LOCAL: Alamo Heights, Monte Vista, Olmos Park, Downtown, King William, Terrell Hills, February 2016

Bridging the Broadway ‘disconnect’ PG. 16 UTSA architecture prof and students design

Cocktail Conference increases visibility for restaurants, bars

possible linear park for high-volume thoroughfare PG. 05 COMMENTARY SUSAN YERKES

San Antonio is getting ready for the big 3-0-0 bash in 2018

PG. 22 Libations and food

PG.06 EDITORIAL

shine a national spotlight on downtown, other areas

PAGE 13 VOL. 4, ISSUE 8

COMMUNITY NEWS

LOCAL SOCIETY

ALAMO HEIGHTS

KING WILLIAM

Ride-hailing companies create a private-sector opportunity

on the scene of the latest parties

MONTE VISTA

OLMOS PARK

TERRELL HILLS

FEB. 1 - MARCH 7, 2016

Turning point for Brackenridge Park in days ahead?

PG. 18 Conservancy group

is working to preserve green space, create parking and promote civic involvement

BUY LOCAL PG. 26 UNIK

WAREHOUSE Globe-hopping couple bring wares to West Hildebrand Avenue

EAT LOCAL PG. 27 CHELA'S TACOS

MEXICAN RESTAURANT Mother and daughter behind taco truck open brick-and-mortar eatery

Reviving the Strip PG. 14 Business owners and

residents are working together as North St. Mary’s Street returns to its status as center of San Antonio’s nightlife

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1401 S. Flores Street

FROM THE EDITOR tedwards@localcommunitynews.com

President Harold J. Lees Publisher Gregg Rosenfield Assoc. Publisher Rick Upton Director of Operations Jaselle Luna EDITORIAL Executive Editor Thomas Edwards News Staff Collette Orquiz, Bain Serna and Will Wright Contributing Writers Olivier J. Bourgoin, Dan R. Goddard, Joyce Hotchkiss, Carole Miller, Edmond Ortiz and Susan Yerkes ART Creative Director Florence D. Edwards Contributing Photographer Rudy B. Ornelas

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ADVERTISING Zone Manager Kelly Jean Garza Account Manager Diana Zinsmeister Controller Keith Sanders READER SERVICE Mailing Address 4204 Gardendale St., Ste. 201 SA, TX 78229 Phone Fax (210) 338.8842 (210) 616.9677 Advertising Inquiries jluna@localcommunitynews.com Story Ideas: tips@localcommunitynews.com Website: www.salocallowdown.com LOCAL Community News publications

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Zone 2: 78213, 78230, 78231, 78248, 78249 Zone 3: 78216, 78232, 78247 Zone 4/5: 78109, 78148, 78233, 78239 78108, 78132, 78154, 78266 Zone 6: 78258, 78259, 78260, 78261 Zone 7: 78015, 78023, 78255, 78256, 78257 For advertising, customer service or editorial, please call us at 210-338-8842 or write to us at: Local Community News 4204 Gardendale St., Ste. 201 San Antonio, TX 78229 Reproduction in whole or in part without our permission is prohibited, 2016 Helen Publishing LLC and Local Community News LLC, all rights reserved.

Submitting your news

N

ot long ago, a person who sent a press release that didn’t get published asked me, “What am I doing wrong?”

The answer is simple, I told her: “Either you didn’t follow our deadlines or the information wasn’t pertinent to the readers in our zones.”

Since this is the new year, let’s get back to basics for folks who want to send news items, calendar happenings, events or anything like that to LOCAL Community News.

LOCAL publishes six hyperlocal, free, monthly community newspapers targeted to specific groupings of ZIP codes, or zones, reaching more than 200,000 readers.

These ZIP-code zones can be found at the bottom of the staff box, usually next to this column. They also are listed in the LOCAL media kit, available upon request.

If the news release details an event that isn’t in one of the ZIP codes, we probably won’t use the item. The information needs to be relevant to where our readers live and do business.

Second, as mentioned above, we publish monthly newspapers. That means the publications have an extended production schedule, similar to a magazine. Once layout has started, it is problematic to stop and tear up a page just to add a small item.

So please send those notices at least two months in advance if possible.

Even a month is OK, but I can’t promise inclusion. We’ll do our best.

The easiest way to submit your news is by email. Rocket the information to tips@localcommunitynews.com or tedwards@localcommunitynews.com.

We love our readers. We want to provide them with the most timely and relevant information possible, but we can only do so when everyone understands the submission guidelines.

THOMAS EDWARDS EXECUTIVE EDITOR

ON THE COVER: Blayne Tucker sits outside his club, the Mix, on North St. Mary's Street. Merchants are working closely with neighbors to avoid past troubles as The Strip undergoes a resurgence. See the story on page 14. Photo by Rudy B. Ornelas

5

SALOCALLOWDOWN.COM

LOCAL COMMENTARY

Preparing for SA’s big 3-0-0 jamboree

by SUSAN YERKES

I

f there’s one thing San Antonio loves, it’s a party. So, you can bet the bash for the city’s 300th birthday, coming up in 2018, will be a big one.

City mothers and fathers have consistently considered early May 1718 as the official birth of San Antonio. Back in 1691, a Spanish expedition stopped at a fertile area around San Pedro Springs, called Yanaguana by the natives. On June 13, the feast day of St. Anthony of Padua, they named the spot in honor of the saint. The expedition continued onward, but the name was added to Spanish maps, and has endured.

However, most historians recognize 1718, when the mission and seat of government were actually dedicated, as San Antonio’s anniversary date. On May 1, Mission San Antonio de Valero was established on the banks of San Pedro Creek. Four days later, a presidio – a fortified base usually accompanied by Spanish missions – was established nearby. The surrounding Villa de Béjar soon grew to a whopping 300 residents.

In 1731, 55 Canary Islanders, sent

by Spain as the first official colonists, immigrated, and the cornerstone for San Fernando church was laid to mark the town center. By August the same year, the first municipal elections were held.

Growth during the first 150 years was pretty slow. By 1803, San Antonio counted 2,500 residents. By 1870 – after the Battle of the Alamo, the establishment of the Republic of Texas, U.S. statehood and the Civil War – the population numbered 12,000. Just seven years later, after the railroad arrived, inhabitants more than tripled to 37,000. The strong military presence brought more folks to town, as did a big exodus from Mexico during its revolutionary years.

And, look at us now: The seventhlargest city nationwide, with nearly 1.5 million residents – more than 2

million if you count the surrounding metropolitan area – and still one of the fastest-growing U.S. regions. Of course, there’s urban sprawl, traffic and all the headaches of big-city life to challenge us.

So, as we celebrate our 300th, it’s also critical to keep focused on planning for the future.

San Antonio is used to change. In 1968, years of planning came to fruition in HemisFair, the international exhibition, which played a major role in transforming downtown and establishing the city as a gateway to Latin and South America.

The fair lost money, but it changed the collective mindset of San Antonio. An equally important part of our history was the creation of the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio.

It’s going to be hard to top such sweeping change for San Antonio’s big 3-0-0. The city’s Tricentennial Commission, led by Edward Benavides and Asia Ciaravino and a formidable board of directors (including Canary

Islands native and longtime champion of San Antonio international trade Dr. Alfonso Chiscano), promises great things.

