pandemic hangover.
Our board representative, Sarah Sorensen, has written a really good piece explaining how this works. Give it a read.
WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD
There’s always plenty happening here in the neighborhood, and we’ve got a few articles to fill you in.
First of all, Jane Gennarelli takes a look at this year’s Fiesta. How is it coming together? Is Fiesta really back after the bludgeoning it took from the virus?
Next, still on the Fiesta theme, Kate Hernandez tells us what will be happening at Hemisfair during the big event. Among other things, NIOSA -- its space limited by construction at La Villita — will spill over into Hemisfair. But that’s not all, Kate explains.
There’s also a huge art event at the San Antonio Art League and Museum (SAALM) in King William. They’re holding their 92nd Annual Juried Exhibition. It’s a big deal and will include an opening reception. Peter Szarmach tells us all about it.
We’re also looking ahead. Next year, San Antonio will host an international ‘popular sports’ Olympiad. It’s being organized by the AVA, 'America’s Walking Club’, which is headquartered here in the neighborhood. Henry Rosales, the CEO & President, told us all about it.
SOME BUSINESSES WORTH VISITING
This neighborhood is a lot like a small town. We’re residential, but we also have a business district — multiples, in fact. Yes, we’re heavy on restaurants and bars, but we’ve also got professional offices, hair salons, barber shops, automotive services, a record store, multiple boutiques, and a movie theater.
Jane Gennarelli has written about those last two items in this month’s issue.
First, she took a look at three boutiques located in Lavaca, talking to the owners about what they offer and how they curate the items they carry in their shops.
Then she dropped in at Arthouse Cinema, located in Blue Star, to speak with Angela Martinez, who operates the theater with her husband Rick. They offer an alternative to big box theaters and their superhero movies. Jane tells you what she learned.
Janie Barerra of non-profit LiftFund is one of our regular contributors. In her column this month, she talks about a group of neighborhood businesses — ice houses — who came together to support LiftFund’s mission.
HEARING FROM SOME EXPERTS
Speaking of neighborhood businesses, we have two local business owners who contribute their ‘voices’ — and expertise — to each issue of the LNF Weekly magazine.
One of them is Tommy Newman, the owner of the Southtown Vinyl record store. He knows music, and he really knows vinyl music. This month, Tommy has written an interesting piece on how old records are valued.
Another one of our ‘voices’ is Jen Beckmann of Re:Rooted. Jen is an expert on wine, especially Texas wines. This month, she’s given us a fascinating look at how Texas grapes become Texas wines. It’s all in the soil, she writes. And the climate. And the weather. And the particular grape. In other words, it’s complicated.
Incidentally, on a side note, we’re always looking for new ‘voices’, people with expertise or a special perspective that they’d like to share with their neighbors in LNF Weekly. Let us know if you’re interested in becoming a ‘voice’.
SOME OF OUR FAVORITE THINGS
This neighborhood has a few favorite things that go a long way toward defining it. There’s food, of course. Dogs and cats. And art.
We try to cover each of those every month.
On the food side, we’ve got a roast chicken recipe from Rocio Bodevin and Freddy Camargo, delivered by our recipes editor, Patricia Ortiz.
As for pets, Jane Gennarelli — whose dog Micky is about to turn fourteen — has done a lot of research about caring for senior dogs, and she’s written it up for us, based both on the research and on her own experiences with Micky.
And, as always, we’re highlighting two pieces of art in this issue.
Our cover image is by artist Jacinto Guevara. Jacinto is well-known for his urban landscapes, and we’re using his beautiful painting ‘Centro Luz’ to brighten up our home page.
Photographer Al Rendon has again dipped into his archive and chosen a shot, ‘Chiquiti Boom', that he took multiple decades ago near his grandmother’s home in Nuevo Laredo.
Jim Feuerstein is co-editor of LNF Weekly; he also designs and manages the website.
Friday, December 17, 2021
This is our holiday edition, and we've got a bit of everything
The holidays have arrived, and we've got you covered. We'll tell you where to find gifts, music, art, wine, and food. How to keep your pets safe while you're celebrating. And, best of all, we even found a bit of snow for the home page.
You might also like...