COME ON DOWN TO THE RIVER TODAY!!

The Lone Star/Roosevelt Park hike and bike trail opens officially today! Join us for guided educational tours offered by the San Antonio River Authority about the project and the ecosystme restoration. The four tours are as follows:

10:15 a.m. (led by Lee Marlow), 10:45 a.m. (led by Matthew Driffill), 11:15 a.m. (led by Lee) and 11:45 a.m. (led by Matthew) on December 18th.

The tours will start near the little covered pavilion and basketball court along the Mission Reach trail on the east bank of the river in Roosevelt Park, head south along the east bank to the first pedestrian bridge, cross over and head back north to Lonestar Blvd., cross back over and return to the pavilion. It’s a short walk, but I think it provides ample time and opportunity to educate the attendees about all the wonderful ecosystem restoration taking place along the Mission Reach as well as describe the recreational opportunities. SARA has also installed a series of educational signage to help tell the story of all the facets of the Mission Reach and ecosystem restoration. This educational signage will be in place until the additional permanent project signage is installed later in 2011.

Free Landfill Disposal Day

Free Landfill Disposal Day
Saturday, November 06, 2010
8:00 A.M to 2:00 P.M.

Bring a copy of your recent CPS Utility Statement and personal identification for proof of residency and payment of City's Garbage\Brush Fee.
PLEASE REMEMBER TO COVER YOUR LOADS WITH A TARP OR YOU MAY BE CHARGED A PENALTY (Tarp Law-City Ordinance # 72272 ). THIS EVENT IS FREE ONLY TO CITY OF SAN ANTONIO RESIDENTIAL SOLID WASTE RATE PAYERS.

TOGETHER, LET'S KEEP IT CLEAN! Have you avoided trimming the jungle in the back yard because you didn’t know where to take that pile of brush? Do you need somewhere to throw away that old mattress or sofa? The City of San Antonio, Solid Waste Management Department in partnership with area landfills, offers you the perfect opportunity to get rid of all of your unwanted items and it’s FREE.

FIRST...REUSE & RECYCLE!, Reusing materials and products, and recycling are some of the most powerful ways individuals can protect the environment and make a BIG difference for future generations. Consider donating useable household items to Goodwill, The Salvation Army, or your local church, or any other local charity before throwing them away.

Place other household recyclables (newspaper, glass bottles and jars, plastic containers, aluminum cans, clean pie tins, steel and tin cans and empty aerosol cans) in your curbside recycling container as part of your weekly curbside recycling collection. Call 207-6410 or 3-1-1 to learn more about other household recycling options or log onto www.sanantonio.gov/swmd



SECOND...Clean Up! We will accept household trash such as mattresses, appliances, sofas or other junk in your home and a maximum of 6 (six) passenger car tires per household. We will also accept clean brush for recycling at our Bitters Brush Recycling (see map)
NO HAZARDOUS WASTE ACCEPTED: Paints, chemicals, pesticides, motor oil, batteries, solvents, etc. should only be taken to the Household Hazardous Waste Facility.
No commercial trash, dirt or rocks accepted.

THIRD...Separate it, Load it & Cover it! Properly load (distribute weight evenly) and cover your load with a tarp or you may be subject to a penalty (Tarp Law-City Ordinance number 72272)

FOURTH... Choose the Location Nearest you! For Brush and Bulky items there are a total of 3 (three) locations to serve you. The locations are listed below.
See map.


FOUR LOCATIONS FOR BULKY ITEMS AND BRUSH MATERIAL:
Allied Waste Services Tessman Landfill, 7000 IH 10 E
TDS
Starcrest Transfer Station, 11601 Starcrest Dr.
WM Covel Gardens Landfill, 8611 Covel Road

Southside Drop-Off Center, (at HWY 90 & Callaghan)
(FREE mulch also at this location)

LOCATION FOR BRUSH ONLY:
City of San Antonio Bitters Road Brush Recycling Center, 
1800 Bitters Road.
FREE mulch available.

LOCATION FOR HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE ONLY:
City of San Antonio HHW Drop-Off Center, 7030 Culebra

The City of San Antonio is not responsible for damage to vehicles or injury to citizens during this event. The City reserves the right to re-direct loads to other disposal locations.

For more information, call “3-1-1”

Remember to tarp your loads!

Thinking about the future of San Antonio

What will san antonio look like in 10 years?

That’s largely up to you. SA2020 is a community-wide effort to chart San Antonio’s course for the next decade. Education. Transportation. Quality of life. We can make progress by realizing all of these issues are interconnected and by setting priorities to tackle them. Through the process of coming together as a city and speaking up, we’ll be able to map our priorities and decide what kind of community we want to be in 2020. The future starts here.

