After the completion of nine standing-room only  events at the Architecture Foundation, PechaKucha Night in San Antonio has outgrown the Pearl Brewery venue. Next Tuesday, May 28, the tenth installment of PechaKucha will take place downtown in Texas A&M-San Antonio’s recently christened Casa Rosa, formerly the Museo Alameda.

The iconic pink building, with its intricate metal facade and a tumultuous past, easily accommodates some 400 guests. As such, the PKN planning committee decided to forgo advance ticket sales. Thanks to the city’s Downtown Tuesday initiative, several parking lots and garages will be free. (Click the map below to enlarge.)

Another new feature this time is a community table, where anyone is invited to deposit fliers or information about other local events or projects. No advance permission is required to add to the community table, so bring anything you want to share with you on Tuesday night.

The suggested donation to attend remains at $5. Happy hour starts at 6:30 p.m. and presentations begin at 7:30 p.m.

Courtesy of Texas A&M University-San Antonio

Before getting to a sneak peek at the PechaKucha presenters, a bit more on the new venue: The ill-fated Museo Alameda opened in 2007 as a groundbreaking collaboration with the Smithsonian Institution. Fraught with financial problems from the beginning, the museum was swimming in debt by 2010 when it received a bailout from the City of $450,000.

Visitor numbers continued to decline and the Museo finally closed its doors in September last year, eventually passing the reins to Texas A&M University-San Antonio. One month earlier, in August, City Council unanimously approved a motion to lease the property to TAMUSA for the same rent that the Alameda paid: $1 per year.

TAMUSA plans to craft the Casa Rosa into a highlight of the so-called “zona cultural,” an area that includes Market Square, Main Plaza, Plaza de Armas, the Spanish Governor’s Palace, Casa Navarro, and several other historically and culturally significant sites.

Programming at Casa Rosa is expected to begin this fall and will continue to tell the story of the transnational experience of Latinos in the U.S., as the Museo Alameda aimed to do, by featuring regional and local artists. TAMUSA is exploring the possibility of having permanent exhibits in place on the first floor, and is currently in the process of hiring a cultural program manager to serve as curator.

Courtesy of Texas A&M University-San Antonio

In a statement to the Rivard Report via email, representatives of TAMUSA quoted President Dr. Maria Hernandez Ferrier explaining the University’s expectations for the space. “We envision the Texas A&M University-San Antonio Casa Rosa as a cultural home for everyone in San Antonio, whether students, visitors or natives. It will be a place where all people can learn about the many cultures that have come together to make San Antonio the welcoming place it is today.”

By that description, Casa Rosa seems an appropriate choice of venue for a culturally and intellectually stimulating event like PechaKucha. Without further ado, here’s an exclusive look at the individuals behind the eight presentations we’ll see on Tuesday.

Mark and Angela Walley

Filmmakers

This husband and wife duo established Walley Films in 2010, though they fell in love as teens and have worked together in the spheres of art, music, and film for the past 10 years. Many of the films that their independent production company makes involve artists and their work.

Josh Levine

Entrepreneur

This personal trainer and yoga instructor owns MBS (Mind Body Soul), a company that encompasses several fitness-related businesses, as well as Uncommon Fare Goods and Groceries.

Diego Bernal

City Councilman/Musician

One of the most active and visible faces of City Council, the District One councilman is a San Antonio native who returned home after completing undergraduate and graduate degrees in Michigan. Well known and much admired for bringing Downtown Tuesday to fruition, Bernal has also made a mark on the local music and arts scene.

Killis Almond FAIA

Architect

With nearly 40 years of experience in architecture, historic preservation and adaptation, design, and new construction under his belt, Almond has worked around the state and country producing practically countless reports, feasibility studies, and preservation plans for historic building projects.

Kathleen Trenchar

Paper Artist

A resident of Woodlawn Lake by way of New Orleans and Brooklyn, Trenchard is a multi-faceted artist who specializes in the mallet and chisel technique of cutting Mexican papel picado.

Ernest Gonzales

Musician

This San Antonio native is an electronic music producer, DJ, member of the city’s Cultural Advisory Board, and works as a STEM educator for SAISD.

George Schroeder

Steel Artist

Schroeder’s elegant yet raw abstract sculptures made of steel intend to “evoke tension within form,” transforming the space they occupy into a comprehensive visual experience.

Miss Anastasia

Storyteller

A former elementary school teacher and mother of three, this storyteller holds a weekly storytime at the Twig Book Shop and has leveraged the power of children’s books to bring characters and stories to life for nearly 20 years.

Past coverage of PechaKucha on the Rivard Report:

PechaKucha 9: “A fine line between a good time and a family brawl.” (February 2012)

Preview of PechaKucha 9: All is Fair in Love and… Work? (February 2012)

PechaKucha Night Vol. 8: The Care and Feeding of a Full and Hungry House (November 2012)

A Preview: PechaKucha Night Volume 8 (November 2012)

PechaKucha 7: From Hawaii to Vietnam, Singing in the Rain (and Milk) (August 2012)

Prelude to PechaKucha Night 7: 20 slides, 20 seconds (August 2012)

PechaKucha 6: “Ladies, Pick Your Bull Carefully” (May 2012)

Creative class in session: PechaKucha 5 at the Pearl (February 2012)

Miriam Sitz works for Accion Texas Inc., the nation’s largest non-profit microlender. You can follow her on Twitter at @miriamsitz. A graduate of Trinity University, she also authors the blog Miriam210.com, and makes and sells handmade soap, cards, and other crafts at TinderboxGoods.com. [Click here for more stories from Miriam Sitz on the Rivard Report.]

In the first few pages of a single fitness magazine, I was thrown more factoids than anyone could possibly keep straight: I may be poisoning myself with arsenic by eating too much rice, that music won’t necessarily improve my cycling, bands are better than dumbbells, I need to drink milk post-workout, I should sleep more to decrease body fat, I need to have my caffeine with yogurt, etc.

Those were just a few of the highlights, and while most of the blurbs were based on small-scale research (the sleep study specifically related to Japanese men) you have to wonder if we’re not riding this information wave to our demise.

With two-thirds of us overweight or obese, and chronic rates of diabetes, heart disease and other ailments, do we really need to be obsessing over our zinc intake, or the perfect program for a shapely posterior?

Don’t we literally have ‘bigger’ things to worry about?

Shouldn’t the magazine headlines read something more like:

Moving More, Eating Less – Probably A Good Idea!

You Haven’t Eaten a Single Vegetable Since Wednesday!

Walking: An Ingenious Way to Get Places!

When it comes to health and wellness, we seem to dismiss the big, important things we do know, in search of those infinitesimal ‘magical’ details that we don’t, all in the hopes of unlocking a secret code that once and for all will make us strong, healthy, lean and beautiful.

It’s compelling stuff for sure. Who doesn’t want to believe that a specific element, or program or food (or dismissing as much) will solve all our wellness woes?

Information is great. But when all those little bits of data obscure our vision and cloud our judgement, we can easily lose sight of the big picture. And when that happens, all the yogurt and caffeine in the world probably won’t help.

Speaking of the big picture, you might remember our friend Juan Ramirez from the HEB Slimdown Showdown; a comprehensive 12-week health and wellness challenge that concluded in early April. Juan dropped 38 pounds and decreased his body fat percentage 18 points, earning him the Healthy Hero award.

Ramirez went from size 4XL clothing to size 2XL clothing and is on his way to single digits soon.

But that’s not the end of the story. In fact, it may just be the beginning, as now the responsibility and motivation to maintain a healthy life is completely on his shoulders.

