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| Have a Happy Weekend!! |
Friday, November 30, 2012
Thursday, November 29, 2012
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Circle of Aphrodite: Music of Love and Beauty, offerings, 12-3
The Circle of Aphrodite: Music of Love
and Beauty by Musical Offerings
6 p.m. - 9 p.m.
Cowden Gallery
Please Note: There are two performances, 6 p.m. and 8 p.m..
$8 for members, $14 for non-members.
Please register online or call 210-978-8121
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
13th Annual NSHMBA San Antonio Scholarship Gala, 11-28
13th Annual
NSHMBA San Antonio Scholarship Gala Seeks to Raise the Bar for Education
The National Society of
Hispanic MBAs (NSHMBA) – San Antonio chapter will partner with Nationwide
Insurance to “Raise the Bar for Education and Build Tomorrow’s Leaders”. The
vision is to make the needle actually move and change key statistics related to
Latinos and graduate degrees. Only 4 percent of Latinos have completed graduate
or professional degree programs, according to www.collegeforlatinos.com.
The NSHMBA Scholarship Gala will take place on Wed., Nov. 28,
6 p.m. to 10 p.m. at The Club at Sonterra, 901 Sonterra Blvd. Black tie is optional.
· Silent auction
· Notable Latino’s Exhibit
· Dinner provided by The Club at Sonterra
· Dance and music entertainment
Contact: Nora Frost
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| Brandi Lopez |
The notable events for the evening include:
·
A live
performance from Ballet Folklorico Festival · Silent auction
· Notable Latino’s Exhibit
· Dinner provided by The Club at Sonterra
· Dance and music entertainment
Brandy Lopez, Executive Producer and Host of Latin Fusion TV
will be Mistress of Ceremonies. Leo Gomez, Vice President of Public &
Government Affairs for the San Antonio Spurs Organization, will be our keynote
speaker.
Tickets are available on the NSHMBA San Antonio website: www.nshmba.org/event/sagala
Help us make a significant impact in the lives of those
seeking advanced degrees. All net proceeds from the event go toward the NSHMBA
Scholarship fund.
Corporate sponsorship opportunities are also available.
Please contact Guillermina.Delarosa@wellsfargo.com
for further information.
For more information on the San Antonio chapter of NSHMBA,
go to www.nshmba.org/sanantonio.
# # #Contact: Nora Frost
210.722.2336
2012 West SA Chamber of Commerce Small Business, 11-29
2012
West San Antonio Chamber of Commerce
Small Business
Education
The West Chamber BEEP Series to start on Thursday Nov.
29
On Thursday, November 29, the West San Antonio Chamber of
Commerce will launch a new small business education program titled the West
Chamber BEEP (Business Education & Empowerment Program) Series aimed at
providing its members and future members with an opportunity to learn helpful
business strategies that will improve and hopefully help grow their respective
business.
The initial program will feature an educational seminar on
"Business Exit Strategies...Planning for the Future". The class will be
presented by business coach Sergio Oronoz from Marketing by
Education.
This initial installment of the West Chamber BEEP Series will
take place at the Margarita Huantes Learning Center located at 1411 Guadalupe
Street. Registration is at 8:30 a.m. with the class starting promptly at 9:00
a.m. The class will end at 11 a.m.
This is a free workshop for West San Antonio Chamber members
and $25 for future members.
For more information please call (210) 399-1446. Seating is
limited.
AIDS Awareness Week, a San Antonio Collaborative
The AIDS
REVUE:
Community Partners Celebrate
AIDS Awareness
Friday, November 30th7:30 p.m. - 9 p.m.
Luby Courtyard, Free with Museum admission.
Enjoy readings by John Phillip Santos, Carmen Tafolla, Anthony the Poet, and Jenny Brown. Performances by David Zamora Casas, Anna de Luna, Jayne King and Bill Colangelo.
Come early and hear Anita Valencia present a short talk at 6:30 p.m. about her "Joy of Art" bottle cap assemblages, which are on exhibition in the Café des Artistes.