Historic Homeowner Fair

August 28, 2010, 9 A.M. to 2 P.M.

Municipal Auditorium 

100 Auditorium Circle , San Antonio, TX 78205

Join us Saturday, August 28th, for the second annual City of San Antonio Office of Historic Preservation Historic Homeowner Fair. The fair will include sessions on repairing wood windows, “green” living in older neighborhoods, appropriate repairs and additions to historic properties, kids activities and more. In the Exhibitors’ Hall find products and services of interest to owners of older homes.

Free and open to the public, the fair provides citizens and professionals a unique opportunity to interact and discuss issues related to caring for homes more than 50 years old.

If you are interested in becoming a Historic Homeowner Fair exhibitor or sponsor,  please contact Amy Unger at the City of San Antonio Office of Historic Preservation for space availability and reservations.

And don’t miss your chance to register for the Window Restoration Workshop offered by the Office of Historic Preservation and the UTSA School of Architecture,  August 20-21.  Visit our website at www.sanantonio.gov/historic for more  information on this and other upcoming preservation events.

Free Organic Gardening Workshop

San Antonio Gardeners!

Here’s your chance to learn another way to save resources and money. Green Spaces is holding its thirdwork(ing)shop of the year. This workshop is free and open to the public!

Organic Gardening and Integrated Pest Management Workshop

Saturday, August 28, 2010 from 9am to 12pm

Beacon Hill Community Garden

1144 W. Gramercy Place (at Capital)

  

At this workshop, we will have Don Crites, Master Gardener with us to discuss:

1.       Organic vegetable gardening for south central Texas

2.       Companion planting

3.       Crop rotation for prevention of infestations and diseases

4.       Tips for organically amending soil condition

5.       Integrated pest management

6.       The visual differences between good and bad bugs

7.       How to encourage good bugs and discourage bad bugs

                 

The presentation will include hands-on opportunities for you to

1.       identify good bugs and bad bugs;

2.       practice pairing companion plants;

3.       practice mechanical pest management; and

4.       practice application of organic soil amendments.

As donations come in, participants may go home with companion plants, beneficial bugs or organic soil amendments.

We look forward to spending time with representatives from all 30 community gardens. Breakfast foods and beverages will be provided.

RSVP: 

Phone: 222-8430

Fax: 222-8022

Email: angela@greensatx.org

San Antonio River Improvement News

Design plans for the final two phases of the Mission Trails project were approved this week, bringing us all one step closer to an easy-to-find and easy-to-use route for vehicles, bikes, and pedestrians along the San Antonio River and between each of the Missions.

Read about the recent developments in the Express-News.

Also, a new community multimedia news organization, called NowCast, has sprung up in town, and they're featuring news about the River improvements in our neighborhood, and much more.

Visit the NowCast website, for words, video and news.

Backpack giveaway

Garden Safety and First Aid Certification

Hello, Gardeners!!

Do you want your garden to be a place where

·         the produce is nutritious to eat,

·         the paths are clear to wander,

·         the grounds are risk-free for picnicking and somersaulting,

·         the air smells fresh because it is fresh,

·         gardeners and visitors can retreat from our unrelenting urban environs,

·        and everyone departs from the garden feeling healthier and happier?

Green Spaces is offering its third work(ing)shop of 2010 to help you take steps in this direction!

Garden Safety and First Aid Certification

Saturday, July 31, 2010

9:00 am to 12:00 pm

Gardens of St. Therese, 906 W. Kentucky** (behind the Basilica of the Little Flower)

$15 for the first participant ($35 for the second)*

RSVP required!

The work(ing)shop will consist of:

1.       A garden walkthrough to give participants experience recognizing and addressing potential safety hazards.

2.       A licensed instructor to provide hands-on demonstration of the tools and techniques used to respond efficiently to accidents.

3.       Handouts that list ways to assess and make safety improvements to community gardens for the whole community’s benefit.

4.       One first-aid certification per participant so fellow gardeners feel at ease knowing that one of their own will be helpful in case of accident.

Please identify at least one of your garden members to attend this upcoming work(ing)shop and encourage him or her to RSVP as soon as possible. You, your fellow gardeners, your families and friends, and even the random passerby will greatly benefit from enlisting this representative to bring these lessons back to your garden.

Put it on your calendar and reply today!