That transitional stage is something almost all of us have gone through – whether it’s coming back down to earth after training and completing a particular event, or following a weight loss protocol for a specific period of time – and it can be the hardest part.

So, Juan is our everyman, and we plan to check in with him every once in a while to see exactly how he’s doing in this new life of his.

But first, a little background and a few numbers on our main man:

• Heaviest weight: 375
• Starting weight at Slimdown Challenge: 315
• Finishing weight: 277
• Current weight: 266
• Goal weight: 200 – 225

So, how are things going since the end of the Slimdown Showdown, Juan?

Things are going okay, and better than I thought… The funny thing is that since we tend to celebrate things with food, the day we finished the contests, the whole family went out to eat at Pico de Gallo! And I’m thinking to myself, ‘this is my first real test!’ But I did fine and ordered some healthy things off the menu.

Is it harder to stay on track now that the competition is over?

I’m kind of going at my own pace now. There’s not as many responsibilities, so I have to do this on my own.

What’s the most challenging aspect of this new, healthy life?

My main challenge now is dedicating time for myself, and using the free time I have wisely. Lately I’ve been waking up at 4:3o or 5 a.m. for my workouts because that’s the time I have available. I’ll get out and run a few miles, and I’m trying to make it a habit. When I do, I feel really good about it.

How do you stay focused?

I keep in touch with the other contestants and we help each other out. We set up a private group on Facebook and post our weight each Monday, so everyone knows how everyone else is doing. We even opened it up to contestants from years past. They have a little more experience, and it’s great to get advice from each other and share our stories.

Have you had any epiphanies or learned anything about yourself these last few weeks?

I’m definitely getting stronger! I did limited weight training during the contest, but now I’ve added a little more, and it’s fun! I’ve been working out with a contestant from last year and its been great. I also use a heart rate monitor and can see my improvements there too.

Aside from hitting the gym a bit more, have you tried any other new activities or training routines recently?

I’m training for a 5K at the end of June and want to do the Rock and Roll half marathon. So, aside from strength training, I’ll be working on a half marathon training routine to help build my endurance.

Aside from tracking calories, Ramirez also uses apps to track his workouts as well.

What’s on your plate today?

Oatmeal for breakfast is what I usually have, and sometimes a little Greek yogurt. For a snack I’ll grab some almonds. And today lunch was leftovers from the weekend birthday bash –  I had a burger patty with lettuce, tomato and onions, and added a side salad.

Do you have a strategy, or a favorite go to snack when you have a craving?

Small gala apples – they’re a perfect snack. That or some clementines … If you’re truly hungry, you’ll eat real food like that, but if an apple or an orange is not appealing, it’s probably just a craving that will pass. I’ll sometimes have celery as well, and even peanut butter, but I make sure to portion it out first

How about a nugget of wisdom or some words of advice for others trying to make some changes and live a little healthier?

Make sure to track what you’re doing and know what you’re eating. If you don’t know how many calories you’re consuming, it’s going to be hard to monitor and make progress. I still use an app to track things… And make your goals attainable and start small; even if that means beginning with a 15 minute walk on the treadmill, or a walk around the block. The small things count.

What’s your goal for the next four to six weeks?

Between now and then I’ll probably drop another 8 to 10 pounds, but I also plan to start training a little more consistently. I have my 5K coming up soon, and half marathon training just beyond that.

Tom Trevino is a writer, artist and wellness coach based out of San Antonio. His column, “The Feed,” addresses issues related to health and wellness. He holds a B.A. from the University of Texas at San Antonio, with training and certification from the Cooper Institute. He has a fondness for dogs, the New York Times, and anything on two wheels. When he’s not writing, training, or cooking, you can find him wandering the aisles of Central Market.

Related Stories:

See All in This Series: The Feed

The Feed: For the Dogs

The Feed: Work Hard, Sleep Harder

The Feed: Get Outside the Box for an Outdoor Workout

The Feed: National Bike Month Rides into San Antonio, Just in Time

The Feed: B–Roll on the Mission Reach

The Feed: Lessons Learned from Local “Losers”

Slim Down Showdown: Creating a Culture of Health

Photo Essay: Capitol 10K Recap

The Feed: Show Down + Síclovía = Fit City, USA

It was quite fitting to take a path through Travis Park last evening when I walked over to the public meeting held downtown at the historic St. Anthony Hotel.

But I hesitated at the corner of Pecan and Navarro Streets – and anyone who lives, works or plays downtown knows exactly why.

Philosophically, this city (any city, really) is for everyone – especially downtown and especially its parks. Travis Park, however, is not for everyone. Despite the police officer slowly making her rounds on the sidewalk (perhaps assigned to this location because of the meeting), it would have been hard (and naïve) not to be aware of the intimidating glances during my stroll through the park. Perhaps the presence of my camera added to my out-of-place-ness.

Travis Park has plenty of tree shade, open space and is close to several office buildings, hotels and a few downtown apartment complexes. The park’s Navarro Street boundary is also a transit hub, hosting three VIA Metropolitan Transit bus stops and 14 different bus routes. It’s green, surrounded by concrete, people and activity, yet is largely avoided by most of the downtown population.

Travis Park as seen from the corner of Pecan and Navarro Streets. Photo by Iris Dimmick.

“What’s up, girl?” A young man asked me in passing, licking his lips. He and his friend laughed, now behind me, at my meek half-smile and automatic response:

“Hey, man.”

I need to work on saying nothing at all. Big city livin’ rule number one.

As I approached the garage entrance to the hotel on Travis Street, my two new friends began to yell at a homeless man sitting on raised, semi-circle of concrete; one of eight that surround the United Daughters of the Confederacy monument in the center of the city-block park.

The main entrance to St. Anthony’s Hotel across from Travis Park. Photo by Iris Dimmick.

“It’s not a peaceful place,” said Barbara Powell at the open house meeting hosted by the Center City Development Office. ” The homeless (people) and drug dealers have taken it over … They ask for money, cigarettes … some talk loudly to themselves.”

She was one of about 45 people on hand to inspect and provide feedback on a draft concept plan for Travis Park produced by the New York-based urban planning consultant Project for Public Spaces. Contracted by the city, PPS has been collecting data and holding public input meetings since early March.

The plans depict a park with kiosks, shelters (i.e. outdoor reading room, bus stops), game areas (i.e. bocce ball, chess, dominoes, and ping-pong), picnic tables, a moveable stage, food trucks, public art, a dog run and increased landscaping – all the typical amenities and improvements one would expect for a public park.

Barbara Powell, owner of Big Apple Bagels, and Elena Madison, PPS vice president, discuss Travis Park – its strengths and weaknesses. Photo by Iris Dimmick.

Powell owns Big Apple Bagels, just a block away on Houston Street. She told PPS representatives that she’s tired of avoiding the block – that Travis Park seems to be a wasted resource.

Like PPS, Powell believes that more facilities, events and activities will draw a more diverse crowd from downtown business and residential communities – true customers of the park’s public goods.

Travis Park isn’t completely void of programming, but events are few and far between – most notably the two-day Jazz’SAlive Festival.

When Haven for Hope, a transformational center and shelter for homeless people, opened just west of Interstate 35 in 2010, nearby churches (Travis Park Methodist and St. Mark’s Episcopal) began to consolidate some of their efforts with Haven. This may account for a slight decrease in the vagrant population, but most assistance programs still require sobriety – a stipulation that many people cannot or will not fulfill.

