July Scene and Heard

Mexico’s independence bicentennial this year has been cause for all kinds of celebrations in this town, where the cultural and civic ties run deep.  One of the most fascinating occasions so far was the World Affairs Council program “Mexico in its Bicentennial: Still a distant neighbor?”

Chaired by top immigration lawyer and longtime council stalwart Nancy Shivers, the program featured Mexico’s Ambassador to the U.N., Enrique Berruga; business whiz Mario Melgar-Adalid and Incarnate Word University’s Distinguished Professor Raul Rodriguez. The program was packed with thought-provoking moments, but one of the best was Berruga’s story about how he got a nickname from President George W. Bush.

June Scene and Heard

Did you know that May was National Teen Pregnancy Prevention Month? You’d think that would be bigger than Cinco de Mayo here in S.A., where we have the dubious distinction of one of the highest rates of teen pregnancy in the country. And believe it or not, we’ve improved quite a bit in the last 15 years or so. In 1994, nearly 60 percent of Bexar County’s births were to girls between 15 and 17 years old. That’s high school age.

Now local folks can proudly say that only about 40 percent of births are to those 15 to 17 years old. But that’s still a spectacular 73 percent higher than the national average. We may have come a long way, baby, but where high school age moms are concerned, we’ve got a long way to go.

May Scene and Heard

If you haven’t heard about Morgan’s Wonderland by now, you’ve been missing one of the most important stories in San Antonio. The amazingly accessible theme park inspired by Gordon Hartman’s daughter, Morgan, is the first of its kind in the world; a place of creativity and wonder, celebrating the bonds of understanding and human connectedness through the joy of child’s play. In his Power of One column this month, Ken Rodriguez introduces you to the girl behind the vision, whose bright spirit inspired her father to turn an abandoned quarry into a 25-acre oasis where every child can play. The transcendent power of a father’s love; the power of one to inspire countless others; the deep common bonds of humanity; these are the true wonders of Morgan’s Wonderland. When folks thank Gordon Hartman for the money, time and love it took to create a place so extraordinarily special in S.A., he’s quick to say his main role was bringing many people together to make his dream a reality. When he said that to me recently, it got me thinking. Remember back in 2005, when Hartman left his successful home-building business? He wanted to spend more time on family and philanthropy, he said. And so he has.