Haunted Ghost Tracks

Robert Elizalde

May 4, 2008

Humanities

Haunted Ghosts Tracks

At first I could not choose what to do for my final paper. I wanted to do something I kind of already know about, so I was thinking then came up with the Haunted Ghosts Tracks. I think it will be fun because it kind of scary and also it a good story. The Haunted Ghosts Tracks are located on the south side on San Antonio. It is on the corner of Shane and Villamain Street just outside of Loop 410. The way I go it takes a long way because I take the back roads right behind Stinson Airport. Once you actually get on the road it takes a really long time because of how long it is. I think that going down that road at night is scary because it’s really dark, the whole way you driving along with the train tracks and you pass under the high ways making it look even scarier.

The story behind the tracks is really simple actually. The story start off in like the 1940’s where a bus full of school children stalled right on the train tracks. Well since he bus could not move it was stuck there for good. So then a train started coming down the tracks and the bus got hit with everyone inside of it. It killed the bus driver and ten children inside. Since this incident has happened when ever a car stops or puts there car on neutral it is said that it gets pushed across the tracks to safety. It is said that it’s the spirit of the children. They push the cars across the tracks to prevent another accident and saving people from a tragic fate like their own. You have to stop your cars about 20 to 30 yards from the tracks. If you put your car into to neutral the car gets pushed uphill so that it is not in the way of the incoming train. You can even turn off your engines. With out fail, even though it appears that the road is on an upward grade, the car begins to roll. It rolls slowly first, then steadily gaining speed. It looks like it is going all by its self then it goes up and over the hill. It has been tested over and over and every time it goes over the hill on its own as if someone is pushing it. If you put baby powder on you cars bumper then after if you go check it there is finger prints. They say that it’s the finger prints of the children pushing your car to safety so it will not be hit by a train. A lot accounts have been reported that cars do in fact with out an explanation move on their own and mysterious prints are seen on vehicles. Even till this day a bunch of cars line up at the haunted intersection to see if the legend is true. They also have said that they have heard the voices and laughter of children while at the site. They have tried to look up the incident in the new papers but nothing has been found yet to support the accident. The railroad tracks are also on a slight incline to explain why the car moves on its own though.

Ok the first person I interviewed was a random person doing it. It was kind of risky but after they tried it I waved there car down and they stopped. I asked them if I could ask them questions about the tracks and they said yes. It was two people but I just asked the driver and his name was Julio Ibarra. I asked what did he think of the tracks and he said he thought it was cool and spooky hoe it just rolled down with you car was off. Then I asked him if he thought if the legend is true. He then said that he thinks that it is because there is no way that your car can go up on the hill and then over with out some help. I asked him if it was his first time and he said that yes it was. The second person I interviewed was my friend’s cousin Andres Sepulveda. I interviewed him because he lives right near the haunted the tracks and he sees a lot of stuff that goes on there. First I asked him if a lot of people go there. He replied that indeed that there are always cars there no matter what. Even during the daytime but mostly at night time. Most people go on the weekends. I asked Andres how long has he known about the tracks. He said that he has known about the tracks his whole life. Ever since he was a little boy he has known about it. Last I asked him if he goes there a lot because how close he lives to the tracks. He said that he use to but then after a while that it got tiring and boring and old. So he stopped going because he passes by it every day. So it is not a big deal to him. Last I interviewed my mother Cassandra Elizalde. I ask her since she was way older then I how was the tracks back then when she was young. She replied that it was indeed the same. People still lined up on weekend nights to go down the tracks. I also asked her if she liked going when she was younger. She said that she would go with a bunch of her friends and would scream and act funny while going down the tracks. Last I asked her what she thought of the haunted tracks. She thought that it was exciting when she was younger but now she just think about all the things that makes it not really haunted.

This was a good experience because I already knew about the haunted ghost tracks but now I got to see what other people thought too. I still do it every once in a while when I am really bored. I really like them and do believe they are haunted so I will still go and hopefully take me kids there too when I grow to be older.

Jazz

Robert Elizalde

May 3, 2008

Humanities

Jazz

To tell you the truth this is not the first time I have listened to Jazz music but the first time I have actually heard a whole song. I liked it because it was very easy to listen to and I liked all the instruments they use like the base, trombone, saxophone, clarinet, piano, guitar or even the double bass. I was not able to attend the jazz performances but I was able to tune into a jazz station on the radio. My friend Adrian and I sat in the car listening to it for a really long time. I really enjoyed that night of listing to jazz in my can so I programmed the radio station on my car’s radio. I think I am going to listen to more jazz from now on then my usual gene of music. Jazz music started in African American communities in the United States from an influence of African American and music traditions. Jazz is a musical art form which came around the beginning of the 20th century. I also like it when in jazz that they can freestyle or just play what they feel like in a part of a song. You my teacher would have never told me then I would not have known because I can not tell. To me its just sounds like a regular part of the song. They make up tunes as they play. Jazz music has changed, and today there are many different forms of Jazz. Jazz is a type of lively music with strong, complex rhythms. It is a very difficult thing to do and I give a lot of respect to anyone that makes this kind of music. In all I really loved jazz music because of its versatility and creative style the composers have. I will listen to jazz in the future and will hopefully learn way more about this music and grow to love it even more.

