LOCAL: Alamo Heights, Monte Vista, Olmos Park, Downtown, King William, Terrell Hills, September 2014

pg.15 PARCEL AT ALAMO HEIGHTS

CROSSROADS COULD SEE NEW USE Property owners could release details in fall, existing structures could be razed or sold

Reopened Broadway-Hildebrand means relief for businesses, neighbors

pg.17

COMMUNITY NEWS Vol. 3, Issue 3

ALAMO HEIGHTS

What's

INSIDE

pg. 03 local commentary SUSAN YERKES

King William

Monte Vista

Olmos Park

pg. 12 LOCAL SOCIETY

Terrell Hills

SEPTEMBER 2014

on the scene at the latest parties

your community

pg.19 San Antonio

Academy blind card-trick expert subject of documentary

Northwood’s

Florence Weinberg pg. 25 EAT La Fonda Revived Alamo Heights Tex-Mex restaurant gets new location, same menu

fantastic deals

coupons INSIDE Discover the city through LOCAL deals from restaurants, retailers and services in your community, and save money while you do it! pg. 27

www.salocallowdown.com

pg.20

Novels deal with old Southwest, fantasy

pg. 23 BUY Koko Fit Club Technology and exercise program work together in this new North Central digital gym.

pg. 22 BUY Mana House Feel "empowerment" through art at this new Sunset Station gallery with a Hawaiian name.

pg.13 Parents give mixed grade to new AHISD online registration pg.16 Proposal reviewed for CVS pharmacy in Alamo Heights

2

september 2014

Make Your Current Dentures Act Like the Real Thing!

From the editor tedwards@salocallowdown.com

“Now I can pick up an apple and take a big bite. I love it.”

•

No messy pastes or adhesives.

•

No major surgery or long recovery.

•

A fraction of the cost of conventional implants.

Assoc. Publisher Rick Upton

Editorial Executive Editor Thomas Edwards News Staff Collette Orquiz, Bain Serna and Will Wright Contributing Writers Olivier J. Bourgoin, Ron Aaron Eisenberg, Joyce Hotchkiss, Carole Miller, Eileen Pace and Susan Yerkes

Talk, laugh, sing and eat with confidence again.

•

President Harold J. Lees Publisher Gregg Rosenfield

Complimentary Consultations & 2nd Opinions Dr. Bernard Rust and Dr. Joseph Perry have partnered up to bring you the absolute best in Dentistry.

Advanced Technology, Friendly & Caring Atmosphere, and Experience You Can Count On

5 STAR CUSTOMER RATING

•

Invisalign

•

Cosmetic Dentistry

•

Implants

•

Dentures

•

Full Mouth Rehabilitation

Angie’s List and Health Grades. Read more reviews on Facebook

www.bernardrust.com www.sanantoniodenturesolutions.com CALL TODAY TO SCHEDULE YOUR APPOINTMENT

(210) 499-4746

13341 San Pedro Ave. at Bitters, San Antonio, TX 78216

ART Creative Director Florence D. Edwards Production Designer Pete Morales Contributing Photographers Josh Huskin and Rudy B. Ornelas Contributing Illustrator Jeremiah Teutsch Advertising Advertising Director Jaselle Luna Account Manager Kelly Jean Garza Controller Keith Sanders READER SERVICE Mailing Address 4204 Gardendale Ste. 201 SA, TX 78229 Phone Fax (210) 616.9677 (210) 338.8842 Advertising Inquiries jluna@salocallowdown.com Story Ideas tips@salocallowdown.com Website www.salocallowdown.com LOCAL Community News publications Zone 2: 78213, 78230, 78231, 78248, 78249 Zone 3: 78216, 78232, 78247 Zone 4: 78109, 78148, 78233, 78239 Zone 5: 78108, 78132, 78154, 78266 Zone 6: 78258, 78259, 78260, 78261 For advertising, customer service or editorial, please call us at 210-338-8842 or write to us at: Local Community News 4204 Gardendale Ste. 201 San Antonio, TX 78229 Reproduction in whole or in part without our permission is prohibited, 2014 Helen Publishing, LLC and Local Community News, LLC, all rights reserved.

Editorials are not news stories

S

ometimes I get letters from readers who want to agree, disagree or just comment on “Our Turn” in LOCAL Community News, the editorial that offers opinions on weighty matters of the day.

Many times the letter writers say something like, “Too bad whoever wrote ‘Our Turn’ didn’t have the courage to put his or her name on it.”

Actually, “Our Turn” is signed each month, and the names of the editorial board run at the bottom — Harry Lees, Gregg Rosenfield and myself. The three of us select a topic for each issue and then a staff member is assigned to write “Our Turn” based on that consensus.

The editorial is considered the “voice of the newspaper” and is never signed in the traditional sense. Instead, it is an opinion piece chosen by the newspaper’s senior management that offers a viewpoint hopefully informed by reason and research.

Sometimes readers get editorials confused with news stories and features, which do carry bylines — the name of the writer.

Rest assured, the three people who select the editorial topics for LOCAL— Lees, the company president; Rosenfield, the publisher; and myself, the editor — hang our names out there every month. We’re not hiding.

Just look for the little box at the bottom of “Our Turn.” We welcome your calls, cards, emails and letters whether you’re for or against our take on an issue, or just want to add your voice to the conversation.

Thomas Edwards executive Editor facebook.com/salocalcommunitynews

3

salocallowdown.com city for committing to extremely high legacy costs for public-safety folks, in the wake of bitter city bargaining with the police and fire unions. A quarter of a century later, the chickens are coming home to roost. City Manager Sheryl Sculley knew it would be a tough battle.

Nobody likes giving up benefits. by susan yerkes And when unions get involved, it’s natural they should fight tooth and Budgets are no nail to protect members’ benefits fun. Just thinking while negotiating for more. about the city With that in mind, for over a year now, Sculley has taken her compelling case to the of San Antonio’s city through the media. When it comes to annual budget is heath plans and pension contributions, San enough to give Antonio’s police and firefighters receive far me a headache. more, and pay far less, than their civilian counterparts. That includes zero health Since San Antonio’s fiscal year starts insurance premiums for themselves and Oct. 1, the City Council is scheduled to their families, and their deductibles are vote on the 2015 budget in September. $250 and $500, respectively. San Antonio’s This year we’ve already heard plenty first responders have a deal almost about one of the biggest, and most unparalleled anywhere in or outside Texas. contentious, budget issues — so-called In the last 10 years, the city’s share of legacy costs for police and firefighters. medical costs for public-safety personnel Legacy costs — expenses a business jumped from $21.46 million to nearly $52 or organization has incurred in the past million. In the same decade, those costs that stretch into the future — are a big for civilian city employees (who have taken deal these days, mostly when it comes to some benefit reductions) increased from health care and pension benefits. Back $15.74 million to just $20.25 million. local ad half pagefolks hor .qxp_Layout 1 insathe 1980s, many criticized the1 8/14/14 12:58 YouPM canPage see where this is going.

local commentary

S.A.’s red-hot political football

Whether the city will eventually go broke can be argued depending on whose statistics you use, and there’s a mind-numbing array to choose from, including the city’s at http:// www.sanantonio.gov/info.aspx, and the combined police and fire unions’ at www.PublicSafetyFacts.com.

The key issue is more simple: As legacy costs continue to rise, our tax dollars keep stretching to provide basic city services beyond police and fire protection, from libraries to street maintenance. Nationwide, city leaders call it crowd-out and many U.S. cities have taken a giant hit because of it.

Last fall Manhattan Institute senior policy adviser Stephen Eide produced a detailed study on crowd-out in which he said rising legacy costs force cities to either raise taxes, take on more debt or spend less on schools, roads, public transport, libraries, assistance for the poor and other public functions.

“Troublingly, many governments are choosing (to cut non-legacy spending), creating the paradox of government that spends more and more to do less and less,” Eide said. It’s an eyeopener, no matter where you live.

So far, the negotiations on the police and fire contracts, which nominally expire Oct. 1, have been unproductive. A breakthrough

before the final council vote on the new budget is unlikely. No problem for the unions, since a generous evergreen clause in their contracts keeps current provisions intact for 10 years after the deal expires.

Sculley, however, says another provision in the union contracts allows the council to unilaterally change employee benefit plans when they approve a new budget. If that happens, the unions will almost surely go to court, dragging out the process and costing more taxpayer dollars.

To get council members’ support for a fight with the powerful and popular police and fire unions will be tough, but Sculley reportedly has support.

While the union benefits have dramatically boosted San Antonio’s legacy costs, folks who run smaller cities are also increasingly focused on crowd-out, and the need to keep careful watch on future benefits obligations.

The only way you have a say in how your taxes are spent is to let your elected leaders know you’re paying attention to where your money is going now, and what today’s commitments mean to your future tax rates.

What do you think about legacy costs?

Let your elected representatives know.

And while you’re at it, let me know, too.

Email syerkes@salocallowdown.com.

Delivering SAN ANTONIO’S FAVORITE RESTAURANTS

®

DELIVERY

Right to Your Door!

C AT E R I NG

BCAuTEsiRnINeGss Home

D E LI V E RY

Call or order online

210 447-3777 • WWW.EATOUTIN.COM

Event

NG P L AN N I

4

september 2014

OUR TURN Views and opinions about your community

Streetcar provides valuable lesson

W

hen the people speak, elected leaders would be wise to listen.

Such is the case regarding San Antonio’s aborted plans to funnel $32 million to an ill-advised downtown streetcar project. The politicians changed their minds after a petition calling for a charter-amendment vote that could have derailed the proposal landed at City Hall with thousands of signatures.

Now the City Council under new Mayor Ivy Taylor has decided to pull its support. Meanwhile, the amendment could be on the May ballot.

In a LOCAL Community News editorial several months ago, we urged city leaders to abandon the project, which carries a total price tag of $280 million or more.

Though VIA Metropolitan Transit has pushed the project for months as part of a larger multimodal transportation system, it’s clear to see the 5-plus miles of

tracks that would service the downtown area serve only a few, not the many.

San Antonio abandoned streetcars in the 1930s, and with good reason: Their day is long over. Today the city and a dozen surrounding communities have an excellent bus system provided by VIA. Downtown streetcars would just be a novelty to dazzle a few tourists’ eyes, but at $280 million, do we really need them?

There was never community consensus for the streetcar system, which represents a colossal waste of taxpayer money.

A better use for that money is local street repair and maintenance projects, or reallocating funding to pay for the expansion of U.S. 281 and Loop 1604, thereby replacing the use of proposed tolls.

The widespread lack of public support for the streetcar initiative has been no secret to local leaders.

Opposition started growing the minute the public learned of the deal.

Any future projects of this magnitude — including streetcars and light rail — deserve a public vote, rather than bureaucrats and politicians alone deciding the issue.

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

Built to take you to places you’ve never been.

Subaru is the

ONLY 2013 FULL LINE 5 Star

Top IIHS Safety Pick.

2014 Crosstrek Hybrid starting at $25,580 Visit Us @ www.NPSUBARU.com

2012

www.NPSUBARU.com

800.280.5780

Vehicle Art For Illustration Purposes Only. *Financing offers on select models. $17 per $1000 financed with approved credit. Offer expires 9/30/2014. Subject to vehicle insurance and availability. Purchase or lease any 2013 or 2014 model and receive a complimentary factory maintenance plan for 2 years or 24,000 miles, whichever comes first. See Subaru Added Security Maintenance Plan for recommended maintenance intervals, coverages and limitations. Also covers certain wear items. At participating dealers only. Expires 12/31/14. See dealer for details.