We’ll start seeing the gradual rollout this spring.

Everyone will surely notice widespread emphasis on the historical Spanish missions after the honor of being designated a World Heritage Site. It will be fascinating to see how far along plans have come for an extensive revamping of the Alamo Plaza area by the city and state. A redesign of the HemisFair grounds will be further along.

I also hope the University of Texas at San Antonio Institute of Texan Cultures, originally built during HemisFair, will have a premiere place in showcasing the diverse and fascinating history of our corner of the state.

Right now, plans are still forming.

Check out celebrate2018.com and see how you can contribute. Let’s party like there is a tomorrow – a great one! syerkes@localcommunitynews.com

AS WE CELEBRATE OUR 300TH, IT’S ALSO CRITICAL TO KEEP FOCUSED ON PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE. OPHTHALMOLOGY ASSOCIATES OF SAN ANTONIO...

(OASA) has been serving the medical and surgical eye care needs of the community since the early 1970’s with Dr. Thomas F. Hogan, Dr. Joe R. McFarlane, Jr., and Dr. David M. Hunter. Doctors Arlo C. Terry, Robert P. Green, Jr., John A. Campagna, Mark J. Trevino, and Cooper M. Clark joined the practice over the subsequent years.

Offices were opened in outlying communities for the convenience of our patients. Our services include state of the art cataract surgery and lens implantation, sub-specialty cornea (Dr. Terry), sub-specialty glaucoma (Dr. Campagna), and sub-specialty retina (Dr. Clark). Dr. Green and Dr. Trevino also perform oculoplastic procedures.

We would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to our loyal patients. The entire staff is looking forward to serving you and all of your eye care needs. For appointments: 210-223-5561

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he return of ride-hailing companies Uber and Lyft to San Antonio this past fall — and new kid on the block, Get Me, in mid-January — will help accelerate the pace of affordable mass transit, especially for those on a tight budget.

While this is not to disparage the professional cab drivers who work tirelessly as ambassadors for the Alamo City, Uber and Lyft — with their hipster appeal to millennials, young professionals, students and others watching their pennies — open yet another avenue to accessible transportation in a growing city.

In spite of the bump in the road last April 1, when Uber and Lyft stopped operating in San Antonio (though rides continued in the suburbs), city fathers such as District 8

Councilman Ron Nirenberg worked hard to get both revving again on local streets.

As Nirenberg told the media, the requirements placed on both companies

by San Antonio at the time were in essence needless roadblocks, and created barriers to more transportation in an already heavily regulated industry.

Ride-hailing businesses also provide a private-sector answer to subsidized, public mass-transit systems by offering affordable, reliable and rapid door-to-door services.

These transportation network companies aren’t getting a free pass from San Antonio, either. Their services are on a nine-month trial basis, which will be reviewed to ensure there are no safety issues or other concerns.

The three are now on board with city terms stipulating increased vetting of drivers, overseen by the San Antonio Police Department.

Prospective customers access ride-hailing services through cellphone apps, and local drivers using personal vehicles shuttle these assigned passengers. With the city’s program, patrons can now verify operators who underwent additional background clearances.

It’s good to see the brakes have been taken off free enterprise and given the green light.

-The Local Community News editorial board includes Harry Lees, Gregg Rosenfield and Thomas Edwards.

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FEB. 1 - MARCH 7, 2016

HAPPENING LOCAL

Plan your month with our calendar of upcoming events in the community.

OUR GUIDE TO YOUR MONTH

HAPPENING KEY

FITNESS

ART

ASIAN FESTIVAL With the Chinese Zodiac’s Year of the 13 Monkey just a few days old, the distinctive cultures of a wide swath of the globe will be celebrated from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the grounds of the Institute of Texan Cultures. Skills ranging from flower arranging to martial arts will be on display, along with traditions, music and cuisine. Adult tickets are $10 at the gate, or $5 for children 6-12; younger children are admitted free. The Institute is at 801 E. Cesar Chavez Blvd.

FEBRUARY

8

TERRELL HILLS The City Council meets at 5 p.m. at City Hall, 5100 N. New Braunfels Ave.

NEISD TRUSTEES North East Independent School 8 District trustees are scheduled to meet at 5:30 p.m. in the NEISD board room, 8961 Tesoro Drive.

FEBRUARY

ALAMO HEIGHTS The Council meets at 8, 22 City 5:30 p.m. both days at the municipal complex, 6116 Broadway.

FEBRUARY

MONTE VISTA The Monte Vista Historical Association board 9 meets from 6:30 to 8 p.m. in the Landa Branch Library annex, 233 Bushnell Place. For more, call 737-8212 or go to http://www.montevistahistorical-sa.com/.

FIESTA MEXICO AMERICANA! A multimedia presentation 12 from ARTS San Antonio features L.A.’s Grammy-winning Los Lobos and Ballet Folklorico Mexicano dancers. Showtime is 7:30 p.m. at the Majestic Theatre, 224 E. Houston St. Tickets, which range from $29 to $110, are available online at http://www.artssa. org/los_lobos/ or ticketmaster.com.

FEBRUARY

12/21/15 2:01 PM

FOOD

LAS TESOROS CD RELEASE Esperanza Peace and Justice 7 Center celebrates the release of a CD featuring four renowned San Antonio singers: Rita Vidaurri, Beatriz Llamas, Blanca Rodriguez and the late Janet “Perla Tapatia” Cortez. “Las Estrellas de Ayer/Las Tesoros de Hoy” (The Stars of Yesteryear/ The Treasures of Today) contains early recordings of the women’s rancheros and boleros. The three surviving Tesoros will perform at the event, which starts at 3 p.m. at Esperanza, 922 San Pedro Ave. Tickets, available at the door, are $5; the CD is $15.

FEBRUARY

CPSE_SmrtGrd_4_8x11_5_LocalAd.indd 1

MUSIC

BEGINNERS BIRD WALK The San Antonio Audubon 13 Society outing begins at 8 a.m. at the Judson Nature Trails start point, 246 Viesca St. in Alamo Heights. It will be led

by Georgina Schwartz, and walkers will be participating in the 2016 Great Backyard Bird Count. Nonmembers are welcome and binoculars can be provided. The walk is held the second Saturday of the month.

FEBRUARY

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OUTDOOR

COMMUNITY EDUCATION FAIR North East Independent School 6 District Community Education is offering a look at its spring classes and an opportunity to talk to instructors, engage in hands-on demonstrations and sign up for a class. It runs from 10 a.m. to noon at the Northeast Community Learning Center, 8750 Tesoro Drive, Room 217. It’s free, and light refreshments will be available.

FEBRUARY

MANAGE YOUR ENERGY

EVENT

FEBRUARY

FEBRUARY

SAISD The San Antonio Independent School District 16 board will hold its monthly B Meeting; there is no A Meeting this month. The session takes place at the David G. Burnett Center, 406 Barrera St., at 5:30 p.m. To see meeting agendas, go to www.saisd.net and click on the Board tab.

