LOCAL: Stone Oak, Encino Park, Far North, 78258, 78259, 78260, 78261 February 2016

SB-1168

New laws working for HOAs PG.22 Lawmakers wanted to create clarity, including on voting rules

PG. 06 LOCAL COMMENTARY SUSAN YERKES

RIDE-HAIL RETURNS

It's not until 2018, but San Antonio is getting ready for the big 3-0-0

PG.25 Uber, Lyft

joined in Alamo City by Get Me STONE OAK

VOL. 2, ISSUE 9

PG. 07 LOCAL EDITORIAL COMMUNITY NEWS ENCINO PARK

FAR NORTH

Ride-hailing companies create a private-sector opportunity

78258 78259 78260 78261

JAN. 25 - FEB. 29, 2016

Methodist Stone Oak Hospital expanding PG.18 Multimillion-dollar project will add services, create

neonatal beds, acute rehabilitation and parking

BUY LOCAL FAST AID URGENT CARE

PG.28 Medical care for

SMART GRID

NO THANKS

FAR NORTH SIDE COMMUNITY

Sew much fun

PG.26 Some North Side customers opt to keep old analog meters

active lifestyles

LUIS & CO. FINE JEWELRY PG.29 All that glitters is more than gold at new store

EAT LOCAL L-TACO MEXICAN CAFE

PG.20 Many area quilting bees

keep members in stitches

SA's annexation efforts postponed until summer PG.15 City awaits results of

consultants' in-depth studies

PG. 12 LOCAL LOWDOWN PG.30 Mexican-fusion dishes in Stone Oak

Offering a quick snapshot of new businesses, bars and restaurants, plus news updates

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JAN. 25 - FEB. 29, 2016

FROM THE EDITOR wwright@localcommunitynews.com

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President Harold J. Lees Publisher Gregg Rosenfield Director of Operations Jaselle Luna Assoc. Publisher Rick Upton EDITORIAL Executive Editor Thomas Edwards Managing Editor Will Wright News Staff Collette Orquiz and Bain Serna Contributing Writers Olivier J. Bourgoin, Jacque Crouse, Kate Hunger, Eileen Pace, Eric Moreno, Edmond Ortiz, Travis E. Poling, Arthur Schechter and Susan Yerkes ART Creative Director Florence D. Edwards Contributing Photographers Kelly McBride, Mary Oakes and Rudy B. Ornelas ADVERTISING Account Manager Amber Montemayor Controller Keith Sanders READER SERVICE Mailing Address 4204 Gardendale St., Ste. 201, SA, TX 78229 Phone Fax (210) 338.8842 (210) 616.9677 Advertising Inquiries jluna@localcommunitynews.com Story Ideas: tips@salocallowdown.com Website: www.salocallowdown.com LOCAL Community News publications

Hours of Operation:

Mon.-Thur.: 8am-4pm by Appointment 4pm-6pm Walk-in Clinic Friday: 9am-5pm Living Well Clinic / Walk-in Clinic

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Zone 1: 78204, 78205, 78209, 78210, 78212, 78215 Zone 2: 78213, 78230, 78231, 78248, 78249 Zone 3: 78216, 78232, 78247 Zone 4/5: 78109, 78148, 78233, 78239, 78108, 78132, 78154, 78266 Zone 7: 78015, 78023, 78255, 78256, 78257 For advertising, customer service or editorial, please call us at 210-338-8842 or write to us at: Local Community News 4204 Gardendale St., Ste. 201 San Antonio, TX 78229 Reproduction in whole or in part without our permission is prohibited, 2016 Helen Publishing LLC and Local Community News LLC, all rights reserved.

All hail ride-hailing?

A

new ridehailing service has joined two others recently re-emerging on San Antonio roads.

Launched in 2014, Get Me locally revved up Jan. 14. The Dallas-based startup offers both rides and deliveries. Co-founded by San Antonian Jonathan Laramy, it operates in Las Vegas, Austin and Houston, and plans to recruit 60 drivers here.

Get Me is another app-friendly option for area passengers in addition to San Francisco-based competitors Uber and Lyft. The latter two reappeared after agreeing to stricter city rules for driver drug testing, background checks, tighter vehicle inspections and insurance requirements.

All three firms will operate under the city’s nine-month transportation network company pilot program, which eventually will determine ride-hailing’s future course in San Antonio. Officials want to monitor TNCs and public safety.

The San Antonio Police Department hasn’t encountered criminal incidents or problems processing prospective Uber and Lyft drivers, but in other parts of the country there have been such reports, as well as accounts lately of customers claiming they were overcharged for rides during peak travel hours.

It’s hard to gauge what Uber and Lyft are thinking, as neither respond to requests for comment unless during carefully scripted public events – such as Uber’s Jan. 6 unveiling of its UberMILITARY program, designed to attract active-duty soldiers and veterans as customers and potential drivers.

The companies will soon get their city report cards. In the meantime, their silence on public issues remains a cause for concern.

WILL WRIGHT MANAGING EDITOR

CORRECTION: A photo that ran in last month’s edition showing retired Navy Adm. William ‘Bill’ McRaven should have been attributed as a North East Independent School District courtesy photo.

Red Dress

5K FUN RUN & WALK at Methodist Stone Oak Hospital

—WHEN —

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 27

7 a.m. Festivities and Late Registration 8 a.m. Red Dress 5K Fun Run & Walk

—WHERE —

METHODIST STONE OAK HOSPITAL

1139 E. Sonterra Blvd. San Antonio, Texas 78258 Help us honor those affected by heart disease. Wear red or your favorite red dress and join us for the Red Dress 5K Run/Walk around the campus of Methodist Stone Oak Hospital.

Along with Methodist Healthcare and the American Heart Association, your support will help the community lead healthier lives.

• $20 entry fee (all proceeds go to the American Heart Association) • Enjoy refreshments and various educational areas

Please register early at SAHealth.com/HeartandSoul

• Pets on leashes welcome

This will be a timed race to better recognize the success of participants Medals will be awarded to all participants

For more information on heart month events and for heart healthy tips: MethodistHealthcareSanAntonio SAHealth.com/HeartandSoul SAHealth210

23681_MHS_MSOH_LOCAL_Jan_2016_Zone6_ad_v1.indd 1

12/21/15 11:10 AM

6

JAN. 25 - FEB. 29, 2016

LOCAL COMMENTARY

Preparing for SA’s big 3-0-0 jamboree

by SUSAN YERKES

I

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

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

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

In 1731, 55 Canary Islanders, sent

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

We’ll start seeing the gradual rollout this spring.

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

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

Right now, plans are still forming.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

OUR TURN Views and opinions about your community

Ride-hailing firms offer more options

T

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

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

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

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JAN. 25 - FEB. 29, 2016

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WEDNESDAYS For an afternoon of advice

and conversation leaving you in stitches, the Encino Branch Library, 2515 E. Evans Road, hosts experienced needle enthusiasts from 12:30-3 p.m.

The Hand Bee is a close-knit group of adults and seniors. If you’re sewinclined and seek more, call 207-9250.