OPENING SEPTEMBER 2014

VIKKI CARR & MARIACHI COBRE

CELEBRATION OF THE ARTS

LYNYRD SKYNYRD

09/05/14

09/06/14

ATTICREP: GOD OF CARNAGE

TOBIN CENTER OPENING GALA

ALEJANDRA GUZMAN

CHARLIE DANIELS BAND

09/13/14

09/17/14

BILL COSBY -FAR FROM FINISHED

THE PIANO GUYS

THE BEST OF JETHRO TULL WITH IAN ANDERSON

CITIZEN COPE

EXPERIENCE HENDRIX

SANTANA

NICE WORK IF YOU CAN GET IT

RINGO STARR AND HIS ALL STARR BAND

09/04/14

09/10/14 - 09/14/14

09/19/14

09/29/14

09/12/14

09/23/14

09/30/14

JASON MRAZ

09/27/14

10/03/14 - 10/04/14

WWW.TOBINCENTER.ORG

09/10/14

09/28/14

10/07/14

Purchase online at tobincenter.org, in person (115 Auditorium Circle), or by phone at 210-223-8624

6

september 2014

Happening LOCAL

the Botanical Garden is at 555 Funston Place, at North New Braunfels Avenue.

It is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.

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

OUR GUIDE TO YOUR MONTH

ha p p ening k ey

ART

fitness

INTIMATE IMPRESSIONISM FROM THE NATIONAL GALLERY OF ART The McNay Art Museum is one of only five sites in the world to host this exhibition of nearly 70 smaller-scale works by impressionist and post-impressionist masters. The works are traveling during renovation work at the National Gallery, in Washington, D.C. The intimacy of the works’ size and setting is enhanced by the subjects, which include people and places well-known to the artists.

The museum has scheduled a wide range of activities in conjunction with the exhibit; more details are at www.mcnayart.org.

Hours will be extended for the duration of the show, and there will be a $10 surcharge for entry to the touring exhibit.

THROUGH JAN. 4

THROUGH JAN. 11

YOUNG QUILTMAKERS The “Texas Art Quilts and Modern Masterpieces” exhibit at the

TALK

outdoor

Music

CANSTRUCTION North Star Mall is hosting the 9th annual Canstruction design-build competition as one of the San Antonio Food Bank’s S.A. Goes Orange for Hunger campaign events to raise awareness and funds for hunger relief. On Sept. 7, 11 teams representing local chapters of The American Institute of Architects and the Society for Design Administration have 12 hours to assemble sculptures using about 30,000 cans of food. The sculptures will remain on display in the common areas. Mall visitors can cast a vote for the People’s Choice Award, announced on Sept. 19. The public is also asked to donate canned food at guest services in the Saks Fifth Avenue wing.

sept 7-21

FOOD

Institute of Texan Cultures now has a related show – “Texas 4-H Quilts and Student Masterpieces.” That show features six student quilts, made as part of 4-H studies of textiles and clothing; some students create such bedcovers for charitable organizations, including Quilts of Valor and Project Linus. Both exhibits are open during regular hours, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon-5 p.m. Sunday.

Admission ranges from $6 to $8. The Institute is at 801 E. Cesar Chavez Blvd.

ART WITH LEGO BRICKS The THROUGH San Antonio Botanical Garden JAN. 4 has a new, garden-inspired installation – 27 pieces of sculpture made entirely of Legos, 500,000 of them. Sean Kenney, a New York artist, has designed and built 14 displays around the grounds featuring birds, animals, plants and humans. Admission costs $8 to $10;

sept 8

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

SCHOOL BOARD MEETING Trustees of the North East Independent School District meet 6:30 p.m. on the second Monday of each month at 8961 Tesoro Drive. To confirm dates and times, call 407-0533.

sept 8

ALAMO HEIGHTS The City Council meets 5:30 p.m. at the temporary City Hall, 1248 Austin Highway, Suite 220. A second meeting, same place and time, is Sept. 22.

To confirm the location, call 822-3331.

sept 8

DURTY NELLY’S TURNS 40 The bar nestled at the base of the Hilton Palacio del Rio, up against the Market Street bridge, is celebrating its 40th birthday with food and drink specials, music, toasts, kilts and sundry other events.

Many of the goings-on also will benefit the 100 Club, which helps support the families of police and firefighters killed or injured in the line of duty; that includes a raffle with a trip to Ireland as the prize. Durty Nelly’s is a replica of a bar built in Bunratty Castle at Limerick in 1620 and still in use. For more on the raffle, go to www.100clubsa. org or to www.durtynellyspub.com, which also has information on the events and giveaways during the birthday celebration.

The Palacio del Rio is at 200 S. Alamo St.

Sept 8-14

PLANT SALE Native and well-adapted plants, good choices for drought-tolerant landscaping, will be for sale at the San

sept 13

Happening continues on pg. 07

Skin Specialists of San Antonio welcomes Dr. Eric Greeson Dr. Greeson is a board certified dermatologist. He is a Distinguished Graduate of the United States Air Force Academy and earned his medical degree from the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine. He grew up farming in Oklahoma, and served 21 years in the United States Air Force, where he was a Flight Surgeon and Staff Dermatologist. He also held the position of Associate Professor of Dermatology at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences while directing laser surgery services at Wilford Hall Ambulatory Surgical Center in San Antonio, Texas. In addition to general dermatology, his areas of expertise include treatment of leg veins and laser therapy.

Call today to schedule your appointment.

210-226-0040

We accept most major insurances

www.skinsgsa.com

2632 Broadway Suite 201N San Antonio, TX 78215

Let History Be Part Of Your Life

Ann Van Pelt

330 E Summit Avenue

· 3 Bedrootms & 2 full baths and 2 half baths · Modern Floor Plan with beautiful architectural details · Chef’s Kitchen with great appliances · Close to Trinity University, Landa Library and Park

222 W Mulberry

· 4 Bedrooms & 3.5 Baths · Designed by Atlee Ayres · Exquisite Pool and patio · Formal living with open fireplace opens to library

210-824-7878 avanpelt@phyllisbrowning.com Phyllis Browning Company

7

salocallowdown.com HAPPENING continues from pg. 06 Antonio Botanical Garden from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Volunteers will be available to help with plant selection. Admission costs $8 to $10. The garden is at 555 Funston Place, at North New Braunfels Avenue.

SAN ANTONIO URBAN PET sept MARKET Vendors of pet 13 products and services; adoptions; dog-agility demonstrations; and food trucks for the humans are all part of this free monthly event at Travis Park, East Travis and Navarro streets downtown. It runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and offers plenty of pet information as well as shopping, and all proceeds go to animal-rescue groups. It takes place the third Saturday of the month except for September, when it’s on the second Saturday. For more, go to http://sa-urbanpetmarket.com/.

TEJANO RANCHING FAMILY DAY On the eve of Hispanic Heritage Month, the Institute of Texan Cultures offers a look at the indelible impact of Tejanos on Texas ranching. There will be vaqueros, plus examples of the distinctive cooking and music of Tejano ranch folk. There is no admission cost for this Second Sunday

sept 14

event, which runs from noon to 5 p.m. The Institute is at 801 E. Cesar Chavez Blvd.

sept 18

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

ALAMO HEIGHTS INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT The board meets 7 p.m. in the board room of Central Office, 7101 Broadway.

sept 18

RANCH CHIC FASHION SHOW The American Cancer Society will present a show – with the help of Wrangler, Cavender’s and jeweler Kendra Scott – featuring Western-themed clothing modeled by cancer survivors. The event is from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at the Rosenberg Sky Room, 847 E. Hildebrand Ave., on the University of the Incarnate Word campus.

Individual tickets are $75; a row of 10 seats is $800. To reserve a seat, contact Renee Silber at 595-0249 or renee.silber@cancer.org.

sept 18

“TWO WOMEN LOOK WEST” sept 19 This exhibit at the Witte Museum - jan 4 is subtitled “Photographs of King Ranch by Helen C. Kleberg and Toni Frissell,” which lets you know it will have an insider’s viewpoint. Kleberg and her husband, Robert, ran the ranch, and

12 9R OCinTOhisBE toric gruene

FEA TUR INg cor y mor row , rob ert ear l kee n & mor e!

Frissell was a well-known New York fashion photographer in the 1930s and ’40s. More than 50 photos of ranch life during that era will be on display, along with items owned by the Klebergs, in the Russell Hill Rogers Texas Art Gallery at the Robert J. and Helen C. Kleberg South Texas Heritage Center. Admission to the museum, 3801 Broadway, ranges from $7 to $10.

TASTE OF THE HEIGHTS The Sept annual fundraiser, presented by 25 the Alamo Heights Chamber of Commerce, runs from 7 to 10 p.m. at the Witte Museum, 3801 Broadway. Silent auctions for various goods and services will supplement the main entertainment: food from an array of San Antonio restaurants.

Part of the proceeds will benefit the Witte and Morgan’s Wonderland. Advance tickets cost $50, which includes valet parking. They can be purchased through a link at www.tasteoftheheights.com.

VIVA HAVANA Musical Bridges Around the World presents Viva Havana, an evening of Cuban cuisine, salsa, Cuba libres and a special performance. Attire is Cuban chic or cocktail. The proceeds benefit the nonprofit’s outreach program Kids to Concerts. The event, which is at the Tobin Center for the

Sept 26

Performing Arts, 100 Auditorium Circle, starts at 7 p.m. with a cocktail hour and silent auction, performance and dinner at 8 p.m., and dessert, coffee and Latin dancing at 9 p.m. A VIP reception is 6 p.m. Admission is $250 per person, and sponsorships are available. For more, visit www.musicalbridges.org or call 464-1534.

LANDA NIGHTS The gardens around the Landa Branch Library are the setting for this annual event raising funds to maintain the lovely site. The party, which runs from 6:30 to 10:30 p.m., will feature dancing and a raffle. Dinner will be provided by The Monterey, with some all-star support: chef Andrew Weissman, Biga on the Banks and Bakery Lorraine, plus noted bartender Jeret Pena. Individual tickets cost $100, and raffle tickets are $100; tables for eight can be reserved starting at $1,250. Tickets are available through a link at landagardens.org/blog/. Landa Library and Gardens are at 233 Bushnell Ave.

Sept 26

“FANTASTIC MR. FOX” Opera San Antonio helps open the Tobin Center’s Carlos Alvarez Studio with this much-loved, family-

sept 23, 26-28

Happening continues on pg. 08

Making women feel beautiful inside and out

Benefi ting the United Way of Comal County

GRUENEMUSICANDWINEFEST.COM

Talk to your neighbors, then talk to me.

Jacqui Lugar, Agent

1248 Austin Highway #202 San Antonio, TX 78209 Bus: 210-822-2121 jlugar.com

1001174.1

See why State Farm® insures more drivers than GEICO and Progressive combined. Great service, plus discounts of up to 40 percent.* Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.® CALL FOR QUOTE 24/7.

*Discounts vary by states. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company State Farm Indemnity Company, Bloomington, IL

Elaine Turner Alamo Heights 5922 Broadway | San Antonio, TX 78209 | 210.829.0052 | ElaineTurner.com Enjoy 20% off your next purchase when you present this ad in store.

8

AnnitA’s CPs EnErgy AC rEbAtE wAs A Cool $1,120.

MAkE thAt vEry Cool.

september 2014

HAPPENING continues from pg. 07

addresses in the tour will be available at www.watersaverlandscapetour.org.

friendly comic opera by Roald Dahl.

The Children’s Chorus of San Antonio will perform between acts. Shows are at 7:30 p.m. except for Sept. 28, when the curtain goes up at 2 p.m. For ticket information and purchases, call 223-8624 or go to www.tobi.tobincenter.org.