FEBRUARY

SONS OF CONFEDERATE VETERANS, CAMP 153 16 Hood’s Texas Brigade, Camp 153, meets at 7 p.m. at Grady’s Bar-B-Q, 6510 San Pedro Ave. Members and guests are welcome to eat beginning at 6 p.m.; no reservations are required. The Camp meets the third Tuesday of each month.

For more, visit www.hoodstexasbde.com.

FEBRUARY

SONS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION The San 17 Antonio Chapter of the national organization holds its monthly luncheon at 11:30 a.m. at the Petroleum Club, 8620 N. New Braunfels Ave. Lunch costs $25. RSVPs are required.

Call David Brooks at 740-296-8782 by the Monday before the meeting. The chapter meets on the third Wednesday of each month, except July and August.

FEBRUARY

HAPPENING continues on pg. 08

9

SALOCALLOWDOWN.COM HAPPENING continues from pg. 07 FEBRUARY

18

OLMOS PARK The City Council meets at 6 p.m. at City Hall, 120 W. El Prado Drive.

AHISD The Alamo Heights FEBRUARY Independent School District 18 board meets at 7 p.m. at the Central Office, 7101 Broadway.

SAN ANTONIO CIVIL WAR ROUND TABLE 18 The group meets the third Thursday of each month at Grady’s Bar-B-Q, 6510 San Pedro Ave., for a 6 p.m. dinner and 7 p.m. meeting. Those interested in Civil War history are invited to share stories and ideas. No reservations are required. For more, contact Nancy Hodges at lyndz76@yahoo.com or Daniel Snell at surveyking@satx.rr.com.

FEBRUARY

‘HOW I LEARNED TO DRIVE’ FEBRUARY Trinity University’s theater 19-21, 24-27 department stages a Pulitzer-winning play that looks at the aftermath of a childhood trauma.

Performances are at 7 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2:30 p.m. Sunday in

the Attic Theatre of the university’s Ruth Taylor Theater Building. Tickets, $6-$12, can be purchased through tutheater@trinity.edu and by calling 999-8515. Trinity is at 1 Trinity Place.

BASURA BASH The annual cleanup of area waterways 20 will take place from 8 a.m. to noon, beginning at specific volunteer gathering spots. Sites may include several areas along the San Antonio River and Olmos Creek. To volunteer, go to basurabash.org and click on Choose a Tributary under Event Information. The assembly points for each site are given, along with a registration link for that site.

FEBRUARY

STUDIO TOUR The ninth 20, 21 annual On and Off Fredericksburg Road Studio Tour offers a look at the work spaces and galleries of a wide array of artists in neighborhoods stretching from the Jefferson area east to Beacon Hill and Alta Vista. Hours are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Feb. 20 and noon-5 p.m. Feb. 21. There’s no admission fee; catalogs with a full list of artists and venues are available for $10 in advance or $15 on tour days.

For more, including where to purchase catalogs, go to onandofffred.org.

FEBRUARY

NATIVE PLANT SOCIETY OF TEXAS The monthly meeting of 23 the organization’s San Antonio chapter will start with a seed and native plant exchange at 6:30 p.m., followed by the program at 7 p.m. The meeting site is Lions Field Adult Center, 2809 Broadway.

FEBRUARY

THE POWER OF A DREAM Villa Finale Museum & Gardens, 25 401 King William St., presents a talk by professor and architect William Dupont. His titles include director of the University of Texas at San Antonio’s Center for Cultural Sustainability, and he will discuss the center’s work in preserving cultural heritage in ways that also improve quality of life. The conversation starts at 6 p.m. in the home’s Napoleon Parlors; tickets, $30, can be reserved by calling 223-9800.

FEBRUARY

SHANGHAI QUARTET The renowned quartet, lauded 28 for its blending of cultural influences, reaches back in time for this concert with the addition of virtuoso Wu Man on an ancient Chinese stringed instrument known as a pi-pa. The San Antonio Chamber Music Society concert starts at 3:15 p.m. at Temple Beth-El, 211 Belknap Place. Tickets, $25, are available through a link at www.sacms.org.

FEBRUARY

ALAMO HEIGHTS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE The Chamber 2 holds luncheon meetings the first Wednesday of the month in a private room at Paesanos Lincoln Heights, 555 E. Basse Road. Guests are asked to arrive by 11:30 a.m. for a meet and greet; the guest speaker is featured at noon.

The cost is $20 for members, $25 for nonmembers. For more, call 822-7027 or go to http://alamoheightschamber.org/.

MARCH

NUTRITION DISCUSSION Live With Nature, a nutrition/ 3 discussion group, meets from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at EcoCentro, 1802 N. Main Ave. The group’s sessions look at nutrition’s role in dealing with health challenges.

They take place the first Thursday of the month, are free and open to the public, and may include health tips, recipes and plant exchanges. For more, call 492-4620.

MARCH

AUDUBON SOCIETY MEETING The monthly meeting of 3 the San Antonio Audubon Society starts at 7 p.m. at The First Tee, 915 E. Mulberry Ave. For more, call 308-6788 or go to saaudubon.org.

MARCH

HAPPENING continues on pg. 25

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FEB. 1 - MARCH 7, 2016

LOCAL LOWDOWN Take a quick look at what’s new in the community from opening and closings to news tidbits.

Open and Opening Soon 1. CHELA’S TACOS MEXICAN RESTAURANT, 5231 Broadway, Suite

117, is a brick-and-mortar eatery in Alamo Heights in addition to the compay's food truck. Hours are 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday.

For more, call 753-1040 or visit www. chelastacossa.com. (See story on page 27)

2. UNIK WAREHOUSE, 514 W. Hildebrand Ave., offers industrial and vintage antiques and home decorations from India, Europe, Mexico and the United States. Hours are 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

For more, call 997-0071 or visit www.unikvintagefurniture.com or facebook.com/unikwarehousevintage.

(See story on page 26) IN OTHER NEWS

A "BLUEPRINT FOR EXCELLENCE" FOR THE SAN ANTONIO INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT by Superintendent

Address of local business Name of local business

Pedro Martinez outlined 10 academic goals during his State of the District address on Jan. 14 to a sold-out San Antonio Chamber of Commerce crowd at the Pearl Stable. The goals and strategies cover 2016-20, including new magnet programs and career pathways for the class of 2020 that are tightly aligned to the Alamo Colleges, offering up to 45 hours of college credit; an intensified focus on literacy in prekindergarten through third grade, with special attention given to special-education students and English language learners; expanded offerings of college-preparatory courses at both the high-school and middle-school levels; expanded gifted and talented services, including academies at the middle- and high-school levels; increased offerings of Advanced Placement, dual-credit and college-level courses; and more pre-Advanced Placement and college level-prep courses to prepare students.

