FIESTA 2005

Traffic Control ~~~King William Fair
Friday April 22 and Saturday April 23

PARADE ZONE

Eagleland and Adams St. will again serve as staging areas for the Parade, beginning at 7:00 am, until the Parade kick-offs at 9:30 am. Once it starts, the parade will follow the usual route: Eagleland - Guenther - King William - Turner - Madison, Johnson and crossing S. Alamo, again, at Wickes. Guenther, Adams, and Eagleland will be closed to all traffic from 7:00 am Saturday until the Parade has passed by (approximately 10:00 am).

Southeast of S. ALAMO St.

Parking on the streets southeast of S. Alamo (Guenther*, Wickes**, Adams*, Mission, and Cedar) will be limited to the west side of the street only. This means, that if you enter one of those streets from S. Alamo Street, you must park on the right side of the street (the side toward the river). This will be a challenge during the hours of 7:00-9:30 am, for the residents on Adams St. (during the parade staging) and on Guenther St. (the actual parade route). Be sure to park in the correct direction of the flow of the traffic and don't park within 15' from any a) corner (with or without a stop sign) or b) fire hydrant. In order to ensure pedestrian/parking safety, the police will give tickets to those who fail to park correctly. Residents who do not have off-street parking are advised to park on the correct (west) side of the street Friday night, April 22; the police will begin ticketing at 6:00 am. Saturday morning, April 23. Residents should encourage guests to take advantage of remote pay parking lots, or the free lot at 1901 S. Alamo @ S. Flores), which is only an 8 minute walk to Guenther Street. A free shuttle will run to/from that lot, after the parade, from approximately 10 am to 5 pm. (Please see the map on the back of the enclosed blue vehicle pass).
*Guenther Street is the official parade route. Please refrain from parking on the west side of the street until the parade has passed by (approximately 10:00am).

**100 blocks of Wickes and Adams Streets (between S. Alamo Street and Forcke only): To facilitate pedestrian/vehicular safety along the first block of these two narrow streets, no parking will be allowed on either side of the street, until 6:00 pm Saturday evening.

FAIR ZONE

The "Fair Zone" is defined as those streets northwest of S. Alamo St. - between S. Alamo, the River and S. St. Mary's Street - including Arsenal (from the bridge to the Fair), Beauregard, Johnson, King William, Madison, Pancoast, Sheridan, Turner, and Washington Streets, plus the 100 blocks of Adams and Wickes. All residents of these streets will be required to move their cars off the street, by 8:00 am on the morning of Friday, April 22. After that time, there will be no through-traffic within the Fair Zone. If you do not have the ability to park on your property, you may park at the Blue Star Brewery lot until 5:00 pm on Friday. After 5:00 pm, you can move your car to the H-E-B parking lot, located at on Main Street, just south of Durango Blvd. After 8 am Friday, resident vehicles displaying vehicle passes and Fair contractors may only enter/exit the neighborhood via the Arsenal Bridge or Turner Street.

Until 5:00 pm Friday, April 22, all homes and businesses in the Fair Zone will be accessible as destination points to neighbors, guests, patrons, delivery vehicles, B&B guests, and employees and visitors to the Steve's Homestead, the Conservation Society and the SA Art League Museum, however, street parking will not be available. On Friday, except for emergencies, vehicles without passes will be stopped at the barricades, and if they are without a specific destination name and address, they will not be admitted; so please make sure your guests know your specific address!

PARKING for FAIR ZONE Residents

Our very good friends at H-E-B have once again allowed us the use of their employee parking lot for resident parking beginning at 5:00 pm on Friday. Residents are urged to take advantage of this facility on Main St. and move their cars there on Friday evening. You will find enclosed in this newsletter your initial two-per-household Vehicle Passes. If you need more Vehicle passes for resident family members, employees or B&B guests, please come by the KW office during our extended Fair hours (10:00 am - 4:00 pm, April 18 - 22). If you cannot come in during these hours, call 227-FAIR, and leave a request in the general mailbox, to make arrangements. 

On the reverse side of your Vehicle Pass is your H-E-B Parking Pass. Parking in the H-E-B lot, however, is strictly limited to Fair Zone residents and B&B clientele. 