While park programming and amenities won’t solve San Antonio’s drug and homeless problems, it might provide an opportunity for surrounding businesses and the city to reach out to these populations, said former City Planning Director Emil Moncivais, now a local architect.

“Maybe that could be something for the guys at Centro, in yellow shirts, to do,” Moncivais said, referring to Centro San Antonio employees often seen downtown sweeping up trash and staffing information kiosks. Centro’s office is right across from the park on Travis Street.

José Luis, vice president of Travis Park Lofts, attended the meeting as an obvious stakeholder in the revitalization efforts – the lofts are less than a block away from its namesake park.

“Not only is it an (untapped) asset to the neighborhood and (business), it could also be a great connection or gateway from downtown to the upcoming (Tobin) Center for the Performing Arts,” Luis said. “This could be our mini Central Park.”

The St. Anthony Hotel itself, currently undergoing renovations under its new owner as of last year, BC Lynd Hospitality, stands to replace a long-standing uncomfortable first-impression with a pleasant front-yard welcome for its guests.

Several suggestions were scrawled on large note-pads during the open house: “Creative/artistic bike parking,” “water feature,” “drought/horticulture awareness,” “lots of light for bus shelters,” “foot pond (like in Millennial Park),” and, simply, “stage.”

“(Travis Park) has both structural and psychological problems … it needs more than what’s (proposed) here, for sure. Something that’s a unique draw,” said local architect Mark Kellmann.

Navarro Street bus stops at Travis Park. Photo by Iris Dimmick.

Structurally, he said, “The four-foot sidewalks are way too narrow” for two-way pedestrian traffic and people sitting on the foot-tall park borders waiting for the bus “creates pressure on that space.”

Madison of PPS agrees, and noted that while so many elements of the area are up in the air, the park isn’t ready for a long-term plan with major projects, like widening sidewalks, attached to it. She explains that this is a representation of small improvements that can be made on a small budget – which hasn’t officially been discussed yet. At a meeting with the City tomorrow, PPS and other parties will be discussing what department or organization is best suited to implement these plans and find funding. Further public feedback will be taken via online survey (coming soon) and the final suggestion package from PPS to the City should be ready by the end of June, Madison said.

“These are things that can be done quickly and cheaply,” Madison said. “This is just a (preliminary) short-term plan … many elements can become something bigger, more long-term.”

Project for Public Spaces’ Travis Park plan draft. Photo by Iris Dimmick.

Getting rid of a certain population isn’t the goal of this project, she explained. “It’s not to displace anyone, but to add other activations to the space … half of the people you think are loitering today, could be playing chess tomorrow.”

If she had to choose just one amenity or feature to Travis Park to make it more inviting to more people:

“Only one thing will not do it,” she said. “You’ll need a critical mass of small projects to really see a change … but if I had to choose one, it would be a concession stand, newsstand, or kiosk” of some sort – to provide a sense of purpose and authority to the park.

PPS will also be making suggestions for a broader, long-term strategy for how to creatively help the homeless in Travis Park and beyond, Madison said, though this is not a part of the official project commissioned by the City.

Shelters at the park’s bus stops on Navarro Street are already a part of VIA’s short-term capital plan and the transit organization is a participant in the PPS project’s studies and meetings, said Abigail Kinnison, VIA facility planner.

“We’ve been taking the bus more often now, (the bus stops) so close to our office,” said Heather Holdridge, sustainability manager at Lake/Flato Architects. “I want it to be a park for all demographics … I think if the park is more of a destination, that would enable it to be a better transportation hub and promote wider use of mass transit.”

A quiet day in Travis park. Photo by Iris Dimmick.

Holdridge paraphrases a quote and encourages me to look it up later, I found: ”A developed coun­try is not a place where the poor have cars. It’s where the rich use pub­lic trans­portation,” Translated from Enrique Penalosa, for­mer Mayor of Bogotá, Colombia.

Ultimately, Travis Park could serve as a valuable neighborhood amenity for existing and future downtown housing – that is, if it can overcome its reputation.

Mark Dominguez just moved into the Milmo Lofts on South Flores Street and came to the meeting to find out more about urban living in San Antonio. He grew up in San Antonio and just returned from Baltimore about a month ago – relocating his small business, Strategic Cyber Solutions, to tap into the local cyber security industry.

“Not much has changed” in 30 years, he said. Parks are capable of hosting so much activity, from music events to a simple game of frisbee,  ”It’s odd that (the park) hasn’t been used … I’ve been to (Washington) D.C., Balitimore and San Diego area – a lot of fun things happen in their parks.”

Not at Travis Park. Not yet anyway. For now, I’ll take the long way home.

Iris Dimmick is managing editor of the Rivard Report. Follow her on Twitter @viviris or contact her at iris@rivardreport.com.

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Without a course correction, the dream many share of a redesigned Hemisfair Park becoming the city’s great public gathering place for locals and visitors is likely to fall short.

My fear is that we are blowing it. The civic, cultural and business leadership driving the redevelopment don’t seem to be in the same game, and as a consequence, San Antonio might never have a great downtown park.

That would be a tragedy, one that would undermine elements of the community-informed SA2020 plan, Mayor Julián Castro’s Decade of the Downtown declaration, and the drive to transform the city’s urban core into a nationally competitive space to live and work.

This seems like an opportune time for the newly formed Centro Partnership San Antonio to convene stakeholders and search for consensus and compromise to regain lost momentum.

“Centro Partnership San Antonio is a newly created public-private non-profit organization entrusted to envision and foster a vibrant and prosperous downtown that benefits the entire San Antonio community. The Partnership will focus on guiding and leading development in the center city.”

 

Those are Centro’s defining words. With former Deputy City Manager Pat DiGiovanni now working as the organization’s CEO, this is a good time to put Centro’s concept to the test.

Fault lines in and around Hemisfair Park have opened over a range of issues:

* One is the proposed hotel tower atop the historic Joske’s building, a project that has been rejected by the city’s Historic and Design Review Commission, but has the conditional support of Mayor Julián Castro, City Manager Sheryl Sculley and DiGiovanni. The San Antonio Conservation Society has rejected the project, too, even after it was scaled down and given a new skin by Overland Partners. The rejection has caused many in the development community to wonder how downtown can be revitalized if every building is deemed historic and worthy of protection in its current state and use.

Option One (left) and Option Two (right) project renderings for a hotel tower project on the historic Joske’s building. Renderings from Overland Partners as submitted to the Historic and Design Review Commission.

* A second disagreement is over Rep. Mike Villarreal’s still-alive legislation that authorizes the Hemisfair Park Redevelopment Corp. to start construction work without holding a citywide election, and that allows construction of one hotel within the park. The bill nearly died after Villarreal, city officials and Zachry Corp. clashed over the bill’s ever-shifting fine print. Differences deteriorated into finger-pointing.

* A third dispute has erupted in the Lavaca neighborhood south of the park where residents oppose a proposal by the San Antonio Housing Authority to complete the development of Victoria Commons with a majority of subsidized housing units. Residents say the plans unveiled at a community meeting contradicted previous SAHA assurances of a more economically blended neighborhood. SAHA Chairman Ramiro Cavazos, who also serves as CEO of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, did not attend the hearing. Afterwards, however, he seemed to side with residents, saying subsidized housing should be limited to 20% of the total units rather than the 80% proposed by SAHA staff.

From top: UTSA’s Institute for Texan Cultures, the Judge John H. Wood Jr. Federal Courthouse, and the San Antonio Federal Building. Photos by Rachel Holland.