TO INCREASE ITS EDUCATIONAL SPACE, THE SAN ANTONIO ZOO RECENTLY purchased the 27,000-square foot KIPP Esperanza Dual Language Academy, 103 Tuleta Drive. The charter school is moving from its site adjacent to the zoo. The zoo’s acquisition of the building (previously home to the Sunshine Cottage School) will allow the zoo to greatly expand enrollment and facilities of its fully accredited naturebased preschool. “We’re excited to now be able to offer a full brick-and-mortar school to support our preschool program,” San Antonio Zoo CEO and Executive Director Tim Morrow said in a press release. “We’re really trying to get kids reconnected with nature, and spend at least 50 percent of their day outside. The bonus of having a preschool right next to the zoo is that the kids get a lot of exposure to live animals and the environment.” Morrow said education is a large part of the zoo’s mission. The new building will allow zoo officials to gradually increase the preschool program during the next few years, offering the course for up to 200 children. This will make the preschool one of the largest nature-based preschools in the country, according to officials.

ST. LUKE’S EPISCOPAL SCHOOL RECEIVED A FINANCIAL grant from best-selling author James Patterson, which will be

used to support the school’s James L. Newman Library. The school was chosen from 27,924 applicants; second-grade teacher Jenna Uzzell applied for the grant on behalf of St. Luke's. In addition to Patterson’s support, Scholastic Reading Club will match each dollar of Patterson’s donation with “bonus points” that teachers can use to acquire books and other materials for their classrooms, according to officials. In 2015, Patterson personally donated $1.75 million to school libraries nationwide. “The Newman Library has an outstanding core collection, but our nonfiction sections are always being updated as the content is revised,” Milligan said. “The demand for current nonfiction resources has increased significantly in our elementary classes due to ongoing research-based projects. The timing for this grant is ideal; it will be used primarily to update our science and social science materials for elementary students.”

CITY CREWS RECENTLY DRAINED AND REFILLED THE SAN ANTONIO RIVER ALONG THE RIVER WALK as part of a maintenance program. Beginning on Jan. 3, the city’s Transportation & Capital Improvements and the Center City

LOWDOWN continues on pg. 11

Elizabeth Arno Shivone, M.D., Personalized Family Care Dr. Shivone is a San Antonio native who graduated from Alamo Heights High School and then earned her BA at Yale University. She returned to Texas and graduated from Medical School at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. She then completed her residency through the CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Family Medicine Program. Dr. Shivone is board-certified in Family Medicine and is now accepting new patients of all ages including pediatrics.

Dr. Elizabeth Arno Shivone is welcoming new patients of all ages.

Appointments available Monday-Friday 7:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Call 210.704.0101 to schedule your appointment.

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11

SALOCALLOWDOWN.COM LOWDOWN continues from pg. 10 Development Office began draining the River Walk for cleaning purposes. The draining included the main channel and river loop from Josephine to Alamo streets, according to officials, and the river was refilled by the morning of Jan. 8. Along with drawing down the river, the San Antonio River Authority performed maintenance on the Brooklyn Street lock and dam facilities. During the procedure, the city also took the opportunity to assess the condition of the river loop and was able to conduct minor trash and debris removal, officials said.

MAYOR IVY TAYLOR AND THE CITY COUNCIL recently appointed an advisory board to provide strategic guidance to Café Commerce, which opened in June 2014 as a collaborative effort between the city’s Economic Development Department and LiftFund in order “to strengthen the local small business community by creating a solid community referral network that provides a broad range of expertise to assist in starting or growing a business,” according to officials. “The Café Commerce board is made up of a great group of successful, local entrepreneurs that I believe will help further strengthen

David G. Shulman M.D., P.A Fernando Trujillo M.D. Sharon K. Sra M.D.

and bolster our community’s efforts to grow the startup ecosystem in San Antonio,” Taylor said in a press release.

The new advisory board includes Mari Aguirre-Rodriguez, founder of Opt In and The Workery; Paul Foster, president/ CEO of Foster CM Group; Jody Newman, owner of Friendly Spot, B&D Ice House, Hills and Dales and Alamo Street Eat Bar; Jane Phipps, founder of Fresh from Texas; and Lisa Wong, owner of Rosario’s Mexican Café and Ácenar.

THE KIOLBASSA PROVISION CO. NAMED ALAMO HEIGHTS JUNIOR SCHOOL EIGHTH-GRADE HISTORY TEACHER Spencer Lake the recipient of its online Valero Alamo Bowl VIP Package promotion. The award, announced Dec. 21, allowed Lake and three family members to attend the Jan. 2 matchup between PAC 12 powerhouse Oregon Ducks and the Big 12 Texas Christian University Horned Frogs in the Alamodome. Kiolbassa is a local company making smoked sausage on the West Side and shipping to 47 states, Puerto Rico and Mexico. Lake, 35 and a father of six, described himself as a devout Ducks fan. He is a native of

LOWDOWN continues on pg. 12

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LOWDOWN continues from pg. 11 Eugene, Oregon, and grew up not far from Autzen Stadium at the University of Oregon where the Ducks play, often attending the games as a youth. He is a graduate of Brigham Young University, and in 2007 he and wife Sara moved their family to San Antonio, where he accepted the job with the Alamo Heights Independent School District, according to a news release. TCU won, 47-41.

ALAMO HEIGHTS OFFICIALS HAVE ANNOUNCED THEY WILL CONTINUE the tree preservation program in 2016. According to the city newsletter, maintenance and trimming will be done in the dormant stage, which allows for a fuller canopy in the spring. Officials also said trimming is necessary to keep trees at the 13-foot-6-inch level so emergency vehicles can pass through city streets. For more, call 822-3331.

THE TERRELL HILLS FIRE DEPARTMENT HAS NAMED JACOB BUNJES as firefighter of the year for 2015, based on a vote by his peers. Bunjes has worked for the city since August 2011 and recently obtained an intermediate firefighter certification from the Texas Commission on Fire Protection.

LOCAL LIVE MUSIC KEY: Alamo City Music Hall, 1305 E. Houston St., alamocitymusichall.com Aztec Theatre, 104 N. St. Mary’s St., 812-4355 Limelight, 2718 N. St. Mary’s St., 735-7775 Majestic Theatre, 224 E. Houston St., 226-5700 Paper Tiger, 2410 N. St. Mary’s St., papertigersa@gmail.com Sam’s Burger Joint, 330 E. Grayson St., 223-2830 The Korova, 107 E. Martin St., 226-5070 2/7 WonderB*tch, Bright Like The Sun, 9 p.m., Limelight, $5 2/8 Swing Nite: The 24th Street Wailers, 7 p.m., Sam’s Burger Joint, $10 2/9 What Should Not Be Unearthed Tour: Nile, Flesh Hoarder, Wings of Abaddon, 7 p.m., The Korova, $20/$25 2/10 Bakuon: Yamato Drummers, 7:30 p.m., Majestic Theatre, $29/$110 2/11 The Nightowls’ Tribute to Al Green, 7 pm., Sam’s Burger Joint, $12/$50 2/12 Y&T, 7 p.m., Alamo City Music Hall, $20/$25 2/13 Murder City Devils, 8 p.m., Paper Tiger, $20 2/14 Cale Tyson, 9 p.m., Limelight, $5

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Wine and enchiladas ring in a festive winter

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W

hile Jack Frost was nipping at their noses, San Antonio foodies literally had a lot on their plates.