NATIONAL NIGHT OUT The annual event held to prevent crime and get neighbors acquainted with each other returns to San Antonio communities.

For details, important dates, registration and more, visit http://www.sanantonio. gov/SAPD/NationalNightOut.aspx or check with local police departments.

oct 7

HISTORIC HOMEOWNER FAIR Information, products and services related to caring for all types of older homes will be available at this annual event presented by the city’s Office of Historic Preservation. Demonstrations and educational sessions will be offered, and an assortment of exhibitors will be available to answer questions as well as information about their products and services. The fair runs from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Full Goods Building at the Pearl, 200 E. Grayson St. There’s no admission cost.

sept 27

TUESDAY MUSICAL CLUB The venerable club begins the 92nd season of its Artist Series with a performance by the ETA3 Trio on flute, clarinet and piano. On Nov. 11, it’s organist Christopher Houlihan; on Jan. 27, pianist Simone Dinnerstein; and on March 3, soprano Ava Pine. Three of the concerts are at 2 p.m. at Laurel Heights United Methodist Church, 227 W. Woodlawn Ave. Houlihan’s performance will be at 7:30 p.m. at Trinity University’s Margarite B. Parker Chapel. Tickets are $75 for the season or $25 for individual concerts; they’re available through a link on the website, www.satmc. org, or, for single tickets, at the door.

oct 14

RACE FOR THE RESCUES This 5K run/walk benefits Snipsa – the Spay Neuter Inject Project of San Antonio – which provides spay/ neuter services and specialized medical care to rescued animals. You can participate with your dog, too. The race starts at the Alamo Heights swimming pool, 250 Viesca St. Individual competitive runners step off at 8 a.m.; runners and walkers with dogs set out two minutes later. Registration fees range from $15 to $30 (until race day, when it rises to $35). For more, go to www.snipsa.org and click on the race item to access a registration form.

sept 27

Start saving with Rebates from CPS Energy.

Annita received a big rebate for replacing two AC units.

Get your energy reducing, money saving rebate today at cpsenergysavers.com.

cpsenergysavers.com

SAN ANTONIO CHAMBER MUSIC SOCIETY The 72nd season of performances presented by this San Antonio institution opens with the Jerusalem Quartet. The rest of the season features Quartetto di Cremona, Nov. 16; New York Woodwind Quintet, Jan. 25; St. Lawrence String Quartet, Feb. 22; and Elias Quartet, March 29. Performances are at 3:15 p.m. at Temple Beth-El, 211 Belknap Place. Single tickets are $25; season tickets also are available. Both can be purchased at www.sacms.org, and individual tickets are sold at the door.

oct 19

WATERSAVER LANDSCAPE TOUR This annual tour focuses on landscapes that use water wisely but also feature smart, color-filled design and minimal maintenance. There will be several representative landscapes in one neighborhood, plus a variety of distinctive yards in other parts of town.

The tour runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.; there’s no admission cost. A list of the

oct 4

Submitting events: Email all

the details along with your contact information two months in advance to tips@salocallowdown.com.

Life’s Too Short...To Clean Your Own Home!

Satisfaction Guaranteed Dependable Service Bonded & Insured Locally Owned

50 OFF

$ To Schedule an In-Home Estimate Call

210-366-0659 SanAntonioNorth.TheCleaningAuthority.com 14-CPS-0472 ES Ad_Local Community News_V2.indd 1

6/20/14 11:22 AM

25 OFF YOUR FIRST TWO CLEANS

$

Offer good for weekly, bi-weekly and monthly service only.

Offer valid once per household. Please present coupon at in-home estimate. Cannot be combined with any other offer.

9

salocallowdown.com

40 Conquering Cancer Years of

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

Open and Opening Soon

Address of local business Name of local business

1. GRAYSON ST. EATERY, 521 E. Grayson St., is now open for lunch and dinner.

Converted from a 1940s-era duplex used by military families into a Texas bistro, the restaurant, located not far from the former Pearl Brewery, features Southwestern-themed plates and “comfort food,” the owners said.

The restaurant accommodates gluten-free and other special diets. Hours are lunch 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Saturday and dinner 5 to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.

For more, call 437-0138 or visit www. graysoneatery.com. (See story on page 24)

52 4 7 6 1

2. LA FONDA ALAMO HEIGHTS, 8633

Crownhill Blvd., rises again in this latest incarnation of the Tex-Mex restaurant.

The original opened in 1958 in the Stewart Center in Alamo Heights, then moved to the Sunset Ridge shopping center before closing March 31. Resurrected by the Hasslocher family, owners of Frontier Enterprises

3

LOWDOWN continues on pg. 10

You’re Invited to the 2014 September Soiree Fundraiser An Evening of Fine Art and Elegant Jazz

benefiting the Connections community outreach programs and the new Linda and Sid Williams III Aquatic Center

Thursday, September 18 7:00 ~ 10:00 p.m.

CHRISTUS Heritage Hall 4707 Broadway San Antonio, Tx

Join The Village at Incarnate Word

Enjoy an evening of fabulous music, cocktails, heavy hors d’oeuvres, a silent auction with a large selection of fine art. Listen to the elegant sounds of upright bass and piano provided by the dynamic father and son duo George and Aaron Ellington Prado.

Tickets cost $50 or two for $90. Business Attire For information or tickets, contact Roland Mazuca at roland.mazuca@iwretire.org, 210.829.7561, ext. 150 License #’s 000777 (AL-A), 101505 (AL-B), 100473 (ALZ), 011872 (HCSSA)

THE Answer for Cancer The Cancer Therapy & Research Center lives right here in San Antonio. For four decades our team of experts has pursued one mission – conquering cancer.

CTRC has a world-class team of physicians focused on helping you and your loved ones find their answer for cancer.

CTRC’s oncologists, surgeons, radiologists and many others work in collaboration to review each diagnosis and make decisions as a team - for every patient.

If you or a loved one is facing cancer, let CTRC be the answer.

Call (210) 450-1000 www.CTRC.net

10

september 2014

LOWDOWN continues from pg. 09 (which includes Jim’s Restaurants), the new version occupies the former Raffles.

Longtime bartender Juan Romero and manager Bill Sheridan have come back, and no major changes are planned for the menu, the management said. Hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. For more, call 824-4231 or visit http://www.lafondaalamoheights. com/. (See story on page 25)

3. MANA HOUSE, 1160 E. Commerce St., Suite 100, is a new art gallery debuting in Sunset Station just east of downtown.

According to a release, “mana” is a Hawaiian word suggesting “a life energy that flows through all things, empowering an individual and thus the community at large.” In addition to art exhibitions, the gallery offers yoga, wellness workshops, story times and music. Hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, but vary on the weekends because of special events. For more, call 518-321-3906, visit www.findyourmana. com or go to https://www.facebook.com/ findyourmana. (See story on page 22) 4. KOKO FITCLUB ALAMO HEIGHTS, 999 E. Basse Road, Suite 184, recently opened

its doors in The Shops at Lincoln Heights.

Trainers say the digital gym is “the first health club that uses technology to bring strength training, cardio exercise and nutrition planning together in one place.” According to a blurb on the Facebook page, “Koko’s cardio and strength machines know your body and guide you more skillfully than a human personal trainer.” The center is open 24 hours for members. There is staff on hand to help with workouts and assist guests from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday and Saturday. For more, call 776-7773 or visit http://alamoheights. kokofitclub.com/. (See story on page 23)

5. MISSION ORTHODONTICS, 156 W.

Sunset Road, Suite 100, is now open and offers “friendly and relaxed orthodontic care that will put you at ease while delivering the highest level of professional work possible… (to) achieve and maintain a healthy, aesthetic smile.” A complimentary consultation for Invisalign or other braces is also available.

Hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more, call 822-7797, check out www.missionorthodontics.com or visit www.facebook.com/missionorthodontics.

6. SHE BUYS HOUSES CASH, 4801 Broadway, is a woman-run real estate investment firm located in Alamo Heights

that pays cash for houses and offers a fast closing without Realtor commissions, selling fees or hassles, according to owner Kim Joppie. “We buy property ‘as-is,’ so no clean-out is required. The people we typically help are those with distressed property they want to get rid of fast, tired landlords, folks being relocated (especially military families), those going through divorce, foreclosure or who have inherited a home,” she said. She Buys Houses Cash can make a cash offer on a house within 24 hours and can close in seven days, Joppie says. Hours are by appointment.

For more, call 254-4790, visit http://www. shebuyshousescash.com/ or go to https:// www.facebook.com/shebuyshousescash.

7. MENCHIE’S FROZEN YOGURTS,

999 E. Basse Road, Suite 177, plans an October grand opening in The Shops at Lincoln Heights. The store’s mission statement is, “We make you smile,” and it offers frozen yogurt in more than 100 flavors and 70 fresh toppings.

Hours are 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday. For more, visit http://www. menchies.com/ or https://www.facebook. com/menchiestheshopsatlincolnheights.

IN OTHER NEWS

RECEIVE ONLY ONE STATEMENT for all their taxes this year, which will be mailed out by the Bexar County Tax Assessors Office. According to a newsletter, Alamo Heights asked Bexar County to collect the city’s property taxes to save money and create convenience. The county already contracts with the Alamo Heights school district to do the same thing, city officials said. Advantages to the new system, according to officials, include a single check for all taxes; paying by mail, telephone, online and using a debit or a credit card; online tax information for residents and title companies; and the availability of online or e-statements. Residents can visit http:// home.bexar.org/tax/ starting Oct. 1 for more information. Questions also can be directed to Cynthia Barr, the city’s finance director, at 882-1502 or email cbarr@alamoheightstx.gov.

OFFICIALS UNVEILED SWEEPING CHANGES TO ALAMO STADIUM, 110 Tuleta Drive, during a rededication of the 74-year-old facility on Aug. 16. The stadium and the adjacent Convocation Center, which reopened in January, received $35 million as part of a San Antonio Independent School District bond issue in 2010 to fund the renovations.

Overall work included the restrooms, locker rooms, concession areas, press box,

RESIDENTS IN ALAMO HEIGHTS WILL

LOWDOWN continues on pg. 11

0_12722 9.75x5.7 4c

PROMOTION DETAILS Eligible customers receive interest rate discounts from 0.25% to 1.00% on select new loans and lines of credit WHATEVER YOUR GREAT EVENT NOW’S THE TIME TO MAKE IT HAPPEN

Auto Loans | Home Equity Loans & Lines of Credit | Personal Loans & Lines of Credit Private Student Loans | Small Business Loans & Lines of Credit

Interest rate discount will be applied automatically Promotion ends September 30, 2014

For more information, stop by Wells Fargo, call 1-866-578-5671, or visit wellsfargo.com/greatrate

For a limited time, get a special interest rate discount from 0.25% to 1.00% on select new loans or lines of credit Your life is filled with great events. This summer, Wells Fargo is helping make those events even better. We’re rewarding qualified customers with a special interest rate discount on select new loans and lines of credit. You could use it to tackle major home renovations, consolidate your debt, pay for college expenses or even grow your business. Hurry in and let us help you create your own great event today.

The Great Rate Event promotion provides special interest rate discounts for select products on new credit applications submitted July 1, 2014 through September 30, 2014 with a qualifying Wells Fargo consumer or business relationship. Additional restrictions, limitations and exclusions may apply; please contact a Wells Fargo banker for further details. This promotion may be modified or withdrawn at any time without notice and may not be transferable. Terms and conditions of accounts, products, programs and services are subject to change. All applications are subject to approval. Auto loans for vehicle purchase originated at dealerships do not qualify for relationship discount.

