Current News

COVID-19 Pandemic Increases Need for Mail-based Voter Registration Programs By Lala Kumakura The Voter Participation Center (VPC) and its partner group the Center for Voter Information (CVI), are mailing 373,518 voter registration applications to people in Texas this month as part of their largest-ever campaign to register voters ahead of the historic 2020 election. More than 6.7 million people who can vote in Texas are not yet registered, according to the “Voting and Registration in the Election of November 2018” supplement to the U.S. Census, and 83% of them are members of the Rising American Electorate: young people, people of color and unmarried women. People in this group often move between elections and register and vote at lower rates than the rest of the population. As states implement stay-at- home or shelter-in-place orders and millions of Americans self- isolate because of the coronavi- rus pandemic, mail-based voter registration efforts have never been more important. VPC and CVI run the nation’s largest mail- based voter registration program, and their work is crucial today. VPC and CVI are significantly increasing their efforts during the coronavirus crisis, to ensure that historically disadvantaged communities can exercise their democracy by registering to vote by mail and requesting vote-by- mail ballots online. “With COVID-19 impacting elections, we cannot take any citizen for granted and must do all we can to increase turnout in this uncertain time. The future of our democracy is at stake,” said Page Gardner, the groups’ Founder and Board Chair. “We have a major opportunity to close the gap on voter registration and make sure the electorate is as representative as the...

Por Dawn McKenzie El totalmente nuevo Ford F-150 lleva la cami- oneta elegida de Estados Unidos para el trabajo y la recreación al siguiente nivel, con el objetivo de ofrecer la máxima capacidad de remolque, carga útil, torque y potencia de cualquier camioneta liviana de tamaño completo, con características ingeniosas que hacen clientes aún más producti- vos y nuevas tecnologías, como actualizaciones inalámbricas y SYNC® 4 El nuevo diseño exterior tiene un aspecto más audaz e incluso más resistente, y un interior completamente nuevo ofrece más comodidad, tecnología y funcionalidad para los clientes de camionetas, junto con materiales mejorados, nuevas opciones de color y más almacenamiento La nueva Superficie de Trabajo del Portón disponible aumenta la productividad en la parte trasera del camión, mientras que la nueva Superfi- cie de Trabajo Interior opcional hace que usar una computadora portátil o comer sea más cómodo; los Asientos Reclinables Max disponibles con casi 180 grados de reclinación ayudan a los clientes a descansar entre trabajos Pro Power Onboard™ disponible significa que los clientes pueden dejar el generador en casa y liberar espacio de carga; hay suficiente energía para alimentar 28 refrigeradores promedio, cargar una cama llena de motocicletas de motocross eléctricas o funcionar herramientas para todo el lugar de trabajo El exclusivo motor híbrido completo Power- Boost™ de 3.5 litros ofrece la capacidad Built Ford Tough incorporada: está diseñado para tener la mayor torsión y potencia de cualquier camio- neta de tamaño completo de servicio liviano, al menos 12,000 libras de capacidad máxima de remolque disponibleᶧ y destinado a un alcance especifico estimado EPA de aproximadamente 700 millas en un solo...

By Manuel C. Ortiz Jr. As I rarely write any post or give my opinion on such matters I do believe this is a great opportunity to share my experience as a minority in a profession that doesn’t employee a lot of minorities in our positions because of what I consider the point of the following short story. “Opportunities “ I come from a migrant family who naturalized Legally here in the USA in the mid 1900’s. My mom and dad do not have a college education but still found a way to successfully manage there own restaurant for now 28+ years and put me through college to achieve a first step for our family to have an educated generation. The question is how does a minority choose his or her path of profession and find that it is a job that is not a job but a hobby because you can wake up and love what you do every single day. Well growing up we do hear a lot about becoming a professional athlete, singer, military, or restaurant owner. However I went into a field where until 1961 it removed its Caucasian-only clause. So my first opportunity was when my dad learned to play golf from his white friend who in turn encouraged my dad to teach me golf at 3 years  of age. So I went on to learn the game and played in my first tournaments wearing baseball shoes as golf shoes and a set of clubs from KMART branded Northwestern. I won my first tournament and didn’t really know what I did to do that....