Enchilada Red Fest in the famous, enchilada-red Central Library downtown served up muchas comidas, margaritas, mezcal, cerveza, aguas frescas, a cooking demonstration featuring La Fonda on Main Executive Chef Victor Maldonado and a book signing by Cappy Lawton and Chris Waters Dunn, authors of the recently published “Enchilada.”

The fiesta of food and friends was hosted by the San Antonio Public Library Foundation along with its First Edition Society.

At the final Wine Wednesday of 2015, the folks at Folc in Olmos Park served five wines from five countries paired with the perfect

Argie Bonduris, Albert Lymberry and Ann Coiner Chef Josef Davila and Toby Soto

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WINE WEDNESDAY

dishes specially created for the evening

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This fun fête featured fantastic facts from Folc Wine Director Cecilia Barretto and special guest Lisa Gonzales from DeVino Wine Importers about wines and holiday traditions from around the globe.

Guests at the Witte Museum’s most recent “Salud! Culinary Nights” dinner experienced an evening of conversation and savory flavors with a four-course meal prepared by Chef Josef Davila from O’Liva Restaurant.

Each course, from the fresh bread with Salud de Paloma olive oil to the kale and spinach salad, the braised pork shank and the peach and blueberry cobbler, was paired with the perfect wine.

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FEB. 1 - MARCH 7, 2016

ST. MARY'S continues from pg. 01

Cooperative spirit part of rebirth

by DAN R. GODDARD

B

usiness owners on North St. Mary's Street — The Strip — are working with residents to ensure past problems won't derail the entertainment and dining corridor's goal to become the city's premier nightspot once again.

Emerging nightclubs and restaurants are driving the resurgence of The Strip, which stretches from just north of downtown to the area around U.S. 281 North. The strip’s heyday was in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

New and revamped live music venues Paper Tiger, Limelight, Amp Room and Hi-Tones are booking a much broader spectrum of entertainment, including indie rock, punk, electronic dance music and hip-hop.

The Cookhouse, Chris Cullum’s AttaGirl, TBA and the vegan La Botanica are tapping into the foodie revolution started by the nearby Pearl.

“I grew up in San Antonio and can remember when The Strip was the place to be and clubs like the White Rabbit had great shows and brought in the best bands,” said attorney Blayne Tucker, founder of the Maverick Music Festival. “We hope to bring that energy back to The Strip.”

He added, “But coming from my background as a concert promoter, I know that in San Antonio all of us in the music business are fighting over bread crumbs.

If we want to rival Austin as a live music center, we need to start working together.”

Tucker is one of the new owners of the Mix, among the oldest clubs on the Strip, along with partners Eric

LEFT: Blayne Tucker, one of the owners of the Mix, 2423 N. St. Mary's St., is part of a coalition of merchants meeting monthly to tackle common issues they face on The Strip, which is undergoing a revival. ABOVE: Martin Kushner, immediate past president of the Tobin Hill Community Association, says several business owners from The Strip have joined the organization to help keep the corridor safe and well-lit. Photos by Rudy B. Ornelas

Hanken of Bauhaus Media Group and Steve Mahoney, who owns the Blue Box. While retaining the name of one of the city’s most beloved live music venues, the new owners of the Mix are currently renovating the space, improving the sound system, raising the ceiling, building a stage and adding a kitchen.

They were hoping to unveil the new, improved Mix this month.

But Tucker’s biggest impact on the Strip may be inviting area business owners to meet once a month to discuss their common problems, such as curtailing parking and noise complaints, improving lighting along the street and combating crime.

“We’re coming together as a loose coalition to address our common problems, which are generally the same problems that bother the local residents,” Tucker said. “Public safety, better sidewalks, more lighting, more speed-limit enforcement, crosswalks – these are all some of the things we’re talking about. Instead of simply complaining as individuals, I think we stand a better chance of solving these problems if we all work on them together.”

Martin Kushner, the immediate president of the Tobin Hill Community Association, said his group has opened

IT’S TAKEN A LONG TIME FOR PEOPLE TO FEEL SAFE COMING TO THE STRIP AGAIN. WE WANT TO WORK TOGETHER AND MANAGE THE POTENTIAL NEGATIVE THINGS THAT CAN HAPPEN. MARTIN KUSHNER, TOBIN HILL COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION

up its membership to local business owners and is working on arranging meetings among residents, merchants and city officials to make The Strip a safe, well-lighted, family-friendly zone.

“About one-third of our members now are business owners,” Kushner said. “Our membership grew by 20 percent last year and it better reflects the changing demographics of the neighborhood. It’s not just old people; we have a lot of young professionals who have joined. The reality is that the bars and restaurants aren’t going away.

We hope to encourage cooperation

so we can head off the problems that hurt The Strip so much in the past.”

The Strip’s glory days in the 1980s essentially came to an end on July 8, 1990, with the slaying on Kings Court Street of 27-year-old George “Tres” Waters III of Alamo Heights by a teen gang known as The Stompers. That same year, an MTV Street Party with host Daisy Fuentes attracted more than 15,000 people to The Strip, but the bad publicity generated by the homicide led to a long, sad slump.

“Actually, if you look at the statistics,

ST. MARY'S continues on pg. 15

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SALOCALLOWDOWN.COM ST. MARY'S continues from pg. 14 crime in the Tobin Hill neighborhood has been on the decline for years,” Kushner said. “But it’s taken a long time for people to feel safe coming to The Strip again. We want to work together and manage the potential negative things that can happen. That’s why it’s such an important change to have business owners joining the community association.”

Kushner said the relationship burgeoning between residents and business owners is a welcome change.

“It’s unprecedented, but The Strip has undergone an amazing transformation in the past couple of years and we want to keep it going,” he said. “We hope to learn from those past issues and not just replicate the errors that were made.”

Joey Villarreal, who opened Joey’s in 1988 in the space next door to the Mix, said The Strip has had its ups and downs, but its future has never looked brighter.

“There’s definitely a lot more energy and the new nightclubs and restaurants are attracting a whole new generation,” Villarreal said. “Of course, there’s going to be tension when you have a lot of bars and clubs in the middle of a residential neighborhood. Parking is always going to be a problem. But I’m impressed with

The stretch of North St. Mary's Street from north of downtown to U.S. 281 is undergoing a resurgence since its heyday in the late 1980s. New owners are investing in nightclubs and live-music venues, and older properties are getting makeovers. Photo by Rudy B. Ornelas

the new owners coming in, because they tend to be in it for the long haul.

They’re not just fly-by-night types.

They want to work on the problems because they want to protect their investments in the properties they own.”

Villarreal said the new look of The Strip is pushing him to make improvements at Joey’s, such as a new paint job and other repairs.

“I’m trying to keep up with the Joneses,” Villarreal said.

Across the street, Paper Tiger now occupies the indoor/outdoor compound that once housed the White Rabbit, which was purchased by a group led by Chad Carey, a restaurateur known for Hot Joy, Barbaro and the Monterrey.

His group also bought the nearby Teka Molino property, which will be the site of a new eatery. The Paper Tiger has raised the bar for live music in San Antonio by teaming up with Austin-based Transmission Events, which stages the Fun Fun Fun Fun Fest and books acts for popular nightclubs in Austin and Dallas.

