San Antonio: Public Hearing For The Proposed Naming Of Military Drive Trailhead To Dora Jordan Trailhead

Press release from the City of San Antonio:

January 28, 2021

SAN ANTONIO, TX– The City of San Antonio Parks and Recreation Department will conduct a public hearing via teleconference to name Military Drive Trailhead to Dora Jordan Trailhead, located in City Council District 6 at 8802 W. Military Drive. The meeting will be held on Tuesday, February 2, 2021 at 5:30 p.m. Please note that there is no in-person access to this meeting. There are multiple ways to participate and provide comment including the following:

Online:
Join the meeting virtually.

Telephone:
Join the meeting by telephone by dialing (415) 655-0001 then enter the Meeting Access Code: 177 397 4262.

To protect the health of the public and limit the potential spread of COVID-19, this meeting will be held via teleconference. These meeting standards are based upon the various suspended provisions of the Open Meetings Act issued by the Texas Governor in response to the COVID-19 crisis. These modified standards shall remain in place until further notice or until the state disaster declaration expires or is otherwise terminated by the Texas Governor.

PUBLIC COMMENT OPPORTUNITIES
Members of the public may provide comment consistent with procedural rules governing the committee meeting and state law. Public comment may be provided as follows:

1. Submit written comments (up to 300 words maximum) via email by Monday, February 1, 2021 at 4:00 p.m. to the Committee liaison: Veronica.Moreno@sanantonio.gov. Please include your full name and home or work address. These comments will be read at the time the item is heard.
2. Drop off written comments (up to 300 words maximum) to the Parks and Recreation Department Director’s Office located at 114 W. Commerce in the Municipal Plaza Building by Monday, February 1, 2021 at 4:00 p.m. Please include your full name and full home or work address. These comments will be read at the time the item is heard.
3. Leave a voice mail message of a maximum of two (2) minutes by dialing (210) 207-4207 by Monday, February 1, 2021 at 4:00 p.m. Please include your full name and home or work address. Your message will be played during the meeting.
4. Sign up to give your comments live during the meeting by leaving your name and telephone number at (210) 207-4207 by Monday, February 1, 2021 at 4:00 p.m. City staff will contact you when the item is up for discussion but cannot guarantee a specific time after 5:30 p.m. Once you join the call, you will be given two (2) minutes to provide your comments.

*Note: Comments may be submitted in English or Spanish. Written comments, voicemails, and requests to make comments during the meeting live in Spanish must be received by Monday, February 1, 2021 at 9:00 a.m. to give time for translation. We will not accept comments or sign ups after this time for Spanish translation.

After the meeting is convened, the Committee shall consider the naming of the Military Drive Trailhead to Dora Jordan Trailhead.

BACKGROUND
Community stakeholders submitted a request to City Councilmember Melissa Cabello Havrda, Council District 6, to name the Military Drive Trailhead to Dora Jordan Trailhead in honor of Ms. Jordan’s approximately thirty-two (32) years of hard work and dedication to the Parks and Recreation Department from February 1975 through September 2006. Ms. Jordan passed away on July 12, 2020.

Dora Jordan organized special events such as the New Year’s Eve celebration, the Jazz’SAlive festivals, and dedication for new parks, to name just a few. She served as a translator when the presidents of six Latin American countries came to San Antonio in 1992. She was also involved in planning dignitary visits, including Pope John Paul II in 1987, and bringing Mexican songstress Lola Beltrán to San Antonio for a concert benefiting City parks.

Ms. Jordan also encouraged other women to apply for better jobs, speak up for themselves, and persevere in working their way up through the organization as she had done in the Parks and Recreation Department. Ms. Jordan started as a Clerk II and advanced to a Special Activities Coordinator. She acted as a mentor for many other Mexican-American women to help them apply themselves.

This press release was produced by the City of San Antonio. The views expressed here are the author’s own.