bigcitysmalltown with Bob Rivard

This week on bigcitysmalltown, Bob Rivard sits down with two guests at the podcast studio at Our Lady of the Lake University — a first for the show. Don Graham is the retired chairman and publisher of The Washington Post Company, whose family also owned Newsweek Magazine, where Bob worked as a war correspondent and later chief of correspondents in the 1990s. Dr. Abel Antonio Chávez is the 10th pre...

This week on bigcitysmalltown, host Cory Ames tells the story of the Robert L.B. Tobin Land Bridge at Phil Hardberger Park — in a new format for the show. Rather than a traditional guest conversation, this episode is a narrated oral history, recorded in the field at the park itself, weaving together tape from a morning walk Cory took with former Mayor Phil Hardberger and natural resources manager...

This week on bigcitysmalltown, Cory Ames moderates a live panel from Creative Futures, a two-day summit in San Antonio bringing together creators, builders, entrepreneurs, and civic thinkers. This conversation focuses on green spaces in San Antonio — how we grow them, how we protect them, and how we creatively integrate nature into a city that is expanding fast. Joining Cory are Brandon Ross, capi...

This week on bigcitysmalltown, Cory Ames moderates a live panel from Creative Futures, a two-day summit in San Antonio bringing together creators, builders, entrepreneurs, and civic thinkers. The conversation centers on what it looks like to build a creative life and creative career in San Antonio — and what the city still needs to get there. Joining Cory are Lionel Sosa, founder of what became th...

This week on bigcitysmalltown, Bob Rivard sits down with Dr. Michelangelo Sabatino, director of UT San Antonio's School of Architecture and Planning and the Roland K. Bloomberg Endowed Professor in Architecture. Six months into his role, Sabatino is making the rounds — meeting architects, developers, civic leaders, and students — and bringing a historian's eye and a pedestrian's sen...

This week on bigcitysmalltown, we examine the fight over the Howard Solstice Transmission Line — a proposed 370-mile, 765kV power line that would connect CPS Energy's Howard Road Station in Bexar County to a new substation in Pecos County, cutting through some of the most ecologically sensitive terrain in Texas. Host Bob Rivard welcomes Ted Flato, founding principal of Lake|Flato Architects a...

This week on bigcitysmalltown, we examine the story behind ProsperOps , a cloud cost optimization startup with roots in San Antonio and Austin. Founded by a group of former Rackspace employees—known as “Rackers”—ProsperOps has quietly grown into a significant player in cloud services, culminating in its acquisition by Chicago-based Flexera earlier this year. Host Bob Rivard welcomes founders Erik...

This week on bigcitysmalltown, we turn our attention to Big Bend—one of the most remote and ecologically significant regions in Texas—amid renewed national debate over plans to build a border wall through Big Bend National Park, Big Bend Ranch State Park, and surrounding areas. The episode addresses the longstanding local opposition to the wall, the potential impacts on the natural landscape, and...

This week on bigcitysmalltown, we examine the state of homelessness in San Antonio—a topic that impacts every corner of the city and reflects larger challenges across Texas. Hosts Bob Rivard and Cory Ames are joined by Katie Wilson, president and CEO of Close to Home, the lead nonprofit coordinating citywide efforts to prevent and reduce homelessness. Wilson shares her local perspective and expert...

This week on bigcitysmalltown, we examine the career and leadership journey of Lori Houston, former Assistant City Manager for San Antonio and now CEO of CE Group—a prominent event, public relations, and marketing organization with deep roots in the city. Bob Rivard sits down with Lori Houston to discuss her transition from public service to private enterprise, the challenges and insights gained f...

This week on bigcitysmalltown, we examine the transformation of Mitchell Lake on San Antonio’s South Side—from decades as a city sewage dump to its current status as a 1,200-acre urban wildlife sanctuary and a critical stop along the Central Flyway for hundreds of migratory bird species. Cory Ames is joined by Erin Magerl, Senior Education Coordinator at the Mitchell Lake Audubon Center, to detail...

This week on bigcitysmalltown, we examine the realities behind CPS Energy’s record-setting proposed budget and the future of San Antonio’s energy infrastructure. As San Antonio and South Texas experience unprecedented growth, CPS Energy—the nation’s largest public energy utility—faces a host of challenges and opportunities in delivering reliable, affordable power to more than 1.4 million homes and...