Justin Boyd of Paper Tiger said the club hopes to become the kind of venue that makes you want to go check out the band even if you haven’t heard of it.

“I know Chad met with the Tobin Hill neighborhood association before we opened to answer questions, let them know the scope of the venue and to reassure the folks in the neighborhood that we would do our best to be sensitive to their concerns,” Boyd said. “To this end, we try to end shows before midnight and cooperate with the authorities any time there is a noise complaint. There is a strong sense of community among the owners and managers on The Strip, and we all realize that we are all in this together.”

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FEB. 1 - MARCH 7, 2016

BROADWAY continues from pg. 01

The Third Condition, represented by a 50-foot model of a 2.5-mile stretch of Broadway, is a 'what if?' look at the connective tissue linking San Antonio and Alamo Heights, say University of Texas at San Antonio architecture students.

Their vision includes a butterfly garden, a linear park and more. Courtesy photos

Project part of ‘The Third Condition’

by BAIN SERNA

A

LAMO HEIGHTS — A group of architecture students and their professor have created a model for a linear park that could someday be the “connective tissue” linking San Antonio and Alamo Heights along Broadway.

The concept for a 2.5-mile stretch of Broadway, which is undergoing a renaissance on the San Antonio side, is in keeping with Alamo Heights’ ongoing project to beautify and make the smaller city more pedestrian friendly, officials said.

Antonio Petrov, an assistant professor at the University of Texas at San Antonio's School of Architecture, and 13 architecture students recently presented “The Third Condition” — represented by a 50-foot model

detailing a possible future for Broadway.

“There’s Broadway and then there’s Alamo Heights and everyone knows that there is a disconnect between the two,” said Petrov of the shared northsouth thoroughfare that joins the two cities. “We didn’t present a finalized master plan, we didn’t present anything

final. All we did was present some ideas broad enough for everyone to see themselves in it, so there could be feedback and response from people. We wanted the exhibition of this project to be a community engagement process.”

Petrov’s “Think/Do-Tank” made two presentations in December; one at the Alamo Heights Fire Department and the second at the Blue Star Arts Complex in Southtown.

Petrov and his students worked on the idea and model starting in August.

“We call it ‘The Third Condition’ because it is neither exclusively for Alamo Heights or San Antonio. It is a connective tissue between the two,” said senior Aaron Stone,

who worked on the project. “Essentially it is a park that runs parallel to Broadway.

A new strip of infrastructure, suitable for pedestrians and bikes, that not only connects the urban Broadway corridor to the suburban neighborhoods, but also our new architectural interventions.”

Though Alamo Heights officials lately have made some zoning changes to create more pedestrian access on Broadway, the students’ project remains an academic exercise for now.

“Everybody in the studio contributed to the big idea, but also put forth their own intervention, like a farmer’s market,

BROADWAY continues on pg. 17

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SALOCALLOWDOWN.COM BROADWAY continues from pg. 16 butterfly garden, start-up house or a transformable parking garage,” Stone said. “The interventions were born out of issues found in Alamo Heights. For instance, there is (a) disconnect between Alamo Heights and San Antonio’s cultural corridor. So, a butterfly garden containing gallery space and an artist residency program, in conjunction with The Third Condition, acts as an extension of the cultural corridor into Alamo Heights.”

Stone said the idea for The Third Condition grew from researching Alamo Heights, combined with studies of architectural theory and existing projects that tackled similar issues.

“Conceiving of and executing the idea was always a highly collaborative and therefore rewarding task,” Stone said.

“So often people want to have a vision of the place, a master plan, and this project was not about that. Through embracing the unknown, letting the citizens of Alamo Heights and the territory speak to us, we were able to create something innovative and unique to the place.”

The Third Condition, according to Stone, is a connective link combined with individual aspects that creates possibilities for new, “unimagined interactions” between

people and space; and between the people of Alamo Heights and San Antonio — a young entrepreneur and a local artist, a high school student and a farmer, or even an elementary school student and a garden, he said.

“It becomes a place for spontaneous interactions and allows for new ideas and relationships to be born through them,” he added.

Petrov is convinced that what is currently needed is something unique that would merge Alamo Heights to the identity of Broadway.

“There was something missing in all of this,” he said. “We did lots and lots of research on Alamo Heights.”

Petrov and his team took a long look at Alamo Heights’ infrastructure, analyzing the length of continuous sidewalks, counting trees and evaluating private versus public parking areas.

“Based on all the research we’ve done and all the questions we’ve asked people in the community, we came up with the idea to not completely change what’s there, but rather to use what is existing and transform it into something positive,” he said. “What’s missing is public space, so we want this to be a public garden that could start to interact with the existing fabric that’s there, such as residences and businesses, as an incentive to invest along this corridor.”

Seeing With Eyes Of Your Heart Andy Anderson was going blind.

So he began to prepare for the inevitable. And when blindness replaced his sight, Andy used his imagination. In his mind he retuned to near and far places that he had visited in person. From every special place he had selected a rock as a keepsake, and placed each rock in a treasure box. From other locations where he had hoped to go but never made it, he ordered representative rocks for his collection and studied photos of those places.

So when blindness controlled his sight, Andy used these mental memories to travel wherever he

wanted to go without ever leaving his condo. He would select a rock from his box, turning it over and over in his hands, and travel by imagination to the rock’s original home. He was free to roam the world, seeing with eyes of his heart.

Have you trained the “eyes of your heart” to see what your physical eyes cannot comprehend? The Apostle Paul wrote about this in Ephesians 1:18, and then had a prayer experience which forever changed him. He gasped, “For this reason I fall to my knees and see that God is Father of all... And I pray that you, being established and rooted in love, may live by this power.” Let heaven and earth open up to you by seeing with the eyes of your heart. Faith is the way.

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Wednesday evenings we have a wonderful time at Trinity Baptist Church through our Faith Family Night (FFN). Everyone is welcome. We eat a delicious meal together which is served beginning at 5pm, before breaking out into programs offered for children, students, and adults. We encourage you take advantage of these great opportunities.

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FEB. 1 - MARCH 7, 2016

BRACKENRIDGE continues from pg. 01

Organization seeks public and private funding

by SUSAN YERKES

A

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conservancy group is ramping up its efforts to protect Brackenridge Park — considered one of the city’s crown jewels, members say — through a mix of private and public dollars, master planning and activism.

“With the Broadway Cultural Corridor developing, there is sort of a holistic vision emerging,” said Lynn Osborne Bobbitt, executive director of the Brackenridge Park Conservancy. “It’s about redefining that whole area of the city, with Brackenridge Park as the centerpiece. In the next 15 years or so, our conservancy hopes to develop Brackenridge into the kind of a park the whole city deserves.”

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memories of Brackenridge Park, from family picnics and feeding the ducks to visiting the San Antonio Zoo, the Witte Museum and Japanese Tea Garden, or riding the San Antonio Zoo Eagle train, formerly the Brackenridge Eagle.

For more than a century, since George Brackenridge donated the bulk of the land to the city, the park has been a gathering place, just as it was centuries ago to indigenous tribes gathered around the headwaters of the San Antonio River.

Today, the beloved public park in the historic heart of San Antonio is dead center in a swirl of change.