Deposit products offered by Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. Member FDIC. © 2014 Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. All rights reserved. NMLSR ID 399801 Printed materials expire September 30, 2014. (1203700_12722)

11

salocallowdown.com LOWDOWN continues from pg. 10 play areas, seating, storage, sports lighting, sound systems and security, infrastructure (electrical and plumbing), storm drains, sidewalks, parking, stone wall, lighting, landscaping and irrigation, and Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant access, including an elevator to accommodate wheelchair use. Officials said the turf for the first time has been striped for soccer games, and a digital scoreboard similar to those at Division I universities has been added.

TERRELL HILLS FIREFIGHTERS HAVE A NEW FIRE ENGINE that debuted during the annual Fourth of July Parade. The vehicle, manufactured by the Sutphen Corp., replaces a Pearce Ford fire engine the city relied upon for 23 years. “The new apparatus brings with it enhanced firefighting capabilities as well as numerous new safety features to protect our firefighters,” according to a statement from the city.

THREE NEW FIREFIGHTERS/PARAMEDICS have joined the Alamo Heights Fire Department: Nicholas Metcalf, Samuel Wieland and Christopher Thompson.

OLMOS PARK RESIDENTS ARE BEING LAUDED for coordinating tree-trimming

projects with the Public Works Department to keep low-hanging boughs from being a hazard to traffic and utility crews. Residents who want to know if their tree limbs need to be cut back can call the city at 824-3281.

SEVERAL ALAMO HEIGHTS CITY EMPLOYEES received honors during the recent Texas City Management Association convention in Galveston. City Manager Mark Browne was recognized as the outgoing TCMA Region 8 board representative; Information Services Manager Marian Vargas received the Barney L. Knight Texas Certified Public Manager Scholarship; and Community Development Services Interim Director David Harris was recognized as the outgoing TCMA board vice president.

TRINITY PROFESSOR DAVID H. HOUGH RECEIVED THE ASTRONOMICAL LEAGUE AWARD during a recent national convention in San Antonio. The award recognizes his contributions to the field, including a 33-year study of a quasar in the constellation of Cancer, also known as the Crab. According to a Trinity spokeswoman, “Hough is a longtime mentor to the League’s National Young Astronomer program and has judged research papers and projects of high school students while also sharing a love for astronomy with amateurs.”

Committed to Health.

Committed to Smiles.

Committed to Community.

Committed to...You.

LOCAL Live Music

9/17 Overkill, Evil United, Aggravator, Metalriser, 7 p.m. Backstage Live, $21

KEY:

9/18 That’s My Kind of Night: Luke Bryan, 7:30 p.m., AT&T Center, $40/$75

AT&T Center, 1 AT&T Center Parkway, (855) 286-2721

9/19 Demi Lovato, MKTO, 7:30 p.m., AT&T Center, $51.63/$83.69

Aztec Theatre, 201 E. Commerce St., Suite 300, 481-1200

9/20 Limp Bizkit, Machine Gun Kelly, 6:30 p.m., Aztec Theatre, $35/$50

Backstage Live, 1305 E. Houston St., 689-2856 Majestic Theatre, 224 E. Houston St., 226-5700

9/21 Tamela Mann, 6 p.m., Tobin Center, $25/$65

The Korova, 107 E. Martin St., 995-7229

9/23 Present Past Future Tour: We Came As Romans, For Today, The Color Morale, Palisades, 6 p.m., White Rabbit, $17

Tobin Center, 100 Auditorium Circle, 223-8624

9/25 Caroline Rose, 8 p.m., Sam’s Burger Joint, $7

White Rabbit, 2410 N. St. Mary’s St., 737-2221

9/26 The Aquabats, Emily’s Army, 6 p.m., The Korova, $18

Sam’s Burger Joint, 330 E. Grayson St., 223-2830

9/6 Siempre San Antonio: Nina Diaz, Lonely Horse, David Garza, 7 p.m., Tobin Center, free 9/10 Vikki Carr with Mariachi Cobre, 7:30 p.m, Tobin Center, $29.50/$79.50 9/11 Lisa Morales, 8 p.m., Sam’s Burger Joint, $12 9/12 Blues and Brews: Jimmie Vaughan, 7 p.m., Aztec Theatre, $17/$40 9/13 Soul Track Mind, 8 p.m., Sam’s Burger Joint, $12 9/16 Prong, 7 p.m., Backstage Live, $11

9/27 The Everlasting Tour: Martina McBride, 8 p.m., Majestic Theatre, $39.50/$79.50 9/28 Marc Anthony, 7 p.m., AT&T Center, $62.12/$201.58 9/30 The Corazon Tour: Santana, 7:30 p.m., Tobin Center, $59.50/$430 10/2 Juanes, 7:30 p.m., Tobin Center, $44.50/$98.50 10/3 Del Castillo, 8 p.m., Sam’s Burger Joint, $15 10/5 Broken Bells, 7 p.m., Aztec Theatre, $36 10/6 Zoe, 7 p.m., Aztec Theatre, $32/$52

6th Annual Weston Wright “Lighting the Way” 5K/10K Run/Walk Special relay races for 5 to 10 year olds ING

BENEFIT

Blind Children’s Programs

Saturday, September 27, 2014 Wheatley Heights Sports Complex 200 Noblewood Drive

TING PRESEN OR SPONS

Chipped timed race managed by Irun

For more info or to register now

www.salighthouse.org/events (210) 531-1533 nlipton@salighthouse.org

I n - H o m e C a re S e r v i c e s Providing innovative orthodontic care in a fun, relaxing environment, right here in your own backyard: Alamo Heights, Terrell Hills, Olmos Park, Northwood and Oak Park

Bartholomew T. Wilson, D.M.D. Diplomate, American Board of Orthodontics 156 West Sunset Road San Antonio, TX 78209 www.missionorthodontics.com

210-822-7797

/missionorthodontics

COMPLIMENTARY CONSULTATION

Including Pictures and X-rays Ask about our

Back To School Specials

At Comfort Keepers, we provide in-home care that helps seniors and others live safe, happy, and independent lives in the comfort of their own homes.

Companion Care Light Housekeeping Personal Care In-Home Safety Solutions

Most offices independently owned and operated.

comfortkeepers.com

210.399.0202

12

september 2014

Local Society

NEIMAN MARCUS FALL FASHION SHOW

SAMA HAPPY HOUR

COCKTAIL & CULTURE AT THE WITTE MUSEUM

Feeling like a youngster again

by CAROLE MILLER

T

hey say it’s never too late to have a happy childhood.

Kyle Sharp (left), Elijah Zane, Tara D. Richardson, Chris Labrie and Whitney Owens Evie Reichel (left), Tony Harris and Michelle Robertson

“Cocktails and Culture” at the Witte Museum made everyone feel like a kid again, living out the childhood fantasy of wandering through the museum in darkness with only a flashlight (and not getting in any trouble).

They even added some enticing adult touches such as a glass of wine and fancy hors d’oeuvres.

The childlike mayhem continued at the San Antonio Museum of Art for Second Friday Happy Hour where anyone left in town on Friday evening gathered at the sculpture garden to play with friends, enjoy snacks and cold beverages, listen to live music, stroll among the priceless art and generally feel happy to be alive.

And Barbie herself would turn green with envy (the new go-to color, by the

Mel Laracey (left) and Gretchen Rose

Hayley and Bill Cleary (left), Lonnie Koehl, Nick Schott, Jan and Briar Koehl Margie Baire (left), Anne Campbell, Caroline and Josie Decherd

way) at the Neiman Marcus Fall Fashion Show. “Must haves” for fall also include gray as the new black, knits, trousers, the clutch and statement necklaces.

Just like a good wrinkle cream (or a plutonium-powered DeLorean), a great party turns back the hands of time.

Jennifer and Bob Shemwell (left), Neal Dalrymple, Karen Diaz, Monika Dalrymple and John Wald

Katye Brought (left), Speedy and Anthony Perez

Kelley Martin KelleyHomeSales.com

In The Heart of King William

210.887.9392

Facials • Microdermabrasion Micro-current • Peels • Waxing Airbrush Tanning • Nails • Massage •

•

AVAILABLE!

•

PAMPER Your Face & Feet From The Heat!

210 HALCYON PLACE

• 4 Bedrooms & 2.5 Baths • In the Heart of Alamo Heights Sunroom • Study • Gameroom • Detached Garage in Back • Full Apartment Over Garage • Move-In Ready!

60

$

Signature Facial & Essential Pedicure

(Reg. $100)

First Friday Special $

(Offer good until 09/15/14 only) •

Microderm & Mani

65

(Reg. $110)

210-444-0234 724 S Alamo St Unit 1

w w w. you re i nv ite ds a . c om

Mon-Fri 10AM-7PM

Sat 10AM -5PM

For online booking visit www.vagaro.com/dermalilyskincare www.facebook.com/dermalilyskincare

www.dermalily.com

salocallowdown.com AHISD continues from pg. 01

Superintendent: Process confused some parents

by RON AARON EISENBERG

A

LAMO HEIGHTS — Though the fuss doesn’t compare to the troubled rollout of Obamacare, Alamo Heights Independent School District officials promise that online registration will go smoother next time after some parents complained about the new process.

Though several parents said the district’s first-time requirement to enroll kids online left them frustrated, school officials countered that most of AHISD's 4,750 pupils were registered by Aug. 25.

“We knew there would be problems and we found some as our parents began to register their children,” said Superintendent Kevin Brown. “Some had difficulty scanning their proof of district residency documents into the system.

Others were confused by the way some of

13 the registration questions were worded.”

Brown pledged those issues will be fixed when students register for the 2015-16 academic year.

Maritza Weiss, who has four children enrolled in the district, said it took her several tries to get one of her youngsters registered.

“For some reason she wasn’t in the system,” Weiss said.

In the end, she took the advice school administrators had sent parents about the new registration system: “If you are having problems, go to your school and office staff will gladly help you complete the registration.” Which they did in her case.

One parent of a senior, who asked that her name not be used, was not happy.

She said, “It took me three days to get my daughter registered. And that made no sense to me. We’ve been in the district since kindergarten and I never had a problem registering her before.”

Other parents complained they did not receive notice of the new system until a couple of weeks before the start of school, adding that it took several tries to get their children enrolled.

But overall, Brown said, registration proceeded with few major problems.

He said the district adopted the

AHISD continues on pg. 14

14

Changing Lives One Smile At A Time!

Bernard Rust, DDS, MAGD

45.00 New Patient Special

$

· Cosmetic Dentistry

Offer includes comprehensive examination, oral cancer screening, x-rays, intra-oral diagnostic ($141.00 value)

· Invisalign® · Sedation Dentistry · Cleanings · Non-Surgical Gum Treatment · Crown & Bridge · Implant Placement & Restoration · Full Mouth Rehabilitation

90.00 New Patient Special

$

Offer includes comprehensive examination, oral cancer screening, x-rays, intra-oral diagnostic photos, routine cleaning and consultation. ($325.00 value) Only new dental patients are eligible for these offers. Coupons can only be used for non-insured procedures due to insurance regulations. Coupons have no cash value and must be used at time of service only.

A dental practice devoted to RESTORING and ENHANCING the natural beauty of your smile.

www.bernardrust.com

Call Today To Schedule Your Appointment

(210) 499-4746

13341 San Pedro Ave. at Bitters, San Antonio, TX 78216

AHISD continues from pg. 13 new computerized system in response to numerous requests from parents to streamline registration.

“Many parents told us they were tired of filling out the same forms year after year, and they asked us to consider a computerbased registration system,” Brown said.

The district selected eSchoolPLUS, which also manages student registration for a number of other schools in Texas.

Brown said the district began sending notices about the new system to parents last May. There also were weekly notices.