JOIN THE FITNESS KICK JANUARY The Encino Branch Library, 30 2515 E. Evans Road, tests your body at noon or 12:30 p.m. Learn martial arts from a third-degree black-belt instructor. This program teaches basics while improving strength, flexibility, conditioning and balance. Coordinated

by Fitness in the Park, sessions are free and families are encouraged to participate together. The 30-minute class is limited to

ART

EVENT

OUTDOOR

MUSIC

FOOD

30 attendees. For more, call 207-9250.

I’M ALL EARS Beth Johnson, violinist with the San Antonio 30 Symphony, visits the Parman Branch Library, 20735 Wilderness Oak Road, at 2 p.m. for a recital of classical music. For more, call 207-2703.

JANUARY

JOHNSON HOOPS The Jaguars’ boys basketball regular-season home campaign is nearly finished. Johnson hosts Reagan Jan. 30, Madison Feb. 10 and McArthur Feb. 16 at 3 p.m., 8 p.m. and 5 p.m., respectively, from Littleton Gym, 12002 Jones Maltsberger Road.

For more details and a complete 2015-16 schedule, visit a link at www.neisd.net.

JANUARY /FEBRUARY

HAPPENING continues on pg. 09

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OUR NEW CAMPUS IS THRIVING HAPPENING continues from pg. 08

RATTLER ROUNDBALL The Reagan High School boys basketball campaign continues, highlighted by home games against Roosevelt Jan. 26, 5 p.m. at Littleton Gym, 12002 Jones Maltsberger Road; Feb. 2, 7 p.m. versus Madison at the Reagan Gym, 19000 Ronald Reagan Drive; and Feb. 10, 6:30 p.m. with MacArthur at Littleton Gym. The regular season ends 7 p.m. on Feb. 17 tussling Sam Houston at the Reagan Gym. For more including a complete 2015-16 schedule, visit a link at www.neisd.net.

JANUARY /FEBRUARY

ENCINO PARK OVER 50 CLUB FEBRUARY folks a half-century old, 2 &16 For come to the Encino Park Community Center, 1923 Encino Rio St., at 11:30 a.m. the first and third Tuesday of the month for fun activities including tours, dinner gatherings and events. For more, call Dyan Montesclaros at 481-7890.

REAGAN STUDENT MUSICAL Reagan High School students 4-7 will perform “Cinderella” during five productions spanning four nights from the campus, 19000 Ronald Reagan Drive. Shows start 7 p.m.

Thursday and Friday; 1 p.m. and 7 p.m.

FEBRUARY

Saturday; and 3 p.m. Sunday. Lowersection seats are $15; upper section cost $10. For more and to purchase tickets, visit www.rrhstheatre.com.

JOHNSON STUDENT MUSICAL 4-7 Johnson High School Theatre Arts will present “9 to 5” performed on campus, 23203 Bulverde Road. The curtain rises at 7 p.m. the first three nights, followed by a 2 p.m. finale. For more, contact Jay Asterman at jaster@neisd.net.

FEBRUARY

THANK YOU STONE OAK THE NEIGHBORHOOD IS ABUZZ ABOUT OUR NEW CAMPUS!

GET EDUCATED North East Independent School District’s 6 Community Education is holding a Community Education Fair 10 a.m. to noon in the Northeast Community Learning Center, Room 217, at 8750 Tesoro Drive. Explore spring classes, visit with instructors, get hands-on demonstrations and register on-site for the sessions you want to take.

Light refreshments will be provided.

FEBRUARY

FEBRUARY

6

DRONE LECTURE Drone pilot Justin Moore discusses the new aerial technology

HAPPENING continues on pg. 10

& PRE- K OPENIN L O O H C S GS PRE Our HEARTS belong to our Community! We loaded up “Big Red” and took TONS of clothes, coats and shoes to the Battered Women’s Shelter. Starting February 1st through the 29th, please drop off any gently loved stuffed animals to donate to the children being helped by CASA (Child Advocates of San Antonio). With your donation, you’ll get an opportunity for some family fun at Main Event!

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JAN. 25 - FEB. 29, 2016

HAPPENING continues from pg. 09 from 1-3 p.m. at the Parman Branch Library, 20735 Wilderness Oak Road, in Meeting Room A. The presentation will end with a live demonstration from adjacent Panther Springs Park. For more, call Tim Johnson at 207-2703.

NEISD BOARD North East Independent School District 8 trustees regularly meet at 5:30 p.m. on the second Monday of each month at 8961 Tesoro Drive. To confirm dates and times, call 407-0533.

FEBRUARY

PUTTING THE “HEAL” IN “HEALTH” Realize your own 10 healing potential 10:30 a.m. to noon at the Parman Branch Library, 20735 Wilderness Oak Road. Mastering and balancing your body’s energy and keeping it flowing smoothly may result in reducing pain, breathing easier, sleeping better and gaining vitality. Learn helpful information and practice Spring Forest Qigong exercises in a supportive environment. Group sessions magnify the training. No experience necessary. Dress comfortably in nonrestrictive clothes.

Workout can be modified for standing, sitting or lying. For more, call 207-2703.

FEBRUARY

ENCINO PARK GAME DAY Come to the Encino Park 11 Community Center, 1923 Encino Rio St., at 1:30 p.m. on the second Thursday of every month for various game-related activities. Non-Encino Park residents are welcome, too. For more, contact Dyan Montesclaros at 481-7890.

FEBRUARY

CISD BOARD Comal Independent School District 11 trustees will convene at 6 p.m. in the boardroom at the Support Services Administration Offices, 1404 Interstate 35 North, in New Braunfels.

For more, visit www.comalisd.org.

FEBRUARY

DISTRICT 9 NEIGHBORHOOD ALLIANCE Meetings are 23 held the fourth Wednesday of each month at 7 p.m. in Stone Oak Methodist Hospital, 1139 E. Sonterra Blvd., in classroom No. 1. The hospital is just off U.S. 281 North. For more, call Art Downey, alliance president, at 497-8873.

FEBRUARY

PAPERCRAFTING AND SCRAPBOOK CLUB Visit the 27 Parman Branch Library, 20735 Wilderness Oak Road, from 1-6 p.m. for an afternoon of paper therapy. Begin with a demonstration of a technique,

FEBRUARY

layout idea or project, and then work on your own paper projects such as cardmaking or scrapbooking. All levels of expertise are welcome. Registration is required. For more, call 207-2703.

READY, SET, GO! The sixth annual “Run for the Heights” 27 will take place at Tuscany Heights Elementary School, 25001 Wilderness Oak Road, from 8-11 a.m. The community is invited to participate for a morning of health, wellness and fitness, with a 5K, Kids’ Fun Run and Health Fair & Sponsor Expo. Run a race, receive wellness information, obtain health screenings and sample nutritional products. Proceeds benefit the school’s PTA. For more and to register, visit http:// runfortheheights.tuscanyheightspta.org.

FEBRUARY

SHAPING UP FOR A NEW YOU While the Parman Branch WEEKLY Library, 20735 Wilderness Oak Road, usually exercises your mind, come give your body a workout, Mondays from 10-11 a.m. An instructor from the San Antonio Parks & Recreation Department will lead a class in low-impact circuit training.

The session will focus on agility and flexibility. For more, call 207-2703.