On Saturday, April 23, all streets in the Fair Zone will be closed from 6:00 am to 7:30 pm. As of 6:00 am, the only traffic allowed in/out of the neighborhood will be those who are Fair food or craft vendors for set-up, KW Fair logistical support crews, Fair chairs/committees, Bexar County Sheriffs, SAPD and emergency vehicles. Do not expect to move a vehicle in/out of the Fair Zone after 6:00 am Saturday morning (if you think you may need your car from your home that day, be sure to park at H-E-B between 5 pm on Friday and 6 am on Saturday). Booth set-up will begin early since all vendor vehicles must be out of the Zone by 9:00 am, to allow passage for the parade.

GUEST PARKING

We are asking Fair visitors to park in commercial lots nearby and walk to the Fair. Another option new this year is an available, large parking lot at 1901 S Alamo (corner of S Alamo and S Flores), which is less than an 8-minute walk to the Guenther Street Fair entrance. A free shuttle will be running a continuous, circuitous route, offering stops at the Fair, Brackenridge High School, and 1901 S Alamo, from 9:30 am until 5:00 pm. If you are planning a private party at your home or expect guests to arrive by car, please advise them to park in the commercial lots and walk to the Fair, or park at the S. Alamo/S. Flores lot, and walk or ride the shuttle to the Fair. Please note, although the parking lot previously used by Fair attendees at UTSA (under the IH-35 freeway) should still be available, we will not be running a shuttle to that lot. 

CLEAN UP

The fair ends at 6:00 pm, however, vendors, crews and contractors will work throughout the night on Saturday, removing booths, rides, tents, trucks and trash. In order to facilitate the large, street-cleaner machines that will come through the Fair zone during Saturday evening, please, if at all possible, do not park on the Fair Zone streets until Sunday morning. 

QUESTIONS?
Feel free to contact the KWA office with any questions you may have regarding parking on April 22-24. As always, thank you for your cooperation...Fair 05 Traffic Committee
Si necesita información sobre reglas de estacionamiento de vecindad durante el 22-24 de abril, por favor llame a Pamela. Gracias para su cooperación.

 

The King William Association Page 2

Tales from the Cat Lady

I recently represented KW at a mayoral forum hosted by the Humane Society of Bexar County. The three primary candidates were asked questions pertaining to animal issues. The candidates were provided with some questions prior to the forum and were also asked a series of surprise questions. All of the candidates agreed that irresponsible pet owners are the real problem but none had a clear vision as to what to do about people who do not take care of their pets. Phil Hardberger mentioned that the city needs to be more proactive rather than reactive to all issues affecting the city, not just the pet overpopulation problem and that San Antonio should look at what progressive cities are doing and to follow their model. Councilman Schubert and Castro suggested that education is the key to a long-term solution. Schubert suggested that schools provide a mandatory curriculum on caring for animals and Castro suggested putting informational inserts in with CPS bills. Councilman Castro supports increasing the number of adoptions through the animal resource center and also suggested that businesses get involved by providing discount incentives for having an animal altered. When asked about what should be done to reduce the number of feral cats, none of the candidates had a firm plan (this was one of the "surprise" questions). Councilman Schubert admitted that he had not given feral cats much thought but suggested that he would form an alliance with animal groups, such as the Feral Cat Coalition to address the problem. Judge Hardberger viewed feral cats as a public nuisance and thought that if they can't be socialized that the best thing for them would be to have them euthanized. Finally, Councilman Castro suggested that the city look into the trap, neuter, return program that other cities have initiated.

Gretchen Garceau-Kragh

Garden Tour

The neighborhood garden tour that has been held in early May for the past few years will not be held this year. The Garden Committee is considering having it every other year and felt this was a good time to see how that works out.

Out in the Garden

Was that gasoline lawnmower hard to start after sitting around all winter? Call the City number at 311. You can still get a rebate off on a new electric mower when you turn in that old gas guzzler. With the cost of gas going up you can save money while reducing air pollution.

Now that many flowering shrubs are about to finish their annual bloom this is the time to trim those that bloom "on the old wood". These include Mountain Laurel, bridal wreath, and flowering quince. Also if you have Lady Banks or other climbing roses in your garden trim them back just after they finish blooming also. If you wait until later in the year or just after the first of the year in 2006 you will not have any blooms next spring.

Start thinking crepe myrtles. They will begin blooming in June depending on the type. That is a good time to buy them so you can see the color you want. Be sure to buy one that fits the size of the space you have so you don't have to trim it much later. A list of over 50 kinds of crepe myrtles available is for the taking in the bulletin board box on the porch of the King William Office. 