* Amid these tensions, no one is leading a serious public conversation about the future redevelopment of the southern side of the park, now home to a collection of world’s fair era buildings, one in use by UTSA for its Institute of Texan Cultures and the others used by the U.S. Justice Department as offices and a federal courthouse. Redevelopment there is on hold until federal offices move to a yet-to-be built new federal courthouse on the site of the former San Antonio Police headquarters at Santa Rosa and Nueva Streets.

All the great urban parks I know, large and small, from New York’s Central Park to Chicago’s Grant Park to Boston Common are gathering places that attract locals and visitors alike. It is that mix of interests that creates its own energy and sense of place. These parks are bordered by residential towers and hotels.

A compromise might lie in allowing a new hotel development atop the Joske’s building while designating as residential the southern edge of the park. The Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center on the park’s north perimeter dictates the logic of City Council approving the new hotel. Because of the convention center, it’s only natural that hotels abound on Hemisfair’s perimeter. One block to the northeast stand the Marriott River Center and Marriott Riverwalk. The Hilton Palacio del Rio, which opened for HemisFair ’68, anchors the northwest corner. Down the block on South Alamo Street, the historic Fairmount Hotel offers a more upscale, boutique hotel experience. South of la Villita, the Marriott Plaza San Antonio holds down the southwest corner.

But the northwest corner of Market Street is dead space. Nothing is happening there. It’s important to respect the integrity of the Historical and Design Review Commission, but it’s also important to see the commission as a body that does not have absolute power and can be overruled when there is compelling reason to do so. One good argument is that the best downtown is a shared downtown, not one where locals displace conventioneers and tourists. San Antonio’s convention and visitor trade is the engine in a great economic combine, and it deserves to grow along with every other downtown economic sector.

The Conservation Society’s “shadow over the Alamo” argument strikes me as the weakest of all objections. There is no evidence a new hotel will cast anywhere near the shadow, metaphorically speaking, as that of the tacky tourist traps that line Alamo Plaza. The buildings might be historic, but the tenants detract from the authenticity of the Alamo experience. I don’t remember that ever being a concern of the Conservation Society. The Emily Morgan Hotel rises up over the Alamo on its north side, but I can’t remember anyone lamenting its existence or the shadow it casts.

Shadow predictions during the winter solstice at 12:30 p.m. for Option One (left) and Option Two (right). The shadow of the proposed hotel tower at the historic Joske’s building barely touches the Alamo, Mission San Antonio de Valero. Renderings courtesy of Overland Partners.

Many thought the first version of the proposed Joske’s project looked like a runaway building from Dallas, but the reworked version offered on very short notice by Overland Partners reduced the tower in scale and mass. It’s far more attractive than many of the other downtown hotel towers.

“Economic development encourages the proliferation of glass giants … but not always smart streets or better culture,” Michael Kimmelman, the New York Times architecture critic, recently wrote.

Option Two rendering courtesy of Overland Partners.

He was talking about New York, but the same can be said for San Antonio. If city leaders are truly committed to making it possible for more people to live downtown and not just encourage visitor industry development, several bold steps will have to be taken.

One is to find places in the park that will be designated for residential development. That will require UTSA agreeing to move the under-utilized Institute of Texan Cultures, and it will mean demolishing some of the other world’s fair era buildings. An NRP-style multi-family urban project (think Cevallos Lofts) would fit neatly on the park’s southern border and truly connect Southtown to downtown.

None of the buildings in question were meant to endure decades, and none are worthy of praise or protection, in my view. Are they “historical” because they came to life at HemisFair ’68? The Tower of Americas serves well as the iconic expression of the time. If every building in the city’s past is special and worthy of preservation than none are special.

Simply designating the park’s southern perimeter as residential, however difficult a process that could prove to be, will not be enough. The city’s recently adopted policy of offering low-interest loans to developers to build more downtown residential projects obviously is not taking hold. Downtown land prices are simply too steep, even with low-interest loans, for anyone to build apartments or convert existing buildings to residential housing and make a profit.

There are remedies. One is for the city, the country and public improvement district to create a private-public development fund that would provide direct cash incentives to developers. It’s been done here and in other cities and it makes otherwise unaffordable housing projects affordable. It’s the only way to build apartments downtown at $2 or less per square foot. Taxpayers recoup their investment over time with an expanded tax base.

Cevallos Loft courtyard and pool, 301 E. Cevallos St. Photo by Iris Dimmick.

Suburban council members will fight the establishment of such a fund, but they have one of their own and there ought to be reciprocity. Over the next five years, the city, county and the Alamo Regional Mobility Authority will spend $270 million buying right-of-way along roadways and for drainage systems overwhelmed by sprawl and vehicle traffic. If public funds can underwrite this kind of unchecked suburban development, why can’t public funds be made available to spur downtown residential housing? Residents who live in the urban core cost far less in tax dollars than people who live in the ever-expanding suburbs.

There is another bold step the city and county could take to accelerate downtown building conversions into residential housing. City and county leaders could send out appraisers and code compliance officers to reassess every unoccupied building in the urban core. It’s easy right now for absentee owners to sit on blighted properties that retard downtown economic development because the taxes they pay are so low. If their properties were assessed at something closer to fair market rates, they would have to either sell or invest. If code compliance officers started to issues citations for broken windows, illegal entry points into empty buildings, interior safety hazards, etc. owners would have to act. Again, such tactics have yielded good results in other cities. It’s a matter of political will.

South of Caesar Chavez Boulevard, meanwhile, many Lavaca residents are understandably alarmed by SAHA’s mixed messages. The property in question was once the home of the Victoria Courts housing project. Adding back the equivalent of a new housing project would be duplicating the failed policies of the past. Blending in mixed income housing is more in keeping with the organic development of the neighborhood.

The apartment and town-home complex, Victoria Commons – once home of the Victoria Courts housing project. Photo courtesy of SAHA

A hotel in the park project is the trickiest challenge. Andres Andujar, the CEO and chief architect of the Hemisfair Redevelopment Corp., makes a strong argument for the value of adding a revenue-producing hotel tenant in the park to help underwrite other uses and improvements.

Selecting a footprint for the hotel and defining its size and design will be necessary to win public support. If the Joske’s building can support a 500-room tower, it seems reasonable to argue that the park should become home to a smaller, upscale boutique hotel that does not overwhelm newly created green spaces and leaves open space for public art, jogging paths, water elements and other park amenities.

San Antonio is a city with more than its fair share of chain hotels, and too few boutique venues. The Marriotts and Hyatts and Hiltons and Holiday Inns and all the others are vital to the convention industry and add thousands of jobs, but many people who travel to experience a given city’s charms want to stay in a unique hotel, places like the Talbott or Whitehall in Chicago, the Governor Hotel in Portland or the Peery Hotel in Salt Lake City.

A lot of people have a big stake in the future of Hemisfair Park and the surrounding streets, buildings and air space. How well we carry out this major redevelopment project will end up saying a lot about how successful Mayor Julián Castro is in achieving his goal of making this the Decade of Downtown. Without bold moves and serious public-private investment, we probably won’t make it. We might take the convention and visitor industry to the next level, but accomplish nothing else.

It’s a good time for city leaders to decide whether San Antonio’s downtown will remain the province of visitors or become home to locals, too, an aspiration that can’t be fulfilled without money.

It’s a conversation worth having.

Follow Robert Rivard on Twitter @rivardreport or on Facebook.

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RR: Let’s start with a little digital introduction of yourself. Are you a native San Antonian?