CHECK THIS OUT Whether you’re just learning or a grand master, the Parman Pawn Stars invite you to play chess. Kindergartners to high school seniors are welcome. The group meets every Sunday at the Parman Branch Library, 20735 Wilderness Oak Road, from 2-4 p.m. For more, call 207-2703.

WEEKLY

DOG-EARED BOOKS Come to the Encino Branch Library, 2515 E. Evans Road, every Wednesday from 3-4 p.m. and read to a dog. Bring your favorite animal story or choose one off the shelves. Even children not yet reading can narrate a tale from a wordless book. Recommended for ages 3 and up. For more, call 207-9250.

WEEKLY

TABLE TENNIS ANYONE? Ping-Pong for adults is available at the Parman Branch Library, 20735 Wilderness Oak Road, in Meeting Room B from 1-3 p.m. All skill levels are welcome.

For more, call Tim Johnson at 207-2703.

WEEKLY

ENCINO CINEMA PRESENTS: SUNDAY MATINEE The Encino Branch Library, 2515 E. Evans Road, will show a film

WEEKLY

HAPPENING continues on pg. 11

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SALOCALLOWDOWN.COM HAPPENING continues from pg. 10 suitable for the whole family at 2 p.m.

For movie titles and more, call 2079250 or contact Barbara Kwiatkowski at barbara.kwiatkowski@sanantonio.gov.

JAVA WITH JOE District 9 Councilman Joe Krier meets with the public at his field office, 16500 U.S. 281 North at Thousand Oaks Drive. Resident appointments, in 15-minute intervals, are 9-11 a.m. For more regarding dates and reserving time, contact district9@sanantonio.gov or call 207-0955.

ONGOING

GOODWILL PICKUPS Goodwill Industries offers donation pickups for large amounts of clothing, household items and furniture at Bexar County residences. For more, call 271-8881 or fill out pickup forms available at www. goodwillsa.org/home-pickup-services.

ONGOING

SUBMITTING EVENTS: Email all

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

LOCAL LETTERS TOLERANCE IS THE AMERICAN WAY EDITOR: Thanks to columnist Susan Yerkes for the real spirit of Americanism by writing on tolerance for Muslims and Islam.

She hit the nail on the head. One should not judge or belittle a person because of color, race or creed, but love the person for whom they are, not what they are.

I too have friends of Middle Eastern faiths and cherish their friendship, as they have enriched my existence with an introduction to another way of life and customs. How much more rewarding can that be to share oneself with another?

Christian teaching: “Love thy neighbor as thyself” – with equality for all mankind is the creed of our country. Thanks again for the profound declaration of how we should live in peace and harmony.

Adeline E. Zencka NOT HOLDING BREATH EDITOR: In regards to Susan Yerkes’ recent column about tolerance for Islam: The media continues to spout this tired mantra: “If everyone were anywhere near as intelligent as I, they would come to the enlightened conclusion … that the religion of Islam (the religion of

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The mantra continues: “All religions have borne the burden of discrimination and it’s just pure ignorance that people would feel any kind of ill will toward Islam.”

I must point out that other religions have progressed beyond the sixth century.

Neither Christians nor Jews brought down the Twin Towers, they do not make videos of beheadings, they do not engage in mass executions, and I don’t believe there has been an instance of a Jewish or a Christian suicide bomber walking into a public place and murdering innocent people in the name of religion. And, then there’s Paris.

As for Yerkes’ quote, “ … the Muslims I know, both individually and in organizations, have clearly condemned terroristic acts committed in the name of Islam … “ I have not heard this publicly, anywhere, clearly or even implied. In fact, the silence in the Islamic community, including San Antonio, is deafening.

I am very certain there are a good number of Muslims who abhor the violence perpetrated in the name of their religion and love being in the United States and doing business under our free-capitalist system. I won’t hold my breath until Muslim leaders stand up to radical Islam or assimilate into Western society.

Robert N. Grantham

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3. LENNY’S SUBS, 17910 Bulverde Road, Suite 101 in the Bulverde Crossing shopping center, is an expanding national chain serving up sandwiches on freshbaked craft breads, featuring “World’s Best Philly Cheesesteaks” and meatball subs.

Hours are 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Sunday. For more, call 494-2132 or visit www.lennys.com. (See story on page 31) 4. FAST AID URGENT CARE, 17910 Bulverde Road, Suite 115 in the Bulverde Crossing shopping center, offers minor emergency medical care, flu shots and physicals. Hours are 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

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SALOCALLOWDOWN.COM LOWDOWN continues from pg. 12 IN OTHER NEWS

UNIVERSITY INTERSCHOLASTIC LEAGUE, the state’s governing body for extracurricular public school activities, will release its biennial list of competitive football and basketball districts for the 2016-17 and 2017-18 school years on Feb. 1. Most Class 6A area high schools should remain stationary, though district placements could hinge on other regional reassignments. In November, UIL announced plans to raise 6A student enrollments by 50 – from 2,100 to 2,150 and above. North East Independent School District’s seven high schools – Churchill, Johnson, Lee, MacArthur, Madison, Reagan and Roosevelt – currently alone in District 26-6A could stand pat or be joined by others. The same in District 25-6A, which last fall saw four of its seven football teams reach the state quarterfinals, a first since 2007. Steele, Clemens, Canyon, Smithson Valley, Judson, Wagner and New Braunfels might continue competing against each other, join the NEISD contingent or possibly enter an Austinarea 6A district. The announcement will be televised live in a morning broadcast on Fox Sports Southwest.

MORE THAN 500 PAIRS OF PAJAMAS and new books collected by Lopez Middle School students will be delivered to local homeless shelters. The Pajama Program and Scholastic Books drive surpassed its goal of gathering 200 sleepwear outfits in two weeks.

THE NORTH EAST INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT IS THE FIRST in San Antonio to receive the U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm to School Program grant of $45,000. According to Sharon Glosson, executive director of NEISD’s School Nutrition Services, the district will direct the money to build relationships with local producers and brainstorm ways to increase local purchasing for school cafeterias. Funds will also be used to assist with garden planning and maintenance on campuses. The district is now eligible to apply for future implementation grants through USDA to fund more projects developed during this phase.

EVERY NORTH EAST INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT FACILITY NOW HAS access to SMART Boards, a result of the 2011 bond project’s Chalkboard Replacement Program. The SMART Board is a line of interactive whiteboards produced

LOWDOWN continues on pg. 14

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THE HARDY OAK BOULEVARD CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECT was finished just before Christmas. The project, funded under the city’s $8.8 million 2012-17 bond program, was designed to improve traffic flow and safety on the roadway from Stone Oak Parkway to Knights Cross Drive.

“Completing another capital improvement project is always exciting,” said Mike Frisbie, city engineer and director of Transportation & Capital Improvements.

“The Hardy Oak Boulevard project is an exciting improvement because it now provides connectivity that wasn’t available before.” Construction began in January 2015 on the extension, which expanded

the thoroughfare into a four-lane divided roadway and now includes shared cycling and pedestrian paths, sidewalks, driveway approaches, an upgraded traffic signal and drainage improvements. The project was designed by Vickrey and Associates Inc. and built by DNT Construction.

COMAL COUNTY RESIDENTS CAN APPLY for the fourth annual University of County Government, a nine-week class where attendees visit facilities and learn more about the structure and services county government provides. The 2016 University of County Government will meet 6-9 p.m. every Tuesday from March 8-May 3.

