6AM City In-house

I met my childhood hero. This is what he said.

I met my childhood hero, John Quiñones, and this is what he said: A five-question interview
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John Quiñones, speaking at the inaugural Business Week Experience event. | Photo by SATXtoday team
It’s not often you get to meet your childhood heroes — especially ones that have inspired your chosen career.

Picture this: It’s 2010. Young City Editor Iván is scouring the internet for “What Would You Do” episodes during the early days of YouTube — everything is incredibly pixelated, buffering even at 240p — but still nearly crying after every watch.

There’s no doubt in my mind that “WWYD?” had a profound impact on my decision to go into journalism. The televised hidden camera show tackling ethical dilemmas shed light on the human experience in a way that I had never seen.

But looking back, I would have never guessed that the man behind this groundbreaking ABC series was actually a San Antonian. Once I found out that John would be speaking at my (and his) alma mater, St. Mary’s University, I knew I had to stop by to ask him a few short questions. This is that conversation.

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Always meet your heroes — especially when they’re speaking at your university.

Photo by SATXtoday team

What advice do you have for your younger self?

Not to get so caught up in negativity, you know? And not listen to people who were the naysayers who said, you’re not good enough or it isn’t your time to go and become a television reporter.

Or even a radio reporter — I heard a lot of that because I had a heavy Mexican accent.

I was told repeatedly that I wasn’t ever going to make it. I still believed in myself, but I wish I had done a better job of that. Just fought back. And sort of ignore the naysayers.

You just got to shut the negativity out. I didn’t do enough of that. I even thought about dropping out when I was a sophomore because I was so depressed and thinking that maybe I wouldn’t be able to have my dream come true.

That would be it. Be more positive, even more positive than I was.
FOUR MORE QUESTIONS
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Today
  • Live Trivia at Santikos Entertainment Westlakes | Wed., Oct. 19 - Wed., Dec. 21 | 7-9 p.m. | Santikos Entertainment Westlakes, 1255 SW Loop 410, San Antonio | Free | Bring your friends out for a night of live trivia that is free to play with lots of prizes.
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Thursday
  • Free Community Workout | Thu., Oct. 20 | 6:30-7:30 p.m. | Promenade, 434 S. Alamo St, San Antonio | Free | Join the community in an instructor-led workout for all ages.
Friday
  • 2022 Haunted Swim | Fri., Oct. 21 | 6 p.m. | San Antonio Natatorium, 1430 W Cesar Chavez, San Antonio | Free | Bring your family for an evening of spooky fun, including a costume contest + ashowing of “Casper.”
Saturday
  • 8th Annual Hocus Pocus Halloween Extravaganza | Sat., Oct. 22 | 7-11 p.m. | San Antonio Museum of Art, 200 W Jones Ave, San Antonio | $100.00 - $150.00 | Join this fundraising event in support Fiesta Youth Programming featuring live music, an open bar, and costume contests.

We have a monthly guide filled with events + activities you can plan for in advance. Click the button below to bookmark ideas for upcoming date nights, family outings, and time with friends.
100+ MORE EVENTS

Weather
  • 70º | Partly cloudy | 0% chance of rain
Biz
  • Mayor Nirenberg opened San Antonio Startup Week on Frost Tower earlier this week, and there’s still a whole weekend of free events ahead of us. Build your itinerary with workshops, demos, and even a music festival. (San Antonio Express-News)
Development
  • Dallas-based developer GenCap plans to build a $48 million luxury apartment complex in Westover Hills at the intersection of Rogers Road and Western Cross. Construction is expected to begin in January + finish in early 2025. (San Antonio Business Journal)
  • Opportunity Home San Antonio — formerly the San Antonio Housing Authority — applied for $8 million from San Antonio’s housing bond to assist in an 88-unit public housing expansion at Alazán-Apache Courts. The development cost would total $24 million. (San Antonio Heron)
Read
Listen
  • A Medina County couple found a sinkhole on their property, only to discover a massive cavern just below their feet. The 120-ft tall, 60-ft wide cave was safely explored by experts from Bexar Gotto, and may still uncover more underground passageways. (TPR)
Health
  • It’s a good idea to review your Medicare plan options each year to see if you could get more benefits or save more money. This free seminar from Devoted Health is an easy, no-pressure way to do that—and learn about their Medicare Advantage plans. RSVP online or call 210-548-1022. (Disclaimer H7993_23P54_C).*
Seasonal
  • If you WFH like us, it’s nearly time to break out the space heater. Solve chilly mornings the energy efficient way with the Dr. Infrared Heater that warms objects, not the air. Hello, cozy legs. Bonus: Heat your patio with infrared, too. 🔥*
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Government

Asked: the St. Mary’s parking pilot
Heavy construction and orange traffic barriers on the St. Mary's Strip
Heavy construction on the strip exacerbated existing traffic issues. | Photo by SATXtdoay team
Following the Oct. 8 public meeting regarding the St. Mary’s parking permit plan, the project has been put on ice in order to collect more feedback from residents.

The pilot — which would last one year, close residential streets from 10 p.m.-6 a.m. seven days a week, and grant residents four free permits — has been a hot topic since late September. Brush up on the details with reporting by MySA, San Antonio Report + San Antonio Express-News, or dive into the study yourself.

If you are a resident or business owner around St. Mary’s affected by this program, we would love to know your thoughts. Your opinion could appear in a future newsletter.
THE WRAP

Today’s issue was written by Iván.

Editor’s pick: You may have noticed a new name at the bottom of our recent issues. Everyone welcome City Editor Amy. Don’t worry — you’ll get a more thorough introduction soon.

Missed yesterday’s newsletter? Lace up your hiking boots.
Connect with us.

Editorial: Ivan Briones, Amy Lynn Johnson, Dayten Rose, Emily Shea, Ashlea Hearn, Josh Kranzberg | Send us a scoop, question, or feedback.

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