By Erica Garcia Starting July 17th The Pop Up market will return to St. Paul Square - with the first market as an evening market from 6PM-9PM. The market will continue monthly on the following dates: Friday, August 14th, 6-9PM Sunday, September 13th, 11AM-3PM This market will now be strictly outside and we will be distancing vendors in accordance with CDC guidelines, so spots are limited. All vendors must wear a mask when interacting with guests and all guests will be required to do the same. To apply please visit egcollaborations.com/thepopup and fill out the form. The Pop-Up is egCollaborations' Artisanal Market that launched at Historic St. Paul Square in October of 2019. Now it returns with social distancing in 2020! This egCollaborations brainchild combines a sampling of our past hosted event vendors, and other local goods vendors in one spot and is open to the public! The Pop-Up is a market like no other in San Antonio. It is an open-air market that "pops up"  featuring street food, unique artisans, handmade goods, and one-of-a-kind thrifts! ​Whether you are a shopper, the foodie, or looking for unique local items, there's something for YOU. ​Vendor fees range between $20 - $30. Food and market vendors are encouraged to apply below! ​You can follow The Pop-Up on Instagram...

By Ruth Guajardo For over a decade, this neighborhood-based community festival, presented in collaboration with the Jefferson/Woodlawn Lake Community Development Corporation, highlights the immense artistic talent of the city’s historic Deco District. COVID-19 has greatly impacted the work we do here at Centro Cultural Aztlan, and we have had to adapt quickly! We are excited and proud to present 4 unique artists, highlighting theatre, film, visual arts, and music during EL GRAN MES DE LOS ARTISTAS. Centro Cultural Aztlan was founded in 1977 with a vision to build upon the traditions of Chicano/a, Latino/a, and indigenous peoples by creating cultural programs that involve local artists and increase public awareness of their work. We continue to serve this mission today through our commitment to preserving and promoting Chicano/a, Latino/a, and indigenous arts and culture, and through our commitment to diversity, education, and promotion of local artists. We invite you to help us celebrate over four decades of Cultivando Cultura. El Gran Mes de Los Artistas is a month long, free community celebration that promises to be an explosion of creativity in the Deco District showcasing teatro, film, visual arts, and live music! 6/5/2020: Carmen from Mexico is a solo multimedia play that pushes back against the racist, divisive narratives that have become so common in our country these last few years.  It is based on De Luna’s mother’s childhood immigrant experience and shares her harrowing yet sometimes comical struggles in adapting to her new life in Texas. Anna De Luna is an actor, writer and HIV prevention activist.  She received her training at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in...

By Lisa Anderson During his nearly eight years in office, Bexar County Tax Assessor-Collector Albert Uresti has always taken precautions to protect his citizens and employees at all Tax Office locations.  The Bexar County Tax Office continued to operate every day during the state and local “Shelter-In-Place” and “Stay-At-Home” orders and is happy to announce that all Tax Office lobbies will be officially re-opened to the public at 8:00 a.m. on Friday, June 5th. “We have used innovative and alternative means during this pandemic to continue providing all our services, and I am happy to inform our citizens that our lobbies have now reopened to the public.  Your safety is my priority, so before you enter our lobbies, you will have your temperature taken, asked some COVID-19 screening questions, and be asked to wear a facial covering to ensure everyone’s safety,” said Albert Uresti, Bexar County Tax Assessor-Collector. While the lobbies were closed, Uresti continued his efforts to ensure safety by installing plexiglas walls wherever customers are serviced directly.  An additional cleaning crew has been added and dedicated to providing continuous disinfection services to all common areas.  Hand sanitizer, wipes, and tissues are also readily available. “Despite the pandemic, my Office has remained open and continued to dedicate itself to providing our citizens the best customer service possible, while maintaining a high level of safety for our citizens and employees. We utilized our new drive-thru to its fullest capacity and adjusted operations as needed to meet the changing requirements caused by COVID-19,” said Albert Uresti, Tax Assessor-Collector. In addition to visiting the office in person, taxpayers may drop off...