Graduation concludes the final session, with recognition at the next Commissioners Court May 11 meeting. Seminars, usually at the Comal County Courthouse, 100 Main Plaza in New Braunfels, will also include off-site tours of the county jail, district courts and elsewhere. “This is a great opportunity for Comal County residents to learn more about how counties are run, what powers counties do and don’t have, and more specifically, how their tax dollars are spent in our county,” said County Judge Sherman Krause. “We’re excited to offer this class again, and we think residents will have fun and learn a lot.” For more, including application forms, visit www.co.comal.tx.us/ucg.

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SALOCALLOWDOWN.COM ANNEXATION continues from pg. 01

Despite delay, foes plan to keep up opposition

by WILL WRIGHT

S

an Antonio’s plans to annex five unincorporated Bexar County areas into the city likely won’t happen before this summer – or possibly later – until officials examine a couple of commissioned reports.

The city’s pursuit of limited-purpose annexation for those territories – including the affluent region extending north of Stone Oak to the Comal County line – are suspended pending outside consulting firms’ submissions in upcoming weeks.

“We’re just waiting on the two studies to make sure (the city) has done everything correctly, and to find out if other (assessments) need to be performed in order to make those studies more accurate,” said

Department of Planning and Community Development Director John Dugan.

Mayor Ivy Taylor said the first is a fiscal analysis performed by a consulting firm assisting public entities, Public Financial Management Inc. The second involves Tech Bloc, a local technological advocacy group, and New York-based HR&A Advisors Inc., which are providing input into the SA Tomorrow comprehensive plan to include how annexation fits in with the city’s overall future.

SA Tomorrow is a multipronged approach forecasting and addressing San Antonio’s needs through 2040.

Both annexation reports should be received by February, but more reviews and public scrutiny are expected, with final revisions submitted to City Council.

The process, Dugan said, could experience further interruptions if more land-use studies are required.

July should see a completed SA Tomorrow plan, likely the catalyst for resuming the annexation debate.

“They’re probably not going to be acting on annexation until SA Tomorrow is approved during the summer,” Dugan said. “I wouldn’t expect any

ANNEXATION continues on pg. 16

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ANNEXATION continues from pg. 15 action to be taken until then.”

The city planned to annex three areas – Stone Oak; the Interstate 10 West corridor north of Loop 1604; and between Interstate 35 and I-10 on the county’s eastern end – by December 2015. Two other locales – Alamo Ranch north of 1604 on the far West Side and west of I-10 outside 1604 in north Bexar County – were slated to follow in 2016.

Backlash from residents in the proposed tracts led officials to cancel community hearings and forced new studies delaying timelines. Many inhabitants claimed the city’s “land-grab” would mean paying more for services already offered by Bexar County and neighborhood associations.

“People who settled outside of San Antonio because they wanted to enjoy a more rural lifestyle, often, and understandably, resist efforts to bring them into the city,” District 9 Councilman Joe Krier said. “It’s up to the city to make the case for annexation, and to provide property owners with a clear plan for delivering city services.”

“City officials must give residents the confidence the annexation (process) will be orderly, and that the services they are to receive will be worthwhile,” he added.

Krier criticized the Department of Planning and Community Development, commenting it “hasn’t had many answers for the 120,000 people” in proposed annexation regions.

“During numerous budget sessions in August and September, I asked city department heads what they were doing in preparation for annexation,” he said. “Most of the answers ranged from little to nothing.”

Krier is also concerned with “the lack of planning” for SA Tomorrow projects expected to be included in the city’s 2017 bond proposal. Too, he claimed planners have “largely (been) unwilling to thoroughly consider alternatives to immediate annexation ... (including) signing non-annexation deals with communities, with the understanding that they will become part of the city when (those) pacts expire.”

Dugan said the previous outline prevented presenting those and other possibilities.

“We’ve heard that from him before,” he said. “What we’ve basically been doing is following state law regarding limited-purpose annexation.”

Dugan said such information

ANNEXATION continues on pg. 17

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SALOCALLOWDOWN.COM ANNEXATION continues from pg. 16 requests – specifying detailed capital improvements and additional studies — weren’t required initially.

“It’s supposed to happen after the three-year limited-purpose annexation process starts. That’s why they weren’t done then,” he said.

Krier said until the city demonstrates “a good-faith effort to clearly communicate (its) case for areas we’re considering for annexation by making real preparations to provide services or working constructively on a plan to gradually bring them into the city – I cannot get behind this effort.”

However, District 10 Councilman Mike Gallagher remains supportive, insisting council members “have received a substantial amount of information from briefings by our planning department, and we will continue to remain open to learn more.”

The latest reports, he added, should provide additional insight.

“I strongly believe that annexation, when done properly, enables future development by guiding growth,” Gallagher said. “It helps to mitigate uncontrolled growth. … It remains an important tool to help cities plan,

For Pediatric grow and prosper in many ways. (It) allows cities to protect themselves from unwanted, incompatible development, plan for future growth, and expand upon economic-development opportunities.”

Several elected officials – Precinct 3 County Commissioner Kevin Wolff, District 122 state Rep. Lyle Larson, District 25 state Sen. Donna Campbell and District 117 state Rep. Rick Galindo – are united against annexation and vow to push for legislation to curb municipalities’ powers when the Legislature convenes in 2017.

Dugan has said commercial and residential revenues from annexing all five areas could total $412 million over the next 20 years.

Stone Oak resident David Diharce said such projections are overestimations – a main reason why his group, U.S. 281 North Opposition to Annexation, will continue to maintain pressure against the effort.

The organization welcomed more than 500 residents and elected representatives to an anti-annexation rally in late September; another is set for 6 p.m. Feb. 25 at Canyon Springs Golf Club, 24405 Wilderness Oak Road.

“This has all come together in the last 11 months,” Diharce said. “We are a determined group that will not stop until a bill is passed in Austin.”

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HOSPITAL continues from pg. 01

Neighborhood leader says hospital growing with population

by TRAVIS E. POLING

M

ethodist Stone Oak Hospital is undergoing a $60 million to $70 million expansion during the next 18 months to better meet the needs of the area’s increasing population, officials said.

When Methodist Healthcare System opened the facility in 2009, it was built with growth in mind.

“This side of town is growing all the way north to (Texas) Highway 46,” said Scott Rausch, the hospital’s chief operating officer. “The growth we have seen here in the Stone Oak area has been exponential.”

For those in the early stages of life, the neonatal intensive-care unit will increase

An artist's rendering of a planned $60 million to $70 million expansion project at Methodist Stone Oak Hospital to keep pace with growth is flanked by CEO Marc Strode (left), Chief Financial Officer Gabe Marrufo, Chief Nursing Officer Ann Winn and Chief Operating Officer Scott Rausch. The project, which finishes in 2018, adds neonatal beds, a parking garage and an acute-rehabilitation facility, among others. Photo by Mary Oakes

from nine to 15 beds, plus an additional labor and delivery suite. More than 2,000 children were born last year at Methodist Stone Oak, 1139 E. Sonterra Blvd.

For the area’s aging population, 36 medical/surgical beds will be added.

