District 8 Neighborhood Alliance

District 8 E-Pulse March 23, 2007

District 8 Candidate Forum

Friends and Neighbors,



We will be hosting our second and last District 8 Candidate Forum this Monday, March 26 at Stinson Middle School beginning at 7 p.m. We invite you to come out and bring your family, friends, neighbors, and anyone interested in meeting and learning about the candidates who are working to lead our district for the next 2 years.



As a member of the San Antonio City Council and the District 8 community, I recognize the immense importance of choosing strong and effective leadership, therefore I thought it necessary to host the District 8 Candidate Forums, to provide an additional forum for the council candidates and residents of the district to meet and learn more about each other. This past Monday, my staff and I brought the six District 8 council candidates together to answer questions and share their ideas about the most important city issues facing the citizens of San Antonio. Some of the issues discussed included development over the Edwards Aquifer, Traffic and Congestion around the district, and graffiti and beautification concerns. We had a great turnout, with most of the audience getting some personal time with the candidates to get their individual questions answered and concerns addressed.


(pictures)


Katie Reed speaks about the North Side Bond Councilman Hall poses with the six council candidates



Councilman Hall speaks with a resident at the candidate forum



Councilman Hall speaks with a member of the local media residents at the District 8 Candidate Forum

Art Hall's Comments

As my term comes to an end, I am focusing my efforts on some of the projects that have been a priority for me, one of those projects being Finance San Antonio (FSA).

I have worked tirelessly to see the creation of this entity and I have spent countless hours working to have this organization come to fruition.



The Finance San Antonio Ad Hoc Committee was established by City Council in 2005, to analyze the status of the finance industry in San Antonio, conduct a gap analysis, and provide recommendations as to how to facilitate the growth of the industry.



City Council allocated $100,000 in the FY2007 budget to create a Finance San Antonio organization. The organization would include the involvement of many private sector companies, local universities, and other interested organizations.



One important factor in the creation of this organization was to bring local university heads together and hammer out a structure for FSA. On March 22, 2007, a meeting between all involved parties was held and was extremely productive. With input from several universities and FSA committee members, the decision was made to begin monthly meetings in order to compose a solid structure for the organization and determine the main goals and expected outcomes for FSA. Two possible first steps in developing the goals and outcomes include performing a labor study and building a conference around this study.

The first meeting will be held in April, where university heads and industry leaders will begin this process.

If I can be of any additional assistance to you on this or any other issue, please contact the District 8 Field Office at 692.0463 or the City Hall office at 207.2888.



Thank you for letting me be of service to you and our great district.






ART A. HALL

City Councilman, District 8

Other Activities

District 8 Announcements:



HOA Updated Information Needed!
If you are a neighborhood leader who has updated HOA information, please contact the District 8 Field Office at 692.0463 to get your information updated in our office.



Tune In!

Be sure to catch the next showing of the District 8 TV Show District 8 The Pulse of San Antonio. Tune in as Councilman Hall discusses issues important to the citizens of District 8 and the citizens of San Antonio. Show times are Mondays at 5:30 p.m., Wednesday s at 9:00 a.m., and Fridays at 8:30 p.m. on cable channel 21. For program listings and archived shows, please visit the City of San Antonio’s website at www.sanantonio.gov/tvsa.



Voelcker Property Tours!

An informal public tour of the Voelcker Property will be conducted on Saturday, April 21, 2006 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Parking will be available at Old Blanco Rd. and Voelcker Lane. There will be a short hike up to the main farmhouse where the tour will begin. Please note that there are no restroom facilities available. The Friends of Voelcker Park, San Antonio Friends of the Parks, and the San Antonio Parks and Recreation Department encourages citizens interested in seeing the beauty and potential of the future city park to attend. For more information please visit www.voelckerfarm.org.







Seniors Mardi Gras Parade!
The 60+ Mardi Gras Committee, City of San Antonio Department of Community Initiatives,

Senior Services Division, and Comprehensive Nutrition Project invite you to the +60 Plus Mardi Gras Parade on Friday, March 30, 2007. The parade begins at Martin Luther King Park at 10:00 a.m. Festivities will continue at Comanche Park where there will be food and arts & crafts sold by the City-Sponsored Senior Nutrition Centers and a dance from 11:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. For more information on the festivities please call 207-7165.






City News Releases:
Full story available by clicking hyperlink

3/14: Residents asked to drop off household hazardous waste
The City provides residents a safe and environmentally responsible way to dispose of these products by taking it to the “DOC” or the Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Drop-off Center (DOC).
In observance of the Easter holiday, the HHW DOC will be closed on both Friday, April 6 and Saturday, April 7. The facility will be open on Saturday, April 14, in conjunction with City-wide Cleanup Day.

3/16: Volunteers needed to “Make Downtown Shine”
San Antonio loves its downtown. With the arrival of spring and Fiesta on the horizon, the City is looking for volunteers and corporate groups who want to make their downtown even better by participating in the first Make Downtown Shine event.



3/20: March Madness Leads to Traffic Adjustments
As Aggies, Buckeyes, Vols and Tigers bring their tailgate parties and team rallies to the River City, residents and visitors are advised to avoid street and lane closures downtown this week.



3/21: Applications Sought for the San Antonio Municipal Golf Association (SAMGA)
Applications are being sought for the San Antonio Municipal Golf Association (SAMGA) board. The SAMGA is a new Texas non-profit corporation which will be entering into a contract to manage and operate the City of San Antonio golf courses.



3/22: San Antonio Youth Commission Attends 18th National Youth Crime Prevention Conference in Denver
More than a dozen members of the San Antonio Youth Commission are attending a world renowned youth crime prevention conference in Denver with the goal of bringing home new strategies to fight juvenile crime in our community. The group also will give a presentation on how to form a youth commission within city government at the 18th National Youth Crime Prevention Conference and International Forum taking place March 21-24.



3/23: City introduces new Fire Chief
City Manager Sheryl Sculley today introduced Charles N. Hood as San Antonio’s new fire chief. Following City Council confirmation, Hood will begin his responsibilities on Monday, April 16, and will serve as the first African-American fire chief in the history of San Antonio.



City's $550 million bond election set for May 12
The City of San Antonio will hold a $550 million bond election on Saturday, May 12, 2007. The bond program focuses on basic infrastructure improvements and enhancements including streets, sidewalks, drainage, parks, athletic facilities and libraries.



Main Plaza Redevelopment: Downtown drivers, visitors should be aware of street closures around the project
The first steps to transform the heart of downtown San Antonio continue with Phase 1 construction on the Main Plaza Redevelopment Project. Drivers are advised to be aware of the following upcoming street closure for Phase 2 construction which will get underway on March 10.



2007 Cesar E. Chavez March for Justice set for March 31
San Antonians are invited to several events commemorating the legacy of civil rights leader Cesar E. Chavez including the 11th Annual Cesar E. Chavez March for Justice on Saturday, March 31.

San Antonio libraries go wireless
The entire San Antonio Public Library system is now a wireless “hot spot,” with the initiation of free wireless Internet service at the Central Library and all branch libraries.

Income tax assistance available for eligible taxpayers
Are you puzzled by tax law and need assistance with preparing your income tax return? If so, the City’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Program wants to file your tax return free







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