This week on bigcitysmalltown, we examine the pressing issue of San Antonio’s stray animal population and the role of affordable spay and neuter services in addressing it. With a 20% euthanasia rate at the city’s shelters and persistent challenges around pet overpopulation, animal welfare remains a critical public concern. Host Bob Rivard is joined by Cathy Rosenthal, syndicated animal welfare col...

This week on bigcitysmalltown, we examine Grassroots Carbon—a San Antonio-based company working at the intersection of ranching, environmental stewardship, and carbon markets. Founded in 2021 by Lew Moorman and Ed Byrne, Grassroots Carbon partners with ranchers across Texas and beyond to implement regenerative grazing practices that enhance soil health and facilitate carbon capture. Bob Rivard sit...

This week on bigcitysmalltown, we examine the future of professional classical music in San Antonio in the wake of disruption, dissolution, and ongoing uncertainty for long-standing arts organizations. San Antonio native Paul Montalvo, a former firefighter who now leads The Orchestra San Antonio, discusses growing the organization from a $45,000 budget to a projected $2.4 million this year, and th...

This week on bigcitysmalltown, host Cory Ames sits down with Jaci Randel, executive director of the Bexar Branches Alliance, to examine the ongoing decline of San Antonio’s urban tree canopy and the push to restore regional “tree equity.” Since 2000, Bexar County has lost 20% of its tree cover, while the state of Texas has lost nearly 25%. Achieving equitable canopy coverage across neighborhoods w...

This week on bigcitysmalltown, we focus on Bexar County leadership and the ongoing challenges facing San Antonio’s county government. In light of the upcoming March 3 primary election, Bob Rivard and Cory Ames interviews Judge Peter Sakai, the incumbent county judge seeking re-election. The conversation covers Judge Sakai’s decades-long public service, his approach to “back to basics” government,...

This week on bigcitysmalltown, we examine the race for Bexar County Judge through the lens of former San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg’s candidacy. After serving as mayor from 2017 to 2025—a period marked by both crisis and growth—Nirenberg is now challenging incumbent Judge Peter Sakai. As one of the fastest-growing counties in the nation, Bexar County faces new and unresolved questions around publ...

In the first episode of bigcitysmalltown of 2026, we reflect on a pivotal year for San Antonio and look ahead to the challenges and opportunities of 2026. Bob Rivard and Cory Ames examine how shifts in media—from the podcast’s expansion into video to the growing influence of YouTube—are changing civic engagement and local news consumption. They discuss the impact of major regional elections, inclu...

This week on bigcitysmalltown, we turn our focus to the rapidly evolving corridor between San Antonio and Austin—a megaregion that is reshaping the future of Central Texas. Hosts Cory Ames and Bob Rivard are joined by former San Antonio mayor and U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, Henry Cisneros, to discuss his and Bob's new book, which examines the unprecedented growth, challen...

This week on bigcitysmalltown, we sit down with Chef Nicola Blaque, the force behind San Antonio’s only Michelin-recognized Jamaican restaurant, The Jerk Shack. Chef Nicola shares her journey from immigrating to the U.S. as a child, navigating life in New England, and serving in the Army through three tours, to eventually reclaiming and expressing her Jamaican heritage through food in San Antonio....

This week on bigcitysmalltown, we examine the Alamo Promise program—a tuition-free initiative from the Alamo Colleges District aimed at lowering barriers to higher education for Bexar County high school graduates. The program, now entering its sixth year of enrollment, has set out to make college accessible to all students regardless of income, academic standing, or background. Host Bob Rivard is...

This week on bigcitysmalltown, we examine one of San Antonio’s newest and most debated cultural gatherings: the Krampus Parade in King William. Host Bob Rivard is joined by Bob Crittenden, senior Scrum Manager at USAA and founder of San Antonio’s Krampus event, which drew approximately 10,000 participants and spectators in its inaugural year. Together, they discuss the origins of Krampus in Centra...

This week on bigcitysmalltown, we examine dyslexia—one of the most common, yet frequently misunderstood learning challenges affecting up to one in five individuals. Host Bob Rivard is joined by Jasmin Dean, founder and CEO of Celebrate Dyslexia, a San Antonio nonprofit advocating for better diagnosis, intervention, and public understanding of dyslexia across schools, healthcare, and society. Drawi...

This week on bigcitysmalltown, we examine the San Antonio Botanical Garden at a pivotal moment—its 45th anniversary year. Known as a living museum, the Garden has grown into a statewide leader in plant conservation and environmental education, serving hundreds of thousands of visitors annually while shaping the city’s approach to urban nature and sustainability. Cory Ames speaks with Katherine Tru...