This is crucial in relieving pressure on the emergency department, where folks waiting for an available bed

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sometimes experience long delays after receiving initial treatment.

“Our team has done a great job taking care of the patients with the beds we have,” Rausch said, adding some days there just isn’t any additional room.

Construction will begin in the first quarter of 2016 and be completed in stages over the next 18 months.

Renovations to expand existing units will be done in early 2018.

The project will also include a parking garage, the first of the multiphase expansion, because a new four-story tower will take up part of the surface parking.

Both the existing five-story tower and the planned one can rise several more stories, Rausch noted.

Seven years ago, hospital executives said the campus was designed for up to 400 more beds. This 100,000-square-foot enlargement will increase the count from 140 to 211.

“This campus was very well master-planned,” Rausch said.

The new tower’s fourth floor will feature a 15-bed acute-rehabilitation facility to provide ongoing care after traumas such as stroke, brain injury or joint replacement.

The specialty care includes therapy to help retrain the recovering patient to walk, work in the kitchen or drive using mock-ups of environments for everyday activities.

The hospital has received transfer patients from as far away as Del Rio, but often its nearly 1,000 employees have their hands full with 12,000 inpatient and 8,000 outpatient visits yearly.

In late 2014, a Property Management Insider study found the number of

HOSPITAL continues on pg. 19

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SALOCALLOWDOWN.COM HOSPITAL continues from pg. 18 developers looking to build in the area and the demand for people wanting to live in far North Side communities made it the ninth busiest submarket in the nation for apartments. Single-family neighborhoods are in continuous development from Loop 1604 to beyond the Bexar County line.

Sonterra resident Rick Rawley said he has personal experience with the plethora of local health-care services including Methodist Stone Oak and nearby North Central Baptist Hospital, which has undergone several major expansions since opening in the early 1990s.

“It’s comforting to know that if you have an incident, you can stay in the same place with the same doctors,” said Rawley, who has lived in Sonterra for 11 years and is president of the Sonterra

Property Owners Association.

He said there definitely is a need for the acute rehabilitation being added at the hospital. His father-inlaw, who recently died at age 100, had a stroke several years ago and had to be moved to another hospital for his rehabilitation and aftercare.

“We are seniors and we appreciate not having to drive to the (South Texas) Medical Center for treatment,” Rawley said. “I can’t think of anything we can’t do out here.”

He said the influx of general hospital, specialty surgical, diagnostic and clinical physician services in the last decade followed the needs of residents.

“We have been recognized for years as a high-growth area full of middle-income people who were going to use health care,” Rawley said.

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JAN. 25 - FEB. 29, 2016

QUILTING continues from pg. 01

Groups are giving outlet to creative expression, fun

by KATE HUNGER

W

hen Susan Loader arrived at the Encino Branch Library on a recent afternoon, she came prepared with a hand-knotted rosary kit in her pocket, a camouflage afghan on her crochet hook and a partially completed orange prayer shawl tucked in a bag.

But Loader also brought paperbacks to pass around and a ready ear for the stories and advice guaranteed to be shared at the weekly meeting of The Hand Bee. Loader is a regular at the gatherings, a welcome few hours for those who enjoy using their hands to create in a range of forms, from quilting, knitting, crocheting and embroidery, to appliquĂŠ. “Usually we laugh, laugh, laugh,â€? Loader

said, taking a break from crocheting the afghan, which will be donated to a wounded member of the armed forces. “We exchange ideas. We can watch each other’s projects.�

Across the table from Loader, Pat Cavanaugh was binding a quilt by hand.

The pink and yellow floral coverlet is a gift for a friend of 45 years who has cancer. “When she feels down she can wrap up in it and remember the good times we’ve had together,� Cavanaugh said.

The activity takes place at the library, 2515 E. Evans Road, from 12:30-3 p.m. each Wednesday. The recurring calendar event is open to the public.

The busy Bees are just one of many sewing klatches swarming on the far North Side and North Central, as well as elsewhere in the city.

Guilds or area churches organize some clubs, while additional folks might do their handiwork in private homes and other enthusiasts congregate in public spaces able to accommodate larger groups.

One local chapter is The Greater San Antonio Quilt Guild Inc., founded in 1980 and 300 members strong this past fall, President Ida Blankenship said. With 13 bees in the area, donating is a common thread as the guild supports various

TOP: Members of The Greater San Antonio Quilt Guild Inc. make several quilts that are donated each month to the Bright Hopes Committee for the Children's Shelter. LEFT: Sylvia Jolet (foreground), an organizer of Sew Bee It at the Encino Park Community Center, and Linda Kirk are among those who enjoy the time-honored tradition of quilting. Photos by Kelly McBride

QUILTING continues on pg. 21

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QUILTING continues from pg. 20 charities including contributing dozens of quilts to the Children’s Shelter each month.

The nonprofit counts men and children among its members, Blankenship said, noting interest in quilting is “alive and well,” which she attributes to a desire in society to find an outlet for creative expression.

“It’s satisfying to take a piece of cloth, cut it and put it back together,” she added.

Sylvia Jolet agreed. She organizes Sew Bee It, a club assembling at the Encino Park Community Center, 1923 Encino Rio St., on the second Tuesday of the month. Jolet said the community center’s large work area is conducive to big projects. They meet from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. — plenty of time to really dig into projects “so it’s worth packing up your sewing machine.”

Jolet has noticed what she described as a resurgence in the old-fashioned pastime, with some participants in their 30s and 40s interested in the modern quilting movement.

“My observation is they use a lot of white space and it’s asymmetrical. It’s a very different way of doing it,” she said of the popular contemporary style.

For Jolet, who remembers helping her grandmother quilt, the most enjoyable aspect of the craft is piecing

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“It’s a very tactile kind of hobby or avocation,” Jolet said. “I do not only quilting, but I do knitting, weaving and crochet. I personally believe that everyone has a way of demonstrating their artistic ability, even if it’s making straight columns of numbers.”

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HOA continues from pg. 01

SB 1168 AT A GLANCE

Bill revamped procedures for violations

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Clarified and corrected some legal provisions adopted during the 2011 legislative session, including the procedures and requirements for HOA voting and elections

by EDMOND ORTIZ

N

orth Side homeowners and property owners associations are having generally favorable reactions to several bills passed by the Legislature in 2015 governing their organizations.

While lawmakers had relatively little impact upon HOAs and POAs following their 2013 session, last year’s Legislature ratified 39 specific laws with wider ramifications for POAs, HOAs and condominium associations.

Now with nearly five months passing since the laws were enacted, neighborhood leaders have few complaints.

“The last legislative session was generally positive,” said Art Downey, a Stone Oak resident and board president of Texas Neighborhoods

Expanded the list of topics requiring a 72-hour notice prior to a board meeting, i.e. ending or borrowing money, filling a board vacancy and capital improvements Sen. Royce West (D)

Rep. Jason Villalba (R)

Revamped HOA procedures for acting on violations by dividing infringements into two categories: fixable and "incurable."

Together, an alliance of communities.

Downey also serves with the Stone Oak Property Owners Association, an umbrella group, and with his subdivision’s HOA. He also has led the District 9 Neighborhood Alliance, a consortium of 30 organizations.

