Downtown Residents Association

THE DOWNTOWNER Arril 2009

Apr 10, 2009

April 2009

Message from the President

As you all know, we held our annual elections at our last meeting. I was elected to President, Cathey Meyer to Vice President and 2 new Board members, Joan Amaral & Jana Raschbaum. Cathey chose not to run for reelection since teaching school takes up most of her time. I want to thank her for a job well done.

The DRA members in attendance at our last meeting voted to allow members outside of our borders to have the same privileges as those living inside, which includes voting and holding office. This means we no longer have an Associate Member category. This will also give us a larger pool from which to draw quality leaders for our organization.

An anonymous sponsor for our DRA Fiesta medal came forward several weeks ago. Thank you for their generosity. We will be selling our medals on April 16 at Pin Pandemonium, part of the new Fiesta Fiesta at the Alamo kickoff. Event hours are 5 to 10:30 p.m.

The DRA members in attendance at our last meeting also voted to move our organization into the Radius Building at 106 Auditorium Circle, Suite 120. This will give us a new mailing address, use of the premises for meetings & some storage space, among other necessities.

Our 5th Annual Fiesta luncheon will be held at Acenar's River Terrace on April 22nd between 12N & 3PM. $30 not only covers the meal, including tip & tax, but also Mariachis, Fiesta Royalty, DRA Fiesta Medal, great door prizes, the crowning of our own King & Queen and the Texas Trivia Contest. Paid reservations must be made in advance. We have a limited amount of seating and reservations are coming in fast. You won't want to miss a good meal and lots of fun with your fellow residents. I will see you there.

Joan Korte, President
225-6783
joankorte@mac.com

DRA Business

FOR SALE - DRA Polo Shirts

Polo Shirts with DRA logo displayed prominently on the front (upper left side).

Sizes M to 2XL $10.00
Call John Bonny at 932-8137


FOR SALE - DRA Mug

Mug with DRA logo.
$5.00

Call John Bonny at 932-8137
Announcements

April DRA Luncheon/Meeting
Wednesday, April 22, at Noon
On the River Patio at Acenar
146 E. Houston Street


ACTIVE MEMBERS WANTED: You DO NOT have to be a DRA Board member to have a voice in DRA. We need help with our meeting planning committee and membership committee. Please consider donating a couple of hours a month to help us grow and discover wonderful downtown locations to host our meetings. Contact Joan at joankorte@mac.com or 225-6783 to serve your DRA!

DID YOU KNOW?

If you submit your photo(s) to our editor, John Bonny, (email: park3850@satx.rr.com) we will gladly share your activities with our members!

If you see trouble on the Riverwalk, you can call the Park Police (207-8590) or the SAPD Bike Patrol (207-7764).

The Downtown Blog
Ben Olivo, Entertainment Editor of My San Antonio, a feature of the Express-News, has a downtown blog at: http://blogs.mysanantonio.com/weblogs/downtown
Check out this blog. It has interesting information!




New Members

Welcome to Our Association

Brian Smith of the Majestic Towers

Upcoming Events


ZOCOLOCOS

Next meeting for those who live, work or play downtown:
Location TBA
Monday
May 18, 2009
5:30 - 7 PM
________________________________________________________________________
Fiesta Fiesta at the Alamo - A New Fiesta Event

The Fiesta San Antonio Commission is rescheduling and revamping the celebration's official opening. Starting this year, Fiesta is 11 days long--because the very first event kicks everything off Thursday, April 16.

Fiesta Fiesta at the Alamo is a bigger-than-a-block party! They'll be closing down parts of Alamo and Houston Streets.

The event will feature live music, including the Rick Cavender Band, Henry Brun and the Latin Playerz, and Javier Galvan and Fama.

There'll be a children's area. Some Fiesta nonprofit groups will be selling merchandise, event tickets and other items. Vendors will offer food, beer, wine, beverages and frozen margaritas. The Fiesta Store will offer official Fiesta merchandise.

The crowd-pleasing Pin Pandemonium will be across the street, with Fiesta groups offering their medals for sale. Come to buy, sell or trade!

Fiesta royalty, military ambassadors and other dignitaries will be on hand. Look for the traditional tie cutting by a king, and buy some cascarones to break above your neighbor's head!

It all ends with a bang as fireworks blaze above the Emily Morgan Hotel after 10 p.m.