Even the Alamo Heights Parent Teacher Student Organization sent emails to parents with a tongue-in-cheek reminder: “If you don’t get these forms submitted electronically or send hard copies with your student on Prep Day, the admin staff will hunt you down. We’re not kidding. They’ll be calling you. Your student will be calling you.

You’ll get a bunch of text messages from your student all in lower case and no punctuation with an accusatory tone. It’ll be awful and your kid will be frustrated and you’ll be frustrated and it will make for a terrible day.”

But the note also added a ray of hope: “Don’t wait! If you still have trouble, you can stop by the school office and pick up the forms that you need. The

september 2014 office staff is happy to help you.”

The flurry of emails from the district and the PTSO resulted in a flood of parents trying to log on to the system with a predictable result – it bogged down, officials said.

In fact, the district posted a notice on the registration website telling parents: “Online registration is periodically running very slowly due to a problem with the vendor’s system. If you are experiencing difficulty, please try later. Thank you for your patience.”

However, other parents reported few if any problems with the computerized registration.

“Personally, it was pretty simple for me. This sure beats filling out those forms by hand year after year,” said Debi Flume, whose son Ray attends Alamo Heights Junior School and whose daughter Faith is a freshman at Alamo Heights High School.

The best part?

“When you open your account, all your info is there,” she said.

Brown said some parents had difficulty signing into the system because they did not have their home-access password.

But the password is easily recovered through a prompt on the sign-in page, which helps people who may have forgotten their password or user name, the superintendent said.

Once parents got that straightened out, registration went smoothly, Brown added.

15

salocallowdown.com

Leg & Foot Pain?

Neuropathy? No Hope?

NEW PLANS continues from pg. 01

Developers want to make project acceptable to community

Site of potential project at Ellwood Ave. & Austin Highway.

by bain serna

· Facials & Peels · Waxing Services · Manicures & Pedicures · Organic Products Available

A

LAMO HEIGHTS — Now that the controversy over an aborted retail-andresidential complex is months in the past, new plans to develop a 1.7-acre parcel in the heart of the city could be revealed soon, officials said.

The site is at Ellwood Avenue and Austin Highway, where last year a major apartment and retail complex was planned until the developers pulled out after a public outcry.

But Richard Peacock Jr., speaking on behalf of Broadway Ellwood Co. — the group that owns the parcel — said new plans for the site could be unveiled as soon as this fall.

“We are beginning to narrow down the proposed uses for our site to those that we feel meet (our) criteria, with the intention of presenting something to the community in the early fall,” Peacock said in an email.

The strip of land includes an old apartment building and three vacant homes.

“The owners have received a permit for demolition of the property,” said City Manager Mark Browne. “I do not know when they plan to demolish.

That is all we have at this point.”

Peacock said the existing properties could be razed or sold in September.

“In the meantime, we also continue to work to demolish the existing apartment structures and hopefully donate or sell the existing homes — a process we anticipate completing by the end of September,” Peacock said. “We remain optimistic that we will be able to present a redevelopment proposal that will be enthusiastically received by the community in which we all live.”

More than a year ago, a vision for the site included the construction of the ambitious Alamo Heights Gateway project.

Alamo Manhattan, a Dallas-based development company, had planned to build the six-story, 220-unit luxury apartment complex on that the property — close to Broadway and Austin Highway — at an estimated cost of $30 million.

Many residents objected to the size of the complex, while others claimed it would give the city an economic shot in the arm by attracting more retail outlets to Alamo Heights.

But as the objections mounted, the

Established Alamo Heights and Accredited Aestheticians, Odilia Escobar and Alicia Gondeck, welcome you to Vitality Skin & Nail Studio.

Expert treatment combined with warm hospitality and individual attention.

Vitality only offers the best treatments and products in a clean, tranquil environment.

firm later terminated its contract with Broadway Ellwood Co. after the City Council voted to limit and scale down the apartment complex to four stories and 120 units, according to officials.

“We did come up with (a specialuse permit) that we thought would be tolerable to the city, but in the end it was not suited for them (Alamo Manhattan), so they declined to take what we wanted and they canceled their contract,” said Mayor Louis Cooper.

He recalled how much the issue, one of the most controversial in decades for Alamo Heights, divided the community.

“It was really split,” Cooper said. “There were a lot of people who really encouraged the new development there. They weren’t really specific whether it was apartments or retail or if it was offices. They just wanted to see something happen. And then there was another group of people who really didn’t want to see anything happen, so it was split between those two groups.”

Officials with Broadway Ellwood Co. have publicly released updates over the course of the year. They are reassessing their options and are in discussions with various stakeholders as to the best way to move forward, according to property co-owner Peacock.

He said the owners of the property want to see it redeveloped into something special that is worthy of the Alamo Heights community, containing the key elements of quality architecture, a use that is beneficial to Alamo Heights, and one that also has economic viability.

“Since terminating our contract of sale with the previous purchaser/ developer this past spring, we have received numerous inquiries from parties interested in our site,” Peacock said in the email. “We have taken the necessary time over the summer to carefully evaluate not only the various proposed uses, but also the entities behind each proposal.

“As we have vetted the various proposals, we have to do so in light of our determination to see that any redevelopment meets our three previously stated objectives,” he added.

HOPE IS HERE!

Neuropathy Treatment Center at Adkins Family Chiropractic Dr. Mary Adkins

Serving San Antonio Since 1994

• Back & Neck Pain • Headaches

• Sports Injuries • Knee Pain

Fresh for Fall!

20% OFF ANY SERVICE

With This Offer. Not to combined with any other offer or special sale. Expires October 1st 2014

5800 Broadway Suite 105

COMPLEMENTARY CONSULTATION Start Feeling Better Today!

8808 Tradeway San Antonio, TX 78217

210.826.4886

210-930-6937

www.vitalitystudiosa.com

Go Baby Go

MONEY

Cloth Diapers · Baby Carriers Lactation · Teething · Gifts

6104 Broadway 210-320-1404 www.gobabygoshop.com gobabygoshop

IS

HIRING IN

Present this ad for 15% OFF!

ALAMO HEIGHTS

Limit one per visit per person.

COMPETITIVE, EXCITING & FUN CULTURE

Salary Plus Commission • Benefits • Opportunity for Growth

•

SEND YOUR RESUME TO:

Jaselle Luna - Advertising Director jluna@salocallowdown.com or call: 210-338-8842

16

september 2014

PHARMACY continues from pg. 01

Zoning changes, request for a drivethru on the table CVS Pharmacy is looking at an admissions building owned by the University of the Incarnate Word as a site for a new store. Photo by Rudy B. Ornelas

by bain serna

A

LAMO HEIGHTS — Plans for a new CVS retailpharmacy store are moving ahead, but the proposed building will have to reflect the city’s architecture and a request for a drive-thru is still up in the air.

The pharmacy would be built on land owned by the University of the Incarnate Word at the site of the Kathleen Martin Enrollment Center, an admissions building at 4600 Broadway.

However, a provision in the city code from 2010 disallows any new drive-thrus in Alamo Heights, which means the developers would have to apply for a special-use permit, followed by City Council approval.

“Right now there is an interest in the applicant to have a drive-thru,” said David Harris, interim director of the Community

We wanted them to look at a different form of architecture that blends in more with Alamo Heights.

BOBBY HASSLOCHER, ALAMO HEIGHTS PLACE 1 COUNCILMAN

Development Services Department. “There may also be an interest with the City Council and (Architectural Review Board) to allow for something like that. The Planning and Zoning Commission even stated that they wanted to allow them the opportunity to

nt er 15 e m ll ctob o r n E ts O n e Op Star

at least allow them to apply for one.”

Meanwhile, contract negotiations are under way for the purchase of the property between CVS representatives and the UIW. Discussions for the past two months involving the council, the ARB, the university and CVS have ranged from the outer aesthetics of the store to where the building will sit on the property.

During the July 28 regular council meeting, city leaders tabled the matter to review the project.

“We had a joint meeting with the ARB which was absolutely wonderful because it allowed the City Council to hear from the ARB and their thoughts on the proposed CVS building,” said Place 1 Councilman Bobby Hasslocher of the Aug. 5 joint session. “We hammered out some issues such as the placement of the building, what we would prefer to see, not what we insist, but what we prefer to see. The typical CVS building, the big block building, we didn’t care much for. We wanted them to look at a different form of architecture that blends in more with Alamo Heights.”

According to Hasslocher, the building shouldn’t resemble a standard CVS pharmacy.

“CVS was very open-minded and wanted to build something to make the Alamo Heights community happy,” said Mayor Louis Cooper. “They wanted to start

somewhere, so they gave a drawing of one of their standard stores. We want to have the ability to build a special or unique type of CVS, but definitely not the ‘cookie-cutter’ one that they submitted to us earlier.”

So far, CVS appears willing to work with the city, officials said.

“They are planning to submit a new proposed store design, a building that is front-loaded and that is flush out against Broadway,” Harris said.

Another issue on the table is a possible zoning change for a rear lot on the property from parking to a B-1 business zone, to make the entire parcel — which contains four small lots — zoned for a business district.

The B-1 designation allows for pharmacies.

“The property they’re looking to purchase is made up of four smaller lots and one of those lots is zoned P for parking,” Harris said. “The rear portion is zoned P and the front (three) parcels are zoned B-1 business district. What they were requesting initially was to have the entire parcel zoned a B-1.

The original submission they gave us proposed a design that would’ve put the building to the back of the property and that wouldn’t be allowable in a P zone, so that was the genesis of the request.”

A decision by the council is pending, officials said.

You don’t need to travel across town to receive quality senior healthcare.

We’re in your neighborhood!

Gordy Hall, MD.

WellMed makes it a point to ensure your doctor’s office visits are as comfortable as possible.

From quiet waiting areas with people your own age to longer appointment times, our doctors and staff are committed to meeting your needs and answering all your questions.

WellMed at Alamo Heights is located at 7407 Broadway, just south of Basse Road.

Join us for our Open House.

Wednesday, September 17th | 2:00PM - 4:00PM To learn more call 210-824-4584.

We accept Original Medicare and select Medicare Advantage Health Plans.

www.WellMedHealthcare.com www.Facebook.com/WellMed

This is an advertisement. A licensed insurance agent will be available to answer questions about certain Medicare Advantage and Part D plans. For accommodations of persons with special needs at sales meetings call 210-824-4584, TTY 711.

AD_SA_340_NAD CO072214

17

salocallowdown.com REOPENED continues from pg. 01

At long last, say merchants, the intersection of East Hildebrand and Broadway is fully open again. Photo by Rudy B. Ornelas

Business owners grateful to persistent customers

by EILEEN PACE

B

usiness owners and Mahncke Park residents are breathing a collective sigh of relief with the reopening of the intersection at Broadway and Hildebrand to two-way traffic after an 18-month construction project.

Though the announcement came July 31, it took another couple of weeks and intermittent lane closures for striping, concrete work and some landscaping before the lanes returned to normal up and down Broadway and along Hildebrand west of Broadway.

For much of the project, only the eastbound lanes of Hildebrand remained opened, which created headaches for motorists trying to reach U.S. 281. They had to take a long detour through Brackenridge Park.

“I’m impressed that they (city crews) were able to get the project finished pretty much on schedule,” said Jon Lindskog, owner of Cheesy Jane’s Burgers, which is located south of the intersection.

The project to improve drainage and traffic flow on one of the near-North Side’s busiest crossroads began early in 2013 with the closure of westbound lanes on Hildebrand from New Braunfels Avenue to the San Antonio River. The city shut down lanes on Broadway for varying periods of time, allowing crews to add stormwater drains under the intersection. Along with the new drainage system, crews installed the necessary utilities beneath the street

REOPENED continues on pg. 18

Advertorial

David G. Shulman M.D., P.A. Fernando Trujillo M.D.