Arguably, Senate Bill 1168 carried the most significant weight with HOAs and POAs. The bill amended numerous provisions in state property code which governs condominium and subdivision associations. It went into effect Sept. 1.

SB 1168 was meant to clarify and

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correct some legal provisions adopted during the 2011 legislative session.

One of the more comprehensive amendments changed the procedures and requirements for HOA voting and elections. For example, HOAs only need to provide one method of voting to owners, but must make balloting available by absentee or proxy.

Also, recount demands should follow a specific timeline. In addition, written ballots are no longer required for every vote, but are needed in elections to fill a board position.

These are just some changes in rules affecting HOA voting and elections.

Dallas-area state Sen. Royce West, a Democrat, authored SB 1168. Rep. Jason Villalba, R-Dallas was the House sponsor.

“Senate Bill 1168 made it easier to understand a lot of requirements,” Downey said.

“Senator West has been following this issue closely. His office and ours found ambiguities in the statute,” said Connie Heyer of Niemann & Heyer, an Austin firm specializing in property-owner association law.

Niemann said, for the most part, SB 1168 helped to define HOA voting rules and “tighten up the intent of the statute.”

The bill affects other aspects of governing by HOA directors, such as expanding the list of topics requiring a 72-hour notice prior to a board meeting.

The added subjects include lending or borrowing money, filling a board vacancy and capital improvements.

Also, SB 1168 revamped HOA procedures for acting on violations. Heyer said the bill better defines the two types of infringements — fixable and “incurable.”

Examples of curable transgressions include parking or maintenance infractions, failure to construct improvements

HOA continues on pg. 23

23

SALOCALLOWDOWN.COM HOA continues from pg. 22 according to approved plans, and ongoing noise issues such as a barking dog.

Some instances of offenses considered not curable involve shooting fireworks, loud parties, property damage or changing a landscape.

“Everybody should be able to have a chance to cure their issue before there are consequences,” Heyer said.

However, if violators don’t, notices sent to owners no longer have to give people a chance to fix them — a fine or damage assessment can be issued immediately.

“We closed loopholes in the statute there,” she added.

Downey said better definitions of violations help, but more improvement is needed.

“There’s kind of a fine line,” he said.

“There has to be a way to enforce it.”

Heyer said her firm has received mostly positive reviews so far from HOAs and POAs statewide about the new regulations. She and Downey agreed, though, the level of any new law’s effectiveness depends on a point of view.

“Board members are trying to enforce deed restrictions, and property managers are trying to do their jobs,” Heyer said. “It helps when your association is professionally managed. It’s getting more difficult for associations that aren’t managed professionally because laws are becoming more intricate.”

Understanding new rules is the key, Downey added.

“We have a lot more resources than smaller neighborhood groups,” Downey said, referring to his Stone Oak POA board.

“A lot of boards generally want to understand how they should function under the law.”

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Challengers, incumbents vie for March 1 party nominations

by WILL WRIGHT

T

he election season in Bexar and Comal counties begins with the March 1 Super Tuesday party primaries, featuring candidates who met the Dec. 14 filing deadline in hopes of obtaining party nominations.

The winners move on to the Nov. 8 general election.

Nominations for national seats, including president and U.S. House; and Texas offices such as railroad commissioner, Supreme Court, Court of Criminal Appeals justices and board of education members, will also be at the forefront.

Locally, perhaps the biggest upset chance is the U.S. House District 21 post, for years occupied by Republican Lamar Smith of San Antonio. The incumbent will

face GOP challengers Matt McCall, Todd Phelps and John Murphy. The winner squares off against Tom Wakely or Tejas Vakil, both seeking the Democratic nod.

While that district likely will remain in GOP control, the same can’t be said in many other local races.

Bexar County Precinct 3 Commissioner Kevin Wolff will face two other Republican challengers, Mike Koerner and Pamela Lill, with the winner vying against Democrat Brandon Johnson in November.

The District 26 state Senate race reprises the February 2015 special election, when then-District 124 state Rep. José Menéndez defeated District 116 state Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer to succeed state Sen. Leticia Van de Putte. Both will again battle March 1 for the Democratic nomination to hold the seat for a four-year term.

Joe Straus, the current Speaker of the House and District 121 state representative, will face GOP challenges from Jeff Judson and Sheila Bean. District 122 Rep. Lyle Larson is unopposed for the Republican nod. Both winners will be unopposed in the general election.

First-term Bexar County Sheriff Susan Pamerleau didn’t draw a challenge for the GOP nomination but will vie against the Democratic nominee –

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Charles Cervantes, Javier Salazar, Matt Ninan or Andy Lopez – this fall.

Incumbent Bexar County Tax AssessorCollector Albert Uresti is unopposed for the Democratic nomination. The GOP winner — Fernando Padron, Gerard Ponce or Michael Berlanga — will challenge him in November.

Bexar County Precinct 3 Constable Mark Vojvodich faces challenges by Franz Rickhoff and Nathan Buchanan for the Republican nomination against unopposed Democratic candidate Ed Coleman next fall.

In Comal County, there’s a long list of candidates running to succeed longstanding Sheriff Bob Holder. Brent Paullus, James Walker, Josh Dean and Mark Reynolds are competing for the Republican nomination. The winner will face Democrat Fred Riter and 20-yearold write-in independent candidate D.J. Seeger in November’s general election.

Incumbent Donna Eccleston faces challenger Garrison Maurer for the GOP nod as Comal County’s Precinct 1 commissioner. Incumbent District 73 state Rep. Doug Miller of New Braunfels faces Boerne resident Chris Byrd and Fredericksburg resident Kyle Biedermann for the Republican nomination, with the winner unopposed this fall.

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Uber plans to hire 10,000 more area drivers

by WILL WRIGHT

S

hortly after North Side passengers resumed using their apps to call on ridehailing services Uber and Lyft, a third shuttle service announced its debut in mid-January.

The new transit company, Get Me, joined the local ride-hailing competition on Jan. 14. The Dallas-based startup, which launched in 2014, not only caters to customers but also offers delivery services.

All three programs will operate on a test-drive basis over the next few months while the city determines how its new ride-hailing regulations are working out.

“If we find we need to tighten safety measures, we will,” said District 9 Councilman Joe Krier. “Public safety was one of the city’s main goals throughout negotiations with Uber and Lyft.”

Terri Hall, founder and director of the anti-toll group Texans Uniting for Reform & Freedom, praised the companies as alternatives to government mass transit. “(Uber and Lyft) are the privatesector solution to safe, affordable, reliable and fast door-to-door service without government subsidized mass-transit systems,” she said. “We welcome them to San Antonio to provide practical options for the many (of those) who cannot yet afford a car of their own.”

Last spring, San Francisco-based competitors Uber and Lyft refused to follow stricter rules imposed by San Antonio, which required additional driver drug testing and background checks, plus additional scrutiny over vehicle inspections and insurance requirements.

During the summer, however, the city structured its new transportation network company ordinance for a ninemonth trial period, which includes a review of short-term effects and allows planners to propose changes “if the public safety or other data shows a need,” according to Mayor Ivy Taylor.

Both companies ceased operating in San Antonio on April 1, 2015, but continued in area suburbs, which mainly chose not to regulate.