So mark it on your calendar today!

Check out the following website for more info on the April 16th Pre Fiesta celebration http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dreaOVoTpr8




_________________________________________________________________________
Fiesta Luncheon


_____________________________________________________________________________

Madhatter's Movie Night at Radius Center

Friday Night Movies
Presented by Mahatter's Cafe
106 Auditorium Circle
FREE MOVIE
Call Justine Siller at 227-4832 for more information.
________________________________________________________________________
San Antonio Symphony Presents
April 3 and 4, 2009
8:00 pm
Majestic Theatre

Chosei Komatsu, conductor

Roger Wright, piano
2003 San Antonio International Piano Competition Winner

Program:
Guti?©rrez Improvisation for Strings
Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 3
Dvoř?¡k Symphony No. 6

San Antonio favorite Roger Wright will stun you with his virtuosity in Rachmaninoff's challenging showpiece for piano. "Rach 3" has the reputation of being one of the most difficult piano concertos ever written! At the premiere of Dvoř?¡k's sixth symphony, the third movement was so well received that the audience demanded it be repeated as an encore!

Pre-concert lecture held inside the Majestic Theatre from 7:00-7:30pm

Concert sponsored by the Martha-Ellen Tye Foundation. The appearance of Roger Wright has been underwritten by Mary Anne and Tony Crosby

Fiesta Pops ~ Pride of San Antonio
April 17, 2009 ?· 8:00 pm
April 18, 2009 ?· 8:00 pm
April 19, 2009 ?· 2:00 pm
Majestic Theatre

Ken-David Masur, conductor
Mariachi Campanas de America
Guadalupe Dance Company

Kick off Fiesta with San Antonio's own performing artists partnering for the first time to bring you all the color and music that is San Antonio! Delight to colorful costumes and traditional dance of a Guadalupe Dance Company performance with wonderfully familiar music, made voluminous! Mariachi Campanas de America's ability to combine traditional Mexican mariachi music with Latin and mainstream Pop rhythms has won them numerous awards since 1978

Help HEB, Santikos Theaters, the Food Bank of San Antonio and the San Antonio Symphony in Orchestras Feeding America a national food drive. Bring canned foods to these concerts and receive a special ticket voucher to a San Antonio Symphony concert in May. See http://www.sasymphony.org/e_food_drive.php for more information.

Call Karen Cramer at 210-554-1066 to purchase discounted tickets.
Visit the Symphony Box Office at 228 E. Houston St. or email cramerk@sasymphony.org.

Majestic Theater
210-554-1010 WWW.SASYMPHONY.ORG

________________________________________________________________________
Aldaco's

Aldaco's has it's own Energy Relief Effort with Complimentary Shuttle Service in the downtown area. That's right, they will come pick you or your group up for lunch and or dinner and then drop you back off at the office. You save gas by carpooling with coworkers for lunch. Their driver is standing by so please give them a call @ 210-222-0561. Menu choices vary daily. Please visit their website at www.aldacos.net to view their lunch and dinner menus. They are open Monday - Thursday, 11 AM - 9 PM, Fridays and Saturdays, 11 AM -10 PM, and closed Sundays. Available for private parties any day of the week and including breakfast meetings. Please give them a call at 222-0561 to see how they can accommodate your needs.
NOTE: 10% off your meal anytime you show your DRA membership card!!
________________________________________________________

WHAT'S COOKIN'?
Find out at Aldaco's next Cooking Class on Saturday, April 11th, May 9th, and June 12th.
Learn about culinary artistry, tips and tricks of the trade while enjoying lunch and Margaritas. The Tortilla 101 class at Aldaco's at Sunset Station will teach you how to:
-Make the perfect Chicken Enchiladas Verdes
-Make an Authentic Tortilla
-Make Delicious Guacamole
-How to make the Perfect Margarita
$45 per person or $40 for groups of 6 or more includes an enchilada lunch and 2 specialty margaritas. Mention the DRA newsletter and get $5 off.
See www.aldacos.net/tortilla101.html for more information.

