Last Day, New Start

Today is the last day of 2009. I have to say that while things for many folks were tough because of the economy, in many ways it was a good year for the neighborhood and our community. There are good signs of sustained revitalization as some of the old houses in the neighborhood continue to be restored and as new residents move into the area that care about Dignowity Hill's historic character. I have also seen many positive signs in the way my neighbors and friends feel about the neighborhood.












No doubt that there are still many challenges that still need to be addressed but as 2009 comes to a close we have for the first time a neighborhood plan that lays out a process for bringing much needed infrastructure improvement and development. On the horizon for 2010 is the start of implementing the neighborhood plan, the arrival of 12,000 military folks at Ft Sam Houston as part of the BRAC initiative that will surely affect our neighborhood, continued efforts to promote the neighborhood as a good place to live, the completion of the Hays Street Bridge restoration, and improvements to Lockwood park. Most importantly, we will continue to strengthen our relationships with each other and our community partners.
So as always, as an old year comes to a close I'm filled with hope that the coming new year will better that the last.

Thanksgiving Note

This is our second Thanksgiving in this old and wonderful neighborhood. Much to give thanks for especially for family, our dogs, friends and neighbors.

Photo on the left is the house at 720 N Olive taken around 1929.

It's Beyond Me

On the corner of Nolan and N Olive stands a beautiful old mansion. Built in 1895 and two stories tall, this grand old lady has seen better days. The current owner has allowed the structure to fall into a sad state of disrepair. Recently, shortly after a good rain, one of the second floor balconies partially collapsed, creating a dangerous structure situation. The city through it's Code Compliance officers and folks from the Historic Preservation Office have been pressuring the owner to repair the damage or possibly sell the house. The owner has been slow to respond and the house continues to deteriorate.

It's beyond me why anyone would allow such a grand old gem to literally fall apart. It's also beyond me why the owner will not sell the house to someone who will restore her. So to the owner of this wonderful old mansion, please consider selling it to someone who will save and restore this grand old lady to her former glory or fix her up yourself.

BRAC: Behind the Curve

The newspaper recently had a thought provoking article on the possibility of the Eastside missing an opportunity for economic development associated with the BRAC. Ever since the announcement was made in 2005 that Ft. Sam Houston was a big winner in the BRAC realignment sweepstakes, the city has been touting the potential for economic development that the BRAC will generate for the Eastside. The way things stand now it's a little difficult see how the potential for economic development will be realized. Its becoming more apparent that the city is behind in getting ready for the influx of over 12, 000 troops. Since there will be no housing available on post these troops and their families will have to find housing in the surrounding neighborhoods or further away from Ft. Sam Houston.
Dignowity Hill is less than 10 minutes away by car from Ft. Sam which makes it one of the neighborhoods that surround the post where incoming military personnel would possibly consider buying or renting a house. Yet, there is no active communication or PR plan in place from either the city or from Ft. Sam that is sending the message out about Dignowity Hill and other neighborhoods such as Government Hill. There is also no clear picture on how economic development will take place. The Growth Management Plan developed for the BRAC lists a number of lofty and vague goals but what is needed is a more focused strategy on on how to incentivize business development, how to rehabilitate aging housing stock, how to engage the realtor community in working with the neighborhoods, and how to engage the school district(s) that serve the neighborhoods around the post. If any of this is happening now then it is not apparent to many of us that live in these neighborhoods.

Dia de Los Muertos

November 1st and 2nd, are celebrated as el Dia de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead) in Mexico and other countries where large hispanic populations reside, including the US. Having its origins in the ancient cultures of the Aztecs, Olmec, Mayan and other indigenous peoples of Mexico, it is a time to remember, pray for and honor the souls of family and friends that have died. In San Antonio, el Dia de Los Muertos is celebrated with music, visiting and decorating the cemeteries and remembering loved ones with altars and stories. We went down to El Mercado and enjoyed a dancing group dressed up in traditional Day of the Dead costumes.

Fair in the Park

The neighborhood association hosted a community fair in Dignowity Park over the weekend. This past spring the association applied for a mini-grant from the United Way for a community event and we were awarded funds to put together a community fair. After lots of planning and organizing, the Dignowity Hill community fair took place on Oct 17th and it was a great success. We had blue skies, the park was wonderfully green after a good soaking from mother nature the week before and we had great a turnout. And yes we also had lots of fun!

Rehab Politics. Part II

The half way house saga on the Eastside continues as a group of residents and others have taken the issue to court in an effort to obtain a temporary injunction to stop the facility from opening. The group was handed a setback as a judge ruled against granting the injunction. A lawsuit will most likely follow as opposition to this halfway house is still alive in the Eastside and I hope that legal action will eventually correct a poor decision by the majority of the city council.

The CEO of Crosspoint was quoted in the newspaper that "the neighbors, the business representatives, the clergy in District 2 are going to come to recognize the benefits of our being in this neighborhood."......interesting. It's too bad that he is refusing to recognize and acknowledge that the neighbors and the Eastside community including many of the residents in Dignowity Hill do not want this facility at all.