NOW INTRODUCING CATALYS CATARACT LASER We are now offering the CATALYS precision Laser System for our cataract patients. This laser pretreats the cataract for easier removal .

1. The CATALYS Laser portion of the treatment usually takes a few minutes.

2. You can expect little or no discomfort during the laser portion of the procedure.

3. Most people resume normal activity the next day.

4. Your sight may continue to improve for several days or weeks after surgery.

Please call to schedule a consultation for Cataract Surgery, with use of the CATALYS Laser.

210.821.6901 999 E. Basse Rd., Ste. 127 Located in The Shops @ Lincoln Heights

w w w. eye s h u l m a n . c o m

THE TEX HILL

SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS October 1, 2014–January 6, 2015

San Antonio Academy proudly announces the Tex Hill Scholarship Program which provides tuition, fees, textbooks and uniforms to two fifth grade boys who will attend San Antonio Academy during their 6th, 7th and 8th grade years.

Visit sa-academy.org OR call 210.733.7331 for details.

Rest, recover & repair your muscle tissue with Ashiatsu.

Deeper Than Deep Tissue Massage Creates a positive structural change in chronic soft tissue damage

of all race, color, and national or ethnic origin. Accredited by the Independent Schools Association of the Southwest. Member of the National Association of Independent Schools

117 E. French Place 210.733.7331

BE HONEST. BE KIND. BE THE BEST YOU CAN BE.®

Increasing your home’s value is easier than you might think. Follow these time-tested tips from your real estate experts and realize the gains when you go to sell.

Budget and the Remodel When thinking of remodeling, keep the changes in line with either the characteristics of the original property or bring in a new style completely, but plan and budget ahead of time with your contractor.

Regular Maintenance The wheels come off the wagon for many property owners by not recognizing early enough that the paint around the door jams is peeling or the roof is in need of some attention. A lot of money can be saved by not letting minor issues turn into big ticket items.

Street Impressions Also known as “Curb Appeal.” Many property owners only spruce up when putting their property on the market; however, many buyers are now looking at homes through such sites as Google Earth, and we can only guess when that picture was taken. Today matters just as much as tomorrow when it comes to buyers’ eyes.

As always, the Kitchens and Baths For the past 50 years and for the next 50 years, the kitchens and baths will be the two most important areas for buyers inside your home. When sprucing up and renovating, pay special attention to these areas.

Lighting and Mood Whether you’re considering selling your home, or you’re just looking to create a feelgood environment for you and your family, changing out harsh overhead lighting with softer light sources from different areas throughout a room can make a huge difference in your home. Use corner lamps, upward floor lighting and indirect lighting from behind furniture to set the mood.

For more ideas, or to get a free home selling consultation, contact Gina Candelario or Michael Berger, licensed real estate agents with Kuper Sotheby’s International Realty :

210.744.8265

San Antonio Academy admits students

San Antonio 78212

5 Tips to Increase Your Home’s Value

1864 Nacogdoches San Antonio, TX 78209

210.560.1992 HeelingSole.com ME#2832

18

Parrish: Structured for Builders.

Designed for Homeowners.

REOPENED continues from pg. 17

Simplifying the process for builders:  Inside/outside sales team to assist builders  Field service reps for on-site job checks  Division managers dedicated to quality control  Knowledgeable, professional installation crews  A one-stop source for builders since 1972

Enhancing the experience for homeowners:  Interactive showrooms for client convenience  Products for every style and price point  The latest, most innovative selections  3-D renderings and up-to-date displays  Family operated to ensure satisfaction

830-980-9595 26995 Hwy 281 N

210-255-1125 2500 N. Main Avenue

Appliances | BBQ Grills | Cabinetry | Countertops Fireplaces | Garage Doors | Outdoor Kitchens | Windows

Appliances | Countertops Merillat Cabinetry | Woodmont Cabinetry

parrishandcompany.com

– gas, water, sewer, cable and power.

Melissa Sparks, a spokeswoman for the city’s Capital Improvements Management Services, said the project finished on time.

“If a project goes over schedule, each contract is typically written with a section that allows us to charge ... damages each day that it goes over. Thankfully, that wasn’t an issue here,” Sparks said.

After the dust settled, new curbs and landscaping had been installed along Broadway, new traffic signals were operational and the much-anticipated drainage system was in place. The system is designed to channel a 100-year storm event.

Lindskog is happy to have that drainage system finished. During past floods, the water has risen to Cheesy Jane’s parking lot.

Though the construction took some time and often meant delays, the rewards are worthwhile for motorists and residents, such as the neighbors in nearby Mahncke Park, city officials said.

“Residents now have a drainage system that can handle a 100-year storm event as well as better traffic flow and a beautified area,” Sparks said. “Now that lanes are open, they’ll benefit from some additional turn lanes in the intersection, bike lanes, sidewalks and even new traffic signals.”

Lindskog said his business has returned to pre-construction levels of two summers ago.

“It happened immediately,” he said. “The street opened on Thursday night and we were immediately busier at Friday lunch the next day.”

Many businesses along Broadway did some hand-wringing over the past 18 months, but things now are looking up.

“Most businesses were very patient and worked with us to ease any constructionrelated issues they faced,” Sparks said WashTub manager Leo Sanchez said the car wash had a lot of faithful customers who kept coming despite the detours.

Subway manager Tricia Mascorro said the construction did have an impact on her sales, but now, business is slowly recovering.

“It’s kind of going slow but it’s getting there,” she said. “It’s not like it was before the construction, but it’s getting there.”

Staff in the AT&T building across Broadway kept coming to dine, but drivers going south on Broadway were reluctant to cross to the other side of the street while it was torn up, Mascorro added.

Now, she is happy with the new street.

“It looks beautiful. They really did a beautiful job,” she said. “The streets are wider.

Lindskog is grateful to the patrons who kept coming to his restaurant.

“I just want to thank our regular customers who came to us during the construction, the ones who found their way to us on the back streets and kept coming all these months,” he said.

19

salocallowdown.com CARD TRICKS continues from pg. 01

Film should be released by fall 2015 by collette orquiz

S

eeing the outcome of a card game is never easy, especially if your vision is nonexistent.

But that hasn’t stopped Richard Turner, 60, a blind man often described as the world’s top card-trick expert whose notable talents will be highlighted in a documentary due out late next year called “Dealt.”

Turner has also gained plenty of young fans while teaching classes for 12 summers at San Antonio Academy in Monte Vista.

“It’s a story that just sounds like fiction but it’s real,” said Luke Korem, director of the upcoming documentary, which includes segments at the academy. “It’s important because Richard is extremely inspiring. You can’t help but be inspired and entertained when you’re around him.”

Turner, born in 1954 or the “year of the full deck” as he calls it (including jokers,

Michaela Vail (left), who has sight limitations, listens to card-trick mechanic Richard Turner (right), who also is blind, during a summer class at San Antonio Academy. Photo by Collette Orquiz

an entire deck has 54 cards), is sometimes billed as a card magician, but he considers himself a card mechanic because of the way he manipulates the outcome of the deck.

Get On The Right Path To Weight Loss

“I could explain what I’m doing, but it’s not how it’s being done, it’s that it’s being done,” Turner said.

This summer was particularly special because Korem and a film crew out of Austin spent time at the academy to capture Turner teaching and joking with his students.

“I thought it was really fun... and I liked learning all the tricks,” said Michaela Vail, 12, from Castle Hills. “I think it’s really good that he does because I feel like he stands for the blind community in general.”

Michaela has been attending Summer at the Academy for the past couple of summers and was invited to be a part of the documentary because of her own sight limitations. She was born with a genetic defect called Leber’s congenital amaurosis. Her father, Neal Vail, said what vision Michaela does have occurs in the periphery, but she can see things up close and very large.

Turner’s classes are two and a half hours long, and his son Asa, 19, has been helping since he was 7. The elder Turner teaches students simple tricks to take home and show their family and friends.

While he’s regaling the kids with anecdotes, the one trick he teaches them is the five-dollar or dozen-cookie trick.

When all is said and done, his young

learners are able to trick a friend or family into handing over money and sweets.

It’s all in good fun, Turner said.

“People enjoy being fooled and people enjoy fooling people, so it works both ways,” he added.

When Turner is not teaching at the academy, he is flying to locations near and far, most of the time with his son and wife, Kim. He is booked for card gigs and motivational speaking events until September 2015.

Turner started learning his craft in 1961 while watching the television show “Maverick,” featuring James Garner as a Wild West poker-playing cardsharp.

At the time, Turner still had his sight.

Because he was the oldest in the family, Turner said he felt like he had to win.

That meant finding ways to make sure he always controlled the outcome of a game.

At 9, Turner and his younger sister contracted scarlet fever. One day they could see the chalkboard at the school and the next day they couldn’t. Turner attributes the disease to his loss of sight, since there is no history of blindness in his family.

Though he is without sight, Turner reports an unusual side effect known as Charles Bonnet Syndrome in which

CARD TRICKS continues on pg. 26

The City of San Antonio Metropolitan Health District and the YMCA of Greater San Antonio have teamed up to

Fight Diabetes!

Whether you are at risk for type 2 diabetes or are currently living with diabetes, we have a FREE program for you!

YMCA Diabetes Prevention Program Health Path features the Ideal Protein weight loss method, a medically supervised, food-based approach to healthier living – no injections or hormones.

Free, No-obligation Preview

Wednesday, September 24, 2014 @ 6:00PM

Call 210-648-2273 To Reserve Your Seat

Helping those at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes adopt and maintain a healthy lifestyle in order to reduce their chances of developing the disease.

For more information call (210) 924-8858

Y Living Program This family-based program empowers the family to obtain total wellness through enriching the Spirit, Mind, and Body. For more information call (210) 924-8858

Diabetes Self-Management Program Through a series of six healthy living workshops, this FREE program empowers individuals to take control of their health and safely manage diabetes.

For more information call (210) 207-8802

Felipe Garcia-Ghinis , MD - Medical Director 2632 Broadway, 301N, San Antonio, TX 78215

www.healthpathsa.com

For more information about these programs please call today or visit us online at: www.DiabetesHelpSA.com

20

september 2014

WEINBERG continues from pg. 01

Curiosity started at very early age by susan yerkes

F

lorence Weinberg is a writer with a mission.

Make that many missions.

The beautiful old Spanish missions of the Southwest, and the stories of the men of faith who established them in the challenging New World, have inspired Weinberg’s historical mystery novels. And the process of writing them has illuminated this Northwood resident’s life in surprising ways.

Since retiring in 1999 from Trinity University, where she chaired the Department of Modern Languages, Weinberg has published 10 impeccably researched novels, most set in the 18thcentury Spanish territories of Texas and New Mexico. “Apache Lance,” “Franciscan Cross” and “Seven Cities of Mud” focus on Franciscan pioneers in San Antonio and New Mexico.

A separate four-book series features Fray

Northwood author Florence Weinberg — showing a whimsical side — is a former Trinity University instructor now working on a novel about the Alamo from a Tejana's perspective. Photo by Josh Huskin

Ygnacio Pfefferkorn, a real-life Germanborn Jesuit missionary working in Sonora, New Mexico, and his return to Europe during the heat of religious struggles in the Catholic church. Her most recent book, “Anselm, a Metamorphosis,” delves into fantasy realms. And now she’s hard at work on a new novel about the Alamo.

IT’S A WONDERFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.