PLUS
Don't forget to stop by Aldaco's before any spurs game, park free, enjoy Aldaco's Happy Hour specials and take our complimentary shuttle to and from the AT&T center. Wear your spurs gear for an extra 10% off!
____________________________________________________________
SOUTHWEST SCHOOL of ART & CRAFT


On an historic campus alongside San Antonio's meandering River Walk, the Southwest School of Art & Craft is one of the country's largest community-based art schools, offering classes to established artists as well as beginning and intermediate students of all ages.
Adult Registration Fully Open on Friday, April 8
600+ SA Students to "SHARE" Their Artworks, April 2nd-4th
Jiansheng Li to Visit SSAC
While the Southwest School of Art & Craft is a place to discover the rewards of actively creating, it is also the site of significant contemporary art exhibitions, public programs and visiting artist workshops, and a historic landmark of regional and national importance.

We invite you to read more about the Southwest School, San Antonio's downtown oasis for the visual arts. For information, other exhibits and classes call 210-224-1848 or visit www.swschool.org/about.php.

The Debbie McMahon Fiber Arts
Lecture and Seminar Series
The Southwest School of Art & Craft gratefully announces that former Trustee Debbie McMahon will be honored by a new endowed lecture and seminar series in her name.
Debbie McMahon, a longtime San Antonio resident who passed away in September of 2007, was a devoted fiber artist and student at the art school. She had been a member of the Southwest School of Art & Craft since 1990, and served a term as a Trustee.
The permanent endowment, announced at the end of 2008 by Joe McMahon, Jr. from his home in Denver, will be used to fund free annual lectures and seminars on fiber art at the school.
Paula Owen, President of the Southwest School of Art & Craft, acknowledged "Debbie was a talented and giving part of our fiber art community, and this generous gift will enable others to learn more about the art she loved so well."

Check out the fresh vegetables, fruits and other treats at the Friday Morning Farmers Market on Main Plaza this spring. They are on winter break.

More Downtown Events and Issues Resources

There is a lot of pertinent information to downtown living in the following newsletters published. Explore the links to their newsletters:




Downtown Operations Newsletter




San Antonio.gov

The City of San Antonio's Housing and Neighborhood Services Department is excited to introduce a brand-new graffiti initiative for 2009! We are looking for active neighborhood leaders who are tired of seeing graffiti and want to take charge of their community!
Should you have any questions on this program, you can contact Melissa Guedea at Melissa.Guedea@sanantonio.gov or Lisa M. McKenzie at Lisa.McKenzie@sanantonio.gov
More information, and an application can be found at: www.sanantonio.gov/graffiti.


For more information visit http://www.downtownsa.org/ (this web site is being changed and may not be available)

__________________________________________________________________________
Houston Street Fair & Market
Saturday, May 30th on Houston Street from noon - 6:00 pm. Theme for May is Ice Cream Fest (no April fair). For details call 207-7258 or visit www.houstonstreetfairandmarket.com

Tuesday Musical Club

Tuesday, April 14 at 1:30 p.m. - Dance Ensemble: "Anything Goes," A visit with Cole Porter -

Tuesday, April 21 at 1:30 p.m. - TMC String Ensemble in Concert

Tuesday, April 28 at 7:30 p.m. - TMC ARTIST SERIES - Jon Nakamatsu, piano (1997 Van Cliburn Gold Medalist), Travis Park United Methodist Church $20.00 at door.

Tuesday, May 5 at 1:30 p.m. - TMC Choir in Concert

All events held at the TMC Club House, 3755 N. St. Mary's St.
The public is invited to attend at no cost. Location and cost exceptions noted!
San Antonio Tuesday Musical Club, Inc. - 210-344-5929
For further information, visit www.satmc.org
________________________________________________________________________________
Susan G. Komen San Antonio Race for the Cure

Runners and walkers will gather downtown on Saturday, April 4th for the 12th Annual Susan G. Komen San Antonio Race for the Cure. Motorists will be diverted as the City closes several downtown streets to accommodate the event.

Saturday, April 4
Street closure for the event will begin at 8:15 a.m. until 11:30 a.m. at the following locations:
Cherry between Nolan and Durango St.
Durango between Cherry and Alamo St.
Alamo St. between Durango and Houston St.
Houston St. between Broadway and Avenue E
Avenue E between Houston St. and McCullough
McCullough/Nolan between Broadway and Cherry

Additional Info:
Email info@sakomen.net to request a pledge form.
Visit http://www.komensanantonio.org/ to sign up today!
________________________________________________________________________________

Solar San Antonio

A Word from Bill Sinkin
Greetings!