Juan Tejeda

Robert Elizalde

April 20, 2008

Humanities

Juan Tejeda

Juan Tejeda is a musician that has his own band. I think it is great for someone to have there own band. It takes real charisma and talent. I really like music and can not live with out it. Is it like it is part of me and I think that Juan Tejeda is probably the same way. Juan Tejeda is a Mexican-American and is now a Chicano but he calls it Xicano. I thought that was really funny and creative. I means the Indians who lived the Americans before anybody. This first includes the tribes such as the Nahuati and the Aztecs. Juan Tejeda does Conjunto music. Conjunto is a mix between German and Mexican style music. It is mostly popular with the Mexican people though. This music comes from the history of the working class music. Juan Tejeda was telling us the history all about his race and Conjunto music. He said there are only three different races. The races can be described as Mexican, Latinos, Hispanic, and even Americans. In all I think that Juan Tejeda is a great composer and I am glad that we had him speak here in class. I really enjoyed his presence and his music most of all.

Interview Of The Artists

Robert Elizalde

April 8, 2008

Humanities

Art Interview

My first artist I interviewed was my good pal Adrian Lopez. He has been painting and creating art works for a while now. He has been doing art for about thirteen years now. He gets his inspiration from the artist Dave Kinsey and is one of favorite artists too. But another one of his favorite painters is Any Warhol. Adrian Lopez like to imitate both of there work but also had his own twist to them, making them a little more modern. Like Andy Warhol painting of a banana Adrian painted also but added dollar signs around it making it to where kids today will like it also. Adrian Lopez has done many works like that. He does most of his paintings for fun because he enjoys it thoroughly. Adrian most used medium is mostly pencil or ink. He is even known to use oil pastels on some drawings, but his favorite medium is pencil. Adrian has sold some of his pieces on Myspace.com for an amount from fifty to hundred dollars. I have seen his work in person and there are really good. Adrian Lopez is a great artist and I think he will make an impact on the art seen in San Antonio Soon.

The next artist I am going to interview is my friend Jesus. I think he is an amazing artist. Jesus mostly uses pencil and marker, but he can also do some good drawing on the program paint on the computer. Everything he does comes out great. He is currently enrolled at Palo Alto College and is taking some art classes even though it is not his major. He likes to mostly draw famous people or comics like spider man or alien Vs. Predator. His self portraits of him self are really good. He had this drawing were he is half Venom form spider man and half himself. Jesus medium is pencil and marker because he likes to shade a lot. A lot of our friends ask him to draw tattoos for them. But like Adrian, Jesus does what he does for fun. I think he can really take it to the next level and be noticed.

My last Artist is Adrian’s friends Ruben. Ruben’s medium is color pencil but also can use a regular pencil very well. Most of his work has really good coloring, and most of his work is unrealistic. But that is not all he does he can do a lot of realistic work also that is the same quality. He was a state competition winner a couple years in a row in high school. He also sells some of his art in first Friday and also on Myspace.com. In total all of these artists are amazing. In think all the artist I choose for my interview can make a big impact on the art seen in San Antonio.

Graffiti Art

Robert Elizalde

April 2, 2008

Humanities

Graffiti Art

Well I did graffiti art. It’s not the same as a painting on a canvas. I think that it takes a little bit harder work. Every one in this class was probably going to do some kind of famous painting by a person we all know. So I choose something that no one knows who did it. It makes it a little harder to interpret the work and what it means but the work it’s self is pretty awesome. The building that the graffiti is on is on the corer of San Pedro Street. It is right when you exit off the high way 35.

The art is all over the building, places you think people can not even reach. They even repaint it ever so often so when you come it’s not always the same thing. The last time before I came this time it was something totally different. I liked this time around because it had like three separate paintings but then connecting them it looked kind of like a snake but the face was in the middle. There was stuff all around, there was an angel and even another angel was a harp. There were also fishes near some door. In all this is a great was to show off art. It takes a lot of hard work and dedication to pull off stuff like this. People should think that art work is more the just paint and a canvas. This here proves that theory.

