Catch up and get ahead with the Edge, for the week of October 12
How can we get more people out to vote?
In Bexar County 80 percent of those eligible are registered to vote, but only 12 percent of registered voters cast a ballot last spring in the most hotly contested mayor and council race in a decade.
During November presidential elections, as many as 50 percent of local voters cast ballots. That’s one reason San Antonio Councilman Ron Nirenberg proposed moving local elections from May to November - to boost voter turnout. Read the story and watch the video here.
Aldo at the 2015 Civic Engagement Summit at UTSA, scholar Peter Levine said cities like San Antonio should consider lowering the voting age to 16 or 17 to increase voter turnout. Video of our exclusive interview with Levine and more information about him is here.
What is the future of Water in San Antonio?
At a recent city council session, SAWS President and CEO Robert R. Puente apologized for calling a report critical of the Vista Ridge project a “joke,” and Mayor Ivy Taylor pledged to hold public meetings where SAWS will answer questions about that project and the utility’s move to increase water rates.
Groups from Save our Springs, to the Greater Edwards Aquifer Alliance and others are planning protests, news conferences and educational meetings on the controversial Vista Ridge project and on SAWS water rates.
Stay tuned to NOWCastSA.com where we’re posting events, video and reports to keep you informed about the future of water.
You can also replay video from a 2014 Conversations on Water: The Vista Ridge Pipeline Proposal and its Local Impact, held at UTSA with panelists Puente;
District 8 City Councilman Ron Nirenberg; UTSA College of Engineering Dean JoAnn Browning, and
St. Mary's University Assistant Professor of Law Amy Hardberger.
It's not illegal and now it is easier for charities to feed the homeless
The City of San Antonio issued new policies it says will make it easier for charities to feed the homeless, while making sure the food is safe.
The new recommendations come after last month's Homeless Feeding Summit held by the city to address concerns of local Good Samaritan groups after Joan Cheever of the Chow Train was issued a citation for serving food from her personal vehicle. (Replay video here.)
It is not illegal to feed the homeless in San Antonio, but there are regulations regarding safe food handling.
Under the proposed revisions to Chapter 13 of the City Code, a Charitable Feeding section will be added that specifically addresses the safety of prepared food and outlines minimum requirements for outdoor feeding of five or more people.
Learn more about the proposed revisions in this article.
Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month
September 15 to October 15 is Hispanic Heritage Month and the San Antonio Public Library had a packed schedule of events.
The celebration kicked off with an evening of storytelling and poetry.
Colombian storyteller Carolina Quiroga-Stultz brought to life captivating myths sprung from indigenous Central and South America, their vibrant cultures and their conquest.
Then UTSA Chicano Literature professor Ben Olguin, a former boxer, presented his testimonial poetry, bearing witness to the ongoing struggles of Latinos.
Replay video here.
And on Oct. 6, local scholars discussed Latinos’ role in World War II, from training soldiers at Fort Sam Houston to welding bomb parts at the Friedrich Refrigeration Company. That evening began with a screening of the PBS documentary Latino Americans: War and Peace. You can replay both videos here by going here.