Concepción Acequia

The San Antonio Express News reports on an archaeological excavation in our neighborhood this week:

Crews have found what they believe is part of the upper layer of a nearly 300-year-old acequia that provided water to Mission Concepción on the near South Side.
After digging 11 feet deep Tuesday just east of Roosevelt Park, near Roosevelt Avenue and Whittier Street, workers found a small section of what's believed to be the acequia, possibly confirming what historians had long suggested about its location. Crews also found about 20 unbroken bottles dating as far back as the late 1800s and a stoneware pitcher from about the mid-1800s.
Tuesday's archaeological work ... was done under a Texas Historical Commission permit as part of construction of a hike-and-bike trail of the Mission Trails project.
The 15-foot-long excavation trench, measuring just over 30 inches wide, was being refilled late Tuesday. Hindes didn't know if the discovery would affect the hike-and-bike project.

Read the entire report on the mySA.com website:
http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local_news/dig_unearths_1700s_mission_acequia_98873934.html

Free Feral Cat Trap, Neuter & Return Workshops

This announcement is from the San Antonio Feral Cat Coalition, a nonprofit that helps people with managing feral, outdoor, or free-roaming cats. Outdoor cats can reproduce quickly and so if you are concerned, and especially if you are feeding outdoor cats, the Feral Cat Coalition can help.

ATTEND A FREE WORKSHOP JUST ONCE FOR A LIFETIME OF BENEFIT!

In order for us to help you and to qualify for the advantages of access to low-cost spay/neuter surgeries, free trap loan and advice on how to control the outdoor cat population humanely - you must first attend a FREE Trap, Neuter, Return (TNR) workshop. The workshop also gives safety tips on how to complete your TNR project without getting hurt. You only need to attend ONE workshop ONCE, to qualify to use our program. Once you attend, there is no need to attend a second time, unless you want to. Please refer to the schedule for dates and locations of upcoming workshops on the SA Feral Cat Coalition Events page.
The Workshop will answer most of your questions but you can also refer to the Coalition's Frequently Asked Questions.

July 10 is Free Landfill Disposal Day

July 10 is Free Landfill Disposal Day for San Antonio residents.

From 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. the City’s Solid Waste Management Department in conjunction with the area landfills will host this event. Residents interested in taking part in this event must bring their most recent CPS Energy bill to show that they pay the City’s residential solid waste fee along with a picture ID when dropping off items at one of the locations below.Loads should be secured and covered in vehicles and trailers traveling to the landfill. Those individuals that do not cover their loads are in violation of City Ordinance #72272 Tarp-Law.

Residents are encouraged to make the pledge to recycle and separate out all items that can be re-used. Items that can not be reused or recycled should be brought to Landfill Disposal Day. No hazardous waste will be accepted at this event.

Drop-off locations:
*Allied Waste Services Tessman Landfill, 7000 IH-10 East
* WM-Covel Gardens Landfill, 8611 Covel Road
* TDS Starcrest Transfer Station11601 Starcrest Road
* Southside Drop-off Center (near Camargo Park ), 5450 Castroville Road

For brush material only, visit the following location:
* Bitters Brush Recycling Center, 1800 Bitters Road

The Fate of Chrome-plating on Southcross

On June 23rd, the San Antonio Zoning Commision has denied the requested zoning change to the chome-plating facility located on the southeast side of East Southcross Boulevard near Roosevelt Avenue. The company involved in chrome-plating was seeking a zoning change to bring their business into compliance. Chrome-plating, a heavy industry requiring dangerous chemicals, will not be allowed in this area of San Antonio.

Following are excerpts from the city record of the Zoning Commission Hearing.

CASE NO: Z2010045

The subject property is located within the South Central Community Plan. The requested zoning change is inconsistent with the Future Land Use Plan, which designates the subject property as "Mixed Use". The requested zoning will require amending the plan to a "Heavy Industrial" land use designation.

Mission Reach Concessions Public Workshop

Seed Collection and Storage Workshop

Gardeners!

Here’s your chance to learn another way to save resources and money. Green Spaces is holding our second work(ing)shop of the year.

Seed Collection and Storage

Saturday, May 8, 2010 from 9am to 12pm

Community Gardens of St. Therese

906 W. Kentucky Avenue (behind the Basilica of the Little Flower, near Zarzamora and Culebra)

At this workshop, we will have Josh Greene from the St. Andrew’s Seed Bank with us to discuss:

1. the philosophy and reasons for saving seeds;

2. how to ensure good quality seeds;

3. common techniques for preparing seeds for storage; and

4. best storage practices.

The presentation will include hands-on opportunities for you to

1. identify seeds that are ready to harvest;

2. select seeds from various vegetables, herbs and flowers;

3. remove seeds from pods, fruit, etc.;

4. start the cleaning process for the various types of seeds;

5. start the drying process for seeds; and

6. figure out which simple tools you already have for proper storage.