Danielle Cunningham

Cunningham: I was born in Ohio, but I got here as quick as I could. I’ve lived in San Antonio since I was seven years old. I love it here. I am a graphic and web designer by trade – a musician, writer, and artist as well. I like to ride my bike all over the place, read scary books, work in my garden, and hang out with my dogs – Monty, a lovable Great Dane and Sammy, a feisty Chihuahua.
I’m also a certified personal trainer looking to get my nutrition certification this year. I am working on starting community gardens in San Antonio, and I’d like to put all of my knowledge and passion about these things into helping others start their own gardens and get the discussion going on plant-based eating, growing your own food, and what to do with it from there.

RR: What made you get involved with the protest?

Cunningham: When I’ve passed out flyers to people on the street and in stores, I have been asked “What’s Monsanto?” “What are GMOs?” “Why should I care?”

I got involved in the movement because I care about my fellow human  beings. We’re all in this together, and if we don’t take care of and look out for each other, then what’s the point? I always try to spread the word on organics and eating for wellness and health. While I am greatly angered by the politics behind our food system, I am even more incensed by all of the unnecessary additives, preservatives, and plain old chemicals added to our food that are making people sick.

The day the Monsanto Protection Act passed, I was livid. Here, they’re scheming right out in the open – for Monsanto be to exempt from any future litigation from any harm or illness their products may bring about is preposterous! It is proven that their GMO crops, their Roundup-Ready Crops, can cause tumors and illness, so WHY ARE WE ALLOWING THEM IN OUR OUR FOOD SUPPLY?

I was on Facebook the a few days after the bill passed, and saw the national page for March Against Monsanto. I clicked to see what it was all about, saw that it was to be a global day of protest, looked to see if there was a march in San Antonio (there wasn’t at the time) and sent them my contact information to help organize the event for San Antonio. If you’re going to talk the talk, you’d better walk the walk, n’est-ce-pas?

I have zero experience organizing marches, but no matter. I just wanted to help spread the word, educate people, let them know there are choices, where to find information and help, and stand up to let Monsanto and their cronies know that we know, and we’re not going to simply accept it. We will spread the word and speak with our wallets by not buying their products and making better, more informed choices regarding food. What’s more, it’s time to get back in the community and help each other out. What better way than to grow and share whole, real food together?

RR: How many protestors are you anticipating to join you on the 25th?

Cunningham: We estimate 500 people, but by the looks of things, over 1,000 plan to attend. It sure would be something if thousands turned out for this event. We will have guest speakers on organic gardening, fitness, juicing and nutrition, and GMOs, of course; tables for information on all of that and more.

Local comedian, actor, singer, political commentator and activist Jade Esteban Estrada will emcee the event, which will feature the Rebel Poet (Jamaal Haffner), who is writing a piece for the occasion, Diane Baines, The Food Evangelist, will share her knowledge of the GMO crisis and a couple of awesome local bands will be playing, too (Dark Planes and Please Help!).

The march starts at the Pearl Farmer’s Market at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday and heads to the Alamo. Everyone will gather at 1 p.m. at the Alamo and we will have our rally there. We aim to create a positive, informative, educational, and fun environment for discussion about GMOs, food, and nutrition.

While Monsanto is the reason I acted, they’re not the entire focus for me – I’d rather put a positive spin on it and show people how to identify and avoid those products, and show them alternatives to GMO-laden food products.

RR: What do you think this protest will accomplish?

Cunningham: A friend asked me the same question: “What do you think you’re going to change by doing this?”

My response: Hopefully, we can change people’s minds. People need to know what is going on with our food supply, what is going into their food and, ultimately, into their bodies. We need to bring to the forefront the connection between nutrition and wellness.

By marching against Monsanto, Texans are sending a message to Congress, the President, the Food and Drug Administration, and other government officials to protect America’s food sources. Protestors demand:

• The repeal of relevant provisions of the US’s “Monsanto Protection Act.”
• The labeling of GM Organisms (GMOs) so that consumers can make those informed decisions easier.
• Further scientific research on the health effects of GMOs.

It would be great if I could say, “Oh yeah, we’re going to make everyone label their products that contain GMOs and ultimately have them banned,” but one thing at a time/first things first: We need to raise awareness in order to create the positive change we so need. Hopefully, this protest will do just that and start creating that change.

Where and When:

• Tomorrow, Saturday May 25
• 11:30 a.m. — Gather at Pearl Farmer’s Market
• Noon — Begin march to the Alamo
• 1 p.m. — Rally introduced and/emceed by Jade Esteban Estrada
  • Speaker: Niko Nanoski, Shaman and Organic Bodybuilder
• 1:15 p.m. — Speaker: Diane Baines, Food Evangelist
• 1:20 p.m. — Speaker: Nicholas Keel, Urban Organic Gardener
• 1:30 p.m. — Chef Gus from Sweet Yams
• Q&A
• 1:45 p.m. — Dark Planes
• 2:30 p.m. — J. Alejandro, The Rebel Poet
• 2:40 p.m. — Please Help!

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RR: How does the Picture Your World (PYW) Project align with the Green Space Alliance of South Texas’ primary mission?

Sherry Christensen. Courtesy photo.

Sherry Christensen: One aspect of Green Space Alliance (GSA) is education: To teach young people to preserve and protect their natural environment.  By working with kids outdoors, teaching them about what they are seeing in nature, and teaching them how to create a visual memory of what they see, we hope to instill in them a love of the outdoors and their natural environment.

RR: How did you personally become involved in the project? What has been the most rewarding part of managing this contest?

Christensen: I became involved in the project soon after I retired.  I had taught art for 35 years, most recently at Robert E. Lee High School.  The executive director of GSA at that time called me to ask if I’d be interested in heading up the program – my name had been given to her by several people.  (I had been very active in the arts education community, acting as president of San Antonio Arts Education, helping establish early Visual Arts Scholastic Events in our area, and starting the first AP art program in NEISD.)  I agreed to manage the program along with the contest.

The contest itself is just one small part of the PYW program.  There are four parts:

• The weekend workshops (open to everyone ages 8-18)
• The elementary program (in-class workshops)
• The competition.
• Outreach to parks and recreation by providing the program during the summer to Medina River Natural Area as well as local libraries, and moving a display of the photos from one location to another during the year to promote awareness of PYW. Winning competition photos are regularly displayed at San Antonio Public Libraries during the summer and at REI during the school year.

First place for 8-12 Division: Julian Jaramillo, age 10, Gonzalez Elementary.

Congrats, Julian Jaramillo!

One of the most rewarding aspects of this program is seeing parents and kids interacting at workshops.  Parents often bring their cameras and take photos along with their kiddos.  They often stop to compare photos with each other.  Some parents just walk along during the hike, watching and encouraging.  Often teenagers and parents will stop to interact with each other.  There are few opportunities these days for teenagers and their parents to participate in the same activity and enjoy each others company in the process.  It’s fun to watch it happen at PYW.

RR: How did the Picture Your World Contest come about?

Christensen: PYW was started in 2002.  It began as a very different animal, taking place over just a week and they all were still using film.  I’ve been with the program since the fall of 2007 and it’s changed in just that amount of time.  The contest has always been a part of it, though it took different forms at first.  Since 2007 it has been open to anyone in Bexar and the immediate surrounding counties.  Students submit digital images and winners are chosen and honored at an awards presentation and reception.

There are programs similar to PYW today, but at its inception, it was one of a kind and remains unique. We were the model for a program in San Miguel de Allende two years ago called Club FotoNatura.

First place for 13-18 Division: Daniel Chaffin, age 15, Churchill HS.

Excellent photo, Daniel Chaffin!