It seems that solar has taken a mighty leap forward based on the number of favorable bills that have been introduced in the Texas legislature this session. They call for more support, more recognition and more facilities to help the cleanest power on earth reach its fulfillment in Texas. We hope you remember that Mayor Hardberger is determined to make San Antono the #1 solar city in Texas. Please join Solar San Antonio and the Mayor in calling for action at the great opportunities offered by these legislative bills.

Recently Solar San Antonio held a Solar 101 workshop. Fifty attendees were expected, but we were pleasantly surprised with nearly120 who showed up, indicating what we know to be true--that interest in solar is only increasing.

And speaking of high turnouts, big numbers and bills, this Bill will be 96 in May. On the occasion of my 96th birthday, a fund raiser celebrating Solar San Antonio's 10th Anniversary will be held on Wednesday, May 19th at the Pearl Brewery Stables. Our website will soon feature details on how you can help strengthen the future of Solar San Antonio.

Lastly, we'd like you to cast your vote for solar by visiting the Environment Texas web site where you can help select the video to be presented to state legislators as they determine the course of solar energy policy in our state!

Go Solar Go!

Capturing the power,
Bill Sinkin, Chairman/Founder

For more information on this important subject please see www.solarsanantonio.org.
_____________________________________________________________________________
"President Obama is giving GM 60 days to come up with strategy of viability for spending taxpayers' money.
GM should have said to him, 'Hey - you first'."
- Jay Leno


Sincerely,
John Bonny
Downtown Residents Association
Table of Contents:
Message from the President
DRA Business
New Members
Upcoming Events
Dates and Times

Fiesta Fiesta at the Alamo
4/22 5-10:30 PM

5th Annual DRA Fiesta Luncheon
4/22 NOON

ZOCOLOCOS
5/18 5:30-7 PM

SA Symphony
Various

Aldaco's
Various

SSAC
Various

Houston Street Fair & Market
5/30 - NOON-6 PM

Tuesday Musical
Various

Susan G. Komen SA Race for the Cure
4/4

Events are listed in the order they appear in the newletter. See the item for more details.


Join the Lunch Bunch for the 5th Annual Fiesta Luncheon for a tasty meal and meet your neighbors.

Wednesday, 22 April at Noon
On the River Patio at Acenar
146 E. Houston Street
Need an immediate update on downtown activities?

Go to: www.visitsanantonio.com and/or find out what is happening with the Downtown Alliance at www.downtownsa.org.
New downtown organization: The San Antonio River North Improvement Alliance.
Meetings are the 3rd Thursday of each month. Membership is
$10 annually.
Contact Harper Huddleston at harperm@harperhuddlestoninc.com or call 821-4001 x. 303.
CONTACT
Joan Korte
225-6783
or
joankorte@mac.com
to volunteer for the DRA committes.
Officers and
Board Members
President:
Joan Korte
225-6783
joankorte@mac.com

Vice President:
Cathey Meyer
226-1878
catheymeyer@aol.com

Secretary:
Joanna Foster
212-7279
jfoster19@satx.rr.com

Treasurer:
Fred Preston
375-6692
frederick.preston@sunysb.edu

Board Members:
Kay Kutchins
228-0094
kaykutchins@att.net

Robert Potts
883-5223
Rpotts@dixonwater.org

Tony Cantu
394-1148
CENTURYV8@aol.com

Tom DeBrooke
H: 225-5866
C: 487-0666
Tom@CredibilitySharing.com
Joanne Stawicki
382-7885
js@toolboxstudios.com

Joan Amaral
237-3772
joanamaral@sbcglobal.net

Rose Bonny
932-8137
roseoftexas@satx.rr.com

Jana Raschbaum
478-6633
jana.raschbaum@texstar-bank.com


The purposes of the
Downtown Residents Association are to perpetuate the social well-being of the residents living in downtown San Antonio; to preserve, protect and develop the downtown area; to provide a quality environment for living and enjoying the multi-cultural heritage of downtown San Antonio-past, present and future.


If you have news or events that you'd like to share with your fellow downtowners, please send them to me at my email address below.


Sincerely,
Joan Korte,
President
225-6783
joankorte@mac.com
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Downtown Residents Association | 106 Auditorium Circle| Suite 210 | San Antonio | TX | 78205HE