A tall, stately woman with a ready smile and piercing intellect, Weinberg has spent much of her life in scholarly pursuits. Yet the love of nature and wideopen spaces, and a rugged athleticism born in childhood, bring energy and sparkle to her personality and her work.

The only child of two dedicated teachers, Weinberg’s Depression-era youth was full of challenge and adventure. Her father, an engineer who worked on a highway from Chicago to El Paso, met her mother while involved in the project. When the job ended, the pair settled in Alamogordo, New Mexico, where her dad taught high school and her mother was an elementary school teacher. That’s where Weinberg was born in 1933. Her childhood was idyllic, though times were hard.

“I was my father’s ‘gal Friday,’ “ she said.

“I was big and strong, so I helped plant the harvest, build, fence and bale hay.”

By the time she could walk, she was riding horses, and when she wasn’t helping her dad, she was exploring the wilderness on foot or in the saddle. And even as a toddler, she was soaking up all the knowledge her world offered.

“I am fascinated by the way Florence grew up, with such brilliant parents, in such difficult times,” said Linda Shuler, a fellow author and former drama coach who has

become one of Weinberg’s close friends. “I remember her telling me about when she was still almost a baby, sitting on the wooden floor of this tiny country schoolhouse way out West while her mother taught classes.”

With a passion for language and art, and well-read parents, Weinberg was always learning and creating. She wrote and illustrated her first book, “Ywain, King of All Cats,” when she was 3, and started first grade at 4.

Her father enlisted in World War II, and was seriously wounded in the Battle of the Bulge. When he returned home, the family moved to a 360-acre farm by a lake in northern Arkansas.

“There was nothing but an abandoned Civil War cabin and a large barn on the property,” she said. “My father rebuilt the cabin and we lived there without electricity at first, and then we had a six-volt system with a generator he created out of an old washing machine. Even through my high school years we had no telephone.”

As a newcomer to the Ozarks, and a tall, highly educated teenager, Weinberg struggled to make friends in high school, and found the key in basketball, where she also excelled.

Offered a scholarship at Park

WEINBERG continues on pg. 21

4 1 / 7 2 / 9 G N I N GRAND OPE

We’re proud to welcome Beverly Gutierrez, M.D., to the ACMG Downtown Nix family.

At Alamo City Medical Group, everyone on our dedicated care team takes pride in our preventive care approach and works with you to achieve and maintain your best possible health and well-being.

Now accepting new patients, call 210-225-4810 for an appointment. Se habla español.

Welcome To The Right Relationship. www.acmg.com 414 Navarro St. Suite 809 San Antonio

S T H G I E H O M A L FREEDOM! KOKO FITCLUB A IME &

KOUT T R O W R U O Y IM A L REC

TRY US FOR 30 DAYS FOR $30

and are healthy re your kids ra fo su s ke te a u m in m to 5-30 best You do your bout YOU? Taking just 1 , looking and ss ta fit...But wha ortant for managing stre ottom line: a fit B p y. im rg ore ene ave workout is nd having m d happy, fit parents h a t, a re g g n A feelin t. n re The Shops at Lincoln Heights happy pa parent is a kids. r ie h lt a e h tx.alamoheights@kokofitclub.com happier, 210-776-7773 ~ www.kokofitclub.com

21 WEINBERG continues from pg. 20 College (now Park University) in Missouri, she planned to major in art, then focused on languages instead.

While working on her master’s degree at the University of Iowa she met Kurt Weinberg, a professor 20 years her senior.

Despite the age difference, and the fact he was Jewish, while her upbringing was Protestant, it was a match made in heaven. And although her parents first opposed the marriage, they, too, came to love and accept her husband. After the couple’s move to San Antonio, Florence Weinberg’s widowed mom eventually came to live in the Alamo City, too. Weinberg cared for both her husband, who had Parkinson’s disease, and her mother, who suffered a stroke, in their last years.

“Florence’s heart is as big as her mind is brilliant,” Shuler said. “She is as loyal and dedicated to her friends as she was to her family.”

Author Bill Stephens, another of Weinberg’s good friends and a member of her Daedalus Writing Group, agreed.

She can be counted on both as a friend and as a fellow writer, he said.

“Her books are not only suspenseful mysteries, but compelling historical views of the life and times of the period. At her own expense she has spent untold time, effort and money traveling the regions where her books are set, so readers are transported back in history,” he said.

That passion for research brought an unexpected gift to Weinberg’s life.

Her lifelong interest in theology and religious history inspired an interest in the stories of the Spanish missions.

When she adapted the life of Pfefferkorn for a series of novels, she found herself drawn closer to the Catholic church.

“After Kurt died, and my mother was struggling with her illness, I increasingly felt something was missing. I felt the need for a church home. I found myself drawn to the Catholic apostolic church,” she said.

Seeking help from Jesuit scholars to ensure the accuracy of her novels, she was led to Our Lady of Guadalupe, a small, simple church on El Paso Street. She was immediately drawn to the atmosphere there, and to Associate Pastor James Marshall.

“On my second visit, I said ‘Convert me!’” she said. Today she is deeply involved with the church as a Eucharistic minister and lector. It’s just one more fascinating, and unexpected, chapter of her life.

And as for that book on the Alamo?

“It will not be a deification of the TravisBowie-Houston mythology,” Weinberg said. “It will be from a Tejana woman’s point of view, and will deal with the resentment many Tejanos felt of the whites who came in and usurped their lands.”

“The more blowback, the better,” she added with a smile.

Local_7.3x11.5_Sept2014.indd 1

8/12/2014 4:07:13 PM

22

september 2014

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

‘Mana’ means empowerment at Sunset Station gallery by collette orquiz

M

ana is a word for power in Hawaiian, but the founder of Mana House — a new art collaborative in Sunset Station — has taken the translation a step further to mean empowerment.

In what used to be a building to store gunpowder, Mana House is lighting a fuse to illuminate an art gallery, an office, a co-op and a place to hold events.

“It was kind of like the space created the vision, which I think sometimes it’s the opposite. It’s a very unique way of creating a business,” said Emily Reynolds, founder of both Mana House and Defining Delicious, a food and beverage public relations firm.

In the space located at 1160 E. Commerce, Suite 100, Reynolds has built what she calls a “creative nexus.” Mana

House has huge windows that let in light and also has exposed brick walls, instead of the typical white ones seen in mamy galleries.

Reynolds is the brains behind Mana House, which stems from her love of all things Hawaiian and a desire to create a community filled with art, food and ways to make connections. Each month, subjects inspired by artworks will be celebrated, and the artists behind the works will be on hand at the gallery.

Mana House had a soft opening Aug. 1, with artist Jeannette MacDougall exhibiting her collection “A Change of Scenery.” The topic for August was sustainability, and MacDougall’s mixedmedia paintings and photographs depicted landscapes hidden behind layers of paint and textures to represent distressed environments and a call for conservation.

Reynolds described the inaugural opening as a success. Guests enjoyed good conversation, a jazz band and organic, local hors d’oeuvres, she said.

“It’s not just a gallery, in a sense that we just put paintings on the wall and have people walk through. It’s art coming to life,” Reynolds said.

Hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Monday through Friday, with varying times for events.

At the soft opening of Mana House Aug. 1, guest Aimee Avila studies one of the works by featured artist Jeannette MacDougall. Photo by Collette Orquiz

MANA HOUSE 1160 E. COMMERCE ST., SUITE 100 IN SUNSET STATION For more, call 518-321-3906, or check out findyourmana.com or www.facebook.com/findyourmana

Discover your calling.

Earning your MBA from Concordia University Texas is: • Affordable • Flexible • Convenient

concordia.edu/sanantonio

Enrolling Now for January 2015 San Antonio Center 8626 Tesoro Drive, Suite 112 San Antonio, Texas 78217 (210) 253-3254

Are You A Senior Overwhelmed At the Thought Of Moving?

Let Us Help You Make The Transition With Peace Of Mind

WE DO ALL THE WORK FOR YOU

• Plan and facilitate the move • Sort and pack household items • Unpack & organize kitchen, bath, closets, computers & electronics • Arrange furniture, accessories and hang pictures in the new home • Arrange for estate sale and charity donation Contact Barbara for a FREE

in-home consultation.

210.684.8350 www.handlingwithcare.com bplovsky@satx.rr.com

23

salocallowdown.com

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

Koko FitClub steps it up in The Shops at Lincoln Heights by collette orquiz

A

s an English professor and mother of three, finding time to work out between teaching and caring for the children became cumbersome for Leslie Edwards, until she discovered a gym concept that takes the guesswork out of exercising.

Koko FitClub is a digital gym where members plug in their Koko key — a USB drive filled with all of their workout information — and are guided through their exercise by a computerized trainer. Photos by Collette Orquiz

On Aug. 18, Edwards opened Koko FitClub, a digital gym franchise that specializes in personal training by computer at 999 E. Basse Road, Suite 184 in The Shops at Lincoln Heights.

“What we try to do is take the complicatedness of working out, out of the equation,” Edwards said. “We help people not only to work out but to stay motivated and on track, because we feel like the real thing that makes people successful is consistency.”

Koko FitClub uses smart training

Tuesday is the new FFiday!

FREE PARKING 5 p.m. to 2 a.m.

Every Tuesday* *Some exclusions apply

and a 45-minute session equivalent to a 90-minute workout in a spa-like atmosphere. Sessions at Koko FitClub are split into two workouts: 30-minute strength training and 15 minutes of cardio.

Koko Fuel provides a personalized nutrition plan.

The name Koko is inspire by a Japanese word that means “individual.”

Adopting a futuristic approach, an MP3 smart trainer explains exercises through headphones and guides members on the digital screen. A client’s goals and current fitness level and conditioning are entered into the machine to choose the best exercises.

“We understand that people have busy lives and we want to just help them take the questions or the excuses out of the equation not to work out,” Edwards said.

Fitness instructors are available during

guest walk-in hours to help and answer questions, but the gym is open 24 hours, seven days a week for members.

They are issued a Koko Key, which stores their customized workouts and progress.

Edwards said she also wants to have healthy meal cooking classes and go hiking on the weekends as part of an effort to build a community inside and outside of the fitness center.

There is staff on hand to help with workouts and assist guests from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

KOKO FITCLUB 999 E. BASSE ROAD, SUITE 184 For more, call 776-7773, or visit alamoheights.kokofitclub.com

E M E R I T U S AT L I N C O L N H E I G H T S I S N O W A P R O U D M E M B E R O F T H E B R O O K D A L E FA M I LY !

Simple. Free. Parking.

Downtown Tuesday offers FREE parking at downtown city-operated garages, lots and meters on Tuesday evenings after 5 p.m. They’ve also partnered with over 70 businesses to provide Tuesday-only specials including drink discounts, free appetizers and buy one, get one deals.

Find more at www.downtowntuesday.com.

S A M E N A M E , S A M E G R E AT C A R E , S A M E L O C AT I O N I N T H E H E A R T O F A L A M O H E I G H T S .

Welcome home.

855 E. BASSE RD., SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS 78209

210-930-1040

24

september 2014

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

New eatery brings culinary show to off-Broadway

by EILEEN PACE

A

former psychiatrist and an airline employee have turned a 1950s duplex near Fort Sam Houston into a bistro that is defining the term “off-Broadway” for the newest, hippest part of San Antonio’s center-city development.

Grayson St. Eatery, 521 E. Grayson St., just off a revived Broadway and near the Pearl, serves up a dash of art along with fresh foods, robust wine and beer. Live music will be offered when cooler weather arrives.

Restaurateur Oscar Montiel said he and longtime friend Johnny Moreno both worked in other fields – Montiel in medicine and Moreno at Southwest Airlines before he went to culinary school – when they

™

decided to open the restaurant last spring.