Edwar's Aquifer

Robert Elizalde

March 26, 2008

Humanities

Edward’s Aquifer

The Edward’s Aquifer is one of the greatest water resources in the world. It provides water for domestic needs of almost two million users in south central Texas. Now that alone is amazing. The aquifer is one of the largest aquifer in North America and is 160 miles long and as much as 40 feet wide. The Edward Aquifer is between 300-700 feet thick. The Aquifer is between five to forty miles wide at the surface. We are America’s 7^th largest city and the Aquifer supports us all and more. It can really work miracles. For since I can remember San Antonio and many other cities in the surrounding San Antonio were able to grow and prosper without developing surface water or other water resources because of the Edwards Aquifer. It extends to cover the major part of five counties like, Uvalde, Medina, Bexar, Comal and Hays. It goes into three major rivers like Nueces, San Antonio and Guadalupe. The Edward Aquifer also provides life for more then humans. There is great water life too and there are many species living in it like Texas blind salamander. Many live in caves so are blind or there eyes are really not useful so it’s like being blind. San Antonio and surrounding cities all depend on the Aquifer and it would be really difficult with out it. The springs fed from the aquifer are also home to many unique species.

The Edward’s Aquifer also has a big recharge zone. It is 1,250 square mile area that has a bunch of limestone and surface, letting a lot of water to go into the Edward’s Aquifer. About 75-80% of recharge occurs when streams and rivers go up on top of the surface and then goes back under the ground. I think that what makes the recharge zone so neat. Out of now where all of a sudden you see water that is usually clear and really pretty, but then I can disappear under the ground again. The recharge zone solely relies on rainfall water to determine how much water is passing through it. You can easily tell if there was a recharge zone if there is limestone that is higher then the bed itself. There was not water enough water so instead of eroding the limestone it goes back underground.

There is also land called Transition Zone where there is a lot of limestone’s that overlies the Edwards and makes caves and sinkholes, so it is possible that surface water can still go into the Edwards limestone below. There are nice springs and wells that are made in these kinds of areas. The aquifer supports so many people on its own. So I think that the Edward’s Aquifer is an amazing thing that nature has created for us so that we can live and prosper.

Aquifer Observation

Robert Elizalde

March 26, 2008

Humanities

Aquifer Observation

The Edward’s Aquifer is an amazing ground water system and is one of the best Aquifers in the world. The Edward Aquifer is between 300-700 feet thick. It is water-bearing rock. The Edward’s Aquifer that is in San Antonio is 160 miles long that is curved also. The Aquifer is between five to forty miles wide at the surface. There is a bunch of different springs that come from the Aquifer. The Edward’s Aquifer is where people in San Antonio and around San Antonio get their drinking water.

I liked how the walls of the Aquifer were made out of limestone. It makes the water easy to transport. It also looks really cool. When I went there I liked how the water was really clear. You can really see everything in it. There are a bunch of holes that water is always going through them. The holes are a bunch of different sizes. Also the water in the Blue Hole on Incarnated word campus in San Antonio was really neat. It was flowing pretty well. The water also looked amazingly blue. I guess that why they call it the blue hole. It made me just want to go swimming in it.

My Hood

Robert Elizalde

March 3, 2008

Humanities

My Neighborhood

The hood I represent id the south side of San Antonio. I have lived there all of my life and will continue to live there. It is not the best neighborhood in the world, but I like it. It also is not the safest, but just safe enough. Where I live now is where I was grown up and that is not going to change.

I live in the south side of San Antonio. My neighborhood is between the main roads of Flores and Pleasanton streets. Pleasanton St. is a really long street. It ends when it hits the access road of Loop 410. Loop 410 is a highway that goes in a big circle around San Antonio. When I need to get somewhere far I can always rely in highway Loop 410 to get me where I want to be. Flores St. goes all the way into downtown. So when I don’t feel like using the highway to get into downtown I can use Flores St. I myself live on 707 Deely St. it runs diagonal. The streets that run diagonal with it are Ansley St. and Petaluma St. The streets vertical or on the outside of Deely are Bascum and Chaucer St.

My neighbor’s socio-economic status would be middle class, and working class. My family would be in the middle of middle class and upper middle class. We are surrounded by a lot of working class. On the next street over which is Ansley St. there are some low income houses. They are newly built houses that were built for people that have low income. Around here there are a lot of those kinds of houses being built. Not only on Ansley St. but in front of Kingsborough Middle School also. To get to Kingsborough Middle School from my house you take a right and go down Deely. Then take a left on Bascum and go all the way down. Take a right on Ashley St. and thirty sec. down the road there it is on the left side. Kingsborough is like half a mile away. All the houses are pretty well maintained. For the most part the people around me are family’s that have children already and that are living there permanently. They are starting a family and they are not going to be moving all over the place. There are some houses though that’s poorly maintained. Where the poorly maintained houses are is where the low income houses are. There are even drug dealers there. There are some down the street even. I have been asked I wanted to buy drugs. There were some shootings on the next street and someone was killed. The racial/ethnic population is almost all Hispanic or Mexican.