“It’s a very exciting time now,” Bobbitt said, explaining the conservancy is part of an emerging national effort to use public and private funding sources to preserve and maintain city parks. New York City’s Central Park Conservancy is probably one of the most familiar, and arguably one of the most successful. It is also an inspiration for the Brackenridge Park Conservancy in more ways than one.

San Antonio native Betsy Barlow Browning Rogers helped found the New York group and led it for years.

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expert Leilah Powell as a part-time director. In 2008, after working out an agreement with the city, the group was formally incorporated as a nonprofit.

When Powell left to join Mayor Ivy Taylor’s staff, Bobbitt stepped into the job.

It’s a perfect fit for Bobbitt.

She has an impressive preservation heritage — her mother, Pat Osborne, was the city’s first director of historic preservation, and Bobbitt herself served as the Conservation’s Society’s president in the early 1980s. She is well-acquainted with many of the important stakeholders in the park. She also is familiar with various issues involving the park over the years, from controversy over the construction of U.S. 281, which cut across the western edge of the park, to civic debates over ownership of parkland and concessions.

Just last month, Bobbitt and key conservancy members were front and center at a San Antonio Independent School District board meeting after news stories surfaced that the University of the Incarnate Word might be interested in buying or leasing a piece of SAISD property adjacent to the park for a dormitory and a parking garage.

Just a month before, the school board

had informally committed to leasing the land to the zoo for a much-needed parking garage to serve Brackenridge Park visitors. Some 20 community leaders, from former Mayor and Parks Foundation chairwoman Lila Cockrell to new zoo director Tim Morrow, DoSeum director Vanessa Lacoss Hurd and Witte Museum director Marise McDermott, joined Bobbitt and conservancy board President Joe Calvert in making impassioned pleas to the school board to keep its commitment to expanding parking for folks who come to Brackenridge.

The meeting was an example of the way the conservancy can help unify and

coordinate leaders of the various institutions around the park. Creating adequate parking, without cutting into Brackenridge’s green spaces, has long been a concern for many members. The conservancy is also the first group authorized to advocate for the pure open park space that makes up about one-third of the 360-acre park complex.

Bobbitt and her board have been deeply involved in the draft of a new master plan for the park, in the works for a year or so, which will soon go to the city’s Parks and Recreation Department for review, followed by public meetings and

BRACKENRIDGE continues on pg. 21

IT’S ABOUT REDEFINING THAT WHOLE AREA OF THE CITY, WITH BRACKENRIDGE PARK AS THE CENTERPIECE. IN THE NEXT 15 YEARS OR SO, OUR CONSERVANCY HOPES TO DEVELOP BRACKENRIDGE INTO THE KIND OF A PARK THE WHOLE CITY DESERVES. LYNN OSBORNE BOBBITT, BRACKENRIDGE PARK CONSERVANCY EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

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SALOCALLOWDOWN.COM BRACKENRIDGE continues from pg. 20 presentation to the City Council early this summer. If all goes well, funding for the Brackenridge plan could be included in the next city bond initiative in 2017.

However, no bond initiative is likely to raise enough money to transform Brackenridge Park into the Central Park kind of user-friendly space the conservancy leaders envision. It will take public enthusiasm, and private money, to accomplish that.

Past master plans for the park created in 1979 and 1997 have laid out great visions, but have not resulted in major change.

“There has really never been a single group to drive the change,” said Calvert, who happens to be the great-grandson of San Antonio’s first parks commissioner, Otto Mahncke. To date, the conservancy has focused on getting organized and has begun some early fundraising, with events including the “Spirit of Brackenridge” last fall that will repeat this year, and a public “Parktober” bash.

Conservancy board member Tom Christal, who leads a state-of-the-art feral cat coalition in the park, points to Houston’s showpiece Herrmann Park for comparison. That historical mid-

town park also has a train ride, a zoo, picnic grounds and museums. But the Herrmann Park Conservancy, established in 2004, currently budgets about $8,000 per acre, while the Brackenridge conservancy, still in its funding infancy, only has about $375 per acre so far.

“To reach the level of Herrmann Park per acre, the conservancy would need about $1.9 million a year,” Christal said.

That kind of money would help build a visitor center, create educational exhibits that expand on archaeological treasures found in the park, restore the old bathhouses around Lambert Beach, clean up and beautify Avenue B through the park, renovate the old Donkey Barn and historic pumphouses, create better parking options and lighting, restore Miraflores Park, and create better connections among the park’s attractions, including the zoo, Witte and tea garden, maybe even by barge or with paddle boats.

Creating clear signage for the park and improving the entrances off Broadway and North St. Mary’s Street, as well as linking Brackenridge to the San Antonio Botanical Garden with a clear, attractive pathway through Mahncke Park, are important parts of the vision.

For more information, see brackenridgepark.org.

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nother San Antonio Cocktail Conference has come and gone, but the event that began five years ago is growing by leaps and bounds — and that means big business for participating restaurants and bars.

The cocktail conference, organized by Mark Bohanan and Bohanan’s Prime Steaks and Seafood, is held each January and mainly in downtown. It has already joined the ranks of more renowned cocktail-centric festivals around the nation, according to publications such as Fodor’s Travel.

The conference lures top bartenders and experts in the world of distilled spirits to tastings, parties, paired dinners and seminars to discuss a variety of bar,

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Final results from this year’s cocktail conference were not available by press time, but event Executive Director Cathy Siegel said in mid-January she expected a record turnout for 2016.

She added the 2017 edition could be even bigger.

“Our growth is about 15 percent every year. (We were looking to) probably issue about 8,000 tickets this year,” Siegel said. “About 25 percent of our visitors are from out of town, and that’s national— not just Texas. We are a staple on the national cocktail calendar.”

All proceeds are donated to select local children’s causes, facilitated by Houston Street Charities. This year’s beneficiaries are ChildSafe, The Children’s Shelter, Clarity Child Guidance Center, TEAMability and Transplants for Children.

Renowned local chefs and restaurants whipped up samples and multi-course dinners for SACC activities. Steve McHugh of Cured at Pearl calls the conference well organized and run by passionate, experienced people.

The profiles of various local restaurants, bars and caterers get a major lift, he added.

Cured hosted a multi-course dinner with

CONFERENCE continues on pg. 23

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SALOCALLOWDOWN.COM CONFERENCE continues from pg. 22 mezcal. The Pearl eatery has seen big conference crowds in previous years.

“It helps our restaurant. What I love about any local festival or conference is that it puts a spotlight back on San Antonio,” McHugh said. “Other chefs, food writers and experts come to San Antonio and realize the crazy good stuff we’ve got going on here.”

Chef Jason Dady and his group hosted paired dinners at Shuck Shack, his newest venture near Pearl, and at Two Bros. BBQ Market on the North Side.

In addition, Dady provided tasty samples at other conference activities.

He said SACC brings attention to the city’s emerging cocktail and culinary industries. Dady added that each year he is eager to contribute whatever his businesses can to the event.

“This puts us all on a higher platform,” he said.

While most SACC activities happen in the downtown area, eateries outside downtown such as Two Bros. still benefit.

