Elena Guajardo and Michael Soto on Community Gardening in District 7

For the last several months, roughly two dozen District 7 residents have been planning a Jefferson Community Garden. Michael Soto, an English professor at Trinity University and a candidate for a place on the San Antonio ISD school board, is one of several co-founders of the community garden. I recently spoke with him about the project.

EG: Have you been a gardener for long?

MS: It’s funny that you should ask. I grew some tomatoes and radishes as a kid—that’s how I came to enjoy radishes—and my wife and son and I occasionally grow tomatoes or squash and we usually grow basil and rosemary for cooking, but to be honest I’m not much of a green thumb. I try to be as frugal with water as possible, much to the chagrin of my plants. But community gardens aren’t so much about growing plants as they are about bringing neighbors together and improving the quality of neighborhood life in tangible and lasting ways.

EG: The community garden movement has grown by leaps and bounds in recent years. How would you explain this phenomenon?

MS: Community gardens are fantastic resources, particularly within an urban setting: They bring neighbors together in fun and healthy ways, they’re an educational resource for neighborhood schools, they promote the benefits of locally-grown produce, and they encourage a mindful relationship with the natural environment. Community gardens accomplish all of this for a minimal financial investment.

EG: Where will the Jefferson Community Garden be located?

MS: We’ve been considering a number of potential locations, and we’ve settled on a site at the Jefferson United Methodist Church. The church’s leadership, including Rev. Tamara Strehli and board president Bill Kraus, has been very supportive of the effort. The church council and board recently voted to endorse the idea. We’re excited about the location and I’ve had the pleasure of visiting with the garden’s future neighbors along W. Gramercy; they’re also very enthusiastic. Apparently we’re not the first group to suggest the space for a garden. The site offers plenty of open space for gardening and neighborhood gatherings—we plan on making it an attractive and inviting space—and it’s within walking distance of Jefferson High School and the Young Women’s Leadership Academy.

EG: When will the garden be in place? When will the gardening begin?

MS: Hopefully we’ll get going within a few weeks. We just learned that we’ll receive a generous starter grant from the Green Spaces Alliance (formerly the Bexar Land Trust). The Alliance has done a wonderful job supporting community gardens throughout the county, and its staff has been supportive throughout this process. Since the church is located within the Monticello Historic District, we’ll also need to go before the Historic and Design Review Commission to gain its approval for landscaping and structural changes. But most of the members can’t wait to get out their shovels and start digging.

EG: Is it still possible for interested readers to participate? How can they get in touch?

MS: There’s ample room for people to get involved—the more, the better. Just give me a call at 738-8520 or send me an email at michael@michael-soto.org.

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VITA Volunteer Opportunity

Be A Part of Something BIG – Volunteer with VITA!

San Antonio VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program) is one of the nation’s largest volunteer program. Every year, VITA provides FREE tax help for individuals with low-to moderate income (under $45,000 yearly income) who cannot prepare their own tax return. The typical client coming to VITA is a single mother with children. Last year during tax season, volunteers processed over 40,000 tax returns.

Individuals interested in volunteering with VITA complete the free Integrated Tax Return Preparation training certified by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The training covers basic and intermediate tax return preparation. Once certified, volunteers will be assigned to VITA sites in neighborhood community centers, libraries, churches, and other convenient locations.  Some VITA sites provide extended hours – such as evenings and weekends – to accommodate working people.

Current Volunteer Count: 0
Our Goal: 500
Anticipated Tax Returns for 2009: 50,000
Volunteer Positions Available:

• Tax Preparers (Free Basic Tax Preparation Training Available)
• Greeters
• Quality Tax Reviewers
• Volunteer Mentors (Returning Volunteers Only)

Training time:

• 12-14 hours (TRAINING starts in December)

Time Commitment Expected:

• 2-3 hours per week (20-22 hours over a 13-week period)

NEW Feature:

• “Link & Learn” training and certification option at your leisure and at your own pace (live on our web site in November 2008)

How can YOU help?

1. Sign-up to become a VITA volunteer. Call (210) 222-2975 ask for Uli (ulichapa@vitasa.org) or Eva (volunteer@vitasa.org).

2. Referrals

Let others know about the VITA volunteer opportunity. These individuals can be employees, friends, family, neighbors – ANYONE.

For additional information, please visit their web site at www.vitasa.org.

“The training not only benefits our VITA customers, it also helps the volunteers themselves, allowing them to learn more about their own personal taxes while providing a valuable service to the community,” said Dennis Campa, director of the Department of Community Initiatives. “Anyone can volunteer. If an individual has a desire to help, we can equip them with the necessary skills to do the job. Our volunteers are the link to the VITA program. A successful VITA site is dependent upon well-trained enthusiastic volunteers.”

Latina Legislature Book Signing on November 12th

Dr. Ricardo Romo and the San Antonio Public Library Foundation cordially invite you to a book signing and reception on November 12th to celebrate Legislator, Leticia Van De Putte and the Road to Leadership in the Central Library Auditorium.

During the event, author Dr. Sharon A. Navarro and Senator Leticia Van de Putte Latina will be signing copies of the new book.

I look forward to seeing you there and celebrating Latinas in Texas politics!