The most recent recreational facility built was Bellaire Park just down the street. From my house just take a left down Deely, and then a right on Chaucer. Then before the street curves to the right the park is right there to your left. It is not the biggest park, but it is better then nothing. Kingsborough Middle School and Shultz Elementary are the closest schools. The closest high school id McCollum High School and that is where I went to school at. The closest hospital is the one near South San high school. The city is making the main roads newer now, and they are building more houses near by where there is open land available. My neighborhood will benefit from this taking place.

My neighborhood is not too noisy. Only once in a blue moon when there are parties. But there is a bad problem with gangs. When I was at Bellaire Park I had a gun to my head and almost got shot. Then afterwards the guy with the gun asked me if I wanted to buy cocaine. So there has been shootings and much more in my neighborhood. I work at South Park Mall, which is like ten minutes away taking back streets. The easy way is to get on Pleasanton St. and take a left on Military. Just go down there till you see South Park Mall and turn in. I work at the American Eagle in there. I study at Palo Alto College and it’s just a quick ride there too. It also takes like ten minutes. I just take Ansley St. to Pleasanton St. then turn right on Villaret and go all the down till I hit Palo Alto College. I go to both because it is close and convenient

Most of my friends live near by. Even 3 of my friends live on the same street as me. Another lives on streets be hide ma and the next street after that. Everyone knows where everyone lives. It does not take mush time to get to these places. We mostly chill at each other houses or somewhere close by.

I relate to my neighborhood really closely. In a way it kind of represents me. I feel like I belong where I live and would not mind living here for the rest of my life. Even though something new would be nice. I spend almost all of my time here. Everything I need is here. I have family, friends, and love. It does not take much time to get anywhere and is perfect really. I can’t see myself living in any other place.

The Alamo.

The Alamo is in San Antonio Texas. The so called home of the Alamo. It was a significant battle that meant a lot to Texans. It is where the battle of the Alamo took place in February and March 1836. The Alamo started out as a mission but then later turned into a base for Texan revolutionaries. The Alamo served as home to missionaries and their Indian converts. The battle was between Mexico and the rebel Texans. San Antonio and the Alamo played a critical role in the Texas Revolution. The battle lasted a total of thirteen days. Most of all the brave defenders died along in the battle. Since the battle of the Alamo took so long it aloud other forces to take advantage. It helped the Texan revolutionaries win the war because there were able to get supplied and regroup. It was really a big turning point for Texas. The Alamo is really symbolized and honored in San Antonio. The Alamo is where brave heroes fought for our freedom against impossible odds. The men that fought in the battle gave up there lives for us. That’s why till this day the remains of the Alamo is still considered great and is very worshiped.

The Dam Of Life

I say the Mission Espada Dam is really the Damn of life. The Missions Espada Dam gives life to the community and the people that live there. The Dam is the oldest functioning aqueduct in the United States. When my friend and I went to the Mission Espada Dam today the water was flowing really good and fast. There were ducks swimming along and looked really peaceful. The water flowed over a rode that we drove across and stopped for a while. Right after the rode, the water went into where there was rocks. The water hitting the rocks made it look very rapid. Around the water there were just plains of grass. There even people fishing in it. If the Mission Espada Dam was not there then the community and its entire people would not be able to survive. The dam is what gave them life. They were dependent on it. The Damn helped them with the agriculture, so even if they had something to drink then they would not have anything to eat. Everything was built around the river. That’s why all the property is not built in straight rows. The roads are all crazy. The importance today I would say is so all the neighbors would not get there houses flooded. It caries water from the San Antonio River and feed the irrigation system. The water is still used by people living on the land that surround it. The Mission Espada Dam is fifth teen miles long and covers about 3,500 acres of land. That’s a long river so must help out a lot of people. In all the Mission Espada Dam is an excellent creation that helped and will continue to help people in the future.

Missions.

Mission San Francisco De la Espada was for the most part was like any other mission. Except for the San Antonio River that ran threw it. The native Indians had their schedule of work while attending the church to get turned on to Christianity. Just imagine everything you believed right now and then someone comes ands tries to change your beliefs. It was a totally different culture that they were making the Indians change to. They even had to change languages. In Mission San Francisco De la Espada they built everything around the San Antonio River. The River was not a straight line so all the property's were not perfectly square portions either. The river is like ten of the letter "S" put together. All the roads here look like they are going crazy. The agriculture was very important to them and everything was built so that they could that easily. The ditches are 15 miles long. The ditches were very important and took a long time to build. The Indians did not have the fancy tools we had today so it took a lot of time and man power. The ditches still carries the water today to all those who live near by to it.