Taylor asked city staffers to review the situation and suggest a model, which eventually paved the way for both businesses to return.

After a series of negotiations,

preliminary agreements were reached when City Council approved revisions for ride-hailing operations on Aug. 13.

Uber hit the streets in October; Lyft rode in early in December. The duo is now on board with city terms calling for increased vetting of drivers, conducted by the San Antonio Police Department.

“Along with Uber, Lyft agreed to enter a pilot program with the city in which their drivers can voluntarily undergo additional background checks that will be included on their app profile,” Taylor said.

“We can’t know exactly what the utilization, costs or benefits of TNCs will be because we haven’t yet had these companies operating in San Antonio under our new system,” Taylor added.

“We may have to adjust the structure in the future, but we often carry out this kind of analysis regarding city services and contracts, and TNCs will be no different.”

Prospective customers access ridehailing services through cellphone apps and are assigned local drivers using personal vehicles. With the city’s program, patrons can now verify operators who underwent additional background clearances through company mobile apps prior to scheduling rides.

Despite adverse publicity alleging misconduct by some ride-hailing drivers, as well as cabbies, in other cities, no such reports have surfaced in San Antonio as of early 2016.

Mike Gallagher, District 10 councilman, said, “There are currently no statistics on recent criminal activity for TNCs in San Antonio,” adding residents have the option to choose a driver who willingly underwent a 10-point background check with the SAPD. Gallagher said a council committee will examine developments during the trial period.

“We will be reviewing how the initiative has unfurled, and analyze how the public has utilized this new feature,” he said.

District 8 Councilman Ron Nirenberg said the city initially overreacted.

“The regulatory requirements that were imposed by cities like San Antonio — and later rolled back — were unnecessary obstacles to doing business here,” he said. “I have seen no instances that should lead us to re-impose harsher regulations.”

After resuming operations, Uber issued a search for 2,000 additional local drivers and in January, announced plans to add 10,000 more area drivers before the end of the year.

During a Jan. 6 event attended by Taylor and other local officials, the company unveiled a new program.

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SMART METER continues from pg. 01

CPS says smart meters reliable, no risk to health

by COLLETTE ORQUIZ

A

s CPS Energy continues building its smart grid to cut costs and increase efficiency by using wireless meters and other 21st century technology, some North Side residents are deciding to opt out.

They instead are exercising a provision that allows them to replace a smart meter with one that still requires a field visit from a meter reader, and they want other customers to know about the program.

“I just want the option to control my environment and my property,” said Sandy Matejka, who lives in the Thousand Oaks subdivision. “If someone makes a modification to my home, I want to know about it. It’s my home.”

JAN. 25 - FEB. 29, 2016 ILLUMINATING THE SMART GRID CPS Energy says the Smart Grid Initiative is a major upgrade to its electrical grid and consists of three main components: A communications network, which consists of communication devices installed on utility poles, street lights, communication towers and substations.

An advanced distribution management system, which allows CPS to remotely manage its system.

Smart meters, which will be installed on homes and businesses and will communicate wirelessly to CPS Energy through the communications network.

SOURCE: CPS Energy

According to CPS officials, the utility’s goal is to replace 740,000 electric analog and offsite meter-reading devices, or OMRs, as well as enhance 340,000 gas meters, with so-called smart meters by 2018. Smart meters use communication infrastructure — Wi-Fi, fiber or cellular — to report readings to the utility.

To date, 325,000 smart meters and devices have been installed.

“Analog meters, like rotary phones, are outdated and essentially not being manufactured any longer,” said CPS spokeswoman Christine Patmon. “Smart meters offer customers improved technology and are the necessary foundation for our online portal, which provides customers a near real-time look at their

energy use, and awareness to save.”

Rate increases totaling $290 million approved by City Council helped fund the program. In 2011, CPS rolled out the Smart Grid Initiative pilot program and installed 40,000 smart meters on homes.

Matejka said she wasn’t informed about the smart-grid program. CPS officials counter that they told customers 30 days before installation and reminded ratepayers by phone a week before the switch.

Matejka added she would have liked a choice to opt in to the smartgrid program rather than opt out.

Customers wishing to opt out must be the resident whose name is on the bill and not have had their service turned off due to three or more nonpayments in any

12-month period. The opt-out period in the Smart Meter Xchange Program lasts a year.

Staying with 20th century tech can be a little costlier, too, CPS officials said.

Homeowners who already have a smart meter but want to change are required to pay a $175 exchange fee; it’s $35 for low-income customers. Those who still have their analog or OMR meters and would like to keep them do not have to pay the exchange fee, but there is still an additional charge — $20 — for a monthly visit by a meter reader.

Monthly meter-reading fees are $10 for low-income customers.

Opt-out fees cover the extra cost of sending an employee to read the meter manually, which includes labor, fuel and vehicle maintenance.

The opt-out form is available at https://www.cpsenergy.com/ en/about-us/programs-services/ smart-grid/smart-grid-opt-out.html.

Consumers can also call 353-4264.

CPS switched to the Smart Grid Initiative to keep up with growing power demands as well as to cut costs by curtailing field visits by meter readers and paying for vehicle upkeep, officials said.

“City Council did not vote on these new

SMART METER continues on pg. 27

27

SALOCALLOWDOWN.COM SMART METER continues from pg. 26 meters, so CPS is just totally in control of all of this, which is unbelievable,” said Matthew Troy, a real estate agent who also lives in Thousand Oaks.

Critics from the North Side to Alamo Heights have worried that smart meters may be harmful because they emit and pulse radio frequencies similar to other wireless devices including cordless phones and baby monitors.

CPS officials say the frequency is well within safety limits set by the Federal Communications Commission.

“According to an in-depth review of the scientific literature by the World Health Organization, the small amount of radio-frequency energy produced by smart meters is not harmful to human health,” Patmon said.

Matejka said not everyone is affected by frequencies the same way, and argues there are varying sensitivity levels.

“My daughter has had very bad migraines, random migraines. I’m not a medical expert, I’m not a scientist, but these things started coincidentally around the same time,” Matejka said.

Some have also worried the wireless meters mean personal data is not secure, or give the utility the ability to

control air conditioning, heating and monitor homeowners’ activities. Some even claim the meters catch fire. CPS argues these are nothing but myths.

Troy said he tried to get his home and a few of his rental houses taken off the smart grid after seeing countless YouTube videos of meters catching fire.

“I own those houses and I don’t understand why my tenants are getting to decide what’s going to go in my house,” said Troy, who eventually got an OMR installed on his home.

CPS said smart meters are reliable and have many benefits.

“When completed in 2018, the smart grid is going to allow us to have automated, two-way communication between us and our customers, to respond to isolated outages quicker, and start and stop services remotely,” Patmon said.

In addition, fewer field visits mean fewer service trucks on the road, reducing air pollution.

Unlike 75 percent of Texas, San Antonio is a regulated energy market, meaning residents can’t choose their electric company, Matejka said.

For Matejka and Troy, it all comes down to choice, especially after struggling with CPS to get analogs and OMRs back on their properties.

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Fast Aid Urgent Care offers quick relief for medical needs

by ERIC MORENO

I

n today’s fast-paced world, time is perhaps more valuable than ever. Charlie Heausler, an Army veteran and owner of Fast Aid Urgent Care, fully understands the concept.