One of the worst things you can do to a crepe myrtle is to top it every year to keep it in bounds. Not only do the heavy blooms make the thin new limbs sag over but the trunks keep getting larger and larger each year and you have a very unsightly plant after only a short time. There was a recent article in the newsletter about topping crepe myrtle by another concerned neighborhood gardener and unfortunately there are several instances where this advice went unheeded. However, if these are not topped in the future chances are they will recover.

What is yard art? It is anything you think looks neat in your garden. Just before the King William Fair is a good time to get stock up. We will be having a curbside pickup on Monday, April 18 so the weekend before is a good time to start looking. They say one person's trash is another's treasure. You never know what you will find along the curb. Sometimes a rusty or broken object in the right spot is just what your garden may need.

Even though we have had very good rainfall, do not waste water. We are under full-time rules of not watering with any type of sprinkler between 10AM and 8PM. Gardening is a great stress reducer. If you want to do something very stress free get a "fan" type nozzle and put on the end of your garden hose and go out and listen to the sounds of the morning for an hour or so. Morning watering goes a long way toward .

If you noticed a variety of sweet fragrances in the air lately the source may be from flowering trees which we have many of in the neighborhood. These are Chinaberry, and Anagua (sandpaper tree). Both are native trees and may be hard to buy if you want one but anyone who has one will have many coming up wild since they reseed easily. The owner will probably be happy to part with some. However plant them away from the house, driveway, and walkways. The Chinaberry has many marble size berries and the berries of the Anagua are very sticky.

Out in the Garden continued on page 7

  

The King William Association Page 3

Volunteers Still Needed

All you need to do is Crew for a couple of hours and be awarded a coveted KW Fair 2005 T-Shirt!
- On Fair Day your official 2005 T-shirt identifies you as KW and a friend of this neighborhood to all of the 80-something-thousand visitors.
- It's Fun! It's easy, it's on your doorstep (or a few blocks away) and it's your personal opportunity to be a part of the magic of FIESTA. 
CALL 271-3247 ext 5

Tasks & Times
Friday, 4/22, varying times throughout the day:
- PARKING/TRANSPORTATION
TASK: help post directional signs. Call Chair, Cherise Bell (386-0918).

All you need to do is Crew for a couple of hours and be awarded a coveted KW Fair 2005 T-Shirt!
- On Fair Day your official 2005 T-shirt identifies you as KW and a friend of this neighborhood to all of the 80-something-thousand visitors.
- It's Fun! It's easy, it's on your doorstep (or a few blocks away) and it's your personal opportunity to be a part of the magic of FIESTA. 
CALL 271-3247 ext 5

Tasks & Times
Friday, 4/22, varying times throughout the day:
- PARKING/TRANSPORTATION
TASK: help post directional signs. Call Chair, Cherise Bell (386-0918).

-STAGING II - Help supervise booth/stage/tent placement. 
Chair& table crew 4 - 6 p.m. 2 more strong backs needed.

Saturday, 4/23 FAIR DAY

-ADMISSION SITES
Hours 2 shifts: 9 - 11 and 11 - 1 TASK: Welcoming. Greet admission ticket-holders (neighbors and pre-sales) and give them paper wrist-bracelets. 

-ENFORCEMENT I
Hours: 6am - 9 am
TASK: Direct Vendor Set-up for ½ to 1 block in Fair Zone.

-ENFORCEMENT II
Hours 4 - 6 pm
Task: Check-out Food Vendors from 1-block sites.

-PARADE MONITORS
Hours: 7 - 11 am.
TASK: Stage/monitor Parade route

-BEER BOOTH CAPTAINS
Hours: a few slots still open
TASK: Oversee Beer/beverage/ice supplies for 1 Beer Booth

-PARKING/TRANSPORTATION
TASK: Ride the shuttle bus to monitor route. Call Chair, Cherise Bell (386-0918).

INFORMATION
-special guests
Host families needed for BAMC soldiers.
-Chairs-in-Training needed for Finance Chair and Trash Tsar 2006.

STAGING II - Help supervise booth/stage/tent placement. 
Chair& table crew 4 - 6 p.m. 2 more strong backs needed.