Wednesday, November 12, 2008
4:00 pm to 6:00 pm

Central Library Auditorium
600 Soledad
San Antonio, Texas

RSVP: Tiffany Champion, (210) 733-6604

Texas Recycles Day on Nov. 15th

Bring your family out to Texas Recycles Day on November 15th at Woodlawn Lake Park from 9am – 2pm organized by The City of San Antonio Solid Waste Management Department!

In addition to kid’s activities, food and entertainment, this event will provide an opportunity for our community to drop off recyclable items and learn about how to minimize the amount of waste we use everyday.

Take a look around your home to bring at least one item for recycle with participating companies who include HEB, InkSell, Goodwill, Corona Visions and the San Antonio Food Bank.

Download the flyer (.pdf) for a detailed list of recyclable services available on-site at the event.

Speaking to local students about the political process

During this class semester former Councilwoman Elena Guajardo has been invited to speak to graduate social work policy and graduate political science students. This month she will be a guest lecturer at UTSA, Texas State University, and Our Lady of the Lake University. Her presentation covers the topics of campaign, campaign fundraising and reporting, how to effectively lobby, advocating and how various groups effect the policy created, the inside game, personal stories of various votes, the complexity of some votes and why social workers should consider running for office.

One of the professors wrote: “it gave them a lot of insight into the “groups” that play such a large role in that process, elevating them from just a dry concept in the texts/articles they read into real people with real needs. It also was great for them to see how accessible and “real” a former councilmember can be.”

San Antonio Votes Coalition

On October 16, former Councilwoman Elena Guajardo and Ralph Velasquez, community activist and Founder of the National Alliance of Craftsmen Association were the featured speakers the at the San Antonio Votes Coalition “Together We Learn, Together We Vote” forum.

The coalition is made up of voter registration partners and civic educational forum partners. The goals are to register eligible residents to vote, educate community members about the voting process and the issues affecting the community, and mobilize voters to get out the vote.

Remember early voting ends Oct 31, 2008. Visit Bexar County Elections Department for more information.

Seeling Park

If you are in the Donaldson Terrace Neighborhood Association area check out Seeling Park located at 100 Placid. It’s a park that the neighborhood association members have worked on since 1999.

Ninty thousand dollars of the 1999 Bond was allocated to provide for the walking trails, additional trees and a butterfly garden. However, there was not enought money for lighting. For the safety of the residents the President of the Association, Olga Lizcano, wanted lights. Olga came to me during my term to ask my help to find the additional $80,000 for the lights. Together we lobbied for CBDG funding and we were successful. The dedication ceremony was a blast.

The park hours are 5am to 11pm. Take an evening stroll in this beautiful neighborhood park.

Regional Issues and Citizen Involvement Workshop

The Neighborhood Resource Center, Regional Planning Foundation and UTSA School of Architecture Regional Planning Program are hosting a Regional Issues and Citizen Workshop on Saturday, November 8th. The workshop will take place on the UTSA Downtown Campus, Durango Building – Southwest Room from 8:45 AM – 12 noon.

“Air and water pollution, affordable housing, transportation choices, jobs, and quality education—these are regional issues that affect your neighborhood and your quality of life. What can you do? Get involved at the next level! Your voice needs to be heard! Attendees of the Neighborhood Resource Center’s Regional Citizen Workshop will learn how to make more of a difference in the regional community and how to increase citizen participation and become a more active Regional Citizen. The purpose of the Regional Citizen Workshop is to identify and consider the important issues in the local regional community and to provide an overview of those issues. Citizens with a regional perspective are crucial to successful regional planning efforts. This workshop will be of interest to citizens and neighborhood leaders interested in participating in the regional planning process in an advisory capacity, citizens who are currently on a regional advisory committee, those who are interested in issues at the regional level and those interested in the regional planning process. A panel of regional planners and officials discuss current regional issues, processes by which these issues are addressed, and offer ways on how the Neighborhood minded individual can become involved in these regional-scale issues.”

Please contact 210.735.0586 or e-mail nrcsa@swbell.net for more information or to RSVP. Workshop fee is $5.

** Free parking across Durango Blvd **

Dia de los Muertos – Share your story!

Friends,

I’m sharing a request from the Express-News for a good story on Dia de los Muertos.

Please contact Elaine if you feel your story would be of relevance. Thanks! Elena

——-

Dear friends,

I need your help in finding a few sources for upcoming holiday stories.

My most pressuring request is for someone with a good story to tell on Dia de los Muertos. Perhaps you lost someone this year or even years ago that you will honor on Dia de los Muertos with an altar in your home. Perhaps you know someone you makes a pilgrimage each year to the gravesite of a loved one and decorates it. The story is for Nov. 2, so I need to find someone quickly. Please e-mail names, phone numbers, etc. of possible sources asap.

5th Annual Missions Heritage 5k Run/Walk

The American Indians in Texas at the Spanish Colonial Missions (AIT-SCM) are presenting their 5th Annual Missions Heritage 5k Run/Walk on Saturday, November 1st at 7:30 AM at San Jose Mission. Liza Hunter Galvan, a 2008 Olympian and UTSA Alumni, will join the festivities to salute Native American Month.

Please sign up your youth or your families. Pre-registration cost $15 and there is a discount rate of $10 a person for groups of four or more.

The National Parks Service and Mission San Jose will be hosting a Dia De Los Muertos following the race featuring art exhibits and activities for kids.

Register online at www.texasmissionindians.com or call AIT-SCM at (210) 227-4940. I hope to see you out there!