When he opened one of the city’s latest urgent-care clinics, the goal was to provide patients with quality assistance when they need it, and with minimal wait time.

The health center at 17910 Bulverde Road, Suite 115, in the Bulverde Crossing shopping center opened just before ringing in the new year.

“When patients get sick, they usually call their primary-care doctor to get seen and many times they are already booked and can’t see them,” Heausler said. “That’s

where we come in. Anyone can come to us without an appointment on a walk-in basis and get fast, affordable quality care.”

Fast Aid Urgent Care offers a full range of minor-care treatments for cold and flu, broken bones and lacerations. Services also include X-rays on-site, vaccinations and physicals.

The staff treats folks of all ages, from newborns to the elderly.

“We have the ability to address a multitude of injuries and illnesses,” Heausler said. “All of our employees and providers are former emergencyroom personnel or (from) urgent-care clinics. We are all well-versed in this type of care and we offer nothing but the best for our patients.”

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ABOVE: The new minor-care clinic offers treatments for colds, flu, broken bones and lacerations, as well as X-rays, shots and physical exams. Photos by Collette Orquiz

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New jewelry store opens in Stone Oak Commons

by JACQUE CROUSE

L

uis Rojas saw the Stone Oak Commons shopping center and knew he found a new home for his Luis & Co. Fine Jewelry store.

Retail shops like his are rare in the area, and he liked the ready parking, traffic flow and neighborhood feel. After years operating in the Castle Hills area, he changed locales.

The store opened in October at 3111 TPC Parkway, Suite 116.

“I thought this was a good place for us and our customers,” Rojas said.

The shop is bright and uncluttered with an array of custom-made and manufactured jewelry. Wares range from customized pieces featuring natural stones such as diamonds and sapphires to more exotic like ametrine (a mixture of amethyst and citrine) or watermelon tourmaline.

Glass windows between the store’s front and the back let shoppers watch Rojas and fellow jeweler Albert Aparicio work.

The cases offer glimpses of gems fashioned from silver to gold, wrought in simple designs to glittering and popular Pavé Creations. The store provides jewelry repair, diamond setting, hand engraving and watch repair.

“If someone wants something they

Luis & Co. Fine Jewelry creates and sells hand-crafted accessories from necklaces to earrings to rings all in the same convenient place. Photos by Collette Orquiz

don’t see, they should ask,” said Rojas, a third-generation craftsman with more than 50 years of experience. “There is a lot more available that can be ordered by looking through our catalogs.”

Customers with a jewelry concept can supply a description or a drawing, and Rojas and company can perform their magic, making a wax replica for approval and then creating the custom design.

“We are a full-service jeweler,

and we are very happy to be in the neighborhood,” Rojas said.

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LUIS & CO. FINE JEWELRY 3111 TPC Parkway, Suite 116 For more, call 499-1300 or visit www.luisfinejewelry.com

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

Stone Oak restaurant offers Mexican fusion

by EILEEN PACE

A

new Stone Oak restaurant straddles the TexasMexico border with its detail-oriented, hybrid menu.

Enrique Resendez, managing member of the investment group for L-Taco Mexican Cafe, 19202 Stone Oak Parkway, Suite 103, said he and his colleagues have created a trendy, in-town Mexican eatery.

“Normally when you think of Mexican restaurants, you associate them with a little more mom-and-pop style or a little old school. We decided to do something more fresh with a more modern concept,” Resendez said.

He termed the approach Mexican fusion.

“It was really important for us to cater to

Mexican nationals and to people that like Tex-Mex,” he said. “In northern Mexico, you find a lot of flour tortillas, and they’re larger. Further south — in central and southern Mexico — it’s the corn tortilla.”

Resendez said attracting native Mexicans via homey, nostalgic dishes was key.

“Even though it was a little challenging for our kitchen staff, it was important for us because we want to make sure every guest has a positive experience,” he said.

L-Taco, which debuted in October, also provides non-tortilla choices such as lettuce wraps.

“We’re kind of a fast-food restaurant, but when you’re preparing everything fresh, it takes a little longer,” Resendez said, adding people often come twice to thrice weekly.

“San Antonio is a great opportunity and a great community. It’s one of the best cities in the U.S. to live in, and it’s a great

place to start our business – with a lot of tourist attractions, the medical industry and aerospace industry, Toyota and technology, and it’s a very diverse city,” he said.

Two more cafes are under construction, one at Bandera Road at Eckhert Road and another at Thousand Oaks Drive and Nacogdoches Road.

Hours at the Stone Oak locale are 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday.

Eats at L-Taco Mexican Cafe include the Alambre taco plate with grilled steak, onions, hot peppers, bacon and topped with jack cheese, served with beans and rice (left); chicken-spinach salad (top); and the super street tacos served with beans and rice (bottom). Photos by Collette Orquiz

L-TACO MEXICAN CAFE 19202 Stone Oak Parkway, Suite 103 For more, call 495-8226 or visit www.l-taco.com

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EAT LOCAL

At the new Lenny's Subs, shift leader Analysa Cruz (far left, top) dresses a mile-high turkey sandwich that comes with turkey, provolone cheese and any toppings customers want; Cruz preparing a Philly cheesesteak (far left, bottom); and (left) a finished cheesesteak with grilled onions, jalapeños, beef and Swiss and American cheeses. Photos by Collette Orquiz

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

New Lenny’s Subs debuts on North Side

by OLIVIER J. BOURGOIN

E

spousing the belief everybody deserves great food, a Clark High School alumnus helped open a new sandwich shop Dec. 14 at 17910 Bulverde Road, Suite 101, in the Bulverde Crossing shopping center.

John Molina partnered with Austinbased attorney David Kazen to debut the first of what they hope will become several Lenny’s Subs, a national franchise.

“He is the brain and I’m the labor,” Molina said.

The sub shop’s service concept differs from many fast-food restaurants. Employees bring orders to tables and discard diners’ trash.

“We’re not looking for tips, but we want to take care of our customers.” Molina said.

Hot subs are cooked fresh and meats aren’t sliced until orders are placed. Breads are baked fresh daily.

“We go through 200 to 250 rolls per day,” Molina said. “Here, there is no charge for alterations to the menu.

Customers are allowed to make choices.”

Molina’s favorite is the Philly cheesesteak, one of the chain’s most popular offerings, according to its napkinholder declaration of “24 million sold.”

“Add some grilled peppers, mayo, lettuce, tomatoes, mushroom, the works and you’re in for a treat. You can also add a little jalapeños if you want,” he said. “The company — which started in 1987 in Memphis and has about 30 outlets there — did (its) research.

They went to Chicago, Philadelphia, to source the best meats available.”

The 1,900-square-foot North Side restaurant seats about 50 patrons; planned patio tables are on the horizon.

“Our formula is simple: Healthy food choices and treat people the same way you’d want to be treated,” said Molina, who was a USAA employee and construction project manager.

In less than a year, a new store is planned for the Schertz-Cibolo area.

Hours are 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Monday through Saturday and 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday.

LENNY'S SUBS 17910 Bulverde Road, Suite 101 For more, call 494-2132 or visit www.lennys.com

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