Christmas Drive Award Ceremony @ Luby's Cafeteria, 12-8
Bexar County Tejano
Democrats’ Christmas Membership Drive Meeting and Award Ceremony Congratulating
our Party Chair, Manuel Medina for turning Bexar County “Blue”. Saturday,
December 8th, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m at Luby’s Downtown Cafeteria (911 North
Main). Bring a Blanket or Space Heater to be donated to the Elderly. For more
information contact Peter Vallecillo (210) 854-3054 or info@BCTejanos.org.
Sunday, November 25, 2012
"Ask the Judge" Column continues in La Prensa SA, 11-25
Ask
the Judge: Pleading
“no contest” vs. “guilty”By Judge Steve Walker
When a defendant pleads “guilty” to a charge, he/she understands they will face some penalty such as a fine or other mandate handed down by a Judge for their actions in a Justice of the Peace Court.
However, when a defendant pleads “nolo contendere,” in lieu of guilty, it may change the dynamics in terms of punishment. The legal term comes from the Latin for "I do not wish to contend." It is also referred to as a plea of “no contest.”
In criminal trials, and in some common law jurisdictions, it is a plea where the defendant neither admits nor disputes a charge serving as an alternative to a pleading of guilty or not guilty.
A no-contest plea, while not technically a guilty plea, has the same immediate effect as a guilty plea, and is often offered as a part of a plea bargain. In many jurisdictions a plea of nolo contendere is not a right, and carries various restrictions on its use.
In Justice of the Peace Court, many violators of the traffic laws for example plead “no contest,” (nolo contendere) rather than admit guilt which is their right under law. If there is a plea of guilty, then there is a bench trial unless the defendant opts for a jury trial.
Many defendants in my court obviously don’t understand that the only difference between the two pleas are in the semantics and either way the cases will be handled as if the two separate pleas carry the same weight as previously stated.
The only time it actually does have continuing implications in the two pleas is when a traffic ticket is issued involving a car accident or collision when one of the parties involved is issued a citation by the officer who files a police report reflecting an allegation that the party was at fault for causing the accident.
If the defendant in Justice of the Peace Court opts to plead “guilty” for that specific violation that may have caused the accident, that admission can be entered as evidence in a civil suit that a plaintiff is seeking damages and medical expenses stemming from the accident.
If on the other hand the plea is “no contest” the ticket cannot be used as evidence to bolster the civil suit. As far as the traffic ticket goes, either plea will be entered and fines and time to pay kick into play.
Lastly as always, if you are due in court, be sure to show up to court on time. It is in everyone’s best interest.
Justice
of the Peace, Pct. 2 Steve Walker is a Vietnam Veteran and a former Journalist.
Saturday, November 24, 2012
Local Activist Democrat Fernando Contreras passes away
Local Activist Democrat Fernando Contreras passes away.
More details to follow.
Friday, November 23, 2012
White House Christmas Tree delivered to White House, 11-23
The official White House
Christmas tree, a 19-foot Fraser Fir, arrives in a horse-drawn carriage at the
North Portico of the White House, Nov. 23, 2012. (Official White House Photo by
Chuck Kennedy)
Today, First Lady Michelle Obama greeted the official White House Christmas Tree, which arrived via horse-drawn carriage. Daughters Sasha and Malia and First Dog Bo also helped welcome the tree.
This year’s official tree is a 19-foot Fraser Fir
that was selected in early October and harvested this month at Peak Farms in
Jefferson, North Carolina.. It will be displayed throughout the holiday season
in the Blue Room. Members of the National Christmas Tree Association have
presented the official White House Christmas Tree for display in the Blue Room
each year since 1966.
"Victory Celebration" for local Democrats in Election, 11-30
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"We are greater than the sum of our individual
ambitions and we remain more than a collection of red states and blue states. We
are, and forever will be, the United States of America.
And together, with your help and God's grace,
we will continue our journey forward and remind the world just why it is that we
live in the greatest nation on earth. Thank you, America. God bless you. God
bless these United States."
Barack Obama,
President of The United States of America  |
Thirteen Dimension's "Thought for the Day," Thursday, 11/23
H. L. Mencken
A Cynic goes through life, both depressed & depressing. Most people have enough negativity in their lives...without having to add to ours. They won't tolerate someone who smells the roses, rather than look around for a casket.