The menu changes daily and varies seasonally. Signature items include Smoked Beet Salad, Squid Ink Pasta, Grayson St. Torta, the Cuban Sandwich and the Off-Broadway Burger, made with arugula and topped with bacon jam.

“My menu evolves,” said Montiel, who often visits the Pearl’s farmers market. “We’re becoming more and more farm to table. We would like to get more local growers.”

The restaurant makes the pasta on site, smokes its meats and vegetables, and keeps soups simmering.

“I love soup,” Montiel said. “My mom used to cook a lot of soups, so I have that craving. It’s like comfort food.” The restaurant accommodates gluten-free and other special diets.

The wine list offers selections from Chile, Argentina, Italy, the Loire Valley and several from the Hill Country. Fifteen craft beers are served on tap and in the bottle.

The dining room showcases Montiel’s other passion — art. According to the restaurateur, who said he owned a gallery in Los Angeles for 10 years, the pieces are on consignment. He plans to add permanent art in the backyard.

Montiel designed the property to be sustainable, using condensation to water the

plants. He also plans to xeriscape. And he wants to become a fixture in the community.

“I want to have a vertical garden,” he said. “I want to get the community involved, to provide a space for perhaps the folks at the (nearby San Antonio) AIDS Foundation to come here and work the garden if they would like to, and perhaps take back some of the food for their own use.”

Hours are lunch 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Monday through Saturday and dinner 5 to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.

Grayson St. Eatery features dishes such as the Grayson St. Pasta (left) and Off-Broadway Burger (above), both made with ingredients from local farmers. Photos by Collette Orquiz

GRAYSON ST. EATERY 521 E. Grayson St. For more, call 437-0138, or visit graysoneatery.com

25

salocallowdown.com

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

Revived La Fonda Alamo Heights living up to legend

by OLIVER J. BOURGOIN

T

hough La Fonda Alamo Heights has risen again at a new location under new owners, the restaurant kept some of the same staff that helped make it a go-to spot in Alamo Heights for Tex-Mex cuisine.

The latest incarnation, now owned by the Hasslocher family of Frontier Enterprises Inc. (which includes Jim’s Restaurants), is at 8633 Crownhill Blvd.

“We have greatly exceeded expectations,” said manager Bill Sheridan.

“I guess people missed their fix.”

In addition to Sheridan, longtime bartender Juan Romero has also returned.

La Fonda Alamo Heights first opened on Broadway in 1958. Tucked into a corner of the Stewart Center for

more than 40 years, it thrived in the spot where the Lion & Rose is now.

In 1999, Luna Notte left the Sunset Ridge Shopping Center on North New Braunfels Avenue and that space became La Fonda’s new home. Owner Rick Shaw sold the restaurant to new proprietors in 2013, but it closed on March 31 of this year. Then the Hasslochers took over.

Still in the 78209 ZIP code, the new La Fonda Alamo Heights sits just inside Loop 410 where Raffles used to be. No drastic changes to the menu are expected.

“I love the family atmosphere, caring about employees, treating them right,” said Sheridan, who moved to San Antonio from New Jersey in 1979. “Over the years, I got to know people who have made me feel like a part of their own family.”

La Fonda has room for 140 diners inside, and there are a half-dozen tables on the outdoor patio. A staff of 60 includes many employees placed at Jim’s Restaurants the past few months while the building, which had been vacant five years, was renovated.

Though Jimmy Hasslocher is in charge of day-to-day operations, his father, company founder G. “Jim” Hasslocher, 92, still takes an active interest in the business and recently came into La Fonda with blueprints under his arm and offering a strong handshake.

Though La Fonda Alamo Heights has reopened under new owners and at a new location, it still features the drinks (left) and sizzling Tex-Mex cuisine (above) that have made it a popular dining spot for decades.

Photos by Collette Orquiz

“’Mr. Jim’ still comes in to check on things — daily,” Sheridan said.

The manager said two of his favorites from the menu include the regular plate — enchilada, rice, beans, chili and a tamal — and the Guero Guapo Especial, which was named after him and features chopped steak with queso, rice and pico.

“All our food is made to order,” Sheridan said. “Nothing is pre-prepared.”

Hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

La fonda Alamo Heights 8633 Crownhill Blvd.

For more, call 824-4231, or visit lafondaalamoheights.com

COME AND JOIN US FOR ONE OF OUR

Cake Decorating

Classes

SIGN UP TODAY!

5

$20 PURCHASE REQUIRED

Valid at Castle Hills Jimmy’s Egg only.

Offer Expires: May 31, 2014 September January 15,30,2014 2014

10% OFF YOUR TOTAL TEXT CAKE TO 51660

Your One Stop Shop

Not valid with any other offer

20% OFF

WWW.FAUCETPARTS-TX.COM • HANDLES

YOUR NEXT PURCHASE. With this ad.

For All Of Your Cake, Candy, and Baking Needs!

CAKE CLASSES, KIDS CAMPS, BIRTHDAY PARTIES...

210-475-3032 1010 NW LOOP 410, STE. 102 SAN ANTONIO , TX 78213 WWW.OVERTHETOPCAKESUPPLIES.COM

FOLLOW US

PURCHASE A CLASS AT REGULAR PRICE AND BRING A FRIEND FOR

50% OFF THE SAME CLASS

Limited spaces available.

Expires October 31, 2014

(210) 733-3583 1109 FRESNO

• STEMS • CARTRIDGES • FAUCET WASHERS

Specializing In Hard To Find Plumbing Repair Parts Come See Why We Are The Best In San Antonio!

26 MAGICIAN continues from pg. 19

G r a n a da H o m e s

Retirement Community on the Beautiful San Antonio Riverwalk with ALL BILLS PAID

Efficiencies & One Bedrooms starting at $335 a month • Courtesy patrol provided for building • Fire detector system and emergency alert system in each apartment • On-site service coordinator to assist with supportive services to enhance standard of living • Chapel, game room, TV room, library, thrift shop, ballroom, laundry room, garden patio & restaurant • Lunch program available Monday – Friday • Socials – Birthday parties, bingo, bake & rummage sales, blood pressure & blood sugar checks and more • Government rental assistance available

w w w. g r a n a da h o m e s . n e t

L U X U R Y

S E N I O R

Granada Homes Introduces…

Riverwalk Salon (on Premises)

Men & Women Haircuts, Hair Color, Manicures, Shellac, Solar Nails, Spa Pedicures, Eyelashes and Waxing Mon-Sat 10a-6p, 210-227-4743

G r a n a da H o m e s 31 1 s o u t H s t. m a r y ’ s s t. s a n a n to n i o , t X 7 8 2 0 5

210-225-2645

6701 Blanco Road San Antonio, Texas 78216

A P A R T M E N T S

Wedgwood Senior Apartments is a 55+ Luxury Apartment Community that offers peace of mind in a gated complex.

We are conveniently located in the Castle Hills neighborhood of San Antonio, across from the Park North Shopping Center, Alamo Draft House Movie Theater and close to the North Star Mall, Quarry Golf Club, great restaurants and places of worship. ~We offer spacious Studio, 1 & 2 bedroom apartments New renters only.

With signed agreement. available in a variety of floor plans.

No Deposit or Community Fees! ~Housekeeping and meal plan options are available.

Call today for more information.

We feature an attractive list of apartment and community amenities, as well as several personal care services that are available for our residents to choose from.

We invite you to come relax by our newly renovated swimming pool, relax in our salon/spa and socialize with other residents in our movie room and new fitness center. For your convenience, we also offer an onsite restaurant with a delivery WedgwoodApartments013@myLTSMail.com option available and a courtesy shuttle to get you wherever you need to go! www.WedgwoodTexas.com

ONE MONTH FREE!

(855) 755-8734

A Realtor Who Cares About Historic Properties & Their Communities Rosemary Roessling Sales & Investment Properties

210.336-6621

sarose612000@yahoo.com

115 W. Kings Hwy, San Antonio, TX 78212

Home Team of America John Matte Broker

he sees colors, shapes, patterns and images. In addition, he is able to see in both the blue and red spectrums, no matter the brightness of the environment. There is no medical explanation for condition, he said.

When he turned 21, he became a student of the late Dai Vernon, who was considered the world’s best card-trick expert at the time.

“It was just the greatest experience; blessing, if you would,” Turner said.

Turner also spent years practicing for hours each day — at the grocery store, on the road and even chatting on the phone.

“Unlike a piano player, I can practice anywhere and everywhere, and what I would do is, I would take a move that I want to learn, I would analyze it, break it down piece by piece, moment by moment, frame by frame and get it in my subconscious and then it would become an obsessive habit,” Turner said.

Turner still practices about four hours a day.

While Turner has turned shuffling cards into a show of magic and mystery, he’s had plenty of other

september 2014 adventures, too — swimming with sharks, driving a motorcycle until his father told him to stop and earning a black belt in the martial arts.

Korem said now is the perfect time to tell Turner’s story. He said the card mechanic motivates others.

“I don’t try to inspire them, it just somehow happens,” Turner said.

With nine months of filming in the can, production won’t be complete for another three months. The crew has worked around the clock editing and transcribing interviews and footage for release in the fall of 2015.

“If we were to tell the story 40, 50 years down the line, say when he’s passed away and it’s historical, it wouldn’t be the same,” Korem said. “You’re not going to get to live the moments.”

A handful of people have asked to document Turner, but Korem was given the green light because his father is a professional magician and a longtime friend of the card mechanic.

Next stop for the film crew, Turner and Turner’s family is The Magic Castle in Hollywood, the clubhouse for the Academy of Magic Acts and a nightclub for magicians and those who love illusionists.

Complimentary Exam NEW CLIENTS ONLY

• H a i rc u t s & St y l i n g • M i n e ra l B a r • Fra gra n ce B a r Partial Highlights

Full Highlights

With $60 Complimentary

With $70 Complimentary

Hair Cut

Brazilian Blowout Starting at

Hair Cut

Reg. $70+ With Ad. Expires 9/30/2014

Reg. $85+ With Ad. Expires 9/30/2014

(COMPLIMENTARY EXAM FOR ONE PET PER HOUSEHOLD)

$75

With Ad. Expires 9/30/2014

1621 N Main St., San Antonio, TX 78212

VITALPET NORTHWOOD ANIMAL HOSPITAL 1634 NORTH EAST LOOP 410, SAN ANTONIO, TX 78209 | (210) 828-1406

Schedule Your Appointment Today Online or by Phone

210-254-9736

Quality medicine in a caring family environment www.vitalpet.com

TM

w w w.wink beautybarsa.com

LOOK LIKE A STAR IN YOUR EVERTHINGSHINES-BRIGHTER KITCHEN

Attention 09ers!

HIRING IN ALAMO HEIGHTS

IS

$

35 OFF YOUR FIRST CLEAN

210-822-2526 Get the kind of clean that only comes from a unique 22-step deep cleaning system delivered by a team of specialists.

TheMaidsSA.com

New customers only. Not valid with

Competitive, Exciting & Fun Culture

other offers.

Salary Plus Commission • Benefits • Opportunity for Growth

ACCREDITED BUSINESS ®

SEND YOUR RESUME TO:

®

®

in

Referred for a reason.

Jaselle Luna - Advertising Director jluna@salocallowdown.com or call: 210-338-8842

LOCAL DEALS

WINK Beauty Bar

Find more LOCAL deals online at salocallowdown.com

27

salocallowdown.com

*****ECR WSS Postal Customer

Prsrt Std US Postage Paid Permit 6450 San Antonio TX

COMMUNITY NEWS

4204 gardendale Ste. 201 SAN ANTONIO, TX 78229