Saturday, 4/23 FAIR DAY

-ADMISSION SITES
Hours 2 shifts: 9 - 11 and 11 - 1 TASK: Welcoming. Greet admission ticket-holders (neighbors and pre-sales) and give them paper wrist-bracelets. 

-ENFORCEMENT I
Hours: 6am - 9 am
TASK: Direct Vendor Set-up for ½ to 1 block in Fair Zone.

-ENFORCEMENT II
Hours 4 - 6 pm
Task: Check-out Food Vendors from 1-block sites.

-PARADE MONITORS
Hours: 7 - 11 am.
TASK: Stage/monitor Parade route

-BEER BOOTH CAPTAINS
Hours: a few slots still open
TASK: Oversee Beer/beverage/ice supplies for 1 Beer Booth

-PARKING/TRANSPORTATION
TASK: Ride the shuttle bus to monitor route. Call Chair, Cherise Bell (386-0918).
nINFORMATION

-special guests
Host families needed for BAMC soldiers.
nChairs-in-Training needed for Finance Chair and Trash Tsar 2006.

  

The King William Association Page 4

Message from the Chair

Well, the 2005 Fair is just a couple of weeks away. Can you believe it? I know many of you can because you have been working on it for quite a while. As always, there remain a lot of things to do so don’t think it’s too late to get involved. Just call Tina Garza (224-7583) or Rita (227-8786) to get an assignment.

I got the job of Fair Chair without a tour as Co-chair so reliance on the wisdom and ingenuity of new and seasoned committee chairs is at an all-time high. Rita and Pam are invaluable as paid staff and Mary Newsom, who joined our temporary office staff on Mar 31st this year, is taking care of many of our last minute details. I recruited Rose Kanusky to be Chair-select (new title) and she is taking copious notes for next year in addition to providing great support this year.

Most of you know we are charging admission for the first time this year. Bright yellow wristbands will be required to purchase beverages if you are 18 or older and that includes water and soda. Our TABC certified sellers will still be checking ID’s if you look like you might be under 21. The wristband just means you paid our $2 admission fee…not that you are authorized to purchase alcoholic beverages. Advance sales are going well. Bands are available at the King William office and the Fiesta Store on Broadway. Everyone in the neighborhood will receive their complimentary bands inside this newsletter so don’t throw it away too quickly. Practically every street into the neighborhood will have an admission booth. We are trying to impose as little as possible on our guests and the admission fee should allow us to continue to offer the best values in food and drink of any Fiesta event. The admission points should also allow us to enforce the prohibition against personal coolers. Association President and Admission Committee Chair, Steve Yndo, answered most of your questions concerning admission issues in the last newsletter so I won’t spend anymore space on that subject.

We are not offering shuttles from the UTSA parking lot this year. Instead we are encouraging visitors to park free in the One Stop lot on S. Alamo at S. Flores. There are almost 300 spaces there and we will be running a shuttle most of the day for those who don’t feel they can manage the 5 minute walk to the Fair area. The shuttle will also run to the high school and back throughout the day.

We have great entertainment, mostly local, booked at all stages. The Kids’ Kingdom is adding a rock-climbing wall to the area. Should be a hit with the older kids…and maybe some of the adults. And the beverage booth near the Kids’ Kingdom will feature blue and red-colored frozen drinks for the younger crowd. Pat’s Pub will be a little smaller this year as construction is beginning on the vacant lot on the south side of that area but we still expect that to be a popular place to relax and enjoy the music and a beverage.

I know it’s an inconvenience for some of you to have this fair in front of your house year after year. Because of temporary electric hookups, safety considerations and layout headaches it’s not realistic to make major changes in where elements are located from year to year. That means someone has to endure portapottys, bands , or supply trucks nearby.

In spite of those realities, our goal is to make your experience as pleasant as possible. If you have a concern and want to talk about it, call me.

We’re trying to do a quick, thorough cleanup after the fair so please bear with us as we keep the cars off the streets for a few hours after the fair ends. It’ll be worth it the next day.

I’m looking forward to my ride in the parade this year when it steps off at 9:30 featuring our unofficial mayor of King William, Mike Casey, as the Grand Marshall. The weather is going to be beautiful so plan to enjoy a wonderful "Day in the Kingdom" this Fiesta!

--Dick Davis
2005 Fair Chair

  

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La Villita Historic Arts Village

 

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