Let's be kind to ourselves and our near and dear ones...considering the impact of our negative attitude on people around us...it may prevent them from doing their best and living their lives fully.
Let's be less cynical!!
Have a Great Day.
Thursday, November 22, 2012
49th anniversary of the assassination of President Kennedy
DALLAS (Reuters) - One year before the 50th anniversary of John F. Kennedy's assassination, events and tributes are already beginning in the Dallas area to commemorate the slain U.S. president and a defining moment in American history.
The city announced this week that it would hold a memorial service at 12:30 p.m. local time on November 22, 2013, at Dealey Plaza, the precise time and place that Lee Harvey Oswald is believed to have shot Kennedy.
The service will be a departure for Dallas, which has generally shunned publicity of one of the darkest events in its history. Crowds gather every year on the anniversary of the assassination, but the last public ceremony was 20 years ago to recognize Dealey Plaza's listing on the National Register of Historic Places.
This week, a Texas historical marker was dedicated to Dallas Police Officer J.D. Tippit, whom Oswald shot to death in the Oak Cliff section of the city, shortly after the shooting of Kennedy during his motorcade parade in the nearby downtown area.
Tippit was on patrol when he spotted Oswald and stopped to question him. Witnesses told police that Oswald shot Tippit four times. Oswald was arrested a few blocks away in the Texas Theatre a short time later, Dallas police said.
"There is going to be a lot going on in Dallas next year at this time so we decided to do our tribute this year so it is not overshadowed," said Phil Leven, president of the Oak Cliff Conservation League, a grass-roots community organization. "Officer Tippit died in the line of duty, and we feel this is a good opportunity to raise awareness and give him the recognition he deserves." The marker at 10th and Patton streets is the spot where Tippit was killed.
Editor's Note: On that day I was in my High School Senior Government Class in Schenectady, New York. Ironically we were discussing what was the line of succession if the President was incapacitated and could not serve. As we discussed the possibility, the principal came over the intercom and announced that the President was shot! Stunned, for nearly 30 minutes in class you could have heard a pin drop. We quietly moved to our next class and the principal come back on the intercom sobbing said, " the President is Dead!" We were immediately sent home.
Steve Walker.
A Happy Thanksgiving from the staff of the Walker Report
Happy Thanksgiving from the Staff of the Walker Report!!
Did You Know?
In 1621, the Plymouth colonists and Wampanoag Indians shared an autumn harvest feast that is acknowledged today as one of the first Thanksgiving celebrations in the colonies. For more than two centuries, days of thanksgiving were celebrated by individual colonies and states. It wasn't until 1863, in the midst of the Civil War, that President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national Thanksgiving Day to be held each November.
In 1621, the Plymouth colonists and Wampanoag Indians shared an autumn harvest feast that is acknowledged today as one of the first Thanksgiving celebrations in the colonies. For more than two centuries, days of thanksgiving were celebrated by individual colonies and states. It wasn't until 1863, in the midst of the Civil War, that President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national Thanksgiving Day to be held each November.
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
Happy Thanksgiving from Congressman -Elect Gallego
Like most of us, I have sometimes allowed myself to dream and to think about what it would be like to win the lottery.
God has been gracious to me. This Thanksgiving, I am grateful for winning a lottery - for the fourth time. I won once when I met and married a phenomenal woman. I won again when we became the parents of an amazing son. I won when my neighbors elected me to the Texas House. And now, another win - a dream come true - an opportunity to serve our region in the U.S. Congress.
You can see why this Thanksgiving means so much to my family and to me. And, even now, I am working on how I can continue to use my win to make the world a better place for both our children and our parents, for our veterans and their families, for small businesses who are the backbone of our economy, and for the middle class as a whole.
It is a huge challenge, but I relish this opportunity. Now, in this land known as America, our work together begins so that other families - other parents, other kids, other entrepreneurs - can create their own opportunities and live their own dreams, too.
You have placed in me a great trust. From my family to yours, ¡muchísimas gracias! May you have a warm and wonderful Thanksgiving.