Anyone age eight to 18 can participate in either or both of our workshops and our photo competition. Contest requirements are that youth submit 3 quality photos depicting some aspect of nature.  Photos must be from a camera of at least six MG and be at a high resolution so that they can be printed as 10 by 13 inch images if they are chosen.  Photos cannot be of domestic or caged animals. This year, 116 students submitted three photos each.

RR: Photography, like most visual art, is a pretty subjective art form. It can be especially difficulty to “judge” the work of children. What was the scoring process like and the guiding philosophy behind it?

Christensen:  I taught art in a public secondary school for 35 years so I understand what you’re saying.  However, quality is often hard to define but easier to spot when looking at student work, whether it’s a photo or some sort of fine art piece.  Judges, usually three are selected, have always been professional photographers or art educators or both.

When looking at photos, the first criteria is focus.  This means two things 1) that the image is clear, sharp and (literally) in focus and 2) there is a definite subject in the photo.  Then we begin to look at other aspects of the photo: Direction and lines that the eye follows across the piece, contrast, use of space, variety of texture, rhythm and repetition of pattern.

RR: Are these kids all relatively experienced photographers or has this contest been an introduction for some to the art form?

Christensen: Many of the younger kids are pretty new to good photos.  One-on-one instruction takes place at the workshops.   Many of the older kids come with their own cameras and a good working knowledge of good photography.  Some of our workshop kids have been part of the program for as many as four years, coming to all of our workshops. (These workshops meet seven times a year at a natural location and are held on a Sunday afternoon from 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.  The workshops are open to anyone 8-18.)

We also work with two elementary schools, Gonzalez Elementary in EISD, and Franklin Elementary in SAISD.  Each school supplies three classes of 25 students each.  We set up workshop locations for them with a master naturalist, professional photographer, and myself.  We take them on a nature hike after some preliminary instruction in both the use of the cameras we supply and the principles of good photos.

Second place for 8-12 Division: Arianna Morawski, age 8, homeschool.

Afterwards, we do a short critique with them, looking at many of their photos with the group, and discussing the good points as well as some of the weak points of their photos.  We hold these three classes both in the fall and in the spring at natural areas.  This past year we partnered with Government Canyon and with Friedrich Natural Wilderness Park.

RR: What kind of feedback have you received from participating students and their parents?

Christensen: Parents are always complimentary.  Many of them wonder why they hadn’t heard of the program before.  They often bring others with them to the next workshop.  Our workshops host homeschooled children, 4H, Boy and Girl Scouts, and public school kiddos.  One set of parents, Mary Branson and her husband Joe Webb, have continued to support our program even after their son, who had participated for four years, had gone beyond the 18 year age limit.  They continue to come to most of the Sunday workshops, helping monitor the participants, taking photos for a memory video at the end of the year, and supplying snacks.  They have been invaluable.  Mary’s daughter, Kim Villarreal, an art teacher at Bradley MS, has come out to nearly every workshop for the past three years as well.  She helps give one-on-one instruction to the kiddos as well.  Gwen Rigdon, parent to four-year participant Douglas Rigdon, also has been a huge supporter and promoter of our program.

RR: What was the most difficult part of the process?

Christensen:  Getting out the word.  Where do you go, who do you talk to, how can you let people know that this wonderful program exists?

We have been extremely fortunate this year.  GSA has partnered with CPS Energy to make the weekend program possible.  They are also putting together an 18-month calendar that will highlight this year’s winning photos.  The calendar will be ready in July and can be purchased through GSA.

Valero Energy has partnered with GSA to provide the elementary program this year and two more years.  We are very grateful to both of these companies.  GSA is a nonprofit organization. Without them, PYW would not be possible.

Second place for 12-18 Division: Sarah Ramirez, age 13, Krueger MS.

This Years PYW Contest Winners:

8-12 Division

First: Julian Jaramillo, age 10, Gonzalez Elementary

Second: Arianna Morawski, age 8, homeschool

Third: Cody Ramirez, age 11, Franklin Elementary

12-18 Division

First: Daniel Calfin, age 15, Churchill HS

Second: Sarah Ramirez, age 13, Krueger MS

Third: Douglas Rigdon, age 13, homeschool

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From the disastrous tornadoes in Moore, Oklahoma to the devastating explosion in West, Texas, communities are coming together to provide the support and resources needed to restore their neighbors’ lives. The American Red Cross is really not that different; we are one united front. Working together, each state and each chapter combines its resources and efforts to ensure the victims of disasters get what they need to recover and rebuild.

May 21, 2013. Moore Oklahoma. Christopher Hood, a mechanic from Oklahoma City, takes a leave of absence to help tornado victims recover their most precious belongings. Although not much can be salvaged, Christopher manages to compile a stack of photo albums. He explains, “”People were coming up to me asking if they could help with anything, and I’m the one coming in to help out.”” Photo by Talia Frenkel/American Red Cross.

That’s why I’ve been in Oklahoma for days now. When disaster struck, San Antonio and Oklahoma City became two cities with a common cause. The American Red Cross is proud to have volunteers from San Antonio and across the state of Texas working tirelessly for Oklahoma. I am one among many. This is my job.

As a San Antonian and a Red Crosser, I know that the Spurs and the Thunder may have been rivals on the court but are now working together to help the families in Oklahoma recover from devastation. Heck, as a Texan (even if I did only get their as fast as I could), I know Texas and Oklahoma have a healthy rivalry for just about everything!

Sport fans know that the attributes of a successful team are unity, compassion, tenacity and gumption. And those attributes pulled together are what your Red Cross volunteers and staff are putting into their work for the families of Oklahoma every day.

May 21, 2013. Moore, Oklahoma. A Red Cross worker assesses the destruction inflicted upon Moore, Oklahoma. Photo by Talia Frenkel/American Red Cross.

Just yesterday, Kevin Durant, one of the NBA’s star players, exemplified these traits on behalf of Oklahoma. Not only did he contribute to the disaster relief by stocking an emergency response vehicle with supplies necessary to keep a shelter up and running, but he also lifted the spirits of Oklahomans and local Red Cross volunteers by touring the devastation in Moore. We are all neighbors. We are all friends.

Being a part of this response is amazing. I am privileged to work side by side with truly incredible people – Texans, Oklahomans and others from across the country. As a responder, the days are long, a real meal is a challenge and rest is limited but the rewards are great. The challenges we face pale before those faces by families who have lost everything, including their loved ones.

Communities need to be rebuilt. Grief needs to take its course. But through it all the Red Cross is here. Working with our partners, we are making a difference – one meal at a time, one toothbrush at a time, one hug at a time.

Say a little prayer or offer up a kind thought for the people impacted and all those who have come to help. Better yet, please make a donation, whatever you can afford. $100 is good, $1,000 would be incredible, but $25 is just fine. Click here to donate. Every dollar counts, especially if you are a family whose life has been reduced to rubble and homelessness.

May 21, 2013. Moore, Oklahoma. 4-year-old Devion Hambrick’s eagerness to help his family characterizes the collaborative spirit of Moore, Oklahoma, in the aftermath of the tornado. With his father’s work gloves, Devion spends all day helping to clear debris from the front yard. Many Oklahoma residents actively partake to help their fellow friends, neighbors, and even strangers. Photo by Talia Frenkel/American Red Cross.

San Antonio is in Oklahoma City again this year, just as it was last year, but this time for a very different reason. Everyone here needs all the support they can get. American Red Cross Texans are standing together with Oklahomans as we deal with the devastating effects of these spring storms as one Red Cross, one community of neighbors.

