Noi Mahoney

Haunted San Antonio

I found this video on youtube. It's pretty funny. It's about many of the haunted places in and around the city, including the Donkey Lady Bridge and the haunted railroad tracks. Many of these places are on the South Side. The video is fairly well shot, and they have a good camera too.

German heritage in Southtown

Meredith Canales wrote a nice storyfor The South Side Reporter about the Beethoven Maennerchor, the all men’s traditional singing group that's home to the German preservation society.

They are based in King William. Today,  San Antonio is almost all Hispanic and Anglo. But in the nineteenth and twentieth century, there were Germans, Polish, Irish and Italian immigrants everywhere here.

Beethoven ‘halle’ brings German culture to Southtown

Maennerchor director David Nelson directs the Beethoven Damenchor at a gartenkonzert. Photos by Meredith Canales By Meredith Canales Contributing Writer On First Fridays in King William in the summer, sounds of revelry can be heard from the Beethoven Halle and Garten at 422 Pereida St. The halle is home to the Beethoven Maennerchor, the all men’s traditional singing group and also home to the German preservation society. Also housed within the structures are the Damenchor, an all women’s singing group, and the Beethoven Band, a full wind musical ensemble. “This is a very social place,” said Alfred Horn, alto saxophone player for the band and non-singing Maennerchor member. “I’ve been involved with the band for about six years, and then I eventually gravitated toward helping out at the food serving line during our gartenkonzerts.”

Halloween in paradise

My buddy Ruben grew up next door to me here in SA. He lives in sunny South Florida now. As you can see Ruben likes to have fun. He also always seems to surrounded by beautiful women. P.S. That's his real hair. Viva Ruben!

West Side haven

Roy Bragg over at the Express News blogs about Guadalupe Street Coffee, a true haven amid the sometimes troubled but irreplaceable West Side.

Guadalupe Street's eight staffers build relationships with the kids and act as sounding boards, said manager Alejandro Gonzalez. They use a secret technique involving kindness and respect to treat the teens well and the teens return the favor — the place doesn't get tagged and there isn't any trouble inside the building.

Some work with Maria Fernandez, who both tutors kids in academics and coaches them in the art of getting into college. It's a very informal atmosphere, but once a kid signs on, the intensity is ratcheted up. Fernandez is looking to hit a home run with every kid.

The eight Internet-connected computers, donated by CPS Energy, are the only Web access for many, said barista Martin Olivares, given their poverty and the distance to the nearest public library. In fact, Guadalupe Street has better and more computers than many SAPL branches.

The coffeehouse also loans out its back room for community organizations to meet, Gonzalez said. Even this has a secondary purpose, Galvan said — the teens see positive role models of their community gathering to make everyone's life better.

The place has been a success, Everett said. His business plan called for 20 kids a day at the coffee-house by the end of the first year. It was averaging 40 kids a day by the end of the first month.

"We had no idea, Everett said, "how well this would be received here."

(Photo by Roy Bragg)

99 Pink ballons!

Well, more like a dozen pink balloons. Some of my co-workers decided to "decorate" my desk with pink balloons. I am not sure if they are trying to tell me something. They said they are just trying to cheer me up.

I didn't realize I seemed that depressed. I don't kill myself at work, or get stressed out the way I used too. I used to get to work at 8 a.m. and stay until 8 p.m. I didn't talk to anyone, didn't go out to lunch or anything.

As a result, I became very "burned out" during my second newspaper job. I got so burned out, I quit. It took me a while to learn to take it easy. Now, I have adopted the Thai slogan "Mai Bpen Rai." It means, "never mind," or "that is allright," or "you are welcome."

Mai Bpen Rai.

Denver Heights

Denver Heights seemed like the hip, upcoming neighborhood a few years ago. Now, the East Side neighborhood has seen a recent spike in violent crimes and gang activity. Gangs called the 210s and the Dog Pound seemed to be roaming the area. Middle class gentrifiers were moving to Denver Heights a few years ago. Now, no one is sure who rules the streets. Upcoming story. (Picture is of a mural at Lockwood Park in Denver Heights)

Son of Howard Hughes

I found the strange story of Victor W. DeVries, a South Side man who believed he was the illegitimate son of billionaire Howard Hughes. DeVries, who died in 1998 at 62, grew up fatherless and penniless. His mother, Marion E. DeVries, revealed to her son on her deathbed that his father was Hughes. She even showed him a court affidavit stating he was Hughes son. Apparently Marion had an affair with Hughes while she was an airline stewardess for the Hughes' owned Trans World Airlines. Marion died in August 1976. Victor DeVries, who in pictures bears a striking resemblence to Hughes, became obsessed with proving he was the son of Hughes. That's where I am at now. More later. (Picture is of Hughes in the 1940s)

Heaven and Hell: SA's East Side

There was an interesting article in the Express-News about the Historic Gardens neighborhood on SA's East Side. It's a fascinating part of the city. It's so near the tourist meccas of River Walk and Tower of Americas, yet parts of Historic Gardens look bombed out like Beirut. I drive around the neighborhood all the time on my job covering the East, West and South Side of the city. Last week, a hooker and her pimp waived at me as I drove down South Hackberry Street. (Pictures by Jerry Lara/ Express-News)

Westside girl is an inspirational survivor

Monica Bonilla, 11, suffers from a rare and painful disease called scleroderma. The disease attacks the immune system, leading to hardening and tightening of the skin. It can also damage the intestines, the heart, kidneys and lungs. There is no cure. In severe cases of scleroderma, like Bonilla’s, the disease can be fatal.

Monica's story is here.

South Side Buddhists, A Story of Survival

“It's better to be a live dog, than a dead lion.” That's not some famous Zen koan, but it might as well be the motto of a group of Asian immigrants who settled in SA's South Side in the 1970s.
The Santhavi family, from Laos by way of Thailand, fled a brutal communist regime in Laos. They came to Texas, all 23 of them, with no money, no English speaking skills. Two things they did have were determination and courage. They survived, and in some cases, thrived in San Antonio. They even went onto found the first Buddhist Temple in South Texas.