As donations come in, participants may go home with seeds, seed saving envelopes and containers.

We look forward to spending time in this garden with representatives from all 25 community gardens.

Pass the word. Everyone must RSVP for this free and open-to-the-public workshop!

ANGELA@GREENSPACESALLIANCE.ORG

The Garden Workout

New Year's Resolution to Eat Right and Exercise? Do Both in the Garden!

By John Hershey
Freelance Writer

The seasons change in the garden, but the debate over health care reform still rages on in Washington. For all the complex proposals to "bend the curve" of the unsustainable increases in medical costs, nearly everyone seems to tacitly acknowledge that this is very difficult to do by tinkering with the kind of incremental reforms you have to settle for to get Joe Lieberman's vote. There is one thing that would probably make huge difference: a massive nationwide shift toward healthy living, so we would need less treatment for heart disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer, and other health problems in which lifestyle can be a factor. But there is really not much the government can do to affect people's eating and exercise choices. This conundrum probably makes our policymakers frustrated and depressed enough to binge on a quart of Ben & Jerry's.

The government has plenty of programs to promote wellness. One hopes they do some good, but efforts like the confusing food pyramid ("Ooh, sweets and fats are right at the top — they must be the most important things to eat!") don't inspire much confidence. And of course the federal government could change the system of subsidies that promote bad eating by making processed food cheap, so we should keep pushing for that. But Congress can't legislate healthy diets. The President isn't going to issue an executive order mandating 30 minutes of daily cardiovascular exercise. The best thing our leaders can do is probably just set a good example,

16th Annual Basura Bash

Saturday, March 27, 9 am
Meet in Blue Star Arts Complex parking lot

Join King William Association, Brackenridge High School Environmental Club, and Mission Trail Rotary Club members and friends for this annual San Antonio River clean up. We'll pick up litter along the riverbank. It will only take about two hours to finish the work. Work gloves and sturdy shoes are required. Meet in Blue Star Arts Complex parking lot.

For more information, please contact Robin Raquet, Zone Captain, Section 1, at rockinrobinr@sbcglobal.net or 224-4541, or visit basurabash.org.

San Antonio River Authority and Archdiocese Reach Agreement on Sale of Property

The San Antonio River Authority (SARA) and the Archdiocese of San Antonio have reached an agreement for the sale of 11 ∏ acres that will be utilized in the Mission Reach Ecosystem Restoration and Recreation Project. Per the agreement, SARA will pay the Archdiocese $450,000 for the property and guarantee the Mission Concepcíon Multi-Sports Complex vehicle access to Theo Ave.

Responding to the day’s outcome, Father Martin Leopold, Moderator of the Curia for the Archdiocese of San Antonio said, "I am pleased that the mediation succeeded so quickly and that we can move forward in the same spirit of cooperation that has existed throughout this process. I am grateful for the goodwill effort and hard work on the part of both parties.”

“The San Antonio River Improvements Project has been under development for many years and SARA has represented the public interest in other similar routine property negotiations,” said Suzanne Scott, SARA’s General Manager. “The mediation process worked well as both parties negotiated in good faith and we were able to reach a mutually satisfactory agreement. We are pleased with the outcome and are ready to continue the construction of the Mission Reach project.”

A new look for South Presa?

A new look for South Presa?

Leila Walsh of WOAI reports on Councilwoman Jennifer Ramos' goal of rezoning Presa Street, similar to the way we added zoning to Roosevelt last year.

Posted using ShareThis

Public Meeting - Theo Avenue Realignment and Archdiocese Regional Sports Complex Development

When: Thursday, January 21, 2010 6:00 PM-8:00 PM (GMT-06:00) Central Time (US & Canada).
Where: SARA Board Room (100 E. Guenther)

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There will be a public meeting regarding the realignment of Theo Avenue and the development of the Archdiocese Regional Sports Complex in coordination with the Mission Reach Ecosystem Restoration and Recreation Project.

Mission Reach Construction Tour

Walking tours of the MIssion Reach San Antonio River Improvements.

When: Friday, January 29, 2010 8:30 AM-10:00 AM (GMT-06:00) Central Time (US & Canada).
Where: MRPO; 310 W. Mitchell St.

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The January 15th Tour has over 20 signed up!

An additional tour is being planned to accommodate the growing interest!

RSVP REQUIRED

Walking tour, please come prepared.

Required attire:
Closed toe shoes, good for walking
Long pants

HARD HAT and SAFETY VEST PROVIDED