The San Antonio Missions are among the National Park Service sites affected by Trump administration cutbacks.

Why it matters: The Missions generate about $150 million for the San Antonio economy, per the NPS. The national park is the only UNESCO World Heritage Site in Texas.

State of play: More than 750 U.S. national park workers have been fired amid the Trump administration's purge of federal employees, per an unofficial tally shared with Axios by a park ranger. That includes at least one San Antonio Missions employee.

• We previously reported that five people at Big Bend National Park, two at Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park and two at Palo Alto Battlefield National Historical Park lost their jobs.

Zoom in: Ranger Sanya Marin told Texas Public Radio last week she was terminated from her job at the Missions because she was a probationary employee. She said she was one of the few bilingual park guides there.

• This week, the National Parks Conservation Association reported that the Trump administration is planning to terminate the lease for a law enforcement facility for the San Antonio Missions.
• The facility houses employees who manage first response and other public safety functions; maintenance; information technology; equipment storage; and artifacts, per the NPCA.
• "These closures will cripple the Park Service's ability to operate parks safely and will mean millions of irreplaceable artifacts will be left vulnerable or worse, lost," Theresa Pierno, CEO of the NPCA, said in a statement referencing the broader lease cuts.

Zoom out: Florida's Everglades National Park (15 workers fired), Virginia's Shenandoah National Park (15) and New Mexico's Carlsbad Caverns National Park (14) are among the hardest hit locations across the U.S. National Park Service (NPS), per the tally.

The other side: NPS "is hiring seasonal workers to continue enhancing the visitor experience as we embrace new opportunities for optimization and innovation in workforce management," a spokesperson said in a statement.

Go deeper

Local literary lovers are going to be booked this spring with the launch of a new silent reading club and the upcoming San Antonio Book Festival.

The latest: Booked, a silent book club founded by local bookworm Gaby Castillo, blends cozy vibes with community by offering a space for readers to enjoy their books without assigned reading.

• The inaugural meetup is planned for March 14 at Flower in Flour, 7-9pm.

How it works: Traditional book clubs often involve assigned reading, which may not suit every reader. Silent book clubs offer a more flexible approach, providing a dedicated space for readers to enjoy their own books while still engaging with a literary community.

• There will be time for mingling and open discussion, but the focus is on uninterrupted reading time.
• Tickets are $23.

What's included: A ticket guarantees entry, a coffee, access to an assortment of treats, book-themed goodies and a raffle entry.

What they're saying: "I hope this can be THE event that readers can treat themselves to every month," Castillo told Axios.

The big picture: Cities like Philadelphia, Salt Lake City, Atlanta, and Charlotte have seen similar events, inspired by the Silent Book Club movement, which began in 2012.

Zoom in: With over 1,500 chapters worldwide, the trend has reached San Antonio, where a few local Silent Book Club groups have already been gathering.

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🪙 The San Antonio Zoo — inspired by the 2024 memecoin tied to its baby capybara, Tupi — is adding cryptocurrency to its donor platform to boost expansion funding. (SA Business Journal 🔑)

🚧 Tuesday's strong winds further damaged a historic building in a bustling part of Southtown, which had burned in a 2020 fire, prompting city crews to demolish it. (KSAT)

🌴 Spirit Airlines launched San Antonio's first nonstop flight to San Juan, Puerto Rico, yesterday, just in time for spring break. (Express-News 🔑)

Mission Kayak, a go-to tour company that has been offering adventures since 2014, closed its doors on Saturday.

Why it matters: The company offered postcard-worthy kayaking routes through the picturesque King William district and the bustling business district, making the San Antonio River easy to explore for everyone, even first-time paddlers.

The latest: Owner Sarah Neal cites high insurance rates for the shuttles required for certain routes and the difficulty of maintaining staff during San Antonio's scorching summers as key factors behind the closure.

• While there are no immediate plans to bring back the tours, Neal tells Axios she's received offers from potential buyers since announcing the closure.

What they're saying: She says customers have shared that they became avid kayakers after their experience with Mission Kayak.

• "In all honesty, I think San Antonio deserves a really good, strong kayak company," Neal says.

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Friday

🎶 Jam out at Sunset, an inaugural two-day music festival at The Espee. Headliners like Band of Horses and Aly and AJ will play on Friday, while Warren G takes the stage on Saturday.

• Single day tickets start at $45; doors open at 3pm each day.

⛳ Swing into Cool Crest's 97th season of mini golf at its weekend-long opening party featuring local bands and food.

• The par-tee starts at 5pm.

🔊 Stop by the grand opening of Friends of Sound's second location, housed in the former wine bar connected to Gimme Gimme, during your First Friday stroll.

• With this addition, Gimme Gimme becomes the first local bar with a record shop, so you can sip and spin, noon-2am.

Saturday

🌸 Snag a free plant at SAWS' Spring Bloom event at the water system's headquarters, 9am-noon.

• The first 1,000 guests get a plant.

🤎 Celebrate International Women's Day in style at the Ladies and Lowriders market at Jaime's Place.

• Enjoy classic cars, DJ music and local vendors, noon-4pm.