I got a call from my mom on the way home from work this afternoon. She said she had good news and bad news: which did I want first? I said the bad news. "Karam's is closing." "NOOOoooo!!!" The good news? There will be Karam's tamales & chili for dinner tonight (my parents went to San Antonio today for the funeral of my dad's elderly cousin [by marriage]). I think a trip to SA is in order in the next month (before they close their doors, after about 66 years in business) for Karam's dine-in, along with a bunch of tamales to go (they freeze really well).
The other news out of San Antonio is also good/bad. I had heard on the radio recently (I like to listen to WOAI out of San Antonio for Rush & Hannity) that Our Lady of the Lake University, in appreciation of our military, was offering tuition assistance to qualifying personnel. I'd been too busy with other things to write up a post about it. In checking their website this evening, it's a "Military Scholarship Program" that will cover the difference between the government tuition assistance of up to $250 per semester hour (I assume this is the GI Bill?) and OLLU's rate of $628 per semester hour, so a military member can go to school (for either a Bachelor's or Master's degree) for free (not counting books & fees). The scholarship of $378 per hour is also open to military spouses. Our Lady of the Lake University should be applauded for their generosity to our military and their spouses.
Unfortunately, OLLU, founded in 1895 by the Sisters of the Congregation of Divine Providence, is in the news today for something entirely different. Last night, there was a 4 alarm fire in the old main administration building. Thankfully, no one was hurt, but the Main Building was heavily damaged. The San Antonio Fire Department is investigating the cause of the blaze. Some are wondering, however, if this fire is connected to a recent bomb threat on campus. Regardless of the cause of the fire, it is sad to hear of the damage done to the historic main building. Listening to WOAI on the way home this afternoon, I learned that this building, not surprisingly, was appointed with lots of wood, and had a beautiful architectural style not seen in modern buildings. While the university is initially concentrating on getting students back to class (classes were cancelled today - about 110 students have been displaced because of the fire). There has also been a fund created for the rebuilding effort. Anyone who wishes to contribute may do so by credit card or by check (Make payable to OLLU. Mail to: OLLU Development Office, 411 SW 24th Street, San Antonio,TX 78207), or, if you are somewhere with a Frost Bank, they (Frost) have "set up account no. 01-0494593 for those who wish to donate to the “Our Lady of the Lake University Rebuilding Fund.”"
Sources:
OLLU update
WOAI: Investigation Begins Into Our Lady of the Lake Fire
CBS 11: Building at 'Our Lady of the Lake' Campus Burns
2 comments:
Thanks for the update...
I spent many hours (or should I say weeks) at Our Lady Of the Lake College. My oldest daughter was born with a hearing defect and by the time she reached school age was not able to attend regular school. Her beginning school year began at Our Lady of the Lake College hearing specialty center. It was there that they determined the degree of hearing loss and type of hearing aids she would need. Her daily schooling at Our Lady of the Lake continued each day until it was recommended that future schooling should be obtained at Sunshine Cottage (a specialty school for the hearing impaired) an extension of Trinity University (also in San Antonio). Between the two schools my daughter was able to catch up with her age group at the public schools and fit right in by the time she reahed third grade. Got a lot to be thankful for at Our Lady...sorry about the fire.
Oh, and lets not forget those tamales at Karams...best in the west! Also, WOAI is one of the very few radio stations in the country that was grandfathered in to keep their 'W' designation...for almost all other stations (maybe one or two more) west of the Mississippi River begin with a 'K'
OLLU sounds like a good place to go to school, or to send your kids. A bit pricy, but what private college isn't?
The tamales & chili were tasty. There are 2 dozen tamales & a pint of chili for sharing between my parents and me. My youngest sister doesn't like tamales (much have been switched at birth?), but likes their chili, so she has a pint of it for herself, and then there's another dozen tamales and a pint of chili for my other sister and her boyfriend. When I was still living in Arkansas and I'd come down here for a vacation, if we made a trip to SA, I'd bring back tamales. I began taking orders, and one time ordered 10 dozen to go ;-) Like I said, they freeze well. One thing, though - Daddy never thinks to also get some of the rice. That's the only thing that would have made dinner better. They are closing some time in June. I plan on checking my calendar to see what weekend I can go down for one last meal (and take-out) before they close their doors...
And, I'd always wondered about WOAI, because I knew about the W vs. K thing and the Mississippi River....
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