In Local News

Randy posted something recently which prompted this post.

The Big City southeast of where I live is in the midst of its annual 10 day bacchanalia known as Fiesta.

Fiesta San Antonio started in 1891 as a one-parade event as a way to honor the memory of the heroes of the Alamo and the Battle of San Jacinto. It has evolved into one of this nation’s premier festivals with an economic impact of more than $284 million for the Alamo City. Fiesta is the Party With a Purpose. and the funds raised by official Fiesta events provide services to San Antonio citizens throughout the year...

Some 3.5 million party-goers enjoy Fiesta San Antonio. More than 20 percent of Fiesta-goers travel from across the state, the nation, and even the world!

It's a model of community involvement - private sector firms, nonprofit organizations, and everyday people working together for the good of the community.

The (Fiesta) commission itself is funded entirely by the private sector and receives no governmental funding. Instead, it relies heavily on membership dues, retail sales and corporate participation to remain self-sustaining.

Every official Fiesta event that takes place during Fiesta each April is sponsored by a local nonprofit or military organization.

It's a great example of the way different people and organizations can focus on a common goal and come together, as opposed to letting their differences divide them.

Are you listening, political parties and special interest groups?

This year, however, there were some problems early in the celebration. The weather wasn't cooperating.

San Antonio hail storm called costliest in Texas history

Last week’s hail storm in the San Antonio area produced nearly $1.4 billion in estimated insured losses, making it the costliest hail storm in the state’s history.

Insured losses to automobiles from the April 12 storm are expected to reach $560 million, while damage to homes is expected to approach $800 million, the insurance trade association added. More than 110,000 vehicles were damaged, and thousands of homes suffered roof damage.

My nephew and his girl friend live in an apartment that was hit by the storm. They had three windows broken out, and both their cars had their rear windows shattered by the hail.

It wasn't just homes and cars that were damaged.

(A local solar power provider), San Antonio-based OCI Solar Power, lost at least 25 percent of its capacity at its Alamo 2 solar farm just east of San Antonio due to the April 12 hailstorm...

A timetable to restore Alamo 2 to full capacity was uncertain Wednesday. “We are working quickly to have everything replaced,” Waldrum said.

Fortunately, the city has adequate capacity in other fossil fueled plants to make up for the loss of power supplied by the solar farm. But if this had happened in summer, when everyone is running their air conditioners, then we'd probably have rolling blackouts.

In any event, here in the Heart of Texas we know what to do when it hails.

Along with Fiesta, the Spurs are making their annual run in the NBA playoffs.

It’s hard to think of a more exciting time to live in San Antonio than when Spurs Playoff Basketball collides with the city’s Fiesta celebration. Our city comes alive and we show our true colors, from the strength of Silver and Black to the bright doylies of Fiesta.

With the playoffs comes the basketball talking heads and their studio shows. In San Antonio's case, that means the return of Charles Barkley, who has a history of making fun of the women down here.

“There’s some big ol’ women down there. That’s a gold mine for Weight Watchers.”

"Victoria is definitely a secret.. they can't wear no Victoria's Secret down there."

This year, Chuckles took his humor to another level.

“They wear them big ol’ bloomers down there, they can’t get in them cute little panties, they wear bloomers,” Barkley said, failing to stifle laughter.

“Listen, you big ol’ women need to stop … ease up on them churros*,” Barkley said through spurts of uncontrollable chortling.

In his defense, San Antonio consistently ranks in the Top 10 fattest cities nationwide, so he's got a point.

Of course, the ladies of San Antonio didn't take kindly to Sir Charles' remarks.

* For the uninitiated, churros are a fried dough pastry, similar to crullers, often sprinkled with sugar (plain, powdered, or brown), cinnamon, and whatever else strikes the cook's fancy, and sometimes dipped in chocolate (or chocolate milk, or coffee, or whatever else is handy).