With 30 years of professional experience in development, marketing, and emergency & business management, Leslie Palmer has found a home at the American Red Cross. As the Assistant Vice President for Development of the Southwest and Rocky Mountain Division, Palmer serves as a fundraising strategist and consultant for Red Cross chapters and region in nine states. When she is not traveling for her Red Cross work, she lives in San Antonio with her husband, Rudy Ledesma.

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It’s a fact: Highly educated, tech-savvy immigrants are vital to the nation’s entrepreneurial economy. Yet many who come to U.S. colleges and universities to hone their skills find themselves unable to stay after graduation because of outdated immigration laws.

The face of innovation and entrepreneurship in the United States is clearly changing, making skilled foreign workers more important than ever to an economy that suffers from a lack of high tech talent. That’s backed up by a growing body of research generated by bipartisan sources, including the Partnership for a New American Society, the American Enterprise Institute, and the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation.

Yet highly skilled, non-native workers, particularly in specialized  STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) fields, face multiple barriers to remaining in or even entering the country. Many find themselves on the wrong side of a visa quota system that prevents U.S. job creation from reaching a supply and demand equilibrium.

The golden ticket? An H-1B visa, intended “to employ foreign workers in specialty occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise in specialized fields,” in the words of the US Citizenship and Immigration services webpage.

Since 2006, the number of available H-1B visas has been capped at 85,000. The application season for 2014 H-1B visa petitions began on April 1, 2013, and within five days, the cap was met. That leaves growing companies, like Rackspace and USAA, unable to fill jobs by tapping foreign talent.

With demand far exceeding supply, more and more business groups are  clamoring for revision of the program. While the U.S. Congress has struggled to reach a compromise on several recently introduced immigration reform bills, others have taken the matter into their own hands.

Individuals across the country are making their opinions heard by joining the March for Innovation to Washington, a virtual procession that begins today.

The goal is to call on members of the U.S. Senate via social media and spurs elected officials to move swiftly toward enactment of a comprehensive immigration reform bill that addresses the disconnect between current immigration law and a fast-changing U.S. economy.

This morning, the Senate Judiciary Committee approved a sweeping new reform bill that will go to the full Senate in June. Here is the New York Times coverage of the proposed legislation, which would raise the number of H-1B visas to 115,000 annually.

The “iMarch” was organized by the Partnership for a New American Economy, a group of business leaders aiming to fuel American innovation and job creation through immigration and visa policy reform.

Peter French

One like-minded advocate is San Antonio’s own Peter French. A social entrepreneur with diverse experience in real estate development, placemaking, and problem solving, French founded FreeFlow Research last October. (Keep up with FreeFlow Research on Facebook and Twitter.)

The mission of this Geekdom-based applied research organization is to establish San Antonio as the U.S. center of global entrepreneurship by removing barriers for international entrepreneurs and innovators to anchor their businesses in the city. Not subject to the visa cap or annual application cycle dates, FreeFlow Research is awaiting certification as a 501(c)(3) organization. When all the pieces come together, the organization will be able to sponsor cap-exempt H-1B visas for qualified workers year-round.

If French’s plan works, he will be able to supply employers such as Rackspace and USAA with skilled contract foreign-born workers that visa limitations would prevent the companies from hiring directly.

FreeFlow Research has begun to establish partnerships with universities and major employers in San Antonio. French anticipates fulfilling their time-sensitive employee requirements by recruiting a pool of skilled workers whose skill sets meet specific needs. FreeFlow Research would hire the specialized foreign-born workers and sponsor their H-1B visa applications.

The visa could keep non-native workers in San Antonio for up to six years, buying time for the contract employer or another company to hire the individual on a full-time basis.

As the website indicates, FreeFlow Research will “extend the Optional Practical Training (OPT) period for foreign STEM graduates, and provide our members with immigration support, skills assessments, stipends, [and] entrepreneurship resources.”

FreeFlow Research plans to connect with university students and help them get on track for internships, apprenticeships, and possibly, research projects with local for-profit companies. By leveraging existing resources like the OPT period (which can allow for as long as 29 months of work under a student visa) with FreeFlow Research-sponsored H-1B visas, French anticipates helping young, foreign-born workers remain in San Antonio for nearly 10 years, ample time to secure a full-time job with an employer that would sponsor the individual’s “green card” application for permanent residency and, eventually, citizenship.

French pointed to ParLevel Systems as a shining example of the kind of international entrepreneur business that San Antonio should fight to support. The company includes graduates of Trinity University (Walter Teele), UTSA (Jeremy Zunker, Luis P. Gonzalez-Cuatro Cienegas), Mexico-Instituto Tecnologico de Estudios Superiores de Occidente or ITESO (Alfonso Garcia-Guadalajara), and Monterrey Tech (Rafael Barroso), all of whom are working here under student visas.

“Geekdom is the place where everything started,” said ParLevel CEO Luis Gonzalez. Most recently, the company was selected to participate in the TechStars Cloud program, a highly selective tech business incubator that culminates in a day of business pitches to a theater packed with angel investors and venture capitalists looking for promising new business ventures.

“These guys (ParLevel) are poster children for the kind of the people we want here,” asserted French. “The fact that there would be any problem with them staying and keeping that company in San Antonio does not make sense to me on any level.”

ParLevel Systems (left to right: Jeremy Zunker, Alfonso Garcia-Guadalajara, Rafael Barroso, Walter Teele, Luis P. Gonzalez-Cuatro Cienegas)

A fact sheet from MarchforInnovation.com neatly summarizes a few compelling statistics about immigrants and entrepreneurship (and this infographic describes H-1B candidates). Immigrants or their children founded more than 40% of Fortune 500 companies. In 2011 alone, 28% of all companies started in the United States boasted immigrant founders, as the report Open for Business shows. In 2012, CNN reported that immigrants are more than twice as likely as the native-born to start a business.

Though some criticize the H-1B program for allegedly siphoning jobs away from native-born workers in favor of their foreign counterparts, research disproves that misconception. A May 2012 report (“Not Coming to America: Why the US is Falling Behind in the Global Race for Talent”) concluded that based on current trends, some 800,000 STEM field jobs will require workers with master’s degrees or higher by 2018, but only around 550,000 U.S.-born workers will have the necessary credentials.

“That a company like Rackspace cannot hire who they need to hire,” said French, emphatically, “we’re shooting ourselves in the foot. I find it un-American to not want the best and brightest to be here.”

Last spring, French wrote a piece for the Rivard Report presenting his idea for a program called Change Agents in Residence. Prompted by the citywide SA2020 initiative, French proposed that a concerted effort be made to identify individuals or programs effective at fixing community problems, bring them to San Antonio, and employ them to develop their solutions to myriad challenges confronting the city.

Graham Weston

A serendipitous meeting with Rackspace chairman and co-founder Graham Weston shortly after that article posted catalyzed a conversation about one particular problem facing San Antonio: attracting and retain top talent, and particularly international talent within the tech sphere. That spark of an idea resonated with French, who then set out to learn all he could about immigration and visas. Naturally, the H-1B visa, with all its benefits but also with its supply and demand problems, emerged as the best solution to solve this challenge, and FreeFlow Research was born.

Reflecting upon the past year spent bringing FreeFlow Research to fruition, French summarized his feelings toward the fledgling organization’s mission. “What I found so compelling about this whole concept at the beginning,” he explained, “was the fact that people want to stay and contribute here. That is the American dream.”