- Pete P. Gallego
Alamo Colleges-Eagle Ford Shale Boot Camp-St. Philip's College
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For more info call: Henry Espinoza @ 486-3411.18 Day Program, Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.- 3:30 p.m. for $929 @ St. Philip's College Southwest Campus. Classes starting soon.
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Happy Thanksgiving from University of the Incarnate Word
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| Happy Thanksgiving from the University of the Incarnate Word |
Happy Thanksgiving from Councilman Dist. 4 Rey Saldana
Happy Thanksgiving From City Council District 4
Councilman Rey Saldana
Happy Thanksgiving from District 8 Council candidate
Thanksgiving has always been a special time for my family, as I'm sure it is for yours. Among the many things we have to be grateful for are friends and family, some still with us and others not.
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| My older brother Marc and me with Papa Bernie in Boston, 1979. |
This Thanksgiving, I remember my grandfathers in particular. They were both very important in shaping who I am and how I view the world. They were strong, driven, and they both immigrated to this country (one from Russia, the other from Malaysia) to make a better life for themselves and their families. I know they would be proud of how Erika and I are raising our little family, too.
Happy Thanksgiving,
Ron Nirenberg
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Monday, November 19, 2012
Sunday, November 18, 2012
"Ask the Judge" column continues in La Prensa of SA, 11-18
By Judge Steve Walker
Every day when plaintiffs/defendants come into the
Justice of the Peace Court for a hearing or trial or simple filing of court
papers, there is the usual fear or uncertainty in regards to the outcome for or
against either side.
Since Justice of the Peace Court handles
misdemeanor cases to include traffic tickets, truancy, evictions, and small
claims/civil, numerous questions are asked by those visiting the court for
various reasons.
In the traffic court, the most common question is:
“can I have time to pay the ticket since I am out of work and don’t have any
money?”
Answer: Yes we give 30 days to pay the balance or
we send you to collections if necessary.
When someone owes a large amount of money to
include outstanding warrants or Failure to Appear for those tickets, by sending
you to collections you are allowed more time to take care of the ticket than
just the Judge offering you thirty days to pay. As the Judge I am limited to
offering 30 days as compared to Collections who will set up a payment plan over
a longer period of time to allow you take care of the fines.
In traffic court another commonly asked question
is: “Can I do community service instead of the fine since I have no job or income?”
Answer: Again yes if you qualify as an indigent.
You fill out a Pauper’s Affidavit listing your income or lack of an income and
then when approved, you are assigned community service in lieu of the fine. The
community service hours are calculated at $6.25 per hour. If you were to owe
62.50 to the court you will receive 10 & ½ hours and so forth.
A third question commonly asked in traffic court;
“Can I take defensive driving to get the ticket off my record?” Answer: Yes you
can sign up for defensive driving. It normally costs around $25 at most
defensive driving schools and you must complete the course within 90 days. A
$115 court cost is assessed and the ticket never goes on your driving record.
If the moving violation is in a school zone court
cost is $140 since that ticket is $330 as compared to other moving violations.
If you request deferred adjudication rather than
defensive driving, the deferred time last for 90 days and if no further
citations are issued during that time, it too never goes on your driving
record. On a 90-day deferred you pay the cost of the actual fine. On both I can
offer 30 days to pay the court costs.
Lastly
as always, if you are due in court, be sure to show up to court on time. It is
in everyone’s best interest.
Justice
of the Peace, Pct. 2 Steve Walker is a Vietnam Veteran and a former Journalist.
Saturday, November 17, 2012
A few more photos from NW Dems monthly meeting, 11-17
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| Northwest Bexar County Democrats President Jacob Middleton |
L-R: Northwest Democrats
Northwest Bex. Dems host monthly meeting & officials, 11-17
L-R: Former NW Dems President Joyce Dorrycott, NW Dems President Jacob Middleton, Barba Moshner, Ruth Stewart, Judge Mary Roman, Judge-Elect Gloria Saldana, Judge Ron Rangel, Judge-Elect Robbie Vazquez, Laura Salinas, Ray Olivarri, former Bex. Dem. Party Chair Choco Meza, Judge-Elect Michael Mery & wife, Dr. Laura, Richard Barber, Darby Riley, Al Kaufman, Travis Cox, Gene Marck, Roger Herr, Luby's