Decibel Hosts Fourth Dove Springs Sounding Board Meeting

Decibel hosted their fourth meeting with the Dove Springs Sounding Board on March 28. The Sounding Board consists of community members who give the Decibel team insight and feedback on their stories to make sure their neighborhood is being accurately represented and covered. Two of the Sounding Board’s members were present at the meeting.

In the meeting, Decibel’s senior multimedia reporter Blair Waltman-Alexin updated members on the stories that have been published recently, as well as stories that are in the works. Between January and the start of April, Decibel has published three long-form stories and 13 social media posts highlighting stories and informing people about what is going on in the Dove Springs community. Decibel has covered several different topics in the last few months including the history of El Camino Real de los Tejas and the obstacles that come with using housing vouchers in Texas.

Waltman-Alexin also shed light on stories that are coming out soon such as a story about Dove Springs anti-displacement navigators, how a Dove Springs realtor is helping out the community and a story about rents not dropping for some community members.

Along with sharing updates on current and future stories, Waltman-Alexin brought good news to the Sounding Board about past Dove Springs stories gaining recognition. For Decibel’s story, “Artist Paint Memories: Onion Creek Floods,” Waltman-Alexin won a Texas Broadcast News Association award for Feature Editing/General News. She was also a finalist for Decibel’s piece, “Are There Still Doves in Dove Springs?” This Dove Springs story was also enjoyed by the National Press Photographer Association, who gave Waltman-Alexin an honorable mention in the Video Effects Edit category.

A member mentioned that the Dove Springs Public Health Facility should be open by the fall next to the George Morales Recreation Center and it will have a full-time nurse. The facility has been a long time coming after voters approved the new building in November 2018. A large range of services will be available at the center from an immunization clinic to a food pantry and a child care center.

“So once that neighborhood center gets up and running, it’s gonna be a huge benefit to our neighborhood,” the member said.

Waltman-Alexin talked with members about the recent community events the Decibel team has attended like the Easter Eggstravaganza hosted at the George Morales Recreation Center. Decibel plans to table at the Mendez Middle School Community Love Hub event on May 4.

Before the meeting came to an end, Waltman-Alexin asked for feedback on a larger video project in motion: a Dove Springs housing documentary. One member suggested including the story about Bertha Hernández, a woman who sells tamales and pupusas for a living who spoke to Decibel about the results of the urban heat island effect her neighborhood experiences.

“Whenever you’re watching it you’re just like, ‘I can feel the sun beating down on her,’” said the member. “I thought it was really compelling to people who don’t know anything about Dove Springs.”

Another story that members requested be included in the documentary is the story about Sonia Hernandez, a parent support specialist who helps parents acquire any assistance they need.

“There are a lot of families with small children in this community,” said a member. “So I think kind of tying it back to how this impacts not just individuals in the community, but like the children in this community. It’s something that a lot of people in this neighborhood can relate to.”

One member suggested that Decibel hosts a viewing party for the documentary at the George Morales Recreation Center in the fall so the whole community has a chance to see it.

Decibel and the Sounding Board will continue to hold these conversations throughout the rest of the reporting project.

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