Miriam Sitz works for Accion Texas Inc., the nation’s largest non-profit microlender. You can follow her on Twitter at @miriamsitz. A graduate of Trinity University, she also authors the blog Miriam210.com, and makes and sells handmade soap, cards, and other crafts at TinderboxGoods.com. [Click here for more stories from Miriam Sitz on the Rivard Report.]

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The room erupted into pint-sized pandemonium as students cheered their teacher. The grant, awarded by the SAISD Foundation will be used to purchase sketchbooks for every student at Briscoe Academy, pre-K through 5th grade.

Oralia Lopez and Sarah Powell talk to the press along with their excited 1st graders at Briscoe Academy.

Earlier during a news conference in the Briscoe Academy library, SAISD Foundation board members announced the awarding of 39 innovation grants, to be delivered in surprise visits to different campus classrooms. More than $109,000 will be distributed to teachers and campuses demonstrating bold, innovative ideas.

“Our mission aligns with the mission of the district,” said SAISD Foundation Chairman Carri Baker Wells. SAISD seeks to become a model urban school district and the foundation supports that effort by recognizing “innovative teaching and teaching excellence,” Wells said.

Toward that goal, the foundation awards its innovation grants. The $5,000 awarded to Briscoe recognizes the school’s commitment to arts education, a proven difference-maker in the development and success of children. Briscoe students, armed with their trusty sketchbooks, will participate in a highly collaborative relationship with the San Antonio Museum of Art (SAMA) and S.M.A.R.T.

SAISD Foundation Board members Kim Harle, Carri Baker Wells, Bob Rivard, Brandon Logan, and Javier Leal.

Under the leadership of Katie Erickson, SAMA partnerships have augmented art, history, social studies, and math education throughout the city. Her team is meeting with Briscoe teachers to develop an art-intensive program, based on the school’s commitment to bring the arts back into the lives of elementary school kids.

Art appreciation and hands-on art class are among the many creative studies that has been eliminated from resource-starved Texas public schools, considered “non-essential” by too many policy makers and budget cutters.

The innovation grants and the program at the Briscoe help reverse that. Already Briscoe teachers have utilized the SAMA on the Go program, which brings art and artifacts into the classroom. In the coming school year they will take their relationship to the next level with frequent visits to the museum, free of charge. Teachers will continue to incorporate art into the school day as well.

“All our curriculum is designed to go with what the teachers are teaching in their classroom,” Erickson said.

The sketchbooks will follow the students wherever they go, and the intention is that they will keep the same book throughout elementary school to look back and see their own growth. Because Briscoe’s art emphasis is allowing SAMA to delve deeper with the students, the 5th grade curriculum will incorporate a very special Museum Literacy program that teaches student about curatorial and research skills that will open up a world of educational resources. Many adults don’t even appreciate the fact that museums are reservoirs of actual information and knowledge, not just life-size dioramas and famous paintings.

The partnership with S.M.A.R.T. (Supporting Multiple Arts Resources Together) will not only expose students to the world of galleries and working artists and architects, it will also illuminate the importance of art in their own neighborhood, the vital role it plays in their community.

Andy Benavides, Yvette Benavides, Briscoe Academy Principal Lanore Cantu, and Katie Erickson.

Artists Andy and Yvette Benavides have made it their mission to demonstrate the many facets of what art can do. From their S. Flores gallery space, 1906 gallery, they have been involved in every part of art making, from inspiration all the way to showcasing.

“We have 20 years in the community,” Andy Benavides said. In that time they have been connecting to artists, galleries, and arts organizations along S. Flores, seeking out the makings of an arts district. “We realized we have it!”

S. Flores is indeed home to many working artists and galleries, supporting it’s own Second Saturday event. Imagine a more indie First Friday, without the vendors. Bringing kids into the fabric of a cultural district will provide the support and wider worldview that can inspire would-be-forgotten kids to succeed.

Andy Benavides sees himself as one of those kids who was saved by art. A “C”-student, he would not have been tracked for success if art had not been a viable path. He grew up in an era when the arts were still part of SAISD programming. Now, his concern is for those kids like himself whose potential doesn’t fit the mold of standardized testing.

“There are a couple of generations of little geniuses that we’ve pushed off to the side,” Benavides said.

Giving kids that tool for learning, can give them the confidence and communication skills they need to succeed in other areas. Not all creative people go on to be gallery artists. Many of them go on to be CEO’s. And creativity may be the only way they find access to the subject matter.

“Art is a language,” Yvette Benavides said, “you have to start young.”

As working artists, business people, and community activists, Andy and Yvette Benavides are the ideal ambassadors for the impact of the arts.

“Where as an artist my medium was painting, now it has become community,” Andy Benavides said.

The SAISD Foundation, San Antonio Museum of Art, S.M.A.R.T., and some very dedicated teachers and administrators are all teaming up to bring the students of Briscoe Academy into that community, and insure that they achieve fluency in whatever language they need to thrive.

Bekah is a native San Antonian. She went away to Los Angeles for undergrad before earning her MSc in Media and Communication from the London School of Economics. She made it back home and now works for Ker and Downey. She is one of the founding members of Read the Change, a web-based philanthropy and frequent contributor to the Rivard Report. You can also find her at her blog, Free Bekah.

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When Oklahomans talk about tornadoes, the conversation starts or quickly turns to “May 3.” No year, just May 3.

Almost everyone remembers: For four days in May, 1999, a severe weather system spawned tornadoes over five states. On May 3, a deadly F5 tornado swept through southern Oklahoma City, including the same suburb of Moore, struck so hard yesterday. The tornado left 36 dead and more than $1 billion in property damage.

This is the same city that suffered the worst act of domestic terrorism in U.S. history on April 19, 1995 when Timothy McVeigh and his paranoid anti-government confederates set off a bomb in front of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building, killing 168 people, injuring 680 more, damaging hundreds of buildings and causing nearly  $700 million in property losses.

One year ago, life seemed so much simpler. The San Antonio Spurs were pursing another NBA championship, enroute to  Oklahoma City to play the Thunder. One local newspaper columnist here attempted to humorously and unfavorably compare Oklahoma City to San Antonio, which led me to write this May 29 story: Way More than OK: Oklahoma City is a City to Embrace, Not Bash.

Readers interested in learning more about how a visionary Oklahoma City mayor rallied people to invest in the downtown, beginning more than two decades ago, and what people there have built and accomplished in that time, should read the story. It’s evidence that what San Antonio is attempting to accomplish in its SA2020 initiative, while ambitious, is achievable.

The story hit a nerve. Many readers were as uncomfortable as I with a playoff  putdown of a city that has surmounted so much in the last two decades. The story remains the Rivard Report’s most widely read story in a single day and the second most widely story of the more than 600 stories published in our brief 15-month history.

I believe now, as I believed then, that Oklahoma City’s 21-year drive to build a better downtown to attract creative people eager to live and work there represents one of the best examples for San Antonio to follow. A tornado, no matter how devastating, can’t change that. Oklahoma City will somehow find a way, as it always has, to recover from tragedy, mourn its losses, and move forward.

This season, the road to another possible championship will not take the Spurs to Oklahoma, but there are plenty of other reasons for San Antonio to remember our rivals to the north on I-35 are also our neighbors and right now they need our help.

Readers who want to help can go to the Oklahoma American Red Cross site and donate online, or to the San Antonio Red Cross site and designate your donation for the Oklahoma tornado victims. Your gift is sure to help as local officials send staff, volunteers, and yes, cash, to the affected families caught in the tornado’s path.

Follow Robert Rivard on Twitter @rivardreport or on Facebook.

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