“The event brings people who don’t know of Two Bros. or don’t live around there, shows them what we’re about,” Dady said. “It’s a classic Texas barbecue joint all other times, then for one night

we flip the script, people get to enjoy great bourbon cocktails, too. The city gets to show its growing cocktail brand.”

Folc, one of Olmos Park’s newest upscale restaurants, again hosted a paired dinner, this time with Cinco Vodka.

Head chef and owner Luis Colon echoed Dady’s sentiments. Folc also owns and operates Park Social, an adjacent cocktail bar that hosted an unofficial after-party.

“We’ve evolved past being known just for tacos and enchiladas,” Colon said of San Antonio’s culinary community. “More and more restaurants and bars are serving proper cocktails, service and food.”

The Friendly Spot in Southtown hosts the “Friendly Beer Break,” a chance for anyone including SACC attendees to sample offerings from more than 25 craft breweries.

The number of patrons and participating breweries at the beer break increases every year.

“We’re getting more interest from breweries,” said co-owner Steve Newman.

“It’s the only beer-oriented event during the conference. People see craft beer as becoming more part of the cocktail scene.”

SACC also this year emphasized the growing role women are playing on the culinary and cocktail scenes with the “Women Shaking It Up” event at La Villita.

“There are talented women at the

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TOP LEFT: At the San Antonio Cocktail Conference, James Canter serves paella during the Bordel pop-up bar after-party Jan. 15 at 109 E. Travis St. BOTTOM LEFT: Josh Finnie prepares a bourbon sample following a paired dinner Jan. 12 at Two Bros. BBQ Market, 12656 West Ave. ABOVE: Eric Barrera of Busted Sandal Brewing Co. pours a sample at the 'beer break' Jan. 16 at The Friendly Spot, 943 S. Alamo St. Photos by Edmond Ortiz

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SALOCALLOWDOWN.COM HAPPENING continues from pg. 09 RUN/WALK TO THE BEAT The 27th annual Run/Walk to 5 the Beat to benefit the Alamo Heights High School and Alamo Heights Junior School band programs starts at 8:30 a.m. at the high school, 6900 Broadway, and ends there, too. Pre-registration is 6:45 to 8:15 a.m. the day of the event. Participants can sign up in advance at Fleet Feet Sports, 6408 N. New Braunfels Ave.; the Athlete Guild’s website at www.athleteguild.com; or the event page at https://www.athleteguild. com/running/san-antonio-tx/2015-run-tothe-beat-alamo-heights-band-walk-run.

MARCH

POP-UP ON PEARL This monthly market, a 5 collaboration of the IAMA Coffee Shop and Mujeres Mercado, offers musical performances plus vendors selling jewelry, home accessories and more made by local female artists. It runs from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in front of the coffee shop, 1627 Broadway at Pearl Parkway.

MARCH

ROTARY CLUB The Alamo Heights Rotary Club meets at noon every Tuesday in the Petroleum Club, on the seventh floor of the north building in Energy Plaza, 8620 N. New Braunfels Ave.

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Visitors are welcome. For more, call 4469233 or go to http://www.ahrotary.org/.

ALAMO HEIGHTS TOASTMASTERS Members of the Toastmasters chapter meet at 7 p.m. Wednesdays in Room 365 of the Administration Building of the University of the Incarnate Word, 4301 Broadway. An RSVP is appreciated but not required; for more, call 538-1878 or visit alamoheights.toastmastersclubs.org.

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BUY LOCAL Learn more about newest purveyors of goods and services in your area

Madrid transplants offer Ünik antiques in North Central

by RUBEN RENTERIA

A

husband-and-wife creative team are taking what’s old and making it new again at The Ünik Warehouse, an antique decorative shop originally based in Madrid and now open at 514 W. Hildebrand Ave.

Managed by interior designer Noelia Gutiérrez, 42, and husband David Garrido, 43, the bilingual couple from Spain opened the store Oct. 1 to spur a local revolution in decorating with vintage antiques.

“When you think vintage, it’s a way of life,” Garrido said.

Gutierrez combines vintage furniture with her own design concepts to create

art built with reclaimed wood, leather and other original materials from India, Mexico and the United States.

The couple said they want to redesign and sell decorative furniture unlike any found in traditional antique shops.

The Ünik Warehouse doesn’t stop there, they added — services also include custom-furniture makeovers as well as paint and restoration lessons.

Gutiérrez is partial to styles including shabby chic, farmhouse and industrial. She enjoys crafting furniture that reflects age, farm-based origins and an industrial sensibility.

Her passion for design stems from a desire to create serenity and peace, she said. “(It’s) a concept inspired by paint, photos and decorative art. It’s the way I express myself,” Gutiérrez said.

During her time in Madrid,

David Garrido and Noelia Gutiérrez of Ünik Warehouse have selected a variety of unique, vintage and antique decorative items and furniture for the store at 514 W. Hildebrand Ave. Photo by Collette Orquiz

Gutierrez received her master’s degree in furniture restoration from a school specializing in arts and crafts.

The shop has relocated twice in two years, moving from Spain to Mexico City and finally to the Alamo City, on the edge of Beacon Hill.

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SALOCALLOWDOWN.COM

EAT LOCAL Learn about the newest neighborhood places for breakfast, lunch, dinner or drinks

From food truck to restaurant, tacos still tops at Chela’s

by OLIVIER J. BOURGOIN

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tarting with a food truck and then opening a brickand-mortar restaurant didn't mean the treats at Chela's Tacos became any less tasty.

That sentiment comes from the mother and daughter running the new Chela's Tacos Mexican Restaurant at 5321 Broadway, Suite 117.

“We want to get this restaurant going really well and we’re also thinking about starting a second food truck,” said Fernanda Cendejas. Chela’s is the brainchild of her mother, Celia Davis.

As early as 2009, the accolades started coming in for Chela’s Tacos Food Truck. The food won several cook-offs

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and, more recently, Chela’s chicken cilantro taco made Texas Monthly’s list of top 10 tacos in the state.

Davis is still in charge, but her daughter helps run the restaurant. Chela is a derivative of Davis’ first name.

In addition to the chicken cilantro taco, made from shredded chicken breast marinated in cilantro and sour cream, offerings include Cendejas’ favorite, The Gringa, which features mozzarella cheese melted on the grill and placed atop a homemade corn or flour tortilla, garnished with shredded pork al pastor, marinated in different chiles and pineapple and topped-off with house-made pico de gallo.

Other dishes are cochinita pibil taco, a traditional Yucatan-style dish of shredded pork marinated in different chiles with a hint of cinnamon and lime, and the La Costra de Chela, a 12- to 14inch tortilla made of melted cheese on a regular tortilla with a choice of meat.

After moving to San Antonio from Guadalajara, Mexico, Cendejas graduated from Clark High School before earning a degree in communication sciences and disorders from Baylor University.

Now studying for a master of business administration at the University of the Incarnate Word, she wants to market future Chela’s Tacos franchises.

Chela's Tacos Mexican Restaurant at 5321 Broadway (far left) serves up the Costra del Chela taco (top) and the shrimp taco (bottom). Photos by Collette Orquiz

Meanwhile, the food truck is still available for special events for a minimum fee.

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